Karnak, Monarch of Death

Taking over someone else’s body was undeniably an evil act—something that could never be justified ethically. However, Lloyd was the one who had stolen Alford’s body in this situation.

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

From Serati’s perspective, there didn’t seem to be much of a problem with Lloyd continuing to live as Alford. The same would likely be true for the citizens. It was clear who would make a better king between Lloyd and Alford.

Lloyd was undoubtedly superior in terms of character and temperament. His only flaw was his frailty, leaving everyone uncertain if he could survive another day. But now? Lloyd’s soul in Alford’s body? It seemed like the perfect combination for an ideal monarch.

“Of course, living as someone else won’t be easy,” Serati acknowledged.

Changing bodies meant changing families, allies, and even political factions. It wasn’t as simple as changing clothes. Still, the potential gains far outweighed the losses. First and foremost, Lloyd would finally have the strong, healthy body he had always dreamed of.

And if he could strip Alford—in Lloyd’s body—of his power entirely? It could even be an opportunity to unite the two factions and consolidate power. Once stability was secured, Lloyd could carefully approach his former allies, one by one, and win them over.

“You weren’t close with His Majesty, but surely you had close confidants among your own retainers, didn’t you? People who shared secrets with you?”

“Well, yes, that’s true...”

They were originally his subordinates, after all, so Lloyd would know how to handle them. Those who refused to cooperate might even be swayed if Lloyd revealed his true identity. It would be unfair to his mother and raise other ethical dilemmas, but...

“Rather than insisting on returning to your original body at all costs, wouldn’t it be worth considering this option as well?”

Serati’s careful suggestion left Lloyd with a peculiar expression.

“Hmm...”

After a pause, he suddenly asked, “Serati, are you by any chance a fan of royal romance stories?”

Her face turned bright red. “Well, I, um...”

In truth, she was. A story she’d read long ago had featured a similar premise, and that was what had prompted her remark.

“Let me be honest,” Lloyd said with a wry smile. “Do you think I haven’t already thought about it? I’ve had plenty of time to consider it.”

He’d pondered it more than once: what if he simply kept Alford’s body and disappeared? The cost would be the loss of his royal status, family, and loyal retainers. But the gain would be a life free of the constant pain and suffering he had endured.

“No, it wouldn’t just be a life free of pain.”

Alford’s body was not only healthy but also far stronger and more vigorous than most. It was the very dream Lloyd had always wished for. And as Serati had pointed out, Alford had brought this upon himself. Lloyd had no reason to feel guilt or regret.

“If I could truly keep this body, I wouldn’t mind handing over the throne to Alford. That’s my honest opinion,” Lloyd said with a laugh.

Of course, Alford would be at a loss.

“That fool must be gritting his teeth every day, counting down the days until he can get his body back. Imagine him suffering through the constant fevers, headaches, and runny nose my frail body brings.”

But then, Lloyd’s expression turned serious. “That’s precisely what bothers me. The conditions are too convenient, almost suspiciously so.”

He turned to Karnak. “Sir Karnak, you said necromancy could allow body-swapping among those of the same bloodline, correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Karnak confirmed.

“Then why hasn’t there ever been a tyrant in history who used this method to switch bodies with their heirs?”

Lloyd’s question was sharp. If a tyrant were aging, sickly, and nearing death...

“If I were in their shoes, I’d cast aside taboos in an instant. Swap bodies with my son or my grandson. I could retain my power if I set them as the heir.

Could it be that necromancers had always hidden themselves too well for anyone to exploit their methods? That explanation didn’t sit right. The continent had seen its share of tyrants throughout history. Was it possible that not a single one had ever found a necromancer? Even if they hadn’t, it still didn’t make sense.

“If such a thing were possible, there would’ve been necromancers who secretly approached dying kings with this offer.”

Yet, according to history, these tyrants simply died, one after another.

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

Lloyd’s confidence faltered as a thought struck him.

“Wait... is it possible this has been happening all along, and I’m just unaware of it? What if the first emperor of the empire has been stealing his descendants’ bodies for generations...?”

Karnak chuckled and shook his head. “No, Your Highness. I was about to bring this up, but you’ve realized it yourself.”

He adopted a more serious tone. “Possession doesn’t last long because the soul and body aren’t truly compatible.”

Even with necromancy, possession typically lasted no more than a day or two. Beyond that, the body would begin to deteriorate, and the soul would succumb to madness.

”If the bodies are similar in nature, the duration of possession can be extended. Factors like similar physical conditions, age, or gender help maintain the possession for longer,” Karnak explained.

But even then, the limit was only a few months.

”Even in the case of identical twins, who share almost identical bodies, possession typically lasts just about a year.”

”And what about my case?” Lloyd asked.

”While you and Prince Alford are of close bloodlines, you’re half-brothers. Additionally, there are significant physical differences between the two of you. At most, the possession would last three months.”

Lloyd’s voice rose in alarm. ”So, if I miss the full moon this time, I’ll only have one or two more chances at most?”

”Yes.”

”Damn it...”

Lloyd clicked his tongue in frustration. He had suspected there might be a catch, but he hadn’t anticipated how little time he had.

”What on earth was Alford thinking, risking something so dangerous?”

Karnak chuckled.

”It seems he wasn’t aware of the risks.”

”Not aware? What do you mean?”

”From interrogating the cultists, we learned something interesting...” Karnak began.

Detzras and his group hadn’t disclosed the full truth to Alford. They conveniently left out the part about possession having a time limit and simply told him that bodies could be swapped. Their logic likely went something like this: even if something went wrong, they’d have an opportunity to fix it later. But since Lloyd was frail to begin with, living in his body was a risk Alford would have to take.

”That’s probably how they sold it to him,” Karnak concluded.

”Wait... are you telling me Alford actually believed that?” Lloyd asked, incredulous.

”He must have, or he wouldn’t have gone through with it.”

”Hah...”

Lloyd let out a hollow laugh, trying to gather his thoughts.

”In any case, regaining my original body during the next full moon has to be my top priority.”

”Indeed,” Karnak agreed.

At the same time, he would need to ensure that Alford wouldn’t ruin his reputation by doing something reckless. But it wouldn’t be easy to stop Alford from acting however he wanted in Lloyd’s body.

”It looks like I’ll need to meet with Alford in secret,” Lloyd muttered begrudgingly. ”I’ll have to propose a deal: neither of us damages the other’s body or reputation, and we agree to restore everything to its original state.”

As much as Lloyd wanted to deliver a blow to his brother, he knew doing so might backfire and hurt him as well.

”This seems like the best course of action for now,” Lloyd concluded with a sigh.

Watching him, Karnak briefly pondered. Truthfully, Karnak didn’t care much whether Lloyd regained his original body. His primary goal had been to capture the high-ranking cultists. With the souls of Detzras and his group now in his possession, that objective was already accomplished. Lloyd’s predicament didn’t concern him.

But this prince... he’s unexpectedly decent.

Since Karnak’s vow to avoid major incidents was already broken, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to build a connection with a prince.

And if I’m going to form ties, it’s better to align myself with someone who has power.

With a deliberate effort to appear warm and trustworthy, Karnak smiled and said, ”Do you truly wish to strike back at him, Your Highness?”

Lloyd’s face tensed as he caught the hint of something in Karnak’s expression.

”And what if I do?”

”In that case,” Karnak replied with a knowing smirk, ”I have an idea.”

***

The western section of the Eustil royal palace housed the residence of Prince Lloyd, the Silver Collar Palace. From one of its bedrooms came the sound of a groan.

“Ugh... Ahhh...”

Though the sun had already risen high into the afternoon sky, Lloyd—or rather, Alford in Lloyd’s body—remained bedridden.

This cursed body!

Lying on the bed, Alford ground his teeth in frustration. Yesterday, his condition had been somewhat manageable, but today, he woke up with a high fever, a splitting headache, and a body that felt utterly wretched.

How the hell did Lloyd survive in this pitiful shell?

This wasn’t just a bad day—it was every day. Finding a day when he didn’t feel like this was rarer than finding one where he did. Lloyd’s body was pathetically frail. The realization struck him anew: if someone as weak as Lloyd became king, the Eustil Kingdom would surely collapse.

There’s no doubt about it. Only I am fit to be king of this country.

Steeling himself, Alford tried to steady his breathing as he gazed out the window.

At least the day has finally come.

It was the day of the grand plan. Once the sun set, the full moon would rise, and with it...

I will finally be free of this cursed body!

Still, unease gnawed at him. For some reason, he hadn’t been able to contact the cultists for days. Despite multiple attempts to reach them through their catalysts, there had been no response. But delaying the plan was not an option.

Live in this body for another month? Are you insane?

Gritting his teeth, Alford forced himself to sit up. After spending most of the day in bed, he felt his strength return just enough to manage.

This should be enough to attend tonight’s dinner with the king.

In the royal family, it was rare for them to sit down for dinner together like ordinary families. But Alford had specially requested this evening, citing important matters, and his father had agreed. The plan was simple. He would wait for the right moment and strike with the dagger hidden on him.

Not that I expect to succeed in killing him with this body.

He had considered poisoning the dagger to ensure success, but ultimately dismissed the idea. The king was always accompanied by powerful priests and protected by defensive talismans sewn into his clothing. Even Alford himself had those precautions as a prince.

The last thing I need is accidentally cutting myself with a poisoned blade.

The goal wasn’t necessarily to kill the king but to make his murderous intent clear. He would cause a scene, act like a deranged traitor, and then promptly throw away the dagger and surrender before he could injure himself. As he reviewed the plan, Alford glanced out the window once more.

All I need now is for the sun to set...

It was then that the door suddenly burst open.

“Your Highness!”

Servants and guards flooded into the room, their faces pale with urgency. Startled, Alford’s eyes widened.

“Wh-What is going on?”

The head maid, a stout woman, rushed over and effortlessly lifted Alford’s frail body into her arms.

“You must flee immediately!” she cried.

Lloyd’s body was so small and weak that even the maid could carry him with ease. As Alford was hauled away like a sack of flour, he overheard one of the servants shouting.

“Prince Alford has gone mad! He’s swinging a sword and coming after you, Your Highness!”

Alford’s face froze in disbelief.

What? I’m after myself?

Then the realization hit him. He was currently in Lloyd’s body. Which meant the Prince Alford they were talking about was...

...Lloyd?

***

A lone, imposing knight stood off against dozens of soldiers in the hallway of the Silver Collar Palace.

“All of you! Kneel before your future king!” he roared.

The soldiers exchanged bewildered glances, shouting back in confusion.

“What are you doing, Your Highness?”

“Do you think His Majesty will let this madness slide?”

Frankly, they didn’t even need to invoke the king’s authority. After all, the intruder was just one man—Alford.

“What’s gotten into him?”

“Even if he’s a prince, what can he do alone?”

As the soldiers murmured amongst themselves, Lloyd, in Alford’s body, smirked inwardly.

Of course I can’t do anything alone.

That was precisely the point.

Oh, my foolish little brother...

Having committed such a reckless act, Prince Alford would inevitably be captured and imprisoned. Soon, word would spread across the kingdom that Alford had lost his mind.

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