It was an incredibly strange sensation.
Ron manipulated the puppet's body to make it clench its fist, walk, and turn its head—every motion flowed smoothly without resistance.
Through the puppet's eyes, ears, nose, and skin, he could clearly see, hear, smell, and feel the environment around him.
Although the puppet's mouth couldn't open, it could still produce sound, so speaking wasn't a problem.
At the same time, Ron's real body could still move freely. Projecting his consciousness into the puppet didn't paralyze his real body or cause him to lose awareness.
It was just like the mythical concept of an external incarnation.
Only... in a mini chibi version.
And without any power.
Aside from being extremely durable, the puppet had no other special abilities. Ron's cultivation and strength couldn't be transferred to the puppet either.
Ron lowered his head in thought, and the chibi puppet in his hand mirrored the motion.
Based on these traits, Ron immediately thought of several potential uses for the puppet fruit.
For example, a simple one—placing puppets in various corners of his shop with a wide view. He could monitor everything happening in the store without being noticed.
Like security cameras.
Or, he could give a puppet to someone else, and even if they were far apart, he could still project his consciousness into the puppet and communicate with them.
Like a one-way communicator.
Given the puppet's durability, he could even use it to explore dangerous areas instead of going himself, reducing risk significantly.
Like a space exploration robot.
Of course, for Ron right now, the most practical function of the puppet was to free up his physical labor.
As he pondered this, he plucked another fruit from the Puppet Tree and created a second chibi Ron.
Then, he left one puppet behind in the dimensional plane and returned to the shop himself.
Next, he tried projecting his consciousness into the puppet left in the dimensional plane.
In the next instant, he gained the puppet's vision—he could clearly see the Puppet Tree and the adjacent cultivation plots growing the Nether Orchid, Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum, and Scalevine.
He moved his will, attempting to control the cultivation space.
The three plants immediately began to grow rapidly, flowering and bearing fruit, and were soon harvested by the chibi puppet.
Ron nodded in satisfaction.
He'd been worried that being in different worlds—the main world and the dimensional plane—might affect the link between himself and the puppet.
But it seemed he'd been overthinking it.
This meant he no longer needed to personally enter the dimensional plane. He could leave automated production to his puppet clone.
The hours he previously had to spend tending plants every morning were now freed up for other tasks.
"Eh? Boss, is that a doll you're holding?" Nora saw Ron walk out of the storage room and looked curiously at the puppet fruit in his hand.
"Yeah, you could say that," Ron replied, handing the puppet to her.
Nora took it and examined it—only to realize it was a miniature doll made in the boss's likeness!
"It really does look like you~" she said, holding the puppet up next to Ron for comparison. She gasped softly and started playing with it—squeezing it, hugging it—clearly enchanted.
Watching this scene, a lightbulb went off in Ron's mind.
He instantly projected his consciousness into the puppet in Nora's hands.
In that moment, he felt the soft touch of the girl's gentle fingers on his puppet body—it was incredibly relaxing.
As she hugged the puppet to her chest, Ron could sense her soft body and the faint, alluring scent that clung to her.
Another new function unlocked!
I'm a genius!
This is probably the real use of the puppet, huh!?
Ron shamelessly enjoyed Nora's massage a bit longer before withdrawing his consciousness and saying casually:
"Let's keep this doll downstairs as decoration. Just don't lose it."
"Mhm!"
Evening.
Ron and Nora enjoyed a delicious hot pot dinner.
Nora cleaned the dishes, tidied the living room, did laundry, and then went downstairs to tend the shop—puppet in hand.
Ron returned to his study to read, just like always.
Not long after, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Nora knocked lightly on the study door and peeked her head in, whispering, "Boss, Sister Sylvie is here to see you."
"Hm?" Ron paused, setting his book down and rising, a bit confused. "At this hour? Has the ceremonial delegation not left yet?"
Downstairs.
Sister Sylvie was seated on a chair, wearing a loose black nun's robe. A white veil wrapped her long hair, revealing a smooth forehead, elegant collarbones, and a graceful neckline.
When she saw Ron come down, Sylvie rose and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Lord Ron."
"Sister Sylvie," Ron returned the bow, then gestured for her to sit as he took a seat opposite her. "To what do I owe the visit?"
"By order of the Archbishop, from this day forward, I will accompany Lord Ron to ensure your safety," Sylvie said calmly, bowing slightly with her eyes lowered. "If you have any requests for the convent, I can pass them along as well."
"I look forward to working with you."
Ron's gaze flicked down and back up quickly, snapping himself out of a daze.
He immediately tried to decline. "I already have a Life Belt. My safety is guaranteed—you really don't need to stay with me full time."
Sylvie shook her head gently, her tone soft but firm.
"The Life Belt is only an emergency backup, not a foolproof safeguard."
"Besides, a Tier 6 Mage accompanying you can provide much more support than a belt."
"And this is the Archbishop's direct order. If I fail to carry it out, I'll be punished when I return."
Ron rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "What about the ceremonial delegation? Is the Archbishop still in town?"
"They've already left."
Ron was speechless. A classic case of "act first, report later".
The Archbishop hadn't mentioned this plan at all earlier.
Maybe it was because Ron had refused the bodyguard offer last time, so this time he came prepared?
And he specifically picked someone like Sister Sylvie, a certified beauty?
Trying to seduce me!?
Well, Ron wasn't buying it.
"You can continue staying at the church. If I need anything, I'll come to you," Ron said firmly. "With the Life Belt and the Goddess's divine protection, I'm perfectly safe in the City of Chaos. I don't need personal protection."
Sylvie opened her mouth as if to speak, but held back.
To be honest, when the Archbishop gave her this task, she was reluctant.
But now, sitting in front of Lord Ron, she didn't feel that same discomfort.
Still, she hadn't expected to be rejected so quickly.
She hadn't even considered the possibility.
"…Since I am the Goddess's agent now, shouldn't you obey my instructions when the Archbishop is away?" Ron added seriously.
"…Yes." Sylvie paused, then nodded slowly, her emotions unreadable.
Meanwhile, Nora—who had quietly listened to their entire conversation—let out a secret sigh of relief.
The squished puppet in her arms slowly returned to its original shape as she relaxed.