Rewinding the clock roughly four hundred years, we find ourselves at April 1, 3464.
It was Jin’s twenty-eighth birthday.
Eight years had passed since he was first summoned to the world of Ars.
"Happy birthday, Dear."
"Jin-san, happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday, Jin-sama."
A birthday party for Jin was underway in the Great Hall of Jin Castle in Kaina Village.
The attendees included Jin, every member of the Jin Family, and the residents of Kaina Village.
"Thank you, everyone," Jin, the guest of honor, said as he addressed the crowd.
The early-blooming query trees planted in the castle garden were in full bloom. A spring breeze occasionally carried petals dancing into the room.
Jin was currently having sparkling wine poured for him by his beloved wife, Elsa Randol.
Meanwhile, his young son, Yuu, and his daughter, Mio, were sitting properly as they sipped their juice. Beside them was Juliana, the daughter of Reinhard and Berche.
Juliana would turn six this year, making her an older sister figure to Yuu and Mio. She seemed fully aware of this responsibility, as she was busily doting on the twins.
Since she was usually cared for by maids at the Rankenhaus, she seemed unable to resist the opportunity to look after someone else for a change.
"You've seemed busy lately, Reinhard," Jin said, striking up a conversation with his best friend.
"Yeah. My population has increased, so dealing with that has taken up quite a bit of time," Reinhard replied, draining the wine in his glass with a single gulp. "Today is my first day off in a while."
Though he was supported by excellent secretaries and automata, final decisions still required Reinhard's approval as the lord. Furthermore, he made it a point to personally hear any important petitions from his people, which kept his days quite full.
"Ah, this wine is delicious," Reinhard murmured happily after taking a sip of Ehrlich's 3454, one of the finest vintages available.
"Dear, please keep it within reason," his wife, Berche, cautioned him. She couldn't have him trying to manage his official duties with a hangover the next day.
"It's fine. I have this bracelet, remember?"
He gestured to the Fellowship Bracelet, an artifact Jin had crafted for the Family. It served as proof of their bond and possessed numerous functions, one of which was Detox. Since the 'drunkenness' caused by alcohol was technically a form of poisoning, turning on the Detox function would sober the wearer instantly.
However, Reinhard found that a bit dull, so he currently kept the function turned off.
"I see, I see. So the Ancient Dragon has those kinds of habits."
Goose Eschenbach, the Jin Family’s preeminent naturalist, was explaining his findings to his wife, Saki Eschenbach. He had only just recently returned from the Nord Federation.
"An Ancient Dragon, huh? That brings back memories," Saki remarked.
Years ago, Saki had visited the northern limit alongside Jin, Elsa, and Sion of the All-Creation clan to search for the discarded molts of Ancient Dragons.
"Back then, we went in Capricorn 1."
"This time I was lent the Daedalus, so it was much easier," Goose replied.
The Daedalus was a small-class spaceship with a diameter of ten meters. Originally a prototype, its versatility led to Jin increasing their numbers to ten. Though they were typically crewed by the forty-centimeter-tall Astro golems, they had been modified so that up to four humans could fit inside, albeit in cramped conditions.
Being a spaceship, it could visit the frozen reaches of the world without issue. It was also equipped with a small-class Peeping Telescope, making it perfect for the kind of ecological survey Goose had just conducted. He had stayed at an altitude of three hundred meters for over a month, observing the lifecycle of the world's strongest dragon.
"...Yes, that's right. Research into sub-ether waves is proving quite difficult."
Hanna, the Family’s foremost physicist, was venting her frustrations to Jin.
Hanna had been only eight years old when they first met, but she was now sixteen. According to Reiko, she had grown into a beautiful young woman who was the spitting image of Mother, Adriana Barbora Tsetse.
Her extraordinary talent manifested particularly in the field of physics; lately, she spent her days and nights researching to unravel the mysteries of space and free ether. Because Jin had once strayed into extra-dimensional space and made contact with the spiritual lifeforms there, Hanna was bombarding him with questions, hoping for even the slightest hint.
"Hanna, that's enough for now. This is Jin's birthday party, after all."
The person reigning her in was her grandmother, Martha. Martha was sixty-five this year, but she remained youthful and straight-backed, her skin glowing with health. This was likely due to the advancements in public hygiene—starting with the hot spring in Kaina Village—medical technology, and improved nutrition.
"Yes, Grandma."
Hanna couldn't argue with Martha. In truth, neither could Jin. Martha was deeply respected as the wise advisor of the Jin Family.
"Mmm, this food is delicious, too."
"One must take one's hat off to the housekeeping skills of Perido and her team."
The ones savoring the meal were Sion and Marikka of the Northern People.
"It's itopo, right? It's a shame we can't cultivate it in colder regions."
Itopo was a variety of sweet potato. Growing it in the cold climate of the Nord Federation was difficult. While greenhouses made it possible, the cost-effectiveness was abysmal. It was far more economical to simply buy it from Jin.
Sion was currently considering trading rutile for it. Rutile was a crystal of titanium oxide with a refractive index that exceeded even that of a diamond. While transparent crystals were almost never found on Earth, Ars produced enormous, clear specimens.
Jin was interested in using the high refractive index of the rutile to create advanced optical equipment. Although its Mohs hardness was lower than quartz at 6 to 6.5, he felt he could compensate for that with his design choices or Hardening magic. His first planned prototype was a pair of glasses that would be thinner and lighter than anything previously made.
"My, Jin-kun's circle of acquaintances is truly distinguished, isn't it?"
Sally Mileshann, a healer of Kaina Village and wife of Village Chief Giebeck, murmured with a slightly flushed face.
"A noble couple from the Shouro Empire and the Kingdom of Egerea, influential leaders from the Nord Federation... To think the lord of the neighboring village is also his friend. It's truly astounding."
The noble couple from the Kingdom of Egerea was, of course, Count Kuzuma and his wife—Louis and Beena. Beena had brought along her son, Reginald, who would soon turn five.
"Here, Reggie, this is delicious, too."
"Yeah! It's sweet!"
As Beena fed her son a piece of Persica that Jin had brought from Hourai Island, she felt a wave of nostalgia.
Persica... I remember now. Jin used these to cure Nana and Raldo's scurvy.
It was that initial encounter that had eventually led to Beena becoming the Countess of Kuzuma.
"Beena, I'll look after Reggie, so go and talk with the others for a while," her husband, Louis, said kindly.
"Oh, Dear, are you sure?"
"Of course. It's not often that everyone gets together like this."
"Thank you."
Entrusting Reginald to Louis, Beena hurried over to join Elsa and the others.