Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 87

The Player Who Became a Constellation – Episode 87

Episode 87

Thorsen and Karen were filled with anticipation.

-The frozen land was truly a ruthless place. A place where tribal wars never ceased.

Thorsen anticipated how well he could survive in such a harsh environment.

-The whole world was an immaculate white snowfield. Of course, it was our Nord tribe that stained that snowfield red.

Karen, who had never seen snow, was looking forward to the pristine white scenery.

But what they faced was neither a harsh environment nor a pristine white snowfield.

“…….”

The being the Nord people called a ‘Constellation.’

Goat horn helmet, jet-black armor. Even a fur-trimmed cloak….

Loki’s dignified true form froze them in their tracks.

“This is surprising. After returning home after so long, I never expected such changes in Lonia.”

Even his small murmur sounded clearly etched in their minds.

Thorsen felt crushed by his mere presence, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

Images of the city landscape before entering the palace flashed through Thorsen’s mind.

All stone buildings.

The market had everything.

People walked on the sidewalks, and carriages passed on the paved magic roads.

This wasn’t just limited to the city center.

All the roads on the way here were paved, and there were trading posts in between, indicating well-developed transportation and security.

‘Moreover, they even have public facilities that I’ve only heard about on the continent.’

Public facilities such as theaters, bathhouses, and academies were also under construction.

A considerably civilized society.

Rather, his hometown felt like a remote rural village.

-It will probably be difficult. They live wearing the clothes of freshly hunted beasts….

The city’s citizens were wearing luxurious silk clothes.

The designs were sophisticated, and a large quantity of clothes that appeared to be handmade by dwarves were being sold.

-Even when starting a fire, they have to rub wood together, and their houses are flimsy, so they can’t sleep at night due to the cold because of the wind.

Starting a fire wasn’t difficult, and every building had a fireplace.

The North seemed more developed than backward.

…What era is my father from?

Isn’t the generation gap too severe?!

“Ka, Karen…. What Father said seems a bit different.”

“…….”

“Karen?”

“…Scary.”

Thorsen couldn’t help but be surprised at Karen’s trembling, her fur standing on end.

She’s afraid?

Well, it might be natural since the King of the Nords, whom she had been friendly with, was being called a god here.

Karen’s simple mind probably couldn’t make a proper judgment.

“Calm down. Still, you saw his power, right? So….”

“Brother.”

“……?”

“The people here, they’re all not normal.”

Karen curled up like a frightened cat.

What she saw were the vassals standing to Loki’s left and right.

She was terrified upon seeing Kudan, Cancun, and the Shaman.

Even before that, she had been terrified of the black knights wearing beast helmets—the Berserker warriors—in the palace.

With her wild instincts, she could sense how strong they were.

But after a while, her fear seemed to turn into anticipation and excitement, as she wagged her tail.

“…The people here are strong. If I fight them, I might get stronger…?”

“Your adaptability is really…. You take after Father and love to fight too much.”

Am I the only one who’s nervous?

Thorsen sighed deeply as he looked at his sister.

Loki turned his gaze and looked at Karen and Thorsen.

The two flinched.

“Ah, my apologies. Rlan will guide you to the rooms where you will be staying.”

The audience chamber door opened, and Rlan, dressed as a butler, approached and bowed to the two.

“Now, this way, please. I will tell you about the things I hope you will do in the future.”

Karen and Thorsen followed Rlan out of the audience chamber.

Loki stared at their backs before turning his gaze to the side.

To where Hans was.

“Ash Lonia has ascended to the throne?”

The Ash forces, already on the defensive, were nearly annihilated by Duke Hallum’s rebellion.

But he couldn’t understand how he had ascended to the throne in just a few months.

“Yes… it seems the influence of the Holy Order played a role.”

“No matter how powerful the Holy Order is, can they replace the king of a country as they please?”

“It seems that an Inquisitor of the Holy Order took Prince Ash to Prince Eron.”

Perhaps it was because they were complacent, intoxicated by the victory that the war had ended.

The Second Prince invited the Inquisitors to a banquet, and that’s when the anomaly occurred.

The Inquisitors captured and restrained Prince Eron.

“Under the pretext that a nation was in danger of being conquered by demon worshippers, they claimed to be saving it….”

The Holy Order’s 30,000 troops crossed the Lonia border without any warning and surrounded the capital of Lonia.

“After that, they secured the King of Lonia, Elron Lonia.”

Even the King of Lonia fell into Ash’s grasp.

In the end, under the pretext of protecting the King of Lonia, they branded Prince Eron as a traitor.

“The fact that the Holy Order itself judged the Second Prince as a heretic also had a significant impact.”

There were a considerable number of nobles in Lonia who were influenced by the Holy Order.

Eventually, the conflict between the nobles who listened to the Order and those who couldn’t accept it led to signs of another civil war in Lonia.

“…It went smoothly. Why did the Holy Order support Prince Ash of all people?”

“Wouldn’t it be because he’s easy to manipulate?”

Hans handed Loki another report from the continent.

“…Three territories on the Lonia border have been ceded to the Holy Order.”

The lords and people in the border regions were ordered to relocate and were forcibly expelled.

Over hundreds of thousands of refugees were created overnight.

“…Also, the Holy Order requested young monks and nuns for service to repair the damage from this war, and it seems Ash Lonia accepted this request.”

It was called service, but in reality, they were requesting young laborers to be used as slaves, disguised under plausible titles.

“Besides that, food, building materials, and military passage rights for security as well….”

The materials for reconstruction were bought from the Holy Order at three times the price.

Regarding security, by allowing the Holy Order’s troops to be stationed in Lonia, the Order was able to exert even greater influence than ever before.

“…He’s ruining the country. The nobles’ backlash must be severe?”

“The Holy Order seems to be mindful of that point as well.”

If signs of civil war continue like this, they can use it as a pretext to station troops in the Kingdom of Lonia and sell food and weapons at high prices.

War was profitable for the Holy Order.

“Besides, surprisingly, the nobles’ backlash doesn’t seem to be that severe.”

“Why?”

“Because of taxes.”

“……?”

“It seems they raised the 50% tax to 80%.”

And half of that tax goes to the lords.

Legally, the wealth of the lords is being accumulated.

“Since funds are piling up in their vaults, there’s no reason to refuse.”

“…….”

How many nobles would care about the suffering of the people when they are full and warm?

“Well, it seems some conscientious nobles have petitioned….”

Forces opposing Ash were labeled as rebels and heretics.

They were imprisoned on suspicion of being attached to Prince Eron.

The nobles with influence above the rank of Count were holding out, but it was only a matter of time before they became isolated.

“What happened to Duke Hallum?”

He was the Duke Hallum who had rebelled and tried to capture Ash.

Now that Ash had become the King of Lonia, Duke Hallum would not be safe either.

But-.

“…He’s alive.”

He was firmly holding out.

“It seems Ash Lonia couldn’t touch Duke Hallum. Well, he’s not a Duke anymore, but a Baron now.”

He was demoted from Duke to Baron.

But he maintained his noble title.

“He’s alive?”

That was unexpected.

Given Ash’s personality, he would have captured and killed Duke Hallum as a traitor.

“Yes, his influence was considerable in Lonia from the start. A considerable number of nobles defended him. Also, the fact that he paid a considerable amount of donations to the Holy Order may have contributed to his survival.”

Duke Hallum had been offering numerous bribes to the Holy Order under the guise of donations.

Even though he had rebelled, if Ash couldn’t touch him, it could be said that Duke Hallum’s influence in the Holy Order was also significant.

“How much did he offer to have such tenacious vitality….”

“In fact, even if he’s alive, he’s not really living. Ash Lonia forcibly ordered him to serve in the military. He was sent to a conflict zone within the kingdom.”

Well, it’s good if he’s alive.

We can use him later.

Loki suddenly had an idea.

“Come to think of it, Hans.”

“Yes.”

“You were a Lonia noble, so you must know the royal family well?”

“Yes? Ah!”

Hans glanced away from Loki’s gaze, as if he had something to hide.

“Yes, I know them to some extent.”

“Then, the person who caused this civil war.”

Loki looked at Hans and asked.

“What kind of person is Prince Eron?”

Hans blinked. Then, he said with a bitter expression.

“He has a very tender heart.”

Once, if that prince had become king.

“…He is a prince who,” Hans thought, “would bring peace to Lonia.”

***

A sealed space.

A torture chamber stained with blood.

In that lightless place, only a candle with melted wax dimly illuminated the surroundings.

“Hah! You’re persistent. Usually, they can’t withstand my torture. But you don’t even scream.”

A muscular man with his upper body exposed, wearing a mask, smiled as he held a heated iron poker.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it. That’s how it’s rewarding to subdue you. Now, I wonder what the screams of the esteemed Marquis will sound like?”

The torturer looked at the man in front of him.

In front of him, a man with restraints was sitting in a chair.

A man in his 40s with a chiseled face, golden blond hair, and a beard glared at the torturer even as blood flowed from his body.

“I have a question. Marquis Farm Halo!”

The one who controlled Lonia, tried to oust Prince Ash, and once tried to make the Second Prince the next king.

Marquis Farm Halo.

The guardians of Lonia, the Stinger family.

The wealthy and powerful Hallum family.

The wise Halo family.

Among them, Marquis Farm Halo of the Halo family had blindly served only Prince Eron.

Some say he uses Eron as a puppet, but the torturer didn’t believe it.

If that were really the case, he wouldn’t be in this state now.

“…….”

The torturer was disappointed to see Farm Marquis silently bowing his head.

“Well, whatever. I don’t care about your circumstances. I just have to enjoy this torture. A noble like you wouldn’t allow your pride to be tortured by someone of low status like me, right?”

The torturer branded Farm Marquis’s shoulder with the heated iron poker.

Tsutsutsuk-!

The smell of burning flesh spread.

“Haha! It’s fun. You precious guys probably never thought you’d be tortured by us lowly guys.”

Farm Halo gave a bitter smile.

The torturer frowned at his smile.

“Low status? Are you a slave?”

“Hehe, did you finally figure it out? I’m from a serf background, the ones you guys treated like bugs…!”

“Serf? Ha, you have a noble status!”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“No, to me, even a serf has a very noble status!”

Farm said with a smile.

“Yes, compared to me!”

“Huh, you’re bold. A serf is noble? That’s ridiculous!”

“Is that what you think?”

“Yes! Serfs are trash. Commoners are trash too. To you nobles…!”

“Khahaha! So that’s what you think of yourself. You poor thing!”

“…How much are you going to babble? Okay, let’s have a good time together-.”

The torturer rubbed the heated iron poker against Farm’s chest.

The smell of burning flesh emanated, and Farm groaned.

“Until your execution.”

Farm eventually couldn’t bear it and screamed.

“Don’t worry. Not only you, but soon Prince Eron will be made the same way. Haa…!! A royal? Isn’t it amazing? A lowly serf tearing off the skin of a royal! I’m so excited. Hahahaha!”

The torturer’s laughter echoed, and Farm trembled as his body burned.

His mind went blank, and his vision blurred.

After a while, Farm opened his eyes.

In his view, the torturer was preparing the next iron poker.

“Now! What shall we do next…?”

“…That person…is noble.”

“Huh?”

The torturer tilted his head and looked at Farm.

“He is noble. More than anything… that person….”

As Farm muttered softly, the torturer tilted his head and brought his ear to his mouth.

“What…?”

“He is noble. Someone like you shouldn’t dare to…!”