Chapter 100: Offering Technology
As the sturdy men dismantled the Earth Dragon beside us, we decided to resume the release of materials. The main body of the Earth Dragon had filled our warehouse to capacity, leaving no room for more monsters to be summoned. Thus, we were currently appraising smaller items that could fit on the table. I figured it was a good time to bring out the sample bottles I had made.
“I never expected to see a scale from an Ancient Red Dragon,” Fleur remarked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
When I first presented it, Fleur froze in place. After a moment, she rebooted and cautiously picked up the scale, murmuring, “Is this the legendary…?” I hoped she would be alright.
The scale measured about one meter on its longest side and around eighty centimeters on the shorter side. It was roughly the same size as the shield I possessed. Just one scale of this size made it impossible to fathom the full length of the dragon itself.
“I still have a few more, but for now, this is the largest one I have,” I said.
“…Huh?” Fleur let out a strange sound and froze again, but this time her recovery was swift.
“I-I see. Understood. I’ll prepare myself not to be surprised by anything else that comes out.”
“Ahaha.”
Rio chuckled wryly, but I felt confident that we were in the clear. I was starting with the items that would fetch the highest prices, so the rarity of what we presented next should gradually decrease. At least, that was the plan.
＝＝＝＝＝
Type: Tool
Name: Scale of the Ancient Red Dragon
Description: As the name suggests, this is a scale from an Ancient Red Dragon.
It boasts a strength that cannot be harmed by ordinary attacks.
It possesses extremely high resistance to fire and heat. Due to its inability to conduct heat, it is also resistant to cold.
It has a dual nature, allowing it to transmit Magic Power while also having the ability to block it.
＝＝＝＝＝
It seemed that when appraising tools, the results came out like this. True to its name, the scale was indeed resistant to fire and heat. But what did it mean to transmit Magic Power while also blocking it?
I took another scale from the Dimensional Box and held it in my hand, deciding to channel some Magic Power into it.
“Oh!”
It glowed faintly red, emanating a sense of warmth. I couldn’t quite grasp the blocking effect yet, but I didn’t have time to ponder it now. I would test it later.
“That one is quite sizable as well…” Fleur sighed, seemingly resigned to her fate.
“I have a feeling that if we put this up for auction, combined with the Earth Dragon’s materials, we could easily exceed fifty billion.”
As I was sorting through branches and leaves from the World Tree, Fleur suddenly muttered this. Fifty billion, huh…?
“An auction, you say?”
“Yes. It may take some time to convert it into cash, but there’s a good chance it will fetch a higher price than if we sold it directly to the trading company. In fact, it will definitely be higher. There will be fees deducted, but even after that, it’s worth putting it up for auction.”
I see. An auction, huh…? If the price could go up, that might be worth it. I had intended to release everything at once, but perhaps I should present the items one by one. Putting out multiple of the same item might lower the price.
“Regardless, our shop doesn’t have fifty billion in cash on hand. So, either way, payment will be delayed.”
“Understood. I’ll go with the auction this time.”
After some thought, I reached my conclusion. Selling off everything at once seemed excessive. Honestly, I was surprised that we could even reach fifty billion with just this.
“Now then, shall we set the materials aside for a moment? I’d like you to take a look at a product I created.”
“Huh? Yes, of course.”
Fleur raised an eyebrow for a moment but quickly encouraged me to continue. I pointed to a slender, earthen bottle I had placed on the table earlier, crafted using Earth Magic.
“What is this…? Oh, I remember you placed it on the table first. It looks like an ordinary bottle.”
This was the one I had set aside when the dismantling of the Earth Dragon began and the appraisal of smaller items commenced. It was better to show evidence that had aged a bit. It had already been over two hours, so that should suffice.
“Um, this is a bottle that can maintain temperature for an extended period.”
In other words, it was a Magic Flask. Before going to bed last night, I had thought about selling the technology to the trading company and made a sample. Originally, it was used for the bath in the Camping House, but reshaping it into a bottle was easy.
“Ah, so that’s why you placed it on the table first. So, that means…”
“Yes. This bottle contains boiling water. I wanted you to check how long it can maintain its heat.”
“Understood.”
The Magic Flask was sealed with a cork-like stopper. I could also create a screw-on lid, but I wasn’t sure if I could make one for anyone other than myself. When I removed the stopper, a faint steam began to rise.
“Eh?”
I prepared a wooden cup to avoid burns if someone tried to drink from it directly.
“Thank you. …The bottle itself isn’t hot, though.”
Fleur cautiously grasped the Magic Flask and said this, slowly pouring the boiling water into the wooden cup. Steam wafted up, and the temperature of the liquid was evident just from its appearance. As she lifted the cup, cradling it with both hands, the heat eventually reached her, prompting her to place it back on the table.
“Um, isn’t this a Magic Tool?”
“Huh? No, it’s just a bottle.”
“That can’t be right. The high-insulation cup developed by the Mimina Trading Company doesn’t perform nearly as well as this.”
Oh, so that cup was somewhat famous. I hadn’t realized it was that impressive.
“I’m glad to see you so surprised. I’d like to offer the structure and method of making this. Do you think it would sell?”
Fleur, still bewildered as she searched for hidden Magic Stones, looked up at me with a smile.