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Chapter 24
I stared at Israel’s face intently.
I was ready to point out if his lips had turned pale or if he showed any sign of being affected by the cold, but as he said, he really looked fine.
‘Could it be that the holy sword is affecting Israel’s body?’
If it weren’t for that, I couldn’t explain how he was able to endure this temperature.
The cold here was the kind where, if you stood still for even a short while, you’d freeze to death from frostbite. It wasn’t something an average person could withstand.
“So, what exactly are you trying to find?”
Israel asked, motioning with his chin, as if telling me to lead the way.
I decided that he wasn’t just stubbornly pushing himself, so I obediently started walking.
“There’s something I absolutely have to bring back from this island.”
“…Who said that?”
“Our eldest.”
“…”
Israel looked at me as though I were being ridiculous.
It seemed like he didn’t like seeing me praise our kids.
More precisely, he was uncomfortable with the idea of the spirits.
Just like at the beginning, Israel seemed unable to trust the spirits.
‘Well, I haven’t fully figured out this ability myself yet.’
It wasn’t too strange for Israel not to trust the spirits.
—I’ll guide you, follow me.
At that moment, our eldest stepped forward, saying they would guide the way.
“Israel, let’s go.”
“…Alright.”
We followed our eldest.
After walking for a while, we came across an ice cave, frozen solid.
Our eldest didn’t hesitate and entered right away.
I was about to follow, but Israel stopped me at the cave entrance and grabbed my arm.
“Who can guarantee that the cave won’t collapse as soon as we enter?”
“…”
Our villain rookie really is the cautious type…
Of course, being cautious and suspicious in an environment like this is a smart survival tactic.
I smiled kindly.
“Well, if our eldest says it’s safe, then let’s go in. Isn’t that good enough?”
Israel looked at me as if asking “what’s the point of that?” and then asked:
“Do we really have to go in there?”
“There might be some good weapons inside. We need to check.”
“…You and your weapon obsession.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
While I was having a light argument with Israel, our eldest returned.
—Why didn’t you follow me? It’s safe, don’t worry, you’re okay.
I immediately relayed that message to Israel.
“They say it’s safe, so let’s go.”
Of course, I left out the cute part.
‘Israel would get mad if he heard that.’
Eventually, with a small sigh, Israel nodded.
I was about to step into the cave after our eldest, but suddenly paused when a thought crossed my mind.
“By the way, Israel, are you really okay? You’re not cold, right?”
“I’m not cold at all, so stop worrying and focus on what you need to do.”
“You’re not lying, right?”
“I’m not.”
“If you’re lying, I’ll tell our second to hug you and carry you around all warm and snug.”
“…”
When I turned around, Israel’s face was contorted with frustration.
But I was serious.
I couldn’t let his life be risked by frostbite here.
I kept my suspicions to myself, not fully convinced, and entered the cave with Israel.
Our eldest stopped walking once we reached the dead-end of the cave.
—It’s beyond this wall.
I heard our eldest’s voice inside my head and immediately gave instructions to our second.
“Second, can you break through this wall?”
As soon as my words left my mouth, our second nodded and clenched his fist, stepping forward.
I grabbed his arm.
Then, just like when we were on the fourth island, our second started smashing the wall, breaking it apart.
It was as if he were creating a new path through the dead end.
After a while of destruction, something shiny appeared inside the wall.
‘It’s that box again.’
It was the same kind of box we’d seen before.
Our second took the box, frozen into the wall, and placed it on the ground.
He glanced at me for a moment before pulling a sword from his body.
The sword flared with flames.
‘Fire?’
Flames erupted from the sword.
I was shocked by the unexpected event, but our second seemed to handle the flaming sword with ease, as if he had used it countless times before.
Our second melted the ice around the box and then turned to look at me.
I decided to check the box first.
“Good job. Thanks, second.”
I approached the box and examined it closely.
At first, I thought it was just a packaging for some items, so I didn’t pay special attention to it.
But now, I had a feeling that this box was not ordinary.
The surface of the box was covered with writing in a language I had never seen before.
‘What language is this?’
The characters were so unfamiliar that I didn’t even know where to begin with deciphering them.
“Can anyone read this?”
I asked, looking at the spirits. The moment I did, all of them suddenly turned their heads away as if avoiding my gaze.
I instantly realized.
‘They know how to read it.’
They knew, but either they couldn’t or didn’t want to tell me.
I couldn’t help but feel bewildered as I watched our second sneak glances at Israel.
Was he really going to act like I wouldn’t notice his obvious avoidance?
‘I’ll take the box anyway.’
Determined, I opened the box, and inside was a silver bracelet.
It was a very unique design—two snakes intertwined, with no decorative gems or anything else. It definitely didn’t look like a weapon.
‘Maybe, like with our second, if our eldest wears this bracelet, they’ll gain a new power?’
I waited for a moment.
“…”
“…”
But nothing happened, no matter how long I waited.
What’s going on?
I looked at our eldest, confused.
“Eldest, wasn’t this supposed to be something you needed for evolution?”
Like how our second grew wings, or at the very least, something like horns on his head…
Our eldest shook their head.
—Not mine.
Not yours?
“Then whose is it? Is it second’s?”
Our eldest shook their head again.
…Then whose is it?
Is it mine?
