#1006 The Saintess and the Virgin Goddess

The ground erupted in flames, and from those flames emerged a goddess.

You probably don’t understand what I’m talking about, but… Well, maybe you do.

This sort of thing isn’t too out of the ordinary on the farm.

If a phoenix can rise from the flames, why not a woman?

In this world, it’s just common sense.

Oh, and just to put your mind at ease, the area on fire is a field we were planning to clear anyway, so there’s no need to worry about a wildfire.

If anything, it’s turning into a useful slash-and-burn.

...Now.

Who exactly is this striking woman emerging from the flames?

“...Ahem, I hath been summoned, and thus didst I appear. My name is Vesta, known also as Hestia, the goddess who watches over hearth, home, and family.”

I knew she was a goddess.

I figured as much when Maradona was praying, but now it’s confirmed.

But why exactly is a goddess here?

“...What? Who is the fool of fools, who doth pray to the likes of Zeus in this dire moment? With mine foolish brother sealed and his influence weakened, even a small flow of power to him is unwelcome!!!”

Well, there you have it.

The goddess is furious that someone prayed to Zeus. Does this mean she’s his enemy or something?

“No, Vesta is actually a sibling of Zeus.”

Thanks for the reliable explanation, Sensei.

With him around, everything just flows smoothly!

“Vesta, or Hestia, is one of the six original Olympian siblings. Born as a daughter of Cronus, she sided with her brother Zeus against their father and helped in the divine war.”

Huh, so they’re a close-knit family?

“Hohoho... Children of men, allow me to impart unto thee a truth that transcends even thine world.”

Oh?

What’s this profound truth, goddess?

“Those who unite against a common foe shall, once that foe is vanquished, turn upon one another and vie amongst themselves. This truth is absolute.”

Umm… okay.

The intensity of her expression makes me nod along.

“When we, the siblings of Olympus, had just overthrown our father, it was Zeus who first acted. Wishing not to share his dominion of the heavens, Zeus banished his brothers Hades and Poseidon, promising them rule over separate realms. Thus did he strive to secure his rule by marrying all remaining sisters unto himself.”

“There were several points of pure awfulness in that short sentence.”

What else can you expect from Zeus? He can’t be a jerk in just one way.

“In the end, only our youngest sister, Hera, accepted his proposal, while Demetersephone, the second sister, avoided such fate by wedding Hades. As for myself, wishing to wed no one, I swore an eternal vow of chastity to escape marriage.”

Wow.

Saying you’d rather remain a virgin forever than marry your brother is pretty much saying, “I’d rather die.”

You can really sense Vesta’s frustration here.

“Ah, how unbecoming it is to speak so of mine own history upon immediate descent! The mere recollection of those events seethes mine own very entrails with rage. I find myself unable to restrain such outbursts, even after millennia...!”

So, Vesta the goddess appears, and her complaints about her brother Zeus are unstoppable.

We haven’t even gotten to why she’s here.

“Indeed! By now, thou must understand how deeply I despise mine foolish brother Zeus! If I sense someone offering prayers unto him, I shall descend merely to voice mine complaints!”

“Goddess Vesta!!!”

The one who prayed… Saintess Maradona, is now prostrating herself before the goddess who descended out of nowhere.

“For us, the faithful, meeting a god is the ultimate joy! Proof of our faith! A miracle! Thank you, goddess, thank youuuuuuuuuuu!”

She’s so overwhelmed with emotion that even Vesta, who came down in a rage, is taken aback.

“O-Oh? T-Truly? As a goddess, ‘tis pleasing to be so devoutly worshiped... But wait, why hath I descended to the mortal realm? Of late, the gods have decreed that we may no longer descend freely.”

“That must be because my prayer was so devout!”

Maradona does not have a shadow of doubt about her faith.

But calling down a goddess just by praying? There’s got to be another reason.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?”

Sensei the Lifeless King always arrives at the perfect moment, dropping some new info.

“It appears to me that Maradona’s prayer accidentally turned into a summoning spell. And that’s how the goddess Vesta got called here, don’t you think?”

“I summoned her?! Does that mean my faith is that strong?!”

“Even with your peculiar origin as a Lifeless King, you should be able to manage summoning spells. But summoning a god right off the bat is impressive! As expected of my student!”

Their conversation isn’t exactly clicking, but they’re both thrilled and dancing around in joy.

Oh, right.

Maradona died once, turned into a skeleton, absorbed the dungeon’s mana, and was revived as a special Lifeless King.

Naturally, something like summoning a god might just happen, right?

“So I was summoned purely by happenstance? As a goddess, this doth wound mine own pride somewhat.”

Vesta, the goddess, suddenly looks a bit confused.

Sorry for summoning you out of the blue, especially when you’re so busy.

“Given how fervently prayers were offered unto Zeus, it would be most fitting for Zeus himself to be summoned. Yet, my foolish brother is strictly imprisoned, and thus, it seems I have been drawn forth in his stead. To serve as a substitute for that wretched brother of mine doth utterly shatter my pride... into the smallest of pieces...!”

“I have an idea why this happened!!!”

Maradona raises a hand.

“When I was in the church, I took a vow to become a Vesta’s Virgin. Maybe that connection is why you got summoned!”

“Vesta’s Virgin? Oh...!”

Vesta’s face twisted in displeasure as soon as she heard that phrase.

“Indeed, there was such a custom... a vow of lifelong chastity taken in mine own name, to remain pure until death. ‘Twas not I who initiated such a practice, however...”

Vesta stares off into the distance.

“But know this, though the Vesta’s Virgins didst take their vows, I am aware that some still did take lovers, marry, and bear children. There is naught hidden from the eyes of the gods, and yet, some didst this all the same...!”

Vesta’s watching.

“At one time, a fad of purity swept the land, and women were exalted for their virginity! Yet if thou art to uphold such a virtue, then do so with resolve! But nay, nearly all didst succumb to their primal instincts, and it doth vex me greatly! To make matters worse, they dare to invoke mine own name as a comparison! Know this—I did not take the vow of a virgin goddess by choice! ‘Twas only to fend off my perverse brother who didst pursue me relentlessly, and thus I did make this vow as an act of desperate avoidance...!”

Whoa, whoa, goddess, calm down...

So, it seems there was a time when following Vesta’s example and vowing lifelong purity was all the craze.

“Not so much anymore. It was a big thing about one or two hundred years ago,” explains Yartelens.

That perfectly aligns with Maradona’s era.

“Rest assured, Goddess Vesta! I’m not just any virgin!”

Looking down on casual virgins is a sign of a genre in decline!

“True, many at the church took vows to be Vesta’s Virgins and secretly enjoyed romances. They said it was more thrilling because it was forbidden!”

“Cease using the gods as mere spices to season thy romances!”

“But I’m different! I willingly took the vow and even earned a near-first class rank!”

Wait, there are ranks?

“And I kept my vow, remaining pure until death! All out of devotion to you, Vesta! My faith is unmatched!!!”

Typical Saint Maradona.

Always all in.

“Alas... but thou...”

Vesta doesn’t seem very moved.

“It is well that thou dost hold great faith in me... yet thou shouldst marry, for it is by bearing and raising children that mankind doth prosper.”

“Eh?”

“I was compelled to vow chastity due to mine unruly brother, yet as a deity tasked with watching over the family, I do greatly encourage marriage and childbirth. Thou, too, shouldst return to the secular life when the time is right, marry, and bear and raise a fine child.”

“But I’m dead.”

“Furthermore, dost thou not agree? A woman is meant to know love, to truly live. ‘Twas only recently that I came to understand the importance of love.”

Wait, what?

Suddenly, things got all sweet and romantic.

Did Vesta finally find love after thousands of years?

“The gentleman in question is most earnest, troubled by the dire circumstances in which I find myself, and hath shown anger on mine behalf, as though my plight were his own. And lo, even now, he doth seize and instruct the troublesome Hera and Athena, declaring that their lack of seriousness is due to their lack of scholarly pursuits...!”

Education?

Could it be...?!

“He is called Sugawara no Michizane. He is said to be a friend of my father, though it is a most unexpected thing that my father should introduce me to so honorable a person. Yet, thanks to him, each day is now filled with purpose...!!!”

Michizane, what have you been up to...?!

It seems love is in full bloom, not just in the mortal world but even in the realm of the gods.