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

The boss gently slid his finger across the rim of the glass, and the glass began to emit a magical power that looked like hot steam.

"As long as I use this cup, I can drink any water I want without getting diarrhea. But the water in this country is so clean, I almost never use it."

It sounds like a magical tool for purifying water. Odine has a water magic stone, so this kind of magic tool won't be very useful.

"Is this a magical tool commonly used in the Kingdom of the East?"

"No, the Kingdom of the East is different from here. Magical tools are rare and expensive. A cup like this costs the price of a horse."

Dalia was shocked because she didn't expect it to be so expensive.

The money for a horse can buy piles of water magic stones, and even magic tools for water purification or disinfection are not that expensive.

"How do people in the East Country usually deal with firefoxes?"

"Just like any other powerful youkai—ah, we don't call them youkai here, we call them monsters, right? Just like when we subdue monsters, the sword team and the spear team will subdue them."

"Are the Sword Corps and Spear Corps equivalent to our country's monster-slaying forces?"

"No, they're not state-run troops. They're a bit like your country's adventurers. Those who possess weapons and are confident in their martial arts skills will take the initiative to defeat youkai for fame and fortune."

Perhaps due to the different national conditions, the way the East Country deals with monsters is very different from that of Audine.

"Okay—it's almost done. Try drinking it."

At the boss's urging, Dalia and Wolfe picked up the tin drinking cups that were dripping with water.

As soon as my lips touched the silver container, I could feel that the container itself was even colder than before.

The spicy flavor remains the same, but the way it spreads in the mouth is different. The taste is rounder, and there is no bitterness when it passes through the throat, but instead it leaves a refreshing taste.

The aftertaste is not as strong as before. After drinking it, the mouth is full of the fragrance of wine.

"It's not really sweet, more like it's become mellow."

"It's like the edges have been smoothed out... I always feel like the same wine tastes better this way."

Wolff's lip curled as he stared at the silver swallowing cup. He seemed to like it very much.

"Pewter mellows the flavor of wine. Since you think it tastes better this way, it means pewter is quite suitable for you."

This pewter is a bit pricey though.

The price is almost twice the total of the two glass cups and the slices of wine.

"Buy two tin cups and I'll give you a 30% discount. Why don't you splurge a little and buy some tin cups so you can drink hot wine with your sister in the autumn?"

"Let's just indulge ourselves a bit."

"Wolf!"

Hearing Wolfe's answer without hesitation, Dahlia couldn't help but call his name.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, so you two are a couple?"

"No! We are not husband and wife."

"Sorry, I made a mistake again. It's a shame I keep getting things wrong as I get older. But two people become more and more alike when they spend time together, whether they're friends, lovers, or married couples..."

The old man smiled with narrowed eyes and poured the remaining wine in the Deli into the two men's drinking glasses in equal parts.

"You two are quite similar."

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

When we left the wine shop, the sun was already setting.

In the end, Dahlia bought glass swallowing cups and slices, and Wolf bought pewter.

They were worried that the wine vessel might be damaged in the carriage or in the crowd, so they asked the boss to send it to the Green Tower. It would be delivered tomorrow evening, and they were both looking forward to drinking from the new wine vessel.

"Can we have dinner near the harbor? There's a restaurant here that our troops come to occasionally."

"Please lead the way. I don't come to the port often..."

"Let's go now while there are still so many people."

It was getting late, and many people were coming out to eat after a long day's work. It was best to go in before the crowds started to gather. They walked towards the port at a faster pace than they had on the way there.

The lights on the busy street by the harbor have been turned on.

Brick restaurants and pubs line the roadside, and the streets are bustling with people.

The shop assistants soliciting customers are dressed in fancy clothes, and the pedestrians are dressed in exotic robes or patterned clothes, creating a colorful scene.

The faint scent of the sea on the wind was overwhelmed by the smell of wine, meat fat, and grilled seafood.

"It's right here. The name is a bit strange though."

Wolff stopped and saw a shop in front of him with black bricks and a black roof. It looked unique even on such a street.

The two white words "Black Pot" are written in large letters on the black exterior wall, attracting attention.

"I always feel like this store itself is like a black pot."

"Yeah, they say their goal is to make their customers melt with happiness. But I think it's their wallets that melt."

When I entered the store, I found it was even more spacious than the entrance, with many round tables.

On the right is the bar and on the left are the stairs leading to the second floor.

About half of the seats in the store were occupied, and waiters in black aprons were walking quickly between the tables.

Some guests were already drunk and there were noisy sounds coming from the second floor.

Wolfe walked straight to the bar and spoke to the man holding the bottle.

"Good night. Long time no see."

"Welcome... Hey, you're Wolfe, right?"

"Yes. Is the private room inside vacant?"

He slightly lowered his fairy crystal glasses, revealing his golden eyes to the man.

When the man recognized Wolff, he put the bottle aside and smiled.

"Those glasses are really nice. Anyone else coming later?"

"No, just the two of us."

"Please go inside to the second box on the right. Would you like some drinks?"

"White and red wine by the glass. You can order the rest later."

"Okay, I'll bring the drinks over, you guys take a look at the menu first."

They took the menus and walked straight through the corridor next to the bar without being led by the waiter.

Pushing open only the upper half of the white door, there is a light wooden table and four chairs inside.

"That guy just now was the deputy store manager, and he was my colleague in the same unit. He got married last year and retired from the military."

"Retire?"

This was the first time Dalia heard of someone retiring from the monster-slaying army because of marriage.

She thought she could be a knight until she was old.

"His wife's family owns this shop, and I suggest that if they get married, they inherit the shop as well. While our unit is popular among the common people, it's not an ideal position in the royal city."

"Because subjugation is dangerous?"

Dahlia sat down diagonally across from Wolf and asked.

"That's one point. Another important factor is 'expeditions.' Each expedition has a variable duration, and requires leaving home at irregular intervals. Therefore, some people request transfers or resign after getting married. The Monster Suppression Corps is said to have a '40% reduction in personnel within five years.' Twenty percent of new recruits leave within a year, and another twenty percent leave within five years."

"The team members have been working really hard."

"But there's no such thing as easy work in this world. It's a bit rude of you to say this, but I thought a magic tool maker only needed to calmly conjure magic to create a magic tool. I didn't expect this job to be so dangerous, exhausting, or even being thrown around and injured."

She seemed to have given Wolf the wrong impression of the magic tool master.

"No, it's not usually like me...but running out of mana is quite common..."

Dahlia took the menu and made a vague excuse.

"By the way, how old can a magic tool master be?"

"Magic tool masters don't need to retire. They usually work until they can no longer move. When they get older, they can take on apprentices and leave the physical work to them."

"I'm a little envious of you. The Monster Suppression Corps pays well, but no matter how hard you work, you can only keep it until you're fifty."

"It's also good to save more money while you're young so you can enjoy a leisurely and comfortable life in your old age."

"A leisurely and comfortable old age... What plans does Dalia have for her later years?"

"Well... I want to take in a magic tool master as my apprentice when I'm old and gray. But before that, I have to become a magic tool master on my own."

She had shared this idea with Irma before.

If possible, she wanted to pass on the techniques her father taught her and the ones she had learned. The best way to do that was to take on a magic tool master as her apprentice.

"Don't you plan to let your children or relatives inherit?"

"I don't plan to get married, so I won't have children, and I don't have any close relatives... It would be best if I could adopt my apprentice as my son and have him inherit the Rossetti name."

As soon as Dalia finished speaking, there was a knock on the door and the deputy store manager walked in.

"Wolver ordered white wine, and your sister ordered red wine, right?"

"Yes, but she's not my sister."

Wolfe's response was a bit strange, but the deputy manager didn't care and placed white wine in front of him and red wine in front of Dalia.

"Have you decided what to eat? We have a limited-time offer of 'Red Bull Crimson Cattle' steak and oxtail soup. Want to try it?"

"Ah, red cheese..."

"A bull monster..."

Dahlia had discussed this bovine monster the first time she and Wolfe went out to dinner. They had also eaten Red Bull's red cheese, but she hadn't expected red beef to become available.

"I'll order this set meal. Do you want one, Dahlia?"

"Yeah, I want one too."

What wine goes well with Red Bull?

"Light carbonated whiskey, cider, and for wine, off-dry red wine is suitable."

"I want carbonated whiskey. Where's Dahlia?"

"cider."

Since she had a choice, she ordered different drinks.

Later they ordered a few more dishes and the deputy manager left in a hurry.

"Is Dahlia like a younger sister?... I'm surprised to hear that twice in one day."

"Wolf looks like my brother..."

Perhaps it's because Wolfer's glasses bear the image of her father that people think they are brother and sister.

It was the fairy crystal glasses that made them look alike; they didn't look alike at all originally, but they often spent time together happily, and their temperaments became similar.

She remembered what the wine shop owner said and couldn't help thinking so.

"I've been taken care of by you in every way, so it should be the other way around, right?"

"You mean I'm your older sister? I'm younger than you."

"But you're mentally older than I am."

Dalia was shocked when she thought of her past life.

The total time she has lived is over forty years, which is indeed longer than Wolff's.

"Well, I'm not saying you're mature, but my own mental age is probably under twenty."

"I understand. Then don't drink alcohol. Drink juice instead. The super sweet kind."

"Please spare me."

After they toasted and wished each other good luck starting tomorrow, they continued with the previous topic while drinking.

"Would you like brothers and sisters?"