Days had passed, and Alex found himself marching once again towards the front lines. He had heard the reports and there were certain points that had him slightly worried.

"We'll be fine without the elf, sir. You could have asked him to stay longer; after all, he owes us," Kragash asked.

"There's no need to detain Torel. While the enemy side may have high-level warriors, we have our own as well. Besides, we outnumber them in terms of low-level warriors. Over time, our warriors will improve at an even faster pace than theirs, so our advantage will only grow," Alex commented to the young Gnoll. Seeing that the response didn't fully satisfy him, he added, "Besides, there's no way to truly stop him. Torel strongly desires to know the truth behind his husband's murder. It's better to let him go willingly. That way, he may return in the future."

Although Kragash was never close to the Elf, it didn't stop him from recognizing him as one of the strongest warriors on Alex's side, much like Athena. In his mind, both had demonstrated great destructive power.

"We'll soon reach the front, sir," one of Alex's initiates commented.

"Very well. Once we're there, we'll need to split up. Unfortunately, I won't be able to fight alongside you most of the time, but I trust you to lead your comrades in the mission I assign to you."

"Of course, sir. You can count on us. We'll catch those rats and crush them in the name of our lord!" the warrior responded enthusiastically before marching away.

"Soon, it will be you leading them, Kragash," Alex remarked.

"You don't trust them, sir?"

"Of course, I trust them. However, there are times when it's difficult to convey the exact meaning with words, and some interpretation is needed. Among all those under my command, you are one of those who has spent the most time with me, one who understands my goals and motivations the best."

"I never really intended to command. I don't want to be like the matriarchs, nor do I expect you to look to me for guidance. I simply follow you out of conviction that only you can bring a better future to the Gnolls," Kragash expressed.

"You trust me too much; I'm just a simple human," Alex smiled. "I strive daily to live up to such confidence."

"There's no such thing as trusting you too much, sir. If anything, I believe too little trust is placed in your abilities and management," Kragash scanned the surroundings with his usual protective attitude, searching for any threat. "If anything, I think others withhold too much information from you. It was clear that the Dwarves had known about this Lord and his abilities for a long time and only now decided to inform you. The Resh must also hold some secrets about this area, and who knows what the matriarchs keep to themselves."

"They'll tell us in due time. There's no reason to rush things or hold grudges. They must have their own train of thought to assess whether it's really necessary or serves any purpose at the given moment," Alex responded to the young Gnoll.

"If you say so, sir," Kragash nodded to Alex. The young Gnoll was always pondering how Alex could trust others so much. His own life had led him to distrust those of his own kind, everyone except Alex, to be exact. However, unknowingly, he trusted the human as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Perhaps trusting others wasn't such a bad thing, just maybe.

Finally, the group reached the vicinity of Lark's camp. The old mayor was not present as he was exploring the surroundings, so Alex was received by a subordinate and given a quick explanation of the events of the last few days.

"So, the Goblins have started to counterattack," Kragash summarized.

"Quite unusual. Until recently, they only limited themselves to defending their positions. Something must have changed," said Alex.

"A change in leadership, perhaps," the young Gnoll speculated.

"It could be, but it would have to be a younger and inexperienced leader to truly leave their positions and fight our troops in open terrain," Alex said.

"I don't think we should complain. Thanks to these hasty movements, our conquests are progressing much faster," Kragash said.

"I'm not sure. From the report given, something feels missing. Tharoh is present in the area. When possible, tell him I need his report," Alex ordered.

"Yes, sir," the soldiers nodded, and one was ordered to locate the assistants of the Gnoll so he could report back to his king.

"Are there any reports of similar incidents in other areas?" Alex asked.

The soldiers of Lark's garrison didn't exactly know what Alex was referring to, so they could do nothing but look at each other.

"I mean instances where the Goblins have come out to attack our troops."

"But sir, that's not an incident; we've won all the battles," the guard responded.

"It's an incident because it doesn't correspond to the normal attitude of the Goblins, which indicates that something has changed on their side, and we must be cautious. I need to know if there have also been changes on the other fronts," Alex explained.

"I understand, sir. I'll send a messenger to inquire about the situation."

Just then, wild shouts began to sound, and a large number of small figures could be seen running towards the rear of the convoy where Alex was traveling, more precisely running towards the Fheres.

"Mobilize the garrison!" Alex shouted to the guard who came to receive him. "The rest, take defensive positions around the Fheres."

The guard reacted quickly to Alex's orders and began to mobilize the garrison, while Alex, Kragash, and the other soldiers prepared to face the Goblin attack. The noise of the wild shouts and the rapid approach of the small figures indicated that the Goblins were willing to confront them directly, and it was evident that their target was the convoy at the rear.

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Alex drew his sword and gave a final glance to Kragash, who nodded, showing his determination. The two headed towards the rear of the convoy, where the Fheres were getting anxious due to the sudden wave of noise that loomed over them.

The Goblins, armed with small spears and knives, charged ferociously towards the convoy. Alex let out a war cry, urging his Gnoll companions to face the Goblins with all their power.

The battle began immediately. Alex, with his sword skills, knocked down the Goblins that came at him, keeping them at bay. Kragash, on the other hand, used his strength and ferocity to confront the enemies approaching the Fheres, protecting the animals and his comrades.

The combat was intense, with Alex and Kragash facing the Goblins with great skill and determination. The other Gnolls also fought bravely, using their abilities and superiority in strength and size to protect the convoy and their comrades, desperately trying to keep the Goblins at bay so that no Fheres would be harmed.

The Goblins were numerous but lacked the organization and discipline of the Gnolls. Alex and Kragash led their comrades with strategy and coordination, managing to repel the Goblins and minimize casualties.

Throughout the situation, Alex let Kragash take a more active role in the defense, and the young Gnoll fully fulfilled his role by giving simple orders without trying to complicate things too much.

Just as abruptly as the attack began, it ended, with the Goblins retreating in all directions as the garrison of the camp came out to help Alex.

"Send guards to pursue some groups. Order them not to engage in battle under any conflict. If they feel in danger, they should return," Alex ordered the garrison.

The foreman selected a few patrols and sent them to pursue the masses of Goblins running in different directions.

"Do you still believe there's some conspiracy, sir?" Kragash asked.

"Now I'm sure," Alex replied.

"Why, sir? Did you discover something during the attack?" the foreman asked.

"The Goblins kept shouting 'destroy the convoy'," Alex replied.

The foreman and Kragash looked at each other before the latter could ask, "Do you speak the Goblin language, sir?"

"I understand it. I could tell from some shouts that someone gave them the order, a certain Kesha. Whoever that is, maybe that's their new leader," Alex said.

"A Kesha is a kind of Goblin shaman with a connection to the ancestors," the foreman replied.

"I see. So these Keshas are the cause of this change, or at least responsible for this change. We need to see if we can track them down," Alex replied.

With the retreat of the Goblins, the convoy was able to reach the temporary camp that Lark was using.

The real reason for being here wasn't precisely to command the troops. Alex wasn't as good in that aspect as to think that this aspect alone would make a big change on the battlefield. Nor was his strength and cultivation level high enough to make a change in that sense on his own. Rather, the advantage for Lark and the Resh came from another fact; each faction had its own resources, and both Atasha and Atarra had acquired a large amount of resources with their expansions. Only Lark was falling behind by not being able to expand his area of influence. That was why Alex needed to help them in this aspect, so he could use the resources that the other two matriarchs paid as tribute to slightly improve the Resh and keep them in the race.

It was also part of Alex's objectives to increase his cultivation, which is why he also needed to fight on the battlefield to better understand his new powers and his new nature, a mix of forest and ash powers.

Alex began to participate regularly in patrols, facing small skirmishes with the Goblins from time to time, while the presence of the Resh advanced in the area and began to liberate the exploitations of the sector, freeing large numbers of Gnolls and a decent amount of Resh. In some exploitations, there could be a small number of other races, usually Elves or Dwarves, although there could also be survivors of other races occasionally. Regardless of their race, they were sent to the main settlement where Alex's temporary government headquarters were located. In that settlement, there was greater infrastructure, and it was safe from the Goblin attacks, which could no longer approach as closely.

"How's your work going, Dregg?" Alex asked.

"The Gnolls have been convinced and are already working in the settlements. It was only necessary to provide them with some fresh food rations and faces similar to theirs to calm them down."

"We still have an excess of food to distribute, but it's essential that food production jobs be filled first. We must ensure to also fill the roles we have for our army with the strongest individuals."

"Those actions are being carried out, but are we sure we can maintain the pace at which we distribute food?"

"I ordered a significant increase in resource trading with the outside, and according to the provided data, there is still a large excess of food that can be purchased at low cost. However, your concern is valid. I don't think we can continue importing food at this rate for more than three months. We must secure more fertile areas before that and start working on them before the season passes."

"Winters are really harsh. Although we never really had to worry about food crops, I never thought this would be a real concern for me," Dregg commented.

"Times change. I never imagined myself leading Gnolls, let alone proclaiming myself king. Even today, I feel embarrassed when I think of that moment."

"I think you were really cool. I had never seen anyone look so majestic, or better yet, I had never seen anyone make the old witch Atarra kneel," Dregg replied with a chuckle.

"You really don't like Atarra," Alex asked seriously.

"No Gnoll likes any matriarch, boy," Dregg commented with a calmer attitude. There was no resentment in his words, which intrigued Alex.

"Why is that? I thought the matriarchs were great guides for the people," Alex asked.

"They are indeed, the matriarchs have sacrificed a lot in order to keep us up to this point, so they will never cease to be that, a constant reminder of everything we have left behind to drag ourselves up to here."

"They have been strong, they have endured all the onslaughts, and they have risen even after falling into the deepest corners of the world. The good thing about hitting rock bottom is that there's only one way," Alex pointed towards the sky.

The few recently rescued prisoners in the surroundings perfectly understood the message Alex was conveying to Dregg, and it spread like wildfire.

The new Gnolls had heard of the Gnolls working for Alex's title of king, but they were skeptical. However, there were also promises to take them to some matriarchs, and the fact that Atarra worked for Alex gave great support to his reputation, as this matriarch was very (in)famous among Gnoll circles, and very few didn't know her name. Soon, there were many more willing to work for Alex, setting aside their initial fear or reluctance to be in a camp full of Resh.

Before Alex left the area, one of the newly freed Gnolls stepped forward.

"Um, this," the Gnoll began to stutter, not quite sure how to address Alex. The formal way in which the Gnoll soldiers and initiates accompanying Alex made them feel that they couldn't disrespect him, yet calling him my king felt too much.

"Don't worry, you can just call me Alex," Alex replied, patting him on the shoulder to ease his nervousness.

"But what about them?" the Gnoll asked, pointing to the heavily armed soldiers accompanying Alex.

"Everyone can call me whatever they want, really. No one is obligated to address me formally; they do it out of respect for me. I hope that somehow in the future, you will too, until then, call me whatever you want."

"Thank you for your understanding... Sir Alex, you should know that not long ago there was a matriarch with us, however, a few days ago, she was taken by a strange Goblin from another settlement."

"A matriarch!" exclaimed Alex.

A single look at Dregg was enough for him to understand. The Gnoll quickly went to a nearby cabin and returned with Tharoh.

"Dregg told me about the matriarch. We detected significant movements in one of our previous patrols, however, we didn't have the necessary numbers at that time, and the patrol was too well protected to ambush it."

"I understand. We'll leave the advance completely in Lark's hands and take some troops to go after this patrol," a nearby roar caught Alex's attention. "And of course, we'll take the scouts with us. We need to rescue this matriarch alive."

Everyone present turned their heads in the same direction as Alex, and there they saw more than a dozen Scouts, but instead of their usual playful attitude, this time they looked serious and ready for action.

"Let's go."