The Ice Age Came And I Just Got Married - Chapter 24

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

Episode 24
Perhaps no one else knows yet, except for Logan, who has lived through nine regressions.
Even I, having read the novel, don’t really know for certain.
Aiden hated Logan. The reason was simple: he had no manners. The man spoke carelessly without restraint, uttering words that Aiden himself would have swallowed and kept hidden.
About six months after the Ice Age began, Aiden visited Rosebrook.
He had been collecting Winterstones. His visit to Rosebrook was for the purpose of finding Winterstones.
It was then that he came across Logan, who lived in Devil’s Village.
Surprisingly, Aiden wanted to recruit Logan. Based purely on the overwhelming force he possessed. It was the kind of talent acquisition befitting a crown prince.
But Logan refused. Aiden moved to prevent human extinction, while Logan desired it.
Aiden immediately classified Logan as an enemy.
He tried to burn and destroy Devil’s Village where Logan lived, but it didn’t work.
This village was special.
True to its name, Aiden designated Devil’s Village as an enemy of the world and incited the remaining humans against it.
Though truthfully, Logan’s objective was human extermination as well, so calling it incitement might be inaccurate.
‘I must avoid becoming entangled with Aiden at all costs.’
If the protagonist perceived me as an enemy, I would be classified as a villain in the novel immediately.
And then only death awaited.
I wondered what method could prevent the protagonist Aiden from taking interest in Logan.
‘It would be good if the village seemed a bit more ordinary, wouldn’t it?’
If it looked like a special village, that would be problematic. So I would need to make it appear very ordinary on the surface.
If we were recognized merely as a passing village, that would be ideal.
‘All right. Let’s make Acorn Village a place with no presence and completely harmless.’
And we must survive no matter what and bring this Ice Age to an end. Just as the surviving humans did during the First Ice Age.
Creating Acorn Village as unremarkable and harmless★★★★★
After drawing five stars in my notebook, I let out a quiet laugh. Good. The goal was set.
‘Still, I should make it a village worth living in.’
For that, I needed to study the Ice Age extensively.
Remarkably, Logan had collected every serialized column I had written so far.
Moreover, he seemed to have gathered every book related to the Ice Age. Eve House’s third-floor library was filled with books that could help with survival.
That day, I locked myself away in the library and studied the entire time.
I think I’ve skimmed through about a third of the materials on the First Ice Age. It was all thanks to Logan gathering the resources for me.
‘It would be nice if we had dairy cows and horses. Reindeer too.’
In particular, horses and reindeer that live in extreme regions began to be observed in the Granden Kingdom about six months after the Ice Age started.
They were animals that survived in the harsh north, but as the world’s oceans froze over, they lost their way and migrated south to the Granden Kingdom.
Of course, we already had the chickens and goats that Logan had brought to the village pen ahead of time.
Knock, knock—
Someone knocked on my door just then.
There was only one person who would knock on my door. There was only one person living with me in Eve House.
“Come in!”
Click.
Sure enough, it was Logan who entered.
“There you are. You’ve been gone all day.”
In his hands was a sweater. He immediately held it out to show me.
“Eve, is this mine? The size looks like it’s for a man.”
I nodded and set down the fountain pen I’d been holding, then stood up from my chair.
“Try it on.”
Since it was my first time making clothes, I’d made this sweater by eyeballing Logan’s size. He stared at the sweater with a bewildered expression.
Fortunately, the sweater turned out better than expected.
Thanks to the thick cream-colored wool yarn, it felt soft when touched at the fingertips.
Of course, looking closely, the handiwork of a beginner was evident in places.
The left sleeve was just slightly longer than the right, and the neckline was somehow a bit crooked.
Some sections had stitches that were too tight, while others were loose.
But because of that, it instead gave off the warmth unique to something made by hand.
Especially on the chest, an acorn-shaped pattern had been clumsily embroidered.
Anyone could see it was my first creation.
Still, it looked warm enough to endure the cold winter.
“Well. At least it doesn’t look like it’ll fall apart while I’m wearing it.”
Hearing my murmur, Logan pointed at the acorn with an odd expression.
“…Is it really mine? There’s an acorn on the chest?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“There’s an acorn embroidered on the chest.”
“Yeah. Cute, right?”
Logan stared at me with an expression of utter bewilderment.
What’s wrong with an acorn? It’s the symbol of our village.
He raised both hands in surrender.
“I’ll try it on.”
“Now?”
“Yeah.”
He then removed his coat and peeled off the thick sweater underneath, revealing a linen shirt beneath a wool vest.
He took off the wool vest as well and pulled on the Acorn Sweater I’d given him, though it seemed to pull a bit snug around his forearms and shoulders.
Hmm.
But the acorn I’d worked so deliberately to knit was sitting prettily on his chest, and I felt satisfied.
This was the first time I’d ever attempted such a pattern, and it had turned out so well.
“Is it uncomfortable?”
“It’s too small for my frame. Can you alter it to my size?”
Logan took my hand and placed it on his forearm. We’d spent nights holding each other bare-skinned, so I already knew just how formidable his muscles were.
That fact dampened my spirits a little.
“It really is quite tight. I can’t just alter it—I’ll knit you a new one instead. Truth is, this was the first sweater I ever finished. I’ll give this one to Marcus instead. His build isn’t as large as yours.”
Logan fell silent at my response.
Why wasn’t he answering?
Curious, I looked up to find him staring at the Acorn Sweater with an expressionless face.
“Logan, what’s wrong?”
“I’m wearing it.”
“What?”
“You said it was the first one you knitted.”
“Y-yes. You’re right.”
“Eve, every first of yours belongs to me. I’m your husband.”
Anyone overhearing that would get the wrong idea.
In any case, from that day forward, Logan wore nothing but the Acorn Sweater.
Marcus, unable to bear the sight any longer, finally said something.
“That acorn is way too fat. Is that really right?”
“You don’t need to point out every factual detail, senior. Everyone already knows and just lets it be.”
“You’re the worst, junior.”
I wasn’t sure what was so bad about it. I was just proud. Logan seemed to love the Acorn Sweater I’d made.
I’d made the right choice sticking with knitting.
“Would you like me to knit you one too, senior?”
“Only if there’s no acorn pattern in it.”
“Then never mind.”
I didn’t ask twice.
Marcus gave me a bewildered look, but just then Charlotte came in and spoke to me.
At that moment, a ornery Squirrel threw an acorn at Marcus’s head—probably because Marcus had disparaged the acorn.
* * *
Marcus, who had gone on a reconnaissance patrol of the downtown with Logan, brought back the station director’s phonograph from the railway station office.
Right. A phonograph. That device that might contain someone’s recorded voice.
We all gathered in the greenhouse and stared at the phonograph with tense faces, wondering what might be recorded on it.
Finally, Marcus wound the phonograph’s mechanism.
Click-whirrrr.
The cylinder began to rotate slowly.
A moment later.
“……This is…… Rosebrook…… Central Station…….”
The voice was distorted, with static crackling throughout.
Shortly after, a clearer voice continued.
“If anyone is listening to this recording, please remember: July 10th, 1917. Communications with the capital, Abrideen, have been severed.”
July 10th, 1917—the very day the Ice Age occurred.
Click-whirrrr.
The sound of the cylinder turning hummed softly.
“July 13th, 1917. Rosebrook Central Station has been closed. The Northern Route has suspended all operations due to the blizzard. Currently, 417 passengers are stranded at the station.”
A moment of silence.
The man’s voice sounded as though he were writing something down.
Scratch.
Scratch.
The faint sound of a pen nib dragging across paper.
“July 15th, 1917. External temperatures are plummeting rapidly. Precise measurement is impossible, but we estimate the cold has fallen below fifty degrees below zero.”
This time, the voice wavered slightly.
“Current survivors aboard the train: seventeen.”
Click.
The cylinder stuttered once.
“Of 417 passengers, 400 have perished.”
After the words ceased, silence held for a long moment.
As though even the person recording did not know what more could possibly be said.

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