I Got a Fleet as a Reincarnation Bonus, But They're All Quirky!!

Factory Completion and Naval Modernization

This will be the post for this month.

Although various movements will start, the big showdown will be a little later.

- Kazuhiro Kasami

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It had already been two months since Asahi and his crew had placed themselves under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Empire. Thanks to round-the-clock work, the exterior of the factory was completed, and all that remained was the transportation and installation of equipment and power generation facilities. As for the power plant, the design blueprints for the thermal power plant were stored inside the special transport ship Teiyō Maru, so they were being used as a reference.

For now, Asahi had given several instructions towards modernization, but it was unclear whether the Meiji Emperor had given any instructions originally or if the Eisengeist Empire had provided support. Fortunately, the infrastructure related to water and sewage systems was fairly well-developed, so the infrastructure aspect seemed to be manageable with some effort to adapt steam locomotives for transportation purposes.

However, there were many challenges when it came to fundamental scientific and technological advancements. In this world, which heavily relied on magic, there was a lack of understanding of science even when someone claimed to be a reincarnated individual. According to Elina's account, the Meiji Emperor had tried to promote scientific and technological knowledge to the best of his abilities after his reincarnation. However, these efforts were all half-hearted, and apart from a few exceptions, the Japanese reincarnated individuals had mostly appeared as ordinary people without skills beyond the Meiji era. As a result, technological development remained limited.

Particularly, even among individuals born after the Heisei era, only a handful was knowledgeable in scientific and military technologies, but their expertise didn't reach a level where they could be practically applied. If anything, there were some improvements, such as rifling the barrels of carbine cannons or shaping projectiles into pointed forms, but overall, the progress was limited. Fundamentally, the reincarnated individuals born in the Heisei era seemed to be mainly focused on "I want to be OP with swords and magic," resulting in fewer individuals who contributed to the technological and national development.

However, suddenly, Asahi appeared, bringing a fleet with the level of the Showa era, bypassing several decades, and Asahi himself, a reincarnated Japanese individual who possessed knowledge that surpassed 70 years into the future from the Heisei and Reiwa eras. Undoubtedly, the Meiji Emperor must have seen this as a golden opportunity.

As Asahi read through the documents coming from various departments, he couldn't help but wish for the completion of the shipyard as soon as possible. The Japanese Empire, being an island country, places great importance on naval defense and safeguarding sea lanes. Therefore, Asahi had already requested the engineers who came with him, the foremost being those capable of block construction and electric welding, to prepare for such tasks. Facilities of that nature were partially equipped on transport vessels, including first-class and second-class transport ships, so preparations are underway to ensure their immediate operation once the factories and shipyards are completed.

Furthermore, it seems that the Eisengeist Empire had considered the ability to maintain their own ships in this country, as there were several docks capable of accommodating vessels clearly surpassing super-dreadnoughts and large aircraft carriers. For the time being, they will make use of them and simultaneously commence the construction of new docks. If they specifically ensure the ability to construct large vessels, it will become easier to build large warships despite the differences in naval and merchant ship structures.