Amusing fantasy idea:

Dragons don't have that horde just for shits and giggles.

It's to pay off any knights who might come wandering around.

'All right, then, I know what the king's promised you, but I'm SURE you'll take a discount in light of the quite-likely possibility that I would reduce you to a smoldering pile of cooked meat inside your half-melted armor if we DID battle... come on, my good fellow, let's settle down to haggling...'