Ch8 gmr

Iris summoned two Weaver's orbs and flattened them into a meter-wide platform to stand on.

"Wow! What the heck are those things?"

"Weaver's orbs," Weaver's orb was not a Level 6 spell or power, but a basic skill of the Weaver Class. It was not knowledge above Level 5.

"They are… heavy," Hecate muttered in awe. She, being sensitive to mana, could feel the mana in them.

"We will use these to travel; horses are slow," Iris said. They were currently in Varanda, ready to leave. Winny was back on her head.

Hecate hopped on one and jumped, trying to push it down. "And solid, how do I control it?"

"You cannot," Iris had not considered Hecate asking for control; in hindsight, she should've.

Hecate made a pained face and jumped off the platform. "What!! Then it's no fun. How do I make one?"

"You need Weaver class to make that."

"I don't have that!" Hecate indignantly said. "Wait, I get it."

She ran off to the side of the pond and dug out a rock, sullying its beauty.

"I know what I need to do." Iris watched her pick up the rock and couldn't help but feel envious. If she tried to pick up one-tenth of that rock, her arm would break.

'Hella is a genius,' Iris thought to herself as she watched Hecate shatter the piece of rock into small pieces and mix it with her flames, moulding it into a platform. It was ugly yet ingenious.

"This. I can control with my Fire." As if to show off, she jumped on it, and it moved. "Let's go. It's a race." And she flew into the air.

Iris smiled. It wasn't a race, but she would play along; it would be fun. Iris jumped on the platform and took it into the air.

...

"10… 9… 8..."

"What are you counting?!" Hecate shouted; she was a bit farther away from her. Her voice was strained, as if lacking air.

"5… You'll know soon enough."

"WHAT!!"

"2… 1." Just as Iris said, the platform crumbled, and Hecate, like a puppet with its strings cut, fell and landed on the platform Iris had already created.

"Wha…" Hecate muttered in shock.

"You need to learn your limits. Overdoing something like this is catastrophic," Iris patiently voiced and stopped right beside Hecate.

"I know, I know. And I also know you would save me if I really fell." She was already back to herself. Hecate pushed herself into a sitting position, grabbed the edge of the platform, and tried to steer it, but it was to no avail.

"Only I can control it."

"I know, but that does not mean I cannot try. I need a way to fly, or I will always need your purple flying boards." Hecate let go of the edge and lay down. "And this is super hard. Why can't you make one more comfortable? That way I will be able to sleep on it while traveling."

Iris could only smile, hearing her whine and make plans was so much like her. "I can try to make one that is comfortable. I might." It would take hours to do so; she would need to find a comfortable thing to replicate and then learn how to weave it.

"Really!!"

"Yup," Iris also sat down on the platform, folding her legs. "Sitting does seem more appropriate than standing."

"Right! Let's go!"

…

The store where her clothes were going to be made was huge—huge enough that her whole village could have lived in it.

Hecate, of course, unperturbed by the grandness, led her to the owner and asked him to make the clothes and handed him the sketch. He read through the file and then made some calculations.

"The total cost is 337 thousand Silver."

Iris's lips twitched. Even she, who lacked a basic understanding of money, found the price to be absurd. Anything for Winny, she agreed to pay. Hecate interjected that Diantha would pay, not her.

"Why would she?" Iris questioned in confusion. It was her clothes.

"Because she asked for it to be made," Hecate explained.

"I cannot make her pay for something so expensive."

"Pfft! Expensive, you say? Lady Diantha is loaded. You could purchase this goddamned store, and she wouldn't bat an eye."

Iris didn't argue anymore. The store owner said the earliest he could have the clothes ready was half-past four.

"What should we do next?" It was only noon, and they had four and something hours of free time.

"I will go to the Mercenary Federation. My Guild ID would have been processed. I need to complete one more commission today to become an official member."

"What?" Hecate muttered, contemplating in silence. "Fine, I'll go too."

"Off we go!" Iris said cheerfully, trying to replicate Hecate's mood. She immediately regretted it as Hecate snickered.

…

"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild," Today there was a different receptionist. "How can I help you?"

"Iris," She placed the License on the counter. "My ID should've been processed."

"I'll check," the receptionist said and checked on the machine. "It is done. Now you can use all of the Guild facilities, and the ranking system has been unlocked. After adding points from the Gigyaki slaying Commission, you are currently Rank 3." Iris nodded.

The receptionist from the day earlier, Lesley, had explained to Iris how the commission system worked. Adventurers had a ranking system that went up to Rank 100. To rank up, she needed to complete a commission that, along with payment, gave points that would be added to her rank. The higher the rank, the better-paying commissions she would get, and she could access more facilities.

She wasn't particularly interested in those facilities, but having a higher rank would feel good, so she would do commissions as and when she was free. She was supposed to complete one commission every month, or they would revoke her license.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I'd like to take a commission."

"Wait a moment," the receptionist pulled out four cards and placed them in front of her. "These are the most suitable ones for you."

Iris looked through all of them and found one that confused her.

[Bring Back Family Heirloom from Treasure Monkey's Den. Reward - 10 Silver. Baron Cyrus.]

"I'll take this one." Iris walked out of the Guild and met Hecate outside, who had refused to enter.

"You're back."

"We need to go east, kill some treasure monkeys, and bring back the heirloom."

"Let's go."

"I wonder, shouldn't bringing back stolen things be Public Security's job?" Iris asked.

"It is, but do you think those snobby, arrogant bastards would do their work? If he asked them for help, they would first ask for some money, and then they would keep the heirloom for themselves."

"So mercenaries do their job?"

"Well, that's why there is a Guild in this place. If Public Security did their job, then you wouldn't see anyone in here."

"Hmm, makes sense. Only Felix is doing his job?"

"Yup, he is an uptight Knight of Lady Diantha after all. On that note, you know our city does not have a Guild. Lady Diantha makes sure the Knights do their job," Hecate proudly proclaimed.

"City?" Iris had thought they lived in an estate. "Don't you live in Lancaster's Estate?"

"Haa! Don't let the name fool you. It's just the Crown's way of suppressing Lady Diantha's capabilities. Lancaster's Estate is one of the most prosperous and peaceful cities in all of the Empire."

"More peaceful than here?"

"Yup. I'll show you around when we go back. You'll be blown away by the mesmerizing landscape."

Iris nodded and created the platform.

….

They landed a few meters away from the cave, and the treasure monkeys were already making loud noises, likely to alert their comrades of the intruders.

"Why do you have a conflict with the Mercenaries Federation?" Iris asked, not particularly eager to enter the cave. She could already imagine the abhorrent smell and dirt it would contain. She was just growing accustomed to the pleasant smell of the outside world.

"It's nothing. Let's focus on the monsters."

Hecate rushed inside, and Iris followed, unhurried, her hand clutching the sword at her hip.

The cave smelled abhorrent, and Iris tried not to think about stepping on monkey’s shit. She clenched her teeth and followed Hecate.

Hecate was running ahead and noticed a pair of treasure monkeys.

"I'll kill the left one," Iris almost laughed at Hecate's words. She could kill both of them, but she decided to follow Hecate's lead.

Hecate created a flaming spear, grabbed it, and pierced the monkey's head, killing it instantly. The spear then vanished.

Iris created strings and caught the other monkey.

"Wait!" Hecate shouted before Iris could shred the monkey.

"Hmm?"

"I already saw that spell. Use something else."

"You want to see my magic?" Iris asked. She had not seen spells used for anything other than killing, so she was surprised by Hecate's request.

"Of course, I do... show me something cool!" Iris didn't quite understand what Hecate meant by "cool" in this context. She sighed and dissolved her strings, allowing the monkey to fall to the floor.

Iris summoned two Weaver's orbs and freed the sword from her hips along with its sheath.

"I don't know what you mean by 'cool,' but enjoy the show."

Iris tapped the ground with the metal-plated tip of the sheath, causing the ground to light up with purple sparks. She tapped again, and the treasure monkey cried out in pain as all the lightning in the ground clashed with its body, tearing it apart into nothingness. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

"That was awesome," Hecate exclaimed.

"Was it?" Iris couldn't help but feel that it was cruel to needlessly prolong the suffering of a creature that hadn't done anything to them.

"Yup, let's go in."

They soon reached the centre of the cave, which was shaped like a dome. A dozen treasure monkeys were bowing in front of a statue, fewer than Iris had anticipated. The cave floor was covered in gold, and in the centre stood a statue of a huge monkey made of human skulls and bones, adorned with gold. At the top of the statue was the heirloom they were looking for.

Another group of monkeys stood in front of the gold, ready to fight them.

"That's the one we need," Iris pointed at the heirloom.

"First, we should kill them," Hecate suggested.

"How fast can you kill them all?"

"In a blink! Overheat!" The cave was suddenly filled with intense heat as flames erupted from the ground, engulfing every monkey in the cave. It even melted a portion of the gold.

"Uwahhh!"

"Arghhhh!" The cave echoed with the cries of the monkeys as they were burned to nothingness.

"The spell is inefficient," Iris muttered.

"I know, but it doesn't matter—I only use it for mobs."

"I do not understand," Iris said.

"What?"

"They were far too weak to gather this many treasures. There must be something else here."

Iris sent the orb and swallowed the Heirloom.

The cave shook, the statue's eye glowed, and the statue took a step forward, shaking the ground.

"Step back," Iris said as she jumped back. "There's a Litch Worm in the statue."

"A Litch Worm? What's that?" Hecate asked. She was more amused than anything. Iris, on the contrary, was disgusted.

"A vile being born of corrupted souls. It was using the treasure monkey to provide it more lives. The Heirloom was just a by-product."

"Do we kill it?"

"No, you step back, and I will kill it."

"Hey! I'm strong."

"Don't you want to see another cool spell?" Iris realized that if she said it was for her safety, then Hecate wouldn't leave.

"I do!"

"Then step back and watch as Heaven rains down judgment," Iris said.

Hecate dashed back into the entrance, her eyes shining in anticipation.

You're not cursed. you are free.

You're used, little soul, used by her to find peace. She did not care about you.

I... have never once used you, Sis.

Save me, Mayumi.

You're a Lord: accept your imperfections.

Thousands of voices rang in Iris's mind.

"Are you capable of speech?" Iris asked as she tapped the ground. Her voice was unusually low and serious, nothing like a child's.

A loud cackle erupted in the sky, startling Hecate.

"Heheheh, we are," its voice was like thousands of voices speaking at the same time.

"Then describe the pain you shall feel!" As soon as Iris was done speaking, a thunderclap pierced the dome, bringing down the ceiling on Bone Monkey. It crashed on the ground. The sky above became visible, covered in storm clouds.

"Hehehe, Hate? Is that what I feel? Or rage? Oh, has someone you loved been devoured by one of ours? We feel no physical pain. Try with all your might, little Lord. Shall this hollowed body bring you peace?"

"Physical?" Iris laughed. She slammed her sword, and a barrier rose around the flayed form of the Litch Worm. "Let this Lord make your soul feel the pain of a thousand thunders."

"H—" Iris stopped. In her anger, she forgot about Hecate. She was about to name the spell. It would have been a disaster if she hurt Hecate for something this shallow.

[Heavenly Judgment]

A flash of purple lightning fell from the sky, striking the Monkey.

"ARGH!!" It roared in pain. "H-how?!"

"You will know when you meet your brethren in the Abyss."

ARGH

AAHH

The monster continued to roar, and as it stopped, another lightning bolt struck.

"Iris! Stop, IRIS!" Hecate shouted, bringing Iris back from the past.

"I-I'm sorry," Iris stepped away from Hecate. "We shall leave."

She did not give Hecate time to say anything as she created two platforms and flew into the sky.