Dracotitán

These six dragons found a very effective method. After surrounding a city for a few days, the nobles within would obediently pay the protection fee. This fee was determined based on their total assets, set with a cunning understanding of their limits.

The amount demanded by the six bandit dragons perfectly tested the nobles' psychological limits. While the protection fee was substantial relative to their total assets, it wasn't crippling, and they could manage it by gritting their teeth.

Most crucially, the amount of the protection fee was insufficient to hire dragon slayers, so after some hesitation, many nobles chose to pay the fee.

The six bandit dragons, upon receiving the protection fee, honorably withdrew with their ragtag followers, taking away all the lower-tier monsters surrounding the city before leaving.

This act fulfilled their promise: as long as the protection fee was paid, there would be no disturbances from wild monsters. Of course, their actions were fundamentally a form of extortion and plunder.

However, compared to the methods other chromatic dragons used to plunder human cities, theirs was unbelievably mild.

After successfully robbing a city, these six dragons immediately targeted another city in a different country. They operated on a hit-and-run basis, never attacking two cities in the same country at the same time.

Thus, these six became infamously known as bandit dragons in the border regions of several countries.

Since each demand for protection money was just right, and due to human nature, most nobles in the area silently endured the exploitation by these six chromatic dragons.

Yes, not all nobles were so submissive. Some particularly bold humans refused to compromise, even though the amount demanded by these chromatic dragons wasn't significant in terms of their total assets, opting instead to hire dragon slayers.

But, the dragon slayers hired by these nobles were slaughtered instead of slaying. The dragons under Muria's care had real combat strengths far beyond their appearance. Not only did they possess magical prowess matching their level.

They were also trained by Muria, battling demons in the abyss periodically, making them far more fierce and battle-hardened than their complacent kin.

After defeating several human challengers in succession, their reputation spread, attracting even stronger monsters and dragon kin to join them.

Since they carefully selected their extortion targets to ensure they didn't provoke any unbeatable opponents, these six dragons thrived in the no-man's land between countries, enjoying their days as dominant bandits.

However, this lifestyle came to an abrupt end after Muria issued a dragon-hunting mission with the Church of Good Gods. Their unusual behavior and strong casting abilities had long been recorded by the local churches.

Upon the mission's issuance, many bishops and high priests reported up, leading the Dawn Church, the Church of Justice, and the Church of Dawn, among others, to dispatch six cardinal archbishops and form a temporary golden-ranked paladin squad.

Within a single day, the notorious Three-Color Dragon Band was decimated. The six chromatic dragons' hard-earned forces over several months were obliterated, and the tens of thousands of monsters that had flocked to their banner were slaughtered.

Then came the capture. Their mastery of various spells, especially teleportation spells used for escape, meant the six cardinal archbishops had to expend significant effort and time to apprehend them.

Finally, the six captured chromatic dragons and their evil dragon followers were brought before Muria. According to the rules, except for the six dragons Muria specifically requested, the rest should have been killed.

However, the cardinal archbishops decided after consultation to deliver them all to Muria, knowing his kind-hearted nature and apparent fondness for reforming chromatic dragons.

"This is what we've been doing these days, Muria." Red Dragon Cleste looked sycophantically at Muria, "Could you loosen my bindings? It's quite uncomfortable being tied up like this."

"Did you forget to mention something?" Muria smiled at Cleste, "If you can't remember, I can give you a hint. It's the first thing you did when you came here."

"..." Red Dragon Cleste's body stiffened, then turned its head away guiltily, obviously aware of what Muria was referring to.

"When I was tracking you, you actually used the spells I taught you to shield against my tracking." Muria's face still bore a warm smile, "Were you planning to betray me?"

"We didn't intend to betray you." Red Dragon Cleste whispered in defense, "You're just too strict with us. We blocked your tracking spell to prolong our freedom a bit, knowing you'd find us eventually."

"Strict?" Muria's smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of anger. He kicked Cleste's nose hard, "Without my strictness, could you have gathered such a vast force in a few months? You'd have been decapitated and hung on the city walls as trophies long ago."

"Yet here I am, bound and presented before you." Cleste muttered under his breath, though Muria heard every word.

"Ha!" Muria's boot, clad in metal, pressed down on Cleste's bleeding nose, "It was me who issued the commission to the church. Without me, you could have continued your merry ways for a long time. How about it? Do you hate me?"

"No hate." Red Dragon Cleste shook its head earnestly, its face full of flattery, "You've been so good to us; how could we possibly hate you!"

"Pleasing me now is too late." Muria coldly observed Red Dragon Cleste and the others beside it, including three larger-bodied green dragons and two red dragons.

"Regardless of your reasons, your actions amount to rebellion and must receive due punishment."

"What kind of punishment?" Hearing Muria would not kill them, Red Dragon Cleste breathed a sigh of relief, as did the other five dragons, accustomed to enduring pain as their punishment.

"Descale and flay!" Muria uttered coldly, looking at the relaxed chromatic dragons.

"..." The air briefly thickened, then all the dragons looked at Muria with horror. For dragons, this was the most cruel punishment next to death.

"No, Muria! I know I was wrong, I won't do it again!" Red Dragon Cleste screamed miserably.

"Silence!" A giant dragon claw reached out, gripping Cleste's neck, "A mere traitor dares to call Lord Muria by name!"

Red Dragon Atreus laughed sinisterly, dragging away its younger kin without heed to its screams or pleas for mercy. The other five dragons were also dragged away by a dozen green dragons under Muria's control, gloating over their misfortune.

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