I Became the Snow Woman I Made

12 – Rumors of the City-State (4)

“Poetry, God! Come back soon… Come on!”

When Sorap subdued the Dark Saints’ gang, the heads of households hurriedly put an end to the situation. This is because they assumed that going further would have the opposite effect.

The snake god, whose expression was distorted, slowly began to return. The lords of Bion and Griant, the culprits who brought the existence, also left the place sweating.

“Fools…”

Sohrab muttered as he grabbed his dagger.

It doesn’t look the same as putting a god on your back, but you can’t even control it properly.

Is the word “Point-in-and-out” Used in this case?

“Captain.”

Agents of the Assassination Squad arrived late.

Unlike Sohrab, who happened to be nearby and attempted to subdue it immediately, it must have been at the headquarters, so its speed was worthy of being called Krase’s ‘secret knife’.

“Arrest them. Send those I identify to the interrogation room.”

Whoever follows the disaster cannot escape the derogatory title of ‘continental achievement’. The Dark Saints’ Association is the dark thief that needs to be rooted out.

It was clear that Sorap, who had gone through the battle, was a man without much information, but it was a necessary process.

After receiving the order, the assassination squad left, and Sohrab looked around at the crowd. Citizens who were immediately comforted were offering prayers of thanks.

In the meantime, there was no woman with blue-white hair.

“Did you know how to use magic?”

He thought that he was a stranger who didn’t know the situation and gave him advice, but he may have been remote.

In this world where magical users are rare, those who learned magic were high-class personnel. Since he deserved to be treated in a proper position, he must have thought that he was a meddling.

Looking back on her, she was a very strange woman.

Originally, Sohrab was not a kind enough person to help strangers. Even if it’s something trivial like a road guide.

The reason why he helped Quilière was because he felt like he should. Well, he didn’t even know her name.

“Hmm…”

I gently put my hand on her back.

There are no wounds.

If she hadn’t been for her, she would have only had a shallow cut, but she still has to show her example.

However, the target to send greetings to had already disappeared. So he went to Maurice’s shop.

He had a personality that definitely repaid Eun-won.

If I couldn’t do it directly, I had to do it indirectly to be satisfied.

Quilière was looking for a map, and Sohrab guided him to Maurice’s shop.

He did not attach much importance to directions, as it was the closest.

However, Maurice was a clever man.

She’s not stupid, like the vicious merchants who get caught cheating outright, but she knows how to make money cleverly.

Customers who stopped by his shop would lose money knowingly or unknowingly even if they succeeded in bargaining.

In particular, strangers with weak defenses were attractive targets.

Perhaps she was also harmed.

If that’s the case, even if you can’t return the money she lost, wouldn’t it be rewarding if you punish the perpetrator?

Even if she had no way of knowing it.

“There are already recorded mistakes by Maurice, so if you use them… Hm?”

Even a light fine can hit you.

I heard a strange tone when I was thinking that someone would be frightened if I heard it.

A melody reminiscent of the performance of an opera troupe that visited the city a long time ago. No, it was sweeter than that.

Sorap stood tall and looked around to find the source of the sound. However, I soon realized that the sound was coming from inside the store.

Maurice What the hell is this guy doing?

Did she even gather an orchestra in the store? It was not a time to get involved in other people’s business, but there was no way to understand.

When I opened the door and entered, I saw Maurice right in front of me. He was diligently cleaning some metal box with his gloves on.

Her face seemed rather happy as she whistled and wandered.

“Oh-ho, isn’t it Lord Sohrab? This is a visit after a long time.”

Sensing the presence, he trembled and shook his neck.

Sorap continued to remain silent and looked around the store.

There were no traces of people anywhere.

His gaze hovered in the air before becoming entangled in a silver metal case. He approached it as if possessed and opened his mouth.

“Is this music… Is it coming from here?”

Uncharacteristically, it was a voice with a hint of disbelief.

In response, Maurice rolled up the corners of his mouth as if he had waited and told the story.

“…Ahem! That’s right. Can you recognize this elegant melody! An unprecedented level of elegance! Its source is this unprecedented treasure… The grace of the ‘music box’.”

“……Music box?”

Sorap’s eyes twitched at the first word he had ever heard.

Unaware of that reaction, Maurice did not rest his mouth as if he had entered a world of his own.

“Hmm… Well, Sir, I don’t know what this is. Listen carefully. A music box is simply… ‘Automatic music player’!”

“Auto…”

“Yes, automatic! Automatic! Do you know how great it is? No musical instruments are needed. No musicians are needed, and an orchestra is useless! Only one! This music box can replace all the manpower!”

“······!”

Sorap, who rarely showed agitation, opened his mouth slightly. Satisfied with the reaction, Maurice spoke more, but Sohrab couldn’t get out of the swamp of accidents.

To that extent, the music box was a nonsensical thing.

In the first place, everything is run manually. The ripple effect of ‘automatic’ in this world was enormous, but apart from that, the existence of the music box itself was bizarre.

Sohrab is good at swordsmanship and is a master of stealth and assassination, but he is also knowledgeable in magic.

Based on that knowledge, the working principle of the music box was not explained.

I can’t feel the magic.

It is not a magic tool.

Even if it contains magical power, how could such a vast musical volume be stored and reproduced?

Even if you passed the process with some surreal technology, the next thing was the amount of mana.

How much mana will be consumed to maintain that skill?

From a general point of view, it would be possible to reach the level of an archmage, and even then, a short-term magical charge would be necessary.

But what about this music box?

Despite the absence of any perceptible magic power, it rotated and created a beautiful melody.

Coming this far, the word “Beautiful” Is not appropriate, but “Weird.”

“It’s truly a luxury product with elegance, simplicity, and rarity! If the existence of this thing is known, who would bother hiring a band? Everyone will rush at it like a swarm of bees chasing honey! Nobles are no exception! Imperial nobles From then on, the bishops of the religious countries, the wealthy merchants and influential people from all over the world will scramble to get their hands on it!”

Maurice gave her impassioned speech with bloodshot eyes.

“To get that with just nine maps…! My faith has finally been rewarded…”

Unlike Sohrab, who trembled with her awe, Maurice was blinded by her greed and calculation.

Clearly, she recognized the value of the music box as well. However, she did not realize her true worth, judging only from her merchant’s point of view.

On the other hand, Sohrab knew.

This is such a wonderful thing.

You can overturn the social world if you want to, and it has enormous value as a research material.

If you can embody the technology contained in the music box, dazzling progress in sorcery will be made. It was a treasure that could be moved not only by the real power holders in each place, but also by the national unit.

“…Nine maps? Maurice, explain where and how you got them.”

He spoke with a hard expression.

She needed to know where the treasure came from. As much information as possible about who made it, how it was made, and how many there are.

“A grateful guest has arrived. She was wearing a distinctive white outfit, and she brought out a music box to barter. At first, I thought she was just an ignorant woman… It looks like it. I should have taken care of it a little more…”

As Maurice continued, Sohrab remembered a woman. A woman in an exotic outfit she has never seen before.

She’s probably the last visitor to Maurice’s shop other than herself…

“… Did she hear her name?”

“Name? No. Come to think of it, I don’t even know the name.”

I had a strange feeling from the first time I saw it.

But aside from her good looks and her cool demeanor, there was nothing special about her, she thought.

A mage and owner of these things…

Sohrab was seized by her strong conviction that he should see her again.

However, the time has already been missed. Currently, there is no way to pinpoint her location, and to find her, she has to search the entire area.

To do so, she must mobilize an assassination squad, and the authority to command it belonged to the family head.

A young head of household who is barely carrying the weight of Krase.

It was an issue worth reporting.

Before that, of course.

“You said you traded for nine maps.”

“Hmm? That’s right. The customer’s goodwill and my skills shone. Today is an unprecedented event in the history of my business—”

“This fits perfectly with Article 1, Paragraph 4 of the Euristia Commercial Act enacted by the ancestors of Krasse, ‘Acts of deceiving strangers and taking advantage of property.’ Cheating at a low price. It’s deplorable.”

Sohrab’s eerie eyes stared at Maurice.

The cheerful merchant, as if recounting her saga, blinked at her and then waved her hand.

“What… What, what are you talking about! I deceived the customer! This is a completely transparent and transparent transaction concluded under mutual agreement…”

“I wouldn’t say it’s fair if the information gap between her is huge. I should have given her a full explanation first. So.”

It was sophistry.

Sohrab knew that well.

However, he was the one who swore allegiance to the family, and he did not hesitate to do anything to help her young head.

This music box is sure to be of great help.

I couldn’t make it flow out by giving it to a mere merchant.

He declared in a serious voice.

“I will confiscate the goods.”

The train station was in full swing.

“The snake god appeared again… Really…”

“Do you know that Ron and Verun went missing recently? It must be the work of the snake god. They were eaten like that time!”

“What the hell are the families doing? At this rate, everyone is dead!”

Stopped in a shadowed blind spot, I quietly watched the situation.

It was also a bit embarrassing.

I thought it would be difficult to walk all the way to the empire, so I came to get a wagon.

There was absolutely no atmosphere for that.

“Today, the family heads somehow sent it back… But next time it might be different.”

In the middle of the station, people of all kinds gathered. It seemed to be a mixture of various occupations and origins.

Everyone had a serious conversation with dark faces.

“If you want to live, you have to leave the city…! You all realize now, right? There’s no way to stop that. If there was a way, the family would have stepped in long ago.”

After listening for a while with my ears pricked up, I was able to grasp the gist of it.

City Escape.

Since it is caused by a disaster that cannot be prevented, it should be called immigration.

Some of the people gathered at the post office were natives of Euristia, but most of them seemed to be travelers or people who had just settled in.

It must be because the indigenous people who have been living in the city since they were born are tied to the city and cannot easily escape.

It seems that the immigration procession that was unfolding a long time ago has intensified with the reappearance of the snake god today.

In the center of the crowd was a blonde woman.

“Everyone! I’m sure you understand everything. If you’re willing to head to the Empire with me, please join me.”

The woman with the wand around her waist felt her grace compared to the rest of her.

It seems that he is not a simple commoner.

Her adoration and envy could be seen in the eyes of her citizens who looked at her.

Apparently, that woman is the leader of this procession. I spoke to a woman with purple hair standing nearby.

“Do you know who it is?”

“… Huh? Me?”

She is the same woman who looked at the crowd with her arms folded in the shadows, just like me.

She took a sidelong glance at my voice and trembled her shoulders, then answered her question.

“…Anasha Cheryl. She seems to be a fairly skilled wizard from the Empire. She was said to have been a servant of the Duke of Griffeon, but I don’t know how she got here.”

The purple-haired woman’s voice was calm.

He did not repeat words, but summarized the main points.

Anasha Cheryl, who settled in the city a few years ago, seems to have put up with the appearance of the snake god before taking action.

She’s also an adept traveler before she’s a mage, so she’s quite quick with her geography as far as the Empire, she says.

She decided to help after seeing frightened citizens trying to escape the city and being attacked by mutated monsters.

They set out to join as many citizens as possible on the journey to the empire.

“And, when I arrive in the Empire, I intend to formally propose a ‘subjugation of the snake god’! I can’t say for sure that it will be possible, but I hope those who remain will have hope.”

The audience was agitated by Anasha’s surprising remark.

Subjugation of the snake god.

It was surely the earnest wish of all city dwellers. Of course, if it was the words of a family that had already lost trust, she wouldn’t have snorted.

However, if the ’empire’ was in motion, the story was different.

Ruled by an emperor, a mighty country of a size incomparable to that of Euristia.

Of course, there were also many talented people.

If a significant number of them were mobilized, maybe it would be possible… Though the thought flashed through the minds of the citizens.

I could barely swallow a bitter smile.

That must be hard.

No matter how low-level gods, even miscellaneous gods who were not even half-gods were possessed of divine power.

I don’t know how many ‘heroes’ existed at this time, but there was no doubt that they were few and far between.

Not to mention ordinary knights who are not heroes.

Well, if you pour it in with a supply offensive, it will work out somehow. The Arundel Empire had no intention of doing so for Eustia, who was not an ally.

“What’s your name?”

I asked the name of the person who solved my curiosity.

She accepted her voice without hesitation.

“Sigira. What about you?”

“Quillière.”

That’s all I can tell you.

Leaving Sigilah brooding over my name behind me, I moved toward the post office.

It was to request joining.

It seems that the meaning of seeking a map is fading. As a result of digging through the map earlier, the memory that was inherent in it came back a little.

One of the many routes leading to the empire came to mind.

Normal people can’t use it, but if it’s me, it’s the best route to get to Arundel faster than anyone else in a straight line. You only need to move to the vicinity of the ‘Lib Sea’ together.

Because it’s more convenient and safe to go that way.

The hellhounds I met before had an advantage, but they didn’t always have that advantage.

Without attribute advantage, Snow Woman’s specs were insignificant.

It’s been said that monsters are behaving strangely lately, but if you get caught wrong, you might not even be able to use it.

In preparation for such a time… It’s a bad expression, but shouldn’t there be a shield?

Because my life is the most important.

Passing through the still chattering crowd, she expressed her intention to Anasha.

“I join.”

Fine voice.

Unfortunately, I was the owner of the beautiful but cold tone.

A moment of silence fell.