The moment one of the two medium-sized goblin camps in that region was wiped out, it was only natural that the second, slightly more powerful one would soon learn what had happened.

And once it did, it wouldn’t hesitate to claim all that territory for itself.

Ethan knew this and he also knew he had to proceed with caution.

The ideal scenario would be to provoke a war between the orcs and goblins, letting them wear each other down, and then use the Goldenveil Guard only for the final blow.

But...

Who said he needed to wipe them out?

Ethan’s eyes sparkled as he remembered one of the first items he had received from the system.

Five long-range teleportation scrolls.

Each scroll could teleport up to a thousand people at once to a specific region known to the user, as long as every one of them was in direct contact with him.

Basically, the entire Eternal Forest was within his reach.

His main interest in those orcs and goblins was rescuing the humans, elves, and dwarves held captive before winter arrived and they were turned into food.

If he could reach the cells where they were being held and, from inside, activate a long-range teleportation scroll, everything would work out.

The big problem was that Goldenveil didn’t have anyone suitable for that kind of mission. And he himself had no stealth skills.

Fortunately, he didn’t believe it would be necessary.

All he had to do was mask his own scent and move through the night, and he’d be more than capable.

"Is something troubling you, my lord?"

Doran’s voice came from beside him.

They had left the goblin camp a few hours ago and had covered about eighty percent of the way back to Goldenveil.

"No, I’m fine." Ethan offered a soft smile, turning to watch the elves, humans, and dwarves trudging forward under the escort of nearly six hundred guards.

They had eaten well the night before, and after sleeping warmed by the large bonfires built from the remains of the goblin tents, they looked considerably stronger today, though their bodies remained painfully thin.

The two elven elders, fortunately, had already recovered enough to channel nature magic.

Wherever they passed, they cast spells that coaxed even the seemingly dead trees into giving off a faint aura of vitality.

That alone considerably sped up the group’s advance.

"Have the guards we sent to scout the other medium-sized goblin camp and the orc camp returned yet?" Ethan asked, scanning the path ahead.

It hadn’t snowed much the night before, but nearly half a foot had already accumulated, blanketing the forest in pale white.

The Eternal Forest was a strange place.

In just fifteen days, it transitioned from a lush, tropical abyss to a dead, frozen forest, and remained that way for somewhere between three and four months.

Then, in another fifteen days, the dead forest would suddenly come back to life. The plants would regain their vigor, and before long, a dense tropical jungle would be reborn.

It was a unique place.

Many said that all of this was due to something called the Heart of the Forest, which regulated the cycles of that forbidden zone.

Sighing, Ethan turned his gaze to Doran.

"Yes, my lord. We haven’t gathered much on the orc camp, but the goblin camp is well mapped. It lies near a tall sequoia, and we’ve secured a good observation point from it."

"Good." Ethan smiled. "Gather all the information you can. I want to speak personally with the men who collected it as well."

"Does my lord intend to advance against them again? I don’t believe the guard is capable of fighting a battle like that, not without suffering heavy casualties."

"Don’t worry. When we reach Goldenveil, I’ll explain everything to you."

Ethan turned his gaze to Evelyn, who moved through the snow with effortless grace, the swing of her hips drawing soft shifts beneath her cloak as she advanced. Then his eyes drifted to Alice, who was clearly waging a small, frustrated battle against the hem of her own dress and the snow piling up around her boots.

If mana consumption weren’t so exorbitant, she’d already be floating under a levitation spell.

"Do you want me to carry you on my back?" Ethan asked.

Alice just shook her head in refusal, her cheeks tinged with a faint pink.

Not in front of all those people. If they were alone, she’d accept without a second thought.

"Ah..." Ethan let out a quiet sigh, fixing his gaze on the path ahead. "It’s going to be a tough winter."

"Yes," Doran nodded. "Even with all the food we gathered from the other three settlements, if winter drags on longer than expected, we might end up in trouble."

"I’ll figure something out," Ethan replied with a slight nod.

If things got tight, he could use the greenhouse to grow basic crops and count on Alice to harvest everything.

"E-excuse me, my lord."

Upon hearing their conversation, one of the elderly elves—the couple’s wife—stepped forward.

Her wrinkled face showed a slight hesitation.

"We have a way to grow a very nutritious food, even during winter and without seeds."

The old elf woman stopped walking, pointing at the ground as she raised her free hand.

Her nature magic flowed, and from the middle of the snow sprouted a small, luminous seedling, some kind of spiritual herb.

She bent down, gently picked the sprout, and handed it to Ethan.

The handsome young man brought it to his lips and bit into it.

A burst of cool, sweet sap spread over his tongue, carrying a faint floral aftertaste. He then passed it to Alice and Evelyn, who each tasted it in turn.

The reaction of all three was exactly the same.

It was delicious and extremely rich in both aura and mana!

Ethan had trouble holding back the smile forming on his lips, already imagining all the wonders he could achieve with such a skill.

With a good group of mages, Goldenveil would never have to worry about food during the winter again.

"This is a wonderful spell, Lady Sylwen!" he said, his eyes shining as he watched the elderly couple, Eldran and Sylwen.

They hadn’t even arrived in Goldenveil yet, and winning the trust of those elves was already paying off!

Fortunately, the journey took no more than another hour.

Soon the high walls of Goldenveil came into view, and the new arrivals were led to the barracks, where they would stay until more houses could be built for them.