Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World
Chapter 77: Language Consultant and Flag Communication

TL: Etude sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴøvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Paul was discussing the sales of harvesters from the agricultural machinery factory with old Ford, Ansel, and other administrative officials, their conversation often punctuated with laughter.

Although the scene of everyone rushing to place orders as he had anticipated did not occur, receiving orders worth tens of thousands of silver coins within a few days was still quite satisfactory. It seemed there were indeed many wealthy people in his territory, and he needed to think of ways to get their money moving.

The heads of the Ministry of Civil Affairs were all visibly pleased, not only because of the increase in the territory’s finances but also because most of them were landowners themselves, with varying amounts of farmland. Paul had promised them that they could buy a harvester from the agricultural machinery factory at cost price.

Old Ford reported to Paul that the consolidation of farmland was progressing steadily. The scattered small plots of land previously owned by various landlords were being gradually consolidated into large farms under the promotion of local agricultural associations.

The four-field crop rotation system was also being widely publicized, and many people had already expressed their intention to try this new farming technique next year.

Another development was the construction of water conservancy facilities. The agricultural associations, in the name of the lord, had conscripted labor for this purpose, and so far, they had repaired and built a total of 5 kilometers of irrigation channels, a number that was expected to continue to grow.

After completing the construction of agricultural associations in various parts of Byerding, the Department of Agriculture planned to extend these measures to Byerding as well.

Previously, Ford, the steward, had personally handled agricultural affairs, but now with Hansel, the head of the Department of Agriculture, Ford’s burden would be lighter.

Paul felt somewhat uneasy about conscripting labor without compensation, but given the current low fiscal income, it seemed necessary.

He concluded by saying, “So, please keep up the good work and let’s increase the agricultural output of Alda and Byerding several times over as soon as possible.”

Everyone accepted the order and went back to their respective duties.

Paul turned to his ‘secretary’ and asked, “Bernard, are there any other arrangements for today?”

Bernard Francis, an old friend of Hansel from the royal capital, was a former manuscript copyist at the Royal Crystal Shine Academy. His years of copying books had greatly expanded his knowledge and honed his photographic memory.

He was an excellent writer, skilled in the use of elaborate language and various allusions. He was also meticulous, a trait developed from his time at the academy where he worked with sheepskin paper, where a single mistake could cause long-lasting distress.

After coming to Lakeheart Town, Ford, the steward, felt that his qualities were very suitable for helping the Count with paperwork and scheduling, and recommended him to Paul. After an ‘interview’, Paul was satisfied and created the position of ‘secretary’ for Bernard.

Upon hearing Paul’s inquiry, Bernard quickly flipped through his notebook and said, “You have an interview scheduled for this afternoon. Someone finally responded yesterday to the recently posted recruitment notice for a language expert.”

Bernard had quickly adapted to the various new terms proposed by Paul.

“Alright, let’s see who it is.”

…

Before 2 pm, Paul arrived at his office.

With the increasing affairs within his territory, continuing to work in his study was no longer suitable. He had Philip, the housekeeper, find another room within the lord’s mansion to serve as a dedicated office space, while the original study was now used solely for storing his private book collection.

As the clock struck two, a knock on the door was heard. After Paul called out “Come in,” Bernard led a young girl into the room.

Hmm? This girl looks familiar.

The girl greeted him with a bow: “Count Grayman, long time no see.”

Long time no see? Oh, right, isn’t this the girl he had rescued on the way back to Lakeheart Town from Port Fran? She seemed to be from the Gabella Empire, with the last name Dias.

Paul had checked; the Dias surname was significant in the Gabella Empire, with the current queen of the Ordo Kingdom hailing from the Dias family. No wonder she wore the kind of clothing only the nobility wore at that time. But it could also be a coincidence, as many people in the world shared the same surname.

He gestured for the girl to sit and asked, “Miss Dias, are you here to apply for the position of language expert?” Isn’t she a bit young for this role? How much expertise could she possibly have?

The girl nodded in response: “Yes, I have some understanding of languages and scripts. I can read and write most of the languages spoken across the continent, and I have also studied some rare languages and ancient scripts.”

Impressive, Paul thought. If this girl wasn’t exaggerating, she was practically a human translation machine.

He asked Bernard to bring several foreign language dictionaries, intending to test her thoroughly. Lacking other language experts, they resorted to using dictionaries for the test.

To his surprise, Bernard volunteered himself: “Lord Count, I also have some knowledge of several languages. May I conduct the test?”

“What, you have this skill too? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Bernard replied with a shy smile, “All students of the Royal Crystal Shine Academy are required to master several languages. Hansel is no exception.”

Upon hearing this, Eileen, the girl, tensed up, realizing there were people from the Crystal Shine Academy in this small town. Fortunately, it seemed he did not recognize her, and she slowly relaxed.

Paul gestured for Bernard to proceed with the test.

After a series of translation tests, Bernard whispered to Paul, “Lord, her skills are indeed high. I couldn’t stump her.”

Eileen raised her head proudly and said, “Count Grayman, knowing a language and studying it are two different things. Perhaps you could test me on other aspects, like the shape, system, origin, evolution, and development of a language’s script.”

Paul looked at Bernard, who shrugged helplessly.

Well, it seemed she was the one.

“Miss Dias, congratulations, you are now my language consultant.”

Eileen asked, “What will my duties involve? Translating during your interactions with foreigners?” She had thought she would be taking on a role like a private tutor.

Paul replied, “Uh… That might be part of your duties in the future.” Considering the increase in future trade partners, the scenario described by the girl was indeed possible.

“But for now, I have a special task for you — to create a new flag signaling system for my army.”

“A new flag language?”

“Yes, using flags to convey certain command orders.”

Eileen was puzzled: “As far as I know, the technique of commanding armies with flags is already quite advanced in the armies of various nations. Why do you wish to reinvent the wheel, Count?”

Paul explained, “The current flag signaling system can carry only a limited amount of information. I need a system that can convey very complex commands.”

After two battles, Paul deeply felt the inconvenience of commanding armies in an era where communication was primarily by shouting, where orders had to be relayed by messengers.

He had consulted with Chief of Staff Schroeder about the world’s battlefield command methods and was disappointed to find that although horns and flag signals existed, they could only convey simple commands, such as advance, charge, or retreat.

The outcome of a battle was nearly half decided by how the commanders arranged their troops before the fight.

The army of Alda was unique in this world, not only in its organization but also in its use of new technological weapons like muskets and cannons. Many commands couldn’t be conveyed through existing flag signals, like where to aim the cannons, which unit to support, or whether to use solid or scatter shot.

Thinking further, the navy, still under construction, would need an even more complex flag signaling system for naval warfare, so preparation was essential.

He told Eileen, “The specific requirements will be explained to you in detail by my officers.”

Miss Dias nodded in understanding.

“Now, let’s talk about your salary. How does 1 silver coin per month sound? If you perform well, your salary will be increased.”

That was equivalent to 1000 copper coins, a high salary for a top-tier talent like Miss Dias in the northwest.

“That’s acceptable,” Eileen agreed promptly, knowing from her time in Lakeheart Town that 1 silver coin was considered a high salary locally.

Paul was very satisfied and instructed Bernard to lead Miss Dias to sign the employment contract.

Beyond the army’s flag language, he had bigger plans.

To accelerate the pace of reform, it was necessary to establish strong control over every village and town in his territory, building a powerful grassroots government.

To achieve this, a long-distance communication system was needed to rapidly convey his will across the land and gather timely information from local areas.

With the current level of technology, inventing the telegraph was a far-fetched idea, but it might still be possible to achieve something similar to the French “Semaphore line” flag relay system.

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