I Became the Leader of the Monster Circus Troupe

Walking towards the center of Wonderland, I continued to chat with the patrolmen, hoping to glean any useful information without arousing unnecessary suspicion.

However, it soon became apparent that my worries were unfounded.

“Oh, you mean that? From what I’ve heard…”

“Wait, I actually know more about this…”

They seemed quite eager to talk, perhaps bored from their patrol duties.

They even volunteered information I hadn’t asked for.

Thanks to them, I learned a lot about the current situation in Wonderland.

It was not uncommon for people from the outside to enter Wonderland.

Whether it was due to astral projection, out-of-body experiences, or magical accidents, the residents of Wonderland would typically assign them a guide for a tour before sending them back to the surface.

However, the cultists were not accidental drifters or curious explorers.

They had entered Wonderland two days before we arrived and had been wreaking havoc throughout the city.

Given the nature of the original story, it was not difficult to guess their motives.

After all, the ultimate goal of the villains in TT3 was this place.

The problem was that because of them, we were being mistaken for cultists as well.

“What’s happening with the cultist intruders?”

“They’re being interrogated in the basement of the security headquarters. We have some guys skilled in hypnosis, so we’ll soon extract information from them, including their goals and their leader.”

Their leader.

I awkwardly smiled and averted my gaze.

The name “Wonderstein” had become increasingly sensitive.

I wanted to ask more about the whereabouts of my companions, but unfortunately, the patrolmen seemed more interested in the upcoming festival than in discussing boring topics like intruders.

“Can you guys take a look at the lyrics I wrote? I’m going to use them for a singing contest!”

“I need to practice my drumming as soon as security duty is over.”

“I’m going to touch up my persona before the festival. With blades instead of fingers, I keep snapping guitar strings!”

“Weren’t you practicing for the comedy contest?”

As security officers dealing with the intruders, their attitude was beyond incomprehensible.

However, I couldn’t blame them for lacking a sense of crisis.

Half of them had been in Wonderland for so long that they had forgotten their real names and their lives on the surface. What could be more important or meaningful to someone who had lost themselves?

They simply waited for the day to disappear after enjoying themselves.

After walking for a while, we finally arrived at our destination.

Various colorful buildings stretched hundreds of stories high, creating a chaotic skyline that extended for kilometers. A gigantic circus tent dominated the scene, so large that it could contain several mountains.

That was the “Card Sun,” which could be considered the castle of Wonderland.

In the language of the Abyss, it meant “House of Dreams.”

As we approached, more and more personas appeared. Amidst the music and singing, I felt like I had stumbled into the middle of a Halloween festival.

“There are a lot of visitors today.”

“Let’s keep going. We’re on duty as security officers!”

The patrolmen pushed through the crowd, and I quickly followed suit, not wanting to lose them.

The residents weren’t the only ones making this place lively.

“Come on, fairy kindergarten children! Follow your teacher!”

“Wow, look at this!”

“It’s an elephant!”

“Its ears are so big! Eek!”

A group of fairies flew overhead, chattering incessantly and scattering illusions into the air. The illusions, like wisps of smoke, floated around before coalescing and wriggling together, murmuring to each other while huddling and rolling around.

“Those who came from the Hunting Grounds of Manwol, this way. The acrobat who is guiding today is waiting!”

A persona holding a panel that read “<Welcome to Wonderland! Milletus devotees, this way!>” shouted. A group of people, resembling humans but not quite, started moving in that direction.

The Circus Area was one of the most accessible places in the Abyss.

The fairies of Yormungandr, residents of other domains, and even demons often visited Wonderland to enjoy performances.

“Please don’t have a Marketmon battle in the middle of the street!”

Upon hearing a shout from a security officer, I turned my head and saw two acrobats with only a puppy and a baby crocodile, respectively, engaging in a fight.

The acrobat guiding me grumbled when he saw it.

“We should ban Marketmon battles at the Council. With these butler demons, there’s even more work to be done.”

“Nonsense. Some members of the Council even raise demons… There’s a rumour that the Council will relax the danger level from Grade 5 to Grade 4 for importable demons.”

“The security is going to be a mess. It seems like public opinion about ‘taming’ is growing.”

Watching the captured demons being dragged away and people hanging on to security officers, I burst out laughing.

The farieis bustling around, the followers of other Domains awkwardly dressed and wandering in the lively atmosphere, and even the demon with balloons in hand that didn’t match their size, all of them were hilariously out of place.

Wonderland.

It was truly a magnificent place.

*Main Quest – Prelude

: The prelude must lead to the main story.

Conditions for Success

: Survive until the start of Tril Trilo 1

Reward for Success

: Return to reality

Penalty for Failure

: Death in reality

Until now, I had always thought that death meant the end of the game.

So, whether it was to kill or to be killed, I had to survive first.

But if there was such a promise, things had changed.

At this point… would it be okay to die?

*Main Quest – Circus Grand Prix

: The Sky City Hippodrome is calling for Wonderstein.

Conditions for Success

: Advance to the main stage of the Circus Grand Prix.

Reward for Success

: Ability to bring all acquired Debulroots and Biomanser abilities back to reality

Penalty for Failure

: None

If I completed the “Prelude” quest but failed the “Circus Grand Prix” quest, I would have to return to the old life stuck in that corner again.

In that case, it would be better to bash my head against a rock and die before returning to reality.

I could enjoy myself for a hundred years until my soul lost itself and returned as energy here.

But soon, I concluded that it was a hasty judgment.

It was all just my speculation. There was nothing certain.

“We’ve arrived.”

At the patrolman’s words, I snapped out of my reverie and looked around.

We had unknowingly reached the entrance of Card Sun.

The patrolmen bid farewell, showing signs of regret.

“We can’t enter Card Sun while on patrol duty.”

“Let’s meet again if fate allows.”

“I hope to meet my deceased family again.”

The persona with the leader-like butterfly mask among them even told me his building address.

He lived in the upper floors. A building resembling impressive stage had been constructed in Card Sun. That was how the many buildings comprising Card Sun were formed.

“I’ve been here so long that I don’t remember my real name. My residence here will disappear soon too. If you have time in a few days, come visit. Before leaving, I decided to call the people I had connections with and show them a few of my representative talents.”

“Thank you. I’ll definitely visit if I have the chance.”

Although it didn’t seem like I would stay here for a few days, I nodded my head in gratitude for his kindness.

After shaking hands and saying goodbye, as we were about to part ways, a group of patrolmen approached us at the entrance of Card Sun. The persona with the horse head mask waved to the butterfly mask.

“Hey!”

“Huh? Why are you here?”

They greeted each other warmly as if they knew each other.

“Nice to see you here. It’s been a while.”

“I heard your term of service was almost over?”

“It was supposed to end today. But it got extended.”

The butterfly mask smiled at the horse mask’s words.

“Why?”

“We caught one of the intruders… but we let them go in the middle.”

As I was about to leave, I stopped at his words.

Intruders?

“You mean those who came in a few days ago?”

“Yeah. We caught one of the young ones.”

If it was a young one, who could it be?

In my mind, the faces of six acrobats who had stepped onto the stage flashed by.

“Huh! A reward opportunity. How did you let them slip away?”

At the question from the butterfly mask, the horse mask scratched the back of his head as if he had no face.

“I let her go because she said she would show a new talent she had come up with. I turned around for a moment, and when I looked back, she was gone.”

It was a ridiculous excuse.

However, the others listened to his words and nodded as if they understood.

“It must have been a temptation that was hard to resist.”

“A talent from the mountains.”

“Well, I can’t blame him for that.”

As expected, they were residents of Wonderland.

I cautiously joined in their conversation.

“Um… Could I hear more about the person who escaped?”

“Huh? Who are you?”

The horse mask looked at me and blinked.

The butterfly mask smiled and pointed to my stick arm.

“Oz is a lower-floor resident. He was wandering around the outskirts to save his family’s souls and happened to meet us. It seems he’s curious about the news since he’s been out of Card Sun for a few days.”

“Oh, really? Then I guess I’ll have to tell my dance story again.”

Starting from how he found traces of the intruder to how he managed to catch her, the horse mask vividly described it all, using gestures, movements, and even imitating her voice.

“And then I let her escape.”

“Ugh! You finished the story before. Don’t ruin the beautiful ending. Damn, extended service! We have to prepare for the festival…”

Interrupting his attempt to complain, the butterfly mask said, “So, what’s the reason for coming to the entrance of Card Sun?”

“Oh, that. We were chasing the runaway, but we got mixed up in the procession heading for Card Sun. Once they hide in the city, it’s almost impossible to catch them, right? We have to follow orders, but citizens, especially those who have lived here, even if they were once acrobats, would likely raise a fuss.”

“That’s true.”

“I would too.”

The patrolmen nodded at each other, and even the one who brought up the story seemed to agree.

“The one running away would definitely try to hide in the city. So, we have to catch her.”

The patrolmen decided to inspect the entrance to Card Sun together.

I watched as they moved away and the crowd entering here.

I knew who the young one who had escaped was from the previous conversation.

Before being exposed to the patrolmen, I had to find her first.

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Chapter 215: Wonderland – 18