Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 162: The unique method of Zora’s Auction

As the crowd streamed toward the Morning Assembly Square, Zora and her companions followed shortly after.

Baldwin’s injuries had not fully healed yet. By all logic, he should have remained in his room to rest, avoiding any chance of aggravating his wounds. Yet the sheer liveliness of the scene made it impossible for him to sit still. In the end, he insisted on coming along, accompanied by Reesa.

Although Reesa was usually indifferent toward Baldwin, seeing that he was injured softened her attitude considerably, and she kept a closer eye on him along the way.

By the time Zora’s group arrived at the Morning Assembly Square, Raphael was already waiting there.

Seeing him, Zora smiled faintly and asked, "Senior, did the vice principal agree?"

Raphael nodded. "The vice principal is straightforward by nature. There was naturally no problem."

"That’s good," Zora replied, finally at ease.

With that, she leapt lightly onto the high platform. Prince Kael and the others followed, landing just as effortlessly. Zora stood at the center of the platform, while the others took their places on either side of her.

Below the platform, the square was already packed with students. Every face was filled with eager anticipation, eyes fixed on the stage, waiting for the auction to begin.

When the appointed time arrived, Zora stepped forward and spoke clearly, "The time has come. The auction begins now!"

The moment her words fell, cheers erupted from the crowd. Excitement surged through the square like a rising tide.

The Morning Assembly Square faced the academy gates. Outside those gates, countless practitioners craned their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening inside.

They, too, coveted the Elixir of Tranquility. Unfortunately, the auction was restricted to academy students only, leaving them without a chance to participate.

Even so, none of them wanted to miss such a spectacle. At the very least, if they remembered who won the bids, they might still have an opportunity to negotiate afterward.

"I believe everyone here already understands the auction rules," Zora continued.

Sunlight poured down onto her figure, bathing her in a warm glow. The confidence in her posture and the brilliance in her eyes made her appear almost radiant, leaving a deep impression on everyone watching.

The crowd’s attention was completely captured by the woman on the platform. Every movement she made seemed graceful, like a living work of art.

"This auction is being held within the academy, so gold coins will not be used for bidding," she said calmly. "The highest bidder still wins, but the items offered must be demon crystals, medicinal ingredients, or other resources related to cultivation."

The students nodded. They had already heard of these conditions, which was why they had spent the past few days gathering such treasures.

Reesa frowned slightly, her confusion evident. "I understand the method, but everyone’s items are different. How do you compare their value without converting them into gold coins?"

Baldwin also shook his head, looking troubled. He had only ever seen auctions conducted with currency; this was entirely new to him.

Even Sylvandria and the others couldn’t hide the doubt in their eyes. Judging value under such conditions seemed extremely difficult.

"Raphael," Alaric Von Seraph said slowly, "do you need to step in and help Zora?"

The auction method she had proposed was unconventional, undeniably increasing the difficulty of the process.

Raphael gave a slight nod, just about to speak, but then stopped as Zora’s voice rang out once more, steady and composed, cutting through the murmurs of confusion in the crowd. "Everyone should understand that this auction method is indeed complicated. To simplify the process, I’ve come up with a solution."

As her words fell, all eyes turned toward her at once, curiosity lighting up the faces of the crowd. Everyone wondered what kind of idea she had devised.

"I’ve prepared pens and paper," Zora continued. "Instead of bidding aloud, each of you can write down the items you wish to offer, along with your name. I will review them personally and select the three offers of highest value and greatest suitability in my judgment. What do you all think?"

Her expression was confident and composed. This approach was not only efficient but also the most practical under the circumstances.

Otherwise, with so many participants, no one knew how long the auction would drag on.

The moment Zora proposed this method, the crowd’s eyes lit up almost simultaneously.

This was perfect.

The entire process was streamlined. There would be no shouting, no endless back-and-forth, and, most importantly, no chance for conflicts to erupt between students competing against one another.

"I didn’t expect Zora to be this clever!" Reesa exclaimed, her face full of admiration. "This method solves everything at once."

Baldwin nodded in agreement. "I’ve never seen an auction handled like this before. It also prevents malicious bidding. Truly ingenious."

The faint worry in Raphael’s brows vanished, replaced by a smile of genuine appreciation.

"It seems we were worrying for nothing."

Alaric Von Seraph’s gaze rested on Zora for a moment longer. At this instant, she looked nothing like an ordinary young woman.

This solution alone demonstrated her sharp mind. It also made one thing clear. Holding this auction was not purely for her own gain.

A traditional auction would have maximized profit through open bidding, yet every step Zora had taken deliberately avoided that path. Her actions showed that her original intention was to benefit the academy’s students.

Standing quietly to one side of the platform, Prince Kael watched her with deep, dark eyes filled with pride and appreciation.

His lady was, as expected, exceptionally intelligent.

Even he found this auction method impressive.

Ever since she cast off the identity of the General’s second young miss, her brilliance had only grown more dazzling. No one could possibly associate her with the once-mocked figure of the past. It was as though she had been born to shine.

Seeing the students below nodding in agreement, with not a single objection raised, the smile on Zora’s lips deepened.

She turned toward Reesa and the others. "I’ll have to trouble you all to help distribute the pens and paper."

"I’ll do it!" Reesa volunteered immediately, already stepping forward.

Prince Kael, Raphael, and the others followed suit without hesitation. Anything Zora asked of them, they were more than willing to carry out.

Outside the academy, the observing spirit warriors exchanged puzzled looks.

Wasn’t this supposed to be an auction?

Why was there no bidding, but instead pens and paper being handed out?

Not far away, Wilheim and Vice Principal Gerrad stood together at the edge of the Morning Assembly Square, quietly observing the scene.

"This Zora," Wilheim said slowly, his steady eyes reflecting admiration, "is not only strong, but remarkably sharp-minded as well."

As the principal, he had seen countless outstanding students over the years. Yet students like her were exceedingly rare.

Gerrad nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Zora is far from simple. In the future, she will surely make waves across the Holy Mystic Continent."

"Have you looked into Zora’s background?" Wilheim then asked slowly, his gaze still resting on the sea of students bent over their papers.

"I haven’t investigated it directly," Gerrad replied with a faint smile, "but from what Sebastian mentioned before, I have a rough understanding."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "That girl... I’m sure there are quite a few secrets hidden behind her."

A trace of approval surfaced in Wilheim’s eyes. "Not only Zora. Prince Kael is no simple character either."

"This batch of freshmen entering the academy is truly unusual," Gerrad said with a sigh that carried both amazement and amusement.

Wilheim chuckled softly. "As long as they are students of the academy, that’s enough for me."

As the principal, his goal was simple. Cultivate talent. As for their pasts, ambitions, or hidden identities, those were not things the academy needed to pry into.

Meanwhile, Reesa was busy distributing pens and paper. The students participating in the auction cooperated smoothly, each taking their share without complaint.

However, when Reesa handed a pen to one particular person, her expression instantly turned strange.

"Clarissa?" Reesa raised an eyebrow sharply. "Didn’t you say before that the Elixir of Tranquility in Zora’s hands was fake? Then what are you doing here, bidding for it?"

Disgust flickered unmistakably in her eyes.

Toward someone who had repeatedly gone out of her way to cause trouble for Zora, Reesa felt not the slightest bit of goodwill.

Clarissa’s expression stiffened.

She had deliberately dressed modestly today, counting on the crowd to swallow her presence. Besides, with this written-note method, she only needed to change her name. Zora would never know it was her.

She hadn’t expected to be recognized so easily.

Straightening her back, Clarissa retorted, "The auction didn’t say who isn’t allowed to participate. Why can’t I bid?"

Reesa let out a cold snort. "Oh? Your skin is really thick."

Clarissa’s face flushed, then paled. This Reesa spoke far too bluntly, sharper than Zora herself, and didn’t leave her the slightest shred of dignity.

"Enough nonsense," Clarissa snapped. "Give me the pen and paper."

With that, she snatched them directly from Reesa’s hand, clearly unwilling to argue further.

Reesa watched her with a frosty stare.

What a rare specimen of shamelessness.

After finishing the distribution, Reesa returned to the high platform at once.

"Zora," she whispered urgently, "I saw Clarissa while handing out the paper. She’s participating in the auction too. You absolutely must not pick her."

Her lips curled in disgust. "That woman isn’t safe. We can’t let such a treasure fall into her hands!"

Zora smiled calmly, the curve of her lips elegant and serene. "It’s fine. I noticed her as well."

She added lightly, "But judging from how she’s been borrowing money and gambling recently, I doubt she has anything truly valuable to offer."

Reesa relaxed a little at that, her mood lifting.

Zora’s gaze drifted down into the crowd once more. Among the many faces, Clarissa wasn’t the only familiar one she’d noticed.

Silvan was there.

So was Adrian, the one she had personally beaten in the Alchemist Association building.

It seemed that today’s auction had truly drawn in everyone with a story to tell.