https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-10-New-Profession-Panel-The-Militia/12956335/
Chapter 9: Upgrading the Blacksmith's Workshop
Chapter 9: Upgrading the Blacksmith's Workshop
By the time Lei En and Georgi returned home, Lei En was carrying a basket brimming with wild blueberries, hazelnuts, and chestnuts.
Thanks to Georgi's connections, they had secretly ventured into the estate forest, gathering various nuts and berries.
It was a bountiful harvest!
Approximately seventy percent of the forest surrounding the town belonged to the Habsburg Manor's estate forest, while the remaining thirty percent 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 Lei En approached his home, he could see the white smoke rising from his chimney from afar, which instantly lifted his spirits.
However, as his peripheral vision swept past his neighbor's house, he froze!
A little girl in a gray linen coat was sitting on the wooden steps of her home, basking in the sunlight and nibbling on a wheat bran cake.
Although it was inferior to black bread, the girl cherished it dearly.
She held the cake in one hand, catching the falling crumbs with the other, ensuring not a single crumb was wasted.
After a few bites, the girl in the sunlight closed her eyes, seemingly content with having a wheat bran cake to eat.
The girl was none other than Anna!
Lei En stood there, transfixed, watching as she ate carefully, his heart clenching at the sight.
What kind of misfortune must one endure to find happiness in a simple wheat bran cake?
Lei En looked down at the wild fruits in his hand, his lips murmuring, but he didn't know what to say.
He wasn't close to the girl, and if he offered her some nuts out of the blue, she might not accept his kindness.
Lei En entered his room and poured out half of the collected fruits and nuts, then handed the remaining half-basket to his sister, Mint.
"Mint, go and give this half-basket of wild fruits to Anna next door. Make sure she accepts them," Lei En said, squatting down to pat Mint's head gently.
As if sensing something from Lei En's serious gaze, Mint nodded vigorously. "Yes! Anna has it so tough living on her own."
"She'll definitely like these fruits. Don't worry, brother! I'll make sure she accepts them, or I'll cry!" Mint said, fluttering her big eyes and waving her little hand.
"Good girl," Lei En said.
Before long, Mint came running back, her face beaming with excitement.
"Brother, Anna accepted them, and she asked me to thank you! We also agreed to continue planting vegetables in the garden this afternoon."
"Great job, Mint!" Lei En felt relieved that Anna had accepted his gift, and he gave his sister a thumbs-up.
After lunch, Lei En headed towards the blacksmith's workshop in Glintstone Town.
The blacksmith's workshop was located on the town's main thoroughfare. Even before Lei En got close, he could hear the rhythmic clanging of metal from a distance.
As he entered the workshop, Lei En was hit by a wave of heat.
Inside, several burly helpers and apprentices were hard at work, while the blacksmith, Boris Paton, was forging an iron pot.
The apprentices looked at Lei En with curiosity as he approached Boris.
"Uncle Boris, can I help out at the blacksmith's workshop? I'm willing to do anything!" Lei En said.
Boris turned at the sound of Lei En's voice.
"Well, well, Lei En, you've become much sturdier than before. But I'm sorry, we don't need any extra hands at the moment."
"Hehe, Uncle Boris, I'm here to help for free. You can have me do whatever you need," Lei En offered.
Huh?
Free help?
Is there such a good deal?
Boris was momentarily taken aback, then his gaze returned to Lei En, his eyes intense as if considering what task to assign him.
Rain had no intention of letting Rain sneak away with any skills, but he could make good use of this free labor.
At that moment, an apprentice blacksmith nearby overheard and raised an eyebrow. "Master, let Rain help me with the bellows!" he suggested.
Boris glanced at the apprentice and thought for a moment. The bellows didn't require much skill, just some strength.
"Alright, Rain. Don't touch anything in the blacksmith shop. You'll be in charge of the bellows this afternoon. Drus, teach Rain how to do it."
Rain, there was no objection to this. Bellows, here I come!"
As long as he gained experience, it didn't matter what the task was. Even shoeing donkeys could increase the apprentice blacksmith's experience, let alone operating the bellows!
Sitting in front of the bellows, Rain, under Drus' guidance, began to pull the bellows with all his might.
Several strong apprentices nearby glanced at Rain's skinny arms and legs and doubted he could last long.
But once Rain grasped the basic technique, he started working tirelessly.
[You have performed the task of operating the bellows, and your understanding has improved!]
[You have learned a new skill - Bellows Operation]
Rain's heart leaped with joy, just as he had anticipated.
With each pull of the bellows, his experience increased by 1, and soon enough, he saw the words '+1' appear for his blacksmith apprentice occupation experience.
Rain couldn't help but feel delighted, his joy evident on his face.
He worked like an everlasting machine, while the other apprentices stared at him in astonishment.
They couldn't understand why this new kid had such enthusiasm for a mechanical and tedious task, working with such fervor.
Did this brat even know what it meant to help for free? It was rare to see someone more hardworking than these official apprentice blacksmiths.
Rain worked until nightfall, taking only a few breaks in between.
This impressed Boris, who took the opportunity to scold the other apprentices, telling them to learn from Rain's dedication.
The apprentices exchanged glances, each seeing a sense of urgency in the other's eyes.
While the job of an apprentice blacksmith was tough, it offered excellent treatment compared to other trades. They might not say it aloud, but they cherished their position.
Immediately, they quickened their pace.
Boris watched this scene unfold before him and couldn't help but smile.
He hadn't expected that allowing Rain to operate the bellows would have such an effect.
Before long, Rain received the system notification for his job level-up:
[You have performed the task of operating the bellows, and your understanding has improved!]
[Your skill, Bellows Operation, has improved, gaining 3 experience points.]
[You focused on the bellows, and your blacksmith apprentice occupation experience has increased by 1.]
[Congratulations! Your blacksmith apprentice occupation level has increased!]
Eagerly, Rain flipped to the second page of the transparent panel.
The first line on the panel showed that his blacksmith apprentice level had reached Level 3.
[Blacksmith Apprentice Lv3 (0/500)]
[Bellows Operation Lv2 (245/300)]
[Hoof Care Lv1 (56/100)]
[Remaining Attribute Points: 1]
[Remaining Skill Points: 2]
Even though Rain knew his job level was likely to increase today, he couldn't contain his joy.
Although he was working for free at Boris's blacksmith shop, at this moment, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
