Side Story: Amy (10)

"Haa... haa... Lord Karl..."

"Amy, hang in there. We’re almost across the border."

"He is right. Once we cross, we can return to the Royal Capital."

I ran with everything I had. I never imagined things would spiral out of control like this.

"Leo and Oscar stayed behind to let us escape," Karl said. "We have to survive, if only to make their sacrifice mean something."

"Y-Yeah..."

That’s right. No matter how much that gloom-wad cheated, there’s no way he could’ve survived those wounds. And Leo should have no problem taking down that Villainess. She didn't look like she was in top form anyway.

But still...

"I see it! A village!"

"Wait... are we actually safe?" I gasped.

"We are," Marcus confirmed. "We have finally escaped the territory occupied by those rebels."

"Oh, thank goodness..."

The moment relief washed over me, the strength drained right out of my legs. Before I could fall, Lord Karl swept me up into a princess carry.

"Kya! L-Lord Karl..."

"Don't worry about it, Amy. I'm doing this because I want to. I'm sorry for making you walk all the way here."

I shook my head with practiced, adorable fragility.

"No. I'm just happy to have Lord Karl and Marcus by my side."

I looked up at him through my lashes, then cast my eyes down slightly, speaking with a voice full of feigned determination.

"Let’s go! We have to do this for the two of them!"

"You're right."

"We must protect Amy," Marcus added. "For their sake as well."

I nodded at their words. Somehow, we had managed to escape back to the Royal Capital with our lives.

Ugh, seriously. How did everything get so messy?

I finally became the Saint of Benevolence, so why did the Second Prince manage to escape? And a succession struggle breaking out now of all times? Honestly!

Those northern nobles defying me better watch their backs. And now I hear the front lines against the Est Empire are being pushed back? What is going on? I knew the soldiers in this country were a bunch of lightweights, but this is ridiculous.

Wait. I just had a brilliant idea.

It’ll be a bit of a hassle, but let’s go with this strategy.

Now that I’ve decided, I need to go 'request' a favor from Lord Karl.

"To think you would volunteer for such a task yourself... you really are something, Amy."

"It's true," Marcus agreed. "Since becoming the Saint of Benevolence, Amy has been growing at a pace that makes me feel like we’re being left behind."

"Oh, stop it, you two! You're flattering me way too much," I said, putting on my best bashful act. "Besides, I am the Saint of Benevolence. This is the least I should do!"

Hehe. I don't think I can max out their affection levels any further, but their favorability is still climbing steadily.

"Now, Amy, we've arrived."

Lord Karl escorted me into a large hall. A massive crowd of soldiers had been gathered there. Karl stepped forward to address them.

"Men, thank you for gathering. As you know, our nation faces the Est Empire to the east and the rebel former Duke Ramslett to the south. In the north, my foolish younger brother has been deceived by the rebel Duke Schlestein into starting a senseless rebellion."

Lord Karl is so dreamy when he's being authoritative. His speeches are the best.

"However! The reason the Royal Capital and its people can live in peace is because of your bravery on the field!"

""""Uoooohhhhh!""""

"Therefore! Our King's officially recognized Saint of Benevolence, Amy, has come here to encourage you. Out of the goodness of her heart, Amy has offered to personally cheer on each and every one of you. Form an orderly line and wait for your turn to speak with her!"

""""Uoooohhhhh!""""

Hehe, perfect. This is 'The Saint You Can Meet Operation'!

The soldiers lined up with pathetic predictability. All I had to do now was process them one by one, exactly like a high-stakes handshake event.

"I-I'm Daniel, ma'am! I'm a Knight apprentice. U-Um... you're really beautiful!"

"Oh, Lord Daniel! You're such a flatterer," I chirped. "Being an apprentice must be so difficult. Please, do your best for all of us!"

"Yes, ma'am! I will!"

"Next!" a guard called out.

"Wait a moment," I interrupted. "I want to grant Lord Daniel a Blessing."

I grabbed the hand of this unremarkable guy and peered up into his eyes. It was almost cute how quickly his face turned bright red.

"The Saint of Benevolence, Amy, will always be cheering for you. Please protect everyone, okay, Lord Daniel?"

Daniel looked like he was walking on air as he left. And just like that, Daniel is a total fanboy. Next!

"I-I'm Oliver! Knight apprentice! Um... you're wonderful!"

From there, it was a repetitive loop. It was time-consuming, but as long as I thought of them as a pile of potatoes, it wasn't so bad. Since they were Knights, they were at least in decent shape. There were plenty of scary faces, but at least there weren't any 'creepy-fats' in the mix. If I’d had to shake hands with guys like that, I wouldn't have lasted an hour.

"Amy, thank you for your hard work today."

"Indeed, Amy, that was impressive. The soldiers' morale has soared."

"Oh, please. I only did what I could."

"Your humility is as wonderful as your spirit, Amy."

I held these handshake events for different groups of soldiers every day. The results were instantaneous. I even 'healed' some of the injured, and soon enough, I was the legendary, beautiful, and kind 'Lady Amy, the Saint of Benevolence' to the entire rank and file.

Just the other day, I overheard a mere Knight apprentice seriously debating how he could best serve 'Lady Amy.'

It’s laughable. To think I view you people as nothing more than potatoes. But by all means, keep working yourselves to death for my sake.

Still, the power of the Saint of Benevolence is incredibly convenient. In the game, she used prayers and words to debuff the final boss Villainess, but... well, Leo should have handled that, so there won't be a 'next time' for her.

Leo... you're coming back to me, right?

.

.

.

Oops, I'm getting sidetracked.

Anyway, the only thing left is The Church. Once I get those fossils to recognize me, there won't be a soul left in this kingdom who can deny my status. But they are so stubborn. They keep saying it’s no good because I haven’t performed a 'miracle' yet, or they demand 'theological proof.'

My very existence is the proof! Why can't they see that? Dealing with stupid people is such a pain. Really.