I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"If you want to know... then come find me in Xia Lai..."

[I could feel Melu's creative passion...]

[COOP embargo lifted!]

【Himeki Meru (Magician) ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

'...'

[I sensed the autumn leaves' curiosity.]

[COOP embargo lifted!]

【镏I#~气陾扒泗逝捌秋泉红叶（隐者）★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

……

Leaving the library, Amamiya felt a slight sense of pleasure as she looked at the two bond notifications that she had unlocked—both now at two stars.

The lifting of the ban meant two stars, which meant... his negotiation methods had worked. They genuinely wanted to visit Xia Lai and were left with a deep impression of him.

'Things that needed to be done have probably been done...'

'It's time to go back...'

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Arius's Squad's "Special Mission"

The "Snow Country Train," which travels from the North to the White Bird District, from Red Winter to Shalai, and from the Snow Country to the height of summer, once again carries the a cappella voice of a young girl.

I don't need seasons.

"I just want to shut myself off."

"And so I forgot the name of that flower."

It doesn't matter.

You're evything.

I'm still waiting.

With his hands on the head of the purple-haired girl who swayed back and forth like a flower to the rhythm, and swaying along with her, Amamiya felt a slight pang of nostalgia.

This less than week-long trip to Akatsuki began with Azuko learning to sing "Renai Circulation" together...

And then it ends with the song "If I Had Never Met You ~Summer Snow Winter Flowers~".

Starting with the song and ending with the song... in a sense, it can be considered a beginning and an end echoing each other?

The girl in his arms had already taken off her winter clothes, which were essential for the activities at the Red Winter Federation Academy, before boarding the car. She nestled in the arms of her beloved, playfully tapping her feet to the beat, waiting for the next 'main theme'.

Can I continue to love you like this?

"Like a flower blooming in the dead of winter"

Even if it's just a fleeting memory.

If I had never met you

"Then I won't be so lonely."

"There's no need to endure such a tearful night."

Even so

I still want to tell you...

"I hope someone will always love you."

As she fully opened her heart, the unexpectedly mischievous side of the petite princess in her arms became increasingly apparent...

Sensing the girl curling up and tugging at his clothes, Amamiya felt a little helpless, but still unbuttoned his coat and wrapped her in it.

Although it can be quite frustrating at times...

But this version of Ajinko was so much more adorable than the one she wore when they first met, the one who barely expressed any emotion.

Looking back now, Yuriko's assessment of the current Arius Squad, after serving as their instructor for a while, is indeed sharp yet quite interesting.

"The current roles of Arios's squad are quite clear... divided into commanders, the most favored, those who do the work, and those who are persecuted."

Why is Azuko the most favored?

The fox-eared girl, feeling like she'd been asked a silly question, rolled her eyes at Amamiya in exasperation.

"Sensei... Ask yourself honestly, do you have any 'favoritism' towards Azuko?"

'Hahaha...'

It really is.

Saori is the 'commander' of this squad, Misaki is the 'doing the work', and Hiyori is the 'victim'... The squad really has a 'clear division of labor'.

While Amamiya was deep in thought, Azuko continued to sing.

"Just like that night lying in your arms"

"Just like me when I smiled for the first time."

If I could have one wish granted.

"I hope to be touched by you again."

"That place made me feel the beauty of being born into this world"

"Under the morning sun"

Clutching the hem of her coat, Akiko poked her head out in a strange posture that might seem a bit comical to Misaki and Hiyori sitting opposite her, with her head sticking out while her body remained wrapped up.

She could clearly sense the subtle envy, or perhaps other emotions, in the gazes of Misaki and Hiyori sitting opposite her.

'Now, both I and Sa-chan have very solid relationships with Sensei…'

However, Misaki and Hiyori haven't yet had the opportunity to develop their relationships further with Sensei.

'How can I get them to catch up with me and Saya...?'

Akiko's thoughts were in turmoil. Seeing that the rest of Arius's team were somewhat silent, she took the initiative to break the atmosphere of being "touched by the scene" because of the song.

"Sensei..."

"This song is really special. It reminds me of the kids from the same school as us, the Arius branch."

With her red eyes gleaming, after a long sigh, Akiko sincerely lamented, "If only they could be like us now... that would be wonderful."

Asuka, who had just expressed her complex emotions to Saori, Misaki, and Hiyori, subtly changed the subject.

Leaning back, the girl lying in Amamiya's arms pretended not to understand and said, "The experience of Arios's squad reminded me of a special flower with a beautiful name that was recorded in a book."

Do you recognize this flower?

Amamiya knew that Azuko was trying to change the subject.

After a moment's thought, and recalling the flower knowledge she had learned while working at the flower shop, Amamiya cleared her throat and calmly explained, "If what I learned is correct... 'Everlasting Flower' is a beautiful name for a type of flower."

"It's a small, pale blue flower called 'Forget-Me-Not.' This little flower has five petals and no fragrance. Everything about it seems unremarkable...not as vibrant as those in the Rosaceae family, not as varied as those in the Liliaceae family...but it possesses a very special characteristic."

"When the flower matures or is cut, the petals wither and fall off, but the colorful sepals retain their vibrant color and shape for a long time, and hardly wither or fade."

"It's as if it's frozen in time...that's why it's called 'immortal flower' or 'everlasting flower'."

Its flower language is: 'Eternal memory, forget-me-not', 'Eternal love', 'Unforgettable parting'.

【~???~】(Ajinko)

【~??~】(Misaki)

Ajinko felt a sense of realization, as if she had learned something.

"So... such 'everlasting flowers' really exist."

I remembered the vow I made with Sensei under the snow not long ago...

This flower... both its name and its meaning... are quite 'special'.

When you get back, plant a forget-me-not.

Thinking this to herself, Yajinzi noticed that there seemed to be some movement at the train carriage door; it was time for the next inspection of the carriage.

Sensing the change in circumstances, Akiko nimbly jumped out of Amamiya's arms, then trotted back to her seat and obediently sat down as if nothing had happened.

Shortly after, the train attendants from the Highland Railway Institute entered the carriage and began their routine inspection.

Distracted by the 'flower knowledge' and further 'disrupted' by the carriage inspection, the girls quickly lost their immersion in the mood of the song.

After a brief silence and relaxation, Saori suddenly remembered something.

After the train carriage inspection was completed and the attendant moved on to the next carriage, Saori tugged at Amamiya's sleeve and cautiously spoke in a low voice: "Sensei, regarding your previous 'tacit approval' of the Rabbit team stealing data from Valkyrie..."

Although the Arios squad did not participate in Rabbit Squad's 'Clover' operation, it was an action 'tacitly approved' by Amamiya, and the members of the Arios squad all saw it clearly.

Saori's mention of the keyword slightly perked up both Misaki and Hiyori, who were relaxing.

"What can Arius's squad do next?"

Saori's problem caused Amamiya a moment of sadness, a feeling of 'having to face reality'.

"It really does."

Upon hearing that there was a mission, the girls in Arios's squad, including Saori, immediately focused their attention and entered a serious mission mode.

Saori immediately got up and went to the carriage connection to check on the whereabouts of the train attendants, while Azuko used her Persona "Little Red Riding Hood" to quickly check the surroundings for any threats that could be considered "Big Bad Wolf" (eavesdropping devices).

Having confirmed the secrecy of the space and the whereabouts of any returning crew members, they immediately gathered around Amamiya, waiting for her to explain the mission.

Arius's squad had practically witnessed Rabbit's squad complete Operation Clover, so their understanding of the mission details was already thorough enough that Amamiya didn't need to repeat them.

They even had a clear understanding of the series of plans following the mission, as well as the ultimate goal, which even the Rabbit team was unaware of.

"Hmm, a task that needs to be handed over to Arius's squad..."

"It's about experiencing a period of time, the 'normal student life' of a student for thousands of years."

Saori and her group were momentarily stunned, but then they all realized that this was to create false identities for them to facilitate their subsequent plans.

"Then, the next stage is 'paperwork'."

That just mentioned two areas where Arius's squad is not good at...

Sensei really is something, giving us two big questions all at once.

"Infiltrating with a false identity, and also doing paperwork..."

Saori frowned, feeling a sense of unease.

But even though it's tricky... the things that need to be done still need to be done.

She understood perfectly well... Sensei's intention in making this arrangement.

Besides allowing them to experience 'normal life' temporarily... it also makes up for the shortcomings of Arius's squad.

If Arius's squad is a sharp weapon, then its weakness is its inability to use its brain.

Or rather... it's the only short plank in this barrel.

As Xia Lai's ace squad, the Arios squad has only reached a certain extreme in terms of 'offensive power'.

Arius's weakness lies in... although he can perfectly follow orders to complete tasks, he can only follow orders to complete tasks.

The team lacked 'common sense'.

Therefore, it is easy to develop shortcomings that are more inclined towards 'brainpower', such as poor on-the-spot reaction ability and personal judgment.

If we judge the squad by the standards of an 'ace squad'... their tactical skills are undoubtedly excellent.

However, there are shortcomings in infiltration missions and paperwork...

It is necessary to make amends.

Amamiya, who could tell the team's overall condition, didn't say much in the way of encouragement.

Because sometimes... those seemingly "gentle" encouragements, like "I believe you can do it" or "There's always a way if you try," can sometimes become a kind of "pressure of expectation and longing."

Besides endless torment and denial, there is another way to 'overwhelm' a person... or rather, 'bend' or 'destroy' them: to impose unconditional expectations and aspirations on them, and then ruthlessly disappoint them when they fail to achieve those goals.

Whether crushed by endless torment and denial, or by aspirations... those whose spines are broken will lose the courage to look up at the sky, and will not even know what color the sky is.