Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

The carriage had been traveling for more than a mile from Greyrock Town, and Viscount Gavin Hossman still wore a sullen expression, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the window frame.

That wall, those tools, the taste of that meal... and Lynn himself, who left the deepest impression on him, were all swirled into a murky mess in his mind, impossible to sort out.

Just then, there was a knock on the car window; it was his bodyguard captain.

"My lord," the captain said, his voice low and his face pale, as he rode alongside the carriage window, "there is something... I must report to you."

Gavin frowned, a surge of inexplicable irritation rising within him: "Speak."

"Before we left... I had a fool among my men who was sly." The captain of the guard's Adam's apple bobbed. "He stole a small bag from an unlocked wooden barrel by the edge of a field in that town."

"What?" Gavin didn't react for a moment.

"It's... a kind of grayish-white fine crystal, like salt, or sand, piled up by the fields as fertilizer." The guard captain's voice grew weaker as he spoke. "That kid thought it was strange, so..."

"You stole it back?! Where is it now?!" Gavin's voice suddenly rose, startling the horses pulling the carriage into neighing.

He suddenly pushed open the car window, leaned half his body out, and looked at the captain of the guard.

"It's...it's with me..." The captain of the guard hurriedly took a small bag from beside the saddle and handed it over.

Gavin snatched it away, his hands finding a material he'd never seen before. Inside was more than half a bag of grayish-white crystals.

He opened the bag, picked up a small amount, and felt a dry, unfamiliar sensation on his fingertips. Considering everything illogical about Grayrock Town, this bag of unknown contents instantly became a hot potato in his eyes.

Fear, lingering fear, followed by a furious rage.

"Idiots! A bunch of brainless idiots!" Gavin slammed the bag onto the captain of the guard's breastplate, some unknown crystals splattering out. "I told you to look and listen more! Who gave you permission to act?! Who gave you the guts?!"

"Snapped!"

A slap landed squarely on the guard captain's face. Gavin trembled with rage, pointing towards Grayrock Town: "Can't you see what kind of place that is? Is that Lynn Cole a pushover? You dare take this?! Are you trying to make us die quickly and conspicuously enough?!"

The captain of the guards had half his face slapped red. He didn't dare rub it and stammered, "This subordinate... this subordinate just thought this thing was strange, and wanted to bring it back for you, sir, to take a look..."

"Checked it? You're asking for trouble!" Gavin lowered his voice, but the ruthlessness in it was almost palpable: "Listen, when we get back, give the guy who did it twenty lashes and lock him in the cellar! You, six months' pay docked!"

Gavin was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently.

What to do now? Return it? That would be admitting to theft and alerting the thief. Throw it away? What if this thing really is strange...?

There's only one way out left. Hand over the trouble and the decision-making power to those above.

His face was grim as he gritted his teeth and said to the captain of the guard, "Keep everyone quiet! This never happened. This bag..." He glanced at the bag with disgust, "I'll handle it myself. If you dare to act on your own again... you can jump into the Southern Rift yourself!"

……

Within the town of Limestone.

Old Gorm, carrying an empty wooden bucket, hurriedly found Lynn, who was checking the progress of the well drilling.

"Sir! Sir, something terrible has happened!" The old miner's face was contorted with wrinkles: "The fertilizer you gave us last time is one bag short!"

Gem had a vivid memory of that thing. The lord had told them in a serious tone that fertilizer was a growth promoter for crops, saying that it could increase crop yields and make the grain grow better, and so on.

Lynn's expression hardened: "Are you sure? It wasn't used up?"

"Definitely not!" Gem shook his head vigorously. "I just counted the fertilizer in that bucket this morning, and now one bag is missing. The bucket has also been opened. My men always tell me when they need to use it!"

Lynn immediately had Gumm lead the way. When they arrived at the fertilizer storage area, he squatted down, picked up a bit of the scattered powder with his fingers, and glanced at the faint, unfamiliar boot prints on the ground. These were not the prints of the straw sandals that the townspeople usually wore.

Leon and Bray were quickly summoned.

"These are likely the footprints of an outsider. The boot soles have a relatively new pattern, and the size is large, so it's probably an adult male."

After a careful inspection, Bray concluded with a grim expression: "Today is very likely the day we receive our guests."

Leon gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his voice low and menacing: "Is it one of Viscount Gavin's men?"

"Very likely." Lynn stood up, brushed the dust off his hands, and his eyes, usually gentle, became sharp and calm. "But they don't steal food, they don't steal tools, they just steal this fertilizer that they don't even recognize, yet it's crucial to us..."

He paused, then looked at Leon: "There are two possibilities. First, they're purely curious, finding this thing unusual. Second..."

Lynn slowly exhaled and uttered words that made Leon and Bray's hearts sink:

"Secondly, their purpose in coming wasn't some friendly neighborhood greeting at all. They came with some kind of 'mission'..."

Lynn herself had no idea that the other party had come with good intentions.

As a minor lord who had been exiled, I was of little value and not worthy of a personal visit from a viscount, at least not before I had developed my own power.

Thinking back to when I first arrived here, the inexplicable monster attacks in Grayrock Town, and the words Earl Rayman said...

A faint sense of crisis crept into my heart.

A cool evening breeze swept across the field ridges. In the distance, a gray-white wall stood silently, and for the first time, Lynn felt that it might be blocking more than just the sandstorms and monsters of the wasteland.

Lynn turned to Bray and said, "Starting tomorrow, the hunting party will adjust its route. We must not only guard against the monsters in the west, but also pay attention to all roads leading to Grayrock Town, mountain valleys, and water sources, searching for any traces left by people who do not belong to us."

Bray nodded emphatically, his scarred face solemn: "Understood."

"As for the wall..." Lynn looked up, examining the gray-white cement wall:

"Gem, take stock of the stones and timber. Tomorrow morning, first build the bases for four watchtowers at the four corners of the wall."

Lynn spoke faster, his thoughts clear: "The top of the tower should be able to accommodate at least two people, with a simple roof to shelter them from the wind and rain."

"Yes, sir," Gem replied.

After Lynn finished speaking, he turned to Leon and said, "Leon, select a group from the militia to begin regular sentry training. They will not only learn to observe and report, but also practice using long-range weapons from the towers."

"Is it bowing, sir? They're already training."

"No, since someone's eyeing us, we should certainly prepare a big gift for them!"

"Yes, sir." Leon asked no further questions.

The group accepted the order and quickly dispersed to prepare. Lynn returned to his residence alone, closed the door, and opened the public opinion points exchange shop.

He planned to equip each member of the hunter squad with a repeating composite bow, but that wasn't enough. This time, the enemies might not just be those mindless monsters; he needed more powerful weapons.

While browsing the store, Lynn's eyes suddenly lit up. He saw an item that perfectly met his current needs.

Looking at the outrageous price, he gritted his teeth and reluctantly chose to redeem it.