Capítulo 68: CHAPTER 67: The Appropriate Bait (1)
A mansion in the outskirts of Drunta, the capital of the Kingdom of Yustil.
This was the residence of Count Edran, a follower of Prince Alford, and the new hideout that Sebastian had arranged after losing track of Prince Lloyd. Since their location had been compromised, they couldn't stay in the same place any longer.
In the mansion's office, Sebastian was holding his head in frustration.
"What should I do now…."
He had deployed all available personnel to search for Prince Lloyd, or more precisely, for Prince Alford's body. He even gathered information indirectly through the Adventurers' Guild in the capital.
Yet, there was still no progress.
Frustrated, Sebastian nervously chewed on his nails.
"Could he have already contacted his subordinates? Is that why he's gone into hiding? If so, this could turn into a real problem…."
Three men sat across from him, listening to his muttering.
They weren't dressed in their usual black robes, but as ordinary men, though they were actually necromancers sent by the Dark God's cult.
The leader of the necromancers, a man in his fifties named Detzras, spoke calmly.
"Didn't we already confirm that the royal palace and the Marquis Talain's household were clear?"
Both places had spies planted long ago. So, it was certain that Prince Lloyd had not gone to the royal palace or his maternal relatives' residence.
Sebastian responded bluntly.
"But we can't rule out the possibility that he's found other subordinates, can we?"
Just as Prince Alford had subordinates who weren't publicly known, so too could Prince Lloyd.
It wasn't possible to plant spies in every faction.
To do that, there would have to be a massive difference in power, and in that case, the conflict wouldn't have dragged on for over ten years. It would have ended long ago.
Detzras shook his head.
"Even if that's the case, it's not a major issue, is it?"
The other necromancers also agreed and spoke up.
"If Prince Lloyd had contacted his subordinates, there would surely be some movement, and we can respond to that accordingly."
"The important thing is to have Prince Alford's body in the right place at the right time. We still have a chance."
At this, Sebastian looked even more frustrated.
"That's only true if people actually believe that Prince Lloyd's body has been swapped, isn't it?"
They didn't seem to grasp the real problem at all.
"The real issue is if they don't believe it!"
Only a few years had passed since the Darkness of Doom had descended. The world was still not familiar with the existence of necromancy.
Even Sebastian himself was no exception.
If one day, Prince Lloyd suddenly came and said, 'I'm actually Prince Alford. My body was swapped with Lloyd's!'—then what?
"I would've thought that Prince Lloyd had gone mad, or that he had some other ulterior motive. I certainly wouldn't have believed the situation."
And then what would have happened?
The target he'd been desperately trying to kill for so long would have fallen right into his hands, alone and vulnerable.
"It would have been the perfect opportunity to deal with him."
The necromancers exchanged worried glances.
"No way, you mean they'd just kill him on the spot?"
"But he's still a prince of the kingdom!"
Sebastian looked at the necromancers with disdain.
"We've been trying to kill each other's princes for over ten years now. This isn't the first time."
"But isn't there a chance that it might be true? Wouldn't they at least have that suspicion?"
"That's because you're necromancers. That's why you think like that."
Even Sebastian hadn't known it was possible for bodies and souls to be swapped until he met these people.
"Before then, I never even imagined such a thing could happen."
"How could that be? There are similar stories in some street legends."
"Do you think a noble like me would read such a common drivel?"
And most of Prince Lloyd's loyal followers were also nobles.
"Well, that's quite a problem…."
The necromancers' faces hardened.
With things as they were, there was indeed a real possibility that Prince Lloyd might end up killed by his own subordinates.
"The good news is that such a thing hasn't happened yet."
Detzras raised his right hand. A faint black aura flickered between his fingers and then vanished.
"The Soul Change Ring is still in effect. This is proof that both princes' bodies are still alive."
But there was no guarantee that this would continue.
"Is there really no way to find the prince's body through necromancy?"
Sebastian had asked this question several times over the past few days. So the necromancers repeated the answer they had given just as many times.
"If there were such a way, we would have already done it."
This had all taken place in Drunta, a city full of mages, clerics, and even the King's Order, which specialized in necromancy.
Given the circumstances, they had to ensure the utmost secrecy. Even the ones who cast the spells couldn't trace the remnants of the spell. It had to be that way to remain undetected.
Sebastian clutched his head again.
"It was too dangerous a move. I should have stopped the prince."
Detzras clicked his tongue.
"Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been that risky. We just didn't anticipate that you would be so incompetent."
"What did you just say…?"
"Did I say something wrong? Who was it that foolishly lost the prey we caught for them?"
Veins bulged on Sebastian's forehead.
Sensing the rising tension, the other necromancers quickly intervened.
"Please, both of you, calm down."
"It's not over yet. We can still resolve this before the ritual."
"In the worst case, the souls of both princes will just return to their original bodies."
"Of course, if that happens, it will be revealed that Prince Alford has allied with us, which would be a disaster…"
"But the prince's life won't be in danger."
Sebastian suppressed his anger and let out a sigh.
"In any case, we must find Prince Lloyd quickly. That is our best option."
***
Three days had passed since Karnak and his group made contact with Prince Lloyd.
The prince was hiding in a safehouse that Karnak had arranged—a rundown house located in the slums of Drunta.
"My apologies for housing someone of your status in a place like this," Serati said with some regret, but Lloyd didn't mind.
"Don't worry about it. I'm not uncomfortable."
And he wasn't just being polite—he genuinely didn't feel any discomfort.
Instead of the royal silk bedding from the palace, he now had a rough blanket stuffed with straw. Instead of the luxurious royal meals, meticulously prepared with nutritional balance in mind, he now ate the common food of the street folk.
For a prince like him, this should have been a harsh experience, one he had never encountered before...
"Funny as it may sound, but I've never lived as comfortably as I have lately."
With a light wink, Lloyd took a bite of the bread in his hand, savoring it.
"What good is an exceptional environment when the body is in terrible condition?"
It was just bread—plain, coarse black bread.
But to him now, with strong teeth and gums capable of chewing this tough bread as if it were stone, it was a luxury! And he could even sprinkle it with salt!
"After escaping, there were times when I had to wrap myself in rags and sleep crouched in an alley. Even then, I was more comfortable than I ever was in the palace."
Serati looked at him with pity.
"You must have truly been in a terrible state."
"People with healthy bodies don't understand how exhausting it is to live with one that isn't."
On the other hand, Karnak and Baros nodded in deep agreement.
"Exactly."
"You only understand it when you experience it."
"...So why do you two get it?" Lloyd clicked his tongue and changed the subject.
"Anyway, how did it go?"
Three days ago, the prince had asked them how they should proceed.
Not about what to do—that was already clear.
They needed to capture the cultists responsible for all of this. Whether they killed them or took them alive, securing those bastards was the top priority.
There was no need to ask Karnak for advice on this matter.
The question was how to capture those cultists.
So Karnak had dispatched members of the King's Order to search the mansion from which Lloyd had escaped.
Unfortunately, the results were as expected.
"The necromancers, Sir Sebastian, and all of his subordinates have disappeared without a trace."
Lloyd wasn't particularly disappointed.
"They're not fools; they wouldn't have stayed there. So, what's next? Are you going to deploy the King's Order to track down the cultists?"
"That would be the standard procedure, but it doesn't fit the current situation."
This wasn't a regional territory where the King's Order had operated before; this was the capital of an entire kingdom.
The search area was too vast, and there were too many nobles involved.
Even the King's Order couldn't go around raiding the residences of all the high-ranking noble families without solid evidence.
"Continuing the search discreetly isn't impossible, but it would take too long. We don't even know what Prince Alford's plan is, so we can't afford to waste time."
Lloyd sighed.
"So, there's only one option left."
If they couldn't find the cultists, they would have to make the cultists come to them.
"Alright, I'll be the bait. That should bring them out of hiding, right?"
Karnak responded curtly.
"Well, that's a given."
"...Were you planning to use me as bait all along?"
"You volunteered to be the bait, didn't you?"
"There's a difference between me volunteering and you deciding to use me as bait."
Clicking his tongue, Lloyd looked at Karnak.
It seemed Karnak had indeed planned to use him as bait from the start. Yet, there was still something that seemed to be bothering him.
"Is there a problem?"
"The type of bait is the issue."
When fishing, you must use the right bait for the fish you want to catch.
"Certainly, Your Highness is good bait. Many of Prince Alford's subordinates will take the bait."
With a bitter smile, Karnak continued.
"But the necromancers won't."
A missing Prince Lloyd—or more precisely, Alford's body—reappearing would naturally prompt Alford's forces to try and capture him again.
"But there's no reason for the necromancers to step in directly."
After all, Prince Alford's forces are already strong enough. They wouldn't risk exposing their identities unnecessarily.
"For the same reason, it would be problematic if it became known that you had allied with the King's Order."
The King's Order is a specialized organization for dealing with cultists, meaning it's particularly effective against necromancers.
"Against the King's Order, Prince Alford's existing forces are more effective than the necromancers. Naturally, the cultists wouldn't move."
That's why the King's Order could only be deployed for covert missions, like searching the mansion, but not for directly guarding Prince Lloyd.
"Even if the cultists themselves don't act, wouldn't we be able to capture the ones who do and interrogate them for additional information?"
"The chances that the execution unit would be aware of such sensitive details are slim."
There's no need to explain the exact current condition of the two princes.
They can simply be told that Prince Alford has been kidnapped and must be rescued.
"Just tell them that due to being brainwashed by magic, the prince is not in his right mind, and to ignore whatever he says and just bring him back. That should prevent any major issues."
Lloyd frowned.
"Then you're saying there's no way around this?"
If the enemy were ordinary soldiers or knights, it would be better to deploy ordinary soldiers or knights in response.
If the King's Order were the opponent, it would be even more advisable to deploy ordinary soldiers or knights.
"So, if we go by your reasoning, there's no reason for the cultists to get directly involved, no matter what we do."
"Yes, and that's why…."
Karnak flashed a mischievous smile.
"We're planning to add a more suitable bait."
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