Kino no Tabi:Volume9 Chapter6

“Land of Nature Conservation” —Let It Be!—

A lone car ran in the middle of a wilderness.

This barren land of yellow-brown mountains, sands and stones extended as far as the eye could see. Only the unforgiving glare of the sun could be seen up at the clear blue sky that was completely devoid of clouds.

The solitary thing that made its way through this place while raising a long cloud of dust was a small, filthy, yellow car that looked like it was going to break down at any moment. While its exhaust pipe sputtered black smoke from time to time, it proceeded through the road—if you can call it one—that consisted of small stones mixed with an unknown type of soil. The cracked side mirror looked like it was going to fall off from the car’s jolts.

“Is there really a country at the end of this road? Maybe we were fooled by that traveler, Master?” Asked a rather short but handsome young man on the right-hand driver’s seat. He gripped the narrow steering wheel with both hands, slightly turning it left and right to run the car in a perfectly straight line.

“There is.” The one who returned this curt answer was a young woman with long, black hair who was seated in the passenger’s seat.

Both of them wore pants and white-collared shirts made of light material. Their collars and sleeves were open.

The woman had a pair of sunglasses on, while the man sported a rather tribal look with the cloth tied on his forehead with a string.

“You seem pretty certain about this…but I’d like to know where that confidence is coming from.”

The woman called Master answered the man’s question with extreme confidence,

“Nowhere.”

—

“But it sure is hot here…Master.”

“You don’t have to point it out,” the woman reproved the man behind the wheels.

As the tiny car rattled on, its form seemed to melt together with the heat’s haze. The sun mercilessly blazed down on the car’s hood, and even the wind blowing in through the window provided no relief.

The man wiped the sweat on his cheeks with the cloth hanging from his head. Meanwhile the sky was reflected on the sunglasses of the woman who remained silent, a serene expression lingering on her face.

“I don’t see a thing… Are we really going to arrive by the end of the day?”

“If not, then we’ll arrive tomorrow. And even if it takes until the day after tomorrow, it’s fine. We should have enough fuel.”

“Well, that’s true…”

The man took a glimpse at the back seat. There were big cans of gasoline lined up haphazardly among their usual travel luggage.

—

Some hours passed, and soon evening was looming over the wasteland. The sun was almost kissing the western horizon, but it was still hot. Just as before, there was nothing in sight except for sand, stones and bare mountains. The car ran earnestly, a long shadow stretching out on its side.

“Master…let’s take a break,” the driver said, his face beginning to show exhaustion.

“Not yet. Let’s go on until the sun has completely set,” the woman answered.

“And I thought we were not in a hurry…”

“If that traveler was telling the truth…it won’t take too much time now.”

The man turned to the woman in the passenger’s seat. “That’s right…but only if he told us the truth.”

And then the woman returned his gaze, taking off her sunglasses and showing him a rarely-seen smile.

“…W-what?” The man answered, his heart skipping a beat.

“For now, it’s the truth.”

The woman then quickly shifted back her attention to the front of the car. The man followed her gaze.

“Wow…” An awed voice escaped the man’s lips. “There really is one…”

Something green appeared on the view before them. The green lump was slowly emerging underneath the horizon. Upon a closer look, it could be recognized as tree leaves and branches.

However, it was a single tree. The fact that it could be discerned as such from this distance only meant that it was an enormous tree. Both its height and girth were big, and its branches spread like an umbrella.

“‘A tree so big, you wouldn’t believe it unless you see it with your own eyes,’ huh? I’m sorry for not believing you, traveler.” As the man apologized to a person who was not there,

“Now, let’s hurry.”

“Roger!” The man answered the woman’s words with a step on the gas. The engine throbbed and the rear wheels kicked off the ground.

Yet the car did not gain any considerable speed.

—

The two arrived at the edge of a lake just when the whole expanse of the sky was stained with a madder red hue. The car stopped near the top of a cliff.

From there, they could see the tree in its entirety. To them, it appeared like a gigantic green umbrella.

The tree was located at the heart of a flat island surrounded by walls of stacked stones. A city was visible within it. As the island itself was vast, the eyes might be tricked to perceive the tree to be of a normal size. However, upon seeing the size of the bricks that made up the high walls, one would realize that the tree was indeed of extraordinary proportions.

The lake surrounding the island was like a sea, so wide and boundless that the opposite bank of the lake could not be seen at all. Continuing beyond the curved edges of the horizon, its calm surface reflected the color of the sky and glittered from the light of the sun.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”

“It sure is a magnificent view.”

The two alighted from the car and upon gazing at the scene, became mesmerized for a while.

After some time, the man switched the lights of the car on and off. Soon a small boat came out from the island and headed to their direction.

The two returned to the car and drove until they arrived at a steep slope at the edge of the lake. Over there was a wharf made of quarried stones.

What greeted them there was a small fishing boat carrying around ten people. It must have served its purpose for quite a long time, judging from the patches that covered its body. Two men who seemed to have just gone from fishing came out of the boat.

After an exchange of greetings, the woman requested entry to go sightseeing in their country, mentioning that their visit was because of the rumors about the gigantic tree.

“That’s wonderful! Please, come and see it,” the men readily agreed.

Since it was not possible to bring the car aboard the boat, it was decided that the two should carry their luggage with them. The car was left in a place that almost no one ever visits, but just to be on the safe side, the man set a trap in it; one that makes bullets fly out from every single corner when someone tries to steal it.

The two became passengers of the boat, and were finally able to cross the lake and land on the island. The sun has already set and the stars were already twinkling on the sky when they passed through the gates.

However, it was pitch black; they could barely see anything.

“Since it’s like this, let’s just set aside everything for tomorrow.”

“That’s a good idea. I’m also quite tired.”

The two stayed at a hotel near the gates, and immediately went to sleep.

—

The next day.

Amidst the dazzling sunlight, the giant tree could be seen well from the windows of the hotel.

In reality, the tree was an hour’s walk away, but it was so big, it’s as if you could reach its branches just by stretching out your hands through the open windows.

“Amazing. There’s no place in this country where that tree is not visible.”

After breakfast, the two spent the morning walking around and sightseeing along with a guide.

The interior of the country shared the same color as the wilderness. The houses and the streets were all built from quarried stones.

Not a shadow of a car could be seen in the narrow road. There were only carriages pulled by burly horses with dusty feet. The country’s interior was covered with fields and animal barns.

“As you can see, our country was built on this island. According to legend, our ancestors who wandered through the wilderness found this lake, island, and tree, and decided to settle here. There was water, protection from the outside, and the gigantic limbs of the tree could block the intense sunlight. It was a wonderful place. I could only imagine their surprise when they first saw it. —By the way, that tree has no name. We simply call it the ‘tree’.”

“Eh? Why is that?” the man asked, surprised.

“That’s because there’s no other tree growing here, right?” the woman walking beside him answered.

“That’s correct,” the guide agreed.

“I see!” The man, visibly impressed, struck his palm with his fist.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed; only short grasses can grow in this arid wasteland. And they take a long time to grow too. It’s really incredible for a tree of that size to flourish in a place like this. It’s a miracle. We can’t even estimate the age of that tree.”

The guide explained as he walked. His tone was gradually getting feverish.

“Because of that, this tree has become the symbol of our country. It is in everyone’s hearts—in everyone’s souls! We have looked up to this tree from the moment of our birth, and we will do so at our death. We hold dear the shadow made by the sole tree that nature has blessed us with in this scorching land.”

“Oh” or “I see” were the only interjections the two made as they walked behind the guide.

“Nature! Bountiful nature and humans! About a hundred years ago, we made the ‘Nature Conservation Law’ to protect this tree at all costs. Protecting it will protect us! The power rooted in the earth fills our daily lives! Our one and only connection! It has been decided by the heavens! It is only natural to feel this way whenever we see the tree!”

The heated speech of the guide now didn’t make any sense to the two travelers.

“Is that so?” or “Amazing” were the only words the man and the woman could say as they continued to follow after the guide.

Soon the three of them arrived near the tree. It was surrounded by high walls so its trunk couldn’t be seen.

Though they are ‘near’ the tree, there was still a considerable distance that separated the walls from the trunk. But at this point, looking up would treat one to a view of the green leaves. The spread-out, umbrella-like branches would remind one of a mountain.

“Wow… It’s really big…,” the man remarked as he looked up.

“But…we can’t go any further.”

The guide had a sorrowful expression, his tone taking on a stark contrast with his animated mood only moments ago. It was more suitable for a funeral greeting.

“These days, the Nature Conservation Act prohibits people from going beyond these walls. We can no longer take our afternoon naps beneath the sunlight that leaks from its branches.”

“Why?” the man asked.

“Because you fear that it would break or collapse, right?” the woman answered once again.

“That’s correct,” the guide nodded.

“Well then, let me show you what’s beyond these walls.”

The guide walked a few steps along the walls and climbed up a set of stairs. The three of them soon came out into a viewing platform at the top of the walls. From there, they should be able to see the trunk of the tree.

“Oh dear,” the man said the moment he saw.

The trunk of the tree was as thick as a skyscraper, connecting the leaves and branches with the ground. But if one looked closely, it was not a single round trunk of a tree. Rather, it was a bunch of numerous trunks fused together.

But having decayed at several spots, it was full of dark holes. There were tens and hundreds of stones put together to support the branches stretched out on its side. While looking at this tragic spectacle,

“How do I put this…it’s injured all over.” The man put his thoughts to words.

“It’s just as you see… The sores in the trunks began to appear several decades ago and haven’t disappeared since. Soon, the frequency of whole branches breaking and falling increased, and now we had to support the branches with pillars. Because of the Nature Conservation Act, as well as for safety reasons, this wall was built and no one was allowed to approach it,” the guide explained miserably.

“If those branches fall, it will be quite terrible,” the man noted.

“Before, there were parks and houses within these walls, that is, under those branches. But a few years ago, a thick branch broke and fell, smashing everything under it. One hundred and twenty five people died.”

“That’s really dreadful.”

“Ever since we discovered those sores, we tried, desperately, to protect the tree in every way possible. However, as matters stand, we could only entrust our luck to heaven.”

“Weren’t there any new sprouts?” the man asked, but the guide only shook his head.

“The tree produces plenty of seeds every year, but all of those that fall die. The seeds couldn’t possibly anchor their roots into this hard soil. We tried planting them near water and even used them as fertilizer. We’ve tried a lot of things but none of them worked.”

“Then how in the world did this tree sprung up…?” The man asked, genuinely puzzled.

“It’s a mystery. And it will be, forever,” the guide answered.

“Does it still produce seeds even now?” the woman asked all of a sudden. The surprised guide nodded as he answered the query.

“Eh? Yes. There are still seeds this year.”

“Then it will be fine,” The woman said, but did not elaborate further on her meaning. The guide only tilted his head.

“You have shown us something very wonderful. Please continue to take care of this tree,” the woman said.

“Why, of course!” The guide nodded firmly.

—

The black-haired woman and her partner spent about two days in the country.

While the man lowered his bait into the lake to catch some dinner, the woman spent her time leisurely, reading and doing other things. From time to time they would lift their eyes and see the ever-present tree.

On the morning of the third day, underneath the clear sky, the pair once again rode the rocky boat and returned to site of their car, which was safe and the same as they had left it. The man removed the trap that he set up.

The two expressed their gratitude and parted with the country’s citizens. The small, decrepit car climbed up the hill road and went up again to the cliff where the country could be viewed.

“It’s such a wonderful view, isn’t it?” The man alighted from the car and gazed at the lake, island and tree.

The woman also got off from the car and silently looked at the scenery.

The man and the woman remained standing for a while amidst the morning wind blowing through the wilderness; the enormous tree visible beyond the car flanked in between them.

Eventually, the man broke the silence.

“Master.”

“What is it?”

“That tree will collapse, won’t it?”

“In half a year, most likely.” The woman promptly answered the man’s question in an extremely casual tone. “Just as that traveler said, eventually, even this view will no longer be seen.”

“It’s a pity,” the man said, sincerely regretful.

“But—” the woman began, and the man turned towards her.

“Sprouts will grow out from the collapsed tree.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“That tree will fall and eventually decay from the wind and rain, but the sprouts will have a soft spot to grow in, and plenty of nourishment. It will become a perfect seedbed.”

“Ah! I see!”

“It is likely that that tree grow up in that manner as well. The trunks of the trees eventually fused together and formed one, gigantic tree. I don’t know how many hundreds or thousands of years it took, but before long, this cycle will start again.”

“Then it’s fine even if it collapses. The people of that country should just take good care of the tree sprouts. Eventually, the interior of that enclosure will become full of greenery!” The man said with a delighted tone, and the woman nodded.

“But then, maybe that’s something that both of us wouldn’t be able to see.”

* * *

“But then, maybe that’s something that I wouldn’t be able to see.”

“I want to see it! The place where fresh buds are springing from! Someday, I will!”

To the words of an old woman, a little girl exclaimed, her eyes glittering with excitement.

* * *

“Do you remember this story, Hermes? At that time, were you…asleep? Or were you left outside?”

A lone motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly) rode through the wilderness. It was a motorrad loaded with traveling luggage and fuel cans on top of its rear wheel.

“I don’t remember, Kino,” the motorrad called Hermes answered his rider.

The rider called Kino was clad in a brown coat, the excess hem of which was rolled up to her thighs. She wore a brimmed hat with ear flaps, and goggles over her eyes. A bandana to keep out the dust was wrapped around her face.

The motorrad ran beneath the clear noon sky.

“That’s why I was so happy when I realized that we’re near this country.”

“Uh-huh.” Then Hermes followed-up his short response, “But there’s no doubt that we can no longer see that big tree, right?”

Kino nodded. “But that’s okay. What I wanted to see is the scenery that Master and her student weren’t able to see.”

“And by deliberately visiting this kind of place, you’re just showing how extremely curious you are, Kino.”

“And I chose to come here during the winter. Because of that, we wouldn’t have to suffer under the scorching sun like the time they came here.”

“Except, we only rode here after you learned by chance that this country will be nearby. In short, you’re acting on blindsight.”

“… Acting on hindsight?”

“Yeah, that!” Hermes said and fell silent.

“But guess what, I bought a bag of flower seeds in the previous country.”

“Oh, I didn’t notice.”

“I chose the aquatic type, the kind that blooms while afloat on water. I will offer it to this country’s residents. I thought they’d be delighted if they could grow flowers in water tanks beside the trees.”

“You’ll give it to them? That’s rare of you, Kino.”

“I’ll sell them.”

“Oh. But, you won’t be there to see the trees surrounded by those flowers.”

“That’s okay.”

“Hmm.”

—

The morning of the next day. Kino and Hermes arrived at a cliff overlooking a lake.

There was the endless expanse of a lake and a single, enormous island.

“It’s just as Master said…”

“But what’s up with that dome?”

Just as Hermes remarked, at the center of the island, that is, at the heart of the country, there was a big dome made of stone.

“I wonder…? The tree should be right there…so maybe they made it into a botanical garden or something?”

“We’ll know once we get there. —Wait, don’t leave me behind, okay?”

Kino switched Hermes’ headlights on and off, sending a signal. Soon a small boat came out from the island and headed to their direction.

—

After taking Hermes on board using a plank, they proceeded to cross the lake.

Upon being handed an entry permit, she rode towards the country. While she unloaded the luggage in her hotel room, she noticed how the dome could be seen very well even from their window.

Kino rode Hermes to the country center. While running through the streets made of stone, the huge dome gradually became higher and higher in view as they neared it.

“Welcome, traveler.”

The guide received Kino and Hermes in a plaza right in front of the dome. Kino dismounted Hermes and looked up at it. It was a pretty impressive structure, made of numerous stones put together with very little gap between them. Tiny skylights can also be seen all over it.

“It’s so big.” Kino voiced her impression.

“Yes! It is our country’s pride!” the guide answered delightedly.

“Can you show us what’s inside?” Hermes asked.

“Of course! It’s our country’s pride! Symbol! Heart and Soul! Spirit! —Over here, please see for yourselves.”

Following the guide, Kino pushed Hermes and passed through the dome’s huge doors.

Using a tiny lamp, they passed the dark corridor and climbed a slightly elevated slope. The guide helped in pushing Hermes up.

The place where the two humans and vehicle arrived at was the viewing platform inside the dome. They could see the expanse of the dome’s interior, but they could not make out what’s in it because of the darkness.

The guide sounded a bell beside him several times. Its gloomy peals resounded inside the dome.

Soon the interior of the dome became brighter. The blinds of the skylights opened one after another, letting thin strips of light shine in.

“Behold!” the guide exclaimed with pride.

“…”

“…”

Kino and Hermes gazed in mute amazement, for what appeared before them was…

A collapsed tree. The thick tree scattered its leaves and branches in all directions. However there was nothing green to see. All there was were trunks and branches gray from dryness. They looked like huge, gray snakes wriggling on top of the brown stones.

“… What…is this?” Kino asked.

“Our country’s soul!” the guide answered.

“I know that already, but what exactly is this?”

“Oh. This is a tree that once grew on this place. As there are no other trees in this country, we refer to it simply as the ‘tree’. It’s a very big tree, as you can see. When it still stood, it was even higher than this dome.” The guide explained without hesitation.

“But why is it like this?” Hermes asked.

“Of course! I’ll explain it to you! —It was many decades ago when the tree our ancestors found on this land where they have settled have collapsed after its long life has come to an end. It made us really sad, but we have to protect the tree as decreed by our Nature Conservation Act. So we decided to continue protecting the tree forever!”

“…”

“Uh-huh. And then?”

“We covered the tree with this dome—to protect it against the harsh rays of the sun and wind and rain! It was a very difficult construction project, but it was completed magnificently. With this, no matter how many years pass, the tree will remain as it is, just how it looks now!”

“…”

“I see.”

“Of course, we deeply regret that the life of the tree has come to an end. However, we are glad that we can forever preserve the proof of its existence! No matter how many generations pass, this tree will remain as our symbol for eternity!” The guide spread his arms wide and finished his speech.

Then upon seeing the convoluted expression on Kino’s face, asked hesitantly,

“Is anything the matter, traveler?”

—

The morning of the third day.

“That’s one hell of a country…”

Kino let out a sigh after they bid farewell the boat that transported them back to shore.

“Wasn’t that interesting! For a dome of that size to be constructed using stones without a single pillar, it needed immense architectural skill. It was really impressive! I’m glad we came.”

“Uh-huh,” Kino threw Hermes a sidelong glance, then straightened her hat.

“Kino, what about the seeds?” Hermes asked as Kino straddled him.

“Oh, these…” Kino opened the front of her coat and took out a small paper bag from her jacket’s pocket.

She tore open the bag, and let a number of small seeds roll into her gloved palm.

“I have no need for these anymore…” Kino clenched her hands and glanced at the surface of the lake.

“Oh, you’re going to throw them in the lake?”

“I don’t know if the flowers will bloom, though.”

“But there’s no harm in trying.”

“Well then—” Kino raised her arms.

“There!”

She threw them with all her strength towards the lake. They scattered, drawing invisible arcs in the air, before dropping and creating ripples on the water’s surface.

Soon after, the surface of the water rippled violently.

A group of fish ate all of the seeds.

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