After dinner.
"The water should be ready now, so please, go ahead and take a bath."
Inside Jin’s 'House', there was a hot spring—though the water was heated artificially rather than naturally. A large bathtub had been prepared specifically for guests.
"A bath?"
"Bath?"
Neige and Rouge seemed to recognize the word, but they had apparently never actually experienced one. Unlike humans, a homunculus's metabolism did not produce sweat or waste products; it was said that even if their bodies became dirty, they could be made clean simply by being wiped down.
"But, you see..." Rubina trailed off, wondering how best to explain the appeal to the two of them.
Jin decided to step in with a few words of his own. "Humans sometimes do things that might seem like a redundancy."
Not that hot springs or baths are actually a waste of time, he added silently.
"However, you will eventually realize that those things weren't 'redundancy' at all, but 'color.' That is what makes a life. That's what it means to live."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jin realized he had said something quite uncharacteristic and let out a wry smile.
The ground you need for walking isn't just the spots where you place your feet.
It was a sentiment he had heard from someone a long time ago.
It's because there is ground everywhere else as well that you can walk with peace of mind.
That was part of it, too.
"Experience is better than theory—just try it and see!" Rubina interjected, taking over for the philosophical Jin. She ushered the two toward the bathroom.
"Fwaah..."
"...This is an indescribable feeling."
The bath was designed to accommodate four or five people, so there was plenty of room even with Rubina, Neige, and Rouge inside. Stretching out her limbs in the tub, Rubina looked at the other two.
"See? Doesn't it feel wonderful?"
"This... is the sensation of feeling 'good'..."
"Yes, it's 'wonderful'!"
"Right?!" Rubina beamed, looking utterly satisfied.
In the end, the three of them stayed in the water so long that Rubina’s grandmother, Amanda, eventually had to come and scold them for soaking too long.
＊ ＊ ＊
The following day, the 28th, Jin spent the morning focused on modifying the Magi Puppets.
"Remote control is fine for some things, but it would be better if at least two or three of them could act autonomously," Jin muttered, his hands moving with practiced efficiency as he worked.
"Jin-sama, are you using mithril for the magi-circuits after all?" Marikka asked.
"No. Didn't I mention it yesterday? The metal we get from the resource satellites in orbit has a much better affinity for magic than the mithril found on Ars."
"Ah, I think I remember hearing something like that."
"That's why I'm trying out 64 light silver wire instead of mithril, which has lower structural strength." Jin added that because it was stronger, it was more reliable and provided greater peace of mind.
"I see... and what about the know-how for moving such large units?"
"I’m planning to base it on the Daidara units I use for heavy labor. However, since the characteristics of the drive system—starting with the joints—are slightly different, I'll need to do some fine-tuning."
"I see... I’m learning so much."
"Haha, you certainly seem to enjoy golems, Rubina."
"Yeah..." Rubina gave a somewhat hesitant reply, stealing a glance at Reiko, who was silently assisting Jin. "Most everyone on the island admires the legends of Reiko-chan, after all."
"Eh?"
"Pardon?"
Jin and Reiko's voices overlapped in surprise.
"Reiko-chan, created by the Lady Predecessor and completed by Jin-sama. Her many exploits have become stories that parents pass down to their children. They're legendary," Rubina explained.
"What!"
"...Is that so?"
Jin was genuinely shocked, while Reiko puffed out her chest with a touch of pride.
"I grew up hearing those stories since I was a little girl," Rubina confessed. It was why she had fallen in love with golems and automata, and why she had started dreaming of one day creating her own 'Reiko-chan.' "...It's embarrassing, but that’s my motivation."
"I—I see. Thank you for telling me that."
"...I only said it because it’s just Jin-sama and Reiko-chan here. Please don't tell anyone else, okay?"
"Of course, I won't." Jin nodded to the bashful girl. "But I think the two behind you might have heard."
"Eh?"
Rubina whirled around to find Neige and Rouge standing right there.
"Rubi-chan is so devoted."
"Do your best, Rubi-chan!"
"Noooooooo!!"
Confiding in Jin and Reiko had been embarrassing enough, but realizing she had been overheard by the others made Rubina turn bright red in a panic.
"Calm down, Rubina," Jin said, though it was the only comfort he could offer. He gave a quick wink to Reiko, and the perceptive automaton took Rubina’s hand.
"Rubina-san, thank you very much for sharing that with me."
"E-Eh? Ah, y-yes..."
Rubina slowly regained her composure. It took another two minutes before she finally returned to her usual self.
"...I'm sorry. I got a little carried away."
It was a bit more than 'a little,' Jin thought, though he was far too mature to say it.
"All right. Let's get back to it."
"...Yes."
With a now low-spirited Rubina at his back, Jin returned to the task of modifying the Magi Puppets.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...That was surprisingly easy."
About an hour later, Jin finished up and let the thought slip out loud.
"...I'm sure it wasn't. Jin-sama's idea of 'easy' must be somewhere up in the clouds," Rubina countered, having watched the entire process.
By then, it was exactly noon.
"I would like to join you for the meal today, if that is acceptable?" requested the Elder, No. 700672. He explained that after hearing Neige and Rouge talk so happily about their experiences the previous day, he had felt the urge to participate as well.
"Yes, of course."
Though Jin felt a hint of bewilderment at how the 'servant'—who was supposed to be a homunculus pseudo-life—was rapidly developing emotional depth, it wasn't a bad change, so he readily agreed.
Lunch that day was even more boisterous than the dinner before. The spread included an array of sandwiches, hot dogs, and hamburgers. For some reason, croquette buns and yakisoba buns had been added to the mix.
"Father, this is delicious."
"Father, you have to try this!"
Neige and Rouge were doting on No. 700672, tending to his every need.
"U-Umu, I am eating," No. 700672 replied, looking a bit overwhelmed by the girls' high energy.
"This is amazing! I thought putting noodles in bread was a strange idea. I really did, but...!"
While Onogoro Island had yakisoba, hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches, they apparently didn't have the concept of croquette or yakisoba buns, much to Rubina’s frustration.
"I wish I’d found this flavor sooner!!"
"We have cutlet sandwiches, but to use a croquette instead..."
"It’s a triumph of imagination," Trihart and Susanne agreed, having taken a particular liking to the croquette buns.
"It'sh the taste of Jin-sama'sh home, isn't it..." Marikka reminisced, her speech slipping slightly into a bashful stutter as she enjoyed the ham and egg sandwiches.
"Now, now, you've got sauce on your face."
"U-Umu."
Amanda was gently correcting Rubina as the girl stuffed a hamburger into her mouth. Watching them, Jin couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth at how close everyone had become.
The lunch concluded in that same jovial atmosphere, with everyone thoroughly enjoying the meal.