I’m an Immigration Officer!

Clatter, clatter.
The carriage that had departed from the Capital rumbled along the road, past the outer walls, past the city, heading south toward the Southern Border.

At last, when the towering white castle had completely vanished from view, a girl shouted at the top of her lungs—
“Goodbye, Capital! Hope I never see you again!!”
Hannah’s cheerful voice echoed inside the carriage.

Her face was practically pressed flat against the window, eyes sparkling with excitement as she added—
“And goodbye to Her Royal Hairpin— I mean, Her Majesty too! Bleh!”
The kind of remark that would’ve gotten her dragged off by the hair if the wrong person heard it.

It was hard to believe this was the same Hannah from yesterday, the one who had shown up at Immigration Bureau with a desperate, sleepless expression, begging me to save her friend.
That determined, weary girl was nowhere to be seen now— replaced by a mischievous troublemaker, brimming with anticipation.
Hannah spun around, eyes gleaming.

“Your Highness, Your Highness! They say the Southern Border has the best bread ever! It’s right next to the Mahalan Kingdom, the biggest grain producer on the continent, so all the bakers flock there! You have to try it with me when we get there!”
“...”
“Your Highness?”

But no reply came.
Elaine sat curled up deep inside the carriage, tucked away in the shadowed corner untouched by sunlight, her expression stiff with tension.
Hannah could bounce and chatter all she wanted right beside her, but Elaine didn’t react—

She wouldn’t even glance outside the window.
It was as if even looking was forbidden. She just hugged her knees, silent, withdrawn.
Her gaze hadn’t shifted once since the moment she boarded the carriage.

It stayed locked—
Right… on me.
Sighhhhh…
My 29th sigh.

I’m so screwed.
Even now, I still couldn’t make sense of it.
It felt like half a day had passed already, but no matter how much I wracked my brain, I couldn’t understand how it had come to this.

Why the hell is this happening to me…?
Does the world just hate me?
Or did I somehow bring this on myself?

Taking the Princess to the Southern Border…
When I headed for the Capital, I was prepared for the worst.
Punishment? That much was expected.

I’d already deviated from the purpose of my visit, openly defied the Queen…
But this?
The King’s Proxy’s words still echoed in my head—

“I hereby order Princess Elaine Castor to two months of isolation at the Southern Border, with Chief Officer Nathan assuming full responsibility.”
How the hell is that considered punishment?
Or— maybe it is punishment, in a twisted way.

Sixty whole days of keeping a nation’s Princess— the King’s daughter— alive and out of trouble.
Back when I promised to get Erzena safely to the Northern Border, that job lasted three days.
This was twenty times worse.

I couldn’t shake the feeling King Rio wanted me dead.
No, that’s an overreaction. If he wanted me dead, they’d have sentenced me to death at the trial.
I shook my head. Enough nonsense. Focus on the immediate issues.

Let’s think this through.
Where will the Princess stay? Her accommodations can’t differ from the Capital’s standards. Who needs to know about this? How much worse could her powers spiral out of control? Where do I even source proper attire to fit royal protocol…
The list never ended.

Sighhhhh…
That was number 30.
But the biggest issue still loomed—

How the hell do I manage security?
Protecting the Princess— the most critical concern.
The Southern Border was already complicated enough with Erzena under temporary asylum.

Meaning, we were already responsible for one high-profile guest.
The small saving grace was the Pilgrimage had moved on, the Church’s influence wasn’t strong in the South, and Erzena could defend herself now, especially with divine power fully restored.
Hell, she even forcibly restored the Sensory Officers’ stamina— boosted their efficiency tenfold.

But Elaine’s situation was completely different.
She couldn’t hide her identity.
Those distinct, royal green eyes.

I lifted my head to glance at her— and the moment our eyes met, she quickly looked away, shrinking deeper into the shadows.
The same green eyes as King Rio.
No matter how long she’d been kept out of public view, anyone who saw those eyes would know exactly who she was.

And the King and his Proxy were dumping the entire responsibility on me.
They weren’t even sending a single armed escort to accompany the Princess out of the Capital.
Incanthus… what the hell are you scheming? And what was it you were trying to tell me?

I recalled his words after issuing the Royal Decree—
“I, Incanthus Vermotem of the Yongin, place my trust in you.”
A Yongin’s oath. Clear as day— the way he °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° pressed his hand to his chest, baring his teeth.

I hadn’t seen that coming. Completely blindsided.
But something was off…
The oath lacked specifics.

No when, no where, no how, no why.
Damn Yongin always speak in riddles.
Just like Dehin Askurin up at the Northern Border. Just like the Proxy himself.

They toss around these vague oaths, declare they “trust” me— then leave me to figure everything out on my own.
And now they’ve shoved me back out here without so much as a roadmap.
Damn lizard bastard…

First time I’d dared curse the Proxy out loud.
The least he could do was tell me what to look for.
If he wanted me to find something, he should’ve said so.

Declaring he’s “on my side” is all well and good— but without knowing his real intentions, it just leaves a bitter taste.
“What the hell do you expect from me…”
I muttered under my breath, sighing toward the endlessly clear sky outside the window.

Why was it always days like this when the weather was annoyingly perfect?
That’s when Elaine finally entered my field of vision again.
She still sat there, curled up tightly in the corner of the carriage, shying away from the sunlight.

Her expression rigid with unease, like she didn’t belong here at all.
“Your Highness.”
— Flinch.

Even a gentle call startled Elaine.
“Don’t concern yourself with security. I’ll make certain there’s no risk to your safety.”
She’s the King’s daughter.

Moving someone this critically important to the border? That’s a national security operation.
I’ll have to request cooperation from the Intelligence Bureau.
Scratch that— not a request. It’s their damn obligation.

No way I’m shouldering this alone.
The rumors, the potential threats? Dump it all on the Intelligence Bureau.
Didn’t Incanthus himself say it?

He’s giving me full responsibility.
Fine. I’ll use that to my advantage.
That faint sound in the distance— like Melanie and the Intelligence Bureau collectively screaming— probably just my imagination.

[...]
But Elaine shook her head.
It was a long while before she finally spoke—

[…I’m scared.]
“What are you scared of, Your Highness?”
[It’s… my first time outside the Capital. I don’t know what to do.]

Her voice trembled.
Her eyes stayed locked on mine— unmoving.
[Will… I be okay?]

The uncertainty in her question was palpable.
She never said what she needed to be okay from— but I understood.
From herself. From this unfamiliar freedom.

It was then—
“We’re almost there!”
The driver’s loud shout made Elaine flinch and gasp.

“Ugh…”
She hugged her knees tighter, curling further inward.
She was still afraid.

A bird kept in a cage for too long doesn’t realize how free it truly is when the door finally opens.
The unknown is terrifying.
Everything out here was new to her.

At this rate, even when she reaches the Southern Border… nothing will change.
When the Princess first tried to leave the Capital, it wasn’t out of some longing for freedom.
She only wanted to run away.

But now that she had actually escaped, her purpose was gone—
A lost bird.
That’s how she looked to me.

Maybe…
Maybe I could help.
At the very least, point her in a direction— show her there’s nothing to fear.

I spoke softly—
“Your Highness, why don’t you look out the left window? You too, Miss Hannah.”
The moment I finished speaking, Hannah eagerly pressed her face to the left window.

Elaine sat frozen, tense, unmoving.
I quietly took her hand.
“It’s alright. There’s no danger. Take a look.”

Finally, slowly— painfully slowly— Elaine turned her head, sneaking a cautious glance out the window.
There, stretching from the far left to the far right of our view—
A single line.

The horizon.
Not the cramped, towering Ura Karas mountain range—
But the vast, open horizon of the Southern Plains, dividing the earth from the sky, stretching endlessly across our vision.

Above: brilliant blue sky.
Below: rich green land.
“Wow…”
[...]

Both Elaine and Hannah stared, mouths agape, struck speechless by the grandeur of it all.
The carriage began descending the winding mountain path.
“Long ago, Director Hailin once told me something when I first joined the Bureau,” I said, recalling the memory.

Back when I had zero interest in becoming an Immigration Inspector—
When I still questioned why I took this job.
“There are lines in this world. So many cold, merciless lines, drawn straight across everything.”

Lines across the earth.
Lines separating sky and ground.
Lines between people.
Lines we draw for ourselves.
“And of all those countless lines… the world we live in exists inside that line.”
I pointed just below the horizon.

The two girls followed my hand—
And beneath the endless plains, they spotted it.
A towering wall— of stone, rock, and timber— stretching endlessly like a thick, drawn line across the land.

Elaine whispered softly—
[The border…]
It was the cold, merciless line that separated one nation from another.

And for the Princess— her entire life, the dark, suffocating chambers and the towering Capital walls had been her line.
“To speak plainly… the world isn’t a kind place, Your Highness. You cross one simple line, and everything changes. Your life, your way of thinking, even your convictions.”
As the son of a merchant, and later as an Immigration Officer, I learned that lesson well.

Wherever different races, cultures, and histories collided, conflict always followed.
“It’s natural to be afraid. I was terrified at first too.”
“Really? Even you, Chief Officer? You were scared of something?”

Hannah’s eyes widened in shock.
“Yes. There was a time when I was afraid of everything.”
I allowed a faint smile and recited the words Hailin once told me.

—Everyone feels the same. We fear because we’re different. We hate because we’re different. We even point blades at each other because of those differences.
“We all feel the same. Fear breeds from difference, hatred follows, and eventually… some even try to destroy each other.”
For Elaine, that fear must have been even worse.

A Talent-Emerged whose abilities spiral uncontrollably—
Her very existence probably feels more alien than any other race’s appearance.
Too different.

A monster.
It wasn’t hard to imagine what that word meant to her.
Just look at the Queen and the priests.

That day, on Helena Castor’s face, pure fear and bitter resentment were unmistakable.
—But there are always the brave ones… those who cross the line. And thanks to them, the world shifts—
“But today, Your Highness… you crossed that line. And because of that, your world has already begun to change.”

I turned my gaze back to the border alongside them.
“So don’t be afraid. It’s alright to face the world outside the window with courage.”
I finished echoing Hailin’s words from four years ago.

“Because it’s the same world Hannah and I will be seeing with you from now on.”
Sixty days.
Sixty days together— and for Elaine, sixty days of fragile, tentative freedom.

I can only hope that during this time, she’ll realize the world isn’t entirely cruel…
And for the love of everything, that these sixty days pass without incident.
I prayed for that, as quietly as I could.

[...]
Elaine remained silent for a long time.
She simply stared— at the border, at the endless horizon beyond.

But she no longer hid in the shadows.
The sunlight caught her green eyes, making them shimmer faintly.
 

****
Hours later. Late afternoon.
Creaaak.

The front doors of the Southern Border Immigration Bureau swung open.
“We’ve returned.”
I stepped inside, exhausted, only to be met by the Sensory Officers snapping to their feet mid paperwork.

“Chief Officer! You’re back!”
“How did it go?”
“You made it back alive, so… guess that means it didn’t go too badly?”
A barrage of questions flew at me before I even had time to breathe.
One officer, however, was especially aggressive.

“That friend of yours from the Capital— did you handle it properly!?”
The Olfactory Officer tossed his documents aside and stomped up to me, his booming voice shaking the walls.
“You made whoever hurt Hannah pay for it, right!?”

“My ears, please…”
Classic werewolf— takes anything involving the kid way too personally.
I wonder what face he’ll make when he finds out that bastard was the Queen herself.

I’m genuinely curious.
“Well, about that…”
I sidestepped and glanced toward the entrance.

“You can come in now.”
Creaaak.
The door opened again, and two girls entered.

The moment the red-haired girl with braided hair stepped in, the Olfactory Officer’s face lit up.
“Hannah! You’re alright!”
Hannah beamed back at the one person who’d worried over her the most.

“Mr. Werewolf!”
The towering werewolf crouched down to her eye level instantly.
“How’d it go? Are you hurt? What about your friend?”

“Chief Officer handled everything! It’s all fine now!”
The Olfactory Officer let out a deep breath of relief at her words.
Meanwhile, the Tactile Officer finally noticed there was someone else behind Hannah.

“And who’s this?”
“…Uuh…”
Elaine flinched, frozen in place behind Hannah.

“Oh, that must be the friend you were so worried about!”
“So you’re the one needing help, huh? Welcome.”
The werewolf stepped toward her, his heavy boots thudding on the floor.

“Good to have you here. Whatever happened in the Capital—”
“Hold it, Olfactory Officer.”
The Hearing Officer cut him off sharply.

Her narrowed blue eyes locked onto Elaine.
“Something’s wrong. This… this feels like déjà vu.”
“Déjà vu?”

“This whole thing… feels way too similar to when Officer Erzena showed up. It’s off.”
Seeing the rare look of unease on her face, the Olfactory Officer let out a low laugh, tail swishing.
“What’s so off? She’s just Hannah and the Chief’s friend.”

He extended his hand toward Elaine.
“Welcome to the Immigration Bureau. Anyone who’s Chief Officer’s friend is always welcome here.”
[...]

Elaine shrank back for a moment, casting a nervous glance toward me.
I nodded.
It’s fine.

[…Okay.]
She swallowed hard, then ever so cautiously reached out, her fingers brushing the werewolf’s massive paw.
The Gustatory Officer eyed her for a second, then spoke—

“Oh? Her eyes… they’re green! So pretty…”
The Tactile Officer tilted her head.
“Green? That’s… unusual. Far as I know, the only people with green eyes in our kingdom are…”

A sharp, short sigh escaped her lips.
“…No way.”
“What is it?” Olfactory Officer asked.

But the Tactile Officer didn’t answer.
“C-C-C-Chief Officer…?”
Instead, she stared at me, utterly horrified.

The look in her eyes practically screamed—
What the hell have you done now…?
I had no choice but to speak.

“Let me introduce them properly.”
Couldn’t avoid it any longer.
“This is Princess Elaine Castor… and Miss Hannah Meyer.”

Silence.
Crushing, suffocating silence blanketed the room.
Even the other staff froze mid-task, staring in stunned disbelief.

All eyes drifted from Hannah and Elaine… straight to me.
Their expressions varied—
The Gustatory Officer frozen in shock.
The Tactile and Hearing Officers facepalming like they saw this disaster coming.
The Olfactory Officer’s fur standing on end, still holding Elaine’s hand in his massive paw.

Their looks, their posture, the heavy atmosphere… they all screamed the same thing:
Tell me this is a joke.
There’s a line, Chief— this isn’t funny.
No way. No damn way.
Wait… did I… did I just speak informally to the Princess?
I cleared my throat.

“These two will be staying with us at the Bureau for the next two months.”
I’m sorry.
“It’s the King’s orders.”

I couldn’t do anything about it.
The staff and Sensory Officers’ silent screams twisted their faces in horror.
All except one.

“…Did you say Princess?”
Only Erzena remained perfectly calm.