Marco could say such words so easily mainly because he had no regrets or unresolved issues he wanted to change.
Moreover, having watched "The Flash," Marco deeply understood one thing: changing the past often doesn't yield the results you desire.
"No, I still can't tell you too much about the future. I can't casually change other people's lives."
Though somewhat convinced by Marco's words, Erza still shook her head firmly.
Her personality dictated this - she wasn't willing to gamble with the future.
"Let's keep studying then." Marco patted the older Erza's head without pressing further.
He didn't particularly want to know the exact details of the future either.
At least from what he could see now, the future six years later seemed pretty good.
Wasn't that enough? It was more than sufficient.
Knowing this, Marco wouldn't slack off in his training, because he understood that his day-after-day, year-after-year training was the foundation for this seemingly decent future.
Marco stopped asking, and Erza stopped speaking.
The two continued studying the time magic book.
For some reason, as Marco looked through the book's contents, he felt like he was searching for gold in a pile of dung.
"Memories... Days, this is the name, right?"
Marco picked through the words and found one somewhat useful piece of information - this magic book was called "Memory days."
"Why this name?" Erza looked completely baffled.
It sounded more like the title of a diary.
"Seems related to its operating mechanism." Marco continued flipping through the book.
After finding the name, things became much simpler and more information began to surface.
"The book causes a person to go back to a time that they dont want to remember. However, if someone else touches that person, they will also be transported to the past."
Marco slowly explained the words written in the book.
This magic tome might be more aptly named the "Memory Time Machine."
This magic book was essentially a time machine that could only return to the past—and it could be used by multiple people.
Others only needed to touch the user to travel through time together, which explained why five people had arrived simultaneously.
"Incredible magic!" Erza couldn't help but marvel.
This was magic that involved time and space—no wonder the text was so obscure and difficult to understand.
"Six hours... duration." Marco continued deciphering the contents.
The moment he spoke, Erza tensed up and leaned in to look.
"Automatically ends after six hours. The user will be sent back to their original time..."
As Erza read this, her mind momentarily blanked.
"How long have you all been here?" Marco's expression turned serious.
The six-hour automatic return function clearly applied only to the user.
If time ran out and those who came along didn't return together, they would be permanently stranded here.
"Let me think..." Faced with Marco's question, Erza forced herself to stay calm.
She knew panicking would only lead to mistakes—she and Lucy had already learned that lesson the hard way.
"About four hours or so?" Erza estimated the time.
She hadn't kept track of the exact duration, only remembering they had arrived around two or three in the afternoon.
"Close enough. It seems we don't have much time left." Marco took a deep breath.
He had inferred the time based on when he had lunch—that was when he had first encountered Lucy.
By his calculations, roughly four hours had passed and the sky was already beginning to darken.
Marco had been so engrossed in practicing his Diamond Dust Fist today that he had eaten late—around two in the afternoon.
"Let's go! We need to find them!" Erza abruptly stood up, urgency in her voice.
Time was running out—if they didn't find those idiots soon, they wouldn't be able to leave!
"Who is the user of this book?" Marco closed the book and asked.
A thought suddenly struck him—what if the user returned and then came back again?
Maybe they could bring everyone back that way.
There was no reason why those who came along the first time couldn't return together on the next trip.
Missing this "ride" didn't mean they couldn't catch the next one, right? It sounded logical enough.
"Natsu! Natsu is the user!" Erza answered confidently.
Since the book was now in their hands and not Natsu's, the idea of waiting for the "next ride" was instantly ruined.
"The book states that when returning, the user must hold onto it—because the book also needs to return with them..."
Marco sighed.
Now, their only option was to find Natsu.
Otherwise, Erza, Gray, Lucy, Happy and this magic book would all be left behind here.
"Let's go check by the river." Marco spoke up.
If he had to think of a place where they were most likely to find Natsu and the others right now, it could only be by the little river.
That riverside had witnessed quite a few stories.
"Alright!" Erza nodded.
Truth be told, she also wanted to take another look at that little riverside.
In Erza's memories, that little river held a special place.
When she had first joined the guild, she would often sit alone by the riverside, staring blankly at the flowing water.
Later, someone began accompanying her during those quiet moments.
Erza's gaze turned to Marco, her eyes softening.
The Marco preserved in her memories was slightly younger than the one before her now.
Yet no matter how much time passed or how much they grew, one thing remained unchanged—Marco's always cherished her deeply.
*****
Marco led the way, clearly more familiar with the current layout of Magnolia City.
Erza followed closely behind as they swiftly made their way towards the river outside the city.
On the road outside the city, they spotted a horseless carriage parked by the roadside, surrounded by a group of servants.
The servants encircled the carriage in multiple layers, shouting in chaotic unison.
"Young mistress, we've finally found you!" It seemed they were chasing after a runaway noble daughter.
Marco glanced inside and caught a glimpse of a little blonde girl, but they had no time to dwell on the matter.
With Erza in tow, they ran all the way to the riverside, where they indeed encountered others—Lucy, two bruised and battered figures, and a cat.
"..."
Marco pressed his lips together at the sight, momentarily at a loss for words.
Natsu and Gray's disguises were actually better than Erza and Lucy's—at least they had changed their hair colors.
Natsu now had black hair, while Gray sported blond locks, and their outfits were relatively normal.
What truly left Marco speechless was the "cat."
It was Happy.
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