Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 348: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-40)

Her gaze lingered on Zora. At first glance, the girl had seemed unremarkable. But after watching her through two rounds, Mariette sensed something subtle.

At her age, most young alchemists would be tense on such a stage. Yet Zora showed no sign of nervousness at all. It was almost as if she didn’t care.

There were only two explanations for such composure. Either her alchemy was so poor that she had already given up hope... or her alchemy was strong enough that she felt no pressure whatsoever.

After weighing the possibilities, Mariette leaned toward the latter.

Perhaps another exceptional alchemy seedling was quietly growing before their eyes.

As Mariette’s words fell, the expressions of Eamon and the other two subtly shifted. This was precisely the outcome they least wanted to see.

"In my opinion," Anselm said calmly, "the two people Master Tancred mentioned are more likely."

Godfrey nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

What a joke. They had finally discovered a rare inscription genius, and now she was being eyed by the Alchemist Association instead? That would be a colossal waste of talent.

Mariette glanced at Godfrey, a faint glint flashing through her eyes. As a woman, her intuition was sharper. These three old men clearly knew little about alchemy, yet they spoke with such certainty. Something about their behavior felt... off.

Still, she didn’t pursue it. If there was something hidden here, it would reveal itself sooner or later. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

At this moment, Hector walked over to Eamon with a courteous smile plastered on his face.

"Master Eamon, Master Anselm, Master Godfrey, since you’re here, let me introduce you to the representative heads of the other two Academies."

His tone was warm and enthusiastic, as if this unexpected gathering were the most natural thing in the world.

Hector was brimming with pride. It was rare for Eamon to appear at Thunderclap Academy, and he was naturally eager to seize the chance to introduce him around.

With such an opportunity, Thunderclap Academy could also make it clear to everyone just how formidable its influence truly was.

Mariette and the other two immediately saw through Hector’s intentions.

To be fair, Thunderclap Academy did possess considerable strength. It was only that this rather blatant way of showing it off left them feeling a little speechless.

The reason they had come today was to observe the alchemy abilities of the three major Academies. If it were merely to help Thunderclap Academy flaunt its prestige, they would have had no interest at all.

Yet, Eamon, who usually showed little enthusiasm for such matters, suddenly brightened after hearing Hector’s words. According to the information they had gathered, Zora was a student of the Academy. Up until now, they had not even met the Academy’s principal.

"That sounds good," Eamon said with a smile.

Seeing Eamon give face, Hector felt both surprised and delighted.

In the past, he had hardly ever interacted with Eamon and the others. With their aloof temperaments, even his status as vice principal of Thunderclap Academy failed to attract much attention.

Who would have thought that at this Academy exchange, the three of them would be so approachable?

"Vice Principal Malrick," Hector continued, turning slightly, "these three are the most renowned inscription masters of our Leon Empire State: Eamon, Godfrey, and Anselm."

Then he turned back to Eamon and added, "This is the Vice Principal of Lunar Academy, Malrick."

"I’ve long admired your reputations," Malrick said politely, his tone sincere rather than perfunctory. "To meet you all today is truly an honor."

Eamon and the other two returned the courtesy with faint smiles. "Lunar Academy is also well known. We’ve heard much about it."

Malrick had wanted to exchange a few more pleasantries, but seeing the restrained attitude of the three, he wisely chose not to push further. Offending such figures would bring no benefit.

When Hector turned toward Gerrad, a trace of helplessness flickered through Gerrad’s eyes. He understood perfectly well that Hector was using this chance to show off, yet there was little he could do about it.

"This is the Imperial Academy’s vice principal, Gerrad," Hector said with a self-satisfied smile.

He cast a glance at Gerrad, clearly intending to let everyone see just how vast the gap was between the Academy and Thunderclap Academy.

Cindral also wore a smile. Even though Thunderclap Academy had suffered a setback in the promotion rounds yesterday, in his eyes, as long as Zion Blackstar stood there alone, Thunderclap Academy would never truly lose.

With Zion Blackstar’s strength, neither the Academy nor the Lunar Academy could contend.

Gerrad maintained a courteous smile. Though he felt little goodwill toward Thunderclap Academy, he still held genuine respect for the inscription masters.

Just as he was about to speak, Eamon strode forward with unexpected enthusiasm, completely ignoring Hector at his side.

"So you are Vice Principal Gerrad of the Academy," Eamon said warmly. "I’ve long heard of your name."

He smiled as his gaze swept over the surroundings. "Your Academy has produced some truly remarkable students."

Godfrey also smiled faintly. Since Zora was a student of the Academy, their attitude toward Gerrad was naturally amicable.

Truth be told, the three of them were rather pleased. This time, the Academy had brought Zora to participate in the Academy exchange. Otherwise, the three old men might have remained troubled by the unresolved matters from before for quite a while longer.

Hector was completely stunned.

What was going on here?

The Imperial Academy was nothing more than a middle-tier institution that had struggled for years. How could Eamon possibly be this warm toward Gerrad?

It was simply too strange.

Gerrad himself was equally surprised. Before today, he had never met Eamon and the others, much less had any dealings with them.

From the way Eamon treated Malrick, it was clear that this enthusiasm was not their usual manner. So why were they treating him so differently?

Even so, no matter the reason, this was undoubtedly a good thing for Gerrad. He quickly smiled and said, "Thank you. I’ve long admired the three masters as well. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you today."

Eamon smiled back. "You’re a senior Alchemist yourself. We’ve heard Tancred mention you before. We should stay in touch more often in the future."

Gerrad nodded repeatedly. "Naturally."

Cindral’s expression darkened at once.

He had intended to use this opportunity to bask in admiration, yet Eamon’s attitude toward Gerrad was even warmer than toward him.

Though annoyed, Cindral quickly found an explanation.

After all, Gerrad was a four-rank Alchemist and a close acquaintance of Tancred and the others. That must be why Eamon treated him with such courtesy.

Even so, dissatisfaction flickered in Cindral’s eyes. Gerrad’s luck was truly enviable.

Tancred, on the other hand, cast a thoughtful glance their way. The reactions of Eamon and the others today were far too unusual. There had to be something he didn’t know.

Meanwhile, on the high platform, Zora calmly took out her medicinal ingredients and placed them neatly on the table beside her.

Among the herbs she carried were only those needed for two kinds of Potions. Though she had already broken through to the innate realm and made progress in alchemy, she had never refined a third-rank Potion.

It had been a long time since her last attempt. The chance of failure on her first try would be high, and refining a third-rank Potion at her age would undoubtedly cause a sensation.

Such an achievement could no longer be described as merely outstanding. It would be downright shocking.

After a moment’s thought, Zora made her decision.

She would refine the second-rank Potion, Heaven’s Drought Potion.

Although Heaven’s Drought Potion was officially a second-rank medicinal Potion, its refining difficulty was only slightly lower than that of a third-rank Potion, and its quality far surpassed ordinary second-rank Potions.

Sylvandria and Reynard were both second-rank Alchemists. As for Jocelyn, though Zora did not know his exact level, she was confident he was at least second-rank as well.

Under such circumstances, refining Heaven’s Drought Potion would not put her at a disadvantage.

Heaven’s Drought Potion was an excellent supplement for Spirit Warriors, capable of enhancing strength and effective only for those in the scarlet realm.

However, the extent of the improvement depended entirely on the individual Spirit Warrior’s foundation.

The four competitors moved swiftly. Once their medicinal ingredients were prepared, they immediately began refining.

With a single thought, Zora ignited the flame beneath her cauldron. The lingering chill inside the cauldron was steadily driven away. Only after the temperature stabilized did she place the first medicinal herb inside.