The greatsword knight, locked in a fierce struggle, realizes this isn't working. He grips the sword hilt with one hand and the bde with the other, attempting to shove Henwell back. But Henwell holds his ground, raising his longsword and bracing his left arm against the bde. He steps forward, crashing his sword, Dusk, against the knight's weapon. Despite the knight's heavy armor and elevated position, Henwell's superior strength forces him back several steps.

  Before the knight can regain his footing, Henwell swiftly draws a dagger from his waist and flings it. The knight barely needs to dodge, as the dagger's aim seems slightly off, whizzing past him. Puzzled, he gnces at Henwell, who stands poised for a follow-up strike. Suddenly, the knight hears a strange cracking sound, like something breaking apart.

  A tremendous force sms into his back, sending him airborne. Henwell grins fiercely, thrusting his sword forward to decapitate the knight as he hurtles toward him. Picking up the severed head, Henwell hangs it from his belt.

  He strides over to the ballista and retrieves his dagger. From the start of the battle, Henwell had pnned how to quickly eliminate his enemy. Without armor and only a longsword, he knew a prolonged fight would be disadvantageous. Ending the battle swiftly and efficiently was crucial for Henwell.

  From the start of the encounter, Henwell strategically maneuvered his opponent's movements, guiding him into a deadly trap. After the final csh, the knight stepped back, nding precisely where Henwell had set his lethal snare.

  The dagger Henwell threw wasn't meant to kill directly; instead, it targeted the ballista behind the knight. The dagger's bde sliced through the main bowstring, causing the bow to snap back violently and strike the knight's back.

  Already unsteady and retreating uphill, the knight was caught off guard by the bow's recoil, sending him flying forward. Henwell's longsword was poised and ready for the knight's neck, awaiting the perfect moment.

  Henwell's relentless assault from the beginning was designed to keep the knight focused solely on him, distracting him from the surroundings.

  After surveying the area, Henwell unhooks the head from his belt and tosses it to the ground. He then nimbly climbs a tree to scout the environment.

  Moments ter, Henwell gathers several ballista-like arrows from the ground and climbs back up the tree. Soon, there's movement in the nearby bushes. The leading knight cautiously signals, but receives no reply. He gestures for his team to spread out, adopting a defensive stance as they enter the area where Henwell had fought.

  Once they confirm there are no survivors, they pn to contact other comrades. They've found traces of Henwell and are preparing to gather forces for an ambush. Meanwhile, above them, Henwell perches silently on a branch, like a stealthy big cat, observing their every move.

  After a good half hour, Princess Catherine's expression grows increasingly grim. Finally, she spots Henwell descending from the opposite side of the valley, carrying a rge bundle on his back. He mounts his horse and rides over to Catherine, opening the cloth bundle to reveal several bloody heads.

  Catherine narrows her eyes. "What’s the meaning of this?" she asks.

  Henwell casually tosses the heads aside, and they roll around Princess Catherine's warhorse like balls. "Princess, I need to remind you of three things!"

  "First! In the business of assassination, if you fail, you should retreat, not stubbornly stand your ground. That’s not how assassinations work. These people had strength, but they weren't used correctly. If you can't find a specialized team, I can introduce you to some. They’ll ensure the job isn’t as sloppy, at least without leaving loose ends. And they certainly wouldn’t put you, Your Highness, in such an awkward position."

  Princess Catherine softly replies, "Oh? So you think I’m the mastermind behind these people?"

  Henwell gnces at her. "When you're caught red-handed, there's no point in denying it. It’s a disservice to your opponent and to yourself. Think bigger. You need to be able to win gracefully, and also lose with dignity."

  Henwell points to himself, continuing, "Second, I need to remind you, Your Highness, that I am the one who has been secretly protecting Arius and the delegation! It wasn't Knight Commander Taitnt who killed the assassins you sent in Fuji Town. It was me who personally took down the Battle Knight you dispatched. See these heads? I think they prove my capabilities! One of them is a Battle Knight!"

  The first opponent Henwell faced was indeed a Battle Knight. Although confident in his victory, Henwell knew that defeating a Battle Knight wasn't easy and would take time. That's why he used some clever tactics to catch the knight off guard and eliminate him.

  Princess Catherine gres at Henwell. "How can you be so sure they were assassins? They didn’t reveal their identities, but they could have been guards we stationed here to protect the Spring Hunt party! Do you realize the consequences of killing kingdom knights without cause?"

  Henwell smirks. "Really? Guards, you say? Who uses a ballista for protection? Those things are rare, hard to maintain, difficult to transport, and expensive! Would anyone go through the trouble of bringing them to the middle of nowhere just for a hunting event's security? Plus, all their weapons and armor had their markings removed—hardly what you'd expect from guards. If I recall correctly, it was you, Princess, who suggested coming here for the Spring Hunt."

  Catherine chuckles, "So what? Even if I proposed it, and even if they were assassins, how does that connect to me?"

  Henwell shakes his head. "Thirdly, Your Highness, I'm not here to accuse you. I don't care about your deeper motives for doing this. I just want to tell you one thing: provoking us is not a wise move. Perhaps you should consider other strategies."

  "Your Highness, as I mentioned earlier, when you lose, you should accept it. If you do something bad, you're just breaking the rules of the game. Like right now! Reaching for that elegant yet deadly crossbow on your saddle, or thinking of using the hidden one on your arm—these are acts of someone who can't handle losing! It only makes you seem like a woman with some cunning but ultimately foolish arrogance."

  "Using petty tricks to achieve grand results shows a mismatch between ambition and capability."

  Catherine sneers as she removes the crossbow. "So, what are you going to do? Kill me now?"

  Henwell raises the bow in his hand. "Look, this isn't my bow; it's from those assassins. So, if you don't behave, those assassins will kill you! Ruthless and fierce, they suddenly attack the princess, and I, unable to save you in time, can only avenge you by killing them! In the end, the princess succumbs to her injuries, and I am left heartbroken. Doesn't that sound convincing?"

  Catherine scoffs, "And you think your words alone will make people believe that?"

  Henwell grins, drawing a dagger and slowly pressing it into his own abdomen. "Think carefully! Once this dagger goes all the way in, your time is up!"