I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

'Could you hold my hand again...?'

The shattered fragments, like a broken mirror, quickly gathered together and landed in Amamiya's palm, transforming into the damaged "World" Tarot card.

Amamiya quietly observed the smile on the girl's face on the card, and then clearly noticed that the girl's unique 'smile', which was hard to forget at first glance, seemed to have become more natural and relaxed.

In addition, Amamiya also noticed that both the broken tarot cards and the girl's severely injured expression in the picture were slightly different from before.

The tarot cards were slightly repaired, and the girl's injuries also recovered to some extent.

As the bond deepens, Amamiya can clearly see that the 'scars' on the tarot cards, which resemble cracks or scratches, seem to have been repaired without careful observation.

'It seems... the bond between Alona and the Guild Master requires resolving a "major event" to move forward.'

Putting the tarot cards back into her collar, Amamiya turned to look at the scenery outside the train, which was slowly slowing down and about to pull into the station.

"Hmm... Let's talk to Yuka first today."

Chapter Twenty-Three: How is a Gift from Another World Prepared?

After much deliberation, Amamiya decided to deepen her relationship with Yuka so that she could learn more about document processing and other related matters in the future...

In order to improve future work efficiency, I will be able to dedicate more time to developing relationships with my collaborators...

To save more time and get more done, it's always a good idea to start by cultivating a relationship with "temperance."

After all, during his time living in Shibuya, Tokyo, he knew that 'maid teacher' who, as a holder of the Temperance card, could save him a lot of time to do various other things by establishing a relationship with her...

For example, you could ask Kawakami-sensei to do your laundry, and while he's doing laundry, you could use that time to meet up with other people who are helping you, and deepen your relationships with them...

For example, you could ask Mr. Kawakami to make curry and coffee, and then use that time to read a book and absorb the knowledge from it.

Or, if you return from an adventure into another world feeling extremely tired, you could ask Ms. Kawakami to demonstrate the massage techniques she learned at Victoria (a maid shop) to soothe your aching body and allow you to move around a little more...

Because of the impression Kawakami-sensei gave him, Amamiya placed great importance on the development of the "Temperance" card.

After returning to Xialai from the Federal Student Association by car, Amamiya immersed her consciousness in the Velvet Room.

In order to develop a bond with your helper, preparing a gift in advance and giving it at the right time is an essential step.

"Based on the fact that the 12x12 Rubik's Cube I gave Yuka last time earned her the most favor... someone like Yuka, a 'science student,' would probably prefer more unique educational toys."

Since the Rubik's Cube adds a lot of favorability points...

Amamiya suddenly thought of a 'regional special puzzle toy' that might be somewhat similar to a Rubik's Cube.

"Let's give this educational toy to Yuka as a gift..."

"psona—Zhuge Kongming!"

【psona - Zhuge Liang (Arcana: The Pope)】

[Introduction: His real name was Zhuge Liang, courtesy name Kongming, and nickname Wolong. He was a famous prime minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period.]

From his very first appearance, Zhuge Liang embarked on a journey of dedicated service to helping the Shu Han state strive for supremacy. His life can truly be described as one of selfless devotion, even unto death.

After Liu Bei, the emperor of Shu Han, passed away and entrusted his son to Zhuge Liang at Baidi City, Zhuge Liang took on the responsibility of running the entire Shu Han state and handling various other affairs. He also began to care for Liu Bei's heir, Liu Shan.

Zhuge Liang launched five expeditions to Qishan, attempting to conquer the Central Plains. Loyal to his emperor and patriotic, he ultimately succumbed to illness at Wuzhangyuan during one of these expeditions due to various reasons.

According to various legends, Zhuge Liang left behind many "legendary inventions" throughout his life, such as the "Zhuge Repeating Crossbow" and the "Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse." Coupled with the story of him borrowing the east wind, he was gradually portrayed as possessing divine abilities to summon wind and rain.

People say that Zhuge Liang had many regrets in his life. However, perhaps what he couldn't let go of most was his unfulfilled vision of restoring the Han Dynasty, and the upbringing of Liu Shan, the son of the late Emperor Liu Bei.

Arcana was designated "Pope" because of his exceptional teaching and guidance of Liu Bei's son, Liu Shan.

After temporarily switching his Persona to the 'wise and almost supernatural' Zhuge Liang, who 'summons wind and rain', Amamiya began to process the various otherworldly materials he had accumulated over the years, using the creative power provided on the spot.

Soon, he successfully processed a piece of wood of a special material and made a 'small cube'.

[Luban Lock: Also known as Kongming Lock or Bagua Lock. Legend has it that Luban, the patriarch of carpenters in the Spring and Autumn Period, designed this educational toy to test the intelligence of his descendants. It consists of six or nine special wooden strips and features an ingenious structural design.]

The name "Kongming Lock" originates from another legend—it is said to be a toy invented by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period based on the principles of Bagua (Eight Trigrams) metaphysics.

A tranquil mind leads to lofty ideals / Tranquility leads to far-reaching goals

【"Tranquility and Cultivation": Wearing this item will make one feel as if they have experienced the wisdom of Zhuge Liang, becoming calm and improving the wearer's discernment and comprehension abilities.】

[Tranquility Leads to Far-Reaching Vision: The holder will not fall into special mental abnormal states such as confusion, charm, brainwashing, or dizziness.]

After carefully putting away the exquisite wooden craftsmanship in his hands, Amamiya removed his Persona.

This was the second time he had used materials from another world to create such an object with special effects on the workbench in the velvet room.

I have to say... it always gives people a very strange feeling.

These manufactured 'gifts' all come with special effects... Amamiya had no doubt that when Ravenda visited the Leblanc attic and was trying to make infiltration tools, if her body had truly recovered to its full potential, she would very likely have been able to make the 'mysterious artifact' she spoke of.

After briefly examining the 'special gift' in his hand, Amamiya breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed, and left the velvet room.

The time it took to make this special gift, which was several hours, was compressed into a mere second in the real world. It was as if nothing had happened, but when Amamiya raised his right hand, he already had the Kongming Lock that he had made in the Velvet Room in his hand.

The Velvet Room is located in the gap between the spiritual world and the real world, where the flow of time is completely different from that of time outside—Amamiya himself had related experiences.

Previously, in order to 'refine' the strength of his Persona, he would often spend an entire afternoon, or even longer, in the Velvet Room.

In the real world, the time spent in the velvet room seems as if Amamiya had simply been in a daze for a moment.

To his companions, it seemed as if Amamiya had just drifted off into a daze when he entered the 'Velvet Room,' his body still standing in the same spot.

In reality... he had lost a lot of money, and the strength of his Persona had increased dramatically.

'The fact that time flows differently from the real world...that's really convenient.'

After a moment of reflection, Amamiya placed the prepared Kongming Lock into a small box, and then put the box into her shoulder bag.

After a brief rest and preparation back in Xialai, Amamiya set off again as the sun set, boarding the train directly to the Millennium Technology Academy.

Fortunately, the Federal Student Council, Charlene, is not far from the Millennium Technology Academy; it takes less than half an hour by car to get there.

This is one of the reasons why Yuka dispatched a helicopter when she came to Xialai before.

It's not just about showcasing technological prowess—

The distance is relatively short, and helicopters offer a more cost-effective way to get there, which is also a very important factor.

Skilled at navigating the station, taking trains, and changing stations, Amamiya arrived at the Millennium Science Academy station.

In the late afternoon, which is considered the students' "evening rush hour", when I got off at Amamiya, I saw many students lingering near the station, as well as a few local residents of Kivotos.

After using his third eye to check if there was anything unusual at the station, Amamiya decisively headed straight for the seminar location.

Noah had previously given him a tour of the academy and also introduced the location of the seminar, so Amamiya could find it without any trouble.

After arriving at the office building where the seminar was to be held, Amamiya was stopped outside by the 'security system'.

Instead of using 'Shalai Sensei's' privileges or phantom thief techniques to bypass the security system, Amamiya took out her momotalk downstairs and sent a message to Yuka.

[Yuka, I'm downstairs.]

Yuka responded quickly. Almost the next second, Amamiya noticed that a window on the building above her had been gently opened, and someone was peeking out and looking down.

[Yuka: Huh? Sensei got here so fast...]

[Yuka: I understand... Sensei, I'll go downstairs later... I'll have my genius junior... ah, that is, a pink-haired girl with twin tails, come down to greet me.]

[Yuka: Sensei, please wait...]

Amamiya: "...?"

Just then, she looked up and saw a sliver of pink peeking out of the open window, and sensed something was amiss.

This way of speaking... and the previous act of peeking out the window...

It shouldn't be Yuka.

After waiting for about a minute, Amamiya heard a series of hurried footsteps behind her.

Amamiya turned her head and saw a pink twin-tailed girl wearing a uniform similar to Yuka's or Noah's, possibly the uniform from the Millennium Technology Academy seminar. Her energetic and lively appearance was immediately apparent as she ran towards her.

[Assistant: Koyuki Kurosaki / The Quirky Genius of the Seminar]

Arcana: Destiny (Roue de la Fortune)

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

'Another one... "The Wheel of Fortune"...?'

Chapter Twenty-Four: The "Deterrent Power" from Yuka's Mother!

'Another one... "The Wheel of Fortune"...?'

Amamiya was genuinely a little surprised when he saw the tarot cards of 'Kurosaki Koyuki'.

The card "Wheel of Fortune" is arguably the most "special" card in the entire Major Arcana system.

In the Rider-Waite Tarot, the Wheel of Fortune is composed of three nested concentric circles, symbolizing creativity, forming force, and the material world from the inside out.

These three concentric circles, connected by radiating lines, represent drawing resources from the material world under the guidance of inner creativity to ultimately create new things.

Simply put, the Wheel of Fortune is somewhat related to the mysterious and enigmatic nature of fate.

The person who corresponds to this role is usually someone who "tryes to change their own destiny" and "believes that my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."

Those who hold this card often encounter life choices and make important decisions.

"..."

Pink eyes, and strange "cross-shaped" pupils...

Since the other person didn't speak, Amamiya didn't rush to speak either. Instead, while the other person was looking at him, he tried to look at the other person in the same way.

He is about 1.5 meters tall, which is a little short compared to Amamiya's 175 cm height, but he has a very mature overall demeanor.

The girl's unique seven-head-tall body proportions, white stockings that feel tight over her knees, pink buns with pigtails that look like they're almost dragging on the ground, dimples when she smiles, and cute little tiger teeth that accentuate her girlish charm.

She looks very cute... but for some reason, she also gives off a... subtle feeling of 'like an idiot'.

She gives off a completely different vibe from Saintia, who is also a holder of the "Destiny" Arcana.

On the contrary, she has a somewhat similar feel to "the executed person" - Aru.

"Sniff sniff..."

Amamiya: ...?

Why are you starting to smell it?

Under Amamiya's questioning and observing gaze, the pink-haired girl suddenly leaned forward, almost pressing her cheek against Amamiya's chest.

Like a rabbit sniffing for food, she twitched her nostrils gently and made soft sniffing sounds.

"Hmm...Sensei? You're the one Yuuka-senpai and Noah-senpai have been talking about lately...Sensei who works at Xia Lai, right?"

"Hehe~ Sensei has a... indescribable fragrance, it smells really good~!"

Amamiya: ...

That must be the effect of Wakazama's bond skill, "Enchanting Aura".

The 'bond skills' obtained from Wakazama are all quite unique.

Among them, the skill 【Charming Aura】 has a special effect that makes Amamiya produce a 'natural body fragrance' that is only effective against the opposite sex – in a more scientific way, it enhances his hormonal effects on the opposite sex.

Being able to smell each other's unique scent is a destined connection.

This statement is indeed based on scientific and psychological principles.

【~???~】

"Um, Sensei... right? Let me introduce myself... I'm the 'genius junior' that Yuka-senpai mentioned, Kurosaki Koyuki!"

"Welcome Sensei to the seminar!"

Amamiya gave a calm and polite "hmm": "So it's Kurosaki Koyuki from the seminar... My name is Amamiya, and I'm a Sensei at Sharai. Nice to meet you."

"So, is there something you need from Sensei to see Yuka-senpai and Noah-senpai?"

This girl seemed to possess a natural, seemingly 'silly' shrewdness, while also giving off a 'naturally friendly' vibe.

Judging from her title of "genius genius" and the markings on the "Fate" tarot card, Amamiya always felt that she was not as simple as she appeared.

Amamiya opened his mouth, about to answer Yuki's question, when he suddenly heard a voice that he recognized somewhat, tinged with anger.