I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"While I can't achieve something like 'making ninjutsu flourish in Gewatos'... I can certainly make Izuna the number one ninja."

【~???~】

Meeting the girl's expectant gaze, Amamiya pondered for a moment, then subconsciously entered the [Velvet Room] and temporarily created a "special equipment" for her to realize her dream.

The material of [Kato Danzo (Arcana: The Hermit)] was then processed by Velvet Room...

[Secret Scroll of Ninjutsu]

[Description: This is a basic scroll containing information on various ninja tools and commonly used ninjutsu. It allows those with a "ninja's heart" to unleash a variety of incredible ninjutsu techniques. For those without a ninja's heart, it is just an ordinary scroll.]

[Skills: Using ninja tools & releasing ninjutsu]

[Access Ninja Tools: Unroll the scroll to access various ninja tools at any time, such as kunai, ropes, shuriken, and ninja swords. Accessed tools are for single use only and will gradually dissipate after a short period.]

[Release Ninjutsu: Consumes your mental energy to release various conventional ninjutsu (such as Body Flicker Technique, Substitution Technique, Shadow Clone Technique, basic genjutsu, etc.). The effect of the ninjutsu is directly proportional to the mental energy expended.]

After pretending to rummage through his shoulder bag, Amamiya took out the "Secret Scroll of Ninjutsu" that he had prepared on the spot, and then handed the scroll, which was in the style of Sengoku ukiyo-e painting and was brand new but had an ancient and rustic feel, to Izuna.

"This is a gift specially prepared for Izuna. It... is a 'Ninja Training Manual'. As long as Izuna wears it and learns according to the records on it, he can unleash the ninjutsu recorded on it."

The scroll is only about the length of a middle finger, and when rolled up, it is small and exquisite, resembling a miniature flashlight.

It can be worn as an ornament, hung around the neck, wrapped around the leg, or placed in a pocket.

The girl, overjoyed to receive the [Secret Scroll of Ninjutsu] from Amamiya, solemnly accepted the scroll, which appeared to be no bigger or thicker than a thumb, from Amamiya's hands.

His golden eyes sparkled, and after opening the scroll and seeing the records of ninjutsu, Izuna's voice trembled slightly: "This is... something the lord prepared especially for Izuna?!"

“Hmm.” Amamiya nodded with feigned seriousness. “This is my special encouragement to Izuna as the ‘master’—I hope Izuna will diligently practice the ninjutsu recorded here and use it for good.”

"The so-called 'ninjas' were not simply loyal servants who couldn't distinguish right from wrong and blindly obeyed orders... Those night stalkers who lurked in the shadows of bygone eras also carried a glorious yet lost past."

Feeling the fox-eared girl beside him looking at him with increasingly adoring eyes, even sparkling with admiration, and noticing the fox tail swaying faster and faster, Amamiya chuckled to himself.

Naïve children are easy to fool... easy to coax.

“Ninjas are a special group that operates in the shadows. To most ‘lords,’ they may simply be tools for achieving their own ideals. But I would say… that is not true.”

"If a lord takes the world as his responsibility, he will not treat his subordinates as tools or henchmen."

"A true ninja dwells in darkness but yearns for the light. He walks in darkness but remains loyal to the light."

Izuna was stunned. She blinked, subconsciously repeating Amamiya's last words of the 'ninja code' in a soft voice: "'Bow down to the darkness, but keep your heart toward the light. Walk in the darkness, but remain loyal to the light.'...So, this is what a true 'ninja' is like..."

After a brief moment of stunned silence, she shook her lively fox ears and pressed herself against Amamiya without any regard for distance.

"So that's how it is... Izuna seems to understand now. My lord is amazing, he knows so much!"

I sensed a sense of dependence from Izuna.

Coopation is now unblocked!

【Kuda Izuna (Magician) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

Amamiya: "..."

It's not that I know a lot; I just used a 'ninja-style' approach to spout some lofty life philosophies.

As Amamiya remained silent, he heard Izuna's soft murmur again.

'So, the true ideal of ninjas isn't "loyalty to their lord"...or rather, mere loyalty to one's lord is incomplete.'

'What truly matters is understanding right and wrong... remaining loyal to a lord truly worthy of loyalty, even in darkness, fighting for one's ideals and beliefs... Is this the "ninja's way"?'

This made her think of something, and she suddenly realized the "employer's" task.

"The employer's task is not yet complete..."

Amamiya immediately frowned.

Employer? Task?

Was Izuna being chased before related to this so-called employer and the tasks the employer assigned to her?

Izuna seemed to have thought of something, but didn't offer any explanation.

"The 'Way of the Ninja' that our lord explained to Izuna has made Izuna suspicious of his employer's motives... Izuna will go and investigate for our lord immediately!"

As she spoke, she turned around, leaped lightly over the railing, and formed hand seals in mid-air as she jumped.

"Izuna will go first, my lord. Please wait for good news from Izuna! Bear with you~"

With a soft "poof," her figure dissolved into a cloud of smoke in mid-air and vanished.

Amamiya, who hadn't had a chance to ask for details, sighed softly as she looked in the direction the girl had left.

I didn't have time to ask...

The phantom thief's intuition allowed Amamiya to vaguely perceive the threads of a conspiracy woven around the "Cherry Blossom Festival".

When I first met Izuna, he was being chased...

The bustling cherry blossom festival seems to conceal a hidden sense of chaos.

What is meant by 'undercurrents surging beneath the bright sunshine'?

We still know too little information.

Let's go to Hyakuyado and find Shizuko, who invited him.

Chapter Nine: The Signboard Girl of Baiye Hall

"That should be the Hundred Nights Hall up ahead..."

Looking at her phone's navigation and comparing the building images on the promotional map with the building in front of her, Amamiya thought to herself, "It really lives up to the style of 'Hyakki Yagyō' (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons)."

The Hyakya-do, the site of the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), is located in a rather bustling commercial street.

Moreover, it's not just a corner of a commercial street, but a prime location with the highest daily foot traffic.

Amamiya had two reasons for his feelings.

One reason is his own personal perception—Amamiya simply couldn't effectively connect the "classical Japanese architecture" in front of him with Hyakuyado's main business—a coffee shop.

In his mind, coffee shops should generally have a modern British style, like the Leblanc Cafe.

The building that looks more like a teahouse actually functions more like a coffee shop...

The second reason is that Baiyetang has an exceptionally high number of customers.

"Speaking of Hyakuyado... I feel that Hyakuyado's strawberry daifuku is the best!"

"I think the coffee there is pretty good too..."

"Of course, most importantly—it's Miss Shizuko, the mascot of Hyakuyado, with her heartwarming smile!"

"Hehehe, the landlady is so cute!"

Listening to the guests' enthusiastic chatter, which sounded like they were chasing after a celebrity, Amamiya realized just how popular Shizuko was at Hyakuyado.

For some reason, it gives me a feeling similar to that of a virtual YouTuber and her fans.

Amamiya entered the interior of Hyakuyado—the interior furnishings of this classical Japanese building indeed followed the style of its exterior structure.

Looking around, all you see are various kinds of exquisitely designed and well-placed Japanese-style furniture.

These pieces of furniture don't seem particularly unusual on their own. However, with proper spatial design and placement, they exude a sense of 'unexplained sophistication and elegance'.

Amamiya noticed that the guests who entered this place were different from those who wandered around the shopping street outside.

Without needing to be reminded, the guests tacitly remained silent, refraining from disrupting the atmosphere.

Amamiya had only taken a few steps when he suddenly felt a gaze fall upon him.

He immediately noticed the soft, muffled thud of the girl's flat high heels on the wooden floor.

"Boss! You're finally here! Welcome!"

Amamiya was startled and looked in the direction of the sound.

A girl with a high forehead, long bangs, blonde hair, and blue eyes, with an exotic look, came into view in the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" area.

She smiled brightly at Amamiya and waved, her red and black haori fluttering like bird feathers, standing out against the classical Japanese architecture.

Amamiya really didn't expect that Hyakuyado would have such a student who was both "down-to-earth" (in terms of clothing and greeting style) and "out of touch" (in terms of appearance).

He did not respond to the girl immediately, but instead squinted and used his "third eye" to examine the tarot card above the girl's head, which symbolized a helper.

[Assistant: Asahina Fina / The Phoenix of Hyakuyado]

【Arcana: V.The Chariot】

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

'The title is Phoenix...?'

The Chariot card symbolizes straightforwardness and action; such helpful people are often unpretentious, making them easy to get along with.

Through the girl's title and Arcana, Amamiya immediately understood her general personality and how to deal with it.

Amamiya raised an eyebrow, just as she had when she first met Ryuji Sakamoto, she did not show much friendliness directly.

"You are……?"

The girl suddenly realized that she hadn't introduced herself yet.

After slightly toning down her overly friendly smile and adopting a more formal demeanor, Fina took a deep breath: "Ever since I heard that you had taken time out of your busy schedule to come, I, Fina, have been eagerly awaiting your arrival!"

"I'm Asahina Fina, a member of the 'Festival Operations Committee'! Boss... no, Sensei! Nice to meet you!"

Amamiya: "..."

Amamiya was reminded of the unique character designs found in old-fashioned martial arts novels or games by her 'special' behavior.

Generally speaking, this kind of persona consists of several keywords.

[Foreigner]; [Comes here to pursue martial arts and chivalry]; [Possesses strong martial arts talent and a certain comedic talent]; [The protagonist's good friend, and also the one who eases the atmosphere].

—Those old-school martial arts RPGs especially liked to design "cheerful foreign friends next to the protagonist".

"Hmm... Fina? I'll remember that."

【~???~】

With just one sentence, he gained three points of goodwill from the girl, and Amamiya sighed inwardly.

The initial contact with tank-type assistants is that simple and direct.

“Then, Sensei, please come with me… Chairwoman Shizuko has been waiting for quite some time…”

Fina seemed to understand that talking in the lobby where there were guests was not a good choice. After a brief 'self-introduction', she led Amamiya to the area that probably belonged to the kitchen of Hyakuyado.

Compared to the main hall where guests are received, the 'kitchen' area is much quieter.

Amamiya saw a well-designed Japanese garden and a standard "deer startled" that would definitely appear in an anime.

Once inside the courtyard, Fina raised her voice and called out to Shizuko, "Chairperson~ I've brought Sensei!"

Before she could utter a second shout, another, rather helpless voice followed: "We already know..."

Accompanied by the clattering of wooden clogs approaching from afar, Amamiya sensed the sound of a shoji gate being pushed open inside the courtyard.

Immediately afterwards, a brown-haired girl with a helpless expression walked into the courtyard wearing wooden clogs.

She wore Japanese over-the-knee socks, a cherry-pink kimono with long sleeves embroidered with flowers, and a black and white maid skirt that reached her knees. The clash between tradition and subculture was eye-catching.

It gives people a feeling of... conflict.

The first thing she did upon leaving the house wasn't to greet Amamiya, but rather to look at Fina beside her: "Fina... the way you welcomed Sensei was rather..."

Fina expressed her confusion: "Welcome Sensei in a way that will surprise him, didn't you just say that, Chairman?"

"Huh? Ah... no, no! After all, this will affect the teacher's first impression of the Hyakuyado waiters! How could I..."

Shizuko, quite dissatisfied with Fina's 'substitute teaching performance', raised her voice slightly and emphasized, "We must give Sensei a cute first impression and maximize her favorability from the very beginning..."

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly realized something was amiss: was it inappropriate to share her thoughts and plans in front of others?

Her purple eyes glanced quickly, but she happened to notice Shizuko's enthusiastic expression, and she immediately panicked.

'Oh no... I hope Hyakuyado won't leave a bad impression on Sensei because he can't even handle the feed properly...'

"Ahem, um... what I was just saying, that means..."