All at once, a sharp crack echoed through the cavern.
Chelsea whipped around and ran toward the dragon's head. At first she thought Adriane had overdone it, but when she reached the skull, she found a clean split running down the back of it. The massive helm was still intact, just broken enough to count.
Chelsea activated The Eyes.
Visage of Pundukarack
Broken
Chelsea clasped both hands together. “Oh, thank the gods.”
She approached the enormous skull carefully, suddenly aware of how ridiculous this was. It was still larger than a small whale. The opening was wide enough that she could have walked into it without crouching.
Chelsea stepped forward, lowered her head, and eased herself into the broken helm.
The moment it recognized her, the entire thing began to shrink.
Ivory bone and scale folded inward with smooth, impossible magic, condensing around her until it fit perfectly over her head. The weight settled evenly, comfortable rather than crushing. The helm no longer felt like a dragon's skull. It felt like armor.
A notification appeared.
The Perfect Outfit Effect 2: Tier 11 acquired.
Chelsea threw both arms into the air. “Nice!” Her voice bounced through the cavern. “Tier eleven, baby!”
She did a tiny victory dance right there in front of the dragon's corpse, boots scraping over stone as her tail swished behind her.
Then she turned dramatically toward the other two.
“How does it look?”
Ivy stared at her. “Terrifying.”
Chelsea immediately brightened. “Good terrifying or bad terrifying?”
“Good?” Ivy asked.
“Nice! Follow-up question.”
She pulled out her shield, summoned a spectral javelin into her hand, and spread her white wings as wide as they would go. The dragon helm framed her face, ivory and metal gleaming in the cavern light while the ethereal weapon shimmered in her grip.
“How about now?”
Ivy took a slow breath. “If I didn't know it was you, I'd be terrified.”
Chelsea grinned inside the helm. “Perfect.”
Adriane stepped closer and circled her once, studying the armor with an approving look. “It fits you well.”
“Of course it does.” Chelsea patted the side of the helm affectionately. “We're going to have so many adventures together.”
Chelsea checked her inventory again and immediately perked up. “Oh, nice! I gained twenty-four more slots.”
Adriane looked toward the treasure pile.
Chelsea followed her gaze and smiled. “That means we can probably grab the last of the gold.”
Ivy sighed, though she was smiling now too. “Of course that's the first thing you check.”
Chelsea pointed at the treasure. “Dragon gold is not going to liberate itself.”
By Chelsea's rough count, they were carrying around five thousand five hundred and fifty-two gold pieces, along with historic dragon scales, epic weapons, armor, jewelry, monster parts, and a dragon head currently shrunk down into a helmet.
So naturally, her first thought had been the bank. That lasted until they were halfway through town.
“Wait,” Chelsea said, stopping suddenly in the street.
Ivy nearly walked into her back. “What?”
Chelsea stared ahead deep in thought.“We have a manor with twenty-four bedrooms.”
“Right?” Adriane nodded along.
“And a spooky ghost maid? Nobody ever said we have to store everything at the bank.”
Adriane's eyes narrowed slightly. “Chels.”
“We need a treasure room.”
Ivy's face slowly brightened with the exact same terrible realization. “Oh. Yeah!”
Chelsea pointed at her. “You get it.”
“I do get it.”
“Treasure room,” Chelsea repeated, now fully committed to the idea. “We can pick one of the unused rooms, reinforce the door, maybe put some kind of annoying lock on it, and keep the gold there until I decide what to invest. Rich people have treasure rooms, right?”
Adriane rubbed at her forehead. “Chelsea you just described a vault.”
“Treasure room sounds so much cooler though.”
Adriane sighed.
Chelsea was already moving again, her mind racing through possibilities. The bank suddenly felt like a boring place to put money. A treasure room, on the other hand, felt correct. She didn't want to become the kind of person who rolled around in piles of gold, but having the option available seemed enticing.
As they strode through town, Chelsea noticed people staring. Everyone was stared at the helmet.
Secretly, she was incredibly proud of it.
It wasn't just any historic item in classification… Well… for her it was just Rare+2. But It was the head of a greater ivory dragon. She might genuinely be the only person in the world walking around with a dragon head as a helm.
“Do you have to wear that here?” Adriane asked quietly, watching a group of children hide behind their mother.
“To be honest, I think if I take it off, it might return to its original size. So for now, yes.”
Adriane groaned. “We should have tested that back in the cavern.”
“Well, next time I shrink a dragon head down to the size of a watermelon, I'll remember to test if it becomes a giant dragon head again. Live and learn.”
The Adventurer's Guild quieted when they entered, as it usually did, though the silence lasted longer than normal this time. Chelsea suspected the dragon skull helmet wasn't helping. After a few seconds, conversations resumed in careful murmurs while the three crossed the hall and headed upstairs behind Adriane.
Willow called for them to enter after Adriane knocked.
Her expression shifted the moment she saw Chelsea.
“Wixx? I thought you went to...” She stopped herself and sighed. “Chelsea, are you wearing the greater dragon's head?”
Chelsea nodded eagerly.
“Of course you are.” Willow leaned back in her chair, eyes moving from Chelsea to Adriane and then to Ivy. “Do you need to sell something to the guild?” Her gaze returned to Chelsea's helmet, and her face fell slightly. “This isn't going to be a fun day, is it?”
“That depends, Miss Willow,” Chelsea said, stepping into the office. “I have a quick question.”
Willow's tone went flat. “What question?”
“How much would the guild offer for a historic quality greater ivory dragon scale? Hypothetically.”
Willow stared at her for several seconds.
“The hell if I know.” She pushed herself out of her chair. “Let me get the accountant.”
The moment she left, Adriane leaned toward Chelsea. “Chels, what are you doing? We aren't supposed to sell recovered items from a job to shops.”
“Is that the actual rule?” Chelsea asked. “Because I didn't sign anything saying that, and I don't remember anyone explaining consequences.”
“Everyone knows it's the rule. Shops won't buy high quality items from jobs, mostly because they can't afford them.”
Chelsea tapped the metal chin of Pundukarack thoughtfully. “Okay. Here's the plan. You head downstairs and treat yourself to a drink. You earned one today. Let me handle this.”
“Handle it how?”
“I'll Chelsea it.”
Adriane's mouth twitched into a smile despite herself. “You know, I can't take you seriously with that ridiculous thing on.”
Chelsea covered the sides of the helmet where she assumed a dragon's ears would be. “Adriane, she can hear you.”
Adriane started toward the stairs. “I understand why Bea bullies you now.”
Chelsea stroked the top of the helmet. “Shhh, it's okay, Pundukarack. The mean Adriane is going downstairs.”
“Please be careful with my bag,” Adriane called back. “I'd like it returned as soon as possible.”
Ivy looked at Chelsea once Adriane was gone. “Should I go with her?”
“No, I want you here. I'm trying to get you up and running as a merchant. Shadowing me might teach you something.” Chelsea paused, then smiled. “Also, I like having you around.”
Ivy's expression softened for half a second before she looked back at the helmet. “You know, the stats are probably wonderful, but you really do look ridiculous.”
“That seems to be the popular opinion.”
A man in his sixties entered a moment later, bowing as he stepped through the doorway. His guild uniform was wrinkled and slightly crooked, as if he had been dragged away from a desk he lived at more than worked at.
“Miss Wixx. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. My name is Finch. Miss Willow keeps me buried in my office like a slave driver, so I rarely get to visit with you adventurers. I was told there was a question about selling to the guild.”
“Mr. Finch, it's wonderful to meet you,” Chelsea said. She pulled one dragon scale from Adriane's bag and set it carefully on Willow's desk. “My sister came across this beautiful scale in our travels, and I wanted to know how much the guild would offer for it. We were thinking about keeping it, but if the price is high enough, we might be forced to let it go.”
“Ah, that is indeed a pretty thing.” Finch leaned over the scale with genuine interest. “Let's see.”
His eyes widened almost immediately.
“My. This is quite the find indeed.” He straightened and cleared his throat. “Let me consult my guild price reference guide.”
“Of course.”
Chelsea took the scale back before he left and slipped it into the same stack she had removed it from. As she did, her eyes drifted once again toward the strange stuffed animal in Adriane's bag.
It was small, ugly, and crudely sewn together.
Chelsea desperately wanted to know the story.
Maybe it was from Adriane's childhood. Maybe Bea made it. Maybe Dewey did. Maybe Adriane had secretly carried it for years as some kind of sentimental charm.
Chelsea looked away before curiosity got her killed.
Finch returned a few minutes later.
“Miss Wixx, the guild is willing to offer one hundred and fifteen gold for the scale and any others of similar quality you happen to find.”
Chelsea glanced at Ivy.
Ivy's eyes had gone wide.
“Wow,” Chelsea said. “That's an impressive amount. Let me think on it.”
Finch nodded. “The offer will stand. Feel free to come by my office if you decide to sell.”
“Thank you so much for your help. Would you mind sending Miss Willow back in? We still have business with her.”
“Of course, Miss Wixx.”
Once he left, Ivy leaned in closer. “Why didn't you sell it? With how many we have, that's a fortune.”
Chelsea smiled, though she doubted it carried much effect through the dragon helm. No wonder it reduced charisma. The metal lower jaw sat over her chest, and the top portion covered most of her face.
“I'm going to look into other possibilities first. As he said, the offer stands. There's no reason to rush.”
Ivy thought about that and nodded. “That makes sense.”
Willow entered a moment later, already looking tired.
“Do you need something else, Miss Wixx?”
“Yes. My sister and Ivy Leaf seem to be under the impression there is a rule stating we are required to sell anything recovered from jobs to the guild. I have not read that rule anywhere, so I was wondering if you could provide it.”
Willow closed her eyes.
“Today was supposed to be Chelsea-free for me.”
Chelsea waited politely.
“You were supposed to leave with your sister and be gone for well over twenty hours,” Willow continued, rubbing one temple. “But no. Here you are, wearing a dragon head in my office and asking questions I hate.”
“So there is a rule?”
“There is no rule,” Willow snapped. “Happy?”
Chelsea brightened. “Very.”
“Good. Please go Chelsea somewhere else.”
“You're using my name as a verb now too?”
“Good day, Miss Wixx.”
“Oh, does Adriane turn in her completed assignment down at the front or with you?”
“It has been taken care of.”
“Okay, thanks, bye.”
Chelsea left before Willow could start yelling properly.
“She really doesn't like you,” Ivy observed as they descended the stairs.
“I don't know why. I've been trying to be nice to her since I arrived.”
Adriane was already seated at their usual table, one elbow propped up and a mug of something frothy in front of her. She perked up when she saw them.
“One hundred and fifteen per scale,” Chelsea announced.
Adriane's eyebrows rose. “I wasted two dragons' worth.”
Chelsea nodded sympathetically.
“That is so much gold.” Adriane whined
“It is.”
“How much did he give us for all of them?”
“Nothing. We didn't sell.”
Adriane's expression shifted.
Chelsea held up a hand. “I'm going to remind you of this excitement later. Right now, we have things to do. Finish your drink. We need to head back to the manor.”
Adriane took one long drink and left the rest sitting on the table as she stood. “What are we doing?”
“I watched you blow my mind with how you took down that dragon. Now I'm going to return the favor. No more questions. Just watch and be amazed.”
Adriane looked at Ivy.
Ivy shrugged. She had no idea either.
The walk back to the manor took about ten minutes, which made Chelsea happier every time she thought about it. The place was close to both guilds, close to the city center, and large enough that she could now justify calling one room the treasure room.
That alone made it the perfect house.
Chelsea led them directly into the manor and began looking through rooms on the lower floor. She rejected the sitting rooms immediately, rejected anything with too many windows, and finally settled on a smaller interior room near the back hallway. It had no exterior windows, thick walls, and only one door.
“This one.”
Adriane looked around. “This one what?”
“Treasure room.” Ivy smiled.
Adriane stared at the empty room. “Chels.”
“No. Listen. The bank is fine for normal people. But we have a manor, dragon treasure, and enough gold that walking around with it is stupid. We make this room secure, store everything here for now, and later I can hire someone to reinforce it properly.”
Adriane slowly looked around again.
Chelsea could see the idea taking root.
“We could add a better door,” Ivy said.
“And locks,” Chelsea added.
“And maybe a guard,” Adriane said.
Chelsea pointed at her. “See? Treasure room.”
Adriane sighed, but it lacked real resistance. “Fine. Treasure room.”
Chelsea carefully began unloading gold into one section of the room, then equipment into another, then scales into neat stacks along the wall. By the time they finished emptying just enough of the bags to breathe again, the small room already looked like the start of something extravagant.
Chelsea loved it.
Afterward, she walked out to the field behind the manor and went roughly to the middle. There, she lay down on her side, carefully removed the dragon helm, and scrambled back.
Nothing happened.
The helm stayed helmet-sized.
The only change was the clean crack along the back returning as soon as it left her body.
“Yes!” Chelsea shouted, scooping it up and putting it into her bag. “I can't believe it stayed small. That makes no sense.”
Adriane stared at her.
Chelsea shrugged. “That was all I needed to test here. Let's go to the Merchant's Guild.”
“Am I allowed in there?” Ivy asked as they left the manor again.
“Of course you are.”
The Merchant's Guild was even closer than the Adventurer's Guild, which Chelsea appreciated. It probably had something to do with whoever the manor had been intended for needing merchant access more than adventuring access.
“Miss Chelsea, welcome back,” the man at the front desk said warmly. “How can we help you today?”
“Hey, I need someone high level to help me sell something.”
“Certainly, Miss Wixx. And might I say, your wings and horns look ravishing today.”
He wasn't flirting. He said it the way someone complimented a nice dress, which Chelsea appreciated more than she expected.
“Please feel free to have a seat. Can I get you tea or water?”
“Water,” Ivy replied immediately.
“I'll take tea,” Adriane said.
“Human blood?” Chelsea asked.
The clerk laughed. “Oh, Miss Wixx, you got me with that one last time. I'll have those brought over in a moment.”
As they sat, Adriane leaned slightly toward Chelsea. “Why do you always take me places that offer drinks while we wait?”
“Because the places I take you want us to make them lots of money. Being courteous to important clients is basic business.”
Ivy looked down at her outfit. “I feel fancy. Am I underdressed?”
“Oh, no,” Chelsea said. “You're overdressed. You should take some off.”
Adriane didn't even look at her. “Don't make me put you to sleep.”
“But how am I supposed to blow your mind if I'm asleep?”
“Miss Chelsea,” the desk clerk called, saving Adriane from answering. “Mr. Ellersby can see you now. Room four.”
“Thanks.” Chelsea stood and looked at Adriane and Ivy. “You two can wait here.”
“Chels,” Adriane said, looking pale with worry, “please be careful with my bag.”
“I'll protect it with my life.”
Room four belonged to an older fairy with silver hair, tiny spectacles, and an expression that suggested he had already heard about Chelsea from several exhausted coworkers.
“Ah, Miss Wixx. Welcome, welcome.”
“Mr. Ellersby?”
“That's me. You met Grafft the other day. He is my subordinate. I was told you have come looking for assistance finding a buyer.”
“Yes, sir. First, I'd like you to appraise something and give me your opinion on value.”
“Certainly.”
Chelsea pulled out one scale and laid it on the table.
Mr. Ellersby leaned forward.
“Oh, that's pretty.”
He inspected it more closely.
Then he had almost the same reaction Finch had. “Oh my!”
Chelsea smiled.
“Miss Wixx, this is a historic+1 quality ingredient. Are you sure you want to sell it?”
“Very sure. Any idea on value?”
He stepped back and rubbed his chin in thought. After several seconds, he said, “It is difficult. A single scale of this quality could be valued around four thousand gold, perhaps more to the right buyer.”
Chelsea waited.
“But?” she asked.
He nodded appreciatively. “Exactly. The problem is that it is a crafting ingredient for historic work. I am not aware of many recipes that would call for only one scale. Alone, it becomes something a wealthy crafter buys and stores in hopes of one day finding enough matching materials to complete a true piece.”
“And if there were more?”
His eyes sharpened slightly.
“How many more?”
Chelsea leaned back against the door and crossed her arms.
“Fourteen.”
His eyes widened.
“Well then, fourteen is a sizable amount. I would say perhaps...”
“Hundred,” Chelsea interrupted. “Fourteen hundred.”
Mr. Ellersby stared at her. He waited.
Chelsea smiled.
He slowly sat down. “Fourteen hundred historic greater ivory dragon scales.”
“Yes, sir.”
He was silent for a while after that.
Chelsea let him have the moment.
“For a two percent commission,” he finally said, “I will find you the best buyer today. I have contacts with very healthy bank accounts who would do unspeakable things for access to this kind of material.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Chelsea gave him the manor address.
“We'll be home for the rest of the day. Send someone when you have a buyer, and I'll bring the scales here.”
She turned to leave before stopping herself.
“Oh, I'm an idiot. I almost forgot. Is there a market for dragon meat?”