NOVPUB"Let's do this!"
Gritting his teeth, Drogos stood up and walked straight toward Velen.
"Your Highness Velen!"
"You've given me far too much Universe Dragon Glass. So, how about this: I'll only take half of it, and in return, I'll sell you all three Jade Dragons and thirty Shadow Dragons in a bundle!"
After saying this, Drogos looked nervously at Velen.
If this transaction went through, the strength of Dragon's Defile would skyrocket!
"Gods above!"
"He's really selling? Not just one—he's bundling the whole lot?!"
Stiegler's eyes widened in disbelief. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Those were Dragon's Defile's emblems of identity!
"Stiegler!"
"Do you see now? This is what it means to show off your wealth like a true spendthrift. There's no such thing as something you can't buy—only a price that's not high enough!"
Velen smiled as he instructed the stunned Stiegler.
"Yes, Your Highness! I understand now!"
"If we can acquire all the magic dragons and Shadow Dragons, the Endless Sanctuary will gain an unbeatable trump card!"
Stiegler accepted the lesson with great humility, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Hmm?
Velen paused for a moment. Originally, he had planned to purchase just one Jade Dragon. The Universe Dragon Glass he brought was prepared with that goal in mind.
But Stiegler's comment made him reconsider.
"As the senior mentee of Lilithmentor, and also the mentee of Anastasiamentor, it's only right that I bolster the Sanctuary's strength while spending lavishly."
"I wonder what expression Lilith will have when she sees all these dragons…"
With that thought, Velen turned to his system and asked, "System, if I increase the price now, does that make me a sucker?"
"Ding! Previously, because the seller was unwilling, spending 100 units of Universe Dragon Glass was a reasonable spendthrift move."
"But now that the seller is actively offering a bundled deal, 100 units are more than enough to buy everything."
After hearing this, Velen looked at Drogos like he was a fool. "You could've just sold one, and you would've received everything. But instead, you're giving away two more Jade Dragons and thirty Shadow Dragons for free… Don't tell me—you're a spendthrift showoff tycoon too?"
"Master Drogos, are you a spendthrift showoff tycoon?"
He asked directly, trying to confirm his theory.
"…What??"
Spendthrift showoff tycoon?
I'm already stressed out beyond belief, and he asks me this?!
Though confused, Drogos saw Velen's sincere expression and answered honestly:
"Your Highness, I'm not a spendthrift showoff tycoon."
"You're not?"
"You could've gotten 100 units of Universe Dragon Glass just by selling one Jade Dragon, and you're throwing in two more and thirty Shadow Dragons, and you're not?"
Velen looked puzzled.
"Throwing in?"
"I was just afraid you'd feel cheated!"
"How did I end up being the spendthrift showoff tycoon here?!"
Drogos felt like his entire worldview was unraveling.
"Your Highness!"
"To tell you the truth, the amount of Universe Dragon Glass you gave was so much that I didn't even dare to accept it!"
"If I didn't include the extra dragons, I wouldn't have had the courage to sell it. I was afraid I'd get killed before I had a chance to spend it!"
Drogos finally exhaled and laid everything out.
"I see!"
"I thought you might be a promising candidate for a spendthrift showoff tycoon… What a pity."
Velen looked genuinely disappointed.
A moment later...
"Your Highness!"
"If I had agreed to the deal earlier… would I really have been able to leave with all 100 units of Universe Dragon Glass?"
Drogos couldn't help but ask as he watched Velen climb back into the dragon-drawn carriage.
"Of course!"
"That hundred units was already set aside to buy that Jade Dragon and the carriage. You may think I overpaid, but to me, if I like something, no price is too high!"
"Because you're not a spendthrift showoff tycoon, you just can't understand the joy of it!"
Velen replied with a bright smile.
...
"Iceflame Senator…"
"Even though we ended up getting 100 units of Universe Dragon Glass, which is a huge profit… Why does my heart ache so much?"
Staring at the departing dragon carriage, Drogos couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as he thought about the dragons he had essentially given away.
"Master Drogos, don't dwell on it. Quick, contact the Valley Lord and have him prepare the other two Jade Dragons and the thirty Shadow Dragons!"
"To think His Highness Velen is an elder of the Endless Sanctuary… The Sanctuary is about to rise!"
The Iceflame Senator quickly reminded him.
Hmm?
Just as Drogos finished contacting his father, the dragon carriage turned around and flew back.
"Master Drogos, what brings you to the Eastern Territory?"
Velen stepped down from the carriage and asked curiously.
"Your Highness…"
"I'm sorry, but that is a confidential matter of Dragon's Defile. I cannot disclose it."
Drogos apologized respectfully.
"Confidential, huh?"
Velen's curiosity was instantly piqued. He immediately said to the system, "System, use one Fate's Trojan. I want to know Drogos's purpose for coming to the East."
"Ding! One Fate's Trojan consumed. Drogos is here to recover a stolen Darknight Dragon Egg."
"Ding! Reminder to the host: The Darknight Dragon is a rare spellbeast of the upper plane universe. With sufficient Universe Dragon Glass, it can rapidly grow to demi-god level 9!"
"Gods above!"
"This is even more OP than cheating!"
After learning about the Darknight Dragon's capabilities, Velen was stunned.
Wait a second!
A sudden thought struck him.
"System, to reach demi-god level 9, it has to undergo nine Thunder Calamities first, right? And to break through to godhood, it needs to survive them all?"
"Ding! The Darknight Dragon can use Universe Dragon Glass to directly resist the Thunder Calamities. As long as there's enough Dragon Glass, the disasters pose no threat!"
"Ding! Suggestion: Raise it for fun, since its cap is the upper plane universe. Going beyond would require massive rare resources!"
Velen couldn't help but grin. That suggestion was practically egging him on to acquire the dragon and go on a spendthrift rampage.
"I just got a huge bargain… Robbing them of the dragon egg now wouldn't look good."
"As a true spendthrift tycoon, if I want something, I won't steal—I'll buy!"
"How about this—help them recover the egg first, then buy it afterward. I might even score a free spendthrift reward!"
With that thought, Velen's smile turned sly.
"Dragon's Defile has so many rare dragon beasts… No wonder they're rich."
"What's happening?"
"Why is His Highness looking at me like that? That smile is making me nervous…"
Drogos felt goosebumps under Velen's intense gaze.
"Master Drogos, hop in!"
"I know you're here to retrieve the stolen Darknight Dragon Egg. Since I got a good deal from you earlier, I'll handle this for you. I already know where the thief is."
Velen stated calmly, still saying nothing about his intention to purchase the egg afterward.
"What?!"
Drogos and the Iceflame Senator were both shocked. This information had been tightly sealed by Dragon's Defile—there was no way an outsider could have known!
High in the skies!
Jade Dragons pulled the luxurious carriage through the clouds at top speed.
"Father was right!"
"Anyone who can casually pull out this much Universe Dragon Glass… definitely isn't normal!"
"But to build a relationship with him… I have to start with a proper showoff!"
"How exactly should I show off my wealth?"
Inside the carriage, Drogos looked at Velen, who was drawing routes on a map, and fell deep into thought.
"Should I go big?"
Thinking of Velen's extravagance and mystery, Drogos suddenly had a wild idea.
Outside the carriage…
"Master Drogos? Why are you out here?"
The Iceflame Senator, who was driving the carriage, looked over curiously.
"Senator Iceflame, what do you think of His Highness Velen?"
Drogos asked directly.
"Mysterious. Powerful."
"He can casually pull out massive amounts of Universe Dragon Glass."
"He even knows our mission—and where Kent is hiding!"
"He became an elder of the Sanctuary at the Star-rank level… Everything about him is extraordinary."
The Iceflame Senator replied with careful consideration.
