As they talked, the two walked toward a hidden side door of the palace. Aiden and the others followed closely behind, keeping a safe distance to avoid being discovered.
"Where do you think they'll go?" James asked in a low voice.
"I don't know, but judging from their tone, it seems like they're going to do their daily tasks," Aiden replied, a hint of curiosity and wariness flashing in his eyes.
The group followed the servants through a side door, which led to a brightly lit hall filled with various strange objects and sculptures. In the center of the hall was a huge pool, its surface as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the ornate and intricate decorations around it.
“This place seems a bit like a library or archives…” Sophia murmured, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding bookshelves and display cases.
Leah frowned as she looked around. She felt a strong sense of unease: "There's an inexplicable chill about everything here. Something just doesn't feel right."
Just as they were observing, the two servants walked to a counter and began talking to a guard. The group quickly found a secluded spot to hide and listen intently.
"Is today the same as usual?" one of them complained. "Doing these boring things all day long is so boring."
The guard sighed, a hint of sympathy in his eyes: "Yes, but these are the orders of our lord, and we must obey."
"By the way, has anything new happened lately? For example... has that master given any new orders?" another servant asked.
The guard hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Something unusual has indeed happened. It seems the lord received some important information, saying someone is coming here looking for something important..."
Hearing this, everyone was startled. James whispered, "It seems our trip wasn't in vain; these people seem to have known we were coming!"
Hank clenched his fist and lowered his voice: "So the question is, what do they know? Is it about that legendary treasure or some kind of source of power?"
At that moment, one of the servants turned to look towards the doorway, a look of surprise on his face: "Hey, aren't those the group of people who followed us in just now?"
Another servant looked in the same direction and exclaimed, "Good heavens, there really are people here! Who are they?!"
Chaos erupted in the hall. Guards swiftly drew their weapons and pounced on Aiden and his men's hiding place.
Carl calmly shouted, "Get ready, we've been exposed!" He then cast an invisibility spell to cover everyone's retreat.
Leah raised her short sword high: "We can't just leave like this. Since they suspect us, we have to find out the truth."
Aiden nodded: "That's right, before we get into bigger trouble, let's quickly find that important information they mentioned!"
Sofia quickly chanted a spell, casting a mist into the air to obscure the enemy's vision. "Let's go! We don't have much time!"
The group rushed into a secret passage on one side of the hall, and could faintly hear the shouts of servants and guards in the distance.
“This place is much more complicated than I imagined…” James said, panting heavily.
Leah turned back to look at the crowd with unwavering determination in her eyes: "No matter how dangerous the road ahead, we will not give up. We believe that light will surely triumph over darkness."
They continued deeper, navigating numerous mechanisms and traps, until finally stopping before an ancient scroll. The scroll emitted a mysterious light, clearly the crucial clue they had been searching for…
Hank carefully unrolled the scroll, and everyone crowded around to examine it closely.
“What’s written on this seems to be an ancient script…” Hank pondered for a moment, “but we must decipher it to truly understand the secret behind it…”
Sofia gazed at the scroll, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Let me give it a try. Perhaps magic can help us solve this problem."
Just as she was about to cast her spell, a cold voice suddenly came from behind her—"Oh, I didn't expect you to find it so quickly... But don't think you can leave so easily!"
The group turned around to face the composed woman from before, and a group of fully armed guards...
"Who's there?!" Aiden jumped to his feet, his eyes scanning the surroundings like lightning. But apart from the indifferent woman and her men, the entire space seemed to be enveloped in an inexplicable silence.
The woman slowly took a few steps forward, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips: "I am Ms. Mariel, the one responsible for guarding all the secrets here. And you... are clearly not invited guests."
Sofia gripped the scroll tightly in her hand and said softly, "We're only here to find some truths, and we don't want to cause trouble."
However, the words had barely left his mouth when a murmur of laughter erupted around him. "How amusing," a man who appeared to be his second-in-command scoffed. "Someone actually thinks they can easily escape punishment just by saying they're here to 'find the truth'?" He turned to his companions. "What do you guys think? Should we teach these uninvited guests a lesson right now?"
A chorus of agreement immediately erupted from the crowd, with some even starting to loosen their joints in preparation for an attack. "That's right, let them know what real rules are!"
Hank clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "Everyone be careful, it seems we have no choice but to force our way out!"
Karl nodded slightly, signaling everyone to prepare for battle, while silently chanting an incantation to strengthen his own protective barrier. "Don't be afraid, we won't lose to them!"
Suddenly, a slightly immature voice broke the tense atmosphere. "Wait... is it really necessary to act so hastily?" The speaker was a young guard, his face still somewhat green but his gaze firm. "Perhaps we should listen to what they have to say first."
The other senior members were visibly stunned upon hearing this, exchanging incredulous and disdainful glances. "What do you know, you little brat?" one of them scoffed without any attempt to hide his disdain.
“While I would love to make these thieves who dared to break into the sanctuary pay the price immediately,” Madam Marier said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the boy, “I will grant them three minutes to hear their explanation, since this was your own request. If it is not satisfactory, then you will face the harshest punishment—including but not limited to being imprisoned in the dungeon until you die of old age.”
Seeing that the other party's attitude had softened slightly, Lia quickly seized the opportunity to explain the situation: "We were actually here to investigate an intelligence report about the source of powerful energy contained in ancient ruins, and we had no intention of breaking any taboos or stealing valuables."
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the secret passage. Several servants who had just arrived stopped and looked around, their faces full of confusion. "What's going on? Why are there strangers suddenly appearing and making such a fuss...?" one of them muttered to himself.
Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, James mustered his courage and rushed over to grab the arm of the young guard. "Friend! Please believe us, we mean no harm. Please help us convey the actual situation to your adults, okay?!"
Upon witnessing this sudden action, everyone present held their breath. A moment later—
"Alright... I'll try to help since you've shown so much sincerity." The young man nodded, then turned to the crowd and announced, "Everyone, please allow me to speak with this friend alone for a few minutes before deciding what to do next!"
The hall fell silent instantly, everyone watching intently as the two walked to a corner to talk. "Are you genuinely seeking help and not trying to conceal certain facts?" the boy asked earnestly.
“Absolutely the truth! Please believe us!” James nodded vigorously in response.
After several in-depth conversations, the young guard returned to the main force and addressed the leadership, saying, "I don't think these guys are lying. They are indeed just a group of people eager to unravel the mystery and seek the truth."
Upon hearing this, Ms. Maril remained silent for a long time without immediately offering her opinion. Just as a tense atmosphere began to fill the air—
She finally took a deep breath and announced her decision: "In that case, I will choose to trust this young man who bravely stood up to defend his views and allow them to leave safely. However..." She paused, her gaze, both authoritative and gentle, sweeping across each person's face, "If they come to disturb our peaceful lives again, they will never be forgiven!"
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. "That's great!" Leah said excitedly, "Thank you so much! We'll get everything sorted out as soon as possible and leave this place so we won't cause you any more trouble!"
Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to retreat—that familiar yet cold voice rang out again from behind: "Wait, since we've chosen to trust, why don't we witness this so-called 'secret' together..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com