The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 190（End of Volume 2）

"So where is Lloyd? I thought he would come."

Yahweh stood in a corner of the grand hall, where all glory and brilliance resided. With the orchestra's slow, soft tunes, a warm, solemn power enveloped the place.

Arthur, or rather, Duke Phoenix, shook his head.

"We've temporarily isolated him. Although I trust the demon hunter, the resurrection is too bizarre, far beyond our understanding. Both we and Lloyd need time to accept it."

"Time to accept? I've heard about it. Knowing Lloyd's nasty temperament, he probably doesn't have much of a rejection response," Yahweh said.

Duke Phoenix glanced at the old butler, surprised that he was so familiar with Lloyd, at least with his unpleasant character.

"Yes, gaining an extra life, that lunatic must be living more happily than ever."

Duke Phoenix sighed, his gaze shifting to the center of the hall. The warm light bathed the girl in holiness and grace. Perhaps even the heavens favored this moment, as the usually gloomy sky cleared slightly.

"Celie wanted him to witness all this. Though she didn't say it, it's what she truly wanted... She's a girl who hides all her thoughts inside."

Yahweh watched the figure walking down the red carpet. Under everyone's gaze, she walked further away. At the end of the endless steps, a woman smiled at her and extended her hand.

This was the holy and solemn Platinum Palace, the power center of Old Dunling and the entire Ingleveg.

Today, the ancient ceremony would unfold here, marking the moment of power transfer for the Duke of Stuart. Under the Queen's grant, Celie would officially inherit this century-old honor and become the youngest Duchess.

"Is that so?" Duke Phoenix sighed. "There was one thing I couldn't understand before, but now I get it."

"What is it?"

"About the difference between Eve and her."

Yahweh was puzzled, not understanding why he brought this up.

"You may not know, but when that bastard Lloyd wanted to cut down my daughter, he didn't hesitate at all. But for Celie, he went with Lawrence to self-detonate... The plan was far from that."

He spoke slowly.

"But now it seems we just overcomplicated things. Strip away their different identities, and they're just ordinary people."

Ordinary people? It was hard to see Lloyd as an ordinary person.

"Think about it, Yahweh. A girl, in her darkest, most impressionable years, when emotions are at their most intense and purest, is saved by someone from the suffocating ocean and brought to a world of light, teaching her strange and wonderful things along the way. Anyone would have some unusual feelings, perhaps admiration or affection..."

Duke Phoenix chuckled. What a hell of a plot, but that's life. Like a meteor streaking through the dark, you chase it like a fool because it's the only light in the darkness.

"We had a theory internally: erosion is mutual. While demons erode humans, humans also erode demons. Both sides influence each other, but human influence is too weak... Lloyd might be the same, influenced by Celie, though he hasn't realized it."

"What influence?" Yahweh asked, curious.

"Humanity," Duke Phoenix replied.

"I always saw Lloyd as a beast or a machine because he was so efficient and ruthless. The nonsense and jokes were just to make us lower our guard. But then I realized the struggle within him... a struggle between humanity and beastliness."