I sat in front of the mirror, nervously waiting for Phildina to arrive. She had gone out of the room a while back, so my mind went to work, hypothesizing all sorts of possibilities. She was clearly upset by my prying into her personal affairs, right? I know I certainly would be, so could this be a warning? It was plausible, but I felt like it would be more than that, and I would soon be proven right.

"P-Phildina!" She walked into the room wearing a nightgown and holding a comb in her hands. In a word, she was stunning under the moonlight as she moved to sit behind me.

"Your hair is so rough, Daphne. You should take better care of it," she said. As she brushed my hair, her fresh scent, like someone who had just come out of a bath, wafted into my nostrils. She put so much love and care into each stroke that I almost felt like melting in the bliss of it all, but she chose that moment to drop a bomb on me, "You're a horrible person, aren't you?" 

"H-hey! I try to be an upstanding citizen!" I tried to defend myself, but I was well aware of all the wrongs I had committed, even before coming to this world, so with a dejected sigh, I said, "But you're mostly right about that."

"That's what I love about you," She whispered into my ear before hugging me tightly. "Can I... open up to you?"

"S-sure," I managed, still recovering from the shock of what I had just heard. 

"I was born with [Killing Mastery]." At this, my eyes widened to the point that they almost looked like they would pop out of my head. Players weren't even sure whether this skill existed or not. That was how legendary it was! While skills like [Killing Intuition] and [Mana Overcharge] multiplied the critical hit rate by a fixed multiplier, [Killing Mastery] ensured it was always a 100 or 0, depending on the will of the user. N-no way! Phildina can crit at will?!

"I lived with my family like a normal child until word got out about my skill. That was when everything changed." I could feel her body tremble as she recounted, "Ninjas broke into the house, killed my parents in front of me, and took me back to their base. I was so scared, Daphne." I held her trembling hands in mine, and that seemed to calm her down.

"They trained me in the art of killing, and I worked as an assassin for them. In all those years, I killed more people than I can even remember, Daphne. I grew numb to it, carrying out my services emotionlessly. They even gave me a nickname, but I can't seem to remember that as well," She said with an uncharacteristically sad smile that did something to me I couldn't even explain. "Clients from all walks of life would request our services. Some were people looking for revenge, while others were nobles seeking to eliminate their political opponents. This mansion you see here is a living reminder of those days, as it was a gift from one of such clients." I still couldn't put what I was feeling into words at that moment, but I couldn't bear looking at such a sad face coming from her. I wanted to see her smile.

"I still can't explain what exactly led to my decision, but one day, I lost it and slaughtered everyone in the base before escaping. That was when I stumbled into Kimmel as he was preparing to go on a mission. He invited me, and I joined, but... their eyes were different, so I kept my distance. I felt like they would never understand me, and that's when you came along," She said as she hugged me even tighter than before. 

"I'm genuinely happy you feel that way about me," I began as I turned to face her. "But, please don't cry." 

"I am... crying?" She looked at her face in the mirror and saw the tears streaming down her face, and it was like a dam broke inside of her, as she started bawling her eyes out soon after. I wordlessly hugged her, patting her back softly as she let everything out. Eventually, she stopped, and I took the opportunity to ask her,

"What was the name of that organization?"

"I-it was Cerberus," She said as she wiped her eyes with her fingers. "Like the monster, there are three branches or "heads" as they liked to call them. One operates in Camelia, another in the Bazaar Empire, and the main headquarters is in the Theocracy of Thracia. Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason," I fibbed while resisting the urge to grit my teeth. I will surely make them pay! I thought to myself, Even if it kills me... We slept together that night, practically cuddling like a young couple in love, and I took the opportunity to thank the Developer for such a wonderful situation! You couldn't usually see it because she was covered in light armor, but Phildina was quite full in all the right places, so I enjoyed the pleasant sensation of her soft skin as I drifted into sleep. 

Kureous

Phildina

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