NTR: Choice Based System

As Ye Yang, Dan Ya, and the escort guards finally returned, they headed directly towards the familiar, sturdy building of the Escort Agency.

The late evening sun cast long shadows across the training yard, a stark contrast to the devastation they had left behind at the mountain camp.

Inside the agency, the usual hum of activity filled the air – the shuffling of papers, the low murmur of voices discussing assignments, the clinking of practice weapons from the training area.

Barad, the head of the Escort Agency, sat at his large, worn desk, frowning in concentration as he worked through a stack of paperwork.

His brow was furrowed as he signed documents related to an upcoming royal banquet and assigned escort warriors to various duty for many clans who hired their service, the mundane responsibilities of his position momentarily occupying his full attention.

His focus was abruptly interrupted by a quick knock and the urgent entrance of a worker, their face alight with unexpected news.

"Leader," the worker announced, slightly out of breath, "The training escort warriors have returned, with Young Master Ye Yang and Madam Dan Ya."

Barad's hand, poised to sign another document, froze. A strange sensation, a prickling unease, spread through him.

Just a day ago, less even – only a few hours had passed since he had returned himself.

The sudden, unscheduled return of Dan Ya and Ye Yang, especially from a routine training exercise, struck a discordant note. A bad feeling, cold and heavy, began to settle in his heart, pushing aside the concerns of banquets and assignments.

"What could be the reason?" he thought, his mind immediately leaping to potential dangers or complications.

He didn't wait for a detailed explanation from the worker. Pushing his chair back with a scrape, he rose and moved swiftly towards the main entrance to see for himself.

There, bathed in the fading sunlight, stood Dan Ya, leaning slightly on Ye Yang for support.

The escort guards who had accompanied them looked weary and grim-faced, a stark contrast to the usual robust demeanour of returning warriors.

Members of the guild who were nearby had already gathered, greeting Dan Ya with expressions of surprise and concern, their murmurs a low background hum.

As Barad approached, his gaze locked onto his wife. Relief, so potent it made his knees feel momentarily weak, flooded him at the sight of her relatively unharmed.

But beneath the relief was a layer of deep worry, etched into the lines around his eyes. He reached her side in a few long strides and pulled her into a tight embrace, a silent confirmation of his anxiety and his profound affection.

Dan Ya returned the hug, burying her face in his shoulder for a brief moment, drawing comfort from his solid presence.

The unspoken trauma of the past and hours of journey lingered between them, a heavy weight that a simple hug couldn't fully dispel.

While holding Dan Ya, Barad looked over her shoulder at Ye Yang. The young man looked exhausted, his face pale and drawn, a stark departure from his usual composed appearance. His clothes were dusty and showed signs of a hurried journey.

"Nephew Yang!" Barad exclaimed, his voice a mix of relief at seeing him safe and confusion at his presence. "Why did you suddenly return? Is something wrong?"

Ye Yang met his uncle's gaze, a weary sigh escaping his lips.

The events of the mountain, the battle, the demon, the horrifying discovery at the Grand Elder's involvement and things he did with Aunt Ya.

It was a narrative far too complex and disturbing for a hurried explanation in the agency's bustling entrance. "It's a long story, Uncle Barad," Ye Yang said, his voice low and grave.

"Let's go inside, and then I'll explain everything." The weight of the secrets he carried felt immense, a burden he needed to share, but the telling would be a painful unravelling of the recent nightmare so he still decided to hide things which might affect the lovely relation of Dan Ya and Barad.

Barad, sensing the gravity in Ye Yang's tone and seeing the exhaustion on both his nephew's and wife's faces, simply nodded, his earlier tasks forgotten, his full attention now focused on his wife and Nephew.

Together, the three of them, along with the silent, watchful Hell moving in Dan Ya's sides, moved from the public space of the entrance into the relative privacy of the Escort Agency building, leaving the mundane world behind as they prepared to confront the darkness that had followed them home.

Inside the room, the air was thick with unspoken tension, a stark contrast to the routine sounds of the agency outside.

Dan Ya, looking utterly drained, was gently settled onto a comfortable sofa, Hell curled silently at her side.

Ye Yang and Barad took seats opposite her, the low table between them feeling like a vast expanse separating them from the horrors they were about to discuss. Grim expressions were etched on both their faces.

Breaking the silence, Barad leaned forward, his voice heavy with apprehension. "What happened? Don't tell me something bad happened."

His gaze instinctively went to Dan Ya, his primary concern always for his wife's well-being.

However, seeing her faraway look and knowing she wasn't in a state to recount the traumatic events, he directed his question to Ye Yang, who simply nodded, confirming his fears.

"Something bad did happen," Ye Yang stated, his voice low and serious.

Barad's eyes instantly darted back to Dan Ya, a wave of fear washing over him. But Ye Yang quickly shook his head, offering a small reassurance.

"Uncle Barad, don't worry. Aunt Ya is not physically hurt." The careful wording hinted that other forms of harm might have occurred, but for now, Ye Yang focused on alleviating Barad's immediate fear for Dan Ya's physical safety.

Relieved yet still deeply concerned, Barad focused his full attention on Ye Yang. "Training Head... our speculation was correct about him," Ye Yang continued, laying the groundwork for his partial truth.

Barad's eyes widened in shock, a ripple of disbelief crossing his face. 'It can't be,' he thought, his mind racing back to his recent interactions with the Training Head.

'I didn't see anything unusual while I was there.' The idea that someone whom he thought could be a good friend, someone he had overlooked, could harbour such malice was a bitter pill to swallow.

Ye Yang proceeded to reveal the version of events he had decided to share, a carefully constructed narrative designed to inform Barad without exposing Dan Ya to further trauma or revealing the full, complex truth.

"The Training Head was indeed wanted to hurt me and Aunt Ya, though I'm not aware of his reasons," Ye Yang lied smoothly, omitting the crucial detail that he knew the Training Head's motives were tied to the dark thoughts of seeking to corrupt Dan Ya.

"But luckily, before he could truly harm us, we were saved by someone." He paused, letting that sink in before delivering the most shocking part of his edited account.

"Before he could hurt us further, he suddenly... turned into a demon. But the man who saved us... he was incredibly powerful. He appeared and simply obliterated the demon."

"WHAT... Demon!" Barad's control shattered. He sprang from his seat, his voice loud with shock and disbelief, the question echoing in the confines of the room.