Pre-Battle Deployment

He raised his eyes to the sky. Stars dotted the heavens, and by his estimate, it was already around eight in the evening.

To avoid exposing their whereabouts too early, Roger had forbidden any fires, so the cave was pitch-black.

Everyone had already eaten dinner. Roger held hard bread in one hand and a wineskin in the other, taking a few mouthfuls as he briefed the "warriors" gathered around him on the scouts' report.

"...There are two men left behind on Lu Jia's pirate ship. Before leaving, I saw two pirate sentries outside the mill return inside. Based on the information we got earlier, I estimate there are around fifteen pirates in the mill."

"I watched carefully. Eight or nine of them were going in and out of the mill to work. They were all dressed in rags, without much armor, and only had short knives or broken axes tucked at their waists. They pose no real threat."

"So the real bandits in the mill who can threaten you are no more than six or seven. Once Ponytail poisons them and kills off most of them, the rest of you will have three to five men against one. You could bite them to death if you had to."

Roger knew that the fighting spirit stirred up by gold had already faded by more than half. He could only use this method to bolster what little morale they had left.

"Kill them, and all that gold and silver will be yours." Roger gave them another huge shot of fighting spirit.

The people in the cave were nervous and excited. Heavy breathing mingled with waves of foul breath, while blades, swords, clubs, and staves lightly scraped together. Everyone was itching for a fight. Several men wanted to shout aloud, but were immediately stopped.

Seeing that the people around him still had fairly steady hearts before battle, Roger began assigning their tasks.

It was utterly unrealistic to expect commoners who had been thugs and farmers that very morning to coordinate in battle. But in a nighttime melee, having no order at all would never do either. In his previous life, Roger had suffered hidden losses in this kind of street-and-alley brawl.

"Blackhide Dog, Gambling Addict, you two are with me. Once we rush into the mill, you're responsible for killing the pirates on the left. Whoever I kill, you kill with me."

"Young Master Roger, which one is the left hand?" Gambling Addict asked. He was the fellow who had fought three Englishmen.

"You stupid pig, you can't even tell left from right? Your left hand is the one that held the wineskin just now." Someone answered from the darkness behind them.

"You bastard, you're the stupid pig." Gambling Addict cursed back, turning to slap at the shadow.

Roger ignored them and continued. "Old Joey, Fat Widow, Shepherd, Missing Tooth, the four of you are one group. Once you rush into the mill, you're responsible for killing the pirates on the right. Whoever Old Joey kills, you kill with him. Finish one, then move on to the next."

Old Joey was the farmer-soldier who had once stabbed an enemy in the backside with a spear. He was somewhat slow-witted, but he had plenty of courage and some battlefield experience.

"Did you hear me? Answer me." Seeing that none of them responded, Roger pressed them again.

They had all nodded long ago. Who knew there was a rule about answering? Their replies came out unevenly.

"Black Charcoal, pick three trustworthy fellows and form a group with them. You'll handle the center of the mill. The other three listen to you—whoever you kill, they kill." This Black Charcoal was the farmer holding a long staff who had been the first to come to the Red Mill for free food during the day. His skin was so dark that Roger had called him Black Charcoal all the way here, and he was happy to accept it. After all, this demon young master had just given him a whole gold coin.

"Th-then can I pick fellows from my village?" Black Charcoal asked tentatively.

"Do as you like. Just remember, they need to be able to help you kill. If you can't kill the enemy, then you'll have to die yourself."

Having said that, Roger stopped paying attention to Black Charcoal. "Baldhead, take two hunters and stay ten paces outside the mill. Use bows and crossbows to kill any pirates scattered outside or running out. Make sure you see clearly before firing. Don't shoot your own fellows dead."

Everyone in the darkness chimed in, quietly reminding the three archers not to fire wildly and wound their own side.

"It's black as ink. How are we supposed to see clearly?" one hunter said anxiously. He had killed plenty of wild beasts, but tonight they were killing people, and his heart was beating like a drum.

"You're the one with too much to say. Ponytail will set fires inside and outside the mill when the time comes. Even a blind man will be able to see." Baldhead cursed him a few times, and the hunter fell silent.

Roger added, then continued his arrangements. "The rest of you, each pick trustworthy fellows. Form groups of two or three and kill any pirates that slip through the net."

"Does everyone understand?" Roger raised his voice.

People answered in twos and threes. Many understood a little, but not all of it.

Gray Rat, the timid habitual thief beside them, saw Roger's orderly arrangements and heard that most of the pirates would definitely be poisoned to death. Courage suddenly rose in him. He fumbled his way over to Roger and tested the waters. "Young Master Roger, how about giving me something to do too? I want to go after the pirates as well."

"Get lost. With so many warriors here, do we need a coward like you joining the fun?" Baldhead shouted. Gray Rat's fleeing from battle yesterday had made Baldhead lose face before Young Master Roger, so he had been displeased with him ever since.

Gray Rat still wanted to argue, but Roger spoke first. "Stay beside Baldhead and the others. When they're shooting, take a club and protect them. If anyone dares approach, drive him off with your club. I'll make up a full gold coin for you afterward. If you can knock down a few small fry, you'll get a share of the reward too."

Since Roger had spoken, Baldhead could only shut up resentfully. Gray Rat, naturally, thanked him over and over.

"Young Master Roger, what about the men on that pirate ship?" Baldhead suddenly asked.

Roger turned his head and glanced behind him. Though it was too dark to make out Baldhead's features, he still nodded approvingly.

This Baldhead truly was decent. Even in such a tense situation, he could still think about matters outside the mill. There was something in that head of his.

"There are no shortage of pirates who aren't afraid of death. Once we force them into a corner, they'll definitely fight to the death, and we'll suffer for it. So leave the pirate ship alone for now. Give them a road to escape, and they won't fight to the bitter end."

After thinking for a moment, Roger added, "If things go smoothly, Baldhead, Blackhide Dog, Old Joey, Black Charcoal—you four will come with me to take out the two pirates on the ship. Everyone else stays behind to clean up the remaining bandits around the mill."

"All right, the pirates should be eating dinner now. We move out. Gray Rat, lead the way. I'll bring up the rear. Everyone follows the man in front of him closely. No loud noises, or we'll alert the pirates."

With that, he began organizing the Bandit Suppression Army for the march to the front. More than twenty men filed out of the cave, crossed the ridge along a shepherd's trail, and under the moonlight, followed Gray Rat—who could barely see in the dark—along the edge of the forest to the thicket where Roger had hidden earlier. Only two men who were completely blind at night stumbled along the way, and were helped up by those behind them.

By then, candles had been lit in the mill, and bursts of laughter drifted over...