A traveler, he one day visits the Land of Adults, where he meets the main character of the series when she is a 11-year old girl, and stays at the inn that her parents own. He finds a broken motorrad, and with Kino's help repairs it, giving it the name Hermes.
After hearing about the operation Kino is about to undergo, he talks about how she should have more than one road in life. Soon after, when Kino is about to be murdered by her parents with the support of the whole town for daring to think about such taboo thoughts, Kino (original) steps in front of the knife, defending her and dying in the process. After Kino escapes with the help of Hermes, she decides to rename herself after her savior.
