"Mn."

"Outside, if your neighbor has an insect infestation, you don't shrug and call it their problem, because insects breed. If wild hogs are rooting through nearby farms, you coordinate to thin their numbers before your own farm gets hit. If a maleficer goes after -" your little sister, "- someone near you, you don't just hang back and thank the stars it's them instead of you, because you know perfectly well that you are next on the menu! You band together and stop them before they gain momentum.

"But not in the Scholomance. No, here if someone's little sister dies, it's rejoice and be glad, maybe that one mal will leave us alone for a month. Sure it'll be bigger and meaner and hungry again next year, but that is not our problem, right? Bah."  

"Xiongzhang says they're at an equilibrium. Only something that permanently disrupts the equilibrium will have an effect."

Two sentences at once. After breakfast he's going to have completed his entire social for the day.

"Well sure, but the equilibrium includes the number of kids that die as an input. Mals get mana almost entirely from eating wizards, right? Cut their food supply in half and their population should drop, too. That is disrupting the equilibrium." 

"Mn."

Does that mean "go on"? It must, right? "Everyone seems to think it has to be zero sum, so they act like that inside the school. And people keep thinking like that when they leave, and they teach their kids to think like that because they think it will help them survive. And all those kids come to the Scholomance and act the same way, so that the ones who try to cooperate die, and instead of all cooperating to actually improve the total survival rates we are competing to not be the fastest to die! 

"And if a person isn't absolutely perfect, if they make one misstep or screw up one time, that is blood in the water, it is showing weakness, and their allies rush to be the first to abandon them and the loudest to condemn them." He isn't bitter, no sirree.

He'd suggest that this person should talk to Lan Xichen, but presumably he is or he wouldn't be here, and also he doesn't want to encourage him.

"Yes."

He's listening! And agreeing! Sort of! ...Alexius should probably actually eat, though. Have at thee, vaguely licorice-flavored porridge.

"Thank you for listening. I feel much better after having a chance to talk about these things." 

He finishes his substantial breakfast and offers a polite farewell, then sets off to the library, much encouraged. 

He hates the Scholomance so much.