The journey back to the dorms was quieter than usual. As they approached the fork where the path led to the separate dormitories, a group of figures materialized from the deepening twilight, blocking the corner.
It was Kaelan and his followers. They looked worse for wear—clothes stained with mud and plant matter, hair disheveled, faces etched with a deep, mental exhaustion that no amount of physical rest would cure. They stood with a forced casualness that failed to hide their simmering resentment. They didn't move aside as Oliver's group approached.
Elara's friendly demeanor evaporated, replaced by a frown. "Do you need something from us?" she asked, her voice sharper than intended.
The Fire-Kin girl from Kaelan's group—the one who had scoffed at Leo earlier—stepped forward. Her lips were dry and cracked, her eyes shadowed. "This is Kaelan," she said, gesturing with a tired jerk of her chin. "Our group leader. **Baton affinity—Explosion. C-Grade.**" She said it like a challenge, a badge of honor earned through their disastrous struggle.
Before she could say more, Kaelan raised a hand, silencing her. His gaze, arrogant and assessing, swept over them, lingering on Oliver. The air around him subtly crackled; invisible pockets of his explosive mana popped with tiny, percussive *snaps*, like distant gunfire. "I see your group was the first to actually enter the Ironwood today," he stated, his tone implying a flaw rather than praising an achievement. "That just means you'll be the first to see how far that weak 'cooperation' method can really take you. Which won't be far. You can't negotiate your way through a real challenge."
Leo's eyes narrowed. "Is that all you have to say?"
Kaelan said nothing more. He finally stepped aside, his group parting with palpable reluctance to let them pass. As Oliver's group moved by, they caught fragments of murmured conversation: "…think they're so clever…" "…won't last when things get real…" "…grey freak probably can't even throw a punch…"
Once they were out of earshot and the girls had peeled off toward their dorm, Ilana let out a rare, audible sigh of exasperation. "Is that individual intellectually deficient?"
Oliver shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips. "Not a fool. A competitor. Just because we aren't seeking a rivalry doesn't mean others won't compete with us. We're all being graded on a curve."
Leo nodded, his merchant's mind aligning with the observation. "He's right. Right now, everything's provided. But in the second year, I've heard you have to earn your resources through merit points and ranked performance. That's when it gets truly cutthroat. Guys like Kaelan, who see everything as a win-lose scenario, are going to be very… normal. He's just starting early."
Elara, who had been quietly fuming, suddenly brightened, a new thought striking her. "You know… their method was brute force. And it was stupid. But… they *did* push in. They bore the full brunt of the forest's pressure. However inelegant, that's a kind of training too, isn't it?"
Ilana's eyes lit up with that strange, analytical glow. "A valid point. The greater the force you apply, the greater the reactive mental pressure you must endure. It's a crude form of resistance training for willpower and mental fortitude. Inefficient, but not without merit."
"Yes!" Elara said, her excitement returning. "We don't have to choose just one way! We can learn to speak the forest's language, offer our traits to pass peacefully… *and* we can try to push against it deliberately! That way, we train our control *and* our raw mental strength! Who says we can't do both?"
The idea hung in the cool evening air, transforming the tense encounter from a mere conflict into a strategic lesson.
After saying their goodbyes to the twins, Oliver and Leo walked the final stretch to Block Delta in thoughtful silence. The sprawling, austere building loomed ahead.
"What do you think of Elara's idea?" Leo finally asked, his voice low.
Oliver considered it, his mind turning over the implications. "I think it's smart. It's pragmatic. The forest, for all its power, is—as Valia said—isolated and trying to protect itself. It's not inherently hostile if we approach correctly. But what about a truly hostile environment? A corrupted ley line, a monster's territory, or a dungeon that wants us dead? We won't be able to offer it understanding. We'll have to push. To resist. To force our way through." He looked at Leo, his expression serious. "This is a safe place to learn both sides of that coin. To learn when to talk… and when to fight. We should try it."
Leo clapped him on the shoulder, a grin spreading across his face. "Now you're thinking like an adventurer. Not a scholar, not a monk—an adventurer. Options. Adaptability. I like it."
As they entered the dim, noisy warmth of the dormitory, the echo of Kaelan's popping explosive mana seemed to fade, replaced by the hum of a new plan. The confrontation hadn't been an ending, but a beginning—a sharp reminder that their journey wasn't just about understanding magic or surviving the wild. It was about navigating the complex, often combative ecosystem of the ambitious people around them, and preparing for every kind of challenge, both diplomatic and dire.
End of Chapter