The Consort of Calamity

"O-ow…"

"These are the repercussions for pulling that stunt. Hopefully it teaches you a lesson."

Vaniti laid on the bed, stomach flat first. She hugged onto the pillow and squirmed. Bandages were wrapped around her leg, wrists, and more importantly…that ankle. 

Her voice was still recovering, but it lost its touch. She lost her voice, and sounded more like a raspy girl. 

I tried to deter her, hope she wouldn't do that again. Maybe because I don't like the feeling of being fought for like that anyways. Not that anyone should go to those lengths for me. 

But because it's dangerous. 

Despite that, however. I know Vaniti listened, but I don't think she accepted it. 

She's made up her mind, there's not much she would do now. 

We were back in the inn, I didn't bother turning in the Ascendant Quest, not while Vaniti was still in pain. No, recovery is important. She didn't rest for 4 days.

And if she did, maybe an hour at most, then back to more fighting. Spirit Elves are protected for endurance, yes. But only the stronger ones.

Vaniti? It's like going to the gym after a 9 month break and still thinking you can hit the PR's like you used to. That's dangerous.

And…I found out that Vaniti does experience pain. It's just that her body and perception of it is just too great. She has a higher tolerance for pain…than I would like to admit.

Or maybe it's just that the thought of recovery is what she despises as of this moment. I think it's the former.

Needles plucked into her back, her fair white skin was something I thought would be littered with scars, but wasn't.

Said needles glowed green, soothing the ache and pain within her body. I have to remember she practically never rested from the Initiate ranked quest as well. 

The one where she went 55 for 30 on Goblin eliminations. That one.

The more I see it. The more I realize it. 

Vaniti treats pain almost like background noise. Like…she treats pain the same way a bus driver sees potholes. 

You see it, then you feel it, but you don't stop. 

I noticed her move, maybe trying to get up. My tail whipped and pinned her down to the bed again.

"I'm not joking. You lay there. You're…you're useless to me if you don't rest." I say.

Vaniti looked towards me, Emerald and Pearl again. She slowly nodded with a smile. 

I didn't want to say it, but that was the only way she would listen. I don't think she understands the process of "recovery and healing".

But…if the potential of being useless was thrown in there, she would listen. Hah. Who could've guessed?

Vaniti doesn't want to "heal" or "recover" or "get better", she wants to be "available".

Her ankle wasn't as bad as I thought, a little bit swollen. Her wrist was worse, though. It looked red all the way up until the forearm.

She must've burnt out the mana pathways and still continued. The same way a runner runs and gets a cramp, but still tries to run. 

I lift her forearm with my tail, "Don't let this happen. If you sense and feel that your magic is taking just a second later to cast, just wait it out."

Because you Spirit Elves are conditioned to endure anyways. There would be no point if you tried breaking your own body.

It's a process of inflamed mana channels. At a certain point, she was using mana so much that her channels got tired eventually. 

Meaning she had to force the mana through her arm manually instead of automatically. She didn't rotate casting arms, didn't even switch to the right, no. 

Vaniti nodded, a strand of her blonde hair getting into her face. 

"I…see. I tried the…magic mixup you recommended, I think I'm starting to understand it more." She says. 

My tail twitched. 

Of course you are. Your mana signature is far larger now than when I last left you!

You might've been Low-Tier Apex…but now you're maybe Mid-Tier, dare I say high-tier now. 

And…the fact that somehow Vaniti somehow burned through her mana reserves even though she gains a portion of it back doesn't make sense entirely. 

Because in game mechanics, they don't gain a portion of it the moment they use the spell, they gain it after. Whole point is to chain magic combos almost infinitely until it's broken or something. 

But…if Vaniti is going against multiple enemies in a span, and she has no…AOE moves, then of course she was constantly burning through more than what she gained back. 

I got off the chair, Vaniti's body would twitch just slightly. I've never felt the healing or medical applications of this world, but if Vaniti, practically the more durable person I know, is wincing. 

Then I would be screaming in pain.

"You'll be resting for the next few days," I tell her.

Then, my eyes peer over to her armor folded over the table. 

"Don't put that armor on until I decide when you're back to 80%—no, 100%."

She looks at me like I've given her the worst news of her life. Well, not directly looking at me, but in the general area.

"R-Ryuuzen, I'm fine. You said Spirit Elves endure, right? I think I'll recover in the next hour."

I furrow a brow, "The next hour? I said Spirit Elves endure, not recover greatly. You'd be lucky this wouldn't take another week."

Vaniti looked…mad. Actually. Just slightly irritated and agitated. It wasn't towards me, but more towards herself. A race she practically never knew existed, and now blames herself for said race. 

I sigh. I had to tell her that, too. But…if I'm being honest?

It was a lie. 

Spirit Elves do endure and recover greatly. Just one sign of it is the mana they get back after each spell. Vaniti doesn't know that and wouldn't connect the dots, I hope. 

I don't think she sees that mechanic, or err, passive as "recovering". More like beneficial. 

The last thing I need to see is Vaniti outside at 100%, just after the stunt she pulled. If anything, she probably could recover in the next hour. 

If the placebo effect, and her understanding that I know better than she does, she won't question me. 

But…there'll be a time she does real, real soon. 

I could only look at her as she continued to squirm, leg twitching.

If Vaniti did all this just because I was gone for four days…and quite honestly there's no other way I could pain it. 

Four days is a long time—but, if she managed to do all of this…

…what would she do in other extremes?