Chapter 33: A Plea for Help

“Ah, Emil.”

“Yanis.”

Yanis returned later than usual.

He had gone out with his usual medical box, filled with tools and medicine, but now he came back with his hands full of various items.

“I visited the Priest. Fortunately, his health has improved. He sent gifts as a token of his gratitude for everything. I also brought back some food. I tasted it last time, and it was quite delicious. I believe you’re familiar with it – a dish made by roasting mushrooms and pumpkin together.”

“Ah, yes, I know it. I think I’ve had it often. One of the brothers who lives in the forest occasionally brings it to us.”

“If you haven’t had dinner yet, would you care to join me?”

“Oh… alright. But, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Yanis’s hands, which had been unwrapping the gifts he brought, paused for a moment.

However, Emil was too consumed by his own anxiety to notice.

Yanis then addressed Emil in a polite tone.

“May I hear it after we’ve had dinner?”

“Yes.”

Emil helped Yanis prepare dinner.

Yanis seemed to be in good spirits.

As they cleared the table and arranged the food he had brought, he shared updates about the Priest and the Nun.

“The Priest was curious about you. He asked if the wedding preparations were going well. I told him they were proceeding smoothly, and that it was all thanks to your help. Which it truly is.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“He mentioned it was a shame the wedding is on a Sunday. He said he wished to bless Lauren and me, but that day is his busiest. I was wondering if we should postpone the wedding by a day, what are your thoughts?”

“Ah…”

Emil’s hands, which had been moving the dishes, froze.

On the day of his ordination, the village he was destined to serve would be decided.

He had planned to depart immediately after attending the wedding the day after his ordination, but if it were postponed by another day, attending the wedding might become impossible.

As he hesitated, unable to give a prompt answer, Yanis added.

“I’m not insisting on changing the date, of course. Lauren might not wish for it either. If you, Emil, say no, then naturally, we won’t change it. While the Priest’s presence would be appreciated, you are more important to me. Besides, by then, won’t you already be a Priest yourself?”

“…It’s alright if you move it. I was just contemplating it for a moment, thinking I’d be too busy preparing if I were assigned to a distant place.”

“Then I suppose I should hope you’re assigned somewhere close to this village.”

Yanis replied, pulling out a chair and turning to face him.

It was the seat Emil usually occupied.

The natural escort felt a little awkward, yet Emil didn’t dislike it.

Perhaps that was the true problem.

Even knowing Yanis was Lauren’s lover and fiancé, his heart still fluttered whenever he saw him.

Each small act of kindness made him feel as if he were Yanis’s beloved.

How tender Yanis was to Lauren.

Emil despised himself for reacting so sensitively, even though he knew Yanis’s gentleness was merely a habit.

“Thank you.”

“Not at all.”

The man took his seat opposite Emil after he had settled.

The two men, sitting side by side before the neatly arranged meal, appeared no different from usual.

Yet, Emil was more tense than ever.

He forced a smile, stretching the corners of his lips, but his mind was fixed on the pillar of ice.

It felt as if the pillar of ice were speaking to him.

‘This is your original sin,’ it seemed to whisper.

The meal was exceptionally delicious.

A skilled parishioner from the village usually prepared the food for the rectory, often putting great effort into dishes for the Nun and the Priest.

However, unlike Yanis, who ate a larger portion than usual, Emil found himself unable to focus on the meal.

“What is it you wished to tell me?”

As they cleared the table after their meal, Yanis inquired.

Emil was stacking the dishes, while Yanis gathered the food scraps that had fallen onto the table.

Emil had spent the entire time mentally preparing to speak with him, but now that Yanis had asked first, he found himself speechless.

“…I’ll tell you after I’ve washed the dishes.”

“I’ll clean them later. You barely ate anything.”

The man took the dishes from Emil.

“Even without an appetite, you joined me for this meal because you had something to say. I wish to hear your story first.”

Yanis was aware that Emil had barely touched his food.

Yet, he said nothing to Emil about it.

He was simply curious to know what Emil, so visibly distressed, wished to say.

While Yanis had been away, Emil had managed to compose himself, but now, as he tried to speak, he couldn’t find the right words.

After a moment of hesitation, Emil finally managed to open his mouth.

“…I’ve been agonizing ever since I caused that incident yesterday. I desperately want to completely rid myself of this ability by the ordination, but I’m just so anxious.”

“I believe you are doing exceptionally well, even now. You’ve truly learned to control it with remarkable speed. It’s all part of a process, you know.”

“Thank you so much for saying that. However, as you know… it will be a problem if I’m ordained with a body like this. For one, the Order considers the existence of Espers and Guides taboo… Ah.”

Rushing to make an excuse, he suddenly realized his mistake.

He shouldn’t have uttered those last words.

No matter how urgent his feelings, they should never have left his lips.

Emil’s eyes darted, scrutinizing Yanis’s expression, but he couldn’t discern his inner thoughts from his face.

“…I’m sorry. It’s not that I think that way, but…”

He apologized to salvage the situation, but no suitable words came to mind.

How hypocritical must Yanis think him?

Having sought his help, he worried Yanis might now believe he secretly disdained him.

“It’s alright. I am well aware of the Order’s stance. Even after so much time has passed, they remain unchanged.”

Yanis’s tone was no different than usual, yet his words carried an unsettling dryness.

This only deepened Emil’s troubled state.

He was now in a position where he had to plead with Yanis, needing his help to eliminate this cursed ability within a mere ten days.

Though Yanis had never once refused his requests or given a negative answer, Emil’s heart inexplicably grew restless.

Ever since he had turned the house into an ice rink again yesterday, Emil had been cornered mentally.

Failing to become a priest was no simple matter.

Most young men in their late teens inherited their parents’ trade, or sought out a craftsman to work as an apprentice and learn a skill.

Otherwise, they might even become soldiers, like Jack.

Emil’s current standing was precarious.

All he had learned were doctrines, the mindset and responsibility of a priest, and advanced academics utterly useless in daily life.

This village was too small, and its inhabitants too disinclined to study, for him to ever become a teacher with such knowledge.

People could earn a living simply by working diligently, without needing to strain their minds with difficult studies.

Moreover, if his identity as an Esper were revealed, he might have to leave even this village.

There was a clear difference between one weak Esper living in isolation on the outskirts of the village and two living there.

The hope that rumors wouldn’t spread was even more preposterous.

A significant number of villagers attended Mass, and news would travel like wildfire.

“Emil?”

Startled, Emil answered as Yanis called his name.

“…Yes, yes?”

“By all appearances, you don’t seem well today. Your complexion is terribly poor, and you’re even breaking out in a cold sweat.”

Was he unwell?

Was he sweating coldly?

He hadn’t noticed at all.

What expression was he wearing right now?

Emil knew nothing.

How he appeared to Yanis at this moment didn’t matter.

“Oh, no, I’m not.”

“Please don’t overexert yourself. If it’s truly too difficult, rest for today and we can-“

Then Yanis pulled his chair back and rose from his seat.

Suddenly, Emil’s vision went white.

“No!”

The room suddenly became as silent as if cold water had been thrown over it.

The moment Emil saw Yanis rising to conclude their conversation, a loud cry involuntarily burst from him.

Startled by his own outburst, Emil clapped a hand over his mouth.

Yanis, who had been about to stand, paused and looked at Emil.

The instant their eyes met, the anxiety he had suppressed came gushing forth.

“Oh, no… Please don’t go, help me, Yanis… I’m so sorry. I never meant to disrespect you. My ordination, until my ordination… there isn’t much time left. I’m afraid I’ll remain like this until then, afraid I’ll make another mistake…”

He rambled incoherently, explaining his predicament.

He wasn’t even sure if he had conveyed what he truly wanted to say.

He had rehearsed it countless times while Yanis was away, yet these pathetic words were all that had tumbled out.

Moreover, tears streamed so profusely that he must have looked utterly disheveled.

He had wanted to ask for help calmly, with dignity, and as an equal, but nothing had gone according to Emil’s plan.

Yanis merely listened, frozen in place.

“Please…”

What if he refused?

Just imagining an outcome that hadn’t happened yet made his vision darken.

As a last resort, he might have to find Jack and explain the situation.

His breath was ragged, making it difficult to speak further.

Gasping for air, Emil looked at Yanis with desperate, pleading eyes.

He wished for him to at least feel pity.

Anything was fine.

As long as he would help him.

If only he could get rid of this ability!

After sitting in silence for a while, Yanis rose and brought him a warm cup of tea.

“It will help calm your agitation. It might be hot, so please drink slowly.”

“Th-thank you…”

He quietly took the handkerchief offered to him and wiped his face.

Between tears and snot, his face was a mess.