I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

After realizing what had happened, her first reaction was to check on Amamiya's condition with a worried expression.

If this bolt from the blue was truly caused by Sensei's previous words...

"Sensei..."

Amamiya withdrew her hand and took the half-empty bottle of mineral water from Mary's hand.

"It's nothing, it's nothing... It seems that it's still best not to say such strange things lightly."

Amamiya remained unfazed, jokingly defusing the girl's tension: "Mary is so cute... that disrespecting Mary would bring divine retribution."

"Sensei?!"

Mary's voice rose a few decibels, tinged with obvious shyness.

—The shyness wasn't because of Amamiya's teasing, but because of Amamiya's next move.

Amamiya unscrewed the bottle cap and, under the watchful gaze of Mary's blue eyes, which trembled slightly with disbelief, drank the remaining half bottle of water in one gulp.

【~???~】

“The water that Mary drank… well, it should also be called ‘holy water’ then.”

Amamiya shook the mineral water bottle as if displaying trophies, her expression playful: "So, if I drink the holy water, will I be blessed?"

After the initial disbelief, Mary's first reaction was to cover her cheeks, trying to hide the blush on her face.

wrong!

How indecent...

Ah... how should I put it...

it's wired……

After a brief moment of confusion, Mary realized something.

Is Sensei using this opportunity to play a trick on himself?

Realizing this was a prank targeting his "improper" behavior...

But surprisingly... I can't seem to get angry.

In my limited memory, Sensei was mostly a calm and reliable person, gentle and considerate towards students, and even a kind of 'sacred sense of conversion' that students admired...

I never expected Sensei to have such an 'unconventional' side...

“Sensei, for example, if you want to seek blessings…”

"I...I can pray for you..."

No matter what, 'holy water' and such is still somewhat...

Amamiya quickly suppressed his teasing and joking.

For Mary, who looked troubled and whose mind was in turmoil, finding it increasingly difficult to explain herself, this kind of interaction was still too challenging.

He suddenly changed his tone and sincerely thanked her: "I will thank Mary for her prayers."

Mary, looking troubled because she couldn't express her various intentions, froze: "...Huh?"

Is this what they mean by 'changing faces faster than turning the pages of a book'?

This was the first time Mary had ever seen such a word presented to her in such a clear, non-derogatory form.

"So... Mary, could you pray for me right here? I want to experience Mary's 'divine blessing' in person."

Mary: "Huh?"

Suddenly he started acting a bit unserious again...

Are we supposed to be watching them pray like this...?

Although it's a little embarrassing, but...

Consider it a reward for Sensei accompanying me throughout the entire morning...

Taking a deep breath, the girl calmed herself, stood up, interlaced her fingers in front of her chest, and lowered her head in a prayerful gesture.

"May Sensei follow the path it has taken so far, and the path it chooses in the future..."

"May Sensei's path be as peaceful and happy as possible..."

"Also... I hope Sensi will pay more attention to me in the future..."

"As long as you are being watched and anticipated by Sensei... you will feel that even the most difficult goals can be easily achieved."

I sensed the devout emotion emanating from Mary...

[Coopation Improvement!]

【Ilomarie (Star) ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆】

[★4 Bond Ability "Blessing of Happiness" is now unlocked!]

"I hope that from now on, under Sensei's guidance, I can grow into a nun like my predecessors..."

"I hope... my prayers will grant Sensei protection..."

As Amamiya listened to Mary's 'devout prayers,' his expression gradually became strange.

At first, the prayers were normal, but gradually they started to express their true feelings...

Although she wasn't wearing a nun's habit, at that moment, Amamiya truly felt a beam of holy light, barely noticeable during the day, fall perfectly upon the girl's head, shoulders, and chest.

Mary's 'prayer,' although the wording of the prayer was somewhat distorted due to her own influence.

But... it actually had a real effect.

Is this also... an unconscious way for students to utilize the "mystery" they hold about themselves?

After a brief prayer, the girl slowly opened her eyes, her eyes sparkling.

At the same time, the 'holy light' surrounding her quietly dissipated.

"Sensei... this should be fine, right?"

Anxiety, uncertainty, anticipation...

Amamiya could easily read the girl's obvious emotions from her expression when she turned slightly to look at him.

The adorable little nun is never very good at hiding her emotions.

“Yes, Mary’s prayer gave me strength.”

Amamiya answered seriously.

【~???~】

Mary was slightly embarrassed: "This, this is fine..."

When I emptied my mind and prayed wholeheartedly, my mindset affected me, and all the prayers I uttered turned out terrible, like confessions of love...

Fortunately, Sensei didn't seem to care much...

"Next up is the post-match interview! Let's welcome the ultimate winner of this match—Izumi!"

The sound of a 'post-race interview' coming from the airship broke the ambiance of romance and awkwardness.

Having found a topic to talk about, Mary blinked and stretched her body very slightly, dispelling the fatigue that had accumulated as noon approached.

“Sensei, next up is lunch delivery…”

"Thank you for your company, but I won't bother you any longer..."

"You must have something else to do, right?"

Turning around and waving, the girl slung her water bag over her shoulder and hurried away as if fleeing, leaving behind only her silhouette.

"Sensei, remember to rest while you're busy... and remember to eat lunch."

Are all the cooks in Kivotos this gentle? (Chapter 70)

The best way to while away the midday hours is to leisurely enjoy a cup of coffee.

Following Mary's parting advice to "remember to eat well," Amamiya went to the food street near the stadium.

The Akawa Taisai is not just a grand sports event, but also a 'festival' of special significance... and there are some special aspects to this kind of celebration.

Regular meals are much harder to buy than snacks.

With such restrictions in place, the food street near the stadium has become the most popular place for students to go at lunchtime.

In a near-future city with a thousand-year-old style, surrounded by clean and tidy high-rise buildings, the food street of the Grand Track and Field Stadium miraculously maintains a sense of low-rise buildings scattered throughout, giving it a very lively atmosphere.

The towering buildings are so close yet so hard to get close to, but these alleyways, though slightly dark against the backdrop of the high-rises, are full of life.

Amamiya, carrying a shoulder bag, stood on the street with a slight sense of disorientation, feeling as if she were in the alley of Shibuya, Tokyo.

After taking a few steps on the street, Amamiya heard a familiar voice and saw familiar students.

With brown hair and purple eyes, wearing a smart bright red cheongsam in the style of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and an apron that clearly resembles that of a fried rice chef, the girl is calling out in a unique "Hakka style" characteristic of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, beckoning to the girls passing by.

"One serving of fried rice, right? 3 bowls and 28 spoons? Okay, please wait a moment, sir."

"Come on, come on! Don't miss out! This shop won't be available again once you pass this street! The famous product from the Classic of Mountains and Seas—'Xuanwu Merchant Guild'—is here for the Korin Grand Festival!"

"Our restaurant gathers delicacies from the mountains and seas in the style of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, making it a perfect accompaniment to the grand sports meet!"

One of the chef's hats, with animal ears, drooped down, while the other animal ear supported the precariously hanging chef's hat. She was capable and energetic, mature yet light and charming. Even her shouts had the feel of a neighborly older sister inviting you to her house for a visit and casually asking, "Have you eaten yet? If not, why don't you stay for lunch?"

This is the way the Xuanwu Chamber of Commerce treats its guests.

As the president of the Genbu Merchant Guild, Rumi naturally demonstrated this special way of hospitality to the fullest.

"Sir, are you hungry? Would you like to have a meal here?"

"You might not believe it, but this might be the only place in this area where you can buy staple foods!"

"Huh? Takeout service? Sorry, due to staff shortages, we currently only offer dine-in and takeout services."

Drawn by her calls, the Trinity students stopped and began to chat quietly.

"Food inspired by the Classic of Mountains and Seas...would you like to try some?"

"I've always wanted to try the cuisine of the Xuanwu Merchant Guild!"

"I heard that the atmosphere of a tea break in the Trinity style is completely different from that of Trinity itself..."

"It's possible... but wouldn't eating such heavily oiled and salty dishes from the Classic of Mountains and Seas at lunchtime affect my energy levels in the afternoon?"

Faced with the customers' whispers, Rumi smiled and remained silent, but would occasionally scan the room with her sharp eyes to quickly identify potential customers, and then make a shout at a specific time.

Several Trinity students, all blond-haired, blue-eyed, and with small wings, discussed the matter briefly before finally entering the store after Rumi's repeated 'eye hints'.

'Would you like to say hello? Or grab lunch here?'

As Amamiya pondered, just as she was about to head towards the Genbu Trading Company's shop, another voice rang in her ears.

"Hi hi~ This is the Hyakya-do of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons!"

"I'm the mascot of Hyakuyado, your lovely Shizuko~"

"For this Grand Festival and Sports Games, Hyakuyado has specially prepared some unique limited-time drinks, snacks, and ultra-low alcohol cherry blossom fruit wine, which is suitable for both celebration and enjoyment!"

"There's also a special 'Summer Breeze' iced drink, handcrafted by Shizuko herself, which even Sensei raved about!"

Looking in the direction of the sound, Amamiya saw Shizuko dressed in a gymnastics outfit that was "appropriate for the occasion," a stark contrast to her usual brightly colored kimono and maid-like attire.

Compared to Rumi, who could be recognized as the "girl next door" by most students, Shizuko's 1.7-meter height, mature and elegant figure, and style can be completely described as "cute idol style".

Their sales pitches also followed a completely different 'idol' approach compared to the neighboring Xuanwu Chamber of Commerce.

Amamiya observed silently for a while, and then discovered that the people surrounding Shizuko's stall in layers were mostly Gehenna's students.

That's understandable... After all, Gehenna and Hyakki Yagyō had just completed a decent academy exchange not long ago, so the students on both sides weren't exactly 'unfamiliar' with each other.

Maintaining an "invisible presence" (Miyu's bond), Amamiya did not immediately try to attract attention or go up to greet Rumi and Shizuko.

Are there any 'familiar faces' left on the street...?