I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 14
Eldis’ throat tightened. After a long silence, he finally opened his mouth slowly.
“That would be difficult.”
“Why?”
“Priest Yeshion is notorious for causing trouble within the temple. We cannot send someone like him to the imperial palace and risk him making a scene.”
“…Ha!”
“Therefore, if you wish, I will send the Saintess instead.”
At Eldis’ words, Adelio’s face twisted.
Adelio’s face clearly showed his displeasure, both at the refusal to send Yeshion and at the suggestion to send the Saintess in his place.
“Archpriest. I thought you disliked Priest Yeshion.”
“……”
“Or do you wish for me to take the Saintess instead of Yeshion?”
It was an obvious provocation.
Adelio’s question went unanswered as Eldis turned away.
There were more important things to figure out at the moment.
If Yeshion was truly the person Eldis knew, he may have already anticipated Adelio saying something like this. He may seem foolish, but Yeshion was far more cunning and devious than anyone else.
Because Eldis didn’t know what Yeshion was plotting, he couldn’t let him go so easily.
He wouldn’t allow things to unfold according to Yeshion’s plans. Until he understood the source of his rising anxiety and this strange premonition, he wouldn’t let him slip away.
‘Let’s see what you’re planning, Yeshion.’
Eldis’ eyes gleamed sharply.
‘Whatever your intentions are, I’ll uncover every single one of them.’
* * *
Yeshion, having fled the room, was on his way to the southern prayer hall, where the sick were gathered, when he caught sight of his reflection in a mirror.
The sight was ghastly. His absurdly beautiful face was still intact, but his neck was wrapped in bandages, and a dried blood scab covered his chin.
“……Can I even go in looking like this?”
No wonder the other priests had been sneaking glances at him. He looked more like a patient than a priest.
Yeshion glanced into the southern prayer hall, where he had finally arrived after asking directions from other priests. Inside, there was a priest with his head wrapped in bandages, just like Yeshion.
Some of the priests in the southern prayer hall had been beaten by visiting worshippers, while others had caught diseases from them.
“Well… I guess it doesn’t matter.”
The southern prayer hall was a place where the downtrodden gathered, more so than Yeshion had imagined.
It was filled with people suffering from various ailments, including those with contagious diseases, and many had terrible personalities that led them to commit all sorts of wrongdoings.
As a result, most of the priests assigned to the southern prayer hall were of lower rank. High-ranking priests couldn’t afford to catch an illness and then be in the presence of nobility.
‘Now I understand why Eldis sent me here as punishment.’
The ‘Yeshion’ from the original story would never have given this place a second glance. If he did come to the southern prayer hall, he would likely end up in a fight with a worshipper, bringing shame upon himself.
That way, Eldis could heap even more charges on Yeshion.
‘That’s not going to happen.’
Muttering to himself, Yeshion watched a priest holding a laurel branch and a bowl of holy water.
The man, who appeared to be a mid-rank priest, dipped the laurel leaves into the holy water and sprinkled it over a patient as he prayed for them.
“May the Lord hear your prayers and heal you. Let us pray together.”
“Yes, priest. Thank you.”
‘So that’s how it’s done.’
Yeshion discreetly observed others. Since he held the position of priest, he had to at least pretend to know how to perform the rites.
‘Would the real Yeshion have known how to do this?’
Surely, he couldn’t have been clueless. Even if he was a villain, he had spent years as a priest.
Recalling the actions of ‘Yeshion’ in the original story, he shook his head. For now, the important thing was to remember what the others were doing.
Once he felt like he had memorized the process, Yeshion stepped into the southern prayer hall.
“Hello… woah!”
The mid-rank priest who spotted Yeshion gasped and looked around nervously. If there were any unruly worshippers nearby, there would surely be trouble with Yeshion.
“ P-Priest Yeshion. W-what brings you here?”
“The Archpriest sent me here to help with the work.”
The priest looked startled by Yeshion’s response.
Whether it was because the Archpriest had sent him or because theYeshion had obediently accepted his punishment, Yeshion couldn’t tell.
Maybe it was both.
“I-Is that so? D-Do you know how to pray?”
Yeshion awkwardly curled his lips into a smile. Surely, he couldn’t claim he didn’t know how to pray as a priest, right?
‘How bad was the original Yeshion, really?’
With an inward sigh, Yeshion nodded slowly.
“I just watched you perform the prayers. Is that how it’s done?”
“Y-Yes, yes… T-That’s correct.”
The priest nodded, though his expression was still uneasy.
He seemed like he wanted to say something, his lips twitching as if to speak, but ultimately, he stayed silent. It seemed this priest had some history with ‘Yeshion’ as well.
Yeshion turned away and collected some holy water from the statue of the Lord. Dipping fresh laurel leaves into the water, he approached the worshipper waiting for a blessing and sprinkled the water over them.
Then, following the priest’s earlier actions, he prayed.
“May the Lord heal your body. I sincerely ask for this.”
At that moment, dizziness overtook him, and his vision blurred.
