The next morning, the child servants began their dog training apprentice course under the guidance of an old man with a goat beard, accompanied by a sighthound much like the ones from his past life.
Rein recognized the breed: long-limbed, with a body shaped like a bow, both speed and explosive power were truly astonishing. Even their heads seemed designed to reduce wind resistance, longer and more narrow than a usual dog’s head, but with strong jaw muscles and a formidable biting force, making them exceptional noble hunting dogs.
However, with droopy eyelids, the old man showed little interest in teaching the child servants, evidently just going through the motions.
“In some time, each of you will receive a three-month-old sighthound. During the assessment, if you can command the sighthound to squat, attack, stop, and retrieve, you will be considered to have passed the test,” he said.
For the rest of the time, the old man had no wish to speak more than necessary with the child servants, instead directing them to the dog kennels on the west side of the outer fort to pick out a puppy, and after that, simply let them play with their dogs.
Although the child servants were all confused, they were still very happy to have a small dog to play with.
In the meantime, Rein paid close attention to the expression of the boy with thick eyebrows.
As expected, this guy had something to hide.
While playing with the puppies, he often got distracted, frequently casting sidelong glances at Rein.
In his eyes was confusion, as if puzzled by something that should have happened but did not.
Rein chuckled silently!
The damned thick eyebrows, it’s definitely you, bastard!
Just as Rein confirmed that the employer was the boy with thick eyebrows, the latter quickly concocted an excuse for the drunkard Jack, which was that Jack hadn’t found the chance to make a move on Rein the day before.
“Damn it, that good-for-nothing drunkard Jack, always dragging his feet when it’s time to get things done! Looks like I must urge him again this Sunday and make him take his shot as soon as possible!” he murmured.
Since Rein was now certain it was the boy with thick eyebrows, he relaxed and started playing with the puppy.
But… as fun as playing with dogs is,
having played with them all day long, Rein’s strength had made almost no advancement!
Moreover, the new job panel that Rein had been looking forward to, such as the dog trainer, had not been activated!
This left Rein quite puzzled, could it be that there was no such profession as a dog trainer?
That shouldn’t be the case!
Rein was at a loss!
In the evening, after the dog training session ended, a beautiful maid dressed in a gray uniform came to find Rein and said, “Rein, the Chief Maid Shadia has asked to see you. Please come with me.”
The timing of the maid’s appearance was not like last time, on a Saturday evening when nearly all the child servants had left.
So, just as the pretty maid led Rein away,
the rest of the child servants exploded in chatter!
“Fuck, how has Rein gotten in good with Chief Maid Shadia?” the thick-eyebrowed boy said, his face darkening.
“Yeah! My family hasn’t even managed to establish a connection with Chief Maid Shadia, and Rein’s family is just a tenant farmer; he can’t possibly have that kind of network! That’s absolutely impossible!” Freckles pondered for a moment and then shook his head.
However, that scene had just intensified the thick-eyebrowed boy’s sense of urgency.
Rein’s talent in swordsmanship was becoming more and more outstanding, and now he seemed to have built a connection with the Chief Maid, making it likely that the position of a bodyguard was well within his reach.
“Damn it!!”
On the other side, Rein followed the beautiful maid as they made several turns, eventually reaching the castle’s back garden, which they merely passed through this time before continuing on. The maid led Rein into a room on the first floor of the castle.
“Knock knock knock!”
The maid knocked on the door respectfully and said, “Chief Maid Shadia, Rein is here!”
“Come in,” came the response.
The forty-year-old Chief Maid Shadia opened the door, gestured for Rein to enter the room, and after closing the door, stood respectfully to one side.
After entering, Rein first detected a strange fragrance, not the scent of women’s perfume, but rather an aroma that could stir one’s appetite. Then he quickly took in the room’s features.
The room seemed to be a spacious study, with a coffee table, several soft leather armchairs, and a simple mahogany desk, above which a candle on a mountain-shaped sconce was glowing warmly.
But Rein also noticed another door at the back of the study, seemingly leading to another place.
Lady Cleya, the youngest daughter of the Earl, was diligently writing something on a parchment scroll with a goose feather quill.
“Rein, on the side table, there’s a piece of bear meat specially prepared for you! Go eat it,” Cleya said without looking up.
Rein was taken aback, while Chief Maid Shadia gave a subtle gesture towards the side table.
Indeed, on the side table there was a covered silver dish.
Rein approached and opened it to find a palm-sized piece of beast meat, emitting an aroma that whetted the appetite; it turned out to be the enticing smell he had noticed when he first walked in.
Bear meat?
A kind of delicious bear meat?
This meat smells absolutely amazing.
But… isn’t this portion a bit too small?
Rein didn’t even use the knife beside him, only a fork to skewer the chunk of meat and began to gobble it down.
Ss! Delicious and quite chewy!
In no time at all, Rein had devoured the so-called bear meat and still felt unsatisfied, exclaiming, “Tasty! Just too little of it!”
At that moment, a slightly mocking smile appeared on the face of Chief Maid Shadia.
Suddenly, Rein felt a warm current spreading rapidly from his stomach throughout his body.
Soon, an extreme feeling of fullness emanated from his stomach, as if he had eaten ten packs of those military compressed biscuits from his previous life.
Instantly, Rein felt as though his stomach was about to burst!
Poisoned?
Definitely not!
Because there was absolutely no need for that.
It was then that Lady Cleya’s voice, clear as a oriole, rang out, “Rein, do you feel a bit overstuffed? That was Giant Bear meat, it is rich in nutrients and energy. Given your constitution, eating that much is already your limit.”
“So that’s it!” Rein suddenly understood, no wonder he was only given a piece the size of a palm.
Cleya stood up and handed a scroll made of sheepskin to Rein.
“Rein, have a look,” she said.
Upon receiving it, Rein opened the scroll to see seven figures in different positions with “Giant Bear Breathing Technique” written alongside them.
Since it was written in the common tongue, Rein could recognize it. The empire did well in this aspect, as the spread of simple everyday written language among the populace was quite extensive.
This… this is the breathing technique?
Rein felt blissfully surprised!
It was like being suddenly hit by a pie falling from the sky.
Rein greedily began to read the contents of the breathing technique.
The figures were simple line drawings, but they vividly captured the essence of each movement, and combined with the descriptions of the breathing rhythm, seemed to be a set of high-difficulty yoga positions similar to what Rein knew in his previous life.
At the end, there was a long paragraph about how to use a secret medicine called ‘black balm’ in conjunction with the training that would greatly accelerate the progress of the Giant Bear Breathing Technique.
“Giant Bear Breathing Technique? No wonder Lady Cleya can wield a Dual-Handed Greatsword that weighs seventy or eighty pounds as if it were a stick,” Rein glanced at the imposing figure of Cleya and had an epiphany!
But Cleya was no ordinary person, keen and transparent in her thoughts. At the mere age of seventeen, she had already stepped into the realm of a formal Knight, capturing every move Rein made without missing a beat.
Rein’s glance just now?
Cleya’s face turned slightly red, but she quickly recovered her composure and said, “Don’t guess! The technique I practice is not the Giant Bear Breathing Technique!”
“The Giant Bear Breathing Technique mainly develops one’s constitution and strength. I think it’s quite suitable for your current condition.”
God damn appropriate for my current condition!
Rein was initially embarrassed by Cleya’s revealing of his thoughts, but once she finished her sentence, he quickly grasped her meaning.
She’s basically saying I’m a weakling in a roundabout way!