Editing Kino no Tabi:Volume13 Special (section)

===“A Country of Cities” —Don’t Stop Us!—===
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Kino and Hermes parted ways with Shizu and proceeded through the path in the meadow.

Soon, they found a place scattered with corpses. They were the bones of humans eaten by wild animals.

“I wonder what’s up? Some national bureau?”

“… Natural burial?”

“Yeah that!” Hermes said and fell silent.

“So harsh,” Kino said.

The corpses increased in numb er as they continued. Soon, when they thought they couldn’t see anymore corpses, the country’s walls came into view.

It was a vast country. The entry process was completely automatic. When they entered, they saw the interior full of tight rows of buildings, with hovees (Note: A ‘hover vehicle’.  A vehicle that floats.) flying around, and billboards floating in the air. There were also railroads running on top of elevated bridges.

One would realize upon seeing the number of people traversing the roads that it was a country with a high population and population density.

Kino planned to make her stay as discreet as possible, but because her appearance was not as tidy as the country’s people, she was met with a barrage of questions like, “How are things outside the country?” or, “How’s life as a traveler?”

Three days passed by in a blink, and soon it was time for them to leave. As there was an inspector at the emigration gates, Kino decided to ask about the corpses.

“Oh, those are people from this country.”

“So it was natural burial after all?” Hermes asked.

“No, that’s not it.” The inspector answered. “They are— travelers.”

“Huh?” “What do you mean?”

“As you can see, this country has quite an advanced technology. That’s why there are many people who yearn to travel, to live outside the walls. These people wanted a change from their city life, longed for the outdoors, and go on traveling.”

“But they died quite near the country,” Kino said.

“Well that’s that. The people from this country were brought up in a civilized environment. Outdoor living won’t be easy for us. You may not believe me, but there are people who set out without even knowing how to make a fire. Some of them don’t even know how to tell apart north, east, west and south—not that I know myself. I couldn’t even hold tools necessary for traveling. Moreover, we don’t know what things we would need in the first place. With that, what do you think would happen to someone, who has nothing but longing , when he goes out of the country?”

“He’d die, I guess,” Hermes said.

“Isn’t it? That’s why everyone dies. As soon as the country could no longer be seen, they wouldn’t know how to go back.”

“Then why don’t they ban people from traveling?” Kino asked.

“That’s possible, but if we do that, the population won’t get diminished.  When you ride a train, don’t you wish more people get off in other stations before yours? It will free some seats.”

Was the inspector’s answer.


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Kino and Hermes were running through a meadow.

“Well, where shall we go next, Hermes?”

“‘Well, where shall we go next, Kino?’ is what I’d like to say, but we can’t go on anymore.”

“Why?” Kino asked, and Hermes told her to look behind.

“Behind?”

When Kino looked back,

“Whoa!”

There were various things. A country moving at a fierce speed, trampling on another country; a tank firing its cannon; a young man painting; Nimya’s plane doing somersaults in the air; Master coercing a trader; Shizu practicing with his sword; Riku complaining as Ti tugged on his fur; Inid setting up an ambush; A long line in front of a shop selling hydrogen bombs; a tall tower collapsing, and so on.

“What the? This is absurd, this can’t be happening, Hermes!”

“That’s okay Kino. After all, this is a dream.”

“Huh? What did you just say, Hermes?”

“I said this is a dream. It’s about time you wake up.”

“What?”

“It’s about time for you to wake up. About time… time… time… time…”


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And the girl woke up with tears in her eyes.

“Huh…? Where am I…?” The girl muttered. It was a usual morning in her usual room.

“Ah. It’s a dream.”

The girl leapt out of her bed and marked her calendar. Then she went down to the dining room. Her parents greeted her with a smile. Breakfast was ready.

“I had a weird dream.” The girl said. ‘Oh?’ said her father. ‘Dear me,’ said her mother.

“It was a weird dream—fun, scary, pleasant, painful, sad, happy, and mysterious all at the same time. But…”

“But?” “But?”

“I can no longer remember any of it.”

“I see.” “I see.”

The girl asked, “Say, mother, father… have you had a ‘dream’ like that before?”

The mother shook her head with a smile, and the father answered with a gentle tone,

“You see, adults don’t dream.”

And the girl will be having her twelfth birthday the next month.

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