Description: Kino sleeps until late in the morning, to the point where Hermes (a talking motorcycle referred to as a motorrad) is surprised they still aren't awake by the time the sun is fully up. Kino is likewise shocked and can't explain why they slept for so long.
At a late breakfast, the young girl Sakura tells them that there's a wedding if Kino would like to attend to watch, which Kino agrees to. The couple is in their late teens, very young to be married even by the country's standards. Sakura wants one of the seeds tossed by the couple to determine the next happy bride, so Kino wades into the crowd and catches a bag with a seed for her claiming they've always been lucky.
The guards approach to tell Kino their time for departure has come and Kino asks if they can stay a little longer, much to everyone's shock. However the guards are firm about the rules Kino reluctantly prepares to leave, receiving free supplies from a shopkeep telling them to spread good words about the country. Sakura and her mother give Kino two packages, one with dinner and one with breakfast for the next day. Her father and the guards draw up a map of a safe place to camp without worry of rock slides. Kino gives a formal thanks to the kind people of the country before departing, camping on the described ledge overlooking the country with the mountain in the background.
In the middle of the night they leave their tent feeling something is wrong but not what, even reaching for their gun. To their shock the mountain - the volcano erupts, covering the entire country in lava and ash in an instant. Hermes stops Kino from trying to go to help, firmly explaining that everyone would have died instantly and Kino would die with them by going down. Kino sits, watching the remains of the country until morning.
They eat the breakfast package and discover two notes. One from Sakura's mother explaining they knew the eruption would occur and were grateful a traveler came at the last minute to see and remember their wonderful country. They had hoped Sakura would go with them as only adults - that is those under the age of twelve were told of the erruption, but when Sakura said she wanted to be a guide and learn from them, they decided to take her with them. The day Kino would read the letter was Sakura's birthday.
The second note is from Sakura, containing the bag with the seed in it. The note states there is no reason for her to keep the seed so it's Kino's, and asks Kino not to forget them.
Kino spends a long time gazing up at the sky before finally getting packed up to leave. Kino and Hermes talk quietly about how great the country was, and how there wasn't a single complaint about it. And with that, they leave in silence.
Note: the original Japanese does not particularly gender Kino, and by default most people tend to assume Kino is male upon sight, so assume cases of "Miss" etc. are just some polite referral to Kino (one official translation uses Mx.)
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Description: Kino sleeps until late in the morning, to the point where Hermes (a talking motorcycle referred to as a motorrad) is surprised they still aren't awake by the time the sun is fully up. Kino is likewise shocked and can't explain why they slept for so long.
At a late breakfast, the young girl Sakura tells them that there's a wedding if Kino would like to attend to watch, which Kino agrees to. The couple is in their late teens, very young to be married even by the country's standards. Sakura wants one of the seeds tossed by the couple to determine the next happy bride, so Kino wades into the crowd and catches a bag with a seed for her claiming they've always been lucky.
The guards approach to tell Kino their time for departure has come and Kino asks if they can stay a little longer, much to everyone's shock. However the guards are firm about the rules Kino reluctantly prepares to leave, receiving free supplies from a shopkeep telling them to spread good words about the country. Sakura and her mother give Kino two packages, one with dinner and one with breakfast for the next day. Her father and the guards draw up a map of a safe place to camp without worry of rock slides. Kino gives a formal thanks to the kind people of the country before departing, camping on the described ledge overlooking the country with the mountain in the background.
In the middle of the night they leave their tent feeling something is wrong but not what, even reaching for their gun. To their shock the mountain - the volcano erupts, covering the entire country in lava and ash in an instant. Hermes stops Kino from trying to go to help, firmly explaining that everyone would have died instantly and Kino would die with them by going down. Kino sits, watching the remains of the country until morning.
They eat the breakfast package and discover two notes. One from Sakura's mother explaining they knew the eruption would occur and were grateful a traveler came at the last minute to see and remember their wonderful country. They had hoped Sakura would go with them as only adults - that is those under the age of twelve were told of the erruption, but when Sakura said she wanted to be a guide and learn from them, they decided to take her with them. The day Kino would read the letter was Sakura's birthday.
The second note is from Sakura, containing the bag with the seed in it. The note states there is no reason for her to keep the seed so it's Kino's, and asks Kino not to forget them.
Kino spends a long time gazing up at the sky before finally getting packed up to leave. Kino and Hermes talk quietly about how great the country was, and how there wasn't a single complaint about it. And with that, they leave in silence.
Note: the original Japanese does not particularly gender Kino, and by default most people tend to assume Kino is male upon sight, so assume cases of "Miss" etc. are just some polite referral to Kino (one official translation uses Mx.)