Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 292: Trouble at Ironspire City (Part-10)

A violent wave of aura burst from his body, rolling through the street like a black tide. Crimson Realm, fifth stage.

Even among professional killers, that level of cultivation was considered formidable. In his eyes, it was more than enough to crush a young girl.

But Zora only curved her lips into a calm, confident smile, as though she were watching a child show off a toy sword.

"A fifth-stage Crimson Realm Spirit Warrior dares to threaten my life?" she said softly. "You really think too highly of yourself."

Beside her, Shihtzu could no longer hold back. Ever since breaking through, it had been itching for a proper fight. This arrogant man had been glaring at its master for far too long. One good bite on the throat would settle things nicely.

The man hesitated for a brief instant, instinctively scanning the darkness around them. Had Zora’s mentor arrived?

But the street remained still. No hidden presence. No sudden pressure. Nothing.

"So you’re bluffing," the man said, anger flaring. "Your tutor isn’t here at all!"

Zora lifted her shoulders in a lazy shrug. "When did I ever say my tutor was here? Besides, I have two tutors. If they came, it would be three against two. That would be unfair to you, wouldn’t it?"

She tilted her head slightly, her smile turning sharper. "With intelligence like yours, I’m honestly surprised you’ve managed to survive as a killer this long."

Black and White couldn’t help snickering. These assassins were practically tying their own ropes.

The remaining female killer forced down her irritation and asked cautiously, "You said two against two. Where is your other person?"

Zora extended a finger and pointed calmly to the cute, fluffy beast at her side.

"I’m talking about it."

The moment Zora’s words fell, both the male and female killers froze for a heartbeat, then burst out laughing.

"You’ve got to be joking," the man sneered, his eyes flicking toward Shihtzu with open contempt. "You’re counting on that thing? What is it, some fluffy toy?"

The female killer laughed as well, her voice sharp with scorn. "One sword and it would be dead. You really think a little pet like that can do anything to us?"

Black and White nearly jumped out of Zora’s sleeve in outrage.

"Shihtzu, they’re mocking you!" Black cried, fanning the flames with wicked delight.

"Hurry and bite them to death. If the tigers don’t roar, people think they’re sick cats!" White chimed in, enjoying the chaos.

Shihtzu’s round eyes darkened with fury. Being mocked by these two brainless killers was an insult it could not swallow.

"Master, let me kill them," it growled, claws digging into the ground.

Zora’s gaze turned glacial as she looked at the two assassins. "You’ve offended my demon beast. Now be prepared to face its anger."

"Hahaha, idiot!" the man roared with laughter, as if he had just heard the best joke in the world.

Zora did not bother replying. Her answer was action.

"Move!"

The Glaze Sword flashed into her hand, and she lunged straight toward the remaining female killer. At the same time, the male killer, completely dismissing Shihtzu, raised his weapon and charged at Zora as well.

That single mistake decided his fate.

A streak of white light tore through the air.

A chill exploded through the man’s spine, his killer’s instinct screaming danger so violently that his scalp went numb. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Before he could even turn his head, Shihtzu was already upon him.

Its jaws closed with terrifying precision around his throat.

And in the next second, a wet, cracking sound echoed through the silent street.

The man’s eyes widened in disbelief as unbearable pain flooded him, then everything went dark. A fifth-stage Crimson Realm killer, felled in an instant by the beast he had mocked.

Even in his last breath, he could not understand how a mere demon pet had pierced his defenses so easily.

Zora did not spare him a glance. To her, it was only natural. Shihtzu chewed on demon crystals as if they were candy. Human flesh and bone offered no resistance at all.

The female killer stood frozen, staring at the corpse of her companion, her face drained of color.

"What... what kind of monster is that?"

Zora’s voice was calm, cold, and merciless. "Just remember, it’s not something you can look down on."

As she spoke, her Glaze Sword slipped cleanly through the woman’s guard and pierced straight into her body, ending the battle in a single, decisive strike.

Zora then calmly stepped forward and collected the storage pouches from the three fallen killers. Judging by their weight alone, tonight’s harvest was more than generous. For someone who had nearly been hunted, she was now walking away richer than before, which felt almost ironic.

Just as she straightened, a slow, deliberate clap echoed from behind her.

Pa... pa... pa...

Zora’s eyes narrowed slightly. Her body did not tense, but her awareness sharpened like a blade. Whoever was behind her had not bothered to hide his presence, and that alone made him dangerous.

When she turned around and saw who it was, however, she paused in genuine surprise.

The man stood in a black, flowing robe, its fabric soft and light, stirring faintly in the night breeze. Long dark-blue hair spilled down his back as if ink poured over silk. His face was sharp and handsome, as if carved by a master craftsman, and his eyes were deep and unfathomable.

Those eyes.

Zora noticed them at once.

Prince Kael’s gaze was like a vast ocean, calm yet boundless, carrying confidence and quiet dominance. But the eyes of the man before her were something else entirely, deep as a bottomless abyss, filled with a pressure that made one feel as though they were being slowly dragged into darkness.

"It’s you?" Zora said, recognition flickering across her face at once.

This was the man she had met once before in the White Mountain Range.

Harold.

"We meet again, Miss Zora," Harold replied with a faint smile, though his gaze drifted subtly toward a row of houses nearby, as if he were watching something no one else could see.

Behind that row of buildings, three figures stiffened.

"Harold is here," one of them muttered coldly. "He noticed us."

"Our mission for tonight is already a failure," another said in a low voice. "If Harold is involved, there’s no point in pushing our luck."

"His reputation is terrifying," the third added grimly. "We were hiding so well, yet he still found us. That kind of perception is no joke."

With that, the three hidden figures did not hesitate any longer. They withdrew into the darkness, disappearing like smoke, abandoning the ambush they had prepared.

Zora’s gaze flicked briefly in that direction before returning to Harold.

"Thank you," she said calmly.

Harold raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what, exactly, are you thanking me for?"

"If you hadn’t shown up," Zora replied, "the rest of them wouldn’t have left so easily."

Her eyes shone with quiet clarity. She had already sensed faint disturbances in the air earlier, subtle ripples that did not belong to the three killers she had fought. They had been hiding, waiting.

Given Guinvere’s ruthless nature, there was no way he would place all his hopes on just one group of assassins. Those three were nothing more than the first wave. If they succeeded, the matter would be settled. If they failed, stronger killers would take their place.

And unlike the first group, the next ones would not underestimate her or her Shihtzu.

Harold looked at her with open interest now, admiration flickering in his dark eyes.

"To notice even that," he said lightly, "you truly are not simple, Miss Zora."

Zora met his gaze without flinching, the moonlight glinting faintly in her eyes, as the night around them settled back into uneasy silence.

Harold’s lips curved slightly, a smile that was light yet carried a trace of amusement as he continued. "Miss Zora truly is sharp. It seems the one who hired assassins to kill you is destined to be disappointed tonight."

His gaze drifted briefly toward Shihtzu at her side, a glimmer of approval flickering through his dark eyes. "And your beast king has grown stronger as well. It has made impressive progress."

Zora nodded calmly. "It just broke through."

Her tone was flat, but inside, her thoughts were less settled.

Toward Harold, she felt an inexplicable wariness mixed with curiosity.

Back in the White Mountains, they had only been temporary allies, bound by a transaction and a desperate situation. Even then, she was too cautious.

Last time, she had saved his life. This time, he had quietly returned the favor.

That kind of balance made her uncomfortable.

"Didn’t I run into you in the White Mountains? That’s so far down in the south" Harold asked casually, as if continuing an idle chat. "What brings you all the way to the Leon Empire now?"

"I’m heading to Thunderclap Academy," Zora replied, lifting her brows slightly. "And you?"

"I’m a businessman," Harold said with an easy shrug. "I go wherever there is business."

"A businessman?" Zora looked at him with clear doubt. No matter how she looked at him, from his bearing to his presence, Harold did not resemble someone who haggled over prices or chased profits.

He chuckled softly as if he understood her gaze. "Businessmen do not all have to look like walking ledgers. I’m rather glad I haven’t been stained by the smell of copper."

Zora studied him for a moment longer. He did not seem to be lying. Besides, there was no reason for him to deceive her about something so trivial.

"You don’t look like one," she said honestly, "but then again, doing business comes in many forms."

Harold’s eyes darkened faintly, as if amused by her insight.

"Last time, Miss Zora saved my life," he said slowly. "I’ve always remembered that. If there is a chance in the future, perhaps I should treat you to a meal."

Zora gave a small shake of her head. "You saved me tonight. If anything, I’m the one who owes you now."

Harold waved it off lightly. "If you hadn’t saved me back then, I wouldn’t have appeared tonight. So in the end, the debt is still mine."

She felt a headache forming. This man had a way of turning simple things into endless loops.

"Fine," she said with a helpless sigh. "If fate allows us to meet again, we’ll talk about it then."

They were not close, only two people who happened to cross paths twice. Meeting a third time would require something more than coincidence. Either it is fate or a scheme.

"There will be a chance," Harold replied with quiet certainty, his dark eyes glinting beneath the moonlight.