Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

The afternoon sun was blindingly white.

The watchtower on the wall had just been built to a height of more than a person. A group of about ten riders, kicking up dust, stopped outside the gate of Grayrock Town.

They were dressed uniformly and wore the emblem of Ironstone Fortress, with the leading knight displaying an arrogant expression.

The gate remained closed. Bray quickly appeared on the wall, his gaze sweeping across the area below.

"Is Lord Lynn Cole, Lord of Grayrock Town, here?" the leading knight called out. He was courteous, but his tone was curt: "He is under the command of Viscount Gavin Hossman of Ironstone Fortress, and has been ordered to negotiate."

The news quickly reached Lynn. At that moment, he had just finished inspecting the growth of the crops in the fields and was preparing to eat a bucket of instant noodles he had redeemed from the system.

He was somewhat puzzled when he heard that a group of knights had arrived from Viscount Gavin's side. But he didn't think too much about it, put down his instant noodles, and turned to walk towards the gate.

Lia, who was also having lunch, heard the sound of the wind and her heart sank. A cold premonition gripped her.

She calmly put down the bowl, and seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she straightened her clothes, put her hood back on, and quietly moved towards the door.

The door slowly opened a crack, just wide enough for one person to pass through. Lynn led Bray and Leon out and stood in the open space in front of the door, about twenty paces away from them.

"I am Lynn Cole. What brings you here?" Lynn asked, getting straight to the point.

The lead knight dismounted and bowed slightly: "Lord Lynn, I have been ordered by my viscount to apprehend a fugitive."

"A fugitive?"

"Indeed. This man is a serious criminal in the dungeon of my Ironstone Fortress. He escaped a few days ago while the guards were not paying attention. According to our investigation, he may have fled to the vicinity of your town, or even mixed into your town with the refugees. My viscount hopes that you can assist in the search. If found, please hand him over to us to be taken back and dealt with according to the law."

The other party handed over a roll of parchment: "This is a portrait and basic characteristics of the criminal. Please take a look."

Lynn took it, unfolded it, and looked at it.

The portrait in his hand was a bit rough, but the features were still drawn quite clearly, at least Lynn could recognize who it was at a glance.

Looking at the portrait of the young woman with light blonde hair, amber eyes, and slightly pointed ears, Lynn remained silent.

Isn't that Lia?!

Lynn was somewhat surprised. So, Leah was the hardened criminal who had escaped from Gavin Hossman's group. Not only that, judging from the portrait, this little girl seemed to be a half-elf!

In the original owner's memories, non-human races such as elves, dragons, and dwarves were still very mysterious and rarely seen in the Dawn Empire, but Lynn, as a member of the nobility, knew some of their basic characteristics.

Elves typically have emerald green eyes, long, pointed ears, and are generally more beautiful than ordinary people.

However, Lia's eyes were amber, unlike those of ordinary elves. She was either from a rarer branch of the elven race or a hybrid. Within the Dawn Empire, Lynn felt that the latter was highly likely.

Lynn pretended to look at the portrait seriously, then rolled up the parchment without changing his expression.

"Sir Knight," Lynn's voice was steady and clear:

"Gray Rock Town has indeed taken in a group of refugees who fled from the north recently, and they have all been registered. According to the laws of the Empire and border customs, anyone who poses no threat to my territory, voluntarily stays, and abides by the rules can be regarded as a civilian seeking asylum, and as the lord of this place, I have the right to provide temporary shelter to these poor people and to govern them."

Lynn did not directly say whether he had seen Lia, but instead brought up the laws of the Empire, indicating that he had the right to deal with these refugees.

He paused. "I fully understand the matter of Viscount Gavin's escape. But to arrest someone from among the refugees I've already settled based solely on a portrait and a few words of description... I must apologize, but I cannot comply. Besides, I haven't even seen the alleged crimes or any evidence against this so-called serious offender, so how can I possibly have any criminal with me?"

Upon hearing this, the other party's expression darkened: "Lord Lynn, this person was originally a lowly slave who has murdered three masters. Ironstone Keep has all the case records, witnesses, and evidence. Moreover, she is a half-elf, not of our kind. This matter concerns the dignity of Ironstone Keep's laws. My viscount hopes that you will do me a favor to avoid damaging the harmony between our two places."

These words already carried a hint of threat.

Lynn raised an eyebrow slightly. "You little brat, you're threatening me now?"

Looking up at the growing number of militiamen on the wall, though poorly equipped, their eyes were now fixed intently on the scene below. Beside him, Leon's hand gently rested on the hilt of his sword.

"If Viscount Gavin has conclusive evidence that there is indeed a fugitive in my territory, and that the evidence of her crimes at Ironstone Castle is conclusive, then we can formally submit a written statement and have a third party witness the negotiation. Otherwise, I cannot hand over my residents based on one person's testimony," Lynn replied with a smile.

Playing the law against themselves? These medieval, lawless people, still stuck in a slave society, are no match for Lynn. Want people? Fine, have an earl-level official witness the law. Even with a witness, Lynn won't hand them over.

Lia's origins are mysterious, and she belongs to one of the few special races. Lynn has no intention of returning her to someone who might be a special talent.

Lynn's tone was calm enough, even polite enough, but the refusal in his words was as firm as the walls of Grayrock Town: "Sir Knight, if your master insists, we can proceed according to procedure as I just mentioned. As for now..."

Lynn gestured for them to proceed: "If there's nothing else, the territory is busy with construction, so I won't keep our distinguished guest any longer."

The leading knight's face was now so dark it could drip water. Although, according to Viscount Gavin, the other party was unlikely to give it to him, he hadn't expected this exiled, down-on-his-luck nobleman to be so resolute.

He stared at Lynn, his eyes flickering a few times, before finally letting out a cold snort: "Very well! I will relay Lord Lynn's words to the Viscount word for word! I hope you won't regret your decision today!"

"No need to see me out," Lynn said calmly.

The enemy mounted their horses, turned them around, and led their men back the way they came, kicking up dust.

Only after the group disappeared from sight did Lynn turn back into town and whisper a few instructions to Bray. The gate slowly closed and was bolted shut.

Not far from the wall, Lia leaned against the rough wood and slowly slid down to sit on the ground, her heart still pounding and her palms covered in cold sweat.

She had overheard their entire conversation.

He... refused? Just like that? Without even trying to ask or verify, he simply used "lordly duties" and "procedures" as an excuse to shut him down?

The things she had heard about him over the past few days were now surging wildly in her mind. Those "little tricks to win people's hearts" that she had once dismissed were now like a red-hot iron, burning her heart and making her tremble.

Shouldn't he weigh the pros and cons? Shouldn't he, like Gavin, easily hand over such a "troublesome" person like her for the sake of the so-called "big picture" or "aristocratic dignity," and even use it to gain benefits?

Why... are they different?

He looked at Lynn, who had done something as ordinary as it was, and then went back to inspecting the watchtower.

As if she had made up her mind, Lia bit her lip, stood up, and walked towards the other person...