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

Now his mind is filled with spiny pomfret and Dongjiu.

After they finished their leisurely dinner, Dahlia jotted down ideas for the expedition stove and ingredients while Wolf cleared the dishes.

Dahlia thought he must be tired after the expedition and tried to stop him, but he said, "You're working," and refused to let her help. The division of labor between them seemed to be completely established.

"I hope the improvements to the expedition furnace are successful. Cheers."

"Praying for normal food during the expedition. Cheers."

They moved from the dining table to the sofa and toasted with cold wine again. The ice cubes under the drinking glasses were also replaced.

Dahlia finally came out of work mode and stretched herself, and Wolfe started the conversation.

"Among the 'Seven Wonders of the Royal Capital', which ones do you remember besides 'a white slime that restores magic power lives in the temple'?"

He continued the topic of "Seven Wonders of the Royal Capital" that he had discussed a few days ago.

Dahlia thought about it, hoping that they wouldn't talk about ghost stories later.

"There seems to be a listing that says 'elves live in the sewers of the royal capital'?"

While developing the water magic stone, Audine also built a sewer system. Thanks to a senior mage who knew earth magic, the water system was built in one go.

"There seem to be creatures in the water tank. The most plausible theory is that the sewers connect to rivers and the ocean, so schools of fish and monsters are swimming in."

"I see."

There are also small fish-shaped monsters in the world. Perhaps the fish gather a large amount of magical energy, and they were mistakenly regarded as spirits. This theory makes sense.

"I recently heard from a senior on the team that the 'Seven Wonders of the Royal Capital' vary slightly depending on the era. One of the older seniors once heard that 'pure gold is buried beneath the outer walls of the Royal Capital.'"

"Adamantine gold..."

Adamantite is an incredibly hard magical metal, and some say it can impart a large amount of magical power.

Fairy tales say, "A sword made of pure gold can cut through iron like mud." But Dahlia had never seen pure gold, nor had she heard of anyone else having one. Perhaps there was some in the royal city.

"Wolver, have you ever seen a weapon made of adamantium?"

"No, I haven't heard of any refined gold in our country. I've heard that other countries have it, but since it's not public, I don't know if it's reliable."

"Does the rumor say it's buried under the outer wall of a certain area? North or south, or something like that?"

"No, rumors are just rumors. They say it's buried somewhere beneath an outer wall... But it would be quite romantic to be able to craft a magic sword out of adamantium. Should we go dig and see?"

Wolf asked this with a smile, which reminded Dahlia of the time when her dog in her previous life suddenly started digging up the dirt in the yard.

It dug out the cap of a juice bottle. Seeing it take the bottle cap into its hands with a smug look on its face, Dalia couldn't help but praise it.

"Isn't it a crime to intentionally damage the outer wall of the royal capital? Even if you're digging underneath the outer wall, you shouldn't be able to dig it away randomly... And the outer wall is so long, it would take a lifetime to dig it all away."

Dalia said with a wry smile, but then she thought of Wolf's strong intuition and keen sense of smell.

If she strengthened her body and searched by smell, maybe she could really dig out pure gold one day - this thought popped into her mind, but she quickly put it aside.

"When I was in high school, I heard about it, not about adamantium, but about 'a magical barrier on the outer wall of the royal capital' to keep monsters away."

"That's what I heard. But the actual magic applied to the wall should be hardening magic to make it stronger, to prevent the outer wall from being blown down by strong winds and to extend its lifespan."

The outer walls of the royal capital are tall and long, so they naturally require powerful hardening magic.

"I remember there was another item about 'Fairies singing at the Royal Capital Opera House late at night.' It seemed like fairies who loved music would sing there."

"Sorry to spoil your imagination, but I heard that those are actually new singers who are not yet ready to perform on stage practicing on the side. Sometimes retired singers also stand on the other side of the stage to teach singing. I heard this from seniors who often go to opera."

"That's great."

The fairy singing is indeed dreamy.

But it is also a good story for senior singers to teach their juniors how to sing.

Perhaps one day, that new singer would also sing on the other side—Dalia imagined this scene and took a sip of cold wine.

"And there are 'buildings without entrances and exits in the royal city'. Actually, there are several buildings with unknown entrances and exits near the king's residence. They may have been used as a refuge for the royal family."

If it was a building used to protect the royal family in an emergency, then it was understandable. It was also normal for it to be kept as a confidential secret.

"And there's a ghost in the high school's history museum, right?"

There is a building in the academy, which is called a historical archive, but it is actually a three-story warehouse filled with historical materials, as well as old items such as unused magical tools and weapons.

The warehouse was blocked by other buildings and had dim lighting, so Dahlia rarely went near it when she was a student.

"The Knight Division's night patrol training route includes the Historical Museum, so I went there at night, but I didn't encounter any ghosts on my way there and back."

"Fortunately, I didn't study knightly..."

She didn't know that the Knight Department had this kind of internship similar to the Test of Courage Competition, and she was really glad that she was studying in the Magic Equipment Department.

"The seventh item is—"

She couldn't help but say in unison with the serious Wolff:

“‘The king can be resurrected from the dead.’”

This is perhaps the most famous of the seven wonders of the royal capital.

"This legend may have existed since the founding of the kingdom. It's said that the first king was stabbed with a sword and survived."

"It's said that the king only grows old, never dies. It's more like the people's wish than a legend..."

If the dead can be resurrected, isn't that the same as the undead? Although Dalia thought so, she felt it was disrespectful to say it out loud.

"It is indeed the people's wish, and in a way it is true. The royal family possesses powerful healing magic."

"The king not only knows fire magic, but also healing magic?"

The current king possesses the greatest magical power of all the previous kings. He possesses powerful fire magic and is known as "the one who can release the sun." However, Dalia was unaware that his healing magic is also powerful.

"Royals usually possess magic of the five elements. The current King of Audine is strongest in fire magic, but he also possesses water, wind, and earth magic, and is also very strong in healing magic. Each element is on par with a senior mage."

As the saying goes, God will not give people too many advantages, but the king has so much magic and magical power, which is a bit enviable.

"But, being able to come back from the dead means that the king can use healing magic to prolong his life? Can healing magic be used on himself?"

A dead person naturally can't use magic, so perhaps he cast a life-extending spell on himself beforehand, just in case? But that would be no different from resurrection magic.

It would be wonderful if such magic really existed. I really hope it could be cast on everyone in the monster-slaying team to ensure their safety.

"I've only heard it, I'm not sure if it's true. It seems like priests and mages can heal themselves as long as they possess the corresponding magic. They can heal their own injuries and even their own hangovers."

"This way, you won't need recovery potions."

Being able to instantly heal yourself is incredibly convenient. Dahlia felt a tingling sensation on her fingers after touching the fish scales, and she longed for this ability even more.

"But if you're not focused enough, you won't be able to perform it successfully. There are even cases where mages have had hangovers made worse after using magic."

"That sounds difficult..."

It's probably hard to stay focused when you have a headache and want to vomit.

"By the way, so-called life extension should mean that the person is still alive, casting healing magic on themselves when on the verge of death, right?"

"That makes sense. That makes sense."

"And the high priest who joined us on the expedition said, 'As long as the head and heart are still there, there's basically a chance of saving them.'"

“…Basically, there’s still hope…”

Dalia imagined it and felt a chill down her spine.

She hoped Wolff wouldn't end up in this situation. Even as a member of the Monster Suppression Force, this was something she should avoid.

Just when I was worried about him, he smiled brightly and said:

"The priests have been traveling with us a lot lately, so even if we get eaten by a large monster, we should be fine."

"Wolf, why do you always have to take this conversation in a scary direction...?"

Dalia glared at the other person angrily.

The Seven Wonders of the Royal Capital are indeed a horror story.

To dispel the lingering effect of the horror story, Dalia took out a long oil-paper bag.

"This is lamb jerky from a neighboring country."

"Lamb jerky?"

"Yes, Irma gave it to me. She said it was a specialty brought back by a beauty salon client from a trip to a neighboring country. It doesn't have much of a lamb smell. Please try it."

"This is my first time seeing mutton jerky. You're welcome."

Wolfe picked up the slender piece of jerky and examined it curiously.

Dalia also picked up the jerky and took a small bite. It was softer than it looked.

Jerky is usually quite hard, but this seems to be a soft type of jerky.

It doesn't taste like mutton, and the aroma of meat spreads in your mouth as you chew it.

"This is so soft, and not as salty as the jerky we ate on the expedition."

"Is the expedition jerky tough?"

"Yes, that's how it can be stored for a long time. It's fine for us to eat, but the older ones find it difficult to chew, so they soak it in hot water before eating."

The quality of your teeth is also a problem, and the older you get, the harder it will be.

In addition, what Dalia personally cares most about is salt.

There's no such thing as high blood pressure in this world, but from the descriptions of those around her, it seems like there are still diseases like stroke. Although there's no way to prove the connection between salt intake and disease, Dalia still feels there must be a connection.

The monster-slaying troops' diet during their expeditions was very unbalanced.

Not only the black bread, but also other foods like bacon, long-lasting salty cheese, dried fruit, and a little dried vegetables added to the soup - Dalia was worried that they would get high blood pressure if they consumed so much salt, and she was also worried that they would not get enough protein and vitamins.

Moreover, eating similar food for every meal will always make you tired.

Expeditions and fighting monsters are hard work.

Dahlia hopes that the expedition stove can help them eat better and maintain a good physical and mental state.

"I will work hard to complete the expedition furnace and provide it to the troops."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Hearing her express her determination, Wolfe smiled happily.

"By the way, you guys were so sudden yesterday. What were you going to conquer?"

"The Purple Bicorn is a variant of the Bicorn..."

"Is the purple one poisonous, or does it use paralysis magic?"

The monster encyclopedia says that most purple monsters have poison or paralysis magic.

"...It's an illusion magic. It looks just like a human, so it's hard to use."

This was the first time she had heard of a bicorn that could use illusion magic. It looked like a human and might cause a fight.

"Is the Purple Bicorn trying to trick you into killing each other?"

"No, it manifests... someone close to the person involved, or someone important to him..."

Wolfe lowered his eyes and his voice became quieter, which reminded Dahlia of how haggard he looked when he first arrived.

He chewed the dried mutton in small bites, and his expression looked as if he was holding something bitter.

It could be his mother, Vanessa, that he saw.

Even though she was deceased, it must have been difficult for him to personally defeat the Bicorn that looked like his mother.

"……Thanks a lot."

"Dalia?"

Wolff paused and looked at her.

“Well, the phantom… only appeared for a moment, then it reverted to its Bicorn form. I managed to chop it down…”

"Well, mutants are usually very strong, so I think you guys had it tough."

Dahlia brought the topic to mutants to prevent Wolf from talking about his mother.

The word "monster" contains "魔" (magic), and as the name suggests, most of them can use magic, and some even have high magic defense.

Magic also has attribute problems. Some monsters cannot be defeated even by senior magicians using long-range magic.