Seraphim is a Bystander

School Trip Day 2: Lord Tsuchimikado’s Riddle
 
"Now then, here’s a question. The role of the God's proxy has gone through many generations. So, how exactly is the God’s proxy chosen?"
"...Can we ask questions?"

"Of course."
With Lord Tsuchimikado smiling warmly before us, we all started racking our brains and pondering deeply.
Let’s try organizing what we know so far.
First, the role of God’s proxy passes on to different generations.
Second, the role is decided even before the person is born.
Third, the proxy doesn’t have a name.

...Still doesn’t make any sense. For now, maybe we should try asking questions. One possibility I’d been thinking of was that it’s hereditary, like with my Futaba family or the Ichijou family. I decided on a question and raised my hand.
"Yes, Aoi-san?"
"Umm… was either of your parents or a relative the previous God's proxy?"

"That’s a good line of thinking, but unfortunately, that’s incorrect. The God's proxy isn’t chosen from a specific family line."
That possibility was completely ruled out. The others seemed to have thought the same, as hands that were about to be raised slowly lowered again. Then, Saotome-san raised her hand.
"Yes, you must be Saotome-san, right?"

"Yes, that’s right. Umm… were all of the past proxies people with the surname Tsuchimikado?"
"Yes, they were. However, not all of them were originally named Tsuchimikado. My own parents had a much more ordinary surname."
"...Ah, thank you."

Hmm... So it’s not inherited, but the name is passed down. Could it be something like a training institution? But Tsuchimikado-sama also said his role was decided before birth... As I puzzled over it, Ken, who was groaning with his head in his hands, suddenly raised his hand.
"Yes, Katsura-san, right?"
"Yo, uh… I don’t really know, but wouldn’t it make sense if God just picked someone to be the proxy?"

"Oh! Excellent! That’s the correct answer."
"Eh, seriously?"
Even Ken himself looked surprised at how simple the answer was, and everyone else was equally shocked.
"Just like Katsura-san said, the God's proxy is chosen by God. However, there is a specific criterion for selection. Can you guess what that is?"

"Eh, is it really okay for us to know that?"
"Yes, it’s not a particularly well-guarded secret. Go ahead and think about it—it’s a pretty simple system."
He’s even going to tell us the system behind it… So the proxy is chosen by God, and the criteria must be something only God would know. But if the role is decided before someone is born, then perhaps it's something innate—something present even before birth?

"Um, may I?"
"Yes, Aoi-san. Go ahead."
"To become God's proxy, do you need some kind of special ability?"

When I asked—more like guessed—Tsuchimikado-sama’s eyes widened in surprise. Then, he smiled again and responded.
"Impressive. That’s correct. Becoming a God's proxy requires a particular ability."
"A specific ability?"

"Yes. It’s a bit embarrassing to say aloud, but... the ability is called 'Saint.'"
I had never heard of an ability called “Saint” before. Abilities are usually categorized into two types:
—One where the name reflects the effect, like my father’s “Enhancement” or my own “Overpowered Output – Overspec.”
—And the other where the name reflects a role or function, like my mother’s “Barrier Master.”
The term “Saint” is something I’ve only heard in mythology. But perhaps, rather than being chosen by a god for being special, it’s more like people with a rare power called “Saint” are the ones who get chosen—makes more sense, really.

"So… what kind of ability is this ‘Saint’?"
"I can’t go into detail, but it’s nothing particularly amazing. It has no ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) combat capability and actually has more restrictions than benefits."
"I see..."

"Yes. —Ah, looks like lunch is almost over. Shall we finish our meals?"
At his prompting, I looked at the clock and saw there were only about 10 minutes left of lunch. We’d been so absorbed in the conversation that we hadn’t eaten much, so we quickly turned back to our food.
"Hehe, don’t eat too fast and choke, okay?"

"Yeeees~"
Smiling warmly, Lord Tsuchimikado watched over us as we finished eating. Not long after, a teacher came over and took him away somewhere. We managed to finish our meals within the time limit and headed to the meeting spot outside the museum.
"Now then, Lord Tsuchimikado will give us a closing message! Lord Tsuchimikado, if you would, please."

"Yes, thank you."
Prompted by the teacher, Lord Tsuchimikado stood before us. Earlier, many of the students had been confused by his appearance, but during the museum tour and lunch, those who got to speak with him had all been charmed. Whether it was due to the “Saint” ability or just his natural personality, everyone had been captivated by him.
"Everyone, did you enjoy the tour? I hope it became at least one fond memory during your trip. I also wish for the rest of your journey to leave behind fun and unforgettable memories."

"I won’t talk too long and keep you, so that’s all from me. I hope we can meet again someday, if fate allows."
Lord Tsuchimikado made sure never to interfere or become a burden to our school trip, acting consistently as a quiet supporter. After we all thanked him, he waved us off as we boarded the bus and departed for our next destination.