By Natsu Hyuuga and Touko Shino. Released in Japan as “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Kevin Steinbach.

Compared to the last volume, this one feels a lot more laid back and relaxed. Of course, that’s likely only because the Emperor isn’t in it. There’s still a lot going on. We’re in the middle of the Smallpox arc, after all. It’s deadly, it’s horribly, and a cure is still very elusive, though Maomao moves things along by enlisting the help of Kokuyou, the smiling wandering doctor who has facial scarring but also a heap of experience. Also, a noble family asks Maomao about a cursed jar, and that unearths a heaping helping of family… drama seems the wrong word. Family horror. Fortunately, the worst is avoided, at least for the victim. And for Jinshi, who every volume seems to have to try to finagle his way out of something that has as its result “and then he can never be with Maomao again”. Still, at least he knows Maomao does kinda like him, in her own “I try not to care unless I am literally at the end of my rope” way. Other couples need more help.

I’ve talked before about how I quite like Yao and En’en, Maomao’s kinda sorta friends and medical partners. Maomao does as well, but she also finds them exasperating. Fandom has a bit of a hate on for Yao, who is given several good canonical reasons to be very immature and then actually *is*! Gasp! (It’s totally because of that, and not because she’s fallen for the fandom’s chief hottie who isn’t Jinshi.) But even I admit she needs a talking to. More importantly, she needs to have En’en removed from her hip. En’en being gay for Yao has been quietly dialed back in the last few volumes, with it more being presented as a co-dependent big sis/mom thing, but it’s certainly the case that a Yao who has En’en doing everything for her is not going to get anywhere with either Lahan *or* her family. Which Yao understands. (En’en also does, but she’s in denial.) Good volume for them.

And then there’s our favorite couple who really, really really need to fuck but unfortunately autocorrect has ruined everything and all they do is duck. Lishu has shown up so infrequently since Book 6 that any appearance of her is welcome, but she and Basen are still at the “gosh, isn’t the weather nice” stage of things, and everybody else around them, particularly Maamei and Chue, are shouting “JUST BANG ALREADY!”. It’s pretty clear that the Emperor wouldn’t object to this. It’s also pretty clear that Basen has done more than enough to merit it, especially near the end of this book, where he once again saves Jinshi at the possible cost of his own life. (It’s fine, he can get rid of smallpox by pullups somehow.) The question is, did this current crisis and Basen’s quarantine afterwards actually get Lishu to leave the duck village? Can we actually get another fricking couple?

Maybe! Book 17? Book 17. Whenever that is. Not out in Japan. In any case, this book has Maomao in it, so it’s essential.