Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 170

170

As soon as the Node warriors set foot in the Kartal Kingdom, they began to ‘plunder.’

“Uwaaaaaaa!”

Node warriors set fire to the villages.

“Trample all territories except for Kanta Fortress.”

Under Aum’s command, the Node warriors were ruthless.

They collapsed the walls, went inside, and took anything that could be turned into money.

They dragged away men and women alike as slaves.

The procession of slaves, bound by ropes around their necks and limbs, continued endlessly.

“Y-you barbaric bastards!”

“What did we do to deserve this!?”

The Kartal people shouted.

“Huh….”

The Node people were dumbfounded.

“Can’t you even remember what you’ve done?”

Node people were found in every Kartal village or territory that was burned.

The condition of the discovered Node people was severe. Most were kidnapped while traveling or betrayed during their time as mercenaries and沦落 into slavery [沦落 (lúnluò) means to be reduced to; to sink; to be down and out].

“Well, we’re not exactly good guys either….”

The Node warriors clicked their tongues as they looked at the Kartal people.

“But I think we’re better than you trash. At least we don’t stab in the back of our benefactors who stepped forward to save you and try to use them as slaves.”

Under Aum’s command, the Kartal Kingdom was brutally trampled.

Like fishermen skillfully herding fish, the Node warriors established a siege,誘導ing [誘導 (yòudǎo) means to guide or lead] the Kartal people to head towards their last stronghold, Kanta Fortress.

Hundreds of thousands of Kartal people headed towards Kanta Fortress.

“The Bellet Kingdom must be bewildered.”

At Per’s words, Aum shrugged.

“They must be 황당 [Hwangdang is a Korean word meaning absurd or dumbfounded]. Asgard mercenaries stepped forward for the young king of Kartal, but instead, they’re plundering Kartal.”

Instead of saving Kartal, they were leading it to ruin.

“Even the Constellation, who usually overlooks most things, won’t be able to watch this time.”

Loki advanced his troops, even while risking friction with other countries.

I couldn’t even fathom what kind of rudeness the nobles had committed at Kanta Fortress.

“Report!”

The command tent opened.

Beyond the tent entrance, Kartal people who had fallen into slavery were being dragged away somewhere, accompanied by desperate wails.

The tent entrance closed, and the sounds and sights disappeared.

A Node warrior bowed to Aum and Per.

“What is it?”

“The Bellet Kingdom army is moving towards Kanta Fortress.”

“How many troops?”

“About 5,000, led by one of the Bellet royals. The 7th Prince, Dariat.”

“Hmm…. Is that so? This means the number of slaves will decrease significantly, right?”

Aum stroked his chin.

Through the siege, hundreds of thousands of refugees were made to flee to Kanta Fortress.

Refugees who are busy fleeing probably don’t know what’s happening at Kanta Fortress right now.

In the end, they would think that Lord Helter was their only hope.

‘Of course, the Constellation has already taken control of that place.’

They are fish caught in a net.

To make matters worse, the Bellet Kingdom army is heading to Kanta Fortress.

In particular, the 7th Prince Dariat was a crazy prince known for his cruelty.

A figure famous for killing everyone without taking slaves or prisoners.

Since such an existence went to Kanta Fortress, all the fleeing refugees would be as good as dead.

“Take a rest, then gather the troops. We’re heading straight to Kanta Fortress.”

Per nodded at Aum’s words.

***

“…….”

Yo Han was expelled from Kanta Fortress along with the soldiers.

Of course, the supplies were left inside the fortress.

Loki and his party, who had seized Kanta Fortress, mercilessly slaughtered the soldiers who had opposed them.

Numerous heads were hung on the walls of Kanta Fortress.

All of them were Kartal nobles.

“Y-your Highness, what is going on!?”

“Screams were heard from the fortress! What on earth happened!?”

The refugees outside asked.

They probably don’t know what happened at Kanta Fortress.

The moment they know the truth, the thousands of refugees gathered here will fall into great chaos.

“T-the food is all gone.”

The refugees were given two days’ worth of food.

Even that, the refugees didn’t save.

Due to the hunger they had endured, they lost their minds and ate it all.

Since there was a fortress and Yo Han had entered, the young king would take care of the nobles and send more supplies….

That’s what they thought.

“I’m hungry. Your Highness.”

“What about our supplies…?”

Yo Han was disgusted by the sight.

He now realized what his kingdom and the hearts of his people were like.

He had been played by the tongues of 간신 [Gansin refers to treacherous retainers or sycophants], so he didn’t realize the level of his people.

Yo Han was also responsible for not confirming this himself.

‘I know why this country is 망하는 [Manghaneun means failing or collapsing].’

No one rises up to fight for the country.

They are only busy running away, and they are the kind of people who would sell even their families for their own safety.

That was the reality of Kartal.

And the next day, Yo Han was greatly shocked.

“Your Highness! Save us!”

The number of Kartal refugees increased.

“…Asgard has begun its invasion.”

Perhaps their actions were the work of the man who seized Kanta Fortress.

Yo Han cursed at Lord Helter and the nobles in Kanta Fortress, who were already dead.

“Your Highness Yo Han. Before coming here, we were attacked by the Bellet Kingdom army!”

The nobles who had fled from the Asgard army said to Yo Han.

“At least thousands of soldiers are heading towards this place, Kanta Fortress! The vanguard is the 7th Prince Dariat, a man known as the mad slaughter knight!”

Yo Han’s vision went dark.

The refugees are not protected at all. In the midst of all this, Bellet’s 7th Prince is coming.

If they don’t enter the fortress as it is, they will all die.

“…What do we do now?”

The fleeing nobles asked Yo Han.

They only had about a hundred soldiers.

“Yo Han.”

“…….”

‘I don’t care what situation you’re in.’

Yo Han recalled Loki’s words.

‘It doesn’t matter what happens to your refugees.’

Yo Han closed his eyes tightly.

When young Yo Han first saw him, Loki seemed like a hero from a fairy tale.

A knight who saved a king in trouble.

A healer who saved a dying child.

To Yo Han, he seemed like a savior.

But the reality was harsh. He had simply received a ‘request,’ and he was an existence who would leave once he completed that request.

Such an existence has now become an invader.

‘I received a request from your grandfather. In exchange for that request, it was the whereabouts of the ‘Black Judge’ and ‘Saint King Palis.’ That price, I haven’t paid it yet.’

“…….”

‘Don’t even think about running away. If you run away, all the refugees behind you will die.’

His head throbbed.

His reason was shaken.

He even thought that he didn’t care what happened to the refugees anymore.

‘Rather… getting rid of everything and joining the Black Judges….’

Yo Han’s eyes wavered.

Yes! If it’s the Black Judges, if it’s Saint King Palis, wouldn’t they accept us?

At that time, Yo Han felt a strange gaze.

When he looked up, Loki was looking down at him from the top of the wall.

“……!”

Yo Han felt his heart sink.

A gaze that indifferently looked down at him.

Yo Han swallowed hard at that gaze.

And stepped forward.

He knocked on the castle gate.

The huge castle gate opens.

That huge gate was opened by a bear-like man with his arms alone.

Truly, a monster is a monster.

Between such doors, a female warrior greeted Yo Han.

“What’s going on? Your Highness?”

Even after experiencing that terrible discrimination, the female warrior was smiling.

Her eyes were filled with pity and compassion.

Yo Han’s heart ached at the sight.

Kartal repaid their kindness with enmity, but this woman pities them.

But even so, they wouldn’t help unless they paid the price.

In particular, after seeing the 惨状 [cǎnzhuàng meaning miserable condition or plight] of the Node slaves, it would be even more so.

So even if it’s a temporary measure, it’s fine.

“I will tell you the location of the Black Judges distributed in the Kartal Kingdom, and the whereabouts of Saint King Palis.”

At those words, Cancun nodded.

It’s the price they were supposed to receive.

They are receiving it now.

Even so, it was a question.

I was curious why Loki didn’t receive the price right away.

Yo Han recalled when the Black Judges contacted him.

They had offered Yo Han.

‘Wandering young king, I will give you strength, so swear allegiance to us. If you show us your loyalty, we will accept you. If you have decided to swear, come to the Hunter’s Cave, the cave where the waterfall flows down, north of Kanta Fortress. There… our followers will be waiting.’

He recalled those words.

The refugees and soldiers looked at Yo Han, expecting to be able to enter this fortress.

Yo Han hesitated and said.

“…I have decided to meet them in the swamp under the mountains, to the south.”

He said a completely different, false location.

Loki’s eyes narrowed on the wall.

“Is that true?”

Cancun’s question.

Yo Han sweated coldly and nodded.

“First, I’m just telling you the meeting place with them. If you… want to know the location of the remaining guys… the refugees’ entry….”

“That’s not possible. That’s the information we’ve already agreed to receive. Give us another price.”

Yo Han’s mouth gaped at Cancun’s firm words.

Cancun tilted her head at the silent words, and Loki looked at the shape of her mouth and said to the shaman behind him.

“Shaman.”

“Yes, Lord Loki.”

“Let the refugees enter. Share the supplies in the fortress.”

“Is that okay?”

When the shaman made a surprised expression, Loki nodded.

Loki watched Yo Han’s mouth.

“Because that young king said ‘price.’”

“……?”

***

Some of the refugees entered the fortress.

However, most of the Kartal people, who still distrusted the Node people, set up a camp in front of the fortress.

They quenched their thirst with the supplies from the fortress and ate enough to relieve some of their hunger.

Yo Han was also worried about such refugees and lived in the camp.

It started to rain.

Yo Han gently opened his eyes.

He carefully shook off the rags that covered his body.

He put on his hood, took a lantern, came out of the tent, and moved his position.

There were guards on patrol, but they pretended not to see Yo Han, who was wearing a ragged hood.

“Hey, can we just let that guy go?”

“It’s okay. It must be a child. Rather than being here… leaving like that might increase the chances of survival.”

Hundreds of people have left this line today alone.

So, they thought it was one of them….

It might be a spy, but no one stops him.

They are also tired.

This country is 망했다 [Manghaetta means ruined or doomed].

Everyone was giving up.

That’s how Yo Han was able to leave the refugee camp without difficulty.

“Hoo… Hoo….”

The mountain road, covered in mud from the rain, is very rough.

Yo Han held a lantern and looked around, but everything beyond a few meters was filled with pitch-black darkness.

Tsutsutsuk-!

The bushes hidden in the darkness shake.

“……?”

Feeling a presence, Yo Han’s pace quickened.

It was when Yo Han was going north.

A torch was visible.

“Who is it!? …Huh? What, it’s a kid?”

A man who appeared to be a soldier was holding a torch and carrying a quiver and bow on his back.

It was a patrolman from this place, Kanta Fortress.

“Hey, kid. What are you doing here?”

Yo Han kept his mouth shut. He pulled his hood down deeply.

“…….”

“…Looking at your appearance, you seem to be a refugee. Are you lost?”

The patrolmen’s expressions relaxed.

It happens occasionally.

People who run away like this.

They must be going to find their own way to live.

Even on this patrol alone, they had encountered refugees three times.

“Just go. I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.”

It was when Yo Han was passing by the patrolmen.

The patrolmen opened their mouths.

“…Your Highness Yo Han.”

When Yo Han glanced back, all the patrolmen, who had relaxed their expressions a moment ago, were staring at Yo Han.

“Have you decided? To serve His Majesty the Saint King…?”

They were the Black Judges.