Chapter 37: Magician Maya (1)
Originally, Luz was a relatively calm city during the day, despite being lively at night. Like most entertainment cities, it bustled at night and quieted down during the day.
However, as the opening ceremony of the Circus Grand Prix approached with just two weeks left, Luz's daytime was overflowing with noisy sounds and vibrant colors.
In order to participate in the Circus Grand Prix, acrobats from all over the world began to gather in Luz. Joyful melodies that could make anyone's spirits soar flowed through the alleys.
Acrobats proudly displayed their talents on street corners. There were acrobats skilfully balancing on rolling balls, trainers herding groups of bullfrogs, and clowns with asymmetrically moving arms and legs.
Uncontrollable delight permeated the entire city. Even the strictest parents in Luz took their children to the amusement park every day.
Most of the performers on the streets were individual or small-scale acrobats, and they showcased their talents in front of main roads, squares, or in front of lodgings where famous circuses stayed.
To participate in the Circus Grand Prix, there was no choice but to join a large circus troupe. Realistically, it was impossible to evaluate every acrobatic troupe in the world for the Grand Prix.
That's why the organizers set certain conditions for participation. First, the number of acrobats in the troupe had to be a meet certain minimum criteria, and among them, there had to be at least one acrobat with the grace of Kirku, meaning they possessed Inspira.
Naturally, this was considered a basic requirement because such skills were essential for competing in the Circus Grand Prix.
However, there was a particularly challenging barrier to entry, the "sponsorship" system. Circus troupes participating in the Grand Prix had to be guaranteed by a prominent figure in society.
Furthermore, the guarantor had to invest a significant amount of money. It was a system that facilitated personal management, capital attraction, and the smooth operation of the competition.
However, this made it nearly impossible for small-scale acrobatic troupes or individual acrobats to participate in the Circus Grand Prix.
Most sponsors preferred well-known large circus troupes.
For this year's Circus Grand Prix, around 100 companies, businesses, and families had committed to investing. In other words, more than 100 acrobatic troupes had qualified to participate in this competition, a significantly smaller number than the existing acrobatic troupes worldwide.
Therefore, at this point, two weeks before the opening ceremony, acrobats hoping to perform on the Circus Grand Prix stage flocked to the six cities where the preliminaries were held.
They aimed to showcase their talents to large circus troupes and secure a spot in them.
This aligned with the wishes of circus troupes participating in the Grand Prix, as they wanted to recruit as many acrobats as possible before the competition started.
Once the preliminary rounds began, there were limitations on recruiting additional acrobats to prevent unfair recruitment and collusion.
This competition would last for a staggering two and a half years.
No one knew what would happen in the future.
The more excellent candidates, the better.
Therefore, circus troupes participating in the Grand Prix worked hard to scout outstanding acrobats on the streets, even though it was not an easy task.
Truly famous and well-known acrobats had been recruited long before the competition, not just two weeks prior.
So, those trying to be select searched as if they were looking for buried treasures, while those hoping to be chosen walked the streets with the hope that they were the treasures themselves.
During this process, acrobats often argued and competed with each other.
"It starts in 5 minutes!"
"In 4 minutes!"
"Correction! It starts in 3 minutes!"
"In 2 minutes!"
"In 1 minute!"
"We're starting now!"
"That woman is a nuisance! She suddenly appears out of nowhere! Go somewhere else!"
"Get out of here, all of you!"
"We've been here since the day before yesterday!"
And sometimes, such competitions escalated into arguments among the acrobats.
It was happening right now in front of the Metropol Hotel.
Behind one sign stood two men in black suits, holding canes.
Behind another sign stood a young woman adorned with jewelled turbans.
The two groups glared at each other intensely.
Snake charmer Suab glanced up at the hotel's second-floor terrace and straightened her dishevelled turbans.
On the terrace, there were men and women who appeared to be nobles and a group dressed as acrobats, all looking down in their direction.
Suab smiled to herself.
The operation was a success.
At least they managed to capture everyone's attention.
She hadn't picked a fight with those two for no reason.
It was to use them as a means to showcase her talent.
The audience she wanted was the hotel's guests.
Suab had received information that a sponsored circus troupe was staying at the Metropol Hotel.
Although it was a newly formed circus, their sponsor was a very famous figure.
Rumour had it that the head of that organization had come personally due to high expectations for the circus.
They must be a selected elite group organized by pouring substantial resources into it.
If she could perform well here, she could leave a strong impression on them.
To do that, she needed to leave a more impressive performance than just displaying her talent quietly.
So, she picked a fight with those two clumsy comedians.
They attempted jokes that were neither funny nor original, but their exaggerated reactions pleased her.
"Hey, Allen! Help me! I stepped on a nail! Ouch!"
"Joe! Stop! Stop it! Ouch!"
She had already completed two days of preliminary research.
They were individuals with no talent other than shouting and falling over.
If they could elicit such reactions in front of her snake, it would make for a great show.
The snake charmer played her flute.
The King Cobra in the cage inside raised its head, hissing and flicking its tongue.
At the same time, the python on her back wriggled.
Inside it were smaller green snakes smaller than the black cobra.
Dozens of snakes crawled out of the python in unison, responding to her flute's melody.
The crowd that had gathered to watch the fight recoiled in awe.
The snakes glided towards the two comedians in black suits.
Suab watched them, hoping to see the two shivering in fear.
However, the two were surprisingly calm.
No, they were more than that.
Their expressions were so cold that they were terrifying.
"Joe, it seems it's time for the unwanted guests to leave."
"This chilly feeling, it's been a while."
The two drew knives from inside their canes.
It was the same canes they had been slipping and tripping with.
She had thought they were just props for slapstick comedy.
She had never expected to find knives inside them.
With a flash of light, the necks of the two snakes near Allen were severed.
And before Suab could react, a snake that had been coiled around Joe's neck was pierced through by his sword.
"These... these guys?"
Unanticipated skills.
There was no trace of the comical performers in the men expertly wielding their swords.
They were perfectly trained swordsmen.
Suab glanced back at the terrace.
The audience she had hoped to captivate was no longer paying attention to her.
They were all watching the two men swinging their swords.
They seemed completely captivated by the skills of the two.
"Oh no, this would make me a clown," Suab muttered.
She adjusted her flute.
She needed to give more aggressive commands.
Even if it caused some damage... Well, I have an antidote anyway...
But Allen, who had understood her intentions, reacted swiftly.
A lightning bolt shot out from his staff-like wand.
Swoosh.
The snake charmer's body remained untouched, and the wand only passed between her neck and shoulders before hitting the black stone wall, trembling.
"Easy there. I may not have as much patience as Jo."
Suab's complexion turned pale.
She stared at her broken flute with a shocked expression.
But what came out of her mouth wasn't a surrender or a venomous word.
"Crazy! What will I do without my flute? I can only control snakes with it!"
She screamed, and that triggered the snakes.
The snakes were excited by their owner's alarmed attitude.
Suab realized it was a mistake.
She shouldn't have shouted like that.
Not only Suab, but both Allen and Jo were equally shocked.
One action meant to resolve the situation had only worsened it.
The snakes spread out in a fan shape, moving towards the people.
The crowd remained frozen in place, unable to move.
The first one to make a move would likely be the target of the snakes' attack.
It was a volatile situation.
Then, the sound of a whistle echoed through the street.
"Huh?"
Suab was surprised to hear that sound.
This melody was the one which is played to summon the snakes back into their jars.
The snakes' hearing range was very narrow.
So, they could only be controlled by a specific flute.
But this whistle was playing the exact same pitch.
Sssss.
The snakes lowered their heads.
It seemed like their excitement was subsiding.
These were well-trained snakes in a good sense.
They began to slither back under Suab's legs into their nests.
The green snakes went into her sack, while the black king cobras entered a jar made of straw.
In the center of the now-organized scene stood a blond man dressed in a black suit and wearing a black cloak.
He was the one who had just whistled.
All eyes were on him.
Suab recognized who he was.
He had been on the hotel terrace just a moment ago.
He greeted the crowd with a slight nod, his head lowered.
"I'm Frank Wonderstein, the leader of the Wonderstein Troupe. I collaborated with the street performers for a brief show. Did you enjoy it?"
A small dispute had turned into a commotion.
The snakes had startled the crowd, they had admired the unexpected skills of the unknown swordsmen, trembled due to the excited snakes, and finally been swept away by the graceful performance of the troupe leader.
Now, understanding the situation, the crowd clapped their hands and cheered.
It had all been a well-prepared act.
Of course, the three people who orchestrated it knew that very well.
Looking at the three people staring at him in a daze, Wonderstein smiled.
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