Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

On the fifth day in Ironstone Fortress, Lynn finally embarked on his journey home.

On the way back to Gray Rock Town, the procession was nearly twice as long as it had been on the way there.

Lynn rode at the front on horseback, followed by Leon and thirty musketeers.

In the middle were more than twenty horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts, carrying supplies brought from Ironstone Castle—mainly documents and ledgers found in Gavin's office, some precious metals, and alchemy tools and notes that Evan had carefully packed.

At the very end of the convoy were more than a hundred residents of Ironstone Fortress and more than fifty prisoners with their hands bound.

Most of these residents are young adults who have no land or stable livelihood in Tieshibao. They heard that there are stable job opportunities and better treatment in Huiyan Town, so they voluntarily came to follow them.

The prisoners were among the more serious offenders among Gavin's captured soldiers—some had directly participated in the Battle of Grayrock, some were tax collectors and henchmen who had committed numerous atrocities during the Ironstone Fortress period, and a few were spies planted by Earl Karl.

The crowd moved on in silence. The residents of Ironstone Fortress gazed curiously at the scenery along the way, and many let out low gasps of amazement when the concrete walls of Grayrock Town appeared on the horizon.

"That wall... is it made of stone? How come it's so smooth?"

"I heard it's a material made in the town of Limestone, called cement."

"So high..."

Lynn listened to the whispers behind him but didn't turn around.

He was more concerned about the prisoners' reactions—some were pale, some were silent with their heads down, and a few were scanning their surroundings with fierce eyes, as if looking for an opportunity to escape.

However, the musketeers were strictly guarded, working in groups of five. Although the muzzles of their guns were pointing downwards, their fingers were always resting on the triggers.

Around noon, the team arrived at Gray Rock Town.

The town gates were wide open, and Joel was already there with his men to greet them.

Seeing so many new faces, Joel was taken aback at first, then quickly arranged for people to guide them: "Those with skills, go to the artisan district to register; those who want to farm, go to the agricultural office; those who can read, stay here; Martha... oh Martha is still in Ironstone Castle."

He scratched his head: "Then come with me."

Lynn dismounted and said to Joel, "Put all the prisoners in the cellar, along with the ones left in Grayrock Town. They'll be tried together tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

"Also," Lynn said, looking at the curious residents of Ironstone Castle.

"Arrange food and lodging; everyone should have a good meal tonight. Have the kitchen bring out some meat from their stock, and make sure there's plenty of potatoes and wheat cakes."

"clear!"

A small cheer erupted from the crowd. The prisoners were taken away, while the new residents were led to the temporary resettlement area.

The original residents of Gray Rock Town came out of their houses to watch the excitement. Some recognized familiar faces from Iron Stone Fort in the procession and waved to greet them.

Ivan jumped down from a carriage, clutching a wooden box tightly in his arms.

"Sir, my laboratory..."

"The empty room at the east end of the artisan district is yours," Lynn said.

"Ask Joel for anything you need. I need the first report on purified saltpeter within three days."

"Yes!" Evan's eyes lit up, and he hurried away with the box in his arms.

Lynn returned to the lord's manor, and after a quick wash, immediately convened a meeting with the existing management staff.

"Ironstone Fortress has been initially stabilized, and Roland is in charge of its daily management there," Lynn said bluntly.

"But our core remains in Grayrock Town. Two major tasks are next: first, the public trial of prisoners; second, the establishment of a formal town hall."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Herbert looked up. "Sir, I understand a public trial. But what do you mean by 'city hall'?"

The others also looked puzzled.

Lynn realized that the word was too foreign to this era.

"Simply put, it's a formal governing body. Right now, we're all temporarily appointed, with no clear division of labor or responsibilities. The city hall systematizes all affairs, establishing different departments, each with fixed duties and a responsible person."

Joel thought for a moment: "Like a blacksmith shop? Hal is in charge of forging, Rhodes is in charge of quenching, and the apprentices do different tasks?"

"Similar." Lynn nodded.

"But the scope is much broader. For example, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for household registration, taxation, and the allocation of resources. The Ministry of Public Works is responsible for the management of buildings, roads, and workshops. The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for farmland, irrigation, and crop cultivation. The Ministry of Public Security is responsible for patrolling, trials, and detention. There are also finance, education, and healthcare..."

He listed seven or eight directions in one breath. The people in the conference room were somewhat bewildered.

Herbert quickly jotted down notes, asking as he wrote, "So how are the heads of these departments chosen?"

"Let's appoint from the existing pool first," Lynn said.

"For example, Dr. Herbert, you'll be in charge of the medical department, which isn't just about treating patients, but also about establishing a complete medical system—training apprentices, stockpiling medicines, and developing sanitation regulations. Joel is familiar with farmland and resettlement of displaced people, so he can be in charge of the agricultural department. Hal and Thorin, the engineering department needs your expertise."

Hal scratched his head: "Sir, I'm good at blacksmithing, but when it comes to managing buildings and roads..."

"That's why we need to learn," Lynn said.

"Furthermore, you are not all in charge of everything. Each department can have sub-departments, such as construction teams, road construction teams, and workshop management. You are responsible for overall planning and coordination, while the specific tasks are handled by the sub-departments."

Thorin snorted: "To put it bluntly, it's about finding more people to do the work."

"Yes," Lynn readily admitted, "but we need to do it systematically. Now, Grayrock Town and Ironstone Fortress together have a combined population of nearly two thousand. If we continue to rely on either me or Martha to remember everything, things will inevitably fall apart sooner or later."

Herbert nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. Two residents had diarrhea yesterday, and I sent my apprentice to prepare the medicine, only to find that we were running low on a certain herb. If we had kept records and given warnings earlier..."

"That's the problem," Lynn said. "The purpose of establishing a city hall is to create records, standardize procedures, and clarify responsibilities. That way, even if I'm temporarily away, the daily operations of Grayrock and Ironstone will not come to a standstill."

Joel asked, "Does the public trial of prisoners have anything to do with this?"

"Yes." Lynn's expression turned serious. "The city hall must include judicial functions. Tomorrow's public trial of the prisoners will be the beginning of our establishment of a formal judicial system. It shouldn't be a matter of life and death decided by me or anyone else's words, but rather a public procedure, clear charges, and appropriate sentencing."

Everyone in the conference room listened attentively. They might not fully understand terms like "system" or "structure," but these were things the lord specifically mentioned, so their importance was self-evident.

"The proceedings for tomorrow's trial," Lynn continued.

"I will preside over the trial, with Dr. Herbert, Joel, and two representatives of the people forming the jury. All people may attend. The prisoners' crimes have been preliminarily verified and will be read aloud tomorrow, allowing them to present their arguments. Then the jury will deliberate, propose sentencing recommendations, and I will make the final judgment."

Herbert asked, "What is the standard for sentencing?"

"According to the severity of the crime," Lynn said, "those who commit murder or attack Grayrock soldiers on the battlefield shall be executed. Those who oppress the people but do not cause death shall be sentenced to forced labor—road repair or mining, for a period depending on the circumstances. Those whose crimes are minor may be released after paying a fine or performing short-term labor."

Thorin frowned: "Too much trouble. If you ask me, hang everyone who participated in the attack on Grayrock Town, and throw the rest into the mines to die."

"Then what's the difference between us and Gavin?" Herbert said calmly. "The lord is right, there must be rules. Besides, some of the prisoners are just ordinary soldiers, simply following orders."

Lynn nodded: "Most importantly, this trial must show all the people that in Grayrock Town, justice is not vigilante justice, but a process. The lord cannot kill arbitrarily, and criminals have the right to plead their case. This is the foundation for establishing long-term order."

The meeting lasted another hour.

Lynn explained the initial structure of the city hall in detail and assigned responsibilities to everyone.

It was already dark when the meeting ended.