Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 95

Player as a Constellation – Episode 95

Ash took immediate and decisive action after the Holy Order’s army retreated.

“Send an envoy to the Kron Empire… immediately.”

The nobles gathered in Daejeon [likely a city or important location within the story’s world] were stunned by Ash’s declaration.

“W-What are you saying, Your Highness!”

“That’s absurd!”

“The Kron Empire? They are our enemy!”

Even his most devoted followers were shocked by Ash’s words.

The Kron Empire was a nation that had long coveted Ronia.

And Ash’s solution was to ask them for help.

***

On the platform, Loki sat in a chair, reviewing documents.

They contained intelligence on Ronia’s troop movements and anticipated deployments.

‘Ronia’s official army numbers 50,000. But they’re resorting to forced conscription, so their actual strength is probably closer to 100,000 to 150,000.’

150,000 soldiers.

Ronia had been ravaged by the East-West War for a long time.

The fact that they had mobilized such a large army meant they were forcibly recruiting people from every corner of the nation.

‘There probably aren’t many trained soldiers among them. Considering their supply lines, the effective fighting force is likely only 50,000 to 70,000….’

Loki scratched his bone helmet and narrowed his red eyes.

‘Besides, the Kron Empire has started mobilizing recently….’

The Kron Empire was located directly south of Ronia.

It was a desert nation plagued by sandstorms, but its rich gold mines gave the empire significant economic and military power.

However, being a desert nation, they frequently invaded Ronia, which possessed fertile lands.

This had led to centuries of conflict between the two nations.

‘So, Ash sent an envoy to the Kron Empire, and since then, the Kron Empire has been preparing its army?’

Well, the Kron Empire would never have a better opportunity than this.

They would undoubtedly try to seize territory under the guise of participating in the war.

“I’ve heard that 40,000 troops from the Kron Empire are massing near Ronia….”

In addition, Ronia’s neighboring countries are preparing 20,000 troops.

‘Huh! Since there’s a war, everyone wants a piece of the action.’

Well, it’s not happening on their land, so they probably see this as an opportunity.

Conversely, Ronia will likely have its rights and resources plundered by these opportunistic nations.

“…Well, battles aren’t just about numbers… but that’s still quite a disparity. Yeah, a significant one.”

Loki sounded troubled.

A huge difference compared to Asgard’s forces.

“Of course, the situation changes when you consider factors like supplies, soldier quality, and equipment.”

Loki turned his gaze.

Norse soldiers were inspecting various weapons.

Enough to conduct both siege and defense operations.

‘We’re drawing supplies from Astoria Island, but it’s taking too long.’

Karen’s homeland had also recently concluded a war.

The restoration efforts had only just begun, so it would take over a month for supplies to flow smoothly.

‘Due to supply limitations, the number of troops we can effectively deploy is at most 8,000.’

Ultimately, the Ronia Allied Forces can field approximately 130,000 troops, while Asgard can only muster 8,000.

The imbalance of power was obvious to everyone.

“But, you know….”

Loki loosened his grip on the documents.

The wind caught them, scattering them into the air.

And before the scattered papers….

“Sinful Constellation! We greet Lord Loki!”

The 8,000 assembled troops roared.

Dressed in white scale armor, fur cloaks and gauntlets, metal boots, white masks, and solid steel helmets.

The flags bearing the intertwined symbols of Fenrir and Jormungandr, the beasts of the apocalypse associated with Loki, fluttered everywhere.

Asgard’s regular army, composed entirely of Norsemen.

They cheered in unison for Loki, who sat casually on the platform.

Their morale was so high it made the ground tremble!

They were filled with excitement and anticipation, rather than fear of war.

“…Are they all just muscle-brained? 130,000 to 8,000. They actually enjoy those odds… are they masochists?”

Cancun, standing beside Loki, covered her mouth and giggled at his comment.

Kudan cleared his throat, and Shaman nodded in understanding.

“Don’t be too harsh. They’ll be disheartened if they hear that.”

Aum, who was also nearby, smiled awkwardly and added.

“Why don’t you just use me, Helga, or the skeletons of Valhalla?”

The skeletons belonging to Valhalla Palace [the hall of slain warriors in Norse mythology].

The death gods who once inspired fear in the Norsemen.

If he used the undead, there would be no need for supplies or troop mobilization.

Aum smiled wryly.

“They aren’t a perfect solution, either. Besides, there’s strong animosity towards non-humans, remember? Like with the Hannes Empire.”

The entire continent was on edge simply because different races were gathering.

What would happen the moment the undead revealed themselves?

Perhaps the entire continent would be terrified and unite to stop them by any means necessary.

“Or does Lord Loki intend to face every country on the continent for decades? No, maybe world domination would be easier.”

Loki’s eyes narrowed at Aum’s words.

“I have no interest in such a troublesome endeavor.”

He was already busy enough with Asgard’s affairs.

“…It’s annoying. If Hallum had handled the problem properly, it wouldn’t have come to this.”

Loki sighed deeply.

Cancun, standing next to him, clenched her fists and said excitedly.

“I don’t think it’s bad at all! This will be an opportunity to show the continent the greatness of Loki and the Norse!”

“…….”

“Maybe. A new religion may take root on this continent!”

A religion that worships Loki, not Azellan [presumably a dominant deity in this world].

While Cancun indulged in her fantasies, Loki frowned and shook his head, overwhelmed by annoyance at the mere thought.

“I refuse that.”

“It can’t be helped. Religion is a natural consequence of reverence.”

Aum glanced at the soldiers of Asgard.

“Then give the order, Lord Loki. Is it an invasion?”

At Aum’s words, Loki crossed his arms and surveyed the Norsemen.

To be honest, launching a full-scale invasion right now was difficult.

Besides… it was annoying.

So-.

“No, first… as a taste-”

Loki’s eyes burned red.

“Let’s defend first.”

***

Asgard remained quiet even after declaring its intention to invade Ronia.

This only made Ash more anxious.

On the other hand, the Ronia nobles were confident.

They believed the Norsemen were frightened and had retreated to their northern lands.

Seeing this as an opportunity, the nobles urged Ash to attack first.

Ash, feeling increasingly uneasy, finally decided to initiate the attack.

“I, Ash Ronia…! By inheriting the spirit of King Elron, I intend to conquer the north once again…! And by subjugating this heretical group, I will show the world what is right!”

He declared the conquest of the north with a frightened expression, far from dignified.

“I, Ash Ronia, command! Suppress the heretics of the north! In the name of Azellan, correct their ways! Glory to Ronia and the Holy Order!”

The mobilized forces of Ronia numbered approximately 80,000.

In reality, the supply lines could only support around 70,000, but Ash insisted on exceeding that limit by 10,000.

Despite the nobles’ opposition, Ash, driven by fear, forcibly demanded troop reinforcements.

The nobles could only shake their heads at the immature king’s childish behavior, but they were powerless to stop him.

They disregarded the chaos caused by the influx of foreign troops into Ronia.

The foreign troops were more interested in protecting Ronia’s territory than subjugating the north.

And so… the war between Ronia and Asgard began.

***

The vanguard of Ronia’s army, consisting of 10,000 soldiers, followed by the central army of 20,000, and the main force of 50,000, crossed the border of Ronia and entered the frozen lake.

The troops involved were primarily those Ash had recently conscripted.

Most of the regular army remained stationed in the capital, Lost, under his direct command, highlighting the disparity in soldier quality.

Despite the severe shortage of supplies, the forced marches continued.

The soldiers were equipped with only thick cloth armor and long spears with rusty blades, offering little protection from the cold.

They were all conscripted commoners, and the harsh northern cold was taking its toll.

“It’s cold… cough… cough…!”

The blizzard obscured their vision.

Even when they tried to move forward, the wind pushed them back.

Each breath felt like their lungs were shrinking.

They had already lost all sensation in their hands and feet.

“Do we have to keep going in this condition?”

“I feel like I’m going to die. It’s so cold… I’m hungry….”

No matter how thick their gloves, sleeves, and clothes were, they were designed for combat, not for warmth.

Marching across this land without warm furs was practically suicide.

The conscripts were beginning to understand why King Elron’s 100,000-strong army had been annihilated.

It took several days to cover a distance that one person could walk without rest.

Movement was inevitably slowed as the number of people increased.

Those exposed to the cold became stiff and struggled to move.

Besides….

“Aaaaaaack-!”

The soldiers were startled and turned towards the sudden scream.

“What is it…?”

“Help everyone! The ice is broken!”

“Broken…? What are you talking about!?”

The soldiers rushed to the site of the collapsed ice.

Heavy supply carts sank beneath the ice, and soldiers who tried to pull them out fell into the water and floundered.

Shortly after, the cart disappeared from sight, and the soldiers who had fallen into the water died from the cold, their bodies going limp.

“……!”

The soldiers stared at the seemingly intact ice road.

The ice road, which the previous 100,000-strong army had crossed without incident, had collapsed so easily it seemed absurd.

And it wasn’t an isolated incident. The ice broke every time they moved.

“…What happened?!”

“Who the hell is responsible! They said this ice would never collapse…!”

The soldiers’ faces paled as they eyed the ice beneath their feet.

They were filled with anxiety, unsure when the ice they were standing on would give way.

It was impossible to be certain that any spot was safe.

Then… they noticed traces of deliberate ice breaking.

Could it be…!

“…Did someone break it on purpose?”

The soldiers looked ahead.

They had to march across this unstable ice road for several days.

***

Loki was staring at a mirror floating in the air before him.

‘Minimap,’ one of the player’s unique abilities.

He could see the soldiers entering the frozen lake, struggling through the blizzard and the treacherous, broken ice.

“…Unexpectedly, the results are underwhelming.”

Loki was sitting on a chair placed on the wall connecting the frozen lake and the land, observing the scene.

His pose, with arms and legs crossed as he watched the mirror, resembled someone enjoying a weekend movie.

‘I was hoping for more, but… it freezes over again relatively quickly. The efficiency is terrible.’

Loki clicked his tongue.

‘…It’s a bit disappointing.’

What he wanted was to ‘delay’ them.

More specifically, he wanted to inflict injuries and force them to divert troops to manage the wounded.

And he wanted to exacerbate the soldiers’ fatigue due to the slow march speed caused by the harsh environment and traps.

Cancun, who was guarding him, smiled awkwardly at Loki’s muttering.

“You can’t break all the ice. And I only made this once.”

Cancun offered him a piece of dried jerky, and Loki placed it between his helmet and his mouth.

The spicy flavor was excellent.

“…How’s the taste? I tried to make it as spicy as possible.”

“It’s improving day by day. It’s… edible.”

“Hehe.”

Cancun smiled like a young girl.

She had been learning to cook to satisfy Loki’s particular tastes, and it seemed she was finally achieving satisfactory results.

Cancun tapped her chin thoughtfully, then smiled.

“I’ll prepare something even more unique next time!”

Maybe I can earn even more praise…!

Loki said with the jerky in his mouth.

“By the way… there are so many of them. 10,000 soldiers… very good!”

“……?”

When Cancun looked puzzled, Loki’s eyes narrowed.

“…The supplies they’re carrying must be quite substantial.”

“……?”

Cancun tilted her head, not understanding what Loki meant.