Seraphim is a Bystander

School Trip Day 2: Lord Tsuchimikado

 
We arrived at the Divine History Museum and lined up near the bus. Before we could go in, tickets were handed out, and the grade head teacher raised their voice to give us instructions.
“Alright everyone, please remember that this museum is also open to the public, so let’s make sure we don’t get too noisy!”

It was the kind of reminder we’d already heard a few times during the trip. After receiving our tickets and an explanation of how much time we’d have, there was a follow-up on what had been announced earlier this morning: the visit from Lord Tsuchimikado.
“As for Lord Tsuchimikado, we were told it wouldn’t be polite to bother him too much, so after a brief greeting, he’ll actually be touring the museum with you! Lord Tsuchimikado is also the museum director, so feel free to ask questions if there’s anything you don’t understand!”
The explanation made it sound like this god-appointed official would be spending a lot of time with us today. I could faintly hear whispers of “Why?” and “How come?” rising from the crowd around me.

“Alright then, as soon as we enter, Lord Tsuchimikado will speak with us. Be on your best behavior!”
Still unsure why this was happening, we followed the teacher’s lead and entered the museum. Since it’s a museum, I thought Yuzu might not be allowed in, but for some reason, they said it was fine. She curled up on my shoulder like usual.
As we moved through the building, I started to wonder—maybe even the teachers don’t know why Lord Tsuchimikado is spending time with us. If they did, they probably would’ve told us last night. And the way the teachers were all scrambling this morning… maybe this was a last-minute decision.

“Alright, Lord Tsuchimikado should be waiting inside this room. Again, please be respectful!”
That’s probably the fifth or sixth warning we’ve heard about not being rude to him. It’s starting to feel a little excessive.
As the teacher ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) opened the door, I stepped inside—curious about what Lord Tsuchimikado would be like, especially since I hadn’t even found a photo of him online. I looked around the room and—

“...What?!”
My voice escaped before I could stop it, and it echoed through the suddenly silent group of students, making me stand out awkwardly. Teachers looked startled. Students looked confused. And standing on the stage, smiling brightly and looking right at me, was a familiar elderly gentleman.
It was the same elderly man I had met yesterday at the souvenir shop—and again this morning at the roadside station. The same kind old man who’d held Yuzu for me while I went to the restroom.

Wait—he’s Lord Tsuchimikado?!
“...?!”
I glanced over at Rei, who had also met him with me yesterday. He didn’t say anything, but his expression made it clear he was just as shocked as I was. Confirming that didn’t help, so I turned back to the gentleman—who was now happily waving at me from the stage.

Of course, with him waving at me, all the attention that had scattered after my outburst suddenly focused back on me again. …Okay, maybe—maybe—he’s not actually Lord Tsuchimikado. Maybe he’s just some local we happened to run into. That’s totally possible, right?
“Alright, Lord Tsuchimikado, we’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Yes, hello everyone. I am Tsuchimikado.”
…It was him.

So the kind old man I thought I’d just happened to befriend was actually someone who acts on behalf of the gods—probably one of the most important people in the country. Honestly, he might even outrank the Ichijou family… And why is someone like that walking around town without any guards?
“I apologize for the sudden intrusion. Yesterday, I had some business at the divine residence and happened to cross paths with a few of the students on their school trip.”
From the way some of the students and even teachers reacted to his words, it seemed they were starting to understand the situation. And again, for the third time today, I felt all eyes turning toward me.

Unbothered by the attention, Lord Tsuchimikado continued speaking.
“When I remembered that this museum—which I happen to direct—was scheduled to receive a school group today, I thought I’d stop by. Hopefully, I can help make your trip a more memorable one.”
“I won’t bore you with too much talking. Instead, I’ll walk the museum with you. If you see me, feel free to approach and ask questions.”

With that, he wrapped up his short introduction. We all thanked him in unison, and then began the tour of the museum.
Just before he stepped through a back door, he turned around and gave us a final wave—still smiling brightly, and clearly directing it at me.