Chapter 153: Black and Gold – 24
Slagbrot Bakery Factory was one of the two great dungeons that appeared in TT2 Yeterinpuurk, Stage.
The confectionery artisans here, like artists elsewhere, were tainted by the soul of Wonderstein, becoming corrupted into monsters by the gems imbued with his essence.
Instead of flour, corpses were thrown into the dough machines, and instead of sugar crystals, all sorts of dreadful things were used for candy decorations.
Thus, the meat pies produced in this blood and flesh-filled factory were neatly packaged and stacked outside to be carried away.
The monsterized attendants sold them at the confectionery shop at the factory entrance.
The monsterized residents exchanged corpses for snacks to eat.
And the staff took the received corpses back to throw them into the dough machine again.
The sight of such commonplace horrors unfolding in the midst of a city filled with despair made the players feel both amused and disturbed.
Even in this hellish scenario, there was a figure who appeared as an ally.
In a secluded room in the corner of the factory, there was an old blind man who had made a hiding place and was blocking the approach of the monsters.
Wilhelm.
He too was once a confectioner like everyone else.
The fact that he was the companys owner was revealed in the middle of the labyrinth exploration.
He was, in fact, a dubious figure without a pair.
Most of the allies in the cities visited so far had been villains who treated human lives as a joke.
Yeterinpurrkl was no different.
Taming, who appeared as a tamer professor at the Lekachep Circus School, had committed cruel atrocities to the extent that she would not be outdone by the allies of other cities.
They were people who were originally immersed in their own madness.
So they could resist the voice emanating from the gems imbued with Wondersteins soul.
As Wilhelm uttered nonsense or rambled about his chaotic past, the players grew more suspicious of him.
They expected his despicable past to be hidden beyond the door he strictly forbade entry to.
By the late stages of the labyrinth exploration, what was in the room he cherished so much was revealed.
It was a showroom filled with items related to the playwright Christian.
Christian, the playwright, had been mentioned continuously in previous cities.
He was considered a spiritual idol in the contemporary performing arts scene.
Clues about him were scattered throughout the Six Great Theatres.
Wilhelm was his ardent fan.
The lines he muttered incessantly were passages from the scripts he liked, and the chaotic past he rambled about was all stories from the script.
What the ingredients he occasionally instructed to collect were used for was also revealed at the end.
Christians 21st memorial anniversary.
For the memorial feast, he made a cake with the collected ingredients.
He breathed his last breath as he placed the cake he made with his last strength on the altar.
A cake born out of pure love for art and the artisans stubbornness.
Perhaps.
The one he made with his life had a hidden efficacy.
If consumed during the final boss battle of TT2, it could provide immunity to Wondersteins area-of-effect instakill.
Of course, the instakill itself was an eventful attack and did not significantly affect the games difficulty.
But a few dialogue lines did change.
Still, for the challenge, players collected the ingredients and made sure to take the cake when leaving the factory.
Two people, entangled in such a tragic fate in the future, were now walking side by side, engaging in amicable conversation.
The topic of their conversation was none other than the playwright Christian, whom Wonderstein greatly admired.
Wonderstein knew everything, from which scene he liked most in Christians works, to his favorite lines to recite, and even the personal interpretations he added.
So when he invited four visitors of the Monster Circus to the exhibition room, Wonderstein stepped forward as their representative to prove their worthiness to his guests.
Haha, your favourite part too? Youre the first person Ive met with such similar tastes. Indeed! There must be a reason why a genius like Ella is in such a small circus. The director must have a keen eye for art, he remarked.
You flatter me.
No, you deserve such praise. Let me pour you another glass of the wine I cherish. Lets share a drink, as those who are smitten with Christian.
Thank you.
Wonderstein accepted the glass with a relaxed face, but his insides were far from calm.
It was because of the gaze directed at him.
The owner of that gaze was Simon Maguire, the ringmaster of the Golden Carnival.
Standing in a corner of the exhibition room, his eyes were burning with hatred as they stared in this direction.
The reason could be guessed.
He had taken away Simons position as the star of todays meeting, the Golden Carnival.
Including the incident during the entrance exam, Wonderstein had now defeated Simon twice.
And there was also the issue of Reyna.
No matter how much he verbally abused her, and even though she wasnt his biological daughter, he had raised her for the past 15 years.
For someone with his prideful personality, it would be an unbearable humiliation for his daughter to seek solace from another man in front of him.
Even if it was just a playful gesture during the event.
Whenever Simon glared at him, Wonderstein didnt avoid it but met it head-on.
He had no positive feelings toward him either.
His ruthless demeanor didnt sit well with him, and he was irritated by the fact that he had brought Ella along, causing the situation to become complicated.
He was the one who had stolen his Assistant Director.
Avoiding the gaze here would be even more awkward.
Even amidst all this, Wonderstein didnt neglect to check on Ellas condition.
He hadnt forgotten Mayas advice.
Emotional turmoil could jeopardize her mental state.
However, despite the earlier scream, her expression seemed too calm.
She smiled quietly and focused on looking around the exhibition room, paying no attention to Wonderstein, who kept staring at her.
She didnt seem like the same Ella from two weeks ago, who was so determined not to let herself slip even once.
It seemed that the scream earlier was just a reaction to the situation itself.
Well, didnt Reyna unexpectedly come at him as well?
Ellas indifferent attitude should be seen as evidence that the treatment with Gascon was gradually taking effect.
He stopped observing her with relief.
But it was Wondersteins misconception.
Ellas eyes were fixed on the exhibits in the exhibition room, but her mind was filled with completely different thoughts.
The scene she had seen behind the stage earlier kept replaying in her mind.
I love you!
I love you!
I love you!
Reynas confession followed by her kiss.
It was just on the cheek, but
She had done it too
Ella sighed and closed her eyes in front of the precious first edition in front of her.
She was a fan of the playwright Christian.
Before she even turned 10, she had read all of his works.
Being able to receive a live interpretation of a role from Cavalcade of Roses at the Rose Windmill Cabaret was all thanks to him.
Before even entering the factory, she had high expectations of what treasures the Marquiss collection might hold.
From first editions of his works to scripts with his handwritten instructions or memorabilia sold only at specific performances, the rumors among the Golden Carnival members alone were impressive.
But the Marquis possessed even more than that.
Under normal circumstances, each item would have elicited exclamations of admiration from her.
But now, despite seeing the things she had anticipated, nothing caught her eye.
Her attention was solely focused on the scene unfolding before her.
The way Wonderstein laughed off the incident as if it was nothing and the way Reyna stood slightly apart, unable to compose herself.
She recalled the conversations she had shared with him through communication over the past ten days.
The members are fortunate that Reyna is keeping up well with the lessons.
Reyna is remarkable, isnt she? Shes already passed more than half of the training Ella initiated.
Its fortunate. She seems to be adapting well here.
Reyna is more than meets the eye.
Reyna
She
is unlike Ella.
Those words spread through her mind like venom.
What she had once considered insignificant remarks now felt like intricate threads.
Perhaps
I want Reyna to be the Assistant Director. Youre no longer needed.
His words, which he hadnt actually said, flowed from his imaginary lips.
Ella wanted to refute.
No, thats not true.
You need me more than anyone else.
I can do better than anyone else.
Maya sat on the corner sofa of the exhibition room, as she always did, with a vacant expression.
She recalled her earlier actions.
I messed up.
Throughout the factory tour, the four of them had continued to move together.
Although on paper Reynas guardian was Wonderstein and Mayas guardian was Yurakne, since many guests came in family units, the staff didnt insist on pairing off in twos.
Although they were divided into pairs for the program, Maya wasnt particularly upset since they stayed close together.
She only kept thinking, If only I had applied a little faster, we could have come as a pair.
But when the host gave the two of them a task, she lost her composure.
Reynas blushing face leaning into the directors embrace was too irritating.
So, without even realizing it, she exerted telekinesis.
The collapse of the cake was because of her.
Perhaps the director noticed, or maybe he didnt.
No, he must have noticed.
With his tightrope walking skills that could detect a 0.1g error, he couldnt have missed the imbalance in the cakes.
Of course, she didnt think Wonderstein would reproach herself for that incident.
Hes the type of person who laughs off anything that happens.
Perhaps hell just dismiss this as some petty mischief of an immature child.
Just trying not to treat her like such a kid.
Maya felt a bit strange about herself lately.
There was a discordant note creeping into her usually clean and precise judgments.
She buried herself on the sofa and entered her meditation space after a long time.
Reyna was locked in anxiety throughout the conversation between the Marquis and Wonderstein, unsure of what to do.
She could see the sinister intent lurking behind her fathers smiling face.
What misdeed was he about to commit?
The unease didnt subside until the Marquis, supported by his secretary, decided to leave the exhibition hall first for lunch.
As soon as the Marquis left the room, Simon stood before him.
He had moved from the other side of the room to right in front of him in an instant.
Despite moving so swiftly, there was no sound of footsteps.
Hey, Director Wonderstein. Can we talk for a moment?
Whats the matter?
I want to talk about the trade happening next week.
The two of them glanced at each other for a moment.
Both were polite, with smiles on their faces, but neither thought it was the others true intention.
Alright. Everyone is here. Ill be back after a brief chat with Mr. Maguire.
Just wait here for a moment. It wont take long.
Black suits and black cloaks, golden suits and golden cloaks.
Shimmering blond hair and sharply combed black hair.
The two who were glaring at each other turned simultaneously and left the room.
The Monster Circus troupe, as well as members of the Golden Carnival, were all too tense to say anything as they stared at the door where the two had left, unable to speak a word.
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