Home/The Ice Age Came? And I Just Got Married?!/ch 14

Chapter 14.

"What a pity."

Marcus offered a brief remark. He didn't seem inclined to rescue it.

I looked at Logan. He raised an eyebrow and asked,

"What, you want to save it?"

When I nodded, he gave a helpless smile. He then sheathed his greatsword into the scabbard on his back.

Logan pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, gently wrapped the baby bird, and lifted it with great care.

Then he handed it to me.

I looked at the bird wrapped in the handkerchief, then carefully placed it in my coat pocket.

"Do you think it'll be okay? That little thing looks like it'll have a hard time surviving."

At Marcus's question, I shrugged.

To be honest, it was more surprising that this tiny bird had survived this long in this weather.

It would survive.

Because this bird was no ordinary bird.

It possessed a special power—the ability to heal wounds in humans, animals, and plants alike.

Just as snow monsters appeared, animals with special abilities—like Chippy and this little white long-tailed tit—also appeared in great numbers.

These creatures with unique powers sometimes helped humans and sometimes attacked them.

Of course, some humans captured them to exploit their abilities.

But most of them stayed out of human sight and weren't easy to catch.

Except for young or injured ones like this.

Squeak—

I patted the weakly chirping baby bird through my pocket and started walking again.

Logan, who had drawn his greatsword once more, moved forward. I took the map from his pocket and checked the route.

The Central Market District of Rosebrook was a labyrinth—we had to pay close attention.

"There might be traps set up, so be careful."

Marcus warned.

I recalled the Marcus episode from the novel.

The core members of the ruffian gang, Charles and Harry, had been workers at the Rutland Railway Company.

But the two of them had constantly caused problems—drinking on the job, brawling with colleagues, and so on.

Eventually, they were caught embezzling company supplies and were fired.

Even so, they refused to admit their fault.

Instead, they blamed everything on the Rutland Railway Company and its chairman, Marcus.

"A commoner who made it big turns his back on his own kind."

"He used us as scapegoats and threw us out."

Their resentment, festering into hatred, eventually led them to plant a bomb at the Rutland Railway Station—killing dozens of innocent people in the process.

They were arrested on the spot and imprisoned.

About a year into their sentence, the world ended, and the prison doors opened.

Charles and Harry, like fish in water, began building their power in Rosebrook.

And then they found Marcus.

In the novel, they kidnapped and tortured Marcus.

How did he escape?

With the help of a junior from the academy—and because people who had been terrified of the gang's brutality gradually lent Marcus their strength.

Once the leaders, Charles and Harry, were dead, the gang would easily fall apart.

After all, they weren't particularly powerful villains—just a ragtag mob.

The reason Charles and Harry had maintained their power and enslaved people was because of Goldstones and Redstones.

And Marcus had stolen all those Winterstones—without them, the gang quickly crumbled.

All we have to do is take the Winterstones.

There was no task more suited to me right now.

---

Harry Baker loaded his gun and surveyed the area.

He and Charles had split up into reconnaissance teams—he was currently in the weapons district of the Central Market.

They needed to be fully prepared before raiding the "Devil's Village" where Marcus was hiding.

His comrades, who had come to loot the armory with him, chattered within earshot.

"Did you hear what Charles said earlier? That the Duke and Duchess of Cheshwind are living in that village?"

"The Duke and Duchess of Cheshwind? When did the Duke get married?"

"It was about a week before all this went down. It was all over the papers—called it a 'rags-to-riches' story for some debt-ridden lady."

"Debt-ridden? Which family was she from?"

"I think she was from a fallen house—the youngest daughter of the Earl of Everhart. That family went bankrupt."

"Everhart? The Earl of Everhart's youngest daughter—wasn't she famous for being a great beauty?"

"Yeah, that's her. But she's been frail since childhood, so she wasn't popular as a bride."

"So the Duke and Duchess are in that 'Devil's Village' now? Should we grab her too? I'd like to have a beauty like that."

"Don't even think about it. If the Duke of Cheshwind is with her, it's impossible. You know how nasty his temper is. They don't call him the 'Duke of Wrath' for nothing."

"Right—he's the hero who ended the ten-year Rubellina War in just three months after joining the front. Someone like us is no match for him."

"Ugh. Now I really don't want to go to that 'Devil's Village'..."

Harry stuffed bullets into a large bag and glanced at them.

"Who's certain the Duke and Duchess are there? That they're hiding Marcus?"

Startled by Harry's question, the group averted their eyes—scurrying like cockroaches.

"I know Marcus Winston Rutland well. That bastard is sworn enemies with the Duke of Cheshwind. Do you really think the 'Duke of Wrath' would help a scumbag businessman?"

At Harry's words, the group nodded awkwardly.

"We were just imagining what Charles said, boss."

"Yeah. Stop wasting time and think about how we're going to kill Rutland."

"Yes, sir!"

"Got it, boss!"

---

I relayed that conversation to Logan and Marcus, having eavesdropped through the Winterstone.

"...So apparently, the 'Duke of Wrath' wouldn't help a 'scumbag businessman.'"

At my words, Logan and Marcus's expressions simultaneously grew peculiar.

"Junior, you're not making this up just because we couldn't hear the conversation, are you?"

"Why would I? If you're curious, go ask Harry Baker yourself if he said those words."

At my reply, Marcus's eyes went wide.

"I never told you the name 'Harry Baker.'"

I shrugged. I'd learned the name from the novel, but it was true that Harry had said those things.

"Still, he got one thing right: we're sworn enemies. And I wouldn't help Rutland."

"Hey, Duke—we were senior and junior once—show some respect."

Listening to them bicker, I scanned the surroundings.

We were now on the rooftop of the weapons district. Below us were the ruffians who'd been talking about us earlier.

They weren't the group I'd spotted from the house, but among them was a man named Harry Baker—who carried Goldstones. It looked like he had about five.

He seemed to have three more, already absorbed into weapons.

How strong would I become if I retrieved and absorbed all of them?

I was excited.

Of course, I didn't plan to absorb all five myself. I'd share them with Logan—absorbing them into his greatsword would increase its durability.

I gathered some power at my fingertips and produced a small flame.

Poof—

Marcus stepped back in surprise.

Logan had seen it many times, but for Marcus, it was the first time seeing me use Winterstone power directly—so it made sense he'd be startled.

"Junior, be honest with me—you're actually a mage, aren't you?"

"Oh dear, you've caught me."

At my cheerful reply, Marcus scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Look at what you're doing right now—how could I not be surprised?"

He had a point. I was still amazed every time I used this power.

Smiling, I placed my palm on the rooftop. Fire spread from my hand, melting the snow around it.

Only the snow near my palm melted—my power still wasn't enough to melt all the snow on the roof.

This should be about right.

I felt around with my hand and found a handle.

I looked at Marcus.

He was the one who'd told me there was a door on the rooftop leading to the shop's attic.

"There's no information I don't know."

Marcus shrugged.

"I have to earn my keep, after all."

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