New Life, New Task: I'll Be A Mom Then!!!

"Thank you for understanding the situation." Kayden looked at the two of them sincerely. "May I ask one of you to go and call the others as I announce my leaving."

"I'll go, Doctor Eins." Thomas volunteered to go and call the others.

Soon, only Sofia and Kayden were left in the office.

Kayden looked at Sofia with an inquiring gaze while asking, "Sofia, are you sure that you will not go with us to the Capital? I am confident that you have the ability to lead the Farauld Medical Research team."

Although Thomas and Sofia were doctors under Kayden, Sofia was a few years older and more experienced than Thomas, in terms of imparting medical knowledge to someone.  Sofia's personality would fit more should she volunteer to be the professor in charge for the new research team.

While Thomas was considered a young medical genius, extremely talented and gifted in the field of medicine, his playful personality would not be a fit for the role of guiding the medical research team. Most probably, Thomas would join the researchers in fan boying/girling Kayden's works.

Nevertheless, the two doctors were extremely capable and trustworthy.

Sofia smiled gently and shook her head, she looked at Kayden with a knowing smile and softly said, "Doctor, it is you who would fit most to continue Kayden's research. Who would be the best to do that but you, the author.."

Kayden's eyes widened in shock, even if he doesn't usually show many emotions on his face, hearing Sofia's words were enough to create a crack on his calm face.

"Y-you know?"

"Uhmm.." Sofia nodded, however, due to the current situation, she has no plans to explain how she knew Kayden's true identity. "Let's just say that I knew it from the start."

"Alright.. Then this matter.." Kayden was still in shock, how was Sofia able to know his true identity.

"Rest assured, I will keep your identity safe." She gave Kayden a look of assurance.

"Thank you." Kayden gave her his sincerest thanks.

Soon, the rest of the Riverfort Crew assembled in Kayden's office. He slowly announced the matter of his departure, briefly explaining the implications of the investigation results on Eli and Little Han.

Although the crew was initially saddened by their Chief's departure, they expressed their support for Eli's matter and Kayden's decision, just like how Sofia and Thomas viewed the matter earlier.

Kayden and Leon were set to depart in the afternoon, to be able to reach the nearest teleportation array first thing in the morning.

The crew immediately mobilized in gathering gifts, herbal medicine and tonics for Eli and Little Han. Although they very much wanted to see Little Han and Eli personally, the entire thing was not feasible and safe at the moment.

They also expressed their hopes to see them soon, when the enemies were already defeated and it was already safe for them to come and visit.

After stowing the mountain of gifts for Eli and Little Han, Leon and Kayden bid their goodbyes to the Riverfort Crew and started their three day journey to the capital.

Meanwhile, in a private room in a certain restaurant, Alicia wore a brave face and calmly faced Collins and Fred who were the representatives of the Vanderford Institute.

The two wore excited expressions as they thought that Alicia summoned them for some good news. "Lady Alicia, we still have more or less three days for the deadline. What is the purpose of summoning us at this time?"

"I apologize for calling you here this early, but I'd like you to know that I will no longer fulfill my part of the contract." She said in a straightforward manner. She heightened her senses and carefully observed the expressions of the two representatives.

Upon hearing Alicia's reply, Collin's face immediately turned dark, while Fred became anxious.

With a low cold voice, visibly restraining his anger, Collins slowly confirmed if he heard Alicia's words right, "Lady Alicia, am I hearing things right? You want to abort the agreement? You know very well the consequences of aborting and failing to carry out your part of the contract."

"Yes, I'll be eternally blacklisted in applying for any faculty nor student position in the Vanderford Institute. This consequence, I fully understand and accept." Alicia decisively proclaimed without batting an eyelid.

She sat straight and firm, showing no sense of wavering and room for compromise. Her words and actions were all clearly seen by Collins and Fred. At this moment, they didn't mask their disappointment and disdain towards Alicia.

"Good.. good! Then I would not bother to persuade you anymore." Collins gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in extreme anger. If not because he was in a foreign land, he would have already attacked Alicia and strangled her to death.

"Then I shall not hold you any longer. Goodbye gentlemen." Alicia nodded and strutted out of the room. She did not bother to appease them as there was really no way to salvage the situation.

Since she decided to quit her attempt to be used by them, she would not care of what her relationship to the Vanderford Institute would be.

Stepping out of the restaurant, she looked up in the cloudy sky, with a smile on her face. The sky was gloomy because it was gently snowing, yet in her heart, the sky was beautiful as it was during spring.

"I already cut ties with the Vanderford representatives. Now what to do?" She asked herself while her eyes wandered around the town which was gently coated by a fluffy layer of whitest snow.

"Let's come clean to the headmaster. After that, to Eli."  She mumbled to herself.

As soon as she finished these words, her lone figure started to walk towards the place where she parked her carriage and asked the coachman to go to the Farauld Estate. She prayed that her sudden request for audience to the Headmaster Farauld would be granted.

Only when she completely came clean with the people whom she wronged, will she be totally liberated. Alicia knew this in her heart, so she chose to take action right away.

Arriving in front of the massive yet low key Farauld Estate, Alicia politely lifted the carriage window and stated her intent to the gatekeeper. "Greetings, Alicia Michaela Cross, requesting an emergency audience to Grandmaster Reuben."

"Greetings Milady, would you mind to proceed first to the receiving area while I'll send someone to relay your request to the Grandmaster." The gatekeeper politely responded.

"Alright, thanks." She replied with a smile. She was then led by the servants to the visitor's lounge to wait for the Headmaster's response.

While she waited with patience, she couldn't help but nervously sip her tea at the thought of how she would come clean to the Headmaster. Although her decision was already firm, she still could not suppress the fear of knowing that her confession might spark the anger of the headmaster and the revered Grandmaster mage of the Empire.

Sitting silently on the lounge, which boasted a relaxing atmosphere of floor to ceiling walls and a wide array of indoor shrubs and flowering plants, Alicia couldn't help but let her mind drift idly. It was really refreshing to see indoor greenery when everything outside was covered with snow.

She remembered that upon stepping on the Farauld Estate's main hall, she heard a cheerful wave of childish voices and squeals. She wondered, since when did the Farauld Clan have so many children in the main hall?

She remembered that the youngest generation of the Faraulds where not staying at the main estates but to the their designated villas within the vast land of the Farauld estate.

However, she immediately dismissed this thing as something that the Faraulds decided since the winter holiday was already approaching.

She didn't stay idle and nervous for long, as the butler politely informed her that Grandmaster Reuben granted her an audience.

She immediately calmed her emotions down and readied her mind of the things that were about to happen.

Not long after the announcement, an elderly figure, that exudes an aura of wisdom and energy, entered the lounge.

Grandpa Ben looked at Alicia with an intrigued expression, as he sat on the opposite couch, facing her. Smilingly, he asked her to state her cause, "Young Professor Alicia, what brings you here so suddenly?"

"Headmaster, I am here to confess my wrongs and to come clean to you." Alicia breathed heavily and explained everything in one breath to avoid running away from what she intended to do.

"A week ago, I was contacted by two representatives of the Vanderford Institute, to try to poach Great Inventor Eli. After a long winding discussion, I, with a muddlehead, accepted to try and steal the Great Inventor's published book for their use. In turn, they would give me a position of higher level in the Vanderford Institute. However, in the midst of attempting to do so, I saw how the Great Inventor takes her task seriously and I on the other hand had utterly disgraced my profession as an educator and committed such atrocity!"