A month later, Aina prepared herself to study abroad in Fonta Aria's capital city, Melody City. File was to accompany her. This was intentionally arranged, as File had been chosen to be Aina's protector since she was a child, but he also planned to meet certain interesting individuals he hoped to recruit. After all, Aina would be staying at a females-only dormitory, giving him the time to find recruits.
That day, the two boarded a private jet from the Freyr family. When Aina and File landed at the airport, she was filled with excitement at her new surroundings, unaware of the even bigger surprise that awaited her.
As they headed to the Loyal Swords Paladin Academy, File did his best to hide his identity to avoid unnecessary attention. However, someone revered across the entire continent like him couldn't easily go unnoticed.
The moment they stepped out of their vehicle, Angelus Taki Eleison, the Grand Master of the Loyal Swords Paladin, was seen waiting for them.
"Oh my, not that hag," File mumbled to himself.
As the two approached the gate, many paladins, from knight paladins to even martyrs, could be seen standing and bowing in respect to File. Aina was shocked and in awe of the grand welcome.
File, on the other hand, was not the type to enjoy such attention. "I'm pretty sure I already said not to make a striking welcome ceremony, Taki," he said.
"Hahaha, well, I know about it. I planned to keep it simple, but then again, I guess I just love to annoy you," Taki replied, greeting File and Aina warmly.
After shaking hands, Taki looked at Aina with a warm smile. "So, Princess Aina, I heard you will be joining the Loyal Swords Paladin Academy, right?"
"Uh, yes, Grand Master!" Aina answered.
"Don't worry, you can just call me Taki. You two go ahead, and once again, welcome to Fonta Aria, Princess," said Taki.
After some registration, File took Aina to her dormitory, where she had to part ways with him.
"Where are you going to stay, File?" Aina asked.
"Don't worry, I know some places around here," File reassured her.
As Aina entered her dormitory, she was greeted by the keeper, a tall orcish lady. She was Golsiera, a former paladin captain now working at the Loyal Swords Paladin Academy after retiring due to an injury.
"Princess Aina?" Golsiera asked.
"Yes," Aina answered.
"Welcome to Moon-Lake Dormitory. I'm Golsiera, a teacher at this academy," Golsiera introduced herself.
"Uh… nice to meet you," Aina said politely.
Golsiera smiled and handed her a key to her room. "Right now, you should rest; you must be tired. Tomorrow morning, someone special wants to meet you," Golsiera informed her.
As Aina took the key and went to her room, she immediately set up, placing her family portrait prominently, and then went straight to bed.
On the other side of town, File was walking in the middle of the city. It was midnight, but the megapolis-like Melody City never slept; there was always some part of the city awake.
"Now that I think about it, the last time I was here, Fordragon was still around," File mused to himself. He took out an amulet containing his family portraits, including the only picture of Arch Duke Drake Blood that existed, taken with an ancient device resembling a camera.
"Mom… Fordragon… I wish you two were still around. I wonder how you would react seeing the modern world like this. I bet Blanchette would stop you from watching television, Fordragon," File murmured as he walked through the city.
He then took some public transportation before arriving at the edge of the city, where a small village lay. However, File didn't stop there. He continued walking to a cave, a tunnel he followed until he reached an underground city.
This was the black market of Fonta Aria, hidden from the bright facade of the city. From illegal drug dealers and weapon traders to even daemons, all could be found here.
"This place has grown. It was just a couple of tents the first time I was here; now it's almost a massive city of its own, with over 100,000 people living here," File remarked.
He then came face to face with a strange daemon: a massive, four-meter-tall creature with fists that emitted scorching flames from his nails.
"Who are you?" the daemon asked aggressively.
"Nobody, just strolling around," File replied calmly.
"And yet you're walking towards our base," the daemon retorted.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that. I guess it's just instinct," File said as he walked past the daemon, ignoring him entirely.
The daemon started to get angry and tried to grab File's shoulder, but was suddenly stopped by an elf.
"Relax, Gunder," said the elf, shifting his gaze to File. "Hello, File."
"Yo, still alive, I see… Robinson," File replied.
Robinson assured the daemon, Gunder, to calm down, explaining that File was with him. Robinson then accompanied File on his walk.
"So, been a while, huh?" Robinson asked.
"Yeah, how long has it been? 1400? 1500?" File inquired.
"1555 at this point," Robinson replied.
"Nice to see you keeping tabs on time," File commented as the two walked into an arena where several individuals were sparring. From dragonmen, orcs, elves, and humans to daemons, many beastmen, yokai, and even goblins could be seen engaging in fist combat.
"This place is blooming," File observed.
"Can't believe those years have passed," Robinson said.
"I'm quite surprised to see how many daemons fled here, actually," File noted.
"Gazmirna led them here during the Great Daemon Wars 1,000 years ago," Robinson explained.
"Brave and loyal woman until the end, wasn't she?" File remarked.
Robinson just nodded in agreement.
"So, anyway, you didn't come here for a walk, did you?" Robinson asked.
"Nah, I'm looking for information about some people," File replied.
"Oh… now that's rare," Robinson said, intrigued.
"Have you heard the name Uchitsune?" File asked.
Everyone around them suddenly went silent, and even Robinson's eyes widened.
"That monster," Robinson muttered.
"Careful, his eyes and ears may have reached here," warned Gunder, reappearing from behind.
Robinson took a deep breath. "All I know is that he suddenly appeared from Qa'stur. Last year, I heard he launched what was supposed to be a crusade towards three continents simultaneously—Merk, the North, and Favor," Robinson said.
"I have met him with my own eyes. We spoke briefly, and he is something I've never felt before—so dreadful, so dangerous," File replied.
"He possesses over 2 million elite soldiers. Right now, he's beginning to conquer all over the world with swift assaults, probably trying to avoid Tamura's mistakes," Robinson speculated.
"He's taken the North and Merk, and it appears to be a setup for a full assault on the Favor continent," File added.
"You think we should be worried?" Robinson asked, sipping on some beer.
"At this point, no. I don't think so. I somehow feel he holds no grudge or ambition toward us yet," File said.
"Favor Continent... I don't know what he's trying to achieve, but he's surely ready to send over 2 million people to their deaths," Robinson commented.
"Or their victories," File remarked.
"What do you mean?" Robinson's interest was piqued.
"Have you heard the title of Warmaster?" File asked.
"Nope," Robinson replied with a quick expression, his face betraying no lies.
"The Warmaster is supposed to be Uchitsune's right hand and Utakata's current military leader, but—" File paused.
"But?" Robinson urged him to continue.
"Something's off about that person. I fought him to a standstill, and it felt like I was fighting multiple people simultaneously. Additionally, I had a strange sensation of dread," File explained.
"Never heard of him. Do you know his name?" Robinson asked.
"Nah, he just calls himself the Warmaster. His soldiers were brutal and relentless. For once in thousands of years, I fought for my life against him," File admitted.
"So he's a big deal, isn't he?" Robinson said.
"Yeah, but that's not even the worst part; something's brewing. They know everything is getting too overwhelming," File replied.
The two then walked downstairs to an arena. "Whatever he is, I want to warn Blanchette about it," said File.
"Why don't you just talk with her?" Robinson asked.
"Nope. Tried that once, and she banned me for the next 1,000 years. She says I resemble Fordragon too much and doesn't want to see my face. Any magic turret automatically targets me if I get near her place," File explained.
"Well... my sister hasn't let go of your brother, after all," Robinson said.
"Kinda feel bad for her, but could you at least pass this message to her?" File requested.
"Sure, can do," Robinson said as he stood up and began to walk away. "And hey, File, nice to see you safe and healthy."
"Yeah, me too," File replied.
As Robinson departed, File stumbled upon a painting of Gazmirna. "Hahaha, you looked different back then. Kinda miss all our adventures. Wish I could just turn back time to experience it once more," File mused.
Gundar approached File from behind. "You knew Grandmother?" Gundar asked.
"Yeah, an old friend of mine," File said.
File then proceeded to leave, but before he got out, Gundar threw a pair of daggers to him. When he saw the daggers, File was shocked to his core, freezing in place as tears became visible in his eyes. He took the daggers and kissed them—a warm reminder of the woman he loved who sacrificed her life for him.
"One more adventure, right, Yanmei?" File mumbled.
He decided he wouldn't leave without a gift for this. "Here, take this," File said, handing Gundar an infernal axe he summoned. "It's made out of my blood; the flame won't extinguish for the next 400 years. I promised this to your grandmother before we parted."
Gundar received the axe, shocked by the magical capabilities it held. He wanted to thank File, but File had already disappeared from sight.
As File proceeded to return to Melody City, he went to a hotel and spent the night there, hugging the dual daggers close.