Published: January 12, 2026
While Bell and Rango were holding a speculative planning meeting about the materials from the dragon and armored lizard, the other merchants, who had calmed down a bit, came over.
“No, I’d heard stories, but I never imagined such a village existed…! It’s truly a treasure trove!”
“When I heard Rango’s report, I was half in doubt, but I’m genuinely amazed. No, I’m glad we came. By all means, all the materials should go to Mary Trading Company.”
“Wonderful materials indeed. I will discuss this with the head of the trading company. We might even consider opening a branch in this village. Mary Trading Company is one of the largest in the kingdom, and it will surely contribute to the village’s development.”
The merchants launched into their greetings and remarks like a machine gun.
I deliberately tilted my head like an eight-year-old.
“But this is a frontier village with few people. Can you really open a shop here?”
One of the merchants smiled deeply and nodded repeatedly.
“For merchants, buying is just as important as selling. Besides, Mary Trading Company will undoubtedly purchase these materials at the highest prices.”
“Oh? Then, how much do you think that dragon could sell for?”
“Well… about eighty platinum coins, I’d say.”
The merchants answered my question. I folded my arms and exhaled through my nose.
“If you buy the dragon for eighty platinum coins, how much can you sell it for?”
“At least a hundred coins. However, various expenses will be deducted on our side. So, regarding the armored lizard Rango mentioned, may we set the price a bit conservatively? Oh, of course, caravan routes will regularly pass through this village in the future, and we promise to offer better terms here than in other villages or towns.”
The merchant spoke eloquently to my probing questions. The other merchants nodded with smiles, evidently going along with the story.
This is it.
They view this dragon slaying as a special achievement but aren’t considering a long-term relationship.
If they thought they could keep sourcing rare demonic beast materials here.
If they believed the village might grow significantly in the future.
These merchants would have willingly paid more for the dragon and armored lizard materials—even at the cost of lowering their own profits.
But most likely, the merchants have no real interest in this remote village. They’re only thinking about how much profit they can make from this one deal.
So, I smiled and nodded.
“Thank you for the good talk. I’ll think it over.”
With that, I waved one hand and headed back toward Bell and Rango.
“W-wait just a moment…! Those two are still young merchants and can’t handle A-rank materials like dragons. We can offer a proper…”
Ignoring the flustered merchants, I spoke to Bell and Rango.
“The dragon probably won’t sell for as much as you thought. Eighty platinum coins is the fair price.”
Upon hearing this, Bell furrowed her brows, and Rango hurriedly glanced back at the dragon.
“This is clearly top-quality material, isn’t it? And just eighty platinum coins? Shouldn’t it be ninety to a hundred?”
When Rango looked back at the merchants behind me with a confused expression, they turned pale and rushed over to the two.
“You fools! There’s no way we’d buy it for just a hundred coins!”
“What if the auction price is lower than expected!?”
“There’s even the risk of being ambushed by bandits before reaching the capital city! Do you think any merchant acts only on the best-case scenario? You must consider the worst-case!”
The merchants all shouted insults at Rango, who shrank back in fear. But Bell spoke up.
“Please wait. As merchants, we should make a fair appraisal here. Even with reasonable expenses for security and transportation, there’s still enough profit. Auctions allow setting minimum bids, so if it doesn’t sell, we can carry it over for next time. Also, it’s a merchant’s skill to carefully choose routes and guards to avoid bandit attacks. This is common sense.”