I’m an Immigration Officer!

—Vwoooom.
As the crystal ball vibrated and glowed, a familiar face appeared within.

“It’s been a week, Minister.”
Karton Grayson, wearing his usual monocle, didn’t respond.
Instead, he set aside the documents he always held, silently staring at me for an uncomfortably long time.

Finally, he opened his mouth.
—Haaaa…
A deep sigh for a greeting. That’s a new one.

“Minister? Is something wrong?”
—Plenty’s wrong. So much I nearly passed out from the workload.
He spoke with exhaustion etched across his face.

—By royal decree, the princess has been sent to your location for recovery. Because of that, we’re all dying here. I haven’t been home for six days.
“Ah.”
Only then did I realize why the Minister looked more drained than usual.

A princess leaving the capital to stay in a remote region was highly unusual.
Depending on interpretation, it could even be seen as an act with diplomatic implications.
At the same time, the entire southern region likely underwent investigation to preempt any potential threats.

‘I can almost hear the Foreign Ministry and Intelligence Bureau screaming from here… probably just my imagination.’
And the Minister overseeing all those agencies? His head was likely ready to explode.
Karton sighed heavily and adjusted his posture.

—Let’s finish the regular report first, then we’ll talk. Has anything happened at the Southern Border this past week?
“Uh…”
I briefly recalled the events.
The first day the princess arrived, a Dwarf brought a prohibited item—the Blood Diamond.

Then, those mercenaries tried smuggling in an unauthorized artifact, and when caught, attempted to detonate it. We nearly died.
And Elaine… nearly lost control again trying to stop it.
A lot happened, honestly.

‘But I handled it all…’
If you contain the fallout, it’s as if nothing happened.
The proud, unbroken tradition of zero incidents.

I smiled faintly and answered.
“Nothing happened.”
—Your face says otherwise.

Of course the Minister wasn’t fooled. His instincts were sharp as ever.
—So then, where’s the princess staying? If I had to guess, probably at Marquis Reyes’s estate.
Before I could answer, he nodded to himself and continued.

—The Marquis is trustworthy. One of the rare, die-hard loyalists. His Majesty must’ve taken that into account when sending her south.
Incorrect.
I carefully corrected him.

“The princess is currently staying at my private residence with one maid.”
—…What?
The Minister froze, still holding his temple.

—The connection must be acting up. Repeat that, Central Officer.
“She’s staying at my house.”
—A marriage-aged princess… staying in an unmarried young male officer’s house?

The Minister slowly removed his monocle.
That gesture meant he was setting aside formalities for a blunt, honest talk.
He inhaled sharply.

—You insane bastard! Do you even understand what that implies!?
His booming shout burst from the crystal ball.
“Minister? Are you angry by chance?”

—Angry? I’m beyond angry—I’m speechless!
How that wiry frame produced such a loud voice, I’ll never know.
—The princess isn’t just visiting; she’s staying there?!

Realizing the implications hidden in his words, I frantically waved my hand.
“T-That’s not the intention at all! Plus, her maid’s with her, so it’s fine, right?”
—Fine? You lunatic! Even sharing a roof with royalty is a massive breach of protocol, and you have the princess living at your house?! Do you even comprehend what that suggests!?

“Erzena’s living there too! You think I’m crazy enough to try something inappropriate!?”
I’m not some beast.
How could I, even for a second, entertain impure thoughts about a nation’s princess?

Unless I’d completely lost my mind, it’s unthinkable.
But the Minister’s expression only twisted further in disbelief at my last sentence.
—The former Saintess is living with you too!?

Ah, crap.
—Why is an asylum seeker staying at your house? There are safe houses for that!
“They collapsed during the terrorist incident.”

The Changeling pursuit, the Olfactory Officer’s rampage… the place was destroyed.
I had an airtight alibi. The Minister sighed in defeat.
—Unbelievable… Two of them, not even one…

“You know it’s not like that.”
—How the hell would I know? What do you think the world sees, Central Officer?
But right now, my home is the safest place for them.

I’ve done everything possible. It’s unfair to blame me.
“There was no other option. I swear.”
—Try telling His Majesty that. See how well he takes it.

The Minister paused briefly, composing himself, then continued.
—What about security? You’ve got two high-profile individuals under one roof; security better be doubled.
“The Border Defense Garrison is providing 24-hour security at my residence. Both individuals also accompany me to the Immigration Bureau during the day, under the protection of the Sensory Officers. Intelligence Bureau Agent R is also cooperating.”

—Hmph, at least you’ve got the bare minimum in place… but that’s not enough.
Karton’s expression turned serious again as he proposed an additional measure.
—I’ll dispatch more Intelligence operatives to the south. The princess’s abilities are unstable—we need contingency measures.

“About that…”
Seems recent reports haven’t reached him yet.
I recalled Elaine’s little stunt in the recovery ward and spoke.

“That won’t be necessary.”
—This isn’t about necessity, Central Officer. You know how dangerous her telekinesis is.
I know. All too well.

And… it’s already been dealt with.
“Her telekinesis is under control now.”
—…What?

For the first time, the Minister’s face showed genuine shock.
—Repeat that?
“The princess can now fully control her power.”

Elaine no longer falters.
She found happiness buried within her painful past—now, she only moves forward.
“You could say… the fifteen years of suppression have finally ended.”

—…
The Minister fell silent, processing my words.
Then slowly, very slowly, he inhaled.

Just as I braced to cover my ears—
—What the hell did you do, you bastard!?
His shrill, furious voice erupted from the crystal ball, defying his age.

 
****
Meanwhile, in the Western Volcanic Region—

“Get the supports up! Cover it with fabric—ash can’t get inside!”
“Don’t come this way! I smell sulfur!”
Sturdy-built soldiers bustled about, erecting a temporary outpost in the only area untouched by lava.
—Rumble… rumble rumble…

Suddenly, ominous tremors echoed from the mountaintop as lava spewed from the crater.
But no one looked up.
“H-Hey, that just now—”
“Shh. Don’t look. The dragon’ll eat you.”

Everyone kept their heads down, focused on their tasks as if they heard nothing.
The volcanic region was steeped in superstition.
One of the most common: if you dare meet the volcano’s master’s gaze when they stir, you’ll be devoured.

Even the bravest, most self-assured men believed in those tales here.
This land wasn’t just nature—it housed entities that defied comprehension.
Yet, one man looked skyward.

“…The dragon’s meeting with the fire spirits.”
His dark skin and unusual scale-like armor made him stand out.
Unlike the others, he stood still, eyes locked on the volcano’s crater.

Just then, a soldier approached nervously, saluting.
“Dragon Hunter, sir. The outpost is nearly complete. All supplies are loaded.”
Dragon Hunter.

There was only one person in this world worthy of that deadly title.
Kaban Vladovich.
The man who’d slain three dragons faster than their natural lifespan, slowly turned his head.

“Prepare yourselves. The operation starts at sundown.”
“T-Today, sir?”
The startled soldier asked, and Kaban scowled.

“The volcano’s master is aged—now’s the ideal time.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to wait for its natural death and harvest the corpse—”
“Fool. Time is relative. A creature that’s lived a thousand years takes at least ten more to die naturally. You think you can survive this hellhole that long?”

A dragon’s time flows differently.
For them, a fleeting moment is years to a human.
The soldier’s expression darkened as volcanic ash fell like snow.

“I’ve waited for this day a long ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) time. Today marks the end of that wait. It has to be today.”
The Red Dragon—Mnatshil.
Her name was infamous across the west.

“And… just killing them isn’t enough anymore.”
Kaban muttered low.
He still remembered.

The day the volcano roared, when a dragon soared into the sky, setting it ablaze.
“We have to rule them.”
And the person who showed him a new path—

—Kaban Vladovich. You’ve always hated dragons. Slaying them defined your life.
—But your focus was wrong. You have to go the other way. Rule them.
—And when you succeed, when you shatter myth as a human, help me.

—This is the token of our promise.
Kaban retrieved a magic scroll from his coat.
Thorned Crown of Blood.

The strongest existing mind-subjugation spell, a forbidden blood magic.
Staring at the scroll, her final words echoed—
—The next thing to destroy after myth… is false faith.

Long jet-black hair, eyes crimson like freshly spilled blood.
Hathensila.
She called herself the Saintess of the Evil God Cult—and Kaban accepted her proposal.

“The Age of Myth ended long ago.”
Kaban Vladovich spat the words like venom.
“Soon… I’ll drag you down to the realm of beasts.”

Killing dragons means nothing now.
Humanity has already conquered nature.
But ruling dragons—that’s a new frontier.

A signal marking the true beginning of humanity’s era.
Where no dragon, no god, nothing shall stand above us.
“Only humans will reign supreme.”

But there was one issue.
“Are all core materials in place?”
“T-That’s…”

The soldier hesitated.
“For this operation, blood magic is essential. Where’s the catalyst—the Blood Diamond?”
“It… hasn’t arrived yet.”

“What? What about the modified artifact?”
“W-We lost contact with the mercenaries transporting it!”
“Why are you telling me this now—No, wait.”

Frustration boiled within him, but Kaban didn’t lose composure.
For dragon hunts, this level of uncertainty was nothing.
He still had options.

“Contact the Cult. We need additional catalysts for the blood magic.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
The soldier activated the crystal ball.

—Vwoooom.
But the glowing sphere quickly dimmed, returning to transparent glass.
“Huh?”

Again.
—Vwoooom.
Darkness.

Only one explanation remained.
“Th-The Cult’s not responding!”
“Don’t spout nonsense!”

Kaban grabbed the soldier by the collar, fury erupting.
“What do you mean no response!? We communicated fine two weeks ago! They’re the ones eager for this hunt’s success!”
The plan was unraveling.

Tonight was the optimal window.
But this—this felt targeted. Precise interference aimed at him.
Kaban roared to the heavens.

“Where?! Who the hell is sabotaging my hunt?!”
 
****

“Achoo!”
Elaine’s eyes widened in alarm at the untimely sneeze.
[Are you hurt? Should I take you to the recovery ward?]

“No, I’m fine. So please… stop lifting me with telekinesis.”
It was the fourth time today.