Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

Gail White sat in a corner of the prisoner-of-war camp, staring blankly at the bowl in her hand.

The bowl contained noodles, noodles that Gail had never seen before, golden yellow and glistening with oil.

He had heard of this thing; in fact, most people in the entire Southern Territory had heard of it.

Instant noodles, one of the specialties of Grayrock Town, are said to be very popular with mercenaries and caravans from all over the world. My former lord, Karl Booth, even bought them from other channels, along with some other Grayrock Town specialties.

After being captured, he basically ate this stuff with some rye bread for every meal. It is said that the reason for giving him rye bread was because he was not full from eating this stuff all the time.

What kind of logic is this?

Gale was quite puzzled. Why would prisoners be fed?

And the instant noodles tasted better than he had imagined.

No, it was much better than he had imagined.

Whether it was Ironstone Fortress at the beginning or Grayrock Town where they had moved to now, the food for the prisoners had remained the same. It wasn't luxurious, but it was much better than Gale had guessed.

Every day I just stayed in the prisoner-of-war camp, and there was nothing else to do. Three meals a day were delivered on time.

There was no whipping, no mockery, no insults.

Just... going to jail?

If she weren't forbidden from going out, Gail would have felt like she had returned to the life of an ordinary person, even more relaxed than an ordinary person, because ordinary people at least have to work.

However, according to the guards here, prisoners will only be sent to labor camps or executed after they have undergone a "trial" by a "jury".

Gale thought that their group was most likely to be executed, after all, they were enemy soldiers, not petty thieves.

Moreover, the food and treatment he received these past few days made him feel that it was no different from a "beheading meal".

"Gail." A voice came from the side, "What are you daydreaming about? Aren't you going to eat? Give it to me."

Gale snapped out of his daze and saw the tall, thin prisoner beside him staring at the bread in his hand. The man was named Vic; he was also one of Karl's knights and had been captured with him.

Gail handed him the bowl.

Vic took it and began to wolf it down.

Gail looked at him and suddenly asked, "Who else is in your family?"

Vic paused for a moment.

"I have an old mother and a younger sister," he said. "They live in a village west of Frostfire City."

"Do they know you've been captured?"

Vic shook his head and continued eating his noodles.

Gail didn't ask any more questions.

He looked down at the half-eaten rye bread in his hand and ate it slowly.

The bread was very soft, not the kind of dark bread that's mixed with impurities.

He reflected on the past ten years or so.

He was born into an ordinary farming family in Frostfire City.

When he was ten years old, his family spent all their savings to send him to learn martial arts. His father said that if he mastered martial arts, he might become a knight for a nobleman in the future, which would make him half a nobleman, and he would be able to marry a good wife.

Perhaps it was the blessing of the Goddess of Light, but he possessed an astonishing talent.

Over eight years, he rose from apprentice to low-ranking officer, and from low-ranking officer to mid-ranking officer. At the age of eighteen, he officially became Karl's knight.

At the age of twenty-three, he had already reached the peak of the intermediate warrior level, and then, with his extraordinary talent, he naturally became Karl's chief knight.

At that time, he felt very lucky. A knight of the count, and a chief knight at that, was a position many people dreamed of but could never attain.

Later, he got married. His wife, Emily, was the daughter of a tailor in Frostfire. She was very beautiful, and her eyes curved like the moon when she smiled.

He was the chief knight, considered a semi-noble, and enjoyed some of the privileges of a baron. Karl assigned him a special house, giving him a small home, and the couple's life was quite fulfilling.

until that day.

It was evening when he returned from a mission. He opened the door and saw Emily sitting on the edge of the bed, her clothes disheveled and her face streaked with tears.

She didn't say anything.

But he saw it—the bruises on her wrists and the stubble at the corner of her mouth.

He asked who it was.

She didn't say anything.

He asked her three times before she finally cried and said the name.

He was a viscount under Earl Carl. That day, he came to "inspect" the area with his men and found Emily hanging clothes to dry by the door.

then……

After hearing his wife's description, Gail rushed out on the spot.

He found the viscount's residence, smashed open the door, and plunged his sword into the viscount's chest.

But the enemy's guards stopped him. The enemy outnumbered him, and among them were knights who were also mid-level warriors.

He was pinned to the ground, his face pressed against the mud. The other man squatted down, laughing, and said, "What's wrong with letting me have some fun with you, a woman? What's a knight's woman worth?"

He broke free from the guards and lunged at them, but was then pinned down.

Then Carl arrived.

His lord, the man he had served for five years.

Karl glanced at him, then at the viscount, and said, "Gail, go back."

He was stunned.

"Sir, he——"

"Go back." Karl repeated, his tone even colder.

He didn't move.

Karl walked over, looked down at him, and said in a condescending and distant tone, "You're a knight, who gave you the audacity to lay a hand on a viscount?! Know your place!"

He clenched his fists.

"Just get back to work," Carl said. "Stop thinking about it."

Carl went back. He was not punished further.

Gail knew that all of this was because of his talent and ability. If it weren't for his extraordinary talent, Karl would have made him suffer even if he didn't kill him.

When Emily saw him return empty-handed, she didn't ask anything, but just hugged him and cried for a long time.

He cried too.

He never mentioned it again after that.

But every time he saw the viscount, he wanted to kill him.

But he can't.

Because he was just a knight.

And now, that viscount is dead, killed in the battle to capture Ironstone Castle. Not only him, but Karl, whom he had served for many years, is also dead.

Gail put the last piece of bread into her mouth and chewed it slowly.

He didn't know how to describe his feelings.

According to chivalric etiquette, if the person one is loyal to is killed, then the killer should be treated as one's own father's murderer, and one should do everything in one's power to avenge him.

But he didn't have that thought; he only felt a sense of relief because, in his heart, the viscount, the one he truly hated, was already dead.

He felt a strange sense of...relief.

It was like a stone that had been weighing on his heart for over a decade, suddenly being moved. The person who moved the stone was the local lord, the one they were ordered to suppress.

"Gail," Vic said, finishing his noodles and handing the bowl back to him, "What are you spacing out for?"

Gail took the bowl without saying a word.

Vic looked at him, then suddenly lowered his voice: "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing."

"Don't lie to me," Vic said. "I've known you for so many years. You always have this look on your face when you're troubled."

Gail was silent for a few seconds.

Then he asked, "Vic, do you have a wife?"

Vic paused for a moment, then shook his head: "No. I used to have a boyfriend, but he ran away later."

"Why are you running?"

Vic gave a wry smile: "They think I'm broke."

Gail didn't ask any more questions.

He lay down and looked at the ceiling.

The sheds in the prisoner-of-war camp were temporary structures because there were too many of them.

It was a simple structure, but at least it didn't leak. Several sparrows were chirping on the wooden beams overhead.

He thought of Emily.

Where is she now?

Are you still in Frostfire? If so, have you managed to hide properly?

Gale knew that some of the defeated soldiers had fled back to Frostfire.

As "one of them," he knew what kind of people most of them were.

He only hoped that his wife had hidden herself well, because those defeated soldiers might do something to the people in the city.

His hands clenched tightly.

"Gale," Vic suddenly said, "do you think we'll be executed?"

Gail did not answer.

he does not know.

All he knew was that if he were to die, he hoped he could at least see Emily one more time.

……

The next morning, several people arrived at the prisoner-of-war camp.

Gail was leaning against the wall, lost in thought, when she heard the noise outside and looked up.

Leading the way was a young man, dressed simply without the ornate decorations of a nobleman, but everyone around him treated him with great respect.

Lynn Cole.

The lord of Grayrock Town, whom they were ordered to subdue.

Gale looked at that young face and a strange feeling welled up inside her.

How could this one person rout the Southern Alliance?

"Everyone, assemble!" shouted a man in leather armor. "The lord has something to say!"

The prisoners stood up one by one and gathered together.

Lynn stood in front of them, his gaze sweeping over the group.

"I'm here today to announce something," he said, his voice low but clear, "I need people."

The prisoners looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Those willing to join the temporary army of Grayrock, step forward," Lynn said. "After training and assessment, those who meet the standards can join. Joining the temporary army can atone for your crimes, and those who perform outstandingly may even have the opportunity to become free citizens of the territory and be exonerated of their previous offenses."

A murmur arose from the crowd.

"Those who are unwilling will remain in the prisoner-of-war camp," Lynn continued. "They will be publicly tried in three days and dealt with according to their crimes. Those who deserve death will be executed, and those who deserve labor will be sent to labor camps."

He paused.

"These are the two paths. Choose for yourself."

After saying that, he stepped back a few paces and waited for the prisoner's reaction.

Although they gave those who might spend their entire lives in the mines a way out, they had already spoken with Bray and Leon beforehand—to stop the group that was to be executed.

Even if they wanted to atone for their crimes, Lynn had no intention of giving them that chance.

Those who could be executed in Grayrock Town were mostly people with a bad past or who had caused great damage to Lynn's territory.

The latter group shouldn't be among this batch of prisoners, since the battle at Dark Raven Pass was fought so brilliantly that they didn't even get close to Ironstone Fortress.

But Lynn still wouldn't want someone who "brings bad people"...

The prisoners looked at each other, but no one moved.

Gail stood there, her mind racing.

Join the army in Grayrock Town?

Isn't that betrayal?

But whom should we betray?

Karl is dead. The lord who chilled his heart, the count who sheltered criminals, is dead.

He thought of Emily.

She is still in Frostfire City.

If those defeated soldiers really did attack the civilians...

Gail clenched her fists.

"Me," he suddenly said, taking a step forward.

Everyone around him was looking at him.

Vic tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Gail, are you crazy? This might be sending us to be cannon fodder!"

Gail ignored him and continued walking.

Lynn looked at him and nodded.

"name?"

"Gail White".

"What was it originally?"

"Count Karl's chief knight."

Lynn raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, only gesturing to Bray next to him to make a note of it.

Once there's a first one, there's bound to be a second.

People started to emerge. There were young people, middle-aged people, former soldiers, and junior officers.

Vic hesitated for a long time before finally stepping out.

"I'm going too," he said, glancing at Gail. "There's nowhere else to go anyway."