British hegemon

Chapter 42 No Sadness

The light rain had stopped, but dark clouds still hung over the entire island of Arran, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

In the damp pier harbor, the "Baron" floated alone, a few sailors washing the bloodstains on the deck into the sea, the surrounding water already tinged with a faint scarlet.

The sailors tried their best to concentrate on their work so that the wailing coming from the baron's castle not far away wouldn't be so piercing to their eardrums.

When Roger was urged by the grumpy-faced man to ride his horse to Brodick Castle, the castle was already packed with people, almost half of the people on the island of Arran had gathered there.

Bitter-faced, leading his blue mule, pushed through the crowded throng ahead, with Roger jumping off his horse and following closely behind, holding the reins.

The three tenant farmers following behind the swarm of horses were already weeping softly; they all had relatives who had gone to war with the army.

The closer they got to the castle, the louder the cries became.

On the way here, Bitter Gourd Face had already told Roger about the defeat he had learned from the messenger. Of the more than one hundred “expeditionary force” from Arun Island, less than half had escaped and almost all of them were wounded.

Every village on the island has people who died or were seriously wounded in battle, and almost all the islanders have relatives or friends who died tragically on the journey.

At the castle gate, the islanders who had been watching saw the butler of the Milk House Manor and the devilish young master behind him, and they all made way for him.

Recently, "Young Master Roger" has become a frequently used term in the public discourse on Aran Island, especially among those islanders who enjoyed Brodick's free lunch, who constantly mention their participation in the anti-banditry campaign.

Not to mention the dozen or twenty people who personally participated in the bandit suppression battles.

"Young Master Roger" is now not only a villain, but also a ruthless killer.

Roger ignored the occasional whispers and pointing fingers from the crowd and stepped into Brodick Castle with a gloomy face.

The castle was mostly filled with the relatives of wounded soldiers. They gathered around the wounded soldiers in the open space in front of the church and wept softly. Some of the soldiers who had lost limbs might have their lives ruined.

Inside the church, the heart-wrenching wails of the deceased's family members echoed, while several lightly wounded soldiers and their accompanying relatives tried to comfort them.

The once empty church was now filled with more than a dozen corpses. The fat priest and his assistants were sweating profusely as they washed the bodies and covered them with makeshift curtains and coarse cloths.

These fallen soldiers were lucky; at least they returned to their homeland and didn't have to worry about being stripped naked by the enemy and left to be torn apart by wild dogs in the wilderness.

Roger walked into the church, and the sight of the corpses with torn bones and spilling intestines made him feel slightly nauseous. This was not a battlefield, and without the stimulation of adrenaline, it would be difficult for an ordinary person to remain calm.

Fortunately, Roger had witnessed the horrific scene of gang fights in his previous life, with intestines ripped out and limbs and flesh scattered everywhere. So, despite feeling disgusted, he managed to suppress his nausea.

At the far end of the church sanctuary, a coffin lay beneath the altar. Baron John Campbell of Aran wore a cashmere robe and a georgette-belted tweed skirt with a silver ring clasp across his shoulder, the hem of which was secured by a fine leather belt. The red, blue, and white diagonal crosses on the skirt and the blanket were the Campbell family's tartan pattern.

This is traditional Scottish clothing. Roger also has a simpler version, but he prefers his own light and comfortable farmer's robe.

In recent years, the Isle of Arran has been increasingly influenced by English culture, and traditional clothing has become more and more distant. However, on such solemn occasions, people still return to tradition.

Baron John stared solemnly at the young corpse in the coffin, while the Baroness beside him was also in tears, and even the "white-faced" man whom Roger loathed was silent with his head down.

This gave Roger a slightly different feeling towards his aunt and his promiscuous cousin; at least they would grieve for the death of their loved ones.

Before Roger could even get close, the man with the bitter face behind him rushed forward, leaned over the coffin, glared at it, and then burst into loud sobs.

This old butler had spent most of his life serving the Colin family. He had watched the three Colin sons grow up, especially the eldest son Colin, who was upright and brave, the ideal knight in everyone's eyes, and the pride of the entire Campbell family.

Now, the young master he had watched grow up was a cold corpse. Even the body of the old butler who had served him for half his life could not be brought back. He was filled with grief and sorrow.

Baron John's steward came up and offered a few words of comfort, then helped the old man, who was crying so hard he was almost choking, to the side.

Baron John then turned his gaze to Roger, who was slightly behind.

To be honest, Roger had no feelings for either the body lying in the coffin or the body that never returned.

Since he came into this world, he has only met them twice, once with each of them.

The righteous "eldest brother," Colin II, had no affection for his wicked younger brother, so he only visited him once before his awakening, so they never met. The "father," Sir Colin, did meet him briefly, but at the time he was filled with rage and wished he had been smashed to death.

Then his "father and elder brother" went out to fight, and when they met again, they were already corpses, so there was no emotion between them.

Therefore, you can't see the heartfelt sorrow in Roger's bitter face, and he had no intention of acting.

Roger took two steps closer. The coffin was obviously found on short notice, slightly shorter than the body, and Colin II's legs were slightly arched.

Today, more than a dozen corpses suddenly appeared. There weren't that many coffins on the island. It was only because Colin II was a trainee knight and a member of the Campbell family that he enjoyed this special honor. The corpses of the civilian soldiers could only be simply wrapped in white cloth.

The studded chainmail on the corpse had been removed and placed aside. There were wounds on his cheeks, neck, and arms, but from his collapsed chest, it was clear that he had been killed by a blunt weapon. The fine studded chainmail had protected him from the enemy's swords, but it had not been able to stop a heavy hammer blow to his chest.

"You devil, don't you even have a shred of grief? He's still your brother!" The Baroness choked out a sob through gritted teeth, her anger not directed at Roger's past misdeeds, but clearly showing that she also felt a great deal of affection for her "brother."

Roger remained expressionless and replied in a deep voice, "Baroness, grief cannot bring back my father and brothers' lives."

The Baroness was suddenly choked by a remark and was about to go up and scold him again.

"Enough," Baron John interrupted the noblewoman with a soft growl.

At that moment, a short, stocky middle-aged man wearing a bloodstained wool cloak approached. He knelt down before Roger with a thud, bowed his head, and said painfully, "Young Master Roger, I am useless. I failed to protect the two lords and also failed to retrieve Sir Colin's body. Please punish me."

Roger glanced at the man on the ground. The blood on his head had congealed, matting his brown hair into a clump, indicating that he had also been injured.

Upon reflection, this man was the most capable fighter under "Father's" command, and the only veteran who had followed "Father" in all the battles against the English. His survival in this crushing defeat was by no means a matter of chance or luck.

"Marne was very brave. At that time, the enemy was numerous and powerful. He risked his life to retrieve your brother's body and your father's sword. He did his best." Baron John actually spoke up to testify for this lowly commoner soldier.

Marne, usually taciturn, felt even more ashamed after hearing the Baron's testimony. He could only lower his kneeling body even further, his head almost touching the ground.

Roger naturally admired such a loyal and brave man. He took a step forward, bowed, and helped up the kneeling sergeant, Marne. "Thank you for fighting for my father and brothers. The Colin family will never forget your loyalty and bravery."

Upon hearing this, not only Sergeant Marne, but also Baron John and his steward were astonished. This was not something the devil Roger would say.

However, this place was ultimately a place of sorrow, and no one expressed any lament.

Baron John masked his surprise and said in a deep voice, "Although I hate to admit it, you are now the only adult man left in the Colin family. I've brought you here to ask whether your brother's body should be taken back to the Milk House Manor for burial or interred in the church cemetery."

Roger was unwilling to take a body back to the manor and go through the trouble of burying it, but he couldn't say it directly. He thought about his words and looked at the cold corpse before answering, "He fought for Arlen Island, and he died with honor. I think he should be buried with all the glorious Campbell ancestors, and his grave should be a monument for Campbell's descendants to admire."

These were words that surprised everyone once again.

"Very good," Baron John murmured, whether in praise of Roger's words or the glorious corpse, it was unclear.

"We'll discuss the follow-up matters another day. First, take your father and brother's belongings back, and also take the soldiers and wounded from the Milk House Manor back for proper care. Tomorrow afternoon, I will hold a funeral for your father and brother, as well as all the fallen heroes, in the castle chapel. Please bring Louis to attend."

"If your mother is too heartbroken, she shouldn't come. I can't bear to see her crying and wailing."

After speaking, Baron John clenched his fist to his lips, coughed lightly a few times, and left the church with the help of the Baroness and the steward.

John, the "white-faced" man, glanced at Roger a few times with a complicated expression before following him out of the church.

The sour-faced steward had stopped crying, but kept wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes with his head down; Sergeant Ma En was also silent, his eyes fixed on the corpse in the coffin.

"Old Bard, Sergeant Marn," Roger called out softly, and the two looked up at his voice.

"Pack your things and find some oxcarts to take our people back to the manor." We left in a hurry today and didn't think of bringing horse-drawn carriages.

"Young Master Roger, where are we going to find an oxcart today? Let's just carry it back."

"How you find it is your business," Roger said, pulling a few silver pennies from his sleeve and tossing them to the grumpy-faced man. "Give me a high price."

"Huh?" The two of them exclaimed in unison, both of them sounding surprised.

"Do as I say."

............