Rise of the Foolish Second Son

Chapter 2: Doubts about Poison Wine

Leo rubbed his temples, trying to piece together the events that led to his current predicament. The night before, he had spent the entire evening at a brothel with Lex and Luke, casually discussing how the place was up for sale. They had all encouraged Leo to buy it, suggesting that it would make their future visits much more convenient—even if it didn’t turn a profit. Then Chavis, the brothel owner, had shown up with a jug of wine. After a few rounds, Leo had blacked out, foaming at the mouth. His sister-in-law was terrified and quickly called for a doctor, who declared that Leo had been poisoned and beyond saving.

And that’s where the new Leo stepped in.

Just then, footsteps echoed outside the door, followed by the booming voice of Baron Ferdinand Howard, Leo’s father. “Leo, my boy! How are you holding up?”

Leo turned to see a travel-worn man stride in, worry etched on his face. “Let me have a look at you.” Ferdinand frowned, scanning Leo from head to toe, his eyes betraying a hint of unease.

“I’ve already spoken with Lord Galli, the city governor, about what happened,” Ferdinand continued, clearly irritated. “That old crook says he can’t find Chavis, the brothel owner. He’s clearly stalling!”

Leo chuckled softly. To be honest, he wasn’t particularly interested in who had poisoned the previous Leo. He had just woken up in this new life and wasn’t eager to dive into messy old grudges. Instead, he planned to enjoy life once he fully recovered.

“By the way, do you have enough money?” Ferdinand asked, digging into his pouch and pulling out a small bag of coins. He tossed it to Leo with a flourish.

Leo caught the pouch, his eyes widening as he opened it. “1,000 gold coins?” Even in his previous life, where he had been a CEO, this kind of casual generosity stunned him. 1,000 gold coins! Most commoners wouldn’t make that much in a lifetime, and you could buy a nice two-story house for just 100 gold.

“What are you thinking about?” Ferdinand asked, noticing Leo’s astonishment.

“Oh, just brainstorming ways to spend this small fortune,” Leo replied, offering a casual smile.

“Haha, any ideas yet?” Ferdinand laughed, clapping Leo on the shoulder.

"Not quite yet, but I'm sure something will come to me," Leo shrugged, keeping it vague.

“By the way,” Ferdinand continued, his tone shifting to something more serious, “business is booming in Vido City, especially with grain. The war’s on the horizon, and grain prices are only going to soar.”

“Conostalgialand’s soldiers have been raiding villages in the south, robbing and terrorizing civilians. It’s only a matter of time before war breaks out. You’re going to be swimming in more money than you’ll know what to do with, my boy! Just make sure you figure out how to spend it wisely!”

Leo nodded, absorbing his father’s words. He knew hoarding grain during wartime could be immensely profitable. His father had built his empire this way—buying low and selling high when conflict erupted. Vido City was the grain hub, and once the fighting started, the prices would skyrocket.

This world was eerily similar to his old one, but it had its differences. The nation he found himself in, Altahpen, was a small country bordered by four others: Qiluland to the east, Heroicaland and Aetheria to the south, and Couragecrest to the northwest. The northern neighbor, Conostalgialand, was a vast grassland empire. Relations between Altahpen and Conostalgialand were tense, with frequent skirmishes plaguing their border, and Conostalgialand’s soldiers regularly raiding villages.

“But funding’s tight,” Ferdinand added, his tone growing more serious as he hinted at some financial maneuvering. “I need to find some extra capital to pull off this next deal.” His expression darkened slightly, revealing the weight of his responsibilities. “Once we get through this, we’ll also need to finalize your marriage arrangements.”

“Marriage?” Leo blinked in surprise, momentarily taken aback.

“You don’t remember? The Kenneth family’s daughter, Loria. Shaun Kenneth is an old business partner of mine, and he promised you could marry his daughter. You’re both of age now.”

Ferdinand grinned, clearly excited. “Loria’s the most beautiful woman in Kondo City. You’re one lucky man! Once you’re married, I won’t have to worry about you running off to get into trouble.”

Years ago, Ferdinand had helped Shaun Kenneth during a difficult time, allowing the Kenneth family to rise to wealth and prominence. As a gesture of gratitude, Shaun had promised Loria’s hand in marriage to Leo—once he was found, of course. Loria was now 19, and Leo was 20. The marriage was supposed to happen soon.

Though things hadn’t gone quite as planned. Leo had returned, but both he and Loria had been avoiding each other, neither keen on the marriage. Loria was smart, beautiful, and fiercely independent. She had no interest in marrying a village i***t and had even threatened to run away if her father kept pushing the issue. Both families had agreed to delay the wedding, but now Ferdinand, seeing a change in his son, was determined to see it through.

“Alright, Father, I’m ready to go along with whatever you have planned,” Leo thought to himself. The most beautiful woman in Kondo City? Only a fool would turn that down.

The next day, Ferdinand and Leo’s older brother, Jerome, prepared to leave for Vido City. Before departing, Ferdinand reminded Leo to take care of himself, while Jerome gave him a quick hug.

"Ｍy brother, have a good journey."Leo said

“Take care, Leo,” Jerome said earnestly. “And don’t go hanging out in those shady places again. When we get back, we’ll finalize the marriage. You’re lucky to have such a great girl waiting for you, so don’t mess this up.”

Leo grinned and nodded, promising to be on his best behavior. “I’ll be a model citizen, I swear!”

As they rode off, Jerome turned to his father. “Leo’s different. He actually called me ‘brother’ today. He’s never done that before.”

Ferdinand nodded, a hint of nostalgia in his expression. “Yes, he seems to be getting smarter, which is a good thing”

Little did anyone know, the Howard family was about to face a storm like none they had ever encountered. Leo, the newly reincarnated playboy, was about to find his carefree life cut short before it had even begun.