I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 51: Holy Land Chelmberd (3)

Sword Master Harold Grypheon.

If one were to name the most famous hero of the empire, seven out of ten would mention him.

This was because his skill and his sustained presence over a long period were undeniable.

Swordsmen from all across the continent lined up for the chance to face his blade even once.

Thus, his assistance was undoubtedly a significant asset.

Clang! Clang─!

The sporadic sound of clashing metal.

The sound of piercing air relentlessly echoed throughout the training grounds of the Crown Prince’s palace.

“Ugh······!”

The ferocity of the Sword Master’s relentless strikes mercilessly cornered the Crown Prince.

Though it was a training session with Harold and Artan, it was more akin to a sparring match.

This was due to Harold proceeding with high-intensity training as requested.

“Huff··· Huff······.”

Grinding his teeth, Artan desperately sought a way to counter even as he was driven into a corner.

Harold, effortlessly breaking through his defenses, observed him with interest.

“Are you not struggling?”

Though Harold’s training was extraordinary, for Artan, it wasn’t such a great honor.

After all, he possessed the tremendous potential of someone called a prodigy.

It was certain he would one day reach the realm of heroes.

But he was unsatisfied with that, wanting to progress faster and go farther.

“···I am fine. If anything, it feels insufficient.”

“Oh? If that’s the case.”

Artan’s defiant remark brimming with determination.

Harold, smiling faintly, displayed a little more of his skill.

······Approximately five minutes later.

Swish─!

Harold’s sword stopped right in front of Artan’s throat, marking the end of their bout.

A clear and decisive result.

Denying it would be a disgrace.

“I’ve lost.”

“You’ve worked hard. I can see you’ve improved since last time.”

During his tenure as the Crown Prince’s teacher, Harold was his mentor.

Offering respect calmly, Artan soon gave a bitter smile.

“That’s a relief, at least.”

“I’m not joking. At this pace, the day you surpass me isn’t far off.”

Harold smiled warmly, as if pleased with Artan’s growth.

As a Sword Master, his loyalty to the empire was genuine, and the Crown Prince’s advancement was gratifying.

Smiling brightly, Harold suddenly spoke as though something had come to mind.

“Bulizé delivered the message at just the right time. She’s always a sharp child.”

The topic was once again about his younger sister.

Although he often brought her up, it wasn’t a particularly welcome subject.

Artan was troubled.

“She’s wise and capable······ She wouldn’t lack anything as the empire’s queen, don’t you agree?”

“Ah··· Yes, indeed.”

Lost in praising his sister, Harold seemed oblivious to Artan’s feelings.

Harold wasn’t fully aware of the relationship between Artan and Bulizé.

More precisely, the details of their situation.

There was no way Bulizé would have mentioned it, and Harold was far too busy to notice.

“······.”

Perhaps Bulizé thought it didn’t matter what their relationship was as long as the marriage proceeded as planned.

She wasn’t wrong.

······As long as the marriage happened, that is.

“You did splendidly today, Your Highness.”

After the day’s training ended and Harold departed, Deputy Commander Hiloze approached.

A smile of pride adorned his face.

“At such a young age, you even managed to handle the Sword Master’s strikes with composure─”

“Hiloze.”

Though his words were nothing but genuine admiration, Artan paid them no mind.

If anything, the sincerity only made them more insufferable.

“How’s the task I entrusted to you?”

“···Ah.”

Hiloze quickly collected himself.

His lips parted slowly.

“Regarding the matter of the heroes, we’ve dispatched special envoys across the continent······.”

“And?”

The Crown Prince’s order to search for heroes who could aid him.

This was a result of his experiences in the Demon Realm.

One strong individual was far more useful than ten weak ones.

If he could gain the support of a renowned hero, it would be invaluable······.

“Unfortunately, there’s no news yet. My apologies.”

“···I see. That’s fine.”

Artan nodded bitterly.

It was to be expected.

Heroes weren’t exactly abundant.

He decided not to dwell on it for now and focused on the next matter.

“What about the Spirit Armor?”

“If it’s that, it’s been repaired and upgraded. We retrieved it today.”

The Spirit Armor, a masterpiece imbued with elemental resistance.

It had sustained some damage from overuse in the Snowfield, so it had been sent to Agnatz’s laboratory for repairs.

It had been a short while since then, yet the work was already complete.

The words Agnatz had spoken when Artan first went to retrieve the armor came to mind.

─Take care. The seasons are never kind to humans.

Cryptic remarks.

It seemed he knew more about Quellière than he let on.

“Prepare to depart. We’ll visit Agnatz’s lab.”

“Pardon?”

As the thought crossed his mind, Artan decided he needed to meet Agnatz.

But for some reason, Hiloze looked surprised.

Blinking in confusion, Hiloze spoke.

“Didn’t you know?”

“Know what?”

“Lord Agnatz has gone to the Holy Nation.”

“···The Holy Nation?”

Artan was dumbfounded.

What on earth was this about?

“Why suddenly go there?”

“Uh… it’s a bit long to explain, but it seems the purpose is to investigate a major incident that occurred in the Holy Nation.”

“A major incident?”

I tilted my head, mulling over the term.

I had been holed up in the Crown Prince’s palace, focused solely on training for a while.

As a result, I hadn’t caught up on the latest hot topics.

“They say the Black Calamity descended right in the middle of the Holy Nation.”

“······What?”

“And then a saint stepped forward and······.”

As more details of the rumor spilled from Hiloze’s mouth, Artan’s expression grew increasingly twisted.

His jaw gradually dropped until the story reached its climax.

“The characteristics of the saint are─”

“······!”

A look of shock spread across Artan’s face.

*

Chelmburd was a prosperous city.

Accompanied by Nell, I visited various places in the sacred ground to use their services.

Though I couldn’t enter the grand temple or cathedral since they weren’t open to everyone, I gathered useful information at the library and noted some renowned restaurants and quality inns.

Nell, unusually proactive, recommended a hot spring, but it was closed, so we couldn’t go.

“Ahhh······.”

“Don’t be too disappointed.”

“······Still, I wanted to see it.”

The sight of her red hair drooping left an impression.

“What?”

“Oh?! That’s······ nothing.”

Anyway, it wasn’t just a leisurely time.

While using the facilities, I observed people’s appearances, conversations, and attitudes closely.

Surprisingly, I learned a lot and was able to grasp the general atmosphere of Chelmburd.

And today.

After the streets had been cleaned, it was the day of the Cathedral Challenge Ritual.

People had gathered around the cathedral to hear the preliminary explanation, and we were among them.

“It’s crowded.”

“Indeed.”

As Nell said, people were everywhere.

Not only were there numerous challengers for the ritual, but there were also twice as many spectators.

The challengers all wore veils or flashy ceremonial robes, making my robed appearance feel out of place.

Where had the humility of believers gone?

“Wow. Do these people have a lot of money─”

“Isn’t that Lucia, the Chief Priest, over there?”

At that moment, I overheard a voice nearby.

It was a whisper between two believers in the challenger’s area, like us.

“That’s her. Wasn’t she active in La Pernia?”

“It seems she came after hearing about the mass······ She’s bound to take at least one of these.”

The subject of their serious whispers was a woman diagonally across from us. She was fully dressed in ceremonial robes with a veil.

Lucia, wearing a mysterious smile, seemed quite famous and was drawing a lot of attention.

“Yes, that’s her. How could she miss a mass after so long as the ‘Chief’ Priest?”

“Magic and divine power? Both are necessary, right? Well, I’m confident in both.”

“Not really. Since each challenger can only attempt once, I can only take one at most······.”

······Her tone, however, was a bit arrogant.

In simpler terms, she was insufferable.

Though I suppose I shouldn’t be the one to talk.

“Let’s avoid the room she’s going to.”

“Good idea.”

The whispers between the believers continued.

Lucia Uvelina.

From what I heard, she was a talented Chief Priest from La Pernia.

It was natural for skilled individuals to attend a mass like this.

I decided it was nothing special and shifted my attention away.

But the murmurs from beside me tickled my ears.

“What’s the big deal. Worrying about people like her isn’t worth it······.”

Nell chuckled, her expression unusually ominous.

It was a disdainful smirk, as if mocking something trivial.

I blinked in confusion.

“What’s going on?”

Was she that confident in her own abilities?

It made sense. Even though Nell couldn’t wield divine power, the purity of her mana was overwhelming for a human.

Though still not as good as me.

At that moment, a loud voice rang out from above.

“Thank you all for coming!”

Everyone tilted their heads up.

Atop the archway, a priest overseeing the event looked down at the crowd and began explaining.

“The Challenge Ritual is one of the Holy Nation’s traditional ceremonies. This time, the cathedral serves as the trial site. Faith in the Lord remains the most important aspect, so approach it as you usually would.”

─Your piety and divine power, honed over time, will be put to the test.

After rambling on like this for ten minutes, the main point finally came.

“The rules are simple. As challengers, you will each choose one room from the cathedral. The goal is to be chosen by the relic placed in that room.”

The gist was straightforward.

The challengers perked up their ears attentively.

“You only get one chance to challenge. This time, since it’s a special day, there are a total of nine relics, but the rule of one attempt remains unchanged.”

I felt both surprise and regret.

Nine relics. That was an unusually high number.

However, it was disappointing that they were relics and not holy artifacts.

“Additionally······ as many of you hope, if you succeed, you may keep the relic.”

As those anticipated words spilled out, the believers’ eyes sparkled.

“This has been approved by the three High Priests. Being chosen by a relic signifies that you will become a pillar of the Holy Nation in the future. If you succeed, please use it well.”

The challengers, filled with anticipation, exchanged glances while murmuring. The priest, smiling brightly, suddenly leapt down to the ground.

─Let’s begin.

He spoke again.

The buzz of the crowd quieted, and the challengers were led toward the cathedral under his guidance.

“It’s simpler than I thought.”

We were no different.

I replied to Nell’s words.

“The explanation makes sense.”

“Will the trial be difficult?”

“Probably.”

Most people would find it so.

Nell scratched her cheek with a peculiar expression.

“But somehow, I ended up following you to take on this challenge.”

“Yeah.”

“It feels… strange. Like I don’t belong here.”

“Why?”

“I’m a vampire. Don’t vampires hate the divine? Won’t the relic outright reject me?”

I rolled my eyes.

Come to think of it, vampires and cathedrals didn’t align well in terms of imagery.

But it didn’t matter.

“They won’t reject you.”

After all, divine power was ultimately derived from mana.

It was good to have, but with exceptional mana, it wasn’t absolutely necessary.

Even if most people couldn’t manage, Nell was a second character, so she was in a different league.

“If you say so······ I guess that’s how it is.”

While chatting, we arrived at the cathedral hall.

The ritual would take place across two floors, with five rooms on the first floor and four on the second.

The number matched the number of relics exactly.

The interior, prepared for this day, was clean and antique.

“There are pamphlets available over here. Please refer to them when choosing a room.”

The guide pointed to a stack of thin pamphlets, detailing the types and characteristics of the relics.

I stopped Nell, who was heading in that direction.

“Wait.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Follow me.”

I moved to a secluded corner out of sight.

Nell followed quickly, looking puzzled.

“Quellière.”

“Cover me here.”

My expression was serious.

With an unexpectedly large crowd gathered, it was necessary to be more discreet.

“Uh… Oh, got it!”

She tilted her head in confusion but quickly nodded.

After checking my surroundings, I removed my hood.

Then,

Whoosh─

My silvery-blue hair, like stardust, spilled down.

Holding the hair tie in my mouth, I grabbed my hair and tied it up.

“···Hmm.”

I wasn’t very skilled at this familiar task.

Still, tying it up would make me less conspicuous. I quickly gathered my hair and tied it in one go.

Afterward, I swiftly pulled my hood back on.

Hopefully, no one had seen me.

“Good work.”

I sighed and expressed my gratitude.

But no response came.

“Nell.”

“······.”

When I looked at her, she wore a vacant expression.

She was staring blankly at my face, as if in a trance.

“···Huh?”

Strangely, Nell occasionally acted like this.

Even after calling her a few more times without a response, I moved ahead first. Only after picking up a pamphlet did Nell approach.

“Relics have a faint will of their own.”

“···Ahem. How can one be chosen?”

“Just as it sounds. They simply have to like you.”

Mana was the absolute determining factor for that evaluation.

I flipped through the pamphlet while squinting.

Relics were of a lower grade than holy artifacts.

If I wanted to take something good, I’d need to choose carefully······.

Skipping over things useless or unnecessary for me.

When I turned to the final page, something caught my eye.

“Talisman of Dawn.”

Seeing its name sparked a bit of excitement.

I was familiar with the item.

It had significant drawbacks but was a powerful treasure in itself.

Its origin and history were all meticulously recorded.

“···Three hundred years ago.”

It was a fairly old artifact.

It had been created and used by the Saintess of Dawn, Filena Trandiad, during her time.

“What’s this? It’s in Room 9?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you picking this one? It’s the hardest room······ Oh, well. Sure.”

Since it was the only useful item, I had no other choice.

I shot a glance at Nell, who made a strange, amused noise.

“What about you? Have you decided?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m going with this. Room 3, ‘Rosary of the Holy Image.'”

“Why?”

I wondered what criteria she used to choose.

Her answer came with a playful smile.

“The effects sound appealing. It cleanses the body and clears the skin. That means it improves circulation, right?”

“······.”

A simple reason, but it was enough of a motive.

After all, ordinary relics didn’t suit someone like her.

“Probably.”

After nodding, we temporarily parted ways.

Room 9 was on the second floor, while Room 3 was on the first.

Unless something unexpected happened, we’d meet up again soon, each carrying our chosen relic.

“Hmm······.”

The inside of the cathedral was noisy and chaotic.

With so many people, maintaining perfect order seemed impossible.

Perhaps it was only because they were clergy who followed the divine that things weren’t worse.

I lowered my head and climbed the stairs.

I had hoped to avoid anyone, but I sensed a presence nearby.

Reflexively turning, I saw a woman.

“······.”

She was someone I recognized.

To be precise, I only knew her face.

Lucia Uvelina, the Chief Priest.

The woman I had seen during the preliminary explanation was staring intently at me.

When our eyes met, she spoke.

“You’re heading to the second floor?”

“Yeah.”

It was unexpected, and I was a bit flustered, but thanks to the Snow Maiden’s traits, the answer came out smoothly.

It was a bit curt and cold, but nothing unusual.

“···Yeah?! Yeah, you say?”

It seemed her reaction was different as someone hearing me for the first time.

Her eyes twitched, but Lucia pressed on.

“Which room are you challenging?”

“What’s it to you?”

“You need to keep an eye on your competition, don’t you?”

Her lips curved into a sly smile.

It was an abrupt remark.

“Competition.”

“Yes. If you’re not sure, take a look at your outfit.”

“My outfit.”

At her words, I glanced down.

A dark-colored robe.

I thought there was nothing about it that stood out.

But Lucia, interpreting my gaze differently, nodded.

“This challenge ritual is an opportunity to elevate oneself as clergy. The tradition and ceremony aren’t as important as that.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. That’s why, like birds preening their feathers, everyone tried to appear as dignified as possible. The more attention they garner, the better their chances.”

Now that she mentioned it, it sounded plausible.

I could guess what she was implying.

“But you’ve concealed yourself entirely with a robe. Doesn’t that mean you must be quite famous?”

“······.”

Her sharp deduction left me speechless.

Was she a detective?

I hadn’t intended to draw any attention, so perhaps that mindset had shown on the surface.

After all, I was here solely to obtain a relic or a holy artifact.

“Well··· I’m not much different from you. I don’t particularly seek attention. But I wouldn’t go as far as wearing a robe.”

Smiling faintly, she gave me a once-over as if finishing her point.

Then she casually remarked.

“It’s cumbersome, isn’t it? Don’t you think?”

Lucia waited for my reaction, standing still.

I simply blinked silently.

What was this?

Was she picking a fight?

This felt childish; there was no need to indulge her.

“True. Take care.”

“···What?”

Coolly ignoring her, I continued climbing the stairs.

From behind, I heard her startled voice.

“Wait, seriously? You’re just leaving like that?!”

You’re not supposed to feed people like that.

Walking briskly, I passed some dejected challengers.

It seemed they had failed.

With no second chances, all they could do was leave the cathedral.

Perhaps due to the weight of failure, the believers looked gloomy, but I remained composed.

Soon, I arrived at the platinum door.

The entrance to Room 9 had fewer challengers compared to the other rooms.

“Because of the difficulty?”

It seemed most had compromised and moved on.

That was probably the smart choice.

As I thought this, I heard rough breathing nearby.

“Hah··· Whew. We’re in the same place, it seems.”

“···Looks like it.”

“Let’s do our best.”

Lucia wore a challenging smile.

Yet her eyes didn’t reflect any amusement.

What a tiresome way to live.

“Go ahead.”

I let her go first, thinking she’d keep chattering behind me if I didn’t.

The order didn’t really matter anyway.

From what I’d heard, Chief Priest Lucia excelled in divine power, but this relic didn’t require much of it.

And with confidence like hers, she deserved at least one attempt.

“Failure···! That’s impossible.”

“How could it not even react?!”

While waiting, failures piled up.

The relatively short line was thinning rapidly.

Lucia’s expression stiffened slightly.

It seemed she was getting nervous as her turn approached.

“Those who just entered, please stand here.”

Once we stepped into the grand interior, a priest appeared to guide us.

There was a separate waiting area to avoid distracting those attempting the trial.

Standing there, I took in the holy inner sanctum, its sacredness almost palpable.

In the center stood an altar.

On it lay what resembled a Western-style talisman.

That must be the relic of Room 9, the Talisman of Dawn.

“I-I’ll take the challenge!”

This time, a man with short hair stepped forward.

Clearly nervous, he awkwardly extended his hand toward the talisman.

He hesitated, wavering as if testing the waters, before swallowing dryly.

With a quick motion, he grabbed it and poured out his mana.

Suddenly, a brilliant yellow light burst forth─

······The light was faint, like a firefly.

“······Uh, excuse me. This is… um.”

“You have failed.”

“Y-Yes, of course. I figured as much. Haha······.”

The man, who had been laughing awkwardly, scurried out of the inner sanctum. His teary eyes lingered in my memory.

Scenes like this repeated several more times.

Though they were skilled believers in their own right, the standards of the relic were exceedingly strict, leaving them no chance.

After a buzz-cut man failed, it was finally,

Lucia Uvelina’s turn.

“Lucia. Chief Priest Lucia Uvelina.”

“The real deal is here. Let’s see how this goes······.”

She seemed oblivious to the murmurs of the priests as she closed her eyes.

Perhaps a ritual of hers, she stood still for a moment before stepping toward the altar.

A gulp slid down her throat.

Taking a deep breath, she extended her hand.

“I’ll take the challenge.”

After boldly declaring, she grabbed the talisman.

Hesitating briefly, she quickly infused it with mana.

Fwoosh─

The trial was simple.

As with obtaining the catalyst before, one only needed to channel their mana into it.

Most artifacts operated on mana.

However, despite the simplicity of the method, gaining acceptance was exceedingly difficult.

“Oh··· Ohhh···!”

“This… this might actually work······!”

The rumors about her divine power training seemed to be true.

Lucia was partially acknowledged.

The glowing light emanating from the talisman, enough to awe the priests, was proof of her efforts.

Her expression brightened.

“It worked! It worked! Now I can······ Ah!?”

But it soon darkened.

Just like her changing expression, the talisman’s light flared briefly before extinguishing.

The flickering embers dimmed and went out.

It was a failure.

“···Ahem. So that’s how it ends.”

“You have failed, Priest Lucia.”

The priests’ voices were as firm as the talisman’s will.

Yet Lucia did not leave.

Clenching her fists, she trembled with frustration and then shouted.

“─Something is wrong here!”

“Pardon?”

“This doesn’t make sense! How can it be this strict?”

Her voice cracked with anger, clearly upset.

She stormed down the steps, confronting the priests.

“This is ridiculous! Do you know how I became Chief Priest? There’s no way I would receive such a poor reaction.”

“Uh··· Priest Lucia. Please calm down─”

“How can I stay calm?! Is anyone even capable of succeeding with this?”

The priests were flustered as they tried to pacify her. It seemed they hadn’t anticipated such a tantrum in the cathedral.

I watched blankly before walking quietly forward.

Since it was my turn next, there was no reason to hesitate.

“···Hmm.”

I picked up the talisman and stared at it.

Artifacts and relics often displayed a kind of will, akin to a connoisseur’s taste.

They were extremely particular about mana and the person wielding it.

I couldn’t tell exactly what this relic sought.

But there was something nearly all spirits—and artifacts—commonly favored.

“Pure mana.”

And, “according to the setting,” my mana was phenomenally pure, like a phenomenon in itself.

While this didn’t guarantee power capacity or usability, it was advantageous in situations like these.

In essence, the quality of my mana was unlike the norm.

The issue was, I didn’t know what might happen.

“What could possibly go wrong?”

It was just a simple trial, and it wasn’t even a holy artifact, only a relic.

Shaking my head, I channeled my mana without hesitation.

I only expected perhaps double or triple the effect of the previous attempts.

But the outcome was vastly different.

With a deafening roar, light erupted as if an explosion had occurred.

─────!

The surrounding noise vanished in an instant.

The blinding roar of the light engulfed the hall entirely.

Squinting against the brightness, I frowned slightly.

Thankfully, the overwhelming radiance began to subside, leaving only a gentle glow behind.

“······!”

That gentle glow.

It took the form of a woman.

The will of the relic······ or perhaps it would be more accurate to call her a spirit.

─Such purity······ such beauty······.

Filena Trandiad.

She spoke to me.

─Oh perfect being······ please grant us your aid······.

My eyes widened in astonishment.