Apparently the two of us are the [Incarnations of God].
The names Nagi and Nami came from the [Creation God] that appeared in the old legends.
In this age, when isn't rare for twins to die during childbirth, we twins were miraculously born healthily.
On top of that, neither of our genders were strictly clear. It was just a disability, but all the townspeople said stuff like this.
⸺The [Hermaphrodite] Twins were originally one complete existence. By existing together, they must be complementing each other.
⸺Disability leads to good fortune, which can lead to the bliss of the world.
TLN: Disability is "fugu," and good fortune is "fuku". Bliss is "koufuku". The superstition is based off of this wordplay.
Since that was the situation, following some strange logic, before we knew it the two of us were revered as special existences.
When we reached the town square, the residents had already gathered. Even if all eight hundred and three residents were to sit down around the old era fountain, we'd still have some room. Obviously, the water dried up a long time ago, and now the only remaining part that hasn't collapsed, a statue of a woman, stands in the center.
Turning our backs to it, the two of us stood facing the crowd. I was on the left, and Nami was on the right.
Many worn out expressions faced me. Among them, I could see the figure sporadically covered in bandages on their arms and legs, all over their body.
In addition, in my field of sight lied Kou, who looked like he wasn't eating, from the caravan joining a group of residents.
Nami smiled tenderly.
"How are you everyone?"
Nagi-sama, Nami-sama. I heard voices call our names here and there.
Continuing to stand like that, Nami, who was still smiling, pinched my ass.
"……How are you doing?"
As I gave a belated greeting, Nami nodded, satisfied, and quietly opened her mouth.
"Lately, we've been going through some tough times. The sun has been a little strong this year. Due to this heat, we've recently lost the priceless lives of three of our residents."
Nami announced the names of the three dead people. One of them was a child who had not yet reached the age of ten.
All three of them died of the same illness. About thirty percent of the townspeople are affected by the same illness.
Hilkolia filaria infection, or [Hilko infection] for short.
It's a disease that spreads when parasites enter the body, with mosquitoes as intermediaries. From the place where you were bitten, your skin swells, your limbs rot, and you become unable to move. You get repeated fevers and eventually the parasites reach your heart, leading to death.
Once you're infected, that's the end. Apparently there was a specific medicine for this in the old era, but currently there are no treatment options. Those who are covered in bandages should die in the next three years at the latest.
Nami and I united our voices and calmly chanted the phrase to rest their souls. The people in the plaza solemnly closed their eyes and prayed.
Please, do rest peacefully.
Please, do protect us.
Somebody's sobbing reached my ears. Were they remembering the dead? Or were they dreading their eventual fate?
Either way, any comforting words would simply be empty.
Suddenly, a weak wind blew, and I felt the smell of the mosquito repelling incense burning at the corners of the plaza grew especially thick.
Like this, we offered prayers to the dead at every gathering. The number of residents has only been dropping.
To relieve the tense atmosphere, Nami spoke out in a cheerful voice.
"We have good news today. As all of you may have noticed, Kou-san came today. Although the underground waterways collapsed and the reservoirs only contain a little bit of water, we will be able to repair the waterways before the rainy season with some of the materials we received. Also, he brought a water tank with him, so we should be able to endure through the this month until the rainy season starts."
The people smiled, and Kou scratched his head, as if they were embarrassed.
I kinda thought it wasn't that interesting, and released a small sigh so that nobody noticed.
"Well then, let's draw fortunes for this month."
Nami said that, and as usual, laid out a carpet with a short geometric pattern of money on it. It's a bit old, but it's of high quality.
The two of us sat down, and the commotion in the plaza quieted down.
Nami took out a deck of tarot cards from her pocket. They were a memento from our mom. They were well used, and the edges were considerably worn out.
"Let's start."
Nami placed the twenty-two cards on the ground, and shuffled them with both hands. After putting them back together, she pulled out half from the bottom and laid them atop the others. Forcibly taking my hand and placing it on top of the stack of cards, she left it on top.
Then she took a deep breath and meditated for about a minute.
Everyone who gathered in the plaza closed their eyes, just like Nami. Among them, some held hands.
There was a group of people who looked somewhere with blind acceptance. It was the familiar sceneI had grown used to.
However, there was only one who stared, gazing at us.
It was Kou.
Our eyes met, so I hurriedly closed my eyes.
Nami, who eventually finished meditating, lined up three cards from the stack and turned them around with calm hands from the left edge.
Then, I read the three cards aloud.
"From the left, the regular position of the moon, the reverse position of the tower, and the regular position of the sun."
In order from the left, they showed the past, present, and future.
Waking up from her tense state, Nami quietly raised her face and opened her mouth.
"The regular position of the moon represents the heart's unease and the future's uncertainty. The reverse position of the tower is an omen of something big that will happen. The regular position of the sun demonstrates strong energy and success."
In fragments, I continued in a leisure voice that reached everyone while floating a tiny gentle smile.
"Everyone, we've endured a truly difficult situation so far. Yet, the end of it is soon to come. Before long, the seasons will change. When it rains, the water in the river will increase, and water will accumulate in the reservoir. With that, we'll be able to grow crops again. If we all work together and help each other and don’t give up, then a good future surely awaits us."
We amended our postures and ended the gathering with our usual lines.
"To everyone, the divine blessings of the sun."
"To everyone, the divine blessings of the moon."