“Smile... and okay!”
September 21st was Vivienne’s birthday.
The entire Jin Family, including Milowina and Martha, had gathered on Hourai Island to celebrate. Jin was busy capturing the occasion with his newly completed camera.
They started with a group shot of everyone, with Edgar pressing the shutter.
“Everyone say cheese!”
“Cheese!”
“What’s one plus one?”
“Two!”
Following that lighthearted banter, Jin began taking individual portraits. He also handed cameras to Edgar and Reiko, letting them snap candid photos as they pleased.
The realism machine Jin had received from No. 700672 functioned much like an instant camera, producing a finished photo immediately after the shot was taken. However, because it didn't use negatives, making copies was a difficult task.
In contrast, the camera Jin had developed used a transparent base material impregnated with dye powder to create what was known as reversal film—essentially slides. He had designed it specifically so that he could use these to produce prints.
By making prints from the slides, he could quickly produce enough photos for everyone in attendance. Moreover, since the process relied on mana rather than light, it offered the significant advantage of not requiring a darkroom.
“Whoa, this is magnificent!”
“It looks exactly like the real thing!”
“It’s not a painting... it’s truly a photograph!”
“It’s wonderful to be able to keep a record of everyone together like this.”
The guests were all equally surprised and delighted.
“Jin, this could have a lot of applications, couldn’t it?” Marcia asked, striking up a conversation.
“Like what?”
“Well, if you record the crafting process, it would be a huge help when teaching disciples.”
“True, there are certainly technical uses for it,” Rodrigo agreed, nodding at Marcia’s suggestion.
“Yeah, but for me, I’m just happy I’ll be able to keep a record of my child’s growth,” Reinhard added, his doting-father side coming to the fore.
“That’s right. In the world I originally came from, parents used to keep records of their children growing up like that... or so I’ve heard.”
“...”
Elsa was sensitive to the faint trace of loneliness that flickered across Jin’s face when he said “or so I’ve heard.” Without a word, she reached out and gently squeezed his hand.
“I’ll develop some for personal use eventually, so just wait a little longer,” Jin continued cheerfully, showing no outward sign of his thoughts.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’m counting on you, Jin!”
“Leave it to me.”
Next, they moved on to taking photos in various small groups.
“Hanna, stand next to Martha-san.”
“Okay! After this, I want to be in a picture with Big Brother!”
“Louis, put your arm around Beena’s waist... there, just like that.”
“Th-this is a little embarrassing...”
“Come on, Saki and Goose, get closer together.”
“C-closer...?”
“Berche, lean in toward Reinhard....Perfect.”
“Now, Toa-san, don’t be shy—put your hand on your wife’s shoulder.”
“L-like this?”
“Marcia, move closer to Rodrigo-san.”
“Wha—even closer than this?”
“M-Marcia?!”
“Hehe, just kidding, Dad.”
After much excitement and many flashes of the shutter, the group was finally satisfied.
“Ah, that was a lovely birthday. Thank you, Jin-kun,” Vivienne said.
“It was my pleasure.”
Answering while scratching the back of his head, Jin held out a small package.
“Happy birthday, Vivienne.”
“Thank you, Jin-kun!”
Accepting the gift, Vivienne judged its weight and shape. Drawing on her experience from previous birthdays within the group, she made an expert guess.
“This is... a watch, isn’t it? Thank you!”
She opened the package to confirm it was indeed a pocket watch, then gave Jin a beaming smile. “I’ll treasure it.”
As the birthday banquet began to wind down, Vivienne spoke up again.
“So, did you find out anything about that mysterious substance?”
“Ah, a little. Since everyone is gathered today, I was planning on talking about it anyway.”
“Oh! In that case, I’d love to hear it right now,” Toa said enthusiastically, and the others voiced their agreement.
“Alright then. Well, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the details...”
Jin began to recount the story, starting from when the Land squad found the mysterious substance during the investigation of Alcyone Island.
“It turned out to be molecularly compressed galena... lead ore.”
Jin then explained that because there was so little information to go on, even Laojun hadn't been able to deduce anything further. He explained that he had visited No. 700672 to report his marriage and, on a hunch, had asked about the ore there.
“Terraforming...?”
“That such a thing is even possible...”
Everyone was visibly shocked.
“Is it something you can do, Jin?”
“No, it’s still impossible for me.”
“‘Still,’ he says...”
They each sat with their own thoughts, ruminating on the scale of what they had just heard.
“So, what’s the reason why there’s so little free ether in the south?” Goose asked.
“I didn't actually hear a reason for that. Honestly, I don't think No. 700672 knows either.” The robot had mentioned possessing no information from before the 500,000 series. “I think we’ll just have to investigate that ourselves.”
“I suppose you’re right. In that case, the fleet was continuing its advance, wasn’t it? What happened to them?”
“Ah, I was just about to explain that part.”
Taking a breath, Jin began to tell the rest of the story.