Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 3: Chapter 2 Profession [Blacksmith Apprentice]_2

George was momentarily stunned before realizing the truth; he did indeed find himself lost in daydreams quite often!

Furthermore, his companion Rein had recently been... by a donkey.

The conditions for child servants at the Habsburg manor were not entirely miserable, as they could at least manage to secure a relatively "lavish" meal.

A slab of black bread, half of a smoked fish, and a large bowl of vegetable soup—this constituted the lunch for Rein and his fellow child servants.

While looking at the food that failed to stir Rein's appetite, the boys surrounding him were salivating and swallowing hard, their Adam's apples bobbing rhythmically.

As a formal Attendant barked, "Eat up!"

The entire group began to devour their rations like starving wolves.

Rein felt the loaf of black bread, which was as large and heavy as a brick; its rough texture and stony crust made him wonder. Could this actually be a brick disguised with black paint?

Glancing to his side, he saw his peers already roughly tearing the loaves apart and mashing them into the watery vegetable broth until it thickened into a slush.

Rein gave a small nod, recognizing this technique as being similar to eating naan bread.

Following their lead, Rein also began to gulp down the mixture with fervor.

"Ptooey! There are wood shavings inside this black bread! This garbage isn't fit for human consumption!"

Rein remained silent for a moment, reminiscing about his former life when he worried about the mystery meat in his takeout—that seemed tragic enough then.

However, this world was far worse; there wasn't even a scrap of meat to be found!

Rein forced himself to swallow while his mind began to wander.

"This training for child servants is reminiscent of the military drills from my past life, though it lasts much longer—three full months—followed by that assessment I’ve been dreading."

"Even though I possess the panel, my current rate of improvement is far too sluggish. If I want to pass the test and successfully become a Blacksmith apprentice, I must find a way to accelerate my progress."

"As for becoming a guard? I certainly want that! To carry a sword and shield while clad in heavy armor—the mere thought makes my blood surge!"

"But... across both my lifetimes, I have never studied swordsmanship. I need to find a chance..."

"Regardless, I have to change my current circumstances!"

Rein looked over at his friend George, who was staring blankly ahead, seemingly captivated by something.

Following the direction of his gaze, Rein spotted a girl dressed in a grey linen maid's uniform. As she leaned over to tidy the table, the curve of her figure was subtly highlighted by the fabric.

So, that was what had stolen the young boy's focus!

Memories from the original owner of this body immediately surfaced; the girl was named Sophia. She was roughly their age and also a child servant of the estate.

The primary difference was that the training for female servants was distinct from the boys', focusing on cleaning, washing, and laundry.

Girls in this world tended to mature faster than boys. By this stage, Sophia could be described as a flower just beginning to bloom!

Scanning the room, Rein noticed that George wasn't the only one watching her; several other young boys were staring as well.

However, to the experienced soul of Rein, the sight of a girl in a simple maid outfit didn't move him much.

But for teenagers experiencing their first rush of hormones, it was a distraction that could make them forget both hunger and sleep.

"George, what are you staring at?"

George jumped, his face flushing deep red as he held up half of his bread. "No... nothing, Rein. Look, you worked so hard this morning. If you're still hungry, you can have my remaining half."

"Are you certain you've had enough to eat?" Rein asked, looking at George with surprise.

"I'm nearly full; you should take it," George replied with a hint of hesitation.

In truth, he could have easily finished the bread; he simply wanted to bribe Rein into silence.

Furthermore, he felt that Rein really needed to recover his strength after being wounded yesterday and working so tirelessly today.

Rein nodded, silently labeling his best friend George as a "good guy" in his head, though he politely turned down the offer of sawdust-filled bread.

After a moment, Rein decided his friend needed a wake-up call. Keeping his head down, he whispered:

"George, you can stare at her a hundred times and she still won't be yours. Don't waste your time; focus on passing the assessment. Once you pass, then she can be yours!"

George’s face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. He looked around frantically before stammering:

"Rein, even if we are close, you shouldn't just say things like that! I wasn't peeking at Sophia..."

"Hehe... I never mentioned a name; you're the one who said Sophia."

George was instantly speechless. He realized his friend had become much more observant after being kicked in the head by that donkey, as if the injury had actually made him sharper!

"Does getting kicked in the skull by a donkey actually have benefits?!"

During the afternoon session, the group of child servants resumed their lessons on trimming donkey hooves.

Having finished lunch, Rein's energy had mostly returned. Even with his aching back, he was fueled by the constant +1, +1 notifications of Experience gain.

Rein was brimming with determination!

However, the servants had only trimmed a few hooves when a group of over twenty young men and women arrived at the central courtyard outside the castle.

These newcomers were around the same age as Rein and his peers, but the boys were tall and the girls were elegant and well-dressed. They looked like the rightful masters of the fortress.

As they drew closer, Rein’s memories identified them as the children of minor nobles and wealthy merchants serving under Count Habbs. They were here at the Habsburg estate to train as Knight Attendants.

Because the estate was only a few hours away from the County Town by horse, it was a tradition to conduct Knight Attendant training here, the ancestral home of the Habus family.

Rein looked at the "wealthy" kids among the servants; it turned out they were just "fake rich."

These newcomers were the true "elite second generation"!

The outer courtyard was a massive space usually reserved for the training of Knight Attendants and guards, though small corners were occasionally used for other tasks.

Essentially, these child servants were merely squatters on the training grounds of the true elite.

"Snap!"

"Ouch!"

A child servant who had been gawking at the noble youths was struck on the head by Baal.

Baal spoke with a tone of pure disdain:

"You little brats, stop being jealous. They were born into a social class you couldn't reach in a hundred lifetimes, no matter how hard you labor!"

"Listen up! If you master a craft, you will at least be able to live a stable life in the future."

His words were harsh, but they weren't wrong.

Rein found himself agreeing with Baal. In an era like this, rising through the social ranks was nearly impossible. For these child servants, learning a trade was their only path to survival.

Huh!

Rein’s eyes suddenly narrowed; he had spotted something truly incredible.