Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

Raymond sat in that small drawing room for a long time.

Corbyn had already left with his men, leaving behind only the severed head and a room full of lingering fear.

He stared at the box on the table; Karl's eyes were still fixed on him, as if he had died with his eyes wide open.

Raymond stood up, trembling, closed the box, and pushed it to the farthest corner of the table.

Then he plopped back down in his chair, panting heavily.

His mind is a complete mess right now.

The thought of surrendering or not surrendering was now struggling in Raymond's mind again.

He would never have dared to refuse directly while Lynn's men were still there, but once he calmed down, he still hesitated.

He feared not only Lynn's siege but also Duke Ivan's. The new king might not have time to deal with a nobody like him, but if he turned against his cause, Duke Ivan of the Southern Territory would not let him off so easily.

surrender?

This is not a good word. From childhood to adulthood, he had heard countless stories about "traitors"—being despised, scorned, and looked down upon by everyone.

His fate would be even worse; if Lynn didn't offer him protection, he would only end up dead.

Not surrendering?

He dared not do it again. The scenario he had anticipated—that Lynn would directly attack his door—was going to happen one hundred percent!

Either way, it's certain death! If you betray them, there's probably only a one percent chance of survival.

Raymond didn't entirely believe Corbyn's claims about the benefits, but dying later was better than dying sooner.

And if the gamble pays off, I might not have to die.

Raymond closed his eyes, carefully weighing the pros and cons.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, stood up, and walked to the door.

"Prepare the horses," he said to the steward. "I'm going out."

The butler hesitated for a moment: "Sir, it's getting dark... Are we going to..."

"Just go and get ready," Raymond said. "I need to go to the territories of a few other 'unlucky guys'..."

……

Viscount Joseph's territory is not far from Raymond; it takes only two hours to get there by horseback.

By the time Raymond arrived, it was already completely dark.

The castle was sparsely lit and looked rather lifeless. The guards at the gate recognized him and let him in without asking any questions.

Joseph was in his study with a bottle of wine in front of him, which he had already drunk more than half of.

When he saw Raymond come in, he looked up, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

"Raymond?" He paused, surprised. "What brings you here?"

Raymond sat down opposite him and, without any hesitation, picked up the bottle and poured himself a glass.

"Something came up," he said.

Joseph looked at him, puzzled. "What's wrong? What is it?"

Raymond didn't respond, but just kept drinking one glass after another.

The two drank in silence for a while.

Joseph spoke again: "How many of your men... do you have left?"

"Not even fifty," Raymond said. "And you?"

Joseph gave a wry smile: "Sixty. One hundred and fifty are taken out, sixty are returned."

Another silence followed.

Joseph put down his glass and looked at Raymond.

"What exactly do you want to say to me?"

Raymond took a deep breath.

"Lynn's people came to see me this afternoon."

Joseph's hand trembled, and a few drops of wine spilled.

"What?"

"Lynn's men," Raymond repeated, "with Carl's head."

Joseph's expression changed.

"Karl's...head?"

"Yes." Raymond downed his drink in one gulp. "Karl is dead. Blown up. Gone his legs."

He paused, looking into Joseph's eyes.

"Lynn's people said that as long as we don't fight again, they'll let bygones be bygones. And... we can do business."

"Doing business?"

"Cement, medicine, instant noodles," Raymond said. "Those things can be bought later."

Joseph remained silent.

Of course he knew what those things were.

Throughout the Southern Territory—no, not just the Southern Territory, but many other places—there are "legends" about these things.

If I could buy these...

"What are his conditions?" Joseph asked.

"Publicly declare that you will no longer participate in the military operation against Grayrock," Raymond said. "Then... help him contact the other lords who have fled. Let's all make things clear together."

Joseph stared at him for a long time.

"You agreed?"

Raymond nodded.

Joseph remained silent for a while.

Then he reached out and poured himself a glass of wine, and poured one for Raymond as well.

"Count me in," he said.

……

Over the next two days, Raymond traveled non-stop to four territories.

The lords all reacted in roughly the same way—first fear, then hesitation, and finally agreement.

No one refused; some agreed quickly, some slowly, but they all eventually nodded.

It wasn't because they were particularly farsighted, but because they had all witnessed what was happening at Dark Raven Pass.

Those explosions, those deaths, those methods I'd never seen before.

Nobody wants to be the next Karl.

A few days later, the six minor lords—three viscounts and three barons—arrived at Ironstone Castle.

……

Lynn stood at the window of the lord's castle's reception room, watching the carriages slowly approach in the distance.

He looked closely and counted; there were six carriages in total.

Indeed, in such a short time, six "reasonable" nobles have returned to the right path, which has exceeded his expectations.

"My lord," Leon walked to his side, "everything is arranged. The guards are in the courtyard; they won't see too much."

Lynn nodded.

He turned around and glanced at the furnishings in the reception room.

A long table, a few chairs, and on the table were the exchange shop's special afternoon tea desserts—ice cream cake and cola.

This was something he specifically requested.

To win these people's sincere allegiance, you need to offer them something unique to entice them.

These "devil's food" are quite good.

It consumed little public opinion value and was full of novelty and uniqueness.

It can be said to be just right.

"They've arrived," Leon said.

Lynn walked to the door and stood there waiting.

The first carriage came to a stop, and Raymond alighted. He looked thinner than a few days ago, with dark circles under his eyes, but at least he could stand steadily.

Upon seeing Lynn, he paused for a moment, then quickly walked over.

"Lord Lynn." He bowed slightly.

Lynn nodded: "It must be Viscount Raymond. Thank you for your hard work."

Raymond turned to the side and introduced the people who were getting off the bus later.

"This is Viscount Joseph, whose territory is to my east. And this is...."

Lynn nodded to each of them, memorizing their faces.

There were six people, all of different ages, two of whom looked older than his father.

But they all had one thing in common on their faces—nervousness.

Like a flock of sheep led to a wolf.

"Please come in." Lynn stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.

……

In the reception room, six people sat down on one side of the long table.

Lynn sat opposite them, while Leon stood behind him.

There were items on the table that they had never seen before. Raymond guessed they were food, but he didn’t dare touch them.

The others were the same, all sitting upright, and two barons whose titles were lower than Lynn's didn't even dare to look up at Lynn.

Raymond, however, mustered his courage and carefully observed Lynn—starting from the moment he got off the carriage.

He wasn't exactly handsome, but his eyes were as deep as an ancient well.

The same applies to his demeanor. Although he is not wearing the gorgeous robes of a traditional aristocrat, he subtly exudes a sense of composure and calmness befitting a person of high status.

Of all the people Raymond had ever met, only Duke Ivan could give him this feeling. However, Duke Ivan's aura was more oppressive, while the young man in front of him, while not less oppressive, also carried a sense of ease and friendliness.

The feeling was strange and contradictory, and Raymond couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Overall, Lynn didn't give him the impression of being the vicious "cultist" he was rumored to be.

If he hadn't personally experienced the Battle of Dark Raven Pass, he probably would have just thought of the other party as a very elegant prince.

Only someone of princely status can possess this sense of superiority while also maintaining a touch of friendliness and approachability.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure you all know why I've invited you here today," Lynn said calmly. "Since you're here, it means you don't want to fight anymore."

The group looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Lynn paused for a moment, then continued, "I know what you're thinking—you're afraid I'll settle scores later, afraid I'll ask for an exorbitant amount, afraid I'll use you as cannon fodder."

He leaned forward slightly.

"I won't."

Those three simple words, which sounded just like empty promises, somehow made Raymond subconsciously believe them.

He swallowed hard, then mustered his courage and asked, "Sir Lynn, what...what do you need us to do?"

Lynn did not answer directly.

He stood up and walked to the map hanging on the wall.

"Look," he said, pointing to several points on the map. "This is your territory, and this is my territory. Raven Pass is here, and the Eastern Front is here."

He turned around and looked at the six people.

"How many men did you lose in the Battle of Dark Raven Pass?"

Several people lowered their heads.

If this battle was a devastating blow to the great nobles, it was a devastating blow to the lesser nobles like them.

Of course, apart from Count Karl, he himself is dead...

"Have you considered this," Lynn continued, "how long will the rest of you survive if I don't stop and keep fighting?"

No one answered.

Lynn walked back to the table and sat down again.

"I'm not here to threaten you," he said. "I just want you to see reality."

He paused.

"You now have two choices. First, keep fighting, I won't stop you. But you've seen the result."

The faces of the group turned even paler.

"Secondly," Lynn slowed his speech, "cooperate with me. You will no longer participate in the military operations against Grayrock Town, and I will guarantee the safety of your territory. Not only that..."

He looked at the group of people.

"You can buy local specialties from Grayrock Town at discounted prices. Cement, medicine, instant noodles, and even some new products. You can use them yourself or resell them. How much you earn is up to you."

Lynn pointed to the food on the table: "These are some new things, you can try them, don't be shy."

Raymond shifted his gaze to the table. He had already noticed the beautifully plated food. When Lynn spoke up and clearly indicated that this was one of the "new things," he slowly reached out, scooped up a spoonful of ice cream, and put it in his mouth.

"!" Raymond's eyes lit up as the ice cream melted in his mouth.

good to eat!too delicious!

It was the height of summer, and this thing had a refreshing taste that melted in his mouth, instantly making him feel cool all over.

Seeing Raymond make his move, the others also tried it out, and then they all showed surprise.

"Your Excellency Lynn," Raymond put down his spoon and asked cautiously, "aren't you...aren't you afraid we'll take the things and then..."

"I'm not afraid," Lynn said decisively.

The group of people were stunned for a moment.

"Because you know," Lynn looked at them calmly, "what would happen if you did that."

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

No one speaks.

"I'll give you a day to consider," he said. "By this time tomorrow, those who want to stay will sign the agreement. Those who don't want to stay—"

He paused.

"You can leave now. I promise I won't stop you. But next time we meet..."

Lynn didn't finish speaking before turning and walking towards the door.

Everyone looked at each other.

Next time we meet? If you don't agree, then let's meet again tomorrow!

When Lynn reached the door, he stopped and looked back.

"Oh, right," he said, "I forgot to tell you something."

Several people watched him nervously.

"On the eastern front, Earl Lehman's three hundred elite troops are now under my command," Lynn said with a smile. "Have a pleasant afternoon tea..."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and walked out.