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Chapter 418: Use and Purpose for the Apple

「Alright, gotcha, let’s have today’s dinner with Noth and the other guys. 」
Dinosso looked up from the basket and boldly declared.

「Eh, no way, Madam’s soup…! 」
Shiva’s soup is really scrumptious, you know!

「My goodness, then how about you bring some to everyone from time to time? 」
Shiva replied while beaming.

「Yeah. 」
Without taking his eyes off me, Dinosso picked the pound cake and jar of tomato sauce from the basket and passed it to Shiva. The apple bunnies were hidden underneath the dust cover.

Hey, isn’t this too improper?

「I love Jean’s cakes! Thank you! 」
「Thank you~ 」
「I love them too~ 」
The three kids were over the moon.

「Oh my, plums? 」
I used plums, or should I say fresh prunes, to make the pound cake. Without 【Storage】, you can only use fresh plums during this season.

The plums I used are from this world and not crossbred, so the sourness and acidity is pretty high, but it pairs really well with fresh cream or ice cream.

「I’ll have Tina deliver the soup, so go ahead first. 」
Shiva sent Dinosso and me off with a smile.

Madam agreeably saw her husband off just before dinner, and the kids also knew how to read the room, so Daddy Dinosso left the house without a hitch.

「Meanie. 」
「Meanie, you say!? Why you rascal, your sense of value being all messed up ーnow that’s what is terrible, I say! 」
I wistfully imagined the happy family circle time that just slipped by me as Dinosso dragged me by the scruff of my neck.

「Come on, take out your key, will you. I’ll invite you to dinner next time, promise. 」
「You can’t go back on your words, alright. 」
It’d be terrible of you to make me hang on to that promise then leave me hanging again, okay.
With that in mind, I opened the back door and stepped into the house.

It was pitch black, but we’re only here to pass through so I didn’t bother turning the lights on and just walked as is. Dinosso’s night vision is good and it’s my house, after all, so I’m familiar with the layout.

「Oh, seems like he’s outside, huh. You brought that thing to Noth too? 」
「That thing.. You mean the apples? Yeah, I did. 」
I opened the main door while replying.

Based on what Dinosso just said, he must’ve sensed Butler beyond this door, but Butler doesn’t even have any presence?

「Oh, there’s a lot of people here. 」
The sight of Butler, Retze, Hauron and Khan standing greeted us the moment I opened the door.

「Please pardon the intrusion.
Butler beamed.

「Retze’s right, he did come. 」
「The situation is so severe that Noth will rush to my place, so of course Dinosso won’t be able to handle it on his own. 」
Hauron and Retze.

Butler already went ahead and lit the fireplace before those two entered the house. The pitch-black house was basked in an orange glow.

「So, he sent you apples too? 」
Dinosso sat heavily on the chair and pulled the cover of the basket that had been placed on top of the table.

「Indeed. 」
Butler did the same thing.

Everyone else took a seat too then they stared at the glittering apples.

The apples shone golden as they reflected the glow of the fireplace. Ooh, the fire’s light really brings out the gorgeousness of gold when illuminated in a dark room, huh. No wonder the ancient Japanese folks were fond of making gilded folding screens.

Oh well, these apples are going into our tummies, though.

「Yup, they really are golden apples, no matter how many times I check them. It’s the first time I saw one in the flesh. 」
Hauron stared unblinkingly at them.

「These must be two pieces worth… 」
「I can bring more if you want to eat more. 」
The apples are divided into eight so everyone is sure to get a piece.

The apples are pretty and rare but since the color isn’t that appetizing, I only brought two. Well, whether Butler eats it with Ash or decides to give some to Retze and the others, it’s up to him.

「What are you eating them for!? These are golden apples, right!? 」
Hauron screeched.

I learned my lesson, so rest assured, the sound proofing had been taken care of. It’s not good to disturb the neighbors.

「But it’s already divided, see. Is this a rabbit? 」
Retze asked.

「Yup, it’s a rabbit. Well, red looks cuter though. 」
The golden apples sparkle so they’re lovely but I still prefer red when making apple bunnies.

「Even if the red ones are cuter, these here are sooo expensive you can buy a kingdom or two with a single golden apple!! 」
Hauron stressed.

「My common sense is starting to waver whenever I’m talking to Jean. 」
「It appears to me that the word ‘cute’ has already permeated the Great Sage’s consciousness after all. 」
Butler and Dinosso whispered to each other as they sat beside Hauron.

「If it’s for decor, then won’t it be the same if you make an apple with gold? 」
「Oh my goodness!! Listen carefully, this here gives a continuous supply of mana, making it far better than manastones!! You don’t eat it! You leave it intact and display it!」

「Really? 」
My 【Appraisal】-san’s results prioritize edibility above else.

According to Hauron, the golden apple isn’t like manastones and drops that came from the power of a single spirit; they’re formed because of several spirits working together.

Even after being plucked, the golden apple will continue to attract spirits and receive mana from them. It basically lasts forever, never withers, and it also emits faint traces of mana along with its golden glow.

Usually, the longer the apple stays on its branch, the stronger its inherent mana will be. The ones I plucked shouldn’t have been on the branches for that long but they were still quite powerful; most likely because a huge number of spirits infused them with mana even in that short amount of time.

「There had been kingdoms who fell into ruins after warring over this apple. 」
Khan gravely commented.

「Ah, so folks literally go to war because of this, huh. 」
「That’s right, that’s how precious they are!! 」
Hauron interjected.

「Alrighty, let’s eat them. 」

「How did you end up with that thought, huh!? 」
Hauron.

「Why would we do that? 」
Khan.

「You… 」
Dinosso.

「It’s Jean we’re talking about. 」
Retze.

「It’s Jean-sama, after all… 」
Butler sighed.

If it’s gonna cause war then better tuck them apples into our tummies is all.