"Now then, the most important thing to remember when mastering magi-craft is 'a passion for craftsmanship.'"
On Hourai Island, Jin had begun a crash course in magi-craft for Tiberio of the Divergence clan.
"Yes, sir."
"Philosophical ideals aside, the true key to excelling in magi-craft is whether or not you can use Trans Info."
"Trans Info?"
"That's right. If you can master it, you can mass-produce golems and automata, and you can intentionally expand your own knowledge base."
When Tiberio’s expression suggested he hadn't quite grasped the concept, Jin offered a further explanation.
"By 'expanding your knowledge,' I mean that you can use the spell to read information stored in a magi-crystal directly into your brain."
While spells like Read or Decompile allow a person to see a magi-formula visually, they do not transfer that data directly into the mind.
"So," Jin continued, "how do magi craftsmen who can't use Trans Info create golems and automata? There are three main ways. The first is education from the ground up. You raise them like you’re teaching a baby. However, that was a method used only in the very early days. It takes far too much time, so it’s largely fallen out of practice now."
"I see."
"The second way involves using educational magi-devices. This essentially 'teaches' information to the control core. Unlike Trans Info, this is strictly a matter of imparting knowledge through conventional means. Specifically, a control core is fitted with temporary 'ears,' and the necessary knowledge is transmitted via voice or mana waves."
Even so, it was highly efficient; information could be imparted at two to five times the speed of a human—depending on the grade of the control core—and the cores never forgot what they learned. Since the process could run twenty-four hours a day, it was roughly ten times faster than the first method.
"The third way is the current mainstream method. You manually Write In standardized magi-formulas one by one. There are usually about a hundred segments, so it’s about half a day’s work."
In this process, basic movements and linguistic data were inscribed piece by piece. These were magi-formulas originally developed by Adriana Barbora Tsetse and refined over centuries.
"And then there's Copy, which has started to gain traction recently. You could call it a simplified version of Trans Info. It’s quite user-friendly, and many people are capable of using it."
This technique had originally been devised by Jix when he entered the Gonpetition in the Celuroa Kingdom, and since then, researchers had refined it for general use.
"Ultimately, being able to use Trans Info is the ideal. So, Tiberio, let’s test your aptitude first."
"Understood."
As it turned out, Tiberio had the talent. Jin had him use Trans Info to duplicate a magi-crystal he had prepared with the necessary data, and then had Tiberio perform Trans Info on himself to absorb the contents.
"So this is the world of magi-craft..." Tiberio murmured, stunned by the sheer volume of information now residing in his mind.
"Yeah. I also included some basic scientific knowledge."
Having an understanding of science—roughly at a middle-school level—made a world of difference in how efficiently one could apply magic.
"Now then, let the real training begin."
Knowledge that was merely memorized was useless; it only gained meaning once it could be put into practice.
"First, use this bronze to create ten spheres, ten cubes, and ten regular tetrahedrons. Make sure they all weigh exactly the same."
"Yes, sir....Wait, what!?"
"Just match the weights first, then use Forming to shape them."
"I... I'll try."
Through exercises like this, Jin helped him cultivate a fundamental sense of spatial awareness.
"Next, take this adamantite ingot and use Forming to create a plate exactly 0.1 millimeters thick and 50 centimeters wide. The length doesn't matter."
"Y-Yes, sir."
Adamantite offered significant resistance to the Forming spell, which served to strengthen Tiberio's magical output.
"Now, I want you to use Analyze on this metal. Can you tell me what elements it contains?"
"I'll give it a shot."
"This is carbon steel—steel with carbon added to it. Let's try making a kitchen knife with it."
"Yes!"
Jin continued providing practical lessons designed to help Tiberio internalize the scientific concepts he had learned. Because they only had two days, the curriculum was a bit cramped, but Tiberio worked hard without a single complaint or whine.
Of course, Jin ensured they took proper breaks and meals. His approach to schedule management was a direct reaction to the grueling "black company" environment he had endured in his previous life.
"It’s also best if you know a few simple Healing spells."
"Right. I'll do my best."
Accidents happened in the workshop, so learning Healing was always a sound investment. Tiberio understood this well and applied himself to the study with desperate focus.
During one of their breaks, Jin asked, "Are you tired?"
"Honestly? Yes. But it’s fulfilling. I'm learning to do things I never could before, and understanding things I never knew. It feels like a whole new world is opening up in front of me."
"Hearing you say that makes the teaching worth it."
After their training sessions, they relaxed in the hot springs and ensured they got a full eight hours of sleep. The next day was more of the same... and before they knew it, two days had passed.
June 16th arrived. This was the day Marcia was scheduled to depart Kaina Village.
"Big sister Marcia, you have to come back and visit!"
"I will. I'll definitely come back to play."
"You promise!?"
With the Warp Gate available, she could return in an instant whenever she wished, so Marcia happily agreed to the children's demands.
"Marcia, thank you for the boats," Jin said, offering his gratitude.
"It was a commission, after all. If anything, I'm the one who should thank you—I learned so much. And besides..." Marcia stole a glance at Tiberio, who was standing beside her. "It looks like I’ve found a great 'partner' too."
The slight flush on her cheeks probably wasn't just from the summer sun.
"I’ll also be putting your 'safety measures' to good use as a reference."
"Good. Please do."
Jin had equipped the two boats with anchors. This allowed them to stay stationary on the river when needed, preventing them from drifting. It was also vital for safety; if someone was swimming and wanted to climb back aboard, it helped if the boat wasn't moving.
Though he didn't say it aloud, Jin was also preparing for the worst-case scenario: rescuing a drowning child. To that end, he had provided lifebuoys equipped with ropes and loaded them onto both vessels. They would be easy for the boatman Golems to throw in an emergency.
"Rodrigo-san, please take care of yourself."
"Thank you, Jin-dono....I’m just happy that it seems I’ve found a worthy successor." Rodrigo glanced at Tiberio as he spoke. The gesture was an exact mirror of Marcia’s earlier look; Jin found himself secretly impressed by how much the father and daughter took after one another.
"I'm truly grateful for everything," Tiberio said, bowing deeply to Jin with a bright, refreshed expression.
"Yeah, work hard. I know you can do it, Tiberio. Make sure you support Marcia and Rodrigo-san."
"I will, to the very best of my ability."
In that moment, Tiberio of the Divergence clan was gone; he was simply Tiberio.