Home/The Ice Age Came? And I Just Got Married?!/ch 37

Chapter 37.

We hurried outside to see what had happened.

"I knew it."

We stared blankly at the sight of fragments breaking off from the frozen tidal wave that loomed over the city, falling into the streets.

I needed to do something.

"I'll try moving that tidal wave somewhere else. At least I can attempt it."

At my words, everyone stared at me.

After a moment, Brian laughed heartily, slapping his knee.

"I didn't know you were the type to make jokes like that."

He dismissed my words as a joke. Marcus and Charlotte looked at him in surprise, but Brian seemed completely oblivious.

That was understandable—if I were him, I'd find it hard to believe too.

"...It'd be better to get closer to the harbor."

Just then, Logan offered his opinion.

"Oh, come on, Logan. She's joking. Why are you taking it seriously?"

Brian laughed and patted Logan's shoulder—but Logan brushed his hand away.

Brian stepped back, looking taken aback.

Only then did Logan look at me again. And remarkably, his eyes had softened into something gentle.

"Let's go."

Without thinking, I took Logan's hand.

I saw Marcus pat Brian's shoulder as he looked bewildered.

"You wouldn't know—because there's a lot you don't know."

"What don't I know?"

This time, Charlotte patted his shoulder.

"Senior—not knowing isn't shameful, but prejudice is."

With that, she followed us.

Brian hesitated, unsure whether to return to his shop or follow them.

Then he clutched his head and came after us.

I finally felt relieved and turned my head to look at Logan.

"Let's take Brian with us—to Acorn Village."

"I don't know. I'd rather not."

"But you'll go along with what I want, right?"

"...Yeah."

I smiled.

Soon, we stood before the broken harbor. A wall of ice stood there—the starting point of the massive tidal wave.

Even seeing it again, the frozen wave was so overwhelming that it drew a gasp. It looked less like a natural disaster and more like a work of a deity.

A wall of ice tens of meters high.

Sunlight scattered off the ice, refracting in blue hues—like a giant crystal palace.

Of course, the closer we got, the less beautiful it seemed.

Because inside the frozen wave, people who had been swept up and frozen midair were visible.

I lowered my gaze for a moment.

No matter how much time passed, it was a sight I could never get used to.

Crack.

Just then, a sound came from above.

Somewhere on the ice wall, a crack formed, and fragments of ice crumbled down like powder.

Crackle.

Crackle, crackle—

The crack spread downward faster than I'd expected. If that massive ice wall collapsed all at once...

The seawater trapped behind it would pour out all at once—the entire harbor would be swept away.

I'd expected it, but seeing it happen up close made my heart race.

[The Great Tidal Wave Collapse at Rosebrook Harbor]

Later, the novel would call it that.

What had the novel described at that point?

[As the frozen tidal wave collapsed over Rosebrook, the city suffered devastating damage. The survival rate was only 5 percent. The only area unaffected was the forest zone where the 'Devil's Village' was located. If there had been a Silverstone in the city—if someone had known how to use it—perhaps that tragedy could have been averted.]

— Excerpt from Survival Strategies for the Ice Age

Yes—that was exactly how it was written.

Survival rate: 5 percent. Even though the city looked dead, there were likely many people hiding somewhere to escape the cold.

But most of them would die.

Actually, it was strange that the forest zone was completely unharmed.

No matter how much the wave only covered the city, a tidal wave of this scale should have affected the forest area adjacent to it.

The Devil's Village really is suspicious.

Thinking that, I stepped closer to the ice wall.

Logan grabbed my shoulder.

"Careful."

I stared at the ice wall. I could feel the Silverstone energy floating within me.

It was clear I could use this stone to move the wave—but I felt a bit short on power.

Squeak— Squeak—

Just then, Pipi emerged from my pocket and flew around me.

Whenever Pipi acted like this, it usually meant "follow me." And at that moment, I sensed a Winterstone's energy.

【Annie—what is this?】

【It's sparkly like starlight. I picked it up in front of the ice.】

【You shouldn't just pick up things like this. You don't know what it is.】

I heard a child's voice, and what seemed to be her mother's voice.

People who had picked up a Winterstone.

And judging by Pipi's behavior, it was definitely a Winterstone that could help in this situation.

Coincidentally, I'd just been thinking I needed more Silverstone power.

Pipi couldn't possibly read my mind—but strangely, the little creature always managed to find exactly what I needed at crucial moments.

I gave Logan a glance, then followed Pipi.

Pipi flew along the ice wall and led me somewhere. Walking along the harbor, I came across a smuggler's shop—and there, a family was loading their belongings onto a cart.

A five-year-old girl, a boy around ten, and their parents.

They must have been fleeing after seeing the collapsing wave.

The children were bundled up so tightly they looked like round snowballs.

Pipi flew around the children. Their eyes sparkled at the sight of such a cute creature—but the parents were another matter.

"Get away!"

The father swung a wooden stick at Pipi.

"W-Wait—!"

As I rushed forward in surprise, Logan stepped in front of me.

"That's our bird. He won't hurt you—please stop."

The man flinched at Logan's sudden appearance.

Just then, Marcus, Charlotte, and Brian arrived.

When the parents saw Charlotte, their expressions turned hostile.

"What are you doing here, you damned Crow Gang!"

Crow Gang?

I looked at Charlotte with a puzzled expression, and she gave a guilty, tearful smile.

"Those bastards—Harry and Charles—people called their gang the 'Crow Gang.'"

Ah. So they had mistaken us for the ruffians because of Charlotte.

Just then, Brian recognized the family.

"Oh? Isn't this Mr. Miller?"

"Huh? Mr. Khan?"

They knew Brian Connor as Vladikan.

We watched Brian shake hands with the father, exchanging greetings.

According to Brian, the man was Joseph Miller—a fishing captain who operated a boat in the harbor.

He seemed to have built a connection with Brian during his undercover work here.

"But why is Mr. Khan with the 'Crow Gang'? Surely Mr. Khan isn't..."

I quietly stepped in and said,

"The leaders of the Crow Gang are dead—Charles and Harry. You know them, right?"

"Wha—? Those damned bastards are dead?"

"Dear—the children are listening."

The mother restrained the father, Joseph, and he seemed to calm down a little.

They must have suffered a lot at the hands of that gang.

Then he pointed at Charlotte.

"Then what about her?"

Marcus stepped forward with a smile and spoke on Charlotte's behalf.

"She's with us. She used to be part of the Crow Gang, but she helped us dismantle them."

Meanwhile, I approached the five-year-old girl and crouched down to greet her.

"Could you show me that sparkly thing you have?"

"How do you know I have a sparkly thing?"

The girl asked, her mouth forming a triangle—so cute.

Thud—

Crack—

Just then, the ice wave began to crack.

We had to hurry.

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