Chapter 418: Uses of the Apple
“Alright, I got it. Today’s meal will be with the Notes,” Dinoss declared with determination, lifting his gaze from the basket.
“Eh, no way! The wife’s soup…!”
It’s delicious, Shiva’s soup!
“Oh? Then how about bringing some for everyone this time?” Shiva said with a smile.
“Yeah.”
Dinoss, not taking his eyes off me, pulled out a pound cake and a jar of tomato sauce from the basket and handed them to Shiva. The Rabbit Apples were hidden under a dust cover.
Isn’t this a bit unsettling?
Meanwhile, the children received the wrapped pound cake from Shiva, leaning in to peek inside.
“I love Gene’s cake! Thank you!”
“Thanks!”
“I like it!”
The three of them looked delighted.
“Oh, it’s a plum.”
It’s made with fresh plums, and without [Storage], we can only use them in this season.
Though it’s not a hybrid, this fruit has a strong tartness, but when paired with fresh cream or ice cream, it becomes incredibly delicious.
“I’ll have Tina deliver the soup, so off you go.”
Shiva smiled brightly as she sent Dinoss on his way, and I was sent along with him.
As a good wife, she cheerfully sent her husband off before dinner, and the children understood the situation, not wanting to interfere with Dinoss’s outing.
“That’s terrible.”
“Not terrible! What’s terrible is your skewed sense of values!”
I was being dragged along by the scruff of my neck, feeling a twinge of longing for the family gathering inside.
“Come on, hand over the key. I’ll invite you to dinner later.”
“Make sure you do.”
If I get their hopes up and then leave them hanging, that would be terrible, right? I thought as I opened the back door and stepped inside.
It was pitch dark, but I was just passing through, heading straight for the living room. I was familiar with the house, and Dinoss had good night vision.
“Hey, there’s someone outside. Did you deliver that thing to the Notes?”
“That thing, the apple? I delivered the apple, but…”
As I spoke, I opened the front door.
From Dinoss’s words, it seemed like the presence outside belonged to the Butler, but the Butler usually doesn’t have a presence.
“Whoa, there are so many!”
When I opened the door, I found the Butler, Retze, Haulon, and Karn waiting.
“Excuse us.”
The Butler greeted with a smile.
“Just as Retze said, you came.”
“If the Notes are rushing to me, Dinoss wouldn’t want to handle it alone either,” Haulon and Retze conversed.
While the two chatted and entered, the Butler quickly started a fire in the fireplace. The dark house was illuminated with a warm orange glow.
“So, you really have apples over there?”
Dinoss plopped down heavily, placing the basket on the table and removing the dust cover.
“Yes.”
The Butler confirmed as well.
The others took their seats, gazing at the shining apples.
Illuminated by the fire, the golden apples sparkled beautifully. Gold really shines so much better in the dark than under fluorescent lights or sunlight. No wonder the ancient Japanese made gold folding screens.
Well, we’re going to eat them anyway.
“No matter how many times I see them, they’re still golden apples. This is the first time I’ve seen them in person,” Haulon said, staring at the basket.
“These are two in one, right?”
“If you want more, I can bring some.”
Since they were cut into eighths, there was enough for everyone.
They were beautiful and rare, but not exactly appetizing colors, which is why we only took one each. It didn’t matter if the Butler and Ash shared or if Retze and the others got some.
“What are you going to do with them? They’re golden apples!”
Haulon exclaimed.
I had learned my lesson, so I made sure to soundproof the room. We didn’t want to disturb the neighbors.
“They’re already cut up, but are these rabbits?”
Retze asked.
“Yeah, rabbits. The red ones are cuter, though.”
The golden ones are beautiful, but the Rabbit Apples are definitely better in red.
“Even if the red ones are cuter, these golden apples are worth at least one or two countries!”
Haulon insisted passionately.
“Talking to Gene shakes my common sense.”
“The Great Sage’s perspective has already included the notion of cuteness,” Dinoss and the Butler whispered beside Haulon.
“If you’re going to decorate, wouldn’t it be the same to make apples out of gold?”
“This is! In terms of continuous supply, it’s a superior source of magic power compared to magic stones! It’s not something to eat! You just leave it as is!”
“Is that so?”
My appraisal prioritizes whether something is edible or not.
According to Haulon, a single spirit’s power is not as concentrated as a magic stone or droplet, but the golden apple is created by many spirits, even if it’s small.
Even after being picked, the spirits that see the golden apple continue to pour their power into it, so it doesn’t wilt and continues to emit a faint magical aura along with its golden light.
Usually, the longer it has been on the branch, the stronger its original magic power. The one I brought doesn’t seem to have been there long, but it’s apparently strong. Probably, a lot of spirits poured their power into it in a short time.
“In the past, there were nations that perished over this apple.”
Karn said gravely.
“Oh, so conflicts really do arise over it?”
“Yes, it’s that precious!”
Haulon asserted.
“Alright, then let’s eat it after all.”
“Why do you always come to that conclusion?!”
Haulon exclaimed.
“What do you mean by that?”
Karn asked.
“You…”
Dinoss started.
“Because it’s Gene.”
Retze replied.
“Because it’s Lord Gene…”
The Butler sighed.
If conflicts are going to arise, I think it’s better to just eat it and be done with it.