| The Scent God’s Scripture | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Original Name |
香神経疏 |
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Romanized Name |
Koujin Kyousho |
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Author |
Unknown |
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Debut |
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Powers |
It contains the knowledge about perfume manufacturing. |
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User |
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Status |
Destroyed |
The Scent God’s Scripture or The Fragrance God’s Scripture, known as Padmagandha in the manga, is a Phantom Book owned by the first president of the Famenias Company and later inherited by Fiona. It’s said to be the reason of the success of the cosmetic company. It's present in The Perfumer story.
It’s never described in the original, although the anime adaptation shows it as a common book with a wine-colored cover depicting lotus buds.[1]
Background[]
The Scent God's Scripture, as depicted on a bottle of Blue Trance.
The Famenias Company was a small cosmetic manufacturer, producing mostly soap, until its first president obtained a foreign book. The business thrived when they started producing perfumes, becoming recognized throughout the kingdom for its luxurious products. The Phantom Book became the logo of the company, rumored to be the reason of their success. The story is well-known between perfumers and managers of the cosmetic industry.
Years later, Fiona inherited The Scent God’s Scripture from her great-grandfather, which was a good publicity for the company. As instructed, she doesn’t show the Phantom Book to others, keeping it locked in a desk inside her laboratory.[1] In the manga, it used to be stored in a cupboard at the Famenias Company headquarters, although Fiona started carrying it in her pouch.[2]
According to Dalian, the book describes the secrets of a God who manipulates fragrances.[1] “Scent God” refers to gandharvas. In Buddhist or Indian mythology, the deities are skillful musicians that dwell in the scents of bark, sap and blossom.[3] Also present in Hindu texts, they feed on scents, especially the fragrance of herbs.[4] Padmagandha is a form of surasundari associated with the smell of a lotus. In Indian art, surasundaris are young maidens characterizing feminine beauty and graceful sensuality, often depicted as attendants of gods.[5]
Powers[]
The Scent God's Scripture hidden power, as seen in the manga.
It’s unclear how The Scent God’s Scripture affects its user. For instance, Fiona is shown to have enhanced sense of smell and unique skills to produce perfumes that can influence someone’s emotions and behavior. However, there is no telling which part of these exceptional abilities comes from Fiona’s talent and which part comes from the Phantom Book powers. The talented perfumer has formulated products with addictive, hypnotic, soporific and hyper-sensorial effects. The scents work directly on the limbic system, delivering a large amount of substances to the brain. By smelling, Fiona can perceive a good person nearby, discover what someone ate or if someone is carrying a gun. Mr. Famenias believes that the book contains perfume manufacturing methods and sophisticated technology to manipulate fragrances. The Scent God’s Scripture is said to be the reason of the Famenias Company success.[1]
The manga makes clear that the Phantom Book enhances the sense of smell, besides offering the recipes of unique perfumes, including the Relic. Fiona learned a lot from The Scent God’s Scripture, which is also a record passed down through generations containing the recipes of the company’s perfumes. According to Dalian, it contains forbidden recipes. In this adaptation, a hidden power is shown when its user confronts a difficult situation. While giving off a bright light, the Phantom Book grants a secret technique from the gandharvas to manipulate men like puppets. The targets can even be ordered to kill themselves. However, the power drains the user’s energy.[2] Originally, this hypnotic effect comes from one of Fiona’s formulations.[1]
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Plot[]
Light novel[]
Hugh and Dalian learn about the Famenias Company.
During the meeting with Mr. Famenias, Hugh notices the image of a book depicted on the bottle of Blue Trance. The president shares the history of the Famenias Company, mentioning the success of the business after Fiona's great-grandfather obtained a foreign book. The president is not sure about the contents of the book. After all, Fiona inherited the item directly from her great-grandfather, after being recognized by her talents. Mr. Famenias believes that the book has no value, serving only as publicity and as a logo for the company. Soon after, Dalian asks Fiona to see the book. She refuses at first because she was told to never show it, but the perfumer eventually changes her mind. They reach her laboratory, but Fiona realizes that she forgot her key back at the Famenias Company headquarters.
Fiona's laboratory is destroyed along with The Scent God's Scripture.
Back at the Famenias Company building, they confront Vance and Noss, who are looking for the Relic recipe. Fiona uses her formulations to defeat Noss and put Vance into a hypnotic state. She also sprays a soporific substance at Hugh’s face. Before leaving to fight the entire Padauk Company, the perfumer gives Dalian the key to access the Phantom Book. After waking Hugh up, Dalian talks about The Scent God’s Scripture and how its powers may have allowed Fiona to produce perfumes with extraordinary effects. Hugh is not sure if Fiona's skills are natural or bestowed by the Phantom Book, although it's clear that Fiona was chosen as its rightful user.
After Fiona’s death, Hugh and Dalian return to the Famenias Company laboratory, only to see the place covered in flames. The Relic addict had started a fire, probably frustrated for not finding a sample of the drug. The Scent God’s Scripture is destroyed along with the perfumer’s researches. Dalian doesn’t lament for the Phantom Book. After all, only Fiona was able to read it.[1]
Manga[]
The Scent God's Scripture, as seen in the manga.
Fiona carries The Scent God’s Scripture in her pouch. The Padauk Company is after the Relic recipe described in the Phantom Book. When Noss is ready to kill Hugh, Fiona threatens to kill herself, affirming that she’s the only person capable of reading the book. She’s taken to an improvised laboratory, where Vance tells her to produce the drug. Soon, he becomes curious about the Phantom Book, especially after the perfumer tells him not to touch it. Vance uses a captive man to test its powers. Mr. Famenias is forced to touch its cover. The man almost dies, consumed by its powers. The Phantom Book hidden power is released when Fiona witnesses Noss attacking her father.
When Hugh and Dalian arrived, the mobsters had already committed suicide. The Scent God’s Scripture is seen opened. Dalian retrieves it from the floor. After using the Phantom Book, Fiona is too exhausted to be healed from her wounds. In this adaptation, after Fiona’s death, it’s possible that Dalian sealed The Scent God’s Scripture inside the Labyrinth Library.[2]
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Trivia[]
- Gandharvas are said to be the court musicians of Indra.[6] There is a Phantom Book known as Indra in the manga adaptation.[7]
References[]
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