The Freak Show Foreman

While Yurakne checked on Ella's condition, the rest of the members waited in front of the carriage.

Although they were all exhausted, there was a clear expression of joy on their faces.

Even Womon, who had been lying on the iron bars, got up and shouted with excitement.

Their excitement wasn't solely because Ella had awakened.

I knew the reason why, so I stood where their eyes couldn't reach.

Their gaze towards me felt burdensome.

It was fine if they knew that I had saved them.

I felt proud seeing the sudden rise in favorability from all members.

However, the emotions in their eyes as they looked at me descending from the carriage went beyond gratitude.

Awe, anticipation, and hope.

From their cautious approach, I could tell they had heard the story from Valentina about me curing the Curse Plague

"Is it true?"

"About the Director…?"

"The Curse Plague…?"

I couldn't bring myself to give any answer in front of their trembling gazes.

I could guess what they wanted to ask.

'If that's the case…'

'Could you perhaps… treat our bodies too…?'

I reflexively tried to shake my head but managed to stop myself just in time.

[Intrinsic characteristics cannot be changed.]

They were firmly intertwined with the devolution at the genetic level.

Even with the power of Biomancer, their bodies couldn't be changed.

"Director…?"

I couldn't deny it, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

It was difficult to trample on the hope they barely held.

At that moment, it was fortunate that Yurakne intervened.

"Let's talk about this later! First, let's make sure our assistant-director is safe."

When she mentioned Ella, they understood and stepped back.

"Everyone wait here. I'll check on her first."

Yurakne's attitude was strangely calm.

She too was a victim of the curse plague.

She could have questioned me about curing the curse plague as well, but she didn't say a word about it, just like now.

Why?

I heard Ella and Yurakne talking inside the carriage.

With the 'Audio Room' function, I could eavesdrop on their conversation.

But I didn't use it.

After experiencing a major crisis, I couldn't use debulroots recklessly.

I wanted to gather it as much as possible just in case.

Moreover, I didn't feel comfortable using the status window itself.

I had learned the side effects of it through this incident.

I sat on a rock a little away from the carriage.

I heard the ratmen chatting from the side.

"Assistant Director! Lost her memory! Dried rat meat jerky! Betting two sheets!"

"No way! She'll be fine! Dried rat meat jerky! Betting three sheets!"

Ironically, they were betting on whether Ella's memory would be intact.

Anyway, they were the luckiest ones in this circus.

Speaking of which… Are they eating rat meat?

At that moment, the carriage door opened, and Yurakne called the members.

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She said Ella might be confused, so each member should go and report.

I also tried to go, but a girl with white hair approached from the other side.

"Director."

Maya hugged her cardigan tightly with a pale complexion.

The injured areas were all treated by me, but that didn't mean the shock and fatigue from the fight had been recovered.

"Maya, are you okay?"

"Yes. Thanks to you, Commander. And you?"

She spoke with a chilly tone, but I could read the concern underlying her voice.

"I'm fine."

I looked at the members approaching Ella.

She exchanged greetings with them with a pleasant face.

Fortunately, she seemed to have no major injuries.

"I'm sorry. I put everyone in danger because of my greed."

If she had been seriously wronged, I would have found it hard to forgive myself.

She risked her life for me.

And left me with the words that she was happy to be with me.

I used her, hiding the truth for my own purposes…

She approached me sincerely in every aspect, to the point of innocence.

Hatred and affection.

A self-deprecating laugh escaped me.

Even if I was called a demon ringmaster who deceives people, I wouldn't have anything to say.

"Director, it's not your fault."

I couldn't agree with Maya's words of comfort.

"No. It's my fault."

I could confidently answer, knowing the truth, even if she might think otherwise.

This incident was all because of me.

Just before we left, Valentina completed an epidemiological investigation into the cause of the Abyss Passage opening.

She said that offerings to the mages accounted for more than half of the cause.

Offerings.

I remembered a passage I had skimmed through in a book before.

Offerings to the mages meant communicating with them in every way.

The mages receive requests or rewards from offerings.

When I saw that passage, I briefly thought.

'It's similar to a status window.'

Through the status window, I received quests from the 'system,' received rewards from the system, and could use supernatural abilities provided by the system.

If you replace the word 'system' with 'mage', the status window could be synonymous with 'offering.'

I had a vague suspicion about the existence I called the system.

The biggest clue was the incident where Ella agonized over her favorability of 15.

Why did the blessing given by the mage Kirku come and go with just one 'affection' for her?

There was only one answer.

Behind what I called the system, was Kirku.

The status window could be called the 'Inspira' he gave me.

It could be considered a special ability because it was unpredictable chaos unlike the abilities of other mages.

What talent did I show?

I, who couldn't even go to the bathroom without help.

But even I had one talent.

Playing games.

Among them, TTT was special.

I was a professional gamer.

If showing talent in front of many people and receiving cheers and applause was called a 'performance,' then I deserved Kirku's favor.

Didn't Inspira give abilities appropriate to the talents shown by each individual?

If so, receiving a status window from a game could be considered the most suitable Inspira for me.

Everything fell into place.

But I didn't take it seriously.

After all, whether it was a system or Kirku, it was still a transcendent force that I couldn't change just by knowing it.

But I didn't consider the side effects of the offerings.

Two days ago, I brought Debulroots under my control and caused an "overload" on the status window.

I also used the thousands of Debulroots I acquired through control to enhance my abilities.

If the status window played the role of a ritual, I had essentially performed a ritual of immense scale.

By communicating with Kirku, I had wide-opened the pathway to the Abyss.

Using the status window weakens the barrier with the Abyss!

So far, I had only used a small number of Debulroots, mostly in urban areas, so I hadn't experienced any side effects.

The residents of Dvallchep blamed me.

They said that all tragedies occurred because of me.

That statement wasn't entirely false.

I was involved in the curse plague, inciting fanatics, opening the pathway to the Abyss.

Moreover, I was the one who turned the members into monsters, telling them that while I could control everything, I couldn't fix their bodies.

It was an excessive evil.

Now, even attempting to build rapport with them was seen as a betrayal.

But amidst all this, the damned smiling man still smiled.

"Director, there's no need to blame yourself."

"Did it seem like I was?"

I smiled back at Maya.

"I was just a little tired. Just tired…"

Maya's eyes trembled as she looked at me.

At that moment, Yurakne called us.

"Both of you, come here!"

Maya and I walked towards Ella.

The girl in the red uniform was muttering among the bustling members.

"I'm really fine! I remember everything! Why are you all acting so cautiously?"

It was her usual energetic voice.

Seeing her well, I could lift a bit of my gloomy mood.

We pushed through the members and stepped forward.

Ella, sitting at the entrance of the carriage, looked at Maya and then spoke in an uneasy tone.

"Maya."

"Assistant Director."

She glanced over Maya's body and muttered.

"You're fine."

Maya's brow furrowed at her words.

I quickly intervened before they clashed again.

"Ella, Maya fought somewhere else. Alone."

At my words, Ella withdrew her gaze and stared at me intently.

Then she chuckled.

"But who are you?"

With her single question, the audience froze.

Everyone's expressions solidified.

Yurakne looked back and forth between Ella and me, covering her mouth.

I also felt a sense of tension inwardly.

There seemed to be nothing wrong, but…

Could it be that it erased unhappy memories, so the memories of Wonderstein were completely gone…?

"Assistant-Director…?"

"Ella…?"

"Ella… your memory…?"

As everyone barely managed to utter a few words with mouths that wouldn't close, a gust of wind blew.

"Phew."

Ella's lips twitched.

She looked around at our faces, then burst into laughter, grabbing onto the edge of the coat.

"Hahaha!"

She rolled around on the floor of the carriage, causing everyone to stand bewildered, unsure of what to do, while she caught her breath and wiped away tears.

"Why are you all so naive? Falling for something like this… really?"

Seeing the mischievous smirk on her face, we realized it was all just a prank.

Maya stifled a groan beside me.

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Ella turned to me, poking fun, "How could I not recognize that face?"

Sticking out her tongue, she crossed her arms and grumbled, "Seriously. Forget everything else, how could I forget that devil? Feeding off people like slaves."

An expression of discontent.

An annoyed tone.

It was the usual her.

The members nodded at each other, understanding.

Ella stroked her chest and muttered, "It's not like it's a scythe though? Getting stabbed with a kitchen knife would hurt more."

Leaning against the carriage wall, she kicked her legs.

I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

I thought my heart would drop out at the end, but at least her memory seemed intact.

We couldn't verify all of her past, but at least everything with us seemed genuine.

"Well, lucky us," she said, casting a displeased look my way, her eyes narrowed.

Then she got up from her seat and walked towards me.

Right in front of me.

Close enough to touch noses.

She looked up at me and said, "What are you worried about? There's no way I'd forget you."

"Of course. How could I…" I started to say.

Then, she suddenly tapped her forehead against my chest.

As I froze in surprise, about to push her away, she murmured, "You're my first audience…"

There was no annoyance in her voice this time.

Instead, it was filled with warmth and longing.

"Next to Master…," she continued.

"Ella?" I interrupted, grasping her shoulders as a sudden sense of unease washed over me.

Looking into her eyes, I was speechless.

The pupils glistened with tears.

"Above all else…," she whispered.

Then she wrapped her arms tightly around my waist, burying herself into my embrace.

I couldn't resist and simply accepted her hug.

She rubbed her cheek against my shirt and said, "You're the person I love most in the world."

A sudden silence fell upon us.

The members' faces showed astonishment.

If I could, I would have probably made the same expression.

Ella wiped away tears with her hands and pushed me away.

"That was a bit embarrassing just now! Geez, I can't believe… taking advantage of an innocent girl's feelings, what kind of heartless employer would do that…" she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Then she looked up at me, smiling brightly.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're safe, Director."

We all stood there, unable to breathe, as if rooted to the spot.