Mentioned Characters: Kanako, Suwako

Kanako Yasaka and Suwako Moriya are the gods of Moriya. Together, they established an entire civilization. They forge iron, let water flow, and create fire. Since ancient times, they have blessed the lives of the people, nurturing them much like a mother would her own child. Surely, beings like them must appear grand and majestic. And yet, the ones standing before me are small. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were children...

I lost my way high up on the mountain, and in my efforts to find it again, I stumbled upon two young girls by a crystal-clear stream. With their toes dipped in the water, they chatted together happily. The sight of them warmed my heart, and I almost forgot I was lost. But how could children have ventured so far off the beaten track and made it to a place like this on their own?

"Huh. It's rare to see someone come to a place like this." The two girls turned to look back at me. Even the way they moved was childlike. They shouldn't be alone in a place like this. A part of me wanted to pretend I hadn't seen them and leave. But they were still talking to me, so I couldn't. "Did you come here to cool off, too?" said one of them with a smile. But there was something behind her smile―behind both of their smiles. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on...

Without meaning to, I started backing away. Not because I didn't want to answer her question. No, the truth is that I was scared. My throat went dry, yet I couldn't take my eyes off them. Seeing my strange behavior, the two girls went wide-eyed with surprise, then simply smiled again and pointed in the same direction. "If you're heading down the mountain, it's that way," said one of them. That was when the trembling in my legs finally began to fade. Looking back on it, I'm sure they had no interest in me. Perhaps I'm lucky they didn't. A good thing in excess ceases to be good. If, by some chance, they had taken too much of a liking to me, I might never have been able to leave the mountain.

"You're really letting her go?" "We have to be kind to lost ones." "Color me surprised... I thought for sure you'd pull out your iron ring or something." "That'd be way too cruel." After I left, their conversation continued, and laughter echoed down the stream and around the mountain. Listening to it, the fear and awe that I had felt earlier were nowhere to be found. All that was left was the innocence and mischievousness of children. To them, there was no difference between inducing fear and bestowing blessings. Even with such disarming appearances, they could captivate or terrify whoever crossed their path. It must be in their ungraspable, multifaceted natures that people find the presence of gods.