Afterword (3)

There are many hotels in Seoul. That was only natural for the capital region. As a city visited by dozens, maybe even more, tourists every day, the number of hotels was considerable. The quality wasn't spectacular, but there were plenty that were decent enough.

A peculiar industry whose ceiling was absurdly high, even if its floor wasn't all that low. It was a natural phenomenon in a country where reviews carried more weight than in others.

I didn't know what hotel staff thought about it, but from the consumer's point of view it was nothing but a good thing. Foreigners especially liked it.

“Oh, is this Cha Bum's country?”

“Korean penguins are still wearing padded jackets even though it's spring. So cool.”

Foreigners who came to Korea were usually tourists, and most tourists wanted to stay in good hotels. Even if it cost a bit more, they'd rather pay extra than feel uncomfortable on their trip.

Thanks to that, high-quality hotels that took in a lot of money had dedicated foreign-guest departments. Basic English wasn't a problem because most lobby staff could handle it, but Spanish, French, German, and the like required professional interpreters.

So the Grand Piolaine Hotel in the heart of downtown Seoul also employed staff with a variety of foreign-language skills.

Among them, a French interpreter was currently handling a guest from France.

“I’ll check your reservation for you, ma'am. Your name?”...