Merlyn looks rather affronted, but underneath that, is actually quite glad to see the young man smiling, even laughing. It isn't much, but the old wizard has a tender heart under all his crochety grumping and bad temper, and if that's all he can do to make this a little easier... well, it's something.

"Have you considered," he says, rather acidly, "that the problem may not lie with the people trying to explain, but with you failing to understand?" Then, in a rather softer tone, "In simpler terms, then. I think you're still there, even when you're here. It's what makes the most sense."