Kino no Tabi:Volume2 Chapter3

“Land of Wizards” —Potentials of Magic—

Amidst a sultry marshland was a lone road.

This flat land was mottled with stagnant pools of water blanketed with water-dwelling vegetation. The road twisted and turned as it traced a path around the swamps.

The road made of reddish-brown earth was wide, but its edges had been completely decayed by rainfall. Not even its center was spared from dampness. It seemed to have melded with its surroundings due to the intense heat and humidity.

The brightly-feathered waterfowl creating a clamor in the swamps with their choking caws suddenly took flight all at once. A lone motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly) emerged, making its way through the slushy road.

It was a motorrad which, instead of a back seat, had a carrier loaded heavily with traveling luggage. The raucous roar of its engine reverberated freely.

Its rider donned a black vest on top of a shirt, lapels undone. A wide belt was fastened around her waist. She wore a brimmed hat on top of her black hair, and had goggles strapped over her eyes. The face beneath it was young, around mid-teens.

A hand persuader (Note: A persuader is a gun, in this case, a pistol) was installed inside a holster over her right thigh. It was a single-action revolver, which means that its hammer had to be raised every time was fired.

The rider drove the motorrad prudently, yet thick mud would occasionally accumulate inside the front wheels, making her lose balance. At times, she would have to make the rear wheel spin madly, hurling sludge all over, just to escape from a muddy rut.

“I’ve said this many times over… this is such a bad road.” The motorrad spoke to its rider.

“Yeah. I wonder if this takes us longer than expected. Here goes…” The rider answered as she hoisted up the motorrad that slipped on its rear wheel once more. Beads of sweat formed on her cheeks.

“But you know, Kino,” the motorrad initiated after running for a while.

“What?” the rider called Kino replied.

“After suffering this much, it would be a real waste if the country we’re heading to is a bore.”

“That’s true, but like we were told before, ‘There is always something worth seeing in any country, one way or the other.’”

“I wonder if that’s true.”

Kino loosened the gaze beneath the goggles.

“But if that’s the case, then it wouldn’t really matter where we go…. Hermes, since it’s not yet too late, how about we change our route?” Kino suggested. She stopped the motorrad called Hermes on a relatively dry part of the road. “What should we do? Anywhere’s fine. There’s also a road just a bit to the south. There should also be a country over there.”

Hermes considered the proposition for a while before he replied,

“It’s nice asking my opinion for once, but it’s your call.”

“All right… Then let’s continue this way.”

“Okay. But why?”

“Just a hunch. It’s not like there’s anyone waiting for me, or there’s anyone who needs me badly in some country. I just thought it would be troublesome to go back. Besides, there’s no assurance that the other road will be better than this one.”

“That’s it?”

Kino launched Hermes, and pressed forward, cutting through the mud. They ran as slowly as ever.

Kino complained teasingly. “It would be great if you could run over water, Hermes. That way we could cross the swamps and run in a straight line.”

“That’s absurd. Motorrads can’t run over water.” Hermes spoke with utmost seriousness that Kino had to ask,

“Wanna try?”

“No need, I already know. There are many things motorrads can’t do. We’re different from humans.”

“What, I can’t walk on water either.”

Hermes immediately countered, “But you can build a boat and ride it… because you’re human.”

“I see…. But,”

“But?”

“I can’t do it after all. I may have grown fond of traveling on you, Hermes,” Kino answered after a pause.

“Ah! You just told me something nice! Let’s go faster!”

“Okay!”

And so Kino and Hermes proceeded with much enthusiasm.

But soon after, the rear wheel got stuck in a deep mud, rendering the motorrad immobile once more.

“Ah!” “Ah!”

—

“Welcome, traveler! Welcome to our country! It has been a long time since we’ve had a guest. This is really fortunate! Did you have any trouble on the way here?”

The soldier who stood eagerly in front of the towering walls and gigantic gates beamed at the rider coming with her motorrad.

“Not really.”

Kino took off her hat and goggles and replied with poise despite her legs being caked with mud from sole to knee, and her gloves and shirt sleeves in no better state. There were even tiny splotches of dried mud on her face. Meanwhile, both of Hermes’ wheels had been dyed brown, and the clods of mud that clung onto his engine were baked dry with the heat.

“That’s great!” the guard said with a smile.

—

Kino and Hermes passed the gates as soon as they finished the entry procedures.

Before the gates was an elliptical plaza. Just a bit ways off was a row of wooden, one-storey houses crowded together. Every single one was elevated, with stout, wooden pillars that pierced the ground. The narrow road was entirely paved, a step higher than the ground itself.

There were several men in the park. They approached with smiles, perhaps in anticipation of Kino and Hermes.

“Good afternoon, traveler. Welcome to our country. I am the person who was given charge of this country’s affairs.”

Kino took off her hat and gave a slight bow to the middle-aged man who introduced himself as the chief.

“Good afternoon. I am Kino, and this is my partner, Hermes.”

“It’s really wonderful of you to come. You are the first guest we’ve had in five years. There’s no hotel in our country, so we’ll have to accommodate you in our country’s reception hall. Of course, we won’t ask for payment of any sort. You deserve no less, being our country’s guest.”

The chief then bowed deeply, and the other men followed suit.

Hermes voiced out a whistle. “Isn’t that great, Kino? It’s the first time you get to be treated like this. It’s a good thing we chose this road – just how many times did we think of turning back? That road was so horrible; you couldn’t blame anyone thinking that the country ahead’s inhabi––”

Kino kicked Hermes in the middle of his dialogue, and bowed to the chief and his followers. “That’s really kind of you. We’re very grateful.”

—

Kino and Hermes were guided to the reception hall.

Though it was called such, it was only a larger version of the stilt houses they saw earlier. When Kino inquired, she was told that this building was typically used for harvest festivals, concerts, and elections. Around it was the town hall, the chief’s residence, the courthouse, and so on, but it was really hard to tell which one is which.

The only difference is that the road facing these buildings was more impressive. It was wide, and paved like a highway. More importantly, there were magnificent bronze statues standing at its center.

The chief introduced it as the country’s one and only main road. And that the bronze statues on its center were of those leaders who have accomplished great deeds for the country.

Then, as if in a trance, he spoke fervently of how he was working hard to attain his lifetime dream of someday having his own statue that can watch over this road for eternity.

Kino borrowed a tap and thoroughly washed the mud off herself and Hermes. By the time she finished, the beautiful orange rays of the evening sun was already shining across the sky.

They were given a fine room. Kino placed Hermes in one corner and removed the luggage from him.

The chief eagerly invited Kino to that night’s welcome party. But some sensible person suggested pushing the event to the next day, as the traveler must be tired.

Kino ate her dinner in the dining hall, took a longed-for shower, and went straight to sleep.

—

The morning of the next day.

As usual, Kino woke up at dawn.

She performed her exercises in the spacious room, then cleaned and practiced with ‘Canon’, the persuader on her right thigh.

Just when Kino finished her free breakfast, the chief came to invite her to a welcome tea party in his official residence.

“It will be boring. I’m sure of it,” Hermes commented in a voice audible only to Kino.

“I know,” Kino said with a nod. “But they lent us a room. We have to get along with them, you know, to return the favor.”

“Hmph.”

Kino and Hermes went out to the main road. The weather was good, but there was a strong, damp wind blowing. The chief explained, “During this season, there is a strong wind that blows only during the morning. But it will be calm for the rest of the day.”

Kino drank tea together with the chief, his wife, and his followers in the lobby of the official residence.

At first, they were talking about Kino’s travels, but after a while, the conversation turned into a solo recital of the chief, who rattled on about the greatness of their country.

Originally, this country was part of a swampy, uninhabitable region. But with the persistent efforts of their great ancestors, it turned into a fertile agricultural land. Though small, it was abundant in food. Everyone lived in harmony with each other, and the public order was good. Just as he said the day before, the chiefs who had achievements worthy of merit will have a bronze statue made for them.

“Well as for me, I haven’t done much yet. It’s embarrassing.” Then the chief added confidently, “But since my appointment, the grain harvest has improved by three percent!”

While Kino interjected as appropriate during the chief’s harangue, she noticed that Hermes had fallen asleep behind her.

Kino was invited for lunch in the official residence’s dining hall. After the splendid meal, they went back to the lobby again, where tea has been prepared.

“Oh right! There’s this story too…” the chief began. It was time for another long story.

—

“Chief! I have a request!”

Along with the high-pitched voice, the door slammed open and a woman in her late twenties came in. With her oil-stained overalls, she headed straight to the chief’s seat.

The people around tried to stop her, but wasn’t able to do anything. Without giving so much as a glance towards Kino and Hermes, she stood in front of the chief and took out a letter from her breast pocket.

With a look of exasperation, the chief read her letter. Soon his face stiffened, and he raised his voice,

“Absolutely not! How many times do I have to tell you before you understand?!”

The trespassing woman and the chief began to argue.

“Just two would do! And it’ll be only for that time!”

“Even if it’s only one, I won’t allow it! What do you take our great leaders for?!”

“Didn’t you want to be merited for great achievements? I can help you get a bronze statue for yourself, Chief.”

“You can’t grant it! Not with something out of a fantasy!”

“We won’t know if we don’t try!”

Kino drank her tea as she watched the two.

“We know even if we don’t!”

“We won’t!”

“Good grief, please come to your senses!”

“You’re the one who ought to do that!”

“Enough!”

“I won’t give up! Eh… wait! Let me go!”

Before the argument turned to insults, the woman was dragged out of the building.

The chief drew a deep breath and shook his head several times, then explained to Kino, “Ah, that was unsightly. But it was decided that the chief had to listen to the citizen’s appeals no matter where or when.”

“I see. Then, that person just now, what was she appealing about?”

“She was asking to take down the bronze statues. …Well please don’t concern yourself with it, traveler…. More than that, let’s return to our stories.”

“Ah, I’d love to but,” Kino slowly stood up and politely,

“I have learned a lot about your history. Thank you very much. Next, we would like to tour the country on our own. Is that all right?”

—

After finally being released, Kino and Hermes exited the chief's residence and rode among the pedestrians.

“You were asleep the whole time weren’t you, Hermes,” Kino grumbled with a hint of envy.

“Yup, I had a good sleep. That racket woke me up, though.” Just as Hermes replied, Kino saw the woman before. She was on a bicycle, but she rode with the speed of a motorrad.

“It’s that person.” Kino overtook the woman and gave her a bow without stopping Hermes. The woman spoke to Kino as she rode her bicycle.

“You were that traveler earlier, right?”

“Yes,” Kino replied out loud.

“I’m sorry for causing such a ruckus.”

“I don’t mind. I was able to escape that place thanks to you.”

The woman snickered at Kino’s answer.

“By the way, why do you want to have the statues taken down?” Hermes asked. The woman looked at them for a while.

“Oh, about that… do you have time, traveler?”

“We have. As long as it’s not another boastful speech about this country.”

“You’re a frank one, aren’t you? Anyway, I’ll show you something interesting. Come with me.”

Then the woman swiftly turned into an alley. It was so sudden that Kino rode past it, and in a flurry, turned around and followed the woman.

—

As they neared the country’s outskirts and the walls became more visible, the number of houses lessened and the view became increasingly dominated by fields and paddies. People doing farm work could be seen everywhere.

Without slowing down, the woman made a turn at a narrow and winding road, and stopped in front of a warehouse surrounded by fields. Nearby was a splendid manor and a crane truck.

The woman slipped off the upper half of her overalls and tucked it at the waist over her shirt. She poured tap water over her sweaty head and dried it with a towel. Then she faced Kino.

“Welcome to my house. I’m Nimya, Nimya Tchuhachkova. Nice to meet you.”

“Hello. I’m Kino, and this here is my partner, Hermes.”

“Hi there.”

Nimya half-opened the door to the warehouse and invited Kino and Hermes inside.

The interior was dark, humid, and reeked of machine oil.

“Now I’ll answer your question. I want to turn the main road into a long, straight path. That’s why the bronze statues have to be moved,” Nimya explained.

Still doubtful, Kino asked. “What for?”

“It’s… for this.”

At the same time, Nimya pressed a switch in her hand. The lights hanging from the ceiling slowly lit up, and ventilation fans also started to run.

There was a transport crane dangling from the ceiling. The floor was lined up with various construction machines, and one corner of the room was littered with a mountain of scrap metal. There were several desks cluttered with documents. There were also a number of bicycles hanging side-by-side in one corner.

And at the center of the warehouse was a silver machine.

Roughly the size of a truck, it had a body like that of a fish with its streamlined form and dorsal and tail fins. At its tail end was a device that looked like a three-bladed fan, and arranged symmetrically on its sides were two panel-like protrusions, the span of which was longer than the machine’s overall length. And below these protrusions were two legs that had tires at the end.

“What… is this thing?” Kino asked after trying to figure it out for a while.

“It doesn’t have a name yet, but…” Nimya turned to Kino and Hermes. Then she declared with a bold yet beautiful smile, “With this… I will soar to the skies!”

Kino asked immediately, “You can fly with that? How?”

Nimya nodded and quickly explained.

“If you hold a plank horizontally against the wind, nothing will happen, right? But if you place it at an angle, even if it’s only a little, a force that moves the plank forward and upward is generated. The same idea is in effect when you raise your head while riding a bicycle, causing your hat to fly off. So using this concept, if you attach an angled plank to an object – it doesn’t have to be a bicycle – and let it run at a particular speed, it will be lifted to the air by the plank. And that object should be able to fly.”

After listening to her words, Kino only muttered, “How… nicely thought out.”

“I guess. But I haven’t had the chance to test out this machine yet. For it to fly, I need a long, flat, and perfectly straight road. No other place could meet those conditions inside or outside this country, except for that road. But those bronze statues are in the way. I’ll do whatever it takes to have them moved!”

“Now I understand. But the chief is against it…. Does he think it’s impossible?”

“Yes. And not just him. Everyone in this country thinks that it is not possible for humans to fly using a machine. No matter how many times I explain the theory to them, it’s no use. That’s why I wanted to show them proof!”

“Oh…”

Kino stared at the machine in its bare, metallic form, and observed a nine-cylinder engine installed in front of its body.

Meanwhile, Nimya prepared Kino some tea. As it was served to her, Kino asked, “It has an interesting scent. What kind of tea is it?”

“Hmm? It’s tea brewed from the gallnut of a tree in this country. Oh, and it’s very nutritious.”

Afterwards Nimya sat on a desk, and offered Kino a chair. Then as if finally having gathered up her resolve, Nimya asked, “Hey, Hermes. Since you’re a motorrad, do you know whether it will function just as I imagined it? Or won’t it?”

Hermes answered right away. “I do. I’ve known the moment I heard your explanation. I don’t mind answering, but before that, let me ask you the same question. What do you think? Do you honestly believe it will fly?”

“……!” Nimya was tongue-tied for a moment, then answered without hesitation, “It will fly! I can’t be wrong! It will fly!”

Nimya gripped her mug so hard that the tea slightly spilled. Kino sipped a mouthful from her own.

“Correct. Judging from its appearance, it can fly. You can also control it. The only thing you need is a long and level runway,” Hermes said.

“I knew it!”

“Hmm…”

Kino only muttered as Nimya leaped in joy.

But Nimya’s joy soon turned into a deep sigh, “A road, eh? But that’s the toughest hurdle of all…”

At that moment, a car’s engine was heard from outside followed by a violent rapping at the entrance.

“Nimya Tchuhachkova. Please open the door. It’s me.”

It was the chief’s voice. Nimya clicked her tongue and pressed the switch beside the desk. The warehouse shutters opened, allowing the sunlight to get in. Footsteps of more than ten people, led by the chief, came in.

“Good afternoon, Chief. For you to pay me a visit… could it be that my appeal was already approved?”

“Of course not. …Oh, traveler, how come you’re here?”

“I invited her out for tea and told her my story. I’m just welcoming our honored guest, am I not allowed to do so?”

The chief made a sullen face, but finally calmed himself after some effort.

“Nimya. There is something I would like to tell you.”

“And what would that be?”

“All citizens are free to do anything they want as long as they don’t commit crimes or create trouble for the community. However, this country’s council has decided that you shall no longer be allowed to waste time and money on this ‘flying machine’ and other worthless matters.”

The chief delivered his speech with a dignified and deliberate tone. Nimya only glared back, though not impolitely, and gave a curt reply, “It’s not ‘worthless’. That’s all I have to say.”

Kino and Hermes could almost hear the molars of the chief grinding in frustration.

A middle-aged man spoke up. “Chief. It’s no use no matter what you tell her. This woman has gone crazy. Just look at this weird machine.”

“Don’t you dare touch it!” Nimya gave a piercing shriek to the man who tried to approach the machine.

“Hah!” he jeered. “I’m not going to touch such a bizarre object.”

The man peered at the machine from the front, and with a tone full of mockery, “Oh my. To use such a fine engine on a thing like this… You can see for yourselves, this is nothing but an enormous fan!”

“Exactly. In theory, it’s the same as a fan.”

“Ohh? So you’re saying that if I use a fan in a particular way, it will fly! Care to tell this foolish old man the trick?”

Laughter erupted from the crowd. Nimya, unfazed by the taunt, began her explanation.

“The machine will be drawn forward by that.”

“Drawn forward? By this fan?”

“Yes. The wind that it generates can produce the force to move it towards the opposite direction. When these ‘wings’ turn at a high speed and send wind towards the machine, it will move forward. It will run.”

There was a two second gap before the man burst into laughter.

“Hahahahahaha! Isn’t that amazing!”

“What’s so funny?!”

“Hahaha. Come to think of it, I have used fans for years — haha — But not one ever moved from my desk! —ahaha— Isn’t that funny?”

The man doubled up in laughter. Several people from the crowd also started to laugh.

“For it to work in the case of a normal fan, it needs to overcome friction with the desk! You should try it on a big flat, frozen surface, and you’ll see how strong wind power is!” Nimya insisted.

The man continued as he wiped his tears from laughing too hard. “Okay—. Then, what sort of magic spell should you use to get this giant fan moving?”

Laughter resounded once more in the warehouse. Nimya muttered, “These ignorant geezers.”

After some time, when the laughter has completely subsided, another man spoke to Nimya.

“Assuming that this thing does move… well, it does have tires. But you also claim that it could fly?”

“Yes. If it moves at a fast enough speed, it will be lifted by those wings,” Nimya explained as she pointed to the panels at the sides.

“By wings, don’t tell me you mean those flat protrusions from the sides?”

“Yes.”

“How do I say this… there must be some mistake in the design,” the man pointed out seriously, and Nimya promptly retorted.

“What did you say?!”

The man put on airs, and continued, “But see, if they’re fixed on the body… there’s no way they could flap.”

Another round of laughter from the crowd. And another explanation from Nimya.

“They don’t have to flap! As air flows from the front to back, a difference in the amount of air above and below the wings will develop. When that happens, there will be a force that will make it move upwards. I can show you my experiment!”

Nimya flicked the switch of the fan on the table.

A board placed perfectly in front of the wind moved diagonally, and then it floated.

“What do you think? It uses the same principle.”

The man was not particularly surprised, and answered without hesitation. “Such a light plank must be able to float. But how heavy do you think this weird contraption is? Perhaps as heavy as you are?”

“……”

For the third time, laughter filled the room, and Nimya became silent out of disgust. The chief finally spoke, “Good grief. To go along with this frivolous talk.”

“All of you…” Nimya spoke slowly. “Won’t you let me test it at least?”

“If you’re going again about tearing down the bronze statues for the sake of that test, then no way. Do you feel like destroying your house just to see if you can talk with ants?”

“If there is any possibility at all, I’ll do it as early as tomorrow. I will need your help then.” Nimya glared at the chief. The chief shook his head.

“Dear, dear. If only you made a machine that can be helpful in farming…. To waste the hard-earned fortune of your parents like this…”

“It’s not a waste! This will fly!”

“Only if you are a wizard! Oh my, isn’t that thing too fat to use as a broom, miss witch?”

Another one mocked, and everyone laughed. The chief issued a final warning to Nimya.

“Tomorrow afternoon, we will come to dismantle this weird machine. I’m afraid to say that as long as this thing exists, you will not be cured of your delusions. This is a final and immediate decision by the council. We will buy the engine and use it for a generator. Do you have anything to say?”

“I have.”

“What is it?”

“Won’t you move the bronze statues?”

The reply came immediately.

“Rejected.”

“……”

“Now everyone. That’s it for today. Go home. We’ll continue this tomorrow.”

The chief turned away and the rest of the crowd also left the warehouse.

The low hum of the ventilation fan echoed in the empty warehouse.

Nimya gulped down the already cold tea, and spoke to Kino and Hermes, who only looked on quietly from the start.

“Phew. It’s just as you’ve seen. Not so boring, huh?”

“Well, yeah. …But there’s one more guy left.”

“Eh?”

Nimya turned around. There was indeed one person left — a young man wearing a neat, wrinkle-less, uniform. He gazed at Nimya grimly.

Nimya turned to Kino and Hermes, “Let me introduce you. This is my fiancée. It has been a long time since we met.”

Kino bowed. The fiancée talked as he approached Nimya, “Nimya. You should understand by now. Won’t you stop doing this sort of thing?”

“What do you mean by ‘this sort of thing’?”

“Dreaming of riding this machine and flying. I don’t want to say this, but I know that there’s almost nothing left of the fortune you inherited from your parents. I also know that you haven’t eaten any decent meal recently. And that you will most likely be broke by next week.”

“……”

“You can live with me starting tomorrow. Move out of this place.”

“……”

“There doesn’t seem to be any malice in his proposal. But you know——” Hermes spoke to Kino who formed her fingers into a shush gesture.

The fiancée pleaded gently to the wordless Nimya.

“Can I stay here for tonight? I have something I would like to discuss with you.”

“…I’m sorry, I have something to do.” Nimya answered brokenly.

“What is it? Can I help you?” The fiancée offered at once, but Nimya only shook her head. Then she grabbed him aggressively at the collar and planted a light kiss on his lips.

“No… just go home for today, I’ll get in touch with you tomorrow.”

—

The warehouse shutters were firmly closed as soon as the young man left.

Then Nimya walked briskly towards the flying machine and slapped its silver body with her palm.

“I have no time to waste! This will have to fly by tomorrow morning. And when it does, those obstinate mules will have to acknowledge it!”

“If only we have a road,” Hermes quipped.

“Yeah! It will fly if only we have that. I’ll be satisfied as long as it flies – even if it’s just once! After that, I don’t really care. I don’t even mind crashing it in the chief’s house!”

“Really?” Hermes asked amusingly, and Nimya’s tone reverted back.

“…Well in any case, I’ll have to think things through calmly.” Nimya returned to the desk, handing a chair to Kino, who lightly thanked her and seated herself. Kino leaned on Hermes.

“At things stand, the gliding distance is still too short. I’ve computed it many times already, but even with the strong wind in the morning, there will still be at least one bronze statue on the way. It will be able to lift, but it will get dragged by that one statue,” Nimya said as she looked at a piece of paper full of calculations.

“Even if you maximized the engine output?” Hermes asked.

“It won’t be enough.” Nimya and Hermes whined. Kino, who had no chance to speak earlier, casually chirped in.

“What about making a ramp before the statue to jump from? That’s what’s normally done to clear obstacles in the case of motorrads. This machine should be able to do the same thing…” Nimya stared at Kino dumbfoundedly. Kino added, “…Maybe?”

Nimya considered it for a moment before speaking. “That’s right. If we do that, we don’t have to move the statues…. That may work!”

“Kino, you’re so smart!”

Kino slightly scratched her head at Hermes’ gleeful praise. “Eh? Well, thanks.”

“Just wait! I’ll make the calculations.” Nimya got to work on her desk and made numerous calculations. But her face returned to its bitter look after a while.

“It won’t work. Even if I make a ramp before the statue, it will still require much speed. If I jump with what I have, I’ll fall immediately.”

“So it won’t do, huh.”

“But I’ll work on this idea! I only have to do something about the launching speed. That’s the only thing left for this to work.” Once again, Hermes and Nimya grumbled, and once again Kino casually remarked.

“Well you could launch it with a gunpowder explosion, the way bullets are propelled in a persuader. Maybe…”

Nimya took one glance at Kino but quickly shook her head. “That’s not possible. I understand that idea, but to propel something this big, we will need a tunnel just as huge. Besides, even if we do have something like that, the machine will break.”

“Is that so…”

“Rejected. Sorry,” Hermes said. Kino pointed her finger at Hermes beneath her. Then,

“Bang.”

She mimicked the firing of a hand persuader. Then she lifted her right hand.

Nimya who was looking at her, knitted her eyebrows together and asked, “Kino. Just now, you were pretending to fire a persuader, right?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“But you raised your right hand.”

“Of course. The recoil of this persuader is pretty strong,” Kino said as she tapped Canon on her thigh. Nimya’s gaze froze, though she was not looking at anything in particular.

Then she cried out, “That’s it!”

“Huh?”

“I don’t need the blast, the recoil would be enough! Just like in a persuader, I’ll put gunpowder inside a pipe, ignite them consecutively to produce a gas at high speeds! If I put several such pipes on the machine, it will be able to dash!” While pointing inside the warehouse, “I have pipes! I have gunpowder! I can do this!”

“I get it! Kino, you’re smart after all!” Hermes squealed in excitement.

But Kino could only mutter.

“What?”

—

The next day, that is, the third day since Kino entered the country.

The chief did not wake up at dawn.

He continued his pleasant slumber on top of his bed, where a refreshing wind passes through.

The sunlight filtered through the windows, and just when a powerful breeze blew in, noises coming from the main road wakened him: the low drone of a truck’s engine, and the crashing sounds of something being laid down.

At that moment, fierce knocks were heard from the door, and his subordinate entered in a panic.

“Chief! Y-you have to see what’s happening outside!”

The chief hurriedly put on his clothes. And upon coming out to the main road, he was rendered speechless.

In front of the official residence, the shortest bronze statue had turned into a ramp. It looked as if it was saddled with pipes and iron plates.

“Good morning, Chief.”

The one who greeted the chief with a smile was Kino, who was going through the road placing ropes on the boundary with the walkway. The ropes were wrapped in yellow cloth printed with the words ‘Danger. Please do not go to the road beyond this line’ in black letters.

The chief turned his gaze to the nearest bronze statue. Just before it was a machine, glittering silver underneath the morning light. It was the flying machine from the warehouse. But it had an added touch that was not there the day before – several thick pipes attached below its body. Nearby was the crane truck owned by the Tchuhachkova family.

The chief shook his head several times, and blinked his eyes.

On the opposite walkway, Kino was briskly laying down the ropes. Several people have come out, staring in shock and wondering what was going on. Kino addressed them with a smile.

“Everyone. Please do not go beyond these ropes. It’s dangerous.”

Hermes was parked obliquely in front of the plane. Nimya in her overalls was tying a rope on Hermes’ carrier. The other end of the rope was tied to the tires of the flying machine.

Nimya climbed up the machine and sat in its cockpit. She put on her working goggles and gloves, and fastened the four-point seat belt. Then she waved to Kino who was now sitting astride Hermes, and gave her a thumbs up.

Kino started Hermes’ engine. The boisterous roar of the engine reverberated across the road. The chief rushed to Kino and asked, “Traveler! What in the world is happening here?!”

“Chief. It’s extremely dangerous, so please stand back.” Right after saying these words, Hermes’ engine let out three explosive roars. The engine of the flying machine roared, and the giant fan began to turn.

The chief tried to say something, but Kino could no longer hear it.

The explosion prompted the people to gather, and soon the sidewalk was filled with bystanders. There were also those who looked out from their houses.

Kino gestured to the Chief to stand back, and then turned to Nimya who was looking back at her.

The roar coming from the machine became even louder.

Nimya raised both fists high in the air, and crossed them over her head. Then the moment she opened her arms, Kino quickly launched Hermes. The tirestops of the flying machine disconnected at the same time.

The machine began to slide forward. At the next moment, its engine gave off a roar that seemed three times louder. The pipes underneath its body spouted white smoke with great force.

“It exploded!”

“No. It’s fine.”

The chief shouted and Hermes muttered to no one in particular. The machine accelerated, as if it was kicked by some invisible giant, and sped to the ramp in no time. The buildings trembled with the explosion, and the necks of the onlookers turned swiftly towards one direction.

The machine ran up the ramp in an instant, and leaped against the wind while spouting out smoke from its rear.

Kino lost sight of the flying machine amidst the smoke. By the time the wind cleared up the fumes, she found its tiny form with the blue sky as its backdrop. The pipes that no longer emitted fumes became dislodged and fell away. It fell on the marshland outside the country, piercing into the slushy earth.

When it was almost invisibly small, it made a turn and returned towards the country and became bigger and bigger in view.

Soon, the people craning their necks into the sky gathered on the road. Everyone except for Kino had their mouths wide open in shock. They muttered simultaneously.

“It flew. That heavy thing is in the sky…”

“The machine is flying…”

“I don’t believe this… it’s impossible… but…”

“A human… flying…”

Kino, who had a smile on her face since Nimya dove to the sky, asked Hermes, “Any thoughts?”

“I’m a bit jealous. That’s all.”

—

Meanwhile, Nimya was yelling to the top of her voice.

“What now?! Didn’t it fly?! It is flying! I was not wrong! Not my calculations, not my experiments! Nothing was a waste!”

Then the flying machine suddenly ascended even more, and just as it is, turned in the air.

“It’s working perfectly! It can be maneuvered flawlessly! I was not wrong!” With utmost faith in her machine, Nimya turned in the air many times over, flying up and down and making abrupt turns again and again.

Eventually, it settled down with Nimya muttering.

“Ugh. I feel sick…”

—

“Everyone!”

Kino suddenly called out to the enthralled citizens.

“For the flying machine to land safely, it needs a long and perfectly straight road. If you wish to send back that person, who had done such a great deed, back to the ground, kindly move at least three of the statues. It will be even more helpful if you move four of them.”

“U-understood! Right away!” The chief said with several nods.

“Everyone! Those statues are in the way! Move them, quickly!”

On the command of the chief, the people snapped back into reality and quickly took action. Using Nimya’s crane truck, the bronze statues were rooted out, foundation and all. Then the planks used for the ramp were laid out above the holes. In their panic, they moved away seven statues.

In no time, they completed a long and perfectly straight path, on both sides of which gathered numerous people.

Soon the flying machine glided down to the main road. It lowered down slowly; its three tires touched the ground at the same time, then its engine stopped.

The machine ran from the momentum and stopped right before Kino.

The crowd timidly surrounded the machine. As Nimya took off her goggles and stood up from the cockpit, a noiseless stir spread through the crowd. Kino and Hermes watched from behind.

“Nimya…” The first to speak was her fiancée.

“See, it’s just as I told you!” Nimya exclaimed happily, tapping the machine.

“Let’s go on our honeymoon with that. Let’s get married tomorrow!” The fiancée gently proposed as he looked up at Nimya.

“I didn’t know… you… no, everyone…” Nimya said doubtfully and her fiancée cried out.

“You’re a mage, aren’t you?!”

“Huh?”

“We didn’t realize it, and until now, we were acting foolishly and have been very rude to you. Please, forgive us helpless fools!”

“What?” As another question leaked from Nimya’s lips, her fiancée dropped on his knees before her.

Forgive us! We’re sorry! Please forgive us! Our apologies! Pardon us! We beg your forgiveness! We apologize! Sorry! Sorry! SORRY!

The people dropped to their knees one after another. It was like a spreading ripple, with Nimya and the flying machine at its center.

“Eh? W-wait, everyone!” Nimya became flustered.

“Lady Nimya! Oh, great mage! We truly regret our actions!” The chief, on his knees like the rest, pleaded with only his face raised.

“Please guide these helpless beings with your power! By the authority vested upon me as this country’s leader, I hereby proclaim you governor! Please accept it.”

“……”

While Nimya received expectant gazes from the chief and the citizens, Kino was busy packing her luggage on Hermes.

Someone noticed her and talked to her with an equally eager tone. “Great traveler! Could it be that you are a mage as well? If so, then by all means——”

“No, thank you! I’m about to go!” Kino said decisively as she tied her luggage firmly to Hermes.

Kino fixed her hat and strapped on her goggles. Nimya got off the machine and approached Kino. The crowd parted to make way for her.

Kino spoke to Nimya, “We’re going to leave right now.”

“Eh? But, wait——” Nimya asked in surprise.

“I’m really sorry. I have to go. Things might get complicated…. By the way, congratulations.”

“Congratulations. That was very impressive!”

Nimya looked around her and took a big breath. Then she looked back at Kino and Hermes, “You have my gratitude. This is all thanks to you.” And with solemn eyes, “…It may only be chance or a whim that brought you to this country, but for me, it’s fate. If it weren’t for you, the machine would have been destroyed, and I would have lived the rest of my life in disappointment… I’m serious. Words can’t express how grateful I am to you.”

Nimya smiled and stretched out her hand. Kino gripped the hand offered to her, and once more,

“Congratulations. …I had so much fun.”

“Me too. …Take care.”

Nimya did not take away her glance from the motorrad until it vanished at a bend in the road. Then she gazed at her followers prostrate before her, and muttered,

“Then, what should I do from now on?”

—

Kino and Hermes passed through the unmanned gates and came out of the country.

It was filled with swamps like before, but not as muddy. It was much more easier to run through it than when they first came. Hermes spoke happily as the gates got smaller behind them.

“Wow, that was amazing! Just look at those surprised faces! They were like peas hit by a dove shooter!”

“…Doves hit by a peashooter?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Hermes said and fell silent.

And the motorrad continued to make its way through the marshland.

After a while, Kino broke the silence. “Even so, that was unexpected. I was really surprised.”

“Wasn’t it? They shouted ‘Mage! Please forgive us!’ out of nowhere. It will take a while before the misunderstanding gets cleared. I’m sure a statue will be erected for her very soon,” Hermes said, and now it was Kino who turned mute.

“…Nope. I wasn’t referring to that…”

“Eh? What do you mean?” Hermes probed into Kino’s ambiguous reply.

“I didn’t think that machine could really fly,” Kino answered.

“Kino… what did you just say?”

“I said, I didn’t think that there could be one — a machine that could fly. I understood the theory she explained to me, but I didn’t believe it was possible…. It was really amazing.”

For a while, only the hum of the motorrad’s well-regulated engine could be heard. The waterfowl at the side of the roads let out choking cries, and flew away all at once.

“Kino! Then why did you cooperate in the first place?”

Hermes’ question was met with an impassive response. “Why? Well, if it worked I would see something interesting. If it didn’t, that person would probably give up. Besides…”

“Besides?”

“I was bored.”

Dead silence. After a while, Hermes asked reluctantly, “…T-then, assuming you weren’t bored in that country, would you have helped her?”

“I may not have. Why, under normal circumstances, if you told me a thing like that could fly, I wouldn’t have believed you.”

“……”

And Kino dealt the final blow to the speechless Hermes. “It really flew — just like magic. To see something that amazing was worth going through all that mud. …What’s wrong, Hermes?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just pondering over the range of potential human beings have.”

“Uh-huh…”

Kino replied half-heartedly to Hermes’ serious ramblings as they leisurely traversed the road by the side of the swamp.

Translator’s Notes

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