Chapter 21: Courtesans and Pleasure Quarters Are the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Wano Country.
Although Ren disliked Kozuki Oden, he had to admit that Oden was extremely strong. At the very least, Shutenmaru was no match for him, and even Ren himself, without fully activating his Mythical Zoan-type power, would not be able to defeat Kozuki Oden.
Therefore, confronting Kozuki Oden at this time was, in Ren's view, meaningless and unrewarding. Since Orochi wanted him to deal with Kozuki Oden, Ren was willing to let matters drag on.
However, if that man came to provoke him, that would be another matter entirely.
Ren sat at his desk while Yukiko continuously listed Kozuki Oden's crimes since entering Kuri, item by item. In reality, they were all minor offenses, nothing more than damaging property or stealing valuables.
Most of these petty thefts were committed by Kin'emon and Denjiro. The two had been ruffians in the Flower Capital long ago, and cunning and deception were practically second nature to them.
If it had been Oden himself, he would have taken things openly and directly. For example, when hungry, he would simply sit in a field, light a fire, and cook, completely unaware that the food he ate was grown through others' hard labor, nor did he consider such actions to be theft.
These were originally trivial matters. At least since their group entered Kuri, they had not harmed anyone, aside from the Tenryu Bugyo soldiers who attempted to apprehend them.
It was just that in Kuri, the laws enacted by Ren were extremely strict. What would be considered insignificant elsewhere was enough to send someone to prison here.
If Oden did not come to provoke him, Ren would let the matter rest. But if he dared to do so, Ren would make him undergo labor reform.
While he was at it, Ren would also charge him with assaulting a Daimyo, directly sentencing him to work the fields for 7 or 8 years.
Of course, at this stage, Ren did not want to sour relations with the Flower Capital too much. Doing so would only make things more difficult for Orochi.
A few days later, the documents detailing Oden's crimes on Ren's desk had already piled up several layers thick. At this point, that troublesome man finally appeared before the Daimyo's Mansion.
Ren's Daimyo's Mansion was built on what had once been Shutenmaru's bandit stronghold. From a distance, it resembled a towering castle or stone tower, standing apart from the residential area at the foot of the mountain.
"What a magnificent building!" Oden exclaimed, his eyes lighting up in admiration.
The Daimyo's Mansion of Kuri and the town at the foot of Mt. Kagehinata were both extremely prosperous, forming the most populous settlement in all of Kuri. The houses were all 2 or 3 stories high, and merchants came and went in an endless stream.
Simply standing in the town, one could truly feel its prosperity. Looking up at the towering castle to the north, it felt as though a giant were gazing down upon the land.
Oden felt that standing atop such a castle and looking into the distance would surely broaden one's horizons. For a moment, he felt genuine admiration for the Daimyo of Kuri, whom he had never met.
No matter what kind of person the man was, or how powerful, his position as Daimyo of Kuri was at least well deserved. Along the way, Oden had seen almost no one in Kuri who was starving or homeless, a situation impossible even in the Flower Capital.
"The area where the Daimyo's Mansion stands used to be called Head Mountain," Raizo explained. "But I heard the Daimyo of Kuri found the name unpleasant, so he changed it to Mt. Kagehinata, and even renamed the town at its foot Enyou Town."
Oden, however, had no interest in names.
"Let's go. Let's meet this legendary Daimyo of Kuri," Kozuki Oden said, striding boldly toward Mt. Kagehinata.
The others quickly followed behind him.
As they passed through the town, they attracted many curious looks. Oden was already striking in appearance, and as the Shogun's son, he was recognized by many throughout Wano Country.
The original residents of Kuri naturally had not seen him before. However, Kuri now had many merchants who had come from the Flower Capital to do business, and they were no strangers to Oden, a notorious troublemaker.
It had been nearly 2 years since he was expelled from the Flower Capital, yet he seemed unchanged. Many had already heard of the disturbances he caused after entering Kuri, and their impression of him was far from favorable.
Kuri had now become the most favored destination for merchants from other regions of Wano Country. Doing business here earned them 40 to 50 percent more gold and silver than elsewhere, and they did not have to worry about extortion from gangsters or officials.
Some who even tried to pay for peace of mind were outright rejected. Everyone marveled at how the Daimyo of Kuri managed to keep his people so disciplined.
In short, Kuri had become a true land of bliss. People lived in peace and contentment, commerce flourished, and anyone willing to work could eat their fill.
There was even a certain degree of assistance for those unable to work. Of course, the standards for determining incapacity, the extent of assistance, and related matters were all extremely strict.
Ren had the confidence to implement such a system in Kuri. Although the assistance provided was actually minimal, it was something unimaginable in other regions.
This was due to Kuri's climate and its originally vast, sparsely populated land. Through large-scale reclamation, Ren obtained enormous quantities of grain.
Some of the reclaimed fields were distributed to the people of Kuri, but most of the newly opened land ultimately belonged to Ren. The first accelerated harvests were largely given to the people to improve their lives and fill their stomachs.
After subsequent harvests, the grain was stored in Kuri's granaries and became Ren's property. He then used this abundance to trade with other regions, attracting many talented individuals and accelerating Kuri's development.
Now, even the servants in Ren's mansion were purchased from various regions.
"It seems I haven't seen any Yoshiwara," Kin'emon said as he looked around. He and Denjiro had stolen some money along the way, intending to find a courtesan in a Yoshiwara to relieve some stress, yet they had not seen a single one.
A Yoshiwara was a pleasure quarter, and courtesans were women who sold their bodies. In Wano Country, regardless of the region, Yoshiwara were always thriving.
Yet after entering Kuri, there was hardly any sign of them.
"Kuri wouldn't possibly be without a Yoshiwara, would it?" Denjiro guessed.
"How could that be possible?" Kin'emon immediately retorted.
Courtesans and Yoshiwara were the intangible cultural heritage of Wano Country. How could such fine traditions be abolished?
Kin'emon was so furious that his yellow hair seemed to stand on end as he roared. If there were no Yoshiwara to bring joy, then no matter how beautiful Kuri was, it would still feel incomplete in his eyes.
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