The next day, Leo woke up first and stepped out of the room. A water bucket and two towels hung on hooks by the door, apparently for washing up.
‘Nice service.’
He had been planning to ask for water to wash up, so this was a welcome convenience. He carried the bucket back into the room.
Lena was still sound asleep.
While she slept, Leo took off his shirt and washed himself with the water and towels, even giving his hair a good scrub.
Memories of his life in modern society, where showering was the norm, made this feel inadequate. Wiping your body down with a wet towel was the standard way to wash up indoors in this world, but it was never truly satisfying.
Once he was clean, Leo shook Lena awake.
“Lena, wake up.”
She sat up abruptly but was still half asleep, her voice groggy as if still caught in a dream.
“Leooo~~ Did you sleep well~?”
“Yeah. I just washed up. There’s water and towels here, so take your time. We’ll eat breakfast here and then head out, so just bring your things down when you’re ready.”
Leo relayed the plan to Lena, who was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, then went back downstairs.
He informed the innkeeper that they would have breakfast and leave soon, then stepped outside to wait for Lena and get some fresh air.
The streets were already bustling with market activity, even at this early hour. The young men from Demos Village must have been up early, too, as they were busy selling their wares.
Leo was waving to a few of them when Hans appeared out of nowhere and approached him.
“Oh! Leo. You stayed here?”
“Hans. You’re here early. Already sold everything?”
“Mine always sells out fast. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet. We’re going to eat here soon.”
“Perfect! I’ll join you.”
Leo saw no reason to refuse his company, so he readily agreed.
He and Hans weren’t particularly close.
They didn’t have much in common. Leo spent his time hunting with his father, foraging for food with Lena, or occasionally helping the village young men with fieldwork. He rarely interacted with others outside of that.
Furthermore, without his past memories, Hans and the other village young men were all equally unfamiliar to Leo.
He had heard rumors that Hans would often disappear instead of helping out with work, but Leo didn't think too much of it.
Hans’s family was well-off, so he could afford to be lazy.
Besides, by the standards of modern society, that level of laziness wasn't unusual for someone his age. And it wasn't as if Minseo, the epitome of laziness, was any better.
Leo decided to mind his own business and keep his opinions about other people’s lives to himself.
Hans asked, “So, did you do it with Lena?”
“Do what?”
“You know.”
“...”
Typical behavior for boys their age. Leo could guess why Hans had sought him out.
Rather than feeling offended, a different thought crossed Leo’s mind.
‘What would the real Leo have done?’
Would he have been angry? Would he have laughed it off as a joke? Or would he have simply ignored it?
While contemplating this, Leo casually deflected or ignored Hans’s inquiries, letting time pass.
Soon, Lena came downstairs, and the three of them ordered breakfast together. Lena didn’t seem to mind the unexpected guest. Naturally, their conversation during the meal revolved around the two travelers’ journey.
Hans’s eyes lit up as he asked, “You’re heading to the Lord’s castle? Are you sure you have the right direction?”
The Lord’s castle was north of their current location, while Nebis was to the west. If they were going to Lutetia, where the Holy Cross Church was located, heading northwest towards the Lord’s castle wouldn’t be entirely off track. However, if their destination was Nebis, it would be a detour.
“We have no other choice. We need to travel with a merchant group, and there aren’t any here, right?”
“Oh my, you’re clueless about how the world works. There’s a market happening right here, how could there not be any merchant groups?”
Hans clicked his tongue, as if exasperated by their lack of common sense. He crossed his legs and continued, “I bet there are a few groups heading west right now. Want me to introduce you to one?”
“You know someone?”
“I’m pretty well-connected in Torito, you know.”
The town’s actual name was Torito, but the people of Demos Village simply referred to it as “the larger town.”
“So you’re saying we could leave today?”
“I can ask around and find out.”
Lena and Leo followed Hans as he confidently strutted through the marketplace, firing questions at various merchants. He soon returned with news.
“Nothing leaving today. I just asked that guy over there, and his group is leaving tomorrow morning. That seems to be the earliest one.”
“Hmm...”
“If you decide to go with them, I can introduce you to the merchant leader. I don’t know him personally, but I’ve met him a few times.”
Merchants typically formed groups, centered around a leader, and traveled together to different town markets.
Large groups were self-sufficient, but smaller ones often banded together with other merchants to bolster their numbers. These groups would pool their resources to hire guards for protection.
For individual travelers like Lena and Leo, joining a merchant group was the safest and most practical option, so Leo accepted Hans’s offer. There was no point in wasting time heading north to the Lord’s castle.
Hans led them to the merchant leader, a portly man with a neatly twirled mustache, who was leisurely smoking a pipe in a corner of the marketplace.
The man’s face lit up when he saw Hans and he greeted him with a wave of his hand.