I’m an Immigration Officer!

Meanwhile, in the royal capital of the Kingdom of Crossroads.

Despite it being broad daylight, the curtains were drawn, and a man with a haggard face sat in silence before a mural, shrouded in darkness.
“...”
The man, seated in front of the mural large enough to cover an entire wall, gently brushed it with his fingertips.

His sunken eyes shifted downward—to the nameplate below the mural.
[Prince Lassen Castor]
“Lassen...”

He spoke the name of his son, one he had uttered countless times before.
There was no answer.
King Rio Castor.

The master of all roads, the ruler of the crossroads of the world.
He gently stroked the mural again.
In the painting, Lassen was smiling.

A cheerful boy with green eyes and brown hair.
King Rio remembered that face vividly.
— ...Someday, I want to be just like you, Father.

— Oh? What part of me do you wish to resemble?
He recalled his son, speaking bravely with ambition the year he turned fourteen.
— A king who protects the crossroads of the world! No, wait, a small beast like you, Father! No, no, a big—huge, enormous beast!

— My word, for that, you'd need to be born three more times. Hahaha. And you'd have to train twice as hard starting now.
— Wh-what...! Then I’ll be a small beast instead!
Fifteen years had passed, yet the voices of that conversation echoed in his head as if it had happened just yesterday.
“My son...”

He called a name that would never return.
The one who had anchored him to the throne out of duty.
King Rio’s love for his son was not because Lassen was competent. Nor because he was obedient.

It was because Lassen reminded him that there was still something worth protecting in this world.
Even in a cruel world ruled by the law of the strong, hope could still exist. A successor could still emerge. A will could still be inherited. He saw that through his son.
That was why Rio Castor had been able to reign as king, and live as a small beast.

But Lassen was dead.
He hadn’t even bloomed. Taken at the age of fourteen.
And just like the mural before him, his time remained frozen—fifteen years in the past.

A father who had lost his child.
What words could he speak?
What was there to debate?

What was there to act upon?
For a king who had lost ideals, dreams, and meaning, nothing else held any value.
Only fleeting pleasure, and eternal longing remained.

The small beast closed his eyes and slowly drifted to sleep before the mural.
Wishing, perhaps, that this reality was just a [N O V E L I G H T] dream.
Then came the sound—an unpleasant interruption scratching at the silence outside the door.

Knock, knock.
“Your Majesty.”
It was the Court Minister.

Lifeless green eyes slowly opened once more.
Rio did not respond.
It’s just another plea to return to governance, no doubt.

He had heard it all before—so many times, it no longer interested him. He closed his eyes again.
Silence would serve as his answer.
But this time, the tone was different.

“Your Majesty, the Chief Inspector has arrived by royal order.”
A royal order.
At those words, the king momentarily emerged from his reverie, slipping into thought for just a breath.

Did I give such an order?
He thought he had.
The queen had muttered some strange name in bed just a few nights ago.

— There’s a man who’s dared disrupt the laws of our kingdom.
He remembered nothing more.
Nor did he care to trace it back.

He had drowned, once again, in the scent of her bare skin and the pleasures of the flesh.
As long as he could forget this reality—nothing else mattered.
Without even turning his head, he muttered wearily,

“Let it be done as the queen wishes.”
Why was it being reported to him?
He had already stepped away.

“The queen and the retainers will manage state affairs. Leave me.”
But the Court Minister, instead of retreating as usual, added from beyond the door,
“The queen herself has requested it. She asks that Your Majesty attend, to lend authority to the trial.”

“...”
If the queen had gone this far, then this Chief Inspector must be someone she harbored serious resentment toward.
Why else would they summon a king who had withdrawn from public affairs?

A king attending a trial carried enormous weight.
His word alone could seal a verdict.
And that, no doubt, is what the queen desires.

King Rio slowly lifted his curved back.
“If that is the queen’s will.”
It mattered little to him either way.

People die.
Why assign meaning to the death of one young man?
He would merely show his face, then leave.

“Inform them—I shall observe the trial.”
 
*****

Clatter, clatter.
Bathed in warm sunlight, the carriage was absurdly comfortable.
Under normal circumstances, I’d be buried in immigration inspections and a mountain of paperwork right about now.

But here I was, seated in a plush seat, lulled by the occasional jolt of the carriage—and before I knew it, I’d dozed off.
I had no idea how much time had passed.
“Wake up, Chief Inspector. We’ve arrived.”

“...Eh?”
When I opened my eyes, the Proxy was staring at me blankly—seated in the exact same posture as when we’d boarded yesterday morning.
“We’ve arrived at the capital.”

“Ah—s-sir, yes! I’m getting off now!”
I quickly wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth and stumbled out of the carriage.
Thud.

Of course, not forgetting the [Evidence Storage Box] I’d brought with me.
Struggling to haul the box down, I turned my head—and was met with the looming form of the royal capital carved into the mountainside.
“...Castle Urachim.”

A fortress seated at the exact center of the continent.
The starting point of all roads. The very symbol of the Kingdom of Crossroads.
Castle Urachim stood before me.

I craned my neck skyward, eyes tracing the spires vanishing into the clouds.
How long has it been since I last came here?
Not since the funeral of the Visual Inspector, after my appointment.

It had truly been a long while.
A strange sense of nostalgia washed over me.
At that moment, the Proxy who had disembarked after me spoke.

“Make haste. The trial will begin shortly.”
“Wh-when exactly?”
“Your arrival has already been reported. It will begin within two hours at most.”

Two hours.
Ridiculously tight.
They’re not even pretending to give me time to prepare.

Their desire to resolve this in one swift blow was clear.
The Proxy pointed at the box beside me.
“Prepare anything you need to before then.”

“Yes, sir.”
“And there are some people waiting for you. Exchange greetings—briefly.”
“...Sorry?”

Before his words had even fully landed, two people began approaching from the castle gates.
They were far off, but somehow familiar.
One was a tall woman. The other, a scrawny man.

Where have I seen them before...?
As soon as they saw me, the woman suddenly bolted forward.
“CHIEF INSPECTOOOOOOOOOR!”

“Oh.”
Just her voice was enough for me to recognize who she was.
But before I could even respond, she had flung herself at me, wrapping her arms tightly around my head.

A sharp whiff of desert sand filled my nose.
“Good grief, how long has it been!? Our dear Chief Inspector, show this Director your face, will you!”
“W-wait, no—wait! Director!”

Director Hylin was aggressively ruffling my hair like a madwoman.
Ruffle ruffle ruffle.
My vision shook with every forceful swipe of her hands.

“Let me see how much you’ve grown! Have you been eating? Any trouble down south? Don’t bother answering! I already know it all!”
“Uuughghgh—t-too dizzy!”
“Good heavens, look at how thin you’ve gotten. You’re practically a skeleton!”

Her over-the-top welcome was entirely unbefitting her position, and my mind was spinning from the assault.
No, this sort of thing should be done in private—what if someone sees?
Once I managed to regain a semblance of composure, I asked,

“But, Director... how did you know I’d be arriving...?”
How had she shown up to meet me at the exact perfect moment?
The answer came from the man still walking up slowly.

“How do you think, you little bastard? You’ve got a trial to prepare for.”
“...Minister.”
Karton Grayson.

 
It was the first time we’d met since I saw him through the scrying crystal.
But that tightly-worn monocle hadn’t changed.

“Thank you for the encouragement back then, Minister.”
“It was an unofficial comment. No need to bring it up.”
“Yes, sir.”

I quickly offered a salute, and he gave a curt nod in return.
At that, Hylin chuckled.
“Well done. Tch, that’s the highest praise you’ll get from a superior.”

“You...”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs gave Hylin a disapproving glare.
“Director. Weren’t you the one saying it’d be better not to see his face? Now look at you—falling over yourself.”

“Now, now. Desert folk always greet their comrades with sincerity. Especially if that comrade is brave.”
“‘Comrade,’ my ass. Subordinates aren’t friends. That’s how things go wrong.”
“Perhaps that’s why you don’t have any, old man.”

Comrade.
The word brought a faint smile to my face.
I knew it was a joke—but even so, it felt all right.

I’m glad these two are here.
The pressure on my chest eased a little.
Had I been alone, I probably would’ve seized up under the weight of it all.

Just as the Minister and I were exchanging a few more words, his eyes flicked to the [Evidence Storage Box] in my hand. He clicked his tongue.
“You crazy bastard. We offered to help, and you still brought this much evidence?”
Just as he said, the box was crammed full—about to burst at the seams with documents.

“Ahaha... The folks at the Immigration Office might’ve gone a little overboard.”
“Good. The more, the better. Combined with what we’ve gathered, it should be substantial.”
Karton lowered his voice.

“But don’t relax just yet. We’re inside their goddamn jaws now.”
“...”
He didn’t need to say who “they” were.

I could feel the stares.
As I turned my head, people scattered throughout the royal capital who had been watching me quietly averted their gazes and walked on.
“The rumors are already spreading?”

“Most of the ones who matter probably know. There haven’t been any royal decrees lately, after all. Attention was inevitable.”
“This’ll be trouble.”
Attention never meant anything good.

It meant becoming the talk of the court, being dragged into whispers and political gossip—and noise always led to disruption.
While the Minister and I were exchanging grim looks, Director Hylin suddenly thrust something at me.
“Here, here, eat this first.”

A pungent wave of spice slammed into my nostrils.
“W-what is this?”
“Compressed sow jerky from my homeland. We feed it to people we’re trying to fatten up. You need to eat something right now, Chief Inspector.”

“S-sow...”
Something about that made me feel... strange.
Sow, meaning...

— Oink.
A small piglet I once knew suddenly came to mind.
“Ah—I’ll pass.”

The refusal left my mouth before I realized it.
Hylin tilted her head.
“Huh? The Chief Inspector I know goes wild for pork, doesn’t he?”

“It’s... not that. Just... work’s been heavy lately.”
I didn’t know why, but meat just hadn’t been appealing lately.
“Just eat one.”

“Ah, look at the time—the trial’s about to start! Let’s go in quickly!”
I frantically waved my hands and hurried into the royal capital.
 

****
“Please take a seat over here.”
Led by a servant through the inner halls of the royal capital, I finally laid eyes on the courtroom.

“So this is the courtroom...”
I murmured, half in a daze.
It was, in a word, ostentatious.

From the marble-carved desks to the sunlight filtering through the three-story windows—it was excessive.
The pillars stretching up to the ceiling were engraved top to bottom with ornate reliefs. This was no ordinary courtroom.
Feels more like the kind used for trials of traitors or royal family members.

A bit much for putting a lowly Immigration Officer on trial.
And yet... this was the place they’d chosen to judge me.
They’re going all in.

Unconsciously, I felt the pressure constrict my chest.
Even with all my mental preparation, the sheer weight of the place was something else entirely.
“Don’t be afraid.”

That voice cut through the tension—coming from my side, where the Minister and Director Hylin had taken seats with me on the defendant’s side.
“If you flinch from the start, you’ll be easy prey.”
“Y-yes, sir!”

“And we’ve got plenty of evidence. Sit tall. You’re not a criminal yet. And you won’t become one, either.”
“...Thank you.”
Just as he said, I took a deep breath and raised my head.

Naturally, my gaze drifted to the other side of the courtroom.
Across from the defense, a woman in extravagant clothing sat.
“Hmph.”

There was no need to ask who she was, seated at the plaintiff’s table.
Queen Helena Castor.
The woman hellbent on seeing me dead.

She scowled openly, her contempt sharp and undisguised.
Behind her, several ministers had taken their seats—including the Inspector-General.
After sizing up the opposing side, the Minister muttered darkly,

“Those bastards. The retainers, and they side with her?”
The bitterness in his voice was palpable.
“Still... good thing is, the queen’s side doesn’t seem to have brought any additional witnesses.”

“It’s doable, Chief Inspector.”
Yeah. This was winnable.
No matter what they threw at us—we just had to strike back.

We’ve secured enough evidence and testimony.
Besides, I had a secret weapon.
Something the other side hadn’t even begun to anticipate.

Erzena better be standing by as a witness.
Witnesses were usually summoned mid-trial, so I couldn’t confirm her presence just yet.
All I could do was trust—and wait for the moment.

Soon, an elderly judge entered the chamber and took his seat.
“Then, let us now begin the trial of the defendant, Chief Inspector Nathan Kell.”
Bang, bang, bang.

Three strikes of the gavel echoed through the towering courtroom.
It had begun.
“The plaintiff shall now—”

That was when—
Creeeeeeak.
Someone opened the door.

The unexpected sound drew every head toward the entrance.
“This is an active courtroom. You must leave immediately—huh?”
And then—

Everyone froze.
“...!!!!”
“Gasp...!”

It wasn’t just me who was shocked.
“Good heavens.”
Even Director Hylin’s eyes flew wide with disbelief.

And the Minister—
“Your Majesty...?”
Leapt to his feet as if about to faint.

Everyone hurriedly dropped to one knee.
“We greet His Majesty the King!”
Their startled voices rang throughout the courtroom.

The only one who didn’t seem surprised was the queen.
Rising to her feet, she addressed the stunned crowd with cool confidence.
“Today’s trial shall be observed... by His Majesty the King.”

King Rio Castor silently crossed the courtroom with slow, dragging steps.
When the judge instinctively tried to rise, the king motioned him back down—and seated himself.
Right beside the queen.

“...”
“...”
The expressions on the Minister and Director Hylin’s faces went stone cold.
Lifeless green eyes spoke in a low murmur.

“Begin the trial.”
The entire atmosphere shifted in an instant.