I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

A reversed World card, featuring her own portrait, floats above her head, symbolizing the Arcana she represents.

When he concentrates, Amamiya can also see some basic messages from his assistants.

[Assistant: Federal Student Council President / The 'Loser' Being Tried to Save]

[Arcana: The World (Reversed)]

【Assistance Ability: ★1 • Familiarity】

[Déjà vu: You have a vague sense of familiarity with the people, things, and events of this world. (You have gained common knowledge about this world, as well as various basic information about it.)]

At the same time, the people and things in this world will feel familiar to you when they come into contact with you. (This applies only to this world; you can more easily develop bonds with other helpers.)

[Assistant's Profile: A mysterious girl claiming to be the president of the Federation's student council... entrusted me to 'save the world' and help this world 'reclaim its future.' Is she a survivor from the previous cycle who witnessed destruction, or...?]

Seeing the new bond being established, Amamiya felt a long-lost sense of exhilaration.

By building bonds with other helpers and increasing their favorability, you can deepen your relationship with them and learn various skills or gain extraordinary powers from them.

This is a "privilege" left behind by Amamiya when he was the "Phantom Thief of Hearts".

The president felt a sense of 'subtlety,' as if he were being held by a thin but strong invisible thread, and he also had a long-lost sense of 'novelty'.

"Phew... So this is what it feels like to make a 'deal' with a 'trickster'."

The girl's light and lively voice seemed to carry a hint of weakness or fatigue.

However, this does not diminish the original lightheartedness and joy of the voice, nor the message it seeks to convey.

"As expected of you..."

"Such power can surely... carry this world... away from its fate of 'destruction'."

She rose lightly like a joyful butterfly, but in that instant, her figure vanished like morning dew and dawn, dissipating into shattered dust.

In the end, only one tarot card, "The World," bearing her own portrait, remained, slowly drifting and settling in Amamiya's palm.

Amamiya reached out and carefully pinched the broken "World" card with her index finger and thumb. The card shimmered with tiny specks of light, as if it were surrounded by the Milky Way.

The card hangs suspended, its surrounding light flickering with each breath. There are slight stains on both the face and back of the card, and numerous scratches and tears on its edges—as if it had been accidentally cut by a sharp pair of scissors.

The girl on the card also bears some injuries—she looks so pitiful and indescribable.

But she still smiled, like a true 'fool' who had won the 'World' card and was standing at the final stage of his journey, waiting patiently at the door of success.

Amamiya gently pressed it against her chest, and the card was immediately transformed by some strange power into a necklace resembling a card pendant.

'A necklace pendant... now it makes me look a bit like President Kaiba.'

After a pointless sigh, Amamiya stood up, hands in her pockets, a shoulder bag slung over her shoulder, and with a slightly hunched posture, walked to the door of the twilight carriage and paused to look out.

The hustle and bustle unique to the city seemed to envelop Amamiya once again the moment he stood by the car door and looked out.

Looking at this 'familiar' world before him, Amamiya began to recall the various pieces of information and common knowledge about this world that he had received from his assistant—the president of the Federation Student Council.

This is an 'Academy City' that defies conventional logic... A 'political system' dominated by 'academies' and 'students' exists in 'various parts of the world'...

The "students" with halos above their heads have a level of resistance to modern weapons such as bullets and explosives that is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people and impossible to achieve... At the same time, their physical fitness and other parameters also seem to be different from ordinary people.

Almost every day, large and small-scale firefights and armed conflicts occur here...

Here, firearms may even be the least lethal weapons—because even small-scale firefights may involve cruise tanks; incredible heavy firepower vehicles such as combat drones are deployed in the battle.

"To be a teacher in this 'chaotic' world... you really can't do it without a means of self-defense..."

Reflecting on the bond she formed with the guild master and the common knowledge of this world she gained through the "déjà vu" phenomenon, Amamiya slowly shook her head with mixed feelings.

...Wait a minute, speaking of which, doesn't this setting sound a lot like a mobile game he played before?

As he pondered this, Amamiya suddenly realized something was amiss—the current setting he was experiencing seemed somewhat similar to a game he had occasionally encountered or only superficially understood before his transmigration.

"Where have I seen this before...?"

"Now is not the time to dwell on these pointless questions; let's figure out what I should do next."

Amamiya took out his phone from his pocket and began to think as he walked, looking at the memo on his phone.

"Based on the common sense I learned from the 'Federal Student Council President'... I should now go to the Federal Student Council to formally confirm my appointment as a 'teacher' and obtain the authority corresponding to this position..."

Following the navigation, Amamiya arrived at her 'destination'—near the [Federal Student Council Office Building] marked on the map.

With her shoulder bag slung over her shoulder, Amamiya looked up and surveyed the high-rise building in front of her, which might be where she would stay or even live in the future.

The bright morning light was particularly dazzling in this world, and Amamiya felt a dazzling light reflected from the glass of the building as soon as she looked up slightly.

Turning his gaze away, Amamiya composed himself and walked towards the building's entrance.

People were already waiting at the building entrance.

Just like the "Federal Student Council President," with her long, straight hair flowing down her back, her distinctive blue highlights, and frameless glasses... with just a few strokes, she created the image of a mature and intellectual "intellectual girl," as beautiful and charming as an elf in a fairy tale.

Pointed, elf-like ears, and... a halo behind his head like some kind of crown...

Amamiya noticed the name tag, a symbol of her identity, near the tie that hung between her breasts.

【Seven Gods】.

"...Sensei. Welcome to the Federal Student Association."

Amamiya also noticed... the arcana above the girl's head, which was particularly noticeable in the analysis of the [Third Eye].

[Advisor]

What's the essence of building favorability in Chapter 3? It's...

'The advisor...it's this card?'

When Amamiya saw the Alka above the other person's head using his [Third Eye] ability, he was momentarily surprised.

He thought of the teacher he had met when he was a phantom thief.

Maruki Takuto, a psychologist who committed the grave sin of fabricating a reality he believed to be correct.

Incidentally, the "third eye" is an ability that Amamiya learned from the long-nosed old man in the Velvet Room when he was a "phantom thief," allowing him to "open his heart and observe the world."

[Cooping Ability: The Third Eye]

[Assistant: Igor (Arcane: The Fool)]

"To be a good thief... one must have eyes that can see things that are normally invisible, as well as a 'mind's eye,' a 'third eye,' independent of the eyes. Excellent insight is the foundation of being a good thief..."

Concentrate your mind and observe the world with your third eye, the eye of your heart. With this third eye, even the smallest trace, if useful to you, will become undetectable.

[Mark targets as 'valuable targets', 'hostile targets', 'minor clues', 'targets worth befriending', etc.—targets that are meaningful only to the observer.]

The long-nosed old man called it 'the special skill of an excellent thief'.

While the name might be a bit despicable, it's undeniably a very useful ability—in combat, it can be used to find cover, blind spots in the enemy's line of sight, safe zones for a period of time, and the best angles for a sneak attack...

In daily life, it can quickly find various clues, observe a target (person or object) more closely, make inferences about the target, and determine the target's habits through the target's small behaviors...

Because of the convenience and practicality of his ability, Amamiya has gotten into the habit of occasionally using his 'third eye' to observe his target.

"..."

Amamiya adjusted his glasses, using the non-prescription lenses to conceal the emotions beneath his gaze. Then, he looked up, meeting the girl's slightly inquisitive eyes, and quietly waited for her to introduce herself.

"I am [Shichigami Rin], a member of the student council of the United City [Kivotos] Federation..." The girl who called herself Shichigami Rin paused slightly at this point, "And you... should be the one we invited here... Sensei, right?"

As Amamiya nodded in response, her mind raced, pondering how to negotiate with the "advisor's" assistant.

[Cooping ability: Unconventional negotiation]

[Assistant: Igor (Arcane: The Fool)]

By possessing the corresponding 'persona,' you will find it easier to develop a deeper connection with those with whom you can cultivate a supportive relationship.

"The so-called fool's unbridled talent... is actually the ability to speak one way to one person and another way to another, switching between language and behavior patterns according to the personality of the person they are trying to develop a relationship with, thus better catering to others... Because they are fools, they have infinite possibilities."

In the Arcana, the upright [Advisor] symbolizes external communication, the possibility of choice, creativity, persuasiveness, and the vitality and strength to overcome mental illness.

The reversed "Advisor" card represents indecisiveness, insecurity, lack of independence, pathology, or exploitation of the innocent.

A person who embodies both positive and negative traits usually has a hard "outer armor"—when you can't truly get into their heart, you can only deal with them in a relatively strict, rigorous, or even 'official' manner.

When you have a certain place in their heart... or when the bond between you has reached a certain depth, you can consider adopting some relatively 'easy' negotiation methods.

For example, include more 'less serious banter' and 'small jokes' in behavioral dialogues.

Amamiya knew, of course, that there was no need for her to joke around when she hadn't yet established a bond with the other person. If she were to 'joke' at this point, it would only leave a bad impression on the other person, making it difficult, or even impossible, to establish a bond.

In short, the key to negotiating with the assistant who holds the [Advisor] Arcana is: don't joke around in the early stages, but you can adopt a more relaxed approach and joke around occasionally in the later stages.

“My name is Amamiya. I came here from outside Giwatos after receiving an invitation, with the goal of becoming a ‘teacher’.”

Amamiya raised her hand and took off her non-prescription glasses, placing them in front of her chest as she gave a slight gentlemanly bow.

"This is our first meeting, please take care of me."

While Amamiya was observing Rin, Rin was also trying to understand Amamiya through observation.

The young man in her eyes had perfectly styled curly hair, wore thick, large glasses to shield himself and others from view, carried a simple black shoulder bag, and appeared to have a slight hunchback.

—If someone with average observation skills were to take a casual glance, they might think that the person standing in front of them is a delinquent teenager who is "carefree" and "maybe has a sleazy personality".

But Rin clearly doesn't judge a book by its cover. She has a sharper eye and can see more than what appears to be ordinary.

Why do I have this feeling of déjà vu?

As Rin watched, she realized something seemed off.

For a fleeting moment, she seemed to see the warm, sun-like aura emanating from the young man, and... the shadow of the Federal Student Council President?

An inexplicable realization dawned on me—had I seen this 'feeling' somewhere before?

Perhaps it was this sense of déjà vu that gave Rin a natural fondness for Amamiya.

【~???~】

"Let's leave the initial pleasantries here. Sensei... please come with me."

After a moment of slight surprise at Amamiya's 'mature demeanor' that seemed completely unrelated to her age, Rin turned around and left with these words.

Amamiya didn't follow immediately, but paused for a moment, watching the blue eighth note that represented an increase in affection level appear above Rin's head and fly towards her.

A blue eighth note appeared around the helper, indicating that the helper's "favorability has increased".

There are two types of musical notes that represent favorability. One of them is the blue eighth note.

The other type is the double eighth note.

Since in real life, favorability is not something that can be easily quantified with numbers, Amamiya has no way of knowing how many points of favorability each note represents.

All he knew was that the question mark (?) symbolized a small amount of goodwill, and the goodwill represented by three question marks (?) in a real-life context probably meant something like, "For a moment, you firmly grasped the other person's heart."

If we were to insist on using numerical values ​​to define the level of favorability represented by musical notes... then it would look like this:

【?~】；【~??~】；【~???~】；【?~】；【~??~】；【~???~】

To sort from low to high, simply swap the sequences of three eighth notes and a single double eighth note.

A double octave note may not necessarily add a lot of goodwill, but it symbolizes 'ample trust and recognition'.

That's something that can only happen after you've "gotten enough to know and understand" someone, and it's a symbol that represents "truly capturing the other person's heart."

'Looking at it this way... I think I made a good first impression on her.'

Lost in thought, Amamiya remained silent and followed the girl into the building.

Chapter Four: It's time to develop a strategy plan!

"Kivotos is a mega-city comprised of thousands of colleges. It is also where Sensei will work from now on."

It wasn't until she boarded the elevator and gazed out the window at the gradually sinking, towering city that the elfin-like girl finally managed to 'take a break'.

She turned slightly to the side, smoothed her long, straight hair, and then used the brief moment of the elevator's ascent to introduce Amamiya.