Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 297: Strolling in the Tempest City

Meanwhile, inside the academy, two instructors from Thunderclap Academy came out to greet the representatives of the Lunar Academy.

"Tutor Wystan, Tutor Jorvan, it’s been a long time," one of Thunderclap Academy’s instructors, Edgar, said with a warm smile as he clasped his hands in greeting.

Seeing Edgar, Jorvan, and Wystan also smiled. "Indeed. Judging by your aura, your strength must have improved again."

Edgar smiled faintly. Though his words were modest, pride and arrogance were clearly written between the lines.

"Since you’ve arrived," another instructor beside him asked, "when will the people from the Imperial academy arrive?"

At those words, Jorvan and Wystan exchanged a glance before laughing.

"They’re being stopped at the gate," Jorvan said with a chuckle. "The guards are demanding proof of identity. I’m afraid they won’t be able to enter anytime soon."

"So the show has already started," Edgar laughed softly. "Shouldn’t we go take a look?"

Wystan nodded. "It’s quite entertaining. You should have seen Sebastian’s face. He looked so offended and about to erupt in anger, yet he’s forcing himself to endure it."

Edgar’s lips curled in disdain. "Those southerners truly don’t know their place. Losing twice already, and they still dare to put on airs as if they were experts."

"In my opinion," he added coldly, "they don’t even deserve to step through the gates of Thunderclap Academy."

"The tutors really handled this well. That kind of authentication is exactly what they deserve."

The four instructors exchanged smiles, their expressions relaxed and filled with thinly veiled ridicule. None of them had ever thought highly of the academy, and seeing its people being blocked at the gates of Thunderclap Academy gave them a rare sense of satisfaction.

"On normal days, that Zora girl acts so capable," Ophelia said with a faint smile, with the other students in her group. "In the end, isn’t she just good at putting on airs?"

Though her words sounded casual, her gaze quietly slid toward Ignar. She wanted to see his reaction, to confirm whether Zora truly held no special place in his eyes.

Drusilla was even more animated as she added. "Today is really delightful. They’re always so self-important, and now they finally have to swallow their pride."

Thinking of Reesa’s sharp tongue and arrogant attitude, Drusilla felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure. Seeing her enemy suffer, even indirectly, was more satisfying than winning a sparring match.

"I wonder how long those academy students will be stuck outside, proving their identities," Caius laughed coldly. "Maybe they’ll still be there by nightfall."

Though he had no evidence, he was almost certain that the disappearance of his storage pouch had something to do with those academy Spirit Warriors. Ordinary people would never have been able to steal from him so cleanly.

However, Ignar stood to one side, his expression calm and detached without reacting a bit, as though none of this concerned him. It was as if the entire matter had never entered his heart.

Ophelia glanced at him again and finally relaxed. From his attitude, it seemed he truly felt nothing special toward Zora.

Just as the four instructors and the students were enjoying the moment, hurried footsteps sounded behind them.

"Tutor Edgar! Tutor Benedict!"

The guard came running over, breathless.

Edgar was in an exceptionally good mood. Seeing the guard, he smiled broadly and said, "You did well. This matter has been handled to the academy’s satisfaction."

From the very beginning, he had intended to suppress the academy’s people, to remind them exactly where they stood.

Wystan and Jorvan also wore smiles. This little trick had indeed brought them considerable amusement.

However, the guard’s face was pale, his breathing uneven as he struggled to speak. "They... they..."

Edgar patted him on the shoulder lightly. "Slow down. What’s the rush?"

"They... left."

The words finally came out, awkward and heavy.

Edgar froze, his brows knitting together. "Who left?"

"The academy’s team," the guard said bitterly. "They’re gone."

For a moment, the smiles on Edgar’s face stiffened. "Gone? How is that possible? What exactly did you do?"

"I—I followed your instructions," the guard said hurriedly, his voice trembling. "I asked them for proof of identity and said a few sharp words. I never thought they would actually leave!"

He almost wanted to cry. "Tutor Edgar, I did exactly as you told me. You must protect me!"

Being a guard at Thunderclap Academy was no easy position to obtain. He had relied on countless connections just to secure this post. If he lost it over this incident, he would truly be finished.

Hearing this, not only Edgar, but also Benedict’s expression changed dramatically.

No matter how much they looked down on the academy, the fact remained that the academy’s team had come for the exchange competition. If they left without even entering Thunderclap Academy, this was no longer a joke.

This responsibility was something none of them could afford to bear.

"How could they leave?" Edgar still couldn’t believe it, his brows tightly furrowed. "Don’t they want to take part in the academy exchange at all?"

In his understanding, the people from the academy had no choice but to endure it. No matter how humiliating it was, they should have swallowed their pride and entered Thunderclap Academy.

Jorvan and Wystan’s expressions also darkened. This academy exchange had been deliberately arranged to suppress the academy. As long as the academy lost again, it would be completely unable to hold its head up in front of Thunderclap Academy.

But now, the academy’s team had simply left.

If they truly refused to participate, then all of Thunderclap Academy’s preparations would become a joke. Worse still, the academy had been blocked at the gates of Thunderclap Academy. If they used this as a reason to withdraw, Thunderclap Academy would be the one losing face.

That thought alone was enough to give anyone a headache.

Meanwhile, some distance away from the academy gates;

"Zora, are we really just leaving like this?" Reesa finally voiced the doubt in her heart. "Are we not participating in the academy exchange anymore?"

Zora smiled faintly and waved her hand. "Of course we’ll participate."

Reesa blinked in confusion. "Then... what are we doing now?"

"We only need to find an inn in the City and stay there for the time being," Zora replied calmly. "Thunderclap Academy has gone through so much trouble to organize this exchange. They won’t be willing to let us leave so easily."

In her eyes, Thunderclap Academy’s little trick was laughably clumsy. Blocking them at the gate was meant to humiliate them. But once they actually turned around and left, the one who would be forced to clean up the mess would be Thunderclap Academy itself.

When their vice principal arrives and demands answers, who will truly lose face then?

Sebastian and Miel immediately understood her meaning. Admiration rose in their hearts. Zora’s thinking was clear and sharp, far beyond that of ordinary students.

"Since they won’t let us leave, we’ll wait for them to invite us back," Sebastian said with a smile. "Let’s stay at an inn for the next couple of days and properly experience the bustle of this Tempest City."

This approach not only preserved the academy’s dignity but also ensured Thunderclap Academy would be thoroughly embarrassed. It was an elegant counterstrike.

Hearing this, Baldwin and the others finally relaxed, smiles spreading across their faces.

"Haha, did you see that guard’s expression when we said we were leaving?" Reesa laughed. "His face turned green in an instant."

Now that she understood the whole plan, all her earlier frustration vanished. Thinking back to the guard’s smug arrogance and sudden panic only made her feel amused.

"That dog who bullies the weak," she snorted. "Once we left, he must’ve been terrified."

The academy’s Spirit Warriors had always been treated with respect. Being humiliated like that was something they would never quietly swallow.

Raphael curled his lips. "Even if that guard doesn’t get punished immediately, once we mention this incident at Thunderclap Academy, he definitely won’t have an easy time."

Everyone immediately gave him approving looks.

That idea was ruthless and effective.

*

Soon, Zora and her group casually found an inn in the Imperial City.

After days of travel, they felt no fatigue, only excitement at the grandeur and liveliness of the Leon Empire’s Tempest City.

"The two tutors have already gone to meet the vice principal," Reesa said brightly. "How about we go for a stroll around the Imperial City tonight?" Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, clearly eager to explore what lay ahead.

Baldwin wore a smile as gentle as a spring breeze. Even though the upcoming academy exchange was far from optimistic, his mood remained surprisingly good. At the very least, they had turned the tables on Thunderclap Academy today, and that alone was worth savoring.

Hearing Reesa’s suggestion, everyone’s interest was also immediately piqued. Since they had finally arrived in the Tempest City, it would be criminal not to properly explore it.

"Since we’re already here, if we don’t go out and look around, wouldn’t that be a waste of the trip?" Raphael laughed softly. "Let’s go."

After leaving the inn, the group headed straight for a restaurant. With a bit of casual inquiry, they quickly learned that the most famous dining place in the Tempest City was the Leafway Restaurant, widely praised as having the best food in the entire nation.

No one hesitated. Every region had its own flavors, and now that they had finally loosened up after the long journey, indulging in the finest local cuisine felt like the most natural thing to do.

Standing before the entrance of the Leafway Restaurant, everyone’s eyes lit up almost in unison.