"Ah, that was so much fun!"
"It really was, wasn’t it?"
Having returned from their underwater excursion, Hanna sat in the Edo’s dining room with a satisfied smile. Martha sat beside her, looking equally pleased.
It was currently 1:00 PM, and the group was finishing a slightly late lunch.
"Well, we’ve pretty much finished the itinerary for this trip, so I think it’s time to head home," Jin said, mid-bite of his sandwich.
"I suppose so. Today marks the one-week point of the vacation... it’s about that time," Martha agreed with a nod. "Thank you, Jin. Every day has been wonderful."
"No, the pleasure was all mine."
"Onii-chan, thank you! It was so much fun being able to travel with Grandma!" Hanna added, finishing off her citran juice.
"We still have the journey back, though," Jin reminded her. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "How about we go home through the sky?"
"Eh?"
"It would be a bit dull to just retrace the same sea route we took to get here, so I thought we’d fly back on Konron 3."
"Is that really all right?"
"Yes, of course."
Jin had made the suggestion out of concern that they might be growing tired of looking at nothing but the ocean, but Marcia bit onto the idea instantly.
"Jin, you can fly through the sky, too?! Oh, please, let’s!"
And so, once they had finished their meal and enjoyed a final cup of tea...
"Father, Konron 3 has arrived."
At Jin’s request, Konron 3 had departed Hourai Island and was now hovering over the deck of the Edo. Using its force generator, the vessel maintained a Stand Still in mid-air, keeping a perfectly constant relative distance from the ship below.
"Uh, everyone knows about this ship, right?" Jin asked somewhat tentatively, pointing toward the airship.
"I think this is a first for me," Marcia replied.
Indeed, while Marcia had made use of Warp Gates, she had never actually boarded Konron 3. Interestingly, though he wasn't present now, her father Rodrigo had been a passenger on the very first airship Jin ever built back when Marcia had been lost at sea.
"Whoa! Look! It’s really flying!!"
Among the group, only Marcia was a first-timer. Even Martha had been on a short scenic flight once before when Jin had visited Kaina Village. Of course, Martha was far more composed than Marcia and didn't make nearly as much of a fuss.
"I knew it—the sea looks just as blue from above!"
Marcia was practically glued to the window.
"Wait... is that... is that a Bowall!?"
She had spotted the same species of magical beast that had once destroyed her prototype trimaran. They were generally docile creatures, but they had an instinctive habit of viewing floating objects as enemies.
"Judging by the way it's swimming, it won't trouble the mainland..."
Watching the twenty-meter-long Bowall swim leisurely beneath them, Konron 3 continued its flight toward the north.
"Ah, that land over there... that’s the Elias Peninsula!"
No sooner had her homeland appeared on the horizon than it drew close before her eyes.
"Oh, I can see Io Island! And look, there’s Port Rock Town!"
Her constant excitement made her seem almost like a young child. Jin and the others watched her, feeling a mix of amusement and affection at seeing this side of Marcia.
Flying at a leisurely pace for Konron 3, they reached Kaina Village in about an hour.
"Onii-chan, see you later!"
"Jin, it was a wonderful trip. Thank you."
After dropping off Hanna and Martha, Konron 3 soared back into the sky, making for Hourai Island. This time, they picked up speed and arrived at the island in a matter of minutes.
The group headed to the laboratory’s dining hall first, drinking Persica juice to celebrate their safe return.
"To the success of our trip."
Glasses were raised, and as they drained the juice, a look of relief washed over everyone's faces.
"Ah, that was great. Jin, thank you!"
"No, I’m the one who should thank all of you for coming along. Every day was a joy."
"...Well then, my father's probably feeling lonely, so I’d better get going."
Marcia stepped through the Warp Gate and returned to Port Rock Town.
"Jin-dono, thank you for everything."
"Jin-kun, I had a great time. Take good care of the Madam. Well then, until next time."
"Jin-kun, this trip was very fruitful in many ways. Thank you."
Toa, Stearena, and Vivienne each gave their thanks before heading home.
"Well, we’ll be heading off too."
"I have to get all my records compiled!"
Saki and Goose departed as well.
"Well then, Jin-sama, Elsa, please enjoy your time together."
Even Mine left them with those parting words before heading out of the laboratory.
The only ones left were Jin, Elsa, Reiko, and Edgar.
"..."
"It got quiet all of a sudden."
"Mhm."
The silence that follows a lively gathering often feels a bit hollow. For a while, both Jin and Elsa remained speechless. But then...
"...I suppose I should get to what needs doing."
Muttering this, Jin shook his head as if to reset his thoughts and stood up.
"Jin-nii?"
"Elsa, please take it easy and rest. I’m going to the workshop for a bit."
Saying only that, Jin walked quickly out of the dining hall. Reiko followed close behind.
"I shall prepare dinner, then."
Elsa whispered to herself as she stood up and headed toward the kitchen, with Edgar following suit.
"...So, what exactly was this material?"
In truth, Jin had been preoccupied with the mysterious object found on Alcyone Island.
"Yes, My Lord. The original primary component is lead sulfide. It also contains a trace amount of silver."
"Lead ore... so, galena?"
"Yes, My Lord. I believe that is highly likely."
"In that case, the cause of this weight... it has to be molecular compression, without a doubt."
It was a mystery why such a substance would be in a place like that.
"It doesn't seem like something I can figure out just by thinking about it."
"Yes, My Lord. Our investigation of the Pleiades Archipelago is ongoing, but we have yet to find any other significant discoveries."
"I see. Keep at it, then."
"Understood."