I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Amamiya's expression was complicated for a moment. She really didn't expect that she would be blocked at the door and given a lunchbox one day.

This young woman, who came to Xia Lai after lunch and waited for him to finish working until dusk... her feelings and apologies were so heavy.

He took the lunchbox from Nicole's hand: "Such a heavy sentiment... I'll accept it along with this apology."

【~???~】(from Nicole)

The blue eighth note's favorability rating dances gracefully.

The moment Amamiya took the bento from the girl's hand, he clearly noticed that Nico's fox ears, which had been drooping to the sides, seemed to slowly stand up because of her mood shifting from sunny to cloudy.

"...Thank you for your understanding. I'm really sorry about that."

Amamiya returned to her workstation and placed the bento box on the table.

He shook his head at Nicole: "The more you say apologies, the faster they lose their value. I've already felt Nicole's feelings from this bento box, so there's no need to say these meaningless words again and again."

【~???~】

"You're so kind, Sensei..."

Nicole placed one hand on her chest, seemingly to catch her breath, before revealing a bright smile as if she had finally resolved her inner conflict.

"Then, please continue to be gentle for a while?"

"There are some things I want to tell you about the FOX team..."

It really is about the FOX team.

Amamiya understood, but he did not respond to Reiko's request immediately. Instead, he walked to the French windows on the balcony and opened the curtains.

The last rays of the setting sun poured in silently as the window was opened.

Along with the fleeting sunlight of the setting sun, what reaches the senses is the fragrance of nature, a blend of the slightly earthy scent of fresh earth and the aroma of blooming flowers.

"Come here and talk."

After greeting Nico, Amamiya leaned against the windowsill railing and looked at the pink-haired girl who had cautiously followed him onto the balcony.

As soon as Nicole stepped onto the balcony, she noticed the four potted plants, each different but all blooming with vibrant colors.

The different flowers, without exception, had undergone careful nurturing and had reached the stage of initial blooming.

Nicole, temporarily captivated by the fragrance and a splash of vibrant color in her field of vision, paid extra attention to the flowers—her knowledge of flowers wasn't particularly extensive, but she could still roughly distinguish them.

One of the pots contained purple hyacinths, with stars and crescent moons decorated on the pot.

The second pot contains red roses, with dark red rose stickers pasted on the pot.

The third pot is Bethlehem Star, a small and refreshing flowerpot with what looks like a swimsuit advertisement cut out of a magazine.

The last pot of flowers is quite special. The pot is dark blue, and inside it grows a miraculous blue rose, which is different from the other three pots.

The soil in the flowerpot was moist, indicating careful watering and maintenance—Nicole could even deduce that the most recent maintenance had occurred that morning, sometime before she arrived in Xia Lai.

"these are……"

"These flowers were planted here by Arius's students."

Amamiya said gently, "Nicole should know about the Arios Special Squad, right? Those kids planted flowers here after they settled down."

Aren't they adorable?

Amamiya's double entendre and boastful tone made Nico feel as if her soft spot had been instantly hit.

【~???~】

'Sensei...is not at all as difficult to approach as the captain remembered...'

'She seems to be a very gentle person... but surprisingly, she also has a bit of a childlike quality...'

"Yeah, very cute."

Nicole nodded sincerely, then sighed, "I'm a little envious of the treatment Arius's team receives these days."

After making a self-deprecating remark, Nicole gathered her thoughts and slowly began to speak.

Perhaps influenced by the flowers, her voice unconsciously became more relaxed and gentle: "Regarding the current situation of the FOX team... let me give you a brief summary first."

"Since you signed the agreement to close SRT Academy, the abolition of SRT Academy, the dispersal of students, the demolition of facilities, etc., have all become 'a foregone conclusion'."

"Therefore... the FOX team is about to be 'stripped of everything.'"

"Losing the authority to act across colleges, losing the college as a safe haven, and gradually losing the 'being ordered around and executing efficiently' that they had long been accustomed to..."

Amamiya listened silently.

He could actually understand what Nicole was saying.

After all, these are all very 'simple and easy to understand' things.

If we were to use an analogy, the FOX team would be like the Navy SEALs under the "President of the Federal Student Council"... no, in terms of their nature, they might be closer to the legendary FBI.

For them, who were used to 'orders being their duty' and who were used to operating in various academies... to suddenly lose so much, even their own place of refuge was about to disappear...

In that situation, when Yukino blurted out, "I hate adults like you the most," Amamiya could understand it from Yukino's and the FOX team's perspective.

After briefly recounting the previous experiences of the FOX team, Nicole gradually steered the conversation toward the main topic.

"Just when we were at a loss... the head of the defense office of the Federal Student Council, Hikaru Shiranui."

"She found us...and promised us that as long as the FOX team obeyed her orders and acted according to her instructions...SRT Academy might have the possibility of 'restoration'..."

Nicole paused, then looked troubled: "But actually..."

Amamiya chimed in, summarizing simply: "This is a 'blank check' that can never be cashed."

【~???~】

"Um……"

The pink-haired girl lowered her head slightly, her tone becoming somewhat disappointed: "Sensei, you're right..."

“Even though we knew that Hikaru Shiranui was untrustworthy and that her ‘empty promise’ would never be fulfilled… at that time, the captain still accepted the olive branch that Hikaru extended without hesitation.”

Amamiya was quite surprised to hear this.

What Ni might have noticed... wouldn't Yukino, as the captain, notice it?

"I feel..." After hesitating for a long time, Nicole spoke softly, "The captain, ever since the decision to close SRT was finalized, she might have been a little..."

She didn't finish her sentence, saving face for the captain.

Amamiya, however, had already discerned Nico's 'hidden meaning'—Yukino might be 'mentally on the verge of collapse' and needed psychological counseling.

Or, more simply... how to heal by conquering the halls of another world?

But will Yukino have a palace?

Amamiya nodded knowingly at Nico, who looked troubled.

"I will investigate this matter."

I felt Nicole's gratitude.

Coopation is now unblocked!

Nicole (Empress) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[★1 Ability "The Essence of Sushi" has been unlocked!]

"Then..."

After letting out a sigh of relief, the girl, having achieved her goal, bowed slightly in farewell with a relaxed expression.

"Please, Sensei."

Chapter Two: Rin - Beware of the Flower General

As dusk fell, the "Sanctuary Tower" was enveloped in a mysterious starlight as night gradually enveloped the world.

As the headquarters of the "Federal Student Council," it is practically the core area of ​​Kivotos—yet it is far from being as "prosperous" as the self-governing areas surrounding other academies.

The Tower of the Sanctuary stands on the horizon where the sky and night meet, its twinkling lights illuminating the heavens and the earth.

Apart from that... there are no other "special" buildings around, and no other such buildings are permitted.

Presumably, various safety factors were considered during the initial design phase...

With her gaze withdrawn from the "Sanctuary Tower," Amamiya, carrying Nia's handwritten "Summary Report of Paradise Lost Resort," entered the Sanctuary Tower.

Compared to the last time I came, the atmosphere inside the Federal Student Association was much more relaxed this time.

Although the tight network of cameras still exists... at least the anxious and tense atmosphere of "everyone is on edge" among the students coming and going has almost completely dissipated.

After greeting the members of the Federation Student Council along the way, Amamiya headed straight for the "Federation Student Council President's Office" where Rin was currently located.

'It's been about a week since I last saw Rin... I wonder how she's doing lately, and whether she's been under too much mental stress.'

As Amamiya was pondering this, she was about to go upstairs when she suddenly heard unhurried footsteps around the corner of the corridor.

Amamiya paused for a moment, then immediately realized that if she continued walking at her pace while still thinking about things, she might run into the other person.

Remembering Hana's clumsy trick of hiding in a room near the entrance and waiting for a long time to create a 'chance encounter' last time, Amamiya immediately frowned.

'It's not going to be Hanaya again, is it...?'

With this thought in mind, Amamiya slowed her pace slightly, deliberately avoiding the possibility of bumping into the other person without any regard for safety.

While the keyword "collision at a corner" does indeed evoke a youthful, everyday romance vibe...

However, if the "girl" who was hit was Hanaya, then Amamiya would decisively refuse.

Amamiya stopped and stood at the corner of the corridor, waiting for the other person to pass by.

However, something even more unexpected happened—the other party was about to change direction just as they reached the intersection where Amamiya was located.

It was a blue-haired girl holding documents and wearing a long dress in the uniform of the Federal Student Council.

Similar yet different from Rin's elven ears, her blue eyes weren't very clear, as if veiled by a hazy, dreamlike mist due to fatigue or mental stress. Her delicate, pretty face, like that of an elf from a fantasy world, was partially obscured by documents…

From this fleeting glimpse, Amamiya could roughly guess the other person's personality.

Perhaps it's similar to Yuka from the Millennium Symposium, whom I know well... She has a strict personality, and before we get to know each other completely, she will show a considerable degree of "business-like" aloofness... such a "cold-faced but warm-hearted girl".

In the instant she turned around, she saw Amamiya, but it was too late to dodge—

She instinctively tried to dodge, but instead lost her balance.

As if by a twist of fate, she stumbled forward and, with a soft gasp, fell straight towards Amamiya.

Amamiya could certainly have dodged it with his "heart-stealing phantom thief's agility," but he didn't.

Since it wasn't a flower that "bumped into" us, then we can accept it.

With a gentle smile, Amamiya stepped forward calmly and, with the perfect timing of a tango dance, caught the blue-haired girl who was about to lose her balance and fall.

"..."

The blue-haired girl blinked, seemingly still reeling from the lightning-fast exchange that had just occurred.

She first subconsciously said "thank you," and then her gaze involuntarily fixed on him.

After scanning Amamiya up and down, the mist in the blue-haired girl's eyes dissipated slightly.

"You're the Sensei that the president specifically designated before he disappeared, right...? I've heard of you before."

"I never expected that my encounter with Sensei would be so 'unexpected'."

Relying on reason and logic, the girl quickly organized her thoughts, took the document from Amamiya's hand with one hand while extending her other hand to Amamiya.

“It’s an honor to meet you… Sensei from Xia Lai. I am Shan Xi Kui, the head of the Finance Office of the Federal Student Association.”

While politely shaking hands with the other person, Amamiya gave them a quick, scrutinizing look with her "third eye."

[Assisted by: Shan Xikui / Treasurer of the Federal Student Association]

[Arcana: XI. Strength]

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

'Arkana is "fortitude," or rather, "strength"...'

Amamiya couldn't help but think of the "Strength" card from the traditional Rider-Waite Tarot. Its image depicts a woman gently closing the mouth of a lion.

This card symbolizes the courage and wisdom of 'overcoming strength with gentleness'.