Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 78: The tutors chase after Zora

She continued unhurriedly, her tone calm yet laced with irony. "If someone threw both of you into danger on purpose, then sat back and watched like spectators. How would you feel?"

At that instant, all doubt vanished from Miel and Sebastian’s eyes.

She knew.

Not only had she sensed their presence, but she had connected everything—the Nether Wolf pack, the timing, the silent observation.

A chill ran through them.

This was no ordinary Sixteen-year-old girl.

Even experienced cultivators would never have traced the scheme back to them. Yet she had seen through it all, cleanly and decisively.

This took them back to that moment when Zora gazed toward them after killing the Nether Wolf King. Back then, they didn’t think too much of it, but now, they realize that she indeed looked in their direction.

For a brief moment, the two tutors felt something rare.

It was a shock at first.

Then—excitement.

Miel’s eyes brightened. Sebastian’s lips slowly curved into a smile.

They had seen countless geniuses.

But this?

This was something else entirely.

A mind this sharp, a temperament this steady, and a will this absolute—this wasn’t merely talent.

It was something close to terrifying.

And they loved it.

Zora turned away from them and looked toward Emperor Alexander. "Your Majesty, is the royal hunting game concluded?"

Emperor Alexander nodded. "It is."

She inclined her head politely. "Then I’ll take my leave."

With that, she turned to go, not sparing the invitation letter another glance.

Her path had never been meant to follow someone else’s arrangement.

Her life was hers to decide—

Not the Academy’s...

Not the tutors...

And certainly not anyone watching from the shadows.

Behind her, Miel and Sebastian watched her leave, eyes burning with interest.

This was no refusal.

This was a challenge.

When her words fell, Zora turned around and walked straight out of the rest area.

She did not look back even once.

The entire venue fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone watched her departing figure, unable to react for a long moment. Rejecting the Academy was already shocking enough, but to leave so decisively, without the slightest hesitation or courtesy... it was as if the identity everyone fought so hard for meant nothing to her.

From beginning to end, Zora had not even tried to soften her words.

Emperor Alexander’s expression stiffened slightly.

From a procedural standpoint, the royal hunting game had indeed ended, and there was nothing improper about her leaving at this moment.

Yet emotionally and politically, this outcome was far beyond expectations.

After all, who would walk away after rejecting two Academy tutors in front of the entire court?

Still, Emperor Alexander was a ruler. His thoughts shifted quickly.

"Tutor Sebastian, Tutor Miel," he said calmly.

With his status, he did not need to worry about whether the two would feel offended. However, the Academy was no ordinary institution. Its influence was deeply rooted across the continent.

Countless experts had emerged from its halls. Though the Academy never interfered in politics, its former students were scattered everywhere. Once the Academy was threatened, these individuals would respond without hesitation.

Even Emperor Alexander was unwilling to offend it lightly.

After all, Prince Philip himself would soon enter the Academy.

Everyone expected Sebastian and Miel to be angered by Zora’s rejection. Some even waited to see her suffer consequences.

Yet what happened next overturned all expectations.

Sebastian and Miel smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty," Miel said warmly. "This generation has many outstanding seedlings. We still have matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave."

Emperor Alexander paused briefly, then nodded. "If that is the case, I will not detain you."

Sebastian inclined his head politely. The next moment, both tutors turned and hurried in the same direction Zora had left.

Chased her.

The crowd exploded.

"Did I see that right? Zora rejected the Academy, and the tutors are chasing after her?"

"Is this real? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?"

"This makes no sense at all! When have tutors ever begged someone to join?"

Everyone stared at one another, utterly confused.

This scene shattered everything they understood about status and opportunity.

They struggled desperately for a single chance to be assessed. Zora, on the other hand, rejected a direct invitation—and the tutors still refused to give up.

It was as if the more she pushed them away, the more valuable she became.

This wasn’t choosing students anymore.

It was the Academy chasing a person.

Even the ministers seated above felt their hearts tremble. Whether they liked it or not, one fact had become undeniable.

Zora had already stepped into a realm far beyond ordinary young practitioners.

The royal hunting game ended just like that.

Prime Minister Henry’s expression was dark with dissatisfaction, but after seeing General Helius’s ashen face, even his resentment dulled slightly.

Today, the person who lost the most was not Zora.

It was House Phoenix itself.

After all, the one who has accomplished no longer belongs to the General’s mansion. The one who entered the competition ended up dead. And the one with potential could only watch helplessly as a spectator as his cultivation turned into a cripple and his mana core was destroyed...

"Congratulations, General Helius," Prime Minister Henry said with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "To have such a daughter... truly admirable."

The words sounded like praise, yet everyone present heard the barbs hidden between the syllables.

General Helius’s expression stiffened for an instant before he let out a cold laugh. "The Prime Minister worries too much. Instead, I am rather curious about how your own daughter’s face is doing these days."

As soon as those words fell, Prime Minister Henry’s smile froze.

General Helius might have lost a daughter today, but Scarlett’s situation was hardly any better. The scar on her face had already spread throughout the capital, becoming the laughingstock of countless households.

"Humph! Better alive than dead..."

Prime Minister Henry snorted heavily, flicked his sleeves, and turned away without another word.

General Helius watched his retreating back with icy eyes. Prime Minister Henry had always delighted in waiting for House Phoenix to fall. Now, General Helius was quite eager to see how Prime Minister Henry would clean up his own mess.

*

Zora walked out of Mt. Philanos, her pace unhurried. Behind her, Sebastian and Miel followed closely, neither of them showing any intention of giving up.

"Girl Zora," Sebastian said patiently, "as long as you join the Academy, your cultivation speed will be far faster than training alone."

Miel added with a laugh, "Cultivation by oneself is always lonely. In the Academy, you’ll have peers, rivals, and friends. It’s an opportunity truly worth cherishing."

Zora shot them a sideways glance, her tone flat. "I already said I’m not interested."

"Where isn’t cultivation the same?" Miel replied cheerfully. "Even if you’re not interested, you can go take a look. There’s no loss."

Zora felt a headache coming on. If she didn’t know their identities, she would genuinely suspect the two of being street hustlers.

"Then tell me," Sebastian asked with genuine curiosity, "how did you discover us?"

He found it difficult to believe that Zora’s spiritual perception alone could detect them. There had to be something more.

"Not telling." Zora shrugged and continued forward.

Sebastian and Miel exchanged a glance and laughed. Rare talent was hard to find. And this is a once-in-a-generation kind of talent. Spending a little extra time was nothing.