Mission in another world with my transformed best friend

Zhang Lan disappeared before dinner was over, and Masha was probably in her "cooling-off period," constantly cleaning up the table with the other girls, not giving Wang Kai a chance to approach and explain.

As the restaurant was nearing completion, Martha found an opportunity to leave with the others, and the large restaurant suddenly became quiet...

"Sigh, compared to the countless questions I need to ask Zhang Lan and how to explain the misunderstanding about the marriage proposal to Martha, dealing with this 'duel application' is still more important."

Although it may not be a real threat, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Nobody wants someone who's always looking for "revenge" watching them from behind.

Most importantly, if the other party is a little girl who dares to choose to fight head-on, what am I, a grown man, afraid of? "Fighting head-on" is the only way, and I must gladly accept this duel!

Moreover, by taking advantage of this "duel" opportunity, we can once again show Ilya the huge difference in strength between the two sides, completely dispelling her thoughts of revenge.

Otherwise, from now on, I will have to carefully check before going to bed at night to make sure the doors and windows are closed properly, and whether there are any hidden nails in the bedding...

After sitting in his chair for a while, Wang Kai took a deep breath and walked out of the restaurant, heading towards the agreed-upon "duel arena".

……

"What are you doing, looking around so much and moving slower than a snail? I'm all alone here!"

"Hmph, I'm not afraid of your ambush... No, since you dare to go alone, you must have something to hide... No, are you prepared to get another beating from me?"

Before Wang Kai had even reached the end of the corridor, a sound came from not far ahead. Wang Kai almost reached for the iron rod at his waist, but there was no magical fluctuation or killing intent in the air. He breathed a sigh of relief, adjusted his posture, and replied calmly while concealing his wariness.

Ilya hadn't intended to hide herself. She had been leaning against the wall earlier, and when she saw Wang Kai arrive, she made no attempt to conceal herself. She calmly walked a few steps forward and stood in the middle of the corridor, looking him up and down again before finally asking as if she had made up her mind.

Before I reveal my purpose, let me ask you one more time: Why are you so strong?

"Oh, you mean this? It's just about racking up points... No, why should I tell you the truth? Even if I did, you wouldn't be able to do it."

"Judging from your confident demeanor, I'll assume you possess unfathomable strength. Could you tell me your level and profession?"

"No comment!"

Ilya crossed her arms, her brow furrowed with confusion...

"Really? A partner recognized by the 'Saintess' shouldn't be as strong as a novice adventurer like her."

"After our fight in the bathhouse, I carefully recalled the scene of that battle."

"You didn't use any magic at all, or only some low-level magic, yet you managed to block all my attacks and even 'counterattack' the fireballs. As far as I know, no melee adventurer has ever been able to do that..."

Wang Kai was thinking to keep his mouth shut, but in order to maintain his momentum, he immediately retorted haphazardly.

"Whether it's ranged magic or melee swords, as long as it can defeat the enemy, what does it have to do with whether it's actually possible?"

"Indeed, just because you can't do something doesn't mean others can't... Judging from your fighting style, you must have experienced a lot of dungeon raids, big and small, accumulating a wealth of combat experience to hone your unique fighting style during your adventures..."

"Why are you so sure?"

Ilya closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then her gaze sharpened as she turned to Wang Kai…

"Of course, I can also confirm that your combat style is more solo-oriented."

"If we follow the combat style of an 'adventure team,' your combat method seems strange. After all, in a team adventure, each teammate just needs to do their job. Whether facing a weak monster or a powerful BOSS, everything such as luring the enemy, ambushing, attacking, surrounding, defending, providing magic support, assisting, retreating, etc., is done step by step."

"In this 'cooperative mode' of combat, teammates won't do anything too 'out of line,' like you can use your weapon to counter magic, am I right?"

The conversation continued without pause, and while Wang Kai was struggling to keep up, he gradually became suspicious of Ilya's "erudition."

Could it be that the other party is just a half-orc girl on the outside, but her true identity is really that of a "noble offspring"?

And Ilya's appearance here, concealing her true identity, could it be that she is approaching Zhang Lan for some ulterior motive?

If that's the case, why is she discussing these things with me now? Isn't she afraid of arousing suspicion?

……

Therefore, after deciding not to "stay put" on the topic for the time being, Wang Kai paused for a moment to think and then decided to take a direct approach, asking a question in return.

"Let's leave everything else aside for now. Ilya, what is it you wanted to see me about?"

"It's simple, can you help me get revenge?"

"Hmm, it's just revenge, right? Uh, what?"

Ilya nodded, closed her eyes and thought for a moment, a painful expression flashing across her face, before she calmed herself and continued.

"A few years ago, my home was broken into by a group of robbers. While my father was fighting desperately with the robbers, my mother secretly locked me under the floorboards and told me not to come out no matter what. Then the house caught fire... After a long time, when everything had calmed down, I kicked open the floorboards and crawled out, only to see my parents lying in a pool of blood in the ashes..."

Ilya struggled to suppress her trembling body and continued speaking.

"Although Imperial soldiers investigated the matter later, they were never able to catch those demons... As an orphan, I lost everything and began to wander around, making a living by pickpocketing... I didn't feel guilty because I had no other choice but to live this way, and only by living could I have a chance to take revenge."

"Years later, while I was wandering, I heard that the town of Merck had inexplicably prospered, and people from all over the empire were gathering there. So I came here, continuing my wanderings while hoping to find even the slightest clue about those demons from these people from all over the empire. But before I could find any clues, I was soon caught by soldiers for theft..."

“A child my age could have been released by having his family pay a fine, but I was both a demi-human and an orphan, unable to pay compensation. The soldiers, according to the law, labeled me a slave and sold me to compensate others for their losses…”

“As you know, many ‘demi-humans’ like me are considered inferior by the pure-blooded races of the Empire. If we become slaves, we’ll either be sent to the mines to do hard labor, or be sent to the dungeons to be hired helpers for adventurers, or be bought to serve nobles and wealthy people. Even… if we show the slightest intention to resist, we’ll be ‘educated’ by the slave trading guild. Originally, I was planning to commit suicide out of despair that I couldn’t take revenge, but a little over a month ago, ‘Saintess’ sister suddenly appeared in front of everyone.”