David nodded in agreement with Fording’s assessment.

The altar before them was more damaged than the one found in the mine with Laura. Faint patterns were visible, but it was impossible to discern any writing. Blood stains surrounded the stone, remnants from the earlier battle. The altar, shrouded in the scarlet glow from the blood, exuded an eerie aura.

“Those giants must have drawn their powers from this altar,” Fording said, familiar with the mysteries of such artifacts. Having just fought the giants, he surmised the altar’s purpose: sacrifice for power.

David frowned. “So, they attacked others because of this altar?”

“Exactly,” Fording replied. “These monsters probably attack anything that isn’t one of their own. Whatever they kill becomes a sacrifice to gain more power from this place.”

David considered this. “So, we have a bunch of bloodthirsty neighbors?”

Fording raised his weapon, eyeing the two-handed sword in his grasp. “I wish I had a heavy hammer instead.”

“Why not use the sword?” David asked, puzzled.

Fording hesitated. “It seems a waste to chop stone with such a fine weapon.”

“Let me handle this!” David said, rummaging through his backpack. “Laura brought some explosives. I kept a few for emergencies.”

Fording raised an eyebrow. “Explosives? You’re prepared!”

David grinned. “I thought they’d help if we got trapped in a cave or something. Should work on the altar, right?”

“Let’s do it.”

After arranging the explosives, David lit the fuse and dashed to safety with Fording. They watched as the altar erupted into a cloud of rubble.

“Goodbye, creepy altar,” David muttered, satisfied.

They stood for a moment, ensuring nothing strange happened. Once they confirmed the area was clear, they returned to the battlefield to clean up. They buried the bodies of the giant monsters and searched for any valuable loot.

“Too bad we couldn’t preserve that giant wolf’s body,” Fording lamented, glancing at the enormous wolf head discarded in the corner. “Its fur would have been a real prize.”

David inspected it and recognized the head as the one from the altar. “It had beautiful snow-white fur. A shame it wasn’t salvaged.”

“Still, we’ve got enough fur for now,” Fording replied, shrugging.

With that, they headed back to the village, both feeling light-hearted now that the threat had been neutralized. The atmosphere was relaxed, filled with laughter and casual chatter.

“So, now that we’ve tackled food issues and reclaimed farmland, what’s your next plan?” Fording asked, curious about David’s intentions. He had started to take notice of David’s decisions since he began integrating into Cold Winter Village.

David felt a surge of happiness at Fording’s interest. “I wanted to improve our village’s infrastructure first—better homes, more farmland. Once we have that in place, we can attract more locals to join us.”

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Fording nodded, intrigued. “You’ve got a solid strategy there.”

“Thanks! I know people like Mark and you are important for the village’s growth, but I want everyone to feel at home here.”

Fording smiled, finally seeing the vision David had for Cold Winter Village. It felt like a fresh start for them both.

David began to feel that maybe it wasn't impossible for them to genuinely settle in Cold Winter Village and become its true villagers.

“Let’s head to Iron Tree Fort with the development order,” he said, determination in his voice. “It’s time to confirm my identity as village chief. I want to get Cold Winter Village officially recognized by the kingdom and recruit more villagers.”

Fording nodded, fully onboard. “For a village to grow and develop, a sufficient population is crucial. I can’t think of any better suggestions right now. We definitely need more craftsmen.”

David agreed. “We need blacksmiths, stonemasons, and carpenters. Without them, our village can’t stabilize or thrive.”

“Exactly.” Fording added, “Blacksmiths are a priority. We can't rely solely on Laura bringing tools from home.”

David contemplated their situation. “With too few people, we can manage, but if we bring in too many at once... well, that could get chaotic. It all depends on how many we can recruit.”

“It would be fantastic to bring in hundreds at once,” Fording mused. “Then we could model Cold Winter Village after Iron Tree Town.”

David shook his head. “That’s wishful thinking. The population here isn’t so big that we could just convince over a hundred people to join with a few words. Plus, I’ve heard that many pioneers fled back to Iron Tree Fort. News about Cold Winter Village has likely spread. Some might not believe what I say.”

Fording chuckled, “No need to rush. If we keep developing steadily, the population will increase over time. I have some experience in this. I was once the lord of a large area in the Kingdom of Lordaeron.”

David’s brow furrowed. “War? That shouldn’t be an issue with your skills!”

He felt confident that war was far from Cold Winter Village's future. After all, it sat in the northernmost part of the Kingdom of Tilan, which was itself the most northern power on the continent. The area surrounding Cold Winter Village had no real threats, just small nuisances like the troll village they had just dealt with.

“The only significant power nearby is the elves in the Iron Tree Forest,” David continued.

“Exactly. The likelihood of war between the Kingdom of Tilan and other factions affecting us is low,” Fording replied. “Cold Winter Village is newly established and lacks strong defenders. If the kingdom were to issue a draft, we wouldn’t have anyone to send.”

“Even if a draft were issued, I’d probably be left to handle things myself,” David said, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Plus, the kingdom usually doesn’t call upon new villages unless there’s an emergency,” Fording reassured him. “Cold Winter Village hasn’t completed all the necessary processes yet.”

With that, David felt a little more at ease. As long as they didn’t provoke the elves in the Iron Tree Forest, Cold Winter Village seemed safe from the threat of war.

David knew that staying away from threats didn’t guarantee absolute safety. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down. His sword must always be ready; only with a sharp blade could he face any danger calmly.

He understood this lesson from his previous life, and he refused to forget it in this one.

As he and Fording made their way back, they paused to gather wild vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits. Not only had they eliminated potential threats, but they had also added to their food supplies.

Upon returning to Cold Winter Village, David noticed Mark hadn’t gone back to the Mars base. Instead, he was busy cultivating a small field outside the village.

“What are you up to?” David called out.

Mark, wiping sweat from his brow with a shovel resting against his arm, glanced up. Noticing that David and Fording appeared unscathed, he skipped over questions about their battle. “Laura brought some wheat and corn seeds, so I’m trying to plant them.”

David raised an eyebrow. While wheat existed in this world, the seeds the development team had brought over the past two years had failed to grow. He hadn’t considered planting them. But Mark was willing to give it a shot, and David had no reason to object. Maybe Laura’s seeds could adapt to this soil and climate. Perhaps the land had indeed changed.

“Aren’t you going to try at Mars?” David asked, curious.

Mark shook his head. “Just planting a small piece of land for wheat won’t take much time. I’ve got enough food and rest now. Plus, I can afford to experiment a bit.” His enthusiasm was palpable. “Once the Mars base is finished, I plan to grow some vegetables too.”

David’s mind raced at the thought of the future: a bounty of fresh vegetables, pasta made from wheat, plenty of potatoes, and various meats. Cold Winter Village would finally experience the joy of true culinary freedom.

He couldn’t help but feel excited about what was to come!