"Lady Elia, it's good to see you returned safely." came a voice as the woman general rode in front of her army, soon seeing the elite general at the front of the city entrance. "I take it your trip went well?"
"Up to just before we made it here, we were attacked by two large danger beasts." the general spoke as she got off her horse, looking around as her troops halted behind her. She then turned to them as she kept her gaze stern, soon shouting to where the could all hear it. "Alright, feel free to head to the tavern or anywhere at your own leisure for the day, you've earned it!"
This got some sound shouts of confirmation before they started to march past her and Darius, Elia soon looking around as she noticed a lack of soldiers. "Where's my father and his honor guard at, Darius?"
"Our father's finishing some negotiations with an envoy from the King of Ilas, Elia." came a voice to her right, making her turn her head in confusion to find Arlus sitting at the steps of one of the houses while reading a book. He then smirked as he closed the book before getting up, turning to her as she kept her eyes on him. "It's good to see you, sister."
"You're outside of your room?" Elia responded, making Arlus' grin only grow as Darius looked at her with a sense of urgency.
"More importantly, you said you were attacked by two large danger beasts?" Darius asked, Elia only nodding as she looked to him. "Yet you're completely unscathed..."
"Say that to the men killed by them when they appeared from the forest." Elia responded, making the two look at her shocked as her gaze turned stern, her troops marching past. "Fortunately for us, however, there was a hunter that decided to hit one of them in a weak spot and distract the two, in fact he was busy fighting the last able bodied danger beast while I took the chance to kill the one he wounded. Our men up front, however, were hit hard, so I had to lead them over while some troops stayed behind to ensure that the bodies of the fallen aren't touched."
"You didn't leave them alone out there, did you?" Arlus spoke as he looked at her, his gaze amused as he noticed Darius just looking at her.
"No, the hunter is with them so that they can return here after I send some city guards out." Elia responded as she looked back to the path she had walked from, the last parts of the troops now marching past them as she remembered the skirmish. "He was quick with shooting the first one with his bow and arrow, and resourceful to use the shield to defend from the second one. However, his skill with a sword and shield were better than any experienced warriors I've seen that have fought in it."
"Was it, now?" Arlus mused, his own mind recalling the man he had talked to a year ago about land. 'It could be the same man.' Arlus thought as he remembered the land they chose being in the same direction. "So their abilities interested you?"
"Yes, actually." Elia responded as she looked to Arlus, who started moving off while signalling the two to follow. The three then began their walk as there were hushed whispers in the daily events of the city, Elia's mind now going through what was said.
"Knowing that road your men marched from, it's more than likely the same man that dealt with some of the undisciplined knights that were in the elite guard over in the tavern." Darius spoke, causing Elia to look at him shocked. "Thankfully so, too, given they should've been kicked out of the corps long ago with how they acted."
"He dealt with the guards without being arrested?" Elia responded, Darius only nodding as they took a turn that led to the guard barracks in the city, Arlus only smirking as he listened to the two. "How on earth did he manage that."
"By that girl who transferred from the city guard to your army, Elia." Arlus spoke as they entered the barracks, making her look at him confused as the soldiers within immediately stood in attention. "According to the reports from eight months ago, they were treating a waitress there poorly when he stepped in, and after she told him about the weapons code he proceeded to fight all of them unarmed. From what my spies have gathered, she was also training under him in far stricter conditions than we put our own soldiers in, and ended up in your own army division."
