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

What's more, Dahlia would conduct durability tests on almost any magical tool she made.

When she developed the waterproof cloth, she washed it a hundred times and even had someone with ice magic freeze it.

Her father only said, "This is necessary," and "Just do your best," without interfering.

However, as the durability test progressed, her father began to half-jokingly ask, "Don't you think the blue slime painted on the tarpaulin is pitiful?"

Despite what her father said, he would always conduct durability tests when developing magical tools, and Dahlia also considered this necessary.

"See if you think any of these prototypes are good. I'll submit an application to the guild..."

"I think everything is excellent. Please write up the specifications for all the products you can produce. I will leave the subsequent processes to our merchant member Ivano, who will find a solution."

"With so many options, is it really okay to give them all to him? Wouldn't that be too much of a burden?"

"He told me to 'do whatever I want'... If it really wasn't possible, he would definitely stop me."

Seeing the red-haired woman's innocent smile as she finished speaking, Fermo didn't pursue the matter any further - he thought to himself that the merchant named Ivano must be very capable.

But if Ivano was also present, he would definitely be stunned when he heard these words.

"These bottles have a common problem: they leak easily at the joint between the lid and the bottle. But applying Kraken tape can fix that, so why not just ask the Magic Tool Workshop?"

"Yes, please ask them to do it. I also brought some Kraken tape today, let's try it."

Kraken Tape resembles thick, white, breathable tape. When infused with magical energy, it becomes translucent and rubbery, with a sticky texture. It's often used as a sealant and anti-slip material.

"I wish I could stick it on too, but unfortunately I only have two units of mana..."

"Two units can be used to apply Kraken tape."

Magic power is usually divided into fifteen levels, with the higher the number, the more magic power. Commoners generally have a level between one and five.

When measuring, you must touch a special magic stone, and this test will also be included in the college entrance examination.

However, those without external magic power, like Wolfer, couldn't use standard detection magic stones; instead, they had to drip blood onto a special magic stone to detect it. Furthermore, it was said that some members of the royal family or high-ranking nobles had excessive magic power, causing the detection magic stone to break.

By the way, Dahlia was measured at eight units before, while her father Carlo was measured at twelve units.

Her stats were good enough for a magic tool maker, but a bit short of being a mage. Her father, on the other hand, was only in name only.

"Hmm? Doesn't it take more than five units to process magical equipment materials?"

Fermo asked doubtfully.

"That's the requirement for admission to the Magic Tool Department. Kraken Tape can be applied with just two units. It's harder to apply for people with close to or more than fifteen units, because once they inject magic power into their hands, the tape will stick to them. When I was studying Magic Tool, I even encountered people whose magic power was too strong to apply the tape."

"So that's it..."

To take the exam for the Advanced Academy's Magical Equipment Department, you need at least five units of magic power. This might be why Fermo mistakenly thought he couldn't do it.

Using magical equipment requires more than five units of magic power, and the academy uses this as a qualification for taking the exam.

However, if you're just applying Kraken Tape, two units are enough. While it takes a bit of time, it's not much different from the time it would take someone with stronger magical powers to carefully apply it.

The man stared at the Kraken tape with eager eyes. Dahlia knew the answer, but still asked.

"Mr. Fermo, would you like to try it?"

"good!"

The two sat side by side at the table and picked up the caps of the bubbly bottles.

"Do you know how to bestow magic power?"

"I think so. Just like when you first use a magic tool, just extend the index finger of your dominant hand, right?"

"Yes. Now, imagine transferring the heat from your fingertips to the Kraken tape, holding it just short of touching it. The tape will gradually turn from white to translucent, and then circle the bottle..."

"Hmm, the Kraken tape has softened!"

The tape clung to Fermo's fingertips like dried squid.

This was because his magic power was sometimes strong and sometimes weak. Without practice, he couldn't inject magic power stably.

"Don't use too much force. Exhale as you apply it. When you feel the tape softening, pull your fingertips back slightly and continue moving."

"...Oh, the tape straightened... huh? But it won't solidify."

"Because the magic power has weakened. Please put your fingers close to the tape and focus on sticking it."

“…Concentrate…Concentrate…”

Fermo grunted as he tried to stick it on, the Kraken tape gradually forming a circle under his fingertips.

"Oh! It's stuck."

As he spoke, he picked up new tape and worked faster than Dahlia expected.

Although Dalia was surprised, she continued to give him relevant advice.

"The Kraken tape is really holding it in place... but it's so wrinkled."

"No, it's already pretty good that the fourth piece can be attached like this."

When Fermo got to the fourth piece, it successfully wrapped around the lid without any curling or magic leakage.

Perhaps because he was used to making small things carefully, the circle was quite complete and it didn't look like it was made by someone who was giving it to him for the first time.

"How long will it take to get rid of wrinkles?"

"If you glue another hundred pieces together in this way, you can make a product."

"I feel a little breathless. Is this what they call running out of mana? I've only applied four..."

"If you apply four pieces a day, you'll have them neatly applied in just twenty-five days. Furthermore, if you practice daily until you're nearly exhausted, your magic power will gradually increase. I believe you'll be able to easily apply all the prototypes in a short while."

Dalia said this with a smile, and Fermo wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed softly.

"It's fun to try making so many different things, but it's also tiring. If I had started when I was younger, things might have been different, but I've waited until now..."

"But you'll still do it, right?"

The man looked into the distance with some emotion, still holding the Kraken tape in his hand. Seeing this, Dahlia couldn't help but ask this.

He narrowed his green eyes, nodded and smiled.

"Of course, I'm a craftsman."

"Mr. Fermo, this is a welcome gift from the Roseti Chamber of Commerce. I apologize for taking it out so late."

Dahlia opened the cloth bag containing the small magic furnace on the table.

When a guild of commerce and a business partner first collaborate, they usually give the other party their own products as a gift. After hearing Ivano's words, she brought the small magic furnace.

I was so focused on putting Kraken tape on Fermo just now that I almost forgot about this.

"Is this... a magical tool?"

"Yes, a miniaturized magic furnace. Place a pot on it and cook at the table or outdoors. It comes with recipes for barbecue and cheese pot, so please try them."

"Thank you. I'll take it then. Did you make this too?"

"Yes, but I just made the magic reactor smaller, it's nothing special."

"It's not easy to make the magic reactor this small, right?"

"I actually wanted to make it smaller and lighter, but unfortunately it wasn't going well..."

After spinning the small magic furnace around and examining it, Fermo turned it over to examine it. He then tapped the furnace with the back of his finger, opened the area where the magic stones were stored, and asked:

"This is already small, how much smaller do you want to get?"

"Ideally, it would be two-thirds the size of this furnace and as heavy as a wineskin."

"I have a book on lightweighting small items, but I'm not sure if it can be used on magical tools. Do you want it?"

"Thank you, can you lend it to me?"

"Here you go. I have two of the same."

Fermo then walked over to the shelf and pulled out two books from the bottom shelf. Both were lightweight books, describing materials such as metal and glass. He handed the books to Dahlia and turned the stove over again.

"Even if you're a magic tool master, you can't use magic to shrink items, right?"

"Yes, although it saves effort in making parts, you can't scale it up or down, so you still have to make things one by one."

Magic is rare in this world. How wonderful it would be if there were also magic of magnification, shrinkage, and cloning—all those engaged in handicrafts long for these magics.

"Ms. Dahlia, where did you learn shell design?"

"My father also taught me in the high school classes."

"Your father is a 'Water Heater Magician'..."

"Yes, his name was Carlo Rossetti, and he died a year ago."

"Is that so..."

The man gently placed the stove back on the table and looked at Dahlia with his deep green eyes.

"You established a chamber of commerce and supported yourself through your own abilities. If he knew about this, he would be relieved."

"No, I'm not qualified. If my father were watching me work, he would constantly remind me to pay attention to the little things."

"That's normal. The higher the master's expectations of his apprentice, the more he'll nag..."

Fermo seemed to share the same sentiment, a wry smile on his face.

As his smile faded, there was a knock on the workshop door.

"Excuse me. I'm so sorry, my husband didn't even offer tea..."

"Barbara, don't push yourself. I'll do it. Just lie down."

A woman with lilac hair came out, holding a tray of black tea.

She was wearing a gray work suit, but her movements were awkward, and every time she changed her posture, she would frown slightly, then force a smile to cover it up, which made people feel sympathetic. She looked like she was injured.

"I'm sorry, Miss Dahlia. She's my wife, and we run this workshop together."

"My name is Barbara Gandolfi. President of the Rossetti Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for your invitation to collaborate."

"I'm Dalia Rossetti. I want to thank you for accepting my invitation. We'll probably be seeing each other often, so please just call me Dalia."

"Then please call me Barbara."

Dahlia had already asked Fermo to call her by her first name. Since they were going to interact with the couple, it would be better for them to use the same name. Dahlia's motive was just this, but Barbara seemed a little happy.

"Tea, please."

Barbara carefully held the black teacup with both hands, and the moment she placed it on the table, her face wrinkled in pain.

"Ms. Barbara, are you okay?"

"It's okay. I got erythema last year, and even after going to the temple for treatment, it still hurts a little..."

People with shingles develop red spots and blisters on their bodies. The symptoms sound very similar to the shingles that Dalia's mother had in her previous life.

This disease seems to be very common in this world, and her father's friends have also suffered from it.

Barbara said she had received treatment, but Dalia understood why she was still in so much pain.

Dalia's mother in her previous life also suffered from this "post-herpetic neuralgia".

Postherpetic neuralgia occurs when nerves are damaged during shingles.

Although there is healing magic in this life, it generally requires seven days of treatment at the temple. After seven days, the condition becomes permanent and incurable. Barbara may have waited more than seven days to see a doctor.

"Don't be so stubborn, go and rest."

"I'm really fine, don't worry."

Barbara forced a smile in response. Although everyone else could see she was uncomfortable, she still felt it was her duty to endure. This reminded Dahlia of her mother in her previous life.

Before Dalia died in her previous life, her mother wrote to her asking her to come home occasionally. She simply replied with a message, "I'll be home for the Obon Festival." She was so busy working overtime every day that she never even called her parents.

It never occurred to her that she would die before her parents.

She almost never fulfilled her filial duties. It was only after she entered society that she started sending wine on Father's Day and snacks on Mother's Day.

As a result, she, as a daughter, passed away first. There is nothing more unfilial than this.

So what she did next was not out of kindness, but out of self-satisfaction, in order to alleviate her guilt - Dahlia thought as she took off the unicorn pendant from her neck.

"Ms. Barbara, this is a pendant I once wore. If you don't mind, please take a look at it."

She handed the unicorn pendant to Barbara.