Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Trimming Donkey Hooves

The Harvest Moon hung in the sky.

Within the outer courtyard of Habsburg Manor, located in Flashgold Town of Meister County, a thin boy with dark hair stood tucked away in a corner. He clutched his head, where a painful, throbbing lump had formed, while his gaze wandered blankly across the open grounds toward the massive castle looming in the distance.

"Hiss! Where on earth am I?" Rein muttered, nursing his aching skull as he surveyed his environment.

In the center of the yard, a group of adolescents dressed in rough, simple tunics had gathered in a semi-circle. They were focused on a burly, muscular man who was busy paring down a donkey's hoof.

"This... they are trimming hooves?"

Rein was utterly stunned!

Suddenly, a torrent of foreign memories flooded his mind, flickering past like a rapid succession of slides.

"My name is Rein now. An hour ago, a donkey’s kick to the head sent me reeling, and the swelling on my brow still hasn't gone down."

"The man working on that donkey is the official blacksmith for Habsburg Manor."

"....."

While Rein was still trying to find his bearings, the harsh shouting of the master blacksmith snapped him back to reality.

"You useless runts! Did you skip breakfast? You can't even keep a single donkey's leg still!"

"Move it! Hold it down firmly!"

Two young trainees were drenched in sweat as they struggled with the animal's limb, but their adolescent strength was no match for the powerful beast's resistance.

Watching them, Rein shook his head. Like the previous owner of his body, those two were far too frail to handle such a task.

According to his new memories, the original Rein had only started his training at Habsburg Manor two days prior. His family had sacrificed nearly all their gold and bribed the head of servants just to win him this opportunity.

In this realm, landed nobility followed a tradition of grooming their own staff from a young age, selecting a few candidates through rigorous training and final trials to become official servants.

Common roles for male servants included positions like coachmen, guards, cooks, butchers, smiths, and even falconers or dog trainers.

In three months, the manor would hold an evaluation to choose five elite trainees for permanent roles: two for the forge, two for the guard, and one to manage the hounds.

Consequently, the current training for this group was strictly focused on those three specific career paths.

"It’s like an isekai version of a civil service exam," Rein thought to himself.

"Waking up in another world is one thing, but is my ultimate goal really just to be someone’s servant? This is ridiculous!"

"It’s completely insane!"

The sound of nearby chatter made Rein’s head throb even harder, the pain from the donkey's kick still fresh. Bracing himself against the ache, he looked over and saw several taller boys in clean linen tunics. They were pointing at him, doubled over in mocking laughter.

"Getting leveled by a donkey... how pathetic!"

As he looked at them, the memories associated with these boys surfaced.

These were the "privileged" trainees—the sons of local shopkeepers and the town's wealthy elite. They formed a tight-knit clique and made a habit of tormenting the others.

Being a newcomer, Rein had been an easy target. They had already forced him into doing the daily dormitory cleaning, a chore that was supposed to be shared by everyone.

"The one with the heavy brows is the tavern owner’s kid. Everyone calls him Thick Brows."

"The one with the spots is the son of the hotel manager; his nickname is Freckles."

"The boy in the brown shorts belongs to the tanner. He’s decent enough, no nickname for him."

"...."

"Good grief, how pathetic. Bulled by a pack of children?" Rein sighed, looking down at his own spindly arms and shaking his head in disappointment.

Once the group finished making fun of him, they moved on to local gossip. Rein, desperate for information about this new world, kept his head down and listened intently while pretending to ignore them.

"Have you heard? Albero Town was raided by a stray ogre last night. The casualties were terrible," Freckles whispered to the others.

Because his family ran the inn, Freckles was usually the first to hear news from travelers.

"Is that for real? Why is everything so grim lately? A merchant caravan told my father that a cult sacrifice happened in Monheim Town a few days ago. Lots of people ended up dead," Thick Brows added, his expression tight with fear.

As the son of a tavern owner, Thick Brows was the other main source of rumors in the group.

"I wish I could move to the County Town. It’s so much safer behind those big walls," the tanner’s son lamented.

"That’s a pipe dream! You’d have to pass the selection here, become a guard, and then be lucky enough to get promoted to the main estate. It almost never happens," Freckles said, shaking his head dismissively.

"True, but the first step is still passing the manor’s test to become an official guard..." Thick Brows said, flexing his arm with newfound determination.

"....."

Listening to them, Rein became lost in thought.

"Ogres?"

"Cultists?"

"Is there actually magic or supernatural power in this world?"

A mix of anxiety and excitement swelled in his chest. He wondered what kind of world he had truly landed in, but his inherited memories were too limited to provide answers.

The original Rein had never left the town's borders, so he had never personally seen a monster or anything mystical.

Still...

Traveling bards and mercs often told wild tales of night-stalking beasts, gargantuan sea monsters, cursed buildings, and deadly supernatural blights.

Previously, those stories were dismissed as mere folklore. But looking at the fear in the wealthy boys' eyes, Rein wondered if those legends were actually true.

He rubbed his chin, contemplating the possibilities.

"Next pair! Rein, George! Get over here!" Baal roared.

Rein stood up immediately and joined a boy with short, sandy hair. Together, they began the grueling work of pinning down a donkey's leg. Baal, the blacksmith, stepped forward with a heavy iron tool and began carving away at the overgrown, distorted hoof.

The donkey seemed to have an infection; as Baal worked, a small amount of pus seeped from the center of the hoof.

"Hee-haw!"

The powerful black donkey shrieked in pain, its entire frame shuddering as it fought to break free.

Rein threw his entire weight into the task, straining to keep the hoof steady so Baal could finish the job safely.

Within two minutes, Rein was gasping for air. Sweat matted his black hair against his skin, and his muscles felt like lead.

"Thank goodness, this is the final hoof."

"Once we finish this one, the next pair will take over, and I can finally take a break," he thought to himself.

"Pay attention! You have to be brave but precise. Keep your wrists flexible..." Baal lectured, demonstrating the technique as he sliced.

As soon as the work was done, Rein and George collapsed onto the dirt, completely spent.

Their exhaustion drew another round of jeers from the circle of rich kids watching nearby.

George turned red with fury at the insults, but Rein didn't react. He was frozen in place.

A translucent window had suddenly materialized in his field of vision, flipping automatically to a second page.

Several lines of text and icons appeared before his eyes:

[Assistance in hoof-trimming completed; comprehension has increased!]

[New Skill Acquired—Hoof Trimming]

[Skill Level Up: Hoof Trimming, Experience +1]

[Notification: Job Panel Triggered—Blacksmith Apprentice]