Kino and Hermes make their way to the Land of Books, a country whose library gathers together all the books in the world, but locks away those considered ‘harmful', leaving only the most wholesome and inoffensive out on display. Almost by chance, however, Kino finds themselves thrust into the underground of this world, where a secret resistance publishes its own, darker material. But as the plot thickens, the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur, until it becomes almost impossible to distinguish what is really happening, and what only exists on the pages of a book, or in the depths of an author's mind...

Kino and Hermes visit a land that prides itself on a being a peaceful nation, but on entering the country, they soon realize that all is not as it seems. For, while abandoned military equipment litters the streets, on the outskirts of town, an army is training for a war to be held on the following day! Curious as to these contradictions, Kino visits the local museum to find out more about the history of this land, only to discover firsthand that this nation's definition of 'peace' is far more disturbing than they could have envisioned...