Quotes

“It’s all muddy and wet but I can’t help you there. Don’t know any cleaning spells.”

“I figured I’d prepare something for you today, and I know you’ve always liked porridge,”

“Cirin doesn’t have a mage tower, so I was going to pick up the badge when I got back to Cyoria.”

“The Academy has a habit of sending a representative to third year students to discuss various matters of interest. I confess I should have visited you sooner, but I have been a tad busy this year. You have my apologies.”

“Damn it, Kiri! You had all the time in the world to go to the bathroom before I woke up!”

“Like I said, I was supposed to get to you sooner. Unfortunately, all but one of the mentors have filled their quota of students at this point.”

“Forgive my manners, Miss Zileti. Come in, come in.”

“I don’t suppose there is any chance to transfer to another mentor, is there?”

“I am Ilsa Zileti, from Cyoria’s Royal Academy of Magical Arts. I’m here to discuss the results of your certification.”

“I’ll be sure to remember this the next time I’m asked to wake you up.”

“Your father and I were already married when we were your age.”

“I don’t think I’m fit for that either,”

“It’s just that I really need to go to the bathroom.”

“I’m sure you’re aware of how irresponsible Fortov can be at times. I don’t think he’s fit to raise a little girl.”

“You don’t really intend to go out looking like that, do you?”

“You slept longer than I thought you would, though. It's gone cold while I've waited for you.”

“I just woke up via Kiri jumping on me, I haven’t had a chance to go to the bathroom and now you’re pestering me while I’m eating. Either get to the point or wait a couple of minutes while I finish breakfast.”

“She’s just bored and playing with you. You take things way too seriously, just like your father.”

“Kiri, I have to pack. Why don’t you go pester Fortov for a change?”

“We’ll be there for about six months, most of it spent traveling from one place to another. You and Fortov will be at the academy, of course, but I’m worried about Kirielle. She’s only nine and I don’t feel comfortable bringing her along with us.”

“Maybe I’m a little biased, since my family all died and I wish I actually had a family… but I honestly can’t figure out your animosity for them.”

“Alanic has access to potions I have never even encountered elsewhere and knowledge of how to help if something goes horribly wrong. I don’t think it’s going to be too much of a problem, though – he’s a pretty helpful person, despite initial appearances.”

“I mean, I know it’s hard to practice non-structured mind magic when you aren’t psychic like me, but I’ve seen other regular mages with similar defenses and theirs were a lot better than this.”

“But if copies that retain awareness for more than a month count as people and killing them is wrong, doesn’t that mean that using these lesser markers is effectively murder?”

“Why was such a rule put into place? I mean, there is only one Controller to begin with, so why put that sort of limitation in place?”

“They aren’t a copy, so there is no problem with them leaving. But everyone else would have to kill someone to get out, and that’s unacceptable. Is that correct?”

“If one of the copies wanted to leave this place, you could switch their soul with that of the original?”

“Let’s move on to something else. Guardian, you said the Gate is barred because the Controller has already left the time loop.”

“Scattered across vast distances. And if the Maker is a god like you suspect he is, well… the gods have been silent for centuries. That only leaves his agents. Who would that be?”

“That is the job of whoever placed the marker on you. And by temporary, I mean that the target of the lesser marker will retain their memories and abilities for up to six iterations before the marker dissolves.”

“But it is not the Gate that does it, so it is acceptable. It is up to the Controller to decide when and if they feel comfortable using such an ability.”

“Never. Why would I torture myself by bringing people into the loop, knowing that they would suddenly go back to their old, ignorant self in just six restarts?”

“Guardian, what about the ability to expel people from the time loop? Make them start each iteration soulless and dead? Does this ability exist?”

“It’s happy to tell us about specific abilities if we ask, but a simple list of all options is forbidden?”

“Unfortunately, something seems to have gone wrong and the time loop has been activated one month prior to it. This made everything more costly, causing the time loop to degrade far more rapidly than it is supposed to.”

“I just didn’t know any better! If I knew all this, I would have been a lot more cautious about this shit!”

“If you present all five pieces, you will gain sufficient authorization to reopen the gate.”

“I lost my nerves too. It’s probably for the best you shut me down before I did something stupid. That thing seemed pretty uncaring, but if anyone can manage to piss off a non-sapient spell construct, it’s me.”

“I also told you I would have done the same in your place, remember?”

“The point is, you were right. We don’t trust each other, and we’re not going to get anywhere if we have that constantly hanging over our heads. We need to work together if we want to have any chance of getting out of here.”

“Do you intend to continue writing after this?”

“Are you going to write a sequel to Mother of Learning?”

“What was your inspiration for the story, anyway?”

“Anything else you want to say?”

“You should publish the story!”

“What do you intend to do now?”