Dragged Into Another World Because of My Otaku Friend

Chapter 7: Confrontation

Chapter 7 - Confrontation"Please, Mayor, send people to

"I told you to lose some weight, man, but you never listen. You always say that your fat body has its own charm. Charm for who, exactly?" I shot him a look as I lectured.

"Easy for you to say. Who was the one slaying all those monsters in the forest while you two hid in the bushes? Plus, I haven't eaten anything today. My last meal was a leftover burger at lunch!" Bob complained, still panting.

Now that he mentioned it, I realized I hadn't eaten either. Thanks to Bob dragging us into this mess, we skipped dinner. Just thinking about food made my stomach grumble. I rubbed my abdomen with a sigh.

"Don't worry, Uncle Alan, Uncle Bob," Kel said cheerfully. "My mother's a great cook! I'll ask her to make something really delicious for you."

His attempt at encouragement lifted our spirits slightly.

We were almost at the town entrance when we heard a commotion ahead. The fading sunlight made it hard to see clearly, but I could make out a gate made of bamboo and several two-wheeled carts gathered in front of it.

As we got closer, the flickering light of torches became visible, and soon, we could see people illuminated by the flame's glow.

"Father? Father!!" Kel suddenly shouted and sprinted toward the group of people ahead.

Liam, who had been prepared to risk his life just to save his son, stood in shock.

"Is that... Kel? Kel! Kel!" he cried out, running toward his son.

The two of them dashed toward each other and embraced tightly, as if never wanting to let go again.

"Kel, are you alright, son?" Liam's voice cracked, his eyes welling up with tears. He kissed Kel's forehead and held him close.

"I'm alright, Father. I'm sorry for making you worry..." Kel said, tears streaming down his face.

Bob and I finally caught up, I was smiling at the touching reunion.

But then...

"Who are you?!" one of the townsfolk suddenly shouted, pointing what looked like a makeshift spear, or maybe just a sharpened farming tool at us.

In an instant, four more people surrounded us, each of them gripping tools with a hostile glare.

I instinctively raised my hands.

What the hell is going on now?

"Where are you coming from? And why are you with Kel? Are you part of those treacherous bandits?!" Rick shouted, pointing his pitchfork toward us.

"Their clothes look suspicious too. Rick, we need to capture these two," Tes added with a scowl.

"No, no, we're not bad people!" I blurted out, stumbling over my words. "We... we came from a faraway place and got lost. That's all."

It was a lie. A bad one. I'm not a great liar, but I had to try because our lives were on the line. Bob, for once, was silent, frozen like a statue. If things went south, we couldn't even count on his strength.

"Quiet! Don't lie to us!" one of them barked.

Tch. They weren't buying it. The townsfolk stepped closer, their weapons, farm tools, really, raised with trembling resolve. I instinctively backed away, surrounded and unsure what would happen next.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could still see Kel hugging his father, completely lost in the moment.

I clenched my jaw, irritation bubbling up.

'Hello, little kid. Enough of your passionate reunion and save it for later. Can't you see your uncles are about to get skewered over here?'

Then, almost as if he heard my thoughts, Kel suddenly turned and shouted, "Uncle Rick, Tes, everyone! Don't hurt Uncle Bob and Alan! They're the ones who saved me from the bandits and monsters. They brought me back here safely!"

The farmers were surprised by Kel's words, but not entirely moved.

"Are you sure, Kel? They didn't do anything bad to you?" Meg asked, skeptical.

"You probably used some kind of magic to manipulate the kid, huh?" John growled, stepping closer. The tip of his farming tool was just inches from my face. I instinctively turned my head to the side.

"And you," Rick pointed at Bob, "what noble family are you from?"

"Huh?" Bob blinked. He looked completely out of it, like his brain had gone offline.

Is he hypoglycemic? I wondered. Is the lack of food finally frying what's left of his brain and make him look like moron.

"Father, please. Stop them!" Kel pleaded.

Liam finally released Kel from his hug and stepped forward. He walked straight to Rick and gently pushed the weapon down with his hand.

"Lower your weapons, all of you," Liam said firmly. "I believe what Kel says. And he's not under any magic. I'm his father, I'd know."

Rick and the others exchanged uncertain glances before finally lowering their weapons.

Liam stepped closer to us, and for some reason, I felt a sudden wave of pressure.

"Are you really the ones who saved my son?" he asked.

His expression was unreadable and calm, but intense. Why are all overprotective fathers so terrifying?

"Uh... yeah. We found him tied up by bandits," I stammered. "He showed us the way here."

If I could've seen my own face in a mirror, I was sure it looked ridiculous.

Liam just stared at us.

For a long time.

I swallowed hard.

Gulp.

Bob, on the other hand, stayed in his moronic trance.

Then, without warning, Liam's face softened into a smile. He stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed my right hand in both of his.

"Thank you for saving my son. I truly appreciate it."

His hands were like sandpaper—rough and calloused. For a second, I feared they might scrape my skin off from sheer gratitude.

Liam then proceeded to shake Bob's hand, but Bob was completely shut down.

"Is he alright?" Liam asked, a bit concerned.

"He's fine. Just low on sugar, I think," I replied flatly. This isn't the first time he's crashed like this. Once, he tried to diet and nearly ended up in the hospital. Instead of proper meal control, he drank only plain water for days, claiming it would 'burn fat faster.'

"Father, I already invited them to our house for dinner," Kel chimed in. "Didn't you say we should always repay kindness with kindness?"

"Yes, of course," Liam nodded. "Alan and Bob, right? Please follow Kel to our home. I'll join you later after I report to the mayor."

"It's fine, Liam," Nash interrupted. "Enjoy dinner with your guests. I'll speak with the mayor instead. But make sure you ask them more about what happened."

"Thank you, Nash. I appreciate it," Liam said.

"It's nothing," Nash waved a hand dismissively, already turning away.

The rest of the farmers began to disperse, heading back into town.

Meanwhile, I started dragging Bob along beside me, onward to our unexpected dinner at Liam's house.