Riches Roll In, But Gates Multiply
The very next day after getting back, another incident cropped up, so Tavi and Manila hopped on horseback and hit the road with me. Trailing behind us was the Delros merchant caravan—and it was even bigger than before. Delros had figured we'd need more wagons, so he'd snapped up a bunch from the wrecked Romanie Territory. With the land and people in such chaos, they were thrilled to offload their surplus goods.
One of those wagons was loaded with mana stones and byproducts from the goblins. The others would be stuffed to the brim by the time we reached Armeyna Territory—with mana stones, wolf pelts, and confiscated noble loot. Plus, the orc mana stones that Romanie had promised us.
"Man, we left empty-handed, but now we're hauling back so much we can barely fit it all," I said.
And to top it off, I'd successfully scouted Manila, the inventor poised to strike it rich. I'd only gone to rescue the caravan after they got caught in a gate. The gains were beyond calculation. If one trip nets this much, becoming filthy rich doesn't seem like a pipe dream anymore.
Ah... I was just gonna half-ass the territory and retire. But now that business is booming, I'm rethinking it?
Money's good the more you have, obviously. I'd planned to ditch the territory because Armeyna was turning into the epicenter of every damn event. Just being the lord's son brought a pile of headaches. And for a backwater place like this, there wasn't much upside to sticking around. Why hold onto such a pain-in-the-ass position?
But the gates changed everything.
For starters, Armeyna's situation and Iana's life were totally different now. It wasn't some butterfly effect worry—this was a whole new story diverging from the original. Iana the adventurer's tale had morphed into a kingdom's survival saga amid gate disasters.
From the looks of things, no place in the kingdom would feel safe anymore.
If gates keep toppling cities and territories one by one, collapsing society altogether... Ugh, just imagining it's horrifying.
The world would turn into a lawless wasteland everywhere you looked. This romance fantasy setting was baffling enough without the constant dangers piling up. Gates had erased any notion of a safe haven.
Well, the capital with the queen and royal knights might be a bit better...
But in this mess, could even cities or the royals hold out? If anyone scrutinized it, a territory where I could freely make money, train hunters, and build an army would be the safest bet.
With cash, I could hire mercenaries and turn them into my soldiers. Or reinforce the walls—that's another option.
Forming a proper hunter team around Iana was smart too. Or have Manila crank out top gear nonstop. Either way, I had serious capital now, plus a steady income stream. In this chaotic era, why not use it?
The world desperately needed forces and tech to protect even one person like me.
"Sigh. I just wanted an easy life, but problems keep popping up. When do I get to retire?"
"Not possible, my lord. Armeyna Territory's fate rests entirely with you," Tavi replied firmly yet sweetly.
"Seeing other territories this time drove it home. We absolutely need you here."
"You could handle it fine without me, Tavi."
"I can maintain the status quo and manage things. But scouting talent, bold innovative policies, the charisma and trust from leading on the battlefield—those are beyond me."
...She'd painted my portrait in gold. Hard to argue with that. And in a way, she was right. In this gate-ravaged romance fantasy world, my hunter knowledge and possession-granted foresight were invaluable.
"So no more talk of handing it off. Stay with the territory."
"...Feels like you've got me good."
"Hehe. Realizing it now? I won't let you go."
Tavi slyly toyed with my thigh. Her hand crept upward boldly. I'd thought we'd had our fill last night, but apparently not. Well, who could resist a stunner like Tavi with that killer figure?
Except we weren't alone in this wagon.
"Ahem! Tavi, Manila's right there watching."
"...You're right. Slipped my mind. My apologies."
Tavi dipped her head slightly toward Manila, who was blushing furiously, lips flapping wordlessly. Too stimulating for a pure-hearted inventor with zero dating experience.
...She did that on purpose, didn't she?
Tavi, sharp as she was in politics, knew Manila was here. Doing it anyway? Definitely a show of "Me and the lord are this close" to stake her claim. Turns out Tavi had a possessive streak.
Kinda cute.
Reasons not to leave included Tavi and Iana, plus the others who trusted and followed me. Hanging out and chatting had built real bonds. If I bailed for an easy life and Armeyna fell? My personality wouldn't let me sleep easy.
"...Why the smile?"
"Just thinking you're cute, Tavi."
"Th-that's not fair. I know it was childish."
With that fresh, flirty vibe, the wagon rolled on smoothly. Hiring a coachman made it comfy. No incidents mid-journey, so we reached Armeyna Territory without a hitch.
I figured I'd bask in welcomes, chat business, and chill a bit—
"L-Lord! Big trouble!"
Luna and Jenis came barreling toward me like they'd been waiting.
The elf's bouncing chest was a sight... No, snap out of it. Hadn't held a woman in ages—brain going haywire?
"Huff! Huff! What do we do?! Please help!"
"Calm down and explain. What's going on?"
I'd left Iana's party and the knights to handle gates here. No reason to expect issues—they were the ones I'd trained myself.
Was my judgment off?
"Gate clear failed? Someone badly hurt?"
"We cleared the gate successfully. Felt almost too easy," Jenis said, catching her breath.
"Problem was the new gate that popped up right after."
"A third gate?"
"Yeah, right next to ours."
A new gate spawning beside one mid-clear? Never seen that.
"A huge golem attacked us coming out. We'd burned mana and stamina, so it was rough."
Luna chimed in from the side. "Monsters were way tougher too. Knights' swords barely scratched 'em, so I finished with moonlight arrows."
Back-to-back gates with ramped difficulty? Overkill for rookies. But if that was it, they wouldn't be this frantic.
"Then what?"
"The surge timer was almost up. And it accelerated if no one entered."
I could picture it.
"Iana went in."
"Yeah. Said if someone's gotta, it's her. Only way to stop the surge..."
Iana never spared herself to save others, even in the original. In a way, it fit her.
"Gate limit was one person—no backup!"
"We're trusting her, but she's still inside. Means she's fighting."
They'd been pacing till I showed. Consecutive gates were bad enough, but a solo-only one?
...This screams targeted at Iana.
Gates popping only where the protagonist was, luring her in. Coincidence? Or some plot force on her? Maybe.
And conveniently, I've got the key to fix this.
I pulled the Gate Key from my Subspace Pouch—the one from the orc hunt. Lets you enter full gates. If I'd skipped the orcs... no key, and I'd just wait for Iana to die inside.
Original protagonist and possessor—maybe linked somehow.
Whatever. Not my problem.
My job stayed the same. Couldn't lose Iana here.
"Got it. I'll head to the gate now."
"You have a way?"
"Something only I can do. But with us two? Should be enough."
No clue how tough the gate was. But a former top hunter and current protagonist? Unbeatable.