Chapter 6

“I pulled the monkey’s tail after that,” Logan continued.

“And then the monkey slapped your cheek. It was the fiercest fight I had ever seen.”

“So… I lost.”

“I thought you were an interesting girl. I figured I would never get bored if I stayed near you.”

“Then why did you pretend not to know me all these years? At the academy, you even acted like you had never heard my name.”

“That was…”

Logan stopped speaking for a moment.

“…Because I thought you might bite me if I talked to you.”

“Do you think I’m some kind of wild animal?”

Logan burst into laughter. It was only a joke.

I couldn’t even remember my childhood, yet he remembered it so clearly.

It felt like he was still hiding something, but I decided not to ask.

As we kept talking and laughing, time passed quickly.

Talking with Logan was much more fun than I expected.

I even started thinking that we should have become friends much earlier.

“The sun has already risen. We should wait about one more hour before the ground warms up,” Logan said after checking his watch.

It looked like it was already past noon.

I stood up and slowly put my warm clothes back on.

Thankfully, they had dried beside the fire overnight.

During the whole night, Logan never once looked below my neck. Even while I was getting dressed, he politely turned his back.

After I finished, he also got dressed and packed our bags.

“The tunnel is colder because sunlight can’t reach it. Outside, the temperature should be around minus thirty degrees.”

He checked the thermometer and put it back into his bag.

He really has a lot of useful equipment.

If I had remembered the novel before the disaster began, I would have prepared as carefully as Logan.

When afternoon finally came, we left the tunnel and headed toward Rosebrook.

[Welcome to the Port City of Rosebrook.]

After walking for a while, we reached the sign at the entrance of the city.

Snow covered the empty streets.

There were footprints everywhere, but fresh snow kept covering them.

Rosebrook was a fairly large city.

I had only passed by it before in a carriage or a car. This was my first visit.

Logan took out a map from his pocket.

It was a map of Rosebrook.

I quietly moved closer to look at it.

The city was divided into seven districts.

The Upper District.

The Residential District.

The Business District.

The Central Market.

The Central Plaza.

The Harbor District.

And the Naval Base.

There was also one area that wasn’t officially part of the city.

The forest.

It was next to the sea but far from the harbor, covered with thick trees.

There was said to be an abandoned village there because wild beasts often attacked it.

“Eve, have you heard of the ‘Devil’s Village’?” Logan asked.

I nodded.

“You mean the famous legend of Rosebrook? The small village in the southwest?”

Logan carefully watched our surroundings as we walked.

“People say strange flowers around that village release freezing air, even in early spring. Anything that gets close freezes.”

“Oh.”

Now I remembered.

It was such a famous legend that many stories had been written about it.

The Devil’s Village had only about eight houses.

Of course, no one lived there anymore.

As far as I remembered, I added,

“I heard that one day the village chief and everyone else disappeared. Every house was locked, but there were no signs that anyone broke in or that the owners left.”

Logan nodded.

“That’s right. People also say that anyone who somehow gets inside never comes back out. Some even believe the village chooses who is allowed to enter.”

“Wait… are you saying the house you prepared is inside the Devil’s Village?”

Logan glanced at me.

“Did you see that in your vision too?”

“…I guess so. The memories just keep appearing.”

“You’re right. The freezing flowers only affect the outside of the village. Inside, the temperature stays comfortable all year.”

I nodded.

During his repeated lives, Logan had searched for many safe places.

He had discovered the Devil’s Village during his ninth life and started using it as a shelter.

I looked at the map again to understand our route.

“Logan, we’re here, right? In the forest? Since we’re in the Upper District now, we only have to pass through the Residential District.”

“We’ll take a small detour first. I want to check the Central Market and the Harbor.”

“To collect survival supplies?”

Logan nodded, looking slightly surprised.

“So… the future me wasn’t very active?”

“…It was different every time.”

That made sense.

No one would stay exactly the same through ten different lives.

If I had known how he felt about me earlier, maybe our fate would have changed too.

There had even been a time when I liked him.

Well… there’s no point thinking about the past now.

I shrugged.

“Then let’s go.”

“Time to gather survival supplies.”

Meanwhile…

The underground war meeting room of the Granden Kingdom was filled with heavy silence.

Not long after another strong vibration shook the ground…

Rumble…

Something collapsed in the distance.

A large map of the capital, Averyden, lay on the meeting table.

Missing areas.

Destroyed areas.

Areas where survival was impossible.

With trembling hands, someone drew another black line across the southeastern district.

“The southeastern district has completely collapsed.”

A wave of sighs spread through the room.

A military officer continued speaking with a stiff face.

“The avalanche and landslide covered an enormous area. Even the city’s outer walls have been buried.”

“Any survivors?” King Aldric asked quietly.

The officer hesitated.

The room became completely silent.

Finally, he answered.

“None have been confirmed.”

The candlelight flickered.

Several coal heaters were burning inside the underground room, yet everyone was still freezing.

White breath escaped from every mouth.

Even so, it was still warmer than outside.

The Finance Minister spoke with a shaking voice.

“We’ve received a report from the Weather Bureau. The outside temperature has risen to around minus thirty degrees because the sun came up.”

Everyone quietly took a deep breath.

Last night, it had been minus sixty degrees.

There was nothing to celebrate.

“But… it’s only early spring.”

“This isn’t just a natural disaster.”

“It’s a catastrophe.”

People began whispering nervously.

King Aldric stared silently at the map.

Even deep underground, the cold seemed to be reaching the palace.

“How much coal do we have?”

“Enough for ten days.”

“What about food?”

“Even with strict rationing, less than one month.”

“The army?”

“Many soldiers already have frostbite. Outdoor patrols are impossible.”

Silence returned.

Only the candle flames moved.

King Aldric slowly looked around the room before making his decision.

“Humanity has already fallen.”

“We will abandon the Granden Kingdom.”

The room froze.

No one expected such words from their king.

“Everyone here will immediately move to the Southern Underground Shelter.”

It was a secret national shelter.

Only the king and a few high-ranking officers knew it existed.

Not even the crown prince knew.

“Y-Your Majesty! What about the citizens who may still be alive?”

“From this moment onward, we are in wartime.”

Aldric answered coldly.

“We can only save a limited number of people.”

No one knew where Crown Prince Aiden was.

But Aldric made his decision without hesitation.

THIS IS THE END OF CHAPTER 6