Daimen is my chief suspect as the third time traveler. He is famous, so Zach may have sought him out for training. He studies ancient archaeology, and those gates are important to the story somehow. The matriarch mentioned something about another continent in her final message, Daimen is on another continent at the start of the loop.

On top of that, Zorian seems to believe that if Red Robe actually put effort into finding him, he would have by now. So Daimen being the third time traveler would also explain why Zorian and his family are still alive. Fratricide is a big step up from killing off some spiders.

 

I actually quite liked this idea.

The question is, however, how well that works with the thematic balance of Zorian finding more out about his family (and the world in general). For his sister it was discovering depth, and that she was quite different from what he thought he knew about her. For his other brother, mostly just a confirmation of what he already knew. For his mother, more manipulative/cold-hearted aspects discovered (re: his sister).

Thus far with Damien we've had discoveries which fit well with Zorian's view of him (enchanting Zorian to dance), but little besides. So there's a few ways Odysseus103 can go with this:
1) he actually is that much of an asshole, but not related to invaders/evil. Red herring because of how much he's brought up - though obviously he'll still be in the story in some manner.
2) he's different and/or has changed from Zorian's memory of him. Unlikely, IMO, but could add depth.
3) he's an asshole, and helping the invaders/evil.

What this highlights, of course, is how little we know about him. Still, I really doubt he's the third time traveler, because a) doesn't fit so well with the narrative structure of Zorian getting to know more about his family (and the world) and developing as a character based upon it, and b) it doesn't fit particularly well with the whole "empowerment via timetravel" thing (as Damien was very clearly awesome before this).

Mostly this just highlights how little we know about Damien, tbh. Still, I think it's important to think about him as for what he'd mean to Zorian as a character first and foremost.


One notes that Damien's family coming to visit him is rather convenient timing for them escaping a primordial being unleashed. The two brothers work against that, though.

(He could also be Red Robe, whilst I'm throwing out crackpot theories.)

 

Damien being Red Robe is too easy, I mean almost everybody had thoughts about him being red robe atleast once, the writer is more than skilled enough to not make it that obviou, and yet we all suspect him. I think he is playing us, trying to avert our atention

 

This could be true, but everything you mentioned is circumstantial. That's all only evidence if you already start off with the assumption that Damien is Red Robe. And maybe Zorian believes the third time traveler could find him, but he's also very paranoid and spends a lot of time covering his tracks.

Plus the third time traveler is obviously Xvim.

 

Definitely not. Otherwise his interactions with Zorian would be a little different.

"You shot me with a gun," said the Red Robe with almost a hint of a surprise. "The inadequacy of current academy curricula once again presents itself in a form of an incompetent mage who can't protect himself with his own skill."

He destroyed the gun and waited for Zorian to stand up.

"Start over."

 

Obvious speculation is obviously speculation.

What is far less speculative is my belief that Red Robe's identity has already been introduced in the story. The author seems pathological about dropping hints about every major development in the story to date. Anyone else have a major suspect? It can't be someone closely associated with the school because they would have caught Zorian long before he left the academy.

 

Zach's guardian is my suspect.

 

Remember that rumored secret government facility/artifact that manipulates time so you can learn a ton of stuff in a short time? I suspect that will play a role later in the story, and may explain how Damien became such a powerful mage. Maybe Red Robe is connected to that as well. Since the story is called Mother of Learning, I'm hoping Zorian will get a shot at using it at least once, too.

 

So, new chapter.

Have to say, was a bit miffed that Zorian complained about having to pay for the meal. Seemed such a petty thing to bitch about, seeing that this meeting was mostly to his benefit. She gave him information and he didn't really have anything for her in return. Coupled with the fact that he doesn't really lose money anyway, that just seemed stingy.

Well, we got more information on the shifters, anyone have a guess what a shifter child is going to do for the cultists? When we got the exposition about the gods and stuff, was there an entity that might fit for that?

 

“Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.”
― Zig Ziglar

I'm almost positive the story's name is based on this quote.

 

Yes, I'm aware that Zorian's time loop is sufficient cause for the title. But it seems to me that the author mentioned this other type of time manipulation for a reason. Foreshadowing, you know.

 

I just finished the newest chapter, and I think that's the most we've ever heard out of Xvim. The scene with Kirielle at the end was cute too.

 

Zorian complaining about paying for the meal wasn't about the cost, it was pure principal. It wasn't a date so the guy doesn't pay. He gets irritated when the world doesn't conform to his perception of social rules and expectations. It reminded me of his rant about the mandatory dance in his first restart. They had no right to make him go, but it didn't matter since they wanted him to go. Frankly, I agree with him. There is no worse friend-zone than when she still makes you pay for shit.

I liked Xvim's lesson in this chapter. My only disappointment was that he didn't just hand Zorian a pass after he went through the trouble of stealing one. I am looking forward to his meetings with the spiders after he learns some of the high-level human mind magics.

 

It's like a business meeting. The host pays. Zorian invited her so that he could extract information, so he pays. This isn't just two friends meeting up for lunch. They don't have that kind of established friendship. One of them is clearly doing the other a favour by turning up at all.

If Raynie had invited Zorian to lunch to pump him for information on mind magic, then I'd expect her to pay. It's a social transaction and providing the food is part of that.

 

Zorian just asked her if she was willing to talk about shifters. She turned it into the luncheon at her restaurant on her schedule while sending a messenger to tell him that it 'wasn't a date.' If a girl spent effort ensuring that it didn't appear like we were dating, I would be insulted if she insisted on me paying for the meal.

You have a point, but Raynie was being far ruder than Zorian in their interactions, so I am having a hard time thinking badly of him here.

 

Yeah I didn't get any sense that he was irked about having to pay. It seemed like he was just idly musing on the inner workings of her mind and of that particular social custom.

 

Guys, I think it was also partially a joke. As in "she goes through all this trouble to say it's not a date and then I still pay." Not much more to read into it.

But yes, Xvim was great this chapter. Definitely one of the more enjoyable characters even if he's pretty much the classic grumpy wise master archetype.