I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"We have a good idea!"

Having attracted his attention, Cerino ran straight to Amamiya, stood on tiptoe, and reached out his hand to her.

"Hey comrade, give me a hug~!"

At that moment, the girls in Arius's team, who were silently following behind, changed their expressions.

Ba was briefly surprised, then recalled how Cerino had almost fallen that morning and how Amamiya had caught him with incredible agility.

At that moment, a bold guess came to her mind.

The president...

It must be because she was thinking about what happened this morning... she's starting to like the feeling of being hugged?

Wanting to see Cerino being hugged again, Ba then began to look at Amamiya with a 'silent pleading' gaze.

Amamiya: "..."

Looking down at Cerino, who was standing on tiptoe with his arms outstretched towards him, Amamiya was genuinely puzzled.

How does she manage to be both 'sassy and adorable'?

After letting out a silent sigh, Amamiya bent down and picked up Cerino in a similar motion to when she picked up Futaba.

However, it wasn't the kind of 'princess carry' that Cerino had been expecting, which he had inadvertently experienced that morning; it was a different kind of carry.

After picking up Cerino, Amamiya carried her directly on his shoulder, freeing one arm as a 'handrail' so that Cerino could sit directly on his shoulder.

【~???~】(Cerino, Ba)

"oh oh……"

As the thick black stockings rubbed against his cheek, exuding warmth, Cerino, feeling both curious and slightly frightened, began to marvel.

"Ugh... the line of sight is higher than I imagined... it's a little scary."

"But... I can see farther than before, and the air is fresher!"

Despite receiving the highest favorability notes from two students, Amamiya wasn't happy; on the contrary, she was somewhat annoyed.

I don't feel like I'm here for tourism, or to experience a festival... I'm just here to take care of my child.

"It feels like a scene from 'Castle in the Sky,' with a powerful guardian and a little girl..."

Ba's eyes immediately lit up: "So cute... no, I should say so dignified!"

Amamiya: "..."

Is your "majestic" really that serious? How come it's pronounced "majestic" but written "cute" like "Remilia" from Gensokyo?

"Is that so... Hehehe..."

Ba, who was prepared, pulled out a camera: "May I take a picture as a souvenir?!"

A delighted Cerino was quite magnanimous: "I'll take as many photos as I want!"

Amamiya: "..."

I think Ba is more interested in 'taking care of the kids'...

"Oh...it looks so high in the photos."

"That's great. When we get back to the secret service, let them carry me while I work."

"That way, no student will ignore me because I'm short... Hahaha!"

“President Cerino’s idea is brilliant. If that happens... the students who see it will definitely be amazed.”

While posing and getting into position for Marina's photos, Amamiya gradually revealed her signature deadpan expression, just like Kaede: ?_?

Arius's accompanying squad, on the other hand, all sighed and rubbed their foreheads.

Chidong, with its average number of problem children... is beyond saving.

After taking the photos, Amamiya carried Cerino and walked for more than an hour along the mountain path.

During this time, Cerino kept chattering away, and Amamiya was forced to reply occasionally, leaving him no time or leisure to appreciate the scenery.

Fortunately... this 'torture' didn't last long.

After carrying Cerino, who was bowing his head to protect his hat and beard, through another layer of snow-covered coniferous forest, Amamiya's view suddenly opened up.

A cluster of buildings resembling the former Red Winter Federal Academy came into view, along with a large open space nestled among the mountains.

Seeing the old-style buildings behind, Ba breathed a sigh of relief and said with delight, "Ah...we've finally arrived."

"Thank you for your hard work, Sensei... and the president."

Amamiya: "...Hehe."

She carried Cerino for most of the journey herself... What was so difficult about it?

Is it tiring to chat?

Amamiya neatly put Cerino down, who had been enjoying the journey, then stood up and looked at Ba, sincerely saying, "I should be the one saying that... Thank you for your hard work, Ba."

【~???~】(巴)

The 'delighted' girl was slightly taken aback.

"..."

"Thank you for your concern, Sensei."

[I sensed the apology from Ba...]

[Coopation Improvement!]

【Zoshiro Tomoe (Empress) ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

After exchanging a few words of 'reminiscence' with Ba, Amamiya temporarily ignored Cerino and began to observe his surroundings.

'This is the old school building…'

That means it's the location of Special Operations Team 227.

'I never imagined that they, who were "purged" by Cerino for some reason, would end up living in such a remote place...'

"Cough cough..."

"Comrade!"

Amamiya: ...

He withdrew his gaze from surveying the surroundings and looked at Cerino with an expression that seemed to say, "Is there anything else?"

"Thank you so much for giving me a ride all the way..."

"We've forged a deep friendship!"

"To repay our comrade's kindness... if our comrade needs anything in the future, just contact us... if you can't reach us, contact Ba will do!"

I felt the 'friendship' from Cerino...

【Coopation is lifted! 】

【Lianhe Cerino (Tower) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Amamiya: "...Then I really have to thank Chairman Cerino for his kindness."

【~???~】(Cerino)

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Cerino, completely oblivious to the hidden meaning in Amamiya’s words, laughed happily and emphasized earnestly, “Kindness is mutual… We will remember the kindness our comrade showed us today!”

……

My blood pressure is up, it really is.

Having been in Kiwatos for so long, even including my experiences before coming to Kiwatos...

Even when dealing with Goro Akechi, Amamiya never felt this "annoyed, amused, and helpless" feeling.

Don't get angry, don't get angry, anger will make you sick and no one can take your place...

After rubbing her temples to calm herself down, Amamiya took out her phone and, while giving Cerino a perfunctory reply, sent messages to Kazuka and Shigure of Special Operations Squad 227.

'Next, let's go find them...'

Chapter Twenty-Eight: She invited you into bed, and you're asking about her intensity?

In the afternoon, light snow began to fall near the buildings nestled deep in the mountains.

With a creaking sound as the heavy lock strained against its weight, Ba pushed open a heavy door.

"This is the old school building."

Avoiding the pungent, foul odor emanating from the dust and other debris, Ba slightly lost his composure, but still managed to introduce himself to Amamiya and the members of Arius's team.

"...Although it is hardly used now, this was once the site where the students of the Crimson Winter Federation Academy lived, studied, and spent their youth...It was very famous for the previous generation of students of the Crimson Winter Federation Academy."

"But today it just looks like a dilapidated ruin..."

After looking at the dirty and chaotic environment inside the 'ruins' and feeling the wind blowing out from inside, Cerino made no attempt to hide his disgust.

"The atmosphere is eerie; it feels like this could become a bear's lair..."

"So, are we really going to stay here for a while?"

Cerino's hesitation elicited a firm yet somewhat helpless response from Barca.

"Of course, we still have to go back to the secret service... but we need to temporarily avoid being 'hunted down' by Chairwoman Marina for the next few days."

"Let's see if there's any room available..."

"With Lord Cellino's intelligence and cooperation, we should be able to return soon."

Cerino didn't seem like a student council president who had been protected by a 'political commissar' and fled here for refuge; he seemed more like a child on vacation.

Thanks to Ba's "beautification," even though the ruins in front of her remained unchanged, her perception of her surroundings improved dramatically.

After surveying the area like an animal surveying its territory, she put her hands on her hips and nodded with satisfaction.

"Hmm... Let's make this our base, and then figure out a way to take back the Bureau of Affairs!"

Now that things have come to this... neither Amamiya nor Arius's team, who had come with him, intended to say anything more.

There's a team right in front of them, ready to "counterattack" at any time if they're willing to ask for favors or do someone a favor, yet they haven't even considered it...

If it were Nagisa, Rion, or Nia... Amamiya would have reason to believe that there would be other reasons why they didn't try to grasp at the lifeline that was right beside them in this crisis.

Things like 'I don't want to do Xia Lai another favor,' 'It's not too late to contact Sensei after confirming that the students can't solve the problem on their own,' and 'It would affect the overall situation between the academies if other schools intervened in the matter'... Amamiya believed that if similar things really happened to these student council presidents, they would definitely have such considerations.

But Cerino... she probably just genuinely couldn't think of that.

Using the excuse of 'finding temporary accommodation', Amamiya temporarily bid farewell to Cerino, with whom he had nothing but to coax, and led Arius's team deep into the complex.

Following the clues in the note that Shigure had previously hidden in the gift and the internal markings of the building, Amamiya and his group quickly approached the "227 Special Operations Unit" that Shigure had mentioned.

Judging from the name, it seems to be a work group with some special meaning...

In reality, this was a club specifically set up for students who were to be 'purged'.

The significance of this club's existence... in Amamiya's view, confirms a certain hellish joke about "digging potatoes in Siberia".

Even at academies like the Red Winter Federation Academy, most student clubs still have their headquarters located within the new academy's main campus.

And what about Special Operations Squad 227? The 'headquarters' of this organization is located in the old school building, in a mountainous area that requires a two-hour hike to reach.

After a brief period of 'desolation' and 'deep darkness', the members of Arius's squad, who were following behind Amamiya, felt the light once again.

The lights and the soft sound of water, the no longer cluttered corridor and the furnishings of the rooms on both sides... allowed them to see traces of 'civilization' once again.

The broken bricks and floor beneath her feet became smooth again, and Saori was still finding it hard to adjust at first.

"This place... feels somewhat like the campus of the Arius branch..."

"But it has a more down-to-earth feel."

The girls, who had been mostly silent while Cerino and Ba were there, were temporarily freed from their inhibitions by Saori's words.

“Hmm,” Azuko looked around with a wistful, nostalgic gaze, “Indeed…it looks very similar.”

Unlike Saori… what Akiko was thinking of was the old-fashioned apartment building on the edge of Holy Trinity that Arios’s team had rented before the “Beatrice” Palace raid.

After getting through a difficult period, you'll have fond memories of the hard times you've endured.