Yup, it was a perfect setup!
The big day arrived; it was time for the capital Trader Shop’s wyvern-butchering show.
The venue was the Hunter’s Guild’s butchery. We couldn’t do it at the central plaza, since it would’ve been unhygienic on the dirt, and we wouldn’t have been able to wash the mess away afterward like we could here. Doing it in front of our shop was out of the question, so this was the only option.
Besides, doing it here gave the Hunter’s Guild some clout. The butchery crew—other than Moss, who we’d already recruited—even offered to help for free. That didn’t surprise me, considering it was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and something they could brag about moving forward. We still planned to tip them a gold coin each. That was a lavish reward, but this was supposed to be a celebration, so market rate be damned.
Besides, the Trader Shop would be leaning on the Hunter’s Guild and Commerce Guild for regular goods once it was open. The Commerce Guild could auction off materials and still get big profits, and the experience of handling wyvern materials would give them some significant bragging rights.
It was about time.
Oh, there it is...
A custom cart train came into view, linked up and loaded down with the wyvern, pushed by the low-rank hunters and orphans we’d hired. We’d paid them the opening bonus rate of one small gold coin each—worth about ten thousand yen—which was an absolute fortune. Five or six kids joining meant fifty to sixty thousand yen, which was completely unheard of. Sure, the sum was far past market rates, but this was a special gig, and future jobs wouldn’t pay nearly as much.
We’d also invited the staff at the orphanage, so the caretakers and the director had joined as well. They weren’t here to make cash, but just to show their support and gratitude. We’d still pay them, though.
Reiko was with the transport crew, secretly casting gravity-reduction magic. The whole thing would’ve been too heavy otherwise. Fortunately, no one had hauled a wyvern before, and people assumed they didn’t weigh much because they could fly, so no one questioned it.
As the crew appeared, the butchery staff, guild workers, hunters, and onlookers rushed over to help push, eager to see the show or feel like they were part of it. Whatever their reason, everyone was hyped, which was great news for us!
The wyvern reached the butchery, with spectators watching with fascination, some of them eying the potential parts on which they intended to bid.
I kicked off the opening spiel, since it would’ve been too risky to let Kyoko handle it.
“Hello, everyone, thank you for coming to the grand opening event for the Trader Shop’s main capital branch, launched by my good friend, the rising star merchant Salette! Next, we’ll butcher a wyvern—sourced by Salette—with help from the Hunter’s Guild’s butchering specialists, and then we’ll sell the parts right here! The sales will be in auction format—when you bid, please shout loudly and hold up the amount with your fingers!”
The crowd cheered excitedly.
All right, nailed the hook!
“Let’s hear it for the butchery pros!”
I’d phrased it like the guild was helping us for nothing in return and called the butchers “pros” to butter them up. Little gestures like those were important for winning folks over.
And so, the pros started carving. It was their first time with a wyvern, but their years of handling big game showed. Although they struggled at some parts, they went through the process better than I’d expected with their knowledge of anatomy and fundamental techniques. Honestly, I thought they’d have a lot more trouble with it, but they weren’t professionals in the field for nothing.
“Okay, the head is off! We could sell eyes, ears, and other parts piecemeal, but where’s the fun in that? Let’s start the bidding for the whole head from the neck up!”
Yup, let’s get the ball rolling already.
Wyvern tongue and ears were famed delicacies, though hardly anyone had eaten them before. Would it be the chefs who bid on it, or nobles looking for a trophy mount?
“Ten gold coins!”
“Fifteen!”
“Seventeen!”
“Eighteen!”
The bids were climbing nicely. Eighteen gold was around 1.8 million yen. Over a million for just the head, which was a fraction of the body’s weight.
“Twenty!”
“Twenty-two!”
Yup, it’s still rising...wait, no!
This wasn’t about making max profit, but to hype up the crowd, getting the shop’s name out there, and showing we were a fair business. I had to show some finesse as an auctioneer here.
What to do...
“Twenty-five!”
“Thirty!”
The bids were really spiking. They were ramping up the price to shake off the small bidders now. The auction had just started, and we still had plenty of parts to sell. The prices would dip in the later stages, so there was no need to go all in so early.
“Thirty gold, two silver, three small silver!”
Huh?
That was an awfully specific raise. Maybe that was their absolute ceiling?
The other bidders and spectators were chuckling awkwardly.
Oh! Now’s my chance!
“Sold! The wyvern head goes for thirty gold, two silver, and three small silver coins!”
“Whaaaaaat?!”
The room erupted in shocked cries, but I didn’t care.
“Ridiculous! There was a pause because everyone laughed, but there was plenty more to come! Why close it so quickly when the price had much higher to go?!” a chubby, rich-looking guy yelled, clearly having planned to bid higher.
“Doesn’t matter!” I shot back. “This isn’t about making the highest profit possible; it’s our shop’s grand opening and a service to all of our guests! We won’t drag out any bids, and we’ll close as soon as there’s a pause! Now, please turn your attention to the winner!”
At my cue, everyone looked at the bidder.
A skinny man in chef’s garb clutched a coin purse. A boy, around ten years old, stood beside him with a tiny purse of his own. The man’s coin purse likely held thirty gold that he’d scraped together for this day, and presumably, the boy held two silver coins and three small silver coins he’d saved up from his allowance or working.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to cook with wyvern parts. The creature’s tongue, ears, eyes, and cheek meat were all renowned delicacies. The chef had likely maxed out at thirty gold, but someone else had called thirty first, blocking him from making the same bid. Just as he was about to give up, his son had offered him that tiny sum.
The bids would have continued soaring far beyond that price, and they had no chance of winning with that pittance. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to quit without a fight, and he’d raised his one defiant shout, his one war cry, even with the odds completely against him.
The room fell silent. Everyone understood and accepted the situation.
“Today’s auction is all about vibes and service! I’ll decide who wins and when, but it will only go to the top bidder at the moment! Raise your bid before I close, and no one else can snag the item!” I called out. “Now, the next item is ready. Let’s start the bidding for the wyvern’s liver!”
“Ten gold coins!”
“Twelve!”
“Thirteen!”
“Fourteen!”
“Fifteen!”
“Sixteen!”
My spiel seemed to kick the bids back into action, although the raises were in small increments. They called out their bids nonstop, as if afraid a pause would end the whole thing. I hadn’t meant to make it so frantic...