With them completing the bracket, the banquet had officially ended as this was their main purpose besides the fact they needed to take a picture for the media.
Theo and his group then returned to their car before getting stopped by Nella.
Nella, once again, came to Theo with a serious expression. "Since you want it that way, I will talk about the family after the competition."
"That's probably the best. I am not interested in my family that much, but it doesn't hurt to know your origin." Theo nodded in agreement.
Nella smiled and nodded. "In that case, I am looking forward to our meeting in the semifinal. I hope you can win the first round."
"Well, I happen to have one question."
"Sure. I will do my best to answer your question."
"Then, can you explain how your power works? Is it really the combination of Soft Control and Force Control?"
Nella and Theo's teammates widened their eyes, staring at him dumbfoundedly. They never thought Theo would be this shameless. It was the same as him asking her weakness from her own mouth to defeat her.
Nella chuckled and said, "You truly don't hold back, don't you? Well, I can show or even give you some tricks about my power and how to master it, but that can only happen after the competition. As of now, I will only answer that small question. Yes, it's the combination of Soft and Force Control. They are both like medicine, each dosage will result in a different effect. That's all I can say."
This time, Theo was the one who couldn't believe Nella truly answered his question.
"That's all. I should return to my hotel right now." Before leaving, Nella hugged Theo once again with so much feeling while saying with a sad tone, "Cousin, you've endured so much hardship in Thersland. It may not be enough, but let this hug be the one that fills the emptiness you needed to endure for more than a decade."
"…" Theo fell silent as he looked at Nella. She seemed to have looked into his background and felt sad about his past. He didn't know how to react since the family he despised actually showed such care. Even so, his expression remained indifferent.
Nella then released him and smiled, "Then, I will be going. If you don't have anywhere to go, you should come to my place. I can provide you better than them."
Theo had no words to say, but he still nodded his head.
Nella walked away while waving her hand.
Alea and the others stared at her in disbelief, recalling what happened during their first meeting. The girl was incomparably cold to others, yet, they found nothing like that during this meeting.
Meanwhile, Theo had mixed feelings about this.
On one hand, he felt Nella showed her honest feelings. On the other hand, without his own parents or brother confirming that relationship, he had no way to trust her completely.
Still, his peace was disturbed by another group that came to introduce themselves as they were their first opponents.
It was Enrica and her teammates.
"Hello, this is our first official meeting, I believe." Enrica smiled at Theo and Alea. "We come to introduce ourselves a bit."
"Not to be rude, but I think you should talk about the real reason…" Theo stopped her with a serious expression.
Unknown to him, the other three men were looking away as they believed they needed to do such a thing.
"Ahaha, it seems they are wary of me." A brown-haired female stepped forward with a chuckle. Her face, her small and gentle eyes, her curves… Everything! Everything looked perfect at one glance.
She had been in the center of attention this whole time because of her beauty. The female was none other than Agata Mota, the one who received the blessing from Aphrodite.
Just like the myth, Agata truly had an unparalleled beauty that could put everyone in a trance. She wore a pure white dress that showed a bit of her cleavage, making her even more enchanting.
"We don't mean to be rude, but that's how it is." Theo shook his head and looked at her in the eyes with a calm expression.
"Though, you seem to not be affected…" Agata smiled.
"Not at all. I do find you attractive." Theo gently denied it while saying, "But I also feel a bit sorry."
"Pity, huh? That's the first time someone said it to me." Agata clearly understood why Theo said such a thing and didn't feel offended by it. With her bearing Aphrodite's blessing, she naturally charmed all men.
Many tried to act like a gentleman as if they didn't get influenced by that power, but deep inside, she knew all of them lusted for her beauty.
Theo pitied her because her beauty might become her curse as well. Whoever her partner in the future, she needed to recognize that everything was born from lust instead of love. And many tried to possess her beauty, making her life harder. That might be the reason why Aphrodite betrayed her husband.
Her expression mellowed a bit and she nodded in agreement. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."
"You're welcome."
Alea stared at him from behind with a suspicious stare. Even they couldn't help but have their breath taken away by her beauty, yet, Theo didn't seem to be that affected. She truly doubted whether he was still healthy or not.
"Well, my purpose here is to see the true you." Enrica decided to interject and returned the talk to its proper way. "Werewolf and Fortitude, it's easy to find their information. However, I couldn't find anything about you, Mr. Theodore… Or should I call you Mr. Griffith?"
"My name is Theodore, so the former is appreciated." Theo shook his head. "My power is nothing special compared to Mars, Aphrodite, Archangel Raphael, Befana, Thyrus, and Striga. Though, I also believe that those who can use their power better are stronger."
Theo didn't forget to say that last sentence to tell them that his teammates might not have blessings, but they, by no means, were weaker than them.
"This is a challenge, I assume. We can only resolve it in the arena, right?" She smiled.
"That's what we plan to do."
Enrica nodded. "It's indeed a pleasure to know you, Mr. Theo and his team. See you in two days."
Seeing them leaving actually made Alea and the others turned serious. They realized Theo was the only one in their eyes and decided to prove them wrong.