I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 18
Yeshion scratched his head in frustration.
The real ‘Yeshion’ probably knew the secret, but Yeshion, who had only taken over his body, had no idea.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Yeshion checked his schedule for the day.
“…The Connection Ceremony.”
The Connection Ceremony was one of the temple’s grand events.
Though God exists everywhere in the world, His voice is only heard by the Archpriest. The Connection Ceremony was an event for priests who couldn’t directly communicate with God.
During the ceremony, priests would offer prayers one by one in front of the Archpriest, who would gather all the prayers and offer them to God.
While God hears the prayers of individual priests, only the Archpriest can hear God’s voice, which is why the ceremony existed.
“I’m usually excluded from this ceremony, right?”
Yeshion glanced around as he spoke.
The mid-rank priest nodded. It was Gillett, the same priest who had thanked Yeshion at the southern prayer hall previously.
Since that day, Gillett had started following Yeshion more closely, though sometimes with a grim expression. However, Yeshion didn’t pay much attention to him.
After all, he wouldn’t be seeing him for long. It was simply convenient to have someone around to ask questions while staying in the temple.
“What kind of prayers do people usually offer during the Connection Ceremony?”
“Those with personal matters often pray privately, while others who love the Lord offer praise or prayers for the Archpriest.”
Since the prayers were done in silent meditation, it didn’t matter what was prayed for.
‘If it’s all silent, how does Eldis gather the prayers and offer them to God?’
Yeshion wondered, tilting his head.
But he quickly brushed aside his doubts. To those in the temple, it was likely all a given.
After waiting for a while, Yeshion’s name was called. As he approached Eldis, he noticed the sharpness in his gaze.
But Yeshion didn’t care. Like the other priests, he knelt in front of Eldis and clasped his hands together.
‘Umm… Because of Yeshion, no, it seems you’ve had a hard time because of me, well, sorry about that… Uh…It looks like you’re not sleeping well, I hope that if you’re sick from that, you get better… And… I hope you won’t look for me when I disappear…’
Yeshion muttered these thoughts to himself.
He was just about ready to leave the temple. Once today’s Connection Ceremony ended, Yeshion would no longer be part of the temple.
He was going to run away.
Since he didn’t have a single coin, he had waited until he received his salary. The moment he got this month’s pay, he went to the market, bought clothes, and hired a coachman.
So tonight, once everyone was asleep, all he had to do was sneak out of the temple. Then, he wouldn’t have to worry about encountering Eldis or any of the other characters from the story again.
It was time to escape the cycle of repeated deaths and the unpredictable actions of the main characters.
Out of a sense of mild obligation, Yeshion offered some quiet condolences to Eldis for all the suffering he’d endured. He hoped Eldis would have good fortune moving forward and wished him well.
It was a light farewell, the kind of thing you’d say to someone you only vaguely knew.
But then, it happened.
“Hurk…!”
Before he could finish his prayer, nausea swept over him, and his vision blurred. He felt like he was about to vomit, just as he had in the southern prayer hall before.
But this time, it was much worse.
His dizziness distorted his vision so badly that he couldn’t even make out Eldis’ figure, and the nausea felt strong enough that he wouldn’t be surprised if he threw up on the spot.
Yeshion hurriedly covered his mouth and stood up.
He wasn’t the only one who stood. Eldis rose from his seat as well, but his expression was strange.
Surprised.
And disbelieving.
As Yeshion tried to turn and leave, his vision blurred again, and his body wobbled.
‘I’m going to fall…!’
He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the impact with the floor, but no pain followed. Eldis had reached out and wrapped an arm around Yeshion’s waist, catching him.
Blinking, Yeshion tried to push himself up, but his legs wouldn’t cooperate.
He pushed against Eldis’ chest, signaling for him to let go, but instead, Eldis held him tighter, supporting his waist as their eyes met.
Golden eyes, blinking as if they were about to close, met eyes filled with confusion and shock in mid-air.
“You….”
Yeshion didn’t have the strength to take in Eldis’ bewildered expression.
His vision spun wildly, and all he could think about was how he might end up vomiting in front of him. Just as that fear settled in, darkness overtook his sight.
Yeshion’s body went limp in Eldis’ arms.
“You… Who are you… really…?”
For the first time, Eldis, usually so composed, whispered in a trembling voice.
