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

But she couldn't give up.

She was the one who had been helped. She had to repay the favor herself and could not rely on her father.

"If you can pay it back, go ahead. But if you do, it'll be pretty unpleasant, so I'll still step in and help you later."

"……thank you."

Although Dahlia decided not to cry, she couldn't control herself when she thought of her father and saw Gabriela's warm gaze.

She forced a smile like a child holding back tears.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, interrupting the original atmosphere.

"Sorry to bother you!"

Ivano rushed into the office with a serious expression without carefully confirming it.

"Captain of the Monster Suppression Force, Marquis Gulart Bartolone, has officially sent an envoy to visit the President of the Roseti Merchants Guild. The envoy is Vice Captain Griselda Lanza."

"...Dalia, what did you do again?"

"No... Eh, maybe it's for the shoe dryer?"

"Um, I think I heard the name of a new product. Could you please explain it to me later?"

Gabriella stared at Dalia with an inexplicably sharp gaze, her forced smile faking her own. The warmth she had exuded earlier was gone.

"No, Miss Gabriella. I'm in charge of all the products now. I'll discuss this with you after we've logged in."

"Okay, let me ask you again."

Ivano's helping hand made Dahlia feel a little relieved, but even greater pressure came over her.

"I have brought Lord Lanza to the noble reception room. Would the Chamber of Commerce president be able to come over?"

"Gabriella...can you sit with me?"

"Okay. Since this is something related to the Royal City, I can represent the Merchant Guild."

We couldn't keep such an important person waiting too long. The three of them immediately rushed to the noble reception room.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

"Nice to meet you. I'm Griselda Lanza, vice-captain of the monster-suppression force of the Odinie Kingdom Knights."

The burly blue-haired man stood up and nodded.

He wore the same black knight uniform as Wolff, but with a silver sword collar badge on his collar.

"Thank you for your greetings. I am Gabriella Jedda, Vice-President of the Merchant Guild. Since the Guild Master is away, I am filling in for him."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Dalia Rosetty from the Rosetty Chamber of Commerce."

"Thank you both for taking the time to come. I, Captain of the Monster Suppression Force, Gulat Bartolonetto, have brought a letter to the President of the Roseti Merchants Guild. Please review it."

After the two exchanged greetings, Griselda produced a slightly larger white envelope. The four corners were adorned with silver thread and sealed with blue wax. The envelope itself was a truly luxurious sight.

"Thank you for forwarding this letter. I have accepted it."

Dahlia put on a polite expression and took the letter with both hands.

"If it's convenient, I'd appreciate your reply. Could you please confirm it on site? If it takes a while, I can wait here."

How could the vice-captain of the monster-suppression force be allowed to wait?

Dahlia concealed her trembling hands as she tore open the envelope and pulled out a folded sheet of white paper. Silver swords were faintly painted on the four corners of the letter. In the center lay a string of elegant handwriting. As she read, the color drained from her face.

"Would it be convenient for me to take a look?"

"Okay, okay."

Gabriella noticed that she looked a little strange and asked her this. Dalia handed her the letter, and Gabriella quickly glanced through it, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Besides the standard greetings and a thank you for the merchandise, the rest of the letter essentially said, "I hope to meet the President of the Roseti Merchants Guild as soon as possible. I will do my best to accommodate your schedule and wait for you in the Royal City."

Although the other party said "hope", it was undoubtedly an invitation for her to come to the royal city, and she could not refuse it.

"President of the Roseti Merchants Guild, are you free tomorrow?"

"……available."

"Sir Griselda, could you please reply verbally? Or should we ask the president of the Roseti Merchants Guild to write a letter?"

"Just verbal."

"Then let's meet after noon tomorrow. If the Captain's time isn't convenient, a later date is fine."

"Okay, thank you for your reply. Bartolone will be very pleased."

The man smiled as he spoke, said goodbye politely, and left without even taking a sip of his tea.

"...Why did I receive something like this?"

Dahlia sat in the luxurious leather chair that she was not used to, looking at the letter blankly.

She accidentally called the letter from the Monster Suppression Corps Captain "something like that," but she was too anxious to care. She was so flustered that she began to feel exhausted.

"He might have something urgent to do, or he really wants to see you."

"I understand that, but inviting Miss Dahlia in this way is bizarre. She's from the royal city, so they should have been notified in advance. They could have just called her in without even asking for her opinion."

Ivano tilted his head, but couldn't figure it out. The only one who knew the answer was Captain Goulart himself.

"Dalia, what were you going to do tomorrow?"

"Uh, finish the remaining paperwork with Mr. Ivano, then visit Mr. Fermo's workshop."

"Both of these things will be postponed. You need to prepare quickly."

“Get ready… ah!”

Dahlia was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and only came to her senses when she heard the word "prepare".

"That's right. What are you going to wear to the royal city? What about your makeup and hair? Do you know how to greet me?"

"Sorry, I have no idea..."

"I'm not good at these things either, but I will teach you the most basic etiquette and greetings before tomorrow. This concerns the reputation of my husband and Lord Wolfred, so you must remember it carefully."

“Excuse me…”

Dahlia felt like a mountain was pressing down on her.

She had a whole day until tomorrow noon, during which she had to prepare everything, big and small, and cram all the knowledge into her head. She was beginning to worry whether she could remember it all, or whether she would forget it after she had memorized it.

No, she'd also crammed before exams in a previous life, studying for subjects she wasn't good at. While her score wasn't nearly high enough, it wasn't enough to fail. Sharpening your skills before the battle is also a method.

She didn't know what the passing line was for meeting the Monster Suppression Corps Captain, but decided not to think about it for now.

"Ivanor, you'll be Dahlia's attendant. Carry her bags from the carriage down to the entrance. Wear the same navy blue suit you wore when you were a receptionist. Also, you'll need to collect existing five-toed socks and insoles as souvenirs. Say they're samples for the Roseti Chamber of Commerce's research."

"Okay, I'll go collect them right away! Oh, but my belly is getting bigger and I can't fit into that suit anymore."

"Then find someone to borrow one, or rent one from the clothing store down the road. It has to be navy blue or dark gray, not black."

"I see!"

"You should study with Dahlia when you return. After joining the Rosetti Chamber of Commerce, you should have more opportunities to interact with nobles."

"Okay, thank you."

Gabriela quickly gave instructions, and Ivano nodded, leaving the noble reception room with a look of understanding. Dalia thought to herself, as expected of Mr. Ivano, that even in the face of such a crisis, his steps remained untroubled.

"Dalia, let's go rent some clothes. We don't have time to buy them this time, so we can talk to the clothing store and have them custom-made next time."

"good……"

"Female guildmasters rarely enter the royal city... You're Carlo's daughter, so you can wear the formal attire of a semi-noble woman, but a merchant's suit is safer. You should consult the clothing store. And you'll need shoes..."

Gabriela walked out muttering to herself, and Dalia followed quickly behind her.

Dahlia had just said that she would repay her favor one day, but she didn't expect that she owed her more.

Dahlia didn't want to escape, but her head ached when she thought of the long road ahead and the mountains she had to cross.

For some reason, she couldn't help but recall the memory of getting vaccinations as a child in her previous life.

Volume 2: The Royal Castle, Athlete's Foot, and the Magic Tool Master

"Ms. Dalia, are you nervous?"

"...A little, no, very nervous?"

Dalia originally wanted to answer Ivano's question, but as she spoke, she became unsure herself.

The two of them rode in a carriage, and Ivano, sitting across from her, gave her a wry smile. Today, he had his mustard-colored hair combed back and was wearing a navy blue suit.

His approachable guild member temperament completely disappeared, and he transformed into a reliable businessman, more like a guild president than Dalia.

Could he be asked to enter the royal city in her place? Dahlia couldn't help but think seriously.

Dalia sighed. She was wearing a turquoise dress with a matching jacket. Her shoes were a darker shade of green. Honestly, she felt a bit warm.

She tied her red hair back and had someone help her with a subtle but formal makeup look.

The jewelry she chose was the antidote ring and unicorn pendant Wolfer had given her. She deliberately made the chain longer and hid the pendant inside her clothes. She wore them not to look good, but to prevent stomach aches. Even the most delicious high-quality black tea tasted like poison to her now.

Incidentally, she spent two hours yesterday just picking out clothes and shoes, mainly because the clerk at the clothing rental store and Gabriela had a disagreement.

Dalia was looking for something inconspicuous and not offensive, but they told her that anything too plain would also be disrespectful. The clerk suggested a brighter green dress, while Gabriella suggested a cream-colored dress.

Finally, the clerk called the store manager's wife from inside. She was the daughter of a viscount before her marriage. After consulting the store manager's wife, they finally chose the blue-green dress.

Dalia stated that she was going to visit the city on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. The other party said that although Dalia was single, since it was her first time in the city, it would be better for her to wear more conservative clothes.

The store manager's wife also said that the Royal City has many stairs and long corridors, so it's best not to wear long skirts or awkward shoes. Also, the Knights Templar don't have any clothing requirements for female guests, so there's no need to be overly cautious.

Dalia was surprised by her vast knowledge. She smiled and said that she used to work in the royal city and became a commoner after marrying the store manager. She had no idea the world was so small.

The store manager's wife also imparted some unnecessary knowledge, such as if you want to catch a rich husband in the royal city, it is best to wear warm or bright-colored clothes, and having long hair is more pleasing, etc.

Dahlia might never use this knowledge in her lifetime, but she listened with a smile from beginning to end.

After leaving the clothing rental shop, they went to a cosmetics store they'd been to before to discuss suitable hairstyles and makeup. They eventually decided to have a staff member come to the Merchant Guild the next morning to help Dahlia with her makeup. Dahlia didn't have time to learn a new look, so she gratefully accepted the favor.

Afterward, Dahlia and Ivanor spent a long time in the guild's meeting room, learning noble etiquette from Gabriela. They even ate dinner together to learn table manners. However, Dahlia had no idea what the food tasted like.

When everything was over and she took the shuttle carriage back to the Green Tower, it was already past midnight.

Gabriela tentatively determined that she was qualified, but she felt like a cup full of water, not knowing when the knowledge in her head would overflow. This made her extremely uneasy.

"I wish I could go into the city with you."

As Dahlia thought about what happened yesterday, Ivanor sighed and dropped his shoulders.

Merchants who had officially obtained entry and exit permits could bring their subordinates into the royal city when necessary, but the Roseti Merchants were connected through the Merchant Guild, and only Dahlia was invited this time. She couldn't bring anyone in without permission.

"By the way, why did the other party come to you?"

"I don't think Wolfer told anyone about the shoe dryer... Could it be related to the bracelet?"

"Captain, could it be that you misunderstood me as I did and wanted to see me?"

“That… shouldn’t be the case…”

An engagement bracelet is supposed to be inlaid with gemstones that match the giver's hair and eye color.

The engagement bracelet Dahlia gave him would have been adorned with rubies to represent red hair, or emeralds to represent green eyes. But the one she gave Wolff was a silver bracelet with golden hues, devoid of gemstones.

However, if even Ivano had misunderstood, there was no guarantee the captain would be the same. She began to have a headache.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have talked about this before heading into town."

Ivano apologized to her, and she quickly shook her head and looked away to the window.

She saw the high white walls of the royal city through the carriage window.

The Royal City is located in the north of the Royal Capital. After passing through the huge stone gate, the scenery changes, as if you have arrived in another city.

In the vast land surrounded by white stone walls, there are facilities such as the castle where the king lives, buildings related to the knight order and magic, and training grounds.

This place is worthy of being called the "Royal City". There is a castle in the center that still looks particularly tall from a distance.

While the castle bore the style of medieval Europe from my past life, it lacked a triangular spire and instead was a square structure topped by three towers. Its exterior wasn't elegant, but it felt solid. The buildings surrounding the castle were also magnificent, dwarfing the Merchant Guild. Each building was essentially white stone.

The road the carriage traveled on was a light gray, with no visible cracks, as fine as cement from a past life. Dalia was curious about its material and how it was crafted.

She tried hard to restrain herself from looking around, but everything she saw was new and strange to her.