The second day of the search operation, the rescue team had reached the taiga part of the forest. Snow had appeared here and there and all of them had worn a thicker uniform. Cassandra was cooking breakfast while Del was on guard.

"Damn, even Ilbistirum winter isn't this cold," Cole commented.

"What do you mean? This is quite normal, isn't it?" Del asked as he ate the soup.

"No, it isn't normal, this is like one of the colder winter days in Ilbistirum," Cole commented.

"C'mon, Cole, don't be like that, you love to play snowball when you're little, weren't you?" Cassandra giggled.

"Cassandra, it's like seven years ago," Cole protested.

"What changes you then?" Cassandra asked.

"Someone throws a rock covered in snow at my bloody head," Cole said.

Del teased him more, "C'mon, at least your own sister doesn't drop a meat cleaver at your foot.:

Cole just sighed, "Seriously, what kind of sister do you have?"

"A clumsy, but loving one," Del said.

Cole smiled, "I don't know what kind of thing that you perceive as love, do you enjoy pain?"

"Heck no, she has her own perks, maybe you'll understand when you met her," Del commented.

Cole just smiled, not understanding what his friend meant. Del shrugged because Cole didn't know. Maybe he would tell him about the perk of having Anna on his side. For example, he didn't have to cook or do any dishes. Most of the household works on his home after his parents had died was given to Anna. Del only helped by maintaining the garden in front of his house.

Del, Cole, Wolfie, and Cassandra set up a camp in an opening in that snowy forest. Del was staying all night long while holding his own M240. So far, there wasn't any hostile creature so far. Still, Wolfie played a huge part in it since a mystical wolf alone was more than enough to keep the lesser creature away.

Del sighed, "I wonder, how does the dragon look like?"

"Are you trying to jinx us?" Cole asked.

"No, I don't mean that, I'm simply commenting on the situation," Del said.

"I see," Cole said.

After breakfast, they packed their camping equipment and continued their journey through the taiga. They would set a permanent camp at the foot of Aldea mountain. They would search for the missing adventurers on the team of two.

Del decided he would search together with Wolfie while Cassandra would search together with Cole by turn. Del and Cassandra agreed since pairing Cole and Wolfie together were asking for trouble. They didn't want Cole to be another missing adventurer.

"This forest gives me anxiety, I won't lie," Del looked at the trees, ice spikes were forming on the leaves of the tree. Del feared one of them fell right on top of his head. Even though he wore a helmet, some spikes were as big as his own machine gun.

Cole noticed the behavior, "Why are you keep looking at the trees?"

"It's a potential danger," Del commented.

"I see," Cole added.

Del wondered why Cole didn't even look at those ice spikes, although he didn't wear any protective gear, "How can you be that calm although you don't even wear any protective gear?"

"Easy, I just chant [Material Field] spell on my body," Cole said.

Del just nodded, "I see. I should do the same then. [Defensive Spell: Material Field]." An energy shield covered Del's body. It was hardly visible, but there was indeed a thin layer of the green field covering his entire body. "Neat."

They continued walking, and the air was getting colder and colder. Wolfie told him that the cold weather around Aldea mountain was because of the influence of the ice dragon. Del only could imagine what kind of temperature that he had to face if he somehow encountered the ice dragon.

After some time, they arrived at the foot of Aldea mountain. They set up a camp there. It should provide them with a strategic position to search for the missing adventurers. The permanent camp for that search should be sufficient as a meeting point.

"Alright, this spot should be good enough for tonight," Cassandra commented.

"I think I agree with that," Del added.

"Why are you guys agreeing on something while I don't understand a single goddamn thing," Cole commented on his lack of participation. There wasn't any discussion either, so it was expected for him to protest like that.

"Area is flat enough, which is good for a camping ground. I also think that the weather is still friendly enough for us to stay without fearing for storms. No cliff is nearby, so we don't have to fear for an avalanche," Del explained.

Cassandra raised her thumb, "Outstanding, I know I can rely on you, Del."

Del just smiled, he liked the compliment, "Thanks, Cassandra."

They set up the camp on that spot. Del set up the tent while Cassandra and Cole were searching for firewood. Wolfie would guard the encampment while Del set up the camp. It was basically teamwork. While assembling the camp, Del still carried his M240 on his back so he could respond to any danger quickly enough.

After getting the firewoods, Cassandra and Cole set up a campfire for that night. They wouldn't start searching for the missing adventurers until tomorrow because it would be very exhausting to build a camp and search for the adventurers in the afternoon.

As much as Del and his group wanted to find the adventurers, they prioritized their health and their safety first. Searching for the adventurers first would most likely compromising their safety so it was unfeasible.

"Cassandra, do you mind helping me with this darn rope?" Del tried to tie a rope into the tent, but the rope was too short.

Cassandra brought a rope from her backpack, "Here you go."

Del grabbed the rope and tied it down to the rope that was too short , "Alright. Thanks."

After they finished setting up the camp. They gathered around the campfire, and Cassandra brought a large map from his backpack. The map was the map for Aldea mountain and its surrounding area.

Cassandra pointed to a position on the map, "This is our location." Then she pointed to another location on the map and marked it with an "X". "We will search for them from this point. This is one of the most well-known parts of Aldea mountain. This spot is the Suedor Valley. "

Del thought for a second, "What's so special about this place?"

"This place is less cold than the other part of the mountain. If they want to shelter, there was also a well-known cave in that valley. So, that's the best place to look for them if they were there," Cassandra said.

"This is not the first time you do this, right?" Del asked.

"Correct."

"Well, I think you can lead the operation, Cassandra."

"Sure, I have no problem with that."

Cole added his opinion on the mix, "Since only Cassandra has the experience of rescuing, I think the plan of separating us is unwise, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but I also think that it's better for us to divide our group in two so someone could monitor the camp. Although Cole had some sort of military training, I really doubt that he is more capable than you, Del."

"Thanks for the compliment," Del smiled.