British hegemon

Chapter 14 Three Stooges

The Moulin Rouge outside the castle is silent and dimly lit tonight.

The battlefield of the daytime killings had been cleaned up, and the corpses were dragged to the castle church by Roger and his men. At this moment, the candlelight in the "private seating area" of the hall was dim, and three long shadows flickered eerily in the dancing candlelight.

Roger picked up his glass and took a tasteless sip, glancing back and forth between the two thugs with blank stares.

Roger knew he had killed a formidable pirate, a man whom countless lords and merchants had tried to kill over the years, but none had succeeded.

At this moment, Roger felt extremely lucky. The original owner's image as a bully who preyed on the weak and had a bad reputation was his best cover. If the other party had been even slightly wary, Roger would not have been able to defeat him in one move.

They waited all afternoon, but the anticipated pirate retaliation never came, even as night fell. The pirates weren't about to let them go, so the group remained in danger.

Roger could have easily taken refuge in the heavily guarded Brodick Castle, because his pale-faced cousin, out of consideration for their blood ties, sent someone to invite Roger to the castle for refuge.

But the white-faced man sternly refused to let the bald man and the ponytail thug into the castle, so the chivalrous Roger went on a whim and decided to stay in town with his two brothers for the night, which deeply moved the two thugs who had never received any care before.

Aside from the castle, the safest place in town is the Moulin Rouge, at least its ground floor is made of stone, the walls are not cracked, and the doors can be kept tightly shut.

Due to the daytime killings, diners fled, forcing the Moulin Rouge to close down.

Anyway, Roger had already paid for the lost income tonight, and the maids could finally sleep peacefully on their own beds. So many of the maids were both afraid of and in love with Roger, who had suddenly changed his personality. Most of their conversations tonight revolved around Roger's skills in bed.

Roger, oblivious to the prostitutes' thoughts, tapped the table lightly with his wine glass, waking the two daydreaming thugs. "Gentlemen, it's late at night. Have you come up with a solution yet?"

"Young Master Roger, I think we should hide here for a few days. I reckon the Baron and the others should be back by then, and those pirates will definitely run away on their own." Despite wearing the clothes of a major pirate, the bald man was still the same scoundrel.

"You thought of this in just half a night? You bastard, how many more days do you plan to hide? How many days can you hide?" Roger really wanted to grab the black bread on the table and punch him.

"Then let's leave Alan Island and hide in El County. They're pirates, they won't chase us too far." Since we can't escape, let's run away, the bald man blurted out, covering his cheek that was swollen from being slapped during the day.

This time, it was the girl with the ponytail who kicked her. "Use your brain! Maybe they've already sent people to watch us nearby. Do you think the few of us can escape? If we could, wouldn't Young Master Roger have run to the Milk House Manor? Would running back stop those pirates from massacring the village?"

Ignoring the bald man, the woman with the ponytail turned to Roger and said, "Young Master Roger, I have some ideas."

He then tied his hair back into that odd braid, but having experienced the killings of the day, he seemed to have gained some courage.

"I know those people well. They certainly won't give up easily. They're out there at sea. If they let their leader get killed without doing anything, they'll have a hard time establishing themselves at sea in the future."

"However~"

The ponytail paused for a moment, drawing out the last syllable.

Roger raised his eyes, and the bald man turned his head away.

"However, there's also internal strife among them. That second-in-command is an ambitious fellow who has long been dissatisfied with Ulf. He'd love for the first-in-command to be eliminated. If we can find a way to gain the second-in-command's understanding and then try to give the pirates some compensation, perhaps this matter can be put behind us."

Roger was greatly disappointed. He had thought this guy would come up with some good ideas, but instead, he only offered a humiliating pleas for mercy. Perhaps the man with the ponytail didn't feel any psychological barrier to bowing down and begging for mercy from powerful pirates, but Roger, having lived two lives, simply refused to lower his head.

Of course, the key point is that looking down doesn't necessarily work.

"You just said there were internal conflicts among the pirates? Please elaborate."

Ponytail had always dreamed of becoming a pirate, claiming to be a Viking descendant to everyone he met. He even served under Ulf, but the pirates looked down on his abilities and drove him away after only a few days.

Because of these connections, he knew the pirates quite well. "Their two leaders were called Sea Monsters. They were cunning, suspicious, and extremely ruthless. They would beat and scold their men at the drop of a hat."

"He was one of the earliest and most trusted followers of Ulf, and was always the second-in-command. But he was actually the worst and most ambitious. He had always coveted the gold and silver that Ulf had hidden, and had long wanted to kill Ulf and take it all for himself."

"Does Ulf have hidden gold and silver?" The bald man with the swollen face turned to the side, excitedly interrupting. Today, he had obtained the greatest fortune of his life from Ulf.

"Of course, after being a pirate for so many years, he must have robbed a lot of gold and silver."

"Pah, you bastard, don't interrupt." The woman with the ponytail spat at the bald man and continued, "But the three leaders couldn't stand the sea monster and often opposed him..."

Upon hearing this, Roger became lost in thought. There must have been some hearsay and embellishment in what the ponytail had said, but the fact that there was discord among the pirates was certain. As long as the enemy was not a united front, he still had a chance to break through.

Following this line of thought, Roger began to sketch out a plan in his mind.

"...The scar on my back is from that time. Even the three leaders admired my bravery and insisted on keeping me. But I just couldn't stand that sea monster, so I left." The woman with the ponytail continued to ramble on, her words becoming increasingly rambling.

"Wasn't that scar on your back from when you were stealing chickens in Gildonan and got hit by a stone thrown by the fat widow? When did it turn into a knife wound?" the bald man asked, looking puzzled.

The woman with the ponytail was caught red-handed, but she didn't blush at all. "What do you know? The scar I'm talking about is from before I was injured by the fat widow."

The bald man still looked puzzled. "I remember you only joined the Sea Wolf after you were injured by the fat widow."

"Hey, you bastard!" The woman with the ponytail said with a displeased expression.

"Alright," Roger snapped out of his reverie and stopped the two from continuing their nonsense.

The two quickly shut up and stared intently at Roger's narrow eyes flickering in the candlelight.

Roger glanced at the ponytail man. He was half brave and half cowardly, but his cowardice stemmed from his lack of support and confidence, which made him naturally hesitant in his actions.

"Earl, your courage in stepping forward to face death today proves that the valor of the Viking ancestors flows in your blood." Roger said with admiration.

"From that moment on, I have regarded you as a brother for life." Roger's usual roguish manner was completely different, and his expression was extremely solemn.

The guy, who was used to being called "Ponytail," was surprised to hear someone address him by his name for the first time, and was even addressed as a brother by a young master from a knight's family. He was deeply moved at the same time. In an era of strict hierarchy, what an honor this was!

Before the girl with the ponytail could express her gratitude, Roger said earnestly, "But if we can't survive this ordeal, we'll be facing our doom."

"Young Master Roger, you must have thought of a way. Tell me, and I'll gladly die if it can save you from this calamity." Roger said in a few words, and the ponytail was already in the trap.

Roger laughed. "Although I have committed many evils, how could I let my sworn brothers go to their deaths?"

Roger leaned forward slightly. "Do you know where those pirates are hiding on the island?"

"Of course I know. Every time the Baron leads his troops on a campaign, they moor their ships at the sheltered cape outside Lochlanza and then disappear into an abandoned mill north of the village. It's no secret."

Roger thought for a moment and did have some recollection of the abandoned mill. "Then tomorrow you'll go to Lockranza and join those pirates."

"Tell them that you are afraid of retaliation and have surrendered voluntarily. Tell them about my ambush plot in Brodick Town and warn them not to fall for it. Advise them to leave Alan Island as soon as possible."

"Ah!!" The girl with the ponytail opened her mouth wide.

"I'm not asking you to actually join the pirates, just to go undercover."

"What is an undercover agent?"

"It means being a mole," Roger explained.

"You must find a way to tell the three leaders that Ulf was killed by the Sea Monster in collusion with Baron John, and that the Sea Monster also wants to frame the three leaders and eliminate dissidents."

"Also, I'll try to get some poison. You should bring it with you when you go. Try to poison their food and drinks at dinner tomorrow. Remember, you must make sure that a few of the thugs take the poison."

"Tomorrow night, once the pirates' poison takes effect, immediately take a torch to the mill and wave it three times to signal them, then set it on fire. After that, find a place to hide and wait for us."

This kind of sordid act of poisoning, drugging, and arson wasn't too dangerous, and it was very exciting and to my liking. The girl with the ponytail immediately agreed and recounted everything in detail.

After fixing the ponytail, Roger set his sights on the bald man with a swollen, dirty face on one side.

The bald man thought Roger would also give him a round of encouraging words, calling him brother, and his toad-like eyes bulged with anticipation.

Roger stared at him with his mouth agape, paused for a moment, and said, "Bald guy, tomorrow I'll stay in Brodick to keep the pirates' attention. Before sunrise, you change into inconspicuous clothes and leave the Moulin Rouge. You have only one task: find a way to recruit people for me."

"You know the people on the island best. Tomorrow I'll find a horse. You go and find those daring, risk-taking people, and give them two silver pence as soon as you meet them."

"Tell these men that the great pirate Ulf has been killed, and young master John is eager to recruit warriors to hunt down the remaining pirate henchmen. Every selected warrior will be rewarded with an extra gold coin on the spot, and they will also receive a share of the pirates' gold and silver treasures."

"When you were calling up warriors, you also made a big fuss about it, saying that John IV was urgently conscripting militia to defend the city, and that anyone who came to Brodick, whether they were conscripted or not, would be given a lunch. Whether they were hooligans, thieves, beggars, farmers, merchants, fishermen, or hunters, as long as they arrived at the Moulin Rouge before noon, they could have a good meal."

Roger paused for a moment to think, then said, "Tell them that those who apply will also receive two pence a day."

"With thousands of islanders on Arun Island, I don't believe there aren't a hundred or two brave souls who would dare to come."

After saying this, Roger took out a money pouch from his sleeve, picked out a dozen or so gold coins, and casually picked up some silver pennies, then threw the rest to the bald man.

"Young Master Roger, no need to pay anymore, I have money here." The bald man said politely, but he held the money bag tightly in his hand.

Roger waved his hand, indicating that he should accept it.

The bald man deftly stuffed the money pouch into his pocket and said excitedly, "Young Master Roger, I've noted it all down. Everyone knows that I, Neil, have a huge following on Aran Island. Rest assured, tomorrow at noon, I, Neil, will summon half of Aran Island to you."

"I believe you." Roger paused for a moment. "Brother Neil."

The bald man finally heard the name "Neil Brothers" and looked satisfied.

"That's not right, Master Roger. White-faced John didn't say anything about conscripting soldiers to attack the pirates."

"Also, the only medicinal herbs nearby are in the church; where are we going to get highly poisonous medicine all of a sudden?"

It was late at night, and Roger was exhausted. He grabbed the wooden cup in front of him, raised it, and poured the remaining wine over his head. "I'll figure out what to do with this. You guys go find a table and get some rest..."

Now in a precarious situation, the two thugs, despite having made a fortune, had no interest in going upstairs to spend a penny to hire a maid to warm their bed. Instead, they casually found a corner and slept fully clothed.

At the top of the second-floor staircase, Mrs. Kate turned gracefully and walked slowly toward her bedroom.

Before dawn, rustling sounds began to echo in the Moulin Rouge. Normally, the cooks and servants would clean the hall before daybreak, tidying up the mess left by drunken diners. Even though there were no diners last night, they still maintained their habit of getting up early to work.

Roger got up very early. He had been under a lot of stress the night before, but he actually slept quite well. When he was woken up by the "half-penny" waitress, the sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten.

Don't get me wrong, Roger did give the girl two silver pennies, but he didn't ask her to warm his bed. He simply asked her to wake him up before dawn and prepare a hearty breakfast for him and his two companions.

Unfortunately, providing time is a luxury in this era. Although the 24-hour clock has emerged, the lack of timekeeping tools makes it difficult to accurately determine the current time.

In lords’ mansions or churches, people would use sundials and candlesticks marked with hoops to tell time, or they would use glass hourglasses with narrow necks filled with sand or water to keep track of time.

But for ordinary farmers, they only need to know the four seasons and a few religious and agricultural solar terms. As for the time of day, they mostly use conceptual descriptions such as cockcrow, morning, noon, afternoon, sunset, moonrise, and moonset.

For some time now, Roger had been confined to his room all day, and it was enough for him to distinguish between day and night, morning and evening. But today, with life and death at stake and time pressing, even the cheapest clock would give him a lot of peace of mind.

Fortunately, Brodick Church was right next to him. According to Roger's memory, the church bells would ring eight times a day. The first bell would ring during morning prayer, then the second, third, fourth... up to the eighth bell, with the bells ringing every three hours.

Morning prayers are basically held at 6 a.m., then at 9 a.m., 12 p.m., and from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Of course, in reality, most of the time the priests were asleep after 9 p.m., so there were no two subsequent bell ringings.