The Power Enthusiast

MINERVO 49: Not the Good People

"If your house is small, but very warm, yes."

Colin spoke as he and Paul and Nico entered Abbas's rickety hut, sitting on a porous wooden chair, sipping a glass of ginger prepared by Abbas. Inside the hut, there was only one room, which was a merger between the bedroom, the living room, and the kitchen. While the bathroom, Abbas did not have, he said, if his body is sultry or like to urinate, then he will go to the nearest river. Such was the living condition of the new hero living in Cocoa City. At first, Paul saw his new pupil living in a cramped, dirty place like this, but he kept a sense of pride, because Abbas had lived life independently, without the help of others. And Paul is sure, this hut that built it must be a Abbas, although it looks simple, but this hut is very sturdy, does not shake when exposed to the wind, and the roof does not leak when splashed with rainwater. And the atmosphere inside this hut also feels very warm and soothing, even though it is raining outside.

Abbas let out a faint smile when he heard Colin speak so. He was happy that his house had made these three people comfortable here, at least even though the place was narrow and dirty, the warmth had covered all those flaws. When Paul, Colin, and Nico were sitting in a rickety chair, Abbas himself was sitting on the ground floor. It seems that he was happy to see his home as a guest, it had been a long time since Abbas had lived here, and he had never found anyone willing to visit his home. But now, his little wish had materialized, as there were three people willing to step inside his simple house to visit. Abbas was very happy.

"May I ask you something?" Nico let out his voice with eyes staring at Abbas. Hearing that, Abbas immediately turned to Nico who was sitting in front of him. "It's about your appearance" Nico said in a flat tone. "I wonder, why did you let your body bare-chested so? Aren't you cold? You live in a city that always rains, but why don't you wear clothes to keep your body warm, Abbas? If you answer with 'I'm used to this kind of weather, since I'm a native of Cocoa City', then I will oppose it out loud. Wh why? Because I am also one of the residents living in a city that has cold weather, even colder than this. But, even though I was the original resident, I still felt cold and always wore thick clothes or at least wore long-sleeved clothes, but why didn't you do it? Is that your hobby?"

Indeed, Abbas was confused to hear a question from Nico that sounded very long, he was confused where to answer. But actually, Abbas is not that kind of man: he is a native of Cocoa City, so he gets used to the cold weather. No, he's not. Abbas still felt cold when he went outside the house, especially with his body bare-chested. Of course he's always cold. But that is not the reason why Abbas is always shirtless. Especially about hobbies, Abbas has absolutely no hobby of showing off his body to people. For the real reason was, he had no money to buy clothes. Yeah, that's the real problem. After Abbas was driven out of the city center, he lost his job, lost his family, lost his home, and more importantly, lost his clothes. That's why Abbas was always bare-chested, because the clothes he had, just black shorts that he always wore every day.

Although the pants are worn every day, but Abbas always wash them every afternoon and dry them every night, until finally it can be used again the next day. And therefore, every night Abbas did not wear a single piece of cloth, which meant that he was always completely naked, including when he was sleeping. What is permissible, that is how it is, Abbas can only resign, but he continues his life even when people stay away from him.

In response to Nico's remarks, Abbas simply said, "Money," Abbas said in his heavy baritone voice. "I don't have any money." Hearing Abbas's short answer, Nico, Colin, and Paul understood his condition, they began to understand why Abbas was always bare-chested, because he had no money to buy clothes. The three of them pondered about it in a moment.

"You just calm down!" After pondering, Paul finally got an idea, he immediately spoke out loudly as his hands pointed at Abbas. "I'll buy you as many clothes as possible! So, you don't have to be bare-chested any more every time!" paul said, lifting his chin up high. "Thank you to me!"

Suddenly, Abbas was amazed to hear Paul's words, he did not believe anyone was willing to buy him clothes voluntarily, it was really surprising. Because Abbas knew that the price of the clothes was very expensive, and he could not afford to buy them. But look now, the creepy-faced man who was one of his three guests, was about to buy him a shirt. Abbas didn't know what to say but to show Paul a happy smile.

"Can we forget about him being naked and not being able to buy clothes?" Colin emboldened himself to make a sound, making Paul and Nico turn to him. Abbas raised his eyebrows, astonished at the words thrown by Colin. "How about now, we'll discuss the issue of the bracelet?" Then Colin's attention focused on Abbas's face. "Hey Abbas" said Colin, trying his best to look friendly. "I know you're a quiet person, but please, this time, you have to answer my question, because we need your answer" Colin took a slow breath. "It's about the bracelet you're wearing, I mean, if I may know, is the bracelet that is coiled in your left hand that you can take off? I thought, if that bracelet got you exiled, why don't you just throw that thing out of your hand? In order for you to live a normal life as usual, there is no need to bother yourself in a place like this." Colin breathed out. "I'm sorry if my words offend you a little."

Abbas shook his head. "This bracelet" Abbas said in a rather hoarse voice. "Cannot be removed."

"W-WHY!?" Colin was surprised to hear that, he was completely shocked at that. "W-Isn't that just an ordinary bracelet!?" Colin immediately put the glass from the ginger drink that he had been sipping to the ground, then he moved from his chair, coming to Abbas who was cross-legged on the ground. Colin sat down next to Abbas as he stared at the red bracelet in the man's hand. "I want to try and check it out, okay?" Abbas nodded his head while thrusting his muscular left arm at Colin's lap. Nico was a little upset watching that, but he tried to hold back his anger for a moment. "Your hands are rough and big, huh?" Those were the words Colin said as he touched Abbas's left arm in his lap.

Then Colin pressed the circular red bracelet on Abbas' left arm, as he tried to pull it, apparently unable to. Colin was stunned, as it felt like the bracelet had already fused into Abbas's skin. Cannot be removed at all. "W-Why is it like this!? How strange!" Colin continued to try to remove the red bracelet from Abbas' wrist, but the results remained nil. There was no sign the bracelet would move or detach from there.

Not to be silent, Nico and Paul came to Abbas, after they put their glasses to the ground. They both helped Colin to remove the bracelet tied to Abbas' left hand, and the various ways they did it, from pulling, vacuuming, plucking, grasping, pinching, pinching, prying until hitting hard, but still there is no good result from the effort they do. The red bracelet appears to have been stuck in Abbas's skin, and perhaps only certain people could have taken it off. Or maybe there is some kind of special tool that can remove the bracelet. But when Paul asked Abbas about it, the burly man shook his head, a sign that he did not understand about it either.

And finally, the three of them gave up, it was too difficult, even though it was just releasing an ordinary rubber band, but it felt like they were prying human skin. Really troublesome.

"If this is the case," Colin scowled in disappointment. "We can't do anything but wait for the bracelet to explode in Abbas' hands" Colin squeezed his pants. "I feel so upset at myself, for being too lousy in trying."

Nico grabbed Colin by the neck with his right hand, saying, "Don't be so moody" Nico said in a soft voice. "It's not just you here who's upset, Colin. We're the same, too" Nico smiled faintly. "So, instead of continuing to feel disappointed, why don't you make this gloomy atmosphere cheerful, like you used to?"

"No, I can never make a gloomy atmosphere cheerful, that's not my forte" Colin replied while still displaying his pouting lips. "That's Jeddy and Cherry's skill, all I can do is scream in fear. That's it, and so is it" Colin brushed off Nico's hand-embraced arm around his neck softly. "Don't touch me." Nico heard it.

"E-Eh?" Nico was shocked to death. "Why?"

Colin breathed heavily. "I don't want to be touched by anyone, sorry." Hearing that, it was Nico's turn to look glum.

As the situation grew silent, Abbas, Colin, and Nico were shocked to hear Paul's words.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Colin began to shout hysterically, as if the world had just come to an end. "Paul! What are you thinking until you find such a sadistic solution!" Colin unceasingly threw his scolding at Paul. "That's a human hand! You can't cut it so easily! Paul's! You should also think about Abbas's feelings! She must have been scared to hear your idea!"

While being sprayed by Colin, Paul immediately spouted out a loud bang, "CLOSE YOUR MOUTH! LOSER!" paul exclaimed with an inflamed face and a jumbled jaw. "IT'S THE ONLY WAY HE CAN BE FREE FROM THE EXPLOSION THAT CAN MAKE HIM DIE! YOU MORON!"

Hearing the adoration of his heart-Colin-snapped by Paul, Nico was instantly enraged. "Don't make yourself look more stupid than ever, Paul!" nico said with a piercing look at Paul, Colin suddenly became silent when he heard Nico's voice. "What Colin said is true, we can't cut off someone else's hand as easily as you can! You idiot!" Nico pressed his glasses with a very proud face. "But I'm not surprised you can think of such a brutal solution, considering that a delinquent like you does have a sickening barbaric nature, but really," Nico squinted his eyes at Paul. "This time your brain has become more damaged than usual. I'm so sorry, Paul."

"WHISPER! THAT BASTARD!"

Watching his three guests fussing before him, Abbas became agitated, confused as to how his guests would stop fighting in front of him. Until finally, Abbas got a brilliant idea. When Nico and Paul are hot, they are humbling each other. Suddenly, Abbas raised his two hands, then, he placed them right on Paul and Nico's head, and he gently stroked their hair with a faint smile, it was like wiping two cats that were clawing at each other. Nico and Paul were shocked when their heads were suddenly rubbed by Abbas. Colin was also surprised to see this.

When the atmosphere became quiet again, Abbas told Paul and Nico with his refined baritone voice. "All of you are good children" Abbas said with a charming smile. "So don't fight."

"WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE NOT SWIPED!?" Colin protested because he was the only one whose head was not rubbed by Abbas. Hearing that, Abbas raised his right hand which had previously rubbed Nico's hair to land on Colin's head.

"You are also a good boy" Abbas said with a warm smile at Colin. Plainly, Colin beamed as his blue hair was gently rubbed by Abbas.

Just as Paul was about to sneer at Colin's annoying demeanor, suddenly the sound of knocking on the door rang out very loudly, making the four of them turn their attention towards the door.

"S-Who?" Colin was shocked to hear the knock.

Abbas immediately rose from his position, ending the session of wiping his guests' hair, to open his wooden door, welcoming new guests who rarely appear in his house.

When the door opened, a strong wind hit Abbas's face, the sound of rain and the sound of lightning pounding became clearer. However, that is not what makes Abbas' eyes wide open. For now, before him, stood dozens of men lined up in front of his house, dressed in white robes that looked soaked in rain.

"My guess is correct" said the white-bearded grandfather standing before Abbas, leading his army behind him. "I'm grateful to meet you, Young Man," said the Grandfather chuckling, as if ignoring that his clothes were now in the rain. "Now, we'll purify you."

Paul was shocked to learn that the man standing in front of Abbas's house was one of the troops from the white robe group. Soon Paul came to Abbas, having arrived beside the burly man, Paul's shock grew, because the members of the white robes who were present in front of Abbas' house were more than when he faced them in the city of Sablo.

Seriously, there are too many.

"Oh?" The grandfather frowned his wrinkles when he saw the figure of Paul who appeared beside Abbas. "From your scent, I can tell that you, are the one responsible for the death of my beloved Grandson, Liona," Suddenly the white-bearded Grandfather displayed an exasperated half-dead look on Paul. "You will also purify us, O Naughty Child." said the Grandfather in a growling tone.

Abbas did not understand why his house could be visited by a group of people in white robes, but after hearing the words of the old man, Abbas finally understood. That they, the white robes, are not good people.