I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Why do you look so listless, Xiao Kong?"

"...sen, sensei?! W-when did you get here...?"

"I've been watching Sora for a while now," Amamiya said with a chuckle as she played with the blonde loli's smooth hair, observing her 'bewildered' expression. "Since Sora is so 'focused on slacking off,' I didn't bother her."

"A smile might attract more customers."

Feeling that it was about time, Amamiya decisively stopped, no longer pushing her luck. After withdrawing her hand, she showed Sora her other hand, which was hidden behind her back—Amamiya was holding an exquisitely packaged bento box in her other hand.

This 'convenience store clerk' was someone Amamiya encountered naturally when she first arrived, settling in and buying her daily necessities.

If it weren't for Alona's navigation at the time, Amamiya wouldn't even have known that there was a convenience store called 'Angel 24' on the first floor of the Shalai Building.

Perhaps it was specially prepared for the students who will join 'Charley' in the future...

Of course, it's also possible that it's because of my name, 'sensei'.

Sora, whose head had been patted by Amamiya, let out a short, somewhat ambiguous nasal sound the moment she saw the bento box.

But then, her stomach betrayed her and rumbled with hunger.

"sensei...woo woo woo..."

"This curry was specially made for Xiaokong... Since I don't know what kind of cuisine Xiaokong prefers, and the ingredients are limited, this is all I can do."

Amamiya placed the bento box on the cashier's counter, under the 'staring' gaze of Sora.

The curry recipe is perfectly crafted. It is the result of a series of experiments and algorithmic improvements by a genius scientist who studies cognitive science. This genius scientist passed on the curry recipe to the manager of the coffee shop, who then passed it on to Amamiya.

[Cooperation ability: the essence of Leblanc curry]

[Assistant: Sakura Sojiro (Arcane: Pope)]

[The Essence of Leblanc Curry: Gain a large amount of advanced knowledge and skills related to curry making, enabling you to create curry that truly invigorates the spirit and restores strength (SP; mana) after consumption.]

...In fact, Amamiya's talents extend beyond just coffee and curry.

However, he only chose to make curry because he took into account the local people's eating habits and noticed the style of the 'bento' sold inside Angel 24.

"Prepared especially for Xiaokong...I wonder if it was unnecessary..."

Sora seemed not to hear Amamiya's 'remark', she was already unable to look away... Her light blue eyes clearly reflected only the 'bento box', and her actions of sniffing and swallowing clearly proved this point.

The art of preparing curry is 'extraordinary', one could even say 'unquestionable'.

Even through the thick bento box, Xiao Kong could smell a fragrance that could make one feel refreshed.

【~???~】

"Sensei...this...this bento box..."

Amamiya smiled and nodded at the blonde loli girl who was about to lose her composure: "It was indeed specially prepared for Sora..."

After receiving confirmation again, Xiaokong did not refuse or reject Amamiya's 'kindness'... She quickly picked up the bento box and carefully glanced at the direction of the door—after confirming that no other students would visit in the short term, she no longer cared about so-called 'restraint'.

"Um... Sensei, please wait a moment... We'll discuss the details of the 'transaction' later...!"

After saying that, Xiao Kong jogged over and pushed open the door that was probably the 'staff break room', slipped inside, and then closed the door behind her.

Amamiya, who witnessed Sora going to have lunch, didn't pay much attention. Instead, she went behind the checkout counter and, from Sora's original perspective, surveyed the scene inside the Angel 24 convenience store.

Angel24 sells bento boxes, as well as various instant foods and daily necessities...

Amamiya even saw firearms; ammunition; throwing weapons; medicines labeled with things like stamina potions; standard firearms...

All I can say is that the range of products sold in this so-called 'convenience store' is ridiculously exaggerated.

In real life, the idea of ​​a convenience store selling weapons is completely unimaginable.

Amamiya lowered her head slightly and glanced at the spot where the small empty station was located—there was a small wooden box that looked like a crate, which was obviously used for 'temporary heightening'.

'I wonder which academy is running Angel 24... and whether they provide meals for employees.'

'No, no, no… Xiao Kong looks like a child around eleven or twelve years old, right? Having a child like that as a shop assistant… isn't that child labor?'

'...We still can't judge all the rules and regulations here using the mindset of an ordinary person.'

After a flurry of thoughts, Amamiya left the cashier and began to wait.

After waiting for about ten minutes, the door to the 'employee break room' was opened.

Amamiya took a closer look at Sora, who had just stepped out of the door... Clearly, she had already engaged in a "battle" with the 'Lubourne's sweet and spicy curry' that Amamiya had prepared.

The satisfied micro-expression, the fine sweat on his forehead from the high-calorie meal, the curry crumbs on his mouth, and the light, breezy steps that indicated his good mood... all of these things pointed to this.

"Um... thank you for the curry bento, Sensi..."

【~???~】

Upon returning to the counter, the first thing Sora did was to bow slightly to Amamiya to express her gratitude.

"Sensei's bento box... I'll wash it later and return it to Sensei..."

Amamiya smiled and waved her hand: "Don't worry about it... The important thing isn't the lunchbox cleanup or anything like that, but whether you like the taste of this 'sweet and spicy curry', Sora..."

“As the saying goes, ‘you can’t please everyone,’” Amamiya said, scratching her curly hair. “I’m not sure what kind of flavor you like, Sora… so I specifically chose a recipe that’s relatively universally accepted…”

【~???~】

Her white 'angel wings' fluttered merrily behind her, and at this moment, Amamiya could feel an unprecedented joy and happiness emanating from the 'blonde loli girl' in front of her.

"...Next, let's talk about the 'deal'."

When the word 'transaction' was mentioned, Xiaokong seemed slightly flustered. Her eyes darted left and right before she stammered, "So...the transaction Sensei was talking about is..."

"The deal is simple."

Amamiya tapped the cashier's counter with the back of her hand and said seriously, "I will provide Sora with a 'lunch bento' at least twice a week, irregularly... and Sora, you are responsible for recording the noteworthy students who visit Xia Lai during this period."

"It would be best if we could figure out their purpose... Of course, it doesn't matter if we don't know anything at all, just have a basic name and origin."

"Then, Xiao Kong, you will maintain this frequency of twice a week... and give me the 'list' of the students you've noticed visiting this place."

After explaining the details of the transaction, Amamiya remained silent, waiting for Sora to respond.

"I...I understand...All I need to do is record the basic information about the noteworthy students who visit Xia Lai..."

"Then, report to Sensei twice a week...is that all?"

Amamiya nodded and said seriously, "As for the students... I currently have very few 'channels of understanding'. Therefore, I hope to obtain some crucial information from Sora through this method..."

"if it is like this……"

Just a moment's hesitation, and the feeling of 'déjà vu' brought a sense of brotherly intimacy that dispelled all the bad thoughts in Xiao Kong's heart.

"...I am willing to help Sensei gather information."

[...a deal was struck with "empty"].

The sound of butterflies flapping their wings and the clanging of chains breaking came simultaneously from afar, growing louder as they approached.

I am you...you are me.

Here you receive a new covenant.

[As the saying goes, "Break through destruction to find the wings of resistance."]

Here you are bathed in the light of hope and blessed. You have obtained a fragment of the ultimate mystery of the "Hermit"...

[To further propel us toward the future...]

[Coopetition restrictions have been lifted!]

【Empty (L'mite·Hermit) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[★1 Ability Unlocked!]

……

【帬=@琦艺_貳岜寺死覇 Assistance Ability: ★1·Information Gathering】

[Intelligence Gathering: I've commissioned Xiao Kong to gather information about the students. Twice a week, I can obtain information about the students who visited Xia Lai, or other noteworthy recent news.]

[Intelligence Feedback: When Xia Lai encounters various 'special situations,' Xiao Kong is highly likely to contact her and provide intelligence feedback.]

[Assistant's Profile: A blonde, loli-like girl whose name seems to be just one character, 'Sora,' currently working part-time at a convenience store. Considering that many students are expected to visit Shiratsuyu soon (and this number is likely to increase further), she has been asked to record and collect information about the visitors in advance.]

Having finally achieved her goal, Amamiya smiled sincerely.

Xia Lai might be visited by students from other places at any time...

But he can't stay in Xialai all the time.

So... Amamiya chooses to develop a bond with this loli girl named 'Sora'.

With Kong's information, he could at least roughly know who had visited Xia Lai during the time he was 'absent' from Xia Lai.

In this way, my information channels in Xia Lai have been 'expanded' to some extent.

Finally, even backup plans have been prepared...

Next, let's plan today's schedule...

Chapter Eighteen: A Gathering of Talented Individuals - Gehenna

Today, I still haven't received any direct instructions or at least any hints from the Federal Student Association.

Amamiya speculated that the reason Rin hadn't made any moves yet was mainly because the Federation Student Council was probably dealing with the aftermath of various incidents.

Aside from not having time to 'take care' of herself... Rin probably also hopes that she can make good use of this time in advance to familiarize herself with this [Academy City] and its [local customs].

After thinking about where he wanted to go, Amamiya finally set his sights on Gehenna.

There is no other reason.

Amamiya had noticed the girl with flaxen hair who gave off a gentle first impression and wore glasses... the assistant who held the [Priestess] Arcana, Chinatsu Himamiya.

In the basic information provided by [The Third Eye], her 'title' is "the gentle girl of the Demon King's castle".

"Perhaps I should go there and see why Gehenna is known as the 'Demon King's Castle'..."

So Amamiya boarded the train to Ghenna.

...about an hour later.

The howling wind, accompanied by the scorching heat wave from the explosion, nearly hit Amamiya, who had just stepped off the platform, head over heels.

"Sensei...! Are you... alright?"

The tablet in his arms felt a violent fluctuation, and Alona's panicked and anxious voice immediately reached his ears, temporarily relieving Amamiya's brief tinnitus caused by the violent explosion.

"No, it's okay..."

Amamiya, coughing lightly twice from the smoke and dust, summoned her Persona.

"Psona! Come... Baal!"

Do you dare disobey me, the master of Baal? .jpg

【psona - Baal (Arcana: Emperor)】

[Introduction: Baalzeb, the chief deity of the West Semitic peoples of northern Syria, was worshipped as a god of fertility, harvest, rain, and storms. However, under the influence of religious wars, he was gradually demonized as Baalzeb, the god of hell and demons.]

Following the religious wars that led to a shift in faith and moral decay, Baal-zebub became one of the seventy-two demons of King Solomon—specifically, the first among them, 'Baal'.

A terrifying shockwave spread out with the appearance of the 'God of Abundance', who held a goblet of abundance and wore a bronze-colored fish-fin crown.

'call--'

He tilted his wine cup slightly, and the wind of revival that caused all things to flow howled and swept across the earth.

The gloom cast by the conflict was instantly dispelled.

The Rain Palace, which summoned Baal, is still on guard against dangers from other directions.

But he soon discovered that... after he summoned Baal, the surrounding gunfire and cannon noises quieted down at an inexplicably strange speed.

It seems that the appearance of 'Baal' has stirred up the nerves of those who are at odds, forcing them to "quiet down".

After blowing away the smoke that was probably from a smoke bomb or artillery shell, Amamiya silently surveyed the empty platform once more.

Unlike the Federation Student Council's platform, which was so clean and tidy it could even be described as 'spotless', Gehenna's platform... could only be described as 'dilapidated'.