"The shackleds haven't been creating much havoc lately," Fishbone pointed out, over the dinner in Leaf's manor, "Seems like the situation has been finally put under control after the last war."

Sitting at the head of the table, Lucian scooped a spoonful of stew and brought it to his mouth. Delicious.

"The shackleds?" Goblin, the youngest, asked. He was thirteen now, and didn't get a chance to meet one yet, "Are they those people that burn towns to the ground, eat babies and drink blood?"

"Yea, the same," Jax answered, his mouth stuffed with food, "I saw one once, when I was still young. A skinned lady tore a man in half with her bare hands. I couldn't eat meat for a month after that."

Wasn't she the first shackled that talked to Lucian? He remembered her. She was a low ranked one, known to destroy everything around them.

The assassin that attacked Lucian was a medium rank, with a resilient body that could withstand fire and other powerful attacks.

The shackleds above that were called the high ranks. They were capable of strategic thinking and planning, and their power far exceeded the lower ones. They could trample with the corps to bring famine to the region or destroy the army's supply chain on top of their great offensive and defensive abilities.

Lucian didn't have a need to bring destruction to his race, so he definitely wasn't a high rank. His strength also left much to be desired.

He scooped another spoonful of stew and brought it to his mouth, chewing slowly. The stew had a good flavor to it. He liked it.

'It's so peaceful,' he thought as he listened to his Vices' conversation.

Even if he wanted to fund the military to earn merits, the military wasn't short on money.

'Time to raise prices, it seems,' Lucian mused.

When everyone believed the world was stable and the future would be bright as well, they would spend more, borrow more... invest more.

In the upcoming days Lucian's people focused more on production and selling the goods rather than on acquiring assets, properties and buying out the competitors.

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Lucian ended up agreeing to the dean's conditions and became a guest lecturer for two weeks a year. He was required to come up with a lesson plan and teach a class of twenty students in the Royal Academy.

His lectures would be part of natural philosophy classes that involved studying nature and its living beings. He had to make it as interesting as possible so the students would pay attention.

It was an opportunity to show off in front of a crowd of future leaders and Lucian wasn't about to waste the chance to advertise himself. If he didn't get anything done, then he would be just throwing his time away, so he made sure to pick a topic that would spark interest.

He glimpsed at Celine, who sat in the middle row. The light that came from the window illuminated her face from the side, her eyes sparkling like the blue of a frozen lake reflecting the sunlight.

He was the sunlight, of course he was, and he would shine on her as long as she wanted him to. He was hers, after all.

She wore a mask of neutrality, and the only sign that she was excited was the slight crumbling of the paper she was holding between her fingers.

She could try and hide it all she wanted, but Lucian knew that she was the most invested in this lecture, like a mother hen watching her chick's first flight.

The Crown Prince sat in the back row new the window with an aloof air. He seemed bored, as if he had seen it all already. His grey eyes reminded Lucian of the color of the sky before it snowed. Cold.

"Today's topic will be about the healing properties of some plants and their uses in medicine," Lucian announced. "The most common medicine in our everyday lives is honey. Does anyone know where it comes from?"

A couple of hands rose up, "A bee farm."

"Correct," Lucian picked up a piece of honeycomb in a jar, "Let me introduce you to a new delicacy."

The students began to whisper among each other.

"The color looks weird..."

"Red..?"

"Is that what I think it is?"

Lucian smiled, "This is blood honey. It was made by mixing blood nourishing herbs into the bee feed, allowing the bees to create this special concoction. You can taste the sweetness, and a bit of iron aftertaste. It's great to consume after a blood loss or to prevent anemia."

Lucian set the small wooden crate on the table and removed the cover. The students closest to the teacher's desk flinched and pulled back, afraid to be stung by the beehive inside of the crate.

"For those allergic to the bees, put on the gloves and a mesh hat I prepared in advance," Lucian said, pointing at the equipment on their desks.

The students began to put their gear on, watching in amazement how Lucian scooped a handful of bees with his bare hand and placed them on the large, flat basket with the red flowers, "Woaah. How?"

While Lucian was explaining about the bee species, the bees immediately got to work, collecting pollen and feeding on the flowers.

The students took turns to join the process of making blood honey, and even took the bees in their hands under Lucian's guidance, to feel the vibration on their palms.

Lucian's fingers brushed against Celine's as he handed her the bees. She was among the few, who didn't wear gloves, so it gave him the excuse to touch her skin without being noticed. It was the closest thing to holding hands in public for them.

It was short, but warm enough to fill his chest.

Jax by Lucian's side tidied up the desk once everyone had their turn, carrying the crate with the bees outside.

Lucian then explained the process of pollination. He passed a few dead bees for the students to dissect and identify their body parts and functions, drew the flower's anatomy on the board, and the lecture was over before anyone could get bored.

A lecture with animals that could sting together with a taste sample usually did the job in attracting attention.

The wagon of blood honey he brought with him was parked outside the academy gates, and the students immediately lined up to buy it after the lecture was over.

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