Editing Kino no Tabi:Volume1 Summary (section)

===Chapter 2: Land of Majority Rule —Ourselfish— ===

'''(Anime Reference: Episode 5 Part 3)'''

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Kino and Hermes were running through a meadow. Kino speeds ahead upon noticing the white walls of a country. They soon arrive at its arched gates, stone houses visible from beyond as it is wide open. The guard post is unmanned. Hermes goads her to come in, but Kino hesitates, reasoning that the owner of a place has every right to shoot a trespasser. Hermes replies that there won’t be anyone to shoot her if the place is really deserted, and anyone that tries to will get killed first anyway by Kino. When Kino agrees, Hermes suggests heading towards the country center.

Kino and Hermes find themselves spending the night beside a campfire, underneath the stars. Hermes expresses outrage at the abandonment of the splendidly built stone buildings and paved roads, in which they spent half the day probing without meeting a single person. Tired of the search, they camped out and built a fire on a small dent on the road. Kino munched on her unsavory clay-like portable rations before heading to sleep, disappointed that there is neither shower nor clean sheets waiting for her.

The next day, Kino wakes up to a misty dawn. She carries out her light exercises and the maintenance of her persuaders before eating portable rations again for breakfast. She then wakes up Hermes and spends another half a day wandering the country. The search proves fruitless, and about noon they arrive at a large park with an enormous white building in its center. Kino and Hermes conjectures that it must be the royal palace grounds, turned into a park after the monarchy was overthrown. They explore its magnificent interior until they reach a balcony from which the courtyard could be seen. There they found countless graves. 

Hermes concludes that everyone in the country is dead, and all the survivors must have abandoned it. And then he suggests to Kino that they leave, as there is nothing for them to do in a deserted country. Because it hasn’t been three days yet, Kino refuses and insists that they camp for the night and leave the next morning. Hermes asks why she is so adamant about this rule. Kino answers that a traveler she met a long time ago told her that it is just the right length of stay in any place.

On the third day, Kino rises with the dawn and performs her morning routine. Kino uses a damp cloth to wash her body and eats her breakfast afterwards. Then she prepares her luggage and wakes up Hermes. They were riding unrestrained through the road until the western walls became visible, at which point they spot a tractor loaded with vegetables and fruits. A living human slept in its driver seat. Kino and Hermes approach the man, accidentally waking him up with the sound of Hermes’ engine. The man realizes that they are travelers, declares himself as the one and only citizen of the country, and welcomes his visitors, albeit being two days late. Then he offers to tell them his country’s history.

The man begins by revealing that the country was once ruled by a monarchy, confirming their suspicions. Hermes quips that a revolution occurred next. From this, the man reckons that they must have seen the palace and the graves. Kino asks if they died in a plague, but he refutes this and says that only one of them died from a disease. He continues his story, saying that the country endured the leadership of many kings, most of whom were poor and unpopular rulers. Fourteen years ago, crop failure plunged the country into a crisis. There was widespread famine, but the king did nothing to appease the suffering of his starving people. And so the people started plotting a revolution. Those who were caught having involvement were executed in a traditional manner: legs and hands tied together, then hanged upside down and dropped head first into the road. They were executed along with their families. When the time came for the revolution, the rebels first procured weapons, but found no need for them as the king ran away without a fight. He was caught trying to escape from the country with his treasures hidden among the vegetables in a farm truck.

After the revolution, the people created a new government ruled by no individual or a small group of people. The country was ruled by all of its citizens. All matters shall be decided by vote, and new ideas shall be made into law if approved by the majority. The first thing they decided on was the fate of their previous king. As expected, an overwhelming majority voted for his death. He was executed along with his family and supporters in the traditional manner. At first, everything went well. They decided on their constitution, legislation, law enforcement, taxes, educational system, and so on. But one day, some people suggested electing a person that will lead for a number of years, as counting all of the citizens’ votes for every single issue proved troublesome. This was not approved by the majority, and another vote decided that the people who suggested it be executed with their families. Such ‘traitors’ appeared one after the other: people who wanted to abolish the death penalty, reform the tax system, etc. Soon they were running out of graves, and decided to turn the palace courtyard into a cemetery.

Kino asks how many executions in total had occurred. The man answers 13,064, excluding the countless executions during the time of the kings. The last execution happened a year ago, when there were only three citizens left—the man, his wife, and his friend. His friend decided to leave the country, but he and his wife voted against it, leading to his death.  And lastly, as he was not a doctor, he failed to save the life of his wife who died of a simple cold only half a year ago. He broke into tears from the memory.

Kino thanks him and turns to leave. The man then proposes that Kino and Hermes become citizens and rebuild the country with him. Kino and Hermes refuse. The man then proceeds to beg them to stay for a year, for a week, for three days, and finally for a day (even offering himself to Kino as a slave), all of which Kino and Hermes turn down. Finally, he pulls out a 16-round revolver from his bag. Kino asks if he plans to threaten them with it, but the man answers.

'''''“No, no, NO! This is not right! If I use this, I wouldn’t be any different from those foolish kings! It is wrong to force your thinking into others using violence! Wrong I say! The way of a fool! …Yes, everything should be decided by the majority. That can be determined by voting, and the consensus will lead to a peaceful resolution. It’s the sole path that humans should take, one that can never lead to a fatal mistake! I am right, ain’t I?”'''''

Afterwards, Kino asks him what he would do if she and Hermes tell him that he was mistaken. The weapon falls from his hands, and he shouts at Kino and Hermes to leave and never to return. As they ride away, Hermes whispers ‘Goodbye, your majesty.’ Once they’re out of sight, the man screams, threatening to kill them if they ever come back.

Kino and Hermes reach a fork in the road where there should only be one. Kino chooses the right (it being wider) while Hermes votes for the left (it being firmer).  Kino agrees to take the left, but realizing that they will just have to turn back if they made the wrong choice, she proceeds to the right, to Hermes’ annoyance.
 

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