Chapter 91: Kemisola

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Kemisola

Tolu closed the door behind Kenny.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

The room was quiet.

After weeks of traveling, the silence felt almost strange.

He walked over to the bed and dropped his bag beside it. There was no need to unpack everything. He would only be staying for a few days.

Still, he opened his bag and took out a change of clothes.

After washing up, Tolu changed and returned to the room.

He sat on the edge of the bed.

The mattress sank beneath him.

Tolu stared at the ceiling.

The journey had been long.

He had spent weeks sitting in caravans, walking alongside wagons, sleeping in camps, and watching unfamiliar landscapes pass by.

Then there had been the bandits.

He could still remember the three Level Two hyenas that hadn’t returned to the dungeon.

Tolu sighed.

He pushed the thought aside.

There was nothing he could do about it now.

He had reached the capital.

Tomorrow, he would begin looking for the things he needed.

The Egbere.

The Ayanru.

Rare materials.

Anything else that could help his dungeon grow.

But not today.

Today, he was tired.

Tolu lay down.

He pulled the blanket over himself and closed his eyes.

It took only a few minutes.

Then he fell asleep.

For the first time in weeks, Tolu slept in a proper bed without worrying about where he would sleep the following night.

By the time Tolu woke up, the sun was already beginning to set.

For a few seconds, he remained still, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.

Then he remembered where he was.

The capital.

He sat up and stretched.

A knock came from the door.

"Tolu?"

He recognized the voice.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing Kenny.

"There you are."

Kenny smiled.

"I came to get you for dinner."

Tolu stood.

"Already?"

"You slept through most of the afternoon."

Tolu glanced toward the window.

The sky outside had turned orange.

"I guess I needed the sleep."

"You definitely did."

Kenny turned toward the hallway.

"Come on."

They walked through the manor and eventually entered a spacious dining room.

Dinner had already been prepared.

Tolu sat across from Kenny as servants placed several dishes on the table.

For a while, they simply ate.

Tolu hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he started.

Kenny noticed.

"Good?"

Tolu nodded.

"Very."

Kenny laughed.

"Don’t get too comfortable. My sister might start charging you rent."

Tolu smiled.

After a few more minutes, Tolu’s expression became thoughtful.

"Kenny."

"Hm?"

"Have you ever heard of other beings besides humans?"

Kenny paused.

Then he smiled.

"Of course."

Tolu looked at him.

"There are jinns."

"Jinns?"

"Yes."

Kenny took another bite before continuing.

"They’re probably the most common intelligent beings you’ll hear about after humans."

Tolu leaned slightly forward.

"What are they like?"

"Spirits, mostly."

Kenny shrugged.

"You can form a contract with one and have it become your spirit companion. In exchange, they supply you with some of their powers."

Tolu thought about that.

"Are they rare?"

"Not really. But they’re not exactly everywhere either."

Kenny picked up his drink.

"And they’re expensive."

"Expensive?"

"Very."

Tolu raised an eyebrow.

"A good jinn can cost a lot."

"Can anyone contract one?"

"Not just anyone. You need to find one willing to form a contract with you, and then there’s the matter of actually obtaining one."

Tolu nodded slowly.

He hadn’t been asking about jinns.

He was thinking about something else.

"What about other intelligent beings?"

Kenny looked at him.

"Other than humans and jinns?"

"Yes."

"Quite a few."

Kenny leaned back slightly.

"But most are rare."

"Rare?"

"Or at least rare to see."

He thought for a moment.

"The only ones I know about that are relatively close to us are the Egbere."

Tolu’s attention sharpened.

"The Egbere?"

Kenny nodded.

"They’re an intelligent race. They look almost human, except..."

He held his hand at about chest level.

"They don’t grow very tall."

"How short?"

"Four feet at most."

Tolu blinked.

"Four feet?"

"That’s the tallest I’ve heard of."

Kenny laughed.

"They look like grown men and women trapped in children’s bodies."

Tolu frowned slightly.

"Children?"

"Physically, yes. But don’t mistake them for children."

Kenny’s expression became more serious.

"They’re very intelligent. Especially when it comes to crafting."

"Crafting?"

"Artifacts. Weapons. Tools. Magical equipment. Things like that."

Tolu listened carefully.

"A lot of the high-end items that appear in auctions come from their kingdom."

Tolu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Their kingdom?"

"Yes."

"You’ve seen one?"

Kenny shook his head.

"No."

"Then how do you know all this?"

"Books."

Kenny shrugged.

"I’ve read about them. Their kingdom isn’t exactly somewhere ordinary people visit."

Tolu lowered his gaze to his food.

An entire kingdom of Egbere.

Highly skilled craftsmen.

Artifacts.

Weapons.

And they were exactly what the Dungeon Heart had told him he needed.

Kenny continued eating, unaware of the sudden importance his words had taken on.

"There are others too."

"Others?"

"Quite a few."

Kenny nodded.

"But they’re different."

"How?"

"I don’t know."

Tolu looked up.

Kenny smiled awkwardly.

"That’s the problem. Some of them are almost myths."

"Almost?"

"I’ve never heard of anyone actually seeing them."

He picked up his cup.

"Some are mentioned in old books. Ancient records. Stories passed down for generations."

"Do people believe they exist?"

"Some do."

"And you?"

Kenny shrugged.

"If they’re written about in enough old books, I’d say they probably existed."

He took a drink.

"But whether they’re still around..."

He shook his head.

"No idea."

Tolu fell silent.

He thought about the Dungeon Heart.

An Egbere.

An Ayanru.

The first thing he had needed to do was simply find out where he could begin looking.

Now he had his first lead.

And it had come much sooner than he expected.

The dining room door opened.

Tolu looked up.

A woman stepped inside.

She was beautiful.

Her skin was a smooth, deep brown, and her long black hair was neatly gathered behind her, with a few strands resting naturally around her face. She wore an elegant fitted dress in deep blue, its simple embroidery carrying the subtle design of the Omimi family. The dress followed her figure without being overly revealing, showing the slight curves of her waist and hips.

There was a calm confidence in the way she carried herself.

She wasn’t trying to command attention.

She simply had the kind of presence that made people notice her.

Her expression softened when she saw Kenny.

Tolu realized why her husband was captivates by a young lady with no background. If he was in his shoes he’ll do the same.

DAMN!!! SHE’S GORGEOUS.

Then her eyes moved to Tolu.

She smiled.

"You must be Tolu."

Tolu stood.

"Yes."

She approached the table.

"I’m Kenny’s sister, Kemisola."

Tolu nodded.

"It’s nice to meet you. Mrs Kemisola."

She smiled again.

"I’ve heard about what happened on the road."

Her voice was warm and composed.

"Thank you for saving my brother."

Tolu shook his head.

"I only helped."

She gave him a knowing look.

"Kenny told me what happened."

Before Tolu could respond, she turned toward her brother.

"And you."

Kenny immediately looked wary.

"What?"

She reached over and grabbed his ear.

"Ouch!"

Tolu blinked.

She pulled.

"You took a caravan with one Initial Advanced cultivator?"

Kenny winced.

"He was an Advanced cultivator."

"Initial Advanced."

"Still Advanced."

She pulled his ear harder.

"And there were twenty-three people in the caravan."

Kenny tried to lean away.

"I didn’t think it was necessary to spend extra money."

She stared at him.

"You didn’t think it was necessary?"

Kenny grimaced.

"Protection costs money."

"So does burying your little brother."

"I’m not dead."

"Because Tolu was there."

Kenny went quiet.

His sister pulled his ear again.

"Ow! Alright!"

She finally released him.

Kenny rubbed his ear.

"I understand."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

She folded her arms.

"You could have been killed."

Kenny sighed.

"I know."

"No. You don’t."

Her tone remained calm, but there was unmistakable concern beneath it.

"If Tolu hadn’t been traveling with you, what would have happened?"

Kenny didn’t answer.

She waited.

Eventually, he lowered his head.

"I might have died."

"Exactly."

She nodded.

"From now on, you follow my instructions when it comes to your safety."

Kenny sighed.

"Fine."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Say it properly."

Kenny looked at her.

"I’ll follow your instructions from now on."

"Good."

She smiled and gently patted his shoulder.

"Now finish your dinner."

Kenny nodded.

His sister turned toward Tolu.

"I apologize for that."

Tolu smiled.

"It’s fine. I think he’s lucky you care enough to scold him. My uncle did the same when I didn’t follow his instructions."

She gave him another warm smile.

"Thank you again for looking after him."

"You’re welcome."

She nodded.

"Enjoy your dinner."

With that, she left the dining room.

Kenny watched the door close behind her.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he sighed.

"My sister is terrifying."

Tolu chuckled.

"She seems nice."

"That’s because she wasn’t pulling your ear."

Tolu laughed.

Kenny rubbed his ear again.

"Trust me. There’s a difference."