The next morning.
After tracking time for approximately twelve hours, Jin discovered that an hour in the Ars world seemed to be roughly 1.02 times the length of an hour on Earth. This was, of course, assuming the watch hadn’t been running inaccurately from the start.
"Then the difference is within the margin of error."
He had been more concerned about whether the watch would function at all in Ars than about the slight discrepancy with Earth time.
Most mechanical wristwatches have a daily variance of about thirty seconds, so they are typically designed to allow for adjustments of plus or minus one minute. All he needed to do was slightly broaden that adjustment range.
Since it was a twelve-hour watch, half a day equaled 43,200 seconds. A two percent difference meant a discrepancy of 864 seconds.
"So, I just need to make it run 864 seconds slower every half-day."
Jin figured he would have to leave the task of adjusting the regulator and finding the optimal setting to Laojun and the Mini-Smiths.
"Jin-nii, time for breakfast."
Elsa came to call for him that morning. Jin headed to the dining hall, carrying the box containing the wristwatch.
"Good morning, Master Nidou. Did everyone sleep well?"
Fadon was waiting in the dining hall. As expected, the young girl was sitting next to Goose. Her name was Nary, and she was a quiet child. Even now, she remained silently stuck to Goose’s side.
"Good morning. I’ve fixed the watch."
Seeing Fadon’s restless state—he looked as though he wouldn't be able to focus on his meal until the item was returned—Jin held out the box.
"Oh...!"
The cracked glass had been cleanly repaired with Fusion magic, and the once-dull case now gleamed with the characteristic luster of chrome plating.
"Thank you so much!"
Fadon’s joy was a heartwarming sight.
"Goodness, dear, you're acting just like a child. And in front of guests, too..."
A woman, presumably his wife, chided the exuberant Fadon from the side.
"I am... called Frede, his wife."
Though she spoke with a slight accent at times, Frede had a petite and cheerful air about her. She and Fadon seemed to be a well-matched couple. Nary, sitting next to Goose, also smiled.
"Now then, please eat... before it gets cold."
"Right, let's eat... Wait, what is this?"
"Eh...?"
"Onii-chan, what’s this?"
Saki and Elsa stared wide-eyed at the food, while Hanna questioned Jin.
"Ah, it’s natto!"
"Natto?"
Yes, it was undeniably natto.
Since round beans—soybeans—and rice straw existed here, Jin realized it was entirely possible to make it.
Soy sauce and mustard had also been prepared. Before the eyes of the three hesitating girls, Jin gleefully began eating the natto to show them.
"Jin, can you... can you actually eat that?"
"It’s... it’s all stringy."
"Onii-chan, won't you get a stomachache?"
"Hahaha, this is perfectly good food. It won't upset your stomach. In fact, it’s actually quite healthy."
As he spoke, Goose followed Jin's lead, piling natto onto his rice and digging in. Nary, sitting beside him, also began eating in silence.
"It might be a bit much for those not used to it, so please don't force yourselves," Frede said kindly. Hanna shook her head.
"I’ll try it."
Following Jin’s example, she stirred the beans with her chopsticks, drizzled on some mustard and soy sauce, and stirred them even more.
"The strings are amazing..."
Muttering to herself, Hanna closed her eyes and popped a few beans into her mouth. And then...
"...Oh, it's delicious."
"What?"
"Hanna-chan, it’s good?"
Elsa and Saki stared at Hanna with surprised expressions.
"Yeah, it’s surprisingly tasty!"
"I-I see."
"I... I guess I'll try some too."
The two of them began to eat tentatively.
"Could I have seconds?"
"I’d like another bowl too, please."
Beside them, Jin and Goose were already asking for more rice.
"...It doesn't taste bad, but I'm not a big fan."
"Hmm, it was easier to eat than I expected."
"Really? I thought it was delicious."
After the meal, they sat around drinking tea and sharing their thoughts on the natto.
"It brought back memories for me."
Jin was satisfied, having enjoyed a taste of Earth for the first time in a while.
"Apparently, this natto was also introduced by the Magus. Though there's a theory that the Magus himself didn't actually like it much, so it's a food that people either love or hate," Goose added, providing an interesting bit of trivia.
"Master Nidou, thank you again!"
A now-calm Fadon approached them. The shift in his address from "Master" to a more respectful tone was a clear sign of his deep gratitude.
"Not at all. Ah, also, please be careful when you turn the crown to wind the mainspring. If you overwind it, the spring will snap again."
"Yes, of course. Now that I know it's fixed, I won't go around moving it unnecessarily!"
Fadon said he was perfectly satisfied just knowing that the family heirloom, passed down through generations, had been beautifully restored during his time as head of the family.
In truth, mechanical watches tend to stay in better condition if they are kept running, but since he intended to treat it as a treasure rather than a timepiece, Jin didn't press the issue.
Furthermore, Fadon shared another piece of intriguing information.
"I shall tell you, Master Nidou... The truth is, my family has a 'house name' that we rarely reveal to others. It is... 'Yamachi.'"
"Yamauchi?"
"No, it is Yamachi."
Though he was corrected, Jin couldn't help but think "Yamachi" sounded like "Yamauchi."
When Jin heard the name Yamauchi, the first person who came to mind was Yamauchi Kazutoyo, the lord of the Tosa Domain in the early Edo period. Jin had heard the name in historical dramas before.
"In Fusou Island, we don't usually use surnames. We only share them with close friends or those we have acknowledged," Goose explained.
What a strange custom. It must make it hard to distinguish between people, Jin thought.
"I usually use my mother's surname, 'Minakata,' partly due to my father's influence, though."
"I see..."
Setting aside the peculiarities of Fusou Island customs, Jin tucked this away as another fragment of a clue regarding the Magus.
"Master Nidou, are you able to read this?"
Fadon brought out a small, flat box. Jin thought it might be another relic, but it seemed different.
"It is a letter... supposedly written by the Magus or someone related to him. However, no one can read it."
Inside the opened box was a piece of parchment that was heavily worm-eaten and tattered.
"...East of Fusou, left Mount Fu***s and arrived here at *. My compans were *** and ***..."
It was difficult to read due to the holes and fading, but the script was unmistakably Japanese.
"You can read it! Then there is no doubt, Master Nidou—you truly are from the same homeland as the Magus!!"
"...And this is?"
"This has also been passed down for generations. That said, it wasn't a gift from the Magus, but rather something like a discarded draft."
Jin thought it might have been a fragment of a travel diary.
"Fusou must be this country, Fusou Island. Mount Fu...s. I can't read it because of the damage, but it must be a mountain to the east of here."
The rest likely mentioned who his companions were, but since it appeared to be a discarded draft, Jin concluded his explanation by saying they shouldn't expect to find much more in this specific text.
"Hmm... Maybe it’s Mount Funisis?" Goose interjected.
"It’s over 200 kilometers east of Fusou Island, north of the Harihari Desert. It’s also the western edge of the Kruger Mountains, but..."
Goose said he couldn't think of any other mountain that fit the description.