"Tap!"
The moment that clearly audible landing sounded, everyone hiding in the shadows was startled.
That was because the person who appeared before Shien had exceeded everyone's expectations.
"Aridia!?"
Anxi abruptly turned around and looked behind him, yet he could no longer see the knight who had always stood guard at his side.
That was right.
The opponent who had appeared before Shien was Aridia.
"It's him!?"
"Why did he come out!?"
"Could it be...?"
Everyone fell into an unseen commotion because of this.
"It's actually him?"
Rocket's expression changed as well, only for even fiercer fighting spirit to ignite in his eyes.
"Now this will be interesting."
Harvis, Jacinta, Yule, and the others all had the same thought.
"Sir Aridia?"
Ria covered her little mouth, while even Shana beside her looked thoroughly shocked.
Shien, on the other hand, revealed an interested expression at the sight of Aridia suddenly appearing before him.
"I never thought the first person to show himself would be you."
Shien soothed Yulin, who was about to issue a threatening roar, and turned his gaze toward his opponent.
There, Aridia stood with his sword in his arms, his expression blank.
Then, the strongest knight of the human race spoke.
"I told you before that I was very interested in your strength. Especially since you seem to have become different from before." Aridia stared intently at Shien, and ripples actually surfaced in his eyes as he said in a low voice, "Though I feel somewhat sorry toward His Majesty, this seems like a good opportunity. This was your objective too, wasn't it?"
Clearly, Aridia had seen through Shien's intentions.
He knew that Shien wanted to find an opponent and properly test his current strength.
Aridia understood that impulse.
"Back when I entered the Inner Sanctum, made a