The Birth of Calamity (2)
The Snowfield stretched beyond the Ice Mountains, far east on the continent—a pure white land that had always been veiled in endless snowfall. Today the weather was particularly severe. A snowstorm accompanied by ominous winds blanketed the entire region, declaring this place a realm of demonic peril. The freezing hell where even ordinary monsters could not approach.
In that place moved one figure—a slender woman with snow-white skin and blue-white hair, ice-cold blue eyes, and an appearance of cold beauty. She was the White Silver Dragon King, Pankaj Mishra.
Among the White Dragon clan specialized in cold resistance, she was the strongest. The Snowfield was as comfortable as her own home to her.
“...May I enter freely?”
Her expression was troubled, as if lost in deep thought.
In the middle of the vast empty Snowfield stood the grand Snow Castle, carved entirely of ice and snow. Before it Pankaj Mishra had stood for a long time.
“But I cannot verify without checking...”
Today she felt an indescribable unease. Something sticky and unsettling.
To fulfill her duties she had to check whether anything had happened in the Snowfield.
She had explored the gods’ ruins and every corner of the region, but she had found no anomalous points.
What remained was only this place—the Snow Castle.
However...
“...I should have obtained permission first.”
Though circumstances were unclear, Quillere had been away from the Snowfield for some time.
Originally she should have been the one granting it.
If she had been merely a created creature, it would have been fine, but she... she had not yet revealed herself. Yet Pankaj Mishra suspected almost for certain.
“No... no. There is no need to be so cautious.”
She shook her head vigorously and decided to enter boldly.
Thinking back, she had sat at the same table with her once.
As long as she did not disturb anything, that much permission should be granted.
Swallowing hard, she opened the door.
The moment she stepped inside, a flurry of snowflakes rushed out.
“Quilly! ··· Huh?”
“Quilly! ······ Eh?”
Pankaj Mishra’s eyes widened.
The snow spirits, who had been staring blankly at her, narrowed their eyes and sighed in unison.
“What? She’s not Quilly.”
“She’s a hot one!”
“Uuu... you tricked us... I’ll get cold.”
The snow spirits had waited since Quillere left the continent.
Pankaj Mishra was once again surprised.
Originally snow spirits had a strong individualistic streak. How could they follow one person so completely?
It was impossible, yet upon considering her identity it made sense.
“...H-Hello. Excuse me.”
Not any other, but the spirits of that person.
Pankaj Mishra greeted them cautiously and entered the interior.
Disappointed, the snow spirits trailed after her.
“Quilly’s not here? Just a hot one came?”
“Worst...”
While chattering, seeing her after a long time brought them a little joy.
Pankaj Mishra ignored them and her eyes sparkled.
“That person... no, Quillere’s residence...”
She had slipped and corrected herself.
She had not yet revealed her true identity to anyone.
Absolute existence—until she named herself, she must not casually act as if she knew everything.
Ignoring the snow spirits that clung to her with whiny complaints, Pankaj Mishra explored the castle with a pounding heart.
She checked thoroughly and found nothing suspicious.
“So it was just my imagination.”
Her suspicion had largely dissipated.
Turning around, the snow spirits suddenly swerved off their path as if hitting the brakes.
“Waaah!”
“......”
Excluding the ones swept away, only one remained. She asked whether she had felt anything strange about the creature.
“Strange... strange...?”
The creature stared blankly at her alone.
Pankaj Mishra realized there would be no more harvest.
Her business in the Snow Castle was finished.
“I will leave. That person... please guard it well until Quillere returns.”
Leaving the castle, she headed back toward the Obelisk.
If something had happened, this was the most likely place.
She needed to investigate more thoroughly.
The four supreme structures on the surface.
After investigation they were all perfectly intact.
It seemed her imagination had been at fault.
“Well then.”
Her recent emotions had been complicated; a mistake was understandable.
She recalled the Winter Woman who had stood in front of her weakly.
In truth Pankaj Mishra had been growing weary.
She had believed she would return, yet inwardly thought hope was slim. Even as a dragon king who lived for aeons, endless waiting had been burdensome.
“But... she has returned.”
Although she had not named herself, the timing was early for certainty, yet it must be her.
If not, there were too many inexplicable points.
She had regained strength and swore she would not disappoint this time.
“Well, it seems there is no problem.”
The Snowfield was her domain.
Whether illusion or beyond the realm, she had no reason to doubt.
In the reception room of the Crase family.
Lacitea Crase was having a private audience with Quillere.
Excluding even the minimal escort Sorap was an expression of respect and courtesy.
Though it was a decision she had pondered for some time, Quillere could not read such political tactics.
She had never intended harm to anyone and did not even know she was being watched.
The Orgel spun quietly. As the melody, bright and resonant with the warmth of melting snow, stirred the room, Lacitea spoke.
“Who are you?”
A question laden with many implications.
It probed the essence without being caught in its own trap—a good question.
Unaware of her seriousness, Quillere answered casually.
“Quillere.”
Lacitea nodded as if she had expected it.
She would not have spoken so easily.
A faint light shone in her eyes. The power to see through truth had taken root.
“I have never heard of this name.”
She said it while facing her directly.
Above all, that was the doubt. Nothing about Quillere was normal.
Power that transcended humanity, beauty that left humanity behind, and even... skills that exceeded the limits of the age.
The question of her identity was secondary to the fact that she had never been heard of before.
Even in records or rumors she had not appeared.
If she were hidden, then?
“Well?”
Unlike Lacitea, who was lost in analysis, Quillere felt impatient.
A single sentence. ‘Sanirio Advance.’
It carried enormous pressure.
She needed to act quickly, yet instead of serious request she sat drinking tea with empty talk.
In her haste the tone grew icy.
“Get to the point, kid.”
“Kid......”
Lacitea blinked, shocked.
She was still young, yes, but to call her kid? As family head she had often heard she matured early.
With a slight flare Quillere swept her with a cold expression, from head to toe.
“......”
She had nothing to say.
From her appearance to everywhere, she was far more adult than Lacitea.
If placed side by side anyone would see her as a child. Compared to her the only damage was emotional; so she followed her will.
“First, for exterminating the vicious Snake God, I thank you.”
“It is nothing.”
“You plan to leave the city, correct?”
Stung by the direct question, Quillere flinched.
How did she know? She had indeed planned to flee to the Snowfield out of fear of variables.
She did not need to hide it.
“Correct.”
Lacitea nodded.
Her eyes told the truth.
“I will prepare a seat for you. Will you not help me?”
She had spoken her true desire as she wished.
Though the Snake God was gone, the battle remained.
It would be difficult.
If Quillere joined, it would be like an army of ten thousand reinforcements.
Moreover it would benefit the entire Uristia.
Even without additional forces from Orgel, she would know the essence of the technology.
She could even accelerate the city-state’s development.
Yet Quillere’s answer was as expected in some sense.
“No, I will leave.”
Truth. Not a flicker of hesitation.
Well, she had no reason to remain in this small city. Anywhere she went she would be welcomed.
Quillere knew the ripples of the scenario could not be stopped by any nation.
Because of that, regardless of who proposed it she would have refused, but Lacitea did not know her inner thoughts.
She cleanly gave up and moved on.
“The Snake God’s corpse... will you use it?”
Self-interest as family head.
Near the forest that had been razed there still lay the monster’s body.
The core, not a subordinate, would not disappear even in death.
Because of its size it could not be disposed of, yet she had no thought of discarding it.
Whether lesser god or false god, it was an extremely rare material of that monstrous scale.
For those in power or influential figures it would be impossible not to covet.
Yet if she claimed ownership she would relinquish it without a word.
She had contributed nothing to the battle anyway.
But Quillere shook her head.
“Not needed.”
Truth. Lacitea was quite surprised.
The corpse of the Snake God.
Agnatz had named it false god and differentiated it from true gods, yet to the perpetrators it was simply a god.
Without the slightest hesitation she discarded it.
Well, that was understandable.
She glanced at Orgel.
Thinking that with something like that... she thought, but it was merely that Quillere found it bothersome to handle.
What to do with such a huge thing.
“Um, Miss Quillere, then...”
“I’ll leave it to you.”
She had taken the initiative with the request.
Lacitea was dazed, but immediately brightened.
“Ah, really? ··· Thank you.”
An uncharacteristic response from someone who had always upheld a dignified demeanor while bearing the weight of family head.
Since the one who had killed the Snake God had granted permission, no one could object.
The melody in the room had shifted from daytime to night.
After briefly savoring the dark tune Quillere stood, intending to leave.
“It is finished?”
As she turned, Lacitea, who had been blankly watching, called out.
“Wait a moment! Where will you go?”
“East.”
Quillere answered without thinking.
Thud, thud she walked toward the entrance.
“East...”
What was in the east.
Lacitea pondered for a moment, but nothing came to mind. She had been about to leave before this.
When today passed there was a premonition that she might never see her again. After thinking whether there was anything else to ask, the door handle rattled and she shot to her feet.
“How did you kill the god?”
The question rang out with the shaking of her will.
Yes. She had wanted to ask throughout but had hesitated to the end.
Clearly she had seen the ice pillar driven into the Snake God’s mouth.
Yet that vicious god had long controlled the city.
Countless soldiers and even knights from noble ducal houses had been helpless.
It was not within the realm of understanding from something witnessed with one’s own eyes.
“Please tell me.”
Moreover, during the previous conversation with Quillere her reaction had suggested she knew a great deal about the Snake God.
The reason for refusal and then acceptance was that she had known the god would rampage and descend upon the city.
It was incomprehensible.
No one, not even Agnatz, should have information on the god’s habits.
“...God?”
Had she been too careless in approaching the unknown?
Quillere subtly twisted her head and finally spat out that terrifying word.
“Those are not gods.”
As she left, Lacitea remained motionless for a long time.
Though it had been a private audience, the conversation had been nothing but trivial. She had thought as she left the Crase mansion.
“Especially the final question.”
Calling a mere lesser god a god?
Lesser god was not exactly a derogatory term; it was the perfect designation. Gods had no death to begin with.
Only the concept of immortality existed.
So if killed, it was not a god.
“Too much, too much.”
In the game era she had chopped up nameless mobs, yet now...
“Haah.”
Why did she possess Quillere?
If it had been the character during the high-profile period it would have been better.
Even without going that far, among the three that Quillere had, there had been two second characters.
“......Forget it.”
It was too late anyway.
In any case her business here was complete.
For now she would have no tasks on the continent.
Then she would go to the Snowfield.
In that safe place she would carefully investigate the meaning of the system messages.
Leaving the city and moving busily eastward.
Perhaps because she had been psychologically cornered, Quillere did not notice the pursuers.
---
“Quilly! ··· Huh?”
“Quilly! ······ Eh?”