Kino no Tabi:Volume8 Chapter1

“A Land With History” ~Don’t Look Back!~

A car was running on a road inside a forest.

It was a small, yellow, battered car, which looked as if it’s going to self-destruct at any moment. It rattled and rumbled on the road, while making ‘pepepepe’ sounds as it discharges white smoke from its exhaust pipe.

It was a land with continuous dense forests over the level ground. The sun shines brightly on the eastern horizon. A variety of birds were singing in the cool early summer morning.

Two people were riding in the car. On the right side was the driver’s seat, where a rather short, but handsome young man was gripping the wheel, and on the left side is the passenger seat, where a youthful woman with long, black hair was seated. Meanwhile, dirty luggage and bags were tucked away in the narrow back seat.

“Master,” the man spoke while driving. Because the road was in a bad condition, he adjusts the steering wheel from time to time.

“What is it?” The woman called Master answered.

“We’ll soon be be arriving in the next country, and――”

Then, the man proposed that they sell the gem that they have in that country, and exchange it for food, fuel, and gold later on. The woman thought for a while,

“It can’t be helped. But――”

“We will sell it at the highest possible price. I know.”

Just ahead the car, the top of the walls can be seen.

Over there was a country, which is not too big, but seemed rich.

The first thing to behold upon entry in the country is the wide expanse of fields. A number of stone apartments are lined up at the center of the country. Streetlights lined the wide roads, dense with shops on both sides. It was a rather splendid townscape.

“Isn’t it a good-looking country? It has a comparatively small population, and it has a considerably developed technology. This is the sort of country where we could sell at a high price,” said the man in the driver’s seat of the small car.

This car was the dirtiest among the numerous cars running through the street. They were laughed at as a luxury car overtook them.

“What you said about the selling part is true, but there sure are too many policemen in this city,” The woman said, and the man agreed. There were many people walking around the city in the morning, but the numerous soldier-like policemen with their green uniforms can be recognized in one glance.

“The immigration procedures took awfully long. That guard must be an MP,” the man said. In this case ‘military police’ is an organization which combines the army and the police.

“From my previous experience, you cannot let your guard down in countries like this,” the woman said. The man cast a sideways glance to her face, and then asked.

“Because the public order is bad?”

“No. ――It’s the authorities we should be wary of. Let’s lay low in this country.”

“…… Roger”

The car stopped in front of a splendid hotel.

“Well then, I’m going to cash out,” the man said from the narrow room of a cheap hotel. On his left hip, a square-barreled hand persuader (Note: A Persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol) was suspended, hidden by the thin brown jacket he was wearing. The gem was inside the small pocket of a small bag inside the knapsack he was carrying.

“Please come back as soon as possible. I don’t want to stay long. Let’s depart by evening.”

“I understand. I’ll be back by noon. Meanwhile, you go and have a relaxing shower, Master.” The man said as he left.

But it was already past noon, and he did not come back.

--

This is what happened to the man.

The man showed the gem to a jeweler in the crowded business district. For a moment, the shopkeeper was surprised and then smiled. Then he disappeared at the back of the shop and came back once more, surprising the man with the price he proposed. The man agreed, thinking of the woman’s pleased face, and left the store with a grin on his face. However,

“You there, wait.”

The moment he came out of the street, four policemen surrounded him. ‘You are suspected of possession of illegal drugs’, one of the cops said.

“Huh?”

One policeman acted as if taking his hand out from the man’s pocket. And then he showed a small bag he was holding.

“Look we’ve caught you red-handed. We are arresting you for possession of illegal drugs.”

For a moment, the man considered pulling out his persuader and shooting to death all of the policemen but,

“…………”

He thought again, and stopped.

The man was handcuffed and his persuader and personal belongings were confiscated. As the man was about to ride the police car, he saw the shopkeeper of the jewelry store pass money to the police. The man let out a small curse and pondered how, even at this state, he could beat down all of the police, steal the car, and thrust it into the jewelry store but,

“…………”

He thought again, and stopped.

--

“In short, your lover was arrested. In this country, illegal possession of drugs is a serious crime. If he were to be tried in court, he’d likely serve at least ten years in jail.”

“I see. But I’d like to correct one thing. He is not my ‘lover’, he’s just a companion,” said the woman, who was in a room inside a large building at the country’s center. The building was important-looking, very large, and octagonal, and was built in an area surrounded by a spacious lawn.

A splendid clock tower stood at the center of the building, with a huge clock attached on each of the four sides facing east, west, south and north. The rooftop is higher than any building in the country, and it offers a 360 degree view of the country.

In this room, the woman was sitting in front of a desk, opposite an arrogant, bossy-looking, middle-aged police officer wearing a decorated and embroidered uniform. There were a number of policemen standing around him. From the gaps of the blinds, the outdoor scenery can be seen, and the reflection of the sun inclined to the west is quite beautiful.

“Where is he right now?” The woman asked, and the middle-aged police officer told her that he was in an underground detention facility.

The woman took the opportunity to ask about the building. She was told that it was a historic building, as it was once a royal palace. But there was no longer a king, and it was then used as a variety of government offices. The clock tower is a protected cultural site, the middle-aged policeman said proudly.

“It’s the police who have the administrative rights to this building. The real police headquarters is right here. I don’t think other countries have headquarters as luxurious as this,” as he said this, he laughed with a ‘gahaha’.

“I see. Then that means the corrupt policemen use their authority to dominate and do as they please. Just as I thought.” The woman did not say these words which accurately point out the situation. Instead,

“I understand the circumstances, however, as you can see, we are on a journey. With your excellency’s authority, it is not at all impossible to arrange for his deportation, is it not?”

“Hmm. How much are you willing to pay?” The middle-aged police officer asked in a brutally frank manner. ‘About this much’, the woman answered by writing on a piece of paper. No one knew whether the amount is good or not.

The middle-aged police officer leaned and peeked at the piece of paper.

“This is no good. No one can verify its value.” Once again, he shook his head arrogantly. And then,

“You’d better leave the country immediately. I’ll keep quiet about the offer you made here with us” With her ever-unchanging calm face and tone, the woman said,

“I’ll do just that. He was originally someone I got acquainted to during my travels, and I do not know anything about him. It can’t be helped if he was caught doing something bad. I’ll be leaving.”

“That’s a wise decision.”

“Can’t I say some last words to him before we part?”

“We can’t allow that since he has committed a serious crime.”

“About this matter, I would be very grateful for any assistance you can lend me,” while saying this, she slowly took out a piece of gold from her bosom. She placed it on top of the desk, covering the piece of paper she placed there earlier. The middle-aged police officer’s face loosened when he saw this.

“Hmm……. But since you are travelers, I’ll treat this as a special case. You’re free to see him.”

The middle-aged police officer and the woman, along with an entourage of policemen walked down the corridor out of the room.

“…………”

Along the way, the woman looked left and right with her eyes, checking the tags strung in front of the rooms. The policemen around her took no notice at all.

Eventually, the party went down the basement using an elevator, and passed through the guards protecting the gate to the entrance of the detention facility.

The halls were lined with jails on both sides. Drab rooms with only beds, toilets, and water closets continued on.

And, in one of the rooms, there was one person. He was a handsome, but slightly short man. He was sitting on the bed, and raised his face as he heard the sound of footsteps. He recognized the face of the woman surrounded by the police,

“Ah. Sister! You came here to have me released, right?” He said happily, griping the cage. But the woman spoke in a ruthless tone,

“You were found guilty of doing such a terrible thing, you know.”

“Eh……”

“Even after I told you not to do illegal things.”

“No way. I was framed!”

“I hate causing trouble for other people. You know that, right? ――Please face your trial here. There are countries I have to visit, and I can’t wait for you.”

“No way……” The man still gripped the cage, lost his strength, and looked down.

“Even if I……, until now have lived without doing a single bad thing……”

“Then reflect on your crime here,” said the woman. The policemen around her looked at each other and laughed.

With a powerless voice, the man spoke.

“Sister, in my bag, there’s something which I haven’t shown you before. Sell them in the next country. Add them to the traveling expenses. I don’t need them anymore. You can sell them for a high price because they were worth 434 silver when I bought them. Later, you can also have my stuff. Use it in anyway you want.”

“I understand. I’ll do that.”

The woman answered, and the man went back to his bed, still crestfallen. And then he fell on his stomach, and curled up his body.

“That’s enough.”

“Yes,” the woman said to the middle-aged police officer, and walked to the exit from the jail.

She came back to the entrance of the detention facility, and asked the police clerk about the man’s belongings. He took out the man’s persuader, holster, belt, knapsack, and small bag.

“What about the gem and cash he had?”

“Uhm. Those were possible funds coming from illegal drug trade, and were all confiscated as evidence,” said the middle-aged officer.

“Is that so,” the woman said, and put the man’s belongings in the knapsack.

“Well, everyone, I’ll be taking my leave,”

She left the building.

--

Upon returning to the hotel room, the woman relaxed for a bit, and then firmly closed the blinds.

Then, she opened the man’s luggage, a big backpack. A very sturdy plastic case was at the bottom. It was big and thick like an encyclopedia. It looked like it can be used to beat and kill people.

There was a numeric keypad on one side of the case.

“…………”

The woman keyed in 4-3-4 and the case opened smoothly. The cushion was cut out in several places, and a variety of contraptions were neatly fitted in each.

“……Good grief. I wonder what this guy did in the past. Well, let’s put these to use,” The woman closed the case with a click.

“First let’s go shopping. And then let’s get out of this country,” she muttered to herself.

--

The setting sun dyed the police headquarters in a yellow color.

The sound of a bell echoed from the high clock tower.

A police messenger came to the middle-aged police officer who was reclining on his chair.

“The woman earlier just left the country riding a car. She only bought portable rations and traveling equipment. There was nothing suspicious with her actions.”

“I see……. I thought she was dangerous, but she was just a fool after all. Don’t let her re-enter the country. Things might become troublesome,”

“Yes sir. By the way, there was a message from the director while he was having dinner with a politician’s doctor. It was, ‘Thank you for your hard work. We’ll send your share later’.”

“Hmm. You also did very well.”

“Thank you very much. ―― What are we going to do about that man?”

“Normally, he should be thrown out of the country, but, a 20-year sentence by court is also good. We can decide later on,”

--

Night. It was quiet in the forest.

The stars are twinkling in the clear, moonless sky.

The woman’s yellow, battered car was parked in a forest a little far away from the country.

Beside it, the woman was sitting and making rummaging sounds as she worked on something.

“Now then,” she said as she stood up. The scruff of her jacket was tightly closed, and she was wearing gloves and a knit hat. She was wearing black all over. Her favorite high-caliber revolver holster was suspended from her right hip, and a knapsack was slung on her back. And then,

“I see, what an interesting tool.”

A weird cylinder which looked like a plump and stocky scope was placed right before her left eye. A band wrapped around her head fixed it in position.

The woman looked at the forest scenery through her left eye. The branches of trees swaying from the wind, as well as the moving animals, were amplified by the machine. It created a world covered in a suspicious shade of green.

“‘Night-vision equipment’, eh? How interesting,” the woman murmured to herself.

Inside the man’s precious case was the set of night-vision equipment. Other than this, there was the man’s persuader’s silencer – especially made for assassination, for-assassin-use plastic knives that can pass through metal-detectors, for-assassin-use wires that can be used to strangle someone from behind, for-assassin-use capsules containing poisons that can be disguised as a heart attack, for-assassin-use stabbing pen with a poison-laced tip, etc. It was like a shop for various assassination goods.

The woman traversed the forest without making any sound. Late that night, she arrived at the walls of the country she just left. Its tall, black walls soared towards the sky.

After confirming that there were no guards nearby, the woman pulled out the revolver from her waist. She disassembled the front half of the revolver and removed the barrel. She took out a different barrel from her knapsack.

Attached to it was a strange device. A thick, metal jar was inserted at the tip of the barrel, and was securely fixed with a wire. The bottom of the bottle has been hollowed out.

The woman attached this to the revolver’s body, and snapped open the hammer with her thumb. She pressed down the loading rod under the barrel, gripped firmly with her left hand, and aimed the bottom of the jar towards the top of the walls.

The woman fixed her aim, and pulled the trigger.

Bofun.

There was the small muffled sound of the shot. And then the revolver shook violently in her hands. An iron claw came out of the jar. It was a three-hooked metal, similar to a ship’s anchor. A thin wire had been coiled inside the bottle and tied to the claw, and unwound as it came out.

The small sound of the claws hitting and catching the top of the walls was heard. The woman returned the revolver to its original form, and put it back in its holster.

She put on thick leather gloves, and pulled the wires at different angles to make sure that it was stuck firmly,

“Now then.” The woman began climbing the wall.

While the woman climbed the dark walls without making a sound,

“Fuwaa……”

Inside the dimly lit detention cell, the man was smoking a cigarette with his back on the bed.

“I wonder if it will take a bit more time. Maybe I should sleep.”

He rolled over, and slept.

--

Even if it’s almost midnight, the shops in the country’s entertainment district are crowded. Drunken people happily come and go.

In a corner of the street, a police guard is standing alone with his back on the alley. The young man was gazing at the street, looking bored, tapping his palm with the baton in his other hand.

Two dark arms stretched from the darkness of the back alley. One arm closed on the guard’s mouth, and the other one wound around his neck. The arms returned to the darkness without a sound.

No one noticed that one policeman disappeared from the street.

It was well past midnight.

The lively entertainment district has subsided, and only a few drunks were lying about on the quiet street,

Pon-!

It was like the sound of escaping air, but the loud sound suddenly resonated.

“Heh?”

A drunk man nearby opened his half-closed eyes. What was reflected in his eyes was a cloud of smoke rising from trash which began to burn.

“Ah”

He stood up while muttering, and the moment he leisurely held out his hands to the heat,

Ponponponponponponpo-n!

Explosive sounds were heard in quick succession at every corner of the street.

“Huh?”

The light of the burning piles of trash illuminating the street was reflected in the wide eyes of the drunk man.

--

Police cars and fire trucks rushed in as the sirens rang out.

When he heard these sounds, the man in the detention facility woke and opened his eyes. He sat on top of the bed, stretched, and let out a big yawn.

The sirens continued to cry. From the upper floors of the building, the far away noise of running footsteps can be heard. It made a considerable amount of noise.

In the midst of this noise, the man used the toilet, washed his hands and face, and began to exercise.

“Zero-one-two, three-four. Five-six, seven-eight.”

He moved deliberately, loosening his body, and ended it with a deep breath.

“Now then,”

The man gripped the cage, and shouted in a loud voice which would not lose to the noise.

“Hey, police guy! What’s with the commotion? It’s so annoying I couldn’t sleep!”

“Noisy! It’s none of your business so shut your trap!” The guard yelled back from the entrance of the detention facility.

“Yeahー, but this commotion is not normal isn’t it? Something big must be happening, right?”

“Shut up! There was no contact from above, and I was about to go and ask!”

“Is that so? You’re such a hard worker. If you find out, kindly tell meー”

“Shut up! ――Ugh!”

“Huh? What’s the matter ――?”

No answer came from the police officer, who issued out an unpleasant scream.

Instead, a policeman came walking down the aisle, and stopped in front of the man’s jail.

“I thought you would come, Master. ―― I’m sorry for letting down my guard.”

“Sheesh, I had to come to the aid of my student, after all,” said the one wearing a police uniform, the woman called Master. She was wearing the uniform tightly, and her long hair was hidden underneath the uniform cap. At first glance, she appeared to be an elegant-looking man.

The woman quickly opened the man’s jail with a key, and opened the knapsack she was carrying.

“Inside is your persuader and a uniform. Change your clothes,”

The man took it, and started to change. He asked while changing.

“Where my ‘toys’ helpful?”

“Well, in a way. ―― We’ll leave here once you’re finished changing.”

“What are we going to do?”

The man returned the clothes he has taken off to the knapsack. He finished changing into the police uniform.

“We’ll walk into the building from here.”

“Eh? Shouldn’t we escape quickly?”

“From now it would be impossible to get ouf the country. The gates will definitely be closed, and the security will be tight. It’s unreasonable to break through the gates with just the two of us. Eventually, people willl come here as well.”

“That’s true but……. What should we do?” asked the man,

“If it were you, what would you do?” The woman asked conversely. The man’s eyes registered an unusually serious expression.

“I see……. I’ll hide at once in a place where I can’t be found, for instance, in the attics or in the sewers. The search party will be tired by the third day or so, and by that time, I’ll immediately leave the country secretly, or by force, if necessary.”

“That makes good sense, but not quite correct.”

“Oh?”

The man looked disappointed, and the woman spoke with an amused expression.

“‘Waiting it out for three days before leaving’ hits the spot. However, hiding is not right”

“Then, what?”

“We’ll go on a rampage. First let’s go to the third floor, where there’s food and weapons. You’ve had plenty of rest while you were in jail, right? I have to do some serious fighting once in a while, or my skills will get rusty. Don’t you want to see me at my best? Also, the scenery from a high place is quite breath-taking.”

“…… Ah!” The man understood, looking amused, and then laughed fiercely.

---

“Then, what happened to the two after that? Kino,” asked a motorad (Note: A motorcycle. Only to note that it cannot fly in the sky).

The motorad was loaded with plenty of luggage on both sides and on top of its rear wheel. It was running carefree on a road inside a forest, with the autumn foliage dancing around.

“Yup. After that ――” The motorad’s driver called Kino answered.

She was wearing a brown coat, the excess hem of which was rolled up to her thighs. Goggles were strapped on her face, and she was wearing a brimmed hat with flaps covering her ears. She was considerably young, around her midteens.

The autumn sky was clear and not a single cloud can be seen. The bright sun announced the time of the day.

Kino answered the question, while letting the motorad run slowly.

“Aside from the streets, Master also planted explosives and incendiary bombs in police cars and power stations. As a result, the headquarters was in chaos. First, they boldly walked to the arsenal in their disguise. Most of the police force was dispatched due to all the commotion Master caused. When they went into the arsenal and ransacked it for persuaders, not a single one found them suspicious, as they were dressed in police uniforms, and they stunned a few who stopped by the arsenal. The room was filled with truck-loads of sniping rifles, small rapid-fire persuaders and all sorts of explosives”

“Wow, that’s amazingー. It’s just like a ‘dancing the mambo’, huh?”

“That’s right, Hermes,” Kino agreed so easily, that the motorad called Hermes fell silent for a while. Then he pulled himself together,

“―― Uhm, please continue Master’s story.”

“Ok. After they took all the weapon they can carry, the two headed next to the food storage, and loaded a trolley with portable rations and drinking water. Because what they were doing then was so suspicious, they had to stun three policemen in a nearby room.”

“And then, and then?”

“And then, they let out a rumor that bombs were planted inside the building. They activated the alarm and threw flares here and there. Everyone in the building scurried out. And then they boarded the elevator to the top floor, carrying the two trolleys with them.”

“The top floor? They didn’t escape? I thought they would surely escape by mixing in with the fleeing people.”

“It’s completely the opposite. Master and her student encamped with their luggage in the rooftop of the clock tower, which, though not wide, is the highest place in the whole country. They blew off the cable of the lone elevator leading there, and let it fall to the basement.”

“Gusha-n!”

“It was almost dawn. Outside, the people who evacuated, and the commotion has finally settled down. They aimed at the exhausted policemen who were coming back――”

“Zukyu-n!”

“Yes. They fired one-sidedly using sniper rifles from the top of the tower. They shot the tires of the cars so that they wouldn’t move, and shot at the people who fled the cars one after another. From such a high position, there was nothing to shield the people across the square. There was no way out.” Kino said indifferently.

“Because it’s one sided, they were all killed?” Hermes asked, and Kino shook her head from side to side.

“Wrong. That’s what amazing about Master. That time, she did not kill a single one.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It was deliberate. She intentionally avoided their heads or chests, and aimed at their legs. Thick blood vessels run through the thighs, so she did not target them. Whether it be the knees or the shins, she only aimed at non-fatal spots, and accurately hit them with her rifle.”

“Ah, so that they can shoot down the ones that would go to the aid of the wounded moaning for help, right? Snipers are very skilled.”

“That’s wrong too.”

“Oh?”

“The two of them shot neither the people crawling to escape nor the ones who were helping.”

“Why? How come?”

“I also asked her the same question. Master gave me some time to think about it, and I wouldn’t let her continue the story until I know the answer myself.”

“Well I give up. Continue the story, Kino”

“Okay. It is connected to the reason why they climbed the clock tower and did not escape. Master knew well that they cannot break through the gates with only two people.”

“Well, that’s because there would be a lot of people positioned there to securely protect it and make sure that no one will escape.”

“That’s why they decided to wait until someone would beg, ‘We will open the gates, so please pass through’.”

“Ah, I see. They barricaded the clock tower. I finally get it!” Hermes said happily. Kino gave a small nod.

“Yes. They barricaded the top of the clock tower, and sniped anyone who comes near. This way, the building can no longer be used, and the everyday work of the people was interrupted to a great extent. The police tried to get in one way or the other. But ――”

“They were shot.”

“Yep. To them, being shot in the leg is worse than getting killed. Seeing their comrades getting shot cruelly to death will fire up their anger and vengeance, and their fighting spirit will rise. But when they see their companions getting shot, screaming in pain, they think ‘What if I’m the next one’, and their motivation falls. Humans whose job is to fight, are far more terrified of being in pain than being killed on the spot. In any case, their morale is down.”

“I seeー”

“Even so, the police tried to do their best in front of everyone. They used trucks fitted with armored plates to ram both sides of the building at the same time,”

“But to no avail.”

“Master thought so too, and it seemed that her student, who was framed and jailed, got fired up. He could have sniped through the eye of a needle and still wouldn’t miss. All the troops that broke through were sent to the hospital, that it took lots of ambulances to accommodate the wounded. Once everything settled by noon, they dropped a letter in a sealed envelope. Of course, they used police equipment.”

“What was written in it? Something like, ‘If you don’t want any more casualties, let us leave right away!’?”

“Nope. They wouldn’t write something so blatantly threatening. It was more like this ――

‘Dear Sirs,

The wind hints of the approaching summer, but we would like to impart something to everyone in the police force, whose vigor and passion increase by the hour. Well, we two scoundrels decided to turn this place into a graveyard, and until our bows break, or until we run out of arrows, we will defend this place to the last of our strength, and we intend to rampage to our heart’s content. For the two of us are unskilled, it will take us some time, so kindly grant us your guidance and encouragement.

Yours Truly,

(omitted)

P.S. We set up tons of bombs on the stairs up the clock tower, so if you don’t want to lose this historic building, kindly refrain from using the stairs.’”

Kino finished speaking, and only the sound of Hermes’ well-maintained engine can be heard. Eventually, Hermes whispered.

“Scary.”

“Yup. Scary. ―― At that time, they had no idea what was going on in the heads of the policemen but, at this time, the two considered it a good idea to escape at a much later time.”

“Scary.”

“Yup. Scary. ―― And of course, the commotion has already made the news, and the situation was made public. It was even broadcasted live on radio.”

“That is so stupid.”

“Yes. Master thought so too. The two of them were also listening to the radio, so they were saved because they learned every move of the police. At any rate, the day soon turned to night, and the police tried several times to approach stealthily. However, Master’s student had a night-vision device attached to his rifle, and so they were beaten at their own game. ―― The two of them slept in shifts, and remained in their positions even while eating and drinking.”

“Well, how long did they keep up the barricade?”

To Hermes’ question, Kino answered with, “Just three days and three nights.”

“The situation was――

‘Ehem, you two over there, can you hear me?! You bastards can’t escape! As you wish, that place will be your grave! If by any chance you don’t die there, you will be hanged after being paraded in the city! You’d better prepare yourselves!’

Zukyu-n.

‘You guys are completely surrounded! So, surrender like real men! If you surrender obediently, we’ll spare your lives!’

Bakyu-n.

‘Hey you. Is there anything you want to say? We are generous enough to listen to your demands!’

Zubakyu-n.

‘Sirs, our side is willing to negotiate. It’s not a bad deal, you know.’

Ponponponponpon.

‘Uhm, are you doing well? We would like to ask for a cease-fire to be able to talk, and agree on terms for our mutual survival. What do you think?’

Dadadadadada.

‘Good morning. We would like to tell you something. If by any chance, you wish to leave the country, we will joyfully allow it.’

Banbanbanbanban.

‘We are begging your excellencies. If it will pacify your anger, you can leave the country.’

Zudon. Bagan. Dogon.

‘We beg you. From the bottom of our hearts, please stop this. Please――’

Zukyu-n zubababababadadadadadagyu-nzugyundododozudoponponchui-n.

‘Save meー. Please stop alreadyー’

“Now that you mention it, it would be better for us to leave the country quietly than to die here”

‘Re-really?’

“Well, how much are you willing to pay?”

“…………”

“How much are you willing to pay?”

‘…………. Uhm, will the amount I write down here do?’

Zugyu-n.

‘We’ll give more!’

―― well, something like that”

“Demons.”

“At any rate, rather than prolonging the situation and letting the number of casualties increase, they realized that there will be less damage if they just ‘deport’ them. Master and her student ripped off the government’s money, took the police commissioner who brought it to them hostage, and made him drive the escape car up to the gates.”

“And they all lived happily ever after. The end. Haー. What a great story. ーAh I see it.”

Kino and Hermes were running in the forest. And just ahead, as Hermes said, the top of the walls can be seen.

Kino spoke. “Just in time. So, in that country, we will keep it a secret that I have ‘Cannon’. We will go ‘shopping’ in the flea market. And of course, never ever talk about Master’s story.”

“Roger.”

“However, since we’re in this country, I want to know what remained of that story.”

“It must have been a historical event, right?”

“But, it’s also possible that Master just told me a nonsensical, exaggerated lie.”

“All of a sudden, I don’t want to believe it――”

“Yeah……”

“That person is quite capable of doing it.”

“Yeah……”

Kino suddenly looked back while riding. She looked at the road they just came through. There was no one but the leaves fluttering on top of the road.

“It’s alright. There’s nobody,” said Hermes.

“Then let’s run forward.”

--

Kino entered the country around noon.

On the lawn in front of Kino and Hermes, there was a closed octagonal building with a clock tower in its center. They stopped at the end of a road which extends straight towards the building. There were people enjoying a picnic on the lawn under the clear autumn sky. Inside, a few policemen can be seen.

“It’s a good thing the historical building remained,” Hermes said, and Kino agreed.

“Yeah.”

“It’s octagonal, without a doubt”

“And there’s the clock tower too,”

As she said this, Kino launched Hermes and ran through the road surrounding the building.

“Kino, go a little slower,”

“Hmm?”

In response to Hermes’ voice, Kino loosened the accelerator with her right hand. Hermes told her that there’s a monument beside the building’s entrance, and Kino turned in that direction.

Kino stopped Hermes in front of the monument and cut the engine. The monument was not large, and it was placed obscurely on top of the grass.

Only small characters are carved in the stone. Kino put down Hermes’ stand, and crouched in front of the monument.

“Kino I can’t see. What’s written?” asked Hermes,

“The characters are small and hard to read…….. Commemoration foundation stone, or something, but that doesn’t seem right……” As Kino muttered,

“That’s it!”

“Wha-!”

A loud voice issued from behind and surprised Hermes. Kino stood up and turned around.

Over there was a bald old man with a cane. He looked considerably old, and with him was a four or five year old girl, who seemed to be his granddaughter or great-granddaughter.

“Ah, sorry if I surprised you. That is a monument built to commemorate the two heroes who saved our country,” said the old man.

Hermes asked, “Two heroes?”

Kino took off her hat and bowed to the old man and the girl, and then,

“As a traveler, I have interest in the history of countries. Can you please tell me the story?”

With a smile, the old man, “Why, of course. When I was still young, political corruption has grown widespread in this country.”

“Ehh. And then, and then?”

“Even the police are involved in the misdeeds, and everywhere you go, there’s this bad atmosphere. At that time, two travelers with a sense of justice came into our country. They stood up rallying, ‘This should not be done!’, ‘This is wrong!’, along with the people!” The old man spoke passionately,

“After that, after that?” Hermes chimed in happily.

“After that, the two travelers, backed by the power of the people, came and petitioned in this building, ――in this government building.”

“Amazing!”

“Justice and courage flowed out from the two. In fact, their speech lasted for four days. Their zeal touched our politicians and police officials, who were deeply embarrassed of their actions until then and promised not to do bad things in the future. Thanks to that, this country is now rich and happy. And they lived happily ever after. The end.” The old man finished speaking,

“Grandpa’s stories, always end with ‘happily ever after’!” The girl whose hands he was holding, jumped happily,

“There, there. You’ll make this old man fall over with your jumping,” the old man chided her with a smile.

Kino spoke. “I see, so this monument was for that historic event.”

“That’s right. Even now, the ‘story of two travelers of justice’ is in our history textbooks. When this child grows up, she’ll also learn it at school.”

Kino thanked the old man, and then asked.

“This is another story, but, what happened to your legs?” In this country, there are so many old people, particularly men, who are carrying canes with them.”

For about five seconds, the old man’s face twitched and froze. The girl looked up at him wonderingly.

“Uhm, well! ――It’s natural for most people of my age to have bad legs, right? That’s why it’s best for us to carry a c-cane around, i-isn’t it?”

The old man said at once, still with a twitchy expression, speaking very fast, and mixing his words. And while laughing, ‘hahahaha’, he gripped his cane firmly, dragged one foot and walked away together with the girl.

After seeing off the two, “What now, Hermes? Want me to read the monument just in case?”

“Nope,” was Hermes’ quick answer to Kino’s question. Kino wore her hat, went across Hermes and started the engine.

With the building behind them, Kino rode Hermes slowly. When they were out of earshot, they began to talk.

“That was something. Kino, which one do you think is true?”

“You can tell, right? Hermes,”

“Yeah. But, somehow, it’s a forward-looking country, don’t you think? Forward-looking is a good thing”

“That makes sense, maybe.” Kino agreed to Hermes’ words, laughing lightly. And then,

“But, what will you do if Master came back?” Hermes said nonchalantly.

Kino suddenly looked back while riding. She looked at the road they just came through. There was the form of the big building with the clock tower.

“It’s alright. There’s nobody,” said Hermes.

“Then let’s run forward.”