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Chapter 9: Upgrading at the Blacksmith's Shop
Chapter 9: Upgrading at the Blacksmith's Shop
By the time Rayn and George returned to their respective homes, Rayn was carrying a basket filled with wild blueberries, hazelnuts, and chestnuts. Thanks to George's connections, they had sneaked into the estate forest and gathered various nuts and berries. It was a fruitful harvest!
Around seven-tenths of the forest surrounding the town belonged to the Habsburg Estate's private forest, while the remaining three-tenths was public land. However, the wild fruits and nuts in the public forest had long been picked clean by the town's residents.
It was already lunchtime, and the autumn sun shone warmly. As Rayn approached his home, he noticed the white smoke rising from his chimney, which lifted his spirits.
However, as he glanced at the neighboring house, he froze. A little girl in a gray linen coat was sitting on the wooden steps, basking in the sunlight and nibbling on a rye bread.
Mint seemed to understand something from her brother's serious gaze and nodded vigorously. "Yes! Living alone is really tough for Anna."
The girl was none other than Anna!
[You have learned a new skill - Bellows Operation]
Who would have thought that allowing Rayn to operate the bellows would lead to such a serendipitous skill acquisition?
Several strong apprentices glanced at Rayn, their eyes lingering on his skinny frame. They doubted he could last long at this task.
"Uncle Boris, can I help out at the blacksmith's shop? I'll do anything!"
[Remaining Attribute Points: 1]
"She'll definitely love these wild fruits. Don't worry, brother! I'll make sure Anna accepts them, or I'll cry!" Mint fluttered her big eyes and waved her small hand.
[Your Bellows Operation skill has improved. Experience +3]
Rayn couldn't help but feel delighted.
With each pull of the bellows, his experience increased by 1, and soon enough, he saw the notification for +1 Blacksmith Apprentice Experience.
Hearing Rayn's voice, Boris turned to look at him.
The number of breaks they took could be counted on one hand.
Rayn stood frozen, watching her eat with utmost care, his heart suddenly racing.
Hmm? Help for free?
[Blacksmith Apprentice Level 3 (0/500)]
[You have gained insight through your bellows operation work!]
Boris sized up Rayn, "So, it's little Rayn. You seem sturdier than before. But I'm sorry, we don't need any extra hands at the blacksmith's shop."
Does this kid know what 'help for free' means? He's working harder than the regular apprentices. Unbelievable!
One of the apprentices spoke up, "Then let Rayn help me with the bellows!"
Not being familiar with the girl, Rayn hesitated to approach her with the nuts. He wasn't sure if she would accept his goodwill.
[Hoof Repair Level 2 (295/300)]
The blacksmith's shop was located on the town's main road. Before Rayn even got close, he could hear the rhythmic clanging of metal from a distance.
"Alright, Rayn. Just remember not to touch anything in the shop. You're in charge of the bellows this afternoon. Drus, show him the ropes." Rayn readily agreed, eager to learn the bellows.
Once Rayn got the hang of the bellows, he worked tirelessly until nightfall.
Although the rye bread was inferior to the black bread, the little girl savored every bite.
The other apprentices were baffled by Rayn's enthusiasm for such a mechanical and monotonous task.
Rayn worked until dusk.
Blacksmith apprentices were highly regarded among other trade apprentices, and they cherished their privileged position, even if they didn't show it outwardly.
As she held a bran cake in one hand, she caught the falling crumbs with the other, and even poured the crumbs into her own mouth, not wanting to waste a single bit.
After lunch, Rayn headed towards the blacksmith shop in Shiny Gold Town.
After some thought, Rayn entered his room and poured out half of the foraged fruits and nuts he had collected. He then handed the remaining half-basket to his sister Mint.
Sitting in front of the bellows, Rayn, under Drus's guidance, pulled the bellows with all his might.
How much misfortune must one endure to find such happiness in a simple bran cake?
After taking a few bites, the girl in the sunlight squinted her eyes, seemingly content with having a bran cake to eat.
"Brother, Anna accepted it, and she asked me to thank you! We also agreed to continue planting vegetables in the garden this afternoon."
"Mint, you're amazing!" Rayn heard that Anna had accepted the gift, and his heart instantly relaxed. He gave his sister a thumbs-up and praised her.
Blacksmith Boris was first startled, and then his gaze once again focused on Rayn. His eyes burned with intensity, as if contemplating what task to assign Rayn.
Boris smiled as he watched the scene unfold before him.
Suddenly, several blacksmith apprentices exchanged glances, each seeing a sense of urgency in the other's eyes.
[Congratulations! Your Blacksmith Apprentice level has increased!]
"Mm! Good girl."
The first line of the panel showed that the Blacksmith Apprentice level had reached 3.
[Bellows Operation Lv.2 (245/300)]
Rayn looked down at the foraged fruits in his hand, hesitated for a moment, but didn't know what to say.
Rayn's heart leaped with joy, just as he had expected.
As soon as he entered the blacksmith shop, Rayn was greeted by a wave of heat!
Eagerly flipping to the second page of the transparent frame, Rayn carefully examined its contents.
Is there more to this?
"Hehe, Uncle Boris, I'm here to help for free. You can have me do whatever you want."
[Shoeing Lv.1 (56/100)]
The group immediately quickened their movements.
"Mint, go and give this half-basket of foraged fruits to Anna over there. Remember to make sure she accepts it." Rayn crouched down, patted Mint's head, and said.
[You focused on the bellows, gaining Blacksmith Apprentice experience.]
This caused Blacksmith Boris to view Rayn with newfound respect. At the same time, Boris took the opportunity to scold several apprentices, saying that they should learn from Rayn.
The apprentices looked at Rayn with confusion as he approached Boris.
Meanwhile, the other apprentices stared at Rayn in astonishment!
Boris glanced at Rayn, thought for a moment, and then focused on the bellows. It didn't require much skill, just some strength.
Before long, Rayn received a system notification of his job level increase: [You have gained insights from operating the bellows!]
Not long after, Mint returned, her face filled with excitement.
As long as there was experience to be gained, even donkey hoof care could increase the blacksmith apprentice's experience, let alone operating the bellows!
Inside, several helpers and apprentices were hard at work, while Blacksmith Boris Patton was forging an iron pot.
This way, Rayn wouldn't be able to secretly learn any skills, and Boris could make use of this free labor.
Suddenly, Rayn started working like a perpetual motion machine!
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[Remaining Skill Points: 2]
Even though he knew his job level would likely increase today, Rayn couldn't contain his joy upon witnessing this scene!
This time, Rayn had come to Boris's blacksmith shop to work for free.
But at this moment, the newly added 1 attribute point and 1 skill point at the bottom of the attribute panel were the best rewards for his free labor!
(End of Chapter)
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