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

Octavious's memories led me, but that

we will

"Mhm."

There were no towering structures, and

Paw Guild, I felt as if my life suddenly became simpler. In addition to having an excellent information network, they

to them that I was able to find the orphanage

"We have arrived."

and the driver got out. Coming around,

is up

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 than that, it

you like for me

"That's okay."

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

if this

can go back

toward

was true, then whoever this Protector was… they weren't something that I could make

to the orphanage; how may I be

was a different nun than the one from Octavious's

I greeted her politely.

look. You see, my wife

"Ah."

nun's eyes lit up, and she smiled

if that isn't

me toward

a moment. I will contact

"Thank you."

Creak―!

revealing a dark interior lit

the scent of incense and

I looked around to notice the pews were draped in tattering black cloth and the walls were adorned with faded paintings

'There it is.'

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

a stop, and I stared

'It looks normal.'

statue. Observing it from where I was, there

to notice something since I can now control a bit of

didn't seem to be the

you interested in

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

my eyes at

'She seems familiar.'

impression on me. Something about being in her presence was soothing,

that sort of impression that made me warier

I didn't outwardly display my

indeed interested in the

steps forward, and curiously looked at the

many churches in my life, and I've never seen such a statue before.

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

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

worship. If they

say that you were interested in taking a child

recalling what I had said to the

I are looking to

"Is that so?"

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

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

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

with someone

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

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

She then gently caressed the

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