"Um... Jin-sama? I have a proposal."
Jin and the others had moved to the workshop to begin Marikka's lessons in Craft Magic.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Well, you see... it’s about Hanna-chan."
"Hanna?"
"Yes. Hanna-chan is so bright, isn't she?"
"She is."
"I just think it's such a waste of her potential."
"Mm-hmm."
"So... do you think we could make it so Hanna-chan can use Craft Magic, too?"
"...I see where you're going with this."
"Jin-nii, Hanna-chan is very clever. I think it’s a wonderful idea," Elsa added in agreement.
Jin recalled the "Factory" he had seen back in Mitsuho.
"If I keep it in my workshop here, Hanna could definitely use it....All right!"
Jin decided to set to work on a "Magi Machine for crafting," with Marikka serving as his assistant. Elsa stayed on as an observer for this project.
They started with a machine dedicated to "Forming."
"We write the magi-formula here to process the data input from this side. Then, using that optimized data, we trigger the 'Forming' effect."
"U-Um... could you please explain that one more time...?"
"Sorry, sorry. I was going a bit too fast for you."
He had slipped into the same technical tone he used with Elsa, and it seemed Marikka was struggling to keep up.
"This magi-formula acts as the link between the operator and the Magi Machine. We call this an 'interface.'"
"An... in-ter-face?"
"Right. Essentially, its job is to translate human will into something the Magi Machine can understand. Without it, someone who can't use magic would never be able to operate a machine like this."
"Oh, I see!"
As Jin carefully explained the structure, composition, and intended use, Marikka's understanding grew.
Jin spent the rest of the day building the specialized Forming machine, providing explanations every step of the way.
The final product resembled a standalone 3D processor.
"I think this is a good start."
It was roughly the size of a small school desk, with a top surface measuring ninety centimeters wide by fifty centimeters deep.
On one side sat a magi-screen and an input device; the setup bore a striking resemblance to an all-in-one desktop computer. The display was the magi-screen, while the keyboard section was shaped more like a video game controller.
The rest of the desk's surface was engraved with a magic circle.
"This is incredible, Jin-sama! With this, even people who can't use magic can process all sorts of materials using 'Forming'!"
"I'm impressed, Jin-nii."
"Well, I had seen similar machines back in modern Japan. The one who's truly impressive is you, Marikka, for realizing that we should build something like this in the first place."
"Fueh!?"
Marikka turned crimson at the praise.
"For better or worse, I'm just a technician. As an inventor, I'm probably third-rate or lower."
"I don't think that's true at all..." Elsa muttered, clearly dissatisfied with Jin's modest self-assessment.
"W-Well, that doesn't really matter right now," Jin said, changing the subject. "Let's take it to Kaina Village tomorrow."
"Mm."
"Yes! I can't wait!"
On November 5th, Jin, Elsa, Reiko, Sion, and Marikka traveled to Kaina Village.
They set up the finished "dedicated Forming machine" in a corner of Jin's workshop.
"Onii-chan, what's this?" Hanna asked, naturally curious.
Marikka was the one to answer.
"Listen, Hanna-chan. This is..."
"What?! A magi-craft machine!?"
"That's right. You just tell it what you want to make right here..."
Marikka continued her explanation. Her tone shifted slightly, becoming more elder-sisterly when speaking to Hanna.
"...And then, you place your materials on this magic circle and press this 'Forming' button. The Craft Magic installed in the device takes over, and it's finished!"
"Wow! Did you make this, Marikka-chan?"
Marikka looked a bit bashful as she gave an honest answer. "No, Jin-sama made it. I only helped a little bit."
"Really? Onii-chan, thank you so much!"
Jin offered a few more details.
"This Magi Machine is only capable of 'Forming.' As for the size of what you can make... you see this magic circle? Anything that fits within its bounds is fair game."
"Okay, I got it!"
The main unit was fifty centimeters wide, forty centimeters high, and forty centimeters deep, but the processing happened within the magic circle, which had a diameter of about sixty centimeters.
"You can use copper, bronze, iron, or clay as materials. It won't work on wood. It can handle crystals, but not ordinary stone....Well, if you try the wrong material, nothing will happen, so there's no danger."
"Mm-hmm."
"Let's give it a try."
Jin brought over a lump of silver from the workshop and set it upon the magic circle.
"The machine automatically discards any excess, so it's better to use a bit more than you think you'll need. If you don't have enough, it'll still follow your instructions, but the object will just turn out smaller than intended."
As he explained, Jin had Hanna take a seat.
"Let's start with something simple, like a plate. Use these buttons..."
The interface featured buttons similar to a directional pad and a joystick-like lever. With practiced ease, Jin used them to generate a three-view drawing. Hanna was already familiar with such diagrams.
"You set the dimensions here..."
Hanna listened with rapt attention, her face a mask of concentration.
"And when you're satisfied with the design, you press the 'Forming' button."
The magic circle pulsed with a faint light, and the silver ingot was reshaped into a plate in an instant. The leftover silver remained as a smaller lump.
"Wow! It's amazing!" Hanna cheered, hopping with excitement.
"And finally, the reset function. If you press this 'Material Recovery' button..."
Once again, the magic circle glowed softly, and the plate reverted into a silver ingot.
"Whoa!"
"You can redo it as many times as you like, so feel free to practice. Since this is a prototype, let me know if you notice anything while using it. I'll keep refining the design."
"Okay! I will!"
"Once you've got the hang of it, I'll make Magi Machines for other types of processing, too."
"Thank you, Onii-chan! Thank you, Marikka-chan!"
Seeing Hanna's beaming smile made both Jin and Marikka feel that all their hard work had been worth it.
"Marikka-chan, let's try it together!"
"Eh? Is that okay?"
"Of course!"
Hanna immediately pulled Marikka along to start experimenting.
"That's the spirit. Marikka, let me know if you think of any improvements, too. I want to make this as good as it can be."
"Yes, Jin-sama!"
This was the moment the Magining Tool took its first step into the world.
It would be the catalyst that finally brought magi-craft to the common people.