One evening, File gathered Nia, Rifqie, Vixi, and Aina in their small, underground yet classically themed room.
"Okay, everyone, I have some news, and there's something that needs to be done," File announced.
As everyone settled in, File showed them a stack of papers. "I am planning to expand the Archive Knights," he said.
"So, we're going to have more members?" Nia asked.
"Yes, a lot," File confirmed.
"Oh! Can I pick someone?" Aina chimed in excitedly.
"Well, we can't just pick anyone. I need to ensure they're up for this, and technically, I already have some candidates," File explained.
"So… what are we going to do now?" Aina asked.
"We need to create an entire structure first, Princess," Nia said.
"I see. I guess it's better to start from the foundation then," Aina responded.
"Agreed," Vixi added.
"Well then, we need a base of operations first. I need Vixi to secure part of it," File stated.
"Let me guess, you want me to secure an old, abandoned haunted castle that was once used for sacrificial rituals?" Vixi said sarcastically.
"Well… that sounds cool," Aina remarked.
"No, no, no, please don't give her ideas!" Rifqie interjected.
"Just something normal within Whiteford," File said firmly.
"How about an old guild hall in the western city? It was used by an adventurer guild a long time ago," Nia suggested.
"Good suggestion. Vixi, here's a list. Additionally, take some time to look for alternatives, including what Nia suggested," File said, handing a bunch of files to Vixi.
"Aye aye, boss," Vixi replied, storming out of the room.
"Okay, right now, based on my intel, I think we will need some transportation," File continued.
"What do you mean by that?" Rifqie asked.
"We need something to mobilize our teams better," File explained.
"Just asking, why all of a sudden?" Aina inquired.
"Well, I suppose I can't keep this from you guys much longer," File admitted.
"You all heard about Uchitsune Yarinaga?" he asked.
Aina, Nia, and Rifqie nodded, having heard rumors about a man named Uchitsune who had dethroned Tamura.
"Well, he is dead," File stated bluntly.
"What?!" the three exclaimed in shock upon hearing the news.
"What happened?" Rifqie asked, eager for more information.
File took a deep breath. "Uchitsune was a monster; his demise was predictable. But the thing is, even as a monster, he is the type of enemy we could potentially live with. However, he has a second-in-command," he explained.
"You mean like a champion?" Aina asked.
"Kind of. The Warmaster of Utakata is even more monstrous than Uchitsune himself—at least, that's what I know," File replied, showing some wounds on his chest. "I fought to a standstill against the Warmaster once. To my surprise, he's just a little kid, probably around Aina's age, and yet he fought with the power of an Outer God, Zotho," File said.
Everyone was shocked; the thought that someone as powerful as File could finally meet his match was stunning.
"Anyway, I don't know what happened, but the Warmaster ultimately turned against Uchitsune and began a massive civil war," File continued.
"But he holds no grudge against us, right? I mean, we aren't technically his enemies," Aina pointed out.
"Yeah, you're not wrong. But here's the catch: Uchitsune is a monster, but even he will hesitate before an assault, just like Tamura. He will predict the outcomes and calculate the gains and losses of war. Ultimately, he is a logical person—a strategic genius and a cunning one," File explained.
"But the Warmaster is a different type of beast; he is not the type you can diplomate with," File added.
"So, are we going to prepare for a war with him?" Aina asked.
"No, raising a massive military or preparing a military campaign might actually be a declaration of war. For now, I'm planning to revitalize the Archive Knights so we can have ears and eyes everywhere. Not to say I don't trust Whiteford intelligence and internal defense, but I've seen things with my own eyes," File stated.
"Okay then, how can I help? I'm new here, but I promise I won't hold anyone back," Aina offered.
"We still need significant transportation to mobilize our knights," Nia mentioned.
"I have an idea! I know someone who could help us. He's working on some strange aircraft but doesn't really have much approval," Aina said.
"Why?" Rifqie asked.
"Well, the last I heard, his deal was cut by the Ventus Corporation for unknown reasons," Aina explained.
"Well, I guess it won't hurt to contact him. Don't worry about the budget; Prince Hector is funding us. And considering the Archive Knights have been around for over three thousand years, I don't think reputation will be an issue," File reassured her.
"Okay, don't worry. I'll be on my way. But can I at least see a couple of the recruit candidates? I want to see them with my own eyes, you know," Aina requested.
"Okay, but don't take this to heart; most of the candidates were personally chosen by me and Rifqie, as we have already examined each of their skills over the past two years," File replied.
"Okay, I promise I won't bother them," Aina said with a smile.
"Okay, here's the thing, File. First of all, we need to split it into a couple of groups," said Rifqie.
"I'm listening," File replied.
"I suggest we need to cover at least five different groups. The first one will be our main fighting force, which should consist of our strongest frontliners. The second one will be our defense. Remember when you pledged to protect Lady Aina? Every Archive Knight that follows you will also pledge to protect her," Rifqie explained.
Aina suddenly blushed. "Wait… Archive Knights pledge to protect me?" she asked, surprised.
"Yeah, when you were about 2 or 3 years old, File pledged to protect you, which was allowed by King Zachary. So, we all technically pledged to protect you too," Rifqie clarified.
"I… I don't know how to respond to that," Aina said, her cheeks reddening.
"Haha, don't worry. Even if they didn't, most of them would do it anyway. In recent years, you have proven yourself to be a good leader," File added.
Aina blushed even harder, her face turning bright red.
"Okay, the third group will handle our recruits. Right now, I estimate we could get over 300 new members—three times the total number of Archive Knights currently. Even so, we should continue to grow our strength, as our enemies are not only from other nations or continents. There are shadows lurking beneath this country," said Rifqie.
"I agree. Starting with cultists, traitors, or corrupt officials; it's like fighting an ocean of plague. Trust me, I understand it. I've been doing this for, like, 1,000 years already," File stated.
"The fourth group we need will be our eyes and ears everywhere, gathering information ahead of us. I recommend a scouting group. The fifth group should focus on infiltrating certain factions and groups. I have more ideas, but for now, that's our top priority," Rifqie elaborated.
"Scouting? Isn't that the same as the intelligence division? Can't you just combine the two?" File asked.
"No, we can't do that. The scouting division will prioritize our global presence and give us updates about what's happening worldwide, while the infiltrating group must specifically remain off the radar," Rifqie explained.
"I see; that makes sense," File nodded.
"Anyway, despite each group having its own responsibilities, I want them to meet the standards of Archive Knights," File declared.
"Okay, sure! But I want you to be strict about this, so I want you to establish a couple of rules," said Rifqie.
"What rules?" File asked.
"Number one: No Outer God cultists," Rifqie stated firmly.
"Sure, I don't like them either," File agreed.
"Number two: no holy persons involved, as our operations may or may not be morally questionable," said Rifqie.
"Okay, that makes sense," File nodded.
"Number three: no daemons, aside from you-know-who…" Rifqie continued.
"Ah, come on! They make the best brawls!" File protested.
"Nope, can't do. If our enemies find out, they'll use it against us politically," Rifqie insisted.
"Fine," File relented.
"Number four: no vampires, werewolves, zombies, or anything related to infections," Rifqie stated.
"But vampires and werewolves are cool!" File argued.
"Yeah, they are amazing—turning into a monstrous wolf or a majestic bat monster," Aina chimed in.
"That's exactly the reason I don't want them. Aina, you're really starting to sound a lot like File," Rifqie remarked. "Anyway, I'm trying to keep our workplace clean."
"Fine, but at least I'm still going to make it interesting," File countered.
"And lastly, NO FEMBOYS!" Rifqie declared.
"ONE FEMBOY!" File shouted back.
"Why the hell do you want a femboy?" Rifqie asked incredulously.
"Why the hell don't you want a femboy?" File shot back.
"Alright, that's it—one of them only," Rifqie conceded.
"This is going to be interesting, but by that logic, we already have one," Nia added.
"What?!" both Rifqie and File exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah, I guess he really outplayed both of you," Nia replied with a grin.
As the day concluded, Aina reached out to her contacts. Eventually, the Archive Knights came into possession of a massive submarine and an aircraft, both of which would serve as their mobile command center and base of operations. The submarine was later named "The Poseidon," while the aircraft would be called "Arch Drake."
With this, five companies of Archive Knights were ultimately formed:
File as their Grand Master
Aina as their Princess and Lord
Nia as the First Company Captain
Rifqie as the Second Company Captain
Ghani as the Third Company Captain
Cyan Pile as the Fourth Company Captain
Skye as the Fifth Company Captain
Each of them originally led a group of 20 to 50 knights. However, in less than one year, with Aina as their Lord and File as their Grand Master, they were able to grow rapidly in numbers. In just a single year, over 2,000 knights joined their cause.
What had started as a group of fewer than 100 knights in all of Whiteford had now expanded to over 2,000 in just one year, becoming the protectors of Whiteford from the shadows. Aina and File carefully planned each of their moves to eliminate the enemies of Whiteford while keeping an eye on external forces.
In the eyes of many, days passed as always in peace. However, for the Archive Knights, they had been relentlessly fighting enemies from the shadows, battling unnatural threats both internal and external.
Of course, in terms of numbers, they were smaller compared to other knight orders. The Imperial Knights boasted over 20,000 knights worldwide, the Seven Swords had more than 14,000 knights globally, and the Saints had around 10,000 knights worldwide. The only order with fewer members than the Archive Knights was the Storm Wyvern Knights, an order of Whiteford's knights tasked with hunting monsters that posed a threat to Whiteford, consisting of roughly 100 members.
However, this didn't particularly concern File, as he prioritized fighting the threats to Whiteford in secret rather than engaging in open warfare. After all, that was why he could rely on other knight orders or even Whiteford's military.
At least, that's what he thought—an assumption that would later prove to be a grave mistake.