Side Story: Amy (8)

A lot had happened, but the Villainess should have arrived in the Empire by now. She was supposed to transform into the final boss and attack come winter, right?

In that case, I figured it would be a good idea to grab the Holy Staff of Guidance ahead of schedule. The Scenario was already a total mess, but as long as I had that staff, I was guaranteed to become the Saint.

That gloomy loner might have sabotaged my Blessing event, but since I hadn't hit a Game Over yet, it just proved that the event hadn't been necessary to begin with. Honestly, I’m kind of a genius for realizing that, don't you think?

Once I'd made up my mind, there was no time like the present. I asked Karl-sama to track down an abandoned church for me—specifically, the one where my staff was waiting. When we headed into the forest west of the Royal Capital to investigate a lead, we found it almost immediately.

There were supposed to be dozens of abandoned churches scattered around, so the fact that I’d found the right one so effortlessly was a sign. Yes, it was definitive proof that I was the Heroine.

And there it was, resting upon the altar—the staff!

Oh, wow. It was a gorgeous piece of work, looking exactly like the CG stills I’d seen in the game. I put on a little performance to properly recreate the event.

"W-What is this?" I asked, breathless.

"It is the staff meant for Amy. Is it not?" Karl-sama replied.

"It’s so beautiful, it took my breath away... Is it really alright for someone like me to touch it?"

"Of course. This staff has undoubtedly chosen you, Amy."

"Leo... Y-Yes. I understand."

The moment my fingers closed around the wood, a voice echoed inside my head.

“O seeker of guidance. I recognize the strength of your desire and shall bestow power upon you.”

A moment later, my entire body was enveloped in a pillar of light. When the glow finally subsided, I felt a surge of absolute certainty. I had become a truly special existence.

Fufufu, it was the most incredible feeling in the world.

Karl-sama and the others were staring at me, their eyes wide with shock.

"A-Amy? That light just now..." Karl-sama stammered, his face pale with surprise. Leo looked just as stunned.

Marcus and Oscar had actually collapsed to the floor, their mouths hanging agape as they stared up at me.

Fufu. I wondered if they were falling in love with me all over again now that I’d awakened as the Saint.

"Karl-sama, I’ve just awakened as the Saint of Benevolence. Everyone feels it too, don't they?"

"Ah... yes, that’s right," he managed.

"I think so, too," Leo added.

The two of them agreed without a second thought.

"See? Marcus, Oscar—you think so too, right?"

I turned toward the two who were still too stunned to speak and gave them a beaming smile.

"Yes. I believe so as well," Marcus said.

"That's right. I agree. The Saint of Benevolence is the perfect fit for a girl as kind as Amy," Oscar added.

Fufu. As I thought, they all saw it. I was so happy!

"Thank you, everyone!"

Fufu. How do you like that? This was my total victory!

From that day on, Karl-sama and the others were kinder to me than ever. I suppose that’s just the power of being a Saint.

There were some downsides, though. It was incredibly annoying to be constantly ogled by men I didn't even want looking at me. It felt like my already-cute looks had been polished to a blinding shine, but it was a total drag. I wanted to tell them to stop staring already!

Well, unless they were hotties. I was more than happy to let handsome guys look. After all, a woman needs an audience to truly become beautiful.

There was something else, too. I didn't quite understand why, but ever since I became the Saint of Benevolence, everyone started doing whatever I said. In the game, I was supposed to go to Westerdale and struggle through these long, desperate scenes to persuade various people, so this felt a bit strange. I’d memorized all the dialogue choices perfectly, so it felt like a bit of a waste.

According to the lore, the Saint of Benevolence moved people's hearts through her prayers for peace. Since the Scenario had gone off the rails, I figured the world was just skipping the boring parts for my sake. Yes, that had to be it. No doubt about it.

All that was left was to flee to Westerdale once the Royal Capital came under attack. Then I’d just ask Claude to dispatch the army to save us.

That was the plan, anyway, but then everything went sideways. Apparently, we fought the Est Empire and won? I had no idea how that even happened.

On top of that, the Villainess’s family—who were supposed to be executed—were still alive. And to make matters worse, that gloomy loner supposedly took the head of the Empire’s Crown Prince himself. Did he go all the way there just to rescue his precious Villainess? It almost made me want to cry.

Wait, if that was the case, what happened to her? If she were safe, I would’ve heard rumors. That meant it must have been too late. She was probably dead, or maybe so broken she was no longer fit to be seen. Or, hey, maybe she’d already been charmed by the Magic Sword and turned into a Dark Knight.

Fufu, how unfortunate for her. Fufufu.

It served her right. That gloomy loser who kept getting in my way lost his Villainess; now he’ll have to crawl back and kneel before me, the true Heroine.

Aha, aha, ahahahaha!

Or so I thought... but things were still weird. Now the Villainess’s family was raising a flag of rebellion against the King and cutting off the wheat supply.

That’s treason, isn't it? When I mentioned it to Karl-sama, he gallantly volunteered to lead the subjugation. He was so cool! My Karl-sama really was the best. He was going to reclaim the lands of Centlaren from the hands of those traitors.

Wait? Maybe this was the final boss fight? Defeating the Villainess’s family to reach the ending? The Empire was already dealt with, so this had to be it.

Yes, that was definitely it!

So, I spoke to Karl-sama and the King. I told them that since the Empire's Crown Prince was dead, we should focus every bit of our strength on crushing those rebels. They both showered me with praise, saying it was exactly what they’d expect from the Saint of Benevolence.

Fufufu. Now I was the King’s officially recognized Saint. His eyes were a bit lecherous when he looked at me, but that was just the price of fame. Even a King can't help but stare at a woman as popular as me. It was only natural, after all.

Ahaha.

Ah—this felt amazing.