Chapter 15: A Moonlit Escort and Lingering Thoughts

It was already dark when Emil finally set out for home. He gazed out, seeing nothing but the faint glow of moonlight, and hesitated. Yanis, noticing his reluctance, smiled and offered for him to stay the night. Emil’s mind immediately conjured the stern face of the nun who had once given him a severe dressing-down.

“If you must leave now, I’ll escort you,” Yanis offered. “Even if you know the path, it’s dangerous to be out at this hour.”

“No, it’s quite alright,” Emil replied.

“Even if there aren’t people about, wild animals could be roaming,” Yanis insisted. “I can’t let you go alone.”

The mention of ‘animals’ made Emil vividly recall his last encounter. The day he met the man’s dog, Tag, he had genuinely feared for his life. A shiver of dread traced its way down his spine at the memory.

“Oh…”

Observing Emil’s clear inability to refuse, Yanis simply retrieved his coat and took the basket of eggs Emil had been given.

“Let’s go together,” he said.

Ultimately, Emil found himself unable to decline Yanis’s generous offer. When Yanis stepped outside, Emil had no choice but to follow. Emil clutched the tea leaves Yanis had given him, while Yanis carried the basket of eggs Emil had received from the villagers.

The night was so profoundly dark that Emil could barely see ahead, yet his eyes soon adjusted, allowing him to faintly discern the ground beneath his feet. As Emil’s previously hesitant steps grew quicker, Yanis began to match his pace.

“…It’s incredibly quiet,” Emil murmured.

“Indeed,” Yanis responded. “Being nestled by the mountains, it seems fewer people venture out at night.”

“That’s right,” Emil agreed.

While there were no notable incidents of bandits or serious crimes, everyone in the village was reluctant to venture out late at night.

Wolves were known to inhabit the mountains, and rumors persisted of monsters dwelling even deeper within the peaks. Though no one had ever truly seen these creatures, making them mere hearsay, the tale proved remarkably effective at quieting a child’s tantrum. Emil himself had heard the story soon after his arrival in the village.

“An extraordinary number of stars are visible here,” Yanis remarked softly.

At Yanis’s observation, Emil tilted his head back, gazing up at the heavens. Innumerable stars glittered across the vast expanse. The man’s quiet admiration harmonized perfectly with the profound silence of the night sky.

“I believe I’ve arrived in a truly good village,” Yanis began, his voice a gentle murmur.

He began to speak slowly, his gaze fixed on the stars. His eyes, reflecting the celestial tapestry, were filled with a profound sense of admiration and wonder.

“It’s a wonderful place to live, and everyone has been so kind. I met Lauren, too. And Emil, getting to know you has been a blessing.”

The man quietly revealed his feelings. Though his tone was monotonous, almost devoid of inflection, Emil found himself inexplicably flustered. Unable to conjure a fitting response, he simply tightened his grip on the bundle of tea leaves in his hand.

“…I’m also truly glad the Lord heard my prayers,” Emil finally managed. “And…”

‘I’m glad you came to our village.’

Emil merely rolled the unspoken words on his tongue, unable to voice them aloud. The two continued to walk in silence, no further conversation passing between them. Emil couldn’t even bring himself to turn his head. Though his posture was undeniably awkward, the man neither laughed nor teased him for it.

Contrary to his lingering worries, their journey to the church passed without incident. While a part of him felt truly relieved, another harbored a strange, secret disappointment. Emil, however, was utterly oblivious as to why. The door to his lodging, unfortunately, was locked.

“Oh, dear.”

“Just a moment,” Yanis said. “I know another entrance.”

Emil and Yanis circled the building several times, eventually locating an unlocked side door. Even with knowledge of its position, the pervasive darkness forced them to fumble for quite some time. The passage itself was too narrow to navigate while carrying both the basket of eggs and the tea leaves, prompting Yanis to assist him.

“Thank you so much for tonight,” Emil said genuinely. “I think I can manage by myself next time.”

“Ah… Not at all,” Yanis replied, a soft smile in his voice. “I enjoyed the night walk, thanks to you. May you have a peaceful night.”

“…Go safely,” Emil whispered.

Emil bid the man farewell and retreated to his room. His room, though relatively small, was located upstairs and boasted a window disproportionately large for its size.

Emil returned inside, positioning himself by the window to watch Yanis’s departure. The man was now walking at a noticeably faster pace than he had arrived. Lacking proper light, it was challenging to discern Yanis’s specific features, yet Emil could faintly make out his retreating form.

Even in the oppressive darkness, his broad, straight shoulders, long legs, and the elegant, subtle movements of his arms helped Emil track him. A peculiar impulse to call out to Yanis once more seized Emil, but he barely managed to suppress it before collapsing onto his bed. His heart still hammered excessively fast and loud, and no matter how much Emil tried to calm it, the frantic rhythm refused to subside. It was a strange, unfamiliar emotion he had never experienced before.

****

The following morning, Emil swiftly presented the basket of eggs to the nun, eager to do so before anyone could question his late return. As he explained that they were a gift from the village, she murmured a quiet prayer of blessing. Fortunately, the stern old nun who had once chastised him was nowhere to be seen, having apparently left early that morning.

“What wonderfully fresh eggs!” exclaimed Sister Agnes, who was in charge of the household.

Sister Agnes, who managed the household, admired the large, firm eggs with a gasp of delight. Fortunately, she appeared utterly unconcerned with Emil’s excursion the previous night. Cautiously, Emil presented the tea leaves he had received from Yanis.

“Please try brewing these as well,” Emil suggested.

“And what might this be?” she inquired.

“They are tea leaves,” Emil explained. “I received them from Mr. Yanis, the village physician. They proved quite beneficial when I drank them last time.”

“Ah, Mr. Yanis, you say?”

Sister Agnes narrowed her eyes, as if summoning Yanis to mind. Emil’s back stiffened involuntarily with tension, recalling the harsh judgment another nun had once passed on him. However, contrary to his apprehension, Sister Agnes offered a gentle smile and tenderly clutched the bundle of tea leaves.

“He is a good man, isn’t he?” Sister Agnes mused. “As a guide, he truly needn’t involve himself in such humble tasks… May God’s grace be upon him.”

A wave of relief washed over Emil’s face at the nun’s unexpectedly favorable reaction.

****

Following that evening, Emil found himself quite busy assisting with the church’s daily affairs. Aside from a few villagers who occasionally came to help with odd jobs, most of the residents within the church were elderly, often requiring his aid for more demanding tasks.

“It would be wonderful if we had more graduates,” the priest sighed. “Raphael, you truly bear a heavy burden.”

“No, Father, it’s quite alright,” Emil replied.

Emil sat beside the priest, transcribing an ancient tome so that he might read it, all while providing companionship. The book, a remarkably old classic, had apparently been a chance gift. However, its tiny script made it nearly impossible for the already white-haired, elderly priest to decipher.

Once the transcription was complete, Emil read his written copy aloud to the priest. The priest often nodded as he listened to Emil’s voice, appearing as though he were gently dozing. Indeed, anyone might have mistaken his state, had he not occasionally mumbled to himself as Emil finished each page.

“Cough, cough.”

A sudden, violent fit of coughing wracked the priest, forcing him to cover his mouth with his sleeve. Once it began, the coughing showed no signs of abating easily. Emil, who had been intently focused on his transcription, paused his work and gazed at the priest’s weary face. Having finally managed to suppress the cough, the priest appeared utterly exhausted.

“Your cough seems to have worsened, Father,” Emil observed.

“Indeed, it has, hasn’t it?” the priest rasped. “Lately, I haven’t been sleeping well at night either.”

The old man ended his sentence with several dry, hacking coughs. Noticing Emil’s worried gaze upon him, he offered a soft, reassuring smile.

“Such things are common in this weather,” he said gently. “Do not worry.”

“Shall I bring you a cup of tea?” Emil asked, recalling the leaves Yanis had given him. “I have some tea leaves I brought recently…”

Emil, observing the priest’s persistent coughing, offered, remembering the gift from Yanis. The priest, with a benevolent smile, extended his thanks.

Over the next few days, as Emil continued his morning and evening transcriptions, the priest’s condition noticeably deteriorated. The other residents of the church cautiously discussed the matter of summoning a physician. The primary issue, however, was that Yanis, the village’s sole physician, was also a guide. Emil, having inadvertently overheard the reason for their hesitation, volunteered to fetch Yanis himself.

“Of course, I understand your concerns about him being a guide,” Emil reasoned. “But if we’re not careful, the Father’s condition could become critical. Shouldn’t receiving treatment be the priority?”

While Emil’s argument held considerable merit, the others remained deeply reluctant to allow Yanis into the church. The thought of admitting one so ostracized into the holiest and most protected of spaces clearly displeased them.

Morning mass, usually led by the priest, had long since ceased. As the priest’s illness deepened, Emil, too, found himself unable to venture outside freely.

It was only the priest’s late interjection that changed their minds; otherwise, he might well have become a corpse. “Do you truly wish for me to join the Lord in this state?” he jested, which spurred the church folk to quickly summon Yanis.

After Yanis was finally ushered into the priest’s quarters, many clutched their chests in guilt, sprinkling holy water in his wake, though Yanis himself seemed entirely unbothered.

“Yanis…!”

Emil, who had been lingering near the priest’s bedroom, greeted Yanis with a welcoming tone, but quickly fell silent upon seeing the expressions of the nuns following behind him. Their faces were so coldly rigid, it made him wonder if he himself had been cursed.

Yanis met Emil’s gaze for a brief moment, but nothing more. He proceeded directly into the priest’s bedroom, as did the nuns who followed.

Emil lingered around the priest’s room for a long time, feigning help with chores, but could neither hear nor see anything. Even when he returned to his room, the words in his book blurred before his eyes. Decisively closing the book, Emil went for a walk.

The aimless stroll, without a fixed destination, proved tedious. As Emil found himself heading towards Lauren’s house, a memory from a few days prior resurfaced, causing him to change direction. Although Yanis was currently at the church examining the priest, Emil felt that seeing Lauren would inevitably bring back the memory of that day.

“Hey, Emil!”

Emil stopped short, hearing a familiar voice call out from behind him.

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