Chapter 436: The Rapid Rise of a New Profession

Chapter 436: The Rapid Rise of a New Profession

Two hours ago.

Delram Family Manor.

"Your Grace, Sir Lambert is at the door," an attendant rushed in to report.

"Oh? Please show him in!" Duke Delram's face lit up with joy.

Upon hearing Lambert's safe return, Duke Delram's first thought was that Reign was finished.

In his opinion, only one of Lambert and Reign could return alive from the secret realm.

Now that Lambert had returned safely, what more could be said about Reign's fate?

"Sir Lambert, congratulations on your safe return," Duke Delram immediately spotted Lambert with his arms crossed and a greatsword on his back, and he smiled warmly, opening his arms to embrace him.

"Quickly, make the arrangements. Prepare a grand feast."

"No need, Your Grace. I just wanted to inform you that Reign is not my match. If he hadn't shown mercy, I wouldn't have made it back alive," Lambert said, relaxing his shoulders.

"What!" This caused Duke Delram's smile to freeze, and his outstretched arms stiffened in place.

"Sir Lambert, please forgive my rudeness, but did you truly hold back?" Duke Delram asked, his mind filled with reluctance as he regained his composure.

After all, the Sir Lambert before him could be considered one of the top legendary powerhouses, second only to the Empire Guardian.

However, Lambert's words made his face turn solemn, and he said, "Duke Delram, you are questioning the integrity of a Sword Saint's disciple!"

Suddenly, a unique and sharp sword belief rose into the air, centered on Lambert, creating a tangible pressure that swept through the entire venue.

Behind Duke Delram, a black-armored man with a dagger in hand appeared in an instant, standing in front of the duke with the dagger raised.

But Lambert didn't even draw the greatsword on his back. He merely stared at the man, causing the duke's personal guard to stifle a groan and retreat several steps.

"A sword belief of this level..."

With Duke Delram's keen eye, he naturally discerned part of the truth, and his face turned solemn.

Sir Lambert's strength was even greater than he had imagined.

How powerful must Reign be then?

"Sir Lambert, forgive my rudeness," Duke Delram said with a bitter smile.

"Reign's power surpasses even mine. Although I know the Delram family is under the protection of 'Stormcloud,' I still suggest you refrain from provoking him."

"If you continue to provoke him, one day, even 'Stormcloud' may not be able to protect the Delram family." With that, Lambert's figure flickered, and he disappeared from Duke Delram's sight.

Duke Delram, left behind, wore a bitter expression, but his heart felt even more bitter. He never expected that the powerful individual he had invited would become an advocate for that guy Reign. This was simply...

However, after carefully considering Lambert's words, Duke Delram felt a chill down his spine.

Could it be that Reign's strength was about to reach the level of the Empire Guardian?

But that shouldn't be possible! It defied all logic!

The next day.

Reign ate breakfast while pondering the art of leatherworking.

The chamber of commerce managed by the beautiful Jennifer naturally included leather goods, and not just that—they also had tailoring shops and blacksmiths, all located in Munster.

The last time Reign learned tailoring at the Eulis Tailor Shop was also in Munster.

"I should consider asking Jennifer to expand the chamber of commerce's operations in the imperial capital."

With his current strength, supporting a medium-sized chamber of commerce would be no issue. Even a large chamber of commerce was within his capabilities, as long as he found a suitable business model for healthy development.

Reign believed in Jennifer's business acumen and skills.

"Since it's like this, I'll contact Luther."

"Luther's Snyder family has a chamber of commerce that deals with furs from the north, and they should have a large leatherworking workshop and leather goods shop in the imperial capital."

Reign quickly decided whom to approach.

Imperial Capital, Inner Ring.

Snyder Family Manor.

"Sir Reign, you wish to learn leatherworking?" Luther asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

The night before, he had received the news that Sir Reign had returned early due to special circumstances and did not make it into the top six in the final round.

Could it be that Reign wanted to learn leatherworking to lift his spirits after feeling down and dejected?

"Well, Sir Reign, actually... The Dragon Knight selection might not require waiting another five years. Perhaps, in two or three years, there will be another opportunity. Look at me, I've..."

Reign was initially puzzled by Luther's words, but he soon understood. With a smile, he waved his hand, interrupting Luther's consolation.

"Sir Luther, you misunderstand. Although I didn't make it into the top six in the final round, I received compensation because it was due to the execution of an imperial task. I have the chance for a final two-way choice."

"Oh? Then you..." Luther was taken aback.

"Haha, I want to learn leatherworking purely out of interest. Is there a problem, Sir Luther?" Reign smiled.

"Of course not, Sir Reign. But you should be prepared for the strong smell in the leatherworking workshop," Luther quickly said.

Although he still found it hard to believe that a powerhouse at the legendary peak would want to learn the smelly art of leatherworking, Reign seemed serious, so Luther was determined to accommodate him.

"Yes, I already did some research before coming here.

Can we leave now?" Ren nodded and smiled.

"Of course! By the way, I forgot to congratulate you, Lord Ren, on making it to the final round of the Dragon Knight selection. I'm so envious." Luther couldn't help but exclaim.

"Thank you, Lord Luther. I believe that in the near future, you too will become a Dragon Knight."

Soon, Ren and Luther arrived at a leather workshop located in the Sixth Ring of the Imperial Capital.

Due to the strong odors produced during the tanning and lacquering processes, leather workshops were usually built in the outskirts of the city.

Of course, the specific shops selling leather armor were located in the bustling trade district, and this distinction should not be confused.

As soon as Ren stepped off the carriage, he immediately smelled a distinct odor, one that was even stronger than he had anticipated.

"What a stench!" Luther frowned as he followed Ren out of the carriage.

The leather workshop that caught Ren's eye was quite spacious, covering an area of thousands of square feet. According to Luther's introduction on the carriage, it was the Snyder family's largest leather workshop in the capital.

Various furs from the north were processed here, including tanning, dyeing, crafting, and the final embellishments or engravings.

At that moment, an elder with rolled-up sleeves and a sturdy build, along with two other managers in linen robes, quickly approached them. They bowed slightly and said, "Lord Luther, you came in person?"

"This is Master Henry, the master leatherworker and manager of the workshop. He has a lifetime of experience in leatherworking," Luther introduced.

"Master Henry, this is Lord Ren. He wants to understand and learn about leatherworking techniques. Your task is to ensure that this is done well. For Lord Ren's questions, you should answer thoroughly and leave no stone unturned."

"Huh? Is Lord Ren here to learn leatherworking?" Master Henry looked at Ren and then at Luther, his face filled with disbelief.

What's going on?

This man clearly held an extraordinary position, most likely a powerful figure like Lord Luther.

Learning this smelly leatherworking?

Is his mind sick?

"Is there a problem?" Luther's expression turned serious as he turned to Master Henry.

"Lord Luther, it's not that I don't want to teach, but this leatherworking is quite smelly. Lord Ren might..." Master Henry was a straightforward person, and he immediately expressed his difficulty.

"Master Henry, if I can't take it, I'll call for a stop in the middle. Is that okay?" Ren stepped forward and smiled reassuringly.

Seeing Ren's words, Master Henry knew he couldn't refuse any further.

"Alright, Lord Ren. Let's start tomorrow, shall we?" Master Henry nodded with a conflicted expression.

However, in his heart, he had already decided to get the entire workshop cleaned up, spray some perfume, and welcome Lord Ren properly the next day.

"No, Master Henry, let's start now." Ren waved his hand.

"Now?" Master Henry was surprised. Wasn't Lord Ren too impatient?

No, he really intended to learn.

"Yes, you see, such a large leather workshop should operate 24 hours a day, with leather being processed at every step." Ren pointed to the ten apprentices who were busy soaking, kneading, and scraping furs, creating a bustling scene.

"Master Henry, let's follow Lord Ren's suggestion. Please lead the way." Luther frowned.

"Okay, Lord Luther. Lord Ren, please follow me." Master Henry said with resignation.

Although Ren had suggested that Luther return first, Luther was quite curious about Ren's leatherworking endeavor. So, they quickly arrived at the first step of the leatherworking process: 'soaking'.

In a warehouse filled with raw furs, the apprentices were taking out the furs, shaking them out, and placing them into large cylindrical water tanks for soaking in clear water.

"Lord Ren, these are raw sheepskins from the tundra, salted and soaked in clear water for a day to remove the salt used during transportation," Master Henry introduced from the side.

Ren looked and nodded. This step didn't seem to require much technical skill; it was a simple process.

Immediately after, Master Henry began to introduce the next step:

"This is a de-fatting and softening pool, mainly composed of pigeon manure mixture."

Although this was also a soaking step, this time, they were soaking in a tanning solution, a mixture primarily made of pigeon manure. The purpose was to remove fat and blood, and the apprentices also had to quickly wash the furs multiple times in the tanning solution.

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This process started to become a bit more technical.

The tanning solution used to remove fat and blood from the raw furs was highly corrosive, which was a test of speed for the leatherworker apprentices.

They needed to be fast enough, or else their palm skin would be affected by the corrosive liquid.

"This side is a softening pool, mainly composed of pigeon manure mixture." Master Henry pointed to another row of large pools.

"In the softening pool, the furs are soaked for two days to further soften and remove the hair."

Meanwhile, Luther, standing nearby, was almost vomiting from the stench.

He swore that if it weren't for accompanying Ren, he would never have come this close to the manure pool!

To be honest, although this was his family's business, he had never thoroughly understood the production process of the leather workshop.

As the saying goes, 'jack of all trades, master of none'. He was a titled knight, the Snyder family's rising star, and his daily focus was on improving his combat power. Commercial matters were handled by specialized personnel.

"What a weirdo!"

However, when he glanced at Ren, who was watching with great interest, Luther could only endure the churning in his stomach and persist. He couldn't help but have some inner complaints, though.

"This is the first step in leatherworking, soaking and scraping to remove hair and dirt. During this process, we also repeatedly scrape the hide to remove any remaining hair."

Old Henry pointed to the apprentices standing on the slanted board, using thick-bladed knives to scrape away fat and residual hair.

Rayne surveyed the room, understanding the process of turning raw hide into tanned leather, which involved about five steps: soaking in clear water, soaking in cow urine, soaking in pigeon manure, scraping, and sun-drying.

"It seems that learning blacksmithing was the right choice when I was in Flash Gold Town. The leatherworking environment here is terrible; if one's body isn't strong enough, it's easy to get sick." Rayne couldn't help but sigh.

"Master Henry, I want to try it myself." Rayne pointed to one of the apprentices who was soaking raw hide in a large earthenware jar.

Upon hearing this, the obviously noble Rayne was about to step into the jar filled with a mixture of cow urine and other liquids, just like the apprentices who were soaking the hide. The leather apprentices were all stunned, staring at Rayne in disbelief.

"Sir Rayne, this..."

But Rayne smiled and, without waiting for Old Henry to react, took up a semi-waterproof leather half-coat lying nearby and put it on.

Soon, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Rayne stepped into the jar and began kneading a piece of sheepskin.

Meanwhile, Luther, who was standing nearby, stared at Rayne with wide eyes.

He never expected that Rayne was genuinely going to learn leatherworking, and that too, by personally getting his hands dirty.

On Rayne's side, the metal sorcery aura particles covering his palms meant that these corrosive liquids posed no harm to him at all.

He quickly shook his hands, and immediately, he began scraping away the remaining hair and dirt from the sheepskin.

Even though it was his first time, Rayne, with his legendary peak-level physical control and perception, performed the task with even more precision and professionalism than the leather apprentices who had been at it for years.

"This Sir Rayne is a natural-born leatherworker." Old Henry couldn't help but exclaim.

"Don't say that!" Luther, who was staring at Rayne's actions, exclaimed when he heard Henry's words, quickly regaining his composure.

"Ah! Yes, yes, Luther, I was just expressing my admiration. You must treat Sir Rayne with even more respect than you show me, understand?"

"Yes, Luther." Henry nodded repeatedly.

Perhaps it was because he had fully understood Henry's explanation, but as Rayne scraped a piece of sheepskin, the system prompted:

[You have tanned sheepskin, related understanding improved!]



[You have understood a new skill - Tanning!]



[Your skill Tanning has improved, +1 Experience!]



[Congratulations! You have triggered the profession panel - Leather Apprentice!]



"As expected, and as predicted, it's the apprentice-level profession panel!" Rayne thought.

Rayne glanced at his new profession panel. 'Leather Apprentice' might be the most inconspicuous white panel among all the extraordinary profession panels, with no radiant light, but at this moment, his heart was filled with joy.

This meant that, like the seamstress profession, this leatherworking path would likely allow multiple job advancements.

In other words, he would acquire a large number of skill points and attribute points in the future.

"Luther, you go back to your own tasks." Rayne naturally noticed Luther, who was standing nearby, being overwhelmed by the stench. He smiled and said, "Okay, Luther. Sir Rayne is learning leatherworking skills, and it's my old man's honor!" Henry bowed and sent him off.

"Sir Rayne, this workshop is yours to use as you please. Feel free to use any materials, and consider it as my gift to you." After Luther specifically reminded Rayne, he turned and left.

And so, it was time for Rayne's real performance.

Since the Leather Apprentice profession panel had appeared, Rayne naturally had no reason not to level up quickly.

With Rayne's physical strength, he could perform the current process for a whole week without rest.

Therefore, under the sorcery aura of the Seamstress (Extraordinary) core skill 'Focus', Rayne, while scraping the hide, also harvested a large amount of experience.

After Luther left, in just two hours, Rayne had leveled up Leather Apprentice from lv1 to lv3 max level, gaining two attribute points and two skill points.

The two piles of scraped clean hide stacked nearby were Rayne's achievements.

Adding these to his remaining points, Rayne now had 5 skill points, just 6 points short of the 11 points needed for a one-time upgrade to the new sorcery 'Sawtooth Net'.

However, just then, the system prompted with the job advancement information:

[Promotion to Leatherworker requires: 1. Leather Apprentice lv3 max level; 2. Agility 5 points or above, Strength 5 points or above, Constitution 5 points or above; 3. Craft any ten pieces of qualified tanned leather!] Current conditions do not meet the requirements! Promotion to Leatherworker failed!]



As Rayne had been focusing on the scraping process, it was natural that he hadn't crafted any finished tanned leather.

"Master Henry, I'll choose a few pieces of sheepskin to continue the process. If there are any shortcomings, please point them out immediately."

"Of course, Sir Rayne." Under Luther's instructions, Master Henry readily agreed to Rayne's request.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end