In the days following the test flight of Icarus 2, Jin was preoccupied with crafting equipment for his flagship.
The control brain proved to be the most challenging component. Drawing on his experience creating Laojun, Koushin, and their counterparts, he set to work.
The result was a sphere two meters in diameter, which was installed in the center of the command room.
"For the name... let’s go with Taisei."
The name was derived from Seiten Taisei—the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.
Seiten Taisei was another name for Son Goku, the hero of Journey to the West. It was a title Goku had claimed for himself before his conversion to Buddhism, and one that was eventually sanctioned by the Celestial Emperor.
Because Goku could leap 108,000 li in a single bound atop the Kinto-un, Jin felt the name was fitting for the brain of a spaceship.
This Taisei contained all of Laojun’s knowledge deemed useful for vessel control, and it was capable of communicating with the ground-based Laojun via manacam.
『My Lord, I look forward to serving you.』
"Yeah, Taisei. I'm looking forward to working with you, too."
Taisei remained active throughout the construction process, familiarizing itself with every detail of the ship's internal structure.
And so, Jin's flagship steadily neared completion.
＊ ＊ ＊
May 20th arrived—Saki's twenty-second birthday.
"Heh, this is a bit embarrassing..."
"Saki, happy birthday."
"Happy birthday to you."
The celebration was hosted by her biological father, Toa Eschenbach, and her stepmother, Stearena Gamma.
"Saki-san, happy birthday."
Following a suggestion from Jin, the cake gifted by Mine was presented first. It was decorated with two medium candles and two thin ones to represent her age.
Jin lit the candles and gave Saki a nod.
"Go ahead, blow them out."
"U-Uh, okay."
Saki took a breath and blew out the flames in one go, prompting a round of applause from everyone present.
"Happy birthday!" they cheered in unison.
"Thanks, everyone."
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, likely from the attention.
"Happy birthday, Saki."
"Jin, thank you."
As expected, Jin’s gift was a pocket watch. Saki's version was finished in a pale lavender to match the color of her eyes.
"A watch... I knew it was coming, but I’m still so happy."
"Saki, now that you have it, please try to be a bit less lax with your schedule."
"Ugh, that's a low blow..."
"Saki-nee, happy birthday."
"Thank you, Elsa."
Elsa’s gift was a lavender music box.
"I'll use it to store my most precious things," Saki promised.
"Saki, happy birthday."
"Reinhard, thank you."
Reinhard’s gift was a complete dress set that he and Berche had picked out together.
"W-When am I even supposed to wear something like this?"
"At parties like this one, of course."
"Saki-sama, would you like to go and change?"
"Oh, that's a great idea. Put it on and show us," Reinhard said, jumping on Aaru’s suggestion.
"...Only for today, okay?"
Yielding to the pressure, Saki disappeared into the back room to change.
While she was away, Reinhard prepared a second gift—a small box that could fit in the palm of a hand.
"What's that?" Jin asked.
Reinhard addressed the group. "It’s a gift from Saki’s grandfather, Marquis Theoderic. It was delivered recently along with a letter asking me to present it to her."
"I see."
As they spoke, Saki returned. Aaru’s skills as a lady's maid were clearly top-tier.
"Saki..."
"Saki-nee."
Saki was dressed in pure white. The design was so elegant that Jin found himself wondering if it was a wedding dress.
However, there was no custom in this country decreeing that white was reserved exclusively for weddings, though it was certainly a popular choice. It was merely a loose tradition that unmarried women wore light-colored dresses with white as the base.
"You look beautiful. You’re like a different person," Reinhard was the first to praise her.
"...I'm blushing. You know, you’re allowed to tell me it doesn't suit me."
"No, that's my honest impression. Berche was the one who picked it out, after all. To deny it would be to insult my wife's sense of style."
Saki smiled at his reasoning. "Ah, I suppose so. In that case, I'll accept the compliment gracefully."
"And this is a gift from Marquis Theoderic."
"Eh? From Grandfather?"
During the time she had mistakenly believed he was trying to force Elsa into a political marriage, Saki hadn't hesitated to call him "that old man," but after their reconciliation, she had come to accept him as her grandfather.
She took the box and opened it to find a brooch. It was crafted from silver with gold accents, resulting in an elegant finish. Saki immediately pinned it to the chest of her dress.
"Oh, it looks wonderful on you."
Reinhard thought to himself that the greatest strength of a white dress was its ability to complement accessories of any color. The Marquis's gift looked stunning against the fabric.
"...Thank you."
Saki looked down, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink at the praise.
"Saki-nee, you’re so cute."
"...Wha!"
The unexpected compliment from Elsa made Saki turn even redder.
Vivienne’s gift was a painting she had done herself.
"Is this... me?" Saki asked.
"Of course."
It was a portrait of Saki in a white dress.
"I don't remember ever wearing a dress like this, though."
The design in the painting was different from the one she was currently wearing.
"That’s where my imagination came in," Vivienne explained.
"...You have an incredible talent."
Finally, there were gifts from Marcia and Rodrigo, though they were still relatively new acquaintances.
"Saki-san, congratulations."
"Thank you."
It was a model ship—more of a decorative ornament. The model appeared to be the Bernstein from the Shouro Empire.
"The detail is amazing."
"They've become quite popular in Port Rock lately—well, in the Kingdom of Elias, really."
It was a hobby perfectly suited to the seafaring culture of the Kingdom of Elias.
"I'll display it in the drawing room," Saki said.
And so, Saki’s birthday celebration continued in a warm and peaceful atmosphere.