Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

Under the blazing sun, the square of Tieshibao was filled with emaciated residents.

The summer sun was already quite scorching, and many people shielded their foreheads with their hands so they could see Lynn standing on the central platform.

That was their new lord, a young nobleman, whose name I heard was Lynn.

The new lord arrived at Ironstone Castle yesterday, bringing with him the former lord, Gavin, who was bound tightly.

Most of the people here are farmers, peddlers, and small artisans living in Ironstone Fortress.

A few small business owners stood at the edge of the square, silently watching the center of the square.

Ironstone Fortress has changed hands. Last night, I overheard those strange soldiers wielding odd iron pipes saying that the new lord has something to announce, something about amending some laws and conducting a census.

To be honest, most of the content was incomprehensible to them, like a foreign language. The key reason they were willing to come here was:

The other party promised that those who completed the so-called census would receive a sum of supplies and a full meal.

Lynn stood on the high platform, below which was a dense crowd; there were far more people in Ironstone Castle than in Grayrock Town.

Standing next to Lynn were two little girls, Martha and Elisa, whom Lynn had specially sent to Grayrock Town to pick up. Ida was temporarily staying in Grayrock Town.

After taking this place yesterday, Lynn launched a campaign to spread the word and even notified several surrounding villages.

Lynn raised his hand, holding a small gadget he had specially redeemed at the store the night before—a large megaphone.

He put the mixer to his mouth.

"Gentlemen of Ironstone Keep, I am Lynn Cole, Lord of Grayrock Town. Some of you should have seen me or recognized me yesterday, but not everyone may know what happened."

"Here, I announce to everyone: from this day forward, I am also your lord, the lord of Ironstone Fortress!"

The tin loudspeaker amplified his voice, making it echo across the square.

"I know that many of you are thinking: So what if they change a nobleman? Life will still go on as usual."

Lynn paused for a moment: "I'm standing here today to tell you that from today onwards, the rules have changed."

He waved to the side.

Martha led Elisa forward and unfolded a pre-drawn diagram of linen.

The diagram is simple, showing several people working, either mining or farming, with different numbers of Dawn Coins marked below each worker.

In the center of the picture are various items: a bag of wheat, a bag of salt, a piece of cloth, a bucket of instant noodles... all labeled with their corresponding prices.

This was specially hand-drawn by Lynn, who was worried that some residents who couldn't read or write wouldn't understand. It's simple, intuitive, and easy to understand.

Not only are some of the otherworldly items in the exchange shops specifically marked with prices, but the prices of ordinary items also differ from those in ordinary territories in the Southern Territory. Lynn has generally lowered the prices of the items.

For Lynn, Dawn Coins are both essential and unimportant. As long as the popularity score is high enough, there's nothing that the store can't have.

Lowering prices is also intended to improve the quality of life for the people in this territory in its early stages. When people are happier, their popularity will naturally increase.

Money is meant to make money, not to rot.

"From today onwards, all those who work for the territory—building roads, farming, mining, constructing houses, forging iron, cooking…" Lynn pointed to the map.

"As long as you work for the territory, you will receive corresponding compensation. Gavin may pay you the same in some places, but I will pay more than him, the workload will be less than his, and the prices of the items will be cheaper than his."

Lynn's words were simple and clear.

The crowd was silent for a few seconds, then a buzz of discussion arose.

"Sir...is this true?" An older man in the front row, who was a bit braver, looked up, his voice trembling slightly.

"No...isn't this just working for free?"

It's no wonder the other party had questions. In this world, most residents work for the lord without getting paid. Apart from a few craftsmen, most are just cheap laborers like him.

"It wasn't all for nothing."

Lynn raised his voice: "You get paid according to the amount of labor you put in. The more you do, the more you earn. A strong young man can earn enough to feed a family of three for a day by working diligently!"

"Then... what about the tax?" another voice asked.

"Taxes will be calculated separately. Land tax will be levied at three-tenths of the harvest, and all other miscellaneous taxes, poll tax, toll tax, etc., will be abolished."

Lynn said, "You only need to pay land tax. People who don't own land don't even need to pay land tax. Land that has already been planted this year will be subject to the new tax rate."

A greater commotion spread through the crowd; some looked around in disbelief, while others began to whisper among themselves.

This was the first time the people living here had ever seen such a benevolent lord.

"in addition……"

Lynn continued:

"I will establish the Ironstone Fortress Treasury. Every autumn after the harvest, the treasury will purchase any surplus grain you have at market price. In the event of a famine, the treasury will sell the stored grain at a fair price, ensuring that no one will starve to death again."

He pointed to several tents erected on the east side of the square.

"Now, I need to know exactly how many people there are in Ironstone Fortress, and what each person is good at. So, everyone will register starting today. Each family that registers will receive 5 jin of potatoes and 1 jin of salt. Every registered individual can have a free, hearty meal at the square today—potato stew with meat soup, as much as you like."

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

The crowd erupted in a buzz.

"They really give you food!"

"And salt!"

"What is a potato...?"

Lynn put down the megaphone and nodded to Martha.

Martha, accompanied by several assistants from Grayrock Town, stood in front of the registration tent, where thick booklets and ink were laid out on the table.

The hesitation of the crowd lasted only a short time.

The first person to approach the tent was a mother of three, her clothes covered in patches, the youngest of whom was still an infant.

She timidly gave her name: "My name is Mary. My husband died last year while mining for Lord Gavin... My child's name is..."

Registration has begun.

Lynn stepped down from the platform and, under Leon's protection, walked to the edge of the square.

Several small business owners gathered around, and the silk and cloth shop owner at the head bowed and said:

"My lord, we..."

"You can continue with your normal revenue collection. The tax policy will be announced in three days."

Lynn said, "But there's one thing: hoarding and price gouging are prohibited. The public treasury will monitor the prices of basic necessities—food, salt, cloth, etc. If prices exceed a reasonable range, the first time will result in a warning, and the second time will be severely punished."

The other person swallowed hard: "Understood, understood."

"My lord, it's just about the slaves..." another person spoke up. He had slaves and had heard about Lynn's talk about abolishing slavery in front of some residents yesterday.

"My territory prohibits slavery. Those of you who have slaves may sell them to the territory, and the slaves will gradually become free citizens of the territory through their own efforts."

There was no room for negotiation, Lynn said resolutely.

Seeing this, the other party said no more.

He could accept anything as long as it wasn't a complete takeover of slaves from his own hands followed by a declaration of freedom.