Editing Kino no Tabi:Volume13 Special (section)

===“A Country For Offer” —Sales Talk—===
<br/>
<br/>
Further into Kino, Master, Hermes, and luggage-carrier’s travels, they met Shizu in the middle of the meadows. He was with Riku. And they rode a buggy.

And in the buggy was the white-haired girl Ti, whose usual silence made her thoughts undiscernable.

“Oh, if it isn’t Kino and Hermes.”

Shizu greeted, and Kino gave a quick bow and greeted back, “It’s been a while, Riku and your owner.”

That dealt quite a blow to Shizu. His body shook violently. “It’s Shizu! Shizu! Shizu! Shizu! Shizu!”

Kino ignored the sweater-wearing guy and introduced Master and luggage-carrier to Riku. Hermes showered Riku with insults, which Riku returned to Hermes.

“You sure get along well,” Master remarked.

“Sigh…,” Shizu exhaled. For some reason, he seemed extremely tired.

“What’s wrong? You look pale,” Kino asked.

Shizu answered, “The truth is for a while now, my shoulders and head feel so heavy. I can’t seem to find a cure for it. It bothers me even during driving, it’s quite painful.”

“Maybe it’s because you were swinging your sword around too much?”

“I thought so too, so I held back in my training for a while, but the pain just wouldn’t go away.”

Shizu said, and brooded over. Riku also looked like he has given up on finding the cause, while Ti,

“…”

Only stood quietly beside them.

“That’s simple!” Luggage-carrier said as he got off the yellow car.

“Sweater-wearing mister, do you know a girl who wore braids and was dressed in purple clothes?”

“Huh?” Shizu fell into thought, and then, “A long time ago, I met a girl with that description, but…”

“And was this girl, by any chance, dead?” Luggage-carrier looked like he was having fun, while Shizu looked puzzled.

“It’s just as you say, but…how did you know?”

“Why, it’s because I can see.”

“See what?” Kino asked, and luggage-carrier answered with brimming self-confidence.

“Sweater-wearing mister, right now that girl’s spirit is sitting on your right shoulder with a smile on her face. It looks like she liked you very much and decided to atta—”

‘Attach herself to you.’ Before luggage-carrier could finish off his sentence, Master has beaten him to a pulp. A right punch, a left straight, and a left kick sent him beneath her heels, and finally she attacked him by using a chair’s capability as a dangerous weapon.

“Ow— Ack— Ugh— Guh—” He shrieked. Ah, this is brutal.

“I’ll be taking my leave,” Master tossed the now limp luggage-carrier to the car, said her farewells, and disappeared like a bullet. The yellow car left in an unbelievable speed and was soon out of their sight.

And so Shizu’s troupe, Kino and Hermes left that place.

“That’s great, isn’t it? Now you know the cause,” Kino said.

“I don’t believe in such things as ghosts.” Shizu was not in a merry mood. “Well, shall we go to the next country?” He said, then started the buggy’s engine. Kino launched Hermes and followed after the buggy.

The walls of the next country soon came into view.

“I wonder what kind of country it will be this time?” Kino mused.

Shizu replied, “I wonder. I only hope that it’s a country that is loved by its citizens, a country that they take pride in. I am sure such a country would be a good one. I would be happy if we find such a country.”

And soon upon entry, Kino, Hermes, the tired Shizu and his company were surrounded by the residents.

“We are this country’s politicians! We were chosen by the citizens thru an election!”

All of a sudden, the men and women asked Kino and Shizu a question,

“By the way, won’t you start a war with our country?”

Before you say ‘Oh my god!’, let’s have an explanation.

“If you travelers were sent by the army of some foreign country to declare war, we will immediately surrender.”

“Why?” “Why is that?”

Shizu and Kino asked.

“Why of course! It was decided by our constitution that this country shall never go to war! Wars are evil because they kill people. It’s just not right. That’s why our country had an idea. We’ll get rid of wars for eternity; as such our country doesn’t have an army. Isn’t it wonderful? It is right?”

“Then?” “And so?”

“That’s what we’re telling you! If you declare war on this country, we’ll surrender immediately, and this country will be under the occupation of travelers. In short, this country will be yours!”

Kino spoke. “I see— I understand that, but I don’t need this country. I’m fine as long as I could stay for a bit.”

The smile on the residents’ face did not fade.

“I see, I see. But we have a proposal. If you occupy this country today, we’ll handle all the troublesome government work. You can pose as the governors of this country and relax. You can have a permanent residence here or go traveling again! During your absence, we will serve as the representatives of you, the governors! You don’t have to worry about anything! What do you think? Eh?” 

Shizu only kept silent with his tired face, while Riku asked,

“What are we going to do, Master Shizu? —With this, we can also live in this country.”

Shizu glanced at the people who were waiting for his reply with excited faces.

“Maybe we should leave,” was his only reply.

“Ah, wait—”

He ignored the people chasing after him and rode the buggy while stroking his right shoulder. He started the engine and rode away in no time.

Kino asked Hermes what they should do next, and as there was nothing interesting in the country, they decided to leave.

Upon leaving the country, Shizu’s buggy stopped in the middle of the meadow. It seems that they were thinking where to go next.

“Kino, what should I do from here on?” Shizu asked with a miserable face,

“How should I know, moron! You get to choose your own path! That is what it means to be human! That is what it means to live! Stop looking down! Don’t you have a perfect pair of legs?! Go use them! No matter how painful the road waiting for you, no matter if there’s a strong headwind blowing against you! Fight it! With your own will! With your soul! — is what Kino has in mind,” Hermes answered. Kino hit Hermes tank,

“Ow!”

“I don’t know. Because I am not a God.”

“I guess so. It can’t be helped… Maybe I’ll go look somewhere again…”

Shizu sighed once more. Then when he looked to his left, Ti was there,

“…”

Looking quietly at Shizu’s right shoulder. She was staring at it.

“There’s nothing to see. Don’t mind it so much,” Shizu said, but Ti still kept on looking. Her green eyes only stared, and stared.

“…”

Then, without any voice coming out, her lips moved. She became expressionless for a while, then repeated it. It was as if she was talking with someone.

“What’s the matter?” Shizu asked in wonder.

“It spoke,” Ti answered.

“Something?  No, someone?”

Ti stared straight at the befuddled Shizu and answered his question.

“‘I will always love Mr. Shizu,’ said the girl on your shoulder.”

Kino, Shizu, Riku, and Hermes…

“…”

Fell silent just like Ti.

After a while, Shizu said this.

“Well…, I guess it’s all right even if the pain doesn’t go away.”


----