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

Dahlia hoped she could become strong enough so that he wouldn't have to do this, but the reality was quite harsh.

Even if he became the president of a guild of commerce or an advisor to a monster-slaying force, he was often at a loss when faced with a problem.

Even so, even if she struggled pitifully, Dahlia was unwilling to sever her bond with Wolff. She just wanted to stay by his side forever. That's what she thought.

"...Thank you. I thought so too."

She couldn't express what she really wanted to say, and her voice was intermittent. But she still tried to respond with a smile.

"Also, I was so excited just now that I accidentally released my 'threatening aura'. I'm really sorry..."

"It's okay. I know you're angry because of me. But I hope you can try not to do this. It really makes me nervous..."

Although Dahlia was grateful that Wolfe had taken offense on her behalf, she wished he wouldn't suddenly unleash his threat.

The oppressive feeling not only made her unable to move, but also made her feel completely chilled. Moreover, the intimidation today was even stronger than last time.

As she recalled the cold and fear and shivered slightly, Wolff quietly looked away.

"Dalia, um... before going to the bookstore, why don't we go to the clothing store first—"

"Wolf! All I want now is to get to the bookstore as quickly, immediately, and as fast as possible. And if you bring up this subject again, I'll always call you 'Sir Scafarot'!"

Dahlia quickly interrupted Wolfe and finished speaking in a hurried tone.

She thought to herself that if he brought up this topic again next time, she would just bury him and the topic together.

“…I’m so sorry…”

Wolff lowered his head and didn't raise his face for a long time.

The carriage stopped not far in front of the bookstore.

This three-story black brick bookstore has double doors, and guards holding spears and swords are standing on both sides to guard them.

The scene seemed a bit too serious, but in this royal capital, books were still expensive commodities.

This is because current printing technology is still at the stage of printmaking and large-scale printing has not yet been popularized.

Therefore, even small books required silver coins to purchase, while thick professional books even had to be paid for with large silver coins or gold coins. In order to protect these valuable books, large bookstores like this often arranged for multiple guards to be stationed.

As Wolff got out of the car, he extended his hand even more gently than usual.

Dahlia placed her hand gently on it without saying a word.

Both men were determined not to speak of what had just happened, and it was Wolff who finally spoke first.

"Um, Dalia, are you looking for any books?"

"I'm looking for books on aristocratic etiquette and letter writing. Mr. Oswald recommended the book on aristocratic etiquette to me, and I'm coming to pick it up today. I'd also like to see if there are any monster encyclopedias from neighboring countries."

"Ah, I want to read that one too."

Dahlia walked to the counter near the entrance and asked the waiter.

After she gave the reservation number, the person in charge brought a bag of books from the back. Since the reservation had been paid in advance, she checked the contents on the spot and then accepted the books.

"Dalia, can I have a look around?"

"Of course. Is there the book you're looking for on this floor?"

"Actually, I've never really browsed in a bookstore..."

Wolf, wearing fairy crystal glasses, showed a troubled smile with his green eyes.

Because of his good looks, he was often approached by women. Before he wore glasses, he probably couldn't even choose a book in a bookstore.

"Please take your time and read it. There's no need to rush."

The first floor displays fairy tales, novels, practical books on daily life, etc., and is quite bustling with people coming and going.

Both of them put on cloth gloves to facilitate flipping through the books, and then began to walk around in a clockwise direction.

"Wolver, how did you buy books in the past?"

"I usually tell the booksellers who come to the team what kind of books I like, ask them to bring a few, and then I choose from them. Sometimes I ask Dolino or Randolph to help me buy them."

Dalia thought this way of choosing books was not bad, but browsing a large number of books in a spacious bookstore was indeed a different kind of fun.

Wolff stopped every few steps and looked around, a rare moment of childishness that seemed quite endearing.

In the fairy tale area, the two chatted softly about the books they had read in their childhood; when they arrived at the novel area, they picked up the adventurer and knight story books that had just been put on the shelves.

Wolff stayed in the travel book area for a long time, and finally, after some hesitation, bought a domestic travel guide.

Then in the cookbook section, Dalia found a cookbook from the Kingdom of the East and immediately decided to buy it.

After paying the bill on the first floor, they went up the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor mainly displays academic and professional books. Most books related to weapons, armor, and magical tools are also on this floor.

"It seems there's no book specifically about demon swords here..."

"After all, demon swords are rare."

Looking at Wolfe's disappointed look, Dalia couldn't help but feel a little distressed.

However, the magic sword is an extremely rare item, and it would be difficult to write a thick professional book about it, even with a detailed explanation.

Despite this, when he found a weapon specialty book that included a magic sword, he immediately decided to buy it.

As the number of books they purchased gradually increased, they continued to move towards the third floor.

The third floor is filled with expensive dictionaries and illustrated books, so you need to register your name before entering.

Because personal belongings may be checked, a male and female bookstore clerk stands on each side of the entrance.

Wolf took off his fairy crystal glasses and walked in front of Dahlia.

The male clerk standing to the right of the door greeted them warmly and let them in without even confirming their names.

"Wolf, um..."

Dahlia was taken in by Wolf, but she was hesitant about whether she should also register her name.

"That's no problem. The clerk mentioned earlier often comes to the barracks to sell books. Since we don't have much time to carefully select books, I've asked him for help finding books many times. Most of the books I own now about magic swords and monsters were found by him."

"I see. It seems he's quite knowledgeable about demon swords and monsters."

"Yes, but there's more to it than that. One time, Randolph was looking for a novel from a neighboring country, and he quickly helped him order it. I heard that when seniors asked him about fairy tales suitable for their children, he also recommended a few, and everyone was very satisfied. He's also been asked to find books about weapons and even crops from neighboring countries."

It seems that this clerk is very knowledgeable and is indeed an excellent bookseller.

In this world, there's no convenient search system like in my previous life. It's truly grateful to have someone help me find the books I need. Dalia thought to herself that if she had the chance, she'd also like to ask him for help finding books.

However, there was one thing Wolfe didn't tell Dahlia.

The bookseller's "most recommended" items are usually large-format, thin books with plant or monster designs on the cover and sexy women's illustrations with full skin tones on the inside.

He only needs to have a brief conversation to understand whether the guests like big breasts or a thin waist, and accurately recommend suitable books based on the preferences of each team member. Therefore, he is very popular among young team members.

Wolfe remembered that he had bought it before, but he would never let Dalia know about it.

"It seems he's very familiar with all kinds of books."

"yes."

Wolff gave a brief answer and walked into the room at a quicker pace.

A faint magical power flowed through the room, most likely from the influence of magic tools and magic books.

In a glass display case at the back of the room, there are heavy dictionaries and illustrated books.

The covers of these books are made of thick leather in deep shades of black, red, dark green, navy blue, gold, and silver, and the pages appear to be parchment with a light ivory color.

Some of these books are decorated with exquisite embroidery, gold and silver ornaments, and even inlaid with colorful gemstones, presenting a strong artistic atmosphere.

In the center of the glass display case was the illustrated guide of the neighboring country's monsters that they were looking for.

The cover of this illustrated book has gold letters on a black background and is decorated with gold embroidery. It is incredibly thick, comparable to the thick encyclopedias of previous lives.

Wolff spoke with the clerk behind the counter and asked him to take out the illustrated book.

On a nearby table, they carefully flipped through the pages, wearing gloves, and marveled at the beautiful, colorful illustrations. Fortunately, the book had been translated into her native language, so Dalia could read it without any difficulty.

After flipping through a few pages, they stopped at a page about a monster that had only been found in a neighboring country—the "Flower Demon."

The illustration depicts a beautiful young woman with long, dark green hair, but her lower body is connected by rich red petals, green leaves, and vines. The book describes this as a subspecies of the mandrake plant, noting that "its sound has hallucinogenic properties."

The commentary also mentioned that "its petals as a material have the effect of preventing hallucinations", which surprised Dalia.

It seems that neighboring countries have already made their research on this type of material public to this extent.

The book also records in detail whether each monster is raised or farmed, which makes Dalia better understand why the neighboring country is called the "Land of Animal Husbandry."

Unicorns, demonic rams, king snakes, sirens, headless horsemen—no matter which page you turn to, all the illustrations are extremely detailed and colorful, and the content is very attractive.

"How much is this book?"

Dahlia was reading intently until she heard Wolf's question.

"The price is seven gold coins."

The clerk's answer made Dalia convert it in her mind. It was equivalent to 700,000, which was indeed a high price.

However, this book is likely a hand-copied copy, and such detailed color illustrations are quite rare, so the high price is understandable. Its content is also very valuable, and it is indeed a book worth collecting.

Dahlia was hesitating whether to use the development fee of the Roseti Chamber of Commerce to purchase the book or whether she should discuss it with Ivano first. At this time, Wolf had already told the clerk that he wanted to buy the book.

"I think it can be used as a reference during expeditions. We must learn as much as possible about new monsters, because we never know when we might encounter them. Also, there are cases of monsters crossing national borders."

Wolfe swiftly completed the purchase procedures while expressing his unique perspective as a member of the Monster Suppression Force.

Although Dalia was surprised, she understood his intention.

Indeed, there are no borders for monsters. They can migrate from anywhere.

She recalled an incident in the past when a nine-headed snake, which caused great disaster in a neighboring country, crossed the border.

It is said that the monster-suppression force and the Knights joined forces to defeat the nine-headed snake, but the damage caused was still very heavy.

In the cemetery of the royal capital, large tombstones still stand for the warriors who died in the battle against the Nine-Headed Serpent.

Whether in winter or summer, the flowers there never wither.

"Where should I send this book?"

"We can just take it away."

The Monster Manual was placed in an ornate box with a black background and gold trim, wrapped in smooth black cloth, like a treasure. Wolfe easily picked up the treasure-like package with one hand.

"Dahlia, my room in the barracks is small, and I'm often away on expeditions. Can this book be placed in the tower?"

"Eh? Um, Wolfe..."

"Anyway, I often come to the tower during my breaks, so you can use it as a reference for research. It should be fun for us to watch it together."

He spoke a little faster, and his golden eyes seemed to flicker with hesitation.

The proposal sounded like it had been planned for a long time, but honestly, she was very happy.

She looked forward not only to reading the Monster Guide, but also to Wolfe coming to the tower to read, and the time they would spend together reading and discussing.

"Then let's put it on the second floor."

She planned to clear out the upper space of the bookshelf against the wall of the room to properly store this precious book.

At the same time, she also planned to prepare a pair of gloves to avoid dirtying the precious illustrated book while reading.

"Thank you."

"No, I should thank you."

The two of them left the bookstore happily with similar smiles on their faces.

After leaving the bookstore, Dahlia went to the weapons store where she and Wolf had bought the dagger together.

The white-bearded weapons shop owner still remembered her, even though she had only been there once.

The boss asked her whether the previous dagger gifting went smoothly, and Dalia replied, "Not quite as I expected." The boss laughed.

"It's natural to be unaccustomed to it. If you were a blacksmith apprentice, you'd have to forge a thousand swords to be considered a proficient blacksmith."

The hearty voice reminded Dalia of her father.

Later, the boss suggested that she try making a larger weapon, saying that it was also a form of learning. Therefore, Dahlia decided to buy a longsword suitable for magic.

When choosing the longsword, Dahlia was unable to make a decision, so she left it entirely to Wolfe to decide.