I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 16: The Journey to the Empire (4)

It’s been a while since I’ve seen this view.

Even though I saw it every day in the Snowfield, seeing it again after some time brought back memories.

A faint recreation of the bitter cold climate.

It was clearly a blind spot, but if I were to kill the Serpent God’s true form, this alone wouldn’t be enough.

However, it was more than sufficient to deal with the offspring-like minions of the black serpents.

The serpents didn’t writhe or shrink as if touched by fire or thrown into a desert.

They simply froze solid, as if chilled to the core.

All the nearby enemies had stiffened, but a black wave still surged from beyond.

“Heugh… I-I’m going to freeze to death… take it easy…!”

The snowstorm, which had completely transformed the climate, was excellent, but it made it impossible to distinguish between friend and foe.

A man who had been getting torn apart by the serpent swarm until just moments ago was now shivering violently.

I couldn’t quite remember what cold or chilly sensations felt like anymore.

More than that, my body felt incredibly heavy.

The rampant magic power was significantly affecting my condition.

I was slightly annoyed and shouted at him to endure it for a moment.

“Bear with it. Or do you want to die?”

“H-hik…!”

…For some reason, I sounded colder than usual.

Maybe it was because I wasn’t feeling well.

Tadadadak!

The sound of the ground trembling was constant.

The sheer number of serpents was astonishing; even though their individual weight wasn’t high, the vibrations could be felt through my soles.

The black serpents were in a collective frenzy.

The sight of them madly rushing toward their demise just to sink their fangs into us was quite grotesque.

But it was all in vain.

This was nothing but a thorough slaughter.

To put it metaphorically, it was like weak mobs rushing into a snow barrier where anything below a certain level of health would instantly die.

When one serpent collapsed, two or three of its companions would crawl over it, but they didn’t last long either.

Three became two, two became one, and finally, reinforcements were cut off entirely.

Even the last remnants of resistance eventually crumbled.

The offspring of the black serpents, being servants summoned by the Serpent God rather than actual monsters, left no corpses behind.

They melted away, disappearing without a trace.

If all their bodies had remained, it would’ve been horrifying, so this was a welcome phenomenon.

The battle was over.

“……”

But the aftermath still needed to be dealt with.

I lowered my hand and slowly scanned my surroundings.

Every gaze in the crowd, with snow piled on their heads, was fixed on me.

Each and every one of them was filled with astonishment.

In a life-or-death situation, it would’ve been normal to feel relief or gratitude.

But their reactions were far from pleasant.

The silence that had fallen over the group was broken by Anasha.

“You… just what are you…?”

It was a question she barely managed to force out.

The brightness and familiarity that had been in her tone were gone, replaced by something closer to reverence.

I understood.

After all, a snowstorm was classified as grand magic.

A high-tier magic that surpassed regular spells, on a scale beyond comparison.

It was the domain of “arcane arts,” magic elevated to a mystic level.

From the perspective of someone as skilled as her, it must’ve seemed awe-inspiring.

But no, it’s not that.

It’s not what you think.

“Quellière.”

When I answered evasively, she raised her voice.

“You know that’s not what I mean!”

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

Why couldn’t she just let it go?

From the beginning… I’m not what you people think I am.

Not at all.

Sure, I annihilated countless black serpents, but that was just because of advantageous attributes.

The snowstorm, when you consider its basic capabilities, is nothing more than a flashy, useless skill.

It guzzles magic power like no tomorrow, and its damage is negligible.

If the attributes aren’t in your favor, it’s practically useless.

Look at yourselves—completely unharmed.

Even among higher-tier monsters, humans who were at least on a basic level wouldn’t instantly die just from being hit by the snowstorm.

Well, if you did absolutely nothing and stood still, you’d eventually freeze to death.

But who would do that?

If someone approached while I was barely holding it together from all the mana consumption and just gave a single slash—swish—that’d be the end.

Game over.

“I once worked as a magic instructor for the Grypheon family. Based on my experience, the magic you just cast is truly incredible, beyond belief…”

“Not at all.”

I cut her off coldly.

“It’s nothing.”

In an attempt to be understood, I spoke my true feelings.

But the room fell silent again.

This time, the silence was even heavier than before.

…What’s the problem now?

Is it my tone again?

Feeling slightly embarrassed, I moved to wrap things up quickly.

“It’s late.”

I threw out the words roughly, implying that it was time to sleep, and turned my back.

The surroundings were a mess.

The black serpents’ attack had left the tents and sleeping bags in tatters, and the campfire had been snuffed out by the snowstorm.

To prepare the area for a decent rest would take considerable effort.

I had items that could restore everything in an instant.

But I wasn’t obligated to use them.

I’d already gone out of my way to save everyone’s lives, despite the hassle.

As I was about to leave, I felt a particularly strong gaze on me and glanced back.

“You are…”

It was Sigila.

The enigmatic woman with formidable skills.

She seemed like she was about to say something, but I didn’t bother listening and kept walking.

It was probably just more talk about how amazing the magic was or something along those lines.

My original plan was to bid farewell in the morning and part ways cleanly.

But the unexpected situation forced me to adjust my plans in real time.

I wasn’t interested in dealing with any more nuisances.

Forget repaying favors—just leave me alone.

I walked alone toward Rivhea.

*

Quellière had left.

The remaining people whispered about her for quite some time, but it was already late at night.

If they wanted to continue their journey tomorrow, they needed at least a little sleep.

The group hastily repaired the torn tents, ripped apart irreparable items to make blankets, and cobbled together a place to sleep.

The results were poor, and everyone had to endure a very uncomfortable night.

Their backs were chilled, and their necks ached.

But even that pain was something they were grateful for.

It reminded them they were still alive.

The next morning, before resuming their journey to the Empire, they tidied up the area and prepared themselves.

Anasha Sheryl stood apart from the group, lost in thought.

“Just… who…”

Who was she?

She had pondered all night but couldn’t come up with a satisfying answer.

In retrospect, Quellière had always been unflappable.

When I was isolated from the group.

Even when surrounded by the legion of baby black snakes.

It was something that ordinary people could never endure.

Even she, who had once worked as a battle mage, had felt a chill down her spine the night before.

Perhaps that monstrous appearance was merely the tip of the iceberg.

“…Could it be that she knew something all along?”

No matter how many times I recalled it, she remained a woman shrouded in mystery.

Anasha, who had wandered across countless regions, had never seen such strange attire or an unfamiliar face before.

She had said she would leave on the very day she arrived in Yulistia. Her destination was the Arundel Empire.

But doesn’t something seem off?

If their destinations were the same, why would she separate from the group?

No one dared to look down on or ignore her.

Maybe it was due to her tendency to build walls. Some people clearly preferred being alone rather than being with others.

However, the direction she headed in was the real issue.

If she went that way, she’d reach the Rivhae.

Without a means to cross the vast ocean, it would be a dead end. If that were the case, her claim of heading to the Empire would also become dubious.

Did she have no intention of going to the Empire at all?

If so, why did she join her companions at the Yulistia waystation in the first place?

If they were going to part ways anyway, there was no need for her to come with them from the start…

“…Ah? Could it be… something like that?”

Suddenly, thoughts came to me.

If there was a reason behind her consistently cold and composed demeanor… For instance, if she had ‘known from the beginning’ what was going to happen.

Then everything made sense.

The fact that she had deliberately sought out the waystation on the day she arrived in the city and joined their group.

The fact that, after literally ‘massacring’ the swarm of black snakes, she calmly departed for a place where there were no roads.

In short, she might have… foreseen what was going to happen that night.

If it weren’t for Quellière, what would have become of herself and her companions?

Anasha had confidence in her magical skills. However, she hadn’t been able to see any chance of victory during their encounter with the snake legion.

Could it be that she had come to save her and the others?

Like a fairy.

Though her cold demeanor might not suit the term fairy… it wasn’t entirely unthinkable.

“Shouldn’t someone keep watch during the night?”

Quellière’s words, just before the ambush.

“I’ll do it.”

The woman, who appeared to push people away with her frosty manner, seemed like she had a sharp personality at first glance.

And yet, she had willingly taken on the grueling task of night watch that no one else wanted to do. Her personality and actions didn’t align.

One of them had to be false.

And Anasha believed it was the former.

Volunteering for the night watch aligned with the idea that she had ‘predicted it.’

She had stepped forward to prepare defenses because she knew the enemy would attack.

Above all, Anasha felt it was impossible to think of her as a bad person.

Surely, something had happened to make her adopt such a cold personality.

Though there was no way to confirm it now, Anasha firmly believed so.

“…Like a fairy, she appeared… and left like one too.”

No one knew where Quellière had gone.

They might never meet again.

This mystery, too, might never be solved, but… she resolved to remember.

That enigmatic woman who was like a fairy.

“Excuse me, Lady Anasha…”

As she silently reflected, a man approached her.

Anasha opened her eyes as if waking from a dream.

“Everyone has finished preparing. But…”

“But?”

“One person is missing.”

“…What?”

She gasped in shock, her mouth slightly agape.

It was a time for organizing and recharging before departure.

They were also checking the headcount to ensure everyone was present.

And now, someone was unaccounted for?

“Who’s missing? What about their belongings? Are they still here?”

“None of the belongings are missing. Everything is intact. However, that person’s luggage is completely gone. The missing individual is…”

Anasha, with her kind heart, asked urgently. If something had gone wrong, they needed to respond quickly.

The man, looking flustered, continued.

“…A woman named Sigila.”

The missing person was a woman she also knew.

Though her achievements had been overshadowed by someone far more overwhelming, she had fought as valiantly as Anasha herself.

Had someone that capable fallen victim to misfortune?

But something felt strange.

Upon investigation, everything except for Sigila and her possessions was perfectly fine.

It wasn’t a case of theft.

Even if someone had snuck in at dawn to target her specifically, would it have been possible to not wake anyone or leave any traces?

The investigation continued for some time, but no clues emerged.

In the end, Anasha and her companions departed with only questions lingering in their minds.

*

Lysithea calculated the value of the music box and was astonished.

The potential uses for this incredible object seemed limitless.

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to act on any of them.

Because she knew nothing about it.

For some reason, her instincts screamed at her.

That the advantage of possessing the music box might outweigh any immediate profit.

The music box was a remarkable artifact.

Its music alone was of such high quality that it could have been performed in a royal palace, but its structure—how it was made—was utterly incomprehensible.

She had to meet its creator.

“Find this woman called Quellière.”

The patriarch’s command had been issued, but they couldn’t deploy the covert assassins.

Thanks to the testimonies of Sorab, Petras, and Maurice, they knew that Quellière’s destination was the Arundel Empire.

Maurice had even provided additional information.

“T-that… my music box… sob, no, that’s not it… the map I gave to that guest… It was definitely…”

From the weeping Maurice, they learned the nine types of maps that Quellière had taken.

They had hoped they’d serve as clues, but they yielded no results.

The locations were so scattered that it was impossible to pinpoint anything.

There was no way to be certain of anything with them.

In the end, the only clue they had was that she might have headed to the Empire.

But the Empire was vast.

Even just the journey there offered countless routes and methods, and even if they managed to arrive, how could they find one woman in such an expansive territory?

They couldn’t risk their crucial combat assets, the assassination unit, on such a slim possibility.

If they had a proper location, they would have tolerated the time and dispatched them. But they had already lost the trail.

Lysithea thought that any chance of meeting Quellière again was hopeless.

…Or so she believed.