When I arrived downstairs, it was obvious that Mina's father hadn't lied. The Guild Tavern was so packed that there wasn't even an open table or bar stool to be found. Upbeat and loud music cuts through the din of chatter, creating a joyful yet crowded atmosphere in the room.
Mina was walking briskly around the room, holding two hearty plates of meat and vegetables. She stopped at a table for two, slid her plate onto it, and walked over to me. The gray smudge from the pencil strike on her face was still there, and she didn't seem to notice.
Returning to the bar and kitchen area to get more food, she looked down and saw me with an annoyed look on her face, as if my presence wasn't of much benefit.
Mina knelt down and held me in her arms, as she had done several times. She placed me at the end of the bar, earning a questioning look from her father.
"Hey, sorry, but the cigarette ashes went downstairs and I didn't have time to go back to my room, so yeah, sorry dad." Mina said it in one breath and walked to the kitchen.
"What? Soot? Did you name it? I don't have time to take the cat upstairs, you know!" Mina's father complained, but she was already gone. He looked down at me and he grabbed a rag and concentrated on it for a moment. It had a yellowish sheen and he tapped it against me and the countertop, leaving me refreshed and the counter looking brand new. I guess it's magic. While its purpose was mundane, the first time I actually saw it, I wished it had something a little fancier.
"Well, that should take care of your bastard." He muttered, then narrowed his eyes in confusion. "If you knock the glass out of here, it's going to go back into the alley, understand?" he threatened, his fear met with a low gasp as he walked away and handed a stocky woman a drink. The sound of laughter broke. "You're just a cat, you can't understand me anyway..."
I really can't blame him for that assumption. ha
Lying on the counter of a busy bistro for about an hour made a few things clear to me. First and foremost, I am loved by everyone. I've long since learned that if I just sat there doing nothing, people would pet me lovingly, many give me scraps and nuggets of meat, coo at affection, and... well, well, not much else. Something. Still good though. It was like making an offering to the gods, but then again, I met a goddess and she was kind of terrible.
Besides the free food and love, there's a big benefit to sitting around eating together. Gossip. With nothing else to do to occupy my time, I eavesdropped on the conversations of the customers. While I mostly eavesdropped on people's conversations in bars, the proximity made it easier and I was currently entertaining myself by listening to random snippets of conversations in taverns.
"Yeah man, skeletons sometimes have super stylish belts on them, so I've been selling them, very profitable business. Do you want to buy one?
"Man, I don't care. Shut the fuck up about the skull belt."
I bet those belts are ugly too. What other conversations are happening right now?
"Some kobolds have suddenly appeared near my farm. Hopefully the guild will take care of them soon. Where would we be without them? Cowering? All dead?"
Isn't this a guild? I guess I'm a member of a very important institution. What an honor.
"Haven't you heard? Demons come in any form! Any one of us can be one!"
"You should probably stop drinking. That's where that rumor comes from. You're too paranoid."
"I knew it! You are one of them too!"
Ah, what a drunk person.
"I'm telling you Dro, we should get out more! It feels like we've never done that again."
"Vic, I've been trying to get you here for weeks. You keep saying you'd rather just make dinner."
Gee, Vic, keep it together. You look really stupid now.
My silent chat was interrupted when a well-dressed woman took the seat closest to me. She has a rather pointed nose and small glasses on her nose. She waved to Mina's father, who nodded back and came over to pour her a glass of... wine, maybe? Looks a little too blue.
Berry wine
Millie, “It’s rude to have insight without permission.” Further information restricted.
Well...the warmest first impression. I guess she doesn't want people (or cats) to gain insight into her, but come on, now I'm curious. Why did she shut me out?
Mina's father waited for her to take a long sip of wine before speaking. "Well, Milly, it's nice to see you. You rarely come over." He said, polishing the bottle with a clean rag and putting it back on the shelf.
Millie sighed and put down her cup, clinking it. "Maybe I'm here to ask about your new cat, huh?" she said, stroking my fur with her hands. "But unfortunately, I'm not. I'll get right to the point. You know about the plan to summon heroes hand-picked by the goddess to assist us in our fight against demons, right?"
Wait, that's me. I was that hero. This can't be a good thing. I listened intently as Millie continued.
"Well, it has no effect at all. The royal family and high-level officials are panicking, and some people have given up their belief in the goddess. The worst thing is that someone leaked the news that the summoning was in progress, and the summoning failed." Milly pushed up her glasses , took a heavy sip of wine, sighed, and continued. "The news has spread and the whole city will know tomorrow morning."
This could be pretty scary news? Come on man, I'm considered dead here. "Well, I'm not surprised at all that the goddess failed to impress." He spat in a rather sour tone.
Milly sighed. "Yeah, I can't blame you for that. But more importantly, even with the fact that there are no heroes to fight in the war, the impact of this would be much more profound. You won't want to hear me talk about the consequences of this economic or religious changes, but many of them will directly affect the guild. I thought I should warn you that you will be very busy tomorrow."
Mina's father raised his thick eyebrows and motioned for Milly to explain. "Think about it. Those patriotic young people across the country who are full of vigor and dreams. As soon as they hear the news, they will flock to join the guild, eager to prove that they are stronger than any summoned hero. They all think they are awesome. B, and they have pretty much the exact same idea. Just a bunch of idealistic dreamers." Milly sighed again.
Mina's father also sighed, is this contagious? "It's going to be painful, but it's nothing we can't handle. We'll be looking for more novice assignments to assign, making sure Mina is ready to sign up enough people, and that should wrap up soon."
"Well, speaking of Mina, I assume she's still having issues?"
ah? what is the problem? Mina's dad just nodded in response and handed another customer a glass of water, which did little to clear up my confusion.
"Ah, shame. She will be thinking about adventure. Maybe more." Milly was silent, and Mina hurried past with the food and was busy finishing the wine. "Poor thing. No one her age wants to be trapped."
Neither of them spoke, the dull sound of the bar hanging over them darkly, while I pondered what this meant.
The night continued with Mina serving tables, her father cleaning the bar and handing out drinks, and Millie making small talk while occasionally touching me. Millie seems to be a cat lover, as everyone should be.
As time goes by, the background music in the tavern slowly changes from energetic to relaxed, and the number of customers in the tavern slowly disappears. Finally, Milly was ready to leave, and finally stood up with a sigh.
"I'm leaving. Good luck tomorrow." She paused, looked at me appraisingly, then smiled. "Oh my God, what a title for your cat." She noticed before walking out of the tavern.
ah? Does she know? Did she connect the dots? She looks smart after all. Mina's father looked down at me, making me realize this was an insight. Is it this one? Does Milly think of me as a hero? There was no time to change my title from "Challenger of the Gods" to "The Immortal." Will I be forced to fight in a war? How should I sleep if this happens? I was doomed and my second chance at life ended in a few days.
Mina's dad just smiled. "Sounds perfect for a cat," he muttered, then went back to clearing the counter.
