Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 54

Chapter 54

 

A Saint was, by nature, a special existence. Unlike the high priests who went on and on about oracles and divine revelations, a Saint was someone who stood closest to the goddess Gaia herself, and her powers were truly mysterious.

Yuria, in particular, manifested visible phenomena every time she prayed, and there were countless people who had received divine protection and salvation through her.

With evidence overflowing, no one dared to doubt the wonder of a Saint.

“…Yes, Johannes. The Saintess is staying in the imperial palace.”

“Could I meet her just once? It’s my lifelong wish.”

“Well, I’m not sure about that.”

“Please, I’m begging you. I have to meet the Saintess this time! Honestly, that’s why I came as the head of the delegation.”

Johannes was obsessively fixated on meeting the Saintess. Cecil swallowed a sigh without letting it show. He understood. It meant that Johannes’s situation was just that desperate.

Johannes Albrecht IV was currently suffering from an incurable disease. And one year from now, he would die young at the age of twenty-one.

For now, he still appeared healthy, but in just a few months, his condition would certainly deteriorate rapidly.

Aside from Johannes himself, no one knew that he was afflicted with an incurable illness. His kingdom had no fixed line of succession, and fierce competition was underway to determine who would ascend the throne.

Afraid that his illness might become known and cause him to fall behind in the struggle for the crown, Johannes was being extremely cautious.

He concealed his illness completely, and the truth was only revealed after his death. As a result, Johannes’s passing came as a sudden shock to everyone. Cecil was no exception.

At the time, Cecil had even crossed into the Kingdom of Themion to attend his funeral. The image of his friend’s body, lying stiff like wax inside a transparent glass coffin, remained vividly etched in his memory. And now that same Johannes was smiling brightly, full of life—it was simply good to see him, joyful, and unbearably sad all at once.

Cecil knew well how agonizing it was to keep a secret entirely to oneself. That was why his heart ached even more.

“Johan, how’s your health? Is there anywhere that hurts?”

He cautiously opened the conversation, mixing in the childhood nickname he used to call him by. At the probing question, Johannes reacted explosively.

“What are you talking about! Not at all! I’m perfectly fine! Healthier than anyone!”

“I know. I was just asking how you were.”

“Can’t you tell just by looking at me, coming all the way to the Verka Empire as the head of the delegation? Don’t worry, Cecil. Your friend is so healthy he could practically fly.”

Johannes then went right back to begging to meet the Saintess. He clung so persistently that even Cecil, who was listening, felt utterly drained.

Cecil first tried to calm him down.

“I don’t know what you’re expecting, but the Saintess doesn’t have the power to heal people, grant wealth and status, or change the future. She simply prays and bestows divine protection.”

“At least divine protection is guaranteed, right?”

“Do you think divine protection is something grand? It’s nothing more than a little luck and peace. In the end, it depends on one’s own resolve. The Saintess’s prayers just sprinkle a bit of stardust on top of that.”

“Perfect! That alone is more than enough for me!”

“Wow… you really don’t listen, do you.”

As the conversation went on, a headache began to throb, and Cecil squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again. The face before him was still filled with desperate longing.

After agonizing deeply, Cecil finally let out a long sigh.

“I’ll try asking His Majesty the Emperor.”

“That’s amazing! Cecil, thank you so much!”

“Don’t get your hopes up. His Majesty treasures the Saintess greatly. He even flatly refuses nobles’ requests out of concern that her divine power might be depleted.”

“Of course, of course! Naturally!”

Later, at the delegation’s welcome banquet, Cecil subtly made the request to the Emperor. As expected, it was denied.

Upon hearing the news, Johannes was deeply disappointed and remained gloomy throughout the banquet. Feeling deeply sorry for him, Cecil pondered other options. In the end, there was only one alternative left—Alexis.

“Your Highness. The head of the Themion delegation wishes to meet Yuria. Could you grant him just one opportunity?”

“……”

“He is a very dear friend to me. I will never make such a request again. Please, just this once.”

Clear blue eyes gazed steadily into Cecil’s face. Under a stare that felt like it might pierce through his skin, Cecil could only bite his lip. He didn’t even need an answer to know. Alexis found this request deeply unpleasant.

As expected, Alexis rejected Cecil’s plea without hesitation. He even snapped slightly, asking whether Yuria was some sort of tourist attraction for the Empire. Every word was justified, leaving Cecil no choice but to accept it and withdraw.

The problem, however, was how to convey this to Johannes.

Yuria’s divine power couldn’t cure Johannes’s incurable disease anyway. Johannes merely wanted comfort, and his yearning for it was overwhelming.

Cecil agonized again and again.

This might be their last meeting. He couldn’t bear to let his long-time friend leave like this.

The face of the dead Johannes kept flickering in his mind. Knowing his future made Cecil’s heart feel even heavier.

“…Right. It’s not only divine protection that can offer comfort.”

Cecil made a difficult decision. For Johannes’s sake, he decided to endure some pain.

That evening, Cecil returned to Peridot Palace and began preparing thoroughly. After taking a painkiller in advance, he summoned Johannes to his bedchamber.

When Johannes entered with a dejected expression, Cecil dismissed all the attendants and sat facing him. First, he served him warm tea to help calm his nerves.

“Johannes, I’m sorry, but there’s no way for you to meet the Saintess directly.”

“…I figured as much.”

“Instead, I asked the Saintess a favor. I told her to pray for Johannes Albrecht IV.”

Johannes’s eyes flew open. Perhaps the unexpected answer startled him—his gloom lifted, and a light slowly returned to his face.

Cecil took a deep breath.

“So this is… the answer the Saintess received from the god through her prayers. You mustn’t tell anyone. Can you promise that?”

It was unfortunate, but he had no choice but to borrow Yuria’s name for a moment. Johannes would never meet Yuria anyway, so Cecil convinced himself that this much was acceptable.

“I promise! What is it? Hurry, tell me!”

“You’re currently suffering from a serious illness. You’re fine for now, but before long, you’ll pass away. Eight months from now—on October 16th.”

“What? …I die on that day?”

Johannes covered his face, unable to believe it.

No, in truth, he had vaguely sensed that he wouldn’t live long. But learning the exact date of his death was hard to accept.

“…My god. So the gods know even things like that.”

“Are you receiving treatment?”

“No. No one in my kingdom knows about my illness. I was diagnosed abroad instead. I’m secretly importing medicine and taking it.”

“There’s no way to cure it?”

Johannes shook his head. His flushed face trembled as he roughly rubbed it with his palm.

“They said there’s no cure. It’s a disease where the lungs harden like stone. I’m holding out with medication for now, but once resistance builds up… it’ll be unstoppable.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Did she say anything else? Like whether the child my wife is carrying is a prince or a princess. Or who will become the next king of Themion.”

“Your child will be a handsome prince. She said he looks just like you.”

“…I see. A son. It was a son.”

Johannes was overwhelmed, his expression somewhere between laughter and tears. The face of his newly pregnant wife came to mind. To die without ever seeing his child’s face—there could be no greater tragedy.

“She also said the next king of Themion will be Dietrich.”

“As expected, my eldest brother.”

“Dietrich will be a fine ruler.”

Cecil firmly gripped Johannes’s shoulder and added his counsel. The reason he had revealed the future was so Johannes could steel himself and prepare for death. He couldn’t remain sunk in despair like this.

“Johannes. When you return to your kingdom, tell Dietrich about your condition. Trust him, and ask him to take care of your family.”

“…Yes. I will.”

Johannes now looked faintly resigned. Slowly, he stood up and gently ruffled Cecil’s hair.

“Thank you, Cecil. Thanks to you, I think I can finally see things clearly. I’m going to give up the throne. With so little time left, I can’t waste it on something so futile.”

“Johannes. If you ever need help, tell me.”

“Mm. I hope you have peaceful nights too.”

Johannes soon left the bedchamber. The moment he heard the door shut firmly, Cecil bent forward and released the breath he’d been holding all at once.

“Ah… ngh.”

His heart began to thrash wildly, tightening out of control. The price for revealing the future had begun in earnest.

He had managed to endure so far thanks to the painkiller. Whether fortunate or unfortunate, the pain surged like a flood the moment Johannes left.

Had the goddess Gaia been truly enraged? The scope of the pain far exceeded Cecil’s expectations. The agony he’d felt back then—his flesh being torn, his heart stabbed again and again—was being recreated exactly as it had been.