Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

"The Cole family?" Gavin frowned. "Didn't their family decline a long time ago? Old Cole is dead, and his connections have scattered, leaving only Lynn as the sole heir, who has been exiled here."

"The decline of a family does not mean that some things will disappear."

Count Karl stopped tapping, a hint of something unreadable in his voice: "Especially... something inherited from our family, or rather, the key?"

Gavin's heart skipped a beat: "The key? What key?"

"I don't know either." Karl shook his head.

Then, Earl Karl glanced at him, a look that sent a chill down Gavin's spine, as if he had asked a question he shouldn't have:

"However, that's not something you need to delve into. All you need to know is that the people above are very interested in something about the Cole family. And Lynn Cole is currently the only known heir with pure Cole blood. He's the most likely candidate to be the one to find that thing."

The people above...

Gavin's throat felt a little dry.

The occasional snippets of information uttered by Count Karl filled him with awe and fear of the organization lurking in the shadows.

They possess immense power, their motives are unpredictable, and their methods often defy common sense.

For example, those monsters that appear occasionally, seemingly guided by an invisible hand.

For example, the "blood-attracting powder" that Lord Karl brought out...

"So, it's not because of Grayrock Town's territory, nor because of Lynn himself?" Gavin murmured.

"Territory?" Earl Karl scoffed, his contempt undisguised. "The South has far more fertile wasteland than that. As for Lynn Cole himself..."

He paused. "He was originally just an insignificant nobody. But now, these unusual things he's doing have made things more interesting, and...more urgent."

He looked at Gavin, his gaze sharp: "If he just got hold of a few rare items by chance, then we can take them. But what if... these anomalies are related to what the higher-ups want? What if they're using the power of that thing?"

This hypothesis sent a chill down Gavin's spine. If the solid cement, the sharp arrows, the terrifying ballistae didn't originate from some reclusive craftsman or secret technique, but rather from some ancient, more mysterious force linked to something inherited by the Cole family…

That would be completely different.

This is no longer a simple territorial dispute, but involves things that are of core concern to those in power.

Failure may be more than just the loss of troops.

"I understand." Gavin's voice was a little hoarse, and the previous resentment and doubt were replaced by a deeper fear.

He now fully realized that he was bound to this situation, with no turning back: "So what should we do now? Grayrock Town's defenses are far stronger than expected; a direct assault would result in heavy losses. And that old man Lehman..."

He recalled the scouts' report that Lynn's carriage had entered Earl Lehman's territory. Although he didn't know exactly what it had done, this in itself was a warning sign.

"There's no need to worry too much about Lehman," Earl Karl waved his hand, seemingly confident.

"He's old and wants stability. He won't easily break ties with me for the sake of a fallen viscount. At most, he'll make some deals and provide some insignificant support. The key is still Grayrock Town itself."

He stood up, walked to the fireplace, and gazed at the flames, his shadow stretching long. "A direct assault will result in heavy losses, so let's try a different approach. Last time, we underestimated our opponent and were unprepared. This time, we must ensure absolute success."

Gavin's spirits lifted upon hearing this, and he quickly walked to Earl Karl's side: "Sir, do you mean... to ask the higher-ups to take action?"

"No," Count Karl shook his head. "The people above are too busy; they seem to have more important things to do."

Although Carl didn't know why the higher-ups didn't come to find Lynn in person, he guessed that they couldn't get involved.

Putting aside the fact that they can't act recklessly under the nose of Duke Ivan of the Southern Territory, the people above them themselves have some troubles to deal with.

Karl didn't know much either, only vaguely understanding that it might be related to the monsters ravaging the continent...

Count Karl turned around and pointed to the stained sketch:

"Based on your description and the scouts' reports, Grayrock Town has several weaknesses: First, it has a small population. The number of able-bodied men capable of fighting is no more than a hundred. Second, its defenses are mainly focused on the north side; the walls on other sides, especially the south and east, seem less robust than those on the north. Third, they rely on special bows and crossbows, which are difficult to manufacture and therefore limited in number, especially the heavy crossbows, which are complex to operate and inconvenient to move."

With each word he spoke, Gavin's eyes lit up a little more.

After the defeat, he was blinded by anger and fear, focusing only on the terrifying wall and weapons. However, after Count Karl's calm analysis, he immediately discovered many loopholes.

"What does Your Excellency mean?"

"Divide your forces, feign an attack, exhaust the enemy, and then find an opening to defeat them." Count Karl's tone was icy:

"I will allocate you another two hundred elite infantrymen and fifty cavalrymen, including ten low-ranking warriors. At the same time, I will allocate four medium-sized counterweight catapults."

"A catapult?" Gavin was surprised. The thing was very troublesome to transport, assemble, and use, but it was indeed much more effective than a man carrying a battering ram when dealing with fixed fortifications, especially when used to bombard walls.

"Yes. But not the main direction of attack." Count Karl drew a circle with his finger outside the northern wall of Grayrock Town:

"The catapults and most of the infantry and cavalry are openly assembled on the north side, harassing them day and night. The goal is not to break through the wall, but to keep them on their toes, exhaust their energy, and keep their main force firmly pinned to the north wall."

"So, what's the main direction of attack?"

"Here." Count Karl's finger suddenly moved down, pointing to the area south of Grayrock Town, near the wasteland, where the walls seemed relatively low and simple:

"The southern wall is the shortest and has the fewest fortifications. You will personally lead one hundred of your most elite men, including all the lower-ranking warriors and the best archers, carrying grappling hooks and ladders, on a secret march to the south. Wait until the feint attack from the north is at its most intense and the defenders' attention is completely drawn, then launch a sudden and powerful assault."

He paused, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes:

"At the same time, I will arrange for people to use the Blood Powder again, this time with double the dosage, and release it far to the west and east before the attack begins, so as to lure as many monsters as possible to Grayrock Town."

Count Carl returned to the table, picked up the wine jug, poured a glass for himself and Gavin, and pushed one of the glasses toward Gavin:

"This time, there is no turning back. The higher-ups are getting impatient. We'll set off once supplies and troops are ready. Grayrock Town must be taken, and Lynn Cole must be in our hands, no matter what."

Gavin took the glass, but the cool silver glass made his palms sweat.

"I understand, sir." He tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp.