Chapter 15
“An auction… you say?”
He was the Gold Master through and through. As someone who manipulated the empire’s economy, he asked nonchalantly with that same adorable expression from earlier.
“If you go ahead with this, people will find out you possess the scale of an extinct dragon, won’t they?”
“I don’t care.”
At that, he narrowed his eyes.
“Humans are more greedy than you think, you know.”
She knew that all too well, learned from painful past experience.
When Elshunaine showed no reaction and just stood there blankly, the Gold Master’s expression twitched.
“Ughhh.”
He groaned softly.
“Are you really going to put it up for auction?”
“Yes.”
His obsession with the scale wasn’t simply because he was a collector who gathered rare items—even odd, unmatched shoes.
“T-That precious item… to place it on an auction table…! It would instantly become the star of my collection… Huff.”
He muttered unintentionally, then quickly covered his mouth with a small hand.
The words were incomprehensible, but Elshunaine understood perfectly—thanks to reading the original novel.
A dragon fanatic, just like the story said.
He was a creature utterly devoted to dragons, bearing the title of a divine messenger.
Maybe because he himself was a derivative being crafted when a god tried creating a dragon?
Creatures like the Gold Master, with strange appearances and mystical powers, were historically called “Yo-race” (妖族).
They were once mistaken as monsters used by demons and were nearly wiped out by humans. Today, they were believed to be extinct.
And most people didn’t even know they had ever existed.
Anyway, the important part is that the Gold Master is a dragon nerd.
Elshunaine intended to leave a deep impression on him. She needed to draw funds from him for her future plans.
Of course, as long as Ashray was by her side, using the Gold Master as her personal piggy bank would be no problem.
The Golden Tower’s auction operated on a same-day entry system—items that arrived were immediately put up for auction.
So this is the Golden Tower’s auction house, thought Elshunaine after parting from the anxious-looking Gold Master and arriving on the 50th floor via teleportation.
Ashray’s scale had already been submitted as an auction item.
The auction venue, shaped like a circular lecture hall, surrounded the stage where the auction was held.
She took a seat in one of the corners.
There’s a lot of people.
The place was filled with people in clearly expensive clothing. Among them were the same man and woman who had mocked her earlier when she was heading underground.
As she sat, watching people for a while, a booming voice echoed through the hall.
“Only the finest auction items from across the continent are traded here! Welcome, buyers! Gentlemen! Ladies! And spectators! Welcome to the Golden Tower Auction!”
The auctioneer bowed grandly, not even giving people time to clap before jumping straight in.
“Now, look here! This fruit grows only on the northern cliffside!”
“Ooh. That’s the one that’s good for women, right?”
People who had momentarily been dazed by the fast-paced auctioneer quickly raised their paddles.
Though their gestures were graceful, as expected of Golden Tower auction attendees, an undercurrent of tension filled the air.
“Yes! Sold to the third lady on the left!”
The noblewoman, nose slightly raised, gently waved her fan in satisfaction.
A snort of frustration could be heard faintly from the back.
Several more rounds went by. When Elshunaine’s auction item finally appeared, people were just starting to grow tired.
“And now, the final item of the day!”
People perked up at the excitement in the auctioneer’s voice. Even Elshunaine, who had been nodding off slightly, straightened.
Is it mine now?
She wiped the corners of her mouth and sat up properly.
“You’re all going to be shocked! Our final item is—!”
Two men pushed in a tray as the auctioneer spread his arms wide.
On the tray was a red cushion made of clearly luxurious material.
And atop that cushion…
“A scale of the Silver Dragon, extinct for 200 years! Specifically, one that commands both ice and wind!”
Gasps rang out at the end of his announcement.
“My goodness. A Silver Dragon’s scale…?”
People began rising from their seats, scrambling to get a closer look—looking almost ridiculous in their eagerness.
Elshunaine, the source of this chaos, felt slightly awkward watching the commotion.
It feels weird to be praised over something so trivial.
Whether or not she felt that way, the auction house was now on fire with excitement.
Paddles shot up and down continuously.
“Damn it. I can’t let them have it!”
“This will be the scoop of the century!”
Reporters waiting for a story summoned their company mages to capture the moment in magical recordings.
Ashray’s thigh scale continued to break records as the bidding escalated.
“And now—it’s down to two bidders!”
All other competitors had dropped out. The remaining two were the noblewoman who had bought the cliffside herb earlier, and a person completely shrouded in a robe, their gender indeterminable.
“Tch…!”
The noblewoman glared repeatedly at the robed figure, raising her paddle with trembling hands—clearly near the limit of her budget.
Meanwhile, the robed figure remained unbothered.
Finally—
“Yes! The highest bid of the day, the Silver Dragon’s scale, goes to the one in the robe!”
“Woooo!”
People leapt to their feet, clapping in excitement.
“That person—how did they get up here?”
The man who had sneered at Elshunaine earlier pointed at her.
“Oh? You’re right.”
“Can you believe someone like that is in the Golden Tower’s auction house?”
“Must be some kind of mistake.”
“Wait, maybe she’s a servant of the Golden Tower?”
“That must be it!”
“Well, good for her. Probably the only time in her life she’ll get to see a Silver Dragon’s scale.”
The two laughed mockingly, but Elshunaine paid them no mind. Her turn had come.
“Wait—where’s she going?”
“Let her go. Probably just cleaning the floor or something.”
They chuckled again.
Then the auctioneer spoke brightly:
“This item is protected by special magic due to its value! Only the original owner can transfer it to the next!”
He swept his gaze across the room, face flushed with excitement.
“Will the owner please step forward!”
Elshunaine stepped onto the stage.
“Huh…?”
The two who mocked her let out stunned noises. The others who had overheard them looked equally dumbfounded.
“She’s… the owner of that scale?”
“She was just in the lower floors earlier, wasn’t she?”
Voices of disbelief murmured across the hall.
Breaking through the shock, Elshunaine strode confidently onto the stage—right up to the tray holding Ashray’s scale.
“Right this way, please,” the auctioneer said respectfully.
Elshunaine gave him a reluctant look and placed her hand gently on the scale.
It looked like she was releasing the so-called “special magic,” but in reality…
Hope I don’t get struck by lightning for this.
There was no magic on the scale at all. Claiming it was enchanted made it seem more valuable—and gave her a reason to appear in person.
To announce, to the entire continent, that she was the owner of the Silver Dragon’s scale.
Click!
Magical photographers captured the moment she handed the scale to the robed figure.
White flashes burst like lightning. The new owner trembled as they carefully accepted the scale.
Under that robe was the Gold Master himself, controlling a large puppet.
Seeing his awed expression—as if beholding a diary written by his one true idol—Elshunaine couldn’t help but smile.
Just then, another flash popped.
Click!
“Oh my god…”
The man and woman who had looked down on her were now pale as sheets.
“She’s… really the owner of the Silver Dragon’s scale?”
