Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 201: Zora’s counter strategy

Zora exchanged a look with him. The conclusion in their hearts was the same.

"They’re waiting for us to be completely worn down," she said calmly, wisdom glinting in her eyes. "They’re keeping a certain distance, far enough that we can’t easily detect them."

Her lips curved slightly.

"So instead of searching for them, we wait. They’ll come to us."

Prince Kael’s smile deepened, admiration unmistakable in his dark gaze.

If not for her insight, they really might have fallen straight into that trap.

After confirming their thoughts, Zora gathered everyone and explained the situation clearly.

When the explanation ended, every face in the group froze.

"You’re saying..." Marcus exclaimed, disbelief written all over his face, "We’ve been constantly attacked because someone tampered with our clothes?"

He instinctively glanced down at himself. Until now, he hadn’t sensed anything abnormal at all.

Zora nodded lightly, her expression solemn.

"I had Kael test it earlier. The results confirmed my suspicion."

She paused, then asked softly, "Don’t you all feel that today’s monster attacks were far too frequent?"

Just that single sentence made the doubt in everyone’s hearts vanish.

"You’re right," Marcus said seriously. "I’ve been through the White Mountains many times. This is the first time I’ve ever been swarmed like this."

"In that case," Raphael said gently, "there’s no need to hesitate. We change our clothes."

"I trust Zora’s judgment," Reesa added immediately.

Seeing everyone accept her words without question, a warm smile appeared on Zora’s lips.

Alaric Von Seraph and the others exchanged glances and nodded as well. There were no objections.

*

Soon, the entire group changed into fresh clothes and resumed their journey toward the Suffocating Forest.

Before long, everyone noticed something astonishing.

The relentless monster attacks that had plagued them earlier dropped sharply.

Even after passing through areas where demonic beasts usually gathered, only a handful appeared.

At that moment, any remaining doubt vanished completely.

Their clothes really had been tampered with.

"Zora, you’re incredible," Sylvandria said sincerely, admiration shining in her eyes. "You even noticed something like that."

"I’m completely convinced," Marcus said with a laugh, giving her a thumbs-up. "If not for you, we’d still be wasting time fighting monsters."

More than that, if they’d been exhausted and Julian’s group had attacked again, the consequences would’ve been disastrous.

"Zora," Raphael added with a warm smile, "this time, we truly owe you."

Hearing everyone’s praise, Zora smiled and waved her hand lightly. "I just happen to be more sensitive to these kinds of details."

"Zora, you’re being too modest." Tifanny laughed.

Ever since Zora had saved Marcus, Tifanny’s gratitude toward her had only grown. In the beginning, she had felt a faint sense of discomfort. After all, when Zora first arrived at the academy, she had drawn too much attention, stealing the spotlight almost effortlessly.

But after truly getting to know her, that dissatisfaction quietly vanished, replaced by sincere admiration.

Someone like Zora didn’t need to compete for attention at all. Her brilliance made her impossible to overlook.

"This conclusion also depended on Prince Kael’s test," Zora added, arching a brow as she glanced at him with a smile. She had never liked claiming all the credit for herself.

Prince Kael chuckled softly. His lady really was generous to a fault.

"Either way, thank goodness for you," Marcus said with a weary sigh. "If this had continued, I’d have been exhausted just killing monsters."

The earlier tension still lingered in his bones. Being constantly alert to attacks from every direction was far more draining than a direct fight.

If Julian’s group had appeared while they were already worn out, the outcome would have been unthinkable.

"The methods of Julian and the Black Vulture Mercenary Group are truly despicable," Reesa said angrily. "Whoever gets schemed like this would be furious!"

As her words fell, a cold glint appeared in Alaric Von Seraph and the others’ eyes.

They had never claimed to be saints. Since the other side had chosen such underhanded means, there was no reason for them to simply swallow the loss.

At that moment, Zora’s eyes darkened slightly. A sharp, calculating light flickered through them, and the smile at the corner of her lips grew faintly dangerous.

Prince Kael noticed the subtle change immediately. He knew that whenever his woman looked like this, someone was about to be unlucky.

"Why don’t we..." Zora said slowly, her voice soft but edged with mischief, "You know... return the favor in kind?"

She had always believed in one principle. You touch me, I’ll scratch you. You try to poke me with a needle, and I will slash you with the sword.

This time, if not for Black and White’s sharp observations, they might never have discovered the trick hidden in those clothes.

The liquid used by the Black Vulture Mercenary Group was colorless, odorless, and applied during close combat. Even she had to admit it was cleverly designed and difficult to guard against.

The physician behind it clearly belonged to the second kind of medical spirit warrior. One who used medicine not to save lives, but as a weapon. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

With such a tool, it was no wonder the Black Vulture Mercenary Group had risen so quickly. In the mountains, where demonic beasts were the greatest threat, this method was practically lethal without lifting a blade.

Once they marked a target, all they had to do was wait.

As Zora finished speaking, everyone’s gaze slowly fixed on her.

For some reason, a strange chill crept up their spines.

"How exactly do you plan to do it?"

Even Alaric Von Seraph’s usually icy expression thawed a little. His calm, steady voice carried a faint ripple of interest.

He had always disliked unnecessary trouble. If something could be ignored, he would rather not bother with it. But Julian had crossed the line one time too many.

Alaric Von Seraph was never afraid of Julian. What he hated was the endless entanglement. Yet Julian clearly had no intention of letting go.

If this dragged on, there would only be more trouble in the future. Since the opportunity had presented itself, it would be better to resolve everything cleanly and once for all.

If their priority had not been reaching the Suffocating Forest, Alaric Von Seraph would have chased Julian down this very morning and left him with no chance to escape.

Everyone’s gaze locked onto Zora, anticipation burning in their eyes.

First, they had been ambushed, then secretly schemed against. As the special enrollment students of the academy, when had they ever been pushed around like this?

Now that Zora said she had a way, everyone only wanted one thing—to strike back and make Julian and the Black Vulture Mercenary Group pay dearly for their arrogance.

Zora’s red lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile.

"I do have a method," she said slowly. "But we need to find a place to rest early tonight. I’ll need some time to prepare."

Everyone nodded without hesitation.

If they could get rid of this hidden menace, what did a little delay matter? At worst, they could push harder tomorrow.

Besides, with Julian and the others lurking nearby, their pace would only keep getting disrupted. It was better to solve the problem first and move on without worries.

Seeing everyone agree, Zora continued, her tone calm yet resolute.

"Since they want to use demonic beasts to deal with us, we’ll return the favor."

Using monsters against monsters was, after all, the most effortless method.

"Zora, how exactly are we going to use the beasts?" Reesa’s eyes sparkled with excitement, her curiosity impossible to hide.

"The liquid they used," Zora replied with a confident smile, "I happen to have something similar."

Her expression was composed, filled with certainty. In medicine, she had never been second to anyone.