I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Seemingly in an act of 'revenge', the AI ​​girl deliberately emphasized the tone of her 'wake-up service'.

Amamiya covered her ears and sat up helplessly on the bed. She glanced at the tablet charging next to her and at Alona, ​​who was standing with her arms crossed and her lips slightly pouting, seemingly still a little angry, on the lit-up tablet screen.

"So what if she gave the Shibase Ramen she ordered for Alona to Saori... Alona, ​​is it really necessary to be so angry..."

"Is it necessary? It's absolutely necessary!"

After retorting angrily, Alona's chubby little face flushed even more.

"Sensei, you idiot! You're mean! You fool who doesn't understand girls' feelings! Arona has decided to ignore you all day, hmph ╭(╯╰)╮!"

Amamiya: "..."

Ah, yes, yes.

I, who can jump nine ships, don't understand girls' feelings.

Do you really think I'm some kind of emotionally oblivious harem anime protagonist?

With a sneer inwardly, Amamiya maintained an apologetic expression, clasping her hands together: "I'm sorry, Alona... please forgive me this time."

"Hmm...how about I cook some of my 'specialties' for Alona in the future?"

【~???~】

“This…this is what Sensei said himself…”

“Arona will remember this. If Sensei doesn’t keep his promise…”

Amamiya quickly and earnestly replied, "I won't forget, I definitely won't forget."

"Arona, let's quickly check if there are any special schedules for today, or if any organizations like the Federal Student Union have contacted us."

“There has been no contact... However, Sensei, there is something worth mentioning.”

Alona made a rummaging motion and quickly pulled out a 'webmail'.

Amamiya glanced at the letter Alona had found and roughly understood what was going on.

"This is... a letter from Xiaoyu?"

The sender was Tama Otoze, the girl from [Beritas] who possessed the "Magician" Arcana and was known as the 'Eavesdropping Master'.

As for the content of the letter... to be honest, this was probably the first time in Amamiya's life that he had seen a letter with such elaborate 'honorifics' and 'format'.

This level of "refinement" is something that even Okumura Haru, whom Amamiya knows and who truly embodies the demeanor of a wealthy young lady, might not be able to achieve.

Ignoring the numerous meaningless honorifics and the meticulousness of the letter itself, Amamiya read through the letter and summarized one meaning.

Xiaoyu had previously learned about Amamiya's general movements and things like 'issuing a notice' by using the eavesdropping countermeasures committee's equipment.

She was very interested in this and wanted to meet with Amamiya to talk about the 'announcement letter' alone.

Coincidentally, Amamiya was also going to the ancient city of Beritas to discuss his announcement method with these genius geeks.

After thinking for a moment, Amamiya drafted a reply based on the contents of the letter Xiaoyu had sent.

It also added a lot of honorifics and paid attention to the writing style.

The gist of the message can be summarized in one sentence: "I will be going to Beritas soon to discuss some things, and we can talk about it privately then."

After replying to Tama's letter, Amamiya took out her phone to check if there was any activity on MomoTalk today...

The sheer volume of messages—more than a dozen in total—made him almost give up on reading them directly.

"If nothing unexpected happens today, we'll focus on conquering the Hall of Fame... The repayment date for Abydos Higher Academy is fast approaching. If we don't send a pre-repayment notice before the due date and start preparing to invite people out to deepen our bonds, which ultimately delays the release of the pre-repayment notice..."

When it comes to matters involving otherworldly palaces, Amamiya usually prioritizes exploring them.

Only after securing the route to the treasure will he focus his attention on conquering other areas outside the palace.

After temporarily declining the invitations from those offering assistance with various excuses, Amamiya promptly changed her clothes, quickly washed up, and went directly to the countermeasures committee's club activity room.

Before even opening the door, Amamiya could hear Ayane's very surprised voice from afar.

"Huh—there's something like this?"

"Kaiser Group...has given up on competing for several blocks in a row?"

"And then suddenly a lot of scandals broke out... Really?!"

Immediately following was Serika's surprised and astonished voice: "What? So... the street where General Chai's Chaiguan Ramen is located won't fall into Caesar's hands?"

Then came Hoshino's voice, which seemed much more energetic and lively than before, but still carried a peculiar laziness.

"That seems to be the case... I only just learned about this strange 'rumor' myself..."

Immediately following was Nomiya's slightly excited and strange voice.

"Our activities in another world... have really been reflected in reality, causing various effects on the Caesar Group... it's truly unbelievable."

"What is Senior Bai Zi doing?"

"Yes, I'm sorting through the spoils I obtained from the other world during my previous exploration."

"'Another Us' brought us a net income of 130 million credits, most of which were provided when Shadow Nomiya was eliminated. In addition, the Shadow Countermeasures Committee also provided spoils of war that are currently incalculable..."

"Haha... Shirako-kun is really... outgoing."

After listening to the conversation of the girls inside the activity room from the doorway, Amamiya pushed open the door.

"It seems everyone is in a good mood..."

"Get ready, let's prepare for today's 'Hall of Fame Exploration' with Neighbor Emu.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Exceptional rationality, unwavering conviction...

"Before we begin formal exploration, let's hold a brief operational meeting to confirm our current progress and objectives."

After clapping his hands to get the girls' attention, Amamiya, following the 'professional habit' of the Phantom Thieves to conduct a brief operation plan before infiltrating the Hall, took out a whiteboard and began to write and draw on it.

"First of all... during the last 'Hall of Infiltration,' we successfully uncovered some of the Caesar Group's deepest, most secret secrets..."

"Our exploration objective remains unchanged: to find the infiltration route to the 'treasure,' and our primary goal is to confirm the map of the palace. Based on my personal experience... and some basic architectural knowledge, the treasure should be stored on the top floor of this building."

Nomiya suddenly became energetic and lively, raising her hand and shouting in her characteristic 'deliberately drawn-out' voice: "Sen~sei~!"

"Is there anything you'd like to say or any comments, Nomiya?"

"It seems like Ayane is having some self-doubt... Is it alright if we don't check on her?"

Nomiya's words drew the attention of all the girls present to Ayane, who, unusually, hadn't started anything or offered any suggestions.

She seemed lost in thought, her eyes unfocused, softly murmuring fragmented syllables that couldn't form any words or language. Even when Nomiya deliberately raised her voice, she still couldn't attract Ayane's attention.

"Ayane-san..."

Hifumi, sitting to one side of Amamiya, glanced at Ayane with concern, wanting to say something, but hesitated and swallowed her words.

She was probably the person most empathetic to Ayane sitting in the club activity room at this moment.

If we don't awaken the incredible power of our 'persona,' if we don't awaken our inner selves and truly resolve to face everything...

She's probably in a similar situation to Ayane now, right? Maybe even worse than Ayane, living her 'ordinary' daily life in a daze.

That resentment at being 'ordinary'... that resentment at wanting to escape one's difficult situation, and...

The girl quietly raised her eyes, her gaze, tinged with a hint of shyness, fleetingly sweeping across Amamiya's face.

The yearning to become a true "protagonist," the desire to experience even more epic and magnificent stories...

There must have been so many factors that led to her intense resentment at the time and ultimately the awakening of her Persona.

The girls on the countermeasures committee remained silent, but then secretly turned their gazes toward Amamiya.

Faced with this Sensei who 'has created too many miracles', they gradually began to think more about him and developed a certain expectation that he 'could solve all difficulties'.

Even Hoshino gave Amamiya a series of winks and subtle hints.

'Sensei, you solved my psychological problem not long ago, now it's time to help Ayane!'

Under the watchful eyes of the group of girls, Amamiya sighed helplessly, moved closer to Ayane, and said leisurely, "Ayane-san, sometimes thinking too much is not a good thing."

"Having wisdom is a good thing, and having wisdom and knowing how to use it to solve immediate problems is an even better thing. But sometimes, the more thoughtful and wise a person is, the more likely they are to fall into a vicious cycle of self-imposed limitations."

As Amamiya spoke, amidst the envious or otherwise admiring gazes of the girls, she gently placed her hand on Ayane's head and began to stroke and comb through the girl's messy, fine hair in her own rhythm.

“…Sensei, if this continues, will I be ‘abandoned’ by everyone?”

Ayane seemed to be lost in thought as she watched the news clips on her tablet playing on a loop: "Caesar's shocking scandal! The Caesar Group in the black market actually did this..."

"How could that be, Ayane?"

After a pause, Amamiya continued earnestly, "In my eyes, Ayane has always been the most hardworking, diligent, and hardworking child on the countermeasures committee."

【Adulterous Charm & Enhanced Aura】(Kayoko Bond Skill); 【Impression Manipulation/Manipulation of People's Hearts/Charismatic Speech】("Sun" Yoshida Toranosuke Bond Skill) With the blessing of multiple buffs, Amamiya's voice has become as gentle as a spring breeze.

In addition, with the recent changes and the enhanced [Warm Sunshine] skill, Amamiya doesn't even need to deliberately cultivate friendliness; her innate friendliness already reaches the 'highest level' of gentle spring rain.

"Whether it's getting along with everyone, dealing with the various difficulties at Abydos High School, or protecting your own little world, Ayane... in my opinion, you've done your best."

【~???~】

Wow~ Sensei is so~ gentle!

(Swallows)

Why does Shirako look so excited?

'……(envious)'

'...Yale yaale.'

"But, Sensei, I..."

The focus in her pupils seemed to sharpen slightly. Ayane tilted her head to look at the young man standing behind her, who was stroking her head.

"You don't know what to do, right?"

Amamiya, who saw through Ayane's thoughts, smiled and asked.

"……Um."

“It’s understandable to not know what to do… Everyone has periods of confusion like this. Ayane, what you should do at this time is not ‘think more,’ but to think.”

"If you only think, you will be imprisoned by the temple of thought."

"What a person needs is not just the characteristic of 'careful thinking'. They also need the characteristics of acting spontaneously and having the courage to do things."

"Exceptional rationality; unwavering conviction; ever-growing hope for goodness; a yearning for the meaning of existence; a determination to protect others; trustworthy commitment..."

"These are all noble qualities that shine brightly within Ayane, qualities that I can easily see."

The girl, feeling a little embarrassed by Amamiya's "affectionate" and meaningful words, lowered her head shyly.

"Huh? It's not that amazing..."

【~???~】

"So... what is it that Ayane, who is already 'almost perfect,' is still missing in my opinion?"

Amamiya paused for a moment, then decisively continued, "...the courage to face the past, the determination to create the future. Only by facing one's own cowardice and acknowledging one's failures and shortcomings can one truly sever ties with the past."

"No more hesitation, no more confusion, I've made up my mind to face everything head-on..."

"Be braver, be even braver, Ayane."

"As long as you have courage, even with broken wings, you can embrace the sky, fly, and realize your dreams."

“]N榴=?异_柒陾（八??）孝爸勇敢……起来……吗？

Ayane unconsciously recalled that afternoon when the battle against the Helmet Gang ended.

She marveled at and was impressed by the exaggerated kill ratio resulting from Sensei's tactical style and powerful command ability.

But this Sensei... did something quite unexpected, praising her for how hard she worked.

Until that time, I was still just an 'ordinary' person.

The words etched in her heart resurfaced, and Ayane seemed to hear again Sensei's words, which were slightly teasing but mostly earnest and encouraging.

'Ayane looks so serious and hardworking...it's really amazing, and also very cute.'

Try your best to accomplish everything using your own strength.

Become brave, learn to engage with everything around you...