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“Whoaaa, that’s so cool!”
“What a big doggy!”
“Teacher, what is that!?”
“This is Daigorou, a demi-beast-type golem. Be nice to him.”
**“Woof!”**

When I rode Daigorou to the afternoon class, the students immediately swarmed around us.

The boys eagerly crowded around, touching Daigorou’s armor all over with sparkling eyes, while the girls hung back a step, watching the scene unfold. They should have been used to seeing security golems—but was this really that unusual?

“Teacher, does Daigorou eat food?”
“His fuel comes from a magic stone embedded inside him. If it runs low, we can just supply more from outside, so he doesn’t need food.”
“Teach… can I try doing it?”
“I don’t mind, but he still has plenty of mana left, you know?”

Daigorou had only just been delivered a short while ago, his magic stone fully charged with mana. Some time had passed since then, but the amount of magic power used in that period could only be minimal.

Still, as if to say it didn’t matter, Stell reached out and tried injecting magic into Daigorou.

“Wait—Not there. Wrap your hand around his back, not his nose. The closer you are to the core, the less magic power you lose through attenuation.”
“Here…?”
“Exactly. Nice job. In golem combat, always be aware of the core’s location. Crush it, and the golem will instantly shut down—it’s the heart of the whole body.”
**“W-Woof…”**
“If you hide the core under thick armor, magic power efficiency drops. But if you make the armor thin, you expose a weakness. This ‘core dilemma’ is an eternal problem for any golem handler.”
“What would you do… Teach?”
“I treat golems as disposable. Sure, more horsepower is convenient, but they’re fuel-inefficient and can’t surpass the capabilities of the caster anyway.”

Just like when I sent one against Nova before, if it’s only for a very short time, I could make a golem move simply by pouring magic power into a basic magic circle. But that method is purely makeshift. If the magic circle is tampered with, the whole thing falls apart. That’s about the extent of how seriously a wizard takes golems.

“That much cost for continuous operation… Now that’s a new idea. I have to admit, Magicology isn’t to be underestimated.”
“Hmph! A wizard praising Magicology? How the mighty have fallen, white-haired teacher!”
“Arrogant wizards tend to have short lifespans, Plerion. When you’ve deemed someone an enemy, acknowledge their strength properly.”
“Ugh…”
“Teach, it’s full.”
“Thanks. You handled your magic power well, especially for your first time. Now, why don’t we have you all see Daigorou’s performance for yourselves?”

I climbed back onto Daigorou, now recharged thanks to Stell, and had the students step back from the area.

Originally, I had planned to be the target for their spells, but having them fire at a stationary dummy felt far too dull.

“Ready your staves and fire whatever magic you like. But be sure to aim properly—Daigorou will dodge.”
“*Fool who dares stand before me—turn to ash!!*”
“Mr. Plerion!?”

As if he’d been waiting for this moment, Plerion launched into a rapid-fire chant and hurled a fireball.

I was honestly impressed that he could get through that without tripping over his tongue, but his misplaced effort—his flashy, unrefined spell—was crushed with a single swipe of Daigorou’s claw.

“Wh-What the hell!?”
“I’ve told you countless times: it doesn’t matter how fast you chant if your spell construction is sloppy. Forget tongue-twisting incantations—start over from the basics.”
“Damn it! Then I’ll—owp!!?”

For failing the mark, he got a compressed air round to the face. The air, packed into a pellet no larger than a pebble, burst against Plerion’s forehead, snapping his upper body backward and knocking him flat on his back.

Fire magecraft might be flashy, but it’s completely unsuited for ambushes. I wish he’d figure that out himself, but it looks like we’ve still got a long road ahead.

“Alright, come at me—all of you. I’ll be grading you one by one. Plerion just set the bar at 25 points.”
“““Eep…”””

✦✧✦✧✦

“Good work out there, Master! Stell and the others looked kinda down—did something happen?”
“Nothing in particular. If I had to say, we just ran a performance test on Daigorou.”

After finishing all of today’s lessons, I met up with Momo at the entrance. She tilted her head as she noticed the students passing by with slumped shoulders.

In the end, during the practical training that afternoon, not a single student managed to land a proper hit on Daigorou. I had planned to step in from his back to protect him if he took any damage, but Daigorou was so capable that I never even got the chance.

“Beast-like agility, high sensory capabilities… and you bulked up his armor too, huh? That’s some serious cost sunk into his upgrades.”
**“Woof-Woof!”**
“So Daigorou’s gotten really strong? Are we really allowed to keep something like this?”
“Gahaha! Don’t worry about it! Just a little token of appreciation from us!!”
“Wah—M-Mr. Arnitta!?”

The booming laughter came from none other than Arnitta himself, stepping through the academy’s main entrance. He was carrying a burlap sack as tall as he was—probably full of enhancement materials for the academy’s security golems.

“I wanted to hear your reactions firsthand, so I stopped by while I was on the job. So, how is our golem holding up?”
“He’s amazing! Daigorou’s the best! But… are you really sure we can take him in?”
“No problem at all. That golem would’ve just remained broken had you not brought it back! Wizards and sorcerers alike treat golems as disposable tools, after all…”
“Wow, what awful people they must be, huh?”
“Master, why are you looking away?”
“Gahaha! That’s exactly why there aren’t many people like you who actually take care of their golems. He’s clearly happy about it, too.”
**“Woof! Woof!”**

Daigorou wagged his tail at Arnitta, and for a moment, it really did look like he had feelings of his own. Given what happened during today’s class, I did feel a bit guilty—but if they’re offering him for free, I’ll take him without hesitation.

“Oh, and you—white-haired one. Your name was Laika, right? My idiot grandson apparently has some business with you.”
“Yeah, I heard. Classes are done for the day, so I was just about to go hear him out.”
“Good to hear. He’s been fiddling with the telescope since yesterday, looking all serious. Doesn’t seem like he’s stuck with his research or anything, though…”
“Any idea what it might be, Master?”
“Not a clue. That’s what I’m going to find out. I’m counting on you, Daigorou.”
**“Woof-Woof!”**

After a quick farewell to Arnitta, I climbed onto Daigorou’s back and rode out of the academy’s entrance. It drew even more attention than when I was flying around, but that was fine. Being able to get around without walking was just too convenient.

“Ah, Master! I’ve still got a bit of work left, so I’ll catch up with you later!”
“No rush—I’m the only one who’s been summoned anyway!”

Daigorou’s legs carried him faster than a carriage with just a light jog, and since he could leap from rooftop to rooftop, there was no worry about getting caught up in a crowd.

The ride was flawless. If I had to nitpick, the mobility might make someone dizzy if they weren’t used to wind-based magecraft. Momo probably wouldn’t be able to handle it.

In no time at all, I passed the boundary of District 3 and arrived at the workshop in the Magitech District. It hadn’t even taken ten minutes.

“You’re doing great, Daigorou. You’re even better than I expected. I’ll make sure to oil your joints with the good stuff.”
**“Woof!”**

I dismounted from Daigorou’s back and knocked on the workshop door. Even if I’d been called here, I couldn’t just barge in unannounced. But no matter how long I waited, there was no response. No way a workshop this large would be completely abandoned, right?

“…Huh? Hellooo? Anyone in there?”

I called out louder and knocked again, several times—but still no answer. Something felt wrong. I had a bad feeling about this. When I gently pushed the door, I found it wasn’t even locked—it opened easily.

And then… what spilled out from the crack in the door was the overwhelming stench of blood, thick enough to make me gag.