Miranda paused. Slowly, she placed her glass on the table, watching a boy with blood-red eyes staring sharply in her direction. Even though he was in the illusory world, his gaze seemed to pierce through the world itself. A chill ran down her spine. She questioned what kind of person could see through her illusion.
Miranda wondered. "Is he aware that I'm watching him?"
Currently, she was in her office, observing dozens of floating screens in front of her. Each displayed students undergoing the academy entrance exam. But, among the hundreds of panels, only a few caught her interest.
First, of course, was the boy who was staring at her. She didn't know if it was a coincidence or if the boy was indeed staring right at her. When their eyes met, she felt like she was being stared down by a predator. She felt incredibly small under his grim gaze. But, that was the only thing that intrigued her. Nothing more. The student then continued with his exam.
Second was Marie Goldenbell, someone she recalled was a supporter, not a sword-wielder. Yet, she skillfully used a sword unlike any Miranda had seen before. Every attack was launched with immense speed, slicing through every monster her blade passed with precision. Combined with her Bless, the sword and she herself grew stronger.
Marie was fascinating, truly fascinating. But there was something else equally interesting.
There was a student named Enki Flamburn. A child of Marquis Flamburn, a family with a great historical lineage. Because the Flamburn family was recorded in history as one of the families that created the Spell, Flameshoot. He single-handedly incinerated a pack of goblins into charcoal using it.
Next was Adam Forger. This one was beyond her imagination; he was able to face an ogre one-on-one. Bare-handed, he exchanged blows with it. Adam had a large, muscular body, but the ogre was bigger. Yet Adam showed no sign of retreat.
He possessed a Bless that allowed him to summon heavy armor covering every inch of his body. His defense was extremely strong. Even so, he still carried a shield with a sharp lower edge.
Blood flowed from the ogre's nose, but Adam seemed completely unscathed. He looked like a walking fortress, making the ogre seem to question its chances of victory. Adam charged forward, shaking the earth beneath his feet. His shield was raised high, then came down like a guillotine.
And lastly, there was Vina Bathory, said to be the illegitimate child of Count Bathory. Her family was famous for its hereditary spells and power. She seemed weak in a family that highly valued strength.
She used a revolver pistol in her hand. The bullets she fired precisely pierced the heads of the goblins. Shell casings fell to the ground, as did the goblins.
The pistol was a deadly weapon, but only against low-ranking demons. Pistols should have become obsolete due to their inability to handle higher-ranking demons. Miranda hadn't expected to see a pistol user in this day and age.
An orc approached her without bothering to cover its fat-filled body. It charged forward with a giant, blood-stained kitchen knife. But, there was no ammunition in her pistol, and the orc was getting closer.
Vina had no choice but to flee. She took a black ball from her pocket and threw it to the floor. Instantly, a cloud of dust was created, making the orc's eyes turn red. The dust cloud slowly faded, along with Vina's disappearance from her spot.
Before it could think, something suddenly hit its head from behind. But one shot wasn't enough; one impact was followed by another and another. Instantly piercing through its skull. The fat-filled body collapsed, smoke wafting from the barrel of her pistol.
Miranda felt regret for not bringing popcorn. This year, Miranda felt she was witnessing promising, elite seeds. But they were still sprouts; they needed guidance to become great individuals. Their talents needed to be forged so they could become the vanguard of humanity to fight demons one day.
Although it seemed unfair, Miranda wanted them to pass no matter what.
Marie, Enki, Adam, and Vina were a perfect combination to form a team. They could cover each other's shortcomings. Marie could be the main attacker while assisting her team with her Bless. Adam would stand on the front line to withstand enemy attacks. Enki and Vina would attack from the rear. Imagining them as one team felt like witnessing the four heroes of the past.
"Could they possibly become the heroes of the past and drive the demons from this world?"
Marie might become like Arthur the hero, Enki might become a great mage like Maria. Adam might become a shield-bearer like Godam, and Vina might become an archer like Vys.
"Should I place them in the same class?"