Chapter 66: The Royal Power Struggle (4)

The cultists dragged Lloyd out of the stone chamber, leading him up through a corridor and into higher levels. Despite his precarious situation, Lloyd decided to test the waters by throwing out some questions.

“What’s your goal here?”

“What have you done to Alford?”

“Do you really think you can get away with this after kidnapping a prince of the realm?”

His captors, so verbose just moments ago, maintained a stony silence now. They refused to answer a single question. He was led onward like livestock, and a strange thought crossed Lloyd’s mind. A wry smile crept onto his face.

This is oddly... comfortable.

It made no sense. He was bound tightly with ropes and being dragged along. It couldn’t have been comfortable. But for some reason, it really was. He felt no pain at all. His body felt light, and his movements felt effortless.

Now that I think about it, I felt this way the moment I woke up.

He had gone to sleep wrapped in soft bedding and dressed in comfortable nightclothes. When he awoke, he had been bound and lying on a cold stone floor. Yet he woke up feeling better than ever—light, refreshed, and full of energy.

So... this is what Alford’s body feels like to live in?

For the first time, he truly realized how pitiful his original body had been. His entire life had been spent trapped in a vessel that barely functioned. Eventually, they led him to the second floor of the mansion, where a group of men was waiting. Among them, Lloyd recognized a familiar face, and he frowned.

“Sir Sebastian.”

Sebastian, one of Alford’s most trusted lieutenants, stood among the group.

“This is unexpected. To think you, of all people, would betray Alford.”

Sebastian smirked. His expression was dry and mocking.

“Do you think I’ve betrayed Prince Alford?”

“Then how do you explain this? Why else would you shove Alford into my decrepit body?”

“I’ll admit. It certainly looks that way,” Sebastian replied nonchalantly.

Lloyd’s eyes narrowed, but inwardly, he smirked. It meant Alford was the one behind this. However, the situation still remained mostly a mystery.

What does he stand to gain by taking my body?

Sebastian gestured to the others, and a heavy door at the end of the corridor swung open. Inside was a luxurious bedroom, the kind befitting a prince. The only noticeable oddity was the heavy iron bars installed over the windows.

“Please step inside,” Sebastian instructed.

Lloyd complied without resistance, knowing there was little point in struggling. As he stepped over the threshold, he muttered, “What is it you want from me?”

To his surprise, Sebastian answered, “What is it we want from you?

As Lloyd stepped inside, Sebastian shook his head. “Nothing at all.”

The cultists untied the ropes binding Lloyd’s arms and stepped back. It seemed they had no intention of keeping him restrained.

“Your Highness, all we ask is that you remain here, safe and sound, without causing any trouble.”

The heavy door slammed shut behind him, and the sound of the lock echoed through the room.

***

Lloyd continued recounting his story while looking around.

“After I was locked up, I did what I could.”

The first thing any prisoner would do was look for a way out.

“I shook the bars on the windows, inspected every corner of the room, and examined the door thoroughly. It wasn’t difficult, since they undid my restraints.”

But the outcome had been the same as most captives.

“There was no way to escape. I wasn’t disappointed, since I had guessed as much.”

In fact, he felt more joy than disappointment.

“Given that I lost my body and was locked up, this might sound odd, but...”

He was in Alford’s body after a lifetime of being trapped in his frail, failing body. He felt liberated for the first time, and even the simple act of pacing the room made him realize it even further.

“To be honest,” Lloyd admitted with a wry smile, “I couldn’t help but think that I wouldn’t have minded staying in this body forever.”

His captors treated him well. He wasn’t bound, the bed was soft and comfortable, and the room was stocked with plenty of books to stave off boredom.

“Even the food was exquisite, fit for a prince.”

It was the kind of indulgent cuisine Lloyd had only ever dreamed of.

“Not because I didn’t have the money or because I was mistreated, but because I would fall ill the moment I tried anything with too much flavor.”

For the first time in his life, he experienced how delightful spicy and salty food could be. Lloyd gazed off into the distance, a wistful look in his eyes.

“Ah, those were some good days.”

Karnak and Varos nodded solemnly, their expressions oddly understanding.

“Oh, I get that.”

“Yeah, completely understandable.”

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at them.

“Why, exactly, do you two understand this?”

For a moment, Lloyd hesitated, but then he continued his story.

“After that, I had no contact with anyone. They only opened the door to deliver meals.”

The thick door to his room only opened during mealtimes. If Lloyd wanted to escape, that would be his only chance. But the circumstances weren’t in his favor.

Sebastian wasn’t foolish. Every time a maid brought in food, she was accompanied by four heavily armed elite knights. These were the best of the best, warriors even Alford himself would struggle to defeat one-on-one. With their sharp eyes constantly monitoring him, there was no way Lloyd could make a move during mealtimes.

“Then...” Hearing this, Serati frowned in confusion. “How did you escape?”

“Well...” Lloyd gave a wry laugh. “Turns out, they had a pretty serious misunderstanding.”

***

Locked in the room, Lloyd sat down and calmly organized his thoughts.

Let’s start with what I know about the situation.

He had no way of understanding what Alford’s ultimate goal was. What was clear, however, was that their bodies had been switched, and that Lloyd was now being held captive.

They haven’t killed me, which means they need me alive for something.

The environment confirmed this.

The room wasn’t just comfortable—it was meticulously prepared. Meals were of the highest quality, and the attached bathroom allowed for dignified privacy. At the very least, it was clear they cared deeply about the condition of Alford’s body.

They’re even paying attention to my health.

Given that, Lloyd thought it might be possible to exploit mealtime for an escape attempt.

If they can’t harm this body, I should be able to use that to my advantage...

But it was a ridiculous idea.

This plan required Lloyd to not only defeat four elite knights, but also deal with the guards stationed throughout the mansion, find his way out of an unfamiliar building, and escape before reinforcements caught him. This did not account for the fact that he couldn’t even handle a single ordinary soldier in his own body.

“That’s impossible,” Lloyd muttered, letting out a hollow laugh.

Out of habit, he began stretching his body. His original body had been so fragile that he constantly needed to loosen his joints and muscles just to function. But as he went through his routine, he paused. Instead of the usual strain, a rush of vitality coursed through him.

“Huh...?”

Lloyd blinked in surprise.

“...I think this might work.”

***

Alford was undoubtedly a prodigy. For someone under twenty to possess the skills of a first-rate knight was an extraordinary achievement. But even then, Alford’s prowess only matched that of a single elite knight.

And now, his body was inhabited by Lloyd—someone with no talent for combat whatsoever. In theory, a handful of ordinary soldiers would be more than enough to subdue him.

Sebastian, however, wasn’t taking any chances. He had assigned the most capable knights to guard Lloyd. He knew exactly how important the current situation was. Each of them was leagues beyond Alford in strength, and putting them together should have made escape virtually impossible.

Yet now, those four knights lay crumpled on the floor, groaning in pain.

“Urgh...”

“Ughhh...”

It had all happened in an instant. When the maid delivered the meal, Lloyd suddenly lunged forward and struck the lead knight’s neck with a precise blow. The knight collapsed, his legs giving out instantly, and Lloyd seized the sword from his belt.

What followed was a whirlwind of strikes. Though the knights responded quickly, Lloyd was faster. His movements were meticulous, every strike calculated and aimed with surgical precision. Unable to keep up with his relentless assault, the knights fell one by one. As his vision blurred, one of the knights stared up at him, his face etched with disbelief.

How...? Even Prince Alford himself wasn’t this strong...

Lloyd caught his breath and shook his head.

“You had no idea just how weak my original body was, did you?”

Indeed, Lloyd had been a frail shadow of a man. Under the tutelage of the finest master, he had learned the best swordsmanship, yet his skills seemed barely enough to contend with an ordinary soldier.

But was that truly evidence of a lack of talent? No. Rather, it was the opposite.

He had mastered the greatest swordsmanship under the finest master and, despite having such a frail body, managed to achieve martial prowess that matched an ordinary soldier. He had overcome the overwhelming disparities in stamina, vitality, and power by relying solely on tactical precision and skill, using minimal strength and movement.

So, what would happen if Lloyd gained a healthy and strong body?

“Alford, that lazy bastard. He was blessed with such a body, and that was all he could do? Wasn’t he just slacking off?”

Clicking his tongue, Lloyd heard a stifled gasp of fear behind him.

“Ah, ahh...”

With a faint smile, he stepped out of the room.

“Don’t worry. I won’t harm you.”

There was no need to hurt the maid.

“All you have to do is stay locked up here for a while. Conveniently, this place was designed to hold someone anyway.”

***

“Surprisingly, escaping the mansion was easier than expected.”

Lloyd had anticipated a heavily fortified surveillance network. He was wrong. There were guards stationed here and there, of course, but none of them tried to stop him.

“They just saluted dutifully as I passed.”

It was then that he realized.

“Come to think of it, there’s no way they would’ve informed the ordinary soldiers about my situation. This is an incident involving a cult, after all.”

To the guards, he was still Prince Alford. So, with a casual demeanor, he declared he was going for a stroll and walked confidently into the garden. Of course, fully escaping the mansion wasn’t as simple.

“Even if it were the real Alford, they wouldn’t let him leave the premises alone.”

Being a prince, Lloyd understood the protocols all too well. They would insist on assigning an escort for his safety, which would alert the higher-ups, and soon, Sebastian would come chasing after him with a troop of knights.

“So, I bided my time and headed for a secluded area before scaling the wall.”

By sheer luck, he managed to escape the mansion. But heading straight for the royal palace was too risky. The second prince’s faction would have anticipated as much. They were likely controlling the main routes. There was a high chance he’d be captured before even reaching the palace.

Finding his loyal subordinates wasn’t a straightforward option either. There was no guarantee they would believe his claim of having his body swapped by the cultists. And if they didn’t believe him?

He’d be isolated in Alford’s body within his own faction’s ranks. As much as he wanted to believe they wouldn’t harm a prince outright, not even as an enemy ...

“Could I really be certain, given how long this power struggle has dragged on?”

They had spent over a decade trying to eliminate each other. Could he confidently say there wasn’t a single loyalist who would act rashly, thinking it was true loyalty to strike first and report later?

“And it’s not like similar things haven’t happened before.”

A person’s life wasn’t something to gamble with recklessly.

“With no precedent for this kind of situation, I had no idea what the right course of action was.”

It was then that the King’s Order came to mind.

“I figured those familiar with necromancy might understand. Plus, the enemy wouldn’t expect me to move that way.”

So, he wrote a letter in his own hand and secretly sent it to Commander Erantel. He and Erantel had a prior acquaintance, so he trusted the man would recognize his handwriting.

“But here’s where I hit an unforeseen snag. Even though I wrote as I normally would, the handwriting came out as Alford’s.”

It seemed handwriting and mannerisms were tied to the body, not the soul.

“Fortunately, after some practice, I was able to replicate my original handwriting.”

Lloyd chuckled, remarking on how strange it felt to forge his own handwriting. He then hid in the slums, waiting for a reply. Three days later, he met with Karnak and his group.

“And that sums up my activities over the past five days.”

Lloyd narrowed his eyes after finishing his explanation.

“Now that I’ve managed to meet you all, I need to ask.”

The King’s Order was experienced in dealing with necromancers. They would know best the next course of action.

“What should I do next?”