"Wow, thank you, Auntie!"
Mine’s gift was a set of dressy clothes. They were too modest to be called a gown, yet too ornate for daily wear—they truly lived up to the label of 'dressy clothes.' Designed with ease of movement in mind, they looked like they would suit Hanna perfectly.
Martha had provided a new pair of shoes. Made of grape-colored leather, they were the perfect match for the outfit from Mine.
"They’re a new product from Erik’s shop," Martha explained.
Between the new inventory and the overall atmosphere, it seemed Erik and Barbara’s business was thriving.
"I want to be able to make dolls like this one day..." Hanna murmured, her eyes on the gift.
"Shall I teach you?" Elsa asked.
"Really? Yes!" Hanna jumped at the offer.
Even if she couldn't use magic, Hanna possessed a clear talent for engineering; in Jin’s eyes, she would only benefit from learning manual crafting techniques. It was something he had realized firsthand.
Having a Magining Tool available made it even more important. Crafting ultimately came down to how vividly one could visualize the final product. To sharpen that mental image, mastering the physical sensations of the craft was essential.
"Oh, in that case, I want you to teach everyone else too," Hanna suggested, blissfully unaware of Jin’s deep thoughts.
With Kaina Village buried in snow, outdoor play was limited. Such indoor activities were sure to be a hit.
"Speaking of which, how are the study sessions going?" Jin asked. He realized he had been leaving the education of the village children entirely to others lately.
"Hmm. The children who’ve been coming from the start have already mastered the four basic operations," Elsa replied.
"I see."
From what he could gather, they had more or less conquered elementary school-level mathematics.
"That’s impressive."
Of course, it helped that they had fewer subjects to focus on. They studied the national language—reading and writing—math, and a bit of general science. For social studies, they covered basic history and geography. There were no classes for music, art, or home economics. As for physical education, the children ran around enough on their own that it wasn't necessary to formalize it. Because of this, they could dedicate more time each day to the core subjects.
"Overall, I get the feeling the children here are quite bright," Elsa added, having spent a good deal of time instructing them.
"Then what’s left is social interaction..."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, if you look at the raison d'être of a school, one of its major purposes is to help children build human relationships before they enter society, alongside teaching knowledge and its applications."
"...I see."
However, formal educational institutions like schools didn't exist in this world yet. Most learning happened through personal apprenticeships under scholars or in small lectures, while the nobility relied on private tutors.
Jin hoped that once an academy was established in Avalon, he could send the children of Kaina Village there.
You never know what kind of hidden talents might be waiting to be discovered, he thought.
"Jin-nii?"
Elsa looked at him with a puzzled expression. She had noticed him slipping into a deep state of contemplation, and since he had been silent for quite a while, she decided to speak up.
"Sorry. I was just thinking about building an academy in Avalon."
"Ah, I thought so." Elsa giggled. "I think it’s a wonderful idea. It’s a real dream."
The dream of taking a person’s natural talents and helping them flourish—to see what incredible things they might achieve.
"You're right. It is a grand dream."
"But first, we take it one step at a time."
"Yeah. You're right, Elsa."
Keep the goal high, but the footing firm. Jin believed that as long as they didn't stop moving forward, they would get there eventually.
"For now, let's start by teaching handicrafts at Jin Castle."
"Handicrafts?"
"Yeah. Elsa and I... or the Smiths when we're busy. We can teach woodwork, metalwork, sewing, knitting—things like that."
"Oh, that sounds perfect."
The people of Kaina Village had no fear of golems; if anything, they felt a sense of kinship with them. They had grown quite accustomed to Jin’s creations.
"Oh! I want to learn how to sew!" Hanna chimed in.
Martha was better at knitting than sewing, so Hanna clearly wanted to learn from a specialist.
"All right," Elsa said with a nod. She had learned both sewing and knitting from Mine and was proficient enough to teach both. "Hanna-chan is very dexterous, so I’m sure she’ll pick it up in no time."
"Now we just need someone for design..." Jin mused.
"What about Stearena-san?" Elsa suggested.
"Ah, good point."
Elsa reasoned that someone capable of crafting a crystal golem must have an excellent sense of design. Jin agreed.
And so, the plan for the Jin Castle Craft Class began to take shape.
That night, at Hanna’s persistent request, Jin and his companions stayed over in Kaina Village. Hanna slept in the same room as Mine.
"Still a pampered little girl, even at eleven," Martha teased. However, one look at her beaming face made it clear she didn't mean a word of it.
"...It’s so quiet."
"It is."
Jin and Elsa stayed on the second floor of the workshop Jin had built directly across from the Martha residence. It was too sparse to really be called a house, and with so few personal effects, it felt more like a workshop to Jin.
The double-paned muscovite windows blocked out most of the winter chill. Outside the door, Reiko was carefully managing the temperature and humidity. Thanks to her, the room stayed at a comfortable twenty degrees Celsius—just right for winter clothes—with a throat-soothing humidity level of seventy percent.
"This village is my second home... no, it's my true home in this world."
"I know. People need... a place to return to."
"Yeah."
As they leaned against each other, Jin spoke softly, and Elsa replied in kind.
"Am I... also a 'place to return to' for you, Jin-nii?"
"Of course you are," Jin answered without a moment's hesitation. "No matter where I go, my place to return to is always by your side, Elsa."
The moment the words left his lips, Jin felt a wave of embarrassment and dove under his futon. Flushed a deep red, Elsa followed suit, pulling her own covers up.
"Good night."
"Good night."
Deep in the heart of winter, muffled by the heavy blanket of snow, the night remained perfectly still.