After lunch, the Geography css test loomed. Daniel was the first to bring it up as the trio sat at their usual table in the cafeteria.

  “For this test, I’m not really worried,” Ethan said between bites, sounding rexed. He had taken a genuine interest in the subject, and that made the css contents stick easily in his memory. “Should be straightforward.”

  Oliver, on the other hand, was visibly stressed. “Easy for you to say,” he grumbled. “I didn't review anything this weekend. You guys got any notes? Do you at least know what might be on the test?”

  “I’ve got no notes,” Ethan admitted, “but I think I’ve got a good idea of the general theme. Maybe not the exact questions, but close enough.”

  Both his friends turned to him, expectant.

  “It’s only been a month, and everything we’ve studied so far has been focused on the northern forest—Darkwoods. Professor Joren will probably ask for the name and description of the region, maybe what kinds of monsters lurk around the border. Dire wolves, goblins, that sort of thing.”

  He paused to take a drink before continuing. “There’ll probably be questions about the three pioneer vilges around the forest—Merrinhold, Bckroot, and Valewood—their trade specialties and which monsters are nearby. And I’m sure we’ll get a couple of questions about the tools he showed us and the rules for camping safely in that forest.”

  Ethan’s review rolled off his tongue so naturally, it felt like he was reading from a textbook. Daniel let out a low whistle.

  “I always knew you were a bookworm, but I didn’t expect a walking encyclopedia.”

  Oliver, meanwhile, was scribbling down notes in a frenzy. “Wait—repeat that vilge list?”

  They continued reviewing for a while, chatting over key topics until the sudden crash of chairs and shouting broke their focus.

  “What now?” Ethan asked, turning to the source of the commotion. His eyes locked onto a familiar face in the center of the chaos.

  “That guy…” he muttered, narrowing his eyes. “He was in my css selection group… wanted to be a magic swordsman, I think?”

  “Oh, you mean the genius Christopher Lightwatch?” Daniel asked, easily pcing him. “Yeah, that’s him. But who’s the other guy? Looks older—like a third year.”

  To their surprise, it was Cra who chimed in as she approached with a confident stride. “That ‘other guy’ is Ronard Vellgrave. Bastard son of Count Vellgrave. He’s infamous around the academy for starting fights and thinking rules don’t apply to him.”

  "My Girl!" Daniel greeted her with enthusiasm. “Long time no see!”

  Ethan offered a more polite, “Hello,” with a nod.

  “Hello boys,” Cra said, smiling. “Studying hard, I see?”

  “A test’s a test,” Daniel shrugged with a ugh. “Got to be ready.”

  “Good attitude. Keep it up.”

  Oliver blinked, realizing he was the only one not in the loop. “Uh… who’s this?”

  Daniel waved a hand casually. “She’s a friend from second year. Her name’s—”

  “Cra Ventren,” she said with a smirk, finishing for him.

  “Right! That’s it!” Daniel nodded quickly.

  Ethan smirked. “You totally forgot her name, didn’t you?”

  “Come on, man! Don’t do me like that!”

  Before the teasing could continue, another crash shook the cafeteria. They turned to see Ronard flying through the air and nding hard on the floor. Standing tall in the center was Christopher Lightwatch, his fist still raised. Beside him stood a blonde girl, clearly shaken, but protected behind his arm.

  “Any idea what that was about?” Ethan asked.

  This time, it was Fiona who answered as she arrived with a tray full of food.

  “Oh, it started like this—Ronard was trying to hit on the blonde girl while she was alone. She refused him, but he tried to force it. Then Christopher showed up and challenged him. Ronard pretended to apologize but sucker-punched him. Knocked him into that chair over there. But then Christopher got up and…”

  She gestured toward Ronard, who was still sprawled on the floor.

  “…well, you saw the end.”

  Noticing Fiona had arrived, Ethan decided to introduce his friend properly.

  “Cra, Fiona, this is Oliver Greaves—a first-year Healer like us.”

  Cra tilted her head. “Greaves? As in the Greaves?”

  “P-probably… yes,” Oliver replied sheepishly.

  “Oh! It’s always nice to have rich friends!” Cra beamed. “Nice to meet you, Oliver! If you ever run into trouble, don’t hesitate to call your big sister for help, okay?”

  “Aha… thanks...” Oliver ughed awkwardly, clearly unsure how to take her teasing.

  “So the whole commotion was because that bastard couldn’t control his lower half?” Ethan asked, gncing again toward where the scuffle had occurred.

  “Yes,” Fiona replied with a small shrug. “Though… maybe this is a first. I think it’s the first time he’s ever been smacked down by someone from a lower year.”

  “Maybe it’ll teach him a little self-control,” Cra added with a smirk.

  “Well, now we know to keep our distance from that guy,” Daniel said, folding his arms. “Unlike that blond genius over there, we’d be crushed if we picked a fight.”

  “Hahahaha! Smart boys,” Cra ughed. “It’s always healthier to avoid unnecessary enemies.”

  “Anyway, is it over?” Ethan asked.

  “For now, yeah,” Fiona said. “But you can bet a dozen gold coins this won’t be the end of it.”

  “What do you mean?” Oliver asked, confused.

  “There’s a reason everyone avoids that bastard,” Cra expined. “When he can’t make a mess by himself, he has the coin to hire people who can.”

  “Oh! You mean he’ll come back with backup?”

  “Exactly,” Fiona nodded. “A bunch of paid ckeys to ‘settle the score.’”

  “Hmm... should we warn him?” Oliver considered while scratching his chin.

  “You mean Christopher?” Ethan raised an eyebrow.

  “Who else?” Oliver asked in a sarcastic tone.

  “I’m not sure if getting involved is a good idea,” Fiona said, crossing her arms. “It could backfire.”

  Just then, the bell rang.

  “Ah crap! I didn’t finish reviewing my notes!” Oliver groaned.

  “Too te now!” Ethan grinned. “Good luck!”

  “Bye-bye, dies,” Daniel said as they turned to leave. “See you next time!”

  “Sure thing, boys,” Cra waved. “Next time, don’t forget to treat us to another meal!”

  The trio hurried out of the cafeteria and made it to the cssroom just as the final bell rang.

  Professor Joren was already waiting by the bckboard, arms crossed, a map of the northern forest pinned up behind him. His explorer’s backpack rested beside the desk, and the usual gleam of practicality was in his eyes.

  “Take your seats. You’ve had a whole month to prepare for this, so I hope you used it wisely,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the settling murmurs in the cssroom. “Today’s test is theoretical—mostly. There will be three parts: identification, survival knowledge, and route pnning.”

  A faint groan rolled through the room.

  Joren continued, unfazed. “Part one: You will identify locations and ndmarks on the map. Part two will test your understanding of proper camping procedures, food and water acquisition, and general survival strategies. And part three will be the trickiest—you’ll pn a hypothetical journey into Darkwoods, from Merrinhold to Valewood, detailing your preparations, route choices, and how you'd react to a number of possible obstacles.”

  He handed out the test papers himself, moving through the rows of desks like a drill sergeant on patrol.

  When Ethan received his, he scanned through the questions with quiet confidence. As expected, the focus was entirely on the northern forest region. Darkwoods, Merrinhold, Bckroot, Valewood—everything he had reviewed came up in one form or another.

  “Alright,” Joren said once the st student had their test. “You have one hour. Begin.”

  Pencils scratched. Pages turned. Time ticked away.

  Ethan worked steadily, his hand gliding over the paper with ease. He filled out each section with confidence: listing known monsters in the outer regions of Darkwoods—goblins, dire wolves, even the occasional basilisk sighting. He noted Merrinhold’s trade in herbs and potions, Valewood’s lumber, and Bckroot’s reputation as a staging point for deeper expeditions.

  Route pnning was more involved, but Ethan detailed the path carefully: hugging the forest’s edge to avoid the deeper swamps, scheduling rest stops near natural water sources, and outlining responses for if a goblin ambush occurred—or worse, a monster stampede.

  Daniel sat to his left, scratching his head, while Oliver muttered quietly to himself and chewed the end of his pencil. Ethan gnced their way, then back to his own work, smiling faintly.

  When the time ended, Professor Joren collected the tests, scanning each stack with an appraising eye.

  “No immediate feedback,” he said. “I’ll grade these myself. Don’t worry—no one’s getting eaten by a hydra this time. Dismissed.”

  As soon as the test ended, Oliver leapt from his seat and wrapped his arms around Ethan in a bear hug.

  “Brother, you are my savior! The test was almost exactly what you said!”

  “Haha—thanks, but that’s enough. People are looking at us weird…” Ethan chuckled, lightly pushing him off.

  Realizing the attention, and reminded of his first-day trauma, Oliver recoiled like he’d touched fire. “R-right! Sorry!”

  Daniel strolled over, hands behind his head. “Well, that went better than I expected. Can’t say I aced it, but I’ll do just fine.”

  “Cra would be proud,” Ethan added with a smirk.

  Daniel narrowed his eyes. “You just love saying that, don’t you?”

  Ethan shrugged. “Can’t help it. It’s the truth.”

  Rolling his eyes, Daniel turned to Oliver who asked: “So? What now? This was the st test. Shouldn’t we celebrate?”

  “Oh, sounds good to me,” Ethan agreed.

  “Let’s invite some girls too!” Daniel added, immediately scanning the crowd.

  “Like who? Cra and Fiona? Do you even have the coin for that again?” Ethan raised an eyebrow.

  Daniel winced. “Okay, fair. Let’s maybe aim a little lower on the expense chart…”

  Ethan shook his head. “So? Who did you have in mind?”

  Daniel leaned closer with a grin. “You’ve got some very convenient contacts, don’t you?”

  Ethan stared at him bnkly.

  “Misha and her friends.”

  “…You’re serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  Ethan sighed. “I don’t know, man… not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?” Oliver asked, curious.

  Ethan crossed his arms. “Let’s just say… those two aren’t as soft as they look. Py too loose and they’ll have you in a headlock before you blink.”

  Daniel grinned. “Sounds like my kind of challenge.”

  “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Ethan said, turning to approach Misha’s group.

  She was still sitting with Anya and Celica near the windows, chatting quietly. As he walked over, Misha’s eyes met his, and immediately darted away, her cheeks coloring faintly. A sign that the memory of the kiss she’d pnted on his lips clearly hadn’t faded yet.

  Anya noticed her reaction instantly, smirking as if she’d stumbled across the juiciest secret.

  Celica leaned back in her seat with arms crossed, greeting Ethan with a teasing grin. “Thought you were too busy selling innocent girls private lessons.”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I offer premium tutoring services, thank you very much.”

  That got a snort from Anya. “Must come with… very hands-on instructions.”

  Misha nearly choked on her drink.

  Ethan held up a hand. “Okay, okay—fair enough. Fear not, I’m not here to do business.”

  That made all three girls pause.

  “Then what?” Celica asked, one brow raised.

  “Well…” He scratched the back of his neck. “Daniel, Oliver, and I were pnning to head out after css. Just a little celebration since tests are finally over. Some food, something sweet, nothing crazy. We figured you might want to join.”

  Misha’s eyes widened, clearly caught off guard. “Us?”

  “Yeah,” he said, giving a casual shrug. “Daniel’s idea, actually. Figured we could all use a break.”

  Anya leaned forward, her smirk returning. “A date, huh? The three stooges and the three of us?”

  "Think what you want. If you really want a date, I'm sure Daniel will be happy to have you."

  “Hmm, we shall see about that.” Celica said, looking at Misha, who was now trying—and failing—to look anywhere except at Ethan. “What do you say, Misha? Want to go unwind a little?”

  “I-I guess so,” Misha murmured, eyes still downcast, her cheeks a soft pink.

  Anya grinned. “Well, if she’s in, I’m in.”

  Celica shrugged. “Sure. Could be fun. Just no weird lectures this time, ‘Professor.’”

  “I’m off the clock,” Ethan promised, raising his hands.

  With the invitation accepted, he gave them a wave and turned to walk back to his friends. Behind him, he could still hear the soft snickers from Anya and Celica—and a gentle, embarrassed sigh from Misha.

  Back at the table, Daniel sat up with interest. “So?”

  “They’re coming.”

  “Nice!” Daniel grinned. “Operation ‘Stress-Free Evening’ is a go!”

  Oliver nodded with a relieved smile. “I was getting ready to be rejected on your behalf.”

  Ethan smirked. “Thanks for the faith.”

  “Anytime,” Oliver said. “So where are we going?”

  Daniel stood up proudly. “Lemonade stand first—then we see where the day takes us.”

  “…You do have money this time, right?” Ethan asked.

  “…Define ‘have,’” Daniel replied.

  Ethan and Oliver groaned in unison.