I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 56: The Dead Beneath the Moonlight (2)

The world felt a little distant.

Was it because I had used too much power, or was it due to the unforeseen situation?

In front of me stood a Black Knight with an infinitely noble bearing.

I asked.

“Why are you in Chelmberd?”

“A monster hunter never lets go of a chosen target.”

A sinister voice seeped through the gaps in the helmet.

My mind felt a little dazed.

“You’ve been pursuing me.”

“If you want to put it that way, yes.”

The attitude was incredibly confident.

Once I grasped the situation completely, irritation surged beyond surprise.

I wasn’t particularly curious about when or how he had tracked me.

It was just an endless obsession—stifling and relentless.

“There’s no worse bad fate than this.”

“I don’t care if it’s a bad fate.”

Even when I retorted coldly, he didn’t back down.

It seemed clear that persuasion would be impossible.

“······.”

The onlookers were frozen stiff, unable to keep up with this sudden turn of events.

Nell bit her lip, and the Radiant Knights alternated between glancing at me and the Black Knight in confusion.

It was understandable, given that an uproar had broken out immediately after the chaos had subsided.

At that moment, Chandrafail took a step closer toward me.

“Quellière.”

“What?”

His overwhelming presence left my throat dry with tension. But for now, I had no choice but to respond.

His next words were somewhat perplexing.

“Do you know my life?”

And completely out of the blue.

How would I know?

“No.”

I hadn’t determined how he would live in this world. I could only make assumptions based on his setting.

“My first memory was in the middle of the underworld.”

But was the problem in that setting?

A certain intuition made my eyes widen slightly.

“Corpses sprawled on the ground. Dried blood smeared on the walls like wallpaper. Children trembling in fear and thugs sneering······.”

“······.”

─The Black Knight is born in the lowest place.

That was the first description I had written when creating Chandrafail.

“And then, the twin-headed monster that escaped the pen. It suddenly shifted its target to me instead of the children. Until then, I had no sense of anything—like the corpses lying around.”

─He encounters a powerful monster immediately after his birth.

It wasn’t something I thought deeply about.

I just added it because the idea of someone slaying a monster at birth was intriguing.

But what could it have possibly felt like for him, the one who experienced it?

“······.”

Chandrafail neither became agitated nor dramatic.

He simply conveyed the facts in an indifferent tone, drawing people into his story.

“But the moment the monster charged, the moment I felt the danger, I came alive. I instinctively knew what I had to do.”

─Thrill addiction.

He feels alive only in battles that risk his life.

One of the most crucial aspects of the Black Knight’s identity.

Now, it bound not only him but even me. Chandrafail drew the sword from his waist.

A dark energy emanated from his entire body.

“The monster must be cut down.”

And with a powerful leap, he charged at me.

An attack at a completely unexpected timing.

My mouth opened slightly.

“···!”

Though it might have seemed insignificant, my reaction betrayed extreme shock. I didn’t have much mana left.

Just as I tried to respond somehow, a longsword intervened.

“You wretch!”

The leader of the Radiant Knights, Targal.

He intercepted the ghostly blade head-on.

Chaeeeng─!

A clash of sheer force unfolded.

The Black Knight, pressing forward without hesitation, withdrew slightly.

His movement was light, as if mocking the seriousness of the confrontation.

“Urgh······!”

However, Targal groaned, drenched in cold sweat. His hands trembled violently from the rebound.

Yet he spoke resolutely.

“This must be the saint rumored to have appeared. I cannot allow her to be harmed. Withdraw at once.”

By now, my identity had been revealed to everyone.

With my hood removed, they had immediately figured it out.

Belatedly, Nell and Lucia rushed over.

“Hey, you communication-impaired bastard! What’s with this nonsense after all this time?”

“Whoever you are, stop this. Didn’t you see the undead uprising just now? The Saint must be exhausted.”

It seemed I hadn’t lived such a wicked life after all.

I exhaled, glancing at them briefly before turning back to the Black Knight.

“The twin-headed monster······ the Twin-Headed Ogre fell with a single blow.”

He had reverted to his previous indifferent demeanor.

Only the tip of his sword still pointed at me.

“But you’re different.”

“And?”

I couldn’t hold back anymore and opened my mouth.

I couldn’t just sit and take this.

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

“···That’s my first memory. Being born, cutting down a monster—it’s no different.”

“You’re saying that’s your mission or something?”

“That’s right.”

Though I had intended to mock him, he nodded without hesitation.

I clicked my tongue inwardly and asked in detail about his past.

“What did you do with them?”

“I killed the thugs.”

“And the children?”

“I set them free.”

I couldn’t know what choices were caused by his carefully crafted personality and disposition.

“You just let them go?”

Conversely, it was also difficult to guess what intent drove that choice.

Humans are that complex.

Was it simple goodwill, or did he just not think about it?

He may have known or been unaware of how the lives of rootless vagrants would unfold in this harsh world.

Of course, it wasn’t his fault.

In any case, saving them alone was fulfilling his role.

“That’s right. One of them followed me.”

At that, the Black Knight glanced briefly at Paile.

Now I finally understood how the two had met.

I nodded.

“And then?”

I asked again.

Chandrafail stepped closer once more.

“That’s all.”

“That’s all?”

“I was born killing, and I’ve lived killing. What more is needed in this chain?”

“······.”

Even without seeing his face, it was easy to guess the look in his eyes.

Surely, they held some unshakable conviction.

He was explaining now.

Speaking of his beliefs and the reason for his existence.

“Quellière.”

“What?”

“Do you think I’m crazy?”

But he had chosen the wrong person to talk to.

If he thought I wouldn’t understand him, he was mistaken. I recalled his backstory as I mulled over my response.

He had lived this way all along.

“No.”

He likely never listened to anyone else’s words.

For the first time, Chandrafail’s demeanor shifted at my reply. Strangely, he seemed satisfied.

“So, you do know. Change is unnecessary. And if it ever is, it will only come after seeing the end of the chain—”

“You’re a fool. Not crazy, just foolish.”

Maybe because of the emotions involved, a particularly harsh retort came out. The Black Knight froze, and everyone looked at me in shock.

But I didn’t regret it.

I had tried my best to understand him because I had created him, but even I had my limits.

He wasn’t the only one allowed to be stubborn.

“Don’t use madness as an excuse to hide your foolishness.”

“······You’re calling me fool?”

“Foolish, stubborn, and stupid.”

The Black Knight ground his teeth as he forced out a rebuttal. I decided to press on.

“And you’re irritating, too.”

“You······.”

“You should know when to give up if it’s hopeless. Throwing tantrums at me won’t solve anything.”

I deliberately provoked him.

After all, he wouldn’t listen if I spoke gently.

Besides, his pride might make him stop. If he kept pushing, he’d only prove my point about his foolishness.

The Black Knight was silent for a moment, as if choosing his words, and then spoke bluntly.

“You’re half-right.”

“···Oh, really?”

Oh.

Was it working?

For a moment, I had hope, but of course, that wasn’t the case.

He suddenly lifted his head and locked eyes with me.

“Then let’s test whether it’s really hopeless.”

“···Tch.”

He pointed his sword at me and charged.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected much from the start.

Once I was marked as his target, there was no way this would end smoothly.

Chaeng—! Chaeeeng—!

Targal stepped in to block his ferocious assault. Despite his age, he fought vigorously.

“Ugh···! Damn it!”

By the time he faltered, I managed to pull out my talisman.

With the little mana I had left, defeating the Black Knight was impossible. I had to rely on the power of the charm.

It wasn’t as effective as against the dead, but holy power should still work.

“You bastard!”

“Stop this!”

Next came the combined efforts of Nell and Lucia.

A holy shield was raised, and a whirlwind of blood raged.

For a moment, a dense aura of dark energy gathered around the Black Knight’s sword.

Swoosh—!

Soon, the ghostly blade’s techniques unfolded.

Chandrafail easily broke through the resistance of several strong opponents.

An unstoppable force.

His prowess matched perfectly with the title of “one-man army.”

Even without reaching full maturity, he was already a terrifying foe.

“···Chandrafail.”

In an instant, he was right in front of me.

With trembling hands, I stretched out the talisman. My target was his shoulder, as aiming for his forehead was too much.

Focusing solely on that point, I advanced—but it seemed I had concentrated too much.

I neglected my footing and ended up stumbling.

“······!”

The rebound caused me to drop the talisman.

An indescribable sense of dismay spread through me.

Oh no.

I froze with my hand outstretched.

In the slowed-down world, I saw the talisman drifting away and his sword approaching.

“Ah.”

It was too late to dodge.

I thought it might end here, but fortunately, this was a variable even the Black Knight hadn’t anticipated.

As his sword grazed past, my hand touched his shoulder.

That was when it happened.

“Huff······!?”

Chandrafail trembled violently and dropped his sword.

Clang—!

The ghostly blade fell to the ground with a mournful hum.

A surprising turn of events. Dozens of question marks floated in my head.

“···What is this?”

Unable to comprehend, I turned desperately to assess the situation.

And then realization struck me.

His stance was clearly off.

It was similar to when I stumbled. In other words, he had made a mistake!

“I can’t believe you made such a beginner’s mistake······.”

It was unlike the great Black Knight.

But precisely because of that, it was a heaven-sent opportunity.

I pressed harder on the shoulder where my hand rested.

Without stopping there, I gathered all the remaining mana I had. I poured the maximum elemental energy into Chandrafail.

“Urgh···!”

A grotesque sound that I had never heard before escaped his mouth.

This too was uncharacteristic of him, but it confirmed that my attack was effective.

Hope appeared.

I squeezed out every ounce of my strength and unleashed my resentment again and again.

The icy current shimmered against his armor.

“Grooaaah······!”

The Black Knight’s stance was heavily disrupted, yet he somehow managed to endure.

Sensing the urgency, I released even more mana. This was my last chance.

I couldn’t let him escape.

Fueled by a single determination to crush him, I exploded my power to its absolute limit.

I pushed him down while he resisted.

This standoff continued for a while, and eventually—

“──!”

Chandrafail let out a stifled groan and collapsed completely. His head drooped forward.

Even then, I couldn’t bring myself to let go of him.

“······Did I win?”

It could be an act.

I maintained my attack and closely monitored him. No matter how I looked, there was no sign of combativeness.

Finally, I hesitated and released my hand.

To be honest, I was doubtful.

“That Black Knight.”

Could he really be defeated so easily?

As I maintained my suspicious gaze, the sound of approaching footsteps reached my ears.

“···Oh, Saint!”

I turned to see Targal.

Though he looked exhausted, his face was lit up in astonishment as if he had seen an alien.

“What on earth did you do··· Whatever it was, it’s incredible. You defeated this Black Knight!”

“······.”

“And with one hand, so effortlessly···! I’ve lived a long life, but never have I been so shocked as today—”

He showered me with heartfelt admiration.

Nell and Lucia wore similar expressions.

Having faced the Black Knight head-on just moments ago, their sense of the situation must have been entirely different.

“It’s nothing.”

I forced a reply and looked down again.

The kneeling Chandrafail.

Though he was a formidable monster, it seemed the blow of not taking the proper “route” had been severe.

Breaking through the resistance of three people so fiercely must have taken a toll.

“···And the Deadly Uprising has just ended too.”

If he were truly a one-man army, he would have fought alone without anyone’s help.

Perhaps he had engaged in intense battles on his way here. His personality and luck had saved me.

“Saint.”

At that moment, Targal spoke in a solemn voice.

He was staring at my hair.

“We must escort you to the Grand Temple. From the calamity incident to today’s Deadly Uprising, no one can deny your contributions. Please formally become the Saint of the Church.”

“···A Saint.”

I turned the word over in my mind.

So, the day had finally come.

I had avoided deep entanglement with the Church, but at this point, it seemed inevitable.

I reluctantly shifted my perspective.

“Yes, a Saint of the Church. Let’s first head to the Grand Temple. Even the High Priests will not oppose it.”

The streets were chaotic.

Although the Deadly Uprising was over, the incident itself hadn’t been fully resolved.

Considering the tasks ahead, the title of Saint was a significant advantage.

Since it had come to this, I decided to make the most of it. I nodded inwardly and spoke.

“No.”

“···Pardon me, what?”

I’d resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

I would use the Saint title only until then and escape.

Once I was out of the Church’s reach, it wouldn’t matter how they treated me.

I continued firmly.

“I’ll go myself—”

“Oh··· Oh! To the Grand Temple······?”

“Just follow me.”

Once I made up my mind, I pushed forward without hesitation.

I strode purposefully toward the building visible in the distance.

“Yes, ma’am!”

Targal shouted energetically and followed me, with Nell and Lucia scrambling to keep up.

Suddenly, as if something occurred to him, Targal asked.

“Saint, what do you wish to do about the Black Knight over there?”

“The Black Knight?”

“Yes. He dared to lay hands on you, so we can’t let this slide.”

I hesitated momentarily at his words.

Though I was annoyed with him, he was still my secondary character. Normally, I would let him off, but right now, I was upset.

Extremely upset.

“Do as you wish.”

The words I eventually spoke were chillingly cold.

It might be a bit risky, but he was an extraordinary individual and could handle himself.

Anyway, the crisis was over for now.

*

Artan and Agnatz arrived at the center belatedly, cutting through the dead.

What they saw was a massive tidal wave.

“Grand magic···!”

Artan’s eyes widened.

The power was on an entirely different level from the dead encountered so far.

It was clear that this was the epicenter of the situation.

I was tense, but there was no need to step forward.

It was a continuous string of shocking scenes in another sense.

“···Quellière.”

The image of a woman he couldn’t forget, even in his dreams.

Her feats, which everyone watched with bated breath, were truly astounding.

She single-handedly defeated the Dead of the Wave and effortlessly brought down the Black Knight who appeared shortly after.

It was a marvel. Words couldn’t fully capture its magnitude.

Artan wore an expression filled with awe, while Agnatz nodded as if it was only natural.

“This was the inevitable result.”

Even his words mirrored his thoughts.

However, the faint trembling of his wrinkled eyes betrayed him.

Artan didn’t have the mental bandwidth to focus on that contradiction.

“I knew she was strong, but to this extent······.”

For the first time, he truly grasped what kind of being she was.

Having never seen her fight properly before, the impact was overwhelming.

Anxiety and a sense of pressure began to consume Artan.

Was it even right for him to look up to her?

At that moment, Quellière prepared to head toward the Great Cathedral.

“Ah.”

Artan moved instinctively.

Hiloze and the Royal Guard naturally followed him.

He couldn’t let her slip away.

He didn’t even know what he would say when they met, but that single determination drove his actions.

But then, a figure clad in white armor blocked his path.

“······!”

It was Paladin Dewade.

Having observed everything, he stared coldly down at Artan.

In truth, Dewade had been waiting, ready to step in should Quellière face any danger.

He should have acted when the Sword Demon attacked, or at least when the Dead summoned the tidal wave.

However.

“···Unfaithful as it may seem.”

The desire to witness the goddess’s power had kept him from doing so. It wasn’t that he “didn’t” act but that he “couldn’t.” His yearning had been too intense.

And it was a choice he did not regret.

Never before had he experienced such a fulfilling and precious day.

“Even the Sword Demon was defeated so effortlessly······.”

She, an unparalleled master who surpassed even a Paladin like himself.

To bring such a foe to their knees with just one hand, all while exuding unshaken composure and nobility.

As if dealing with a bothersome distraction, she remained unbothered and unyielding.

Her actions were perfectly befitting an absolute existence.

Dewade was thoroughly satisfied, and it was then that he noticed something.

The presence of an armed force attempting to follow her.

“Take one more step, and you will not move further.”

He declared gravely, his gaze sweeping over Artan and the Royal Guard.

They might simply be adventurers or travelers inspired by Quellière’s majesty.

Even so, he could not allow anyone bothersome to approach her.