CH 392

A few days passed while I cleaned up the accumulated documents. I finally have some free time so I can think.

First of all, the performance of the Dreyse gun and the short gun were perfect. If that can be mass-produced, it will be a considerable increase in combat strength. To put it in extreme terms, if there are peasant soldiers who have been deployed with Dreyse guns and given a little shooting training, they would be able to one-sidedly annihilate the elite knights around here. This is nothing but a threat.

It also turned out that the short gun was quite useful for self-defense. It might be better to have them made for the wives other than Claudia and keep them on their persons for self-defense, as they aren’t physically strong. Of course, care and management are important, and there is still the danger of accidental discharge. If you don’t remember the care, maintenance, and handling of a gun, you can’t just hand one over to them. 1

Even so, even a powerless woman can attack with that power at a short or medium range to some extent, this is a tremendous advantage. Mikoto and Louisa can use magic attacks if they are far away, but if they get too close, it might be better to have the option of dealing with threats using short guns.

Alexandra is useless with swords and magic, so she needs a short gun for self-defense. Claudia would prefer a long gun over a short gun. I should have four short guns and a long gun ready for our wives.

However, if possible, I think that the magazine can be put into practical use somehow. The current method is to load the bullets one by one. With this, after one shot, it takes time to shoot the next. I can’t help it when I’m entangled in multiple things or when I’m whisked away. But magazines are difficult… Currently, there are various technical hurdles that are high.

Well, putting that aside, there was no problem with the Dreyse gun for the time being. As for the guns themselves… If there is a problem, it is the industrial strength to mass produce that and the basic engineering that can ensure stable quality. If you make them one by one with craftsmanship, you won’t be able to keep up the numbers. If we could suppress gas leaks, prevent outbursts, and keep from producing defective products, we would be able to mass-produce guns even if the quality is reduced to some extent.

The number of factories and coal mines is gradually increasing, but such development does not progress quickly. Also, if possible, I would like to complete the steam engine. If the steam engine can be used, industrialization will progress at once.

Ah. That’s right. Also, I need to prepare a carbine filled with Dreyse guns for the dragon knights…

Simply stuffing the barrel may cause problems with accuracy, range, or penetration power. It needs to be easy to handle on horseback, able to aim with some degree of accuracy even while being rocked by a horse, and powerful enough to penetrate armor and kill enemy soldiers.

Compared to the muzzle-loading type, it is a bolt-action breech-loading type, so the trouble of loading is reduced. Compared to stuffing gunpowder in and pushing bullets down the barrel on horseback, it would be a huge difference.

“Ha~… There is no end to what I have to do…”

Someone knocked when I was putting away documents, so I answered.

“Come in,” I said.

“Pardon me,” Helmut said. “Lord Gustav is here.”

Gustav….it’s a common name, so I couldn’t immediately tell who Gustav was. But since Helmut went out of his way to go inside here, he must know it’s someone important… No… I know one person, but there’s no way that person would be in a place like this.

“Let me deal with him in the reception room.”

“Understood.”

Since Helmut let him through, he must be a person of note. There are still various confidential documents lying around in my office. Untrusted people can’t enter, so I decided to deal with this guest in the reception room and headed there.

“Sorry for the sudden visit when you’re so busy,” Gustav said.

“Oh, no. It’s fine, Gustav. Besides, why are you here?” I asked.

Gustav Knutson Honde was let in while I was waiting in the reception room. I didn’t know it was that Gustav I knew…

Gustav is the former lord of Goslant Island. Now that I’m the lord, he’ll be the deputy who’s entrusted with the actual governance. Goslant Island is the largest island in the Hulk Sea, smack dab in the middle, and the best location. It will be the best transit point for the Hulk Sea Trade.

However, Visvy, the largest and only city on the island, is not on the Hulk Sea side, but on the strait side between the Kamaal Alliance’s peninsula. Therefore, as a transit point for the Hulk Sea trade, it is a loss to have to go around the island in vain.

In addition to that, recent ships, well, our carracks and galleons… have a long cruising range and a large load capacity. There is no reason to go all the way around the island to visit Visvy.

“Yes… Actually, now Visvy, no, the whole of Goslant Island is in trouble…”

“Is the whole island in crisis?” I asked.

Gustav’s eyes swim, and his expression looks legitimately troubled. Is it that hard to say?

“In truth, recently, the number of ships calling at the port has been gradually decreasing…and the industry on the island has also taken a hit…”

“Ah~…”

Well, I suppose that’s right. I know from the reports. As I mentioned earlier, the cruising range and cargo capacity of ships have increased, so there is not much reason to go all the way to the other side of Goslant Island and stop by Visvy. If you’re trading with Visvy, you have no choice but to stop by, but if you’re trading within the Caanza Alliance, there’s no longer any need to stop by Goslant Island.

Since the ship is fast and has a large load capacity, everyone probably thinks that it is better to go to the destination in the shortest way than to make a detour and have a pit stop. In that case, the industry of Visvy would decline, as it had been visited by trading ships until now.

I thought that the amount of traded goods handled and the sales of the industry were going down. I thought about it, but I left it alone without giving any instructions or making any improvements…

Since we have agriculture and livestock, even if the trade is reduced to the bare minimum, the people of the island will not starve to death. In the first place, there weren’t that many trade goods, just because there was consumption of ships that stopped by for resupply and lodging, the industry that dealt with those customers was just profiting. Even without them…well…you can still live…

“Please! Lord Floto! Please! I beg you, help Goslant Island!”

“Uh~~~~n……”

I knew the industry was going down. But the reason why I didn’t do anything was that I couldn’t come up with a good method.

For the time being, if it’s okay to spend a huge budget and effort, there’s one quick way. That is to build a transit port on the Hulk Sea side on the opposite side of Visvy.

Now, the advantage of going all the way to the other side of the island and stopping at Visvy has been eliminated. As a result, the number of trading ships calling at the port has decreased, and we are in trouble. If so, it would be better to create a port that is more convenient and attracts many ships.

If there is a port on the Hulk Sea side, the number of ships that want to stop by will increase. In particular, if you’re aiming for Steltin or Cien from Windou, at the far northeastern end of the Caan Knight’s Nation, it’s more convenient to stop by Goslant Island than head south along this continent.

Of course, the same goes for ships coming from the far east of the Hulk Sea beyond Windou. The ships of the Principality of Moscove, and possibly the ships of the Kamaal Alliance may also stop by if there is a good transit port on the Hulk Sea side of Goslant Island.

However, this is not a story that we can definitely expect port users. It’s possible that a huge budget was spent to build a port, but in the end, almost no one would use it. In that case, the budget and effort spent on the port would be wasted…

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a special product or a special feature, if there’s something on Goslant Island, we’d love it! Please! I beg you!”

“… Huh? There’s already a specialty product, isn’t there?” I asked.

“Huh?”

“…… What?”

Gustav and I tilt our heads at each other. Goslant Island has some amazing specialties. If you mass-produce a little of it and ship it out, ships from abroad should gather in search of it. In addition, if there is a warehouse business near the port, it will become even more important as a transit point for the Hulk Sea.

Well, it’s only temporary, and the ships will continue to move faster and carry more cargo.

“What exactly is that specialty?” Gustav asks again.

He really doesn’t know?

“Don’t you have the Goslant Sheep?”

On the island of Goslant there is a sheep with a black head. It’s called Goslant Sheep, and it should be very popular, like a brand.

“That’s just the island’s sheep… they’re just sheep? They’re everywhere…and there are only a few sheep on the island.”

“Ah~~~……”

So is this how it is…? To the locals, it’s just like a normal sheep. Well, local specialties may be unexpectedly like that for locals. I think there are many such things in Japan.

“The Goslant Sheep is very popular in various countries,” I said. “There is a risk that the added value will decrease if it is mass-produced too much, but let’s increase the production volume to some extent and make it the centerpiece of export. I will build a port town on the Hulk Sea side, to help it.”

“No…, um…, we don’t have the budget or manpower to open up a new town, but…”

HM……. It seems that he feels terrible to be burdened with opening up a new town.

“The breeding of Goslant Sheep, support for livestock farming, and the construction of a port town will be carried out by House Caan,” I said. “But this is just a postponement of the problem, if we don’t come up with something else, it will continue to be left behind moving forward.”

“Haa…”

Gustav nodded with a face like he didn’t know what he was supposed to understand. I’m in trouble if the deputy doesn’t take it more seriously.

“Also, it’s likely that port towns built on the Hulk Sea side won’t become very popular,” I said. “They will only be used for a while and won’t be permanent. So, let’s use the new port town and Visvy as military ports. That way, even if other trading ships leave, we can still secure a certain amount of usefulness.”

“Ooh! I see!”

Did you really see.…? It’s fine, but…

If we are going to build a new port, we will not be able to recover the investment unless we make the most of it. Certainly, its role as a transit point for trade will steadily decline in the future. But the good location doesn’t change. If our warships are anchored on Goslant Island, it’s a good position to monitor the entire Hulk Sea.

Also, if we separate the ships for Visvy, which is at the back, and the new port at the front, we can avoid the total loss of the fleet even if one of the naval ports is attacked by someone. It’s also close to the peninsula of the Kamaal Alliance, so it’ll be pressure over there.

“Are you okay with this situation for the time being?” I asked.

“Yes! More than enough!” Gustav said.

Hmmm. Gustav seems to be satisfied as well. Then prepare quickly…

“Ooh!” I cried, suddenly jumping up.

“Eh!?!” Gustav startled. “Wh-What is it?”

But it’s not of interest to him.

“No… it’s nothing,” I said. “I’ll arrange things and you, Gustav, can leave now…”

“Ye-Yes…” Gustav said, making a strange face as he left.

Gustav was probably surprised because I suddenly raised my voice. But that’s not the case for me.

Because…, again…, my work has increased!

Building a new port town isn’t that easy. No, it’s easy if you gather the power of House Caan and use all your strength, right? I have no intention of making it as large as Cien Naval Port. We have enough budget, manpower, and resources.

But… I’m the one who thinks it up, assigns people to it, executes it, supervises it, and inspects it. I only have one body. It’s insane to be in charge of building a port town when I’m already full of work. I can’t do more. I can’t handle my work.

Indeed, looking at House Caan as a whole, the budget, resources, and labor are abundant. But there are not enough veteran craftsmen. Right now, there is a construction rush everywhere in the land under the control of House Caan. Roads and buildings cannot be of sufficient quality without veteran craftsmen. No amount of amateur labor is worth it.

If there is any surplus right now… it’s about the craftsmen involved in port maintenance… There must be a surplus of craftsmen who can dredge the seabed, build seawalls, and construct breakwaters and seawalls. The Cien craftsmen who built Cien Naval Port should be free.

For now… let’s start with the maintenance of the port. Let’s start building the town bit by bit. You can’t do this and that all at once. First of all, from what I can do…

Someone… gods above… give me another person… all of this… I can’t do it alone…