CHAPTER 345: IN THE SAME TEAM?

Minutes slipped by, and by the end of Seraphina’s recounting, Miranda’s eyes widened slightly in shock.

"There’s... no clause?" she finally blurted, her voice sharper than she intended. "Isn’t that a bad idea?"

Because it wasn’t just unusual. It was dangerous.

With no binding clause, Harry could freely walk away from the Black Dragons whenever he pleased. At the drop of a hat, he could abandon them, taking whatever resources he gained along with him.

And that wasn’t all.

The guild would also be obligated to sponsor him, providing resources and support to nurture his growth.

If he left... it would mean nothing but loss for them.

A risk. A heavy one.

Seraphina sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as she leaned back into her chair.

"Maybe... but it’s a risk we have to take."

Her voice carried the weight of inevitability.

Because she knew better than anyone how dire their situation had become.

The Black Dragons’ decline had been swift, brutal. Once celebrated, now mocked. Once admired, now pitied. Their name still carried the weight of Platinum Rank, but behind closed doors, the reality was clear—one more misstep, one more slip, and they would fall down to Diamond rank.

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed, a cold gleam flashing within them as her thoughts darkened.

’The people’s trust in the AMO has reduced... this could be the chance we need.’ she thought, her fingers tapping lightly against the sleek armrest.

Her gaze was steady, sharp, and calculating, but inwardly she wasn’t truly banking on Harry to perform outstandingly within the Black Dragons guild.

Experience had taught her a painful truth—too many times in the past, they had taken in prodigies, talents hailed as the next great hope, only to watch them crumble under the weight of expectations.

She had seen once-bright stars fade into mediocrity.

She had seen once-rising flames snuffed out before they ever had the chance to burn.

Promises of glory often came with nothing but disappointment.

And so, she tempered her hopes carefully, like steel forged under controlled fire.

Yes, Harry Ainsworth was exceptional. No one could deny that. But Seraphina knew better than to let her heart lean too far toward blind faith.

However, she couldn’t help but be curious about his growth, and how he would progress from now on.

Anyone would be.

Because Harry wasn’t just another gifted Elementalist. He was... something else.

A once-in-a-million-years kind of genius. The sort that shook the balance of generations.

The sort that could topple expectations and write entirely new histories.

Her sharp eyes softened slightly at the thought, her mind unwillingly drifting to the comparisons she had drawn before.

Even Miranda—her own sister, her pride, the one she nurtured and believed in with all her heart—slightly paled in comparison.

Harry’s talent was probably even higher than hers.

And that was saying something.

But that wasn’t why she had gone through the trouble of binding him to the Black Dragons guild.

The main goal... was much bigger.

The goal was to drag their guild out of obscurity and back into the light.

Back into the limelight.

If they could place Harry beneath their banner, the AMO, the public, and every other major guild would be forced to notice them again.

It was a bit shameless, but then... it might be their only shot at gaining back the recognition they had once lost.

Otherwise, all their efforts, all their sacrifices, all their years of struggling to hold their ground might simply go to waste.

Across the room, Miranda continued to pace restlessly, her footsteps light but rapid against the polished floor. Her lips moved before she even realized it, a whisper slipping past clenched teeth.

"...dad... if only..."

The words cracked slightly, unbidden, raw.

She froze almost instantly, biting down hard as if she could swallow them back, but it was too late. She shook her head sharply, trying to tear her thoughts away, to force her mind elsewhere.

But Seraphina had already heard it.

Her sister’s ears missed nothing, even when the words were spoken so faintly they were meant for no one else.

Seraphina’s lips parted slightly, her chest tightening.

A sigh escaped her before she could stop it, and for a fleeting moment, a strange glint flashed across her sharp black eyes.

A glint of memory. Of old pain. Of something she had buried deep, but which the name "dad" always managed to claw back out of her.

Miranda didn’t notice it at first. She was too lost in her own turmoil.

And then Seraphina’s voice broke through the silence, steady, clear, carrying a weight Miranda hadn’t expected.

"Also," Seraphina said, her tone deliberate, "Harry is going to be assigned to your team."

The words struck Miranda like a thunderclap.

She stopped pacing immediately, her eyes widening, her lips parting before sound could form. When it finally did, her voice was uneven, breaking slightly between disbelief and shock.

"W-what?" she stuttered, her entire body freezing in place.

Seraphina’s gaze didn’t waver in the slightest. She nodded once, firm and composed, her tone calm but leaving no room for doubt.

"Yes," she said. "That way, you can observe him yourself."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, heavy and deliberate.

Then, after a small pause, Seraphina leaned back against her chair. She exhaled quietly, her shoulders easing just a fraction as her sharp black eyes softened.

"You can confirm for yourself if he’s really worth it... or not."

The room fell silent again, save for the faint ticking of a sleek clock against the far wall. Miranda’s lips parted as though she wanted to say something, but no sound came.

Her throat tightened, her tongue stuck, and all that left her mouth was a faint stutter, broken syllables that led to nothing.

Her cheeks warmed, an unbidden flush creeping across her pale skin.

’In the same... team?’ she thought, her eyes lowering as she clenched her fists lightly at her sides.

The memory of the tournament clawed its way back into her mind, raw and merciless.