Tyrant Emperor

"Alex, are you home?" Zara's voice called out from inside the house.

"Yes, my dear Zara, I am home," Alex replied.

Leon approached his father and bowed slightly. "Father."

"Son," Alex responded with a stiff, almost mechanical nod. Leon wasn't surprised—his father always spoke in that peculiar way.

"Why have you brought wood logs, Father?" Leon asked curiously, his eyes fixed on the large, bulky logs resting on Alex's shoulder.

"Oh, these?" Alex glanced at the logs and said, "They're for you."

"Huh?"

Leon froze in confusion. "For what?"

Before Alex could respond, Zara stepped out of the house, her gaze falling on her son.

"Oh, Leon, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Leon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "About that…"

"You little brat," Zara said as she walked up to Leon and pinched his chubby cheeks. "Don't act sneaky—I know exactly what you were up to."

"You already knew?"

"I thought you were one of the smartest," Zara teased with a playful laugh, "but in the end, you're still just a kid."

"I see." Leon nodded, closing his eyes, accepting defeat. He then bowed deeply before her. "I'm sorry, Mother and Father, for lying to you."

"It's fine," Zara said with a warm smile. "You didn't do anything dangerous. You must have wanted to grow stronger. There was no need to lie to us—we fully support your decision."

With those words, she pulled Leon into a full embrace.

"Mother," Leon said softly, his voice trembling with emotion. His eyes glistened as if he might cry.

It would truly be unfortunate if something happened at this very moment.

"Leon."

He suddenly heard an excited voice from behind. Leon furrowed his brows slightly.

"Who could it be?" he wondered curiously in his mind.

Before he could answer his own question, he felt someone slam into him from behind.

"Hehe."

The familiar, annoying giggle reached his ears, and Leon immediately knew who it was—just from that sound.

"Oh, my son, looks like we have a special lady here." Zara stepped back, a teasing smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Umm, Mother, I can explain…" Leon stammered.

"Leave me, Tina."

"No, hehe." Tina wrapped her arms around him tighter, laughing and giggling.

"Haha."

Both Alex and Zara chuckled lightly, their laughter only deepening Leon's annoyance.

Somehow, Leon found himself sitting at the dinner table, eating his meal with Tina.

After dinner, his father suddenly stood up, his rough, deep voice cutting through the quiet:

"Come with me, son."

"Alright, Father," Leon replied, quickly tiptoeing behind Alex as they headed outside. Once they reached the yard, Alex handed Leon an axe.

"I wonder what they're doing," Tina thought to herself, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she helped clear the plates.

"Tina, you're so supportive of me." Zara beamed with delight as she carried the dishes to the basin to wash.

"Thank you," Tina replied, bowing respectfully.

"Aww, you're so sweet," Zara said, pulling her into a warm hug. "You can call me Aunty Zara—or even Mother Zara. What do you think?"

"Hehe, thank you, Aunty Zara," Tina said, glancing out the window at Leon and his father, who both held axes in their hands.

"Curious about what they're doing?" Zara asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Tina admitted with a nod, her gaze fixed on the scene outside.

"It's a family secret passed down through generations," Zara explained with a knowing smile. "You wouldn't expect the Finn family to rise as the King's personal guard without any special capabilities, would you?"

"Oh…" Tina quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks coloring slightly.

"Haha, don't worry," Zara said with a laugh. "Even if you watch, you wouldn't be able to learn it."

As Zara turned back to wash the dishes, Tina stole another glance at the two outside. Alex raised his axe and began chopping the wooden logs in a precise, laborious rhythm. Leon stood nearby, watching intently.

Seeing this, Tina followed Zara to help with the dishes.

"You see, son, this is how you cut a wooden log," Alex said with a chuckle. He brought the axe down in a swift, precise motion. The log split cleanly from top to bottom, with not even a splinter scattered outside.

"I see," Leon said, nodding, though his mind was clouded with confusion. Why was his father teaching him how to chop wood all of a sudden?

"Here."

Alex handed Leon the axe.

Leon took it with hesitant hands, only for the weight of the axe to nearly pull him to the ground. He barely managed to steady himself, his heart racing.

"Heavy." Leon frowned at the axe in his hands. It felt unnaturally heavy for him, weighing at least seven kilograms.

As a child just over a meter tall and weighing around thirty-five kilograms, Leon was strong for his age, but the axe was nearly one-fifth of his weight. How could he possibly wield it with ease?

He wobbled, struggling to carry the axe while stumbling here and there to keep his balance.

"Stand straight, Leon," Alex commanded, his voice stern and his expression serious.

"Alright," Leon responded, gritting his teeth. He finally managed to stabilize himself, standing upright with great effort, though his body trembled under the strain.

"Take the axe and chop the wooden log now," Alex instructed.

"Okay."

Leon shifted his weight, feeling the solid ground beneath his feet as he gripped the axe handle tightly.

Positioning it with careful precision, he took a steady inhale, centering himself. His young hands adjusted their grip, seeking the perfect balance, while he channeled all his strength into his wrists and arms.

With a determined breath, he raised the axe high above his head in one swift, deliberate motion. His muscles strained as he gathered his strength, and then, with a burst of energy, he swung it down in a straight, powerful arc.

The axe sliced through the air with a faint, whistling hiss before landing with a resounding crack against the solid wooden log.

Bang!

Wooden splinters exploded into the air as the axe struck the log, but it barely cut through halfway and became stuck in place.

"Hmm?" Leon frowned as he tried to pull the axe back, his muscles straining with the effort, but he couldn't summon enough strength to free it.