In the story, the Traveler and Yoimiya return to the Naganohara Fireworks shop to prepare for the upcoming "Naganohara Fireworks Show."
Along the way, Yoimiya brings up the stories from Yae Publishing House.
"The hero who defeated the evil dragon became the next evil dragon, the holy sword that shattered the darkness became a weapon to destroy the world..."
"Stories like these are quite popular, but... I don't like them. I really can't bring myself to like them."
It's not just her who dislikes such stories—Dehya feels the same.
Precisely because she dislikes them, she chose to walk her own path.
Yet, such stories do happen in reality—Rene is a prime example.
In the book, after the Traveler and Yoimiya arrive at the Naganohara Fireworks shop, they have a "laborious" conversation with Yoimiya's father. At the same time, Lumine notices that Yoimiya has taken in yet another "criminal."
Sakujirou, who had just smuggled himself back into Inazuma, was discovered by the Tenryou Commission and is now a wanted man.
Though he only just returned, he must now hurry and leave Inazuma—though he still hesitates.
If not for the "note" he had from the Naganohara Fireworks shop, he wouldn't even know where to hide.
The "notes" are left by customers who order fireworks to commemorate certain events, and Sakujirou is one of them.
As long as the note remains, the customer is still considered a guest of Naganohara. Whether it's ten years or a hundred, Naganohara can recreate the exact same fireworks.
Since Sakujirou is still a guest of Naganohara, Yoimiya decides to help him find a ship to set sail.
It must be said that in terms of professionalism, Naganohara is truly top-tier—one purchase grants lifelong benefits. The only other place that does this is the "Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
In the book, Yoimiya finds a man named Kouichi to arrange the ship.
Once the ship is ready, Yoimiya doesn't return immediately but instead goes to gather materials for the fireworks.
After procuring and processing the ore needed for the fireworks, Yoimiya and the Traveler finally return to the meeting point with Kouichi.
Kouichi hasn't arrived yet, so Yoimiya seizes the moment to chat with the Traveler, sharing stories about Mondstadt and Liyue.
After hearing the tales of Liyue, Yoimiya sighs: "Even without their Archon, so many people stepped forward… What an incredible nation."
"I can't even imagine an Inazuma without the Shogun."
Indeed, this is how most Inazumans feel. Though some of the Raiden Shogun's decisions have caused discontent, the people of Inazuma have no intention of overthrowing her.
Kujou Sara nods approvingly—Naganohara Yoimiya understands well.
Inazuma cannot lose the Shogun, just as the West cannot lose Jerusalem, or as the 3D animation community cannot lose Tifa.
Yoimiya continues: "Inazuma is very different from the outside world. Here, we pursue 'Eternity'—in other words, calm and stability, where change is rare."
"There's one benefit to this—if you're tired from your journey, this is a great place to rest."
"Who knows? Maybe after you find your family, you'll think Inazuma is the best place to call 'home.'"
Upon reading this, Scaramouche nearly shouts "bullshit" and almost electrocutes the book into ashes again.
Rosalyne doesn't mock Scaramouche—while she clashes with Tartaglia, she has almost no interactions with Scaramouche.
Thankfully, she doesn't taunt him, or else she'd be hit hard by the irony when she later sees Inazuma become her "eternal home."
Once their conversation ends, Kouichi finally arrives.
He has prepared a boat—a small wooden one. Attempting to cross the thunderstorm and the open sea in this tiny vessel makes one wonder if Sakujirou's full name is "Monkey D. Luffy."
But Kouichi truly has no other choice. The boat was built secretly, and anything larger would never evade the Tenryou Commission's inspections.
This small boat was painstakingly built by Kouichi at night, relying on his exceptional stealth.
Yoimiya informs Sakujirou that the boat is ready and that he can leave Inazuma anytime.
To buy Sakujirou more time, Yoimiya seeks out an elderly couple whose son serves in the Tenryou Commission, asking them to delay things a little.
The elderly couple shares a close bond with the Naganohara Fireworks shop—fifty years ago, it was through Naganohara's fireworks that they got together.
The old man: "When the fireworks rose, I didn't know how to speak up back then."
"Then, with the bangs and the fireworks lighting up the sky, I saw her profile—"
He pauses, his tone nostalgic: "Her eyes reflected the fireworks' glow, sparkling so brightly…"
Finally, with a hint of a smile: "Before I knew it, I'd already spoken, and she'd already said yes."
This passage fills the readers with envy—Inazuma, what's going on with you? Why do you have so many pure love stories?
From further conversation with the elderly couple, the Traveler and Yoimiya learn something—the couple's son, Keisuke, was actually childhood friends with Sakujirou.
But for some reason, they had a falling out, and after that, Sakujirou left.
Now, one serves in the Tenryou Commission, while the other is a "criminal" wanted by the Tenryou Commission.
Returning empty-handed, the Traveler and the others receive another piece of bad news.
The Tenryou Commission had already come by—led by Sakujirou's old friend, Keisuke. To avoid causing trouble for the fireworks shop, Sakujirou had already fled.
By the time Yoimiya and the Traveler reach Sakujirou's location, the area is already cordoned off by the Tenryou Commission.
Fortunately, neither the Traveler nor Yoimiya are ordinary people—they "enlighten" the Tenryou Commission officers with "love" and successfully break through the blockade.
Inside, the duel between Sakujirou and Keisuke has already concluded.
Neither is willing to speak their mind. Just as Keisuke is about to arrest Sakujirou, Yoimiya arrives in time and once again "enlightens" the two with "love."
Finally, the two stop holding back and speak their hearts.
Sakujirou: "I am a deserter. I took pride in my escape, but what I should've done was bring back what I learned from the outside world."
"Running away was wrong... especially when you never ran."
Keisuke: "...I deeply admire the Raiden Shogun. I've treated all her decrees as doctrine to follow."
"But now, my duty is to punish those who defy the Sakoku Decree and confiscate Visions. I never imagined joining the Tenryou Commission would mean doing such things…"
"Is what I'm doing... truly right?"
His words leave Kujou Sara silent as well—how similar their situations are!
Though Kujou Sara is far more loyal—she supports the Shogun's decisions unconditionally.
After a long silence, Keisuke finally speaks.
"Keep the boat... Don't die on the way."
The last words between the two friends are, "Don't die on the way."—the most caring words this man could muster.
As for the boat, it was the very one Sakujirou had prepared for his escape. Keisuke had brought it here under the pretense of "confiscating contraband."
In truth, like Sakujirou, he was conflicted—he believed he should arrest Sakujirou, but how could he bring himself to do it?
Both only wanted what was best for Inazuma. It's hard to say who was right or wrong—so who was really at fault?
What do you think, Raiden Stubborn-Mule?