Magical Tool Master Dahlia Never Compromises ~ Starting Today: Life as a Freelancer ~

"This one's not bad either. The blade won't dull, and it can be used to make drinking water during expeditions."

"It will make your luggage heavier, so please bring the Water Magic Stone."

"I had one in my emergency pouch when I was captured by the flying dragon, but it broke and fell out. So I thought I could keep it inside my clothes as a backup dagger during the expedition. As the saying goes, it's better to be prepared."

"Wolf, you're saying that as if you're going to be captured by a flying dragon again..."

Thinking back to the day they first met, Dahlia had vaguely mentioned it. I really didn't want to see him covered in blood and wounds again—as I was thinking this, I suddenly heard Wolff say in a deep voice:

"Dalia, you are so 'polite' to me."

"what?"

"The tone you use with Marcella and the others is different from the tone you use with me. I want you to use the same tone with me. Does that put pressure on you?"

“Uh, this…”

No matter how close their relationship was, Wolff was still a member of the Earl's family, so it was difficult for Dahlia to talk to him as an equal.

Besides, she was used to talking to him in this way and couldn't switch over easily.

"It's not nice to talk to you as an equal in public, and I even accidentally called you by your name in the royal city..."

"...I'm sorry, I was being too pushy. Forget what I said."

Wolfe still had a smile on his face, but his golden eyes were cold as if he understood something.

Dahlia was worried that the distance between them would grow larger, so she continued speaking quickly.

"No, I won't force you!... But can you wait until I become a baron? I'll probably be closer to you by then."

She was frightened by what she had said, and Wolfe's eyes widened slightly.

"But even if I obtain the title, the gap between our two ranks will still be huge..."

"If I become a baron, we will be equals."

After Wolfe responded to her panic with a cheerful response, he began to smile.

"I will do my best to defeat Feilong in order to obtain the title of Baron myself."

"Don't do that! It would be terrible if we got caught!"

She couldn't help but take it seriously, and Wolff smiled and touched the dagger.

The movement was so gentle, like petting a cat, that she was stunned for a moment.

"You are truly amazing, to have managed to create a magic sword in such a short time."

"This is all thanks to Mr. Oswald. Furthermore, this sword isn't powerful enough, and I don't know if a longsword with the same functionality can be made. Besides, I can't make items with high magic output. You can ask someone with more magic power and who you trust to make it. Just say it was your own idea, and don't mention my name."

"Don't you want to be a magic tool maker in the royal castle? You can use the budget and rare materials at your leisure. My brother should be able to write a letter of recommendation for you."

"No, I don't have that much magic power, and I want to make magical tools for daily use."

Although the budget and rare materials were attractive, they were far from the direction of what she wanted to do.

Apart from Wolfe's magic sword, all she wanted to make were magical tools for daily use.

She believes that since she is engaged in this profession, she should create things that can make life more convenient and make people smile.

"And Ivano also told me that if the nobles found out that a weak woman like me could make weapons like magic swords, they might forcibly imprison me under the guise of employment."

"Dalia, you seem to have forgotten that I am also a noble."

"No, of course I haven't forgotten..."

"Don't worry! I'm not interested in this for the time being."

"What do you mean not yet?"

Dahlia couldn't help but raise her voice, and Wolfe chuckled mischievously.

Wolff's jokes have been getting more malicious lately.

To prevent the damage from escalating, Dalia decided to change the subject.

"The weather has been getting hotter lately. It must be tough on the expedition, right?"

"When it's hot, we use water magic stones to wash our limbs and heads. Sometimes we also use ice magic stones to create ice cubes to cool down."

"It feels so difficult..."

"After all, we can't bring a cooling fan with us on an expedition. Those skilled in wind magic will occasionally blow a little wind for us to enjoy, but we can't do that all the time. If the hot and humid weather continues for several days, our backs and armpits will get sticky and damp whether we move or lie down, and we'll easily get prickly heat. But we can't take off our armor, so we can't change clothes often."

It seems that five-toed socks and insoles alone are not enough to prevent heat rash. Expedition environments are just that harsh.

"It's not just hot, it's cold too."

"cold?"

It's summer now, and the word "cold" sounds particularly distant.

"Yes, like sweating, getting caught in the rain, or getting covered in monster blood. After washing it off with water, you'll feel cold all over, even in the summer. We were young and could just wrap ourselves in blankets in the tent, but the older ones would experience dull pain in their knees and shoulders."

“This is so unbearable…”

"During our last expedition, a senior caught a cold. His throat was so swollen that he couldn't even swallow dried meat or black bread. We tried to persuade him to use healing magic, but he refused."

"Why? Healing magic should be able to get rid of a sore throat, right?"

"He said that healing magic couldn't cure his cold, and his sore throat would easily recur. It would be a waste to use it on himself. He also wouldn't accept it if he encountered monsters on his way back from the expedition."

Not only are there dangers during the expedition, but you may also encounter monsters or animals on the way there and back.

It's definitely worth saving your healing magic and recovery potions for emergencies.

"I really hope the army can purchase expedition stoves soon so everyone can have warm food."

"yes……"

They were engaged in the important task of defeating monsters, but they also had to face troubles beyond combat.

Taking into account the problems of poor food and easy colds, Dalia wanted to make a furnace for the expedition and give it to them.

If the troops thought the price was too high, she would be willing to donate it personally, but Ivano would surely stop her. She could only try to lower the price so the troops could purchase it.

"I should go back...ah, it's raining again."

Wolf looked at the sky outside the window and said with some distress.

The rain had just started when it turned into a heavy downpour that seemed like it wouldn't stop for a while.

"I'll lend you this."

Dahlia took down her coat from the wall.

The black coat with a Sand Lizard outer layer and a dragon skin lining was the same piece of clothing she had borrowed from Wolff on the day they first met.

But he looked embarrassed and refused to accept it.

"I'm embarrassed to borrow your father's coat again... and you'll wear this one, right?"

"You're welcome. We have plenty of raincoats at home."

"But this one is a high-end item, and it's your father's legacy. Could you lend me another raincoat..."

Dahlia smiled at Wolf and opened a large box beside her.

"We have raincoats in elegant crimson, aqua blue with dark blue dots, and a lily of the valley pattern. Which one would you like?"

She took out the women's raincoat designed by Rukia and asked seriously.

Wolf stared at the colorful raincoats with wide eyes, then smiled and stretched out his right hand.

"Sorry, just lend me that coat, Mr. Daly."

Volume 4: Friends' Misunderstandings and Breeze

Dahlia came to the royal city alone in the afternoon. This was her third time, and she still wasn't used to it.

However, she was only here today to submit a quotation for the expedition oven and shoe dryer, so she wasn't as nervous as before.

Ivano was supposed to come too, but he was tied up in work, so Dahlia didn't bother him. He even gave her the quote for a large order of shoe dryers, but she was surprised to find out when he'd finished it.

Wolf was undergoing training, so Randolph took her to the Monster Suppression Force building.

But for some reason, Randolph took her not to the counter where they received quotations, but to a room further back on the third floor. A silver sign reading "Monster Suppression Force Captain's Room" hung on the door. Gulat and a middle-aged knight were waiting for them inside.

Seeing the expensive furniture, Dahlia felt a little nervous, but she still submitted the quotation. Then the middle-aged knight asked her to sit on the sofa.

After she sat down tremblingly, the maid brought her tea and cakes.

Could it be a problem with the insole or the expedition stove? Or was he going to talk to her about athlete's foot again? Dahlia tensed, but saw Gulat smile warmly.

"Thank you for taking the time to come. Since you're here, why not have some cake before you go?"

"This is the cheesecake from the central building of the royal city. Even the king eats this."

"Thank you."

In front of Dahlia was a baked cheesecake that was too high-end for her.

The size is slightly larger than the ones sold in stores, and it feels heavy and very thick.

The whole thing is a beautiful creamy yellow, with a beautiful caramel-colored surface. It's topped with a generous amount of fresh cream and sprinkled with small flower-shaped sugar beads. Served on a dark blue plate, it looks like a work of art.

The other party urged her twice before she dared to start eating, and she found that the cake was surprisingly not sweet.

Although the cheese flavor is rich and intense, the sweetness is just right so it's not cloying. The cheese flavor then softens and a light sweetness emerges.

After taking a few more bites, she realized the difference in taste and texture between the cheese layer and the lower layer. It turned out that the cake was made so thick precisely to create this difference. It was her first time eating cheesecake with heavy cream, and the saltiness of the cheese accentuated the sweetness of the cream, creating a rich and delightful flavor combination.

Dalia finished her cheesecake with Gulat, the middle-aged knight, and Randolph, and listened to their conversation about monsters and expeditions. She was deeply interested in topics like rare monsters and how to defeat them, as well as transportation and food during expeditions.

They also asked questions related to magical tools. The more Dahlia answered their questions, the more excited she became, and they talked for a long time without realizing it.

Finally, we chatted until tea time and drank a lot of black tea.

As they left, Randolph thoughtfully asked if she wanted to go to the dressing room on the first floor before returning to the stables. She couldn't help but reflect that three cups of black tea was too much.

I wonder if all the women's dressing rooms in the Royal City are this large, or if they're only for visitors. Even the cubicles are four times the size of the Green Tower's, and everything is paved with high-quality marble. A fall in a place like this would be excruciating.

"sorry!"

Dahlia walked out of the cubicle anxiously, when suddenly a woman bumped into her from behind and quickly apologized.

"I got your skirt wet... I'm new here, please forgive me..."

The other person seemed to be a maid from the Monster Suppression Force building, wearing a familiar dark gray uniform. She apologized profusely while wiping the back of Dahlia's skirt. Her awkwardness made Dahlia nervous, too.

"It's okay, don't worry about it."

"I'm so, so sorry..."

The maid apologized several times and then fled. "If they offended the visitor, they might be severely punished," Dalia thought as she left the dressing room.

She walked down the hallway and saw a knight with dark blue hair standing where Randolph had just stood.

"President of the Roseti Merchants Guild, I'm sorry to have startled you. Goodwin was called away by his superiors at short notice, so I'll take you to the stables."

After the knight saluted, he suddenly frowned.

"Well, this is a little embarrassing... your skirt is stained with ink."

"Eh? Thank you for telling me."

Dahlia gently pulled the skirt aside and saw a black ink stain running down the side and back of her light green dress, right where the maid had wiped it. She'd probably used a dirty rag. If she'd been wearing dark blue or dark green, it wouldn't have been a problem, but it was quite noticeable on her clothes today.

"Please wait here. I'll call the maid."

Dahlia hesitated, unsure whether to tell her about the maid. She looked so flustered, it didn't seem like a prank.

She thought about it and realized that she was wearing a top with a long skirt today. If she turned the skirt inside out and covered it with her bag, it would not be so conspicuous.

She informed the knight and returned to the dressing room, putting her skirt on inside out before returning to the corridor.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. This is fine. If you use your bag to cover it, it'll be barely visible."

"I see, just wear it the other way around! ...Sorry, I was a bit rude..."

The knight turned his blue eyes away awkwardly.

"Please don't mind me. I'm a commoner, so just speak to me the way you're used to."

"Well, I'm sorry... We've met once before at a meeting. Wolf and I both wear Red Armor, and my name is Dolino Barti. I'm from a commoner background and used to live in a commoner area. Please forgive me for any impoliteness or rudeness."

"I'm also a commoner, living near the west wall. It's okay to be casual with your words."