I Became the Leader of the Monster Circus Troupe

Ella returned to the hotel, and by the time she had completed all the day’s schedule, it was past midnight.

Now, it was Sunday.

Today was, without a doubt, the busiest day.

In the morning, she had to go to the cabaret to set up the equipment necessary for the performance. While the cabaret’s staff would assist, she needed to personally oversee and adjust the finer details, such as the placement of lights and props. Small changes could make a significant difference in the performance.

Fortunately, it didn’t take much time to consider everything. Over the past two weeks, she hadn’t just visited the cabaret for the sake of watching. She had examined the shape of the hall and the structure of the stage, constantly pondering, “How would we do it?” Sometimes, she gained ideas from performances of other teams.

All her ideas were recorded and organized in her notebook, and she had finished the preparations for the stage by the morning.

The crucial factor was the performers.

They needed to become accustomed to the atmosphere of the theater. It was different from the time when a few actions behind iron bars and growls would suffice.

Rehearsals were essential.

No matter how well the script was chosen and practiced, if things didn’t align on the stage, it could all go wrong.

It was necessary to act on a real stage, as in an actual performance.

Fortunately, the cabaret staff were cooperative with the contestants. Whenever she requested, they were willing to play the role of the audience.

Ella leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

She needed to sleep by now for the sake of tomorrow. However, her heart wasn’t calming down. Even sitting still, the pounding of her heart echoed in her ears.

Perhaps she had consumed too much coffee during the day.

Her body felt like a soaked sponge, constantly sagging, but her mind was clear.

It felt as if someone was forcibly lifting her eyelids.

She needed to sleep…

So that she could move tomorrow…

At that moment, a squirming sensation was felt inside her hat and pocket.

“Gugu gugu…”

“Chik chik…”

Two creatures, a pigeon and a mouse, both seemed to be restless. They were nocturnal animals, well-tamed to sleep according to their owner’s pattern, but lately, as she stayed awake until dawn, they too couldn’t sleep properly.

They had slept throughout the afternoon and were now awake.

“Shall we go for a walk outside? Get some fresh air, come back, and maybe take a warm shower. That might help you sleep.”

“Groo. Gururu!”

“Jjijit! Jjijit!”

At the mention of a walk, the creatures became excited. Ella finished her tasks, put on her coat, and stood up.

Before leaving the room, she glanced at herself in the mirror.

A pale girl, as if she had seen something terrifying, was staring back at her.

Was she really this pale?

Even Maya’s seemingly indifferent remark, everyone’s worries, including the stagehands, seemed genuine.

“Assistant Ringmaster! You look tired!”

“Right! You should take a break!”

“Let’s stop the lessons!”

Of course, to her, those sounded like empty words.

Except for one person.

“Ella, if you need help, feel free to ask.”

The smiling face of Wonderstein came to her mind.

Empty words.

If she were to lie down because she was unwell, there would be no one to do the work.

His words were contradictory.

However, she knew she was lying.

She needed help.

A lot of it.

But she didn’t want it.

She had to endure.

She had to run even harder.

“We shouldn’t have fun together.”

She had to suffer even more.

The reason she worked hard for the competition was his promise, “I’ll set you free in two and a half years.”

Not because she wished for it but because she had no choice but to do

When that person praised her, was she happy?

When that person acknowledged her, was she proud?

In the hope of remaining as someone I would continue to hate and resent.

In the joy that feels like committing a crime against dead friends.

She continued to torture herself.

However, the fact that she had such obsessions showed that her true feelings were the opposite.

“No.”

Ella muttered, opening her eyes like that.

She realized she was sitting on a stone in the garden.

The flow from leaving the room to coming here was blurry.

She had moved in a daze.

After releasing the children to roam freely, she sat down and dozed off.

Ella looked around the garden.

The garden she had blown up like a bomb had regained its former beauty.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed even better than before.

“It’s not allowed. The members could have been hurt. Ella could have died.”

When she suggested making another bomb, he spoke, blocking her.

Like an adult.

With a tone sincerely concerned about her.

Nonsense.

It’s fake.

Don’t be fooled.

Ella checked the time.

It had been a whopping 30 minutes.

It was time to go back.

Ella stood up and stretched.

Her body shivered on the cold ground.

Stretching her hands above her head, the tense muscles and joints relaxed with a crackling sound.

At that moment.

“Ugh.”

Her breath caught in her throat.

Her heart tightened.

A dizzying sensation of free fall pulled through her whole body.

“Haak….”

It felt like blood was draining from her head.

Her surroundings spun rapidly.

Oh.

Can’t do this.

Can’t sleep.

I have to prepare for the performance.

As her body relaxed, her vision darkened.

Thud.

Ella’s body slumped forward.

She couldn’t get up in the position she fell.

“Chirp chirp?”

“Squeak squeak!”

It took the two animals playing hide and seek in the garden 10 minutes to notice their owner’s condition.

“Squeak?”

“Grrr!”

The pigeon pecked at its owner’s ear, and the mouse tugged at her finger.

But she didn’t move.

***

So far, how many times have I proposed?

However, every time she hear such words, she makes a disgusted expression and rejects me.

Can’t I just quickly take care of her while she’s unconscious?

As I pondered this, voices from the room reached me.

“She opened her eyes!”

“Assistant Ringmaster, are you okay?”

Yurakne and I entered the room together.

Ella was slowly opening her eyes and looking around at the members.

“Ugh, what… what time is it… what time?”

I opened the status window to check the time.

“It’s 5 AM.”

The members, upon seeing me, were startled and stepped back.

I moved through them and stood in front of the bed.

She looked up at me and mumbled.

“I have to go… move my things first…”

“The luggage is being loaded by the rental men right now. Don’t worry.”

“And the stage setup…”

“Ella, don’t you have notes? Other members can handle it.”

“Rehearsal on-site… adjustments…”

Ella, trying to get up.

I gently pushed her shoulders, urging her to lie down again.

At that moment, our eyes met.

Fear appeared in her eyes.

“No… I don’t want to… don’t do it… that’s…”

“Ella.”

“Please… don’t do it…”contemporary romance

Ella murmured, then drifted back to sleep.

The worried voices of the members filled the room.

I looked at the quest window that appeared before my eyes.

[Member Quest – Raise a Child without Using Debulroots]

Ella does not want the Ringmaster’s ‘treatment.’

Conditions for Completion:

Do not touch her until she recovers…*

I closed the quest window immediately.

Member quests – they were a kind of wish fulfillment system.

I had benefited greatly from it.

Thanks to it, I could understand what members wanted, and by fulfilling those desires, I could increase their favourability.

However, there was a flaw.

If they didn’t have the intention to request something, it wouldn’t react. And what they desired might not be in their best interest.

So when Ella collapsed unconscious, the quest did not respond.

However, what she wished for during her semi-conscious state was reflected in the quest.

“Ringmaster.”

Yurakne held onto my hand tightly.

I nodded.

Member quests were just wishes.

I had relied on the power of the wish fulfilment system too much.

It was my fault.

Even if I became hated, there was no choice.

Right now, treating her was the priority.

I opened the Evolution Research Centre and placed my hand on her body.

And…

I stood there silently for a few seconds.

The members looked at me with hopeful eyes, waiting for something.

I removed my hand.

“Ringmaster, is it… is it done?”

Yurakne whispered, looking at me.

Ella still trembled, not regaining consciousness.

I shook my head.

“Wait for the doctor.”

“Ringmaster?”

“I have a potion in my room that Anais gave me. Let’s try giving her that first.”

“Ringmaster, wait a moment!”

I pushed away Yurakne’s hand and left the room.

And I walked alone down the corridor.

Ella was a mysterious existence.

She was not a character that appeared in the original work.

I couldn’t understand why Wonderstein wanted to take her.

I checked the notification that appeared in the status window again.

The message I received for the first time since coming to this world.

[Diagnosis inconclusive. The target is immune to Debublroots.］

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