The Academy Armory

Lorist looked up at the blue-gray tower. The figure at the window was Dean Levens. He bowed with a hand to his chest, then turned and left.

The day before, Lorist had received a letter from Dean Levens inviting him to the dean's office that morning.

Dean Levens had been courteous when they met. He said he knew Lorist was about to return north to inherit his family's lands. It was a good thing, and he wished Lorist would become a great lord. Then he mentioned that the academy's armory had a batch of old armor and lances slated for disposal or auction. Lorist might want to take a look. If anything caught his eye, he could buy it; it might help on his journey north.

Lorist thanked Dean Levens and took the Dual Gold Instructor Badge from his chest, setting it on the desk. He did not know when he would return to Molent City after heading north, but he said he would always remember the wonderful ten years he had spent at Dawnlight Academy.

Dean Levens stroked the Gold Badge for a long while, then handed it back. "Keep it as a memento. And let's not talk about resigning. You're a legend of Dawnlight Academy. Be an honorary instructor for now. You'll always be welcome back."

After saying goodbye to Dean Levens, Lorist went to the academy armory. It housed most of the weapons, equipment, and training gear for the knight and swordsman programs. Even the practice swords Lorist used in his swordsmanship classes came from there.

Kuzm, the armory supervisor, was clearly expecting him. After greeting Lorist, he led him into a storeroom packed to the brim.

"There are 320 practice lances here. Fit them with lanceheads, and they're ready for a charge. There are also 700 practice swords; sharpen them, and they're deadly weapons. Then there are 300 practice kite shields, 150 crossbows, 24 suits of full knight's armor, and 220 suits of plate armor for heavily armored swordsmen. Oh, and 82 suits of cavalry armor. You could call those scout armor," Kuzm said.

Lorist was delighted. Everything here was in good condition, not worn-out junk fit for disposal. Before Fatty Shi and Knight Bordefinger left for Port Nubite, where they planned to buy slaves, Fatty Shi had reported on their purchases. Grain and wagons were no problem, but weapons and equipment were another matter: prices were high, and the selection was poor. They could scrape together enough longswords and greatswords, but good armor was hard to find. Most armor on the market was the leather kind mercenaries wore; metal armor was scarce and expensive. There was no time to order custom pieces. Fatty Shi had asked Lorist to keep an eye out and buy whatever he could find. Now that problem was solved.

"Kuzm, why does the academy have so much plate armor? I don't remember us having a program for heavily armored swordsmen. And what's the story with that cavalry armor? I've never seen it before," Lorist asked.

"Heh, Locke, have you forgotten that we absorbed Yellow Ribbon Academy? The plate armor came from their storerooms. But hardly anyone enrolled in the heavily armored swordsman program last semester, so the academy plans to cancel it. That leaves the armor with no use. We were going to auction it off, but the dean thought you might need it and wanted you to have first look," Kuzm explained with a smile.

Lorist smiled sheepishly. He had forgotten that Yellow Ribbon Academy had specialized in training stewards and swordsman guards. It was no wonder they had plate armor for heavily armored swordsmen.

"As for the cavalry armor..." Kuzm rubbed his chin, searching his memory. "I'm not sure how to put it. Those 82 suits were a failed experiment. They've been sitting in the academy storeroom for more than ten years, though they've been kept so well they're as good as new."

"A failed experiment?"

"Yes. It must have been fifteen years ago. A book about knights sparked a huge debate. It boldly predicted the decline of heavily armored knights and argued that cavalry of the future would rely on speed, agility, light equipment, and attacks from a distance, rather than the head-on clashes between armored knights that dominate battles today. The book used scouts as an example. In one battle, scouts serving as light cavalry screened the battlefield, killing more enemies and suffering more casualties than the heavily armored knights who charged the enemy lines. That showed how important scouts were. The book also asked which side would win if an entire light cavalry force of scouts harassed a force of heavily armored knights."

"The academy's knight instructors argued fiercely over it, and the leadership was interested too. If the prediction came true, knight training would change completely. The sooner they studied light cavalry tactics, the better their chance of getting ahead—even taking the lead once those tactics caught on. So they allocated funds for the armor-design instructors to make this light cavalry armor based on scout equipment. The plan was to produce 150 suits and form a light cavalry squadron for tactical exercises. Then came the Battle of Blanchico Mountain. Five thousand heavily armored knights of the Roman Empire crushed thirty thousand light cavalry from the Khanate of Harvisthan. Fewer than four thousand made it home. The book became a joke, the academy canceled the light cavalry project, and the 82 suits they'd already made stayed in storage until now," Kuzm said.

"I see." Lorist opened a crate and took out one of the so-called light cavalry suits. One look told him what it was.

A heavily armored knight of the day wore close-fitting mail beneath a full suit of armor before battle, giving him formidable protection. But according to Instructor Marlin, scouts in the City Defense Army wore leather armor over close-fitting mail, much like scouts elsewhere in Galintea.

The light cavalry armor in Lorist's hands combined mail and plate. Solid plates covered the chest and shoulders, while the arms, waist, and abdomen used mail. It offered better protection than standard scout gear while weighing less than a knight's full armor. The drawback was its odd appearance. As plate armor, it seemed insufficiently protective; as mail, it could not take another layer of armor without becoming too cumbersome. No wonder it had sat in storage for over a decade. Lorist did not mind. It would make excellent scout armor.

"All right, Kuzm, I'll take everything. How much does the academy want for it?" Lorist asked.

Kuzm froze, then brightened. "All of it? The dean said we could auction whatever you didn't want. If you're taking everything, that's wonderful. Saves me a trip to haggle with the auction house. Wait a moment while I work it out."

"Three hundred and twenty practice lances at one large silver each comes to sixteen gold coins. Seven hundred practice swords at four large silvers each comes to 140 gold. Three hundred practice kite shields at ten large silvers each comes to 150 Gold Fudes. One hundred and fifty practice crossbows at one gold coin each comes to 150 gold. Twenty-four training suits of full knight's armor at fifteen gold each comes to 360 Gold Fudes. Two hundred and twenty training suits of plate armor at ten gold each comes to 2,200 gold. I'll price the 82 light cavalry suits at ten gold each too, though they cost more than thirty gold apiece to make. That's 820 Gold Fudes. Altogether, it comes to 3,836 gold coins." Kuzm was quick with figures and soon had the total.

"By the way, Kuzm, could I use the armory workshop to fix up the weapons? I'd like to fit lanceheads, sharpen the practice swords, cover the shields with a thin layer of fine steel, and have my family crest cast onto the armor after it's been cleaned up. I'll pay extra," Lorist said. He was grateful: Kuzm's prices were only a third or a quarter of what similar equipment cost elsewhere.

"Of course. The academy's on break, and the workshop lads have nothing to do but gamble and drink together every day. They'll be glad for a chance to earn a little extra," Kuzm said with a smile.

"Good. I'll bring someone this afternoon who knows how to make the crest. If the workshop does a good job, I can pay them a bonus. Kuzm, could I pay you in three days?" Lorist asked.

"No problem, Locke." Kuzm nodded.

Damn it, that fat bastard only left me three thousand Gold Fudes to buy weapons and equipment. Lorist muttered to himself. He had spent over a thousand in the last two days on some three hundred weapons and a few dozen suits of armor. Now he had only one choice: sell the building he had recently acquired to pay for this batch of equipment. Thinking of Fatty Shi made him grind his teeth. The bastard had forced him into becoming a lord. It was outrageous.

That afternoon, Lorist brought Sertkamp to the academy armory. After explaining what needed doing, he went alone to the Red Raven Tavern to find El. El hurried in after Lorist had waited most of the day. He was surprised to hear Lorist wanted to sell the building he had just acquired and asked why.

Lorist explained that he was short of money for equipment. El told him to wait, then went out.

El returned a little later and handed Lorist a small box. Inside were fifty gold-banknotes.

"Brother, that's all my savings," El said. "You helped me earn most of it. I know you won't take my money for nothing, so let's call it a loan secured against the building. Write up an agreement: if you haven't paid me back in ten years, the building becomes mine. It brings in about seventy gold coins a year in rent. I'll take that as interest. What do you say?"

"Let's do that. El, thank you. You've helped me out of a tight spot," Lorist said gratefully.

El sighed. "It's nothing. The money would just be sitting there otherwise. If I didn't have so many ties here, I'd like to go north with you myself. That damned fatty even strutted around in front of me. What a bastard."

Two days earlier, Fatty Shi and Knight Bordefinger had prepared to leave for Port Nubite with a dozen former Swordsmanship Club members willing to follow the group north. Lorist had held a farewell dinner for them at the Red Raven Tavern. When El arrived, Fatty Shi told him that from then on, he had to address him as "my lord knight." Fatty Shi was a noble now, he said, and El was a commoner who owed him respect. El had nearly exploded with rage on the spot.

After saying goodbye to El, Lorist hurried back to Dawnlight Academy and paid Kuzm at the armory. He did not want to risk something going wrong with the purchase before the three days were up.

Kuzm smiled. "I thought you were short of money. I didn't expect you to find it so quickly. You must really need this equipment."

Lorist gave a wry smile. "Kuzm, the road north isn't safe these days. Fatty Shi is putting together an army to escort me home. This equipment from the academy has been a tremendous help."

Kuzm thought for a moment. "Then come with me. There are two more storerooms you should see. You might find something useful."

He led Lorist through several turns to the back of the armory, where two large stone buildings stood. Kuzm opened a door. Inside was a mess, with piles of odds and ends rising half a man's height from the floor.

"This is where we dump discarded weapons and equipment," Kuzm said. "Anything the workshop thinks can't be repaired, or isn't worth the trouble, ends up here. We clear it out every few years, melting down what we can and burning the rest. Some of it is still useful, though. Look at this spearhead, for instance. A little work and it could be a javelin head. Locke, take anything you want from here. It's free. Give the workshop lads a little money for drinks, and they'll be happy to fix things up for you."

Delighted, Lorist seized Kuzm's hand and shook it hard. "Thank you, Kuzm. You've done me a huge favor."

"Easy, easy." Kuzm laughed. "These old bones can't take that kind of shaking. Here's the key. Bring people to sort through the place whenever you like."

After dinner, Lorist summoned Telman and Yuri to his study and told them Kuzm had given him permission to clear out the armory storerooms.

Telman said it was excellent news. Thirty-eight former academy students were willing to follow Lorist north. Knight Shredder and Knight Bordefinger had taken twelve of them to Port Nubite two days earlier. Yuri had planned to take another group to his home on the Harvisthan grasslands in a couple of days to buy warhorses. Now Yuri could take fewer people, and Telman could bring the rest to clear out the armory.

Before leaving, Fatty Shi had also given Yuri three thousand Gold Fudes and told him to buy at least two hundred warhorses. But a warhorse in Molent City cost no less than thirty or forty gold coins. Yuri therefore planned to buy directly on the grasslands near his home rather than let the unscrupulous horse traders pocket a fortune.

Lorist shook his head. Yuri's round trip would take about a month, so he should bring more people in case anything went wrong. They could hire a dozen or so students who were doing odd jobs to clear out the armory. Telman's group only needed to decide what could be used and what was scrap. Lorist would check on the work often himself. He could not leave the academy just yet; too many decisions still needed his approval.

After Telman and his group had spent three days clearing the storerooms, he sent someone to fetch Lorist.

Lorist arrived to find the two large rooms more than half cleared. Another three days would finish the job. The weapons and equipment Telman considered salvageable were piled like a mountain.

Seeing Lorist inspect the pile, Telman said a little awkwardly, "My lord, this is only a first pass at what might still be usable. We'll have to sort through it again. We may be able to repair less than a third. I called you because we found these Repeating Crossbows inside. They're intact, but I don't know why they were thrown out. Could we take them? They'd be very useful on the journey north."

Only then did Lorist notice the twelve Repeating Crossbows lined up beside the mountain of scrap. Apart from their missing bowstrings, every part was intact. They did not even look old. Their bow arms in particular gleamed black with oil, though he could not tell what they were made of. These were small Repeating Crossbows meant to be mounted on wagons, usually supply wagons, for long-range defense. Why so many had been discarded here, he could not say.

Lorist fetched Kuzm. Kuzm studied the twelve Repeating Crossbows for a long time before remembering them. He went back for a yellowed parchment register, flipped halfway through it, and said, "Here they are."

Eight years earlier, instructors and students in the academy's crossbow-making program had designed and built the twelve Repeating Crossbows for a City Defense Army procurement bid. The design and craftsmanship were good, but each one needed three people to operate: a driver, someone to aim and fire, and someone to cock it and load bolts. They had lost the bid and been discarded.

"Take them if you need them," Kuzm said. "See? The register already marks them as discarded. You'll have to find bowstrings yourselves, though. The armory has none that fit."

Lorist and Telman were overjoyed. With twelve Repeating Crossbows, they would have more firepower to protect them on the journey north.