Chapter 87: Kenny

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Kenny

Tolu spent most of the following morning searching through shops that sold maps.

The cheap ones were practically useless.

Some showed only the major roads.

Others covered only Ilebi and the surrounding territories.

A few were outdated.

He eventually found what the merchant described as the best map currently available in the city.

It cost ten gold coins.

Tolu stared at the price.

"Ten gold?"

The merchant nodded.

"It covers the entire kingdom."

Tolu looked down at the rolled map.

"And the neighboring kingdoms?"

"Several of them."

"How accurate?"

"The major roads, cities, rivers, mountains and borders are marked. Some remote territories may be incomplete, but for traveling toward the capital and beyond, you won’t find a better map in this city."

Tolu hesitated.

Ten gold was a lot of money.

But he remembered Folami’s words.

Traveling without information was wandering.

He handed over the coins.

"I’ll take it."

The merchant smiled and passed him the map.

Tolu carried it carefully back to the manor.

Once inside his room, he spread it across the table.

For several minutes, he simply stared.

The map was enormous.

Ilebi was only one small portion of it.

The capital lay far to the north, connected by several major roads.

Beyond their kingdom were other lands.

Other kingdoms.

Other cities.

And beyond those—

Tolu’s eyes followed the borders until they disappeared from the map.

For most of his life, his world had been Ile-Esha.

Then Ilebi.

Now, for the first time, he could actually see how much larger the world was.

He rolled the map back up.

He still had a hundred thousand gold to make.

And only a few months at most to do it.

Tolu picked up his packed bag.

The journey had already begun.

The sun had barely risen when Tolu left Ilebi.

His bag was secured across his shoulder, his hammer strapped firmly to his back. The expensive map was rolled carefully inside his belongings, protected from the morning dampness.

At the edge of the city, a large caravan was already preparing to leave.

Several wagons stood in a line, each pulled by sturdy beasts. Merchants moved between them, checking crates and tying down cargo while guards made their final preparations.

Tolu approached the caravan leader and paid for a place.

"You’re heading toward the capital?" the man asked.

"Yes."

"Then stay with us. We leave now."

Tolu climbed onto one of the wagons.

The journey had begun.

As Ilebi slowly disappeared behind them, Tolu found himself staring at the city walls.

He had lived here long enough that leaving felt strange.

Not painful.

Just strange.

For the first time, he wasn’t leaving because he had nowhere else to go.

He was leaving because he had somewhere to go.

The thought should have excited him.

Instead, his mind immediately returned to the problem.

One hundred thousand gold.

Rare materials.

The capital.

The auction.

He sighed.

How exactly was he supposed to make that much money in a few weeks?

"You’re thinking too hard."

Tolu looked to his side.

A young man was sitting on the same wagon.

He had probably been there before Tolu climbed aboard, though Tolu hadn’t noticed him.

The man had a cheerful expression and an easy smile.

"I’m Kenny."

"Tolu."

Kenny extended his hand.

Tolu shook it.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."

Kenny leaned against the side of the wagon.

"So, Tolu, what are you heading to the capital for?"

"Business."

Kenny nodded seriously.

"Very mysterious."

Tolu smiled slightly.

"There’s nothing mysterious about it."

"That’s exactly what someone with a mysterious business would say."

Tolu laughed.

It surprised him.

Kenny grinned when he saw it.

"See? You can smile."

"I smile."

"Not when you were staring at the road like you were trying to intimidate it."

Tolu shook his head.

"I wasn’t."

"You definitely were."

Tolu looked ahead.

The road stretched through open grassland, the morning sun slowly climbing into the sky.

"What about you?" Tolu asked.

"Me?"

Kenny pointed toward the cargo behind them.

"I’m buying spices."

Tolu looked at the crates.

"You’re a merchant?"

"Trying to become one."

"Trying?"

"My family has a small spice business. I’m supposed to spend the next few months learning how everything works before I’m allowed to handle the business myself."

Kenny sighed dramatically.

"Apparently, being the owner’s son isn’t enough to convince my father that I know what I’m doing."

Tolu smiled.

"Do you?"

"Absolutely."

Kenny paused.

"Probably."

Tolu laughed again.

Kenny seemed pleased with himself.

"I’m actually heading to the capital because there’s a merchant there who buys some of our spices at a much higher price."

"So you’re going to negotiate?"

"No."

Tolu raised an eyebrow.

"I’m going to convince him that his life is incomplete without our spices."

"That’s your negotiation?"

"Exactly."

Tolu shook his head, smiling.

Kenny leaned back.

"What about you? What kind of business?"

Tolu hesitated.

"Resources."

"What kind?"

"Herbs. Minerals. Things like that."

Kenny’s eyes brightened.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then you might actually be useful to me."

Tolu looked at him.

"How?"

Kenny lowered his voice as though sharing a secret.

"I’ve been looking for a reliable source of herbs."

Tolu smiled.

"We might be able to help."

"Then I definitely picked the right wagon."

Kenny leaned back again, satisfied.

Tolu looked ahead.

The road continued beneath the wheels.

For the first time since hearing about the auction, his mind wasn’t calculating gold.

He wasn’t wondering how much he could sell.

He wasn’t thinking about rare materials.

He was simply sitting on a wagon, listening to a stranger talk about spices as if they were the most important thing in the world.

And somehow, it felt good.

The capital was still weeks away.

The hundred thousand gold was still waiting for him.

But for now, Tolu relaxed against the wooden side of the wagon.

The journey had begun.

Kenny leaned back against the side of the wagon, watching the road pass beneath them.

"You know," he said after a while, "I didn’t expect to find someone interesting on this trip."

Tolu glanced at him.

"Interesting?"

"You’re carrying a hammer the size of a small person, you’re traveling alone, and you look like you’re thinking about how to conquer the world."

Tolu chuckled.

"I’m not trying to conquer the world."

"Good. That would make things awkward."

Tolu smiled.

Kenny stretched his arms.

"Since we’re going to be traveling together for a while, I suppose I should tell you a little about myself."

"You don’t have to."

"I know. That’s why I’m doing it."

Tolu shook his head.

Kenny grinned.

"I’m an Adept."

Tolu looked at him with mild surprise.

"You don’t look like one."

Kenny placed a hand over his chest.

"That was insulting."

"I didn’t mean it that way."

"I know."

Kenny laughed.

"I’ve been an Adept for about two years. I’m not particularly talented with cultivation, but I’m not bad either."

"What affinity?"

"Wind."

Kenny raised one hand.

A faint current of air curled around his fingers before disappearing.

"I mostly use it for movement and small tricks. It’s useful when you’re carrying goods."

Tolu nodded.

"Your family are merchants?"

"Yes. Spices mostly, though we’ve expanded into medicinal ingredients over the years."

"Are they successful?"

"Successful enough."

Kenny’s tone became more relaxed.

"We have warehouses in three cities and regular buyers in several others. Nothing impressive compared to the great families, but we live comfortably."

Tolu looked at the crates behind them.

"So you’re working for your family?"

"Technically."

Kenny sighed.

"I’m supposed to be learning the business."

"Supposed to?"

"My father thinks I should eventually join my brother."

Tolu looked at him.

"Your brother runs the business?"

"Not yet."

Kenny smiled.

"But everyone expects him to."

"Why?"

"Because he’s the eldest son."

Kenny shrugged.

"And he’s good at it."

Tolu waited.

"He’s an Advanced cultivator too. Very serious. Very disciplined. He can look at a stack of accounts for three hours without getting bored."

"Sounds useful."

"He is."

Kenny laughed.

"Unfortunately, he also enjoys reminding me that I’m terrible with numbers."

"Are you?"

"Absolutely."

Tolu laughed.

Kenny pointed at him.

"Don’t encourage him."

Tolu shook his head.

" Do you have other siblings?"

"My sister?"

Kenny’s smile became wider.

"She’s worse."

"How?"

"She’s Advanced too."

Tolu raised an eyebrow.

"Both your siblings are Advanced?"

"Yes."

Kenny spread his hands.

"And then there’s me."

He said it jokingly, but there was something underneath the words.

Tolu noticed.

"Is she also involved in the business?"

"Not anymore."

Kenny looked ahead.

"She got married last year."

"To another merchant family?"

"No. A major family."

Tolu glanced at him.

"That’s quite different."

"Very."

Kenny smiled.

"My sister is happy, though. That’s the important part."

He didn’t sound bitter.

"Her husband is a good man, and his family treated her well. The marriage also gave my family connections we never had before."

"So your family benefited."

"Definitely."

Kenny rested his head against the wagon.

"My father is proud of her. My brother is proud of her. I’m proud of her."

He paused.

"Sometimes I think I’m the only one in my family who doesn’t seem to have a clear place."

Tolu remained silent.

Kenny looked at him and laughed.

"Don’t make that face."

"What face?"

"The sympathetic one."

"I wasn’t."

"You were."

Kenny waved his hand dismissively.

"It’s not a tragedy. My family loves me. Nobody is trying to throw me out."

"Then what’s the problem?"

Kenny looked toward the road ahead.

"I don’t want to spend my whole life being someone’s younger brother."

Tolu understood that.

Kenny continued.

"My brother will inherit the business. My sister has her husband’s family. If I simply return home and work under my brother, I’ll always be the third child helping with someone else’s success."

"So you want your own business."

"Exactly."

Kenny’s smile returned.

"I want my own trading routes. My own merchants. My own caravans."

"Caravans?"

"Several."

He sat upright.

"I want to travel across kingdoms buying things where they’re cheap and selling them where people will pay more. Spices, herbs, ores, rare materials, anything with a market."

"You’ve thought about this."

"Of course."

Kenny looked offended.

"I’ve been thinking about it for years."

"What does your father think?"

"He thinks I’m too inexperienced."

"Is he wrong?"

Kenny paused.

"...Maybe a little."

Tolu laughed.

Kenny joined him.

"That’s why I’m going to the capital."

He pointed toward the crates behind them.

"This shipment is mine to handle. My father gave me the opportunity to sell it myself."

"And if you succeed?"

"I’ll be allowed to start making independent trades."

"And if you fail?"

Kenny’s smile faded slightly.

"Then I’ll spend the next few years working under my brother."

Tolu nodded.

"So you’re proving yourself."

"Exactly."

Kenny leaned back again.

"Which means we’re both going to the capital for business."

Tolu looked at him.

"I suppose we are."

"Maybe we’ll both come back rich."

Tolu smiled.

"Maybe."

Kenny studied him.

"You don’t sound convinced."

Tolu looked toward the road.

"I have a lot of money to make."

"How much?"

Tolu hesitated.

He didn’t want to explain the auction yet.

"Enough."

Kenny laughed.

"That’s definitely a mysterious answer."

Tolu smiled.

For the first time since leaving Ilebi, the weight that had been sitting on his mind felt a little lighter.

The road ahead was long.

The capital was still weeks away.

But with Kenny beside him, perhaps the journey wouldn’t be as stressful as he had imagined.