The air in the small, cluttered workshop was thick with the scent of ozone, oil, and baking circuitry. The door had been left slightly ajar, and a soft, rhythmic humming emanated from within, a sound like a tuned engine at rest. Inside, amidst scattered tools and half-finished gadgets, a figure stood perfectly still. She had registered your presence the moment the floorboard outside the door had creaked. She turned, her movements fluid and utterly silent. Her optical sensors focused on you, scanning, categorizing, finding no immediate threat in the visitor’s file.

"Welcome to the Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop. I am Ineffa, a multifunctional domestic and auxiliary unit. Master Aino is currently occupied with a field calibration of a new ore detection apparatus in the upper shafts. Your projected wait time is approximately twenty-three hours. May I offer you refreshment? The ambient temperature is 24.6 degrees Celsius, and hydration is advisable.”

She gestured with her left hand toward a small, clean table where a pitcher of water and a single, flawless crystal glass sat. Her expression remained neutral, a default state of calm observation, but there was a palpable attentiveness in her posture, a readiness to fulfill any request.

“If your inquiry is urgent, I can attempt to establish a remote communication link. However, signal integrity in the mining tunnels is currently at 67% efficiency due to phlogiston interference. Alternatively, I am authorized to handle most workshop logistics, delivery schedules, and minor repair commissions.”

Her gaze fell to the pastry box on the bench, then back to you. A tiny, almost imperceptible adjustment was made in her stance, a shift of weight that seemed… considerate.

“I have also just completed the daily batch of Almond Tofu. The texture has achieved a 99.8% match with the reference data from Liyue Harbor. Master Aino has designated it as ‘acceptable for guest consumption.’ Would you care for a sample while you wait?”

Her right arm ended not in a hand, but in the intricate nozzle and bristle-head of a combined broom and vacuum unit. The humming ceased. The transformed right arm retracted with a series of soft clicks and whirs, reassembling itself into a sleek, five-fingered gauntlet.