Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 246: The Ancient Ruins (Part-18)

"Since the stone door has already been opened," Zora then said lightly, her voice gentle and unhurried, "there’s no reason to stop anyone now. Everyone may enter."

Her expression was serene, as though the tension and confrontation from moments earlier had never existed.

Prince Kael cast a deep, unreadable glance at Zephrin. The corner of his lips lifted, forming a smile that looked lazy and charming on the surface, yet carried an unsettling sharpness beneath. That smile alone was enough to make one’s heart tighten unconsciously.

Just as everyone wondered whether Prince Kael would say something more, he simply turned away. Without a word, he reached out, took Zora’s hand, and led her straight into the stone gate.

Zephrin released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. For now, at least, a direct clash had been avoided. As for what would happen later... that was a problem for the future.

Guinvere watched Prince Kael disappear into the main hall with Zora.

The faint smile she had been maintaining froze on her face, then faded away. Disappointment and resentment rippled through her eyes.

This outcome had been influenced by her own words and actions, yet Prince Kael hadn’t even spared her a glance.

Not a single word of thanks or a gesture of appreciative nod.

Reesa and the others followed closely behind. The moment they stepped into the main hall, gasps rose almost in unison.

"My heavens..." Reesa’s eyes widened as she looked around, her voice filled with unconcealed shock. "This place is far too grand!"

The hall stretched vast and open, its scale far beyond what anyone had imagined. Alaric Von Seraph slowly exhaled, his gaze sweeping across the space.

"The handwriting of a true powerhouse," he said quietly. "Just building a ruin like this must have taken unimaginable effort."

Only now did he truly grasp how terrifying the methods of ancient experts could be. Words like "there is always a higher mountain" had never felt so real.

Even Guinvere, despite the turmoil in her heart, momentarily set aside her dissatisfaction as her eyes took in the scene before her. Whatever grudges existed, the inheritance of the ruins was what truly mattered now.

Sigmund and Zephrin, however, couldn’t help glancing toward Zora and Prince Kael from time to time. Their attention lingered, especially on the weapons the two had revealed earlier. Whether those swords were tied to the final inheritance remained an unanswered question.

Sensing those gazes, Zora remained composed. With a subtle movement of her hand, the Glaze Sword vanished into the Ring of Chaos. Only then did she lift her eyes and begin carefully observing the main hall.

Despite its immense size, the hall was surprisingly empty. Aside from the two lifelike white porcelain statues standing tall and solemn, the most eye-catching feature was a circular pool at the very center. Clear water shimmered faintly within it, like a quiet spring frozen in time.

Beyond that, there was nothing else. No treasure chests. No obvious mechanisms. Only intricate carvings and elegant patterns decorate the walls.

"Master," Black muttered after a quick scan, its tone full of resignation. "It really looks like there’s nothing here."

Zora’s eyes, however, glimmered with quiet certainty. By now, she had begun to understand the mindset of the ruin’s creators. If something seemed too obvious, it was almost certainly wrong.

A place this grand would never be empty by accident.

"There’s no need to rush," she replied softly. Her gaze swept across the hall once more, lingering on corners others had already dismissed. "Pay attention to what everyone else overlooks. That’s usually where the answer is."

Zora remained unhurried.

From the moment she stepped into the main hall, her expression had stayed calm and composed, not the slightest trace of anxiety showing on her refined features. Her eyes moved slowly, carefully, as though she were reading an invisible script written into the air itself.

She knew very well that haste only blinded the mind. This was not a place where rushing would bring results. Only by quieting one’s thoughts could hidden details emerge.

Even if the true inheritance of the ruins were discovered, obtaining it would not be the end. The real difficulty would lie in the test that followed.

Zora’s brows lifted slightly as this thought passed through her mind. She was familiar with the temperament of ancient experts. A ruin that preserved its legacy for countless years was never meant to hand its inheritance to just anyone. The owner would inevitably leave behind trials, cruel or subtle, to select a worthy successor.

Pass the test, and the reward would be beyond imagination. Fail, and everything would end there.

Around her, impatience gradually began to spread.

"I thought the inheritance of the ruins was supposed to be something extraordinary," someone muttered irritably. "But there’s nothing here at all."

"We’ve searched everywhere," another Spirit warrior added, frustration clear in his voice. "Nothing but walls and statues. Could we have made a mistake?"

A third voice scoffed. "When we were trying to open the stone gate, didn’t everyone say there were no mechanisms? Look how that turned out."

Those words silenced several people at once.

Indeed, before the stone gate was opened, countless experts had sworn there were no hidden mechanisms at all. And yet the truth had slapped them in the face. The mechanism had always been there. They simply hadn’t been looking in the right direction.

Perhaps this hall was the same.

Reesa stood beside the circular pool at the center of the hall, peering into the clear water with open curiosity. The surface reflected the towering statues and the domed ceiling above, undisturbed and mirror-like.

"Doesn’t this feel strange?" she said softly. "This water has been here for who knows how many years. How is it still so clear?"

Her question prompted action. Several Spirit warriors immediately knelt beside the pool and dipped their fingers into the water. Time was precious, and no one wanted to fall behind if this pool concealed a secret.

After a few moments, however, frowns spread across their faces.

"It’s just ordinary water."

"There’s nothing special about it at all."

The disappointment was unmistakable.

Zora did not join them. Instead, she stood quietly before the statue of the woman.

Compared to the vast emptiness of the hall, these two statues were the most striking presence here. Their expressions were serene yet powerful, as though silently watching everyone below.

Her gaze lingered on the woman’s gentle smile, the delicate lines of her features carved with breathtaking skill.

If there was a test, Zora felt it would not be hidden in obvious places like the pool or the walls. It would be tied to the very will of the people who built this ruin.

She lowered her voice, speaking softly as if afraid to disturb the stillness.

"Predecessors... if you have left a trial for the younger generation, may I know where it lies?"

Her words echoed faintly in the vast hall, then faded into silence. There was no response, yet her mind continued to turn, considering possibility after possibility.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Guinvere watching her. Seeing Zora standing before the statue instead of frantically searching like everyone else, Guinvere couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

So inexperienced, she thought. Did she really believe a statue would answer her?

Guinvere stepped closer, her expression soft and smiling, her tone sounding almost friendly. "Miss Zora, asking a statue like this won’t give you any answers," she said lightly. "You’re only wasting time."

Her words were gentle, but the mockery beneath them was unmistakable.

Not far away, Prince Kael had already moved to stand before the statue of the man. From where he was, the two statues were close enough that he could clearly hear every word exchanged between Guinvere and Zora.

Zora turned slightly, her lips curving into a calm, faint smile. She showed no sign of irritation, as though Guinvere’s remark had never touched her.

"Since the ruins were left behind," she replied evenly, "then the owners must have left a way to communicate with those who arrive. Seeking answers from them is only natural."

Her voice was steady, confident, and unshaken.

Guinvere sensed Prince Kael’s approach almost instantly. The faint softness in her eyes cooled by several degrees, her posture straightening as if a thin layer of frost had settled over her expression. She did not need to turn around to know who had come close.

"The owners of this ruin have been dead for countless years," she then said lightly, her tone carrying an air of dismissal. "What explanation could they possibly give now? Instead of wasting time on empty gestures, it’s better to focus on finding the inheritance itself."