Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1314 - 100 The Distant Visitor

"General." As a member of the Forest Guards, it was natural for the Elf officer to address the commander of the troops in this way, "You and General Buck have come out together. Is there an emergency?"

"Nothing of the sort. We’re simply expecting a guest, and I estimate he should have arrived by now." The one referred to as ’General’ by the Elf officer is naturally one of the two commanding generals of the frontline camp, specifically one of the four Elf generals leading the One Hundred Thousand Forest Guards—the Elven soldier Dreide, a 1,100-year-old middle-aged female Elf. Dreide had grey-green long hair and was much sturdier than other Elves, not as slender as most, and her appearance was different from the common delicate and restrained beauty of Elves. Instead, she possessed distinct edges and was filled with an oppressive aura, especially the scar that ran vertically across her entire right side of the face, adding a touch of ferocity to her countenance. It is said that Dreide is the most experienced among the four generals of the Forest Guards, having led the Guard for over six hundred years. Some even speculated that for a lengthy period, she served as the deputy under the only Marshall of the Forest Guards in Elven history, Maximilian, who had once commanded them to sweep through half of the human world. Though she did not actually take part in that war, which happened over 1,200 years ago, she inherited all of Maximilian’s experience. Therefore, in the war concerning the survival rights of all beings in the world, during the commander nomination conference, General Dreide was naturally put forward and unanimously approved. Interestingly enough, it was not the Elves but the humans, who once bowed their heads to the might of Maximilian, that nominated her. However, despite the general’s fierce appearance, her voice was filled with the unique softness and rhythm of the Elves: "Indeed, just as His Majesty said in his letter, he arrived quickly, without any need to worry about him taking detours in the desert."

"General." The Elf officer gazed at the dust in the distance under the night sky and asked with confusion, "Is this some special unit sent from the rear? Why did they not come over with the Skyboat, instead opting for land?"

"It’s not a special unit; it’s just one person who has traveled all the way from the City of Knowledge." The scar on Dreide’s face twitched, as though revealing a terrifying smile, "As for why he didn’t take the Skyboat, he wasn’t involved in the decision-making discussions, and probably doesn’t understand the speed of the modified Skyboats, which is why he didn’t make that request. And why Her Majesty the Queen didn’t remind him? Heh, the Queen has done her fair share of amusing things, hasn’t she?"

"A single person venturing into the Sighing Desert?" The Elf officer shuddered at the thought of all the experiences while marching to this location, clicking his tongue and saying, "There really are people daring enough to wander alone in the Sighing Desert."

"Of course, there are," the elderly man known as General Buck affirmed. Unlike Dreide, General Buck did not possess the strength of a Demigod but was merely of Gold Rank and did not have an exceptional service record. He had been a General of the Neville Federation for only over a decade. Yet, his talent in troop deployment, control over the army’s morale, and ability to coordinate among forces were unparalleled. This ability seemed to be innate, accompanying him since birth to the present, and many acknowledged that he was born to be a general. Thus, having him serve as the other commanding general allowed General Dreide to unburden herself from non-combative concerns and unleash her power freely. The old general, stroking his white-streaked beard, said to the few young officers, "Although the Sighing Desert is dreadful, it still isn’t hell itself. Those with ample experience can indeed enter and leave safely."

"But he is alone." The Elf officer said incredulously, "We’ve seen many guides in our troops, but which one of them dared to venture alone into the heart of the desert? No matter how confident they are, they form a team before daring to enter."

"Which is why he’s not like other guides," the old general replied in a friendly manner, unfazed by the Elf officer’s mild skepticism, and chuckled, "That is one of the few living legends among humans, isn’t it, General Aide?"

"Yes, I even remember some used to call him the all-capable Kyle, and there were even people who nearly worshipped him like a Deity," Dreide nodded and pointed ahead, "He’s on his way here. Go and welcome him."

"Welcome him?" The several young officers were even more surprised. Unless a member of the Elder Council or Her Majesty the Queen herself was coming, they didn’t think anyone deserved to be personally greeted by Dreide, a Demigod General, not just at the entrance but even outside the military camp, which represented the highest level of treatment. Even leaders of other forces didn’t have such a privilege. However, seeing that General Buck showed no objection and simply nodded matter-of-factly as well, and took steps alongside Dreide, the young officers realized that the generals were not joking and truly believed the visitor deserved such treatment. Thus, they subconsciously followed the two generals as attendants, their minds brimming with curiosity.

The two generals did not walk quickly as greeting the visitor outside the camp was more about showing respect. However, the guest from afar approached at a swift pace. In no time, the young officers could see a figure shrouded in a greatcoat, with a face wrapped in a thick scarf, trailing a long cloud of dust behind as he rapidly sped towards them on a magic-powered motorbike.

The visitor, of course, saw those coming to greet him but showed no intention of slowing down, charging towards everyone at top speed. Just as the few young officers were about to lose patience, ready to step in front of the generals for protection, the rider suddenly elegantly dismounted from the magic-powered motorbike. With a skillful exertion of force, he lifted the heavy bike above his head, turning the two wheels towards the sky, which lost the ability to continue forward. As for the rider himself, as if ignoring inertia, he came to a stop on the soft sandy ground, advancing only four steps from high speed to stillness—positioning himself perfectly in front of the two generals.

The whirling wheels quickly slowed under the rider’s control, and with a casual toss of the magic-powered motorbike aside, he extended both hands in a gesture for a handshake, eagerly approaching Dreide, "Hello, hello, I’m Pannis. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello to you too," Dreide replied nonchalantly, hands behind her back, "But I don’t remember us Elves having a custom of shaking hands when meeting."