Kino no Tabi:Volume17 Chapter2
“Land of Environmental Destruction” — Human Nature —[edit]
“About the country we’re headed to? I explained it already, haven’t I… You were asleep again weren’t you, Hermes?”
“I can’t deny that possibility, Kino.”
Kino and Hermes were running through a road inside a jungle.
It was technically a winter morning, but the temperature and humidity were both high.
Kino wore a black vest over a white shirt as if it was summer. The vest was originally a jacket with sleeves that can be removed depending on the weather.
The road that ran through the jungle was so straight; it’s as if it was measured by a ruler. It was wide enough to let trucks pass each other, and comfortable to run in for one motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly). As it was the dry season, the reddish-brown earth was completely parched and riddled with cracks not unlike the patterns on a turtle’s shell.
The cries of the birds from the trees on both sides could be heard. While some fled out of surprise from the boisterous roar of Hermes’ exhaust, others continued to cry just as loudly.
“Because they’re living just ahead of this jungle, they must be living in abundance of nature, eh? To put it nicely, they’re a people ‘at one with nature’, and to put it bluntly, ‘primitive’.”
Kino turned her head sideways in reply to Hermes.
“It’s the opposite, Hermes. According to people who had been there, this country quarried stones from a nearby mountain and used them to develop the entire country. And with sturdy houses and buildings, it was a completely different world from the outside.”
“Oh! That must be some sight! Kino, let’s hurry!”
“You really like buildings, don’t you, Hermes.”
“I love to see ‘great’ things made by humans! What about you, Kino?”
“It doesn’t matter if a scenery is natural or man-made. I love them all.”
“Oh? So which do you prefer? Sleeping in a tent in the midst of mother nature, or on a bed with white sheets inside an inn?”
Kino quickly answered Hermes’ question.
“The bed, of course.”
Around noon, Kino and Hermes arrived in the country.
When they thought they have escaped the jungle, gray walls soared before them. And Kino, as was customary, asked for permission to stay for three days at its gates.
They received permission and entered. What Kino and Hermes saw was the ‘different world’ they heard about.
It was a country so small, that the other side of the wall could be viewed from the entrance. And its interior was lined up with works of art made from stone.
The entire country was fashioned out of light grey stones of various shapes and sizes.
The finely cobbled road was as smooth as an ice surface. It stretched perfectly straight and wide, with footpaths on both sides.
The edges of the houses that stood on both sides were straight, like sharpened metal. From the narrow gaps, one could tell that the stones were stacked together with great accuracy.
At the center of the country stood a building that was even higher than the walls. The thirty-storey building stretched towards the sky like a gigantic tree.
“How marvelous! Kino, did you know that they took advantage of the variety of colors of stone for design? The whole country can be put in a museum! Kino, take a picture!”
“You know very well that I don’t have a camera with me.”
“Then burn these images in your memory so that you can boast that you have seen such a great place in the next country!”
Kino and Hermes looked around the country.
As the entire road was paved, they moved around very quickly. But as much as the road is beautiful, there were no other engine-powered vehicles running on it. Only wooden carriages plied the road.
The people, who wore very simple clothing, looked at Kino with wonder but did not approach to talk. Eventually, they would cast down their gaze and walk away in quick strides. As there was nobody who tried to talk to her, Kino tried to initiate conversation, but everyone avoided her.
“What? Are they shy…?” Kino said, and Hermes answered in annoyance.
“They should be more dignified upon making such a beautiful country!”
“I would have loved to hear about this country and the stone structures.”
That evening, Kino and Hermes, who spent the entire day going around the country, arrived at the hotel recommended to them at the gates.
It was made of stones too. The rooms inside the sculpture-like building were just as magnificent.
The impressed Hermes was left in the room, while Kino headed for the cafeteria to eat dinner. Then, the person who came to serve her a delicious vegetable dish spoke.
“Traveler, it would’ve been great if you came days later…,”he said grimly. Kino asked why, but did not receive an answer.
“Hmm, I wonder why? Will there be some sort of interesting show in a few days?”
So Hermes replied to Kino when she came back to the room.
They learned the answer the next morning.
Upon exiting the inn, Kino and Hermes were greeted by the sight of people out of their homes, gathered at the tall building at the center of the country. Their eyes were all fixed on it. Kino also turned her gaze to the building.
A few moments later, the foundation of the building exploded.
The stones that were blown up danced in the air, and the explosion echoed for a few seconds—,
“Eh?”
And the building began its slow collapse.
“Eh?”
Hermes cried out, while Kino stared mutely before her as the stone building lurched forward. As the stones scattered and crumbled down, the building soon lost its form.
Only a few seconds later, the building has completely collapsed.
And when the rumbling of the earth has finally settled down,
“Yes, very good.”
“Well done.”
The gathered citizens watched with no signs of surprise. On the contrary, they looked on with satisfaction.
“E-excuse me!”
Kino talked to the nearest person, a man who looked to be in his fifties.
“What is it, traveler?” The man did not avoid her, and answered Kino with a rather refreshed expression.
“I can see that this building has collapsed, but why?”
“Yeah! It’s such a waste!”
“Yes, at last! With this, we have made our first step into becoming a wonderful country!” The man replied to Kino and Hermes.
“A wonderful country?”
“What do you mean?”
“Traveler, you have seen yourself how this country is like, haven’t you? Those roads and houses made of stone, and that building—”
Kino nodded, while Hermes said ‘yeah’.”
The man tightened his fists and spoke out animatedly.
“Our country does not possess any beauty from nature!”
“Huh?” “What?” Kino and Hermes responded together.
“Nature! Nature’s rich greenery! Even though the outside of the walls is overflowing with the vitality of the jungle, within the walls it’s like this! Everything is manmade! This country transformed the wooden buildings and the dirt roads into stones simply because it would be more convenient if they lasted longer!”
“I see.”
“Ok, and then?”
Not willing to part with a person who was finally willing to talk with them, Kino and Hermes egged him on to continue his story.
“And it’s just as you see right now! We have made the entire country into stone! The ground could no longer be seen beyond the fields, and there’s no vegetation elsewhere. It transformed into an extremely artificial, unsightly place! What an ugly country! It would be shameful to let people from other countries see our country like this! Just the thought of being laughed at by foreigners disturbs me!”
“And so, everyone…”
“I see now.”
“During a country-wide referendum, an overwhelming number of people have chosen to destroy this artificial scenery! To start, we blew up that synthetic building.”
“You mean… from here on, you will destroy everything?” Kino asked.
“Of course! First, we will destroy all of the houses and throw away the stones! With that, the interior of the country should become enlivened. Then we will peel off the stone paving, and let the earth be revealed all over the country. If the earth is not visible, we can’t live the lifestyle meant for humans, you see. And then, the trees and grass will start to grow! We will return this place to nature! Even if it takes thirty years, we will finish it!”
Without them noticing it, a crowd has gathered around the man who was talking passionately of the future. They began applauding.
“Okay, let’s do this!”
“Let’s bestow our children with nature!”
“And the lifestyle that humans should have!”
So they shouted.
While all of this was happening, Hermes asked Kino, “Will you come here after thirty years?”
“Nope. I’m really glad that we were able to see this place yesterday,” Kino answered honestly.
Meanwhile, the man’s speech was still going on.
“Everyone, the day when we will be able to live in a world like that outside of the walls is not far! If we do our best, the disparity between the two sides of the walls will soon vanish!”
There was another applause. There were even some people who were so moved that their eyes began tearing up.
“Um, say—” Hermes began.
“Do you want to live in a place like the jungle outside?”
The man answered, “Indeed! That’s precisely how nature should be, you see! We would like to go back to a life among nature!”
“That would be very inconvenient, don’t you think?”
“What’s a little inconvenience if it’s for the sake of nature?”
The next day, Kino and Hermes left the country early in the morning, while the uproar from the destruction of houses and stripping of roads still resounded.
And as they ran in the dense jungle,
“Unbelievable! What a waste! If they wanted to live as one with nature, they didn’t have to destroy the country! They could’ve just built new walls around this jungle right here! That won’t even take thirty years!” Hermes furiously pointed out.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but even if we told them that, they’ll probably still proceed with destroying everything.”
“But why?”
Kino answered as she tapped Hermes’ fuel tank.
“Because humans prefer building something anew instead of something that has already been built.”
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