Kino no Tabi:Volume14 Chapter7

“Land of Marriage —Testament—

Kino spun the aim of her persuader (Note: a persuader is a gun, in this case a pistol) towards the head of a man a mere two meters away, and pulled the trigger without a moment’s hesitation. The man has yet to notice Kino’s presence.

Along with the dull spurt of ejected gas, a 6-mm plastic bullet flied out while the slide of the persuader made its round trip.

The round projectile covered the short distance in a second, made its way towards the man’s goggles, and bounced off it.

“Wah!”

The man had only noticed the moment he was shot, and his upper body quivered as he cried out. Panic was written all over his face as he pointed his own persuader towards Kino. But at the same time,

“A hit! Shot acknowledged!”

A booming voice made an announcement.

“Understood…”

The man Kino shot lifted up both hands, persuader and all, then walked away.

—

Kino was inside a big building.

Its rectangular interior was fifty meters long and as much as thirty meters wide.

There wasn’t a single window, and as the walls were entirely of a faded silver color, it was hard to tell whether it was made of metal or glass. There were doors labelled with ‘Emergency Exit’ all over the place.

The ceiling five meters up was pure white and embedded with circular lights spaced equally from each other. The room’s lighting made it seem as if it was daytime.

The floor’s entire surface was covered with hard rubber to mute footsteps.

Not one furniture could be seen.

Instead, there were plenty of barricades; plastic walls around three meters wide and objects cushioned with drums dotted the place.

Kino stood in front of one of these walls.

She was in her usual white shirt and black vest. But instead of the belt and holster she normally used, she had on a nylon vest attached with different pouches. These contained magazines for the persuader she was using at the moment.

On her head was her favorite hat, but the protective goggles on her eyes were not the same kind she used when riding Hermes. Her face was also wrapped with a thick cloth for protection.

Also, the persuader she was using was neither ‘Canon’ nor ‘Woodsman’, but a non-lethal weapon that fires off plastic bullets at a low speed using the force of air ejected at a low pressure.

After she shot the man,

“The grip sure is big…”

Kino grunted while she tightened her right hand around the long grip of the persuader.

She added her left hand to her grip, and slowly walked as she synchronized her aim with her own gaze.

—

Meanwhile,

“He did it again! That makes eight!”

“This traveler is amazing.”

“It’s kind of expected, but still… his movements are at a completely different level!”

“At this rate, he’ll set a new record!”

“But what are we going to do…? This is a traveler we’re talking about, you know?”

Thirty or so men who were watching through a monitor each uttered their own impressions.

They were all wearing jerseys for easy movement, and had thick pads on their elbows and knees. There was one middle-aged man, while the rest were young men in their twenties.

The room they were in was like some sort of a secret base.

The spacious room was lined up with several rows of sofas. Ten huge monitors and two even bigger monitors were embedded in one wall, and can be easily viewed while one is seated in the sofas.

One of the giant monitors was showing Kino. The picture was very sharp, enabling the viewer to discern even a tiny flicker from the corner of the screen.

At present, the monitor showed Kino as she nimbly moved from one wall to another, persuader in hand. At times she would carefully stick her head up from a ducking position, surveying the situation up ahead.

The ten big monitors showed different angles of the room Kino was in.

And now, one of the monitors showed a door on the wall being opened, and another man who carried the same persuader as Kino emerged.

At the same time, the other giant monitor began to project the man’s image from above. There was a pair of goggles on his face, and below it was a plastic protective mask. His expression cannot be seen.

“Now, how long will this guy last?” said one observer seated in the sofa.

“I wonder. It’d be nice if Kino doesn’t get bored with this game, though,” Hermes said in response. All luggage was removed from the top of his rear wheel, and he was propped on his center stand in the space between the sofas, which was only wide enough for a wheelchair.

“Hey guys! He got me! That guy’s amazing!”

A voice was heard. Its tone was half frustration and half admiration.

It was from a person who just entered the room, the man who was just shot by Kino. He was wearing a jersey like the others, but he has removed his goggles and he was no longer holding a persuader.

“You were too slow.”

“You don’t have enough resolve.”

“You were scared, weren’t you?”

The men around him teased remorselessly.

“You’re one to talk! You were shot too!” the man answered back.

“All right, whatever,” another man said as he urged the others to look at the monitor.

Through the monitor, they watched as the distance between Kino and the man gradually shrunk. All of their eyes were focused on the screen.

The positions of the two were readily shown by the extensive overhead footage. Kino was near the center of the room, while her opponent was just around a long and narrow wall.

While concealing themselves behind the barricades, they would check their surroundings for any signs of the opponent before quickly relocating.

As the distance between the two became smaller, the one to notice his opponent first was the man.

Just before Kino was able to hide behind a wall, the man saw a glimpse of her leg. But as she quickly disappeared, and moreover, because the distance between them was still about ten meters, he did not shoot and chose to hide for the meantime.

“Oh! The traveler was spotted first!”

“You think he’ll be done in this time?”

“Go! Get him!”

“Show him what this country’s men are capable of!”

The men got stirred up, including the eight men who just got beaten by Kino.

The man within the monitor circled around to get behind Kino.

Since Kino was supposedly right in front of him, he made a big turn to his right. Confident of the position of his opponent, he moved quickly and without any hesitation.

Meanwhile, Kino’s movements were as careful and as steady as ever.

The man continued to move until he spotted Kino again. He was only fifteen meters away from Kino, who was standing in front of a barricade with her back turned to him.

Keeping his aim, he slowly approached while avoiding the barricades on his way, prepared to fire at any moment.

“Great! Go for it!”

“Will he win?”

“Just like that!”

As the men seethed in excitement, Hermes murmured,

“It would’ve been better if he fired the moment he saw Kino.”

“We’re not using real persuaders here. The effective range is only ten meters, and if possible, you should shoot within five meters to be sure. The traveler’s doing the same thing, right?” One man said.

“I get that, but—“

While this conversation was going on, the man continued to approach Kino bit by bit.

“Getting too close will just get you in trouble.”

“Why?”

“Because from the start, Kino was trained against being approached by—”

As the distance fell to seven meters, the man hardened his resolve. He exposed himself from the barricade and dashed off from the rubber flooring. He pulled the trigger as he quickly closed the gap. Intense firing ensued.

The bullets came flying towards Kino’s shoulder and head, and went past her.

Kino reacted as soon as the man dashed towards her, and twisted her body the moment the man pulled the trigger. As she turned around, her body buckled to the left, and slumped onto the rubber floor from her left shoulder.

Sooner than the man—who couldn’t stop his advance—could lower his aim, Kino fired a single shot.

All of the rounds fired by the man missed, while the bullet Kino fired hit the man’s hand.

The men in the surveillance room were dumbfounded.

“Told you. You’d have a better chance if you escaped as quickly as possible,” Hermes said.

—

Just when Kino has beaten the twelfth man,

“Excuse me? Can’t we just stop already? I was beginning to think if it wouldn’t be too rude to get shot on purpose.”

And with these words from Kino, the contest ended.

—

“That was really impressive, Kino!”

The one and only middle-aged man from the place before spoke to Kino delightedly.

They were in the dining hall of a hotel. There were many tables lined up in the spacious room, but right now there were no other customers. Only Kino and the jersey-clad man, Hermes beside the table, as well as a waiter from a few paces away were there.

Outside the window the sky was cloudy, and rain was falling.

“Thanks… I guess,” replied Kino, who was now wearing a shirt and drinking tea. ‘Canon’ and ‘Woodsman’ in their respective belts and holsters were safely placed on top of Hermes’ carrier.

“Here’s a story of Kino’s relentless feasting on a free meal after her outstanding performance. ‘Now, let the pigging out begin! Keep the food comi—Ouch!”

Hermes’ playful banter was received with a kick on his tires, courtesy of Kino.

“The food will be here soon, so please eat as much as you want. So, what do you think about that combat game? I’m very eager to hear your honest feedback,” the man asked, and Kino answered.

“Well… I think it’s pretty fun if you think of it as practice for shooting persuaders. I was surprised with the splendid training facility. Those persuaders are also really well-made. And because it was very weak, the memories you’ll be left with wouldn’t be too painful.”

“M-hm. What else? What about the performance of our young ones?”

“Let me see…”

While Kino fibbed with her words, Hermes answered from below, “Don’t tell them the truth Kino. As thanks for lunch.”

“Um… Let’s just say they were very ‘earnest’.”

“Oh!” The man interjected happily, urging Kino to continue.

“They were focused on nothing else except for charging against their opponent, that is, me. I suppose it’s a nice thing to be forward and all, but as a result, their movements become crude, and they end up being impatient. On the other hand, I constantly keep in mind that I may die if I get shot, so I also consider escaping if given the chance. You don’t have to overdo things just for the sake of winning. And it’s probably because I think along those lines that it was easy to sense the opponent.”

“I see…. Well, well, I suppose they wouldn’t be any match for a person with actual combat experience. I’ll remember that for future reference,” the man said as he nodded several times, his admiration clear to be seen.

Soon, the food was delivered to their table.

The meal consisted of fried chicken sautéed with onions and carrots in a sweet and spicy sauce, a salad of boiled vegetables, a round bun fresh from the oven, and squeezed orange juice.

After saying her thanks, Kino ate without hesitation.

After the meal, the man and Kino drank their tea.

While drinking her tea, Kino asked, “Now, the most important question of all… What was that combat game for?”

“Yeah, we didn’t hear that part!” Hermes added.

The man who had his cup on his lips slightly twitched his eyebrows before putting down his cup.

“Er, how far did I get to explain?”

“Until the part where you said: ‘all unmarried men between ages eighteen and thirty are to participate in this combat game.’ That was last night.”

“Ah, yes of course. And as soon as the rules of the game were explained, you’ve been at it since morning?”

Kino nodded. “That’s right. But, I have no idea at all what everyone’s trying to accomplish by playing that game. My hunch is that something is being tested based on their performance in that game.

“I see you’ve noticed that much…,” the man said, once again in an impressed manner. And then, “Well that was actually a pre-wedding activity.”

“A what?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kino tilted her head while Hermes asked.

“A pre-wedding activity we fondly call the ‘marrigames’. It allows our people to find their match.”

“Um, where?” Hermes quickly commented, while Kino asked further, “You mean through that game? But how?”

“Before that, I have to explain certain things about our country. —This is a very peaceful and quiet place. The taxes are very high, but as it is strictly set aside as a social security fund, the lives of the people are stable, and there’s almost no gap between the rich and the poor.”

“It certainly looks like it.”

“We could tell as soon as we entered.”

Kino and Hermes answered.

“As long as our men and women work, they are guaranteed a comfortable life. However, for a country’s continuous existence, its people should build families and produce children.”

“Of course.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then, how does one find a spouse? In the first place, what does one find attractive in a potential partner? How does it go in other countries? What is the most important factor women look for?”

The man quizzed them a little, and after thinking for a moment, Kino answered.

“‘Financial stability,’ I guess?”

“Correct. It’s probably the same in most places. In a normal country, a person who does well enough to provide a comfortable life and ensure bringing up of children is more likely to find a spouse. However, in this country, the young men have almost no difference from each other in terms of economic strength. Everyone’s on equal footing.”

“It’s like a dissing contest!” Hermes chirped in.

“Huh?” The man tilted his head.

“I’m sorry. It’s perfectly okay for you to ignore some of the things Hermes says,” Kino said without mercy. Then they continued while ignoring Hermes.

“You mean to say… that the women in this country find strength in this combat game as a condition for finding a husband?”

“Exactly. The entire combat game was recorded on video. And the total number of people a participant was able to defeat is also kept on record. The men then show these to their sweethearts. For example, during a match-making party.”

“What’s a match-making party?”

“To put it simply, it’s an event that gathers men and women of marriageable age who are looking for partners.”

“That’s unnecessary information since you’re not going to invite Ki— OUCH.”

Kino kicked Hermes’ tires.

“And so the women fall for the men who performed well in the combat games. Soon, the love that develops ends up in a wedding. This process takes only a while. That’s because in this country, if a man doesn’t get married until thirty or a woman until she’s twenty-five…”

“If they don’t?”

“If they don’t?”

“Well those men and women are going to be in a bit, no, quite pitiful circumstances. Are you interested in finding out what kind of fate awaits singles in this country?” the man asked in turn. A ring glittered on the ring finger of his left hand.

“Not really.”

Kino shook her head, and chose to ignore Hermes as he pestered them with ‘I want to know!’

The man continued his explanation. “Because of that, everybody becomes so desperate in finding a spouse… However, if a man gets terrible results in the combat game, the women will ignore him completely. Even if an extremely good-looking man won’t be spared if he ranks low in the game. That’s why the men begin the game as soon as they reach eighteen and earnestly devote their spare time to it. They train themselves in order to become stronger than their opponents.”

“So that’s why the men yesterday were so desperate. After the game, they bombarded me with questions, too.”

“That can’t be helped. Kino, if you were a guy you’d be in serious trouble too. Though I think most of them didn’t noti— Ouch!”

After kicking Hermes for the third time, Kino asked the man,

“Now I understand what the game is for, but I’m still confused with the women’s attitude towards it. What makes them think that excellent skills in that game will make a good husband?”

“That’s a very good question. The answer is, ‘because everybody thinks so.’”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

“The women of this country think this way: ‘Being good in this game is the mark of an ideal man, one who would make a fine husband.’ It is being taught to that effect to students at the primary and secondary levels once their sex education begins. In magazines for women, the models always choose the guy who has excellent marrigame skills. Even in television dramas, the leading men are all good in this game. In doing so, we have created a cultural trend that is instilled in our women. Moreover, the trend is preserved because the women who were taught this way propagate it to their friends and acquaintances.”

“You mean…”

Hermes gleefully spoke in Kino’s stead. “Their talent and skills for this combat game will be utterly useless once the wedding’s over!”

The man nodded readily. “That’s right. It’s totally unnecessary. To begin with, almost no one continues to play the combat game after getting married. Skills in indoor persuader battles aren’t really needed inside a country, don’t you think? Neither agility nor superior marksmanship are requisites for marriage.”

“Indeed…”

“Well that’s obvious.”

Kino and Hermes agreed. Then Kino asked another vital question.

“Then… why was it chosen?”

“Who knows?” The man shrugged.

“…”

“It seems this trend was created around five years ago, but I don’t really know the reason why this combat game was chosen. It’s probably something decided on by the country’s bigwigs. Before this, people who could remember the order of playing cards the fastest were popular. And before that, the ones who could chop a cucumber as finely as possible and in the least amount of time were highly regarded. And before that, people who could walk backwards the fastest…”

“…”

“Kino, it’s a good thing you didn’t come here during those times. —Mister, will a trend on excellent motorrad-riding skills come?”

“I wonder. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it does.”

“Then, what about naming the most number of characters, or drawing the best pictures of your favorite manga?”

“I’m sure those trends are also possible.”

“So just about anything would work, huh…,” Kino said.

“Yes. As long as the entire country comes to a consensus… The people only have to agree on a certain quality that makes for an ideal husband.”

“Okay, then after the wedding, what happens to the couples?”

“Things would work well if it’s meant to. Otherwise, it doesn’t. While there are happy couples, for sure there are also unhappy ones.”

“It has completely nothing to do with their talent in the games, right?”

“Certainly. That’s a matter of affection and effort on the couple’s part. And that’s not something the government can help with. As for happiness in marriage, in the end—”

The man looked directly at Kino and declared,

“The thing that is always being tested is the strength of their bond with each other.”

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