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

"Of course, how do you want it to be done?"

"Cut it short for me, and then... dye it back to its original color."

Dalia's hair was originally crimson, rumored to be the same color as her mother's, but she has no way of confirming this.

Your hair is like a beautiful sunset, and like a lovely crimson clover - the maid who took care of her when she was a child used to praise her like this. But to be honest, she didn't like this red hair very much.

As a child, she longed for her father's sandy hair.

Her eyes were green like her father's, and she wished her hair was the same color.

"I didn't expect your hair to be this long. Where do you want to cut it?"

"I want to tie it up while I'm working. Please cut it to the perfect length for me."

When my hair is let down, it reaches about the middle of my back, which is longer than I expected.

Dalia sat down on a chair in the store, and Irma carefully combed her hair.

"You have naturally curly hair, so I'd like to cut it a little above the shoulders... Is this okay?"

"Okay, the rest is up to you."

Irma nodded, wrapped a white scarf around Dalia's head, and began to cut her hair with practiced movements. The sound of the scissors kept coming.

"Dalia, you haven't had your hair cut since you got engaged, right?"

"Mr. Orlando wanted me to grow my hair out and dye it a plain color. Dyeing your hair at home is really troublesome when it's long."

"Your original hair color suits your skin tone better and is more beautiful."

"But red is too conspicuous..."

"What's with the red being so conspicuous? I think he's just trying to cause trouble for you."

Irma moved the scissors and pouted slightly.

Dahlia's long hair fell in clumps onto the polished wooden floor.

"Some girls come here to get their hair done after getting engaged or married, saying they want a more minimalist look. This is usually requested by their fiancés or husbands."

"Is it because of work or family?"

“That’s what they say on the surface, but I think there’s something else going on.”

Irma paused for a moment and met Dahlia's eyes in the mirror.

In her ears she wore earrings with glittering kite-colored gemstones, the color of Marcella's eyes.

"Don't you think they want their partners to dress more modestly because they lack confidence?"

"Yeah?"

"They're probably afraid their partner is too pretty and someone else will snatch them away. Men should be more confident and less afraid. They should also trust their partner more."

“That’s right…”

Dahlia nodded in agreement.

But she felt that this inference could not be applied to herself.

Tobias wasn't worried at all that Dahlia would be taken away.

She was the one who was cheated on, but she didn't feel sorry, so it didn't matter.

After cutting their hair, they moved to the hair washing station along the wall.

Irma used the Water and Fire Magic Stones to boil water, dissolved the dye remover, and then soaked Dalia's hair in the water. She then washed it twice with shampoo and conditioner.

Apply some hair oil to add shine, and blow dry your hair with a hair dryer made of wind magic stone and fire magic stone, and your shoulder-length red hair will become fluffy and sway.

The magical tool "hair dryer" with the same name as her previous life was invented by Dahlia's father when she was a child.

To be precise, it was done by her father and her together.

When she was a child, just starting to learn how to make magic tools, she used wind and fire magic stones to make a small device that could blow hot air. She originally wanted to keep it secret from her father as a surprise, but she hadn't learned how to control the output power.

The finished product that was made in a confused manner turned out to be a small but solid "flamethrower".

She even accidentally burned the wall of her workshop black, and was severely scolded by her usually gentle and kind father.

After being scolded, Dalia held back her tears and explained the structure of the magic tool and what she wanted to do.

Her father understood her intention, and the two of them were so excited that they made a hair dryer the next morning. She still remembers that when the maid came home from vacation and learned about it, she scolded her father for letting a child stay up late. Thinking about it now makes her feel nostalgic.

"It suits you very well."

"Thank you. My hair feels lighter now, and it feels really fresh."

The red-haired woman smiled in the mirror. She was still not used to the bright red hair she hadn't seen in the past two years.

"There aren't any customers right now, would you like some coffee?"

She nodded and accepted Irma's invitation and walked towards their house.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

"Do I need help packing my luggage at your house?"

"No, I don't have much luggage."

Dalia took the coffee from Irma and added some sugar, which she didn't usually add.

"I heard roughly what Marcella said yesterday. Sorry to keep saying the same thing, but I think it's right for you to break up with that kind of person."

"Yeah, I'm glad I'm separated from him."

Dalia also said this with absolute certainty.

"...Mr. Orlando came to see me at the Green Tower today."

"Mr. Orlando... That's right, don't call him Tobias anymore. Did he repent and apologize? Or did he change his mind and ask for reconciliation?"

"Neither. He wants me to return the engagement bracelet to his new fiancée."

"cough!"

Irma's coffee and table were destroyed.

"Is he, is he an idiot?"

She coughed and cursed, and Dalia quickly patted her on the back.

"Sorry! I should have waited until you finished your drink."

"No, never mind. But what on earth is that man thinking? What is he going to do with your bracelet? Take the gem off and put it on a new one?"

"Maybe he'll just use it. He said he's short on time and money."

"That's even more idiotic! You're not going to return it to him, are you?"

"I returned it. I also returned the earrings he gave me."

"You should sell both of these. They should fetch a good price."

Those jewellery can indeed be sold for a lot of money.

Money is the key to survival. Dalia has no family and no plans to get married. Although she has a job as a magic tool maker, it requires a considerable investment in materials and research costs, so she needs to save more money.

But she wanted to break up with Tobias immediately no matter what.

"At that time, all I could think about was breaking off relations with him. It's a bit of a shame."

"But you don't want to see him again, right? I understand. Fortunately, you're a magic tool master, so just work hard from now on."

Irma made a fresh cup of coffee and sat back in her seat.

She added sugar to the cup and stirred the coffee while staring at Dahlia.

There are more shadows in the eyes.

"...Dalia, would you mind spreading the news about Tobias's broken engagement? It would probably give you some peace of mind. If I tell the guests, it'll spread quickly."

"No, I won't. If I get engaged to him, people will talk about me. It's hard to be pitied all the time. This engagement is already my 'black history'."

"'Dark history'...haha, that's a really good description."

Idioms from previous lives seem to apply here as well.

Irma smiled and made a second cup of coffee for Dalia.

"Forget about that kind of man. You'll definitely find someone better."

Dalia found it hard to agree with her friend's words of encouragement.

Falling in love again and then getting married - she not only found it hard to imagine, but also found it very troublesome.

"Forget about love...work is more interesting."

"You really like magical tools."

"Yeah, why not just spend your whole life researching magical tools, grow old, and then take in a disciple and train a magical tool master even stronger than yourself? That seems like a good idea."

"As a friend, I think I should stop you, but I think it's pretty cool that way..."

The two chatted and laughed until almost evening.

Volume 1 ◆ The Knight Who Slays Monsters

The next morning, Dalia went to the forest outside the royal capital to collect.

Although she said she was collecting, she was actually just collecting sand and gravel near the main road. She didn't expect to find anything special.

If she stayed in the Green Tower, she would be uneasy at the thought that Tobias might come over at any time, and she would also be annoyed when people she knew asked her about breaking off the engagement.

There were few people in the forest, so she planned to use the day to change her mood.

She traveled by carriage. Since she was traveling alone, she paid a little more to rent a sturdy box-shaped carriage with metal doors, pulled by a well-trained eight-legged horse. Although the rental fee was a bit high, if she encountered a small monster or thief while driving, the eight-legged horse could kick them down with a single blow.

In addition, there is a door behind the coachman's platform, through which Dahlia can hide in the carriage. As long as she blows the whistle inside the carriage, even if there is no one driving, the eight-legged horse will pull the carriage back to the royal capital by itself. It can be said that she is an extremely reliable guard.

When Dalia went to the car shop to make a reservation, someone had just canceled their reservation, so she rented the car without hesitation.

Birds chirped under the blue sky and the trees swayed slowly in the breeze.

The road leading to the forest is a bit bumpy, but it is wide and in good condition.

The point is, a good carriage is comfortable to sit in.

Dahlia was a little nervous when she first started driving the eight-legged horse, but fortunately nothing happened during the process.

On the contrary, it is so comfortable that it makes people feel that Bajiao Ma is very considerate.

From the outskirts of the royal capital to the forest she was heading to, there were almost no monsters along the way.

But she still followed her father's instructions, carrying a slingstone to fight monsters in her coat pocket and wearing self-defense gear. Even if human thieves appeared, she could handle them.

After confirming that there was no one around, Dalia took out a bottle of white wine from her bag and drank it in one gulp.

After taking a few sips, she sighed deeply. It was ungentlemanly to drink like that, but she had always wanted to try it.

The pressure that had accumulated over the past few days was unexpectedly heavy.

She felt like she could finally take a deep breath.

There was a wide riverbank just ahead of the road, and she planned to pick up some rocks there, have an early lunch, and enjoy the river view. Just as she was thinking this, a flock of birds suddenly shrieked and took flight from the forest beside the road.

The eight-legged horse neighed and stopped, raising its right front foot to peer into the forest. This seemed to be its alert posture.

There was a rustling sound in the dense bushes to the right front, which did not sound like the sound of a small animal.

It should be a large animal, or even a monster.

Dahlia gripped the slingstone tightly to fight against the monsters.

“…Found the way…”

A man came out of the bushes with a hoarse voice, but he was covered in blood from head to toe.

"Um, are you okay?"

“…Can you… give me some water…?”

The man knelt on all fours and said this. His voice was hoarse and unclear.

Dahlia quickly took out a leather water bag from the carriage.

"Drink!"