I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 22: The Spiral of Fate (6)

The woman who joined Anasha’s group with me.

Seeing her here, it seemed they had safely reached the empire.

“…”

Then, who were those people in the black uniforms?

Not a single face matched those I had seen among the refugees.

They all had stiff, hardened expressions.

The tense atmosphere exuded unease. At that moment, Sigila stepped forward.

“Quellière.”

Her voice was serious.

Why was that?

Why did she also have such a grim look?

Why was her hand moving toward the hilt of her sword?

The uneasy feeling materialized as she spoke her next words.

“The patriarch wishes to meet you.”

Sigila was someone from Yulistia.

By patriarch, she must mean the head of one of the city’s ruling families.

But that place was rife with corruption.

Only now did her skill make sense to me.

She wasn’t just a civilian but a trained combatant from one of the families.

“…So, you were a pawn of the family.”

Sigila acknowledged my realization with a nod.

On the other hand, I felt disheartened.

The corruption in Yulistia had been irrefutable in the backstory.

It was evident from the fact that two patriarchs had performed that sham with the Serpent God.

But to think she worked under such a vile family.

I had thought of her as a reserved yet good person, but that was my mistake.

Whatever her circumstances, I didn’t care.

More importantly…

“The patriarch is looking for me?”

“Yes.”

This statement puzzled me.

I had only stayed in the city briefly.

I hadn’t even approached the families, let alone the patriarch.

I recalled the patriarchs putting on their ridiculous act with the Serpent God.

It was a scene I had observed.

Could it be that they saw me then?

No, it had to be.

There were no other possibilities.

But why would they seek me out?

Even if they had seen me, the fact remained that we had never exchanged a word.

…Suddenly, a sinister thought crossed my mind.

“…For what purpose?”

“You’ll find out when you go.”

Sigila, her face still stern, refused to elaborate.

Her curt response made it feel like she was avoiding the conversation.

The sense of foreboding deepened.

The very fact that Sigila was here was strange.

It was clear that she had been sent to track me down.

Moreover, for her to bring subordinates so quickly meant she acted with extraordinary speed.

What could possibly have made them hurry like this?

Her refusal to reveal their purpose was suspicious as well.

There were two possibilities.

The first was vengeance for killing the Serpent God’s followers.

While the creature was an enemy to the city’s people, it seemed the corrupt patriarchs had been exploiting it.

They wouldn’t want it gone.

Anasha Sheryl had declared her intent to propose the Serpent God’s subjugation at the relay station.

That was bad news for her, but Sigila, a pawn of the family, had been there too.

If Sigila reported that “scheme,” what would the patriarchs have done?

They would have likely sought to eliminate the thorn in their side, Anasha.

The sudden arrival of those black serpents had seemed suspicious, and it turned out to be the patriarchs’ machination.

But their plan failed.

Thanks to an irregular factor—me, Quellière.

Sigila must have returned and reported everything about me.

Upon hearing this, the patriarchs would have been enraged.

Now that Anasha had survived, the situation had become unpredictable.

They had every reason to resent me, the root cause.

Hence, they sent soldiers to exact revenge.

If this assumption was correct, Sigila’s reluctance to explain made sense.

It was obvious I would refuse, so why bother saying it?

This would be terrible, but the second theory was worse.

Because the second one was…

“……”

…Quellière, the Snow Maiden I created, was an insignificant existence, but her beauty was exceptional.

I had designed her purely for aesthetics and atmosphere, making her unrivaled in appearance.

Even I, who saw her daily, was occasionally startled.

What would someone seeing her for the first time feel?

That day, one of the two patriarchs—or both—had set their sights on me in the city square.

They had fallen for Quellière’s beauty at first glance.

And corrupt individuals were often driven by lust.

Perhaps Sigila hadn’t reported anything, and the patriarchs didn’t know I had killed the followers.

They might have taken an interest based solely on that fleeting moment.

So they sent soldiers to bring me in.

If that were the case, and I allowed myself to be captured…

Ah, no!

The horrifying thought sent shivers down my spine.

Both possibilities were disastrous, and Sigila, who had come to take me, looked like the grim reaper.

I reflexively glared at her.

We weren’t close, but we were acquaintances, and the betrayal stung.

She had to know the fate that awaited me if I was dragged to the patriarch.

Desperation colored my voice as I spoke my final plea.

“Is this really necessary?”

As merely a subordinate, she likely had no veto power.

Still, I tried appealing to her last shred of conscience.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she firmly nodded.

“It is.”

*

“She won’t be an easy opponent. Bring her back respectfully.”

Lysithea had clearly instructed.

The music box, Sigila’s testimony—all pointed to her being no ordinary individual.

Sigila intended to faithfully carry out her lord’s command.

She was an orphan.

Though she had distinguished herself in back-alley fights and was raised by the family, all her training was combat-related.

She hadn’t learned communication skills or etiquette.

“Quellière.”

At the sound of her name, an astonishingly beautiful woman turned around, giving chills.

Her cold gaze, as if dismissing all worldly matters as meaningless, remained unchanged.

The memory of that day came to mind, prompting Sigila to place her hand near her sword’s sheath.

It was the instinct of someone who had lived as an assassin.

Although such a movement could provoke hostility in anyone, she couldn’t be blamed for it.

Quellière had always been aloof.

Her words were brief and cold, revealing neither her nature nor her morality—whether she was good or evil.

While she had saved people from the minions of the Serpent God, that had also been a trap she herself had fallen into.

She was utterly unpredictable.

And what of her power?

The storm she summoned held the grandeur of an overwhelming magic spell.

She could likely execute someone like me at any moment.

Right now, Sigila was standing before her, risking her life.

“The Patriarch wishes to see you.”

Quellière seemed to ponder the carefully spoken purpose of her visit.

Her icy expression wavered ever so slightly.

The current situation of the Patriarch wasn’t good.

Even cloaked in secrecy, receiving her help would be invaluable.

Sigila remained silent.

She simply waited and waited.

Having conveyed her purpose, all that remained was to receive an answer.

It was a form of ‘consideration,’ giving her time to think.

“For what purpose?”

At last, the response came.

Quellière’s gaze sharpened, leaving Sigila feeling disheartened.

The atmosphere had grown colder and more foreboding.

When asked about the purpose, the answer was simple: to carry out the Patriarch’s orders.

The reasons for the Patriarch wanting to meet her were complex.

The power that annihilated the Serpent God’s minions and the mysterious artifact called the music box—those, and countless other implications, likely played a role.

But Sigila couldn’t explain it logically.

In truth, she didn’t know exactly what the Patriarch intended to say upon meeting her.

Adding unnecessary details might only worsen the situation.

Her role was merely to bring Quellière to the Patriarch.

Anything beyond that was the responsibility of her master, who had been raised and trained as an elite since childhood.

“You’ll find out when you go.”

She conveyed that thought as is.

“You’ll find out when you go”—a sincere answer without a shred of falsehood.

Feeling a bit proud of having delivered her response clearly, Sigila watched as Quellière’s expression rippled.

Once again, it was subtle.

Only someone like Sigila, trained through years of combat, could barely notice it.

She couldn’t discern the emotions reflected in her eyes.

However, it didn’t seem like a positive reaction.

Sigila frowned.

She didn’t understand why Quellière reacted that way.

It seemed she truly lacked any aptitude for negotiation.

Perhaps she should’ve asked the Patriarch to assign someone more suitable before the mission.

Regardless, it was too late now, and the task fell to her.

Failure would be entirely her responsibility.

She would accept any punishment for her mistakes, but she couldn’t bear the thought of her failure causing harm to her family.

She resolved to succeed no matter what.

To achieve that, she needed to earn Quellière’s trust.

“Is this really necessary?”

In response to Quellière’s question, Sigila nodded without the slightest hesitation.

“It is.”

*

I’m a man!

Even though I’d become a woman, my identity was that of a man!!

Such a thing with another man… was unthinkable.

“…Alright.”

She answered briefly, leaving room for interpretation.

Thankfully, they seemed to be testing the waters before acting by force, probably because of what they’d seen when she fought the Serpent God’s minions.

Though it was a misunderstanding, it worked in her favor this time.

She had to come up with a countermeasure during this window.

Fight? Impossible.

The Snow Maiden had abysmally low combat ability and poor stats.

Her elemental advantage was weak against human opponents.

She had no instant-kill skills or abilities to incapacitate foes immediately.

Could she even beat one person properly?

And her opponents weren’t fools, either.

Especially Sigila, who knew I used magic.

If I tried anything, a dagger might fly at me instantly.

Like during the encounter with the young black serpent, I couldn’t recklessly unleash magic to summon a snowstorm.

Doing so might get my head cut off on the spot.

At that moment, the ‘Catalyst’ came to mind.

This amplification artifact offered a significant advantage for elemental power.

For a moment, I saw a glimmer of hope…

But at the same time, Sigila’s previously displayed prowess flashed through my mind.

Her agility could only be described as extraordinary.

With a single swing, she decapitated three or four foes, moving swiftly to keep formations intact.

It wasn’t a skill easily gained even with countless battles.

In contrast, I had no real combat experience.

The difference was like that between an adult and a child.

Fighting was not an option.

“Will you come with me?”

Sigila’s urging triggered a surge of irritation.

But soon, anxiety took over.

I had to devise a plan quickly.

If fighting wasn’t an option, then escape was the only choice.

Fortunately, I had one excellent escape skill.

If I transformed into mist and fled, they would pursue me immediately, but it was still better than fighting.

Though my mana was low after exploring the ruins and using my abilities earlier, I could manage for a short while.

Relying on this slim chance, I prepared to act.

Just then, someone grabbed my collar and spoke.

“Who are those people?”

At that moment, my heart sank with a jolt.