I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

What would happen if, in another world, the 'shadow' corresponding to Alice was found?

Is it possible for Alice to fully awaken her true self as a result?

Looking down at Alice, who had fallen silent after uttering a certain keyword, Amamiya thought it was still worth a try.

Yes, that's right.

Most people, most of the time... need to experience pain to grow...

For Alice, remembering the truth, or realizing what she truly is, would likely be an immense pain.

But sometimes... a short pain is worse than a long one.

Instead of worrying about an uncertain future, it's better to make a decision now.

Amamiya herself got caught in the rain.

So he decided to hold an umbrella over Alice.

"So, shall we go treasure hunting in the 'Monster Mountains' today?"

Amamiya gently swept his gaze over the members of the game development department, finally focusing his attention on Alice.

"With Jok and me here, the seniors can rest assured."

Sophia jumped up and down excitedly and waved: "Although I am the junior in terms of life experience... perhaps, when it comes to 'phantom thieves,' I am the senior."

The pixelated emoticon "(?ω<)☆" appeared on the pixelated screen, and Sofia appeared very confident.

"After all... I'm someone everyone can trust, a 'good friend of humanity'!"

Does anyone have any opinions?

Momoi, Midori, and Yuzu didn't say anything special—of course, they could have easily wandered around Elidu, taking on side quests or just exploring.

However, they had just been 'scolded' by Yuka not long ago, and at present, they are full of fighting spirit and only want to advance the main story as soon as possible.

As for Alice, there was even less indication of her reaction.

After a brief silence, Alice calmly looked up: "Alice... wants to come along too."

"So, the partners agree!"

Sofia seemed quite happy and jogged over to Amamiya's side.

"Let's go, Jok!"

Chapter Eight: Don't Cry, Alice

"Seriously... I never imagined that we'd be riding in such a high-tech vehicle in another world..."

Sitting in the back seat behind the driver, Momoi leaned against the car window, curiously looking at the smooth scenery along the way through the glass, feeling as if she were on a spring outing.

The other world's 'beautiful scenery' and 'environment' were still magnificent... but perhaps because of the car's air conditioning, which was still emitting wisps of hot air, Momoi's 'expectation' for the other world was greatly diminished.

"My sister really thought we were going on an adventure on foot..."

Upon hearing this, Midori, who was perched on the back of the chair behind Amamiya, glanced at her older sister, who seemed curious about everything, with a slightly displeased expression.

"Although we have skills like summoning mounts, and we can learn from the journeys in fantasy worlds, riding dragons or traveling on horseback... but when will that be possible?"

"Besides, do you know the riding skills required for riding a horse, sister?"

Momoi was speechless for a moment: "..."

She really doesn't know how.

She can easily summon unicorns, make them float in the air, or perform simple charges—after all, she just needs to follow the rhythm of the game.

But true 'riding skills'...

For Kivotos, this might be considered an outdated technique, one that only a small number of students would be willing to learn.

At least, these "homebody girls with few friends" could never learn it.

Momoi pouted in dissatisfaction, seemingly quite annoyed by her younger sister who was always trying to criticize her in front of Sensei.

She then looked at Yuzu, who was sitting on her other side, shivering and clutching her wand because she had taken her place.

"Then, we can still use teleportation magic..."

“Yes, teleportation magic is indeed more efficient, and when combined with Eagle Eye and Mirror Magic, it can reach the destination instantly… But sister, didn’t you think about how outrageous such ‘magical expenditure’ is for us?”

Xiao Lü's tone became even more helpless.

You have to understand... these 'students' are already considered to have exceptional physical qualities.

Even so, casting a few spells requires a short break to catch one's breath. Casting many spells in a row in one go leaves one feeling exhausted, as if after a long run or intense battle.

The special effects are earth-shattering, and the damage is ridiculously high. It's the kind of 'final move' that kills you after just one use.

Short-distance teleportation is alright...

A teleportation spell that can travel hundreds of kilometers or more... even if you dried a pomelo, you still couldn't release it.

"Too……"

Momoi considered it briefly and also felt it was unlikely.

Momoi, feeling somewhat melancholy and struggling to come up with a good 'travel strategy', glanced around for a moment before finally settling her gaze on Alice, who had been acting strangely since earlier and seemed to have remained silent the entire time.

"Alice...?!"

Noticing that Alice was hanging her head and her face lacked its usual energy and liveliness, Momoi couldn't help but feel a little strange: "...Come to think of it, Alice doesn't seem to have said much since the beginning."

Is Alice worried about what's to come in the story?

Alice did not reply immediately. In her icy blue eyes, there seemed to be two emotions, one of clarity and the other of confusion, struggling, clashing, and fighting each other.

"...Alice will be fine."

"Are you sure it's okay..." Momoi was full of doubt. "Why do I always feel like Alice is... like one of those important supporting characters who set up all the flags before the final battle and is just waiting to make sacrifices during the final battle..."

I have to say... Momoi's witty remarks were quite sharp.

Her words immediately chilled the atmosphere inside the car.

Momoi, who had just said that, seemed to realize that she had gone a bit too far, and quickly scratched her head and chuckled awkwardly.

"Sorry... Alice-chan, I might have gone a bit too far..."

"Anyway, with Sensei here, there won't be any problems with this event! Alice-chan, you're the 'hero' of our team, the most indispensable key!"

"It's like... uh, one of those treasure hunt games, Alice knows about it and has played it, right? Without a 'Hero,' we wouldn't have any reason to embark on this journey together!"

'The key exists...'

Alice murmured softly, repeating Momoi's words.

Then, she quickly lowered her head, unsure of what to say.

'partner……'

'The meaning of Alice's existence...'

"Alright, sister..."

Seeing that Alice became even more silent after being 'comforted' by Momoi, Midori immediately grabbed Momoi, who was hesitant to speak but didn't know how to express herself.

"Alice's attempt to comfort her has only made things worse..."

"About...this..."

Yuzu, who was curled up in the corner, suddenly spoke up and began to ask Sophia, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Um... Senior Sophia... do you have any... suggestions...?"

Momoi's eyes suddenly lit up after Yuzu's words, and she had an expression of 'sudden realization'.

"That's right...! Alice is in many ways similar to Sophia...!"

"And Sophia... can be considered a 'veteran' who has truly experienced it... so in this respect, she can provide guidance to the younger generation!"

After Momoi said that, Midori stopped trying to stop her sister, quietly nudged the back seat, and asked Amamiya, who was concentrating on driving, for her opinion.

"Sensei... what do you think?"

Hearing the noise while driving, Amamiya shifted the car to a safer low gear and then glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror.

"Is Alice worried about herself?"

Amamiya smiled gently and asked the seemingly listless AI girl in the back seat.

The atmosphere in the carriage fell silent again, and everyone stopped what they were doing, waiting for Alice's reply.

After a full minute of silence, Alice, head bowed and seemingly lost in thought, finally spoke in a somber and dejected tone.

"……Um."

"Alice just... remembered some... important things... but also..."

She shook her head, as if trying to shake away her troubles like Momoi and Midori.

"..."

"Alice...cannot express it."

Why is that?

This incomprehensible, perhaps inexplicable, emotion, which can be described as "sadness,"...

Why is it so intense only at this moment?

Is my own existence... everything about myself... the "mission I was given"... all a lie?

But how can this so-called 'false' explanation explain why I'm sitting here, and the emotions I feel from these 'partners' now?

How should I understand... all those increasingly numerous reasons that are causing my emotional and cognitive modules to gradually become unbalanced?

This really can only be stopped at repeated error messages; repeated restarts; and...

Are these meaningless 'so-called human emotions'?

Glistening tears welled up in the corners of her eyes; for the first time, her 'power system' had malfunctioned, violating its own programming.

This is really hard to understand...

so hard.

Alice...

I really don't want this "hero's journey" to end like this.

Alice... doesn't want to face such a cruel future.

Alice... wants to stay with everyone in the game club... and Sensei... just like this forever...

Even if it's all an illusion... Alice doesn't want to lose everything she has now...

If only miracles and magic truly existed in Giwatos.

At least this way, Alice can resolve her doubts through wish-granting magic and obtain everything she desires through the hero's journey...

No longer "having nothing"...

To become like everyone around me, like Sensei...

No longer bound by the so-called "mission"...

Tick-tock; tick-tock.

Crystalline tears fell to the ground. They were not products of bionics, but at this moment, they were more direct than any other "emotional expression."

"Don't cry, Alice."

Amamiya parked the car on the side of the road, unbuckled his seatbelt, got into the car, and gently patted Alice's head.

As that familiar hand gently brushed against my temple, the sensation of my own hair felt so real, so delicate…

That's why it's so captivating.

It was precisely because she could 'experience such excessively delicate tenderness' that Alice was filled with grief at the parting.

It is precisely because of its gentleness that I want to linger.