When surprised, people were inclined to shout. However, when faced with pure astonishment, silence reigned.
Astonishment was the perfect word to describe the training ground’s state. No one could pull themselves together because the drake was already over thirty meters long even though the neck and the tail weren’t stretched out yet.
Raon looked to the right to observe their expressions.
The merchants had been waving their hands and cheering for Jeser’s victory until just a moment ago, but the expressions on their faces had turned as dumb as an oyster.
On the other hand, their eyes were as wide as they could go, frantically examining the drake that was taking up the entire training ground.
‘The other candidates should be in the same situation.’
Raon smiled faintly and looked at Dialon and Palen, who was standing next to him.
Palen, who used to believe that Dorian was in the same situation as her, had fallen on her ass from surprise. Meanwhile, Dialon was drooling from his mouth while staring at the drake that was too big to be seen at a glance.
‘That guy is completely out of his mind.’
Jeser was standing at the center, and the focus was gone from his eyes because of his disbelief.
His mind seemed to have been blown by the fact that Dorian had surpassed him even though he’d been ignoring his existence.
Adis was the last person Raon looked at.
‘As for him… he hasn’t changed. He’s indeed extraordinary.’
He was the only person in the training ground who was casually examining Dorian’s drake without being surprised.
Raon had the impression, once again, that one needed to be extraordinary to run a huge company like that.
All of their faces have turned yellow.
Wrath grinned while looking around him.
Looking at those dipshits falling silent feels as good as eating mint ice cream!
Raon nodded with a smile.
‘It feels great indeed.’
It definitely felt great to watch the pale expressions of despair descend upon the faces of the merchants who kept saying that the winner was already decided from the moment they returned to the company.
“Haa…”
Raon looked aside upon hearing the quiet sound of breathing. Dorian’s shoulders were trembling with his fists clenched. Judging from the way his lips were curved into a smile, he also seemed to be feeling the same exhilaration from their reactions.
After the short silence that felt like an eternity, time resumed for the stunned masses, and they started talking once again.
“I-is that really a drake? Isn’t it a dragon?”
“It’s way bigger than the young master Jeser’s drake even though it’s not even stretched out yet.”
“It’s gonna be over thirty-five meters long once the head and the tail are pulled.”
“H-how did he even get a drake like that?”
“Look at that, the scales still have some vitality left in them. It means that he defeated it during the trial just like the young master Jeser!”
“But the White Sword Dragon is the only person who went with the young master Dorian. Which means…”
“The two of them must have defeated that monstrous drake.”
The merchants swallowed nervously while admiring the overwhelming size of the drake and Raon’s might.
“W-wait…”
Jeser came up next to Dorian with trembling lips.
“Wh-what’s going on?! How did you get a drake like this?!”
He was looking at Dorian for the first time, even though he’d been acting like he didn’t exist before.
“We defeated it.”
Dorian shrugged his shoulders, saying that it wasn’t a big deal.
“Where did you defeat it?!”
Jeser yelled. He looked like he completely forgot about how he’d been ignoring him.
“From far away.”
Dorian casually responded with a smile on his face. He must’ve been taking after Raon.
“You bastard, are you making fun of m—”
“Ahem!”
Jeser was about to rush at Dorian when Adis cleared his throat while walking up to them.
“Dorian, try stretching out the drake.”
“Ah, yes!”
Dorian ignored Jeser and ran up to the drake, pulling its head and tail into a straight line.
It was already bigger than Jeser’s drake when it was folded, and once he finished stretching it, it made Jeser’s drake look like a baby in comparison.
“Th-the difference in size is so much more obvious now…”
“Indeed. The young master Jeser’s drake should be around twenty-five meters long, and the young master Dorian’s drake should be over thirty-five meters.”
“The successor is pretty much decided at this point.”
“Ugh!”
“We are screwed…”
Jeser’s followers shook their heads and sighed deeply. They seemed to believe that it was over.
Adis nodded while listening to the merchants’ reactions.
“It’s decided. The successor…”
“Not yet! It’s not over yet!”
Jeser raised his hand and stepped forward. The arrogance in his eyes had turned into impatience.
“What’s not over yet?”
Adis slowly turned his gaze to look at Jeser.
“I admit that Dorian’s drake is bigger than mine. However, bigger isn’t always better. My drake’s claws, teeth, and bones should have better durability. Moreover…”
He narrowed his eyes while pointing at Dorian’s drake.
“Look at those scars. There are plenty of cracks on the scales. Its insides must be devastated, and it can hardly be used as a material!”
“Indeed…”
“He must’ve pierced it multiple times with astral energy in order to defeat a huge drake like that. The inside is probably ruined.”
“The scales are indeed rather messy.”
Even Jesser’s followers raised their voices after him in an attempt to seize that last opportunity.
Raon snickered while enjoying their desperate struggle.
‘I’m even more confident in that aspect.’
The drake had multiple scars because it was an old individual, but he had killed it with a single strike to its head.
Once they inspected the state, they were bound to be shocked by how clean it was, even more than the size.
“Err, hmm…”
Dorian anxiously rubbed his belly pocket, since he wasn’t the one who killed it.
“You aren’t exactly wrong.”
Adis nodded while looking at the two drakes one after the other.
“Ah, in that case…”
“However, I’m not the one who is supposed to decide.”
He pointed at the training ground’s entrance, where heavy footsteps could be heard.
“Our client is going to personally decide for us.”
The training ground’s door was opened right after he said that. The men who entered had such thick muscles that it would’ve been believable if they were introduced as orcs.
The gray-haired old man at the lead had the most unusual appearance. Despite his bulky muscles, he was as small as a child and had a long beard flowing down from his chin.
Oh!
Wrath licked his lips while looking at the old man.
It’s been a while since he last saw a shorty!
‘Shorty…’
Raon narrowed his eyes while listening to Wrath.
‘Is that how demons usually refer to the dwarves?’
The Gray Hammer guild’s master wasn’t actually human but a dwarf. Moreover, he was a celebrity that was known throughout the continent.
“Greetings, Gray Hammer’s master.”
Adis walked forward and bowed at the dwarf.
“What an excessive greeting, Sephia’s president.”
The dwarf lowered his head slightly while stroking his beard.
“This much courtesy is natural since I’m meeting Sir Borgos, one of the Continent’s Blacksmiths.”
Adis shook his head with a smile.
‘Borgos…’
That dwarf was one of the Continent’s Blacksmiths, just like Vulcan, who had forged Heavenly Drive, and Kuberad, who had made the Blade of Requiem.
“Nothing good will come from praising m—Ah!”
Borgos shook his hand but suddenly widened his eyes and ran forward.
Even though his legs were short, he ran forward at a tremendous speed and reached the drake.
“Wh-what is this?!”
Borgos used to look like he wouldn’t be surprised even if a meteorite fell from the sky, but his eyes trembled frantically upon seeing the drake.
“What a huge drake! It’s almost as big as an adult dragon!”
He chewed his lip, saying that he’d never seen such a huge drake during his long career as a blacksmith.
“Moreover, it’s an ice drake with a water attribute, which is the best for forging equipment with!”
“Look at those wing bones! They look unbreakable!”
“Look at those scales! They are brimming with coldness, and it would already make blade-proof scale armor by simply putting them together!”
The blacksmiths, who came with Borgos, examined the drake and started to laugh loudly. They looked like they wanted to bring it back right away to forge weapons.
“You idiots.”
Borgos clicked his tongue at the blacksmiths.
“You are so absorbed by that aspect that you’ve been distracted in the most important part.”
“What?”
“Wh-what do you mean…?”
He ignored the blacksmiths’ questions and went towards the drake’s head.
“A single strike.”
Borgos swallowed nervously while looking at a small cut at the center of the drake’s head.
“What?”
“This huge monster has been slain in a single strike.”
He raised his eyes. He looked around with trembling eyes and finally came to a halt upon seeing Raon.
“Was it your doing?”
Borgos exhaled faintly and walked up to Raon.
“You look young, but I can feel an unbelievable prowess of the sword from you. Genius isn’t even enough to describe it.”
He had managed to perfectly grasp Raon’s prowess even though he was hiding his aura. He had the abilities befitting his title of Continent’s Blacksmith.
“May I ask your name?”
Raon nodded politely. He liked how polite Borgos was, even though he was from a different race and was far older than himself.
“My name is Raon Zieghart.”
“I heard that name before. Are you the so-called White Sword Dragon?”
Borgos already knew about his nickname. The rumors must’ve already spread to the Gray Hammer Guild.
“I’ve witnessed multiple swordsmen with the title of Sword Dragon in my life, but you are even more exceptional than them. I can understand how this monster was defeated in a single strike.”
He nodded while looking at Heavenly Drive underneath.
“Sephia’s president, our guild will take this drake.”
Borgos walked up to Adis without even looking at the drakes that the other candidates had brought.
“W-wait a moment!”
Jeser cut in between Borgos and Adis with his hands gathered together.
“Please look at the drake I defeated! It’s smaller in size, but there are barely any scars on the outside because I’ve made sure to keep it clean when I hunted! Moreover, it has the wind attribute, and the bones should be strong…”
“Do I look blind to you?”
Borgos’s voice turned frighteningly cold.
“Wh-what do you mean…?”
“I already saw your drake the moment I entered this place. I thought you brought something befitting your fame, Jeser.”
“Ah, in that case…”
“But your fame was apparently exaggerated.”
Borgos furrowed his brow while glaring at Jeser.
“Your drake is indeed clean on the outside. However, you’ve damaged the inside a lot. You must’ve even used magic on top of tearing it apart with astral energy.”
“W-wait…”
“Doing such a thing will shatter the bones and melt down the inside of the scales, and there’s barely anything left to be used as material. It’s just a low-quality good in the end.”
“Ah…”
Jeser’s face turned as white as a sheet.
“I’ve been wielding a hammer since before you—no, long before your father was born. You must underestimate me if you’re trying to trick me with those shallow words.”
Borgos clicked his tongue at his pathetic behavior and turned around.
“That was foolish of you, Jeser.”
Adis sighed briefly while looking down on Jeser.
“I-I’ve simply acquired the requested material by all means!”
“I’ve never said that. What I told you was that I would even allow you to steal from others, but flawed materials were the one thing I wouldn’t allow. You must’ve completely misunderstood me.”
“Aah…”
Jeser fell on his knees and hung his head. He must’ve realized that it was over for him since his expression was full of despair.
“I-it’s over…”
“The young master Jeser is done for…”
“They didn’t even pay attention to the young master Dialon.”
“D-does that mean that the young master Dorian is really going to be the successor?”
The merchants standing behind Jeser and Dialon were watching them with trembling eyes that looked like the desperate flapping of a butterfly on a tidal wave.
“Who even expected this result?”
“N-no one. There’s no way anyone would’ve followed the young master Dorian!”
“Wait, doesn’t that mean it’s an opportunity for us? We can become his followers!”
“Indeed…”
“I might be able to become an executive…”
The merchants took their asses off their chairs and licked their lips, aiming to ride on Dorian’s rope instead of the rotten rope.
They looked like they were about to run at Dorian as soon as the results were announced.
“I’ll buy your drake.”
Borgos walked up to Dorian and extended his hand.
“Uhh…”
Dorian looked behind him at Raon and Adis instead of shaking his hand.
“……”
“What are you waiting for? The matter’s already settled.”
Raon didn’t say anything, and Adis furrowed his brow.
“No, it’s not over yet!”
Dorian smiled and didn’t take Borgos’s hand. He seemed to have gotten a hint from Raon’s silence and Adis’s words.
“It’s time for the negotiations!”
He confidently raised his voice.
“Correct.”
Adis gently nodded and went next to Dorian.
“Since you brought perfect merchandise for the client, getting paid as much as possible in return is a merchant’s job.”
Adis smiled proudly at him for the first time.
“You are finally at the starting line, Dorian.”
* * *
* * *
Dorian and Borgos went into a conference room in the central administration to start the negotiations.
Raon and Borgos’s disciple were standing behind them.
“As we requested, we will buy the horn, teeth, claws, and all of the skin and bones.”
Borgos raised his gaze to meet Dorian’s eyes.
“I’ll be honest. The drake you’ve slain has the highest grade materials that even I have seen before. That’s why I don’t exactly know how much it should cost.”
“Ah, I see.”
Dorian nodded stiffly.
“Since the corpse of an ordinary drake costs from eight hundred to a thousand gold coins, I’m thinking four gold ingots for this one.”
Borgos wrote four gold ingots on the contract that Dorian had given him.
“Four gold ingots?”
One gold ingot was equal to a thousand gold coins in value. He was offering a tremendous amount of money.
“Hmm…”
Dorian furtively looked back to ask for advice.
Raon shook his eyes slightly as Dorian looked at him.
“I-I’m sorry, but it would be difficult with that price.”
Dorian swallowed nervously and shook his head.
“In that case, I’ll add three hundred gold coins on top of the four gold ingots. How about it?”
Borgos added three hundred gold coins to the amount written on the contract.
“Which is four thousand three hundred gold coins…”
Dorian’s breathing intensified and he looked back.
“Hmm.”
Raon lowered his eyes. He looked like he wasn’t satisfied with it once again.
“Th-that’s no good either…”
“Ahem! Fine. Four gold ingots and six hundred gold coins!”
“Gasp!”
Dorian looked back once again, and Raon didn’t raise his eyes once again.
“Ugh…”
Borgos groaned even though he didn’t even hear Dorian’s response. He had realized who was deciding the price.
“Fine! I’ll add a large amount so you won’t be able to refuse! I’ll give you five gold ingots!”
Five gold ingots. The price had gone up to five thousand gold coins in total.
“Uwaaah!”
Dorian screamed and turned around. His trembling hands were begging him to accept it already.
Raon casually shook his head.
“Gasp!”
“Huh…?”
“Hah!”
Dorian, Borgos, and even his disciple widened their eyes.
Despite their astonishment, Raon was peacefully sipping his tea with his arms crossed.
Hey.
Wrath tilted his head.
How much is that drake even supposed to cost?
‘I have no idea.’
He’d heard that the Dialon’s stuffed drake cost a thousand gold coins, but he had no idea how much the huge drake normally cost.
Then why are you refusing?
‘There’s a saying that you should refuse three times during a negotiation.’
You just refused four times though?
‘I did once more just in case.’
What is this madman…?
Wrath gasped in disbelief.
“This is insane.”
Borgos frowned and raised his head.
“You might have to redo the trial for succession if I leave without buying it.”
He grabbed the table in a threatening manner.
“Huah!”
Dorian turned around in panic, but Raon was still as composed as before.
[The exam consisted of bringing a drake’s claws, teeth, horn, and bones. It’s not necessary to conclude the negotiation. Tell him that.]
He wasn’t bluffing. Adis had clearly said to bring the drake, not to sell it no matter what.
“Th-the exam consisted of bringing a drake’s claws, teeth, horn, and bones. It’s not necessary to conclude the negotiation. Tell him that. Uwah!”
Dorian even said the ‘tell him that’ part, which he shouldn’t have said.
“Ugh…”
Borgos’s chin was trembling as he looked up at Raon.
Are you the real authority here?!
Wrath’s jaw dropped while watching the scene.
Just sit at the negotiation table if you are going to do this!
