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]

***

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

as far as Octavious's memories

will be arriving

"Mhm."

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

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

I was

"We have arrived."

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

is

pointed at a certain chapel off in the distance with his finger. It was uncannily similar to the way it appeared in the

for me

"That's okay."

shook my head. From the exterior, nothing seemed

was as if this was just a

can go back on

his way, I fixed my clothes and moved toward

then whoever this Protector was… they

orphanage; how may I be of

a different nun than the one from Octavious's memories. She seemed rather young, and what particularly struck me were her deep blue

I greeted her politely.

see, my wife and

"Ah."

lit up, and

that

led me toward the

me inside for a moment. I will contact the

"Thank you."

Creak―!

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

the scent of incense and

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.'

Its marble surface was

to a stop, and I stared

'It looks normal.'

just a statue. Observing it from where I was, there

notice something since I can now control a bit of the

didn't seem to be

you interested in

voice. When I looked up, I saw an

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

that sort of impression that made me warier

my wariness and merely

am indeed interested

curiously looked at the

seen such a statue before. I was just wondering who

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

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

place of worship. If they weren't worshipping a

you were interested

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

wife and I are looking to

"Is that so?"

reason, it felt as though I was being seen through

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.

am I getting creeped out with someone that has no shred of mana

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

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

her head. She then

not here