Mercenaries and Adventurers

The two blacksmith apprentices were more cautious. Even though Keir had repeatedly given assurances, they still had twitching faces, their feet were ready to take off at any moment, and they stretched out their hands on the horses' hooves.

They used a strong thin iron rod to find the force-generating place left on the horseshoe, and then fiddled with it, inserting one end of the iron rod into it and blocking it. They then confirmed again and again that Keir had firmly grasped the horse's hoof, and then Use force to pry out the iron nails embedded in the horseshoe and horseshoe.

There were iron nails on the left and right sides of the injured horse's hoof that penetrated the horny horse's hoof to secure the hoof and shoe. At this time, as the iron bar was pried, the two iron nails were tilted out.

There were two clanging sounds of metal falling, and the two apprentices put down the iron rod and took out a chisel and a small hammer.

"Is this how it's handled?"

Keir was a little confused, and the two apprentices shrugged: "That's it, you have to hold on tight. Next."

The chisel reached into the contact gap where the horseshoe still hung from the horse's hoof.

The sharper chisel head swung left and right twice, scratching some of the horseshoes that were soaked in rain and softening, but still squeezed into the gap between the two.

"Hold on tight!"

Another reminder. Seeing that the two were about to hit him with a hammer, Keir immediately stabilized his pace, put his back against the horse's neck, and firmly grasped the slender and strong horse's front legs with both hands.

"bring it on!"

One apprentice swung the small hammer in his hand, and hit the top of the chisel with a chime. The other apprentice holding the chisel in both hands shook his hands, and the chisel entered deeper into the gap between the horseshoe and the horseshoe.

The apprentice holding the chisel glanced at Kil, who was younger than him, in surprise, because the feeling in his hands told him that the horse's leg held by Kil was even stronger than usual when assisted by tools.

A sure deal.

The two apprentices looked at each other and then came back.

chime——

With another hammer, the horseshoe was pried open by the chisel, and half of it was separated from the horse's hoof.

"That's right, let's do it again. Keir, hold on tight."

The apprentice holding the hammer reminded him, and then struck with the hammer.

chime——

when! Jingle Bell--

The horseshoe fell to the ground and was caught by the blacksmith who had been watching.

He brought the shoe to his face, and surprisingly, he smelled it with his nose.

Sniff.

Then the blacksmith looked displeased, but he also had an expression that made sense.

"Teacher?" The two apprentices put down the tools in their hands and looked.

The blacksmith nodded: "Sure enough, the reason why this horse can't move is because there is blood and rot in the front hoof."

Pointing to the back of the horseshoe in his hand: "There is pus and blood oozing from this place, and it stinks."

He casually threw the horseshoe in his hand to an apprentice: "Take it, wash it, put it on the stove to overheat, and then hang it to dry."

"Yes, teacher." The apprentice respectfully took the smelly horseshoe into the rain and started brushing it with the pig's hair brush on the car.

Speaking of which, the place where Kiel and the others were at this time happened to be the rear of a logistics carriage.

The carriage of this carriage is divided into two parts. The front part is loaded with some supplies, while half of the rear part of the carriage is specially vacated and converted into a temporary mini blacksmith shop.

The space here is small, and the walls of the carriage are covered with various tools. There is also a compact steel stove underneath, which is directly fixed in the carriage. It does not look like a human being.

The stove has a compact structure, and the upper part is a thin iron ventilation pipe for exhausting smoke and heat, which is directly connected to the outside of the car. In the middle is a steel stove that is not in contact with other places. It has a padlock mechanism that opens and closes. When you open it, you will find the center of the bright fire pit. The flames spurt out from the lower part, guided by visible refractory stone bricks, and all sprayed on the stove. into the middle placement groove.

Kiel had seen a broken sword that the logistics clerk obtained from someone unknown. It was directly beaten into pieces by the blacksmith, and then thrown into the groove in the middle of the furnace. After a while, the movable groove was removed with pliers. Clamp it out, and there will be only a pool of sloshing high-temperature molten metal left in the groove.

Beside the middle of this steel stove, there is also an exquisitely designed rotary mechanical wind machine.

This thing is simply not like the exquisite metal gadgets that can be made in other worlds today. Just shake the handle on the side and lift the weight in the disc-shaped center of the wind turbine. A steady stream of air will be sucked by the mechanism in the middle. Go in, and then gather an insulated stone pipe and blow it into the bottom of the stove next to it.

And at the bottom of the stove, the most important part of the steel stove, Keir had never seen what it looked like inside.

Every time the blacksmith accompanying the army used the stove, he covered it, secretly filled it with fuel, and unloaded the ash and waste.

However, although he didn’t know where this thing was from the blacksmith, no, where Baron Kendall got it, Keir recognized from the dwarf writing on the steel stove that this thing must be a dwarf thing.

I just didn’t know that it was the spoils of war captured in the previous war, good things that flowed out from within the Imperial Frontier Knights who were also in Kendall County. Or dwarf products bought from outside the kingdom through trade.

In addition, there is a foldable cloth awning at the rear of the carriage. After unfolding and hanging down the bundled tarpaulin, a small windproof and rainproof blacksmith shop can be established immediately.

They were working on the site at the moment, dealing with the horses' hoof problems.

There is an awning above the head, and the continuous rain is blocked by the sloping awning. Coupled with the hot exhaust gas emitted from the steel stove in the rear of the carriage next to it, it is actually quite warm inside.

-

The blacksmith who followed the army asked another idle apprentice to get a bucket of water and first clean the inside of the horse's hoof fixed by Keel, which was previously covered by the horseshoe.

After washing it, the horse neighed several times in Kil's ear. It was obvious that the horse's hooves were being washed so gently that it felt the pain.

Kil curiously bent down and looked over, and found that there was faint smelly pus and blood oozing out from the inside of the horse's hoof.

"Alas--"

With a look of disgust on his face, Keel muttered to the horse next to him, asking him what happened to the horse, so that the inside of its hoof was so rotten.

The long horse face has big innocent eyes, and the wet animal pupils are clueless. The horse rubs its face against Kil next to him, knowing that these people are helping it.

The blacksmith was dissatisfied: "What an ungrateful beast. Look, my apprentices and I are the real humans who help you!"

Kil chuckled.

After a bucket of water was cleaned, only half the bucket was left, and there was a faint smell.

The apprentice wiped his hands, picked up the bucket, walked out of the awning and poured the waste water into the open space next to him.

"Okay, it's all taken care of."

The blacksmith moved and made sure that Keel still had a firm hold on the horse's front legs and that the horse was stable. Then he took out a burnt short knife from the stove of the nearby blacksmith's shop, and after making some gestures on the sole of the hoof, he lightly scratched the recess of the hoof with the sharp tip.

"Lulu Lu! Lu——"

The horse suddenly screamed loudly, obviously in great pain.

But Kiel's back was close to the horse's neck, and his hands tightly held the horse's front legs that were about to twitch, preventing it from moving even a bit.

"Very good, very good." He was talking nonsense, and the blacksmith kept moving his hands, using the sharp tip of the knife to cut open the rotten parts inside, and drain out all the bulging congestion and pus inside.

The horses barked twice and then gradually stopped.

And a stench came towards Kiel's shop. It was the pus and blood congestion flowing out from the inside of the horse's hoof. It was dark, red and black in color, and the stench was overwhelming.

"Kevis, shovel this out quickly! Hurry, it stinks!"

The blacksmith shouted, calling for the apprentice who fetched another bucket of clean water from nowhere.

The apprentice placed the bucket next to the blacksmith, then returned to the truck-mounted blacksmith's shop. He brought down a small shovel with a jingling sound, shoveled off a piece of grass that was soaked with pus, blood and congestion, and then threw it outside. .

After repeating it a few times, the stench was gone.

At the same time, the blacksmith used a short knife to cut off all the rotten parts of the horse's hoof, and did not stop until fresh horse blood dripped from the wound.

He took out a tube of viscous ointment from his body, shook it in his hand, then opened the opening of the wood and poured the tube into the wound inside the horse's hoof.

"What is this, uncle?" Kil was curious about this pungent-smelling ointment-like thing, so he asked.

"What else could it be? Ointment for horses!"

The blacksmith glanced at Kil's face and warned: "Don't, don't, don't, I can tell what you are thinking by looking at your expression. This thing cannot be used by humans. It contains a herb that is harmful to humans but not harmful to horses." Human wounds will be severely poisoned upon contact, but horses are fine and their wounds will heal quickly."

I don't know what else was in the ointment. As soon as the ointment came into contact with the wound, it immediately stopped the bleeding and blocked the entire wound.

Then the blacksmith changed to a short knife and scraped around the inside of the horse's hoof, scraping everything else clean.

He took out another handful of dry cloth, put the front end outside the horse's hoof wound, and wrapped the entire horse's hoof with the back end.

"Waterproof hoof covers."

The blacksmith shouted, and the apprentice who had cleaned the horseshoe immediately took a clean pocket-like leather sleeve from the car.

This thing is put on the horse's hoof, and then extends to the middle of the horse's leg, binding it firmly.

"Okay, let go, Kil. You are right, you are really strong."

After handing the tools to the apprentice to put away, the blacksmith patted Kil's shoulder as he lowered his horse's legs. As a result, the blacksmith with thick arms patted Kil hard several times, and Kil's body didn't even sway.

"Yes, I might have to call you Sir Knight Geir from now on."

The blacksmith laughed, and Kil grinned a little proudly.

-

After helping the blacksmith, Kil packed up and went to have dinner. He found Bloodfangster who was devouring his food. The two of them were talking under the awning next to the chef's iron pot, while eating.

"When will the rain on our head stop?"

Keir leaned against a pillar of the shed and stirred the spoon in the bowl feebly. He had no appetite.

Xueyaster counted on his fingers: "Usually it takes at least seven or eight days, and more than ten days. And after it clears up for two days, it will definitely rain again, and this will repeat until the summer drought comes."

"Huh? It's endless, right?"

Kiel was shocked. This kind of unbearable weather was really not conducive to marching. He didn't know if it would affect the Baron's arrival at the battlefield on the southern border.

Seeing Kil's exaggerated expression, Bloody Fangster chuckled: "Don't be frightened."

"Were you kidding just now?"

"no."

"Isn't it normal for me to be scared?"

It was enough to tease the outsiders who came to the western provinces for the first time to take the spring trade route. Bloody Fangster stopped joking: "Actually, what I just said is scary, but do you think any of the businessmen who come and go care about this? Are they still running on the trade route? .”

Kil's eyes lit up and he urged Bloodyaster to stop playing riddles: "Tell me about it, hurry up, tell me about it."

Xueyaster smiled slightly: "People from other places will definitely not believe it. The rain above us actually only rains in this area in spring and autumn. As long as we leave this area, there will be much less rain. , became normal.”

"Only in this area? Don't you think this is strange?"

On the contrary, Bloody Fangster glanced at Kil in surprise: "What's so strange about this? The rain in the sky is either the intention of the Lord of the Sky, or it's a gift from nature. What's so strange about it."

"Uh, um, yes, you're right."

Although Kil found it strange, he thought about it that he didn't have much ability. He didn't have the ability or time to figure out the reason for the climate in this place.

And if there is anything strange, the local lord will consider it.

"but."

Bloody Fang added something special: "However, last year, the weather became a bit strange. It rained continuously for a whole season in autumn, although the rain was not heavy. In winter, there was no snow at all. "

Keir shrugged. The weather in Kendall County was not right last year. He heard this from the locals. After all, he had only been here for half a year last fall, so he couldn't say he knew much about the other world.

Kil complained about the weather a few times, and then ate his dinner honestly.

-

When he returned in the evening, Kil told Knight Crow what he heard, but Knight Crow said that he had asked people from the local caravan to learn more about the local climate.

We already know that as long as we travel through this area, leave this area where it rains constantly every spring, and go to a place a little further away, the weather will become normal.

-

A few days later.

"Is this damn weather what you call normal weather? Is there something wrong with the people in the Western Province?"

Kil, who was riding on horseback, shouted loudly to Bloody Fangster beside him.

He had to shout loudly, even if the person was only a few meters away from him.

The wind was howling and blowing all around, and no one could hear anything except the sound of wind.

Next to him, Bloodfangster tightened the rope tied to the collar of his cloak to prevent the strong wind from blowing into his neck.

"What did you say? I can't hear you! If you can't hear me, don't speak! Save your energy!"

After shouting, Bloody Fangster turned his head and flattened his mouth. He could only shout back so loudly. After all, it cannot be said that people in their western provinces really think that such strong winds that can blow people away are really good. The road with no rain and wind before was considered the best weather. This kind of wind that only blows away people is not bad. The windy weather is really much better than the disastrous weather when hail falls from the sky.

Kil rolled his eyes: "I said, you are all%￥￥ # ."

"You are the%￥￥ # !"

As soon as he finished replying, Bloody Fangster secretly said, "Oh no."

But Kil did not continue to reply, but turned his head back and looked in the direction of the army behind him.

Bloodfangster also turned back, but apart from the broken grass stems and blades flying in the sky, as well as the whistling wind, the army in the distance seemed normal.

"No! There is a battle warning whistle!"

Keir listened again. He turned his head and said affirmatively with his ears propped up.

Bloody Fangster put his hand on his forehead, squinted his eyes and looked carefully at the large army in the distance. Gradually, he also saw that the army had stopped advancing, and there were faintly visible elites on horseback. The soldiers gathered together and rushed towards the local caravan from the Western Province behind the team.

"how come!"

His heart tightened. He was surprised that this army from the northwest border of the kingdom had revealed its hidden true face. Was it going to attack their local caravan to make a profit?

His hand unconsciously placed on the long sword on his left waist, but he was quickly stopped by Kil who was next to him.

"Don't think too much! Look there!"

Kil stretched out his arms and pointed directly at the chaotic caravan among the low hills in the distance.

"What is that? Uncle Ste, do you know?" Kil's shout rang out from the side, but Bloodfang Ste was really relieved after seeing the thing in the air.

They were two small black dots dangling in the air. From a vague look, the winged thing above wanted to fly to a higher place, while the struggling thing below was moving and disturbing.

Soon, the winged thing above seemed to lose its patience and no longer flew upwards. Instead, it flew level for a while and then threw the struggling little thing caught under it hard down.

It was on the top of a low hill slightly away from the army and caravans. The little thing that was thrown down let out a faint cry of despair.

The shouts were carried far away to where the two of them were by the strong wind.

"ah!!!!!!!!!!!"

Then it landed heavily in the grass on the low hill.

There is no doubt that even if the ground is covered with soft grass, if you fall from that height, unless you are a knight, you will die.

The winged thing then flew down and once again caught the human it had thrown down.

This time, humans no longer struggle.

Gudong, even with such a disturbing strong wind, Xueyaster still heard the sound of the young soldier next to him swallowing his saliva.

He exhaled and shouted loudly to answer Kil's previous question: "It's a harpy! Monster! A monster that can fly in the sky!"

Next to him, Kil swallowed hard again after receiving the answer.

He was not as afraid of monsters as Bloodfangster imagined.

Quite the opposite.

I heard it was a monster.

Keir has a great appetite!

He had finished eating the water ghost meat yesterday.