The next day, noon.
Paris, International Airport.
Dragging a suitcase out of the airport, Naoki immediately spotted a man leaning against a railing not far away.
"Roman!"
"Ah… Natsukawa, you're here?" Hearing Naoki call his name, Roman, dressed like a carefree traveler, turned to look at him. "It's been a while—two years, right? I'm really glad you responded to my letter and contacted me. And Miss Gray, it's been a long time."
"Long time no see, Mr. Roman. You still look full of energy." Gray, who had come along this time, followed behind Naoki and greeted him politely.
When traveling, Naoki usually brought either Gray or Rei. Most often, it was Gray, since Rei was the head maid of Camelot Apartments. It was a pity for Manaka, who shared a soul with Rei—if Rei didn't come, neither could she.
Plus, last night, with Riddell's arrival, there was probably some frustration in Manaka's heart as she slept beside Naoki. This morning, when they left the house, her gaze sent a shiver down Naoki's spine.
When he returned, his Mana would likely be completely drained.
"It's just on the surface, Gray. His body's actually in rough shape right now, with a bunch of issues." Naoki said, glancing at Roman's physique. "Your waist and legs are starting to hurt from sitting too long and not moving enough, right? Get to a hospital soon."
Caught off guard by Naoki's assessment, Roman's face reddened slightly. "Hahaha… Can't hide anything from you. I've been overdoing it with studying lately. Marisbury contacted me, saying it's time for me to start working at Chaldea."
"Head of Chaldea's Medical Division—that's a huge role just thrown at me. I have to prove I'm up to it, so I've been cramming medical knowledge like crazy."
After the Holy Grail War ended, Roman's life trajectory diverged slightly from what Naoki knew. In his original situation, to fight an unknown enemy, Roman, as a reincarnated human, barely enjoyed life. Since the Holy Grail War ended, he had been obsessively absorbing knowledge, and a year later—in 2005—he joined Chaldea.
But things were different now.
With Naoki around—a reliable ally with combat power surpassing a Servant—Roman's usual tension was noticeably relaxed. Over the past two years, he had been studying modern knowledge while traveling the world.
Compared to his original self, the current Roman might not be as knowledgeable, but Naoki was happy to see him like this. The Incineration of Humanity and such could be handled with Naoki's help. For now, Roman should enjoy the life he never got to experience.
"Head of the Medical Division, huh… Marisbury really gave you a critical role. That's the position responsible for the physical condition of all Chaldea personnel, right? The pressure must be intense."
"Compared to you, I'm the relaxed one, Head of the Operations Division." Roman teased.
As Roman said, though not yet officially appointed, Naoki's name was already listed among Chaldea's staff as the Head of the Operations Division. In the future, during the Incineration of Humanity, this would be the division with the heaviest responsibilities.
For now, it was just an empty title, with Naoki as the only member. Some acquaintances might join later.
After chatting briefly, Roman hailed a taxi. "Alright, let's head to my place first. We'll talk about the matter that brought you here once we're there. If we linger too long, the Mage's Association might come sniffing around."
The Mage's Association?
Naoki remembered he was part of the Clock Tower, wasn't he? Was Roman being targeted by the Clock Tower? In that case, asking Naoki to come wasn't that like walking into a trap?
(You really trust me, huh, Doctor.)
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Roman's residence was in a small alley in Paris. Unlike the romantic atmosphere of the city's main streets, this was a quiet alley that gave Naoki the feeling of stepping into a centuries-old lane.
After following Roman through the winding alley a few times, the three stopped in front of an old apartment door.
Roman pulled out a key and opened the door, entering first. "You two sit in the living room for now. I'll call her down. She should be on the second floor—I told her not to wander off before I picked you up."
Her?
Naoki and Gray exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.
"Mr. Roman is living with a woman?" Gray asked.
"When we get to Chaldea and can summon the Queen of Sheba, make a note of this and report it to her." Naoki replied.
After sitting in the living room for a bit, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Roman then brought a woman in a white kimono into the room.
The moment Naoki saw her, he was stunned.
"You… Crane?"
"Eh? You… know me?" The woman Roman brought in was slightly surprised. She and the man in front of her should be meeting for the first time.
Roman furrowed his brow. "Your knowledge from the Root is really extensive—you even know about her? Well, that saves me the trouble of explaining. So, you probably already know the whole story?"
"More or less, though I'm still a bit shocked. So this is why you called me here."
"Besides you, I couldn't find anyone else who could help." Roman said, scratching his head. "But let's do introductions first. Miss Gray seems a bit confused."
"Crane, this is Natsukawa Naoki, an old friend of mine and someone you can absolutely trust. This is his younger sister, Gray. After I leave, if you want, you can go with them. With them, the Clock Tower won't keep bothering you."
"This is Crane, a stray Servant. Due to some coincidences, she was summoned outside of a Holy Grail War. Unfortunately, her Master has passed away. Now, she's even being hunted by the Clock Tower. I've been helping take care of her and giving her a place to stay, but with my upcoming work at Chaldea, I'd like you to look after her for a while."