☀️ Arselia and Akonia

Unable to muster the courage to blush in the face of the priest when he mentioned the word "bandit," she simply clasps her hand in gratitude and bows to the abbot.
- I have been warned many times that, given my situation, it is best to stay away from the Church, and I can understand why. But still, I am just a person. As I said, I have dedicated my life to eradicating the entities of the Abyss that seek to harm our world, such as demons, evil spirits, and ghosts, and I firmly believe that I can be of some use to those who live here, proving my words with deeds. That is why I crossed your threshold. To hide until the very end, not venturing out of the forest or a crevice between stones, would be disrespectful to the world around me and to your path, which I cannot help but see similarities to my own, although now I see that, by all accounts, it would have been wiser. And yet... I understand your core principle, which also resonates with my heart – to prevent harm to the world and its inhabitants, and I generally understand that it stems from the conflict with foreign entities. Unfortunately, for the reason mentioned above, I was never able to gain a complete understanding of this picture. I had hoped to speak with the previous abbot, thinking that he could paint a more detailed picture, after all, a book does not always provide the same information as a person who is truly involved in the matter. Except for jumping out of a hot air balloon or cutting one's veins, studying the history of the world, better understanding its laws and their root causes, is a primary and necessary step that I can – and must – take on my part.

- "Just a person." The Arselian abbot sighs. - If a demon, evil spirit, or ghost were to proclaim its humanity before you, would you be so eager to take its words to heart? Especially since the sincerity of your decision to cross this threshold can easily be questioned by the fact that you are accompanied by a bodyguard who is ready to pounce on any source of danger to you at any moment. - Bruno turns his judgmental gaze to Lord. - I have encountered fanatical followers of Rinze, heretical Rishists and Gnostics who distort the laws of nature, and soulless bandits of Tevta, but to see a son of Anuzish swear his love for a simple alien, not even a celestial or otherworldly goddess, in the middle of a temple hostile to her, in the presence of its own abbot... If I were keeping a diary, I would definitely add an entry about this unique experience. - Gathering his thoughts, he turns his attention back to the newcomer. - Our world, like any other, lives by certain rules. For example, those born to crawl cannot fly, and mortal shells, to sustain life, need the gifts of nature, and each is allotted a certain time. All this is necessary for the harmonious existence of our planet, but otherworldly entities are trying to disrupt this order in every way possible. Look at yourself, for example, even though you look like us, you are surely endowed with certain otherworldly qualities or abilities? Moreover, their nature and your intentions regarding them are of no importance - this is something that should not exist, no matter how tempting the fruits of its "correct" use may be. The consequences of the blasphemous use of these forces are not far off - Necropolis, the land of the undead, is one of them. Monogath and those he has converted may think that their idea of defeating death, hunger, and other "inconvenient" aspects of human life is a good one, but I think you will agree that this is not the case. Of course, if what you said about yourself is true... During the war with the celestials, it was the same, only on a much larger scale. If it were not for Arselia and our righteous ancestors, this world might not exist anymore.