The Author's POV

'I'm sure I heard Oliver… Did I hear wrongly?'

I didn't think so.

"Eh, my dad's been kind of busy lately. I haven't even seen him around these past few days."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, but it's not like it rarely happens. It's been like this since I last remember… I'm sure you understand me."

"Yeah."

"Ehm…"

I interrupted the conversation between the two. Scratching the side of my cheek, I altered my gaze between Amanda and Emma before finally settling on Emma.

"What did you say that your father's name was?"

Emma looked at me strangely.

"You don't know who my father is… ?" She paused and furrowed her brows. "No, never mind. It's not like he's some sort of big shot celebrity. Why should I expect everyone to know his name?"

"His name is Oliver."

Amanda answered for her, and I found myself blinking several times again.

"Oliver?"

"Yes."

Only after Amanda confirmed it once more was I finally convinced that I didn't hear incorrectly.

'Oliver? Why is his name different?'

This wasn't the name that I knew of.

I looked at Emma.

"By chance, do you know of anyone that goes by the name Waylan?"

Perhaps he was still called Waylan, but went by a different name in front of people? It wasn't impossible.

…Or so I thought.

"Waylan? No, I've never heard of him before."

Emma looked at Amanda.

"Do you know what he's talking about?"

"No."

"I see."

I had no choice but to give up when I saw that neither of the two knew who Waylan was.

'I guess it makes sense in some way.'

Even though everyone I interacted with in this world had the same name as the ones in my world, it wasn't impossible for some others to have names that were different.

After all, this was a different world, and its history was completely different. The fact that their names were the same was the odd part.

'Well, whatever.'

I shrugged the thought off. It didn't seem like a big deal.

Ding―!

Right then, I received a notification on my watch. I smiled when I looked at it.

'They're faster than I expected.'

[Ashton City Community Orphanage―Middlestone Street 56.

―Read More]

***

the time that I was able to catch a glimpse of Octavious's memories, the

as far as Octavious's memories led me, but

we will be

"Mhm."

of the car revealed a run-down neighborhood. There were no towering structures, and most of the homes were on the

felt as if my life suddenly became simpler. In addition to having

them that I was able to find the orphanage

"We have arrived."

out. Coming around, he opened the door for

orphanage is up

off in the distance with his finger. It was uncannily similar to the way it appeared in the memories I saw. It was probably a little bit more rundown, but other than

you like for me to

"That's okay."

distant chapel, I shook my head. From the exterior, nothing seemed amiss. It looked perfectly

if this was

I can go back on

driver on his way, I fixed my clothes and moved toward the chapel. Secretly, I started to channel my

whoever this Protector was… they weren't something that I could make light

orphanage; how may I be of

She was a different nun than the one from Octavious's memories. She seemed rather young,

I greeted her politely.

You see, my

"Ah."

lit up, and

if that

me toward the

me inside for a moment. I will contact the head nun and let you

"Thank you."

Creak―!

as the nun pushed it open, revealing a

was heavy with the scent of incense and

lighting, I looked around to notice the pews were draped in tattering black cloth and the walls were adorned with faded paintings that were no longer discernible. There was something unsettling about the paintings, but I couldn't quite make out what it

'There it is.'

a familiar statue. Its marble surface was chipped and

I stared at the statue from where

'It looks normal.'

just a statue. Observing it from where I was, there didn't seem to be anything

I

seem to be the

interested

up, I saw an elderly nun making her

my eyes at her

'She seems familiar.'

was soothing, and it made me want to put my

it was that sort of impression

I didn't outwardly display my wariness and merely

am indeed interested

steps forward, and curiously looked

many churches in my life, and I've never seen such a statue before. I was just wondering who the statue

"Our chapel doesn't belong to a

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

worship. If they weren't worshipping a god, what were

were interested in taking

question, but recalling what I had said to the other nun

and I are

"Is that so?"

reason, it felt as though I was being seen through at this very

experienced anything like it in a very long time, and it wasn't a pleasant sensation by any stretch

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

someone that has no

wrong." The nun shook her head. "It's just that we don't appreciate it

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

nun nodded her head. She then gently caressed the

revealed everything to me. You're not here for the children. You're here