Chapter 77: Language Consultant and Flag Communication

Chapter 77: Language Consultant and Flag Communication

TL: Etude

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 territorys 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.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

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, Fords 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 lets 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 Pauls 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, lets see who it is.

Before 2 pm, Paul arrived at his office.

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 worlds 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 couldnt 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, lets 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.

Thats 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 armys 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.