Chapter 43
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Southern Border Diorama (2)
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The sun had fully set over the southern border.
A pair of man and woman walked silently down the quiet street.
- Thud, thud.
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence hung between them.
The young man's face was weary, his gaze tense with strain.
The woman beside him had cheeks flushed bright red.
Fortunately, the dim streetlights mercifully veiled their raw expressions.
How much time passed?
"Um..."
The man mustered his courage and spoke first.
"If it's not too much trouble, let me carry that for you."
"Oh, no, it's fine. It's not heavy at all—I can manage."
The woman clutched the daily necessities she'd just bought at the market, flashing a shy smile.
"But what about you, Central Officer? Are you okay?"
Of course, the man was also lugging heavy bags in both hands.
He shrugged his shoulders.
"It's just documents, so no problem."
"Do you handle work even at home?"
"Not really. I just... feel empty without something in my hands."
A strange mood settled over them.
The two weren't anything to each other.
Not lovers, not married, not even people who'd confessed their feelings.
Yet something undeniably ticklish lingered between them all the same.
A subtle energy that felt too faint for divine power, too vivid to be nothing at all.
To an outsider, it would look exactly like the vibe of a certain kind of relationship.
"..."
"..."
The man and woman fell silent once more as they walked.
And about five minutes later, they stopped in front of a two-story house.
"We're here."
The man said softly.
"This is my home."
*****
- Creak.
As he unlocked the door, the security magic activated, and the chandelier lit up automatically.
Revealing the house's interior all at once.
"Wow..."
Erzena let out a small gasp of admiration as she looked around.
A luxurious living room with a decorative fireplace and a kitchen big enough for at least eight people caught her eye first.
- Whoosh.
Flames crackled to life in the fireplace, illuminating the sofa and carpet.
The room filled with a warm atmosphere in an instant.
I declared confidently.
"Welcome to my home."
Everything else might be whatever, but my house is pretty decent, at least.
Then, as she slowly took in the surroundings, she suddenly sounded perplexed.
"It's so cozy and nice—huh?"
She blinked, then turned to me.
"Central Officer... did you get robbed or something?"
"Robbed?"
I chuckled softly at her words.
"No way. Thanks to the security magic, that's never happened even once."
Hey, I'm the border chief, after all.
I'd been granted a house with top-tier safety measures—nothing like that could ever happen.
'She's even cracking jokes now. Looks like she's relaxing a bit.'
Good sign.
Since she'd be staying here for two months in a new environment, a positive mindset was key.
I wasn't thinking much of it as I casually started removing my shoes, but she asked again.
"Then why does the house look like... a typhoon blew through?"
"Pardon?"
I quickly looked up and scanned the living room.
And that's when I finally saw it.
"Ah."
Coats tossed haphazardly over the sofa.
A pile of dirty dishes on the table, mold creeping all over the curtains.
And the floor was blanketed in thick dust, almost gray.
It looked like a place abandoned for ages, weathered away by nature.
Or like it'd been hit by a bomb.
My home, neglected for weeks without a single cleaning session, was laid bare.
"..."
"..."
Erzena slowly turned to look at me.
Her eyes screaming, 'This is your house?'
"W-Well, you see, I don't come home much usually, so I've been slacking on upkeep lately."
An excuse slipped out unbidden.
For the first time, I felt pressure from Erzena.
A weight I'd never sensed even when she was a saintess.
Don't look at me like that.
I have my reasons.
Work overtime special duty sleep.
Work overtime extended shift sleep.
Just repeating that cycle—when would I have time to clean?
My routine was stripping off and crashing the second I got home, then heading back to work.
After a long silence, she finally replied.
"I-I get it. Immigration work isn't easy—cough!"
She inhaled some dust and started coughing.
I flung open the windows at top speed for ventilation.
"S-Sorry! I'll clean right now!"
My face burned red.
Having a young woman stay over was tough enough, but showing her this mess?
I wanted to die of embarrassment.
What rudeness was this?
Acting like a slob in front of a guest.
"Five minutes! Just give me five minutes! I'll wipe away every speck of dust!"
Forgetting all decorum, I shouted desperately.
Erzena, seeing me frantically hunting for a broom, grabbed my arm in alarm.
"N-No! Really, it's okay, Central Officer!"
"No! How could I make a guest stay in this dump?! Please, just five minutes!"
Let go.
Hand over that broom right now.
I'll sweep away this shame with the dust.
As I lunged for the broom in the corner, Erzena pushed me back and yelled.
"I-I know you're super busy! That's why it's fine! I totally understand!"
"No! Let me clean, please!"
"You said you were tired today!"
In the end, I lost the tug-of-war.
A scrawny civil servant couldn't beat a woman enhanced by divine power.
Slumped by the front door, I mumbled dejectedly.
"...I'll hire a cleaning service first thing tomorrow."
Time to get servants.
About four maids, maybe.
And a full deep clean every day from now on.
Or just hire a water mage to flood the whole place once a month.
As I silently vowed all this, Erzena stared at me blankly.
Then she suddenly burst out laughing.
"Pfft. First time I've heard that."
"Huh?"
"You always refer to yourself as 'this office' or 'the office does.' But this was the first time you said 'I.'"
I thought back briefly.
I usually stick to 'this office' as my self-reference.
Must've forgotten my immigration officer formality in the panic.
Got too flustered.
"Guess it's because it's home... yeah."
"Even someone as strict about protocol as you must feel at ease here."
"That's what home is for."
The one place where I could relax completely, let my guard down.
Where I could at least sleep without a care.
Here, I wasn't an immigration officer.
Just Nathan Kell.
'I've spent way too much time at the office.'
Ever since becoming Central Officer, using the house just for sleeping started to feel like a regret.
It was a sanctuary, after all.
As I drifted into thought, Erzena hesitated, then murmured softly.
"Then... when it's just us two, you don't have to use 'this office' either."
"...Pardon?"
Our eyes met again by the front door.
That awkward vibe returned.
A ticklish feeling, different from divine power.
"I-I'll try."
It was hard to bear, but I managed a reply.
"Y-Yeah..."
Erzena, suddenly fanning herself like it was hot, changed the subject.
"B-But if you're that busy, how many hours do you work a day?"
"The southern border's short-staffed, so usually about 14 hours."
"14 hours!?"
"12 if it's quick."
She asked in shock.
"Then... do you even get break time? Leisure?"
"Leisure?"
The unfamiliar word made me tilt my head.
What was that?
Sounded vaguely familiar from long ago.
"Y-You know, hobbies or whatever you do with spare time..."
"Do you have spare time?"
"Free time!"
"Free?"
Another new one.
I pondered her words.
"Ah. Things you do when not working."
"..."
"Well... when I was a kid, I played some instruments."
"Instruments?"
Before I became an immigration officer.
Back at the merchant academy, I remembered messing around with a guitar sometimes.
A hobby I picked up because staring at balance sheets every day was driving me insane.
Come to think of it, there might be a guitar somewhere in the house.
"Never would've guessed you had a hobby like that, Central Officer... Um, could I hear you play sometime?"
Erzena looked at me with expectant eyes.
"I've forgotten most of it now. Embarrassing. Speaking of, you were famous as the Rock Spirit Saintess, right?"
"Looking back, that nickname's pretty cringy."
She let out an awkward laugh.
I pointed to the door leading to the basement beyond the living room.
"There's probably a guitar in the basement storage somewhere. It'll need tuning, but how about I fix it up later and you give it a try?"
Her face lit up instantly.
"Really?"
"Of course. This is your home now too."
She'd be staying two months—might as well have some entertainment.
I glanced at the dark sky outside the window and muttered.
"I'd love to chat more, but night's deepening. I need some rest for work tomorrow."
"Sure. Which room should I use?"
"The one on the right upstairs. That's the guest room."
She peeked up at the second-floor hallway, pointing to another door next to what would be hers.
"What's the left one for?"
"My room."
"Ah."
A short sigh escaped her.
Erzena bowed her head.
Thinking about it, that meant we'd be living wall-to-wall.
"I-I'll give you another room. I can clean it quick—"
"No more cleaning talk."
Her voice turned icy.
"...Yes."
And just like that, I had a roommate.
*****
The next morning.
- Bang.
I threw open the Immigration Control Office door with vigor.
"Good morning, everyone!"
"C-Central Officer?"
"I'm back on duty starting today. Thanks for holding down the fort."
The Sensory Officers exchanged glances at my first-ever energetic morning greeting in years.
"Did he eat something weird?"
"First time seeing the Central Officer this pumped in the morning."
"Same here."
I grinned at them.
"Ah, I finally got a full night's sleep after ages. Feels like I was reborn."
No clue why, but I had a dream last night.
A golden energy wrapping my whole body like a warm blanket.
Thanks to it, my chronic muscle aches and headaches vanished like they'd never existed.
I swung my arms confidently.
"I'm in peak condition right now."
Felt like my work efficiency could double today, no problem.
"I see. Slept well, huh..."
Suddenly, the Sensory Officers' eyes narrowed slyly.
"Told you, day one it's like that. Not drained yet—just plump and juicy. Gets sucked dry later."
"Looks like you really nourished yourself."
"Youth is the best, huh? Way too obvious~?"
Their nonsense started up again.
I ignored it cleanly and headed to my desk.
Piled there was a mountain of documents as tall as me.
"Ugh."
Even after the Olfactory Officer handled what he could, this much remained—I could imagine their hellish three days.
I calmly skimmed through them.
"Entrant lists, exit lists, financial reports, border complaints..."
Endless types and volume.
As I flipped through, assigning priorities—
- Thud.
A strange envelope dropped onto the desk.
"Hm?"
It was luxurious, far too fancy and pricey for commoners.
I opened it.
Revealing elegant stationery.
Each character pressed firmly, giving a strong impression.
It read:
[To: Central Officer Nathan Kell]
[From: Friend]