Chapter 81: A Brief Respite (1)
The decade-long power struggle within the Eustil royal family had finally ended in victory for Prince Lloyd. With Prince Alford assassinated by the cultists, his maternal relatives and supporting faction were left adrift. Of course, they didn’t go out without a fight. While they initially clamored for a thorough investigation into Alford’s death, their efforts soon fizzled out.
The deeper the investigation went, the clearer Alford’s ties to the cult became. Although the cult had severed ties to obscure the details, evidence of Alford and his inner circle's involvement with the Cult of the Black God continued to surface. Even those who weren’t his confidants had some inkling of what was going on.
Anyone with half a brain could have figured out that the prince had been scheming behind the scenes. They had simply chosen to look the other way. Eventually, the narrative solidified. The vile cultists had deceived Alford and stabbed him in the back!
Why?
Because with the ambitious and capable Alford gone and the frail Lloyd as king, the cult could more easily seize control of the kingdom. Prince Lloyd opted not to reveal the entire truth. He kept the body-swapping incident hidden, presenting himself as nothing more than a reclusive scholar unaware of the grander schemes around him. This was on Karnak’s advice.
“Keep the body-swapping a secret? Why?”
“Because admitting it would mean acknowledging that your soul was manipulated by necromancy. It’s best to avoid unnecessary suspicion.”
“But I have no ties to the cultists.”
“What does that matter? The mere association with necromancy will make people view you with distrust.”
“Still, doesn’t that make me look like a weakling, the kind of prince the cult would choose to manipulate?”
“And is that a problem? Are there any other princes I should know about?”
“...Fair point.”