The Freak Show Foreman

Two weeks ago.

The members who noticed an issue with Ella's memory waited until she fell asleep again before gathering for a meeting.

Maya explained the state Ella was in.

"The mysteries of the human mind are divided into five stages."

Surface Appearance, Active Thinking, Reflective Emotions, Structured Thoughts, Essence of the Spirit.

The first stage, 'Surface Appearance,' was a mystery used by illusionists. It was primarily used to manifest images in the mind as visual information.

"The part affected by the Reaper's Scythe is stage 3, 'Reflective Emotions.'"

Having lived in the circus, Maya was accustomed to speaking plainly.

But members who hadn't received proper education still found it difficult to understand her words.

While everyone sat in confusion, curious Womon, perhaps thanks to his own thinking, asked a question.

"Wait a minute! Maya, earlier didn't you say memory is stage 4?"

"Right. Actually, what the Reaper's Scythe affects isn't memory. It's emotion. Do you remember how you felt when indirectly affected by the Reaper's Scythe?"

As if reluctant to recall, the members shivered at her question.

"It was depressingly unusual."

"Old unpleasant memories kept coming up…"

"Haha, even trying to think of a funny joke ended in frustration."

Maya nodded.

"In fact, the Reaper's Scythe doesn't directly extract your memories. It stimulates emotions, inducing you to recall such memories."

Wonderstein nodded as he mentally organized the mysteries of the mind she explained.

Stage 1, 'Surface,' is imagination.

Stage 2, 'Thinking,' is thought.

Stage 3, 'Emotion,' is emotion.

Stage 4, 'Thoughts,' is memory.

Stage 5, 'Spirit,' is the soul.

The mysteries of the mind operate in sequence by stages.

That is, imagination stems from thinking, thinking from emotion, emotion from memory, and memory from the soul.

While unsure about other things, they were certain that stage 4 was based on stage 5.

Because it was what he was experiencing firsthand.

"The workings of the mind usually proceed forward. But sometimes they work backward. When someone is directly hit by the Reaper's Scythe, a filter forms in stage 3, 'Emotion.' A barrier of emotion prevents happy memories from affecting the lower stages. Although memories themselves are preserved in the brain."

"Ah."

A few quick-witted members nodded.

"It means memories can be distorted by emotion. Even if memories are accurately recorded in stage 4, if distortion occurs in stage 3, we cannot think correctly in stage 2. Currently, the Assistant Director seems to have the added ability of the Reaper's Scythe to stimulate 'unhappy emotions,' filtering memories. It seems to have… changed her thinking."

Everyone had seen what that change in thinking led to.

Maya sighed as she recalled that scene.

The Assistant Director rushing into the commander's embrace.

And the Director accepting it with a smile.

Somehow… somehow… it felt odd.

"If memories are deleted, they're difficult to recover. They need to be drawn from stage 5, the soul. But if memories don't come to mind due to emotion in stage 3, the problem becomes simpler."

"What should we do?"

"The most basic method is to give strong emotional stimulation. If emotions fluctuate, the filter shakes as well. Psychologists use this method to draw out dormant memories. However, in her s case, this method is risky to use. Because she was hit by the Reaper's Scythe. There were various methods, but the most reliable treatment method is magic.

As I mentioned to the director earlier."

Wonderstein nodded.

Of course, he didn't understand the theory she spoke of at all.

However, he could grasp the essential content.

A magician proficient in mental magic was needed.

He looked around at the members and concluded.

"When we get to the next city, I'll ask Vergsong Family to issue a request for a mental magician. Let's not mention anything about the past that Ella doesn't remember until she revives her memories. As Maya mentioned, it could be dangerous to provoke emotions."

All members agreed with the director's opinion.

Wonderstein sighed inwardly.

What he just said to them was a lie.

He hadn't made up his mind yet.

There was a very fatal problem with the treatment method Maya mentioned.

It was that Ella's suppressed memories would be revealed to the treating mage.

That meant Wonderstein's misdeeds would also be exposed.

Until he found a way to deal with that problem, he couldn't attempt the treatment.

After concluding the first agenda, the meeting moved on to the second agenda.

"Can you heal us?"

Everyone hesitated to speak, but Womon came straight to the point.

All eyes were on him.

Wonderstein had been constantly pondering this issue since earlier.

What would be the right answer to give them?

To be honest, he couldn't heal them.

Their innate characteristics were 'unique traits' that couldn't be manipulated even by the power of the system.

But it was difficult for him to readily admit the truth to them.

Their hopeful expressions were overwhelming.

He understood their hearts better than anyone else.

In reality, if he told the truth, they would be disappointed.

No, they might not even easily believe his words in the first place.

They didn't know whether to plead or try to negotiate.

Disappointment would come next.

Even the children from the orphanage were like that.

They were filled with more distrust and cynicism towards the world, cursing the orphanage, the director, the foundation, but there was one thing they found hard to accept.

The fact that the pastor who promised to heal their bodies was a fraud.

When the pastor was dragged away by the police, the media explained it as 'brainwashed by a cult religion', but the truth was a little different.

The pastor's laying on of hands, raising the paralyzed, and curing the disfigured patients.

It was the most popular performance among the orphanage friends.

It was a kind of hope pornography.

They might have vaguely thought it was fake.

But still, they enjoyed indulging in the fantasy.

Isn't that the same with YouTube?

So-called 'patriotic YouTubers' who inflate patriotism with unreasonable statistics and exaggeration.

People enjoyed it even though they knew it was fake news.

They wanted to get drunk on it.

Forget their miserable reality.

They were the same.

They wanted to get high on hope, even if it was just for a moment.

As evidence piled up that the pastor was indeed a fraud, many inmates committed suicide.

The tens of millions of money donated to the church?

That wasn't important.

What mattered was that the hope they had clung to for years was trampled.

Wonderstein looked at the members.

He could see that the hope they held was not just for a day or two.

His guess was correct.

The members had been harboring suspicions for a while now.

Ever since witnessing Wonderstein's abilities.

Of course, once they knew, they couldn't approach him for a while out of fear.

Even after the fear subsided, they couldn't bring themselves to speak, fearing negative responses.

They just did their best not to disturb his mood.

While waiting for that day to come.

And now, that day had arrived.

Wonderstein cautiously parted his lips as he looked at them.

"…Yes. It's possible."

He surprised himself with such an answer.

And quickly added reasons.

Because it would make it easier to win their favor.

Because it would make it easier to ignite their enthusiasm.

Because it would make them easier to control.

He tried to convince himself, but the biggest motivation came not from his mind but from his heart.

He didn't want to crush their hope.

He stopped the members who were about to shout.

"But it can't happen right away. It's still difficult to find a treatment without side effects. So… it'll be in the next two years. Please help me make it to the main stage of the Circus Grand Prix. I'll continue researching ways to restore your bodies during that time."

At his words, the members looked at each other and smiled.

"Of course!"

"I had a feeling it would be like this! I've been suspicious since before! Why did he gather us anyway?"

"You said last time that the director was going to use us as sacrifices for black magic!"

"Ugh, when did I say that?"

"Haha, the director is having a hard time! Can't we just do what we've been doing?"

"Don't worry about it even if two years might not be enough!"

"That's right! We'll serve the director for about 10 years!"

"That's too long!"

The meeting ended in a lively atmosphere.

In the end, Wonderstein didn't reveal anything about the 'The Smiling Man.'

He didn't even think about it or prepare to bring it up.

When he had considered it, it was because he didn't want to build more walls between himself and the members.

But he had already deceived them twice.

He deceived them about Ella's recovery.

And he deceived them about the treatment for the members.

He couldn't bring himself to say something like, "To be honest, I have something to say."

Two weeks passed like this.

During that time, there was never a shortage of laughter in the Monster Circus.

Ella laughed, and the members laughed.

And even Wonderstein, looking at them, laughed.

"Director…?"

"Oh, Yurakne."

A woman with purple hair tied up with a comb approached.

Yurakne had become the most comfortable person to face recently.

Talking with her was comfortable, and the tea she brewed was comforting.

Being with her made him feel at ease.

There were various reasons, but the biggest reason was her gaze.

Unlike the other members who looked at him as if worshipping him when he passed by, she looked at him with the same eyes as before.

She was the only one who remained calm when the others were excited about the promise he made.

Was it because her appearance and functions were the least obstructive?

She was the only one who wasn't excited about the promise he made.

"Why are you like this?"

"That… the alchemist has something to say about Ella's condition…"

Alchemist.

He was another concern for Wonderstein, who was rapidly rising lately.

When he arrived at Yeterinpuurk, he inquired about memory treatment to Anais.

Other than recruiting a mental mage, there was another way.

Anais suggested the method of the alchemist guild.

The alchemist guild has visions that work on the mental mysteries by burning herbs and inhaling their scents.

Since he couldn't find a mental mage for Ella, he invited an alchemist guild member.

Although he thought it would take some time since it was one of the few master ranks of the alchemist guild, he arrived in Yeterinpuurk in a few days.

As if someone beside Anais was urging him to meet him.

"Master."

Wonderstein entered a room in the annex of the villa.

There was Gascon Halidon, the master of herbalism in the alchemist guild and the former manager of the tomato greenhouse.