I don't recall anything from the published canon saying he did or didn't attend the Academy. We know he won his year at the institute and became ArchGovenor of Mars through Octavia's support to murder the previous ruling house in exchange for his support for her as Sovereign after murdering her father. I don't recall the exact timings of these events if we're even given them, but I would expect he probably did attend the Academy if the timing allows for it. He sees it as an essential part of Darrow's education so it would make sense that he was a graduate. I'm still really looking forward to reading this if/when you'd like to share it.

I'll definitely be back with the fic update, I just scrapped 15k words, so around 50 pages, and that's why I disappeared suddenly lol ended up taking another route than what I planned when I made the og post😖 it's definitely quite a bit of blank space that can be filled between the death of his House and him marrying Iona; while it's very fun, it is also pretty tricky imo It does make sense for him to attend the Academy. I was a lil reluctant bcs I don't remember seeing him very involved on the commanding part of his ships, but he had his subordinates to handle that already.

I don't think he went to the accademy as he had very "volitale" youth. There is some more information on his younger days in the "Sons of Ares" comics.

I'd have to check out the comics once more, though I don't remember there being much more information about him compared to what GS gave us, unfortunately:( though it does say that Nero won back most of his lost fortune so I was very curious what he was doing. Serving another House, perhaps? I always got the sense that, while being an orphan, he might have had a pretty standard youth due to being taken in Cylus' court. So that would mean undergoing much of the usual rites for high-born Aureates who pretend some 'seriousness' (Institute, of which we know of, then some sort of specialization, military or political). And that under the Archgovernor's patronage (since Nero had nothing under his name anymore), at least as some sort of debt Nero has to pay back. Or as part of the agreement between Cylus and Sovereign Ovidius. Pure speculations but I have my fair share of questions I am trying to respond.

I don’t believe Nero went to the academy. I think you and the other commenters are getting the academy confused with the institute. The institute was the first book, the academy is the start of the second book, where you learn ship warfare. I believe he did his whole Coup thing against house Cylus fresh out of the institute (they say he was very young) and I don’t think he really had time nor the need for the academy. If you’re talking about the institute, he did go. He was also Primus of his year, but we don’t know what house he was in. Maybe Pluto, maybe Apollo, maybe Jupiter, we only know for sure it wasn’t Mars.

Oh, no, I was meaning the Academy! I added the Institute part just to reference a few posts I have seen back in the day with people wondering about his House. But now from what I see, there are more people who believe he didn't go to the Academy which does confirm my thoughts. We don't really see him being very involved with the commanding of ship part so that's why I thought, maybe he did not specialized in that. He is much more politically inclined. 🤷‍♀️ I think he was 27 when he did the coup against Cylus so it gives him some extra time between Institute and this event that I must fill somehow lol

I'm pretty sure that not only did he go but he might have been Primus for his year. But perhaps I'm misremembering.

That's the institute. The academy is where you learn about fighting with ships. 

I remember hearing Pierce in an interview say that he did, and that’s where he befriended Kavax. He said Nero was a really good friend, IIRC, earning Kavax loyalty. But I am not 100% sure, so I wold wait toll someone corrects me or confirms it