Chise contacts Seth Noel , the auctioneer who originally sold her to Elias, to track the dragons. They learn that one dragon is being put up for auction in London.

Renfred, Alice, and others from the College visit Elias and Chise to seek help in recovering the dragons. While Elias is initially indifferent, Chise convinces him to cooperate because she can literally feel the dragon's pain through her magic.

During the auction, the dragon hatchling—traumatized and altered by Cartaphilus's experiments—undergoes a violent atavistic transformation . It grows into a massive, hostile beast and begins siphoning magic from the air, causing a crisis in London.

Following the previous kidnapping of dragon hatchlings, Chise has a terrifying vision of Cartaphilus (Joseph) performing a gruesome vivisection on one of the young dragons.