Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 113: Mercenary Mission (Part-1)

After a thousand years, so many organizations had risen and fallen. She truly hadn’t paid much attention to guilds of this sort. Still... formal certification sounded useful.

"I heard Sylvandria is also an alchemist," Reesa continued animatedly before Zora even got to talk. "And she’s very good at it. Not long ago, she passed the assessment for a second-grade alchemist. That news caused quite a stir. Countless men were completely smitten."

"Sylvandria really does deserve her reputation," Reesa added with an honest nod. "She’s a special-enrollment student, strong in cultivation, and already a second-grade alchemist. That’s no small feat."

Her pure, lively face carried genuine admiration. Though she wasn’t particularly fond of Sylvandria, she truly respected strength.

Zora’s lips curved into a faint, elegant smile. "The academy’s first beauty... she really does have both beauty and ability."

To reach the second grade at such a young age was impressive indeed.

"But that doesn’t matter!" Reesa suddenly leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. "I believe that with your ability, Zora, you’ll definitely catch up to her!"

She waved her small fist with fierce confidence. "Come on! I believe in you!"

Faced with such wholehearted trust, Zora couldn’t help but laugh softly. "I’ll do my best."

Hearing her response, Reesa beamed even brighter, then quickly shifted topics.

"Being special enrollment really is amazing. I heard you’ll be heading out tomorrow to complete a mercenary mission?"

Zora nodded. "That’s right."

"So enviable!" Reesa sighed dramatically. "I’m stuck training in class every day. When will I get the chance to fight monsters and experience real danger?"

Her cute appearance contrasted sharply with the violent excitement in her words.

Zora chuckled. "You’ll start taking missions eventually. For now, focus on building your strength."

Mercenary tasks were inherently dangerous. Without sufficient power, stepping outside the academy was courting death. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

That was precisely why ordinary students were trained within the academy first. Only after reaching a certain level would they be allowed to undertake missions.

"I’ll work hard!" Reesa declared resolutely. "Then one day, I’ll go on missions and cultivate alongside you!"

"I’ll be waiting," Zora replied.

"Then it’s settled!" Reesa grinned. "You go out on missions, I’ll train in the academy, and when you come back, we’ll talk again!"

"Deal."

*

At dawn, the sun rose over the horizon, its first rays piercing the clouds and bathing the land in golden light.

Zora withdrew from her cultivation, packed her things, and stepped out of her room.

Outside the dormitory, Raphael and the others had already gathered.

Baldwin, Marcus, and the rest arrived shortly after. Today was the day both teams would set out on their respective missions.

Marcus’s gaze flicked toward Alaric Von Seraph. A grin tugged at his lips. "Alaric Von Seraph, how about another comparison between our two teams this time?"

Last time, their team had lost by a narrow margin. He had been itching for a rematch ever since.

Alaric Von Seraph’s expression remained calm and aloof. His deep eyes were steady, restrained.

"Fine," he replied simply.

The air subtly tightened.

Another test had begun. "How shall we compete?" Raphael asked with a relaxed grin, clearly intrigued by the suggestion.

"This time, let the new students take the lead," Marcus said briskly. "We’ll compare speed. Whichever team completes its mission first wins. While hunting the beasts, the seniors won’t interfere. How about that?"

Raphael’s gaze shifted to Zora. "Zora, what do you think?"

"Our mission is to hunt an Armored Rhinoceros and obtain its armor," he added.

The Armored Rhinoceros possessed strength equivalent to the mid-stage Sky realm. Its power and defense far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators at the same level. For a mid-stage Sky realm spirit warrior, killing one was no easy task.

"No problem," Zora replied crisply, without the slightest hesitation.

Her decisive answer made Marcus’s eyes brighten.

Freshmen often underestimated demon beasts, especially someone like Zora, who had only just registered as a mercenary. To face an Armored Rhinoceros head-on would test both judgment and strength.

"Our mission is to hunt a Stone Cat Beast," Marcus continued. "Its strength is similar to that of the Armored Rhinoceros."

He turned to Baldwin as he spoke. The proposal had been made on the spot, without prior discussion.

"I have no problem either," Baldwin answered with a sunny smile, flashing neat white teeth.

This was a chance to prove himself. Refusing would only distance him from the group, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Marcus nodded in satisfaction. "Then it’s settled."

Tiffany, another senior member of a team where Baldwin was assigned to, lifted her brows with interest. "Since it’s a competition, shouldn’t we add a little incentive?"

"Speak," Alaric Von Seraph said coolly. His voice was calm, his gaze steady, confidence written plainly across his sharp features. One word, yet it carried an air of finality, as if victory were already assured.

Tiffany was used to his temperament and didn’t mind in the least. A faint smile curved her lips as she said. "The winning team gets two extra points. And..." she paused deliberately, "five hundred points from the losers. How about it?"

The proposal instantly stirred the atmosphere.

"Fine," Alaric Von Seraph, however, agreed without hesitation and without a chance in his expression as if he didn’t care.

With his decision made, Raphael and Sylvandria raised no objections. Their teamwork was seamless, built on long-standing trust.

Zora’s brows lifted slightly. She hadn’t expected Alaric Von Seraph to agree so readily.

From Black and White, she already knew that Baldwin was a late-stage Sky realm spirit warrior, stronger than she was. Compared to facing an Armored Rhinoceros, hunting the Stone Cat Beast would indeed be easier for his team.

This was hardly a perfectly fair competition.

As for the five hundred points... judging by Tiffany’s expression, it was no trivial amount.

Still, Zora’s lips curved faintly.

A challenge, after all, was far more interesting than an easy victory.

Including her, the three of them each put forward five hundred points. That made one thousand five hundred points in total. Adding the mission rewards on top of that, the stakes were anything but small.

"Then let’s split up here," Marcus said with a bright, confident smile. "We’ll meet again after the mission is completed."

His upright, resolute features were filled with certainty. Clearly, in his eyes, this competition was already decided.

***

The White Mountains lay behind the imperial Academy, stretching between the borders of Elysia and Velithar like a massive natural barrier separating the two nations.

Because the academy itself stood at the junction of both countries, its students came not only from the Elysia Empire, but also from the Velithar kingdom, and even from more distant realms.

White Mountains Range was the largest mountain range near Elysia. Its vast territory was so dangerous that even seasoned mercenaries rarely ventured deep inside, usually hunting only along its outer edges.

After thousands of years of spiritual nourishment, ancient trees towered sky-high, dense and lush, while demon beasts roamed freely.

It was a land of peril everywhere—but also a land of opportunity for cultivators.

*

After parting ways with Marcus’s group, Raphael narrowed his eyes slightly. His handsome face carried a trace of doubt.

"Seraph, Baldwin is already at the late stage of the Sky realm. This competition isn’t fair."

His voice was calm but firm. To him, this was an unnecessary disadvantage.

"There was no need to agree."

More importantly, it placed pressure squarely on Zora.

Alaric Von Seraph’s expression remained indifferent, as though the matter were trivial. "Marcus wants to save face. This gives him a chance."

He paused briefly, then added coldly, "Even if we refused today, he would find another excuse later."

Trouble.

That single word was the true reason behind his decision.

He simply hated trouble.

It had nothing to do with confidence in Zora’s strength.

Zora felt a faint twitch at her temples. This man’s logic truly defied common sense.

Raphael chuckled helplessly. That answer was exactly what one would expect from Alaric Von Seraph.

To him, a competition was nothing more than a competition. Win or lose, he didn’t care much.

Sylvandria smiled softly and turned toward Zora. "Senior Alaric is someone who dislikes complications."

Her gentle smile bloomed like a delicate flower, elegant and pleasing.

The words were light, but the familiarity in her tone was unmistakable.

Zora immediately sensed the deeper implication.

Sylvandria clearly harbored feelings for Alaric Von Seraph. Yet the way she glanced at Zora while speaking felt... strange.

Could it be—

She thinks of her as an imaginary love rival because of her whole arguments with Alaric Von Seraph?

The thought made Zora’s lips twitch.

I already have a husband, though.

Even if it was a cooperative marriage in name, Kael Moonstone was unmatched in both appearance and strength.

Still, her thoughts drifted unconsciously.

That man, standing at the peak of power... how was he doing now?

A figure who should have ruled the continent had been reduced to an Elysia’s crippled prince because of physical limitations. Returning to reclaim everything would not be easy.

For a moment, she missed his teasings and his caring nature, but she quickly shook her head of her thoughts as her cheeks turned red, "Zora... what are you thinking... snap out of it..."