Chapter 5: Chapter 4 The Donkey and the Horse Are All One Family

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Apart from that, the fragment appeared as if it had been through a thousand hammers and a hundred refinings.

Since it was a piece of the sword blade, Rein could clearly see the partial fish scale-like hammering marks on it.

Though it was hand-forged, the layered fish scale pattern proved that the craftsman who made the greatsword was extremely skilled.

Rein never underestimated hand forging; in his previous life, a level eight vice-worker making the casing for an atomic bomb was a bona fide fact.

It seemed that even the world of forging here was much stronger than he had imagined.

"Change places!" Baal's shout instantly pulled Rein back from his wandering thoughts.

Wrapping the small shard in a piece of rag, Rein slipped it into the pocket of his upper garment.

He patted his butt, dusted off the dirt, and stood up to continue nailing horseshoes!

[You have assisted in donkey hoof repair work, your comprehension has improved!]

[Your Skill "Hoof Repair" has improved, Experience +1] Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

[You focused on learning to repair donkey hooves for one hour, Blacksmith Apprentice Professional Experience Points +1]

[Your Skill "Hoof Repair" has improved, Experience +1]

.....

In the evening, after a hard day's work, Rein returned to the servant children's dormitory, which was a large bunk room for easier management.

A bunk room slept more than a dozen people, and Rein and his best friend George were not in the same dormitory!

Naturally, the best spots in the middle were occupied by the "faux second generation," and Rein and the other boys slept on the edges of the bunk room.

"Rein! Move it, sweep the floor, and wipe the bed planks and the cabinets!" Thick-Brows commanded arrogantly, as it was his turn to clean today.

Rein glanced at Thick-Brows and cursed in his heart, "Damn! I'm already exhausted from the day, and now I have to clean up after you?!"

"What are you looking at! Hurry up, or do you want a beating?!"

Thick-Brows stood tall, his eyebrows forming an angry v-shape as he menacingly stepped forward and grabbed Rein by the collar.

Rein was about to fight back when he remembered his thin arms and legs and his stature being half a head shorter than Thick-Brows. Starting a fight now would definitely not end well!

He thought to himself, "Damn it, interdimensional school bullying, huh! Just wait! I'll endure it for a couple of days, then see how I deal with you!"

But what he said was, "Aren't I just looking for a rag? I'm on it!"

Hearing this, Thick-Brows suspiciously looked in the direction Rein was pointing. Indeed, there was a rag there, so he then grudgingly pushed Rein away and walked off!

Rein picked up the rag and wiped all the bedsteads clean, then swept the floor, fetched water, mopped the floor, and after a series of chores, he was dead tired!

As he worked, he pondered what triggered the activation of the professional panel?

Previously, he had triggered Blacksmith Apprentice, so did that mean it was because he was learning how to repair donkey hooves?

But now, he had been sweeping, mopping, and wiping tables for over an hour, and yet he hadn't triggered the profession of Servant....

Was it because there was no Servant profession?

Or was it that he hadn't swept long enough?

.....

After a tiring day, the servant boys had little desire to chat, and after a few brief conversations, they all drifted off to sleep.

Rein, still fuming inside, tossed and turned, unable to sleep, his mind a mess.

He thought about how he could seek rapid change because he did not want to continue living like this. He needed to teach Thick-Brows a lesson!

Various ideas flashed through Rein's mind, such as offering a gunpowder formula that used his academic advantage to Count Habbs?

After thinking about it, no good!

Based on the memories of his original self, let alone the Earl, even the Habsburg's steward was a big shot with a Knight's title, Rein, a mere servant boy, couldn't possibly get in touch with them.

Through the head manservant?

Leaving aside whether the head manservant was reliable or not, even if the head manservant would help report up the chain, how would Rein, a poor commoner's son, explain the source of his knowledge?

Moreover, if any step in the process went wrong, he might even be risking his life, given that wealth stirs human hearts.

Since it was a Transcendent world, the rule of might was natural!

Quickly figuring out a way to level up, to take the first step, that was the real path to power!

But... speaking of might, that noble girl was really cool, awesome, and beautiful!

Listening to how others addressed her, it seemed to be Lady Cleya.

Was she the daughter of the Earl or some other noble family's daughter?

In Rein's mind, he couldn't help but envision the confident and heroic figure of the noble girl, her hunting outfit clinging to her skin, outlining the girl's delicate figure, especially her taut buttocks....

In a daze, Rein unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning.

At the break of dawn, the servant children were called to start their chores.

Today was still about learning to repair donkey hooves, but after today's session, teaching how to nail horseshoes would pause until next month.

This made Rein a bit anxious.

Damn it, just when I finally got a golden finger, the donkey hooves are no more!

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"What if... I just ask Master Baal to let me have a go at fixing it myself next time?"

Rein glanced at his slender arms and immediately shook his head. Lacking experience and strength, even if Baal agreed, he was unlikely to fix the donkey's hooves properly.

Messing it up would be counterproductive.

Today, the scions of nobility hadn't come to the outer fort for training, which Rein somewhat regretted.

After another day spent fixing donkey hooves, Rein looked at his skill—Hoofing (32/100)—and fell into deep contemplation. What should he do tomorrow?

Another day passed.

Early the next morning, Baal was still there, standing in front of the apprentices lined up in two rows, and loudly declared:

"Today, we learn to nail horseshoes! But before we nail horseshoes, we need to file down the hooves..."

Rein couldn't listen anymore to the rest of the speech.

Trim horse hooves?

This... should also count as hooves, right?

Feeling a rush of excitement, Rein quickly flipped to the second page of the transparent frame, checking his skills again.

Yes!

It just said 'Hoofing,' not specifying whether donkey or horse hooves.

Moreover, judging by the vivid hoof icon, it should apply to all perissodactyls.

Donkeys and horses are from the same family!

But, whether it would work still needed to be confirmed.

After a short while, Rein and the other apprentices were led to the northeastern corner of the outer fort near the stables.

Looking at the tall horses in the stables, all the apprentices, except Rein, couldn't help but show a bitter expression, making the pseudo-nobles who were half a head taller start to complain.

Clearly, if it was so difficult to hold down a donkey's hoof already, these larger and taller steeds would be even harder to secure.

Of course, except for Rein.

At this moment, Rein was full of longing, excitement, and anticipation for filing horse hooves!

He couldn't wait to start nailing horseshoes to confirm his guess.

Before long, the first horse was led out of the stables by Master Baal.

Judging by its size, it should be one of the smaller horses in the stables, but still larger than even the strongest black donkey.

"This is a nag! We'll start with nags! Come on, the first group, Rein, George, come and hold the hooves!" Baal bellowed with a commanding voice.

Rein and George immediately filed out and began holding the hooves as instructed by the master.

The master took pre-made horseshoes shaped like an inverted U, checked the fit against the secured hoof, and after estimating the nailing area, started "snip-snip" trimming the hooves.

Feeling that the trimming was about right, he began to nail the horseshoe onto the hoof.

"The key to nailing horseshoes is first to roughly position the horseshoe on the hoof..." At this point, Baal began to demonstrate and explain to the apprentices while positioning the shoe.

Rein could see clearly that the horseshoe had seven holes, and Baal nailed it seven times.

Every time Baal nailed, the struggles of the nag intensified slightly, and Rein and George had to exert more effort to secure it.

After the nailing was complete, Baal trimmed the rough edges again, finishing the horseshoeing for one hoof.

Once they finished holding down all four hooves of the nag, and a sweaty Rein caught his breath, he suddenly froze!

A system alert had just come through:

[You assisted with horseshoeing, gaining insight!]

[Your Hoofing skill has improved, experience +4]

[You concentrated on learning to nail horseshoes for a quarter of an hour, gaining +1 Blacksmith Apprentice Professional Experience Points]

....

Looking at the Hoofing skill experience bar climb again, a surge of excitement welled up inside Rein.

Although he had anticipated gaining experience for horseshoeing too, seeing it actually happen still gave him a thrill.

What was more critical was that the rate of experience gain was much faster than when fixing donkey hooves!

Rein found that he seemed to have discovered the secret to rapid improvement.

Previously, when he focused on fixing donkey hooves for an hour, he would only gain +1 Blacksmith Apprentice Professional Experience Points.

But this time, in just fifteen minutes, his Blacksmith Apprentice Professional Experience Points increased by one.

And now, the experience bar for Blacksmith Apprentice read (8/100).

Rein guessed that this was probably because nailing horseshoes was more relevant to the Blacksmith Apprentice profession than fixing donkey hooves, which is why he gained more professional experience points.

Though it was just Rein's speculation, he believed it was mostly correct.

It made Rein feel as if he had stumbled upon a new, bright path.

"This is it!"