A minor accident occurred due to the muddy water.
I followed everyone, dragging my mud-covered body. This time, it wasn’t really an accident; it wasn’t my fault… Speaking of which, Karubene has been unusually quiet since we met the Boa Orc. He usually jumps at crude jokes faster than anyone, but now he has hollow eyes.
“Hey, Karubene, are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s just a little tough.”
Even she must be feeling the strain of the harsh environment. In addition to the heat, the mud is slowing her down, making it difficult to take even one step. Furthermore, the resistance of the water, which is now reaching her waist, makes it feel like we haven’t made any progress for a while.
At this point, I noticed something strange. The water was rising rapidly even though we hadn’t advanced very far. The water level, which had reached my waist, was now creeping up to my stomach. I held Piyo and Pauline in both arms. This is bad; venturing further into the water might be dangerous. No, that’s not right; we aren’t going into the water, the water is flowing towards us.
“Hey, everyone, isn’t this a bit bad? Let’s turn back.”
Everyone turned around at my voice. But by the time they realized, it was too late; the water was rising at an abnormal speed. Is the river flooding? It’s not even raining? Elana’s voice could be heard from overhead.
“If we continue like this, we’ll all be swept away and drown. Drop your luggage and climb a tree or hold on tight!”
However, I couldn’t drop my luggage while holding two people. I tried to plant my feet firmly, but the ground was too muddy and slippery.
“Hiro, hang in there! I’m coming to you now!”
Philiana turned back, her face desperate.
“Wait a minute! Everyone, be quiet and move calmly.”
Looking in the direction Elana was looking from the tree, I saw two brown eyeballs staring intently at us from the water’s surface. After observing us, the two eyes suddenly sank back into the water.
“W-w-what, a crocodile! See, I told you something was here!”
“Lauren-san, calm down. Let’s retreat slowly.”
Philiana soothed Lauren, who was panicking. Veronica, who had been on her back, dismounted and started swimming. Just then, something slimy touched my leg. Cold sweat ran down my spine. I wanted to run away at full speed right now. But I knew that would be counterproductive. My heart was pounding with the fear of being bitten at any moment and the rising water pressing against my chest, but I managed to move my heavy feet.
Finally, the water rose above my chest and reached my chin. Carrying two people and with my luggage on my back, I was sinking like a dead weight. Come to think of it, where was Philiana? I could hear her voice from time to time, but her help never came.
“Arisugawa, swim! You’re sinking!”
I could hear Sharin’s voice too. I couldn’t get a clear view in my narrowed sight. The moment I tried to turn my body, someone grabbed my collar from behind and yanked me.
