The Freak Show Foreman

Yurakne\'s encouragement not to lose hope, given the many who hadn\'t spent their coins, felt empty.

Those still holding coins were merely waiting for the inevitable \'final round.\'

Since they could still buy things until the end, they delayed spending as much as possible in the faint hope that something might change.

The outcome was practically decided.

"Is this the end?"

Although Ella didn\'t show it in front of the members, inside, she couldn\'t help but feel a constant sense of disappointment.

After all the desperate efforts, she ended up failing.

Of course, losing this time didn\'t mean the end of the competition.

They could take their turn again in two or three months for another test.

But could they win even if they tried again?

The theme of the test set by the 6 theaters had remained the same for two years.

In other words, the test they would face in two and a half months would be identical to the current one.

The only reason they could contend with other large circuses with a group of about 20 people was because of Maya\'s magical tool, the Sketchbook.

When asked how to repair or obtain it again, Wonderstein shook his head.

"It\'s a one-of-a-kind item. Repairing it would probably be difficult."

Upon hearing this, everyone despaired.

On the other hand, Maya, the owner of the item, remained calm.

She showed only a slight reaction, like biting her lip or letting out a sigh.

It seemed like a very indifferent attitude to others.

As if she never had any attachment to the item in the first place.

But Ella knew better.

For Maya, it was an expression similar to choking back tears.

She looked towards the practice room.

Maya had been locked in there for several hours, struggling to restore the Sketchbook.

She had rushed to the alchemy guild, presented her academy student ID, and brought all sorts of elixirs to spray on the Sketchbook.

However, the Sketchbook showed no reaction whatsoever.

Each page was only covered in tomato juice like decals.

With each failed attempt, her complexion darkened.

Ella felt uneasy watching Maya being so shaken.

Maya, using telekinesis, skillfully deflected the barrage of tomatoes raining down on her on the stage.

Especially around Ella, not a single fragment was allowed to pass.

She was determined to strictly follow Wonderstein\'s request.

Perhaps because of that.

Maya was negligent in defending herself. She didn\'t see the blind tomato coming from behind and ended up being hit by the Sketchbook.

The thrower was just an ordinary audience member who happened to aim for Maya while enthusiastically aiming for the unpainted areas. Because her hair was a shade of blue.

As the Sketchbook got wet, the drawings inside melted away with various liquids of unknown colors, making sounds like moans and screams, seeping into the floor and disappearing.

And no matter what Maya looked at, the images no longer came to mind on the paper.

Even after losing the magical power, Wonderstein didn\'t express anger towards Maya for losing the Sketchbook.

There were no words of reproach.

He consoled her with just one word, expressing his sympathy with a smile.

Maya couldn\'t bear herself, feeling pathetic.

The sketchbook he gave her was no ordinary item.

If he was a magician, he would easily recognize the power of the sketchbook.

It was not a human-made object; it came from the world of Abyss, where the demons reside.

Stories about demons\' magical tools were widely spread in the world.

Like a lamp that appears when rubbed, granting wishes.

Or shoes that, when worn, make you dance until death if you\'re a fairy.

Or a horyeong disease that sucks in and confines people.

One of the characteristics of demons\' magical tools was that they exhibited supernatural power without any magical or mechanical principles.

The sketchbook Wonderstein gave her was a perfect item for her.

Even without the inscription "Maya\'s Sketchbook" in gold leaf on the front, she could tell.

He knew she liked drawing, understood the weaknesses of her magic, and obtained this tool for her.

What it conveyed was clear.

He obtained it from the demon for her sake.

It must not have been an easy opportunity.

However, he used it for the girl he had only seen for a few days.

She didn\'t know what price he paid.

Considering his personality, he would casually say it was nothing special.

Why would he generously give it to himself like this?

She couldn\'t understand.

Still, one thing was certain.

Now, she couldn\'t consider anyone else as her mentor.

But he told her not to call him that.

At first, she didn\'t know, but now she knew the reason.

He was a magician.

One who uses the power of demons.

Since he brought the magical tool, she vaguely guessed, but she became sure when she saw him using magic to change clothes.

The magic he used was unrelated to the rules that constitute this world.

There were no traces of magic power or changes in the natural order; it just manifested "casually."

The power of the demon was evident.

The status of the invincible.

The power of magic.

Both were not welcome in the world.

Moreover, he was the director of the circus.

It took Veil Arno ten years to finally be accepted as an academy member.

The academic world was a rigid and conservative place.

Magicians were no different.

If she declared Wonderstein as her mentor and walked around with him, it was obvious she would be treated with contempt in the academic world.

He must have worried about that.

Worried that his disciple might be ignored wherever she went.

Maya felt grateful for his thoughts but also pitied him.

She had an idea of what kind of demon\'s power he was using.

The probability of it being Kirku was high.

His ability suited his devotees\' playful nature.

By the way, Inspira who changes clothes…

How did he acquire such power?

She heard that Inspira gives appropriate abilities to those with outstanding circus skills…

The image that came to her mind at that moment was Vergsong\'s self-composed music and his figure walking out of the bedroom.

Thinking about his appearance, he must have been involved with many women before.

No way…

"Crunch."

At that moment, the door to the practice room opened, and the two people who had just appeared in her imagination entered.

It was Wonderstein and Anais.

He smiled at Maya, who was clutching her sketchbook tightly.

"Are you still at it, Maya?"

"…It\'s my fault."

Wonderstein found it surprising that she seemed to feel a greater sense of responsibility than he had expected.

Her personality in the game was indifferent, unfeeling, and blunt. She focused only on her own work without consideration for others.

To see her admitting her mistake was unexpected. Perhaps it was because she was still young.

There were many aspects in which she was more immature than her in-game persona.

Wonderstein couldn\'t help but smile at her admirable side. Discovering unexpected human traits in characters he thought he knew everything about, like with Minova, was enjoyable.

"Maya, how about leaving that behind and going outside with us?"

"I have nothing to do outside."

"Why not? This is a festival. You should enjoy it."

"Enjoy what?"

He chuckled and showed her the box in his hand.

"Don\'t you see? Our final trump card."

30 minutes until the end of the competition.

People who had just watched the final performance of the Satbyeol Circus rushed to the concession stand.

It was time to spend all the remaining coins.

"Wonderstein\'s side is finished now."

"He said he can\'t draw portraits anymore."

"In business, you shouldn\'t focus on just one item."

"Let\'s go. There\'s nothing decent left in the concession stand."

As people went to the lobby, they were greeted by an unexpected sight.

The concession stand in front of the Satbyeol Circus was empty, and the one in front of the Monster Circus was crowded with people.

Curious about what had happened, they asked those who had just come out.

And they learned that the "Golden Tomato" was offered as a prize in the card draw.

"Is it a scam?"

"Why is the Golden Tomato here?"

The Golden Tomato was a legendary fruit said to be tasted only by rulers of a nation, religious leaders, or the CEOs of major corporations. The news that such an item appeared at the concession stand was hard to believe.

"It\'s guaranteed by Vergsong Merchant Union."

"Vergsong? Oh, right. Vergsong was the sponsor of the Monster Circus!"

"Then it might be possible…"

People hurriedly ran towards the concession stand.

They worried that the cards might be sold out if they were late.

At that moment, someone among those coming out from Hall 2 shouted, "Wait! I have an objection!"

People\'s attention turned to the corner.

There was Lord Dosville, diligently opening card packs.

"Why are you looking at me? He\'s the one who shouted."

Dosville Marquis pointed to a man who had just made the noise. He was one of the thugs who had caused trouble at the Monster Circus earlier.

He looked surprised when he saw Lord Dosvillle opening card packs.

"No, just regular cards again."

Dosville Marquis threw the cards onto the table with a sigh.

People\'s attention continued to focus on him.

The people felt a slight sense of victory that he had lost earlier.

"Even though Lord Dosville promised not to do this while we went to see the Satbyeol Circus side, why are you opening card packs on the Monster Circus side? You said, if the prize was set, it would be cheating…"

"Oh, those idiots again."

Dosville rolled his eyes.

"Gifts are not cheating. It\'s not cheating. It\'s just excluding the value of the prize from the sales as agreed."

"Anyway… does this mean the Monster Circus lost? The Golden Tomato is… quite expensive, isn\'t it?"

The thug spoke in a somewhat softened tone.

Many people were in chaos, even though they had rushed to the concession stand after hearing about the Golden Tomato. The sudden doubt about whether they could really receive it lingered.

"If you set a prize, it\'s not considered cheating. It\'s not. According to the rules, we exclude the value of the prize from the sales."

After Lord Dosville finished explaining, people finally started moving with all their might.

The remaining time was 20 minutes.

Everyone started tearing open card packs as if they were crazy.

Even street thugs were mixed in with the crowd.