"Hmm... Well... Uh-huh, uh-huh......"

After three arias, the black-haired wizard swallowed the pie in his mouth, his eyes closed, enjoying the overflow of food in his mouth, the delicacy that slid through his throat, and the warmth that entered his body.

"Eat as much as you eat, and don't make strange noises!"

"But it's really delicious... Of course, as long as it is made by Ain, everything is delicious!" Under the flattery of a certain duke who didn't care about face, the little wizard with a straight face, with a little more pink on his dimples, just snorted and sat down across from him:

"But seriously... After eating too much of the Byrne's sausages and beef, this Lothair pie is really delicious—it's just a very ordinary ingredient, and it's nothing special, but it's just very reminiscent of that poor backcountry... Oops!"

Loren, who was hit in the head with a large soup spoon by Ain's gnashing teeth, did not forget to stuff the pie (pie) into his mouth.

This "home-cooked meal" that everyone in Lothair—or every girl who was about to marry—would make a new life in the hands of the little wizard.

A dough made with wheat flour and eggs mixed with sugar and butter is slightly processed to form a cake shape, and stir-fried vegetables (mushrooms, onions, water spinach) prepared with olive oil are added to the cake.

Then pour in a sauce made with eggs, milk and yoghurt with black pepper and salt, finely chop the cheese and sprinkle it on the cake and grill it slightly.

The crisp and charred crust, the rich aroma of milk, cheese and butter, and the plump vegetable core – the satisfaction is not something that words can describe.

It's just a simple pie, but the little wizard still has the ability to make it completely different from the original—the average Lothair pie certainly doesn't use sugar and black pepper, but it's not just because of that.

That's a... A more delicate taste.

Looking at the black-haired wizard sitting in front of him gulping "liquidation", and explaining the words "gobble" and "chew slowly" at the same time, Ain's expression couldn't help but soften a little.

There's nothing more satisfying for a "chef" than seeing diners enjoy their creations.

"How did you have time to come over today?" the little wizard snorted, sitting across from him, "Aren't you staying with the Round Table Council?"

"It doesn't matter. Loren shrugged: "I might be busy again in a few days... Anyway, Master Ashamai has woken up, and you happen to be idle lately, so you will stop by the Wizard Tower. ”

"You guy... Do you think my lab is a vacation place? And people are very busy, so it's not like you!"

It's not just a complaint, it's a fact... Ain Rand, who is also the part-time "President of the Wizarding Guild", has to take care of the seriously ill Harlem Van Ashamai, while continuing the progress of the Floating City's project, and at the same time cooperating with Dalton Kander's wizarding academy plan, which is very busy, and it is not easier than Charlotte at all.

Compared to them, Loren is indeed a little "light" too much... There's even time to practice the sword with Luthen, occasionally discussing the use of the Valve, or talking to a "selectively forgetful" elder about what he didn't say last time.

"I'm going to be busy again in a few days... What's going on again?" Ain asked sharply.

"Sort of, but it's not very important. Loren deliberately avoided the topic and put down the knife and fork in his hand: "Hey... I heard that Isaac guy is getting married, is that true?"

There was no reaction on the other side.

It took a full minute for the black-haired wizard, who finally realized that something was wrong, to look up and see Al Yin with his cheeks puffed out, his shoulders folded, and staring at him coldly.

"What's wrong?"

Blinking curiously, Loren asked flatteringly, looking unconscious.

"If you don't want to say it, forget it, and you want to fool me with such words......" The angry little wizard shoved a stinky head back to the other end of the table with a large soup spoon:

"Who cares if you live or die?!"

"Don't look like that, we're friends, I'll be very sad if you do this. Loren was still smiling, unaware of the spoon on his head:

"Do you want me to tell you how, I'll tell the truth this time......"

"The devil only believes it!"

"Really, I'm not going to lie to you, or else, let's make a bet that if I lie to you again, then I'll ......"

"I don't listen, I don't listen, I don't listen!"

It is so familiar that it has been repeated dozens of times, and even hundreds of conversations, even to the point that both parties have a tacit understanding and know it.

"Ignore you, I'm going to sleep!"

Turning around in annoyance, the little wizard turned away and walked towards the dormitory across the hallway, leaving Loren alone in the dining room.

"Good night. Loren shook his head and smiled softly, "Remember to have a good dream." ”

"Bang ——!"

He was answered by the sound of a door slamming down the hallway.

The Wizard's Tower was quiet in the middle of the night, the wind could be heard chilling out of the window, and it was dark and gloomy midnight, only the direction of the castle was still bright.

At some point, the fire in the fireplace went out, and the dining room went dark in an instant.

The black-haired wizard frowned slightly, got up, gently put down the utensils in his hand, and walked towards the fire, which was still smoking in the darkness.

Just as he was about to get closer, he stopped suddenly.

The light from behind seeped into the corners of the eyes from the edge of the afterglow, making it look unusually dazzling in the dark night.

Loren looked back slowly, at his dining table, and at some point, there was a lit white candle on it.

There was an extra figure in the seat where he was originally sitting, and an unusually pale face was reflected in the faint light, and two white little hands were holding oversized tableware, but they looked so presentable.

Petite and slender figure, the red and black dress is spotless, the neckline is meticulously tied with a neat little bow tie, and the legs are covered with clean napkins.

Cut a small piece of pie, put it lightly into the bloodless mouth, swallowed it with a puffed cheek full of aftertaste, and put down the knife in his right hand to hold the wine glass.

Raising his eyebrows, Loren looked at the "uninvited guest" who suddenly appeared expressionlessly.

Putting down the wine glass, the blonde boy with a red stain on the corner of his lips sat up straight, with a decent smile, and calmly and elegantly threw a pair of scarlet eyes at Loren:

"Dear Loren, thank you for your hospitality. ”

Loren raised an eyebrow, hugged his shoulders, and looked down at him expressionlessly.

"You know... If I had known sooner that dear Loren had prepared a candlelit dinner for his best friend, the lovely and innocent Asriel, I would never have waited for tonight. ”

With a sigh of enjoyment, Asrael's eyes wandered, and a smile called "sincere" hung on the corner of his mouth: "Of course, dear Loren, your clothes are not very decent... Formal attire is required for banquets and candlelit dinners, which is an unwritten rule. ”

"yes, it sounds like it's still my fault?"

The black-haired wizard who shrugged his shoulders and smiled without smiling sat down and crossed Erlang's legs: "I'm really sorry to disappoint you... Why don't I go get a change now?"

"No... We are friends, and best friends don't have to worry about these details. Asrael squinted his eyes and shook his fingers with a "tsk":

"Don't say you're wearing clothes right now... Even if he was naked, it was as majestic and dignified to Asriel as he was wearing a cloak and a crown on his head. ”

“...... Thank you for the compliment. ”

Loren, who twitched at the corner of his mouth, almost gritted his teeth and said these words:

"But as a 'best friend', have some people forgotten something?"

"For example......" Asrael's eyes widened, his hands propped up on the edge of his chair, and he leaned forward... It's a complete "surprise me" expression.

"For example......" The black-haired wizard clenched his back molars a little helplessly, and the smile on the corners of his mouth became more and more stiff: "Someone seems to have promised me that when everything is over, he will tell me everything he knows." ”

"But now it looks like 'some' have forgotten. ”

The blonde boy tilted his head and smiled slyly, without the slightest remorse of apology:

"Dear Loren, Asrael admits that he was wrong, and Asrael shouldn't have kept you waiting... Although the main reason is that dear Loren has been too busy during this time for Asriel to bear to disturb him;

But that's not a reason, Asriel apologizes for his mistake and is willing to do everything he can in exchange for dear Loren... Your forgiveness. ”

Loren looked up, his expression a little surprised.

"But before all this... Asriel also has a problem. The blonde boy's eyes widened sincerely: "Why do you have to wait until Asriel takes the initiative to show up this time, dear Loren, if it were you before, you should have tried your best to force poor Asriel to speak!"

"yes, you said that, too. Loren sneered:

"The old me. ”

Asrael, who had a blank expression, still had a "pure and innocent" smile on his face.

"After going through so many things, more precisely, crawling back from the brink of life and death again and again, I figured out one thing. The black-haired wizard said with a blank face:

"All the 'truths', you only open your mouth when you have to tell me, and... It only tells me what I 'must' know. ”

"The rest... I won't say more than half a word. ”

The blonde boy who is still "pure and innocent", his expression is still so natural.

"So the conclusion is... I don't have to ask, because you won't give me accurate and complete information, and you won't hide anything from me when you have to. ”

"So... Why should I ask?"

In the face of the black-haired wizard's aggressive gaze, Asriel was still indifferent, and even nodded matter-of-factly: "Oh... It's Loren, it's amazing—it's only been a few years, and you've discovered it!"

Loren, who didn't smile at him, really had to endure it to resist the urge to press the boy to the ground and beat him violently.

"There are many reasons for this, and one of the most important is to make sure that dear Loren... You will not come into contact with an existence that you simply cannot defeat too early in advance. ”

Asrael, who didn't care, gently hooked the corners of his mouth: "Asrael is just trying his best to ensure that every enemy you encounter is at least something you can deal with... In other words, it is possible for you to cope with it if you get help. ”

"You're trying to say... All the evil gods and monsters I've encountered so far have been calculated by you?" Loren snorted disdainfully.

Asriel raised his head and looked at the black-haired wizard with a look full of meaning:

"Is it impossible?"

Loren frowned slightly, and the corners of his mouth hooked up a sarcastic smile:

"I remember what you said before, it's not quite the same as this one?"

"Oh, of course!" Asriel's childlike smile appeared on his face, "Asriel is a bad boy who likes to lie, and he is best at lying. ”

"Language, words, sounds, symbols... These are the most powerful forces in the world, spanning two worlds, and it can allow an ordinary person who is unarmed to defeat enemies who are far more powerful than him. ”

"In the same way, it is an elusive force – to express sadness with laughter, to express joy with crying, to hide fear with anger, and to cover up an empty head with eloquence......"

"The most interesting thing about such a 'powerful' power is that it can be used with lies... Tell the truth. ”

“...... What exactly are you trying to say. ”

He was interrupted abruptly, and a hint of impatience flashed in the black-haired wizard's eyes.

"It's simple. Asriel said softly, "Dear Loren, now is the time. ”

"Why, all of a sudden, 'merciful' ready to tell me the whole truth?"

"Here, the truth is a... Very inappropriate words. The smiling young man shook his head again, his folded hands lightly against his lower lip, and his expression was very playful:

"I'll tell you a story, and then it's up to dear Loren to judge what you like to believe, what you won't believe, and what you don't want to believe... Or it's ambiguous and hard to judge. ”

"Can you stop playing?" the black-haired wizard with a strained face gritted his teeth even more.

"The story... It's history—but who decides what history looks like?" asked the young man rhetorically, "Ten people have experienced an event together, do all ten people have exactly the same memory of this event?"

"Or is the bystander more qualified to judge? But he hasn't even experienced all this, how much can he know the inside story, the thoughts of the person concerned?"

Facing Loren, whose gaze became more and more murderous, Asriel sat up elegantly and raised his gaze, his little white hands clasped together, and pressed his wrists against the edge of the table:

"I'm going to tell a story of complete fiction, a man who never existed, a history that hasn't left a written record. ”

"But as Asrael said......"

"Lies can also be ......"

“...... Tell the truth. ”

Loren remained silent, expressing his skepticism with silence.

"So first, let's talk about the basic premise of the story. ”