“Come on, you two. Lighten up!  If the academy went to all the trouble of inviting them here, they have to be one of the strongest enforcers alive. How can you not be excited?”

Volmar Merton was the other addition to the class, but was annoying for entirely different reasons. His constant optimism and good cheer were honestly grating sometimes. He was currently doing pushups in the grass, apparently just as bored as the rest of them, and had somehow talked Alek into sitting on his back while he did so. The kindly brute had been going at it for several minutes now and didn’t even look tired.

Alek just sat with his chin in his hands while Volmar continued his workout, looking like he was already daydreaming again. Ever since Alek’s demonstration during the competition, Volmar had apparently decided that he and Alek were going to be best friends, much to Alek’s annoyance. The dynamic between the overachiever and the lazy bum was a comical one.

Nadrina was busy going over her notes from class, with Lilianna, the two girls having an animated discussion. Aldric tried not to notice how they kept throwing him glances. They did it all the time now; in class, in the dining hall, during his office hours. He knew what they wanted from him, yet he was still reluctant to give it. He hadn’t even thought up how he was going to start those new lessons of theirs.

All talk ceased when Kedrin appeared with a richly dressed knight in tow. They were tall, broad shouldered, and kitted out in layer upon layer of the finest steel plate armor, something fit for a royal court. Aldric couldn’t see through their visored helmet, but apparently, he was supposed to recognize this person. So far, he was coming up empty. Aldric could count the number of nobles he would actually associate with on one hand.

The knight towered head and shoulders over Kedrin, but the man didn’t seem bothered by the intimidating presence in the least. In fact, he had a massive, knowing grin on his face. Both of them made their way to a small stage that had been set up for today, allowing them to address an entire class.

“Good morning, class! I have the utmost pleasure of introducing our new guest instructor. He has come all the way from the Kingdom of Verona to be here today. He is an old friend of mine, so I do hope you show him the proper respect.” Gesturing for them to step forward, the knight did so. He reached up and removed his helmet, revealing a man in his early thirties.