ENCHANTER: The Quest of the Remaining One (bxb)

CHAPTER 30: Tricky Quizzy

Fabian and the other two straightened up from their seats and waited for the old lady to start her questions.

This is it. We should win this game or else..

.. I don't know.

"I will ask you only three questions so be prepared." Baba Tana Quishi stated.

I inhaled a bunch of oxygen to compose myself then prepared my brain for answering.

"First question.." she trailed then looked at everyone.

This is it.

"In the Verarian library, how many letters are there in 'all those books, combined'?" She asked and my brows furrowed. First question and it's already very difficult to answer. How can we determine the number of letters in all of those books, combined? It's impossible to count them.

"Isn't that hard for a first question?" I asked the old lady who only smiled at me.

"It is, so be prepared, the next questions will be harder.." she replied. "Now, don't waste your time and think for an answer." She added. I sighed then looked expectantly to the three.

"Do you know how many?" I asked them in a hushed voice. I looked directly at Fabian who is deep in thoughts.

"There are approximately thousands of books in the Verarian library and counting all the letters in each book is impossible, let alone combine all the numbers..  in other words, I don't know the answer.." Fabian stated. A groan escaped my mouth because of his answer.

"I can definitely answer it if using magic is not against the rule.." I told everyone then diverted my gaze to the wooden floor and thinked.

"I'm waiting..." I heard the old woman said which made me raise my head to her direction immediately.

"I though we can take our time?" Sergio asked with creased forehead and furrowed brows.

"Yes but time is ticking..." The old woman replied with a daring smile.

I sighed then faced the three again for another conversation and sharing.

"Wait.. if the questions are tricky, maybe, the answers are also tricky yet easy.." Ren whispered  which made the other three of us raise our brows.

"Care to elaborate?" Sergio asked with an unimpressed tone.

"Well, I can't elaborate it but-" Ren trailed then faced the old woman.
"- the answer is twenty one letters.." he told the old woman. A scared gasp escaped my mouth while the other two literally face palmed.

"Really? Twenty one letters? What are you thinking?!" Sergio told Ren, pissed.

No!

First question and we alread lost the game. I'm having a mental breakdown right now.

"You are really an idi-"

"That's right.." I heard the old woman said, cutting off Sergio from saying something to Ren.

Another gasp escaped my mouth and my eyes literally became wide.

"Twenty one letters is the answer?" Fabain asked the old woman, unbelievably and dumbfounded.

"Yes.." the old woman simply replied.

"How?" Fabian yet again asked and that's when Ren interfered.

"Simple, she didn't mean how many letters are there in 'all those books, combined', she means, how many letters are in the word, 'all those books, combined' which if you count all the letters, the answer would be twenty one.." Ren explained in a confident tone.