Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Taking over someone else’s body is clearly an evil act. It can never be ethically justified.

But, in this situation, did Lloyd steal Alford’s body?

“Isn’t it just Prince Alford’s own doing?”

From Serati’s perspective, it doesn’t seem like there would be much of a problem living as Alford from now on.

Even from the citizens’ perspective.

It’s clear who between Prince Lloyd and Prince Alford is more suited to be king.

In terms of character and personality, Lloyd is definitely better. The only issue was that he was so frail that no one knew when he might die.

But now, Lloyd’s mind in Alford’s body? Isn’t that the makings of a perfect King?

“Of course, living as someone else wouldn’t be an easy task.”

If the body changes, so does the birth mother, the maternal family, and all the forces that supported you. It’s not something you can change as easily as changing clothes.

Still, compared to what he gained, the loss doesn’t seem that significant.

First of all, he’d obtain the healthy body he’s longed for so much.

Moreover, if he goes as far as to overthrow Alford, who is now inside Lloyd’s body?

It could even be a great opportunity to unite the forces from both sides.

Once he settled down and secured his position, couldn’t he meet with each person individually and persuade them?

“You weren’t close to the king, but surely you were close to his confidants? You must have shared some secrets with them, right?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Since they were originally his subordinates, he would know how to handle them, and if any continued to oppose him, he could subtly hint that he is actually Prince Lloyd and might win them back as allies.

It would be deeply regrettable for the prince’s birth mother, and there would be other issues as well, but…

“Rather than being dead-set on returning to your original body, wouldn’t it be worth considering this option too?”

Serati cautiously continued, watching Lloyd’s peculiar expression.

“Hmm…”

Then he suddenly asked,

“By any chance, do you like royal romance stories, Dame Serati?”

Serati blushed.

“Ah, well, I… um…”

In truth, she did. She had seen a story with a similar plot before, and that’s what sparked her words.

“I’ll be honest.”

Lloyd smiled faintly and asked in return,

“Do you think I haven’t thought about that? I’ve had nothing but time.”

He had pondered it many times.

What if he simply took over Alford’s body and ran away somewhere?

What would he lose? His royal status, his family, and his loyal followers.

But what would he gain? A life free from the constant pain he had never even dared to imagine.

“No, it’s more than just a life without pain.”

It was a young, vigorous body, far more robust and lively than even the average person’s. It was, quite literally, the very dream Lloyd had always wished for.

As Serati pointed out, this entire situation was caused by Alford. There was no reason for Lloyd to feel guilty or responsible.

“If I could get my hands on this body, I wouldn’t mind giving up the throne to Alford at all. That’s my honest feeling.”

Of course, Lloyd laughed as he remarked that Alford would certainly mind very much.

“That guy is probably grinding his teeth in my frail body right now, just waiting for the day he can take action. Dealing with constant fevers, headaches, and a runny nose—how miserable that must be.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something,

“But you know, the terms are so tempting that it actually made me suspicious.”

Lloyd’s expression grew serious.

“Didn’t you say that necromancy allows people of the same bloodline to exchange bodies, Lord Karnak?”

“Yes.”

“Then why is it that in all of history, there hasn’t been a single tyrant who exchanged bodies with one of his own kin?”

Let’s say there’s a tyrant king or emperor. And let’s assume that he’s old, sick, and nearing death.

“If I were in that position, I wouldn’t care whether it’s a forbidden art or not—I would immediately switch bodies with my son or grandson. If I designated the body-swapping candidate as the heir to the throne, I wouldn’t even lose power.”

Were necromancers so well-hidden that no one ever knew this method existed?

That doesn’t make sense.

How many tyrants have existed throughout the continent’s history? Are they to believe that not a single one of them ever found a necromancer?

No, even if they didn’t find one, it still doesn’t make sense.

“If such a thing were possible, there’s no way necromancers wouldn’t have secretly approached dying kings with this tempting offer.”

However, in reality, the tyrants of the past simply died as they were.

“Doesn’t that mean there’s a serious flaw in that method?”

Suddenly, Lloyd, mid-sentence, showed an uncertain expression.

“Or… is it possible that such acts have been committed frequently, and I’m just unaware of it? Could it be that the first emperor of the empire has been stealing the bodies of his descendants and living on…?”

Karnak laughed and shook his head.

“That’s not the case. I was about to warn you, but you figured it out yourself.”

Then he continued seriously.

“Originally, possession doesn’t last long. The body and soul aren’t in harmony.”

That’s why possession usually only lasts a day or two at most. If it continues for longer, the body breaks down and the soul goes mad.

“If the bodies have similar traits, the duration extends. It’s true that the closer the bodies are in physical condition, age, or gender, the longer the possession can last.”

Even so, Karnak explained that the limit would only be a few months.

“Even for identical twins with nearly the same body, if they exchange souls, they can only last about a year.”

“And in my case?”

“While your bloodlines are quite close, the two princes are half-brothers. And physically, the differences are too great. At most, three months would be the limit.”

Lloyd, flustered, raised his voice.

“Does that mean if I miss this full moon night, I’ll only have one or two more chances?”

“Yes.”

“Damn…”

Lloyd clicked his tongue.

He had suspected there would be some catch, but he hadn’t expected to have so little time.

“What the hell was Alford thinking, doing something so dangerous?”

Karnak chuckled.

“I believe he didn’t know.”

“Didn’t know? What do you mean?”

“We learned this by interrogating the cultists…”

Detzras’ group didn’t tell Prince Alford the full truth.

They conveniently left out the part about the time limit of possession, only telling him that they could swap bodies.

Even if things went awry, there would still be a chance to reverse it later. But living in Prince Lloyd’s body would be such a torment that the risk was worth taking.

“It seems they explained it to him like that.”

“…Did he really believe that?”

“If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have done it, right?”

“Haha…”

Lloyd let out a hollow laugh as he organized his thoughts.

“In any case, it seems my top priority is to get my original body back during this full moon.”

“That’s correct.”

“At the same time, I need to be mindful of my reputation and safety.”

“Indeed.”

They didn’t know what kind of trouble Prince Alford, now in Lloyd’s body, might cause, so it had to be prevented in advance.

But it’s no easy task to stop someone who seems determined to ruin themselves.

“It looks like I’ll have to secretly contact Alford.”

Lloyd muttered with dissatisfaction.

“I guess I’ll have to negotiate with him. Propose that we return everything to the way it was, without damaging each other’s bodies or reputations.”

Deep down, he felt a strong urge to deal a blow to his younger brother.

But he wanted to avoid a situation where he too would end up getting hurt.

“This seems to be the best option for now.”

Watching the prince, Karnak thought for a moment.

In truth, Karnak didn’t particularly care whether Lloyd got his body back or not.

His main goal had been to capture the high-ranking cultists.

And with Detzras’ group’s souls now in his hands, he had already achieved that goal.

What happened to Prince Lloyd’s affairs didn’t concern him much at all.

‘But surprisingly, this guy has a decent personality, doesn’t he?’

The vow to stay out of major incidents was already broken. In that case, wouldn’t it be a good choice to build connections with a prince of a kingdom?

‘If that’s the case, it’s better to be connected with someone in power.’

Karnak, trying his best to maintain a gentle and trustworthy smile, opened his mouth.

“Are you really looking to give him a good blow, Your Highness?”

Seeing the sudden shift to a meaningful expression on the other’s face, Lloyd tensed up and asked back.

“And what if I am?”

“I have a good idea.”

***

Lloyd’s residence, Silver Karla Palace, located on the western side of the royal palace in Yustil.

From one of its bedrooms, groans echoed out.

“Aah, aaah…”

Though the sun was already high in the sky, having passed noon, Lloyd was still lying in bed.

To be precise, it was Alford inside Lloyd’s body.

‘This cursed body!’

Grinding his teeth while lying in bed, Alford cursed internally.

Yesterday had been somewhat manageable, but today, he woke up with a fever, headache, and an aching body all over.

‘How in the world did Lloyd live in this body?’

It wasn’t just a bad day. Every day was like this.

It was easier to count the rare “not sick” days. That’s how frail Lloyd’s body was.

Alford realized it again. If a weakling like this became the king of Yustil, the kingdom would be doomed.

‘As expected, I’m the only one fit to be king.’

Taking deep breaths, Alford glanced out the window from the bedroom.

‘Anyway, the day has finally come.’

Today was the day of the great event. Once that sun sets, the full moon will rise. And then…

‘I’ll finally be free from this cursed body!’

To be honest, he felt a bit anxious.

For several days, he hadn’t been able to contact the cultists.

He had tried to reach them multiple times through the catalysts, but there was no response.

But delaying the plan wasn’t an option.

‘Live another month in this body? That’s insane.’

Alford forced himself to get out of bed.

He had been lying down all day, but it seemed that his energy had somewhat recovered.

‘This should be enough to attend the dinner I’ve arranged with the king tonight.’

As a member of the royal family, they didn’t sit down together for family dinners like ordinary families.

So, he had specifically requested a private dinner with his father under the pretense of discussing important matters, and it was granted.

The only thing left was to wait for the right moment and use the dagger hidden in his robes to attack.

‘Not that I have much of a chance of success in this body.’

He had considered coating the dagger with poison to ensure his father’s death but had given up on that idea.

After all, as the king, he was constantly surrounded by powerful clerics, and he himself carried protective talismans hidden in his clothing. Even Alford, as a prince, had always done the same.

‘It’d be far worse if I accidentally cut myself with the poisoned dagger.’

All he needed to do was show his intent to kill, to display his treasonous resolve clearly.

He would cause a ruckus, act like a madman, and then immediately throw the dagger away and surrender before he got hurt. That would resolve everything.

As he reviewed his plan, Alford looked out the window once more.

‘Now, all that’s left is for the sun to set…’

It was at that moment.

“Your Highness!”

The door suddenly burst open, and a group of servants and guards rushed into the bedroom.

Startled, Alford’s eyes widened.

“W-what’s going on?”

The large head maid, in a panic, rushed to lift him up and shouted,

“You must evacuate immediately!”

Because Lloyd’s body was so small and frail, even a woman’s strength was enough to lift him up with ease.

As Alford was carried out like a piece of baggage, he heard the servant’s urgent shout.

“Prince Alford is out of his mind, swinging his sword and aiming for you!”

Alford’s expression turned blank.

‘What does that mean? I’m targeting myself?’

And then, he quickly realized the situation.

He was currently inside Lloyd’s body.

That meant the “Prince Alford” they were referring to was…

‘…Lloyd?’

***

In the hallway of Silver Karla Palace.

A single robust knight stood in a standoff against dozens of soldiers.

“You scoundrels! Kneel before your future king!”

The soldiers shouted back in disbelief.

“What are you doing, Prince Alford?!”

“Do you think His Majesty will overlook such reckless behavior?”

But there wasn’t even a need to invoke the authority of the king. After all, the only one storming into the palace was Alford—alone.

“Why is he acting like this?”

“No matter if he’s a prince…”

“What can he possibly achieve by himself?”

As the confused soldiers muttered among themselves, Lloyd couldn’t help but smirk internally.

‘Of course, I can’t achieve anything by myself.’

And that was exactly the point.

‘Alford, you foolish younger brother…’

Having committed such a crazy act, he would soon be captured and thrown into prison. And the news that “Prince Alford” had lost his mind would spread throughout the kingdom.

‘If you thought you could ruin me, you should have known I could ruin you just as easily.’