Chapter 05
Even though I was very far away, I could see that the eyes of the person I met were black. It wasn’t until a few seconds passed before I could clearly look at his face. Shortly cut black hair, and underneath I saw a slightly darker skin that was nicely tanned by the sun. I could see the straight, thick eyebrows, the sharp eyes underneath, and the tightly closed lips under the coolly extended nose.
He was a man who felt like a statue made of iron. The man was looking at me as I was staring at him. A short period passed with our eyes entangled. And it was the man who turned his head first.
“Ah….”
I felt an unknown regret over such a man’s behavior. As soon as a sigh came out, I could see the priests next to me panicking.
“S-Saintess. I’m sure it’s not intentional.”
“That’s right. It seemed that Commander Latban just left without knowing you were here because of the distance.”
“…Latban?”
The moment I muttered the name that the priest mentioned, I realized that the man I saw was the Commander of the Knights, Latban, whom I had vaguely seen in Yvelina’s memory.
‘Oh, my God.’
No wonder, he somehow has the strongest impression compared to all the persons I’ve met so far. He was one of the main characters of this world. Perhaps because I didn’t prepare my mind and stared directly at him, my heart thumped. As I stayed still without saying anything, the priests became more restless and did not know what to do.
I understand why they are like that.
Clearly, Commander Latban was a person who strictly followed the rules of the temple. Even in the novel, there was a scene where Iris, the female protagonist, was teasing him; asking if he was a machine and not a person because he always abides by the rules like a sword. A person who would rather end his own life rather than violate the rules of the temple. Commander Latban was such a person.
‘And he broke the rules in front of everyone.’
The absolute ruler in the Great Temple is the Saintess. So naturally, as soon as Latban saw Yvelina, he had to come up to her, bow down and formally greet her. However, he turned his back and ignored the Saintess even though everyone was looking at him.
“I-Impudent…!”
One of the priests raised his voice as if he couldn’t believe it as he watched Latban walking away. Then, the voices of the priests around him also grew louder. Among them, the priest who was guiding me spoke with a particularly contemplative expression.
“How could Commander Latban ignore the Saintess? It’s clear that he did it unintentionally, so please don’t be upset.”
From the look of the priest, he seemed worried that the Saintess who had barely been dragged out of her room, would return in anger due to the leader of the Knight’s, Latban’s actions.
‘If it’s not like that, then they’re afraid of me shouting to immediately have Commander Latban brought in front of me.’
Yvelina would have done so right away. But of course, I don’t intend to do that. Considering his sentiments that he crawled on his stomach for his subordinate’s life, it was fortunate that he walked out right away and didn’t stab her with his sword.
‘I’m glad he just left.’
On the contrary, I would have felt uncomfortable if he came to greet me. As I was looking at the path where Commander Latban disappeared, someone approached and said,
“How can you just stand by such rudeness? How about taking this opportunity to change the Knight’s Commander and hold him accountable?”
Then another priest said as if waiting for the right time to interject.
“That’s right. As everyone knows, the Knights of the Temple have long been acting no different from the soldiers owned personally by Commander Latban. Before they become more confused about who they should serve, I think it’s right to appoint a new leader as soon as possible.”
At first, their words seemed to rebuke the leader for his rudeness, and earnestly wished for his punishment. But I had to try not to laugh in vain at their subsequent remarks.
“There are many talented people in the Knights of the Temple apart from Commander Latban. As soon as the Saintess tells me, I’ll make a list right away.”
“I have someone to recommend. If you want to see him for yourself, I’ll send him a message right away.”
Everyone wants to make a new Knight’s Leader who has a connection with them. I put their faces and names in my head. I think it’s these people who should be removed from the temple, not Commander Latban.
It took a long time to check the preparations for the prayer meeting and finally return to my room. Although my body was tired, I was quite excited. I was able to feel the scale of the Great Temple, and I realized that this place is a different world by looking at the scenery that caught my eyes from time to time.
I was thrilled to see the sunset sky, the huge birds flying in the orange and purple sky, and the countless people moving in clothes I’ve never seen before. I thought it would be like a stage play because I knew of this place as the world in the book.
‘Everyone’s alive.’
When I was lying on the hospital bed, I often had to watch TV with other people in the next bed. In the afternoon, after lunch, no one watched TV although it was turned on. This is because boring news or documentaries from faraway countries are flowing out.
But I found it the most enjoyable. When I was watching on my cell phone secretly under the blankets at night, I always watched videos of traveling to distant countries. One day, I imagined traveling there, too.
Are the things I wished for during those times being fulfilled now?
It was a completely different feeling, having a hard time going around the hospital with a sick body, and having a hard time walking around every corner of the Great Temple on my own feet today.
As soon as I ate and washed, I fell asleep as I felt the pleasant fatigue for the first time.
How much time has passed? When I opened my eyes, I got out of bed and approached the window. The cool night’s air blew pleasantly from the open window.
‘I want to walk more.’
I wanted to walk more even though I walked all day. In case Yvelina’s consciousness comes back right this moment. In case I disappear. I always feel anxious thinking that I might not feel the sensation of walking with a healthy body again.
I wanted to walk along the Great Temple’s back garden that I saw out the window a while ago. Alone in a quiet moonlit place. I wore my coat and was about to head for the door, then I stopped.
‘What shall I do?’
If I open the door as it is and go out, it was obvious that the priests who were waiting for my orders outside all day would immediately stick to me everywhere I go.
‘I’m sure in the novel….’
There was a scene where Yvelina avoided the eyes of people and formed a relationship with men inside the temple. If so, then there was a way to leave this place alone. I quickly looked at Yvelina’s memory.
“Hmm….”
Fortunately, I got to know the method quickly. The problem is that I saw things I didn’t want to see together with the rest of the memories. All the memories that came to mind were embarrassing things that made me immediately turn my eyes away. Every scene in my memory was in different places, and with different faces of different men. It seems that Yvelina lived a much more promiscuous life than what was written in the book.
Just looking at it briefly reminds me of several people, and I’m afraid to imagine how many men will come out if I trace my memory one by one.
‘And somehow I feel sorry.’
However Yvelina may have lived, it was still her private life. No matter how much I came into Yvelina’s body, I still feel sorry for seeing other people’s bare memories. It feels like reading someone else’s diary without permission.
‘Though I don’t have any choice but to watch it.’
Yvelina’s memory is the only thing I can trust in this situation. When the day comes that the original owner of this body returns, I must apologize for looking at her memories at will, no matter how ridiculous it may seem.
Thinking so, I stepped into the inner room.
This room is called the Saintess’ room but it was so big it could be compared to a palace. This is because countless rooms and corridors are continuously connected. I walked in the corridor under the light made by my holy power and continued walking further inward. Then I opened the door of the room at the end of the corridor.
Creak.
As I entered the room with a creaking sound, there appeared a neatly arranged small room. At first glance, it looks like a room to take a rest. A large mirror was attached to the wall with several paintings, and a large wardrobe was placed in the corner.
The passage is connected to the back of the painting, the back of the mirror, and the back of the closet. Even though I don’t know who made this passage and for what purpose, Yvelina walked around the Great Temple, avoiding people’s eyes, through these passages.
‘Is there no passage that leads outside the temple?’
I searched my memory just in case, but there seemed to be no such thing. First, I approached the mirror. Seeing the reflection in the mirror made me feel strange. I am the one who moves and thinks, but the body belongs to Yvelina, not mine. My actions will be seen by people as Yvelina’s actions.
That fact was neither sorrowful nor sad.
Why did I come to the world in the book? And why does it have to be with Yvelina’s body? Looking at the image in the mirror for a while, I felt goosebumps.
‘For now… The passage connected to the mirror was directly connected to the back garden.’
When I pushed the mirror, I saw a small door that I could enter if I bent my back. No, I think it’s a little ambiguous to call it a door. I couldn’t see the handle anywhere on the door that looked as if it had only been drawn gold on the wall. Others will never be able to open this door. Though I’m also not sure if I could….
I put my hand on the door. Then the entire door was painted with complicated blue patterns and disappeared in an instant. And with the light disappearing, the door disappeared.
“Wow….”
It was like the magic that I saw in cartoons and movies. It was the first time I saw it with my own eyes, and it was amazing that I’m the one who used that power.
‘From the book, it is said that it only responds to the holy power of the Saintess.’
I thought it was strange for a moment.
‘…Wasn’t Yvelina a fake saintess?’