The next day.

Kino woke up at dawn as usual. The weather was good.

When she went outside, everyone was already awake and milling about with their daily activities. A woman was milking the sheep. A young fellow was grooming a horse. There were children helping to light a fire. Occasionally, an adult would come over to the fire to light his pipe.

When a woman who happened to pass by told Kino that it’s fine if she sleeps a little longer, she replied that she was accustomed to waking up early.

The woman who had spoken to her smiled and said, “That is a very good thing.”

Back inside her tent, Kino practiced drawing Canon and Woodsman. After giving them a quick tune-up, she returned them to their holsters.

After everyone had finished their tasks, they gathered in small groups in various places and began their breakfast. The meal consisted of what seemed like bread and a topping of melted cheese. Kino said that it was very delicious, and then offered them some of the clay-like portable rations she had for them to try. To this, they made a complex expression, and ended up only eating a little bit of what she gave them.


—

After the meal, the men mounted their horses and left to shepherd the animals. The women who were left were in charge of cleaning up, mending clothes or the tents, and looking after the children. They occasionally took a break and smoked their pipes under the blue sky.

While she was examining Hermes, Kino noticed that the children were looking on from afar.

“If you want a closer look, go ahead. He doesn’t bite,” said Kino.

“How rude! … But yeah, that’s right.”

The children approached timidly. The youngest among them were mere toddlers, while the oldest were about eleven or twelve years old. Since it was rare for them to see something like Hermes, some of them touched him with deep interest.

“Whoa, it’s stiff!”

“Amazing… it’s an iron horse.”

“His name is Hermes,” so Kino said, and immediately, cries arose from the children.

“What a weird name!”

“How strange!”

“That’s a funny name!”

“Hurr-meez?” one of them asked.

“No, no! It’s Hermes. Not ‘hur’, but ‘her’. It sounds weird when you say it like that!”[1]

“Hurmeeees!”

“I told you it’s not ‘hur’! ‘Her-mes’!”

While the innocent children and the shameless Hermes let loose on each other, Kino noticed that a few of the children had small pipes in their mouths. Looking closer, she saw that there was no grass in them.

“What are those pipes? Do you all smoke too?” Kino asked the oldest-looking boy.

“Nah, we just have them around. Only the adults can smoke them. Because the adults work for the sake of everyone, they get to smoke as a reward. When we’re recognized as adults, we get to smoke for the first time.”

“Uh-huh.”

“In order to be recognized as an adult, the boys have to ride horses. But not only do we have to ride them, we also need to be able to order around the flocks of animals, too.”

“What about you?” Kino asked.

“I’m still in training…,” the boy replied in a small voice. He then pulled out a sickle from behind his waist and said, “B-but! If it’s harvesting grass, I’m the best! If my mom helps, yeah, it’s the best…”

The boy said this proudly, but a girl behind him who looked about twelve said,

“Harvesting the grass is the women’s work. A boy who can’t ride a horse is pretty uncool.”

“……”

The boy fell silent. The girl turned to Kino and said,

“I’m going to bear his children. He’s going to be my husband.”

“Huh…? It’s already decided?” Kino asked.

“Yup. From the time I was born. That’s why he has to become cool. But he’s no good as he is right now,” the girl said energetically as she gave a big nod.

“Pfft, whatever. You’re just a tomboy,” the boy sourly responded.

The girl ignored him and continued, “It’s quite sad, actually. I’m better at horse-riding than him.”

Kino made a wry smile.

“If that’s the case, then can’t you guys just exchange jobs once you’re living together?”

The girl stared blankly at her for a moment, and then,

“Oh. You’re right. I’ll ride the horses when I grow up!”

“You can’t do that. That’s so dumb.”

“It’s fine! I’ve already decided. I’ll go tell my father now.”

“You can’t.”

“Can too!”

Kino followed the pair with her eyes as they chased each other in high spirits. When she turned around, Hermes was still chatting with the kids surrounding him.

“I! Told! You! It’s not ‘hur’, it’s ‘her’!”


—

At noon, the men returned, and everyone had their lunch and afternoon naps.

After that, Kino was invited to try riding a horse. The clansmen instructed Kino, who had never ridden a horse before.

At the beginning, she was only making slow strides, but when she became used to it, she became able to ride at a fairly high speed.

Kino’s brilliant riding skill was watched upon closely by the adults with admiration. The chief, with the smoking pipe in his mouth, curtly said,

“It’s decided.”

The adults surrounding the chief nodded in silence. From a place slightly farther away, a horseman watched this scene with his gray eyes.


—

Evening. It was after the usual meal in the smoky tent.

In front of her own tent, Kino, who was sitting on Hermes who was set on his center stand, looked up at the sky. Clouds were gathering over the western horizon, and the sunset was darkish.

“So, did they ever end up getting your name right, Hermes?”

“No… All those children still think that you told them ‘Hurmees’.”

Kino stifled a laugh. “… You know, when we leave tomorrow, you won’t have another chance to correct them.”

“I suppose so…” Hermes muttered, and continued, “It looks like the weather will be bad tomorrow, Kino.”

“You’re right…. Even so, we can only stay for three days.”

“… Roger,” said Hermes. Kino got off Hermes. Right then,

“You…”

“Whoa!”

The ashen-eyed man from the previous night had suddenly spoken up from behind. Hermes let out a yelp while Kino turned around to him with a glare.

The man took a few steps toward them. The man stood beside them and looked down on Kino and Hermes.

He asked, “Where are you from?”

Kino, without breaking her gaze on the man, shook her head.

The man asked again, “Have you decided on a country where you will be staying permanently?”

Kino spoke slowly, “I’m still… going to travel for a long time.”

The man made several small nods. He continued with his accent-free voice, “I see. You’re able to accustom yourself to that destitution you call freedom? That’s quite something.”

“……”

“What’s wrong?” the man asked Kino, who was silently staring at him.

And then Kino asked, “This may be rude, but… were you a traveler before?”

“No,” the man replied immediately.

“That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s a lie,” the man replied immediately again. As if seeking confirmation, Kino slowly asked,

“You… you weren’t born with these people, were you?”

“……. What about it?” the man responded and turned on his heels.

Kino followed his back with her eyes. When he could no longer be seen, Hermes asked,

“He’s sharp. Just who in the world is he?”

Kino responded truthfully.

“I don’t know…”