Alara raised an eyebrow at Kyle's response. "An assassin, huh? That's... unexpected."
Mira leaned forward, her ample bosom straining against her dress as she studied Kyle with curiosity.
"An assassin porter... I've never heard of such a thing." She giggled lightly. "Aren't you supposed to be a bit more... stealthy?"
Weston and Leo exchanged a glance, then turned their gazes back to Kyle—one with a soft smile, the other with a mix of caution and intrigue.
Kyle just shrugged, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Stealth isn't always necessary. I have my uses."
Alara rolled her eyes but waved her hand. "Fine. But keep in mind, we'll be dealing with dangerous monsters. You'll need to pull your weight."
"Oh, don't mind Alara. She's always like that." Mira smiled softly. "I think our little assassin porter is going to fit right in."
Kyle said smoothly, leaning back in his seat. "Don't worry, I won't let you down."
He let the last word linger, his gaze drifting between Alara and Mira—taking in their curves, the way their armor and dresses clung to their forms.
`These two will be fun to break in~` Kyle mused to himself with an internal chuckle.
Alara nodded slowly. "Alright then. Welcome to the party, Kyle. Let's talk about the mission."
She unrolled the map on the table. It showed a winding path leading into the Blackroot mountains, ending at a cave marked with a skull.
"Like I said, this cave has been swallowing patrols whole with no survivors. The guild's calling it C-rank, but there's a chance there might be a boss involved."
She traced her finger along the path, tapping the skull. "The quest is to investigate the cause and eliminate the threat."
Kyle listened intently as Alara finished explaining the mission details, his mind already racing with plans.
"...Anyone have any questions?" Alara asked, looking around the table.
Silence hung for a moment until Mira spoke up with a teasing grin. "Just one... what's our new porter's specialty? Besides being an assassin, I mean."
Kyle smirked back at her. "Oh, I have many talents. You'll see."
Alara cut in, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "Focus. We leave after lunch. Make sure you're ready."
As they dispersed, Kyle watched as Alara pulled Leo aside, speaking to him softly. The young man listened attentively, a faint blush on his cheeks.
Kyle turned his gaze to Weston and Mira, who stood nearby. "Quite a team."
Mira laughed warmly. "You'll fit right in, Kyle. Don't worry."
Weston smiled at Kyle kindly. "Indeed. I have a good feeling about you."
Kyle smiled without saying anything else. `Of course you would feel this way. I've sent orders into all your minds since I met you.`
He had already instilled a sense of comfort around him in the minds of all the party members. That was why their acceptance of him into the party came so easily.
He also made them not notice his eyes turning crimson when he activated his skill.
---
Later that afternoon, they gathered at the carriage, their packs loaded and weapons at the ready.
The carriage started moving, leaving the city and heading towards the cave.
Weston guided the horses from the front with calm murmurs, while Kyle lounged beside Mira, her thigh pressed flush against his.
Alara sat across from them, double-checking their route on the map, while Leo sat beside her, staring out the window.
"This is a long journey. We'll be on the road for hours," Alara said, glancing up at the others. "We might have to camp."
They nodded to her in agreement.
The carriage rolled on, the swaying and bouncing of the ride causing Mira's breasts to press and jiggle against Kyle's arm with each bump in the road.
The mage seemed not to notice, or perhaps she simply enjoyed the intimate contact.
`Damn, is she doing this on purpose? That bitch!` Kyle cursed under his breath. `I wish I could control her mind now. But I must increase her affection first.`
Kyle had higher intelligence stats than the rest of the party, but the difference was not overwhelmingly large. For this reason, he couldn't give them major orders, or resistance might arise from them.
The only way to fully control their minds is by increasing his intelligence stats more—which is currently impossible.
Or by increasing their affection towards him, which makes it easier for him to reach their minds.
While he was lost in thought, Mira leaned over. "So, assassin... can you stab anything bigger than a goblin?"
Kyle replied smoothly. "Depends on how tall you are."
"Oh, I'd say I'm pretty tall for a woman," she purred, green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Do you think you can handle me~?"
Kyle just smirked at Mira's flirtatious tone.
`Playful little milf...` He mused to himself, letting his eyes linger on her ample curves bouncing with each step.
Across from them, Alara sighed. "Ahem. Enough flirting, you two. Let's focus on the mission at hand."
Weston chuckled warmly from the driver's seat. "Looks like you finally found your match, Mira."
The conversation drifted—tales of past hunts, gripes about guild fees. Kyle had learned a lot about the group from these conversations.
He noticed a strange relationship between Alara and Leo. Alara treated Leo like her little brother. As for the young boy, it seems that he harbors feelings of love for his leader.
He also discovered that Alara was not the first leader of the group—there had been another leader who died on a mission two years ago. And that leader was also Mira's husband.
`So that means she's a widow, right?` Kyle chuckled to himself. `A widow milf!`