I found 2 nice thing with the old blind man part:

• we can skip the cutscene, we can pause right after climbing the stairs by holding ENTER and then drop the sword, the cutscene doesn't play at all and we can move

• there is a way to shortcut to the garden / outside court by going behind the blind man and drop an item right after he calls the guard. the door is open so we can just go.

I cannot use this to shortcut to the hospital since one gem is missing. also going back to the fire place or going to the scriptorium, there is a guard ready to kill you.

One nice way to use it is to shortcut to the library but so far there is not route for that yet