Mission in another world with my transformed best friend

Zhang Lan didn't know what to do either. In this other world where one wrong step could lead to total defeat, the higher the secrecy of one's trump cards, the safer one would be. Now, Ilya had become a "time bomb." If she wasn't dealt with, the consequences of her exploding at a crucial moment would be unimaginable.

Actually, according to the rules of this world, handling this would be quite simple. If a slave overhears something their master shouldn't hear, and the slave is completely illiterate, they'll usually be rendered deaf or blind, or, at best, made to be completely blind. But Ilya is educated, so to keep the secret, her master would usually choose to "dispose" of her discreetly, and the sooner the better…

Seeing Ilya's pleading expression, Zhang Lan couldn't bring herself to be ruthless. People from civilized times have a certain "awe" for life; otherwise, she wouldn't have impulsively bought these slave girls before... In addition, she herself was somewhat careless, discussing "secrets" with Wang Kai in front of so many people, so she couldn't escape responsibility.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Lan stretched out a hand and slowly reached towards Ilya's head. Ilya, seeing this, thought it was someone coming to take her life and closed her eyes in fright. But the hand only gently stroked her head a few times, and then a gentle and calm voice entered her ears...

“It was wrong of you to eavesdrop, but we also share responsibility… Now we’re even. You know what to do next, right?”

“I know, I swear… even if I die, I will not say a word about it to anyone else.”

"I knew you'd say that, but just swearing isn't enough; I need to put a 'shackle' on you!"

As she spoke, Zhang Lan summoned a small flame in her hand and then slapped it down hard. The moment it touched Ilya's head, she immediately withdrew her magic.

Ilya shuddered. Apart from feeling a little hot on the top of her head, she was fine. She couldn't help but open one eye to look up. She saw Zhang Lan staring at her with angry eyes and a very serious expression. He was speaking slowly and deliberately.

"By divine power, a 'destiny curse' has been placed upon you. Ilya's 'oath' has been known to the gods, and under my witness as the 'Hermit of the Otherworld,' a 'destiny curse' has been placed in your mind. If Ilya ever breaks her oath in the future, the 'destiny curse' will automatically trigger, and with a 'bang,' your little head will disappear from this world..."

Ilya had received a warning beforehand, but upon hearing the incantation delivered by the power of a "god," her whole body still tensed slightly, and she almost couldn't hold it in and wet the floor again...

After reciting the "incantation," Zhang Lan's expression returned to calm, and she released his hand.

"Alright, as long as you keep your mouth shut from now on, this 'life curse' will have no effect on you. However..."

"I understand. Thank you, Holy Maiden Sister... and Kyle, for sparing my life."

Ilya nodded frantically, her tense body finally relaxing slightly. After the tension subsided, she couldn't help but ask a question.

"Holy Maiden, are you really summoned by the gods like the heroes?"

"Didn't you say you were never allowed to utter a single word about it again?"

“Yes, the person just swore that they wouldn’t say a word to anyone else. You and Kyle are not ‘anyone else,’ so the ‘death curse’ you just cast shouldn’t have worked, right… See, I’ve said so much and your little head is still intact.”

Zhang Lan sighed. In his desperation, he had no better solution. Since the people of this world believed in gods, he could only use the pressure of the "gods" to resolve the matter. Ilya's frightened expression seemed genuine, but the question she was willing to ask at the risk of her life was not just out of curiosity. He might as well take advantage of it.

"Yes, yes, you're very clever, but if you tell any third person about this, besides me and Kyle... you can decide whether you're courting death or not. Alright, just as you overheard, Kyle and I were summoned by the gods and don't belong to this world."

Ilya's eyes lit up immediately after hearing this.

"Wow...that's amazing! Just like the hero! No wonder you're so smart, Saintess, and Kyle is so strong!"

"Intelligence and strength are not everything. We have come to... been summoned to this world for an extremely important mission..."

"Is it related to 'defeating the hero'? I was slightly startled when I heard that, and then you noticed..."

Zhang Lan thought for a few seconds, then turned around and strolled in another direction, talking as she walked.

"'Defeat' is just a metaphor, but 'heroes' are still our temporary goal. At present, we have no connection with the four heroes, and we have no need to 'defeat' them... To put it another way, in your eyes, they are heroes who destroyed the Demon King's army and saved the entire continent and empire, right?"

“Yes!” Ilya spread her hands. “To attack ‘heroes’ is already a great disrespect. But now, you, who were also summoned by the gods, actually have such intentions, it’s simply…”

"Absolutely what?"

"That was so exciting!"

Ilya jumped up from the stool in excitement, but quickly realized that she had spoken too loudly. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and touched her head. She breathed a sigh of relief after realizing that her head was still there.

Wang Kai found it interesting and couldn't help but speak up.

"Stimulating? Could you elaborate on how stimulating it is?"

"Well, it's a long story... Before they became slaves, they wandered all over the continent, constantly stealing just to get a bite to eat. They usually targeted the rich. Before making their move, infiltration and surveillance were essential. During this process, I often heard people discussing topics similar to what you just talked about, which is how to 'kill the hero'..."

This was somewhat unexpected. Seeing that Ilya didn't seem to be lying, Wang and Zhang didn't interrupt her and let her continue.

"In several major cities 'ruled' by heroes, many previously 'legal' actions have become 'illegal' because they contradict the laws enforced by the heroes. Many nobles and high-ranking officials who are restricted are unhappy about this and protest to the imperial capital from time to time, but what good are small protests... So, these people have started to take various actions. Since the imperial capital chooses to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, they might as well find a way to solve the problem themselves."

"Although what they overheard was just some fragmented information, the general conclusion is that the Empire's attitude of 'turning a blind eye' means that you high-ranking officials and nobles can do whatever you want. If you can defeat the hero, that's a good thing. But if you are defeated by the hero, our Empire will definitely immediately distance itself from the matter and pretend to know nothing."

"Therefore, the high-ranking officials and nobles across the continent who are dissatisfied with the hero's governance and have been implicated are probably planning an operation against the 'hero.' I've only heard what some of them are saying; I don't know who's above them."