exposed identity.

Reading the name triggered a memory of seeing the same name written in the mansion on the farm.

This made everything seem to align perfectly in his mind, despite the lack of solid evidence to confirm the identity of the culprit.

Yet the document he held in his hands was, in itself, proof that a manipulator was working in the shadows.

With his gaze fixed intently on every detail within the document, he studied its contents before lifting his eyes to Ronan. "Have you read everything it contains?"

"No, only what my eyes caught in parts of the first document. But its contents pointed to a war criminal named Akriod Kalar. I don't know... It's been seven months since the great catastrophe—an event unlike anything that's ever happened. Even now, my mind can't fully comprehend what took place or how it happened on that day when the northern nation awoke to the news of the sacred capital of Arkan, being destroyed. What I don't understand is—why now, of all times?"

He expressed everything that was on his mind, concluding his question about why the theocracy chose this particular time to announce the identity of the war criminal.

Akriod shifted his gaze after hearing everything Ronan had to say, then began reading the documents in order.

He glanced at him briefly and said, "Could you give me some time to examine the documents, Ronan?" he asked calmly.

"Ha! Yes, yes, of course. I'll return after you're done, sir." Ronan stood up without hesitation and left, closing the door behind him with full respect.

Akriod placed his hands under his chin and gazed contemplatively at the document, which had transformed all the uncertain doubt that had surrounded him just a short time ago into a confirmed truth now resting in his hands.

"Akriod Kalar, the Ninth Holy Knight? And the number one war criminal wanted by the Great Northern Theocracy for justice? How could this possibly make sense?" he asked in disbelief. This revelation was an entirely unexpected problem—one that hadn't even crossed his mind for a moment.

Not only was his name listed as a Holy Knight, but the Theocracy was also aware of what had happened and of his existence, which was both puzzling and troubling.

His questions were simple given the depth of his confusion: how had the Theocracy discovered his existence? How had they obtained precise information about his identity? These were questions that seemed impossible to answer, leaving him with nothing but a gnawing sense of unease.

Yet, it was something that fascinated him excessively. "Why did the arrival of these secret documents coincide exactly with the day I arrived in the future?" This question, which appeared simple on the surface, in reality hinted at a deeper connection between two timelines that could only align if someone was aware of Akriod's arrival in the future.

And to Akriod, this seemed impossible, for no one else knew of this but him.

This made him consider the possibility that someone else, apart from him, might still be alive from that incident.

But however, the logical conclusion that kept swirling in his mind was that this was impossible, given the scale of the devastation that had occurred for the capital.

He was certain of this without the slightest doubt, due to his visit to the place that confirmed his conclusion: the Honorary Cemetery, where all the deceased from the Sacred Capital of Arkan were buried, from the first to the last.

And this made the assumption of someone else's survival seem unlikely, though there were still some possibilities, no matter how impossible they seemed.

After all, the Theocracy's knowledge of his existence was an unlikely event he had never anticipated.

For this reason, he decided not to rule out any possibility, however small, even if it seemed impossible.

He clenched his fist tightly. "Someone knew about my existence before the Theocracy?" Akriod didn't know who, but he was certain that he was left with only two possible options, with no third.

Either the Northern Theocracy had somehow spied on him, in a way he couldn't understand, or they had obtained the information from an unknown external source.

But there was an additional question echoing in his mind: "What's the purpose of sending secret documents to Dysars?" He raised the second document.

"Wait, what's this?" His eyes widened as he focused on the details with even greater intensity than before. "Dark armor, a black cape, and a mask with glowing eyes! These are the specifications of a my Sacred tool!" The description matched the specifications of his own sacred tool perfectly.

Akriod placed the documents on the table and leaned back on the black sofa, staring at the ceiling, puzzled by what he had read.

His thoughts drifted in this confusing situation, filled with questions...

****

After the destruction of Arkan, for almost a month, the Theocracy made no move, even burying his fake corpse that he had left in the ruined capital.

The fake corpse that was later buried, a fact Akriod learned when he saw his grave with his own eyes.

And by the time he read the documents, seven months had passed since that incident.

Throughout all that time, the theocracy had remained still, moving only when he arrived in the future.

In fact, even before his transition to the future, they hadn't targeted him at all throughout the entire month that followed the destruction of Arkan.

This meant they had no information about him, which explained why they had not pursued him.

Which made things contradictory in his mind now.

Because, apart from the fact that the documents he read contained his name as a former Holy Knight, along with the rank number in the hierarchy of the Holy Knights, and even details of his sacred tool—the shield he wore—what puzzled him was this: If the theocracy possessed all this information, whether through its own means or an external source, then why hadn't they targeted him personally so far? Was it because they didn't know his current whereabouts? Or was their knowledge limited only to his existence, without knowing his precise location?

But what was even stranger for Akriod to understand was that the information in these classified documents contained two opposing elements.

The first was his identity as a Holy Knight, with his sacred rank number in the knightly hierarchy and his name—something that made sense if the deception of the body was discovered, which of course involved a faked death and burial.

The second was his identity revealed through the detailed specifications of his sacred tool, something that only he knew about, making it impossible for anyone to identify him from the Sacred Capital.

This means that the theocracy knew his identity as a Holy Knight even after the faking of his death, along with his second secret identity, in which all the detailed specifications of the sacred tool he wore were accurately listed.

And this was impossible for anyone to know, because these two contradictory identities could only be known together by one person,and that person was, of course... Akriod himself.

He knows that all of this remains just a thought analysis in his mind... but he also knows that his existence has been exposed, whether by the theocracy or a mysterious individual.

This is a situation where even the slightest misstep, especially while carrying out his role to achieve his goal within the democracy, could lead to his complete destruction, with no other possible outcome.

Especially since anger awakened the moment the destruction of the capital, which held the most critical geographical location for the Northern Theocracy, was revealed.

*****

This made Akriod doubt every detail of what he had done, as he was unaware of how all of this had come to pass.

However, the only thing he knew for certain, at least for now, was that the theocracy possesses knowledge of his existence, and now he is being pursued for justice.

Whether the theocracy's knowledge of his existence comes from internal or external sources, the only thing known for certain so far is that his existence is no longer a secret.

"But also mentioning the details of my sacred tool so fully and accurately, it seems you know me well." He muttered to himself.

After all, what was more important was that Akriod knew that his battle now was against time to obtain the necessary information to reach the hidden library.

With the secret of his existence exposed, even if something unexpected happened, it would not be a problem for him, he could give up everything and withdraw from democracy.

But of course, that will only prolong the process of removing his curse, which lies between him and reaching his ultimate goal... the power that is forbidden to humans.

He carefully examined the last document, closely scrutinizing the lines, which were nothing more than orders to deploy troops throughout Democracy and tighten security in the search for the war criminal Akriod Kalar.