I Have Become The Snow Maiden I Created

Translator: Marctempest

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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Chapter 65: The Pure White Paradise (4)

Chandrafail’s life could be summed up as straightforward and provocative.

A monstrous entity born from an unyielding nature and a craving for thrill.

Adding overwhelming strength to the mix, his life was a never-ending cycle of struggles and battles, and his work as a monster hunter tracking rumors of monsters had long since become formulaic.

Hunting had turned into an everyday routine, as natural as breathing.

─But.

Recently, his behavior had changed slightly—no, considerably.

He hadn’t caught a single monster in ten days.

“······.”

It was as if he had forgotten his past, buried in ecstasy.

Seeing this unusual behavior, Paile was shocked.

“Mister, are you… sick or something?”

When she cautiously asked, the Black Knight responded in his usual indifferent manner.

“I’m fine.”

“Then why aren’t you catching monsters? Did you get hurt? You’re sick, aren’t you? Don’t tell me, when you fought with that lady─”

“I said I’m fine.”

“···I don’t think so!”

She tried scolding him, but Paile felt both anxious and relieved by the change.

Ten days had passed without him picking up his sword.

And strangely enough, the lethargy that usually followed his inactivity was absent.

“Ah!”

The incident occurred a few days later.

One day, while walking through the streets, Chandrafail bumped shoulders with a rough-looking man.

“Damn it…! Who the hell are you?!”

The fault was entirely with the staggering man, but he brazenly glared at the Black Knight.

Ordinary people would usually recoil at the sight of his ominous black armor, but this man’s guts seemed to be spilling out of his stomach.

“Hey, can’t you watch where you’re going? Can’t see because of your helmet?!”

“······.”

“What’s this? Ignoring me now? Apologize immediately!”

The shameless accusations continued, and Paile trembled nervously.

However, her concern wasn’t for Chandrafail but for the man’s safety.

Despite the blatant insults, the Black Knight remained silent.

“Hmph. Scared, huh? Anyway, be careful next time. I won’t let it slide twice.”

“······.”

“Bah! What bad luck.”

The man chuckled and walked away unharmed.

The confusion and shock were all left to Paile.

“Wait. Wait a minute! Mister!”

“What?”

“Why did you just take that?! It’s obvious that weird guy was in the wrong!”

He had been provoked, yet he endured without a word.

It was completely unlike the infamous Sword Demon.

Unperturbed, Chandrafail calmly replied.

“Should I have killed him instead?”

“···! Well, no, that’s not it, but… this isn’t like you at all!”

“Not like me, you say.”

Muttering this, the Black Knight resumed walking.

Paile quickly followed after him, her confusion growing by the day.

And now.

The two of them were at the restaurant ‘Wandering Orchard,’ where they had previously encountered Quellière.

“The salad is quite delicious.”

Paile, nibbling at her food with her small appetite, and Chandrafail, sitting silently as always.

Not fond of food, he stared blankly into the air.

“Is it?”

“Yes. I like birdberries, you see.”

Curiously, whenever she spoke, he responded well enough.

If lethargy was the cause, this wouldn’t have been the case.

What on earth was wrong with this man?

─Lately, I’ve heard no news about the Dark Holy Society appearing.

At that moment, snippets of a conversation between nearby guests reached their ears.

─Strange, isn’t it? Could those pests have run away?

─They must have. Losing their leader, they’re probably too scared to continue.

The topic was a familiar one, often heard these days.

The downfall of the organization that had long threatened them. It was an immensely satisfying development, and Paile also considered it good news.

“The Dark Holy Society hasn’t been showing up much, it seems.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. From the undead uprising to the High Priest incident… they must’ve taken a heavy hit. It’s all thanks to my sister.”

“······Hmm.”

Meanwhile, Chandrafail showed no interest in such news, not even sparing it a glance.

He was thinking quietly of one person alone.

Quellière.

Whether she was a saint or a goddess, his memories of her were far from pleasant.

─Foolish, stubborn, and stupid.

The image of her looking down on him after he was defeated and crushed by the Black Calamity, or the sight of her subduing him with one hand.

None of these memories aligned with the Sword Demon’s fearsome reputation.

“······.”

Usually, if something occupied his thoughts so strongly, it would be his hunger for combat.

But now, no such desire existed within him.

It wasn’t the thrill of battle but some other pull that guided him.

Unable to understand it even as he pondered, he quietly spoke.

“Dragon.”

“···Pardon?”

Paile, who had been munching on a pile of greens, responded with a mumbled tone.

After swallowing, she asked again.

“Dragon?”

“Yes. That monster headed east, didn’t it?”

“Uh… did it? I think so, but… I don’t remember well. I was too shocked back then.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

He wasn’t seeking confirmation.

The Black Knight’s memory was certain; it was merely a statement to himself.

“East.”

A sensation as if he was touching the world that had weighed him down.

Perhaps the pull enveloping his entire body was connected to it.

“East, is it.”

*

Anyway, it was about time to start moving.

Even the sense of exhilaration that always accompanied me seemed hazy, like it was shrouded in fog.

······Right now, I was in a state of having lost direction in my life for the first time ever.

A few strong individuals are more efficient than dozens of people.

Today was an important day when that fact became evident.

Inside a perfectly crafted igloo, I was sitting next to Nell.

“It’s not warm… but it’s refreshing.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

The long bench made of ice was softened with a blanket, making it comfortable.

As a Snow Maiden, I couldn’t feel cold, only the softness of it.

Still, I responded with some semblance of agreement, though Nell looked like she had a question on her mind.

“Why is that?”

“What?”

“Well, it’s technically a house, but… when you think about it, it’s made of ice. So why is it less cold than outside?”

For once, she had a fiery look of intellectual curiosity in her eyes.

It was a reasonable question, and I was glad that she was curious about the principles behind the phenomenon.

“Well, that’s because.”

“Huh? Oh, oh?”

Nell turned her body toward me, giving me her full attention.

Looking at her, I kindly explained.

“It’s because of radiation.”

“Radiation?”

‘It’s due to radiation—heat radiation and light radiation, to be specific. Since this place is entirely made of ice, it doesn’t absorb any radiation.’

“?”

Nell blinked at me.

Sorting through old memories that were surfacing, I elaborated further.

“Actually, instead of absorbing it, the ice reflects it.”

“Reflects…?”

“Yeah. So even a little bit of heat warms the air inside quickly, and that elevated temperature doesn’t escape outside…”

“···??”

As I continued explaining, Nell’s tilted head dropped lower and lower, as if she was about to touch the ground.

She clearly didn’t understand a word I said.

It was natural, given that she didn’t seem like someone who enjoyed studying, and that made it all the more amusing.

“Ah…aha! I see. So that’s how it works!”

Nell slightly opened her mouth and awkwardly nodded.

I nodded back in return.

“Yeah, that’s how it works.”

“Ah······ I wonder how the lizard is doing?”

She clumsily changed the topic.

Now it was my turn to tilt my head in confusion.

“Lizard?”

“Yeah. That Mishra-whatever—they’re a dragon, right?”

“Pankaj Mishra.”

“Ah, right. That’s such a peculiar name······ Anyway, when I saw them in dragon form, they looked a lot like a lizard.”

“······.”

At her words, I thought about it.

The majestic White Silver Dragon King······ even in modern times, dragons and lizards were often associated with each other.

Still.

“Do they look alike?”

“They do. So, I came up with a nickname.”

“And that’s lizard?”

“Yeah. What do you think?”

“Why don’t you go and ask Mishra?”

I sighed lightly and gestured outside.

The two of them argued every time they met, so it wasn’t surprising anymore.

Their personalities just didn’t seem to align.

“Go and ask?”

“While you’re at it, help with building the igloo.”

“Uh… should I? Alright!”

Nell hopped off the bench.

Then, as she ran toward the entrance, she glanced back at me and waved her hand.

“Take a rest!”

“···Okay.”

She smiled bashfully and then disappeared.

What could she possibly be so happy about?

Well, as long as she was doing well, it wasn’t a bad thing.

“Mm.”

Left alone in the igloo, I stroked the ice wall.

As a human, I would have hated it for being cold, but as a Snow Maiden, it felt oddly comforting.

“It’s kind of fascinating. That there’s an igloo here, too.”

It was something I’d only ever seen on Earth.

Of course, I’d never seen a real one there, either.

Even now, somewhere on the snowfield, Mishra was probably building a new igloo.

She seemed impressed by watching Nell build hers and wanted one of his own.

But he didn’t seem to have much talent for it, so it would be better if she got Nell’s help.

I murmured as I ran my fingers over the cold, smooth walls.

“Anyway, it’s lively, so it’s not bad.”

At the very least, I wasn’t as bored as before.

*

At the entrance to the Ice Mountain Range, where the cold wind howled.

Something heavy landed in the once silent area.

Boom─!

The man clad in white armor was Holy Knight Dewade. No longer a Paladin, he had still used his formidable strength to swiftly reach the Far East.

“So this is the Ice Mountain Range… Quellière’s dwelling.”

Even someone as renowned as him hesitated momentarily before the magical landscape.

Dewade gazed at the mountain range with awe.

“Truly an endlessly frigid, winter-like place.”

A location that perfectly matched the image of that person.

He couldn’t afford to falter here.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and crossed the mountain’s boundary.

Swoooosh─

“Khuh······.”

The eerie air immediately penetrated his being.

Even his solid armor couldn’t completely block it.

This was truly the magical domain of the Far East. The extreme climate was no exaggeration.

“···But I came prepared for this.”

Moreover, he was someone who had reached the pinnacle of a Paladin’s rank.

The harsh days of training and discipline were far from easy.

He carried the faith he had cultivated and the sacred techniques he had mastered.

─Fwoosh!

Dewade unleashed his immense divine power to fortify his body.

While there were many types of enhancements, this time, he focused on two specific aspects: ‘cold resistance’ and ‘heat retention.’

It was significantly better.

“This should be enough.”

Nodding to himself, he began climbing the mountain.

The weight of his armor was substantial, naturally creating a considerable amount of noise.

The unfamiliar sound attracted the mountain’s residents.

Screeeech─!

Along the way, he encountered numerous monsters, but they were no match for the Holy Knight.

However, their numbers were overwhelming, and wasting his strength here was unwise, so he avoided combat as much as possible.

─────!

After some time of climbing.

As he advanced, his vision suddenly opened up.

“······!”

What lay before him was a pristine white paradise so brilliant it hurt his eyes.

Dewade blinked a few times before finally taking a proper look around.

A voice of awe escaped him.

“So this is the Snowfield…! The word ‘Magical domain’ alone doesn’t do justice to this place.”

Calling this sacred space a ‘magical domain’ was a disrespectful act in itself, but even putting that aside, the term ‘spectacle’ was far more fitting than ‘magical domain.’

Of course, how many on the entire continent would have had the chance to witness this scenery?

“Somewhere in this place, Quellière must be─”

Just then, a noise pierced his ears.

Thudthudthud─!

A deafening roar swept across the ground as if tearing it apart.

Dewade quickly turned his head, and his eyes widened in surprise.

There, he saw a silver-haired woman standing amidst a pile of ice.

“The ice bricks seem a bit strange······.”

She wiped her mouth, having just stopped breathing frost.

Apparently frustrated with her construction efforts, Mishra grumbled.

“Some stick too well, and others don’t stick at all. There’s no way my breath could be the problem······.”

“······You are.”

“!”

Dewade’s blunt remark startled Mishra.

The Dragon Lord’s eyes widened upon noticing him.

“···What?! Who are you?! When did you get up here?!”

“I just arrived.”

“Just······!”

Mishra’s eyelids trembled at his straightforward answer.

“······To think I, who should be protecting the Snowfield, would make such a blunder! This is all because I was too absorbed in building the igloo─ No, there’s no time for excuses!”

She muttered to herself reproachfully, then quickly turned her head.

“You, human in strange armor! Reveal your identity at once.”

“My name is Dewade. ······Or rather, I am called Dewade.”

“Dewade? A name I’ve never heard before.”

The Holy Knight bowed politely to the woman, who seemed to be a confidant of the Goddess. He also nodded readily at her suspicion.

“That would make sense. It’s a secretive name.”

“A secret? What does that······ No, never mind. More importantly, why have you come here─”

“Hey, lizard!”

A sharp voice suddenly interrupted, and both turned their heads reflexively.

Crimson hair fluttered against the backdrop of the pristine white world.

“How much of it have you finished······ Huh?”

Nell Sartilla, furrowing her brows slightly, tilted her head upon seeing Dewade.

She asked.

“And who are you?”

“······.”

Her question was natural, but Dewade already knew who she was.

The woman who had followed Quellière here. Her past as the Red Calamity was of no concern.

“I’ve come to meet Lady Quellière.”

The Holy Knight spoke truthfully.

After all, there was no other reason for him to come to the Snowfield. Despite this, Nell and Mishra flinched in surprise.

“What? So you’re a guest?”

“Wait! Don’t be fooled. We don’t even know what his intentions are yet!”

“Oh, oh! That’s true. His calm demeanor almost fooled me!”

The two women exchanged rare glances, making a fuss. Such was the power of Quellière’s name.

“You! What wicked intent are you harboring?!”

“Reveal your true purpose at once!”

The two continued to glare at Dewade without letting their guard down. Anticipating such a reaction, he remained unfazed.

Of course, he had no intention of resorting to force.

Out of countless options, he chose the path of polite request.

“You both must be trusted confidants of Lady Quellière. I have no intention of causing trouble, so please simply inform her that I have come.”

With that, he bowed his head respectfully.

Nell and Mishra were startled, not by his manners, but by something else.

“─Trusted confidants of her!”

“I’m one of Quellière’s······ You, you know something, don’t you?!”

The suspicion in their eyes noticeably softened.

Dewade blinked at the strange phenomenon.

“···Hmm?”