Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 306: At the Sapphire’s Exchange (Part-4)

The Lunar Academy Spirit Warriors shook their heads inwardly.

In their eyes, Zora’s move was sheer foolishness.

After all, an inscription was no small gain. Whoever obtained it would clearly benefit.

And there was only one.

Surely the academy team would quarrel over it. Even if Zora meant well, this kind of generosity was bound to stir division sooner or later.

Drusilla and the others exchanged looks, already preparing themselves to enjoy the spectacle.

But what followed once again shattered their expectations.

There was no argument.

Not even the faintest hint of competition.

Instead, the academy Spirit Warriors discussed calmly, yielding to one another with genuine courtesy. The kind of humility that came straight from the heart, impossible to fake.

Drusilla’s brows knit together. This... wasn’t normal.

All of these southerners are weird as hell...

Meanwhile, Zora slowly approached the three elderly men who were still locked in a heated debate. As she drew closer, their words became clearer.

"I’m telling you, black gold ore mixed with blazing stone, ground into powder, then combined with condensed liquid and refined at sixty degrees," said the old man in white, his beard fluttering as he spoke.

"Eamon, that method won’t work," the gray-robed elder countered seriously. "Blazing stone is far too volatile. Sixty degrees risks a direct explosion."

"Anselm," the black-robed elder interjected, speaking to the gray-robed elder, "the volatility can be suppressed by increasing the concentration of the condensed liquid. But I agree, sixty degrees is still too low. The fusion won’t stabilize."

"You’re all wrong," Eamon snapped, slamming his palm down. "I’ve tested this method countless times. There’s no issue!"

"Eamon, you’re being far too reckless," Godfrey shook his head. "If an explosion happens, how are we supposed to handle it?"

"I’ve lived this long," Eamon scoffed. "What haven’t I seen? Even if it exploded—hmph! It won’t!"

Listening to the three elders argue like stubborn children, Zora couldn’t help but curve her lips in amusement. She hadn’t expected masters of inscriptions to bicker with such intensity.

At that moment, Eamon finally noticed her presence.

"Where did this little girl come from?" he barked at Zora. "These matters aren’t something you can understand."

"Yes, yes," Godfrey waved his hand impatiently. "Go on, go on. We’re busy."

It wasn’t hostility, just embarrassment. Their old-man quarrel, being overheard by a junior, felt undignified.

Black pouted, hearing those words. "So fierce. Old men with terrible tempers."

Drusilla’s eyes lit up at the scene. She immediately stepped forward, seizing the opportunity.

"Didn’t you hear?" she said coolly to Zora. "The seniors are discussing important matters. Why aren’t you leaving already?"

Her tone carried thinly veiled malice. These were inscription masters of the The Lion Dynasty. If Zora offended them, it would be disastrous.

Drusilla smiled inwardly.

Let her be arrogant.

If she angered these three... even the academy wouldn’t be able to save her.

"The junior greets the three masters." Drusilla further stepped forward with a bright, ingratiating smile, her posture flawless and her tone deliberately sweet.

White frowned at once. "This woman really has no shame. She jumps at every chance to perform."

Black snorted, its eyes almost rolling in disgust. "She wants to curry favor with the inscription masters. Ugh."

Zora’s eyes curved slightly, amused rather than annoyed. "Don’t worry," she said softly. "People who truly devote their lives to inscriptions can tell at a glance what Drusilla is scheming. She won’t succeed."

She understood people like these three elders all too well. In her past life, she had spent plenty of time among obsessive old scholars like them. They weren’t worldly or calculating. They were simple, stubborn, and utterly intolerant of pretension. But once angered, they didn’t care who they offended.

And, in her eyes, that made them rather endearing.

Eamon and the others merely cast Drusilla a cursory glance before turning away, clearly uninterested.

They had seen far too many people like her. Those who tried to elevate themselves by trampling others were the most tiresome.

"Enough," Godfrey waved his hand impatiently. "Go on."

Drusilla’s smile stiffened slightly. She was disappointed, but not surprised. Without status or true ability, earning the favor of an inscription master was never easy.

As she turned to leave, she noticed Zora still standing there.

"You still haven’t left?" Drusilla said sharply.

Zora didn’t even look at her.

Instead, her gaze rested calmly on Eamon and the others. "Seniors are certain you want me gone? If I really leave, I’m afraid you may regret it."

The moment those words fell, all three elders snapped their attention toward her.

"Bold girl!" Eamon barked. "You dare speak so arrogantly in front of us? Get out!"

"If you don’t leave, I’ll have someone drive you away," Godfrey added coldly.

Drusilla watched from the side, barely suppressing her glee. In her eyes, Zora had already dug her own grave.

Then Zora spoke again, her voice steady and unhurried. "Blazing stone is violent. Black gold ore is cold. Both of them mixing is like extreme heat meeting extreme cold. This isn’t like water and fire canceling each other out."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "Even with condensed liquid to buffer the reaction, full integration is impossible. You’re missing one more material. Only with that added can the fusion truly stabilize."

She turned slightly, as if preparing to leave. "Since I’m not welcome here, the junior will take her leave."

The third floor fell into sudden, stunned silence for a moment.

The moment Eamon and the others finished listening, their eyes grew brighter and brighter.

What Zora had just said was precisely the deadlock that had trapped them for days.

From this alone, it was obvious that this young girl was far from ignorant when it came to inscriptions. Her reasoning was clean, simple, and frighteningly accurate.

This problem had tormented them for three full days without a solution.

As for experiments... which inscription master hadn’t blown something up while mixing inscription fluids? In their youth, an explosion meant nothing. You reacted fast, patted off the soot, and tried again.

But now?

Their bones were old. If something exploded and they reacted a moment too slowly, they wouldn’t be laughing it off. They’d be carried out instead.

Seeing Zora turn as if to leave, Eamon could no longer sit still.

"Little girl," he blurted out, "what exactly should be added?"

Zora paused and glanced back, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Star powder."

"Star powder?"

The three elders stared at one another. Then, realization struck like lightning.

"Of course!" Godfrey’s eyes lit up. "Star powder is gentle in nature. Mixed with the condensate liquid, it can neutralize both the violence of blazing stone and the cold of black gold ore!"

"How did I miss that?" Eamon smacked his forehead, laughing at himself. "I tried everything else but never thought of star powder!"

Anselm nodded thoughtfully. "But the dosage is tricky. Too little has no effect, too much disrupts the balance entirely."

All three of them looked at Zora as if she were a rare treasure.

How long had it been since they’d met a young person like this?

Not only that. She was young. Ridiculously young.

They finally encountered a seedling worth cherishing. How could they possibly let her walk away?

"Little girl," Eamon said quickly, "come back. Sit down and talk with us."

Zora raised a brow, her tone calm. "Didn’t the seniors just tell this junior to leave? Coincidentally, I still have other matters to attend to."

She took a step as if to go.

Eamon panicked.

He stood up at once and hurried to her side, his expression turning uncharacteristically gentle.

"Are you upset about what happened earlier?" he asked carefully.

"This junior wouldn’t dare," Zora replied lightly.

The old man chuckled awkwardly. "We were blind earlier. Come, come. Let’s discuss how much star powder should be used."

There wasn’t the slightest embarrassment in his apology. Pride meant nothing in front of truth.

Seeing him like this, Zora couldn’t help but think of the old scholars from her past life. Same temper. Same stubbornness. Same irresistible charm.

Before she could even respond, Eamon and Godfrey had already pulled her toward a chair.

Drusilla stood frozen, eyes wide, staring at the scene unfolding before her.

This... this was happening too fast.

What kind of joke was this?

Did Zora really understand inscriptions?

Not only that, she had solved a problem that had stumped three inscription masters for days?

Impossible.

Yet the evidence was right in front of her eyes.

And she wasn’t the only one stunned.

Everyone near the counter had noticed as well.