After a calm and serene night, the morning dawned brightly over the Agard family's mansion.
At the heart of this luxurious estate, specifically within the grand room designated as the head of the family's office, Akriod sat with a slight forward lean at his large desk.
The desk, crafted from polished dark wood with exquisite precision, was adorned with intricate golden engravings along its edges. Stacks of papers and files were meticulously arranged on its surface, their abundance offset by their precise organization.
The room reflected a blend of grandeur and simplicity.
Its walls were covered with dark wooden panels, interspersed with several oil paintings portraying natural scenes and ancient wars.
A large window with bronze frames filled the eastern wall, allowing warm sunlight to stream in, revealing bookshelves that stretched to the ceiling.
These shelves contained a mix of historical and fictional books, particularly those belonging to Inar's father.
On the opposite side, a glass cabinet housed military honors and medals awarded to the former head of the Agard family.
Akriod, with firm features and focused eyes, completed the signing of the final document in his hands.
Throughout the night alone, he had reviewed nearly three thousand papers, most of them military reports of critical importance.
This overwhelming workload was no surprise for a man like Akriod, who had a background in administrative service in the Sacred capital of Arkan.
The title of Dysar was not just an honorary position, but carried with it heavy burdens and significant responsibilities.
And Akriod, as the new Dysar, fully understood that it was a responsibility he must fulfill.
Of course, everything was in the context of fulfilling his role as the patriarch of the Agard family, as his claws drew closer to his target.
After it was done, he stood staring at the window behind him, where the view was magnificent and the buildings appeared quite elegant.
The sunlight added even more beauty to the scene, compared to the night.
The door was rapped gently, as though the knock held a quiet urgency, and Akriod permitted the caller to enter.
A beautiful girl with slightly tilted hair entered, wearing a dark formal outfit.
She was his assistant, who had recently been promoted to this position.
Her name was Liana, and he had met her that morning.
And she was responsible for organizing and delivering the reports.
She stood respectfully, gently placing her hands together under her stomach. "Sir, there are people requesting permission to meet with you," she said in her calm and resonant voice.
"Let them in," although he didn't know who they were, since he knew that meetings with the Dysar in his mansion were only granted to a select few.
However, he didn't care and asked her to take the completed papers before they entered.
A middle-aged, medium-height blonde man entered, wearing glasses with brown lenses, his left eye blind.
He was followed by a young woman with short blonde hair and sharp features.
Both wore white robes that covered their entire bodies.
They stood in a firm posture, showing respect for the Dysar.
"Thank you for giving us your time, Sir," the man said, expressing his respect.
"Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing for them to sit.
Liana took all the reports and documents that Akriod had signed, then quietly closed the door.
They continued to look at Inar in astonishment, as if they were bewildered by their first encounter with the new Dysar.
Akriod noticed the expressions on their faces and decided to break the silence, knowing they would not speak without his permission. "May I know the reason for your visit?"
The man adjusted his posture to respond. "We are from the Democratic Security Forces' headquarters, and we were sent to deliver this..." He extended his right hand to pull out a white envelope from inside his robe and carefully placed it in front of Akriod. "The confidential envelope from the Democratic Council, Sir."
Akriod lifted the envelope and stared at it. It was labeled with the name "Inar Agard" and the signature of the Senior Director of the Democratic Security Forces.
The envelope's leather was strong and golden in color, yet it had an elegant design with a pleasant scent emanating from it.
Akriod noticed their gazes on her once again and smiled lightly before lifting his eyes. "Thank you both; I appreciate you coming all this way... May I know your positions?"
"It's our duty, sir," he stood and raised his hand respectfully, then added, "I am Mozalen Siron, one of the National Guards in the Democratic Security Forces, and this is my assistant and personal companion." He gestured toward the girl. "Tina Siron, his younger sister."
"Tina!" Mozalen frowned in surprise.
"What's wrong? I just told the truth."
"Didn't I say we're at work now? We're colleagues, not siblings. Do you understand?" He spoke calmly, while winking at her in a teasing manner.
Akriod smiled, trying to dismiss the situation with a casual tone, and said, "It seems that your relationship is strong."
The man felt embarrassed and said, "I apologize, sir. She just takes pride in our sibling relationship a bit too much."
While his smile remained on his face, he said, "No need to apologize, that's how siblings are. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No, sir, thank you for giving us your time. We will take our leave now." The two of them left, and the man turned to bid Akriod farewell with a wave before quietly closing the door behind them
Akriod's smile disappeared in the blink of an eye, and he returned to his usual expression, gazing at the envelope he had picked up with his right hand.
He opened the envelope and took out the paper, the text written in formal lettering: "To the lord of the great Agard family, ruler of the Fifth District, the great Dysar, Inar Agard, we wish to invite you to attend the annual Democracy Celebration, where preparations for the annual competition will be made..."
"Democracy Celebration?" he muttered to himself in confusion.
He had no idea what the celebration was, but based on the invitation, it appeared to be an event held every year in preparation for a competition he didn't yet know about.
This was an excellent opportunity for him to get closer to the prominent figures in the Democracy and gather insider information that could help him access the hidden library.
"It will be a good opportunity to get close to the important heads."
While he thought about all of this, the only thing occupying his mind was waiting for Ronan's return, expecting him to bring news from the team that had been sent to the Northern Theocracy.
He couldn't make any moves until he knew the Theocracy's reaction to the information that had been sent through the team from the Democratic Security Forces.
Time passed, and now the sun was high in the sky, marking the midday.
Suddenly, the door was knocked, and Liana entered gracefully. "Sir, Ronan has returned."
"Let him in," the timing seemed perfect to him.