Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 40

40. The Player Who Became a Constellation

Chapter 40

‘Is wearing a crow mask a common thing in this country?’

Loki thought back to the frozen lands. ‘Come to think of it, the Norsemen have a custom of wearing animal masks to conceal their appearance and scent when hunting.’

‘Considering that, it’s not impossible that it exists on this continent as well.’

Yu-an provided an answer, seemingly to satisfy Loki’s curiosity.

“A monk I know enjoys wearing something similar. It’s not exactly a mask, but a face covering… I heard it’s a tool used for healing. I don’t know much, but I’ve heard that healers and herbalists wearing such masks are common in the royal capital. They say it’s a tool to prevent the spread of the current epidemic, or something like that?”

“…….”

“By the way, are you enjoying your travels? I only go back and forth around this area, so I long for the outside world. Do you have any interesting adventures to share?”

“…Well, I haven’t been traveling for very long either…. But rather than an adventure, it was more like a horror movie surrounded by zombies.”

“……?”

“Just kidding.”

Yu-an smiled wryly at Loki’s blunt words.

Yu-an enjoyed reading people’s expressions and talking to them. But the crow mask covered Loki’s face, so he couldn’t indulge in that pleasure.

Yu-an turned his gaze and spoke to the hooded girl, Serlot.

“The young wife must be happy, traveling with her husband.”

“…He’s not my husband.”

“Oh? Ah! Is he your older brother? A family trip?”

The girl ignored him.

Yu-an, seeing Serlot sitting there sullenly, broke out in a cold sweat.

‘What a difficult family to talk to!’

It was then that Yu-an sighed, a monastery became visible on a hill a little further away.

“Ah, there it is! That’s the place!”

At Yu-an’s words, Loki turned his head, and Serlot glanced ahead.

A wide farm was visible around them.

In the middle of it stood a monastery. However, it looked quite dilapidated, as if it hadn’t been maintained.

The fields, which should have been full of green, were withered brown, and the peppers that were visible here and there were rotten or moldy.

It felt like an abandoned house.

“It’s a gloomy place.”

“Haha! Even though it looks like this, it’s a sacred place that serves Constellation Azellan [a powerful being worshipped in this world]. Even ghosts would be scared and run away.”

Serlot flinched at the word ‘ghost,’ but no one noticed her reaction.

“Besides, the person who lives inside is a very kind monk. I owe him a lot. He used to take in and raise children who had nowhere to go, but after that incident… he….”

“That incident?”

“…An epidemic broke out in the monastery. After that, all the children died.”

Yu-an’s voice trailed off, and he was silent for a while.

He had a painful expression on his face, but he forced a smile when he arrived at the monastery and spoke to Loki and his party.

“We’ve arrived! I’ll go unpack my luggage. I’m sorry, but could you call the monk?”

Yu-an spoke to Serlot rather than Loki.

Serlot blinked and glanced at Loki next to her, but Loki was just staring at her without moving.

It was as if he was curious about how she would react.

She frowned at him. And when she was about to cross her arms silently, pretending not to hear Yu-an’s words, Yu-an spoke again.

“I’m sorry, miss. Wouldn’t you open the door for the monk’s sake?”

“…Why should I?”

“That’s… you resemble a child named Emma who used to live with the monk.”

“…….”

“If that child had grown up, she would be about your age. It would be a great help to him.”

Yu-an stopped unpacking and pleaded, clasping his hands together.

Feeling burdened by his earnest request, Serlot glanced at Loki and moved her feet towards the entrance of the monastery.

She grumbled inwardly, wondering why she had to listen to a human’s request.

She knocked on the door with her fist.

Knock! Knock!

There was no response.

When Serlot tilted her head in doubt, her long ears perked up.

Inside, she could hear the old man’s muttering and footsteps. Strangely, his footsteps were heavy and fast.

The door burst open, and an old man came out.

It was an old man wearing a yellowish-brown robe that dragged on the floor.

“It’s been a while! Yu-an! Let’s have dinner together today…!”

At his expectant steps and energetic voice, Serlot tilted her head in doubt, and the old man stared blankly at Serlot without finishing his words.

“…Em…ma?”

The old man had a surprised expression on his face.

His eyes, filled with longing and sadness, trembled faintly.

She was curious about his appearance for a moment, but Serlot froze on the spot at the old man’s next action.

The old man was reaching out to Serlot with a trembling hand.

***

Slap-!

Serlot reflexively slapped his hand away. Even so, she cowered in fear.

Because the old man’s expression became serious the moment she slapped his hand away.

He seemed shocked, his eyes widened, and his lips trembled. The old man looked at his rejected hand and reached out to Serlot again.

Serlot was intimidated by the old man’s reaction.

Her thoughts were paralyzed. She couldn’t think of using her divine power or avoiding him, and she just closed her eyes tightly at the approaching hand.

After a while, Serlot didn’t feel anything. She didn’t feel the hand reaching out to her, and all she could hear was the old man’s groan.

“……?”

Serlot opened her eyes slightly.

Loki was seen intervening from the side as if to protect her.

“…What are you doing?”

Loki roughly grabbed the old man’s hand.

The old man’s eyes sharpened at his forceful touch.

The old man rotated his hand in a circle to escape Loki’s grasp and grabbed Loki’s arm in reverse. Then he reached out his other hand towards Loki’s head.

It was too fast for an ordinary person, let alone an old man, but it was blocked once again by Loki’s hand.

“…What!”

Just as the old man was about to make a shocked expression, Yu-an’s voice was heard.

“…What on earth are you doing?!”

Loki and the old man looked at the general store owner, Yu-an.

***

Loki and Serlot, who had entered the monastery, were invited to the reception room. Loki was sitting on a chair, and Serlot was looking around with a curious gaze.

“…I’m so sorry! I wanted to make the monk happy, but… I ended up causing trouble.”

The general store owner, Yu-an, bowed his head to them and offered a sincere apology.

Loki pointed to Serlot, who was넋을 잃고 있는 [넋을 잃고 있는 is a Korean expression that means ‘spacing out’ or ‘being in a daze’] next to him.

“If you’re going to apologize, you should apologize to that kid, not me.”

“…Ah! Th, that’s right. I, I’m sorry! Miss. I was trying to make the monk happy, but it turned out like this.”

Only then did Serlot come to her senses and shake her head from side to side without realizing it.

“…I’m sorry.”

At that time, the old man was bringing tea.

“I made a mistake because you looked so much like a child I knew. I’m sure I made her grave with my own hands. I wonder how surprised that young lady was….”

Serlot, feeling the old man’s gaze, was startled and hid behind Loki.

Loki gave her a strange look at her rabbit-like behavior, and she flinched and avoided his gaze.

“Ah, that’s… that….”

Serlot also seemed surprised by her unconscious actions. She looked at Loki with a look of fear, as if she was afraid of being scolded.

Loki pressed down on Serlot’s head.

“You have to apologize too.”

“……?”

“Didn’t you hit his hand?”

“I… I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It was a misunderstanding. Apologize. He apologized to you too.”

It was a low, cold voice, but it contained kindness.

Serlot didn’t want to apologize, but she felt like she had to apologize at Loki’s words.

She avoided the monk’s gaze and muttered softly.

“…Sorry.”

“No, it’s me who should be sorry, Miss.”

The monk, Alex, gave a bitter smile.

Because Serlot’s actions gave him a strong feeling of being disliked.

Even so, he couldn’t help but wonder.

Somehow, that girl was familiar.

Was she a girl he had met somewhere?

It was as if they had a connection a long time ago….

‘That can’t be.’

He put the tea on the table and looked at Yu-an.

“Ah, what about the necessities? Yu-an.”

“I moved them to the warehouse. If there’s anything missing, come back to the village. I’ll bring a lot of things.”

Alex clapped his hands as if he liked Yu-an’s innocent smile.

“I was just about to have dinner.”

Then Yu-an was startled. His reaction was so noticeable that Loki and Serlot couldn’t help but wonder.

“Eat and go.”

“…I, I already had dinner! Besides, there are guests here, so dinner is with these people…!”

“Still, eat a little and go.”

“Ah! Thomas next door just ordered a new item. I have to deliver it…!”

It was obvious that he was lying, but Alex didn’t seem to notice and looked disappointed.

“Is that so? Then… what about the guests?”

Loki nodded at Alex’s words.

He didn’t need to eat anything, but Serlot had to eat something.

“…Thank you.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll prepare the meal!”

Alex was happy at Loki’s acceptance.

Yu-an hurriedly packed his bags. He looked like he was desperately trying to escape.

“Yu-an.”

Yu-an, startled, broke out in a cold sweat.

“Let’s eat together next time.”

“…Ah, of course! That tasteless… delicious pepper is always welcome! It reminds me of the memories I had with the monk when I was young!”

“Is that so? Ah! Come to think of it, I harvested some recently.”

Alex held out a basket of peppers. Inside were wrinkled and colorless peppers.

They didn’t look fresh.

“They’re not very good, but take them. Your wife is pregnant, right? Eat them with your wife.”

“…Thank you… very much.”

Yu-an, who received the peppers, drooped his shoulders.

After Yu-an disappeared, Loki and Serlot were treated to a meal by Alex.

Simple dishes were placed on a long table where several people could sit.

It was impolite to complain in a situation where they were receiving help and being treated….

“…This is too much.”

…Loki said without realizing it.

In front of them were dishes dyed green.

From pepper salad to… grilled peppers, pickled peppers, pepper soup, and even pepper sandwiches for dessert… Anyway, everything was made of peppers.

Loki wasn’t a picky eater, but he couldn’t help but close his mouth at the pepper dishes that were spread out so disgustingly, and Serlot next to him was also taken aback and opened her mouth wide.

“Haha! I prepared too much. It’s been so long since I’ve had guests… They’re not very fresh today, but I’ll prepare proper ones tomorrow!”

Loki looked at Alex.

His smiling face was exactly like a loving grandfather happy to meet his grandson and granddaughter.

It’s hard to refuse when you see that kind of face.

Loki picked up a piece of pepper with a fork and put it in his mouth.

The bitter taste and fishy smell stimulated the tip of his tongue and the tip of his nose.

Serlot, who was watching, also took a bite of the pepper.

At that moment, tears welled up in her eyes, and her hair stood on end like a hedgehog for a moment. She coughed, looked for water, gulped it down, and frowned.

“…It’s not good.”

Alex burst out laughing at those words.

“Haha, do you dislike peppers? That look is so much like Emma, who I know.”

‘No, it’s not that I dislike peppers, but the taste of these peppers is strange?’

Loki thought to himself.

‘I know why that general store owner ran away.’

Alex smiled as if he was happy about something, picked up a piece of pepper with a fork, put it in his mouth, and chewed it.

To be honest, the taste is terrible. He used to be confident in pepper dishes, but his skills have become terrible these days.

The food he’s chewing right now is so bad.

But….

‘It’s delicious.’

Alex, looking at Loki and Serlot, was captivated by a cozy feeling.