Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

The wheels of the carriage rustled as they rolled over the gravel road.

Sieg lifted the car curtain and looked out the window.

The environment in the Southern Territory remained as desolate as ever. After passing the Southern Duke's fortress, the further south one went, the fewer people there were.

He rarely traveled this far south in the past. The further south he went, the stronger the sea breeze became and the more humid it was. As he got older, his body couldn't handle it.

But the Southlands now, or rather, Greyrock, which sits on the edge of the Southlands, is a place that Seagrim is worth visiting once, no, many times.

Ever since he heard the rumors last time and took the gamble based on his businessman's intuition, he felt that the suffering he was enduring was worthwhile, all because of that new noble boy from the Southern Territory—Lynn.

As the sun slowly moved overhead, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and lowered the curtain.

He leaned back into the soft cushions of the carriage and closed his eyes contentedly.

As we got closer to the Ironstone Fortress, the road surface was paved with gravel, unlike when we first left the Rock Fortress, where the ground was unbearably bumpy.

He planned to take a short rest before reaching Grayrock Town.

Around noon, the outline of the Gray Rock Town wall gradually appeared on the horizon; it was higher and longer than the last time I visited.

The wall left a deep impression on him when he first came here.

At the time, he thought it was some kind of special stone.

Later he learned that it was called cement.

In just one month, cement has become one of the best-selling items at Silver Oak Trading Company.

The merchants in the capital were initially skeptical, until a daring builder bought a batch to repair a warehouse and found that the construction period was shortened by 40% and the cost was reduced by 30%.

Orders started pouring in like snowflakes.

As they got closer, Sieg's gaze passed over the wall and landed on the area further inside.

A new building has been erected there.

The building wasn't very big, but it was tall enough, which is why Sieg could see it at a glance.

White walls and gray roof, windows that appear to be inlaid with glass, and a small, flat open space in front of the door.

A slender iron pole stood on the roof, with a small flag tied to the top, bearing the Cole family crest, which was fluttering in the wind.

The convoy stopped at the entrance to the town. The young knight named Leon came out to greet them once again.

After Sig's identity was confirmed, the caravan was allowed to enter.

Unlike last time when the caravan guards stayed behind and camped outside the town, this time, the entire caravan was allowed to enter.

"Mr. Sig, the lord is waiting for you at the lord's manor."

Leon led Sieg toward the lord's mansion, while his entourage was led to the city hall.

As he passed the white-walled, gray-roofed building, Sieg heard the sound of students reciting lessons coming from inside.

"Population, hands, upper, middle, lower, large, small, many..."

The voices were young but clear.

"This is..." he asked Leon.

"The school," Leon replied succinctly, "it was just opened last month."

Sig was secretly surprised. Gray Rock Town had developed so quickly that it could even build schools now?

"Is this the school where Lord Lynn selects future knights?"

Sieg, listening to the child's voice, couldn't help but ask further questions.

"No," Leon denied. "This is a school for all the citizens. It's the lord's idea."

"..."

Sieg was even more shocked, and then fell into an unconscious silence.

He had seen the noble academy in the capital, with its high walls and strict gates, which only admitted students with the right to inherit titles.

I've also seen church-run choir schools that don't charge tuition but only teach scripture and only accept believers.

Some nobles with higher ranks would establish schools for talented children in their territories to prepare them for future officials and knights.

Sieg had already guessed as much as he could, and he thought that Lynn was making preparations for his knights and officials, just like the great nobles.

However, reality dealt him another heavy blow.

He had never seen a school like this before—built next to the artisans' quarter, with its windows wide open so that anyone could hear what was being recited inside.

"My lord says," Leon unusually offered an explanation, "knowledge should belong to everyone."

Sig did not respond.

He turned and walked toward the lord's manor, his steps quickening as he had come.

The lord's manor's reception room was still that simple room.

Lynn was sitting behind the long table with a document in her hand. When she saw Sieg come in, she stood up and took two steps to greet him.

"Mr. Sig, you must be tired from your journey."

"It's no trouble at all." Sig bowed. "Every time I come here, there are new changes. I wish I could come three times a month."

Lynn smiled and gestured for him to sit down.

Martha brought over a new tea, one she had never seen before. The tea soup was amber in color and had a faint fruity aroma.

Sieg took a sip, his eyebrows slightly raised.

"This is……"

"Small green tangerines," Lynn explained with a smile, "a local specialty. Mr. Sig, please try some. If you like them, you can take a couple of cans with you."

Small green tangerine...

It's something new that I've never heard of before.

Lynn said it was a local specialty, but the information says the Cole family has always been in the capital.

Sig had never seen this thing before in the capital.

He took a small sip, and a slightly bitter yet sweet taste filled his entire mouth.

"Excellent tea!" he exclaimed sincerely.

After taking a couple of sips, Sieg put down his teacup and took out an account book from his pocket.

"My lord, let's get down to business first." He turned to a page: "The last batch of goods is completely sold out. Cement is in high demand, instant noodles are very popular among the wealthy in the capital, and medicine..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "The medicine has caught the eye of several major trading companies in the capital. Someone asked me to pass on a message that they want to meet with the manufacturer."

Lynn shook his head: "The production of this medicine is limited, and we can only supply the Silver Oak Merchant Guild at the moment. Please refuse for me."

Sieg wasn't surprised. He nodded and made a note in the booklet.

"What about next month's orders—"

"We can add 30% more cement," Lynn said. "We'll halve the amount of instant noodles."

Sieg looked up, his eyes filled with inquiry.

"There were some problems with the instant noodle production." Lynn didn't elaborate. "A new type of noodle will be released later, and then the supply can return to normal."

Sieg didn't press the matter. A businessman's duty is to conduct business, not to pry into trade secrets.

He wrote down the numbers and was about to ask about the medicine when Lynn took out a small wooden box from under the table and pushed it to the side of the table.

"This is something new that was recently developed by the Grayrock Town laboratory. Mr. Sig, take a look and see if you're interested."

Sig opened the box.

Inside, six milky-white cubes were neatly arranged, each about the size of half an adult's thumb, with smooth edges and faint lines on the surface.

He picked up a piece, brought it close to his nose, and smelled it—it had a faint smell of oil and wood ash mixed together, not pungent, but rather refreshing.

"This is……"

"Soap," Lynn said. "You can use it to wash your hands, take a shower, and do laundry. It cleans very well and leaves a pleasant fragrance."

The soap Lynn is currently using was obtained from the exchange shop; Evan's lab can't yet produce a strong alkali like sodium hydroxide.

But Lynn still attributed the credit to the laboratory, since it would be best to have a more reasonable explanation for the items in the exchange shop.

With affordable alternatives available for cement and instant noodles, consumer spending in stores is no longer as high as before.

Lynn decided to splurge a little more and get some new gadgets. He would sell them to the Silver Oak Merchant Guild in exchange for more funds and gunpowder raw materials.

Anyway, the public opinion value consumed by soap is quite low.

Sieg examined the soap from all angles. He brought it to his nose and smelled it; it had a faint, pleasant fragrance.

Another novel gadget he'd never seen before; he couldn't understand why Lynn always managed to come up with something new.

But he wouldn't think about it too much, since the more new inventions Lynn made, the more money he could make.

"How much do you plan to sell this for?"

"5 silver coins each."

"!" Sig's eyes widened.

The alchemists in the capital city make perfumes, which often cost more than ten gold coins a bottle, with better ones costing even more.

As a businessman with a keen sense of business opportunities, Sieg did not hesitate at all.

"I'll take it all! The whole portion you're planning to sell!"

He said excitedly.

"From now on, I'll take care of all the inventory you plan to sell each month!"

Sieg carefully put the soap box into his suitcase and then took out another ledger from his pocket.

"Sir, the balance from the last shipment is forty-seven gold coins, plus the deposit for this new shipment..." He quickly moved the counting rods: "A total of 187 gold coins. The other minerals are all on the cart; we can count them after unloading."

"No rush." ​​Lynn gestured for Martha to take the ledger. "Mr. Sig has come from afar, let's eat first."

The meal was served in the city hall's staff canteen.

Lynn dined with Sieg and all the members of the opposing caravan.

The restaurant was more spacious than Sieg had imagined.

Several long tables were put together and covered with starched coarse linen cloths. The tableware was made of ceramic but was wiped clean.

The caravan members were a little reserved; it was their first time inside Grayrock Town, and they never expected to be dining at the same table as the lord.

Sieg noticed that the staff of the city hall also took their seats one after another. After a brief greeting to the lord, they sat down on their own without any restraint.

It wasn't that he disrespected Lynn; Sieg could sense that.

Their attitude was one of genuine casualness, yet respectful.

This was the first time Sieg had ever seen such a way of interacting between nobles and commoners.

The dishes were served quickly.

It wasn't the steaming hot pot we had last time, but a set meal served in individual plates.

Each person was first placed on a wooden plate with several items on it.

There was mashed potatoes made from the signature potatoes of Greyrock Town, pickled vegetables that Sig had never seen before, and stewed radish and beef brisket until very tender...

What surprised Sieg the most was that there were drinks and desserts afterwards.

Both of them were things he had never seen before.

The drink is a pale yellow liquid, slightly sweet and sour, refreshing and not greasy.

Lynn explained that it's called "kvass" and is made from fermented rye.

The dessert is a milky white substance arranged in a piping pattern in a small cup, topped with a fresh strawberry.

Sieg took a bite, and a cool sensation accompanied by sweetness melted in his mouth. He, who had been feeling a bit hot, felt his body cool down instantly.

"This is our staff meal. I hope Mr. Sig and everyone here won't find it offensive," Lynn said.

Dislike? Damn, I've never eaten anything so novel and delicious!

Sieg glanced at Lynn secretly.

He is not a naive or unsophisticated person.

Silver Oak Trading Company's business spans half the empire, and he has tasted delicacies served at banquets of nobles from all over the country—roast suckling pig, truffle foie gras, honey-glazed venison, all beautifully presented and expertly prepared.

He had even tasted many of the delicacies served at royal banquets in the capital.

But once you eat those things a lot, they become nothing special.

A thought suddenly popped into Sieg's mind: Just how much more is this guy hiding?

The caravan crew members nearby had completely let loose and were whispering among themselves.

"These vegetables are so fresh and crisp. I've never seen vegetables like this before."

"Try that mashed potato, it's absolutely amazing."

"Could you buy some kvass to take back with you?"

"Dream on! Haven't you heard it's homemade?"

Sig didn't stop them. Recalling the food in the capital, he thought of some recent rumors circulating there.

He picked up the wooden cup and took another sip of kvass. The sweet and sour liquid slid down his throat, bringing a refreshing coolness.

Sieg hesitated for a moment, carefully considering his words for a few seconds.

"Sir, there's something... I think I should mention it to you."