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The old men whisper about him. They say he has the fear, which is a more-or-less polite way of saying they think Linebeck is a lily-livered scumbag. He's not about to argue with them; it's kept him alive for years. Besides, he's not hurting himself (the most important thing) or anyone else (an afterthought). So he tells the men that he'll carry on being a coward, thank you very much, because the alternative is death by monster, pirate, or whatever else feels like murdering a few sailors on any given day. Better to have the Fear than a gravestone carved in your name, that's Linebeck's motto.
Unfortunately, Linebeck is a greedy coward, which basically means that his get rich quick schemes often result in him running away from something. He is stuck between two spike traps when he meets Link, something that negates his usual escape plan. The fairy, a tiny brat he's met once before, doesn't trust him, but Link is a Hero with a capital "H" and helps him out of his predicament.
Naturally, he repays him by running away.
Well, not all the way. He gives the kid a key before leaving the temple; Linebeck is many things, but a monster he isn't.
(He tells himself that one as he runs away with the map Link needs to rescue his friend.)
Being the upright citizen that he is, Linebeck gives the kid a lift once he's been caught. Perhaps Link's heroism is starting to rub off on him , as well. Linebeck thinks about this as he hides inside a barrel while Link fights Jolene for him. It is the third time the kid's done it, and this time Jolene leaves a message. He wishes for the life of him he could remember it - fear tends not to leave room for minor bodily functions such as "listening to what angry pirate lady is saying".
The Fear is still there when he faces Bellum, but, even though his knees are knocking together and he can't hold the sword steady in his hands, he pushes it back and stays. Afterwards, all he'll say about the experience is that being possessed gives you a splitting headache.
When Linebeck arrives in New Hyrule, it is after many years of adventures. He buys a plot of land by the sea, buries the treasure he has amassed, and sets up a trading post. The Fear visits his dreams sometimes, more times than he'd like to admit, but this time things are different: he has the friendship of the land's rulers and he's learned that fighting against vice has it's benefits.