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]

***

memories, the orphanage was the one thing that stood out

as Octavious's memories led me, but

will be

"Mhm."

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

I felt as if my life suddenly became simpler.

to them that I

"We have arrived."

and the driver got out. Coming

is

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

you like for me to wait for

"That's okay."

shook my head. From the exterior, nothing seemed amiss.

if this was just a

I can go back

my clothes and moved toward

this Protector was… they weren't something that I

the orphanage; how may

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.

take a look. You see, my wife and

"Ah."

lit up, and she

if that isn't

me toward the

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

"Thank you."

Creak―!

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

with the scent

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

'There it is.'

center of the chapel stood a familiar statue. Its marble surface was chipped

and I

'It looks normal.'

statue. Observing it from where I

to notice something since I can now control a bit

to be the

interested in the

a distant voice. When I looked up, I saw an

eyes at

'She seems familiar.'

about being in her presence was soothing,

it was that sort of impression that made me

outwardly display my

am indeed interested in the

and curiously looked at the statue while

seen such a statue before. I was just

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

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

of worship. If they weren't

you say that you were interested in taking

the nun's unexpected question, but recalling what I had said to

wife and I are

"Is that so?"

reason, it

it wasn't a pleasant sensation by any stretch

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

getting creeped out with someone

wrong." The nun shook her head. "It's just that we

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

She then

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