I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 66: Invading the Lord’s House (1)

The Snow Castle was vast and extensive, containing numerous facilities and rooms.

From reception rooms to storage areas, dressing rooms, multipurpose rooms, and so on… Of course, it didn’t have everything, so I occasionally added something as needed.

One notable example was the library.

After returning from the igloo, I was flipping through a book in the library that I had personally renovated in the past.

Rustle─

“Long ago, there was a monster with five legs. It consumed metal and breathed fire…”

It was one of the library’s many book-shaped items.

A collection of folktales I had casually picked up to read was unfolding.

“A starfish?”

No, that one was supposed to be weak to fire, wasn’t it?

Upon closer inspection, I occasionally spotted motifs inspired by modern fiction.

Rustle─

“The cherished weapon of Hypnos, the autumn deity, was a heavy mace. He wielded the mace, causing lightning to fall…”

Midway, I tilted my head, feeling a sense of familiarity.

“Thor?”

It definitely resembled something I’d seen in Norse mythology or somewhere similar… and I found it strangely intriguing.

While the story itself wasn’t particularly impressive, I sometimes enjoyed the fun of finding familiar themes in such books.

“Ah.”

But soon, I got bored.

It was all explanations, and my eyes grew tired.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

Closing the book, I stood up and approached the window.

Outside, a magnificent blizzard was still raging. It looked the same as always, but it was clearly not an environment suited for building a home.

“I wonder if they’re doing okay.”

Nell and Mishra.

Both were almost unparalleled in strength, yet for some reason, they gave off an oddly unreliable vibe.

Just as I thought about going to check on them, the door to the library opened.

Slam─

“Quellière!”

A familiar phrase and a familiar voice.

It was Nell, her cheeks red, likely from spending too much time outside.

“Oh, here you are! I’ve been looking everywhere.”

“What’s going on?”

She was catching her breath, looking as though she had run in a hurry.

I asked with a tone of curiosity.

“Ah, well…”

“Did Mishra say something?”

“What? Oh, no. That lizard is fine. Though she’s horribly bad at building igloos.”

She naturally threw in some criticism, but that wasn’t anything new.

If it wasn’t because of Mishra, then what was the problem?

“Then why?”

I asked again as I placed the book I had been reading back on the shelf.

Nell scratched her cheek hesitantly for a moment before blurting it out.

“Uh, well.”

“Yeah?”

“A guest has arrived.”

The folktale book slid perfectly into the shelf.

With my hand still resting on the spine of the book, I froze in place.

“…What?”

Nell babbled incoherently as she tried to explain, but I couldn’t make sense of what she was saying.

Who, how, and why had someone come looking for me?

Unable to figure it out, I had no choice but to meet the person myself. I went down to the first floor and stood in front of the main door.

“…”

Whoever this person was—guest or uninvited intruder—they couldn’t enter the castle.

After all, they hadn’t yet received my permission.

Steeling myself, I turned the doorknob.

The first thing I saw was white armor.

“Oh, oh…”

A faint, awestruck exclamation reached my ears.

Though I couldn’t see the face, I could clearly sense the admiration emanating from the man in front of me.

I raised an eyebrow.

“You came looking for me?”

“…Ah.”

When I addressed him curtly, the stiffened man bowed his head.

A heated voice returned in response.

“I greet you, Lady Quellière.”

“And who are you?”

“I am Holy Knight Dewade of the Holy Nation. I have come to serve you, Lady Quellière.”

“…What?”

A strange man was saying strange things.

My brow furrowed instinctively.

“You want to serve me?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Are you saying you want to take me to the Holy Nation?”

“No, of course not. Please stay wherever you wish.”

“…Hmm.”

So, he wasn’t here to take me away but rather to serve me from my side?

It was better than the former, but still equally baffling.

“Why do you want to serve me?”

When I asked the most crucial question, Dewade responded in a solemn voice.

“Because you are Lady Quellière.”

“…?”

My head tilted slightly.

From the brief exchange, I gathered a few facts.

This man was a Holy Knight from the Holy Nation named Dewade, and he wanted to serve me because I was Quellière.

“…”

I didn’t understand the last part at all, but I could come up with one hypothesis.

With a cold tone, I muttered.

“You came from the Holy Nation.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then you must have heard what I said before I left Astar.”

The most plausible hypothesis was that this man had been intentionally sent by the Grand Temple.

Dewade nodded calmly.

“Of course. It was an unforgettable and historic moment.”

“Then why are you here? I’m not a saint, nor do I have any intention of helping your people.”

The Holy Nation, still under the delusion that I was some kind of great saint, had likely sent him to sway me.

If persuasion was their goal, it all made sense.

It probably wasn’t that hard for them to figure out my location.

While I speculated, I felt a bit tense.

“I’ve come to serve you, Lady Quellière.”

“…”

Dewade’s response drained all the strength from me.

What was he, a parrot?

In any case, I had no use for this suspicious man, nor did I want to be served or worshipped by him.

“Go back.”

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t need someone like you.”

Judging by how he could endure this climate, he was undoubtedly a highly skilled individual.

The Holy Nation wouldn’t have sent a weak lion, of course, but an unreliable ally was more dangerous than an enemy.

Dewade showed signs of agitation at my sharp rejection.

“L-Lady Quellière?! Please, wait, just for a moment.”

“What?”

“You’re making a decision too quickly! Please reconsider. I promise I will never be a burden to you.”

“I don’t need you.”

I thought he was a stoic man, but he turned out to be more flustered than I’d expected.

In a hurry, he began extolling his virtues.

“Lady Quellière, while I may fall short of your expectations, I can protect myself, and I also possess divine power─”

“I said I don’t need you…”

Thud!

At that moment, a vibration traveled through the ground.

It was the movement of a massive presence. It was a familiar sensation, and when I turned around, I saw a frost giant with pale skin approaching.

“Sasquatch.”

Because of its size, it couldn’t enter the castle and instead busied itself patrolling the Snowfield every day.

The giant, chewing on an ice pillar, looked down at me.

“…!”

I heard a gasp beside me.

Well, anyone would be shocked upon seeing it for the first time.

In any case, this was perfect timing.

“Good to see you, Sasquatch.”

─…!

The giant responded with a friendly roar.

I subtly gestured toward Dewade and issued a command.

“Don’t let him in.”

“…Excuse me? Wait─”

Bang!

Just as his widened pupils and open mouth prepared to protest, I closed the door.

I’d said everything I needed to, and the rest could be left to Sasquatch.

“Lady Quellière…!”

Roar!

Unsettling noises and commotion began stirring outside.

Even so, the interior of the castle remained untouched, indicating that Sasquatch was doing its job properly.

I nodded in satisfaction.

“He’ll give up and leave soon enough.”

*

The passage of time was both swift and sluggish.

Sometimes it flowed like a torrent, and other times it lingered like eternity. The attitudes of the Empire’s citizens toward its midwinter varied greatly as well.

On a day when winter was at its strongest yet spring didn’t feel so far away, in the capital city of Roblock.

At the official residence in the capital, Artan was conversing with a group of officials, both minor and major.

“Ha-ha. Lately, the political situation in the Empire has been a bit tumultuous, hasn’t it?”

“Indeed. Were you discussing that matter?”

“Yes, we were exchanging opinions about it. As loyal servants of the Empire, it’s only natural to want to contribute to the nation’s progress.”

The “group” here referred to an informal connection that wasn’t overtly acknowledged but was known to those in the know.

It was one of those backdoor alliances that existed in secret.

Their leader, an official named Daywell, was an eloquent speaker.

“And for His Highness the Crown Prince to grace us with his presence like this… I believe it must be fate.”

“Fate?”

“It is the will of heaven that Your Highness will provide us with the answers.”

“Is that so? I suppose it could be.”

Artan silently accepted his flattery.

The power structure of the Empire wasn’t overly complicated, but it wasn’t entirely simple either.

Upon becoming Crown Prince, the mainstream faction naturally aligned itself with him.

However, not everyone did so, and of course, there were those who chose to side with others.

“Yes. That’s why we would like to hear Your Highness’s esteemed opinion.”

“My opinion, you say.”

Daywell and his group occupied a seemingly neutral position, aligning with neither side.

Their neutrality was possible due to their considerable influence, which made it crucial to secure their allegiance.

“A nation stands firm only when its pillars are strong.”

Artan spoke indifferently, maintaining the dignity of a monarch’s successor.

His task was to gather as many of these types of people into his fold as possible.

Daywell flinched at the decisive tone, but then quickly returned to exaggerated admiration, as if it had been a misunderstanding.

“Indeed! That is truly wise advice. As expected of Your Highness. We were foolish to worry unnecessarily.”

“Are you saying it’s unnecessary to analyze the Empire’s political situation?”

“With Your Highness standing tall as our pillar, what meaning could our concerns possibly hold?”

“Hmm. I won’t deny that I’m a pillar. However.”

The Crown Prince glanced over his shoulder.

An attendant who had been waiting in the wings brought forward the prepared items.

“His Highness has prepared gifts for you all, out of concern for your health. Please accept them with joy.”

“…”

The officials blinked in confusion at the sudden gesture.

Artan, his expression unchanged, continued speaking casually.

“You gentlemen are also pillars of the Empire, are you not? A single pillar cannot hold up the structure alone, so I hope you will stay in the Empire for a long time and dedicate yourselves.”

“…Ah!”

“Oh… Your Highness!”

The officials let out exclamations, seemingly genuinely surprised.

Their gazes shifted subtly, eventually gathering on the Crown Prince.

A flood of praise followed in unison.

“With such generosity and magnanimity, I am proud to serve as a vassal of the Empire.”

“I feel the same! For us to be called pillars… We are merely here to assist Your Highness.”

It was clear they had reached a consensus and signaled agreement.

Artan simply met their eyes with a faint smile. His actions, guided by clear goals, carried no hesitation.

Though he had always disliked politics, he understood its principles all too well.

“Your praise is excessive. I am not deserving of such.”

The reclamation of the Burial Grounds.

To approach that absurd goal, he had to use every means available and act tirelessly.

Thus, he was steadily building his power.

*

Near the Snow Castle.

In the biting blizzard that raged there, an unwelcome guest sat.

Or, more precisely, knelt.

Drip, drip.

Even as snow softly dampened his head, Dewade didn’t budge an inch.

He steadfastly ignored the cold that crept up his knees.

“This too is a trial…”

To serve Lady Quellière.

He had come with that single purpose and no alternative path in mind.

Though he had been rejected, it was too soon to give up.

Fixing his jaw, he knelt in an immovable posture, staring at the castle’s main gate.

“Someday, my sincerity will reach her… Until then, I won’t move an inch from here.”

…Though, if Lady Quellière ordered him to leave again, he wasn’t sure he could endure it.

Swallowing his sorrow, he muttered with desperate resolve.

“I have come to serve you.”

However, whether it was his weak will or the harsh air of the Snowfield, his whispers scattered and dissolved into the void.

“What can I do to win her favor…?”

With two loyal subordinates and countless spirits by her side, would he truly be able to satisfy her expectations?

Just then, as if summoned by his thoughts, the Frost Giant approached.

Roar!

Sasquatch stood next to Dewade, quietly gazing at the castle.

Then, it subtly lowered its gaze to him.

“…”

For some reason, that look felt pitying, and Dewade stiffened his jaw even further.