"What are you gawking at? Get back to it!"
At Hawke's roar, Roland quickly snapped out of it and resumed swinging the hammer.
But even though he now had a comprehensive theoretical understanding of forging, there was still a vast gulf between theory and practice.
This made his next few hammer blows incredibly clumsy and unpracticed.
Forget comparing him to Hawke—even Marco's crude technique from earlier was a cut above his.
Seeing this, the onlooking boys couldn't help but start snickering.
"Ha! With skills like that, he dares to even try?"
"I knew this guy was a phony! Look at his arms, they're as thin as twigs. He'll probably run out of strength after just a few swings!"
Hawke, who stood to the side with his arms crossed, didn't say anything, but his incessantly tapping fingers revealed his dissatisfaction with Roland's performance.
But Roland paid no mind to the idle chatter, focusing completely on swinging the hammer, one blow after another.
[You have successfully completed a forging action, gaining 1 experience.]
[You have successfully completed a forging action...]
[You have successfully completed...]
With each notification, Roland felt his understanding of the Forging Skill deepen a little more.
The hammer in his hand no longer felt like a foreign object, but an extension of his own body that he could command at will.
As a result, each of his strikes became more precise and perfectly weighted than the last.
As the forging continued, Hawke's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and a flicker of unconcealable surprise appeared on his perpetually stern face.
When the surrounding boys saw Roland's increasingly skillful forging, they couldn't help but murmur in amazement.
"His forging skill... it looks like it's on par with Marco's now..."
"Don't tell me his father is some renowned blacksmith?"
As the final hammer blow fell, Roland gazed at the Dagger taking shape on the anvil, a flicker of delight in his eyes.
Its surface was still a bit rough, but there were no cracks.
The quality was far from refined, but with a bit of grinding, it would be serviceable.
Taking a deep breath, Roland ignored the odd looks from the other boys and turned to the old blacksmith beside him.
"Mr. Hawke, what do you think...?"
"Hmm..."
With a grunt, Hawke strode forward, picked up the Dagger blank, and began to inspect it closely.
After a moment, he looked up and asked,
"Roland... is it? What did you do before this?"
"The same as my father. Taming Horses for the Lord Baron."
Roland answered, scratching his head as he recalled the memories of his body's previous owner.
"Taming Horses? Have you ever done any work with forging tools before?"
"No, Mr. Hawke."
Seeing that the handsome youth's gaze did not waver, the corners of Hawke's mouth lifted slightly. He then turned around, held up the Dagger blank, and roared viciously at the others.
"All of you, take a good look! THIS is how you forge something!"
"And to think some of you come from families that run your own Blacksmith Shops! Your forging technique is worse than a boy who tames horses!"
"In a moment, each of you will take one of the Metal Bars and practice by copying the blank Roland just made! Anyone who fails... can spend the night staring at the furnace on an empty stomach!"
Amid a chorus of groans, Hawke clapped Roland firmly on the shoulder.
"From now on, you'll focus solely on assisting me. You don't need to practice any other crafts. Understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
A wave of elation washed over Roland.
Assisting Hawke would not only give him ample time to practice his Forging Skill, but more importantly, it meant he had earned the favor of the Master Blacksmith.
After all, Baron Fosling of Black Water Territory wasn't wealthy. Supporting even a single Knight was a financial strain, and Hawke was the only dedicated Blacksmith in the entire territory.
Earning Hawke's favor meant he already had one foot through the door to passing the test and becoming an official apprentice!
"Thank you, Mr. Hawke!"
"Hmph. Just keep up the good work. Don't get lazy."
After a few more words of encouragement, Hawke waved his hand dismissively and strode away.
Watching his retreating figure, Roland stood in place, savoring the wondrous sensation he'd felt while forging.
'The Traits granted by changing my Profession to Blacksmith Apprentice are even more incredible than I imagined!'
'Not only did it allow me to instantly grasp knowledge that was previously incomprehensible, but it also makes mastering blacksmith-related Skills twice as effective!'
'If a mere Basic Profession like Blacksmith Apprentice gives me this big of a boost, what about the other Professions?'
'If I keep taking on multiple Professions, with the stacking of Attributes, Skills, and Traits...'
Just as Roland was lost in his thoughts, a sturdy arm suddenly wrapped around his neck, followed by a boisterous shout.
"Attaboy, Roland! I knew you could do it!"
"Sean?"
Looking at the excited expression on his best friend's face, Roland said with a sigh,
"You're getting a little too excited..."
"Man! How can I not be excited? Mr. Hawke is using the blank you forged as the new standard! That old hard-ass has never praised anyone like that before!"
"I know... but shouldn't you be more worried about whether you're getting dinner tonight?"
"Heh heh! You've got a point there..."
Seeing Sean's honest, simple-minded expression, Roland rolled his eyes. He pulled him over to the anvil and started explaining the key points of forging while they chatted idly.
As time went on, Roland's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and a wave of fatigue washed over him.
Feeling his arms, which were so sore and numb they had nearly lost all sensation, he couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
'Just forging one crude Dagger completely drained my stamina. It looks like two points of Power isn't nearly enough.'
'And if I want to raise my Attributes quickly, changing my Profession is the only way. But judging from how I became a Blacksmith Apprentice, I first have to learn the corresponding Skill...'
While Roland was lost in thought, Sean glanced around. After making sure no one was nearby, he whispered,
"Roland, you need to be careful."
"That kid, Marco... the look on his face earlier wasn't good."
"Remember that guy, Landes? His talent for forging wasn't bad either—he was consistently better than Marco. And what happened to him?"
Sean put down his hammer and leaned in closer.
"After meeting with Marco in private, he just... inexplicably left the manor. Vanished without a trace..."
Hearing this, Roland looked up.
Sure enough, Marco was standing not far away, glancing over at him while muttering something to the people around him.
From the resentful look in his eyes, it was obvious he wasn't saying anything complimentary.
"But don't you worry. This is the Lord Baron's estate. No matter how arrogant Marco gets, he wouldn't dare stir up trouble here. Besides..."
Sean flexed his arm, showing off his bulging bicep.
"If anything really does happen, I'll protect you!"
"Thanks, Sean."
Roland smiled, but inside, he didn't let his guard down.
He knew that if he hadn't come along, the apprentice spot opening up in three months would have certainly gone to Marco.
As the saying goes, interfering with someone's livelihood is like murdering their parents.
And this wasn't just any livelihood—it was the position of a noble's personal Blacksmith!
'You can never be too careful. And besides the potential threat of Marco...'
Recalling the news he had recently gathered, Roland's brow slowly furrowed.
'This world is crawling with rampaging Demons and powerful experts like Knights who wield Extraordinary Power. It's fraught with danger!'
'I need to find a way to learn some combat techniques as soon as possible and take on a combat-related Profession. That way, I can raise my Attributes, and if I run into danger, I'll at least have some way to defend myself. But...'
After some thought, Roland was forced to face a frustrating reality.
In his current situation, with no money and no status, he had no way of learning any combat-related Skills.
'That's it!'
As if remembering something, Roland's gaze shifted to his best friend, who was still clumsily practicing his forging.