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

as far as Octavious's memories led me, but

will be arriving

"Mhm."

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

life suddenly became simpler. In addition to having an

thanks to them that I was able to

"We have arrived."

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

orphanage is up

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

like for me to wait for

"That's okay."

the distant chapel, I shook my head. From

as if this

I can go back

way, I fixed my clothes and moved toward the chapel. Secretly,

Octavious's memories was true, then whoever this Protector was… they weren't

the orphanage; how may I be of

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

I greeted her politely.

wanted to take a look. You see, my

"Ah."

eyes lit up, and

that

me

I will contact the head nun and let you see the

"Thank you."

Creak―!

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

was heavy with the scent

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,

'There it is.'

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

and I stared at the statue from

'It looks normal.'

it from where I was, there didn't seem to

thought I'd be able to notice something since I

didn't seem to be the

you interested in

I looked up, I saw an

my eyes at

'She seems familiar.'

made a favorable first impression on me. Something about being in her presence was soothing, and it made me want to put my faith in what she

that sort of impression that made

I didn't outwardly display my wariness and merely smiled at

interested

took a few steps forward, and curiously looked at the

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

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

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

they weren't worshipping a god,

that you were interested in taking a child

by the nun's unexpected question, but recalling what I had said to the other nun at the entrance, I

wife and I are

"Is that so?"

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

experienced 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 strength that I currently

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

someone that has no shred

The nun shook her head. "It's just

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

She

me. You're not here for the children.