At one of the church's gathering areas, where the Paladin knights had already assembled, Aldrian stood in front of them alongside the Pope, observing the paladins. They were clad in their unique armor, each exuding the aura of a low-grade heavenly artifact, signifying their esteemed status.
Aldrian was alone, without anyone from his group or the Saintess. Sylphia and the others preferred to converse with the Saintess, so he had left them there. It was better this way, as it allowed them to forge deeper friendships.
"I will need only a group consisting of five members. The rest will act as backup and can be mobilized if the situation requires it," Aldrian said to the paladins. He then turned to Arthur, the leader of the knights.
"Of course, I will pick Sir Arthur. As for the rest—you, you, you, and you," Aldrian said, pointing at them.
