My [Intuition] was going wild. Since early in the day it’s been screaming at me to leave this backwater village, but could a knight of the Gransus Kingdom do something like that? What I fear is that the magical energy in the Asmodian Woods gave birth to a magical beast over rank 4. The chances were next to none, but if that happened even I would probably die. A rank 4 magical beast was considered to be at the level of a national disaster, after all.

For my patrol today I decided to bring James along. He’s not half as strong as I am, but if we’re fighting together I think even a horde of rank 3 magical beasts will fall to our blades. Normally I wouldn’t take James along because he tends to slow me down, but -with how wild my [Intuition] is going- I’m afraid to take any chances.

Three hours into our round James called out to me. He said he found a girl, but we’re miles deep in the Asmodian Woods. There’s no way any girl could be here.

[Warning: Danger. Transcendent Level Being ahead.]

My [Intuition] started screeching. It’s giving me a headache. I don’t understand what half the words it said mean, but I do know it gets louder the more dangerous an opponent is. I’m not sure what ‘Transcendent Level Being’ meant but it can’t be good. Could my worst fears have been realized? Could a magical beast over rank 4 exist in these woods? I tried to yell at James to run, but the words won't come out. My [Intuition] felt like it was going to split my skull.

I stumbled forward into the clearing where James was and I grabbed his collar. I was going to pull him back and run away but a fantastic sight caught my eyes.

It was a girl. More importantly, it was a beautiful girl. She was young, probably somewhere between 12 and 15, but her body was glowing with a divine radiance. My blaring [Intuition] suddenly felt like background noise as I found myself walking forward towards her.

“Dad?”

At James’s voice I snapped out of my daze. For some reason my skill had finally shut up. I wonder why it was so loud earlier? I’ve had this skill for years and I still can’t fully understand it. I’ve heard tales that the Knight Captain possesses two Unique Class Skills, but I can’t readily believe anyone could manage that.

We walked up to the girl, but my first impression of her didn’t diminish in the slightest. She was young and budding with youth. Her long glossy black hair was scattered beneath her in a soothing array and her pristine skin was unmarred. She looked like a goddess.

“Give me your coat, James,” I said, as I knelt down next to the girl. He handed me the coat without a word and I wrapped up the child. She was light.

“We’re going home early. She’s breathing but unconscious. Let’s get her into a bed and let Millie nurse her back to health.”

It’s been almost a full day since we brought the girl back. I find myself creeping into her room at odd times just to look at her. I can’t explain what I’m feeling. I deeply love my wife, but something is drawing me to this girl. These thoughts hurt me. Am I really weighing my wife against some child I’ve never met before?

Something inside me seems to have snapped. If I don’t do something soon I really will try to violate that child in the guest room. I can’t. I won’t. I refuse to cheat on Millie. We’ve been married for almost twenty years now. Yes, she’s gained a little weight, but I still love her dearly. I have to do something. This girl needs to be removed.

In the middle of the night I found myself clutching a worn dagger. If I don’t do something now that girl’s beauty will be my ruin. I opened her door slowly and walked in.

[Warning: Aggressive actions will result in death.]

My [Intuition] started up again. This was the first time it ever gave me such a cut and dry explanation. It had been acting up for more than a day now, though, and no danger had presented itself. Could a skill start to rot like old food?

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I pushed the warning to the back of my mind as I approached the bed. [Intuition] was getting louder and louder as I neared her. Yesterday my headache was brutal enough to make me stagger, but what I was enduring now was three, maybe four, times worse. I hit my knees and the knife fell from my hands. I was paralyzed from raw fear. Tears began to streak down my face. It was as if every fiber of my being refused to take another step.

[Warning: Exit the room now!]

[Intuition]’s voice, usually calm and collected, sounded frantic. I’ve never felt this before. I stood on the front lines twelve years ago when the Rank 4 Dragon Baer attacked Fort Clyfton, but I’ve never experienced anything like this.

What is this creature?

I somehow managed to leave the room. [Intuition] slowly died down as I left. If I had attacked that girl, I’m certain my own life would have been forfeit instead. She’s dangerous. Far too dangerous. I started my rounds a bit early today because I couldn’t sleep after that ordeal. I felt bad just leaving my family in the same house as that creature.

My rounds were nearing their end when the earth began to shake. I heard what sounded like an explosion coming from the direction of the village. My eyes went wide as fear overtook me. I wasn’t afraid for my life, though. I was afraid for Millie and my son.

I started running. My chest heaved and my lungs felt like they wanted to give out, but I ran on. I’ve never experienced anything like this moment of crisis.

[-Level Increased-]

The voice of the world echoed in my head but I ignored it. Now wasn’t the time to think about something insignificant like that. I needed to get to my family. I needed to make sure they were safe. I never should have left them there with that monster in human form.

I saw my house from the distance. Well, I saw half of my house. The other half was simply gone. My mind felt like it was going to break. I pushed myself to my limit and arrived at the crowd surrounding my home. There, carrying Millie, was the girl.

Rage filled me as I reached for the knife hidden in my shirt.

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

I almost collapsed from [Intuition]’s cry. In my moment of hesitation I finally noticed Millie’s chest moving. She was alive. Sweet mother of mercy she was alive!

The girl set Millie down gently and I ran up to my wife. She hugged me, crying at the same time. She was safe. She was alive. James was alive.

I looked up at the girl and I finally met her eyes. They were a rich hazel, but, more importantly, they were filled with a terrible melancholy. It… -She- felt bad. She was feeling regret. It wasn’t a monster. It had human emotions. In that turbulent moment, I understood everything.

I asked the girl what happened while using [Intuition] to check the faculty of her words. She wasn’t lying. She wasn’t a monster. She was a little girl… A terribly powerful little girl, but a little girl nonetheless. I understood now why my intuition was warning me not to provoke her. If I had stabbed her and she unleashed that skill in her death throes, not just me but my entire family would have perished.

Had we dodged an arrow, here? Still, I couldn’t let someone as dangerous as this girl stay near my wife. James has passed his adulthood ceremony so if he wants to endanger himself I can’t stop him.

For the first time in my long career, I realized my true purpose in being stationed at Eastrock. It was all to meet this girl. Someone with her level of destructive power was too dangerous to kill, but if we could take her in and train her to control that power… Yes, I’ll write a letter to Endyrion at the Royal Capital. With her power at our backs, we won't have to fear any rank 4 beasts, let alone other nations!