[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies":3,"chapter-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-90":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Notes on Kraft Anomalous Studies",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2283568,4467,"Chapter 90: A Visit","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-90",90,"\u003Cp>“I don’t understand why you brought apples.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The priest reached into the grain sack, fumbled for a moment, and pulled out a slightly unripe apple, no larger than half his fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fruit, which might one day become common in every household, had not yet been fully domesticated; the climate near Comfort Harbor was unsuitable for cultivation, and it grew poorly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skin, streaked with red and green, was slightly shriveled; moisture had been dried away by wind and sun due to inadequate transport. Buyers picked out the few with decent appearance, stuffed them into bags provided by the vendor, which also contained prickly bran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wiping dust off the peel against his white robe, Adrian bit into it, chewing the spongy flesh—the meager juice wasn’t enough to replenish the saliva he’d secreted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Average. Not as good as mine, and unsuitable for pairing with wine.” The priest finished the apple, unimpressed. His thirst from walking half the harbor under the sun remained unrelieved; he planned to try a plumper one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft tightened the sack’s mouth and slapped his hand away. Finding a place to buy fruit wasn’t easy—most fruits didn’t transport well, and the apples people usually saw came mostly as cider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shouldn’t you bring fruit when visiting a sick person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What logic is that? Aren’t you here to treat him?” The fat hand tossed the core aside, wiped his hands twice on his clothes—no stickiness, not enough sugar. “Besides, I’ve never heard of bringing fruit to visit the sick. Wouldn’t wine be better?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s talk about the person we’re here to see.” Kraft rubbed his temple, easing the sudden spike in blood pressure—his headache seemed to be returning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the priest was right about one thing: fruit wasn’t necessary to bring. Still, arriving empty-handed felt awkward for showing goodwill. Apples held special meaning for souls from another world; buying one on the way felt like a good start to the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s there to say? I already told you—he used to work for that acid-making crew, fell down, and that was it. His daughter’s been caring for him ever since.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing more detailed?” Kraft wanted to hear more before entering, to plan his questions and compare with the family’s account. After all, private conversation wasn’t appropriate in front of others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last time I visited, he couldn’t speak at all—lying in bed, his excrement cleaned by his daughter.” Few could remain calm discussing such things; Father Adrian was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When not mentioning wine, he was still a competent priest, filled with compassion for humanity. This family’s plight ranked among the worst he’d ever known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can sense he’s still conscious, trapped in a body that won’t move. He can chew food, cough incessantly, breathe with difficulty like Vetchum pulling his old bellows—muttering half-formed words during each gasp—probably something, I don’t know. I privately advised his daughter not to take him to church.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, I’m relatively open-minded,” Adrian explained. “But some of the more rigid ‘traditionalists’ in the church might not be. Their views are terrifying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft nodded in agreement. The most devout believers in such conditions should carefully consider whether to entrust their care to religious authorities—though most lacked the capacity to decide for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the gravel path, the priest led Kraft deeper, speaking as they went. Away from the street, this area resembled Wendeng Harbor in general.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His daughter—I don’t know what to say… She has to support two people. What can she do? What can she possibly do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He truly didn’t know how to phrase it. Years of church moral education compelled him to avoid blunt statements, forcing him to restructure his words: “She’s so young. Should she learn from those people at the harbor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words carried indignation, though the target was unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft didn’t know what to say. He held the apples and listened silently as the priest complained, realizing they shared something in common—both encountered things that weren’t pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the sparsely populated path, footsteps came from behind. He tapped the priest’s shoulder, signaling someone was approaching—stop talking. Even if unintentional, they must avoid damaging reputations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the priest could fall silent, a female voice rang out from behind: “Are you talking about Yifeng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What Yifeng? I was talking about those people at the harbor taverns who…” Adrian reacted quickly, realized his mistake, and tried to deflect: “Ah, good afternoon, Yifeng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl with chestnut hair stood at the previous corner, one hand on her hip, watching them. At this distance, she’d heard at least half of what the priest had said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraft felt so embarrassed he wanted to bury himself in the sand, hiding behind the priest’s broad, fat frame, wishing he could slip into the apple sack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before his suspension, Adrian had been a seasoned priest; thick skin was part of the job. He somehow held his ground despite being caught speaking ill behind someone’s back, pretending nothing had happened, and using Kraft as a distraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve found a new doctor for your father—his skill is as sharp as those who can see through the scriptures. He treated my liver disease.” He stepped aside, revealing Kraft, who stood apart, staring at the apple sack. Kraft forced a stiff, professional smile, unsure of the proper etiquette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no escape, he stepped forward and offered the bag to the girl, whose height barely reached his chest—like a child dragged forward by parents to greet distant relatives, trying to ease the tension with ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, I’m Kraft Wood, lecturer at the Wendeng Harbor Medical Academy, invited by Father Adrian to examine your father. I hope I can help with his condition.” And perhaps uncover something about that alchemist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attempting treatment was fine, but finding clues was his true purpose. His motives were impure, weakening his presence. Combined with his lack of confidence in treating suspected stroke cases, his words grew increasingly hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yifeng regarded this doctor brought by the priest with suspicion. His title was long, and he included his surname—seemed unusual. The priest’s assessment proved correct; the girl hesitated slightly, then didn’t reach for the bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence stretched. Kraft looked pleadingly at Adrian. Though this man was the source of the awkwardness, at least he knew the girl better, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the priest did something useful. He took the bag, stepped into Kraft’s place, and explained to Yifeng: “Mr. Kraft has unique insights into diagnosing causes—different from previous doctors. The apples in the bag are for you. Don’t be polite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Father.” Perhaps because Adrian had previously been on decent terms with her—enough to earn familiarity while inquiring about Vetchum. With him speaking, Yifeng’s tense expression softened slightly, and she politely thanked him—but still didn’t take the apples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you’re here to see my father, you’ve arrived a few days too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new doctor hadn’t brought even a flicker of hope or other emotion to the girl’s face—only a flat, numb expression. Kraft had seen this in adults before: the result of prolonged illness, where repeated glimmers of hope were crushed by greater disappointments, hammering away the last emotions until only cold, dead iron remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no other adult in this family to shoulder everything—so it fell naturally to a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t seem particularly sad. Almost relieved, she stated the outcome plainly: “He died three days ago. He didn’t tell me anything about what you asked for.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1232,"2026-06-20T02:15:55.761Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ecf065af4b076d4306441b453b739779ccb399790cd7941486ea4f804be8a444","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-91","notes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-chapter-89",406,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnotes-on-kraft-anomalous-studies-cover.jpg"]