I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 62: A Pure White Paradise

The sun was closer than ever, and clouds surged nearby.

The Dragon King’s back was broad and comfortable, incomparable even to Chevran’s carriage.

Was this something all dragons had, or was she simply special?

“You managed to find me.”

I spoke, enjoying the wind.

As soon as Mishra appeared, she carried me eastward.

It was evident she had come looking for me.

[…I did have quite a hard time.]

Mishra’s voice was slightly weary.

Soon, she began grumbling, recounting her exploits.

[It was a long time… I traveled across the central, southern, and western continents as if on a tour. It was amusing to see humans astonished at my presence, but… it didn’t last long.]

“I see.”

[Finally, I arrived at the northern stronghold not too long ago… The last destination being the correct one, what poor luck I have.]

“True.”

I gave her a light response.

It would have been rude to ignore her effort after she had endured so much to find me.

However, a question arose midway through.

“Why go through all that trouble?”

[Hmm?]

“You don’t have a reason to help me. And you have your duties to protect the Snowfield.”

Although Mishra and I had a decent relationship, we weren’t particularly close.

Besides, wasn’t she supposed to carry out her master’s orders?

[What?! Well, uh…]

The Dragon King’s back quivered slightly.

Her voice, stumbling and restless, returned.

[Well, you know, we’re neighbors, aren’t we? You’ve been gone for a while, and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to check on you.]

“That doesn’t sound quite right.”

[And while protecting the Snowfield is certainly important… I believe there are things even more crucial than that.]

Though I questioned her bluntly, Mishra was busy rambling excuses.

Eventually, she sought my agreement.

[Don’t you think so?]

“Uh-huh.”

Her words left me puzzled.

With an indifferent tone, I asked again.

“What could be more important?”

[Ah, more important… That would be, let’s see… uh…]

As Mishra fumbled with her words, she abruptly changed the subject.

[More importantly, who is that red-haired woman?]

“Ah.”

Her question reminded me of something.

Come to think of it, I wasn’t the only passenger on the Dragon King’s back.

Nell, who had been silent all along, finally reacted.

“Uh… me?”

“Who else would it be?”

Pointing to herself, Nell scratched the back of her neck at my reply.

“Fair enough.”

[So, who are you?]

Nell’s eyes wavered briefly before answering.

“I’m… a friend.”

[A friend? Whose friend?]

“Quellière’s friend.”

She glanced at me after saying that.

A somewhat uneasy question followed.

“We’re friends, right?”

“Yes. Mishra, this is Nell Sartilla.”

I nodded in affirmation and introduced her.

At the very least, she was a friend.

At that moment, an unfamiliar noise interrupted us.

[…]

The Dragon King’s wings wavered slightly.

Though the spot we were on remained stable, flying seemed more challenging than expected.

I reassured Nell while patting Mishra’s carapace.

“This is Pankaj Mishra. Mishra is also my friend.”

[──!]

The back wobbled violently once again.

The stronger jolt swept both Nell and me, and we hurriedly grabbed onto whatever we could to stay steady.

Nell scolded her.

“Hey, hey! I almost fell! Watch where you’re flying!”

[…Apologies! It was a mistake… no, wait. Hold on.]

Mishra suddenly became serious.

Her sharp remark rang through the blue sky.

[Nell Sartilla, was it? While I can tolerate Quellière, I won’t accept complaints from you.]

“What?”

[I had no intention of carrying you. Simply put, you’re an unwelcome guest.]

“An unwelcome guest…!?”

Nell’s mouth opened and closed, speechless.

However, she wasn’t one to back down easily.

“Wow, how petty! Fine, fine, my apologies. I’m just a mute unwanted guest, so I’ll keep quiet.”

[Good. I’d appreciate that.]

“…”

Disbelief filled Nell’s eyes.

To everyone’s astonishment, the millennia-old Dragon King had worse social skills than her, rendering her sarcasm ineffective.

Nell, flustered, muttered angrily.

“You know… just so you’re clear, I’m not interested in you either, okay?!”

[Hmm? Is that so.]

“Yeah! If not for Quellière, I wouldn’t be here—”

Soon, Nell and Mishra began bickering.

Arguing at such high altitudes—what extraordinary individuals they were.

I turned away from their escalating quarrel.

“We’ve left the Theocracy behind.”

Gazing at the clear sky, I ventured an optimistic thought.

Now, I would no longer have to deal with troublesome titles like Saintess or Saint.

Moreover, the death of the Apostle would have dampened the Dark Holy Society’s momentum.

To describe the current situation in one phrase:

“It’s unmistakably favorable.”

Although the calamity still lingered, there was no way to deal with it for now.

During this lull, I had to take stock of my resources and prepare for what lay ahead.

We flew eastward, enjoying the pleasant breeze.

After flying for some time, an icy mountain range came into view.

As expected of not just any dragon, but the Dragon King—her speed was remarkable.

Mishra spoke with confidence.

[We’re almost there.]

“Seems like it.”

As we passed through the mountain range, the cries of monsters reached our ears.

Kyaaak—Kyaaaak—!

Grrroooar—!

Distant wails echoed from below.

They were likely panicking at the sight of the immense shadow.

But even they couldn’t reach this altitude.

Dragons were truly convenient and safe modes of transportation.

Just as we leisurely passed the raging monsters, a sound came from behind us.

“Achoo!”

I turned to see Nell, her cheeks flushed, curling up against the cold.

The cause of the situation was obvious.

“Cold?”

“Huh? …Yeah, it’s cold. Really cold.”

It couldn’t be helped.

This was the magical domain, notorious for its extreme climate.

As I wondered if she could endure it, Nell stretched her hands.

“So this is what the magical domain feels like… I thought it wouldn’t be too bad, but this isn’t manageable like this.”

“That’s right.”

“Still, don’t worry. I figured this might happen, so I didn’t come unprepared.”

A crimson aura began to radiate around her.

The power of blood.

The red energy spread across Nell’s entire body, reviving her complexion and softening her frozen cheeks.

“Oh.”

I had nearly forgotten.

The power of the True Ancestor’s blood allowed for such feats.

Nell grinned.

“This makes it bearable. My blood power will keep me warm, as long as I don’t overexert myself otherwise.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yeah. Actually, it’s interesting—this thing turned out to be pretty helpful.”

She proudly held up a crimson rosary.

It was the sacred rosary she had obtained during the Trial of Challenge.

I reached into my coat as well.

“…Still here.”

The Talisman of Dawn was still in place.

Even though I had acquired a superior divine relic, this one would still prove useful.

In the meantime, Mishra pressed forward, and soon, an enchanting snowy field welcomed us.

[We’ve arrived.]

The pure white paradise, the Snowfield.

A pristine world of beauty untouched by a single speck of dust.

This pinnacle of natural splendor evoked new feelings no matter how often I saw it.

“Wow…”

If that was my reaction, how much more awe would it inspire in someone seeing it for the first time?

Nell let out a gasp of admiration as she looked around.

“So this is the Snowfield! It’s amazing. Calling this the magical domain doesn’t feel right… This is breathtaking!”

“Mm.”

[Hmph.]

Seeing her marvel like a child left Mishra and me feeling a bit proud.

Pride in being rooted in such a place.

However, that sense of pride was soon shattered by Nell’s next words.

“…But it’s all just snow. It’s pretty, sure, but something’s missing.”

“…”

“The wind’s strong, everything’s just white… Wouldn’t living here drive you crazy?”

“…”

Her words were harsh.

Though I couldn’t entirely deny them.

As Nell scanned the area, she suddenly cried out.

“Look, over there!”

“What now?”

“There’s a castle!”

“…Oh?”

Following her gaze, I saw it too.

Indeed, there was a castle.

My home and the domain of the spirits, the Snow Castle.

“What are those over there?”

Nell blinked as she noticed the gathering Frike spirits.

…

It had been a long time since I returned home.

As I entered the castle, I was greeted by cheers and applause.

-Quelliiiii!

-It’s not one of Sasquatch’s fake snowmen; it’s the real deal. The real Quelliiii!

“Quiet down.”

I had a hard time peeling off the clinging Frike spirits.

While it was a familiar scene to me, it seemed to be overwhelming for Nell.

“What are these… Spirits? Are they spirits…?”

She muttered with a blank expression on her face.

Although she was clearly a new guest, the spirits showed no interest in her.

I had no choice but to point her out.

“This is Nell Sartilla.”

-Sartilla…?

“Call her Nell.”

However, the Frike spirits only stared blankly, alternating between looking at me and her.

Their expressions said they didn’t know how to react.

I kindly explained.

“She’s my friend.”

-Friend!

-Close one!

The spirits were shocked.

-A friend… that means someone incredibly close and lovely!

-Oh my! Quelli brought a friend!

-She has a friend besides Shu?!

“…”

I instinctively rubbed my forehead.

That’s not what “friend” means.

Once again, they interpreted it however they liked.

In any case, their attitude toward Nell changed dramatically.

-Nell!

-Quelli’s friend!

The Frike spirits swarmed her in a flurry.

In an instant, Nell was surrounded and flustered.

“Uh… uh, hi there, everyone. What should I call you? Spirits?”

-We are Frike!

-But more importantly!

-Yes!

They exchanged glances and quickly came to an agreement.

Then they floated up and began guiding her.

-Let’s show her to the castle!

“What—”

To be precise, they started pushing her from behind.

Since they were made of snowflakes, it wasn’t painful, but the force slowly propelled Nell forward.

She flailed her hands as she was carried away.

“Wait, wait! I’ll walk on my own!”

Soon, her shiny red hair disappeared beyond the hallway.

The spirits were clearly excited about the guest I had endorsed.

Considering how rare visitors were, it made sense.

At that moment, Mishra spoke to me from the side.

“Quellière.”

“Yeah?”

She had already returned to her human form.

Or rather, I should say she had shifted from her true dragon form.

“Is that woman, Nell, staying here?”

“Probably. At least for now.”

If Nell disliked it, I would let her leave, but there was no sign of that yet.

To think, I had hoped she would live seamlessly in human society.

Life is truly unpredictable.

“Hmm… is that so…”

For some reason, Mishra seemed dissatisfied and only let out a low hum.

*

Quellière is the new Saintess.

…That was the prevailing opinion, but her own statement caused an uproar.

It was as though everyone had forgotten the maxim not to blindly follow the crowd, and the entire main temple entered a new phase.

“…”

Two High Priests, Sariel and Netah, were meeting with the renowned Crown Prince of the Empire.

He had personally requested the meeting.

It was unclear when the Crown Prince had visited the Theocracy, but the two were not particularly surprised.

This was because they had already experienced a chain of shocking events recently.

“Have you heard Quellière’s testimony?”

Artan Fricas.

Now that he revealed his greatest strength, he was no longer someone to be underestimated.

The two High Priests exchanged glances at his serious question and nodded.

“Of course. I remember every word.”

“I, too, recall it clearly.”

There was not a shred of falsehood in their responses.

As devout servants of faith, they could not possibly disregard the words of someone who might be a “savior.”

As if he expected this, Artan nodded.

“She said to strengthen our foundations. Not just for the Theocracy, but for all of humanity.”

The image of Quellière, speaking with a cold and resolute expression, crossed his mind.

Artan felt he was inching closer to fulfilling her wishes.

“Grow so we can stand on our own. To overcome even greater crises when they come.”

“…”

“And the enemy of the world still lives… What she desires is true peace.”

That was the conclusion Artan had reached.

Ironically, while the process had been flawed, the outcome aligned.

His gaze and expression were steadfast and unwavering.

“True peace?”

“Yes. A world without calamities, without the dead, and without lingering resentment. I believe that is the endpoint envisioned by her, who is so kind and compassionate. It is also my aspiration.”

“Ah…”

Tears glimmered faintly in Sariel’s eyes, as if to say she understood completely.

“That must be the case. It’s what every Saint has wished for until now. If it’s her, surely…”

“We’re not unaware of her will. But that is an impossible… no, an extremely difficult task.”

Netah, on the other hand, expressed a more pessimistic view.

His complex gaze was one borne of countless failures and disappointments.

“Peace is something everyone desires, save for those who walk the dark path. If that’s so, why does darkness still prevail in the world?”

“Is it because darkness is that strong?”

“Indeed. In my youth, I dreamed of being a champion of justice… but evil is fundamentally solid and—”

“High Priest Netah.”

Despite Netah’s concerns, the Crown Prince’s unwavering gaze did not falter.

His eyes then shifted toward Sariel.

“And High Priest Sariel.”

His firm expression and steady voice prompted the two High Priests to tilt their heads in curiosity.

“What is it?”

“Yes, please, go ahead.”

A task desired by all, yet so difficult to achieve.

Precisely because of its magnitude, it was a fitting goal for one who would become the Emperor of the Empire.

This was the very reason he had revealed his identity and arranged this meeting.

With a determination more resolute than ever, Artan declared:

“I intend to conquer the Burial grounds.”