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]

***

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

far as Octavious's memories led me, but

we will

"Mhm."

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

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

no thanks to them that I was able to

"We have arrived."

and the driver got out. Coming around,

is

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, it was pretty much the

me to wait for

"That's okay."

shook my head. From the exterior, nothing seemed amiss.

was as if this

can go back

his way, I fixed my clothes and moved toward the

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

orphanage; how may I

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.

look. You see, my wife

"Ah."

eyes lit up, and she

if that isn't

led me toward the

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

"Thank you."

Creak―!

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

air was heavy with the scent of incense and

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

'There it is.'

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

to a stop, and I stared at the statue from where

'It looks normal.'

it from where I was, there didn't seem to be anything odd about

notice something since I can now control a bit of

seem to

you interested in

I saw an elderly

squinted my 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 faith in what she had to

impression that made me warier

display my wariness and

am indeed interested in

curiously looked

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

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."

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

that you were interested in taking a child

what I had said to

and I are looking to

"Is that so?"

I found myself frowning. For some reason, it felt as though

a pleasant sensation by

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

getting creeped out with someone that has no shred

"It's just that we don't appreciate it

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

nodded her head. She then gently caressed the

to me. You're not here for the