Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 243: The Ancient Ruins (Part-15)

By now, no one present cared about pride, status, or grudges anymore.

What everyone wanted was painfully simple. Someone, anyone, had to open this stone gate. Otherwise, they would remain trapped inside this ancient ruin, cut off from the outside world, waiting for an end no one dared to imagine.

So when Zora stepped forward again, no one stopped her.

People unconsciously made way, their eyes fixed on her hands, on the stone door, on every tiny movement. Hope and anxiety tangled tightly in their chests.

Zora stopped in front of the massive stone gate and raised her hand, pointing to the circular groove carved beneath the door ring.

"Kael, look here."

Prince Kael’s gaze followed her finger. The moment his eyes landed on the groove, something stirred in his mind. A sense of familiarity rose sharply, like a memory suddenly illuminated.

In an instant, he understood.

Among everyone present, only the two of them could understand what this groove truly meant. To others, it was nothing more than decorative carving. To them, it was an answer that had been quietly waiting all along.

So this was it.

This was the owner of the ruins laying out the path from the very beginning.

Prince Kael turned his eyes toward Zora, his gaze deep and searching, carrying a meaning only the two of them could share.

"What do you think?" he asked softly.

Zora gave a slight nod. The smile at the corner of her lips was faint, but confident, the kind that needed no explanation.

"Since you already understand," she replied, "there’s no need to waste time."

Not far away, Guinvere watched the exchange in silence.

Her expression remained calm, but the chill in her eyes deepened little by little. Through her brief encounters with Zora, she had already realized one thing. This was not a woman who would retreat quietly or back down under pressure.

For now, all Guinvere could do was endure. Whatever resentment or plans she harbored would have to wait until they left the ruins.

Under countless gazes filled with confusion, anticipation, and disbelief, Zora and Prince Kael moved at the same time.

Each of them took out a sword.

The moment the blades were revealed, the surrounding air seemed to shift.

Zora’s sword was crystal clear, its body like refined glass, faint streaks of blood-colored light flowing within it like frozen veins. Prince Kael’s sword was equally translucent, but instead of blood-red hues, it shimmered with a restrained golden radiance.

At first glance, the two swords looked strikingly similar. Upon closer inspection, their differences became clear. One was slightly smaller and sharper in temperament, the other broader and steadier, yet both carried the same unmistakable aura.

They were born of the same source.

Prince Kael noticed it as well. His eyes flicked briefly to Zora’s sword, then back to his own. The realization settled heavily in his chest.

Paired swords.

Zora studied the blade in Prince Kael’s hand more carefully. Along the sword’s surface, ancient characters glimmered faintly.

Aries

Her own sword was named Eira.

The answer was obvious now.

Around them, whispers broke out.

"What are they doing?" Sigmund frowned, completely unable to understand the sudden appearance of the swords.

"I don’t know," Zephrin replied slowly, eyes burning with fascination. "But those swords are definitely extraordinary. Their grade is terrifyingly high."

Elowen narrowed her eyes, studying the two blades. "They look too similar. There must be a special connection between them."

After a brief pause, Zephrin spoke again, his tone turning thoughtful.

"Paired swords," he said. "Weapons crafted to be used together. Often meant for companions... or lovers."

The surrounding expressions shifted instantly.

Surprise. Realization. A hint of complicated emotion.

Elowen shook her head lightly and smiled, a trace of admiration in her eyes. "It seems," she said quietly, "that Prince Kael and Zora truly are a match made by fate."

Guinvere’s gaze sharpened in an instant at those words, the chill in her eyes cutting straight toward Elowen. Those light, seemingly casual words had landed like a slap to her face.

Elowen, however, remained unhurried and composed. A faint smile rested on her lips as she calmly turned her gaze away, as though she had never noticed Guinvere’s warning glare at all. That indifference was, in itself, a kind of provocation.

While the crowd was still speculating about the true origin of the swords in Zora and Prince Kael’s hands, the two of them moved at the same time. Without hesitation or discussion, they raised their swords and aligned the hilts with the circular grooves beneath the stone door.

The moment the hilts slid into place, a clear, resonant click echoed through the space.

"Ka."

The sound was not loud, yet it struck everyone’s ears like thunder. The murmurs died instantly. The air seemed to freeze as all eyes locked onto the grooves.

Then came a deep, grinding roar.

"Boom—"

Under countless stunned gazes, the massive stone door trembled and began to move. Dust fell in thin streams as the ancient mechanism awakened at last, and the sealed gate slowly, unmistakably, opened.

A collective breath was sucked in.

At that moment, no one needed further explanation. The truth was obvious.

The swords in Zora and Prince Kael’s hands were not just treasures obtained from the ruins. They were keys. No, more than that—they were part of the ruin’s core design.

Greed, shock, and blazing desire lit up one face after another.

If these swords could open the stone gate, who could say they would not play an even greater role deeper within? Perhaps they were directly tied to the final inheritance itself.

Reesa and the others finally understood why Zora had been so certain. The mechanism they had all dismissed as decoration was, in fact, the crucial key. Without these two swords, no amount of brute force or careful searching would ever have opened this door. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

If Zora and Prince Kael had not been here, everyone might truly have been trapped in the ruins forever.

As the stone door continued to open, the atmosphere shifted subtly yet dangerously.

Zora and Prince Kael withdrew their swords at once. The blades vanished, but the change in the crowd was impossible to miss. The gazes around them were no longer merely curious or admiring. They were sharp, calculating, and burning with intent.

Who wouldn’t want those swords?

Who wouldn’t want the inheritance of a ruin master?

Sigmund’s expression flickered as thoughts raced through his mind. The same calculation surfaced in the eyes of Zephrin and many others. This opportunity was too rare, too precious. If they missed it now, they might never have another chance in their entire lives.

At that moment, Raphael stepped forward urgently, his voice low but firm.

"Prince Kael, Zora, go in. Now."

If they delayed even a breath longer, he was afraid that the restraint holding the crowd together would snap.

Zora and Prince Kael exchanged a single glance. No words were needed. They understood each other perfectly.

Reesa and the others moved almost instinctively, stepping forward to block the space behind them. Even if they couldn’t hold everyone back for long, they would buy time—at least enough.

"Stop them!"

Sigmund finally shouted, the hesitation in his heart shattered by desire. He could not give up this chance. Not when the future of his status and power lay just beyond that door.