One day, a sudden thought occurred to Jin, and he brought it up with Laojun.
"Hey, Laojun, what was I thinking about a successor four hundred years ago?"
Jin’s predecessor—or rather, the First Generation Magi Craft Meister, Adriana Barbora Tsetse—had commanded the automata Ochibi, Reiko's predecessor, to find someone possessing both a matching magic pattern and an innate talent for craftsmanship. Ochibi had spent a thousand years searching before finally finding Jin and entrusting him with everything.
Jin wondered if his former self had established a similar protocol four centuries prior. He worried that if his past self had indeed set something in motion, those efforts might now be redundant since he had returned.
"Yes, My Lord. Such a system does indeed exist," Laojun explained. "It happened when you turned fifty, My Lord. Your children had already become independent, and your grandchildren had been born by then."
"Right."
"However, it seems they did not possess a magic pattern identical to yours, My Lord, and they were still quite immature regarding the finer points of craftsmanship."
"I see."
Magic patterns were as unique as fingerprints, voiceprints, or retinal scans—varied enough to be used for absolute individual identification. Perhaps because Jin’s predecessor hadn't realized quite how rare a perfect match was, she had ordered Ochibi to find someone with an identical pattern. In the end, after searching through 3,601 worlds over a millennium, she had found Jin.
"But I know how unreasonable a request that is. That's why I imagine I would have loosened the selection criteria at least a little bit," Jin said, considering how he would set the parameters if he were doing it today.
"Precisely, My Lord. Just as you suspect, the requirement for an 'identical' magic pattern was removed."
"I thought as much. Go on."
"Certainly. The conditions were updated to 'a passion for craftsmanship,' 'a talent for craftsmanship,' and 'a magic pattern similar to yours, My Lord.'"
"Right."
"Additionally, they required the right of access to the magi-craft library."
"I remember that being a factor too."
Jin nodded, satisfied. With those criteria, it wasn't impossible that a candidate might eventually be found.
"However, there was one more item added to the list after that."
"What was it?"
"Ethics. Specifically, whether they were the sort of person who could be entrusted with the sheer scale of Hourai Island and the Moon."
"Ah, right."
The power Hourai Island wielded was immense. No, "immense" was too common a word to describe it. If someone with runaway ambition ever claimed it, they could easily conquer the world. Conversely, a person harbored by madness could bring about global destruction.
"Thinking about it that way, choosing a successor really is difficult."
"Indeed, My Lord."
Ultimately, because of those stringent conditions, not a single person had ever fully qualified.
"I wonder what I was thinking in my later years..." Jin asked tentatively. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know too much about his own old age.
"Yes, My Lord. At the time, you had halfway resigned yourself to the possibility that no one would be found during your lifetime."
"Well, that makes sense."
"That was part of the reason why research was conducted into the Magi Emulator."
"So that was the goal?"
The Magi Emulator was a magi-device designed to mimic magic patterns. Bestowing comprehensive knowledge upon a successor required Trans Info without any limiters, and that process was contingent on matching magic patterns. This was precisely why finding a successor was so arduous.
"In the first place, I had no intention of serving anyone other than Father," a voice interjected.
"Reiko!?"
Reiko had appeared and dropped a bombshell.
"I was also instructed to support Father's successor if one were found, but that is strictly 'support.' I have only one Father."
Jin wondered briefly if his Duplicate counted as the same person, but he chose not to voice the thought. Instead, he simply reached out and patted Reiko’s head.
* * *
"Hmm, for the sake of the future, maybe I’ll try to modify the system a little bit."
"A modification, My Lord? Not a total deactivation?"
Jin nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to slightly adjust the definition of a Magi Craft Meister."
Specifically, Jin explained that he would loosen the restrictions regarding the magic pattern even further.
"If you do that, a candidate may well be found. However, we may not be able to hope for a perfect Trans Info."
"That’s fine. That person will just have to work hard to make up the difference."
In short, Jin decided to implement a system where someone would first be designated as a "Magi Craft Meister (Provisional)." They could eventually drop the "Provisional" status based on their own subsequent efforts and growth.
"I see. That may be an excellent approach."
"And this system will only activate once I am gone," Jin added, stroking the head of a slightly pouting Reiko.
"In that case, I shall protect Father forever and ever."
"Quite right, Reiko-san. Given your current state, My Lord, you will surely spend the same vast span of time with us as we do."
In the end, while the successor system would exist, it would essentially be rendered moot. Jin wondered if that was truly the best way to leave things, but considering the depth of Reiko and Laojun's devotion, he found he couldn't say anything to the contrary.
* * *
"Hmm... come to think of it, how exactly should I define a Magi Craft Meister?" Jin muttered to himself while sipping tea in the House on Hourai Island.
It was Reiko who answered him. "Father... the Predecessor entrusted everything to you. Therefore, I believe you should do exactly as you please."
"Yeah, I guess... so."
"The core issue is likely that the definition is ambiguous," Laojun added. "Would it not be best to clearly define exactly what the qualifications for a Magi Craft Meister are?"
"True, but that's the hard part."
Jin thought back to the Magi Craft King/Queen Competition held on Onogoro Island a while ago. If asked whether that event had provided any clarity, his answer was "no."
"Being good at making things isn't enough on its own..."
"That is true," Reiko agreed.
"That's why I created those other titles, after all."
"I understand your point. It is certainly a complex matter."
Even for Laojun, it wasn't a problem that could be solved immediately.
"Neither I nor Reiko-san wish to even contemplate a time when you are no longer here, My Lord."
"...I see."
Jin decided to drop the subject for now. He finished his tea, which had begun to cool, and stood up.
"Reiko, let's head to the workshop."
"Yes, Father."
"Laojun, prepare the materials."
"Yes, My Lord."
The answer to this difficult problem would likely not be found until the far, distant future.