214: Combining kindness and severity

Chapter 211 Grace and Might

Bill and Holland walked into the town's tavern together.

They ordered dinner, plus the day's special drink.

Having lived for over thirty years, this was the first time they had ever received food without having to pay for it themselves.

They only needed to report their names to the tavern owner, complete the registration, and they could enjoy three free meals a day here.

However, the alcoholic beverages were limited and only available during dinner, with a maximum of one drink per person.

While waiting for their meal, Bill was still shaken, his voice trembling as he said, "This is terrible. I wish I hadn't shown off back then."

"It almost led to a huge mistake."

Holland scratched his head, a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone: "I told you long ago that this matter would eventually be exposed."

"Thankfully, the Lord didn't pursue our mistake."

"The Lord is kind-hearted, but some people just don't know how to be grateful."

The sudden voice startled both beast tamers.

This voice was all too familiar to them.

They hastily stood up from their seats, their backs rigid.

"Sit," Philip said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Holland secretly glanced at his companion beside him, seeing Bill's face full of bitterness.

He eventually sat back down first, and Bill hesitated for a moment before following suit.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just here to eat, just like you," Philip added.

Only a fool would believe that.

Bill, usually so eloquent, now seemed to have his mouth sealed, unable to utter a single word.

Holland, however, remained relatively calm, and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Philip—this was indeed our fault, and we have already confessed our sins to the Lord."

Philip reached out and patted his shoulder, the force carrying a hint of pressure.

He whispered, "Mr. Godwin specifically instructed me to keep a close eye on you two."

"I know that Lord Arthur is short-handed right now, which is why he didn't pursue your lie."

"But I am not like him. Do you know what I do?"

Holland shook his head in confusion.

"Me? I specialize in dealing with people like you."

Philip deliberately emphasized his tone to intimidate them, while recalling the interrogation methods Mr. Godwin had taught him.

Holland struggled to maintain his composure and pressed, "Deal with? How—how do you deal with us?"

"For Mother Earth's sake, sir, we truly want to serve the Lord."

Philip's grip tightened, and his tone grew colder: "You lied to the wrong person."

"You lied to the one person you absolutely shouldn't have lied to."

"Lord Arthur is arguably the best lord in this world. Has he ever mistreated you?"

Both beast tamers shook their heads simultaneously, their eyes showing a hint of guilt.

"Since that's the case, you shouldn't have deceived him."

"Perhaps you can come up with a barrel full of reasons for lying."

"But a liar is a liar after all."

"When they encounter problems, they always try to cover them up or solve them with lies."

"Tell me, why should I trust you?"

At this moment, Bill, who had been silent, finally spoke, "Mr. Philip, please rest assured, I will never lie to the Lord again in the future."

"But if you want us to be completely honest, we—we really can't do it."

Philip withdrew his hand and turned to look at Bill.

A fierce look appeared on his face as he asked, "Have you ever killed anyone?"

Bill shook his head quickly, his eyes filled with terror.

"I have," Philip's voice was as calm as if he were talking about the weather, "and I know very well that many people only tell the truth when they are on the verge of death."

Bill swallowed, his throat tight, "We're not that kind of people! You can rest assured about that."

"Then do you know the real reason Lord Arthur is angry?"

The question Philip posed made both beast tamers fall into contemplation.

Just then, the tavern owner, Gerald, led his daughter, Lila, carrying three steaming hot dinners, to their table.

"Hey, you two must be the new beast tamers, right?"

Gerald asked with a smile as he gently placed the plates on the table.

Bill and Holland exchanged glances, forced a bitter smile, and nodded.

"Why the long faces? Do you think our little tavern isn't good enough?" Gerald joked with a smile.

"No, no, no, not at all! This place is great, absolutely great!" Bill hastily waved his hands in reply.

Philip, standing nearby, took his dinner from Lila and softly said, "Thank you."

He looked like a different person now; not a trace of his earlier ferocity could be seen.

Gerald's smile grew wider, and he shouted to the people in the tavern, "That's good then!

"Hey, everyone, listen up! We'll have beast tamers in our town from now on!

"Once the warhorses are tamed, we'll see mighty cavalry!"

The diners in the tavern, hearing this, raised their cups and cheered.

Gerald seemed to suddenly remember something and leaned closer to the two, asking in a low voice, "You two are the ones who do this, right?"

"Training warhorses for Lord Arthur?"

"Yes, yes, yes, that's what we do!" Bill quickly responded.

"Haha, that's good, that's really good!"

After receiving a positive answer, the tavern owner, Gerald, laughed heartily again.

Once the two who delivered the food had walked away, the smile on Philip's face vanished instantly.

He continued the previous topic, telling the two beast tamers, "Lord Arthur is angry not just because you lied."

"More importantly, he worries that if you cause trouble in the future, many innocent people will be harmed."

As he spoke, Philip raised a hand and pointed at Lila, who had just delivered dinner, then pointed at a group of children playing in the corner of the tavern.

"If the direwolves you're training lose control, they might injure her, they might kill these children."

"Didn't you consider the consequences when you were boasting?"

Bill and Holland hung their heads, unable to utter a single word.

"From what I know, this place is never short of useless people. Look at those who are praying."

Philip said, gesturing for the two to look in a certain direction.

The two beast tamers looked in the direction Philip indicated.

They saw a group of people, after finishing their meal, chanting the doctrines of Mother Earth in unison.

"They used to live worse than pigs and dogs."

"Everyone treated them as useless, and even they themselves had given up on themselves."

"But look at them now, they are trying to make themselves better."

"But they are not relying on any self-proclaimed cleverness, but on diligently doing what they ought to do."

Philip sighed softly at this point, his tone becoming undeniable: "There will be no next time."

"I think you should be clear about that too, right?"

The two beast tamers nodded silently, not daring to contradict him in the slightest.

Philip actually wasn't sure how much of his words had truly sunk in for these two.

He knew in his heart that these two slippery fellows might not truly change—at least not in the short term.

So he had made up his mind to find someone to keep an eye on them before leaving Mist Town.