Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

Alex stood at the window of his bedchamber, looking outside.

The sky was overcast and the clouds hung low, like the prelude to an impending downpour. A cool breeze of early autumn seeped in through the cracks in the window.

He had been standing here for half an hour.

Since that night, he has been under "protective" house arrest here. The guards have been replaced, all of them are unfamiliar faces, and they don't say a word except to bring him food and water every day.

Aside from the occasional court assembly, he has almost nothing else to do and can't go anywhere else.

Alex knew why.

Because he knows too much.

Witte's last words, the true cause of his younger brother's death, the monsters in the palace, and the "fake king"...

If any one of these things were to be revealed, it would turn the entire capital upside down.

But he couldn't say.

Because no one would believe me if I told them. Telling them would only hasten my demise.

So he could only wait.

Waiting for the right opportunity.

A knock came at the door.

"Your Highness," came the servant's voice from outside the door, "the Earl of Sutherland has come to visit."

Alex paused for a moment.

Sutherland? Isn't that one of Duke Solo's men from the Westerlands?

Logically, since he hadn't even inherited the throne, those in the West who supported him should have sided with the new king.

What does he want from me?

"Please let him in."

The door was pushed open, and Earl Sutherland walked in.

This representative of the Duke of the West, whenever we met, always wore that reserved smile typical of nobles, and spoke with utmost tact.

But today, his expression was somewhat different.

"Your Highness," Sutherland bowed.

Alex nodded, gesturing for him to sit down.

The two sat down at a small table by the window. A servant brought tea, then left and closed the door.

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

"Lord Sutherland," Alex began, "what brings you here today?"

Sutherland did not answer immediately. He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and seemed to be carefully choosing his words.

Then he put down his cup and looked at Alex.

"Your Highness, are you aware of the situation in the Southern Border?"

Alex's heart skipped a beat.

southern border.

That Viscount Lynn Cole.

Of course he knew.

Although he's been under house arrest these past few days, he's still managing to get some news. From the occasional whispers of his attendants, the discussions among the ministers at court, and the intelligence reports brought back by his own men—

The Southern Alliance was defeated.

It was a crushing defeat.

I heard the total number of troops was either ten thousand or eight thousand.

The information was fragmented, and Alex didn't know many details, but he knew that even with only eight thousand men, attacking a viscountry with a few thousand men should be a piece of cake.

He didn't understand how they had lost the battle.

"I know a little," Alex said. "I heard it was a crushing defeat."

Sutherland nodded.

"It was terrible," he said. "So terrible that in my fifty-plus years of life, I've never seen a game like this before."

He paused, as if recalling something.

"Your Highness, do you know how those people were defeated?"

Alex shook his head.

"Earth fire, heavenly thunder, and constant explosions, raining down iron..."

Sutherland seemed to realize that what he said was a bit far-fetched, so he changed his wording: "It's similar to the magical methods of mages, except there aren't any mages on the battlefield."

He paused, then added, "Not to mention mages, we haven't even seen a shadow of the enemy on the northern front."

Alex listened in silence. The other party clearly had more comprehensive information than him. He had never heard of such a thing before, so much so that he didn't know how to express his shock.

"There's one more thing," Sutherland's voice pulled him back to reality.

"Someone from the Church of Holy Light has returned from Grayrock Town."

Alex looked up.

"You're back?"

“Yes,” Sutherland said. “A deacon named Logan was sent by the archbishop to inspect the southern border. He went to Grayrock Town, stayed for two days, and then rushed back to the capital overnight.”

"What did he see?"

Sutherland looked at him with a complicated expression.

"He said that Gray Rock Town wasn't like the rumors," he said. "The streets were clean, the houses were tidy, and the people had smiles on their faces. There were schools for ordinary people, a place to handle community affairs, something like a town hall, and... many things he had never seen before."

He paused.

He also said that Lynn Cole didn't look like a cultist, at least not on the surface.

Alex was stunned.

They don't seem like cult members?

But George clearly said he was a cultist, and that the monsters in the East were also the work of a cult.

If Lynn wasn't a cult member, why would George lie?

If Lynn wasn't a cultist, then what was his purpose in going to such lengths to attack them?

"What did the Archbishop say about Deacon Logan?" he asked.

“The archbishop didn’t say anything,” Sutherland said, “but he had Logan write down everything he saw in Grayrock and archive it in a secret chapel of the church.”

At this point, Sutherland showed a hint of doubt: "It's strange, since Lynn isn't a cultist, why does the church still pay attention to him? But they told me some things about Grayrock Town, and that's all they said."

Alex remained silent.

He thought of George, whom he had seen in the past few days.

The fourth brother who sat on the throne and gave orders.

What was George like before? He was quiet, loved reading, and liked to hide in his study. He would blush when talking to people, and sometimes when his younger brothers bullied him, he wouldn't dare to say a word.

But what about George now?

His eyes were indifferent, his tone was cold, and his commands were unquestionable.

He said Lynn was a cultist, so he mobilized all the southern troops to fight him.

He said the matter in the East wasn't urgent, and it really wasn't.

Despite the rampant monsters and the deaths of so many people in the Eastern Territory, he insisted on attacking the Southern Territory first before supporting the Eastern Territory.

Why?

Alex suddenly felt as if he had grasped a thread.

This thread connects Lynn, the monsters of the Eastern Frontier, the monsters in the palace, Victor's death, his second brother's death, and...

Connecting with George.

And there's Maurice behind George.

"Your Highness," Sutherland's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Alex looked up.

Sutherland looked at him with a look in his eyes that Sutherland couldn't understand.

"I've come today to ask you something else."

"Please speak."

Sutherland lowered his voice: "Do you think His Majesty is the same now as before?"

Alex's heart skipped a beat.

He looked at Sutherland, his mind racing.

Sutherland is a member of the Duke of the Westerlands. The Duke of the Westerlands has always been neutral and does not participate in the struggle for the throne.

When it came to choosing a new king, he was merely supportive, unlike the more radical supporters in the North who backed his brother. But now, his men are asking him this kind of question…

"Why do you ask that?" Alex did not answer directly.

Sutherland was silent for a few seconds.

Then he said, "Because the western border also received orders to mobilize troops."

"What?"

Alex was stunned.

"Deploy troops? You're being allowed to deploy troops?"

"Yes," Sutherland said. "The new king has ordered five thousand troops to be transferred from the West to support the South. At the same time, three senior mages, ten intermediate mages, and twenty junior mages from the Mage Guild have been conscripted to march south together."

He paused.

"The reason is—Lynn Cole's massacre of the army poses too great a threat and must be eliminated as soon as possible."

Alex's mind went blank.

Five thousand soldiers from the Western Frontier, thirty-three mages, plus the remaining remnants from the Southern Frontier...

This is to completely crush Gray Rock Town.

The problem is that war is still raging in the East, monsters are still rampaging, and Uncle Rod is still fighting desperately.

At this point, instead of supporting the Eastern Territory, why are all our forces being poured into the Southern Territory to fight a viscount?

What exactly is this supposed to be?

What is it about Lynn Cole that makes George, or rather, Morris, so concerned?

"Your Highness," Sutherland looked at him, "don't you find it strange?"

Alex did not answer immediately.

Strange, of course it's strange.

Everything became inexplicable when my father suddenly fell seriously ill.

Alex was 100% certain that George, Morris, and even his abdicated father were all involved in something.

However, he didn't know the specifics of the problem.

Even now, Lynn's appearance has led Alex to a bold guess.

Morris, or perhaps someone even deeper behind the scenes, did all of this just for Lynn!

Ascending the throne is just one step; the real purpose is to make it easier to mobilize troops and issue orders to attack Lynn!

This Lynn has something they want! And this thing is even more important than the throne!

This speculation is like a malignant tumor; once it appears, it can never be eradicated.

Alex suddenly felt a sense of absurdity; he, his father, his brothers, and even the entire royal family were all just pawns in the other side's game...

Alex stood up and looked at Sutherland.

"I want to see His Majesty," he said.

Sutherland paused for a moment.

"Your Highness, you..."

"I have something to ask for," Alex said. "To join the fight against Lynn."

Sutherland frowned.

"Your Highness, what's wrong...?"

"I want to see for myself," Alex said. "Who exactly is this Lynn Cole? Why does His Majesty insist on hitting him?"

Sutherland was silent for a few seconds.

Then he shook his head.

"Your Highness, you cannot go."

Why?

“Because His Majesty will not agree,” Sutherland said. “You are now…being watched. He will not allow you to leave the capital.”

Alex looked at him.

He knew Sutherland was right.

From the moment he stepped out of his palace, someone was watching him. If he suggested going south, George would certainly become suspicious.

But if we don't head south, where else can we go?

He thought about it for a long time.

Then he suddenly thought of a place.

"The East," he said.

Sutherland paused for a moment.

"What?"

"The East," Alex repeated. "I'm not going to the South, I'm going to the East. To support Uncle Rhodes and fight the monsters."

He spoke faster and faster.

"This is to share the burden of the country, and it is perfectly reasonable. Your Majesty has no reason to refuse. Moreover—"

He paused.

"The eastern border is far away. Once you leave the capital, you're no longer under their noses."

Sutherland looked at him, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Your Highness, have you made up your mind?"

Alex nodded.

"I've made up my mind."

……

Three days later, Alex left the capital.

George readily agreed, and Alex remembered the advice George gave him before he left, telling him to be careful.

Those repeated calls of "Big Brother" were filled with deep concern, as if the person genuinely worried about him.

Shaking his head, Alex stopped thinking about it.

He brought a few men with him—all trusted confidants who had followed him for many years and were absolutely reliable. His luggage was simple: a few horses, a few bags of dry rations, and some supplies for the journey.

George was accompanied by his men, ostensibly to ensure his safety throughout the journey, but in reality, they were there to keep an eye on him and prevent him from wandering off.

Alex didn't care, after all, he really intended to venture into the Eastern Territory this time.

He could no longer stay in this capital city; there was no place for a prince who knew part of the inside story to stay.

As he left the city gate, he looked back once.

The city walls of the capital were faintly visible in the morning mist, like a sleeping giant beast.

He remembered when he was a child, his father took him to stand on the city wall, pointed into the distance and said, "Alex, the world is big. When you grow up, you must go and see it."

He didn't understand back then.

Now he understands.

This world is indeed very big.

He withdrew his gaze and spurred his horse forward.

Behind them, the outline of the capital city grew increasingly blurry, eventually disappearing into the morning mist.

The road ahead in the East is still long.

But he had already begun to look forward to it.