The Travels of a Hairy Hermit

Nilsar reaches the academy gate in the same gear he wore at the execution ground, his captain’s commission secured and Edran Mott’s authority carried openly beside him. The royal notice remains folded beneath Edran’s cloak.

Master Othmar Venn waits beneath the stone arch, a lean elderly man with a close white beard, severe blue eyes, and a dark academic robe beneath a mail-lined mantle. Several examiners stand behind him with practice blades and scoring boards.

The examiners form a quiet line along the yard, watching Nilsar’s weapons, posture, and bearing. No hearing chamber waits beyond the gate, only a marked practice ground and a rack of blunted arms.

Othmar steps aside and indicates a blunted longsword, a shield, and three painted markers set across the yard. The examiners ready their boards as the gate closes against the street.

Edran remains by the gate with the royal notice, while Othmar and the examiners wait for Nilsar’s first decision. The practice yard falls silent around the untouched weapons.

Nilsar takes the blunted longsword and shield, then walks the marked yard’s perimeter before engaging. His boots find firm earth, clean seams, and no hidden give beneath the packed floor.

He raises the shield and advances on the first painted target. The Damascus Longsword cuts in a controlled two-handed transition, striking the mark cleanly before the blade withdraws without wasting motion.

The second target receives a measured shield bind and a precise descending cut. Nilsar checks his footing between blows, reading distance and angle before crossing the yard toward the final marker.

He feints high, refuses the exposed opening, then pivots and strikes the third target squarely. Steady Under Fire keeps the sequence calm, while Commands Respect turns disciplined restraint into unmistakable command.

The examiners mark every target cleanly struck and add a separate note: the yard’s concealed inspection line is exposed by Nilsar’s testing, giving the academy a safer standard for future candidates.

Nilsar approaches Othmar Venn after the successful examination, carrying the Signed Commendation and Sealed Academy Order where the master can plainly see them. The examiners remain attentive behind him.

Nilsar’s Commands Respect makes the request sound like a captain’s proper assumption of duty, not a petitioner’s hesitation. He presents the royal recommendation and sealed order without crowding the master.

Identifies Authority lets Othmar distinguish the royal command from ordinary academy procedure, while the Signed Commendation confirms Nilsar’s proven service. The master turns toward the waiting examiners.

Othmar leads Nilsar into the honours classroom, where young nobles and a few seasoned officers sit beneath painted shields. Silk collars, signet rings, and polished boots mark most students as children of influential houses.

The young nobleman, a young adult man in a dark wool tunic and polished boots with a small scar at his chin, rises first. He is a broad-shouldered adult with neatly cropped blond hair, a green house sash, and a courteous expression that carries more confidence than arrogance.

At the name, the other students make room without being asked. Commands Respect turns Nilsar’s captaincy into accepted standing, while Identifies Authority places him among them as a royal-backed officer, not an outsider seeking favor.

Nilsar takes the open place beside Edric. Around him, the honours students introduce themselves in turn, offering house names, service histories, and respectful questions until his presence becomes part of the room’s ordinary order.

Nilsar opens the academy rulebook and settles beside Lord Edric Marrow. The thick pages set out command precedence, lawful restraint, and the duties owed between rank and institution.

Nilsar tracks each clause with a finger, keeping the sections in order. Keeps Reliable Accounts links definitions, exceptions, and penalties without confusing academy discipline with field command.

Identifies Authority lets Nilsar sort crown commands, academy rules, and a captain’s commission into their proper order. The structure becomes immediately usable rather than merely memorized.

Nilsar continues through the rulebook, following its indexed headings rather than reading every intervening penalty. Records Research brings the Knightly Code into view several chapters ahead.

He compares the chapter’s definitions with the authority clauses already studied. Interprets Legal Records separates binding duties from examples, commentary, and customs that carry no formal penalty.

The next heading concerns a knight’s squire. Nilsar traces each numbered rule, noting that the squire serves the knight’s household and training, not personal whims contrary to law.

Nilsar reaches the complete squire section: maintain arms and horse, guard confidential instructions, speak truth about danger, assist the knight in battle, and refuse unlawful orders.