Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

Ironstone Castle, the lord's reception room.

"Sir, are you asking if there are any roads nearby that are the only way to Ironstone Fortress and Grayrock Town?"

Roland stood in front of the table, tapping the booklet in his hand lightly with the tip of his pen.

He had just learned from Lynn that the Southern Territory would be gathering most of its forces to attack their territory this month.

"Yes, it's best to be on this kind of road, in a place with natural barriers."

Lynn rested his chin on his hands and looked at the other person as he spoke.

After learning yesterday that the Southern Border was about to gather troops to attack him, he rushed to Ironstone Fortress early this morning.

Grayrock Town's geographical location differs from Ironstone Fortress's. Continuing south from Grayrock Town, it's not far to the Empire's border. Beyond the border lies the Endless Sea.

To the east and west of Gray Rock Town is another small mountain range, and beyond this range is mostly relatively flat wasteland.

To attack the enemy in Grayrock Town, one must initially come from the north, and only after approaching within a certain range can one encircle them from other directions.

As long as dedicated patrol teams are set up on the highest hills on the east and west sides, and patrols are conducted day and night without interruption, it will be difficult for the enemy to attack silently.

So, in general, Gray Rock Town is a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

But Ironstone Fortress is different.

Its location is a little north of Gray Rock Town. There are no high mountains around it, and it is mostly wasteland. Apart from some small groves, it is as clean as can be.

Normally, this location would definitely be better than the enclosed Grayrock Town, since Ironstone Keep connects to Frostfire City in the north and Stormwind Territory in the east, both being major roads with frequent traffic.

In contrast, Gray Rock Town...

Lynn still remembers the bumpy road when he first went there, but he worked hard to repair it and it has only gotten a little better recently.

"As for Greyrock Town... only Ironstone Fortress is the road that leads directly there. This main road connects several southern territories."

Roland raised his head slightly, pondering: "As for side paths, I'm not too familiar with Grayrock Town, but there are quite a few side paths near Ironstone Fortress leading to some small villages. However, most of them are the kind of side paths that have been worn out by many people walking on them."

"As for the naturally fortified places..." Roland frowned slightly, tapping his pen incessantly on the booklet.

"I've got it, sir." Roland looked at Lynn: "There's a place that might fit the description of the formidable natural barrier you mentioned."

Lynn sat up straight.

"explain."

Roland walked to the wall, where a hand-drawn map of the area around Ironstone Castle hung. He pointed to a line north of Ironstone Castle.

"There's a necessary route from Frostfire to Ironstone Keep. It's roughly here—the locals call it 'Dark Raven Pass.'"

Lynn got up and walked over.

The map was simple, but it showed the general terrain. About twenty miles north of Ironstone Fortress, there was a low, east-west mountain range, not very high, but continuous. The road ran right through the middle of the mountain range.

What's on either side of the pass?

"A hillside," Roland said. "Not too steep, but a carriage can't climb it. People can walk on it, but if there's an army..."

He paused, then gestured with his fingers.

"The pass is about two hundred paces wide. The hillsides on both sides are about thirty or forty paces higher than the road. The slope is not too steep, but it is enough for the musketeers to occupy the high ground."

"Most importantly, only after passing through this pass will the main road branch off to other noble territories."

Lynn squinted.

Two hundred paces wide, with high ground on both sides—this is a good place for an ambush.

If we set a trap there, and wait for the enemy to enter the pass, we can launch a surprise attack from the high ground on both sides...

But there are also problems.

"Is this the only way?" Lynn asked.

Roland nodded: "Caravans coming from the Frostfire City direction all have to go this way. There are rolling hills on both sides, which are not high, but the detour will add two days to the journey, and we have to pass through several swamps, which is not suitable for large armies."

Lynn nodded.

If the army absolutely has to pass through this area, then things will be a little easier.

Putting everything else aside, with his current level of military technology, he could easily defeat more than four-figure enemies in this area without taking any damage.

Moreover, judging from this path, the first enemies they attacked were Frostfire City—Karl's people.

Lynn turned his gaze back to the map, his eyes settling on the line east of Ironstone Castle.

Storm Ridge.

The territory of Earl Lehman.

He recalled the first time he met Lehman—the middle-aged nobleman, his face weathered by his youngest son's illness, but his eyes sharp and shrewd.

At that time, he only had the small territory of Gray Rock Town, with a population of less than a hundred, and was extremely poor.

Later, he saved Lehman's youngest son.

That accident brought the two together, and later they began trading—exchanging cement, instant noodles, and medicine for sulfur, saltpeter, and iron ore.

Because of the debt of saving his son, most of the goods traded with Lynn were at very favorable prices.

They never asked for the return of even the grain and weapons they borrowed.

but now……

"Do you think Earl Lehman will send troops to Stormwind Territory?" He asked Roland, but also seemed to be asking himself.

Roland remained silent for a few seconds.

"My lord, I don't know whether I should say this or not."

"explain."

Roland carefully considered his words: "Earl Lehman and you do have a relationship; you even saved his youngest son. But this time, it was the King's order that the entire Southern Territory be mobilized. If Earl Lehman disobeys..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

To disobey orders is to defy the king's command. Everyone knows what defying the king's command means.

Lynn leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

What will Lehman Brothers choose?

That middle-aged nobleman was shrewd, and even righteous.

The other party also promised that I could ask for his help if I needed anything.

But what if the king gives the order?

If he disobeys, will he also be considered a "rebel"?

Lynn closed her eyes.

he does not know.

However, he believed that his relationship with Lehman was not deep enough for Lehman to risk losing his title and territory to help him.

"Is there anything defensible along that road to the east?" Lynn opened his eyes.

Roland shook his head.

"No. From Stormwind Pass to Ironstone Keep, it's all plains. There are a few groves of trees here and there, but they're not big enough to hide many people. And..."

He paused.

"Moreover, there are several villages along this road, all under the jurisdiction of Earl Lehman. If they fortify those areas..."

Lynn understood.

If Lehman really sends troops, he will not only have no defensible terrain, but will also face a dilemma—what will happen to the innocent villagers if he fights on this road?

This is unlike that deserted pass, on the flat road where only artillery could possibly intercept the enemy's attack, but those villagers...

He took a deep breath and forced himself not to think about those things.

Now is not the time to be soft-hearted.

"I'll sound out what's going on in the east; we don't need to worry about it for now."

Lynn spoke up: "Focus on the north."

He thought for a moment and asked, "Have you sent anyone to check the pass?"

"A few hunters go there occasionally," Roland said, "but there aren't any regulars. The terrain there is poor, and there's not much game, so it's usually deserted."

Lynn nodded.

Knowing that no one is usually around is enough.

"Select a portion of the soldiers from your territory and have them occupy that position, rotating them day and night."

Lynn thought for a moment: "I will arrange for some musketeers to take over. Remember, make sure to keep an eye on that land until the musketeers arrive."

"clear."

Roland nodded and wrote it down in the booklet.

"Also," Lynn continued, "make sure the residents of Ironstone are prepared. Gather food in a safe place, and send the elderly and children to Grayrock as much as possible. The concrete walls of Ironstone aren't completely finished yet; Grayrock is safer than here."

Roland paused for a moment.

"Sir, you mean...?"

"I'm talking about the worst-case scenario," Lynn said, looking at him. "If we can't hold the north, and if people come from the east, Ironstone Castle might not survive."

Roland remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he looked up, his eyes showing no fear, only seriousness.

"I see."

Lynn nodded and patted him on the shoulder.

"You did a great job."

He left the reception room, mounted his horse, and headed towards Gray Rock Town.

His mind was racing the whole way.

Blackrock Pass is the first line of defense. If they can severely damage Karl's men there, they can at least cut off one enemy route.

But what about the east? What about the west? What about the other directions?

He remembered the trap blueprints in the system store.

Landmines. Barbed metal. Incendiary bombs. Smoke bombs.

These can all be used.

But it takes time and manpower.

He needed to deploy a group of musketeers and a group of mine throwers at the Black Stone Pass, and also arrange for people to lay traps in advance.

Meanwhile, the defenses around Grayrock Town and Ironstone Fortress cannot be relaxed. What if the enemy takes a detour? What if there's an inside agent...?

No, no, it's too late.

A month is too short a time. Hal and his family, who are the best craftsmen in Grayrock Town, are working hard to manufacture guns and cannons.

Lynn looked at the remaining public opinion score in his field of vision.

Public opinion index: 34682

He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind...

……

By the time we got back to Gray Rock Town, it was almost dark.

Lynn returned to the lord's manor and quickly began selecting items in the shops.

He quickly skimmed over the items, and finally, he found what he wanted.

[Simple trigger mine *1: 280 public opinion points]

[Hair-triggering landmine *1: 350 public opinion points]

[Incendiary bomb *1: 180 public opinion points]

[Targeted Fragmentation Mine *1: 420 Public Opinion Points]

That's all!

Lynn's eyes lit up. With these things, plus his own musketeers, he was sure he could pin the enemy down at Dark Raven Pass!

The enemy doesn't have metal detectors!

It's just a bit too expensive.

He never used to directly exchange for finished products because of this reason—they were too expensive and the cost-effectiveness was too low.

One landmine costs 280 public opinion points. Once the tech tree is upgraded, he can exchange it for a blueprint and build countless landmines himself.

But now, he doesn't have time.

Lynn gritted his teeth and began to calculate.

"Forty trigger-activated grenades, twenty tripwire-activated grenades, thirty incendiary grenades, and twenty directional fragmentation grenades."

Total: 32000 opinion points!

It almost emptied his savings!

However, it's all worth it. Popularity points can always be earned again, but if the territory is lost and the population is gone, the golden finger of the exchange shop will be useless for Lynn.

The key issue is that they might not even be able to save their own lives.

Redemption confirmed.

The public opinion points accumulated instantly reached over two thousand, and the same scenario played out again. Last time it was to exchange for a three-bow crossbow, and this time it was to exchange for these equipment.

Lynn was back to square one.

He suppressed his heartache and looked at the room piled high with boxes.

These things will be a sharp weapon against the alliance of nobles in the Southern Territory...