As I continued observing the noble seating area, Hana's voice suddenly pulled my attention away from my thoughts.
"Brother, when is the fireworks going to start?"
I looked up toward the dark night sky for a moment before smiling faintly.
"Just wait a few more minutes. It'll start soon."
Hana immediately nodded her head and returned her attention to the sky above. Despite sitting on my shoulders, she still leaned forward slightly with anticipation, her eyes constantly scanning the darkness as though trying to spot the first firework before everyone else.
Around us, the excitement within the crowd continued to grow.
Thousands of people filled the city center, and countless conversations overlapped with one another, creating a constant hum of noise throughout the plaza. Children pointed toward the sky every few moments while excitedly asking their parents when the fireworks would begin. Some people were already counting down random numbers, convinced the show was about to start, only for nothing to happen.
Everyone's attention remained fixed on the sky above, eagerly waiting for the grand finale of the night festival to finally begin.
Then, after several more minutes of anticipation, the first explosion finally echoed across the city.
Boom!
The sound thundered through Astravia, instantly drawing every eye toward the sky. A brilliant streak of light shot upward from the center of the city before soaring high above the rooftops. For a brief moment, it looked like a star racing through the darkness. Then it exploded.
A magnificent burst of golden light spread across the night sky, illuminating the entire city beneath it. The crowd immediately erupted into cheers and applause, their excitement echoing throughout the plaza. Before the first firework had fully faded, another streak of light shot upward and exploded overhead. Then another followed. And another after that.
Within moments, the sky above Astravia was transformed into a breathtaking canvas of color. Brilliant explosions of red, blue, green, gold, and purple continuously bloomed across the darkness, each display more spectacular than the last. The endless bursts of light illuminated the city below, painting the faces of thousands of spectators in ever-changing colors as they watched the magnificent spectacle unfold above them.
At my side, Hana watched the fireworks with wide, sparkling eyes and an expression of pure wonder.
"Wow..."
The small whisper escaped her lips almost unconsciously as she stared upward. Her smile never disappeared.
Every time a new firework exploded across the sky, her eyes seemed to light up all over again. Sometimes she would excitedly point at a particularly beautiful burst of color, while other times she simply sat on my shoulders in complete amazement, watching the endless display unfold above us.
Even Miguel had fallen unusually quiet. The playful complaints and jokes from earlier had disappeared as he stood beside us with his gaze fixed on the sky. Every now and then, he would point toward a particularly impressive explosion and excitedly tell Hana to look at it, only for her to already be staring at it before he could finish speaking.
I simply stood there beneath the colorful lights and enjoyed the moment. The worries that constantly occupied my thoughts seemed strangely distant for once. For those brief moments, none of it seemed important. There was only the beautiful night sky above us, the endless fireworks illuminating the darkness, and the joyful atmosphere shared by thousands of people gathered together to celebrate.
Eventually, the fireworks began to slow. The brilliant explosions that had been continuously lighting up the sky became less frequent as the display approached its conclusion. One by one, the colorful bursts faded until only a single firework remained.
Boom!
The final explosion illuminated the entire night sky in a dazzling display of colors, drawing one last round of cheers and applause from the crowd below.
The colorful glow disappeared from the sky, leaving behind only the familiar darkness of the night and a faint trail of smoke drifting above Astravia.
And with that, the night festival finally came to an end.
Around us, people began applauding while others excitedly discussed their favorite parts of the celebration. The massive crowd that had gathered in the city center slowly started to disperse as families, friends, and travelers made their way toward their homes.
Merchants began packing away their stalls, carefully storing the goods that had remained unsold, while workers moved throughout the city center extinguishing lanterns and cleaning the streets after the festivities. The lively atmosphere still lingered, but it was gradually giving way to the quiet calm of a festival drawing to a close.
As the crowd began moving, I found myself taking one final glance toward the noble seating area. Most of the nobles were already leaving. Among them, I quickly spotted Lady Valenor. She was departing together with the same young man and young woman who had accompanied her earlier. The three of them were engaged in conversation as they made their way through the departing crowd, their figures gradually becoming more distant with every step.
For a brief moment, my eyes lingered on her. Then, as her elegant figure disappeared among the countless people leaving the city center, I quietly looked away.
Turning around, I joined Miguel and Hana, and together the three of us began making our way through the crowded streets as the city slowly settled down after another successful night festival.
Eventually, after walking together for some time, we reached the point where our paths would separate.
"Bye, Brother Arthur!"
Hana waved both hands enthusiastically, her earlier fear and sadness completely gone. A faint smile appeared on my face.
"Bye, Hana."
Miguel smiled as well. "See you tomorrow."
"See you."
After exchanging our goodbyes, the two siblings began walking away together. Hana occasionally turned around to wave one more time before continuing down the street, and each time I raised a hand in response. Miguel simply laughed at his sister's behavior while guiding her forward.
I remained standing there for a while, watching their backs gradually grow smaller beneath the lantern-lit streets. A small smile lingered on my face.
Only after they completely disappeared from sight did the smile on my face slowly fade. Standing alone beneath the lantern-lit street, I let out a quiet breath as my expression gradually turned serious. The pleasant atmosphere of the festival no longer occupied my thoughts, and the anger that had been lingering in the back of my mind since earlier quietly rose to the surface once again.
The memories from earlier replayed themselves inside my mind. Miguel being slapped again and again in front of everyone. Hana crying helplessly while watching her brother get beaten. And finally, that bastard raising his hand toward a frightened little girl without the slightest hesitation.
My eyes narrowed slightly. No matter how much I had enjoyed the festival, those scenes had never truly left my mind.
And I had no intention of letting things end like that.
Instead of turning toward home, I changed direction and began making my way back toward the center of the city.
The festival had officially ended, and the streets were noticeably quieter than before. The endless crowds that had filled every corner of Astravia were gradually thinning as people returned to their homes after a long night of celebration. Even so, the city had not yet fallen asleep. Small groups of citizens still wandered through the streets, laughing and discussing the festival, while others continued their celebrations at taverns and inns that remained open late into the night.
I moved through the city at a steady pace, following the direction in which that wealthy young man and his friends had departed after the fireworks ended.
Finding them proved more difficult than I expected. More than once, I thought I had completely lost their trail. But I continued looking... eventually, after searching for quite some time, I finally spotted them. A cold smile slowly formed on my face.
The wealthy young man and his three friends were walking together down one of the streets near the city center. Their loud laughter carried through the night air as they chatted amongst themselves, completely unaware that someone was watching them from a distance.
Judging by their behavior, the four of them had clearly been drinking. Their faces were slightly flushed, their movements less steady than before, and their voices carried far louder than necessary through the quiet streets. At one point, one of them nearly stumbled while laughing at something one of the others had said, forcing his friend to grab his shoulder and help him regain his balance.
There were still enough people on the streets that I did not act rashly. The four of them remained completely unaware of my presence as I followed from a distance, patiently waiting for an opportunity.
Eventually, the four of them turned into another street. Unlike the previous roads, this street was far less crowded. The lively flow of people had thinned considerably, leaving only a handful of individuals scattered here and there. Most paid little attention to their surroundings as they continued on their own way.
Seeing how empty the street had become, a cold smile appeared on my face. This was exactly the opportunity I had been waiting for.