Chapter 421: I didn’t know inventors are contradictory beings
"We’re back!"
[We’re baaack!]
We shouted as soon as we appeared on the other side of the portal, since for some reason, Angwi was always there to greet us despite we never said when we would come. Perhaps she reacted to the mana activation of the portal?
But this time, there was no one there. I stood there and stared at Jade in surprise. "Huh? That’s rare. Is it because it’s night already?"
[Oh, Papa--there’s something there!]
Jade suddenly flew toward something on the balustrade leading to the stairs. It was...a bird? I hurried to follow Jade and see the thing closer and...
It was a bird? But not? It was a figurine shaped like a bird--just a bit smaller than Jade--with a round belly and mechanical-looking wings. Jade landed next to it and poked the bird with its wing, and suddenly, the bird moved--the wings extended with a clicking sound.
Jade gasped and jumped back in a start, falling off the railing. I caught the little--real--bird and watched in fascination as the mechanical bird took off and hovered in front of us. Even Ignis, who was about to scurry off to its beloved cave initially, stopped and took a double look.
I blinked twice, and the mechanical bird suddenly flew, backward, with its gem-studded belly pointing at us, down the stairs.
Jade gasped and flapped its wings. [Papa, let’s run after it!]
Jade flew--not run--after the retreating bird and I followed them with Ignis back on my shoulder. The mechanical bird went through the stairs, past my bedroom, and down, down to the drawing room of the guest floor which had the door opened wide. When I entered the room, I was greeted by a familiar tackle.