Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 341: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-33)

From the high platform, Gerrad watched the scene unfold, the corners of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly. His confidence in Zora and Sylvandria had not been misplaced.

Even without the official results announced, he already knew the outcome.

Cindral’s brows drew together. His plan to use numbers to suppress the academy had backfired spectacularly. Not only had Zora stepped in, but she had also helped Sylvandria seize the lead in the very first round.

This was far from what he had envisioned.

Malrick frowned as well. Judging from Zora’s performance, this assessment should not have posed much difficulty.

So why were the Alchemists from their two Academies still struggling?

In truth, Lunar Academy had only brought a single Alchemist with the team, Rowena. It was only after Cindral and Hector privately proposed today’s plan that he hastily added another name to the roster.

That person was not even from Lunar Academy, but someone Cindral had arranged to "borrow" temporarily.

Although Cindral had patted his chest and guaranteed that nothing would go wrong, Malrick could not completely relax.

If this matter were exposed, the blow to Lunar Academy’s reputation would be devastating.

Still, Reynard was a genuine second-rank Alchemist, and his alchemy skills were refined and steady. With his participation, Lunar Academy’s confidence in this alchemy test had risen sharply.

According to Malrick’s expectations, with Reynard added, this round should have been an effortless victory.

Yet the first team to complete the assessment turned out to be the academy.

That outcome was entirely beyond his expectations.

"The Golden Spirit Grass was nothing more than a blind trick set by the three seniors," Sylvandria said softly as she watched the other two teams still tangled in hesitation. "But everyone was too anxious and overlooked it."

She sighed lightly, then turned to Zora with clear gratitude in her eyes. "Zora, it’s a good thing you were careful. Otherwise, I don’t know how long it would have taken me to figure it out."

Zora smiled faintly. "I just noticed it a little earlier. You would have realized it soon enough anyway."

Sylvandria lowered her gaze, feeling a quiet sense of reflection. She knew very well that her composure still could not compare to Zora’s.

Though she was older, Zora carried herself with a calmness born of experience. No matter the occasion, she never appeared flustered.

By contrast, Sylvandria still felt tension in moments like this, and that nervousness inevitably affected her performance.

Soon, the remaining two teams completed their classifications.

Second place went to Lunar Academy.

Third place fell to Thunderclap Academy.

The difference was razor-thin, almost negligible, yet the result was final.

Thunderclap Academy’s Alchemists could only smile bitterly. Losing a point over such a tiny gap felt especially frustrating.

Meanwhile, Lunar Academy’s Alchemists were hardly pleased either.

They had already identified both the Recovery Potion and the Heavenly Origin Potion formulas, yet completely missed the subtle trick hidden in the Golden Spirit Grass.

What should have been a straightforward assessment had turned into a maze of overthinking.

Usually, sharp minds had dulled under pressure, failing such a simple test. The realization was hard to swallow.

Zora, on the other hand, felt that a measure of luck had accompanied this round.

With years of experience handling medicinal herbs, she could judge their weight and texture the moment they touched her hands. That single detail had decided everything.

When Mariette’s clear voice announced the results, a wave of astonishment rippled through the crowd below the high platform.

The Imperial Academy had taken the lead once again.

"What’s going on with Thunderclap Academy? They’ve always been the undisputed leaders, yet this time the situation has clearly shifted."

Among the people of the Leon Empire, disappointment quietly spread after the results were announced. In their minds, Thunderclap Academy should have taken first place without suspense.

For many years, Thunderclap Academy’s performance had been dazzling, the pride of the entire Leon Empire. Compared with that glorious past, today’s outcome felt somewhat jarring.

"The Imperial Academy has been suppressed for too long. This year’s Academy exchange looks like a real eruption."

"Why the worry? This is only the first round. The final outcome is far from decided."

Most spectators still firmly believed that Thunderclap Academy would ultimately claim victory. Whether in cultivation or alchemy, Thunderclap Academy had never shown any real weakness.

On the platform, Reynard’s gaze lingered coldly on Zora, a trace of undisguised displeasure flashing in his eyes. This defeat was simply too humiliating.

"The Imperial Academy really has no one left, huh? Even Spirit Warriors are dragged up to fill the numbers," he said with a sneer. "Looks like Sylvandria is carrying quite a burden."

Though his eyes were on Sylvandria, his words were clearly aimed at Zora.

In Reynard’s view, Spirit Warriors should focus on cultivation. What business did they have meddling in alchemy?

Zora met his gaze calmly, her expression indifferent. Such barbed remarks no longer stirred even the slightest ripple in her heart.

Still, Reynard himself was unfamiliar to her.

Lunar Academy had never had such a figure before, and judging from his age, he was certainly no novice. It seemed Lunar Academy had hidden this card for some time.

Sylvandria frowned instinctively, a sense of discomfort rising within her. Her voice turned cold. "Zora’s alchemy is excellent. She is a very capable Alchemist."

She did not know Reynard’s background, but she would not allow him to belittle Zora so casually.

Reynard laughed mockingly. "Sylvandria, I didn’t expect your ability to flatter and lie would improve with age."

The two Alchemists from Thunderclap Academy, Jocelyn and Wymond, both joined.

"So what if the academy is declining these days?" Wymond chuckled lightly. "Even a half-baked Spirit Warrior acting as an Alchemist is still better than nothing."

Reynard exchanged a glance with Wymond. Compared with the academy, Thunderclap Academy and Lunar Academy were allies. On this point, they stood firmly on the same side.

Zora’s cool gaze swept over Reynard and the others. Slowly, a faint, almost enchanting smile curved her lips, strikingly out of place in the tense atmosphere.

"So it seems," she said softly, "that you few are truly outstanding Alchemists."

Reynard lifted his chin proudly.

"Of course."

In their eyes, their world revolved entirely around alchemy. As for Zora, they clearly regarded her as someone from a completely different level.

The corners of Zora’s lips curved slightly, her smile growing ever more captivating. "If that’s the case," she said lightly, "then how did you lose the first round of this assessment?"

The moment her words fell, Reynard and the others stiffened, their expressions subtly changing. Zora’s question was clearly meant to hit where it hurt.

"That was only because of Sylvandria’s ability," Reynard retorted coldly. "It has nothing to do with you."

That first-round defeat was a stain he did not want to mention again. Thinking back now, he still could not understand how such an obvious detail had slipped past him, costing them precious points.

Zora seemed not to hear his sarcasm at all. She smiled calmly and continued, "So that means Sylvandria alone was enough to defeat your alliance. Even if I’m just a half-baked extra making up the numbers, what then?"

Reynard and the others froze.

They felt as though their fists had slammed into cotton. All their prepared mockery and provocation suddenly had nowhere to land, leaving them choking on frustration.

Why wasn’t Zora reacting the way she was supposed to?

Anyone else would have been furious after hearing such words. Yet Zora remained unbothered, as if everything were perfectly natural.

Their original plan had been to disrupt her state of mind, to make her drag Sylvandria down in the next round so their own chances would rise sharply. Instead, Zora proved immune to both oil and salt, rendering all their schemes useless.

Sylvandria looked at Zora with admiration. If she herself were insulted like this, she would inevitably feel uncomfortable. Yet Zora had effortlessly turned the discomfort back onto her opponents.

That kind of composure was what Sylvandria admired most.

After all, Zora was a genuine alchemy genius. Even Sylvandria could not say with certainty that she surpassed her in this field.

These people were underestimating Zora far too much. They would inevitably pay the price in the next round. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"How shameless," Rowena sneered, her eyes filled with disdain. She truly could not understand how someone like Zora could smile so calmly without a trace of embarrassment.

Zora smiled even brighter.

"Thank you for the compliment," she replied serenely. "In this world, if your skin isn’t thick enough, it’s hard to go far. For example, you all. I truly admire that."

The moment her words fell, Rowena’s face changed drastically. It was obvious that Zora had included all of them in that remark.