Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World
Chapter 205: Prospects

TL: Etude

The Mayor of Port Fran, Theodore, warmly welcomed Quik and his party at the city hall. Besides the crew members of the Southern, the most active at the banquet were the group of merchants.

“The buildings there are tall and large, even the houses of commoners are decorated beautifully.”

“Merchants are highly respected there, and they can even influence the government.”

“People dress well, live in prosperity, and are willing to spend money on things.”

The attendees eagerly and passionately discussed their foreign experiences, surrounding the four representatives who had toured Horn Bay.

Through the descriptions of these representatives, Horn Bay had become a veritable merchant’s paradise in everyone’s minds, making many regret not being born there.

“I stayed at the dock for an entire day, not for anything else but to count the number of merchant ships entering and leaving the port. Guess what, there were a total of fifty-five large merchant ships that day!”

“Oh, my God, what a scene that must have been!”

Hearing this, Mr. Barnett, who made his fortune in shipping, sighed in wonder. Comparatively, Port Fran used to have only a few merchant ships arriving in a week. However, recently, with the Administration Council’s strong support for industry and commerce, this port has gradually come to life, hoping it too could become as prosperous as Horn Bay.

“The market in Fortress Ness gathered goods from all corners of the earth. Apart from perishable specialties, you could buy any goods you could think of there.”

A porcelain factory owner, puzzled, asked, “Even porcelain? We haven’t been producing porcelain for very long here.”

Another representative, with a secretive look, whispered, “Let me tell you something.”

Everyone leaned in closer, seeing him so cautious.

The representative whispered, “Porcelain has already appeared in Horn Bay. Our lord has quietly started doing business with Horn Bay, and the partner is the Foster family, who holds a seat in the Horn Bay Alliance Council.”

“What, so Lord Grayman had already connected with them? And he didn’t tell us.”

“I saw a unique caravan in Lakeheart Town. Their clothing was entirely foreign in style; could they be from the Foster family?”

“They must have come overland. That’s quite a distance, easily over two months round trip. And they have to pass through the rebel-controlled territory in the south.”

“With the Foster family’s status and power, royal families of all countries have to give them some face. I guess Duke Ganard wouldn’t trouble the Foster family’s caravan, unless he no longer wishes to do business with the neighbors in the south.”

The merchants buzzed with surprise, astounded that Alda and Horn Bay had already established trade links.

The representative continued, “But I’ve only seen decorative porcelain in the headquarters of a trade association, never on the market. Perhaps due to the limited overland transport capacity, it sells out immediately upon arrival in Horn Bay. The demand outstrips supply. Besides, Count Grayman’s porcelain factory doesn’t produce much.”

The previously mentioned factory owner excitedly said, “Does that mean if I can get my goods to Horn Bay, I could make a fortune?”

“Of course, the wealth of Horn Bay’s people is incomparable to our poor folks here. Even the nobles in the northwest are stingy, oh! I mean, except for Lord Grayman, of course.”

The merchants, having seen the world, spoke without restraint, but their words ignited boundless imagination among their peers, with many considering investing in the porcelain industry.

“What about salt?”

Salt merchant Godwin Toby, who had seen several salt works under the guidance of the Administration Council, was most concerned about whether his salt could fetch a good price in Horn Bay.

“The prospects for salt are excellent. Like us, they boil their salt, and it’s incredibly expensive.”

“Excellent! Just excellent!”

Godwin’s eyes shone, as if countless gold coins were about to fall from the sky onto his head.

After passionately discussing the bright future, the merchants collectively realized they had forgotten the most important issue – the problem of transport capacity.

“How do we transport the goods there?”

“Obviously, by using the kind of wind-powered ships invented by Count Grayman, like the Hope and the Southern.”

“Although Lord Grayman has expressed his willingness to sell these ships to the public, it seems the shipyard’s production capacity is not very high.”

The transportation of goods was indeed a headache. Overland routes were out of the question for them, lacking the influence of the Foster family; they would surely be stripped bare by the countless checkpoints along the way.

Thus, the crowd turned to the shipyard manager, Rubin, surrounding him.

“Manager Rubin, what’s the current production plan of the shipyard? When can it start accepting orders from civilians?”

Although Rubin knew the merchants were eager, he had no choice but to respond helplessly, “Ah, this is really difficult. Currently, we must prioritize fulfilling the navy’s demand for warships.”

Just as the merchants were about to leave disappointed, a voice rang out.

“We could spare one dock for the construction of civilian ships.” Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ N0vᴇlFire(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Turning around, they were surprised to see it was Naval Commander Austin.

“Really, Commander? Is that true?”

“Of course, it’s true. But, well… ahem!”

Austin cleared his throat emphatically.

“The navy plans to establish a school specializing in nautical knowledge to train a large number of qualified sailors. Naturally, the training is not solely for the military; graduates could also seek employment in the civilian sector.”

“That’s a great idea!” the merchants praised unanimously.

“However, regarding the location and funding for the school…”

“Leave it to us, Commander Austin, we’ve got it covered. It’s just a school, right?”

Someone immediately volunteered to help Austin, and others quickly followed suit.

“You all are truly kind-hearted. In light of your generosity, the navy will—dedicate one dock specifically for building merchant ships.”

The merchants beamed with joy, raising toasts to Austin.

Meanwhile, shipyard manager Rubin wiped sweat with his handkerchief. Allocating some of the shipyard’s capacity to build civilian merchant ships was already a plan set by Count Grayman, but the Commander had him play along in this little act.

While Austin mingled with the merchants, his heart swelled with secret joy.

He had previously suggested to Paul the idea of establishing a maritime school, but at that time, the Administration Council couldn’t allocate much funding. So, the two concocted this plan.

Deciding to strike while the iron was hot, Austin made another proposal.

“Gentlemen, perhaps you could also pool resources to establish a technical school, specifically for training shipbuilding craftsmen!”

To Austin’s delight, his suggestion once again received unanimous support.

Of course, Rubin, the shipyard manager, was even happier.

Join my Discord: .gg/jUm4wCfDxd

Consider supporting me on kofi! https://ko-fi.com/etudetranslations

Sᴇarch the ɴovᴇlꜰirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.