Chapter 2: Blacksmith Apprentice
Chapter 2: Blacksmith Apprentice
The title on the first line of the page was in large characters: Blacksmith Apprentice lv1 (0/100), and below it were numerous icons.
All the icons were dim and unclear, except for the one at the bottom that was illuminated. Even after squinting and examining them closely, Rayn couldn't make out the details.
The illuminated icon was the same as the one from the previous notification—the Hoof Care skill.
The icon was designed as a rounded square, with a lifelike image of a hoof facing upwards in the center and a black iron shovel on the side, making it appear incredibly realistic.
Below the icon were some small words: Hoof Care lv1 (1/100).
However, Rayn was still a bit perplexed.
Logically, if he had triggered a profession panel by caring for donkey hooves, shouldn't it have been a veterinarian's panel? Why was it the Blacksmith Apprentice profession panel that was triggered instead?
[Your skill, Hoof Care, has improved. Experience +1]
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It turned out that this was what captivated the young boy's heart!
He never imagined that this world would be even more miserable, where even meat was scarce!
Perhaps it was because, in this world, caring for donkey hooves was a task performed by blacksmith apprentices? Rayn shook his head slightly, unable to comprehend.
His profession experience had only increased by two points!
A black bread, half a smoked fish, and a large bowl of vegetable stew—this was Rayn's lunch, the same as the other servants.
"Master Barl, may I have another round?" Rayn asked, turning to Master Barl as the other servants stared at him in surprise.
Therefore, after another day of caring for donkey hooves, he would consider the task completed. If he wanted to further improve his hoof care skill, he would have to wait until next month or even the month after.
George was taken aback, his face turning red. Holding half a black bread, he said, "It's nothing, Rayn. By the way, you've worked hard this morning. If you're still hungry, I'll give you my half."
The correct version is available on Book 69. Book 69 is the first to release this novel.
Suddenly, memories related to his original self surfaced. The girl in front of him was named Sophia, around the same age as him, and also a servant at the estate.
[You focused on learning donkey hoof care for an hour. Blacksmith Apprentice profession experience +1]
Those who understood, understood!
Rayn contemplated as he looked at the skill—Hoof Care lv (12/100)—and fell into deep thought.
After lunch, Rayn's stamina had mostly recovered, although his back and waist still ached. But as he watched his experience points continuously increase by 1, his heart raced with excitement.
Rayn looked around and realized that Sophia's allure wasn't limited to George alone; other young boys were also captivated by her charm.
"Hey, Rayn, why are you grinning like an idiot?" George, standing beside him, pulled him by the arm.
"Let's go. Don't tell me you want another round? It's someone else's turn now." George lifted his chin and said.
"Smack!"
George had yellow hair and a slender build, just like Rayn's only best friend.
The food that failed to entice Rayn's appetite, however, caused his companions to salivate. Their throats constricted as they swallowed repeatedly. As a senior servant shouted, "Meal time!"
"The examination is in three months. If I can't improve my skills by then, I won't stand a chance during the assessment!"
Rayn turned to look at the wealthy second-generation heirs beside him. After some thought, he realized that these were "fake second-generation" heirs! The real second-generation heirs were those others!
The Habsburg Estate was only a half-day journey by horse from County Town, and even less than an hour if one rode at full speed. As the origin of the Habsburg family, the estate had a tradition of training squires.
Suddenly, George's jaw dropped as he realized that his best friend's mind had been enlightened after being kicked by a donkey! "So, getting kicked by a donkey has its benefits?"
In just one morning, Rayn had gained 12 experience points. The rate at which his experience increased was indeed not slow! After all, he had only assisted by holding down the donkey's hoof and hadn't personally cared for it.
However, the training content for female servants differed significantly from that of male servants. They usually started with tasks like washing, cleaning, and ironing clothes.
George was taken aback, thinking that he, too, often daydreamed! Moreover, his best friend Rayn had been kicked by a donkey, and the Habsburg Estate provided relatively good treatment to its servants, allowing them to enjoy a "plentiful" meal.
"But this current situation must change!"
Name: Rayn Carlan
"Why are you spacing out today? Why are you daydreaming so much?" George asked with concern.
Rayn sighed inwardly, feeling a bit troubled. "It's going to take forever to reach the next level as a Blacksmith Apprentice. But I'll keep at it!"
"However, I've never learned swordsmanship or anything like that in my two lifetimes. I'll have to find an opportunity to do so."
Rayn nodded, silently giving his best friend a "good person card" in his mind. Regarding the black bread mixed with wood chips, he could only politely decline! After a moment, Rayn thought it necessary to remind his best friend. Without lifting his head, he spoke softly, "George, you can look at her a hundred times, and she still won't be yours! Use this time to think about how to pass the examination. Once you pass, she'll be yours!"
Additionally, he felt that Rayn, having been injured yesterday and working hard today, needed to replenish his stamina.
However, for the seasoned Rayn, the girl's maid outfit was not a temptation. But for a young boy going through puberty, it was a sight that could make him forget to eat or sleep.
Could it be that, because the person teaching the servants donkey hoof care was a blacksmith?
[Your skill, Hoof Care, has improved. Experience +1]
"Rayn, we're the best of friends, but we can't say anything. I didn't peek at Sophia."
After doing as instructed, Rayn also began to devour his food.
Engels was the son of the town's tanner, wearing brown linen shorts.
"This servant training is a bit like military training, but it lasts much longer. It's a whole three months, and then comes the examination that my original self longed for."
"With a slight tilt of his head, the little partners beside him had already begun tearing the black bread with force, crushing it again, and adding it to the bland vegetable soup, which soon turned into a thick vegetable broth.
What was the status of blacksmiths in the era of cold weapons?
Thinking for a moment, Rayn flipped the pages back to the first page.
This body was really a little too weak. Otherwise, Rayn estimated that he could have persisted for a little longer.
As the group approached, the memories of his original self told Rayn that these people were the offspring of some low-ranking nobles and wealthy merchants under the command of the Habsburg Earl. They were undergoing knight squire training at the Habsburg Estate.
But there were only a few dozen donkeys in the estate.
'Although I have the attribute panel, the current rate of improvement is still a little too slow. To smoothly pass the examination and become a blacksmith apprentice, I need to think of a way to speed things up.'
[Your skill Hoof Trimming has improved, Experience +1]
'Huh! First page, this is... Attribute Panel?'
Rayn pondered briefly.
'As for being a guard? Of course, I want to! Holding a sword and shield, wearing a full suit of armor, just thinking about it makes my blood boil!'
Rayn nodded slightly; he understood this, similar to the way naan was eaten.
With the highest spirit at 8 points, it was even higher than that of an ordinary adult. Could it be because of the fusion of his original self and this body?
Although the group appeared to be around the same age as Rayn and the others, the boys were tall and the girls were youthful, their extraordinary clothing making them look like the masters of the castle.
'Rayn, let's go! Stop daydreaming and let's go eat lunch,' his best friend, George, called out from the side.
Upon hearing that he could rest, Rayn smiled broadly and walked over to chat with George! Engels patted Rayn's shoulder before leaving, saying, 'Be good!'
George, his best friend, kept tugging at his ragged clothes behind him, whispering anxiously, 'Rayn, did a donkey kick you in the head?'
Girls generally develop and become sensible much earlier than boys. At this moment, Sophia could be described as a budding flower!
Rayn was filled with motivation!
Highlighting the key points, Experience +1 and Blacksmith Apprentice Occupational Experience +1; the two were different.
Rayn's volunteering surprised Barl, who looked at him in astonishment. After seeing that Rayn wasn't joking, Barl nodded and said, 'Alright! Engels, you can go next.'
In other words, these servants were like cuckoos in the nest; the outer courtyard was originally a training ground for the true second-generation heirs.
[You assisted in donkey hoof care, and your understanding has improved!]
Occupation: Blacksmith Apprentice lv1
Constitution: 5
Strength: 4
Agility: 6
Spirit: 8
(Note: The attributes of an ordinary adult male are all 6.)
'Only 4 points of strength... This is truly a weakling attribute! No wonder he can't even handle a donkey's hoof!' Rayn sighed inwardly.
Could it be that the correlation between the donkey hoof care and the blacksmith apprentice occupation was too low?
Rayn smiled faintly and said casually, 'Maybe after the injury, I've been daydreaming a little too much. Let's go eat!'
'Ouch!'
In the afternoon, a group of servants continued learning how to care for donkey hooves.
The outer courtyard was a large area within the castle, enclosed by fences or walls, typically used as a training ground for knight squires and guards. Occasionally, a small section would be set aside for other purposes.
The group began devouring their food.
Regardless, triggering the blacksmith apprentice occupation panel was a good thing.
'Haha! I didn't say who it was, Sophia. You said it yourself.'
'Stop pulling, or my clothes will be torn,' Rayn said, lifting his ragged outer garment that was almost like a cloth strip.
'Pfft! There are even wood chips in the black bread! This isn't something humans should eat!'
Rayn glanced at his best friend, George, who was staring intently at the side, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
Rayn was speechless. In his previous life, he would order takeout, but you never knew what kind of meat you were eating, and that was already miserable enough.
The speed of skill experience improvement was much faster than that of the blacksmith apprentice occupational experience.
This black bread, even if he stuffed it into his stomach, he could manage it. He wanted to use this to stop Rayn's complaints.
The next second, his voice abruptly stopped.
However, in the afternoon, after only a few donkeys had been cared for, the servants saw over twenty boys and girls, more boys than girls, in the center of the outer courtyard.
One of the servants, who had been staring at the true heirs, received a slap from Barl.
'I'm almost full. You can have it,' George said insincerely.
This didn't violate the rules, after all, Rayn had suggested continuing. Engels, whose goal was to become an estate guard, had no interest in donkey hoof care. He didn't even want to touch this menial task! After working all morning, Rayn finally stopped to rest when he couldn't continue.
Looking at it this way, his Hoof Trimming skill wouldn't be able to level up anytime soon. Moreover, Rayn glanced at the experience bar below the words 'Blacksmith Apprentice' on the occupation panel, which was at level 1 (2/100).
Rayn followed his gaze and saw a girl in a gray linen maid's dress, bending over to clean up a table. Her slightly raised buttocks outlined a tempting curve.
At that moment, George's face turned red, and he anxiously looked around several times before saying,
Rayn touched the brick-sized black bread, feeling its rough texture and hard crust. Wow! This might as well be a brick painted black!
'George, what are you looking at?'
Rayn stroked his chin, and a smile appeared on his lips.
'Are you sure you can eat that much?' Rayn asked George in surprise.
Rayn tried hard to swallow, but his thoughts began to wander.
'You little rabbits, don't be envious! From the moment they're born, they're at a level you can never reach no matter how hard you try!' Barl said disdainfully.
'You guys! Learn a good skill, and you'll be able to live comfortably in the future.'
Barl's words were rough but true! Rayn agreed with his statement. In this era, class mobility was almost unrealistic. If the servants could learn a skill or two, they would have the means to support themselves.
'Huh! Rayn's pupils constricted, as if he had seen something incredible.
(End of Chapter)
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