The next day.
Theo had packed up his luggage as Nella also prepared to return to her own hotel.
Ellen widened her eyes when she saw the two coming out together.
"Now that I think about it, you have never come out of your room… What are you two doing?" Ellen made a small smirk, teasing them.
Nella took this chance to grab Theo's hand with a cheeky smile. "What do you think?"
Before Ellen replied, Theo already escaped with a nonchalant expression and walked away as if telling them the answer.
Ellen chuckled and made a bigger smile.
Nella pouted and looked away.
After everyone gathered in the lobby, they left the hotel and headed straight to the airport.
Nella waved her hand to their bus.
When Theo saw her, he couldn't help but remember what she said last night. Even so, he decided to ignore it and raised his hand as if waving back.
Nella smiled and saw them off until the bus couldn't be seen anymore before returning to her own hotel.
Theo and the others enjoyed the luxury of the first class on their way back. However, he already knew what kind of scene he would face as soon as he returned.
Since he had been working for too long, Theo decided to take a nap while the others just enjoyed their time leisurely.
It took them another six hours to reach Thersland's International Airport.
When he picked up his luggage, Radvils already arrived next to him, saying, "There are media in the airport, so you should act accordingly. Also, there will be a talk with the president."
"Don't worry. I know…" Theo nodded, thinking this was the price to become famous.
Since they were the stars, Radvils and Rai let them go out first, with Theo and Alea leading the team.
As soon as he reached the airport lobby, he saw a large number of cameramen.
"There they are… The proud team of Thersland who managed to win the honor for the country," a reporter said as the camera focused on them.
Those who had been waiting for them to arrive finally got their curiosity answered. In the live news, Theo walked with a cool and aloof expression as if winning the Grand Gaia was something expected from him.
His fans quickly glorified him more as an uproar shook the fan club.
"Look! Our Theo has returned."
"He's so handsome! That haircut looks good on him."
"That's right. He's the rising star who has changed his fate."
"Look at his finger! It's the Ring of Honor."
"I hope the country doesn't take it."
Alea walked next to him, but as one would expect, Theo was the focus because of what he had shown during the whole parade.
At the end of their long walk, they found a middle-aged man. His body was muscular and significantly bigger than Theo.
There was a big scar on his cheek, intensifying his appearance even further. He wore a formal black suit and sunglasses, but it couldn't suppress the fierceness reflected in his body and eyes.
When he found Theo and the others, he quickly walked to them and extended his hands. "Welcome back. I am Calahan, Minister of Defence. It's my pleasure to meet the young heroes."
Theo shook his hand and nodded. "It's an honor."
He quickly let his hand go, so he could shake the others' hands.
"I am thankful for all of you for bringing the honor to this country," said Calahan while extending his hand to the side. "As much as I want to let all of you rest after a long journey, I am here to guide you to meet the president. If you don't mind…"
Theo and the others nodded as they followed him.
It was better to settle everything today since he could do all the things without any hindrance tomorrow, Theo thought.
They reached the presidential palace of Thersland and were escorted inside with all their weapons confiscated.
There were also numerous guards that prepared to make any necessary move if there were any threats from them. After all, their strength had been shown to the world.
If Theo took action, things might go crazy.
Of course, Theo never planned such a thing, but it would leave a deep scar when the guards failed to protect the president.
They met the president in the room where he worked.
"Mr. President. We have brought Theodore Griffith and his teammates," said Calahan after knocking on his door.
"Come in."
Calahan opened the door, showing the room.
It was a simple 20x20 feet room with a chair and a table on the opposite side. On the right side stood tall a drawer with many important files on it. Facing the drawer was a pair of couches where the president usually met the guest.
The president rose from his seat and put down his glasses. His age seemed to be around in the late fifties. Although there was no aura coming from him that made one think he was a fighter, his eyes were profound enough to make Theo and the others feel uncomfortable, as if he somehow managed to pry upon their character.
He put on the best smile, walked to them while opening his arms in a welcoming gesture, and hugged Theo first. "Welcome, welcome. Haha, welcome, my heroes. You all have worked hard… You truly kept surprising me in the competition."
Theo stayed still as he didn't know what to talk about with the president. He even wondered whether his words were too crude to talk to him politely.
"It's my pleasure to do it for the country." Theo… tried his best.
The president smiled and patted his shoulders a few times before showing his appreciation to the rest of the team.
"You must be tired. Come, come. Let's talk a bit. I won't take a lot of your time, so you can go back and take a rest."
"Mr. President is too polite. It's us who takes your time." Alea made a gentle smile, knowing Theo didn't know what to say to the first person of this country.
The president extended his hand, inviting them to take a seat as he walked together with them.