"What in blazes is going on here?!" Illyana's voice roused the two men to attention. Coin spun around, watching the elf make her approach. She was still dressed in her night clothes, but she carried her claymore just as easily. Her gaze roamed across both men, then to the various bloodstains drying in the dirt.

"I heard a commotion when I woke up, and I happened to find this man being attacked by a group of bandits," Coin explained.

"And he rushed to my defence too. A lad with a heart of gold," said Elijah. Coin tensed. People could get hearts made out of gold?

Coin cleared his throat, focusing back on the elf. "You were still asleep, and I didn't get a chance to wake you. If I waited too long, they probably would have killed the old man. But uh... why are you up?"

Illyana's cheeks darkened a tad, almost imperceptible from the darkness surrounding her. "What, a woman can't get up to relieve herself in the middle of the night? I'm glad you're safe all the same, but that was reckless."

Elijah chuckled, stroking one side of his vibrant moustache. "No harm, no foul. Except for those bastards your young friend sent packing! Elijah DiVenture, representative of the Mercantile Guild, charmed to meet a lady of the fairer race here."

The elf paused, regarding the old man curiously. "DiVenture...?" she murmured under her breath, as if the name was familiar yet she couldn't quite recall how. The blonde shook her head, deciding it must not have mattered too much. "Illyana, of Clan Rosso. And a member of the Adventurer's Guild."

"Oh?" Eijah arched a brow. "And are you both in the Guild?"

Coin shook his head. "I'm... solo," he said.

"Truly? A man who can fight off a group of brigands solo, and he's not in the Guild? I may not have seen how you did it, but it's no mean feat. You're an interesting fellow, you know."

"Oh, no, I'm nothing special," Coin hastily replied. "Just a... normal man." That was something a normal human would say, yes?

Seeming undaunted, Elijah turned to regard Illyana. "I take it you're both heading toward Wheat Valley?" The elf nodded. "Well! In that case, perhaps we three should travel together? The road is a touch more dangerous than I recall. Archchancellor Velasco's doing no doubt, pushing criminals further and further from the capital. Still, I'll gladly give you a bit of money for your trouble."

"I say we do it," Coin instantly replied.

His companion, on the other hand, took a more measured approach. She examined his wagon, then the giant beetle it was hitched to. "So long as I don't have to fill out any paperwork with the Mercantile Guild, fine. I could do with more money."

Elijah produced a coin from his waistcoat and flicked it up and down. Coin's eyes followed it, like a cat drawn to a sunbeam. "A common ailment that afflicts all our races, eh?"

Come the morning, after a breakfast of grilled meat offered by Elijah, the trio set off on the roads again. He even hitched Illyana's wagon to the back of his, with the elf eventually relenting in her protests. The bug pulling them along (which Illyana referred to as a 'mushien' and Elijah called 'Dancer') seemed not to notice the extra weight.

They travelled straight for some time, halting only briefly so they could burn the remains of Elijah's bodyguard in a clearing. Supposedly, in the faith most surface dwellers followed these days, burning a body allowed the rising smoke and ash to carry their spirit into the embrace of their divine goddess above. At least, that was the gist Coin got from the prayers Elijah said.

Frankly he couldn't make heads or tails of it. But the mimic had no concept of religion, and the thought of a divine being watching from above made him uneasy.

Elijah had stopped briefly to open a large leather tome from the inside of his jacket, and set about scribbling a few details down. Coin watched him intently. "What are you doing?"

"Hm?" Elijah glanced up. "Oh. Taking a note about what happened to the poor fellow. It's important to keep records on such things," he said, wagging his pencil.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"No, I mean... what is... this?" he asked, mimicking the motion of the old man's writing.

"Oh? Illiterate, are we? I suppose it can't be helped. Few folks out in the countryside learn how to read or write, unless they're fortunate enough to have the right teachers."

Coin nodded stiffly. He couldn't recall ever seeing an adventurer doing that in the ruins. Though now he had a better understanding about what all those rotted old books had been for. "Yeah, can't say I'm familiar," he eventually admitted.

"Well..." Elijah smiled, twirling his moustache with his other hand. "How about I teach you some literacy while we travel together? Another way for me to thank you for your aid."

He got started almost as soon as Dancer started trotting again, going into great deal into what he called the 'alphabet.' Which, to Coin, was a string of alien scribbles where they could each be slotted together to form 'words', which then became 'sentences' when put together. It was a lot for Coin to wrap his head around. But if it was a major part of being a human, he supposed he'd just need to learn it.

The journey was largely uneventful after that point, the roads being safer in the daylight than they had been at night. But, at one point, Elijah tugged on Dancer's reins to slow the bug. He pressed a finger to his lips and motioned for his two passengers to glance downhill.

From where they were on the road, it was easy to see a makeshift camp in a rocky clearing. Totems made from repurposed bone were erected around the place, and a large cookfire was busy blackening a spit of anomalous meat. Three figures stood around it, hulking orange-scaled humanoids adorned in repurposed animal pelts.

The tallest of the group was nearly twice as tall as Illyana, even without the studded horns protruding from the top of his head.

"Ogres," Illyana muttered, distastefully.

"Haven't seen us yet, fortunately. And they're not bright enough to set traps. Still, it's prudent to keep an eye out for beasts like them," said Elijah. "Where there's some, there's bound to be others."

"Between bandits and demihumans, the roads are in dire need of more security. Arcadia's going downhill fast these days. The Archchancellor needs to focus on securing something other than the country's capital."

Coin nodded, even though he didn't understand exactly what the two were talking about. Still, it was nice to know the land was called Arcadia. "Demihumans?" he asked aloud.

"They don't have that term where you're from?" Illyana asked.

"... Sure," Coin eventually replied.

Elijah hummed, looking up at the clouds. "It's a term used for beings like goblins, ogres, kobolds, and such. Things that are humanoid but are too savage or dangerous to be part of mainstream society. Folks down by the temples say they're the souls of sinners, reincarnated into monstrous bodies as punishment for their wicked ways. Don't know if I put much stock in that theory, but the thought alone gets some folks paranoid."

Coin considered all of this, furrowing his brow. He watched the bulky orange figures falling further and further into the distance. Was he a demihuman, then? Well, at least he had the chance to blend in with human society now. Though, in his case, it was due to a fluke.

Goblins, ogres, and their kin weren't so fortunate. And it struck Coin as slightly unfair, when he thought about it. Surely not all of them deserves to be shoved out into the wild like this. There had to be some with the capacity to grow and evolve. He had the chance to be free, but most of them never would. And having tasted freedom for himself, he knew all too well what those vicious bastards underground would forever be missing out on.

Illyana sighed, sinking back into the bench. "A lot of monster attacks have been reported these past months, and contracts at the Guild are coming in faster than they can be cleared. Wish the countryside got the same protection the larger cities have."

"It'll happen eventually, I'm sure," Elijah mused. "When the Archchancellor is satisfied with his own security, at least."

"Interesting times, unfortunately," the elf muttered.

Coin silently digested this information, sitting still while the wagon rumbled under his backside. "What exactly do you have back here?" he eventually asked, gesturing to the crates and containers rattling behind them.

"Hm?" Elijah perked up, giving the reins a light flick. Dancer chittered in response. "Oh, nothing special. Preserved goods from Whiteford, set to be delivered to a few stores in Wheat Valley. It's a modest job, but someone has to do it. And the pay is decent, all things considered."

Coin perked up at that. Pay? A chance to get more money? "And is there much... money to be made in the Mercantile Guild?" he asked. If he could steadily be paid, and reduce the risk of being sticking pieces of metal into his body in any way, then that was a path worth taking.

"Depends on where you look for it. There's always jobs that need doing, always goods that need to be delivered. In places like this, however, you shouldn't expect to make too much per delivery. The cities, that's where the real money is made. Only..." Elijah sighed and shook his head. "Well, good luck dealing with all the competition. The larger companies make it harder for independent merchants to secure contracts."

"And those groups will spread further and further to the countryside in due time. It's inevitable," Illyana said.

"Well, one of the larger companies will win out over the other eventually. Let 'em have at it, I say. I much prefer the humble route I've got."

The politics flew over Coin's head, in truth. But he had enough of a rudimentary understanding to know that big things were happening with Elijah's group, and that there was an abundance of gold to be found in it. The prospect made Coin smirk to himself.

He turned to face the old man, who gave him a curious sideways glance. "Say, Elijah, can just about anyone join this Mercantile Guild?" the mimic asked.

"If they're willing to put the legwork in, sure. Why? Looking for a job? Because I think we'd benefit greatly from a passionate lad like you on board. Once your literacy is up to snuff, at least." He grinned, excitement twinkling in his eyes. Illyana seemed more surprised, but ultimately held her tongue as she quietly observed the two men.

"If there's money to be made, I'll gladly make it. Just show me what to do, and I'll go for it!" Coin enthusiastically replied. It seemed slightly less dangerous than being an adventurer, when it came to making money. Of course he had no way of knowing that merchants were more prone to stabbing each other in the back than most other vocations.

If he was to follow his dream of being surrounded by meat and gold, this seemed as good a starting point as any. He could still vividly recall the inside of Elijah's lockbox, those glittering golden stacks. If that was considered 'small time' by human standards, what kind of money would he have if he reached the heights of those larger merchant groups?

He had every intention of finding out.