I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

—
Chapter 46: Snow and the Savior (2)

The winter in the Holy State bloomed a little late.

Fine snow embroidered the sky and froze the ground, yet it could not suppress the joy of the believers who had regained their peaceful lives.

A place unusually detached from that joy.

In the innermost chambers of the temple, Clavia slammed the table in fury.

Crash!

The table, shattered by an inhuman force, collapsed into pieces.

For a brief moment, the white bones of her hand, marked with bulging veins, were exposed.

Normally, this would have unsettled her deeply, but she had no time to care now.

“Quellière…!”

She repeated that hateful name.

The onslaught of calamity—this was something she had welcomed with open arms.

Why would she refuse salvation, delivered directly by the divine?

But salvation had been thwarted.

And it was entirely the fault of one individual.

“Even during the Seat of Proof… you obstructed me at every turn!”

She let out a thunderous scream.

The existence of a soundproof barrier had never felt as comforting as it did today.

After venting her rage, Clavia regained a semblance of composure.

She began to think with a calmer, sharper mind.

“To defeat Him, even when He wasn’t in His perfect form…”

Just how powerful was that entity?

She recalled her conversation with the Seventh Apostle, Adein.

“Did you say she’s an Apostle of God?”

“She might be… or perhaps even more than that.”

She had dismissed it as absurd exaggeration.

She had believed it to be a misunderstanding.

But what if it wasn’t?

Crash!

Another burst of noise.

The table had completely lost its function.

Clavia bit her nails nervously, her face twisted in anxiety.

“After finally taking a step closer to my deepest wish…”

She had to repay the sins of humanity.

If Quellière was truly that entity, then shouldn’t she, of all people, despise humanity the most?

Why, then, would she protect those lowly creatures?

“She must be eliminated… absolutely…”

Calamity was everything to her.

No matter who or what her opponent was, she couldn’t let a hindrance survive.

She pondered a method.

Ordinary means held no hope.

Her opponent had defeated Him, after all. Yet, precisely for that reason, now was the opportune moment.

She must have expended considerable power to achieve such a feat.

Now was the time to pour everything into the effort.

“The undead.”

The thought came to her—her divine authority.

The time of the full moon was approaching.

And numerous pawns were already gathered.

A long time ago, preparations had been made to awaken calamity, only for the grand plan to be rendered futile.

It was an unused force, lying dormant, waiting patiently.

Finally, it was time to unleash it.

She had no affection for this pitiful Holy State anyway.

Creating pandemonium would amplify the profane grudges, aiding His recovery.

“…Before that.”

Nodding to herself, Clavia began to move busily.

She retrieved her most crucial possession.

Though she had kept it in her inner sanctum, thinking it the safest place, this location would also be at risk should something go awry.

She moved it to the “safe location” she had planned next.

*

At a luxurious inn on the outskirts of the capital, Striven.

We discreetly arrived here, thanks to Sigina’s recommendation of a place where confidentiality was assured.

Her boastful claims seemed to hold true, as no one had come looking for us yet.

In the spacious and pristine room, the sound of Sigina and Nell’s conversation rang vividly.

“Ugh… I can’t just let this happen! It doesn’t hurt, but it drains all my strength!”

Sigina had hurried after me and Nell as we departed from the streets.

Before she knew it, she had followed us all the way into the inn’s room.

Unlike her, clutching her fists tightly, Nell crossed her arms confidently.

“How much?”

Straight to the point.

Sigina flinched, her eyelids twitching.

“H-how much…?”

“For one session.”

“…”

The conversation had an odd nuance.

I glanced toward the door.

Surely no one was eavesdropping.

“D-don’t think you can buy everything with money! How much are you offering?”

“Your price first.”

“Price first…!”

Sigina’s pupils trembled violently.

Her braided hair quivered as if carrying the weight of a life-altering decision.

Finally, she spread both hands wide and shouted.

“Ten gold coins!”

“Are you insane?”

Nell glared and dismissed the suggestion outright.

Sigina drooped her head in dejection.

“So that’s not acceptable either…”

But as if expecting this, she raised her head again and boldly folded one hand.

“Alright, five gold coins then! How about that? I’m cutting it in half for you!”

Offering an initially high price before dramatically reducing it to sway the other party—an effective negotiation tactic through the ages.

But her greed was too obvious.

Nell countered without hesitation.

“Are you kidding? Do you even have business ethics? Did you earn your gold rank through shady deals?”

“Ugh…!”

Sigina bit her lip in frustration.

“You’re so harsh! I’m just trying to make a living here!”

Tears welled up in her eyes, evoking pity in some.

But to me, it felt far too contrived.

Nell seemed to pick up on it too, her gaze steady, and Sigina turned to me.

“Don’t just watch—help me out! Quelli, what do you think is a fair price?”

“Hmm…”

I thought about her words.

The continent’s currency hierarchy was copper, silver, then gold.

Since I had earned a fortune by selling gems, my sense of money had dulled, but gold coins were a significant sum.

If the service only drained energy without causing physical harm…

“Two gold coins at most. Honestly, one should suffice.”

“Ugh…”

Sigina was disheartened by my firm statement, while Nell muttered as she stared into space.

“That still feels like too much… but fine.”

The two finally reached a compromise.

The stage was set; all that remained was the execution.

Sigina, no longer dodging, shut her eyes tightly as Nell approached with purposeful strides.

And then…

“Hngh…!”

The process unfolded.

Peering through my fingers, I watched the scene, strangely intrigued as if something deep within me was stirred.

“Hahh…”

Having used more power than usual while evading Chandrafail, Nell needed to recover.

For a progenitor, recovery was direct—through blood-sucking.

With Sigina having tagged along, she was the perfect prey.

Well, it should be fine.

Unlike before, the soundproofing here was excellent.

After drinking her fill, Nell exhaled deeply and wiped her lips.

“Hah… I feel better now.”

I glanced at the floor.

Sigina was sprawled there limply.

She looked as lifeless as a corpse, completely still.

“······”

Could it really drain all her energy like that?

There was no way to test it, either.

With the noisy presence gone, the room quickly turned quiet.

Nell mumbled to herself hesitantly.

“···The blood’s a bit thick.”

She kept sneaking glances at me.

Her demeanor had grown oddly cautious.

“Really?”

“Uh··· yeah. It seems like it’s bad blood. Ha-ha··· ha.”

It sounded like a mechanical laugh for some reason.

Instead, a question that surfaced in my mind escaped my lips.

“What’s good blood like?”

“···Huh?”

Pure curiosity.

Nell rubbed her lips and contemplated seriously.

“Hmm. There are various kinds, but generally, it’s smooth, fragrant, easy to swallow, stuff like that.”

“I see.”

“Yeah··· People like that, you can tell just by looking.”

Like a sommelier engrossed in her craft, Nell pondered deeply and then suddenly looked at me.

She stared blankly—not at my face, but somewhere lower.

What’s this about?

“······.”

She gulped audibly, and I fiddled with my bag, leaving her behind.

I took out the costume I had prepared.

An item meant to break the curse that had tormented Nell her whole life.

Before handing it over, there was something I wanted to ask.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth.

“···Nell. Didn’t you ever miss your parents?”

Like me, she must have been thrown into this world without knowing anything.

I asked because I could understand that feeling.

Was it such an unexpected question? Nell flinched in surprise.

“What?! What kind of question is that?”

I tilted my head.

Was it that shocking to ask?

“Why are you asking?”

“Just curious.”

I answered her question honestly.

I was genuinely curious and wanted to know.

How did she, the character I created, feel about the people who brought her into this world?

“Ugh······.”

Nell let out a groan and touched her collarbone.

As her initial surprise subsided, her expression grew serious.

“···I don’t think I ever did.”

A small voice escaped her lips.

She looked me in the eye.

“Rather than missing them, I resented them··· But my resentment wasn’t directed at my parents. It was toward God.”

“God?”

“···Yeah. I blamed God for everything—the wandering without any connections, the wretched curse that shackled me.”

Her eyes glimmered with a complex light.

For some reason, I felt like her gaze was aimed at me.

Though that couldn’t be, my heart still skipped a beat.

I wasn’t a god, but I was the one who created her.

Feeling guilty, I whispered softly.

“I see. Do you still feel that way?”

It was a thoughtless question.

But Nell bit her lip as if memories resurfaced, then responded after a moment of consideration.

“···No.”

Her answer was unexpected.

“You don’t resent anymore?”

“Yeah. When I had no room to breathe, all I could do was hate. But these days, I think··· Maybe God had their reasons too.”

“···I see.”

I smiled bitterly to myself.

Well, I did have the very significant excuse of following a concept.

When I stayed silent, Nell also kept quiet.

The tranquil atmosphere of the room felt rather peaceful.

As if to break the stillness, Nell spoke again.

“···But I’m a progenitor, right? The vampire lord? Then my parents must’ve······.”

She grinned broadly, baring her fangs.

“Had enormous fangs too, don’t you think?”

“···Ha.”

Her face was brimming with mischief.

I let out a faint chuckle and pulled out the clothes from my bag.

A specialized costume in deep crimson hues.

A vampire suit.

Nell blinked as she stared at it.

“If you wear this, the curse’s effects will vanish.”

“Really?”

Her blinking eyes sparkled with excitement at my words.

I continued calmly.

“Yes. But there’s a catch. You have to keep wearing it for it to work. It might be inconvenient.”

“That’s no problem at all!”

She reached out eagerly, and I handed over the garment without a word.

As it landed in her hands, our fingers brushed for a moment.

“Hiyaak-!”

The costume fell, and Nell shivered, letting out a strange noise.

“···?”

A question mark popped up above my head.

What was that about?

Before I could ask, Nell quickly moved.

“No··· No, it’s nothing.”

Panting slightly, she retrieved the costume and stared at it.

Her face was hidden behind the fabric, so I couldn’t see her expression.

Tilting my head, I resumed speaking.

“Try it on, then.”

“···Okay.”

She nodded resolutely and reached for her worn-out clothes.

It looked like she was about to undress, and I instinctively raised a hand.

“Wait.”

Nell froze in place.

Her wide eyes turned toward me.

“Why?”

A genuine question.

Ah.

I realized something.

I was currently Quellière.

It wasn’t unusual for people of the same gender to change clothes in front of each other, was it?

“Quellière.”

Nell’s beauty was strikingly apparent as she said my name.

Of course, I had crafted her to be stunning, but I still felt cold sweat trickling down my back.

Feeling too guilty to stay, I stood up abruptly and spoke.

“I’ll step outside.”

“Huh? ···Oh.”

Leaving behind a puzzled Nell, I exited the room.

The first floor of the inn, befitting its luxurious reputation, was spacious and ornate.

Unlike other establishments, the areas were neatly divided.

I hadn’t had time to look around when I arrived in a rush.

Now that I had the chance, I thought I’d take a leisurely look around—but I had no choice but to hide behind a partition.

“Someone’s looking for a person. Please cooperate.”

An unwelcome guest had arrived.

A knight in light armor was speaking to an employee, the woman named Lune who had greeted us earlier.

“Appearance is…”

The knight continued his explanation.

It was clear he was searching for me.

Considering my recent exploits, it was only natural, and this was precisely why I had come to this place.

Lune, holding her cheek as if deep in thought, shook her head decisively.

“I don’t know. No one like that has ever come to our inn.”

“Ah… I see. Thank you for your cooperation.”

The knight was completely fooled by her top-tier performance.

Muttering something like, “Not here either, huh,” he left the inn.

“…Phew.”

I sighed and leaned back against the chair.

I didn’t want to be caught.

Of course, I hated all the attention, but more importantly, this was the Holy State, where even the mention of calamity made people shudder.

If I was unlucky enough to be recognized as a true saint, I might end up being buried alive somewhere.

Lune, who had just sprinkled salt at the front door, approached my table with light steps.

“I sent him away, Saintess!”

“…”

I was already being treated as a saint.

I was genuinely relieved that I hadn’t been caught.

“This place keeps secrets well.”

“Hehe. Don’t mention it.”

“But is it okay? Lying to the knights might bring you trouble later.”

The confidentiality of Striven was something known only to a select few.

Both staff and guests here were said to protect each other’s privacy.

But would the knights recognize that?

Although I expressed my concern, Lune merely smiled brightly.

“You defeated the calamity, didn’t you, Saintess?”

“…For now.”

“The calamity is everyone’s enemy! You’ve done something so incredible, so if you want your secrets kept, it’s only natural we protect them. You’ve done nothing wrong, after all.”

“That’s true.”

Her words made perfect sense, so I nodded.

Then, on a whim, I asked her a question.

“Then, does this place keep anyone’s secrets? What if it were someone who served the calamity?”

“Serving the calamity… that’s like the opposite of you, Saintess.”

I asked this because the Dark Holy Society came to mind.

Lune, processing my words, smiled brightly again.

But then, her face twisted grotesquely.

“We have our faith too, you know! Do you think we’d let that happen? Don’t worry, we’d catch such trash, tear them limb from limb, and toss them to the dogs before they could even confess!”

After spitting out her words like a machine gun, she resumed her smile.

I felt as though I had glimpsed her true colors, and once again, I was reminded of how terrifying the Holy State could be.

Was this the average theocrat?

I could only respond awkwardly.

“…Impressive.”

“Isn’t it?”

The conversation ended.

Wanting to quench my thirst, I ordered a few glasses of wheat ale.

Lune cheerfully took my order and turned away.

“Please wait a moment!”

“How much?”

I needed to know the price, at least.

But instead of answering, she simply turned her head slightly and murmured softly.

“It’s free. How could I charge the Saintess?”

Then she left.

I stared blankly at the empty air and muttered to myself.

“The service here is really something…”

Bringing a few glasses of ale was no big deal.

Soon, the order was fulfilled, and the wheat ale was placed on my table.

I looked at it for a moment before taking a sip.

“…”

As time passed, several empty glasses piled up.

Yet, I didn’t feel even the slightest trace of intoxication.

Maybe because I was the Snow Maiden, all of it was just dissolved…

What a shame.

As I was bitterly smacking my lips, a voice came from across the room.

“I’m glad the Black Calamity incident ended well.”

I turned to see two men who looked like adventurers.

The large man with a scarred face spoke as he sat at a table laden with alcohol and meat.

“When the malice surged and monsters went wild, I thought for sure we were goners.”

“Glect, you’re a gold-rank adventurer. Giving up so easily?”

“Giving up? Nah. It was just a conclusion I came to, based on my experience and insight.”

The man called Glect laughed heartily.

The other man shrugged, while Glect continued speaking boisterously.

“In any case, the heavens didn’t abandon me.”

He then downed his drink in one go, slamming the glass down with a loud bang!

“Now, as long as I don’t run into the Sword Demon, I’ll be fine!”

The Sword Demon.

What was that supposed to be?

Glect, seemingly already drunk, kept talking nonstop.

“I came here to hide, but I wonder if it’s safe to go back to Chelmberd now.”

“Haha, is it safe there?”

“It wasn’t, which is why I came here, but they say it’s better now. Makes sense, since the calamity has fled with its tail between its legs.”

The place name he mentioned tickled my ears.

“…Chelmberd.”

The Holy Land, Chelmberd, was essentially the capital of the Holy State.

It housed the Grand Temple, which managed the nation’s affairs, as well as sanctuaries where saints were buried.

Numerous holy artifacts and relics were also stored there.

As I twirled a strand of hair, lost in thought, their conversation continued.

“Well, the Holy State will be chaotic for a while. Whether it’s Disdel, who drove away the calamity, or holy sites like Chelmberd, it’ll all be pandemonium.”

“Still, I think we should be cautious during times like these. So many people are acting like they’ve forgotten the calamity’s infamy. If it comes back enraged, we’ll be in big trouble.”

“Ha! Worrying too much can be just as bad. And even if that thing comes back…”

After a brief pause, Glect bit into a large piece of meat and shouted.

“So what? The Holy State has a savior who defeated the calamity!”

“…”

I instinctively covered my face with my bangs.

The silky texture of my hair was pleasant to the touch, though it didn’t really help with blocking my view.

“People call her a saint because savior sounds too grand and holy, but as a gold-rank adventurer, I see it differently! No saint could have defeated the calamity.”

I shook my head to clear my bangs away and moved to a more secluded corner.

Even though they probably understood the inn’s rules, there was no benefit to drawing unnecessary attention.

Feigning nonchalance, I lifted my glass, while Glect, for some reason, laughed noisily.

“Even though she’s disappeared, the fire inside me whispers… When the continent faces danger again, she’ll return…”

“Ugh.”

The raspy noise grated on my nerves.

I decided to ignore it.

To cool my head, I summoned cold energy and added it to my drink.

The ale instantly froze, with small ice crystals floating on its surface.

I nodded.

“This is nice.”

Truly, a Snow Maiden’s power had its uses.

I let out a shallow sigh and took a sip.

But then I stopped, suddenly recalling something I had forgotten.

“…”

While the cold drink was nice, I couldn’t actually feel the chill.