Theo pulled his spear and stepped to the side, allowing Lyovkin to stand up.
Meanwhile, the Wind Emperor was shaking his head, not knowing what to say.
Even without him telling the reason, he already realized why Theo could defeat him this easily.
âI let my guard down just because I thought I gained the upper hand. I shouldnât have reacted like thatâ¦â He gritted his teeth, disappointed in himself.
He slammed his head to the ground as hard as he could until the soil cracked.
Bam.
Theo glanced at him while the Wind Emperor squinted his eyes.
âI apologize for showing you this embarrassment.â Lyovkin gritted his teeth, apologizing to Theo and the Wind Emperor at the same time.
Theo glanced at the Wind Emperorâs stern face before shrugging his shoulders. âI couldnât care less about it, but the fight could last longerâ¦â
Lyovkin clenched his fists, giving no excuse for his own blunder.
Theo then stared at the Wind Emperor and said, âIâm sorry, but I need to retire early.â
âGo.â The Wind Emperor nodded.
After Theo returned to the mansion, the Wind Emperor finally looked at Lyovkin. âDo you know your mistake?â
âYes. I have made the mistake that you have told me to avoid.â Lyovkin was kneeling on the ground with his head facing down. He didnât dare to even look at his grandfatherâs face.
âYou were not underestimating him.â The Wind Emperor shook his head helplessly. âIs this because I had been spoiling Zhilov that a small achievement could make you so happy to the point you lowered your guard?â
Lyovkin remained silent. It was clear that his body was trembling.
âListen to me. Itâs fine to be happy when you achieve something, but no matter itâs a big or small achievement, you shouldnât let your guard down, especially when the enemy is right in front of you.
âSometimes, the enemies let you win first before defeating you like this. That was why when all of you asked for my advice, I always told you to practice your poker face.
âThis way, your enemy couldnât grasp your emotion that allowed them to deduct your next decision.
âOf course, you can freely express your emotion in battle, but this can only be done if you establish yourself as Theodore Griffith.
âAfter all, no one is going to believe what heâs planning to do. The smile can be a bluff or the indication that you have fallen into his trap. The more you think, the deeper you fall.
âBut we are different. Weâre the Czar, the âKingâ family. We are rulers! There are only two emotions that we can express in the battle.
âThe first will be the poker face and the other one is cold and aloof. The first one will work all the time, while the second one is just to show or bluff your enemies that you have a trump card. Isnât being arrogant easy for all of you?â The Wind Emperor took a deep breath, stopping for a moment.
âWhatever, Iâm giving you one more chance. Tomorrow, if you dare to show me the same mistake, you should be prepared for what happens.â
Lyovkinâs body was shaking, but he realized he had a second chance. He replied out loud. âYes, I wonât disappoint you.â
âYou better be.â The Wind Emperor pushed his own wheelchair to the mansion, leaving the two siblings alone.
He was heading to meet Theo. The latter was waiting for him right behind the entrance doors.
âThatâs how theyâreâ¦â The Wind Emperor sighed.
âI know why youâre showing them to me.â Theo paused for a moment. âWell, I think I have gotten many things from this visit. And thereâs still tomorrow.â
âDonât worry. I will fulfill my own part.â The Wind Emperor sighed.
âWe have agreed about this.â Theo shrugged. âAnyway, thereâs something I would like to ask you.â
âWhat is it?â
âI would like to fight the Empress.â
The Wind Emperor fell silent. He looked down, contemplating his words. âFor what reason?â
âI told you. Iâm planning to improve myself.â Theo explained. âI will use this opportunity to gain as much as possible before improving all my techniques.â
âSo, you want to see how the Empress fights?â
âYes. I feel like I can learn so many things from her.â Theo nodded.
âYou wouldnât last long even if she limited her power.â
âI know. A few moves are fine.â
âIn that case, I can help you with that.â The Wind Emperor agreed. However, he raised his finger. âOn one condition.â
âWhat is it?â
âI want the record of your battles as teaching materials to the Czarâs younger generations.â
âRecord of my battlesâ¦â
âYeah. I have recorded the previous battles secretly and plan to tell you after this. If you donât agree, I will simply delete it. Luckily, thereâs this agreement⦠As for your battle with the Empress Palace, it would be shown to many people, so thereâs no point in asking for that.
âHow about it? You have one small request, I have one too.â The Wind Emperor smirked.
Theo thought for a moment and nodded. âFine by me. Itâs not like Iâm planning to use the same fighting style over and over again. I donât want someone to get used to my fighting style, lest they know how to counter it.â
âHaha, certainly. Though, it will be hard to constantly change your fighting style.â
âIâll take care of that myself.â
âAlright. We have a deal.â The Wind Emperor smiled. âStill, a splendid battle you had there⦠Creating an illusion and hiding your Magic Bullet and Magic Power inside them⦠Even those giant rocks that tried to crush him got enhanced by your Telekinesis looked real. You could easily use trees or water in the future and combine it with your power. And your enemy wouldnât know whether it was real or not.â
âHah.â Theo shrugged.
The Wind Emperor shrugged. âAnyway, you should replenish your Magic Power. Tomorrow will be a blast.â
âIndeed.â
After talking with the Wind Emperor, Theo locked himself inside his own room, preparing for the sparring event.