Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 336: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-28)

To have a disciple like Zora was nothing short of a blessing. From the beginning of the exchange until now, she had stolen every spotlight, eclipsing even the great academies. Lunar Academy, by contrast, had become little more than a backdrop.

No matter how the exchange ended, no one would forget the academy that produced Zora.

Meanwhile, Dravenor Blackstar’s expression was as dark as storm clouds. Thunderclap Academy’s honor had been trampled, but more importantly, so had the dignity of the royal family. First him, then his sister, and now his brother... The ones who represented the palace had been swept aside one by one, with none reaching the finals, and had their prestige shattered.

Now, only Zion Blackstar remained.

Though Zion’s strength was enough to contend for first place, the reality of the earlier rounds had been deeply embarrassing. The royal family’s dominance had cracked, right in front of everyone.

Dravenor Blackstar leapt onto the martial platform without hesitation, quickly helping Ragnor Blackstar up. His second brother could no longer remain here. Every extra second was another knife twisting in his pride.

He knew Ragnor Blackstar too well.

All his life, it had been him humiliating others, never the reverse. To be trampled publicly like this, in front of the entire empire, was a blow that could break a man.

Meanwhile, Reesa and the others hurried to Zora’s side. Anyone could see that she had paid a price for this victory, and rest was urgently needed.

Harold watched her quietly, admiration deepening in his eyes. What she had shown today was not merely strength, but resolve and character. Even he, who rarely praised anyone, had to acknowledge it.

She truly was unlike any woman he had ever met.

Ignar Dragovic also looked toward Zora and her companions. The usually indifferent calm in his eyes rippled faintly. In a place like Lunar Academy, where self-interest reigned supreme, such a fierce loyalty between companions was almost unheard of.

Perhaps many would call Zora’s actions foolish.

But this kind of camaraderie, this willingness to risk everything for a friend, was priceless.

"Zora, are you alright?" Reesa asked anxiously, holding her arm, worry shining in her bright eyes.

The battle had been exhilarating, but concern quickly followed triumph.

Zora gave a small, reassuring wave of her hand. "It’s nothing serious. Don’t worry."

Most of her injuries were superficial. Painful, yes, but far from crippling.

As long as her foundation remained intact, this victory was more than worth the cost.

Reesa studied Zora carefully, her brows still knitted with concern. "Are you really alright?"

Seeing the worry that hadn’t faded from Reesa’s eyes, Zora curved her lips into a gentle smile. "Don’t worry. This battle didn’t damage my foundation. I’ll recover soon."

Only then did Reesa finally relax. After all, Zora herself was a divine physician. No one understood her body better than she did.

Sebastian also stepped forward, concern evident in his gaze. "Your matches are over for today. Go back and rest properly."

Zora nodded lightly. "Alright."

Surrounded by her companions, she returned to the dormitory. Harold followed at a measured distance behind the crowd. His expression remained calm, seemingly unchanged, yet the depths of his dark eyes stirred faintly before settling once more into stillness, as though nothing had happened.

The long-awaited promotion rounds of the Tri-Academy exchange finally came to an end, closing with that breathtaking battle. From this moment on, no one dared to look down on the Imperial Academy again.

They had proven everything with strength. And strength was always respected.

Gerrad left the high platform with a satisfied smile, leaving the aftermath to Cindral to handle. Regardless of what happened in the finals, the spotlight of this promotion round had already been completely seized by the Academy, eclipsing both Thunderclap Academy and Lunar Academy.

The spectators gradually dispersed, their faces still filled with shock. Everyone had assumed Thunderclap Academy would crush the competition without suspense. Who could have imagined such a dramatic reversal?

Aside from Zion Blackstar, who had directly advanced to the finals, all of Thunderclap Academy’s other participants had fallen during the promotion rounds.

Even seasoned spectators found it hard to accept that Ragnor Blackstar had lost to Zora, and that she had done so while fighting above her level.

What kind of combat power was that?

There was no doubt about it. Zora was the darkest horse of this year’s Academy exchange.

In the end, Lunar Academy only managed to send Ignar Dragovic into the finals. His strength was undeniable, something every spectator recognized. Yet beneath the overwhelming brilliance of Zora, even his presence seemed dimmed.

Still, everyone understood one thing clearly.

The finals, to be held the next day, would be the true climax.

This year’s Academy exchange was shaping up to be more thrilling than any before it.

Although Reesa had lost to Ignar Dragovic, the latter was nothing like Ragnor Blackstar. He had fought cleanly, without humiliation or malice, and that alone made the defeat easier to accept.

Reaching the third round had already exceeded Reesa’s expectations. She felt no disappointment at all.

Inside the room, Zora looked at the familiar faces gathered around her, warmth blooming quietly in her heart.

"Really," she said softly, smiling, "I’m fine."

She understood her injuries better than anyone. With proper rest and care, she would recover soon. Only the superficial wounds would take a little time to fade.

Gerrad then walked over to Zora and placed a white porcelain bottle into her hands. "Take this medicinal potion as soon as possible, then rest well."

Although he still felt that Zora’s actions today had been somewhat impulsive, now that everything had already happened, Gerrad found the outcome deeply satisfying.

At the very least, that slap across Thunderclap Academy’s face had landed loud and clear.

When he recalled the looks on Cindral’s and Hector’s faces earlier, he couldn’t help but feel secretly amused.

"Vice Principal, this..." Zora started to speak, intending to refuse.

Before she could finish, Gerrad interrupted her directly. "You were injured for the sake of the academy’s reputation. If you don’t even accept this medicine, then as vice principal, I’ll truly feel embarrassed."

Feeling the unmistakable concern in his words, Zora paused for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you, Vice Principal."

Gerrad returned a slight nod, then glanced at Sebastian before looking at Reesa and the others. It was clear that they still had things to say to Zora, and if he and Sebastian stayed any longer, everyone would feel restrained.

"Sebastian and I will take our leave first," Gerrad said slowly. "Don’t linger too long. Let Zora rest properly."

"Understood!" everyone replied in unison, smiling.

Once Gerrad left, Reesa finally relaxed completely. Her bright eyes sparkled with excitement as she blurted out, "Zora, you were amazing! Ragnor Blackstar must be completely shattered right now. Hahaha!"

Since arriving at Thunderclap Academy, their moods had been weighed down nonstop. Whether it was the Thunderclap Academy students or the royal family members, all of them had looked down from above. Today, they had finally been taught a lesson, and the joy was impossible to hide.

"Reesa is absolutely right," Baldwin said, clenching his fists. His face was filled with righteous indignation. "Ragnor Blackstar deserved that humiliation. He was way too arrogant before. Watching him get slapped down like that was incredibly satisfying."

"This time, Ragnor Blackstar really lost all face," Alaric Von Seraph said, a rare smile appearing on his usually calm face. "We’re not from the Lion Dynasty anyway. Once we leave, the impact on us will fade quickly."

"But for him, it’s different," he continued. "Losing face on his own territory, as a royal prince no less... it’ll take a long time before he can wash that away."

"I wonder how Raphael is doing now," Zora said softly, her brows knitting slightly.

She had acted today to avenge Raphael. The grievance had been settled, but she still couldn’t help worrying about him.

"Tutor Sebastian mentioned earlier that this news should help Raphael recover," Reesa replied. "Don’t worry too much. There’s still the finals tomorrow, and your condition..."

Alaric Von Seraph’s expression turned serious. "The finals are what really matter. If you’re affected by today’s injuries and can’t fight at full strength tomorrow, that would be a real loss."

As his words fell, everyone’s gazes turned toward Zora.

This was what worried them the most.

In her, they saw hope. Alaric Von Seraph was strong, no doubt about it, but when it came to the finals, everything still hinged on Zora.