"Looks like I have no choice but to play a few games today then."

"Young man, you must be wondering why you weren't able to fool me, right?" the elderly man asked with an amused expression.

"Fool you? What do you mean by that? I have no intention of trying to fool you," Erwin denied.

"Hehe, let me tell you the reason," the elderly man said as a gleam flashed through his eyes. "You are too proud. Given your personality, it's very unlikely that you would've been willing to reveal the full extent of what you were thinking. Hence, even though you told me a very compelling story, I was certain you were hiding something from me. Hence, I could tell that you already knew everything."

A rather embarrassed smile appeared on Erwin's face upon hearing this. He had thought that his acting had been impeccable, but his facade had been seen through in the end.

The two women also realized that this was indeed the case, and they couldn't help but develop a sense of admiration toward the elderly man. Even though the two men had only met briefly, the elderly man had already developed a very thorough understanding of Erwin's character. The two of them were always by Erwin's side, so they were very well aware of his personality. They knew that even though he appeared to be quite easygoing on the outside, he was a very cautious and proud individual who never showed his entire hand to anyone.

"I thought I had you convinced, but it turns out you were the one fooling me this entire time," Erwin chuckled.

"Indeed," the elderly man also chuckled...