Chapter 17: The Unbowed Part 1

During the past three days, I’ve only done three things.

First, staying up all night without sleep.

Second, eating and getting indigestion.

Third, sighing deeply as if the ground would collapse.

‘To be exact, I haven’t done anything else besides these.’

Ever since I realized what I had done, I could do nothing but those three things.

On the morning of the fourth day, I let out the 297th sigh in front of the main gate of the Southern Border Immigration Office.

“Haah…”

Even so, my complicated feelings did not go away.

It had been four days since the entry refusal incident.

Nothing much had changed in my life as an immigration officer.

Bang!

“Good morning, everyone.”

If anything had changed, it was this—

“Have you arrived, Supervisor?”

“A fair and just morning to you!”

“A border without exceptions!”

All the staff at the office looked at me with excessive admiration.

Usually, they would just look at me as a superior, but now, respect was practically dripping from their eyes.

They never looked like that even when I received my salary.

Even though it had been nine days since I couldn’t go home and had been working overtime, everyone was still moving energetically.

‘Was our immigration office ever this lively?’

The office atmosphere was flowing in the exact opposite direction of my mood.

They had even changed their greetings to something ridiculous.

“A border without exceptions!”

“Oh, Supervisor! A border without exceptions!”

The phrase flew at me from all directions.

“…Nice to see you.”

I didn’t even have the strength to tell them to stop, so I just accepted it.

There are no exceptions at the border.

The words I had shouted as if proclaiming to the pilgrimage group—or rather, the Holy Army.

‘Why on earth is that being used as a greeting?’

The phrase seemed to have left such a strong impression that I kept hearing it nonstop.

But that phrase was killing me inside.

As soon as I sat down at my desk, having passed through countless “border without exceptions” greetings, I let out my 298th sigh.

“Haah… What should I do now…”

Refusing entry to the Holy Army.

My decision to uphold the regulations, even rejecting the Pope’s proposal.

There was no more reckless act than that.

‘Who else in the world would dare to refuse the head of the continent’s largest religious order face-to-face?’

I don’t regret saying it.

One day, when I stand before the Visionary, at least I won’t be ashamed.

But I was terrified of the aftermath that was about to come.

I still remember how the Pope calmed the enraged Holy Army at the end, saying:

[Don’t worry, everyone. This too will soon be resolved.]

‘Soon be resolved.’

I knew without being told who or what that referred to.

As soon as the proposal was rejected, the Pope didn’t even look at me and left with Mohaim and the Holy Army.

A clear statement that there would be no further dialogue.

From a diplomatic standpoint, it was the worst-case scenario.

‘Damn, this is a clear mistake. If they hold me accountable, I can’t escape.’

For the thousandth time in three days, I worried about the same thing.

While I was fiddling with my work, which I couldn’t concentrate on, the sensory officials approached me.

“Supervisor.”

“If any of you try that stupid greeting, I will put you through retraining.”

Please, at least you guys, don’t do this.

“A border witho—”

The sensory officer who was just about to speak froze in place.

“Bor… Bor-der… Ahaha… The weather is nice, isn’t it?”

Outside, the fog was thick.

I decided to let it slide since the effort was somewhat admirable.

The olfactory officer spoke up.

“Did you get some rest?”

“I took a nap in the meeting room, so I’m fine.”

That was a lie. I hadn’t slept at all.

I feel like I’m dying.

The olfactory officer looked at me with an exasperated expression.

“…Please get some sleep, even if it’s just a little. We will take care of the workload.”

“Why are you saying that, Olfactory Officer? That’s not like you.”

“You look terrible.”

“W-what’s wrong with how I look?”

The tactile officer handed me a mirror.

“Honestly, Supervisor… You look more like a zombie than a human.”

There, reflected in the mirror, was a bizarre figure—unkempt hair, bloodshot eyes, and unshaven for four days.

“…Ugh.”

I pushed the mirror far away.

“I’m fine. No problem at all.”

Another lie.

There were so many problems I felt like I was being crushed to death.

“Really, I’m fine. Go back to your posts and—”

“You might collapse before the palace even responds.”

The auditory officer hit the nail on the head, making me fall silent.

“…Sorry. Because of me, you all got dragged into this mess.”

“It’s a bit rough, to be honest. You’ve been walking around like a dead man.”

The tone made it sound like it wasn’t a big deal.

Feeling a surge of emotion, I asked,

“Aren’t you all worried? About what might happen next?”

They’re not at fault.

Of course not.

This whole mess happened because of my reckless decision.

There was no time to stop me or even notice.

But the world wouldn’t see it that way.

The sensory officers are my direct subordinates.

‘Direct’ means they rise when I rise and fall when I fall.

And right now, my own life wasn’t even guaranteed.

They must have realized that too.

The olfactory officer shrugged.

“Honestly, I’m scared. We have no idea what’s going to happen.”

Another officer chimed in.

“Four days have passed, so the news must have reached the palace by now.”

“It’s probably over.”

“Damn, what a mess to be in because of our boss.”

Their words were painfully sharp.

The olfactory officer spoke again.

“But still, that day. You didn’t compromise, Supervisor. Unlike Gerard.”

“Olfactory Officer…”

I looked at him in surprise.

To think he would mention Gerard.

Before he became my subordinate, he had been one of Gerard’s men.

He wasn’t directly involved in corruption but had unwillingly gotten entangled, leaving him with a bitter past.

So, he must really hate that name.

He smiled faintly at me.

“You set an example.”

There was no hint of sarcasm in his expression.

The other sensory officers also nodded in agreement.

It felt strange.

‘Shouldn’t they be blaming me instead?’

But instead of worrying about the impending consequences, they were praising me.

Well done.

It felt… too strange.

All I could say was:

“…Thank you.”

“Yes.”

“They tried to erase me from the world entirely.”

Insulting the Pope and the Holy Order. An unreasonable refusal to allow the peaceful pilgrimage group to enter.

The minister threw the letter aside.

“The queen is furious, claiming you should be executed on the spot.”

An alliance between the Pope and the queen.

The absurdity of it left me speechless.

“If that were true, you would have already been executed by the Inspection Department. Understand?”

“…041.”

There is no justice in overwhelming authority.

If something becomes an obstacle, it is erased.

If it becomes beneficial, it is absorbed.

Only these two rules exist.

And I was an obstacle to them.

I lowered my head in despair.

But the minister’s next words made me lift my head again.

“But Hylin, that woman, negotiated.”

“What? H-Hylin did?”

Hailyn Metaharasin.

Head of the Immigration Department of the Crossline Kingdom.

The woman who hired me as an immigration inspector.

“That stubborn woman. In front of both the Head Inspector and the queen, she argued that there’s no way you would do such a thing.”

She defended me.

My chest ached.

She still cares about me.

Thanks to her, instead of an immediate execution, they decided to hold a trial at the palace once the pilgrimage group’s matter is settled.

Fortunately, it wasn’t the worst outcome I had feared.

Behind me, the Five Officials let out a sigh of relief.

But his words had a flaw.

“…But isn’t it still going to end in execution? The Pope’s words carry far more weight than mine.”

Ha.

The minister scoffed at my mumbling.

“Yes, the penalty for an immigration inspector is execution. But only if it’s a clear, irreversible mistake!”

He pointed at me.

“Did you violate any regulations?”

“No.”

“Did you insult the Pope and the pilgrimage group in front of everyone?”

“No.”

“Did you handle the entry process based on personal reasons rather than regulations?”

“No.”

The minister slammed his desk.

“Then why the hell are you slumped over like that!?”

His booming voice echoed through the conference room.

The usually composed Five Officials turned pale at the sight of the minister’s rage.

“Hey, you idiot! Did Hylin teach you to shrink back even when you did nothing wrong?”

“Minister?”

“Those fanatical bastards openly tried to bribe you! They then shamelessly pinned the blame on you! You should be furious, raising hell, and tearing everything apart, claiming your innocence!”

His voice grew louder.

“If you firmly rejected their entry based on regulations, then stand your ground, you fool!”

His harsh words were like a thunderous roar.

“Do you not realize that someone in this world actually believes you?”

The shock hit me hard.

Maybe he got too angry—he coughed repeatedly from behind the small crystal sphere.

After a while, he calmed down and spoke.

“We’ll figure something out. If we can just get to the trial and gather witnesses, we might even get a stay of execution.”

“Minister, I can’t believe you would go this far…”

“But… there’s one thing we can’t change.”

The minister cut me off, pulling out a more luxurious envelope than the previous letter.

“In three days, a royal decree from His Majesty will arrive. A decree permitting the pilgrimage group’s entry.”

A royal decree.

An order from the king.

An absolute command that cannot be refused.

“This cannot be stopped. It’s already a big deal that I managed to block your immediate execution against the queen’s wishes.”

“This ministry…”

“I’ve never encountered anything like this in my life. I can’t even figure out how to react. Not only is the queen attending state council meetings, but now she’s even wielding royal decrees.”

The minister frowned, unable to suppress his irritation.

“We’re doing everything we can to protect you. Just be aware of that. Once the royal decree arrives, we’ll reopen the border. If we refuse even that, we’re out of options.”

“Understood.”

“What a messed-up world. Religion trying to control the state…”

He muttered a curse and shook his head in disgust.

“That’s it for now.”

The storm seemed to have passed.

Or so I thought.