I’m an Immigration Officer!

Director of the Intelligence Bureau: Melanie Lacroix.
The woman who succeeded Minister of Foreign Affairs Karton Grayson as the head of Intelligence.
At the same time, a member of the Lamia clan—those serpentine from the waist down who dwell in the western marshes.

I had a bit of history with her.
“It’s been two years since we last met in person. I trust you’ve been well.”
— Of course. I’ve been fine. And you?

A sweet voice came through the crystal orb.
But the snake’s eyes weren’t smiling in the slightest.
In that bizarre dissonance, I spoke.

“Always the same. That’s the life of a public official, isn’t it?”
— Liar.
She cut in sharply.

— The former Saintess filed for temporary asylum with the Immigration Office, and you call that the same life?
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Only the Minister and Director Hylin were supposed to know about that.

“…Ah, you knew?”
— Even if the Intelligence Bureau is busy, we know what needs to be known. There’s no way we’d miss something like an emergency administrative measure.
It was news barely two or three days old.

I figured it’d take a while to reach the capital.
Melanie narrowed her eyes as she looked at my frozen expression.
— So, why’d you come to see me with such a grim face? Did another rogue spirit cause chaos at the border?
How did she know about that too?

“…It’s much worse than that.”
I briefly explained the current situation to her.
She’d been idly tapping the desk with her nails, but the moment the Evil God Cult came up, her fingers stopped.

“I’ve confirmed they’re behind it. But that’s where the trail goes cold…”
— Hmm… So it wasn’t a shapeshifter, but a changeling.
She let out a small nasal hum, muttering to herself.

Beyond that, Melanie showed no further reaction.
“We don’t even know who or where that changeling came from.”
This was the limit of what the Immigration Office could uncover.

Pressed for time, pressed by circumstance, I laid everything bare.
In the brief silence that followed, she opened her mouth.
— Blackhand.

“…Pardon?”
— There’s an assassin guild operating in the North. Infamous bastards who’ll do anything for money—unless it’s a figure on par with royalty.
Her yellow eyes flicked side to side for a moment.

It was her signature habit when combing through intel in her mind.
— The Vice-Master there is known to be… peculiar. Supposedly has a thousand faces.
A thousand faces.

That clearly referred to the traits of a changeling.
— It just so happens to match exactly with the individual you’re describing.
“…”

— If they’re that skilled, the Evil God Cult probably approached them first. Offering the promise of reunification with their own kind—an innate longing of the changeling race.
“But in that case, Blackhand wouldn’t have accepted. The Saintess is essentially on par with royalty.”
— Blackhand might steer clear of someone like the Saintess, but if the Vice-Master acted alone, that’s another matter entirely.

She ran through what we knew in mere seconds.
And with that, I was certain.
‘She already knew everything.’

Even with just a thread of information, she could instantly deduce the chain of cause and effect through an immense network of intel.
Then surely, she must know at least something about the Evil God Cult as well.
I cut straight to the heart of it.

“I’ve heard the Bureau is investigating the Evil God Cult in the North. That intelligence is urgently needed.”
At my words, Melanie’s expression twisted, caught off-guard.
— …That’s classified. Where did you hear that?

“From the Minister.”
— Ah, I see. He must’ve told you to shield you during the trial.
She let out a deep sigh.

— Haah, that Minister. He still spoils his favorites rotten.
She nodded and continued.
— You’re right. Our agents are currently investigating the Cult’s movements in the North. We’ve made considerable progress. Not everything, but enough.

I clenched my fist quietly.
At last, a path forward.
“This Chief Inspector is requesting information on the Evil God Cult and their personnel registry.”

With the Intelligence Bureau’s cooperation, we could devise real countermeasures.
“We desperately need this intel—not just to respond to what’s happened, but to prevent future incidents. Please.”
But the answer I got was one I hadn’t anticipated.

— Not for free.
“…Excuse me?”
The Lamia’s sharp eyes bore into me.

— This is the extent of the goodwill our Bureau can show the Immigration Office. Beyond this, nothing.
“W-what are you saying?”
It was absurd.

The Bureau was refusing to cooperate?
And not just with anyone—but with the Immigration Office, a partnered agency under the Foreign Ministry?
Unprecedented.

“May I ask why? Is the intel too classified to release? Or… was there a separate directive?”
Melanie fell silent for a moment.
Then spoke in an uncharacteristically serious voice.

— When our Bureau tried to recruit you, you turned us down.
“…What?”
I must have misheard.

“…You’re not saying you’re refusing because I became an Immigration Officer instead of a Bureau agent… are you?”
I felt deflated.
That was four years ago.

When my Talent manifested, the Intelligence Bureau had aggressively pursued me.
And not just them—both the Foreign Ministry and the Immigration Office were fighting over me.
‘Of course, I chose the Immigration Office.’

And she still held a grudge over that?
But Melanie shook her head and added something else.
— Not just that. Even when I came to you personally, you turned me down.

She laid bare my private life without hesitation.
— Honey, in this field, your reputation is all you’ve got.
“…”

— I put myself out there for once, and do you know how humiliated I was when you rejected me?
“D-Director, that’s…”
Without thinking, I glanced around.

Thankfully, no one was nearby, but I still lowered my voice considerably.
“Th-that time, this Chief Inspector simply didn’t have the bandwidth…”
What was I even supposed to say?

“Ever since I became Chief Inspector, I’ve been utterly consumed…”
— Pfft.
She suddenly burst into laughter.

— So you can make that kind of face now. You’ve really changed a lot since back then.
She swayed her tail gently, as if satisfied by the little show.
— I’m joking. That’s not the reason.

“Then why?”
— Information holds immense value. Especially intelligence regarding a secret organization like that—it’s practically priceless. Even if we’re partner agencies, we can’t just hand it over for nothing.
The value of information.

More precious than gold, more common than gravel.
It can overturn an entire battlefield in a moment, yet is also something everyone claims to have.
The Intelligence Bureau was the agency that sifted and collected such countless pieces of data.

And intelligence about the Evil God Cult—nearly on par with classified state secrets—was indeed a high-value commodity, just as she said.
— You know where I’m from, don’t you?
“…Yes. You were an underworld informant.”

Melanie hadn’t started in government.
She was someone who had worked far deeper, far darker.
An infamous information broker from the underworld.

‘Minister Grayson recruited her personally.’
Thanks to Minister Karton’s direct recruitment while he was Bureau Chief, our country’s intelligence network had expanded dramatically.
She spoke again.

— The Bureau’s no different. We’ll cooperate—but we won’t hand over everything. That diminishes the value of our intel, and risks exposing our sources.
Purely mercantile words.
In Melanie’s view, this wasn’t something she was naturally obliged to help with—it was a high-stakes transaction worth the risk.

She interlaced her fingers, leaned in slowly, and looked me in the eye.
— Do you know how many times we’ve lost valuable agents because other departments mishandled confidential intel? Especially the diplomatic idiots—we’ve lost track of how many they’ve cost us.
“But the Immigration Office has no such track record. You can trust us.”

— You.
She spoke in a low, quiet tone.
— Do you remember what you said to me after the mana surge incident?

“…”
Right on target.
And with it, memories I had buried resurfaced.

[We need intel on the southern criminal organizations. From top brass to errand boys—every last one. Don’t leave a single name out.]
After the Visual Inspector’s death, I’d made a vow.
To root out every single thug organization in the South—no exceptions.

‘And I knew I’d need the Bureau’s help to do that.’
Especially someone like Melanie, with her underworld background—she would’ve known everything. She was the perfect ally.
— I lost a third of my informants in the underworld back then. You were one of the biggest reasons we suffered.

“It had to be done. They were tumors.”
— Someone has to do the dirty work for the sake of the nation. Evil doesn’t have to vanish entirely, sweetheart.
Hearing those words, I finally remembered why I couldn’t ever stand beside Melanie.

We were too different.
In how we saw the world—and how we chose to face it.
Even if I had joined the Intelligence Bureau instead of becoming an Immigration Officer, our relationship wouldn’t have lasted.

— Personally, I’d like to help you. But officially? I can’t. Not unless there’s compensation.
Her cold voice flowed from the crystal orb.
— If you want something, you pay for it. That’s my condition.

She offered me just one thing.
A deal.
A conversation in the form of a merchant’s exchange.

“…What is it you want?”
— Finally speaking my language. I thought you’d forgotten where you came from.
She smiled with satisfaction.

— Now then. What should I ask of someone with your talents?
“Anything’s fine, as long as it’s not a private meeting.”
— …Tch.

Melanie snorted, then pulled a massive, heavy book off a shelf and flipped it open.
— This is a compilation of ciphers from the past year that our agents haven’t been able to decode. I’ll send it to you—crack it within a week.
The opened book was filled with erratic symbols and a language I’d never seen before.

One sentence caught my eye.
[Silyur iktahgin deera Maribectas.]
‘Not a language I know.’

No matter how deep I searched my memory, I’d never seen such a chaotic script.
“Hmmm…”
I focused for a moment and stared into it.

Slowly, the characters began to shift.
[The sleeping hatchling in the Crimson Mountain dreams of eternal flame.]
It was clearly in another language, yet it now appeared in the common tongue—familiar, almost natural to me.

“It’s a dual-layer cipher. Even once decoded, the words themselves are laced with metaphor.”
— You already translated it?
Melanie smiled, as if I’d met her expectations exactly.

“If a system exists, any language can be translated.”
My Talent Manifestation is simple.
I can understand, speak, and write every language in existence.

Which means these kinds of obscure or extinct linguistic codes are immediately breakable.
“However, I don’t believe I’ll be able to interpret the hidden meanings beneath the surface.”
That was the catch. I was weak against metaphorical phrasing like this.

— Oh, don’t worry about that. Just # Nоvеlight # translate the language. As long as it’s in the common tongue, we can take it from there.
It wasn’t a bad deal.
Just a translation job—could be finished in three days, not even seven.

All I had to do was read and transcribe.
— Decryption of metaphors is our job. You just do your part.
There was no reason to refuse.

“Very well. I’ll gladly do it.”
— Excellent.
At last, we were aligned.

A transaction where both sides got exactly what they wanted.
— And when you come to the capital, drop by the Bureau sometime.
“…”

— And if you ever decide you want to join up, just say the word. I’m still keeping the spot open.
Even though I’d refused a personal meeting, she couldn’t help but sneak in another offer.
I turned her down, gently.

“If I did that, Director Hylin would be furious.”
— What’s scary about some dusty desert hag who used to choke on sand? She talks like she’s got a mouthful of rocks.
Her tone turned venomous in an instant.

Ever since I joined the Immigration Office, Melanie had harbored this strange hostility toward Hylin.
‘Just my imagination, probably.’
I forced a polite smile and said,

“Haha… In any case, shall we move on to what I’ll be receiving?”
— You need intel on the Evil God Cult, personnel information, and anyone associated with the name Hattenshila, right?
“That’s correct.”

— Alright. But I’m not saying any of it over this call.
“I understand.”
High-value intelligence is never delivered verbally.

There’s always the risk of someone eavesdropping or intercepting the orb’s signal.
— I’ll encrypt the data and send it through the Royal Postal Service. You should be able to crack it instantly, so it won’t be a problem.
“Clean and efficient. Thank you for your cooperation, Director.”

— It’s not cooperation. It’s a transaction.
True to her past as an underworld broker, she tapped the table twice to seal the deal.
It was a traditional gesture in the Merchant Academy—signaling the close of a trade.

She knew my background, down to its customs and etiquette.
No openings.
I smiled faintly and tapped the table in return.

“A satisfying transaction.”
As I reached for the orb to disconnect—
— Be careful, sweetheart.

“…Pardon?”
I looked up. Melanie’s pale, serpentine tail was swaying uneasily.
— The awakening of the little predator isn’t a good omen. Especially not while his gaze is fixed on you. The proxy will resume activity soon.

“…”
— I’m telling you this for free. Don’t overthink it.
There was no need to ask who she meant.

There was only one “little predator” in this country.
King Rio Castor.
‘So even after the trial, he’s still watching me?’

Not good news.
‘And if it’s the King’s proxy, then…’
Incansus Vermotem.

I recalled that one time the King’s proxy had visited the Immigration Office.
If he’s moving again, it means the King—or the Queen—has given a direct order.
‘That’s intel on the royal capital. Something that shouldn’t be spoken so lightly.’

And yet she’d passed it to me offhand, without expecting anything in return.
It was, undoubtedly, Melanie showing me goodwill.
“…Thank you, Direc—Melanie.”

— Been a while since you called me that.
It had been a very long time since I’d used her name, not her title.
— Don’t be so stupid as to try and do everything alone.

The merchant’s mask vanished.
And what remained was just a woman.
— People like you… aren’t easy to find.

Her smile carried something complicated.
— Ending transmission.
And the image of the snake disappeared.

 
****
“Phew…”

With a sigh of relief, I leaned back into the chair.
“Somehow… things are starting to move again.”
I’d secured intelligence on the Evil God Cult.

And once again, reinforced Erzena’s security.
‘We’ve done everything we can on our end.’
As the Immigration Office—and as its Chief Inspector—every possible measure had been taken.

Now all that remained was to await the Bureau’s intel… and Director Hylin’s response.
That was when—
SLAM.

The Olfactory Inspector burst into the conference room, face pale as a corpse.
“Ch-Chief Inspector!”
So much for taking a breath.

“…Olfactory Inspector. What is it?”
“You need to come see this. Outside. Now.”
What now?

Dragging my heavy limbs, I headed to the window.
And in the distance, something all too familiar came into view.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

A flag bearing the rose-emblazoned shield.
Erzena and the other Senses Inspectors entered behind the Olfactory Inspector and stood by my side, looking out the window.
She muttered, her voice laced with every emotion imaginable.

“...The Pilgrimage Delegation…”
Those who had been denied their holy war—were returning to the South.