Ability: Able to listen to ten people's conversations at the same time
Threat level: Low
Human friendship level: Very High
Main place of activity: Elusive

A saint awakened from a long sleep. From the moment of her birth, she possessed unusual talents; she's a person who was fated to surpass humanity, and did so.

She's capable of understanding ten people's conversations at once, and replying to them precisely. As a child, she created statues of the Four Heavenly Kings out of Chinese sumac trees, and she is said to have built the Shitennou-ji. As an aside, one anecdote says that she was born in a stable, but that seems to be a bit of facetious humor (according to her, "It's inconceivable that a noble person like myself would be born in such a smelly place.") (*1)

Currently, she's a sage who has surpassed humanity. However, unable to completely sever her connection to the material world, she has a tendency to interfere with human society. Most likely, this is a remnant from her statesman days.

Her personality is surprisingly casual, and she jokes around. But when you directly meet her, not only does she display no vulnerability, but it feels as if she sees through you completely. It's an awe-inspiring experience.

1: This story seems to take after that of Jesus Christ.

Her ability is simple and unrefined, but it's a natural gift, and it appears that she actually possesses other superhuman abilities. You could call her a natural-born superhuman.

By the way, it's not an easy task to comprehend multiple conversations at once. I have the power to remember every word I hear, but I can only recall them in sequential order. If two people talk to me at the same time, it often happens that I can only remember one.

Furthermore, my power solely involves memory; the ability to understand and answer people is hard to think of as the work of a human.

However, due to this, her ears are supposedly so sharp that it prevents her from living a normal life. She wears earmuffs, an item that allows her to block out people's voices and maintain a tranquil mind. Conversely, she can aim them in order to focus on a single faint, weak voice. One might say that her ears are the business tools.

In addition, she can read a person's desires to a certain extent from their manner of speech, expression, gestures, and so on, even if they don't directly put them into words; it seems that her power of inference is far superior to that of a human's. In an instant, she can read what a person desires, and the main factor that caused the desire to shape the person. Her power is close to mind reading, but it differs in that while the latter reads a person's memories and current thoughts, the former reads their disposition and future.

She faithfully practiced Buddhist worship- or so people thought, but Buddhism was really just a political tool.

Buddhism's goal is the release from all suffering. It must have been convenient in the world of politics, where it's necessary to strive for peace. Through their belief in Buddhism, the masses were convinced that rebelling against authority would not offer them any gains.

At that time, the religion handed down along with Buddhism was Taoism. The fundamental concept of Taoism is to understand the natural universe itself, and to render it one's own. It's an attractive religion to ambitious humans, yet unlike Buddhism, it's easy to imagine worldwide chaos breaking out if it ever spread. That's because in order to fell influential figures who have acquired power, one must overcome them with an even stronger power.

While she utilized Buddhism for political purposes, she longed for unusual powers. The power she wanted most of all was the same one countless figures of authority had desired: the power of immortality. Apparently, that was the reason she practiced Taoism. The truth is, the ultimate objective of Taoism is to achieve immortality.

I've heard that many humans from the village wish to become her disciples. It's true that one's ordinary life would change utterly if one could master the arts of the hermit.

However, she doesn't appear to think of those disciples as anything more than servants. Which is quite natural; a hermit's disciples are mere gophers. (*2)

Therefore, even if you wish to master superhuman powers as well, it seems it would be best to avoid becoming her disciple on a whim.

Also, supposing you've acquired powers like those of a hermit, shinigami may make attempts on your life. It can't be very pleasant.

Incidentally, she herself is cooperative with humans, so there's no need to fear her. If you're ever pursued by youkai, she should help you if you escape to her house. Although the entrance is hidden, so I don't know where it is... (*3)

2: Ultimately, hermits only use their power for their own benefit. There's no need for them to teach people about it.

3: If you shout "Help meee- Mikoemo-n!", perhaps she might hear you with her sharp ears.