The Blue-Roofed Cottage by the Dewlight Spring

The morning mist hadn't yet lifted when Lumine crouched on the shop's second-floor balcony, adjusting the sign's gears. The wrench in her hand was suddenly snatched by a mechanical otter, which clambered up the flagpole, clutching the tool like an ice cream cone. 

"That's for today!" Lumine leapt with Anemo, her cape brushing the freshly painted anti-rust railing. The otter tilted its electronic eyes and tumbled backward into the Dewlight Spring's tributary, splashing water that startled a patrolling Melusine. 

"Outlander, did you drop this?" The Melusine fished out the wrench, her ear fluff still dripping. As Lumine took the tool, she noticed the metal badge on the Melusine's waist—a Level 3 Inspector of the Marechaussee Phantom, ID MT-0723. 

Kazuha's voice came from downstairs: "Lumine! Someone from the Palais Mermonia is here—" 

A clerk in a deep blue uniform stood on the newly laid oak floor, holding a file half his height. He adjusted his monocle. "According to Article 47 of the *Fontaine Foreign Commerce Management Regulations*, please submit the *Cross-Regional Business Risk Assessment Report* within 48 hours…" 

"Wait," Kazuha interrupted, "last month in Liyue Harbor, we only filled out a three-page application." 

The clerk's mechanical case clicked open, revealing six quills. "The Liyue Qixing's records show your store has caused seventeen minor disturbances, eight elemental pollution complaints, and…" He paused on a page, "at least three instances of terrain alteration in three years." 

Lumine, carrying a box of unopened blind boxes, nearly tripped on the spiral staircase. "That was from a customer opening an overloaded Geo core!" 

"Hence Fontaine requires stricter assessments." The clerk pressed the mechanical bird emblem on his chest, projecting over three hundred evaluation criteria. "Including but not limited to: daily customer flow simulations, elemental reaction containment plans, emergency response protocols…" 

The mechanical otter suddenly fell from the ceiling's maintenance hatch, landing on the projector. Lumine tugged Kazuha's sleeve. "Use that move?" 

Five minutes later, the clerk left with a special "Office Efficiency Blind Box," containing an auto-stamper, Sumeru's invigorating incense, and a mechanical pen that could mimic Neuvillette's signature—though Lumine secretly kept the last item. 

At noon, sunlight filtered through the stained-glass dome, casting rippling light on the shelves. Lumine adjusted the Arkhe energy balancer in the display case when the wind chime tinkled. 

"Welcome… huh?" She nearly knocked over an enamel vase as she turned. 

A black-haired girl stood silently by the door, her skirt's gear ornaments not even clinking. She twirled a metal badge. "Can I trade this?" 

Lumine recognized it as a Meropide labor medal. "We usually only accept Mora, but…" She noticed the faint cat ears in the girl's hair. "We can offer a special experience pass." 

Lynette chose a light blue box labeled "Convenient Living." Upon opening, three mechanical balls buzzed out, dusting the shelves. One suddenly veered toward a display stand, but Lumine blocked it with a Geo construct. "Careful! They're still in testing…" 

"Interesting." Lynette bent to observe the ball polishing a vase. "More agile than the Fortress' cleaning bots." 

When Kazuha came downstairs with draft reports, he saw the cat-eared girl leaving with modified balls—she'd added Meropide-style bumpers. 

"Our first customer didn't run away." Lumine counted the Mora. "Seems Fontaine's tolerance for machinery…" 

Her words were cut off by an explosion. Pink smoke billowed from the second floor, a paint bucket hitting the ceiling like a mushroom cloud. Kazuha rushed into the smoke. "Where did you put the 'Festival Smoke Blind Boxes'?" 

"Third shelf on the right… ah!" Lumine's scream was drowned by more smoke bombs, the building soon engulfed in rainbow clouds. Charlotte, passing by, excitedly snapped photos. "Mystery shop explodes before opening? Tomorrow's headline!" 

At dusk, Neuvillette observed the chaos from across the street. The blue-roofed cottage's balcony railing hung with half a dust cloth, purple smoke seeping from the second floor, and three Melusines hosed down the colorful paint stains. 

"Risk assessment report." Kazuha handed over the hastily prepared document, its edges stained with incense. 

The Chief Justice scanned the table of contents. "Chapter 7, Section 4: The plan for elemental pollution is… 'Cover it with a bigger elemental reaction'?" 

"Liyue adepti wisdom." Lumine appeared with a fire extinguisher. "Last time at Yaoguang Shoal, we used a flood to put out a fire." 

Neuvillette's finger paused at "Customer Flow Control Measures." "Mechanical otters handing out numbers at the door?" 

"They can detect troublemakers through body temperature." Kazuha pointed to an otter stealing screws. "Even Meropide prisoners can't evade them." 

As the last sunlight vanished, Neuvillette closed the report. "Two Marechaussee Phantom officers will be stationed during tomorrow's trial run." He turned toward the Palais Mermonia, his cape brushing a puddle of paint, its reflection revealing a swaying top hat. 

"Looks like the audience is ready." Lumine wiped pink paint off her nose. Across the street, Furina peeked from behind a newspaper under a café awning, her cake melting into a milkshake. 

Late at night in the blue-roofed cottage, Lumine installed voice modules into the otters. Kazuha suddenly slapped a blueprint on the table. "Turn the second floor into an experience zone?" 

"Lynette's cleaning balls prove Fontaine values practicality." Lumine tapped the repaired fog machine with a wrench. "And we need to avoid another smoke incident—move those 'Festival Blind Boxes' to the basement." 

The otters suddenly turned toward the door, their eyes glowing red. Lumine slipped to the entrance, hearing faint metal clinks—someone was trying to pick the hydraulic lock on the side window. 

"Need help?" She yanked open the curtain. 

Clorinde calmly holstered her tools. "Heard you have weapon maintenance blind boxes." She tossed a Mora, the coin arcing perfectly. "The basic model." 

The gray box Lumine handed over contained a wave-patterned whetstone. Clorinde ran it along her blade, and with a flash, an apple on the counter was sliced into sixteen paper-thin pieces. 

"Three times sharper than Fontaine's armory." The swordswoman sheathed her weapon. "But wave blades aren't ideal for thrusting." 

As she left, the copper bell on the door struck midnight. Lumine sighed at the apple slices. "Guess we need to add a 'No testing dangerous items' clause to the report." 

The otters returned to their charging stations, the shop's neon sign casting starlight on the Dewlight Spring. Across the street, the Palais Mermonia's spire faded into the night, only the Chief Justice's office light remaining, like a silver grain in the deep blue sky.