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

The image of the woman with red hair and green eyes appeared in Wolfe's mind.

She would probably be very happy if this large order of five-toed socks and dry insoles could bring in a profit.

But he knew that this was definitely not what made her happiest.

Finally, she no longer had to wear wet, awkward shoes, and her steps during battle became safer and more comfortable. These people smiled as they felt comfortable using her magic tools.

This was the source of Dahlia's happiness, so Wolfe wanted to convey these words to her carefully.

"Wolver, you've already written the fifth sheet. It must be hard for the other person to read it, right?"

Wolff did not hear his friend's worried words.

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On the afternoon after returning from the expedition against the giant frog, Wolf rang the doorbell of the Green Tower.

As soon as he returned to the royal city, he was called into the office by Gulart.

Although he had previously stated that the five-toe socks and dry insoles were only prototypes and that a mass production system had yet to be established, Gulat still asked him to bring the trial report to Dalia to say hello. Gulat seemed eager to see these two items in mass production as soon as possible.

He went to the bathhouse to take a shower, quickly changed his clothes, and took the royal city's carriage to the Green Tower.

"Wolver? What happened?"

Dalia asked worriedly as soon as she saw him, making him feel sorry.

"Sorry for the sudden visit. I wanted to talk about toe socks and dry insoles."

"No, I'm glad you're not hurt. I thought something happened..."

"Thank you for your concern. As you can see, I'm fine. I just don't want to see any more of those giant frogs flying around in the sky for now."

"A flock of giant frogs flying in the sky..."

Dalia gave a stiff smile after hearing this. Although Wolf said this himself, he couldn't help laughing.

"This is a trial report, written by everyone who has used it."

"Thank you. It's a lot."

Dahlia was stunned and took the ten pieces of paper and twenty pieces of parchment.

A quarter of the thick stack of papers was written by Wolff.

"Everyone loves them. If it's convenient for you, could you please make new five-toed socks and dry insoles as soon as possible?"

"It should be no problem. We still have the specifications for the five-toed socks, so we just need to place an order with the workshop. As for the insoles, I'll have the craftsmen cut them, and I'll enchant them."

"We've ordered a large quantity this time, and I wanted to talk to you about it. But you seem to be busy at work, so I'll come back tomorrow."

"My work has come to an end, so it's okay to talk about it now."

Dalia inexplicably exuded an air of innocence that made Wolff a little nervous.

"Dalia, you're not actually very busy, but you're forcing yourself just to cooperate with me, right?"

"Not at all. I just finished assigning the material and was waiting for it to settle. The workshop was full of materials. I had nothing else to do so I started cleaning."

Her voice was the same as usual, but she looked younger than usual. Her eyes had a soft curve, and her green pupils were slightly weak.

"What's wrong?"

"Because... you weren't wearing any makeup, I thought you were busy working."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I've shown my true colors."

That bright face was exactly the same as when they first met. Wolf hadn't been able to see her face clearly then because it was stained with the monster's blood, but now seeing it, he felt a surge of nostalgia. It was strange.

"I was just cleaning the house and I didn't wear makeup because I was sweating."

"It's okay. I don't care if you're wearing makeup or not. You remind me of Mr. Dali. It makes me feel nostalgic. And how should I put it..."

"...Wolf, it's hot outside. Let's talk inside."

Wolf didn't know if what he said comforted her. His thoughts were in a mess, and Dalia quickly invited him into the tower.

The first-floor workshop was filled with colorful, patterned fabrics. Not only on the work desk, but even on the floor, there were mats and spread-out fabrics.

"There are so many different patterns."

"These are fabrics for making raincoats for women and children. They're only lightly coated, so they're less waterproof than waterproof fabric. They were custom-made by a costumer who specializes in making raincoats and gloves. Isn't this cute?"

Dahlia pointed to a piece of cloth with a pastel-green background and a lily-of-the-valley pattern.

He had the impression that raincoats were all black or dark blue, but raincoats like this one with colorful patterns should be quite popular.

After climbing to the second floor, Dalia poured him a glass of iced black tea.

They drank iced tea, spread the report on the table, and started talking about business.

"How many sets of toe socks and dry insoles would you like to order?"

"I want to get eighty sets as soon as possible."

She blinked and was silent for ten seconds.

"...Wolf, I'm very grateful to you, but I only asked you to write a trial report for me, not to help me sell it. How much effort did you put into securing this order?"

"It's not difficult at all. It's probably us who will have to trouble you."

Wolf knew that Dahlia would never understand what he was saying, so he pulled out the last page of parchment.

"This is a request from our captain."

"'Monster Suppression Team Five-Toe Socks and Dry Insoles Procurement Plan'... We're planning to purchase eighty pairs for the first collaboration, and then continue to purchase, aiming to buy over three hundred pairs within six months... Why did it come to this?"

"You should know after reading the report."

Dahlia picked up the report and flipped through it quickly, sometimes tilting her head, sometimes smiling. But the more she read, the more serious her expression became, and her face became redder and redder.

"...Wolf, I asked you to write your impressions of the trial."

"Yes, everyone writes about the advantages of the item or areas where they hope to improve."

"That's fine, of course. But why would someone write something like a thank-you note?"

"Oh, it must be the knights and captains of my generation. They suffer from athlete's foot."

"Someone even spent a whole page praising my creativity and technique at work... That's your handwriting, right?"

“I just wrote down the inner thoughts that are common to all people.”

"What is inner insight?"

This interaction was a regular occurrence, but Dahlia's spontaneous banter always amused Wolff. He couldn't help but laugh, even when Dahlia was staring at him.

"And the prices you set are weird too."

"Sorry, is that too low?"

"No, it's too high. Even if we increase the profit margin on five-toed socks, the price is still too high. The price of dry insoles should be reduced to one-third... because green slime powder is very cheap. Most people don't use it, and instead use wind magic stones to grant wind magic."

"Could it be that you estimated it too cheaply?"

"I don't think so... but I'm not sure. I've only just established my guild, and there's still a lot I don't understand. Furthermore, with our guild's capabilities, we definitely can't enter or leave the Royal City. Therefore, this transaction must go through the Merchant Guild or another guild. There's also the issue of a guarantor..."

"Do you have any channels I can consult? Like business partners?"

"It's mainly the business guilds, and... there's a trade association I do business with, but I'm not too keen on consulting them."

There was a subtle shadow in her eyes as she spoke, which made Wolfe very concerned.

"Have you ever had a business dispute with the other party?"

"...It's the chamber of commerce run by my ex-fiancé's family."

"Then don't contact them. It will make you very unhappy."

"That won't happen, Wolf. My ex-fiancé is probably married anyway, and the Chamber of Commerce president is his brother. I've already agreed with him that we'll only interact as Chamber of Commerce presidents."

Dahlia's tone was calm, but her expression was different. She clasped her hands on the table, as if trying to distance herself from Wolff.

"I think it would be easier for you if you cut off contact with the other person."

"It will be very easy indeed. But I don't know how to obtain some of the materials, so I have no choice but to purchase them from them. They have also agreed to give me preferential treatment in terms of delivery time and price."

"I'll ask where else I can get the goods. I'll ask Oswald, my family, and the people in the royal city..."

"Wolf, I appreciate your kindness. But don't worry, this is my job."

"That being said, it's best to avoid it if possible."

"Hmm... you'll cooperate with people you don't get along with in a subjugation, right? Even if there's someone in the Knight Order you don't like, you'll still interact with them politely, right?"

“…That’s right.”

"That's exactly the truth."

Dahlia's explanation was so precise that he couldn't refute it. He understood this rationally, and knew that as an outsider, he shouldn't have interfered, but he still felt depressed.

"I'm going to consult the Merchant Guild tomorrow. There's no point worrying about these things today."

Seeing that Wolf fell silent, Dahlia took his feelings into consideration and carefully put the report into a stack before concluding.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble so suddenly."

"No, thank you for helping me attract business. By the way, didn't you say you would drink with your teammates on the day you returned from the expedition..."

"Yes, but I'm not attending today. I'm planning to grab a bite to eat at a random place on the way home."

"How about having dinner early? I still have some leftover ingredients from the one you gave me last time."

Dalia invited him to dinner as usual, which made him feel shaken.

Although he was worried that this would cause trouble for the other party, he never successfully refused such an invitation.

Every time the table was filled with delicious meals, and when he warned himself not to eat too much, Dalia would bring out new dishes with just the right amount of food, paired with warm wine. They would always talk until they were completely absorbed in the conversation, and time would pass in the blink of an eye.

If the Green Tower were converted into a restaurant, he would definitely come here every few days.

"I'm sorry to bother you every time. From now on, I'll pay for your meals. Not only do I bother you to cook, but I also eat several times more than you do."

"I've already taken your ingredients, and the dishes I made are all simple... but even if I tell you not to worry, you'll still care, right?"

"Yes, just like the last time you received the wine glass from me."

"Then let's go grocery shopping together when we have time. If you want to bring your own ingredients, just buy what you want to eat, but don't buy too much. We can each buy our own portion of wine. How about that?"

"The cooking fee is not included."

"You've helped me attract business, so that makes it even."

It was definitely not fair, he really owed her too much. Although he thought so, he didn't know how to repay her.

"Dalia, is there anything you want?"

"Then let me ask you, what do you want?"

"Demon Sword."

Wolfe answered immediately, and Dahlia nodded deeply, giving him a look of understanding.

"I was inconsiderate when I asked that question. If it were me, I'd also want the materials for the magic tools."

“What are they specifically?”

"Well, there are things like bicorn horns and griffon tails. There's also the skin of a sea serpent and the scales of a fire dragon... and the branches of the World Tree and the feathers of the Phoenix. But getting the last two is practically impossible."

There was nothing Wolff could buy, and the last few were hopeless.

After all, these things weren't sold on the market. Even if there were a trading channel, there was no telling how much they would cost. Wolf had a good deposit, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough.

While he was thinking about these things, Dalia kept staring at him with her green eyes.

"Wolf, I missed something. I want to buy these things myself once I'm able to process them myself."

"what?"

"Don't buy it for me. I've got a deal. If you buy it, I won't let you into the Green Tower."

She repeated it three times, smiling as if she could see through Wolfe's thoughts.

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"Let's keep it simple this time. How about using the magic furnace to make hot pot?"

"I'm sorry to bother you every time. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."