A duel like this naturally required a witness, and the highest-ranking person present was Grand Duke Yetana, so she naturally became the witness. At the Grand Duke's command, the Blue Mountain knight immediately drew his weapon and assumed an attacking stance.
Though this knight had belittled Solam verbally, he actually took Solam quite seriously. That was why he did not make the first move.
People often talked about "seizing the initiative." That worked against opponents you understood, since striking first offered a certain advantage. But against an enemy you knew nothing about, defending and counterattacking was the safest approach, because you had no idea what kind of fighter stood before you.
Unfortunately, his caution was wasted on a blind man. Solam did not move at all.
That left the Blue Mountain knight somewhat unsettled. Solam did not look like he was dueling at all, merely standing there in a loose, relaxed posture. He was practically presenting himself as a target; only an idiot would do that. Naturally, the knight did not think Solam was an idiot, which left only one possibility: Solam had some ulterior motive.
The knight therefore became even more cautious. Rather than attack, he stared at Solam more intently, afraid of falling into some trap. But his behavior began to annoy Solam.
"I thought we came here to duel? Are you planning to glare me to death? Or are we going to stand here like idiots until dark?"
This knight might have been fairly capable, but Solam could tell that he was not even Egil's equal. Solam had never intended to take someone like this seriously. He had originally planned to end this farce quickly, yet the man had simply stood there posing.
Solam's mockery made the Blue Mountain knight feel humiliated. Solam was plainly looking down