"Yes! And that's exactly what I mean!" Seimei's emphatic agreement is accompanied by a similarly emphatic gesture. "But many people no longer see it that way. If one asks a deity to do something - say, heal the sick, or bring the rain - and leaves it in their hands, it's religion. But if one uses one's own spiritual powers to do the same things, with or without the aid of gods, it's magic, and somehow a lesser thing."

Seimei's not even going to get into the issue of how many people in his world simply don't believe in magic anymore. That's a more recent development.

"They may make some allowances if such magic is done by a cleric, and involves powers and rites recognized by their own religion. But otherwise, it's magic. Or, well, heresy. Sometimes the two are used interchangeably."