I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 61: The Descent of the Saint (3)

The Great Temple, the holiest site in Chelmberd, was not a place just anyone could visit.

As such, it was always quiet, but today, it was engulfed in an intense heat.

Would you believe it if I said it was all because of one person?

“…I don’t want to believe it either.”

Even as I exhaled softly, the crowd before me did not disappear.

I stood alone on the upper terrace of the Great Temple, in a space that jutted out like an exclusive stage.

From the vast field before me, countless gazes were fixed on me.

Feeling awkward under the attention, I subtly adjusted the veil Lucia had lent me—although I planned to return it—lowering it slightly.

My bangs were partially covered.

Much better.

“How can anyone be this beautiful and noble… She must be the Saint!”

“If she isn’t the Saint, then nothing makes sense.”

“O, Savior…”

A murmur of mixed voices reached my ears. Even from a cursory listen, awe and admiration were apparent.

It was all overblown, so I blocked it out midway.

“They’re hopelessly blinded…”

At this rate, no words would reach them.

I needed to lower this near-delusional reverence.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to persuasion.

“I am Quellière.”

One single sentence.

But the reaction was explosive.

“O, Lady Quellière!”

“Her holy name! Even her name is so—”

“Silence.”

I cut through the clamor with cold sharpness.

The hall briefly fell silent. Just as noise threatened to rise again, I spoke.

“The Saint—”

“Quiet.”

“……”

At last, they could only gape silently, unable to utter a word. I drove the point home.

“Keep your mouths shut and your ears open.”

“……”

The believers nodded fiercely while remaining glued to the ground.

I found a small measure of satisfaction and moved my lips.

I had no time to prepare eloquent speeches.

I would have to wing it.

“I am not a Saint.”

“……!”

As always, I dropped a bombshell right away.

Their agape mouths froze.

“I don’t need such a title, nor do I want it. I am Quellière. Nothing more, nothing less.”

The bewildered expressions on their faces were oddly amusing.

But with a calm, impassive expression that betrayed none of my feelings, I continued.

“The calamities were my enemies from the start. Clavia was no exception. That’s why I fought and eliminated them. That’s all.”

“……”

“Fighting against an enemy is only natural. There were no other motives. None whatsoever.”

My tone and choice of words reeked of arrogance.

It was embarrassing, but this was part of the Snow Maiden’s nature, so I couldn’t help it.

“I will leave. Both this Holy Nation and the vast continent. By my own will.”

“──!”

I would return to the Snow Castle.

I had stayed in this Holy Nation far longer than necessary, and it was time to go back.

I concluded my words.

“So forget me.”

Immediately after, I turned my back on the agitated citizens with a cool demeanor, feeling inwardly satisfied.

That should do it. I had denied being a Saint and declared my departure from the Holy Nation.

This should douse their expectations and curiosity.

Behind me were Nell, Lucia, and the others.

“Saint… No, Lady Quellière…”

But their expressions were strange.

They avoided my gaze, while Sariel and Netah’s faces were close to despair.

Sariel stammered as she asked.

“Are you… disappointed in us—”

“We will never forget!”

Just then, a booming voice rang out from within the crowd.

Before I could respond, my eyes shifted toward the source of the voice.

It was probably another overzealous believer.

Or so I thought, until I saw who had spoken, and I froze.

“How could we forget! Isn’t that right, everyone?”

“!”

The blonde-haired Crown Prince, Artan Fricas.

An unexpected figure was rallying the citizens.

“……That’s right! Indeed! Lady Quellière!”

“How could we forget the Saint! Please don’t say such things!”

My heart raced.

Not only was he here, but somehow he had become the spokesperson for the believers.

Artan, seemingly unaware of my inner turmoil, raised his voice even louder.

“It is said that justice must be served! Those who have done good should be rewarded, and those who have sinned should be punished. Please, do not condemn us as sinners any longer!”

“…What.”

Nonsense.

I felt the same way in the Snowfield, but his words were truly outrageous.

Don’t condemn them as sinners?

When did he arrive, and how had he picked up the mannerisms of the Holy Nation’s people?

In any case, things were becoming complicated.

The citizens, who had finally quieted down, were now emboldened by his words.

“That’s right! Indeed! We’re already sinners!”

“Whoever that man is, he’s speaking the truth!”

Momentum surged like a tidal wave.

I glared at Artan with resentment.

But he merely continued to shout shamelessly.

“Glaring at me like that won’t change anything.”

“Artan.”

“If you do not wish to be called a Saint, we will respect your wishes. But Lady Quellière, please grant us one opportunity.”

“…What kind of opportunity?”

His confident demeanor piqued my curiosity, so I decided to hear him out.

The Crown Prince nodded resolutely, his gaze firm.

“A chance to express our gratitude, for repelling the calamities and defeating the head of the Apostle’s Society—”

“Not necessary.”

I cut him off coldly.

I wondered what he was going to say.

“Didn’t you hear me? That was my will. I couldn’t care less about your circumstances, so there’s no need for gratitude.”

“But—”

“And the calamities aren’t dead. The enemy of the world is still alive. As long as it exists, true peace will never come.”

The visions shown by the old Spirit Higares came to mind.

Mahabharata was sharpening its blade.

It would be troublesome if people became complacent like this.

This wasn’t something I could handle on my own.

I had planned to just leave, but I felt the need for a little prescription.

“Lady Quellière… does that mean…!”

At that moment, the Ring of Origin came to mind, and I immediately activated my magic.

The bursting light silenced Artan.

A brilliant radiance erupted behind me.

The noble halo mingled with my veil, creating an even more sacred atmosphere.

“…?!”

Artan and the believers stared in stunned awe.

I chuckled inwardly.

This looked way too much like a Saint… I’d have to make a quick exit after this.

Since I had started, I might as well see it through.

Wearing a solemn expression, I spoke.

“Strengthen yourself.”

It was something I had once told the Crown Prince.

“Don’t rely on others. Become stronger on your own.”

“…”

“When greater crises arise in the future, make sure you can overcome them. Don’t just learn how to pray; learn how to fight the dead.”

It was also my hope.

That they would somehow guide themselves safely to a happy ending.

My cold and rigid words settled over the silent hall.

“The gods have left. Because all the people of the world did was look to the heavens, until there was no longer any meaning to be found.”

I reiterated the cruel truth.

Damn calamities, I had to get rid of them before leaving.

“There are no gods left to save you.”

“──!”

“Become strong yourselves. Don’t beg, don’t plead, and don’t despair. So…”

My voice grew softer and softer.

A string of heartfelt advice laced with selfishness. Even the last murmur carried a hint of self-interest.

“…So that you won’t need me.”

How wonderful it would be if that could happen.

In any case, I had said everything I needed to, and now all that remained was to leave.

I looked around slowly.

The crowd was frozen in the same pose, like a stop-motion scene.

“…!!”

Then, as if snapping out of it, Artan’s eyes widened to an almost comical degree, and murmurs broke out among the people.

Suddenly, a flapping sound was heard, and a massive shadow fell over the hall.

Kwoooaaah──!

A loud noise followed, accompanied by a strong gust of wind.

As people groaned and shielded their faces, I remained unaffected.

Thanks to that, I was able to see clearly.

“…Mishra.”

The White Silver Dragon King, Pankaj Mishra.

It had been a while, but there was no doubt it was her.

Some of the believers gasped in shock upon seeing her.

“A dragon!”

“A dragon, as in the legends… Is that really it?”

Why was she here?

I stood there, momentarily dazed, but this wasn’t the time to ponder.

Mishra let out a mighty roar from the sky before descending rapidly.

─────!

Everyone covered their ears as the Dragon King hovered just in front of the terrace and lowered her body.

Her intention was clear.

“You’re telling me to get on?”

When Mishra gave a slight nod, I immediately climbed onto her back.

A perfect chance to escape. There was no reason to refuse.

As the Dragon King prepared to take off, a shrill voice reached my ears.

“W-wait!”

It was Nell, blocking the wind with her hand.

She ran toward us with a panicked expression.

It was obvious she wanted to come along.

I hesitated briefly over whether to take her but ultimately extended my hand.

“Grab on.”

“…Huh?!”

Apparently, she hadn’t expected that, and her pupils wavered dramatically.

She stopped just short of reaching me, and I began to grow impatient.

“Nell.”

“Ugh… Uuugh…”

Even as Nell hesitated, more people were beginning to recover from their stupor.

My firm voice broke through.

“Hurry.”

“Fine! It’s do or die!”

With a yell, she clenched her fists and grabbed my hand.

Two distinct noises erupted simultaneously.

“—Aaaaaah!”

Kwoooooaaah──!

As Mishra flapped her wings, our bodies shot up like a gyroscope drop.

In the blink of an eye, we were high above, the fierce wind tousling my hair.

The Dragon King glanced at the ground once and then surged forward into the distance.

*

Quellière departed on the back of a dragon.

It was no joke. It was indeed that dragon.

As the tremors shaking the surroundings subsided, the citizens began chattering noisily.

“Did I just see a dragon?!”

“There were reports of sightings in the south, but I never thought it was true…!”

Shock and fear were evident in their eyes.

Soon, those emotions turned into reverence directed toward a certain woman.

“To have even such a being under her command, she’s no ordinary saintess!”

“A savior… a true savior!”

Meanwhile, their astonishment was not lost on Artan. However, he had no capacity to focus solely on the dragon.

He had already seen the Frost Giant in the snowfield and could only imagine what else might exist.

“…”

The advance of devotees seeking to meet the saintess.

Joining the flow, he managed to speak with Quellière once more.

Artan silently mulled over her words.

“The enemy of the world is still alive…”

It was true.

Her efforts had brought a brief peace, but it would soon return in an even more terrifying form.

Such was the nature of calamity.

─Strengthen yourself.

Her beautiful voice reverberated in his mind.

It was advice he had once heard. Soon, the goddess continued, looking over them.

─Become stronger on your own.

Artan understood immediately.

Constantly relying on others for help would ultimately lead to stagnation.

In essence, she was telling him to learn how to fish instead of receiving fish.

─So that you won’t need me.

Yet, her final words were peculiar and enigmatic.

Surprisingly, there was a faint desperation in her voice.

“…No, it must be my imagination.”

He struggled to rationalize it and shifted his thoughts.

He carefully dissected her confessions.

Quellière was undoubtedly kind and compassionate.

If not, she would not have helped him as a child.

Her sorrow, the sins of humanity, all of it seemed to converge in one place.

“In the end, it’s the calamity…”

That entity needed to be eradicated for anything to change.

For her, for himself.

Ultimately, for this world.

However, the calamity was overwhelmingly powerful.

The countless corpses in the burial grounds were also a significant problem.

“…Can it be destroyed?”

“No.”

“!”

A deep voice suddenly spoke.

Artan’s eyes widened in surprise as he identified the source. A man with green hair was staring at him.

“Sir Harold…! How are you here?”

“What do you mean? With Your Highness here, why wouldn’t I be?”

Harold Grypheon, the Sword Lord, replied indifferently. He had been observing Artan while staying in Chelmberd.

This confirmed that the Crown Prince’s feelings for Quellière were genuine.

An utterly futile sentiment.

“I have much to say, but I won’t. You, more than anyone, must know how futile such desires are.”

“…!”

Startled by Harold’s words, Artan flinched, but Harold refrained from pointing it out.

If she were merely a human woman, there would have been many other means.

He would have willingly pushed her away from the Crown Prince for the sake of the empire and his sister.

However, after witnessing today’s revelations, the story had entirely changed.

“Political marriage or whatever… A higher being wouldn’t be bound by human standards.”

Recalling Quellière’s majestic words, Harold had a hunch.

He was certain that at this moment, a massive wheel had started turning.

This was a torrent connecting humanity’s original sin to the future of the world.

In front of that grand totality, petty human political schemes seemed utterly trivial.

The matter of marriage would have to be set aside for now.

Even Bulizé would understand.

“Do you wish to eliminate the calamity?”

Harold asked solemnly.

It was an incredibly heavy topic.

Artan, biting his lip, deliberated deeply before giving an honest answer.

“Yes, Sir Harold.”

“It’s impossible.”

“…!”

“Not if it’s only you, Your Highness.”

His tone was severe, his assertion firm.

Artan straightened his posture.

“Then.”

“To have even a slight chance, it would require not just a prince but the entire empire to move…”

*

Meanwhile, as this crucial discourse unfolded across the continent, Adein, one of the Seven Apostles, stared blankly at the sky in isolation.

“…Lord Adein.”

He couldn’t respond to his subordinate’s words, so great was his shock.

Eventually, some semblance of reason returned, and he murmured.

“She commands even a dragon…”

His voice, filled with fear and despondency, dissipated into the air.

Though they had boldly rallied to eliminate the goddess, what had all this amounted to?

The ominous unease that had sprouted from the moment her eerie radiance appeared had already reached its peak.

Trembling, he muttered.

“How much of a monster is she? How much more must she break us to be satisfied…?”

In any case, the plan had failed.

Their strategy to launch an all-out assault using the crowd as a shield was thwarted by her sudden departure.

Having flown away on a dragon, there was no way to pursue her.

“…Retreat.”

“Yes!”

All they were left with was greater despair.

The remnants of the Dark Holy Society trudged back to their gloomy underground refuge, heads bowed.