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

"Hmm? What happened to your grandpa?"

"Please don't tell anyone... My mother is the youngest daughter of the former marquis. Grandfather often secretly comes to our house to see my mother..."

what a small world.

Dolino patted his junior on the shoulder and started talking about the store they were going to.

Volume 3 ◆ My Brother and the Rock Oyster

In a corner of Noble Street, there is a three-story shop with white bricks and blue decorations.

Wolff and his brother Guid sat across the table from each other in a private room on the third floor. Outside the window were the flowers and plants of the vast courtyard and the lights of Noble Street.

His clothes didn't seem formal enough for this store. Wolfe reflected for a moment and reached out to button his coat.

"Wolfred, relax. That's why I booked the box."

Good took off his dark blue coat and hung it on the back of a chair. His attendant would have immediately stopped him, but now only Wolf, Good, and a waiter were in the box.

After the waiter poured the white wine for them, Guyd was the first to raise his glass.

"I'm glad I can finally drink with you. Cheers to our long-lost brotherly dinner."

"To your health and good fortune tomorrow. Cheers."

The clinking of glasses was remarkably loud. Wolff took a sip of the white wine, which was light and smooth, perfect for soothing his parched throat.

"I saw your drill from afar. You looked like you were playing tag today."

"Today, I will be responsible for disrupting the enemy's formation."

Wolff didn't dare to say that he was being targeted because of emotional grudges, and could only smile ambiguously.

His brother looked at him with a subtle smile.

"...You've been good at playing tag since you were little. The four of us used to chase each other around the backyard."

"...I remember we played in the courtyard of my house."

"Phobio fell down chasing you, and Elud cried, 'I tried to escape, but Wolf still caught me!'..."

Wolfe thought of playing tag with his brothers.

The eldest son, Guid, the late Phobio, and Elud who now works at the border.

He is a few years older than his three brothers, but they still sometimes play with the younger him.

Forgotten memories resurfaced vividly, making him feel nostalgic.

"Once, we played tag before a relative's wedding, and all four of us got scolded badly..."

Wolf searched his childhood memories and remembered that they once sneaked into the yard to play tag because the wait before the wedding was too long.

Then he remembered that the four brothers were having fun when they were discovered by their mother who came to look for them.

"I remember it had just rained...we played until our dresses were covered in mud..."

"Yes, Mistress Vanessa is very angry. I didn't expect that I would be spanked even though I'm fourteen years old."

"Did my brother get beaten too?"

"Yes, everyone was beaten, including Phobio and Elud. My mother gave Madam Vanessa special permission to discipline us. She was very strong, and her blows were very painful... She beat us according to our age, and I got the most. Afterwards, even sitting on a chair was painful for a while."

Wolfe remembered being spanked by his mother until he cried, and he didn't expect his brothers to cry too.

He hesitated, unsure whether to smile or not. Guid smiled and filled his glass. Wolff thanked him and poured his brother a glass, then finally took off his coat.

"I'm sorry it's so late. Thank you for inviting me out today, brother."

"Because I heard about the First Knights, I couldn't help but want to meet you."

"I'm sorry to trouble you."

"No, I'm just a little emotional... to put it bluntly, I'm 'angry'."

Wolff, not expecting his brother to say that, stopped drinking. It seemed that Goode had already realized that he was being targeted in this exercise.

"As knights, you actually want to work together to hurt someone. It's ridiculous. The reason is also very strange."

"this……"

This was the first time Wolff could remember seeing Gouide angry. He wanted to say something, but couldn't think of the right words.

"What do they think of my brother and the Scafarot family? I've kept my distance from you purely out of cowardice. You're not at fault at all."

"My brother is not wrong either."

“…Sorry. Let’s not talk about this. Dinner is going to be unpalatable.”

As they finished the first bottle of wine, the waiter brought the first course.

"It's huge."

Wolff couldn't help but exclaim.

"It seems the rock oysters are of good quality this year."

The rock oysters on the plate were bigger than the palm of my hand.

The shells on the oysters have been removed, and the milky white oysters are shiny.

Wolfe picked up the lemon on the plate, squeezed a little more lemon juice, separated the oysters from the shell with a knife, and brought them to his mouth, being careful not to let the soup spill.

The moment you bite into it, the rich flavor and sweetness of the oyster spreads in your mouth.

As you chew, you can also taste the aroma of the sea and the flavors of different parts of the oyster.

While they don't have the rich, milky flavor of winter oysters, they still have a rich, chewy texture. Even without salt, they have the salty taste of the sea, which is just right.

These oysters must be very fresh. Even if you don’t eat them with white wine, you won’t smell any fishy smell.

Winter oysters are great, but Wolfe also likes these summer oysters.

"How about it?"

Goode seemed to like it too, and he happily picked up the oyster and cut it open with his knife.

"It's delicious."

"Great, give me some more. And would you like grilled oysters or fried oysters?"

"Raw oysters are so delicious, it's a bit hard to choose."

"Then order both, and a bottle of wine."

My brother happily asked the waiter to order some dishes and read out a long list of wine names.

As Wolfe ate his second oyster, he thought of Dahlia.

They had never eaten oysters together before. If Dahlia liked it, they could go together sometime.

It would be nice to try both summer and winter oyster dishes to experience the differences between the two.

As I was thinking, the wine glass became empty.

"Wolfred really knows how to drink. Are you a king snake?"

"My teammates call me a sea serpent."

When his brother used a word to describe a heavy drinker, Wolf hesitated for a moment and said that he was a sea snake that "basically never gets drunk."

"Sea Serpent... You're such a good drinker, you must have inherited it from Madam Vanessa."

"Really? I don't remember my mother drinking..."

"You always use the same glasses at dinner, you drink grape juice, she drinks red wine. She always drinks the whole glass in one go, and the glass is often empty, and the waiter doesn't know when to refill her glass..."

"My mother..."

He almost choked when he heard his mother drinking so heartily.

How do you drink it so you can finish the whole glass in one sitting? It's just like a ganpai.

"One time I tried to imitate her and drank all the grape juice in one gulp, but I choked on it... After that, everyone would stop you from doing that."

“…I don’t remember.”

He felt embarrassed and managed to force a response. Good gave a slightly distressed smile.

"...Would you dislike me talking to you about Madam Vanessa?"

"No, I was a little surprised, but also very happy. Because I remember her better as a knight."

"That's right, Madam Vanessa is really pretty."

He was very happy that his brother used the word "handsome" instead of "beautiful" to describe his mother.

Afterwards, the two brothers continued to drink and enjoy oyster dishes.

After a leisurely dinner, Wolff took a new wine glass.

The one who handed me the wine glass was my brother's attendant. The waiter had left the box at some point, and a waiter with rusty hair came in instead.

The wine with the long name that Gouyd ordered turned out to be red wine.

The attendant poured them wine, which had a sweet and gorgeous aroma, yet a rich and stimulating taste. The aftertaste lingered in the mouth for a long time.

"Strange, isn't it? People are easily deceived by its aroma, but it's actually a dry wine."

Wolfe's thoughts seemed to be written all over his face, but Guid explained before he could speak.

"It feels amazing. What's the name of this wine?"

"'A delicate beauty fell in love at first sight, but after marrying me, she became strong'... that doesn't sound like the name of a drink, and I wouldn't dare order it in front of my wife."

"Once you hear this name, you'll never forget it."

"It's said that the winemaker developed this wine out of remembrance of his late wife. She must have been a wonderful wife."

It's difficult for Wolff to comment on whether the name is good or bad.

However, it made him understand why this wine had a beautiful red color, a sweet aroma and a taste that lingered on the tip of the tongue.

"...Wolfred, I'm sorry, but I'm only just getting to the point. I have something I want to apologize to you for."

"If it was the last time, then it wouldn't be necessary."

"No, it's something else. I'm sorry for causing you and the president of the Rosetti Chamber of Commerce discomfort yesterday."

The unexpected words made him forget the taste of the wine.

"Is that my brother's man?"

"Yes... I ordered the guards to ensure your safety while you were out, but I didn't expect to scare you. I should have told you earlier."

“So that’s what’s going on…”

He had been wondering who had been following him and Dalia on their return from the South District. He was relieved to learn it was someone sent by his brother, but he also wondered why his brother would do something he had never done before.

"Why are you doing this all of a sudden?"

"I know you're strong. If you were in danger alone, you might be able to handle it, but fighting and protecting others at the same time can be difficult... That's why I'm a little worried."

"So that's it..."

Wolfe was indeed afraid at the thought that he might have to fight and protect Dahlia in danger.

He had never thought of bringing a guard, but there were some places where it might be safer to go with a guard. His brother seemed to see through his thoughts and said:

"If you need protection, just tell the people at the mansion."

"Thanks."

"Also, I recently decided to open a horse-drawn carriage stable in the family name. It's located on the edge of the West District, right near the Green Tower. There was a piece of land for sale there, and I bought it as an investment."

His brother's speech quickened, and he turned his blue eyes away from him.

There are very few people living on the edge of the West End, so it is not cost-effective to set up a horse farm there to pick up and drop off horse carriages.

"elder brother."

"Wolfred, think about it, wouldn't it be more convenient to move around with horses? It's quite a distance from the Royal City to the West District. I'll set up horses and carriages there, and you can use them freely to travel back and forth to the Royal City or to other areas. The buildings will take some time to complete, so I'll have people build temporary huts, and the horses will be able to move in within a week."

His brother explained with a smile. His intention was so obvious that Wolff couldn't have failed to notice.

"Brother, did you send someone to observe all my actions since I returned from the expedition?"

"……right."