"Huh? That rude little brat is coming to the capital…?"
A female voice, soft as velvet yet tinged with maturity, echoed through a smartphone.
"Well, he's finally decided to try becoming a knight-in-training. But I'm still worried."
On the other end of the line, Igor's voice replied with a touch of laughter.
"Ahem!"
With a small cough to clear her throat, the woman spoke, trying to hide her own excitement.
"There's nothing to be done, right?! Lev is going to need a place to stay in the capital, right?"
"Oh! Thanks, sis! I'll send him a message later."
Igor replied in a cheerful voice to his sister.
"Okay. I'll let Caroline and Nicola know that Lev is coming to visit us and might spend some time with us."
Meanwhile, Lev himself…
– ATCHOO!!
"What's wrong, Lev? A summer cold?"
Laute offered the boy a handkerchief, which he immediately used to blow his nose.
"No, I just felt like someone was talking about me…"
"Well, maybe it's just nerves… ah! Look over there! Lev, Captain. We can already see the Capital!"
Laute opened the vehicle's window, sticking his head out just like a dog would.
Lev chuckled softly at Laute's contagious excitement, looking out the window.
"Oooh~ that's it!"
Louis, who had spent the last hours of the trip reading a book he'd brought along and exchanging what appeared to be important messages on his smartphone, looked at Lev with a smile.
"It must be impressive, isn't it? Is this your first time in Helianthus, Lev?"
Helianthus, the imperial capital of the SonnenkindEmpire, is one of the most beautiful places on the continent.
From the cobblestone streets and the houses that harmoniously blend historical respect with subtle modernity to the clean, well-planned environment.
For anyone who has never visited, or who comes from outside, it is guaranteed to evoke an almost immediate sense of awe.
However—
"Huh? Of course not. I always come here with my old folks and my little sister."
That wasn't the case for Lev.
"Really?! But I thought that—"
While Louis listened with interest, Laute pulled his head back into the vehicle to join the conversation.
"Am I some kind of country bumpkin?"
With a slightly irritated smile and a vein throbbing on his forehead…
– Bonk!
Lev landed a solid whack on Laute's head.
As if about to lecture him, he made Laute sit on his knees on the vehicle's floor.
"First. of. all! Bleuhaven isn't even the countryside."
"Argh… Sorry."
Laute let out a few small sounds of discomfort from the position and the whack.
"Secondly, how the hell do you seem more disinterested in the world you live in than I do?!"
"Ah! It's not disinterest in his case, Lev."
Louis joined the conversation with a very casual tone as he spoke his next words.
"He's just a idiot."
"I had my suspicions, but thanks for the confirmation."
Lev placed his hands on the table, shrugging as he let out a deep sigh.
(It's almost as if Alphonse were here, man)
The young man rested his head on his hand, gazing out at the scenery once more as the vehicle entered the capital.
However, his attention was soon drawn to the sound of a notification on his smartphone.
(It's from the old man…)
Upon seeing the name on the notification, Lev let out a quiet, contented chuckle.
(Let's see, let's see…)
He then opened the message he had sent.
» Yo! How was the trip, Champs? Didn't cause any trouble for Mr. Montblanc or Mr. Ernst, right?
» Anyway, when you see this message, find some time to call us! We want to make sure you arrived safely.
(Heh. That's just like him— oh?)
As Lev was reading his father's message, another one arrived at the same moment.
» P.S.: I talked to big sis; if you want a more familiar place to stay in the capital, she said it's no problem to have you over!
» No need to thank me— just doing my job as the best dad in the world.
(Auntie Apollonia's house…)
Lev put his smartphone away, crossing his arms as he sank into his thoughts.
(It's been a while since the last family trip to her house… but staying at her house. Huh? Wait…)
Lev opened his eyes wide, staring at Louis.
"Hey, Master Old Man?"
"Yes?"
The man was slightly startled by the suddenness of Lev's call, but not enough to lose his composure.
"When exactly does that knight school start?"
"In the second half of January, which means… three and a half months from today."
"And until then, where would I stay? At your place? At Laute's?"
Louis placed his book on his lap, staring at the ceiling.
"At my place. It would be safer than leaving you with Laute, besides, I'm your sponsor. Why?"
"Well, I told you I always come to visit here, right? So…"
Lev explained his father's message and how his aunt's family lives in the capital.
After hearing everything, Louis nodded.
"In that case, you can stay at her place. Just come visit me at least four times a week at this address."
Louis wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to Lev.
"It's the Syndicate headquarters. Over the next three and a half months, I'll prepare you further for your admission to the Academy."
"Okay."
The young man took the paper and tucked it into the case of his smartphone.
"Since you already have a place to stay, give me the address, and I'll ask the driver to drop you off there right away."
"Oh! Thanks, Master Old Man! It's at 345th Avenue, near the old central square."
Louis nodded again, moving closer to the driver's seat.
After giving the directions, he returned to his seat.
"All right, we'll drop you off there."
"Thanks, old man."
"... Did you stop with the 'Master' too? Decorum really isn't your thing, is it?"
Louis let out a resigned sigh; he had grown accustomed to Lev's personality.
"Can you believe my parents say the same thing?"
In response, he smiled carefree, his hands behind his head.
"Hey, Lev?"
"What, Laute?"
Laute caught Lev's attention; his eyes were already starting to water.
"Can I get out of this position now? My legs are already tingling."
"Oh, sorry, man. I almost forgot."
For a moment, a sense of camaraderie washed over Laute.
"Than—"
"— to continue the lecture."
Which was soon replaced again by another type of camaraderie, but of the stern side of it.
(He's surprisingly good with Laute; maybe I should leave him with him more often…)
Meanwhile, Louis, in a relaxed manner, returned to his reading.
— Chapter 9: End.