Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 103

103

Loki had a general idea of what Hans was planning.

But turning former enemies into allies was a delicate task.

Intrigued by his methods, Loki decided to observe him directly.

He made his way to the prisoner camp, located a short distance from the frozen barrier.

There, Loki entered in his human form, without armor or his raven mask.

Despite suppressing his presence and sitting among the soldiers, no one seemed to notice him.

As he idly watched the bonfire, a soldier spoke, his voice laced with fear.

“What… what’s going to happen to us?”

The soldier’s fear was palpable.

With that one sentence, Loki could feel the anxiety permeating the group.

They were prisoners of war.

So, the answer was obvious.

If they were lucky, they would be exchanged for other prisoners. If not, they would be used as shields on the battlefield.

And if they weren’t even deemed worthy of that? Execution.

That was the standard treatment for prisoners.

“Should we… try to escape?”

‘That would be impossible,’ Loki thought.

He shook his head.

He had heard reports that Nord soldiers were hunting down and killing any escaped prisoners.

Escaping from this place was a death sentence.

It was then that a voice cut through the tension.

“…Why would you do that?”

Loki and the soldiers turned to see who had spoken.

“Oh, excuse me, mind if I sit here for a moment? Wow! You even got a meal ration today? Amazing…! This place must be wealthy. It’s a feast compared to when I was forcibly conscripted in Lonia, wouldn’t you say?!”
The speaker was a man with golden hair and blue eyes – a typical Lonian appearance.

But Loki knew who he was.

‘Hans.’

He had taken the initiative.

What was he planning to do among them?

“Who… are you?”

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Hans, forcibly conscripted into the militia.”

“……”
The soldiers looked at Hans, who had suddenly joined them, with expressions that clearly said, ‘So what?’

“You seem to be contemplating an escape… Have you heard? The five who tried to escape recently were all killed.”

“……!”
The soldiers flinched and exchanged nervous glances.

Loki watched Hans with interest.

‘He’s being honest.’

However, creating more anxiety wouldn’t be beneficial.

It could easily incite a riot.

‘Or is he planning something else entirely?’

“They all died?”

“I heard two of them died on the spot, and the rest were hung naked from ropes, without a drop of water.”
Hanging from ropes in the frozen land, exposed to the biting cold, offered little chance of survival.

The prisoners knew that all too well.

“So, you should give up on that idea.”

“I… is that so…?”
The atmosphere grew even heavier.

“It’s all because of Ash.”

“……”
Loki focused his gaze on Hans.

Hans spoke with feigned anger.

“That damn king…! He’s the one who put us in this situation! He’s repeating the mistakes of the previous king, Elron. Back then, he pointlessly lost 100,000 troops, and now he’s planning to kill peasants like us!”
The soldiers looked at Hans, seemingly agreeing with his words.

It was a story that resonated with their own experiences.

Loki nodded.

Hans was skillfully building a sense of camaraderie with them.

‘He really knows how to manipulate people’s emotions.’

“He’s crazy! War this, war that – he’s completely consumed by madness!”
The soldiers shook their heads at Hans’s words.

“What’s the point of complaining…? What can we do?”

“There is something!”

“……?”

“I heard that this country, Asgard, is recruiting soldiers.”

“So, become soldiers? Are you crazy? Enlisting former enemies as soldiers….”

“But they won’t use us as shields.”

“…What makes you so sure?”
The soldiers wore expressions of disbelief. Hans looked around, gesturing to their surroundings.

Well-built tents, warm firewood, and even soup simmering over the fire.

“Isn’t it obvious? Have you ever received this kind of treatment as a Lonian soldier?”

“……”
The soldiers flinched and looked at each other, murmuring in agreement.

Come to think of it, the treatment was far too generous for mere ‘prisoners.’

“Besides, I heard that they’ve been releasing 100 prisoners at a time every day for the past few days.”

“……!”

“I, is that true?”
Hans saw his opportunity and seized it.

“Actually… I was one of those 100.”

“……!”
Usually, people are skeptical of rumors.

But when the person involved steps forward, the rumor gains credibility.

Especially in desperate situations, there’s a tendency to cling to even the smallest glimmer of hope.

The soldiers listened even more intently to Hans’s words.

“Wait, that’s strange, isn’t it? They released you, so why are you still here…?”

“Because I refused to return to my homeland.”

“……!”

“Think about it. What is the state of Lonia right now?”

There was no need to think.

It was rapidly becoming a failed state, a hellish place where survival was a constant struggle.

“If we return, we’ll definitely be conscripted again. And we’ll probably have to march back to this frozen land.”
The soldiers’ faces paled.

“Here, they give us food and shelter. They even treat our injuries. Have you tried the potions? Aren’t they amazing? I didn’t know they had such great effects! To think they would generously give such precious remedies to a mere farmer like me…!”
The soldiers’ eyes wavered at Hans’s enthusiastic words.

It was true.

After the frozen barrier incident, those who were crippled received potions and miraculously recovered.

“Where else on this continent would they treat prisoners like this?”

“Y, you have a point.”

“Yeah, that’s right… If we go back to Lonia, we’ll be in danger again.”

“But… my family.”
Hans’s eyes lit up at the soldiers’ last words.

“Besides, I heard that the reason we were able to live was all thanks to… Prince Eron.”
Hans subtly emphasized Eron’s name.

“Eron…?”

“The Second Prince of Lonia? Is he still alive?”

“Actually, I heard that this treatment is all thanks to Prince Eron’s intervention. He personally asked them to take good care of the people of Lonia.”

“Is that so….”

“He cared about guys like us?”
Hans nodded. He lowered his voice and whispered conspiratorially.

“Actually… I heard that the prince is preparing to rebuild Lonia here.”

“……!”
The soldiers jumped up from their seats in shock.

“What….”

“Quiet…! I heard he’s planning to raise an army because he can’t stand Ash’s tyranny any longer.”
The soldiers swallowed hard.

That meant another civil war would break out.

The soldiers gritted their teeth.

“Those damn princes…!”

“I’m sick of it!”
Hans quelled the soldiers’ complaints.

“But I think it’s a good thing.”

“……?”

“As long as Ash rules, it’s not our homeland but hell. If it’s Prince Eron, Lonia will be more peaceful.”

“Do you really think that makes sense?”

“Then what? Do you think your families can live safely and happily in that hell?”

“……”

“Lonia is already finished. It’s on the path to destruction. We need to overturn it this time.”

“……”
That was true.

“……”
When the soldiers remained silent, Hans narrowed his eyes and said.

“So, what I’m saying is…”

“…What?”

“I’m going to join Prince Eron.”
The soldiers froze at those words.

Some seemed agitated, looking around nervously.

Until recently, they were Ash’s soldiers.

Supporting the traitor Eron was a dangerous proposition.

But… no one voiced their opposition.

They simply watched and waited.

“Prince Eron is planning to retake Lonia with the Nordics of the North. And he’s offering tax benefits to the soldiers who support him and their families.”

“……!”
Many farmers in Lonia were struggling under the weight of increased taxes.

But that wasn’t enough to sway the soldiers.

Loki, who had been listening intently, decided to intervene.

“I heard that too.”
Everyone’s gaze snapped to Loki.

Hans paused, surprised and flustered.

He never expected Loki to be here…!

He wouldn’t have noticed him if he hadn’t spoken.

Loki made a shocking proposal to the soldiers.

“If you enlist in the army, you’ll get priority to immigrate and live in Asgard, and if you perform well, you’ll get land and a house.”

“……!”
The soldiers’ eyes widened at Loki’s words.

They had heard rumors about the Lonians who had fled to Asgard and were living comfortably.

Compared to Lonia, they called it paradise.

Finally, someone mustered the courage to speak.

“Then… do you know how to join Prince Eron…?”
Loki smiled.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”
At that moment, Nord soldiers arrived at the prisoner camp.

“There will be a prisoner release starting now!”

“……!”

“We’ll provide you with the necessary water, food, and warm clothing. Are there any who wish to leave this place?”
The prisoners instantly became agitated.

The prisoners glanced at Hans and muttered quietly.

“It was… real?”

“They’re… releasing us?”
They were happy, but also anxious.

Because their future was uncertain if they returned to Lonia.

“T, they said they’re releasing us! Then I’ll go back!”

“Yeah! I’ll go back!”
The soldiers rushed forward all at once.

The one next to Hans finally spoke.

“W, well, I’m going! My family is in Lonia. I might be able to see them if I go back…!”

“…I’m going too. I’m uneasy if I stay here!”
Loki offered some parting advice as he watched them leave.

“It’s good to go, but keep this one thing in mind.”

“……?”

“If a war starts, don’t resist and surrender. If you resist, you’ll definitely die.”
The soldiers’ faces turned pale at Loki’s stark warning, and they nodded in understanding.

Hans moved his lips, silently mouthing to Loki:

-Thank you!

Asgard’s offer of residency was a masterstroke.

That’s how Hans spread the ‘rumors’ among the prisoners.

“Isn’t it amazing? A warm resting place! Even food to eat to your heart’s content…! This is the first time I’ve ever slept so comfortably!”
Whispering sweet words….

“Didn’t you see the Great Disaster [likely referring to a recent cataclysmic event]? It’s very dangerous to turn them into enemies!!”
Threatening….

“Look! Where else would they treat us like human beings? In Lonia right now, we’re treated like slaves, not people!!”
Complaining….

“It’s all because of that Ash! If it weren’t for him, things wouldn’t have turned out this way! If it weren’t for him, Lonia would return to being a happy country!”
Even inciting.

Those who talked to Hans spread the word, and the content spread like wildfire.

In fact, it was often embellished and exaggerated in the retelling.

The release of Lonian prisoners took place once a day, but the number of applicants was rapidly dwindling.

“Hey…! Are you really going to stay?”

“…It’s just too dangerous to go back.”

“What about your family…?”

“…It’s a much better choice to side with Prince Eron. If we can’t get rid of Ash, my son will end up like me. And they say they’ll give us residency if we volunteer. I’m going to write a letter right away and tell them to defect to the North.”
Among them were also many people Hans had planted in advance to further his agenda.

In this way, a month and a week quickly passed. When another opportunity for prisoner release was announced, the number of applicants, which had initially been overwhelming, had decreased to around 50.

Loki was impressed by the results.

He formed a sense of camaraderie, created a common enemy to channel their frustrations, and instilled fear to prevent them from fighting against Asgard.

In addition, by offering them a glimmer of hope and a sense of belonging, he had successfully won them over.

But that wasn’t all.

Hans, now clad in shining white armor and wielding a gleaming sword, appeared before the remaining prisoners.

He pulled out a supply of luxury food from his backpack and placed it in front of them.

“Hans! What’s with that outfit?! And what’s with that food?!”

Hans smiled.

“They gave me equipment and food when I joined the army.”

“……!”

“Well, from now on, I’ll be telling you how to enlist in the Asgard army. For your information, the equipment is first-come, first-served. So…”
Hans smiled slyly.

“It’s better to volunteer quickly!”
Hans’s strategy had worked perfectly.