I Became the Leader of the Monster Circus Troupe

Members equipped with materials began decorating the villa in earnest.

Maya also came out for the first time in a long time.

She glanced at Ella, who was holding the arm with a displeased look.

She was in the midst of intense research…

Two weeks had passed since returning from the hotel.

Since that day, she had more time alone.

Except for occasional visits from Karen, she hardly met anyone.

The new research topic she was pursuing was puzzling yet intriguing.

Debulroots.

Maya had read all the papers on it in her room over the past two weeks.

So far, not much had been discovered despite many attempts to uncover its identity.

Or even if she was as smart as she claimed to be, it was impossible for her to decipher all the accumulated data in just a few days.

“Start here, please. I’d like one member dressed in Halloween costumes for each wall.”

Ella instructed her to paint murals.

She wanted to decorate the villa with eerie pictures for the festival.

While working, Maya didn’t stop thinking about her research.

She reviewed the information she had organized over the past few days.

1. Debulroots the substance behind the Curse Plague.
2. Its structure is in the form of a quadruple helix.
3. The Alchemy Guild possesses a substance called ‘Galaxy’ that can destroy Debulroots.
4. It began spreading after the appearance of the ‘Plague Lord’.
5. A person named Victor defeated that demon and received the title of Saint.

Up to this point, it was information known to the public.

And the next fact was known only to her and the Director.

6. The memorial left by Saint Victor at the Tettromino Plaza was made to resemble the form of Debulroots.
7. An encryption containing Debulroots structure remains on the square’s floor.

And finally, although not a research institution, there was one recent news from the Orthodox Church.

8. Debulroot is associated with the ‘The Black Magician.’

Maya clenched her fist as she recalled that name.

Her memory was exceptionally sharp.

It wasn’t like having a perfect memory as rumoured, but once she remembered something, even if it was old, she could vividly recall it.

It was when she was six months old.

She cried in her father’s arms, saying there was no mom anymore.

Her father, who had always been cheerful to the point of being frivolous, had never made such a despairing expression before or after that.

To her, her father’s expression was more tragic than the fact that her mother had died.

She pushed those memories into the corner.

What she needed was not her emotions about the Black Magician but information about him.

Unfortunately, there was nothing more to find out about the Black Magician.

He had eluded pursuit worldwide for over a decade.

It was recently revealed that he was associated with the Curse Plague.

But for Maya, there was a more accessible subject to investigate.

Saint Victor and the Plague Lord.

There were official records about them as well as many circulating rumours.

Many scholars had surely investigated them, but Maya had the ‘structural formula of Debulroots’ that others didn’t.

With this, she wondered if she could see things that others couldn’t, like the memorial at Tettromino Plaza.

Maya remembered Wonderstein explaining it.

Would he have known what it was, after all?

Actually, it was a needless question.

Of course, he would have known.

Maya had seen him cure the Curse Plague in Dvallchep using it.

It was a method more effective than the Alchemy Guild’s Galaxy and had fewer side effects than the stakes of the Orthodox priests.

The Director must have found a way to control Debulroots through repeated research.

He even used it to treat people.

Surely he had used it when she was attacked by Zakanuba, or rather, when Karen was practically dead.

Of course, sacrifices were also involved.

He suffered from absorbing Debulroots into his body and endured agony.

So she had monitored his health for a while after that.

Maya realized that her knowledge of the subject was much more extensive than others’.

She had to use it wisely.

Fortunately, it seemed there were no major issues, so she felt relieved.

However, perhaps because she had read too much about the curse plague over the past two weeks, buried anxiety resurfaced.

Phrases from papers describing the potency and danger of Debulroots flashed before her eyes.

Many researchers who believed they could control Debulroot had become its victims.

There were scholars who suffered unknowingly from the new plague and died with their bodies deteriorating, and areas that became desolate due to its accidental leakage from the research lab.

The Director had contained such a dangerous thing within himself.

He jokingly packaged it as fixing Papiflux, but he already knew it was Debulroots at that point.

The reason he taught it to her.

Perhaps he didn’t know it would backfire.

Maybe he hoped she would discover what he found on his own.

“It wasn’t what I asked for, but is this pattern okay?”

Maya stopped her thoughts at Ella’s words.

She looked to the side.

There, Wonderstein and Ella had approached without her noticing and were standing side by side, watching her work.

Maya looked at the picture she had just painted on the wall.

There were countless depictions of double helices filling the walls, created and erased thousands of times over the past two weeks.

Double quadruple helices.

Debulroots.

It filled the walls densely, like dozens of them.

Lost in thought, she seemed to have moved the brush and paint with telekinesis.

Maya glanced at Wonderstein.

He subtly avoided her gaze.

He clearly saw it, but pretended not to.

And while Ella rambled on about the painting, Wonderstein said nothing.

Was he going to be offering advice or guidance to her to solve it?

Maya felt her sense of challenge burning even more.

Wonderstein avoided her gaze as her eyes sparkled.

Seeing the double helices she had drawn, it seemed like being cooped up in her room for two weeks was indeed because of that time.

It was a problem that even a genius like her had become deeply absorbed in.

But he didn’t offer any guidance or advice, just gave the solution.

He realized how deflating and frustrating it must have been for her as he left the hotel.

It must have felt like playing an exploration game diligently, only to be given all the hidden places, stories, and endings by someone else.

He understood her feelings, having been on the receiving end himself.

In fact, at first, he didn’t plan to give away the answer so blatantly.

He only intended to mention things like the periodic table.

He thought that would be enough for her to overcome it if she was inspired by it.

But then he got excited about knowing something after a long time and blurted it out.

He had seen her passing through the corridor carrying papers and materials some time ago.

The fact that the double helix was genetic material was not discovered by scientists until the late 20th century.

Even if she was a genius, it was impossible for her to figure out what it was by herself.

However, he couldn’t just say, “That’s DNA, it contains genetic information!” and avoid her resentment.

He could only watch.

Wonderstein watched her use telekinesis to lift the brush and paint, creating illusions, modifying the painting according to Ella’s demands.

Perhaps it was thanks to overcoming Papiflux.

Her skills seemed to have improved compared to before.

Wonderstein stepped aside, relieved, to allow her to focus on the painting.

“Shall we go now?”

While the members poured their efforts into decorating the villa, he decided to go to town.

A few days ago, we invited a tailor to the villa, and the members were fitted for Halloween costumes.

He was going to pick them up.

Although there was a dressing room function in the status window, there was no need to waste Debulroots on something that could be done with money.

Above all, the dressing room could only replicate clothes that had been seen once, but it couldn’t weave clothes out of ideas sketched out.

“Let’s hurry back. We have a lot to do today,” Ella tried to follow him.

However, he smiled warmly and shook his head.

“There’s so much to do, Ella, you should stay here.”

“Uh… th-then, would you just go by yourself…?”

She hesitated in her words.

She knew what he was going to say.

But she didn’t like it, so she asked anyway.

Sure enough, the expected answer flowed from his mouth.

“No. I’ll go with Clara.”

“Director, the carriage has arrived!”

A blue-haired woman who still looked like she hadn’t grown up suddenly protruded her head from the villa entrance and shouted.

“Then I’ll be off.”

She stood still in her place, leaving Ella, who blinked her eyes, I headed out with Clara.

In the past, Ella would have followed him in such situations, but since Clara came, she took over all the tasks of assisting the Director.

Ella watched dumbfoundedly as the two of them left.

Clara stuck close to Wonderstein, chatting animatedly with him about something.

Wonderstein smiled awkwardly at her, looking at her.

Their relationship seemed close.

Clara.

Since she came in, Ella’s workload had decreased significantly.

Thanks to that, she was much more comfortable than before.

But there was something missing.

In fact, she had taken on too much work.

Passing on messages to the members or assisting the Director’s tasks was not something that should have been done by the Assistant Director.

It should have been done by someone else.

Clara was an efficient secretary who lived up to those expectations.

Perhaps it was because of her experience serving as a student representative, she knew a lot and had plenty of ideas to deal with various situations.

Above all, she didn’t care about the appearance of the members at all.

Although she looked like a quiet model student who had never done anything difficult, her personality was completely different.

While she was good at work, there were many sloppy and dishevelled aspects of her daily life.

She would take Sven’s nonsense seriously, or answer Womon’s questions with completely irrelevant remarks, confusing them.

Moreover, when she first arrived, she was scolded by Yurakne for walking around in just a t-shirt and panties, like she lived in a dormitory in the villa.

Clara became her second student to receive clothing education.

The first was Maya, who wore the same clothes all week long.

Thanks to these friendly aspects, she quickly became close to the members.

Assisting the Director and smoothing the atmosphere of the members, these were originally Ella’s roles.

She did both very well.

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Chapter 199: Wonderland – 2