Overnight Stay

Amidst the pinkish sounds of the night, Norn couldn't resist the assault of fatigue and dozed off into a groggy sleep.

The next morning, Norn opened his eyes—two panda eyes from lack of sleep—to find Jinn already up and having brought a cup of milk and a large piece of fine wheat bread for Norn and Anna. Without a second thought for the bread's coarseness, the three of them hastily had their breakfast and then headed to the general store to purchase some outdoor supplies and dried food. Afterward, they set off westward along the road.

Early summer's sun quietly climbed up the treetops, giving life and growth to all things.

Under the warm and humid sea breeze, weeds and shrubs displayed their incredible vitality, breaking through the soft earth and ceaselessly encroaching on the path. However, the constant stream of caravans still managed to hold onto the edges of the road.

This small path connected the Kingdom of France with the empire's territory. Weapons, textiles from the Apennine city-states, and spices from the East flowed in large quantities through here, while the Kingdom of France's wine and wheat were sold and exchanged for gold coins.

Thus, this lucrative trade route, which could generate high taxes, was naturally valued by the nobles along the way. After several crackdowns, no bandits dared to touch the nobles' money bags anymore.

Of course, it was also possible that Norn and his companions simply didn't look like they had anything worth stealing. In any case, Norn's group was able to travel smoothly on this path.

Although the checkpoints were numerous and the taxes almost drove Norn mad, they eventually left the empire's territory on the afternoon of the third day and arrived in the Principality of Toulouse under the Kingdom of France.

The continuous journey had left the three of them exhausted. Norn and his companions reached a village before sunset and chose a relatively better-conditioned shack to seek lodging.

The man who opened the door was in his forties; years of hard work had turned his hair gray. He looked puzzled at the half-grown youth and the two younger boys and girls in front of him.

"Esteemed elder, we are refugees fleeing from disaster and would like to stay here for the night. Of course, if you could provide some food, we would be extremely grateful," Norn said while handing over 20 copper pennies.

Perhaps it was the harmless appearance of Norn and his companions, or maybe it was the money in hand, but after hesitating for a moment, the elder opened the door and let Norn in.

Although it was daytime, the shack was still very dim. On one side, a door was open, revealing two straw beds and some living facilities. On the other side was a pen where some scrawny chickens and ducks were happily moving around.

The elder, who seemed to have some trouble with his legs, shuffled a few steps and then pointed to a room next to the pen, filled with hay, saying, "If you don't mind, you can sleep here."

Since the alternative was sleeping outdoors, Norn and his companions had no choice but to agree.

Amidst the sounds of the animals next door and the smell of their waste, the three of them quickly unpacked their luggage, pinched their noses, and prepared to make do with another night.

As the sunset was about to sink in the west, the elder appeared again and said, "Dear guests, please come over here for dinner."

Norn and his companions followed the elder to another room. Naturally, this room was cleaner and more tidy.

Some clay pots were neatly arranged in one corner, and some fragrant wooden barrels were placed aside. The shelves on the wall held some sausages and cheese. In the center of the room, a clay pot was emitting a delicious aroma.

It was evident that the host's family was relatively well-off.

After inviting Norn and his companions to sit on a long bench, the elder gently called to a child nearby, "Little Louis, quickly bring the porridge over."

A rather thin little boy used a wooden spoon to scoop out a spoonful of thick wheat porridge from the clay pot and poured it into three wooden bowls, which he then brought over to Norn and his friends.

Norn and his companions, who had been eating dried food all day, thanked the elder and began to drink the porridge. The porridge was very thick and cooked just right.

Perhaps because Norn had given more money, the elder had added some dried fruits and meat to the porridge. The three of them, under the envious gaze of the drooling child, drank the porridge heartily.

The little boy vigorously scraped the bottom of the clay pot, poured himself and the elder a bowl of porridge, and began to drink as well.

"Burp!" Norn contentedly burped, the bowl of porridge giving him immense satisfaction and sweeping away the fatigue from the journey.

Seeing Norn's satisfaction, the elder also smiled knowingly, then shifted his gaze to the little boy, his affection for the child evident as he watched the boy drink the porridge noisily.

"Little Louis, slow down, slow down. There's still some here," the elder said, offering his bowl to the boy, intending to share his porridge with him.

However, the boy moved his bowl aside, stopping the elder's action.

"Grandpa, drink your porridge. Little Louis isn't hungry," the boy said, though his eyes were fixed on the pot, hoping to find some leftover porridge at the bottom.

Seeing the grandfather and grandson, Norn felt a bit embarrassed and took out a piece of fine wheat bread from his bag, offering it to Little Louis.

Little Louis looked at the bread in Norn's hand, then, with the elder's approval, quickly grabbed the bread and tore it in half.

"Grandpa, you eat," Little Louis offered half of the bread to the elder.

"But Grandpa hasn't finished his porridge yet. You eat it, my Little Louis," the elder said kindly once more.

Finally, Little Louis stopped insisting. The bread, which seemed rather hard to Norn, was quickly chewed into pieces and swallowed by Little Louis.

As the four of them enjoyed their quiet dinner, the sound of hooves approached.

"Where's the village head? Where is the village head?" A squire, wearing a helmet and armed clothing, stood at the village entrance, shouting.

Upon hearing this, the elder quickly put down his bowl and ran outside.

Norn also curiously poked his head out, watching as the squire seemed to show a scroll and badge to the elder, shouting something at him.

The elder looked troubled, about to retort, but the squire's whip immediately swung, though not hitting, and scared the elder into falling to the ground. Ignoring the fallen elder, the squire mounted his horse and rode off into the distance.

Norn hurried outside, but the little boy was faster, rushing out before Norn and helping the elder up.

"What's wrong, elder?" Norn asked curiously.

The elder just shook his head, not saying anything.

As night fell, Little Louis's small body couldn't withstand the fatigue and he fell asleep on the elder's lap. The elder gently patted Little Louis's back, his face full of worry.

Seeing the troubled elder, Norn, and his companions couldn't help but ask, "Elder, what's troubling you? Please, do tell."

"Sigh! It has nothing to do with you, strangers. It's the local knight lord," the elder sighed, his face showing his distress.

"He's conscripting our village to fight for him. Every household has to send a male and provide their weapons and equipment based on their wealth."

"What am I to do if I go? What about my Little Louis?" The elder etched his worries deep on his face.