The Ice Age Came And I Just Got Married - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 18
‘Not anymore.’
I couldn’t claim I’d grown stronger yet, but I’d invested tremendous effort into Physical Enhancement.
Now I could wield Flame as freely as I wished, and my strength had grown enough that I could even bend a large spade.
I’d reached the point where I wouldn’t lose immediately in an arm-wrestling match against Marcus. Well, I’d beaten Jack without question.
Recover the Winterstone for me.
And each time I absorbed a Winterstone, that voice echoing in my head set off a cascade of thoughts.
I didn’t know who was speaking to me, but the voice seemed to want me to recover every last Winterstone on this land and absorb it into my body.
At this point, had I lost my mind just like the world had? And yet a certainty without foundation kept creeping over me.
‘Is it really okay to do that? What I’m most curious about is whether it’ll damage my life.’
I still nosebled frequently.
Especially after using the Winterstone’s power, I bled more than usual.
But so far, aside from nosebleeds, I’d shown no other symptoms.
That was when Logan, stepping out of Eve House and conversing with me, shook his head.
“Even if there’s nothing obviously wrong, you should be careful about using your power.”
Of course, Logan remained wary of the Winterstone’s power. Every time I overexerted myself, I nosebled.
“But actually, once I nosebleed, my mind becomes a little clearer.”
“That’s exactly why it’s suspicious.”
I had no counterargument to Logan’s reply.
“Is it possible… that all those nosebleeds since childhood are connected to my constitution for absorbing Winterstone?”
“If there were a connection, wouldn’t you have stopped nosebleeding by now instead?”
“You only ever speak harsh truths.”
“You’re supposed to give plausible answers and deflect. Try harder, Eve.”
“Your evaluation seems rather harsh, dear.”
And before I knew it, the word ‘dear’ slipped from my lips, and Logan faltered.
But he soon laughed it off with ease.
“Ah. My evaluation as your dear is quite different, you know. How about it—want to hear?”
“That sounds even more frightening.”
We bickered our way to the Greenhouse.
I needed to tell them the news about the Rogue Bandits Gang coming soon.
But when I arrived at the Greenhouse, I found two men gathered with serious expressions, and I tilted my head in confusion.
“What’s going on with you all?”
“Eve, I think you need to look at this.”
I spotted a sheet of paper on the table and took a seat beside Logan.
[Village Safety Rules]
1. This village boasts a storied history, having survived the First Ice Age unscathed.
2. There are eight houses total in this village. If left vacant for extended periods, the village’s Barrier will collapse.
※However, expanding the village through additional construction poses no problem. The boundary wall of the village shall mark the extent of ‘this village’s land.’
3. Protect and preserve the Greenhouse. If you humor the temperamental squirrel well, you can enjoy a fine village life.
I looked toward Logan.
“Logan, did you know about these rules?”
Logan stroked his chin and gazed steadily at the safety rules document.
“First time I’ve seen them. I’ve never lived in this village directly, not even in my past life.”
“Your past life?”
Ignoring Marcus’s question, I held up the safety rules paper.
“Where did this come from?”
“That difficult squirrel brought it. Won’t say where he got it from, though.”
“Chippy?”
And with that, the temperamental squirrel made his entrance.
Chippy, who’d been passing by with acorns cradled in his arms, perked his ears at the sound of his name and scampered over to us.
“Chippy.”
When I called his name again, Chippy stood obediently at attention with his tiny paws pressed together.
“Where did you get this?”
At my question, Chippy’s face grew troubled, and he fidgeted before suddenly darting away.
I rose from my seat and followed him. The squirrel began digging at the Greenhouse’s corner.
Last time he dug up the Greenhouse floor too and pulled out a Goldstone—I couldn’t fathom why so many things were buried under this floor.
Was it really safe to grow a vegetable garden here? I wasn’t going to get heavy metal poisoning or something, was I?
Then Chippy extracted a Jewel Box from the earth. I accepted it and opened the lid.
Inside lay a black-and-white photograph.
It looked like it had been taken a very long time ago…….
“You’re dressed in quite the peculiar outfit.”
Logan made the observation casually.
He was right—the man in the photograph appeared to be in his thirties, draped in a voluminous cape and wearing an elongated hat, clutching what looked like an ornate staff.
“He looks like a wizard straight out of a fairy tale.”
Jack was spot on; the man was dressed exactly like one. On the back of the photograph, a caption read: “First Village Chief of Dotori Village.”
Wait.
Was the old name really Dotori Village too?
Not the village of demons?
Apart from the photograph of the Village Chief, there was nothing else in the box.
“Chippy, be honest with me. There’s nothing else buried under the Greenhouse, is there?”
Chippy remained standing with composed posture, merely tilting his head in response to my question.
As if to say he knew nothing about it.
This was useless. How could I have a conversation with someone who didn’t speak? I shook my head in exasperation.
That’s when my eyes met the gaze of the men who had been watching me quietly.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Eve, did you perhaps see the village’s name beforehand? Using Foresight?”
“How could I have? No, I didn’t.”
“Then how could you possibly name the village Dotori Village? It’s far too identical.”
Suspicion lingered in their eyes, but I was innocent. After I made my case by invoking Chippy, the matter of the village’s naming and the First Village Chief’s photograph was, for the time being, put to rest.
We gathered around the table again and stared down at its surface.
The real problem was the Village Safety Rules we’d discovered earlier.
There are a total of eight houses in the village. One household must maintain one house. Should any house remain vacant for an extended period, the village’s Barrier will collapse.
“Right now there are only three households in this village, which means we need five more…….”
“That’s simple.”
Marcus’s lips curved upward as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
“If our junior and the Duke live separately, that solves one house right away…….”
“Not worth responding to.”
“But I haven’t finished talking yet?”
“No need to hear the rest.”
Logan took a sip of tea without even looking at Marcus.
“If you keep insisting, I’ll have you expelled from this village.”
Marcus finally threw up both hands in surrender. I had no intention of living separately from Logan anyway.
We were married, after all.
“Hmm. But where do we find people? If word gets out that this is the ‘village of demons,’ everybody will run away.”
Jack nodded in agreement and added his thoughts.
“Exactly. We can’t exactly kidnap anyone.”
While we were discussing this, I noticed Logan’s expression had darkened, so I asked him.
“Logan, what’s wrong?”
In response to my question, he let out a sigh.
“I’m against it.”
“Against what?”
“Bringing people here.”
Logan answered firmly, arms crossed.
“Let’s just leave instead. I think we’ve already stayed here long enough. I want it to be just you and me.”
At those words, Marcus and Jack fell silent, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
“Leave for where? Do you have an alternative? If you do, I’ll follow you.”
Logan’s eyes widened, apparently having expected me to object.
Whatever happened, I would always stand by Logan.
I had to.
By standing at his side and following him, if it meant he wouldn’t lose his humanity or succumb to Corruption, then that was worth doing.
As long as he didn’t lose what made him human, I was willing to abandon my own position at any moment.
Logan nodded and spoke.
“I’ll look into it. Until then, let’s stay here.”
“All right.”
Marcus and Jack exchanged glances before asking us.
“Junior, is it all right if we stay here?”
“If the lady permits, we would very much like to remain here.”
“The master of this house is him.”
I gestured toward Logan, and he gave a lazy nod.
“Do as you see fit.”
Did Logan leave the village in the novel too?
I’m not sure. But one thing I do remember clearly—even after I died, Logan remained in Dotori Village.
I’ll give him what he wants this once.
Then he can come back.
For now, the urgent matter was going out to meet the Rogue Bandits Gang.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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