Jin decided it was time to conduct Freddie’s aptitude test.
"First, we’ll start with Trans Info. Let's see how much you can handle."
This was exactly how it had begun for both Elsa and Reinhard.
"Don't worry about whether you can do it or not for now. Just focus on memorizing the technique for Trans Info."
Jin began walking Freddie through the process.
"Um, like this...? Trans Info!"
"Trace System."
By having Reiko use her Trace System, Jin was able to gauge the degree of Freddie's aptitude.
"Father, it appears Freddie-san can reach level 3."
"Oh, that’s good news."
Elsa had started at level 3, while Reinhard had been a level 2. Through training, they had eventually grown to level 8 and level 7, respectively.
Finding that Freddie had the raw talent to reach level 3 right out of the gate was a promising sign. Jin felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of teaching him.
He moved immediately into the first training exercise.
"First, the basics. You can use Forming, right?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Good. Then I want you to take this bronze ingot and turn it into a perfect sphere."
Training with Forming was a way to practice mana manipulation, but it also honed spatial awareness—one of the most critical skills in magi-craft.
Elsa had once sharpened her skills by practicing the creation of pen nibs.
"Jin-sama, should I be practicing too?" Rubina asked.
"Hmm? How much have you practiced, Rubina?"
"Eh? I haven't."
"Wait, what...?"
Jin was taken aback, but Marikka offered an explanation.
"Jin-sama, we follow a different curriculum on Onogoro Island."
"Oh? What kind?"
"Well, you see... rather than actually casting spells like Forming, we perform simulations within the brain."
According to Marikka, they used headsets similar to those used for operating a Doppel to perform various mental operations.
"I see. Controlling something like a Doppel would certainly make for excellent training."
"Yes. Or rather... it was actually Jin-sama who originally devised the method..."
"Me?"
Apparently, Jin had come up with the idea when he was around fifty years old.
"That makes sense. It sounds like a way to facilitate highly concentrated training in a short amount of time."
Since it was a method his future self—or past self, from his current perspective—had created, Jin immediately recognized its utility.
"Even so... when it comes to seeing with your own eyes and touching with your hands, I think this physical method is superior."
Ultimately, it was hard to say which method would better develop an individual's latent talents.
"In any case, Rubina, Greena—you two give it a shot as well."
"Okay!"
"Understood."
The two girls obeyed Jin readily. Marikka had long since graduated from this basic stage, so she remained an observer.
"Now then, use these bronze ingots to make perfect spheres."
"Yes. Forming!"
"Forming!"
"Oh, well done."
Both girls produced perfect spheres in an instant.
"Now, make two of the same size."
"Yes. Forming!"
"Good. Now four."
Rubina and Greena handled the task up to four spheres without any trouble.
"Six."
"Eh?...Forming!...Whew."
"Eight."
"...Forming!...Ah, I messed one up."
"I see. So this is roughly the average skill level."
"No, no, Jin-sama! You shouldn't use these two as your baseline!" Marikka interjected hurriedly.
"...Well, when I said 'average,' I meant by the standards of Onogoro Island, not the rest of the world."
"Even so, these two are top-class."
"I see. Fair enough," Jin conceded, nodding at Marikka's advice.
Rubina then chimed in with a question.
"Hey, Jin-sama, how many spheres can you make at once?"
Greena hopped on the bandwagon immediately.
"Please, show us a demonstration!"
Freddie, who was still in the middle of his own practice, looked up with curiosity, and even Marikka’s eyes were sparkling with anticipation.
"...Alright. Reiko, give me an ingot too."
"Yes, Father."
Reiko placed a massive ingot in front of Jin. It was five times larger than the ones Rubina and the others were using. Everyone’s eyes went wide.
"Here I go....Forming."
In a single heartbeat, the block of bronze shifted, splitting into forty perfect spheres. Several rolled off the workbench, but Reiko caught them before they hit the floor.
"No way..."
"S-such power..."
"It's too amazing-sh!"
"..."
Rubina, Greena, Marikka, and Freddie were left staring at the results, half-dumbfounded and half-awed by this small glimpse of Jin’s true capability.
"Every single one is perfectly round and exactly the same size..."
"As expected of Jin-sama..."
"I'm going to work even harder!"
Freddie had been wondering in the back of his mind if this repetitive task was really necessary, but seeing Jin’s masterful display had ignited a fire in him.
They spent the entire day—interrupted only by lunch—practicing Forming.
Not only had Freddie found his motivation, but Rubina and Greena were now working with renewed vigor. Even Marikka had joined in, practicing the creation of spheres herself.
Throughout the day, Eris watched her grandchildren with a serene smile, never losing her cheerful disposition.
The results of the intensive training were clear.
Marikka became capable of producing 18 spheres at once, Rubina reached 14, and Greena hit 12—a massive improvement from where they had started.
Freddie showed the most significant growth of all, reaching 6 spheres.
"This method really is effective, isn't it?"
"Yes. I suspect that by mastering three-dimensional object perception and mana manipulation, one's overall skill level is raised across the board."
Jin explained his theory to Marikka.
"I see... Just as I expected from you, Jin-sama."
"But I still wonder why my other self recommended simulations."
"Perhaps it's because simulations have their own unique advantages?"
"And what would those be?"
"Well, I imagine they allow someone to raise their skill level in a very short amount of time."
Marikka explained that when the previous Jin had introduced that method, it was an era where there was a desperate need to train as many magi craftsmen as possible.
Jin surmised that this must have been during the peak of technological advancement before the Magic Federation rose to power.
It was likely an efficient training regimen Jin had proposed when they were faced with a severe shortage of personnel.
However, somewhere along the line, the teaching must have become simplified until only the simulation aspect remained.
"Education truly is a difficult thing," Jin mused, feeling the weight of the realization.