Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 169

169

“Kuh-huh-!”

Lord Helter didn’t even have time to scream.

The nobles who were watching were too shocked to do anything but stare blankly.

Loki released the piece of bone he was holding.

Lord Helter clutched his neck and collapsed to the floor.

“…Wh-What are you doing…?”

The nobles murmured.

To think he would kill Lord Helter so mercilessly, so brutally!

No, he hadn’t killed him.

Lord Helter was coughing and crawling on the floor.

“He…lp…”

Only the sound of air escaping could be heard, as his throat had been pierced.

“The humans of this world are really tenacious. That’s why it’ll be more painful.”

Loki looked down at Lord Helter as if he were a bug, then turned his gaze to the nobles.

“You enslave those who stepped forward to protect you with compassion and sympathy?”

“……”

“Jeremi was wrong. No matter how righteous his grandson’s policies toward the Norsemen may be, nothing will change.”

The old man who had requested Johan’s help, Jeremi, also failed to properly grasp the perceptions of his own people.

Nobles who manipulate the young king to their liking. Even if policies change, will their perceptions change?

Of course not.

So….

“It would be better if this country were to perish.”

The nobles, realizing the murderous intent in Loki’s eyes, shouted.

“Gu, guards-.”

“Kill them.”

At Loki’s word, his cloak fluttered.

At the same time, the nobles’ heads flew off, and their bodies were turned into minced meat.

Cancun had severed their heads, and Kudan had slammed his warhammer down on them.

“Hiiiiek?!”

The remaining nobles screamed at the top of their lungs.

They rushed to the door.

They pounded on the door.

But no matter how hard they tried, the door wouldn’t open.

The Shaman was scattering mana toward the door with his staff.

No one in here could get out.

Not even a sound could be transmitted outside.

“D-Don’t come! Don’t come!”

The nobles pointed and shouted at Kudan and Cancun.

But they swung their swords and warhammers without any hesitation.

A gruesome sound echoed.

Loki left the still-not-dead Lord Helter behind and headed toward the Norse woman.

As he reached out his hand to her, she screamed.

She felt fear at the approaching hand.

Loki stopped reaching out and carefully poured a potion from his inventory onto her.

The wounds on her body began to heal.

“……?”

At that, the Norse woman paused.

She saw Loki with a faint smile on his face.

“Don’t be afraid.”

The woman raised her head.

She could see Loki with a faint smile on his face.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

He took out a blanket from his inventory and wrapped it around the woman.

“I will save you.”

“……”

“I heard you have a child.”

Loki carefully reached out his hand.

This time, the woman didn’t refuse.

Because looking at his expression, she felt peace and relief wash over her.

Loki hugged the woman and lifted her up.

“Lead me to where that child is.”

The woman pointed to the door with her finger.

As Loki headed for the door, Cancun and Kudan opened it for him.

“Kudan, Cancun, Shaman. Kill anyone who blocks my path.”

Loki went out the door.

“Ah! Are you finished with your meal…?”

The soldier guarding the door spoke to Loki with an awkward expression.

He was anxious about how the Norse mercenaries would react to Lord Helter’s commotion.

But the soldier trailed off before he could finish his sentence.

Blood spreading from the open door.

The corpses of nobles visible beyond the door.

“……”

At the sight, the soldiers took a step back, then drew their swords.

“W-What have you done! Norsemen-!”

As the sword was pointed at Loki, Kudan walked over and swung his warhammer, sending the soldier flying.

The window shattered, and the soldier was thrown out of the castle.

Screams were heard from below.

They must have witnessed the dead soldier.

As the other soldiers pointed their swords, Cancun swung his sword and cut them down.

As the Shaman waved his staff, ice spikes were summoned, piercing the soldiers and embedding them in the wall.

“Uwaaaaaaack!”

The Kartal soldiers hesitated.

Some soldiers lost their strength in their legs and collapsed.

Loki and his party ignored them and moved forward.

“B-Basement… My child is in the basement….”

Loki headed towards the basement, in the direction the woman was pointing.

***

Ding-! Ding-!

The sound of bells echoed throughout the castle.

The soldiers were flustered.

“What’s going on?!”

“I, I don’t know!”

“It looks like the barbarians attacked!”

“What? The slaves in the basement?”

“No! The ones Johan brought…!”

The information wasn’t being properly communicated on the scene.

Only chaos filled the air.

Satisfied with his long-awaited bath, Johan moved quickly at the sound of the bells.

He encountered a corpse that appeared to be a noble in the dining hall and hurriedly asked a soldier what had happened.

The soldier, who was sitting blankly in front of the dining hall, muttered.

“…The Norsemen that Your Highness brought… killed the nobles. And in the basement….”

Basement?

What happened?

Johan hurried to the place the soldier had mentioned.

And he could see it.

Soldiers lying dead along the way.

Servants and maids screaming and trembling, collapsing.

It was a terrible sight.

Johan started running, and soldiers followed behind him to protect him.

Soon, he could see Loki and his party standing in front of the iron door at the bottom of the underground stairs.

“Wh-What on earth have you done!?”

Johan shouted.

Loki ignored his words and opened the basement door.

The other side of the basement door was visible.

It was a torture chamber.

Norsemen stripped naked were sprawled out, and noble disciples were seen playing with them like toys.

“Johan Kartal.”

“……”

Johan stared at Loki’s back, frozen.

“Let me ask you.”

His voice was calm.

But the force he exuded caused Johan and the soldiers to barely breathe.

Their whole bodies were crushed, forcing them to kneel.

The body, refusing to breathe, caused saliva to flow from the mouth, nose, and eyes.

“Did you know about this?”

He didn’t know.

He didn’t know at all.

But he couldn’t open his mouth. He just shook his head from side to side with all his might.

He instinctively knew that if he didn’t deny it with all his might, he would die.

Loki said calmly at Johan’s struggles.

“It doesn’t matter if you didn’t know.”

Kudan, Cancun, and Shaman entered the underground prison.

And hunted down the noble children.

Blood splattered, turning the underground prison red.

“Your Kartal Kingdom.”

Loki turned his body and looked down at Johan.

“Will perish.”

***

“It’s not easy.”

Aum obtained permission from King Eron of Ronia and stationed 3,000 troops in the border region of Ronia.

He negotiated with other countries to dispatch troops to the Kartal Kingdom, but of course, other countries would not allow it.

‘I used tricks… but there are limits.’

He succeeded in sending about a thousand people to the Kartal Kingdom disguised as mercenaries.

But anything more than that was impossible.

It would take too long.

Aum rubbed his temples.

“Koo-ooo-ool~.”

Aum chuckled as he looked at his brother, Per, who was snoring and sleeping on the sofa.

He really envied that guy.

Being able to rest without thinking about anything….

It was at that moment.

Knock knock-!

A knock was heard.

When Aum opened the door, a skeleton was standing there.

Aum was so surprised that he almost screamed.

‘It’s Loki’s skeleton?’

The skeleton held out a piece of parchment.

“Thank you.”

Aum received the letter and was puzzled.

‘Why is an undead, who doesn’t move unless it’s urgent…?’

He tore open the letter on the spot and his eyes widened.

“Per.”

At Aum’s word, Per opened his eyes.

“Huh? Yes?”

“Prepare for battle.”

“Umm…. Suddenly, you say?”

As Per stretched, Aum stared at him with a cold expression.

Startled by the sight, Per quickly returned his outstretched hands to their place and stood up.

“Brother?”

“It’s the Constellation’s command.”

Aum showed the letter to Per and said.

“March forward. Slaughter anything that stands in your way.”

“……”

“And….”

Aum frowned and said.

“Destroy the Kartal Kingdom.”

***

“Advance-!”

The Norse warriors moved.

The warhorses clad in armor stepped forward.

They neighed and exhaled rough breaths.

Led by heavy cavalry with large spears, followed by heavy infantry wearing full body armor and horned helmets.

Thump-! Thump-! Thump-!

Even with heavy equipment that even strong men would have difficulty lifting, they did not waver.

A formation, a march without an inch of error.

There were those who blocked their path.

“S, stop everyone! This is the territory of the Laryas Kingdom! Asgard’s military passage is not allowed!”

Thousands of soldiers blocked them.

Watching them, the Norse warriors sang.

As their thunderous war song echoed, the atmosphere seemed to vibrate.

“……!”

The soldiers facing the Norse warriors flinched.

The crazed eyes peeking out from between the helmets of the Norse warriors.

They hesitated at the murderous intent they possessed.

“Stop! If you don’t stop, we will consider it an act of invasion and attack!”

The knight in charge of guarding the border region shouted, sweating profusely.

‘Please, please stop!’

The knight pleaded inwardly.

It was none other than Asgard.

A nation that had won against the Holy Kingdom, captured the Constellation of the Sea, and supported this country’s angel hunting.

There was no good in having friction with them.

Per said to Aum.

“They’re telling us to stop.”

“Ignore them.”

As the Norse warriors continued to advance, the knight had no choice but to shout.

“Archers, forward-!”

The archers came forward.

Accordingly, Aum said.

“Heavy cavalry, forward.”

The cavalrymen with huge glaives [long, bladed polearms] over 2m tall moved forward.

“If they attack, kill anyone, no matter who they are.”

At the sight, the knight defending the border gritted his teeth.

‘Damn it…! Th, they’re really going to fight!?’

The knight says.

“Lo, load-!”

They drew their bowstrings.

Aum says.

“Wedge formation.”

They raised their spears all at once.

Moving in a wedge formation, the Norse warriors riding on warhorses glared at the archers of the other country.

The archers looked at each other.

“Wh, what do we do!?”

A soldier asked, looking at the knight.

Facing the Asgard army head-on would only lead to death.

The Laryas soldiers knew that well.

‘…Asgard said they would only use this path.’

But the higher-ups said they wouldn’t allow passage through this path.

The opinion was that Asgard must have some ulterior motive.

‘We have to stop them.’

But if they stopped them, it would be war.

Should they risk the fate of this country because of one path?

The knight in charge of guarding the border was confused.

“Wh, what do we do?! They’re within range! If we don’t shoot now-!”

The knight closed his eyes tightly, sweating profusely.

“…Withdraw the soldiers.”

In the end, he was pushed back by the momentum.

The soldiers guarding the border retreated.

In response, the fierce momentum that the Norse warriors were emitting also disappeared.

Only the knight remained, and the Norse warriors passed by him.

Aum stopped in front of such a knight.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Aum bowed his head.

In response, the knight said, sweating profusely.

“…This is a situation that violates continental law.”

“We had no choice as we are in a hurry.”

“The higher-ups will blame me. If things go wrong, not only me but also my family and all my relatives will be beheaded.”

“Who would blame a hero who saved his country?”

“……”

“Our Asgard will protect you.”

The knight was relieved at those words.

“Really, are you only using this path?”

“Of course.”

“The prestige of our country may fall due to this incident. We demand compensation… rewards for it.”

The knight lowered himself as much as possible. The word reward was a more lenient expression than the word compensation.

“We will give priority to dispatching the Berserker Warrior Corps for angel hunting in this kingdom. Also, we will repatriate many of the noble children who came as hostages in the Valhalla Academy.”

“…Thank you.”

“Then we will be on our way.”

“Um… The Kartal Kingdom was a nation that discriminated against the Norse. Are you going to save them?”

At the knight’s words, Aum stopped his warhorse. He turned around and smiled brightly.

“No.”

“…….?”

“That’s how it was at first, but there, those guys insulted our Constellation.”

“……!”

“Therefore, Asgard declares to the Kartal Kingdom.”

It was already a nation on the verge of destruction.

Even its roots.

“We will massacre them.”

It will disappear.