I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 17: The Spiral of Fate

Late at night.

Sigila visited the main house of the Krase family.

Lysithea had stationed watchers throughout the city to monitor its movements.

Sigila was one of them and also a member of the assassination squad.

Joining Anasha’s immigrant procession was part of her duty.

There was a significant probability of incidents, so their journey needed to be confirmed.

Even so, she had faced events far beyond her imagination.

“I just returned.”

The patriarch’s office.

Sigila knelt on one knee before the head of the family. Standing upright beside Lysithea was Sorab.

“Welcome back. You said you had something to report?”

“Yes, it’s an urgent message.”

“Urgent…”

The current situation in the city was dire.

Incidents were occurring nearly every day, yet for it to be called “urgent,” it must have been no ordinary matter.

Lysithea straightened her posture.

“Go ahead and report.”

“Yes, first…”

Sigila carefully selected her words and recounted the events in chronological order.

Anasha Sheryl and the group of displaced people.

She had joined them at a relay station and set off for the empire.

Up to that point, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Given enough time, they would surely have reached the empire.

If not for the enemies’ attack.

“A young black serpent… and you think it’s the Serpent God?”

“I’m certain of it. If it weren’t the Serpent God, there’d be no connection. And that… it was like an army. It’s unexplainable unless it’s a divine entity.”

Lysithea exhaled deeply.

The Serpent God was already a terrifying entity. To think it possessed abilities that had remained hidden until now.

No, since it was a god, should she call it a “divine authority”?

Its power could no longer be measured. It felt as though the will to drive it away was gradually eroding.

She habitually propped her face on her hand before opening her mouth, voicing a question that had come to mind.

“Considering how dire it was, how did you manage to survive?”

Indeed.

Based on Sigila’s account, it must have been a scene reminiscent of a hell filled with coiling serpents.

It was a situation where annihilation was almost assumed, yet here she was, standing before them alive and well.

The shadow of the assassination squad, Sigila, slightly parted her lips with her sunken eyes.

Now, she was getting to the main point.

“There was an extraordinary individual.”

Her calm voice echoed softly.

The serpent’s assault, the night of terror.

The “shocking sight” she had witnessed that day and its “owner.”

She relayed everything without exaggeration or omission.

The room was utterly silent.

By the time her story reached its climax, Lysithea and Sorab’s expressions were quite a sight.

Expressions one would never normally see on them.

Some time later, it became known only to a select few that the assassination squad had quietly slipped out of the city.

*

I once remembered watching an animated film in my carefree days on Earth.

In it, the protagonist drifted across the ocean on an ice floe in a place akin to the Arctic on Earth.

Watching it, I had wondered what it would feel like.

My inspiration came purely from that memory.

The vast sea of Rivhae. I was sitting on an ice floe, hugging my knees.

“Wow…”

This is… fun…

I chuckled internally as I emptied my mind and gazed at the horizon.

The sea breeze gently brushed against me.

Because of my settings, I couldn’t feel the coolness, but the fluttering sensation of the breeze was vivid.

When I arrived at Rivhae, the first thing I did was weave magic to create an ice floe.

Though my mana had been completely consumed by the snowstorm, I quickly recovered with an emergency potion.

I had been a bit worried because of my clumsy control over magic, but it wasn’t as difficult as I thought. It was just a mass of magic, so all I had to do was spend time building it up.

Of course, if I had to go through an additional cooling process, it would have been much harder.

As a Snow Maiden, ice magic was something that didn’t require any separate preparation—it appeared simply with a thought.

Once the ice floe was complete, I stepped onto it and adjusted its speed and direction with magic.

Since the Snow Maiden didn’t have a large mana capacity, it quickly depleted.

But there was no need to rush.

I didn’t need sleep or food, so there was no urgency.

For now, I could relax and enjoy the mood of traveling.

Traveling, the act of leaving home and wandering the world.

Suddenly, I thought of the Snow Castle.

“It feels like something from a long time ago.”

Though I had spent over a year there and only recently ventured out onto the continent.

The pure white days passed by faintly.

The troublesome Frikes—were they doing well?

Even those little pests, whom I had found annoying, made me a bit concerned now that I couldn’t see them.

I wondered if the Yeti had returned safely.

As long as it hadn’t recklessly engaged in battle, it wouldn’t have fallen in the Ice Mountains.

It was a creature that obediently followed my instructions, so it must have made it home safely.

Mishra… I didn’t want to see her, honestly, because she scared me.

Our relationship had improved to some extent, but I still couldn’t figure out what she thought of me.

Besides, a dragon’s values differed from those of humans… perhaps there were many parts that didn’t align.

“Well, she’ll manage on her own.”

After all, she’s the Dragon King.

Anyway, stopping by the empire to gather information and briefly visiting the Snowfield didn’t seem like a bad idea.

I wasn’t going to stay on the continent forever, so I should check to see if my home was still intact.

After collecting the necessary information, I decided to return once.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

I flopped onto the ice floe.

Since I didn’t need to sleep, it was an action I rarely did.

It was comfortable.

Indeed, people needed some leisure in their lives.

Even just last night, I had struggled to escape the Serpent God’s pursuit, but now that was over.

I had left Yuristia behind, and there was no reason to be involved any further.

So, I felt sorry for the people in the city, but they would have to deal with the Serpent God themselves.

It was no longer my concern!

“Let’s go, to the empire!”

I closed my eyes with glee.

For the first time, it felt like something was progressing according to plan.

I probably wouldn’t get tangled up in any dangerous incidents for a while.

The Arundel Empire.

There wasn’t a soul on the continent who didn’t know the name of this powerful nation located in its central region.

Though it might be considered insignificant compared to a millennium later, its national strength and advanced culture were unrivaled within the continent.

The average living standards of its citizens were far superior to those of other nations, and even the authority of its great nobles was comparable to the royalty of other countries.

Perhaps because of this, unlike Yuristia, the faces of its citizens were full of brightness and laughter.

The capital, Roblock.

A grand city that housed the imperial palace where the royal family resided and the central library with the most extensive collection of records.

I was standing in the shade of the commercial district, using my hand as a makeshift visor to block the sunlight.

“It’s too bright…”

The sunlight here was much stronger than in Yuristia.

Probably because it was located in the central region of the continent.

It felt like I might melt.

Of course, that was just my imagination.

Being a Snow Maiden, a unique existence, I was naturally attuned to winter and not particularly weak to heat.

Though direct contact with fire would be deadly, that was true for humans as well.

Still, I had to endure a faint sense of discomfort that hadn’t existed when I was human. There was nothing I could do about being in an incompatible environment.

“Hmm.”

I lowered my hand and looked around.

People dressed neatly walked past me, glancing my way.

It was only natural since my presence here was peculiar no matter how one looked at it.

In the distance, I saw the library, and far away in another direction was the imperial palace.

The imperial palace housed Artan, and the central library was a repository of knowledge frequently visited by key NPCs during the Four Seasons War.

It wasn’t for nothing that I had traveled to Rivhae.

If you follow a branch of the Rivhae River downstream, you will eventually arrive at Roblock.

It was the fastest way to reach an important location, a method that only someone like me could use.

“The first place I need to go is the library, but…”

The scorching sunlight was bothersome.

I wondered if there was something that could help. I had rummaged through my tote bag earlier, but nothing suitable came up.

At that moment of frustration, I looked around my surroundings.

I spotted a merchant.

He had parked a cart that resembled a stall and was displaying his goods for sale.

It was a common sight in the commercial district. However, one item caught my eye, and without hesitation, I walked toward it.

“This one.”

“…Pardon?”

The merchant, who had been organizing his display, raised his head at my words.

When he saw me, his jaw dropped like an automatic door.

“Gasp…! Who…?”

Then he quickly shut his mouth and darted his eyes around nervously.

It seemed he was trying to gauge my status, but I paid no mind and pointed my finger at an item.

“How much for this?”

What I was pointing at was a hat.

It resembled a fedora but had a wider brim. It looked like it would do well to block the sun.

Its rich, golden color, reminiscent of ripe grain, appealed to me.

“Oh… Ah, this hat, you mean? In imperial currency, it would be…”

It was a reasonable amount.

Though I didn’t know the prices from a thousand years ago, it seemed about right.

The problem was, I didn’t have any cash on me, so I pulled out a map to use as a substitute.

Morris had given me nine of them, and they were just taking up space in my bag—this was the perfect chance to put one to use.

“Let’s trade this.”

Snow Maiden Quellière couldn’t haggle.

I proposed a straightforward trade, holding out a map of the Yuristia region.

The merchant stared at the map with a puzzled look, and then his eyes widened in shock.

“A m-map! And such a detailed one at that! You’re willing to trade this for a fedora?!”

“Yes.”

I nodded without hesitation, and his grin practically stretched to his ears.

“Oh, of course! Absolutely, madam! Is there anything else you need? Perhaps this bucket hat…?”

“I don’t need it.”

It would only take up space.

With the deal sealed, I tried on the fedora. It was a little large but fit well enough on my head.

The sunlight was effectively blocked. At the very least, it no longer touched my face, and I felt much better.

“Take care, madam!”

As I headed toward the library, I heard the merchant’s voice calling out behind me.

It seemed that, in his mind, my status had been elevated to that of a noblewoman.

Well, to a merchant, anyone who pays money is their superior.

After walking for a while in the blazing sunlight, I finally reached the entrance to the central library.

It was a location that frequently appeared in the game during scenes where characters sought information.

Of course, at this point in time, those characters hadn’t even been born yet.

Still, I assumed this place would hold significant importance, just as it likely would in the prequel, Four Seasons War II.

“Welcome!”

As I pushed open the main door and entered, a librarian greeted me from inside. When our eyes met, she widened her own and covered her mouth.

“Oh my! How beautiful. I lost myself for a moment. Someone like you reading books would make for such a picturesque sight! Feel free to browse to your heart’s content.”

“…?”

Her overly high energy left me tilting my head in confusion.

Even though this was a library, not a shop, she treated me with such hospitality.

It was indeed fitting for an empire with a high cultural standard.

I decided to do as she said and browse freely.

After all, my reason for coming to the central library, overflowing with various materials and books, was to gather as much knowledge as possible.

I stared intently at the rows of bookshelves, running my fingers over any volumes that caught my attention.

The History of the Empire… It was an intriguing title, but the contents were nearly useless.

The only worthwhile information was that the current year was Imperial Year 572.

Relics of the Gods… This was about the obelisks located in the east, west, north, and south.

However, there was very little verified information, and most of it was speculation and baseless rumors.

In particular, the contents about the eastern and western regions, regarded as demonic realms, were utterly useless.

The errors were so blatant that I wanted to correct them myself.

The Gods of the Four Seasons… It was obvious what it would say, so I didn’t even bother to look.

Research Journals… It seemed that a new thesis by Agnatz was making headlines.

The name felt vaguely familiar—who was that again?

I rifled through various materials like that.

It was a beneficial time to learn about the continent’s state a thousand years ago and uncover facts I hadn’t known. But nothing significantly helpful emerged.

Just as I was contemplating leaving, one document caught my eye.

“Hm?”

It was a relic bulletin.

This section dealt with general relics, excluding oversized ones like the obelisks.

There was a considerable stack of identical documents.

Judging by the subtitle, it detailed the discovery of a new relic, and it seemed to be a special issue.

Curiosity led me to pick it up intending to skim through it, but before I knew it, I had read the final sentence.

Its absorbing content was terrifying.

It wasn’t that the writer was particularly skilled but that the information was extremely interesting to me.

A new relic, which had long been dormant, had been discovered in imperial territory relatively close to Roblock.

It was found purely by chance when workers were breaking ground on an empty plot of land.

Relics were inherently precious structures.

After completing exploration, some kind of artifact could always be obtained. Therefore, the discovery of a new relic within one’s domain was considered a major event.

However, the imperial authorities designated the new relic as a danger zone and sealed it off.

“Well, that makes sense.”

According to the description, the site was practically reminiscent of a demonic realm.

Flames raged, thunderstorms poured down, blizzards swept through, and earthquakes struck.

It was a state where all kinds of extreme weather phenomena, each terrifying on its own, were rampant.

It wasn’t even a situation where attempting to explore made sense.

The first priority was to observe and determine what kind of system was at play.

Thus, I understood the authorities’ decision. However… I immediately identified the true nature of the relic.

There was only one type of relic that exhibited such phenomena.

Even in Four Seasons War, where various relics appeared, their number was ultimately limited.

Once its characteristics were confirmed, identifying it wasn’t difficult. And once identified, the artifact inside became clear as well.

“This is… that one.”

The method to clear it was simple, but its difficulty ranked among the highest for elemental relics.

The reason was that, according to its setting, the abnormal phenomena of the relic stemmed from the artifact sleeping inside, and clearing it depended on passing the artifact’s trial.

Thus, I could pinpoint the artifact inside. It was a troublesome relic, but as an elemental catalyst, it was an unparalleled treasure.

If this were during my active playing days, I would have agonized between coveting the artifact and dreading the grueling challenge to obtain it…

“Lucky me.”

But I was an exception.

With the Snow Maiden’s traits, I could literally ignore that danger.

After all, the only reason this relic was difficult was because the challengers were human.

Humans were inherently unsuited for communion with spirits and for wielding elemental power.

But I… no, the Snow Maiden was fundamentally different from the settings imposed on the human race.

I mulled over the matter briefly but soon made my decision.

I would clear the relic.

The artifact’s performance was too good to pass up. It was perfectly compatible with me.

Most importantly, the artifact was one of the items I had previously considered necessary for dealing with the Serpent God.

Although it was no longer relevant to the Serpent God, you never know what might happen.

What if it harbored a grudge because I had slaughtered its black snake offspring?

“Having some insurance wouldn’t hurt…”

Lost in thought, I nodded to myself.

Since a useful artifact had appeared at just the right time, there was no reason not to claim it.

Still… something faintly stirred in the back of my mind.

A peculiar relic that existed in the empire around this time a thousand years ago.

I felt like I had heard about it before.

How strange. How could I know about a relic from such an ancient era?

Perhaps I had stumbled across the information while investigating some historical figure.

Whatever the case, it didn’t feel particularly dangerous, so it probably didn’t matter.

“This one, please.”

“Uh, pardon? The map? …And the bulletin?”

“Yes.”

The bulletin contained the location of the relic.

To ensure I didn’t forget, I requested to purchase it from the librarian. While it might seem odd to buy something from a library, it depended on the item.

Most books weren’t for sale, but materials like journals and bulletins were a different story.

They were more like newspapers than books.

Unlike books, they were scattered everywhere and widely distributed, making them public documents.

Though the librarian initially refused, claiming the price didn’t match, I persisted, and the transaction was finalized.

I carried the bulletin and headed for the library’s entrance.

At that moment, the door opened, and a group of people walked in.

“Causing trouble again, huh, that kid.”

It was a young girl and an older man—no, an older brother with a significant age gap. Both had green hair.

As the man grumbled, the girl responded nonchalantly.

“Isn’t that just how they grow? It’s nothing new.”

“…Why are you always so indifferent? This is a serious issue.”

Their outfits were simple but didn’t make them seem like commoners.

On closer inspection, even their seemingly plain attire bore hints of luxury.

Beyond that, the girl and the man exuded an air of refinement.

Anasha had an air of dignity, but this was a different, more authentic nobility.

“And that kid is the same age as you. Don’t talk about them as if they’re some little child. Well, I guess you’re both kids, technically.”

“Oh dear, I was merely stating my honest thoughts.”

“That’s why people call you an old soul. Remember, there’s a difference between being mature and being a curmudgeon.”

“…I told you not to treat me like an old woman. And I’m not precocious; rather…”

The cynical-looking girl paused mid-sentence and glanced my way. It seemed she had noticed my gaze.

Startled, she hurriedly greeted me.

“Hello…?”

“Hello.”

I responded.

An awkward silence fell.

The man and the girl stared at me blankly.

It seemed I had inadvertently interrupted them.

In situations like this, it’s best to step aside.

Leaving the two behind, I walked out of the library.

The sunlight outside was as bright as ever.

For me, now equipped with the fedora to block the sun and the bulletin to guide my way, it felt like a ray of hope.

Since the relic was in the direction of the imperial capital, I might as well head that way.