"We have no choice. Among the unqualified parents we took the children from, there is indeed a group that can easily be misunderstood by the public." Aeolos rubbed his temples in frustration.
"This group could be referred to as the impoverished, people who can't even meet their basic needs for food and clothing. We have taken quite a few children from these parents."
"A bunch of lazy, non-productive people!" Young Otto snorted disdainfully upon hearing Aeolos' words, his face full of contempt.
The current Synapse Subcontinent, after the Holy Demon War years ago and the ambitions of a certain Titan and Dragon's child aiming to become the eleventh emperor, had essentially become a vast construction site. Cities were being built everywhere, and roads were being paved everywhere. Simply put, opportunities for work were abundant on this continent.
For a physically able adult, not particularly bright but diligent, it was more than possible to support a family.
"You'd have to be truly talented to end up as a poor person who can't even afford food here," Otto sneered. To him, the poor in the city were beneath contempt.
On the Synapse Subcontinent, to fall from a commoner to a destitute state generally meant a level of laziness that was beyond help. To put it bluntly, these people were so lazy that even if food were placed directly in their mouths, they wouldn't bother chewing it.
Such impoverished parents—if their children weren't taken away, would they just be left to starve to death with them?
"We have no choice. These people don't understand the law, which is why we as enforcers need to educate them in detail!" Aeolos shook his head helplessly. He'd seen firsthand the fear many lower-class citizens had for enforcers, a fear stemming from ignorance.
According to the law, if parents were economically incapable of providing for their children, the government had the right to take those children into custody. But just how poor did one have to be for that to happen?
Parents would need to be so impoverished that they couldn't even provide their children with basic sustenance—unable to raise them at all. Only when parents were this destitute would their children be taken away.
And what did it take to ensure that children wouldn't be taken away? As long as parents could provide their children with basic nourishment and ensure they could grow healthily until school age, they would be fine.
Once children reached school age, parents had less to worry about. Muria's education system provided ample resources for children from ordinary families, with monthly stipends ensuring their well-being.
The academies under Muria's control focused on training humans with extraordinary powers. A typical human family could not afford to raise a professional warrior. Even for warriors, the most common and accessible profession, training required rigorous physical conditioning and a diet rich in meat.
Would the law strip parents of their rights just because they couldn't afford to turn their children into professionals? Of course not. Muria wasn't so heartless as to rob parents of their children for such reasons.
"Let's go! Time to spread the word!" Aeolos resignedly straightened his clothes.
"How is the enforcement of the law progressing?" Muria, seated on his throne, asked.
"My lord, here is a summary of our findings from the inspections." Among Muria's many subordinates, Myles stepped forward to report. After all, he had overseen the drafting of this law.
"Overall, things are going well, but there are still some issues that need addressing." As he reviewed the report, Muria nodded in satisfaction at the improvements but noted a few remaining problems.
This law had been painstakingly crafted by a group of demons with swords to their necks. They had referenced nearly every legal code across the continent to produce what was theoretically a flawless law.
Yet, even so, during implementation, some discrepancies arose—issues that didn't align with the current situation on the Synapse Subcontinent.
"Law is not static. It must evolve with the times and be adjusted according to reality," Muria said as he observed the minor incidents occurring during the law's dissemination.
He believed there was no such thing as a perfect law. Times would change, people and circumstances would change. If the law didn't evolve with those changes, it would eventually become obsolete.
...
"It seems the young lord has had too easy a time recently."
"The adjustment period is over; it's time to assign him some tasks."
"Should we have him track down and punish those who violate the law?"
"The young lord has grown enough that we no longer need to be overly cautious. Let him explore the labyrinths."
"And how will we arrange that?"
"It's simple!"
...
"Aeolos, finally! We've been given a kill mission!"
"What's the mission?"
"Find and eliminate a group of child traffickers. No need to capture them alive!"
"Let's go!" After nearly two months of idleness in the city, Aeolos was eager to act.
Previously, they had been merely enforcers tasked with removing children from unqualified parents. Now, they would finally go after real criminals—the ones who violated the law.
...
"You damned fools! If you kill me, you won't get away with it!" The slave trader glared viciously at the golden-haired youth, who stood before him, sword in hand, stepping through the blood-soaked ground.
Aeolos, expressionless, raised his blood-stained sword. He had no sympathy for those who treated their fellow humans as mere commodities.
"If you kill me, you won't escape either!" Just as Aeolos was about to strike, a sense of dread washed over him. A familiar sensation followed.
He looked toward the source and saw a shattered talisman in the slave trader's hand. The familiar spatial fluctuation emanated from it.
"Damn!" Aeolos had no time to react before he was engulfed in a wave of spatial energy, and the environment around him rapidly changed.
Dark, damp, bloody, foul... Aeolos didn't need to look around to know where he had been transported. He was all too familiar with this place.
...
"By my calculations, Aeolos should be finishing high school by now," Muria mused, lost in thought.
"Father, do you mean brother is going to college soon? Which school are you sending him to?" Tiffany perked up, excited.
"Where else? Over the years, I've unlocked part of his dragon bloodline. I can now rightfully transfer him to the Synapse Dragon Academy."
"You're sending him to the Dragon Academy?" Gladys asked. "That's the Dragon Academy! Is it really appropriate to send my brother there after unsealing his powers?"
"The Dragon Academy isn't just for dragons. It also admits dragonborn and draconic creatures," Katyia pointed out, confused.
"Ah, so that academy reform a few years ago was because you wanted to transfer my brother there!" Gladys remarked. Ten years ago, the Dragon Academy had undergone a massive reform of its educational system.
The academy no longer limited its admissions to pureblood dragons but opened its doors to all creatures with draconic blood. Though the pool of eligible candidates had expanded, only a few hundred had been admitted since then, less than one-tenth of the annual intake.
As Muria's daughters speculated, he silently sipped his tea. As one of the longest-lived beings, his gaze was set far into the future.
The reforms at the Dragon Academy were indeed beneficial to his son, but that wasn't the main reason for them. The change was necessary, given the circumstances.
Even among non-pureblood draconic creatures, some exceptionally talented individuals existed. These individuals couldn't be overlooked.
After all, one such being, the Mountain Dragon King, had ascended to the rank of Dragon King despite not being a true dragon. Though his descendants resembled earth dragons, no dragon dared deny their true dragon lineage.
So, Muria had relaxed the admission requirements for the academy. Now, anyone with draconic blood and exceptional talent could enroll.
"Father, I have a question," Gladys interjected.
"What is it?" Muria glanced at her. "Go ahead."
"Although brother has received a standard education, most of what he's learned is very general. If he enters the Dragon Academy, won't he fall behind?"
"When did I ever say I was sending Aeolos directly to the university level?" Muria retorted.
"Then what are you planning?"
"He's missed out on much of the knowledge taught at the academy. He'll have to start from elementary school. But don't worry, I'll let him take the skip-level exams!"
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