Chapter 131 - 31: Plan?

Chapter 131: Chapter 31: Plan?

An Unforgettable Night

Tolu emerged from the dungeon in a flash of light, appearing in the familiar room he had been assigned at the Omimi manor.

For a moment, he remained still, allowing the transition to settle. The faint hum of dungeon energy lingered beneath his skin, a reminder of everything he had accomplished during the war. The rescued Egbere, the Eera queen, and the potential of an entire colony now awaited his attention. There was much to consider, but none of it needed to be handled immediately.

He had earned a little rest.

Stepping out of his room, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the corridor.

"Where is he? Has anyone seen him?"

Kenny’s voice rang through the manor.

Tolu turned towards the sound just as his friend appeared around the corner. Kenny was looking in both directions, clearly searching for someone. When his eyes finally landed on Tolu, his entire face brightened.

"There you are!"

Tolu raised an eyebrow. "Were you looking for me?"

"Of course I was looking for you!" Kenny hurried over, looking him up and down as though checking that he was still in one piece. "I’ve been searching all over the place. I went to your room, asked one of the servants, and even checked the courtyard. Where have you been?"

Tolu smiled.

The sight of Kenny’s agitated expression brought back memories of the previous night. He could still remember the palm wine, the easy conversation, and the moment when he had finally allowed himself to relax instead of thinking about cultivation, dungeon wars, or the next step towards building his future.

He had underestimated how much a few bowls of palm wine could affect him when he wasn’t paying attention.

And Kenny, of course, had drunk considerably more.

"What happened last night?" Kenny demanded.

Tolu’s smile widened.

Kenny narrowed his eyes. "Why are you smiling?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? I remember drinking palm wine with you and Aramide. After that, things became a little blurry." He paused, rubbing his forehead. "I remember talking about my trading network. I think I said something about owning enough caravans to fill an entire road."

"You did."

"And then?"

"You fell asleep."

Kenny stared at him.

"Just like that?"

"You were very tired."

"I wasn’t tired!" Kenny protested. "I was celebrating!"

"Of course."

Kenny studied Tolu’s face, apparently trying to determine whether he was being mocked.

Tolu maintained his innocent expression for a few seconds before chuckling.

"Don’t worry about it. Nothing happened."

"You’re sure?"

"Quite sure."

Kenny looked as though he wanted to ask more questions, but eventually let out a sigh.

"Fine. I’ll accept that for now. But if I said anything embarrassing, you have to tell me."

"I’ll think about it."

"That’s not reassuring."

Tolu laughed quietly and leaned against the wall.

"Anyway, what are you doing running around the manor this early? You look like you’ve lost something."

Kenny’s expression changed immediately. The lingering embarrassment gave way to excitement, and he straightened.

"Actually, that’s why I was looking for you. I wanted to discuss something with you."

"What is it?"

Kenny glanced down the corridor before looking back at him.

"I’ve been thinking about what comes next. The competition is over, we have access to Ijokodo Trail, and I’ve made more money from this trip than I expected. I don’t want to waste the opportunity."

Tolu’s smile softened into an attentive expression.

That sounded more like Kenny.

The young merchant had always wanted to establish something of his own. The competition and their journey through the open dungeon had only given him more reasons to pursue that dream.

"So," Tolu said, "what have you come up with?"

Kenny grinned.

"That’s what I wanted to tell you. But first, let’s find somewhere to sit. I have several ideas, and I don’t intend to let you escape before you’ve heard all of them."

Tolu pushed himself away from the wall.

"Lead the way."

Kenny immediately turned and began walking, talking before they had even reached the end of the corridor.

Tolu followed him with an amused smile.

For once, he was perfectly content to let someone else decide what they would spend the morning discussing.

A Merchant’s Ambition

Kenny had been talking for nearly twenty minutes.

Tolu had initially listened with genuine interest. After all, Kenny’s ambition to establish his own trading network was something he understood. His friend wanted more than a comfortable life working under his elder brother. He wanted to build something that belonged to him, something that would carry his name long after he was gone.

However, as Kenny continued explaining his latest idea, Tolu began to regret asking what he had been thinking about.

"Think about it," Kenny said excitedly, leaning forward in his seat. "The biggest problem merchants face isn’t always the price of goods. It’s transportation. A caravan can spend weeks travelling between two cities, and that’s assuming nothing goes wrong along the way. Bandits, beasts, damaged wagons, exhausted animals, delays at checkpoints—every extra day costs money."

Tolu nodded slowly. "That much is obvious."

"Exactly! Now imagine if I could cut through the Igbo Ora."

Tolu’s expression changed.

Kenny, oblivious to the warning signs, continued.

"The route would save days, perhaps even weeks, depending on the destination. Goods would arrive faster, merchants could make more trips, and we’d spend less on provisions and caravan maintenance. I could charge less than the established trading companies while still making a healthy profit. If I manage it properly, I could attract merchants who are tired of spending half their lives on the road."

He spread his hands, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

"That would be an excellent way to launch my trading line, wouldn’t it?"

Tolu stared at him for a moment.

Then he reached across the space between them and knocked him on the head.

Tok!

"Ouch!"

Kenny immediately clutched his head and glared at him.

"What was that for?"

"For being stupid."

"I’m not being stupid! I’m discussing a business opportunity!"

"You’re discussing how to send yourself and your entire fortune into the mouth of a monster."

Kenny rubbed the spot Tolu had struck.

"Igbo Ora isn’t that bad."

Tolu gave him a flat look.

"Then why are you talking about cutting through it instead of taking the established routes?"

Kenny opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Tolu leaned back in his chair.

"Igbo Ora is dangerous enough that experienced merchants avoid certain stretches entirely. The routes through it pass multiple yellow and orange zones. Some of those areas are dangerous even for experienced cultivators travelling in groups. You don’t have the capital to hire enough powerful escorts, and you certainly don’t have the experience to lead a caravan through territory like that."

"But—"

"You’ve never managed a proper caravan on your own. You’ve never negotiated passage through a dangerous zone, never planned an emergency retreat when a powerful beast blocks your route, and never had to decide whether to abandon your cargo to save your people."

Tolu paused, allowing each point to sink in.

"And you want to make this your first major business venture?"

Kenny lowered his hands from his head.

For a moment, he looked genuinely thoughtful.

Then he smiled.

"If there’s a will, there’s a way."

Tolu closed his eyes.

He should have known better.

"Kenny."

"What?"

"That saying doesn’t mean you should throw yourself into a pit and hope determination grows you wings."

Kenny laughed.

"You’re making it sound worse than it is."

"Am I?"

"Yes. I’m not saying I’ll march into Igbo Ora tomorrow with three wagons and a handful of guards. I’m saying it could be an opportunity worth exploring. If I can find safer passages, establish agreements with people who know the region, or discover a way to protect caravans from the dangers there, I could create a route other merchants would eventually want to use."

Tolu opened his eyes again.

That was a considerably better explanation than the one Kenny had started with.

He studied his friend for a few seconds, looking for signs that the idea was nothing more than another burst of enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, Kenny looked perfectly serious.

"You do realise that discovering a safe passage through a dangerous region could take years?"

"Then I’ll spend years learning about it."

"And it could cost more money than you can afford."

"Then I’ll make more money first."

"And you might discover that the risks outweigh the profits."

"Then I’ll find another business."

Tolu rubbed his forehead.

Kenny grinned at him.

"See? You’re already helping me improve the plan."

"I haven’t helped you do anything."

"You’ve identified three problems. That’s a start."

Tolu gave him another light knock on the head.

Kenny laughed and rubbed it again.

"Stop hitting me! You’re supposed to be my friend."

"I am your friend. That’s why I’m trying to keep you alive long enough to become a successful merchant."

"And I appreciate that."

"You don’t look like you do."

"That’s because you’re interrupting my brilliant ideas."

Tolu shook his head, unable to stop a small smile from appearing.