Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 89

89

In the fishing spot’s cabin, Helga gripped a kitchen knife.

Dudududuk-!

She finely chopped vegetables and placed a steel plate on the lit brazier.

Then, she put the freshly caught and cleaned fish that Loki had caught on it.

Jijijijik-!

A savory aroma wafted through the air.

Thanks to this, the two guests waiting at the kitchen table were drooling.

They were the fugitive, Marquis Farm Hailo, and Second Prince Eron.

The food was set on the table.

Farm looked at the food and felt relieved inside.

He had been fleeing relentless pursuit for days.

He hadn’t been able to eat properly and was starving, so he never dreamed he would receive such proper hospitality.

“…Are you refugees?”

Farm turned his head and looked at the Nord with the crow mask.

‘No, he’s not a Nord.’

You can tell just by the color of his hair.

It’s also unnatural to think of him as a slave employed by the Nords.

If that were the case, he wouldn’t be leisurely fishing at a cabin.

His questions were fleeting, but the fact remained that he had received help.

He would have to pay the price for it.

Farm took out a money pouch from his pocket and offered it.

“Thank you.”

He was sincere.

He was truly grateful just for the warm fur and the cabin with a brazier provided to him and Second Prince Eron.

“It’s not necessary. I didn’t accept you in order to receive such petty cash. And when you enter Asgard, it’s better to have money.”

Asgard?

Farm looked puzzled.

Is it a name? What does it refer to?

“Ah! Asgard! I’ve heard of it at the inn.”

While fleeing, Second Prince Eron had heard stories every time he headed to the frozen land.

It was the story of a ‘nation’ in the north.

However, he thought it was just a simple tale.

‘…Father also tried to conquer the north, but he failed.’

Eron’s father, King Elron, mobilized over 100,000 troops to conquer the north, but instead of a proper conquest, they retreated due to the harsh environment without even fighting.

He didn’t think it made sense that a nation could be formed in that harsh land where it was difficult for people to even live.

‘Come to think of it, Father hasn’t come out of his room since then.’

After that, King Elron became senile and lived confined in his room.

And when the king stepped down from state affairs, a civil war broke out.

In any case, since it was a place where 100,000 troops had retreated, Ash’s pursuit would subside.

“Is there really a country in the north?”

“Yeah, well… it’s not that big.”

“I see….”

Eron quietly drank the warm tea.

“The aroma is rich and good. There’s no chance to taste it even in the royal palace-”

Eron paused and closed his mouth.

He realized his slip of the tongue.

“Royal palace?”

“Uh… that’s….”

As Eron rolled his eyes, Farm interjected.

“…I worked as a servant in the royal palace.”

“Oh, both of you?”

“…I was a butler, and this guy was a servant.”

Farm tapped Eron’s head. Eron glared at Farm with a dissatisfied look.

“What brings royal palace people to the north?”

“We made a mistake in the royal palace and were chased out.”

“The north doesn’t accept criminals.”

“It was a small mistake.”

“What kind?”

Farm racked his brain.

“We broke a precious flowerpot, and it was something King Ash cherished very much. He sentenced us both to death.”

Farm recalled the Lich they had met.

He had said.

「If you’re going to run away, go north.」

The Lich’s words were wise.

The north would be out of Ash’s reach.

But the Lich was clearly pointing to someone.

「There….」

Farm looked at Loki and said.

“There’s someone we’re looking for.”

“Who are you looking for?”

「Find a Nord named Hoon. He might help you.」

“Do you know a Nord named Hoon?”

Loki stroked his chin as if he was interested.

“Oh, I know him quite well.”

“…That’s fortunate. Could you guide us to him?”

“May I ask why?”

“We were introduced.”

“Who introduced you?”

「My name is Paul. If you mention my name, he might help you. If you happen to meet him, please tell him this too. ‘Thank you for saving me.’」

“It was… a man named Paul.”

“Oh! Paul?!”

Loki exclaimed.

To think that the connection he had encountered on his first journey would continue here!?

“Do you know him?”

“I know him well. That boy. Is he doing well?”

“…Boy…?”

Eron muttered quietly.

Farm looked at Loki and hesitated before speaking.

“He’s dead.”

“…….”

“He became a Lich and seems to be wandering around.”

“I see….”

Loki was disappointed. He thought he was a guy who wouldn’t die easily.

“Well, if you came with Paul’s introduction, you’re probably not malicious.”

Loki pointed with his finger to a direction outside the cabin.

“Keep going straight ahead. Then you’ll see a barrier.”

“Barrier?”

“When you get there, say this.”

“……?”

“You came with the introduction of a man named ‘Loki.’ Then they’ll guide you to a place where you can stay.”

Loki…?

Farm wondered if the crow man in front of him was named ‘Loki.’

“Thank you.”

Farm got up from his seat.

He had a long way to go.

He had to ensure the safety of the Second Prince as much as possible.

It wasn’t safe until he had completely entered the land of the north.

“Then we’ll be on our way. Please accept the payment… for now. I feel uneasy owing you a debt like this.”

“…Well, I will.”

Loki nodded.

Farm and Eron left the cabin.

“…Senior, you seem to have made many connections on this continent.”

Helga had approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Loki looked up at Helga.

“Without me knowing, the people I’ve met seem to be intertwined. Maybe it’s because of this avatar.”

It might be due to the influence of the game system. Players are set up to have all sorts of events intertwined.

That might have been what happened.

“Yes, I think so too.”

Helga turned her head and looked at the window of the cabin.

“We never seem to run out of incidents.”

People on horseback were approaching from the darkness.

They were Ronia’s soldiers.

“It’s a cabin!”

They stopped when they found Loki’s cabin.

And without permission, they kicked the door open and entered.

“Damn it! The north is cold after all!”

“Huh? There are people here?!”

“Nords?”

“I don’t… think so. Their hair color is different.”

The pursuers looked at Loki and Helga.

They relaxed, relieved that they weren’t Nords.

At the same time, they smirked and scanned the cabin. Then they looked at Helga.

To think they would see such a beautiful woman in this northern region!

Moreover, this area wasn’t Ronia’s land. It was the same as saying they wouldn’t be held accountable for causing trouble.

“Oh! Something smells delicious… Did you cook something?”

The soldier drooled as he looked at the food on the table.

Loki tilted his head, looking at the strangers, and said.

“This is a demilitarized zone. Put down your weapons and come in.”

“What the hell is that guy talking about?”

“Is he out of his mind?”

“Judging by the looks of it, they seem to be refugees. They must have run away here because of the tax increase.”

The soldiers burst into laughter.

They wanted to soothe their tired minds and bodies while chasing Prince Eron.

They could use the cabin as a resting place and use that woman as their entertainment.

And that man was unnecessary.

It was when the soldiers were about to draw their swords.

Tuk-.

Their hands fell off.

“Huh?”

Also, their vision rotated, and their heads fell to the floor, showing their headless bodies as they were.

“Mu….”

Before they could even speak, their vision darkened, and they died instantly.

The soldiers stared blankly at their dead comrade.

The soldier who was about to grab the food from the kitchen dropped the food on the floor.

“Helga.”

Helga had already drawn her greatsword.

“Yes, Senior.”

“Wouldn’t this cabin get dirty if we killed them here?”

“…You’re not saying anything about killing them.”

“They were the ones who committed the rudeness.”

“So it’s okay to kill them?”

“…You’re saying such things so casually without me noticing.”

“That’s how I could survive.”

“Yeah… you’ve suffered in your own way.”

“And don’t worry about cleaning.”

The beheaded corpses slowly rose.

They grabbed their rolling heads in their left hands and drew their swords with their right hands.

Dullahan [headless horsemen of Irish folklore].

Helga blinked and looked down at Loki with a blank face and said.

“The undead will do the cleaning.”

“Du, Dullahan?!”

“He’s a necromancer!”

The Dullahan gripped his sword and slaughtered the soldiers.

***

“It’s hard….”

Eron muttered to himself.

But he felt energized after being treated to a meal and receiving warm fur a little while ago.

It was a difficult journey.

‘When I read fairy tales with adventure stories, I wanted to try such an adventure at least once….’

After all, fairy tales are fairy tales.

If this is what adventure is like, I don’t want to do it anymore.

He missed his warm home.

Even though it was daytime, snow was blowing.

It was difficult to distinguish the front because of the fog.

At that time, Farm and Eron could see shadows in the fog.

“That’s….”

“Refugees.”

They were refugees.

Everyone was heading north.

And at the end of it, a huge barrier could be seen.

“Good heavens….”

Thousands of refugees were around it.

Also, Nord soldiers in white armor patrolled, seemingly in charge of their security.

Due to their spirit, the refugees didn’t even cause a commotion, relying on tents to patiently wait for the next screening.

Farm widened his eyes. He had to raise his head to see the end of the huge barrier.

The siege weapons installed there.

‘…The level of weaponry is not ordinary.’

Even the soldiers were more heavily armed than Ronia’s elite soldiers.

Is it possible to provide this level of equipment to individuals?

Good heavens! There’s such a force in the north…!?

Farm was shocked for a moment, but he regained his composure and began to move.

Farm and Eron approached a Nord warrior who was patrolling for security.

It was to check if they could enter the barrier sooner.

“It will take two weeks until the screening.”

“…Does it really take that long?”

“Do you think we’ll let just anyone into Asgard?”

The Nord warrior pointed to the entrance of the checkpoint with his finger.

There was a wagon there, distributing food and tents to the refugees.

“Receive supplies there and wait. If you’re going to leave, just take the food and leave.”

“…We came with a recommendation.”

“Recommendation?”

The Nord warrior nodded, saying ‘Ah!’

There were villages that occasionally traded in the Ronia border area and areas adjacent to Asgard.

They often received recommendations from the Nords, and they had priority.

“However, even with a recommendation, you’ll have to wait at least three days.”

“Is that so?”

“Who is the recommender?”

“A man named Paul.”

“Paul? That’s a name I’ve never heard of. I’ll look into it later.”

“Can’t we do it any faster? It’s urgent.”

“Hey, keep the order. No one here isn’t in a hurry.”

It was when the Nord warrior turned around to resume his duties.

Eron grabbed the soldier’s collar and asked.

“Excuse me….”

“What is it?”

“I’m looking for someone. Do you know someone named ‘Hoon’?”

“…….”

The soldier’s face hardened.

“Is that who recommended you?!”

Eron was rather flustered when the Nord warrior’s tone changed.

“Ah, no. He’s someone I’m looking for…. The recommender is someone named Paul… Ah! There’s one more person, definitely….”

Eron recalled the person he had met on the frozen lake.

“A man named Loki… said he would let us stay here if we mentioned his name….”

Eron’s voice gradually faded.

Because the surroundings had become quiet.

The Nord warriors were glaring at the two of them with wide eyes.

“Huh?”

An emergency was declared at the checkpoint.