Chapter 2185: Thalor City

Thalor City.

This was the city where the Dawson Family had stood for hundreds of years. It was not as large as the major cities of other top forces, but it was fairly decent in size. The streets were wide enough for carriages to pass without trouble, and the houses lining them were mostly two or three stories tall, built from dark wood and pale stone. Smoke rose steadily from the chimneys. People moved about their business without much hurry. Merchants called out from their stalls, children ran between the carts, and a few guards in Dawson colors stood at corners talking among themselves.

When the group arrived, Grey told the others to take a detour and headed toward the southern part of the city. The streets grew quieter there. The houses were simpler, and fewer people walked about. They stopped in front of a small compound at the end of a narrow street. Inside stood a clean two-story house with a tidy courtyard.

Reynolds and Conor looked at Grey in mild confusion.

"There’s a little girl and her brother I saved some years back," Grey explained. "They’ve been staying here for some time now, so I came to check on them."

As he began telling them how he had first met Arya and her brother, the triplets from the Horned race stepped out of the house. The moment they saw Grey they stopped in place.

"Lord Grey, you’re here." One of them greeted him politely. The other two hastily bowed as well.

Grey raised a hand in a casual wave. "Is Arya inside?"

Before the triplets could answer, a small figure darted out of the doorway. It was a young girl in her teens, her hair tied in two high ponytails. She ran straight at Grey without slowing down.

"Big brother Grey!" she called out, voice bright with excitement, and jumped into his arms.

Grey caught her easily and hugged her, one hand gently stroking the top of her head. A moment later her elder brother walked out of the house, a warm smile already on his face.

Orin looked at his little sister clinging to Grey and said, "She’s been asking when you’d come visit again."

Grey nodded in greeting. Orin returned the nod with clear respect.

"I didn’t!" Arya jumped down from Grey’s arms and snapped at her brother, then immediately grabbed one of Grey’s hands as if to make sure he would not leave.

Grey and the others laughed at her reaction. He led the way into the compound. Behind the house lay a fairly spacious courtyard. With a casual motion of his hand Grey shaped several simple seats from the earth so everyone could sit comfortably.

Arya looked up at him, eyes shining as she demonstrated in exaggerated fashion,"Big brother Grey, I heard you singlehandedly defeated an entire army of Gnomes. Is that true?"

Her voice carried pure excitement and open admiration. Ever since Grey had saved her and Orin, she had placed him somewhere close to a god-like figure in her mind. The recent rumors only strengthened that belief.

Conor, the triplets, and Orin all turned their attention toward Grey. Everyone in Thalor City had heard the stories. This was the main city of the Dawson Family, and news of their son’s achievements had spread quickly through the streets. Of course, each retelling had added new layers of exaggeration.

An awkward smile appeared on Grey’s face. He scratched his cheek lightly. "It’s not really like that. All I did was create a chance for us to win."

"You don’t have to be humble, Grey," Reynolds said with a low chuckle. "I can’t go into the details, but if he hadn’t been there, those victories would never have been possible."

Arya’s eyes grew even brighter. The fact that the person the entire city was talking about was someone who still cared about her filled her with quiet happiness.

Conor glanced at Grey from the side. He saw the slightly embarrassed expression on the young man’s face and found it difficult to connect this calm figure with the one the battlefields now called a god of death. Unlike the others, who only knew the street rumors, Conor had received firsthand accounts. He knew Grey had already killed multiple Peak Sovereigns along with countless Ninth-stage and weaker experts. The memory of their first meeting surfaced briefly in his mind, and he gave a small, wry shake of his head. Back then his own cultivation had been higher. Now the gap between them was unmistakable.

Orin and the triplets were still turning Reynolds’s words over in their minds when Arya suddenly gave an excited yelp.

"Void!"

The black cat teleported directly onto her lap. "Hello, Arya."

She immediately ran her fingers through his soft fur. "Void, did you follow big brother Grey to take down the Gnomes?"

Void answered with a soft purr. "Of course. Who do you think has been keeping him alive all this time?"

Grey rolled his eyes and chose to ignore the cat. He turned to the triplets and asked how things had been in the city. Their answers matched what he had expected. The Dawson Family had already taken firm control of any Gnome activity that came too close to their territory.

While Grey spoke with Orin and the triplets, Arya and Void wandered off for a short while. When they returned, Arya came straight to Grey and pleaded with him to take everyone to her favorite inn.

Grey gently patted her head. "I intended to take you there even if you didn’t ask. But before that, I want to see how far your training has come."

Arya nodded quickly and hurried to the open center of the courtyard. She began demonstrating the techniques she had been practicing. Her movements were energetic and clean, and the elemental energy she released was already quite solid for someone her age. Grey watched in silence for a time, then stepped forward to correct a few small errors in her form and timing. When he finished he took out several scrolls from his storage ring and handed them to her.

"Study these carefully," he said.

Arya clutched the scrolls tightly against her chest and nodded with a serious expression.

Not long after, the group left the compound and set out for the inn. They walked through the streets in good spirits, talking and laughing as they went. Arya made certain to show Grey every place she liked. She pointed out the bakery where the warm smell of fresh bread always drifted into the street, the old stone fountain where children still played in the evenings, and the narrow alley where a man often sat playing soft music on a worn stringed instrument.

The streets of Thalor City remained peaceful. One by one the lanterns were lit as the sky darkened, casting a gentle glow over the pale stone and dark wood of the buildings. People continued about their daily lives without any sign of fear or urgency. Reynolds looked around at the calm scene and could not help wishing that every other place they had passed through could look the same.

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