Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the high rainforest canopy, casting dappled spots of light onto the grass near the campsite.
Kelvin led Columbina and several scholars to a halt here. He raised his hand and made a gesture; immediately, several mechanical constructs resembling drakes stepped silently out from the shadows of the forest. Their metal joints emitted faint meshing sounds as they lined up and stood quietly behind him.
Kelvin walked toward the mechanical drakes, then turned to face the group.
"The 'experimental equipment' is all here," he said. "We can begin now."
"Wait a moment." Coppelia's voice drifted over. She walked over quickly and pulled Columbina aside.
"What are you doing?" she asked in a lowered voice.
"I am not yet proficient with teleportation," Columbina replied, pointing at the motionless machines. "Kelvin proposed using these machines to conduct a few experiments. With the scholars observing together, perhaps we can figure out how this power should be used."
Coppelia glanced at the mechanical drakes, then scanned the deep, dense forest surrounding them.
Her gaze shifted between the metal and the jungle, as if wary that these machines might suddenly go berserk, or that more mechanical beasts might rush out from the rainforest.
"Can't you teleport anything else? Why must it be machines?"
"He said this makes it convenient to collect data. Some subtle changes cannot be seen with the eyes."
Coppelia's tensed shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Alright," she said. "Be careful."
Columbina handed over the disabled Moon Spirit from her embrace. "Can you help me look after it?"
Coppelia accepted the crumpled little creature, watching as Columbina floated lightly toward the center of the grassy area.
"How shall we conduct the experiment?" Columbina asked.
Kelvin pointed to a mechanical drake beside him. "In a moment, you will take this fellow and teleport." He then pointed to another one standing quietly at the other end of the grass. "Wait for that one to swing its tail, then teleport to its side. When this one here swings its tail, you teleport back. The sensors will automatically record the spatial data around you during the teleportation; you don't need to do anything else."
Columbina nodded. She placed her hand on the cold chassis of the mechanical drake beside her.
A moment later, the tail joint of the drake in the distance lifted, tracing a short arc.
Under the sunlight, an inconspicuous white light flashed over Columbina. She vanished along with the machine under her hand.
Almost in the same instant, they appeared at the other end of the grass, beside the drake that had swung its tail.
After several round-trip teleportation experiments, Columbina stopped to rest and began discussing with the scholars.
Kelvin retrieved several thin plates from the interiors of the various mechanical drakes, scanned the flowing light patterns upon them, recorded the data, and handed them to the scholars.
The scholars gathered together, exchanging terminology and conjectures in hushed tones. Although no one specialized in spatial research, by cross-referencing the calculated data with Columbina's personal account of her sensations, they were still able to deduce quite a few clues.
Seizing this opportunity, Coppelia pulled Kelvin, who had been listening in, under the shade of a giant tree.
"I heard people say you almost never interact with other scholars?"
"I am just solitary by nature, that is all."
"When we first arrived, you took us around to meet people. You didn't look solitary then."
Kelvin adjusted the monocle over his right eye. "Naturally, that was to leave a good impression on Miss Columbina. I am interested in her teleportation ability. If I want to understand it deeply, how can I do so without building a good relationship?"
"You speak so smoothly; you don't seem like a solitary character at all."
"Ah—indeed, the wording was not quite appropriate," Kelvin admitted. "It is not that I am bad at socializing, I simply detest interacting with people who do not interest me. If I can chat openly, I can also chatter endlessly for a whole day."
"Aren't you a mechanics researcher? Why are you so interested in teleportation abilities?"
Kelvin pinched the frame of his monocle with his fingertips, adjusting it gently. "Just a whim. After all, it is my first time seeing such an ability. Curiosity drives me, nothing more. Furthermore, since Columbina herself does not yet understand this power, I can naturally help out in passing."
"I also heard people say you came to seek refuge with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Why didn't you go directly to the Akademiya?"
"In the entire rainforest, the only person I know is Suleiman. Following him is better than wandering around aimlessly alone. I was also quite surprised to run into the investigation team he belongs to on my first entry into the rainforest."
"How do you and Mr. Suleiman know each other?"
The expression on Kelvin's face sank. "About ten years ago, there was an accident in the laboratory where I worked. Suleiman was not far away at the time and saved my life before the danger expanded. We became friends after that. A few years later, for some reason, he left the desert. I stayed there."
"Then why did you leave the Scarlet King?"
"Couldn't find work. Couldn't survive. That's all."
Coppelia looked at the neatly standing mechanical drakes. "Your mechanical technology looks quite impressive. Even with this, you couldn't find work?"
"There are plenty of people with better skills than me. Compared to the desert, there are still vacancies in mechanical technology research here in the rainforest. There should be quite a few opportunities, so I came over."
Coppelia nodded, then asked a few more questions about the current state of the desert, which Kelvin answered one by one.
In the center of the grass, the experiment continued. Columbina followed the new plan deduced by the scholars, taking the mechanical drake to teleport and return time and time again. Kelvin shuttled between the machines and the scholars, recording, transmitting, and occasionally interjecting a key question.
The shadows of the forest lengthened as the sun moved west, eventually shrouding the entire testing ground in shade. Only then did everyone pack up their equipment and return to the camp, carrying with them their unfinished enthusiasm.
...
Night fell, and steady light sources lit up inside the tent.
Coppelia walked in carrying a heavy clay plate, setting it on the table with a dull thud. She lifted the lid, and the aroma of lamb and potatoes steeped in thick curry immediately permeated the air. She pulled a wooden spoon that was slanted against the rim of the plate and handed it to Columbina, who was waiting by the table.
"Eat," Coppelia said. "This is a dish I just learned."
Columbina took the spoon. She scooped up a piece of lamb stewed to tenderness, then dug up a spoonful of potato that had absorbed the rich broth. She brought it to her mouth, her chewing movements meticulous and slow.
When the food in the plate was nearing the bottom, Coppelia got up and went out again. When she returned, she held a small saucer in her hand, upon which eight trembling puddings were neatly arranged.
"This is dessert," she said with a smile.
She sat down across the table, watching as Columbina skewered a pudding with a bamboo stick and put the whole thing into her mouth, her cheek puffing out slightly.
"Is it tasty?"
Columbina made an affirmative nasal sound from her throat and nodded.
"I've learned quite a few recipes," Coppelia said, as relaxed as if she had completed a mission. "In the future, we won't always have to eat grilled fish and boiled fish."
Columbina raised her head abruptly, stopping her chewing.
Coppelia leaned back slightly. "What's wrong?"
"Why can't I eat fish?"
"Uh... I didn't say you aren't allowed to eat it," Coppelia explained. "Eating fish every day... do you really not get tired of it at all?"
Columbina shook her head, her braids swaying with the motion.
Coppelia was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile. "You really do like eating fish."
"Because..." Columbina swallowed the food in her mouth. "It's tasty."
____
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