☀️ Arselia and Akonia

After listening to the chibi-dancho's toast, Nihonka noted two things: that their Carnelian was a patriotic and tightly-knit family – no wonder the princess entrusted them with such an important task; and that besides Kilikia, there was also the Mole Queen – Aiko herself.
"I hope there won't be any internal conflicts..." she thought, nodding approvingly at the enthusiastic cheers of her "colleagues".

To her surprise, this establishment served seafood, and not just any seafood, but something high-quality and tentacled.
Folding her hands in a prayerful gesture, she closed her eyes for a few seconds, giving thanks to the sailors for this bounty, and said:
- Itadakimasu.
The tentacles were familiar and pleasant – she had tasted exactly the same ones many times in her native Nihon. This place will definitely be included in the travel guide.

During the gathering, she turned to the "maid":
- Astellia-san, is that you here? What an unexpected encounter.

-- Miss Aiyano, you have very interesting spiritual practices, -- the dwarf remarked during the feast, not publicly, but as if personally. -- Will you tell me more about the philosophy behind them? Does it originate from the distant islands of Mitsurugi, shrouded in mist and covered with red maple mountains? If you are comfortable with this conversation, of course.

- Mmm... - covering her mouth, the miko was silent for a long time, as she was intently chewing – for some reason, the tentacle stubbornly refused to go down her throat. - Ahem. I'm afraid it's impossible to tell you everything in a short conversation. Centuries of history and traditions of our land are behind them, which have gradually formed the final result. We don't have any established, set-in-stone dogmas, but if I simplify it to the most basic principles, then it is: respect for the memory of ancestors and the immutable phenomena of nature, as well as resistance to all kinds of evil. Everything in this world has its own soul, and this must be taken into account. In general, I think that you can see a similar attitude to things both on these islands and in other places.

- Faith means... - the topic of religion evoked not the most pleasant feeling, although Merel couldn't understand why. - Well, since this practice requires so much effort, some of which is even beyond our control, all that remains is to shrug. And I will definitely visit the Sanctuary when it is finished.

- I will be waiting for you, Merel-dono. It is never too late to take a step towards spiritual and cultural enlightenment.