I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 15
As Yeshion staggered, the startled priest rushed to steady him. He wanted to thank the priest, but his stomach churned so violently that all he could manage was a weak thanks.
“Thank you, priest…”
The devotee standing in front of Yeshion bowed respectfully and left the temple. About ten people had passed through Yeshion’s hands that day.
He didn’t want to return to his room, dreading the thought of encountering Eldis or Adelio. He wanted to avoid the place until late at night, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.
“…I feel like I’m dying.”
His stomach churned, and his vision blurred and refocused repeatedly.
His strength suddenly drained, forcing him to sit down again. He dry-heaved several times, and by the time the thirteenth devotee appeared before him, Yeshion felt an eerie calmness wash over him, much like when Adelio had bitten his neck.
“Priest Yeshion, I think that’s enough for today,” the mid-level priest suggested, who had been watching silently from the sidelines.
Initially, when Yeshion began staggering, the priest assumed he was faking it. After all, Yeshion disliked being around commoners and, especially, the sick.
But upon closer observation, it was clear he wasn’t pretending.
Yeshion had been asking each devotee about their ailments, listening to their stories, and even telling them, “The Lord will help you.”
“Lord? Did you live your life so devoutly in the belief of a god?”
Many priests, having had their weaknesses exploited by Yeshion, had heard similar cutting remarks from him.
Though Yeshion held the position of a priest, he didn’t truly believe in the divine. This left the other priests baffled as to why Yeshion even held such a role in the temple.
The other priests would often voice their frustrations to the Archpriest, who would respond, “Saving a corrupted soul is part of our duty as priests. Besides, if the Lord appointed him as a priest, there must be a sacred reason for it.”
At first, they believed those words.
But over time, it became clear. The Archpriest must have had a weakness exploited too.
But today, Yeshion’s behavior was so different that it would be easy to believe he was a completely different person. He prayed earnestly to the Lord, and even for the healing of the devotees’ ailments.
Yeshion leaned against the wall, his body trembling. The mid-level priest, observing this, glanced nervously at him before hearing Yeshion’s faint voice.
“Priest… is praying supposed to be this exhausting?”
“Pardon?”
“Every time I pray, my head aches so badly… Wait. What if I’m actually a demon…?”
Hearing the serious tone of Yeshion’s mumbling, the mid-level priest thought to himself, ‘Does he even realize how demonically he’s behaved?’
But what he said aloud was far kinder:
“Perhaps it’s because you haven’t prayed in a long time… or perhaps ever.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, truly. Prayer requires mental strength, especially for priests. And since you seem to be in poor condition, it must be even harder for you.”
Yeshion slowly nodded at the priest’s explanation. He didn’t fully understand it, but if a priest said so, it must be true.
Though the priest’s words were a bit of a cover, Yeshion’s condition was visibly poor.
His neck was wrapped tightly with bandages for reasons unknown, and his once-prized face was injured, with bruises even visible beneath his oversized priestly robes on his pale skin.
The other priests, seeing Yeshion in such a state, couldn’t help but wonder.
‘Why is he even here?’
A priest is supposed to stay at their post, even when ill.
But Yeshion was different.
He had always hated even a scratch on his face.
He would throw things at people and seek out the best healer to ensure no scars were left, harassing them until they complied.
His behavior had been worse than many nobles—or even beyond that. Yet now, Yeshion wasn’t demanding immediate healing or throwing tantrums; instead, he was simply doing his duty as a priest.
“Priest Yeshion… you don’t look well. Would it be best if you went back to rest?”
“R-rest? Go back?”
“Yes. We can handle things here.”
At those words, Yeshion shook his head.
“I haven’t done enough to leave just yet. My body will feel better after a little rest. But… I’m ashamed to say I’ll need to rest just a bit before resuming the prayers.”
