Blood-red aura once again surged from the banner armband on Lucilia’s shoulder. This ti, the scarlet aura did not gush into the puppet’s body but instead began composing itself in the air, transforming into words. This was Lucilia scripting decrees: orders to all mbers, detailing the punishnts for disobedience. These decrees served to control her Knight Order, effectively turning anyone who touched the banner into the captain’s completely controllable property.
Puppets would follow orders faithfully. However, such decrees, originally ant to constrain intelligent beings, didn’t have much impact on them. Thus, Alka pondered if he could program decrees, much like writing code, to imbue the puppet with so level of intelligence. After all, Alka had barely researched this area. He had relied on deceptive materials and had implented almost no intelligent programming for the puppet itself. Only a few rough commands were engraved. For instance, upon hearing the command ’Control Magic Power,’ the puppet would conceal and control its own Magic Power. Upon hearing ’move,’ it would start walking in the direction Alka ordered. This was extrely simple programming.
But would coding decrees yield better results? Alka wondered. If successful, the connection between these puppets and Treasure would far exceed that of ordinary touchers because Treasure completely replaces the existence of a soul. Now it was ti to test this. Decrees could be crudely written without needing ticulous detail. For instance, the decree ’obey ’ was quite ambiguous, and the puppet’s inherent intelligent programming certainly wouldn’t react to many commands, as it simply wasn’t made that way.
Yet, when this decree was completed, Lucilia looked at the puppet before her and said, "Turn in a circle."
The Puppet Girl spun perfectly in place, executing precisely one turn. Alka certainly hadn’t embedded such an interactive program within. Watching this, he shook his head helplessly. Treasure truly defies logic, he thought. I shouldn’t view these Treasures through typical logic and rational thought.
"Then our idea is feasible. Let’s proceed with complete decree coding now," said Alka, beginning an exchange with Lucilia.
Initial editing need not be flawless, as these commands could always be modified and adjusted. Problems could simply be identified and then addressed by adding, deleting, or altering decrees over ti.
In no ti, the first version of the decrees was completed.
"Awaken," Lucilia spoke.
The Puppet Girl, who had been standing motionless like a toy on the table with closed eyes, opened her eyes upon hearing the command. Though her eyes still lacked vivacity, she blinked like a normal person and began observing her surroundings. One decree dictated that she behave as much like a living person as possible, using Lucilia as a template. Upon seeing Lucilia before her, the Puppet Girl imdiately bowed.
"Master."
Lucilia nodded. The Puppet Girl then moved behind her, standing like a maid. This behavior was due to another strange decree Lucilia had issued: mbers should perform according to the occupational role she envisioned for them in her mind. The role for this first puppet was ’maid.’
"Finally succeeded," Alka said, watching the scene and leaning heavily back in his chair. The first Puppet Girl was complete, entirely dependent on the fabrication process involving the Bloody Banner for her existence.
Lucilia continued studying the Puppet Girl behind her, deeply interested.
"From now on, your na will be Ling."
"Understood. My designation is Ling."
"No, I an your *na* is Ling."
"Understood. My designation-na is Ling."
"..." Lucilia fell silent. This isn’t quite what I anticipated, she thought. She promptly began writing another decree: express in normal human language and understand language by normal human standards. For her, this ’normal human standard’ was derived entirely from her own concept of ’normal.’
Then she spoke, "Your na is Ling."
"Understood, Master. From now on, I will be called Ling."
Heartened by this reply, Lucilia nodded in satisfaction. Witnessing this, Alka chuckled. He knew many similar issues would erge, but they would be solvable if Lucilia continued to write decrees following the thods he had taught her.
If I were to acquire the technology for artificial souls, Alka pondered, would installing soul-like materials into these puppet heads, combined with such well-coded decrees, generate true intelligence? Could they transform into genuinely intelligent beings? Decrees programd using Treasure ultimately hold little value compared to genuine intelligence. These decrees, much like programs, will inevitably have strange loopholes and imperfections.
Having delved this deep into the research, his thoughts naturally drifted towards such possibilities. Never mind, Alka thought, shaking his head to cast these musings aside. Now isn’t the ti for such ruminations, nor am I capable of addressing them.
He shook his head again, pushing these thoughts away.
"Shall we continue crafting more puppets?" Lucilia asked Alka. "Finish the remaining seventy-two?" Her spirits were soaring; the thought of soon commanding her very own Puppet Knight Order thrilled her beyond asure.
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