Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 47

Chapter 47

“A noble? What kind?”

His tone held curiosity, but nothing more.

Ash was taken aback by Loki’s brief, indifferent response.

He had expected that revealing his noble status would at least elicit some politeness, but that wasn’t the case at all.

‘Doesn’t he believe me?’

Ash examined himself.

Although stained with blood and dirt, his attire was clearly luxurious. Anyone passing by would undoubtedly recognize it as evidence of noble lineage.

‘Could it be that he knows about my condition?’

He must be ignoring me because I lost my legs to White!

‘Humph! How dare someone of lowly status… Huh?’

Ash paused abruptly while examining his body.

‘My legs… are there?’

The legs that had clearly been torn off were perfectly intact.

‘…In that case! What about my body?’

Ash groped his body, especially around his abdomen.

It was where he had suffered a fatal wound that was nearly impossible to heal, even with holy water or high-level healing magic.

That wound had now vanished without leaving even a scar.

“What on earth…?”

“I asked what kind of noble you are?”

Ash wore a bewildered expression at Loki’s question.

“A dream? Is this a dream? But such a vivid dream… Then the pain I felt back then…?”

“…….”

Loki sighed softly, his question ignored.

“Is it because of the wound?”

“…Did you heal me? Are you… a mage? But how could you fix severed legs and a pierced stomach…?”

Ash was reeling from the unbelievable miracle.

Loki pointed to the tree above him to brush off the bothersome situation.

“……?”

Following his hand, Ash saw a girl.

A girl sitting on a tree branch, swinging her legs and looking down with a curious expression.

The girl had striking bronze skin, crimson eyes, and silver hair that fell from her hood. Ash noticed the luxurious clothes she was wearing.

‘Is she a noble’s daughter? I see. I’ve heard that the Nordics wear beast masks.’

In his eyes, it looked like a noble’s daughter and a Nordic [a person originating from the northern regions] hired as her guard. Then where are the others…?

Ash looked around, but no one else was there.

‘Is she a runaway noble’s daughter?’

Just as he thought that, the sound he heard dispelled all his conjectures.

“Elven medicine has considerable efficacy. Your wounds were also healed with medicine.”

Ash was taken aback by Loki’s words.

Elven medicine is highly effective. However, its effects are very insignificant compared to potions or healing magic.

But to heal wounds that are difficult to recover from with any potion or healing magic on the continent with elven medicine?

That was just a story from legends or fairy tales.

“…Elf?”

Ash looked at the dark elf, Salute, again.

Long ears were visible through the obscured hood.

“A real… elf.”

It was also his first time seeing an elf. It was such an unfamiliar and mysterious existence. But no matter how mysterious, is that even possible?

‘Did that heretic save me…?’

Ash shut his mouth, about to ask for confirmation.

Because Loki was emitting a faint killing intent towards him.

“Calling your savior a heretic… How rude.”

“…….”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I saved you to hear a story.”

A story?

Are you saying you saved me just to hear a story?

Loki looked at Ash and opened his mouth.

“Do you know about the Angel of Death?”

***

Loki was only seeking out places where plagues were said to be spreading. Without enough information, he had no choice but to run around on foot.

In that situation, he met a blond youth who seemed to know about the Angel of Death.

Loki, waiting for an answer, looked at Ash.

Ash looked at Loki, seemingly hesitant.

“Tell me what you know. Exactly as you know it.”

Under the oppressive atmosphere, Ash spoke to Loki in a demanding tone, as if displeased.

“…Your words are short. Although I am a fallen noble, I am still of noble lineage. So show some respect-.”

“…Your words are short.”

Ash’s words were cut off by Loki’s brief remark. No, to be precise, it was because of the flash of light that grazed right next to Ash.

The light was so fast that it was hard to recognize, and then the wind pressure struck Ash’s skin.

A few strands of Ash’s hair were cut and scattered.

Ash, frozen, barely managed to turn his creaking head to look back.

The trees split to the left and right had fallen.

Turning his head back to Loki, he saw him repeatedly clenching and unclenching his hand.

‘…A Shin-gi user [A user of Shin-gi, a special power]?!’

To cut down trees just by waving his hand?!

He was a master with tremendous power.

Only then did he remember White being shattered into pieces before he lost consciousness.

“I don’t care about your noble lineage or anything else. We are the ‘heretics’ you mentioned, after all.”

Loki glared at Ash with a deep smile.

“…….”

Ash swallowed hard.

He couldn’t meet Loki’s eyes, which were hidden by the crow mask, but the atmosphere alone made him shrink involuntarily as if he was being lacerated all over his body by a loss of dignity.

The art of kingship he had learned was meaningless.

Ash had only dealt with nobles who respected his status. It was the first time he had been threatened with his life by a crow man without the barrier of status, so it was natural for his mind to go blank.

Ash tried his best to maintain his composure and opened his mouth.

“I don’t know about the Angel of Death…”

He didn’t even know what it was in the first place.

There was no way he would have come across rumors that commoners used as gossip in taverns.

Loki had a hopeful heart, but he sighed and shook his head at the expected result.

“…It was a useless act. I just wasted a precious potion.”

“…….”

Ash was at a loss for words at the treatment he was receiving for the first time in his life.

It was as if he didn’t care about class at all.

‘Wait, this guy… was a Nordic, right?’

For them, there are only employers and employees, and they don’t care about the status. That’s why nobles hated the Nordics. However, they valued ‘trust’ more than any other mercenary.

Despite being barbarians, they did not betray their employers unless the employer betrayed them first because of their own pride.

Remembering that point, Ash thought hard.

There was no way these guys would understand the class system even if he explained it to them for days.

Ash watched Loki’s mood.

Loki seemed to want an answer, so Ash decided to tell him what he knew.

“I don’t know about the Angel of Death. But….”

“……?”

“Those with the best information on the continent know.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Have you heard of the underworld [a secret organization that trades information]?”

Loki smiled and stroked his chin.

He had heard about it from Paul.

An organization scattered throughout the continent with unparalleled information.

Paul’s group couldn’t find the organization, but this young man in front of him knows about it?

“Do you know about that organization?”

“I know. And until recently, I was negotiating with them. I’ll introduce you if you want.”

Coincidentally, Ash also needed the power of this Nordic.

If a Shin-gi user was his guard, he would have nothing to fear, and as a Nordic, he would be much more trustworthy than the Ronia mercenaries.

Ash bowed his head.

First of all, he couldn’t afford to get on his bad side.

“First, thank you for saving me.”

The other person may not know it, but it means a great deal for royalty to bow their heads.

“I will build a bridge with them. In return, protect me. I will also give you compensation for it.”

A story of hiring Loki as a mercenary.

“Just guide me to the Roden Territory.”

Loki pondered.

He was still bothered by the condescending tone, but considering he was a noble, Loki decided not to care.

As for compensation, Loki doesn’t need monetary compensation.

However, the other party provides a connection that can contact the continent’s information organization.

That was quite tempting.

“Then I’ll accompany you for a while.”

Hope filled Ash’s eyes at Loki’s words.

“Thank you! But….”

Ash wore a bewildered expression.

A combination of a Nordic and an elf.

It was truly an unsuited company.

It was truly bizarre to have himself stuck between them.

“But who are you guys? Mercenaries…? Or travelers?”

“Us…? We are….”

Loki was about to speak, but he flinched at the word ‘we’ and glanced at Salute on the tree.

‘Since when did I start using the word ‘we’….’

Loki smacked his lips and spat out the word he had been thinking about.

“Herb gatherers.”

***

Half a day had passed since meeting Ash.

“Ugh~!”

Salute woke up and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

When she was in the forest, she was worried about being attacked at any moment, and when she was a slave, she was constantly worried about being subjected to some terrible act, but she was moved by the present where she could sleep peacefully.

And all of this was possible thanks to ‘him’.

‘…Since when have I become so dependent on him?’

She can get away from him if she wants to. No, he never detained her in the first place.

So even if she leaves without saying a word, he will just let it be.

The problem was that she just wanted to stay by his side and was curious about him.

‘That strange potion, that strange power… What is his real identity?’

As a curious person, she wanted to know his identity.

She was gradually forgetting about revenge without realizing it.

With hazy eyes, she yawned for a long time, and then she was startled to realize that Loki was not around her and quickly raised her upper body.

Salute, who was looking around with the thought of ‘No way?!’, stopped when she heard a voice from the side.

-…Don’t worry. He’s around here.

“…….”

Salute looked at Ifrit, who had been summoned.

He was taking shape on the fire that had been lit in the bonfire.

“Where is he?”

-In that forest.

When Ifrit pointed to the forest with his finger, Salute tried to walk towards it without hesitation.

“…Where are you going?”

Ash looked at Salute and spoke.

His clothes were still the same blood-stained, torn uniform. His body had completely recovered without a single wound, but his eyes looked haggard, as if he was mentally exhausted.

Salute glanced at him for a moment and tried to move on, ignoring him. She didn’t want to mix words with humans.

The only human who had given her a good impression was Alex, but Salute thought that would be the last time since she would never go back to the monastery.

But that thought was only for a moment….

“Ugh-!”

Salute turned her head at the sound of a groan.

Ash had burned his hand on a spark that had bounced off the bonfire while moving quickly.

‘That’s why these room-dwelling nobles are….’

Salute looked at him as if he was pathetic, but she tried to ignore him, but she moved her feet as if she was bothered by it.

She approached him and held out her hand.

“Give me your hand.”

“…….”

When Ash held out his hand, Salute took out a medicine bag, applied medicine to his hand, and wrapped a leaf over it.

“Th, thank you.”

Ash blushed.

“Stay still.”

“Wh, where were you trying to go?”

“I’m just going to find him.”

“D, do you know where he is?”

“He often leaves his seat.”

“I, I see.”

Ash hesitated.

He looks anxious, like a lost child.

Salute felt sympathy for such Ash.

It was as if she was seeing her old self.

“I have something to ask.”

“What is it?”

“That… Nordic. What kind of person is he?”

“…Nordic?”

Salute tilted her head. She doesn’t know what a Nordic is.

‘Come to think of it, that monk also called him ‘Nordic’….’

Come to think of it, Salute didn’t even know his ‘name’.

They were traveling together, but they didn’t talk to each other often.

Even if you count the words they exchanged after meeting Alex, it wouldn’t even be ten words.

She was reminded that she didn’t know anything about Loki, and she wondered what to answer Ash’s words.

Looking at her, who was speechless, Ash tilted his head.

Salute opened her mouth to Ash, who was waiting for an answer.

“Just… as I said, an herb gatherer.”

“Herb gatherer? Of course, that’s what he said, but… looking at his skills, he’s too good of a talent to live as an ordinary herb gatherer. Then, is there anything he wants? Besides contacting the underworld, perhaps wealth or something?”

Ash was royalty. He is in this situation now, but if things go well later, he had to give compensation, so he asked this question.

“I, I don’t know.”

Salute was gradually shrinking.

It was because she couldn’t open her mouth every time a question came in.

“Is that so? Then….”

And to Ash’s next question-.

“What’s his name?”

Salute was speechless.