"Henceforth, all sub-dragons shall be released from our fold, free to go where they want," Kuro said strongly, making the expressions of the various dragons freeze.
"Young King, this..." The last of the four aides, an aged male dragon with yellow scales, muttered with uncertainty.
Kuro understood their reactions. After all, this was a catastrophe not only because of the long civil war and the damage it could do to the vitality of the dragon race, but also because the entire lifestyle of pure dragons was sustained by the hard work of sub-dragons.
While dragons sustained themselves by ambiently absorbing worldly energy—of which the excess famously produced aether crystals—they still had to perform other tasks to sustain their lives, not to mention their sanities.
Someone had to farm, someone had to hunt, someone had to cook and clean, someone had to build the dragon perches, dig the caves, etc. All of these tasks were usually handled by sub-dragons for little to no remuneration, mostly even for free.
The only notable benefit was that sub-dragons could receive some bloodline essence from pure dragons that would purify their own bloodlines and cause them to become stronger and more perfect. Like Chrona, who started out as a lowly wyrm and was painstakingly cultivated into an actual pure dragon by Clarent.
It was this hook that pure dragons used to make sub-dragons work for them like slaves. Otherwise, just based on bloodline suppression, they would only be able to make sub-dragons obedient at best but not willing to work so hard.
It was also a strong factor as to why sub-dragons accepted the abuse. A big factor in a caste or classist system is the opportunity for a lower caste or class to rise up to the upper caste or class. There, they can go from being beaten to becoming the one who beats, something that many people look forward to.
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Of course, when one is in a lower caste, they would complain endlessly and feel that it was unfair to be mistreated so. However, once they entered the upper caste, even if they didn't mistreat their former peers, they would become silent because the sweetness of the privileges was too great.
"I worked hard to get here, why should I abolish it for you?"
And so, former allies turned into enemies or turncoats, causing the caste system to persist.
The dragon race's version had existed from the beginning and persisted to the very end, when they were vanquished in the old war. Even in Draco's era, he did nothing to stop it, the man himself being a villain who sought the suffering of all beings.
Even the civil war that actually occurred in history only ended up with sub-dragons losing and being suppressed even more, stripped of the basic rights they possessed while being mistreated further till the end of time.
However, from Kuro's point of view, this was a bad outcome. Dragons were a powerful species, but they had been 'balanced' by creation with profound laziness.
Humans would *not* be the rulers of the world if dragons were to flex their claws even slightly, but they didn't. They preferred to lazily roost in their territory and watch everything with detachment, their only pastime being their penchant for debauchery and sex.
And this laziness was only exacerbated with the presence and behavior of sub-dragons, who willingly catered to every need. Just like in the *Wall-E* movie, excessive reliance on technology rendered humans into fat blobs that couldn't even move without chairs, even needing robots to wipe their own asses.
If dragons had half of the ambition and cunningness of the human race, would Sigurd have even been able to make a dent?
It could be said that their outcome was predestined; it was just a matter of when.
Kuro knew this, coming from the current era and being taught by his mother about dragon history since she was grooming him to become the next king as Draco wasn't much interested in it minus the looting aspect.
His mother, a white dragon, was perfectly self-sufficient because white dragons were built to serve their black dragon mates. As such, like white dragons of old, she lamented that their race was too lazy and did not need to over-rely on others like that.
But give a person an inch and they will take a mile.
You know how it is.
They didn't just want the aether crystals; they wanted the dragon blood, dragon horns, dragon hearts, dragon eyes, etc. All the precious parts of dragons that could be used for various crafts made the various races filled with greed as they banded together to form a Dragon Hunting Alliance that threatened the entire dragon race.
The worst part was that this wasn't the first time!
Over the many centuries, this had occurred many times, forcing the dragons to relocate often after being besieged for a while and being fleeced.
This was why they were the Scattered Dragon Race. They did not have a solid place to call home and were forced to migrate every so often with diminished numbers and a chest full of grievances.
When Kuro was informed of the Dragon Hunting Alliance's formation, he simply requested to know their rally spot. Right then and there, he traveled to the location with a fleet of dragons, releasing a huge wave of destruction energy below, turning the leaders and powerhouses of countless races into nothingness.
The damage this had done to the safety and development of the races of the world was incalculable, and Kuro even ordered the dragons to take advantage and begin a subjugation of the world.
As he stood atop a small hill overlooking a human city, which was plunged into screams and despair as countless weaklings ran about to flee the fire dragon launching flames down upon them, the system finally responded.
「System to Immortal Descendant Announcement
Congratulations on resolving the Second Catastrophe of the Scattered Dragon Race, The Great Scattering! Degree of resolution: 1000%!」
The world around him began to fade away with the scene of carnage as a backdrop, returning him to the white space with the statue of Igneus before him. This time, the previously stone statue had come to life, revealing a huge and majestic fire dragon with eyes a deep orange color, full of vicissitudes and wisdom.
Unlike before, his voice was not filled with playful senility, but tiredness.
"If I had even half of your power, talent, and resolution when I was your age, our race would have flourished far greater than it did," Igneus remarked with a deep sigh.
Kuro shook his head. "I disagree. The path I took works for me due to my heritage and talent, but as my father always says, not everything can be solved with force. The decisions I made will have invisible backlashes that will have to be dealt with."
Igneus was surprised and glanced at Kuro deeply. He then nodded with a hint of satisfaction.
"Young Prince, you have won my respect. Leave your name and a hint of your soul signature so that you too may become a pillar for future generations," Igneus requested kindly.
"Kuro Morningstar. My father often calls me the Star of Darkness or Dark Star, so that also works," Kuro stated calmly.
Igneus flicked a finger as a portion of Kuro's shadow detached from his body and flew to the side to form a portrait of him as he was, a young Black Dragon full of viciousness and ambition.
"I, Igneus Firelord, declare that Dragon Prince Kuro Morningstar has passed the Trial of the Crown, becoming the 5095th Crown Prince of the Dragon Race!"
BOOM!