Chapter 4: An Offer You Can’t Refuse Part 1

The cursed morning of a weekday.

“Damn morning, comrades.”

Arriving just in time for work, Sensei Officer growled as if he couldn’t be more annoyed.

For a nocturnal werewolf, nothing could be more torturous than waking up in the morning.

Especially if it’s a Monday morning.

“Yaaawn, Taste Officer. How was your weekend? Getting used to being an examiner yet?”

At the casual question thrown her way between drawn-out yawns, Taste Officer, who was sitting in the corner with hollow eyes, suddenly sprang up and shouted.

“Ha! Werewolves are known for eating raw meat as their staple diet and often using expressions related to the moon! Especially during a full moon, the entire clan gathers for a meal, then climbs to a high place to howl!”

“Uh… Taste Officer?”

“Not only that, but their sense of smell is so highly developed that they can track even the faintest Sensei —”

Sensei Officer turned his head and stared at me, clearly displeased as I watched the scene with satisfaction.

“Chief Officer, did she eat something weird?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. Just gave her a bit of re-education over the weekend.”

“What?”

Even though her entire body was covered in fur, making it impossible for her to feel cold, at that moment, she shivered as if facing a northern wind in January while naked.

“W-What did you do to make a rookie who just joined a month ago go through re-education already…?”

“I splashed water on a fire spirit.”

“Well-deserved.”

Sensei Officer nodded in immediate agreement.

I guess I should get Taste Officer back to her senses.

At this rate, she’ll act like this even while working.

“Taste Officer. You may stop now. Re-education is over.”

“Humans are the most populous species on the continent, characterized by their excellent adaptability and sociability! Additionally, they have high reproductive compatibility, giving rise to numerous hybrids—”

“That’s enough.”

“The term ‘Taste Officer’ refers to one of the border inspection titles, named after the five senses, responsible for taste—”

This isn’t working. I’ve pushed her too hard, and now she’s broken.

“Sita, stop!”

“Hyaah!”

When I called her by name instead of her title, she finally snapped out of it, her blank eyes regaining some light.

“Ch-Chief Officer? Is it time for the test already? I still have more to read…”

“Re-education is over. You may stop.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“So… I don’t have to take another test? I don’t have to read the entire anthology of continental species traits again?”

Her question was filled with faint hope and deep distrust.

Understandably, since I had repeated ‘Just finish this and I’ll let you go’ dozens of times over the weekend.

One last quick test, then.

“Hmm… What species is on page 24 of volume 3 of the anthology?”

“Quarter Kraken. It’s about the traits of a hybrid between a human and a kraken!”

“Pass. You may return to your seat.”

At the word ‘pass,’ Taste Officer jumped up and down with glee.

“Hooray! Freedom! Hooray! Sita is free! I can finally go home!”

“You’re not free. It’s time to work.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Today is Monday.”

“Ugh…”

The light in her eyes faded again.

Watching her shuffle back to her seat like a zombie, Sensei Officer burst out laughing.

“Congratulations. You’ve broken the record. I got my re-education after a year on the job, but you did it in just a month. Impressive.”

Indeed, Taste Officer now held the title of the fastest to complete re-education.

But it’s nothing to laugh about.

Especially for you, werewolf.

“Sensei Officer, we need to have a talk.”

“Huh?”

His deep, dark wolf eyes widened, just like Taste Officer’s earlier.

“Why? No, why, sir?”

‘Why’ is something you say to a friend, you damn wolf.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you leaving work an hour early without permission on Friday? Let’s talk about that.”

“…Wait, how did you—?”

“To the meeting room. Now.”

***

“Did you enjoy your family time under the full moon over the weekend? I didn’t get a break.”

Sensei Officer, tail drooping in defeat, trudged towards the room of truth, while two other officers watched with amused smiles.

“He’s more of a dog than a wolf.”

“That’s species discrimination, Hearing Officer. Even if it sounds accurate. Haha.”

You’re not off the hook either, you two.

“Hearing Officer, Touch Officer. You’re next.”

“What?”

“How many times have I told you not to drink while wearing your uniform? You two were caught boozing in the market square Friday night, having a grand time.”

“Gasp!”

The two women stiffened as if struck by lightning.

“Especially you, Hearing Officer. I heard you were blowing into a bottle with guys on either side. You’re 500 years old—aren’t you supposed to be more mature by now?”

“And Touch Officer, just because your hair is made of tentacles doesn’t mean your brain is too. Why’d you follow along?”

They looked just as shocked as Sensei Officer.

“…How did you find out?”

“You’re the only elf and tentacle-haired woman in border patrol uniform.”

News spreads fast.

“Everyone except Taste Officer, to the meeting room. Now!”

Might as well deal with all three at once.

“Ehehe… Re-education… It’s fun…”

Taste Officer alone giggled ominously, watching the scene unfold.

“Huh, what the… Why did this turn on?”

“It’s been a week since we last met. I’m Immigration Officer Nathan Kell—”

“Hey, Secretary! How do I turn this off? The face of the Central Border Officer from the Southern Border just popped up out of nowhere. It’s unsettling.”

This wasn’t the reaction I expected.

My secretary, just as flustered as I was, hurried over to the crystal ball, trying to turn it off.

“Minister! It’s the scheduled briefing. Please don’t turn it off!”

***

“Briefing? Is it Monday already?”

The secretary gave an awkward smile and placed the 24th teacup on the minister’s desk.

“Damn it. The doctor said not to stay up all night.”

“It seems like you’ve been very busy lately. Thank you for your hard work on behalf of the nation.”

“Hard work? It’s just because the country’s a strategic point on the continent. That’s why we’re in this mess.”

The minister must be really tired.

Saying things like that could get him kicked out if others heard it.

“I’ll make the report brief, Minister. Last Friday—”

“Yeah, I’ve seen the report. You can go now.”

“Uh… Really?”

“If you’re talking about the fire spirit almost burning down your post or the Tactile and Auditory Officers getting drunk and causing a public disturbance, I’ve already heard.”

This time, I couldn’t help but make the same dumbfounded expression as my subordinates.

“How did you know?”

“I got a direct message from Marquis Reyes, the lord of your territory. He asked if something was going on at the immigration office. So, I looked into it.”

‘Damn. I told them not to mess around. How did it get to the marquis?’

The minister glanced at a sign in the back.

“Wow, Central Officer. 97 days without incidents? Just three more days until the bonus? Impressive.”

“Yes, thanks to my diligent subordinates and your guidance, Minister, we’ve had peaceful days.”

“Really? My guidance, huh?”

Suddenly, the minister’s eyes sparkled, and a sinister laugh came through the crystal ball.

“Erase it.”

A death sentence.

“M-Minister! I’ve already taken care of it! There’s no issue at all!”

“If there wasn’t an issue, I wouldn’t have heard about it. I’m already too busy to deal with this. Let’s not waste any more time.”

“But…!”

“But? Are you defying orders?”

“No, not at all!”

“Erase it. Or come to the capital and write a statement yourself.”

The cruel ultimatum sent chills down my spine.

I hated the thought of breaking our no-incident streak.

‘But going to the capital just to submit a report? That’s even worse. We’re already treated like country bumpkins because we work on the outskirts. If they knew we went to the capital just to get scolded, they’d laugh at us.’

I had no choice.

I could only do one thing.

Swallowing my tears, I approached the sign and picked up a cloth.

***

“…Do you want me to erase it?”

“Completely. Leave no trace.”

Ah, the days I painstakingly built up are crumbling away.

Just as I was about to erase the number ’97’ I had carefully written with chalk, the minister spoke again.

“Or… how about helping me with something? Do well, and I’ll overlook the incident from Friday.”

My response was immediate.

“I’ll do it.”

“I haven’t even told you what it is.”

“It doesn’t matter. If it means keeping the 97 days record, I’ll do anything.”

“Are you that desperate for the bonus?”

“For a merchant’s son, that’s a compliment.”

If I just endure three more days, I’ll get a bonus equivalent to three months’ salary.

Of course, I’ll do whatever it takes.

Seeing the fire in my eyes, the minister finally set aside the document he was working on.

“About six days ago, the Kingdom of Mahalan in the southern continent formed a pilgrimage group under the Holy Church. They’re planning a long journey to the northern continent.”

Mahalan Kingdom… I remember.

Last Friday, a farmer from there was the last to go through immigration.

They said the place was known for strong faith in the Great Deity.

“A pilgrimage group? It’s been a while. I think the last one was last summer.”

Pilgrims don’t come often, but they do appear from time to time.

Usually, they travel to visit religious sites or relics, driven by their faith.

They’re generally gentle and peaceful, preferring dialogue over conflict.

That’s why we at immigration like dealing with them.

Plus, they’re usually few in number, so the screening process doesn’t take long.

“How many people? 20? 30?”

The largest group I’ve handled before was about 50.

That’s manageable.

“It’s a pretty big group. About 700 people.”

‘Did I hear that wrong?’

“Wait, is there a war? Are they refugees?”

“Precisely 726 are on the list. Including potential joiners along the way, it could be close to 1,000. Maybe even more.”

That’s twenty times more than I expected.

I felt dizzy.

That’s the kind of crowd you only see during the year-end holidays.

‘Even on a good day, I can barely screen 200 people, and now I’m supposed to handle 1,000 at once?’

“Minister, that’s a bit much. We’re not exactly close enough for you to joke like this.”

“Want to check the list from the intelligence department? There’s a whole pile of documents right here.”

I took a deep breath.

Think about the no-incident record.

Yeah, no incidents.

“Huff… Fine. I’ll manage. I just need to pull an all-nighter, right? Maybe two…”

“That’s not the problem, Central Officer.”

The minister’s expression grew serious as he picked up a particular document.

“Do you recognize this woman?”

‘There was more to this nightmare?’

I looked at the portrait.

A woman with sky-blue hair and golden eyes wearing a necklace engraved with the church’s symbol.

I knew who she was.

“Saint Erjena… the most important figure of the Holy Church.”

“Correct.”

The Saint. No one doesn’t know that title. The Saint is considered the voice of God, chosen as a divine representative, revered as the closest being to God within the church.

Even I, not particularly religious, knew her as a famous figure.

‘But why would the minister mention her now?’

Oh.

“Minister.”

“Yes.”

“You can’t be serious.”

Despite my desperate hope, the minister finally uttered the dreaded words.

“The Saint is part of the pilgrimage group.”

I screamed.