Wearing their masks, Adreil, Bret, Ben, and Luc approached the palace while Emilia stood on a nearby tower.
"How should we get in without being detected?" Bret asked.
"We can make a hole," Adreil suggested.
"No, that'll take too long, not to mention we can easily get detected," Ben said. "Luc, you can handle this."
Luc used his shadow magic to become invisible and walked silently toward the palace. He made a faint sound, and the two guards at the door heard it.
"Did you hear that?" the first guard asked.
"Yeah, something's wrong over there," the second guard replied. They went inside the palace to investigate.
"Come on!" Ben whispered. He, Bret, and Adreil slipped inside and hid in a bush.
"Your team seems more suitable for these kinds of things," Bret commented.
"This isn't the time for chatter," Ben said. He took out a token, and Adreil asked, "What are you doing?"
"Just wait and see," Ben replied. Emilia's voice came from the token. "I see you've entered the palace, but staying there isn't a good idea."
"How can you say that?" Bret asked.
"She's on top of the tower; obviously, she can see us from there," Ben said.
Emilia stood on top of the tower and used binoculars that Rei had suggested making to keep tabs on them.
"You guys are pretty unorthodox," Adreil commented.
Ben ignored him. "Where should we go?" he asked Emilia.
"Go ten meters to the right. You'll see a bush. Go to the center from there," Emilia instructed.
"Okay. How's Luc doing?" Ben asked.
"Luc avoided being detected, but there are a lot of guards where he is. He'll join you soon," Emilia replied.
"Sure," Ben said. He stood up, and Emilia's voice from the token said, "Now go!"
Ben, Adreil, and Bret quickly moved to the side, then to the center, and hid in the designated bush.
"I can't believe that worked so well," Bret said. "The kingdom would benefit if you let them mass-produce your innovations."
"Sorry, but they're only for the revolutionaries," Ben said.
Adreil spoke up, "I see some guards coming from the door. How can we go in without being seen?"
Luc's voice came from the token. "Don't worry, I can see if the guards are coming."
"Luc, perfect timing. Show us the way," Ben said. Luc entered the door.
"Don't come in yet; there are some guards here talking," Luc said. While the guards talked, Luc wandered the halls, mapping the structure. He found an unguarded, unoccupied room. When he returned, the guards were gone. "Okay, come in. The place is safe," Luc said.
Ben, Bret, and Adreil went inside. Luc became visible. "Come, follow me this way." He led them into the unguarded room. "I'll take over navigation from here. Hide somewhere. It might take me a few hours to map the floors."
"If you're so good at this, why don't you do the whole thing?" Adreil asked.
"I have no doubt he could," Bret said. "But I'm also here for the super-soldier project."
"I see," Adreil said. "You just want to make sure. That's why our success rate is lower than it should be."
"Adreil, this mission is for all of us," Ben said. "If you want to run away, you can."
"I never run away, not from anyone," Adreil retorted.
"Then stop complaining. Let's hide." Ben, Adreil, and Bret quickly hid.
Luc went out and meticulously mapped the palace's structure and guard movements. After hours, he returned. "Come out, time to leave," he said.
Adreil, Bret, and Ben emerged, and they all followed Luc. "Follow me, straight then left. Their defenses are strong, but not strong enough," Luc instructed.
Suddenly, footsteps approached. "Oh no, they're changing their patrol," Luc said. "Ben, take them out."
"Got it," Ben said. He took out two magic-formation papers and used them to make Bret and Adreil invisible while he used shadow magic to make himself invisible. Three guards walked in their direction, talking about their salaries. Ben, Bret, Adreil, and Luc stood still and let them pass.
They found a heavily guarded door and went there. Inside was a girl, most likely a princess, their age. Ben, still invisible, covered her mouth. "If you move, I'll kill you," he whispered. Although Ben wouldn't have gone that far, the princess was terrified. Luc used his Sound Barrier to muffle any noise. Adreil and Bret noticed their magic wore off.
"It wore off so soon. Cheap quality," Adreil complained.
"No, its quality was greater than mediocre. Magic formations aren't meant to last long; they're a burst of power," Bret said. He tied the princess's hands. Before he could tie her mouth, she started talking.
"Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want?" she asked.
Ben tied her mouth and put her on the bed. "Didn't someone tell you not to talk so much?" he said. He took two chairs and sat down. "This will be our temporary base."
"What do you mean 'base'?" Adreil asked. "We're in enemy territory."
"A base doesn't mean it's ours, Adreil," Ben said. "It means it's a secured territory. Now, you will stand guard. Luc, you will create a path for Bret to get his super-soldier project. Luc, tell me what you found about the halls and guard movements."
The princess tried to express her anger through her muffled voice.
"I know the structure of the halls, but the guards' movements have become erratic," Luc said.
"Can't you observe the movement again?" Bret asked.
"Now that we have a hostage, the situation is difficult," Luc replied.
"Don't worry about the movement," Ben said. "We have someone who knows the movements and even the perfect disguises for you. We just need some cooperation." Ben looked at the princess. Luc's Sound Barrier was still active, but Ben created his own to ensure complete protection. He took off the rope covering her mouth.
The princess asked, "Who are you? Are you here to kill me? Answer me!"
"Who is she, anyway? I don't know anything about her," Adreil said.
"She is the princess of the principality, also known as Princess Selene," Ben said. "However, the princess in her name is just a title. She is actually the prisoner of the principality."
Princess Selene was shocked. Before she could ask anything, Bret asked, "What do you mean?"
"Her parents, who were believed to have had an accident, however, in reality they were killed when she was nine years old," Ben explained. "The members of the council took hold of the principality and passed a rule stating she couldn't be queen until she turned 20. Then they would marry her off to their kids and pass a rule giving the council more authority, making her a puppet queen."
"I see," Bret said.
"How do you know this? Who are you?" Princess Selene asked.
Ben took off his mask, showing his face. "The one who will become the king," he said.
"Prince Ben from the Astria Kingdom?" she asked.
"I never thought you'd become such a pathetic person, Princess Selene," Ben said.
Princess Selene got angry. "You shut your mouth! If things had been slightly different, our places would have been reversed."
"Are you sure you should reveal your face, Prince Ben?" Bret asked.
"This was one of my objectives for coming here," Ben said. He looked at Selene. "Now, Princess Selene, I want to recruit you into my organization. Would you be willing to leave the principality and come to Astria?"
Princess Selene looked at him with sadness. "I'm sorry, Prince Ben. Your offer is generous, but I can't leave my people to suffer."
"Then can I ask what you are doing currently for the people of the principality?" Ben asked. The question pierced Princess Selene's heart. She had done nothing for her people. "I am... um..." she stammered.
"You can't do anything even if you stay here; however, once you leave the principality and come to my organization, I promise to help you become stronger," Ben said. "Then you can return to the principality with the power to overthrow them."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yes, I am sure. I will support you, Princess Selene."
Princess Selene made up her mind. "Then can I bring my people with me? I need to ensure their safety as well, and I want a written record that you won't keep me as your slave or harm me," she asked.
"Yes, I will prepare everything you need, starting now," Ben said. He untied her binds. She stood up, knelt, and said, "From now on, I pledge to serve you, Prince Ben."
Ben made her stand. "A princess needs not to bow, but to be respected."
"Yes," Princess Selene said. "I will help you in your cause."
"Now it's time to proceed," Ben said.