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

"...It's embarrassing to say, but when I was young, my wife ran off with a store employee and took the money. At the time, I was considering closing the store, getting saddled with debt, and even thinking about committing suicide. Carlo happened to come find me and took me to a food stall for a drink."

“I-I see…”

If I had known earlier I wouldn’t have asked.

Dahlia didn't know what expression to make or how to respond.

"Yes, that was my first time drinking at a food stall... We drank ale and had a great time chatting. I learned a lot about Carlo and told him everything about myself. Then he scolded me, saying that at this time, I should find a new woman. He also proudly said that he had found his 'favorite little woman'."

Dad! How dare you scold me?

Dahlia's mother had left her father, and Oswald's wife had run off with someone else. Dahlia knew her father was trying to comfort her, but after hearing what they said, she wanted to kick his tombstone.

"After we had a big drink at the food stall, he invited me to the Green Tower. When I saw the maid holding your little you, I realized you were his 'favorite little woman' and laughed in surprise."

“…I see.”

"It was a scorching summer day, and he said there was little wind in the tower, and his daughter was prone to heat rash... He even said he'd treated me to a drink and asked me to make a better magical tool to solve the problem. I suddenly had an idea, and I made an air cooler, which allowed me to reopen the shop and develop it into what it is today. I have you to thank for that, too."

"No……"

She never thought that she was involved in the invention of the air cooler and was so surprised that she was speechless.

"We later got busy with our respective work, and only drank together at the Baron's party. It was a shame. If I had known this would happen, I would have invited him out for a drink without hesitation... But Carlo probably just felt sorry for me and didn't consider me a close friend."

"That's not true! Every summer, my father would sit in front of the air conditioner...drinking ale and saying 'Thank you, Oswald Zola.' He must have considered you a friend and imagined drinking with you."

"I see... Carlo... is actually in front of the air conditioner... Hahaha..."

Oswald laughed, but his voice soon died away.

He took off his glasses and pressed his handkerchief against his eyes.

"...I apologize for my impoliteness. Thank you, Miss Dahlia, for allowing me to put a matter to rest."

"No, I want to thank you for giving me this card and telling me about my father's past. I'm very happy."

"Please come again. I'd like to hear about your magical tools and your father. I look forward to seeing you."

"OK, thanks."

Oswald extended his right hand, and Dalia shook it back.

He stopped crying and smiled cheerfully.

"...Ms. Dahlia, is it about time to go to the next shop?"

At this moment, Wolff came down the stairs and called her in a slightly lowered voice.

"OK."

They let go of each other's hands, nodded in greeting, and then Dahlia and Wolf walked out of the store.

"I sincerely look forward to seeing you both again."

The gentle voice of her father's friend sounded from behind her.

It's getting hotter outside.

Dalia originally wanted to put the golden card into her bag but accidentally turned it over and saw "Dalia Rossetti" written on it.

That was her name, but the slightly left-slanting handwriting was undoubtedly her father's.

Although she respected her father as a magic tool master, he always did things his own way in his daily life and was sometimes very careless.

He would drink in his workshop and try to make magical tools, sometimes even falling asleep while doing it.

When she went to wake him up and asked him to go back to his bedroom and sleep in his bed, he would insist that he was not asleep.

He would eat with his books or materials spread out, and would get extremely anxious when they got dirty.

She had clearly polished his shoes and told him to wear clean ones, but he went out wearing dirty shoes.

No matter how many times I told him to hang up his coat, he still hung it on the back of the chair in the workshop.

She had reminded him many times not to drink too much and not to add salt to his meals.

However, he did not show his good side during his lifetime, but only after his death. This is so unfair.

"Dalia, what's wrong? Did Oswald say anything rude to you?"

Wolfe grasped her hand tightly and asked eagerly.

Only then did she notice that she was crying.

"No... I'm sorry, I just accidentally thought of my father..."

“…I see.”

The young man covered Dahlia with his hooded cloak, shielding her behind him. Although the weather was hot, the cloak made her feel warm.

"Let's go after you calm down."

The cloak carried Wolff's scent.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

After Dahlia calmed down, Wolf took her to a nearby coffee shop.

He told the clerk, "My companion has sand in his eye," and borrowed a bathroom used by noble women, which also had a dressing table. There, Dahlia washed her face and put on makeup again.

"...I'm so sorry to have caused you so much trouble."

"No, don't worry about it."

There were already two cups of black tea and a magical device to prevent eavesdropping on the table.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, just now it was because..."

Dahlia was afraid that Wolfe would worry, so she tactfully told him about Oswald. But of course she couldn't say that his wife had run away and was drinking and confiding in a roadside stall.

She only said that her father had talked to Oswald when he was troubled, which indirectly led to his invention of the magic tool. She also said that Oswald had seen her as a child and that her father had given her a card that allowed her to enter the store freely.

After hearing this, Wolfe lowered his tense shoulders and sighed deeply.

"So that's it..."

"Yes, I didn't expect to hear about my father's past in that store. I saw his handwriting on the card, and I couldn't help but... even though he had been gone for a year."

"I think it's only been a year."

Wolff asked her to drink some black tea before they started eating.

From the mellow taste, you can tell that this is high-quality tea, but it's a pity that it has gone cold.

"After hearing all this, it's a little hard to say...but next time you go to that store, could you please try to ask me to go with you?"

"If I've caused you any inconvenience, please just say so."

Dahlia was worried that her attitude or words and actions in the store would cause him trouble, so she quickly replied.

"No, I'm fine... I just noticed you two got along well, and Mr. Oswald's attitude is worrying. Besides, I was the one who created this opportunity, and your father might hate me in the other world..."

This was the first time Wolff had spoken so obliquely.

Her beautiful thin lips hesitated as she chose her words carefully.

"Please don't be polite and get straight to the point."

"Oswald's second wife was a little older than you, and his third wife was about the same age. So I'm worried that he might pursue you and make you his fourth wife."

"impossible!"

His father's advice seems to have had a profound impact on Oswald.

Dahlia promised Wolf that she would try her best to go with him to the goddess' right eye.

By the way, Dalia will never know that Oswald has a secret.

The reason why Carlo never invited Oswald to the Green Tower again was that

It was because he said when he was drunk that day: "When Dalia grows up, marry her to me."

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

"It's almost time for lunch, what would you like to eat?"

Wolfe asked her this after they left the coffee shop, and she thought about it.

She wanted to eat and drink something, but it seemed inappropriate for a single woman to do so. She didn't know if Wolfe could accept it.

However, she quickly put aside her hesitation.

She had already decided to eat and drink what she wanted. If Wolff objected, they could talk about it later.

"I want to go to a food stall in the central area and drink some ale. Is that okay?"

"Okay, the weather is nice, I agree."

He smiled widely and nodded.

They took a carriage back to the central area and went to a nearby park.

There are many vendors around the park from lunch to dinner time.

In the capital, many families eat lunch or dinner at street vendors. Since the weather is pleasant, business is booming, and there are many street vendors near the park.

Each vendor hangs a vertical cloth flag with the dish and product name written on it, and flags of various colors such as red, white, blue, yellow, green, and purple flutter in the air.

Some vendors sell ale, wine, juice, various breads, sliced ​​fruit, fish and meat skewers, crepe-like pastries, sausages and salami, shredded cheese—some even combine these foods into set meals and sell them on trays. Besides food, some also sell small items like cheap jewelry, handkerchiefs, and sachets.

It's past noon now, so it's not as crowded, but there are still a lot of people.

There are also many tourists from foreign countries, and sometimes you can see whole groups of people wearing strange costumes passing by.

The chirping of birds from the park's green trees mingled with the clamor of people and vendors soliciting customers. The aroma of barbecued food and the sweet scent of fruit drifted in on the wind.

This wind feels a bit hot.

"Wolver, do you like crispy pork rolls? Have you ever tried it?"

"I've never tried the ones from street vendors, but they smell delicious."

"Then I'll buy two servings."

"I'll buy two ales, too."

Dalia's father loves the pork rolls sold at the food stall.

This dish is made by deboning a medium-sized pig, stuffing it with various vegetables and spices, and grilling it whole.

The vendor will slice it thinly and place two slices on a plate like ham or char siu.

The outside is roasted to a brown color, while the inside is moist white meat. The color contrast is very appetizing.

She had only eaten it twice in an Italian restaurant in her previous life. In comparison, the pork rolls sold at the food stalls here had a richer flavor.

When she first tried it, she thought it resembled less watery char siu, but after getting used to it, she found it perfect with wine and bread. It's also interesting to note that each shop uses different fillings and spices, resulting in a significant difference in flavor.

While Dahlia was buying pork rolls, Wolfe was buying white ale, an oversized glass in each hand.

"Dalia, do you like savory pancakes?"

"like."

"Then let's get some savory pancakes too."

Savory pancakes are made by pan-frying a slightly thick crust, topping it with stir-fried vegetables, minced meat, or seafood, then drizzling it with a generous amount of sauce and rolling it into a rectangular shape. You can choose from a variety of sauces, including salt and pepper, ketchup, and fish sauce, creating a variety of combinations.

"I want stir-fried meat and vegetables with salt and pepper. What about you?"

"I want seafood with fish sauce."

After collecting the money, the stall owner adds plenty of fillings and rolls up the pancake.

The aroma of fried fish and the burnt aroma of sauce wafted in the wind, whetting their appetites.

Although the tables near the snack stall were also empty, the sunlight was too strong, so they chose to sit on the benches under the shade of the trees in the park.

Wolff then took off his cloak, and sweat soaked the back of his shirt.

After seeing Dahlia put down snacks and beer in the middle of the bench, he took out the detoxification ring from his breast pocket.

"Excuse me, I hope you'll wear this while dining with me. I suppose it's unlikely, but it would be terrible if someone, intending to murder me, poisoned your food as well."

"Don't you need a detoxification ring yourself?"