Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1313 - 99: Frontline Camp

"Toot, toot," the piercing whistle sounded over a leveled sandy area outside the frontline camp. As the shrill whistle blew, several squads of human soldiers quickly dispersed in all directions. The skyboat, which they had surrounded at the center for cleaning and wiping, shook violently for a few moments before slowly rising from the temporary sand airport. However, due to the presence of the Windy Layer covering the sky of the Sighing Desert, the skyboat only ascended thirty meters or so before it stopped rising, hovering in mid-air.

"Let’s double-check the handover goods information one last time." A Beastman officer stood on the deck of the skyboat, accompanied by three officers of other races with the same rank. Opposite them stood the captain representing the transport side and the leader of the escort team, responsible for the transport’s security. Next to the team leader was a human in priest robes, a high-ranking priest dispatched by the Temple of the Wind God, specifically to prevent the frequent sandstorms in the desert. The Beastman officer cleared his throat, pulled out a few sheets of paper from his pocket, and carefully read through them before handing them to the Elf officer at his side, asking in a gruff voice, "What’s written on these?"

"If you can’t read, stop causing trouble," the Elf officer replied with a serious expression, his face twitching as he fought the urge to draw his sword. Rolling his eyes and snatching away the list of transported goods, he pretended not to see the crude behavior of his two other-race colleagues throwing the Beastman officer off the skyboat and unfolded the list, saying, "For the final confirmation of the handover, there are five boxes of Fire-attribute Crystals, totaling one thousand four hundred pieces."

"Five boxes of Fire-attribute Crystals." The captain confirmed, holding his own checklist and making a tick after the first line of text: "Correct."

"Twelve boxes of Ice-attribute Crystals, three thousand one hundred pieces," the Elf officer read aloud, "one of the boxes is incomplete and filled with the remaining space with Mithril ingots weighing five kilograms."

"Ice-attribute Crystals, three Mithril ingots." The captain made two consecutive ticks: "Correct."

Under the cover of night, the handover continued. For these valuable military supplies with important uses, they were transported as quickly as possible by air to ensure that no regrettable incidents occurred during the transport and reception process. This act of checking and re-checking the inventory was repeated three times: after packing goods, the captain would check off the goods to create a list, which was checked against the supplier’s list. Upon arrival and unloading, the captain and coalition force representatives would tally the goods and check again. Once the goods were stored, the coalition representatives would unbox and fully inventory them, making a checklist to be confirmed one more time against the captain’s list. These repeated checks aimed to prevent any gaps during transport and reception and to minimize the opportunity that could tempt some people.

"Important personnel transportation, fifteen people, correct." After marking the last check, the captain put away the list and reached out to shake hands with the Elf commander: "With that, my task is completed."

"You have my gratitude, Captain." The Elf officer responded with the elegance characteristic of Elves as he released the handshake, "It troubles you every time to transport supplies for everyone, and for that, we are extremely thankful."

"You are the ones truly enduring hardship, preparing for war in such a harsh environment, for the peace of the entire world," the captain said earnestly. "It should be us, the protected ones, thanking you. It’s our honor to do something within our capabilities for you."

"It’s for this world," the Elf officer said with a gentle smile, "Everyone is doing what they can."

"Yes, it’s for this world." Looking at the skin of the officers in front of him, once fair but now tanned dark, the captain sighed, "I wish you all invincible in battle."

"And I wish you a safe return, Captain," the Elf officer nodded, and along with the other two colleagues, jumped down from the skyboat hovering more than thirty meters above. Behind them, at the order of the captain, the modified Array was fully activated, propelling the skyboat at high speed southward.

"Do the three of you have any sense of camaraderie at all?" The Beastman officer, who had been thrown down earlier, finally dug himself out of the sand. Spitting out the sand from his mouth, he bellowed angrily, "Throwing me down from such a height, do you want to kill me?"

It is said that the battlefield is the best place to narrow the gap between people, and this saying holds some truth. The Beastmen and the Elves have been eternal enemies from the Third Epoch, and there have been several large-scale wars with humans as well. Even if their relationship has improved over the past few centuries, it could not really be called friendly. However, in just over a month’s time at the frontline camp, preparing for battle in coalition, the relationship between the officers and soldiers of different races has noticeably improved. As partners about to face life and death together, everyone abandoned past prejudices and gradually became united in camp life. As with these officers, if this had happened a few years ago, facing a rude and uncouth Beastman, the Elf officer and the other two human officers would never have joked like this, and the Beastman officer, after being treated and mocked so rudely, would not have merely shouted loudly.

"Stop your noise, let’s get back," the Elf officer kicked the Beastman still roaring, "Hurry up and report to the two commanders. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong with these precious supplies, selling you to a butcher’s wouldn’t even cover the losses."

"Hmm, that’s right, I need to report," the Beastman officer scratched his furry head, suddenly realizing, and then roared, "No, wait, why sell me to a butcher’s?"

"Aren’t you a member of the Wolves?" one of the human officers retorted with a deadpan expression, "Lately, I’ve heard that wolf meat is selling quite well."

"You bald-headed bastard," the Beastman thundered, "We are of the Wolves, but we are not wolves, got it? What butcher dares to sell our flesh?"

"Is that so? I think it’s quite similar, at least intellectually speaking. And remember this," the human officer suddenly grabbed the Beastman’s collar, yelling, "I’m not bald, you idiot, I shaved my head because it’s hot, but it can still grow back!"

"Hahahaha, I think it’s quite similar," the Beastman immediately forgot about the wolf meat issue and laughed heartily, using the same argument in return, "At least from the outside, it looks quite similar, hahahaha."

"Shut up, both of you." Just as they reached the entrance of the camp, the Elf officer suddenly stopped, whispered a curse, then bent down to bow and said, "Commanders, we have just completed the final handover task and were about to report to you."

For some reason, the two highest commanders of the frontline camp, one human and one Elf, were standing side by side at the gate. Seeing the four returning officers, both nodded, but their gazes were fixed on the desert to the south.

Following the commanders’ gaze, the officers looked back and saw rolling clouds of dust in the distance, lit by the gradually brightening dawn, barreling toward the camp.