Metro Labyrinth Chapter 24: Wanyuudou Car

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T/N: Wanyuudou or “Wheel monk” or Soultaker, is a youkai that looks like a cartwheel with the face of a tormented man in the center.

 

 

 The sun is steadily setting and the shadows are spreading.

 

 

“Ms. Ikari, do you have a map of New Tokyo?” (Shuu)

 

“Ah, yes, but it is just a simplified version…” (Noa)

 

 

 Noa pulled out an A4-size sheet of paper from the pocket of her bag. The map is a sheet of paper folded four times, and when it was unfolded, it depicts what she calls a “Simplified New Tokyo” map.

 

 

 It is a slightly long, stumpy oval. Place names are written in katakana, and they are surrounded by red, blue, and yellow circles.

 

 The western end is Suginami, the eastern end is Senju and Kameido.

 

 The northern end is Akabane and Nerima, and the southern end is Shinagawa.

 

 The map does not seem to include the areas around Ota, Adachi, and Edogawa wards.

 

 

 The eastern half of Tokyo, around the twenty-three wards, is more than a hundred times the area of the city. If we do a simple calculation, the area has expanded more than 10 times in both length and width.

 

 

“This… is this the sea?” (Shuu)

 

 

 Next to Shinagawa, there is an area painted blue.

 

 

“Yes, it is Tokyo Bay.” (Noa)

 

“Can you go out by boat?” (Shuu)

 

“No… the wall also surrounds it.” (Noa)

 

 

 The map shows that Tokyo Bay is indeed covered by a wall. The wall is rising out of the bottom of the bay.

 

 

“But the seawater goes in and out of the bay. They say there is a hole somewhere in the wall, but my great-grandfather’s note also says, ‘Maybe the wall is not meant to confine water.’” (Noa)

 

“What does he mean?” (Shuu)

 

“I don’t know either. My great-grandfather was an unusual man in many ways… and there are many other words and descriptions that I don’t understand…” (Noa)

 

 

 Turning back to the map, there is Sugamo with a blue circle and to the right, there’s Ikebukuro with a red circle.

 

 

“What is the difference between red and blue?” (Shuu)

 

“Red is for Tribe territory, blue is for other cities.” (Noa)

 

“What’s the difference?” (Shuu)

 

“The tribe is ruled by a chief. Chiefs are basically hereditary and are elected by the previous chiefs. Other towns may be under the direct control of the metropolitan government, or they may be self-governed by the residents. Sugamo City is the latter.” (Noa)

 

“I see.” (Shuu)

 

 

 The reason why the ideas of Tribes seem bad to me when I hear about it is that I grew up with values tied with democracy.

 

 

“And the yellow circle is… Is it a Metro like in Outsuka?” (Shuu)

 

“That’s right.” (Noa)

 

 

 There are roughly more than 30 yellow circles, compared to about 10 red and blue ones each. That’s more than the towns.

 

 

“By the way, there are many metros that are not on this map. Even as we speak, there may be a new Metro appearing somewhere on the map. New Tokyo is the land of Metros.” (Noa)

 

“I see… Thank you. I wasted your time again.” (Shuu)

 

“Not really. Let’s go.” (Noa)

 

“Tamiko, let’s go.” (Shuu)

 

“Huff!” (Tamiko)

 

“You got, way too many acorns.”  (Shuu)

 

 

 A straight road with woods on both sides. Insects and wild birds could be heard from time to time.

 

 After walking for a couple of minutes, the sun goes down and it gets quite dark. Noa then lights a lamp.

 

 

“Abeshuu, it’s getting dark, squeak.” (Tamiko)

 

“It’s night time.” (Shuu)

 

“There’s a little moss floating down there, squeak.” (Tamiko)

 

“That is a star.” (Shuu)

 

“Oh… how shiny, squeak… They ae more beautiful than acorns, squeak…” (Tamiko)

 

“You might be the first person on earth to compare an acorn to a star.” (Shuu)

 

“I can see it over there, too, squeak…” (Tamiko)

 

 

 Tamiko looks up at the sky, fascinated. She has become more feminine than before, and her heroine aura is increasing.

 

 And then her ears twitched sharply.

 

 

“Abeshuu, something from behind, squeak.” (Tamiko)

 

“Seriously?” (Shuu)

 

 

 I turn around and see a small orange light. I can faintly hear the sound of wheels rolling. Something seems to be approaching from the other side.

 

 

“…Are you serious…” (Shuu)

 

 

 It is a car. It looks like an old convertible, or perhaps a tractor without a roof. A cart about the size of a light truck covered with a white top is connected to the back.

 

 There is a man in the front driver’s seat, holding something like a steering wheel. He is a middle-aged man. He is wearing a collarless shirt and a jacket.

 

 

“Hello, good evening.” (Man)

 

 

 The man greets us with a gentle voice.

 

 

“Good evening.” (Noa)

 

 

 Noa returns the greeting immediately.

 

 

“You’re a hunter by the looks of you, young man?” (Man)

 

“Yes.” (Noa)

 

 

 After all, Noa seems to be a boy in the eyes of the man.

 

 Tamiko and I are squirming behind Noa. This is the second human I met in this world, the first human on earth. I can’t help but feel nervous.

 

 

“I am Konno Akio of Sugamo City, a merchant. Young man, if you don’t mind, can you tell me your affiliation?” (Man => Konno)

 

“I am Ikari Noa of the Ikebukuro Tribe. Here is my identification card.” (Noa)

 

 

 Noa pulls out a card about the size of a business card from his bag. The man named Konno nodded.

 

 

“Behind you are…” (Konno)

 

“Ah, uh, I’m Shuu Abe.” (Shuu)

 

“My name is Tamiko, squeak.” (Tamiko)

 

“Oh, a Carbuncle of Nakano? How unusual to find you here.” (Konno)

 

“He is a Free Folk and that’s his partner. We have a bit of a connection and I’m about to take him to Sugamo.” (Noa)

 

 

 Free Folk. In short, we are unaffiliated? Probably because we have family registration, right? Is it something like that?

 

 

“That’s just perfect. You’re welcome to ride with me. The back is empty.” (Konno)

 

“Is that ok?” (Noa)

 

“I was on my way back from delivering some goods to Kagurazaka, and I broke my wheel on the way back, and it took me longer than I thought to fix it. As you can see, it was getting dark, and I was worried that we might run into some bandits before we got to Sugamo. It was reassuring to have a hunter with me.” (Konno)

 

“I’m very grateful. Mr. Abe, Ms. Tamiko, are you fine going?” (Noa)

 

“Ah, yeah…” (Shuu)

 

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” (Konno)

 

 

 Noa shook her head, and I shook my head too.

 

 Carts, night travels, and thieves. Hearing these phrases from Noa, since I was trained by manga and video games, I can’t help but anticipate a raid event. One can only hope that the unscientific concept of flags will be debunked.

 

 

“I don’t know about (Yato) rabbits or (Yotou) gangs, squeak. But If I were you, I’d ride on that squeaking boat.” (Tamiko)

 

“We’re going to sink. Don’t raise a flag.” (Shuu)

 

 

 

 

 There is only a small amount of luggage in the back of the truck. The back is quite spacious and comfortable.

 

 After confirming that Noa and I got in, Konno starts rustling around in the driver’s seat. The car started to drive slowly.

 

 

“Oh, wow…” (Shuu)

 

 

 It is my first experience of driving in a new world, and it is surprisingly bumpy. There was no engine noise and no exhaust emissions. Instead, the car is barely going any faster. It was a little faster than a bicycle pedaled by an old lady.

 

 

“It’s amazing, squeak, it’s so easy. I’m going to give an acorn to that Human uncle later, squeak.” (Tamiko)

 

“You can’t give him acorns once you put them in your cheek pouch, you know.” (Shuu)

 

 

 Noa puts down her bag and takes a deep breath. She’s probably the most fatigued of all of us, having come all the way here from deep in the Metro in one day.

 

 

“Ms. Ikari. Is this kind of car common in this world?” (Shuu)

 

“Well, you mean as a means of transportation for travel or something?” (Noa)

 

“Yes.” (Shuu)

 

“The most popular type is the horse-drawn carriage. However, since Wanyuudou Cars are rather inexpensive to maintain, they seem to be popular in urban areas these days. I’ve seen them at Ikebukuro sometimes.” (Noa)

 

“…Wanyuudou… This is it…” (Shuu)

 

 

 To tell the truth, Before I got in, I saw the wheels on the side of the car wriggling. They were moaning in a low voice like “Bobo” and “Bobo”. This thing is alive. I was just a little too scared to mention it.

 

 

“Yes, Wanyuudou. It’s a metro beast.” (Noa)

 

 

 I stuck my head through the gap in the hood and peeked over the side at the car Konno was driving.

 

 

 The tires wrapped around the wheels are not made of rubber but a stretchy, woven straw-like material. The wheels are made of a rock-like material, but there is something shaped like a human face stuck to the center of the wheels. It rotates in a circular motion to propel the car forward.

 

 

 

 

“…So this is also a Metro Beast…?” (Shuu)

 

“Yes. It is a kind of starfish, which is a parasite on a round rock and rolls around. It’s like a relative of a golem or something.” (Noa)

 

 

 There are even golems? That’s pretty much everything about New Tokyo.

 

 

“Don’t Wanyuudou attack people?” (Shuu)

 

“They usually attack people in the wild, because they are carnivorous. But if they are domesticated, they can be easily handled. It is a kind of Metro Beast that has been artificially bred and domesticated.” (Noa)

 

 

 So, if the conditions are right, you can ride a metro beast? That’s a little cool.

 

 

“We can make them into wheels by carving rocks into the shape of wheels and putting iron tires around them. Depending on their level, they can be faster and more capable of carrying things than a horse-drawn carriage. They’re not like the wild ones, so it’s hard for them to level up.” (Noa)

 

“They’re about level 6. Small fries, squeak.” (Tamiko)

 

“You’re talking high and mighty.” (Shuu)

 

 

 How do they drive in the first place? The driver’s seat has what looks like a steering wheel, but is it used to steer the car? What about the gas pedal and brake? I wondered.

 

 

“I’m sorry for all the questions, but what other vehicles are there in New Tokyo?”

 

“If it’s a one-person vehicle, it could be a bicycle or an ostrich cab. If it is a car, there are horse-drawn carriages and crocodile buses. I think Sugamo has them too.” (Noa)

 

“What’s that. I want to ride an ostrich.” (Shuu)

 

 

 I want to ride an ostrich, especially if it’s yellow. It’s a childhood dream.

 

 At any rate, it is clear that cars and trains do not exist in New Tokyo.

 

 This disappoints him a little. Once civilization was destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people with knowledge of modern science remained. I would have thought there would be room for the civilization to make a comeback. Or is it that even such knowledge and technology have ceased to exist in the last hundred years?

 

 

 The wheels roll at a constant speed, rumbling, and rumbling… Fatigue also makes you sleepy.

 

 Tamiko is lying on her belly and Noa is dozing off. I slap my cheeks, knowing this is not my best effort.

 

 

“Oh, excuse me Can I sit next to you? So that if a bandit attacks, I can deal with it immediately.” (Shuu)

 

“Oh, that’s good…” (Konno)

 

 

 I sat down in the passenger seat.

 

 

“Thank you for your concern, brother.” (Konno)

 

“No, no, it’s my pleasure, especially with the ride…” (Shuu)

 

 

 I observed the side of the car. It is what is called a two-seater car. The seats are made of wood. There is a steering wheel and pedals that look like a gas pedal and brake pedals at the foot of the car. I wondered how it worked.

 

 

“I’ve done my fair share of business with Free Folk, but Brother you look pretty wild.” (Konno)

 

“Is that so?” (Shuu)

 

“Although it’s a little terrible of me to say, you smell really wild. There is an inn with a hot spring bath in Sugamo, so you should enjoy it.” (Konno)

 

“I will (Hot springs! Hot springs!).” (Shuu)

 

 

 I haven’t had a bath in five years. And it’s a hot spring. I wanted to make it to the town safely.

 

 I waved my hand lightly and let [Sensory Spores] fly. Due to the direction of the wind and inertia, the spores flew only a dozen or so meters in front of me.

 

But at least it seemed to be able to respond to an attack from the side, from the forest side.

 

 

 Then, Konno begins to complain about a few things. Most of it is about his family. He is married with a child, but he hates his studies and worries about his future. His wife is strong-willed and temperamental, so he doesn’t feel at ease even when he is at home. Also, the cats don’t like him at all. On the other hand, Wanyuudou is very friendly and cute. He wants to tell everyone how cute it is, even though its face is weird. And so on.

 

 

 As I was chatting with him appropriately, I was getting sleepy again, but suddenly I caught a presence at the edge of my [Sensory Spores] range, and a chill ran down my spine.

 

 

“There’s danger!” (Shuu)

 

 

 Immediately I created a [Hypha Great Shield] and put it in front of Konno. A *bam* sounded on the surface! A hard arrowhead strikes its surface.

 

 

“Woah, there’s really an attack!?” (Konno)

 

“Mr. Konno, go inside!” (Shuu)

 

 

 I pushed Konno inside the car, and I jumped on the hood. The Wanyuudou on both sides stopped in surprise, and they cried in low voices, “Bobobo!” And “Bobobo!”.

 

 

“Mr. Abe!” (Noa)

 

“Ms. Ikari, Tamiko! Take care of Mr. Konno!”

 

 

 The two of them will deal with the attacks and defending, and I will deal with the bandits—I know I am strong considering my level, but I can’t stop my heart from racing.

 

 

(Come on! They really came!) (Shuu)

 

(This is f*cking scary! I’m really scared of bandits!) (Shuu)

 

 

 I’ve been fighting with beasts for the past five years, but this is the first time I’ve been in an interpersonal fight. Even in my previous world, fights were just something I did when I was young.

 

 I don’t think that a bandit is stronger than an Ogre or an Orthrus. Even so, the other party is human. You never know what they might do.

 

 

(Well… I wonder if I can cut other people?) (Shuu)

 

 

 

 I pull out my [Hypha Great Shield] in my left hand and the [Hypha Sword] in my right hand. I kill the trembling of my hands as I squeeze both hands tightly.

 

 

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