I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

—
Chapter 14: The Journey to the Empire (2)

Petras proposal.

The teacher’s research and astounding inventions.

Lysithea, who had been continuously activating her ‘Eye,’ knew that all of it was true.

She marveled.

Capturing artificial sound—what a tremendously difficult task.

The sound bomb invented in Petras workshop was evidence of his capability.

She wasn’t disappointed that it wouldn’t work against the Serpent God; after all, that was not an entity an ordinary human could oppose.

Just the countermeasures against the mutated monsters were enough.

Because of those creatures, the ecosystem near the city was in shambles.

If left unchecked, the situation would only grow worse.

Lysithea wavered at Petras proposal.

It was at that moment that Sorab interrupted.

“…To intrude at such a crucial moment, how utterly inconsiderate of you.”

Petras grumbled, annoyed at being interrupted during a dramatic moment.

Ignoring him entirely, Sorab turned to the Patriarch.

“I apologize for interrupting, but this is an urgent matter.”

“…That depends on the circumstances. Explain yourself.”

Even for an aide, interrupting a guest’s audience was a breach of etiquette.

Lysithea shot him a mildly reproachful glance.

But Sorab, who had anticipated her reaction, didn’t shrink back in the slightest.

“Before I explain, you must see this.”

He pulled out a music box.

As he placed it on the desk in the office, both their gazes converged on it.

“This is…?”

“It looks like an exquisite jewelry box.”

From the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than a simple metal case.

But surely, such a trivial object wouldn’t justify interrupting the Patriarch’s audience.

Eyes full of expectation demanded further explanation.

Without a word, Sorab activated the device.

A noble melody began to resound softly.

Both Petras and Lysithea, who had initially been confused, opened their eyes wide.

Silence filled the room.

The music lingered for a while as no one dared to speak.

Click!

Sorab stopped the device.

Only then did the atmosphere in the room seem to return to normal, as if waking from a dream.

“It’s so beautiful…”

Lysithea, who had been listening in a daze, murmured in awe.

The melody had a quality that evoked the sounds of nature, a harmonious blend of light and darkness.

For a moment, it allowed her to forget the harsh reality she faced.

Memories of carefree days, of her father in his prime, surfaced in her mind.

“…What is this? How is something like this even possible…?”

On the other hand, Petras was flabbergasted.

Rather than appreciating the music, he focused on analyzing the music box.

Having worked under Agnatz for a long time, his tolerance for amazement was high, making his current shock all the more rare.

Lysithea, who had also been captivated by the melody, soon realized how unbelievable the device was.

Naturally, both of them turned their gaze toward the only person who might have the answers.

“This device is called a music box.”

“Music box…”

“Surely, a brilliant Patriarch like yourself can see the potential of this music box.

Now is not the time to be fixated on the inventions of ‘mere’ researchers.”

“What did you say?”

Petras bristled at the remark.

“‘Mere,’ you say? I am the disciple of Agnatz himself and a seasoned researcher with numerous achievements under my belt. I am far from being just a ‘mere’ researcher, and my inventions are not to be dismissed!”

“Patriarch, do you grasp the potential of the music box?”

Ignoring Petras outburst, Sorab gazed intently at Lysithea.

She placed a hand to her lips, deep in thought.

The same train of thought Sorab had followed when he first saw the music box now replayed itself in her mind.

This is… a treasure.

She had never seen or heard of anything like it.

If there weren’t other copies of it, this could be a powerful asset.

It could elevate the family’s standing in an instant.

Used wisely, it could establish connections with influential figures across the land and even with the Empire’s nobility.

Even if sold, it would fetch an astronomical price.

As a research material, it was no less valuable.

She could negotiate with Agnatz himself as an equal—or even from a position of superiority.

“The mutated monsters are a grave issue, but there’s no need to enter into a contract with such an unreliable individual. With the music box, we could acquire sufficient forces to deal with the monsters.”

The logic was sound.

Even if it were sold off without much thought, it would generate enough funds to hire an army of mercenaries.

Feeling a sense of crisis, Petras intervened.

“That’s not true. While this… is certainly an extraordinary device, using it in such a way would result in a massive loss. The sound bomb is a groundbreaking tool designed specifically to combat mutated monsters. It’s not something that can be compared to mere mercenaries!”

“Doesn’t your invention only work momentarily?”

“Indeed, regrettably, that’s its limit. But so what? I can assure you that no other tool on the continent is specifically designed to target mutated monsters except my sound bomb.”

“This music box, however, is capable of semi-permanent operation. What if it could produce a similar effect to your invention?”

Petras laughed incredulously.

“Haha… Surely not. Did you not hear my explanation? Mutated monsters react only to a ‘specific sound.’

While the music box’s melody did evoke a sense of nature, music and reality are different.

There’s no way it could work.”

“That may be true. But there’s still a possibility. So, Patriarch, why not postpone the decision?”

Sorab also doubted that the music box would work on the monsters.

It was merely an excuse to delay the contract.

The Krase family’s position was precarious, with little to their name.

That was likely why Petras could act so boldly; delaying would allow them to renegotiate the terms if a contract were to be made.

The astute Lysithea immediately saw through his intent.

“That’s true. It wouldn’t hurt to experiment with the music box first and then discuss it again. Shall we postpone the contract?”

“Patriarch, postpone it? You can’t just decide that so…”

“But Sorab, where did this device come from?”

The head of Krase and the disciple of Agnatz.

What kind of treasure could suddenly appear that would unsettle figures of such stature?

Sorab thought of Quellière.

“…She’s such an enigmatic figure that there’s little information to go on, but…

This belonged to a woman heading to the Empire.

She seemed to have used it as currency.”

“A woman?”

“Her hair was a dazzling shade of blue-white, and her attire was highly unusual.

She’s likely from a distant land.”

“Wait, what did you say?”

The word ‘dazzling,’ which didn’t suit Sorab’s usual demeanor, shocked Lysithea.

Right after that, Petras eyes widened as he asked urgently.

“Was she wearing exotic white clothing? With a cold expression?”

“…Oh, so you’ve heard of her too.”

Sorab’s expression turned curious.

It was the first genuine reaction he’d shown, but Petras couldn’t respond.

“A mirage, perhaps…”

He muttered blankly before making a new proposal.

“She’s certainly a mysterious woman. My intuition is sounding alarms, urging me to investigate her. Fine, let’s postpone the contract. On the condition that I ‘collaborate’ on investigating her.”

It was less collaboration and more of a demand to share any information they discovered.

Sorab frowned slightly.

Information about her might prove more valuable than even the mutated monsters.

But the decision ultimately rested with their lord.

When the Patriarch looked to Lysithea, who had been somewhat left out of the conversation, she blinked and asked,

“…Who is this person?”

*

“I’m a member of the Adventurer’s Guild, and these are my companions. Would you consider traveling with us…”

“No.”

“You have such a distinctive outfit. May I ask where you’re from…”

“No.”

“I fell in love at first sight! Could you be my lover…”

“Move.”

Anasha was indeed well-versed in geography.

Despite being a hastily formed group, their journey proceeded without any issues.

Once outside the city, many people seemed more at ease and tried to strike up conversations with me.

I rejected every single one of them curtly.

It was the emergence of that tiresome ‘persona.’

My cold tone, even to myself, was sharp enough to send shivers down my spine.

Those who had dared to approach me withdrew with pale faces.

In the end, no one tried to talk to me anymore.

Keeping a slight distance from the group, I walked alone, lost in thought.

This was better.

Before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set.

“Hello, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Anasha Sheryl.”

Noticing that I was alone, Anasha approached me.

Her natural introduction prompted me to reply bluntly.

“Quellière.”

A coldness I couldn’t suppress slipped into my voice.

It was something I had no control over.

With such a demeanor at first meeting, most people would think I was building a wall.

But Anasha didn’t leave.

Instead, she gave a faint smile.

“Is it a face I’ve never seen in the city? Did you arrive recently?”

The young magician seemed to have experienced her share of socializing. It made me feel slightly sorry.

Not that my attitude would be swayed regardless of how she approached me.

“Does everyone in that small town know each other?”

A cold tone.

This time, I added a touch of brusqueness to it.

Anasha turned her head briefly, then faced me again with a bright smile.

“Because it’s a face you can’t forget after seeing it once.”

She appeared relaxed at first glance, but the corners of her mouth trembled slightly.

It wasn’t that she was unaffected.

But why was she so determined to continue this conversation with me?

She was the most popular member of her group. Although she was their leader, her personality played a bigger role.

Bright, confident, and with a way of lifting others’ spirits. She exuded a sense of dignity.

Maybe she was too kind and wanted to help me.

She probably wouldn’t leave just because I brushed her off, so I decided to try my best.

“I arrived today, and I’m leaving today.”

“Why?”

“Because I have to go to the Empire.”

Anasha didn’t ask why.

Instead, she changed the subject with a cheerful expression.

“Then I guess you haven’t seen the rumored Serpent God? If so, that’s fortunate.”

“No, I saw it.”

The overwhelming presence of something capable of crushing a stone building was still vivid. But what exactly was fortunate?

When I asked, she chuckled playfully.

“It’s scary, isn’t it? What if you ended up with trauma from seeing something like that? It’s a shame you saw it, though.”

She was quite an extraordinary woman.

To crack a joke at someone putting up such a blatant wall.

Then, she leaned in close and whispered softly into my ear.

“How could anyone catch something like that? Even though I said I’d propose its subjugation to the Empire, honestly, the chances are slim.”

Then she chuckled as if sharing a secret. It was probably a joke, but she wasn’t wrong.

A minor god was not an opponent to be taken lightly.

In the days when I was a player, they were manageable, but now, they were true monsters.

The fact that the Serpent God, one of the minor gods, had single-handedly taken over a city spoke volumes.

Unless you were a hero-tier individual, an ordinary person stood no chance.

Of course, I…

…knew how to defeat it.

“I can defeat it.”

“…What?”

The thought slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

Anasha questioned me, but I feigned ignorance and avoided her gaze.

In truth, with the Snow Maiden’s current specs, it was an impossible task.

She was so poorly matched that she couldn’t even defeat ordinary monsters, let alone a minor god, her extreme natural enemy.

However, if it was the Serpent God…

Only the Serpent God was an exception.

If I had just one artifact.

Artifacts are special items obtained by exploring ruins scattered across the land, aside from the Obelisks, and they don’t appear on the grading scale.

Their performance and value varied greatly.

Personally, they were one of the key elements I valued most.

Their potential for use was boundless.

While some ruins were incredibly difficult and required brute strength to overcome, many remained untouched in this timeline, a thousand years in the past.

Reaching them would be another question entirely, but still.

It was worth remembering as a contingency weapon.

If I ever approached a ruin I knew of, I would secure an artifact. But even if it turned out to be the “necessary artifact,” I wouldn’t go out of my way to hunt down the Serpent God.

If things went wrong, I’d be as good as dead. I had no intention of risking my one and only life for some act of goodwill.

This was merely preparation for a worst-case scenario.

“Um, what do you mean by that…?”

“Lady Anasha.”

A man interrupted her words.

“The sun has completely set. Shouldn’t we start preparing to camp?”

“…Ah, yes. You’re right.”

Anasha gave a small nod and moved to the center of the group. I quietly followed behind her.

“Damn it, this isn’t working.”

“Using sticks to start a fire will take forever.”

“Is there really no one who brought flint?”

The group, gathered on a patch of dirt surrounded by sparse bushes, was in a dilemma.

It seemed they were struggling to light a campfire.

One of them brightened upon seeing Anasha.

“Oh, Lady Anasha! By any chance, have you learned any fire magic? If so, could you help us with the fire…?”

They seemed to have high hopes for the magician, but she hesitated and looked uneasy.

“Sorry. My specialty is wind magic, so fire magic is…”

“Ah, I see… It’s fine. We can’t help it.”

So, what now?

As they continued discussing around the pile of gathered branches, I figured it would take forever at this rate, so I decided to help.

Of course, I couldn’t use fire magic either.

Forget about learning it—fire was an element the Snow Maiden could never wield.

However, I had my all-purpose bag.

I opened my tote bag and pulled out the item I had in mind.

A selection of items carefully chosen for various scenarios.

The “Fire Kit” was one of them.

As I approached the group with the red stick in hand, all eyes turned to me. I didn’t even need to strike the stick.

I simply aimed it at the pile of wood and swung it downward.

Whoosh-!

The fire ignited.

“……”

Everyone stared at the flickering flames in stunned silence.

Before things could get bothersome, I quickly spoke.

“We need a fire watch, don’t we?”

I casually announced.

“I’ll do it.”

Then I turned my back on them.

I could feel countless gazes behind me, but I ignored them.

This wasn’t an act of kindness or goodwill.

It was simply because I didn’t need sleep, and I wanted to create a justification for staying awake.

I stopped in front of a shadowy hill where rows of shrubs were visible. Staring at the natural scenery, I fell into thought.

After a while, I pulled out a map.

“I’ll need to split off here.”

Anasha’s abilities as a leader were more impressive than expected.

She was well-versed in geography, and her leadership was excellent, allowing for a remarkably fast pace. We had arrived earlier than anticipated.

I raised my head and looked in one direction.

On this straight path lay “Rivhae.”

From there, I could easily reach the Empire by following the same route.

However, Anasha’s group would be heading in the opposite direction from Rivhae.

They couldn’t use the same method I would.

That wouldn’t do.

It would take them significantly longer, and during that time, I would remain a thorn in their side.

Thus, I would stick to my original plan and leave the group.

“…Tomorrow morning.”

For now, I would stand guard as promised.

Leaving without a word would be rude.

Tomorrow, I would briefly explain the situation and separate from them without causing trouble.

“Huh?”

Just as I reached this conclusion, an unusual sound reached my ears.

A faint rustling, like grass being brushed aside.

As I focused, I realized it was coming from all around me and growing louder.

My gaze moved instinctively, and in that instant, I saw it.

“Kyaaaah!”

A scream echoed.

Startled, I turned my head and saw it.

Using the campfire as a light source, the place where people were gathered.

And the dark snakes slithering toward the only illuminated spot.

It was then that I realized.

We were now surrounded by a horrifying number of black snakes.