"Is this the Fellowship Bracelet...?"
Lishia stared intently at the magic tool Jin had handed her before sliding it onto her wrist.
"As for how to use it..."
Jin explained the functions with meticulous care. Lishia listened with a focused intensity, ensuring she didn't miss a single syllable.
"...And that’s the gist of it."
"Thank you very much."
Lishia gazed down at the bracelet on her right wrist—hers featured a blue and white marble pattern.
That evening, most of the members of the Jin Family gathered.
The venue was the laboratory’s main dining hall. Following the formal introductions, the gathering was set to transition into a dinner party.
In addition to Jin and Elsa, the attendees included Reinhard, Berche, Saki, Toa, Stearena, Vivienne, Marcia, Rodrigo, Beena, Count Kuzuma, Goose, and Mine.
Only Milowina was absent, as she was currently relaxing at the Moon Base.
"I-It’s a pleasure to meet all of you."
Lishia felt a surge of nerves standing before such an illustrious group.
However, when Jin mentioned how much he appreciated having collaborators in various countries, her anxiety shifted. She wondered if she was expected to act as the official representative for the Klein Kingdom.
"No, I didn't mean it in a formal sense," Jin clarified. "First and foremost, the Family is exactly that—a family. We aren’t a political organization or a group dedicated to a specific agenda."
He explained that they simply supported one another, shared information, and acted for the benefit of their respective nations whenever the opportunity arose.
"There are no specific obligations," Jin added. "In a way, you're just a group of friends who know the truth about me. If that feels like a burden, I want you to say so."
"A-A burden? Far from it! If anything, I wish you had told me much sooner... s-sir."
"I do feel bad about that," Jin admitted. "Of all the people here, Lishia, you were the very first one I met."
"...I’ve decided to blame that delay entirely on Earl Walter’s reckless interference," Lishia said.
"Fair enough."
Back when Jin was living in Kaina Village, he had been wrongly suspected of being the mastermind behind a mysterious Golem Incident, forcing him to flee the village.
"At the time, it frustrated me so much that I didn't have the power to protect you, Jin-san," she added.
"Thank you."
"But if that hadn't happened, we might never have met Jin ourselves," Beena interjected, joining the conversation. "My siblings might never have recovered from their illness, and I never would have met Louis-sama. Actually, I might have been sold off by now because I couldn't repay my debts..."
Beena gave a small shudder at the thought.
"True enough," Count Kuzuma added, joining them. "There was also the possibility that you would have been coerced into an unwanted marriage."
He looked toward Jin. "Then again, Jin ended up causing quite a stir in my Blue Land as well..."
"But that was entirely Earl Guarana's fault," Beena reminded him.
At that time, Jin had chosen to disappear from Blue Land before the situation could escalate. It served as a textbook example of how a lack of social status could prove detrimental in such circumstances.
"But because of that, Jin came to Port Rock Town," Marcia added. "If I hadn't met Jin, Valentino would have seized my ship by now. I’d be scraping by or living in some other town..."
"...I’m sorry, Marcia," her father, Rodrigo, said with a look of genuine shame.
"It’s okay now, Dad. You're back, and the shop is doing great."
"That’s right—that was when I first met Jin too!" Reinhard said, sounding deeply moved.
"Yes... if I hadn't met Jin-nii, I would be..." Elsa’s voice trailed off somberly.
"Our response to the Unifilar might have been significantly delayed as well," Reinhard noted.
"Reinhard-kun is right," Stearena added. "I hate to think what would have happened to me after I was kidnapped."
"And nothing has made me happier than being able to openly call ourselves mother and daughter," Mine added with heartfelt sincerity.
Vivienne and Goose also offered their thanks.
"It was thanks to Jin-kun that we were able to escape the tyranny of our old country," Vivienne said. "Even if that regime has changed now, we wouldn't be here without him."
"I am grateful to Jin for showing me a new world and allowing me to learn the history of my father’s homeland," Goose said.
Lishia thought back to her own past. "Jin-san and Elsa-san were also an incredible help during the outbreak of magical consumption fever."
Just as the atmosphere turned slightly somber with nostalgia, the Five-Colored Golem Maids arrived with the meal. To facilitate bonding, the dinner was served buffet-style.
"Oh, that smells wonderful," Beena remarked, noticing the herb-grilled fish.
The dish consisted of a fish resembling horse mackerel, filleted and seasoned with salt and pepper, then coated in flour and herbs and allowed to marinate in a sealed container. It was pan-fried in vegetable oil and served with a splash of fresh green citran juice.
"I’ve never seen anything like this," Berche said, her curiosity piqued by the buri-daikon.
The yellowtail-like fish had been quickly blanched to remove any odor, while the sliced daikon was parboiled in rice water for ten minutes. Both were then simmered in a pot with water, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and grated janzy. The mirin was a recent success for Jin, the result of extensive trial and error using glutinous rice and shochu.
"This is stunning," Elsa whispered, admiring the roses crafted from prosciutto and herbs. The ham was rolled into delicate buds and garnished with herb leaves, finished with a sweet and sour sauce. It was a dish as pleasing to the eye as it was to the palate.
"Are these made from apulul?! And look at this octopus! Is that persica?!" Marcia cried out in amazement.
Before her sat rabbits carved from apulul, octopuses made from sausages, and roses made from thinly sliced persica. They were presented in a bowl carved out of a shiika, with the watermelon’s flesh diced and used for color.
"My, this looks appetizing," Stearena said, setting her sights on the diced steak. Meat from Mitsuho pigu, Fusou wetland antlered deer, and cowbull had been cubed and grilled on an iron plate alongside karotto and topopo. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, the bite-sized portions allowed the guests to enjoy a variety of flavors.
"I really do love this 'Japanese-style soup,'" Vivienne said. Her favorite was the miso soup, which today featured kurumu. The shellfish provided an excellent base, but when combined with a kombu-style dashi, the flavor was exceptional.
"This is incredible! There are so many dishes!" Lishia said, her eyes darting from one plate to the next.
Since each dish was served in small portions, she could sample everything without becoming full too quickly, leaving room to go back for her favorites later.
Thanks to the thoughtful presentation and the relaxed atmosphere, the dinner party was a resounding success. Lishia’s tension evaporated completely as she hit it off with the rest of the group, quickly becoming a true member of the family.