I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 24

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“I believed just enough. The part about your memory not being intact, at least.”

Eldis didn’t deny it, laughing lightly. His constant smirking was only making Yeshion more infuriated.

As Yeshion’s expression twisted in disbelief, Eldis spoke again.

“Oh, but I truly am curious to see how you’ll react when you learn about my weakness.”

Eldis reached out and gently lifted Yeshion’s chin. They were close enough that if Eldis bent forward just a bit, their lips would touch.

He slid his hand down from Yeshion’s chin and gripped his neck. Yeshion’s throat bobbed nervously as he swallowed, and Eldis could feel it clearly.

“How fascinating.”

“…..”

“I never thought I’d see the day you’d be this nervous in front of me.”

Yeshion clenched his fists.

At that moment, a bright white light radiated from Eldis’s fingertips. The scar that had been on Yeshion’s neck vanished entirely.

Adelio had left a scar from his bite.

“So, I’ll tell you now.”

Yeshion felt his skin crawl. An instinct warned him that if he didn’t stop Eldis from speaking, something terrible would happen.

“My weakness is…”

Yeshion couldn’t let himself hear that.

He had to escape.

Just as Eldis began to speak, Yeshion pushed hard against his chest. Surprised by the sudden force, Eldis released him and staggered back.

However, Yeshion, who had pushed him, looked even more flustered. His eyes darted around in confusion, and then he blurted out the first name that came to mind.

“Gi—Gillett!”

“…..”

“I forgot I had an appointment with Priest Gillett. I—I’m late, so I’ll be going now!”

Without waiting for Eldis’s response, Yeshion rushed out of the room.

Eldis stared after him, a baffled expression on his face, before barking out a laugh. But the amusement quickly overwhelmed him, and he began laughing aloud, something he rarely did.

“Ha ha, ha… You’ll regret running away.”

But no response came, as Yeshion had already fled far away.

“My weakness was there… but now it’s gone. You’ve erased it all.”

Eldis, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, continued to laugh.

“I told you, Yeshion. You chose not to listen.”

He still vividly remembered that sensation—the divine power that had been strangling his heart finally releasing its grip, softening.

A divine punishment awaited any priest who sinned.

It resided in the divine power they carried within, circulating through their blood, and once the punishment began, the divine power would start purifying itself.

The heart was usually where this occurred.

As time passed, the punishment would bring excruciating pain.

Eventually, it would consume the sinner’s life—after all, borrowing the power of the divine while committing sins meant one had to pay for it with their life.

Only a very few ever escaped such divine punishment.

But Eldis had escaped it.

By the hands of someone he had hated his entire life.

“Since you haven’t told me your real name, I’ll call you Yeshion for now.”

Eldis chuckled, pleased.

“Someday, I’m sure you’ll tell me your true name.”

Unexpected things happen in the world all the time. So, if the real Yeshion had disappeared and another being had taken over his body, it wouldn’t be all that surprising.

“Someone like me even became an Archpriest.”

What had happened to the real Yeshion wasn’t Eldis’s concern.

If someone else had descended into that body to perform miracles, then it was likely they were seeking a broader path in the world, thinking it was their mission.

But Eldis had no intention of letting him go.

“Because I was the first to discover you.”

Eldis pulled himself away from the wall and grasped the door handle of his room.

“Moving him to a new room would be better.”

The moment he finished speaking, there was a loud cracking sound. The door handle had broken off in his hand.

Tossing it aside with a dismissive flick, Eldis called out to a passing priest.

“When Priest Yeshion returns to his room, tell him to come to my chambers.”

“…What? Ah, yes!”

He would make sure Yeshion couldn’t go anywhere.

No matter what.