Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 115: Mercenary Mission (Part-3)

Night fell gradually.

In the damp, shadowed depths, visibility dropped to almost nothing.

Beast’s roars echoed from afar. Insects chirred sharply in the undergrowth.

Crunch.

Their footsteps snapped dry branches, the sound unnervingly loud in the silence.

"Let’s rest ahead," Alaric Von Seraph said quietly while his eyes, sharp as stars in the night, scanned the terrain.

They had been traversing wetlands for hours, searching for suitable ground.

Raphael smiled faintly. "There’s higher ground up front. Perfect for camp."

Soon, they reached a dry, elevated area. Alaric Von Seraph surveyed the surroundings with care, only relaxing once he confirmed there were no lurking threats. He leaned against a thick tree and sat down.

The others followed suit, forming a small circle. From their storage pouches, they took out food and ate in silence.

After a moment, Raphael looked at Zora with gentle concern, a soft smile touching his lips.

"Feeling tired after a full day like this?" he asked with a small laugh. "But it’s not strange. Most people are, especially on their first outing."

The forest rustled quietly around them, night pressing close, as the first true day of their mission came to an end.

Zora’s red lips curved slightly at those words, her expression calm as still water as she said. "It’s fine. I don’t feel tired."

Compared to the intensity of cultivation she had endured in the past, a day of trekking like this barely counted as exertion. At most, her current body still lacked some endurance and needed further tempering.

"Oh?" Raphael’s peach-blossom eyes flickered with surprise. "I guess I only took you as a lady of Noble House."

They were long accustomed to such outings. For them, this level of fatigue was routine. But Zora was a freshman who had just entered the Academy, and on the surface, a noble young lady from a military household. Most people like that were pampered from childhood and would struggle badly in the mountains.

Yet her performance had far exceeded his expectations.

Plenty of arrogant young women broke down after entering the mountains, especially among ordinary students. Such scenes were far from rare.

Hearing this, a trace of self-mocking irony curved at the corner of Zora’s lips. "Then your understanding of my background isn’t complete."

The children of powerful families were often spoiled, yes. But she herself had long lived a life worse than pigs and dogs. Hardship was nothing new to her, in both of her lives.

Raphael caught the subtle shift in her tone, and his gaze sharpened slightly. There was clearly a story behind those words.

At that moment, Alaric Von Seraph spoke coldly, his expression still indifferent. "Raphael, it is not surprising that she isn’t tired. She didn’t do much today besides walking. If she couldn’t handle that, she’d be useless, and I would begin to doubt Tutor Sebastian and Tutor Miel’s judgment of giving her an invitation."

The words were blunt and merciless, yet oddly carried a faint undertone of acknowledgment.

Zora shot him a sideways glare. As expected, not a single pleasant sentence ever came out of this man’s mouth.

Raphael’s lips twitched upward with interest. "Our Alaric Von Seraph rarely speaks this many words in one go. Normally, he hates explaining."

"Oh?" Zora raised her brows, amusement glinting in her eyes. "So you’re saying he’s giving me face?"

Raphael merely smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.

Sylvandria, who had been quietly observing, let the fleeting tension in her spring-water eyes fade away before stepping in gently.

"Zora, do you mind if I be casual with you?" she asked softly, her voice clear and soothing like a breeze.

"I don’t mind." Zora returned the smile. Sylvandria had stayed close to Alaric Von Seraph all day and hadn’t spoken much with her.

"It’s your first time out. Feeling a bit unaccustomed is normal," Sylvandria continued kindly. "The next few days will be like this, too. If you’re uncomfortable, you can tell me."

Her manner was gentle and considerate, like that of a caring elder sister, effortlessly lowering others’ guard.

"Thank you for your concern," Zora replied, her clear eyes flashing with quiet resolve.

"But I’m not someone who needs to be coddled. Since I chose cultivation, I was already prepared to endure hardship. You don’t need to worry about me."

She wasn’t a fragile newcomer. Nor did she need special treatment.

The gazes of the three fell on her at once.

In those deep, steady eyes lay firmness and persistence, bright as sunlight yet unyielding.

Raphael’s expression shifted slightly.

He understood. She wasn’t being polite.

Only those who had truly walked through hardship carried eyes like these. He had seen them before—on Alaric Von Seraph, on himself.

And now, on Zora.

Alaric Von Seraph’s gaze locked onto Zora, sharp and clear, as though it could pierce straight through her heart.

Zora met his eyes without flinching. Their gazes collided midair, sparks flaring in that brief, silent confrontation.

A moment later, Alaric Von Seraph looked away, his expression returning to its usual indifference. "In that case, there’s no need to slow down tomorrow. We’ll pick up the pace."

Today, they had deliberately reduced their speed to accommodate Zora, since it was her first time entering the White Mountains Range. Now that her resolve was clear, there was no reason to waste time.

A faint, captivating smile curved at Zora’s lips at those words. After today’s experience, she already had a thorough understanding of the post-millennial beasts. Tomorrow, keeping up with everyone’s rhythm would be no problem.

Raphael glanced at her, a strange light flashing through his handsome eyes.

From the moment she appeared, this woman had continuously revealed how extraordinary she was. The more one watched her, the harder it was to look away.

That night passed peacefully.

Zora and the others rested without encountering any monsters or danger. Clearly, Alaric Von Seraph and his companions were seasoned in surviving the mountains and knew exactly how to choose the safest resting spots.

At dawn, the four set out again.

The armored rhinoceroses lived in the central region of the White Mountains. From their current position, it would normally take three days to reach the beasts’ territory.

This day, however, their pace was noticeably faster. Even so, Zora felt no strain at all.

Seeing this, Alaric Von Seraph and Raphael completely released their speed. Since this was a competition, none of them intended to lose.

Most of the beasts that attempted sneak attacks along the way were swiftly dealt with by Alaric Von Seraph and Raphael, while Sylvandria and Zora handled the rest together.

Moving at full speed, they covered three days’ worth of distance in just two, reaching a place with a rhino herd.

The four crouched atop a hill, their gazes fixed on the armored rhinoceroses roaming below.

The beasts were pitch black, their bodies completely covered in thick, iron-like scales that gleamed with a metallic sheen under the sunlight.

Each armored rhinoceros was massive, nearly the size of two horses combined. Every step it took caused the ground to tremble faintly.

These beasts were social creatures. It was rare to encounter one alone.

"Zora, do you want me to hunt one first and show you?" Raphael asked, his eyes bright with enthusiasm.

"Raphael, these are armored rhinoceroses," Sylvandria interjected softly, her brows knitting together. "If you demonstrate now, it won’t be easy for us to find another one."

What she said was true. Among group beasts, once one was killed, the rest would immediately become alert. Finding another suitable target could take a long time.

Raphael was just about to respond when Zora spoke first.

"No need," she said calmly. "I’ll be fine."

She got up.