Beside a monastery, the gentle breeze of April rustled the leaves and branches, while the soft sunlight provided the plants with the greatest warmth. Lush nurseries were neatly arranged in the small ridges of the field, and a group of monks dressed in black were scattered throughout the fields, working diligently.
Among them was a little boy in a coarse white cloth garment, squatting by the edge of the field and struggling to clear the weeds. Seemingly exhausted, the child stood up, revealing a head of chestnut-colored short hair, a slightly chubby face, rosy lips, and lake-blue eyes that sparkled like stars, making him quite endearing.
He seemed to be facing some difficulty and let out a soft sigh. "Three years already. When will this life end?" He recalled his daily routine over the past three years: waking up at 4 a.m. for prayers, starting farm work at 6 a.m., having a lunch of black mush at 11 a.m. (with the occasional addition of two slices of smoked meat on holidays), learning to write and copy books at 2 p.m., having dinner (again, black mush) at 6 p.m., praying at 7 p.m., and going to bed promptly at 9 p.m. His life was more regimented than that of a high school student.
He looked up at the somewhat scorching sun and thought, "I'm still a growing child!" The boy's name was Norn. Though only 9 years old, he had the soul of a 30-year-old.
Three years ago, the original Norn, who had just arrived at the monastery, fell seriously ill due to the unfamiliar environment and quietly passed away one night. And then, a soul from another world unexpectedly arrived.
Norn swore that on that day, he had simply opened the door of his rented apartment as usual, preparing to go to work, when everything went black. When he woke up, he had already been reincarnated into this dark world. Fortunately, the original body had just been sent to the monastery not long before, and after waking up, the new soul had taken over without anyone at the monastery noticing anything unusual.
However, Norn was almost driven mad by this strange new environment. With a mature soul, he had to constantly act like a 6-year-old child; otherwise, his unconventional behavior might be considered demonic possession, and he could end up being burned at the stake.
So, little Norn had to always pretend to be innocent and cute, engaging in the same rigorous practices as the other monks every day.
Fortunately, this seemed to be a monastery of the ascetic order, and the monks were kind to him, taking good care of him in daily life and preventing any strange incidents.
"Little Norn," a monk in black waved from a distance, "come over here."
Upon hearing this, Norn quickly put on an innocent smile, trotted over with his short legs, and asked, "Uncle Albert, what's up?"
"The abbot is looking for you," the monk named Albert said with a friendly smile, plucking a blade of grass from Norn's head and pointing to the carriage parked at the entrance. "It seems we have visitors."
Norn smiled at Monk Albert, waved goodbye, and then hurried toward the abbot's office inside the monastery. As he passed through the gate, he took a closer look at the carriage: it was a common four-wheeled carriage, and its worn edges suggested that its owner was not wealthy. However, the banner hanging on the carriage door, featuring a rampant lion with claws poised to strike, seemed to speak of the owner's martial achievements.
At that moment, the coachman, who was feeding the horse nearby, seemed to notice Norn and grinned, giving him a look that was a bit different from usual. Norn was taken aback for a moment but didn't think much of it and continued on his way to the abbot's office.
After passing the magnificent chapel and under the gaze of the holy icons, little Norn turned into a dim stone corridor. At the end of the corridor was a two-story attic. Climbing the creaky wooden stairs, Norn finally arrived in front of a room, from which faint arguing could be heard.
After calming his breathing a bit, Norn gently knocked on the wooden door.
"Come in," came the voice of an elderly man from behind the door.
Norn pushed open the door, and what greeted his eyes was row upon row of neatly arranged bookshelves, filled with countless books. In the center of the bookshelves stood a sturdy oak table, on which lay a scroll with the ink still wet.
"Norn, you're here," the abbot behind the table said with a smile. In Norn's memory, this erudite and wise old man always wore a kind smile, but at this moment, the old man's face looked somewhat stern.
"Little Norn, this is your uncle, Baron Otto from Mecklenburg."
It was then that Norn noticed a knight in his early 30s standing to his right. The knight, about 5'7" tall, was dressed in a somewhat shabby black hunting outfit. His bloodshot eyes indicated that he was not in the best condition, but his melancholic demeanor and those expressive lake-blue eyes could easily break through the defenses of countless noblewomen and young girls.
"This is a middle-aged handsome uncle with a story," Norn thought to himself.
At the same time, Baron Otto, who had been observing Norn, spoke up, "Child, it seems you've been doing well these years." But then he sighed and continued, "Although it may be hard to accept, you must return to your family with me."
Norn looked at Baron Otto in astonishment and then at the abbot. The abbot waved his hand, signaling Baron Otto to continue.
"Your cousin passed away last month," Otto paused for a moment, seemingly recalling the funeral a month ago. "Our family now needs an heir."
Turning to the abbot, Knight Otto calmly said, "Although serving the Lord is the highest glory for us mortals, I hope Abbot will kindly allow Norn to return to his family and spread the Lord's light in a secular way."
The abbot made the sign of the cross and replied, "I am deeply saddened by what has happened to your family. May the Lord have mercy on you." He then stood up, walked over to Norn, and placed his hand on Norn's head.
"Little Norn, I know you are a smart child," the abbot said with a smile. "Although you have only been here for three years, I know you are different from the other children. I hope you always remember the Lord's teachings and keep a pure heart." He then turned to Baron Otto and said, "I will take care of Norn's matters, but as for your lady's situation..."
Baron Otto interrupted the abbot, "I will handle my wife's affairs myself." Seemingly realizing the harshness of his tone, the baron added, "Thank you for taking care of little Norn over the past year. Please accept the Adler family's service to the Lord." With that, Baron Otto bowed his head slightly to the abbot.
The abbot sighed, patted Norn on the back, and said, "Go pack your things and prepare to leave the monastery."
Norn looked at the two men who had just decided his fate in confusion. After a while, he choked down and said with a bowed head, "Abbot, may the Lord always have mercy on you. Little Norn will come to see you often in the future." He then turned around, covering his face with his hands, and ran out of the room in sorrow.
"Norn is a good child," the abbot said with a hint of melancholy, looking at the empty door. After a while, he turned to Baron Otto with a serious expression and said, "I think you should be clear about the Pope's decree..."
On the other side, Norn ran out, sprinting with all his might, his hands covering his cheeks, occasionally twitching. Anyone who saw him would think he was a sad wanderer about to leave home.
Our protagonist, Norn, was filled with sorrow... Yeah, right!!!
"Finally, this hellish life is over," Norn thought with great joy.
There wasn't really much to pack. Norn simply rolled up his few clothes, said goodbye to the monks he was familiar with, and then came to the monastery gate with a heart full of sorrow (well, almost). The coachman at the gate seemed to know everything and helped Norn put his luggage into the carriage.
"Wait, little Norn," Monk Albert, who had been running out of the monastery, called out as he approached with a Bible in hand. "The abbot, fearing that seeing you would make him sad, asked me to give this to you," Monk Albert said, handing over the Bible. "May the Lord bless you." He then made the sign of the cross and fell silent.
"Thank you, Uncle Albert," Norn said, accepting the gift and waving goodbye. Recalling the care from the abbot and Uncle Albert over the past year, Norn still felt a bit sad.
After seeing that Norn had accepted the gift, Albert turned and walked back into the monastery.
After a while, Baron Otto slowly entered the carriage. The baron looked at Norn, seeming to want to say something, but in the end, he just knocked on the back wall, signaling the coachman to leave.
The carriage started slowly, moving along the dirt path and entering the vast forest, where the tall trees gradually blocked out the sunlight.
Sitting in the carriage, Norn thought about his family from his previous life and the past three years here, and couldn't help but hold his Bible tightly.