Exactly three days after receiving the hero candidate summons letter, I set out for the cathedral, disguised as always in my Phantom persona. With the help of my assistant, Morris, I carefully selected a route that would avoid drawing any unwanted attention.

Upon reaching the Etheldro Cathedral and making contact with the bishop—

“This way, please, Phantom, candidate of the Pen,” the elderly clergyman said in a solemn tone as he led me toward the living quarters behind the cathedral.

We passed through an arched walkway lined with statues of saints, eventually arriving at an ornate door. True to the grandeur of the cathedral, the door was adorned with precious jewels and metals. The bishop gave the large door a creaking pull, and inside…

“You two haven’t met before, have you? Introduce yourselves. This is Maya, a candidate for the Hero of the Sword, who recently arrived in the capital.”

“A candidate for the Hero of the Sword? That girl?”

…Sitting quietly on a plush sofa in the spacious and cozy meeting room was a girl with blue hair, cradling a sword in her arms. She scrutinized me with sharp, hawk-like eyes, assessing me as a fellow candidate, her gaze steady and unflinching.