I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 5: Reincarnation as the Snow Maiden (5)

White Silver Dragon King Pankaj Mishra.

In fact, I didn’t know much about her. At the time of this story, she was already a figure from a distant past, and she didn’t directly appear either. I only knew the basic information, like that she lived in the Snowfield and had a good-natured personality, because I was the type to thoroughly read the developer’s settings.

In short, I didn’t know the details of her abilities.

That’s why I was feeling very tense right now.

‘Wh-what is she doing, just standing there…’

Just a moment ago, the Dragon King had been trying to suppress me with her anger, but suddenly she stopped and was just glaring at me.

At a glance, her expression seemed stiff, almost like she was being cautious, but that couldn’t be the case.

She was the Dragon King, a being from a transcendent realm.

There was no way she’d be cautious of someone like me, who wasn’t even the size of a fist.

‘So, has she given up on suppressing me?!’

Could it be that my rebellious behavior made her even angrier?

I hoped not, but sadly, that was the most likely hypothesis. If that were the case, then the reason she was standing still like that was…

…Was she thinking of using a deadly move?

I didn’t want to believe it, but the possibility made me even more afraid. It didn’t help that I didn’t know the full extent of Mishra’s abilities.

I couldn’t predict what kind of magic or skill she might use.

Although my body had become invisible, so it wouldn’t be noticeable, I was still turning pale with fear.

What should I do?

With Quellière already in a fragile state, no matter what skill Mishra used, there would be no way I could even save her body.

As I stood there in despair, I heard a loud, bustling noise from somewhere.

Reflexively, I turned around and saw some familiar figures huddled together.

-The hot one is here!

-She’s bullying Quellière!

-Ahh, it’s tingling!

-This must be the ‘sensation you must never seek or be curious about’!

-What’s hot?

“No…”

I had told them not to come out. But, really, it was foolish to think that these mentally immature ones would follow a brief instruction.

How could they not come out when a giant dragon suddenly appeared and started wreaking havoc?

The Frikes, who had been cautiously approaching me, immediately turned into wolves when our eyes met and surrounded me.

It looked like they were trying to protect me.

-Don’t bully Quellière!

Their words, filled with determination… It was an encouraging sentiment that warmed my heart, and I was genuinely moved. But, in response, my face turned even paler.

‘What the hell are they doing?!’

Why are they acting so ready to fight?

Silver Wolves are the form Frikes take when they feel threatened or are preparing for combat.

Just looking at their growling sounds and the silver fur standing on end, it was clear they were in a combat mood.

Do they not understand the concept of physical disparity?

It’s obvious that the combat power is on a different level!

How can they think about fighting when they see that?!

‘I’m grateful that they’re helping me, but…’

That’s one thing, but this is another.

The rarity of spirits doesn’t necessarily equate to strength.

Moreover, Frike is a low-level spirit.

Compared to the White Silver Dragon King, who even high-level spirits can’t do anything about, low-level spirits like Frike are just little pups.

It’s like a fight between an elephant and a tiger… No, a dog, with mice thrown into the mix.

I felt anxious that they might just make things worse, so I glanced at Mishra, and her eyes were wide open.

It was like she was staring in utter shock at the Frikes.

‘Why does she have that expression?’

After thinking for a moment, I guessed it was probably due to the Frikes’ behavior.

Most spirits are self-centered and wild, and they rarely follow others.

Only spirit mages with a special affinity for spirits can befriend a few, and even then, the spirits will sulk if mana isn’t continuously supplied.

In short, they’re a very difficult bunch to deal with.

And yet, a significant number of spirits were stepping forward to protect me, so if someone who knew about spirits saw this, it would be quite shocking.

‘Well, there’s a reason for this in my case.’

The way the Frikes were acting toward me wasn’t like the usual self-centered spirits, but that’s because I’m the one who created them.

These children were born from my mana, and spirits are essentially mental entities made of pure mana.

Naturally, they think centered around me.

Perhaps Mishra didn’t know that, and was shocked.

I managed to surprise the mighty Dragon King… What an achievement…

‘Wait a minute, could this be an opportunity?’

A sudden thought flashed through my mind.

If I didn’t act now, I might never have another chance to make Mishra feel this flustered.

This fleeting moment when the Dragon King’s judgment was clouded was my only chance.

My brain started working at an unprecedented speed.

It was almost like cramming for an exam in my student days.

The brain that survived the frenzy of private education quickly reached a conclusion.

‘Before she comes to her senses, I’ll quickly wrap this up!’

Physically, it was impossible to escape from the Dragon King’s pursuit.

No matter how I handled this situation, as long as I stayed in the Snowfield, Mishra could find me again at any time.

Therefore, I needed her permission to live here.

However, since I had unintentionally irritated her so much, there was no way she’d give it easily.

Persuading someone whose heart was already closed would be incredibly difficult.

So, I’d boldly give up on persuasion.

Instead, I would take control of the conversation!

‘I’ll create the ‘situation where things are finished before they can even say anything’.’

If I wrap this up on my own before any harm is done, Mishra will have to stay calm.

And with her pride as a Dragon King, it would be difficult for her to bring up something that was already settled.

Alright, this is it.

No matter how much I thought about it, the plan was full of holes, but it was the best choice for now.

I looked directly at the still-confused Mishra and pointed to the castle.

“I’ll be living here from now on.”

Then I immediately turned around and headed straight into the castle.

As expected, my tone was cold, and I didn’t even want to imagine what my expression looked like.

Oh, of course, I didn’t forget to bring along the Frikes.

*

Snowflakes as delicate as feathers of a Pegasus settled onto the snowfield.

Standing there alone was Mishra.

The anger that had paralyzed her reason had long since subsided, but her thoughts still seemed frozen, refusing to function properly.

She tried to make the most of the frozen dragon’s wisdom, reflecting on the scenes she had just witnessed.

Snow spirits, Frikes.

Ancient beings.

Even upon reconsideration, it was hard to believe.

Spirits were remnants of the main god, and monsters were remnants of the evil god.

In the case of the latter, the remnants of the many evil gods that spread across the continent had combined into the form of an absolute evil and were still wreaking havoc, but the situation for the former was different.

While other beings might not know, Mishra, as the Dragon King, was aware that all gods had long since vanished.

Many gods had entered eternal slumber or left this world altogether.

The reasons for this varied, but there were two main events that were pivotal.

The first was the Celestial War that broke out during the mythological era, the height of divine activity.

It was said that many gods disappeared following this unprecedented war among the gods.

That’s all that was known; even Mishra didn’t know the details.

After all, she hadn’t existed during that ancient time.

The second was what humans often referred to as the worst event in terrestrial history.

It was the peak of the gods’ disappointment in humanity, worn down by insatiable greed and jealousy.

At this time, only a few gods remained, and this event caused even those to turn away completely.

The Goddess of Winter also disappeared around that time.

After her departure, she was effectively the last hope for the world.

Only then did humanity begin efforts to win back the favor of the gods, frightened by the reality that they could no longer rely on absolute beings.

Disgusted by their selfishness, Mishra understood her master’s choice with a heart that felt like vomiting blood.

That was likely thousands of years ago.

Since then, the number of spirits dwindled rapidly.

Their creators and the beings who maintained their existence had disappeared.

If at least one of the four main gods had remained, their extinction might have been minimized, but those supreme gods had led the exodus.

The gods of the four seasons—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

With three gods gone and the last one disappearing, the world’s balance crumbled inevitably.

As a result, the snowfield had been desolate for a long time.

It certainly had been.

‘What in the world happened while I was asleep?’

Suddenly, the Frikes appeared in surprising numbers, dozens at a glance.

They all acted to protect one woman.

It was behavior uncharacteristic of the individualistic spirits.

For a moment, Mishra suspected she was a spirit summoner, but she quickly dismissed the thought.

Even a grand summoner who dominated an era wouldn’t be able to contract with that many spirits at once.

No matter how exceptional their talent, there were innate limitations to created beings.

More importantly, the question of where these Frikes, who had long disappeared, had suddenly come from was unanswerable.

Spirits couldn’t form spontaneously in nature.

Mishra gazed silently at the snow castle, which towered higher than her own body.

When and how was this castle made?

It wasn’t simply piled-up snow.

If it were, it wouldn’t have such form, size, or durability.

It must have required an enormous amount of mana and precise magical control.

But even so, constructing something like this wouldn’t have taken very long.

If such a commotion had been caused, no matter how deeply she had been sleeping, she would have noticed.

Did that mean this structure had been created in an instant?

‘…Impossible.’

Even for her, that was absurd.

Mishra shook her head, forcing herself to reject the new hypotheses that kept surfacing.

It was unthinkable.

“I’ll be living here from now on.”

The woman’s final words came to mind again.

Words spoken firmly as she stared directly at Mishra.

They were declared as if she wouldn’t accept any objections.

Facing the Dragon King, whom all on earth feared, her expression didn’t waver in the slightest.

It was as if she believed she could handle Mishra without difficulty.

She seemed indifferent, unconcerned.

What once felt arrogant now struck her differently.

And the sight of the snowstorm shining through her figure.

The authority to create a castle in an instant and her dignity in standing tall even before the Dragon King.

Even the scene where the once-extinct snow spirits adored her.

[Coincidence.]

Although she thought it was impossible, the suspicion wouldn’t leave her mind.

Those appearances were as if…

[…It’s all just coincidence.]

By now, the blizzard had calmed, leaving only scattered flurries.

As if her legs had sunk into the fierce snow, Mishra remained there for a while.

*

-I’ll take them down! Don’t stop me!

-Yeah, let’s take them down!

-Quelli has gotten cold again. It’s hot outside!

“Quiet.”

What a mess.

I was sure I hadn’t taught them to act like this.

Whom did they see to behave like this?

Returning to the castle, I desperately blocked the Frikes, who were trying to rush outside.

Though I deployed a chaotic strategy amidst the confusion, the result was still uncertain.

I stole a glance at the Dragon King’s wings visible from the window.

I gulped nervously.

What if she got even angrier and caused a commotion?

After some nerve-wracking moments, I finally saw her reaction.

Fortunately, my worries were unfounded.

Boom!

The ground shook as Mishra took off, flapping her wings.

She flew toward her lair located in a corner of the snowfield.

I sighed in relief, feeling as though I had survived.

“Hah…”

She might return, but for now, the crisis had passed.