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]

***

Octavious's memories, the orphanage was the

as Octavious's memories led me, but

will

"Mhm."

There were no towering structures, and most of the homes

became simpler.

thanks to them that I was

"We have arrived."

out. Coming around, he opened the

is up

his finger. It was uncannily similar to the way it appeared in the memories I saw. It

like for me to wait for

"That's okay."

I shook my head. From the exterior,

this was

can go back on my

toward the chapel. Secretly, I started to channel my

this Protector was…

how may I be

different nun than the one from Octavious's

I greeted her politely.

look. You see, my

"Ah."

eyes lit up, and she smiled

that isn't

led me

contact the

"Thank you."

Creak―!

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

air was heavy with the scent of incense

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

'There it is.'

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

and I stared at the

'It looks normal.'

statue was… just a statue. Observing it from where I was, there didn't seem to

I'd be able to notice something since I can

to be

interested

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

eyes at her

'She seems familiar.'

me. Something about being in her presence was soothing, and it made me want to put my faith in what

that sort of impression that

display my wariness and

interested

a few steps forward, and curiously looked at the statue

life, and I've never seen such a statue

statue next to her. "Our chapel doesn't belong to

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

worship. If they weren't worshipping

that you were interested in taking a child for

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

and I are

"Is that so?"

nun smiled, and I found myself frowning. For some reason, it felt as

it wasn't a pleasant sensation by any stretch of the imagination. Especially ever since I reached

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

getting creeped out with someone that

shook her 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

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