Summer has arrived in the Kingdom of Ordine, and that means it’s time to cool off. Maybe avoid sweating too much on expeditions. And continue to drink alcohol and somehow stay afloat! Dahlia continues creating new items or experimenting with new ventures to make a name for herself as a magic artisan. Volf continues to be one of the strengths of the Scarlet Armors, and now armed with glasses that hide his beautiful eyes, he can walk around town without catching the eyes of many.
However, on their now usual meeting, eating, and drinking at Dahlia’s home, after a magical sword experiment turns mysterious — with said blade moving sluggishly by itself — Volf relays to Dahlia a routine issue with footwear that the knights face every year as they face off against the titan frogs. This leads to Dahlia suggesting he use prototype socks she made for her father, Carlo, a while ago in order to feel comfortable. The only thing he needs to do is report on how they feel.
She might not like what’s going to happen next, since this “field report” evolves into a rapid evolution for the Rosetti Company!
Again, the Dahlia series — light novel and manga — is generally appealing due to having a lead female character resolve (or unintentionally create) problems due to her magical artisan skills and crafting real world items in a fantasy world. The five-toed socks is one perfect example. Dahlia wants to resolve an issue Volf tells her regarding walking around the wetlands while going titan frog slaying, and with unused prototype socks in her home, this seems like a great time to help her friend. Volf of course is happy to help, just that he himself soon learns while on the campaign that foot issues isn’t just an issue for him, and not in the way he first thought. This is a roundabout way of saying that he allows other Scarlet Armors to also wear them and also provide a “field report.”
Which then later leads to the unintentionally create a problem part: Dahlia gets the reports back and finds out the Scarlet Armors have now proposed creation of more five-toed socks…when she’s essentially an employee of “one.”
Of course, it’s the good to have that problem rather than a bad one, but this is where Dahlia begins to essentially make a name for herself. That said, it’s still not time for her to escape her past, as she may have to work with Tobias’ family, the Orlandos, for this to work. Business is still business, and while apologies are nice, and in particular Tobias’ brother made sure to emphasize what a mistake this all was to Tobias himself, there’s still a sense that it might not be enough. In the end, Dahlia still has to navigate familiar places in order to do what she wants, so it’s all about making sure things can be still be amicable over time.
With friends and now a new creation on the way, Dahlia can’t fret over that too much though. Instead it’s time to focus and come up with a plan that can satisfy the Merchants Guild and the Order of Scarlet Armors, and also not overwork herself in the process. But don’t worry, she’ll still find time to cook and drink at some point before this is all over!