The Author's POV

Sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, gently bathing my body and enveloping it with a thin layer of warmth.

The birds chirped, and a gentle breeze lingered in the air.

It felt nice outside, but as I sat down on a wooden bench in a familiar park, everything around me seemed so intrusive.

"I want it, mom!"

"No, that's enough sweets for today."

"Umhhhh!"

My gaze never left the pair of mother and daughter in the distance. They were quite close to me. About a hundred meters.

…Yet, they never felt so distant before.

"Nola, you better behave. I already told you that you can't have any more candy for today."

"Why!?"

"Because I said so."

I couldn't help but crack a smile as I watched the two of them argue from a distance. It was a sight that had been seen plenty of times before. One to which I have been accustomed for a considerable amount of time.

"Is there something that you need, young man?"

Apparently noticing my gaze, the woman turned her head to look at me.

She looked the same, maybe a bit older than in my memories.

I smiled at the two.

"No, don't mind me. You guys just remind me of my family."

"Oh."

The woman flashed me a smile before patting Nola on the head.

"Is your sister as naughty as her?"

Lowering my head to look at Nola, I laughed.

"…You can say so. Perhaps even naughtier."

"You must have it tough then."

The woman spoke with sympathy before taking Nola's hand. She was currently glaring daggers at me, and I couldn't help but laugh once more.

"It's getting late. We have to go. It was nice knowing you."

"It was nice knowing you too."

I murmured while staring at their departing backs.

I didn't have to wait for very long before I lost sight of the two of them, and when that happened, I leaned back against the bench that I was sitting on.

"This is fucked."

The whole situation was fucked.

"Why did you do this, Kevin?"

I had an idea at first, but it only became clear to me after a while.

not the world I lived

a world where

more accurate to say that this is a world where the Demon King

didn't exist, and no one had ever heard of the

and the other

four great cities having disappeared from the

That wasn't all.

strength of the people here was drastically lower than in the world that I was used to. In this world, the

none other than Octavius who held such power, but despite my best

This world…

no sense to

I take

"Huh, yeah, sure."

to the side a little and allowed the person to sit next

face with my arm, I

world? There must be a reason… and how

Kevin did all of this without a reason. There must've been

wondering why you've been

It was somewhat familiar.

arm and looked toward my right. Immediately, my breath stopped, and

a face that I'd never

that belonged to a guy whom I used to regard as my

"M,matthew?"

***

Angel Wing Guild.

front of him. Two other men were standing behind him, and both of them were also staring intently at

room was incredibly tense at

a single word as everyone gazed in the direction of the screen in front

the past were played over and over again. It showed a young person with short black hair,

twelfth time that Edward watched, and yet, he couldn't understand how that youth managed to disappear from the

some sort of

was

that did have it were the most

a hefty

must be some

behind Edward uttered. He had long gray hair and a thick

known about

"I agree."

stomach, dark hair that was beginning to thin out toward

must've used some sort of trick to escape from the detection of the captain. Since he boldly entered the place, I'm sure he

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

he heard their

impossible for someone that young to know a

in the world, they would undoubtedly be the first to learn of any newly discovered skills in the world,

he's someone that has been secretly

him frown, and he

guys have anything on his

"No."

man shook

the database, but I got nothing. No family history, no

"Hmm."

further

possibility was starting to seem

there absolutely nothing

"Actually, there is something."

plump man spoke, taking out a

cameras and the base system, we

"Oh?"