Down on her knees, she barfed up the breakfast down on the grassy ground. 

"What's up with sister all of a sudden?"

Gabriel said it, switching between Thomas and Wyge. 

"It seems like the side-effects of teleportation hasn't completely left her."

Tapping on his ring, a small water bottle and a black pill manifest atop his palm. 

Crouching over slightly, he handed it over to the Daniela. 

"Thanks..."

Hesitant at first, she picked the items off his hands, making a small smile to show her gratitude. 

The General got up nodding. 

Popping the cap of, Daniela took a large gulp of water, before gargling and spitting it out. 

'Ouch! My head still hurts from that!'

She winced slightly, feeling a sudden electric current from her head all the way over to her neck. 

"Milady, are you alright?"

Wyge who had been with her gently tapped on her back. 

"Yes, I'm fine... thanks."

The words lingered around for a moment. 

"Milady, why don't you take it?"

Her eyes gestured towards the black pill the General had handed her earlier.  

"I will."

Bringing her hand up, she dropped it onto her mouth. 

'Gya! It's bitter... now it's sweet.'

Despite her reaction, she tried not to show it outside, clenching her fists. 

"Hoho... this wasn't something I was expecting to see, are you alright, Princess?"

The strange voice of the woman came along, mixed with light laughter. 

"Stop..."

The General spoke first before Daniela could even turn to see who it was. 

"Oh, grumpy, is this how you treat your friend after such a long time?"

"Ha! My friend? Hardly?"

He shot back at the woman, though his voice remained steady. 

Getting up, Daniela got a good look at the woman. 

'So, this must be the principal of Nexarion, Han Shia.'

Her hair was let out to flutter behind her, while the crisp blue suit with its eye catching curves framed the woman. 

'She looks so young... but in reality, she's almost forty, the same age as the General.'

Despite her age, the woman looked no older than twenty without a single wrinkle, while the General's face sported multiple smaller wrinkles that came with age. 

The well rounded face, and the flowing hair made the woman seem heavenly. 

Grabbing onto Thomas's hand, she swung around it like a child grabbing a vine from a tree and spinning around. 

"Who would use tea tree along with Jasmine... and your still smoking?"

She analysed the scent around him, pretending to make it seem as if she knew everything about him. 

"I just mixed whatever I had on me at the moment."

"Anyways, what are you here for..."

Switching her sights from the General to Daniela, she asked. 

"... Princess?"

"Well... the thing is..."

Daniela awkwardly rubbed her left forearm at the sudden question. 

'Even though I've prepared a reply, how do I say it without making it seem as if I'm hiding something.'

"I heard Nexarion doesn't have a professor for the Manakai post."

"You heard...?"

Shia couldn't help but ask her at the brazen comment. 

"Of course, I'm not some lousy gal, I have my methods..."

Her words trailed off before connecting the sentence. 

"... why are you staring at me like that?"

Her eyes fell on Shia's mortified expression who looked slightly unnerved at Daniela's words. 

"You're using words I did not know could be used by someone as dignified as you."

She looked around to find the same expression on everyone's face except the General who didn't seem to mind. 

'I screwed up again!'

"Anyways, i know someone, but I don't think you'll like him."

"Who is it?"

"It's... um..."

"Out with it."

"Jonathan Thorne!"

"Jonathan Thorne? Where have I heard that name?"

Thomas cuts in right as she completed speaking. 

"Him! The scoundrel who had stolen the work of Vinchen Thorne!"

"Oh! Yes. I remember, quite the prominent researcher."

"You mean scammer?"

"His research wasn't half bad, but too bad there weren't any proof indicating it was his."

Her eyes fell on Daniela, tilting her head to the left. 

"What do you see in th—"

Some of the hair fell on her mouth while speaking as a result of her tilt. 

—Pfft pttf

'What is she doing?'

Removing the hair from her mouth, she continued without any change in her expression. 

"Why him?"

"I do have a reason to believe that he was the original owner of the thesis."

"And why is that, Princess?"

Han Shia fell into thought. 

'I did consider that man, but with reputation that broken and no political backing, it'd be useless. However if the Princess were to take up on it... but is he truly worth the hassle?'

Han Shia's words came in sharp, asking her to present more information than just her wills and trusts. 

Daniela could only only think up of one reply, one where she wouldn't be the only judge. 

"Why don't you ask him yourself, I do think that could work better, Principal."

"Huh..."

She raised a brow at her words. 

Contrary to her expectations, Daniela had presented a different response. 

"That is a great idea."

'Ha! Does that mean she's accepti—'

"However..." 

The joy was short lived at the next words that came out of her mouth. 

"Why would I go through all that trouble?"

"What do you mean, Principal?"

'I knew it. It's not going to be that easy to convince her.'

"Think about it logically, to be a professor at Nexarion, they have to go through an arduous amount of work and sleepless night..."

Shia paused, throwing a quick glance at Daniela. 

"... what do you think will happen if I appointed someone with an history of having stolen his brother's research?"

The slightest hint of weariness teetered around her eyelids. 

'My head hurts and I feel sick, I'd have given up on different circumstances, but the fate of the world or at the very least the life of that man— I must change it!'

Determined to push through with her decision, she decided to reinforce her claim. 

"But he can do things even mages of your caliber can't do, Miss Shia."

Shia was once again moved by her sudden choice of words. 

'This girl, she's not giving me any definitive answer while poking around my curiosity.'

'One of the characteristics of Miss Han Shia is her insatiable thirst for knowledge, I could throw bits of information around, but this is difficult.'

Being a reader of Duke's Liebling, she clearly knew the likes and dislikes of the character, Han Shia. 

But she also knew that her character was not one she could easily move to her will. 

"Tch!"

Shia clicked her tongue. 

'Time for the final piece.'

"He can open the specific mana codex you foun—"

Turning her head at frightening speeds, Shia disappeared, appearing behind her, placing a finger on her neck. 

"How do you know about that, Princess...?"

The voice was snarly and grimey from its tone, almost as if it held murderous intent. 

However the girl had no intention of playing along with her. 

"I may have given up on succession, but I am still the Princess."

She raised her hands in surrender, her voice falling into a low whisper, but someone else had already intervened. 

—Sling 

A long silver blade was pointed at Shia's neck. 

"It'd be much better for us all if you could take a step back, Shia."

Thomas spoke begrudgingly, holding the unsheathed sword up. 

"Ooh..."

She backed off. 

Noticing how she had given in, Thomas sheathed his sword. 

"Fine, let's go meet this wonderful of a man, shall we?"

'Yes!'

Daniela made a slight nod while she screamed in joy but did not let it show. 

"By the grace of the mana, I pray to thee."

Shia brought her hands together, connecting her fingertips as she started chanting. 

'Fuck! Teleportation again?'

A large circle with multiple sylphs and writings appeared beneath their feat, expanding over a diameter of over three feet, covering them as a whole. 

Gabriel who had been watching the entire scene unfold along with Wyge soon noticed the white circle beneath their feet. 

"This is..."

His words trailed off, lingering a gaze at Wyge. 

"Destination Gate."

Wyge completed his sentence. 

Shia continued her chant, "Move me through the vassals of time and space~Destination Gate."

—Bssss!

They disappeared from the ground, leaving behind dust particles and blades of grass floating in the air. 

...

—Baam!

Reappearing, the dust stirred up once more. 

"Hm... am I at the right place?" 

Thomas tapped on Shia's shoulder. 

"How did you know where he lived?" 

"Let's just say, I was looking for him before the Princess's recommendation, but I couldn't think of any way to bring him over."

"I do not think this is a great idea, it has been proved that he's just some copycat."

His voice was filled with disdain as he did not make any attempts to cover it up. 

"Why are are so judgemental?" 

Shia averted her purple eyes off him, knocking on the door. 

—Knock knock

—Bleh

Daniela on ground again crouched, gasping for air. 

'What the fuck is this? How are they alright?!'

Her eyes fell on Wyge and the young Gabriel who seemed just fine. 

"Milady..." 

Wyge slowly rubbed her hand across her back.  

"Hi." 

The distant echoes of Shia's joy could be heard as she entered the house. 

Danial looked around and noticed the small setup, a small shack, an axe and multiple logs chopped up into smaller pieces. 

"A lumberjack...?"

She pondered, before looking inside at the commotion caused by Shia. 

'Wonder if this will work out?'

_________________________