The first sign of civilization was not the wall surrounding Greyhaven, nor the watchtowers rising above the thinning forest.
Kael noticed civilization long before any of those things became visible to the hunters traveling beside him.
Within the territory covered by his perception, straight roads replaced the irregular trails created by animals.
Wooden structures appeared between cleared sections of land, followed by carts, fences, storage buildings, and watch posts.
Farther ahead stood an enormous stone wall surrounding hundreds of buildings, and within those walls were more humans than Kael had seen together since arriving in this world.
Thousands of movements overlapped within his perception.
Merchants arranged goods inside shops, hunters carried equipment through crowded streets, cooks prepared food over heated metal plates, guards patrolled the walls, and children ran between buildings while irritated adults shouted after them.
Compared to the Hollow Depth, where most living creatures spent their time hunting, hiding, eating, or fighting over territory, the amount of unnecessary activity was surprisingly interesting.
Rhea noticed Kael looking ahead and smiled.
“That’s Greyhaven.” Kael nodded.
She waited for another reaction.
None came.
Greyhaven was impressive by the standards of frontier settlements.
Its outer wall stood nearly twenty meters high, reinforced by several watchtowers overlooking the roads leading toward the Hollow Depth.
Thousands of hunters passed through the settlement every year, and nearly everything inside Greyhaven existed to support expeditions into one of the most dangerous regions on the continent.
Kael looked at the walls for several seconds before continuing forward.
Rhea had expected slightly more.
The reaction from Greyhaven was considerably stronger.
Daren’s group had been missing long enough that most people familiar with the expedition had already assumed they were dead.
The guards stationed at the northern gate recognized Daren before the hunters even reached the wall, and within minutes, word of their return began spreading.
“Daren?” One of the older guards stared at the approaching group before stepping away from his post.
Daren raised a tired hand.
The guard’s expression changed from disbelief to relief.
“You bastard.
You’re alive.” “Barely.” Several more guards approached.
Questions immediately followed as the injured members of Daren’s team were identified and healers were summoned from inside Greyhaven.
Hunters waiting near the entrance also began gathering after recognizing the supposedly missing expedition.
Kael stood slightly away from the commotion.
That lasted until one of the guards noticed him.
The man’s eyes moved over Kael’s simple clothes before settling on the complete absence of weapons, armor, supplies, or any visible hunter insignia.
“Who’s this?” Rhea answered before anyone else could.
“My master.” The guard looked at her.
Then at Kael.
Then back at her.
“Your master?” “Yes.” Daren sighed quietly.
The guard apparently decided there were more important questions.
“Identification?” Kael looked at him.
“What?” “Your identification.” “Don’t have one.” The guard frowned.
“Hunter license?” “No.” “Travel document?” “No.” “Guild registration?” “No.” The guard’s suspicion increased with every answer.
“Residence record?” Kael considered the unfamiliar term for a moment.
“Probably not.” Rhea covered part of her face with one hand.
The guard studied him more carefully.
Like everyone else who tried to examine Kael, however, his senses returned nothing useful.
There was no recognizable pressure from him and no indication of trained power.
If the man’s eyes had been closed, he would never have known Kael was standing there.
“Where exactly are you from?” Kael turned slightly and pointed toward the forest behind them.
“There.” The guard stared at the Hollow Depth.
“I’m asking where you live.” “So am I.” Rhea slowly lowered her hand.
The guard looked toward Daren for help.
Daren stepped forward.
“He saved us.” That immediately changed the atmosphere.
The rescue captain confirmed it.
“We found Daren’s group traveling with him.
Without Senior Kael, they wouldn’t have returned.” “Who is he?” Daren paused.
“I don’t know.” The guard’s eyebrows rose.
Rhea immediately added, “He’s my master.” The guard looked at her.
“That still doesn’t explain who he is.” Rhea thought about it before realizing he was completely correct.
Kael showed no irritation during the questioning.
The guards were doing their work, and none of them had treated him particularly badly.
Being asked questions was not the same as being ordered around, so he simply waited while Daren and the rescue captain arranged temporary entry permission.
Eventually the older guard nodded.
“Fine.
We’ll register the situation and let the Guild handle the identity issue.
Entrance fee is twelve coppers.” Kael looked at him.
“What’s that?” The guard blinked.
Rhea quickly stepped closer.
“You pay to enter Greyhaven.” Kael understood the concept immediately.
He reached into one pocket.
Nothing.
Then another.
Also nothing.
Rhea watched him.
Kael stopped searching.
“Master…” “Hmm?” “You have money, right?” “No.” Rhea stared at him.
“None?” “No.” “At all?” Kael considered whether anything he owned technically qualified as currency.
“No.” Rhea’s expression became increasingly complicated.
Kael thought for a moment.
“I have some shiny stones.” Something about the way he said it made Daren immediately look over.
Before Rhea could ask what he meant, Kael extended one hand.
His fingers had been empty.
Then they weren’t.
A dark blue crystal slightly larger than his thumb was suddenly resting on his palm.
The nearby hunters became silent.
The rescue captain’s eyes widened.
Daren stared at it.
The guard who had requested twelve copper coins looked as though he had forgotten what he was doing.
Rhea didn’t recognize the crystal immediately, but the archer from Daren’s group did.
“Deepheart Crystal.” Rhea’s head snapped toward her.
The archer swallowed.
“A pure one.” Kael held it toward the guard.
“Will this work?” Rhea grabbed his wrist.
“Master!
No!” Kael looked at her.
“Why?” “That’s worth thousands of entrance fees!” Kael looked at the crystal.
Then at the gate.
“So it works.” “That’s not the point!” “Then what’s the point?” Rhea opened her mouth before realizing she was going to have to explain basic economics to a man capable of walking through mountains.
She released his wrist and took twelve copper coins from her own pouch.
“I’ll pay.” Kael put the crystal away.
The guard accepted the coins while still staring at him.
Rhea sighed.
She had imagined becoming the disciple of a mysterious expert would involve secret techniques, dangerous training, and perhaps legendary adventures.
She had not expected to begin by paying her master’s entrance fee.
Once the formalities were complete, Kael walked through Greyhaven’s gate.
For the first time in longer than anyone around him knew, stone streets stretched beneath his feet instead of forest soil.
Buildings stood close together on both sides of the main road.
Signs hung above shops, hunters negotiated loudly with merchants, carts filled with monster materials moved toward warehouses, and smoke rose from workshops farther inside the settlement.
The sounds and smells of thousands of people mixed together in a way completely different from the Hollow Depth.
Kael observed everything without slowing much.
Civilization had changed considerably from what he remembered of Earth, yet people themselves remained strangely familiar.
They bought things, argued about prices, complained about work, ate food, laughed with friends, and hurried toward places they apparently considered important.
Then Kael stopped.
Rhea nearly walked into his back.
“Master?” Kael looked toward the other side of the street.
A broad metal grill had been placed outside a food stall.
Strips of marinated meat hissed across its surface while a middle-aged woman brushed them with a dark sauce.
Smoke carrying the smell of roasted fat and spices drifted across the road.
Rhea followed his gaze.
Her expression became knowing.
“You want one?” “Yes.” “You still don’t have money.” Kael looked at her.
Rhea sighed and reached for her pouch again.
Several minutes later, Kael was walking through Greyhaven with two grilled meat skewers in one hand.
He took another bite.
“Civilization isn’t bad.” Rhea stared at him.
“You decided that because of grilled meat?” “It’s a strong argument.” Rhea could not even say he was wrong.
They had barely reached the central market when a uniformed messenger approached Daren.
After confirming his identity, the young man straightened and delivered his message.
“Captain Daren, Branch Director Halren requests an immediate report regarding your expedition.
The search unit is also required to attend.” Daren nodded.
“Expected that.” The messenger’s attention moved toward Kael.
“And Sir Kael has been requested to attend as well.” Kael continued eating.
“Do I have to?” The messenger hesitated.
His wording changed immediately.
“The Branch Director would greatly appreciate your presence, sir.
Your involvement appears to be important to the expedition report.” Kael considered refusing.
Rhea leaned closer.
“Master, the Guild buys monster materials.” Kael looked at her.
Rhea continued, “Including crystals.” Kael glanced at the place where he had stored the Deepheart Crystal.
“Fine.” Daren watched the exchange and quietly learned something important.
Apparently, convincing Kael to cooperate was not particularly difficult.
One simply needed to ask rather than command him and preferably mention food or money afterward.
As they walked toward the Hunter Guild, Rhea began explaining Greyhaven’s basic structure.
The settlement was technically administered by a local governor, but the Hunter Guild controlled most matters related to expeditions, monster materials, hunter registration, and dangerous regions.
She also began explaining hunter ranks.
“Most registered hunters start at Iron.
After that comes Bronze, Silver, Gold, and then the higher ranks.
Promotion isn’t just based on strength.
Completed expeditions and Guild evaluations matter too.” Kael listened.
“What are you?” Rhea straightened slightly.
“Silver.” Kael looked at her.
“Is that good?” Her posture immediately lost some of its pride.
“For my age, yes.” “Oh.” That was all.
Rhea felt strangely dissatisfied.
The Hunter Guild stood near the center of Greyhaven.
The building was considerably larger than most surrounding structures, with three floors of reinforced stone and an enormous emblem carved above the entrance.
Hunters constantly moved through the wide doors, carrying weapons, materials, and expedition packs.
Kael entered with the group.
On the second floor, a broad-shouldered man with gray hair was already waiting beside several Guild officials.
Branch Director Halren had spent more than thirty years entering dangerous regions.
His perception had been sharpened through countless battles, and assessing unfamiliar hunters had become almost instinctive.
His senses passed over the returning expedition.
Daren.
Rhea.
The injured members.
The rescue team.
Then his gaze reached Kael.
Halren’s expression changed.
His eyes clearly showed him a young man standing beside Rhea.
His perception showed him empty space.
He focused.
Nothing.
Not weakness.
Not concealment he could identify.
Nothing.
For the first time since hearing that Daren’s team had somehow returned alive, Halren forgot about the expedition report.
One thought appeared in his mind as he stared at Kael.
What exactly was standing in front of him?
Kael, meanwhile, looked around the Guild hall before leaning slightly toward Rhea.
“Where do they sell things?” Rhea pointed toward a row of exchange counters on the lower floor.
“There.” Kael nodded.
“Good.” While Greyhaven’s Branch Director tried to understand the impossible existence that had just walked into his Guild, Kael was considerably more interested in finally acquiring some money.