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.
‘I let my guard down just because I thought I gained the upper hand. I shouldn’t have reacted like that…’ 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.
“I apologize for showing you this embarrassment.” Lyovkin gritted his teeth, apologizing to Theo and the Wind Emperor at the same time.
Theo glanced at the Wind Emperor’s stern face before shrugging his shoulders. “I couldn’t care less about it, but the fight could last longer…”
Lyovkin clenched his fists, giving no excuse for his own blunder.
Theo then stared at the Wind Emperor and said, “I’m sorry, but I need to retire early.”
“Go.” The Wind Emperor nodded.
After Theo returned to the mansion, the Wind Emperor finally looked at Lyovkin. “Do you know your mistake?”
“Yes. I have made the mistake that you have told me to avoid.” Lyovkin was kneeling on the ground with his head facing down. He didn’t dare to even look at his grandfather’s face.
“You were not underestimating him.” The Wind Emperor shook his head helplessly. “Is this because I had been spoiling Zhilov that a small achievement could make you so happy to the point you lowered your guard?”
Lyovkin remained silent. It was clear that his body was trembling.
“Listen to me. It’s fine to be happy when you achieve something, but no matter it’s a big or small achievement, you shouldn’t let your guard down, especially when the enemy is right in front of you.
“Sometimes, 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.
“This way, your enemy couldn’t grasp your emotion that allowed them to deduct your next decision.
“Of course, you can freely express your emotion in battle, but this can only be done if you establish yourself as Theodore Griffith.
“After all, no one is going to believe what he’s 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.
“But we are different. We’re the Czar, the ‘King’ family. We are rulers! There are only two emotions that we can express in the battle.
“The 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. Isn’t being arrogant easy for all of you?” The Wind Emperor took a deep breath, stopping for a moment.
“Whatever, I’m giving you one more chance. Tomorrow, if you dare to show me the same mistake, you should be prepared for what happens.”
Lyovkin’s body was shaking, but he realized he had a second chance. He replied out loud. “Yes, I won’t disappoint you.”
“You better be.” 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.
“That’s how they’re…” The Wind Emperor sighed.
“I know why you’re showing them to me.” Theo paused for a moment. “Well, I think I have gotten many things from this visit. And there’s still tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. I will fulfill my own part.” The Wind Emperor sighed.
“We have agreed about this.” Theo shrugged. “Anyway, there’s something I would like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“I would like to fight the Empress.”
The Wind Emperor fell silent. He looked down, contemplating his words. “For what reason?”
“I told you. I’m planning to improve myself.” Theo explained. “I will use this opportunity to gain as much as possible before improving all my techniques.”
“So, you want to see how the Empress fights?”
“Yes. I feel like I can learn so many things from her.” Theo nodded.
“You wouldn’t last long even if she limited her power.”
“I know. A few moves are fine.”
“In that case, I can help you with that.” The Wind Emperor agreed. However, he raised his finger. “On one condition.”
“What is it?”
“I want the record of your battles as teaching materials to the Czar’s younger generations.”
“Record of my battles…”
“Yeah. I have recorded the previous battles secretly and plan to tell you after this. If you don’t agree, I will simply delete it. Luckily, there’s this agreement… As for your battle with the Empress Palace, it would be shown to many people, so there’s no point in asking for that.
“How about it? You have one small request, I have one too.” The Wind Emperor smirked.
Theo thought for a moment and nodded. “Fine by me. It’s not like I’m planning to use the same fighting style over and over again. I don’t want someone to get used to my fighting style, lest they know how to counter it.”
“Haha, certainly. Though, it will be hard to constantly change your fighting style.”
“I’ll take care of that myself.”
“Alright. We have a deal.” The Wind Emperor smiled. “Still, 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 wouldn’t know whether it was real or not.”
“Hah.” Theo shrugged.
The Wind Emperor shrugged. “Anyway, you should replenish your Magic Power. Tomorrow will be a blast.”
“Indeed.”
After talking with the Wind Emperor, Theo locked himself inside his own room, preparing for the sparring event.