Chapter 133: The Top Five

Chapter 133: Chapter 133: The Top Five

Two young women were already present.

One sat near the window, her posture straight and composed. She wore dark traditional clothing with subtle silver embroidery, and her long black hair had been gathered neatly away from her face. Her sword rested within easy reach, its sheath plain compared with the ornate weapons carried by some cultivators, but clearly well maintained.

She was the shadow swordswoman.

Even without the arena surrounding them, Tolu recognised the quiet intensity in her expression. Her injuries from the competition had apparently received proper treatment, although there was still a faint stiffness in the way she moved.

The other woman stood beside the table, examining a plate of refreshments.

Aramide.

She wore an elegant outfit in shades of blue and cream, with delicate beads arranged around her neck and wrists. Her hair had been styled more carefully than when Tolu last saw her, and she looked considerably more refreshed than she had after their fight.

When she noticed him, her face brightened.

"Tolu!"

She crossed the room with an easy smile.

"I was beginning to think you had decided that being champion meant you no longer needed to arrive on time."

Tolu glanced at the windows.

"Am I late?"

"No." Aramide grinned. "But I was prepared to complain if you were."

"Then I suppose I’ve disappointed you."

"Terribly."

He smiled, and she laughed.

The shadow swordswoman watched their exchange with quiet interest before giving Tolu a small nod.

"Champion."

"Swordswoman."

Her mouth curved faintly.

"You can call me that for now, I suppose. But, my name is ireti"

Tolu took a seat near the table, and Aramide settled into the chair beside him without waiting for an invitation.

For a short while, they exchanged ordinary greetings. Aramide asked whether he had recovered from the competition, and Tolu admitted that he was feeling better than he had expected.

"That’s good," she said. "I was wondering whether you’d spend the entire morning complaining about your injuries."

"I wasn’t injured that badly."

She turned to look at him.

"Tolu, you fought through several rounds, reached the semifinals, and then fought again in the final. You were exhausted by the end."

"So were you."

"Yes, but I have the excuse of being a woman who enjoys complaining."

"You certainly seem to enjoy it."

Aramide placed a hand against her chest, feigning offence.

"How cruel. And here I was, thinking you were a kind person."

Tolu chuckled.

Their conversation drifted towards the previous evening. They spoke briefly about the celebration at Ile Ayo, Kenny’s enthusiastic drinking, and the ridiculous things he had said about building a trading network large enough to dominate the capital’s markets.

Aramide laughed when Tolu described how Kenny had insisted that determination could solve nearly any problem.

"That sounds like him," she said. "Though I suppose someone has to be foolish enough to attempt things other people consider impossible."

"There’s a difference between attempting something impossible and refusing to consider why everyone else thinks it’s impossible."

"True." She leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "But you must admit that life would be rather dull if everyone behaved sensibly."

Tolu gave her a sideways glance.

"Is that your justification for everything?"

"Only the interesting things."

Her eyes met his, and the playful smile on her face softened into something more private.

For a moment, neither spoke.

There were memories between them that had nothing to do with the competition or the celebration at Ile Ayo. Two nights earlier, the evening had lasted longer than either had initially expected, and the closeness they had shared had carried them beyond the easy familiarity of their earlier conversations.

Aramide’s cheeks coloured slightly as she remembered it.

Tolu noticed.

He did not tease her immediately. Instead, he allowed a small smile to appear, just enough for her to recognise that he remembered too.

She nudged his arm beneath the table.

"Don’t look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"I really don’t."

"Liar."

Tolu laughed softly.

Aramide shook her head, though she was smiling now.

"You’re much more troublesome than you look."

"I’ve been told that before."

"I believe it."

She turned towards the window, apparently deciding that the view offered a safer place to direct her attention. Yet the faint smile remained on her lips.

The shadow swordswoman, who had observed their exchange from across the room, raised an eyebrow.

"Have I missed something?"

Aramide turned back immediately.

"No."

The answer came so quickly that Tolu nearly laughed again.

The swordswoman looked from Aramide to Tolu, then settled back into her chair.

"I see."

"You don’t see anything," Aramide replied.

"Of course."

There was a hint of amusement in the swordswoman’s voice, but she did not press the matter.

Tolu was grateful for that.

He had no intention of explaining his private affairs to someone he had only recently met, particularly when he did not yet know her name.

The conversation continued for a few more minutes before the doors opened again.

The attendant entered first, followed by two young cultivators.

The first was a young man dressed in the formal robes of Ologunri Academy. His build was sturdy, and his features were ordinary enough, but there was a certain sharpness in his eyes that suggested he paid attention to everything around him. He carried no weapon at the moment, though Tolu remembered the enormous battle axe he had wielded during their fight.

The fifth-place contestant.

The other was Jibola, the third-place finisher. His golden-trimmed clothing was as flashy as ever, and his confident expression suggested that finishing third in the competition had done little to diminish his opinion of himself.

"There. Now that everyone has arrived, I shall leave you to yourselves until you are summoned."

The attendant bowed and withdrew, closing the doors behind him.

For a moment, the five young cultivators regarded one another.

Then Jibola broke the silence.

"So, this is everyone. The champion, the shadow swordswoman, the wind runner, the academy’s axe wielder, and yours truly."

Aramide snorted.

"Must you introduce yourself as though we’re strangers?"

"Introductions are important. They establish one’s presence."

"You established your presence quite well when you were thrown out of the competition."

Jibola’s smile froze.

The young man from Ologunri Academy coughed into his fist, unsuccessfully hiding his amusement.

Tolu leaned back in his chair, watching the exchange.

"You two seem to get along," he remarked.

"We don’t," Aramide replied immediately.

"She admires me," Jibola said at the same time.

"I would rather admire a particularly ugly rock."

"An ugly rock can still possess remarkable qualities."

"Then I hope you find one that resembles you."

Jibola placed a hand over his heart.

"Such cruelty. And from someone who should understand the value of beauty."

Aramide rolled her eyes.

The shadow swordswoman, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, finally spoke.

"Are we going to spend the entire morning arguing, or are we going to discuss what awaits us?"

That brought the conversation back to its original purpose.

The Ijokodo Trail.

All five knew why they had been summoned. Their performance in the competition had earned them entry into a place most young cultivators could only dream of visiting.

And none of them intended to waste the opportunity.

The young man from Ologunri Academy pulled out a chair and sat down.

"I’ve heard stories about the trail since I was a child. My academy has sent cultivators there before, though only a handful returned with anything worth discussing."

"What did they say?" Tolu asked.

"That the first level is the easiest, though that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Rare herbs grow there, along with minerals and crystals that would be difficult to find in ordinary markets. There are also beasts whose bodies contain valuable materials."

He paused.

"But the resources aren’t simply lying around waiting to be collected. Some grow in dangerous places, and some are guarded by creatures that don’t appreciate being disturbed."

"That sounds reasonable," Tolu said.

Jibola leaned forward.

"Reasonable? We’re talking about a treasure haven maintained by the kingdom. If it were that simple, every cultivator in the capital would be fighting to get inside."

"Not every cultivator qualifies," Aramide pointed out. "And even if they did, the kingdom wouldn’t allow it."

"Exactly. Which is why we’re fortunate to be here."

He gestured grandly around the room.

"Five of the most promising young cultivators in the kingdom, gathered for a chance to acquire treasures that could transform our futures."

"Four of us might be promising," Aramide said. "I’m not certain about you."

Jibola sighed.

"I see that your defeat has left you bitter."

"My defeat?"

"You lost in the semifinals."

"And you lost in the semifinals too."

"Under very different circumstances."

"Of course."

Tolu allowed them to continue for another moment before turning towards the young man from Ologunri Academy.

"You mentioned that few people return with anything worth discussing. Do you know why?"

The young man considered the question.

"Some resources are difficult to identify. Others require special tools to harvest without damaging them. And then there are the dangers of the trail itself. A cultivator might find something valuable and still be unable to bring it out safely."

Tolu nodded slowly.

That was worth remembering.