after thinking on it, i like the twist/non-twist? the hidden gender thing would have only worked for so long. I find the progressive party dynamics interesting and the cry-baby isekai people funny.
I guess from Mage perspective, Hero dressed as a male to get shotas and cute females while he is not both of it thinking the Hero just messing with him.
i can no longer defend the mc anymore. i mean i wasn't really defending him before but at least before this chapter it was assumed that he didn't know anything about the rest of the party's gender and sexuality. this chapter has just made him out to be belligerent towards the party for no reason. but i will admit the hero has a particularly masculine face and i can absolutely see that being a turn off for some. that however doesn't apply to this mc because he has already said multiple times that he's falling for the hero's charm. that means it's not her looks he has a problem with but just with the fact she's more popular.
It makes more sense that they do know, given how long they've been around each other, and the whole traveling together through a lot of rural medieval-esque fantasy world.
Is the fighter a lesbian then ? Also dense MC.