They traveled as far as they could that day before setting up camp.
Since they still had the tents strapped to the roof, they made use of them. With no sign of rain in the forecast, they were able to pass the evening quite comfortably.
Jin had hoped to make similar progress on the second day, but a problem arose.
"...Ah, the tires are already in tatters."
The gutta-peruhya tires, which had been manufactured and installed at the Factory in Miyako, had reached their limit. They were thin tires to begin with, and carrying a heavy load over such treacherous roads had finally taken its toll.
"I'll have to take the rubber tires off."
Jin reflected that he should have reinforced the exteriors with magical beast leather or a similar material. Of course, he wasn't at a stage where he could disclose those kinds of technical details to Goose yet.
"...The micro-vibrations are definitely different."
Once the rubber tires were removed and they were back to running on the original wooden wheels, the vibration became noticeable. In particular, the constant rattling from the fine gravel proved impossible to dampen completely. Their travel speed dropped to about two-thirds of what it had been.
Jin had initially thought they could reach Mount Funisis in two days, but it appeared they would be spending one more night on the road.
"By the way, Father, today is Berche-san's birthday. What would you like to do?"
Reiko brought this to his attention just as they finished preparing the camp. April 22nd was indeed Berche’s birthday.
"Ah... that's right."
Ever since the time he had completely forgotten Hanna's birthday, Jin had made a concerted effort to keep track of such anniversaries within the Jin Family.
"I've already got a present ready, but..."
Jin was the type to prepare well in advance for just such an occasion.
"The problem is the timing..."
There was a time difference to consider, but more importantly, he didn't want Goose to find out about his movements yet. Regarding the time difference, there was less than a ninety-minute gap between Reinhard's territory and their current location.
"We'll have to go in shifts."
"Mm."
Jin consulted with Elsa inside the automobile. They decided to create some private time under the pretext of taking turns to wash up and change their clothes inside the vehicle.
Jin went first.
With Reiko standing guard in front of the automobile, Jin used the small Warp Gate installed inside to temporarily teleport to Hourai Island.
"Welcome back, My Lord."
"I'm back. Laojun, straight to the point—is that item finished?"
"Yes, we have completed enough units for everyone. They have been calibrated, and the daily variance is within ten seconds."
"Good work. Pass my thanks along to the Mini-Smiths as well."
Jin had successfully copied the wristwatch. To be precise, he had replicated the mechanical movement. Even with the same movement, one could create a completely different look just by altering the dial design or the material and style of the case.
"Oh, this looks great."
The gift he had prepared was a pocket watch based on that movement. As Laojun had said, there were enough for everyone, and Jin had prepared a set for the entire Jin Family. The first was to be Berche's gift.
He had fabricated most of the parts from 64 light silver, making it significantly lighter than the original watch. The only part he hadn't changed was the balance wheel; if it didn't have a specific weight, it wouldn't function correctly within the escapement, and the oscillation period would be thrown off.
Because the 64 light silver made it so light, he had made the case slightly larger, making it easier to read as a pocket watch. Since it was for Berche, he had given the surface of the 64 light silver a scarlet tint. The chain was made of mithril. Packaging and gift-wrapping were already complete.
"Alright, I'm off."
Jin finished changing in a hurry and used the Warp Gate to travel to Rankenhaus in Kalts Village.
He emerged from the basement where the gate was located and headed for the great dining hall. Reinhard was already waiting at the entrance.
"Hey Jin, it's been a while. I know you're busy, so thanks for making the trip today."
"Don't mention it. It’s the birthday of Reinhard’s wife and a member of the Jin Family, after all."
"Haha, I really appreciate it."
Jin entered the dining hall alongside Reinhard.
"Oh, Jin-sama! Thank you so much for coming."
"Berche, happy birthday. Your bump isn't showing yet, is it?"
"No, I'm only about four months along."
"I'm glad to see your morning sickness seems light."
"Thanks to your help."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jin presented his gift.
"I hope you like it."
"Oh, what is it?"
Berche carefully unwrapped the package. Reinhard leaned in, looking on with interest.
"...My, what is this?"
"...Jin, is this a watch!?"
"Spot on."
The design omitted the second hand for a cleaner look.
"It's called a 12-hour clock..."
Jin gave a brief explanation of how to read the time. Both Reinhard and Berche grasped the concept immediately.
"When on earth did you make this?"
Jin gave them a brief summary of the events in the town of Nade on Fusou Island.
"I see... To think such a relic was in a place like that. I’d love to go see it myself."
"Dear, you're too busy for that."
"I—I know..."
As Reinhard expressed his wanderlust, Berche was quick to reel him back in.
"Haha, it's good to see you two are as close as ever."
Mindful of the time, Jin decided it was time to leave.
"Well, I'm a bit concerned about things on the other side, so I'll be heading back now."
"Jin-sama, thank you again for coming all this way today."
"Jin, thanks a lot. Stay safe on your travels."
Jin then returned to Hourai Island.
"My Lord, since you were gone for a while, I took the liberty of sending in a Double to cover for you."
"I see, thanks. Good work."
In the end, the visit had taken about thirty minutes. Laojun had used his initiative, realizing that claiming to be washing up and changing for that long would have been a stretch.
Back on Fusou Island, Jin's Double had emerged from the automobile after less than ten minutes, after which the women had taken turns changing. When Jin finally swapped back and returned to the interior of the automobile, no one else was there. It was pitch black outside.
However, the light shining from the tent told him exactly where everyone was.
"Father."
Only Reiko had been waiting for him outside the car.
"Welcome back. I shall go call the Double now."
Reiko understood the situation perfectly without Jin having to say a word. Once Jin had swapped places with the Double and entered the tent, Elsa approached him.
Did it go well? she whispered.
Yeah. I gave her the present and everything.
Mm, good.
"Hey Jin! Don't just flirt with your fiancée, get over here!"
Looking over, Jin saw that wine had already been served, and everyone was in high spirits.
The Detox effect of our bracelets means we'll only get a slight buzz, Elsa added. Goose should be passing out drunk in a little while.
Ah, I see.
It seemed that once Goose was out of the picture, Elsa and Saki intended to make their own secret trip to Berche's to celebrate.
"Yeah, I'm coming."
Jin realized he had to do his part. To ensure Goose fell asleep, he began encouraging him to drink more wine.
"This wine is delicious!" Goose exclaimed.
Apparently, since the northern part of Fusou Island wasn't suitable for grapes, wine didn't circulate much there. Goose was a formidable drinker, but he was no match for Jin and his Detox magic tool. About thirty minutes later, he was dead to the world.
Since they had already put Hanna to sleep in the automobile earlier, Elsa and Saki were able to go and celebrate Berche’s birthday to their hearts' content.