"I'm not a girl," interrupted Armin, an awkward look on his face as he said it. Gray and Arya were in stitches trying to contain their laughter. Even as Armin explained to the Count that he was a boy, the way his hair moved around, and his feminine facial features made it seem like he was lying.
"Ahh, it seems I was mistaken," said the Count finally, in a disappointed tone.
"However that is not a problem. How old are you Armin? Surely even out in the wild lands you keep track of your birthdays," asked the Count as he headed back to his seat.
"N-Nine," he replied.
"N-Nine!" shouted Leon. Although he was the only one that shouted it, everyone else in the room was thinking it as well. Leon had been under the impression that Armin was close to 15, and that he just looked a bit young for his age, what with him looking feminine and all. But nine was below the age that one was considered a rare talent, in fact, nine was nearly unheard of.