Mission in another world with my transformed best friend

"Your Holiness, we are almost there. Please prepare to disembark..."

"understood."

Zhang Lan silently acknowledged the driver's reminder before snapping out of her reverie. Seeing Wang Kai's smug expression as if he already knew the answer, she couldn't help but sigh. After thinking for a moment, she decided to speak up.

"After meeting the hero, all they knew was that his party included a female priest connected to the 'Demon King.' What's there to brag about? According to you, they simply happened to glimpse a poor beggar kneeling by the roadside and casually gave him a penny. They probably didn't remember your face or voice at all. The only good thing is that you didn't get carried away and try to spar with the hero. Otherwise, you might not even know how you died..."

"I'm a little annoyed by your cold water, but I have to admit you have a point... After all, I'm currently only wearing 'white gear,' but once I get a full set of legendary equipment, I'm absolutely confident I can beat that guy to his knees and sing 'Conquer' in front of you. What do you say?"

Zhang Lan gave Wang Kai a half-smile, looked him up and down again, glanced out the window, and said.

"If you brag too much, be careful not to blow your tongue out. I hope you'll talk less, ask less, and observe and think more from now on... We'll be there soon."

"We've arrived? Where are we?"

"Of course, it's the place where I made a wish in front of Martha!"

After the carriage stopped, Wang Kai, who landed behind Zhang Lan, immediately turned his initial smugness into surprise. Looking around, a row of red walls with gold trim, along with the bustling streets and opulent atmosphere, clearly told him that the two of them had arrived in the "rich area" of Merck Town, a place where even ordinary people would find it difficult to enter...

After the driver got off, he walked straight to an iron gate that resembled an ancient city gate. He spoke a few words through a small window in the gate, and as the gate slowly opened, a stone path paved on the grass came into view. On both sides of the stone path, there were a dozen or so maids standing in neat rows with their heads slightly bowed in a "humble" posture to show respect. And the person at the very front of the group... wasn't that the old man Hani, the head of the merchant guild whom we had just met?

Zhang Lan gave Wang Kai a look, signaling him to follow. As soon as they stepped through the iron gate, the maids shouted in unison.

"Welcome back, 'Hermit Saintess'..."

Hani also placed her right hand on her chest, bowed slightly, and waited for Zhang Lan to walk up to her before speaking softly.

"Your Excellency, you've had a long day. You are free to do as you please for the rest of the time. As for tomorrow's plans, I will send someone to deliver them to you..."

"Yes, Lord Hani, you've worked hard too. And the person behind me needs no introduction, right..."

Hani glanced at Wang Kai, forcing a stiff smile.

"Yes, Your Majesty... Lord Kyle, I told you we would meet soon, didn't I?"

"I...yes, I didn't expect it to be so fast?"

To minimize trouble, Zhang Lan coughed softly, looked around at everyone, and said...

"I am Alice Lan, the 'Saintess of the Recluse,' and I hereby announce that Mr. Kyle, standing behind me, is not only an important partner but also an indispensable figure in my future work. Furthermore, he will henceforth have the authority to freely enter and exit the 'Alchemy Pavilion' area. Do you all understand?"

"Understood, Lord Kyle, welcome to the 'Hani Merchant Guild'..."

Amidst the shouts of the crowd, Wang Kai, who had only ever witnessed such a scene in games, was still stunned and speechless. Zhang Lan gestured with her eyes, and two maids came over, one in front and one behind, flanking the two of them, and led them along the stone path further in…

Wang Kai couldn't hold back any longer and quietly asked Zhang Lan in front of him.

"Where is this place? And what is the 'Alchemy Pavilion' area qualification?"

"Speak less, ask less, observe more, and think more. Someone you know will naturally tell you later!"

"An acquaintance? Who is it?"

Led by two maids, at the end of the stone-paved road stood a huge high-rise building that was clearly recently constructed. Wang Kai's first impression of it was that it was the "office building" of a large corporation.

This large building has six floors. Judging from its length and width, each floor is about half the size of a football field, which almost made his jaw drop again.

That's not the most surprising thing. The most surprising thing is that there's empty land within a hundred meters of this building. You have to understand, in this "rich area" where every inch of land is precious, building such a building on such a large piece of land seems like a huge waste of land resources.

Wang Kai suppressed the urge to complain. When he saw that the "office building" was surrounded by a newly built high wall on all four sides, with fully armed soldiers standing on the wall, the "office building" immediately gave him the feeling of a "large prison".

Could Zhang Lan really be involved in the rumored "murder case," and have been under house arrest for over a month while awaiting trial? That's too tragic. Has she found herself a good lawyer...?

Upon arriving at an iron gate outside the high walls, the maid who had led the way spoke a few words to the soldiers on guard. The soldiers' expressions towards Wang Kai immediately filled with respect, and they quickly opened the iron gate... Just as the gate opened, Zhang Lan stepped aside, and a fragrant aroma wafted towards Wang Kai...

"Wow, Kyle, it really is you! I've missed you so much!"

Suddenly, a delicate body was caught in his arms. All Wang Kai could see was a head of soft brown hair. Considering the "acquaintance" Zhang Lan had mentioned earlier, there was only one possibility left.

"Ah, little Martha?"

Something's not right. Although it's Martha's voice, it sounds a bit "mature." And the biggest difference is that the person in her arms is much taller than Martha. Also... why are there two very "well-endowed" soft mounds in front of her? Could it really be that child?

Martha looked up, her excited expression tinged with a hint of confusion, and blinked her big eyes as she continued.

"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"

"Are you really Martha? How did you suddenly get so big... no, so tall?"

"This isn't your imagination, Kyle, look closely..."

Martha laughed, let go of her hands and took a few steps back. She spun around a few times with a smile and a frown, as if showing her long-lost relatives her childlike actions. Her self-expression was slightly mischievous, which made Wang Kai stare in a daze.

Putting aside Martha's physical changes, her tight-fitting t-shirt, off-the-shoulder tank top, cropped leggings, and flat shoes—the entire outfit is the standard attire of an "idol girl group" from her previous world. If she were dressed in a sailor uniform, wouldn't it be...?

For a moment, Wang Kai felt as if he had traveled back to his hometown. Masha spun around a few times and walked back to him, her hands behind her back, bending over and staring at him with her head turned to the side, her small mouth opening and closing.

"What's wrong, Kyle? As soon as they heard you were back, they came to greet you without even changing out of their 'work clothes.' Isn't this outfit a bit strange and doesn't look very good? I'll go change into my old clothes right away..."

"Huh? Work clothes? What kind of job requires this kind of 'idol group' attire? Considering the 'idol daily life' that Zhang Lan encountered in town earlier, where fans blocked a horse-drawn carriage, could this other world also be into 'traffic trainees'? In this world without internet, TV, or mobile phones, can such a novel thing really be so lucrative? No, no, Zhang Lan warned me to talk less, ask less, observe more, and think more, but based on what I've seen so far, I can't figure it out no matter how hard I try... Oh well, I'll deal with this for now and listen carefully to his explanation later."

So, Wang Kai calmed down, a smile of joy at their long-awaited reunion appeared on his face, and his gaze unconsciously lingered on several obvious "changes" in Masha's body. He didn't know why, but he blurted out the words without thinking.

"No, no, this outfit looks great. And looking closely, Martha, you've grown up so fast! Standing next to Sister Lan, I can't even tell who's the older sister and who's the younger sister... huh?"

"Get your ass out of here..."

Zhang Lan glared at Wang Kai and then spoke to the two maids accompanying him.

"As you all heard, my arrangements for today are complete. I can take over the work at the 'Alchemy Pavilion.' You just need to prepare normal food and lodging, and also prepare an extra guest room for Kyle... Lord, understand?"

"Yes, Your Holiness!"

After receiving their orders, the two maids entered the "office building" in front of them, and the iron gate closed behind them. Martha affectionately took Wang Kai's arm and pulled him forward, saying as they walked.

"Brother Kyle, what are you saying? Didn't I say I have orc blood? Mixed-bloods, influenced by their bloodline, will experience rapid physical growth under certain circumstances. But I feel I haven't grown enough yet; it will probably take another six months or so before I'm as tall as those two maid ladies from earlier..."

"Is this a setting for beastmen bloodlines? But animals like kittens and puppies do grow very quickly; in the blink of an eye, they're almost the size of adult cats and dogs in just a few months to half a year, since they need to hunt to survive. Humans, too, also have a few years of rapid growth, so if you shorten their lifespan proportionally, they're about the same size as these animals... But, regarding Zhang Lan... what's the deal with Alice's elven bloodline? If anyone knows, please type it in the comments..."