I Became the Leader of the Monster Circus Troupe-Chapter 234: Wonderland – 37

Chapter 234: Wonderland – 37

The footsteps of those emerging from the underground common area quickened as they ascended.

Until just a moment ago, they had been casual, but now, their faces were pale with sweat, as if they might vomit at any moment.

Memories of everything they had experienced below – sights, sounds, smells, sensations – suddenly assaulted their physical and mental strength.

Upon exiting the judicial theatre, they felt liberated from the pressure. Everything seemed refreshing.

“Whew, what was that?”

“Ugh, my head hurts.”

The group looked at each other. Their appearances spoke volumes.

Minova shook his head, muttering as he rubbed his temples.

“It’s like a hangover. You don’t feel it when you’re drunk, but it hits you hard when you sober up.”

“Is this what that giant fairy meant by a mental assault?”

“Still, it’s fortunate they play the lullaby on the surface.”

After catching their breath for a moment, they used their tickets to move to the Eagle’s Next.

It was on the top floor and, being on the verge of closure, provided an excellent space for practicing lullabies.

“Welcome, living acrobats, to the Eagle’s Nest!”

Chen Hawk, dressed in a calm suit, greeted them as he had been contacted by the apostles in advance.

Ella glanced at him, her arms crossed, displeasure evident in her gaze.

“Geez, this guy’s nerve. He betrayed us once… Is it okay for the theater owner to be like this?”

Hawk extended his hands as if to say he had no choice.

“Sorry about that. I couldn’t refuse the direct orders from the apostles. Please forgive me.”

“Fine, whatever. We’ve done our fair share of deception, too.”

“That aside, I never knew you lot would be asked to perform Strauss’s new piece.”

Chen Hawk was unaware of Kirku’s true identity.

He believed they had been released due to some sort of judicial deal.

Five surviving performers playing together was the agreed-upon compensation.

As the owner of the Eagle’s Next, he vowed to assist them to the best of his ability during their stay.

The shock of encountering Kirku had somewhat subsided for the five acrobats, who immediately began their rehearsal.

Hopps and Minova, who had experience with musical instruments, led the session.

Unfortunately, Lord Fantastic was still unconscious, lying in a room.

“Something’s off. “

“Before, this would’ve woken him up… Has he gotten that much older?”

Diamond Queen seemed disappointed she couldn’t talk to her disciple, although it was doubtful whether her disciple would have reciprocated.

As everyone went about their tasks, Scarecrow found himself alone in the audience seats of the Eagle’s Nest, organizing the information gleaned from the underground of the judicial theatre.

Combining the information from the game with what he knew, some aspects became clearer while others remained ambiguous.

The conclusions drawn by the apostles regarding Voodoo were filled with loopholes.

They claimed the captured mages didn’t know much, considering their roles, they could have been discarded pawns.

At TT3, Voodoo seemed to be moving with an attitude of indifference even in the face of world destruction.

At least that was the sentiment of the three witches, including the executives.

They weren’t merely lackeys of other Demons.

After calmly considering all factors, he concluded there was no need to revise their course of action.

There was still work to be done. They needed to participate in the Circus Grand Prix.

As his thoughts began to settle, Ella suddenly leaned in front of him.

“Let’s go have some fun, Mister!”

“Is rehearsal over already?”

“I was expecting something grand since they called it a lullaby to calm chaos, but it was nothing special. Just a few verses. And I’m a vocalist, yet the lyrics are all whistles!”

Ella whistled a few bars of the lullaby she had just sung.

At the sound, Scarecrow exclaimed.

“Why? Did something strike a chord with the dead?”

“…No. I just felt a sense of longing somewhere.”

He felt tears welling up inexplicably.

The melody she had just sung was the main OST of the Tril Trilo series, which played repeatedly on the menu screen when TT1 was first launched.

Scarecrow glanced towards the direction of the practice room.

He hadn’t realized it before, but the various melodies emanating from there were undoubtedly familiar to him, composed of combinations of those tones.

“Are the others still rehearsing?”

“Reyna and I are done, but Ruelle and Karen might take a bit longer. Maya… might take quite a while. She’s struggling with each piano movement, trying to correct them. But I think she’ll finish by tomorrow morning…”

“I see. Well then, that’s it. Once rehearsals are over, we can head home.”

At his words, Ella paused for a moment, her expression stiffening before she smiled and grabbed his arm.

“Let’s go then. It’s the last day at Wonderland, after all. Aren’t you moving? Hurry up, fulfil your duties as our guide.”

There seemed to be an unusual urgency in her voice, more than usual, probably because it was the last day.

Scarecrow got up from his seat, straightening himself.

“Alright. But didn’t you say Reyna was done rehearsing? Wouldn’t she be bored alone?”

“I don’t know. Does she have something else to do?”

He nodded.

It had been some time since he and Reyna had exchanged words. It might seem strange to pay her too much attention.

“Alright. Let’s go. I suppose the theatre is the obvious choice?”

“Of course!”

The two called for Ticketer, purchased tickets, and made their way there.

Reyna watched as their figures disappeared into the radiance beyond the window and then turned back to her conversation partner.

“So, you’re saying I can find my mother here?”

Reyna, done with her rehearsal, approached Chen Hawk to inquire about the place.

There was no other reason. She simply wondered if her deceased mother might be here.

She had been so focused on saving Father that she hadn’t even thought about it, but when she saw Father meeting the deceased master earlier, it occurred to her.

“If she had a theater soul, the chance of reaching here after death is high. If she had an Inspira, it’s about 99%. And if she is just a regular acrobat, it’s about 30%. Your family… your mother, right? She had Inspira?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s probably over 99%.”

“What’s the 1%?”

“It could be because of strong grudges or determination that she stayed on the surface. Or she might have been dragged away by other Demons.”

With that, he jumped up onto the railing.

Reyna stood up in surprise, but he gestured for her to sit. He had been performing here for decades. This was easy for him.

“Have the Ticketer search for your mother’s name or stage name. Even if she’s not the theatre owner, if she had Inspira, there should be a registration number that comes up in the search.”

Reyna’s expression remained tense as she listened. She nervously fiddled with her fingers.

“I heard that being here can make you lose your memories. I’m afraid my mother might not remember.”

At her words, Hawk chuckled.

“It’s been several years since she passed, right?”

“Nine years.”

“Haha, then there should be no problem. Memory loss usually starts after about 15 years. And would your mother forget such an important memory in such a short time? Family ties are connected through the soul. That’s why many people wander the outskirts of Wonderland trying to call the souls of their deceased family members here. Like the scarecrow who guided you. The old saying ‘someone you know becomes the death messenger’ comes from there. Your mother probably didn’t feel you here because you’re still alive. Having a physical body weakens spiritual power. That’s why the development of personas is weaker for those who are alive. So don’t worry that your mother didn’t come looking for you.”

His confident tone boosted Reyna’s confidence.

“Thank you, Chen Hawk.”

Reyna bowed her head to him and went outside to call the ticket taker.

After catching her breath for a moment, she had the Ticketer search for her mother’s name and aliases.

“Solana Maguire, Lady Fantastic, the Magician of the Strings.”

“A theater matching all three has been found!”

Reyna clenched her fist in triumph.

Her mother was in Wonderland. And she was the theater owner.

She received her ticket from the Ticketer.

But just before tearing it, she hesitated and looked towards a corner of the theatre.

Was it right to go alone to such an important place? Wouldn’t it be better to go with Father?

Father might wake up at any moment. He might go back home tomorrow. This might be the only chance she’d ever get.

She tore the ticket.

Then she headed to the entrance of her mother’s theatre.

The appearance and size of the theatre were ordinary.

But she felt a strong sense of familiarity. It was because it was built in the architectural style commonly seen in her hometown.

She read the letters on the signboard erected next to the theater.

[Fantastic Floor]

That was the name of the theatre.

She tried to enter the theatre, but the door was firmly locked and wouldn’t open.

Perplexed, she grabbed onto the door handle with force.

Suddenly, children playing nearby rushed towards her. They wore various masks and surrounded her threateningly.

“Sis, what’s wrong? The door isn’t open yet.”

“What?”

She looked at the ticket in her hand with a puzzled expression.

Indeed, there were still hours left until the performance time printed on the ticket.

She had been so eager to see her mother that she hadn’t paid attention to the performance details.

She released her grip on the doorknob and stepped back.

“Sorry… my mistake. But what’s your relationship with this theater?”

She apologized, and the children relaxed, laughing amongst themselves.

“We’re students of Maguire, so that’s why. Maguire teaches us music for free.”

“Oh… not the theatre owner?”

“Yes! Right now, she’s outside playing with us because it’s break time!”

The children pointed to a side door next to the theatre.

It was connected to the building as part of the sponsorship.

Reyna sat down at the sponsorship and felt a pang of longing. Somehow, it resembled the fence of the mansion where they used to live until Mother passed away.

Persona and the theatre, both reflected the past, didn’t they?

Reyna could easily imagine her mother teaching the children music there. Even when she was alive, whenever children came to the mansion, she would gather them and play instruments, singing together.

“Really? Then, can you guide me to the teacher over there?”

Reyna’s suggestion made the children hesitate. They seemed to want to continue playing.

Then, a girl among them suddenly raised her hand.

“I’ll guide you!”

“Thank you.”

As she watched, the children looked embarrassed and laughed at each other. They all seemed eager to continue playing.

At that moment, the girl stepped forward confidently.

“Let me guide you!”

The rest of the kids dashed off to play again, while Reyna followed the girl towards the sponsor.

Even as she walked, she meticulously checked her attire, making sure that no element revealed her true identity.

Despite Chen Hawk’s assurance, she still feared that her mother might not recognize her.

She had decided she would reveal her face only when she was certain her mother remembered her.

As she approached the sponsor, familiar sounds reached her ears. It was undoubtedly the piece her mother used to play so well.

Reyna clenched her fists in nervousness.

“Oh.”

The moment Reyna saw the sponsor, she almost faltered.

It was an ordinary garden, yet so familiar to her. A place from her past that she could never return to.

The memories of that time, that space, playing music with her parents in that garden.

Was her longing too obvious?

The music abruptly stopped.

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The woman playing the instrument paused and looked at Reyna as she entered the garden.

Her face.

Though it was a semi-transparent ethereal form, it was unmistakably the face she had yearned for in memories, dreams, and photographs.

Reyna fought back tears.

For now…

For now, she would greet her mother… slowly ask questions, one by one…

Then, her mother spoke.

“Reyna?”

Hearing her mother’s voice, Reyna tightly shut her eyes.

A voice she had longed for so much. Tears streamed down behind her mask.

Her mother remembered her. And she recognized her immediately.

Despite the mask, the clothes hiding her, the connection of blood was unmistakable, felt in the depths of the soul.

Reyna removed her mask and moved forward to answer her mother’s call.

“Um…”

At that moment, the girl who had guided her here stepped forward, removing her mask and shouting.

“Mom!”

“Reyna, why did you come in during break time?”

…Huh?

Reyna’s breath stopped.