The Freak Show Foreman

The three people momentarily closed their mouths and exchanged glances.

The shock from the sudden information thrown at them was significant.

The Black Magician and Debulroots.

The two have been widely known for their notorious reputation.

But were they connected?

That inevitably led to one inference.

"Could it be that the Curse Plague was caused by the Black Magician?" the priest muttered incredulously.

Bayern nodded, opening his mouth.

"Sister Valentina conducted a forensic investigation into the incident of the Abyss gate opening in the early hours."

The appearance of demons was always accompanied by supernatural traces.

Exorcists could statistically analyze them to determine the cause of the connection to the Abyss.

"The investigation revealed that the proportion of the plague caused by mass spirits was 20%, environmental factors 10%, and 'rituals' related to mages 60%."

At the mention of rituals, the priest's expression showed surprise.

"I- Is that true? Rituals?"

Rituals concerning mages meant all forms of communication with spirits.

Through rituals, mages could receive requests or rewards from spirits, trade with them, and ask them for Favours.

Contrary to what the Church preached, rituals didn't necessarily involve blood sacrifices or decadent acts.

For example, a common ritual for communicating with Kirku was through 'performances. Acrobats, magicians, and actors could showcase their talents and receive applause and enthusiasm from the audience, offering prayers to the spirit Kirku.

In return, they would receive an ethereal power called Inspira.

Most powers bestowed by spirits needed regular rituals to maintain them, so mages conducted rituals in their own ways according to the spirits they served.

Unless accompanied by crimes, there seemed to be no reason for the oppression of spirit beliefs in the world.

However, there was one problem with rituals for spirits.

The very act of communicating with spirits widened the passage between this world and the Abyss.

The primary justification for the Church's oppression of spirit beliefs was precisely that.

In the past, when all kinds of primitive beliefs prevailed, terrifying demons roamed the earth, and humans had to rely on feeble light to get through the night.

Nowadays, with airships soaring in the sky and steam locomotives running on the ground, those gloomy fairy tales that were once hard to believe reflected the reality of the time.

But since the Church raised its power, many indigenous beliefs were considered sinful evils threatening humanity and were eradicated.

Thanks to that, there were now people who lived their whole lives without ever seeing a demon.

Even in the history of oppression, fortunately, rituals for Kirku were determined to counteract the opening of the Abyss by providing spiritual encouragement through performances, allowing them to continue under the guise of religious solemnity.

However, the age of interpreting everything as a confrontation between light and darkness had long ended.

With growing resentment against the Church's dominance and advancements in mage studies, the oppression of spirit beliefs hadn't regained its former strength.

Mages now preferred to conduct rituals in quiet places in bustling cities rather than in remote villages where people were dying from diseases.

Unless deliberately summoning demons….

"A large-scale ritual significant enough for a high-ranking demon to appear…"

"Didn't someone suspicious appear nearby?"

"You'd better ask Ivanenko. He came to this village right after the plague broke out and supervised all the security. If there's any news, it would have reached him. Oh, speaking of which, where's Ivanenko? I heard he was present when they expelled the demon…"

In response to the priest's question, Bayern exchanged quick glances with Valentina and then spoke.

"He went to inform nearby villages. He'll be back soon."

The Tracking party left the church.

They politely declined the priest's offer of wine.

As they reached the town hall, Ivanenko arrived on horseback.

"What happened to the circus troupe?"

"I've taken them to the beach."

Valentina looked concerned.

"Is everything alright? Even if it's tomorrow, rumors might spread nearby."

"Any conspicuous members got inside the carriage or covered with a blanket. They handled it skillfully, as if they were accustomed to such things. Besides, they have the pass I gave, so there shouldn't be any checks within the hills."

A whole village was wiped out this time.

The monsters and demons killed the people, but outsiders would think they died due to a curse plague.

That's why the place was quarantined.

But how did only the monster circus survive in a scene where everyone else died?

They had no idea what the terrified locals might think.

There was a high probability that they would riot, claiming they should kill them before they spread the plague again.

To appease such residents, the lord could personally lead the military.

Even if they defended them, it was obvious that they would come out saying, 'It's because of them that the demon appeared!'

Staying here, they didn't know what would happen.

So, inevitably, they were sent away without even recovering from their injuries.

It was an unbearable treatment for the heroes who defeated the demons.

The fact that Bayern and Valentina didn't tell the priest about Wonderstein was also because of that.

Spiritual protection of the area was the duty of the priest.

It was also difficult for him to avoid blame for the opening of the passage to the Abyss.

The lone knight who survived in the aftermath of the town being swept away by a gang of thieves couldn't maintain his position either.

He didn't know whether to let the witch trials, like situations, slide or instigate them to restore public opinion.

So he kept the monster circus story hidden.

Fortunately, the people in the church were slaughtered, and since the gatekeeper was a somewhat dim-witted person and Wonderstein was not present at the time, it was easy to deceive and pass off.

Before going up to the church, Ivanenko and the two had a conversation.

"By the way, I heard that you, Sir Ivanenko, have been in charge of the security of this village since the early stages of the plague."

"That's right…."

"Have you ever heard of the Black Magician?"

"I think I read about it in the newspaper a long time ago…"

Bayern summarized the description of the person accused of the circus grand prix terror and their pursuit.

"I don't know how that's related to this incident."

"We obtained a picture of the Black Magician, and this person may be the perpetrator of this incident."

Valentina took out the picture from her bosom and showed it.

As Ivanenko examined the picture, his expression hardened.

"This is…?"

Bayern looked at him with shining eyes.

His reaction was clearly that of someone who knew something.

With trembling eyes, the knight examined the picture, swallowing hard.

It was the first time he had seen such a grotesque figure, but he could recognize three things about it.

Spider legs extending from the back with blades at the end.

A spear made of bones shooting out from the outstretched arm.

And finally, teeth and a long tongue visible through the split palm.

It was clearly the appearance Wonderstein showed when he fought Zakanuba in the hall.

He pulled out the blade and slashed at him, pierced him with the spear, and tore him apart with his hands.

The Black Magician who attacked the circus grand prix.

The culprit who spread the Curse Plague.

The creator of the flesh monster.

The leader of the monster circus.

Ivanenko's head heated up.

Could it be…

"Do you know something?"

Bayern cautiously asked, observing his pale complexion.

"Uh.."

Ivanenko trembled as he turned away, his hands shaking.

What should he do?

Should he honestly express his doubts?

He looked back at the painting.

The image of Wonderstein overlapped it.

Simultaneously, the image of Wonderstein he had seen himself also came to mind.

The one who treated the sick while enduring pain.

The one who forgave the woman who attacked him.

The one who protected people and fought monsters.

The one who saved his life from the demon.

The one who writhed on the floor covered in blood.

Ivanenko took a deep breath and responded calmly.

"It resembles the monstrous creature that appeared in the church."

His answer left Bayern with a disappointed expression.

Come to think of it, there were knights present when the creature appeared in the church.

It wasn't strange for him to recognize the physical characteristics of the Black Magician.

Seeing Valentina embrace the painting again, Bayern asked another question.

"Have there been any sightings of suspicious individuals? Anything related to the Black Magician?"

This was a question regarding official duties.

Putting aside personal feelings, Ivanenko responded with his beliefs and conscience as a knight.

"No. I haven't heard of any."

He said honestly.

He hadn't heard any such sightings.

He had seen it himself.

That was the end of what he could gain here.

Bayern and Valentina bid him farewell and left the village.

They passed through the scene of yesterday's fierce battle.

Bayern examined the remaining traces.

The demon was incredibly powerful.

What could be the identity of Wonderstein, who defeated him alone?

According to Valentina's observation, he was likely a user of Kirku's power.

If it was that the case, yesterday's actions could be understood through his abilities.

Inspira, the blessing bestowed by the God of Circus Kirku, possessed unpredictable power.

In short, chaos.

It only diminished people's guard because it relied on revealing and showing itself to many people.

"Just in case, that Wonderstein…"

Bayern tried to make a cautious guess, but Valentina shot him a sharp look, silencing him.

"He arrived here a few days after the curse plague spread!"

"But isn't it suspicious? That the one treating Debulroots…"

"Look at the members of the circus he leads! It's highly probable that he found a way to use his abilities for treatment!"

"Still, the fact that the incident occurred just when he appeared…"

"I've been watching Wonderstein closely the whole time! He focused solely on treating people, without any other activities! If he had done anything suspicious, even a fool like me would have noticed! If Wonderstein could perform rituals just by waving his fingers, then it would be possible!"

Bayern chuckled at Valentina's assertiveness.

"Seems like you've taken quite a liking to him?"

"Oh! W-What are you talking about! I was just stating the facts! I have no personal feelings whatsoever!"

"Alright, alright…"

Bayern conceded to her words and moved on.

Indeed, if there was a way to communicate quietly with the mages, he wouldn't have bothered with such tedious tasks every fortnight.

Especially the followers of Kirku.

They were usually noisy and flashy.

"That aside… I'm worried about the Director and that girl, the Assistant Director."

Valentina expressed regret as she turned towards the beach road.

They couldn't properly care for their injured bodies.

They had to settle for emergency treatment using first aid kits, as they couldn't poke fun at the mages.

"We have a busy road ahead of us."

"I know…"

They couldn't casually impale the mages, so they had to settle for emergency treatment using their tools.

"We're in a hurry."

"I know…."

Looking at her gloomy expression, Bayern shook his head as if to say he couldn't do anything.

"Let's stop by the next place and check it out if we have time."

"Oh, I see! Hehe, did you know? It seems like Captain's temperament has improved a bit!"

If it was yesterday, he would have pulled the cheek of the subordinate who gave such an arrogant answer and scolded him.

But thanks to yesterday's excessive use of power, his personality had undergone quite a reversal.

As soon as he returned to the village, he felt that he had changed himself by changing his clothes, getting a haircut, and shaving.

Even when he used his ability with the Reaper's scythe, he didn't feel the side effects that much…

It was probably because he had rushed too much to use his abilities at the end.

"How did this happen…?"

Bayern briefly glanced in the direction the monster circus troupe had left, then hurriedly followed Valentina, who was bouncing up and down, to the next destination.