Kino no Tabi:Volume17 Frontispiece2
“Land of Play” —Invention—[edit]
It was a country in a mountainous region with nothing but steep peaks and valleys.
Once, a youthful black-haired woman called Master and a slightly short but handsome young man arrived in this country in a rundown yellow car.
“Hey travelers! You know, that cute little car of yours looks like a toy from above!”
“Hello there! Excuse us for talking to you from up here! You will reach the town soon!”
They were met with greetings from the sky.
“Master, what are those?”
“No idea.”
The two were looking up at people who were flying over their heads.
They used a contraption with an enormous outspread arc-shaped wing made of cloth.
From this wing extended numerous thin ropes, at the end of which is a harness with which the person is suspended, enabling him to soar calmly in the sky.
Upon looking closer, twenty or so people flying in the air in a similar manner could be seen in the valley.
They flew high and low, dancing within the valley unfettered just like birds.
“Ah, those are ‘paragliders’. It’s a device invented in our country.”
The pair received this explanation at the hotel they arrived at.
“As you can see, there is nothing but steep roads in this country. For a long time, we devised various ways of transportation for use in times of difficulty. For example, when sending people to the doctors during an emergency,” a hotel employee explained.
“About ten years ago, a genius discovered by pure accident that he could float if he ran through a slope while carrying a cloth behind him. After that, improvements were made to make the duration of the flight as long as possible. The cloth was built bigger and longer, and it was made into an elliptical shape. Aviation techniques further progressed, and we were able to ascend to places higher than where we jumped off, to where we could feel the warmth of the sun and the breeze. Soon we could fly to any place we aim for,” the hotel employee said somewhat proudly.
The male traveler was greatly impressed.
“What a wonderful invention! And so, it became easier to come and go during times of emergency, and everyone in this country lived with peace in their minds, eh?”
“W-well..., yes...”
In response to this praise, the hotel employee only averted his gaze, rather contrary to his attitude only moments ago.
“Hmm? Is there a problem?” the man asked.
The hotel employee answered with a small voice, as if embarrassed,
“Well the truth is... even though we believe the invention itself to be very useful, most of the citizens were so fascinated with the skies that they became hooked with flying. People who would do nothing but fly every day and refuse to go to work have been increasing lately... If the law doesn’t regulate things soon, this country will probably fall into destitution in no time.”
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