Devin's POV
A delicious smells suffocates my nostrils. This kind of smell is getting stronger and stronger until it managed to wake my sleeping soul.
I open my eyes slowly.
The blurry vision still enveloped me. But in a second, the blurry vision diminished and replacing by the sight of three red objects moving around with a cat-like sound. Three tiny strawberries with the size of a baby, round-big eyes, staring at me in surprise. They are watching me who still lying weak here.
In a moment, I jump out from my comfortable position immediately while scream that makes the three tiny strawberries shocked.
"Don't worry, they don't bite you."
That voice exactly like the voice of the masked-cloaked woman. However, now, her form change into a strawberry like the three tiny strawberries in front of me. But, in different size.
My eyes widened in disbelief.
The memory of last night's event caused a feeling of trauma when I see something form of food.
"Come eat soup with us!" the large strawberry woman said.
"No, I won't eat with you all!" I said.
"Oh my God, why am I in this strange world?!" I thought panicked.
I step out of the cave room. The three tiny strawberries chased after me, tried to stop myself. But, their efforts could not stop my determination to escape from this cave.
"Where are you going?!" the large strawberry asked to me.
I do not answer her question. My steps getting faster out of this cave place. The feeling of fear is running rampant in my soul accompanied by many questions about this world.
A brown horse is enjoying his time alone. He do not care about me that running out of the cave.
Arriving at the last step towards the outside of the cave, fresh and cool air hit every pore of my skin. The smell of the pine leaves getting stronger because it is carried away by the gentle breeze.
I did not realize that my left foot stepped on a rope in the leaf bushes, right in front of the cave until my body pulled. The rope wrapping around my whole body tightly.
I winced in pain.
"Stupid rope!" I grumbled.
I try to save myself from this torment before the strawberry family appears and laughing while looking at me.
Seriously! Suddenly a large strawberry woman and the three tiny strawberries come out of the cave. Their gazes at me who wrapped by a rope trap, hanging between the pine trees.
Suddenly she left the three tiny strawberries in front of the cave. A few seconds later, she come back with a double-edged knife and rushing towards the tied rope to the wood behind the bushes of leaves.
It is shocked to see because I did not know it was hidden behind the bushes of leaves.
"I wish I see that thing in that moment. I could be far away from here right now," I thought regretfully.
Suddenly I fall down and hit my spine. My right knee also hit by a small piece of wood in the pile of leaves and caused a blood scratch.
"Argggghhh!!" I winced in pain.
That strawberry woman help me to walking back into the cave immediately. The room welcomes me back and so does the mattress. The three tiny strawberries fix the pillows immediately on the mattress so that my spine could lean. Meanwhile, the strawberry woman carry me back to the mattress with the pillows that the three tiny strawberries have arranged.
"You've fall into my trap that you shouldn't have," she said.
"Stay there. I'll treat your wound," she continued.
The strawberry woman rushed immediately to get the first aid kit. Then, she come back to me and open the first aid kit. She take a small dark bottle and pour it into her red hand. She pointing at my wet wound on my right-leg knee.
It caused a sensation of pain until I hiss softly.
"The wound is not deep. It's just a scratch on the outer skin," The strawberry woman with her eyes on my wound as she gently smearing the liquid from the bottle.
"I give you sap from the trunk of pine tree to stem the flow of blood and prevent bacterial infection," she explained.
I silent. My eyes fall on her who still meticulously treating my wound
"I think I already being rude to her …," I thought.
Suddenly her action stopped. She tidied up her medical supplies immediately and put them back inside the first aid kit.
"Just wait until it's dry."
"Okay. Thank you for your kindness," I said quietly. "Sorry for my rudeness."
That strawberry looked at me. Then said, "It's natural that you're feel horrified by me. I can't blame you either."
Her gaze back to the first aid kit. She get up from her position while carry the first aid kit and put it back right in one of the wooden cabinets on the cave wall.
"My name is Rico Fragaria," she continued without look at me.
"Those three tiny strawberries around you, starting from the right are Poppy Fragaria, Polly Fragaria and Olly Fragaria."
The three tiny strawberries which still accompanying me smiled at me immediately and let out a soft voices like kitten.
I smiled back at them. My right hand stroking the green leaf on the head of one of them. I do not know how to know the difference among them.
"Don't worry, they are good strawberries. You don't have to be scary. They are kind," she continued.
"H—how can I know them apart since all of them are look the same?" I asked confused.
Rico turned her gaze at me. Her lips smiled faintly and approaching me. "Easy!"
She take one of the little strawberries that I was play with, in her hands. "This is Poppy. The hallmark of Poppy is he has thicker leaves than the others."
Rico put a tiny strawberry named Poppy back.
Poppy hug my legs back with her tiny fingers immediately which caused a tickling effect on my skin.
Rico take one of the strawberries that was laid back on my stomatch. "Next, it's Polly. If you look closely, she has some green streaks near her cheeks and her stomach."
After that, Rico take the last strawberry that wriggled under my left hand. "Last, this is Olly. his eyes are bigger than his friends. And he really likes the sun."
"Oh. Now, I understand better," I said.
"Good!" she said.
"By the way, why is you guys last name is Fragaria?" I asked confused. "Is it kind of family name?"
"Yes," she replied. "Also, that's the name of our race as a strawberry.
"Not only strawberries. All races are have their names too."
I nodded slowly and understanding her words.
Rico stepped back towards the kitchen. She take a wooden bowl and pour a kind of soup using a wooden spoon from an aluminum crock-pot.
"Why did you set a trap right in front of the cave?" I asked curiously.
"I purposely made it so that no wild beasts managed to get into this cave," she replied. "Not only beasts, anyone with malicious intent.
"It turns out you were the one who got. Sorry."
"It's okay," I replied. "I am glad that you're nice to me.
"Why did you save me?" I asked.
A question that been in my head over a night.
"Why don't you be like them?"
"You know, actually I didn't want to save you," Rico still busy pouring a soup into the wooden bowl in her hand.
She turned back.
"But because my heart still knows about pity, I saved you."
My eyes widened at her. "It means that you are …,
"… also want to eat me?"
"No," Rico replied simply.
"Eh?"
"I, we are not consume humans," she continued.
"Consume humans?" I asked her again. "What do you mean?!"
"All creatures in this world are hunt humans for eat. They consume humans every day and every time.
"Now, you're in the territory of the Cibus Nation.
"A nation of food." she explained.
"At the other of the world, there are a drink nation or the Potio Nation. Also, there is an island which is inhabited by humans or the Hominum Nation.
"The island which is inhabited by the Hominum Nation or humans is the one that been a dispute between the Cibus Nation and the Potio Nation until now."
I surprised after hear her words. The reality of this world is really terrible. I even cannot think that I entered the wrong world.
Unknowingly, my mouth opened suddenly.
"But the question is, why are you in the territory of the Cibus Nation??" Rico asked me as she glanced at me briefly.
"I – I don't even know why," I replied.
"At first, I walked into a restaurant with my best friend. After that, that restaurant turned into a strange one with many scary looks. Suddenly I woke up in the middle of a meadow at night and I was walked while searched for her. Then, I look at a settlement and because I was curious at that time, I came there.
"Suddenly one of them—cloaked in black—called me 'Hominum'," I explained.
"At that time, the Cibus Nation was celebrate the Starla Night or the Star Night," Rico said. "A night that glorifies the beauty of the stars in the sky.
"They're have to wear black cloak. It's a tradition.
"At that celebration day, they're also have to consume human flesh."
"Really?" I asked to be sure."So, the roasted meat smell at that night is …."
"Human flesh," Rico interrupted. "Roasted human flesh is a famous food in Lucerna."
I am shocked. My eyes stared at her disbelief.
That terrible moment was recorded in my brain again. I imagine if human flesh that already in cutted and grilled with their spices, ready to eat.
"Why human flesh?!" I asked. "Why not eat animal meat?"
"One day you'll find out for yourself, Cupcake head," she said.
"Cupcake head? Really?" I thought while touching my hair.
"Never mind. Better for you to eat this homemade soup. If you think too far, your head will explode."
Rico give me try her homemade soup inside a wooden bowl and a wooden spoon that already lying in it. The bowl of soup is handed to me immediately.
Looked at my dubious face. Then said, "No human flesh in it."
After hear her words, I take the wooden bowl from her hand.
Rico move her legs immediately and sit next to me with the three tiny strawberries. They seems to be chatting intimately each other.
This soup, with a spoonful I have eaten, it turns out this soup is not bad. I devouring it immediately because of the hunger myself. It is surged when the soup touched my tongue.
"Very delicious!" my thought.
"I add some herbs that I got around here," Rico said. "Usually I always get them under pine trees.
"This is good for curing all diseases," she explained.
"How did you make it this good?" I asked curiously.
"It's secret," Rico replied.
"Why it have to be a secret?" I asked again.
"Because I don't want a human like you to know my secret recipe," she replied.
"Okay if you say so," I said resignedly.
"By the way, thank you for this soup. It's very delicious!"
"Great to hear," she said with a faint smile on her face. "Next time if the food supplies run out, I'll take you to hunting with me."
"Okay," I smiled at her back.
Unknowingly, I finished the soup inside my wooden bowl. My stomach is full already and let out a small burp from my mouth.
"You can add the soup more. But, you have to remember Poppy, Polly, and Olly," she said.
The three strawberries also nodded enthusiastically, confirming Rico's words.
"It's their favorite soup too, you know!" she continued as she hugged Olly.
Suddenly Olly let go of Rico's arms and starting to running with his two friends around the room.
"Be careful!" she exclaimed to the three tiny strawberries.
However, they do not hear her words and still running here to there.
"They're so cute," I said.
Rico nodded. Then said, "Yes, they are.
"By the way, I don't know your name, yet, Cupcake head."
Suddenly I just realized it. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you,
"My name is Devin Aditya. You can call me Devin."
"Okay," Rico said. "But, I'd rather to call you 'Cupcake Head' than Devin.
"Because your hair seems like a cupcake topping, in fact," she continued.
"Yeah. But …,"
Rico smiled mockingly. "I am just kidding."
"Okay, right now, you can stay with me because of the situation that doesn't allow you to roam in this area," she said. "But, I have some conditions."
My eyes widened. "What? There must be some conditions?"
"Of course! Anyone who live with me must follow to the conditions," she replied.
"Okay okay, what's that?" I asked curiously.
"First, you have to come with me wherever I go. Second, you have to help me to find food supplies and another supplies, around the forest or to the big cities—"
"But—"
"Pssstttt!!" Her finger hovers over my lips. "I didn't asked you to spoke. Listen first and listen carefully!"
"Third, this is the last condition. You have to be brave to face this world that is in front of you now because I hate weak humans," she explained. "Okay. Now, you can comment."
"About the second point, how can I go to the big city??" I asked. "Don't you remember yesterday's incident that I almost eaten by a potato monster?
"Maybe until now I become a fugitive among them, who knows."
"Sorry, I just realized it," she said. "Okay, especially for you, only in the area around this forest because this forest is far from them.
"Anything else?"
"So if you're going to the big cities, I am not join, right?" I asked curiously.
Rico shook her head. Then said, "You just stay here, looking after Poppy and Polly and Olly.
"Survival simulation will start the day after tomorrow until you really understand and skilled," she said. "Understand?"
"Yes, I understand," I said.
PRAANGGG
Suddenly our eyes turned to the table in the kitchen.
Polly dropped the aluminum pot on the stone floor. Polly's form also drenched with herbs from the soup. Polly crying immediately. Olly and Poppy were silent as they staring at their friend who still crying while pounding the stone floor with her feet.
Rico rushed to get a white towel and cleaning Polly's body which is drenched in soup. Luckily, the soup already cooled down so Polly's skin did not scald.
"I told you guys to not run!" Rico exclaimed while cleaning Polly's body with a white towel.
However, Polly and her friends do not answer Rico's words. Polly still crying. But, her crying had be subsided.
Poppy and Olly looked terrified at Rico's deathly glance. The two of them were saying something in their language which I do not understand.
"Okay, don't do it again or I'll reduce your food rations," Rico said while stroking their heads which were covered with green leaves.
I sit down while holding a wooden bowl. My eyes staring at Rico's and the tiny strawberries in the kitchen.
A smile appears on my face.
Instantly the figure of mother appeared in my mind. Her incomparable love makes my heart miss her already. However, trapped in this world do not allow me to return to my world. If the gate to the real world would be opened, I have to save Ayse first.
Even to the end of this world.