"Why?" When Dunn spoke, a tempest of emotions surged through Klein's mind, and he instinctively blurted out.
Are extraordinary beings inherently flawed? So that even the judicial body within the church, which deals with aberrant events involving extraordinary beings, is prone to problems?
Dunn. Smith stepped into the carriage and sat in his previous seat, maintaining his usual expression and tone:
"This is not something you need to know, nor can you know, unless you become one of us."
Klein was speechless for a moment, then sat down obediently, half amused and half puzzled, and asked:
"How can you make the decision to join without understanding this?"
Not joining would prevent you from understanding, and this would form a vicious cycle...
Dunn. Smith once again took out his pipe and placed it on his nose to take a puff:
"You probably misunderstood. Our members include non-combatants."
"That means, as long as you become one of our non-combatants, you can learn about the relevant secrets, understand the potential dangers of extraordinary beings, and then consider whether to become an extraordinary being?" Klein, while organizing his thoughts, described the other person's meaning in his own words.
Dunn smiled:
"It's like this, except for one thing, that is, not everyone who considers becoming an extraordinary being will necessarily become one. In this regard, all the major churches are equally strict."
It's strange that it's not strict... Klein muttered to himself, using an emphatic gesture to emphasize:
"So what about non-combatants? Should this be very strict as well?"
"If it were you, there shouldn't be any problem," Dunn closed his eyes halfway, his expression slightly relaxed as he sniffed the pipe, but did not light the tobacco.
"Why?" Klein was once again in confusion.
Meanwhile, in his mind, he was jokingly taunting himself:
Is my special ability, my ability as a time traveler, like a firefly in the dark, so distinct and outstanding?
Dunn opened his half-closed eyes, his gray eyes as deep as before:
"First, being able to survive in such events without our help, this indicates that you have advantages different from others, such as luck. And lucky people are always popular."
Seeing Klein's somewhat dazed expression, he smiled and said:
"Well, just consider it as a humorous statement. Second, you are a graduate of the History Department of Hoy University, which we need very much. Although the believer of the Storm Lord Lurrimi has an unpleasant attitude towards women, his views on society, humanities, economy, and politics are still sharp. He said that talent is the key factor for maintaining competitive advantage and good development. I quite agree with this."
Seeing Klein's slight frown, he casually explained:
"You should be able to imagine that we often come into contact with fourth-century and earlier documents and items. Many cults and many heresies have attempted to obtain power from these things, and sometimes, they themselves can also cause strange and terrifying things."
"Except for extraordinary beings in special fields, most of us are not good at learning, or we have passed that age." At this point, Dunn. Smith pointed at his own head and slightly curled his lips as if mocking himself, "Those boring and dull knowledge always make one want to sleep, even insomniacs cannot resist. In the past, we would cooperate with historians and archaeologists, but there was a risk of secret leaks, and it might also bring bad experiences to professors and associate professors. So, having a professional join and become one of us is an impossible-to-refuse good thing."
Klein nodded gently and accepted Dunn's statement, and thought expansively asked:
"How did you not directly develop one before?"
Dunn continued on his own:
"This is the third and the last most important point. You have already encountered similar incidents. Inviting you not to violate the confidentiality clause is not a problem. Instead, develop others. If it fails, I will bear the responsibility for the leakage of secrets. Most of our team members and our civilian staff come from within the church."
After listening quietly, Klein asked curiously:
"Why are you so strict about confidentiality? If many things are made public and spread, allowing more people to know, can't it prevent the same mistakes from happening again? The greatest fear comes from the unknown. We can turn the unknown into the known."
"No, human stupidity is beyond your imagination. This will instead lead to more imitation, greater chaos and more serious incidents." Dunn Smith shook his head and replied.
Klein "murmured" and then understood somewhat:
"The only lesson that humans have learned from history is that humans cannot learn any lessons from history. They always repeat the same tragedies."
"Those words of Emperor Rosel are indeed full of philosophy." Dunn expressed agreement. ... Did Emperor Rosel say that? The senior "time traveler" really doesn't leave any room for the later generations to show off at all... For a moment, Klein didn't know how to respond.
Dunn turned his head and looked out of the carriage. The dim yellow light of the street lamps interwove to form the radiance of civilization. "... Within the judicial organs of each major church, there is a similar saying. This might be the main reason for the strict confidentiality and the prohibition of ordinary people from knowing it.
"What is it?" Klein's spirit perked up, and he felt a thrill of curiosity to pry into the secret.
Dunn turned his head, and his facial muscles twitched slightly:
"Belief and fear bring trouble. More belief and fear bring even greater trouble, until everything is destroyed."
After saying this, he sighed and said:
"Besides praying for the protection and assistance of the gods, humans cannot solve the truly great troubles."
"Belief and fear bring trouble, more belief and fear bring even greater trouble..." Klein murmured this sentence, but he couldn't fully understand it. Then, due to the unknown feeling of not fully understanding, he felt afraid, as if in the shadow of the street lamps outside, in the dark without light, there were pairs of malicious eyes and faces that were open.
The horse's hooves were agile, the wheels rolled, and the Iron Cross Street was in sight. Dunn broke the sudden silence and formally invited:
"Would you like to join us and become a civilian?"
Klein's thoughts emerged, and for a brief moment, he couldn't decide. After thinking for a while, he said:
"I can consider it."
It was a serious matter, and one couldn't make a choice hastily and recklessly.
"Of course, reply to me by Sunday." Dunn nodded. "Of course, remember to keep it confidential. Don't tell anyone about the events related to Welch, including your brother and sister. Once violated, not only will it bring trouble to them, but it could also lead to your being sent to the special court."
"Okay." Klein replied solemnly.
The carriage fell silent again.
Seeing that the Iron Cross Street was near and they were almost home, Klein suddenly thought of a question and hesitated for a few seconds before asking:
"Mr. Smith, what are the salaries and benefits for your civilian staff?"
This was a serious question...
Dunn was stunned for a moment, then smiled:
"Don't worry about this issue. Our funds are jointly guaranteed by the church and the police department. For newly hired civilian staff, the weekly salary is 2 pounds and 10 shillings, and there is an additional 10 shillings for confidentiality and risk subsidy. The total is about 3 pounds, not much different from a regular university lecturer."
"Later, as your experience and corresponding achievements increase, your salary will gradually increase."
"For civilians, we usually have a five-year contract. After five years, if you don't want to do it anymore, you can leave normally, but you must sign an additional lifetime confidentiality clause and cannot leave Tinggen without our approval. You also need to register with the local night watchman as soon as you move to another city."
"By the way, there is no Sunday, so you can only take a day off. You must have three civilian staff members working at all times. If you want to go to the south or to the Dixie Bay for a vacation, you need to coordinate with your colleagues."
Dunn finished speaking, and the carriage stopped. The Klein family's apartment appeared on the side.
"I understand." Klein turned and got off the carriage, standing beside it. "By the way, Mr. Smith, if I have made up my mind, where should I go to find you?"
Dunn chuckled lowly:
"Go to the 'Hound Inn' on Besik Street, find their owner Wright, and tell him that you want to hire a mercenary team for a mission."
"Ah?" Klein was confused.
"Our address is also confidential. Before you agree, it's impossible to tell you directly. Alright, Mr. Klein Moretti, wish you a good dream tonight." Dunn smiled and said.
Klein took off his hat and bowed, watching the carriage speed away.
He took out his watch, clicked it open, and saw it was just before four in the morning. The cool wind was blowing on the street, and the street lamps were dimly yellow.
Klein took a deep breath, feeling the silence of the night around him.
The noisiest and most chaotic street during the day remained so quiet and peaceful even in the middle of the night. This was completely different from the silent gaze and otherworldly trance in Welch's residence.
It was only at this moment that he realized that the back of his linen shirt was soaked with sweat, cold and sticky.