The Freak Show Foreman

Her first impression in the game could be described as unfavorable.

Appearing with an elaborate flower ornament on her head, she addressed the warriors, stating she could handle Wonderstein and the Dock Cult so they should leave. This demeanor was undoubtedly that of a haughty lady with a princess syndrome affected by the game.

However, when news broke that the Papal Punishment Corps had fallen into the trap of the Dock Cult and collapsed while attempting to subdue them, her pitifulness became more apparent.

But as the story unfolded, her true nature turned out to be the opposite.

She narrated untold stories from TT1 and TT2, revealing that she had been chasing the Black Magician for a long time.

A significant portion of the TTT universe’s lore was unveiled here.

Her role was not limited to being a mere information shuttle, as she was the closest thing to the strongest among the humans in TTT.

From combat scenes to interactions with other characters, she displayed a different caliber.

Although her immense power was showcased in only a few event scenes, such as pillars of light descending from the sky and obliterating the surroundings or turning a rock the size of a house into dust with a single palm strike, it left a lasting impression on players.

Even the final boss of the series, Wonderstein, found it difficult to completely subdue her, resorting to restraining her with chains and escaping, despite being resurrected.

Despite constantly portraying an invincible facade, she also showed human aspects, such as grieving for fallen comrades while chasing the Black Magician or being cornered in a siege due to hostages.

Considering her life story, she was practically a senior figure among the warriors.

The transition to the final stage of TT3, along with her sacrifice, was the most thrilling scene in TTT, resonating with players’ emotions.

Of course, this had not yet happened.

The story of TT3 was set six or seven years in the future.

I didn’t know in detail what she had experienced during that time.

I only vaguely remembered a few stories I had heard.

One of them was losing many comrades while tracking the Black Magician.

After hearing the origin of the "Black Magician" during the opening ceremony, I confirmed that people had a vague understanding of Wonderstein’s existence, and I felt relieved.

As long as I was cautious, I think there would be no risk of being accused of being the Black Magician.

But I never expected to encounter her in a place like this.

"What motive brought you here!"

The woman with pink hair walked forward with clenched fists.

Her eyes glared at me fiercely.

Meeting a holy woman at a time when I couldn’t use the power of the Biomancer.

I couldn’t think of a way to resist and just laughed quietly, but Ivanenko intervened between us.

"Now, please stop for a moment. This person…"

The woman, who was approaching me as if she would attack me at any moment, listened to a few words from Ivanenko and showed a surprised expression.

"Oh, was that the case? I-I apologize!"

She lowered her fists and bent her waist towards me.

The reason she confronted me was that I was dressed as a priest.

Seeing a human who was undoubtedly a mage disguised as a clergyman made her think that I might be plotting something.

Ivanenko explained in detail about what I had done to her.

She looked at me with a deeply impressed expression.

"I misunderstood such an excellent person… I apologize again!"

She shouted with a confident voice, bowing her head.

Her voice alone could rival that of a rooster Minova.

"Despite the busy schedule of the commander, he willingly helped people. The director…? Oh! Does that mean you’re a participant in the Circus Grand Prix?"

She opened her eyes wide and looked at me.

Her cheeks blushed in a shade of pink similar to her hair.

She waved her arms around and exclaimed, "Amazing! I’ve never seen a circus before!"

I knew the reason, but I pretended not to and asked why.

She scratched the back of her head shyly and said, "Hehe, I trained in a place isolated from the world! Have you heard of the Troms Monastery in Tanchaka?"

The Troms Monastery was one of the stages that appeared in the latter part of TT3.

I nodded, recalling her as she looked at the monsterized monks with a pained expression.

She had lived there for almost 20 years since she was a child, as Saint Valentina had mentioned.

She later found out that her hometown in the rural mountainous area was famous.

"I left there not long ago! The elders said they couldn’t let me go until I had perfect control over my power… But hehe, I had a place where my power was needed!"

I tensed at that point. I knew where she had gone after leaving the monastery.

The Black Magician Tracking.

How much did they know about me?

She seemed unaware, judging by her face, but…

I treaded carefully.

"If I may ask…"

"Have you heard of the Black Magician?"

I almost bit my tongue momentarily.

Did she just mention it so openly?

Shouldn’t we be discreet about it?

I maintained a calm demeanor and smiled wryly.

"As someone involved in the circus, it’s a name that’s hard to ignore."

"Oh, yes… The Circus Grand Prix… I heard that the Black Magician became famous because of that… Many people died; they say… It’s a tragic incident… We’re here to chase that wicked person!"

A massive halberd appeared and disappeared behind her, judging by its size, more like a lance than a mere pole.

She noticed my gaze and reassured me with a wave of her hand.

"No, no! We, from our monastery, don’t just attack the followers of chaos! Our Tracker is the same! Our leader is a mage too!"

Their leader is a mage?

I hadn’t expected a mage to be part of the tracking unit set up by the Papal Order.

It explained why the saint, unlike other human members of the Papal Order’s Inquisition, didn’t harbor hostility towards mage allies.

Was it for this reason?

I cautiously brought up the topic, aiming to extract information about this so-called leader.

"About this mage…?"

"Our leader is a devoted disciple of the Abyssal Chiral! Truly an amazing person! Last time…"

She rambled on for a while about the leader.

Thanks to her, I could gather information about his preferences, such as his favorite bibimbap toppings.

"Ah, I see…"

Until now, most characters I had encountered showed some differences in their personalities compared to their in-game counterparts.

However, none felt as divergent as Saint Valentina.

A formidable and outstanding senior was once a carefree eccentric.

Thanks to her, I could effortlessly learn about the Black Magician Tracking Party.

I carefully crafted my words, aiming for the most critical question.

How much did they know about the Black Mage?

But before I could ask, Maya spoke up.

"Do you have any information about the Black Magician?"

Her gaze became cold and penetrating.

For some reason, I felt a sense of hatred there.

Before I could even question it, Valentina rushed towards her before I could even think.

"Wow! Who is this little one? Isn’t she a doll? So cute!"

Valentina grabbed Maya, pulled her close, and squeezed her tightly against her chest.

"Hey, let go. Let go of me."

Maya struggled as if trying to push her away, but she couldn’t overcome the opponent who was taller and stronger than her.

Valentina shook her white hair and cheeks vigorously.

"Hehe, look at this! The skin, the hair, as white as snow… such a lovely little girl! Oops!"

At that moment, a flash of light accompanied something slashing Valentina’s hand and passing by.

She startled and stepped back.

She pointed at the creature that attacked her, trembling.

"I-It’s a cat! It suddenly appeared!"

She clenched her fists and took a stance as if ready to fight again.

I could immediately tell where the cat came from.

It was the one Maya had summoned during the illusion demonstration, claiming it was a pet she had raised when she was younger.

Maya glared at Valentina as she took a deep breath.

"Watch your mouth. This little lady."

In response, the cat bared its teeth.

There was no sound, but it was clear enough that it was aggressive.

Valentina, looking at the scratches on her hand, frowned.

"Wow, it’s definitely a demon cat! This little one summoned it!"

"Calm down… this is an illusion created by Maya. She applied telekinetic force to the claws. Maya herself doesn’t need to be so aggressive."

I managed to calm them down.

Valentina grabbed both of my hands and exclaimed.

"As expected, not all mages are bad! Our leader and Director Wonderstein are good people too! You shouldn’t judge people by appearances alone."

She looked displeased as she glanced at Maya.

Maya sighed as if she found the situation ridiculous.

"But our leader is genuinely good-looking, hehe! I meant it when I said that earlier!"

Valentina shouted this and, covering her face with the hem of her robe, laughed strangely before running away.

I stared blankly at her retreating figure.

Maya chuckled at her eccentric behavior.

"Um, Mr. Magician? Sister? We’re ready."

Ivanenko came in, opening the door of the Church.

While we were talking to Valentina, he had prioritized and arranged the order in which the villagers in urgent need would receive treatment.

Thanks to that, I was able to complete the subjugation of 30 Debulroots during that time.

I used all the incoming large amounts of Debulroots and the accumulated Debulroots over the past three weeks.

First, to increase the burden my body could handle, I raised each of the three basic abilities by one level, and the rest was invested in the maximum capacity of Debulroots.

It was to minimize the amount that would have to be discarded due to lack of capacity when purifying 170 Debulroots.

Name: Frank Wonderstein

Age: 27

Occupation: Biomancer

Debulroots: (0/1966）

Muscle Strength: 5.0 (Gorilla at the gym）

Tissue Resilience: 5.0 (Tough beef）

Cell Regeneration: 5.0 (Lizard tail with ointment）

Traits: [Smiling Man]

"Well, I’ll do my best! Sir Director!"

Valentina, who had returned by my side without me noticing, extended her palm towards me.

I cautiously met her hand with mine.

She smiled widely.

The door of the sanctuary opened, and the patients entered.

With this, it seemed that this quest would be resolved smoothly.