After that, Egypt and India also stated their terms. Hearing all their offers, Theo finally looked down, considering them seriously.
With how many countries, companies, and organizations would invite him later than them, they knew that Theo would need the time to think.
Surprisingly, Theo opened his mouth here. "I am honored to receive all this favor, but I know that I need to be in Thersland for a bit longer. There is something I need to do there."
Unfortunately for him, that statement wasn't well-received as all of them stared at him with blank and clueless eyes.
"Ehm?" Theo tilted his head in confusion, not understanding the reason why they gave him this gaze.
"This is why I am offering to be by your side." Nella shook her head helplessly.
"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with my words?" Theo asked with an innocent face. "There should be nothing wrong with my words, right?"
"Yes." Nella confirmed it with a nod but still continued, "However, you need to consider your status as the Griffith Family Member as well."
"But I am not and won't be a part of them."
"No, no. Let me explain it a bit for you." She smiled. "Every Griffith Family Member is going to choose their life choice on their 18th birthday. Whether you want to affiliate yourself to a certain country, organization, or company, the Griffith Family will get the priority.
"As soon as you held your 18th birthday, someone would come to ask about your choice. If you wish to be with the family, you can return to the main family. If you wish to affiliate yourself to another influence, they can't interfere with your decision.
"Although you may carry on with that family name, you are not registered as a Griffith Family member anymore. This will continue for the generations after you, so your children, grandchildren and so on, can't utilize this status."
Theo widened his eyes in amusement. "So, if I grab an offer here, doesn't that mean I can break free from that curse?"
"That curse, huh." Nella scratched the back of her head. "Well, yes. This means that the country can immediately state your status and separate you from the main family. In fact, due to this rule known by many who are influential enough to hear our family name, there are many Griffith Family Members, who are already not registered as one, working for various influences.
"Only due to this can the Griffith Family maintain their status in this world. I can only explain it to this point for the time being. I will explain the others after the banquet."
Theo furrowed his eyebrows and looked down, knowing that the plan he made earlier was useless.
"So, if I didn't choose someone from here, it could be implied that I might choose the Griffith Family later."
"That's basically the case." Nella nodded with a serious expression.
"Hmm…" Theo frowned.
"You may need time to think over your choice, so we can wait," said Enrica, trying to observe Theo's response.
From Theo's words alone, she could somehow guess the relationship between Theo and the Griffith Family. And with how he suffered during his childhood because there was no family to rely on, Theo shouldn't be able to see the Griffith Family in a good light.
However, she also couldn't trust him completely because Theo often played little tricks like this.
"Hmm…" Theo thought for a moment and asked, "Can I separate myself from them right now?"
"That's difficult, I believe." Nella shook her head.
"Tch. I don't need a family that can easily abandon…" Theo shook that thought off as he didn't want to ruin the mood. "I actually have an idea."
"Ho?" Nella squinted her eyes.
Theo smirked and said, "How about I make a written statement that I will go to one of the seven countries present here after finishing my business? I will also promise that I won't accept the Griffith Family's offer."
"!!!" All of them widened their eyes, understanding his choice of words.
'As expected, he is sly.' Enrica smiled. 'Using that written statement can indeed pressure the Griffith Family to not pull any trick while giving enough credibility in Theodore's words… At the same time, none of the countries can actually do something to him.'
'No, he is using that statement to make all the countries anxious.' Mami narrowed his eyes.
'Without knowing what kind of offer each country gives him, they will wonder whether to raise their offer to Theo or not. And they will be inclined to the former.' Cheng Sui gulped down.
'And some countries will certainly approach him a little bit by giving him extra help for his trouble. This way, they can gain some favors from him to make a favorable impression.' Clark started sweating as he understood why Theo could reach this step.
'If he is unable to fulfill his promise, it's easy for the seven countries to destroy his reputation.' Nella's expression turned serious.
"Also, I will choose which influence I will join in that particular country. If you are fine with this, I can prepare and sign that document right away." Theo added with a smirk.
'Kh…' Maya licked her lips. 'That statement… gives him the authority to choose while avoiding a civil war. And the seven countries will protect him from other countries that may try to do something funny to him because they still hope to curry some favor. If he gets into the business world, he will become big.'
'But when you look at it another way, after becoming a citizen of that particular country, Theo will become a great boost since other countries would have poured some resources for that favor. The country he chose will be the biggest winner because they only pour a fraction of the resources to get a mighty Theo that has been strengthened by seven countries. This will make the competition even fiercer and the fiercer it is, the greater the benefit.' Agata thought with a cunning smile. 'This is a big gamble between seven countries.'
'No. The biggest winner is none other than him.' All of them realized the same thing.
After contemplating for a moment, Enrica smiled, "Italy can accept that condition, but we would like to see the agreement first before making a full statement."
"China can accept it too." Cheng Sui nodded, not wanting to lose to Enrica.
"As Japan's representative, I can agree with your proposal." Mami nodded.
"I…"
"My country…"
In the end, all seven countries agreed to his proposal.