☀️ Arselia and Akonia

— Ho, locals are taught for free, so! It's good to be a citizen of the empire. Well, never mind, I just mentioned the training as an aside; I don't think studying at the academy is my thing.
"Yeah, right, spending hours poring over books and listening to boring lectures from professors? Heh, I don't know why I came back from the other side, but it certainly wasn't for that kind of entertainment."
Garrett scratched his head. He didn't know how necromancy was viewed in this world, or if it even existed. There were no skeletons digging potatoes anywhere, and it seemed like they didn't teach that at the academy either, so maybe he shouldn't just barge in.
"I wasn't interested in that..." he said. "Tell me, do you know of any specialist who can talk to bones? Not a fortune teller, but someone who can summon a lost soul. A spiritist, or whatever you call it here..."

"And other outsiders..." - Aiyano simply noted the princess's phrase to herself.
- In my world, there is a state that uses monotheistic faith to create a unified theocratic empire. In its individual humanitarian manifestations, it brings good, but otherwise it only tries to subjugate other territories and resources by force of arms, without regard for losses - and it is not difficult to understand that few people agree to this of their own free will. In the territories through which they have passed, I always have a lot of work to do. After the final rest of the unfortunate people who are stuck on the border between life and death, - the miko lowered her gaze for a while, then continued. - As for me and those like me, our beliefs are based on the objective fact of the reality of the existence of Kami - divine entities, or spirits, the semantics do not matter. Enlightened scientists-materialists, or theologians of invented monotheistic religions, would contemptuously call this paganism, but to deny the existence of such a thing would simply be foolish. Their existence is as real as the existence of the soul itself. No person who is willing to see, hear, and otherwise feel can deny, for example, the energy of the wind, the sea, the vitality of the forest, and the importance of the memory of ancestors. I think that our beliefs have more in common than it might seem at first glance, - Miko smiled. - You revere the planet, the world itself, and the Kami-sama-tachi in this picture are a manifestation of its will, a continuation of the body. Perhaps rough scientists could accept such a very down-to-earth analogy as "blood composition" or something similar, - with a click of her tongue, Aiyano expressed all her contempt for these men and their vulgar limited simplifications, then continued. - Our people revere the Kami, offer symbolic offerings designed to show them respect, and in return they are able to grant them their protection from life's troubles, conduct the souls of deceased relatives, or even help with some modest worldly requests. Health, success in love and studies, spiritual strength. No matter how hard a person's life, burdened by its harsh circumstances, he can always hope for something good, turning for help to the Kami and living according to conscience, without being constrained by the most severe rules, changing from century to century under the new edition of the next arch-inquisitor, pursuing his personal vision. I admit that I am biased in this regard, but in my opinion, this is absolutely wonderful.
She looked sadly towards the city.
- I suppose, this is the longing that I felt in people's hearts. I would like to build a modest shrine somewhere here in the suburbs, on a hill. So that people can take a break from the city madness, visit a place of power, feel peace and unity with nature and the world. I am sure that this would make them much happier... - the thoughtful monologue ended with a heavy sigh.

- In case of a serious problem, they will simply kill me with one swing of a sword. So your only difficulty will be digging my grave, ha-ha!))