I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Hmm... She's a first-year member of the festival's operations committee. Although she's nominally a newcomer, she's very hardworking and... very capable."

Having been an 'idol mascot' all day, Shizuko's smile was completely frozen on her face, maintained only by subconscious effort.

Maintaining that slightly 'strange' smile, Shizuko smoothed her hair, looking somewhat troubled: "Actually... this 'Cherry Blossom Festival' was supposed to be a tour with Ueka for you..."

"But because she studies festivals in various places, she is no longer participating in the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons)..."

To be praised as 'very impressive' by Jingzi... this student named 'Haixiang,' whom I've never met, must also have very strong 'professional skills,' right?

Let's find some time to get to know her when she gets back.

Making a mental note of the idea, Amamiya carefully considered her words before speaking: "Shizuko, regarding the hot springs where the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons takes place, I'd like to learn about the 'hot spring ecology' here..."

"Shizuko, are there any hot springs worth visiting during the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons?"

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Shizuko: Let me take care of you, Sensei!

"Eh? A hot spring..."

Amamiya's slightly unexpected request made Shizuko frown and fall into deep thought.

If we're talking about the "Cherry Blossom Festival of a Hundred Nights," what are some must-see attractions...?

So, most students who participate in the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) would probably say one keyword without hesitation—"hot spring."

That's right, hot springs.

The hot spring culture at the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) Joint Academy is quite thriving.

Even looking at the whole of Kivotos, it can be considered one of the best—only because Gehenna has the [Hot Spring Development Department], the popularity of 'hot spring culture' is barely comparable to the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

Regarding the 'hot springs' within the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) area...

"Regarding hot springs worth visiting, I remember there are indeed several with good reputations..."

"what!"

As if suddenly remembering something, Shizuko first let out a soft "Ah," and then belatedly said, "Sensei, regarding the choice of hot springs... you're looking for the kind..."

"Privately run, hardly anyone goes there normally, but you can 'book out' the whole place if necessary, and there aren't any weird rules or regulations... like a hot spring, right?"

Shizuko really hit the nail on the head.

Given the ecological environment of Kiwatos, mixed bathing is unlikely.

Amamiya couldn't enter the hot spring specifically for students, nor did he really want to bathe with the animal residents.

This leaves only the choice of hot springs that allow private bookings and have less strict rules and regulations.

Even in regions where the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) hot spring culture is prevalent, that type of hot spring is extremely rare.

Because there is no market.

Why book the whole place when you're just going to soak in a hot spring?

"Considering Sensei's needs, the range of options has been significantly reduced..."

"Considering Sensei's request... I only have one here... This hot spring is called 'Chisaki Onsen'."

Amamiya was taken aback: There really are hot springs where you can book the whole place?

After seemingly reviewing the relevant information about the hot spring, Shizuko continued to introduce it to Amamiya: "This 'Chisaki Onsen' is a hot spring run by a graduate of the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons). Because it is 'only for high-end guests,' there are certain standards, and reservations are required in advance..."

"Because this hot spring is 'only open to private bookings,' people don't like to waste money... so very few people know about it."

"However, regarding appointments, given Sensei's current reputation, it should be easy to arrange..."

As Shizuko spoke, she took out her phone, which was protected by a case decorated with cherry blossoms, and operated it briefly.

Amamiya's phone 'ding'ed a new message.

He took out his phone and looked at the coordinates sent by Shizuko—the coordinates were roughly the location of the "Chisaki Onsen" she mentioned.

"This is where the hot spring is located." The girl smiled slightly, her voice tinged with curiosity. "Sensei, if you're interested, you can go and take a look..."

"Speaking of which, Sensei, you asked me about hot springs..."

Of course, Amamiya couldn't let Shizuko ask the question—after all, his goal was to take a 'hot spring trip' with the seminar.

[The adult Sensei unexpectedly meets with four high-ranking officials (all beautiful girls) at a private hot spring, and something unknown happens...]

Such topics, once they get out, cause quite a stir.

As far as Amamiya himself knows, the rumors about him are currently nothing more than baseless gossip.

And once such a topic is exposed...

When that time comes, what awaits Amamiya will not be mere rumors, but rather a mix of truth and falsehood, such as "Shalai's basement" and "having an inappropriate relationship with a student."

"Cough cough..."

Amamiya raised her voice slightly, coughed, and then sincerely clasped her hands together, looking earnestly at Shizuko: "My lovely Shizuko, the mascot of Hyakuyado, the chairperson of the festival operations committee, my favorite Shizuko, may I ask you a favor?"

In an instant, numerous synergy skills were activated.

With the support of bond skills such as [Popularity of the Signboard Girl] (Shizuko's bond skill); [Mind Reading...?] (Mimori's bond skill); [Twilight and Dawn] (Noah's bond skill); and [Dawn and Dusk] (Ayane's bond skill), Amamiya's behavior not only doesn't seem abrupt, but instead carries a sense of... a "teen idol" who could instantly kill Shizuko.

"Huh? Ah... um?"

Shizuko was clearly stunned by Amamiya's sudden 'mental attack' and didn't even understand what had happened at first.

Amamiya switched his Persona to Baal (Emperor), which was perfect for his serious antics, and then continued his 'serious' performance.

"I've always been curious about the 'hot spring culture' of Kivotos... The reason I asked Shizuko this question is because I want to learn more about it."

"But... Shizuko, you should be somewhat aware of this, right? As an outsider 'adult,' my identity is quite special... If things aren't handled properly, it could lead to all sorts of scandals, and that would be the best-case scenario."

"I deeply love hot spring culture and want to learn more about it, but because of my identity... I have never been able to experience the warm culture of Kiwatos."

"So I was thinking... Shizuko, could you make an appointment for me in a private capacity?"

At this point, Amamiya sincerely clasped his hands together, lowered his head slightly, and made a humble, pleading expression.

"Ah...um..."

Shizuko hadn't quite grasped what was happening yet.

After standing behind the counter in a daze for a while, she seemed to gradually understand the 'cause and effect'.

Gradually, the girl's gaze toward Amamiya shifted to one of pity.

“I see… It is indeed quite inconvenient for Sensei to operate in Giwatos as an adult.”

"Even something as simple as soaking in a hot spring requires detailed and meticulous consideration, perhaps for reasons such as one's status..."

"Hmm... how about this? I'll help Sensei make the appointment... consider it compensation for Sensei helping resolve this 'Cherry Blossom Festival' incident—" The girl said, seemingly suddenly gaining a subtle confidence reminiscent of a 'high school girl wanting to support an adult,' " "To fulfill Sensei's dream... let Hyakuyado cover the cost!"

Amamiya was startled.

He was just doing an impromptu performance... I didn't expect it to be so effective.

That won't do... If I let students spend money on me, wouldn't I become a gigolo?

Thinking of this, Amamiya quickly waved her hand: "You don't need to worry about the money, Shizuko. Since the funding from the Federation Student Council is quite generous, I've already saved up a sum..."

"No, no, no, Sensei..."

Shizuko shook her finger seriously and began to give Amamiya a formal explanation.

"Sensei, are you confusing the concepts of 'individual admission ticket to the hot spring' and 'private reservation of the hot spring'?"

"If it's just an individual admission ticket... it's only the price of a few cans of drinks (around two thousand), but if you book the whole venue... the price will definitely be an amount that a regular student couldn't save up for even a year and a half, right?"

"Take our Baiye Hall, for example. Although we do offer private booking services for special events like high-end business negotiations... the price for a private booking is several million yuan, you know? Although normally no one would waste that money..."

"And Sensei, the 'private hot spring private room' you want to book will only be expensive... According to my estimate, it will probably cost around ten million, right? Even an adult like you can't easily afford that price, can you?"

Amamiya: ...

Looking at Shizuko, who had suddenly become serious for some reason, Amamiya thought to herself: That's really true.

For the vast majority of "ordinary people," the single-day booking fee for a large event is indeed an amount they could never reach in their entire lives.

Fortunately, Amamiya is no ordinary person. If we consider only Xia Lai's identity as a Sensei... he shouldn't spend money like that.

It's important to understand that while the funds allocated to Xia Lai by the Federal Student Council were indeed generous... that was only for Amamiya personally.

Aside from covering equipment purchases, some equipment replacement and maintenance, and Amamiya's personal daily needs, the Federation Student Council's funding is at most just enough to cover Amamiya's daily expenses (regular costs).

The reason Amamiya can spend money a little more 'lavishly' is mainly because of the existence of the other world.

Seeing that Amamiya remained silent, Shizuko wore an expression that said, "I knew it."

"Sensei, don't worry... I will help you realize your dream..."

"Please feel free to leave the matter of booking the entire hot spring to me!"

Chapter Thirty: The Killing Intent from a Literary Girl

In the end, Amamiya still didn't let Shizuko pay for the event.

After all, in every respect, Amamiya is an 'adult'...

Moreover, especially given the premise that "the ultimate goal is to date other girls," having other girls book the entire place... gives off a feeling that he's utterly despicable.

Having lived in Shibuya, Tokyo for a period of time, Amamiya knew that this kind of 'extremely despicable' behavior was something that a considerable number of male hosts would do.

Amamiya didn't want her bottom line to slip to that level, so she ultimately "firmly refused" Shizuko's insistence on paying money.

As for jumping between multiple boats or having multiple partners... well, that's just the norm!

As a phantom thief, it's normal for him to be a little 'romantic,' right?

After some back and forth with Shizuko, Amamiya finally paid 20 million yen as a venue booking fee.

—Yes, twenty million.

This is equivalent to approximately 2.08% of Abydos's total debt at the time (6235 million).

That's a truly terrifying amount.

As for why the amount is so terrifying... that has to do with the special nature of 'private screening'.

As far as Amamiya knew, the 'world outside of Kiwatos', including the entire hot springs... wasn't cheap.

The price for booking the entire Suiran Luxury Hotel in Kyoto for one day is eight million yen.

The five-star Kozantei Usatsuya hotel on Mount Fuji costs about five million yen per day to book the entire venue.

The venue rental fee of 20 million yen... Considering other factors such as food and accommodation, Amamiya even felt that this was already very cheap.

After discussing the hot springs and confirming that there was nothing else to do during the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), Amamiya decided to return to Shiraki.

As night fell, Amamiya caught the last train of the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) to Hyaktori-ku Station and randomly found an empty seat by the window.

Outside the window, the night sky was filled with stars, and the train traveling through the darkness even gave people a pleasant sense of comfort.

After observing the surroundings outside the car window, Amamiya took out her phone and began dealing with messages she hadn't had time to process recently.

After scrolling through the messages from top to bottom, Amamiya was slightly taken aback... because the accumulated messages were piled up like a mountain.

The time Amamiya spent in the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons was neither too long nor too short.

All in all, it has only been about five days.

A quick glance reveals that the accumulated momotalk messages number in the thousands.

[Saori: Sensei, we've already conducted preliminary reconnaissance regarding Xia Lai's security situation. Also...]

[Saori: I don't know why, but we found a lot of devices that look like they're used for eavesdropping.]

I also received messages from other people.

[Azuko: I want to cultivate flowers in Xialai...]

'...'

[Time: Sensei, I'm currently on standby in Xialai.]

'...'

Noah: About the hot spring trip...

Noah: I heard that the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is currently being held in conjunction with a cherry blossom festival, which is a great time for a hot spring trip.