Shishou

師匠

Shishou is Kino's master, having taught her marksmanship. She resides in the forest and does not travel. Her real name is unknown; "Shishou" is a title meaning "mentor" or "master" (though Kino does not initially realize this). In the anime's final episode, which is set chronologically before most other episodes, the gunsmith who created The Cannon tells Kino that he gave the weapon to a young woman who insisted everyone call her "Shishou." She traveled between countries and stirred up trouble wherever she went, indicating that Shishou was once a traveler.
In the novels, several stories focus on her travels alongside a man referred to as her "student," when she was in her late twenties. She and her student are depicted as incredibly greedy, even to the point of cruelty. They travel in a battered yellow car.