Chapter 542 - 337: The Dragon Race Will Never Be Slaves, Unless It Includes Room and Board (Part 2)

Even though Zog thought it was a long shot, a sun of their own making would still be a good sun.

Besides these adult dragons, there were also six Juvenile Dragons, and even two eggs.

It was clear they had brought their whole families to join him.

For this reason, Zog had no choice but to build a Dragon Race Kindergarten, separate from the kindergartens of other races.

Juvenile Dragons weren't very bright. Their brains developed slowly, so they couldn't learn the same things as other races. Compared to sapient beings, young dragons were closer to animals.

Moreover, the physical strength of a Juvenile Dragon was a bit too high. If they played rough with other children, it could lead to a tragedy...

Still, the kindergarten was necessary. If the Dragon Race wanted to integrate into society, they had to be educated from a young age.

It's just that their childhood was a bit too long.

From egg to a dragon large enough to pull cargo would take at least fifty years.

A huge sunk cost.

'How can I get the Juvenile Dragons to generate some income?'

Zog fell into thought...

In the forests of the north-central Sutton Kingdom, an agile Green Dragon was running at full speed.

This was his first official delivery run.

He mainly ran the route between Deepwater City and the Royal City. Before starting his official job, he had already made the trip back and forth more than ten times, so he was quite proficient.

Currently, there weren't many delivery orders, so the work was still easy. However, the Green Dragon wasn't happy. He was paid per delivery, so fewer orders meant less pay.

As an ambitious dragon, his goals went beyond just being a courier.

Although life was much better than it had been in the wild, the career ceiling for a courier was plain to see.

His prospects were limited.

If other races could hold important jobs, there was no reason a dragon couldn't.

So, in his spare time, he began to cram, catching up on his knowledge.

He first tried learning Magic, but after just two days, he realized he wasn't cut out for it.

It was completely different from the Magic he had encountered before. Book knowledge was far more important than the Casting itself, and he simply couldn't get the hang of it. He couldn't even understand the principles behind the poison magic inherent to his Green Dragon heritage.

'It seems there's no chance of following Lady Furin's path.'

He then turned his sights to management. 'If I can lead a group of dragons, doesn't that prove I have some talent for managing a team?'

If he wanted to get promoted to a management position, he had to master the common tongue.

So, in addition to attending the free language classes provided by Zog, he also started a "language corner" to practice his spoken Common Tongue.

The language corner was attended by members of the Dragon Race, goblins who struggled to speak clearly, Devils who came to the Main Plane to work, and Beastmen who had just arrived in the big city from their tribes.

And a crowd of city dwellers who came just to watch the spectacle.

The spectacle of four kinds of bizarre-looking creatures practicing the common tongue with strange accents and fumbling words wasn't something you could see just any day.

As a result, you could often hear the onlookers laughing so hard they were practically gasping for air.

Many of the students were too intimidated to speak because of this, but the Green Dragon didn't mind.

First, while the citizens were laughing, they would also point out the mistakes. 'Effective' mockery, so to speak.

Second, he was among those with the most standard accent in the language corner, because he spoke using a vocalizer, a recommendation from Zog.

While learning the language, the Green Dragon also tried to understand the entire online shopping system.

The lack of a Dragon Language version of the materials created considerable difficulty, but he still struggled through a good portion of it.

He wouldn't have known if he hadn't looked, but once he did, he discovered just how complex Zog's vision for the online shopping platform was.

Things like the ultimate goal of making deliveries possible to every small town, and turning online shopping into a daily habit for the entire population.

How to ensure the survival and transformation of brick-and-mortar stores under the pressure of online shops.

And plans to differentiate the online shopping platform in the future, creating different platforms tailored to the habits of different consumer groups.

In short, the current website was just one small step in a much grander plan.

For example, the current platform would one day serve as the main platform for middle-class consumers.

That is, the group with stable incomes, a material standard of living above basic subsistence, a desire for new things, and an eye for value.

'The Green Dragon tried to wrap his head around it. 'It seems the main targets are us workers.''

Just as the platform was now in its early stages, its main users were all employees of the Zog Group.

On the one hand, they were familiar with the platform and trusted it more.

On the other hand, they were the target users themselves. 'Oh, and they're also the target users for the food delivery platform,' he realized.

'Hey, why does it feel like a worker's life is just a life of being fleeced in turn by different powers?'

The Green Dragon felt as if he had grasped some profound truth.

'Running really is the best time for your mind to wander.'

He stretched his neck, preparing to run all the way back to Deepwater City in one go.

The Deep Research Institute had developed a special backpack for dragons that maximized capacity without hindering movement, which was very convenient.

The main load-bearing point was placed on the upper back near the shoulders, avoiding the relatively weaker lower back.

The Green Dragon was now realizing just how impressive those Humans were. They could design a backpack suitable for a dragon in just a few weeks.

'It's definitely better than the makeshift bags I used back when I was a wanderer.'

'It's amazing. An object of the same weight feels so much lighter when the pressure is on my shoulders instead of lower down.'

'I think they call it 'Draconic Ergonomics' or something.'

This backpack also allowed for easy unloading upon delivery by releasing a clasp on the chest, no assistance needed. The delivery dragon could even help with carrying the goods, making the process more efficient.

This optimization was something Zog had specifically requested.

The stated reason was to make the process more convenient.

'True,' the Green Dragon thought, 'but I bet Zog was also partly motivated by being able to hire fewer unloading staff.'

He was gradually beginning to understand Zog's way of thinking.

"Hm?"

Just then, he heard a strange noise coming from his right.

Something was tracking him, and it wasn't good at hiding its tracks. It was fairly large, too, making a great racket as it crashed through the trees and bushes.

And apparently, it wasn't fast enough, as it was about to fall behind.

'What's going on?'

The Green Dragon decided to see what was up. He came to a sudden halt.

The sudden stop threw off his pursuer. Its legs got tangled, and it came tumbling out of the bushes, collapsing right in front of the Green Dragon.

Now he could see clearly what it was.

A Black Dragon.

And a very young Black Dragon at that, its childish features still apparent.

Its horns hadn't grown in, its scales were small and somewhat smooth. It was in its late juvenile stage, not quite an adolescent yet.

'The bratty stage of a dragon's life, when they're a nuisance to everyone.'

It was also a bit malnourished. Looked like it hadn't eaten a full meal in a while.

After living in Deepwater City for a while, the Green Dragon's own physique was gradually approaching a healthy size.

'Poor kid. I might as well take it back to Deepwater City with me.'

The Green Dragon sized up the dragon in front of him.

Though it was skinny and small, it was actually quite good-looking.

Its black scales faintly reflected a purple light in the sun, suggesting a good bloodline. It had a round head and a pair of big eyes.

'Humans would probably love a dragon like this.'

After interacting with Humans for a while, the Green Dragon had noticed one thing: they had absolutely no resistance to cute things.

There were only those who showed their affection openly, and those who felt too embarrassed to show it due to society's expectation that adults be "mature."

The Little Black Dragon staggered to its feet, bared its teeth, and let out a low growl at the Green Dragon.

Unfortunately, from the Green Dragon's perspective, it wasn't the least bit intimidating.

He had it completely outmatched in both size and strength.

'When something weak and cute throws a tantrum, it just becomes twice as cute...'

"Traitor!" the Little Black Dragon shouted.

The Green Dragon was completely baffled. He looked left and right. "Me?"

"Slave of the Humans!"

'Not bad, it's got some vocabulary. Affinity +1.'

'To be able to speak in complete phrases at this age, it must be a prodigy among young dragons. Considering its bloodline, its parents must have been very powerful.'

"First of all, I am not a slave," the Green Dragon explained patiently. "I am working. It's an employment relationship."

"Employment? What's that?"

"It means an employer pays me, and I do work. I'm not a traitor. Besides, my employer is also a dragon."

"A slave to the Dragon Race!"

"..."

'Affinity -1.'

"Alright, how about this." The Green Dragon pulled a roasted rack of lamb from his small pouch.

A whole rack.

"Come with me, and I'll give this to you."

'The Green Dragon felt like a creepy uncle trying to lure away a child.'

'But this one probably doesn't have parents looking after it anymore. According to dragon tradition, a dragon this age would have already been kicked out of the nest. That's why the survival rate to adulthood is so low.'

"I... will not be a slave!" the Little Black Dragon said stubbornly, but the drool dripping from its mouth betrayed it.

"Alright then, suit yourself." The Green Dragon started to put the rack of lamb away.

"Wait!"