The Goddess' Champion

"We have everything we need, some smoke arrays, some explosive arrays... you said that it is not worthy to get clothes here?" Constantine and Zamira were still checking for items, having taken a lot of stuff that they carried in their hands.

"Yes, only the armour plates, they have mithril and iron here, but the clothes are too expensive, I know a shop we can get better clothes for way less price!" She didn't want him to spend anymore, a thousand gold coins were enough money for a normal family to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, and they just spent it in less than a day!

The Quality of the things they had gotten was undeniable, but it came along a big price.

"We have spent almost a thousand now, there are a hundred coins left." He said, that was his deal with Inkseth and he planned to move along with it, the special guild badge was something he deemed extremely necessary.

While walking through a passage filled with artefacts, Zamira's eyes focused in a single one, shining brightly.

"There are three spatial rings! those are extremely strange, each costs a hundred... to think they have three in this branch." She said and picked one before eyeing him back and forth, the ring was beautiful.

"What's a spatial ring?" He regarded it with disinterest, aside from looking glamorous, it didn't look quite special.

"It is a ring that allows you to use a subdimension where you can store things, those rings are created by sorcerers and witches, they're extremely difficult to find as space magic is ancient magic that no longer exists as a common trend, the rings that exist are the only ones there are, at least in this town of loup there is not a single sorcerer able to use Ancient Magic." She explained the item's origin and Constantine considered buying it as its usage was a commodity, to be able to carry stuff without a pack or even showing it for potential thieves?

This was a must-get item.

[You don't need to get yourself one, I will create a subdimension for you.] Zebellia said suddenly, much to his bewilderment.

'And what do you want in exchange?' He wasn't stupid, that greedy horse does nothing for free.

[It is good that you're a quick learner. My request is simple, once you're strong enough... I want you to go in that dimensional rift that we found in that cave, right now you're far from being qualified, but later you might grow strong enough to merely take a peek.]

'Why don't you go there yourself?'

[Because I can't, fool! I can't head into a dimension that's not where you're at.]

'So troublesome...'

[You can always reject and get your hands in that rubbish, useless ring instead of the quality product that I, a time valkyrie, can give you.]

'Is that some sort of shameless marketing strategy?'

[It is, so? yes or not...? I don't know where it will take you, but it is likely to be the Realm of the Gods... if that's the case you should be at least a demigod before you step in there.]

'What would be the difference between a subdimension created by you, or one created by the ring?'

[Of course, mine will have higher quality! if you destroy that ring, everything inside it will be lost, but with mine, not only will you get as much space as you need, it won't be easily destroyed either.] She explained proudly, too much may he add.

'If that's the only request you have, I accept...' It wasn't a promise that needed to be accomplished straight away, without any pressure on his shoulders, Constantine had no reason to deny, in fact, there were no clauses in here, she said 'once you're strong enough' she didn't specify how strong or a time limit.

'You're such an easy horse to scam.'

[Did you say something?]

'Not at all, when are you making the ring?' He smiled brightly.

[I will create it then, but not here, who knows what sort of entities are in this place, I might create spatial waves that could be detected, once you're in a secluded place, I will do it.]

...

"There is no need for me to get one, Zamira... I will get you and Andre one each." He explained to Zamira and ended up taking the three rings anyway, since they're as odd as she said and this shop only has three, he might be able to find some usage for the third ring.

"Andre?" Zamira noticed that he had been buying weapons, and equipment for three people instead of two.

"I plan to have Andre as my retainer as well, if he accepts." He had his doubts, but there was something within that told him that Andre would accept, the man's love for his family mostly, but that love could be taken into two different approaches, it all depended on Andre's decision.

"He's quite capable indeed, b-but to think I'd ever have a spatial ring..." This was top-range equipment that only the wealthiest of humans possessed, nobles above all, then there was her new sword which she considered to be a gift from him to her, she loved it.

"And we will get our hands in more, Zamira... this is just the beginning~" The conqueror said enthusiastically as if he could feel the wealth in his hands already.

"Hmn!"

"With this, we have everything we need, the problem is, we need to check them with Ludmilla before purchasing them, that's as much of an advantage as it is a disadvantage." His mind had already gone through several ideas, stratagems and steps.

"Yes, she can check what we have and figure out our plans." Zamira thought they could distract her somehow, it was easy to tell that they planned to escape merely by looking at the number of smoke arrays they had gotten, but there were explosives too.

Constantine shook his hand with a chuckle and embraced her by the shoulder as if they were pals, making her blush at his sudden action.

"Watch and learn, Zamira... sometimes you have to give a person a different impression to lure them into what you desire of them, a person is a cluster of feelings and intentions, manipulate them at your will~"  He said and his entire behaviour changed into that of a man ready for battle.

So far she had questioned herself why he never looked afraid while she couldn't help but feel apprehension at the prospect of facing an elf, a noble one at that, she'd rather face the group of ogres from before than that woman.

'I-Is that the reason he's not afraid? is he so confident in himself like that?'

Zamira didn't understand entirely, but she was beginning to do so, slowly but surely.

All she desired was to possess that confidence.

**

**

"Now now, let's see what you've got, explosives... is that how you plan to face me?~" Ludmilla checked the items one by one, shamelessly ogling and thinking of what strategy the little hybrid came upon.

"I'm going to fight you head-on, Ludmilla... the moment I put on these plates, you will see." Constantine's glare was equivalent to sharp daggers, it sent Ludmilla the message that now that he was properly equipped, he was confident in facing her.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you, that human woman, however, is a different story." Ludmilla giggled and all of her killing intent was focused on Zamira who merely glared back at her with unfriendliness.

"A thousand two hundred twenty gold coins~" Her hand extended forward, awaiting the pretty gold coins.

"Here... Zamira, let's go and change, we need to wear the plates, do you have any changing spot?" He said, having long seen the location of the changing spot.

"There, don't take too long." Ludmilla started to do her own business, placing the coins inside a small chest while they walked away towards the 'changing spot'.

"Girl, I have a question for you, why is your face not?-" She suddenly asked only to see how halfway through, Constantine and Zamira changed directions, heading straight for the shop's gate!

!!!!

*FIUSSHH!!!*

The moment he gave Ludmilla the money and packed his stuff, seeing that she wasn't following, that was the moment Constantine made his move... he took Zamira by the wrist and the two shoot out towards the shop's gate as fast as possible, too hell with changing!

"Coward! do you dare run from a fight with me?!" Ludmilla technically jumped over the counter, the chest fell on the ground heavily and she prepared her light magic only to feel a devastating pressure on her shoulders the next moment, she couldn't use it inside the shop!

'What are you doing, girl?' A tyrannical voice said in her mind.

"They're my prey!" She dared to yell that and continue her pursuit.

'Whatever you want to solve, solve it outside, otherwise... die!' The voice made it clear that attendant or not, she'd still die if she didn't follow the rules.

!!!

'S-Sorry!' She, a noble elf, apologised to this entity and continued to run towards the gate where Constantine and Zamira had already reached.

Constantine looked back only to see a wrathful Ludmilla chasing after them through the shop, her speed wasn't that fast, and the magic that she had previously prepared, disappeared the next moment.

'As expected she can't use magic here!'

"Zamira keep running!" He took out all of the smoke arrays together with one of his personal explosive arrays from before, black powder.

'Please, work!'

The moment they blasted outside of the gate, he threw them everywhere!

*BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!----

*BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!----

*BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!----

The smoke explosions resonated with the guard of the gate glaring at the running Constantine and Zamira, he was about to give chase when Ludmilla came out of the shop with her magic already prepared, however, they couldn't see anything with the amount of smoke and gas that was all over the place, thankfully, there was only one path forward!

"Constantine, you won't escape!"

Ludmilla chased all along the straight path, their only way out, she ran for several dozens of metres until coming out in the main streets, but by then... she didn't see anything.

"Dammit!!!"

*RUMBLE!!!!*

Her body exploded in a spectacle of light that almost burned everyone's eyes.

"Light magic!"

"It's the elf from the guild! quickly hide, someone pissed her off!"

"Run! Run!"

By the time her wrath subsided, the street was empty as she panted.

"Brat, you better wish I don't find you, you said we'd fight, dammed liar!"

The woman regained her composure and fixed her dress and hair before walking back to whence she came, when passing by the corridors, she failed to notice an oddly-looking wall amidst her own anger.

"Ludmilla..." The front door's guard looked at her with a menacing glare that made her shiver, he didn't like trouble in front of the shop.

"I am sorry, it won't happen again." She went back to her own work reluctantly, the Guild's rules were carefree, but once broken, there was no going back from it.

...

For the rest of the day, the smoke cleared and the night came, it was only then that the faulty brickwork in the wall crumbled to give way to Constantine and Zamira's forms, they hadn't even reached the streets, he blasted a piece of wall and concealed them in it, covering it with his faulty replication of bricks using ground magically.

"Let's go... Andre and his family must have been waiting" He whispered by her ears, the shop was several dozen metres away and he didn't know if Ludmilla was still there, in any case... they couldn't go back to that shop now.

...

"W-We're really saved..." Zamira exhaled, her heart still palpitating fast, she just spent half a day in an encased spot with him, too dark to do anything except feel his body against hers.

Not like she'd focus on those details, instead she held her new sword and the ring filled with items as they walked by the corridors, eventually reaching the main street that was desolate.

Constantine thought that perhaps the nightlife in this town wasn't that lively.