Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 36

Chapter 36

 

Cecil halted mid-step. He glanced at the arrow embedded in the ground before lifting his head again.

Claude’s bewildered face, Yuria’s flustered expression, and Alexis’s impassive gaze all came into view one after another.

Even in the shade of the forest, Alexis’s platinum hair gleamed as if it held all the light in the world. Perhaps it was because he had finally laid eyes on the one he’d been desperately seeking—Cecil felt a wave of relief, and his knees nearly buckled. With sheer will, he forced himself to keep walking.

“What’s going on?”

Alexis’s voice was cold. It almost sounded like a warning not to come any closer. His face, which had been gentle only moments ago, had suddenly turned wintry and frosty.

Cecil swallowed dryly. He felt a twinge of bitterness at the constant wall between them, but right now, there were more pressing matters.

Shamelessness was, after all, one of his specialties. Ignoring Alexis’s icy demeanor, he boldly laid bare the reason he had come.

“Lady Beatrice must leave the hunting grounds immediately. It’s dangerous for her to remain here.”

“And why is that?”

“The empress’s faction is on the move. They’ll likely target Lady Beatrice. She must get to safety as soon as—”

“Aren’t you part of the empress’s faction? If anything, you’re the one closest to her. Why should I believe a word you say?”

“…Are you implying I’m part of some plot?”

Cecil slowly wiped the sweat from his face. He had come running without a second thought, only to be met with this icy suspicion.

He held back the flood of emotion that surged in his throat. Clenching his trembling fists, Cecil met Alexis’s gaze head-on.

“You can think what you want, but please, just listen to me for now. We don’t have time.”

“……”

Their eyes locked in what felt like a silent battle of wills.

Alexis quietly took in Cecil’s disheveled appearance and wet hair. He didn’t trust Cecil in the slightest, but strangely, the man’s eyes didn’t look like they were lying. He had no choice but to believe him.

“Claude, we’re wrapping up here and heading back.”

“Your Highness!”

Claude immediately voiced his objection. He clenched his jaw and shook his head, but the crown prince had already made up his mind. Once Alexis decided something, it was difficult to sway him.

“You and I will go back first. Fire a signal flare, then gather the remaining attendants—”

He was mid-command when an arrow sliced through the air and embedded itself in the thick trunk of a tree, right between Alexis and Yuria.

“Who’s there?!”

Claude instantly drew his sword, his sharp gaze scanning the arrow lodged in the wood. There was no crest on the fletching—proof that it wasn’t from any of the official participants.

As if to prove it wasn’t a coincidence, masked figures in black cloaks emerged from the dense underbrush. From a distance, they raised their bows, and a volley of arrows rained down in unison.

All the arrows were aimed at one target. Their intentions were unmistakably clear.

“Yuria!”

Alexis instinctively shielded Yuria with his body. As he crouched low, arrows whizzed above, burying themselves into the ground and trees.

“Get out of here! I’ll deal with the assassins—Your Highness, take Yuria and—!”

Before he could finish speaking, another round of arrows came flying, and Claude quickly raised his shield to block them. Despite the sudden ambush, the knight commander reacted with experienced precision.

“Yuria, are you alright? Can you stand?”

Fortunately, Yuria had long grown accustomed to life in the perilous forest. Though her face had gone a bit pale, she quickly regained her composure and nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Let’s go—we have to run to where the horses are—”

“Aaack!”

Alexis, who had been tending to Yuria, whipped around at the bloodcurdling scream.

His teeth clenched as he beheld the chaos at the camp. The assassins had already closed in and were mercilessly slaughtering the attendants and the horses.

They were trapped. To escape the hunting grounds from this deep inside, they would need to ride hard for quite some time.

“Cecil.”

“My horse is still fine.”

Without needing to say more, Cecil immediately grasped Alexis’s intent and replied. Their eyes met in silent understanding. This wasn’t the time for hesitation.

Alexis gently pushed Yuria toward Cecil and drew his longsword, readying himself for battle.

“I’ll follow right behind. Just make sure you get out safely.”

“What about you, Your Highness?”

“Go!”

That was the last thing Alexis said before swinging his sword. Without warning, he pierced and slashed through the side of an approaching assassin. Blood sprayed in all directions from his elegant, dance-like movements. The once-green forest now reeked with the metallic stench of blood.

Unable to bring himself to leave Alexis behind, Cecil hardened his resolve and turned away. Gripping Yuria’s wrist tightly, he bolted toward where the horse had been left.

“Hold on tight.”

He helped Yuria mount the horse first, then climbed on behind her. As their targets attempted to flee, the assassins gave chase, but were blocked again and again by the crown prince and the knight commander.

A brutal battle unfolded. There were around twenty assassins, all skilled with blades, their training clearly evident—but still no match for Alexis or Claude.

Cecil tightened his grip on the reins. He couldn’t fight, but he could at least get Yuria to safety.

“Hyah!”

With a sharp command, the horse galloped forward. Leaving behind the brutal massacre, they raced down the forest path.

They had been running for about five minutes when Cecil suddenly yanked the reins hard. The horse reared up, and Yuria clung tightly to it, nearly thrown off balance.

“Damn it!”

Cecil’s eyes locked on the beast that appeared before them. A basilisk—the one creature released into the hunting grounds—had shown itself now, of all times.

The beast was massive, rivaling the size of a warhorse. Though raised specifically for the hunt, its ferocity was no less than that of a true wild predator.

Of course. The one who felled it would be declared the winner. It had to be a beast none could take on easily.

The basilisk slowly plodded forward on its thick legs, clearly biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The beast, covered in pitch-black fur, bared its yellow eyes and razor-sharp teeth, drooling heavily as it stared down Cecil and Yuria.

“W-What do we do?”

“We run. That’s the only option.”

Cecil answered calmly, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid.

His hand on the reins was slick with sweat, and a cold dampness trickled down his back. Could the horse really outrun that thing? He forced the thought from his mind. There was no other option.

While the fierce standoff dragged on, Cecil suddenly struck the horse hard in the side. Startled out of its fear by the sharp pain, the steed quickly turned and bolted. At that moment, the basilisk’s roar echoed behind them.

The savage beast leapt forward in a single bound, closing the distance in a few strides, and slashed at the horse’s glossy flank with its claws. The startled steed couldn’t endure the ambush and crashed to the ground. Cecil and Yuria, who had been riding it, were violently thrown off.

“Urgh!”

Cecil tumbled several times before slamming into the trunk of a tree. His back and shoulders throbbed with blinding pain, but he pushed himself up with trembling arms.

Yuria had been thrown in the opposite direction, and the basilisk was too busy tearing into the fallen horse to notice them.

Driven wild by the scent of blood, the beast grew more frenzied, ripping and chewing at the horse’s flesh. After struggling in agony, the horse finally fell still, lifeless. In the silence of the forest, only the wet, gnawing sound of the beast and the ragged breaths of the two humans remained.

Cecil locked eyes with Yuria, who lay at a distance. He silently asked if she was all right, and she, pale as a sheet, gave a small nod. There were scratches on her cheek and cheekbone, but it didn’t look too serious.

Suppressing his pain, Cecil scanned his surroundings. There was no one around to help, and shouting for aid was out of the question. Now—while the beast was distracted by its meal—was their only chance to escape.

Quiet as a shadow, Cecil gathered a fallen bow, a few arrows, and a dagger from the ground. Just as he began to slowly, carefully rise to one knee—