Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The heated applause sounded like thunder.
Then the audience began to chant, urging Fluffy on.
“Wow, Vanderbeune! Vanderbeune!”
“Start the show already! I’ve been waiting so long my neck’s gonna stretch!”
“Right on!”
“Haha, everyone is so eager!”
Fluffy cheerfully raised his magician’s wand adorned with a purple crystal.
He then casually surveyed the audience with a proud question.
“So, Fluffy is more excited! But ladies and gentlemen! Do you all know what our Vanderbeune is famous for?”
“Puppet shows! The best puppet shows in the continent!”
“Bingo! That’s correct! Our troupe’s specialty is performing short plays that can be easily executed while wandering around!”
Fluffy, responding wittily to the reply from the audience.
“And our Vanderbeune’s bread and butter is the puppet show with no rivals across the Empire, a lively yet grotesque puppet dance!”
“Wow—!!”
The excitement in the area skyrocketed. I blinked in bewilderment.
“…Is Vanderbeune’s puppet show really that great?”
“Great? It’s beyond simple words!”
The atmosphere of the audience felt like we were at an elite circus rather than a puppet show.
Then Maurice, who was sitting right next to me, snickered and shared.
“Of course, there’s nothing superior in terms of script or direction like the grandmaster Phantom’s works. But Vanderbeune is specialized in pleasing the audience.”
“How do you know so much? When have you seen it?”
“A while back, I went on a family vacation to the west. Man, it was an extraordinary show. I never knew a puppet show could be so thrilling!”
“I remember that too. All throughout the vacation, you wrote nothing but letters about Vanderbeune without asking about me.”
His excited chatter made his girlfriend, Julian, sitting next to him pout.
She had a somewhat cute yet bold impression with her light freckles and orange hair.
She gave a pouting smile and spoke to Rosalyn, who was sitting next to me.
Being someone whose relationship with Maurice seemed quite familiar, she added,
“Even when we went to see The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort, Xiang Yu said he was jealous of girls like Wu Hee! He should just break up with me and date another girl. Right, Rosalyn?”
“R-really? Maurice said that?”
“You’ve messed up, Maurice. Quickly, atone to your girlfriend!”
“No… I mean, Julian, I just wished you’d tone it down a bit. Usually, guys prefer it that way, ugh!”
Julian pinched Maurice’s arm, and he let out a tiny scream.
Yet they both seemed to understand it was just a joke, so it didn’t feel too intense.
Watching the usual couple bickering, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“…Ugh.”
“Are you okay, senior?”
“Uh, uh-huh.”
When The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort was mentioned, Rosalyn blushed again.
She turned as red as a tomato, making me worry she might be seriously feverish.
At that moment, the leader Fluffy pointed his wand’s crystal at the tent ceiling and shouted.
“Now, let’s begin! Vanderbeune’s secret show!”
Thud! Thwump!
On cue, the magical lanterns in the tent either dimmed or went out.
Then, a child’s laughter came through in an exaggerated falsetto.
And the next moment, someone waddled to the center stage under the spotlight.
[Hello, everyone? My name is Yona! I’m a marionette born from the gallows that hung criminals! Nice to meet you!]
A strange puppet with its limbs bound by strings descended from the ceiling.
It looked like a nightmare version of Pinocchio, creaking as it talked.
[But what’s this? I actually want to be a real boy! But to do that, I have to cut this string and be free! Can I be free, everyone?]
“Of course, Yona!”
“Quickly cut the strings and regain your freedom!”
“Go for it!”
The audience cheered for the marionetted boy’s challenge.
But on the contrary, I felt my excitement deflate and my tension ease.
‘Eh? Is this just a string-cutting performance?’
I’d seen similar things in past puppet shows of my previous life.
Just cut the fake strings, while the puppeteer keeps controlling from above with invisible wires, right?
Good grief. These fantasy world folks are easily thrilled by such cheap tricks.
I was feeling the arrogance of a so-called modern genius when Yona exclaimed joyfully.
[Really? Is it really okay?]
The marionette Yona cheerfully danced, celebrating with cheers.
Followed by a snip, the strings on its limbs were cut all at once.
[Heehee! I am free-!!]
Suddenly, Yona burst into a chilling laugh and vanished into the darkness.
Red and blue lights flashed, and the atmosphere changed dramatically.
A sinister mist flowed out, coloring the stage in a disturbing hue.
Then, a scene of a hundred demons unfolded before my eyes, something I never could have imagined.
“What, what’s happening?!”
Strange-looking puppets that seemed straight from Guillermo del Toro’s filmography appeared.
Accompanied by eerie, creepy music, they sprung up and performed their own short plays in their own unique ways.
…And the ways they proceeded were far beyond my imagination.
Ha ha ha-!!
Kirrik, kirik! Kirirrit!
Massive bats and ghosts flew swiftly over the tent with their wings spread wide.
They swooped dangerously close to the audience’s heads, emanating creepy sounds.
There was no visible space for the puppeteer to hide; how on earth are they flying around?
But this was just the beginning.
Clang! Clang! Bang, crack-a-lack-!!
Hehehehe-!!
Puppets the size of humans were running around on stage, battling with real swords.
They were eastern Asuras decked out in oni or Hannya masks reminiscent of Japan.
With exquisite martial arts moves, every time they were slashed by swords or glaives, bright red blood splattered, leaving me questioning if these were indeed puppets.
Heeheeheehee-!!
Finally, the last puppet left alone after slaying the other Asuras laughed manically, covered in blood as the short play came to an end.
Following that, the ventriloquist’s performance made things even spookier.
[Oh dear, Rani! You seem hungry! What do you want to eat?]
[I’m a ghoul that eats human flesh! Rani wants to eat a person! Living human flesh is the best!]
[Really? You want to eat a person? Exactly how do you want to eat them?]
The ventriloquist from the beastman tribe set a chair on stage and held a small puppet while exchanging banter.
In response to his question, a ghoul puppet with a chilling appearance opened its bright red mouth and shouted.
[Heehee! Slice it! Chop it! Slash it! Dice it! Let’s bite into some fresh meat!]
Of course, if that was all, it would be quite boring compared to the earlier acts.
However, the reality was that this became the eeriest performance of all.
[Slice it! Chop it! Slash it! Dice it! Bite it!]
[Slice it! Chop it! Slash it! Dice it! Bite it!]
[Slice it! Chop it! Slash it! Dice it! Bite it!]
Identical ghoul puppets emerged from various darkened areas of the stage, echoing in unison.
It felt like a horror acapella, and for a moment, I felt like I might lose my mind.
‘What’s going on? How are they doing this?’
Are there dozens of twin ventriloquists? Or is it some kind of illusion magic?
The strange variety of short puppet plays continued without pause.
Each one was unique yet charming, showcasing their own personalities and styles.
Only then did I realize what Vanderbeune’s fame was rooted in.
‘So this is a Grotesque show?!’
Grotesque.
A term birthed from the bizarre and strange images discovered from ancient Roman ruins in the 16th century.
Artistic images that evoke fear, disgust, and a sense of otherworldly allure define the grotesque.
Having evolved since the medieval era, this movement expanded into literature, music, and more.
Visual arts like film and theater utilized fantastical and repulsive themes more actively in the 20th century, right?
‘Never thought I’d see something like this in a medieval-style fantasy world circus.’
Maybe it’s because the church doesn’t interfere deeply with the development of art?
Though it’s an extremely provocative show, it seems like there were no restrictions or censorship applied.
Ironically, it might be just what a traveling troupe, sensitive to short-term profits, would optimize for.
Good horror has always been popular across time and cultures.
“Scary! What do we do, Maurice!”
“I-I’m scared too! Hug me, Julian!”
“But it’s so entertaining! I can’t take my eyes off it!”
“Damn it! Same here!”
They’re having a ball.
Whether they felt scared or not, the couple next to me clung to each other.
Even Rosalyn was trembling, gripping my arm.
“Eek! Balthazar…!”
Although I had a high tolerance for horror from frequent encounters in my previous life, it seemed the senior was quite far from that standard.
However, the final ‘highlight’ of Vanderbeune was something that nearly gave even me a heart attack.
Greeeep!
That, that!
“Yikes!”
“Mom! Look at that!”
People reacted in horror, screaming and gasping.
Then a gigantic shadow, stretching all the way to the tent’s ceiling, loomed over the audience’s heads.
It was an enormous puppet that could only belong in a street parade.
A grotesquely portrayed giant from legends approached closer.
How they maneuvered it was beyond comprehension, the monster exuding a repulsive vibe.
It reached out a colossal hand, sweeping over the heads of the audience.
And the next moment.
“Ahhh-!!”
Rosalyn, with all color drained from her face, leapt into my arms.
“Ugh, Waaaah! Balthazar…!!”
“It’s okay, senpai. I’m right here. The play will end soon, so just hang on a little longer.”
With her face buried in my shoulder, trembling, I comforted her, lightly patting her back.
That reflex helped me swallow the curses rising up in me, calming down.
‘Damn… I thought it was a titan from Shingeki no Kyojin!’
The unique, alien texture of the puppet with a semblance of life was truly astonishing.
If I were to encounter it without prior knowledge, I might just believe it was a mindless giant from some Japanese anime.
Experiencing it ambling toward me with its palm wide open was terrifying to the point of delivering a shock from another dimension.
Feeling my heart plummet, I gasped for air…
…Then simultaneously, I felt a bright idea sparking in my mind, smiling with sincere admiration.
‘If it’s such an excellent troupe, maybe it can be replicated.’
The ancient terror towards unknown beings we cannot communicate, empathize, or understand.
The essence of mystical fear woven together from ghastly visuals and surreal atmospheres.
“…The strongest and oldest emotion felt by humans is fear!”
And the strongest, oldest fear is the fear of the unknown!
I thought of the novelist who pioneered the genre known as Cosmic Horror.
The shared codes of ancient terror experienced by Western society, from squid-like aversion to deep-sea curiosity, fears of demons, and so forth, across time frames.
Though he has faced controversy due to racism and praise of fascism, he managed to leave a sinister mark in genre literature.
As I recalled the modern ‘myth’ he and his followers created, my brain began to whir.
In the past, Charlie Chaplin presented the world of the outward for comedy, but now,
it was time to showcase the world of the inner, haunted by a lifelong solitary writer through the expression of horror.
<><><><><><>
Meanwhile, in a dim, gloomy place whose exact location was unidentifiable.
Someone was being dragged away, tightly bound on a wheeled cot.
By grotesque monsters seemingly stitched together from fleshy chunks, amidst a dim glow seeping from a distant room.
“L-l-let me go! Can’t you untie me?! Aaaargh!”
A man struggled desperately, trying to loosen the binds.
But firmly tied with ropes, there was no way out, no matter how hard he tried.
With the monsters’ footsteps quickening, and as that ominous room drew closer.
Shh, shh!
Scrape, scuuuurrrr, scrape…!
The horrifying sounds of cutting flesh with a knife, and sawing bones with a handsaw echoed vividly.
“Eek, uugh!”
As the monsters burst through the door, they brought the terrified man to the center.
When they staggered back, a figure wearing glasses emerged from behind.
“Hmm? Has a new specimen arrived already? Thank you, hurry and bring him here.”
A shadow with a blood-covered saw spoke casually, shaking off bits of detritus stuck to his rubber gloves.
“And go out to find more specimens. About two people will suffice? That way, today’s work will be done.”
“W-what is happening?! You can’t just randomly kidnap passersby!”
At the shadow’s orders, the fleshy monsters moved obediently towards the exit.
The man bound in fear shouted in a fury at the horrifying scene unfolding.
“Y-you! Don’t you realize this is a crime?! What kind of grudge do you have against me for doing this?!”
“…Grudge? Ah, I see you seem to misunderstand your situation a bit?”
Snicker. The shadow-eyed figure let out a sly laugh.
“There’s no grudge at all. We just needed a specimen. A fresh specimen to use for research on immortality. Well, it turns out you have no luck being captured, and we’re sorry about that.”
“Un-lucky? Are you saying you just grabbed me by chance?!”
“Exactly. But don’t feel too bad about it.”
Snip-!!
The device made for extracting blood from patients, to infuse drugs into their veins.
The shadow with glasses added with a casual tone while administering the anesthetic.
“From now on, you’ll contribute to humanity’s progression. After all, by giving up your useless body that would just rot away after dying.”
Specimen, research on immortality, humanity’s advancement, useless body.
The series of ominous words made the man turn to survey his surroundings.
The next moment, the already pale expression of his face turned even more ghostly white.
“U-uuh…!”
All around were lined up.
Dismembered human limbs and organs, sliced left and right by sharp tools.
Glass jars holding eyes and hearts, a peeled human skin stretched taut, and alchemical flasks bubbling with unidentifiable potions.
“Don’t move. Struggling will only bring you more pain.”
As the shadow drew closer, holding a blood-colored surgical knife, he taunted.
With eyes glinting like a devil, the man involuntarily peed himself.
Paralyzed by fear, he couldn’t even move his tongue, yet mustered every ounce of strength to ask the most burning question.
“W-who are you…?!”
“Me? My name isn’t necessary to remember.”
Kick. The shadow, wearing glasses, let out a savage laugh.
“Just feel free to call me ‘Doctor.’”
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