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]

***

the time that I was able to catch a glimpse of Octavious's memories, the orphanage was the one thing that stood out

far as Octavious's memories led me, but that was

we will be

"Mhm."

a run-down neighborhood. There were no towering structures, and most

became simpler. In addition

that I was

"We have arrived."

and the driver got out. Coming around, he opened

is

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

like for me to wait for you

"That's okay."

the distant chapel, I shook my head. From the exterior, nothing

if this was just a regular

leave; I can go back

on his way, I fixed my clothes and moved toward the

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

the orphanage; how may

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

I greeted her politely.

look. You see, my wife

"Ah."

nun's eyes lit up, and she

if that isn't great

me toward the

contact the head

"Thank you."

Creak―!

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

heavy with the scent

eyes adjusted 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

'There it is.'

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

I stared at the statue from where

'It looks normal.'

just a statue. Observing it from where I was, there didn't seem to be anything odd about

able to notice something since I

to be the

you interested

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

squinted my eyes

'She seems familiar.'

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

impression that

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

interested

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

my life, and I've never seen such a statue

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

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

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

you say that you were interested in taking a child

but recalling what I had said to the other nun at

my wife and I

"Is that so?"

some reason, it felt as though I

and it 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.

with someone that has no shred of mana

"It's

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

head. She then gently

not here for the children. You're here for