With his guard still up, Volf cocked his head slightly. “Is that an attempt at creating a dullahan?”
“Now, why would you go and assume that about me?” Her nervousness dissolved in a snap. She realized she had let her imagination get the better of her; after her enchanting, the shirt had merely taken the shape of the torso overnight. “Last night, I was thinking of a design for your back-embroidery. This is the result of my test.”
“Test? Of embroidery?” Volf squinted his golden eyes at her.
Dahlia proceeded to describe what she had done after she got home, after which Volf gave the shirt a light slap. Since it was just an empty shirt, it collapsed, folding in half. He smiled as he looked at the stitching on the back. “It’s stunning.”
“I know I made it too big...”
“Yeah, but this shirt, though—I think it’ll be very durable.”
“You wouldn’t be able to move around in it...”
“It should make for a nice, soft raincoat.”
“I’m sorry to say that it absorbs water...” Despite Volf’s every endeavor to make her feel better, she had to burst every one of his bubbles. The shirt was supposed to be tough and robust, but why had it turned out like this? I should’ve cleaned up quicker.
“Still, this is very interesting.” Volf must’ve enjoyed feeling the incomprehensible texture of the fabric.
But she wished he would stop kneading it with such glee. “That’s one way to put it. It’s practically useless, though.”
“No, I genuinely think this has potential. If you make it a little thicker, it could be used as armor lining or as knee and elbow pads to dampen shock.”
“Huh?” He means impact absorption? Dahlia reached out and felt the shirt once again. It was squishy when she squeezed it, and when she let go, it slowly relaxed. She reckoned that with a few more layers, it would become quite similar to the memory foam she once knew.
“Our armor is currently lined with materials like monster leather or kraken, but both of those are much stiffer than this stuff—doubly so when it’s cold out. I think this is perfect as is.”
“How thick should it be?”
“I believe I’d like it about three times thicker, though I can’t say for sure until I actually put it on my elbows or under my armor.”
“If it’s for protective equipment, then I’ll have to make sure it’s durable enough. It wouldn’t do if it crumbled and fell apart after a day’s use.” This called for field testing, but that wasn’t something she would be able to do.
“Why don’t you talk to my brother about this? Oh, and Master Jonas too—he should be familiar with armor.”
“Unlike a magical sword, this shouldn’t give them cause for concern. I’ll tell Ivano as well. He mentioned that he would like to meet with Lord Guido to discuss the Weapons Development Team.”
“Good idea. I think my brother likes him—last time I went home, I was so surprised to see them enjoying a cup of tea together.” Though Ivano would definitely have vehemently shaken his head with a stiff smile if asked about it, that he had gotten chummy with Guido was indeed surprising. “Anyway, I brought six undershirts with me. Sorry about bringing so many.” As he apologized, Volf opened the cloth-wrapped bundle of his light gray tank tops.
“Well, you need a few before you get your laundry done, so please don’t hesitate.” She laid one of them on the workbench. “What do you think of the design and its placement? If you like it, I’ll make it smaller.”
“That’ll be great. Your design is wonderful.”
“Thank you. It’s a nightdog and a flower; I hope it isn’t too feminine.”
“Not at all. It’s very you, Dahlia. Or rather, it’s very Rossetti—you could even use it as your company emblem.”
“Hm. That’s a great idea.” A company emblem—or as she knew it from her previous life, a company logo—wasn’t something she needed, but having something she could print or stamp onto products would be quite convenient. Wishing safety for Volf and the Beast Hunters, Dahlia and the Rossetti Trading Company shall support them from behind—not a bad sentiment at all.
“If we use this emblem on our products, it will be immediately obvious who’s made them. A small logo would be easy to place if space is limited, and foreigners could recognize it too even if they can’t read our alphabet.” Ordine exported many magical tools abroad, and travelers also brought home magical lanterns as souvenirs; a pictogram would be easily identifiable for those unfamiliar with the Ordinato script.
However, for Dahlia, the more pressing matter was getting the back-embroidery done before Volf’s next expedition. “May I stitch one of your shirts?”
“I would be delighted if you could. Have you had lunch yet, by the way?”
“No, not yet.”
“How about I make you some crepes?” Apparently, the ingredients were in the bag that Volf had thrown to the ground earlier—that included the eggs, of which around half had not survived the drop.
“I couldn’t have you cook for me on top of buying all the ingredients...”
“It’s only fair, since I’m always over enjoying your cooking.” Volf had had a difficult time trying to fry crepes on his camp stove before; deft as he was, it was shocking he hadn’t been able to avoid tearing them. To Dahlia’s slight envy, the next time he had made them, his dexterity had been evident in crepes as perfect and pretty as the ones you’d find in a café. He bustled in the kitchen as she worked the needle in the living room on the second floor.
“I was just about to ask you if you were ready for me to bring the crepes over, but it seems you’re quicker than me.”