Chapter 136 - The Monster Subjugation Force and the Auratello
The Monster Subjugation Force building was buzzing with an unprecedented level of excitement in the afternoon.
“It’s so cool! With this, we won’t feel stuffy even during summer expeditions!”
“This means my bow won’t slip even in the summer heat!”
“Auratello, you’re the savior of heavy armor...”
“My heat rash on my backside will finally be gone...”
Cheers of delight echoed from all corners. Honestly, the hallway was almost too noisy.
In a separate room, the unit members changed into their gear and lined up in two rows in the large meeting room.
At the front were two tables: one with Fort and Lucia, who had their sketchbooks open, and the vice captain, and the other with Dahlia, who had her notes in hand, Ivano, and Volf.
“This keeps my helmet from getting hot, but the wind direction is bothering me. It’s hitting my eyes.”
“Astorga-senpai, could the fabric be inside out?”
“Ah, you’re right! I thought something felt off. If the hat type had a clear indicator for front and back, that’d help.”
“Then we’ll add a clear marking for you.”
One by one, the unit members shared their feedback and requests about the auratello at one of the tables. If there were any unclear points, Dahlia and the others would ask follow-up questions.
“I’d like a detachable back piece with stronger wind.” said a shield-bearing unit member in heavy armor.
“Gloves tend to slip, so could you sew them directly onto the fabric?” asked an archer with utmost seriousness.
“For scarves during combat, we should either pin them or tuck them inside the armor. Getting caught and choking would be bad. Also, I’d prefer a bit less wind. It’d be nice if it were detachable too. At my age, it gets too cold,” explained a middle-aged unit member, gesturing as he spoke.
“This is really great, but my back feels a bit ticklish...” said a younger unit member, his eyes slightly teary.
Everyone’s sensations were different.
They had come up with several designs with varying wind strengths, and it seemed best to let each unit member choose the one that suited them best.
At the neighboring table, Fort and Lucia were interacting with the unit members while sketching designs in their sketchbooks. It felt like the number of variations was about to increase even more.
It had been nine days since she started frequenting the Magic Clothing Workshop.
From morning till night, Dahlia had been discussing with Lucia and Fort, collaborating with the guild’s magical toolmakers, tailors, dye artisans, and seamstresses, experimenting and refining the designs.
Starting from the second day, they had also taught the workshop’s magical toolmakers and mages, but uniformly applying green slime in a grid pattern proved to be quite challenging. It took several days for them to master the technique.
During that time, Fort and the artisans expressed a desire to experiment with dyeing and dye fixation methods. While teaching them, Dahlia tirelessly produced more auratello.
On the first day, after about three hours, she ran out of mana, but Fort brought a large box of mana potions.
Mana potions were incredibly expensive, costing two gold coins per bottle.
At first, Dahlia refused, but Fort insisted, saying the guild had plenty and there was no need to worry about the cost. He poured a large glass and placed it in front of her.
Once opened, potions couldn’t be stored.
So, Dahlia ended up drinking mana potions like tea while working.
Thanks to that, her mana level had risen to around level ten in just nine days.
However, potions didn’t exactly taste good.
Healing potions had a grassy taste, but mana potions carried a strange astringency in their aftertaste.
No matter how many bottles she consumed, the flavor—reminiscent of diluted unripe persimmons—was something she could never quite get used to.
“Captain Grato, aren’t you going to try anything besides the bandana and scarf?”
“I’m already wearing it. The shirt, trunks, and knee supports.”
“That’s the full set...”
“If I stay still like this, it gets a bit too cold.”
Behind Dahlia and the others’ table, seated and engaged in conversation, were Grato, the captain of the Monster Subjugation Force, and a slightly older knight.
The matter of asking Grato to be their liaison at the royal castle had been handled without Dahlia or even Ivano needing to step in.]
Dahlia wrote a letter as a formal greeting, but Fort offered to deliver it since he was heading to the royal castle that day. By the time he returned, he had already obtained Captain Grato’s letter of approval.]
When asked what he had said, Fort simply smiled and said he had only wrapped a scarf around Grato’s neck.
Later, during the formal contract for the expedition stove, they decided to let interested unit members try the auratello.
However, they hadn’t expected every single member to volunteer.
From then on, the Tailors Guild’s magical toolmakers, mages, and artisans “had been working tirelessly,” as Dahlia heard.
She only heard about it because Ivano made sure to take her home by dusk, strictly forbidding overtime.
Even her work at the Green Tower was put on hold.
Ivano argued that if Dahlia could work overtime, so could he, leaving her no choice but to relent.
And today, they had prepared a decent number of auratello scarves, shirts, and other items for the unit members to try in shifts.
“Even if we rush the delivery, it won’t be ready for the next expedition...”
“Having held it once makes it all the more painful to lose.”
Grato and the knight’s low conversation caught the attention of the surrounding unit members.
“Couldn’t we just use these prototypes as an advance delivery?”
“That’d lead to bloodshed over distribution...”
“Once the contract is finalized, we can deliver scarves for everyone immediately.”
Ivano interjected into the conversation of the squad members before him with a cheerful voice.
“Captain Grato...”
“Captain...!”
The unit members’ eyes turned to Grato in unison, their gazes no longer hopeful but pleading. With a wry smile, he responded.
“Fine, let’s make the contract. We’ve set aside the budget for expedition improvements this term. After the expedition stove, we’ll allocate funds for this.”
At Grato’s words, the unit members erupted in cheers. Dahlia, though surprised, couldn’t help but smile along.
“Chairwoman Rossetti, may I confirm something with you?”
Suddenly addressed by Grato, Dahlia hurriedly stood up, followed by Ivano.
“Are you sure you want me as your liaison for the royal castle? If you aimed for the Chivalric Order’ official supplier status, you’d get a higher budget and more prestige. You’ve already done so much for us. If you wish, I can recommend you.”
“That’s a generous offer, but our company isn’t ready for such responsibilities, and distribution would be challenging. As for dealing with the royal family and nobles, Fortunato-sama has kindly agreed to handle it to ensure no offense is given.”
As Dahlia relayed the prearranged response, Fort approached from the neighboring table.
“Captain Grato, if you want to secure the Monster Subjugation Force’s share, you’ll need to stay as the liaison. Otherwise, the noblewomen will snatch it all up.”
“The noblewomen?”
Fortunato leaned in so close to Grato it almost seemed inappropriate, whispering in his ear.
“The corset, the lining of the bustier... Even the way one moves in a dress changes, and it seems to prevent makeup from smudging as well. My wife has never begged me for anything so passionately before.”
“...Should I leave the noblewomen to you?”
“Yes, if you provide a letter of introduction, we’ll prioritize their orders. Please make good use of it.”
Fort smiled as he answered and casually returned to the table.
Beside Dahlia, who was wide-eyed with surprise, Ivano let out a deep sigh.
“We’ve strayed a bit, but I’ll gratefully accept the role as liaison.”
“Thank you. We’ll do our utmost to meet your needs.”
As Grato turned back to them, Dahlia and Ivano bowed together.
“If anything else comes up, don’t hesitate to contact me. Oh, and I’ll allow you both to call me Grato. May I call you ‘Rossetti’ in return?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“And you’re ‘Mercadante,’ right?”
“Please, just call me ‘Ivano.’ If I may be so bold, Captain Grato, would you consider calling the chairwoman by her first name?”
Grato’s brow furrowed slightly, and he paused for a moment.
“...It’s a bit awkward. My wife’s name is ‘Dalila.’”
Behind him, Volf’s shoulders shook slightly, but he said nothing.
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