Island Oneshot

island

originally published in Akamaru JUMP 2007 winter


01

私には夢があります
I have a dream.

(written words)
Hold it right there!! I'll catch you! Where'd she go~!?

それは
That dream is…

[island]

02

この子と
To join her…

ア…
アイラ！？
A…
Aira!?

一緒に"外の世界"に行くことです
On a voyage to the "outside world".

03

island
古味直志
Komi Naoshi

(side text)
私は綴る。彼女と紡ぐ。明日への希望の物語―
I compose. She spins. A story of hope for tomorrow—

04

くそっ…どこ行ったんだ…
Dammit… Where'd she go…
アイラ!! 出てきなさい!!
Aira!! Show yourself!!

……
わ－　あ－!!　どこだ～!!
(small written text) Wah~ Ahh-!! Where are you!!

またイタズラしてきたの？
…Are you up to mischief again?
なっ!
Wha!
お前までイタズラと言うか!!　偉大な実験だぞ!!
Even you are calling this mischief!? This is a grand experiment!!

コン! コン!
KNOCK! KNOCK!

やばっ!　逃げるぞマラ！
Crap! Let's get out of here, Mal!
どうしたの？　マル―
What's going on? Malu?
え! え!?
Eh! Eh!?

また本が崩れちゃったのかい？
Did your books collapse again?

おや？
Oh?

お母さん行ってきまーす！
Mom~ I'm going out!

05

……

どうかしたのかね？
What's going on?
ああ　すいません　長老
Aah, I beg your pardon, Elder.
アイラですよ
It was Aira.

あの子きっとまた偉大な実験とやらをしてきたんでしょう　まったく…
That child must be heading off to her grand experiment again, eh?
Dear me…
はっ！　いいんじゃよ　子供はそれくらいで
Hah!
That's fine. She's still a child, after all.

その実験がいずれ…
Wouldn't it be wonderful, though…

実を結べばいいんですけどね…
if it could bear fruit…

この"壁"を越えたその向こう
To cross over this "wall" and reach the other side.

外の世界に行くのが
To go to the outside world.

06

あの子達の夢ですから…
It's their dream, after all…

我々この"壁"によって閉じ込められ　この地に暮らし始めて実に…
We have lived in this land, enclosed by this "wall" for…

400年…
400 years now…

07

男達は大地を掘り…　太古の遺物を発掘し…
The men dig into the land… excavating ancient artifacts…

女達は　わずかな日照時間で得られる植物を育て…
While the women catch what little sunlight we have to grow plants…

なんとか今まで生きてこれた…　む　どーも
Somehow, we've managed to survive until now…
Hm. Thank you.

しかし
However.
そのうちに人は文明を忘れ　文字を無くしてしまった
After all this time, our people have forgotten our culture,
and our language is all but gone.

今やこの文字が読めるのは
Only one person remains who can read these words now.

マルー　ただ一人じゃ
That person is Malu.

08

あの子は特別な子じゃよ
She is a very special child.

今しばらくは夢を見させてあげなくては…
If we don't let her indulge in her dreams now…

ところで今日の本題じゃが…
By the way, the reason I'm here today is…
…ええ
…Yes.

アイラは今日で14歳になります
Aira will turn 14 years of age today.

うむ…　あの子は特に酷かもしれんが仕方ない…
Yes… It may be especially cruel to that child, but we can't spare her…
受け入れてもらう他ないじゃろう　わしらはそうして生きてきた
She has no choice but to accept it.
That is how we have come to survive.

ええ…
Yes…

09

辛いですね…
It's heart-breaking, isn't it…

よっ
Yo.

あ　ありがと
T-thank you.

マ…マル!!
M-Mal!!
え？
Eh?

な　に"っ!!
Wh-what!?
あれ？　マルーちゃん？
Oh? Malu-chan?

こ…こんにちは
G-good afternoon!
いや―　いい所に
Ah, well~ Nice timing.
ちょうど君のウチに行くとこだったんだよ
I was just on my way to your house.

10

ところでアイラを知らないかい？
By the way, have you seen Aira?
アイラを？
Aira?

それがねー？
Well, you see~?
さっきアイラの奴に窓を割られてね　まったくまいっちまうよ…
Earlier today, Aira, that brat, broke a window.
She's such a troublesome kid…
（なるほど…）
(No wonder…)

何の事やら
(words written on Aira) Guilty as charged

おっとそうだ　君に見せたい物があるんだった…
Oh, yes.
Here's something for you…
ほら
Look.

また新しい本が見つかったんだ
We've found a new book again.
ほんと！？
Really!?

読めるかい？
…Can you read it?
うん　物語みたい
Yes. It looks like a story book.
マラーは何でこんなの読めるようになったの？
Why can you read things like this, Malu?

ん―…
Hnn…
なんとなく見てたら分かるようになってたの
Somehow, I just understand the words when I see them.
ふ―ん…
Humpf…

11

すっごく面白いんだよー？
It's really interesting, you know?
アルカウスの法則とか集積原理に地理学に物理学に…　特に数学なんかすごくてさ―
There's stuff like Alkaus's Law, and the principle of agglomeration, and geography, and physics…
There's also mathematics, which is especially wonderful~
ふ　ふーん
Um.
Hmmm.

しかしマルーちゃん　本を読むのはいいだが
But, you know, Malu-chan, it's fine to read the books…
この前みたいなのはダメだよ？
Just make sure you don't repeat what happened last time, hm?
え？
Eh?

ほら…井戸の近くの4番鉱に勝手に入ってこっそり本を読んでたろう？
Remember… the no. 4 tunnel near the well? Don't go there again without permission, or secretly read the books there, right?
いくら本が好きでもあおそこは立入禁止なんだから…
No matter how much you love books, that place is out-of-bounds, right…
は～い
Ah~ yes.

みんな　君から物語を聞かせてもらうのを楽しみにしてるんだから
Everybody is looking forward to listening your stories.
もしも崩れてペシャンコになったりしたら冗談にならんからな！
It wouldn't be funny if the tunnel collapsed and you got flattened to a pancake!
それじゃまたね！
All right. See you later!

アイラ　お待たせ！
Aira, sorry to keep you waiting!

ボケェ！！！
You fool!!!

12

ご…!　ごめん!!　ごめんなさい!!
I'm…! I'm sorry!! I'm very sorry!!
こっち!　逃げろー!!
This way! Run~!!
アイラか!?　待ちなさい!!
Is that Aira!? Wait right there!!

実験結果報告します
I will now report on the results of our experiments.
まず手登り作戦は当初の予想通り失敗…
First off, scaling the wall bare-handed failed just as we expected from the start…
超ロングはしご製作実験は製作段階で実現不可…
Experiment to manufacture a super-long ladder didn't make it to the manufacturing stage…
火薬を使っての人間大砲実験は危険なために延期…と…
Experiment to use gunpowder to launch a human cannon is too dangerous, and has to be postponed… and…

やっぱりなかなか難しいね…
Just as I thought, this is all very difficult…

そんあの当たり前だろ　今まで外に出られた奴は一人もいないんだから
But of course! Nobody has ever gotten out before, right?
あはは…　まぁそうなんだけど…
Ahaha… Well, that's true, but…

13

どんな所なんだろう…外の世界…
I wonder what it's like… this outside world…
アイラは何があると思う？
What do you think, Aira?

うん？
Huh?
…ん―　そーだなー
…Hm—I suppose…

やっぱさ!　
It's got to be!
きっとすげー広い地面が広がってて木も草もたくさんあってだなぁ
It must be a really big and open land that stretches far and wide, with lots of trees and grass growing.
うんうん
Yes, yes!
見た事もないような動物に…植物に…!
With animals… and plants… that we've never seen before…!
今まで全然知らなかった事がまだまだいーっっぱいあるんだよ!
There would be lots and lots of things we don't know anything about!

ここの連中はバカばっかりだ!
The people here are just so stupid!
毎日食う事ばっかり目がいっちまって何にもしようとしちゃいない
All they worry about is what to eat day after day. They can't do anything.
マルお前は何かあると思う？
Mal, what do you think is there?

わたし？
Me?
わたしは…"海"が見てみたいんだ
I want to see… the "ocean".

"海"??
"Ocean"??

14

うん
Yup!
本で読んだの
I've read about it in books.

壁の外には海っていうのがあって
There's something called the ocean outside this wall.
ここなんかすっぽり入っちゃうくらい…大きな大きな水たまりがあるんだって…!
It'd fill this place completely, and more… like a very, very, very big water pool…!

はぇ―…　そりゃ見たいなぁ
Whoa--… I want to see that too.
でしょ!?
Right!?

でね!?　そこの水がとーっても塩辛いらしいのよ!これがまた!
Isn't it!? The water there is veeeeery salty too! And, there's more!
塩辛い!?なんだソレホントか!?
Salty!? What the heck, are you serious!?
ホント!!
I'm serious!!

あとあと!　恐竜っていう家ぐらいあるトカゲもいるんだって!!
And, and, there are also lizards as big as a house called dinosaurs!!
マジかよ!?
For real!?

絶対行こうね
We'll definitely go there.
ああ…　絶対行く
Yeah… We'll definitely go.
外の世界に…!!
To the outside world…!!

15

あ!
Ah!

アイラ!　見つけた！
Aira! There you are!

やぁっと見つけたぞアイラー！！
We've finally found you, Aira!!

な　何すんだよ！！
Wha-what are you doing!!
そりゃこっちのセリフだ!!
That's our line!!
今度という今度はもう許さんぞ！！
You're not getting away with it this time!!

しょうこりもなくイタズラしやがってコイツは…
You are incorrigible. Always one mischief after another…
ウチの木材返せよな
Return the timber you stole from me!
ウチのつぼ割っちまってただろう
You broke my pot too, didn't you!?
納屋の荷車どこに持ってっちまったんだよアイラ…
Where is the wagon you took from the shed, Aira?

いや…　だからそれは
Ah, see… All that were just for, you know…
大事な実験に使われてさ
For a very important experiment!

いいかげんにしなさい!!
Stop playing a fool!!

いつまで子供でいるつもりなんだ!!
How long are you going to stay a child!?

16

夢みたいな事ばかり言ってないでお前も少しは働いたらどうなんだ
You need to stop all this fantasizing and start doing a little work around here. How about that?
お前もここでの暮らしが過酷な事くらい知っているだろ…
You should be aware of the hardships of living here too…

お前よりずっと小さな子供だって働いてるんだぞ
Even children much younger than you are working already.

夢なもんか!!
It's not a fantasy!!
それならあたしだって聞きたい!!
As a matter of fact, I want to hear it from you!!

そっちこそなんであきらめちゃうんだよ！！
Why are all of YOU such defeatists!?
外にさえ出られれば苦しい生活しなくていいかもしれない！
If we can just get out of here, all our hardships may be gone!
なんでみんあ壁を越えようと努力しないのさ!!
Why doesn't everyone think harder about crossing over the wall!?

そんな保証はどこにもないだろう…
There's no guarantee about that, right…
オレ達は400年もの間…
After all, it's been 400 years…
こうやって生きてきたんだ
This is how we've lived all this time.

なんだよそれ！　理由になってない！！
What's with that attitude!
That's not a good reason!!
アイラ…！！
Aira…!!
これ　これ
Now, now.

17

何やってるんじゃい…
What's going on here…
あ…　長老…
Ahh…
Elder…





自分の誕生日にまで災難なことじゃのう
Are you making trouble even on your birthday, hm?
のう　アイラ
Hm, Aira?

え？
Eh?
なんだお前
What…
今日　誕生日なのか…？いくつ？
Is it your birthday today…? How old?

14…だっけ？　すっかりわすれてたよおい…
14… I guess?
I totally forgot about it…
うん！わたしももう少しで14歳なんだよ？アイラ
Yes! I will also be 14 soon, right? Aira.

アイラついて来なさい
Aira… come with me.
え？
Eh?

18

え？何だよ　どこ行くんだよ
Eh? What? Where are we going?
いいから　来なさい
All right, just come along.
皆もう家に戻りなさい…
Everyone else, you can go home…

マルー…
Malu…
お前もウチに戻ってなさ…
You should go home too…

…今夜は
…It's probably
降ってくるかもね…
going to rain tonight…

もうすぐ嵐の季節だから…
The storm season is almost here, after all…

浮かない顔だ…
Why so depressed…
…お母さん
… Mom.

19

なんでみんあ外を目指さないのかな!?
Why doesn't everyone aim to get out of here!?
私…みんなの言いたい事わかるよ？
I… understand what they're all saying.
でも…　アイラの言って事は正しいと思うの…！！
But… I think Aira is right too…!!

みんな
If everyone…
できるならそうしたいんだろう…
could do it, they would, right…?

でも…
But…
母さん達大人にはあんた達子供がいて…
We, mothers, and all the adults are here because of you children…
毎日食べさせてあげなきゃならない…義務があるんだ…
We have to make sure you have food on your table every day… That's our duty…

…でも…
… But…

でも！　ここの大人達だって…
But!
All the adults here…
子供の頃はみ～んな壁の向こうを夢見てたのよ？
When they were children, allllll of them had a dream to cross over the wall, you know?

20

それホント！？
Is that true!?
ああ　ホントだ
Yup, it's true.
となりのおじさんも向かいのおばぁちゃんも…　もちろん母さんだって
The old man next door, and the old lady opposite, too… Of course, that includes me as well.

だから　あんた達はそれでいいんだよ
That is why…
It's fine for all of you to have dreams.
夢を見る事だって子供の大切な仕事よ？
Having dreams is something very important for children, you know?

純粋に夢を見ていられるのなんて…
Because, to be able to dream with such innocence…
子供の時だけなんだから
is something only children can do.

お母さん！　
Mom!
わたし…アイラの所に行ってみるね！！
I… I'm going to look for Aira!!

…そう
…Yes.
純粋に夢を見てられるのは…
To dream with such innocence…

21

子供の時だけなんだよ…
It's something only children can do…
マルー…
Malu…

なぁ…
Heey…

一体どこまで連れてく気だよ
How much farther are you taking me?
ここ立入禁止じゃなかったのかよ？
Isn't this place out of bounds?
いつものお説教ならどこでだっていいだろ～？
All those times you lectured us about it; doesn't it cover this area?

なぁーっでば～！！
Heeeeey~!!
いるっさいの～もう着いたわい…
You're very noisy~ We're almost there…

アイラよ…
Aira…
…何だよ
What.

22

外の世界を見せてやろう
I'm going to show you the outside world.

は？？
Hah??

ちょ…
Wait…
何言ってんだ？　じじぃ…
What are you saying? Old man…

この昇降機を使えば…
If we use this elevator…
いっきに"壁"の頂上まで出られる
it'll take us to the top of the "wall".
そうしたら
Then…
まてよ！　まてまて！！
Wait! Wait wait!!

はぁ！？
Haah!?
一体…何言って…！！
What the heck… are you saying…!!

23

乗りなさい　アイラ
Get on, Aira.

全てを…教えてあげよう
It'll show you… everything.

…おいおい　登ってるぞこれ…
… Oi, oi… this thing is climbing higher…
何でこんなものがここにあるんだよ…！！
Why do we have something like that here…!!
本当に…
Can you really…

本当に壁の外が見れんのかじじぃ！！
Can you really see outside the wall, old man!!

それは…
That…
自分の目で確かめなさい…
is something you will see for yourself…

これが…
This is it…

24/25

外の…
世界じゃ
The outside…
world.

お前たちの夢見る世界は
The world that all of you dream of…

とうの昔に沈んでおる…
sank a long, long time ago…

…なんだよ
…What…
これ…
is this…

26

その昔…
Long ago…
この街は世界で最も高い所にあったそうじゃ…
this town was located at the highest point of our world…

しかし400年前…　天変地異が世界を襲い…
But, 400 years ago… a cataclysm struck our world…
世界は"海"に沈んでしまったと伝わっておる
And the world sank into the "ocean". That's the story we have been told.

沈むのが遅かったこの地に住んでいた者達は…
This land was the last to sink, and the people who lived here…
この壁を作りなんとか生き残ったと…
Built this wall to survive…

これを見て　なお"死の世界へ"などと考える者は誰一人おらんかった
Not a single person exists who's seen this and not thought, "It's the end of the world."
わかるか？
Do you understand?
"行く術"が無いのではない…
It's not that we have no "means to go"…

"行く場所"すら
We don't even have…
もはや無いのじゃよ
a "place to go".

27

この海も年々水位を上げいずれは飲み込むじゃろう
Sooner or later, this ocean will rise as well, and we'll all be swallowed up.
これこそが…わしらの抱える絶望じゃ…
It is this, in fact… that is the hopelessness we face…

これはな…子供達が14歳になった時
And… when a child turns 14 years of age,
その時の長老がこれを見せるようになっとる
The then presiding Elder will show this to him or her.

それまでの間…
So, before their time comes…
夢をみさせてあげるために…
We can let them continue to dream…

ちょっと待てよ…！　それじゃあ…
Wait a minute…! That means…

うむ…
Yes…

そうじゃよ
That is correct.

28

大人達は皆
All of the adults here…
ずっと知っておった
Have always known.

知らんのは…
The only ones who don't know…

子供達だけじゃ…
Are the children…

いいかげんしないかアイラ！！
Stop playing a fool, Aira!!
うるさいんだよ!!　あたしの勝手だろう！！
Shut up!! Let me do what I want!!

そんな夢みたいな事ばかり言ってるんじゃない！！
The only thing you do all day long is go on and on about your fantasies!!
はっ！！
Hah!!
あたしは絶対に行ってみせる！！
I'm going to show you! I'll definitely get out!!

外の世界に！！
I'll go to the outside world!!
…あたしは…
…I'm…

29

あたしは
I'm…
ちっぽけだ…
such a fool…

ちくしょう…！！
Damn it…!!
あ！
Ah!

ほんとうにいた！
You're really here!
よく分かるなお母さん！
Mom was right!

アイラー！
Aira~!
うわ！　な…泣いてるの？
Uwah! A-are you crying?

マル…
Mal…

かまわんよ　アイラ…
It's fine with me, Aira…
お前に話すと決めた時　あの子にも伝わる事は覚悟しておった…
When I told you about this, I was prepared to let you tell her as well…

アイラ！
Aira!
マル…
Mal…
大丈夫？　やっぱりたくさん怒られた？
Are you all right? I knew it, everyone got really angry at you, huh?

30

だっ
It-

大丈夫だよ！
It's all right!
おこられたってそんあの平気平気！
It's not a big deal, right! It's fine, it's fine!
アイラは（ちょっとしか）悪くないもの！！
It's not (totally) Aira's fault!!

それに
Besides.
周りの人が何言ったて"壁"さえ越えちゃえば
Whatever they may say, once we've crossed over the "wall",
ぜったいみんなわかってくれるよ！ね！
I'm sure they'll all understand! Right!

無理だよ…
It's impossible…

え？
Eh?

壁を越えて外の世界へなんて…行けっこない…
It's impossible to… cross over the wall to go to the outside world…
ど！！
Wha!!
どうしたの！？　アイラ！変な事言わないでよ！！
What's happened!? Aira! Don't say strange things like that!!

そうだ！
That's right!
こんなの書いてみたんだ
Just like what we've written!
外に出る方法色々考えてみたの
All the various methods we've thought of to get out.
もういい　マル！
It's over, Mal!

31

もういんだよ　マル…外に世界なんてもうないんだ…
It's over. Mal… I don't care about the outside world any more…

……どうしてそんあ事言うの？アイラ…　変だよ！なんで
……Why are you saying that? Aira… This isn't right! Why??
無理なもんは無理なんだよ!!
Things that are impossible are just impossible!!
そんなの行ってみもしないで言わないでよ！！
Please don't say that when you haven't been there!!

そりゃ　行っちゃいないけどなぁ！！
You haven't been there!!
でも　あたし
But, I…
見ちゃったんだよ壁の外！！！
I've seen it! Outside the wall!!!

はぁ…　
Haa…
はぁ…
Haa…

…何て？
…What?

32

ウソじゃないよ…
I'm not lying…
こんあウソ…あたしがつくと思うか…？
Do you think… I could even make up something like that…?

本当なの？
Is it true?

海だった
It's the ocean.
何もかも…　世界は全部水の底に沈んじまってた
Anything and everything… the whole world has sunk to the bottom of the water.

そんな…ウソ…
No way… that can't be true…
だって…そんあハズない…！
Because… that's just not possible…!
ホントなんだよ！！
It's the truth!!

笑っちゃうよな…
It's laughable, isn't it…
お前が見たいって言ってたのに…
You were just saying you wanted to see it, yet…
あたしの方が先にみれちゃうなんてさ…
I got to see it before you…
広かったよすごく…広すぎて…
It's incredibly wide… endlessly…

怖かった…！！
It was scary…!!

33

だからあきらめるの？
Is that why you're giving up?

お前に今のあたしの気持ちがわかるか…！？
Do you even understand how I'm feeling right now…!?
わかるわけねェよなぁ…！？　お前は見てないもんなぁ！！
How could you even understand…!? You haven't seen it yourself!!
見てないよ！！
You haven't seen it!!
だけど…！！
But…!!

けどなんだよ！！
But, what!!
夢見てた…目指してた世界は
Our dreams… the world we'd aimed for…
400年も昔にとっくに無くなっちまってたんだぞ！？
It's been gone for over 400 years!

そんなのまだわからないじゃない！！
We don't know that for sure yet!!
もっとずっと遠くまでいけば…！！
If we keep going, further and further…!!

うるさいうるさい！！
Shut up shut up!!
あたしはもう…！
I've had enough…!
外の世界になんて行きたくない！！
I don't want to go to the outside world any more!!

そうやってあきらめちゃうの！？
So you're giving up just like that!?
そんなの…！！
This isn't you…!!
そんなのアイラらしくないよ！！！
This isn't the Aira I know!!!

34

だったらどうしろってんだよ！！！
Then, tell me what I should do!!!

あ…
Ahh…

マル…
Mal…

35

どうしたらいい…？
What should I do…?
もう…あたしにはわかんないよ…
I.. don't know any more…

嫌だ…
I hate this…
こんな終わり方なんて…
I don't want it to end like this…

行きたいよ…！
I wanted to go…!

外の世界に…！！
To the outside world…!!

ねェ　アイラ…
Hey, Aira…
よく聞いて…
Listen to me…

36

わたし壁の外が海だって知ってた
I already know about the ocean outside the wall.

前にね…
Some time ago…

37

わたし勝手に4番鉱に入って本を読んでたコトがあるの…
Remember when I sneaked into the no. 4 tunnel without permission and read the books there…
そしたらそこに全部書いてあったの…
And, you know, everything was written there…
壁の向こうが海になっているであろう事も400年前…
The fact that the other side of the wall was nothing but ocean, and how 400 years ago…

世界が天変地異でメチャクチャになってしまった事も…
The world was destroyed by a cataclysm…

でもね…
But, you know…

世界がみんな　海に沈んじゃったなんて書いてなかったよ
There was nothing written about everybody in the world being sunk under the ocean.

みんなも聞いて！！
Everyone, listen up too!!

みんなが考えるように…本当に世界が沈んでしまっていて無いのなら…
It's like what everyone thinks… If the world has really sank and is no more…
私達の状況は絶望的かもしれない…
Our situation may indeed be hopeless…
未来なんて無いのかもしれない
There may not be a future either.
でも！
But!

38

希望はあるの
There's still hope.
だからみんなお願い
So, please, everyone!
私たちに力をかして！！
Please lend us your support!!

"希望"?
"Hope"?
そんあ物が…本当にあるのか…？
Does such a thing… really exist…?
力をかしてって…でもマルーちゃん
Lend our support, you say… But, Malu-chan…

お願い！
I beg you!
とにかくまだまだ情報が足りないの
In any case, we don't have enough information yet!
いくらかかってもいいからありったけ本を掘り出してきて！
No matter how many books have been trapped in there, dig every single one of them out!
私が全部読むから！！
I'll read them all!!

いやしかしなぁ…
Well, no… There's still…
急にそんな事言われても…
Saying things like that out of the blue…
みな生活だってあるんだし…なあ？
We all have our own lives to take care of… right?
(written text) There's no way we can do it… right?

必ずみんなを外の世界に連れていく！
I swear I will take everyone to the outside world!
できないなんて言わせない！！
Don't say things like, "it can't be done"!!

39

だってみんな子供の頃は
After all, when all of you were children…
それが夢だったんでしょ？
Wasn't that your dream too?

あの子ったら
Well done, child.

ふむ…
Hmm…

…ああ！
… Yeah!
そうだとも！！
That's true!!

40

私だって子供の頃はずっと夢みていたんだ…
When I was a child, I always had that dream…
外の世界を…！！
To go to the outside world…!!
その夢が叶うかもしれないと言うのなら私は…
If you're saying that dream could come true, then I…
なんだって協力するさ！！
I will support you in any way I can!!

オレもだよ！！
Me too!!
オレだって3年前にあの海を見るまではずっと…！！
Ever since I saw that ocean 3 years ago, I have always…!!
夢みてたんだ！！きっと壁の向こうへ行くぞって…！！
I've kept on dreaming!! To go to the other side of the wall…!!

あら！　それならあたしだって同じよ
Oh! If you're talking about that, it's the same for me too.
何を言っとるか！　わしがガキの頃なんざ…！！
What are you saying? When I was a child too…!!
オレも！
Me too!
あたしも！！
And me!!
オレだってそうさ！！　協力する！！
Count me in too!! I'll support you!!

はっはっは！！あの頃の夢が今頃叶うかもしれんのか！！
Hahaha!! Our dreams of the past may actually come true now!!
こりゃまた面白い！！
Things will get interesting again!!
マル…
Mal…
うん…！！
Yeah…!!
マルーちゃんが言うんだ！きっと叶おうさ！！
Malu-chan said so! I'm sure it'll come true!!
ガキ達にいいもんが見せられそうだなぁ！！
We'll show our kids what we can do!!

よーし！！やってやる！！
All right! Let's do it!!
本を持ってくればいいんだね？　任せてくれ！！
All we have to do is bring the books out, right? Leave it to us!!
おう！みんなの夢を叶えるんだ！！
Ou! Let's make everyone's dreams come true!!

行くぞ!!外の世界へ！！
Let's go!! To the outside world!!

41

私がなぜ…
Why did I…
"希望"はあると断言できたのか…
make this declaration, "There's still hope"…

それはある一つの"疑問"があったからだ
Well, that was because I had a "doubt."

4番鉱のすぐそばには
Right next to where the no.4 tunnel is…

この街唯一の水源である井戸があるんだけど
There is a well which serves as the only source of fresh water for this town.

なぜ井戸からは真水が出ているんだろう
Why does fresh water come out from the well?

もしもみんあが言うように壁の周りが全海に沈んでいるんだとしたら
井戸からは真水ではなく海水がわき出してくるはずなんでそうならないのか？
If what everyone was saying were true, that the wall was surrounded by an ocean that we'd sunk under, then there wouldn't be fresh water in the well. Rather, it should be sea water.
それはつもり 私達が海水の中じゃなくて地面の中にいるっていう事の証拠なんじゃないだろうか
それってつまり？
400年前に起きた"天変地異"の正体…私の出した答えは…
In other words, wouldn't that prove that we were not in the middle of the ocean, but actually surrounded by land? So, in other words? The true nature of the "cataclysm" that befell 400 years ago… My only conclusion is…

(words on drawing)
ocean | | ocean
sea water
well

42

地盤沈下だ
It was a land subsidence.

これなら全てに納得がいく！
If we go by that theory, everything comes to a consensus!

つまり　こういう事
In other words, this is what happened.
この壁は400年前の人達が超大規模な地盤沈下から逃れるために作った強固なシェルターであり
This wall is a strong shelter built by the people 400 years ago to escape from a large scale land subsidence.
それがそのまま沈み続けた結果今の形になったんだ
Then, the land continued to sink as it did until now. This is result.

(words on drawing, left to right, top to bottom)
400 years ago
Present day
Huge earthquake occurred!! Escape to the shelter!!
Ocean

つまり　世界は沈んでなんかない…!!
In other words, the world didn't sink…!

沈んでいたのは私達の方なんだ！
The ones who sank were us!
そして　さらなる計算の結果…
And, even more, the result of my calculations show…

現在の海の深さは…
The depth of the ocean now is…

43

私には夢があります
I have a dream.
それは
That dream is…
この子と一緒に
To join her…

外の世界に行く事です
on a voyage to the outside world.

そしてアイラと…たくさんたくさん外の世界を冒険して…
Then, together with Aira… we'll face lots and lots of adventures in the outside world…
わたしはわたしの本を書きたい
I will write the books I want to write.

44

なぁなぁ！　それって一応外の世界なんだよな
Hey hey! Just checking, this is the outside world, right?
え？　あーホントだ！！
Eh? Ahh—yes, it's true!!

すごいすごい！！　夢実現への第一歩だよこれ！！
Amazing! It's amazing!! This is our first step to realizing our dream!!

なぁ　マル…　ありがとう…　お前のお陰だ
Hey, Mal…
Thank you. It's all because of you.

初めてこの海を見た時は
The first time I saw this ocean…
あんなに絶望的に見えたのに…
I looked at it with such despair, and yet…

今は…
Right now…
こんあにワクワクする
I am so excited.

45

さぁ　これが
Come, this is it.

絶対行こうね…
We're going for real, right…
外の世界に…！！
To the outside world…!!

最初の一ページだ
This is our first page.

そして、二人は　歩いてゆく。
And so, the two of them, took their first steps.

island …end


Note: You can find a scanlation of this one-shot by KEFI over here.