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]

***

catch a glimpse of Octavious's memories, the orphanage was the

as far as Octavious's memories led me, but

we will

"Mhm."

run-down neighborhood. There were

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

thanks to them that I was able to find

"We have arrived."

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

orphanage is

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,

like for me to wait for you

"That's okay."

head. From

was as if this was just

I can go back

his way, I fixed my clothes and moved toward the chapel. Secretly,

I saw in Octavious's memories was true, then whoever this Protector

to the orphanage; how

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

I greeted her politely.

wanted to take a look. You see, my wife and I

"Ah."

nun's eyes lit up, and she

if that

me toward the

for a moment. I will contact the head nun and let you see

"Thank you."

Creak―!

a dark interior lit only by the flickering flames of a

the

cloth and the walls were adorned with faded paintings that were no longer discernible. There was something unsettling about the paintings,

'There it is.'

chapel stood a familiar statue. Its marble

a stop, and I stared at the statue from

'It looks normal.'

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

be able to notice something since I can now control a

seem to be the

you interested in

heard a distant voice. When I looked up, I

eyes at her

'She seems familiar.'

presence was soothing,

was that sort of impression that

display my wariness and merely smiled

interested in the

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

my life, and I've never seen such a statue before. I was just wondering who the

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

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

a place of worship. If they weren't

you were interested in taking a child

thrown off by the nun's unexpected question, but recalling what I had said to the other nun at the entrance, I nodded my

wife and I are

"Is that so?"

reason, it felt

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 reached the strength

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

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

nothing wrong." The nun shook her head. "It's just that we don't appreciate it

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

nun nodded her head. She then gently caressed

me. You're not here for the children. You're here for him, aren't