Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 10

The Market Street of Valhalla Palace.

Two strangers, their origins unknown, were exploring the bustling streets.

Among them, the handsome Aum Linia gazed at the metropolis with an expression of awe.

“Isn’t it amazing?! Per! Such a huge city right before the Holy War?!”

Following behind Aum was a large man, his younger brother Per, who nodded in agreement. “Yes, brother. It’s nothing like that rural village Kudan mentioned. Is it because of the dwarves?”

“No, even dwarves couldn’t develop a city to this extent in just six months! There must be something else at play!”

“…Brother, calm down,” Per said, waving his hand as if to soothe him. “You know very well why we’re here. It’s because of the request.”

“I know, I know. I know very well why we came here: to find Cancun and check on her condition.”

Kudan Raguna, a former member of the Raguna tribe who betrayed them, had made the request to find a girl named Cancun.

“But do we really need to get involved directly?”

“They are likely to become enemies. No, they *will* become enemies. They’ve grown to this scale in such a short time. Someday, friction will arise, and we’ll fight. So, it’s good to see, hear, and experience it firsthand.”

“But isn’t it dangerous?”

“It’s dangerous, but we can get more reliable information. There are things you can’t grasp just by reading reports.”

Per didn’t fully understand why his brother was so keen on direct involvement. For the Norse, power dictated everything. But how important could this information be?

*Well, he must have a plan.*

“What are you going to do now?”

“What else? ‘Information gathering’ comes first!” Aum said, slinging the leather bag from his back onto the street. He spread out a mat on the floor and displayed items he had acquired from the continent.

“Now, shall we play the ‘merchant’ role?!”

“…Merchant role?”

“A merchant is the best way to get information!” Aum declared, raising his voice. “Buy~! Rare items from the continent, all gathered here!”

At Aum’s call, the Norse in the market street began to turn their heads, drawn by the various items laid out before him.

“Also, there’s very rare food here, the kind you can’t taste anywhere else on this continent!”

Aum arranged stones in a circle, prepared firewood, and lit a fire. He placed charcoal on it and poured water into a pot. Then, he added long, soft lumps and triangular, strange pieces, stirring in a generous amount of red powder.

A unique and unfamiliar aroma spread throughout the market street.

Aum smiled as he saw the Norse showing interest.

*Now, shall we gather some information?*

Aum began to observe the city.

He noticed that the people in the market street often gave another item when they bought something.

*Bartering is common here. But…*

“Oh, that’s a unique food. I’ll buy it,” a customer said, approaching Aum and taking out a coin.

*Transactions are also made with currency!*

It was a huge change for the Norse, who had primarily relied on bartering.

Aum smiled, nodded, and examined the coin the guest handed him. Currency transactions were still rare among the Norse, but it was clear that currency circulation was gradually taking hold as the city developed.

“Thank you! It’s the best dish I’ve ever made. Please taste it and let me know what you think!”

*Currency I’ve never seen before.*

The coin was made of wood chips, rock, and metal – a truly unique and elaborate currency crafted from three different materials.

*…It’s different from ordinary currency. Did the dwarves make it?*

Aum’s lips twitched. The level of skill was amazing. It wouldn’t be easy for even the dwarves to come up with something like this. Or perhaps there was a separate technician providing it to the dwarves, enabling mass production.

Aum’s gaze shifted slightly to a weapon shop a little further away. The weapons the dwarves were repairing and selling were all made of materials he had never seen before.

*…It doesn’t seem to be a material from this world.*

Aum narrowed his eyes.

*And surprisingly, there are many things I’ve seen on the continent. That means…*

It meant that other tribes were exchanging and selling items they had looted from the continent here.

*The quantity is small, but it’s enough to fuel their development.*

Just then…

“Ugh! What is this?! My tongue is numb!”

Aum looked at the Norse who had bought the food. The man frowned, took out a waterskin from his waist, and rinsed his mouth.

“How am I supposed to eat this!? It feels like my tongue is burning! This is torture!”

“…It’s the best dish I’ve ever made,” Aum muttered, a vein popping out on his forehead at the bad review. He took pride in his cooking, but the problem was that very few people recognized it – or rather, no one did.

“Damn it! Selling this kind of food for money!” Just as the Norse was about to raise his fist in anger…

*Clang-!*

Aum and Per felt chills down their spines. They weren’t the only ones; the Norse, who was about to cause a commotion, also stopped in surprise and lowered his fist.

He turned his head toward the source of the sound.

*Undead…!*

A skeleton in jet-black armor was standing there. It was a servant of the Constellation of Sin [a powerful being associated with darkness and chaos].

“P, patrolman!”

*Patrolman? A being with such power is just a patrolman?!* Aum’s eyes widened.

The Norse said with a forced smile, “Ah, no! I don’t intend to cause a disturbance!”

「…….」

“W, well, I’ll be on my way…” As the Norse stepped back, the skeleton’s gaze turned to Aum and Per.

Aum muttered, his face stiff, “Per… is that… a Death Knight [a powerful undead warrior]?”

“…No. It’s just… a skeleton.”

“But it exudes this much pressure? How many of those guys could you handle?”

“…Even one would be too much.”

Aum closed his mouth. His younger brother was excellent in combat. Except for Kudan and the Shaman [a spiritual leader], the third strongest man in their frozen land was saying that facing even one skeleton would be too much. Aum was speechless.

The skeleton looked at the items and food the two had spread out, then turned and headed elsewhere.

Aum and Per breathed a sigh of relief.

“…It’s brutal! Is the reason there are no disputes, even though the Norse are gathered like this, because of them?”

It must be the security maintained in the face of overwhelming force.

“Still, I’m relieved-.”

“Oh! It’s the healer!”

“Healer!”

The market street became noisy. Aum and Per turned their eyes to the commotion. A strange and bizarre man had entered the market street.

A man wearing a huge crow mask was walking through the crowd, and every time he passed by, people bowed their heads to him.

Aum became curious about the person to whom the Norse were expressing their gratitude.

“Excuse me,” Aum said, grabbing a passerby.

“Who is that person?”

“Huh? Oh, are you a stranger? You don’t know him?”

“…I just arrived today. I was working as a merchant on the continent. But I heard that a city was built here…”

“Oh! Is that so? You came at the right time. As people who want this place to develop further, it would be a good thing if the rumors spread to the continent!”

“Rather than that, that man…”

“Ah, he’s the healer. His name is ‘Hoon’.”

“Hoon? That’s a unique name.”

“Yeah, it’s unique, right? He’s said to be the servant called the right-hand man of the Constellation.”

The right-hand man of the Constellation? Wasn’t the Shaman his closest aide?

As if reading Aum’s expression, the man smiled and said, “I don’t know well, but even the Shaman bows his head in front of him. So, you can see him as the second in command.”

“Is he strong? He doesn’t seem that strong…”

“Huh, don’t judge people by their appearance. Especially if you’re a Norse, you should know that even better, right? How strong he is.”

“Is he strong?”

“Yes, he’s really scary strong. When he first appeared, the young men of the village thought he was an invader and all rushed at him…”

The man shuddered as he recalled what happened then. “Everyone was turned into minced meat, with only their lives barely spared.”

“…….”

“He fought hundreds of people with his bare hands… he beat them so brutally that the remaining people couldn’t even think of rushing at him.”

Aum listened to the man’s voice and looked at the man in the crow mask.

“Well, after it was all over, a man named Hans or something persuaded them, and the people calmed down. He said he was testing the effectiveness of the potion…? He made up all sorts of excuses… but he healed everyone.”

Trust and faith were evident in his tone and eyes.

*Hmm…. The Norse are all being fooled by a scammer.*

The rumor that the Constellation of Sin had descended spread widely on this island, but few truly believed it. However, the belief was gradually strengthening.

*A scammer is impersonating the Constellation of Sin, deceiving the Shaman and the Norse, and building power.*

This was no ordinary matter. Perhaps some force on the continent was reaching out to control the Norse. Wasn’t the city’s rapid development evidence of that?

*Is it the Empire or one of the kingdoms that is manipulating it from behind?*

Given the scale of their operations, there had to be someone pulling the strings.

*First of all, the guys who took over this place…*

A scammer impersonating the Constellation of Sin, then that man, and the Shaman.

*Is that how the ranks are divided?*

Aum narrowed his eyes and focused his gaze on the healer.

The healer sat down on the bare floor right across from Aum and Per and began to tend to patients.

“Oh! He’s seeing patients here today! My shoulders have been stiff lately, so that’s good! I’ll be on my way!” The man approached the healer wearing the crow mask.

Aum watched the healer. The healer seemed to be taking care of the patients, but he was also glancing at Aum.

“…Per, that crow guy seems to be looking at us?”

“…Y, you’re right.”

The two whispered softly.

*Is he suspicious of us? He’s a close aide to that scammer who even deceived the Shaman, so he might have a good sense.*

*That can’t be.*

*…Let’s step back.*

*Yes? So soon?*

*That guy gives off an ominous feeling.*

*…I understand. Your brother’s senses have never been wrong. But what about the girl named Cancun that Kudan asked for?*

*We can find out later.*

At that moment, the healer tilted his head. The two brothers were startled.

*Could it be… did he hear our conversation…?*

*That can’t be. In this noisy market street, there’s no way he could have heard our conversation at this distance.*

If anyone could hear them, it would have to be a being that transcended human limitations.

*Anyway, let’s pack things up. It’s better to leave now-.*

The healer got up from his seat and approached Aum and Per.

Per was flustered, but Aum skillfully put on a merchant’s smile and said, “Welcome~! Customer! What can I get you?”

“…What is this?” The healer pointed to a strange object in the sack. It was a game board with colorful patterns, and small pieces representing round shapes, horses, walls, and crowns.

“Ah! This is a board game that is popular on the continent!”

“…Board game? Can I play a game?”

“Haha! Of course. I’ll explain the rules.” Aum was sweating as he spoke. *I can’t believe he’s approaching me! At this rate, I’ll miss the chance to leave.*

The healer sat down on the floor, listened to Aum’s explanation, and nodded. “I understand the rules.”

“Is that so?”

“So, won’t you play a game?” The healer picked up a piece.

“Ah… are you going to play with me?”

“Yes.”

“Customer, I may look like this, but I’m a master of this game. I’ve never lost to anyone.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll win.”

*Who does he think he is?* Aum frowned as he looked at the healer. *Provoking me with a game? Okay, I’ll show you what I’m made of! Maybe I can even get some information while playing with him.*

“Give me some of that food too,” the healer said, pointing to the bubbling red concoction – the unique dish with white lumps and triangular chunks.

“Per, give him some.” Per put the food in a wooden bowl and handed it over.

The two started playing the board game. Even when he first moved his piece, Aum’s expression was relaxed. But after a while… as time passed, he began to sweat.

*Am I… being pushed back?*

And after moving the pieces several more times…

*I’m being pushed back!* Aum’s eyes widened. Soon…

“Checkmate.”

The king’s escape space had disappeared. Aum raised his head, sweating. The healer wearing the crow mask had a satisfied expression and then picked up the bowl of food.

Aum felt bitter at the sight. *To think I would lose to someone who encountered this game for the first time. But at least he’ll scream after eating that food! At least I can relieve my resentment for losing-.*

“Delicious! It’s delicious!”

“……?!”

“Ah… this spicy and sweet taste! It’s slightly different… but it’s very delicious! It’s the taste I wanted! It’s on a different level from the greasy food that exists here!”

*Good heavens! To think there would be someone who would recognize my cooking!* Aum felt great joy for the first time in his life that his cooking was appreciated.

“P, Per… maybe this man in front of us isn’t a suspicious person…!”

“Brother, I know you’re moved by the praise of the food, but aren’t you becoming too gullible!?”

“It’s delicious. This spicy taste that lingers on the tip of my tongue! It’s a really nostalgic taste!”

“Is that so? I’m glad you’re satisfied…?”

*Nostalgic taste?*

Aum looked at the healer.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had [Tteokbokki – Korean spicy rice cakes]. This [Chess Game] too.”

The healer tilted his head slightly and glared at Aum and Per. Instantly, the two were stiff and unable to move. It was because murderous intent was emanating from his body.

“What are you, with things that shouldn’t exist in this world?”