It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and birds were chirping. The castle's throne room was nothing short of impressive. All four Cardinal Heroes stood before the king, surrounded by many warriors and wizards.

"The selection will now begin! Choose your heroes, warriors!" the king proclaimed. The warriors moved to stand behind their chosen heroes, indicating the parties they would join.

Each hero ended up with about five to seven people in their party—except for Naofumi. In Melromarc, the Shield Hero had never been acknowledged or respected. Nobody stood behind him, not wanting to be associated with "the demon of the shield."