Kino no Tabi:Volume3 Chapter3

Chapter 3 "Land of Identical Faces" -HACCP-

The plateaus were like a cluster of low tables.

In a continent of brown earth and stone were the summits of many low hills. In between the hills, it was perfectly level, and was the result of rain carving out the land. In addition to that, weathering was flattening out the bottoms of the valleys. In the valleys and hills, not a single blade of grass grew.

The sky was blue, and seemed transparent. In the higher areas, thin lines of clouds flowed.

There was a single path. It was a small white line that could barely be seen, and it flattened out as it rose through the hills, and flattened out as it sank into the valleys. The path stretched on forever like this.

Kicking up dry dust, a single motorad (note - two wheeled vehicle, simply denotes that it cannot fly) ran.

The motorad was fully loaded with travel luggage. There was a box attached to both sides of the back wheel, and there was a large suitcase and a sleeping bag fastened to the top. To the side hung a small silver cup, dancing.

The rider was wearing a brown coat, and the long cuffs were wrapped around her sides. She was wearing a hat with flaps that covered her ears, along with goggles. She had a bandana around her face to protect her from the dust.

As the motorad climbed the slopes of the hills, it ran atop natural tables. And when it came near a downward slope, the rider would suddenly slow the motorad down. She would lock the back wheels and let it glide. The dust would wrap around them, then immediately dispel.

"Can you see it, Hermes?" said the rider, pulling her bandana down. Her face was young. She was in her teens.

The motorad called Hermes responded.

"Yeah, I can see it. It's pretty amazing."

"Yeah."

The rider nodded.

They were looking down on a wide valley, incomparable to the others. The hill on the other side could barely be seen at all. And in the center of that valley, was a country.

There was a large, circular border wall built around it. In the center was a large cluster of buildings, and streets could be seen lined up within them. A vivid, green forest surrounded the country. Several green lakes filled to the brim with water could be seen as speckles spread across the forest.

A brown wilderness and a green forest. Outside of this circle was a completely different world.

"Kino, what is that water?" Hermes asked. The rider called Kino responded.

"Probably underground waterways. The river that formed this valley is still flowing in a place deep underground."

"Ooh, I see. Let's hurry and visit the place! If the country is as interesting as its surroundings, then I'm interested in seeing it," Hermes said happily.

"Me too." Kino put her bandana back on.

She pushed Hermes forward, and they descended into the valley in high spirits.

Someone was peering at Kino and Hermes from far, far away through a pair of high quality binoculars. Digging a hole in the dirt, they hid themselves under a cloth that was the same color as the ground.

The person clicked their tongue.

"This is bad... they're going to enter that country."

Someone next to that person asked, "It's a traveler, right? Do you think they're not aware of the horrors that await them in that country?"

The first person stiffened their small voice, and spoke as if they were spitting.

"Who on earth would enter if they knew...?"

The person continued.

"Sergeant. Get in touch with headquarters. Tell them we're in a state of emergency."

In this country, the gate wasn't in the same place as the border wall. Kino went around the circumference of the wall to the other side.

In front of the gate was a small gatehouse with one young male and one young female attendant, along with an immigration examiner.

Kino declared to the examiner that she was entering the country for a three-day period for the purpose of sightseeing and recreation. The examiner said that she could do this on one condition.

"Before entering the country, you will have to undergo a blood inspection, Miss Kino. This is in order to ensure that you do not bring in any dangerous diseases. The inspection will take a little bit of your time. Do you accept this?"

Kino asked what she would specifically have to do.

"We'll take a sample of blood from your arm with a needle," the examiner replied.

"..."

Seeing from her silence that she was conflicted, Hermes spoke up.

"What's wrong Kino? ... Don't tell me you're afraid of needles, hm?"

"It's nothing like that at all!" came the immediate response. She politely let the examiner lead her, and then disappeared into the interior of the gatehouse.

After a while, Kino came out with a tired face.

"No matter how many times I do this, I can't stand it..." she sighed in a small voice to herself.

The sun was slowly, but steadily setting.

"Sorry for the wait. I think I'll be getting a call soon," said the examiner to Kino, who was absent-mindedly sitting on Hermes.

After a long wait, when the sun had completely set, the examiner came out of the gatehouse.

"The results of the inspection have come in. It's okay for you to enter. Thank you for waiting."

Kino knocked the sleeping Hermes and woke him up. The examiner saluted, and opened up the border gate for Hermes to pass through.

When they entered the country, they were greeted with a forest spreading out before them in the light shadow of the wall. A large car had stopped in front of them, and there were several people waiting for Kino and Hermes. There was one man and one woman, along with two younger women.

"Welcome, Miss traveler. We have been waiting for you. Since it's quite late already, we will lead you to the hotel by car."

After being told such, Kino voiced her thanks, and in doing so looked at his face. She was startled.

It was the examiner who had been at the gate before.

"No... It can't be..."

Kino sighed under her breath. No matter how she looked at him, it was evident that this man was beyond fifty years old. It was a different person.

Kino made a small concession to the man and turned to the woman nearby. She was speechless.

It was a middle-aged woman who had the exact same face as the female examiner, but her age was obviously greater. However, the two people behind them were, aside from the clothes, exactly the same as the female examiner. Standing there were two of the same person.

"We operate the hotel," the middle aged woman said with a smile. "The two girls there are my daughters."

"Thank you... very much..." Kino said, wholly confused.

They took Kino and Hermes into their car and drove off to the hotel.

On the way, the middle-aged woman spoke.

"Sorry for the long wait you had to endure. The immigration rules in this country are much stricter than those of other countries. Despite that, please enjoy your stay."

She said something like that, Kino thought. She gave a half-hearted reply back.

After arriving at the hotel, they led Kino and Hermes into the lobby. It was a splendidly pretty hotel, but there were no other guests to be seen. At the front desk was a single young man in a business suit, with the exact same face as the examiner. Only his hairstyle and way of speaking were different.

Two bellboy-looking youths carefully removed Kino's luggage from Hermes and carried it off. They both had the same face as the examiner and the man at the front desk.

"..."

The wordless Kino and Hermes were led into a large room. Kino asked the bellboy who led her into the room how much it would cost her to stay.

"For guests from the outside, it's completely free. Please, take it easy. If there's anything you need, please call us with the signal bell."

He thanked her courteously and left.

After the door closed, Kino spent a while thinking, and then stood up.

"Hey, Hermes."

"Hm?"

Kino made sure that no one else was in the room, and then asked,

"Haven't you noticed anything strange about everyone we've met today? The examiner, the man at the front desk, the bellboy, and then the owner and his family? They're all the same. And the women, too. At first I thought there were three of them, but then..."

"Maybe, but aren't you thinking about it too much?"

"But..."

"Everyone in this country probably has the same face. Maybe you didn't see when we were outside, but all the people walking, man or woman, had the same face," Hermes said nonchalantly. Kino stopped her hand as she was taking off her coat.

"But... how?" Kino asked, seeming doubtful.

"Um... hm..."

Hermes thought for a moment.

"Maybe they're all made in a factory on an assembly line? If that's the case, then it's not really strange, is it?" he said in an ordinary tone of voice.

"..."

Kino had a blank expression as she folded her coat.

"What? Why are you making that face?"

"Today tired me out, so I'm going to sleep now. Maybe we can see tomorrow if it wouldn't be too rude to ask them about it."

"Al-right!"

Kino took off her jacket and removed her belt. At the same time, she removed the holsters of her hand persuaders (note - a persuader is a gun, in this case, a revolver).

Kino took a shower, and then laid herself down on the bed, falling asleep the instant she did so.

The morning of the next day, Kino woke up with the dawn. The weather was good.

She practiced with her persuaders for a while, and then performed maintenance on them. She then did some light exercise.

When the sun fully rose, she could see the well-arranged city street and the tidy green trees from the window.

In her room, Kino ate her breakfast. Just as before, the bellboy, the man at the front desk, and the chef who prepared her meal in front of her all had the exact same face.

After breakfast, Kino woke Hermes up, put on her jacket, and went downstairs to the lobby.

Outside of the hotel, there were about twenty people. From behind the glass, they all observed the travelers, Kino and Hermes. Their ages were different, but every man and woman had the same face.

"Aren't you surprised?" Hermes asked.

Kino nodded her head slightly.

"Yeah... I've already gotten used to it."

"Move out of the way."

The hotel owner was leading a man who looked to be in about his late thirties. He had the same face as everyone else.

"Good morning Kino, Hermes! I'm from the town hall. I have been charged with being your sightseeing tour guide around this country. Is that all right with you? I can answer any question you have about this country."

"Thank you very much. I think I'll take you up on your offer... I have one question I want to ask right away, but..."

"Yes, in fact... I am fairly certain I know what the question is already. 'Why does everyone here have the same face? Right?" said the guide.

Kino nodded. The guide also nodded.

"I will explain everything. At the same time, there is also a place I would like to show you. Come with me into the car, if you will."

Followed by several identical smiles, Kino and Hermes got into the car.

They immediately arrived at a large, white building with no windows.

When they entered, they were led into a classy-looking reception office. Kino sat in a chair, and Hermes stood on his kickstand beside her.

"Welcome to our country. With that, I will proceed to answer your question from earlier."

The guide put up an air of importance around him.

"All of us are clones," the guide said.

"Huh? What's a 'clone?'" Kino asked.

"Speaking from definition, clones are 'life forms with the exact same structural information'"

"'Structural information?'"

"Yes. In each and every living thing, there is 'structural information,' that is to say, a 'blueprint' of sorts. This blueprint is very, very small, but in accordance with the different kinds of blueprints, there are many species of living things. But even within an individual species, the form and shape are subtly different. In the case of humans, facial structure, skin color, hair color, eye color, they can all be different. The differences in the 'information' are brought about in these differences in the individual human. Do you understand up to this point?"

"Y-yes..." Kino said with a meek expression.

"Well, living things with no difference in their 'structural information' are called clones. For example, if you break off a branch of a tree and plant it in the ground, a tree will grow in that spot, right? If you do this with another one, since the one from before will have become two, the 'structural information' will be completely the same. That is also a clone. Do you follow so far?"

Kino nodded.

"I understand. Like cutting and planting, right?"

"That's right. A clone, by nature, is a 'small branch.'"

The guide continued.

"And that is exactly what we are doing, but with humans. The men, the women, each and every one of them came from the foundational model of a single person. They are all clones. In layman's terms, you could call them 'copy humans.' I think that at this point, you understand why we all have the same face."

"Yeah, I totally understand. Rather, you make it seem so logical; any other way would seem strange," Hermes said.

Kino glanced at Hermes. She then turned to the guide.

"But... all of this... how?"

"You are asking how it is that we produce these clones?"

"Y-yes."

"Originally, a boy or girl would develop to a certain degree individually, and then they would finally come out of a woman's uterus as a baby. But with this method, the child's 'structural information' is a mixture of two other peoples', so a boy would not be exactly like the father, and a girl would not be exactly like the mother. That is why we use a different method."

"That is to say, that... a 'stamen' and a 'pistil' and those sorts of things aren't needed at all for this method of yours?" Kino asked.

The guide gave a faint smile.

"That is correct. Incidentally, there is no 'stork' involved either."

Kino lowered her eyes and lightly bit her lower lip.

"Um... that specific method, can you explain it to me in a way that I can understand, please?"

Kino leaned forward.

"Of course. That is the reason I invited you here. This facility was made for the purpose of carrying out that method. However, before I take you inside, let me give you a simple background of this country's history."

"Long ago, a man and woman arrived here after struggling long, to this land where no one lived, and not even grass grew. Those two people are the originals of every citizen of this country.

"The two had been born and raised in another country far, far away. There, they had researched biology and medicine, however, the research they proposed, that is to say, the cloning of humans, was rejected by others. Finally, they received orders to halt their research.

"The two decided to leave the country. They loaded all of the apparatuses they had developed onto a gigantic truck, and left on a journey to seek a new world where no one would get in their way.

"Then, the two dug up underground waterways here. With their water troubles dispelled, they planted vegetables and began to raise grain and livestock.

"At the same time, in order to test the fruits of their research, they created clones of themselves. Several babies were safely born, and the two raised them as their own children.

"Finally, with an increase in crop production and a stable population, that is to say, more mouths to feed, this country was officially born. For hundreds of years since then, we have continued our sound way of living."

"With that, let us go."

Kino and Hermes followed the guide through a passageway.

They passed by several people in lab coats who all, of course, had the same face. They went through several rigorous checkpoints, and finally arrived in front of a single door.

"Here we are," said the guide. "Welcome to the cabbage patch!"

He opened the door.

There was a long passageway behind it. On one side of the passageway, the wall was made entirely of glass.

Kino held onto Hermes and slowly stepped inside.

On the other side of the glass was an area that stretched far from the passageway. On the other side, several black glass tubes that looked like thick pillars were spaced evenly apart from one another.

"Those glass tubes are our 'wombs.' Look at number fourteen, if you will."

As the guide said this, he pushed a switch.

The blackness in the tube began to fade. A shape began to appear in the center of the liquid-filled glass tube. It was small, with a large head wrapped by its arms, legs, and back. There was a tube that extended upward attached to its belly button.

"A baby, before it's born..." Kino muttered.

"Amaaazing..." said Hermes.

"Correct. That is a fetus. It has been about thirty-five weeks since this child was conceived. It has been flailing about often, so I am going to bring it out."

The tube was once more immersed in color, and soon became as black as it had been before.

"The fetuses are all raised as such. After one is fully grown, it is removed from this facility. In other words, it is 'born.' After that, things are just like in any other country. Now what should I do about what you asked specifically earlier...

"There are several ways, but I have one thing in particular in mind. I will need two things. The first is the 'structural information' of a man and a woman. It does not matter from which two bodies. Once that information is taken, it will not result in the creation of anything but the part it is taken from, so if it is taken from a hand, then a hand is what we will get. The same goes for a foot; structural information from there will form a foot. This is a rather shoddy way of doing things, but if we gather information from all parts of the body, we will eventually be able to produce an entire body. The second thing that I need is an unfertilized egg cell. We will collect this from a woman, and put it in cold storage. Do you understand me up to this point?"

"Somehow... I think I get it."

"Yeah, I got it."

After confirming Kino and Hermes' understanding, the guide continued his explanation.

"Next, using a terribly precise operation, we will shift all at once that "structural information" as it is. Doing so, this egg cell's "structural information" will be held like that and become a fertilized egg. Then, this fertilized egg will be grown in a "womb" for two hundred sixty-five days. Are you starting to understand what is going on?"

"I see... I think I'm starting to see the general picture."

"Hey, it's just like I said, Kino. This place is a factory, right?"

"Ahaha!" the guide laughed.

"It is indeed just as Mr. Hermes says! Instead of domestic production as was done long ago, we do it in a large factory with a perfect quality control system. Thanks to this, things like "stillbirth," "miscarriage," and "infertility," are now dead words in our country. Almost no one is aware of them."

Kino asked the guide a question.

"Doesn't anyone wish to have children the normal... old way? I know I'm uninformed, but after you substitute the "information," is it possible to naturally return the egg cell to a woman's body...?"

The guide looked a bit taken aback.

"Your question does not sound the least bit uninformed. What you just said now, Ms. Kino, is unmistakably possible. Actually, we use this method to increase the numbers of our livestock. After all, it does not take any labor. However... there is practically no one among us who will do it that way. There is no record of anyone ever having done so. There is also the matter of the nine months' gestation period, and no one can even think of going through so much trouble. We have become unable to do work. To make matters worse, there is also the possibility of the pregnancy complications I mentioned earlier. Now that we boil our water electronically and automatically, there is no one who will chop wood."

"I see..." said Kino.

"Pretty convincing," said Hermes.

Becoming slightly garrulous, the guide continued.

"Ah, but there could be a solution. You see; the notion of "stamen and pistil, and so on" still exists. In this country there is a method of relaxation, basically an activity done with two people, a sport. It is something not far removed from tennis. Ms. Kino, so long as you are staying here, would you like to try it?"

"... Ah, no, I'm sorry," said Kino.

On the path, a group of future wives entered. Of course, the men and the guide had the same faces as one another, just as the women did. However, the women were slightly plump. Seeing the guide, one of the women spoke up.

"Oh? It's rare that we meet here. Are you on break from your town hall duties? You couldn't possibly be skipping out on your work or anything, could you?"

"How terrible! I am working. I am doing guide work; it has been a while since I last had to show a visitor around. Everyone, this is Ms. Kino, and this is Mr. Hermes."

Kino and Hermes greeted the group.

"Oh, you're the travelers! I heard about your arrival yesterday. Welcome!"

Saying this, the woman beckoned Kino and the others over with her hand.

"Hey, my daughter is this way. We're all going to go see her. She's this way, in tube twenty-five!"

Everyone began to walk ahead, until they arrived at tube twenty-five.

Inside the tube, there was nothing.

The woman pulled out a pair of binoculars, and looked inside of the glass tube. She grinned, and then handed the binoculars to Kino.

Kino peered through them. In the center, a tiny, tiny something was barely visible.

"Can you see her? You can see her, right?"

"Y-yeah..." Kino managed to say.

"Isn't she cute? She's so adorable, isn't she?" The woman began to shower Kino with questions.

"... Yeah..."

She was spellbound.

"Even though it's only been six weeks, she's already starting to look as cute as me!"

"..."

The guide helped Kino, who had no idea what to say, out of the situation.

"W-well, how about I show you around the educational facility?"

The guide led Kino and Hermes out of the "cabbage patch" and took them down an ordinary-looking hallway.

"What exactly is the educational facility?" Kino asked.

"It is just as the name would indicate. It is a place where licensed individuals teach various things. First, I will explain who these licensed individuals are."

The guide explained as he walked.

"In this country, people over sixteen years of age who desire to have children must undergo an examination. Married or not, the questions are based around confirming the ability of the individuals to raise their child properly. There are several primary factors for this. The person's bodily and mental state, their economic status, their job or educational status, their experience with raising children, whether or not they have people in their neighborhood that can help them, for instance family, are all tested. Their documents are inspected, they go through an interview, notes are taken on them, then they practice, among other things, and finally, an examination in an isolated facility lasting ten days is performed. In order to see if the person has tendencies toward violence, they are put in a simulated state where they are unable to do as they please, and then pushed to the limit psychologically. We judge their ability to cope, and unless they score ninety-eight points or more on this test, they are not qualified to receive a child."

"Pretty strict, isn't it?" said Hermes.

"Yes, it is indeed very strict. No matter how many times I see it happen, I still think it is strict, but..."

"But?" Kino asked.

The guide looked forward and said in a resolute manner,

"If people who desire a child are not able to pass such strict tests, then they could not possibly be ready for something like parenthood. If someone is not willing to bestow kind, calm, and unrestricted affection upon their child, then they are not fit to be parents. Having a child is not like buying a pet turtle or iguana. You are bringing a single human into the world, and you have almost complete control over their life. As a human, is there a greater responsibility than that? No, absolutely not!" the guide recited passionately, his hands curling into fists.

"People who do not play with their children, people who have children so that they can show them off to others, people who make their children into personal slaves and force them to do the impossible, people who selfishly turn their children into their heirs, locking them up and taking away their freedom to do what they want in life, people who use their children for stress relief or "recreation" when they are dead drunk--these kinds parents have to be "born" first, and if you look at our history, not one child has been raised in an unhealthy way, not even excluding certain isolation orders received from town hall. In order to prevent this country from sinking into ruin, having people who want to become parents take this difficult test is a top priority. This institution does not only produce children, but also parents."

"I see... In one country I went to, I remember one child told me, 'I want to see the faces of my parents...'" Kino said.

"'I want to see the faces of my parents...' They are fine words indeed... Remember them. Incidentally, in this country, if a parent murders their child, they are given a death sentence without question. If a child murders a parent, however, it is not considered a crime no matter what the age of the child or their reason for doing it. It is only natural, since, after all, a child is raised by its parents. If the child you raised would strike, kick, or even kill you, then you have no right to complain. It is entirely the fault of the parents who raised the child. You just have to accept it."

"..."

"..."

Then, the guide pulled up several chairs, and stopped at the end of the hallway.

"Excuse me, we have passed through the door."

The guide said.

"... And then, people who have passed the inspection, that is to say, people with the necessary qualifications, are waiting for 'parental education.' This is the first situation I mentioned earlier. It takes about two-hundred fifty days, or rather, the same amount of time it takes for a fetus to fully grow."

Passing through a door, Kino, Hermes, and the guide went along a different path. The floor here was made of glass, and underneath, there was an area that looked similar to a classroom.

"Please, take a look."

In the room that the guide pointed out, there were ten or so people practicing infant bathing with dolls. In a neighboring classroom, a study session with people using notes and textbooks could be heard. Next to that room, a class on making baby food was being held. The male to female ratio was exactly one to one. Everyone was frantic.

"Yes, you see, everyone masters the techniques required for raising a child. There is also a final examination, and until you pass, you cannot embrace your child. Because everyone is so desperate, none of them fail the exam."

"I see."

Kino sighed as she looked below.

"And then, after waiting and waiting, the day of 'birth' finally arrives. It is the first time they can hold their child with their own hands. It is truly a moving experience, to take a small life made entirely from your own 'information' into your hands. This country's men are men, its women are women, and even though everyone understands that everyone is the same, having a child that is just the same as you is of exceptional importance. And in the case of married people like me, I have a daughter that is just like the wife I love in every way."

As the guide spoke, he narrowed his eyes.

"Unfortunately, there are no births scheduled for either today or tomorrow. I cannot show you the deep emotion of that moment of birth. That is my one regret."

Ending their viewing of the classrooms, Kino, Hermes, and the guide returned to the reception room.

The guide gave Kino one final piece of information.

"In our country, there is one immense weak point."

He made a grave face as he said this.

"Weak point?" Kino asked.

"Yes, and that is disease. The thorough blood inspection that you had to go through before entering the country could not be overlooked even the tiniest bit, so that it was certain you were not bringing any foreign diseases into the country. Even if it might be something common suffered by people born in your country of birth, it may be lethal to all of us, being clones. Do you understand what I mean?"

The guide quizzed Kino, and as she came to realize what he was trying to say, she replied.

"... That is to say, because everyone here is exactly the same, if a disease affects one person, there is a danger that it will affect everyone else as well. With just a single disease, the entire population could be obliterated."

"It's similar to how motorads made in the same place, on the same assembly line, in the same factory, will all break down the same way, right?" Hermes said. The guide nodded satisfactorily.

"That's exactly how it is."

"What do you have as precautions now? Have there been any crises in the past?" Kino asked. The guide shook his head.

"Up until now, no such event has occurred. Because we completely inspect everyone who steps in this land for possible illness, our children have remained. We do not intend to cut off this land from the outside. That is why we have created the checking process, to welcome in any travelers. In addition, since we do it so thoroughly, there has not been any incident up to this point. The future is always uncertain, though."

"..."

"Oh come now, this world is never completely safe," the guide said in a bright voice to Kino, who had a serious expression on. "But..."

"But?" Kino asked.

"If you have the will to survive, it is not that easy to perish," the guide said to her with a smile.

"With that, the tour is complete. How was it?"

"It was very interesting. I'm beyond satisfied," Hermes said.

"That makes me very happy. How about you, Miss Kino?"

"... Out of all of the countries I've visited until now, this one has surprised me the most... I think it was a great idea to come here," Kino said, making several small nods.

"Thank you very much. When you say that, it makes me glad to be a tour guide," the guide said happily, looking relieved.

He then asked a question.

"Miss Kino, I will be returning home now to take my daily lunch, would you like to come with me? If you were desire the homemade cooking of this country, it would be far more delicious than any restaurant you will find here. I suppose it would be a misuse of my authority to mix public and private life, but how about it?"

Kino came down from the car while pushing along Hermes. At the same time, four girls, all with the same faces and wearing the same clothes, and three boys, all with the same faces and wearing the same clothes, surrounded her.

They were the children of the guide, waiting at the gate of their home lined up with the side of the street.

The children looked at Kino and Hermes, and all began speaking at once to the point that Kino couldn't understand what any of them were saying.

"Oh, thank you for the reception everyone. This here is Miss Kino, a traveler. This is her partner, the motorad Mister Hermes," the guide said.

"Hello everyone."

"Hello--!"

And then, pulling along the children who had begun to speak without regard to each other again, they all entered the property. The guide's wife, who had the same face as all the other women, came out to meet them in her apron.

Kino was guided through their spacious garden. There, there was a pretty lawn and plants that looked like a lot of care had gone into them, as well as a large table. On the table, dishes were arranged.

The guide went to introduce his children, as he had gone through many times since they had been born. The children all lined up in a row.

"So, starting from the right... My oldest daughter, Hen, twelve years old, the next oldest daughter, Duo, eleven years old, the oldest boy, Tria, ten years old."

As the children were called, the girls grabbed the hems of their skirts and curtsied, while the boys placed their hand over their chest and bowed.

"I have two third-oldest daughters, Tettara and Fresia. They are both nine years old. They were born on the exact same day."

The two, who looked every inch exactly the same as the other, bowed at exactly the same time.

"My next oldest son is Hex, eight years old, then my third oldest son, Hepta, seven years old. They are all my precious family... Oh yes, and then my wife."

"Oh, I am honored that you remember me," his wife joked.

All of the food served at lunch could more or less be called delicious. The guide told Kino that the animals and vegetables were created through cloning techniques, so the country never had troubles with food.

After they had finished dessert, the children all played in the garden. The guide's wife asked the guide if his work at town hall was finished, but he had already dozed off on the grass.

"My work for today is to be with the traveler. The boss would not care if he found out."

"This is a misuse of your authority, mixing public and private life, you know," his wife said in an exasperated tone.

Kino and the wife met eyes. Kino gave a wry smile.

Hermes, surrounded by the kids, had been made out by them as a toy.

After looking at the children for a while, Kino spoke to the guide, who was lying down.

"Sorry if I get any wrong... the one farthest to the left is Hen. Next is Tria, then Hepta, then Hex. The one touching Hermes' light is Tettara, and the one behind her is Fresia. The one sitting in the chair drinking tea by herself is Duo."

"..."

The guide jumped to his feet, tossing a glance at the children.

"... Correct. How did you know?"

He looked at Kino with a surprised expression.

"Since I couldn't tell them apart, I watched them while they ate. I was a bit surprised. The way they eat; they're all a little different, aren't they? Then, I went by their expressions from their personalities," Kino said. The guide remained speechless for a short time.

"... You are correct, but in such a short time... No, Miss Kino, you have excellent observational skills. Well done!"

Kino was slightly embarrassed.

"Incidentally, which ones were the hardest to discern?" the guide asked.

"The oldest boy, Tria, and the third oldest boy, Hepta. They are about the same height, and their expressions and actions resemble one another. They're both very obedient, aren't they?"

"You are quite sharp. Amongst my boys, Hex is the most showy... Who could you tell apart immediately?"

Kino looked at the two girls standing in front of Hermes.

"Tettara and Fresia, despite looking exactly the same, were unexpectedly easy to tell apart. Fresia is always standing behind Tettara."

The guide told Kino she was absolutely right, and then his face became slightly grim.

"About Fresia, she was actually not supposed to become our daughter..."

Kino turned her face to the guide.

"In this country, you cannot request two children at once. At the most, you can only have one child per year. As for Fresia... the young woman who was supposed to become her mother is said to have died in an accident two days later. On the same day our Tettara was 'born,' we received her by a special exception. 'Fresia' was the name of that woman."

"Is that so..."

"Of course, since she has the same 'information' as my wife and daughters, there have been no problems. Everyone in the family knows Fresia. Just..."

"Just?"

"That young woman--Fresia--what happened to her is certainly regrettable. I think of what happened every time I say her name. Because of that, I feel I have to make Fresia happy for her sake, and I am always thinking of what on earth I could do in order to achieve that."

"..."

The guide looked at the two children for a while. As he did, Fresia came over to him and invited him, telling him she wanted to always play together with her father. The guide looked at his daughter with a slightly troubled face.

Kino suddenly stood up.

"Well then, I think I'd like to go around the country on my own for a while. So, just the tour for today was enough. It helped me out a lot. Thank you very much. If I meet your boss, I'll tell him that you guided me for the whole day."

The guide looked up at Kino in surprise.

"He wouldn't care if he found out, right?" Kino said with a smile.

The next day was the third morning since Kino had entered the country.

The weather was good as usual. When Kino asked, she was told that it had been like this for a whole year.

Kino replenished Hermes' fuel, and after securing some food and water for herself, finished her departure preparations before noon.

In front of the hotel, the guide and the rest of his family were waiting for her, and she gave a goodbye to each of them. She thanked the guide especially for what he had done yesterday.

The guide had his wife drive the children home. Then he turned to Kino and Hermes.

"I have something very important to tell you. Please listen well," the guide said with a serious expression more stern than anything he had put on up to this point.

From inside the gate, the guide, the hotel owners, and anyone else around who seemed to have free time gathered for the final sendoff of the traveler. All the men had the same faces, and all the women had the same faces.

"Miss Kino. Mister Hermes. Thank you so much for spending time in our country. If you ever happen to be near, please visit without any hesitation. At that time, my children will probably welcome you."

"Thank you very much."

"Thanks, stay well everyone."

Watching Kino's back as she passed through the gate, the guide took a deep breath.

"With this, I'm also done with my guide work... I wonder if even fewer travelers will come."

The hotel owner, upon hearing this, said to the guide in a somewhat surprised tone,

"Don't say things like that, and quickly head back to the town hall. Don't you have a lot of work to do?"

"That is right. Things will be tough from her on. You took half the day off yesterday, correct? Don't always loaf around! Well then, let's all get back to work."

The former guide who was unforgivingly scolded by his senior gave a powerless sigh.

"Alright..."

"Yep, that was interesting. Truly interesting."

"Uh-huh."

Kino and Hermes chatted with one another while going across the badland path, the gate behind them.

"We should go back to that country again sometime."

"Oh? It's really rare for you to say something like that, Kino."

The motorad puffed up a loud cloud of dust.

Someone was peering at Kino and Hermes through binoculars from a good distance away. He wore a cloth the same color as the dirt of the hole he was in.

"Alright! They're confirmed to be safe!" he said happily.

"So they were lucky? They got out without knowing the true horrors of that country?" someone else beside him asked.

"That's not important. Our job is to make sure there are no more casualties," the first person said in a slightly lively voice. "Sergeant, contact headquarters. I'm going to safeguard the traveler."

The motorad ran along through the valley with the country, finally climbing the hill before it, and reached the flat summit. On the plateau were three humans. Kino suddenly hit the brake and stopped.

The three men wore clothes the same color as the dirt, and they had paint on their faces. Their clothes were so similar to the color of the ground that if they had been lying on the road, Kino would have mistakenly run over them.

The faces of all three were different. One of them opened an empty hand, and slowly approached Kino.

"Traveler, I am sorry to trouble you, but might you be able to come this way for a bit?"

"How come?" Kino asked. The man took another step closer, and gave a bow.

"I am a soldier from a country far to the south from here. My country is currently performing a military operation. It is very dangerous to be here right now. Once things have cleared up, wait a while and things will be safe again."

"If I refuse, would you force me to come with you?"

The soldier nodded to Kino's question.

"That is correct. We have been ordered to defend your safety."

"I understand. I'll do as you say."

As Kino said this, one of the soldiers crouched on the ground, and lifted up a cloth. There was a hole, in which was hidden a small buggy.

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