Arkade was surprised to learn that Jean's office was located on the first floor near the entrance rather than near the upper levels as he assumed. Then again, he supposed it would be easier for people walking in to find her.
It was a spacious room, filled with various furnishings and decorations. Half the walls were lined with shelves, containing books that were big and small, trinkets from other nations, and photo frames of scenery and people he did not know, but they seemed close to each other, that was clear to see.
"Please, have a seat," Jean gestured for him, moving to her desk as she did. "I apologize for the mess, there's been an influx of reports recently, along with the backlog that already existed before Grandmaster Varka left. Give me just a moment to clean up."
Jean's desk was in front of the furthest wall from where they entered, which had a window that let in the afternoon sunlight. It was made from fine cuihua wood, large, elegantly designed, and was a mess.
Its once smooth surface was now cluttered with all kinds of debris. Books, documents, papers, letters, and tools of all sorts were scattered about. Some of them were stacked neatly while others were not, as if someone had given up trying to organize the mess and merely got to work with whatever they could.
Jean worked immediately, filing away stacks of paper and returning the books and tools to their proper places. Arkade was half-tempted to use magic to sort the mess out, but decided against it as he did not want her to eventually have to search for items in places she didn't remember putting them.
He opted instead to just take a seat in front of her desk and wait patiently for her to finish.
After a few minutes of sorting and double-checking, Jean was satisfied and finally took her seat at her desk across from him. "Sorry for having you wait. Things have been busy since Grandmaster Varka went on his expedition."
"I'm the one who feels sorry for you. You seem to have a lot on your plate. Surely you have people to help you manage."
"I do on occasion, but we're actually spread thin enough as it is. I'd rather not take away time from anyone else when I can accomplish it by myself. In any case, I'd like to once again welcome you to Mondstadt. We'd be honored to have you as a citizen and proprietor in our city, but before that…"
Jean leaned down and opened a drawer, producing several papers and documents, spreading them out on the desk.
"I'll have to ask you to fill out some information about yourself. It's a basic procedure that shouldn't take more than an hour. I'll be helping you as you do it."
Arkade hummed as he conjured a pen and drew a sheet closer to himself. "It seems that whether it's The Dark Sea or Teyvat, bureaucracy will always be a constant."
Jean gave a small smile. "Yes, I suppose you're right. It's a necessary evil that we all have to deal with everyday. You know, Grandmaster Varka once had what he called a "grand revelation" about the nature of bureaucracy."
"Is that right?"
"It apparently occurred to him while he was several pints down in Angel's Share," she elaborated, clearly amused. "He said that bureaucracy was the telltale sign of an advanced civilization, for only a society with an abundance of time, energy, and resources could actively develop a method to make work move slowly."
Arkade did his best to hide a laugh behind a snort.
"This Varka seems like quite the character. A shame I couldn't meet him. I hope he returns from his expedition soon."
Jean's smile turned wistful. "As do we all."
They both got to work. Arkade filled out the forms while occasionally asking for clarification on certain terms and passages. Jean filled out her own papers, asking Arkade questions about himself so that he could save time.
This went on for the better half of an hour, question after question, answer after answer, back and forth until time itself seemed to stretch longer than what actually passed.
Yes, his name is Arkade (no family name) he was born on xxxx-xx-xx and is xx-years old. ("You're old enough to be my grandfather," Jean had said before blushing and apologizing profusely for her slip of the tongue.)
Yes, he has done business before back on Felven, crafting and selling magical items while doling out services like healing or bodily modification. (Jean raised a brow at that, and Arkade assured her that it was quick, safe, and ethical in all the ways that mattered. He did, however, refuse to elaborate on how it mattered.)
No. he does not have a criminal history. He was and still is an upstanding citizen of Felven. The only things that came close to criminal activity was how certain people, gods included, hired him to craft practical joke devices.
A cursed ring that would loudly narrate whatever someone was doing, usually in a very high-pitched voice that was grating to the ears.
A pair of shoes that would randomly generate a burst of water, causing anyone wearing it to experience the dreaded sensation of wet socks.
A coaster that, when a cup was placed on it, would move away from any hand that was near it, taking the cup along with it if someone wasn't fast enough to grab it. It was also possible for the coaster to just fall off the table, spilling the cup and its contents.
A pair of glasses that let one see through objects. It was used exactly as one would think it'd be misused for.
"Please don't sell such things in Mondstadt," Jean chided him, a scandalized blush on her face.
"You and everyone else back on Felven may give me flak for that one, but I'll have you know that it wasn't the first time someone requested me to make those glasses. Not just the men, but the women too. Mortals and gods alike."
"That is not the point."
Arkade relented and went back to filling out his forms.
Somehow, at around the 50-minute mark, they managed to complete all the necessary paperwork. Jean took all the paper and looked them over once, then twice. Nodding in satisfaction, she clipped them together and stored them away before pulling out another sheet of paper, one that had the seal of Mondstadt and the Knights of Favonius emblem near the top.
She signed it with her signature before passing it over to him.
"This document grants you legal rights and authority to do business within Mondstadt. While you may not be an official citizen, you still have access to resources, services, and protection should you request it. If you ever need a replacement, you may come find me at any time."
"Thank you," Arkade said as he took the paper from her and stored it away within his pocket dimension.
"Now, as for where you can set up your business, we have several spaces available." Jean pulled out a large folded sheet that, fully unfurled, showed a detailed map of Mondstadt city. She also brought out a ledger that contained building details and information. "Do you have any preferences?"
"Since I'm not a citizen, I don't suppose I can buy land to build on, can I?"
Jean shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. While you are acknowledged as a protected party under Mondstadt, the right to purchase land strictly falls to citizens of the nation. Even naturalized citizens must undergo a waiting period before they can do such a thing."
"And if I were to purchase a building and make renovations to it, say, turn it from one-storey into a two-storey, would that be allowed?"
Jean paused, thinking about his question. "If you purchase a building outright, then you are free to make modifications and renovations as you see fit. However, you would need to inform and consult the proper authorities so that the changes made fit what's legally allowed and follows safety guidelines."
"Turning a one-storey into a two-storey… If it's approved and the conditions are met, then I suppose it can be done, given the proper time and resources. However, if you are only renting a building, then I'm afraid such extreme modifications are out of the question."
"I see," Arkade said. He would respect her and the laws of her nation. "Then, a simple one-storey building will suffice for now. I would appreciate it if it covers a decent area, and maybe a basement as well."
Jean fingered through the ledger, looking through and for whatever matched with Arkade's request. After several flips and looking over the map several times, she finally looked up at him.
"We have multiple buildings that meet your preferences, but the one with the most area and space would be the one in the commercial district near Mondstadt's General Goods run by Blanche. It's been out of use for a while, but nothing a few good touch-ups won't fix. Will this one be acceptable?"
Jean showed him several sketches of the building's exterior and interior. He could definitely work with this.
"More than acceptable," Arkade nodded. "How much will it be? Am I right in assuming that Teyvat uses Mora as its currency?"
Jean blinked, surprise evident on her face. "That's right. Mora is the currency of Teyvat, created by Morax, The Geo Archon. He's also known to the people of Liyue as Rex Lapis. I'm actually surprised that you know what Mora is."
"The gods back in Felven told me about Morax, who used his power to create Mora as a means to aid his people by replacing bartering, among other uses for it. It was the gods who left after the conclusion of the war that told me that Mora was now being mass-produced and circulating throughout all nations."
"I see."
"They also told me that Morax naming a currency after himself "An incredibly obnoxious move to be expected from that self-important fossil, along with a severe lack of creativity.""
Jean sighed. "Please don't speak blasphemy against one of the Seven." Though Rex Lapis was not her god, she still respected him as one of the victors of the Archon War and patron of Liyue.
"I wouldn't exactly call it blasphemy. I'm sure they were just venting about losing the war. In any case, we're getting off topic. While I may not have Mora on me, I am more than willing to barter and exchange some of my goods in return for the building."
She was immediately intrigued. While she had seen various inventions and creations from Albedo and the 8th Division, this would be coming from someone who wasn't from Teyvat. "Oh? And what exactly are you willing to give?" She asked.
Arkade thought about it for a moment, wondering what would make for a good trade. From what he learned, Mondstadt was a nation that highly valued wind, wine, songs, and freedom. He turned his inner eye towards his pocket dimension, gazing upon the various items and tools he created and collected over the years.
Various wind and air aligned elemental gear that he could definitely mass-produce if he needed to. While that might be good, he felt that it was a little too…basic. It was straightforward, but it didn't have "weight" to it.
A never-ending cask of wine that could also age the contents at an accelerated rate? For a nation of wine and alcohol lovers, this could very well be one of Mondstadt's greatest treasures. Definitely a good choice.
A lyre that gave its user instinctual knowledge on how to play it? Not only that, but it can produce various magical effects depending on the "feeling" and "intent" of every tune and melody strung. Also a good choice.
"...we're actually spread thin enough as it is. I'd rather not take away time from anyone else when I can accomplish it by myself."
Jean's words from earlier came back to him, and he was struck with realization of a certain tool, or tools, that would be of great use to her.
He turned his gaze towards the objects in question. There they were, lined up neatly in an ordered row. Ten of them, looking exactly like the other, save for the numbers on their faces sequenced from 1 to 10.
They were tall, humanoid like things with vaguely masculine figures like a mannequin. They were pale, as if made from marble, and wore black and white suits tailored for servants catering to a master. They lacked any kind of distinct facial features, having neither eyes, nor ears, nor nose, nor mouth.
All of them stood straight, arms at their sides, inert and unexpressive.
They would serve Jean greatly.
Arkade turned his senses back to reality and, with a snap of his fingers, manifested one of the mannequins. It appeared with neither flash nor flourish, just suddenly appearing to his right side from where he was sitting, as if it was there the entire time.
Jean widened her eyes at the sudden appearance of the strange figure. "...Mister Arkade, what is that?"
Arkade stood up and patted the mannequin on the shoulder. "This is a creation of mine called a Pale Puppet. There are ten of them in total, and I designed all of them to act as servants to carry out tasks."
"No.1, awake if you would. It's time to go to work."
The "1" on its face slowly came to life with a soft, blue glow. "The blue glow indicates that the Pale Puppet is now "awake" and ready to receive and carry out an order. It changes to yellow when it is currently carrying out an order. For example…"
Arkade looked around the room and saw a long table to his right, which had a tea set resting on top of its surface. "No.1, could you prepare two cups of tea for us?"
The blue glow shifted to yellow, and No.1 bowed before making its way to the tea set. It placed both of its palms on the sides of the teapot, and its hands began to glow a hot orange. As the spout emitted steam, No. 1 stopped its heating process before pouring out the contents into two white cups.
With delicate and smooth motions, it placed the two cups on small plates before walking back over to where Arkade and Jean were sitting. It served the two their respective cups before bowing again, and the yellow shifted back to blue.
Jean watched all of that with an astonished expression. Arkade gingerly picked up his cup and blew on it, taking a sip.
"A Pale Puppet is capable of carrying out a variety of tasks. It can cook, it can clean, it can perform menial labor, and it doesn't need to sleep or eat. An automaton that never tires nor needs, and is even capable of using magic to a certain extent; the perfect servant. In exchange for the building, I will give you all ten of them."
Jean was once again stunned into silence as Arkade casually revealed this magic to her. He was basically giving her ten butlers that would carry out her every order without question or hesitation. The idea of lending out some of the Pale Puppets to several knights was also an appealing one.
Her workload would decrease considerably.
"This is… quite the magic," Jean said simply, using a subtle application of Anemo to cool her cup before taking a sip. As expected, it was warm.
"There's something else you ought to know. Under certain conditions, it is even possible for a Pale Puppet to perform sophisticated tasks like paperwork."
Jean stopped mid-sip. She moved her cup away from her mouth and set it down with a clink on the plate.
"Excuse me?"
Arkade widened his eyes, taken aback by her sudden shift and tone. The new, intense look in her eyes was also a little scary.
"...A Pale Puppet can use magic to synchronize with the thoughts, emotions, and memories of certain individuals if given the command," Arkade elaborated slowly, as if speaking too fast might trigger something. What, exactly, he did not know. "By doing so, it can simulate their personality, methodology, and thought process. This allows them to perform advanced actions in the exact manner that selected individuals would do in that moment."
Jean nodded along, though she seemed… absent? As if her mind was somewhere far, far away. Or perhaps, thinking of how much of her work she can get done and what she can do afterwards.
When she actually has free time.
"Each Puppet can hold only one personality at a time. If you want to add a different personality, you need to give the command to clear the previous one before adding the new one. Having two personalities can cause a contradiction on what the "right" choice should be."
"...I see," Jean said after a moment of silence.
"Oh, and you don't need to worry about the Puppets somehow gaining sentience or free-will and rebelling against humanity or anything like that. They're not alive in the traditional sense, nor do they possess souls. Synchronizing with someone is more like… reading a book about them and predicting their actions, rather than adopting their personality to make their own."
Jean, very briefly and perhaps childishly, pondered the reality in which she used all 10 Pale Puppets to synchronize with herself, and all 10 of them attempting to kill her for forcing her workload on them.
"...and that's about all there is to know," Arkade finished. "Do you… have any questions about them?"
Jean eventually managed to pick up on how nervous Arkade was, and connected it to how she was acting just now. She coughed, attempting to regain her composure. To think the Acting Grandmaster would get this worked up over something as silly as this.
Is wanting a break from being swamped with paperwork for months really that silly?
"No, I have no further questions," Jean said. She pulled out two documents and wrote on both of them before finishing them off with her signature and a stamp that had the Knights of Favonius symbol on it. She passed the two sheets over to him.
"Please sign these deeds so that you are officially recognized as the owner of this building. One will be yours to keep while the other is kept here for the records."
Arkade did as he was told, and signed the papers. He kept one while passing the other back over to Jean. As she took the paper in her hand, Arkade snapped his fingers and, just like with No.1, manifested the remaining Pale Puppets inside her office.
"No.2 through No. 10, awaken, if you would. There is work to be done."
The numbers on all of their faces glowed to life, ready to serve.
"This is a command to all Pale Puppets: I, your owner and creator, hereby declare that this woman, Acting Grandmaster Jean, will now be your new owner. Follow her orders and serve her faithfully."
All of the numbers on their faces flashed green, and Jean swore that she could hear a strange humming sound coming from all of them. After several seconds, they all returned to a blue.
They all, in unison, turned to face her.
And then they kneeled.
"As promised, all 10 Pale Puppets are yours. Do take care of them, they're very good to keep around."