The Hero and the Swamp Girl

The story begins in a dark, foreboding forest surrounding a murky swamp, known to the townsfolk as the "Monster-infested Swamp" and avoided due to its eerie atmosphere. However, the protagonist, an eighteen-year-old girl, knows this swamp is actually an excellent fishing spot. She finds joy and profit in catching the swamp's vibrantly colored but delicious fish, which fetch a good price in the town market. Unlike her female friends who prefer delicate crafts, she enjoys the more robust activity of fishing, though she keeps her favorite spot a secret.

One day, while returning from a successful fishing trip, she notices the town is unusually lively. She learns that a hero's party is arriving. Heroes in this world are officially recognized by the royal palace and form parties to fight monsters for world peace, categorized by rank. The protagonist, uninterested, heads home to prepare her catch.

The next day, as she heads to the swamp, a blinding flash and a massive explosion rock the forest. Frightened but determined, she rushes towards the source of the blast, which leads her to her beloved fishing spot. To her shock, the swamp is gone, replaced by a large crater. There, she encounters a beautiful party, including a handsome man who approaches her. He explains that they were commissioned by the town mayor to eliminate the dangerous swamp, which was said to be inhabited by a fearsome "Swamp Woman."

Devastated, the protagonist confronts the man, identified as Rufus Grand, a high-ranking hero (SS rank) and the third prince of the neighboring Gran Kingdom. She vehemently protests, explaining that the swamp was her cherished fishing spot and livelihood, and she had never encountered any monsters. Rufus, however, insists the mayor's request was based on eyewitness accounts of a "red Swamp Woman" dancing wildly, a description that chillingly matches the protagonist's own ecstatic fishing dances while wearing her red raincoat a week prior.

Rufus, deeply apologetic for destroying her treasured spot, pledges to guarantee her future. His earnestness, however, is met with the protagonist's blunt and childish insults, which he misinterprets as affection. He declares his love and calls her his "princess," even stepping on his foot. A black-robed magician from Rufus's party explains that Rufus, being a sheltered individual, is captivated by the protagonist's unconventional rejection and insults, seeing it as a novel experience.

Despite the protagonist's attempts to escape and her clear rejection of Rufus's advances, he becomes fixated on her. The story concludes with the hero's party frequently returning to the town, turning the swamp's former location into a "Lovers' Swamp" and a tourist attraction due to a fabricated legend of romance. The protagonist is forced into a new role as a tour guide, while Rufus continues to pursue her, much to her exasperation.