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

"That's fantastic, and we'll do our best to take on whatever work we can."

Irenaeus agreed immediately without hesitation or even asking for conditions.

It seems that the situation of the Orlando Chamber of Commerce is more serious than he expected.

Ivano pretended not to notice the bulging veins on Ireneo's hand as he took a sip of the black tea in front of him. The tea was of decent quality, but a little cold. Using his ring to test for poison had become his habit.

"...What did Miss Dahlia say?"

"What happened to our guildmaster?"

"Did Miss Dahlia really allow us to do this? Or is this just to embarrass us?"

Facing the former president's wife who couldn't help but ask questions, Ivano's mouth tightened and revealed a hint of a sneer.

"Our guild leader has absolutely no intention of embarrassing you. She's busy with the affairs of the Royal City and the various guilds, and her personal life is quite fulfilling..."

He looked down at the two people in front of him with his deep blue eyes and smiled.

At this moment, he knew that he must have an unpleasant expression on his face, but he had no intention of changing it.

"I'm afraid she doesn't care anymore. Whether it's Mr. Tobias, the Orlando family, or even your Chamber of Commerce."

Mr. Carlo, I'm sorry - Ivano apologized silently in his heart.

I am not Miss Dahlia's father, and I cannot replace you even if I risk my life.

Even so, he was still angry about the broken engagement.

He couldn't explain why, whether it was because he also had a daughter, or because he witnessed the last moments of Dalia's father, or because he gradually understood her character after working under her.

"The president told me to treat your company like any other. Even if I wanted to take action, I would be stopped by the president, who comes from a good family."

"Mr. Mercadante..."

Ireneo whispered his name, confused by Ivano's ambiguous words.

However, Ivano's eyes were fixed on the former president's wife.

Dahlia was raised by Carlo. So, who raised Tobias, who had proposed to break off the engagement with Dahlia? Faced with this silent question, the lady lowered her eyes and spoke:

"...When Tobias said he wanted to break off the engagement, I agreed on the spot. I could tell that Tobias and Miss Dahlia didn't really like each other... I wanted Tobias to be with someone who truly loved him... And considering the benefits Miss Emilia would bring to our Chamber of Commerce, there was a lot of calculation involved."

However, this calculation ultimately failed completely.

They married a woman who might upset the Viscount's family, but let go a woman who earned the title through her own ability.

"I should blame Tobias. I should have at least made him observe basic etiquette... I should have protected Lady Dahlia like a daughter, but I neglected her. Therefore, I bear a great deal of responsibility for this situation. I'm truly sorry..."

There was bitterness in her confession, but Ivano did not respond.

He has no right to express any opinion on this matter, nor does he want to say anything.

"Mr. Ivano, thank you very much for coming today. If possible, please convey my apologies to the president of the Roseti Chamber of Commerce. I wish the Roseti Chamber of Commerce future prosperity, and I hope we can have a good cooperative relationship and successful business dealings."

She spoke in an unusually calm voice, and when Ivano met her gaze, he saw a familiar look in her eyes.

He hoped that the ominous look was just an illusion, but the lady's next words ruthlessly dispelled his hope.

"Ireneo, I'm sorry to bother you. I'll follow your instructions and not come here again. I wish you all the best in your negotiations and future developments..."

The former president's wife smiled at her son, bowed deeply, and left the room.

"I'm deeply sorry, Mr. Mercadante. I've made you witness our family's scandal—"

"President Orlando, please chase her immediately and send someone to follow her."

Ivano said firmly to Ireneo, who had just come to his senses and started to apologize.

"Your mother's eyes are exactly the same as my father's before he died. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it's better not to leave her alone."

"I'm so sorry! I have to excuse myself."

Ireneo seemed to have forgotten even to maintain his expression and rushed out of the room in a panic.

Ivano sighed deeply.

In this room where he was the only one left, he poured the remaining black tea from the teapot on the table into the cup without any hesitation.

The tea was a little too strong and bitter, but as it went down his throat, it calmed him down a little.

But that kind of look, he probably will never get used to it in his life.

About fifteen minutes had passed when Ireneo returned.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Mercadante. Thank you."

He bowed deeply, but neither side mentioned whether the advice just given was correct.

In order to change the subject, Ivano took out the explanatory documents from his briefcase and began to display them on the table.

However, the man in front of him stopped him.

"Mr. Mercadante, I have a request."

"What's going on?"

"If there are any employees in our company that you would like, would you please contact them?"

"Are you suggesting I 'poach'?"

"As the president of the Chamber of Commerce, I can't say this explicitly, but if you can get in touch with them before we fire them, they'll be great subordinates for you. It will also help them avoid the shock of being fired."

Ireneo's clenched hands looked unusually pale.

Perhaps, before Ivano's father gave up the Chamber of Commerce, he also clenched his hands like this.

Ivano tugged at his tie with his index finger, loosening it a little.

"Let's be frank. I'm in dire need of staff. How many people do you plan to lay off and how long do you plan to do it?"

"... within four months, a quarter of the workforce was cut."

"President Orlando, you should be well aware that laying off so many people is unwise, right?"

"Yes."

"If you let me take over all of this quarter of your staff, I dare say that in less than two years, no, within a year and a half, I can swallow up your Chamber of Commerce."

He quickly calculated in his mind. Even if only half of this quarter of the staff could be put to use, he was confident that he could poach the Orlando Chamber of Commerce's clients and steal their business from the side.

"...Even so, we can still last a year and a half."

Although his voice was a little reluctant, he still maintained the firmness that a chamber of commerce president should have, revealing the demeanor of a leader.

He was surprised to find that Ireneo was so similar to his father, the former president of Orlando.

"Is your goal in continuing the Chamber of Commerce hoping to revive it? I think that will be quite difficult."

"I hope to protect more members of the Chamber of Commerce and buy more time."

Ireneo said this without hesitation, which made Ivano feel a little relieved.

At least, Ireneo truly cares about others and knows how to use people.

He is not the kind of businessman who would easily sacrifice pawns to save the king, but a manager who strives to protect his subordinates.

"Mr. Mercadante...what exactly do you want?"

"Freedom. I want our president to be free to do what she likes, and I also want to be free to run my business—freedom from interference from anyone."

Facing Ireneo's hesitant question, Ivano answered frankly.

He does not want the Orlando Chamber of Commerce to disappear because it does not benefit the Roseti Chamber of Commerce in any way.

If you can use it, instead of dwelling on past grudges, consider it an investment in the future and use it effectively.

Dahlia wants to use her magic tools to bring more smiles to people's faces, while he hopes to accumulate trust and wealth and build a solid guild together. To do this, he absolutely needs capable and available subordinates.

"President Orlando, please give me all the labor of this chamber of commerce."

"What?"

"As a contract manufacturer that prioritizes our work, the entire chamber of commerce will be included. If you become a subsidiary of the Roseti Chamber of Commerce, no one else will interfere. I will conduct the necessary prior coordination. I will not let you go bankrupt, nor will I reduce your scale. I will prevent any interference as much as possible."

"But, if that happens, how will other people view Ms. Dahlia, no, President of the Roseti Merchants Guild..."

"Hahaha... What? You still can't get over that 'thinking of yourself as your future brother-in-law' thing?"

Ivano laughed loudly and exaggeratedly.

"Ever since breaking off her engagement, our guild leader has been saying she 'doesn't care' about any gossip. No matter what anyone says, it doesn't affect her. Besides, how many people would actually have the guts to say such things these days?"

Taking the business association that her ex-fiancé belonged to under her own umbrella—if anyone wanted to say this was out of spite or revenge, let them say so.

However, that’s only if they dare to speak out loud.

As the president of the Monster Suppression Force's designated supplier association and advisor to the force, he will be promoted to baron next year.

He is highly regarded by Marquis Gulart and is an excellent magic tool maker who continuously creates popular magic tools.

Who would want to be an enemy of such a person who is recommended by all major guilds?

Of course, if someone really became an enemy, that would be fine. Whether it was a head-on attack or an attack from behind, Ivano would go all out.

"I understand... Please tell me the terms of cooperation with the contract manufacturer."

"'Contract manufacturer' might not be the right term; we'd rather call you 'business partners.' We have a lot of work to do, and whatever we can assign will be given to you. We will proactively contact all parties and do our best to provide protection. If there are any issues, we can also assist in discussions. However, in exchange, you two must sign a temple contract with us, guaranteeing that you will not do anything that harms the interests of Miss Dahlia and the Roseti Chamber of Commerce."

"Who are these two people you're talking about?"

"President Orlando, I'm referring to you and Mr. Tobias, the head of the Magical Equipment Department. Ah, of course, we'll cover the expenses. These are our terms. Starting today, we'll give you three days to consider."

Ivano ended the conversation with unquestionable speed.

His expression made it clear that these terms were non-negotiable, and he looked directly at Irenaeus.

"...Mr. Ivano, do you really look like your grandfather?"

"no."

Faced with this low-pitched question, Ivano answered immediately.

In their last conversation with Ireneo, he had flinched at a similar question, trying hard to keep his expression.

But now, such problems can no longer hurt him.

The grandfather of the skilled trader known as the "Cold-blooded Merchant Guild President," who built up the Chamber of Commerce within a single generation;

Although respected as the "virtuous president of the Chamber of Commerce," his father's excessive kindness led to the collapse of the chamber of commerce.

To him, who had begun to don the armor of a businessman, both men were but memories.

He was neither the grandfather nor the father, but a different man, a different businessman.

"I've recently discovered that I'm neither my father nor my grandfather."

“Is that so…”

Ireneo lowered his black eyes gently and no longer responded.

"From now on, can you call me 'Ivano', 'Ireneo'?"

Ivano addressed Ireneo by his name without waiting for confirmation.

As a member of another chamber of commerce, it would have been inappropriate to make such suggestions to a chamber of commerce president.

However, this is more of a confirmation ceremony.

Even if their names become more intimate, they are no longer equals.

The light that flashed across his black eyes was either disgust or resignation.

Even so, in order to protect the person he wanted to protect, this man had no choice but to bend his knees and hold Ivano's hand.

"...Then I'll call you 'Ivano'."

Ireneo is no longer Ivano's rival.

Volume 5: Transporting Goods and the Great Sensei's Teachings

“Where should I put this…?”

Dahlia looked around the room, unsure where to put the new file box.

The office that the Roseti Chamber of Commerce rented from the Chamber of Commerce was also becoming a bit crowded.

There were so many files that the bundled shelves were nearly full, and the large suitcases for the letters had reached the point where they had to be compressed by placing books on the lid, like a pickle.