"Great, other travelers after coming to the new world on the second day either cavorting with beautiful girls or slapped some random young master's face to impress heroines. And here I am, fallen to such a level that I directly became a herdsman just to earn some meager coins, which aren't enough to let me eat two meals a day."
Ash sighed helplessly after Jacob went away and walked towards the farm where most of the sheep were.
"Forget it. Let's save today's data first to avoid an accident. Because of James, I completely forgot about it..."
[ *Ding:- No.1 File Saved.
Location:- Woodworth Town, Jacob's Farm
Day:- 2
Total Saved:- 3
Death Count:- 1
Coins:- 10 ]
"Now, first let's start counting sheep. I hope I don't fall asleep during the counting process like a cartoon character, hehe, that would be very embarrassing," Ash chuckled to lighten his mood.
...
"You did a good job, I have to say. Even though there wasn't much work to begin with, but still thanks to you, no sheep went missing today. You deserve this much praise at least," Jacob said coldly with a poker face, there wasn't a single hint of happiness on his face, as if what he was saying was forced, and patting Ash on the shoulder while helping him bring the sheep back to the shed.
If you could put aside this gloomy and cold looks of yours, it would be more useful than empty praise, Ash thought with disgust, but he still had to take his wage. Of course, he couldn't show his true feelings on his face, for such a small matter, so he just pretended to be very happy and spoke with a smile.
"Thank you for the compliment, but it wasn't much of a big deal. Your sheep are quite obedient and rarely stray far, so looking after them wasn't difficult."
"I know that better than anyone, which is why I'm giving you empty praise instead of a bonus. Here's your reward for your easy work, 15 coins as promised. If you want to spend the night in the barn, just tell me, and I'll give you the key... By the way, did you find any clues about the thief?" Jacob, paused, about to leave, then turned back to Ash who was counting his money, and asked coldly.
"Sigh, sadly no. I tried searching for clues, but there was nothing, and that damn thief also didn't attack the sheep today, so nothing caught in my hands. But worry not, I will try again tomorrow ( After all, 50 coins are still worth a lot for a poor guy like me in the beginning period )," Ash didn't let the last part slip out of his mouth and maintained his disappointed expression.
"That's good. See you tomorrow then. I have to go now, my cows are waiting for me," Jacob said with a frown, clearly not happy with Ash's answer, and hurriedly walked away.
"Humm, if I'm not mistaken, it should be around 4 o'clock now," Ash muttered while crafting a sundial on the ground with two small sticks, a technique he had learned from some random anime show after Jacob was no longer in sight. He had already inquired about the time system of this world with Jacob; at least in Woodworth Town, there was no such thing as a clock. Although they had a concept of hours, minutes, and even seconds, they themselves didn't know where it originated. Perhaps only high-status humans possessed clocks, or maybe the idea was copied from other intelligent races such as Elves or Dwarves.
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"I still have quite some time before it gets dark. It's better to earn some extra coins than to go home and laze around," Ash pondered thoughtfully and set off toward Ronald's blacksmith shop.
...
"Welcome to the blacksmith shop. How may I help you...? Oh, boy, Ash! Why are you here? Have you finally made up your mind to work for me?" Ronald, the dog lover, greeted Ash enthusiastically as he entered the shop.
"Of course, how could I let go of such a wonderful opportunity like you? If I want to be successful and earn a lot of money, then naturally I have to hold onto your big and reliable thing," Ash replied jokingly, approaching the counter. Of course, he didn't forget to pat Marco and his girlfriend's heads, who warmly greeted him. It seemed like his favorability in their eyes wasn't low.
"Hahaha, wonderful! I really need a young and energetic helper like you. Come with me; let's discuss your work and wages," Beaming, Ronald led Ash to his workshop behind the shop, adjacent to his living quarters.
The workshop mirrored the shop in size, featuring a massive anvil in the center topped by a chimney. Daylight and soft air streamed through numerous windows, cooling the space. Hammers of various sizes alongside other tools like tongs, chisels, pliers, as well as Iron orbs, ingots, and a few unfinished swords, shields, and other tools– lay scattered across the floor, making it very messy.
"As it's your first day," Ronald began with a gentle smile, "I won't assign you anything difficult. Just clean and organize the workshop. The shop closes at eight, and it's currently around four, so you have four hours. It's a lot, I know, so don't push yourself. Do your best." He leaned forward, eyes twinkling with anticipation, clearly, he genuinely wanted to accept Ash's assistance. "For wages, I offer 10 coins for two hours, plus two-time hearty meat-filled meals if you stay the whole day. What do you say? Interested in working for me?"
Hmm, 10 coins for 2 hours... that means 50 coins a day if I work 10 hours. Although the workload may be quite high, there is no other way if I want to equip myself with weapons as soon as possible. At Uncle Jacob's farm, although the work is very easy, I can laze around the entire day, lying under the tree and staring at the fleeting clouds, but that's all. There is no improvement in my skills. Instead, it will make me a salty fish, which is my final goal in this life, but it's clearly not a good habit at the beginning. Also, maybe after learning smithy, I can also make my own weapons in the future and sell them at sky-high prices like other protagonists in various novels I've read.
The more Ash thought about it, the brighter his eyes became, and he immediately accepted Ronald's offer, eliciting a merry smile from the blacksmith as well.
"Excellent! Get started, kiddo," Ronald encouraged, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "I'm very optimistic about you. By the way, since working with those heavy objects is not an easy job and you will consume energy repeatedly, I will bring some snacks later. I don't want to ruin your health because of overwork. Also if you need any help, just call me. No need to be shy, got it?"
Ash nodded energetically, giving Ronald a thumbs-up. "Understood! If I run into any problems, I'll definitely ask."
"That's the spirit!" Ronald beamed. "Remember, stack the iron orbs in the right corner by the anvil, put the ingots in those barrels on the left, and hang the tools on the wall." Finished instructing, with a bright smile plastered on his face, he patted Ash's shoulder as if he were handing him his daughter's hand to him and returned to the shop.