Kenli's Dialogue

Greetings! I am the honorable Kenli Bahari.

The first born son of the late Kenjun Bahari, the 118th Duke of the Bahari province...

And brother to Kenyara Bahari, the current Duchess of the Bahari province.

I am mayor of this fine village, and it is a great pleasure and honor to welcome you here among us.

I was just stopping by the Inn for a mid-work snack.

It's important to support our local businesses!

You’re an Air type, aren’t you? I could tell by the way you carry yourself.

You know how to enjoy the finer things in life and aren’t afraid to speak your mind. I wish I was more like you.

Oh dear... you're an Earth type, aren't you? So is my wife, and she can get quite terrifying when she's upset.

You, on the other hand, do not strike me as an angry type. What a relief!

I get the feeling you have a Fire type personality.

For you, life is an adventure that you embrace with open arms. That is an admirable trait to have.

If I may... You have a Water type personality, don't you?

Certain personality types bode better with some than others.

Water and Earth don't always pair well. I would know. I'm a Water, and my wife is Earth.

Every year, I eat the same thing for my birthday... a steaming plate of longevity noodles, straight off the frying pan.

Longevity noodles are a must have on special occasions like your birthday.

The noodles symbolize a long life. You must never break apart the noodles before you eat them.

In accordance with tradition, I’ve eaten that every year since I was born. That’s why I’ve been able to live such a long and healthy life.

You know I never really wanted to become mayor, but my father made it clear it was my duty.

You see my family has been honored with caring for the citizens of Bahari province for generations.

When my father decided to grant my younger sister the title of Duchess...

Well, he had to give me something to do... and small town mayor was a job he thought I could handle.

When I was a boy, I kept a pouch of rock candy with me at all times.

I snacked on it when I was nervous or bored. Having something sweet and crunchy to chew on always made me feel better.

I still have that pouch to this day. It was stitched by the great Barinka Omiata herself, so its threads have withstood the sands of time!

Did I ever tell you what happened to our old cook Enzo?

Oh, I didn’t... well, that may be a story for another time.

I wouldn’t want Eshe overhearing me embarrassing her like this.

So I promised to tell you about Eshe and her chef, Enzo, later.

And now is later... soooo...

Eshe actually fired Enzo after he overheard her telling Caleri how much she depended on him!

Apparently, she couldn’t deal with having a lowly servant know how grateful she felt!

Poor Enzo... Now he’s out of a job... And we are out of a household chef.

There was once love between me and Eshe. Perhaps it was one-sided, but it was still there.

Now, we can hardly hold a conversation, much less hold hands.

The last time we held hands was at our wedding, and that was decades ago!

Today is one of those where I find myself missing my grandmother.

Of everyone in our five-generation household, she was the one I was closest to.

She was a wonderful leader and terrific chef. Her homemade dumplings were my favorite.

I ate so many of them as a boy that everyone started calling me Little Dumpling!

Eshe insists I should leave the village patrols to her, but staying cooped up my office all day long is no good for me.

I always make time to walk around town and chat with everyone.

After all, the key to a healthy village is nurturing the relationship between its governors and residents.

Even though Eshe and I don’t see eye to eye on some things... erm, most things, there’s one we do have in common.

We both want Kenyatta to succeed in life. What that success looks like is something we’ll unfortunately never agree on.

My father was Duke of Bahari before my sister Kenyara became the Duchess.

Despite me being the older one, he always favored her more than me.

I suppose it’s because he sees her as a successful continuance of himself, and me as the failed version better left discarded.

Oh well. You know what they say. One man’s trash is a chapaa’s treasure.

Kenyatta’s out rather late these days. It drives Eshe up the wall trying to figure out what she’s up to.

I’ve tried reminding her that Kenyatta is no longer a child and should go out and experience the world, but that didn’t go very well.

Now I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut.

The Inn is the one place in the village that escapes Eshe’s eye.

I have a theory that it’s because she’s afraid of lively places like these where our agreeability precedes our status.

...Don’t let her hear me say that though, or she’ll have my head on a platter for dinner!

Hmm... When was the last time I took a vacation?

It had to have been when Kenyatta was born!

I would take them more often, but Eshe would never allow it.

If she doesn’t give herself a break, why would she give ME one?

...Honestly, I’m too afraid to ask her for one anyway.

At first I was frightened to move from my family home in Bahari City, all the way out here where I don't know anyone and I'm hours away from a proper dining club.

But...I find the slower pace of life here actually suits me.

Sundrop lillies may be a common flower, but their radiance never ceases to bring a smile to my face.

Eshe's giving me the silent treatment, because we caught Zeki selling some out of season produce and I let him off with a warning.

I know laws are what keep our society intact.

But really, there's no point in having the poor man rot in jail for the Dragon knows how long over a few rotten radishes!

My daughter, Kenyatta, certainly is growing into a beautiful young lady.

Eshe's worried about her because she hasn't chosen her Path yet...

But I keep reminding my wife that the most beautiful flowers are the ones that take the longest time to grow.

My flower garden is one of my few true joys in life.

Raising heartdrop lilies can be finicky, but that makes it all the more rewarding when you can make them grow.

Shhh! Kenyatta's in her room studying up on healing herbs. I've never seen her motivated ike this before.

I'm glad to see doing something that actually makes her happy.

After all, not every Bahari is suited for a life in governance.

I'm living proof of that!

If only every moment of my life could be as tranquil as it is at this moment.

But, alas, after I am through with my supper I shall be forced to return home to Eshe.

I hope complaining about my situation at home doesn't bring you down too much.

You're always so happy, I wouldn't want to ruin that for you.

Tell me. Do you think I'm doing an admirable job as mayor?

I’m in quite the pickle. Caleri’s been complaining that the noise at the Blacksmith goes on too late.

But Sifuu told me her business will suffer if I force her not to work during evening hours.

What should I do?

So, your idea about Sifuu has not worked AT ALL.

After I gave her the order to shut down at night, she's only been LOUDER.

What am I to do? I can't be expected to actually arrest the woman for a noise complaint!

I'll have you know that after you told me to speak to Caleri, she banned me from the library!

Now I'm never gonna finish the Chronicles of Miradorn!!!

And I was already on Book 47!

Tell me, do you ever struggle with feeling like a disappointment?

Tell me, what do you think of my outfit?

Ohhh...you startled me. I was just looking at out the window and I spotted the most beautiful morning dove.

Eshe's always getting onto me for not working immediately at the crack of dawn.

But I find it important to take a few minutes to gather my composure, so I will have the strength to face the rest of the day.

That constellation over there is called the Constant Gardener.

It's named after a Galdur named Magnus that was said to tend the stars as if they were flowers.

I do think in another life I would have been quite the gardener, but alas, that wasn't my Path...

The day is drawing to a close, and it feels like I've accomplished nothing today.

Maybe because I could feel Eshe looking over my shoulder the entire day...

There's nothing like reading the evening paper to catch up on local news.

Though I must confess...I mostly just look for my own name..

Between you and me, I'm having a bit of trouble sleeping as of late.

It may have something to do with sharing a room with Eshe...

It's almost time for work. Forgive me if I take a few more minutes to enjoy the peace of the great outdoors!

Shh...don't tell Eshe I'm here. I'm hiding from her.

You're lucky that you're free to go wherever you want. I'm stuck in this dreary office.

But at least I have this nifty chair. It might not be able to spin, but it certainly is bouncy.

Whee! Oh, it's so exciting!

Could you come back later? I'm a bit busy applying my seal to the documents Eshe has given me to approve.

You know, you may be the first person in this village that has come to my home just to socialize.

For that, I cannot thank you enough. It eases the burden of governance to know I have you as a friend.

If you haven't gotten a chance to try Ashura's new Heartdrop mead yet... do!

It's so intoxicating that I'm starting to find the lettuce soup rather tasty.

Come, sit down. Badruu was just telling me the most amusing anecdote. Let me see if I can remember it.

Oh, yes. Why did the bushberry stop in the middle of the road?

Because...it ran out of juice! Oh that fellow never fails to crack me up!

I'm due at home any minute...but one more drink couldn't hurt, could it?

Eshe isn't very fond of Reth, but I think he's great.

Alongside Ashura, he works very hard to keep this Inn running. That deserves a lot of praise!

You know, there was a time when I actually would have been relieved if Kenyara had me replaced as mayor, but now...

The fact that she's trying to makes me want to fight. I believe in this village! And the people in it!

I want to fight...and I don't know if I'd feel that way if I hadn't had your support.

Having someone who believed in me...well, it's meant everything to me.

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, but I may have made my morning juice out of one of the carrots I was supposed to send to my sister.

If your stomach is up to it, I recommend adding a bit of heat root. It gives the juice just the right bit of zing!

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, but I sampled one of your tomatoes before I sent it to my sister.

It had the perfect mixture of tangy and umami flavors that made my tastebuds absolutely dance!

I very much appreciate your help with the taxes this month.

Hopefully, I won’t have to rely on you like that again.

I was enjoying my usual breakfast of a poached peki egg and I was thinking...

I owe this all to Player. If it weren't for them the Daiyas would have been kicked out by now.

And then where would I have gotten my eggs?

So, things with that tax deal actually ended up working out for the best. Even for Kenyara.

It turns out the peasants she was going to bring in to replace the Daiyas were actually known swindlers.

They were going to take the advance Kenyara gave them for fertilizer and seeds and make a run for it!

It felt good to finally stand up to Kenyara.

Thank you! If it wasn't for you, I don't think I would have ever even realized it was an option.

Thank you for helping Eshe impress my sister. Their relationship has always been a bit...complicated.

They've been trying to outdo each other since they were girls.

In fact, sometimes I think Eshe may have married the wrong Bahari.

Of course, I'm only kidding! Me and Eshe's marriage is just fine...perfectly fine.

I heard you were the one who made that Akwindu Chapaa Eshe and I ate at the dinner with my sister.

I have to say, that meal totally saved my night.

Without food and wine, how could one possibly get through an evening with those two.

I swear I'll never understand their relationship.

Sometimes they fight like there's no tomorrow, and sometimes they can spend hours engaging in pleasantries.

Even I have a difficult time telling how they feel about each other.

I know Eshe is disappointed our daughter didn’t seek out a Path in governance, but personally I’m happy things went the way they did.

Despite her hard exterior, Kenyatta has always been at her best when she’s caring for others.

That pin! That’s Hassian’s, isn’t it?

Excellent! He may seem distant at first, but he cares as deeply for the village as anyone else.

You two make a wonderful pair.

Ah, young love... It warms my heart!

Oh, I see you have an admirer. Tell me, who is it?

That pin! That’s Reth’s, isn’t it?

Excellent! Many judge him for his choice of Path, but I always thought he was brave for that.

You two make a wonderful pair.

Ah, young love... It warms my heart!

That pin! That’s Tish’s, isn’t it?

Excellent! She's a valuable member of our village, with a heart as true as gold. You two make a wonderful pair.

Ah, young love... It warms my heart!

This is the first Maji Market that Kilima Village has seen in many years.

Reviving the tradition and organizing it with such limited resources and time was a great risk... but I’m proud of how it turned out!

If things go well, and I hope they do, there is a good chance we will see another Maji Market in the near future. There’s nothing I want more than that!

I saw you bringing food to my daughter earlier. Thank you for putting a smile on her face!

I heard you were helping my wife out with something urgent. I don’t know what you did, but her mood has improved so much! Tell me, what is your secret?

I can’t get enough of the new items Reth added to his food cart! Same for the rolled ice cream Delaila is selling.

If you haven’t tried them already, make sure to do so before they’re gone!

How are you enjoying the Maji Market so far?

If you have the chance, please come to the Maji Market tonight! It would be wonderful if you could celebrate Luna New Year with us.

There will be loads of delicious food, so I recommend coming on an empty stomach!

I usually have a difficult time figuring out my wish for the year, but it came to me surprisingly quick this time!

I suppose it was because I had Chayne to consult while I was writing it down.

Somehow, speaking to him always clears the fog in my mind.

Luna New Year has always been a beloved holiday in my family.

Every year, we would gather together in our winter estate to celebrate.

There were always heaps of delicious food for us to eat, along with festive music to sing along to. Of course, I knew all of the words to every new year song!

Shall I sing one for you?

Doesn't Kenyatta look adorable in that chapaa onesie? We had Jel personally tailor it for her last year.

She looked so cute in it that I had to have her wear it again this year.

Perhaps I should get one made for myself too so we can match!

There are still so many people I have yet to hand a lucky packet over to. My arms are getting tired just carrying all of these!