The Visitor

The war was over, but life had to go on.

Norn sat in his manor's study, meticulously going over his accounts. After finishing, he let out a contented sigh: Saladin, in a way, had been something of a benefactor to him. The Battle of Montgisard had brought him a tidy profit in gold, and the spoils from the battle at the mouth of the Yabok River were even more substantial, with countless supplies and captives taken.

Although the captives Norn had taken were handed over to the kingdom in exchange for the previously captured Grand Master of the Templar Knights, it wasn't without compensation. He received 4,000 gold coins as reimbursement. And the Grand Master, upon learning the reason for his release, had mysteriously hinted to Norn that there was another grand gift on the way.

On the expenditure side, since Norn had used fewer troops and suffered fewer casualties during the defense of the castle, the main costs were the two wooden cannons and the gunpowder. After crunching the numbers, Norn figured he had made at least another 5,000 gold nominals in profit.

Thinking this through, Norn felt like his wounded leg didn't even hurt anymore. If Saladin were to die now, he'd be the first to offer a prayer.

"Right, I almost forgot. Uncle mentioned bringing a guest back today. Wonder who it could be," Norn thought to himself, quickly leaving the study and leading a group to the manor's entrance to greet them.

Sure enough, three riders were slowly approaching in the distance, one of whom was Otto.

"Uncle Otto, welcome back!" Norn greeted warmly.

But Otto tilted his head, signaling Norn to look to the side.

"Norn, you did promise to treat me to a good meal, didn't you?" An apple flew over, and Norn caught it, looking up to see none other than King Baldwin, wrapped up in a cloak.

"Your Highness King Baldwin, what brings you here?" Norn was genuinely surprised. Given Baldwin's health, he rarely ventured out, so seeing him at his manor was unexpected.

"Why, am I not welcome?" Baldwin joked. He wasn't wearing his signature silver mask, just a simple scarf wrapped around his face, allowing Norn to see his smile.

"Of course not," Norn said, taking the reins of Baldwin's horse and leading the way.

"May I ask, who is this?" Norn inquired, looking at the other cloaked rider, who was slender and wrapped up just as tightly.

"Sibylla. Baldwin's sister," the rider replied, pulling back her veil with a flourish. The princess had a sharply defined face with deep-set features. Most striking were her narrow green eyes, which smiled at her an enchanting allure.

"Pleased to meet you, Your Highness!" Norn managed to keep his composure, thanks to his exposure to the internet in his past life. He had seen his fair share of beauties on those "websites you know," so he didn't lose his cool. But the knights beside him were all agape.

It had to be said that different people reacted differently to beauty. Take handsome Patrick, for example. He was just slightly taken aback, his eyes widening a bit before he broke into a charming smile, his features softening in the bright sunlight.

Norn could almost see pink cherry blossoms blooming in the background.

As for William, well, his mouth was wide enough to fit a pig, his eyes bulging larger than bells, and he kept making these incoherent "ah... ah" noises, looking like a 200-pound hick who had never seen a woman before.

Norn couldn't stand William's dazed expression any longer and kicked him in the butt. "Snap out of it! Get to the kitchen and tell them to prepare extra dishes!"

William finally came to his senses and reluctantly left.

Watching this group of characters, Sibylla let out a hearty laugh, her silver jewelry jingling melodiously. Everyone was momentarily dazzled.

"Ahem!" Norn cleared his throat again to get everyone moving towards the manor.

Baldwin toured Norn's bustling manor. Although his vision was somewhat blurred due to leprosy, he could hear the creaking of the windmills, the thumping of wool being pounded in the textile workshop, and the clanging of the blacksmith's hammer. These sounds gave Baldwin a sense of the manor's prosperity. But what surprised him most was the sound of children's voices reciting lessons.

"Norn, have you hired a priest to run a school?" Baldwin asked curiously.

"Not a school, just a tutor to teach them some basic knowledge," Norn replied nonchalantly. In his eyes, this was nothing special compared to the educational resources in his past life.

Just then, it was break time, and a swarm of children burst out, only to stop abruptly upon seeing Norn and his group, quickly bowing in greeting.

Baldwin looked at the children, most of whom were from Sibylla's people, a group of Saracen children, with only a few being the Latin children Norn had previously rescued.

"You're letting them go to school too?" Baldwin seemed incredulous.

"There's a saying: education for all," Norn responded calmly. Despite the criticism he faced for educating Saracens, there was one good thing about this wicked age: he could do whatever he wanted on his land.

"But tuition isn't cheap, is it?" Baldwin remarked, knowing full well that in this era, every sheet of paper was made from parchment, every page hand-copied by a few knowledgeable individuals, and every book a priceless heirloom.

"Compared to useless finery and carriages," Norn said, wincing a bit at the cost of books, "spending money on education is more meaningful, isn't it?"

"I've heard that the Windmill Baron is incredibly wealthy, but now I see it's true," Baldwin joked with a smile.

At that moment, a group of maids who had just finished milking cows saw Norn and his group. They quickly put down their clay pots and bowed to them.

As they passed by, Norn asked one of the maids in his halting Saracen language, "How's Togo's mother? Has Togo been behaving lately?"

The maid smiled and nodded, responding in her halting French, "Thank you for your concern, my lord. Togo has been very well-behaved and keeps thanking you for letting him go to school."

Despite the odd pronunciation, Norn understood and waved them away with a smile.

All of this was observed by Baldwin, who suddenly fell silent.

In the hall, Baldwin sat at the head table, surveying the surroundings. The decor was decent, but it paled in comparison to Norn's income.

Baldwin remained quiet until the servants began serving the meal, placing an oval-shaped clay bundle in front of him. Baldwin came to his senses.

"What is this?" Baldwin asked, puzzled.

Norn proudly took out a small knife, used the back of the blade to crack open the clay, and in an instant, a burst of fragrance filled the air. Once the clay was removed, a roasted chicken wrapped in palm leaves emerged.

The chicken in front of him had tender meat and crispy skin, marinated in Norn's special sauce. Not only was the skin golden brown, but it was also bursting with the flavors of various spices.

"This is truly delicious!" In the blink of an eye, the chicken was reduced to a pile of bones. Baldwin, rarely praising food, said, "I've heard rumors that the kingdom's best chef is in your manor. Now I believe it's true."

Norn had initially wanted to advise Baldwin to eat less, but then he sighed: might as well enjoy while you can.

After the meal, Baldwin dismissed the rest of the staff, leaving only Norn in the hall.

Baldwin looked intently at Norn, making him feel oddly uneasy.

"Norn, you're a remarkable person," Baldwin said. "Let me be frank. Would you be willing to marry my sister, Sibylla?"

Norn's eyes widened in shock, feeling like a herd of alpacas was stampeding through his mind.

"I considered you a friend, and you want me to be your brother-in-law?!!!"