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

Wine is difficult to transport and preserve. Sometimes, you end up buying low-quality wine. Even if you buy the same brand, it might taste too sour or astringent, something you don't like. In these cases, Dalia chills the wine, creating a chilled wine.

"Ice-warm wine... I've never tried it. Then I won't hold back."

Wolff took the bottle and carefully poured the wine into two glasses.

Even when I hold the wine glass in front of me, I can't smell much of the wine.

"I look forward to trying this wine for the first time. May the Rossetti Chamber of Commerce prosper. Cheers."

"...May the Chamber of Commerce prosper and be safe every day. Cheers."

She clinked glasses with the other person with a wry smile and raised the glass to her lips.

The cool wine touched the lips, passed through the throat, and flowed into the stomach. The feeling of coolness dispelled the stuffy heat of the summer, making people feel relaxed both physically and mentally.

At first it feels like ice water, and then a faint taste of white wine spreads on the tip of the tongue.

When the icy throat begins to feel the burning of alcohol, the hidden sourness and aroma awaken.

Rather than savoring the taste, she wanted to feel the coolness in her throat more, and accidentally drank a little too much in the second sip.

"...This is the first time I've had baijiu that burns my throat."

The young man narrowed his golden eyes and stared at the empty wine glass.

Dahlia filled his second glass with wine and replied:

"I highly recommend this way of drinking. Although the aroma will be reduced, it will be very refreshing when you drink it."

"Drinking this kind of wine in the summer makes my whole body feel cool and comfortable..."

"Yes, it's also suitable for drinking after taking a bath in winter. Especially after a long bath."

"Dalia, you really know how to enjoy yourself... but this is really wonderful. I might as well ask my family for some ice magic stones and chill some wine in my room..."

"Even people who don't drink can enjoy this way of drinking, so when recommending it to others, it's best to remind them not to drink too much. Even those who can drink should be careful not to get drunk. I've seen my father's friends drink until they can't move or burst into laughter."

"That's the scary thing about chilled wine. I'd better be careful."

The purpose of drinking is to enjoy it. Excessive drinking can harm your health, and harassing others or becoming completely drunk can also cause trouble. Moderation is crucial.

"Wolver, do you drink alcohol in the barracks?"

"Yes. I often drink with Randolph and Dolino, who are here today. Sometimes I drink with other teammates too."

"Will you talk to them about the magic sword?"

"Not often, because everyone feels the Demon Sword is too far away. We just chat about trivial matters or complain about our own troubles. Also, to liven things up, we often hold 'explosive events'."

"A breaking news conference?"

The word sounds ominous.

Could it be that they were discussing dangerous topics related to the internal affairs of the Knights or the politics of the kingdom?

"Women would call it 'telling secrets,' but there might be subtle differences. We often play this game when we're drunk. The game is that each person takes turns telling a secret they're comfortable with, and no one else can tell it."

"It seems both the speaker and the listener need to be mentally prepared..."

"No, it's not that serious. Actually, when we get together as a group of men, we all talk about women. Things like first loves, the type of women we like, experiences visiting brothels... ahem, failures in school or work, etc. We build a sense of companionship and closeness by sharing these things that are hard to share out loud."

I don’t know if this is an advanced version or a degraded version of girls’ love topics, but in any case, the two are very similar.

Wolff and Ivano's topic of "breast or waist" may also fall into this category.

"Will these secrets never be told?"

"It hasn't happened yet. If anyone dares to tell others, we won't trust them anymore. If it's a truly unspeakable secret, no one will tell anyone. And usually after two or three rounds, everyone gets drunk and the game ends."

Wolf took the second glass of ice-warm wine and asked her with a smile:

"Dalia, do you want to try watching the exposé? You can say anything."

"I'm willing to accept the challenge."

"The person whose turn it is has to say 'Breaking News' first. The listener then places their dominant hand, palm down, on the table or floor. Seniors say this gesture means 'If I tell the secret, you can chop my hand off.'"

"What a horrible rule."

Dahlia didn't intend to tell anyone, but she was still stunned by such an extreme move. Is this the chivalrous way?

"This is my suggestion. Should I start first? Or should we just flip a coin?"

"Let's flip a coin."

"If it's heads, you go first, and if it's tails, I go first, okay?"

After Dahlia agreed, Wolff expertly flicked the coin and caught it with the back of his hand. The gleaming silver coin faced up, engraved with the kingdom's name and an ear of wheat.

"Front, Dahlia first. Anything is fine."

"A revelation conference. Uh... after my mother returned to her parents' home to give birth to me, she continued to live there and gave birth to a brother who is a year younger than me."

"Does your mother prefer to stay at her parents' home? There are many wives who frequently visit their parents' homes among the aristocracy."

"Yes. My mother's family was noble, and she loved them so much that she divorced my father, gave me to him, and then stayed in her family and remarried 'my brother's father.' That's why I don't know my mother."

"...I'm sorry for forcing you to say something like that."

"No, I won't force you at all. You'll definitely hear about this from others later anyway, so why not tell you first? Our two families have long severed ties, and my parents are both deceased."

Dahlia held the still-still-drinking glass, her fingers gradually turning cold. She left fingerprints on the outside of the glass and pursed her lips as she spoke:

"My mother seemed to love my father very much, even offering to marry him. But her feelings for him seemed to fade after I was born. Despite this, my father never spoke ill of her in front of me. In fact, he hardly ever mentioned her. But he always kept her dowry."

This is a casual chat over a drink, and the other party is a trustworthy friend.

So, she treated what she said next as a complaint that was forgotten.

"I have no memory of my mother, but I heard my hair color is the same as hers. That person abandoned my father, and I inherited her blood... Honestly, I think being jilted might be a good thing. I'm not sure if my feelings will change after dating or getting married."

Her mother left her father, and Dalia never wanted to become like her.

If passionate emotions could eventually dissolve into bubbles, Dalia would rather not have had this illusion in the first place. She didn't want to hurt others, or be hurt by them—she always had this thought in her mind.

In fact, she rarely thought about the man she had been engaged to for two years recently, and even felt happier making magic tools.

She couldn't say for sure that she wasn't as heartless as her mother, and it was like a small thorn in her heart.

"I don't know how you'd feel... but I think you're you, and you're different from your parents. And children can't always follow in their parents' footsteps."

“…That’s true.”

Wolfe chose his words carefully and spoke calmly, and Dahlia felt relieved for some reason.

She mumbled a response and lowered her eyes. She had been so excited just now that she felt a little embarrassed.

"I don't know if I'm worthy of your story, but I'll tell you about my family too. I'll let you hear the love, hate, and passions of the nobility!"

"The love and hate of the nobility?"

Wolff suddenly finished speaking excitedly, drinking the rest of the wine in the glass in one gulp.

"My mother was the Earl's third wife. Before her marriage, she was the Duchess's guard knight. Perhaps because she was beautiful and had ice magic abilities, she married my father, but gave birth to me, who wasn't very good at magic. My father seemed uninterested in me, so I learned swordsmanship from my mother and joined the monster-slaying army until today... I've already told you most of this, right?"

"Yes, you did."

"Next is the revelations. One day when I was ten, I was on my way to our family's territory when our carriage was attacked. Twenty people, including my mother, were killed. Protected by my mother and the knights, my eldest lady, my brother, and I survived. Since then, I've always harbored the pain of losing my mother, believing I shouldn't get involved with anyone else. I recently learned that my brother suffered even more than I did, believing he was responsible for my mother's loss. I was so naive and never considered his feelings."

Wolff recounted his painful memories with a smile on his face that was not sad.

"Luckily, I know now. Otherwise, I would still be so naive, thinking that I was the only one suffering and would keep running away."

"Wolfer..."

"I'm too weak, that's why I want the magic sword."

"You're already very strong."

"That's not enough. My goal is to defeat humans, no matter how many enemies there are; and to defeat monsters as quickly as possible. I don't know magic, and the only thing that can give me such power is the magic sword... No, that's just a superficial reason."

There was a hint of self-deprecation in his words, but when that emotion faded, he was left with an extremely serious expression.

"Initially, I wanted to stop having nightmares. I didn't want to dream of my mother lying on the ground, helpless. But now, I want to become stronger and defeat my mother. That's why I want the magic sword."

"You want to defeat your mother?"

"Yes, my mother is an ice magic swordsman, very powerful."

"Even you can't beat her now?"

"I don't even stand a chance with my imagination. But the Sirius bracelet makes me feel closer to her."

If Wolfe could spar with his mother, he would surely realize that it was an illusion. However, the image of his mother unleashing a barrage of attacks with a heavy sword and ice magic remained etched in his mind.

"Then we must work hard to develop a powerful magic sword. Let's work hard together."

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to it. I'll also be training harder."

Dahlia's words made Wolfe relax and smile.

She knew that this goal was difficult, but when she heard that the other party was looking forward to it, she became motivated again. She has a really simple personality.

"Wolf... I sometimes have nightmares. I dream of people around me, but I can't ask anyone for help, and I'm lying there dying alone."

She spoke hesitantly about the "nightmare" she recalled, but it was not actually a dream.

This was her last memory from her previous life, and in some ways, it might be her deepest secret.

"If you have this nightmare again, summon me into your dream. I will definitely save you."

"What should I do?"

Although Wolfe had good intentions to help her, this method was completely impossible to implement. No, it would be even more terrifying if it were implemented.

"Perhaps we can develop this type of magical tool?"

"Don't be silly. 'Entering someone else's dream' is beyond the scope of magical tools."

"I believe you can develop it! You definitely can!"

"Just say there's nothing you can do!"

Wolff, as usual, tried to tease her, but she retorted loudly.

The sounds of their conversation and laughter continued to echo in the tower until late at night.

Volume 2 ◆ Grave Sweeping After the Rain

It rained lightly in the morning and stopped before noon.

Northeast of the capital, after passing the temple and continuing forward, you'll see a large cemetery surrounded by green trees and gray brick walls. This is where the deceased residents of the capital, both nobles and commoners, are buried.

This cemetery is managed by the temple, but non-believers can enter. The cemetery area is almost free, and it is said that the unified burial is to prevent the corpses from spreading diseases and becoming undead.

Dahlia got off the carriage at the parking lot and stepped onto the stone pavement which was a little slippery after the rain.

Wolfe said his shoes wouldn't slip and carried everything for her except the bouquet.

He was dressed in black knight garb and fairy crystal glasses. He carried a long object wrapped in dark blue cloth that looked like a sword, and in his hands were two bundles filled with wine and wine glasses. Dahlia, on the other hand, was carrying only two small bouquets, one red and one white.

When they parted last night, Wolf asked Dahlia about her plans for the day.

Dahlia said she was going to visit her father's grave, and since Wolf's mother's death anniversary was approaching, he had ordered flowers for her. He offered to have a carriage take her along, and she initially declined, but then remembered that they were going to the Trade Guild together that afternoon and finally agreed.

Together they passed through the towering white gates that marked the entrance to the cemetery. They were to split up, the nobles' cemetery on the left and the commoners' cemetery on the right. The Scafalot family undoubtedly belonged to the nobles' cemetery, while Dahlia's grandfather and father, though honorary barons, were buried in the commoners' cemetery.

"We'll split up next. My family's grave is in this direction."

As Dalia said this, she wanted to get her luggage back from Wolf, but the other party naturally wanted to go to the civilian area.

"Let's go together. I'll go to your family's cemetery and pray first, then I'll go pay my respects to my mother."

"what?"

Dahlia was stunned for a moment and then looked away from Wolf.

"Dalia, what's wrong with you?"

"Um... commoners, unless they're lovers or engaged, they don't visit other people's graves. Also, only after an engagement or marriage do two people visit each other's graves to pray... So, what you just said is misleading..."

"I'm sorry, I don't know. Really..."

"It's okay! I won't misunderstand you!"

“…I see.”

Dahlia tried to defend herself, but Wolf looked into the distance for some reason.