“Why?” Hearing Dunn’s words, Klein was totally shocked and he instinctively asked.
[Do Extraordinaries have serious hidden deficiencies? Even the judiciary departments in the Churches, as well as the Extraordinary teams dealing with dangerous incidents, are also prone to those underlying problems?]
Dunn Smith stepped into the carriage and sat down in his previous position. He maintained a casual expression and tone.
“This is not something that you need to know nor something that you can understand unless you become a member of us.”
Klein was dumbstruck. He sat down, feeling that it was a little absurd and incomprehensible.
“If I don’t figure this out, how can I make the decision to join?”
[Without joining, I can’t figure it out, this is an endless cycle…]
Dunn Smith took out his pipe again. He put it closed to his nose and took a light sniff.
“You probably misunderstood what I meant. One of us includes civilian positions.”
"What you meant is that as long as I become a civilian staff member, I will be exposed to the relevant secrets, and understand the hidden risks of becoming extraordinary as well as the dangers that the Night Watchers may encounter. After that, I can consider whether I want to become an Extraordinary or not?" Klein sorted out the idea and rephrased it in his own words.
Dunn smiled and answered.
“That's right, except for one point. Even if you want to become an Extraordinary, it doesn’t mean that you will definitely be able to become one. In this aspect, the major Churches are equally strict in their selection requirements.”
[That's expected…] Klein muttered. He used hand gestures to emphasize as he continued to probe for more information.
"What about the requirements for civilian staff? Is that supposed to be strict too?”
"If it’s you, there should be no problem.” Dunn’s eyes were half-closed, he showed a relaxed expression while sniffing the pipe, yet he did not light the tobacco.
“Why?” Klein was once again confused.
At the same time, he joked to himself in his heart.
[Am I so special that my transmigrator aura is like a firefly in the dark, so brilliant and outstanding?]
Dunn opened his half-closed eyes. His gray pupils were as deep and profound as before.
“Firstly, you can survive such a supernatural event without our help. This shows that you have an advantage that differentiates you from ordinary people. For example, being lucky. Everyone likes working with a lucky person.”
Seeing that Klein showed a slightly dazed expression, he smiled slightly and continued.
“Well, you can take that as a humorous statement. Secondly, you are a graduate of the History department in the Hoey University. This is an expertise that we have a real demand for. Even though Lourmi, a believer of the Lord of the Storm, held an awful attitude towards women. He had very sharp and salient views on society, culture, economics, and politics. He asserted many times that talents are a key factor in maintaining competitive advantage and prosperity. I agree with this.”
Noticing that Klein was frowning slightly, he explained briefly.
“You should be able to imagine that we often come into contact with documents and relics from the Fourth Epoch or even earlier epochs. Many cults and heretics have been trying to gain powers from these items. Sometimes, the items themselves can also lead to strange and terrible encounters.”
“Except for Extraordinaries in specific fields, most of us are not good at learning, or have passed that age.” Here, Dunn Smith pointed to his head, and the edge of his mouth was slightly curved. “Those boring and dry pieces of knowledge always make people drowsy, even the "Sleepless" can’t resist it. In the past, we used to cooperate with historians and archaeologists, but there is a risk of secret leakages, and it may also bring unfortunate experiences to the professors and associate professors. Therefore, it would be beneficial if a professional can join us and become a member of the team.”
Klein nodded lightly, he agreed with Dunn's explanation and asked along the line.
“So why didn’t you directly involve, um, or invite someone?”
Dunn continued to speak.
“That is the third point, which is the final and most important point. You have already been exposed to similar incidents. Therefore, inviting you does not violate our confidentiality clauses. If we were to invite someone else, we will have to bear the responsibility of secret disclosure if they reject the invitation. Therefore, our team members and civilian staffs mostly come from within the Church.”
After listening quietly, Klein curiously said.
“Why are you so strict on the confidentiality? If things are announced and the information is spread to more people, can’t you avoid the same mistakes happening again? The biggest fear for humans come from the unknowns, and we can make the unknowns become knowns.”
“No, human stupidity is beyond your imagination, It will lead to more imitations, greater confusions, and more serious calamities.” Dunn Smith shook his head and replied.
Klein gave an “hmm” in agreement.
“The only lesson that humans have learned from history is that human beings cannot learn any lessons from history and are always repeating the same tragedies.”
“The famous quote of Russell the Great is indeed philosophical.” Dunn concurred.
[What… it was used by Russell the Great? The transmigration senior had really covered all angles, leaving no room for a junior to show off.] Klein didn’t know what to say.
Dunn turned his head and looked out of the carriage. The dim yellow lights of the street lamps formed the brilliance of civilization.
“… There is a similar phrase within the judicial divisions of the major Churches. This may be the main reason for the strict confidentiality and prohibition of masses from knowing.”
“What is it?” Klein was thrilled to have the opportunity to listen to such a secret.
Dunn turned his head and his facial muscles slightly twitched.
“Beliefs and fears bring disasters, more beliefs and fears bring greater disasters until everything becomes destroyed.”
After saying this, he sighed.
“Apart from praying for the shelter and the help of the gods, mankind alone cannot solve the really big disasters.”
“Beliefs and fears bring disasters, more beliefs and fears bring greater disasters…” Klein silently repeated this sentence. He couldn't quite get the meaning of the phrase. Due to the fear of the unknown, he felt that there were hidden pairs of malicious eyes and open jaws lurking in the shadows of the street lamps, in the areas of darkness.
The horse moved swiftly and the carriage wheels spun rapidly. Soon, Iron Cross Street could be seen in the distance. Suddenly, Dunn broke the silence and made an official invitation.
“Would you like to join us as a civilian staff?”
Klein's thoughts raced through his mind but temporarily he was not able to make a decision. He deliberated for a moment and asked.
“Can I think about it?”
[This is a decision of great importance and should not be made recklessly.]
“No problem, just give me a reply before Sunday.” Dunn nodded. “Of course, remember to maintain confidentiality. You can’t tell others about Welch’s incident, including your brother and sister. It will bring them troubles and you may be summoned you to a special court.”
“I understand.” Klein solemnly agreed.
The carriage fell back to silence.
Seeing that Iron Cross Street was approaching and the home was near, Klein suddenly thought of a question. He hesitated for a few seconds and asked.
“Mr. Smith, what about the salary and benefits of the civilian staffs?”
[This is a serious question…]
Dunn paused for a moment and he smiled.
“Don’t worry about this problem, our funds are jointly guaranteed by the Church and the police department. The civilian staffs who have just entered can receive a weekly salary of 2 pounds and 10 sules. There is also 10 sule as confidentiality and risk subsidies. The total is 3 pounds. This is not much less than a formal university lecturer.”
"After that, as long as your stay with us and made corresponding contributions, the salary will gradually increase."
“For civilian staffs, we generally use a five-year contract. If you are not willing to continue after five years, you can leave your job normally, except that you will need to sign a lifetime confidentiality clause. You can’t leave Tengon without our approval. Even if you moved to another City, you will have to register with the local Night Watchers."
“Additionally, there are no weekends as the rest days are on a rotation basis. At any point in time, there need to be three civilian staffs in office. If you want to go to the South or to Desi Bay for a vacation, you will need to coordinate with your colleagues.”
After Dunn finished, the carriage stopped and Klein's apartment appeared on the side of the road.
“I got it.” Klein turned and got off the carriage. He stopped beside the carriage. “By the way, Mr. Smith, if I decide to accept the invitation, where should I go and find you?”
Dunn smiled and replied in a low voice.
“Go to the ‘Hounds Tavern’ on Besiki Street and look for the owner, Mr. Wright. Inform him that you are hiring a mercenary squad for a mission.”
“Ah?” Klein was confused.
“Our address is also confidential. I cannot tell you directly before you agree to join us. Well, Mr. Klein Moretti, I wish you good dreams tonight.” Dunn smiled and bade farewell.
Klein took off his hat and watched the carriage picked up speed and disappeared from sight.
He took out his pocket watch and flicked it open. It was only four in the morning. The cold breeze on the street was refreshing and the street lights were dim.
Klein took a deep breath and embraced the quietness of the night.
The noisiest and most crowded neighborhood during the day was totally silent and empty in the middle of the night. It felt very different from the unseen pairs of eyes in Welch's residence and the hallucinations during the soul whispering.
Until this time, he finally realized that the back of his linen shirt was full of sweat. It was cold and wet.