I can tell you all about Xuan Ji! For example, did you know she started studying machines at the age of three, and that she's always had a gift for it? She's also musically educated, and can even make puppets that play instruments! She's pretty famous in her hometown as well, where they call her their "Ministress Armilla." Heehee, I bet it's because she's so approachable! Xuan Ji loves to chat about interesting things and she never puts on airs, so people are always happy to talk to her. But the thing that stands out most about her is her parasol. With the push of a button, it opens up and shoots out lots of stuff! It's some of the coolest technology I've ever seen! Unfortunately, Longzhou is a lot different than Illumina when it comes to tech, and I can't read their schematics at all. I'd really love to learn more about it though!
As a technological expert, Xuan Ji is naturally super interested in the Colossus as well. But unlike the other guests I've welcomed aboard, she hasn't tried to take the Colossus apart to see how it works. Instead, she prefers chatting with people who are familiar with the Colossus and asking for their thoughts on it... Wait a minute, is that why she keeps taking the Navigator out to eat? At this rate, all the hard work we put into keeping him healthy will go down the drain?!
—Vice

You want to talk about my past? Sure! It's not like I have any work to do right now, so let's chat over tea and snacks. But let's not make it all about me. I want to know more about you too!
I've been an artisan from the day I was born—After all, I was born into the Qianyun in the Ye Kingdom. The Ye Kingdom is known far and wide for its artisanship and technology, and the two greatest schools of competing thought are Qianyun and Dikun. My school's ideology is based on the observation and emulation of animals and other aspects of the natural world, which allows us to create adaptive, transforming replicas of animals and people. Starting from the age of three, I spent all day living among mechanical imitations of nature. I'd create things like fire-breathing fish, flying crabs, and rideable wooden ox that were as big as a small boat. Unfortunately, the Masters thought that my inventions were so unorthodox that they violated our traditions. Despite recognizing my talents, my master forbade other students from learning my methods.
Heh, just as well since I never cared for the methods of our masters.

The Qianyun and Dikun sects are two sides of the same coin. The only difference is that one specializes in moving objects like mechanical puppets and clockwork beasts, while the other specializes in inanimate objects like weapons and gunpowder. But as it stands, the two sects couldn't be more apart. They've turned creative differences into ideological differences, and refuse to learn from each other in any capacity. What's more, they actively criticize and suppress each other's efforts, claiming that the other is nothing but a group of heretics. Considering that most of the Ye Kingdom's artisans align with one of the two sects, their troublesome conflict extends to many places, including the royal court. It's just a kind of skill. If they're so concerned with governing based on their ideals, why would they willingly limit their own acquisition of knowledge?
You want to know what I think? Ideally, I wish for both sects to make amends and combine their knowledge. I want to create a world in which all labor is handled by lifeless machines. Maybe then we can finally live according to our beliefs of universal love and peace?

I used to believe that there were all kinds of machines that were capable of solving most of our problems and helping us live easier lives. By devoting everything to my studies, I thought I could bring myself closer to my ideals. That's why, as a teenager, I turned down an invitation from the royal court itself. After attending a banquet, they were so impressed by my mechanical puppet's music that they offered me an advisor position. But at the time, I thought that entering the royal court would only tie me down and interfere with my chances of learning about new technology. Still, the court's acknowledgment turned me into something of a local celebrity, and people started seeing me as a young genius with no interest in status or fortune. Honestly, I was pretty satisfied with this turn of events. With my newfound fame, I journeyed across the land in search of new knowledge. Like Longzhou's legendary ancestor of machinery, I visited many places and learned new techniques to refine my own.
But soon afterward, a terrible plague struck the Ye Kingdom, throwing the kingdom into disarray and plunging the entire nation into turmoil. That's when I realized that machines couldn't solve all of our problems.
That was the reason I changed my mind and joined the Ye Kingdom court.

In the end, machines are nothing more than objects. No matter how advanced they may be, they can't solve every problem created by people. I still have a passion for technology, and I still have faith in my ideals and the ideals that founded our kingdom. However, I also understand that people are required to bear the responsibility of techniques and ideas. In the past, I learned many different techniques for working with machines. Now, I must do the same for working with people. And that's how I became "Ministress Armilla," the young and calculating advisor to the vassal kingdom's newest king. It was during those days that I learned a number of meaningful things, such as the reasons behind Princess Dantang being held hostage and the changes in the new king's personality, temperament, and connections... And a hidden agenda affecting the Ye Kingdom, which appears to have originated somewhere else.
To get to the bottom of these issues, I decided to enter the royal court. And for those same reasons, I chose to distance myself from the vassal kingdoms and observe their changes from afar.
... And with that, my story comes to an end! Pretty interesting, right? And now it's your turn!