Chapter 10: You said it was 1,000 people Part 2

In this tragedy, there was only one thing I could do.

“…Attendant.”

“Yes.”

“Contact the minister.”

The attendant silently touched the crystal orb.

A moment later, the Foreign Minister’s tired face, exactly as it had appeared on Monday, was projected.

“Minister.”

“Hm? Central Bureau Director. Today isn’t Monday. What’s going on? Oh, is it a report from the pilgrimage group?”

“Yes. Also… I have something else to say.”

[Listening.]

I took a deep breath.

Suppressing my emotions, I spoke quietly.

“The numbers don’t match.”

[What did you say?]

[You said there would be at most 2,000 people. A minimum of 1,000, right?]

[Huh… Are you speaking informally to me? Have you been drinking?]

[You said 2,000 was the maximum! There are 3,000. 3,000 of them came! Damn it, 3,000!]

Unfortunately, my muttered curse about the bald-headed, swindling minister didn’t reach his ears.

The quick-witted attendant had hurriedly turned off the crystal orb.

Thanks to that, all my curses and insults echoed into the void.

As soon as the silence broke, the panicked five senses officers started voicing their despair in trembling voices.

“Ch-Chief, what do we do now?”

“How many days will it take to screen 3,000 people? We’ll have to work around the clock for at least four days…”

“No way. I-I need a drink first…”

“Gasp! I-I can’t do it. This isn’t what we agreed on!”

The taste officer was in denial, the touch officer broke down calculating the per-person workload, the hearing officer searched for alcohol with trembling hands, and the smell officer scratched the wall, ready to return to the wild.

The fear of overwhelming work spread in an instant.

Even the attendants exchanged uneasy glances, their faces growing darker.

Before we could even start, morale was hitting rock bottom.

“Everyone, let’s think about this calmly—”

At that moment, someone shouted.

“Look! Over there! The pilgrimage group is coming!”

Everyone turned to look out the window.

And then we saw it.

A massive group of pilgrims slowly moving towards us, covering the entire plain.

Screams erupted from all directions.

“R-Run! It’s death, death is coming!”

“The monsters of non-stop, 24-hour overtime work are coming!”

“I’m resigning! Please accept it!”

“I-I can’t do this! I want to go home!”

Fear turned into chaos, chaos into madness, and madness back into fear.

Those who barely maintained their sanity slowly lost their minds as the creeping dread drew closer.

People ran around, screaming, despairing, and desperately praying to the “God of Quitting Work.”

Of course, such a god doesn’t exist.

The taste officer was already sitting down, writing a will.

I was the only one holding onto my sanity in this hell.

‘Maybe it was my anger at the minister who had lied about the numbers that kept me grounded.’

‘Damn it, if this continues, everyone will run away.’

If the situation went on like this, the result would be obvious.

Unable to overcome their fear, they would abandon their posts and refuse to work.

And then?

If they neglected their duties and fled, all the responsibility would fall on me as the supervisor.

The outcome would be just one thing:

‘Negligence of state affairs, disrespecting distinguished guests, and tarnishing the nation’s dignity!’

At that point, breaking the accident-free record would be the least of my worries.

A much harsher punishment would await—likely…

Execution.

Like my predecessor, my neck would be cut.

I shuddered unconsciously.

‘That can never happen!’

Somehow, I had to snap these lambs back to their senses.

After thinking this far, I took a deep breath amidst the chaos and madness.

Then, “Everyone, quiet!!!”

My loud voice instantly silenced the room, drawing everyone’s attention.

Not missing the opportunity, I continued.

“Panicking won’t change anything, everyone. You knew this was coming.”

One of the attendants shouted in a desperate voice.

“Director, we can’t handle this with just us! We can’t survive that!”

“Right!”

“Let’s close the borders on our own!”

‘If you all run away, I’ll be the only one left to face the minister’s wrath, you fools.’

Suppressing my rising anger, I responded calmly.

“You are correct. Handling this with just us is overwhelming.”

“Then—”

“But we are the only ones who can do it. Running away out of fear won’t make them disappear. We must do what we have to.”

Hearing my pointed words, the attendants fell silent.

“Listen carefully, everyone.”

What we needed now was not sympathy but practical solutions and direction.

“From now on, I’ll assign your responsibilities. Tactile Officer and Taste Officer.”

My call was answered by a faint, hollow mumble.

“Th-Th-Three thousand…”

“Oh almighty God of Quitting Work, please strike them down with lightning and wipe them out…”

Even my direct subordinates were more disoriented than the attendants.

“Sita! Lakrisa!”

“Ahh!”

“Kyaa!”

Shouting into their ears, they finally snapped out of it with startled screams.

“You two will handle the cargo. Focus on the transport wagons first. I’ll assign half of the attendants to assist you, so make good use of them. Understood?”

Chaos often leads to negligence, and negligence paves the way for crime and shortcuts.

At times like this, smugglers always take advantage.

There’s a near 100% chance they’ll try to sneak in with the pilgrims.

We can’t let that happen.

“Y-Yes!”

“Got it!”

Now, only two of the five senses officers remained.

“Next, Smell Officer and Hearing Officer.”

“Yes.”

“Here.”

They responded immediately, stepping forward without delay.

Since these two have been here for quite a while, their mental recovery is surprisingly quick. Good.

“Both of you, Then you’ll conduct the grand inspection with the Central Officer.”

“…Yes. Just proceed as usual. There’s nothing extra to address.”

There was no need to request much.

They were already competent enough.

As long as their minds didn’t collapse, they were the most reliable.

At that moment, the Sensei Officer frowned and voiced his opinion.

“Hmm, but that would take quite a long time. How about shortening the inspection time? Or perhaps allowing children and the elderly to pass through beforehand.”

He had a point.

When dealing with such a large crowd, giving each person five minutes was far too long.

‘Even if we stayed up three days and nights, it still wouldn’t be enough.’

Considering the physical and mental exhaustion, it could be seen as pure exploitation.

Also, as the Sensei Officer pointed out, children and the elderly posed fewer risks, so letting them through would ease our burden significantly.

It was a rather reasonable suggestion.

However, I shook my head.

“There will be no exceptions.”

Upon hearing the most absolute rule of the Immigration Office, the Sensei Officer flinched.

“We will proceed as usual. Five minutes per person. The entire pilgrimage group will be inspected.”

There are no special cases for those who cross the border.

Regardless of who they are—race, gender, age, or status—it doesn’t matter.

Since the Immigration Office was established, this rule has never changed, not even once.

“There will be no exceptions.”

The Sensei Officer nodded in understanding, murmuring quietly.

“…Understood. No exceptions.”

I turned to the rest of the team, who hadn’t yet received their orders.

“The attendants will handle paperwork and personal belongings inspections. Divide into two teams and set up day and night shifts.”

“Oh, and the rest of you—”

“Yes!”

“Internal security will be handled by the Border Guard. Just focus on your own tasks.”

“Understood!”

***

As structure and goals became clear, I could see the fear gradually leaving their eyes.

Now, I just needed to instill a bit of courage.

“Everyone, don’t panic. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just put in six times the usual effort.”

Instantly, the atmosphere sank.

Their gazes toward me were nothing short of hostile.

“…Wow, just wow.”

Amid the silence, only the Taste Officer timidly muttered a cheer.

I felt a bit guilty for my words.

Six times the effort was indeed excessive.

‘But what else can they do?’

‘Do they even realize how much reward they’ll get if they succeed?’

‘If this works out, half of their lives will be set. A brilliant future awaits them.’

I subtly reminded them of that fact.

“Five days of paid leave. Triple the bonus.”

“Let’s do this!”

“Yeah!”

With a resounding cheer, their morale soared sky-high.

Such simple-minded people.

Desire is the strongest force that can overcome fear.

Once the engine is started, everything becomes easy.

Just a little push, and it’s done.

Not missing the momentum, I shouted, “Alright, let’s begin. Are you ready for all 3,374 of them?”

“No!”

“Damn it, I appreciate your honesty! Let’s focus on just one thing—money awaits!”

“Money awaits! Leave awaits!”

“Accident-free! Accident-free! Woo! Woo! Woo!”

With faces like soldiers heading into their final battle, the brave inspectors shouted.

Carrying that energy, I gave the order.

“Open the border!”

With a heavy sound, the gates slowly opened, and radiant golden light streamed through the gap.

Look, even the sun is lending us its strength.

At last, the border stretched its arms wide toward the world.

I shouted at the same time.

“Welcome to the Crosslroads Kingdom, pilgrims!”

First impressions matter the most.

Let’s be bold, clear, and friendly.

‘Come on, pilgrims. You’ll end up as offerings for our success.’

No matter how many there are, it will end someday.

For that moment, we will face them proudly.

‘Stamping three thousand times?’ I’ll endure it all.

With a bright smile, I assumed a courteous stance.

The person at the very front smiled and responded.

“Oh my, I didn’t expect such a warm welcome. You’re quite kind.”

Amid the radiant golden light, a gentle voice reached my ears.

‘Wait, hold on.’

Only then did I realize a crucial fact.

‘It wasn’t morning, but afternoon.’

‘The sun was already high in the sky.’

‘The warm sunlight was heating my back.’

‘Then, what was this blinding light in my face?’

The woman at the front of the pilgrimage group stepped forward.

At the same time, the golden halo behind her passed through the gate.

“Finally, we have arrived here under the guidance of the Lord.”

Her sky-blue hair danced beautifully in the wind, as if expressing her joy in this meeting.

The holy maiden, imbued with divine power, greeted me.

“May the blessings of the Divine Church be with you all.”

Inside, I screamed.

‘What the hell, the leader appears right at the start?!’