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]

***

glimpse of Octavious's memories, the orphanage

Octavious's memories led me, but

we will

"Mhm."

window of the car revealed a run-down neighborhood. There were no towering structures,

Guild, I felt as if my life suddenly became simpler. In addition to having an excellent information network, they

to them that I was able to

"We have arrived."

car stopped, and the driver got out.

orphanage is up

to the way it appeared in the memories I saw. It was probably a little bit more rundown, but other than

for me to wait for you

"That's okay."

chapel, I shook my head. From the

this was

I can go back

and moved toward the chapel. Secretly,

in Octavious's memories was true, then whoever this Protector was… they weren't something that I could make

orphanage; how

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

I greeted her politely.

just wanted to take a look. You see, my wife and I have been thinking

"Ah."

eyes lit up, and

if that isn't great

led me toward the

inside for a moment. I will contact the head

"Thank you."

Creak―!

door creaked as the nun pushed it open, revealing a dark interior lit only by the flickering

air was heavy with the scent of

in tattering black cloth and the walls were adorned with faded paintings that were no longer discernible. There was something unsettling about

'There it is.'

a familiar statue. Its marble surface was chipped and stained. Clearly

a stop, and I stared at the statue from where I

'It looks normal.'

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

since I can now

to be the

interested in the

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

eyes at her

'She seems familiar.'

made a favorable first impression on me. Something about being in her presence was soothing, and it made

it was that sort of impression that

my wariness and merely smiled at

interested in the

curiously looked at the statue

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

next to her. "Our chapel doesn't belong to a religious branch. You can

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

worship. If they weren't

you say that you were interested in taking a child for

I had said to the other nun at the entrance, I nodded

and I are looking to

"Is that so?"

smiled, and I found myself frowning. For some reason, it felt as

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

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

someone that has no shred of mana

head. "It's just

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

head. She then gently caressed

has already revealed everything to me. You're not here