Light Novel Volume 09

Volume 9

Japanese
English

Japanese

薬屋のひとりごと９

Romaji

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 9

Trans. Title

Apothecary's Monologue 9

English

The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 9

Cover Character(s)
Maomao, Chue

Release Info

Format

Light Novel

Release (JP)

February 28, 2020 (Hero Bunko)

ISBN (JP)

ISBN-13：ISBN 978-4-07-442420-7
ISBN-10：ISBN 4-074-42420-7

Pages (JP)

328

Release (EN)

Digital：October 9, 2023 (J-Novel Club)

ISBN (EN)

ISBN-13：ISBN 978-1-71-836134-8
ISBN-10：ISBN 1-718-36134-3

Volumes
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Volume 8	Volume 10

"The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 9" ( 薬屋のひとりごと９, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 9 ) is the 9th volume of the The Apothecary Diaries light novel series written by Natsu Hyūga and illustrated by Touko Shino. It was first published in Japan on February 28, 2020. The translated digital English version was published via J-Novel Club on October 9, 2023.

The first audio drama CD was included with this volume.

Blurb[]

Maomao has effectively become Jinshi’s personal physician, but she’s just a simple apothecary. If she’s going to give him proper medical treatment, she’ll need more than her meager surgical skills. When she turns to her father for help, he says he’ll only teach her if she can pass a test he sets for her. Even if she succeeds at his mysterious request, however, the truth behind the practice of surgery at court may be more than she cares to know. And only once she has the knowledge she needs will she be able to accompany Jinshi on what could be his most dangerous journey yet.

Chapters[]

Prologue
Chapter 1: Yao's Request (姚の頼み, Yao no Tanomi^?)
Chapter 2: The Villa (離宮, Rikyū^?)
Chapter 3: Kada's Book (Part 1) (華佗の書　前編, Kada no Sho Zenpen^?)
Chapter 4: Kada's Book (Part 2) (華佗の書　中編, Kada no Sho Chūhen^?)
Chapter 5: Kada's Book (Part 3) (華佗の書　後編, Kada no Sho Kōhen^?)
Chapter 6: An Invitation to the Western Capital (西都への誘い, Saito e no Sasoi^?)
Chapter 7: Taboo (禁忌, Kinki^?)
Chapter 8: Secret Lessons (秘密の教室, Himitsu no Kyōshitsu^?)
Chapter 9: The Message (告発, Kokuhatsu^?)
Chapter 10: Practical Exercises (実技訓練, Jitsugi Kunren^?)
Chapter 11: The Dissection (腑分け, Fuwake^?)
Chapter 12: The Secret of the Numbers (数字の秘密, Sūji no Himitsu^?)
Chapter 13: Gyoku-ou (玉鶯という男, Gyokuou toiu Otoko^?)
Chapter 14: Selection (選抜, Senbatsu^?)
Chapter 15: Preparations (旅の準備, Tabi no Junbi^?)
Chapter 16: A Voyage By Sea (船旅, Funatabi^?)
Chapter 17: Chue (雀, Chue^?)
Chapter 18: Anan's Banquet (亜南の宴, Anan no Utage^?)
Chapter 19: The Quack Vanishes (消えたやぶ医者, Kieta Yabu Isha^?)
Chapter 20: Smack Up Against the Wall (壁凸, Kabetotsu^?)
Epilogue

Synopsis[]

The medical assistants are being sent on holiday, but Yao and En'en are left without a place to go. Yao does not want to live somewhere her uncle can find her, because of his attempts of trying to marry her off. Thus, they end up living at Lakan's house through arrangements with Lahan.

Maomao meets Chue for the first time when she goes to treat Jinshi for his burn wound. However, Maomao realizes she is untrained in surgery, so she decides to contact Luomen for advice. Luomen takes her to the library in Lakan’s house, and tells her, Yao, and En'en to find a book he wrote during his studies in the west. As expected, the book contains diagrams of a dissected body (which is a taboo), and Maomao quickly realizes that Luomen used what he learned about surgery in the west to slice open the Empress Dowager’s belly, saving both mother and child.

Jinshi receives a summons to the Western Capital by Gyokuen to check on how Gyoku-ou has been handling things in his father's absence, much to Jinshi's annoyance. He begins to make preparations to go there in a few months.

Maomao returns to the medical office and due to needing to wash a large number of blood stained jackets, suspects that they were doing a dissection. Just as she starts to poke her nose into it, Jinshi arrives asking Court Physician Liu for medical personnel to accompany him to the Western Capital (Maomao) and orders him to teach her the necessary skills (surgery).

She then joins a group of court physicians including Tianyu in learning dissection by practicing on animals. The other court physicians are baffled because she is a woman.

Yao insists on learning what Maomao is learning too, but this only causes Court Physician Liu to belittle her. She sets out on her own, and Maomao ends up teaching her how to cut vegetables. Both her and En'en agree that the path Yao wants to set herself on (becoming a court physician) is one that is full of hardship.

Jinshi receives a letter from the Western Capital (from Gyoku-ou), with a mysterious message consisting of numbers attached to it. Thanks to Lahan, they discover that the amount of crop harvest being reported has been partially falsified. In addition, it is strange because the Western Capital is supposed to be taking precautions against insect plague.

Lahan had received the crop registers from Rikuson, who has been working as Gyoku-ou’s aide at the request of Gyokuen, primarily assisting with paperwork and odd jobs.

Jinshi and his entourage - Gaoshun, Suiren, Taomei (Gaoshun’s wife who is serving as his lady-in-waiting), Baryou, Chue, Lakan, and his aide; and his group of physicians consisting of Court Physicians You and Li, the quack doctor, Tianyu, and Maomao - set off for the Western Capital via boat. Basen travels by land to complete another task on the way. Lihaku has also been assigned to be a bodyguard for the court physicians.

Jinshi bribes Maomao to be his food taster at the diplomatic banquet in Anan, a vassal state located south of Li. Chue also serves as a food taster for Lakan, and she and Maomao bond when she eats most of his meal.

Privately, Maomao is upset with Jinshi because of the roundabout way he uses people due to his compassionate nature, and tells him outright to use her in a more forthright manner. She does not want his compassion for people to make him an indecisive ruler, or drive him to ruin like Luomen. Jinshi, being a masochist, asks Maomao to slap him. After slapping his cheek, she gives it a kiss to help it heal, to which Jinshi asks if she could also slap his other cheek, and she refuses.