The Mimic Becomes a Merchant King

The Mercantile Guild's hall sat near the edge of the Merchant's Quarter, looming larger than most of its neighbours. It made the one from Wheat Valley look like a dingy hovel, the stark white walls and gold-fringed columns gleaming in the fading sunlight of the afternoon.

It sat across from the Adventurer's Guild, similarly massive in size, and the plaza between them was abustle with traders and imposing, armoured figures. Elijah led the way inside, and the echo of conversations rebounding off the walls and floors was near-deafening.

Yet, as they reached the halfway point in the foyer, a hush fell over the entire chamber. Coin noticed rather quickly that all eyes were on Elijah, who smiled in a carefree way.

"You... really are popular," Coin remarked in a low voice. The other merchants resumed their conversation, though now they were markedly more hushed and stealing glances at Elijah and Coin.

"I have a reputation," Elijah said. "It's no big deal, really."

"It doesn't feel that way to me." Indeed, a few of those same stares were now being turned toward Coin, and his sharp ears could pick up on people wondering about his identity. Walking side by side with Elijah, his presence sent the local gossip mill into high gear.

Elijah blissfully ignored this and pressed on. "Now let's see what the old request board has on offer!" The board in question was in fact three wooden boards, side by side with an abundance of papers pinned to the surface.

Coin surveyed the nearest ones, squinting and focusing to the best of his ability. It was a tough challenge, many of the offered contracts being written in dense script, or in cursive, and all using words that made Coin's head spin when he tried to comprehend the strings of syllables.

Elijah, conversely, was roaming across several notices without needing to pause or hesitate. He hummed and huffed, furrowing his brow as he observed some of the offered contracts. "Still rather busy in the city. But contracts aren't straying too far from Sentinel's walls." He sighed as he lifted one sheet, reading the contents with great scrutiny. "An expedition into Elbrinth? For a pay out that small? As if," the old man said.

"Probably on account of all the goblins on the road," Coin suggested, rubbing his chin in that way humans liked to do when they were pretending to be deep in thought.

"Possibly," Elijah murmured. "But I'd like to take a contract that allows us to stretch our legs a little. And some of these jobs are paying rather poorly. Always be mindful of the ratio of payment to labour. Some folks will make you build a palace for a pittance if they can get away with it."

Coin nodded along to his explanation, but the majority of his attention was on the jumble of strange words before him on one of the contracts. "Hey, Elijah, what are... 'Contraceptives'? This one is offering a big sum for shipping a lot of them to a... 'cat house'?"

"Ah... never you mind that, my lad," Elijah quickly replied, coughing into his fist. "It's... well the pay isn't very good anyway." And he didn't like the idea of his naive apprentice being in proximity to seductive women who were adept at fleecing coins from others.

"Well..." Coin approached his mentor, his hands tucked into his coat pockets. "Are there any contracts here worth taking?"

The older man considered this until, gradually, his eyes gravitated toward a contract with a silver seal in the top right corner. "Oh my," he murmured, unpinning the notice and drawing it closer to his face. "Now this is a rarity. A contract commissioned by Lady Greatglow herself. And this sum is... quite handsome. Competition is bound to be stiff for it, but I think it'll be worth the attempt!"

"Who's Lady Greatglow?"

Elijah made for the counter at a measured pace. "A local aristocrat. Her family has a long history in the mining industry, and have become a major supplier of ores and gemstones. Well, gnomes have a general affinity toward that sort of thing. A sort of intimate knowledge of the underground, one might say."

Coin had only ever seen a handful of gnome adventurers in the past, and would admit they were a bit craftier than their human counterparts. Not as strong or tough, certainly, but they were fleet of foot and could see in the dark even without a torch. Indeed, they had avoided his chambers outright whenever they took a look inside, as if able to sense even the most subtle signs of life from the motionless treasure chest.

"Sounds like a rich woman," Coin noted, grinning to himself. "Alright, well, what's she looking for?"

"Courier work. She's got a buyer lined up for some paintings she wants to be rid of, a local nob by the name of Gilly Froth, and needs someone to ensure their safe delivery to an estate due north of Sentinel."

"And that... pays well?" Coin asked. It didn't sound like valuable work.

"For the distance travelled and the general workload? Quite generously. But in this case, it's not just the pay we're looking for," Elijah replied. He looked Coin in the eye, his expression growing quite grave. "A merchant is reliant on two things above all else. Money, naturally. But near equally important is his connections."

"Connections? So, the people you work with?"

Elijah nodded, his face still firm. "Just so, my lad. Get in good with the right people and you can be set for life, becoming a person they trust for valuable contracts, or will recommend to their similarly wealthy friends. Good connections and a good reputation are worth their weight in gold. But, conversely, a bad reputation will spread like wildfire. Becoming a scoundrel who swindles others may result in short term gain, but it's the kind of thing that will catch up to you in the end. That's why I emphasize being above board. And, ideally, avoid working with crooked fools as much as possible."

The clerk behind the desk, a slim and pale human with a series of freckles dotting the bridge of her nose, looked up as they approached. "Oh, Ser DiVenture! It's been a while."

"Magda," Elijah greeted with a nod. "Here to turn in the details of my recent trades. For myself, and for my apprentice."

"Your..." she glanced over with her vibrant emerald eyes, as if only now noticing Coin's presence. "Oh! Well, of course!" She smiled warmly at the mimic, who stiffly waved at her.

Magda spent a few moments poring over their ledgers, scribbling notes and occasionally mouthing numbers under her breath. Satisfied, she took their badges and spent some time inscribing a few tiny notches onto Coin's, using a machine similar to the one at Wheat Valley.

Coin took his back, inspecting the notches under his name. "What are these?" he asked, glancing to Elijah.

"They mark your transition toward a new rank. Once the notches reach the other end, you get your new badge and rank."

Coin checked it again, pursing his lips. "Seems I still have a long way to go."

Magda laughed gently, adjusting her tie. "As an apprentice, the rate you gain experience will be stunted compared to a solo merchant. Not to worry, Ser Thaeka. You're under the guidance of a legend. I have no doubt you'll be soaring high soon." Her eyes met his, a ghost of a smile dancing on her lips.

Elijah cleared his throat, catching the mimic's attention before he could read into it. "Well, Magda, we're also here to talk about taking a contract. Surprised the Greatglow job is still open."

That made the young woman wince, awkwardly running a hand down her dark brown braid. "Well, you see, Lady Greatglow has requested that all prospective merchants meet with her personally before she'll consider hiring anyone. It's somewhat unorthodox. We are, usually, the mediator between both parties. In her case, however, we are advertisers. And considering her wealth, we really don't have much say in the matter," she explained, trying and failing to maintain a smile.

An annoyed grunt rose in Elijah's throat. "Honestly... Well, that complicates things somewhat. But it's not insurmountable, as far as problems go. I trust you can arrange a meeting for us?"

"Of course, assuming the contract hasn't been taken already. Though, from my understanding, that's not the case," said Magda.

"Good, good." Elijah looked to the wall behind the clerk, focusing on a brass clock that was quietly ticking away. "Getting late. We should probably head back and meet up with Essine, and have our dinner."

Coin nodded, resting his hand against his stomach. He was feeling hungry, though that was just his normal state of being. Though now it had gotten to the point where he'd start gnawing on the walls if he didn't get something soon. Fortunately he wasn't hungry enough to want to munch on humans.

"Tell you what, you head back and meet up with her. I'll get some food and bring it to the inn. I was hoping to grab some new clothes for her too, so I can handle that along the way while I'm at it."

The two men parted, though Coin was reluctant to go without having something to eat. The streets were indeed growing dark by the time he left the guild hall. He stood idle, briefly, to watch as a fleet of men in matching red coats lit the lampposts that lined the streets.

Coin took in the smell of burning oil, slowly retracing his steps back through the streets of the Merchant Quarter. Fortunately their prior route had stuck to the main streets, and there were no diversions to turn him around or get him distracted.

"Human cities really are something else," he murmured under his breath, tucking his hands into his pockets. Coin watched the crowds slowly dispersing, spied strangers enjoying games of dominoes and cards on the sides of the streets, witnessed drunkards rolling about in the gutter as drunks are known to do...

To think that this whole world had been here all this time, so massive and intricate that his primal mind never could have comprehended it before now. Coin tucked his hands in his pockets. "Couldn't ever give this up," he murmured.

He ventured back into the grimy streets of Lowtown, his heart and mind abuzz with curiosity. It was at that moment that the noise of screaming hit his ears.