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 was the one thing that stood out to me the

far as Octavious's memories led

will be

"Mhm."

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

life suddenly became simpler. In

that I was able to find the orphanage

"We have arrived."

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

is

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 that, it was

me to

"That's okay."

shook my head. From the exterior,

was as if this was just a regular

leave; I can go back

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

then whoever this Protector was… they

how may I be

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.

just wanted to take a look. You see, my wife

"Ah."

eyes lit up, and she smiled

if that

me

will contact the

"Thank you."

Creak―!

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

the

around to notice the pews were draped in tattering black cloth and the walls were adorned with faded paintings that were no longer

'There it is.'

statue. Its marble

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 be anything

something since I can now control a bit of the

to be

you interested

I looked up, I saw an elderly nun making her way toward the

squinted my eyes at

'She seems familiar.'

in her presence was soothing, and it made me want to put my faith in

of impression that made

display my

interested in

forward, and curiously looked at the statue while

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

the statue next to her. "Our chapel doesn't belong to a religious branch. You can say that this

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

of worship. If they weren't worshipping a god,

that you were interested

question, but recalling what I had

wife and I

"Is that so?"

frowning. For some reason, it felt as though I was being

wasn't a pleasant sensation by any stretch of the imagination. Especially ever since I reached the strength that I

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

out with someone that has no

The nun shook her head. "It's just

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

her head. She then gently caressed the

not here