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

But I am still very concerned about the situation outside.

The sound of thunder and lightning, the coughing and sneezing of multiple team members, the anxious neighing of horses, and the sound of people talking to soothe the horses - although tired, it was difficult to fall asleep.

I don't know if it's the sweat from the day or the rain, but I still feel cold to the bone. Even so, when the rain stops, the temperature will warm up again, making me sweat profusely and my clothes stick to me.

Wolfe opened his eyes slightly and looked at the ceiling of the tent in the dim light of the magic guide light coming in from the door.

When I first joined the team, I had to apply waterproof wax to the tents and carriage hoods before and after the expedition.

Thanks to the waterproof cloth developed by Dalia, we no longer have to worry about the tent leaking when we sleep, and the food in the wagon will not get wet and moldy.

He hopes that the quality of the team members' meals will also improve in the same way.

When he first used the small magic furnace to cook, he simply thought it was delicious.

Later, he began to think that if the magic furnace could be used in expeditions, perhaps the number of people getting sick and leaving the job would be reduced.

However, he now firmly believes that this is "a must-have for expedition members."

Even if your throat is swollen and sore, you still have to eat hard food that is difficult to swallow; even if you catch a cold from the rain, you can't drink hot water to warm your body - these things that have been considered unavoidable until now can be improved with an expedition stove.

Dalia said that the expedition furnace she made was still not perfect.

She constantly changes materials and tries again and again to lower the price. She is also assisted by the skilled craftsman Fermo.

But Wolff believed that the finished product at this stage was fully usable. Rather than delaying production to lower the price, he should summon up the courage to make suggestions to the captain to improve the expedition's situation.

He was the guarantor of the Rosetti Chamber of Commerce. Some might think he was using his position to promote his products or to pursue his own interests, but that didn't matter.

If he encountered objections due to the high price, he planned to keep it a secret from Dahlia and purchase a batch of furnaces out of his own pocket to bring to the team. After using them, his teammates would surely understand the advantages of these furnaces.

Even if it would take some time before it was officially adopted, he wanted to bring the stove to the expedition as soon as possible.

This way, at least the teammates with colds can drink some hot soup first.

As soon as we return to the capital, we'll take the expedition furnace and go see the captain.

Wolfe thought so and closed his eyes again.

Volume 4: Official Delivery of the Royal City and the Monster Suppression Force

In the drizzle, Dalia, Ivano and Lukia took a carriage to the royal city.

The Rosetti Merchants Guild will first visit the Monster Suppression Force for a formal delivery ceremony. A short while later, Viscount Jedda, the head of the Merchant Guild, and Viscount Fortunato, the head of the Clothing Guild, will also visit.

It had been discussed beforehand that if delivery to the Knights needed to be made, Fortunato would do it, which made Dahlia feel relieved.

Ten days had passed since her initial visit to Oswald. During this time, Dalia had visited Oswald's shop four times to learn the ways of the royal city from his wife, Katharina.

Katharina's family is a viscount's family, and her father works in the royal city, so he knows a lot about the Knights.

Dalia was nervous at first, but thankfully, her guidance was gentle. She not only taught etiquette but also explained why things should be done, what to do if you make a mistake, and even how to apologize. She also provided advice on clothing and hairstyles, which was very helpful.

Ivano also found Oswald's guidance helpful. He said with emotion, "It gave me a deeper understanding of the Royal City and left a deep impression on me in many ways."

As for the thick stack of etiquette notes that Oswald had provided—like flashcards—Dalia had memorized them all with great enthusiasm, becoming so acquainted with them that she might even dream about them at night. The last time she memorized so much was during an exam in her school days.

She had all the content in her head, but whether she could do it was another matter.

She still couldn't help thinking that Oswald's request seemed a bit too high.

"Hey, Dalia... I'm just a commoner making gloves and socks. How did I become the head of a five-toed sock workshop, and why did I have to come to the royal city?"

Dahlia was flipping through her notes for final confirmation, and the woman with bright green hair next to her smiled helplessly.

She is the deputy foreman of Fano Workshop and Dalia's friend Lucia.

Rukia originally worked in the clothing accessories workshop run by her family, but because she had participated in the trial production of five-toed socks, she joined the mass production project together with the president of the clothing guild.

A month later, she, a commoner, was invited to the royal city just like Dalia.

"Uh... can you say you've made a name for yourself?"

Hearing Dalia's soft reply, her friend slowly lowered his dewy eyes.

"One night, after finishing work late at night and having dinner together, I couldn't help but tell Fortunato-sama, 'My dream is to own my own workshop.' He replied, 'You know the most about five-toed socks, so you should be the workshop manager.'"

"My dream has come true..."

“Isn’t this wonderful…?”

"Why don't you dare look at me?"

Dahlia and Ivano simultaneously turned their gaze away from Rukia. This was definitely not something they had agreed on beforehand.

"Many of the craftsmen at the 'Magic Clothing Atelier' are older than me, and they're always pointing fingers at me!"

"Wow, that sounds..."

"Ms. Rukia is having a hard time too..."

The workshop that produced five-toed socks and dry insoles was named the "Clothing Magic Workshop." Perhaps with the intention of further development, the Clothing Guild had prepared a large building for them and hired a large staff.

It would have been great if Rukia's father could have taken over the position of workshop foreman, but he's already overwhelmed with commissions from the Clothing Guild and can't possibly take it. Her tough grandfather, who always takes two walks a day, says, "I'm already retired." Her brother also makes excuses, saying, "I still have the family workshop to take care of."

"The men of the Fano family are so spineless." said Rukia.

Rukia and Dalia are of the same age, so they were bound to receive some criticism at Atelier de Magique de Clothing.

However, it took them only two weeks to set up the production line for five-toe socks and drying insoles, and it was officially put into use just one month later. The efforts and execution of Rukia and her colleagues cannot be underestimated.

"Every time I go to the Costume Guild, people suspect I'm Fortunato-sama's mistress or half-sister. How ridiculous! The difference between you and me is like the difference between a Kraken and a small squid."

"Regardless of whether this metaphor is good or not, it turns out that there are rumors about this as well, Rukia-san..."

Ivano's deep blue eyes were filled with sympathy. Rukia was also single. Such unkind rumors must have weighed heavily on Ivano's ears, as he had a daughter.

"Yes, I always reply, 'Is there something wrong with your eyes? You'd better see a doctor or go to the temple.' I pretend to be concerned like this, then laugh it off. Dahlia, you run the guild too, so these rumors are annoying, aren't they?"

"A little bit, but I pretended not to hear it, and even if I did, I'd forgotten it."

"These people are so full and have so little time. I finally got this position, so of course I want to make a killing and not give it to anyone else!"

That's just Rukia's style.

She smiled with an open mind, her straw-colored eyes sparkling.

"In just two months as a workshop manager, I can earn as much as I saved for the entire year last year. Hehehe... If I can hold on for four years, I can build a grand garment workshop."

The salary of the workshop manager seemed quite good. Rukia had been saving money to open a workshop to make clothes, so this should be the biggest advantage for her.

But Dalia was still a little worried.

"Don't overwork yourself, Rukia."

"Okay. Don't worry, Dahlia. I won't die until I see gorgeous clothes all over the capital."

Rukia smiled cheerfully, patted Dahlia's shoulder twice, and then stroked it in the opposite direction.

This is a popular prayer in junior colleges, which can relieve tension before exams and improve scores.

Perhaps because Dahlia unconsciously revealed an uneasy expression, Rukia was also worried about her.

"This dress is so cute today. It suits you very well."

Rukia wore a long, tight-fitting dress in a sedge color, paired with a jacket of the same color.

The hem of the jacket and skirt are both curved and embellished with matching ribbons. Her hair is braided and also decorated with dew-colored ribbons. The outfit is both elegant and lovely.

"Thank you. I was worried about being rude, so I discussed this with Lord Fortunato beforehand. As for etiquette... I consulted with the people in the Costume Guild who frequent the Royal City, but there are so many confusing rules. If I try to memorize them all, I'll probably dream about them."

"I actually dreamed about flashcards and the lecturer for recitation..."

Ivano also seemed to be having a hard time.

As the three of them laughed silently, the carriage gradually slowed down. They must have entered the royal city.

Next they had to get off the carriage, with men and women divided into two sides, to confirm their identities and check their luggage.

With Rukia accompanying us this time, we shouldn't be as hectic as last time.

But to be honest, Dahlia didn't really want to see the members of the monster-hunting team from last time.

Last time, when she talked about athlete's foot, she got so excited that I started to suspect she had the same problem. The thought was embarrassing. I could only pray that the matter wouldn't be brought up again today and that everything would end smoothly.

After she and Rukia had their identities briefly verified by the female knight, they heard that the monster-slaying troops had arrived to greet them.

Ivano had just finished his inspection. They both walked out of the room and saw a large, blue-haired man standing outside.

"I'm Griselda Lanza, vice-captain of the Monster Suppression Force. I'm here to greet you all."

The other party smiled and greeted the three of them cordially. They were stunned for a moment before they realized what was happening. They hadn't expected it to be the deputy captain.

"Excuse me, I'm Ivano Mercadanti, a member of the Roseti Merchants. This is my first time in the Royal City, so I'm a little nervous."

Ivano took a step forward, and then Dahlia and Rukia also greeted each other.

Fortunately, a single woman could have a squire greet a knight without being rude. Without Oswald's notes, Dalia might have apologized hastily.

"Don't be too formal in the Monster Suppression Corps. We're not that particular about etiquette, so please relax once you enter the corps building."

"Thank you for your kindness."

Despite Griselda's words, Dahlia wasn't sure if she could truly relax, or how far she would go. She forced a businesslike smile and boarded the city's carriage.

"Before the official meeting, I'd like to invite the three of you to the team waiting room. I'm really sorry, but the reception room is crowded."

“…Can’t fit in?”

In the corridor of the Monster Suppression Force building, Dahlia couldn't help but repeat it in a low voice when she heard Griselda say this while walking in front of her.

"Yes. The Magic Clothing Workshop sent some socks in advance, and we gave a pair to each team member who needed them. They were very popular. Some people even washed them in the evening and wore them the next morning. We wanted to thank you for making the socks and insoles. Captain Goulart is also in the team waiting room."

Looking to the side, Rukia was looking at her wide-open grass-colored eyes.

Looking back, Ivano's face was full of business smile.

Dahlia was naturally happy to hear they were enjoying it, but after all, there had been an athlete's foot incident. She hoped the number of people would be as small as possible, so they could be handled quickly. As she walked, Dahlia realized that all four doors of the team waiting room were already open.

"I've brought along the president of the Rossetti Merchants Guild and the director of the Fano workshop at the Apparel Magic Workshop."

Griselda said, standing at the door.

Ivano wasn't mentioned because he was included in the Rosetti Chamber of Commerce, and servants, attendants, and guards weren't listed separately. This was also what Oswald had taught her. If she hadn't heard of this rule, she would have been very anxious.

"Welcome, President of the Roseti Chamber of Commerce and Director of the Fano Workshop."

As Captain Goulart finished speaking, they greeted each other and entered the room. Inside, the team members formed eight rows facing the door. Their outfits varied; some wore black vests over dark gray clothing, while others wore protective gear. But all of them wore bright, cheerful smiles.

Dahlia glanced around hesitantly and found that Wolf was not in the team.

"Thank you for the invitation. I'm Dalia Rosetti from the Rosetti Chamber of Commerce."

"I'm Lukia Fano from the Costume Magic Atelier."

After the two introduced themselves, they gently folded their hands in front of them and nodded in greeting.

"This is the first time I've met Workshop Master Fano of the Apparel Magic Workshop. I'm Captain of the Monster Suppression Force, Gulat Bartolon. Thank you for coming."

"I should thank you. It's an honor to be invited to the royal city."

She envied Rukia's ability to smile so easily.

"Everyone has gathered here to express their gratitude in person. Some are on missions and can't come, but even so, there are still many of us. It's a bit crowded here, so please forgive me."

Having said this, Gulat walked up to the team members.

"All salute!"

At the captain's command, everyone placed their right hands on their left shoulders. The uniform movement left Dalia stunned.

The notes say this is a gesture of respect used by knights, and is only done to distinguished guests and high-ranking nobles.

""Thanks!""

The neat voice came like a huge wave, and her expression was almost out of control.

She didn't know how she could have deserved such strong respect.

"Let me express my gratitude. Socks and insoles have greatly improved the environment inside our shoes. Now, we are rarely distracted by sweat or discomfort during expeditions or training, and the number of people visiting the temple due to foot discomfort has also decreased significantly."

After the captain finished speaking, many people nodded deeply in agreement. She didn't want to know whether they were happy because the shoe environment had improved, or because their tinea pedis had been cured.

"I apologize for the immense burden I placed on you in such a rush to mass-produce. But thanks to you, we'll finally be able to kick monsters away without any problems this summer."

The team members all laughed, some even laughed a little grimly, maybe it was an illusion.

She felt a little sympathetic towards the monster that had intruded into human life this summer.