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Chapter 8: Anna the Maiden
Chapter 8: Anna the Maiden
I can work at the blacksmith's shop in town and even gain experience as a blacksmith apprentice! However, according to my original body's memories, the blacksmith and owner of the shop, Boris, is a stingy man.
Unless you're an experienced assistant, learning any skills from him requires a hefty apprenticeship fee, apparently five or ten silver coins.
There's no way my family can afford that right now.
I'll have to think of another way.
"Matilda, hello."
"Hello, Reyn. After a week of being a servant, you seem more spirited and robust!" Matilda greeted Reyn warmly; she was quite familiar with his mother.
Hmm, is that so?
Initially, Reyn thought Matilda was just being polite.
The maiden turned her head, her facial features were beautiful, but her complexion was somewhat pale.
...
A woman was bent over, weeding in an open field. Sensing someone's approach, she straightened up.
He wasn't sure if this feeling of being moved was a natural reaction of this body.
Currently, he was going through a period of rapid physical development, and he had a good appetite. In his previous life, there was a saying, "A growing boy will eat his father out of house and home."
Anna?
Anna, standing nearby, seemed to have a longing in her eyes as well.
But she smiled and hugged Reyn.
"Hello, Anna!"
With a little exercise, he might even develop noticeable abs.
"Just don't tell anyone."
The house had a slanted roof covered in thatch, and while the walls were made of mud, the rest of the structure was wooden.
The next morning, Elder Reyn politely declined Reyn's offer to help in the fields and left early. His mother also went to work at the town inn.
A quiet young girl, reportedly, had moved to Shiny Gold Town with her mother.
Soon after, Reyn's father returned, a sturdy man with a square jaw. His forehead was lined with wrinkles, suggesting he often worried.
It was a natural instinct to be born human.
The effect of this strength increase was immediate! Reyn stopped in front of a triangular-roofed, two-story house.
"Who caught you?" Reyn asked, puzzled.
Moreover, the thought of eating meat constantly lingered in his mind. After finishing his meal, Reyn couldn't help but swallow, reluctantly shifting his gaze from the food.
But after Reyn hastily finished his portion, he realized he was only half-full.
"Brother, I want to go too!" Mint exclaimed excitedly when she heard Reyn was going to gather nuts.
Such a young girl, yet so sensible!
That night, Reyn slept soundly.
In an ordinary civilian household, this was already considered a feast!
But he knew this feeling of being moved came from deep within his heart.
Indeed, they were his neighbors.
"Alright~" Mint said pitifully. Though reluctant, she obediently listened.
Just as Reyn was about to help them, he heard his best friend George's voice from the doorway, "Reyn, let's go gather nuts."
Only Reyn and his sister Mint were left at home.
He knew his father needed the nutrition more, as physical labor demanded strength.
After walking a while, George suddenly said with a strange expression:
Reyn immediately lifted his shirt to check his abdomen, and indeed, the outline of eight-pack abs was visible.
Dinner consisted of pickled pork, a large plate of mashed potatoes, several rye bread slices, and a bottle of milk.
Reyn instantly associated a girl named Mint with this scene.
"Reyn, is that you?"
"Unlucky one?" Reyn asked, puzzled.
The family of four sat cozily around a wooden table, enjoying their dinner.
"Let me see, after a few days, Reyn, you've grown stronger. It seems the estate treats its servants well." Mother Emma smiled and hugged Reyn.
When Reyn followed his sister's voice to the small courtyard, he found Mint planting carrots with a maiden.
It was obvious why today was the day Rayn returned home.
Although it was said that skinny people could easily develop abs, this body was definitely without abs, not even a shadow of them.
If Rayn's previous efforts were driven by his desire to change his circumstances as a transmigrator and his longing for this extraordinary world, then...
That evening.
The girl had always been timid and afraid of people.
Rayn shook his head and said, "Mint, you and Anna are at home, right? Brother will bring you some nuts."
But a year ago, her mother mysteriously disappeared.
As expected, the child of a poor family had to grow up fast.
Now, she lived alone in the wooden house next to Rayn's home.
For a moment, Rayn felt a strange sense of emotion.
Looking at the scene before him, Rayn was deeply touched.
"Rayn, I'm here," Elder Reyn said. "This..."
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This was Mint, his sister! "Mint!" Rayn picked up his sister, spun her around, and made her giggle.
"Father, you've worked hard!" Rayn hugged his father tightly.
It wouldn't be appropriate for him to bring someone along.
"Hello, Rayn," the girl said shyly greeting him with her head bowed.
Seeing Rayn, she smiled and patted his shoulder with her calloused, sturdy palms, saying, "Rayn, you've grown! You seem to have gotten a little taller too!"
Rayn seemed to be a few months older than the girl.
Usually, Elder Reyn wouldn't indulge in such good food.
Although Elder Reyn didn't know why his son was suddenly so sentimental,
Moreover, Rayn had added attributes. Since adding that bit of strength, it seemed to have drained the last bit of nutritional reserves from his body, and Rayn felt especially hungry these past few days.
Looking at the woman's kind and dignified face, related memories flooded his mind like a gushing spring. Various heartwarming scenes played out like a slideshow in Rayn's mind, and he blurted out, "Mother, it's me! I'm back!"
The mother glanced at him and immediately sensed something. "Rayn, are you hungry? I'll give you these two slices of salted meat. I've had enough."
Rayn patted Mint's head and left with George.
"Brother, you're up? I'm planting carrots with Anna," said Mint, greeting him with a smile.
The woman was his original mother, and now she was his mother too! "Brother! Is it really you who's back?" A little girl with long hair suddenly ran in from the backyard, holding a bunch of chives in her hand.
"Rayn, why is your sister with Anna? Didn't you hear? She's an unlucky one. Her mother didn't just disappear; she was probably taken away. But I don't know the details." George looked around, and when he saw no one, he whispered mysteriously.
Her hair, a pale yellow color, seemed dry and split, a sign of chronic malnutrition. Only her deep brown eyes revealed a determined beauty.
However, after some thought, Rayn declined, as he was also accompanying George to the Habsburg Estate's forest.
But Rayn flexed his arm, looking at his originally spindly limb, now with a hint of bulging muscles, especially in the biceps.
In front and behind the house, there were patches of land where chives and vegetables grew.
"Brother, I'm still young, so I made this mashed potatoes for you," said Mint, pushing a bowl of mashed potatoes towards Rayn.
But from this moment on, Rayn's motivation gained a new intensity! In the end, Rayn accepted the salted meat and mashed potatoes from his mother and Mint, but he declined his father's bread.
"I'm not really sure about that," George said, his words vague.
"By the way, Rayn, did you hear? Recently, two children from commoner families in the north of our town have gone missing! Remind Mint to stay indoors and not wander around."
"Huh? Is this true? Weren't child disappearances happening in other towns, and wasn't our Shiny Gold Town safe? Has it spread here now?" Rayn was astonished.
"I'm not too sure about that," George thought for a moment. This was another question that touched upon his blind spot of knowledge.
(End of Chapter)
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