How to get this quest
After completing Path Towards Expertise, you can find the quest in the Adventurer's Guild.
First steps
Talk to the blacksmith in Trademond's workshop. Then talk to the workshop's clerk. Once this is done, you get access to Clockwork Forest. This forest is located south of Mountainreach.
Security
Inside the forest, you will see a Security counter on the screen. At least 70 Security is required to to complete the quest, and the maximum you can reach is 115. Furthermore, an artifact you can find in the Clockwork Forest's gives you a MDEF boost scaling with your Security (+1 MDEF every 10 Security). This bonus also applies outside Clockwork Forest. To increase your Security, you can:
Finally, using a security chips on mechanical enemies will lead to some special actions if you have enough Security. Contrarily to consumable items, security chips aren't consumed on use.
Reaching the tower
Fire III and Thunderbolt III are two mutually exclusive spells which can help for Clockwork Forest's exploration. Fire III allows to burn some plants which can't be burned by Fire II. Thunderbolt III allows to open some locked chest without meeting their Security checks.
You will meet some scouting troops. When they have “…” marks above them, their detection range increases by 2. Shadowcloak can thus be advised. Secondly, know that all golems have the Rigid trait. For this reason, you may also want to know Brittle II. Finally, a lot of constructs have the Superconductive trait, meaning they get become overcharged when hit by Thunder attacks (they also absord this element). This status effect doubles their ATK and AGI for 5 turns, but also makes them lose 10% of their HP per turn and leaves them exhausted afterwards. The Superconductive trait is dangerous, but can also work in your favor.
Your first objective will be to reach the tower in the forest. Two paths lead to it.
Inside the tower
Your second objective will be to explore the tower. To access it, you can climb a vine leading to a window. Doing so leads you inside the tower, but most of it is behind a hole. You must remove Aura's collar or have 80 AGI to cross it.
You can also explore the tower by opening the front door. The door is guarded by the second golem boss. This golem is a physical fighter able to debuff you with Undercharge and to boost itself. To open the front door, you can:
The door can also be opened from the inside without any of the above requirements. But doing so means you are already exploring the tower and you took the previously mentioned jumping option.
Once inside the tower, your goal is to reach the 3rd floor. At first, the elevator only gives access to the 1st and 2nd floors. To access the third floor, you must manipulate the console on the 2nd floor and have 70 Security.
Further manipulations can be made on the console. The best result can be achieved at 100 Security, allowing to deactivate all traps and deactivate to skills from the 4th floor's boss.
Once you can access the 3rd floor, you will have to reach the 4th floor by stairs. The elevator doesn't take you there.
Facing the artificer
The 4th floor doesn't contain any trap or any more normal encounter. The quest's last battle is against the artificer and his life support system.
Defeating the machine automatically defeats the artificer. On the battle's first turn, each of the 3 previous golem bosses will be summoned if not already defeated. So you should defeat all of them beforehand.
There is a trick to win the battle with relative ease:
Once you defeat the artificer, report at the guild to complete the quest.