The Goddess' Champion

"What is your name, Sir?" Constantine asked the man after they had concluded.

"I'm Ossie... once again, thank you for what you're going to do for my daughter..." The man couldn't stand up or bow, all he could do was close his eyes and wave his arm, a pitiful being... one could see sadness at the fact that his daughter was going to be taken away from him, even if it was for her own good.

Constantine noticed and shook his head repeatedly.

"I'll begin training her if she accepts, but that doesn't mean I'm going to take her away from you." He assured the man.

"I understand and you have my sincerest gratitude for that, I couldn't wish anything other than seeing my daughter for my last days, it would break my heart otherwise..."

"Hmn."

"Could I ask you a question?" Ossie asked all of the sudden.

"Ask away..."

"Before, you said that you couldn't help everyone, if that's the case, why are you willing to help my daughter?" That was perhaps his only inquisitive question, and at the sound of it, Zamira also glared at Constantine not in a doubtful manner but rather, curious, it could be said that the reason he is also helping her and taking her in, is attached to the answer to this enquiry.

"Your daughter has potential... she can go to great lengths to assure your and her own survival, suffering pain that other kids wouldn't be able to easily hold... such traits are deserving of assistance, at least from my part, I'd rather have a disciple that can face life's harshness head-on than one that can hold a sword straight but is not able to do the former." That was the Conqueror's natural answer.

Zamira nodded several times with a smile while the man visually gasped.

'This person is so well-spoken and filled with wisdom... I feel like I'm talking with a monarch. R-Raki couldn't be in better arms.' Ossie swallowed a lump of saliva.

Constantine, Zamira and Ossie kept talking about several other prominent details before the man recalled his daughter into the room.

"Raki, my daughter... you can come back now." The father said and Raki entered the room as if she was eavesdropping from the other side all along, when she saw her father's uncovered body, she resisted the urge to cry and covered him back up.

"Father, you shouldn't do it, it will get worse."

"I'm sorry sweety..." That's all he could say to his daughter whom he already considered an adult.

"Raki, from now onwards, you must be respectful towards Mr Constantine and Mrs Zamira, alright?" He patted his daughter's head, she was perhaps as tall as him already, but for him, it was still his cute daughter.

"Ah?" Raki didn't get it at first, it's not like she was going to mistreat them anyway.

Rather than waiting for Ossie to explain, Constantine moved forward.

"Raki, I'd like to offer to train you into a 'mercenary'... I can't give you all of my time, but I'll give you a place to stay, food and training until you're good to go on your own, if you accept that is, you can still decline."

!!!

It was like a rain of words impacting Raki's cortex, a rain that she couldn't or even desired to stop.

'Who would decline such invitation!?' Becoming a mercenary is the easiest way to survive in this world, any other than that is a life filled with suffering, she didn't have the face or the body of a woman that would be easily accepted and trained in the organisation, being rejected countless times, but now...

Help has finally come her way; given the man's previous behaviour, her suspicion was minimal, all she could do was look at her father as if wondering if he agreed and the father nodded solemnly.

"T-Then, please... I'll be in your care! thank you very much for your kindness! I will try the hardest I can!" She said those words yelling them with emotion as if Constantine was a hundred kilometres away, he and Zamira simply laughed at this.

"No problem, if I happen to have a way to help your father before the inevitable comes, I'll do so, but don't hold your hopes too high... it is time we leave." He said before excusing himself and pulling Zamira away.

"Thank you! please visit my shop often also... g-guide me... I don't know what I should do now..." The girl asked confused, she didn't know if she had to go to his place, or stay here... or head somewhere to train.

Constantine returned and patted her head.

"Don't worry, once I am ready for your training, I will try to find you myself, it should be in the next few days, spend some time with your father while you're at it."

"Hmn!"

**

**

"M-M-My saviour..." Andre opened the door for them once they arrived at his place, his face was pale, and he was shivering.

"Good morning Andre, why are you shivering?" Constantine asked with furrowed brows, prepared for a fight even, he thought Andre and his family had been assaulted.

"W-We just woke up..."

"Just now? you must have slept like a log yesterday, oh wait... hehe, bulky bastard~ no wonder you're shivering. If you're shivering then she must be..." He snickered but Andre didn't have time for his naughty jokes, he pulled both him and the giggling Zamira inside the house before closing it harshly.

Now inside the house, he found himself once again in the sight of the entire family, all of them pale and shivering, giving him their thanks, even Sophia who should be in the bed and not kneeling.

"We accept our saviour's kindness!" Contrary to what he expected, they accepted the money, but he could tell that either Andre or Sophia decided that.

"I am happy that you accept and do not make too much inconvenient for me."

"B-But if it is not too much to ask, could you take half of it at least?" Sophia's lips shivered as she inquired, she knew that the way he gave that money away, it was because he didn't want it back... but it was simply too much for them.

"No."

"Ou..." It was as if somebody just punched their hearts.

"Andre, I have something that I'd like to propose to you-" Having declined to accept the money, Constantine then addressed Andre.

"No."

"Ou...?" Constantine felt a minor impact in his heart too while Zamira and Zebellia laughed heartily in the background, punishment was due for at least one of them, the other was too big to spank.

"My Saviour, no, Constantine.... you don't like to be called saviour... I was going to do it on my own but after seeing my wife, doubted... please, allow me to follow you as my subordinate." Andre asked formally whilst on one knee and no one in the family thought this was out of place.

"Why...?"

"You have been extremely kind to us, you have saved me, but most importantly, you're a magus and clearly not human..." Andre confessed, feeling a sudden pressure on him when he mentioned this.