Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 661: The Reason to Fight

TL: Rui88

“Perhaps you should have told me at the first opportunity!”

The head of the Administration Council, who was also Paul’s father’s Keeper of the Seal—Old Ford—said with some displeasure after learning of the return of Paul’s mother.

“I apologize, I wasn’t certain at the time! If it had been a hoax, it wouldn’t have been worth your trip.”

Paul did feel some guilt. After all, Mr. Ford was the most senior vassal of the Grayman family.

“Alright, we have more important matters to discuss now.”

Old Ford suppressed the urge to immediately go and see his former mistress.

“In no more than a quarter of a year, a large orc army may enter the northeastern region of the kingdom. The source of this information… should be reliable.”

The military and political leaders of Lakeheart Town had already gathered in the conference room. Paul announced this shocking news to them.

“May the Father in Heaven protect us!”

Schroeder made a gesture of prayer.

When he heard from Paul that the orcs were about to launch an attack, he did not seem overly surprised.

“When I was forced to leave Watcher’s Fortress, I knew this day would come sooner or later.”

For many years, Schroeder had not liked to talk about his past at Watcher’s Fortress.

Now he took the initiative to confide in Paul.

“The lords of the entire northeastern region… are terrible, to say the least. The Watcher’s Legion protected them, yet the lords saw the legion as the royal family’s spies against them.”

“Although they appeared to be as close as family on the surface, they were constantly on guard in the shadows.”

“And I was collectively ostracized by them precisely because I tried to expose their illegal activities—smuggling with the orcs on the plains—and ultimately had to leave the Watcher’s Legion and retire to Northwest Bay.”

Schroeder’s angry account greatly surprised Paul.

In his impression, Schroeder had always been a calm, steady person, unfazed by honor or disgrace. This was the first time he had seen him so “out of sorts.”

“For decades, they have continuously supplied the plains with salt, grain, and precious metal tools. The corrupt lords of the northeast are at least half responsible for the orcs’ rise to this level, to the point where they even dare to attack Ordo.”

The old knight made this conclusion.

These words made Paul blush a little. He wondered if sending his fleet to trade with the orcs in the forest counted as supplying the orcs.

Well, the forest orcs and their relatives on the plains were two different things—he comforted himself.

Paul looked around at everyone. “So, we should prepare in a timely manner.”

“Count, we should immediately expand our army!” 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Bradley stood up and said.

“Expand the four half-strength battalions into full-strength ones, and add more battalions. The number of front-line combat personnel should be increased to… around thirty thousand.”

“Seconded!”

“Seconded!”

…

The army generals had always been resentful of the navy’s development. Due to the reliance on maritime trade, Alda’s navy had grown to nearly 20,000 men, with large ships to command and cannons to play with. In comparison, the army seemed as cute as a little brother.

“Ahem.” Old Ford reminded them, “If we follow the current equipment standards, the Administration Council cannot afford to expand so many troops at once.”

“Then issue bonds!” Bradley’s eyes were wide. “Isn’t that what we did when we fought the Kent family?”

Old Ford said, “We gained a lot after defeating the Kent family, so repaying the debt was easy. But fighting the orcs is different. Bradley, even if we successfully defend our homeland, do you have the ability to go deep into the Great Plains and plunder the orcs’ wealth to repay the debt?”

Bradley was speechless. Fighting on the plains… required horses?

But Alda did not even have a decent cavalry force.

“Lord Count, I think we need to establish a cavalry!”

Bradley said whatever came to his mind.

Schroeder sighed. “Lord Grayman, our militia is very well-trained, even better than the troops under other local lords. Perhaps we should first organize them in the manner of a regular army. Let’s first expand our army to about fifteen thousand men. I think this number is more appropriate.”

“Let’s do that, then. As Schroeder said,” Paul agreed. “Perhaps we should add a regimental-level formation.”

“We should strengthen our intelligence work concerning the plains.”

Paul took the initiative to give instructions to the Department of Intelligence.

“The orcs’ culture, their social structure, their population, their technological level, the connections between their various tribes—these are all things I want to know.”

“As you wish.” Cecil wrote down Paul’s words one by one. “I think their relatives in the Lucky Forest are a good starting point.”

“You’re right. We need to make good use of that great forest north of the Rocky Mountains.”

Paul agreed with him. “The Lucky Forest is adjacent to the Great Plains. We must maintain our friendship with the native tribes in the forest, whether they are native orcs or native humans. Perhaps in our future war with the plains orcs, the Lucky Forest will play a powerful role in tying them down.”

Hansel asked, “Should… should we inform Crystal Shrine about this?”

If it had been a few years ago, he would have jumped up and urged Paul to alert the royal family immediately.

Paul responded, “I have already sent a letter to Crystal Shrine, and another to Watcher’s Fortress. I don’t know if it’s still in time. I also plan to summon the lords of the northwest to discuss jointly resisting the orcs.”

“From now on, steel, firearms, and grain will be our key areas of focus…”

—

Mariana suddenly had a strong premonition that her son, Paul, was likely doing something behind her back.

The next day at breakfast, she learned of it from Paul—Alda would prepare to resist the orc invasion.

Mariana became anxious. “You could have stayed out of it completely.”

“Is that so?” Paul wiped his mouth with a napkin, stood up, and walked to the window.

“Look outside. Is there any difference compared to when you left Northwest Bay?”

Mariana glanced out the window. “It’s more prosperous. The size of the town has expanded I don’t know how many times over.”

Not only that, but the food, clothing, housing, and spiritual outlook of the subjects had all undergone tremendous changes.

So much so that when Mariana first set foot in Northwest Bay, she had once suspected she had come to the wrong place.

She said earnestly, “I can see that you are more capable than any of the previous Grayman counts, Paul. So please cherish your achievements.”

But Paul said, “All these achievements are thanks to the power of trade. All parts of the kingdom are closely related to Northwest Bay.”

“If other places fall into chaos, the prosperity of Northwest Bay will be a fleeting illusion.”

“So, for the sake of all this before me, I must go to war with the orcs.”