CH 194

“Title?” Estian asked. He paused mid-throw and looked at the cover as Cecile instructed.

The book was in poor condition. Did someone scrape it on the ground before? The spine was tattered and the book seemed to be on the verge of tearing. It was so stained and dirty, one might’ve suspected that it’d been buried in mud. It was mystifying why it was in such a poor state. Judged by its appearance alone, the book seemed to have gone through a difficult journey.

“You can see it if you turn the cover! Here!”

Estian did as his wife said and found the inner contents of the book were in relatively good condition, unlike the messy cover. Printed in gold letters was the title: Regarding All Fruits In The World. The book’s mysterious appearance was bewildering, yet apt for their current situation.

As Estian was staring quietly at the book, Cecile explained, “I was surprised at first too, so I had a look and it seems to be the book about this orchard’s owner.”

“You read it?”

“Yes, but there’s nothing special to it. It’s just a book that lives up to its title.”

Nevertheless, Estian didn’t lower his guard and continued to glare at the book that had returned to Cecile’s hands. Seeing the suspicious look in his eyes, Cecile began to explain what had transpired in his absence.

* * *

Cecile had nearly fainted the moment she laid eyes on the book. Until now, these books had always appeared in times of danger. By that logic, did that mean that Estian, who’d gone to deal with the phantom beasts, was now in danger? Weren’t these beasts supposed to be weak?

In any case, Cecile hurriedly flipped the cover open, feeling an urgent need to read the book. She was certain that whatever the case may be, just like it’d been until now, the book would surely offer some form of assistance. However, the content of the book betrayed her expectations.

“The king of fruits—apples,” she said aloud. It felt like someone had written her thoughts into the book. Naturally, she was in total agreement. ‘Of course! Apples were the king of fruits indeed. No arguments here.’

At the end of the page she’d flipped open to, she noticed the page was folded in a tiny triangle. Perhaps, this was a bookmark left by someone who’d been reading it? But what kind of book is this? Cecile closed the book and began examining the book’s cover. No title was visible as both the cover and spine were severely scratched and soiled, but fortunately the pages inside the cover were unharmed.

“Regarding All Fruits In The World?” Cecile muttered aloud, as her eyes lit up. The title had caught her interest, and she turned to the blue phoenix and asked, “Could you give me some light?”

The phoenix squawked somewhat gloomy, as if to say, “Now you’re treating me like a lamp?”

Ignoring the phoenix’s sulking, Cecile was relieved when the blue light surrounding her brightened. Thanks to the light, she could continue reading without having to squint. Flipping through the pages, Cecile murmured, “Kiwano? What’s this? There’s a fruit like this too?”

The book was more professional than it first appeared. There was even a page about a fruit that looked like a monster rather than a fruit at first glance. Cecile was reading through each entry, enraptured, and before she’d realized, she’d made her way back to the page about apples that she’d seen when she first flipped the book open.

“Let’s see… The consumption of apples is effective for fatigue recovery, good for skin and eye health. They promote strong gums and a clear mind, good blood circulation, and are also good for insomnia… They have the effect of preventing memory loss, and can even help recover even lost memories?”

The list of efficacy and effectiveness of apples was well over two pages, and Cecile could understand that some books were prone to some exaggerations, but wasn’t it excessive to claim that apples could return lost memories? After having read about 399 benefits from consuming apples, Cecile couldn’t help but narrow her eyes in doubt. If this fruit really was this effective, who’d ever need a doctor?