I’m an Immigration Officer!

Clack, clack.
Stepping past the frozen Olfactory Officer, still stuck in place with his hand half-held, Erzena came to stand directly before Elaine.
“You’re telling me… you brought the Princess here?”

Her voice held a faint note of surprise.
She was slightly {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} taller than Elaine— not as much as the towering Olfactory Officer, but enough that, unlike him, Erzena didn’t bother lowering herself.
She stood upright, looking down at the Princess.

“Those eyes… Definitely the royal color of the Cross-Line Kingdom.”
Golden eyes calmly locked onto green ones.
There was an inexplicable pressure behind her stare.

“…Uuh…”
Elaine, unable to bear the tension, released the Olfactory Officer’s fingers and quickly retreated behind me.
“Your Highness?”

Still overwhelmed, she kept her head down, clutching at my sleeve as I called to her.
Now that I think about it, they have a few things in common.
Both of them come from high positions. Both ended up here, at the Southern Border.

And both possess their own unique powers.
Erzena wields divine power. Elaine has raw telekinesis— a Talent Emergence case.
Maybe… they could actually become friends.

Shared traits meant shared burdens, shared experiences.
It was a rare chance for Elaine to form a bond outside of me and Hannah.
I took her trembling hand, feeling her visibly calm down.
“It’s alright. Erzena is only curious about why you’re here, Your Highness.”

“…”
“She just came to greet you. Like the werewolf over there.”
Elaine’s eyes drifted back toward the still-frozen Olfactory Officer, stuck mid-handshake.

Understanding my meaning, she gave a tiny nod and cautiously stepped forward again.
Even as she let go of my hand, she didn’t release it entirely until the distance forced her to.
“…Hm?”

Erzena, watching this, visibly flinched— but masked it within seconds.
“No… it can’t be…”
She murmured quietly, a flicker of unease crossing her face.

As Elaine stood before her, Erzena spoke first.
“Nice to meet you, Princess Elaine Castor. I’m Erzena Selaph. No titles, just Erzena.”
It seemed she’d fully adjusted to life without her Saintess title, delivering the introduction with ease.

Elaine, peering up at those golden eyes, hesitantly opened her mouth—
“…Uuh…”
But all that came out was a soft, indecipherable sound.

“…Your Highness?”
“Uuh…”
Even as Erzena repeated herself, the response remained the same.
“…Right, I forgot.”

I quickly explained Elaine’s situation to her.
“She… can’t speak.”
Erzena’s expression softened immediately.

“You could’ve mentioned that sooner. I thought…”
A sheepish smile, as if she’d misunderstood entirely.
Lowering herself slightly, Erzena reached out and gently took the Princess’s hand.

“In that case, maybe I can help.”
Eyes closed, she gripped Elaine’s hand—
Realization hit me a second too late.

“Erzena, stop—!”
But it was already done.
Fwoosh.

A soft, golden glow spread from Erzena’s hand, radiating outward.
“I’ll fix it, just give me a moment.”
And then those familiar, oppressive waves of divine power—

Elaine’s green eyes went wide in horror.
[The Church…!]
She slapped Erzena’s hand away with all her strength.

Fwham!
“Ah—!”
Erzena was thrown backward by invisible force.

“Tactile Officer, grab her—!”
Luckily, the Tactile Officer extended a tendril just in time, catching Erzena before she slammed into the desk.
Crreeeak…

Elaine glared down at the hand Erzena had held, her teeth clenched tightly.
[You people… you chased me all the way here…!]
The same ominous rumble from the Capital filled the air—

The entire building began to shake.
Shit.
I forgot.

Erzena’s divine power was indistinguishable from the aura the priests used in the Capital.
Elaine thought Erzena was with the Church.
“Wh-What the hell—?”
“An earthquake?!”

Panicked shouts erupted throughout the room.
I stepped in front of Elaine, grabbing both her hands.
“Elaine! Erzena isn’t with the Church anymore. She excommunicated herself! There are no Church people here!”

She froze at my words.
[Ex…communicated?]
“The last time we met at the royal tomb, she’d already renounced her Saintess title. Look— she isn’t even wearing the Church’s emblem!”

Elaine’s eyes darted to Erzena’s chest.
No rose-shaped cross necklace— the symbol mandatory for Church members.
“There’s nothing here you need to fear. You’re safe.”

Shrrrrrk.
At last, the trembling subsided.
One by one, those who’d lost their balance began to rise to their feet.

“…Ugh, what the hell…”
“Felt like I was being crushed by something…”
“So that’s her Talent Emergence… I think I’m gonna be sick…”
Whispers filled the room, cautious eyes turning toward Elaine.
Damn it.

First impressions were critical, and this one was going poorly.
Elaine, clearly aware of the reactions, looked around in growing distress.
I stepped in quickly.

“I apologize, everyone. The Princess… she’s never left the Capital before. She’s extremely on edge. And…”
I hesitated briefly.
Should I say it?

Revealing how deeply she hates the Church— was that the right move?
But they’d find out eventually.
These people will be around her for two months. We can’t hide this forever.

It’s better they hear it from me now than draw their own conclusions later.
I decided to be direct.
“She… has history with the Church. Bad history.”

At those words, the Sensory Officers’ expressions shifted to somber understanding.
“History, huh… yeah, we’ve all got some of that.”
“Well, guess if you don’t know her story, you’d never figure out why Erzena’s here either…”
Thankfully, the reaction was understanding—

All but one.
“…Elaine?”
Except for Erzena.

I hurried over to her.
“Are you hurt? I’m sorry. This is my fault— I should’ve explained more clearly.”
“Don’t worry. Thanks to divine power— and Tactile Officer’s quick reflexes— I’m fine. I was just… surprised.”

Rubbing her wrist where the telekinetic force had struck, Erzena rose to her feet with my help.
Shit.
Elaine’s hatred of the Church meant her relationship with Erzena was bound to be… complicated.

Even if Erzena left the Church, the divine power remained.
Elaine despised that.
I can’t let this spiral from the start.

How do I explain this— smooth this over—
But Erzena cut me off.
“You shouldn’t do that, Nathan. Using the Princess’s name so casually in public? What would people think of a government official acting like that?”

“…What?”
“It’s worrisome, is all. I don’t mind personally, but…”
She adjusted my disheveled shirt with an unreadable smile.

Rustle.
Her fingertips brushed my collar, straightening it.
“…Uuh…?”

Elaine, watching the scene, visibly tensed again.
“Um, Erzena… the Princess using her powers— doesn’t that bother you?”
“I know exactly what her powers are. I know she’s Talent-Emerged. But we’ll talk about that later.”

“And her grudge against the Church?”
“That too. Later.”
She dismissed the concerns with a wave of her hand.

“Nathan, you might be a decent person, but you should be careful with your words in public.”
With that, she gently brushed dust from my shoulder.
You’re literally calling me by name right now, I nearly snapped back, biting my tongue just in time.

Hannah chimed in brightly—
“Th-The Princess and the Chief Officer are friends! They even wrote letters to each other!”
“Ah… So those letters you kept hidden in your drawer for days— they were from the Princess?”

Her words were gentle— her tone was ice.
“You never told me, no matter how much I asked.”
Why did it suddenly feel like a cold wind was blowing indoors?

“E-Erzena? You’re not mad… right?”
“Me? Angry? Why?”
Because your eyes right now are scarier than when you declared me a heretic.

Even when you painted “Believe in the Lord, or burn in hell” across your forehead, you didn’t glare at me like this.
“I’m not angry. Do I look angry?”
She smiled.

Wow. Her eyes weren’t smiling.
A faint haze of divine power crept along the floor behind her like mist.
This is going to end badly.
Of course she’s mad. He brought another woman here.
We call this a catfight where I’m from.

Murmurs from the Sensory Officers filled the background.
Erzena’s voice dropped, dangerously soft—
“Anyone who wants 72-hour extended duty with no breaks— keep talking. I’ll personally coat the Bureau in divine power.”

“…Understood.”
The Olfactory Officer snapped his mouth shut, tail pressed to his lips. The Tactile Officer did the same with a tendril.
Changing the subject, Erzena asked—

“More importantly, why is the Princess even here? What happened at the Capital?”
There it was. The root question.
Why was the Princess at the Southern Border? And why under royal decree?

I scrambled for the right explanation, recalling Incanthus’s words.
“There was… a volcanic quake in the western region. The Princess was evacuated to the Southern Border for safety— it’s the most stable terrain available.”
Silence.

“…”
“…”
Erzena’s golden eyes settled on me, staring in that way that practically screamed, You expect me to believe that?
The look made me instinctively add, “It’s the truth.”

But Erzena shifted her gaze to Hannah instead.
“Miss Hannah.”
“Eep! Y-Yes!?”

Hannah jolted like she’d been struck by winter’s northern winds just from hearing her name in that ice-cold voice.
“Is it true?”
Erzena stepped in, her face now dangerously close to Hannah’s, their eyes nearly touching.

“Did the Princess really come here because of an earthquake?”
“T-That is…”
Hannah’s blue eyes darted aside.

“…Y-Yes, that’s right! The earthquake was terrifying! The ground… it shook and shook…”
The words tumbled out as stiffly as a broken doll.
The Olfactory Officer exhaled a long, heavy sigh.

“We’re screwed.”
The others followed with their own muttered complaints.
“Why do things like this only ever happen to us…”
“First the former Saintess… now the Princess. What’s next? His Majesty? A dragon? An ancient primordial being?”
“At this point, nothing would surprise me…”

Everyone knew.
It was a lie.
Two days ago, Hannah had stumbled into the Bureau, looking half-dead, begging me to save her friend.

And now that friend was suddenly revealed as the Princess, brought here “for safety from earthquakes”? Who would buy that?
Especially after witnessing firsthand what kind of destructive force the Princess carried.
But how the hell do I explain clashing with the Queen, or that the Princess nearly brought down the palace walls?

Not to mention, Incanthus specifically ordered me to keep that under wraps.
So, I forced the most apologetic expression I could muster and looked at Erzena.
“I… can’t explain everything. Just… know there were circumstances.”

“…I understand.”
Finally, she nodded.
“Guess you’ve got stories… like me.”

Her expression softened, if only slightly.
That’s when the Hearing Officer chimed in—
“So… that means the Princess will be staying at your house, Chief Officer?”

“…What?”
“…Excuse me?”
“…Uuh?”
All three of us—me, Erzena, and Elaine—echoed the same confused response.
“Why would that happen?”

“That’s inappropriate!”
[T-The Chief Officer’s house?] Elaine’s voice stuttered in writing.
The Hearing Officer countered smoothly.

“Why not?”
Both Erzena and I answered simultaneously—
“Well, I… I don’t have any spare rooms!”
“She’s the Princess! It’s completely inappropriate for her to casually stay at a young bachelor’s home!”

The quickest excuses I could come up with.
“Ohoho…”
The Hearing Officer grinned wickedly, pointing a sly finger at Erzena.

“But you, Erzena, stay at that same ‘young bachelor’s home’ without hesitation, don’t you~?”
“…!!! That… That’s…”
“If I recall, it was your choice to stay there. Despite being the ‘former Saintess’ and all that~?”

Erzena floundered, her face flushing as she opened and closed her mouth uselessly.
The elf then turned that scheming finger toward me.
“And Chief Officer… If memory serves, your house has five rooms, correct? You and Erzena each use one, leaving exactly two unoccupied, am I wrong~?”

“Th-Those rooms… haven’t been cleaned yet!”
Cleaning.
A word that had been erased from my vocabulary entirely— a word even Erzena, despite living with me for days, hadn’t dared utter.

We were just that busy.
“Then clean them.”
“It’s not that simple. I’d need a whole day for a proper deep clean—”

“But Hannah was a palace maid, wasn’t she? She can help.”
“…”
What the hell is wrong with her today…

Dragging poor Hannah into this now?
But fine. That gave me my counterargument.
“Hannah wouldn’t agree to that. Right, Hannah?”

Hannah, barely recovering from Erzena’s earlier interrogation, jumped again.
“M-Me?”
“Yes. Surely you want the Princess to stay somewhere more appropriate.”

My house had already reached its limit.
I’m barely surviving living with Erzena as it is.
It was only a few days ago that I finally managed to reply to her “Goodnight” and “Did you sleep well?” without stuttering.

I still die inside every morning commuting to the Bureau together. Adding one more person to that would crush my fragile sanity.
And I still hadn’t cleaned.
I refuse to show them my filthy side twice.

Someone else. There’s got to be a better place.
Suddenly, one loyal noble of the Cross-Line Kingdom came to mind.
“Actually, wouldn’t the Marquis Reyes’s estate be perfect? It’s spacious, luxurious, and I’m sure the Marquis would consider it an honor to host the Princess.”

Marquis Reyes.
If the Princess was stationed at the Southern Border now, the Marquis would welcome her with open arms.
Not to mention, I still owe him for that whole Changeling incident.

Canceling the execution… I’d been meaning to repay that debt. This could settle it neatly.
I spoke with confidence.
“I’ll contact the Marquis immediately. He’ll ensure proper accommodations for the Princess.”

But an unexpected obstacle appeared.
“Chief Officer… You’re the one in charge of the Southern Border, correct?”
Hannah, suddenly serious, narrowed her eyes.

“Your home is probably well-protected with defensive spells. You’re responsible for the Princess’s safety. And the former Saintess stays there already…”
This… wasn’t going the way I wanted.
“Hannah… Let’s think this through—”

“I think your house is the safest option, Chief Officer! I don’t trust anyone else!”
A complete betrayal.
Hannah, what the hell?

“The Marquis’s family has been loyal to the kingdom for generations. You can trust them!”
“There were hundreds of ‘loyal’ nobles in the Capital, Chief Officer. Every single one ignored the Princess.”
A sharp, unexpected retort.

She pointed her finger at me, driving the point home.
“Only you stayed by the Princess’s side. Only you protected her. There’s nowhere else. She has to stay with you.”
She sealed it like a verdict.

Clap clap clap clap.
The Sensory Officers applauded, pulling Hannah into their ranks.
“An honor to have you with us, sister. Come, sit.”
“Welcome to the ‘Chief Officer’s Suffering Spectator Club.’”
“Liked her from the start. Want to grab drinks later?”
“Share all the gossip, okay?”

Those damn bastards.
The Olfactory Officer was practically treating her like his little sister already.
In desperation, I turned to Elaine.

“Y-Your Highness… What do you think?”
Think carefully.
A young woman, a Princess, staying in a young bachelor’s home— people will talk.

This isn’t good for your future.
I don’t want to ruin your chances at marriage.
But she didn’t answer with words.

[…]
Tug.
She only lowered her head, silently grabbing the hem of my coat, refusing to let go.

There was only one thing that could mean.
“…Ah.”
This was… really bad.

Erzena watched the scene quietly, her expression conflicted.
“…At this point… We don’t have much of a choice.”