I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Having experienced many temples and personally encountered many mythological systems... in some cases, it's not necessarily a good thing.

—The more knowledge you have, the more it can interfere with your judgment at this point.

This could be considered the 'curse of knowledge'.

We need to start thinking from scratch... but there's no time to consider that right now, so we'll put it aside for now.

With filming of 'The World of Flower Gate' imminent, Amamiya took out his phone and contacted the 'Golden Fleece' at the Odyssey Ocean Academy.

Since the incident at the island resort, Amamiya has at least some connection with this mysterious academy.

At the very least, it's possible to temporarily 'rent' a luxury cruise ship like the Golden Fleece.

As for something like 'hosting a luxury yacht developer conference with members of the Federal Student Union,' that's not really realistic at the moment.

It's not like I'm actually in the port area, surrounded by hundreds of ship girls with maxed-out affection every day, a commander surrounded by beautiful women all the time.

Amamiya has a good relationship with the heads of various departments in the Federation Student Union, but not to the point that they would gladly attend the Developer Conference.

After Amamiya expressed his demands, the Golden Fleece quickly responded.

[Captain of the AAA Golden Fleece: Sensei needs at least seven days... I understand. I'll begin the ship's repairs and cleaning right away.]

[Captain of the AAA Golden Fleece: We're hosting such distinguished guests as the Federal Student Association...we can't afford to be negligent.]

[Captain of the AAA Golden Fleece: The ship will be ready as soon as possible, and I will contact you immediately!]

There were no problems with the preparations on the Golden Fleece side, and most of the room leaders of the Federal Student Association began packing their luggage.

Next, we'll wait for the ship to carry the students of the Federal Student Council into the resort islands, and then I'll create a scene of isolation and desolation like a 'snowstorm mountain lodge' to see if Huaye can perform as expected.

After putting away her phone, Amamiya considered whether she should call over the Rabbit team and let them participate in this 'swimsuit' event as well.

Although Rabbit Squad didn't actually join Xia Lai, they never missed their shifts with Arius Squad to keep watch on the situation.

Perhaps we could let them relax and enjoy themselves?

However, if only Rabbit's team goes while Arios's team still carries out the mission, it would seem like an attempt to 'treat everyone equally'.

After a moment's thought, Amamiya ultimately decided to postpone the Rabbit team's swimsuit project until later.

Right now, the temple of Huaye is the most important thing; there's no time to do anything else...

This trip with the Federal Student Association was also for the sake of the progress of the Huaye Temple.

"...Let's contact the team members who participated in the exploration of the temple and have them prepare for the next round of temple exploration."

—Next exploration target: "Blood Field".

It is said that the burial site was formed after the traitor Judas hanged himself in the suburbs outside the city due to extreme remorse and various emotions after betraying the Lord.

"The final exploration before releasing the announcement..."

"It turns out to be exploring Huaye's 'graveyard'..."

That's subtle enough.

As Amamiya stroked the olive seed that 'Hana*Terror' had given him, he pondered its feasibility.

Should we plant olive trees?

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Weak Me of the Past is Dead

Seagulls soared and gathered, the sky was clear.

The crisp autumn air did not have an excessive impact on the normal operation of the 'Island Resort,' a location in the 'tropical island climate' of Kiwatos.

The resort continues to operate, but with the end of summer vacation and the beginning of autumn, the number of students coming and going has visibly decreased.

Wearing sunglasses and a swimsuit, lying on a beach chair on the deck, feeling the sea breeze... For Rin, this was something she probably never dared to imagine before.

Although worries still lingered in her heart... out of rationality rather than blind trust, Rin temporarily set aside the growing pressure she had accumulated in the Federation Student Council and tried to enjoy the summer seascape.

'I never imagined Sensei could even temporarily charter a large luxury cruise ship like the Golden Fleece, that's amazing...'

'You chartered such a luxurious cruise ship just for our rest? Sensei, you bastard…'

'How should I put it... I'm slightly touched?'

"Speaking of which... today is the first day of 'Chief Hanaya's Daily Life' livestream. When exactly will Chief Hanaya arrive at the 'Sanctuary Tower' and start issuing orders?"

'Hurry up and bring it out, I can't wait!'

The conversations of the department heads who were participating in this vacation reached her ears on the sea breeze. Upon hearing the sounds, Rin raised her head and stretched her neck, which was now much less sore.

There are no advertisements for neck and shoulder massagers or recycling products here.

After glancing at the holographic screen, which was still 'without signal', Rin settled back into bed and looked away.

The ministers who came on vacation with her were also curious about what Rin was thinking.

Now that things have come to this, what can Hanaya possibly do?

……

Sitting motionless on the rocks by the sea, hands folded on her lap, maintaining a classic ladylike posture, she resembled a "mermaid sculpture" from a fairy tale, turning around at the sound of the huge sails fluttering.

She stood up nimbly from the rocks, waving to the approaching ship in a reassuring and joyful tone, as if celebrating a long-awaited reunion: "My heroes, you're back! I'm here—!"

The ancient ship, resembling a ghost ship, gradually sank as it sailed, eventually sinking its deck just a short distance above the sea level.

After putting the phone with the otherworld app activated back into his pocket, Amamiya immediately took a look at the corresponding 'otherworld' situation.

as predicted……

Near the island resort, attempting to enter the Hall of Flowery Realm will send you to an 'unknown sea' via the Otherworld App.

It's impossible for Kayah to have a clear and distinct understanding of the 'world'.

Therefore, the place she couldn't perceive was the boundless ocean current.

Yes, that's normal.

A blue-haired girl sitting on a large 'typewriter' yawned, her eyes half-closed. Although she looked lazy, she was the first to rush off the ship.

"I haven't even had a chance to enjoy the 'island atmosphere' before I have to start conquering another world..."

Fubuki was very happy when she learned that she was going to be called to go on 'vacation'.

But when Fubuki learned that the vacation in name was actually for the purpose of conquering the palace... she felt helpless and even a little resistant.

Not just her...

The girls who came to Amamiya's aid as 'guests' but whose real purpose was to explore another world were all like that.

Kayoko disembarked after Fubuki.

Kayoko landed lightly on the rocks, helping the Cheshire Cat regain its balance after nearly twisting its ankle when it jumped. She immediately asked 'Athena', "...Where is this place?"

Athena didn't mince words, offering no strange riddles, but instead solemnly warned: "This is the 'edge' of this world. Heroes... though I don't quite understand why you entered from here, please be careful."

"The edges of the world are thin and fragile; once any turmoil occurs, they may end up 'buried in the storm'."

"Furthermore... according to legend, this sea area was once the burial ground for those who regretted their actions."

Noticing Yuriko's observation of looking up at the sky, 'Athena' added, "Because it is stained with the 'blood of sinners' of the repentant, the sky over this sea is always dark, displaying an apocalyptic blood-red hue."

Upon hearing this, Yuriko temporarily withdrew her attention from 'under the burning sky'.

She didn't blindly accept Athena's one-sided account, but cautiously inquired, "Is this your 'guess,' or a conclusion you've drawn?"

'Athena' puffed out her chest, put her hands on her hips, and confidently replied, "This is my clear understanding of the size of the world, as a former 'Guardian of the World'."

"The world's guardian deity has such a limited understanding of the world... isn't that too tragic?"

The confident 'Athena' with her hands on her hips was shattered by Kirino's 'sincere ultimate move', and she rolled her eyes at her in annoyance.

"To become the 'Guardian of the World,' there are many things to consider, and I've already tried my best!"

Athena's reaction made Amamiya want to shake his head and sigh.

The saying goes, "Diligence can make up for lack of talent," but this statement is based on the premise that the gap between "lack of talent" and "talent" is not particularly large, and that the amount of hard work put in is truly sufficient...

The remaining 'good intentions' in Huaye's heart must have been a real struggle.

But no matter how hard you try, you can't fight against the gradually accumulating negative consciousness.

The difference in their development speed and the gap between them today cannot be bridged by mere "diligence can make up for lack of talent".

"The burial ground... the 'blood field' we're looking for should be nearby."

“Athena, you are the guardian of this world. Do you know where the Burial Ground is?”

"Of course!"

Athena, having regained her confidence after Kirino's sarcastic remark, declared, "I can easily sense... that 'shared origin' aura, and this time it will be even more precise than... Shiff's!"

Then, she hesitated again.

"The burial ground... is soil imbued with malevolent, ominous, and sinful energy... it might be very dangerous. My heroes, are you truly going?"

After glancing at the girls standing beside him and receiving their responses, Amamiya replied, "Danger is danger... but now that we have a clue, we can't just leave it unattended."

This strategy—having already explored the main storyline, stopping at the last main quest—before defeating the final boss, and then going back to explore side quests that might affect the ending—is actually a classic example of 'player thinking'.

When applied to the field of 'temple exploration', it is a laborious and time-consuming method, but it is a clumsy one that can avoid omissions in every detail.

"I understand... Heroes, follow me."

Athena turned to face the surging ocean current, and her "light armor of the goddess of wisdom" extended, covering her entire body, temporarily transforming her into a beautiful mermaid with emerald green olive branches hanging from her temples.

"call……"

After taking a deep breath, she faced the sea and leaped into the water.

"...Psona!"

Having already prepared for their 'diving', Amamiya and his group each summoned their Personas and followed closely behind.

Perhaps because it is located on the 'edge of the cognitive world', the scene in front of me is sometimes blurry and disordered.

Amamiya had encountered a similar situation before when he and the Game Club were exploring the Hall of Fame in search of 'Kei'.

After several changes in the 'special effects' of the mirror distorting and breaking, the scene in front of Amamiya and his group suddenly changed.

The feeling of being 'soaked' gradually disappeared, and the terracotta wall temporarily blocked most of the view.

Beneath their feet appeared a colorful flagstone path, pieced together from fragments of pottery and pebbles, a path no one had ever set foot on. When Amamiya and his group came to their senses, they found themselves in front of a place that looked like a cemetery.

An ominous crimson hue pervades the desolate wilderness. The old tree where Judas hanged himself stands alone in the wind, and beneath its roots, one can vaguely discern pieces of white, jade-like material protruding from the ground.

The thing buried under the tree... it must be a 'human skeleton'.

Honestly, even seeing this in a hall of fame... is quite a shock.

Even the most eerie and terrifying halls, the deepest parts of the Impression Space, are at most just strange and unsettling.

When 'human skeletons' or 'severed fingers and arms' appear directly, it truly means that the situation has become excessively serious.

"This place looks no different from the 'sky'... It feels like we've been through the apocalypse."

Clutching her sniper rifle, Aru crouched down and anxiously surveyed the surrounding crimson earth.

To prevent any further misunderstandings, Amamiya didn't hide anything and explained the 'mythological archetype'.

"Here, there should also be the saying of 'a piece of land for potters,' a 'burial ground' for outsiders and foreigners."

From a geological perspective, this should be a special type of 'badlands' terrain.

Those who have played the game 'Minecraft' should be familiar with its other name – 'Metope Terrain'.

This is a barren landscape composed of red sand and clay, with almost no vegetation visible in the distance.

From a mythological perspective... one explanation for the red color of this region is that it was 'stained red by the blood of the traitor Judah'.

After Judah hanged himself, the priests and elders considered this "unjust wealth from betraying the Lord" to be blood money, so they used it to buy the site where Judah hanged himself and turned it into a cemetery for outsiders.

"Won't any powerful enemies appear here?"

Because of the tense environment, Aruru acted like someone who had been scared by a ghost, unable to stand steadily, and pitifully clung to Amamiya's shoulder, asking him questions.

"Jo, Jok, I feel very unsafe here..."

"rest assured……"

Amamiya stroked Arle's devil horns, comforting Arle, who was terrified despite wearing the 'Flame Witch' phantom thief outfit.