Today Mai brought in another piece of steam tech, as if determined to prove I had misjudged it. Well, I hate to say it, but I misjudged it. This was no simple turret, this time—but the husk of an automaton. The craftsmanship is incredibly intricate. I never would have imagined something of this complexity could be fashioned from primitive technology. The act of doing so feels almost defiant—surely the inventor behind it must have had access to other options? I asked Mai for more info about where it came from, but she got very quiet. She's clearly withholding something from me. It's only a matter of time before I find out what. But for now, some of the techniques used in this steam creature could be applied to my next jade mech. Mai's access to the outside world continues to pay dividends. Maybe it's time I pointed her at bigger problems...