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

He put on a genuine smile and said:

"Please look after the Roseti Chamber of Commerce in the future."

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"I have something else to apologize to you for..."

Yesterday evening, Wolf sent a messenger to the Green Tower saying that he had an urgent matter and wanted to meet at a convenient time tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Dahlia chose the morning tea time.

Wolfe followed Dalia upstairs, carrying the cake box in one hand, and suddenly apologized before he even sat down.

"What's wrong?"

"The people who followed us last time we went out were guards sent by my brother."

"So that's how it is. Fortunately, he's not a bad person."

Dahlia breathed a sigh of relief.

She was originally worried that Wolfe might be targeted, but luckily it was a guard.

She asked Wolff to sit down, and he did so, but his expression remained serious.

"One more thing... My brother was worried about me and researched your experience. He showed me some of it. I'm really sorry."

"Well, isn't that all?"

"Aren't you angry about being investigated?"

"It's true that I don't feel good, but since you belong to the Earl's family and you're with a commoner like me, my brother will naturally be worried. Besides, my experience is very ordinary, so I can't find anything."

Dahlia has never committed a crime, nor is she an honors student with free tuition at the academy.

As a child, he only hung out near the Green Tower. As a student, he went back and forth between school and the Green Tower. After becoming a magic tool master, he frequented both the Green Tower and his workplace. He only went out to eat and shop with his father or friends.

This is the only month I go out more frequently, and that's with Wolff in front of me.

The only notable things about her experience were the waterproof fabric and five-toed socks she developed at work, and the fact that she was broken off from an engagement. However, the latter was the other party's idea, and she could do nothing about it.

Thinking of this, she suddenly paused.

When did the guard start following Wolf? If it started that day, wouldn't they have seen Dahlia pulling on his sleeve as he walked? And what about the scene where Wolf hugged her and jumped onto the roof?

If the guards had seen her, she would have felt so embarrassed that she wanted to roll on the ground. Her cheeks suddenly became hot.

"Dalia?"

"I feel so ashamed when I think about that day. I was holding onto your sleeve like a little kid."

"Hmm, I wonder how detailed the guards were when they reported my actions to my brother..."

Wolfe also recalled what he had done.

His face slowly turned red, a rare occurrence. He covered his eyes with one hand and lowered his head.

"Um, thanks for the cake. Want some tea?"

“…Excuse me…”

He kept his head down until Dalia went to the kitchen.

"Wolver, drink it while it's hot. The cheesecake you sent looks delicious."

Dalia made some black tea and looked at the plate of baked cheesecake, and her mood finally improved.

"I apologize to you every time I come."

"That's not the case. Don't worry about it."

Wolff, whose mood had not yet fully calmed down, rarely added three sugar cubes to his black tea.

"...Our family is planning to set up a horse-drawn carriage stable near this tower in the west district. My brother wants to invest."

"That's great. There are no shuttle buses in this area, and some people are moving away because of this."

"Is it inconvenient that there's no carriage?"

"Yes, even the public carriages around here are rare, so if you're in a hurry or if you're sick or injured, you'll need a carriage. I'm sure many people will be happy about this."

Although Wolff would ride in a horse-drawn carriage, he usually walked. He could use his physical strength to improve his speed, so he probably didn't understand how valuable a horse-drawn carriage was.

"My carriage will also be parked there. When you're going to and from the guild or going out, you can use my carriage, okay? I'm often away on expeditions, so I don't need a horse. If you need to send me a letter, you can also send it there."

"Do you mean I should take the Scafarot family's private carriage?"

"Yes, I'll have the carriage decorated to be less conspicuous. It's fine if you write the name of the Rosetti Chamber of Commerce on it."

"No need. The Chamber of Commerce will also buy its own carriage in the future."

"Until then, please use mine. As the head of the Chamber of Commerce, I hope you won't act alone."

I don't know if it was an illusion, but Wolf's voice sounded softer than usual.

Dahlia stopped cutting the cake with her fork and looked at Wolfe, who was the first to look away.

"Wolver, what happened?"

"There are indeed some things..."

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. If you want to talk about it, just say it."

All Dalia could do was listen, hoping it would ease Wolfe's mind. She finished speaking with this thought in mind, while Wolfe still kept his eyes downcast.

"Luckily, this time it was my brother who hired the guards. I'm a little scared when I think about the possibility that someone who holds a grudge against me might seek revenge on you..."

"I won't be targeted."

"It's hard to say. I don't know who hates me, and I understand that those people's actions are unpredictable."

"Something really happened."

"During this exercise, I was attacked by a group of enemy knights. One knight, having heard that my fiancée wanted to invite me to a tea party, managed to injure me."

"A group of knights! Are you alright, Wolf?"

He looked unharmed, perhaps having been treated to healing magic.

"Thanks to the Sirius Bracelet, I escaped unscathed. My teammates also helped cover for me. The opponent received a stern warning and should undergo further training."

"Those knights are going too far."

"The one who ordered them was the son of the Marquis, so they probably wouldn't refuse. My brother was so worried that he came to find me near the training grounds, so there won't be a next time."

Wolff's brother was later confirmed to be promoted to marquis.

They have recently resumed contact, and his brother will definitely protect him.

However, the enemy knights in this exercise were too extreme. Dahlia couldn't believe that the knights in the royal city would do such a thing.

Ultimately, Wolff was not at fault. The other party should have protested to his fiancée before hating Wolff.

Dahlia drank black tea to suppress her anger, and suddenly noticed a deep shadow in Wolf's golden eyes.

Wolff hesitated, then finally said:

"I've thought a lot about this, and considering your safety, you should keep your distance from me outside of work..."

"I do not want."

She refused without hesitation.

"Ah, sorry! You haven't finished yet..."

“No, thank you, Dahlia. I’m like you. What I wanted to say was, ‘This might be safer, but I’m too willful to do it.’ ”

Wolfe smiled calmly, the shadow from before gone from his eyes. This alone made Dahlia feel relieved.

"I'm so sorry. I hope you'll be careful and ask me for help if you need any help. But there's only so much I can do. Even my brother arranged the carriage for me."

"No, you've helped me a lot. I'll be happy to borrow your carriage."

"That would be great. Maybe I'm just worrying too much, but if anything happens, could you please tell me right away?"

"it is good."

Dahlia nodded and finally took another sip of her tea.

"...I really wish I were an ordinary civilian so I could stay by your side."

Wolfe spoke to himself, in a voice she could barely hear.

She thought she understood, but she was still sad when she heard this.

Wolf was a nobleman, and it was not ordinary for him to be friends with her, a commoner.

It's a miracle that they can get along like this.

Just now, when Wolff said, "It's safer to keep your distance," she blurted out "No," and even scared herself.

Then she discovered something.

Whether as a friend, a useful magic tool maker, or a work partner in the guild, it didn't matter. She wanted to stay as close to him as possible and let these days of laughter together last as long as possible - she had unconsciously developed such a wish.

Whether this desire stemmed from a desire to monopolize her friends, a fondness for the comfort of her surroundings, or perhaps even a fear of loneliness, she couldn't express this persistent wish to Wolff, nor could she let it go anytime soon.

What can I do to avoid being a burden to him and being guarded by him?

Make as many useful magical tools as possible? Strive to achieve baron status? Strengthen the Roseti Merchants Guild? These all seemed insignificant compared to the reputation of the Countess of Scafalot.

Even so, this was better than doing nothing. She could only accumulate what she could do little by little.

She wished she was strong enough to stand beside Wolff as an equal.

At least he is strong enough that if one day they have to sever their relationship, he won't have to worry about her.

It was the small dignity of being his friend.

"...The tea's cold. I'll go make it again."

Dahlia now didn't dare to look Wolf directly in the eye.

She forced a smile and stood up.

Volume 3: Magical Tool Master, Knight, Small Item Craftsman, and Merchant

"I'm Fermo from Gandolfi's workshop. Please take care of me."

"Hello, I'm Wolfred Scafarot of the Monster Suppression Force."

Fermo rose from his chair and saluted.

He was even colder and more expressionless than when he first met Dahlia. I couldn't tell if it was because he was nervous or because Wolf was a noble and his nerves were on edge.

The Green Tower's workshop feels very cramped.

Next to Dahlia sat Wolf, opposite her was Fermo, and diagonally across from her was Ivano.

It was a little unbelievable that this group of people were sitting at the same table.

This afternoon, Dahlia was going to discuss improvements to the small magic furnace with Fermo, the workshop manager at Gandolfi. Since it was a magical tool, she figured they could just improve it in the workshop while they discussed it, so she invited Fermo to the Green Tower.

Ivano knew that Dalia lived alone, and he also wanted to participate in the discussion of reforms, so he came along.

Wolff, who had arrived in the morning, had the whole day off today, so he stayed too.

She had originally begun improving the small magic furnace to make Wolfer's expeditions more convenient. Wolfer was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and if the four of them discussed it together, they should be able to come up with better ideas.

I didn't expect Fermo to react so coldly. I wondered what had upset him. He looked unhappy, and Wolff was also infected by his mood.

"Uh, Mr. Fermo?"

"I don't understand the etiquette of aristocrats, and I'm worried that I might be disrespectful to Lord Scafarot..."

"No, don't worry about it."

“…I knew it would be like this.”

Ivano looked at Fermo and Wolfe, smiled wryly and said to Dalia:

"Before we discuss the stove, could we chat for a moment to ease the tension?"

"Okay, I'll go make some tea first."

"Excuse me, Miss Dalia, for troubling you."

There was still some time before afternoon tea, but Dalia hoped that this would ease Fermo's tension, so she went upstairs.

"Alright, while Miss Dahlia is upstairs, let's open up and chat with each other to improve our relationship!"