Adriana was not one to let a hard-won opportunity go to waste.
Having grasped the general properties of the materials, she moved on to the next phase: the study of magic tools. Taking things step-by-step was a discipline she had ingrained in herself under her father Shuuki’s tutelage.
The items in the repository were meticulously organized, almost as if anticipating her needs; they were arranged in increasing order of complexity.
(Actually, it’s probably just that the beginner-level items are at the front and the more advanced ones are further back.)
Maintaining her composure, she began her investigation with the objects nearest the entrance.
Compared to the items she had seen in the storehouse at Saitos’s manor, these magic tools were generally larger. She wondered if this was the difference between personal property and assets belonging to the entire clan.
"This... it has a magical resonance with this other tool over here," Adriana murmured, her eyes darting between a large, flat, rectangular box and a cylinder roughly ten centimeters in diameter and thirty centimeters long.
"We aren't sure what those are used for," Bashako explained. "The instructions were lost long ago."
Hearing this, Adriana deepened her analysis.
"The magi-formula here is somewhat similar to that of a Warp Gate. Could it be... are this cylinder and this box 'linked'?"
Adriana’s sharp gaze traced the flow of the magi-formula. After a few minutes of concentration, the rectangular box began to glow.
"What in the...?" Bashako gasped, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"I thought so. Here, Bashako-san, look."
Adriana held the cylinder and pointed it directly at Bashako.
"Eeeh!?"
Bashako’s shock only deepened. There, displayed on the rectangular box, was his own face, frozen in a mask of bewilderment.
The box was no mirror. If it were a mirror, the image would be reversed, and his face wouldn't be visible unless he stood directly in front of it. However, the box was angled away, and the chest pocket on Bashako’s clothing was not inverted.
"This box projects the scenery captured by the cylinder."
Adriana recalled her father once telling her about something called 'television.' She felt a surge of joy knowing that she could achieve something similar through magic.
Bashako, however, was reeling—first from the revelation of an artifact’s purpose, and second from the fact that it was a young engineer from the outside who had unlocked it.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Shall we call them the 'Magic Screen' and the 'Magic Eye'?"
A large crowd from the All-Creation clan had gathered outside the repository. Word that an artifact had been activated had spread quickly, and everyone wanted to see it for themselves.
"U-Um... why are there so many people?"
"Ah, don’t mind them," Bashako replied. "They just heard that the use of an artifact was discovered and wanted to see."
"I-I see."
Once she understood their presence, Adriana felt no more intimidated than necessary. She had, after all, once delivered lectures to crowds alongside the magus.
"Well, then. When you point this 'Magic Eye' at something, the view is projected onto this 'Magic Screen.' Distance doesn't seem to be a factor for now."
A collective "Ooh!" of wonder rose from the villagers.
"Now, let’s try a different view."
Helmultos, one of the repository caretakers, took the Magic Eye and ran off. Though he tried to hold the device steady, the image on the screen bobbed slightly with his gait. It was enough to make someone motion-sick if they stared too long, but the shaking subsided after about a minute when Helmultos came to a stop.
Up until that point, the Magic Screen had vividly displayed every turn and corner of the path Helmultos had taken.
"Oho, this is incredibly convenient."
"How fascinating."
"It could even be used for surveillance."
The villagers praised the newly rediscovered artifact.
"Guest, you have our thanks!"
"Adriana-dono, thank you!"
"Long live the Magi Craft Meister!"
In that moment, Adriana Barbora Tsetse, the Magi Craft Meister, truly won the unwavering trust of the All-Creation clan.
＊ ＊ ＊
Adriana eventually succeeded in replicating the Magic Screen and the Magic Eye.
Because the underlying principles were similar to those of a Warp Gate, her understanding and subsequent application were relatively straightforward.
She processed high-purity dark-attribute magi-crystals into cylinders and then split them into two identical pieces. This created a magical connection between the two crystals. By using a separate light-attribute magi-crystal to capture an image, she could transmit the data and reproduce the visual at a distant location.
"What a fascinating mechanism..."
For Adriana, the method of reproduction was even more intriguing than the capture or transmission.
The input-side Magic Eye had an outer diameter of ten centimeters, with a light-attribute magi-crystal at the tip measuring just under two centimeters. In contrast, the output-side Magic Screen was approximately seventy centimeters wide and fifty centimeters tall.
"I see... it’s much finer than a human eye."
Adriana realized that because the resolution of the Magic Eye was so high, the image did not degrade even when enlarged to such proportions.
"That means if I wanted to project what a golem or an automata sees, it would be entirely possible..."
Adriana’s mind raced with potential applications.
Starting with the Magic Screen and the Magic Eye, Adriana proceeded to analyze and replicate artifact-class magic tools within the repository one after another.
It was a win-win situation: Adriana mastered new techniques and advanced her own skills, while the All-Creation clan gained the use of magic tools that had previously been nothing more than relics.
During her stay, Adriana repaired no fewer than thirty-eight artifacts and magic tools, absorbing the technical knowledge of each one as she went.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...So it seems," Jin said softly, closing the second diary.
"The reason the Predecessor achieved such extraordinary levels of technology was that she analyzed artifacts while living among the people we now call the demon race."
When Jin had visited the demon territory in the past, he had been surprised by how widely the title of Magi Craft Meister was known. Now that he was retracing the Predecessor’s footsteps, it made perfect sense. It was only natural that Sion and Istalis of the All-Creation clan were familiar with the name.
The realization of the Predecessor’s involvement left him both startled and deeply impressed.
"In the Predecessor’s time, there was no prejudice—or rather, no feud—between them and humans, was there, Jin?" Saki asked, her voice as quiet as his.
"Yeah. I wonder how and why they eventually came to be branded as the 'demon race.'"
The Predecessor’s records didn't seem likely to provide that answer.
"Well, let’s call it a day."
Before they knew it, it was nearly two in the afternoon. They had been so absorbed in the records that they had completely forgotten about lunch.
As they left the study, Saki turned to Jin.
"Jin, thanks for today. I’m really glad we got to learn about the previous Magi Craft Meister. But... if you’re going to read the records beyond this point, I think it might be better if you were alone. Or maybe just you and Reiko-chan."
"Eh?"
"I agree," Elsa said, nodding in support of Saki. "Just hearing about her journey from you later will be enough for us."
"I think so too, Onii-chan," Hanna added. "Only you have the right to read the Predecessor’s true records."
"Hehe. We were happy to sit in since yesterday," Saki said with a small laugh, "but in the end, this is the sanctuary of the Magi Craft Meister."
"I agree," Elsa murmured.
"Everyone..."
Jin was touched by their consideration and bowed his head naturally.
"Thank you, all of you. I’ll read the rest of the records myself. Once I’ve summarized what I find, I’ll share it with everyone."
"Yes, that sounds perfect."
"I'm fine with that. And when you do, you should tell Reinhard and Vivienne and the others as well."
"We’ll be waiting, Onii-chan."
And so, it was settled: Jin would read the remaining records in private and share the knowledge with his friends once he had processed it all.