Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

"What? Mobilizing forces? To attack Lynn Cole?"

A chorus of questions rose and fell within the hall from the noble ministers.

Alex silently watched the nobleman who had raised the question and George, who sat on the throne, without saying a word.

He had no say here; he wasn't the king, and none of his brothers held any official position in the palace.

Moreover, he was too emotional to speak.

After his coronation, George, the fourth brother of George, announced a regular court meeting with the various nobles.

Alex initially thought it would just be a routine matter of issuing a few orders or simply promoting a few of his trusted nobles, but George immediately gave him an order that was completely baffling.

"Quiet!"

George spoke, his voice steady and powerful.

This wasn't the first time he had spoken since ascending the throne, but Alex sensed that his younger brother's aura had changed.

"The Duke of the Southern Border, step forward as his representative."

An elderly man dressed in a magnificent robe stepped forward.

"His Majesty."

"Regarding the arrangements I just made, do you, as Duke Ivan's representative, have any objections?"

"This..." The old man looked somewhat embarrassed.

He was merely Duke Ivan's steward; to be honest, he had no real authority over such important matters as troop deployment.

But he had been working for the Duke for decades and had seen many big events.

The old man briefly composed himself before speaking: "Your Majesty, this matter is of utmost importance. I am merely a steward of Grand Duke Ivan and have no authority to make decisions on his behalf in this matter..."

"No right?" George's tone on the throne seemed to turn cold. "Then send a message to your Duke! I want him to gather all the forces in the South this month and attack Grayrock Town!"

Upon hearing this, the old man opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

At this moment, a middle-aged nobleman stepped forward; he was from the North.

"Your Majesty, the southern border is vast, and the division of power is complex. To gather troops within a month... isn't that a bit too tight a timeframe?"

He was a member of Alfred's faction, and Duke Cook of the North was in favor of the second prince's ascension to the throne.

Now that the second prince has died in the rebellion, all their previous investments have vanished.

He already had a lot of anger inside him that he couldn't vent, and now the first thing the new king did after taking office was to mobilize the entire territory to attack a viscount.

This is outrageous! How can a prince like this be fit to be king?

The middle-aged nobleman deliberately stepped forward to ask a question, determined to get to the bottom of it.

George looked at the middle-aged nobleman.

Those eyes were still empty, but at this moment there seemed to be an unparalleled pressure in that emptiness, causing the speaker to involuntarily take half a step back.

"Are you questioning me?"

"I dare not!" The middle-aged nobleman quickly lowered his head: "I only... I only felt that it seemed unnecessary to mobilize the entire southern border's military force to attack a mere viscount..."

He didn't know why he subconsciously stepped back, only that he felt as if he had just seen a deathly stillness in the eyes of this new king.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Cold sweat involuntarily broke out on the forehead of the middle-aged nobleman.

He opened his mouth as if to say "I dare not," but before he could utter a word, George had already looked away.

"You may all have questions," George stood up, "Why would I issue this order given that the king has changed and the Eastern Territory has recently been plagued by monsters?"

George stood on the steps, looking down at the crowd below: "That's because Viscount Lynn Cole has been corrupted by a cult. His incredible knowledge and terrifying creations are the best proof!"

"Only cults possess such forbidden knowledge. Furthermore, the monsters in the Eastern Territory are also the work of cults!"

His voice rose, as if stating a fact.

"Our top priority now is to eliminate Lynn Cole. The Purifying Knights will hold off the Eastern Territory for now. Once we have dealt with the Southern Territory, I will order reinforcements to be sent to assist our people there."

"Meeting adjourned." George waved his hand. "I need to see news from the Southern Territory within a month."

After saying that, he turned around and left through the side door, accompanied by Maurice.

The hall was silent for a few seconds, then erupted into a buzzing noise.

"What is this? An attack on a viscount?"

"They won't listen to any explanations at all!"

Who is Lynn?

"You don't know? The lord of Grayrock Town has been the talk of the town in the capital lately! That 'devil incarnate'! The one who defeated Viscount Gavin with sorcery not long ago, and supposedly he was only recently exiled there..."

"That doesn't warrant mobilizing the entire southern border's military force, does it?"

"Who knows what His Majesty is thinking..."

Alex stood still, motionless.

His gaze remained fixed on the door George had left through.

Was that person who just spoke really George?

That tone, that look, that unquestionable aura—when did George become like this?

This is no bookish fourth prince; he is clearly a decisive and efficient monarch.

This was not the fourth brother he knew at all.

unless……

He recalled Werther's dying words: Charles VI is an imposter, there are demons in the palace...

Monster...

By the way, George just said that the strange monsters causing trouble in the Eastern Territory are the work of a cult...

The reason for this attack on Lynn is that he has been corrupted by a cult.

But if the unusual monsters are related to cults, then wouldn't the monsters that appeared in the palace that Witt mentioned also be related to cults?

A cult... Maurice... The abnormal fourth brother, and the father is a fake...

These messages seem to be subtly connected, but there are too few clues.

Those who truly knew the whole story, including his own younger brother, all died in that "rebellion," and Alex is now unable to connect the dots.

However, the key point is definitely Lynn, whom George demanded be punished as soon as he took office!

Alex took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He turned and left the main hall, returning to his residence, where he summoned his trusted confidants.

"Have someone go to the Church of Holy Light and tell the Archbishop that His Majesty has confirmed Lynn Cole, the Viscount of the Southern Territory, who was the incarnation of the devil that was causing such a stir in the capital, and that he will send people to punish him. There is no need to say anything else."

The trusted aide knelt before Alex: "Yes, Your Highness!"

"Also, when assigning people, filter them several times to prevent others from finding out."

"clear."

The trusted confidant accepted the order and left.

If, as George claims, Lynn was corrupted by a cult and is connected to one, then the Church of Holy Light will certainly intervene.

For those who worship the Holy Light Goddess Sovia, cultists are the most intolerable existence.

Ideally, we could get some more information from them then...

……

Dawn City, Holy Temple of Light.

Archbishop Clement put down the letter in his hand and remained silent for a long time.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on his aged hands.

The letter was delivered anonymously, but in a peculiar way—it passed through a trusted low-ranking clergyman and went through three intermediaries before finally reaching him.

The letter was very short, only a few lines:

"The new king has declared Viscount Lynn Cole of the South to be a cultist and has ordered the mobilization of forces to subdue him. If he is indeed involved with a cult, the Church should be aware of it. If he is not, it should still be aware of it."

There was no signature.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Lynn Cole.

He had heard of this name before.

Several months ago, rumors about him were spread in the capital, saying that he was "the incarnation of the devil" and that he had obtained those strange weapons by sacrificing living people.

These rumors were presented with great conviction and persisted for a long time.

But later, news came that those rumors were spread by Count Karl's men in order to suppress the young lord.

Therefore, the church did not intervene.

They never interfered in these struggles between nobles.

But it's different now.

On the first day of his coronation, the new king publicly declared Lynn Cole a cultist and ordered his execution.

What does this mean?

This means that Lynn's connection to a cult has become officially confirmed.

The church has to step in.

Clement opened his eyes and looked at the icon of Sovia on the wall.

He thought about it for a long time.

Then he stood up, went to the door, and called over a young believer.

"Go and summon Deacon Logan."

"Yes."

A quarter of an hour later, a man in his thirties walked in. He was wearing a simple gray monk's robe and had a thin face.

"My lord," Logan bowed.

Clement handed him the letter.

Logan finished reading and looked up: "You want me to go to the Southern Border?"

“Yes,” Clement said. “Go to Grayrock and see that Lynn Cole. See for yourself whether he’s a cultist or something else.”

Logan paused for a few seconds. "What if he's a cult member?"

"Then write down everything about him and report back," Clement said. "The church will handle it."

"What if...it's not?"

"Then we need to find out more and bring the news back."

If he's not a cultist, then it means the new king is lying.

He recalled the unease he felt when the new king presided over his coronation ceremony. He also recalled the old king's abdication and serious illness, and the rumors circulating in the palace…

Clement felt that if Lynn wasn't a cultist, then this new king really needed to be "observed" carefully.

Logan nodded.

"I'm leaving tonight."

He turned and left.

Clement stood by the window, watching his figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

Then he turned to the icon and prayed softly.

"Lady Sovia, please guide us to see the truth."

……

At the same time, in Dongcheng District, at the Ocean Tavern.

Lia sat in the corner, holding a glass of barely touched ale.

Across from me sat a gaunt, middle-aged man wearing a drab gray robe, with only three fingers on his left hand.

Mole.

"I've brought you news," the mole said in a low voice.

Those small eyes gleamed shrewdly in the dim light: "But the price isn't cheap."

Lia tossed a money pouch onto the table.

The mole picked it up, weighed it in his hand, and then put it in his pocket with satisfaction.

"What happened at today's court meeting," he leaned closer. "The new king has ordered the mobilization of all forces in the southern border to attack Grayrock Town."

Lia's pupils contracted slightly, and she almost lost control of her expression.

The mole continued, "The order was announced this morning. The new king is taking a very tough stance; troops must be deployed within a month."

"What's the reason?"

"They say that Lynn Cole is a cultist, and that his weapons and knowledge come from a cult. They also say that the monsters in the East are the work of a cult, and that once they've dealt with the South, they'll go to support the East."

Lia remained silent for a few seconds.

The mole looked at her, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes: "Why are you asking about this?"

"Curious." Lia put down her cup. "Is there anything else?"

"That's all," the mole said, standing up. "Given how well we've worked together, let me add something else."

"I don't know who you are, but someone like you who bought your identity should stay away from the capital for the time being. The new king's coronation has brought about this whole thing, and there's a possibility that he might wipe out Dawn City again."

After saying this, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Lia remained seated, her mind racing.

To gather forces and attack Grayrock Town within a month—this is a serious operation.

This isn't a small-scale skirmish like Gavin's; it involves the entire military force of the Southern Territory.

How many soldiers were there in the southern border? She didn't know the exact number, but it was at least over ten thousand.

How many people are there in Gray Rock Town and Ironstone Fortress now? It's estimated to be less than four thousand.

Even though Lynn has been taking over the surrounding villages, and even though the territory is now thriving with a good birth rate.

But the number of people may still be less than one-tenth of the others.

What can we use to fight?

She stood up and strode out of the tavern.

Corbin was waiting outside. When he saw her expression, his heart tightened: "Sister Leah?"

"Let's go back," Lia said. "Pack your things now, we're leaving tonight."

Corbyn paused for a moment: "So soon?"

"The order was just given at court to attack Grayrock Town," Lia said in a low voice. "The capital city will no longer be safe."

The two walked back quickly.

Back at her lodgings, Lia called everyone over.

"Pack your things. Take everything you can, and destroy anything you can't take. We'll depart in half an hour."

The group looked at each other, but no one asked any further questions.

Half an hour later, the group of five left the capital.

The night breeze carries the scent of distant fields.

She thought of Lynn.

That guy probably has no idea he's about to be in big trouble.

We need to hurry.

We need to get the message back before those people do.