Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 312:

The optical communication experiment was a resounding success. Paul announced to everyone that he had named this invention “Telegraph” – implying its lightning-fast speed. He also declared the telegraph open to the public. Anyone willing to spend money could enjoy the convenience of telegraphic communication. Once their messages arrived at their destination, a dedicated person would write them down on paper and deliver them to the recipient’s doorstep.

Paul’s announcement was transmitted via telegraph not only to Port Fran but, for the first time, it also reached Baylding’s capital, Butuya, in the east.

In Paul’s plan, the use of the telegraph was divided into three levels.

The first level was military intelligence. In most cases, military-related information had priority and was transmitted for free.

The second level was for government departments. Officials could use the telegraph to exchange short, urgent, and essential messages with Lakeheart Town related to official matters, but at a cost – to be reimbursed by their respective departments.

These two types of messages required different levels of confidentiality. For classified communications, the originating and receiving stations were not allowed to keep records. The encrypted military and governmental telegrams were incomprehensible to the uninformed, appearing as a jumble of letters, words, or disjointed sentences. Even the telegraph operators couldn’t understand them; they simply had to follow the rules and align the signaling arm to correspond with each letter.

To reduce the likelihood of codes being cracked, encryption rules were changed periodically. This required manual delivery of new encryption rules to various locations. Besides a common set of encryption rules, some specific regions or departments had unique encryption rules for communication with Lakeheart Town, depending on the situation.

Of course, the current encryption methods were quite primitive, involving simple scrambling or substitution of letters or words in the message. But for that era, it was considered sufficient.

The third level was for civilian messages. These were transmitted only when the telegraph lines were idle and at a significant cost. The provisional price was one copper coin per letter (including the names and addresses of the sender and recipient). Spending one silver coin (equivalent to 1000 copper coins) would only transmit about 200 words, so civilians had to choose their words carefully.

For instance, Mr. Malron, the chief in charge of cannon casting at the armory, initially earned a modest salary of 800 copper coins per month. As the economy of Alda and Lakeheart Town developed and Mr. Malron received several promotions, his salary increased to 3 silver coins. This made him a middle-to-upper class individual in Alda and Lakeheart Town. If Mr. Malron wanted to send a warm greeting to a friend via telegraph, it would cost nearly a third of his monthly salary.

However, for merchants and factory owners who regarded market information as invaluable, a high-value message was worth any cost. The speed of information transmission could determine whether they made a profit or loss. The telegraph primarily targeted this group of people in the civilian sector.

Civilian messages had to be sent in plain text and were recorded upon sending and receiving. The Department of Public Safety and the Department of Intelligence would regularly review these messages to identify any potential destabilizing elements. However, many people might use codes or slang to convey private information, especially trade secrets, which were not easy to identify.

A few days later, Paul announced via telegraph to Port Fran and Butuya on behalf of the Administration Council: Lakeheart Town’s Mechanical Factory was going to hold a “Product Launch Event” to showcase several newly developed products, mainly focusing on agriculture and the textile industry. Representatives from these industries were welcome to attend and observe.

Upon receiving the message from the Administration Council, the local government departments quickly spread the news to the surrounding areas, even reaching the newly taken over Emden.

The information from the Administration Council indicated that the new products of the Mechanical Factory would greatly enhance what was termed “productivity”. Based on past examples – like the harvester – this often meant an opportunity for wealth. Anyone with a bit of capital was keen to keep an eye on Lakeheart Town’s developments.

Before the Mechanical Factory’s product launch, Paul hosted a banquet in Lakeheart Town for the former vassals of the Kent family, including branches of the Kent family.

During the Usurper’s War, these minor lords had provided financial, material, and manpower support to Marltz Kent. Now as the losers, they were under the control of the Administration Council of Lakeheart Town.

The guests arrived at Lakeheart Town with trepidation. Previously, they had scorned this rural area, but they were surprised by its transformation. Lakeheart Town was thriving, with roads being widened, dirt paths replaced with stone pavements, and numerous buildings under construction. The town was expanding towards the southern shore of Weiss Lake.

The bustling streets, with merchants and horses, bore no resemblance to the remote town they remembered.

This prosperity made the old-fashioned lord’s castle on Lakeheart Island seem out of place and somewhat shabby.

However, the guests dared not mock Grayman’s taste. As the banquet began, they were all well-dressed and sat down respectfully under the arrangement of the castle steward, old Philip.

Paul, the host, arrived last. Raising his glass, he said, “Gentlemen, welcome to Lakeheart Town. Today’s menu is authentic Horn Bay cuisine, prepared under the guidance of renowned chefs from Horn Bay. Please enjoy and drink to your heart’s content.”

“Thank you, Count Grayman.”

Everyone picked up their glasses and toasted Paul.

After a few opening remarks, Paul became less active in the conversation. Suffering from a degree of social anxiety, he didn’t really enjoy being in a crowd of strangers and even lost his appetite. He only responded enthusiastically when directly addressed.

The banquet was mainly driven by old Ford, Hensel, and other senior officials of the Administration Council, ensuring a pleasant atmosphere for both guests and hosts.

The highlight for the guests was Paul’s announcement that he would neither seize their lands nor revoke their titles. The Administration Council would not “actively” infringe upon their authority within their territories.

However, they were expected to cooperate on certain “major policies,” like tariff adjustments.

Paul advised them, “Gentlemen, I urge you not to hurry away. Stay in Lakeheart Town for a few days. You must have heard about the Mechanical Factory’s upcoming product launch. There will definitely be things of interest to you.”

Finally, he said, “People should not always focus on their small plot of land. Sometimes, letting go of outdated things can lead to better opportunities. After all, to gain, one must first give up.”

The guests listened intently, sensing deep meaning in the Count’s words.

A viscount stood up, first toasting Paul, then asking, “I hear, my lord, that you are greatly promoting education?”

Old Philip, standing behind Paul, quietly reminded him, “Viscount Herson.”

Paul nodded, “Yes, Viscount Herson. Indeed, I plan to make Lakeheart Town the academic center of the Northwest Bay. Ha, you must think I’m boasting. Let’s see in a few years.”

Viscount Herson waved his hands, “No, no, I have no doubts about your determination, my lord. I visited your school when I first arrived in Lakeheart Town. It teaches knowledge even I have never heard of. May I send members of my family there to study?”

The other guests were startled. Someone was already showing loyalty? The lords from Emden were far from Lakeheart Town, and sending family members to study meant they would have to live here, essentially sending hostages.

Paul nodded to the viscount, “Of course, I warmly welcome young people from other regions. We encourage exchange and learning and welcome anyone interested.”

“Count Grayman, I also wish to do the same…”

“Lord Grayman, and my family too…”

The banquet grew even livelier.

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