"Master, the legal code is now preliminarily complete. Please review it!" A massive black leather-bound book was placed in front of Muria. The thick, tangible aura of resentment surrounding the book was unmistakable. "See if there's anything that needs correcting."
"How many demons did you kill to make this, Miles?" Muria glanced at his devil servant. His expression remained unchanged as he placed his hand on the book, which had been bound in demon skin and was shrouded in malevolent energy.
The resentment surged toward Muria's hand like sharks smelling blood. However, as soon as it touched his skin, a brilliant divine light flared, effortlessly dispersing the dark energy.
"Just some resentment left behind by a group of dead demons, and it dares to try and corrupt me? Ridiculous."
"Fewer than ten thousand, Your Highness!" Miles replied with a somewhat embarrassed smile. He considered the number small since, after the first massacre, the demons summoned from hell had worked themselves to exhaustion in their efforts to compile the code, not daring to eat or drink until it was completed.
"This legal code is well done, but it's still not comprehensive enough. There are areas that haven't been fully addressed." After skimming through the nearly ten million words of the code as quickly as possible, Muria nodded, acknowledging Miles' efforts.
This Synapse Code could be considered the most complete legal code in the world of Erathia, evidenced by its sheer volume alone. The code covered more than a hundred races, including the dominant human, elven, dwarven, gnome, and orc races, as well as rarer ones like dragons, angels, giants, merfolk, nagas, and even dark species like werewolves, vampires, and medusas. It spanned an unprecedented range of sectors—education, construction, food, healthcare, religion, adventuring—and regulated nearly every aspect of life with precise detail.
"Please guide me, Master." Miles lowered his head humbly, asking Muria to point out the areas still lacking.
"For example, in the section on education law, it outlines basic systems for schools and educational institutions, regulations for teachers and staff, and the rights of students, as well as the relationship between education and society. But it lacks any provisions for what is arguably the most influential figure in a creature's life: their first teacher."
"Their parents?" Miles quickly deduced what Muria was getting at. After all, it wasn't hard to guess who would have the greatest influence on a life.
"Correct. Legally speaking, parents have a natural right and responsibility to raise and educate their children. However, in some cases—such as with certain human groups and the traditional five-colored dragons—they fail to fulfill their duties and abuse their parental rights.
"These individuals need to be legally restrained. Being a father or mother isn't a title that just anyone can claim by default."
"I understand!" Miles did not press Muria for more details about what qualifications parents should have. After all, if his master laid everything out clearly, what purpose would Miles serve? The role of subordinates was to handle the details once their master had set the direction.
...
"Aeolos, have you read the recently issued Synapse Legal Code?" During lunch, a beautiful girl with distinct dragon horns on her forehead came looking for Aeolos in his classroom.
"I've read some parts of it, Eddie!" Aeolos smiled warmly at the dragon girl, a childhood friend who had attended the same schools as him since elementary school. The number of girls who used to hang around him had dwindled over the years.
Of course, it wasn't due to academic failure. While the education system on the Synapse subcontinent was harsh and eliminated many students each year, Holy Flame City was an exceptional place. Although there were no official statistics, it was generally recognized for having the highest graduation rates in the region—whether from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school.
The real reason Aeolos no longer saw familiar faces was that most of the girls from his younger years had been placed in other high schools. Few remained in his school, and none shared his class.
"This legal code is so strict!"
"Strict is good. As long as we don't do anything outrageous, we won't break the law," Aeolos responded with a smile, finding Eddie's complaint amusing.
"But don't you think the code covers too much? It even states that if someone wants to have children, they need to pass a parental qualification exam. If they fail, they can't have kids."
"I think that's great." Aeolos' unexpected response surprised the dragon girl, who had assumed he'd agree with her.
"What's great about it? Does that mean I'll have to take an exam if I want to have children in the future?" Eddie blushed slightly, her mind wandering to other thoughts as she glanced shyly at Aeolos.
"There was a recent incident in my class—something you might not have heard about," Aeolos said.
"What incident?" Eddie asked, confused. She wasn't one to indulge in gossip.
"There's a girl in my class from a modest background. Her family's finances are tight, and she depends heavily on the school's subsidies to stay enrolled.
"Normally, the school's aid is just enough to cover basic needs, so no student should fall behind nutritionally. But this girl is failing all her practical courses because her physical condition can't keep up. She's the weakest in the class."
"Why is that?"
"Because her parents are taking a large portion of her subsidies for themselves. As a result, she's far behind her peers in physical development. If it weren't for her excellent academic scores, she would've been expelled long ago."
"How could her parents do that? Don't they care about their daughter at all?" Eddie was shocked. She couldn't understand how any parent could treat their child this way.
"I've heard she has a younger brother. Her parents are using her subsidies to support him instead."
"Doesn't she resist?"
"How could she? Would you defy your parents? Even if they're wrong, there's still societal pressure. People would criticize her for going against her parents."
"That was true before, but now, with the new Synapse Legal Code, what her parents did is illegal!" Eddie's eyes lit up as she remembered the code's provisions.
"Exactly. Her parents broke the law, so on the very first day the new code was enacted, they were arrested. She was summoned to court."
"And what happened?"
"As you might expect, her parents were stripped of all legal rights to raise or educate her. They're still her biological parents, but legally, they no longer have any authority over her. If they try to take her subsidies again, it will be considered extortion, which is also illegal."
"That's wonderful!"
"Get ready! Now that the new law has been enacted, we'll likely become enforcers of the Synapse Code in our extracurricular activities."
"Who told you that?" Eddie asked, surprised.
"Our teacher." Aeolos didn't mention which one, but a teacher had discreetly hinted that they should prepare for something big.
Soon, Aeolos' prediction came true. All the high schools across Synapse joined forces, selecting students with extensive combat experience to carry out a unified task: to serve as enforcers of the newly established Synapse Legal Code.
Their uniforms were sleek white combat suits, accompanied by white capes and gloves. Every piece of equipment was pure white, and under the sunlight, the glowing figure of a majestic white tiger was outlined on the battle suits.
This was the standard gear Aeolos received as an enforcer. The white uniform symbolized the uncompromising purity expected of those upholding the law.
...
"Since this is your first time wearing these uniforms, you'll be given some simple adaptation tasks," the captain of the enforcers explained to the group of students, including Aeolos, who had just received their uniforms.
"What kind of tasks?" A boy standing beside Aeolos raised his hand eagerly, his eyes filled with anticipation. He was already imagining himself hunting down lawbreakers.
"You should all know that the most controversial aspect of the Synapse Code is its parental qualification clause. Your first task is to enforce that part of the code."
"Are you saying we're supposed to take children away from unqualified parents?"
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