Grinning, Adam wrapped his hand around the dull-red beast core. Sky-blue mana emerged from his palm, the light acting like a corona around the smooth sphere. For a moment, he pondered the protocols he would enchant it with. Should he go with his own style, or perhaps use the golem's patterns to glean a reaction from Viktor later?

Eventually, he shaped his mana like branding irons, orderly patterns shimmering brightly. With a sizzle and a puff of rising steam that carried the scent of brewing storms, the dull red of the beast core brightened into an elegant vermillion.

Power source enchanted. Now came the hardest part: the actual protocols. That was a nightmare he had spent years studying, books piled on his desks and parchments filled with scratches back in the void palace's library. Yet, even with Lulu's help, they had failed to create free will.

Instead, he had perfected a system based on conditions out of pure spite for the failure. The first protocol he enchanted the core with was the simplest—if it heard Elliot's voice, it had to follow his command. Then came the second protocol, another simple, but meaningful thing: if an obstacle barred its path, it had to avoid it. After all, he couldn't let the miniature golem crash into walls, anvils, or, even worse, students.

He knew what he wanted for the third, but though he strained his mind to give it analytic capabilities like the golem from the mysterious room, he ended up sighing. It was just too complex, would take too long, and would require a core at least five ranks higher.

With a frustrated grumble, he methodically engraved the core with a dozen more protocols, each something sentient beings would never think about, such as managing its balance, picking itself up if it fell, or his favourite: to always take a stylish pose when it wasn't moving.

Elliot's eyes sparkled when he watched him nod and place the core onto the workbench. "Time to check the equipment."

He smiled at the boy, moving to the basin of acid in which he had let the metallic pieces soak.

Behind his back, Elliot tiptoed to the vermillion sphere. He snatched it, gasping. "That's what'll make the golem move. Wow..."

For a moment, he observed the engraved enchantment, nodding hastily each time he understood one of Adam's protocols. Yet, a deep furrow creased his brow. Why were they so necessarily orderly in their perfection? Didn't Adam realise how they would impact the golem?

"Hmm." He shook his head. "I must fix it. Perhaps he'll praise me if I do it well."

With a grin, he channelled earth-brown mana on the sphere. He altered the supporting symbols of the enchantment, shattering order with a pinch of chaotic eagerness.

"The equipment's ready. Come check how stylish they are!" Adam called out. His voice trailed off as his gaze fell on Elliot's mana swirling around the core and the altered enchantments.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. "Mind explaining why you ruined my work?" His voice remained calm, a calmness that spoke of disappointed confusion, a frown that whispered that what the boy did wasn't proper.

"I-I..." Elliot stuttered, the expected praise shattering like glass. He bit his quivering lip, injustice burning through his gut.

Warmth replaced the sensation when Adam's soft hand patted his shoulder, voice softer and gaze gentler. "It's alright. I'll just start from scratch."

With an exhale, he held the core before Adam's eyes. "Your enchantments won't work well."

"Why?" Adam rolled his eyes, suppressing the "bullshit" about to burst out of his throat.

"Because they're too orderly," Elliot replied matter-of-factly. "It wouldn't matter if the golem moves in the same environment, but this order is a weakness that'll make it freeze each time it sees something unexpected. And that's even if its protocols know about that thing."

Adam froze for a moment, his mind thunderstruck by Elliot's assessment. Not because he prided his work, but because he knew exactly what the boy meant. His thoughts drifted back to his first confrontation with the golem in the mysterious room. It knew about spells, knew how to shatter them... yet it had glitched for a heartbeat when he had unexpectedly reduced its weight.

His eyes widened, the realisation booming across his mind. That was the answer he had been searching for. Chaotic unpredictability! Strikes the golem couldn't process, even if it knew how to counter them in usual situations.

His fingers tightened around Elliot's shoulder. "You're right." His smile broadened until it reached his eyes. "You did well, Elliot."

"Hehehe." Elliot rubbed his nose, sharing Adam's smile. Then, he turned toward the golem's equipment. "Whoa! How did it end up like this?"

He rushed to the cuirass, the cold surface reflecting his face. Where immaculate silver should have been, he saw intricate dark snowflakes adorn the metal. No grooves, no engravings. Simply a part of it. How?

He turned toward the basin of acid, then focused on the tree ores he had folded and twisted. "The acid! It gnawed through the layers! I made these patterns without knowing it. But you did! That's why you made me do it."

"Of course. I told you, style above all is what I believe in." Adam winked, then gestured toward the tubes of thick oil. "Time to quench the armor and present our baby to Teacher Viktor."

While Elliot gave the armor its final heat treatment, Adam embedded two gems into the golem's eye sockets. He took a moment to carve its head into a helmet from which a red feather extended down its back.

Their station whizzed with steam when Elliot dipped the scalding pieces of armor into the oil. Then he went for the final polish and enchantments before dressing the golem with its pauldrons, cuirass, greaves, bracers, and leather belt.

It looked noble and somewhat ferocious even without its head and despite its diminutive size. But before placing it, Adam dropped the beast core inside its neck. It rolled into its hollow chest, fitting perfectly.

Then, Adam finally slotted its helmeted head with a satisfied nod—just as Viktor clapped his hands. "Crafting time is over. Move to the front of the class to share your creations with us."