An Unexpected Gate Companion
"Never thought I'd end up entering a gate even in this romance fantasy world."
What came into view was a wide cave stretching endlessly. Water dripped from the stalactites, and a faint metallic tang of blood wafted from somewhere. The torches mounted on the walls felt unnaturally deliberate, setting my nerves on edge.
"Not bad at all."
This was on the tamer side for gates—relatively ordinary. Low-rank gates like this usually looked just like this.
"Might be easier than I expected."
Once you were inside a gate, there was no turning back. Sure, there were escape items or ways to bail out in some cases, but not here. It was kill or be killed. Die, or clear it. And to clear it, you had to take down the boss.
"Alright, let's get moving."
I'd just drawn my sword to advance when—
"Kyaaak!"
A familiar scream echoed from behind. I whipped around, half-expecting it, and there she was: a black-haired woman tumbling into view.
"You...!"
A string of curses I couldn't utter in a family-friendly story rose in my throat. Iana sprang to her feet, instantly scanning her surroundings with vigilant eyes.
"What the hell? Where are we?"
True to her seasoned adventurer roots, her stance was flawless. Her sword stance left no openings I could easily exploit. In any normal situation, I'd have praised it outright. If only this weren't inside a gate.
"Ah! You!"
She spotted me a beat late and rushed over.
"Why'd you come in here alone? Where even is this? What the hell happened?"
"This is a gate."
"A gate? This is one?"
Her eyes went wide like a startled rabbit's, and she squeezed them shut. It wasn't anger at me so much as frustration at the world not bending to her will. And right now, no one else was around, just the source of her irritation standing in front of her? Why hold back the rage?
I didn't see the point.
"Who told you to come here, you crazy bitch?"
"C-Crazy bitch?! Even if you're pissed, that's too much!"
"If this isn't crazy, then what is?! We put up signs screaming 'DANGER: NO SWIMMING,' and you're no different from the idiots who get drunk and jump in anyway, dragging everyone else down with them!"
"It was an accident! I didn't think this would happen to me either!"
Iana yelled back, sounding just as aggrieved, then suddenly snapped to her senses. She crossed her arms, shooting me a haughty glare.
"A-And besides, you don't have to be so rough about it."
"What? What bullshit is that?"
I stared at her in disbelief, and she flushed, averting her eyes.
"I get how you feel about me. Sorry, but I can't return those feelings."
...So she knew I was trying to stop her, but she was just gonna ignore it and do whatever she wanted anyway.
'Definitely a crazy bitch.'
In the novel, I'd loved her straightforward fire. But now that I was the one reining her in, it just pissed me off more.
'Back in the day, she wouldn't even have met my eyes.'
How the hell did the author make a heroine this uncontrollable?
"If you're gonna come in anyway, at least bring a friend. Why solo it? You got a death wish?"
"...I said it was an accident. I wasn't planning to come in. I saw you heading here and got curious, so I approached—and got sucked right in."
My fault? A tiny bit. Yeah, a really tiny bit. To avoid butterfly effects from info leaks, I hadn't shared gate details yet. Should've at least explained what a gate was.
"You're here alone too."
"I've got the skills to get out alive. What if you get hurt or die?"
"I'm an adventurer. Slaying monsters and saving people is our duty. I've always taken risks like this."
I eyed her for a moment.
"No, you don't get it."
"What?"
"You have no idea what it's like to watch a comrade get bisected right in front of you. Or the grief of loss. You've never seen it."
This Iana hadn't. A teammate's body split in half. Limbs twisted grotesquely, chewed in a monster's maw. A face burned beyond recognition.
...Or watching it all happen while you're powerless.
"You... you really know nothing."
...Of course, as the romance fantasy heroine, she didn't need to.
"Fine. Staying here alone could lead to trouble anyway."
"Hmph! So we're going together, right?"
"But you obey me absolutely. Do exactly what I say, move only when I tell you."
"Hey, I'm the adventurer here? Normally, I'd be the one saying that to a noble like—hey, wait! Let's go!"
Iana hurried after me as I started walking ahead.
'She's strong, that's for sure.'
Top-tier fighting force in this territory, no question. Skill-wise, she could've solo-cleared this gate easy. I'd only blocked her to prevent risks and butterfly effects.
"...So what is this place? Some magic? Dropping into a cave smack in the middle of the territory?"
"I told you: inside a gate. Normal space rules don't apply. It's a sealed-off pocket world, cut off from the outside."
"Sealed? So we can't get out?"
"Clear the gate, and we can."
"Clear? I saw something like that earlier. How do you even do it?"
"You've got a window in front of you too. Says to beat the boss to escape."
"Oh, yeah."
Defeat the boss to clear the gate and escape.
Most gates boiled down to killing the boss anyway—it was practically decorative.
"Boss, huh? Means there's a monster king or something?"
"Yeah. Take it down, and we're out. Just focus on not getting hurt. This one's not tough."
"......You hate the idea of me getting hurt that much?"
"? Yeah, pretty much."
"I-I see. Hng~"
Iana tucked her hair behind her ear with a weird expression.
"...You talk like you know this hole inside out. You even named it 'gate' first."
"Just a guess based on monsters I've seen before."
Explaining it step-by-step felt oddly refreshing. In my world, gates and hunters were common knowledge. Here in romance fantasy land, everything was a mystery to her.
"So first goal: find the boss. Can't kill what you can't locate."
"No other exits, so trust the message and push forward."
High-difficulty gates meant scouring everywhere. Lucky for us, this low-rank one was straightforward—straight ahead to the boss room.
"Hold up. It specifically says 'boss.' So there are regular monsters too? If it was just one boss, why bother labeling it?"
Her head wasn't the sharpest, but her instincts were spot-on. No wonder she was the novel's heroine.
"Right. Other monsters too. And they're probably hunting us right now."
A beastly stench stung my nose. Something burst from the shadows ahead: three wolf-like monsters, like the ones that hit the territory before.
"Monsters for real!"
"Fall back for now."
"Why? As the adventurer, I should be protecting you."
"First time seeing a hunter fight, right? Watch and learn. This is real survival."
"Hunter fight?"
I charged the wolves, sword drawn. It whirled in a spiral slash.
-Shaaack!
I targeted the nape precisely. The wolf's head hit the ground. From charge to corpse: under three seconds.
Blood-soaked, I lunged again.
"Grrr! Graaaargh!"
When killing monsters, never hold back. Fight like you're severing life itself—or humans die every time.
Crunch!Splat!
Bones shattered, blood sprayed, soaking the cave. No wasted motion. No flashy swordplay—just lethal efficiency to end lives. That was a hunter's blade. Less combat, more execution.
"Whew."
I glanced at Iana mid-swing—a signal to stay put; I'd handle it.
"Risking it all to protect me like that? That desperate to keep me safe?"
"...Huh?"
"Nothing! Never mind. What a personality."
Iana turned away, unable to hide her smile. No clue what sparked that reaction, but she was behaving now, so I approached.
"Anyway, got a good look? Adapt to the gate and the fights."
"...You're strong. Holding back last time?"
"You too. You swing full-force at people?"
Ian's body was weak—low strength, low stamina. Full seriousness back then? I'd have lost.
"You're a lord. Why's a backwater noble better with a sword than a pro adventurer?"
"Even lords need to protect themselves."
"Makes sense when you say it, but somehow... it doesn't sit right."
All improv excuses, so yeah.
"Anyway, these are monsters too, right? Mana stones drop?"
"Yep. And byproducts work the same."
"Ooh, nice. No need to hunt all over for loot."
This world had monsters and mana stones too, plus tools and energy sources using them. Effects and principles matched Earth—probably the author researched real gates.
"We grabbing everything on the way out?"
"No time right now."
"Mm... true. Would suck if they vanished."
Unlike Iana's regret, gates lasted about a week. Miners harvested stones and drops post-clear. Earth had pros for that.
'Though gates varied wildly, so they risked their necks too.'
This one's mechanics matched what I knew: form, numbers, messages—all identical.
"Onward?"
"Yeah!"
We soon hit a wolf pack—over ten. Not overwhelming for us.
-Shaaack!
A few swings, and they were down. Iana joined this time.
'She's damn good.'
Having her made it easier—covering gaps, smoother fights. She took down nearly half.
"Weaker than the first ones that popped out?"
"Narrow cave, not open field. Makes a difference."
Surge gates spawn multiples tougher. Clear before surge—that's the rule.
"See? Lucky I tagged along."
"Could've handled it solo."
"Faster with me, though. So dishonest."
I kept walking, ignoring her weird vibes.
"Think we've reached the end."
Wolves thickened, grew bigger—some even ambushed. We broke through to a massive door blocking us.
"Fancy door for a cave. Feels ominous."
Castle-gate scale. Menacing aura leaked through—no pressure from the trash wolves.
"Boss room."
"Super obvious. Make us choose: enter or not?"
Gates weren't cramped overall. Theoretically, you could kite wolves while fleeing. But dedicated boss rooms? Enter and fight no-retreat.
"Last chance: wanna bail and wait?"
"We've come this far together—you want me to stop? Plus, duo's better odds."
She was right. Better both in from the start than solo fails.
'She's not dragging us down—actual firepower.'
Butterfly worries were moot once she entered. And she'd tail me anyway.
"Don't die. That's an order from your lord."
"Wouldn't even if you didn't order it."
I nodded and shoved open the boss room door.