As Gepard was deep in thought, Donatan spoke to him, "Apologies, this one is a newcomer and doesn't know anything. Please, sir, help us by reporting our arrival."
As usual, Gepard kept a stern face and replied, "I have already informed the Supreme Guardian. Please, follow me."
Donatan: "Alright~"
Following Gepard, Donatan soon arrived at the military camp. Before they proceeded further, Gepard deliberately stopped to introduce the area: "Beyond this point lies Belobog."
Donatan: "Mhm!"
Seeing Donatan's complete lack of reaction, Gepard became even more cautious. He recalled how, just yesterday, Miss Topaz had stepped into this very place and seemed to feel something immediately—going so far as to start singing Warrior of the Darkness right from the beginning.
After singing, she even resonated with the surroundings. Clearly, someone who could do that was a good person—how could a bad person have such resonance?
But this one? No reaction at all, as if he were just casually passing through. Gepard's vigilance reached its peak.
Without a comparison, he wouldn't have been so wary. But now that he had one, he instinctively judged the situation. After all, back then, Topaz had even said, "It's as if I can see the Amber Lord."
Yet this man had no reaction whatsoever—proving that he might not even be a true believer of the Amber Lord.
It wasn't just Gepard who felt this way. The Silvermane Guards who had been on duty with him yesterday also took notice. When they saw that today's newcomers had no reaction at all, their initial goodwill took a significant hit.
And after entering the city, their opinion of these people dropped to near zero.
Because the moment they stepped inside, Donatan seemed oddly prepared. When he saw the first trash can upon entering the city, a flicker of greed flashed across his face.
The Silvermane Guards were all too familiar with that look.
Ever since the trash cans became the superstars of Belobog, countless people had tried to steal their lids—or even take the entire bin home.
At first, these thefts were fairly normal. But at some point—led by someone unknown—these thieves began stealing the bins with a complete lack of emotion or hesitation, as if they were simply taking something from their own home.
After that, the Silvermane Guards rapidly improved their detection skills. Now, they could identify a potential trash can thief in an instant—just by spotting that momentary flash of desire.
And in that instant just now, every Silvermane Guard was sure of it—Donatan had felt the urge. The kind of urge to take the trash can for himself.
At that moment, Gepard and the entire Silvermane Guard unit raised their vigilance toward Donatan and his team at their maximum.
Yesterday, Topaz had only been curious and amazed.
But this man? He wanted to claim ownership?!
Gepard couldn't help but start doubting this man's identity. Was he actually sent by Sampo, disguised as an IPC representative, to steal Belobog's trash cans?
Of course, it was just a fleeting thought. Because ahead, not far away, was Qlipoth Fort. The final judgment would be up to Supreme Guardian Bronya.
Meanwhile, inside Qlipoth Fort, Bronya was still in discussion when she received a message from Gepard.
Glancing at Pei Guang, who had yet to leave, she said, "Ah Guang, you guessed right. More IPC employees have arrived—faster than expected."
March 7th turned to Pei Guang. "Ah Guang, should we hide?"
Pei Guang: "Hide? Why would we hide? We're here to enjoy the show!"
March 7th looked around. "But if we stay here, won't they recognize us?"
A Trailblazer's identity was easy to recognize since all Trailblazers carried their Astral Express tickets with them. Except for Pei Guang, whose ticket was strapped to his waist due to an accident, everyone else had theirs displayed prominently on their clothing—making any anomalies instantly noticeable.
Stelle looked at March 7th. "Did you forget? We have the ultimate, unbeatable hiding artifact!"
March 7th's eyes lit up. "Oh right! That thing!"
Pei Guang: "Let's do it, let's do it!"
Under Bronya's helpless yet amused gaze, Pei Guang pulled out three trash cans. After all, this was an indoor space—placing a full-sized garbage bin here would be a little unreasonable.
But trash cans were different. As the pride of Belobog, they were practically everywhere. Setting a few in this grand hall to reflect Qlipoth Fort's dignity—wasn't that just common sense?
And to ensure the best possible vantage point, Pei Guang lined up all three trash cans right in front of Bronya's desk. Once everything was in place, Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th each climbed into a trash can, peeking through the gaps to enjoy the upcoming spectacle.
Thus, the once pristine and orderly Qlipoth Fort now had three battered-looking trash cans standing in the middle of the hall.
In the past, people here would have considered this highly inappropriate.
But now?
Who in Belobog would dare say a word against these trash cans? After all, they had become a symbol of Belobog's honor.
Not long after Pei Guang and the others hid, Gepard arrived, leading Donatan and his group inside.
Originally, Gepard had something to say, but the moment his eyes landed on the three trash cans in front of Bronya's desk, he froze.
For a brief instant, it felt as if his mind had ascended beyond the stars, unlocking countless unknown truths.
At the same time, memories from that fateful day resurfaced. That day, the Trailblazers had swung trash around like invincible war gods, wreaking havoc in this very place.
That same day, they had evaded the guards' searches—by hiding in trash bins.
And in the days that followed, he had personally witnessed how trash cans went from ordinary objects to Belobog's pride.
Honestly, at first, the idea of trash cans becoming a source of honor had felt a bit embarrassing. But over time, he found himself growing fond of them. The trash cans of his city… felt oddly endearing.
Especially now.
Just by looking at these three, Gepard could tell—Pei Guang was absolutely inside one of them.
How did he know there were people in the trash cans?
Simple.
Ever since trash cans had become a symbol of Belobog's glory, people had become obsessed with maintaining them. Even the most worn-out, battle-scarred trash cans—those Pei Guang hadn't taken—had been meticulously restored until they looked brand new.
But these three? They were clean, but time had clearly left its mark on them.
In Belobog, no trash can still bore such signs of wear—only those in the hands of the Trailblazers did.
Since these belonged to the Trailblazers, Pei Guang had to be inside. And if that was the case… the other two probably had people in them too.
So who were they?
Gepard thought carefully.
He recalled Stelle's disdainful expressions, March 7th's mischievous personality, and Dan Heng's habit of carrying a pink, fluffy bunny plush.
After a long moment of contemplation, he was sure of it. The three inside these trash cans had to be Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th.
At that moment, Gepard felt his mind overflowing with wisdom—then, with a knowing smile, he looked at the trash cans.
Inside, Pei Guang, March 7th, and Stelle saw his expression and immediately activated their internal voice chat.
March 7th: "Ah Guang! Why is he smiling at the trash cans? Didn't you say no one would ever find us if we hid in them?!"
Pei Guang: "Yeah! No enemy would ever find us. But he's an ally, so of course, he can."
Stelle: "Something's off about him too. Look at the way he's staring at us! His eyes are filled with… possessiveness."
March 7th muttered, "Is it possible that… what he wants isn't us, but… the trash cans we're hiding in?"
Pei Guang: "No way! Absolutely impossible! Who else besides us would love trash cans?"
Stelle: "The people of Belobog."