Volume 3 Chapter 37 (1/2)

Maoross

Her body had been covered in blood However, the amount of blood wasn't as much as it looked

She looked at thein his mouth The blood on him wasn't just Maomao's

She had made use of the red lacquer paint in the room as blood The mixture of paint and oil yielded a brilliant red paint The blood had acco light source The rash on the other man was also from this paint

It was a relief that it turned out well

Mao, but as if that kind of fairy-tale-like thing exists If you were to just eat poison continuously, you'll quickly die

The fortress, h, was comparatively waro out of whack without theet hit by the cold wind after breaking the s

Not just goosebuet rashes as well

On top of that, there was one other thing

The time the man entered the room, he had said ”She's broken out in rashes,” when he saw Mao how he declared that with certainty, she thought that, perhaps, hesimilar

Also, as soon as he touched the table in the room, he reacted with surprise and distanced himself

The table was painted with lacquer, but as long as it was dried, you rarely get skin irritation People who had a reaction once would end up excessively avoiding that feeling

Someti that they touched it

That hy she used the lacquer as blood In actuality, it will take time for theainst it would be more mentally insecure Even if she didn't understand the said person, they will recall the tiot a reaction from the scent

If she were to speak honestly, it happened that half of them came in even if they were to harass her afterward

Maomao made use of that, and acted as a poison maiden

When the man sat down, there was also a reason why he couldn't stand up

When you sit on a chair, human bodies were made so that you can't stand up when your foreheads are held When you first get up, your head moves forward If you are unable to do that first motion, the other parts of you cannot move

Even so, there , but the confused man reacted in the way Maomao had said

It was a Godsend that he inally, about this time, she would have become the victim of another person

She was grateful for that point

And so, after hearing what she asked, she only stepped on hi them

As soon as she left the room, she passed by the men who turned up to swap over They went past Mao attention to her as if they saw her as an apprentice

The lock on the room was closed just in case, but there was no time left

(This isn't a joke)

Maoue as she ran down the corridor She had deceived thearment she had plundered from the man just then, and had her ear wrapped in a cloth

Hearing that they were ined hand cannons1 or fire lances at first Either one were tools that were used in wars since olden times

However, the man said cannon

Cannon A weapon that shoots out projectiles you put inside a gigantic tube Cannons ooden or bronze weapons that had been around since olden times

He said that they werethat shoots with iron bullets

As far as Maomao knew, rocks were typically used as projectiles What would become of it if they made it from iron?

Maomao didn't know about weapons in thatuniforularly shaped rocks It y

But, it was still too reckless

She only knew about of the scale of it from the number of people in this fortress

Suppose there were co-operators that endorsed the shi+ Clan, it ht be a different story However, their scheme should have already been exposed How many people will support the shi+ Clan after all this time with the risk?

And yet, they were still trying to raise this thing

Do they knoill happen from here on?

Mao the stairs step by step She could feel the ru the cold stone wall

Maomao quietly looked inside

There were several tens of slightly dirtytopless A characteristic scent reached her nose Rather than the s manure

She could see a huge mound of some black clumps

(Manure?)

No, it was ss fro are aredients used for saltpetre

That redient

The underground arined The roounpowder Thus, it was terrifying

The brazier was kept at a distance just in case and rapped around with a curtain so the sparks don't catch Still, if the fire spreads, ould happen?

Do they know that danger, being in this environment?

Generally, if you are always in a place with such bad air, you would eventually breathe in toosymptoms

You can say the environment was poor

The counpoas transported out via a different exit If she were to chase after that, would she get to the armoury?

But, how shall she go there?

As she thought that, she heard footsteps behind her

Maomao hid behind a nearby shelf

Her heart pounded loudly

Maomao looked at the person who showed up as she worried if the people around her would notice that sound

”…”

Maomao was dumbfounded She looked at the person alked past

The person alking with a ant outfit like her mother, was an ill- with the sround

”Roura…”

Maomao tried to call out to her

However, the girl didn't hear her voice, and with so contained within her eyes, continued to walk towards the centre of the underground

Thearound Rouran noticed her and started to be noisy

One of the men nervously caes this place

”Young la…”

”Please leave here right away”

Her dignified voice echoed all throughout the underground

Theas up

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”This fortress is going to fall soon Before that happens, I want you people to quickly get away from here”

Saying that, Rouran took out a large bag from her bosom and threw it aside Silvers spilled out froht of it, started to scraather them up

After affir the it aith all her ht

The light drew a parabola and fell into the dried gunpowder

”Try your best to get away”

Rouran wore her previous innocent smile

Maomao covered her ears without a moment's delay, and crouched down on the spot

The roar passed through her pal into her eardru in haste many times and stepped on

The explosion rapidly expanded, spreading to the charcoal and droppings

(I have to quickly get away)

As she did so, someone impressively fell down beside her

The beautiful fabric had been dirtied fro trampled on many times Maomao pulled up the hands of the oho had fallen over

”Huh? Why is Maomao here?”

Rouran, her hair dishevelled, made a blank face

”That's what I want to ask you though”

She said that with a shocked expression Rouran brushed Maoht ear

”Blood Does that mean I was too late?”

Speaking of what she was late for, it must be that It seems the reason Rouran came to such a place and suddenly blew it up was to save Maomao

”…quickly go”

Maomao covered her mouth with Rouran's sleeve, and soet out of here now, she tugged Rouran to go outside

However, Rouran went to the steps and ascended the stairs

”The fire is spreading”

”It's fine I have to go up”

Rouran went up the stairs, dragging her tattered skirt along

The s with the stench that e Even if the fire didn't spread, shefrom smoke inhalation

”Are you co?”

”I guess so”

If it's this situation, it would be easy for Maomao to run away The men who had escaped earlier on had scrambled towards the fortress' exit Would they break into the stables or whatever, and escape from here?

”It'll be scary if Mother knew Since it's about that person, even if they stay, they would be pressed to take responsibility for what happened It's better to end it hipping”

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At the speech about her own mother, Rouran cast down her eyes

Rouran stopped before the room on the third storey

Maorasped the papers in her chest She didn't even take one of the books that were in the room She had only taken the papers that had been hidden under the bed

If she were to separate frooal

She wanted to make sure of that

”Hey…”

Mao to say Rouran was no longer a consort It would somehow be a bad fit to suddenly call her Rouran

And so, she decided to call her this name

”shi+sui”

”What is it?”

Her hands on the doorknob, Rouran, no, shi+sui smiled

”The abortion drug ingredients that appeared in the inner palace, was soht?”