Chapter 16

Health (1)

There were many things in the world that money could buy, but there were also many things it could not.

Health, the heart, time, and so on. Most were abstract concepts, yet they occupied an enormous place in a person's life.

Among them, health was especially important because it was often directly tied to life itself.

No matter how high one's status, how vast one's wealth, or how great one's fame, all of it was meaningless without good health.

Most people lived without understanding the importance of their health, only realizing it after it was too late.

And by the time they tried to cling to it, the opportunity had already passed.

Even an emperor who reigned with absolute dignity was no more than an ordinary human before illness.

Worse still, once one's health deteriorated, it was rarely easy to restore.

As the ages passed and medicine and technology advanced, new methods of preserving health emerged, but they remained limited.

Sometimes, when one part of the body felt uncomfortable, the actual problem lay somewhere entirely different. Others were simply born with ailments.

From the moment people were born, their health was destined to decline little by little.

Humans were beings who received the promise of death at the same moment they were granted life.

Yet cruelly, there were some for whom that cycle was exceptionally short.

Some were sentenced to death from the moment they were born.

"Cough! Cough!"

A woman lying in bed erupted into a fit of violent coughing.

She hurriedly covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

Her hair and eyes were as white as snow, and her skin was deathly pale.

Her entire appearance evoked untouched snow, giving her an air of mystery.

"Haa..."

After coughing harshly, the woman slowly lowered the handkerchief from her lips.

Dark red blood stained the pure white cloth.

Her condition looked grave even at a glance, but she appeared unconcerned as she held the handkerchief out to the side.

A young brown-haired maid stood beside her.

"Mary. Take care of this for me."

"My lady."

The brown-haired girl looked anxiously between the handkerchief and the woman.

Her large eyes resembled those of a deer.

The white-haired woman seemed to read the emotion in those innocent eyes and gave a faint smile.

Or rather, she attempted to smile.

No smile actually appeared.

Her expression remained rigid and cold, as though frozen in place.

"Wouldn't it be better to inform His Grace again?"

"It happens often. Don't make a fuss."

"But lately, you've been coughing far too—"

"I said I'm fine. Hurry and give me another one."

The woman spoke in a cold, blunt voice.

The maid, Mary, hesitated before taking the handkerchief and placing it into a basket atop the drawer.

The basket was filled with bloodstained handkerchiefs.

It showed just how much blood she had coughed up.

"...We're running low on handkerchiefs. I'll bring more."

"Fine. Bring tissues if there aren't any."

"Yes, my lady."

Even as Mary left the room, she could not tear her worried gaze away.

The white-haired woman merely stared back without expression.

Once Mary had finally gone outside, the woman turned her head forward.

The room was filled with a chill as cold as her face.

"Haa..."

The woman, Selena, let out a long sigh and leaned back against the bed.

Her expression was still stiff, but a trace of gloom had entered it.

She raised one arm and stared at her wrist.

It was so slender that it looked as though it might snap from the slightest touch.

Her skin was so unnaturally pale that it appeared powdered white.

As the blood on the handkerchief had made obvious, Selena's health was extremely poor.

In truth, even calling it extremely poor was an understatement.

'I don't have much time left.'

Selena thought this without changing her expression.

A congenital, incurable illness.

It did not merely shorten her lifespan. It openly predetermined it.

She was guaranteed to die by the time she reached adulthood.

According to a physician from the Central Plains, it was called the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, one of the worst illnesses imaginable.

It was a disease in which an excessive amount of yin energy completely destroyed the body's balance, gradually ruining it from within.

Its defining symptom was that the meridians—in other words, the mana circuits—became blocked one by one.

Mana circuits were essential for human survival.

They were especially closely tied to the health Selena desired so desperately.

People occasionally collapsed from heart attacks.

Such incidents occurred when the mana circuits near the heart were blocked by disease or declining health.

In the past, nothing could be done once a heart attack occurred, but recently, cardiopulmonary resuscitation at least made emergency treatment possible.

'The gods are too cruel.'

But the Nine Yin Severed Meridians was different.

If only one particular region were blocked, like in a heart attack, that would have been one thing.

This was practically the same as having every mana circuit in the body blocked.

The vessel had a fixed capacity, yet it contained so much that even the vessel itself began to shatter.

In exchange, it granted strength far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Back when Selena had still been able to move freely, she had been called a genius.

In magic especially, she was said to possess talent that no one else could rival.

Her mind was also exceptionally sharp, to the point that even her father, Theodore, sought her advice.

'All of it is meaningless.'

As time passed, everything began to feel increasingly pointless.

She had been born into the most prestigious ducal house in the Messiah Empire and possessed extraordinary talent, yet she was still dying helplessly.

Before poor health, everything else seemed small and pathetic.

As the days passed, there was only one thing she desired.

To leave her bed and run proudly on her own two feet.

Selena knew perfectly well that it was impossible.

Despite receiving every form of support available, her health showed no sign of improving.

There were three methods of treating the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.

One could consume a spiritual treasure overflowing with yang energy, receive direct treatment from a physician, or take yang energy directly into the body.

The first method was practically impossible, even with the ducal family's authority, wealth, and intelligence network.

They had monitored the black market constantly, but all they ever found were drugs, human trafficking, and similar filth. There were no spiritual treasures.

Every physician had abandoned the second method.

The operation was impossibly difficult, and none of them had the confidence to deal with the consequences if it failed.

As for the third method...

She would rather die.

She would bite her tongue before sleeping with a man she had never met.

She had no desire to prolong her life at the cost of her chastity.

'Besides, men capable of it are rare.'

To ensure success, the man would need to be someone worthy of being called the strongest.

However, most of the people frequently mentioned in discussions about the current strongest were women.

There was Kadir, known as the King of Magic, but he was already old.

Worse still, rumors described him as an eccentric, which made the idea deeply unpleasant.

'I don't want to die like this, but...'

Death frightened her.

That was why she had gathered every piece of knowledge she could find.

She taught herself alchemy and medicine in hopes of extending her life even a little.

Yet the more knowledge she accumulated, the more firmly she reached the same conclusion.

There was no cure.

Could anything be more despairing?

There had been a time when she cried until her voice gave out.

Her parents also felt the full weight of their helplessness, and their expressions worsened with each passing day.

Little by little, emotion disappeared from Selena's face as well.

She had reached the stage where she was slowly accepting despair rather than clinging to hope.

She could no longer remember the last time she had laughed without restraint.

'It's still better than doing nothing.'

Even so, she hated the idea of simply giving up and waiting for death.

Selena raised her head and looked into the air.

A window appeared before her eyes.

The Gallery, which she had only begun accessing after accepting her death.

'I used to hate even looking at it.'

Anyone could access the Gallery as long as they met the conditions, regardless of age or gender.

That was precisely why many people avoided it.

Some disliked places stained so heavily by human desire.

Selena had once been one of them, but her thoughts changed after her health deteriorated.

"So much time has passed."

She became absorbed in the Gallery at around the same time her condition worsened dramatically.

Unable to leave her bed, she spent all day browsing it.

At first, she merely lurked because she had nothing else to do.

Then, thinking she should at least leave some kind of record behind, she began posting messages counting down the days.

It had already been five months.

Put another way, her health had been worsening for five straight months.

'Not everyone there is terrible.'

When she was first criticized and mocked, she had thought, Of course. What else did I expect?

But as time went on, people seemed to realize that it was not an act and began sincerely encouraging her.

The head moderator was strange, but fundamentally just. Any abuse that crossed the line earned an immediate ban.

Thanks to that, Selena could now access the Gallery with a more relaxed heart than before.

People became endlessly free the moment they accepted death.

Selena gradually grew accustomed to the Gallery, that pit of human desire, and evolved into an excellent user herself.

A small portion of her dried-up emotions even returned.

Amusingly, most of those emotions were envy or resentment.

'Those idiots get to live with perfectly healthy bodies, so why am I...?'

It was deeply ironic.

Even so, she could not stop using the Gallery.

Recently, an especially unusual regular user had appeared, making it impossible not to pay attention.

'Wild Grylls... Why did this person fall into the Forest of Four Seasons?'

Anyone who explored the Gallery long enough would eventually witness things that defied common sense.

Recently, someone had appeared who claimed to have fallen into the Forest of Four Seasons.

The Forest of Four Seasons was a region where space changed constantly and access to the Gallery was impossible.

Yet he could connect without issue and had provided proof multiple times, attracting more attention than anyone else.

└ Wild Grylls: Three fasting pills.

_ Have you ever eaten meat? LOL.

└ Wild Grylls: No...

└ Want some?

└ Wild Grylls: Change your username first, LOL.

Title: Anyone Want to Bet on How Long Grylls Lasts?

I say about two weeks. LOL.

└ Even two weeks is generous.

_ He might die tomorrow.

_ A true fly's lifespan.

└ I think the gods hate Grylls.

└ Wild Grylls: You awful bastards. I'm going to survive until the end.

_ So what are you eating today?

At first, Selena had merely thought of him as someone pitiful.

Her opinion changed after trading with him.

He could have simply kept the compass without consequence, yet he insisted on returning it.

At the very least, that meant he was not a shameless person.

'And the fact that his life is as fragile as a fly's gives me a strange sense of kinship.'

Selena was terminally ill, while Grylls had the lifespan of a fly.

That peculiar comparison had gradually become established within the Gallery.

Occasionally, arguments broke out over which of them would die first, but those comments quickly disappeared.

The head moderator had probably decided that such discussions went too far and banned the users involved.

They were weighing human lives against each other, so they deserved it.

'If the first herb he had discovered had been something else...'

Selena had this thought every time she read one of Grylls's posts.

The rare medicinal herb he had discovered by chance—the New Moon Spirit Herb.

Unfortunately, the New Moon Spirit Herb specialized in stabilization rather than any particular type of energy.

She could not describe how disappointed she had been.

Had it been an herb overflowing with yang energy, she would have pursued it by any means necessary.

'Would the Heavenly Demon have been in danger then?'

She could infer the answer from the behavior of the Heavenly Demon, who had presumably received the New Moon Spirit Herb.

The Heavenly Demon was one of the Gallery's more famous regular users.

Selena was therefore familiar with her general behavior.

'For someone with such overwhelming self-esteem to treat him that respectfully, she must have received the New Moon Spirit Herb.'

The Heavenly Demon was famous for constantly posting nonsense.

No matter what others said, she continued without the slightest concern.

Through those posts, Selena had been able to infer her personality.

She was someone with exceptionally high self-esteem and confidence.

Her self-esteem in particular was strong enough to be obvious.

Anyone who posted whatever nonsense they pleased while ignoring everyone else clearly followed their own path.

'Was "Gal!" a word from the Central Plains meaning to rebuke someone?'

Yet during the incident involving the New Moon Spirit Herb, that same person had openly displayed urgency.

After receiving it, she even began treating Grylls with exceptional respect.

It was clear that the Heavenly Demon had been unwell and had received help from him.

'This Grylls person... seems like a bit of a pushover.'

Selena analyzed Grylls with her usual expressionless face.

His personality could be summed up in a single saying:

Treat others well, and they will treat you well in return.

His actions reflected that principle too.

Even though receiving help was crucial after being stranded in the Forest of Four Seasons, he still tried to repay every favor to the very end.

'There really are all kinds of strange animals in the world.'

Selena checked Grylls's posts frequently.

Partly because his fly-like lifespan gave her a strange sense of kinship, but more than anything, because she felt uneasy.

If his posts suddenly stopped, it would most likely mean that he had died.

'That only makes me more curious.'

She became increasingly curious.

What strange animal would he encounter next, and how would he overcome the hardship it brought?

Thanks to him, she even began leaving comments despite rarely doing so before, and her days became somewhat enjoyable.

Tiny ripples had begun to spread across Selena's heart.

"Cough! Cough!"

Splatter!

If only her body had not continued worsening with each passing day.

A sudden coughing fit seized Selena, and she hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand.

Mary had gone to fetch more handkerchiefs, leaving Selena with no other choice.

"..."

Fighting off the dizziness, she lowered her hand and looked at it.

Seeing blood pooled in her palm rather than on a handkerchief made death feel even more vivid.

It was a sign that she was finally nearing her limit.

Click—

"My lady, I brought the handkerchiefs... My lady?!"

Mary returned at just the right moment.

The instant she saw Selena, she rushed toward her in alarm.

"...Mary."

"I'll call the attending physician immediately. There's so much blood today..."

"No. It's all right. There's no need anymore."

"My lady?"

At Selena's refusal to summon the physician, Mary stared at her with a look of dreadful realization.

Selena read the meaning in her face and nodded.

"I truly don't think I have much time left."

"M-My lady, you mustn't give up so quickly..."

"I know quite a bit about medicine myself. I understand my body better than anyone."

At one point, Selena had studied every piece of medical knowledge she could find in order to survive.

But she had gained nothing from it.

All she had obtained was certainty that her life was coming to an end.

Mary stared at Selena with trembling eyes, but Selena remained resolute.

"Thank you for the handkerchiefs. You should go rest as well. I'll call if I need anything."

"...My lady."

"I want to be alone. Go."

At Selena's cold dismissal, Mary reluctantly left the room.

Even until the last moment, she did not stop looking back with concern.

Selena felt warmth in her heart at the girl's kindness.

Her expression, however, remained as cold as ever.

'I should ask Father to adopt Mary.'

It would be both her final request and a reward for the girl who had stayed by her side until the end.

With that thought, Selena leaned back against the bed.

The dizziness had eased slightly, but her body was growing heavier.

Even taking a single step outside the bed had become difficult.

'Is Mr. Grylls... all right?'

As death drew closer, one particular person came to mind.

If Selena could be described as drawing infinitely closer to death, then Grylls was someone who constantly wandered directly before its gates.

She forced her dimming eyes open and accessed the Gallery.

'An adult... mandrake? What is that now?'

As expected of Grylls.

He had discovered yet another strange thing.

It was a plant rather than an animal this time, but that only made it more interesting.

'Mandrakes are known to contain yang energy...'

Would one improve her condition, even slightly?

With that thought, she left several comments and learned something astonishing.

'It might be possible to treat me with adult mandrakes.'

There was a condition, however.

An absurdly difficult one.

She would need at least six adult mandrakes.

Seeing even one in an entire lifetime was difficult, yet she needed six.

It was nothing more than false hope.

Just as she was about to give up completely, a comment appeared that she could not ignore.

└ Wild Grylls: There are a ton of them here, though.

└ Starlight Princess: Huh?

She had been so startled that she left a strange reply.

At first, she could hardly believe it.

Even for the Forest of Four Seasons, wasn't that too much?

But after seeing the post and video Grylls uploaded shortly afterward, her thoughts changed.

'Maybe...'

Perhaps with Grylls's help, she could escape this hellish illness.

Selena had made elixirs before.

She had devoted her entire life to curing herself, after all.

As luck would have it, Grylls wanted elixirs rather than money.

If she recovered completely, supplying him with elixirs whenever he needed them would be easy.

'Was this how the Heavenly Demon received his help too?'

Did Selena suspect he was a fraud?

Not at all.

The Heavenly Demon herself was living proof, openly treating him as a benefactor.

Of course, Selena did not know whether adult mandrakes would truly be effective against the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.

But she was desperate enough to grasp at any straw.

'Can Mr. Grylls capture them all in time?'

She was not merely at risk of dying in a few days.

She could die as soon as tomorrow.

Had Grylls discovered them even a little earlier, she might have had more time.

"Harvesting mandrakes should take a long time... Will he be all right?"

Just as anxiety began to overwhelm Selena, a trade request suddenly arrived.

For an instant, hope flared within her.

Had he already gathered all of them in such a short time?

Then she shook her head.

'He is probably only sending the one he caught earlier.'

That was the reasonable conclusion.

She should not raise her hopes unnecessarily.

Suppressing her expectations, Selena accepted the request.

[Wild Grylls has requested a trade. Would you like to accept?]

It was Grylls.

Selena stared at the trade window and blinked.

[Wild Grylls: Hello, Starlight Princess. I gathered seven adult mandrakes.]

[Starlight Princess: Huh?]

The moment she accepted, Grylls's words left her completely stunned.

She only blinked with her usual expressionless face, but she was stunned nonetheless.

'No. He already gathered all of them? How?'

She had expected it to take at least a full day, but he had completely defied her expectations.

[Starlight Princess: You already gathered them all? Is that even possible?]

[Wild Grylls: They quiet down if you punch them before they scream. I also stuffed dirt into their mouths, so they should be safe.]

[Starlight Princess: ;;;]

Selena felt deeply conflicted.

She blinked twice.

Was that truly how one was supposed to harvest mandrakes?

Normally, the best method was to use silence or sleep magic.

'Is this what the Gallery calls magic—physical edition?'

In any case, he claimed to have gathered them all, so she only had to accept them.

Selena swallowed hard and continued the conversation.

Although her expression remained stiff, her written responses were far more varied.

[Starlight Princess: What if you're lying?]

[Wild Grylls: Then you can stop trading with me next time.]

It was an absurdly gullible way of thinking.

If it turned out to be false, then so be it.

Selena let out a faint breath of disbelief before returning to her expressionless state.

Still, the corners of her lips rose ever so slightly.

No wonder the Heavenly Demon was so devoted to him.

Even if he occasionally did strange things, he was fundamentally kindhearted.

[Starlight Princess: Are you truly all right with this? These are incredibly valuable. Are you sure you can give all of them to me...?]

[Wild Grylls: You seemed very sick.]

[Starlight Princess: Thank you. Truly. But this is so sudden that I don't think I can give you an elixir immediately. Is that all right?]

[Wild Grylls: Just send me a trade request later. That's fine.]

[Starlight Princess: Thank you. Thank you so much.]

The tiny ember of hope that had remained within her slowly began to grow into a flame.

Selena filled her heart with hope, then suddenly became curious.

Grylls was someone who, like her, stood closer to death than almost anyone.

It would not be strange if he died tomorrow.

[Starlight Princess: Mr. Grylls, may I ask you one thing?]

[Wild Grylls: What is it?]

[Starlight Princess: What would you do if you knew you were going to die tomorrow?]

There was a famous saying:

Even if the world ended tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree today.

It was such a predictable answer that it had become almost tiresome.

Selena expected Grylls to say something similar.

His reply, however, was completely different from what she had imagined.

[Starlight Princess: Then what would you do?]

[Wild Grylls: I'd think about what I need to do to live today.]

[Wild Grylls: Why would I think about dying tomorrow?]

Think about how to live today.

Those words pierced deeply into Selena's heart.

Once, she too had desperately wanted to live.

But this cursed body had shattered that desire.

Afterward, she had done nothing but wait for the day she would die.

'But now...'

She stared blankly at her lap.

The trade had just ended, and several crimson mandrakes now lay there.

'I want to live.'

Ding!

Without hesitation, Selena pressed the call bell.

The moment she did, Mary, who had been waiting outside, hurried into the room.

"Do you need something, my lady?"

"Mary. Take me to the laboratory."

"The laboratory?"

"Yes."

Selena made another request of the bewildered maid.

"Bring these too."

She pointed at the adult mandrakes.

Mary tilted her head as she looked at them.

"What are those ugly plants? Where did they come from?"

"Hmm..."

Selena considered how to explain, then quietly opened her mouth.

"It's a long story."

For now, she had no choice but to brush the question aside.