Chapter 96: Chapter 96

After the last of the rationed eggs were sold out, an uproar erupted, with many merchants complaining and throwing tantrums.

That was also part of Sokram’s plan; he knew most of the merchants who came from outside the city were not the heads of their respective groups. And most probably came with specific orders to bring back at least one bird.

Sokram convertedly signaled to Alain, who emerged from the shadows and pressed a letter into his hand.

Alain was renowned among the merchant groups as Margiory’s personal bodyguard and one of Norwinter’s strongest powerhouses.

Thus, seeing Alain there scared many people from making a bigger scene. But little did they know that Sokram was planning a scene of his own.

After making a grand show of reading the letter, a theatrical frown deepening the lines on his face, Sokram raised a shimmering sound isolation barrier.

Inside, his voice, though muffled, rose and fell in exaggerated peaks, punctuated by Alain’s deeper, less dramatic responses.

Fist-pounding gestures and wild sweeps of Sokram's arms hinted at a heated, feigned dispute, the barrier vibrating faintly with the force of their performance.

Sokram and Alain’s spectacle captivated many, particularly the most disgruntled groups.

Their low grumbles had quieted, replaced by narrowed eyes and faces tilted in curiosity.

All of them were unable to tear themselves away from the muted, theatrical scene unfolding before them.

After that part of the performance was over, Sokram, adopting a resigned expression, announced to the crowd, “Friends of Eversnow and our dearest neighbors, I just received a message from both my grandmothers: Brunhild of the Dracnakrid family and Margiory from the Androny family.”

Hearing those names, if someone wasn’t paying attention, they certainly would be now.

“We weren’t expecting to receive so many guests in this small stable and were caught unprepared; for that, I apologize.”

Sokram apologized humbly, making the customary salutation gesture with a fist over his heart, and continued, “The truth was, of all the eggs received from the Crow King, I intended to keep twenty, to be divided between our two families.”

A ripple of understanding spread through the seasoned merchants; eyebrows rose, but smiles were quickly stifled, replaced by barely contained anticipation.

Less cunning buyers, however, furrowed their brows, their lips thinning in distaste, clearly mistaking Sokram’s calculated theatrics for pure arrogance.

Sokram, meanwhile, offered a helpless shrug, his gaze fixed on a distant point, a palpable air of weary resignation etched on his features.

A masterful touch that hooked the least experienced merchants.

He continued his rehearsed speech while playing the disgruntled playboy, “In the message I just received, both my grandmothers told me to sell those eggs too. But since limiting the sales of these eggs to one per buyer clearly displeased many of you, I can only auction each egg at a starting bid of 500 gold.”

Sokram sighed, jaw set and brow furrowed, like a boy forced to part with a treasured toy.

This managed to fool the least experienced merchants.

The most experienced, however, either praised Sokram’s performance or cursed his shrewdness.

“For those of you who want more time to gather more funds, I can only give you a couple of hours. The hatchings will start after the auction is concluded, along with the binding of the contracts. This way, the buyers can all form the strongest bonds with your hatchlings.”

Sokram could even hear a few relieved sighs, but also feel a couple of stares aimed at him.

“But since I want to form friendships instead of creating animosity between us, I’ll offer our stables' services as a gift along with each egg acquired through the auction.”

Sokram's words momentarily confused the crowd somewhat.

But he quickly moved on, explaining, “Our stables acquired a set of guided cultivation techniques for flying mounts. Our tamers are already undergoing training to master those techniques. Each session of guided cultivation is worth 5 golden crowns. As a gesture of goodwill, I’m offering free guidance for the first 5 Tiers.”

The crowd exploded in chatter.

Though unsurprised, the members of the Greyfur and Goldenmane were still impressed by Sokram’s business acumen.

While some of the merchants remained skeptical, the fact that the Androny family was backing Sokram gave them enough reassurance.

The cost of the guidance sessions disheartened most of them.

Sokram knew that, of course, but he would let the quality of his techniques speak for themselves.

“The auction begins in two hours. Be here by then, so we can commence the hatching and binding before midnight.”

Believing themselves well-prepared, some merchants remained, seizing the opportunity to expand their network among those from neighboring cities.

But Sokram had still another card to play in this elaborate act.

Amidst the bustling crowd, a few seemingly ordinary merchants, in truth agents from the Purple Pavilion, subtly infiltrated the newly formed chat groups.

Low whispers began to circulate, hushed words passed between cupped hands, and heads nodded in conspiratorial agreement.

A ripple of nervous energy hummed through the stable as the stories took root.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The first rumor to circulate was that the new, already fruitful techniques acquired by the Greyfur and Goldenmane for their mounts were brought from the Dracnakrid family for an exorbitant sum.

Then came a few more rumors, whispers about how the Androny family had discovered an ancient spell or artifact.

One that allowed them to track nesting spots of rare flying magical beasts.

Some rumors even spoke of Sokram encountering the hidden inheritance of Drokmin in an ancient tomb.

But the biggest rumor, confirmed soon after, was that Sokram was not only the future patriarch of the Dracnakrid family but also Lady Androny's chosen successor, the very reason she moved to Eversnow despite the looming war.

These rumors prompted many merchants to excuse themselves, only to be found using their communication crystals in hushed corners.

Because if there was any truth to it, they couldn’t lose such an opportunity.

Not only the opportunity of having their mounts receive guided cultivation with such powerful techniques, but also the opportunity to form a business or a friendly relationship with Sokram.

Two hours later, the stable pulsed with a veritable sea of bodies.

The air grew thick with the scent of unwashed cloaks, nervous sweat, and damp earth.

Every jostle brought another grumble or apology, and the constant hum of hushed conversations became a low roar, making it nearly impossible to move without brushing shoulders, or worse, elbows, with a stranger.

Sokram and a few of the Androny guards had to improvise a stage for him beside the formations that were feeding the eggs with Magi, Vitha, and Aura.

Magicians in the crowd leaned forward with curiosity, their eyes tracing each glowing rune, analyzing the mysterious formations and trying to decipher the marks on the eggshells.

This whole scene increased Sokram’s acts’ credibility among the crowd of merchants.

The simple yet purposefully rushed setup conveyed the idea that the auction was merely Sokram throwing a tantrum, given its unplanned and improvised appearance.

And it worked so well that some of the merchants who thought they had figured Sokram out began doubting themselves.

After exactly two hours, Sokram announced the start of the auction, pointing toward twenty eggs, each resting within a separate, distinct formation.

These new formations hummed with a richer, deeper vibration than the others, their intricate runes glowing with a more vibrant intensity, etched into what appeared to be precious, dark woods and polished stones.

A contrast that subtly screamed superiority to the discerning eye.

The look of unwillingness on his face made it even more credible that he didn’t want to part with those eggs, which also made the merchants around want them a lot more.

The first ten eggs were sold to three different merchant groups from neighboring cities.

Those three groups were all formed by human Mages, which caused some to believe they were backed by a few specific noble families of Norwinter.

The first three eggs were sold in a row for the merchants of Frozen River, the next three for those of Icewall, and four for the merchants of Frozen Root, each for three thousand gold.

Sokram watched as the merchants of Eversnow reddened in frustration, their clenched fists betraying their silent rage, curses no doubt forming on their lips after losing ten biddings in a row.

He knew then that they had decided to stop holding back.

Some even banded together to acquire at least one of the hatchlings.

When the bidding for the next five eggs finished, the three merchant groups that had monopolized the auction so far had gone from acting aloof to having deep frowns on their faces.

But Sokram was happy seeing that the people of his city wouldn’t lose too much face having acquired the eggs for four thousand gold each.

The last five brought the biggest surprises.

The first sold for five thousand gold.

And the one who bought it was Sahvus di Armfrost.

Sokram was surprised to see him there, especially since the Armfrost already had five eggs, but that’s when he realized that Sahvus wasn’t the only family head present at the auction despite being the only one bidding.

The second egg was bought for even more, six thousand gold.

And this time was once again the merchants from Frozen Root, who were being led by a short, beer-bellied elder with white hair and brown eyes, obviously using magical products to appear younger.

They had already gotten four eggs, and now, with a fifth, the man bidding finally seemed to relax, showing he had fulfilled his quota.

But the merchants from Icewall and Frozen River kept casting menacing glances at him.

It seemed the three merchant groups might be embroiled in a dispute, perhaps preparing for a treasure hunt or something similar.

Sokram made a mental note to ask Sayuri about it later when he got home.

The third and penultimate eggs were both sold for eight thousand gold, to Icewall and Frozen River.

It seemed like the last one would go for one of them.

The bidding was tight.

At the start of the bidding round, the merchant groups of Eversnow gathered every coin in their pocket in their attempt to keep up.

But when the price reached five thousand gold, they withdrew from bidding entirely.

When the price reached eight thousand gold, this time the merchants from Icewall didn’t hold back and raised the price straight to ten thousand, flashing their rivals a smug smile.

“Ten thousand! Going once!” Sokram, who no longer resembled the downcast young heir from before, now added fuel to the fire.

“Ten thousand! Going twice!” Sokram leaned over the crowd, his greedy smile no longer hidden as he watched the merchants from Frozen River struggle. They argued among themselves until they saw Sokram was ready to announce their rivals' victory, and then...

“Eleven Thousand!” Shouted a well-dressed, average-height man with neatly styled black hair and glasses, which gave him an accountant-like air.

He was the one leading the merchants from Frozen River, and now he was staring back at his rivals with a triumphant expression.

But as if such a sum were nothing, the man from Frozen Root, who already possessed five eggs, shouted with a carefree tone, “Twelve Thousand!”

Everyone looked at him with surprise etched on their faces, but the only excuse he offered was a shrug. While wearing a complicated expression, seeing his rival casting death glares at him, he finally explained with a downcast expression, “At the last minute, the young miss decided to go as well.”

Hearing that, the other two merchant groups nodded as if they understood the man’s difficulties.

Leaving the rest of the crowd curious to know who their backers were and why flying mounts were so necessary for their destination.

It was clear to everyone that the two other groups lost all the will to fight for the last egg, but Sokram was having too much fun: “Twelve thousand going once!”

The people around looked at him, surprised, but once they saw the greedy grin on his face, they remembered he was a dragon, and draconic greed knows no bounds.

After that, the last egg was successfully acquired by the merchant group from Frozen Root.

But Sokram and Oliver were the only ones celebrating, not in front of the guests, of course, they had excused themselves to fetch the binding contracts from the small office.

But that was merely a pretext.

Inside, the sounds of raucous laughter and stomping feet filled the small office were perfectly extinguished by Sokram's sound barrier.

“Whoa! Woah! I found my pot of gold! It was in the pockets of some fools! Yo-ho! Yo-ho!”

They sang an old dwarven song, their voices cracking with delight as they spun and swayed, like drunken fools, liberated imps finally unleashed.

Alain watched, unable to contain a smirk as he guarded the door.

After some time, he cleared his throat.

“Young master, Mr. Oliver,” he reminded them, “you still need to be paid. The guests are waiting.”

“Right, thanks, uncle! I’ll give you a bonus for playing your part so well!” Sokram patted his shoulder as he passed him, walking toward the door.

“Aren’t you forgetting the contracts?” Alain asked as he didn’t see them picking anything.

“Nah,” Sokram waved his right hand and the contracts appeared, “I just needed to celebrate a little, to take it out of my chest. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to stop grinning like a fool, haha! Let’s go!” Chapters fırst released on novel·fire.net

“Sigh… Lady Hannah and Lady Brunhild are right, you’re growing up to be too much like my Mistress. But that’s not so bad, not bad at all.” Alain, breaking out of his usually detached and standoffish demeanor, flashed him a sincere smile.

“Now that’s a compliment worth gold. I’m doubling your bonus, Uncle.” Sokram flashed him a grin, summoning a ring to his right middle finger and storing the contracts within it.

He didn’t want to reveal his Void Glove, now reverted to a simple mark on his hand, in front of so many greedy merchants.

And together, Sokram and Oliver walked to meet their clients.

Walking toward them like dragons descending upon a field of fattened lambs.