Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

Back in his makeshift study, he lit an oil lamp and spread out the ledgers and maps of Ironstone Fortress.

I need to meet with the candidate recommended by Earl Lehman in a couple of days to finalize the management structure of Ironstone Castle.

Ivan's lab needs more raw materials; someone needs to be sent to purchase them. Meanwhile, the new crop in Grayrock Town should be ready for harvest...

One task after another kept me from dwelling on my thoughts of God and the church.

But before going to bed, Lynn still made a note in her notebook:

"Anomaly detected at the Ironstone Castle Church (persistent, mild). Possible causes: 1. Unique architecture. 2. Individual constitution. 3. Bloodline issues. To be observed."

He closed the notebook and blew out the oil lamp.

……

Ironstone Castle, inside the lord's castle.

Roland was sitting in a chair in the hall, his palms slightly sweaty.

He was one of the few candidates recommended by Earl Lehman, the second son of a minor nobleman, who had no right to inherit the throne.

His family casually granted him a small fiefdom in the southern border and then dumped him here.

Three days ago, he received a letter from Lord Lehman, saying that Ironstone Castle had changed hands and the new lord, "Lynn Cole," needed someone with governing ability, asking if he would be willing to give it a try.

Roland agreed almost without hesitation. He was practically invisible in his family, and because of his excessive sympathy for the "commoners," Roland had never been liked by his father and other traditional nobles.

He had heard about Viscount Gavin's downfall, and there were many theories about the reasons. Some said he had fallen into a trap, while others said the new lord had used an evil magical weapon.

But Lord Lehman wrote very clearly in his letter: "Lynn Cole is a pragmatic man who is friendly to his people and values ​​ability over fancy titles."

Practicality and friendliness are words rarely seen in aristocratic circles.

Roland decided to try his luck.

The door to the reception room suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man dressed in gorgeous clothes and behaving properly emerged, escorted by a maid.

"Mr. Lance, you can wait here or take a look around Ironstone Castle. We will send someone to let you know whether you have passed or not in a while."

The young maid spoke, her voice sweet and adorable. She held a roster in her hand and didn't look like a maid, but rather... a manager?

"Yes, thank you again for the audience, Lord Lynn."

The man named Lance gracefully performed a noble gesture and returned to his chair in the hall.

"Mr. Roland, it's your turn. This way, please follow me."

The maid greeted her.

"Huh?!...Okay."

Roland jumped up from his chair in response, almost knocking it over in his nervousness.

"Tch!" Lance, who had just sat down next to him, let out a soft sneer, and the other minor nobles who had "applied" for the job showed similar expressions.

Roland looked somewhat embarrassed. He subconsciously gave a forced smile, straightened his collar, and then followed the maid into the reception room.

The reception room was simpler than he had imagined, just like the main hall he had just been in.

There were no ornate tapestries, no trophies to flaunt, only a few rows of benches with a long table at the end.

Three people were sitting behind the table: on the left was a serious-looking young knight, on the right was a beautiful blonde girl, and in the middle was a simply dressed young man.

It must be the new lord: Lynn Cole.

After Martha brought Roland in, she sat down next to Lia.

"Roland West?" Lynn asked, his voice steady.

"Yes, sir." Roland bowed slightly.

"Please sit down," Lynn said, gesturing to the chair in front of the table.

Roland sat down and noticed that the chair was an ordinary wooden chair without any cushions.

This is unusual, as nobles usually use more comfortable seats when receiving outsiders.

"Earl Lehman said you are one of the barons under his command. Could you elaborate on your management skills?"

Roland took a deep breath and clenched his hands on his knees.

"I assisted in the management of the West family's lands for three years, mainly in charge of tax accounting and grain storage."

He spoke somewhat quickly, but his points were still relatively clear: "I also organized two ditch repairs. However, instead of conscripting laborers, I hired the local people and paid them on a daily basis. Um... although my father wasn't very satisfied, our territory's harvest that year during the dry season was nearly 30% higher than that of the neighboring territories."

Lynn looked down at the documents in front of him—a brief resume sent by Earl Lehman, which did indeed contain these records.

He looked up at Roland: "Why adjust the taxes? Wouldn't it be simpler to follow the traditional methods?"

Roland paused for a moment, seemingly not expecting to be asked that.

He hesitated for a moment, but then told the truth.

"Because...that's not right. I've seen some families with many children but few able-bodied members, yet the tax collectors collect the same amount of tax per person as families with plenty of labor. After paying their taxes, they don't have enough food left to last until the next harvest...people will starve to death in winter."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "I can't turn a blind eye..."

A few seconds of silence filled the reception room. Lynn's eyes brightened slightly, and he raised an eyebrow. Martha was taking notes.

"Well then," Lynn changed the subject, "if Ironstone Castle had 1200 people, and its food reserves were only enough for one month, but there were still three months until the autumn harvest... what would you do?"

Roland pondered for a moment.

"First, we need to ascertain the actual grain reserves, down to each household. Then, we need to calculate the minimum survival needs and prioritize allocating the public granary's grain to the most needy families. At the same time, we need to organize those who are still able to work to reclaim wasteland and quickly plant a batch of short-growing crops—I heard that there's a crop called potatoes in Gray Rock Town; if we could get some seeds..."

Roland stopped, somewhat embarrassed: "Uh, I just heard about it."

"What if that's not enough?" Lynn pressed.

"Buy from surrounding territories. If you can't afford it..."

Roland gritted his teeth: "I will personally plead with Earl Lehman, or... or other merchants who might be willing to lend money. I will use future tax revenue as collateral."

Leon, standing next to Lynn, couldn't help but speak up: "Borrowing money from merchants? That would damage the lord's dignity."

Roland looked at the young knight who had spoken. The knight had a dignified expression and an imposing presence, but Roland's gaze did not waver.

"Dignity cannot fill an empty stomach, nor can it keep its people from starving. Moreover, if a lord is willing to bow down for the sake of his people, they will remember it. My father once said that the hearts of men are more precious than the gold coins of dawn—though he later forgot those words himself."

Lynn tapped her fingers on the table.

He looked at Roland—the young man was dressed in simple clothes, with worn cuffs and outdated boots.

He was clearly not doing well in aristocratic circles.

But Lynn was very satisfied with the other party's performance.

"One last question," Lynn said with a slight smile.

"If you were to become the administrator of Ironforge, what would be the first thing you would do?"