Adopting Rafaela just before departure didn't disrupt Felix's plans. After bringing Rafaela and Muelsyse home, Senomi, Mandragora, and Susie were both delighted and curious to see their new friend. They were eager to know why Rafaela had suddenly appeared here.
When asked, Rafaela's expression darkened. Wiping away her tears, she choked up as she explained that her father was no longer in this world. The three little ones immediately felt ashamed for pressing her. Mandragora stepped forward and gave Rafaela a small hug.
"Let's be sisters from now on."
Rafaela looked into Mandragora's golden eyes, then glanced at Senomi and Susie behind her—both wearing gentle expressions. She nodded slightly.
Degenbrecher and Carnelian cleaned out a study room and prepared it for Rafaela to use as her bedroom. After dinner, exhausted from the long journey, Rafaela returned to her room and soon fell into a deep sleep.
"From now on, Rafaela is your sister... I hope you'll be reliable sisters to her," Felix said to the three girls.
"Understood."
The three little ones responded without hesitation.
Muelsyse observed their exchange from the side, resting her chin in her palm, a soft smile on her face.
The next day, Felix took Rafaela to the black market in the downtown area. When they pushed open the bar door, it was still early—the place hadn't opened yet. The man behind the bar yawned as he glanced at them. When he saw Felix, he paused, then said cautiously, "Sir, the bar isn't open yet."
"I'm looking for Tin Man."
The bartender immediately understood, lowered his head, and left.
Tin Man had many safe houses. After getting in contact with him, Felix brought Rafaela to a grocery store, where they found Tin Man in the back warehouse, puffing on a cigar.
"The Maylander Foundation is very satisfied with your success, Mr. Felix. You haven't let us down," Tin Man said, continuing to smoke. "I'm honored to be your shortcut into the scientific community. I hope our collaboration continues."
Felix nodded slightly, eyes narrowing. "…I have a child with me. Can you put out the cigar?"
"…"
With a hint of reluctance, Tin Man extinguished his cigar and asked in his low, mechanical voice, "What's the matter?"
"I want to get this child Colombian citizenship." Felix gently touched the head of the girl beside him. Rafaela was curiously observing the steel-plated man before her, clearly intrigued. "Her father entrusted her to me before he passed. I want her to live a happy life."
"That's a minor matter."
Tin Man waved it off casually. Crossing his legs, he gave Rafaela a long look with his expressionless metal gaze. Startled, Rafaela shrank back and hid behind Felix.
"…Why are you scaring the child for no reason?"
"My bad."
Tin Man didn't want to argue with the overprotective angel before him. He cleared his throat and narrowed his mechanical eyes.
"After you entered the scientific community, did a scientist named Loken Williams contact you?"
"After the seminar, plenty of scientists—both young and old—sent me emails. If you're talking about Loken from the Loken Watertank Laboratory, then yes, he sent a congratulatory email and invited me to visit his lab. He mentioned combining biology and machinery to experiment with organic, ergonomic prosthetics… Why, what about Loken?"
"Nothing. It's just that he applied for a significant research grant from the Maylander Foundation recently. We're curious to see how that funding's being used."
Tin Man fell silent again. "The girl's identity will be ready within two days at the earliest."
"All right. I owe you one."
Felix took Rafaela's hand and left. Once they were gone, Tin Man pulled out another cigar, lit it, and began to smoke once more. He gazed into the distance, chuckling softly to himself.
---
After Rafaela obtained her identity documents, she began the school enrollment process, just like the other three little ones. From now on, she would attend school alongside them, enjoy a peaceful academic life, and eventually choose her own path once she reached adulthood.
Raising Senomi and Mandragora had been a deliberate decision. But with Rafaela, it felt different—more like raising a daughter. Regardless of what Rafaela liked or what career she chose in the future, Felix was determined to support her.
This was not only Old Pugh's wish, but also Felix's intention. Rafaela was soft-hearted and a little naive. Letting her walk her own path was best. Forcing a role on her might work, but it wouldn't be what she truly wanted.
Felix informed Degenbrecher and Carnelian of his decision to travel to Victoria. In principle, he planned to bring only Degenbrecher with him on this trip. The three little ones—no, now there were four—should focus on their studies. With a home and a stable base, it wasn't suitable for them to roam the world by his side.
As for Carnelian, she was entrusted with taking care of the four children. Despite her wild and explosive fighting style—often collapsing the hard ground during her bouts with Saria—she was surprisingly good with kids. She once told Felix that she had a sweet younger sister back in the Sargon tribe.
Before his departure, Felix called a family meeting to explain the upcoming plans—Muelsyse included.
Muelsyse would remain in Trimount, looking after the children while continuing her work with Rhine Lab. During Felix's absence, she would serve as his Water Elf Pokémon, just like during past travels—responsible for relaying communications between Felix and Rhine Lab, including matters involving Snowsant's project.
Although Senomi and Susie were a little reluctant, they still nodded and accepted Brother Felix's arrangements. They also needed to help Rafaela adjust to life in Trimount, and it was part of their responsibility to look after their new sister.
"…I want to return to Victoria with Brother Felix."
Mandragora stood up, uncharacteristically. She pursed her lips and said, "I want to see how the Tara people are doing in Victoria… and I want to go back and visit Oak Grove County."
Felix exchanged a glance with Degenbrecher, who chuckled. "That's a very convincing reason."
"I understand," Felix said, walking over to Mandragora and gazing into her deep golden eyes. "I'll arrange for a six-month leave of absence."
"Okay!"
Susie, too, missed her family. But she had promised her mother to stay focused on her studies. Clearly, asking for leave was not in her plans. What she looked forward to was visiting her mother in Victoria during the summer break.
---
After several days of preparation, Felix was ready to leave Trimount. Before departing, he visited the players' base to inform his longtime companions that he would be heading back to Victoria for a diplomatic mission. This time, he would be entering Victoria's capital—Londinium—and he needed their help.
Dandao Dantart, Magic ZX, and the others had long been looking forward to Felix's return. Upon hearing that they would be entering Londinium, they were thrilled. Magic ZX, in particular, was already preparing to make a new video.
Speaking of videos, Felix had also been keeping up with recent issues of Terra Times. During the period he was attending university, nothing major had occurred on Terra. Most people were focused on strengthening themselves and preparing for the conclusion of version 1.0, which was set to arrive in a year.
The town of Kazdel was nearly complete. It had become a haven for certain NPCs who wanted no part in the ongoing conflict between the two sides. With Ulšulah's approval, some players had even begun constructing buildings affiliated with their respective guilds on the town's outskirts. While these structures didn't constitute any form of military power—at most, they were organizational—it still represented a stable and recognizable presence.
Of course, the actions of the players had not escaped the notice of Theresis and the upper ranks of the Theresa Army. But rather than intervening or urging their undead subordinates to continue the fight, the leadership turned a blind eye, treating them as though they were invisible. The main conflict had shifted to the frontlines, which inadvertently provided the players in Kazdel with valuable space and time for development.
Notably, two female players—Qiu Muyu and Xiao Xuegao—thought Felix was quite handsome. When he appeared before the male players, they felt the Pioneer seemed more charismatic than ever. There was something about him—an aura of intellect and gentleness—that made him appear dependable, like someone they could instinctively lean on.
Ahem… things were getting a little obvious. Dandao Dantart, watching Felix walk away, gave a dry cough. "Let's get ready."
The other players nodded. While Qiu Muyu and Xiao xuegao continued to gaze at Felix's retreating figure, the rest of the male players began organizing their gear and moving out.
By the end of March, Felix was ready to depart. He donned the enhanced Lost Suit and notified the players and Rhine Lab about his mission. He also reached out to the Maylander Foundation, informing them of his plan to visit Victoria to negotiate with the nobles. It was, without a doubt, a masterful display of diplomacy and rhetoric.
In the truck with him were Degenbrecher and Mandragora, both seated in the back. Mandragora, still not tall enough to reach Degenbrecher's gracefully maintained long horns, leaned against the car door and waved reluctantly at Senomi, Susie, and Rafaela who had come to see them off. This time, she would be away until just before the summer holidays.
Trailing behind Felix was the players' convoy. Nearly half a year after Felix's sudden disappearance, they now followed him once again, setting foot on this vast and war-torn land, heading toward Victoria.
The movement of the Pioneers had already been posted on the forum by Magic ZX, triggering an outpouring of reactions from players in Victoria. Players in other regions Felix hadn't visited yet—such as Sargon and Ursus—could only wail and hope that he comes, but to no avail.
---
Londinium, the capital of Victoria and home to the Victorian royal family, had never been breached since it became a mobile city. Situated in the heart of the empire, it was heavily guarded. The presence of patrol guards and the Royal Mounted Police along the way put the players on edge. After all, without proper identification, they risked being blacklisted if caught.
But Felix was still Felix.
He presented his credentials and explained that the accompanying players were laborers transporting goods. The Royal Mounted Police, upon verifying his identity, nodded and allowed them to pass. After all, this was a shareholder of a major Colombian technology company—a wealthy man best not to provoke.
From now on, entering Londinium at will would no longer be possible. Felix knew this well. From the information he had seen on the forums in his previous life and from the developments in versions 2.0 and 3.0, he understood that after winning the civil war, Theresis would lead the army and the Sarkaz royal court into Londinium. By then, re-entering the city would not be so easy.
The reason Theresis was able to gain a foothold in Londinium was because he, along with the Kazdel Military Council and the Absolution Division under his command, was invited into the city under the pretense of "settling the ducal dispute"—and once inside... he never left.
In 1090, however, Theresis was still preoccupied with the civil war in Kazdel. At this time, Londinium remained firmly under the control of the Victorian royal family. The Grand Dukes were typically barred from entering the city, symbolizing Victoria's unyielding unity.
The residents of Londinium were mainly Feline, though some Aslan also considered the city their "homeland."
From the long convoy outside the city, the players could see the Howitzers mounted atop Londinium's walls. The sharp steel weapons loomed close enough to make their skin crawl. If even one of those Howitzers were to fire, none of them would survive.
Noticing Mandragora curiously studying the Artillery Batteries on the city walls, Felix explained, "This is a city defense artillery. Its full name is the Londinium Secondary Defense Artillery. This is the true reason why Londinium has never fallen. Its firepower is immense—powerful enough to pierce the armor of a high-speed warship. Even the secondary guns used for support can penetrate deep into the ground and destroy underground structures."
"So majestic…"
Mandragora blinked in awe. Oak Grove County only had sentry towers guarding its borders, and Trimount relied on high-tech security screenings and patrols by crossbow-wielding guards. Compared to that, Londinium was undoubtedly worthy of being called the capital. Any threat approaching the city would be reduced to rubble by those Howitzers.
Felix was deeply intrigued by the city defense Howitzers. As a craftsman—even if his level wasn't quite there yet—he still dreamed of building one himself, and firing it.
However, the blueprints for such a weapon weren't available. The only way would be to steal one or dismantle an existing Howitzers to reverse-engineer it for defense testing... but realistically, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
After enduring a lengthy security check, Felix finally drove the pickup truck into this steel fortress of a city. Stepping into Londinium felt like returning home. Everywhere he looked, there was metal—and the craftsman in him was tempted to break it all down into raw materials and take them home.
He figured it was worth trying to visit the Royal Dell Arsenal—under the pretense of discussing business. After all, who didn't like money?