Leda Part I: My Actual Playthrough

This is the path I actually took with Leda, not a prewritten ideal route. I finished Cai's Part I first, carrying an already-developed set of Karma Boons into my second protagonist's story. The Leda build and recruit plan is separate because I can change that plan without rewriting what happened.

November 3 — First visit to Kalla's Temple

On Leda's route, I reached Kalla's Temple for the first time as part of the story. I checked the Blessing there: Kalla was still level 3, carrying over from my previous Cai campaign. That is a firsthand observation, not an assumption that every other Blessing or upgrade has been rechecked.

November 3 — Olympia and the braziers: turn the objective into training

The next checkpoint I reported was the battle with Olympia where we were lighting braziers. My accumulated Boons were making early combat noticeably more rewarding: I was seeing lots of proficiency increases and some character level-ups, with several units around level 6–7 at one point.

Instead of rushing to finish the brazier objective, I used the enemies' distraction as an opportunity to fight more of them. Then the tactic evolved: I defeated enemy units and pushed my stronger fighters toward the places where those enemies returned, so I could intercept them without chasing them across the whole map.

This made the battle an improvised EXP-and-proficiency training ground. It was my chosen approach, not proof that the same strategy is optimal for everyone or that all forms of EXP persist after a failed attempt. I considered the battle's offered retain-EXP restart, but I did not report deliberately losing and retrying.

The stopping point

I got Leda to level 10 (confirmed). I estimated Buccar around level 8 or 9; the precise level needs a fresh screenshot. Other party members were last described as being around level 6–7, not exact final post-battle levels.

Eventually keeping all the returning enemies contained became annoying. I finished and won the brazier battle when the opportunity presented itself, rather than prolonging the farm. That mattered: I had gained meaningful levels and skills and kept the story moving.

Unit	Level at this checkpoint	Evidence
Leda	10	Directly reported after farming
Buccar	8–9	My estimate after completing the battle
Other companions	roughly 6–7 earlier in the battle	Approximate, not a final roster snapshot

November 5 report — Lechner's escape objective as an EXP opportunity

Later on Leda's route, I reached the story encounter where I was trying to work out what was happening with Lechner. The objective changed so that I needed to get Leda to an escape point. Instead of immediately ending the map, I moved Leda into a position where I could complete the escape, then kept fighting the enemies that continued to arrive. I lasted as long as I reasonably could and used those extra encounters to level my people.

This was a different kind of opportunity from Olympia: I could control when to end the objective by escaping, rather than balancing braziers and trying to stop returning opponents from interfering. I reported a seemingly never-ending supply of reinforcements, but I did not count the waves, so literally infinite spawns remain unverified. My account does not give an exact last turn, final levels, or a separately confirmed win screen for that encounter.

November 6 report — Cai's carriage network opens Leda's world early

I then tried something I did not know would work: using the carriage routes I had unlocked while playing Cai to travel on Leda's route, even when the ordinary paths appeared blocked or the destination seemed beyond her current Renown access. The carriage travel worked in my save. This is a firsthand travel result, not merely a proposed shortcut.

My first concrete goal was to get down to the southernmost carriage area to buy Qiankun Circles for Mu. I reached the southern shopping area and bought the weapon. I couldn't remember the town name clearly when I reported it (something like "Malaita"); independent item listings identify Alecto Armory as a seller, so Alecto is the likely name, not a confirmed memory of the exact stop.

I also found that the expanded carriage network lets me travel toward Giant's-Print Fort and exposes access toward Cave Behind the Falls while I'm still early in Leda's route. Those are travel/access discoveries, not claims that I cleared either dungeon, fought its enemies, or obtained its chests. The precise stations and final dungeon entry points still need documenting.

For the reusable route, weapon-shopping and EXP-farming details, see my Leda early-route discoveries guide.

November 6 — First extended free time: stronger than the arena expects

I have now reached the first roughly 120-turn free-time window after the Lechner encounter, with the arena's training just becoming available. But I had already been training my actual weapon proficiencies by using those weapons in Lechner's battle. I'm not merely planning to reach the early ranks after unlocking arena sessions: I already have them.

Character	Approximate character level	Already developed / acquired
Leda	About 14	Bow C or higher, Mini Bow, Longbow, Chosen Sword
Mu	About 10–11	Gauntlets C, Swords D, Qiankun Circles purchased through cross-route carriage access
Buccar	Part of the roughly level-9-to-low-teens team, exact level not given	Da Mina Axe acquired
Rest of the army	Lowest around 9–10, highest in the low teens	Exact ranks, loadouts and levels not reported

The important sequence is battle first, arena unlock afterward. I earned Mu's Gauntlets C and Swords D during the Lechner battle by deliberately giving her gauntlets and a sword. Leda got her Bow C+ by using bows in combat, having already found or obtained useful bow types. My invested Karma/EXP Boons support this approach, though the exact current purchased tiers still need a screenshot.

I have about 80 total hours in the game at this point (rounded estimate). I do not feel that inn Auto-Leveling would help much: it would give me less control over how my characters develop, and the combat training I enjoy is already advancing them quickly. This is not evidence that Auto-Leveling is useless for other players.

My main current constraint is lack of Blacksmith access. I already have valuable weapons, so I want to preserve durability and be prepared for repair and forging when that service opens. I have not yet reported unlocking it.

Another cross-route carryover I checked

Guzran was Pale Raven Support level 3 on Cai's route, and he is still level 3 during Leda's story. That's a confirmed firsthand carryover for this particular Support link; it doesn't prove every character-to-character bond transfers unchanged.

I intend to develop all four Part I armies and play all four War Arcs manually because the qualifiers taught me how uncomfortable it is to be given unfamiliar units whose abilities I never learned. I would rather know how roughly 20–30 characters fight together before the combined finale. My count is aspirational and depends on overlapping party rosters.

Where I left off

I am in Leda's first approximately 120-turn free-time period after the Lechner encounter, with arena training newly available but the blacksmith still unavailable. Leda is approximately level 14 with Bow C+; Mu is approximately level 10–11 with Gauntlets C and Sword D. Their proficiency thresholds were earned in battle before arena training opened. I want to build on that head start through intentional combat and class training. The exact chapter name, current turn count, post-Lechner full roster and Karma total remain unverified. Dancer and later Apsara are still planned, not unlocked.

Continue with my Leda preparation and class ideas, or read how Cai's completed Part I shaped this second run.