I’m an Immigration Officer!

It had been about five days since Elaine awakened to the emotion called happiness.
Depending on how you looked at it, it was both a long and short period.

In that time, a lot had changed.
The first thing: the massive boulder that had been embedded in the plains before the border was now firmly planted next to ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ the Immigration Bureau like some landmark.
“What the hell is that?”
“That wasn’t here the last time I came.”
“Alright, everyone! That’s a relic from the Great Holy War fifteen years ago. It’ll be on the exam, so remember it!”

The boulder, with its historical value as debris from the Great Holy War, naturally became a tourist attraction, grabbing the attention of new arrivals at the border in one go.
‘Of course, it also means our workload increased in equal measure.’
Put another way, the once plain and dry border crossing and Bureau gained a bit of distinctiveness.

The second change: the Border Defense Garrison's usual blunt and passive attitude had completely flipped.
[Urgent need to review future security protocols from Central Officer Nathan Kell.]
The day Elaine completely extracted that boulder with telekinesis, the golems stationed at the border saw her power firsthand.

‘And they immediately figured out who Elaine really was.’
The sight of every statue atop the wall kneeling to her on one knee was as grand as the sunset over the horizon.
Fortunately, they were a famously blunt and tight-lipped species, so there was little risk of the princess’s identity leaking.

However, it did create a different sort of headache.
[Strong recommendation to immediately appoint security detail for VVVVVVVVIP. Also demanding explanation regarding the forced fabrication five days ago.]
Specifically, the Garrison Commander’s overbearing loyalty, demanding extreme protective measures for the princess, became the issue.

[Submission required: written agreement for 24-hour security detail around Central Officer’s residence. Signature requested.]
The crystal ball lit up constantly, buzzing dozens of times a day with communication requests.
And the third thing…

“What do you mean denied entry?!”
“…Excuse me?”
The sudden outburst from up ahead snapped me out of my thoughts.
It was already late morning.
I slowly turned my gaze forward.

There stood an elderly man with a fishing rod slung over his shoulder.
And following that, I spotted the document stamped clearly with [Entry Denied].
My mind returned to the present.

“Ah, right… The blowfish you brought contains a lethal dose of poison, so there’s potential for abuse.”
There was one thing I had overlooked.
No matter how much changes, there are things that never change.

Such as border work, the inspection process, and of course…
“Do you have any idea how good this is for stamina? You eat this, you’ll be seeing triplets by morning! I went all the way to the southern coast to get this!”
…The troublemaker applicants.

“…Unless the poison is neutralized, you cannot enter. Or, you may present documentation from a certified blowfish chef.”
“Argh…!”
My blunt refusal made the old man scowl and shout.
“How can an immigration officer be this stiff?! Get me your superior! Who’s the head of this place?!”

That would be me.
“If I can’t feed this to my useless son, and I never get grandkids, will you take responsibility?!”
And if that blowfish poison ends up in the local water supply and kills everyone, would you take responsibility for that?

I shook my head and opened my mouth to respond.
“Due to your uncooperative attitude regarding the entry process, I regret to inform you that your entry will be postponed for two days. Please return in three.”
These types of people existed 24/7, 365 days a year.

At this point, it felt awkward if they weren’t around.
‘Familiarity sure is terrifying.’
Just as I thought that and signaled to the assistant standing behind me—

—Vwooom.
The chair the old man sat on suddenly jolted upward.
“Whaaaat?!”

Then, propelled by an invisible force, he slid straight out of the Bureau building.
“Hmph.”
A faint snort sounded from behind me.

I slowly turned my head.
“…Elaine.”
[That was dangerous.]
There she stood—still with her robe pulled low over her face, but with a proud posture, one hand outstretched.

From between the fabric of her robe, glittering green eyes peeked out.
There was no longer any fear in them.
I let out a bitter smile.

“That man wasn’t threatening the Bureau; he was merely protesting the entry process.”
“…Huh?”
“Bring him back. The procedure isn’t finished.”
Startled, she quickly waved her hand.
—Vwooom. Screeech.

The old man and his chair returned, exactly as they had been before.
He looked around, utterly dumbfounded.
“W-What the hell was that just now?!”
“The Immigration Bureau is currently running a ‘Courtesy Campaign.’ Any verbal abuse or shouting toward officers results in automatic demotion in queue order, as demonstrated.”

The lie slipped smoothly off my tongue.
The third thing that had changed—
Was Elaine herself.

She no longer shrank away.
Since realizing she could use her power through emotions beyond grief and pain, Elaine had changed.
A bit braver, a bit more energetic, a bit more proactive.

Unlike her first day, silently hiding in the Bureau’s corners, she now used telekinesis discreetly behind my back.
Look at that precision—nary a scratch on the old man or his chair.
Her abilities, much like her personality, had clearly leveled up.

“Do you still wish to bring the blowfish?”
“N-No… Forget it. I’ll just toss it. Let me through on my own.”
Invisible power—surprisingly useful in many ways.
But it came with one critical flaw.

—Slip.
“Ow.”
Even a minor paper cut—

“…Ugh!”
Those green eyes immediately flipped in panic.
—Vwooom.

“Wha—?!”
Before I could react, telekinesis lifted me clean off the ground and hurtled me toward the recovery ward.
“H-Hey! Elaine! It’s barely a scratch! I’m not even bleeding!”
[I’ll protect you! I’ll protect you with everything I have!]
“I’m telling you I’m fine!”

Completely ignoring me.
They say it’s like preaching to a cow.
My desperate persuasion was cut off by her firm muttering.

—Slam!
The door burst open, and we entered the recovery ward, golden healing energy swirling in the air.
“Waaah!”

Erzena, who had been tending to the Gustatory Officer’s hand, looked up.
“Where—oh my god!”
Her scream followed.

There I was, floating helplessly midair, our eyes meeting awkwardly.
“…Hello, Erzena.”
“…”
Painful silence.

“Hello, Central Officer!”
“Gustatory Officer. Nice to see you.”
Only the utterly oblivious Gustatory Officer cheerfully waved both hands.
I wanted to die from embarrassment.

Despite appearances, I am a high-ranking government official.
Erzena finally composed herself enough to speak.
“Your Highness. What on earth is this?”

Before she could even finish, Elaine waved her hand.
At the same time, the word cards on the desk floated up, forming a sentence.
—Central Officer. Injury. Treatment. Holy Power. Necessary.

She no longer violently rejected holy power.
More precisely, only when it came from Erzena.
A stark contrast to how she used to seize up at the mere proximity of divine energy.

She even visited the recovery ward on her own now, communicating with Erzena using the word cards.
Elaine confidently pushed back her hood and spoke.
“Uuuh-aaah.”
[Nathan was in danger, so I protected him.]

It wasn’t dangerous at all, and she definitely overdid it, but I saw no reason to vocalize that.
Erzena gave the princess an exasperated look.
“You know this is the third time today, right?”
“Mhm!”

New cards floated up.
—Safety. First. Central Officer. Promise.
Erzena sighed deeply after reading them.

“Haaa… Come here. And for the love of everything, please set Nathan down when you come in next time.”
That day, I had asked the princess for one thing:
—In the days ahead, as we walk together, I hope you’ll protect me.

It was meant as a mutual gesture between friends—leaning on each other equally, enduring together.
But Elaine had taken it far too literally.
Now, the slightest harm to my body, the tiniest fluctuation in my mood, and a telekinetic hammer came down instantly.

In many ways, the Immigration Bureau was far livelier than before.
And one more thing had changed—
“All done.”
“Apologies for the trouble, Erzena. I made you worry for nothing.”
“It’s fine. But more importantly…”

—Squeeze.
She gently grabbed my now-healed thumb and stared at me for a long moment.
“…”
“Erzena…?”
“It’s nothing.”

Her gaze lingered… noticeably longer than it used to.
That’s when it happened.
“Central Officer.”

My direct assistant entered the recovery ward, holding the crystal ball.
“Assistant. What is it?”
“Today is the Foreign Ministry’s scheduled report day.”
“Ah.”

I had completely forgotten.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen them.
 

****
There was a time when the world still worshipped nature.
They believed volcanic eruptions were the roars of Red Dragons spreading their wings.

Earthquakes were said to be demons deep underground yearning for sunlight.
Tidal waves—offerings demanded by Krakens beneath the sea.
Every natural phenomenon was explained as the act of beings far greater than humanity.

We call that era the Age of Myth.
And at the center of every myth… was the dragon.
—Rumble… Rumble…

Far in the distance, the volcano erupted again, and deep inside the mountain’s cavern, a dragon stirred.
“Mmm…”
Mnatshil slowly opened eyes that had been closed for countless years.

Slitted crimson pupils scanned the surroundings.
How long had she slept?
She wasn’t sure.

Lately, it felt like she slept more than usual.
She turned her gaze outside the cave, seeing rivers of hardened lava flowing down the mountain range.
“Strange…”

She sniffed the air.
The scent of the young eagle she had once allowed into the cave was gone.
Her eyes swept the interior.

Piles of gold and jewels, bones of countless devoured beasts…
And finally, a small nest she had made for the eagle.
Lying atop it, the skeleton of an adult bird.

Mnatshil muttered quietly.
“…It was just a fledgling before I fell asleep.”
But only the bleached bones of a mature eagle remained now.

A clear sign of how much time had passed.
And that time spared no one—not even Mnatshil.
Her once radiant, light-reflecting scales dulled with age.

Claws and fangs, sharp enough to cleave steel, now blunt like clubs.
—Huff… FWOOOSH!
Her flame breath, once capable of scorching the sky, now barely large enough to engulf a single village.

Mnatshil rested her head back on the boulder with a bitter smile.
“My era is ending…”
But she wasn’t sad.

Time is our only true adversary.
Even with the power to cast a thousand spells or topple mountains, mortality comes for all.
But she wasn’t sad. Nor angry.

Because they had discovered a way to defy time.
Carefully, she lifted her right wing.
—Rustle.

Beneath the piles of treasure lay a single, enormous egg.
The only way to defy mortality:
To bear offspring—to pass on knowledge, experience, and life itself.

Flesh may decay under time, but spirit, soul, and legacy—those can achieve immortality.
“When you hatch… the world’s flames will rejoice…”
Mnatshil whispered, exhaling a gentle flame.

She had to protect this egg—the last descendant of the Red Dragons.
Just then—
—Crackle. Snap, crackle.

A burning sound echoed from the base of the cave.
[Master of the volcano! We have come to bless your offspring!]
[We have come! We have come!]
They were spirits of fire, shaped like human women, flickering in orange flame.

They had traveled far from the southern continent to celebrate the birth of a new Red Dragon.
Mnatshil smiled warmly.
“Ah, spirits of flame. You’ve come at the perfect time.”

Born alongside volcanic eruptions, the fire spirits were her oldest friends.
Like fire itself, destined to flicker and fade away.
She lifted her tail, revealing the concealed cavern entrance.

“Come inside. Tell me how the world has changed.”
Time may be the dragon’s only enemy, but for her, centuries passed.
Boredom, loneliness, stagnation—the other names of dragons.

Thus, tales from travelers were the greatest entertainment, filling the void of lost years.
[We met a fascinating human in the central continent. He speaks Spirit Tongue fluently, despite lacking mana!]
[It was shocking! Shocking!]
“Oh? I must hear more.”
The story promised amusement from the start.

Mnatshil smiled faintly and settled in comfortably.
“Speak. I will reward you generously. Would charcoal suffice?”
[We ate plenty. That fascinating human gave us charcoal for free!]
[Morning, noon, and night!]
“Oh… how interesting. Continue your tale.”
Even if her time was short, she had enough left to spend with this egg.

At least enough for the hatchling to recognize its mother.
But there was one thing Mnatshil had overlooked:
The mighty power of a dragon, forged through the Age of Myth, inevitably breeds legends and desire.

And those who desire power… will always come.
But there’s no guarantee those who come… are good.