84. The Hell of Disbelief (12)
The first large-scale immigration was not something that happened overnight.
There was a nearly five-year gap between the arrival of the first elves on Earth in 1945 and the last immigrants. This was due to the initial lack of infrastructure like terminals and the limits on the number of people that could be transported at once.
However, the short time between the First Contact with the UN and the arrival of the first immigrants was noteworthy. The time it took to complete the terminals in the two smile countries, which now seem like mere temporary structures, was just a few months. For some reason, both countries' governments were in a great hurry. It was almost abnormal.
Once the floodgates were opened, the influx of immigrants increased year by year.
Remarkably, the peak of immigration coincided with the early stages of the Cold War, and elves were seen as symbols of a new civilization with magic. The United States, as part of the Marshall Plan, encouraged the re-immigration of some elves to Western Europe to prevent the spread of communism. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union attempted to solidify its alliance by resettling a small number of interdimensional beings in the communist bloc.
As a result, elves were welcomed in various parts of the world.
Their beautiful appearance, along with their enchanting smiles and impeccable manners—later, humans would come to understand that this politeness was a defensive mechanism born out of the wariness that "these blunt creatures might strike us from behind"—captured the media's attention.
Their longevity, with lifespans extending well beyond a thousand years, not only fascinated but also gave hope that future generations could benefit from such advantages. Moreover, the magic they wielded was nothing short of miraculous.
As time passed, it was no surprise that when the committee proposed the mass immigration of another species, the global reaction was explosive.
The world had experienced elves, and there was dissatisfaction with the fact that the immigration routes for these useful and captivating immigrants were limited to the two smile countries.
"The next mass immigration must offer the same opportunities worldwide!"
"We condemn the monopoly of the two smile countries over the alien immigrants, who are treasures of Earth!"
Both the United States and the Soviet Union did not want their respective spheres to be shaken by this issue, so an agreement was reached to allocate quotas for each country in the next mass immigration. The international community's pressure was so intense that even the poorest countries at the time were promised a moral allocation.
After the agreement among Earth's nations, the committee sent the information about the next species to be sent to the UN.
The expressions of the world leaders who reviewed it were likely frozen with shock.
"What is that...?"
And when the video sent by the committee was viewed, some even screamed in horror.
"It's a monster!"
Their appearance was hideous by human aesthetic standards. Their bulging muscles were more threatening than attractive.
They also had no knowledge of magic and lacked any unique technologies beyond Earth's reach. The explanation that they were enslaved in their home dimension made some countries visibly uncomfortable.
What troubled many was their reproductive capability. This species gave birth only once in a lifetime but bore six to eight children at a time. Although many kept it to themselves, they likely thought,
"Isn't this closer to being beasts rather than people?"
Humanity named them "Orcs."
After the orcs were revealed, global reactions were divided according to their spheres.
The liberal bloc led by the United States was cautious. While the orcs' superior reproductive capacity and labor potential made them attractive as livestock, they were double-edged swords as citizens.
"Mr. President, the population growth trend is already concerning after the war. If we accept such a species as citizens now..."
The hell of overpopulation predicted by Malthus and the abyss of poverty were becoming a reality.
However, the communist bloc showed a markedly different reaction.
"Poverty does not arise from a surge in population. Poverty arises from the exploitation by capitalists. The population is the driving force for revolution and production. Thus, we should actively encourage reproduction!"
Additionally, the large-scale population loss due to the famines of the 1930s and the wars of the 1940s in the Soviet Union greatly impacted their thinking. The orcs were seen as an attractive resource to overcome the demographic catastrophe of losing tens of millions of laborers.
Ultimately, despite the fierce opposition of economists, the party officials made a firm decision.
"The average orc birthrate is 7? Last year's human birthrate was 5. That's not such a big difference, is it?"
Thus, under the intentional concession of the liberal bloc, communist countries accepted far more orc immigrants and used it as a tool for regime propaganda.
"We won the competition to attract alien immigrants!"
Although the liberal bloc also accepted some orcs to save face, the astute United States shifted the burden onto its allies as much as possible.
"Western Europe said they couldn't accept more than this number? They took elves shamelessly but are acting selfishly now... Then let's propose it to the countries in urgent need of loans! Those countries that are in immediate need of financial aid. That way, we can also reduce our debt to the committee!"
Additionally, Germany, which was about to officially enter a divided state, was caught between the two blocs and, due to its status as a war criminal, accepted the highest number of orcs relative to its population. Everyone knows the results of that decision now. It's commonly understood that the choice of the communist bloc was a catastrophic mistake.
As time passed.
Contrary to the hopes of the communists, the Soviet economy began to falter significantly in the 1980s. The decisive factor was the introduction of magical stones, which struck a severe blow to the Soviet Union's dependence on oil and gas.
As China's collapse added to the crisis, the Soviet Union felt a deep sense of urgency and tried to revive the declining nation. The Communist Party, in its agony, turned its attention to the orc population, which had grown at an enormous pace over the decades.
"Currently, the orc population in the Soviet Union is lower than in East Germany, but in absolute numbers, it's the highest in the world."
"Look at the social problems arising in East Germany! If things continue like this, we..."
"There is a bigger problem. At this rate, the foundation of our planned economy will collapse. Because of the orcs! It will become impossible for the state to produce all the necessary goods, food, and energy for the people!"
Ultimately, Moscow made a grave mistake.
"There will be strong backlash."
"...It's too late to turn back now."
Their proposed alternative was a selective birth control law for orcs.
The law, enforced only on orcs, prohibited childbirth unless approved.
"We can't mandate having one or two children. They have at least six every time they give birth! We need to ban all childbirth outright. There's no other way!"
As expected, a revolution centered around orcs broke out within the Soviet Union, and the flames of neo-speciesism spread across Europe.
Scholars predict that the Soviet Union might have lasted another 20 to 30 years if that incident had not occurred. Conspiracy theorists also claim that the ancient dragons were behind it, but few paid attention to those voices.
Just before the Soviet Union collapsed, the resistance of the orcs there had a significant impact on the orcs in West Germany, who were a large but still marginalized minority. They protested for the abolition of discrimination, engaging in demonstrations and turning the situation in Germany into something close to a war zone.
It was around that time that Yoheim Steinmeier spent his childhood.
Yoheim remembers his childhood. People shouting on the streets. Demonstrators bleeding and writhing. Thick smoke rising everywhere. The piercing sounds of gunfire and screams.
In the alley right next to the orphanage where he grew up, orcs would often gather, shouting battle cries and clashing with the police.
He ran out of the orphanage because he was hungry. With the economic collapse of West Germany, which was close to a civil war, proper food distribution in the orphanage was impossible.
Street life was no easier. As the economy worsened, people became more vicious and merciless to the weak. He would be beaten up while trying to steal food from stores and spent his days limping while rummaging through trash cans.
The kindest people to him were goblins. They had ended up begging in alleys like Yoheim after the mines closed.
After learning this, Yoheim stole and ate the goblins' food.
"This is all wrong."
Yoheim thought that the world he lived in must be a bad dream.
It couldn't be real. This world cannot be real.
It must be a horrible dream. When he opened his eyes, he would be lying in a bed in his own room with a proper roof, separated by walls and doors. The room would be full of various toys. And in the kitchen, there would be his father and mother. His father would be a smart man who could read newspapers, and his mother would be a kind person with excellent cooking skills.
So this world he was seeing now must be a lie.
A dreadful dream where he would be relieved to wake up and find it wasn't real.
"You are truly a blessed child. I can see it. You have a talent."
Before Yoheim stood a tall alien, eyes closed in the center of the forehead, with only his two eyes open, gazing at him.
"What do you think? Would you like to study the words of truth with me?"
Following him, Yoheim realized that the belief that this world was a lie was the truth.
However, there was a reason why the nightmare never ended no matter how hard Yoheim tried. This dream was not his, but the dream of the gods.
Devoting himself to
"You are already a sign of miracles. Since it is a miracle that happened on Earth, it is only right that it should be worshiped by Earthlings. So tell me, what else are you hiding? What secret doctrines or truths are there that we do not know?"
= Send me back, to my homeland. =
"What happens when the gods wake up?"
Joachim's breath grew ragged.
"Does all falsehood collapse? Does this world completely fall apart, leaving only those who remain in the memory of the gods to enjoy eternal life? Is that moment coming soon?"
= ... =
The Archbishop did not answer. Joachim's gaze grew cold.
After a brief silence:
"I hear that the German immigration officers are after me. It seems you have made some sort of deal with the heretic judges who have not yet set foot on Earth. I can't even guess what kind of deal it was."
A report containing this information had arrived at the Frankfurt church. An immigration officer named 'Christoph' was looking for Joachim.
After confirming this, Joachim's followers sent a drugged wizard to the officer, and soon the claim was proven to be true.
Knowing that their location had been discovered, Joachim had to revise his plans. Although he had intended to hide in Czechoslovakia for a while and interrogate the Archbishop, he had no choice but to move again.
It was a serious issue that the heretic judges had colluded with Earth's forces.
"But they will never get their hands on you. They will be working with allies they cannot even reach, like me, from here. So it would be best if you gave up and revealed all your secrets."
The Archbishop, instead of responding telepathically, was staring at the ceiling over Joachim's shoulder. Noticing the odd direction of his gaze, Joachim quickly looked back, but there was no one there.
Confirming again that there was no one in the room or the surroundings, Joachim resumed his interrogation of the severed head.
= Phew! That was close! =
Feeling a metaphorical weight lift from his chest, the ethereal Haeun-seong exited the area. The safe house Joachim had retreated to was described as an excessively broad area. So, as soon as they arrived, Min-jun instructed Haeun-seong to use out-of-body experience to thoroughly search the surroundings.
The target was clear. The likelihood of there being more than one severed alien head in the city was low.
"Cough! Cough!"
Returning in his polymorphed form, Haeun-seong reported what he had found.
"I found it. The severed alien head. But… it was really alive."
Min-jun frowned.
"I don't understand the reason."
There was no need for prolonged contemplation. Once they got their hands on it, they would learn the details.
However, Cathy, who had also heard the story, asked with concern.
"He mentioned something about an ally… should we be cautious? Has he already made an alliance with someone?"
Min-jun was predicting who that ally might be.
"It seems he's come to meet the dragon that supports the order."
"Kalleeter?"
"Yes. Since the sponsorship contract was made in the name of the Earth diocese, it would be right for them to side with the dragon if there's a conflict with the main order. I think he plans to use that as a pretext to ask for protection. But the problem is…"
Min-jun tilted his head.
"That dragon should be somewhere else by now, right?"
Christoph had clearly said he would be out of the lair for a while, tracking bizarre murder cases occurring all over Germany.
So why is he waiting for the dragon here?
"Oh, over there…"
Haeun-seong looked nervously at Min-jun. He had seen something while returning to his ethereal form.
Min-jun, seemingly aware, nodded and pointed at the ceiling with his finger. Haeun-seong spoke in a low voice.
"You knew, didn't you?"
Min-jun grumbled.
"Why are there so many stray cats in a neighborhood full of monstrous rodents that could even eat cows?"
As he spoke, the curse was completed.
"Ahhh!"
A soul-splitting scream echoed from above.
"What's that!"
As Cathy startled and stood up, everyone witnessed a human shadow falling from the window. Min-jun also saw a rapidly descending string of light. A long string of numbers next to the word 'Asif.'
Min-jun sighed lightly.
"That's already the fifth one today."
Crash!
A sound of impact followed.
And then a distant groan of pain could be heard from outside the building.
"Ahhh! Ughhh… You… This… is 'destruction'! I'll report this to 'higher-ups'!"
The owner of the voice seemed familiar.
Was that woman working for the Brazilian government now? Min-jun racked his memory.
He recognized her, but in this competitive situation, they didn't have the kind of familiarity that would warrant mutual consideration. Her yelling while falling, threatening to report him for property destruction, was clear.
Of course, Min-jun pretended not to hear. If punishments were meted out this way, he would have already faced soul erasure by now.
From below came the murmur of people.
"Mom… There's blood coming from this lady's eyes!"
"Call an ambulance! Please, call an ambulance!"
"What's going on? A few hours ago, some man in the hotel restaurant on the first floor was said to have fainted after vomiting… Now a woman fell from the rooftop?"
"Oh! I saw that online. A few liters of green jelly were coming out of her mouth. I thought she was vomiting too."
"Is there some kind of strange plague going around the city?"
Min-jun learned that he had been followed right after leaving Frankfurt.
The convicts from around the world, who started entering Germany one by one in pursuit of the Talents, seemed to have decided to track his movements instead of confronting him directly. Like hyenas trailing a lion's prey.
They were convinced that Min-jun would eventually find the Archbishop's head, and that by following him, they would reach their target.
Min-jun smirked and thought.
'If you can take it, go ahead and try.'
< 84. Hell of Distrust (12) > End