The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Rita was startled when Klaus appeared beside her so suddenly. Had it not been for Klaus speaking, she wouldn’t have even realized he was standing beside her.

“Huh…” Rita shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“No need to be alarmed. I won’t bite, though I have to say, do you always think deeply when VIP customers come to your store?” Klaus asked with a smile, sitting beside her.

Rita shook her head. “Please, this is not my store. You probably shouldn’t let my boss hear you say that. I don’t want to lose my job. And to your question, no, I don’t think too much, but today is different.

You are Klaus Hanson. If my boss later learns you were at the store but I didn’t inform her, she will be pissed. I don’t want to lose my job.”

Klaus just shook his head, sensing the genuine worry in Rita’s tone.

For one, she didn’t want to lose her job, as that was all she had. On the other hand, she didn’t want to go against what Miko Hiroshi said.

Miko is the wife of the lord of the city, Ryo Hiroshi; her words are supreme, and that is what is making Rita contemplate hard.

If she reports to her boss, she will likely keep her job, but she would ultimately be going against Miko Hiroshi’s words. However, if she chooses not to report to her boss, she risks losing her job.

Then again, she can risk that because it was Miko Hiroshi who told her not to call her boss. However, while losing her job would be worth it to be sincere to Miko Hiroshi, the moment she left the store today, the chance of crossing her path again would be less than 1%.

That is not something she can risk.

She struggled to get the job she has now, and as a mother of one, losing her job wasn’t an option. That is how much she wanted to preserve her job, and Klaus, who is in tune with reality, could sense her genuine worry.

This caused him to sigh.

“You know, I once knew a Rita. Slim, beautiful, short-dark hair, and a determined look—just like you. She was both fierce and loyal.

She doesn’t take no for an answer, and when the situation calls for it, she makes the hard decision without a moment’s hesitation.

I used to call her Feisty Panther, for she is both feisty and behaves like a panther. It’s been so long that just seeing you now brought back some memories.” Klaus smiled, and Rita raised her brow.

Watching Klaus smile strangely made her calm down a bit. It was like watching his smile heal all her internal struggles.

This made her wonder just why she was feeling this way.

“You know, in life, not everything has to be thought hard before making a decision. Sometimes, you just have to pick one path and walk; if the path leads nowhere, you figure something out.

Never try to weigh options when you know what is best for you and not others. To survive in this torturous world, you have to think of yourself and the ones you love over everything; that is how you decide what is best for you, and protect what you love.”

Klaus turned and looked at the ladies who were moving from one rack to the next, searching for something good to buy.

“In life, what makes your heart ache is what you should prioritize. Trust me, the world can burn, but if you manage to save what you love, everything else will be worth it.”

Rita sat there with a calm expression, though inwardly, she was processing all Klaus had just said. His words resonated with her to the point that, without even thinking, she knew what had to be done.

Klaus saw that and smiled. ‘At least, finally, she knew what she wanted ‘

Then he asked a question that made Rita’s body stiffen.

“So tell me, Rita, how long have you worked for the Dark Order?”

Though Klaus held a smile on his face, Rita knew he wasn’t giving her an amusing smile. Deep within her heart, she knew if she lied, Klaus would know and kill her.

This was why, like a bird, she sang all her truth without a blemish of a lie.

“I worked for the Dark Order for 12 years. I took 35 contracts, completed 34, and pulled one. The 34 I killed were scum who deserved it, though my last mission before you destroyed the Order, I killed an innocent bystander who was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I am sorry. Please, if you would kill me, I beg you, don’t touch my son. He doesn’t even know I was a Dark Order operative.”

“Do you regret killing the innocent?” Klaus asked, his expression neutral.

“I do. I regretted it every day, and that is why I am doing this. I found out that the innocent man I killed had a daughter, three years older than my son. I am doing everything I can to give her a good life anonymously.

I promise you, after she awakens her class when she turns 16, I will turn myself in and serve my time for my crime.”

Tears flowed from her eyes. Genuine tears that Klaus could tell came from her soul. The regret was evident. She regretted her action, and for that, she was willing to do everything to make it right.

Klaus didn’t have to analyze her words to know she intended to make things right. Not many killers like her have the conscience to even consider making things right.

Even keeping her cultivation base at the Sage stage was a sign she intended to never take the dagger ever again. Unfortunately for her, destiny wouldn’t allow that to happen.

Sitting before him was one of the finest assassins he had on his side back when he was traversing from one dangerous forest to the next, building his beast army.

Efad, his ninth incarnation, held her in high esteem, and that is why Klaus would never see her stop what she was destined to do.

“You are an assassin, Rita. I don’t know you now, but I know within me you are one of the finest, and that is why you cannot stop being an assassin.

I don’t hold your past transgressions against you. However, I look forward to what you do with your skills in the future.

Being a mere shopping attendant is a waste.” Klaus retrieved a card from his pocket.

“You can choose to make things right in your own way, but two days from today, go to Moonville and show this card to whoever you see.

They will introduce you to someone who will present you with a path you can walk, genuinely making a difference not just for one person, but for the masses.”

With that, Klaus turned around and left.

While he would love to sit and chat with the assassin lady who had helped him dearly in the past, he had a mission he had to complete first.

Klaus entered a room where a chair was waiting for him. He sat down and exhaled, folding his hands across his chest.

“I can’t believe I went from a warrior to fashion judge.” A real smile appeared on his face.