The moment Isaac's words fell, the atmosphere... It's embarrassing;

Quite awkward.

Brandon's voice was faintly heard from behind the blocked door - His Royal Highness the Prince, who knocked on the door several times and sent no answer, sounded very unhappy, ready to stay outside the door.

The little wizard with a cold sweat on his face stood in place, with a nervous expression that he couldn't speak, his slightly exposed teeth biting his lower lip, and his blue eyes stared at Loren all the time.

Isaac crossed his arms against the door, looking at Al Yin and the black-haired wizard very strangely, his eyes narrowed into a slitted scrooked glow.

Trouble.

The fact that Ain is actually a witch has always been a very sensitive topic.

Because of some kind of "traditional prejudice", the wizarding world has always maintained a very repulsive heart towards witches - even if there is no evidence that witches are extremely risky compared to male witches, but prejudice... Always unreasonable.

And the "tolerance" of the empire and the church towards the wizarding class did not open up to witches: the Imperial Code clearly stipulated that women were not allowed to touch the wizarding profession, and those who violated it were stripped of all titles and property, and degraded and exiled.

The Church directly put witches on the same level as "heretics" and "apostates", and they were all burned at the stake.

Even Lena de Salion, with her royal dignity, can only "understand" and dare not really become a wizard, even if she does aspire to be a witch.

Therefore, the little wizard has to disguise himself as a man, and even avoid all kinds of occasions where he needs to show his head as much as possible, and at the same time regularly take a special voice-changing potion made by Mentor Dalton Khand, plus a little makeup.

And Ain's appearance is already "neutral", so in the eyes of most people, she is just an alchemist who "looks a little delicate" - Isaac's existence has helped her share most of the "worldly eyes" and saved her a lot of trouble.

Due to various factors, Ain's true gender has always been a secret - in the Red Blood Castle, only Loren, Dalton, and Master Ashamai know the truth.

This time it's the same coincidence... The little wizard, who was busy with the maintenance of the Floating City and the development of the Lightsaber, apparently forgot about his makeup and the voice-changing potions he took regularly, and was noticed by Isaac for the slightest flaw.

Just like Loren and Master Ashamai discovered by accident because of their own coincidences.

So, I never told Isaac.

But Loren knew.

Isaac... Although he always pretends to be dismissive of other people's eyes and thoughts, he is actually very sensitive - sometimes he is childish like a child, sometimes he is too mature.

All in all, if he finds out that his friends are "hiding from him"... The stimulation of him is definitely not a star.

But that's not the most troublesome problem, because Brandon, Conod also had a bunch of royal guards and Boi hussars... It's all outside the door!

These... That's the problem.

Once Isaac is stimulated, he can't keep his senses and let Ain's identity be exposed... The consequences are secondary, and anyone who holds this secret can use it to blackmail and even threaten themselves and their friends.

Imperial nobles, the Holy Cross Church, some brainless wizarding academy forces, some ill-intentioned dukes......

It's not that I'm afraid of them, but it's really at this juncture of "unanimity with the outside world", Loren really doesn't want to dig out his mind anymore and spend energy playing the game of "open and dark fighting" with them.

For some people with a muddy brain, taking out a political enemy they hate is simply more important than survival.

So... You have to think of a statement that will fool the past for a while, so that Isaac will be suspicious, but at least it will not be exposed on the spot.

..............................

"Voice change?"

Isaac burst out.

"Yes, that's it. With a sigh, Loren, who had a "helpless" expression, slowly raised his head and looked at Isaac and the little wizard with a surprised look on his face very sincerely:

"Ain... It is also in the stage of developing a voice change. ”

"Blah, blah, blah, blah......"

Isaac, who hurriedly waved his hand, instinctively dodged back, but found that there was a door behind him: "What do you mean... No, I mean... What I'm trying to say is... What I want to ask is......"

"Ain... This guy... How old the hell is that?!"

"I don't really know, but I just happened to hear Mentor Dalton say that he missed his mouth. Sighing again, Loren shook his head and deliberately avoided Isaac's gaze: "In short, that is... Sixteen or seventeen?"

"Sixteen or seventeen?!"

Isaac's expression was even more shocked: "But I've known this guy for almost eight years!"

"That's the key, it's really not a secret, but I don't know how to explain it... Now that you've found out, of course I'll have to tell you. ”

"But ......" Isaac suddenly shook and faintly remembered something: "But when I first met this guy, I didn't look like I was only seven or eight years old!"

"With the usual experience, the hard life and the long stay indoors, it is easy to look more mature than your actual age. Loren gritted his teeth and took a deep breath:

"Isaac, you need to understand that there is no genius like you, and Ain... Think about Mentor Dalton, would he take in a homeless orphan as an apprentice for no reason?"

"He took you in for no reason, although it seems to have another purpose at the time......"

Isaac's brow twitched, "But I see what you mean." ”

Looking at his suspicious expression, both the black-haired wizard and Ain breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally... It's been fooled for the time being.

"So... The reason why I noticed a subtle difference between Ain's voice and what it sounded before was because he was in a period of voice change and was tired from not resting for a long time?"

"yes, that's it. Loren looked at him with a smile and a very sincere tone: "Then again, it's Isaac, and if it weren't for your reminder, I wouldn't have noticed this." ”

"Of course, there is a natural and insurmountable gulf between a true wizard and a spellcaster, especially with this insight into subtleties. Isaac, holding his arms, shrugged:

"Either way, it sounds reasonable. ”

"Facts speak louder than words. ”

"Well said. Nodding, Isaac suddenly looked at the black-haired wizard with "concern": "Alas, by the way—Loren, how are you recovering, have you woken up?"

"Uh, I... I woke up. ”

"Really?"

"Well, really. ”

"Don't hold on, if you don't wake up, you don't wake up. Isaac chattered uncharacteristically, "Let's be straight, were you woken up by the two of us?"

"No, I'm sober now. ”

"Didn't you pretend?"

"Nope. Looking at Isaac, who was not quite normal, Loren suddenly had a bad premonition.

"Since you're sober...... Isaac's face changed suddenly, squinting at the black-haired wizard's face:

"Then why lie to me?"

"......" Loren.

"......" Al Ain.

"Just now I just thought it was an accident, but now it looks like it's more than I thought!" Isaac, whose eyes widened, looked particularly aggrieved:

"It is intolerable that my friend, my best friend, should unite to hide something from me!"

"And what's even more intolerable is that they not only concealed it, but also tried to deceive me after being exposed by me!"

"Isaac, we didn't mean to lie to you. Loren sighed, his expression extremely entangled: "That's right, I'm just ......"

"You don't want to tell me the truth!"

Angrily snatching the black-haired wizard's words, Isaac's expression became more and more annoyed, and he directly picked up the wand on the side: "What is it that can make you hide from me until now, and you still think I shouldn't know?!"

"It's not that you shouldn't know, it's that everyone shouldn't know – including me, also because of a... Well, I didn't know about it by accident. ”

"That should too... Huh?" Isaac raised his eyebrows, his expression slightly better, "In other words, this matter belongs to Ain... A private secret?"

Loren closed his eyes and nodded helplessly: "So to speak." ”

"So... Until now, you're the only one who knows—and it's an accident?, and honestly, don't lie to me!"

"Because of an accident, and then ......" The black-haired wizard flattened his mouth, very entangled: "Mentor Dalton and... Master Ashamai also knows. ”

Bang Dang!

The wand fell to the ground.

Isaac's mouth opened wide, so shocked that he couldn't speak.

The grievances were almost written on his face.

"Even... Even Master Ashamai is ahead of me and knows the secret of my best friend?"

"It was an accident. ”

Although this is true, Loren himself finds the current explanation particularly unconvincing.

The atmosphere in the room became very delicate.

The little wizard, who had been silent, blushed, and struggles flashed in his azure eyes.

The black-haired wizard couldn't help but close his eyes.

That's right, the one who really hesitated and got hurt was not himself, not Isaac, but Ain.

Only after truly experiencing and experiencing it can we truly understand the deep malice and prejudice against certain classes and genders in this world, which resembles a "medieval feudal society".

Charlotte runs for the sake of the future of the House of Turin and Byrne, even willing to sacrifice herself, but in the eyes of the "traditional Byrnes", she is okay to rule the duchy in someone else's name, but she must not become the Duke of Byrne.

Because of her, not "he".

Salika Jonah won the title of Duke with the Battle of the Centaurs of the Great Green Sea, but ended up surrounded by rumors and rebellions - without the support of Brandon and Loren, she would not even be able to sit at the head of her own Jonah family.

Because she is not "him".

Fitlonay de Salion... Even within the empire where the empress has been, the hatred for the eldest princess is even higher than that of Brandon - they love and respect the eldest princess, but they would rather support Brandon than support her.

Because she is not "him".

The church despises sorcerers, the rich despise the poor, the old aristocracy despises the nouveau riche, and the imperial capital despises the foreigners...... The reason why this empire, which is full of prejudice and malice, did not fall into civil war because of the evil gods of the north and the dragons of Jufeng Mountain.

Because in the eyes of evil gods and dragons, humans are no different from ants.

Ridiculous, but more brutal.

The black-haired wizard looked up at Isaac and decided to try to come up with an even more bizarre answer - even if he couldn't fool Isaac, it would be better for him to feel like he had been fooled than for Ain to ......

"Isaac!"

At this moment, the little wizard suddenly spoke, his voice trembling slightly: "At this point, there is no point in continuing to hide it - you are right, I shouldn't hide anything from my friends......"

"Ain, you ......"

"Loren, listen to me!"

The little wizard snatched directly, and then looked at Isaac solemnly: "Loren, he has only one reason why he has been lying, in order to protect me." ”

"Protect you, protect you?" Isaac was stunned, with a very incomprehensible expression: "Are you special, dangerous—don't tease, Ain, you're just an alchemist, and I'm just a wizard." ”

"As much as I hate it, the world still looks down on wizards, and even the church spits on us, rolls its eyes and says a few sneering things — well, unless you're a heretic or a witch. ”

"Yes. ”

Ain sighed softly.

"Hmm... Yes, yes, right?" Isaac's expression froze.

"I mean, you guessed it. ”

Taking a deep breath, the little wizard's words made Isaac completely freeze:

"I... It's a witch. ”

At that moment, the atmosphere in the room became dead again.

Slowly closing his eyes, the black-haired wizard lowered his head.

And looking at Isaac, who was speechless, the expressionless little wizard took off his head band, let his long hair fall behind him, and took off his coat:

"If you don't hear clearly, I can put the one just now... Again, again, but it doesn't mean anything else, I just don't want you to get it wrong. ”

"It's not that I deliberately hide it from you—it's just that as you said, witches are no different from heretics in the eyes of the Empire and the Church. ”

"Even for your safety, I don't expect you to know... That way, at least when something happens, you can still be the one who doesn't know anything. ”

Stunned, Isaac stood there, unable to utter a word—not knowing how to answer, not knowing what to ask, and was completely reduced to a piece of wood.

"If you think I'm cheating, deliberately hiding it and not telling you for the sake of distrust... Then you think so, and I'm not going to defend anything. ”

Elle, who pretended to be calm, lowered his head, trying to hide the sparkle at the corner of his eyes, and the corners of his mouth were curled with some bitterness: "Like you said - I, who is so stupid and only a little clever, is not worthy of being a friend of the genius Isaac Grantham at all!"

As the words fell, the little wizard, who had sobbed slightly, raised his head again, pushed open the door blocked by Isaac, and strode out of the room.