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

The grizzled knight gave him a skewer of black bread.

Before my eyes was a fragrant cheese pot. Soaking the brown bread in the milky liquid, the salty cheese combined with the bread created an indescribable delicacy.

In a frying pan nearby sat ham and eggs with a lustrous yolk. Smoked bacon would have been good, but the cheap ham and lightly fried eggs, sprinkled with salt and spices, were surprisingly delicious.

He ate much the same food at home, but it was completely different when he ate it on the expedition.

The day before the experimental expedition, President of the Roseti Chamber of Commerce made an "egg box" using the skins of desert worms, imbued it with antiseptic magic, and brought it to him for demonstration.

She'd been invited over to review the operation of the expedition stove, but after greeting her, the first thing she mentioned was eggs. She excitedly explained to Gulat, "This egg storage box is lightweight and foldable!" He couldn't help but laugh.

To this day, none of the eggs I brought in the desert worm's "egg box" have broken.

Rather than an egg carton, this container is sturdy enough that it should be able to transport items other than eggs.

Until now, he had never thought of taking easily breakable eggs with him on an expedition.

With our current team, we could add another wagon. In some places, we could even purchase eggs from a village. Depending on the location of our expedition, we might consider this option. We should also be able to bring some other food supplies.

Gulat ate the greatly evolved expedition meal and tasted the wine from the leather bag, which tasted extremely delicious.

Before he knew it, the knight beside him also lowered his head and drank the wine silently.

When the two of them first joined the monster-suppression team, their seniors would often mention these things.

When they were young, they couldn't even drink water whenever they wanted. Some companions fell into swamps and drowned while searching for water. Others, returning from long expeditions, fell off their horses from heatstroke and never moved again. Thanks to the steady supply of water magic stones, they no longer have to worry about water shortages. Their tone was filled with emotion.

However, by the time he was called a "senior", the situation of the troops was still difficult.

Not only were there not enough horses, but good ones were few and far between, making travel extremely difficult. Sometimes the horses would even collapse from exhaustion at their destination.

Unsuitable food, heat stroke and cold caused some companions to leave the team due to illness.

Recovery potions were scarce, and the number of accompanying mages and priests was limited. He had once, with tears of regret, seen off his teammates at the expedition site, and had even been unable to bring their bodies back, burning them with his own magic sword.

Magisters also had to join the battle. Unless they had extra mana, they couldn't be expected to use water or fire magic on others. The army didn't have enough magic stones to distribute to all the members, and the magic stones were not convenient to use.

Warm food, a good night's sleep, staying dry when you're soaked—the things you take for granted in daily life are often out of reach during an expedition.

Even when asking the previous captain to improve the environment, the results were less than ideal. The nobles and civil servants would constantly bring up the previous captain's embezzlement of the budget and the losses caused by missed monster captures.

After becoming captain, Gulat generously used the power and financial resources of the Marquisate to purchase food and healing potions, increase the number of mages and priests, and dispatch personnel to prepare horses and carriages for the expedition. At every meeting, he would strive to secure manpower and budget.

Casualties caused by monster subjugation have been greatly reduced compared to before.

The king expressed his appreciation for this, and the nobles' opinion of Gurat also improved.

As budgets gradually increased, buying horses and equipment became easier than before.

Still, he wasn't happy. It wasn't enough.

The number of people killed or injured during the expedition was not zero, and many people suffered physical damage as well.

Every time he attended a subordinate's funeral as the captain of the monster subjugation force, he would feel the urge to beat himself up.

The monsters are also trying to survive.

Humans and monsters are locked in a fierce competition for survival. It's unlikely that humans will be the only ones to emerge unscathed.

Although I want to avoid human deaths in battles with monsters, dying as a knight is more acceptable.

However, it would be extremely regrettable if someone died from lack of water and food, or from lack of concentration due to insomnia, low temperature or high temperature.

The anger he felt for not being able to create a good environment for his teammates was always directed at himself. He once vomited blood due to a stomach ailment, bit his mouth when clenching his teeth, and lost a lot of hair when he took off his helmet.

When writing letters to the bereaved family, my palms would often bleed from being pricked by my nails.

Without even a lantern, I could only grope in the dark in the evening, unable to see the future.

He didn't know when it started, but he felt that the situation had changed.

When he first got the waterproof cloth, he subconsciously doubted whether this smooth cloth could really be made waterproof.

However, thanks to the waterproof tents, the team members no longer had to worry about rain during their rest periods. Unlike tents that were simply coated with wax, they didn't leak or accumulate water. The tents themselves were also significantly lighter.

As long as you sleep on the waterproof cloth, you won't get wet by moisture from the ground, nor will you suffer from hypothermia due to wet clothes.

A carriage cover made of waterproof cloth was very helpful when moving during rainy days and also helped transport the sick and injured. It also prevented supplies and food from spoiling due to moisture.

The change from heavy leather raincoats to waterproof cloth allowed marches to be faster, even in the rain, and they could cover greater distances. No longer worrying about getting wet, the number of team members catching colds also decreased significantly.

Even today, he still laughs every time he wears five-toed socks, but his itchy toes, which were a real headache, are gone, and he can now stand more steadily when swinging his sword.

Uncomfortable moisture inside the shoes disappears thanks to the dry insole, keeping you fresh whether it's rainy or hot.

The ability to not pay attention to the soles of your feet has a significant impact on your concentration. Perhaps only those who fight on difficult-to-stand ground and those who need to travel long distances will understand how significant this is.

And the breeze cloth that is now wrapped around my neck.

Next summer, I shouldn't be sweating profusely beneath my armor. The days of rolling on the ground in itchy heat rashes from expeditions, and the sleepless nights tossing and turning in the heat, will probably also decrease.

The person who helped me get the next budget for Breeze Cloth was a friend I hadn't talked to for a long time.

The wine they had enjoyed together after a long absence was so delicious that he and his friends drank until dawn, which earned him a scolding from his wife. However, even the scolding made him happy - they smiled at each other during the scolding, which made his wife even more angry.

If you think about it carefully, it was a young magic tool maker who created various magic tools with his own hands and helped him reconnect with his friends.

He was amazed and put down the wineskin.

Under a clear blue sky, a strong wind blew away the midsummer heat, but the heat from the small magic furnace before me remained unmoved. Only the white smoke from the vegetable soup drifted away with the wind.

Gulat suddenly noticed something strange and pricked up his ears.

The sound was different from the usual expedition.

The young team members' slightly high-pitched laughter, the team members' soft chatter, and the sound of toasts, even though it was clearly a leather bag—

He listened to the noise-like sound and suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

"During an expedition, everything is war, and the time spent alive is equivalent to zero."

These words came from the former captain of the monster subjugation force.

However, the players present do have time to live.

Even if it won't be as easy as today, starting from the next expedition, I should be able to regain some of my time alive.

"Master Gulat, would you like to try some sausages with bones?"

“…Yes, yes.”

Hearing the sudden female voice in his ears, Gulat hurriedly wiped away the tears that were about to burst out.

Dahlia and Wolfe carried plates piled high with food.

"Um, isn't that to your taste?"

"No, it's delicious...but my eyes are a little smoky."

"Ah! The magic reactor really needs to be adjusted so that it doesn't produce so much smoke... I'll improve it later."

"Don't worry about it, it's the smoke from the bonfire over there."

Hearing his response, Dahlia breathed a sigh of relief and smiled unguardedly.

Wolfer, standing next to him, immediately began grilling sausages on the bone in the magic furnace. His movements were quite expert.

"Rosetti, you can make all kinds of dishes just with this stove."

"I'm sorting out recipes for new dishes. Wouldn't it be better to have something with a shorter cooking time?"

"Yes. And I'd be happy if it goes well with wine."

"Then perhaps we could create a menu for snacks. The rest would just need to be easy to store..."

The woman in front of him began to think seriously, and Gulat's tears stopped, replaced by laughter.

This place is quite far from the bonfire, so there's no chance of the smoke getting in your eyes.

Even the excuses he came up with in a hurry would be taken seriously and expressed concern.

Wouldn't it be better for her to learn to doubt others and be a little scheming?

This woman is so upright and always works so hard that even Gulart is worried.

A magic tool maker named Dahlia.

Her hair was red like the morning glow, and her eyes were green like the fresh green of a forest.

He stood firm on his own two legs with his head held high, trying to save all living beings within his reach.

So that's how it is, she is indeed the flower of summer.

It shrouded him in a haze, plunging him into confusion, and then illuminated his heart like the blue sky.

"Please be kind and take good care of us from now on, Miss Magical Instrument Master of the Monster Suppression Team."

(Illustration 010)

Volume 4 Extra: A Father and Daughter's Development of Magical Tools - Magical Tools That Transmit Voices

"Dalia, this is a magical tool for 'voice transmission'."

Carlo took out two necklace-shaped magic tools from the shelf and placed them on the work table.

Like him, she was the daughter of a magic tool maker, observing the sound transmission magic tool with sparkling eyes.

"You can change your voice like this."

Carlo put the black leather necklace in front of his throat, and his voice became as deep as that of a majestic old man.

"Voice Transmission is a magical tool invented by Dad, right? And the material used is Siren hair, right?"

Dahlia asked with interest.

"Yes. I used magic to imbue the siren's hair with pure silver in the center—the decorative part. This allows for voice modification and volume adjustment. The leather part of the necklace is horsehide. Depending on the situation, it can also be given a toughening effect, or replaced with a metal chain or magic silk ribbon. It can also be attached to the back of a high-necked garment."

In addition to the strength of the sound, voice transmission can also change the pitch of the sound, so it can make a man sound like a woman and a woman sound like a man.

It wasn't difficult to make. It wouldn't be impossible to teach her earlier, but Carlo was a little worried, so he finally decided to introduce this magic tool to Dahlia today.

"Siren's hair is heirloom hair, taken from a corpse..."

The daughter stared at the magic voice transmitter, and her voice became a little low.

Carlo took out the reserve of Siren hair from the magic box deep in the shelf.

The shiny golden hair seemed to have trapped the moonlight inside and had been stored for more than ten years, but it was no different from the state it was in then.

"Look. This wasn't taken from a corpse. This is the hair a singer won from a singing competition with the siren that was staying aboard the ship."

"Huh? A singing competition with a siren? You must be kidding, right?"

"It's true. That singer is now the director of the Central Opera House. When he was young, his voice was so beautiful that even birds would express their love for him."

That man was Carlo's older classmate at the Advanced Academy. Why he belonged to the Magical Equipment Department remained a mystery, but he was enough for the school's anniversary performance.

"It's amazing that you can actually beat the Sirens with your singing skills. But when you think about the consequences of losing, it really is like gambling with your life."

"No, during vocal practice, the Siren told him to marry into her family if he lost. I heard that all the Sirens are beautiful, so he probably thought that was a good idea."

"Dad, why are you telling me this?!"

Dahlia was furious.

Oh no, I told this to my daughter in her prime. How careless!

Carlo hurriedly put the red leather necklace around his neck.

"You can actually make that kind of sound through voice transmission, Dalia."

“…! Damn it, Daddy!”

Hearing his voice, the daughter froze for a moment, her eyes widening as she slapped Carlo on the back.

He thought the voice was pretty good, but his daughter didn't like it.

Thanks to this, the previous topic came to an end.

"Dad, what are you drinking?"

After dinner that day, Dalia saw Carlo taking medicine and asked worriedly.

"Stomach medicine. Because tomorrow is the Baron's party..."

He answered with a sad face, and a sad look appeared on his daughter's face.

"Is it very exhausting?"