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

Krakens come in all sizes, but one will take up at least several warehouses. Fishermen will roughly dismantle them in the sea, but they must be cut into smaller pieces before selling them to the market.

Therefore, except in the coldest of winters, they had to rely on mages who could use ice magic to conjure up an entire warehouse of ice, turning it into a refrigerator before dismantling it. When Dalia was in high school, classmates who could use ice magic would also take on this kind of part-time job.

Then they had fried potatoes and black pepper fries, and some ale, this time they all ordered red ale.

“…It’s really red.”

"Because it contains red barley."

Dalia couldn't help but change the angle of the glass to appreciate the beautiful ruby ​​color.

She took a sip and found it had a strong fruity aroma and plenty of bubbles, making it a perfect match for fried foods.

Especially the crispy potatoes, which are fried in large pieces and sprinkled with salt and plenty of black pepper, are irresistible when paired with wine.

It's about time to loosen the belt.

"By the way, does a magic tool usually only have one type of magic?"

"Yes, generally speaking, there is only one of each type of magical tool. Only highly skilled mages and alchemists can bestow multiple magical tools."

"How do high-level mages perform multiple grantings? Have you heard of it?"

As he spoke, Wolfer picked up the knife that came with the plate and cut the headless poached chicken in half, placing the two halves on the plate. Although the chicken had been gutted, the cooking style remained bold.

"Every magician and alchemist probably has their own secret method, but I suspect they first bestow a certain magic, then process it to fix it, and then bestow another magic on top of it. But whether the processing uses magic or medicine is unknown."

"I see. It's not easy after all. When I heard you talking about kitchen knives earlier, I was thinking it would be great if the swords used by the subjugation team had hardness enhancement and cleaning functions, and I also wanted them to be lighter to carry."

"……Um?"

Dalia kept staring at the knife that had just cut the poached chicken.

She put her hand on her forehead, thought about the shape of the sword, and asked Wolff:

"Mr. Wolfe, are the tsubasa and scabbards of the swords used in the army replaceable?"

"Yes, they can be replaced. Sometimes they get torn apart after use."

"I'm thinking if these parts were replaceable, they could be treated as different objects. I don't know if it's feasible yet, and I don't know if anyone has tried and failed... but perhaps we could disassemble the sword, harden the blade, and imbue the tsuba with water or wind magic so it cleanses itself when sheathed. Then, we could make the scabbard lighter and attach it to the sword."

"That's right..."

He opened his golden eyes wide, and the corners of his mouth curved into a beautiful U shape.

"It would be fantastic if it were done. Not only would it make things easier for our troops, but it would also be like creating an artificial magic sword!"

It seemed that the last sentence was what he really meant. He accidentally spoke too loudly and quickly covered his mouth.

When talking about the magic sword, he often has a childlike expression on his face, with curiosity and adventure in his eyes, which is very interesting to watch.

"Sorry, I got too excited..."

"Mr. Wolf, you really like the magic sword."

"Well, there's something romantic about magic swords and weapons granted by magic. I can't create them, but just imagining them makes me happy..."

"I like magical tools too, and I find it fun to imagine new things, so I understand this feeling..."

Dahlia understood that this man was very similar to her in this respect.

The man in front of him seemed to understand this, and his golden eyes smiled happily.

"Are you available in terms of time?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"I think this wine gets better the more I drink it."

Wolff drank the rest of the wine in his glass in one gulp.

"Let's talk while we eat the poached chicken."

The two of them ate boiled chicken while chatting together.

The poached chicken was a bit cold, but the meat was incredibly tender and melted in your mouth without any fishy smell. It was delicious whether eaten plain or with a sauce made with onions and spices.

"Add some drinks. I'll have the aquavit on the rocks, how about you?"

"What kind of wine is Aquavit?"

"It's a distilled liquor made from potatoes, and spices like fennel are used to add fragrance. It's very smooth to drink."

"Then I'll order the same thing."

Wolfe went to order more, and the waiter immediately brought over the bottle, glasses, and a bucket of ice.

"Let's toast to the new wine. Say something old-fashioned and pray for good luck tomorrow."

"Pray for good luck tomorrow."

They said the usual toasts and drank their third glass of wine of the day.

The Aquavit is smooth and mild when served on the rocks. The wine itself tastes good, but what's even more captivating is the vegetal aroma of fennel that hits you the moment it flows down your throat.

However, this kind of wine is very strong, and drinking too much may make people unable to stand steadily.

"...I know it's rude to ask, but can I call you Dahlia? And you can just call me Wolf."

"You can call me that, but I don't dare. After all, I'm a commoner."

"Well, then I'll have to get a notary to sign a document stating that no matter what you say, I won't find it disrespectful, so that we can be equal friends in the private world."

This joke is terrifying.

She couldn't hire a notary specifically for such a matter, and their understanding of the issue was subtly different.

Dahlia was mainly worried about the opinions of other women, followed by the views of the Earl's family and other nobles, and then she was afraid that it would affect her work.

"But……"

"I'm the youngest of four brothers. My mother was a baron. She's no longer with us, and her family has fallen into the ranks of commoners, leaving us without support. Although I'm a member of the Scafarot family, I don't know any of the five elemental magic, let alone water magic. I plan to abandon my noble status and live among the common people. So when signing the documents, just say it's about preparing for the future."

The Five Elements of Magic refer to Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Healing Magic.

Nobles generally attach great importance to these magics.

"Don't you plan to marry into another noble family?"

"For nobles above the rank of Viscount, if they lack the magical power of the five elements, their future is bleak. They can marry, but they must adopt a son or another man's child as the heir. After all, without the magical power of the five elements, they generally cannot inherit the family business. Even if they marry into another family, they will obviously be treated as a vase. However, some people hope to have daughters so that the next generation can marry into a wealthy family."

"This is a world I don't understand..."

Later, she heard from Wolff that there were actually quite a lot of people who gave up their noble status.

High-ranking nobles usually have their eldest son or outstanding son inherit the throne, with one more son left as a backup. The others will choose to marry into the family or be demoted to commoners.

Noblewomen would choose to marry into good families, such as other noble families, wealthy merchants, or citizens holding public office. The overall number of nobility would not increase, indicating that they generally adhered to the above principles.

Although Dahlia's father was an honorary baron, it was only for one generation, so as a commoner, she did not understand these things.

"The nobles have it hard too."

"Some people who want an easy life become lovers of married women. Although polygamy and polyandry are accepted in our country, women rarely have two or three husbands like men do. Most still choose to keep a lover."

By the way, what also surprised her in this life was the marriage system - here it is called marriage application, which is very different from her previous life.

In this country, polygamy, polyandry and same-sex marriage are all recognized when applying for marriage at the public office.

However, monogamy is still the main form of marriage among ordinary people, while polygamy among wealthy businessmen is the second most common form of marriage.

In addition to polygamy, the nobles also developed polyandry in order to pass on rare magic or to protect heirs, territories or property.

The nobles looked gorgeous, but their lives were not easy.

"Sorry for getting off topic..."

After filling each other's glasses with aquavit, Wolff smiled wryly.

"Dalia, can I use the army's swords so you can try out the magic I just mentioned? I'll cover all the costs and labor."

Wolff naturally called her by her name, but she surprisingly did not feel the slightest bit offended.

"Name...it's fine to call it that when we're alone. Anyway, if the magic fails, the sword will be useless, so let's start with the cheap dagger, Wolf."

After hearing Dahlia's reply, the young man opened his golden eyes wide and smiled brilliantly.

"Okay, thank you for your help, Magical Instrument Master Dahlia."

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

They finished the aquavit in the bottle and left the shop.

It was gradually turning from dusk to night.

"Let me call a carriage for you."

"No, I want to take a walk home and sober up."

It was nice to take a leisurely walk home during dinner time in early summer. Luckily, Dahlia was wearing pants today, making it easy to move around.

"Then I'll take you home. Don't worry, I'm not going to enter your house."

"My home is near the west city wall, quite far from here, and in the opposite direction of the royal city."

"It's still early, but it's still a little dangerous for women to walk alone."

Wolfe seemed genuinely concerned for her as she rummaged through her bag.

"Thank you for your concern. Look, this is an ice bracelet for protection. Wear this and you'll be fine."

"Is that an ice magic tool?"

"Yes, the icing bracelets on the market can only freeze a person's hands and feet. I've increased the strength of this one, so it can freeze two or three people without any problem."

The ice bracelet was invented by other magical tool makers. After obtaining their consent, Dahlia improved it into a version for her own use.

The bracelet could originally only freeze one layer of drawer, but after the improvement, it can easily produce enough ice to fill a large refrigerator.

Whenever Dahlia sees a magical tool, she wants to confirm its maximum and limit values.

After all, when she was a child she wanted to make a hair dryer but ended up making a flamethrower. She thought it was normal for her to become like this when she grew up, but she didn't plan to tell anyone.

"I see. This way, we can freeze the bad guys' feet and give them the chance to escape."

"It'll take a while for the ice to melt, so you can call the guards or escape to a nearby house. Incidentally, the frozen parts will break if you hit them. I've heard of several women who, after being assaulted, simply smashed parts of the pervert's body to stop him from doing it again."

“Wow…”

Dahlia said this with a smile, and Wolf imagined the situation and shook his head in fear.

This remark seemed to be a response to his earlier "spring coat" joke, and Dalia laughed even more happily.

The security in this royal capital is quite good.

However, it was still dangerous for women to walk alone at night, so most people would take a horse-drawn carriage.

Some people also carry ice bracelets with them or learn self-defense techniques.

Dahlia also heard that a gangster mistakenly thought the female magician was unarmed and attacked her, resulting in her body being half burned.

In this country, after a robber or pervert is arrested, if he or she has injuries on his or her body, he or she will first receive simple treatment, and then become a criminal slave, sent to reclaim the wilderness or mines, and work until death in harsh conditions. He or she can be said to be an important labor force of the country.

"If my purpose isn't to send you home, but to chat with you, is that not okay?"

"That's fine with me, but it's a long way around for you, isn't it?"

"I haven't exercised during the holidays, so it's easy to regress... Even if I go back now, I plan to exercise a little."

There was only a red glow in the evening sky, and the two people walked while chatting.

The scattered magical street lights had not yet been turned on, making it difficult to see the people passing by on the road.

"The training for the Monster Suppression Team should be very strict, right?"

"Well, kind of. I usually run for a bit, then do some sit-ups and push-ups, then spar with my sword or spear, and repeat the cycle over and over. Sometimes I get blown away by a magician."

"Why does that last sentence sound a bit scary..."

Running and fighting both fall under the category of training, but what does it mean to be blown away by a magician?

"Many monsters can breathe fire or create wind, so we do simulations, having several mages cast large-scale spells and having us try to dodge or fight them. Some even end up in the infirmary. But it's good to practice ahead of time."

"So this is a simulation training. So, what was the most difficult monster you've ever fought?"

"Let's go with a flying dragon. Winged creatures are quite troublesome. Once they fly away, they're hard to catch."

"Large monsters are also difficult to deal with, right?"