015 Invite

Upon hearing Dun Smith's words, Klein's mind was immediately stirred by waves of astonishment, and his instinctive response slipped out.

Are the extraordinary individuals facing serious risks? To the extent that even the internal judiciary of the Church, handling extraordinary events, encounters issues? Dun Smith stepped into the carriage, settling into his previous position, his expression and tone remaining unchanged:

"This is not something you need to understand, nor something you can understand, unless you become one of us." Klein was momentarily dumbfounded, following suit and sitting down, half amused and half puzzled as he asked:

"How can one possibly make a decision to join without understanding this?" Yet without joining, one cannot comprehend, thus creating a dead end... Dun Smith once again brought out his pipe, placing it at his nose and inhaling:

"You seem to have misunderstood. Our members include civilians." 

"So, as long as one becomes a civilian staff member, they can comprehend the relevant secrets, understand the risks of extraordinary individuals, and then consider whether to become one?" Klein, while organizing his thoughts, rephrased the other's words in his own terms.

Dun Smith smiled, saying:

"That's correct, except for one thing: considering becoming an extraordinary individual doesn't necessarily ensure becoming one. In this regard, all major churches are equally strict." Klein internally mused that laxity would be surprising, gesturing emphatically as he asked:

"And what about civilian staff members? Surely that is equally stringent?" 

"If it were you, there shouldn't be a problem." Dun Smith's eyes half-closed, his expression slightly relaxed as he sniffed at the pipe, yet not lighting the tobacco.

"Why?" Klein once again found himself puzzled. At the same time, he self-deprecatingly mused in his mind:

Could it be that my uniqueness, my aura as a transmigrator, is as distinct and outstanding as the fireflies in the dark night?

Dun Smith opened his half-closed eyes, his gray gaze as deep as before:

"Firstly, being able to survive in such incidents without relying on our assistance indicates that you possess advantages different from others, such as luck. And lucky people are always welcome." Seeing Klein's somewhat dazed expression, he smiled slightly:

"Well, you can take that as a humorous way of saying it. Secondly, you are a graduate of the History Department of Hoy University, which is highly valued by us. Although the attitudes of the followers of Lormer, the Stormlord, toward women are abhorrent, his views on society, humanity, economy, and politics are still sharp. He once said that talent is the key factor in maintaining competitive advantage and good development. On this point, I agree."

Noticing Klein's slight furrow of his brow, he casually explained:

"You should be able to imagine that we often deal with documents and artifacts from the Fourth Era and even earlier. Many cults and various heresies attempt to gain power from these things. Sometimes, they themselves can cause eerie and terrifying incidents."

"Other than extraordinary individuals in specialized fields, most of us are not good at learning, or rather, have passed that age." At this point, Dun Smith pointed to his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips as if in self-mockery:

"The tedious and dull knowledge always makes people want to sleep, even the sleepless cannot resist. In the past, we used to collaborate with historians and archaeologists, but there was a risk of secrecy leaks, and it could also bring unpleasant experiences to professors and associate professors. So, having a professional join us as a member is an irresistible boon."

Klein nodded lightly, accepting Dun Smith's explanation, and asked in a divergent manner:

"Then why didn't you directly, uh, develop someone before?"

Dun Smith continued on his own:

"This brings us to the third and final, most important point: you have already encountered similar incidents, inviting you doesn't pose a violation of confidentiality. However, developing someone else, if it fails, I will bear the responsibility for the breach of secrecy. Most of our team members and civilian staff come from within the Church."

Listening quietly, Klein curiously asked:

"Why do you keep such strict secrecy? Wouldn't disclosing many things and spreading them around prevent the recurrence of the same mistakes? The greatest fear comes from the unknown, and we can turn the unknown into the known."

"No, human stupidity surpasses your imagination. This would instead lead to more imitation, greater chaos, and more serious incidents." Dun Smith shook his head in response.

Klein hummed in understanding:

"The only lesson humanity learns from history is that humanity cannot learn any lessons from history. It always repeats the same tragedies."

"The saying of Emperor Rossel is indeed full of philosophy." Dun expressed his agreement.

... Emperor Rossel said that? It seems that the predecessors of transmigrators really don't give later generations any chance to show off in any aspect... Klein was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Dun Smith turned his head to look outside the carriage, the dim lights of the street lamps interwoven into the brilliance of civilization.

"... Inside the internal judiciary of all major churches, there is a similar saying. Perhaps this is the main reason for strict confidentiality and the prohibition of ordinary people knowing." 

"What is it?" Klein's spirit lifted, feeling a sense of voyeuristic pleasure.

Dun Smith turned back, the muscles of his face barely pulling:

"Belief and fear bring trouble. More belief and fear bring greater trouble, until everything is destroyed."

After saying this, he sighed:

"And apart from praying for divine protection and assistance, humans cannot solve real troubles."

"Belief and fear bring trouble, more belief and fear bring greater trouble..." Klein silently repeated this sentence, not fully comprehending, and then felt fear from the unknown that he didn't quite understand, as if in the shadows of the street lamps outside, in the darkness without light, there were pairs of malicious eyes and open mouths lurking.

The horse hooves were nimble, the carriage wheels rolled, and Iron Cross Street loomed in the distance. Dun Smith broke the sudden silence, formally inviting:

"Do you want to join us as a civilian staff member?"

Thoughts surged in Klein's mind, and he hesitated briefly before saying:

"May I consider it?"

It was a matter of great importance, and a choice could not be made hastily and rashly.

"No problem, just give me your answer by Sunday." Dun Smith nodded, "Of course, remember to keep it confidential. You must not tell anyone about the Welch-related incident, including your brother and sister. If you violate this, it will not only bring trouble to them but may also result in you appearing in a special court."

"Understood." Klein answered solemnly.

The carriage fell into silence once more.

Seeing Iron Cross Street approaching, almost home, Klein suddenly thought of a question. After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally asked:

"Mr. Smith, what about the salary and benefits for civilian staff members?"

This was a serious question...

Dun Smith was momentarily taken aback, then smiled:

"Don't worry about that. Our funds are jointly guaranteed by the Church and the Police Department. For newly entered civilian staff members, the weekly wage is 2 pounds and 10 shillings, with an additional 10 shillings for confidentiality and risk compensation, totaling 3 pounds. It's not much different from that of a formal university lecturer

."

"Afterward, as your qualifications and corresponding merits increase, your salary will gradually increase."

"For civilian staff members, we generally have a five-year contract. If you don't want to continue after five years, you can resign normally, but you must sign another lifetime confidentiality agreement before leaving. Without our approval, you cannot leave Tinggen, and if you want to relocate to another city, you must register with the local night value at the first opportunity."

"By the way, there is no Sunday off, only rotating rest days, and there must always be three civilian staff members working at any given time. If you want to go to the south or to the Dixie Gulf for a vacation, you need to coordinate with your colleagues."

Just as Dun Smith finished speaking, the carriage stopped, and the apartment where Klein's family lived appeared on the side.

"I understand." Klein turned around and got off the carriage, stopping beside it. "By the way, Mr. Smith, where should I find you if I decide?"

Dun Smith chuckled softly:

"Go to the 'Hound Tavern' on Beswick Street, and look for their boss, Wright. Tell him you want to hire a mercenary team for a task."

"Huh?" Klein was completely puzzled.

"Our address is also confidential. Before you agree, I can't tell you directly. Well, Mr. Klein Moretti, I wish you another good night's sleep tonight." Dun Smith smiled politely.

Klein took off his hat and saluted, watching the carriage slowly depart from slow to fast.

He took out his pocket watch, clicked it open, and saw that it was just past four in the morning, with a cool breeze blowing on the street, and the dim street lamps around.

Klein took a deep breath, feeling the tranquility of the late night around him.

The busiest and noisiest streets during the day were unexpectedly deserted at midnight, so quiet, so serene, in stark contrast to the wordless stares and spiritual hallucinations in Welch's residence.

Only at this moment did he realize that the back of his linen shirt was soaked with sweat at some unknown time, cold and wet.