Firefly didn't know any of this.
Looking at the now-dispersed Robin and the trash can, she turned serious and stared at Pei Guang.
"So… we're caught in another incident, right? Are we… going to be hunted by the Family again?"
Pei Guang spread his hands. "Looks like it. One by one, I bet all of us are gonna be treated as suspects, get arrested, then have to clear our names and uncover the truth. This plotline is way too cliché."
Stelle nodded. "Sounds super boring. And anyway, we didn't get arrested in Belobog, so why would Penacony catch us? Ah Guang, what do we do next? We'll follow your lead."
Pei Guang took out a bottle and stored the blue-liquid form of Robin and the trash can inside.
Calmly, he said, "Nothing major. Let's store Robin-chan first. Then we explain. If talking doesn't work, then we flip the table."
Firefly looked confused. Pei Guang seemed ready to fight a minute ago: when did this turn into diplomacy?
Acheron: "Why… does it feel like there's something hidden in your words?"
Stelle, raised by Pei Guang and very familiar with his explanations, kindly clarified:
"It's fine. Just assume Ah Guang has a solution."
Firefly: "Really? I… I'm a stowaway case, remember…"
Pei Guang waved dismissively. "Stowaway is stowaway, you didn't commit murder. Besides, we didn't even settle the score for the danger they put us in earlier. We're the ones who should be holding them accountable."
In just a few minutes, Pei Guang had already formulated multiple backup plans. As for which one would play out… that depended on the upcoming plot progression.
Compared to fixed route choices, situations with variable outcomes felt far more entertaining to him.
Aventurine looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could speak, Pei Guang turned toward him.
"Relax. I'm not going to use Robin's death to cause trouble for you. Sure, I don't like the company much, but one thing has nothing to do with the other."
"Oh? You already have a solution then?"
Pei Guang nodded. "Yeah. Before this map, I hoarded tons of resources and built good relations. That was so I'd have more options and an easier story later. Of course, if none of that works… we'll improvise."
Hearing that, Aventurine fell into thought.
But only for a moment. Then he smiled.
"Then I'll leave it to you. The famous Trailblazer: Topaz once told me you were unusual. She said if I met you, I could cooperate with you. Since you already have a plan, I'll follow your lead."
Pei Guang rubbed his chin. "Topaz?…"
Just then, noisy footsteps echoed down the hallway: Bloodhound Family members. Upon receiving word of Robin's death, they'd rushed over immediately.
Seeing suspects present, they prepared to arrest them.
But just as they were about to act, one person yelled in panic: "Stop!!! That's—the King of Trash!!!"
Everyone who had been about to rush forward froze on the spot. And suddenly, all eyes filled with fear.
Just yesterday, a famous figure had appeared in Penacony's Golden Hour: the King of Trash.
No one knew the King of Trash's real name, but when he arrived, some newbies mistook him for an illegal stowaway.
The King of Trash punished all who dared offend his dignity, summoning the Trash-Can Clan and beating down the Bloodhounds.
The Bloodhound patriarch had sternly reprimanded all who were involved and suspended them until the Charmony Festival ended.
As for why they recognized Pei Guang's King of Trash identity… that credit went to Below One Bucket.
Trash cans appearing in dreams wasn't strange: but a Preservation Emanator appearing was a big deal.
The Family could ignore Aventurine, ignore the Ten-Stonehearts: but they absolutely did not dare defy Below One Bucket.
Because… it was truly a Preservation Emanator.
A Preservation Emanator alone wasn't unheard of, but this one carried the purest power of the Amber Lord, Qlipoth.
How to put it? If normal Preservation Emanators received the Path's blessing, then this trash can was one that the Preservation Aeon personally hammered and sculpted.
No one knew why the Amber Lord favored a trash can, but its Emanator status was undeniable. It even respectfully addressed Pei Guang as "King," called him the Creator, and told Sunday to show him respect.
How could Sunday refuse?
Preservation Emanators aren't rare, but one personally forged by the Amber Lord? There was only this one bucket.
Even all other Preservation Emanators knew that among them now existed an existence far above: a trash can.
And the IPC worshiped Qlipoth with fanatical devotion. If they angered such a being, the higher-ups might shout, "Everything to the Amber Lord!" and launch a fleet.
Even just a whiff of something personally touched by the Amber Lord would make die-hard IPC believers feel blessed for life.
And because they respected the Amber Lord so much, the Company never interfered with the bucket's journey—simply watched quietly.
The Family high-ups knew the truth, but ordinary members weren't allowed to know. They were only told, "Do not offend Pei Guang or that cute pink trash can," and Pei Guang's title as King of Trash spread.
If they hadn't been crushed in that earlier trash-can battle, they might have mocked the title.
But they had been crushed.
A trash can army, formation-casting trash cans, giant trash can, trash cans that deployed turrets…
The Bloodhounds who had fought that war had developed a conditioned fear response, and those who hadn't fought, yet saw the records, remembered clearly.
Especially when they saw Pei Guang's face, they almost screamed his identity out loud.
Robin's death was important, but Pei Guang's identity mattered even more.
Originally Pei Guang had all kinds of plans prepared, but that shout of "King of Trash" left him stunned.
Sure, he really was the King of Trash, and that title did give him skills related to trash cans and garbage bags—but he felt he had way more titles than that.
Why was this one the first they yelled?
The hound's shout and Pei Guang's stunned reaction made Black Swan cover her mouth. She really wanted to laugh, but she knew this wasn't the moment.
Acheron, on the other hand, was watching while quietly eating pudding.
She originally had a lot to say, but after tasting the pudding, she felt there wasn't much to discuss. Better to eat two more bites instead of thinking too much.
She wasn't sure whether it was the food or something else, but ever since she accepted the first peach, she felt the "fading" of her color had completely stopped and her body even started "regaining color."
There were things she wanted to do, but with those peaches, unless something special happened, she just wanted to eat them in peace.
As for Aventurine… since he'd already come into contact with that existence, this title didn't surprise him at all.
Abstract weirdness? Doesn't matter. The universe is huge: a few abstract absurdities are normal.
The hounds quickly confirmed Pei Guang's identity, and once they were sure he really was the legendary King of Trash, the squad leader approached him with a bright smile.
"Lord King of Trash, hello. Did you notice anything unusual here?"
Pei Guang: "Yep! We saw Robin get cut down by Something Unto Death. Just died and went to a new world."
Pei Guang didn't hide anything.
Based on what he knew about Something Unto Death, it really could kill, but Robin also really went somewhere else after being cut.
So, rounding it off, Robin getting chopped into an isekai wasn't wrong.
The hounds froze. After exchanging whispers, the leader stepped forward.
"Please come with us. This matter…"
They couldn't make the call here. They had to bring Pei Guang to Sunday: he was in charge of this Charmony Festival, and he was Robin's brother.
Seeing they weren't using force but politely inviting him, Pei Guang started planning his next move.
At that moment, he considered all possibilities and smiled confidently.
Seeing him like that, Stelle whispered, "You guessed something again?"
Pei Guang nodded. "Yep! My previous prediction was right. All the affection raising and item collecting? Definitely useful. Watch: when we see Sunday, he'll be angry, but I can make him calm down and let us go."