Chapter 62: The Barbarian and the Shield Maiden
Chapter 62: The Barbarian and the Shield Maiden
The capital city was the headquarters of Count Hubert's family, and Claire's brothers were likely there as well.
Now was not the time to visit the capital city to find an advanced blacksmith shop.
Rain immediately dismissed the idea of going to the capital city, knowing that improving his blacksmithing class level was the top priority for now.
"Uncle Boris, today I want to learn weapon polishing," Rain said, turning to Boris.
"Sure, come on!" Boris agreed without hesitation. After all, Rain had paid the tuition, and it didn't matter which skill he learned first, tempering or polishing.
Ever since obtaining the steel greatsword, Rain had decided to learn weapon polishing first and leave tempering for later.
To maintain a weapon in good condition, proper maintenance was crucial, and polishing was an essential part of weapon care.
Soon, Boris led Rain to the open-air courtyard behind the blacksmith shop.
"These are grinding stones for sharpening blades. Can you guess why they're called grinding stones, Rain?" Boris asked with a mischievous smile, pointing at a large stone as tall as an adult's thigh.
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A heavily armored man, towering like a giant, struggled to carry a massive double-bladed axe, its weight clearly straining even the mighty black warhorse.
"The primary purpose of applying oil is to reduce friction."
His muscular arms and thighs were intimidating, each muscle bulging like a protruding rock, clearly indicating a powerful warrior.
[You focused on weapon polishing for ten minutes, gaining +1 Blacksmithing Experience Points]
This was likely because weapon polishing required keen eyesight, strong arm strength, and constant mental focus.
Rain was overjoyed!
Indeed, he was much 'smaller' in comparison.
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Rain, too, turned to look, and saw a group of five people riding tall warhorses approaching from the north.
He picked up a palm-sized iron pot, poured a small amount of oil onto the top of the grinding stone, and lightly scraped it with the blade, spreading the oil evenly.
He went through the weapons laid out in the open area for polishing, and in no time, he had polished half of them. Even the kitchen knives didn't escape Rain's attention.
By the time Rain finished, it was almost noon. He wiped the large beads of sweat from his forehead and breathed a long sigh of relief.
Recently, Rain had made significant progress in his attributes, including Constitution, Strength, and Spirit.
Rain knew that it was their imposing stature that gave him this illusion.
Although they were dressed similarly, their builds were comparatively petite.
Rain could earn approximately 5 class experience points per hour.
Wait, something was off. The last one was actually a young girl, around eighteen or nineteen years old!
It didn't take long for Rain to figure it out, and the system notification followed: [You have polished weapons and gained relevant insights!]
This made Rain feel that his efforts were rewarded.
The black warhorse snorted vigorously, and in the slightly chilly autumn air, two columns of steam could be seen rising from its nostrils.
The slightly heavy hoofbeats immediately caught the attention of the town residents on the main street, and they all turned to look.
The crescent-shaped axe blade was almost as wide as a door at its broadest point, narrowing towards the front and back. The single-edged axe was about a meter long, and the circular metal handle was also about half a meter in length.
The most striking feature was the gigantic single-edged axes hanging on both sides of the horse, one on each side.
Not long after Rain left the blacksmith shop, a slightly heavy sound of hoofbeats echoed through the small town's main street behind him.
Rain, who was solely focused on improving his blacksmithing class level, worked without rest and polished weapons for an entire morning.
After the polishing, the metal shavings from the sword or blade will remain on the oil, which can be easily wiped clean with a cloth. Boris demonstrated this while explaining.
[Your Skill Weapon Polishing has improved, +1 Experience Point]
This person's height must be over two meters and thirty centimeters! He wore a horned helmet, a thick leather armor, and sharp spikes on the surface.
Rain observed carefully, and as soon as Boris finished the demonstration, he immediately started practicing.
Although the girl was riding a horse, Rain could still roughly estimate her height to be between one meter seventy and one meter eighty.
"That's correct. This type of whetstone is called an oilstone because it requires a drop of oil on the surface before use," Boris revealed.
"Hoho!"
The others behind them were similarly dressed in a wild style like the first 'giant,' each with a strong, sturdy, and robust build.
After checking the panel, Rain noticed that his current Blacksmith Level had reached Blacksmith Lv. 1 (76/100).
This couldn't help but surprise Rain!
Boris held the sword handle with his right hand and placed his other hand on the spine of the sword, starting to polish it.
Except for the shoulders and torso, which were covered, his hands and feet were almost entirely exposed, seemingly to maintain flexibility during combat.
The leader was a bearded strongman, riding an unusually tall black warhorse. However, his feet were only about twenty to thirty centimeters off the ground, giving the impression of an adult riding a small pony.
The entire set of movements was not difficult.
On the panel below the blacksmith, in addition to the existing icons like hoof trimming, shoeing, and bellows, there was a new icon.
Inside, several whetstones of different sizes were casually placed.
The top of the stones had a subtle concave arc due to repeated polishing.
Rain's efficiency was so impressive that Boris couldn't help but smile! "Rain, why not consider working as my assistant? I'll pay you more!"
[You have learned a new skill - Weapon Polishing]
"Could it be related to oil?" Rain pondered and murmured.
This new icon, located above the hoof trimming icon, depicted a long, narrow whetstone with a short sword on top, clearly illustrating the process of polishing a weapon.
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Additionally, Rain discovered that Weapon Polishing provided more Blacksmithing Experience Points than Ore Identification.
Therefore, despite the tiring nature of weapon polishing, Rain could persist for extended periods.
Upon entering the town, the group's speed noticeably slowed down, allowing Rain to get a clear look at their appearances.
As they approached, the town residents made way, gazing at them with a mix of awe and curiosity.
Rain also took the opportunity to observe their details more closely.
Declining Blacksmith Boris's repeated invitation, Rain stood up and headed home.
Boris picked up a one-handed sword nearby that needed polishing and sat on a wooden stool in front of the oilstone, seemingly ready to demonstrate for Rain.
Behind him, he carried an extremely exaggerated circular shield, over a meter in diameter, which made the 'petite' girl appear even smaller in comparison.
The shield seemed to be made of a thick type of wood, with a palm-sized iron plate embedded in the center and surrounded by narrow iron strips that served as a tight hoop.
On the side of the horse, there was also a long-handled battle axe, but it was clearly two levels smaller than the 'giant's' axe, and the axe blade was not crescent-shaped but rather in the style of a regular woodcutting axe.
This was an extremely rare female shield warrior? Rain was not only surprised but also took a closer look at her.
(End of Chapter)
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