Translator: Cinder Translations
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"Military uniforms must be stylish!"
The Earl's words echoed through the hall.
"Only with stylish uniforms can we attract more young people to enlist."
Everyone's attention was captured by the two teams of models that had just entered. Indeed, the designs were flashy and colorful, making the soldiers look like proud roosters.
Paul had put in considerable effort for the new military uniforms. In the era of firing squads, morale was crucial, and uniforms were a key factor in maintaining it.
Drawing from his past life's memories and with Winslow's help, Paul recreated the military uniforms from the Napoleonic era of England and France. Of course, this "recreation" was more like a reinvention. After all, the era spanned several decades with different uniforms for various military branches. Even within the same branch, there were multiple uniform styles. The Emperor's elite cavalry unit, for instance, had ten different uniforms: battle uniforms, marching uniforms, field uniforms, dress uniforms, duty uniforms, stable uniforms, social uniforms, casual uniforms, ceremonial uniforms, and grand ceremonial uniforms… It was overwhelming.
Expecting Paul, a mere amateur military enthusiast, to remember all the details of these uniforms was unrealistic. He could only recreate some of the more commonly seen styles based on movie impressions.
Paul's imitation of modern military uniforms had indeed shocked the locals of this world, though not quite in the way he had imagined.
"Paul, are you really going to have our troops wear these outfits?"
His ally, Earl Malon Ganard, hesitated.
Paul retorted, "What, do you think my design isn't stylish enough?"
"The colors are certainly bright, but… is this what you consider stylish?"
Malon scratched his head, unsure of what to say.
Paul, slightly annoyed, said, "Come on, just speak plainly!"
Malon sighed, "Well… this style of clothing seems unprecedented."
"Hey! So what?!" Paul waved his hand. "Let's be at the forefront of fashion and start a new trend!"
"Cough!" Malon reminded him, "The Northwest Bay isn't a fashion hub like Horns Bay. Wearing these outfits might make us look like oddities."
Bryce added, "We'll be seen as country bumpkins who just haphazardly mix expensive materials…"
Paul countered, "Nonsense. This is historically validated… Well, never mind. Just think, if we have more money or more weaponry, even if we're in rags, we'll still be seen as fashionable."
Malon shrugged, "The problem is, we aren't wealthy enough yet, and our military strength isn't perceived as strong enough either."
"So, everyone! Let's work hard together! Let's get more money and more weapons. Imagine our soldiers marching proudly in these uniforms; everyone will be awed by this display of power."
Paul spoke decisively.
Everyone understood that the Earl was adamant about using his designed uniforms.
Well, he was the supreme commander of the Alden army, and his word was final.
"Earl, if I heard correctly, you said 'soldiers'?"
Logistics Minister Ron noted a term in Paul's speech.
Paul nodded, "Yes, soldiers!"
No way? The room was stunned!
The Earl's designs were flashy, but the craftsmanship was exquisite and luxurious, indicating a high production cost. Even with weaving machines now available, sewing still required meticulous work from tailors.
They had initially thought the Earl's elaborate designs were for the officers.
"Mr. Winslow!"
Ron asked the tailor, "If we were to mass-produce these uniforms, how much would each one cost?"
Winslow calculated and said, "Let me think… Based on our Northwest Bay prices, each would cost about 10 to 15 silver coins."
10 to 15 silver coins? The Earl wants to spend this much for each soldier's uniform?
Great Light Lord, save Earl Grayman's brain from burning out.
Even high-ranking officers like Schroeder, Bryce, and Austin only earned 5 to 6 silver coins in monthly salaries. (Of course, they also had rural estates and other sources of income. To ensure their loyalty, Paul had given them significant shares in the family businesses started in recent years. For them, military salaries were just a bonus.)
If relying only on their salaries, an officer would need two to three months to afford one uniform. This was madness. Moreover, soldiers needed multiple uniforms for changing.
"Earl, maybe reconsider? Soldiers just need to have clothes to wear. I think their current uniforms are sufficient."
Ron felt it was time to fulfill his duty as the logistics minister and carefully suggested.
"No!" Paul firmly refused, "I've said before, the current uniforms are just temporary. Once we have the means, I want the soldiers to wear better clothes. Even the enemy will be intimidated by our imposing presence."
Paul made his decision, and the head of the Administrative Office, Old Fort, silently groaned, knowing that this would add several thousand silver coins to the army's expenses.
Well, the direction was clear; the military uniforms would largely follow the Earl's design.
Paul provided two basic designs, and after evaluation, they chose the one primarily in blue and white, a style similar to the French army.
Following Paul's suggestion, different branches had slight color modifications: the army retained blue, the navy switched to white, and the internal guard unit changed to green.
However, faced with the financial constraints, the Earl compromised. In the final design, the fabric quality was reduced a few levels, and soldiers' shoes were changed from full-length leather boots to short boots with long boot covers.
The Administrative Office had even planned to revert to the previous burlap shoes, but Paul and the senior military officers opposed this, as the quality of shoes severely impacted the troops' marching ability.
Paul announced to everyone, "For this uniform change, I plan to use a bidding process to find uniform contractors."
"Bidding?" Everyone was puzzled.
Paul explained, "Yes, we'll publicly announce the required items, including quantity, quality, delivery time, and other requirements. For example, for the military uniforms, tailoring workshops in Alden, Byerldine, Emden, and other territories can qualify as our suppliers as long as they meet our requirements. We'll choose based on the lowest price and shortest time. This is called bidding."
Bryce questioned, "Can any workshop handle several thousand uniforms?"
Paul replied, "We can split the contract into several bids, not putting all our eggs in one basket."
He smiled and added, "Not just for uniforms, but for anything not involving confidential matters, we can leverage the private sector. This will save us a lot of effort and also stimulate commercial development."
(End of the Chapter)
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