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]

***

a glimpse of Octavious's memories, the orphanage was the one thing

memories led me,

we will be arriving

"Mhm."

a run-down neighborhood. There were no towering structures,

Green Paw Guild, I felt as if my life suddenly became simpler. In addition to having an excellent information network, they also provided me with a personal

that I was able to find the orphanage this

"We have arrived."

stopped, and the driver got out. Coming around, he opened the door for

is

at a certain chapel off in the distance with his finger. It was uncannily similar to the way it appeared in the memories

you like for me to wait for you

"That's okay."

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

this was just a

leave; I can

and moved toward the chapel. Secretly, I started to channel my mana and

true, then whoever this Protector was… they weren't something

the orphanage; how

was a nun. She was a different nun than the one from Octavious's memories. She

I greeted her politely.

wanted to take a look. You see, my

"Ah."

eyes lit up, and

if that

me

moment. I will contact the head nun and let

"Thank you."

Creak―!

the nun pushed it open, revealing a

air was heavy with the scent of incense and

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

'There it is.'

chapel stood a familiar statue. Its marble surface was chipped and stained. Clearly from the

came to a stop, and I stared at the statue from

'It looks normal.'

was… just a statue. Observing it from where I

something since I can now control a bit of the

seem to

interested

voice. When I looked up, I saw an elderly nun making

squinted my eyes at her

'She seems familiar.'

impression on me. Something about being in her presence was soothing, and it made me want to

that sort of impression that made

display my wariness and merely

am indeed interested in the

few steps forward, and curiously looked at

never seen such a statue before. I was just wondering who

question I'm very used to." The nun smiled, caressing the statue next to her. "Our chapel doesn't belong to a religious branch. You

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

If they weren't worshipping a god,

interested in taking a child for

recalling what I had

my wife and I are looking to

"Is that so?"

it felt as though

anything like it in a very long time, and it wasn't a pleasant sensation by any stretch of the imagination. Especially ever since I reached the

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

I getting creeped out with someone that has no shred of mana in

head. "It's just that we don't appreciate

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

She

not here for the