The Hero and the Swamp Girl Chapter 2

Swamp 2

Let today also be a happy fis.h.i.+ng spree~♪

While holding my fis.h.i.+ng rod in one hand and hurrying over to the swamp, I happily hummed my own self-composed melody.
Yesterday, the entire town was in a festive “Welcome Hero” mood. Because of that, the town itself was much more lively than usual and the fishes I caught sold very well. It was exactly “Yuusha-sama”-sama. According to the rumors, the Hero and his party are still going to stay in town a little longer.
Anyway, let’s go fis.h.i.+ng today too and then sell a bunch! Right now is the ideal profit time!
With my fis.h.i.+ng rod in hand, I enthusiastically headed deeper into the forest.

Then, humming as I walked deeper into the forest, my surroundings suddenly flashed and the entire forest was covered in light. At the same time, a large explosion resounded throughout the forest. As a result of the sound, I fell backwards onto my b.u.t.t in surprise.

What!? What happened?

The birds that had been resting on the trees all flew off at once, creating a strange atmosphere. Based off of these signs, there was definitely a big explosion somewhere.
But, where?

Honestly, I’m scared. But, I have to make sure…!
Somehow managing to get up with trembling legs, I headed towards where I had heard the explosion come from, towards the direction of where the swamp was.

Due to not realizing that I had been speed-walking, I started heavy breathing.
Although my heart was racing, I had to make sure before I went home.

Pa.s.sing through the trees, I arrived at my destination. As soon as I arrived, I felt a sense of discomfort.

There stood the beautiful and handsome party companions.

Wh-why? Why are people here?

While my eyes were widening as I questioned myself, the beautiful and handsome party companions seemed to notice my presence. Putting my question aside, the number one most handsome guy in the party started heading towards me.

“What’s wrong? Are you lost? This swampland is dangerous so it’s better if you don’t approach this place.”

No no no, rather, aren’t you guys more dangerous?
This is the swamp found in the deeper parts of the forest where monsters are said to reside, you know?
A place where people rarely come, the perfect fis.h.i.+ng pla…no no, a dangerous place, you know?

While I stared at the handsome person approaching and talking to me, I realized.
Behind the person approaching me, the usual swamp was…my fis.h.i.+ng location was…my relaxation place, the swamp, was…

Gone.

Well yeah, there were debris and a giant hole with smoke coming out from various places that showed where the explosion had blown away the swamp.

Dumbfounded, I stared at the place where the swamp had been. The ident.i.ty of the sense of discomfort I had previously felt was this!

“T-th…the…the swa…the swamp is…”

With a shaking finger, I pointed at the giant hole where the swamp once was, desperately trying to form words.
The handsome guy nodded with a meek expression and said:

“The swamp here is a dangerous place where monsters gather so we received a request from the town mayor. We annihilated the swamp.”

“Ho……”

Unable to suddenly respond, I was. .h.i.t with a final blow.

“But, there’s nothing to worry about anymore. We’ve completely annihilated the swamp.”

As if he was trying to rea.s.sure me, the handsome guy spoke with gentle words and gave a sparkling smile. Seeing that smile, I:

“How are you going to make up for this——!? My fis.h.i.+ng spot——! My relaxation and hobby place is——! My source of income——!”

Just like that, along with my bubbling feelings and the grasping momentum, I condemned him.

“In other words, you’re saying that you often came to this swamp?”

While nodding and crying, I spoke about the situation with one of the party members, a magician-like man wearing a black robe.

“Yes! I never once met a monster so the mayor must have misunderstood something!”

Perhaps overpowered by my energy, he didn’t respond back and silently observed me.

“But, even if that’s what you say…”

While scratching his face, the magician-like guy said:

“In fact, we were given this request based off of an actual witness testimony…”

Bypa.s.sing the kind magician-like onii-san who was starting to give an explanation, the handsome guy from earlier stepped forward. With his golden hair and green eyes, his movements were somewhat elegant and, gently, as if to reason with me, he started talking.

“We were asked by the mayor. In this swamp resides a terrifying swamp girl or so.”

“Swamp girl?”

“Yes, a swamp girl.”

“……I’ve never seen her.”

Ever since I was born, I have never once seen her in this familiar and accustomed swamp.

“According to the mayor’s account, she likes the rain and appears when it is raining. A few days before, from the edge of the swamp, a wandering traveller saw the red swamp girl mad-dancing.”

“Huh? Red…girl…?”

“Yes. A week ago, he witnessed her, red from head-to-toe, intently mad-dancing as if to sacrifice her soul to the demons.”

filler

…a week ago.

I flashbacked to a certain moment.
Yes, that was one week ago, on a small rainy drizzly day. I couldn’t stand being cooped up inside the house so I went to the swamp to fish. And then, I ended up with a bigger catch than I had expected so, out of excitement and glee, I celebrated alone.

While wearing my…red…long-cherished raincoat…

“The sight of her greatly diverting her upper body towards the back while mad-dancing was the very picture of a horrendous monster, he said…”

Maybe, they are referring to my “Big Catch Dance”…
Whenever there is a big haul of fishes, I go wild dancing my “Big Catch Dance”, a name I arbitrarily decided on for whenever I tie my fis.h.i.+ng rod between two trees and frantically limbo dance.

I wonder if they’re talking about me when I was wearing the red raincoat and intently limbo-dancing…
Regarding that swamp girl…

“In addition to that, the townspeople normally find the swamp creepy and avoid it so we took the opportunity to eliminate it.”

Hey now, you just casually said “we eliminated it” but what am I going to do now, after you so abruptly stole it away from me?

In utter shock, I sat glued to the ground as the troubled party members surrounded me. As I sat on the ground, crying hard, the handsome golden-haired guy from earlier kneeled down and looked at me with a troubled expression.
And then:

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would cause so much distress to you. From the townspeople’s point-of-view, it might have been a creepy swamp but, to you, it must have been an important place. For me to have annihilated that place.”

As I thought, the one who annihilated it was you…!
You’re the main one at fault!

“I, Rufus Gran, apologize and will try the utmost to make amends. I swear by my t.i.tle as a Hero.”

Hero? What’s that? More so, Rufus Gran?

Feeling like I have heard that name before somewhere, I pondered frantically in my head over it.
Rufus Gran…
Gran…?
Gran…!?
As the puzzle in my mind finally solved itself, I felt the urge to cry out loud.
Gran is the name of a neighboring country. In the country of Gran, the third prince, I believe, was a Hero… Not to mention, even among heroes, he was an SS-Rank with preeminent skills…

I thought back to the town gossip.

Even in a dark forest, his gold hair shone as if blessed by light. His eyes seemed to express the fresh greenness of trees with a tint of blue. Tall and built, he had a well-proportioned body with no excess meat or fat. Despite being a prince, for the sake of humanity’s peace, he became a Hero; a very compa.s.sionate and benevolent person.

In town, his “Hero Bromide” sales are #1 !
Every year, in “The Hero I Want to be Embraced By” ranking, he is #1!

But, to the me right now:

It. Doesn’t. Matter!!

filler

“Stupid——! Secure and a.s.sure my future lifestyle from now on—! How are you going to make up for all this!? Stupid——! You good-for-nothing! Your mother’s navel is pro-tru-ding—!” (*T-Note)

With a severe look, I glared at the person in front of me and shouted.
While thinking that it was a very childish line too.