"No problem. I was just thinking I'd like to see the rumored dazzling lights of Herloom."

Hyperion checked the time. It was only a little past seven. Before moving into their new home, they could certainly buy some necessities in advance, instead of rushing out tomorrow morning to buy whatever they were missing. And she also wanted to get to know Herloom a bit with Mishulla.

Besides, although Mishulla's face was slightly stiff, her eyes were burning with enthusiasm. She clearly wanted to stroll around Herloom's commercial district with her before going home.

It was said that Herloom's skyscrapers were covered with conspicuous giant screens spanning the building facades, which was completely different from Ikrith, who liked to integrate magic screens into the glass curtain walls of buildings.

Hyperion had also been curious about this psychedelic city for a long time.

"Let's go, Mishulla."

She elegantly rose from her seat, her movements fluid and orderly. She checked her clothes first, and then reached for the small handbag next to her seat.

Mishulla also got up. She wasn't in a hurry at all, calmly checking to see if they had left anything behind before leaving the compartment.

The train's final deceleration was accompanied by a series of mechanical loosening sounds. The carriage swayed slightly until it finally came to a smooth stop at the Herloom platform.

The doors slowly opened, and the cool night wind mixed with the scent of magical mineral springs and metal rushed into the carriage.

The passengers moved towards the exit in an orderly fashion. Hyperion and Mishulla followed suit.

In this station filled with unique orchestral music, a transparent mirror screen came into their view. It began to capture the expressions of the newly arrived travelers to the capital and retained them for a few seconds before disappearing.

"It's okay, it's a barrier technique to check for disguise magic. The one on the ground is for detecting credentials."

Mishulla explained to Hyperion as they walked on the platform.

The road beneath their feet lit up from time to time, revealing a faint azure glow, rippling like stepping on water.

"Then we might be a little late getting back to school. At night, there will be singing flowers in the aerial gardens floating overhead, and star-like ghosts. We absolutely can't just wander into those old districts that look weird. And we should definitely stay away from the Herloom Alchemical Zoo..."

Mishulla counted on her fingers, continuing to remind Hyperion.

This city was not only magical but also full of dangers. Many prosperous areas of the city-state were kept in absolute order by powerful people and ancient barriers, while chaos, violence, and crime often occurred away from these areas.

"Actually, I was scared several times when I first came to Herloom, and people laughed at me..."

Mishulla muttered, sounding a little aggrieved.

In this city, not having a guide could be a dangerous thing in itself.

Although most of the time she was expressionless, seeming to not care about anything, she was actually rich in emotions.

"Don't worry, Mishulla, I won't be scared. Don't worry about me."

Hyperion looked at Mishulla with a smile and said.

She was not only a demon princess but also the Duchess of the Houton Kingdom, a clergy member, and now disguised as a count's daughter. She had to be elegant and courteous at all times. No matter what happened, she had to remain calm and collected.

This was the one thing Hyperion was confident about.

...

At the same time.

In the heart of Herloom, the city that never sleeps, a towering skyscraper stood in the bustling downtown area. Its appearance was unremarkable, but it possessed an undeniable presence. Its top was equipped with rows of marquee lights, and beams of light pierced the night, announcing its identity as a media giant to every corner of the city.

This was the famous Protois Empire broadcasting building—the birthplace of Herloom Broadcasting Corporation programs and a place where countless dreams and art intersected.

The exterior of the broadcasting building featured cool, dark glass curtain walls. During the day, it reflected the sky's light, and at night, it turned into a giant projection screen, displaying the Herloom Royal Charter's station logo and clips of the programs being broadcast.

The entrance on the ground floor was crowded with people hoping to be members of the live audience. They held tickets and waited for the uniformed guards at the door to let them in. The officers who had been additionally dispatched today had serious expressions, and the badges on their chests shone, maintaining order in the Herloom Broadcasting Corporation building.

After tonight's program ended, they still had the job of further dispersing the crowd and escorting celebrities away from the congested downtown area.

In the backstage dressing room on the twenty-first floor of the Herloom Broadcasting Corporation building, the atmosphere was completely different.

Lan Qi stood in front of the makeup mirror, quietly stroking the little black cat in his hands, waiting for the staff to invite him in.

At this moment, the lights in the dressing room seemed particularly dazzling. Lan Qi's figure was about to split into countless afterimages in the mirror, each with a calm smile.

The air was filled with the heavy smell of foundation and perfume, which made the little black cat a little uncomfortable, but all of this seemed to have nothing to do with him. His eyes pierced through the prosperity of Herloom outside the window, staring at the deeper meaning that only he could see.

"Meow..."

Boss Cat fidgeted on Lan Qi's hands, constantly turning over.

"Boss Cat, don't you want to be on the show with me later?"

Lan Qi asked with a smile.

He felt that Boss Cat actually wanted to see the world or watch the fun.

He was timid but also very curious.

If he missed this opportunity, there would be no other chance.

The *Herloom Late Show* he was going to participate in later was originally broadcast by the Herloom Broadcasting Corporation in 1754. Under the leadership of the first host, the show set the basic format for late-night talk shows, including opening monologues, celebrity interviews, comedy sketches, and musical performances.

Subsequent hosts added more personal style and emotional elements when they took over the program, making the program more focused on interviews and dialogues, and bringing the program into its golden age. With the host's unique sense of humor and affinity, the program also became a cultural symbol of Herloom nights.

The program content was wide-ranging, covering social issues, current politics, mental health, life stories, and cultural topics.

The interview program would start on time at eight o'clock. Looking at the clock in the dressing room, the studio should be ready over there.

"Meow..."

Boss Cat still had a tearful cat face.

For some reason, the makeup artist even helped him put on a small bow tie.

The more he recognized the reality, the more he felt that it was irreversible. He had indeed never seen such a battle.

Before coming to the Northern Continent, he never dreamed that he would one day reach this point.

He even foolishly thought that this kid was just a little abnormal, and he wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble after leaving Ikrith Academy.

After more than two months, he finally understood what Lan Qi was like without Hyperion tethering him.

A sense of guilt was about to kill Boss Cat. Every time he recalled the importance of Hyperion telling him to keep an eye on Lan Qi, but he turned a deaf ear, he felt that he had committed a great sin.

"Don't worry, didn't Hyperion say? If we get separated in the empire, just go to a conspicuous place and wait for her. She will find me soon. Maybe I can see her today."

Lan Qi was always optimistic, gently stroking Boss Cat again and again.

"..."

Boss Cat raised his head and stared at Lan Qi with tearful eyes for a long time in silence.

Is it possible that she meant conspicuous in a geographical sense, not making you so conspicuous.

In the end, he still chose to be an ostrich cat and buried his head.

At this moment, his mentality had changed from praying that Hyperion would come back soon to praying that Hyperion would not come back.

Fortunately, the northern blockade was strict. With Hyperion's strength, there was a high probability that she wouldn't be able to sneak back into the Protois Empire!

They should meet again in the Southern Continent!!

Yesterday, four chapters were a bit overwhelming, so I'll take it slow today and add more tomorrow to finish writing about Lan Qi and Hyperion's meeting.

(End of chapter)