When I got downstairs, it was clear that Mina's father wasn't lying, the guild tavern was so crowded that there wasn't even an open table and bar stool to be found. Cheerful and boisterous music cuts through the raucous conversations, creating a convivial yet crowded atmosphere in the room.

Mina was walking briskly around the room, two hearty plates of meat and vegetables in her hands. She stopped at a table for two, slid her plate onto it, and walked over to me. The gray smudge left by the pencil hit on her face was still there, and she didn't seem to notice it yet.

Back at the bar and kitchen area to get more meals, she looked down at me with an exasperated look on her face, as if my presence didn't do much good.

Mina crouched down and took me in her arms, which she had done several times. She placed me at the end of the bar, drawing her father's inquiring glance.

"Hey, sorry, but the ash went downstairs and I didn't have time to get back to my room, so yes, sorry Dad." Mina finished in one breath and headed to the kitchen.

"What? Soot? Did you name it? I don't have time to take the cat upstairs either, you know! Mina's father complained, but she was gone. He looked down at me, and he grabbed a rag and looked at it intently for a moment. It had a yellowish sheen, and he used it to gently tap me and the countertop, leaving me refreshed and the counter brand new. Magic, I guess. Although its use is mundane, the first time I actually saw it, I wished it could have something more gorgeous.

"Okay, that should take care of your stray hair." He muttered, then narrowed his eyes in confusion. "If you knock the glass out here, it'll go back to the alley, you know?" He threatened that when he walked away and handed a stocky woman a drink, his fear was shattered by a burst of low laughter. "You're just a cat, you can't understand me anyway......"

I really can't blame him for this assumption. Ha

Lying on the counter in a busy tavern for about an hour made me understand something. First and foremost, I am loved by everyone. I knew for a long time that if I just sat there doing nothing, people would caress me lovingly, and many people would give me minced meat and pieces of meat, cooing in love, and ...... Well, well, there's nothing else. It's still good, though. It's like offering to a deity, but then again, I met a goddess and she was a bit bad.

In addition to the free food and love, there is a great benefit to sitting around and eating. Gossip. With nothing else to do, I had to eavesdrop on the conversations of the customers. While I'm mostly eavesdropping on people's conversations in bars, getting up close makes things easier, and I'm currently entertaining myself by listening to random snippets of conversation in the tavern.

"Yes man, skeletons sometimes have super stylish belts on them, so I've been selling them, very profitable business. Do you want to buy one?

"Dude, I don't care. Fuck shut up about the skull belt. ”

I bet those belts are ugly too. What other conversations are going on right now?

"Some kobolds suddenly appeared near my farm. Hopefully, the guild will be able to get rid of them soon. Where would we be without them? Cowering? Are they all dead? ”

Isn't this a guild? I guess I'm a member of a very important body. What an honor.

"Haven't you heard? Demons in any form! Any one of us can be one of them! ”

"You should probably quit drinking, that rumor is here, you're too paranoid."

"I knew it! You're one of them! ”

Ahh

"I tell you Droz, we should go out and walk more! It felt like we never did it again. ”

"Vic, I've been trying to get you here for weeks. You've been saying you'd rather just cook dinner. ”

Oops, Vic, put it all together. You look really stupid right now.

My silent small talk was interrupted as a well-dressed woman sat in the seat closest to me. She has a rather pointed nose with small glasses framed on it. She waved to Mina's father, who nodded in response and walked over to pour her a glass...... Wine, maybe? It looks a little too blue.

Berry wine

Millie, "It's rude to discern without permission". Further information is restricted.

Well...... The most enthusiastic first impression. I guess she doesn't want people (or cats) to have insight into her, but come on, now I'm curious. How did she turn me away?

Mina's dad waited for her to take a big sip of wine before speaking. "Well, Millie, it's nice to see you, you rarely come over." As he spoke, he polished the bottle with a clean rag and put it back on the shelf.

Millie sighed, put down her glass, and made a jingle sound. "Maybe I'm here to ask about your new cat, huh?" She said as she stroked my fur with her hand. "But unfortunately, I'm not. I'll get straight to the point. You know the plan to summon the goddess's hand-picked heroes to assist us in our fight against demons, right? ”

Wait, that's me. I was meant to be that hero. This can't be a good thing. I listened intently as Millie continued.

"Well, it didn't work at all. The royal family and the upper echelons panicked, some abandoned their faith in the goddess, and worst of all, someone leaked the news that the summoning was underway, and the summoning failed. Millie pushed her glasses, took a heavy sip of her 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 thought dead here. "Well, I'm not at all surprised that the goddess failed to impress." He spat in a rather sour tone.

Millie sighed. "Yes, I can't blame you for that. But more importantly, even the fact that there are no heroes who can fight in war, the impact of this effect can be more profound. You won't want to hear me talk about the economic or religious changes that this will bring, but many of them will directly affect the guild. I think I should warn you that tomorrow you will be very busy. ”

Mina's dad raised his thick eyebrows and motioned for Millie to explain. "Think about it. Those patriotic young people who are full of vitality and dreams all over the country. As soon as they hear the news, they flock to join the guild, eager to prove that they are stronger than any summoned hero. They all think they're pretty good, and they think almost exactly the same thing. Just a bunch of idealistic dreamers. Millie sighed again.

Mina's father also sighed, this is contagious? "It's going to be painful, but there's nothing we can't handle. We'll be looking for more newbie quests to assign and make sure Mina is ready to sign up for enough people, which should be over soon. ”

"Oh, speaking of Mina, I guess her problem is still there?"

Yes? What's the problem? Mina's dad just nodded in response and handed another customer a glass of water, which didn't dispel my confusion.

"Ah, shame. She would like to take risks. Maybe more. Millie was silent, and Mina hurried over with her meal, busy finishing her drink. Poor thing. No one her age wants to be trapped. ”

Neither of them spoke, and the muffled voices in the bar gripped them gloomily while I pondered what that meant.

As the night continued, Mina was in charge of serving the table, her father was constantly cleaning the bar and handing out drinks, and Millie was chatting and occasionally petting me. Millie seems to be a cat fan, and everyone deserves it.

As time passed, the background music of the tavern slowly changed from energetic to relaxed, and the customers in the tavern slowly lost customers. Eventually, Millie prepares to leave, and finally sighs before standing up.

"I'm leaving. Good luck tomorrow. She stopped, looked at me scrutinizingly, and then smiled. Oh my gosh, that's really your cat title. She noticed this before she walked out of the tavern.

Yes? Does she know? Did she connect the dots? After all, she looks smart. Mina's father looked down at me and made me realize that it was an insight. Is this it? Does Millie see me as a hero? Didn't have time to change my title from "God Challenger" to "God Immortal". Will I be forced to go to war? How do I sleep if this happens? I was doomed to fail, and in a few days my second chance at life was over.

Mina's dad just smiled. "Sounds like a cat." He muttered, then went back to cleaning the counter.