Inara's eyes widened instantly, harboring a myriad of questions. Meanwhile, Invel sharply retorted, his breaths short and heavy.
"A hidden archer, bugged cloaks and a 'funhouse mask' that gives distorted reflections when gazed at from the outside..." He paused, letting out a breath.
"You came fully prepared... but unfortunately, I have no intention... cough" Coughing blood into his hand, he briefly halted before gathering himself to continue.
"I've got no intention to let this kid leave... If Latio has a problem with that... he can come all the way down here and chat with me himself" The prince declared in a resolute tone and a fleeting quiet settled in.
"I urge you to consider this thoughtfully, Lord Invel."
"Firstly, refusal to surrender him is justification for Insomnia to start a war. Secondly..." White Mask paused, casting a brief look at Inara. The funhouse mask lacked eye openings but was crafted to allow the wearer to see through the thick layers of plastic from within.
"I'm sure the princess wouldn't be too pleased if a fight were to break out between us" The subdued voice wrapped the forest in profound silence, and without delay, White Mask proceeded.
"And lastly, I happen to know the only thing... no, the one person you're afraid of, and he also wouldn't take this lying down" A whisper of cold breeze descended, and in a flash—
Invel abandoned his composure, aggressively seizing White Mask's throat with his heavily bleeding right hand.
"Keuhk!" The masked figure gasped, fighting to escape his ruthless grip, yet Invel's fingers only tightened.
A sinister glint flashed in the prince's fearsome eyes as the hood of White Mask's cloak slipped, unveiling lustrous, flowing purple hair.
"Tell me, vermin. Are the mask and cloak your countermeasures against my Gavel?" Invel subtly inclined his head, his visage akin to that of the grim reaper.
"You seem pretty confident. Should we try and see if these toys can really protect you?" His ominous voice echoed, the pressure on the masked woman's neck intensifying. And as White Mask wrestled for breath, Inara spoke, piercing through the tension.
"Lord Invel, she's a lady. Please, be gentle" She pleaded. And only then, did Invel release White Mask's neck, casting a puzzled gaze at the princess.
"You alright?" Inara asked, forcefully inserting herself into the conversation.
The masked woman released a raspy, distorted cough then nodded, exhaling a sigh of relief. She felt grateful that events were finally heading in the direction she desired.
"Can I trust Keres' safety in your hands?" The princess asked, resolve flickering on her face.
"Absolutely, he'll be perfectly safe with us" White Mask reassured but Inara didn't seem convinced.
"Alright, but could you promise me that letting you go won't stir up any future problems?"
"No need to worry, my princess. We plan to depart the capital at our earliest convenience" The masked woman replied with a measured bow. She understood that the young and somewhat naive princess was their best chance of surviving this ordeal. Clenching her trembling fists, she could only hope the princess believed her words.
In response, Inara extricated herself from beneath Invel's arm. She rose on the balls of her feet and fixed White Mask with a tenacious, calculating stare. This prompted White Mask to shrink backwards, beads of cold sweat forming as the princess began to speak.
"It's hard for me to believe you when your face is hidden behind a mask, you know" She remarked, and White Mask stayed silent in response to her statement.
"I understand you have your reasons, but if we're gonna make concessions, we need to be able to trust each other, don't you think?" The princess questioned, and a moment of silence followed.
"Then... you could establish a cell contract with me if it's not too much..."
"Nah, nothing too extreme. I just need an assurance that you'd take good care of Keres and leave peacefully, sparing my brother any more trouble." Inara interjected, shutting her eyes briefly.
White Mask hesitated, but after a moment, she finally collected herself to speak.
"Will this be sufficient enough to persuade you, then?" She asked, extending her right hand towards the princess.
"As a Faker, you must have learnt Pulse rate reading. Feel free to use it on me" White Mask added, and Inara offered a subtle nod as if anticipating this response.
Dells are subdivided into distinct classes, each based on the structure and composition of their chakra panels. Artists, Dancers, Drivers, Ducers, Handlers, Readers and Fakers, precisely. A person's class dictates their chakra utilization style, and among these seven diverse classes, the rarest is the Faker class.
Fakers are a unique group that use chakra to enhance their brain functionality. However, only one in a million children is born as a Faker. And just like with every other class, not all born-Fakers end up meeting the requirements for an awakening.
But the fortunate few who do awaken are able to exhibit levels of overall intelligence far beyond the capabilities of regular human beings.
Inara's remarkable emotional understanding and heightened tactile perception make it easy to determine her target's sincerity by simply monitoring their pulse rate.
In that moment, Inara tenderly took hold of White Mask's hand, laying two fingers on her wrist. Sensing the masked woman's anxiety and eagerness, Inara could easily tell that the emotions were rooted in fear and genuine concern for Keres' safety.
"Right. Kindly inform Keres to avoid such recklessness in the future" The princess said, letting go of the masked woman's hand. White Mask released a sigh, relieved.
Then, the young princess redirected her tenacious gaze to Invel, who had remained silent for a while.
"It's fine, right?" She asked.
"Ummm, well, it kinda isn't…"
He tried to speak, but she interjected, crossing her arms and shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"I bet Albert Herodotus would love a scoop about the newly appointed governor engaging in child assault." She pouted, and Invel briefly shut his eyes, releasing a sigh.
"I guess it's alright... if you say so..." He conceded, scratching the top of his head. And just like that, the entire forest was liberated from the hostility the prince had exuded just moments ago.
The rapid shift in his stance was surprising. But this was precisely what White Mask had hoped for.
"My sincere gratitude, Lord Invel, Princess Inara" White Mask expressed, bowing twice— once towards each sibling.
In truth, White Mask wasn't typically one to bow to royalty. But if it meant ensuring Keres' safety, she was willing to go even beyond breaking such personal convictions.
Seizing his lifeless hand, she hoisted the unconscious Keres onto her shoulder.
"Then, if you don't mind, we'll leave first" White Mask stated, turning in the direction she came. Ready to depart, she suddenly hesitated for a moment.
"One more thing..." She turned back, reaching into the sleeve of her thick leather cloak.
"Consider this a modest token of apology for all the trouble we've caused." The masked figure said, tossing a small vial toward the siblings.
As Inara took hold of the vial and confirmed it was a recovery potion, she immediately raised her gaze and spoke up.
"Ah, thank y—" Her words were abruptly halted as White Mask vanished without a trace before she could finish.
The princess stared intently on the path the masked woman had vanished into, her face a chalkboard of both astonishment and gratitude.
Suddenly, Invel crumpled, taking her by surprise. Yet, reacting swiftly, she rushed to his side, her hands reaching out to catch him before he fell completely.
Inara gently upheld the prince as he sank to his knees, his breaths labored, and his blood-stained hand covering his mouth.
Maintaining a composed tone that masked the turmoil surging within, she knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on his quivering shoulder as he coughed, blood staining his lips.
"Hold on, we're gonna get through this" She reassured, her composure unwavering.
As Invel relaxed his shoulders, gearing up to speak, she tactfully interrupted him before any words could slip through his mouth.
"Don't speak, you might strain your wounds" She advised and he acknowledged with a gentle nod.
"I need to check your pulse first, stay with me, okay?" She murmured, her eyes reflecting determination.
Next, Inara delicately placed her fingers on his wrist, measuring the beat beneath her touch.
"Steady, just like always" She breathed relief, reassuring both him and herself.
Maintaining controlled breaths, she mentally rehearsed her training, and in that very moment, she proceeded to the next step.
"Now, let's get these arrows out. It's going to hurt, but we have to do it, so please hold on, okay?" Her words flowed out and he shut his eyes, nodding in response.
The forest was enveloped in a temporary silence as Inara gently removed the arrows one after the other. Invel felt a searing torment, but he gritted his teeth through the pain; he had experienced far worse before.
"Almost there" She muttered, her words a steady cadence echoing the rhythm of his weakening pulse.
"Remember when I was struggling with the shock of losing my memories last year?" She asked, gently placing a removed arrow on the ground.
"You're strong; you'll overcome this, you said to me back then" She continued, her voice resolute.
"Those words keep echoing in my mind. So right now, I'm more confident than ever. We're going to make it through this, just like we did back then" Her tone wavered as she carefully removed the final arrow, the very one that had pierced through the prince's heart.
Invel winced, but as he felt the thorn leave his chest, he sighed a breath shimmering with relief.
Upon extracting the last arrow, Inara retrieved the vial she had dropped earlier. She uncapped the potion, holding it to his lips.
"Drink this; it'll help." She urged, her tone firm yet tender. But Invel shook his head, giving a cautious refusal.
"Ina... you can't... you can't accept cough "
"Things... cough... things like this... from strangers... it's..." He stated but before he finished speaking, she took a quick gulp of the potion. Next, she spoke up with her words laced with resolve.
"I just drank it too, so if it's poison, we're both going down together." She declared, and Invel raised a brow, reluctantly accepting the potion. Something about her had changed tonight.
The prince downed the potion until the vial was empty. His insides rumbled as the fluid worked its magic, slowly but effectively mending his damaged organs.
"Thanks, Ina" He said. But she was far from satisfied.
Invel had lost too much blood and the potion's effects weren't fast enough to heal all his wounds in time. She needed to do something, otherwise, he ran at the risk of suffering the consequences of excessive blood loss.
"Give me a moment, I'll go fetch a first aid kit" Inara replied, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead.
As she motioned towards Keres' hideout, where she had spotted a first aid kit before, Invel swiftly grasped her arm, halting her movements.
"It's alright" He assured her with a smile. When she peeked at his injuries through the rips in his clothes, she witnessed a miraculous sight— the wounds instantly closing on their own.
Invel's invisible particles performed their magic, erasing his injuries as if they had never existed.
In the next moment, Invel rose to his feet, his voice resonating with a gentle warmth.
"You've done remarkably well tonight. You can relax now" He said and hearing his words, a comforting warmth spread through her body. Her eyes widened with a complex blend of emotions as she leaned forward, resting her face against his chest.
"You had me so worried" She confessed, the tension in her voice almost tangible as he embraced her with one hand.
"I'm sorry, but it's all over now. Let's go home, putting tonight's events behind us" Invel responded in a soothing voice.
"No, I want to stay like this for a little longer" She insisted, and Invel surrendered to her request. As he lifted his gaze upward, feeling the cold winter breeze against his face, he closed his eyes and released a sigh.
"Ina, forgive me if I've been a terrible brother" He uttered, pausing briefly.
"Reflecting on it, maybe my motives are a bit selfish. But in this world, if you're weak, people will always try to take from you."
"That's why I want you to surpass even me in strength. I want you to become so powerful that not even God would dare to take anything away from you. Do you resent me for this?" He asked, and she gently shook her head, still keeping her forehead pressed against his chest.
"I always intended on surpassing you either way" She asserted, and a smile graced his lips. Tenderly patting her head, he replied, his voice calm and gentle.
"Whenever you're faced with any challenges, be sure to let me know, okay?"
"Lord Invel, you're the governor starting tomorrow. You probably wouldn't have that much free time," she paused, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Plus, I doubt surpassing you would be possible if I'm unable to overcome obstacles on my own" Her words continued, accompanied by a smile.
"Right" He scoffed, gently patting her head with a smirk as the lengthy chapter reached its long-awaited conclusion.
***