Dragged Into Another World Because of My Otaku Friend

"Alan... Alan... wake up."

I heard a soft voice calling me. I opened my eyes, and what I saw was a beautiful woman with yellow hair.

Her yellow eyes were so beautiful, gleaming with light.

"Princess, you are so beautiful." I reached out and placed my hand on her cheek. Her skin was so soft and no acne whatsoever.

I then leaned closer to her. Our lips drew nearer and nearer.

Then, suddenly, the princess's face began to distort. It grew bigger... and rounder... and chubbier.

"What are you doing!?"

Suddenly, I was kicked and went tumbling onto the floor.

"Wh-what?" I muttered, half-asleep, rubbing my eyes. And what I saw in front of me... was not the princess, but my chubby friend.

Did I... did I just try to kiss him?

Uueerghh!

I felt nauseous just thinking about it. Bob simply shook his head.

"I didn't know you were inclined toward that path."

"No! I was just half-asleep!" I retorted. I quickly looked around for Linus, who was nowhere to be found inside the supply carriage.

"Where's Linus?" I asked.

"He's outside. Hurry up, we're under attack." Bob turned and jumped out of the carriage.

"Attacked?" I mumbled to myself.

I then immediately stepped out of the carriage and saw all the escort guards already on standby atop their horses. All their swords were unsheathed, and their eyes were locked on one direction, toward the front of the convoy.

Linus stood at the very front beside the guard leader. Bob was already walking toward him. I quickly joined them.

"Who's attacking us?" I asked while adjusting my shirt and cracking my neck. It was a bit stiff from sleeping on a sack of flour. It felt like I'd slept on a bag of cement.

"I think 'what' is more appropriate," Linus replied.

He pointed ahead, and as my gaze followed, I saw movement in the forest. At first, it was hard to make out. But as I squinted, I saw them, a group of creatures with glowing red eyes, moving and staring at us. Judging by the number of eyes, there had to be nearly a hundred of them.

"Tchh. We're already this close to the town. These things must've come from there," the lead guard, Llyod, scowled.

And he was right. From where we stood, buildings were clearly visible just ahead, maybe a fifteen-minute walk away.

Githa then stepped out of the carriage, and the princess tried to follow her.

"Please stay inside, Princess. It's dangerous out here," Githa said.

Princess Reika gave a small nod, and Githa shut the carriage door behind her.

She then ran toward us.

"Captain Llyod, is it safe to pass through those monsters? I just want to make sure our princess is safe. If not, then we have no other choice but to turn back," she said.

Llyod replied, "Those monsters aren't attacking us here, which means they're likely guarding the path from anyone passing through. There's a high chance they'll attack if we continue forward."

Githa immediately returned to the carriage and spoke with the princess. I glanced over and noticed Githa seemed a little tense.

"No! We will not return! Not after coming this far. I order us to keep going. These guards will protect us," Reika declared.

Githa's expression turned sour. "Do you want to die, Princess? From the start, I already rejected your idea of following Prince Reymond here. But you never listen to my advice. If anything happens to you, what am I supposed to say to the princes and the king?!" Githa snapped. She was already at her limit, trying to manage Reika's attitude. Before this, she always gave in to Reika. But today, she needed to be firm, for the princess's safety.

Reika stared at Githa, neither of them willing to back down.

Everyone around watched their interaction. We could hear almost everything they said.

"Are they having a fight?"

"Maybe... but this is the first time I've seen Githa like that," the guards whispered among themselves.

Llyod shook his head. He had escorted the princess many times before, and he knew well just how stubborn she could be.

As the tension between the two women grew...

"Actually, I think all of you can pass through. We can make sure your convoy gets through safely."

Both of them turned toward the voice. Reika looked delighted, while Githa frowned.

The one who had spoken was none other than me. I don't know why, normally, I would be the first to oppose the idea of fighting monsters. But, seeing the determination in Reika's eyes, and maybe because of my feelings for her, I chose to help.

"Thank you, gentleman. May I know your name?" Reika asked, her eyes filled with happiness.

"Alan. You can call me Alan," I replied.

"Your Highness! Not 'you '. Mind your manners in front of the royal family," Githa scolded sharply.

She then stepped closer to me. "Are you sure you're capable enough to ensure this carriage reaches the town safely? Do you even understand what you're saying?" Her face was close to mine, visibly angry.

"I-I..." I stammered, feeling the pressure.

"We are more than enough for this," Linus said as he walked over.

"We're one of the best in our guild. This is a piece of cake," Bob added, puffing out his chest.

The two of them backed me up.

Githa then looked at the duo, her face keep frowning.

Did she not scared to get wrinkles, always frowning like that?

"Its is fine , Githa. We also will protect our princess" Llyod said.

"Thank you, all of you. Then we place our safety in your hands," Reika said.

"Princess!" Githa shouted, clearly exasperated.

Githa looked into the eyes of all the guards and then into ours. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. With a long sigh, she muttered, "If you really insist... then there's nothing I can do."

She turned and stepped back into the carriage, looking utterly defeated.