Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

Just as Lynn finished explaining the key points of reinforcing the watchtower's defensive wall to Thorin, he heard a very soft voice behind him.

"Lord... my lord."

He turned around and saw Lia standing a few steps away.

She took off her hood, and her pale golden hair shone brightly in the afternoon sun. The deliberately applied grime on her face was gone, revealing her original delicate beauty.

In the sunlight, those amber eyes shone brightly. They were staring intently at Lynn, unblinking.

Lynn was stunned for a moment; she was much more beautiful than the portrait the knight had given her.

This was the first time he had ever seen Lia's true appearance in her normal state. He felt that even some of the top female celebrities in his previous life would feel ashamed in comparison to her in terms of appearance.

However, Lynn quickly realized what was happening. He waved to Thorin, and the old craftsman tactfully stepped away to continue instructing the workers.

Lynn turned to Leah, a smile on his face, and nodded. "Leah? Is something the matter?"

Lia took a deep breath, as if gathering all her strength.

Her gaze swept over Leon, who was not far away. His hand was still on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes held a hint of wariness.

Her gaze didn't linger for long, settling back on Lynn's face.

"Just now... those people from Ironstone Fortress came looking for me..." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and pleasant, no longer feigning a low and hoarse tone like before.

"I know," Lynn replied calmly, her smile unchanged, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

After a pause, as if remembering something, Lynn added jokingly, "But the person who painted that portrait was a bit incompetent; they didn't even capture one-tenth of the beauty of my people."

Upon hearing the words "my people," Lia's expression turned somewhat surprised, and her eyes widened even further.

"Aren't you afraid..." Lia carefully chose her words, "Aren't you afraid that I really am the kind of ruthless female demon they describe, who killed three masters without blinking an eye?"

"I only look at the evidence."

Lynn raised his index finger and waved it at the other person: "To rashly convict someone without evidence is no different from being a thug."

"But I really..." Leah bit her lip, her speech quickening, but her voice becoming much softer: "...I really did kill someone, what they said...the charges...are true..."

The words were reduced to a murmur at the end. Lia didn't know why, even though she was in Ironstone Castle, when she talked about her own deeds, she only felt disdain and pleasure.

But in front of Lynn, there was an indescribable feeling, as if she didn't want him to know that her hands were stained with blood.

Lynn himself didn't feel anything about Leah's confession, but he could roughly guess that some of what the knight said was true.

But slave killings of their owners were commonplace in the Middle Ages. To put it bluntly, it was nothing more than a means of resistance by the lower classes after long-term oppression and exploitation.

Just like the landlords in the old society, they were exploited for a long time, so it would be strange if they didn't rebel.

Slaves in this world often suffer a worse fate; not only do they not expect a full meal, but they are also frequently whipped.

"Even if it's true, so what? You are now my subject, and even if you make a mistake, you will be dealt with according to the laws of Grayrock Town."

Noticing that the other person was a little nervous, Lynn tentatively placed his hand on the other person's head and patted it:

"Don't be nervous, Leah. Tell me, what happened?"

Lia felt the warmth above her head, shuddered, and then unconsciously lowered her head.

"I did indeed escape from Ironstone Castle, and it's true that I killed three masters. My foster mother first brought me to Ironstone Castle..."

Once she calmed down, Lia seemed to have found an outlet for her pain. Apart from some secrets buried deep in her heart, she poured out all the grievances she had suffered over the past few years.

Lynn listened patiently to Lia's story for almost half an hour, and from her he learned the general story of this tragic half-elf.

The story is simple: a woman who was sold into slavery by her adoptive mother and then rebelled against becoming a plaything.

After hearing Leah's story, Lynn seemed thoughtful. While feeling sympathy for Leah, he also noticed something amiss:

Lia's description of her biological parents was hesitant, and she wondered how a female slave could repeatedly succeed in committing murder.

It seems there's still not enough trust. Even though Leah has begun to lower her guard against me and Grayrock Town, it will probably take quite some time before I can find out all her secrets.

However, the fact that she was willing to tell herself these things is already a good start.

"Are you done telling the story?" Lynn finally spoke after finishing the story.

"...That's all."

"First of all," Lynn's tone softened, "I refused to hand him over because that's the rule in Grayrock Town. Once you're in, follow the rules, and don't commit any crimes here, you're under my protection. These rules aren't made specifically for you, nor will they change because of you. You don't need to feel like you owe me anything; this is just how I operate."

Lynn straightened his expression: "Secondly, Grayrock Town doesn't practice slavery, so according to Grayrock Town's laws, you were merely... acting in self-defense, so there's no need to worry about it."

"Self-defense," was Lynn's excuse, though the other party might not understand it.

"...Aren't you afraid that because of me, Viscount Gavin will take his anger out on you?"

"It was only a matter of time before he called; you're just a pretext for him to start a conflict."

Now Lynn understands why Lia was able to escape successfully and even reach his territory without any mishaps.

It seems that the monster tide was caused by Gavin, or even the forces behind Gavin. Although I don't know why I'm being targeted, my priority now is to survive the impending conspiracy.

Damn it, I've been exiled to the frontier, is it so hard to just honestly farm the land?

Calming himself, Lynn said to Lia in front of him:

"So, don't think about these things now, whether it's Gavin or the past. In Grayrock, you can start over. As long as you respect the rules here, Grayrock is your new home."

"A new home..." Leah murmured to herself, then, as if she had just realized something, she flashed her signature smile:

"Yes, my lord!"

Lia felt that staying here was a good option until she heard news of her mother.

……

The setting sun cast long shadows over Ironstone Fortress.

In the study, as Viscount Gavin listened to the captain of the knights' report, the last trace of pretense on his face vanished.

"As expected, he won't hand it over..." He sneered, flicking a silver coin he was playing with onto the table, making a crisp sound. "Then let him, and his broken wall, disappear together."

He gave concise orders to the steward and the captain of the guards who were standing by:

"Assemble the army, all available soldiers."

"Request Count Karl to send more men."

"Prepare the siege equipment."

"Three days from now, I want to see Grayrock Town reduced to ruins."

He didn't mention the fugitive again. At this point, it was nothing more than a trivial excuse.

There's only one real reason: "The higher-ups want Lynn Cole dead!"

As the order was given, the war machine of Ironstone Fortress began to rumble, its gears meshing, and it turned toward the southwestern land where the gray walls had just been erected.