"Mr. Vane, it's your first time attending our meeting, so we should clarify some rules for you first." Mardo picked up the black tea in front of him and took a sip.
"Yes, I believe I'm ready." The reply came from a handsome young man, sitting upright with a serious expression, looking at the middle-aged man Mardo with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
"Very good, Mr. Vane seems to be a rule-abiding person, which will earn you the trust of your peers at the meeting." Mardo put down his teacup, very satisfied with August's attitude.
"Well then, Mr. Vane, next week, today, at four in the afternoon, I will wait for you at the entrance of the Elm Street flour mill." Mardo stood up, pulled a pocket watch from his breast pocket to check the time, then walked to the front door of the house, took his black overcoat and bowler hat from the hanger by the door, and after dressing neatly, opened the door for August.
"Phew! Mr. Mardo's aura is truly powerful! He's a real wizard!" August murmured as he tidied the tea set on the table.
After tidying up, he returned to the study on the second floor and sat down behind the desk.
"I can't believe such a casual request could lead me to join such a mysterious society." August pulled a palm-sized metallic object from his pocket, which gleamed slightly under the afternoon sun.
This was an ornament shaped like a coiled snake, its image appearing lifelike. August observed it closely and could even appreciate subtle scale details. He wondered how people in this world could create such intricate ornaments.
In the center of the silver snake was a glass ball the size of a fingernail, which was hollow, and inside, a drop of silver mercury continuously rolled with August's movements.
"Mercury Snake, what kind of organization are you?" August stared at the silver snake ornament in his hand.
"Oh, right, I haven't finished my manuscript yet..." August suddenly remembered that his work wasn't done. He immediately placed the silver snake on the table, quickly pulled a stack of papers from the desk, flipped through a few pages, and began to write frantically.
August's name in his previous life was also August. After inexplicably transmigrating to this world, he gained a familiar surname, and his full name became August Vane, an ordinary member of the Cinde Empire.
He's actually not that ordinary. August's family was one of the twelve great noble families who founded the empire, but a certain ancestor, due to poor judgment, participated in a rebellion and was stripped of his noble title and fief. If His Majesty the Emperor hadn't remembered his family's ancestor, who risked his life to help the royal family found the country, his entire family might have been on the gallows long ago.
So August Vane only had an old surname, which didn't help him at all. Even those who knew his family's past would mock him.
However, this didn't affect him much. He had no sense of belonging there anyway, so he let others say whatever they wanted.
Of the old Vane family, only he remained in this generation. His deceased alcoholic predecessor's father fell into a watering trough after a drunken binge and ended his life very comically. The timid and weak young man, the predecessor, died on the spot from grief and fear upon hearing the news, leading to August from another world taking over his body and being reborn.
His predecessor's alcoholic father left no property, just a three-story house and a pile of debts. The wealth of his ancestors had been squandered by his useless descendants, so August, who had just transmigrated, watched blankly as a group of people moved all seemingly valuable items out of his house.
August was left alone, staring at the empty house, wanting to cry but having no tears. Being so unlucky right after transmigrating didn't fit the basic laws of transmigrators!
Fortunately, August quickly found a way to earn money.
He had to thank his predecessor's deceased father for insisting on sending him to private lessons to study. It was probably the last glimmer of dignity for a former great noble; being illiterate was simply unacceptable. Of course, his father's reason was that his useless son August could at least be an office worker in the future and not starve to death.
The method he came up with was to serialize novels in newspapers. Ever since he read the unreadable novels in the newspapers at home, he had conceived this idea.
After all, in this world, he only had incomplete memories of his predecessor. An introverted person, of course, had no friends. His father's friends were, of course, the scoundrel type. Those who came to move things that day were them.
It wasn't easy for someone like him to find a decent job in this world. Civil servants had always been the exclusive domain of the powerful, and there was no room for his unfortunate family.
Other than this, he could only be a shop cashier or apply for an editor's scholarship at a newspaper. After much thought, a cultured intellectual like him couldn't find a decent job at that time. Was he supposed to carry sacks at the docks? This was a truly sad story, reminding him of the time when, after graduating from university, he couldn't find a job.
He sent his manuscript to a newspaper intending to try it out, and unexpectedly, it was accepted. The editor even encouraged him in the reply letter not to send it to other newspapers, as they were willing to pay more for the manuscript, going from the basic gold coin per thousand characters to one gold coin and two silver coins per thousand characters.
An explanation of this world's currency composition is needed here. Other countries will be discussed later. The Cinde Empire has a total of three currency denominations: copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins. Their value is approximately equivalent to one, ten, and one hundred units in the previous life. In addition to these, there are universally accepted gold coins, which are coins cast from gold, with standardized specifications across all countries, maintaining a constant value.
Then, unexpectedly, he became popular. His novel became the most popular section of the newspaper. To solidify him as a powerful tool for attracting readers, the newspaper again increased his remuneration, ensuring August a carefree life thereafter.
However, he never told anyone that he was the author under the pseudonym "Silas Blackwood." He even rejected the editor's repeated attempts to visit him in person to thank him for his contribution to the newspaper's sales. If you ask why, it's rather awkward.
Entertainment activities in this world are quite scarce. Of course, only those above the middle class, like August, who don't have to worry about making a living and can achieve a better quality of life, consider entertainment. The lower class, besides doing manual labor, also does some handicrafts at home to supplement their income.
People of higher social status usually exclusively engaged in card games and tea parties. Hunting was an activity exclusive to the nobility. Therefore, serialized novels in newspapers became the best option for these people to pass the time.
This country maintains a rather tolerant attitude toward the scope of newspapers. As long as the emperor is not directly cursed, discussing decrees, commenting on current affairs, etc., is fine.
Of course, this also led to the gradual flourishing of another literary form in newspapers: erotic novels that all men understand.
These people didn't seem to have any qualms, even discussing whether the plots were reasonable, and those with strong initiative even pushed their own wives or others' wives to practice.
However, August sneered after reading the articles. In his opinion, with a theoretical level far exceeding this era, the people of this country simply lacked imagination and knowledge of positions. Let him guide these people to experience what it means to be a true "Connoisseur in bed"!
What followed was natural. The gentlemen reading the newspapers were captivated by the irresistible charm of Silas Blackwood. Sometimes, they would find themselves, with some discomfort, due to the usual reactions on the street, at the office, or at friends' gatherings.
Some female readers even wrote letters wishing for a deeper encounter with him, but an upright man like August, full of moral principles, refused, as expected. How could he stoop to prostituting himself for a living?
Thus, August, a newcomer to another world, became a glorified author for his livelihood, which brought him considerable income and a loyal fan base.