The sneak attack… failed.
The result left Firefly completely deflated, as if all color had drained from her, and she weakly returned to March 7th's side.
Seeing Firefly's failed attempt, March 7th puffed herself up smugly. "Hmph~ Trying to sneak up on him? Ah Guang's reflexes are super fast: not just anyone can succeed, you know~"
Proud and full of herself, March 7th stood there with hands on her hips, looking down at the defeated Firefly like she was the most glorious Trailblazer in the entire universe.
As the saying goes, joy brings energy: seeing so many people fail, March 7th happily grabbed a drink and took a huge gulp.
But March 7th's gloating words only confirmed something for Firefly: her guess had been right.
Why does she think that? Because something so hard to do would leave the most beautiful memories.
One failure didn't matter: after all, this was a dream. She could simply wait for Pei Guang to act alone next time, and then make her move.
She refused to believe that someone would get in her way again when that time came.
Reinvigorated, Firefly perked up again.
Meanwhile, Pei Guang and Himeko finished exchanging information.
Himeko and Stelle's findings were significant.
They learned that the Strategic Investment Department had dispatched other employees to handle matters in Penacony besides Aventurine, and through communication with the Bloodhound Family, they also located Gallagher, a senior officer of that family.
Gallagher had brought Himeko and Stelle to this bar for further discussions, but unexpectedly, Pei Guang and his group had arrived there first.
While Pei Guang received Himeko's intelligence, Himeko also heard about what Pei Guang was planning—and as she listened, her expression turned serious.
"Oh? Interesting… letting a youngster who's gained the power of Harmony overthrow the rule of the Family… bearing the same name as the Aeon of Harmony, even blessed by It… wait—this Destruction and Preservation power too? Has Harmony already learned to encompass other Paths?"
Himeko glanced toward Xipe Cake, who had begun his speech in the distance. Under the influence of Harmony's power, everyone under its resonance could understand his words.
Though Himeko couldn't make out the meaning of Xipe Cake's speech, observing the state of those around her and sensing the pure energy of Harmony, she was convinced that Pei Guang's plan was viable.
The only thing that truly concerned her was Xipe Cake's condition: he seemed to bear the traits of two other Paths, and that purity was so strong even Himeko couldn't tell whether that power came from a Mask or not.
If it was just a Mask, that was fine. But if it wasn't… then Xipe Cake was terrifying.
Harmony itself wasn't supposed to be so overwhelming in strength, but if it could truly contain other Paths, that was indeed frightening.
"Perhaps… that's why He granted it power?"
Himeko took another look at Xipe Cake, then turned back to Pei Guang.
If Harmony encompassing other Paths was achieved through Pei Guang's creative power as a Trailblazer, then this wasn't chaos: it was Trailblazing.
That was fine. If it was Trailblazing, then everything was stable.
Himeko said, "It's alright. Since you've made up your mind, go for it. After all, this is something only you can pull off."
To open new horizons for Harmony—to make Harmony more inclusive? Himeko didn't know if Akivili could ever do that, but she was certain she herself couldn't.
Since she couldn't, it was better to let the younger generation act boldly.
With Xipe Cake around, no matter how much trouble Pei Guang caused, the Family would still end up thanking him for it.
Besides, Trailblazers are meant to make the impossible possible: to explore and discover the unknown. For them, nothing is impossible, because they are Trailblazers.
Still, as Himeko thought back on everything, she noticed something amusing: ever since Pei Guang first started Trailblazing this world, every time he tricked someone, they always ended up having to thank him afterward.
Pei Guang said, "Relax~ nothing unexpected will happen. It's just a little side quest—think of it as some extra world-building, right?"
In his mind, even completely turning against Penacony would just be a side mission.
Because the main quest was still to find the Watchmaker's legacy: to cure Firefly's illness that couldn't be treated in reality.
Himeko nodded. "As long as you know what you're doing."
Pei Guang continued, "Then it's settled. Once we're out, I'll finish this mission—harmonize the Family, then use their power to better help us investigate Death. But speaking of that, this Mr. Gallagher: is he really a leader of the Bloodhound Family?"
Pei Guang turned his gaze to the bar counter, where Gallagher was preparing to show off some bartending skills.
Noticing Pei Guang's look, Gallagher smiled warmly, waved, and gestured for him to come have a drink anytime.
Himeko asked, "What do you mean?"
Pei Guang frowned slightly. "I don't know why, but he looks… really familiar. Like I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't recall when. It should've been after arriving in Penacony, that kind of déjà vu feeling…"
He checked Gallagher's location on the map: there was no marker. That made him even more suspicious of Gallagher's supposed rank.
According to Himeko, she and Stelle had found Gallagher at the Golden Hour Dream's border, but Pei Guang remembered fighting the Bloodhounds hard back then.
He'd marked every enemy he could, even the unmarked ones, but there was no sign of Gallagher among them.
The optimistic view was that Gallagher hadn't participated in that battle. The darker possibility… was that his identity was fake.
Just one glance was enough for Himeko to realize what Pei Guang was thinking.
Pei Guang said, "Let me have a chat with him~"
Himeko smiled. "Then I'll rest here a bit with little March and little Stelle~ I'll leave this to you."
Having a reliable junior made Himeko feel more relaxed than ever.
Originally, she had followed along just to keep an eye on things, but she hadn't expected Pei Guang to have handled almost everything that could possibly be done this time.
After finishing their conversation, Pei Guang walked toward the bar.
As he approached, Gallagher teased him, "Not bad! You haven't even been here that long, and you've already got this bunch of people rallying to rebel against the Family. That's a pretty crazy idea, but for some reason, I can actually see a chance of success."
That sense of "possible success" didn't come out of nowhere. Anyone with a bit of perception, after seeing Xipe Cake, wouldn't be able to imagine failure as even an option.
In Penacony, even if the company's fleets arrived, the Family might still dare to clash with them. But if it were an Emanator of Harmony, then as Family members, even those with doubts would choose to follow.
What surprised Gallagher the most was that this Emanator of Harmony turned out to be a "cat-cake", well maybe a "dog-cake"—and not just that, but one with a physical body, one that even resembled the Aeon of Harmony itself.
Things were getting more and more interesting.
Still, curiosity got the better of him. "But tell me, why are you so determined to go against the Family?"
Hearing that, Pei Guang thought for a moment, then looked at some of the ingredients on the counter. "Since this is a bar, I'll answer you with a drink."
Gallagher raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You want to show off a little? Siobhan?"
Gallagher looked toward Siobhan, since this was her territory.
Siobhan stepped aside and gestured for Pei Guang to come behind the counter. "No problem! Let me see what kind of drink a man bold enough to defy the Family can make."
Pei Guang came up to the bar. The ingredients here were a bit different from what he remembered, but that wasn't an issue: he had his alchemy pot.
And so, under Gallagher and Siobhan's stunned gazes, Pei Guang placed a pot right on top of the bar.
Pei Guang said, "Let's see… one bullet of vodka, add ice, add a bit of mini cola—huh? No cola? Then substitute with Soulglad."