Ch 16: Snow Queen

Sitting in an armchair in his room, Noah was leafing through an old-looking book. The rustling of the pages along with the melody of the raindrops falling on the roof made the atmosphere peaceful and cozy. It had only been a few hours since Rias and Eris left, to celebrate their reunion, the sisters decided to sleep together at Eris's house.

Akeno decided to spend the night at his house. Why? She said she wanted to spend more time with her mother and two sisters. Noah had no problem with that. Taking advantage of his free time, he decided to continue monitoring the system's chat function.

pressing his fingers in front of his face, a golden screen with a black frame appeared. Noah didn't really need to do this, just with his thoughts he could manage the system smoothly, but old habits never die.

After checking the system, Noah was a little impressed, out of the three spheres he created, only one found a host.

'Did I set the requirements too high?' Noah thought, but soon abandoned that thought. As he was thinking about what could be wrong with the recruitment of new members, a message caught Noah's attention.

[*Ding!* The "Snow Queen" has entered the group chat!]

Looking at the message, Noah was stunned for a few seconds, but his confusion was replaced by joy. Without wasting any time, Noah greeted the new member like a warm grandfather. Which wasn't wrong considering his actual age.

...

Noah: "welcome!

....

After a few seconds of waiting without a response, Noah became intrigued and decided to use his connection to the system fragment.

....

In an unknown place.

Sitting with her back to a white door with blue details. A beautiful young woman with snow-white skin, her long platinum blonde hair combined with her beautiful blue eyes, gave her the appearance worthy of a princess. She appeared to be between 18 and 20 years old, staring fixedly at the screen that floated in front of her.

[*Ding!* Welcome to the Omniversal group chat!]

[Congratulations! You have become the fifth official member of the Omniversal group chat, a divine soul-linked app and device that connects individuals from various worlds!]

Still confused by the situation, the young woman tried to touch the strange screen in front of her, but when she saw the glove covering her hand, she stepped back, feeling a little sad. Soon her sadness turned to astonishment when she noticed that the words on the screen had changed.

....

Noah: "Welcome!"

....

"Is this magic?" asked the young girl, her eyes focused on the words that mysteriously appeared.

[This is not magic, host!]

Hearing the strange voice in her head, the girl stood up in fright.

"Who's there??" she shouted, holding out one of her hands as if she was prepared to pull off the glove.

Noah, as the creator of the system, had two forms of management. The first, which is also the most used, was an autonomous mode, working as a highly advanced AI, which would provide information and help the host on their journey. The second form of management was the one he used to use with Rosemary. In this model, he would be personally present and accompany the host, being able to interact with him directly.

When Noah used his omnipresence to check the fragment that the new member possessed, he switched to the second form of management. Noticing the young woman's tension, Noah decided to reassure her.

[calm down girl, I'm not your enemy!]

Noah, using the system as a medium, spoke in a gentle voice.

The girl, despite having calmed down a little, still did not lower her hand. Noah wanted to advance the process by sending the information directly to the young woman's mind, but upon noticing her discomfort, he decided to do it the old-fashioned way.

[You don't need to be so defensive, I have no intention of hurting you.]

Nodding, the young girl lowered her hand. "What are you and why are you in my head?" she asked.

Thinking a little about how to explain without overwhelming his new host's mind, he decided to take a simpler approach.

[Look, I'm a guide, I'm here to help you reach your... goals?]

When her supposed 'guide' began to speak in his confident voice, the young girl felt her heart flutter.

'Maybe this guide can help me control my powers?' the young girl asked in her heart. But her hopes were dashed faster than a Playstation 2 joystick when she heard his tone at the end of her sentence.

'Why are you asking me? You are the guide, not me!' the young woman mentally retorted.

The young woman didn't have time to complain, as the noise at the door soon caught her attention. Followed by the voice of a young woman.

*Knock! Knock!*

"Miss Elsa?"

Hearing her maid's voice, the young woman, now Elsa, turned her attention to her outfit. A long, dark blue dress, bordering on ocean green. Her delicate arms were wrapped in black sleeves, and around her delicate neck, a pink cape stretched to the floor.

"The coronation!!" Elsa shouted as she ran towards the door. Before the mysterious screen arrived, she was gathering her courage to find her younger sister. Ignoring the strange voice in her head, she left the room.

....

Back in his room, Noah, who had just met the new member, was a little surprised by the young woman's identity. Searching through his memories, he remembered someone similar with the same name.

"Truly a 'Snow Queen'." he muttered with a slight smile.

Getting up from the armchair, Noah put the book away in the dresser next to the bed. Taking off his clothes, he was ready to sleep, even though he didn't need to. But his attention was diverted to the door that was slowly opening. Standing on the other side was Shuri, dressed in a white nightgown with some blue flowers embroidered on the waist.

Looking at Shuri who was red-faced, only one thing came to Noah's mind.

'How cute!'

Shuri looked closely at Noah's face, but when she noticed his eyes were as calm as the water in a glass, a trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

"A-Am I not attractive?" she asked in a measured voice. Realizing what she had just said, Shuri became even more embarrassed.

Noah, who was enjoying the beautiful sight that was offered to him, was even more captivated. As a being that was older than the universe itself, he maintained impeccable control of his emotions, but that did not mean that he was a herbivore. If a meal was offered to him for free, he would not refuse.

Steeling her resolve, Shuri walked over to Noah's bed. "I-I'm going to sleep here tonight?!" She tried to sound authoritative, but her embarrassment shattered her facade.

"Tsundere version of Shuri?" Noah joked to lighten the mood.

Hearing Noah, Shuri puffed out her cheeks like a hamster, which made her even cuter.

'Argh! This is dangerous!' Noah screamed in his mind, but his face remained neutral, like an elder who had cultivated the DAO for countless cycles and was no longer shaken by desires. After considering Shuri's request/order, he decided that he had no problem sharing the bed.

Laying his body on the bed, Noah patted his side twice, calling Shuri to follow him. Understanding his intentions, Shuri nodded and soon followed her 'husband'.

Lying facing each other, accompanied by the symphony of raindrops and the croaking of frogs, Noah focused on the delicate face of his 'wife'. Even though it was a fake relationship, he learned to appreciate the company of this gentle and caring young woman. Soon the silence was broken when Shuri's sweet voice rang in his ears.

"T-Thank you!" she murmured.

Noah was confused by the sudden thanks, he didn't remember doing anything significant. Noticing Noah's confusion, Shuri continued.

"You've done so much for me and my daughter..." With tears in her eyes, Shuri took a deep breath to gather her strength. "I was so scared, it was all so sudden."

Noah was surprised by this fragile side of Shuri. She had always been a strong woman, protecting her daughter with bravery, willing to give her own life. But sometimes, Noah forgot that despite everything, she was just a young mother with a kind but fragile heart. Reaching out, he wiped away the crystal clear tears that ran down her soft cheeks.

"You don't need to worry anymore, I will keep our family safe from now on." Noah spoke in a firm yet comforting voice.

"Hm," Shuri nodded. Noah approached the beautiful woman and wrapped his arm around her curvy body, pulling her into a gentle hug. With his other hand resting on her head, he began to stroke her long dark hair.

"You can leave everything to me!" he whispered, still stroking her hair. Shuri felt warm and hugged Noah. She tilted her head up, looking at Noah's beautiful features. Since Noah was taller, Shuri's head was at the same level as his neck. Gathering up the courage, she moved up a little, and brought her lips closer to Noah's with a chaste kiss.

As she parted her lips, Shuri's face was extremely red, yet a beautiful smile adorned her delicate lips.

"Thank you!" she mumbled one more before burying her face in Noah's neck.

Seeing Shuri's new reactions, he looked at her with eyes full of affection, bringing his lips closer to Shuri's head, he gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"You're welcome!" he replied, squeezing Shuri in a protective hug, closing his eyes Noah fell into a deep sleep.