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

“I’m the guild leader, but I’m the only one in the entire guild.”

"Yes, that's why you need to take good care of yourself so that you won't be bullied because of your appearance."

Gabriella smiled like a cat that had spotted its prey.

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Dalia was first taken to a clothing store. Although it was a shop geared towards the masses, the clothes it sold were quite high-end.

Clothing in this world is more expensive than in the past. Dalia clutched Gabriella's sleeve tightly.

"Ms. Gabriella, my budget is not very..."

"Don't worry. My husband is the guarantor. He'll cover the cost if the money isn't enough."

After she gave a puzzling answer, she smiled no matter what Dalia asked.

"Welcome, we've been waiting for you."

After greeting her, the clerk took off the dark gray clothes that Dalia usually wore.

While she was still panicking, the salesperson had already measured her and, along with Gabriella, began to scold her about the ill-fitting bras. Dahlia explained that her weight hadn't changed since college, so she'd always bought the same size bras without trying them on. This only earned her a harsher rebuke.

The clerk took her measurements and asked her to try on the bra. During this process, he said three times, "Miss, you must wear a bra that fits you!"

In the end, Dahlia bought three sets of body-con underwear.

The clerk then compared the fabric with Dalia's face, confirming which colors would suit her and which would not. Then, she placed the selected fabrics on a piece of paper and handed it to her, asking her to choose a color from it.

The clerk asked her what her clothing preferences were, and she replied, "Things that are comfortable to wear, have stain-resistant colors, and are easy to wash." The clerk was speechless, and Gabriela put her hand to her forehead.

She was then taken to the fitting room and the salesperson came in with a pile of clothes in her arms.

"Please try them all on."

Dahlia didn't know what to say to the clerk with a scary smile. She was about to ask Gabriela for help, but she walked into the fitting room with twice as many clothes as the clerk.

The clerk and Gabriela were in charge of the selection, while Dahlia just kept putting on and taking off the clothes - this process lasted for a long time, and finally ten sets of clothes, a total of twenty pieces, were selected and hung on the hangers in a row.

They asked Dalia to choose from more than three sets. Dalia originally wanted to start with the cheapest ones, but was immediately discovered.

"Ms. Dahlia, the purpose of this kind of clothing is to introduce yourself to others. Since you want to be the head of the Chamber of Commerce, you must gain trust during meetings and when entertaining guests. Clothing is also important to make a good first impression."

"That's right, clothes are important! Please change into something that suits you better!"

Dahlia tentatively agreed with their arguments, but she didn't know what kind of clothes would be trustworthy or make a good impression. To be honest, the styles were so unfamiliar to her that she couldn't tell which ones would suit her best.

After explaining this, she asked for their opinions and finally picked out two sets of clothes.

The first set is a burnt black dress with a small yellow jacket.

The second outfit features a cool hyacinth blue two-piece top paired with a navy maxi skirt embellished with subtle lace.

Dahlia herself also likes these two combinations.

"Loose, ill-fitting clothes can actually hinder movement. These days, there's more and more stretchy fabrics, especially those mixed with unicorn fur, which are very comfortable to wear."

Just as Dahlia was hesitating about the third type, the clerk's word "unicorn" made her look up suddenly.

After thinking hard for a while, Dahlia picked out another pair of olive green trousers.

Of course, the fabric used is the one mixed with unicorn hair and has the best elasticity.

To match the pants, she picked out a white lily summer sweater with a white base and some green, and a white shirt.

This was the first time in Dalia's life that she had ever bought white clothes.

They also asked her to choose shoes that would go with everything. She insisted on buying only two pairs, so the clerk, after discussing it with Gabriela, let her try on pair after pair.

Finally, there were shoes in beige and glossy black that matched Dahlia's skin tone. She chose shoes with low heels for easy walking.

After finally choosing clothes and shoes, Dalia was almost exhausted.

The clerk said that the store had a special tailor who could help her alter her dress and trousers immediately.

While they were waiting, the clerk helped them pay first, but gave the bill to Gabriella instead of Dalia.

"Miss Dahlia, can you offer five large silver coins?"

To Dalia, one large silver coin felt like ten thousand yen.

She bought seven pieces of high-end clothing, three sets of underwear and two pairs of shoes, which definitely cost more than this price.

"I'll pay for it myself. The real price must be higher, right?"

"You can save your money for the next store."

Dalia was dizzy just hearing these words.

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The carriage then drove to the cosmetics store.

Dalia changed into a black dress and black shoes at the clothing store. She had always worn flats and wasn't used to the height.

"Welcome, Miss Gabriella."

"Hello, I've brought a distinguished guest with me. She's Ms. Dalia, the president of the Roseti Chamber of Commerce."

"Ms. Dalia, thank you for your first visit."

When Gabriella introduced Dalia to the pretty shop assistant, she unexpectedly called her the head of the Chamber of Commerce, which made her feel a little panicked. But if she showed it, it would probably make Gabriella lose face. So she forced a stiff smile and said hello.

The store was filled with all kinds of cosmetics and makeup tools, and decorated with brightly colored flowers, and the atmosphere made her nervous.

"What are you two looking for today?"

"Could you please teach her a basic makeup look that can be done in ten minutes, and also buy her a set of makeup tools she'll need."

"OK."

"Then I'll record the steps."

Dahlia was led to sit in front of a large three-sided mirror. There were some makeup tools on the side table. The clerk sat next to her, and Gabriela sat on the sofa diagonally behind her.

"What kind of makeup did you wear before?"

"I used foundation and lipstick, but I didn't feel comfortable with it, so I stopped wearing makeup."

Actually, she didn't wear makeup because Tobias said he hated the smell of makeup.

"You have good skin, so all you need is brows, some simple eyeliner, lipstick, and blush. You can also add eyeshadow and foundation if you like, but that's fine too."

Whether in her past life or this life, Dalia has only a vague understanding of makeup knowledge and techniques.

While she was feeling anxious, the clerk quickly explained and trimmed her eyebrows, then taught her how to put on makeup and practiced it on her face.

Her originally bushy eyebrows were trimmed into a long, streamlined shape. Her austere demeanor vanished with just this. With all the stray hair removed, her complexion became brighter and more uniform.

After applying eyeliner, Dalia's unremarkable double eyelids became slimmer and more beautiful, and the eyeshadow made her eyes look deeper. The blush made her pale face more rosy and looked very energetic.

After she put on her lipstick and looked in the mirror, she even began to wonder if the cosmetics in this store were magical.

The clerk finished the process with satisfaction and took Dahlia to the sink by the wall, asking her to remove her makeup and try to put on her own makeup.

She almost yelled, "How can I possibly learn it in such a short time?"

But as soon as she picked up the eyeliner, she suddenly remembered the internship class at the advanced college.

During the Magic Tool Department's practical class, one assignment required mixing a specific color from several materials and then applying it to a magic tool. It was challenging, but fun.

When applying makeup, she felt relieved. She thought, "I just need to think of myself as a magic tool and follow the steps I just learned to create the desired look."

In fact, detailed work such as dyeing and correction is indeed an indispensable part of making magical tools.

"It's a beautiful painting, and it suits you very well!"

After Dalia finished applying her makeup, the clerk happily introduced her to various cosmetics. She listened attentively to avoid being rude.

"Foundation mixed with silk doesn't dry out easily. Eyeshadow used to be mostly plant-based, but recently, more and more are made from monster ingredients."

"What are the monster materials?"

"For example, red slime can be used to make a transparent red dye. It's said that the material is completely non-toxic. What you used this time was a mixture of that dye and the original lipstick dye."

"Red slime. It's a gel material, so it can create a sense of transparency and depth."

Dalia thought that the charm of slime lay in its transparency, and the clerk nodded vigorously.

"Yes, a transparent finish makes it look more natural. Last month, a lipstick protector made from Kraken skin came out. Applying it over lipstick means you don't have to reapply it as often."

"I see. The Kraken's skin has a strong barrier effect, so the lipstick is less likely to stick to coffee cups or glasses."

"That's right! This is also convenient for eating and drinking tea."

The clerk nodded vigorously again.

"There's another type of eyeshadow we haven't stocked yet. I heard it's made from crushed leaves of the World Tree. It doesn't turn out green, but a beautiful light blue, the color of the sky."

"The sky-blue dye made from the World Tree...is amazing."

The two of them became happier and happier as they talked, and in the end, it was unclear whether they were talking about cosmetics or monster materials.

Gabriela had already finished taking notes and looked at them with warm eyes.

When Dalia walked out of the store, she not only bought a set of basic cosmetics, but also received a lot of gifts.

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"I'd really like to toast you with wine, but the timing is a bit awkward, so let's have black tea instead."

It is now past noon and time for tea.

They sat facing each other in a two-person seat in the coffee shop, with black tea and double-layered pancakes topped with lots of fruit and fresh cream on the table.

"From today on, I'll call you Dahlia, and you can call me Gabriella. Guild presidents usually call each other by their first names."

"Well……"

Gabriella was both the Viscount and Guild Master's wife and the Vice Guild Master, and Dahlia found the proposal terrifying.

"This dress suits you so well, it would be a shame to hunch over, Dahlia."

"Gabriella-chan...I'll pay attention."

She laughed when she heard Dahlia almost call her "Miss" again.

Gabriella told Dalia to eat while it was still hot, so she took a bite of the thick pancake. The soft pancake melted in her mouth. It must have been made with good eggs and milk, as it had a rich flavor.

She ate a few bites of the first slice straight away, then paired it with fresh cream. It wasn't overly sweet, and the melt-in-your-mouth texture and vanilla aroma were fantastic.

The second piece is served with fruit and the remaining whipped cream. The addition of sweet and juicy fruit makes the pancake even more delicious.

Because they were hungry, the two finished the pancakes without much conversation.

While Dalia was still immersed in the satisfaction of eating the pancake, the refill of black tea was brought to the table.

"Dalia, I'm sorry to have pulled you out so suddenly."

"No, you not only taught me a lot, but you also paid for it... Thank you so much. I don't understand any of this, and I've never even thought about it."

Only after she put on this outfit and makeup did she understand.

She originally had no interest in clothing and could not distinguish what she needed and did not need, or what was suitable and did not suit her.

As the president of a business association, she strives to gain the trust of her business partners and mentally reminds herself to pay more attention to her clothing and makeup.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. You'd better go to the temple to get your eyes healed and take off your glasses."

"Take off your glasses?"

"Yes, glasses are too much of a hindrance for you."

The tone was close to an order.

My glasses fogged up when I was trying to make a bubbler in the bathroom, which was really inconvenient. I'll be able to work more easily after I go to the temple and get my myopia cured.

Dalia asked about the cost, and Gabriella said it would only cost one gold coin to heal her eyes, and that the rest would be up to her to donate. This wasn't a problem for her.

Incidentally, eye diseases are mainly the province of doctors, while those who want to restore their eyesight must go to the temple.

In principle, in this world, if you are sick, you go to the doctor, and if you are injured, you go to the temple.

She heard that even if one lost a limb, they could still seek regeneration treatment from a priest within seven days, which impressed Dahlia. However, the treatment technology here was inferior to that of her previous life. She had thought she could rely on healing magic, but magic is not a panacea. Therefore, people were more concerned about illness than sudden injuries.

"I understand. I'll go. Sorry to trouble you, Gabriella..."

"Don't take it personally. I owe Carlo a favor, and this is just my way of repaying the favor."