The Power Enthusiast

MINERVO 57: What Sound Is It?

"Huh," Paul gasped as he opened his eyelids wide, the scene presented in front of him was the building of his own house. A second ago, he was still inside Roswel's castle which he said stood on a cloud, but whatever it was, it was, Paul did not expect that the power of agios candy could really work. It's very surprising, really. Paul inhaled as much air as possible, so that his surprise did not become more.

Now, Paul is standing on the grass from his backyard filled with shady trees, jasmine flowers, and vegetable plantations. When Paul raised his head, his eyes instantly narrowed, exposed to such dazzling sunlight.

"If it's daytime here, then." Paul squinted his eyes, pondering something. A few seconds later, Paul fell. "... Goddamnit! This means I've had a full day at Roswel Castle!" paul exclaimed with mounting aggravation. "I've wasted time! Shit!" Then Paul remembered something. "Wait, why was I the only one sent here? Where are those three assholes!?"

What Paul meant was the whereabouts of Nico, Colin, and Abbas, who were supposed to be sent along with him, but that was not the case. Where Paul stood, there was no one but him there, so he was astonished and curious about the whereabouts of his friends.

Although not very fond of them, Paul expected the safety of those people. Because if Nico, Colin, and Abbas disappeared somewhere other than his house, it would be a big deal, especially if they were very valuable to Paul. Losing them was the same as losing the most valuable treasures, of course, because they were hero candidates, which Paul had already discovered with great struggles in different cities. If they disappeared just like that, it was the same effort Paul had been doing in visiting various cities, ending up in vain.

"Isn't that... Paul?"

There was a familiar voice in Paul's ears, as Paul's eyes began to look in various directions, looking for the person who had just spoken, he found a beautiful girl with long purple hair who was standing in the back doorway, carrying a green padlock in her right hand, looking willing to go out to water the plants. When examined more clearly, Paul finally remembered, that the beautiful girl was not a woman, but a man. Suddenly, Paul smiled faintly to see Koko who was shocked to see her presence in the backyard.

"Shop! Comehere!"

Paul immediately called the man, about to ask a few questions. Koko, with her right hand still carrying a kingpin, runs up to Paul. Koko wore a plain white short-sleeved shirt and a long, red-silk skirt. Koko looks very beautiful with her slim body, even if she has two bumps on her chest, maybe people will think that she is a real girl.

"Paul... Why did you come through the backyard?"

"I've just had a bad experience! And I'm lazy to explain!" paul said, with a flat face, after Koko reached nearby. "From that, did you see Colin, Nico, and Abbas around here?"

Slowly, Koko tilted her head, looking confused by what Paul was saying. "I didn't see them, but Abbas? Who is he?" Paul immediately patted his forehead, feeling disappointed at the reply from Koko. If there is such an answer, it means that those people have not come here.

"Actually where are they!? Didn't we swallow the agios together, then why!?"

Paul grumbles at himself, annoyed by this strange, dizzying situation. Watching Paul's behavior, Koko just scrunched her eyebrows, not understanding the irritation that hit Paul's mind. What made Paul so bad? Did anything happen to Colin, Nico, and the Abbas, until Paul worried about their condition? Koko was a little curious about it.

"You want to water the plants? Huh uh?"

Suddenly, Paul asks her the question, making Koko quickly recover her blurred focus.

"Yes, Paul. I. I was about to water the plants, because I thought I had no other job but to wait for your return, and it would be boring if I just sat quietly in your house, so I picked up the kingpin and got ready to water the plants. But. I don't know if it turns out, you're already here... Paul."

"Then, where are Jeddy and Naomi?"

"Naomi.. is helping your mother cook in the kitchen," replied Koko in a voice so soft. "Every night, they also cooked a lot of food to welcome your return, but it turns out you didn't come home, so the rations for you, Colin, and Nico, were all spent by us. Sorry yeah... Paul." Koko lowered her head, feeling guilty for having eaten the rations of others without permission, making her strands of purple hair fall out.

"No problem! You don't have to apologize!" paul said firmly. "And where's Jeddy?" Hearing that, Koko re-strapped her head.

"I remember this morning Jeddy said he wanted to go out for a while, but until now, he still hasn't come home."

"Anxuating!" Paul's jaws were shaking so badly. "So the number of people who disappeared increased, huh!? Damnit damnit! We need to get ready to go to the next city! But they all just want to disappear! And finally, there's only you, Naomi, and Cherry left in Olivia's house!"

Koko puts the padlock she holds onto the grass, then she grabs Paul's right hand and says, "I believe. So. don't worry. Rather than thinking about it. You better get into the house, you must be tired after wandering for two days there. Come on, Paul." Koko turns her body and walks, while her hand pulls Paul's right hand, making the delinquent man carried away by his pull.

"MY CHILD! PAUL'S! YOU'RE FINALLY HOME TOO, BABY!"

Elena, an adult female figure in her thirties, with curly black hair, who was cooking in the kitchen with Naomi, was surprised to see Paul entering through the back door with Koko. Elena was really shocked and happy to see her son who had not come home for two days, appearing before her. Elena immediately ran away, leaving all her work to hug Paul tightly, even pecking at his face in front of Naomi and Koko, many times, without thinking about how embarrassed Paul was treated like that by his mother in front of others. Naomi and Koko just smiled happily looking at the mother and son hugging in front of them. For them, it was a very beautiful sight.

Paul is currently almost out of breath when he is hugged and frowned upon by his mother ferociously. Really, at first Paul was embarrassed to be treated that way, but he no longer cared about it. Now, Paul is more concerned about his safety, because the embrace of his mother feels like being squeezed by a giant hand, very stifling. And it can cause fractures, concussions, and all sorts of other dangerous diseases.

"Stop, Mom! I can't breathe!"

"You should've told me from earlier, son!" Elena immediately released her warm embrace from Paul and she ruffled her waist. "I'm glad you're finally home, but I'm curious! Where have you been all this time? Not to go home for days? Everyone in this house is worried about you! Especially me as your Bladder Mother! Paul!" Elena shook her head. "Even you didn't read hundreds of messages from Mom on your social media, did you? How outrageous," Elena sighed, paused for a moment before finally exploding, "Origin' you know, Paul! I have checked and sent messages to all your social media accounts! But you didn't reply to any of those messages! What during those two days, you didn't open your phone at all? Answer!"

Watching Paul being scolded by his mother, Koko emboldens to speak out loudly, leaving all attention on him. "Tante. I think Paul had his own reasons why during those two days he didn't open his phone. I believe in Paul. He can't possibly do anything weird, so please forgive Paul, Auntie."

"Yes!" paul replies trying to look excited, although actually he was horrified to see the threat from his mother who was very sadistic.

"Then, sit down. I'm making your favorite meal, Paul." Elena returned to her work after telling her son to sit on a chair from the dining table. "Naomi, have you sliced the chili?"

"Oh, already. Here, Auntie," Naomi thrusts a tiny cutting board with chili peppers on it at Elena. "Then for the seasoning, I've pounded it until soft, Auntie. When do we put this spice in the pan?"

"Don't be, I'm still busy with this part!"

"Okay, Auntie."

"Naomi, please get me a bowl!"

"Here, Auntie."

"Naomi, can you take care of this part first?"

"Of course, Auntie."

"If the fire is too big, you can shrink it."

"Good, Auntie."

Paul, who was sitting in the dining chair, looked at his mother who was busy cooking with Naomi. The aroma of salty, sour, rancid, spicy, and sweet, mixed into one, made Paul a little enamored while inhaling it. For some reason, his stomach was hungry.

"So...What happened in Cocoa City? Is there.. Are you facing something dangerous, Paul?" asked Koko who was sitting on the chair, exactly sitting across from Paul, in such a delicate voice, trying to break the silence.

"Those robed men" Paul replied with a flat tone. "They're coming again."

"That's impossible" said Koko with widened eyes, covering her mouth with her right hand, shocked to hear Paul's expression. "Aren't they wiped out by you and Jeddy in Sablo City? Why can they... come again?"

"When we were in Sablo, we just eliminated the small group, not the whole one" Paul said, exhaling heavily. "While in Cocoa, they came with a very large army. And finally we were slaughtered by them, mercilessly, without mercy. We're like four cats being pounced on by hordes of dogs."

"That's wrong," Suddenly, Naomi engages herself in the conversation, making Paul and Koko look straight at the hooded girl's back, who is busy slicing things up with Elena, Paul's mother. "But, if you were indeed slaughtered by them, then, why do you seem alright? It only took me a few days to heal from the wounds made by those people, then, why are you like a person who is not exposed to anything? Are you lying, Paul?"

The mother laughed when she heard Naomi making fun of her son, she thought, Paul was lying, after all, the boy from childhood loved to lie to his parents. That's why when Paul told me about the slaughter, Elena seemed calm, not surprised or hysterical. While Naomi herself was astonished, because, the appearance of Paul like a person who is fine, she did not find the slightest wound or scratch on the man's body, he found, though the group faced by Paul are people who can remove large stones from his palm. Naomi was really surprised.

Paul's breathing roared at Naomi's utter disbelief, and he immediately exclaimed, "This is thanks to Roswel! All this thanks to that pale man! He healed us to the fullest! Before, we were indeed completely slaughtered by those robed people! I even remember the pain! It really hurts!"

"Rosevel? I'm sorry, but I've never met that person, so I'm still doubting his whereabouts." Naomi turned her head to Paul and smiled.

"I haven't met Roswel" Koko said in a soft voice.

Paul growled at that, but it was true, of all his heroes, only Naomi and Koko had not yet had the chance to meet Roswel face to face. But still, Naomi's speech seemed to mock Paul by saying that everything the man said was just a lie and fiction. Actually, Elena had met Roswel herself, when the first time Paul met the pale man, but unfortunately, the woman's memory was erased by Roswel. And right now, Paul is around people who have never met Roswel. If only one person had met Roswel, maybe Paul would have been helped.

"ALL RIGHT!" Paul gets up from the chair and leaves the dining table, leaving Naomi, Koko, and her mother in the kitchen. Paul goiter if constantly ridiculed by them. Moreover, the mother also followed, Paul knew that the woman was holding back her laughter. And that pissed Paul off, really, really upset.

Just as Paul entered the living room, he was shocked to see a little girl sitting alone in the living room licking a jumbo-sized lollipop. Aware of the presence of anyone other than her, the girl stood up from the chair and shrieked as her index finger pointed at the standing Paul.

"EEEEEEEEH!? CHERRY DIDN'T GET ME WRONG, DID SHE!?" It turns out it was Cherry, apparently the girl was shocked at Paul's presence. "Cherry thinks! Paul is not home yet! I came home, yes! Why not tell Cherry, anyway! Know no!? Cherry's been going back and forth over and over to Paul's house, to check on you! But Aunt Elena, Naomi, Koko, and Jeddy always said that Paul still hasn't come home! Huh! Cherry was tired of waiting for him! But finally! Cherry can meet Paul again! Hihahi! It's so good to feel! Oh, by the way, Cherry is acquainted with Naomi! Naomi is funny, yes! Keep him if he talks always use formal words! Hihahi! Cherry is reminded of Roswel!"

PRANGS!

When Cherry nyerocos continuously without pause in front of Paul, suddenly there was an iron sound that seemed to be struck by an object, making it sound until it was heard to come. And apparently, the source of the sound came from outside, precisely in front of Paul's house.

"Eh?" Cherry heard it. "What's that sound?"