I’m an Immigration Officer!

“E-Ellyn? What’s wrong?”
The woman standing before her had the exact same face as her handmaiden.

Ellyn — the sweet, quiet girl who tended to her every day. Who helped her wash, who watched over her health. Who endured her moods, her commands, her tantrums… and never once left her side.
And now, she was standing here.
Or… someone wearing her face.

“Ellyn… cute name. Body’s not bad either.”
There was just one difference.
Her eyes.

They weren’t brown.
They were glowing, sickly violet.
“You… what are you?”

Erzhena stumbled backward without realizing it.
“What did you do to Ellyn?! Where is she?!”
“Oh? You’re more worried about the girl I borrowed than yourself?”

As Erzhena backed away, the woman stepped forward — perfectly in sync.
“A noble mindset. Maybe you really were a Saint… once. But not anymore, hmm?”
With a lazy smile, she popped open the vial in her hand with a flick of her finger.

“Not that it matters. You won’t be anything soon.”
In that moment, Erzhena finally grasped the truth of her situation.
She screamed.

“GUARDS! HOLY KNIGHTS! THERE’S AN INTRUDER!!”
No answer.
No footsteps. No voices. Nothing.
Only silence.

Except… a voice replied from the front.
“You called?”
A man’s voice.

And suddenly a tall Holy Knight stood before her.
A familiar face. Familiar armor.
But his eyes—

Violet.
“Saintess. There are no intruders in the area.”
His tone was mocking. Cold.

“You have nothing to worry about. It’ll all be over soon.”
Then his face began to shift.
A clueless boy.

A sly-looking man.
A gentle-faced woman.
And finally, back to Ellyn again.

All of them — faces Erzhena had seen among the pilgrims.
She stared in horror.
“M-metamorph…!”

“That’s what they call it. Though technically, not a profession.”
With a sickening crunch of bone and twist of flesh, the intruder reverted to her true form.
The grotesque display left no doubt in Erzhena’s mind:

She was alone.
There would be no help.
No rescue.

Of all moments… why now!?
Her face twisted in panic.
She had just realized why the divine power had vanished.

She had just begun to understand the Lord’s will.
Why now?
“Time’s up, Erzhena Selaph.”

The intruder took a step forward.
“If you come any closer, the Lord will strike you down!”
“The Lord?”

“Yes! I am Erzhena Selaph, Saintess of the Holy Order! I walk in His will!”
She shouted the words like a shield, like a desperate chant to keep herself grounded.
It’s different now. I finally understand what He wants.

She’d been arrogant before. Blind. But not anymore.
Now—she knew.
She dropped to her knees.

Folded her hands.
“O Father in heaven, please grant me the power to drive away this blasphemer…”
Once more—

Please, grant me your divine light.
“Let me defeat your enemy… let me survive this trial with your strength…”
Never before had she prayed with such sincerity. Such hope.

She waited.
Waited for that glorious, golden warmth.
“Let your glory return to this land. Just one more chance… let me make it right…!”

This time would be different.
She was different.
She ended her prayer with solemn grace.

…
…
…

Silence.
…
No answer.

“…W-what?”
Her voice cracked.
“Huh. Looks like your god doesn’t care anymore.”

“N-no! You won’t deceive me! T-this is a trial! He’s testing me, and I passed!”
She shouted—but her thoughts were already spiraling.
No… I did learn. I understand now…

The Lord had taken her power.
To show her the truth.
And now—now she knew.

Then why… hadn’t He returned it?
“Writing scripture on your body until it bleeds… praying like a lunatic… and still nothing? Harsh.”
Erzhena slowly lifted her gaze.

The intruder’s violet eyes looked down at her with perverse amusement.
“Y’know, since you gave me such a fun show, I’ll return the favor.”
She smiled like a friend.

“You were supposed to meet me in the North. After you crossed through the Kingdom of Crossroads.”
“…What?”
“That was the plan. A request from my client.”

Client.
That one word told Erzhena everything.
This woman wasn’t acting alone.

Someone had ordered this.
“Who?! Who told you to kidnap me?! WHO DARES!?”
Who /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ would be bold enough to order the abduction of the Saintess?

“Aha~ can’t tell you that.”
She laughed softly.
While she laughed, Erzhena’s eyes flicked to the side — searching.

Anything to use. Anything to fight.
She had no divine power left.
She’d have to defend herself.

But the only thing within reach…
…was the pen she’d thrown earlier.
She lunged for it.

CRACK!
“AAAH!”
The intruder’s boot stomped down on her right hand.

Pain exploded through her arm.
The pen rolled just out of reach.
“Good try. But no.”

“Y-you… aagh, let me go!”
Erzhena gasped from the crushing force.
But the woman didn’t budge.

Her heel remained.
“I told you—it’s too late.”
The violet eyes gleamed.

“Whatever plan you had… it should’ve been finished before I got here.”
“S-shut up! You don’t know anything…!”
She hissed through clenched teeth.

But deep down—she knew.
She knew the woman was right.
Her mind went back to her own prayer from minutes ago.

Just one more chance… let me fix it…
A chance.
She’d had one.

Four days of one.
From the moment the power vanished with that stamped rejection.
And what did I do with that time?

She wept.
Screamed.
Prayed.

Collapsed.
All the while… the truth had been right there.
If she had stopped.

If she had reflected.
If she had understood… even five minutes earlier.
She never would’ve met this woman.

Ellyn wouldn’t have been sacrificed.
She could’ve stopped the pilgrimage.
She could’ve spoken to the Chief Inspector. Learned the truth.

But—
It was too late.
“A Saintess abandoned by her god… now that’s a sight.”

The shapeshifter’s voice was honey-sweet and cruel.
“Out of all the jobs I’ve taken, this one’s definitely the most entertaining.”
No one was coming to help.

She couldn’t save herself.
Even the Lord remained silent.
And the despair she’d just clawed her way out of came tearing back through her heart.

But even so, Erzhena gritted her teeth.
“No… that’s not true…!”
He wouldn’t abandon her.

Even if He took her power.
Even if His daughter was made to suffer.
He wouldn’t turn His back on her.

“Still… I have to tell the Chief Inspector the truth…!”
There was still hope.
Maybe it was too late for her—but not for everyone.

She had to tell him everything.
Even if it was all torn apart, even if she herself was broken, there were things that had to be made right.
“If I don’t… no one will…!!”

She fought with everything she had, struggling to push back the despair the shapeshifter radiated.
She clawed against the helplessness. The guilt.
If she could just have one more chance.

Just one.
That’s when—
“Saintess? Are you there?”

A voice.
Moheim’s voice.
The voice of someone who might save her.

“Moi—Mmph!!”
Thud. Slam!
Just as she tried to scream, the shapeshifter’s hand clamped over her mouth and shoved her back into the wall.

“Shhh.”
For the first time, the intruder looked startled.
“I thought I took care of everyone nearby.”

“Mmph! Mmmhmm!!”
Moheim’s tent wasn’t close, but it wasn’t far either.
The shapeshifter must’ve cleared only the immediate area, and left just enough of a gap.

“Saintess? I thought I heard something—are you alright?”
“MMMMMM!!”
Erzhena screamed through the hand covering her mouth, but it came out muffled and broken.

She watched, helpless, as silence stretched.
Then:
“May I enter for a moment?”

His voice was cautious now.
And his hand reached to part the curtain.
“Damn it. No choice, then.”

The shapeshifter tossed aside the vial and drew a dagger.
Shhk.
The blade skimmed Erzhena’s neck — slicing clean through strands of her hair.

She watched in horror as the woman stuffed the strands into her mouth and chewed.
Crunch. Snap.
Erzhena froze, eyes wide with dread.

Five seconds later—
As Moheim peeled back the flap to enter—
“Don’t come in!!!”

The Saintess’s voice rang out sharply.
“I’m changing clothes. My handmaiden’s resting, so I’m dressing myself.”
“O-oh! My apologies! You didn’t respond, so I was worried…”

Moheim’s hand withdrew in an instant.
And Erzhena, mouth still clamped shut, could only stare at the thing wearing her face.
“Saintess, how are you feeling? You haven’t left your tent in days—people are getting concerned.”

She couldn’t answer.
But the thing with violet eyes did.
“…Moheim. I’m fine.”

Her exact voice.
“Everything’s alright. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I-I see… I just thought you might be upset after what the Pope said…”

“Oh, don’t be silly.”
Even the laughter was perfect.
“You know, I think I finally understand.”

“Understand… what, my Lady?”
“What the Lord really wants.”
From outside the tent, there was an audible gasp.

“Truly? Then… then this crusade really is His will?”
“…Crusade.”
The imposter whispered under her breath.

“So that’s the real goal of the pilgrimage.”
Then, turning toward Moheim with the Saintess’s smile:
“Yes. Continue the crusade. Our sacred mission… it will be fulfilled.”

No.
No, that’s not it.
That’s not what He wants!

She screamed inside her mind.
Stop. Please. Stop.
Moheim, don’t listen. Please, don’t believe her.

That’s not the Lord’s will!
But it didn’t matter.
She couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t stop him.
Instead—
“Yes, my Lady! I knew it! I’ll inform His Holiness and the knights at once!”

“May the Lord lead us to victory.”
“We believe!”
And then—footsteps.

Proud, determined footsteps. Fading into the distance.
And after that… only silence remained.
Tears streamed from golden eyes, down her cheeks.

Tears of helplessness, of terror, of regret.
“You can’t stop it, ex-Saintess.”
The shapeshifter picked the vial back up.

And forced open her mouth.
“You’ll be swept away. Like the rest.”
She shoved the potion between Erzhena’s lips.

Darkness began to pull her under.
Her thoughts swirled and scattered.
Lord… Chief Inspector…

It was too late.
 
 

****
“Chief Inspector, are we too late?”
The Gustatory Inspector’s voice held a note of worry.

I shook my head.
“No. Not at all. In fact…”
I looked down at the box in front of me—finally full.

The [Evidence Locker].
“…This is perfect timing.”