I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 20: The Spiral of Fate (4)

The system of Roblock.

The assassination squad, having broken through the mountain pass, arrived at the warm, large city.

Sigila calmly surveyed her surroundings.

There were many people.

Unlike Yulistia, their faces were free from shadow, and loyalty covered their expressions.

With their designated roles, they rushed about the streets in a hurry.

“Temporary captain, do you think we can find the target here?”

“Certainly, it would be difficult for an ordinary person. But there’s no problem.”

Rather than a target, it was an important factor that needed to be escorted for assistance.

But to the assassination squad, that expression was familiar.

In such a busy city, where there were many people moving about, it would usually be a very hard task to find one person.

However, if the target was Quellière, things were different. There was no one more conspicuous than her.

If she had casually walked the streets, many people would have likely witnessed her.

The merchants and those who had set up shop, unlike the hurried pedestrians, were more likely to remember her.

“I’ll look for witnesses. Follow me.”

“Yes!”

This commercial district was filled with various shops and vendors. At least a few of them must have useful information.

Just as Sigila was pondering whom to ask, her eyes caught something strange.

“Mm…?”

A street vendor had set up a display on their sales cart.

Inside a fixed board, there was a map to prevent theft. It was surprising to see such a rare map sold in a place like this, but Sigila wasn’t focused on that.

It was a map from Yulistia.

She had seen a similar one when she visited Maurice’s shop to gather information on Quellière’s meeting.

Why was it here?

“Hey.”

“…Yes? Ah, welcome! Please take your time to browse…”

“I’m not talking about that, it’s the map.”

Yulistia and the Arundel Empire rarely had any exchanges. So, it was unlikely that this map had traveled all the way here.

And Quellière had received nine maps from Maurice.

The street vendor chuckled.

“Aha, aha! You mean this? Isn’t it surprising? Seeing such a rare map here. Moreover, this is not from the Empire. I’m not sure where it’s from, but the geography of the Titan Plains in the western Empire and the Libu coastline are neatly…”

The vendor proudly explained.

It was only natural, considering the map was displayed for advertising purposes. A rare item proved the vendor’s ability by itself.

Sigila cut off the explanation and asked.

“Did the person who gave you this map have white clothes and light blue hair? Is that correct?”

“And… uh, yes?”

“I’m talking about the person who gave you the map.”

Sigila, an orphan raised by the Krase family, had been loyal to them ever since.

Having not received a proper education, she wasn’t good at smooth communication. So, she spoke bluntly.

“…That…”

The street vendor frowned.

He thought something was off. He had been happy, thinking she was a customer, but now it seemed like a mistake.

The purple-haired woman in front of him was asking rude questions with a stern expression, and the people standing behind her were all emotionless.

She wasn’t a normal person.

He shouldn’t carelessly share any information about his customers.

However, Sigila could sense his hesitation.

“Where did they go?”

Her firm question carried weight.

Sigila hadn’t given much thought to it, but the pressure from her, a woman who had lived half her life as an assassin, was undeniable.

The street vendor, after a brief moment of self-justification, finally spoke.

“Well, I saw them heading toward the Central Library…”

“I understand. Thank you.”

Sigila nodded and walked off without hesitation.

She entered the library, a place unrelated to her, and sharply scanned the interior.

At that moment, a calm voice called out.

“Oh, welcome.”

It was the librarian standing inside.

She widened her eyes.

“Are you a group visitor?”

“…You all wait outside.”

Sigila dismissed her team members and headed for the counter, but she had to stop again.

There was another map.

It was neatly placed in a letter holder, just like before.

It was also from Yulistia.

Did this woman consider the maps as currency?

“If you’re here to read books, please keep quiet, and if you wish to borrow, come to me…”

“I’m asking about the person who gave you this map, where did they go?”

“Eh? Uh, I don’t know.”

“Then what did they exchange for the map?”

The librarian supported her cheek with her hand and thought for a moment before replying.

“It was an archaeological publication, definitely. That one.”

Following her gaze, Sigila saw a large stack of papers on the wooden desk.

“But what was your relationship with that person…?”

“Hey!”

Without listening to the librarian, Sigila walked up to the desk and began rifling through the papers.

The archaeological publication, new ruins and their characteristics.

After examining it for a moment, Sigila’s expression shifted.

She had a feeling she now knew where Quellière was heading.

*

The area around the ruins was eerily silent.

There were guards nearby, likely to prevent anyone from getting too close, but their numbers were few, and they hadn’t been discovered.

Indeed, looking at the situation, it made sense.

“Wow…”

Lightning struck, and a cold wind blew.

A surge of energy came forward.

New anomalous phenomena appeared from time to time, constantly changing the patterns.

Curiosity is a natural human desire, but most people wouldn’t come to such a blatantly dangerous place.

Treasure hunters who aimed for uncharted ruins were no different.

They were clever and swift, but only after thorough investigation would they conclude it was worth the risk.

Humans were fundamentally different from moths to a flame.

“It would be dangerous to get closer.”

I was the exception.

If it were truly dangerous, I wouldn’t have come in the first place.

This place was a ruin made for me.

Without hesitation, I stepped into the midst of the chaos and disasters, the cursed land.

Lightning struck at me first.

The rain accompanied the lightning, falling vertically toward me, but just before it could hit, it veered off course.

As if avoiding me, it bent weirdly and disappeared into the distance.

As I watched the remaining electrical currents in the air, I sensed an approaching earthquake.

The shock that shook the ground passed by, except for the spot I stood on.

“A little tense, but as expected…”

The danger avoided me on its own.

These natural disasters were a kind of spirit, with a faint self-awareness.

They had probably judged me to be the “chosen one.”

The property of this ruin was crucial.

Thus, humans who were naturally weak in that particular attribute could never approach it.

One needed to be strong enough to break through the spirit’s barrier, or have the attribute power of a grand spirit master, or a spirit affinity.

In this field, I was an expert.

There was no one more specialized in ice and winter attributes than the Snow Maiden.

When I reached the depths of the ruins, the mysterious structure appeared. Its entrance had a palm-shaped symbol carved into it.

“As expected, it’s the same.”

The chosen one test.

Only those who passed the examination could enter the inner sanctum.

Just as I had expected, it was one of the types of ruins I had seen in the game.

The artifacts that lay dormant there were undoubtedly the same.

Since the natural disasters had already passed by, confirming my status as the chosen one, there was no need to fear.

I gently placed my hand over the symbol.

The only thing left to do was to infuse it with elemental magic… when the door opened.

“…Huh?”

What was this?

I hadn’t even started activating the magic yet.

This never happened when I played the original game.

Of course, this was my first time coming to this ruin as Quellière, but even when I enjoyed it as a Spirit Master, an essential class for anything elemental, nothing like this ever occurred.

I narrowed my eyes and scanned the inside of the ruin.

“Doesn’t seem like much.”

It was dark, but a faint light shimmered within.

There was no sign of danger. Honestly, the door opening on its own wasn’t necessarily a bad sign.

Although I found it suspicious, I trudged inside anyway.

As soon as I crossed a certain threshold, the entrance door shut with a loud clank.

With the door closed, the interior grew brighter.

Floating in the air were entities resembling will-o’-the-wisps.

These lights, glowing in various hues, chased away the darkness.

“Fragments of spirits…”

These were remnants of spirits that had not yet fully matured into independent beings.

The Frikes I had created, pouring in pure mana, were born as full-fledged spirits.

That wasn’t a normal case.

Typically, spirits would drift around in this fragmentary state, evolving into true spirits by consuming pure energy scattered throughout the material world.

Although there were more fragments than actual spirits, it was rare to see this many in one place.

“As expected of an elemental ruin.”

Thanks to the lights, it was convenient for me.

I walked deeper into the ruin, and the surroundings grew brighter.

Ignoring it, I kept walking.

The brightness intensified.

As I continued moving forward without stopping, the light eventually became so intense it was like staring directly at a white-hot bulb.

Unable to bear it any longer, I muttered under my breath.

“Why are you following me?”

That’s right.

The spirit fragments, which resembled lanterns, were floating along behind me.

Each time I encountered a new fragment, it twitched nervously before attaching itself to me.

Thanks to them, my eyes were starting to hurt.

When I glared at them with annoyance, they squirmed as if they wanted to say something.

But I couldn’t understand whatever meaning they were trying to convey.

Communication was impossible.

I coldly said, “Don’t follow me,” and stepped forward.

However, the fragments didn’t listen.

They trailed after me like children chasing a fire truck spraying water.

Once again, my eyes began to sting, forcing me to revise my demand.

“…Keep your distance.”

Fortunately, they didn’t seem deaf.

They must have understood this time because they moved back a little.

The intense brightness faded into a soft glow.

I sighed involuntarily.

“You’re like Frikes…”

Their behavior was reminiscent of those mischievous troublemakers.

At least they weren’t bad-natured.

After that, I was able to move forward without further disturbances.

Since the key to this ruin lay in its elemental properties, there weren’t any monsters or other nuisances.

The once-wide passage narrowed, gradually converging into a single path.

Eventually, it became a narrow corridor where only two people could stand side by side.

At the end of it was an altar.

“This must be it.”

It was the end and the beginning simultaneously.

On the altar was an object resembling a blue crystal—this was the artifact.

The foundation of this ruin and one of the items I needed: the amplification artifact, “Catalyst.”

Ruins housing the Catalyst didn’t demand strength or wisdom but “pure elemental affinity.”

This was due to the artifact’s characteristics.

Infusing it with elemental energy to satisfy the “Will of the Spirit” within it would transfer ownership.

“It’s like a trial.”

The Spirit’s Will existed solely for this test.

It was faint enough to vanish once the trial ended, ensuring that only those who passed could even reach it.

As an elemental catalyst, the Catalyst ranked among the highest-tier artifacts.

Most Spirit Masters wouldn’t even dare attempt the trial.

Feeling slightly tense, I touched the Catalyst.

It felt cool against my hand.

Focusing on the sensation, I began to pour in power.

Rumble!

The ruin trembled.

Startled, I braced myself to avoid falling.

The sudden vibrations, thankfully, didn’t grow stronger and eventually subsided.

What was that?

As I rolled my eyes in bewilderment, a voice echoed.

—Winter… has come…

Startled, I spun around and was shocked once more.

Above the blue crystal, the Catalyst, a faint form flickered.

It was much larger than a fragment and exuded incomparable energy.

This was the Spirit’s Will housed within the artifact.

—Could it be… you’ve returned…? No, that’s impossible… Then who could you possibly be…?

The Will babbled incoherently, making it hard to grasp its meaning.

Its aged appearance suggested it had existed for quite a long time.

But how was the Will manifesting?

Normally, it would conduct the trial silently, minimizing energy consumption.

At that moment, the figure grew fainter.

By nature, the Will couldn’t remain manifested for long.

In a desperate tone, the Spirit’s Will cried out.

—O new Winter… I implore you… please… return it… return it… to the depths…

“It?”

What was it talking about?

—It sleeps… in the landfill… a dreadful land whose history cannot be spoken… Now is our chance…

The term “Western Abyss” came from its lips.

I could feel my expression harden.

—Countless calamities have been scattered across the continent… At this rate, the continent… the world…

“…”

I regarded the Will with a stony expression.

There was no way I couldn’t understand what it was saying.

But I didn’t like it.

Coughing dryly, the Will forced out its final words.

—Before it awakens… before it grows stronger… please… I beg of you…

The Spirit’s Will, which had spoken with such difficulty, disappeared silently.

I had no idea who it was referring to.

It could be someone who still existed somewhere or merely the residual Will of a spirit long gone.

Regardless, it had earned my dislike.

“Why are you asking me to do that?”

The official final boss of the Four Seasons War.

The Black Calamity, Mahabharata.

A wall of despair for novice players, a challenge that required a full suite of endgame gear for veterans, and a boss that seasoned players mocked in bizarre costumes of their own creation.

As I was now, there was no way I could defeat such a foe.

More importantly, I had been dragged here against my will.

By some deity or other mysterious entity.

And now they wanted me to risk my only life fighting that monster?

“Who said I’d do that?”

A surge of defiance coursed through my body.

No one could force me to hunt down that thing.

If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t do it.

Sure, if the calamity were to rampage, the continent could plunge into chaos, and I might end up in danger.

But that entity had just said it was currently asleep in the landfill.

“Why wake something that’s sleeping peacefully?”

If it was asleep, that meant it was safe.

At least for now, there was no reason to worry.

And spirits, unless destroyed by external forces, were immortal beings.

Their perception of time was vastly different from humans.

Just because they claimed the calamity would awaken and wreak havoc didn’t mean I needed to panic.

These beings could scream about the world ending tens of thousands of years from now as if it were imminent.

“I’m not doing it. No, not fighting it.”

Shaking my head, I dismissed the thought.

My resolve hadn’t wavered since before.

I would live this second life solely for my enjoyment.

I had no intention of sacrificing myself for altruism.

My priorities were simple—bestow favor on promising individuals like Artan, avoid trouble, and focus on fleeting pleasures rather than distant concerns.

If faced with a choice between ten others and myself, I would choose myself.

I…

“…I will be happy.”

In this world too.

With renewed determination, I grasped the Catalyst.