The sly Hint

Kai licked his lips.

The other sellswords were also sharing a look. The presence of those armored guards had made them uneasy as well. Kai couldn't see the face of the hooded man, but through the system, he still knew who he was. From the way his back was slightly hunched, Kai could tell this man was old.

The guards didn't have helms, and there was a piece of cloth over their upper body, hiding the shine of metal underneath. Yet, from this distance, the clanking of the armor couldn't be hidden. Much less needed to be said about the longsword at their waist.

"These are the best of their kind and their age under me," Big Waldo said, addressing the hooded man. "When I am done with them, you can select one of the remaining three."

The hooded man nodded.

"Tim," Big Waldo spat, "You will have at it with the pretty one."

Tim gave Kai a look and chuckled. The laugh couldn't have meant anything other than a sure victory. The fat man then paired the rest in pairs as well. Kai got to know what he meant by selecting one of the three then. 'It's too easy,' Kai thought, 'to kill this Tim. Then why am I still feeling something's wrong?'

As Kai struggled with an unknown doubt, the oldest sellsword and one of the younger ones took the center stage. The young boy was nimble and ran around the other, dodging one slash and another. But the older one had a breastplate, and that restricted the attacks to his legs.

For a few minutes, they danced with each other, sweat trickling down their chin. But it was only the younger one who was panting. A sudden charge! The younger sellsword dashed to the opponent's calves from behind.

'He is gone,' Kai thought, shaking his head.

The older sellsword suddenly sat down, and the longsword hit the metal on his back. Simultaneously, he thrust his sword up, and it bit into the leather over the younger sellsword's shoulder.

Blood showered, and the boy screamed. The longsword dropped out of the younger boy's hand, and the older sellsword stood up, his face emotionless. He lifted his sword, going for the kill, and he would have separated the younger one's head if it weren't for the Big Waldo.

"Enough!" Big Waldo roared. "You won Rock. Now move aside. Tom, Jerry, it's your turn." None came to help the boy with the bleeding shoulder. He stood up and moved aside, whimpering all the time.

Tom and Jerry stood facing each other, their swords in their hands. Jerry was taller than Tom, but they were of the same age. Their dance lasted even longer. Both were fast, and both were laughing all the time. Their dance was filled with feints and light scratches. But one slip of Tom's foot, and Jerry plowed the longsword into Tom's thigh.

Jerry didn't wait for Big Waldo's cry. He snatched the longsword out and was about to thrust it into Tom's belly when Kai suddenly charged and kicked him. Jerry went tumbling on the ground, and Tom fell, clutching his thigh. "What's the meaning of this?" Jerry asked, swishing his sword at Kai. "Big Waldo, I'll have his head for this."

Jerry was the one who had tried to mock Kai. But that wasn't the reason Kai had kicked him. He had been thinking about the side-Mission for a long time. When he saw the two sellswords going in for the kill, an oddity struck him.

'The Side-Mission Summary said there is only one way to stand in Big Waldo's eyes,' Kai had reflected. 'But he isn't the one I need to prove myself to, is he? Then there is that Side-Mission's hint. Tch! How could I not see it before? It was plain enough.'

"You will have your own head before that," Big Waldo said, smiling wickedly at Jerry. "You've won, right? Now bugger off!"

Big Waldo whistled. Three gaunt men came and took away the two bleeding sellswords. Neither the hooded man nor the armored guards had said a single word till now.

Kai was already in the middle of everyone. Tim came striding out, unsheathing his sword. "Yield, boy," the older sellsword said. "Yield, and spare me from seeing your maiden blood."

Jerry and the other winner, Rock, laughed.

"I don't need a sword to kill," Kai replied, laughing along with them. "Come! Come whenever you are ready. I don't have all day for the likes of you."

That angered Tim, and he charged. Kai could see the hooded man whispering something in Big Waldo's ear, but the fat man only shook his head in return.

A hidden smile appeared on Kai's lips. 'This Jon Arryn seems soft,' Kai thought. 'If I will go for the kill, that would definitely please Big Waldo, but not the old man. Tricky side-mission indeed. Maybe that's why the other sellswords are so weak compared to Contestants. If the prey is easy to kill, who would think twice about it?'

Tim slashed, and Kai slithered. The older sellsword followed with another cross slash, but Kai ducked, his hands still behind his back. Tim was swift too, but not near enough to Kai's swiftness. Tim took a step forward, bringing down the sword in a powerful arc. Kai's eyes narrowed.

What happened next was too fast for the normal eyes to see.

One moment, the sellsword was coming at Kai. In the other, Kai had sent the longsword whirling high in the air with a kick on his wrist. A second kick on Tim's chest sent the poor guy flying back towards a wooden pillar. A muffled grunt escaped Tim's throat, and when all thought it was over, Kai spun and lashed out with a third kick. It landed on the hilt of the sword before it could fall to the ground.

Swish!

The air shrieked as the sword became an arrow and blasted itself into the pillar. The wood splintered, sending small and big chunks flying here and there. Drops of blood streaked down from Tim's chin, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost. The sword-arrow had cut his left earlobe.

Kai brought his hands forward and gave the hooded old man a deep bow. "My Lord," he said. "I don't need a sword to prove that I am better than these fools, nor do I need to kill to show what I am capable of."

And none can lie better than me; that part Kai left unsaid.