With a rumbling sound, the stone door behind it opened once again.
Motomu turned to look.
Two figures, followed by a swarm of puppet soldiers, entered the Dragon Vein Hall one after another.
Walking in front was a mature, dignified woman with red hair.
Judging by her bearing and hair color, she was likely royalty.
Following behind her...
...was Anrokuzan, also known as Mukade, sporting a handlebar mustache and dressed in purple robes.
Motomu recognized the man from his somewhat hazy memories.
This was Anrokuzan.
The woman in front of him, then, had to be the Queen of Loulan.
Anrokuzan hadn't moved to kill the Queen yet.
This fit perfectly with the deductions Motomu had made along the way.
"Minister Anrokuzan, I thank you for all you have done for my people."
"This is the Dragon Vein. Tell me, Minister, have you seen enough?"
"My Queen, please undo the barrier. I must observe the Dragon Vein up close to truly understand its secrets."
"Only then can the feasibility of the Puppet Tool Project be confirmed."
The Dragon Vein.
It was the very foundation of Loulan.
No previous monarch had ever allowed an outsider to step foot here.
Her fair skin accentuated by her crimson hair, the beautiful Queen knit her brows and glanced at the puppet soldiers under her command.
Hesitant, she spoke to confirm.
"Minister Anrokuzan, can that plan really be realized?"
'What an indecisive woman.'
Mukade sneered inwardly.
Outwardly, however, he maintained a respectful and humble facade.
"My Queen, these puppet tools will liberate the people..."
Overhearing Anrokuzan's passionate lecture...
Motomu now understood why the Queen trusted Anrokuzan so implicitly.
The Dragon Vein provided infinite energy, and the puppets that consumed that energy were essentially robots.
Separately, they were of limited use.
Dragon Vein energy couldn't be directly converted into wealth, and a small number of puppets couldn't be mass-produced.
But combined?
It was the equivalent of pairing nuclear fusion with the age of AI robotics.
Motomu understood the allure.
The Queen, despite her feudal mindset, understood it as well.
"My Queen, you have seen how even a mere overflow of the Dragon Vein's power has created the current prosperity of Loulan."
"If we were to harness the Dragon Vein in its entirety..."
"...our Loulan will be great again!"
Anrokuzan spoke with smooth, enticing words.
The Queen's already wavering heart shook.
At the thought of her subjects flourishing under her leadership...
she became so moved that her eyes grew misty.
"Minister Anrokuzan, I understand."
"If we succeed, we will be the great figures who rewrite the history of Loulan."
"However, the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed."
"Only royalty may come into contact with the Dragon Vein."
"In bringing you here, I have already kept this a secret from the rest of the royal family."
"If they find out I allowed you into the Dragon Vein's seal, it is not something I could ever suppress."
"Minister Anrokuzan, whatever you need to investigate, I can observe it on your behalf."
Hearing this, Anrokuzan's smile froze, a shadow flitting through his eyes.
'Woman, you really don't know what's good for you.'
After all that talk, it seemed he would have to use force in the end.
Having spent decades immersed in the way of the shinobi, Anrokuzan knew better.
Taking action meant creating openings.
Especially given his status as a rogue ninja from the Hidden Sand.
If word got out...
he would have to face the pursuit of the Sand Anbu.
Getting close to the Queen...
and seizing control of the nation through puppets was all part of his plan.
He had intended to seize the Dragon Vein and then directly control both the royalty and the Queen herself.
He hadn't expected that the Queen, who had been so cooperative until now, would balk at the final step.
'To hell with your "ancestral laws"!'
'It's a shame about your looks, but you'll have to die here today.'
The red-haired Queen clearly noticed the change in Anrokuzan's expression.
Seeing his face darken with the impending threat of a fallout...
she immediately commanded her guard puppets to surround him.
Dozens of sand-colored puppets, two meters tall with glowing purple eyes, clicked in unison.
To the Queen's shock...
the puppets didn't seize the traitorous Anrokuzan as commanded. Instead, they hoisted her up.
Empowered by the Dragon Vein, the mechanical puppets pinned the Queen's arms behind her back. No matter how she kicked or struggled, she couldn't budge them.
The Queen's collar was strained by her heavy breathing. Her face was flushed with both the rage of betrayal and the shame of her current undignified position.
"Anrokuzan! You are courting death!"
"Heh! Hehehehe!"
"The plan has changed slightly, but it will proceed nonetheless."
"Your Majesty, would you be so kind as to tell me how to deactivate the barrier?"
The humility Mukade had worn for years vanished.
Dropping the act entirely, it was as if he were finally unleashing years of suppressed darkness.
Even Big Eyeball No. 1 thought the man looked rather villainous.
However, for Motomu, this was a stroke of luck.
Motomu felt that timing was everything; he had happened upon this critical moment.
Based on what Mukade said, it seemed this barrier was the type that would alert the entire city if breached.
An alarm might even draw the attention of the Hidden Sand.
'Good thing I was cautious and didn't try to force it.'
Motomu suppressed his thoughts and continued to watch.
Anrokuzan, wearing the smirk of a victor, let out a cackling laugh and slowly paced toward the Queen.
Easily dodging a desperate kick from her heels, Anrokuzan grabbed the Queen's thigh.
"Your Majesty, you wouldn't want the little princess to come to any harm, would you?"
The sound of synchronized footsteps echoed from the distance as more puppet reinforcements arrived.
One of the giant puppets entered the hall, clutching an unconscious girl.
The girl had the same vibrant red hair as the Queen.
Motomu even wondered if the Loulan royal family possessed Uzumaki blood.
Seeing her daughter held in the giant puppet's grip like a limp corpse, the Queen's struggles grew more frantic.
Anrokuzan reached for the Queen's chest and snatched the glass jewel hanging from her neck.
"Is this the key? The little princess is quite trusting of her humble servant."
"Even if you refuse to speak, Her Highness has already told me everything."
Tears welling in the corners of her shut eyes, the Queen suddenly glared at Anrokuzan.
"You found the key."
"But you will never learn how to use it, you wretched traitor!"
Anrokuzan nodded in acknowledgment before shifting his tone.
"Your Majesty, your daughter knows nothing of today's events."
"If you make things difficult for me, neither of you will survive."
"Why be so stubborn?"
"Even if you are selfless enough to ignore your own safety, surely you must consider the lovely princess."
As the Queen wavered, a familiar figure emerged from behind the giant puppet.
"Uncle! You—!"
The old man the Queen called uncle raised a kunai, aiming it straight at the unconscious princess.
Motomu could see clearly: several chakra threads were attached to the man.
He was being controlled entirely by Anrokuzan.
This was likely the same method Anrokuzan had used to frame others in the original story.
"Stop! Both of you!"
"Spare my daughter, and I will agree to anything!"
At the Queen's desperate, shrill cry, Anrokuzan halted his movements.
The method to deactivate the barrier was finally revealed.
The Queen, having outlived her usefulness...
was dead.
Watching the pale blue barrier gradually dissipate...
Motomu focused with every ounce of his concentration.
[ Author's Note : If you're loving the story, a power_stone, review or comment means the world!
Want 40+ chapters ahead right now? patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink ]