The elderly have often said that if they had another chance to relive their lives, they would do things differently with the knowledge of what they had learned before. To not waste time, to take better care of themselves, and to not waste their youth away.
Leon quite agreed with that belief now. Although, not exactly as those same elderly people may have envisioned.
Even as the years passed, it felt surreal to believe that he was now living a new life. To be given another chance to start fresh, without the past being an obstacle. But even in his new life, a dark shadow held over him. A reminder that he didn't have the luxury to enjoy it all like he had before.
From the day he was born, he knew that the countdown was working against him.
But the worst of it was that he was in no such position to do anything. To be stripped of the simplest of things was an awakening of some sorts to him. Unable to move, unable to take care of himself, unable to do anything was a pain. Even eating was something that had to be done for him.
To say that the first couple of years were agonizing, and a slow start, was an understatement.
Out of all the things he had to deal with, breastfeeding was the most awkward position to be put in. It made him very uncomfortable, but he understood that it was necessary for his survival and for his starting point to becoming stronger, so he endured it and always had his eyes closed. Afterall, he once had to do the same in his previous life.
By the time six to seven months had passed, he was finally allowed to eat other foods, although they were normally crushed for him. While he wished to stop breastfeeding as fast as possible, he didn't want to make things worse for his little body, so he allowed it to continue for another year until he was satisfied that it was no longer needed.
The day he gained the ability to walk was the happiest day of his new life. He was only seven months old, which surprised the maids and his parents.
"He was just learning to crawl at just five months, now he's walking!" one had exclaimed.
"This... is unusual," said another. "Maybe his magical circuits and energy are awakening."
"Possibly," said Luke, who studied him from afar, rubbing his chin while in deep thought. "By this rate, he could be running in a year."
"Honey," Milia took her husband's arm, staring at him with worry. "Don't push him too hard. He's only a little baby."
"He won't be forever," he replied, turning to look her in the eyes, showing off his trademark smirk that could charm almost anyone. "But no need to worry, my love. Even when he learns how to run, he won't be quite ready to learn the ways of the sword yet."
"Don't forget magic," she slapped his arm with a frown, making him laugh. "If he does have magical energy, I wish to see him master that as well." Her eyes began to light up with excitement, making her frown disappear with a smile, like as if it had never existed. "Just image the Royal Knights seeing our boy with potential. He could easily be a squire. Or a student at the university."
Luke laughed, "Don't get too far ahead of yourself, Milia. He's only just nearly turning seven months. Let him enjoy his youth."
"Um, my Lord!" one of the maids pointed towards Leon. "The young master is... staring at us."
They all turned to see what she was speaking about and were surprised by the sight of Leon standing on his own and looking towards them, as if listening to what they were saying.
The two maids became uneasy, as did Milia. Only Luke smiled and walked forward, taking Leon into his hands and bringing him against his chest.
"What is wrong, little buddy?" He tried to tickle him, earning no response. "Are you looking for attention?"
Knowing he needed to do something, Leon let out a yawn, hoping that would satisfy them.
"He's just sleepy," said Milia as she walked forward, taking him out of Luke's arms and walking him straight into his bedroom to be put into his new crib. "I'll be back to check on you." She slightly poked him on the nose, smiling before exiting the room and closing the door.
Leon watched her leave and listened to the commotion outside.
"My lady," one of the maids approached Milia, seeing their shadows from under the door, while the sound of the front door shutting could be heard, possibly Luke. "I wish to speak with you freely about the young master. It's one out of concern."
"Go ahead," Milia said softly, although curiously.
"It's just... ever since the young master was born... we've all noticed that he isn't like any other infant we've ever seen or heard about before. Not once has he cried. Not once has he thrown a fit."
"But he hadscomplained before," Milia countered.
"Which is the only normal thing that we have observed... but..."
"But?"
The maid sighed, "We only speak out of concern, my lady. What if it's something medical related that we don't know about?"
"Medical?" Milia pressed.
The second maid stepped in, "It's just... we've heard about children who have passed due to never being checked on... even for normal occurrences."
"If we're speaking out of line, let us know right away. Just understand it's out of concern."
Milia remained silent before replying, "I'll send for a professional from one of the main cities nearby. If and when he arrives, we'll just have to leave into the hands of the Fates. Thank you for your concern."
As Milia left, the two maids waited for a bit before talking to each other in hush whispers, although not silent enough for him to hear.
"Was it wise to lie?" one asked,
"In this case, yes. To say what our concerns are would be too out of line, possibly even exile from the town. I cannot afford to lose this job."
"Neither can I."
"If a high-ranking healer can discover what is wrong with him, maybe our case can be presented much better. But until then, we remain silent."
"But... that could take weeks."
"It's better than outright looking like mad women."
"But the way he looks at us, how silent he is. It's creepy."
"Layla! Watch your choice of words before someone overhears you!"
Leon began to realize just how much his behavior was beginning to catch the attention of others, especially the people closest to the family. To the town, they had once seen him a couple of times throughout his first couple of years, so nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But it was something his new parents and the maids of the household, who also served as the midwives on his day of birth, had taken notice of. Only his parents remained somewhat unafraid, while the maids started to take it seriously.
While he refused to cry, he did showcase other emotions to put them at ease and try not to pay attention to them as much.
When the medical professional came, he was given a checkup and magical examination. It was the very first time that Leon was exposed to true magic, watching as the main moved his hands and uttered some language unknown to him, casting something over him. Whatever it was, it studied his body and moved through him. Green sparkles surrounded him, making him feel at ease.
Once the examination was done, he overheard the man speaking with his parents.
"While his behavior is unusual, this is nothing wrong with him. He's a very healthy baby. No infections, no sickness. But all that said, he's flowing with more energy than I have ever seen before."
"Energy?" Luke pressed.
"Ah, yes, I mean magical energy. Whatever is fueling your son, it's powerful and while an infants can sometimes showcase it from time to time of how powerful they can be, your son displays it constantly, like as if it's just simply part of him. His body and mind are more fit to contain it."
"But... what does that mean?" Milia asked.
"Well, it means that your son could very well become the youngest child to ever display their energy in the history of our Kingdom. If not the entire world. He could begin training in a year or less, although I could be getting ahead of myself. I will report this to the Higher Lord and see where this goes from here, but we will have to see."
While Leon didn't entirely understand what the man was saying, the fact that he was capable made him more confident and relieved that he could beginning some kind of training in the near future. After all, he planned to master himself by age 15, if possible.
The one good thing about his more adult mind is that he was able to plan ahead. All of his memories were intact, allowing him to remember his training in the Special Forces before he transitioned after two tours over to the UNCE, where he received even more training that the military couldn't provide. It was just a manner of training his new body to be able to master those skills and technics again.
But now he was also going to be learning sword fighting and magical defenses, which was completely new to him. Which meant splitting time between all of them in order to learn, get stronger, and be able to gain the right to leave home in order to venture out into this new world in order to complete his mission and find the crystal.
Where to find it? Where to even start looking? He had no clue.
But he didn't need to worry about that yet. First came allowing his young body to grow before beginning his training with his father. Which was Phase Two of his plan. And then, it was off to Phase Three, to learn as much as he could about the black crystal and where to find it. And then, the Final Phase, where he would journey to get it as fast as possible and send it back to his universe.
And he had to do it all in just 30 years.
To say "no pressure" would be an understatement of what he was being tasked with by his now former mentor.
But he was willing to do it, no matter the cost.
During his time as young infant and eventually becoming a toddler, he spent his time not only planning but also looking into what he nicknamed to be "The Status Screen".
While he wasn't a video game player, he knew enough to understand that there were games where a player could easily control their stats on the screen as a player, especially when the digital world became more available through head gear that were straight out of SAO, only far safer.
Even in the military and the UNCE, they would have such head gears to put the trainees into military combatant scenarios for training. While a majority took place in real-life and even in the field, the head gear allowed for ways to put the men and women in the mindset needed of what they were going to do.
So, the screen he had been seeing since the first day he was born into this world was simply enough to understand for him once he realized the similarities from his own home universe.
All he had to do was think of it or even something that would require it. Learning the language of this world was his first step in understanding what everyone was saying, then next came to understanding their writing as well. It wouldn't be long before he would start speaking and writing in their language as well, which his 'Status Screen' almost immediately made him an expert on.
By fourteen months, he was already speaking and learning how to run. By sixteen months, he was writing. And by two years, he was learning to climb.
Everyone was shocked by his ability to learn so fast, especially those in the village.
His rankings climbed in terms of language and writing, while his running and walking. He had maxed out crawling and walking fast, upgrading him. Speaking and writing was next, which he devoted himself to learning.
And unknown to his own parents, he began training himself in the ways of his old training by age three. It was just a matter of time before his mother or father began him on training in their own ways.
While researching his Status Screen for further things he would need to later rank himself up on, he discovered that a possible ability was to create swords, knives, and arrows, only he upgraded to Level 10 on sword training, which made him all the more eager to begin training.
In the next year ahead, he trained even harder on his old skills, relearning everything he could, even if he was too small at the time. All he needed was to make his body become more accustomed to the harsh training, even if it meant punishing himself through it.
How he did this was sneaking out the window and practicing in the backyard, next to a garden that his mother was tending to. He did so during the evening, making sure to remain quiet and out of sight. He would do pushups, sit ups, pullups, and a great many other things.
By year four, his father finally decided to help start his training in sword fighting. It was hard at first, especially in how his father would push him, but he would have it no other way. He almost begged his father to give all he could without going too far, to the point that he almost scared him.
He didn't interact much with the other children, despite his mother's insistence on him trying to make friends. But he couldn't allow himself to do so, not when he needed these first couple of years to truly matter.
He leveled up as fast as he could, reaching Lvl 5 by the time year 5 came. And in that year, his mother began to help him begin his studies into magic, focusing his mornings into learning what she knew from the books she had.
Now he was on a tight schedule going forward in his fifth year in this new world. He was constantly training, doing chores, and studying. Very early mornings were spent doing his old military and UNCE training, while mid mornings and noon were spent studying with his mother on his magic, and then the afternoons training with his father in the ways of the sword. And then, the evenings were spent on secondary training from the very early mornings.
He always made sure to get at least 5 hours of sleep, with 7 being the longest in the event he felt he was pushing himself too far. While he wished to get stronger and more capable, he knew better than to overdo it. There was a balance to maintain, as all things should be.
As for his relationship with his new parents, he got along with them fairly well. He never once made trouble for them, understanding that they were doing their best to do their duties and maintain an easy life for them. The last thing they needed was a troublesome child.
It was easier to stay out of trouble by keeping himself busy, even when going through the same thing that every other child does. There were times when it was struggle, as he could how hotheaded he could be, wondering if it came from his father. But he kept himself under control, especially through training.
That said, he wasn't looking forward to going through puberty again. All the hormones and attraction towards girls was something he could do without but knew it would be an obstacle going forward. He was just happy not to have to endure it for another couple of years.
He actually liked spending time with his father, even if it was mainly training with him and sometimes going out to hunt. As for his mother, he loved spending time with her, as it was something he missed out on in his first life. The motherly comfort and love were something that he never realized he wanted or missed. His grandmother was loving too but it just didn't feel the exact same way.
It was with his father that he felt the most familiar with, since he had two father figures growing up. Sure, it may not have been entirely the same, but it was a substitute enough. If he had to guess why it was different with his new mother, he figured it was possibly because his grandmother was more on the tough side by not wishing to replace the mother he had lost the first time around.
In a weird way, it made him feel complete and happy to truly experience what it meant to have two biological parents actually there to raise him.
Speaking of Luke and Milia, they both turned out to the Lord and Lady of the town, including the small land surrounding it. It went on for about twenty miles, with a lake and a mountain nearby. Part of the land was a valley, and the rest on the northern side was a forest, which was separated by a deep ravine and a large bridge connecting them to the road that led into the forest for the outer part of the large Kingdom.
The town itself was just barely classified as one. With a tavern and small marketplace that made it easy for travelers come through. There were tons of houses and farms. The one place where the town made its money was the bridge, as it was one of the few nearby to cross across the ravine. They charged a fee, which was actually below the price they could be demanding, but Luke wished to not scare off the travelers, having been an adventurer himself before marrying his mother.
Much like the rest of the Kingdom, the town was ruled by a monarchy system. His father was the main Lord, following in the footsteps of his father before him to lead. Although, in order for him to lead, he had to combat another who challenged for the role upon his father's death when the full moon came.
Leon quickly deduced that he would be expected to do the same one day, if he so chose. A fact that him question if he was fit to lead when such a time came. But even if he was, his duty was first to his mission, adding more weight onto him to finish it before such a scenario could occur.
He made no effort to learn about the other kids or make friends. He had already done that the first time around, and while he did desire to make some new ones, he couldn't distract himself from what he needed to do.
While the maids were still suspicious of him, including others in the village, he would eventually win the approval of his father and others who saw the dedication to his training as a sign of a potential leader for their village.
Years six, seven, and eight passed by, with him becoming stronger and tougher. He never missed a day, even in the winter. Despite being in the south, they did get some cold weather. But that didn't stop his training. If anything, it helped in mentally toughing him up.
One time, he practiced his weight balance on the frozen pond, making sure to cross it without making a sound or even fracturing the ice.
His rankings improved with time, as did his old school training from his previous life. He was learning to fight in hand-to-hand combat, move stealthily, and observe in ways that helped him in gaining knowledge of this world, especially at the local tavern.
While his parents would have disapproved, he learned to sneak into tavern in order to learn the most stuff he could from travelers. Doing this also helped in ranking himself up in the stealth system.
His studies and ability to perform magic also improved with time, despite being the toughest for him to learn as time went on. He was now able to heal small injuries and be able to cast defensive spells. Next, he was moving on to offense spells, despite his mother's hesitation.
Year nine came and went.
And then arrived year ten.
Leon was met with a surprise that day when he was taken to the tavern by his mother and father, where the entire town planned a secret surprise party to celebrate his tenth birthday. While he had birthdays before, it was always just him and his parents. This was the first time he was exposed to having such a big party, even from his previous life.
He got a chance to meet a few of the children who happened to be there, including grown-ups who congratulated him on turning ten years of age. It soon dawned on him that he hadn't really taken the time to get the know the people, since his full attention was always towards his training.
In fact, it was the first day in years that he had taken a break from his training. Something that felt so off to do so. His own father forbid him from training at all that, wishing for him to instead just enjoy the moment.
"I admire your dedication," he patted his head while they sat at the table with the members of the community. "But there's nothing wrong with taking one day off."
While he felt the urge to reject that, he forced himself to keep silent and obey. A part of him agreeing with his father. After all, he always had tomorrow to restart.
It was also that night a couple of kids asked him to come play outside, with a full moon out. His parents allowed it, as they had several helpers to clean up the tavern. He listened and went to play a game of ball with the other kids, which was basically almost like soccer to some extent.
Leon couldn't deny that he had fun. In fact, he hadn't felt this way since he was a child in his first life.
When the night came to an end and everyone went home, Leon snuck out onto the roof of his parents' home to look up towards the stars. He couldn't sleep, not with so many thoughts rushing through his head.
He couldn't believe that ten years had passed since he had been reborn into this world. Ten years since he went rogue and activated the "Last Resort". His thoughts then turned to Lisa, Harvey, and Curtis. He wondered if they were alright and safe from the UNCE. And he wondered what the government was doing now that they no longer could use the blood that was injected into his former body.
But more importantly, his thoughts turned to the fact that ten years were now up, and he only had twenty more left to complete his mission.
Leon mentally vowed that from this day forward, he would train as hard as he could to master all of his skills needed to allow his parents to give their permission for him to venture out. And he needed to do it in just five years. Maybe two extra just in case. But he couldn't wait another full decade. Not when the first couple of years were spent lazing around as an infant and toddler.
Starting tomorrow, he was fully prepared to go all out and train harder than ever.