Karl buzzed the security at the main door and informed them that he was headed back to the Palace for the evening.
The guards opened the door to let him out, then motioned for him to wait while they called for a security detail to escort him back out of the complex. Nobody moved alone around the complex, not even the guards, and Karl was the only real threat to the structure of the building.
Not that anyone thought he would be attacking anything. The guards didn't get any news about what was going on inside the labs, but when a portal had been opened from the outside, they had been scrambled, and had gotten some information that there had already been progress and that an item was being passed to an Overlord.
There were no security checks on the way out, only an escort until Karl was back in the main hallways and past the first security guard at the elevator that took them down from the standard levels of the University's underground labs.
From there, it was a short walk and a train ride back to the Palace after a half hour wait, but by then, it was getting close to the formal dinner time at the Palace.
Unlike most homes, the Palace served meals on a rigid schedule, unless you were eating in your suite, and as new arrivals, it was considered courteous to socialize to some extent.
The ladies might have done that for him while he was at work, but after weeks of daily training, he wouldn't blame them for simply resting in the suite, watching movies and snacking for a few days.
So when Karl got off the train and found the guards at high alert, weapons drawn and in defensive formation, it took him a moment to understand what was going on.
[Rae? Did something big happen while I was gone?] He asked, suddenly concerned by her silence.
[Not to us. The guards are all running about like someone stepped on an ant hill, though.]
Karl could sense that she was incorporeal and enjoying the comfort of a web set in the main room's upper corner.
The Guard Captain on duty nodded to Karl as he entered the Palace from the underground train station.
"Sir, there has been an incident. We have placed guards on your team, but we ask that none of you move about without a guard detail." The Captain announced.
"That bad? Can you give me details? I am quite capable of dealing with most threats." Karl asked.
"There were two attempts today to infiltrate the Palace with modified portal skills. We don't know who the target is, but the rest of the guests have been relocated out of the Palace, and the second attempt occurred after that time."
Karl nodded in understanding. "So, it's either us, or the Royal Family. I was hoping that it was something as simple as spies. I have an assassin on staff that would delight in ferreting them out."
The Captain smiled faintly.
"Yes, we were made aware of that. We were going to assign an infiltration team to covertly keep watch on your associates, but we were unsure where the Bloodbath Spider was."
The Guard's frustration made Karl chuckle. "Well, you made the right call. She's been in the suite all day, keeping watch over the ladies. Have you introduced the Guard team on duty to them yet? It would be best."
The Captain ran a hand through his short blonde hair and smiled down at Karl. "Yes. We made them lift their visors as well, so that they could be personally identified if they needed to interact during their shift. The Red Priestess insisted."
Karl considered that for a moment. "Well, we could relocate outside the Palace as well, so that we're not interfering with the workings of the Palace Guard, or reducing the number of available assets if there should be an attack."
The Guard Captain sighed. "We did consider that. But if your team is the target, which is possible given your recent visibility, especially in defence of the Capital, then it would put you all at excessive risk.
It might be your skills that brought your entire team here, but if something should happen to any of you while under our care, it would be a public relations disaster."
Karl sighed. "You have a point. I was going to say that I could leave more of my beasts with them, but if they went on a rampage against attackers, there wouldn't be a city left."
The Guard General laughed. "I don't think that it would be that bad. But I get where you're going. You have less to worry about than most. We're in a tough spot, but we can't afford not to have you at the research facility. Or so I'm told. How did things go today? Are they close to making anything?" Karl patted him on the shoulder. "I passed out the first of the new weapons to the Overlords today. They had a good enough base that I could just add to it to make functional Monarch Rank weapons. It will be a long time before the supply is more than a trickle. But we should be able to get a few dozen out to the Overlords in the next few weeks."
The Guard Captain smiled. "Well, once they're done with the Overlords, us Monarchs are next on the list, I would assume. Plus whatever the trainees can contribute to the mix."
Karl sighed. "Yeah, that could be a bit. The trainees they gave me are all Acolytes. Awakened Rank Acolytes. They're going to be a while before they can even turn out the Commander Rank mass-produced items we're hoping for. But give it a year or two, and we will get enough of them trained."
The Guard Captain chuckled. "Well, I hear that the Dungeon is giving a steady trickle of Commander Rank items as well, so we have a little something for the Elites until then. Getting good equipment is always the hardest part of preparing a force, even here at the Palace."