Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 316: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-8)

Although Imperial Academy had more people advancing in the first round, the promotion matches were continuous, with no rest time in between.

Given Reesa’s current condition, it would be impossible for her to recover fully before the next round began. Her elimination was almost inevitable.

"In the next match, no mistakes like this are allowed," Jorvan said coldly.

To a mentor, the students’ performance was a direct reflection of their own standing. Poor results meant losing face as well.

"Yes!" Caius and Godric responded in unison, their expressions resolute.

Compared to their firm assurances, Ignar Dragovic remained as calm as ever, saying nothing at all.

Wystan and Jorvan were already used to his temperament. Ignar Dragovic was the true trump card of Lunar Academy. Even the Third Prince, Dravenor Blackstar, had once lost to him. From this alone, it was clear that Ignar Dragovic had a strong chance of reaching the finals.

"Everyone will now have one hour to rest," Cindral announced from the platform. "Adjust your condition as quickly as possible and prepare for the second round of promotion."

With that, the competitors all moved to the resting area to recover.

"There’s only one hour... I’m afraid it’ll be difficult for me to recover properly," Reesa said softly, her brows knitting together.

The Fire Dance Whip she had unleashed earlier had completely drained her mana. Even after taking recovery potions, there was no way she could return to peak condition in such a short time.

It was like someone who had starved for days. Even after finally eating, their body would still be weak. Recovery could not be rushed.

An hour was simply not enough.

"The rest time really is too short," Raphael said, frowning.

Fortunately, he hadn’t been injured. Otherwise, severe injuries would have made the next promotion round impossible for him as well.

"This arrangement is too unreasonable!" Tiffany said angrily.

With such a rule, the advantage they had gained in the first round was practically erased. It felt as if Reesa’s hard-fought victory had been partly wasted.

"The rule may seem unreasonable, Reesa," Zora said calmly, "but since it applies equally to everyone, it becomes reasonable." Her tone was indifferent and composed.

This rule wasn’t targeting them alone. Everyone was subjected to the same conditions, so they had no grounds to protest. Acceptance was the only option.

Hearing her words, the expressions of the others softened.

They were indeed unhappy about it, but Zora’s reasoning made sense.

If the students of the other two academies weren’t complaining, yet they kept dwelling on it, it would only make them appear petty.

Reesa let out a helpless sigh.

She had anticipated this outcome, which was why she had hesitated to use the Fire Dance Whip in the first place.

But Drusilla’s strength had exceeded her expectations. In the end, she had no choice but to end the battle decisively, even at the cost of exhausting herself. Reesa was in low spirits.

From the very beginning, she had known that with her own strength, it would be almost impossible to reach the finals.

When she found out that her first-round opponent was Drusilla, she had even felt a trace of luck. If she could defeat Drusilla with ordinary methods and advance to the second round, then even if she was eliminated afterward, she could still help her teammates clear away one obstacle.

They were fighting as a team today. Everything she did was for one goal only: to let the team go as far as possible.

Yet in the end, her careful calculations had still failed, and she had wasted what could have been an excellent opportunity.

Zora patted Reesa on the shoulder gently. "You’ve already done great. Don’t think too much about it."

Reesa nodded and forced a smile toward her, but the disappointment in that smile was impossible to hide.

Just then, something clicked in Zora’s head, and she immediately said, "Reesa, I can help you with acupuncture. It might help you recover a bit faster."

Acupuncture could stimulate the meridians and cells in the body, helping it absorb mana at the fastest possible speed. With that, Reesa might be able to regain some strength.

Reesa couldn’t help but sigh. "Can that really work?"

Zora smiled faintly. "If I say it can, then it can. Don’t forget who I am."

Reesa’s eyes lit up at once. Right, Zora was a renowned physician!

"Zora, you’re our academy’s greatest hope of entering the finals," Tiffany said worriedly. "Acupuncture consumes mental energy. Are you sure it won’t affect you?"

She naturally wanted Reesa to recover, but if leading to Zora being weakened, that would be a terrible trade-off.

Reesa hurriedly added, "Tiffany’s right. Zora, don’t help me. You’re the most important one."

It didn’t matter if she failed. But if she ended up dragging Zora down, she would never forgive herself.

Zora shook her head. "Don’t worry. This is just stimulating the meridians, not detoxifying poison or healing injuries. It’s not complicated, and it won’t consume much energy."

"Really?" Reesa asked doubtfully.

Zora smiled and nodded. "Of course. Why would I lie to you?"

Reesa glanced at Tiffany, who nodded in agreement. "Since Zora says it’s fine, then you should give it a try."

Without further delay, Zora took out a set of silver needles. Mana surged gently from her body, flowing into the needles as she precisely pierced Reesa’s acupoints.

It was Reesa’s first time experiencing acupuncture. She had thought it would be painful, imagining such long needles entering her body. Instead, when the needles went in, there was no pain at all. Only a faint soreness spread from the acupoints, warm and comfortable, making her whole body relax.

Zora then took out two white porcelain bottles and handed them to her. "Here."

Relying on cultivation alone, Reesa could never recover in just an hour. At times like this, recovery potions were indispensable.

Holding the full bottle of recovery potions, Reesa felt a wave of emotion surge in her heart.

She had long known that Zora was wealthy in medicinal resources, but seeing this again still left her amazed. This wasn’t taking potions anymore... it was practically eating beans like candy. After all, she already consumed a bottle of potion earlier. Now, two more?

Meanwhile, Zora’s actions drew far more attention than she intended.

Even among the crowd, murmurs rose in disbelief. After all, even a royal princess would hesitate before handing out an entire bottle of recovery potions so casually.

Cecily Blackstar’s gaze lingered on Zora for a moment, her eyes filled with a strange light. Taking out a bottle or two of Mana-recovery potions was nothing for her status, but giving them away so freely to someone else... that felt like an outright waste.

"Ophelia," Cecily Blackstar asked coolly, turning her head, "do you know what that Zora is doing?"

Drusilla was still unconscious, so Cecily Blackstar shifted her attention to Ophelia instead. In her eyes, the two sisters were much the same.

Ophelia shook her head lightly. "It’s nothing more than putting on a show. Zora has always liked drawing everyone’s attention."

Hearing this, Cecily Blackstar’s distaste deepened. She already had no good impression of Zora, and now that irritation grew even stronger.

"Hmph," she sneered softly. "So she really is just acting."

At that moment, Caius’s mocking voice rang out. "Zora, don’t tell me you’re actually trying to help Reesa recover her fighting strength?"

Caius looked at her with open ridicule. Anyone with eyes could see that Reesa’s mana had been completely drained. Recovering in such a short time was nothing but a fantasy.

The rest period was precious. Yet Zora was wasting it all on Reesa. To Caius, this was nothing short of foolishness.

Zora glanced at him lazily. "Congratulations," she said indifferently.

Her blunt confirmation stunned Caius for a brief moment. Then he burst into laughter.

"You really enjoy playing the role of the noble and selfless heroine," he sneered. "First, you gave away the inscription from Sapphire’s Exchange to your teammates. Now you’re even spending your own energy to save a teammate who’s already useless."

"If the academy’s Spirit Warriors are all like you, you might as well just withdraw from the competition altogether."

Caius felt deeply displeased with Zora. At a time like this, the smartest choice was to restore oneself to peak condition. What she was doing now was nothing more than sacrificing herself for no benefit.

Zora didn’t even bother responding. To someone this selfish, there was no need for explanation. He had never understood what teamwork truly meant.

They were fighting for the academy as a whole, not gambling everything on a single individual.

If everyone else fell in the first round, what use would it be for one person alone to advance?

Reesa, however, had no intention of staying silent.

Her eyes flashed with anger as she shot back, "Caius, in my opinion, you and those two sisters really are a perfect match. Didn’t you want to pursue Ophelia, or maybe her older sister? That nagging, petty personality of yours fits them exactly!"

Reesa had always been the first to strike back when her teammates were mocked.

Ophelia and Drusilla were already out of the picture, Drusilla was unconscious, and her ears had finally found some peace. Now Caius jumped in to run his mouth. Wasn’t this just asking to be scolded?

Caius’s face instantly darkened.

For a man, what was the most unbearable insult?

Being told he wasn’t man enough.

And Reesa had hit that nerve squarely.

"Reesa," he said coldly, "you’re just a useless teammate. What gives you the right to bark like this?"

Reesa rolled her eyes without hesitation. "If I’m a useless teammate, but what about your Drusilla that was lying there unconscious, beaten by me?"