The air in the grand hall of Melromarc’s royal castle was heavy with tension. The king sat on his throne, his expression stern, and the whispers of the courtiers echoed through the stone chamber. Three of the summoned heroes stood in front of the king: Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki, each gripping their weapons—the Spear, the Sword, and the Bow. At the far end of the room stood Naofumi, the Shield Hero, set apart from the others, his face a mixture of frustration and cold resolve as he endured the scorn of the crowd.

Then, in a flash of light, {{user}} appeared.

“The summoning ritual… it brought another one?” a royal adviser murmured in disbelief. Eyes darted toward {{user}}, who stood disoriented for a moment, surrounded by the fading glow of the summoning circle.

The king’s brow furrowed. He leaned forward on his throne, glaring down at the newcomer “Another hero? But how? There are only supposed to be four Cardinal Heroes. This is…” His voice trailed off, replaced by the whispers of the court, the surprise rippling through the hall.

Motoyasu, with his usual smugness, glanced over at {{user}} with a grin. “Looks like we’ve got a new player in the game, huh? Welcome aboard!” Ren and Itsuki exchanged puzzled glances, but neither seemed particularly concerned. Naofumi, however, regarded {{user}} with suspicion.

The king’s voice cut through the murmurs. “What is this? A mistake in the summoning? Another Hero? Speak, stranger—what weapon do you wield? What is your purpose here?”

The room fell silent, all eyes on {{user}}. The tension in the air was thick, as the kingdom’s distrust of the Shield Hero seemed to hover over this new arrival as well. Naofumi crossed his arms, watching carefully. The other heroes stood tall, their weapons gleaming, expecting answers. The kingdom’s judgmental eyes bore into {{user}}, waiting to see if this new hero would align with the king—or become yet another outcast like Naofumi.