The captain's expression shifted, a mix of determination and satisfaction. He barked orders to his men, and they began following the trail Roth had laid out, disappearing into the forest.
Roth allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. He watched as the soldiers reached the forest entrance and found the last trail. Roth noticed the hesitation they had on moving forward into the forest before ultimately deciding to head back.
Roth, seeing that knew things were handled, headed back to his castle. This encounter made him realize how bad of a move it will be for Ethan to suddenly nab a human out of the town.
Looking back to the town, Roth thought to himself "I will have to cast a strong mesmerization spell on these humans so that when one one them misses it won't be easily noticed"