Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 81

Chapter 81

 

“The noble soul of Themion, lay down all pain and sorrow now, and rest in peace at the side of the gods.”

In solemn silence, the final prayer came to an end.

As a funeral march played on the pipe organ began to echo through the hall, mourners steeped in grief stepped forward one by one to continue the memorial.

The funeral of Johannes Albrecht IV was currently being held here.

Cecil had visited the Kingdom of Themion just a few days before Johannes’s death.

When it was his turn, Cecil stepped forward with care, approaching the coffin placed at the center.

Johannes lay inside a transparent glass casket, surrounded by an abundance of flowers. His eyes were closed, and his expression looked remarkably peaceful. Cecil gazed down at him and fell briefly into recollection.

The image of Johannes smiling brightly, happy to see the friend who had come all this way to visit him, was still vivid in his mind.

Who could have thought he was a man about to die? Johannes had looked perfectly healthy until the very night before, never once losing his signature, sun-bright smile.

But no miracle occurred. Johannes Albrecht IV, prince of Themion, met his death as fate had decreed—on October 16.

‘Cecil, I think I’m more blessed than most people. Because I know the day I’ll die, I can put my affairs in order ahead of time. I am afraid, but I have no regrets. I’m ready now to let everything go and leave.’

Perhaps because of that, even his pale, rigid face seemed to carry the trace of a smile. Standing before the body of a friend he was seeing like this for the second time, Cecil turned countless thoughts over in his mind.

Johannes… will I, like you, be able to prepare for a death without regret?

Cecil placed a single red flower upon Johannes’s chest and bowed his head in silent prayer. Turning away, he also offered his condolences to Johannes’s wife, who stood steeped in grief.

After watching Johannes laid to rest in the royal cemetery, Cecil departed once more for the Empire.

The distance was considerable. The journey alone took a full five days each way—a relentless march.

Inside the jolting carriage, Cecil kept his eyes closed as though in hibernation. His mind was tangled with worries.

The greatest of them all was that he had only about 120 days left to live.

How had time already flowed so far? Cecil let out a long sigh and looked out the window. In the distance, the outline of the Imperial Palace began to waver into view.

Leaning back against his utterly exhausted body, he closed his eyes again. He could not afford to waste the time he had left. After attending Johannes’s funeral, the reality of his own approaching death felt all the more vivid.

Recently, the political situation within the Verka Empire had been changing rapidly.

First, Emperor Arnold’s health had deteriorated sharply. A chronic illness he had long suffered from had worsened, leaving him completely incapable of handling state affairs. In accordance with imperial law, Crown Prince Alexis had begun fulfilling the emperor’s role in his stead.

The Empress’s faction was desperate to keep Alexis in check. But just as strong were the forces supporting the Crown Prince, and even the neutral nobles lent him their strength. All of it was thanks to Cecil’s quiet efforts behind the scenes.

At a timely moment, a crisis struck the mining ventures as well. The Empress’s faction nobles, who had invested enormous sums, began to suffer severe financial strain, eventually reaching the point where they were forced to liquidate all of their remaining assets.

On the brink of bankruptcy, they had no room to concern themselves with imperial governance. The Crown Prince ruthlessly removed nobles who neglected their duties and filled their positions with capable individuals.

When nearly half of the high-ranking noble posts were replaced, the Empress’s authority began to wane steadily.

The woman who once controlled the Council of Elders with a single word had been reduced to nothing more than a beautiful flower confined within the palace.

“Someone among the rising nobles said that the Empire is currently undergoing a molting process.”

Cecil placed the book he had just selected onto the trolley set inside the archive. All of them were old volumes, and clouds of stale dust billowed into the air.

“A fitting metaphor.”

Alexis replied with his arms crossed. The expression seemed to please him; he let out a small snort of amusement.

He skimmed over the books Cecil had chosen, then carefully studied Cecil’s face as he blew dust away with a soft huff.

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“What do you mean, Your Highness?”

“No one knows you’re the one supporting me from behind the scenes. In fact, you’ve been taking a lot of criticism. I heard there are countless nobles who went bankrupt overnight, saying all the investment information you gave them was complete nonsense.”

Cecil smiled without making a sound.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m used to being cursed at.”

“It bothers me, though.”

“Are you bored? Why concern yourself with something so pointless?”

Cecil replied indifferently and turned away. He moved briskly through the shelves of the imperial archive, searching for more books.

The one he wanted was on a high shelf. He rose onto his toes and reached, but his fingers only barely brushed against it.

“If it’s hard, ask for help. I don’t understand why you insist on struggling alone.”

At some point, Alexis had come up beside him and retrieved the book in his place. With his tall stature, all he had to do was extend his arm.

The central imperial archive was rarely used and exceptionally quiet. Alexis and Cecil often came here to hold confidential conversations.

Of course, neither of them ever spoke of the kiss that had taken place three months earlier in the study of the Peridot Palace. Even now, it was treated the same.

As though it had been carved out of their memories, it was all dismissed as something that had never happened.

In truth, ever since returning from the funeral, Cecil had worried that Alexis might bring up Johannes’s death again.

But unexpectedly, Alexis never mentioned it at all. He treated Cecil as though he had never harbored any suspicions to begin with.

It didn’t put Cecil completely at ease, but he also couldn’t very well probe Alexis’s true intentions. He simply hoped things would continue to flow like this. Both he and Alexis had far too much to do.

Looking over the books he had chosen, Cecil spoke.

“If I need help, I’ll say so. More importantly, you said you’re leaving tomorrow, didn’t you?”

Smoothly changing the subject, Cecil prompted Alexis to smile faintly, as though he were indulging him.

“Yes. It should take about two weeks.”

At long last, the Black Forest outpost had been completed—fully two years after construction had begun. Alexis planned to inspect the Black Forest and its guard post, and to tour the surrounding outer districts in the emperor’s stead.

“Aren’t you curious about how the outpost turned out?”

“I am, since you personally oversaw it, Your Highness. I’m sure it was built well.”

“What if I asked you to come with me?”

At the sudden suggestion, Cecil set the book he was holding down.

“You’re asking me to accompany you on the tour?”

“Having someone to travel with wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Shouldn’t you take Yuria instead? Traveling with the Saintess would look more… appropriate to others—”

“I believe I just made the offer to you.”

When Cecil couldn’t respond, Alexis reached out and brushed back his disheveled bangs, making his stunned expression all the more apparent.

“You’ve been gloomy ever since returning from Themion. You look quite worn.”

He pointed out how much weight Cecil had lost, how sharp his face had become. In truth, Cecil had been losing sleep again these days.

“You don’t need to follow the entire tour. Just come visit when it’s convenient for you. For a change of scenery, to get some fresh air.”

“I’ll see. I’ve been busy… I don’t know if I’ll have the time.”

Cecil answered evasively. To be honest, he wanted to go desperately, but he didn’t know whether it was right to indulge that desire.

 

***

 

A week after Alexis left the Imperial Palace, Cecil forced himself to carve out several days of free time.

The outer district where the Black Forest lay took a full day to reach even on horseback.

At dawn, before the sun had risen, Cecil packed lightly and set out with his chief attendant and a single guard knight. Thanks to riding swift horses without rest, they were fortunately able to reach their destination before sunset.

Cecil climbed a high hill and gazed out at the forest spread before him.

True to its name, the Black Forest was dim even in daylight. Massive ancient trees, grown over hundreds of years, were tangled together, blocking out the sky. It wasn’t frightening so much as mysterious—closer to a breathtaking spectacle.

The group rode up to the outpost. A knight on duty recognized Cecil and rushed out at once, offering a respectful greeting.

“We greet the Empire’s Little Star.”

“You’ve worked hard. Where is His Highness?”

“His Highness has gone out to inspect the outer districts.”

Unlucky timing—they had just missed each other. Cecil swallowed his disappointment.

“He isn’t far. I’ll send word that you’ve arrived, Lord Cecil.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll just look around on my own. If it’s all right, may I ask you to guide me?”

“Yes! Of course!”

The knight quickly summoned his superior, and under the guard captain’s guidance, Cecil was able to tour the defensive wall.

Seen up close, the wall was far more solid and imposing than it had appeared from afar. He had heard special care was taken with the repairs, and the quality showed—time and effort well invested.

“It should be fine.”

“Pardon?”

“Even if monsters were to appear again. With a wall of this scale, they wouldn’t be able to breach it.”

“Haha! Monsters? Have you forgotten that we wiped them all out?”

Calling it needless worry, the guard captain laughed heartily. The others around them did the same. No one seemed able to imagine monsters ever appearing again.

Cecil laughed along with them. He had been prepared to force the issue and warn them of the monsters’ possible resurgence if their preparations were lacking—but with defenses like these, there was no need.

A wall stretching long before the dense forest, a towering guard post standing firm.

The achievements Alexis had built here would undoubtedly continue to protect the Empire for years to come.