NOVEL NEXT Chapter 221: Wonderland – 24
The internal structure was similar to a dome stadium.
Tens of thousands of buildings stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a circular shape.
The arrangement of the buildings also bore a resemblance to the seating of a dome stadium.
As one moved away from the centre, the buildings formed a stepped structure, with each level higher than the last.
Where they stood was both the rooftop of one building and the front yard of a building higher up.
From the outside, it seemed vaguely large, but from within, the awe-inspiring scale of the architectural structure was almost unbelievable.
In terms of proportion, they could be likened to three ants in a stadium seating fifty thousand.
Ella opened her eyes wide and looked around.
The styles and sizes of the buildings varied greatly, and their arrangement was haphazard.
However, there was a certain rule. Buildings adjacent to each other had entrance heights that were roughly similar.
Thus, the buildings stood side by side, forming a circuit. And such a carousel ride continued uninterrupted from the first floor to the thousands of meters high top floor, spiralling upwards.
Ella realized that each of the buildings served as a theatre.
Even a cursory glance around revealed banners hanging at the entrances announcing the ongoing performances, with performers outside engaging in promotional acts.
“A relay acrobatics act involving 22 people! Only for a week! Hurry, limited seats remaining!”
“The legendary play ‘Knights of Moranon,’ guarding the theatre for 30 consecutive years, starts in 30 minutes!”
“A brawl between Della Paggery and Bendes Paggery! Welcome, everyone! Tomatoes can be thrown!”
Everywhere she looked, it was all about performances.
She simply couldn’t close her mouth.
Indeed, it was a place worthy of the name ‘paradise.’
The awe that the Scarecrow felt was no different from hers.
While not as deeply moved as the other two, Lumie was quite caught up in the excitement.
For the first time in a while, she enjoyed the scenery, reminiscing about her childhood.
And so, the three of them quietly enjoyed the scenery in their own ways.
It was Ella who broke the silence.
“But are there really this many acrobats in the world?”
She looked around, starting from a building more than 10 kilometers away and scanning hundreds of floors above and below.
There seemed to be tens of thousands of theaters in total.
Even if only ten people were inside each, it would amount to millions.
But that wasn’t all there was to the buildings. There were buildings beneath them, serving as the foundation.
As they ascended the alleys from the outskirts, they had seen these ‘middle’ and ‘lower’ levels.
People lived there too.
In other words, when everything was considered, there were at least tens of millions of people residing here.
The emergence of the modern circus concept on the continent of Columbia had occurred only a few decades ago.
Before that, there were jesters, performers, musicians, and acrobats, but even if all of them were combined, they wouldn’t amount to as many as seen here.
At Ella’s question, the Scarecrow, playing with the brim of his straw hat, spoke.
“Not everyone here is a follower of Kirku. Acrobats summon deceased family members, and souls adrift in the abyss sometimes find their way here. And among fairies and demons, some dwell in the domain of Kirku.”
Lumie, taking over the explanation, added, “And there are other Worlds besides where we live.”
“Other worlds?”
Ella interjected.
Since it seemed to be his first time hearing about it, the Scarecrow looked at her.
Lumie explained the structure of this world to both of them.
Of course, she used a refined analogy, not the crude comparison of a cat’s dish, but that of a beautiful flower.
Having heard her explanation, Ella nodded, recalling similar stories she had read before.
“So, the world is like a giant tree, and the world we live in is just one of the hundreds of flowers blooming on it? This Domain can be likened to a wasp’s nest hanging from the tree.”
“Yeah. The wasps fly around the flowers on the tree. Magicians exist across multiple worlds.”
“Then, do all the acrobats from different worlds gather here?”
At the mention of ‘all worlds,’ the Scarecrow’s expression tensed.
Could it mean that acrobats from Earth could be here?
However, Lumie shook her head, denying his expectations.
“Not from every place. It requires the presence of ‘Kirku Faith’ there, and those people must be Kirku’s followers.”
Ella suppressed a sigh of admiration, her tongue clicking.
Acrobats from other worlds.
What kind of talents could they possess?
Her hands and feet were itching.
She wanted nothing more than to rush into the nearest theatre and watch any performance she could, but she didn’t have time.
There wasn’t much time left until the scheduled execution of her colleagues.
“Is that the Central Plaza over there?”
Ella pointed straight ahead, indicating the vast open space at the centre.
Despite being as large as Tettromino Plaza, it seemed like a mere coin from this distance.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Ugh, it’ll take hours just to get there.”
At her words, the Scarecrow chuckled and shook his head.
“No need for that. We can just summon a Ticketer.”
“A Ticketer?”
“Similar to a Boundaryser, a Ticketer is a spirit affiliated with Card Sun. They handle reservations for performances.”
Lumie called out into the air, “I’d like to make a reservation!”
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, and someone materialized in the air. It was a middle-aged, skinny man wearing a shirt and overalls.
His body was made of translucent ectoplasm, similar to the Boundaryser they had seen earlier.
“Welcome, customers!”
Despite his nervous appearance, he greeted them with a pleasant voice.
“It seems you’re new or haven’t been here in a while? In that case, I’ll personally recommend something for you. What are you here to see? The latest show of the week? The bestseller of the week? A steady seller? A free performance? You can also set tags! One-person play! 19+! No singing! Fairy actors! Free drinks! No Fairy Zone! Oh, our customers are fairies too. Excuse me. Anyway, let’s continue, three hours or more! Comedy! Small theatre! Taming!”
Ella found herself caught up in his salesman-like atmosphere, momentarily pondering, ‘Which performance should I see?’
However, Oz calmly stated his preference.
“I’d like to see the execution of intruders at the Central Square, please.”
“Ah, that’s what you’re talking about! Got it! It’s taking place at the Central Judicial Theater, and the scheduled time is three hours from now. I’ll issue the tickets. The admission fee is 50 RP per person! You’re in luck, sir. A large number of tickets were cancelled just before the show, so the price has dropped!”
The Scarecrow nodded in agreement.
Indeed, it was affordable. Admission fees for theatres in the game started at a minimum of 100 RP.
The problem was that they didn’t have a single RP to their name.
“It looks like you’re completely broke? You’ll need to earn some RP! Let me guide you to a free performance nearby!”
With a wave of his hand, the Ticketer began to walk somewhere.
The three of them looked at each other before following him.
Ella quickly checked her attire to ensure her skin was properly covered, then whispered into Oz’s ear so the Ticketer couldn’t hear.
“What’s RP? And why are we suddenly going to watch a show?”
At her question, the Scarecrow smiled knowingly.
When it came to performances, there was often a lot of questioning from him and teaching from her outside.
But here, he was taking on the role of answering.
It was a refreshing experience.
“The performers in Wonderland aren’t particularly interested in material wealth. Instead, they seek the audience’s response and feedback. That’s essentially their currency. Depending on how well they respond during the performance or how diligently they write the visitor’s log after the show, they receive RP (Reaction Points).”
“Ah, I see. So, we’re going to work as audience members right now.”
Understanding, Ella nodded, feeling that something was strange as she looked at the two.
“Wait a minute, but why don’t you have a single coin? If you’re planning a trip agency, you must have lived quite a long time, haven’t you?”
Her question struck at the heart of the matter, and the two looked at each other.
What should they say?
After a moment of silence, they both seemed to realize something and exclaimed simultaneously.
“We started working because we ran out of RP! If we had money, we’d just be playing!”
“I love gambling! I went to the casino recently and blew it all!”
They threw out their responses and then looked at each other with bewildered expressions.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are we gambling addicts?”
“Especially you, Lumie! Are we unemployed beggars?”
At least their words didn’t contradict each other.
“Tsk.”
Ella clicked her tongue while looking at them.
Her eyes, which were filled with affection just moments ago, now glimmered with disdain.
To someone like her, who was a circus enthusiast and passionate about this lively world, seeing them gamble and fool around like this seemed pathetic.
They arrived at a street lined with small theaters after walking for a while.
The Ticketer pointed to the area and turned to them.
“There are a few free performances nearby. Do you have any specific preferences?”
“Well, something short and light?”
Though the question was directed at all three of them, Ella didn’t even wait for their consent and answered immediately.
Oz and Lumie sighed as they looked at each other.
They seemed to be branded as pitiful humans after all.
In response to her request, the Ticketer flashed his translucent form and promptly replied.
“Under one hour, light and cheerful story… Ah, fortunately, there’s one.”
He led them to a nearby theatre where a puppet show was being held.
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Chapter 220: Wonderland – 23