"Who wants to go first?" Siderius said.
Bas stepped forward and unbuckled the sword strapped on his waist. He held the sword high.
"Let me do it first then. I can't beat your blade." Bas said.
Kynidus stared at Bas with a knowing smile. Bas answered his gaze by looking directly at Kynidus's eyes. The two of them stayed silent for minutes. No one interrupted them nor did anyone make a sound.
Even the woodcutter also lowered his head.
Kynidus was the first to divert his eyes away. He drank from his large wooden mug again.
Then he said, "You failed."
"What?! Why?" Bas said.
"I'm not the one who's going to give you the answer. You can only know that you failed." Kynidus shrugged.
Bas scratched his head. He was less frustrated and more confused about everything. Siderius did tell Bas about what he found about Kynidus.
So Bas did tell the truth. He didn't think he would beat Kynidus. But still, he had failed.
