As soon as Zelos finished crafting the items he had been working on, Sindri, who was observing him from the side, found himself unable to hide the amazement growing in his expression.
Sindri had seen many crafts in his lifetime, and he had performed even more, yet the sight of Zelos shaping materials without laying a single finger on them made him almost forget how long he had lived.
When he noticed that the essence of the finished items remained untouched and completely preserved, Sindri walked toward Zelos immediately after Zelos finished handing his gifts to both Kratos and Atreus.
"What kind of magic is that? I have never witnessed anything even remotely similar to it, and it may be one of the most remarkable sights these tired old eyes have ever seen," Sindri said, staring directly at Zelos with genuine awe. Zelos looked back calmly.
"You truly have a sharp eye for such things, but unfortunately, this is not something I would lightly share with anyone. Not even Father or Atreus knows the exact method behind this magic," Zelos answered. Sindri did not seem offended or disappointed.
"Oh, I would not dare ask for something so rare. Being able to watch it even once is already something I will cherish for a very long time. When you live for as long as I have, you realize that there is almost nothing left in the world that can surprise you. Yet here I am, feeling like a young craftsman again," Sindri said, before he began searching through his purse.
The purse looked small, no larger than a simple rectangular pouch that could fit inside the palm of a hand. However, the depth of the space inside and the items Sindri pulled from it did not match its outside appearance.
It used the same spatial principle as the cube that Zelos relied on to store his belongings, a technique that compressed objects until they were called forth by Zelos's magic.
After searching for a long moment, Sindri pulled out a set of green colored arrows. Zelos, who already knew what role these arrows would play in the future, did not react with any surprise.
"This is for letting me see that marvelous display and for saving my life earlier. These are braided mistle arrows. They fly straighter than anything else, straight enough that even Heimdall would struggle against them," Sindri said as he handed them to Zelos. Zelos took them without hesitation.
"Thank you, but I think you might be giving them to the wrong person. I do not use a bow," Zelos replied. Sindri blinked and then realized his mistake. He took the arrows back from Zelos and handed them toward Atreus, who had just landed after testing the wings he received earlier.
"Uh, thank you. Brok already worked on my bow so it does not really need arrows anymore, but thanks anyway," Atreus said. His tone unintentionally offended Sindri, who began rambling about how Brok's methods were outdated, and how Brok's craftsmanship lacked certain refinements that Sindri believed only he could provide.
The rambling eventually led Sindri to pull out a tooth from his pocket, one that resembled the teeth of the dragon Zelos had recently fought. Sindri immediately began enchanting it.
When he finished, he brushed the enchanted tooth across the string of Atreus's bow. Zelos knew that a single stroke was normally enough for this kind of enhancement, but Sindri brushed it more than ten times with visible irritation.
When Sindri stepped back, Atreus pulled the bowstring to test it. A dense surge of lightning gathered far faster than before, and Atreus pulled it to its limit before firing.
The arrow of energy traveled in a straight line and struck a cluster of red crystals that were known to explode upon blunt contact. The impact caused a large explosion that was further amplified by Sindri's enhancement.
The blast was powerful enough that it nearly matched the force Zelos produced when casting a basic Fireball spell, although the explosion had a noticeably larger area of effect.
Kratos, who still kept his eyes active in sensing magic, saw the way the energy gathered on Atreus's bow and glanced at Zelos. Zelos was observing the explosion with the same attentive look.
"Awesome," Atreus muttered, unable to say anything else. Sindri proudly explained every part of the upgrade he applied to the bow, pleased that the result exceeded what he intended.
The three resumed their journey afterward, leaving Sindri behind to clean up the debris that Atreus had accidentally created. As Kratos walked beside Zelos, he initiated a conversation.
"Is this truly how you see the world? Through colors and patterns that reflect its nature?" Kratos asked. Zelos was visibly surprised that Kratos would take interest in such details.
"Yes, and there is something you should know. If you look closely at Atreus, you will see a black substance gathering around him. It forms because of his uncertainty and his lack of knowledge about who he is. He may seem fine for now, but when that darkness becomes large and visible enough that you no longer need to search for it, it will not be good for him," Zelos explained.
Kratos looked at Atreus again and, for the first time, saw the faint essence Zelos described. It was something he had no way of noticing before. The sight caused Kratos to feel a quiet but heavy worry.
"Can you remove it?" Kratos asked. Zelos shook his head.
"No. I can stop it from spreading, but only you can remove it entirely," Zelos answered. Kratos fell silent as Atreus continued ahead of them, adjusting and fixing his quiver strap.
Seeing this, Kratos quickened his pace and reached Atreus. He placed a hand on his shoulder and then used one of Atreus's arrows to secure the quiver strap back into place.
"Pain we endure. Faulty weapon we do not," Kratos said, offering simple but firm guidance. Atreus nodded.
Zelos watched them quietly from behind and let out a small sigh, realizing he once again failed to persuade Kratos to tell Atreus the truth. He understood that Kratos would eventually seek Freya because of this.
The three continued onward through the mountain until they reached an area that required them to climb.
Atreus began to slowly ascend using his wings, while Kratos reminded him to slow down and pace himself, and Zelos floated beside them at a steady speed.