The journey from London to Paris didn't take long, as the two countries were separated only by a strait and could be considered quite close. Just an hour after takeoff, Naoki and Gray had already set foot in Paris.
Dragging their suitcases out of the airport, they took a taxi to the heart of Paris. The cityscape outside the window resembled England at a glance, but upon closer inspection, it was entirely different. Gray, who was traveling abroad for the first time, was instantly mesmerized and pressed her face against the window.
"Big brother! That tower—!"
"That's the Eiffel Tower, an iconic structure built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Constructed in 1887, it stands 324 meters tall and is the most famous landmark in Paris. If you'd like, we can visit it after dropping off our things."
"Really?!"
"Of course, we're on vacation. Besides, I remember the Eiffel Tower is near the Seine River. Driver, are there still cruise boats on the Seine these days?"
"Of course there are. By the way, are you two siblings? You don't look alike."
"We're adopted siblings. My little sister's cute, isn't she?"
"Indeed, she's a very beautiful girl. I hope you both enjoy your vacation in Paris. Oh, recently, a very popular idol came to Paris for a concert. Are you interested in going?"
"A popular idol? Must be hard to get tickets."
Watching Naoki converse fluently with the driver, Gray was stunned. "Big brother, you can speak French?"
Naoki shook his head, then raised his hand and showed the grass-woven bracelet on his wrist with a smile. "How could I? English and Japanese are already tough enough, let alone French. I've never studied it. This is all thanks to this magic translation device."
The bracelet was a magical tool Merlin had crafted based on a legend. By setting a specific language, it could convert all other languages into the chosen one so the wearer could understand them. For example, if set to French, Naoki would hear all speech as French, and if set to English, he'd hear everything in English.
Likewise, Naoki's words would automatically translate into the appropriate language. However, its range was only five meters, making it effective only for face-to-face communication.
After some time in the taxi, Naoki and Gray finally arrived at their hotel.
Their trip was actually sponsored by a British television station, so their accommodations and meals were prearranged. They didn't have to worry about booking a hotel.
Carrying their suitcases, they walked into the hotel together—only to be met with a sea of people! The lobby was packed, with barely any room to move!
"What… is this?"
Staring at the crowd before them, Naoki and Gray froze.
Was Paris always this crowded? Technically, they were practically country bumpkins visiting the city for the first time. The area where the Clock Tower was located wasn't the city center, so there weren't many people around. They rarely saw crowds this dense.
And looking at these people—they were all carrying cameras or microphones, some even had video cameras…
"They must be reporters."
"Reporters?"
"They're paparazzi who chase after celebrities, experts at creating scandals. Not all reporters are like that, but eighty percent of them are." Naoki's tone was disdainful. "They'll go wherever there's news, and if there isn't any, they'll make some. A celebrity eating with a woman could be spun as an affair."
"That's… too much."
"Yeah, most reporters are like that, though there are still some with a conscience. But the ones here clearly aren't. Seeing this crowd… they must be after some celebrity."
"Huh? Big brother, how do you know?"
"Didn't the taxi driver mention it earlier? A huge star recently came to Paris for a concert. Maybe this hotel is where they're staying. What bad timing for us to arrive at the same time. Looks like our Paris vacation won't be peaceful."
Staying in the same hotel as a celebrity, Naoki could already imagine how his mornings would go.
'First time taking Gray on a trip, and this happens… damn it.'
Neither in his past life nor this one had Naoki ever been interested in celebrities, especially effeminate-looking trainees or idols. And after all the tax evasion and crime scandals that had come to light, his dislike for celebrities had only grown.
"Sigh. Gray, hold onto me tight. We're pushing through this crowd."
"Okay."
Hugging Gray close, Naoki snapped his fingers, and an invisible wave rippled out. The reporters hit by the wave momentarily froze. Seizing the opportunity, Naoki swiftly maneuvered through the crowd with Gray.
Currently, Naoki was studying two disciplines—magecraft under Waver and martial arts under Merlin. After over two months of intensive training, though his close-combat skills hadn't improved much, his speed had reached its peak.
'Well, if I hadn't maxed it out, Merlin would've stabbed me a hundred times over… and she trains me by the standards of the Knights of the Round Table…'
Fortunately, Naoki had fused with Arthur's Saint Graph, so his physical abilities surpassed those of an ordinary human. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived.
After successfully making it past the crowd and reaching the front desk, Naoki presented his and Gray's Ids. "Hello, we have a reservation under Natsukawa Naoki and Natsukawa Gray."
"Ah, Mr. Naoki and Miss Gray… I'm sorry, but we don't have any record of your booking."
"Huh?!"
Both of them were stunned.
What was going on? No reservation?
Didn't the TV station arrange it for them?
"Could you check again? It should definitely be booked."
"My apologies, but we truly can't find your reservation. However, we do have available rooms. Would you like to book a double room now?"
Book now?
Where would they get the money? They were supposed to stay for nearly a week, and if they paid for the room, they'd barely have enough left for return tickets.
'Merlin, what kind of TV contest scam did you get us into? This is clearly a fraud!'
Back in Japan, Naoki had heard of cases like this—families winning vacation giveaways from TV stations, only to arrive and find nothing arranged. They'd been completely scammed. He never imagined it would happen to him.
"This is…"
"Then let's book one double room. I'll pay."
Just as Naoki was hesitating, a woman suddenly appeared beside him and made the decision for him. He was about to refuse, but then he got a clear look at her face—and froze.
"You… are Lord Archelot?"