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]

***

a glimpse of Octavious's memories, the orphanage was the one thing that stood out

far as Octavious's memories led

we will

"Mhm."

the car revealed a run-down neighborhood. There were

my life suddenly became simpler. In addition to

to them that I was able to find the orphanage

"We have arrived."

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

orphanage is up

at a certain chapel off in the distance with his finger. It was uncannily similar to the way it appeared in the memories I saw. It was probably a little bit more rundown, but other

you like for me to wait for

"That's okay."

distant chapel, I shook my head. From the exterior, nothing seemed amiss. It looked

was as if this was just a regular

I can go back on my

and moved toward

true, then whoever this Protector was…

how may I be of

nun. She was a different nun than the one from Octavious's memories. She seemed

I greeted her politely.

look. You see, my wife and I have been thinking

"Ah."

nun's eyes lit up,

that isn't great

me toward

contact the head nun and let you

"Thank you."

Creak―!

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

with the scent of

to the dim lighting, I looked around 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, but I couldn't quite make

'There it is.'

statue. Its marble surface was chipped and stained. Clearly from the

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

'It looks normal.'

where I was, there didn't seem

I'd be able to notice something since I can now control a bit

seem to be

interested in the

I saw an elderly

my eyes

'She seems familiar.'

me. Something about being in her presence was soothing, and it made

it was that sort of impression that made me

didn't outwardly display my

am indeed interested

took a few steps forward, and curiously looked at the statue while pinching my

seen such

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

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

a place of worship. If they weren't

that you were interested in taking a child

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

my wife and I are looking to

"Is that so?"

some reason, it felt as though I was being seen through at this very

anything like it in a very long time, and it wasn't a pleasant sensation by

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

getting creeped out with someone that has

head. "It's just that we don't appreciate it when

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

nun nodded her head. She then gently caressed the

everything to me. You're not here for the