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

"Officials have also expressed concerns."

"Worried?"

"To put it bluntly, it's a credit issue for the Roseti Chamber of Commerce."

"Is there something wrong with the guarantor?"

"That's not a problem. However, their guild was only established this year, and it's rather unnatural for them to be doing business in the city and offering a wide variety of goods. Also, some people mentioned that her father, a former baron, has passed away, and she has no relatives to serve as guardians. This raises suspicions—female guild presidents are rare, so naturally, all kinds of 'rumors' are rampant."

He glanced at Dahlia, then shifted his gaze to Wolf, then to Gurat. His amber eyes looked extremely cold.

"It's just a rumor, I don't mind it at all."

"Even if you don't mind, Captain Goulart, those rumors will still have a negative impact on you. For example, if she's called into the captain's room and comes out with her clothes slightly disheveled—even such a small matter will get out."

"...Gildo, you..."

Gulat growled in anger with a hoarse voice.

But the man named Gildo remained calm.

"I apologize for introducing myself so late to the president of the Rosetti Merchants Guild. I am the Minister of Finance, Gildovan Diels. I have expelled the maid who disrespected you from the royal city. Is four gold coins sufficient compensation for the damaged clothing?"

Dahlia's mind was in a mess.

Although she could hear what the other person said from the beginning, she really didn't want to understand the meaning behind it.

The maid who deliberately soiled Dahlia's clothes a few days ago must have been this man who ordered her to do so.

This act seemed to be done to cause trouble for Gulat. This malicious act implicated Dalia, but he did not take her seriously at all.

"...Thank you for introducing yourself. I'm Dalia Rossetti of the Rossetti Chamber of Commerce. You don't have to pay for my clothes; I'm wearing the same dress I wore that day."

The dress, which had been soiled by the maid and then re-dyed, was now worn by her. There was not a single stain visible on the dark green dress.

"Oh... President of the Rosetti Chamber of Commerce. Since you're here, I'll tell you straight away. Could you please prepare detailed specifications for the expedition furnace, along with a budget-compliant price quote, and submit it to the Finance Department again? If necessary, I can even arrange for you to introduce the product in the royal city."

The other party must have thought that she would not dare to agree, and his eyes were full of mockery.

Dahlia swallowed the anger and anxiety rising in her throat and answered him:

"...Then I'll trouble you to arrange it."

"Ms. Dalia!"

Ivano called out softly. She'd been wrong to agree without consulting him, but she felt it would be easily dismissed if she simply submitted the paperwork. She wanted to seize this opportunity and explain herself to him.

"Okay, then, let's schedule it for the afternoon of three days from now. If you feel you can't do it, you can always decline through Captain Goulart. With all due respect."

Seeing the perfect smile on Gildor's face, she couldn't help but tense up.

The other party passed by her at a distance that was too close. Just as she realized this, a low murmur reached her ears.

"I want to see what 'house cat' can do."

“…Hmm!”

From this moment on, Dahlia regarded this man as an enemy.

The term "house cat" might sound cute at first, but in this context it actually meant "someone's mistress." Even if she wasn't familiar with aristocratic jargon, she knew that.

Dahlia had no title, nor many impressive accomplishments. Her appearance and demeanor might not have been enough to gain a foothold in the royal city.

But did he really think that the members of the Monster Suppression Force were bewitched by a woman and were trying to use their positions to benefit the Chamber of Commerce?

What does he think of these people who fight monsters for the people?

In her past life, from university research classes to company internships, she had never been good at giving presentations, but she had managed to persevere. She would give it her all in three days and present it to him.

She bit the inside of her lip, forced a smile and watched the man leave.

(Illustration 009)

After Gildor left, the door closed completely, and Dahlia subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

She tried to turn, but couldn't. Something cold and terrifying swirled around her. Her body froze in place, unable to make a sound or turn. It was as if the air had suddenly become thinner, making it hard to breathe.

"What did he say about Dahlia...!"

"Ms. Dahlia allowed the armored knight to enjoy the cool breeze. How could he be so disrespectful..."

"I really want to put my old insoles in that guy's shoes... and give him athlete's foot."

"...People like this are likely to be attacked at night in retaliation..."

"Alright, you fools! Stop using your 'intimidating energy' here!"

The middle-aged knight shouted at his team members.

It seemed that Wolf and the other team members who used their physical enhancement abilities and pricked up their ears had all heard what Gildor said.

Despite the situation, Dalia was still happy to hear them standing up for her.

Soon after, she was finally able to move. She looked back and saw Wolfer pressing one hand against his eye, as if trying to stop the threatening energy still trying to escape his body. Ivano and Lucia were both pale, but Fortu remained expressionless, gazing at Dalia with worry, a true Fortu.

"Everyone, I'm truly sorry. Anyone who just let out a 'threatening aura' or 'careless words' will be required to run five laps of the training ground in armor. Of course, no breeze cloths allowed."

"……yes."

After the players responded reflectively, the Knight turned to Goulart.

"Captain Gulart, Marquis Diels's words just now were extremely disrespectful to the president of the Roseti Merchants Guild. Captain, please formally protest."

"Thank you for your kindness, but it's alright."

Before Gulat could speak, Dalia refused.

"The Roseti Chamber of Commerce has helped us so much, it's no problem for us to protest on their behalf."

"Thank you, but I'd like to ask him to retract his words myself. I may not receive an apology, but please allow our Chamber of Commerce to handle this matter on its own."

Dahlia bowed her head and begged the middle-aged knight.

Asking the military to protest on their behalf might elicit an apology, but it would also risk people believing Dalia was hiding under the military's protection. Furthermore, having Gurat protest might only exacerbate the rumors.

She had no title and could not demand an apology, but she could ask him to retract his words. Although she didn't know whether he would be willing to do so, it could at least prevent further misunderstandings.

Furthermore, she also heard the middle-aged knight address that man as "Marquis Diels"—since he was a marquis, he had the same rank as Gulat.

A dispute with the Finance Department would inevitably be detrimental to the future development of the Monster Suppression Force. Dalia hoped to avoid this.

"...Rosetti, I'm so sorry. He just said that to cause trouble for me. I'll deal with those rumors. Please don't hold a grudge against him."

"Captain Goulart!"

Wolff shouted at the top of his lungs, and Gulart made a self-deprecating expression and continued.

"Because I was the one who killed that man's brother."

The sudden words left the whole audience speechless.

"In the past, a member of the expedition fell off his horse and died on his way back. The doctor said it was caused by anemia and malnutrition. The food was worse than it is now, so he may not have eaten much. However, I didn't notice it."

"That's not your fault, Captain Goulart..."

"I was the one leading the expedition. A friend entrusted his younger brother to me, and I agreed without thinking, but I didn't keep my word. I take responsibility for everything that happened."

The hoarse voice, like that of an old man, stung Dahlia's eardrums.

The monster-suppression troops not only have to fight monsters desperately during the expedition, but also have to endure hunger and the resulting physical discomfort.

She thought of Wolff, who was covered in blood on the day they first met, and felt very uncomfortable.

"I'll negotiate with the Finance Department again. If that doesn't work out, I'll use the already allocated budget to purchase the goods, and I'll pay the shortfall myself."

"Thank you, but I'd still like to introduce the products in person."

"Don't bother. You've seen what kind of person he is. Going there will only make you more unhappy."

"It's okay. Our Chamber of Commerce rarely has this kind of 'training opportunity', so we must seize it."

When developing magical tools, you often run into obstacles, and you have to rack your brains to think about whether to overcome obstacles, destroy obstacles, or change direction.

Looking at Ivano, we can see that doing business is like weaving a web of multi-party interests. The process requires repeated collisions and avoidances, gradually finding the connecting threads, which is very laborious.

There are no shortcuts in developing magical tools or doing business. Dahlia had agreed in a moment of desperation, but as a developer and guild leader, she couldn't go back on her word. She wanted to do her best.

"A 'training opportunity'?... What a shame! If it were a boy, I could have adopted him... No, wait..."

Gulat covered his mouth and muttered something, but Dalia couldn't hear clearly.

Just as he was about to ask further questions, the middle-aged knight coughed lightly.

"Then could you please explain to Lord Dills the importance of food for the expedition?"

"...Even if I tell him, he might not understand."

There was pain in the other person's voice, and Dalia couldn't help but lower her head when she heard it.

"I'm sorry for asking such a thing without thinking it through."

"No, I'm glad you're so thoughtful."

Later, Fortu joined the conversation and the topic returned to the breeze cloth, as if nothing had happened.

However, everyone became much quieter, and the previous lively atmosphere was no longer there.

Finally, Dalia and others asked the troops to continue to try out the breeze cloth in the future and sort out relevant opinions. The trial meeting came to an end.

"Dalia...I hope you're not too depressed."

As they were about to embark on their journey home at the Royal City Horse Farm, Wolff, who was traveling with them, said this in the carriage.

Ivano said he had something to discuss with Fortu and left the carriage temporarily.

"What you've made is really helpful to the troops, and everyone is very grateful to you."

"Thank you. Hearing you say that, I'm motivated to work harder."

So much had happened today that she felt a little exhausted. She also had to meet with Ivano next to fully prepare the report. As a representative of the Roseti Chamber of Commerce, she had to explain the advantages of the expedition furnace to the troops so that they could purchase it smoothly. She felt anxious and unconsciously clenched her fists.

"...It's okay, you don't have to try so hard."

"what?"

"You've worked hard enough. Our forces will also take action in the future, so you don't have to worry too much."

"Is my expression really that heavy?"

"Yes, it's so heavy that I'm worried you'll get wrinkles."

Wolfe pointed to her forehead and smiled. The smile made her tense shoulders relax naturally.

"I don't want to get wrinkles yet, so I'll be more careful."

"Not yet? Do you mean you want to have wrinkles in the future?"

"Yeah, at a certain age, a few wrinkles on your face make you look more like a 'dignified magic tool master'."

"A majestic magic tool master..."

Wolfe's shoulders trembled slightly as he tried hard to suppress his laughter.

He had thought Dahlia hadn't noticed, but her stifled laughter was obvious. She didn't understand what was so funny, but she felt relieved by this ordinary conversation. It seemed as if the incident had hit her unexpectedly hard.

She hoped that after this was over, she could drink with Wolff and talk about magical tools and monsters without any pressure. Dahlia mustered up a little courage and took the initiative to make an invitation.

"Wolf, after this briefing, would you like to have a drink together?"

"Okay, I'll go find some good wine... Sorry, I'm so used to doing this with Dolino and the others."

Wolfe raised his hand mid-sentence, then quickly lowered it, perhaps wanting to high-five Dahlia.

Seeing him subconsciously doing something he would only do to close friends, Dalia was inexplicably happy.

She poked the other person's drooping palm with her fingertips and said with a smile:

"I'm really looking forward to it."

The Flower Guardian at the Interlude Dinner in Volume 4 and the First Time I Brew Black Tea

Wolff looked out the carriage window at the stars twinkling among the clouds.

Today he is responsible for taking the former Duchess Atya home after the dinner.

As usual, he attended the training in the royal city, changed his clothes, and got on the carriage that came to greet him to arrive at the venue.

Normally, before Atya left, he would take a nap in the carriage or eat a light meal, but today, he felt uneasy. He couldn't sleep, and even the sight of the light meal made with fine ingredients had no appetite.