"I suppose that's why the Elder has his Favour system," Beam said lightly, just to test the man's reaction.
"Pah," he spat. "I don't need no Favour system to tell me when to help a neighbour. We didn't need it before he came to power, and I can tell you we won't need it after. Besides, where's he in all this? Not sticking his neck out for the village, I can tell ya."
"You were here when the Elder came to power?" Beam asked with interest.
"Oh aye, 'course most people were. Not many come from outside to settle in like you did. He was born in this village, he was, came back about fifteen years ago, just as the last Elder got elected. Seemed like a fine man back then. He got elected through it. But the years 'av eaten away at his mind.
Not like he used to be, he isn't," the old man said. "'Course, when you get to my age, most of your old friends ain't like they used to be."
"So you've noticed a change in him? How about recently? I haven't seen much of him lately. Is that not odd?" Beam pressed, pleased to have someone so willing to give him information.
The old man just shrugged. "He's been complaining about the cold in the last couple of years. I imagine that's it. When there's a chill in the air, the bones start to ache. Though, if he's been struggling that much, I'd say the old goat needs to retire and give up the helm for someone else. No good ever comes out of holding onto something past its time."
"I see," Beam said with a nod. "I'm in agreement."
The old man smiled at that. "Pleased to hear it. Not many people are. They don't like to hear a break in the tradition. 'Course, the same people merely cower in the background when we're in a crisis like this, so can't say their opinions are worth much. But you lad, you're not even from here, and you're standing up to the soldiers like this?
"I would say get used to it, but you probably don't have to," Beam said with a smile.
"What was that you little shit!?" Judas said with a sniff, as he slapped his hand against the barrel in a mock display of indignation. "Oh fuck, looks like there's more of them coming in. Isn't that the one you chased off earlier as well?"
Sure enough, where Judas was pointing, there was a party of three soldiers, with the man who they had chased away from the butcher's stall earlier amongst them.
The village centre was growing increasingly busy now, as word spread of all that had been happening there, and people sensed the building of tension in the air.
Beam noticed it too. "I'd been planning to keep this going for a couple of days, but doesn't seem like that going to be possible. Can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing, though."
"You're not frightened?" Judas asked. Beam could see the nervousness on the man's face. "We knew it'd happened from the start, but you can't really stand up to the class above you without stirring something dangerous up."
Beam thought for a moment, as he looked at his hand. He was no stranger to fear, of course. Just the night before, as he fought the Titan, he had wracked the entirety of his body. But here, strangely, it was hardly present. Maybe there was a dim sort of nervousness, but there was no fear. Not anymore.
That surprised him more than anyone. He'd always hated situations like this, at least to some degree, and now he chose it as a solution to his problems. He clenched his fist, wondering when he'd begun to change.
"Well, we'd better get going before they stir things up with the villagers," Beam said with a sigh. The soldiers were already looking through the crowd like predators, clearly searching for Beam and his party, but from the venom in their gazes, they seemed as though they'd settle for anyone.