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

After watching their backs disappear, Dalia finally took a deep breath and returned to normal.

It seemed that Mr. Oswald was not only planning to train her to be a magic tool maker, but also to be an outstanding chamber of commerce president. And his standards seemed quite strict.

She began to dread the content of the next class.

"President, I think things like this will happen more and more in the future... Let's work together."

The voices of her subordinates behind her made Dalia look into the distance.

Later, Dahlia gathered her spirits and headed to the guild counter. As soon as she greeted them, she was led to the top floor.

Today's primary purpose is to visit August, the vice-guild master of the Adventurer's Guild.

It was said that on the day Dahlia presented her products to the Finance Department in the Royal City, August had written a letter recommending the Roseti Chamber of Commerce. She had only heard about this a few days ago from the Monster Suppression Corps Captain, Gulat.

She hurriedly wrote a thank-you letter to August and made an appointment for a meeting today.

Since she also wanted to inquire about the slime farm, she had intended to pay her respects to the guildmaster as well, but she had heard that the Adventurer's Guildmaster only returned to the capital once or twice a year, frequently touring the various branches. He himself seemed to be an active adventurer, often personally hunting monsters to obtain rare materials.

Wolfe told her that in fact, the current Vice Guild Master August was more like the real Guild Master.

"Welcome, President of the Roseti Merchants Guild."

"Lord Scarlatti, thank you for taking the time to meet with me."

After the standard greetings in the luxurious reception room, Dahlia settled herself into the dark brown sofa. The sofa seemed to be made of magical leather, enchanted with a cool, comfortable feel even in the summer.

"I'd love to chat with you, but I have to go to the Royal City later—"

August's schedule seemed to be very full. He first apologized to Dahlia and told her that the meeting time was limited.

He probably deliberately squeezed out time to meet Dahlia.

Dahlia quickly took the two small magic furnaces and the package containing two breeze cloth scarves from Ivano.

"Is this the rumored breeze cloth?"

Seeing the package of breeze cloth, August narrowed his reddish-brown eyes in joy.

Dahlia was puzzled by his expression. He must have been troubled by the heat during meetings in the capital or while out and about.

"My wives have been clamoring for this fabric, and you guys have been a real help."

Dalia noticed the word "wives." It seemed August had more than one wife.

"Mr. Scarlatti, although it is very presumptuous for a member of the Chamber of Commerce to ask such a question, you have two wives in your family, so how many daughters do you have?"

"I have two wives and two daughters."

Ivano's sudden confirmation startled Dahlia, but the blue-haired man answered with a serious face.

"Then please accept this as well."

"Thank you for your kindness."

Ivanor pulled two more Breeze cloth scarves from his bag, and August accepted them politely. Dahlia watched this ritualistic interaction silently.

"We plan to put more effort into the cultivation of green slimes in the future. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me."

The meeting ended with August's happy smile, and Dalia and the others left the reception room.

"Ivano, so you brought some extra breeze cloth?"

When they reached the corridor, Dalia asked, and he answered with a smile.

"Yes. I heard there are two wives in the family, but I'm not sure about their daughter's situation... But I think any father would want to show a 'good impression' in front of his family."

"Will giving Breeze Cloth make a 'good impression'?"

It was an undyed light green chiffon scarf, only slightly finer in weaving. It had no patterns or decorations, and it would have been quite inappropriate as an ornament for aristocrats.

"You can also cut it up and make it into the lining of clothes. Besides, just owning Breeze Cloth seems to be a status symbol these days."

"Is the Breeze Cloth a status symbol...?"

The image of the green slime jumping lightly appeared in Dahlia's mind.

She just couldn't connect the words "breeze cloth" and "identity symbol" together.

"Lord Fortu told me that at a ball, a lady wore a breeze cloth around her neck instead of a necklace. Her hair fluttered in the wind, making her look particularly elegant. Another gentleman sewed breeze cloth onto his cuffs, and it's said that the ladies he danced with felt very cool. It seems there are many similar cases. All the breeze cloth sold to the nobles is handled by Lord Fortu, so he is probably the one behind these trends."

Dahlia hesitated for a moment whether she should discuss these matters here, but when she saw Ivanor's cufflinks flashing red, she felt relieved. He seemed to have activated the anti-eavesdropping magic device.

"I guess most nobles want to be at the forefront of fashion, especially women."

"is that so……"

Dalia is also a woman, but she is quite slow to understand and not very interested in fashion trends.

Before her engagement was broken off, Rukia commented that her dress was "the style of two generations ago" and even said that she was "more simple than my grandmother."

Lately, her attire has been rated as "barely acceptable," but she still occasionally gets pointed out for flaws. Even the style of her shoes and the color of her stockings are scrutinized, a source of considerable worry for her.

Dahlia was very interested in the latest trends and styles of magical tools, but when it came to clothing, she believed that it was enough to choose something comfortable and to her liking—but she also had to consider her position as the president of the Chamber of Commerce and someone who frequently visited the royal city.

"In order to gain the trust of others, you must pay more attention to your clothing," Gabriela, the vice-president of the Merchant Guild, told her.

In addition, Dahlia also felt that she couldn't dress too impolitely when standing next to Wolf, so she always accepted Rukia's suggestions as much as possible.

"Is it so late already? My apologies, Guild Master. I have to return to the Merchant Guild first. I'll pick you up after the guild meeting."

"Don't worry, Ivano. I'll load the materials onto the carriage and head straight back to the Green Tower. You don't have to come all the way to pick me up."

After she answered this, he looked at her with great worry in his deep blue eyes.

"You really don't need me to accompany you when you meet with Minister Tasso? Even if you want me to adjust the meeting time..."

"No, this is an apology between me, my father, and the Rossetti family."

Although Ivano still looked worried, he silently handed the package to her.

That was the item she was going to use to apologize to John, and Ivano had been keeping it for her ever since.

Dahlia took a deep breath and walked towards the room where he was.

In the reception room on the second floor, a chestnut-haired man was already waiting for her.

The door was half-open, allowing the outsider to see into the room. This was probably a considerate gesture, considering her female status. Guild guards stood by the door.

This chestnut-haired man was none other than John Tasso, the Materials Management Director of the Adventurer's Guild.

Previously, when they were making five-toed socks and insoles, he and August had come to the Merchant Guild. He had told Dahlia right then and there, "Tell me clearly what materials you want and what materials you'll need for the magic tools you intend to develop!"

Although this shocked Dahlia, after knowing the reason, she could understand his intention.

John personally hunted Krakens for the water heaters developed by Dahlia's father, Carlo, and Sand Lizards for the hair dryers. He also seemed to be struggling with managing the large number of Blue Slimes while Dahlia was making tarpaulins.

As he was busy collecting and managing materials, cracks began to appear in his family relationships.

He divorced soon after getting married, and after remarrying, his wife and children left him and returned to her parents' home. Just hearing this made Dalia feel very sorry.

John had every right to resent the Rosettes—Dahlia even sincerely believed so.

Dahlia nodded to John and walked into the room. He put down the documents and stood up from his chair.

"Welcome, President of the Roseti Merchants Guild. I heard you've been appointed the designated supplier and advisor to the Monster Suppression Force. I would like to offer my sincere congratulations."

Whether it is Oswald or John, why are they always so well-informed?

Dahlia perked up, adjusted her expression, and returned the greeting:

"Thank you for your congratulations. We're just getting started, but we'll work hard with all our heart. Please continue to support us."

John nodded slightly in response to Dahlia's words, then took a step back from the table.

"Please allow me to apologize again—I'm deeply sorry for my disrespectful behavior last time."

"No, you don't need to apologize. Please raise your head!"

Dahlia tried desperately to stop John, who was still bowing at a 90-degree angle. After stopping him, it was her turn to apologize.

"I should be the one apologizing. Although I didn't know about this beforehand, I caused you, Minister Tasso, a lot of trouble in procuring the materials for the magic tools. Um, and then there's your family situation..."

"No, that was just me throwing a tantrum last time. I'm really not in the right mood during meetings—I'm acting weird after staying up late for two days in a row. What a coward."

John inadvertently said something disturbing.

After staying up late for two consecutive nights, your thinking and judgment abilities will decline significantly, which is very painful.

Dalia recalled that in her previous life she had died from overwork due to heavy workload, and her mouth was suddenly filled with bitterness.

She couldn't find the right words to ease the atmosphere, so she just continued the conversation.

"Minister Tasso, I would like to offer these items as a token of the Rossetti family's apology to you. Would you be willing to accept them?"

Logically, she and her father Carlo should apologize on behalf of the Rosetty family, but now only Dahlia is left.

Dahlia couldn't think of a suitable thank-you gift, so she asked Ivano for advice and brought two small magic furnaces, two breeze cloth scarves, and a bottle of slightly higher-end brandy, all wrapped in wrapping paper.

"I should be the one apologizing, but I'm grateful for your kindness. I will gladly accept these gifts. Please call me 'John', as I'm the one who accepted your request."

"Thank you. Please call me 'Dalia'. If I have any questions about materials in the future, I will consult with you again. Please take care of me."

"As long as there are questions I can answer, you are always welcome to contact me."

After a slightly longer exchange of pleasantries, the two finally sat down on the chairs.

John touched the small magic furnace package given by Dahlia on the table and thanked her again.

But after thanking him, he noticed a piece of thin cloth wrapped with a fire magic stone on the package, and frowned slightly.

"President of the Roseti Merchants Guild, no, Miss Dahlia..."

He first lowered his birch eyes, then looked at Dahlia hesitantly.

"Excuse me, but attaching an extra Fire Demon Stone to the package may cause some people to misunderstand. I suggest you refrain from doing so in the future."

"Eh? Ah, that's not it!"

Dahlia quickly raised her voice and answered in a panic.

Before going out, Dahlia thought it would be more convenient to carry some fire magic stones as fuel, so in addition to the gift wrapping, she also wrapped two fire magic stones in thin cloth and attached them to it.

But in this country, "throwing the firestone into your chest" is a metaphor for falling in love.

So, if you only give the Fire Stone to someone you like, it might be interpreted as "I hope you fall in love with me"—a confession of love. This is something Dalia had heard in her school days, but she had long forgotten it.

To be precise, she had neither received nor given any Fire Magic Stone, so she didn't take this matter to heart at all.

"Um! I promise I won't attach a Fire Demon Stone to it when I give it to anyone else!"

"Ms. Dahlia, please calm down. I won't misunderstand you, but what you just said may also be..."

Saying that I won't give the Fire Stone to anyone else can also be interpreted as "I won't give the Fire Stone to anyone other than you" - fortunately, John is not the kind of man who would misunderstand, which is a blessing.

“…Hmm.”

Dahlia, in her panic and her own ignorance, almost wanted to cover her face with her hands. She suppressed the action, put her hands back, and tried hard to straighten her posture.

If she blushes or becomes overly flustered at this moment, it might actually cause misunderstanding.

Dalia struggled to catch her breath, trying to calm herself. Although the blush on her face gradually faded, tears welled up in her eyes.

“…I’m really, really sorry.”

"No, please don't take it to heart. I'll forget about it. By the way, Miss Dahlia, has anyone ever told you that you look like your father?"

"People often say that, but what do you mean...?"

"I see. I understand."

Dahlia didn't know what he understood, but she was grateful that John had taken the initiative to change the subject.

So she decided to change the topic.

"I've compiled a list of materials I might need to make my next magical tool. If it's not too much trouble, could you please take a look at it, Mr. John, when you have time?"

"Thank you. This is very helpful. I have learned the details about the green slime from Lord Fortunato. We are currently planning a large-scale expansion of the slime farm."

As expected of Fortu, the head of the Clothing Guild, he acted very quickly.

There is also the Adventurer's Guild that is already planning to expand the slime farm, and their efficiency is truly amazing.

"The slime farm... I remember it's east of the royal capital, right?"

"Yes. Currently, 70% of them are blue slimes, with smaller numbers of other species. If you're interested, would you like to visit the farm in person?"

"Can I go visit?"