Columbina's finger pointed to an illustration depicting an extremely grotesque plant. It looked like a crude amalgamation of massive trumpet-shaped flowers, vine-like tendrils, and knobbly tubers, making it impossible to identify what it actually was at first glance.
"This..." Columbina was very curious, lifting her head to ask, "What is it?"
Kelvin swallowed the words that had come to his lips. He leaned over, carefully trying to decipher the wild handwriting beside the illustration, but the scrawls and corrections made even him frown.
"Well," he straightened up, a slightly awkward smile on his face. "Actually, I am not proficient in the field of biology." He changed the subject. "However, I can find someone more professional to answer you. Wait a moment."
After speaking, he picked up another notebook from the table and walked toward a tent not far away. Inside the tent, several young scholars were sorting scattered papers, punching holes in them, and binding them into booklets.
"Young friend?" Kelvin called out to one of them.
The scholar looked up, a trace of wariness crossing his eyes when he saw it was Kelvin. "What is it?"
"I'd like to ask for a favor."
The scholar gestured with his chin toward the mountain of documents on the desk, his tone indifferent. "Sorry, I don't have time either."
"It's not my business," Kelvin explained immediately, turning sideways to point in Columbina's direction while opening the notebook in his hand. "It is that guest. She seems very interested in the creatures of the rainforest and has some questions that need answering."
The scholar's gaze followed Kelvin's finger, then fell onto the open notebook. When he saw the contents clearly, his eyes instantly lit up.
"She is interested in the stuff in here?!" His voice rose a pitch.
"Of course."
The scholar immediately gathered the scattered papers on the table, weighed them down with a heavy hardcover book, and then practically snatched the notebook from Kelvin's hand, trotting quickly to Columbina's seat. He pulled over a chair and sat down, unable to wait to start explaining the contents of the notebook.
His sudden appearance and the rapid-fire sentences pouring from his mouth left the quietly waiting Columbina somewhat at a loss, but she quickly caught up with his rhythm of explanation.
"Playing teacher" evidently made the scholar extremely excited. When explaining the special habits of certain animals, he would even uncontrollably stand up, gesticulating wildly in the open space beside them to vividly imitate the animals' movements and postures.
Soon, several other scholars who had finished their tasks were attracted by the commotion and gathered around. They sat in a circle around the table, naturally joining the discussion.
The topic expanded from the flora and fauna in the notebook to the various bizarre sights each had encountered in the rainforest.
Once the desire to share was ignited, it was hard to suppress. In this field camp far from the Akademiya, finding such a curious listener was quite rare. Recounting one's own discoveries and insights was also a matter of considerable accomplishment.
Columbina also liked this atmosphere very much. She listened seriously, occasionally raising her own questions or associations, such as whether "a certain plant might only grow at night by absorbing moonlight." The scholars would always smile at each other upon hearing this, but then immediately discuss the possibilities of these hypotheses in earnest. This corner was quickly filled with relaxed and happy laughter.
Kelvin, meanwhile, stepped back a few paces. He stood a little further away, arms crossed over his chest, quietly watching the scene. A faint smile remained on the corners of his mouth.
...
Nafisah lifted the pot lid, and rising white steam rushed over her face. She waited a few seconds for the steam to disperse before using a ladle to scoop out a small potato that had been boiled soft and glutinous. She brought the potato to her lips, blew on it a few times, and then put it in her mouth.
The potato, mixed with various spices, melted on the tip of her tongue, its texture like warm, fine sand. Nafisah's eyelashes fluttered a few times, then she closed her eyes completely, a look of satisfaction surfacing on her face.
"Amazing." Her voice was a bit muffled due to the food in her mouth.
This pot of potatoes was the milestone result of Coppelia's cooking studies. But Coppelia's attention was not on Nafisah's evaluation.
She turned her head, casting her gaze toward the other side of the camp. Columbina was chatting and laughing with several scholars, and Kelvin was no longer watching from afar as before; instead, he was standing beside the crowd, talking and laughing while pointing at something with his finger.
Coppelia withdrew her gaze and looked back at Nafisah. "Do you know anything about that Kelvin?"
Nafisah swallowed the potato in her mouth and glanced in the direction Coppelia had just been looking, noticing Kelvin's figure. She turned back and said:
"I'm not too clear either. He seems to have been with our team for over a month, always moving with the scholars, but I've never seen him discuss academic problems with anyone."
"Kelvin is said to have been one of the Scarlet King's people formerly, specializing in mechanics," Coppelia said. "With different research directions, there might indeed be no common topics."
"I've only occasionally seen him huddled together with Mr. Suleiman, seemingly chatting about the past," Nafisah recalled. "If there are any matters requiring mechanical assistance, it's always Mr. Suleiman who goes to talk to him. Aside from that, I've basically never seen him take the initiative to chat with others." She paused for a moment, then added,
"Except... with you guys."
"You said just now that he has been with you for over a month." Coppelia caught this piece of information. "He only joined the team later?"
"Mn." Nafisah nodded. "At that time, our survey route had reached the vicinity of the sand defense wall. He came over with a group of machines, saying he was... coming to seek refuge with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."
"When did he and Mr. Suleiman get to know each other?"
"I don't know. But looking at how they converse, they should have known each other for a long time."
"Kelvin was once a subject of the Scarlet King," Coppelia continued to ask. "Is Mr. Suleiman one as well?"
"That, I am not clear about." Nafisah shook her head.
As she spoke, she reached out to grab an empty bowl and a spoon. "Alright, let's not talk about this for now. Serve some of these potatoes for Little Yaya to taste. If she knew her friend's cooking was this delicious, she'd surely be happy to death."
Coppelia took the bowl and spoon, carefully serving the remaining potatoes from the pot into the bowl. Just as she turned around, preparing to deliver them to Columbina, she saw Kelvin leading Columbina and that small group of scholars walking toward the outside of the camp.
Nafisah saw this scene too. "They seem to be going out. Then I'll keep this bowl of food warm for you first; we can talk about it later."
Coppelia did not hesitate. She quickly untied the apron she was wearing and hung it on the rack beside her. "I am not too at ease. I will follow them to take a look."
By the time she finished this sentence, she had already walked several steps away.
Nafisah's voice came from behind her, carrying a smile: "Remember to call her back to eat this bowl of potatoes!"
____
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