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

She heard that Marcella often went home for lunch, so she went to find him. Fortunately, he was at home.

"Thank you, Marcella. Orange juice will be fine."

Dalia took the sandwich and orange juice and sat down opposite Marcella.

Irma's sandwiches are amazing.

Today, she had two fillings sandwiched between rye bread: cheese and ham, and egg and vegetables. The large slices of rye bread complemented the cheese, smoked ham, and lettuce perfectly. Another dish consisted of an egg and diced vegetables mixed with a generous amount of fresh mayonnaise.

Dalia asked Irma for the recipes for both fillings, but she couldn't make them taste the same.

After she finished a sandwich in silence, Irma came into the kitchen.

Dalia drank up her orange juice and spoke to Marcella, who had just finished her lunch.

"Marcella, I'm so sorry you just helped me move my furniture the day before yesterday. Could you please help me move it back to my hometown? As soon as possible."

"Sure, there are a few people in the guild free today around 4 o'clock. Did you prepare the same furniture as Tobias?"

"Is the size not suitable for your new home?"

Irma and Marcella asked at the same time, and Dalia couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"I was jilted."

"What?"

"what?"

The two asked again at the same time, and Dahlia tried her best to force a smile and said:

"Tobias Orlando says he's found 'true love'."

"..."

"..."

The expressions of the two men immediately became like masks.

Dahlia had rarely seen masks in this world. The King's City held a winter festival, and it would be great if they sold masks for children.

Speaking of which, the Winter Festival was usually attended by couples and singles looking for partners, but Dahlia had never attended it with Tobias. But she hadn't invited Tobias either—she was distracted by these thoughts, trying to escape reality, when the two people in front of her got angry.

"Is that guy an idiot? We're moving into a new house today!"

"You've been engaged for two years! What the hell was he thinking?"

"What do you mean by 'true love'? This is cheating!"

“That’s terrible!”

Seeing the two of them standing up for her, she was actually a little happy, hoping that this was not because of her twisted personality.

Over the past two years, she had dined and drank with them and Tobias a few times. Although the four of them didn't become friends, they still kept in close contact.

Dalia had also heard that Marcella had been drinking with Tobias while moving goods for the Orlando Chamber of Commerce, and she felt sorry that this relationship was now broken.

"Thank you for being angry on my behalf, but let's just leave it at that. This was originally a marriage decided by both of our fathers, and they're both deceased."

As Dalia spoke, she suddenly understood something.

Tobias may hope to use this marriage to make Dalia's father, a senior magic tool maker, his backer.

Although Dahlia is also a magic tool master, she does not have the status of an honorary baron and her skills are not as good as her father's.

Marriage would be far less beneficial to him now than it was when her father was still alive.

At this time, he met the woman he liked again and naturally chose that side.

"Dalia, you haven't submitted your marriage application yet, right?"

"Well, I was supposed to register tomorrow, but I haven't filled out or submitted the application yet."

"You're lucky. Yes, you don't have to marry a man like that."

Irma nodded so hard that she seemed to hear the sound.

Although Dahlia hoped that Tobias would tell her earlier if he wanted to break up the engagement, it was good enough that she knew about it before registering.

“…How dare you make Dahlia cry…I’m going to charge him extra shipping fees, and I’ll put it all on him…I’m never drinking with him again…”

Dalia wanted to say that she didn't cry, but Marcella's voice gradually became low and terrifying, so she had to remain silent.

"Dalia...you don't have to act tough. Just cry if you want to. Do you want me to have a drink with you? I'm closing the shop this afternoon."

"Yes, give us the keys and we'll move the furniture. You can stay here today! It would be awkward to run into Tobias when we get home."

Irma's reddish-brown eyes and Marcella's iris-colored eyes looked at Dahlia worriedly.

Seeing how well-coordinated their actions were, she felt a little envious.

"It's okay. I want to get this over with quickly, so I'll go to the Merchant Guild today to complete all the paperwork."

"If there's anything we can do, just tell me."

"You're welcome to come to our house anytime."

"Thank you so much."

After thanking him, Dalia ate her egg sandwich and found it a little saltier than usual.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

After having coffee at Irma's house, Dahlia went to the Commerce Guild.

The Chamber of Commerce was a five-story black brick building that stood out even from the main street. It had three gates facing the road, and a constant stream of people came and went.

There were also many foreign visitors, some wearing brightly embroidered cloaks, others with their heads wrapped in turbans and long-sleeved gowns. As you approached the guild, you could smell the scent of spices and perfumes emanating from nowhere.

Dahlia briefly greeted the guard at the entrance and walked in.

The first floor is mainly used as a place for clients to consult, so she went directly to the second floor where the procedures were handled.

"good afternoon."

Behind the contract counter on the second floor stood a young woman with black hair and a slightly plump middle-aged man. Dahlia had been here many times for magical tool contracts and knew them both.

"Ah, Miss Dalia! Congratulations on your wedding!"

"Isn't this the bride? Congratulations!"

The bright smiles they gave her made her feel a little prickly inside.

"...Thank you for your blessings. Unfortunately, Mr. Orlando has broken off my engagement, so I'd like to ask you to retrieve the engagement contract for me."

The chairs creaked, and the two men behind the counter stood up simultaneously.

When she told two people at the same time that she had been jilted, their actions seemed to be very synchronized.

"W-why?"

"It was Mr. Orlando who said he wanted to break off the engagement, so I can't say anything."

She didn't want to mention "true love" in this situation, but it wasn't to protect Tobias's reputation, but to protect herself from being engaged to that kind of person.

"Mr. Orlando brought this up. Could it be that something happened at the Orlando Chamber of Commerce?"

"I can't say for sure. If you want to know, just ask him yourself."

"I'm sorry, it's strange to ask you this, even though it's clearly a question for Mr. Orlando. I understand."

The man immediately understood what she meant.

"So I want to hire a notary to witness the divorce process and clear the joint registration."

A notary's job is to witness, verify, and certify various state-mandated formalities and commercial contracts. They're a bit like a hybrid between a former administrative scrivener (similar to a notary, but handling civil law-related work) and a lawyer.

The threshold to become a notary is very high. One cannot rely on status or connections but must pass the exam based on one's own ability, then study in a specialized institution for five years, and also need ten guarantors.

Even if you become a notary, if you break the law you will be disqualified and severely punished, and the guarantor will also be held accountable. It is a very strict job.

In addition, if the client asks the notary to preside over the procedure with forged content, or uses status or money to drive the notary to do bad things, he will be severely punished.

Hiring a notary public is expensive, but to avoid complications during work or transactions, most people have witnesses and a notary present. Fortunately, the Chamber of Commerce has several resident notaries, so they can be hired immediately if they're not already booked.

"The notary charges four large silver coins an hour. Is that okay?"

"Okay, I'll pay for it."

Four large silver coins were worth about 40,000 yen in the previous life.

This will prevent future disputes, and it’s not that expensive when you think about it.

The currencies of this kingdom include half coins, copper coins, silver coins, large silver coins, and gold coins.

A copper coin could buy a loaf of bread, so a half coin was worth about 50 yen, a copper coin about 100 yen. Roughly speaking, a silver coin was worth 1,000 yen, a large silver coin was worth 10,000 yen, and a gold coin was worth around 100,000 yen.

However, while food and daily necessities are cheap here, clothing and precious metals are relatively expensive. This conversion method is purely Dahlia's personal feeling.

"If possible, I'd like to have the formalities done at two o'clock. But if the notary is not available, we'll accommodate his schedule."

"Okay, let me check."

The man walked quickly to the third floor where the notary was on standby.

"Um, Ms. Dahlia, you just moved, right?"

"No, I was supposed to move into my new home today, and then I'll go back to my old home, Green Tower."

Dahlia registered her hometown address in the Merchant Guild.

The ancient tower located in the suburbs is covered with climbing plants, so it is called the "Green Tower".

She had just left from there in the morning, so she could just go back directly later and wouldn't have to worry about having a place to stay.

"I don't know what to say... Anyway, please don't be too depressed. By the way, you will continue to be a magic tool master, right?"

The lady at the counter in front of her tried hard to cheer up Dahlia.

Only then did Dalia notice that the staff behind the counter were also secretly glancing at her.

"Yes, I will continue making magic tools in the Green Tower."

"Well, the magic tools Ms. Dahlia makes are very well-received. It would be great if you could continue to provide the guild with them."

"Thank you. Please take care of me from now on."

Dalia smiled at the counter lady who was trying hard to encourage her.

She wasn't sure if this smile was natural, but she hoped it didn't look like she couldn't live without being jilted.

"Ms. Dahlia, I've made many appointments for you with Mr. Minnick."

The counter staff who had just gone upstairs to confirm came back.

My father once warned me, “When conducting important negotiations or large transactions, always hire a notary.”

Dahlia had entrusted this notary named Dominic several times, and her father had communicated with him frequently, so she felt more at ease to entrust him with the task.

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, people's eyes shifted to the side behind her.

When I turned around, I saw a woman with ivory hair walking towards me.

"Good afternoon, Miss Dalia."

"Thank you for your care, Vice-President."

Dahlia nodded slightly.

The person who came over was Gabriela Jedda, the vice president of the Commerce Guild.

Although she is a mature woman, her appearance is still very eye-catching.

The finely crafted navy blue dress paired with the long, irregularly shaped pearl necklace suited her perfectly.

She had taken care of her father since he was young, and Dalia had known her since her school days.

"You're going to negotiate a contract, right? The conference room on the third floor might be reserved for a while, so you can use the one next to this office."

"……Thanks."

What you mean by "someone may have made an appointment" is that no one has made an appointment now, right?

The conference room next to this office is not soundproofed for safety reasons.

Dahlia refrained from saying, "You mean you want to eavesdrop on our negotiations, right? I understand."

Unexpectedly, Gabriella in front of him slowly curled her red lips and continued: