I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"So fast……"

I was initially surprised, but then I felt a little disappointed when I realized that I wouldn't be able to gain knowledge from "The Book of Book Collectors" for the time being.

She checked the cake... Hmm, although it was different from what she had expected, the delicious and sweet aroma that she could smell even before opening it was even more tempting than the one she needed.

Then there are the materials for repairing the book... well, there's no problem with that either.

"The cake was well preserved, and the ingredients were very clean... It must have taken a lot of time and effort to get here."

Yu turned to Amamiya, her voice, which usually carried a hint of restraint and meekness, now sounding like a clear spring.

"Thank you for your hard work, both of you."

[I felt a sense of closeness to You...]

[Coop is now unbanned!]

【Gu Guanyou (The Hermit) ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[★3 Bond Skill "Book Quick Look" is now unlocked!]

"but……"

Then, he changed the subject: "...Without another key material, the restoration project still cannot proceed."

"So... I'm entrusting the 'Sage Elixir' to you."

Regarding this strangely named medicine... according to information provided by You, the Order of the Rescue Knights will have it.

The Mercy Knights' inventory... should all consist of medical supplies, right?

This "Holy Elixir"... just the name alone makes Amamiya feel like it's a comprehensive supplement that Amamiya often drinks, 'restores health and mana,' like a "Holy Spirit Elixir."

It must be something of great importance... Amamiya didn't just casually pull out some precious drinks or supplements that the Phantom Thieves would only use when facing a boss in another world, such as "Soma," "Pentagram," "Soul Drink," or "Holy Elixir."

Consumable beverages, due to their portability and quick effectiveness, have always been the Phantom Thieves' favorite type of recovery product.

After saying goodbye to Yu, Amamiya and Hinata returned to the library. They first settled the uneasy delinquent girls down—Amamiya contacted Ranmai to let her know about the matter.

It just so happens that the Hualala Helmet Team is planning to recruit some new members recently due to a 'shortage of manpower'. Upon hearing about this, Lan Wu naturally agreed without hesitation.

Kiwatos is now entering the transition period between autumn and winter, and naturally there are fewer guests at the island resorts... a few.

But this does not mean that the entire resort archipelago has completely fallen into hibernation.

It's important to know that winter's facility maintenance, island traversal, and other such issues are actually more energy-consuming for the Helmet Team than in summer.

With the weather fluctuating between hot and cold, the members of the Helmet Team were finding it difficult to keep up, so they needed to distribute tasks among themselves... hence the need to recruit new members.

"Row……"

The red-haired girl in the holographic communication grinned, showing her shark teeth, with a cheerful yet slightly silly smile.

After looking around at the delinquent girls and roughly memorizing their appearances, Lan Wu made a straightforward promise: "Our Helmet Group doesn't have so many rules and regulations. Whether it's 'Xia Lai' or 'Federal Student Council'... they don't have as many rules for us. You don't need to worry about whether you can adapt or not when you come here."

She straightened her summer autumn/winter uniform, which barely showed any "bad girl" vibes but still exuded a carefree spirit. She reached out and tapped her chest with her index finger.

"Just come here. You guys chip in and buy the summons for the resort islands... no, just come to the port."

"I'll protect you when the time comes!"

Hmm... Although the delinquent girl's 'aggressiveness' has been worn down quite a bit, her carefree way of speaking is indeed hard to change in a short time.

Lan Wu's promise made the group of delinquent girls overjoyed.

Now—they only need to consider one question.

How can I... repay Sensei's kindness?

After saying goodbye to the delinquent girls, each with their own agendas, Amamiya and Hinata headed straight for the Rescue Knights.

Compared to the elusive "Water Moss Glue", the "Sage Elixir" is so easy to obtain that anyone can do it.

You can get it by simply going to the Knights of Rescue and asking the 'Templar Knight,' 'Big Nurse,' or 'Little Nurse' that Amamiya knows.

The process is already well-documented; all you need to do is head to the Knights of Rescue...

Along the way, Amamiya chatted with Hinata about everyday topics, and having made up her mind, she decided to 'test' her own guesses.

That little nurse who appears out of nowhere... does she only show up when she senses I'm injured?

Amamiya felt that Serina's elusive behavior might be... to some extent related to her "mysteriousness".

He casually picked up a leaf that was falling in front of him, held it between his index finger and thumb, and used "Chronos" to freeze the time of the falling leaf, then gently swiped it across the back of his hand.

With a swishing sound, a splatter of blood appeared on the back of Amamiya's hand.

Amamiya consciously suppressed her body's healing ability and observed her surroundings for any reactions.

Freezing time means 'unchanging'. Let alone a leaf... even a piece of paper or a strand of hair, once its time is frozen, will become an absolutely rigid body, and thus become a tool that can be easily used to kill targets or achieve goals, with ever-changing uses.

He took two steps forward, and suddenly a hand grabbed Amamiya's hand and quickly cleaned, disinfected, and applied a band-aid.

“You can’t treat yourself like that, Sensei.”

The pink-haired girl's voice, which suddenly appeared, sounded slightly resentful: "If you were concerned that your students knew what Sensei is doing now, you would be very worried, wouldn't you?"

Hyuga was so frightened that he immediately pulled out his gun, completely panicking.

"The taste?!"

W-How did they suddenly appear?!

What exactly happened...?

Amamiya's expression was slightly subtle as her wound was being carefully treated.

"You really are... just in time, Serena."

"...Very reliable."

The pink-haired girl, who had undergone a series of wound treatments and had a bandage wrapped around her neck with a pretty and cute knot, smiled gently, offering no response or explanation.

【~???~】(Serena)

"Sensei, what brings you here to rescue the Knights?"

Chapter Thirteen: Wei Hua: I felt the call...

"I see... the 'Elixir of Essence,' right?"

In the room filled with the smell of alcohol and disinfectant, the pink-haired girl carefully and meticulously removed the bandage from Amamiya's hand, and then gently peeled off the bandage.

She visibly breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that the injury on the back of her hand had healed without leaving a scar.

After casting a sharp glance with a warning look, the pink-haired girl regained her angelic aura.

"The Knights of Rescue do have them in stock, but they're hardly used anymore, so we have to get them from the warehouse..."

“Normally, there would be all sorts of procedures or serious work involved, but Sensei was in a hurry… so I’ll just be flexible,” she smiled slightly and pulled a set of warehouse keys from the drawer, “…I’ll just secretly give them to Sensei for now.”

"As for the report... we'll figure out a solution later."

The girl's smile wasn't bright; it even carried a hint of slyness from what she was about to do. But there was a warm feeling about it, like being embraced by angel wings.

Amamiya placed one hand on her chest, looking warm and content: "Serina is truly an angel... I feel so healed."

【~???~】(Serena)

"Sensei, please wait..."

With the key in hand, Qinna disappeared almost in a flash.

Soon, she returned with two small boxes, one open and one unopened.

Are two servings enough?

Still reeling from the shock of how the other party could appear and disappear at will, Hinata exclaimed and quickly replied, "Enough, enough!"

"Then..."

Before Qinna could say anything more, the holographic communicator in the room suddenly made a sound.

"……Eh?"

"Something seems to be wrong..."

Cinna walked to the communicator and began a brief conversation with a member of the Ambulance Knights uniform on the other end of the holographic image.

"A member of the Justice Committee was injured because of something that happened during the patrol...?"

"I understand, I'll go right away."

Is one person supposed to be in charge of handling an entire branch of the Order of the Holy Rescue...?

And yet she still manages to appear instantly when she (intentionally) gets injured... Serena, she really is a superhero.

Hmm... Although they both have pink hair, she's more like Superman than Hana, who always calls herself 'Superman'.

"Um, Sensei, excuse me for now..."

As Serina bid farewell, Amamiya's mind raced.

'We're about to reach a crossroads... Should I stay with Serina and check on the injured patients to increase Serina's affection for me... or should I go back to the used bookstore with Hinata to say goodbye to Serina, but that would increase Hinata's affection for me?'

After observing Hinata and noticing her 'want to help' reaction, Amamiya knew which option to choose.

"Wait, Celina."

Amamiya called out to Serina, who was about to leave, "Shall I go with Serina?"

【~???~】(Serena)

【~?~】（Hinata）

Qinna neither declined nor refused.

After all, this kind of thing definitely requires more people to contribute more.

Moreover, they can use "Personality Magic" to treat patients, greatly alleviating the pressure on medical care and even simplifying the complex tasks of the Holy Knights to simply performing follow-up wound treatment and examination.

"Hmm... thank you for your help, Sensei."

Amamiya then looked at Hinata, who suddenly seemed unsure of what to do: "To ensure the situation on the side of the Rescue Knights... Hinata, why don't you stay here for the time being?"

"……Um."

Retracting her thoughts, Hinata hesitated for a moment... then obediently sat back down in her chair, intending to do nothing.

To avoid causing more trouble... sometimes, doing nothing means you can't go wrong.

Listening to the footsteps fading into the distance, Hinata began to seriously ponder a question that was very important to her.

'Although it was indeed a very legitimate and just thing for Sensei to do to help...'

But why do I feel this strange...suffocation inside?

'This is definitely not a question of "whether Sensei chose me or not"... So, what exactly is causing my disappointment?'

……

Following Serina, Amamiya went directly to the "crime scene"...

Or rather, is it a battlefield that has already been cleaned up?

The Justice Committee members, whose uniforms were tattered and mostly consisted of long, straight black hair and red halos, lay sprawled on the ground. Many were already unconscious, while others, though not unconscious, gave the impression that their halos were flashing at frequencies that could "power out at any moment."

The girls, whose injuries were relatively minor and who were still able to move on their own, were trying to do the most basic emergency treatments they could, such as stopping the bleeding and bandaging their wounds.

The students will not get hurt... or to put it another way, as long as they are within the aura's protective range and are of sound mind, they are unlikely to get hurt.

But just because it's difficult doesn't mean you won't get hurt.

Even after the "mystery" bestowed by their halo is temporarily worn away and exhausted, they can still get hurt and bleed.

—It's a bit of a complicated story.

Amamiya himself never truly 'injured' any students—even when he fired several times, it was only to carefully consider using stopping bullets that minimized their power and were specifically designed for 'braking'.

And the reason he knew this concept...

The main reason is because of the 'close-range communication' with Yuka and the others, which I learned through repeated 'deep close-range communication' with the students.

The protection provided by the halo is limited to the skin and clothing.

As for Amamiya... her "special shooting" during her "close-quarters combat" with Yuka and the others is not within the scope of the aura's protection.