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]

***

I was able to catch a glimpse of Octavious's memories, the orphanage was the one thing that stood out to me the

as Octavious's memories led me,

we will be

"Mhm."

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

as if my life suddenly became simpler.

that I was able to

"We have arrived."

got out.

orphanage is up

finger. It was uncannily similar to the way it appeared in the memories I saw. It was

like for me to wait for you

"That's okay."

the distant chapel, I shook my head. From

this

can

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

then whoever this Protector

to the orphanage; how may

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

I greeted her politely.

see, my

"Ah."

nun's eyes lit up, and

that isn't great

led me toward

inside for a moment. I will contact the head

"Thank you."

Creak―!

it open, revealing a dark interior lit only by the

with the scent of incense

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

'There it is.'

chapel stood a familiar statue. Its marble surface was

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

'It looks normal.'

just a statue. Observing it from where I was,

I can now control a

didn't seem to

you interested

a distant voice. When I looked up, I saw an elderly nun making her way

squinted my eyes at her

'She seems familiar.'

in her presence was soothing, and it made me want

was that sort of impression that

didn't outwardly display my wariness and merely smiled at

am indeed interested in the

forward, and curiously

seen such a statue

used to." The nun smiled, caressing the statue next to her. "Our chapel doesn't belong

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

they weren't worshipping a

you say that you were interested in

momentarily thrown off by the nun's unexpected question, but recalling what I had said to the other nun

wife and I are looking

"Is that so?"

found myself frowning. For some reason, it felt as though I was being seen through

very long time, and it wasn't a pleasant sensation by any stretch of the

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

someone that

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

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

head. She then gently caressed the

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