Fantasy Writers 1860

D'Amour didn't pay attention to what Disrife said after that. After a while, he calmed down a bit and temporarily suppressed this shocking thought in his heart.

The most urgent task is to figure out our current situation and how to deal with those so-called "costs".

"Then," Dorian said cautiously, "if I stop writing books from now on, will everything be alright?"

Disrife shook her head slightly, her hair swaying gently in the air with the movement: "It's not that simple, Mr. Dorian. For a creator, creating a fantasy book is both a recognition and a gift from the world, and a torment and a curse."

"You have created a fantasy manuscript, and although it has not yet been published, this shows that you have the qualifications to become a 'fantasy book author.' Your soul has resonated with the laws of this world."

"Once this resonance is formed, it will not disappear. Even if you stop creating, those faint connections that have been formed by your words will sooner or later involuntarily draw you into events related to the Phantom Book."

She paused, her tone turning serious: "Furthermore, setting aside this connection at the level of laws, do you think those dark forces seeking the power of the Illusionary Book would let go of a 'Illusionary Book author' like you?"

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

Dorian understood this principle, of course; in this world, the identity of the author of the Phantom Book was both a blessing and a curse.

"So," Dorian looked up to meet Dislife's gaze, "joining the Academy of Literature is my only option?"

Dislife smiled knowingly, a hint of girlish liveliness in her eyes: "Not the only one. In fact, you can also cooperate with us as an independent Book Collector, as an independent peripheral member. There are also some ancient [Bibliophile] families that would be interested in you. Even those various small cults that we call dark forces would be happy to accept a Book Author..."

"...But joining us is undoubtedly the most beneficial and safest option for you. Here, you can systematically learn about the Book of Illusions and understand how to control and use it."

Dorian fell silent, his gaze shifting between Disliffe and Lily, then sweeping over the room's antique and solemn furnishings.

Disrife was quite honest, reminding herself that there were other options.

The term "Phantom Book Envoy" sounds like a lone wolf-type extraordinary individual who fights alone. This is certainly the freest option, but the price of freedom is instability.

The family of bibliophiles was completely unheard of, and joining such a strange little group, which was already considered a criminal organization by the authorities, meant that they might be shut down during a crackdown on pornography and illegal publications, making their future even more uncertain...

The only viable path is to become an independent Book of Illusions user, cooperating with the official authorities but not truly joining them, operating on the fringes, having some official resources but not being subject to too many official restrictions and constraints.

After all, he still has the identity of a transmigrator. If this world truly possesses mysterious powers, there might be a risk of being exposed one day...

Joining the official ranks certainly has many advantages. On the one hand, as Disliffe said, on the other hand, in a civilized society, having an official status itself has many benefits.

It's said that minor hermits hide in the wilderness, while major hermits hide in the court; perhaps becoming an official is the safest option...

After a brief moment of thought, Dorian suddenly remembered something very important that he hadn't considered before:

"I have a question. Joining you isn't voluntary work, is it? What kind of salary and benefits do you get?"

Upon hearing Dorian's words, Disiffi was slightly taken aback, as if it were the first time she had heard such a question.

In reality, those who used to sit here are now either deeply grateful, regarding the recruitment by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency as a great honor; or they are dismissive, indicating that they have no interest in becoming the government's lackeys; or they harbor the beautiful fantasy of secretly protecting the world, without thinking about any reward or return.

He's the first person to ask about salary and benefits so directly.

"Four denarii a week, plus allowances and risk bonuses, all together you can earn about one gold pound a month. There are also bonuses for solving major psychic book cases."

"As seniority increases and merits accumulate, the promotion will continue."

"If nothing unexpected happens, they'll be like civil servants in the Imperial Government, with normal working hours and weekends off. They can act as employees of the Royal Academy of Literature when they're out in public, and they'll be part of the Imperial civil service system. The only slight difference is that they'll have to sign a confidentiality agreement..."

"...What do I need to do to join you?" Dorian asked after a brief silence.

Dislife's eyes lit up. She pulled open a drawer in the table and took out a stack of papers. "It's simple. Sign this contract. Well, nowadays people prefer to call it a contract."

"You can choose to become one of our clerical staff first, just like those people in the lobby. This way, you won't have to participate in all the dangerous operations. Of course, if you're more adventurous, you can also choose to join the field operations department."

Sure enough, those in the hall were all clerical staff.

Dorian had originally intended to ask if he could work as an office worker if he joined, but before he could even ask, the other party brought it up first.

Lily took the two copies of the contract from Dislife and handed her a quill pen. An ink bottle was placed on the coffee table in front of her. The contract was written in elegant cursive script.

A five-year contract with a weekly wage of 4 Denalis, a risk allowance of 8 Florins, a confidentiality allowance of 1.5 Denalis, irregular extra attendance allowances, and even personal accident insurance...

One Denali coin equals 6 florins, so...

After some calculations, even without considering fieldwork allowances, one can indeed earn around 1 gold pound per month.

In Dorian's memory, this salary was already quite considerable for a clerk, which must be due to the special nature of the job.

Moreover, the salaries of imperial civil servants should be paid on time.

Dorian continued to peruse the rest of the contract, finding nothing amiss. He then discreetly took a breath, picked up a quill pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote his name in the signature section.

Dorian Winchester White.

As the last letter fell, the words on the contract seemed to flicker slightly before returning to calm.

Lily took the two contracts from the table and returned them to Dislife.

She took the contract, then took a seal from the drawer and stamped it on the first and last pages and across the seam. She then stood up and handed one copy of the contract back to Dorian.

"Welcome to the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences. From today onwards, you are one of us."

Lily nodded slightly and uttered a single word in a cool tone: "Welcome."

"Should I address you as Dean?" Dorian smiled slightly.

"No need, we're not that rigid here. Just call me Dislifei." Dislifei's lake-blue eyes seemed even more captivating in the dimly lit room.

Dorian glanced down at the seal on the contract and saw that its contents read "Royal Institute of Cultural Policy, Department of Culture, Arts and Libraries".

"So, what is my first task?" Dorian looked up at his new boss.