Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 244: The Ancient Ruins (Part-16)

Zephrin also quietly signaled his people. At this point, identities and prior courtesy no longer mattered. Compared to the inheritance of the ruin master, everything else was secondary.

Spirit warriors surged forward, clashing instantly with Reesa and the others. Chaos erupted as energy fluctuations collided, the narrow space filling with pressure and violence.

Amid the turmoil, Zora and Prince Kael moved.

They crossed the threshold in a flash and disappeared into the opening stone door.

The instant they stepped inside and caught sight of what lay beyond, both of them came to an abrupt halt.

For the first time since entering the ruins, genuine astonishment surfaced in their eyes.

Beyond the stone gate, a vast main hall unfolded before them.

The hall was enormous, so wide and open that it rivaled the training grounds of an academy. The ceiling arched high above, disappearing into shadow, while the stone floor stretched outward in quiet majesty. Even their footsteps seemed small here, swallowed by the space and echoed back with a faint, lingering resonance.

Yet before she could fully take in the immensity of the hall, her gaze was irresistibly drawn forward.

At the center stood two towering white porcelain sculptures.

They were carved in the likeness of a man and a woman.

The man’s figure was tall and upright, his posture straight as a drawn blade. His features were sharp and resolute, with eyes that carried the intensity of an eagle watching the heavens.

Even though he was nothing more than stone, an imposing pressure radiated from him, as if he were still standing guard over this place after countless years.

Beside him stood the woman.

Her expression was gentle, a faint smile resting naturally on her lips. Her features were soft and refined, elegant without being fragile, warm without losing dignity. There was a quiet grace about her, the kind that soothed the heart at first glance.

Yet beneath that gentleness lay the same profound aura of strength, no less formidable than the man beside her.

Though their temperaments were different, the aura they exuded was strikingly similar—vast, powerful, and deeply restrained.

Zora had seen many sculptures before, but never anything like this. This was no ordinary carving. It was the work of a master, something that bordered on the miraculous.

After a long moment, Prince Kael spoke, his voice low and steady, carrying a trace of reverence. "These should be the masters of this relic."

Zora nodded slowly. As her eyes moved between the two figures, a quiet certainty settled in her heart. The Glaze Sword she held and the Dawn Sword in Prince Kael’s possession must once have belonged to these two people.

The realization stirred something solemn within her.

Without hesitation, she stepped forward and bowed deeply toward the sculptures.

Beside her, Prince Kael mirrored the gesture, his movements equally sincere. They had intruded upon this resting place, disturbed a legacy that had endured for ages. If nothing else, respect was owed.

As she straightened, Zora couldn’t help but let her gaze linger on the two sculptures standing side by side. Most ruins she knew had been left behind by solitary experts. A relic created by two people together—especially a man and a woman—was rare.

It was not hard to imagine that these two had walked through life hand in hand, their bond unbroken even in death.

After a brief silence, Zora turned to Prince Kael.

"Shall we go out?"

If the others were already charging toward them, there was no reason to keep hiding behind a door.

Prince Kael met her gaze, a spark of sharp light flickering in his eyes. He nodded without hesitation.

"Let’s go."

They moved together and pushed open the stone door that had sealed the hall.

They had never been the kind to shrink from confrontation. What had happened earlier was unexpected, but now that the moment had arrived, there was no reason to retreat.

Outside, the Spirit warriors of the academy and the Scorpio faction of Heaven’s Gate were still struggling to hold the line, blocking the advance of the others. The clash of voices and the tension in the air had yet to subside.

Then the stone gate behind them opened.

Reesa and the others turned at once, their expressions changing when they saw Zora and Prince Kael step out.

"Why did you open the door?" someone blurted out anxiously.

Didn’t they realize that by appearing now, they would immediately become the center of everyone’s attention—the most tempting targets of all?

Yet Zora and Prince Kael stood calm and composed, their expressions steady.

They knew very well that the power of the four great families was not something to underestimate. But they also knew that the situation was not as hopeless as it appeared.

After all, sometimes the most dangerous place was also the one where the greatest opportunities lay.

"Are you certain you want to become my enemy?" The words fell slowly, heavily, carrying an oppressive force that seemed to press down on everyone present. Prince Kael’s expression was cold and merciless, his gaze sweeping unhurriedly across Sigmund and the others like a blade drawn inch by inch from its sheath.

It was only a single sentence, yet the tension that had been coiling like a drawn bowstring froze in an instant.

No one spoke.

The crowd stared at Prince Kael, shock flickering through their eyes. There were so many people here, yet with nothing more than his presence, his tone, and that calm, ruthless stare, he made them feel fear rising from the depths of their hearts.

Sigmund and the others instinctively held themselves back.

The reason for their hesitation was simple and painfully clear: Prince Kael.

They could aim for Zora, but Prince Kael is someone they wouldn’t want to offend.

With his talent, his decisiveness, and the terrifying speed at which he rose, once he left this ruin, he would not forget today’s events. If he chose to settle accounts afterward, they would be the ones paying the price.

They were indeed members of powerful families, but most of them were only candidates or junior figures, not those who truly held authority. If Prince Kael set his sights on them, their situation would become extremely awkward, if not outright dangerous.

That single question made the doubts they had tried to suppress surge back to the surface.

Sigmund and Zephrin exchanged glances, then instinctively looked toward Elowen and Fiona. At this moment, their attitudes would decide everything.

Zora quietly observed the scene as well, her gaze passing over Fiona and Elowen in turn. The Spirit warriors from the academy were naturally on her side, and the Heaven Gate’s Scorpio faction was even more straightforward. Their strength was formidable, though still insufficient to face all four great families head-on.

The real uncertainty lay with the families themselves.

Sigmund and Zephrin had clearly formed a temporary alliance.

Fiona, however, was caught in an uncomfortable position. She undoubtedly wished Zora ill, yet Zora had saved her life earlier. Turning against her now would make Fiona appear ungrateful, something she could not easily bear. But to stand aside and watch was equally hard to accept.

As for Elowen, her stance remained unreadable.

Earlier, Elowen had clearly shown goodwill toward Zora. If she chose to turn hostile now, then everything before would have meant nothing more than polite hypocrisy.

Zora considered the situation carefully. In her heart, she still felt that Elowen would likely stand with Sigmund. After all, inheritance from the ancient ruins was a temptation few could resist.

Yet just as this thought crossed her mind, Elowen spoke.

"Prince Kael, Miss Zora," Elowen said calmly, a faint, composed smile resting on her lips. "I have no intention of becoming enemies with either of you. In this matter, my House Crescent will not take part."

Her voice was gentle, but the meaning behind it struck like a hammer.

As soon as her words fell, the House Crescent Spirit warriors stepped back without hesitation, retreating several paces and making their stance unmistakably clear.

There was no disorder, no argument.

It was obvious that Elowen held absolute authority within her team.

Her decision stunned everyone present.

Sigmund was especially taken aback. Fiona’s hesitation was understandable, but Elowen had no obvious reason to withdraw. To give up the inheritance of the ruins at this moment was almost unthinkable.

Zora looked at Elowen more deeply now. It seemed that her earlier judgment had been correct. Elowen’s hostility toward Guinvere ran far deeper than most people realized.

So deep, in fact, that even the inheritance of an ancient ruin could not outweigh it.

With the House Crescent stepping aside, the balance of power shifted immediately. The confidence Sigmund and the others had felt only moments ago weakened visibly.

Sigmund drew a slow breath, then turned his gaze toward Fiona, his voice low and tense.

"Fiona," he asked, "what is your decision?"

All gazes converged on Fiona and the warriors of House Ravens.

At this moment, their stance would decide the balance of the battlefield.