"Your Highness, is this really okay?" The golden dragon-blooded maid asked, her face full of concern.
"It's fine." Muria toyed with a small, intricately crafted warship model in his hand, his eyes focused on a holographic screen filled with knowledge on shipbuilding. Among these screens containing information critical enough to influence the rise and fall of civilizations, one screen stood out, showing the activities of the Mourners Society.
The dragons in this society were engaged in their favorite pastime: cursing Muria. Cursing the founder of Erathia's first Dragon Academy. Cursing the one who implemented a strict educational system. Cursing the existence that made countless young dragons feel like they were living in a nightmare, preventing them from slacking off.
This was the key reason the Mourners Society attracted so many dragons at the academy. By joining, they could vent all their frustration from the heavy workload.
"But Your Highness, more and more dragons are cursing you. If this continues, even you might not be able to withstand it," Mia, the maid, said, her eyes filled with anger as she watched the dragons on the screen performing their curses.
She glanced back at Muria. Thirty years had passed, yet not a single trace of time had left its mark on him. He still appeared as youthful as ever, maintaining the look of a young boy among humans. His black hair draped down, and his golden eyes shone brightly. He sat quietly, draped in a pure white robe, exuding a scholarly aura from decades of reading, his eyes sparkling with wisdom.
However, a faint gray-black aura enveloped him, contrasting sharply with his refined demeanor. Upon closer inspection, one could see various dragon-shaped shadows swirling within the aura, emitting angry roars as if they were protesting the pain they had endured.
Mia knew exactly what this was. It was the curse aura formed from the collective curses of the dragons in the Mourners Society.
Although each dragon's curse was lighthearted and playful, the accumulation of nearly ten thousand dragons cursing Muria daily had eventually created a visible curse aura around him.
Erathia was a world where faith could ascend beings to godhood. The heartfelt praise of millions could elevate a mortal to an immortal god. But what about a million curses? Could they pull a god from their divine throne and cast them into the mortal realm?
Mia didn't know. She didn't think that far ahead. She was merely a short-sighted maid with a single goal in life: to serve Muria, her master, faithfully.
"But Your Highness, the curse aura around you is growing stronger. Even with your power, you might not be able to hold out forever. One day, these curses might take effect."
"Let them take effect then. After all, they're just harmless jokes," Muria said with a smile, unfazed by Mia's concerns.
He was a half-Titan, half-Dragon King, fused with primordial power. No curse from anything short of a god could affect him. He was immune to all instant-death spells, and even a god's curse wouldn't work unless they were strong enough.
These young dragons' curses, born out of frustration with their heavy workloads, should logically have no effect, given the vast difference in their power levels.
However, the gradually forming and growing curse aura around him gave Muria a sense of unease. He had tried to remove it, but his efforts were futile.
Like drinking poison to quench thirst, whenever he dispelled the curse aura, it would reappear the next day after the Mourners Society held their daily activities. After several attempts, Muria gave up.
"Your Highness, perhaps you should limit the Mourners Society's activities. They don't need to curse you every day."
"Mia, do you know why I allow the Mourners Society to exist?" Muria asked, shifting part of his attention to his maid, though most of his focus remained on the knowledge-filled screens before him.
"Forgive me, Your Highness, I don't understand," Mia admitted sincerely. To her, it was baffling why someone as esteemed as Muria would tolerate these ignorant young dragons cursing him.
He had established the rigorous 120-year compulsory education system for their benefit. Granted, it was harsh at times. For instance, elementary dragons only had three days off per month, and the heavy homework often deprived them of sleep, forcing them to catch up on rest during their breaks.
As for the older dragons in middle and high school, their sleep schedules were even more constrained. Sometimes, they had no time to sleep at all due to the workload.
"Mia, look at the academy today. The student dragons have established over fifty clubs. Yet, apart from the Mourners Society, every other club is clearly divided. Metallic dragons join clubs created by metallic dragons, and chromatic dragons join clubs formed by other chromatic dragons. The exclusivity of these clubs is disappointing, and it contradicts my vision. I wanted the clubs to promote harmony among all dragon kinds, but none of them have achieved that."
"But the Mourners Society has," Mia said as she looked at the screen showing the ongoing activities of the Mourners Society. In this club, not only were there metallic dragons, but also many chromatic dragons, gem dragons, and even some rarer types like shadow dragons, crystal dragons, and cloud dragons.
Ignoring the number of members, Mia had to admit that the Mourners Society boasted the most diverse group of dragons in the entire academy.
"Exactly. That's why I tolerate their existence," Muria said with a smirk. "The Mourners Society achieved something no other club has. How could I possibly stop them?"
"It proves that when faced with enough external pressure, even dragons of different species, with long-standing grudges, can unite against a common enemy."
"But their unity is just for—"
"To curse me," Muria said with a grin, stroking his chin. "And that's fine by me. After all, I'm the one who set up such a harsh educational system. It's only natural for them to see me as their shared enemy."
After a few Dragon Kings had invested both dragons and resources into the Dragon Academy, Muria reformed the education system, drafting (copying) a stricter curriculum.
He introduced a 120-year compulsory education system: 60 years of elementary school, 30 years of middle school, and 30 years of high school, followed by university, which could last anywhere from 30 to 50 years.
This new system sparked widespread discontent among the student dragons. Even the ancient dragons teaching the students found it overwhelming. But Muria, with the support of several Dragon Kings, swiftly silenced all dissent.
The dragon race needed change, and change required hardship. Compared to the workload the ancient dragons faced, the young dragons' study load was relatively mild.
The Dragon Kings had sensed that the Seraphim and the Titans were joining forces to achieve something significant. Although Dragon Kings were nominally part of the alliance, the immense gap between them and the other two races left them feeling marginalized, as if they were only included in name. This situation made the Dragon Kings deeply dissatisfied.
As a result, they turned their attention to Muria's Dragon Academy, pouring resources and support into it. Over the past few decades, the academy had flourished.
What had initially been a campus of twelve cloud islands had expanded to thirty-two, a reflection of Muria's ambition for the academy's growth.
Muria was the greatest beneficiary of this development. Due to his lineage, no Dragon King dared to push him aside. Every Dragon King had to consider his three grandfathers.
Whatever the Dragon Kings' plans or schemes, Muria didn't care. He didn't meddle in matters beyond his control; he focused solely on doing his own job.
"Look, they're about to begin the formal group curse," Muria said, raising his hand to stop Mia from speaking further. He watched the screen with great interest. This was the little bit of amusement he allowed himself after hours of reading dry, complex books—a daily must-watch.
...
"Now that free-cursing time is over, it's time for the formal group curse."
Silver dragon Luffy stood before Muria's statue. She gently pressed her silver claw, and the silence array etched into the chamber activated, temporarily muting all the dragons. After a moment, she deactivated the spell.
With a solemn expression, Luffy turned to face the massive statue of Muria. She recalled everything she had experienced since entering the academy as a hatchling, her eyes gradually filling with anger.
She had to recall all the hardship she'd endured to summon the courage for this cursing ritual. She knew full well that the person she was cursing was watching them, and only in the heat of her anger did she dare to proceed. With rage clouding her mind, Luffy led the curse:
"Great Headmaster Muria, I curse you to trip over your own feet while walking, to choke on bones while eating..."
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