"Are you really sure about this, Hermione?"
Mr. Granger looked at his daughter with a serious expression. Hermione blushed, but after a moment of courage-gathering, she nodded and gave Marius a quick, shy glance.
"…All right then."
Mr. Granger took a deep breath, clearly organizing his thoughts.
"Mister Cloud—what you've done for our family today has been incredible. We don't even know how to begin thanking you…"
"Just call me Marius," he replied with a soft smile. "After all, I'll be Hermione's classmate soon."
Mr. Granger blinked at the casualness. He'd clearly been trying to maintain a formal tone out of respect for Marius's noble status in the wizarding world.
"Well, Marius, there's still more than two weeks before term starts. I was wondering if you'd be interested in visiting… our world? The Muggle world, I believe it's called?"
Hermione's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Marius glanced at her and nodded. "Sure. Why not? It's been ages since I've taken a stroll through the Muggle world."
As soon as he agreed, Hermione let out a loud cheer. "Then it's settled! I've got so many questions about spells and magic I want to ask you!"
…So that was the plan all along. Free tutoring.
Marius twitched at the corners of his mouth, but he didn't regret agreeing. Besides, he had his own reasons for coming to London.
After arranging for the boutique tailor to send a letter to his family, Marius gathered up the day's purchases and left Diagon Alley with the Grangers.
Their London apartment had a spare guest room, which they offered to Marius. He accepted graciously and settled in. From then on, he and little Hermione began their sweet two-person lifestyle.
Ahem. Okay, that sounded a bit too dodgy.
In truth, Marius simply answered Hermione's endless magical questions every day. As a pureblood wizard raised in a family steeped in magic, his knowledge far outstripped that of any ordinary student. Naturally, Hermione hung on his every word.
But tutoring Hermione wasn't the only reason Marius had come to London.
The Grangers were both dentists, busy with work during the day. With nothing else to do after study hours, Marius wandered into the living room, picked up the landline phone, and began dialing.
"You know how to use a Muggle telephone?" Hermione blinked. "I read in Hogwarts: A History that most wizards can't understand Muggle inventions."
Marius shrugged. "Well, I'm not most wizards."
"There's nothing strange about it," said Doge—the talking Shiba Inu, aka Wobble Dog, perched nearby. "My master has always been extraordinary. Like, how many kids his age are already this… flamboyant?"
"Oi, shut it!" Marius kicked Doge lightly while holding the receiver to his ear. "You're not allowed to talk in the Muggle world, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah…" Doge rolled his eyes.
"You're still talking!" Marius barked. "Go find Crookshanks and play or something."
Speaking of Crookshanks, the proud feline had gone full tyrant mode ever since arriving in the Muggle neighborhood. Within one night, he'd conquered every stray cat in the area. Yet, curiously, whenever he was around Doge, Crookshanks became weirdly submissive.
Hermione covered her mouth to stifle a laugh at the memory. But she was still curious.
"Who are you calling? Besides my family, do you even know anyone else in the Muggle world?"
Before Marius could answer, the phone connected instantly.
"Greetings, esteemed Royal Club member Mr. Marius Cloud. This is Horvand speaking—how may I assist you today?"
The voice came from the Royal Club, a private institution founded in the previous century under the patronage of the British royal family. It catered exclusively to the nation's most elite, offering personalized services to the upper crust of society.
Every member received a unique contact number, linked directly to a personal concierge who worked 24/7, year-round. The cost of membership was so astronomical that most people never even considered applying.
"I'd like to find a free-fighting coach or mixed martial arts trainer in London," Marius said calmly. "Top tier. The absolute best you can find."
"Understood. Please hold. You'll receive a call back within the hour."
Once the line went dead, the Royal Club's century-old machinery kicked into motion. Resources across the nation mobilized to identify the ideal match for Marius. The Club's reputation rested on its perfectionist service—no way would they settle for "good enough."
Hermione, watching the scene unfold, gasped softly. "Dad and Mum mentioned this once… These personal concierge services are ridiculously expensive! I didn't think wizarding nobility would get involved with something so... Muggle."
Marius smiled and shook his head. "No, not wizarding nobility—just me. As for why…" He paused, a glint in his eye. "Let's call it one of my little secrets."
Of course, Hermione wouldn't let that go. She spent the next half hour pestering him for answers until, thankfully, the phone rang again—rescuing him from further interrogation.
"Good afternoon. Is this Mr. Marius Cloud?"
"Speaking."
"This is Horvand again. I've located a candidate: Harker Parros. Currently stationed at LD University College. Former special forces operative, now retired."
"Mr. Parros has received top-tier certification in all training disciplines. He's the reigning champion of the joint SAS, SBS, SRR, and SFSG martial tournaments. In an incident involving a mass brawl, it reportedly took eight instructors to bring him down—four of whom ended up hospitalized."
Marius's eyes gleamed.
Now that was what he was looking for.
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T/N:
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