Lanci knows that Hans is joking with him, and responds.

"He must be learning from me then; after watching me work for so long, he's learned to imitate me."

Hans walked to the front of the car, opened the driver's door, and said.

"Can't deny that."

While working for the Baptiste family, Lanci had indeed been learning from the family butler, Hans.

It's just that Talia said his imitation was somewhat off.

Once they were in the car, the long-awaited journey to Ichrite began.

The winter morning sun brought with it a pleasant feeling, making the city-state especially beautiful.

Not long after setting off, in the distance, the brick-red walls, sharp peaked roofs, and the tulips and calla lilies in the Royal Botanical Garden came into view. Even from afar, they emitted the rich fragrance of an expansive sea of flowers.

"Wow, is this really Ichrite?"

Isatia leaned her hands on the window, gazing at the iconic buildings of Ichrite she hadn't seen in years, along with new structures she had never seen before.

In these past dozen or so years, Ichrite had become a city both familiar and strange to her.

Compared to the antique style of the Cerryti Empire, the style here was much brighter and fresher.

Buildings in the Cerryti Empire mostly embodied grandeur, with the city permeating a sense of solemnity, while over in Hutton, beige and white old buildings were more common. The newer buildings showcased more skyscrapers and glass curtain walls, with historical sites and modern layouts cleverly fused, forming a clearly organized structure.

"Indeed, identity is crucial, meow. Getting the passport smoothly allows us to return to Hutton Kingdom; otherwise, even sneaking in would just make us undocumented."

Cat Boss recalled their experience passing through customs.

Now that the war has recently ended, international passage has not fully recovered, and any entry and exit involved extensive review processes.

Luckily, their identities were legal, and traveling with Duke Migaya spared them a lot of hassle, being treated with dignity all along, allowing them to quickly head to the key city of Ichrite after entering from the western border.

"Actually, Little Black Bread, if you choose to go back to Ichrite with Loren a month later, it wouldn't delay much time either, and even the customs people wouldn't care if you have Ichrite identity."

Migaya spoke to Cat Boss.

Ever since coming out of Blood Moon City, he heard everyone calling Little Black Cat this way. So he began calling Cat Boss Little Black Bread too, and Cat Boss seemed to have given up resisting this nickname.

"No way, meow. I'm an Ichrite cat."

Cat Boss shook his head persistently.

Nearly lost his nationality.

When he followed Lanci to the Cerryti Empire, he realized his nationality had been taken away by Lanci. This guy is the Kingdom's chosen Imperial Hound.

Thankfully, Loren helped him get his nationality back.

Though the price was Loren losing his own nationality.

During the casual chat lasting tens of minutes, the scenery outside the car window silently transformed into a bustling commercial district, passing by various cafes, restaurants, bars, and shopping malls, as the spacious avenue increasingly brimmed with the hustle and bustle of urban life.

"When Emperor Loren returns to Ichrite, do we need to go and welcome him?" Note from the editor: Always check MV2LEMPYR for corrections.

Isatia asked Migaya, seated in the front passenger seat.

As Duke and Duchess, with the Emperor of the Empire visiting, they were likely to host him for a while, or besides them being adept at handling, it wasn't an easy task at hand, it could only be handled by them most appropriately.

"No need. Surely, he won't be making a grand public visit, he is probably just politely notifying Hutton here, then quietly returning to his homeland, Krantel Domain, passing by Ichrite for a day or two, visiting Ichrite Academy, his old home, or the Temple perhaps."

Migaya spoke based on his understanding of Loren and the current situation.

As for Loren's approximate return date, he privately informed only Migaya, Isatia, and the Bingxue Witch.

"Hold on, can you casually discuss the Emperor's travel plans like this?"

Talia was quite surprised; the conversation between Isatia and Migaya seemed a bit too casual.

It's not that she thought Lanci and Hans were loose-lipped, but Cat Boss knowing meant Antanas knew, and Antanas knowing meant everyone did.

"No worries, we're not afraid of anyone wanting to harm Loren, Ninth-order after all, who could kill him?"

Migaya spoke reassuringly.

Even Hesintos couldn't beat Loren.

When Loren arrives at Ichrite on that day, even if there were assassins, Loren would not be in danger.