Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

TL: Etude

Paul, filled with indignation, witnessed a scenario that had previously only existed in history books: a collusion between officials and bandits, now unfolding right before his eyes.

From Quik’s confession, Paul learned that a few months ago, Edward had suddenly left with his trusted fleet. The specifics of their mission were unknown to these peripheral underlings. In the absence of the tiger, the monkeys declared themselves kings. The scattered pirate groups, now unrestrained, turned rebellious. Where there were once prohibitions under Edward’s strict orders, now it was a free-for-all, with each group seizing whatever they could. Some pirate groups, emboldened by Edward’s departure, even dared to venture into the inland territories near Grayman’s lands, areas untouched for nearly two decades.

After further interrogation of Quik, Paul ordered him to be thrown into the dungeon. With a stern face, he announced to everyone that he planned to take advantage of the absence of the pirate’s main forces to eradicate the remaining pirates in the Northwest Bay and restore peace to his territory.

The steward, Ford, expressed his concerns: “I understand your anger, my lord, and dealing with the scattered pirate groups should pose no problem. But what if Edward’s main fleet returns? As we’ve seen recently, other families won’t help us until they themselves are under attack. Alone, our territory might stand little chance against Edward.”

“That’s why we need to build a strong navy. When Edward returns, we’ll be ready to defeat them,” Paul replied. He knew that the nobles of the Ordo Kingdom had little awareness of maritime power, which had allowed pirates to thrive.

“But my lord, shipbuilding is expensive,” Ford cautioned. “Add to that the cost of training sailors and regular maintenance; it’s a bottomless pit.”

“Don’t worry, gentlemen. We’ll have bread, and we’ll have milk,” the young Count assured confidently.

Paul’s decision to eliminate the pirates was not just driven by indignation towards the nobles’ indifference to the coastal commoners’ plight. He had other reasons as well.

During his time in this world, he realized it was technologically backward, comparable to medieval Europe on Earth, with most goods produced through manual craftsmanship. He pondered over various industries that could generate immediate income, such as papermaking, book printing, and ceramics.

The challenge, however, lay in the backwardness of Ordo’s northwestern region, where the populace was largely illiterate and poor. Who would buy his products? While the nobility might be interested in novel items for decoration, relying solely on noble customers wouldn’t bring much profit. Therefore, he needed to sell his products in the more economically developed southern regions, such as the capital, Shine Castle, or even further, through the Horn Bay Alliance, to distant lands.

How to transport the goods? Land routes were out of the question. Aside from the ongoing war in the south, even in peacetime, the many checkpoints and greedy local lords would make it impractical. So, he turned his attention to sea routes. By eliminating the pirates and securing maritime paths, he could leverage the advantages of sea transport – large cargo capacity and direct access to destinations without the extortionate demands of local lords.

To achieve this, building a naval force capable of both offense and defense was essential. Apart from the Horn Bay Alliance, a nation built on commerce, other countries lacked maritime consciousness. Yet, the known seas weren’t devoid of power. Filled with countless pirates and bandits, Edward’s notorious force among them, these groups continually replenished their ranks with condemned criminals, peasants driven to despair by harsh governance, refugees from war, thrill-seeking adventurers, and ordinary people captured and forced to join.

“Lord Grayman, on behalf of the elders of my hometown, I extend our deepest gratitude for your great kindness,” the old knight suddenly stood up, bowing deeply to Paul, his voice choked with emotion.

“It’s nothing, just my duty as a lord,” Paul responded modestly.

“From now on, I am willing to serve under your command. Please do not disregard me for my old age and seeming uselessness.” Although it wasn’t a formal oath of loyalty from a knight, the implication was clear to everyone.

After expressing this sentiment, the old knight sat down, seemingly lost in thought.

Paul was puzzled, wondering if he had somehow unintentionally exuded a commanding aura. At this moment, the steward Philip whispered to him, “When Knight Schroeder was young, his family was… by pirates.”

That explained the old knight’s sudden emotional outburst.

Paul cleared his throat and said, “Let’s discuss our next steps.”

The commander of the second battalion, Claude, was the first to speak: “Count, our army is high in spirits after the recent victory. We should take advantage of this and aim to reclaim Port Fran, driving the pirates off the land.”

There was immediate opposition: “We mustn’t underestimate the enemy. According to the prisoners, they still number at least seven or eight hundred. We are at a numerical disadvantage.”

The young Count promptly ordered: “Bryce, you’re in charge of recruiting new soldiers. I want to see two fully staffed infantry battalions within a month.”

Bryce stood and responded, “Yes, my lord.”

The old knight, who had been reminiscing, suddenly spoke: “We need to train soldiers proficient in naval warfare, particularly recruiting from fishing families, as our enemies are pirates. This could also serve as a foundation for our future navy.”

“Agreed. We should specifically form two companies for naval combat, focusing on training in boarding actions and other maritime combat techniques. Next time we face the pirates, we won’t be so passive.”

“The firearms invented by Lord Count seem perfect for naval combat, especially the hand grenades. We should equip a large quantity. Throwing a few onto an enemy ship as we approach would guarantee casualties.”

“The muskets are also effective. I personally witnessed four of the enemy taken down by them. A single shot was all it took.”

“Constructing a few ships with battering rams, or repurposing fishermen’s boats, and sailing down the Vis River…”

“Your suggestions are all excellent,” Paul said. “I’ll assign personnel to increase the production of firearms and start building warships.”

The atmosphere at the meeting grew increasingly enthusiastic as they rode the wave of their recent victory, with everyone eagerly offering suggestions.

While Paul was listening and pondering over the suggestions, a servant quietly entered and whispered something to steward Philip, who immediately tugged at his sleeve.

“What’s happened?” Paul asked.

“My lord, we’ve found the bell-casting artisan you were looking for.”

Paul slapped his thigh in delight, “Oh? Ha ha, finally!” He then excused himself from the discussion, urging the servant to lead the way, and quickly left.

The people left behind were confused. Was there something more urgent than dealing with the pirates?

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