I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 6: Reincarnation as the Snow Maiden (6)

Life in the Snowfield was peaceful and uneventful.

There were small issues, but to put it in another way, it was simply a continuous stretch of tranquility, as long as there were no external interferences.

It was only after coming here that I realized the peace I had felt on Earth wasn’t peace at all.

Living in a city, where countless people and too many conflicting interests were intertwined, was something that inevitably led to frequent collisions, even if you spent most of your day at home.

On the other hand, the Snowfield… was a place filled only with stillness.

The icy land, where blizzards and the pure white castle were the only signs of life, was a paradise for the Snow Maiden and the Snow Spirits. But how cold must that scene appear to the eyes of others?

A regular person would not be able to endure even a moment in this cold hell, and even if they did, their hearts would freeze soon enough.

So, to become a resident of this world of no humans, one would need to turn into an ice statue themselves.

However, here, there was one exception.

A being whose cold exterior paradoxically protected their inner self.

An irregular, one who could never have existed under the will of the gods.

A singular, unique race that had never existed in this world.

But as long as even a faint warmth remained, people would still seek new experiences.

About a month had passed since then. I didn’t have a clock, so this was purely a guess.

Fortunately, during this time, Mishra hadn’t come to visit.

Whether she had decided to simply tolerate me or had other pressing matters, I didn’t know, but by now, it seemed safe to say the crisis had passed.

“She probably won’t come again, right? At least, out of embarrassment?”

Being the Dragon King of the world, her pride must have been immense.

With her high self-esteem, there was no way she would raise the issue again after it had passed.

My plan had worked.

I couldn’t help but smile a little in victory.

Noble beings like her always had beliefs that ended up being their weakness.

It might be better to be like me, who had no particular beliefs.

-Oh…

When I glanced sideways, I saw a Frike with its mouth hanging open.

It was definitely the youngest Frike I had created a month ago.

There was almost no difference in appearance, but as its creator, I could tell.

So why was this one acting like this?

It was one of the more talkative Frikes, so I couldn’t help but be a little concerned.

-She smiled!

The little creature pointed at me and shouted.

I was so surprised that I absentmindedly brought my hand to my mouth.

My smile was gone.

Had it been witnessed, even if for a moment?

The Frike, like a kindergarten child who had seen something amazing, ran to tell the others.

All the spirits were in their childlike forms, just like him.

-Quelli smiled!

-What? That can’t be.

-Did she see something sweet?

The spirits born from me each had unique personalities.

You could immediately tell the difference just by glancing around.

Some were reading books, some were hanging by the window looking outside, and others were lying around doing nothing.

This was a phenomenon that appeared because each one formed a different identity during their creation.

They were like a small society, with their interactions differing from one another. Yet, there was one theme that could unite them all.

-Quelli smiled?

-What’s going on?

-…That’s impossible…

It was all deeply related to the person Quellière.

As soon as I was brought into the conversation, the Frikes stopped reading their books, ran over from the windows, and jumped up from their nap.

At that familiar flow, I instinctively touched my forehead.

I was so relieved that no one else was here. If anyone had seen this, I would have been too embarrassed to look up.

“Here we go again…”

Still, compared to other times, this was a more understandable reason.

How much hadn’t I smiled?

No wonder the little ones had such a reaction.

Due to the Snow Maiden setting, even if something made me happy, my expression of it was extremely minimal.

Recently, the unease of not knowing when Mishra might strike had only made it worse.

It was only now, after about a month, that I was able to feel sure about my safety.

That relief might have loosened my expression a little.

-Perhaps it’s because it’s nearly finished.

While many ideas were being tossed around, the one who had been reading a book just moments ago spoke up.

This Frike was the smartest of the bunch.

So, compared to the nonsensical ideas, it actually sounded quite plausible.

-Wow… that makes sense!

-You’re amazing!

-…Hmph.

The other Frikes, who couldn’t even make that simple guess, were admiring him.

The one who had spoken tried to act nonchalant, but his shoulders were noticeably raised.

After all, they were still just children.

“That’s not entirely wrong, though.”

While securing my safety was the bigger priority, what they were saying also had its importance.

I decided to ignore the Frikes and lowered my gaze back to what I had been focused on.

The preparations had long been finished, and I had recently begun the final touches.

It was a work I had poured all my magical energy into over several weeks.

Unlike the Frike, which could be completed in a day with the right focus, this was a different matter.

After all, a ‘mid-level spirit’ was on a completely different level from a low-level one.

I knew this well, which was why I had decided to take on the challenge, but it turned out to be harder than I had expected.

The mana kept leaking out before it could gather, leaving me drained.

Now that I was finally freed from that exhausting task, I felt understandably good.

“This is it.”

I had already gathered all the mana I needed, and I had just completed the final steps.

As I pulled my hands away, the snowball began reacting in strange ways, just as I had imagined.

It was a snowball of a size that was on a completely different scale from the Frikes.

Soon, the mass of mana expanded, slowly taking on the shape of a being.

Its body grew exponentially, until it reached a height where I had to look up at it, and then the commotion began to die down. Before my eyes stood the completed entity.

-…

Its height was easily over a meter.

The tall, white fur covering its head and entire body matched the description I had seen in the settings.

Spirits of this level were rare, and even after playing through the Four Seasons War, I hadn’t come across many.

So, this was my first time seeing it as well.

“Do you understand me?”

The mid-level snow spirit, Yeti, slightly nodded in response to my words.

Unlike the Frikes, it couldn’t speak the language, but its intelligence was by no means inferior.

Seeing its calm response, I was satisfied.

“Go and greet them.”

I gestured behind, and Yeti strode forward.

Despite the difference in level, they were both snow spirits, so they should get along just fine.

However, the Frikes were startled by Yeti’s intimidating appearance and screamed in shock.

-Something scary has come!

-It’s bigger than Quelli! The fur is longer! …Why does it look so different from us?

The noise was deafening.

The arrival of a new member, unlike anyone before, quickly became the hot topic.

Though they caused a lot of fuss, the Frikes were basically good kids at heart, so they’d probably become friends soon enough.

“That should be… Hmm, it’s fine.”

I decided to tune out the noise and check my plans.

*

Snow spirits like me were extremely specialized in their attributes, so unless we were in extreme climates, we would bear various penalties.

Thus, taking them further inland wasn’t a good idea.

Of course, I would also experience significant mana depletion and weakened abilities if I left the Snowfield, but it was a whole different scale with Spirits.

Spirits, in essence, are a single energy source, making them particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.

Unlike me, they even had to worry about their health.

And it wasn’t as if I could take care of them all, especially not so many of them.

“Well… I just have to cross the Ice Mountains.”

To reach the mainland, it was essential to pass through the Ice Mountains.

The problem was that, unlike the barren Snowfield devoid of any living beings, the mountains were home to monsters.

Given my lack of confidence in combat, I needed a reliable escort.

For that purpose, I created a mid-level Spirit, the Yeti.

Although it, too, was a Snow Spirit and couldn’t accompany me to the mainland, it would suffice as a bodyguard.

Once I crossed the Ice Mountains, I could manage the rest on my own.

“The mainland…”

These thoughts hadn’t suddenly occurred to me.

Anyone stranded in an isolated, desolate land would naturally yearn for traces of humanity, but thanks to the Snow Maiden’s setting, I wasn’t mentally affected.

Of course, while I suffered no adverse effects, I still had my fair share of curiosity.

I had simply chosen immediate peace over risking danger out of mere curiosity.

However, despite focusing on mana training and creating Spirits to distract myself, my interest only grew day by day.

“Being moderately bored would’ve been better.”

Above all, my daily life was incredibly dull, which was a glaring flaw.

This body, accustomed to Earth’s entertainment and stimulating media, naturally leaned toward a bit of challenge over sheer monotony.

“To be honest… I’m curious.”

That was my honest sentiment.

Although this was supposedly set a thousand years before the original story, it was still the stage for the Four Seasons War that I had loved so much.

Having been thrust into this world, it was only natural to feel a strong desire to see it firsthand.

While the era differed, meaning many things wouldn’t align with my memories, this also meant the more perilous parts were likely absent.

After all, this wasn’t the chaotic era of calamities and warfare depicted in the original.

“Well then, I guess it’s time to pack some useful items and prepare to leave.”

There was no need to make the journey empty-handed and suffer unnecessarily.

It would be helpful to bring along items I could use or sell for cash.

I was heading to the storage to gather supplies when—

BOOM!

A jarring roar echoed, stopping me dead in my tracks as unpleasant memories surfaced.

Unable to ignore it, I turned my gaze toward the source, only to be met with a familiar sight.

The snowfield, whiter than ever today.

A massive flying object cutting through it.

Its speed seemed significantly reduced compared to before, but it was unmistakably that Dragon King I never wanted to see again.

I blinked in stunned silence.

“Wait, hold on a second…”

Why was it coming here?

I quickly regained my composure, ordered the wolf-like Frikes to remain in the castle, and descended with only the Yeti.

I wanted to avoid provoking the visitor but also harbored a faint hope for an ally.

*

Outside, it was unusually bright.

Did it always choose days like this to show up?

On the snowy hill where it had sat before, Mishra was perched again.

As I stepped into view, the Dragon King fixed its gaze on me.

‘What now? What’s your problem this time?’

I glared, irritated but careful not to let it show, meeting those eyes directly.

Surprisingly, there was no intense hostility in its gaze.

While the reason for its visit remained unclear, it didn’t seem to be out of anger.

This realization brought a slight sense of relief.

It didn’t seem to be a crisis situation like before.

After a brief standoff, the Yeti stepped forward, perhaps to assist its master.

Despite its emotionless face, its sheer presence exuded a considerable aura.

Though insignificant compared to the Dragon King, it was a comforting presence next to the Frikes.

[…]

Mishra’s eyes widened briefly at the sight of the Yeti but quickly softened as if she understood something.

Not knowing what was on her mind, I decided to take the direct approach.

“What do you want?”

I regretted it immediately, as my tone came out colder than I intended.

With a hint of anxiety, I glanced at Mishra… her eyes wavered slightly.

My heart shrank.

That looked like… embarrassment?

No matter how I saw it, it was the kind of reaction someone made when caught off guard or contemplating something.

Why was she embarrassed?

The reason wasn’t hard to guess.

A month ago, she had spared me, and here I was, still acting arrogant.

No wonder she found it absurd!

‘This damn troublemakering body…’

The saying that the mouth is the root of all evil felt painfully true.

I needed to smooth this over somehow.

If I had stayed silent, it might’ve been fine, but having provoked her, I couldn’t risk her deciding to drive me away again.

‘To fix this, I need to…’

Persuade her with words?

What a joke.

I dismissed the thought immediately.

The supposedly wise solution of dialogue was useless to me.

If only I could mend her resentment with words, things would be much easier.

If only the Snow Maiden wasn’t a cold and stoic character…

Then, I thought of the troublemakers I had created.

Not long ago, they had been causing a lively ruckus with their cheerful voices.

While their mental maturity was questionable, their bright personalities were undeniable.

What if I sought their help?

Although I had left them behind to avoid irritating Mishra, I now reconsidered.

Even if my tone was icy, a cheerful atmosphere might make things better.

The Frikes, if nothing else, were adorably cute, so perhaps the Dragon King wouldn’t get angry easily.

No, maybe she’d even calm down.

Cute things were universally comforting, after all.

With Mishra’s return, it would be unsettling to let this go unresolved.

I needed to secure her permission once and for all.

[You are… no, you…]

I heard her muttering something, but my mind was too preoccupied to catch it.

Before my resolve could waver, I spoke up.

“Come inside.”

My words, delivered in an unyielding tone, signified an invitation.

By formally inviting her and treating her well, I aimed to secure her approval.

[What? No, I…]

Her reaction was unexpected.

Caught off guard, my gaze shifted directly to the Dragon King’s face.

This wasn’t good.

Her use of “no” hinted at rejection, and if she refused…

[…That… no… fine.]

For some reason, Mishra, who had been hesitating, finally agreed.

What was this?

Had she changed her mind?

Whatever the case, a positive outcome was all that mattered.

Choosing not to question it, I trudged toward the back entrance to guide her.

Whoosh—

A sudden gust of wind blew, and I turned my head.

Where the towering figure of the Dragon King once stood was now a woman.

Her long silver hair cascaded to her waist, and her light blue eyes sparkled.

Though unfamiliar, it was not impossible to recognize her identity.

‘Polymorph, huh.’

Thinking this, I stepped into the castle first.

With the responsibility of hosting a guest weighing on me, I felt burdened.

The sound of another set of footsteps followed me inside.