Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 346: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-38)

Mariette nodded in agreement. "And her edge is even sharper than Colden’s."

They had served as judges for this alchemy contest more than once. Thunderclap Academy and Lunar Academy’s usual tactics were nothing new to them. On Thunderclap Academy’s home ground, the Imperial Academy had always been suppressed.

Yet this time, Zora had turned the tables and quietly trapped the other two Academies. Such a scene was rare indeed.

"I rather like this girl’s temperament," Lionel said, shaking his head. "Colden is too gentle. An Alchemist might not fight with fists, but a temper that soft is bound to invite bullying."

The three old Alchemists all understood this truth well. Alchemy was often a battlefield without smoke.

"At such a young age, she’s already an innate realm Spirit Warrior, yet her alchemy has reached this level," Mariette sighed with a smile. "That’s truly remarkable."

Tancred’s eyes gleamed. "Whether she’s truly extraordinary or not will be clear after the third round."

Meanwhile, because Zora’s success had shaken their minds too badly, Wymond and Rowena failed their refinements yet again.

When the dull sounds came from their Potion cauldrons, both of their faces turned deathly pale.

Time was nearly up.

They were finished.

The resentment in their eyes deepened as they looked toward Zora. In their hearts, all of this was her fault. If not for her, how could they have lost focus at such a critical moment?

As for Zora herself, she remained completely unaware.

And even if she knew, she wouldn’t care in the slightest.

Distraction was their own weakness. What did that have to do with her?

In the end, Reynard and Sylvandria completed their refinements almost simultaneously. Jocelyn followed shortly after. Wymond and Rowena, however, were eliminated for failing to finish in time.

"The results of the second round are as follows," Tancred announced loudly.

"Zora, Sylvandria, Reynard, and Jocelyn pass. Wymond and Rowena are eliminated!"

A wave of astonished sighs rose from beneath the platform.

The Imperial Academy was truly shining today.

To take the lead in both of the first two rounds of the alchemy contest was nothing short of stunning.

Wymond and Rowena stepped down from the platform with unwilling expressions. No matter how bitter they felt, the outcome could not be changed.

"The Alchemists of the Imperial Academy are really impressive. Sylvandria and Zora performed exceptionally well."

"That Zora is truly unbelievable. To reach such a level as a Spirit Warrior... I wonder if she can still hold on in the third round."

The murmurs spread, filled with shock, curiosity, and anticipation.

After hearing Tancred’s announcement, Eamon finally became certain that their earlier guess had been correct.

Zora was truly an Alchemist.

This girl was simply defying heaven.

"But according to the information I received, Zora is a Spirit Warrior," Godfrey frowned deeply, utterly confused. "How did she suddenly become an Alchemist as well?"

By all logic, the intelligence he had obtained should not have been wrong. Could it be that Zora’s true identity had been concealed all along?

"Ridiculous!"

Eamon blew his beard in irritation. "That girl is a rare inscription genius, yet she’s wasting her time on alchemy. This is sheer nonsense!"

To him, although Alchemists were respected, they were still far more common than inscription masters. Inscription masters were the true nobles among nobles.

If a once-in-a-generation inscription talent like Zora abandoned inscriptions to pursue alchemy, it was nothing short of squandering heaven’s gift.

Godfrey and Anselm both nodded in agreement. From their perspective, allowing Zora to focus on anything other than inscriptions was an unforgivable waste.

"It seems we must have a proper talk with that girl," Anselm said solemnly. "Her inscription talent is far more valuable than alchemy."

Before they could say anything more, Cindral’s voice rang out across the arena.

"The third round begins now!"

At once, all eyes turned toward him. Cindral slowly took out the final question, his expression composed.

"The third round of the alchemy contest: concoct the highest-rank Medicinal Potion possible within your current capability!"

The moment these words fell, the entire venue erupted in excitement.

The first two rounds had tested recognition and technique, but this final round would directly reveal each Alchemist’s true level. At last, everyone would clearly see who stood at the peak.

Even Reesa and the others were filled with anticipation. They had never actually seen Zora concoct Potions before, and curiosity burned in their eyes.

Lionel stood up and announced calmly, "The current scores are as follows: Zora and Sylvandria with five points each, Reynard with four points, and Jocelyn with two points!"

He paused briefly, then continued, "The third round’s score will be doubled. The final ranking will be determined by this round alone. The third round begins now!"

Upon hearing the scores, the faces of Thunderclap Academy’s Spirit Warriors darkened. Jocelyn was already far behind, and it was clear that Thunderclap Academy’s chances of taking first place were slim.

Reynard’s expression was equally grave. He had anticipated the topic of the third round and prepared for it in advance, but the point gap between him and Zora was still two points. Closing that difference would be extremely difficult.

Regret churned in his heart. If he had known things would turn out like this, he would never have wasted his energy targeting Zora earlier. Had he focused fully on Sylvandria instead, the situation might not have become so unfavorable.

Sylvandria, on the other hand, wore a faint, calm smile. At this moment, the Imperial Academy was in the best position it had ever been during an Academy exchange. As long as they secured first place, that would be enough.

At the very least, they would no longer be mocked as the perennial joke of Thunderclap Academy and Lunar Academy.

Turning toward Zora, Sylvandria spoke softly, concern evident in her eyes.

"Zora, are you prepared for the Potion of these two medicinal herbs?"

Every Alchemist specialized in different potion formulas. Sylvandria herself had inherited many prescriptions from her master, but she did not know how extensive Zora’s knowledge truly was.

Zora naturally understood the concern in Sylvandria’s eyes and smiled reassuringly.

"Don’t worry. I’m prepared."

Her potion formulas were deeply engraved in her mind. Once those prescriptions were revealed, they would be enough to make countless people envy her.

Seeing the calm confidence in Zora’s expression, Sylvandria finally relaxed. She believed that whatever inheritance Zora possessed, it would certainly not be inferior to her own.

Since the third round required an actual Potion concoction, Sylvandria had long made her preparations, with all the necessary medicinal ingredients ready.

As for Zora, although she was technically a temporary participant, she habitually carried a wide variety of medicinal herbs with her. By coincidence, she had exactly what she needed.

Reynard and Jocelyn needed no mention. Whether by foresight or preparation, their medicinal materials were naturally complete as well.

Soon, the four of them stepped onto the alchemy platform once more.

This time, no one used their personal cauldrons. Instead, they all worked with the Potion cauldrons provided by Thunderclap Academy. Only then could absolute fairness be ensured.

The four stood at the forefront of the platform, every movement clearly visible to the crowd below. Gradually, the surrounding chatter quieted.

Compared to refining herbs, Potion refinement demanded far greater concentration. Even the spectators subconsciously lowered their voices, unwilling to disturb those on stage.

Cindral glanced at the orderly students of Thunderclap Academy beneath the platform, a trace of satisfaction flashing through his eyes. Yet in the next instant, something caught his attention, and his expression subtly changed.

After confirming he was not mistaken, Cindral abruptly rose to his feet and hurried down from the platform.

Gerrad and the others were momentarily puzzled by his sudden action, unsure what had prompted him.

"Master Eamon, Master Anselm, and Master Godfrey... I never expected you to come. Why didn’t you inform me earlier?"

Cindral’s face broke into a delighted smile. The three inscription masters led by Eamon held extremely high prestige in the Imperial City. He had invited them to watch the Academy exchange before, only to be politely declined.

To see them appear today was an unexpected honor.

An exchange attended not only by the three great masters of the Alchemist Association but also by the three grand masters of the Inscription Association—did this not prove Thunderclap Academy’s influence within the Leon Empire?

Eamon smiled faintly. "We happened to have business here."

Toward Cindral, the three elders felt little interest. They were scholars at heart, devoted to research and craft. Cindral’s heavy utilitarian mindset simply did not align with them.

That was why they had refused his earlier invitation. This time, they had only come because Zora was participating in the Academy exchange.

Hearing Eamon’s reply, Cindral was briefly surprised, but he did not dwell on it.

Regardless of the reason, the mere fact that these three had come was enough. In the eyes of others, this alone was proof of Thunderclap Academy’s prestige.