Leon rented two rooms at the inn. As soon as he entered his room, he went straight into his orb, where he planned to spend time crafting a golem.

Kito remained in the room, promising to alert him if anyone came by. Inside the orb, Leon began constructing the golem, intending to blend traditional knowledge from Secrets of Creation with modern techniques he had learned from Chief.

"The core needs the unique runes of Secrets of Creation," Leon thought, recognizing that these runes would not only maximize the golem's efficiency and durability but also provide enough defense to withstand attacks from apprentice-level mages.

Leon had never crafted a golem for sale before. According to Chief, the runes on cores destined for sale had additional encryption to protect the creator’s techniques. This meant that, if the core broke, the buyer would need to seek out the creator for repairs, making high-grade golems a luxurious commodity for nobles.

"The most popular type of golem..." Leon mused, "is the humanoid kind." Simple, mass-produced golems generally helped with household chores, but higher-end models were capable of combat, delicate tasks, or other specialized functions. Leon planned to make a versatile model that combined these features.

Neo, the first golem Leon created using modern techniques, was specialized for household tasks: guarding the entrance, relaying messages, and even serving tea.

"I’d like to include combat abilities this time," he considered. While golems that wielded swords weren’t particularly sought-after, those that could use magic commanded astronomical prices. A golem with high-level magic was as valuable as a high-grade artifact.

Though Leon was tempted to include the Fury of the Dragon's Breath, a spell he planned to embed into a gargoyle golem, he hesitated because it was an Imperial spell. "No problem if it's for my personal use, but selling one with that embedded feels risky."

In the end, he settled on embedding Gale, a C-rank wind spell he had already used in crafting gargoyle golems. While not as powerful as Fury of the Dragon's Breath, it was still formidable. After all, no high-ranking nobles were expected at the auction, so an upgrade wasn’t necessary.

Leon dove into the construction process, enduring numerous trial-and-error stages. Although only three days remained in reality, within the orb, he had the luxury of sixty times that—enough time for months’ worth of work. He spent about a week inside the orb, which translated to roughly three hours outside.

Finally, his first golem was complete.

"Hmm..." Leon inspected it with a lukewarm expression. The compressed skills had resulted in slightly stiff movements, which wasn’t ideal for display. Using the remaining white obsidian, he managed to produce three more humanoid golems. By the third, Leon was reasonably satisfied.

The golem's shape was humanoid, with ivory-colored skin and clear, defined features. It stood about as tall as an adult woman, with short hair made from an assortment of minerals, and green mana-stone eyes connected to its core for an eerie glow.

“You are Io,” Leon declared.

“Acknowledged, Master,” Io responded in a neutral female voice, prompting Leon to nod in approval.

Though verbal communication drained the core’s mana, which wasn’t efficient, the superior mana-efficiency of ancient golem cores allowed for such luxury. Nobles, especially, would be impressed by a golem that could talk.

Leon embedded both a simple command process and an activation process. The former allowed for ongoing functionality based on pre-set commands, while the latter permitted the owner to control the golem in detail. This dual-layer approach meant that even ordinary people could handle the golem without overtaxing the core.

Afterward, Leon stored Io in a large subspace pouch and returned to reality, where Kito, in human form, was lounging on the bed.

“Any visitors?” he asked.

Kito stretched lazily and replied, “No one. Your 'girlfriend' has been waiting in the next room, though. Seems she’s been holding out until you returned.”

“She’s not my girlfriend. Just a friend,” Leon corrected, gazing out at the darkening street.

"I thought this would take two days, but it’s already done," he noted with a sense of satisfaction. With extra time on his hands, he considered going herb-hunting, but the memory of Ria’s anticipation of their outing made him reconsider.

"Hunting herbs can wait until after the auction," he decided and headed to Ria’s room, where he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Ria called from inside.

“It’s me, Leon.”

Ria opened the door swiftly, looking a bit flustered. “What’s up?”

Leon hesitated briefly, then said, “How about we go out tomorrow, grab some good food, and take a little sightseeing trip?”

Ria’s face lit up with excitement. “Really? You mean it?”

Her reaction was so enthusiastic that Leon couldn’t help but smile.

The next day, the lively Free City offered countless sights and activities that were new to Leon, who was accustomed to a life of rigorous training. He and Ria enjoyed fresh salads and perfectly grilled steaks for lunch, and music from street performers filled the air, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

In the city's bustling streets, Leon finally understood why so many high-level mages chose to live there. With their wealth, they could indulge in all kinds of luxuries without restraint.

Leon had been about to pay with mana stones when Ria stopped him. “You need those for your artifact repairs. Today’s on me.”

“Don’t worry about it. This is nothing.”

“But I got an allowance from my mentor,” Ria insisted, clearly aware of the 700,000 mana stone cost of the repairs.

After some back-and-forth, they visited the Enchanted Garden, an area filled with magical flowers, each with distinct properties. The red flowers exuded warmth, while the blue ones radiated a cool aura. The garden was dotted with crystal globes, where fortune-tellers offered to read one’s future, though mages dismissed such claims as nonsense.

As evening fell, casting a warm glow over the streets, Leon and Ria slowly made their way back to the inn. On the way, Leon felt a sudden, hard bump against his shoulder. Though he’d had a few minor collisions earlier due to the crowded streets, this one felt different. The Guardian Robe he wore didn’t react, indicating no malicious intent.

The cloaked figure quickly bowed their head and hurried off, blending into the crowd. Leon’s instinct told him to shrug it off, but when he glanced back, he noticed a group covertly trailing the figure.

“Something wrong?” Ria asked, noticing his pause.

“No, it’s nothing,” Leon replied. While it was rare for such incidents to occur in the city center, he decided against getting involved.

He resumed walking, Ria beside him, as they continued their stroll through the lively streets.