Kino no Tabi:Volume4 Chapter6

“A Land Divided” —World Divided—

The road was divided into two.

One climbs up a hill, continuing towards a forested highland in the north.

One goes down south, extending towards the ocean which can be seen as blue from a distance.

“Now, Kino. Which way do we go?” said a stationary motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly). The motorrad’s rear wheel was packed on top and on both sides with traveling luggage.

Standing beside him, the human called Kino muttered, “Now that you mention it…”

She was around mid-teens in age, had short black hair and an intrepid expression on her face. Goggles were dangling from her neck, and she was holding a brown coat in her hands.

She was wearing a black jacket with a wide belt fastened on her waist. Suspended on her right thigh was a holster for a hand persuader (Note: A persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol), and another automatic-type was attached behind her waist.

Kino turned and looked behind her. There was the towering interior of the walls and the now closed gates.

The wall disappears into an endless stretch of mountains to the north, and likewise fades into the continuously extending downward slope to the south. The enclosing walls cannot be seen. One would wonder whether the place was really inside a country or not.

“Phew…. This is such a big country. I want a map,” Kino said while rolling her coat.

“For the meantime, why don’t we go towards the sea, Hermes? I have no reason in particular, but there might be someone over there.”

Kino asked, and the motorrad called Hermes replied, “That’s fine with me.”

Kino tied the coat to the carrier and started Hermes’ engine. She wore her hat, strapped her goggles on and slowly went down the road heading to the sea.

After some time descending down the hill, the coastline and the town came into view at the tip of the slope.

A hovee (Note: ‘Hover vehicle’. A floating vehicle) came flying from below. Several men were aboard its deck. It made a sudden steep turn, lowered its altitude, and moved side by side with Kino and Hermes.

“Are you a traveler?” A man called out with a loud voice from the platform. Kino nodded, and the man happily made an exaggerated gesture, pointing towards the city at the end of the road.

“Welcome! Please follow the road to reach our place over there!”

Kino nodded several times and raised her left thumb. The men on the hovee waved their hands, then the hovee accelerated and went ahead.

Kino and Hermes entered the coastal town. On the left side, there was a dike made to protect against the waves on the beach, and the round expanse of the sparkling blue ocean. The white houses made of stone were lined up along the slope facing the ocean. Several people who caught sight of Kino and Hermes waved their hands from their windows.

The people gathered in a square by the harbor. Kino stopped Hermes as she was invited to come in.

“Welcome, rare traveler!” An old man who seemed to be the chief greeted Kino.

“Hello. I am Kino, and this here is my partner, Hermes.” Kino removed her hat and greeted back. Hermes also said ‘hello’.

The old man introduced himself as the chief. He invited Kino to a roofed bench where they could sit together. She parked Hermes on his stand beside her.

Everyone observed as the chief welcomed the rare visitor to the town and offered her lodgings and meals for free. Kino thanked him.

‘There’s something I would like to ask,’ Kino told him, and she proceeded to ask as to why there was no map in the fully automatic gates, and the reason why the road was divided.

The chief’s expression darkened a little.

“The truth is…, right now this country is divided into two: the coastal part and the highlands to the north.”

“Why is that?” Hermes asked.

“Well…, differences in opinion I suppose. The country is so wide, and we almost broke off. But the truth is that we just can’t get in friendly terms with each other. Oh, it’s so embarrassing.”

And then the chief suddenly asked Kino, “By the way, are you picky with food?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking if there’s a particular food or cuisine Miss Kino would never eat?”

Kino thought for a while, and then she shook her head and said no.

“Or one that your body rejects?”

“Nothing in particular.”

The chief grinned, “That’s great. It’s our custom to prepare unusual and luxurious dishes, but…”

As if on cue, the people surrounded Kino and made inviting gestures. Everyone had excited eyes, as if in anticipation of something. The chief continued.

“Whenever there is something for us to celebrate, it is our custom to make extravagant meals together with everyone. For instance, to have a rare visitor like you, Miss Kino, is such an exciting event——”

Kino understood the intention of the people, and nodded.

“——We thank you for preparing us a welcoming celebration. Everyone,”

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the surrounding people glittered.

“I see,” the chief said with a comfortable and solemn expression.

Kino stood up. She looked around the people surrounding her, and faced the chief.

“Well, I think it’s worth a try.”

Everybody raised a cheer.

—

Kino and Hermes were guided into a room with a good view of the sea.

They came to the room that the chief used after taking down the luggage off Hermes. They were invited to a hunting tour. The hovee will go out to sea, and while in an honorary seat, they will be entertained with a view of large prey.

Kino thought it was interesting and readily agreed, and asked Hermes what to do.

“We’re free anyway,” Hermes said. Kino pushed Hermes along and went out of the room.

Several hovees were lined up on the harbor. Kino went aboard a hovee with Hermes.

The group of hovees floated lowly, and soared towards the clear and calm sea. The hovee Kino and Hermes were riding followed into the air.

“Anyhow, the prey will be large. It will be an exciting hunt,” the young man who was hired to be their guide said happily.

They looked down and saw the men taking out something from the crates on the deck. Those were long and narrow tubes the length of a child. They gripped the tubes and placed them on their padded shoulders. At one end, there was a thick, cone-like protrusion attached.

“Those are tools which fire off gunpowder from the explosive-filled tips. They were called ‘rockets’ or something. It seems that they were used in wars a long, long time ago to destroy vehicles and hard objects.”

“Those will be used in the hunt?” Kino asked.

“Yes, that’s right. Those are important for catching the prey,” the guide answered with a laugh. At that moment, a voice came from the driver’s seat.

“There it is! To the left!” He pointed to the sea surface, where a fountain of water sprayed up.

The hovees scattered and approached, surrounding the fountain of water. The hovee where Kino and Hermes was riding on slightly advanced. A person leaned over from the deck and waved a flag to indicate directions.

A big black shadow appeared and stirred under the sea surface directly below the hovee Kino was riding.

It was an enormous creature. It was thick and streamlined. Its huge tail fin quietly went up and down, slowly propelling it forward. From tip to tail, it was several times the length of a hovee.

“It’s big,” Kino murmured.

“It’s a whale. It is the largest creature in the oceans. Is this your first time seeing one?”

“Yes. I only read about it in books. Even so, it’s really big.”

“So in a place like this, you can do some ‘whale sightseeing’, eh?” Hermes said.

“Ah, no no. The show is just getting started. ——We will hunt that.”

The hovees approached it on both sides and dropped something on the sides of the whale. They dropped several pieces of cylinders the size of small packets one at a time.

The packets exploded underwater. Water columns rose in succession on both sides of the whale. The muffled explosions echoed.

The huge form of the whale twisted. As if in a rampage, its tail struck the sea surface loudly, and lifted its head high.

At that moment, rockets were launched from the hovee which passed right above it.

Whoosh—!

The rockets left a white trail of smoke, and hit the head of the whale as it emerged from the water.

Its head exploded.

Mixed flesh and blood scattered and fell loudly onto the water surface.

In a moment, the whale’s huge form squirmed, making waves on the surface. Then it stopped moving. It stopped living. The deep red seawater began to engulf its body.

“Great—!”

The guide and everyone on board the hovees raised a cheer.

A number of people holding ropes jumped off. They tied the whale’s tail to several hovees.

They dragged it to shore while the bulky corpse left a trail of blood.

The headless whale was raised on the slope for lowering ships beside the square. Cheers rose from the people who were preparing the venue.

They began to take apart the body of the whale. They hauled a gigantic saw using a hovee. Soon, the harbor was stained dark with the spilled blood.

It was carved into big blocks and the blocks were carried by truck to the square. Then several people cut them to smaller pieces.

After they finished cutting the meat, it was divided into three portions. The chief explained to Kino.

“The ones placed beside the tent are for today’s feast. Those in the trucks will be stored for future use. And then,”

The chief pointed to the meat, bones and pieces of entrails piled high on top of a big sheet. Upon closer inspection, those were also parts meant for consumption.

“Those are everybody else’s share.”

“Who do you mean by ‘everybody else’?” Kino asked.

“Our comrades, but they’re not here right now. I’ll introduce them later,” said the chief, grinning.

“——Now, everyone let’s eat.”

With the chief’s introduction, the people filled the square and started the banquet.

A plate was passed to Kino who was sitting nearby. Young women and rough-looking men in aprons were busy working. The chief told her that this country had good dishes, and above all, attractive people.

“Now, please have some too, Miss Kino,” the chief urged her.

A big shrimp was placed in one big platter. Its torso was gaping open, and sliced raw flesh was placed inside. The head and feet of the dying shrimp moved and twitched from time to time, as if recalling something.

Placed in another plate was a fish with only its head, backbone, and tail fin, with its beaten and minced body placed beside. Its mouth and gills, in which water will never pass again, opened and closed.

Live shrimp and shellfish were placed on top of a charcoal oven. These writhed for a while, before they emitted bubbles and died.

Steaks were carried in — it was the meat of the whale earlier. It seemed delicious as it was not too burnt, but blood accumulated on the dish.

“……”

Kino gazed at these for a while.

—

“Good grief,” Hermes said.

In her room, Kino was lying face up on her bed wearing a shirt. She let out a breath, and then spoke.

“Ah, that was delicious…”

“That was disgusting. You don’t have to eat ‘til you drop,” Hermes said, appalled.

Kino spoke while looking at the ceiling.

“If you wish to be a traveler, you should be able to eat when it is time to eat. Someone wrote that in a book.”

“Yuck”

Outside the room, the sun has almost completely gone down, and the color of the sky has begun to change. The sound of chairs and tables being cleaned up can be heard from the square.

“Miss Kino. Are you awake?” A voice was heard as someone knocked on the door.

“Message from the chief. We will be dividing the share with our comrades. Would you like to watch?”

—

The evening sun was shining golden on the sea. Two hovees were flying on the sea surface.

Kino, Hermes, the chief and a few others were riding in one of the hovees. Meanwhile, something was suspended from the other hovee. At the end of the rope the sheets containing the pieces of whale meat were wrapped together.

The hovee stopped a good distance from the coast.

The chief stood on the deck.

“Please accept this,” he said in a short message. He lowered his hands lightly.

The rope on one side of the sheet disconnected, and the contents fell. The dead flesh scattered on the water. Soon, fish gathered in the place. A variety of fish, small and large, rushed and disturbed the surface of the water. Sea birds drifted overhead.

“Our comrades,” the chief said.

“In nature, other creatures serve as food for other living things, just like us.”

While looking leisurely below, “So, this is their share, eh?” Kino said approvingly.

The chief also looked below leisurely.

“Yes, they were raised eating other creatures, and in turn, get eaten by other creatures. In this ocean, our comrades live in great numbers, but never too many nor too few. Usually, we only take them during times of celebration.”

“I see…,” Kino said, and slowly leaned on the edge of the deck. She looked at the sky to the west. The orange lump will soon be touching the horizon.

They parted with their comrades, and the hovee set on its homeward journey while casting its long shadow on the sea.

—

Evening. Kino was invited to have tea with the elders.

‘What are you planning to do tomorrow?’ asked the chief, to which Kino informed them of her intention to visit the highlands to the north.

And then the elders who were drinking tea suddenly exclaimed together.

“You’d better stop!”

Kino asked them if there’s something dangerous up there, but they only shook their heads. The chief spoke.

“Well no, I don’t think that’s the case. It’s just that…”

The chief made a sad face.

“Those people are very cruel. They’re totally incompatible with us.”

“Cruel, you say?” Kino asked, and the chief slowly nodded and spoke.

“However, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to see for yourself, Miss Kino, the cruelty and ugliness of those people.”

—

The next morning, Kino got up at dawn.

As usual, she performed her body exercises, and trained with and carried out the maintenance of her persuaders.

Kino was treated to a lavish breakfast in the chief’s home. In addition, she received a present of dried fish. Kino thanked them politely.

Kino rode up the path she went through the day before. She passed in front of the eastern gates.

After climbing up the hill for a while, the town amidst the dense forests came into sight at the end of the slope. Like the day before, a hovee glided beside them.

“Are you a traveler?” a man on the platform asked.

Kino and Hermes entered the town in front of the forest. On the right side, the forest with its bright leaves has spread and engulfed the white stone houses lined up on the slopes. Several people who caught sight of Kino and Hermes waved their hands from their windows.

The people gathered in a square around a wooden tower. Kino stopped Hermes as she was invited to come in. She exchanged greetings with the chief.

Everyone observed as the chief welcomed the rare visitor to the town and offered her lodgings and meals for free. Kino thanked him.

And then the chief suddenly asked Kino. “By the way, are you picky with food?”

“No. There’s no particular food my stomach rejects. Also, I do not hate stuff served in feasts,” Kino said immediately. The eyes of the residents glittered.

“Oh dear,” Hermes muttered out of earshot.

For the welcoming feast, they will set off to hunt a creature. Kino was asked if she would like to watch.

So came the invitation, to which Kino readily agreed. She asked Hermes what to do,

“We’re free after all,” answered Hermes. Kino pushed him along and went aboard a hovee.

The group of hovees floated lowly, and glided into the forest. The hovee Kino and Hermes were riding followed to the air.

“Anyhow, the prey will be large. It will be an exciting hunt,” the young man who was hired to be their guide said happily.

Below, on the hovee’s deck, the men were assembling rockets similar as yesterday’s.

And suddenly a voice came from the driver’s seat.

“There it is! To the right!” He pointed in between the trees, where something moved.

The hovees scattered and approached, surrounding the tree. The hovee where Kino and Hermes was riding on slightly advanced. A person leaned over from the deck and waved a flag to indicate directions.

A big black shadow moved on the ground directly below the hovee where Kino was riding.

It was an enormous creature. An elongated nose protruded from its stone-like body. Its big ears shook, and its four fat legs slowly moved forward. From the tip of its extended nose up to its tail, it was twice as long as the hovee.

“It’s big,” Kino murmured.

“It’s an elephant. It is the largest creature in the forests. Is this your first time seeing one?”

“Yes. I only read about it in books. Even so, it’s really big.”

“So in a place like this, rest omitted,” Hermes said in a small voice.

“Well, the show is just getting started. ——We will hunt that.”

The hovees approached it from both sides and dropped something on the sides of the elephant. They dropped several pieces of cylinders the size of small packets one at a time.

The packets exploded on the ground. The ground was hollowed out, and soil rose up in succession on both sides of the elephant. The muffled explosions echoed.

The huge form of the elephant trembled. As if in a rampage, the elephant’s footsteps resounded loudly as it fled. It ran towards the narrow spaces between the trees.

At that moment rockets were launched from the hovee which passed right beside it.

Whoosh—!

The rockets left a white trail of smoke, and hit the head of the elephant as it emerged from behind a tree.

Its head exploded.

Mixed flesh and blood scattered and fell on the ground with a wet sound.

In a moment, the elephant’s huge form squirmed and hoisted its body in a straight position. Then it collapsed to the side, creating a tremor in the ground. Then it stopped moving. It stopped living. The deep red blood began to stain the ground.

“Great—!”

The guide and everyone on board the hovees raised a cheer.

A number of people holding ropes jumped down. Then they tied the elephant’s limbs to several hovees.

They carried it in the air while the bulky corpse dripped blood along the way.

The headless elephant was raised onto the space near a fountain beside the square. Cheers rose from the people who were preparing the venue.

They began to take apart the body of the elephant. They hauled a large saw using a truck. Soon, the cobblestoned ground was stained dark with the spilled blood.

It was carved into big blocks and then several people carried them to the square and cut them to smaller pieces.

After they finished cutting the meat, it was divided into three portions. The chief explained to Kino.

“The ones placed beside the tent are for today’s feast. Those in the trucks will be stored for future use. And then,”

The chief pointed to the meat, bones and pieces of entrails piled high on top of a big sheet. Upon closer inspection, those were also parts meant for consumption.

“Those are everybody else’s share.”

“‘Everybody else’?” Kino asked.

“They’re not here right now. I’ll introduce them later,” said the chief, grinning.

“——Now, everyone let’s eat.”

With the chief’s introduction, the people filled the square and started the banquet.

A plate was passed to Kino who was sitting nearby. Young women and rough-looking men in aprons were busy working. The chief told her that this country had good dishes, and above all, attractive people.

“Now, please have some too, Miss Kino,” the chief urged her.

A grilled monkey was placed in one big platter. Its torso was gaping open, and chopped herbs were placed inside. Its legs were pointing towards the sky — it almost looked like a human baby.

Placed in another plate was the boiled head of a sheep with its brain exposed. Its clouded eyes, in which light will never pass again, were scooped out and served as a side dish.

A number of live chicken were carried beside the square. The necks were placed and fixed between two bars, and were immediately cut off with a small axe. The headless bodies bolted, ran about the place for a while, and died. The chief said that they will be fried and eaten later.

Steaks were carried in — it was the meat of the elephant earlier. It seemed delicious as it was not too burnt, but blood accumulated on the dish.

“……”

Kino gazed at these for a while.

—

“Two days in a row,” Hermes said.

In her room, Kino was lying face up on her bed wearing a shirt. She let out a breath, and then spoke.

“Ah, that was delicious…”

“You sure feel great,” Hermes said with a hint of sharpness in his tone.

Kino remained lying on the bed.

“It’s not bad to see a country like this from time to time…. Even so, I didn’t know that sheep brains were so soft and delicious. You shouldn’t reject a food without trying it first, after all.”

“Yuck”

Outside the room, the sun has almost completely gone down, and the color of the sky has begun to change. The sound of chairs and tables being cleaned up can be heard from the square.

“Miss Kino. Are you awake?” A voice was heard as someone knocked on the door.

“Message from the chief. We will be dividing the share with our comrades. Would you like to watch?”

—

Two hovees were flying over the forest permeated by dusk.

Kino, Hermes, the chief and a few others were riding in one of the hovees. Meanwhile, something was suspended from the other hovee. At the end of the rope the sheets containing the pieces of elephant meat were wrapped together.

The hovee stopped a good distance into the forest.

The chief stood on the deck.

“Please accept this,” he said in a short message. He lowered his hands lightly.

The rope on one side of the sheet disconnected, and the contents fell. The dead flesh scattered on the ground. Soon, animals gathered in the place. From small ones, crows, to large carnivores, all of them ate up wholeheartedly.

“Our comrades,” the chief said.

“In nature, other creatures serve as food for other living things, just like us.”

While looking leisurely below, “So, this is their share, eh?” Kino said approvingly.

The chief also looked below leisurely.

“Yes, they were raised eating other creatures, and in turn, get eaten by other creatures. In this forest, our comrades live in great numbers, but never too many nor too few. Usually, we only take them during times of celebration.”

“I see…,” Kino said, and slowly leaned on the edge of the deck. She looked at the sky to the west. The orange lump will soon be touching the far-away mountain ridges.

They parted with their comrades, and the hovee set on its homeward journey while casting its long shadow on the forest.

—

Evening. Kino was invited to have tea with the elders.

‘What did you do yesterday?’ asked the chief, to which Kino replied that she stopped by the town along the sea.

And then the elders who were drinking tea suddenly exclaimed together.

“Those people are terrible!”

The chief made a sad face.

“Those people are very cruel. They live out in the sea, killing the cute fish and shellfish. These are taken alive, and they eat them, watching them die in cold blood. And in the end, they take the smart and adorable whales…”

The chief’s tone became rough.

“And those people dare say that our life of dependence on the blessings of the forest is cruel, brutal and ruthless. They have no right to say such thing, as they themselves don’t realize that what they are doing is the genuine form of cruelty. We can’t just calmly ignore them and accept their customs.”

“I see. So that’s the reason why you have lived apart,” Kino said, and the chief nodded slowly and spoke.

“However, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to see for yourself, Miss Kino, the cruelty and ugliness of those people.”

—

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

Kino got up at dawn. As usual, she performed her body exercises, and trained with and carried out the maintenance of her persuaders.

Kino was treated to a lavish breakfast in the chief’s home. In addition, she received a present of dried meat. Kino thanked them politely.

Kino departed, turning back from the grand farewell she was given.

They ran through the deserted part of the country. It was already past noon when they arrived at the western wall.

They passed through the fully automatic gates, and went out of the country.

“Now, shall we go?” Hermes said happily, but Kino replied with a lifeless voice.

“No. Before that…”

“Hmm?”

“I’m hungry.”

‘Ah’, Hermes was appalled, and let out a sigh. And with a touch of sarcasm in his voice,

“Why, of course. If you eat just that at night and in the morning, your stomach will be bloated.”

“No choice. I’d better roast and eat the preserved stuff they gave me. We’ll leave after that.”

Kino dismounted Hermes and secured his center stand.

“Well, whatever. I suppose that’s better than you fainting and falling down due to an empty stomach,” said Hermes.

“By the way, the fish mummy or the animal mummy, which one will you eat?”

While groping for something inside her luggage,

“Both”

Kino answered flatly.

Translator’s Notes

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