Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 125

Player Who Became a Constellation – Episode 125

“In the room… refreshments and tea are prepared. Please… rest comfortably….”

The maid spoke in a nervous voice.

“Even if I wanted to, I’d choke up with this atmosphere.”

In contrast, Loki’s voice was calm.

Loki and Sallet were guided to the imperial palace’s guest room.

On the table were various snacks and tea with ice floating in it.

And surrounding Loki and Sallet, the Imperial Trainer Guard aimed their spears.

Loki reached out and tasted the refreshments, his eyes gleaming slightly.

He was quite pleased.

“Delicious. Good refreshments.”

“It’s rewarding to hear you say that.”

Emperor Karma swallowed dryly, standing tall as he looked at Loki and Sallet.

‘…Even if he’s reckless, to come here so openly like this.’

Loki put the refreshments in his mouth, chewing, and pointed at the Imperial Trainer Guard with his finger.

“It’s not really my place to say, but those guys won’t be able to protect you, will they? Emperor.”

“…….”

Karma was silent.

‘Isn’t he surprised that I’m the Emperor?’

Well, rumors about him must have spread, so it would be strange if he didn’t notice.

“Don’t be afraid and dismiss them. I just want to have a conversation.”

At Loki’s words, Karma raised his hand and dismissed the soldiers.

With only three people left in the room, Karma took a deep breath and began to manage his expression.

He spoke in a joking manner to ease the atmosphere.

“This is a pleasant surprise. To think you haven’t forgotten me!”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”

Sallet’s eyes were cold. Her voice even carried murderous intent.

“You trapped us.”

Karma smiled, sweating coldly.

‘…That’s what I should be saying?’

Clearly, Karma was the one who orchestrated the events in the Harel Territory, and he used these two as bait.

But in return, Asgard was given a justification for invasion.

By now, Asgard must have heard about what happened in the Kron Empire.

Perhaps they have already prepared an army and are ready to invade the Kron Empire.

Because of that, Karma had been racking his brains lately.

‘But why is this lord of the north coming here without any guards? Does he have that much confidence?’

Is he confident that he can leave the enemy’s imperial palace alive?

‘Thanks to you, I’m in trouble.’

The Kron Empire’s imperial family has spread rumors that they have dispatched an army to capture Loki, the emperor’s murderer.

But what will happen if the fact that the emperor’s murderer is leisurely wandering around the imperial palace reaches the ears of the nobles?

They would suspect the relationship between Karma and Loki.

But even if he said that, the other party wouldn’t understand what he meant.

Above all, the dark elf’s eyes were quite fierce.

‘At this rate, I might really die?’

But if he backed down like this, his pride would be hurt.

“Ha, haha! I hope you’ll forgive my rudeness. Ah! Oh dear, this is the second time I’m apologizing to you.”

Karma decided to gloss over it with light words.

Sallet snorted.

“Likewise, I won’t accept your apology.”

“That hurts! So, the Constellation of Sin who rules the north, what brings you to this golden empire?”

Karma was smiling as he looked at Loki, but his forehead and back had long been soaked with sweat.

‘…I’m glad our country has a hot climate.’

I can blame this sweat on the weather.

Facing Loki without any guards required considerable courage.

‘Please, may he not have any ill intentions….’

Karma prayed inwardly.

“Emperor Karma, you sold my name.”

Karma flinched.

“I roughly know why too.”

“…You know?”

Does he know the situation in the Kron Empire well?

“The Empire is a great place to gather information. With enough money, you can find out how the current situation is unfolding.”

“…….”

“Even most merchants know about the relationship between the lord of Harel Territory and the imperial family. Nobles who want independence and the imperial family who want to stop them.”

“…….”

“So I can guess your actions. With Emperor Kashar dead, you showed an example to curb the movements of nobles trying to break free from control. But I was also doubtful. I didn’t expect the Emperor to volunteer as bait himself.”

Loki drank his tea and continued.

“But I can’t deny that it’s effective. However, I didn’t know we would get involved in the process.”

“Uh… well….”

“Isn’t it interesting? To throw the ruler of an enemy country as bait to catch a single lord. Indeed.”

Loki looked at Karma.

Karma swallowed dryly at the sight of his dark red eyes.

“The emperor of this country has a lot of guts.”

‘…Ah, this is my limit.’

Karma felt his legs losing strength.

Karma had always felt fear towards his father, Kashar.

Not only because of his great achievements but also because he was so cruel that he would tear his own children to death without hesitation.

He didn’t care if they were his own flesh and blood if it was to show his power and majesty.

The one who killed such a father is the constellation in front of him.

‘He didn’t just kill him, he sent his head to King Ash, right?’

That means I could be beheaded at any moment.

Just as his legs were losing strength and his composure was about to collapse.

“…I apologize for that. So, what do you want?”

He must want something for coming all the way to the Kron Empire.

Loki smiled faintly.

“An alliance with the Kron Empire. And trade.”

Karma couldn’t help but be surprised at the unexpected words.

***

“Alliance? Trade?”

It was an unexpected remark.

Karma barely supported himself by grabbing the doorknob at the entrance behind him.

Otherwise, his legs would have given way long ago.

‘Did he notice that?’

Loki pointed to the sofa opposite with his hand.

At the signal to sit, Karma moved his feet.

Sitting across from him, he picked up a refreshment and put it in his mouth.

Loki quietly continued.

“The Holy Order’s civil war will end soon.”

The Holy Order’s civil war was currently nearing its end.

It seemed the Saint King, who had been wielding influence, was swallowing up the Pope’s forces.

If the war ends with the Saint King’s victory, the Holy Order will wage war to capture Helga and Sallet, using the justification that they killed King Ash, who could be called their accomplice.

Sooner or later, friction will be inevitable.

So Loki was planning to use that point.

It was best for Asgard to move at the point when the Holy Order’s civil war ended.

They would have to suppress the Holy Order before it could recover its strength so that no future troubles would remain.

That way, other countries on the continent would not dare to underestimate Asgard.

But what if not only the Holy Order but also the Kron Empire came forward to attack Asgard?

Asgard would be doomed, or at least Ronia, which was on the way, would be destroyed.

Loki couldn’t just leave them alone since they had decided to serve him, so he wanted to form an alliance with the Kron Empire and start trading.

‘There are abundant minerals here.’

Loki wasn’t just idling in this Kron Empire.

He also collected information from merchants about the resources that could be mined in this country.

Most of it was gold, but there were almost no minerals that couldn’t be obtained from its vast economic power.

‘Also, the labor force is the same.’

Among the slaves, there are many skilled technicians.

Among them, there must be some geniuses.

It is beneficial in many ways to buy them, give them freedom, and have them settle in Asgard to build a base.

‘Asgard is unstable.’

This was Loki’s assessment.

It takes decades for one country to fall and the next to prosper.

So, if people from completely different cultures who regarded each other as enemies gathered to build a country, it would take twice as long.

Currently, Asgard seems perfect in terms of culture, economy, and military, but if you look closely at the gaps, it is in an unstable state where it is unknown when cracks will occur and collapse all at once.

More time and effort were needed to reinforce this.

So what Loki devised was ‘talent discovery.’

“Our Asgard is planning to strike the Holy Order.”

“…….”

Karma felt choked up as he looked at Loki, who was speaking without hesitation.

To think of waging war against the Holy Order, which is called the ruler of the continent?

Striking the Holy Order does not simply mean fighting against them alone.

It means turning the believers all over the continent into enemies.

“But there is a big problem in striking the Holy Order.”

“We’re in the way, right?”

Karma understood Loki’s thoughts to some extent.

It would be quite difficult for them if they had to fight the Kron Empire while fighting the Holy Order.

Even if there is a being with absolute power.

“But an alliance? Can’t we just sign a non-aggression pact?”

That was the part Karma was questioning.

Why did this ruler of the north propose an alliance instead of a non-aggression pact?

“I judged that you wouldn’t believe us if we only signed a non-aggression pact.”

“…….”

That’s right.

A country of barbarians.

The Ronia War has just ended, and now they are going to wage war against the Holy Order.

The nobles of the Kron Empire will see such Asgard as a ‘country mad with war.’

‘Especially since my father… the emperor of the country was murdered, they can’t help but worry about Asgard’s invasion.’

And that anxiety will create cracks in the treaty.

But an alliance would be different.

It’s the same as agreeing to drive out the ruler of the continent, the Holy Order.

‘But….’

That means the Kron Empire is at war with the Holy Order.

‘…I don’t have to worry about the nobles’ opposition to that.’

The Kron Empire has had friction with the Holy Order more than once or twice.

Even though there were nobles who worshiped the Azellan religion, not many nobles liked the Holy Order, which put all sorts of pressure on them, regardless of that.

Rather, it was a welcome thing for the lords who wanted to escape this barren territory and have green land.

‘Was the ‘alliance’ proposed with that part in mind?’

Karma saw that Loki was planning to use the lords’ ‘greed.’

“But… we are in an unstable state due to the death of the former emperor, Kashar. The nobles are calling for independence. If we form an alliance with Asgard in this situation, it will be difficult for the nobles to accept. If a rebellion breaks out during the war, it will be irreversible.”

“Sell my name.”

“What do you mean?”

He had already sold Loki’s name once.

But apart from that, he was telling him to sell his name?

“The fear politics that Emperor Kashar did.”

Loki smiled as he met Karma’s uneasy eyes.

Karma felt a chill down his spine.

That deep smile was the smile of the devil.

“Why don’t you do it?”

Those words were the devil’s sweet temptation that could not be refused.