Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 396: Private Workshops

TL: Etude

Mr. Erkins rose early today. As dawn was barely breaking, he began to groom and carefully trim his beard. After a hasty breakfast, he rushed to his workplace—a metalwork factory situated on the outskirts of Lakeheart Town.

By the time he arrived, all his employees had already assembled.

Erkins stood on a wooden box and spoke with utter seriousness, “Everyone must do their very best today! Be sharp and focused!”

“Don’t worry, boss!”

“We won’t let anyone look down on us!”

His employees responded one after another.

This was an important day—a day when distinguished guests were coming for a visit!

Erkins hailed from a family of blacksmiths, a profession that was highly esteemed and in demand in the earlier years. Of course, being a blacksmith was still a respectable choice, but it just wasn’t as sought after as it used to be.

This change was due to technological advancements.

Firstly, Count Grayman improved iron-smelting techniques, making raw materials plentiful and no longer a limiting factor.

Then came the rapid development of the Lakeheart Town Mechanical Factory, which required many metal components. Initially, these parts were custom-made by blacksmith shops in the civilian sector. However, these shops were standalone and usually family-run, scattered throughout Alda, leading to considerable time spent in transportation.

Moreover, Count Grayman’s demand for precision in the components’ dimensions could only be described as obsessive, leading him to invent a measuring instrument called the “vernier caliper.” But, due to various reasons, the quality of the products produced by these smaller shops was inconsistent. Therefore, the mechanical factory began training its own blacksmiths.

As a ruling Lord, the Grayman family already had a group of blacksmiths that served them for generations, and they were considered some of the most skilled in all of Alda. For instance, Mr. Herman, whom Erkins greatly admired, was the most revered blacksmith within the Lord’s domain. However, he hadn’t seen Mr. Herman much in the past two years, as it was rumored that he had been assigned an important duty and was no longer in Lakeheart Town.

Under the guidance of Count Grayman, the Northwest Lords formed a so-called corporation named “Northwest Industries,” mainly to supply the kingdoms with military hardware.

The surviving workshop owners were summoned to a meeting at the Lord’s estate. Count Grayman announced that he had found a profitable path for them—to join Northwest Industries and provide goods for the “company.” The Count asserted that his own industries would not venture into weapon and armor production and wouldn’t compete, urging them to produce with confidence.

They were also assured that they needn’t worry about transportation or other logistical issues; Northwest Industries would handle everything as long as they delivered goods on time.

There were two requirements: one was to maintain a uniform design and style that could leave an impression on customers and instantly signify the products as originating from the Horn Bay area. The second was to strictly control quality.

As soon as Count Grayman finished speaking, the workshop owners burst into cheers for the longevity of their Lord. Everyone knew that war was an opportunity to amass wealth, especially in the arms industry.

Many of these owners had been cursing the Lord’s mechanical factory for leaving them no space to survive when they entered the estate. But in that hall, their tears of frustration turned to joy, as Erkins himself had almost given up hope.

He was genuinely grateful to Count Grayman.

Later, he learned that a rebellion had broken out in the distant South, and the kingdom’s government was purchasing weapons from everywhere.

Erkins realized that he should pay more attention to current events rather than just his immediate surroundings, as overlooking the larger picture would mean missing out on opportunities to prosper. He wondered if Count Grayman established Northwest Industries to help unfortunate souls like them, then chuckled at his own somewhat absurd thought.

The continuous stream of military hardware orders from the South revived the civilian workshops, allowing them not just to stabilize but to thrive and profit immensely. Erkins himself entered the ranks of the wealthy.

But with the end of the rebellion, the demand for military hardware in the South plummeted.

Finding new business opportunities became the top priority for Erkins.

Just when he was at his wit’s end, news came from the Lord’s estate that a major new customer from Horn Bay was coming.

And Erkins’s workshop had been chosen for the visit, with Count Grayman himself leading the customer.