The robed figures moved in perfect sync, spreading out to block any way out. Greg now counted eight, maybe nine, and they were all standing between his group and the iron door they had come through.

"Lylia, get in line!" Greg yelled, fully activating his Guardian's Oath shield. The barrier appeared, and shadows danced on the walls of the lab.

Lylia moved to his right without thinking, and even though she was unarmed and dressed for a formal event, her years of training as a Royal Knight were clear. Elwen stood to his left, her fingers already weaving complicated spell patterns.

Hilda was last in line, pickaxe in hand and ready to go. And then there's Hammy, who bounced nervously on Elwen's head, making warning sounds.

The first figure in a robe lunged forward and pulled a curved blade from under their cloak. Greg's shield stopped the blow and absorbed the kinetic energy, but two more attackers were already moving to the sides of them.

"Plant Wall!" Elwen yelled, and a wall of plant magic sprang up between them and the attackers on the left.

Lylia knocked one of the attackers on the side down with a perfect leg sweep, sending them flying. She was tough even without her weapon because her movements were smooth and quick.

"We can't keep them here!" she yelled. "There are too many of them, and we're stuck!"

Hilda swung her pickaxe in a big circle, and the tool glowed with magic from the ground. The shockwave from hitting the stone floor knocked a few attackers off balance, but more came out of the shadows. "Greg, we have to leave right now!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Greg used his shield to block another attack and then released the stored energy to make a shockwave that gave them a moment to catch their breath.

He was racing through his mind, looking for a tactical answer, but the truth was unavoidable. They were outnumbered, had only a few weapons, and were fighting in an enemy's stronghold.

Agatha watched from her spot near the center table with a look of cold amusement on her face. "Now you see, don't you? You can't win this."

"You're outmatched, outmaneuvered, and out of options."

A figure in a robe got past Greg's guard and swung their sword at Elwen. "Elwen!!! Watch out...!"

Hammy suddenly flew out of her head and grew bigger in the air to block the blow. The blade bounced off the slime's surprisingly tough body, and Hammy yelled angrily before hitting the attacker's face, making them stumble back in confusion.

"Well done, Hammy!" Elwen yelled and then focused her magic. "Master Greg, I can make an opening, but we need to leave right away!"

"Do it fast!" Greg said, already knowing what she meant.

Elwen's hands moved in a complicated way, and all of a sudden, plant roots started to spread out from where she was standing, making the floor difficult and dangerous to move because the roots could make someone fall right away while being banded.

The figures in robes lost their balance and fell, but some of them grabbed onto workbenches for support until the roots started to grow even longer, forcing them to fall right away while being banded.

"There's our chance...!" Greg yelled, and they all moved together toward the iron door. "Go, go, go!"

Hilda employed her earth magic to create handholds in the floor, enabling them to maintain a grip as the roots trapped their pursuers. Lylia moved quickly and skillfully, pulling up her formal dress to make it easier to walk. They broke through the iron door and ran up the stone stairs, taking two or three steps at a time.

They could hear Agatha's voice behind them, sharp with anger. "You bunch of useless pieces of shit! Move your ass up, and get them!"

"Don't let them get to the main hall!"

They got to the top of the stairs and burst back into the palace hallway, surprising a few nobles who were still drinking and talking. The party atmosphere was strange after the violence in the underground lab.

"We have to find the king! Come on!" Greg said, grabbing a noble who looked confused by the arm. "Where is the main hall? Where is the king!?"

"The throne room!" the noble stammered, pointing to the fancy double doors that Lady Rosalina had pointed out earlier. "But you can't just walk in there... There's a protocol!"

"Forget the rules!" Hilda yelled, and they were already running.

Two Royal Knights in full ceremonial armor stood guard at the doors to the throne room. As Greg's group got closer, they stepped forward to block the door.

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop right there!" one of them said. "Say what you want! "There's an imminent danger in the palace!" Greg exclaimed urgently. "There's an illegal weapon forge in the basement, hazardous materials, and individuals in robes attacking visitors! We need to speak to the king immediately!"

The guards looked at each other, clearly unsure. The second guard said, "That's a serious accusation."

"We can't just let you interrupt the king's audience without checking first..."

"I can confirm them," a voice said, and Lady Rosalina came out of a side hallway with a serious look on her face.

"These individuals are members of the Brotherhood of Peace, who emerged victorious at the festival. We should take their claims of a threat seriously."

The guards hesitated for a moment before stepping aside. "Very well, Lady Rosalina. However, you will be held responsible for this interruption."

Rosalina said firmly, "I do," and pushed the doors open.

The throne room was huge, at least as big as the Grand Forge. Marble columns held up the high, vaulted ceilings, and chandeliers lit up the room with a warm glow.

There were at least fifty people there, all dressed up and talking in small groups. The king himself sat on a dais at the other end of the room.

The king was in his mid-fifties and had a well-kept beard with gray streaks in it. His crown sparkled in the light every time he moved. He was talking to a few advisors when the doors opened unexpectedly, and he looked up.

"What's going here?!" King Anthony's voice rang out across the room, stopping all other conversations. Everyone looked at Greg's group.

Greg started to move forward, but there were a lot of nobles in the way, all of them watching the king's audience. He had to carefully push through, making sure not to be too rough with the upper class.

"Excuse me, sorry, coming through," he mumbled as he squeezed between a duchess in a huge gown and a count who looked upset that he was being pushed.

"How rude!" someone said quietly.

Another noble hissed, "Who are these people?"

It took a long time for things to get better. As they moved through the crowded room, every step forward seemed to take forever. Lylia tried to help by using her status as a former Royal Knight to make some room, but it didn't work very well.

"Your Majesty!" Greg yelled, trying to be heard over the growing noise of confused and angry nobles.

"We need to tell someone about a threat...!"

"It's in the basement of the palace!"

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