Consumed by a rush of thoughts, Krauss paused and blinked several times. Then he muttered inwardly:
"The virus is really that dangerous? Dangerous enough that even the MDCC loses its own people? Isn't this getting a little too serious… and downright bizarre?"
Victor glanced at him. His expression remained the same, and his tone was calm as ever.
"It's not something you need to concern yourself with. Nor is it something that you can fully understand unless you become part of our organization."
Krauss was momentarily stunned by the Vice-Chief's words.
'What does that even mean? That I won't understand unless I join? But not joining means I won't understand either. That's just a paradox!'
Noticing his hesitation, Victor offered a faint smile and said, "You must have misunderstood my words; a civilian staff is not part our main operations but still part of us nevertheless."
"I see. So if I become one of your civilian staff members, I'll be able to learn more about Mania, understand the threat posed by plague-class Maniacs, the fear they inspire, and the risks tied to them. I'll also be able to figure out if I have the potential to become a Minus, is that right?" Krauss reorganized his thoughts and summarized everything according to his personal understanding.
Victor smiled genuinely, this time.
"That's correct. However, there's one crucial detail you overlooked: you currently fall under an undefined category. In other words, we don't know whether you're a Maniac or not. And if I'm being honest, I'd very much prefer if you weren't."
He paused, as if something had just occurred to him, and turned his gaze toward the corner of the room.
Shiki was still there, lounging in the same cheap-looking chair, lazily hugging her sheathed katana. She hadn't said a word, but her sharp, mismatched eyes made it clear that she'd been listening the entire time.
'Oh, right. She's still here.'
Krauss blinked, slightly embarrassed.
'I thought she left… or was I just too wrapped up in the conversation to notice?'
Upon realizing the flow of the conversation had somehow turned to her, Shiki frowned slightly, then let out a sigh and said, "Tch. Don't stop on my account. It's not like I was trying to eavesdrop on your conservation," she adjusted her grip on the katana, resting her chin atop the sheath. "Besides, I'm technically supposed to observe him anyway, Vice-Chief. If my memory serves me right, you're the one that made that order?"
"Ah, is that so? Um... sorry," Victor cleared his throat before he turned his attention back to Krauss.
"Where was I? Yes. If you want to learn more and deepen your understanding about the mysterious of the phenomenon known as Mania, then joining our civilian staff would solve just that," he closed one of his eyes and added with partially relaxed countenance. "And after some consideration, I believe there shouldn't be any issues if it's you."
"Huh?" Krauss was once again plagued by confusion.
'Aren't you the same person that said I couldn't join because it was dangerous? What changed?'
Seeing that Krauss's expression had turned blank, Victor calmly explained.
"First of all, you've remained stable despite being infected for three days. That alone is highly unusual. Most exhibit some form of psychological or physiological instability by now, but your X-values have shown no fluctuations whatsoever. In other words, you endured it on your own strength. That kind of resistance is rare. There are certain exceptional qualities in you that others simply don't possess."
He paused briefly, then added:
"You're currently enrolled in the Department of Forensic Science at St. Peter's University, and from what I've gathered, you're one of the most promising students in your program. Is that correct?"
Krauss raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"It's actually quite relevant," Vesper replied. "Which brings me to my second point. The MDCC is structured into four main divisions. One of those is the Tracking Department. They're responsible for locating rogue Maniacs and bringing them in."
He folded his arms.
"With the number of infected individuals rising each day, it's becoming increasingly difficult to carry out our objectives effectively. That's why people with potential like you are always welcome. Much to our dismay, many Maniacs end up abusing their powers for petty crimes, and some even develop dangerously unstable mentalities. They're a threat not just to others, but to themselves as well."
Krauss nodded in understanding, becoming more enlightened and said:
"In other words, you're planning on grooming me into one of your own? Is that really alright?"
Victor nodded shamelessly.
"Of course. There's no need to worry. That brings me to the third point, also the final and most important one. The moment you were infected and stepped through our doors, you became our responsibility. So extending you an invitation doesn't violate any confidentiality clauses."
Krauss listened silently, then tilted his head in thought.
"I've been wondering… why are you so strict about maintaining secrecy? Wouldn't spreading public awareness be better? If people understood the truth, maybe they'd be less afraid. After all, the greatest fear comes from not knowing. If we make the unknown known, we can prevent that fear."
Victor let out a small sigh and shook his head, then brutally cut down Krauss's optimism.
"No. That will absolutely not work. I assure you. You give humanity too much credit. People are far more foolish than you think. If we publicized everything, more would emulate the worst of it and chaos would spread faster than the truth."
"Let me put it this way: imagine you discovered a dangerous cave, one where a deadly creature resides. Wanting to protect others, you put a warning sign in front of it. That sounds sensible, doesn't it? But without fail, there will always be that one fool — the so-called 'brave' soul — who ignores the warning and goes in anyway. And then they die. Humanity is full of those kinds of fools. In fact, we're wired to act recklessly when we're scared of what we don't understand."
Understanding his logic, Krauss muttered under his breath.
"The only thing we learn from history is that we never learn from it."
"Ah, the famous quote by George Bernard Shaw," Victor seemed intrigued. "Quite a philosophical take. You're more insightful than I expected."
After a brief pause, he extended the offer formally.
"Would you like to join us as a civilian staff member, Mr. Gray?"
In Krauss mind, multiple thoughts surfaced, leaving him uncertain. After a moment of hesitation, he asked,
"May I have some time to think it over?"
This decision carried far more weight than an ordinary salary job offer, so he could not hastily and recklessly make a decision.
"That's alright, just make sure to deliver your answer before next weekend." Victor nodded. For some reason, he seemed a little relieved. "Additionally, remember to keep this a secret and disclosing any information about yourself will only put you in unnecessary danger. Do you understand? I cannot guarantee your safety once this is violated."
"Okay."
A few moments later, Krauss suddenly thought of a question and hurriedly asked, "Mr. Vale, what kind of benefits does your civilian staff members receive?"
'How could I have forgotten to ask such a serious question?!'
Taken aback momentarily, Victor smiled and answered, "Of course, that's also a matter to clarify. Our funds are guaranteed by the Government and the police department. For newly registered civilian staffs, salaries are set at £1,200 per week excluding hazard compensation. However, additional allowances are granted depending on your assignments. For instance, field participation bonuses, research contributions, and emergency response pay. If you're involved in any classified analysis or direct support roles, those numbers can easily double. This is a considerably better pay than a confirmed university lecturers."
"Moreover, you won't have to worry about a promotion. Your salary will gradually rise according to your experience and contributions."
"The contract for civilian staffs is generally five years. After five years, you can quit normally if you're no longer willing to stay. You only have to sign a lifetime confidentiality agreement and you're not allowed to leave Redgrave until permission is given."
His eyes lit up as he added,
"Oh, and one more thing before I forget, there are no weekend breaks. You'll be working in shifts only."
Krauss blinked.
'Wait… no weekends off? But the pay is good. Damn, £1,200 per week… If I add that to my savings and work for three months, I could finally pay off the mortgage.'
'Still, this whole thing feels surreal. At least they've given me time to think it over. I should weigh the options carefully before making any decisions.'
'They mentioned my background in forensic science, so the job probably has something to do with investigations. That makes sense… but civilian role or not, it's clearly not going to be ordinary work.'
After some contemplation, Krauss nodded and said, "I understand. I'll give you my answer by the end of the week."
"I'll appreciate that," Victor replied with a small nod.
Krauss glanced down and immediately froze in place.
Only now did he realize he had been shirtless this entire time. His eyes widened in embarrassment as he quickly looked around and asked:
"W-Where's my shirt?"
Victor frowned faintly and replied, "We burned it."
"Why?"
"While it's been confirmed the X-virus isn't transmissible through air or direct contact with an infected host, we prefer to take every precaution. For that, I apologize. We did, however, provide a replacement."
"A replacement?"
Victor gave a firm nod before walking over to Shiki, who had fallen asleep at some point. Without a word, he picked up the black hoodie she'd been using as a pillow.
Shiki abruptly awaken from her peaceful slumber, half-confused, before shooting him a dangerous glare that made it very clear she was seconds away from unsheathing her katana.
Unfazed, Victor handed the hoodie to Krauss.
As he took it, Krauss gave the garment a quick once-over. His eyes caught on the bold golden lettering printed across the back—"MDCC." Apart from that, it was an, overall, simple shirt.
'Hmm. Not bad. Definitely better than my old shirt.
"Thank you," Krauss said.
Victor responded with a simple nod.
Sensing he had lingered long enough, Krauss rose from the bed and offered a slight bow before heading toward the electronic vault door. Halfway there, he paused and turned back.
"By the way, Mr. Vale, should I return here after making my decision?"
Victor let out a quiet chuckle. "That won't be necessary. Head to the Den of Sinners on Southern Lane and ask for their boss, Robert. Tell him you're looking to work as a mystery investigator."
"Huh?" Krauss blinked in confusion.
"As you know, this place is highly confidential and is unknown to the general public. You were only able to find it because someone sent you." He then gave a faint smile. "If that's all, then I wish you a safe departure and a good dream tonight, Mr. Gray."
"Ah... right. You too."
With that, the vault door opened and Krauss left the room.