"It's time to get up, young master."
Leko roused from his position at the smooth, masculine voice. His eyes cracked open, and he groaned at the burning light that assaulted them. His gaze searched beyond the balcony at the local farmers starting their workday. Leko muttered curses as he stumbled out of the too comfortable bed. He rubbed at his bleary eyes and sent one last longing look to his bed before moving to the bathroom to wash up.
Leko could feel the entertained gaze of Kurio on his back.
"Do you prefer any outfit today, young master?" Kurio asked.
"Light and comfortable, but I plan to go out later."
Kurio hummed as he rummaged through Leko's wardrobe.
Leko watched him before slipping through the bathroom door for his bath. The heated water soaked his skin as he hummed happily. Leko closed his eyes and enjoyed the luxurious bath.
"Young master, please don't drown yourself in there," Kurio called through the door. Leko slipped an eye open and pouted. He got out of the tub and dried himself off.
Leko grumbled as Kurio helped him dress. The outfit seemed too much, but Leko was too lazy to look for something simpler.
He couldn't be walking around in something that would make it obvious that it wasn't the real Leko in this body. It was better to let Kurio handle what he wore until he could figure out what the old Leko's style was like. He'd change it in small doses so that no one would think anything of it. It would seem like a preference change. Leko needed to do a lot of this. He doubted the original Leko, and he had similar tastes. He would rather not pretend to be someone completely different for the rest of his life.
The gradual change was the most sensible and least suspicious option. He could blame it on his newly acquired status as a hunter.
"Young master, will you be attending breakfast today?" Kurio asked while fastening the kimono shirt with a pin.
"Mother insisted." Leko answered. Kurio was there yesterday. What was the point of asking? Leko stared at Kurio, who held a satisfied smile.
"Let's go," Leko grumbled. Choosing to ignore his butler.
It would be the first time in a long time that Leko sat with family to eat. It wasn't like it was his actual family, but Leko still felt quite nervous. Would they notice? He hoped not. It would be more challenging to navigate this new world if he were on the streets.
The dining room became quiet when he stepped through the doors.
"Leko, please sit down." Faier's smile glowed.
The beaming woman gestured to a seat next to her, which Leko took. His face remained serene as he ignored the silent stares of the other family members.
Yesterday, he was a bit too emotional and responsive. His reaction to the new situation was embarrassing. He needed to be more in control. Leko didn't survive as long as he did by being out of control.
He looked down at the food and held back a gasp of delight. Leko had only ever eaten the most basic and cheapest meals their family could get. Once he got older, he developed a love for food. The more exotic and different it was, the more it enticed him.
Keeping tabs on the cutlery the family used, Leko imitated them. Being the son of the Duke, the old Leko knew etiquette. Leko mentally added it to his private study list.
He couldn't make an absolute fool of himself.
"What quest did you get yesterday?" Friar asked. Her curious eyes held a hint of worry.
Leko hummed around the fork in his mouth. He swallowed and answered.
"A training quest. Jaika wants me to work on becoming stronger for the next two years."
"I'm glad. I worried it might have been something else." Friar's smile lit up the room. Unconsciously, Leko smiled back before catching himself. Friar looked disappointed, but Leko just glanced at his food to avoid her eyes.
He could understand her relief. There were plenty of gods who were cruel and used humans as they pleased. Some gods sponsored a human, only to give them a single task as soon as the human accepted. It wasn't for mutual benefit, but rather because the gods had something they needed.
"Talking about training, father." Leko looked at the Duke. He turned his attention from his food to Leko. "The schedule you're working on for the next two years. I want to do nothing but work on bettering myself. Please, spread my time out as much as possible. As long as I have the time to eat and sleep, anything else I want to use for training."
"Ha," Bilair gasped.
Moir's fork dropped from her hands as she gaped at Leko. Her eyes started to shake.
Leko's eyes darted to all the faces on the table, and he took in their reactions. Leko turned away from them and ignored their looks. There wasn't detail on what the old Leko's relationship with his family had been. The bit of information he had on the old Leko's personality. The reactions he got both yesterday and this morning. All signs pointed to a poor relationship.
That was fine. Leko didn't need a family that clung to him, thinking he was someone that he wasn't. It was better for him if they didn't like him. The youngest girl feared her elder brother. The boy seemed to look down on him. The elder sister had contempt for her younger brother. The mother was clingy, but she appeared easy to please. The Duke showed no care for his son in the novel, and his icy look seemed to align with that. Leko was certain that he pleased the man yesterday, but who could fault the Duke? His mad dog of a son was doing something other than being a disgrace to the household.
"I'll make sure your schedule will give you the largest results," The Duke said. Breaking the tense silence.
Nodding at the man, Leko turned back to his food and ignored the stifling atmosphere. Friar kept talking with everyone at the table. She'd switch from one child to the next, with the odd question or comment thrown at the Duke. Leko kept his silence except when her warm eyes turned towards him. Only then would he muster up a few words and a secret smile or two when no one else was looking.
With his breakfast done, Leko left for the city.
Stepping off the carriage, he observed the surrounding area. The stone buildings were well maintained and small, reaching no more than two stories. The fences were all durable wood, with wooden chairs and tables packed on the outside of some. Leko was in the lower part of the capital city, not as wealthy as the area closer to the castle, but not the slums, either. The citizens watched him with wary gazes. They moved from his line of sight and whispered as he passed.
Ignoring the eyes on him and the hushed conversations, Leko started exploring. It was pretty detailed about the lower part of the city in the hero's start line. Since it was read from Calen's perspective, not much was said about the upper parts. The only time Calen had been in the upper area was when he talked to the Duke and during the war, after its destruction.
Leko flicked his eyes from one location to the next as he strolled along the cobblestone path. The streets quieted down as people avoided him. Leko hummed as he caught the eye of a civilian who flinched and turned away. You wouldn't think this was one of Droitt's strongest capital cities.
Baira was the capital of Hosyn. It should come as no surprise that you could find many powerful people inside these walls. The Duke allowed skilled people to find refuge in his city. Many people who run from other continents hide out inside Baira. It was a smart move, in Leko's opinion. Powerful people could better defend the territory. Helping them when no one else was willing created a sense of loyalty.
This could backfire. People with the wrong intentions could easily enter the city. Leko doesn't understand how that never happened in the book. Pose as someone who was running from a continent and gain access to the enemy's capital city. This was why he hadn't liked the book at all. Too many plot holes.
The war still razed Hosyn to the ground, so it didn't help. Even all the powerful people were useless in the end. Leko stopped walking outside a small library. It was an unassuming place with an unassuming owner. His lips twitched. Leko dismissed Kurio. The butler had his own job to do right now.
A bell jingled as he stepped into the welcoming space. It was small, with simplistic brown shelves, a cozy fireplace and a counter. There weren't many books on the shelves, as you'd request a title from the counter. The shelves were honestly just for show. The most space was taken up by various tables and plush couches, decorated in a pretty white with electric cushions, and tablecloths that matched.
The wandering bookkeeper only got mentioned once in the first volume of The Hero's start line. That one mention was all Leko needed.
He didn't want to be the kingdom's hero. Neither a powerful hunter. All Leko wanted was to preserve this territory that would be his new home. Keeping the Hosyn family alive as a thank you for the new body. For any of this to succeed, he needed formidable allies. The territory needed powerful people to keep it whole.
The hero's start line had plenty of powerful individuals that Leko could pick from. Only they were the hero's allies. If Leko took the hero's friends, would he not become the hero instead? Calen may have been strong, but he'd be dead without the help of his allies. Leko had no intention of becoming a hero. Calen could keep his title and his allies.
[The bookkeeper gave Calen what he needed. Using a simple excuse of it having belonged to previous family members. He did not want nor need to inform this child of his position as an influential merchant in the underworld.]
"Oh." The old man blinked at Leko. His long hair was neatly arranged without a strand out of place.
"Hey old man, you have any good books here?"
A powerful merchant in the underworld was a must-have.