A couple more days passed until the explorers Alex had dispatched began to return in small groups, some unscathed, others wounded, and in a few groups, some members were missing. Eventually, all the groups reported back, bringing a wealth of information to Alex's office. The map they possessed slowly started to fill in, with scrolls and notes accompanying each new symbol, creating a vast cross-referenced database.

All the explorers were successful in their initial tasks, exploring nearly a dozen Goblin outposts, another of Hobgoblins, four Orc outposts, and two Troll villages. However, the highlight of this operation was Tharoh, who managed to infiltrate an Orc city—the only major city in the region, occupied by a large number of orcs who held sway over all other outposts, settlements, and the like.

The ultimate goal here was to bring down this city. From there, Alex could assert hegemony over the sector and move on to another area, utilizing the resources of this sector to continue his campaign. Of course, this depended on whether he could improve relations with the local Resh enough to turn them into allies or, even better, unite them under his cause.

Alex called for a grand meeting in the communal hall of the settlement, inviting all key members of the group, including the Resh. He even extended an invitation to the elder of the Treepeople, who had remained silent in Alex's governance, staying completely aloof to avoid disturbing any faction since they needed no resources to survive.

"Our final objective is clear now. This city represents the center of their power, and as long as they have it, they'll wield immense influence over the sector. Additionally, its defenses are incredibly..." Alex began addressing the communal hall filled with all the significant personnel of the settlement.

He gestured to Tharoh, allowing him to explain further. "The Orcs' great city is built upon the ruins of an ancient civilization. It boasts large walls and towers reinforced by orc labor, along with many magical defenses. It's evident that the Orcs received external assistance in engineering and magic, given the precision with which everything was done."

"We'll need specialized war machinery to break through the defenses of the great city; otherwise, we'll be massacred trying to assault the walls," Lark replied.

"Our ancestors had developed a war machine capable of launching powerful explosive darts for this purpose, wreaking havoc among enemy troops," the great Resh captain of the remaining Resh forces added.

"For now, it's our only option. Although we could also explore the option of building trebuchets, they require more resources and are extremely difficult to construct. We might be able to make a few, allowing us to destroy enemy defenses and nullify this advantage," Alex said.

"For that, we'd first need to find the right engineers and secure the camp. If the enemies mount a successful counterattack at that point, we'll be left without siege weaponry and unable to get rid of them," Lark responded.

Alex nodded, acknowledging Lark's points. "The second point is magical defenses," Alex said to his council.

"We could assemble a stealth assault squad whose mission is to infiltrate and destroy the most dangerous magical traps," Tharoh suggested.

"Alternatively, we could contact a Resh mage. She has been living in this area for a long time and is likely willing to help us. She could assist in training Resh novices capable of deactivating the traps along the way," Lark replied.

"The mage approach will take too long during the siege, giving our enemies too much time to prepare. With a specialized infiltration unit armed with those resources, we might be able to disable fewer traps—just enough for the enemy not to notice—and then focus on sabotaging the internal infrastructure," Tharoh suggested.

Lark nodded, weighing the time aspect, and then answered, "Alternatively, we could train fewer mages with greater abilities. This would allow us to continuously cast weakening spells. They wouldn't deactivate the traps, but they would significantly reduce their effectiveness, making them less deadly. Plus, these troops would be more useful in subsequent battles."

Alex understood the different approaches to the problem. From Tharoh's perspective, they could use far fewer resources to achieve a result that depended somewhat on luck, or they could use some resources to create significant chaos that could help them immensely, though it could also harm them. Both plans, though economical, relied on kamikaze troops willing to die, with an uncertain outcome.

On Lark's side, the plans used many more resources to deactivate all the traps along the way. However, this would create a constant combat situation, leaving their frontline troops truly exhausted for the final challenge. Alternatively, they could use many more resources to train magical units that would be functional in the long term. The disadvantage of this approach was that it would put great pressure on their pockets, and they couldn't use Tharoh's plan simultaneously, as deploying those troops would be necessary to secure key resources.

"I understand both perspectives. We'll contemplate and decide on this matter in the coming weeks," Alex said, nodding toward both involved parties.

The two participants understood and nodded back at Alex. There was no rush to decide immediately, so it was prudent to allow time for deliberation.

"The next thing we need to consider is a key factor—we need troops for the invasion. One of the reasons we came here is to acquire more Gnolls. As we progress in clearing the area and take over the smaller settlements in the region, we'll be able to free many of our brethren. However, it never hurts to have more," Alex directed toward his council.

"That's easy; we could join my father's faction. If we assist him in his struggle, he will return the favor and provide us with his troops," said the great Resh captain.

"Who is..." Alex tried to ask, but almost instantly, old Lark interrupted.

"Stupid arrogant brat, you're in a war council. Do you think you can shamelessly use other people for your purposes?"

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Alex waited for Lark to finish his tirade against the great Resh. However, when he saw that the verbal abuse was about to prolong, he made some calming gestures with his hands.

Lark didn't see these gestures due to his agitation, but the Gnolls around him quickly waved their weapons, catching the attention of the old Gnoll. Looking around, he realized that he had lost control.

"Would you mind giving me an explanation, Chief Lark?" Alex said with a smile, though his demeanor was anything but relaxed.

"The boy is a bastard of Chief Halan 'the Hammer,' one of the two great chieftains fighting for dominance in the area even before the invasion," Lark summarized, ashamed.

"One of the chieftains, eh? The other must be Ner Lak," Alex replied.

The Resh captain made a displeased face upon hearing the name of the rival chieftain and was about to point at Alex to admonish him. However, he was quickly stopped by Lark.

"So, Halan and Ner Lak are the two contenders. Choosing one will immediately pit us against the other. Still, there's no way I'll decide without first establishing diplomatic relations and getting to know the personality of each," Alex said.

Lark nodded in agreement and forced the Resh captain to do the same.

"You could always take the shadowy route and subvert one of the tribes, changing leadership to one more favorable to ours," Tharoh responded.

Tharoh's plan B could be possible, but what they would have was a fractured and weakened ally. Additionally, it would sow the seeds of potential enmity in the future. However, Alex was not willing to reject any plan outright.

When Alex was about to move on to the next topic, a deep yet feminine voice suddenly invaded the room.

"You could also request the intervention of the creatures of the forest. I'm sure they would be delighted to negotiate with you in exchange for land to settle."

The entire room turned with surprised looks in all directions since no one could pinpoint the source of the voice—everyone except one.

"What would be the initial requirements of the creatures for negotiating their intervention? And how can I address you, my lady?" Alex asked, looking toward a corner on the ceiling of the communal house where a white owl perched. Its feathers, in contrast with the darkness, didn't make it stand out; rather, it gave an ethereal, almost otherworldly sensation, as if it wasn't really there.

The blue eyes of the owl briefly gleamed, and instantly, Atasha moved some pieces to form a large enclosure on the map.

"That's the tentative space the young herds desire," the owl responded. "As for a name, I have none—or should I say, I have none by which you can call me. But if you wish, you can give me one to make communication easier."

The owl made a jumping gesture, as if about to fly, but the movement was so swift that it seemed to have teleported next to Alex.

"I am sent by the Protector of the Lightning. It is my mission to be her eyes and ears by your side and watch over you in her name. I am also ordered to advise you if necessary. At the same time, I act as a negotiator between the forest and the protectors and you."

"So many roles; you must be essential to the Protector. As for a name, I will call you Athena. You are the living image of the goddess's owl, or at least the interpretation I like. I always wanted to have an owl on earth," Alex said, starting to ramble toward the end.

If Atasha and the Gnolls had panicked when he began petting a small moonstalker, now everyone felt like they had lost their souls. What Alex was now petting was also known by another informal name—one that none would speak aloud for fear of invoking the wrath of the concerned party: Owl of Madness.

Athena, on the other hand, felt extremely conflicted. On the one hand, a human had committed the extreme sacrilege of touching her feathers, and she felt the need to restore her honor. But there was something so magical in his touch, a subtle relief she hadn't felt since being a newborn in the warmth of her nest. So, she decided she would demand respect... but only after the human finished.

"Returning to the topic, I think giving away such a large portion of land is counterproductive to my cause. Additionally, almost all the resource areas I need are in those sectors. So, for now, that plan falls into last priority," Alex communicated to the rest. "Anything else anyone wishes to discuss?"

When Alex finished petting the owl, it smoothed its chest feathers with its wings and then said, "What about war magic? Will you be conducting any?"

Alex had no experience in that area, so he sat open to listening to the rest.

"The Ra clan has a long-range magic ritual. We can conjure a projectile protection shield," replied Matriarch Atarra.

"The Sha clan also possesses a long-range magic ritual. Our magic specializes in deception and concealment," replied Matriarch Atasha.

"Is it possible to use both?" Alex asked, somewhat optimistically.

"It's not advisable, unfortunately. My novices lack the sufficient skill to support me in the ritual, so whichever ritual is chosen will require the assistance of the other matriarch to sustain the large-scale spell," Atarra replied.

"Furthermore, the resource consumption will be high, and resources for a ritual of this kind are consumed at a rapid pace," Atasha added.

"I understand," Alex responded while massaging the bridge of his nose.

"The next thing you must consider is precisely the matter of resources," Torel said. "In some of my explorations, I discovered a captive trade company. They must have been captured recently, judging by how well-fed they still look. They must belong to one of the two free cities far to the south."

Alex focused on recalling what he had learned when visiting Nyxhaven. There were a total of five free cities—one somewhere in the south, and the other in a corner to the southwest. This last one was a large city with very prosperous routes, but presumably much farther away from them.

"Why would there be issues in this regard? We can get the resources we want and negotiate the rest," said the great Resh captain.

"Our workforce is severely limited," replied Atasha.

"And we're at war, needing to mobilize more and more of our population," continued Atarra.

"Besides, depending on the type of trade route and the city we choose, we'll have another limitation. If we want to trade, we must ensure we have the best resource for it," Alex responded.

"What does that entail?" Lark asked.

"It means that we could end up dedicating our limited workforce to obtaining those resources that won't help us have a short-term power increase, but will greatly aid us in the long term. From outside, we can obtain much higher-quality weapons and armor, as well as other materials that don't exist within the forest," Alex replied.

"Not only will it not help us in the short term, but it will also be a burden. Trade routes must be protected, and several deliveries will be necessary before we really start to see the benefits," Thorel added.

"And we can't just go making small trades," the Resh captain asked.

"To make a trade route lucrative, you need to attract the big fish. Those currently trapped are likely the small ones. We would give them a significant workload with many resources to trade, which over time would attract the big fish. It's these latter ones who truly have the means to obtain everything we need," explained Alex in an educational tone, ensuring everyone understood the rationale behind the dichotomy.

The great lizard nodded in understanding, though he seemed somewhat embarrassed to be the only one unaware. Nevertheless, he felt grateful that his questions were answered without a condescending attitude.

"Anything else anyone would like to add?" Alex inquired.

The entire hall fell silent. Most of what was needed had been said; now only an executive decision and action were left.

"All right, thank you all for participating. Take note of all the points mentioned. I'd like to give a special thanks to Lark, who has been really helpful in this session. I'd like to reward you, so you can send a couple of your best soldiers to me, and I'll evaluate who has the best potential for cultivation," Alex concluded the war council.