I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Hmm... Next, I guess I'll contact that buyer."

Looking around with a curious expression, Serika subconsciously lowered her voice slightly.

Her cat ears were trembling slightly, a sign of curiosity and nervousness, like someone doing something wrong for the first time.

After all, as the saying goes, "everything is difficult at the beginning."

If the otherworldly loot, the "Pharaoh's Millennium Artifact," has been sold... then it proves that making money in another world is indeed feasible!

However... it's really troublesome to always have to find a way to sell the items obtained from the other world and find a way to 'dispose of stolen goods'...

"The buyer has already sent a message saying that she has seen you and, in order to avoid any double-crossing or similar situations, she is contacting her senior and junior classmates."

A short while later, Ayane received another call.

“The buyer said they were ready. From your perspective, you can see a coffee shop at a 30-degree angle to the southeast. The transaction will take place there.”

Following Ayane's directions, Amamiya looked in the corresponding direction and saw a café located in the chaotic area.

"The Love, Death & Robots Cafe...?"

Nomiya tilted his head back and slowly read out the name of the café.

Celery remarked with a puzzled expression, "...What a strange name. Why do coffee shops seem to prefer these odd names?"

"Probably because most coffee shop owners are guys with a story," Hoshino calmly guessed, then suddenly chuckled, "Heh heh~ just like me, old man?"

Ayane, unusually, interjected during the communication, saying thoughtfully, "I remember this name; it seems to be a well-known published work, composed of several short stories..."

"Let's go in and have a look."

Amamiya, who felt a unique and novel sense of familiarity with the café, waved to the girls beside her.

"Remember to be ready to draw your gun and fight at any time."

Chapter Nineteen: The Mysterious Thief and the Mastermind

"Dingling bell~"

As the glass door of the coffee shop was pushed open, the old-fashioned doorbell emitted a crisp and distinctively vintage sound.

A girl in a black and white tuxedo standing in front of the bar glanced at Amamiya and her group of five who had just entered.

"Hey, welcome!"

Noticing the halo above the girl's head and her extraordinary air of nobility, Amamiya subconsciously used her [Third Eye] to take a look at the target.

Kiyosumi Akira / The Unpredictable Phantom Thief Girl

[Arcana: The Order of Mobius (L'Ordre de Mobius)]

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

'...'

I was surprised to find a student with 'assistant' qualifications just by casually glancing around...

This card, which seems to have nothing to do with Arcana, comes from the Etteilla Tarot, one of the earliest and most famous tarot decks in the world.

This tarot deck was created by Jean-ptiste Alleitte (1738-1791), a French mystic who called himself an alchemist. He later changed his name to Etteilla, which is the origin of the deck's name.

In the modern version of the twenty-two Major Arcana, the card "The Order of Mobs" corresponds to "The Moon (XVI. The Moon)".

Compared to the widely accepted upright and reversed interpretations, the "Order of Mobs" card differs slightly from the "Moon" card.

The upright interpretation of this card is [discussion, a long and active discussion with friends].

The reversed position symbolizes instability and a desire to settle one's desire for change.

'Is it the same title as "phantom thief"...?'

After paying extra attention to the girl's peculiar way of addressing her, Amamiya had a premonition that she might have more contact with this target in the future.

"Does the guest have any appointments?"

A girl with a cocktail glass wrapped around her tail leaned forward slightly on the bar counter, her hands supporting her. Under the cover of this action, she curiously observed Amamiya, this unique individual with a 'distinctive art style'.

Amamiya met the girl's inquiring gaze and calmly replied, "Table number twelve."

"Over there~"

Following the direction she pointed out, Amamiya and his group saw a girl sitting in their seats with an artistic 'afro'... well, anyway, a very strange hairstyle.

Amamiya walked over and sat down across the table under the watchful eyes of Serika and the other three.

The girl, who was looking down at her phone, glanced up at him.

Then... she seemed stunned, and after a long while, she looked at Amamiya seriously.

"Are you the target of this transaction?"

Amamiya nodded, then took out a small box containing the "Pharaoh's Millennium Artifact" and slightly opened it.

A fleeting glimpse of golden light caused the girl on the other side of the table to catch her breath for a moment.

'As expected... as expected! The Millennium Puzzle!'

With a 'click', the box was closed.

"Pay the money and deliver the goods."

"I understand, I understand~" After calming herself down, the girl with the unusual hairstyle gestured to the girls at the table next to her.

Immediately afterwards, a girl with a similarly strange hairstyle, wearing a jacket and carrying a travel bag, appeared.

"Hmm... a card necklace? Looks like you're a card enthusiast too."

After carefully examining Amamiya, the girl in the jacket suddenly seemed to have found a kindred spirit, pulled out a 'card necklace' from inside her collar, and waved it in front of Amamiya.

Amamiya: "...?"

"Hello, I am 'Seto Hakuba', the head of the 'Hakuba Group'."

After a few seconds of silence, Amamiya responded with a soft "Mm".

"You can start inspecting the goods now."

The girl who called herself 'Seto Hakuba' casually tossed her travel bag at Amamiya's feet, then gestured with her eyes to the girl with the unusual hairstyle.

“'Games,' take a look.”

The girl she referred to as 'the game' calmly nodded, took the box, and carefully examined it again.

"As expected... it's very similar to the legendary 'Millennium Item.' Apart from lacking the power of the Millennium Item, it's so realistic that it's indistinguishable from the real thing... more than enough to complete 'that plan'..."

While the person opposite her was muttering to themselves, Amamiya also lowered her head and slightly opened her travel bag to take a look inside.

The neatly arranged, non-consecutive banknotes, with almost identical formats, looked like they had been carefully collected.

After observing the area with his "Third Eye," Amamiya found not a single counterfeit or damaged banknote.

No more, no less, exactly nine million nine hundred and eighty thousand.

"Transaction complete."

After confirming that there were no problems with the goods, the girl who called herself 'Seto Hakuba' made a coded message to the table behind her.

“Let’s go, ‘Game’.”

Amamiya stood up, carrying her travel bag, and waved to the four people at the table behind her, including Serika: "Let's go too."

……

After completing such a suspicious transaction, both in appearance and feeling, Amamiya led the girls from the Countermeasures Committee back to the outskirts of the black market and boarded the vehicle driven by Ayane.

Once on the bus, the girls from the Countermeasures Committee surrounded her with intense gazes, staring intently at the bulging shoulder bag on Amamiya's shoulder.

They couldn't wait to start 'inspecting the goods'.

Seeing this, Amamiya casually took off her shoulder bag, and then, under the expectant gazes of the girls, unzipped it.

Opening her travel bag, seeing it full of money and smelling the unique scent of banknotes that seemed to come straight from the factory, Celery felt a little dizzy.

Looking at these brand-new, non-consecutive banknotes, Ayane felt an unprecedented sense of relief, and even her tone became much lighter.

"Is the deal done?...Great!"

"Speaking of which... who was that person who suddenly asked Sensei to introduce himself... and what is 'White Horse Group'?"

"I heard it's a large conglomerate that produces game cards," Nomiya explained with a squinty smile, clearly quite knowledgeable about these unusual fields. "They're very famous in the card game industry! Apparently, some limited edition 'Virtual Monster Duel' cards they produce can even sell for as much as 80 million yen!"

Qinxiang: "..."

She simply couldn't understand Nomiya's shocking example.

Even Hoshino couldn't help but sigh, "The world of the rich is truly hard to understand."

Hearing these explanations, Amamiya's forehead twitched.

Good heavens... I've encountered Kaiba and Yugi's Giwatos allotrope?

Does Nagiwatos have a "Duel Academy"? Are there any card players with amazing playing styles?

Fearing that something might happen if they stayed there even a second longer, Ayane quickly ended the pointless conversation and suggested, "Now that the deal is done and Abydos's debt repayment for this month is settled, let's go back..."

"Yes, yes~ Ayane is right, things might change if we delay~ Everyone should leave quickly..."

"……Um?"

Before Hoshino could finish speaking, gunshots suddenly rang out in the previously 'peaceful' black market.

"Waaaaah... Don't chase me!"

Accompanied by the girl's weak cries for help and hurried footsteps, Amamiya and his group, who had stopped in place, saw in the distance that a girl with light yellow hair and pigtails was running frantically toward them, covering her head.

Her outfit was almost spotless, resembling a white JK sailor uniform. A pretty white lace-trimmed skirt fluttered as she ran, revealing glimpses of her erotic territory beneath. Black pantyhose with a moderate denier were the perfect choice for a girl her age, and she completed the look with shiny, brand-new loafers.

I'm just an ordinary JK (high school girl)...

Amamiya stared intently at the other person for a moment, then her expression gradually became serious.

[Assisted by: Hifumi Ajitani / An extraordinary 'ordinary girl']

[Arcana: The Fool (I.THe Fool)]

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

'...A fool?'

Chapter Twenty: The Fool? Not a Fool

Upon seeing the unique name given to the girl being chased, and the name 'Fool' Arcana, Amamiya felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

Once upon a time, Amamiya also possessed this Arcana, which represented "nothingness" and "infinite possibilities." Under the shadow of destruction created by the false god, he completed "rebirth" to save himself and the world—the "Phantom Thief of Hearts."

The 'Fool' in Arcana does not represent a truly foolish person, but rather "the beginning of everything".

(Not a fool)

In most modern Tarot decks, the Fool is usually depicted as such an image.

The Fool wears a laurel wreath symbolizing success, holds a white rose symbolizing purity and passion in his left hand, and casually holds a scepter symbolizing power in his right hand, but he only uses this scepter to carry the burden of experience.

In addition, there was a dog beside it, seemingly warning it of the cliff ahead, but it seemed completely unconcerned and continued on its way.

The Fool symbolizes boundless potential, an adventurous spirit, and a pure, passionate, and confident heart, but the future is uncertain.

This extremely unique 'trait' means that fools possess infinite possibilities.

Simply put... the "Fool" could become any kind of Arcana, and might even reach the "Judgment," ascending to the true "World."

Like a blank sheet of paper, or a piece of unpolished jade.

"Is that... a student of Trinity?"

Suddenly, an elegant and charming voice, tinged with a hint of doubt, rang in my ears.

Immediately following was Serika's voice, filled with surprise and wariness: "Huh? Aren't you... uh, the manager of the coffee shop? When did you show up?!"