#1005 The Saintess’ Development

Heyyyy. It’s me again.

Feels like it’s been forever, huh?

Well, that’s because ever since Platy and the others announced their pregnancies, it’s been a whirlwind every single day.

Seriously, it was like a baby explosion.

Almost every couple we know is expecting, so we’ve been busy with celebrations, preparing for the births, and dealing with morning sickness. It’s been topsy-turvy.

Thankfully...the young bachelorettes have been a huge help.

They stepped in where the guys were useless, running around supporting the expecting mothers.

You’ve got Aileron, Belena, Panu…

Letasreit scared the moms-to-be by saying, “Just eat beans, and your morning sickness will disappear!” And Horkosfon wasn’t any better with her “Natto is the cure!”

Garra Rufa, our doctor, should’ve been the most reliable, but everyone was oddly terrified of her.

I guess that’s just her reputation.

But the real MVP was one woman.

Saint Maradona.

She was everywhere, easing the pregnant women’s morning sickness with her magic touch.

Being a saintess, she had some home remedies up her sleeve that worked wonders for Platy, Zoth Syra, and Carp.

“It’s only natural! A saintess’ duty is to help the weak, and the sick are the weakest of them all!”

She lives by her noble ideals like always.

Even though she’s technically dead.

Not even Sensei could match her; he just stood back, watching her in awe as she worked her magic.

Saint Maradona died about a hundred years ago while adventuring in a dungeon.

She took on the world’s nastiest monster, a Lifeless King. A fatal mistake.

Funny enough, that same Lifeless King is now our buddy, Sesei.

He found her remains during a big cleanup and was about to cremate them, but then she came back to life.

Our farm sees a lot of these bizarre events.

There’s no point in questioning them at this point, really.

And so, the resurrected Saintess Maradona decided to live a quiet life under Sensei’s guidance.

Since she got a second chance at life, she figured she’d make the most of it and enjoy what she missed the first time around.

Most days, she studied with Sensei, helped out on the farm, and spent time in prayer, fully embracing her new life.

There was that one time she caused a bit of a stir by trying to introduce a Theology class at the Farm School, though.

Other than that, everything was peaceful and calm.

You’d think, being a saintess, she’d pull an “I can’t stay with you lowly peasants! I’m retreating to my room!” tantrum at least once.

But no, Maradona was surprisingly easygoing despite being a bit intense about her faith. Thanks to her harmonious nature, she blended in well with the already quirky farm residents.

She even got involved in the pregnancy bonanza, helping out so much that everyone was glad she came back to life.

“To think there are so many pregnancies at once! It’s like destiny! The gods must be blessing us!!!”

Classic Maradona, always giving credit to the gods.

She’s not wrong, though.

“To bless us with such a miracle, Lord Zeus is truly a merciful god...! Oh, Zeus, my faith in you grows ever stronger...!”

Oookay, that’s where she’s wrong.

Zeus had nothing to do with this. It was actually his dad, Cronus, and a co-conspirator.

Zeus and Cronus are practically enemies, so giving Zeus credit is way off.

But I didn’t correct her.

Breaking her innocent dreams felt cruel, and honestly, it was just easier to let it be.

What’s so bad about having dreams, anyway?

“Such wonderful news! We must show our gratitude and blessings through our actions!”

What’s she talking about now?

Her enthusiasm reminds me of Letasreit and Horkosfon in their early days.

Well, still today, really.

Maybe this headstrong enthusiasm is unique to the human race?

“Festival! We must have a festival!!!”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

A saintess?

Talking about a festival?

“You don’t understand! Festivals are originally ceremonies to show our gratitude to the gods! We must hold a grand festival to thank Zeus for all these bountiful blessings!”

Wouldn’t Zeus be confused about getting thanked for something he doesn’t remember doing?

...Maybe not.

Whether he remembers or not, if something good happens, it’s because of him. And if something bad happens, it’s definitely someone else’s fault.

That’s Zeus for you.

“Alrighty then! Let’s get started with the preparations! Oh, Zeus, watch over us from the heavens! I promise you a splendid ceremony!!!”

“Let’s not get too carried away, okay?”

In farm life, letting things like this go unchecked often leads to big trouble.

But considering Maradona has only been living on the farm for a short while, I thought it wouldn’t get too out of hand and decided to keep an eye on things.

It’s not Zeus watching; it’s me!

...That’s what it is.

***

Thus, Maradona began building an altar in an empty corner of the farm.

“All right, the altar is complete! Even I am amazed at how skillfully I put this together! Zeus will surely be pleased!!!”

“Hmm...!”

The altar Maradona built...

Flowers here, flowers there, flowers everywhere...!

Not just one kind, at least twenty different types, making it incredibly colorful...!

With so many flowers, it almost looks like a funeral arrangement, which is a bit disrespectful.

“That’s quite extravagant...!”

“Not really.”

The one explaining beside me was Yartelens, a former priest who now lives on the farm.

He often helps out Sensei at the Farm School.

“The altar the saintess made is actually very simple and primitive. It’s made entirely of natural materials, with pure gratitude to the gods. It’s a very pure and sincere altar.”

“Huh...”

Is the lengthy explanation a habit from his priest days?

“In comparison, the ceremonies conducted by the church before its downfall were opulent and shameless. The altars were made of pure gold, decorated with jewels and ivory, and filled with rare delicacies from around the world. They even forcibly recruited noble girls as priestesses... It was all vanity and arrogance!!!”

Yartelens is getting quite worked up.

He was known for being one of the rare sensible priests, so he must have been deeply frustrated with the corrupt state of the church.

“In contrast, Saintess Maradona’s altar is simple and pure! The church should have followed such a modest path! Maradona has returned to show us the way!!!”

No, it’s just a coincidence.

Yartelens’ passion for Maradona is overflowing.

His deep devotion is what makes him a true believer.

And Maradona herself is the same.

She immediately begins praying in front of the completed altar.

“...I offer my thanks and prayers to the heavenly Zeus.”

Oh, her prayers are indeed solemn and powerful, as expected of a saintess.

“Today, many lives have come to this earth by your grace. You have said, ‘If you are born, be a woman. If you grow up beautiful, you can be my lover. Men should just die.’”

Wow, what a load of bull...

“Today, the world is peaceful thanks to you. May we continue to prosper under the protection of heavenly Zeus. Eloim Essaim, Eloim Essaim...!”

As Maradona prays, something suddenly changes.

Is the sky rumbling?

Dark clouds swirl, and a bolt of heat shoots down from them.

And as soon as the bolt hit the ground, a great blaze erupted...

“Who dares pray to that lousy brother? Nay, lousy little brother, at this timeeeee!!!”

And from within the flames emerges a... woman?

Emerging from the flames, it’s clear they’re no ordinary person. With fiery red hair like a blazing inferno and features so striking they seem otherworldly, it’s obvious they’re something beyond human.

Is this... a goddess?

The goddess Vesta has descended!