"Hm. What about you? Angrith? What possessed you towards such madness? I don't know if you've noticed, but you riled up over a hundred angry villagers. Are you intent on seeing our defences run into the ground?" The Captain asked icily.
The leader of the men – who Beam could only presume was Angrith – stepped forward solemnly and bowed his head in apology.
"The boy wronged us. We came here seeking justice for those wrongdoings," the man said.
"Did he now?" The Captain said, glancing at Beam, and narrowing his eyes at the cut on his forearm. "And that is the best you managed to do to him, even as you heave your breath in front of me like you've just fought a war?"
The man was unable to meet Lombard's gaze. "We have no excuse," he said solemnly.
Lombard made a clear display of sighing, as he rubbed his eyes in irritation. "So? What did the boy do?"
The soldiers shared a few awkward glances. The thin man from the butcher's stall stepped forward. "He interfered with a business deal that I was in the midst of making, and invoked your name to get me to leave."
"Did he now?" Lombard said with a raised eyebrow, looking towards Beam. "And why would he do that?"
Beam lowered his head, imitating the gesture he'd seen from the soldiers. "I merely suggested that if the man wished to purchase meat, that he pay for it, or he leave," Beam said.
Behind Lombard, Beam could see Greeves droop his head in a display of exhaustion. He seemed as though he wanted to let loose the same sigh that Lombard had earlier, but instead, he settled for shaking his head.
Lombard caught that look of exasperation on Greeves' face, and his gaze softened for a second. "It seems you have it tough, merchant, trying to keep dogs like this in line..." he then turned to face Beam, and after studying him for a moment, he agreed. "Very well – but this agreement is dependant on your own performance.
If your combat worth is less than that of any of my soldiers, this agreement will be nullified."
"What about me?" Nila asked meekly.
Far more eyes than she was used to drifted to Nila at once, surprised to see her speak up. She bowed her head slightly at the weight of their gazes, but she said what she intended to say anyway. "You've punished both Judas and Beam, yet I'm guilty of the same crimes as them. I won't be the only one to walk away for free."
Beam raised an eyebrow and shook his head, trying to let her know that what she'd done was beyond unnecessary, but she merely shot him a fierce glare back.
"...What a strange bunch of peasants," Lombard murmured, though despite his stony face, Beam did not think he looked particularly displeased. "Very well. You, girl, will be in charge of overseeing the relations between my men and the villagers. If they grow too overbearing, you may use my name. But if you misuse it, expect weighty consequences."
The crowd murmured again at that, but this time, instead of in anger, there were vague waves of excitement. The agreement struck between Beam and the Captain had been a huge step for them earlier – but they had no guarantee that things would actually end up as the Captain proposed. But now, with Nila there, with the Captain's authority, they were all but guaranteed at least some measure of peace.
Nila didn't look too pleased. She hadn't wanted to get split up from Beam. But after a reassuring nod from him, she hardened her resolve and nodded back.