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 one thing that stood

memories led me, but that

we will be arriving

"Mhm."

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

felt as if my life suddenly became simpler. In addition to having an excellent information network, they also provided

them that I was able to

"We have arrived."

driver got out. Coming around, he opened

orphanage is up

it appeared in the memories I saw. It was probably a little

me to wait for you

"That's okay."

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

as if this was

I can go

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

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

orphanage; how

different nun than the one from Octavious's memories. She seemed rather young, and what particularly

I greeted her politely.

to take a look. You see,

"Ah."

lit up,

that

me

moment. I will contact the head nun and let

"Thank you."

Creak―!

a dark interior lit only by the

with the scent of incense and

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

'There it is.'

the chapel stood a familiar statue. Its marble surface was chipped and stained. Clearly from the wear of

and I stared at the statue from where I

'It looks normal.'

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

I'd be able to notice something since I can now control a bit of

seem to

you interested in the

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

eyes at her

'She seems familiar.'

her presence was soothing, and it made me want to put my

of impression that

didn't outwardly display my

indeed interested in

few steps forward, and curiously looked at the statue while

I've never seen such a statue before. I was just wondering who the statue is

question I'm very used to." The nun smiled, caressing the statue next to her. "Our chapel doesn't belong to a religious branch. You can say that this statue

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

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

were interested in taking a child

recalling what I had said to the

my wife and I are

"Is that so?"

reason, it felt as though I was being seen through

long time, and it wasn't a pleasant sensation by any stretch of the

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

out with someone that has no shred of mana in

head. "It's just that

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

nun nodded her head. She

everything to me. You're not here