#960 The True History

I couldn’t shake off the suspicion that it might be someone else with the same name, so I decided to check directly with the saintess herself, Maradona.

“Yes, that’s right. I am the very same Saintess Maradona.”

Rrrrrreallyyyyy?

Even though I can’t fully believe it, our devout friend Yartellens, on the other hand, immediately falls prostrate in awe.

“Saintesssssssssssssssssss! I can’t believe I’m meeting you in personnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn! Coming here was the best decision everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!”

Yartellens was originally involved with the church. He was a conscientious believer who was concerned about its corruption.

In other words, he’s a hardcore devotee.

So, what happens when such a hardcore believer meets a well-known saint ranked A in fame?

Rebellion, that’s what.

“Lord Saint! The farm is truly a wonderful place! It’s a sacred land indeed!”

Sacred land, huh?

Well, if this place was featured in an anime, it might be called that.

“But seriously, are you really the Maradona from the legends?”

Still in disbelief, I give her a skeptical look.

Because, listen...

According to the legends Yartellens told us, Saintess Maradona was pure, noble, and compassionate. She never wavered in her convictions, even when trapped by corrupt church officials.

This virtuous and strong-willed woman doesn’t match at all with the slightly clueless girl in front of us.

To be blunt... are you sure you’re not mistaken for someone else?

“Don’t be ridiculous! There was no other saintess named Maradona in the church!”

Maybe not from your generation, but what about earlier ones?

“The legendary Saintess Maradona was said to live a life of poverty and simplicity, right?”

“Well, I did live frugally! Because I needed money!!!”

...Um?

 Excuse me?

“My dream is to exterminate the Lifeless Kings that infest the world! For that, I needed funds! War funds! So I saved money and cut back on expenses!!”!

...Oh.

And the rumor about hiding your face to avoid the advances of the lecherous church higher-ups?

“That’s true.”

Oh, it is true.

“I couldn’t become the Pope’s mistress when my dream was to hunt down Lifeless Kings. I thought hiding my face would stop the advances, but hiding it made rumors spread that I was a beauty!!!”

People’s imagination runs wild when they can’t see something.

That pattern applies everywhere.

Seeing Maradona with my own eyes, she’s... well, she’s not unattractive, but she has a more youthful, cute look.

She’s definitely not the type to be remembered in history as an extraordinary beauty.

Well, if we’re talking about beauty, my wife Platy is way above her! (Personal opinion)

Anyway... let’s continue the questions.

It feels like there’s a gap between the story and reality.

“You were forced by your superiors to go fight Lifeless Kings, right?”

“Is that what they say? I volunteered to fight them.”

The more I hear, the more Saintess Maradona’s “Lifeless Kings Must Die” attitude stands out.

Though, in reality, she was killed by one of them.

“My superiors were hesitant, so it was hard to get permission. I had to promise to marry the Pope if I succeeded to finally get the pass.”

Wait, could it be...?

The truth behind the legend of “Go slay the monster or marry me” was actually...?

So, the legendary story was just the result of a girl's obsession with killing Lifeless Kings stirring things up.

Why are you so bent on defeating Lifeless Kings?

Did one of them kill your parents?

“Not really, but as a clergy, it’s natural to want to eradicate the evil undead. I already told you that.”

Oh, right, you did say that.

But with such a vague motive, did you really create such a historical upheaval?

“Well... if I had to say, it’s because I wanted to follow in the footsteps of the person I admired most.”

Huh?

The story took a turn.

“He was a priest who set out to eradicate all the evil in the world and never returned... I wanted to be a priest like him, and so I started my journey to exterminate Lifeless Kings!!!”

Based on her story, he must be one bloodthirsty priest.

Instead of focusing on deepening his faith, he put all his energy into slaying God’s enemies. Is that really what a priest should be doing?

And this priest that absolutely no one would want to meet is...?

“Lord Thomack Moore!!!”

Huh?!

That name sounds familiar.

Didn’t Yartellens just mention it repeatedly a while ago?

“Oooohhh! So I really am an evil creature after allllllllllllll!!!”

Sensei’s still not done lamenting.

***

Meanwhile, Saintess Maradona has gotten a grasp of various circumstances, but the person in question still doesn’t understand a thing.

Nothing about the situation she’s in.

So, I tried to explain things to her...

“Wow, so it’s been 300 years since I set out on my quest?”

Did she really understand?

Maradona’s reaction was pretty nonchalant.

“It’s frustrating, but I lost to a Lifeless King and died. Then, after a long time, I was resurrected...! As expected of a follower of God! A saintess is all about performing miracles!”

And she’s ridiculously optimistic.

Did this positivity cause some historical upheaval?

“So, what’s this about Thomack Moore being a bloodthirsty, battle-crazy priest?” I ask Yartellens, the history expert.

Meanwhile, Sensei is delighted, saying, “I’m glad there wasn’t a poor saintess caught up in political machinations!”

It seems Sensei has made sense of the situation in his own way.

Anyway, Yartellens’ history lesson begins again.

“Lord Thomack Moore, known as the defiant saint, was a figure from about a thousand years ago, before Saintess Maradona.”

I glance at Sensei for a moment and then look back.

“He lamented the corruption in the church and fought alone to restore it to its rightful purity. In that regard, he has something in common with Saintess Maradona.”

That supposedly pure saintess was just a ‘Lifeless King hitman’. Wait, since she’s a woman, it’s Lifeless King hitwoman?

“Lord Thomack Moore is remembered for his wisdom and unwavering spirit, which never succumbed to any injustice. But what draws the most attention is the mysterious nature of his death.”

A mysterious death...?

“There are many mysteries surrounding Lord Thomack Moore’s death. One day, he picked up a sword enshrined in the temple. At that moment, his eyes changed color, and he looked like a demon, then suddenly dashed out...!!!”

Whoa...!

“Lord Thomack Moore ran out of the temple, and although people chased him, they couldn’t catch up. Eventually, they lost him. He was never seen again.”

“So, that’s how Lord Thomack Moore’s end was recorded!!!”

Even Maradona joins in.

Do history buffs get drawn to such stories?

“Why did Lord Thomack Moore disappear? What was he thinking when he picked up the sword? These mysteries have led to many theories and speculations.”

“The theory that the church hierarchy who found him annoying assassinated him! The theory that the constant overwork drove him to a sudden disappearance! And even the theory that the sword he picked up was cursed and it killed him!”

History is built from records left to future generations. Conversely, where records are absent, there are gaps, and filling those gaps is the imagination of those who come later.

That’s where the romance of history lies.

“But I know the truth! The real story of history!!!” Maradona declares confidently. “The real reason Thomack Moore dashed off was to wipe out all evil in the world!”

“Huh?”

“Someone as pure and upright as Lord Thomack Moore must have been determined to protect the world from all evil! And for that, he needed power! The sword he picked up must have been a holy sword! He was convinced that with it, he could destroy all evil and embarked on a journey to exterminate all demons!!!”

There it was, a brand new wild theory.

Could it be that Maradona believed this theory so much that she became a huge fan and tried to follow in Thomack Moore’s footsteps?

And after becoming a saintess, she set out on a journey to eliminate Lifeless Kings.

Is this the true story of history?