Chapter 1
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Three Rules
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"Simpler than I thought. Just remember three things."
Those were the words I heard on my first day as an immigration officer.
"First. When referring to others, use 'Your Excellency' or 'thou.' When referring to yourself, say 'this official.'"
The woman who hired me said this as she extended one finger.
"Those who handle state affairs must stand apart from the common folk. It should hit them all at once, like a thunderbolt. That's the only way to preempt needless misunderstandings or unfortunate incidents. And the foundation of that is how you address people."
In other words, start by changing everyday terms of address to make your status as a public servant immediately obvious.
Not a bad method at all.
That way, even if you're in plain clothes instead of uniform, people would still recognize you as an official.
As long as no one mimics your speech patterns, anyway.
She extended a second finger.
"Second. No matter who you're dealing with, never speak down to them. Always use polite language."
She emphasized the words "no matter who."
"Immigration officers are the very first people visitors to our country meet. To them, we officials are the nation's first impression—its very face. So we must maintain a courteous yet firm demeanor."
Put simply, treat everyone consistently, regardless of gender, age, race, or status.
A sound principle.
First impressions matter even in personal encounters; on a national scale, their weight is easy to imagine.
"Be polite and kind, but never let yourself be looked down upon."
"Remember just these two, and you'll have few problems."
The rules were straightforward and intuitive. It put my mind somewhat at ease.
But wasn't there a third one?
"Uh... so what's the third?"
"Ah, the third is even simpler. And it's the most important one to keep in mind."
She extended her final finger.
"Punishment for immigration officers is execution, regardless of the offense's severity."
"...Pardon?"
Did I hear that right?
Execution? That word I know?
Beheading? Chopping off heads?
"Uh... you're joking, right?"
"Oh, I forgot to mention. One of your predecessors was executed just three days ago."
With that, she pointed to a flyer on the wall.
[Breaking News: One southern border immigration officer arrested suddenly, subjected to a brief interrogation, and summarily executed, sending shockwaves thr—]
A closer look showed the date was exactly three days ago.
"..."
Is this for real?
They really lopped off someone's head? And for working for the state, no less?
"Wh-what was the crime? Why on earth?"
"He committed something utterly horrific, too vile to speak aloud. An evil beyond anyone's wildest imagination—a crime for the ages."
"What the hell was it?"
At my question, she glanced around, then lowered her voice, as if sharing a forbidden secret.
I leaned in toward her. After a long silence, the answer came.
"He was fifteen minutes late for work."
"..."
"Hard to even imagine, I know, but it's true."
"..."
My face draining of color in real time.
Then she burst out laughing with a "pfft."
"Relax your expression. Someone might think you're being dragged to the slaughterhouse."
"Huh?"
"It was a joke. Do you think we're insane enough to behead someone for being fifteen minutes late?"
"Ah, ah! R-right? It was a joke, yeah?"
Only then did it dawn on me.
This must be some kind of hazing ritual for new hires.
"Aha, ahahaha."
That scared me.
"Execution? You nearly gave me a heart attack. Your jokes are too much. Hahaha."
"Oh, that part was true."
"...Pardon?"
Shit.
"He missed a smuggled item and let it through. Turned out to be an exploding artifact that blew up smack in the middle of the eastern plains. Executed for that crime."
"..."
"Of course, announcing the real reason publicly would cause diplomatic issues, so they called it tardiness. Think of it as the official pretext."
My face going pale all over again.
I came to the wrong place.
The absolutely wrong place.
But it was too late to run. Why?
"Well now, it's about time we head into the immigration office proper."
Her hand was already gripping my arm tightly.
"Welcome as an immigration officer, Nathan Kell. I'm thrilled to have you with us!"
And just like that, my fate was sealed.