The Flooded Wetland

"Well... I suppose we should set up camp around here."

"Understood! You heard him, everyone?! Get ready to pitch the tents, double time!!"

"Finally, a break!"

As the sky began to darken and Malton suggested making camp, cheers erupted among the adventurers.

With his wealth of experience, Doran pitched his tent in the blink of an eye and looked around, but the others were still fumbling about.

"Wh-What do I do? I was hammering the peg and it snapped!"

"Use a branch instead! Wait, that's my spot!"

"Just throw something over yourself and sleep. We have to pack it up tomorrow anyway... But wait, what if monsters swarm us in the middle of the night?"

As I watched the excited adventurers chatter from a distance, a familiar figure approached my side.

"Ah, kid. Done with your tent already?"

"Yes, *sigh*... I can finally breathe... Today was absolutely exhausting. People wouldn't stop asking me things the entire time we were walking..."

"Really? Looked to me like you were fitting in just fine."

"I was just being polite. They're guildmates, so I couldn't just ignore them... They kept prying, asking if I knew anything about the trio that defeated the golem. I had a terrible time trying to dodge their questions."

"You'll be dealing with that a lot if you hang around me, so get used to it. But hey, thanks to them, we don't have to worry about night watch tonight. You can sleep soundly."

"Well, that part does sound nice... Ah."

Radie, who had been stretching and yawning, suddenly froze and pulled her hood down low to cover her head.

Wondering what was wrong, I looked toward the campsite and saw a female adventurer walking over.

"Ah, there you are! Radie, you've already pitched your tent?"

"Yes, I'm quite used to camping."

"I see. Well, the thing is, would you like to go bathe with us?"

"Bathe?"

"Yes! We found a nice stream nearby. The female adventurers decided to go first, and since we're traveling together, we thought it'd be nice if you joined us."

"Ah, well..."

Radie looked up at me, casting a troubled, pleading glance.

The moment our eyes met, I had a sudden realization.

Ah, she needs my help.

Isn't stepping in when a companion is in trouble the mark of a true ally?

I chimed in with a benevolent smile.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding... This kid isn't a girl."

"...Excuse me?"

"Haha, it's an easy mistake to make. His face is incredibly pretty, and he acts a bit feminine from time to time."

"Wh-What do you mean..."

She must be really shocked.

I went a step further, gesturing enthusiastically as I rambled on.

"No need to be so flustered. To be honest, I almost made the same mistake at first!"

"A mistake...?"

"Yeah! His face is so delicate, his voice is high-pitched, and he even goes all the way into the deep woods whenever he needs to use the restroom. When we shared a room, he'd set up a strict partition to change and kick me out."

"..."

"Ahaha! It's a good thing I'm quick-witted, or anyone else would've totally misgendered him. So don't feel too embarrassed. Anyway, we're going to bathe together later, so you should head out before it gets too dark—"

Wait.

Why are my stats keeping going up?

Ding! Ding! A barrage of noisy alerts rang in my ears. When I glanced at the log window, the text was updating at a frantic speed.

"Hmm...?"

I clenched and unclenched my fists. I could feel raw power surging through my veins.

Isn't this a bit too much?

The female adventurer before me didn't look confused anymore. Instead, she had an "I knew it" expression on her face and let out a soft sigh.

"Hey, kid. Something's weird. Do you have any idea why—?"

Turning to my side, I finally realized something was terribly wrong.

Radie was vibrating like a pager, her entire body trembling.

Looking closer, her deep sapphire-blue eyes were burning with pure rage, and her fists, clenched tightly beneath her robe, were shaking violently.

Did she... eat something bad? Why is she acting like this...?

I only understood the reason for her reaction after reading the subsequent messages in the log window.

Huh?

I tilted my head, staring at the log window once more.

The word "She" stood out with glaring clarity.

As I was digesting its meaning, the female adventurer spoke up, looking at me with pity in her eyes.

"...Can I give you a piece of advice?"

"..."

"...Run. Right now, as fast as you can."

The moment those words left her mouth, Radie slowly raised her crossbow.

I looked back and forth between Radie, who was lining up her sights on me, and Malton, who was roaring with laughter in the distance after eavesdropping on our conversation. Only then did the pieces click together.

"Wait, you were actually a girl—?!"

"Go die!!"

Thwack!

Instead of an answer, a blunt practice bolt flew through the air and struck me dead center between the eyes.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

As I sprinted up the hill to dodge Radie's bolts, Malton called out in a leisurely tone.

"You certainly have plenty of energy today. Still, try not to exhaust yourself too much. We have a long walk ahead of us."

"Don't just stand there watching, help me!!!"

"Ahem... I believe you deserve a bit more of this. Do not take it to heart."

"Damn it!!"

Shuddering at the betrayal of my trusted companion, I fled for my life.

How many times had I run away from a berserk Radie since that incident yesterday?

Clutching my backpack and panting as I scrambled up the hill, a chilling shout echoed from behind.

"Stop right there!!"

"As if I'd stop! You'll shoot me if I do!"

"Of course I will! Stop!!"

"Damn it! Where is a pint-sized thing like you getting all this stamina... Wait, hold on, look over there!!"

"I'm not falling for that! Hold still! I'm going to turn you into a pincushion!"

"Shit!!"

A heavy practice bolt whizzed past my temple.

I didn't have a leg to stand on, but it wasn't like I had absolutely no excuses.

After all, she always kept her hood pulled down so low that I could count the number of times I'd seen her bare face on one hand.

Her thick robes and hardened leather armor left absolutely no room for any curves to show.

And what about her voice?

"I-I thought your voice just hadn't cracked yet...!"

"Urgh! How many times did I tell you I'm an adult?! Why would my voice crack at twenty-one, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you crazy human?!"

"Aaargh!!"

The next bolt struck me dead center on the back of my head.

Clutching my head at the punch-like impact, I kept running.

To be honest, there was one more excuse I couldn't bring myself to say out loud.

...What was it called? The other-race effect?

The psychological phenomenon where people struggle to distinguish faces of a different race or species.

Honestly, whether it was a marten beastman or a weasel beastman, they all looked the same to me. How was I, someone who had only been in this world for a month, supposed to tell them apart?

Of course, the other-race effect and mistaking someone's gender were two entirely different issues, but...

...Yeah, I'm the asshole here.

"I finally got you, you clown!!"

"Urgh!"

Just as I reached the top of the hill, I tripped over a rock and tumbled. Radie pounced on me instantly, pinning the back of my neck.

"I nursed you for an entire week, and you couldn't even recognize my gender?! Are you even human?!"

"N-No, but that was out of my control! It was right after I got healed at the temple, so I was completely out of it with a high fever and recovery pains!"

"Even so, there are some things you just don't mistake! I thought you'd have figured it out by now, but you had to go and humiliate me in front of everyone?!"

"I-I'm sorry about that... Ah, wait! Look over there!"

Below the hill I was frantically pointing at, a vast wetland stretched out before us.

The wetland was so immense that the opposite shore was completely lost to the horizon.

Lying flat on my face, having forgotten all about running away in the face of this overwhelming vista, the rich scent of damp earth and the fresh fragrance of aquatic plants drifted over on the breeze.

In the muddy shallows where water and land intertwined, frogs croaked in a deafening chorus, and white birds glided gracefully over the hazy mist.

Watching the sunlight shimmer across the vast expanse of water, I felt as though I were being pulled into a giant mirror.

But what truly surprised me lay elsewhere...

...Why are there so many people here?

A bustling crowd packed the shores of the wetland.

While this was indeed a bottleneck zone, it shouldn't have been this crowded.

As I stared at the unusually large gathering of adventurers, Radie let out a sigh, stood up, and unfolded her map.

"...We'll finish this conversation later. This swamp is much wider than what's marked on the map. Swimming across is obviously out of the question..."

"There are way more people here than expected. Seeing all these pitched tents, it looks like they're stranded. Shall we go ask what's going on?"

Since we had to cross this wetland to reach the second layer, we had to find out.

We descended the ridge and approached an adventurer who was leisurely hanging up laundry. Upon asking, we immediately learned the reason for the bottleneck.

"The water level rose because of a heavy downpour?"

"Yeah. You know how it hasn't rained on the surface for a while? Well, all that pent-up rain poured down at once and drained right into this place, completely submerging the bypasses. That's why everyone is stuck here."

"What about rafts? Hasn't anyone tried building rafts to cross?"

"Of course they tried. But the guys who got here first stripped the area of all usable timber. Some merchants set up rental shops, but you can't get a decent raft now even if you offer to pay double."

"How could this happen..."

Radie grimaced in dismay.

Since the surrounding area was mostly grassland, one would have to walk a long distance to find any decent timber.

Realistically, there was no easy way to transport logs from afar, so most figured it was better to just wait for the water to recede rather than go through all that trouble.

Hence, the scene before our eyes.

Our guildmates, having overheard the explanation, began to murmur anxiously.

"The swamp flooded and blocked the path? That's bad... How much extra food do we have left?"

"I don't know... maybe a week's worth? If we supplement it by hunting wild game around here, we might last a bit longer."

"..."

As I fell into deep thought, Malton looked around and spoke.

"This is indeed unexpected. What is your plan, Doran? Shall we wait until the floodwaters recede and stabilize?"

"...No, that will take too long. Even if the water covering the bypasses recedes, the ground will turn into a muddy quagmire, making it impossible to cross immediately."

"Hmm... Then, despite the exorbitant fees, shall we rent a raft from the merchants to cross?"

"I'm not so sure about that either..."

Mulling it over, I walked down to the water's edge.

At a makeshift pier constructed of piled stones and dirt, rows of rafts rented out by merchants were lined up.

The problem wasn't just the high rental fees; the quality of the rafts was abysmally poor.

Constructed hastily with whatever ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠scarce wood was available, they looked ready to sink after a few collisions with underwater rocks.

If we absolutely had to force our way across, it wasn't impossible, but...

"...No, crossing like this is too dangerous."

"May I ask why?"

"Monsters could emerge from the swamp. Especially now, with the water levels swollen from the heavy rain."

"A reasonable point. Some creatures do become far more active in their feeding habits right after a rainfall."

"But we can't just sit here and wait, either."

With this many adventurers gathered in one place, the surrounding monsters would be hunted to extinction in no time.

If we failed to hunt and exhausted all our emergency rations, we might be forced to return to the surface empty-handed in the worst-case scenario.

For me, needing to reach the second layer to complete my sub-quest and hit level 30, that would be a critical setback.

"...Then what are we going to do? The water is already high, and those rafts look useless."

"Well... I'll have to negotiate with the merchants first. See if we can get them to build a proper raft."

I wasn't sure if the negotiations would go smoothly, but we had to try to find out.

Walking a bit further along the makeshift pier, I spotted a group of merchants huddled in front of a colorful tent.

However, before I could even speak, the merchants turned toward us and began whispering among themselves.

What's going on?

The atmosphere felt strange, so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I quietly strained my ears to listen...

"Wait, those two... a tall human male and a petite female... ash-gray hair and striking looks..."

"Just like the rumors said, the female has three red markings on her cheeks! Then they must be...!"

"..."

Had rumors about us already spread here?

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I exchanged a glance with Radie. Just as we gripped our backpacks, preparing to bolt, the merchants rushed toward us in a frenzy.

Then, to our utter bewilderment, they fell to their knees and began to wail.

"O-Oooohhhhhh!!"

"Huh?"

What in the world was going on?