Middle-earth, Third Age 3018.
In peaceful times, time often tends to be overlooked.
Ino had lived peacefully in the Shire for three years.
However, after the first year ended, he was certain he had struck gold; it was highly likely that he would stay until the entire story concluded before returning.
A full seven years of story time—this was nothing short of luxurious.
Reading, farming, and researching alchemy and magic became the entirety of his life.
Of course, there were many interludes in his life, such as hosting the fireworks display at the Shire's annual festivities, or visiting Lily with Bilbo.
However, during his visit to Lily, he stayed hidden, watching from a distance under a Disillusionment Charm, and left some alchemical charms for her.
Lily, now middle-aged, bore some resemblance to Aunt Julia.
The only consolation was that Lily was much happier than Aunt Julia, with a loving husband, three grown children, and a newborn grandchild.
...
The Shire.
In a tranquil, green meadow, a young man in a linen robe suddenly appeared.
Standing at least six feet tall, his long, sun-kissed black hair reflected a faint blue glow. His chiseled features and handsome visage, save for the lack of pointed ears, made him resemble an elf.
Ino, who had entered Middle-earth at the age of fifteen, was now eighteen after three years.
He also briefly possessed the physique of an adult wizard.
Briefly, because once the story ended, everything would vanish. The physical changes and the ravages of time would all revert to their state before entering the story.
"Aguamenti!"
Ino waved his wand, and a thick column of water shot into the sky.
The water droplets flew into the air but defied gravity, floating there until they gradually gathered into a massive ten-foot-diameter water sphere.
Next, the giant water sphere, as if controlled by an invisible hand, began to slowly rotate. As it rotated, countless droplets scattered over the fields, creating an artificial rainfall effortlessly.
The spells for water conjuring, levitation, and elemental transfiguration were seamlessly integrated.
After completing this, Ino vanished again.
Three years of time, three years of accumulation.
Not only had his magical power grown significantly, but he had also taken the time to thoroughly organize the knowledge he had previously acquired.
...
Bag End.
After lunch, Bilbo skillfully loaded two pipes.
"Try mine. It's been aging for nearly a hundred years!" Ino took the pipe but didn't light it.
Instead, he took out a long-forgotten box from a chest.
"What's this?" Bilbo's eyes showed a look of reminiscence.
"That's right, you once traded it with me for a plate of candies and cheese."
Ino opened the box, revealing the tobacco he had exchanged with Bilbo in Beorn's room during his first visit to Middle-earth.
Seeing this object from his memory, Bilbo's hand trembled as he refilled his pipe with the tobacco.
"Fss!"
The match was struck, and the two began to puff clouds of smoke after their meal in Bag End.
Savoring the rich flavor, Ino closed his eyes. Since last year, he had gradually been assimilated by Bilbo, developing a fondness for Shire tobacco.
In the silence, time passed unnoticed.
When the smoke in the room began to dissipate, Bilbo slowly spoke:
"Old friend, are you leaving?"
Without waiting for Ino's response, Bilbo continued talking to himself:
"Don't think about lying to me! But I'm already very happy that you stayed with me for so long. Over the years, they always came and went in a hurry. Even Gandalf couldn't stay for more than a few days before leaving..."
Bilbo's old voice narrated calmly.
But somehow, Ino could always hear a sense of the twilight of a hero in his voice.
Was Bilbo a hero? Without a doubt! He was a hero.
Not only did he face the temptation of the One Ring and keep his heart, but his bravery was paramount. Smaug wasn't just any dragon; he was a threat on par with Gandalf and the Balrog.
Time is ruthless, and heroes age.
The once-brave Hobbit adventurer was now an old man who could choke on a puff of tobacco.
Bilbo sat in his chair, still muttering, his voice growing softer until he began to snore gently.
...
Azure sky, verdant plains.
Under this vast sky, a graceful black swan flew.
The Kingdom of Rohan, established by a people who lived on horseback, was the true indigenous human kingdom of Middle-earth compared to Gondor, with its Númenórean bloodline.
They had carved out a vast territory with their proud cavalry.
Rohan's borders extended from the Isen and Anduin rivers in the west, connecting to Isengard and the lands of the Dunlendings; the southern border reached the Ered Nimrais and the Mering Stream, adjacent to Gondor; the eastern border touched the Entwash River; and the northern border was defined by the Limlight River.
The capital, Edoras, built on the slopes of the White Mountains near the Ered Nimrais, was a standard mountain fortress city.
However, as time passed, the once-glorious Edoras had become somewhat desolate, even showing signs of decay.
In the city, it was rare to see people chatting casually. Even in the markets, people completed their transactions as quickly as possible and hurried home in silence.
The root cause of this was well known to all Rohirrim, but their inherent loyalty made them choose to endure in silence. After all, the king's orders were indisputable.
Today, it seemed that everything had changed. Two groups of special visitors had arrived in Edoras.
The first group not only restored King Théoden's sanity but also permanently expelled the traitorous Gríma.
The second group brought new life to this desolate, declining city.
...
The vast plains of Rohan.
A team stretched out several hundred meters, composed of about four to five thousand people.
From a distance, it looked like a winding, twisting giant serpent, slowly crawling across the plains.
Despite the large number of people, a closer look would reveal that most were the elderly, women, and children, many of whom were injured. There were few able-bodied men among them.
At the front of the team, Ino rode a brown horse, occasionally scanning the surroundings.
All of this started six months ago.
After leaving the Shire, he flew towards Rohan using the Animagus transformation.
He expected the journey to go smoothly, but unforeseen complications arose along the way.
Perhaps due to the resurgence of dark forces, countless human villages and towns were attacked by Orcs along the way. This situation was even more frequent within Rohan.
Elderly men, pregnant women, young children...
Faced with such tragedies, no one could turn a blind eye, and neither could Ino.
The rest needs no further elaboration.
From rescuing a few infants in a devastated village to now leading a group of thousands of the elderly, women, and children.
Over the course of the journey, the group continued to grow.
What should have been a ten-day flight had turned into a six-month march, but Ino had no regrets.
Seeing the savage Orcs raising their blades against a child of only two or three years old, he had made his decision.
Even if it meant missing the story's timeline, even if he gained nothing from Middle-earth, he would still stick to his choice.