usatvline Chapter 107 Can't Afford to Play
Chapter 107 Can't Afford to Play
Chapter 107 Can't Afford to Play
A businessman's advantage is his efficiency.
The next day, Roger arrived early, led by one of Jeffrey's assistants. He then borrowed horses from the manor with his entourage, including Baldy, Black Dog, the young stable boy, and the weakling Gildonian. Around noon, they arrived at the Old Castle Merchant Guild in Dublin.
With the one-pound coin as a catalyst, Roger's identity documents were quickly issued.
A parchment document states that Roger is a wool merchant named Wolf from a market town in Ulster, who joined the Dublin Merchant Guild's Wool Guild at the invitation of Jeffrey O'Neill. It ends with two official seals from the Dublin Merchant Guild and the City Council.
"Not bad at all." Roger rolled up the parchment document and handed it to the young stableman beside him for safekeeping. Then he took out five silver pennies and gave them to Jeffrey's assistant who had done his bidding.
Roger doesn't have the habit of using people for free, and this money is not something he can easily save.
The assistant was naturally very grateful and patted his chest to assure Roger that he would do his best to fulfill any task Roger gave him. He then gave Roger and the others some instructions before leaving.
After leaving the castle hall, Roger instructed Baldy and Black Dog to find a place to stay, telling them to choose a large, bustling hotel to gather information, and to meet at the central crossroads.
Afterwards, Roger led the young stable boy and the weakling on a stroll through Dublin. Last time he came to Dublin, he was too rushed to explore the city thoroughly. This time, with plenty of time, he naturally wanted to broaden the horizons of his future deputy to the civil administration.
After wandering around, the group arrived at the bustling central crossroads of the city and stopped in front of a grand and luxurious shop. The shop was deserted, and no one came out to call out to sell their wares.
Stepping inside, the shop was decorated like a lord's bedroom, with woven tapestries hanging on the walls, oak display cases filled with gold and silver artifacts, luxury spices, velvet, silk fabrics and other goods. Two brightly dressed pretty girls were tidying up behind the display cases, while the manager and bookkeeper sat idly to the side, and a guard in plain clothes with a sword at his side stood by the door.
Roger's entrance immediately alerted the guards, but the manager, with his keen eyes, recognized Roger's extraordinary status and came out to greet him warmly.
Roger told the steward that he was a merchant from Ulster, purchasing goods for the lord, and specifically requested to buy fine salt.
You won't know until you hear and see it, and you'll be shocked when you do. The refined salt that Roger sold to Jeffrey for one and a half pennies has become "salt platinum" at three pence per pound here. And this price is the wholesale price starting at fifty pounds, with a retail price of four pence per pound.
According to the steward, these premium salts have just appeared and are currently mainly supplied to the many earls and barons near Dublin. Even the royal families of several small kingdoms in Ireland have recently come to purchase them.
Roger did not buy the "exorbitantly priced salt" and left the shop empty-handed amidst the manager's displeased expression.
As they left the shop, it was already getting dark. The bald man and the black dog made their way along the street toward the central intersection.
The group reunited, and the bald man reported that after wandering around for half an afternoon, he thought a hotel with three red lights hanging at the corner of the crossroads was quite nice.
Upon hearing "red light," Roger immediately understood the bald man's intention and nodded in agreement.
The hotel the bald man mentioned was located at the corner of the central cross street, with a wide entrance, white bricks and red tiles, and three red glazed lanterns that created an extremely ambiguous atmosphere.
A long pole extends from the outer wall, with a square flag hanging on it that reads "Demon Night".
This isn't a hotel; it's clearly a brothel.
"To think of such a name, what a talent," Roger thought to himself, his desire rising as he listened to the commotion inside.
"I won't go. I'll wait for you at the gate." The black dog stared intently at the noisy gate, swallowing hard as he stammered.
The bald man clearly knew the reason, and kicked him, saying, "Did all the military pay go to that ugly woman?"
The black dog remained silent, and the bald man sighed, "Alright, it's on me tonight."
The black dog darted inside in a flash.
Roger turned and glanced at the young stable boy and the weakling. "Were you two out there...?"
Before he could finish speaking, the young stable boy rushed inside impatiently, shouting, "I'll pay for it myself!"
Roger knew they should have matured long ago, and he hoped the two young men could find a pure and innocent young woman instead of being preyed upon by those ruthless middle-aged women.
Bald, black-skinned dogs are no good; they frequent brothels and brothels. Although the young horse groom and the weakling are less experienced, they are "adults" and not innocent teenagers.
But once they stepped through the two gates, wow, the scene there completely dazzled the country bumpkins.
"A dazzling kiln"—that was Roger's most direct impression of the scene before him.
From innocent and adorable little girls to alluring middle-aged women, this den of iniquity is frequented by prostitutes of all ages. In the center of the hall, naked women perform erotic dances and comedies, surrounded by a group of men who shout wildly. Several middle-aged men even couldn't resist joining in the performance.
In the dimly lit corner, the clients openly engaged in their acts, showing absolutely no sense of shame.
Even Roger, who had always lived a life of extravagance and debauchery in his previous life, was stunned by the scene before him. This was nothing short of a wild animal carnival.
A plump woman walked towards the gate, stopped in front of Roger and his group, and carefully sized them up. She recognized the richly dressed Roger as the main guest, and shook the thin fabric of her dress that barely concealed her flesh. "Young master, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?"
Roger didn't answer, and the fat woman ignored him, continuing, "Then you've come to the right place. We have the most beautiful girls in the world here—English, Irish, French, Danish. If you like exotic flavors, we also have Persian and Gypsy girls. If you really have a strong preference, we can even find you a Black Moor girl, but you'll have to wait a little while."
Roger's gaze was still wandering around the hall. The fat woman, thinking that the young master in front of her had that kind of taste, leaned closer and whispered, "If you like young gentlemen, we also have a salon in the north of the city. We can take you there to pick one out."
Roger finally snapped out of his daze. This guy really has a wide range of tastes. He laughed and said, "Men are out of the question. I'm surrounded by grown men. I'm already tired of them."
The fat woman glanced at the bald, black-skinned dog and his companions behind Roger, her expression one of disgust. She was also shocked by the young master's taste.
What price range are available?
"Third-class maids: one shilling; second-class ladies: two shillings; first-class ladies: five shillings. Food, drinks, and room fees are separate."
"However, judging from your appearance, young master, you must be looking for the most beautiful noble lady to accompany you. Fortunately, we recently have a noble lady who has been convicted of a crime here. The price is not expensive, only ten shillings for one night."
Roger cursed inwardly, "Diamond-encrusted...," but smiled broadly and said to the bald men beside him, "Alright, now that you know the prices, you can choose for yourselves."