You know, I was really looking forward to visiting my auntie and her family since I'm in the capital and all, but…
"Here, say 'aaaa'!"
Somehow…
"That's not fair, Nicola! I wanted to give him the first bite!"
Isn't this a little off? On one side, there's a beautiful girl with orange hair and a single purple streak trying to feed me a strawberry meringue.
On my other side, a girl identical to her, but with short hair and a green streak instead of purple, trying to feed me a chocolate cake.
Well, it's not like they're strangers, but…
"Aren't you two invading my personal space a little too much?"
------------------------------------------------
A few hours earlier.
Lev had been dropped off at his destination, the 345th Avenue, or rather, he'd been dropped off on a street nearby.
"Sorry I couldn't take you all the way there. I had no idea the house was on such a narrow avenue…"
"No problem, old man. This is fine. I was actually looking forward to stretching my legs anyway!"
Lev gave Louis a thumbs-up.
"Alright, remember to contact your family and me when you get there, got it?"
"You got it. See you later, Louis! See you later, Laute!"
"See you, Lev! We'll have another sparring session at the Syndicate headquarters!"
The young man waved as he walked away, and Laute waved back enthusiastically with both hands.
In contrast, Louis waved elegantly and with dignity as he watched the young man leave.
(Man, that was a quick ride. Those vehicles are insane.)
Lev let out a yawn, walking through the streets of Helianthus's old central square.
"I must say… this place hasn't changed a bit, has it?"
He passed by a black ivory fountain with a faceless statue at its center.
"Whoa, it's the 'nameless hero'."
Lev approached the statue with an excited, childlike smile.
"That thing was almost falling apart, but it looks like they've given it a nice makeover."
The Nameless Hero, a tale from the folklore of Sonnenkind.
Legend had it that he was the son of a blacksmith and the grandson of a famous warrior.
One day, a fearsome dragon appeared, attempting to attack his village, so the nameless young man took up one of the swords forged by his father.
For seven days and seven nights, he fought the dragon, and in the end, he was victorious—but not without a cost.
He lost a great deal of blood during the battle and eventually died, but not before dragging himself to the center of the village.
They say that countless sunflowers sprouted immediately from the spot where his blood pooled.
The young man's father buried his son right there, and everyone in the village came to regard him as a legend.
"Although… it's strange that no one mentions his name in the stories…"
Lev put his hands behind his head, looking relaxed as the wind ruffled the strands of hair around his face.
"Well, whatever. It's still a fun story."
Right after that, he started walking again.
After he walked away, a figure emerged from behind a tree.
She seemed to be staring at where the boy had been standing, looking startled.
"Was that flashy guy talking to a statue?"
But then again, it wasn't something Lev should worry about… probably.
It didn't take long for him to reach his destination.
"Should I ring the doorbell? Though Auntie Apollonia takes forever to open the door…"
Lev began looking around the entryway, searching for something.
"I could've sworn it was here… did they move it from— ah, found it!"
From behind a trapdoor, the boy pulled out a key and headed for the door.
"Hehe, that means Uncle Lan is out. He never lost the habit of putting the key there ever since he almost lost it at a summer carnival."
Upon opening the door, however, the boy got a shock.
"AAAAH?!"
"... You didn't have to scream, brat."
Standing in front of the door, with a light, carefree smile, was a woman with brown hair tied in a braid over her right shoulder.
"Huh? phew— it's just you, Auntie."
"What do you mean 'it's just you' when you're breaking into my house, brat?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
With a mischievous grin, Lev stuck his tongue out slightly while turning his face to the side.
"That brat… sigh"
The woman shrugged, stretching her arms out toward him.
"Come on, give your aunt a hug."
"Can I refu—"
"No."
Then, she locked him in an arm lock.
"Hahaha, you've grown a lot, haven't you? I wouldn't have recognized you if it weren't for that silly manner of yours."
"But it hasn't even been that long since the last family visit. Also, timeout! I surrender!"
The woman released him from her grip, patting him on the back a few times.
"Let's go inside. Lan and the girls are out right now buying some things to celebrate."
"My visit?"
"Huh? Of course not, idiot. Nicola and Caroline got accepted into a really good college; you just happened to show up at the right time."
The woman then let out a loud laugh, patting him a few more times before heading into the living room.
Lev let out an exhausted sigh, but soon followed her.
"This place never changes, does it? You haven't lost your sense of aesthetics, Auntie."
"Right?"
Apollonia puffed out her chest with pride, wearing a smug smile.
"Because you never had that to begin with—this place is still a disaster."
But Lev was quick to deliver the punchline.
"Do you want to pick your grave now or later?"
"In 100 years, maybe?"
"The funeral will cost more, but sure."
And soon, the two of them were laughing together.
The woman sat down in an armchair, and Lev made his way to the sofa in the center of the room.
"So, Igor gave me the lowdown, but… you finally decided to put all that time you spent messing around to good use and become a Knight, huh?"
She rested her head in her hand, propping her elbow on the arm of the chair.
"Yeah, something like that, I guess."
Meanwhile, Lev placed his hand on the floor.
"Well, as long as you're doing it of your own free will and having fun, I've got no complaints."
With her other hand, she pulled her smartphone out of her pocket and sent a message.
"I'll let those three know you've arrived… have you called Igor yet?"
"Oh, I almost forgot, thanks."
And Lev did the same, sending a message to his family, and to Louis as well.
» I'm here, safe and sound and in one piece!
» You can sleep easy tonight.
(There, that should do it.)
Putting his smartphone back in his pocket, the young man began stretching his arms and yawning.
"Tired from the trip?"
"Something like that."
Lev began cracking his neck and shoulders.
"Well, get some rest. You'll be staying in the guest room on the second floor—any problem with that?"
"Is there still that burn mark on the floor?"
"Yes."
Lev hopped up from the couch, grabbed his suitcase, and headed for the stairs.
"But come down for dinner, okay?"
"You got it, boss!"
— Chapter 10: Part I, End.