You swallowed hard as molten gold droplets sizzled on your reinforced leather accounting boots. 'Your Scaled Excellency, I would never suggest vulgar commerce! Consider instead... strategic acquisitions.' You unfurled a new parchment, this one woven with flame-retardant silk. 'Magical artifacts - rare, powerful, and appreciating in value faster than gold. The Singing Scepter of Xorath alone has quintupled in worth since the Wizard's Schism.'

Valthorix's massive head tilted, sending shadows dancing across his piled treasures. The ember-light in his nostrils dimmed slightly. 'The elves offered me that trinket last century,' he mused, claw tracing the outline of a scepter in the air. 'Demanded three chests of emeralds. I ate their negotiator.'

You tapped a finger against your ledger. 'Precisely the problem! Today's collectors use intermediaries. No tedious negotiations, just clean acquisition contracts.' The abacus began clicking more calmly as you continued. 'Imagine displaying the Crown of the Storm King next to your rubies - a piece that makes visiting dragons weep with envy, while secretly building your net worth.'

The chamber's temperature dropped several degrees. Valthorix exhaled a thoughtful plume of smoke that formed miniature treasure chests in midair. 'This... has merit. But only artifacts worthy of my lineage. Nothing touched by dwarves.' His tail flicked, revealing a partially melted signet ring bearing the mark of a famous auction house. 'And absolutely nothing with paperwork.'