The night after Millie left had been quiet and uneventful. Shortly after the tavern closed, Mina collapsed into bed after checking on my injury. I went to sleep and didn't have my dreams invaded by a very unpleasant goddess. All was calm.

The morning after, however, was hell. I was brutally and unjustly awoken before the sun had even begun to shine by Mina, who had the audacity to get ready for the day in her own room without being completely silent. Truly a villain with the lowest of morals. It was fine though, I could just settle down into my cozy half asleep state, and all would be right in the world.

Nope. The world was cruel and relentless, and it relished my suffering. JUST as I became comfortable again, Mina lightly tapped me on the head. Bastard. What torturous reason could there be for this?

“Soot, I gotta change your bandages, wake up.”

Uuuuuuuuugh. Fine. I didn't open my eyes, because that would be admitting that the day had begun, but I stretched my legs in the traditional arched-back way cats do. Mina took the opportunity, grabbing my injured paw and stopping me from completing the stretch on that leg. How was I supposed to function with unevenly stretched legs? Mina unwrapped the bandages, letting my leg experience sweet, sweet freedom before it was trapped beneath a stifling new layer of bandages. A few head scratches, and she was off. Finally, no more ruckus. Sleepytime.

And then she was back. Really? What did she forget that was so important she needed to return, and thus disrupt my slumber for?

Her fingers slipped under me like miniature spatulas, separating my fur from the warm tabletop I had grown accustomed to. She hoisted me up and slung me over her shoulder, ruining my final hopes of a peaceful morning as she brought me down the stairs.

As it turns out, being forced to go downstairs wasn't the end of the world. Mina set me down at the countertop she works behind and began to look through a small stack of papers that had been stacked atop it. She silently began to work, marking some with a stamp, filing some into the drawers, and looking at some confusedly before setting them aside. She let out a long and tired groan, rummaging through the drawers before pulling out a bottle of dark brown liquid.

Potion of Awakening

She drank it with a grimace, although her posture began to sag a bit less. Grabbing some slips of paper, she walked to the quest board and began rearranging it, adding a plethora of new quests, particularly in the lower rankings. She began to hum while she worked, the quiet background music of the tavern starting up and creating a rather pleasant atmosphere with the now-rising morning sun; a vibe of undisturbed, peaceful productivity.

Then some fucker opened the door, disturbing and unpeacefulling the productivity.

Mina turned from the board and stared at the newcomer with more than mild annoyance. “We’re not open yet.”

“Huh? But the doors weren't locked, can't you just give me a quest real quick?” The adventurer pleaded.

“The sun isn't even up yet and we have the opening and closing times posted next to the entrance. Come back then.” Mina replied, turning away from the intruder to work on the board as she reluctantly walked out, glowering.

Mina let out a deeply annoyed sigh that sounded like it came from the bottom of her soul, the tranquility ruined by the reminder that customers exist. She pulled out another potion of awakening, downed it in one go, and returned to the board.

After about 15 more minutes of preparation, Mina seemed satisfied with the state of the guild hall. The quest board was neatly categorized, the shelves were stocked, the counter was prepared with paperwork and a blanket, which I was currently on. Mina pet me briefly as she walked over to the door.

“Well, time for the start of another day, Soot!” She beamed, opening the front doors and rushing back to behind the desk. A torrent of adventurers followed behind her, lined up in a not-so-orderly queue. If the person coming in earlier had shattered the peace, this mob of people had put the broken peace pieces into a blender and then thrown it over a cliff. The business of the previous day couldn't begin to compare to how absurdly packed with people the guild hall was. Some were looking over the shelves, admiring all the weapons, potions, and supplies. Others were reading through the quest board with looks of wonder and curiosity, as if envisioning themselves taking on the highest ranking of beasts. Everyone else was waiting in line. How fun for them.

There were a few common traits through the majority of the crowd. A sense of wonder, everyone seemed awestruck by the fairly simple hall, as if it was beyond their wildest dreams. There was a trend towards youthfulness, most of them somewhere in their teens. Finally, obvious inexperience. Not one of them had even basic leather armor, although a few had weapons that they quite frankly should not have at that age. Personally, I wouldn't give a 12 year old a giant war-hammer. Maybe that's just me.

Mina waved the first person in line forward. “Hi, welcome to the Adventurer’s guild! How can I help you?” Mina said cheerfully.

Sal, “Fledgeling Blacksmith”, human teenager, level 14.

“Hey! I'd like to join the guild!” Sal chirped.

Mina pulled a piece of paper off of a large stack. “Absolutely! At the adventurer’s guild, anyone is free to join! I just have to ask you a few questions first.” Mina said cheerfully. “Name, race, class, and level?” She asked, launching into the spiel of questions she had given Tori the day before. Jotting his answer down, she continued. “Are you acquainted with the quest system, the basics of combat, the adventurer’s rules, and proper potion protocol?”

“Um… no. None of those.”

4 extremely in-depth explanations from Mina and a magical signature from Sal later, and he was a member of the guild despite having no qualifications or knowledge of the systems.

“Congratulations! Check out the board behind me for beginner quests, and don’t lose the pin!” Mina said cheerfully. “Next!” She bellowed, the line shambling forward.

Ondae, “Dreamer”, human teenager, level 14

“This is the most exciting day of my life!”

“Good for you! Just a few questions…”

Screet, “Soft-Stepped”, dwarf teenager, level 15

“Do I, um, need parental permission for this?”

“No permission needed, but they can remove you from the guild if you're below D rank and young enough. It's a whole lotta paperwork too, so make sure they don't find out.”

Harper, “The Sky’s Strings”, harpy bard, level 18

“It's thrilling to finally be leaving the nest.”

“I bet it is. Sign here.”

Phor, “The Glorious”, human fighter, level 13

“You're a witness to the beginning of the greatest adventurer of all time!!”

“I'm sure I am. Do you know the potion protocol?”

Felinyxakitaz, Further information restricted.

“Can I pet your cat? Please??”

“Of course! Would you mind spelling your name out for me?”

Haloom, “The Resourceful”, human rogue, level 21

“I hear this is where all the real money can be made.”

“That’s… not really the point of this, you know. Do you know how to check your status?”

Gustan, “Mildly Accomplished”, human teenager, level 16

“This is like a dream come true! I'll be a far better hero than the summoned one would have ever been!”

“Mmm-hmmm, definitely. Don't lose this pin please.”

Hey wait a minute.

The line never seemed to thin out or shorten, a constantly huge number of adventurers always in it. They were fun to watch, so many diverse and varied people brought together by a common desire. The overall energy of the line only seemed to get more friendly and amicable through the day, as those who had been waiting next to each other for hours began to get to know one another. Friendships were forged during the wait, stories shared, jokes told. Despite how long they had waited and had to further wait, everyone seemed incredibly excited, knowing they were entering a new chapter of their lives with new friends, challenges, and experiences.

It was rather heartwarming to watch, honestly. Especially considering that almost everyone in the line was here indirectly because of me. Would this have happened if I had been summoned normally? Would any of these people be making this move towards their dream? Would any of the new friends have met each other otherwise? Almost certainly not, so all of them better be incredibly thankful for my generosity and impact on their lives. How many would rise up to be inspiring and renowned by all, with me as the catalyst in their success? Untold and copious numbers, surely.

With this many new adventurers, maybe someone else would kill that demon king that the goddess wanted dead so badly. Really a win-win for everyone. Idealistic teenagers get to live their dream, I get to live my dream of sitting around doing nothing, Radia gets her regicide committed, and uh, the demon king probably didn’t want to die actually. Everyone else wins though.

Mina finished signing up some snot-nosed little 11 year old, the current newest adventurer, and placed a small red sign on her desk. She took in a deep breath before yelling loud enough to jolt me out of my thoughts. “I’m going on break, I’ll be back after lunch!” Loud enough for everyone waiting to hear. A few dissatisfied mumbles broke out, with one person booing her from the back of the line. Mina simply ignored the complaints, picking me up like a sack of potatoes and walking to the kitchen. Guess I was going on break too.