Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 397: Ironworks Tour

TL: Etude

The clangs and bangs of the workshop resounded without cease; the workers had commenced their usual labors, and from time to time, some would glance towards the main entrance where Mr. Erkins paced restlessly with his hands behind his back.

When would the Count bring people over?

While he wondered aimlessly, a young man arrived panting, “They’re coming! Boss, they’ve left the lord’s manor.”

This was an employee whom Erkins had stationed on the island to keep watch and inform of any movements.

“Good!”

Erkins clapped his hand on his palm and shouted, “Come over, everyone! Greet our guests! The Count is coming!”

At his call, several upper-level managers of the factory quickly emerged and lined up neatly.

Then, from afar, dust was kicked up as three carriages, escorted by a team of inner guard riders, charged in their direction.

A smile immediately crinkled Erkins’s face as he dashed over to the carriage and, with a humble tone, greeted, “Count, esteemed guests, welcome to Erkins’s Ironworks.” As soon as he finished speaking, the lined-up managers bent forward in unison, bowing in a manner that seemed well-rehearsed.

Count Paul raised his hand, “Erkins, let’s dispense with the pleasantries and take us to see where you’re manufacturing the arms.”

“Of course, my lord Count, please follow me.”

The group followed Erkins into the workshop, inspecting the surroundings as the incessant clangor reverberated around them.

“This is where we forge swords.”

“And this is where we forge spearheads.”

…

Gaius and Queller, who usually had no contact with blacksmith work, didn’t perceive anything novel about the production process in the workshop.

However, they were determined to be strict about the quality of the final products.

“Mr. Erkins? Can you show us some of the finished products? Moreover, we would like to test them.”

Erkins immediately responded, “Certainly, no problem. Please follow me to the warehouse.”

They arrived at the warehouse where rows of wooden crates were arrayed inside.

Gaius picked up a longsword at random and, after inspecting it carefully, handed it to a family guard next to him and asked in the Horn Bay language, “What do you think?”

This guard had a sharp look, a sturdy build, and several scars on his face, instantly marking him as a tough character.

He silently took the longsword, flicked the blade with his finger, and then performed a series of thrusting and slashing moves.

“Not bad!”

The guard simply uttered this in the Horn Bay language and handed the sword back to Gaius.

“Hmm, good.” Gaius seemed pleased and returned the longsword to its place.

It was merely for the foot soldiers; it was sufficient.

Erkins turned and quietly asked a Horn Bay language translator, procured overnight from the town, what the two Horn Bay men were discussing.

“Uh… the one in the front asked how the sword was, the one in the back said it was not bad,” the translator replied softly yet honestly.

What? Erkins was inwardly indignant—did these Horn Bay folks lack discernment? The products of his workshop were top quality, and could rank well even across the entire northwest.

Yet he spat out these sentiments only in his mind, maintaining a smile on his face.

Count Paul, however, didn’t mind. With its thriving trade, the Horn Bay Alliance had access to goods from all over the world, and its people naturally had high standards.

The interaction with the outside world in the Northwest Bay had only just begun, and during the long years prior, there had been a sense of complacency akin to “the frog at the bottom of the well,” with artisans reluctant to admit that others surpassed their skills.

The guard who was selected to accompany the family’s eldest son must be one of the Foster family’s elites, having used countless fine blades and swords. To receive the comment “not bad” was already quite complementary.

He asked, “Sir Foster, what do you think? Does the weaponry produced by the Northwest Bay meet your needs?”

Gaius nodded, “If all are of this quality, that’ll do.”

Erkins immediately reassured with a slap on his chest, “Most valuable guest, rest assured, Erkins’ workshop will never cheat by substituting inferior goods. We have always adhered to Lord Grayman’s teachings, strictly controlling quality.”

“Quality control?”

Gaius asked, curious about this new term.

“Oh, it ranges from raw material control, production processing, product completion, product inspection, to warehousing, as well as after-sales quality tracking and resolution, incorporating a complete quality control and management process.”

Paul explained as such.

Gaius pondered, “If you really can be so meticulous, that would be ideal. The Horn Bay Alliance will not skimp on money.”

“Please rest assured,” Paul and Erkins replied in unison.

Gaius then inquired, “Do you produce armored plate here?”

“We do, we do, come with me.”

The factory owner led the way, and the group arrived at the armor forging workshop.

There, they saw a giant forge hammer mounted on a machine, rising and falling with heavy thuds as it shaped the metal material into approximate plates, followed by workers wielding hammers for fine processing.

Queller asked curiously, “Interesting, how is such a large hammer moved?”

Gaius proudly responded, “I shall tell you, it’s driven by the force of flowing water.”

“Like a water wheel?”

“Oh… You could think of it that way.”

Gaius had patented the water-powered forging hammer, and any other workshop that wanted to use it had to pay him a fee, even the mechanical factory under the Count’s control.

Watching Gaius’s proud demeanor, Paul silently muttered to himself in annoyance: ‘Humph, beaten to the punch. Just wait until I develop the rolling mill…’

However, he took solace in the fact that seeds of civilian invention and creativity had begun to take root—ranging from the surveying team’s distance measuring devices to the current water-driven forge hammers.

Suddenly, Gaius had an idea: “Right, can you produce high-quality steel plate armor here?”

“Steel plate armor?” Erkins hesitated before saying, “We possess the technology.”

“How about the production capacity?”

“Oh… As you know, steel is not easy to come by, so it’s not our key product.”

Gaius was somewhat disappointed, but it was expected. Even without knowledge of warfare, he understood how precious a suit of plate armor could be—it was a family heirloom.

Paul, standing by, had a thought: ‘Steel material? Now that iron supply is no longer an issue, it’s time to go further.’

He privately settled on a plan.

After an entire morning of touring Gaius’ workshop, the visit ended. Paul invited the Foster brothers for lunch at the lord’s manor. They were escorted back afterward, while he stayed behind.

“Erkins.”

“Yes, Count.”

In the office, the workshop boss stood respectfully beside Paul.

“As I understand, your workshop is also taking orders for the shipyard, right?”

“Ha-ha, yes, my lord Count.”

Driven by the profits of maritime trade and the deliberate guidance of the Administration Council, a construction boom was sweeping through the Northwest Bay coast, with shipyards springing up everywhere.@@novelbin@@

Shipyards were primarily building wooden vessels, leading to a surge in demand for timber, but it took years to prepare the wood needed to build a ship properly. Some timber types had to be dried for as many as six years after shaping.

The shipbuilding industry was not well-developed in the Northwest Bay, which also meant a shortage of timber reserves. The scant reserves were rapidly depleted.

To address this, shipyards started placing a high value on timber storage in addition to buying emergency supplies from other regions at high prices.

Consequently, timber prices rose sharply, fueling the growth of the logging and timber processing industries, and numerous lumber mills sprang up out of nowhere.

But ship construction didn’t just require timber; it also depended heavily on metal components, fattening many ironwork facilities.

In addition to wood and metal, there was also a large demand for canvas and fabrics.

It wasn’t just the territories controlled by Paul in Alda, Baylding, and Emden that were joining the supply chain, but other regions were also gradually participating.

Manufacturing was flourishing across the entire Northwest.

“Remember, your workshop must prioritize our local needs; don’t start working for the Horn Bay people just because they pay more.”

Paul felt it necessary to remind these not yet fully-fledged capitalists.

“Yes, my lord Count, I will definitely follow your instructions.” Erkins hastily replied.