At the gate post, Balin had been pacing restlessly for quite some time. The moment he caught sight of that familiar, stout figure, the tension—and even the trace of anger—on his rugged face shattered into pure joy. He rushed forward.
"Yuga!" Balin pulled him into a fierce embrace, his large hands frantically checking Yggdrasil’s thick shoulders and rounded belly. His voice was urgent: "What took you so long? I was about to lead a squad out to find you! Are you hurt? Does anything ache?"
Yggdrasil, tickled by the frantic "full-body inspection," let out a joyful laugh. He wrapped his arms around Balin’s broad, warm frame and spoke with pure, unadulterated excitement:
"Balin! Let me tell you, I ran into some super cool monsters in the woods! They had dark fur and moved like lightning—and there were three of them! When they lunged, I went whoosh and dodged them, then swung my axe just like you taught me. Bam! I handled them all, and they left these behind!"
As he spoke, he pulled several sharp claws from his spatial storage, waving them in front of Balin like a child showing off a trophy. His eyes were beaming. "Aren't they cool? I feel like I'm finally becoming a real adventurer!"
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However, the moment Balin saw those claws, his face turned deathly pale. He let out a sharp intake of breath, his voice cracking. "You... you think this is cool? Yuga, those are Shadow Wolves! Vicious predators from the north! It usually takes a squad of elite adventurers to deal with them, and you... you think this was fun?"
Seeing Balin so terrified that he was actually trembling, Yggdrasil blinked in surprise. But he quickly offered a warm smile, patting Balin’s broad back to comfort him. "Oh, don't worry! Look at me, I'm perfectly fine! It's because you're such a good teacher; I handled them easily!"
Hearing this, the dread in Balin’s heart only deepened. He squeezed Yggdrasil again, holding him as if trying to merge their bodies. Looking at that defenseless, beaming face—still riding the high of a "successful hunt"—the protective instinct deep within Balin’s soul finally erupted.
"Let's... go to the Guild and report this first," Balin breathed, suppressing the tremor in his heart. He took Yggdrasil’s hand, gripping it firmly.
As they walked down the street, their hands tightly locked, Yggdrasil continued to excitedly describe how "cinematic" the fight had felt. Balin nodded and smiled, but as he watched his lover’s back, his gaze grew as resolute as forged steel.
This fellow... he has no idea how strong he is, and no idea how dangerous this world can be, Balin thought.
He's only been here a few days, and even Shadow Wolves are just 'cool' to him. And me? I'm stuck at the gate checking taxes and chasing drunks. When he meets the next 'cool' thing that’s even more dangerous, can I really just stand here and wait for him?
Balin looked at the Guild doors ahead and made his final vow:
"I don't want to just be the harbor he returns to; I want to be the ship that sails into the storm with him. I don't want to just be the protector behind him; I want to be the comrade by his side."
"Today is the day," he whispered, all hesitation vanishing from his eyes. "I’m handing in this badge. I’m going to follow your footsteps, Yuga."
[Internally screaming and having a heart attack]
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