Chapter 59: Rules for Tricking

Artelia District. Ermou Street.

In one of the most famous streets in the entire Artelia district. A large silver and white striped tent stood proudly, its exaggerated peak drawing attention as soon as one entered the street, which would inevitably make people look down at the colorful poster on the side.

'The Fabulous Gotys Circus of the Masked Ones!'

Like any good circus, a large podium surrounded a large arena inside the striped tent. The podium was full of spectators, some with bags of popcorn and drinks and others with drinks only, but everyone was excitedly watching the performance to come.

In the middle of the big arena, there was a person dressed in an exaggerated, colorful costume with extremely large shoulder pads and a relatively thin torso. The pants were highly baggy, and he wore a ridiculous hat with little bells on their head.

A mask covered their face, and it had a painted smile. Stars of different sizes surrounded the eyeholes.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" A woman's voice came from the figure, full of enthusiasm and childish mischief, infecting the crowd who shouted along with her.

"Wooooo!"

"Hahaha! That's the emotion we like!" Laughing amusedly, the masked woman paused for a moment before bending over herself in clear sadness and depression.

"Sadly, it's almost time to close the show..."

"BOOOOO!"

The crowd's reproach was swift, clearly showing their discontent.

Jumping on herself, the bells on her hat tinkled. "But that's why I've prepared one last act for you! Courtesy of your good friend, Miss All-Trick!"

Miss All-Trick also raised a gloved hand and snapped her fingers loudly.

Snap!

A great white light came out of her, and the circus lights went out instantly.

The sudden darkness sparked cries of alarm from the adults and screams of fear from the children. For a few seconds, that was the world as they knew it.

Snap!

With another snap of fingers, the light came on. The crowd exclaimed in fear, and the children applauded, amused, at what they saw.

A large box in which a person could easily fit was now in front of the masked woman. It was covered with curious holes, barely allowing the inside to be seen.

Several masked figures, dressed in the same way as the first, surrounded the box, but their costumes were completely white. A few of them had instruments, but what frightened the adult audience and excited the children was that most of them had sabers.

"Behold! Jack in the Box!" Miss All-Trick shouted, pointing to the box.

"I will be locked in that box if I don't get out before my faithful assistants finish the song!" The masked woman signaled, and those with swords stuck their weapons into the holes.

"I will become a ball of threads!"

"Don't do it, Miss All-Trick! You could get hurt!" A little girl in the crowd screamed, drawing the woman's attention, who pointed a white finger at her.

"Don't worry, sweetheart! There's nothing I can't escape from!" Finishing saying that, she laughed a little more and added, "That's why we're going to make things more interesting!"

Extending her arms, two of the assistants quickly approached, carrying a straitjacket and several chains.

Miss All-Trick did not struggle and allowed the straitjacket to be placed on her, along with the chain that would bind her tightly.

"Hey, is this safe?" a father asked worriedly. A trick like this was already entering territory he was not comfortable with.

He wouldn't be so worried if it hadn't been proven that the sabers were real. He didn't want his son to see an accident.

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen. I'm sure she will come out at the last minute; they always do that, " another responded, playing it down as he watched the woman being put in the box.

"Don't worry, Daddy. Everything will be fine." A small blond boy said to his father, who only pursed his lips uncertainly.

If Will ever saw an accident, his wife would undoubtedly kill him...

Not wanting to suffer his mother's wrath, the man pulled his son closer, so that if the worst happened, he could always cover his eyes in time.

"Just stay close, son."

"Mmm," Will murmured, uninterested but still obeying his father.

After locking the padlock and wrapping several chains around the box, the assistants began to play their instruments. Fun yet anxious music filled the arena.

As the music played, the assistants with the sabers surrounded the box. The cold metal reflected the light of the lamps that illuminated the arena.

The music picked up faster and faster, a sign that time was running out.

As the speed accelerated, so did the hearts of those present.

Thump! Thump!

The sound of the drums marked the end, and at the same time, the sabers pierced the box.

Screams of horror filled the stands, and parents quickly covered their children's eyes.

However, there was only confusion as the assistants did not move from their places or try to help. Instead, they continued to stab the box with their sabers, making sure that no place was left free.

"Well, that's grim." A familiar female voice sounded from the side, and the audience turned to look in amazement as Miss All-Trick suddenly sat next to the girl from before, holding a deck of cards and showing her some tricks.

"Luckily, I'm not there anymore." Amused, the woman snapped her fingers, and another flash of light blinded those present as the light went out.

It only lasted 5 seconds, but she had disappeared when the lights came back on.

"I missed the trick!" Will cried, looking at his father, who could only try to calm the child whose eyes were piercing his soul and heart.

"Sorry, sorry!"

...

Large lights pointed to the center, where a small podium was painted in bright colors with ridiculous animals and figures. A man stood on it.

This man was wearing a bright red waistcoat with black buttons, a tall black hat, and white gloves—a simple mask with a smile painted on his face.

This man extended his hand to the audience and laughed joyfully amid the applause.

"Thank you very much for your attention! We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for a new show!"

"And also! Don't forget the special collaboration we'll have next Tuesday! An event that rarely happens!

"A special performance! The Delo Circus and the Gortys Circus will collaborate! You can't miss it!"

 "See you soon, and have a good night!" The man took off his big hat, placed it on his chest, and bowed elegantly.

Boom!

A large cloud of purple smoke surrounded him, hiding his figure from the surprised audience. After a moment, the cloud dispersed, and the man and the small podium disappeared.

This trick only made the audience scream with excitement.

"He. That trick always works." Laughing softly backstage after using the hidden trapdoor, the announcer could only give thanks for such a fun job.

Miss All-Trick's carriage. A little later...

"Ahrggg!" Lying back in her seat. The woman removed her mask and pulled down her hood.

Her blonde hair fell free, and she used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead. The face of her new identity, Livia Storm, was revealed.

After finishing another series of circus performances, the woman continued her half-hour relaxation before returning home to Xio, who was probably preparing dinner as usual.

She was a little embarrassed to notice that this had been the case since they had met.

'I need to learn to cook other things than scrambled eggs and tea...' Noting that she should get a cookbook, the woman grabbed her tunic and pulled it away from her body, letting a little cool air in.

'Even with the autumn on us, the heat in the tent is extremely uncomfortable. I feel like I'm cooking!' Grabbing a simple glass and filling it with water from the simple tank in her room, she emptied the contents in one big gulp.

She repeated this three times until she felt her throat was no longer a desert of salt and bitterness.

Returning to her seat, Fors closed her eyes and felt the progress of her potion.

Opening her blue wells, which now shone more ethereally, she nodded gently.

'At its core. A Trickmaster will never be anything more than a trickster. Someone willing to use all kinds of tricks to achieve their goals. Whether they are fair or unfair, it doesn't matter.

'As long as they achieve their goal, the means don't matter. That's the core of a Trickmaster.'

Fors was sure she had finally found it. Not only was the sense of digestion she felt at the moment of performing the trick greater than her usual tricks of cheating at cards, but also because her spirituality and intuition whispered to her.

Sinking into her seat, almost merging with it. The woman just laughed pathetically.

She should have realized it the day she helped that lunatic kill Pirate Admiral Qilangos. When she intervened to paralyze the pirate, her potion overreacted momentarily.

She didn't realize it because of the emotion of the moment and everything that happened afterward: helping the fight, running away from the churches, and hiding. There was no time to think about it.

'At that moment, I acted like a true trickster. Waiting for the right moment to pull off my trick and rob the winner of his victory...

'The potion was not digested because I was not acting correctly. Not counting how I never revealed myself, and according to Mr. Kenway, an audience's reaction is important for digestion...'

Fors nodded weakly, her head bouncing senselessly.

Missing an 'opportunity' like that didn't bother her. If she had revealed herself, the Nighthawks and the Machinery Hivemind would have known that there were more Beyonders besides those two, and escape would have been impossible, forcing her to use one of the stones.

'Even a cheater must know when it is appropriate to use their hand. If a cheater can't even ensure they survive the 'game,' are they really a cheater?'

Fors felt that this could even apply to the Apprentice. The abilities she had gained by advancing to Trickmaster, while they might sound strong, were actually relatively weak.

The writer felt that the true function of the skills she had obtained was not to help her in combat but to help her escape!

'If it's really like that and the Apprentice's pathway is focused on escape, I can say I got the best possible path!' Fors could say she had no regrets about her path for the first time.

What was the point of having strong and extravagant powers if you couldn't save yourself with them?

'Escaping with your life could even be considered another form of strength... Mmm, that sounds good!'

Taking a simple notebook out of her waistcoat, Fors wrote down her recent thoughts. Underlining them several times.

She could use this idea for a book...

Finishing jotting down an initial idea. The book was closed and placed on its side.

Even though she had found the Trickmaster's core, that didn't mean she had already won. She had only seen the right path, and she still had to travel it.

She had to change many of her performances, as they were more like those of a Magician than a Trickmaster. Even her trick today was more like that of a Magician. She needed to make adjustments.

'But that's during working hours; now I'm free!' Not wanting to work unpaid overtime, Fors quickly got ready to leave.

She changed into her most comfortable clothes: a soft yellow tunic dress bordering on vanilla, her wide-brimmed hat, and a white umbrella. Adjusting her laurel and better arranging her bracelets on her arms, Fors left her 'room' and calmly made her way home.

Passing through the quiet streets of the art district, Fors' mind returned to the announcement made by her 'boss'.

'Mr. Kenway said that one of the missing members worked in that circus. Maybe I can finally meet him... His name was Nathan, and if I remember correctly, Miss Sasha's partner. What kind of man is capable of dealing with that woman? He must be a real giant, a warrior worthy of the most brutal coliseums...'

Fors felt nothing but respect for that huge woman along with perhaps a little fear - it would be stupid not to be nervous of someone whose arm is almost as big as your head - but she couldn't help thinking that the partner of that great woman must be the epitome of a mountain.

She was sure that Nathan would be that circus's 'Strong Man'. Lifting tables full of people on his back and doing push-ups with them, throwing massive rocks over great distances, and with his prodigious size several heads taller than the people around him, he would be easy to see...

The writer couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous about meeting such a man.

As she considered how to handle her encounter with such a sinister man, a soft melody reached her ears.

'What a beautiful song...' Fors stopped her walk for a moment to listen and look across the street where the music was coming from.

Strumming his guitar strings delicately but with emotion, a man was sitting on a folding chair. His eyes were closed, and he had a simple gray hat at his feet that already had some coins.

She could feel how the anxiety that had been whipping her up these last few days was cleansed by the dancing of the strings. Closing her eyes for a moment, Fors let the melody wash over her and bathe her.

Releasing a silent sigh, the author took a purse from her tunic and, after thinking for a moment, took out eight cupprum. Waiting for the passing carriages to provide a window, she crossed the street.

"It was a beautiful melody." Flattering with a small smile, Fors dropped the coins into the hat.

Being closer to the man, she could see his features better. He was an older man, perhaps in his thirties or mid-forties. His hair was a dark gray and wrinkles adorned his face, although he showed his age, the man was still good-looking.

Contrary to her expectations, his clothes were not old or damaged. They looked quite well cared for and of good quality, and their vivid green and blue colors were still evident.

'Not a vegar. A hobby, then?' Fors noticed as she straightened up, seeing how she had gained the musician's attention.

Looking up and without stopping playing his guitar, the man opened his eyes revealing a soft crimson red. "Thank you, Miss."

Fors paused for a moment, surprised by the sight. Recovering immediately, the woman gave an elegant curtsy, grasping the edges of her tunic, and said goodbye to the man.

"I thought they would be black..." The writer looked over her shoulder curiously at the man, who lowered his head again and continued to strum the guitar, filling the street with melody.

After a few seconds, she continued on her way at a more leisurely pace. Planning to tell her best friend about this curious encounter over dinner.