As it turns out, the Titan's method of physical persuasion proved far more effective than verbal arguments. After visiting the ancient silver dragon, Muria proceeded to visit the other seven ancient dragons on the Roghagen subcontinent. Two of them agreed to visit Synapse and observe the dragon academy Muria was planning to establish before making a decision. As for the other five, they found various excuses to decline his invitation.
Muria wasn't angry at their refusal—really, he wasn't. He simply transformed into his Titan form and challenged them to a fight every three days. Some dragons succumbed to Muria's physical persuasion, while others, attempting to flee like a certain silver dragon, were caught by Muria using the authority granted to him by the Dragon God. After receiving a thorough beating, they eventually agreed to his demands.
If the Platinum Dragon God Bahamut knew what Muria was doing, he would probably chastise him, saying, "Muria, you brute, that staff wasn't meant to be used like this."
After overcoming considerable obstacles, Muria finally succeeded in "inviting" these ancient dragons back, resolving the issue of faculty for his dragon academy through his persistent efforts.
"Now I should take those two ancient dragons to visit my dragon academy," Muria murmured to himself as he stood atop a mountain, gazing into the distance.
...
"Uncle Muria," a blonde girl greeted him respectfully as Muria entered a bustling city and made his way to a familiar villa. As soon as he stepped into the yard, the girl approached, bowing with the poised manners of a noble lady.
"Off to school again?" Muria's handsome, youthful face stiffened slightly at the title. He glanced at the book in the girl's hand, nodded, and forced a smile.
"Yes," the girl replied, pointing toward the house. "Father is waiting for you."
"You don't really need to go. What can a human academy teach you? Nothing but useless etiquette," Muria remarked, shaking his head. "You can stay here, and after I've discussed things with your father, you can join me at the dragon academy. That's where you'll learn the knowledge you truly need."
"But as I understand it, Uncle Muria, the dragon academy you're planning hasn't even officially opened yet. You don't even have any teachers. The reason you're meeting my father is to ask him to become a professor there. If I go, who will teach me? My father?" The girl smiled demurely as she responded, effortlessly poking holes in the grand promises Muria had made, and then left the courtyard with her book.
"What a clever girl," Muria remarked, watching her leave. Far from being angry, he smiled. Given that he was already over a hundred years old, calling a young gold dragon in her adolescence a "little girl" wasn't inappropriate.
"Lord Leonin, are you ready?" Muria pushed open the door to the small villa and walked in, finding a blonde man wearing crystal spectacles and casual attire. The man was engrossed in a book, and only when he noticed Muria's arrival did he put it down and nod in greeting.
"Ready," Leonin replied with a smile, standing up as his casual clothes transformed into an elegant, pure white suit, enhancing his tall, refined figure, making him appear even more dignified.
From what Muria knew, this golden dragon, who lived in seclusion here, was the dream lover of almost every young woman and noble lady in the city. Leonin exuded the unique charm of a mature man, which was particularly alluring to inexperienced girls and especially tempting to middle-aged women confined to their homes.
To describe such a demeanor, Muria could only think of the word "flamboyant." Golden dragons had an inherent tendency to show off. Many of the stories told in taverns about golden dragons involved them hiding their identities, disguising themselves as humble beings while deliberately carrying wealth that didn't match their supposed status, to lure malicious humans into committing crimes, only to reveal their true form and bring the wrongdoers to justice.
Sometimes, golden dragons would disguise themselves as low-ranking adventurers, joining adventuring parties to hunt down dangerous beasts. If the humans were on the brink of defeat, the dragon would reveal its true strength, turning the tide and earning the awe and admiration of everyone present.
Although the ancient dragon before him had disguised himself as a human pianist living in seclusion, Muria suspected that this was done intentionally. If he truly wanted to live a secluded life, he could have blended in more humbly, instead of attracting so much attention.
With his current appearance, it was only a matter of time before trouble found him. It wouldn't take long for people to realize that he was no ordinary person and shouldn't be trifled with. This was already evident, as most women in the city viewed him as their dream lover, while the majority of people were also wary of him.
Despite Muria's distaste for his flamboyant demeanor, he couldn't help but admire his character. Leonin was one of the rare ancient dragons who enjoyed meddling in others' affairs. His greatest hobby was collecting metallic dragon eggs stolen by humans. Although his villa seemed small, it was a well-known orphanage for dragons in the area.
"By the way, I heard that besides Mina, you have a few other children. Why not bring them along this time? They'll eventually study there anyway, so it would be good for them to get a preview of where they'll be spending the next few decades learning and growing."
"Are you that confident in your dragon academy?" Leonin asked, surprised by Muria's suggestion.
"Of course, I'm confident. When the school opens, nearly a thousand students will enroll, and I have dozens of teachers lined up to teach. Everything is already in place," Muria replied confidently.
"If you're that confident, I'll bring my little ones along to take a look. If it's really as good as you say, I'll leave them in your care," said Leonin, the golden dragon who had volunteered to become the head of the dragon orphanage. He was very interested in the academy Muria described. If it lived up to the claims, he could send all the orphaned metallic dragons he found there.
After securing this ancient dragon's agreement, Muria, still full of energy, took him to find another ancient bronze dragon who had also agreed to visit Synapse. He extended the same invitation, asking him to bring his descendants along.
...
"Lord Muria, as the descendant of a Dragon King, you're indeed remarkable. Even Dragon Kings would have to go to great lengths to gather these 132 cloud islands, yet you've managed to assemble them with ease."
"It's just good fortune," Muria responded modestly, though he couldn't help feeling a bit smug as he observed the two ancient dragons' reactions. He always enjoyed the moment when powerful beings were awestruck by the sight of Synapse. It gave him immense satisfaction.
"Do you plan to use all these cloud islands to build the dragon academy?" Leonin asked eagerly as he gazed at the islands.
"That won't be necessary. I plan to dedicate twelve islands to the academy's construction. I have other plans for the remaining islands," Muria replied seriously.
It was important to clarify this. The dragon race was only part of his forces; his primary army consisted of giants. The dragon corps was merely supplementary and wasn't yet crucial to his most important tasks. That's why Muria decided to establish a dragon academy to expand his dragon forces.
However, Leonin's comment reminded Muria that giants were his main force. He couldn't favor one group over the other. Since he was building an academy for dragons, it was only fair to create an academy for giants as well. It would be best to indoctrinate them with loyalty from an early age. Although they were already very loyal due to their bloodlines, Muria thought adding a layer of ideological loyalty would make them even more devoted to him. Wouldn't that be even better?
Additionally, constructing a giant academy would be easier than the dragon academy. Powerful giants, cloud giant commanders, and legendary frost giants could all come and teach combat skills.
After noting this, Muria led the two ancient dragons and their offspring into the academy. As soon as they entered, the seven ancient dragons Muria had previously subdued arrived.
"What's this about?" Leonin, the ancient golden dragon, noticed the familiar auras of the arriving dragons and looked puzzled. Since they all lived on this continent, the metallic ancient dragons naturally knew each other. Seeing them here together surprised him.
"They are the ancient dragon teachers who will be teaching the young dragons after the academy opens," Muria replied with a smile as he introduced them to Leonin and the bronze dragon.
The seven ancient dragons exchanged glances but remained silent. They knew very well how they ended up here. Realizing that others shared their misfortune made them feel slightly better. After some conversation, they discovered that Muria's heavy-handed approach wasn't limited to just one dragon.
The two dragons who had agreed to visit and decide later also remained silent as they observed the other seven dragons. It was unclear whether they believed Muria's claims or had other thoughts in mind.
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