Kino no Tabi:Volume2 Chapter8

“A Kind Land” —Tomorrow Never Comes.—

The earth was an assortment of colors.

The mountains were comprised of numerous, gently sloping highlands. Its summit, valleys, and spurs were all buried under forests rich in plant life. The yellow and crimson mingled with the thick green color of the leaves, creating a mosaic pattern.

A light blue color pervaded the high, almost transparent sky. There was not a single cloud in it.

And amidst the various trees in the forests shedding their autumn foliage was a lone road.

The road of packed earth was softly canopied with fallen leaves. It sewed its way through the mountain in repeating, up and down curves.

On this path ran a single motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly). The fallen leaves danced away as though disturbed by waves caused by a passing ship. The motorrad slowly traced its path through the road that was abound with curves.

The rider of the motorrad was around her mid-teens. She had big eyes and a fearless expression on her face. She was dressed in a brown coat, the excess hem of which was rolled up to her thighs, and had on a brimmed hat with ear flaps, fixed by the band of her goggles so it would not get blown away by the wind.

Behind her seat was a carrier rack, on which a big bag was tied. Below it was the rear wheel flanked by two boxes.

“To be honest, Hermes,” the rider broke the silence as she rode. “The place we’re heading to has a bit… no, has a pretty bad reputation among travelers.”

“Really?” the motorrad called Hermes replied, rather surprised.

“I was told before: ‘It’s not just unsociability, it’s pure coldness towards outsiders,’ or ‘The concept of ‘hospitality’ doesn’t exist in that country,’ or ‘No matter how hard I try, I couldn’t think of it as a good place,’ or ‘They’re probably under the impression that they are the greatest.’”

“……”

“‘You’ll get sick of their unfriendliness,’ or ‘The children will throw stones at you,’ or ‘The stores put the shutters up when a traveler comes, or tell you that they’re out of stock,’ or ‘There’s nothing but terrible food,’ or ‘Be careful you don’t get overcharged.’”

“……”

“‘They make you wait for one day before they let you in,’ or ‘They believe that all travelers are bad,’ or ‘They won’t even point you to a hotel; you’re better off camping out,’ or ‘I don’t want to get near that country ever again,’ or ‘That kind of country should disappear!’”

“……”

“When I told them I’d like to go see it, they all advised me to stop.”

A light smile drifted on the rider’s lips as she finished. Then Hermes asked, unable to hide his shock, “…And yet you would still go, Kino? Even though there are other roads to choose from? Even if you’re free to decide?”

The rider called Kino answered with a smile. “That’s exactly why. I’m really interested to know what kind of country would get that much bad-mouthing. Besides, things may be a little better now.”

“Okay. What if there’s no change at all?”

“That’s fine. We can complain about it once we’re out of the country,” Kino said decisively.

“Well, I suppose so,” Hermes muttered.

—

Eventually, the road became rugged and winding. The path running up the mountain turned into repetitive steep curves.

When Kino looked below, she could clearly see the road they have run through, bordered by the trees.

Soon the road reached its peak. Kino stopped Hermes.

The road beyond the spur becomes downhill. On the right, the ridge lines culminate into the mountain summit. A magnificent U-shaped valley stretched up to the spur of the other side of the mountain. Within it, a country surrounded by round, gray walls could be seen vaguely.

“The view sure is nice,” Hermes expressed his admiration.

“Yeah. But from here we can’t tell if the hearts of the people living there is just as beautiful.”

“Right. Well, let’s go. It may turn out to be very memorable; a country you wouldn’t forget for the rest of your life,” Hermes teased, and Kino smiled.

“That would be great.”

The motorrad descended the gentle slopes.

—

Right before the tightly shut gates, several soldiers carrying long, rifle-type persuaders (Note: A gun) were waiting for Kino and Hermes.

Kino muttered as she slowed down. “Let’s see if they’ll let us in easily.”

“What will you do if they don’t, Kino?”

Kino stopped in front of the gate. She cut the engine and dismounted Hermes. While taking off her goggles, Kino approached the guards, who were scrutinizing Kino and Hermes with stern expressions.

When Kino was about to say her greetings,

“How many days are you planning to spend here?” A brusque question suddenly came from one of the soldiers.

“Oh, just as the rumors say?” Hermes muttered out of earshot.

“Three days. That is, I would like to stay until the day after tomorrow.”

With Kino’s reply, the tension from the soldier’s faces disappeared, replaced by a calm smile. They looked at each other for a moment. Then they stood in attention and saluted to Kino and Hermes with flawless gestures.

The one who seemed to be their commanding officer spoke with utmost courtesy. “We welcome you to our country. Your visit greatly honors us.”

“……”

Kino was stunned for a moment, then took off her hat. “Good day. I am Kino, and this here is Hermes,” Kino greeted, and at last the soldiers lowered their hands.

“Miss Kino, Hermes, come this way please.”

The commanding officer guided Kino and Hermes not towards the guardroom, but to the gate. Kino, who was again taken by surprise, asked, “What about the immigration procedures? Like inspecting my things, or something?”

“It’s not necessary. We consider that very rude, and will only be done if you are actually suspected of a crime,” the officer said, still smiling. One of the soldiers entered the guardroom, and soon, the gate slowly rose. “Please go ahead. We have to stay outside the gates because of our duties. There should be someone waiting inside, so don’t hesitate to ask anything there.”

With the saluting soldiers behind, Kino pushed Hermes along and passed through the thick walls.

Hermes began, “That was a bit disappointing. Maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere?”

“Nope, that can’t be,” Kino denied. The inner gates began to open before their eyes.

—

Upon passing through the inner gates, Kino and Hermes came out to the town’s main street.

Right in front of the gates was a park where several people have gathered. When they saw Kino, they gave her a warm welcome and expressed their appreciation for her visit.

More and more people gathered as Kino replied to their greetings, and soon, Kino and Hermes became the center of a throng of people. All of them were smiling, uttering words of welcome simultaneously. As for people who glared, or throw stones, there were none.

With a repressed exclamation, Hermes spoke so that only Kino would hear. “We’ve come to a different country! I’m sure of it!”

“That can’t be… probably.” Kino paused, and addressed the crowd. “Thank you very much. I was not expecting such a big welcome, so I’m a bit surprised. But um… there’s something I would like to ask.”

Everybody hushed to catch what Kino was going to say. With a nervous tone, Kino asked whether they knew a hotel with a shower and space for Hermes inside; one that doesn’t charge so much.

The people began to argue among themselves as to which place would suit Kino’s criteria. At that moment, a girl’s voice was heard from the back of the assembly.

“Our place is like that!”

The crowd parted, and a girl quickly came up front. She was around eleven or twelve, with short hair and big eyes.

The people stopped arguing, and focused their attention on the girl. The girl gave a springy bow, and introduced herself to Kino. “Hello, miss traveler. I’m Sakura.”

“Hi there. I’m Kino, and this here is my partner, Hermes,” Kino replied with a smile, and Hermes greeted with a ‘hello’.

Sakura looked straight at Kino, clasped her hands in front of her, and asked, “My parents run a hotel just over there. I’m sure you’ll like it. What do you say?”

Kino was surprised, and her expression clouded for a moment.

“Please be our guide.”

“Yeah. We’ll leave it to you.”

Hearing Kino and Hermes’ replies, Sakura smiled and nodded energetically.

“Sure!”

—

With Sakura’s guidance, Kino walked, pushing Hermes beside her.

Along the way, she took off her jacket and hung it on Hermes’ carrier. Kino wore a black jacket fastened with a belt on the waist. On her right thigh was a holster containing the revolver-type hand persuader she called ‘Canon’.

“Say, Miss Kino,” Sakura looked up at Kino and began a conversation.

“Hm?”

“Isn’t the name ‘Kino’ wonderful? It’s short, sounds nice, and easy to pronounce.”

“Thanks. I also thought that way a long time ago.”

Kino’s reply made Sakura look puzzled. “A long time ago? What about now?”

Kino laughed and turned her gaze towards Sakura.

“I still think so. It’s a nice name after all. But ‘Sakura’ also sounds good, what does it mean?”

Sakura replied, looking embarrassed, “It’s the name of a flower that blooms in spring. It’s a pretty flower with a pink color.”

“Oh…” was Kino’s short response. This time, Sakura slightly pouted.

“But you know, my friends always make fun of me and call me names like ‘Nekura’ or ‘Okura’. It’s so annoying.”

“……”

Kino fell silent and her eyes stared into space.

“What’s wrong, Kino?” Hermes asked, and Kino gave a quick reply.

“Nothing.” Then added, “It’s not something I can explain.”

—

Kino and Hermes soon arrived at the hotel.

It was not too big, but it was thoroughly clean inside and out.

The young couple at the front desk greeted Kino and Hermes. “Welcome. It’s really been a long time since we had visitors from outside the country.”

“These are my parents. They manage this hotel, and also serve as the tour guides for this area. And I am their apprentice,” Sakura said. Kino bowed with a smile and introduced Hermes.

“Let’s see, what room would you like?” As Sakura’s mother asked Kino, Sakura nimbly looked into the ledger and suggested, “Is that ground floor room with the wide door available?” Her mother nodded. “Then let’s give them that room so that Hermes can go in and out easily.”

Sakura led Kino and Hermes to the room. Just as she said, it has plenty of space for Hermes to go through, and convenient, for they need not change direction when going out, as it has another door that they could use. When Sakura asked about her impression of the room, Kino replied that it was more than satisfactory.

“It’s almost lunch, so please go to the dining hall. It’s at the right side of the front desk, a door with a big berry drawn on it.”

“Thank you. I’ll follow right away.”

After Sakura left, Hermes spoke to Kino who was taking down the luggage from the carrier. “It’s very different from the rumors.”

“You bet. I was surprised, too.”

Hermes dropped his tone a little, and spoke seriously. “Say, Kino. What if after this good service, their treatment suddenly becomes completely the opposite. With that gap, the traveler will hit rock bottom out of frustration."

“I wonder if they would make such an elaborate scheme…. Well, that’s fine. I’ll go eat lunch. After that, let’s go around the town. Maybe it’s just as you say, Hermes,” Kino said with a wry smile, and left the room.

—

After a delicious lunch, Sakura offered her services as a tour guide for free, which Kino accepted appreciatively.

Kino removed the boxes on either side of Hermes’ rear wheel. Then she asked Sakura for a cushion and laid it out on top of the carrier rack to make an instant back seat.

Sakura sat on the back seat sideways. Kino told her to tightly hold on to her waist while they ride, but warned her not to touch Canon on her right thigh.

Kino first asked Sakura to take them to a place where a mechanic could do a check-up on Hermes.

The middle-aged mechanic accepted Kino’s request right away. He checked Hermes from tip to toe, and soon located the parts that were heavily worn-out, damaged, or in bad condition.

“Hmm? What happened here?” The mechanic asked Kino about the cracked nut beside Hermes’ engine.

In fear of Kino dodging the question out of embarrassment, Hermes spoke in her stead. “Kino fired at it with her persuader. Because it wouldn’t come off.”

“Fired?”

“The nut got stuck and wouldn’t come off no matter what she did, so using her persuader with reduced gunpowder, Kino fired at the edge of the hardened putty holding the nut in place. I told her to leave it alone though.”

The appalled mechanic turned to Kino and gave her a sour look. “Miss traveler… that’s some heroic effort, but I can’t praise you for it.”

“I suppose you’re right… I’m sorry,” Kino apologized.

“Mister, scold her a bit more,” Hermes said half-jokingly.

Soon the mechanic smiled with his oil-smeared face. “It seems like it will take some time to fix him. Miss traveler, please have some tea with Sakura while waiting. Now, shall we go Hermes?”

“I’ll leave it to you!” Hermes readily consented as though nothing could make him happier.

—

Kino and Sakura drank their tea while seated on a bench in front of the mechanic’s shop. The warm sun in the clear sky watched over them.

“He must be a skilled mechanic. It’s rare for Hermes to happily agree to get fixed, you know.”

Hearing Kino’s comment, Sakura, who was seated beside her, looked up at her and replied with delight, “I’m glad.”

Kino added, “And he had no qualms about scolding his client, either.” Sakura giggled.

“The tea’s delicious too.” As Kino remarked, a car passed in front, and through the window, a resident smiled and waved to her.

“Miss traveler, welcome to our country!”

—

On the second morning, Kino woke up at dawn.

Kino left the soundly sleeping Hermes, who was fixed until he’s good as new, inside the room. She went out of the hotel and went into a small public park nearby. There were no clouds in the clear sky. The peak of the towering mountain on the northern side of the town could be seen very well.

Kino performed her usual workout, from simple exercises to her combat skills. Afterwards, she practiced her quick draw with an unloaded Canon.

As Kino was wiping off her sweat, a man who was jogging approached her. He greeted Kino with a smile, and Kino greeted back. The man asked Kino of her impressions of the country.

Kino truthfully answered that it was completely different from the rumors she had heard. The man smiled bitterly upon hearing her answer, “Is that so? It was really terrible in the past, you see.”

The man pointed at Canon and asked if she had it repaired recently. When Kino shook her head, the man told her about a skilled persuader smith at the southern part of the town, and that it would be great if she could check it out. Then he drew a simple map on the ground.

When Kino thanked him,

“As compared to you dropping by our country, it’s not a big deal at all,” the man said and left with a wave of the hand and a smile.

—

“The persuader smith at the southern district? Okay. You know, the park at the southern district is beautiful.”

After breakfast, Kino asked Sakura to be her guide once more, and Sakura readily agreed. When Kino thanked her, Sakura proudly declared,

“It’s the job of a tour guide to make sure that the guests are satisfied.”

—

Just as the day before, the two rode Hermes and headed for the tiny store near the southern walls. With a loud voice, Sakura asked if there was anybody home. After a while, a grumpy-looking old man came out from the interior of the shop.

“I’m closed today… no, I’m closed tomorrow, too. Come back the day after tomorrow.” The persuader smith, who seemed to have been disturbed in the middle of his sleep, said coldly.

“This is Miss Kino. She’s a traveler. She’s going to stay until tomorrow only, so can you please fix her persuader?” Sakura said.

The persuader smith was surprised. “A traveler?”

Sakura nodded. The persuader smith glanced at Kino and asked curtly, “Where is it?”

Kino took out Canon from its holster with a complicated expression. The persuader smith lightly waved his fingers for Kino to hand it over. When he held it, he stared at it with a sharp expression for a while, and muttered,

“…Oh, I see. Let me tinker with this thing, will you?”

The persuader smith demanded Kino to hand over its accessories. Kino thanked him and passed him Canon’s empty cylinders and spare parts.

“The gutter have seen much use, so I’ll have to check the frame. I may have to change parts so it will take a while. Around afternoon, I guess. It’s a good idea to go to the public park for a while. There’s a festival there right now.”

As the persuader smith spoke, he gently took one of the persuaders hanging from the wall. He handed a .45 caliber double-action revolver with a semi-circular clip, as well as several bullets, to Kino.

“This is a replacement. You will have no need for it in this country, but it can serve as a weight. Wear this for a while.”

—

The traveler, motorrad, and girl left the store expressing their gratitude. The old man glimpsed at the hand persuader passed to him. In the empty store, he muttered,

“What a surprise… You’ve lived a long life.”

—

There was a large park in a place not too far away from the shop. Inside, there was a forest with a variety of trees left as they were, as well as a beautiful swamp and pond. There were several simple houses made from wood, where children played.

One corner of the park was made into an open-air theater where a lot of people have gathered.

A play was being held in the theater when Kino, Hermes, and Sakura arrived. Sakura explained that the townspeople performed in this play to teach the children the history of their country.

When Kino said that she has great interest in history, Sakura invited her to watch.

Two humans and one motorrad made their way to the end of the line. When the person before them recognized Kino as the traveler, he offered to vacate his position to let them get ahead. The next person also turned over his position, and the next one also gave up his seat with a smile. After thanking one person after another, Kino, Hermes, and Sakura eventually ended up in a guest seat where they can view the play best.

Kino took the seat somewhat apologetically and propped Hermes on his stand. The play has already started. When Kino was about to catch up to the story, the narrator at the side of the stage suddenly exclaimed.

“W-wait a moment! …Oh, sorry. But hold it! You seated over there, could you be the traveler that arrived yesterday?”

The people on stage and the audience looked at Kino all at once. Sakura stood up and replied, “That’s right! She decided just now that she wanted to see the play! I’m her guide.”

The surrounding adults cheered and clapped their hands for some reason. Even the actors on the stage clapped their hands and hooted. The narrator continued, “Everyone! Since we just started the play, what about doing it from the top for the sake of miss traveler over here? She won’t have a chance to see it again.”

Around the dazed Kino and Hermes, the people could be heard saying things like, ‘No complaints!’ or ‘That’s a good idea!’, and broke into applause once again. A young woman stood up, “Please watch out for my boy’s acting this time, okay?! He’s the third tree from the left side!” She shouted loudly, prompting everyone to laugh.

Kino stood up, looked all around her and bowed.

“All right! It’s decided then!”

The narrator declared, and the actors started their preparations. Kino sat on the bench with a flop. “I was so surprised,” she said as she looked at Sakura.

“Same here,” Hermes said.

“Welcome to our country!” Sakura said as the play began.

—

The play explained the history of this country.

A long, long time ago, a group of people was persecuted and chased out of a distant country. They visited many different countries, but couldn’t find a place that would accept them.

After wandering for a long time, they got lost deep inside a forest.

But the blessings of the forest saved the lives of the starving people. They decided to create a new country in this forest, where no one would hate them.

And time passed by like a flowing river.

“And now, here I am. At the head of that current,” Sakura said in a whisper, amidst the applause of the crowd.

—

“Miss traveler, please join us for lunch.”

Kino was overwhelmed with numerous requests like this. In the end, they joined the members of the play in its closing party.

At the barbecue stand in the park, Kino asked if there was anything she could help with, and was given the role of starting the fire. After Kino handled the job in no time, she was then given the task of grilling. After awkwardly wearing the apron handed to her, she skillfully grilled dozens of skewered meat.

Hermes muttered while looking at Kino doing these things. “She actually looks like she’s having fun.”

After the party, Kino looked back at the park one more time, and returned to the persuader smith’s shop.

—

“It’s done.”

The persuader smith lifted his face and stood up from his chair. He took the cloth-covered Canon placed on top of his work table. He looked at Kino with his creased, blue eyes. Then he handed it, still covered, to Kino, grip first.

“It’s a very good persuader. You should treasure it.”

“Thank you very much.”

Kino took it, and to check if it’s working well, she raised the hammer and pulled the trigger several times. Her expression changed.

“I’m surprised…. It’s better than the first time I held it.”

“Is that so,” was the persuader smith’s blunt reply.

“Thank you very much. How much do I owe you?”

“I don’t need any.”

“Huh?”

The persuader smith sat down, looked up at Kino, and asked, “You’re good at persuaders aren’t you, miss traveler?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“There’s something I would like to ask you…”

“Yes?”

“Once there was a remarkable persuader marksman who made her students call her ‘Master’. She was a traveler who would stick her neck into all kinds of trouble. Her skill stood out too much, and various countries would despise, and sometimes thank her for it. …That was a long time ago. If she’s still alive now, she would be quite old.”

“……”

“Miss traveler, do you know of such a person?”

Kino looked at Canon once and put it back to its holster. Then she looked straight at the persuader smith.

“No, I don’t.”

The persuader smith slowly smiled. “I see. Thank you. I don’t need any payment. Moreover…”

He turned his chair around, grabbed a wooden box and held it out to Kino. “I want you to look at this.”

“?”

Upon taking it, Kino opened the box and saw a hand persuader inside.

It was a slim, .22 caliber automatic with a square barrel that has a weight attached underneath.

It was made for a left-handed person, as its safety, slide stop, and magazine catch were all on the right side. Inside the box, there were reserve magazines and parts, a harmonica-shaped silencer and the silencer’s slide lock, a special cleaning kit, holster, and other things.

“What a nice persuader. It’s the first time I’ve seen this type,” Kino said, and the persuader smith nodded.

“It’s called ‘Woodsman’. It’s a .22 caliber model.”

“Oh. It’s such a valuable item.” Kino expressed her admiration and was about to return the box when the persuader smith spoke,

“I want you to use it. Take it.” Kino lifted her face in surprise. The old man explained gently, “A long time ago, when I was still a traveler, this was always on my hip. It protected my life time and again. But I haven’t used it for decades now. I’m already old, and I could no longer travel… but this persuader still has a long way to go. It would be a pity to let it rot along with my body. I want it to go on a journey like before.”

“Is that so… but…”

“Please take it.”

“Um…”

“You’ll take it, won’t you?”

“…But I…”

“You’ll have to take it.”

“……. I understand. I’ll treasure it.”

Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on the persuader smith’s face. It was as if he won the lottery. He suddenly stood up and exclaimed, “Yes! I knew it! Come here! I’ll teach you how to use it. I’ll let you tinker with the holster and the grip too. Come!” And then the old man, who did not seem like one at all, almost forcibly dragged Kino to an indoor shooting range.

At the store front, Sakura and Hermes were left alone, dumbfounded.

—

“I’ll have to tell them that we’ll be home late.”

Sakura said and went to a nearby store to borrow a telephone. Kino and Hermes waited at one corner of the street. It has become dark, and the people on the street have thinned down.

“I didn’t think he would let me fire like that,” Kino muttered, holding a bag with a wooden box inside.

The persuader smith did not let Kino go until she fired three hundred rounds. During that time, he remodeled the holster so that it could be worn in the belt at the back. And at last, he sent off Kino, Sakura and Hermes out of the store with a satisfied look.

“Isn’t that great? I had nothing but free time after all,” Hermes snapped back.

“Well, sorry for keeping you waiting. But this time, it’s not my fault.”

“Hmph.”

Kino lightly lifted the bag. “What will I do with this?”

“Aren’t you gonna use it? After all that trouble.”

“Simple to say. I wonder what Master would tell me if she sees me wearing a .22 caliber automatic?”

“She won’t say anything. She’ll shoot at you.”

“……”

“If she sees you. It’s okay as long as she doesn’t,” Hermes said without a care.

“You know, I always have this feeling that she would see me,” Kino said.

“My condolences, then… By the way, why did you tell him you didn’t know about Master?” Hermes asked.

Kino answered honestly, “Master told me to answer that way in case someone asked about her…”

“Oh I see. It’s for your protection,” Hermes said in admiration. Kino mused to no one in particular,

“I wonder what that person did in the past?”

—

Sakura came back.

“Miss Kino, I told my mom we’ll be late for dinner.”

“Thanks. Then, shall we go home?”

As Kino was about to start Hermes’ engine, “Wait,” Sakura interrupted, “Miss Kino, Hermes. Before we go home, there’s a place I would like to take you to. I won’t have any other chance. Is that okay?”

“Yes, I don’t mind. What about you Hermes?”

“It’s fine. What kind of place?”

“It’s a very wonderful place!” was Sakura’s only answer.

—

“Amazing.”

“Pretty!”

Upon opening the door, Kino and Hermes exclaimed in admiration at the same time. Kino, Hermes and Sakura stood at the topmost part of the wall. Sakura guided them to the workers’ cabin beneath the walls, and rode the cargo elevator.

It was deep red.

The sun that has just set dyed the sky a deep red. It was a strong hue, almost transparent.

From afar, the line of peaks could be seen clearly. The sky began beyond it.

“This is my favorite place. I believe it’s the most wonderful place in the world. Someday, if customers come, I will definitely guide them here. You are the first ones.”

“It’s an honor,” Kino said as she kicked down Hermes’ stand.

For a while, the two people and motorrad remained standing, gazing at the red sky.

Then Sakura broke the silence. “I want to follow my father and mother’s footsteps, and become a great hotel manager and tour guide…. I wonder if I’ll become one?”

“You will. No, you already are a wonderful tour guide. I’ve had lots of fun these two days,” Kino said with a smile.

“I agree. A wonderful country like this deserves a wonderful tour guide like you,” Hermes slightly put on airs. Sakura was a bit surprised, and replied awkwardly,

“Ehehe. Thank you, Miss Kino, Hermes.”

Kino sat on the walls and looked up at Sakura.

Sakura remained standing facing the evening sun, and told them, “I want to learn more, and become a wonderful tour guide. I want more and more travelers to come to this country where I was born, and create wonderful memories together for them to take home.” Then the girl looked at Kino with a carefree smile, “Isn’t it wonderful to be able to do that?”

Without removing her gaze from Sakura, Kino smiled and nodded several times. “Yeah. It’s such a wonderful job.”

Then she set her eyes on the red sky once more.

—

They returned to the hotel, and Kino ate dinner with Sakura. Hermes was in the room, asleep. After the delicious meal, Sakura’s mother came with tea and cakes. When she asked if Sakura had been a trouble for them,

“Not at all. On the contrary, we had so much fun.” Sakura smiled a bit proudly, and asked Kino,

“Say Miss Kino. Do you have painful or hard times during your travels?”

Kino nodded, “There are, once in a while.”

“Did you ever want to quit?” Sakura fixed her gaze at Kino, who was drinking her tea.

“Nope, I would still continue.”

“Is that because you believe it is something you have to do?”

Kino shook her head to Sakura’s question, and answered, “It’s because it’s what I want to do.”

With a satisfied smile, Sakura lifted her mug to her lips. After two gulps, she changed the topic by asking, “Miss Kino. During your travels, haven’t you met a wonderful person, the person who is destined for you?”

Kino was slightly taken aback, and with a sour face, “Nope, too bad. However, there were a lot who ran away after seeing my persuader.”

The two laughed. Soon Sakura’s parents came, having finished their work. They sat beside Sakura. Her mother suggested, “Sakura, you can go on a journey if you like.”

“Eh?” Sakura, surprised, looked at her parents’ face.

“Just like Miss Kino, you could go around places, see different things, and study. After that, you can become a tour guide here. When we saw Kino, we thought learning that way isn’t a bad idea.”

“Really…?”

“What do you think?”

Sakura was slightly troubled for a while, but soon shook her head and smiled. “No. I’m not going anywhere. I will study here, and become the number one tour guide here. That is my dream! Besides, I already have wonderful teachers here, right? Father, Mother.”

The two looked at each other. “I see… That’s good too. In a while, you will surpass us and we will be left with nothing to do, huh?” The mother asked, and her daughter quickly replied.

“You bet!”

And the family laughed in joy.

Kino gazed at them, as if she was witnessing something from a different world.

—

The next day, that is, the morning of the third day since Kino entered the country. Kino did not wake up with the dawn like usual.

The sun was already high in the sky when Hermes woke up on his own, and was quite surprised upon finding Kino still in bed. He then let out a loud voice and Kino woke up.

Kino quickly jumped up from the bed. She looked at the sun out of the window, shock painted all over her face.

“What’s wrong, Kino?” Hermes asked, but with an expression saying that she herself doesn’t know, Kino muttered,

“Strange… Maybe there’s something wrong with my body today?”

—

“Miss Kino, there’s a wedding nearby, do you want to watch?”

After eating her late breakfast, Sakura came to take the dishes away and asked.

Kino readily agreed, and returned to the room to take Hermes along. Together with Sakura, they headed to a nearby church-like building. Since it was not too far, she just pushed Hermes.

Beyond the crowd, the bride and groom stood, wearing clothing with muted colors.

They were young. Both looked only in their late teens.

“They sure get married young,” Hermes noted.

“Normally, people get married after they’re twenty. It’s strange,” Sakura answered.

The couple raised up a big bag onto a platform. The female guests rushed up in front. Sakura explained quickly.

“Together, they will throw lots of small bags to the guests. Mixed among those bags are a few containing a single tree seed. The number of bags containing tree seeds is the same as the number of children the couple wanted to have. A legend goes that a person who greets the next morning with those seeds in her hands will become the next happy bride.” While explaining, Sakura also looked like she wanted to participate. Kino noticed, and offered,

“Then let me also look for them. Two heads are better than one.”

Sakura asked in surprise. “Is that okay?”

“It’s all right. Let’s go.”

The two joined in with the crowd of women.

“Hmph.” When the neglected Hermes grumbled to himself, the couple shouted out,

“We would like to have five children!”

Then together, they started to distribute the small bags. They threw one after the other, and the female guests frantically gathered the falling bags. They opened them, and when they found out that it was not the one they were looking for, they threw them near the other guests.

As Sakura searched just as desperately, Kino took her hand and pulled her out of the crowd.

“Here.” Inside the bag Kino held out to her was a single big seed.

“Wow! …But how did you find one so easily?” Sakura asked in amazement.

“I’ve always been lucky,” Kino said coolly.

“…Can I really have it?” Sakura asked to confirm, and Kino answered.

“Of course. It may not be enough to thank you for being our guide.”

Sakura shook her head. “That’s not true! I’ve never had one until now. I’ve always wanted it. Thank you very much, Miss Kino!”

“You’re welcome.”

Kino said to Sakura, who was embracing the bag affectionately.

—

When they returned to the hotel, several unarmed soldiers were standing in front of it. They looked at Kino, and saluted when they arrived.

“Miss traveler, it’s time for you to prepare for your departure,” one of them instructed.

Kino considered for a while, and asked casually, “Um, can’t I stay for one or two more days?”

Sakura looked up at Kino’s face in shock, and Hermes asked loudly, “Wha-! K-Kino, what’s wrong with you?!”

“Nothing… You don’t have to act that surprised.”

Without changing their stiff countenance, “…I’m sorry, but when you came in, you declared only three days. It’s a rule…. Please make your preparations immediately.”

—

Kino reluctantly began her preparations.

She refilled fuel nearby, and bought portable rations. The shopkeeper was a middle-aged lady with a stern expression, but when she asked for the price of the items, her answer each time was, “It’s free.”

“Is that all right?” Kino asked in disbelief.

“Of course. Because you’re a traveler, overcharging is a problem. In exchange, please tell other travelers about this store. Tell them to shop here. If they buy in other places, they’ll get bad luck,” the woman said and gave a not-so-charming wink.

Kino and Hermes returned to the hotel, and quickly arranged their luggage. Sakura, her parents, and the aforementioned soldiers were all waiting for her at the front desk.

“If you’re going to camp out on the western side, you should go to that mountain spur. Before that, there is a danger of falling rocks. Moreover, the road afterwards will be downhill,” Sakura’s father described. “Indeed, that’s a good place. There’s also a small swamp nearby, and the scenery is fabulous,” the soldiers added, and drew her a simple map.

“Here take this.” Sakura handed Kino two bundles. Sakura’s mother explained, “It’s our country’s traditional picnic food. Sakura helped me make it. You can eat the small package in the evening, and this one in the morning. It will hold out for a day.”

Kino received the bundles, and faced all of the people gathered there.

“I’m truly grateful for everything.” Then she held out her hand to Sakura and gripped the tiny hand, “Thank you. I’ve really had wonderful memories here.”

Sakura squeezed the hand tightly,

“You’re welcome.”

—

Kino, who was now wearing her coat, and the luggage-laden Hermes, were in the plaza in front of the western gates. A large crowd has gathered in it, this time to bid farewell to the traveler.

For the last time, Kino faced the residents. “Everyone, thank you very much. I have been to many different places, but this is the first time I have received so much kindness.”

Everyone there smiled, and clapped their hands on impulse.

Sakura squeezed her small body in front of the crowd and gave a springy bow. “Miss Kino, Hermes. Thank you very much for staying with us. Next time you visit, please come together with a nice person for your honeymoon. I’ll reserve the best room for you,” Sakura offered like a brilliant hotel manager.

Kino smiled. “Sure. See you again someday.”

The crowd’s cheers gushed forth.

“See you again someday!” Sakura said as she waved her little hand, and Kino returned a smile.

Then Kino pushed Hermes out of the inner gates. She didn’t look back even once.

When she has passed through the outer gates, Kino started Hermes’ engine. The soldiers sent her off.

“Please be careful,” the soldiers said. Kino faced them, took off her hat, and bowed. After she was saluted, she launched Hermes off.

The soldiers did not loosen their stances until the motorrad was out of sight.

—

“Kino? That’s rare of you to want to stay for more than three days.”

Hermes talked to Kino as they rode through the forest.

“Yeah, I was surprised with myself too,” Kino said and dropped the gear. Then she continued. “But this may be for the best. If I had stayed any longer, I may have wanted to stay some more, and eventually, I wouldn’t be able to will myself to leave.”

“…You’re really saying some strange things today. Oh, right, haven’t you heard? It may be an omen for a calamity.”

“How rude,” Kino said with a light laugh.

Hermes turned solemn. “It’s a great country, isn’t it?”

Kino nodded. “It was really fun.”

They ran for a while, and Hermes spoke as if he recalled something. “It was totally different from the rumors.”

“Yeah.”

“I wonder why?” Hermes asked.

“Who knows. I was worried about it at first, but I stopped caring along the way,” Kino said, and a satisfied smile appeared beneath her goggles. Then she continued.

“If other travelers ask me what kind of place it is, I will tell them that it is a very welcoming and kind country.”

—

They rode until it was evening, and arrived at a mountain spur. It was the place Sakura’s father and the soldiers were referring to. Kino decided to camp out there.

She passed over a rope between Hermes and a tree, and stretched a tarp above it to protect against the rain. She spread out a blanket and placed her sleeping bag under it.

She opened the small package Sakura gave her. Inside it was a well-roasted wild bird. Kino ate it all up.

She boiled water drawn from the swamp and made tea. While holding her cup, Kino looked at the eastern scenery.

The moon gradually ascended from the ridges of the mountain, dimly illuminating the forest. Several clusters of artificial lights could be seen from afar. It was Sakura’s country.

Kino lightly lifted her cup to a toast.

After finishing her tea, Kino entrusted the watch to Hermes. Then she crawled in the sleeping bag with her jacket and boots still on.

—

When the full moon has reached its highest,

Kino stirred from inside the sleeping bag, and quickly rose up. Hermes asked, “Kino? What’s wrong? There’s nothing suspicious. There are no animals nearby. The weather also seems nice.”

“I couldn’t sleep…” Kino crawled out of the sleeping bag and stood beside Hermes.

“Is it because you woke up late today?”

“No, that’s not it.” Kino asserted, her expression stiffening.

“I have a bad feeling…. I have this strange, grating sensation.”

Kino slowly extracted Canon from its holster. Hermes looked on nervously, “W-what?” he asked. Kino did not answer, and looked alertly around her. Hermes also surveyed the surroundings for some reason.

The sky’s light purple gradated to a white towards the moon. From afar, the silhouette of the lined-up black peaks could be clearly seen. The tiny clusters of light at the ground were from some people in Sakura’s country who were staying up late.

Kino’s expression was like that of a novice soldier about to ambush the enemy.

“There’s nothing. Don’t worry too much.” Just as he tried to appease Kino, the ground began to shake weakly. A low rumbling sound echoed.

A dark mass rose up from the towering mountain on the northern side. It was like a gigantic cumulo-nimbus cloud in mid-summer, slowly swelling out. Except that under the moonlight, it had a thick gray hue, and it was born from the mountain.

When it has swelled to its maximum size, the edge began to crumble and roll. While the low rumbles resounded, it lapped up the slope downwards with an intense speed. From Kino’s point of view, it was from left to right.

The molten mass eventually engulfed the tiny lights.

“What…? What is that?!” Kino shouted, pointing Canon’s barrel towards it. Hermes explained absent-mindedly,

“If my memory serves me right, it’s a volcanic eruption.”

“A what?” Kino turned around and asked. Hermes spoke with a tone of a professor,

“Volcanic ash and pumice stone spouted out at high temperatures, flowing down a mountain surface at high speeds. A pyrotechnic show.”

“…You mean a pyroclastic flow?!”

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

The pyroclastic flow surged towards the valley. Kino spoke as she looked at the vanishing lights. “If I go there now, will I be able to do anything?”

“No,” Hermes answered in a flash.

“……”

“The temperature of that flow is nearly a thousand degrees Celsius. A person would die before he knows it. The blood in their whole bodies would boil, and they will die from shock. Everyone’s dead. No one had time to escape. Even if you go there, there’s nothing you could do, Kino. You will just die,” Hermes calmly explained to the dumbfounded Kino.

“……”

Amidst the low rumbles, Kino flopped down right where she stood.

—

After some time, the surroundings became quiet, and later, the view to the valley became clearer. The moon has inclined to the west, and the sky to the east became paler. Kino had been sitting and gripping Canon in her right hand the whole time. Kino did not say anything, and Hermes did not ask anything.

—

When the night has fully subsided, the sky and the mosaic-colored forest returned to view. However, the country within the valley was now covered by a single ashen color.

Kino stood up. She returned Canon to its holster.

She mutely folded the tarp and collected the blanket and sleeping bag. She took out the big bundle inside the bag.

“Once I finish eating… let’s leave,” Kino said as she sat down near Hermes and opened the bundle. Inside was hard-baked bread and salted meat.

Kino ate everything in silence. Then as she was about to fold the bundle, she noticed a letter and a small package inside.

Kino took out the letter. The address and the sender’s name was written.

“…It’s a letter for us. From Sakura’s mother.”

“Read it,” Hermes urged.

Under the sky that has brightened up considerably, Kino began to read the letter.

—

To Kino and Hermes. To the last travelers to visit our country.

By the time you read this letter, we probably are no longer in this world. Our country and our scorched bodies must already be buried underneath ashes. And perhaps you have witnessed it yourselves.

It has been exactly one month since we learned of that mountain’s imminent eruption. From our scientists’ investigation, we knew that a large-scale pyroclastic flow would raze our country. We were left with two choices: to stay or to abandon our homes.

We have made our decision. We chose to stay.

This may seem foolish to a traveler like you. But we were born and raised here. We know nothing of other places or ways of living. Perhaps we were not given a choice in the first place. Even so, we do not bemoan our fate. After that decision, we felt somewhat relieved. We decided to live our remaining days as best as we can. Without cursing our destiny, or feeling hate and sadness, we spent every day to the fullest.

At that moment, we were overcome with surprise. By the time we disappear from this world, there is not a single outsider, that is, a traveler, who would remember us. I’m not sure if you are aware of it, but in the past, our country had acted impudently towards travelers, knowing full well that they were offended by it. We realized that the only memories that will remain of our country, is that of its rude inhabitants.

We vowed since then that if someone visited our country, we will give a heartfelt welcome. We want to leave that person with wonderful memories of our country and its people.

Ironically, no traveler came just when we have decided to change. Perhaps we were cursed by the bad reputation we have built for ourselves. Time silently flowed by. We were about to give up. But when there were only three days left, you came.

In behalf of our country, I receive you with all my heart.

Miss Kino, Hermes. Welcome.

P.S.

I was conflicted on whether I should write to you or not. But I want to tell you about this.

We made this fact known only to adults, to people over twelve years of age. On the day after the eruption, that is, by the time you read this letter, it is Sakura’s twelfth birthday.

Miss Kino. When I saw you getting along well with her, we thought we could entrust her to you, even though it’s painful for us. But last night, that child declared that she wanted to follow our footsteps and become a tour guide in this country. Since that is her dream, we decided to take her along with us, selfish though it may be.

Thank you for reading until the end.

—

“I see. Now everything makes sense,” Hermes said.

Kino contemplated for a while, letter in hand.

Eventually, with a low, almost moaning tone, she muttered.

“Ego… This is ego.”

Hermes spoke softly. “That may be true. But there’s nothing you could do about it anymore. Either way, it’s impossible to travel with two people on board.”

Kino folded the letter and returned it to the envelope.

She took the other, smaller package. Inside was a folded piece of paper and a small bag. For a moment, she thought it resembled the bag she gave to Sakura. When she opened it, the seed was indeed inside.

Kino hurriedly opened the paper and read what was written in it.

“‘Miss Kino. There is no…’”

Kino stopped. Her eyes opened wide and she stiffened. Hermes urged her to read the rest.

—

Miss Kino

There is no reason for me to hold on to this. It is yours.

Please take care. And please do not forget about us.

Sakura

—

Kino took a long breath and looked up to the heavens.

She stayed like this for a while.

—

Eventually, Kino slowly and carefully put away the letter and the bag inside her luggage.

At the same time, Kino took the box she received from the persuader smith. She attached the holster to the belt behind her waist.

She filled the magazines with small bullets. She put some inside her pouch, and one inside Woodsman. She loaded it and locked the safety, then installed it in the holster.

The Woodsman adorned Kino’s back with its barrel inserted in the holster, looking almost bare in a glance.

“Looks great on you,” Hermes said. Kino said nothing, but smiled a little.

Kino strapped the luggage on top of Hermes. When she started Hermes engine, its well-regulated roar resounded through the forest.

Kino wore her coat, put on her hat, and hung her goggles by her neck. The sun was slowly beginning to show itself. It shone vividly on the mix of green, red and yellow. Kino squinted and put her goggles over her eyes. The lens reflected the light, hiding Kino’s expression.

“It’s a great country, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. It was so much fun. …I have no complaints whatsoever.”

Kino straddled Hermes and, “Shall we go?”

“Sure.”

Kino looked back just once, gazing at the gently sloping valley painted with gray. She looked at the country buried underneath the ashes.

Then she looked ahead.

Eventually the motorrad rode away, leaving the place in silence.

Translator’s Notes

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