CHAPTER 74
Narrator: The next day, Dav woke up and took an item from the bag of things he had bought the day before.
He had wrapped it the night before when he returned while Iris and Valeria were asleep.
He headed to Matteo and Gabriel's room and left a small cake and the gift near Matteo's nightstand, along with a letter that read: "Happy birthday, nephew. From Uncle Dav."
Dav walked outside into the garden, sitting on a bench in the winter cold.
He watched the birds at the first light of dawn and, gazing at the sky, he murmured:
"Peace, huh?"
His eyes remained fixed on the sky, where a few stars were still visible as dawn began to break.
He took his phone in hand and called his dear friend.
Dav: (Holding the phone to his ear) Buddy, it's me, Dav.
Can I ask you for a favor?
Azrael: (On the other end, sipping a drink) What kind of favor do you need at 10 PM?
Dav: (Calmly) As if it's 10 PM everywhere, don't you think?
Anyway...
Can you arrange a meeting with the great mage?
Azrael: (Laughing) You mean the one you almost killed?!
Dav: (Making a funny face) Exactly.
Azrael: (Amused) I'm in Los Angeles.
A car will be waiting for you upon arrival with some guards.
See you soon, my friend.
Dav: (Smirking) See you later.
(End of call)
Alright, time to get something to eat and wake up Vittorio.
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Narrator: Arriving at Director Vittorio’s room, Dav knocked and knocked again until the man finally got up and opened the door.
Vittorio: (Shouting) Who the hell is waking me up at 6 in the morning?! I
swear, I'll tear you apart!
[Opens the door]
Dav: (Making a funny face) Good morning, Vittorio.
Vittorio: (Making a funny face) Good morning, Dav...
(Pausing) Wait a damn minute...
(Yelling with a funny expression) What the hell do you want at 6 AM?! Don't you see that an old man like me needs sleep?!
(Dramatic) First, you steal my daughter, now my sleep… What more do you want from me?!
Dav: (Serious funny face) I’ll be leaving for a whole day or more, so I’ll be absent for a while.
Vittorio: (Annoyed, funny face) Good for you! SHO! SHO!
[Door slams shut]
Dav: (Raising an eyebrow) So this is how you turn out at 65?
[A distant voice from behind the door]
Vittorio: (Shouting) I can still hear you, you know!
Dav: (Chuckling as he turns away) Better leave before he starts another story about his stolen daughter and lost sleep.
(Looking at his contacts) He’ll do just fine!
Narrator: Arriving at the airport, Dav looked around and got ready for the trip.
Dav: (Satisfied) Thanks to you, I’ll be able to travel peacefully, Mr. Dante.
Dante: (Happy) It’s an honor to accompany our hero and serve as his escort to Los Angeles.
Dav: (Looking at him) Sorry about the early hour…
I’ll make sure you get to rest and even enjoy a small vacation while we’re there.
Dante: (Smiling) I appreciate it, Mr. Dav.
Dav: (Funny face) Just Dav, okay?
Dante: (Laughing) Okay, just Dav.
Dav: (Tired funny face) I swear, I always attract the weirdest people… Haha.
Narrator: After arriving in Los Angeles three hours later, thirty black cars awaited him on the runway, with a hundred men standing at attention like soldiers, greeting him with respect.
Dav wasn’t the type to enjoy such displays, so he looked for the person in charge to get things moving as quickly as possible.
Lucian Dexler: (Smiling confidently) Mr. Lion, my name is Lucian Dexler.
It is an honor to welcome the dear friend of our Lord and his close companion.
Welcome to Los Angeles.
Dav: (Nodding) Thank you for the warm welcome, Mr. Lucian.
Could you take us directly to Azrael? He’s expecting us.
Lucian: (Gesturing for them to follow) Please, this way, gentlemen.
(Speaking) It’s quite late, so you won’t see many people around at this hour… If you need food or anything, please don’t hesitate to ask, sir.
Dav: (Composed) We already had dinner on the private jet, but thank you as if I had accepted.
Dante: (Looking out the window the whole time) Really beautiful!
Dav: (Looking at Dante) Mr. Dante, you’re free to explore and do whatever you want from now on.
I already told you before, didn’t I?
To make up for the late hour, I’ll cover a vacation for you at my expense.
Dante: (Happy) Thank you very much, sir! I’ll make sure to take lots of pictures and show them to my wife, AHAHAH!
Dante Di Valverde has a long military career, starting as a promising young officer.
Thanks to his strategic intelligence and unwavering dedication, he quickly rose through the ranks to become Commander and Chief of Staff of the nation.
He has faced numerous conflicts and crises, earning the respect of his subordinates and political leaders.
Disciplined and resolute, Dante is also a warm and loyal man to those who deserve his trust.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, especially his wife, with whom he shares a strong bond.
He has a passion for military history and photography, and whenever he can, he takes small trips to discover new places.
Despite his high-ranking position, he remains humble and protective toward those he considers friends—like Dav, to whom he is deeply devoted.
END OF CHAPTER 74
