Inside the quiet church, Lloyd sensed a shift in the air. Without rushing, he closed the Bible in his hand and turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable and calm.
"Prepare yourself," he said to Ginny, his tone low and detached. "The people sent to collect us have arrived."
Ginny, who had been watching him absentmindedly, flushed at being caught staring. She tugged nervously at her white tank top, sat up straighter, and stammered,
"W–What's happening, Lloyd? Who's coming?"
Before Lloyd could answer, footsteps echoed from the church entrance.
Spandine halted abruptly at the doorway. He raised a hand, stopping Rear Admiral Babs and the others behind him, lowering his voice in a dramatic whisper.
"Alright, that's far enough. None of you may enter. Do not disturb that Master."
Babs frowned with growing curiosity.
"Mr. Spandine, are you certain this Lloyd is the person you were looking for? I mean no disrespect, but this youth is very likely a Devil Fruit user. King Beckley's disappearance is tied to him, so I'm concerned for your safety."
Spandine glared sharply and hissed,
"I told you not to say his name so casually! If you offend that Master, with one word from him, not only you but even I would vanish from this world."
Babs stared at him, unsettled by the fear in Spandine's voice. For a man normally arrogant and abusive, this level of trembling respect was unlike anything Babs had seen. Just who was this young man named Lloyd, and why was someone of his status residing in a small kingdom like Sorbet?
Without another word, Babs ordered the Marines to remain outside.
Meanwhile, Spandine spat into his palm and slicked back his hair. He adjusted his coat, practiced his most flattering smile, steadied his breathing, and stepped into the church alone.
Inside, Lloyd and Ginny were seated on a pew, their backs facing the door. Spandine froze, suddenly afraid to breathe too loudly. He tiptoed to the side of the bench and bowed until he was nearly folded in half.
"Hello. May I ask if Master Lloyd is present?"
Lloyd rose slowly from the pew. His height, nearly 1.9 meters, immediately made Spandine's knees wobble. Lloyd's cold, composed gaze confirmed everything Spandine had been told.
"I am Lloyd," he said calmly. "You must be the one sent by Uncle Garling. Your name is Spandine, correct?"
At the title "Uncle," Spandine shivered so violently his glasses nearly fell off. He bent even lower, his voice trembling.
"Y-Yes! I am Spandine, Saint Lloyd! Please forgive any offense I may have caused. It is an honor beyond words to stand before you!"
Everything he had achieved in life came from knowing when to grovel. And before him stood the nephew of Saint Fingarland Garling, head of the Figarland lineage in Mary Geoise. To Spandine, Lloyd's status surpassed even his own father's.
Behind them, Kuma and Ivan stepped out of their room. Seeing Spandine's presence, they immediately understood. The World Government had come.
Sadness flickered across Ivan's face. He knew the moment of parting was approaching.
Spandine kept his head down, never daring to meet Lloyd's eyes. His subservient posture left Ginny speechless. This was the first time she truly understood the weight of Lloyd's identity: a high-ranking World Government official groveling like an obedient pet.
Lloyd cast a glance toward the door.
"There are quite a number of people outside," he observed. "Why didn't they come in?"
"Saint Lloyd," Spandine replied quickly, "Saint Fingarland instructed that your identity must not be exposed. I dared not allow them inside."
Lloyd nodded. "Good. You acted appropriately."
Spandine lit up with delight, thumping his chest proudly.
"Rest assured, Lloyd sama, Saint Fingarland instructed me to handle anything you find inconvenient. From today onward, I am yours to command. You are my Master. I am your dog!"
Ginny stared with wide eyes. Even Lloyd paused, a faint twitch appearing at the corner of his mouth before he covered it with a short cough.
"Enough," he said. "Bring the others inside."
"Yes, Saint Lloyd!"
"And Spandine… do not add 'Saint' after my name in public, especially before the Navy."
"I understand completely!"
With the eagerness of a trained hound, Spandine rushed back outside.
The moment he left, Ginny let out a soft, incredulous mutter.
"He really is… something else."
Lloyd's lips curved in a faint, cool smile.
"You will encounter people like him often. Consider this practice."
A few minutes later, Spandine returned with Babs, several Marines, and nobles. Their stiff postures and reverent eyes made it clear Spandine had already briefed them.
Rear Admiral Babs examined Lloyd openly, his surprise growing. Lloyd appeared even younger than expected, yet there was something unsettling about him… a quiet danger, like a blade resting beneath silk.
Lloyd stepped toward him. Babs unconsciously tensed, bracing himself.
But Lloyd's words nearly made him forget how to breathe.
"Greetings. My name is Lloyd. My companions and I intend to join the Navy."
Babs froze, stunned. Before he could respond, Spandine stomped the floor in irritation and snapped,
"Rear Admiral Babs, Mr. Lloyd is speaking to you! Show some respect!"
____
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