Chapter 8: A Gentle Land, A Lost Peace
"Gulp... gulp... gulp... aaahhh! Mrs. Ria, your food is really good," Bob said as he exhaled deeply, dropped the cup onto the table, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Right, Uncle Bob! My mother's food is the best in the world!" Kel chimed in, raising his right hand - still gripping a chicken drumstick like it was a trophy.
"You praise me too much, Sir Bob. Please just call me Ria," Ria said warmly as she stirred a pot on the stove. "Kel, please don't wave your food around like that."
This Bob was a completely different person from the one ten minutes ago. His brain had clearly started working again and back to default settings.
Both of us continued eating the delicious meal without pause. I was too hungry to speak. After all, I had spent yesterday working like hell at the office, covering for other staff. The dishes in front of us felt like a reward from heaven: tender chicken stew, creamy mashed potatoes, stir-fried vegetables, and a glass of fresh fruit juice, though I couldn't tell what fruit it was from. All I knew was that it tasted incredibly refreshing.
"Hahaha... Please, eat as much as you like, Mr. Alan and Sir Bob," Liam said cheerfully, sitting beside Kel with a drink in his hand.
I paused for a moment. I didnt really mind being called with honorific, but... why Bob and me had different one?
Ever since we arrived in this world, people kept mistaking Bob for a noble. Is it the way he looks? He's just an otaku in our world. But here? People act like he owns land and commands troops.
Maybe people in this world have a specific way of identifying nobles. Clothes? Posture? That lazy, vacant expression of his? I really need to figure this out before someone starts kneeling to him, or worse, expects me to kneel too.
"Thank you for the food, Liam and Ria. We really enjoyed it. Eating this reminds us of the meals from back home," I said with genuine appreciation.
"Is that so? Then you have to finish everything," Ria replied with a smile, lightly touching her cheek. She had a slender build and long black hair, neatly combed.