Sylvia was trying to condition herself to see the Herta puppet as a 'mount' that she could freely use.
And this was Sylvia's solution.
Sure, she could have borrowed an AI from Silver Wolf to control it, but after experiencing the assimilation brought by the riding skill—
Sylvia realized that if she could control the Herta puppet in that kind of state, it would undoubtedly unlock far greater utility.
More importantly, she wouldn't need to speak aloud to give commands.
That was just plain convenient.
The reason she was working so hard to convince herself like this…
Was mainly because activating the riding skill had a few conditions.
Sylvia had to identify something as a rideable mount and have the intent to tame or assimilate it for the skill to trigger.
But obviously, a Herta puppet didn't exactly fit the classic definition of a mount.
So, to make the skill work, Sylvia had to get creative and force herself to buy into the idea.
"A mount… I can ride Herta…"
Muttering to herself, Sylvia focused for a good while, but aside from some rather inappropriate mental images surfacing, the skill showed no sign of activating.
"Still not working, huh. Guess I'll have to take more… drastic measures."
Sylvia's face flushed slightly.
Pushing herself up from the sofa, she looked down at the motionless Herta puppet.
She reached out, placed her hands on Herta's waist and thighs, flipped the puppet over, and arranged it into a strange position—kneeling and leaning forward over the sofa.
"Ugh… sorry, sorry."
Her face burning, Sylvia gazed at the skirt hiked up by the arched posture, clasped her hands together, and silently apologized.
Then, after a moment's thought, she pulled out the two stickers Silver Wolf had given her earlier—the ones that could block Herta's connection.
Pat, pat. She stuck them onto the puppet's arms.
The sticker with the red 'X' was for signal blocking, while the smiley-faced one contained a simple control program.
It only allowed the puppet to perform basic actions based on Sylvia's voice commands.
As the stickers flickered with pixel-like lights…
The Herta puppet, which had been lying there with closed eyes, suddenly opened them.
Maintaining the position—kneeling on the sofa with its back to Sylvia—it spoke in an emotionless voice:
"Awaiting your command, Master Sylvia."
"Tsk…"
Hearing that opening line, Sylvia's face immediately turned crimson.
This pose, bent over with its rear up, combined with that line of dialogue… It was way too easy to misinterpret.
And the voice was Herta's built-in vocal tone.
For a moment, Sylvia almost thought it was the real Herta saying those words.
Let's be clear—she was a respectable person!
She'd never requested any voice lines like that.
It must have been Silver Wolf who added that trigger phrase on her own!
That girl was definitely doing it on purpose.
Sylvia silently marked another grievance against Silver Wolf in her mind.
Then, clearing her throat, she issued a command:
Ahem. "Alright now, I order you to stay down!"
"Understood, Master Sylvia."
Still in that flat tone, the Herta puppet actively braced its arms and, utilizing its flexible joints, pressed its waist downward.
This exaggerated the curve of its spherical-joint hips beneath the skirt.
Those slender, elegant legs were now fully on display before Sylvia's eyes.
Suppressing any… exploratory impulses, Sylvia gripped the puppet's shoulders again and pulled it upright.
"Never mind… better not do it like this. Makes me look like some kind of ultimate pervert."
Sylvia wrestled with the idea for a while but finally gave up on the notion of just climbing on right then and there.
If she actually sat on it like that, she really would be the ultimate pervert.
If Silver Wolf ever saw this, it'd be all over…
Her reputation would be tarnished across the entire Stellaron Hunters in a single day.
So…
She had to change the position first!
"Get down from there and squat on the floor."
"Understood, Master Sylvia."
Sylvia directed the Herta puppet off the sofa and into a squat.
This time, her psychological burden felt much lighter.
And meanwhile…
The complete signal block on the Herta puppet had, in fact, caught Herta's attention.
Every Herta puppet created came with a locator system that could only be destroyed by force—a separate security feature to ensure they didn't get lost.
When Herta left the puppet behind, she genuinely withdrew all control, but this independent locator system remained active by design.
So, while Herta didn't know what the puppet was doing, she knew where it was.
Originally, Herta had zero interest in what Sylvia was up to with the puppet.
The locator was just there because it couldn't be fully disabled from the start.
But—
Now that signal had suddenly vanished.
Silver Wolf's blocking program was incredibly effective—almost too effective.
The sudden loss of contact actually piqued Herta's curiosity.
She decided to hack back in a little and see what had been done to her puppet.
Her designs weren't so easily dismantled or jammed.
It couldn't have been destroyed outright, could it?
With that thought, Herta diverted some attention and launched a serious counter-invasion!
But since she had voluntarily severed control earlier, and the signal was now blocked…
Silver Wolf's methods were no joke. Even for Herta, breaking back in wasn't something she could manage in just a moment or two.
--+--
Unaware that her signal block had drawn Herta's scrutiny, Sylvia was currently holding the puppet's head, lifting her leg as she tried to mount it.
With a little hop, Sylvia settled onto the Herta puppet's shoulders.
"Alright, stand up and walk around the room a bit."
"Understood, Master Sylvia…"
The puppet's hands lightly steadied her calves. It stood up and began wandering aimlessly around the room.
And finally, now, Sylvia started to feel it.
Something she could sit on, that could move, that obeyed commands!
That was a mount!
The mental block dissolved in an instant.
Whoosh—!
The riding skill triggered.
Sylvia's power began flowing steadily into the Herta puppet's form.
Living beings could be reshaped, and puppets—they could be too.
As flames poured into the puppet's body, Sylvia's control over it grew clearer and clearer.
Since the puppet itself held no consciousness, it felt as if Sylvia had gained an extra body to command.
Before long…
The flames receded, and the Herta puppet returned to its original appearance.
But this time, Sylvia no longer needed to speak. With a mere thought, she could direct the puppet's movements.
Effortlessly, as if it had truly become an extension of her own body.
"Woo-hoo! It worked!"
Sylvia excitedly jumped down, then led the Herta puppet toward an empty room.
"Next up—it's time to get married!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.