Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

The group of refugees swayed along, having gone without food for a long time, and finally reached the vicinity of Gray Rock Town at the crack of dawn.

The walls of Gray Rock Town appeared in the thin morning mist, like a huge skeleton lying across the wasteland.

Suppressed sobs rose from the ranks of the refugees.

We've arrived, we've finally arrived. The team leader tried to straighten his back, attempting to make the group look less disorganized.

Lia pulled her hood down, her amber eyes scanning the high wall from under the brim.

The wall continued to extend outwards until it enveloped the entire town of Grayrock.

There were no carvings on the wall, only the Cole family flag. A figure moved about on the wall, carrying a bow, patrolling.

Her fingertips gently rubbed against the worn fabric.

The defensive awareness is good; even with such walls, they didn't leave the defenses wide open. Unlike those noble castles that only flaunt their crests but are actually riddled with weaknesses.

The thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly suppressed it: "Be careful, Lia, even the best cage is still a cage."

The patrolmen on the wall quickly spotted the dozen or so ragged refugees.

The door opened a crack, and a few people came out.

The other side wore rough, handmade leather armor, carried a spear, and included a scarred hunter and an old man with gray hair.

They began questioning, triaging, and checking. The process was tedious, but surprisingly, there were no shouts or whippings.

The teams were quickly assigned, but not according to gender, age, or age as Lia was used to; instead, they were assigned according to "what they could do".

Several people who knew a little carpentry were assigned to one group, women who knew how to sew clothes were assigned to another group, and those who could read and write were assigned to yet another group.

"So, the refugees are categorized by occupation? I suppose those useless ones will be sent to the mines or become slaves..." Lia couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The other side was very efficient, and the migrant registration team was working quickly. It was almost Liya's turn. As the militiamen got closer and closer to her, Liya suddenly felt a sense of tension.

Although the other party didn't separate the attractive female refugees and send them to their mansions like other nobles, it was still impossible for her face to go unnoticed!

"Damn it! I forgot about that!"

Lia was so caught up in the joy of escaping that she forgot to smear dirt on her face to cover up her extraordinary appearance.

Immediately, she bent down as if adjusting her shoes and smeared some dirt on her face.

"Name!"

A loud and powerful voice rang in her ears. Liya Teng straightened up, her body trembled, and she subconsciously replied:

"Leah!"

The other person gave her a suspicious look, then buried their head in writing:

"Where did you come from? Why are you here?"

"I came from the north... Blackwater Village. I heard there was food here, so I came."

Lia answered with a place name she had heard from the refugees.

"Blackwater? Isn't that Mr. Joel's village?" Bray thought to himself. He exchanged a glance with Joel, who shook his head.

Bray waved his hand, signaling the registration staff to stop.

He glanced at Lia, whose face was completely covered by the hood, and asked in confusion:

"Why are you covering your face? Take your hat off!"

Lia's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't stop moving and obediently took off her hood.

A head of deliberately smudged, light blonde hair was revealed, with a few stray strands clinging to her smeared cheeks. She kept her head down.

"Look up," Joel's voice rang out, gentle but carrying an undeniable air of scrutiny.

Leah slowly raised her head, her eyelids still half-closed, her gaze fixed on the leather buckles on Bray's chest. She could feel their gazes brushing across her face like brushes.

"What happened to your face?" Bray asked.

"I fell while I was running away..." she answered softly, a story she had prepared beforehand.

Joel leaned closer, his experienced gaze seemingly able to pierce through the clumsy disguise: "You're not very old?"

"...Hmm." Lia responded vaguely, her fingers unconsciously curling up slightly.

"Put your hand out so I can see."

Lia stretched out her hands. Her palms had thin calluses from years of climbing, but her fingers were slender, certainly not the look of someone used to heavy farm work.

Bray and Joel exchanged a glance.

The person in front of me had an inexplicably awkward posture and demeanor. There was dirt on their face, but the skin on their neck was surprisingly clean. Their hands had calluses, but not in their usual places.

Most importantly, all the people from Blackwater Village who hadn't died at the hands of the monsters last time had escaped here, and Joel knew almost everyone in the village, but he had never seen this girl before.

The atmosphere became subtly tense. Several refugees waiting nearby sensed something amiss and shifted uneasily.

A cold sweat broke out on Lia's back. She wondered if she had somehow given herself away.

Bray stared at her for a few seconds, then said in a deep voice, "Look me in the eyes."

Lia's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

She dared not look up. Her pupils and eyes were her biggest weakness. She felt she had been exposed, but being kicked out was better than letting people discover she was a half-elf.

Recalling her days in Ironstone Castle, a shadow fell over Lia's heart.

"Should we take action...?" This was the thought that popped into Lia's head.

Just as the delicate stalemate was at hand, a voice broke in from the side.

"What happened?"

Lynn walked over unnoticed, still holding the simple sketches he and Thorin had been discussing. He had been checking on the resettlement of the new refugees nearby and had noticed the pause in their conversation.

Bray immediately turned to Lynn and briefly reported, "Sir, this man says he's from Blackwater Village..."

"Oh?" A glint flashed in Lynn's eyes; he already understood what Bray meant.

Lynn looked at her. A "girl" who looked very young, with a dirty face, messy hair, and wearing a tattered corset, was bowing her head slightly, her hands nervously clasped together, and her shoulders hunched. She looked like an ordinary, frightened, and perhaps secretive vagrant.

He took two steps closer and said in a flat tone, "Look up."

Lia had to look up, her gaze quickly sweeping over Lynn's face before she quickly looked down again.

"What's your name?" Lynn asked.

"Leah."

"Where did you come from?"

"Blackwater Village, a little to the north."

"Why are you being so secretive?"

Lia bit her lower lip, her voice trembling slightly: "I...I used to live in another village, and because of my hair color and eyes...I was considered 'unlucky' and kicked out. I'm scared..."

This reason is reasonable. In some isolated areas of mainland China, there is indeed discrimination and persecution against people with unusual appearances.

Lynn was silent for a few seconds. He glanced at the other person's light blond hair, then suddenly seemed to have figured something out. Then, he asked an unrelated question:

"Did you hear the rules of Grayrock Town?"

Lia paused for a moment, then nodded: "I...I heard you. Work, eat, and follow the rules."

"Here." Lynn's voice was clear and steady, not loud, but loud enough for everyone around to hear clearly: "I don't care who you were before you came, what your background was, what your hair and eyes looked like. I only care whether you follow my rules and whether you put in the work. As long as you work, you'll get a meal. As for the rest..." He paused:

"As long as you don't harm Grayrock Town or break the law, nobody will care, and nobody has the time to care."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment. Disbelief and a glimmer of hope flickered in the eyes of the refugees.

Lia suddenly looked up, this time genuinely surprised as she stared at Lynn.

She saw the calm and certainty on that young face. There was no pity, no charity; it was as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

He... really doesn't care? Doesn't he care about the potential trouble that might arise? Doesn't he care about a somewhat suspicious vagrant?

No! I should have already been exposed, but why...?

Joel moved closer to Lynn, seemingly trying to remind him of something, but Lynn just waved his hand.

He looked at Liya, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Okay, now can we talk about your 'real' story?"