Chapter 495: Plan Accelerated
After Michelle says those words, Henwell pauses for a moment.
He turns back and smiles at her. “White Butterfly, you forget, I’m good at hiding my true strength. Don’t worry. I’m stronger than you think and more powerful than the enemy believes.”
After Henwell leaves, Michelle murmurs, “Then you better hide deep enough this time.”
She then raises her hand to wipe the blood trickling from the corner of her eye and nose.
Once Henwell steps out of the courtyard, his cheerful smile fades, replaced by a dark expression.
Michelle’s warning reminds him just how dangerous the palace is. If he were only a Grand Knight, he’d surely die there.
The situation is even more complicated than he thought.
Since arriving at Billie, Henwell feels like he’s trapped in a fog, sensing something seriously off.
He calls over Wizet. “Bring out the gear sent from home. I need to set things up.”
More than half an hour later, Henwell addresses Wizet and several squad captains. “If the enemy isn’t Iron Knight level, don’t use this gear. But if they’re too many, break out and hide. The Military Intelligence Office will find you.”
After giving these instructions, Henwell returns to Divine Revelation City overnight.
Even with the Windchaser warhorse, the round trip takes the entire night.
The next day, Henwell keeps pondering what danger lurks in the palace.
This is no ordinary force, five elite squads from the Western Federation, totaling eleven Grand Knights, nearly forty Battle Knights, and over a hundred elite knights.
These aren’t pampered nobles but battle-hardened warriors forged in countless fights.
Stopping their charge would require an entire legion.
And trying to trap such a team is pointless, if they want to break out, they will succeed.
Henwell calculates that to take down these five squads, at least two Iron Knights would need to be stationed inside, backed by an equally skilled but double-sized professional force.
Mobilizing that kind of power would alert both Henwell and the Western Federation’s intelligence agencies.
Currently, the Sunflower Knights and Royal Knights remain outside the palace.
The Celtic family commands six Iron Knights, one stationed in each cardinal direction.
Only two Iron Knights remain inside the palace, both acting under orders from the Marquess of Nothing.
Henwell has already met them before the operation and even took some of their blood to record their aura.
If they dare make a move, the church and empire will deploy their top forces without hesitation to hunt them down to death.
Both Iron Knights inside the palace are well aware of this.
Right now, they wait in Yinxin City for the situation to conclude.
So who else would dare challenge this united force?
Veil?
Most likely.
But this is Ulysses’ heavily guarded palace!
If Veil could just walk in easily, Ulysses wouldn’t be making such a fuss.
With suspicion and a hint of unease, Henwell approaches the time for action.
Everyone changes into the royal guard’s armor, a set of gold-painted plate with a golden-yellow cloak draped over the back.
The cloak bears the emblem of a sunflower wreath, with a shield in the center.
One advantage is that the royal guard helmets come with faceplates.
Led by the centurion, the group rides to the palace gates.
After showing the change-of-guard orders, Henwell and his team enter the palace.
Not only is a full legion stationed here, but a royal knight squad and a patrol of Sunflower Knights are also on duty.
Sunflower Fortress is sealed tight with no gaps in its defense.
Leician leans in quietly behind the centurion. “When we reach the castle gate, it will be opened. The fruit and vegetable convoy needs to get through then. We have to rush in immediately, close the gate behind us, and activate the protective wards to seal the entire fortress, preventing any outside reinforcements.”
A few hundred meters from the castle gate, Henwell spots several large carts undergoing inspection.
“Is that the convoy we’re waiting for?”
Leician blinks. “They came early!”
Henwell curses under his breath. “Damn it! There’s no precise timing system here. This clearly isn’t on schedule.”
Everyone grows anxious, this is their best chance to storm the fortress.
If they miss it, they’ll have to force their way in.
The convoy is already halfway through inspection, with only a few carts left.
At their current patrol speed, it’s clear they won’t make it in time.
Leician says, “Stay calm. Speed up the patrol!”
They quicken their pace, but soon attract the attention of another patrol.
A nearby squad captain shouts, “Why are you moving so fast? Which unit are you?”
Henwell grins grimly. “We’re exposed! Charge! Take the gate!”
The five squads instantly link their Fighting Spirit, forming five sharp arrows. Led by the Grand Knights, they surge forward at lightning speed toward the bridgehead.
Covering two or three hundred meters, Henwell and the others reach the castle’s drawbridge in just two breaths.
At the gate, the palace guards are still stunned.
One guard captain hurriedly asks the royal guards, “What’s going on?”
“There are assassins inside the palace!”
The captain draws his longsword. “Where are the assassins?”
Henwell kicks him into the castle moat beneath the drawbridge. “We are the assassins!”
The sudden attack leaves the palace guards confused, and before they can react, Henwell’s team has thrown them into the water below.
Henwell shouts, “Push the carts inside the castle, don’t block the drawbridge!”
The knights exert their strength, quickly hauling the fruit and vegetable carts into the fortress.
By now, many guards realize Henwell’s royal guard team are infiltrators.
But it’s too late. As the guards rush forward, the Paladins begin turning the winch to raise the drawbridge.
Diara of the Imperial Hunt Squad, seeing the winch turning too slowly like a windmill, grabs hold of an iron chain thick as an arm.
“Kimir, lead your team to clear the gallery bridge and set up defenses! Zoffern, your team pulls the left chain. Diara, your team pulls the right chain! Pakrik, hold the winch, don’t let them sabotage it! McComb, bring your men here to form a frontline with me and push the enemy back!”
Sunflower Fortress is massive, with surprisingly vast interior space.
After entering the main gate, there’s not a great hall but a suspended gallery bridge several dozen meters above a dry moat.
This moat acts as an internal barrier to prevent large enemy forces from rushing in.
After Henwell gives his orders, Kimir and his subordinates charge across the gallery bridge.
They must seize the far side and hold off the castle’s defenders before the main gate closes.
They cannot let themselves get trapped on the gallery bridge, that would be disastrous.