‘What causes the loop’s timer to increase?’ Merlin was thinking.

‘It has something to do with this group, but I still can’t think of anything that might cause it.’ Merlin was still thinking.

“Are you done spacing out? We need to find your group.” The nasally Fie said which knocked Merlin to his senses.

After everyone woke up, they started following Merlin. The heroic whisperer, otherwise named Edith, started teaching him some of the letters and their pronunciation on the way to where Merlin usually starts his loop.

After reaching his destination, he faked a surprise and explained that the squirrels must have gotten their bodies. The group believed his story since they could see the blood, Merlin’s blood of course, but no bones or corpses there. Since the sun was setting and Merlin had no group, they agreed to return to camp and wait one more day for any stragglers from his group.

On the way back, Edith taught Merlin more about how to read and some common words in the language, which Merlin learned was officially called the Greyserf Language, but it was just a mishmash of Northern and Eastern languages in the eyes of adventurers and travelers.

He had a basic grasp of the language now and could read words but when it came to sentences, he had a bit of a problem. The Greyserf language had interlocking words where in a sentence two words combined had a completely different meaning than the original two words. It would take time but he had all the time in the world, right?

Merlin and the group reached their camp and Edith still wanted to teach Merlin even when he had a hard time keeping his eyes open.

After some learning, they decided to call it quits and go to sleep. Merlin sincerely hoped that the loop wouldn’t activate and he’d get to see another day.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:20: Day 3

He woke up and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his group sleeping and the book still in its place from last night.

‘Someone or something in this group can increase the loop’s timer.’ He didn’t want to waste this loop and tried to learn all he could before he started testing the conditions for increasing the loop’s timer.

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He searched inside the carriage and started to read the grimoire to test out his progress and after an hour of reading the grimoire, he understood only the introduction.

- The age of stars has come and with it, the prospect of magi started appearing across the empire. With this guide I leave all the secrets I’ve learned throughout my time to you, my disciple, I hope you can live peacefully in the empire. -

Merlin couldn’t understand the words after that introduction and put away the grimoire before the group woke up.

‘To recall everything I’ve learned: This merchant has a client who is a disciple of whoever wrote this grimoire, this group is traveling to the Greyserf Empire to the north so I’m somewhere east of the empire, and finally, there’s something or someone in this group that causes the loop’s timer to increase.’

After organizing his thoughts, Merlin waited until his group woke up and asked Edith some questions about the language. She answered most of his questions with ease while the others cooked up a meal for everyone to eat.

Merlin decided to ask the group for a request. “I have a request. I’d like it if I could join this group and follow you on your travels.” He just wanted a safe passage to towns while having a tour guide, but he’d still pull his weight if it was needed.

Edith and Kell agreed but Fie was a bit hesitant before eventually agreeing with the rest of the group. “Thank you! I won’t disappoint you guys!” His words and joy were genuine.

After a couple of hours of no stragglers from Merlin’s made-up group, they decided to continue on their travels with the added baggage of Merlin himself.

With the group on the road and Merlin finally getting farther from that horrible forest, for the first time since he arrived in this world he got a feeling of adventure. The idea of exploring was novel to him compared to his memories of his homeland where most if not everything was already found or wasn’t possible to find out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:20: Day 4

Merlin looked at the new surroundings and felt joy at seeing the new animals, that weren’t out to get him of course, and the new environment after being in the forest for repeated loops.

The lush grass with the cool breeze where heaven compared to the damp and dark forest. Merlin looked toward where the carriage was heading and could see a small village with some wooden fences as defense in the distance.

“If you’re surprised by this kid, then you’re not ready for what you’re gonna see when we reach the capital of the empire, Telok, which is close to the docks. It’s how the East and North can trade and communicate.” Fie mused.

‘I wonder if that’s where the disciple lives.’ Merlin wondered as the carriage stopped at the village to get more food and water for the journey.

Merlin walked out and saw Kell barter with another merchant. ‘With this, I finally can start my exploration.’ He thought as he started to walk around and ask for popular spots in the small village.

One of them was the tavern and the clothing shop which were on opposite ends of the village.

Merlin decided to go to the tavern and check it out.