The Persistent Gate and the Heroine's Resolve
Was it really that good...? "Ah... how do I escape this damn territory?"
The baron's issue had been neatly resolved. We'd secured testimonies from his private soldiers, and every one of his crimes had been laid bare. His assets and troops were temporarily absorbed into the territory. But that didn't change the mountain of problems still piled up before me.
"My lord, the Gate still hasn't disappeared."
"And the timer on it is still counting down?"
"Yes. There's even a note saying that if it's not cleared before the time runs out, it'll go berserk... The territory's people are getting anxious."
It wouldn't end with just anxiety—if that thing surged, the territory was done for. Monsters would pour out with momentum incomparable to last time. Common sense dictated that Gates had to be cleared before they could surge.
The problem is, this damn romance fantasy world has no guilds, no Hunter Association, no hunters at all.
No organized system, not even any talent to speak of. I had no choice but to start from absolute scratch, like diving headfirst into bare ground. At least the Gate's rank wasn't too high. That was a small mercy.
...Haa. Why do I have to go through all this?
I'd planned to head to the Academy in the city and just suck on the sweet honey there. But then Gates started popping up, the lord got killed, and everything went to hell. With no one else to step in, I ended up as the acting lord.
Putting "acting" in front was my petty act of resistance, a signal that I was ready to pack up and bolt at any moment.
"...Should I order the knight order to investigate the Gate after all?"
"No, that's too risky right now. The knights are essential for holding the territory together."
With the Gate outbreak and the lord's death, public order had gone to shit. The novel's villains were lurking, waiting for their chance. The only reason they hadn't made a move was the knight order. Take them away, and the balance would collapse, leading straight to disaster.
And there's no guarantee they'd even clear it if I threw them in.
Going into a Gate blind tanked your survival rate. The captain was already away, and I couldn't afford to lose the knight order, which was vital for keeping the territory afloat.
"I need some non-knight forces that are strong enough."
"Are you thinking of adventurers, my lord?"
"Hmm, yeah, that could work for now."
This romance fantasy world did have adventurers. Monsters roamed here too, and these were the folks who hunted them for bounties and loot to make a living. Monster-hunting mercenaries, pros at what they did.
"Issue a public notice right away and summon the best adventurers. At least three people. They need to be capable of taking down the monster from last time."
"Yes, sir. I'll draft the notice immediately."
"And put up a fat bounty. That's what'll draw them in."
Luckily, we had plenty of cash to hire adventurers. The baron had left behind a hefty inheritance.
Yeah, solve the Gate, then figure out how to bail!
****
"Rejected, rejected, rejected."
I shoved the applications on my desk straight to the side. Tavi watched the papers fly with a perplexed look.
"My lord, you can't just dismiss them without even looking."
"It's obvious at a glance. We can't send these guys."
"How can you tell?"
"Instinct."
"Instinct...?"
I had a natural gut feeling for this stuff. It told me if something would work or not, what kind of talent someone was. It was almost precognition—I'd relied on it heavily in my past life too.
But every single one of these papers is glowing red.
That meant they'd fail to clear it and die if they went in. I couldn't waste good fighters like that.
"They're all proven adventurers with records and skills."
"Not good enough. They're all low-tier anyway. Aren't there any higher-ranked adventurers?"
"Our territory never had many monsters to begin with, so most adventurers are just passing through."
No jobs meant no top adventurers sticking around. Peaceful was nice, but not helpful right now.
"Hm?"
One paper glowed bright gold. I checked it out, and my face soured immediately.
Name: Iana
Class: Swordswoman
Name: Luna
Class: Archer
Name: Jenis
Class: Mage
"Tch."
I scowled and tossed the application aside.
"Eh...? Aren't these adventurers high-ranked and solid? They even have a rare mage."
"These ones especially—no way."
These were the novel's heroine and her companions. If they got hurt in the Gate, the fallout would be insane. My instinct screamed they were fine, but who knew what butterfly effect that could trigger?
"There are no better adventurer parties in the territory right now. If not them, no one else will do."
"Hmm, no talent around here."
The stack of papers reeked of blood, all dyed red. Meanwhile, Iana's shone so gold it hurt the eyes.
Can't believe the gap is this huge. Limits of a rural backwater territory.
They were the only ones with a shot at clearing it.
"How much time until the Gate surges?"
"About three days now."
"Then let's wait two more days."
If no one suitable showed up by then, I'd have to resort to desperate measures.
****
The next day, a guest arrived at the absurdly busy lord's mansion. As usual, it wasn't a welcome visit.
"Iana."
"Adventurer Iana, at your service, my lord."
Our heroine, Iana. Unsatisfied with submitting papers, she'd come straight to me. I'd tried refusing entry at first, but when they said she'd been waiting three hours, I just let her in.
"My lord, I—"
"Ah, hold on."
I cut off Iana as she opened with a serious face.
"Call me acting lord, not lord. I'm not officially succeeding him."
"...My apologies, Acting Lord."
Iana looked a bit miffed but kept her cool and continued.
"I know you're busy, so I'll be brief. Entrust this mission to me."
"Denied."
"Wh-what? Why? Our party is the strongest in the territory right now—we're confident."
That was undeniably true. Having read the novel, I knew their power well. My instinct agreed they could handle it.
"The territory's people are shaking in fear. Someone has to deal with that Gate. We can do it."
"I don't think so."
"You've seen our skills yourself!"
"Still no."
Iana scowled hard.
"...Is it really because we're women?"
"......"
"When we first met, I thought those insults were some misunderstanding or circumstance. I heard you fought to save the people yourself. So why won't you let our party tackle it? I don't get it."
Iana couldn't stand injustice or suffering. She'd even drawn her sword on the lord's son without flinching. It seemed foolish, but her strength backed it up, delivering that satisfying catharsis to readers. Charging straight ahead like that, she'd beaten evil and saved countless lives.
That's exactly why no.
I didn't want her derailing from her story. The heroine had her own role. It wasn't dealing with suddenly appearing Gates in this romance fantasy. And the same went for my role.
"...You're right."
"Pardon?"
"I can't trust an all-girl party. If reliable men can't do it, how could a bunch of girls playing pretend? Know your place."
"Y-you...!"
"No more to say? Then get out. The acting lord doesn't have time for little girls playing with swords."
Her genuinely hurt expression stirred a bitter pang in me. Say what you will—she was the heroine I'd cheered for while enjoying the novel.
But this should sever any lingering attachment, right?
I knew her efforts and swordsmanship better than anyone in this world. And what they meant to her.
****
"Argh! That jerk pisses me off!"
Back at the inn, Iana fumed for a while.
"C-come on, Iana. Calm down. Nobles being rude isn't new."
"Even so, that's too much! We're not asking to do anything bad—we want to help with something good. What was that about 'playing pretend'? I should've kicked him in the gut back then!"
Jenis could only give a wry smile, knowing Iana's baggage. Insulting her sword was like touching her reverse scale. She deserved praise for not exploding on the spot.
"Hmm~ But it's kinda weird, right?"
Luna, listening from the side, pouted.
"Wasn't the acting lord the one with fire on his feet because of that Gate thing? So why reject help?"
"Who knows! Who cares what that damn acting lord thinks. Maybe he's calling in some real top adventurers instead."
"Hard to summon high-rankers to a backwater like this on short notice. And he didn't seem stupid. Something smells off~"
Luna's eyes sparkled as she looked at Iana.
"What if he's worried about you, Iana?"
"......Huh?"
"You know, like in those romance novels where the duke loves the girl so much he pushes her away to keep her safe~?"
Iana gave her friend an incredulous look.
"Haa... Luna, that's novel stuff. If you like someone, just say it and protect them. Why push away?"
"Because he loves her! He wants to protect her even if it means staying apart!"
"That acting lord is no such gentleman. We've only met once anyway—and it was the worst."
"Then maybe love at first sight? 'No woman's ever blocked my sword before!' Something like that?"
"Sigh, drop it. Thinking about that guy just annoys me."
No matter how she turned it over, it infuriated her enough to kill sleep.
I thought maybe he was a good guy deep down.
His first impression was the worst—spewing vulgarities unfit for polite company. But when the monster appeared, he'd rushed in faster than anyone to save people, even ordering soldiers and knights to protect civilians. His reputation was already buzzing in town.
They said the worse the first impression, the stronger the charm of the reversal. The huge gap amplified Iana's feelings toward Ian.
So she'd hoped it was a misunderstanding... but no.
Can't just leave something that dangerous alone! What does he plan to do without a strategy?
The citizens trembled daily. No one knew what would happen if the Gate surged. Rumors swirled that monsters would invade again.
Iana felt an eerie foreboding too.
That hole feels seriously off. Like something huge is about to blow.
She'd considered sneaking in, but no dice—knights guarded it 24/7. When she'd tried to take responsibility herself, he'd insulted her as a woman. If he just dragged his feet and a real problem hit, how many would die?
Including our village...
Iana looked up after a moment's thought.
"I can't let this slide."
"Huh? What?"
Iana was already changing clothes.
"I'll go back and hash it out with the acting lord. If he says no, I'll force my way in!"
"W-wait, Iana! No need to go that far!"
Despite her friends' pleas, she was already off. She slipped through the knights' patrols, blending into the shadows. Soon, she reached the lord's mansion.
No matter what the acting lord says, I'll seal that hole.
In mid-stride, Iana hid at a sound. At the mansion's main gate, Ian stood smoking.
Should the acting lord be out alone this late?
Then again, with his sword skills, few could challenge him.
"My lord."
A blue-haired woman in a suit approached him.
"The night air is chilly. You should head inside."
"Sorry. Just finishing this one."
"Then I'll wait until you're done."
"But the air's cold—you should go in."
"Yes. I'm just hinting that it's bad for your health, so moderate."
"Harsh. I'm swamped, and my secretary won't even let me smoke."
"Hehe! Feeling wronged?"
The woman chuckled at his complaint. They looked affectionate, even at this hour.
What? He already has a girlfriend. See, Luna's always talking nonsense.
...Annoying, but the acting lord was handsome. With a beauty like her beside him, they made a perfect picture.
"...Weren't you a bit too harsh on those adventurers earlier?"
Iana's ears perked up. She could tell it was about her.
"You think so too?"
"I could feel your genuine worry for the people. It didn't seem like the acting lord I've seen lately."
"Hmm."
"Was there a reason you had to treat them that way?"
Ian flicked ash from his glowing cigarette and fell silent. His profile gazing at the night sky seemed far from the daytime arrogance. With a wry smile, he spoke.
"No choice. To me, she's... more important than anything, someone I must protect no matter what."
......Huh?
Iana let out a dumb noise before she knew it.
