As Jin disembarked from the battleship Hotaka, he noticed the sun beginning its descent.
"Well, then. Shall we head back?"
It was just past 4:00 PM.
"We'll return, relax in the hot springs, and then have dinner."
"Okay!" Rubina chirped, her energy undiminished.
Eris watched her with a gentle, soft smile.
The group returned to the laboratory in the blink of an eye using the Warp Gate.
"Once you get used to this, there's no going back to a normal life..." Freddie muttered under his breath. Jin heard him but chose to let the comment slide.
"Please, make yourself at home at the Hourai Island hot spring," Jin said, gesturing for Eris to lead the way.
"Ah, there's nothing quite like a hot spring."
Jin was in the men's bath with Freddie.
"...So, you truly are the Magi Craft Meister," Freddie said, his voice sounding a bit flat.
Noticing his dejection, Jin spoke up. "What's on your mind?"
"Nothing... it's just that I’m realizing how narrow my world was until now."
Freddie confessed that he had gone through a period of bitter resentment, wanting to become a Magi Craft Meister but failing to reach that level.
"But it's only natural," Freddie continued. "You've built all of this, Jin-sama. Someone like me never stood a chance."
Jin spoke to him with the patient tone of a teacher. "Self-reflection is fine, but don't belittle yourself. Not knowing something isn't a source of shame. What's shameful is refusing to learn."
"Refusing to learn..."
"Exactly. You’ve been given an opportunity now. You’re motivated, aren't you?"
"I... I am. But do you really think I can do it?" Even with Jin's encouragement, Freddie still seemed to lack confidence.
"That depends on you. My wife, Elsa, didn't even start learning magi-craft until she was sixteen. Despite that, she’s become a highly capable engineer. You’ve been studying since you were much younger; your foundation should already be solid."
Even so, Freddie couldn't seem to shake his gloom.
He has just enough knowledge to realize the gap, Jin thought, and seeing Hourai Island has intimidated him.
Jin found himself worrying about how best to approach the young man's education; he certainly had a difficult personality to navigate.
Meanwhile, in the women's bath.
"Oh, the water is lovely," Marikka said, striking up a conversation with Eris as they relaxed in the tub.
"Eris-san, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" Since it was one woman asking another, the question wasn't considered a breach of etiquette.
"I am sixty this year."
"I see..."
"That's ten years older than my grandma!" Rubina chirped.
"Oh? Your grandmother is only fifty, Rubina-chan?" Eris asked.
"Yep!" Rubina answered brightly. Then, she hesitated, looking slightly bashful. "Um... Grandma Eris? Is it okay if I call you that?"
Eris chuckled and nodded. "Yes, of course, Rubina-chan."
"Thanks, Grandma Eris!"
Marikka watched the exchange with a warm smile, but a thought nagged at her.
She's only sixty... but her complexion seems a bit poor.
As for Greena, she was off at the edge of the tub, stretching her limbs and soaking in the silence, lost in her own thoughts.
"Oh, this is delicious."
Fruit juice had been set out for them after the bath. Since dinner was fast approaching, it was served in small 100-milliliter bottles. The scent of citran combined with a light carbonation made for a refreshing treat.
By the time they finished changing in the dressing room and stepped outside, the sky was ablaze with a deep red sunset.
"It's... so beautiful," Eris whispered to herself, looking up at the horizon. "I have nothing left to regret..."
There was no one around to hear her—save for Laojun.
Dinner was a coordinated Japanese-style affair: white rice, matsutake suimono, mountain stream eel kabayaki, wild vegetable tempura, fuki-miso, and oshinko. The matsutake had been imported from Onogoro Island in the Southern Hemisphere, where the autumn harvest was currently underway.
"Oh, Jin-san, this kabayaki is wonderful!"
Eris seemed to have taken a particular liking to the dish. The mountain stream eel was a freshwater fish found in the lower reaches of the Erme River near Kaina Village. Since it never migrated to the sea, it was distinct from common eels. They were relatively easy to farm, and Kaina Village was already looking into large-scale aquaculture for them.
"To think it could be this flavorful..."
The secret sauce and the light dusting of hajikami—the powdered Japanese pepper—brought out the best in the fish.
"I love these matsutake!" Rubina exclaimed.
"They really are delicious," Greena agreed. Both of them loved the taste and aroma of the mushrooms, which reminded them of the harvest in their own hometown.
"The bitterness of the fuki-miso is quite sophisticated," Marikka added, savoring the unique flavor.
They finished the meal with cups of buckwheat tea.
"I had no idea buckwheat groats could produce such a wonderful tea," Eris remarked.
"It's great, isn't it, Grandmother?" Freddie added. Both of them were clearly fans.
"Buckwheat tea used to be served at Jin Castle once upon a time," Jin noted.
The tradition had apparently died out at some point in history. In Kaina Village, however, tea made from the leaves of the Peruhya—known as the "tea tree"—was a staple that contributed to the villagers' health.
"Having such abundance in food, clothing, and shelter... it’s truly a blessing," Eris said, her eyes crinkling as she smiled.
As everyone was feeling the weight of the day's excitement, they turned in early. Only Jin remained awake for a while, speaking with Laojun.
"...Eris-san said that?"
"Yes, My Lord. She made a rather unsettling remark."
"Can you perform a discreet medical examination?" Jin asked.
"I can, but it would likely be more appropriate to do so openly."
"I suppose you're right. In that case, let's arrange a health check-up for tomorrow."
"A wise decision, My Lord."