When the Professor and a group of senior scholars received Erik's message and rushed over, they witnessed a peculiar scene through the iron bars of the GATE.
Isis, having stripped off her upper body armor, picked up a small piece of sashimi and tossed it into the air. She opened her mouth wide, swaying her body and head to adjust her position, trying to let the fish fall directly into her mouth; instead, it landed with a soft "splat" right on her face.
She clicked her tongue in regret, stuffed the fish into her mouth, then picked up another piece and tossed it over the Estrellian hatchling's head.
The Estrellian hatchling mimicked her, opening its mouth wide to catch the meat. Whether by coincidence or deliberate imitation, it also failed to catch it with its maw. It stuck out its tongue and licked the slice of meat off the tip of its nose, pulling it into its mouth.
"We didn't even know an Estrellian's tongue could stretch that far..." an elderly human scholar murmured to himself.
Another scholar appeared even more astonished. "How long has it been? They've already formed a friendship?"
"Regardless of how she did it, the fact remains that a preliminary level of trust has been established," the Professor said, a satisfied expression appearing on his face. "Compared to its previous state, drinking only minute amounts of water, refusing food, refusing to interact, stressed and withdrawn; its mental state has improved tremendously.
To some extent, it must view Isis as a companion, perhaps even developing a sense of dependency. In an entirely foreign environment, having someone to rely on is not a bad thing.
Now, our research can finally begin."
With that, the Professor looked at the scholars beside him. "Let us not go in and disturb them today. Give the Estrellian hatchling some time to relax; it will also be beneficial for deepening their bond.
Satisfy their requests as much as possible, including the seasonings Erik mentioned just now. This might help further stabilize the Estrellian's mental state.
At the same time, we need to restructure our research plan and communicate with those two Hunters. They might have ways to help us smoothly complete certain test items that we previously didn't know how to implement."
After the instructions were given, the Professor and the scholars were about to disperse from the iron bars when they heard Isis, sitting beside the Estrellian hatchling, shouting toward them.
"Professor!"
The Professor paused. He wanted to scold Isis, as shouting at the top of her lungs like that could easily startle the Estrellian hatchling.
However, the Estrellian simply huddled close to Isis, gazing at them along with her, its eyes filled with the innocence and curiosity unique to young animals.
"..."
It seemed the Estrellian hatchling wasn't so timid that any loud noise would frighten it; it had simply been far too anxious before.
"What is it?" The Professor adjusted his glasses and raised his voice so Isis could hear him clearly.
"This little one says its friends are missing; it probably means those Star Butterflies. Do you know where they went?" Isis asked loudly.
One scholar looked on in total disbelief. "How can she understand what that Estrellian 'said'? Do Estrellians have a language? Does she understand it?"
"It's likely emotional understanding and empathy," another scholar replied, seemingly less surprised. "I once communicated with the aboriginals of the Fonron Great Forest. From beasts and birds to insects, those people seemed to have the ability to communicate with all living things." "According to them, language is secondary; the key lies in emotion and intent."
Hearing Isis's words, the Professor's expression grew solemn. After a few seconds, he turned to the people beside him and said, "Release those Star Butterfly specimens. Give them back to the Estrellian."
"Are you serious?" a middle-aged scholar immediately protested. "Setting aside the fact that reclaiming the Star Butterfly will be like the Estrellian regaining its weapon, making it significantly more dangerous... those Star Butterfly are the only subjects we have left to study. If we give them back..."
"The reason the Estrellian has been so restless, depressed, and prone to stress is undoubtedly because losing the Star Butterfly is one of the primary causes.
Before, we had no other options, so we clung to the Star Butterfly as our sole research subject. Now that we can see hope for free-roaming research, returning the Star Butterfly is the best choice."
The Professor paused and continued, "It's like the Zinogre and the Thunderbug. If you only study the Thunderbug, can you truly understand the ecology of the Zinogre in its entirety?
The connection between the Estrellian and the Star Butterfly is even deeper. Only by reuniting the two can we truly gain a comprehensive understanding of the Estrellian's ecology."
The middle-aged scholar fell silent.
The scholars were swayed by the Professor's reasoning. Not long after, the Star Butterfly, housed in several large mesh cages, along with a portable BBQ spit, a frying pan, and seasonings like soy sauce, spices, and salt, were brought to the containment area one after another.
Sajji's whiskers twitched. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were planning to grill the Star Butterfly, meow..."
Sensing each other's presence, the Estrellian reacted as if it had found long-lost family. It bounded over to the mesh cages, and the Star Butterfly inside grew frantic, flying and crashing around like a swarm of headless flies.
Altaïr looked at Isis with some concern. "Are you sure about this? These Star Butterfly hit with quite a bit of force. At least put your armor back on first."
Isis, who had already stripped off her helmet, mail, and armguard to make it easier to move and pet the creature, looked completely confident. "Don't worry, we're already best friends. Sushifish bacon isn't going to attack us."
Altaïr chose to ignore the increasingly strange nickname and walked toward the steel-reinforced mesh cages.
He was still equipped in his full set of armor, at the very least. If, just in case, the Estrellian suddenly went wild, or if the Star Butterfly swarmed out of control, he was confident he could protect Isis and get her out.
He unlocked the cages. A moment later, swarms of Star Butterfly surged out, ignoring the high-alert Altaïr standing right beside them. With a loud fluttering of wings, they all flew toward the Estrellian.
They circled the Estrellian joyfully a few times before landing on its body, slipping into the gaps in its carapace. Only the edges of their gold-and-red wings remained visible, fluttering gently even in the absence of wind.
The Estrellian, which had looked somewhat dull and dusty half a minute ago, was like a princess donning her ceremonial gown once more, returning to the magnificent and elegant form they had first seen.
But in the next second, that elegant atmosphere vanished completely.
Like a frolicking Palamute, it began jumping and bounding around the enclosed cave. It leaped into a pool of water, sending up a massive spray that soaked Clawdia from head to toe.
Finally, it returned to Isis's side, nuzzling her affectionately and even sticking out its tongue to lick her face.
Just as the Professor had emphasized repeatedly, even if this Estrellian was only a hatchling, its intelligence was staggering. It could clearly determine exactly who had helped it recover the Star Butterfly that were practically a part of its life.
Red lights flashed in Clawdia's eyes again. Sajji, who was also dripping wet, hurriedly held her back. "Forget it, meow, forget it! It was just an accident, meow!"
Isis giggled, hugging the Estrellian hatchling's large head with one arm while scratching its chin with the other.
"Can you let those Star Butterfly out again? They're really pretty!"
The Estrellian hatchling blinked at her for a moment. As if it actually understood her words, a massive swarm of Star Butterfly rose from its body.
This time, the Star Butterfly did not charge recklessly. Instead, they spread their nearly golden, gorgeous wings and flew slowly around the girl and the dragon.
The mirror-like surface of the pool reflected the gold and red light, and the dim Brightmoss seemed to activate as well, emitting specks of luminescence.
Illuminated by the glowing swarm of Star Butterfly, the once-gloomy cave was transformed into a shimmering, ethereal fairyland.
Enchanted, Erik raised his portable camera to record this wondrous sight that no one had ever witnessed before.
Altaïr, whose body had been tense and alert, gradually began to relax.
"This is just... wow, it's so beautiful!" Isis struggled to find a better word. "By the way, do you want some BBQ? The ingredients are all ready. I already had them bring the spit and the seasonings."
Altaïr: "..."
"?" The Estrellian hatchling tilted its head, looking at her in confusion.
(Translated by yourtl.app)