Mike Bai and the Baron exchanged no words. The silence in the carriage was only interrupted by the rhythmic roll of the wheels.
After a long, awkward pause, Mike Bai decided to do something more fitting for his nine-year-old self: "Uncle Otto…?"
"Hmm?" The Baron gave a slight smile, turning his attention toward Mike.
Another uncomfortable silence followed. Just as Mike Bai was about to dig into the floorboards with his toes from the awkwardness, the Baron finally broke the silence. "You look a lot like your father."
"My father?"
"Yes," Otto's voice grew more solemn as he spoke, his mind seemingly lost in a memory. "He was my older brother, the firstborn of the Adler family."
Seeing the confusion on Mike Bai's face, Otto explained, "The Adler family has held the title of Baron in the northern part of the Holy Roman Empire, in the Duchy of Mecklenburg, for over two hundred years. While the family has a long history, our line has never been very numerous. In this generation, it's just me and your father. Your father was supposed to inherit the family estate as the eldest son…"
Otto hesitated, as if realizing that talking about someone's deceased father in front of their child might be insensitive. After a pause, he carefully continued, "Your father, well... he was always independent-minded, and his ways were... unconventional. Your grandfather had planned for him to marry the daughter of another Baron, but your father... he ran off to travel before the wedding."
Otto seemed to regret speaking too freely and quickly corrected himself. "Your grandfather had a hard time calming the furious Baron, and publicly disinherited your father. He swore that when your father returned, he'd break his legs."
"Then what happened?" Mike Bai asked, eager to understand more.
Otto's expression darkened. "One day, your father returned with you as a baby. Despite your grandfather's cold demeanor, the entire family was happy to see your father and you return. Though he refused to speak of where you came from, there was no doubt that you carried the blood of the Adler family."
"I wanted to restore the title of Baron to him, but he refused," Otto said, carefully choosing his words. "He said he was too used to freedom and didn't want to be shackled by the land."
Mike Bai digested this, but then asked, "And then?"
Otto sighed, his tone turning wistful. "Your father was never the same after you returned. He was melancholy, likely due to missing your mother, and when you were six, he passed away and went to serve the Lord."
"Before he died, he asked us to send you to a monastery to serve the Lord, to leave behind the world of men. We were going to wait until you were older to arrange a position for you within the church, but..." Otto's voice trailed off as his expression grew distant, seemingly overcome with his own sorrowful memories.
Mike Bai's mind quickly formed an image of his father: The eldest son of a noble family who squandered his inheritance, running away before marriage, causing a scandal, and eventually dying tragically while leaving behind a son. It was a drama fit for a soap opera.
"Never thought I'd be part of such a ridiculous family saga, and I'm the side character," Mike Bai thought bitterly.
"Kid," Otto said, breaking his thoughts, "When we get back, I have an important matter to attend to. You can wait for me."
"What's that?" Mike Bai asked.
Otto gave a soft pat on Mike Bai's head. "There are things we have to do, son."
Mike Bai remained silent. As the carriage continued down the winding, muddy road, he couldn't help but notice the sparse villages they passed, each one a collection of rundown huts, emaciated farmers struggling to tend to barely surviving crops. In comparison, life in the monastery seemed like paradise.
After two days of uncomfortable travel, the carriage finally arrived at its destination—a tiny, pitiful castle.
As Otto spoke proudly of the castle's history, Mike Bai was inwardly crying. The castles he had seen in his previous life were nestled in picturesque snow-capped mountains or beside serene lakes, with pristine white walls and exquisite architecture. This castle, perched on a small mountain, was surrounded by a patchy, five-meter-high wall. It barely had enough space for barracks, blacksmiths, stables, training grounds, and a central keep. The narrow roads could hardly fit a carriage.
Finally, they entered through the cramped, winding paths and were greeted by soldiers at the gate. A cold wind blew into Mike Bai's face, sending a shiver down his spine. The smell of damp stone, mold, and decay seemed to seep from the walls, reminding him of ghostly tales.
Otto led him to a room in the keep. "You'll stay here for tonight," Otto said, noticing Mike Bai's discomfort. "Tomorrow, I'll have someone take you to the estate. The food will be delivered. Don't wander around in the meantime—you might get lost."
Once Otto left, Mike Bai took the chance to examine the room. The damp, cold stone walls were poorly lit, with only small ventilation holes high up. The room was about thirty square meters, with a large bed draped in thick animal furs, a wooden bath in one corner, and a modest desk with a chair in another. It was grim and uncomfortable.
Tightly clutching the Bible given to him by the priest, Mike Bai tried to shake off any unrealistic expectations and began to organize his few belongings.
A soldier arrived with dinner. Mike Bai had hoped for something better, but his disappointment grew when he saw the meal: a hard, stale piece of white bread and a bowl of watery stew that tasted only of salt. But even with such a simple meal, Mike Bai could tell from the soldier's nervousness that it was likely the only food someone of his rank could afford in the family.
After dinner, Mike Bai quickly went to bed, pulling the thick furs around him to stave off the castle's biting cold. "Let's set a small goal," he thought grimly. "Get food, get a decent place to sleep."
The next morning, after washing his face with cold water, Mike Bai joined Otto for the journey to the estate. This time, Otto rode ahead on horseback, leading the carriage.
As they passed through a few villages, Mike Bai noticed the villagers bowing to Otto's procession, who would return their greetings with a smile or a brief conversation with the village elders.
"Seems like this uncle is well-liked," Mike Bai thought as he watched Otto with a mix of curiosity.
Unable to stand the bumpy ride anymore, Mike Bai left the carriage and sat next to the driver. Otto glanced back but didn't say anything.
"Little Mike Bai," a large hand patted him on the back, making him stumble slightly. "I knew you wouldn't forget your Uncle William."
Mike Bai turned to look at the driver—he was a short, stocky man in his thirties, wearing ragged clothes that barely covered his thick chest hair. His face was red with what looked like a permanent flush, and his wild beard made him look even more disheveled. There was a strong, almost tangible smell of masculinity about him.
"Uncle William?" Mike Bai blurted out.
William chuckled loudly, wrapping an arm around Mike Bai in a bear-like hug. "Yesterday I had a bet with that pretty boy over there. I told him, 'I'm the one who's closest to Mike Bai.' Looks like I was right!"
"Pretty boy?" Mike Bai repeated, blinking in confusion.
William nonchalantly pointed toward a knight, dressed in dark green hunting attire, with a longbow strapped to his back. The man had striking golden hair, fair skin, and exquisite features that could make any noblewoman envious.
"Just him, Patrick," William scoffed.
Mike Bai couldn't help but gape at Patrick's striking appearance. With his radiant smile and aristocratic charm, Patrick looked like a character straight out of a fairy tale.
"Whoa! My titanium-alloy eyes!" Mike Bai was stunned. Patrick was a knight with the looks of a prince.
William kept talking about how much more 'manly' he was compared to Patrick, calling him a pretty boy and throwing insults left and right. But Mike Bai quickly deduced that the rivalry was likely rooted in jealousy.
"Uncle William's right," Mike Bai thought to himself. "A man should look like a man—just like me, or maybe like my Uncle Dermot."
At that moment, another knight, Dermot, waved from the other side of the carriage. He had a strong, rugged appearance, with dark skin and hands like tree trunks.
"Back in the day, I fought beside your uncle..." William continued his tale, but Mike Bai soon tuned him out.
The procession eventually entered a small estate. Mike Bai sighed in relief. Though the buildings were wooden, they looked far more comfortable than the cold, oppressive castle.
The estate's butler and servants were waiting at the entrance, and as Mike Bai scanned the crowd, he noticed someone was missing.
"Auntie, where's she?" Mike Bai asked.
William, caught off guard, suddenly stopped talking. After a long, uncomfortable silence, he finally muttered, "She... passed away last month, after your cousin's accident."
Mike Bai turned his gaze toward Otto. The missing piece of the story seemed to have fallen into place.