Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 356: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-48)

Tancred’s beard trembled in anger, but he quickly forced a smile again, turning back to Zora as though he were a kindly grandfather.

"Zora, ignore him. He’s senile. I’m the better choice."

Lionel’s eyes widened. "You call me senile? You old fossil, you’re the one who can’t even control your temper!"

The two old masters, respected by countless alchemists, were now arguing like children fighting over the last candy.

The crowd below stared in stunned silence.

Their jaws nearly dropped to the ground.

In the past, it was always young alchemists kneeling, begging for a chance to become these masters’ disciples. Now, it was Master Tancred and Master Lionel practically competing for Zora.

The world had truly turned upside down.

Reesa and the others exchanged amused glances. Their hearts were filled with satisfaction. Seeing these high and mighty masters scrambling like this only proved one thing.

Their red makeup was worth it.

Tiffany chuckled softly. "If those Thunderclap Academy students saw this, they’d probably choke on their own jealousy."

Marcus’s grin widened. "If I were them, I’d be crying in the corner already."

Just as Tancred and Lionel were about to escalate into a full-blown quarrel, Mariette’s cold and steady voice cut through the noise.

"You two old fellows, stop embarrassing yourselves. I’m still here."

The words were simple, but they landed like a hammer.

Tancred and Lionel froze instantly, their expressions stiff.

Only then did they remember that Mariette had not spoken yet, and Mariette was no less qualified to take disciples than either of them.

For a moment, the atmosphere became oddly awkward.

The crowd, however, could not help but burst into laughter.

On normal days, these three masters stood above everyone, untouchable and dignified. Yet now, just to compete for an apprentice, they were bickering shamelessly in public.

And the one they were fighting over was none other than Zora.

Zora herself was caught between laughter and helplessness.

She had not expected things to develop to this point.

She hadn’t even had the chance to speak, yet three grandmasters were already trying to decide her future for her.

Just as she was about to step forward and settle the matter, a new figure approached. It was Master Eamon.

Eamon walked over, his gaze sharp and full of interest.

When Zora saw him, a trace of surprise flashed across her eyes.

These three inscription masters she had met in Sapphire’s Exchange... were actually here too.

And judging by Eamon’s expression, he clearly hadn’t come just to watch the alchemy contest.

Before Zora could even greet them, Eamon had already stepped forward, his expression dark and his tone blunt as a hammer.

"What are you three fighting for?"

He waved his sleeve impatiently, glaring at Mariette and the others as though they were shameless thieves.

"The path of inscriptions is the true future! Alchemy is nothing but a waste of her talent!"

His words landed like thunder.

The crowd instantly went silent.

Tancred and Lionel froze on the spot, their faces filled with disbelief, as though they had just heard the most absurd joke in the world.

"Master Eamon," Tancred said slowly, his brows knitted together, "have you lost your mind? Zora is a genius Alchemist. What does that have to do with inscriptions?"

Lionel’s eyes widened as well, as if he couldn’t understand what Eamon was talking about.

Only Mariette’s expression shifted slightly.

A faint suspicion rose in her heart. She had already noticed earlier that Eamon’s three people were paying far too much attention to Zora. Their enthusiasm had never been normal.

Now, it was clear.

They were not here for the alchemy contest at all.

They were here... for her.

But that only made it even more unbelievable.

Zora’s cultivation talent was already terrifying. Her alchemy talent was even more monstrous. If she truly still possessed inscription skills...

Even Mariette felt the thought was ridiculous.

Such a person shouldn’t exist.

It was too unreasonable.

Eamon’s eyes widened in irritation, his beard almost bristling.

"How could I be mistaken?" he barked. "We have been searching for this girl for days! The future of inscriptions is far greater than alchemy!"

His voice carried the stubbornness of an old master who refused to compromise, as if the matter had already been decided in his heart.

He looked at Zora like a priceless jade that others were trying to snatch away.

The more he spoke, the more furious he became.

"These old fools don’t understand! Alchemists are everywhere like horses, but inscription masters are as rare as unicorns! Her talent belongs to inscriptions!"

The air seemed to freeze.

The expressions of Tancred and Lionel stiffened.

For the first time, the two grandmasters felt the same emotion.

Shock.

And then, panic.

Because Eamon’s tone was too firm, too confident. He didn’t sound like he was guessing. He sounded like he was stating a fact. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Before anyone could recover, Godfrey stepped forward as well, his voice heavy and resolute.

"Master Eamon is right."

He pointed at Zora as if he were pointing at a treasure meant to belong to their guild.

"Zora is absolutely a genius inscription master!"

His gaze swept toward Tancred and Lionel, full of warning. "You alchemists can’t steal her from us."

The words struck the crowd like a violent wave.

Everyone present stood petrified.

For a moment, it was as if the world had stopped spinning.

Who were Eamon and Godfrey?

They were the supreme figures of the inscription world, the kind of people whose names alone could shake the entire imperial city. Their inscriptions were priceless. Even nobles and generals begged for their attention.

Yet now, these two masters were openly arguing in public...

And fighting for the same disciple?

Fighting for Zora?

A wave of disbelief rippled through the spectators, and then the entire crowd erupted.

"My... my god! Isn’t Zora a Spirit Warrior? How can she still know alchemy and inscriptions?"

Someone shouted in horror, as though their worldview had just shattered into dust.

"How can such a monster exist in this world? Does she still want the rest of us to live?"

"I finally understand!"

Another voice rang out, sharp with realization.

"The inscriptions Caius was showing off yesterday... they weren’t bought at all. They must be made by Zora!"

The moment those words fell, the entire audience froze again.

Then, the shock doubled.

Because suddenly everything made sense.

The dazzling inscriptions.

The arrogant confidence.

The effortless way Zora treated something that others considered priceless treasures.

If she truly was an inscription master...

Then Caius’s pride was nothing but borrowed glory.

And Zora...

Was not just a genius.

She was an existence that defied heaven itself.

Countless eyes turned toward her at once, filled with awe, disbelief, envy, greed, and fear.

At that moment, Zora stood calmly on the high platform, her expression composed, yet her presence seemed to tower over everyone like a mountain.

And the entire imperial city finally realized...

They had all underestimated her.

Meanwhile, Caius’s face had already turned deathly pale the moment he heard those words. His eyes widened, his lips trembled, and the blood in his body seemed to surge violently in reverse.

A sharp sweetness rose in his throat.

Before he could even suppress it, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood on the spot.

That scene instantly stunned many people.

But to Caius, the pain in his chest was nothing compared to the humiliation burning across his face like boiling oil.

This was not just a defeat.

This was not just losing face.

This was a naked slap, delivered in front of everyone, loud enough to echo through his entire life.

He had been proud.

So proud.

He had treated those inscriptions as his greatest glory, his most dazzling trump card. He had even used them to mock Zora, to ridicule her ignorance, to trample her dignity in public.

Yet now, reality had turned around and ripped the mask from his face.

Those inscriptions he worshipped like treasures... they were made by Zora?

The person he had mocked and looked down on was the one who had created what he had been flaunting like a trophy.

It was like a beggar parading around with borrowed gold, only for the true owner to step forward and casually say, "Oh, that? I threw it out."

Caius’s breathing became ragged, and his heart felt as if it had been pierced by countless needles.

He had once doubted himself because of Zora.

He had once questioned his faith in inscriptions because of her.

And now, it turned out that his despair had not been wrong at all.

Because she wasn’t merely "better".

She was an existence he could never reach, even if he crawled with his entire life.

His face burned so fiercely that it felt like it was being branded.

In this life, he feared he would never have the courage to stand in front of Zora again.

He had never been this ashamed.

Not even once.

Without another word, Caius staggered away, forcing himself to leave the crowd as quickly as possible. If he stayed even one more breath, he would become a complete joke, trampled beneath the laughter of everyone present.

Behind him, the commotion only grew louder.

Cindral and Malrick had also noticed the chaos. When they heard Eamon’s words and Godfrey’s affirmation, their expressions changed so drastically that it was as if someone had struck them with a hammer.

Spirit Warrior.

Alchemist.

And now... inscription master?

What kind of monster was this?

Was Zora born with all knowledge carved into her bones or something?