I Became the Leader of the Monster Circus Troupe

Chapter 169: Demon in the Bottle – 8

She was wearing full-body stockings that accentuated her figure, with only the chest area barely covered by a short vest and shorts that exposed her thighs.

Her long, fiery red hair seemed to be ablaze, complemented by fierce eyes and sharp jawline.

Judging by her entrance into the school uniform store, she was probably the same age as Karen.

It was the first time Karen had seen her.

Approaching cautiously, Karen could tell that she seemed to be encountering her for the first time as well.

Maya tilted her head curiously and asked, Who are you?

Her tone was cold and blunt.

However, there was no sense of dismissal or guardedness in her words.

She was merely asking out of curiosity.

Oddly enough, Karen found herself liking Mayas demeanour.

She nervously replied, trying to steady her voice, Me? I-Im Karen And you?

Maya.

Yeah, thats a pretty name Haha. So, Im going to be a freshman at Lekachep. Are you too?

Yeah.

They exchanged a few more words.

Where they belonged.

What talents they had.

What classes they were planning to take.

As they conversed, Karen felt herself becoming more at ease with Maya.

Maya was unlike any other girl Karen had encountered before.

Karen hadnt always found it difficult to interact with girls her age.

Until she was ten years old, she would often hang out with girls from other circus troupes.

She would act just as she did with the boys, teasing them with playful remarks and behaving confidently.

There was no malice in it.

She just wanted to be friends.

However, her approach was met with caution by the other girls.

They would cast judgmental glances at her and draw boundaries.

Like their male peers, Karen failed to pick up on those subtle social cues and continued to enjoy herself alone.

But one day, while she was in the restroom, she overheard them gossiping about her.

Saying she was weird for sleeping and bathing with boys.

That her words and actions seemed lacking in some way.

That she was pretending to be oblivious.

They would often exchange insults and hurtful words with boys as well.

What are you talking about? Im not pretending!

Karen burst in like nothing was wrong, laughing it off.

But it undoubtedly affected her.

After that, she became nervous whenever she faced other girls.

If they made jokes or pointed something out, she felt guilty as if she had committed a serious offense, and she would tense up whenever they whispered among themselves, as if they were gossiping about her behind her back.

Even when girls approached her with kindness, she would break out in a cold sweat and become flustered.

Now, with her large head, she understood why she was like this and why they acted that way, but it was hard to accept it emotionally.

Her body instinctively froze when she stood in front of other girls.

But she couldnt sense that ordinary girl atmosphere from Maya.

Karen couldnt pick up on the usual social cues that people usually give off.

She appeared too emotionally detached and cold, but Karen found that preferable.

Her trauma switch didnt respond to her.

So you know almost nothing about acrobatics, huh? Karen gained a bit of confidence when she realized Maya wasnt a professional acrobat. She finally had something to teach her.

Yeah. I dont know.

When Maya seemed to flinch a bit in her voice and tried to pass by her, Karen was taken aback.

No, no, Im not looking down on you

Karen didnt want to part with her like this.

She gathered her courage and spoke up.

I, I want to help! Ive been trained since I was 4 years old Would you like some assistance? Like with registering for classes or buying textbooks! You seem unsure

Maya, who seemed to be lost in thought for a moment at her words, nodded her head.

Okay.

Karen exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement.

R-really? But dont you have other people in your circus troupe? Can I still join you?

Thinking about what she said, Maya recalled one persons face.

The Director.

He knew the circus well and understood that if she needed help, he would offer it willingly. He would provide convenience even within the school.

Maya didnt want to accept his help.

She shook her head slightly.

Yes, but were not that close.

She remembered what had happened at the caf earlier.

Ella had her mouth open, asking to be fed.

By the Director!

For a moment, Maya couldnt accept the situation and stared at her blankly.

Even though she clung to the director after losing her memory, demanding such a thing

She inwardly pleaded to Wonderstein.

Please say something, Director. This is not right.

However, what he did was not scold her for her request.

As if he couldnt resist, he nodded once and then lifted the utensil, feeding her.

Like that, once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Every time he offered food like a mother bird, Ella accepted it like a baby bird, smiling happily.

Neither of them had done anything particularly wrong.

Nor had they behaved inappropriately for the setting.

Anyway, Ella stopped after a few bites, finding it difficult to taste the food and feeling uncomfortable.

But those few scenes lingered in Mayas mind, tormenting her.

Her magic moved on its own again.

She wanted to force-feed Ella.

But she couldnt do the same thing in front of the Director.

No matter how generous he was, she didnt know if he would get angry this time.

She had to restrain her power and focus her mind to watch the two of them enjoy their meal together.

Oh, its time for the uniforms.

See you tonight, Maya.

They left arm in arm, chatting happily as if they didnt know Mayas feelings.

Maya quietly watched them leave.

There was still no change in her expression.

Her attempt to sort out her feelings about Wonderstein was once again thwarted.

Instead of sorting it out, it became even more complicated.

Papiflux grew stronger.

The psychic power just now required her to muster considerable mental strength to suppress it.

Maya sipped the drink the grandma had brought for comfort, deep in thought.

Why did the Director treat Ella so gently?

Why did the Director become so close to Reyna so quickly?

Is it because of appearance?

Maya looked at her reflection in the shop mirror.

A pale white girl sat there.

Does he not like the way I look?

Ive heard people say Im pretty sometimes.

But she knew that the standards of beauty varied from person to person.

She knew she could appear very unattractive in the eyes of the director.

Does the director prefer healthy women?

Ella and Reyna boasted exceptional physical abilities.

They were so outstanding among their peers that they were considered unmatched acrobats.

In contrast, Maya struggled to keep up with the basic physical training of the members.

But Lady Vergsong was equally frail.

She was someone who found it difficult even to stand in direct sunlight.

Health couldnt be the reason.

As Maya pondered, she suddenly had a revelation.

The commonality between Ella and Reyna.

What Wonderstein liked.

The answer was so obvious.

Acrobatics!

Why hadnt she thought of that before?

The reason the Director cherished them was surprisingly simple.

Maya had always regarded the director as a revolutionary magician, a mage with such exceptional abilities that even she tried to gain recognition from him.

But was Wonderstein someone who pursued such power?

He possessed such abilities yet focused solely on the circus.

Maya didnt have any intention to criticize him. Wasnt she herself rejecting the suggestions to join IMT and devoting herself to illusionary magic?

The important thing was that she had been ignoring what he valued and liked.

She neglected basic exercises, didnt even think about learning fundamental acrobatics.

It was perhaps natural that the director couldnt see her as a disciple, or that he felt a distance from her.

What if I learn acrobatics?

She didnt think she could compete with Ella or Reyna in physical ability.

But she had one ability that surpassed theirs.

She recalled SPECIAL that the admissions officer mentioned during the entrance exam.

There, P stood for Perception.

The ability to perceive movement, calculate distances, and distribute precise force to fingertips.

That was something Maya could pride herself on over Ella.

But possessing such an ability didnt automatically make her proficient in acrobatics.

She needed to learn the basics from someone.

She had no intention of seeking help from Ella or the director.

She wanted to learn on her own and surprise them both.

If that happened, the director would see her differently.

Maybe

Like Reyna

Maya, would you like to have a deeper conversation about acrobatics tonight? Please come to my bedroom.

Mayas hand holding the cup trembled.

The image of Reyna undressing in front of the director came to mind.

If she were in that position

With only underwear left, the director approaching from behind

Maya?

She snapped back to reality at her grandmas call.

Steam was rising from the cup she held.

She exerted pressure on the drink with her telekinetic powers, turning it into ice in an instant.

Simultaneously, a tremendous amount of heat was released, heating up the cup.

Im sorry.

She swiftly tidied up the table with her telekinetic powers.

What was she thinking?

She shook her head.

Right. That was definitely what Cinepecus whispered in her ear.

Making her heart race even more.

She cleared her mind.

Getting caught up in such whispers was the trap that wizards fell into.

One must not confuse the means with the ends.

Deepening the relationship with the Director was merely a means of understanding the illusions.

The goal was to fill the canvas of the mind and nurture her magical foundation.

She left the caf and headed for the street in front of the school.

It was to prepare for the Lekacheps.

But even when she tried, she realized she knew nothing.

When the Director suggested taking the exam, she dismissed it without interest.

Yet she didnt want to go back to her dorm and ask for help either.

The Director and Assistant Director would step in to help, and she might just end up watching them do it again.

She had come to the clothing store only because Ella had mentioned school uniforms earlier.

But now, someone appeared offering help.

Lets start with buying the school uniform. We can get the gym clothes here, but youll have to get the sneakers elsewhere. What shoe size are you?

Karen.

She spoke with lively enthusiasm, as if her previous hesitation was just an act.

She revealed that she belonged to Papal Circus.

It was a place Maya was familiar with.

They had crossed paths in Luz, and it was also a place that had received one star from Christians guide.

She was a useful ally.

Maya accepted her proposal for that reason.

But Karens sudden change in attitude was a bit perplexing.

Look at this. Are you interested in taming animals? Ive wanted to raise animals for a long time.

She chattered excitedly regardless of Mayas response.

She laughed cheerfully even when receiving short answers or indifferent looks.

It was a somewhat exhausting level of enthusiasm.

But Maya didnt find it annoying or irritating.

She answered questions if they were worth answering, and otherwise just ignored them.

Fortunately, taming animals was a topic Maya had something to talk about.

Ive had cats before.

At Mayas words, Karen nodded brightly and then poured out another burst of words about what kind of animal she wanted to raise.

The preliminary matches were about a month and a half away in October.

Maya thought their acquaintance wouldnt last that long.

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Chapter 168: Demon in the Bottle 7