《American: Native Empire》 Chapter 1 - Native American? (1) Chapter 1: Native American? (1) The rise and development of science and technology evolved at a faster rate than the general public expected. Ten to twenty years ago, their accelerated creations and invention that would have only been a figment of their imaginations, at last, came true. And now¡­ Man conquered aging. Previously, mankind¡¯s highest life expectancy was 120 years and has now jumped to eternal life. Aging, it had finally been conquered. Thus, man painted a rosy future of infinite time¡­ that was¡­ until¡­ a giant asteroid approaching earth was discovered. *** Kim Kiwoo exhaled and the smoke from his mouth dispersed into the air. He stared at the scattered smoke blankly. The sky was brutally blue. It looked as if it was laughing at the humans who¡¯ve achieved and created a highly advanced civilization. ¡®Will today be the last day I¡¯ll see this perfect scenery?¡¯ Beyond that deep-blue sky, in the vast universe, was the giant asteroid, Narvas, nearing closer to the blue planet. In less than a day, Narvas would collide with planet earth. Then what? ¡®Earth will become a planet with unbearable living conditions.¡¯ No matter how advanced they were as a civilization, the chances of survival were slim. ¡®Why has it come to this¡­¡¯ Kiwoo resented the heavens. Perhaps¡­ if given a few more decades, mankind would have become an interplanetary species and avoid their potential downfall. Technological singularity was in sight and an unparalleled scientific revolution was bound to come, but much to their dismay, time was not on their side. Kiwoo sucked the butt of the cigarette and exhaled out puffs of smoke. His inwardly frustrations lingered. ¡°I knew I¡¯d find you here.¡± A husky voice tooted from behind, a voice Kiwoo was overly familiar with. ¡°What are you doing here? You don¡¯t even smoke?¡± Kiwoo said, not once bothering to turn his head. ¡°Heh¡­ to see you of course.¡± ¡°Hah. You¡¯re all set and this is how you want to spend your last day? With me of all people? That¡¯s not right. What do you want from me?¡± ¡°Am I that obvious? Jesus, your hunch is like that of a ghost. Since you know, let¡¯s go now. I have something to show you.¡± Kiwoo finally looked at Son Sungjoong¡¯s face. His lips twitched looking at Sungjoong¡¯s carefree smile. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid?¡± Without filter, Kiwoo asked the thoughts pervading his mind immediately. He omitted death for both parties knew well what he meant. Kiwoo felt somewhat apologetic for his words, but his pride prevented him from uttering another word, but after much thought to apologize for the slip of the tongue¡­ ¡°Fear.¡± Sungjoong cut off Kiwoo. ¡°I thought I could finally be free from the clutches of death, but I¡¯m about to die. Who wouldn¡¯t be afraid? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s anarchy outside right now?¡± Sungjoong croaked, his voice dry and shriveled up at the thought of death. ¡°¡­..¡± It was as he said. The world had been thrown in a state of panic and anarchy at the news of Narvas, an asteroid, colliding with Earth. That would be the end of the human species. Only those able to survive from the cataclysmic event were those with enough capital to venture out into the open space via spaceship, but chances of survival were slim. ¡°But we can¡¯t just stay like this, can we? I didn¡¯t stop trying. Let¡¯s go down after you¡¯re finished. It¡¯s time.¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Kiwoo knew what Sungjoong spoke of. It was an invention but vaguely stated. He had no choice but to rely on the hope of extreme probability that was infinitely close to zero. But what could he do? This was the only hope for that speck possibility of survival he could place all his wishes to. This was the most powerful thing mankind could do at present. Chapter 2 - Native American? (2) Chapter 2: Native American? (2) Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack! The sound of the computers¡¯ engine running was amplified tens of times, strumming Kiwoo¡¯s eardrums. Was he nervous? His heart pounded voraciously and his mouth parched. ¡¸One minute before operation. Review for final check.¡¹ A full voice echoed from the speaker. Kiwoo re-examined himself. From safety shoes, security pieces, bags, and parachutes¡­ he checked over it at least ten times and found nothing amiss. ¡°All clear,¡± Kiwoo said. ¡®What if something were to go wrong? Could the operation be stopped?¡¯ Kiwoo wondered. No. Probably not. The entrance would be sealed off the moment this¡­ this incomplete time machine started. There was no turning back. For Kiwoo to survive and save the human species, he¡¯d need to accurately warp the earth¡¯s atmosphere into the past times, otherwise, he¡¯d die of unconditional death. This experiment was an unproven hypothesis. It was mere gambling. Ten men, Kiwoo included, put their stakes and fundings to this creation for the sake of humanity. Had they been given more ample time, the creation would have been further developed and the probability of success higher. ¡®There¡¯s little chance for success¡­¡¯ There was no guarantee that he would travel back into the past, and if he did, he¡¯d warp into space and meet death instantly. The universe was vast and the blue planet was merely a speck of dust. It would be good if he wasn¡¯t buried alive in the ground during the process, or warped over the vast ocean only to drown should the travel through the passage of time prove successful. Kiwoo thought it best not to think any further. It¡¯d only give him a sense of hopelessness for something he had no answer for. He¡¯d die too if proven a failure. ¡­Still¡­ someone has to. And he was the chosen one. This was their only hope to save humanity against the astronomical odds of their extinction. The plan was simple but the execution complicated. Kiwoo was to travel to the past and accelerate the development of science. Then, at present time, the current state of technology would be developed enough to change the course of Narva¡¯s direction or migrate and become an interplanetary species before Narvas would be able to reach the surface of the earth. ¡¸5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­¡¹ The countdown coming from the speaker continued at a rapid pace. Then, it reached zero. With an enormous sense of pressure that no human could withstand, Kiwoo vanished and flew away. *** Whooooooosh! ¡°Ugh!¡± Kiwoo came to his senses. He had no choice but to pull himself together. The strong wind gushed through and hit him from all directions. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was fortunate enough for the transparent security goggles able to make him see clearly. ¡®Then¡­ did I succeed?¡¯ He was high in the sky. Even at this moment, gravity was drawing him closer to the ground. He didn¡¯t expect the sensation to be so¡­ lovely. He had never felt this way before. He¡¯d done skydiving eight times through simulation training, but the real thing was different. Though thanks to it, he was able to regain his composure quickly. ¡®Where is this place?¡¯ He looked around curiously. Fortunately, he was not on the sea. He could see the vast plains to the side, an evergreen forest, and a vaguely large river. The odd thing was that there were no signs of development. ¡®Not a place has been developed in these large plains?¡¯ It was a rare sight to see in modern times. ¡®¡­The odds of modernity are low. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s in the distant past. The probability is high¡­¡¯ It dawned on him¡­ ¡®Oh my god! The theorem and mechanizations behind it actually works!¡¯ Shivers crept in and his body tingled. The euphoria of living through the past was a ridiculous probability, but he pressed down his overwhelming emotions. First, he¡¯ll need to appreciate all the beautiful things in life later. He was freefalling at the moment from the sky. He¡¯ll need to survive. ¡®I need to land near the river.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure what time it was nor the continent he landed in but there was one thing he knew¡­ Since the existence of mankind, civilizations had always developed from the riverside. The soil was likely fertile and it was a good place to farm. Kiwoo gathered his thoughts together and opened the parachute. Chuug! At that moment, the speed he fell had been reduced by a powerful force pulling him, and slowly, he descended down the river which had been reflected in his eyes. ¡®¡­Wow. So big.¡¯ He appreciated and marveled at nature¡¯s wonder. The river was long and wide and there was no way to tell what river he was in at first sight, but regardless, he did best to remember the lists of rivers he learned from history lessons. While lost in thought, something caught his eyes. ¡®Humans?¡¯ They were the size of an ant, but to him, their figure was definitely that of a man. ¡®This is a good start.¡¯ Yes. This was the best scenario. In order to develop and modernize the world ever so quickly to avoid mankind¡¯s doom, he needed to immerse himself in society as soon as possible. As he neared closer to the ground, he saw that it was not one or two people, but about fifteen of them gathered together. Chapter 3 - Entering Indigenous Society (1) Chapter 3: Entering Indigenous Society (1) ¡®What is this¡­¡¯ The eventful situation was quickly identified. From their point of view, it was clear to them¡­ too clear¡­ all of sudden, a life-like creature descended from the sky and spread out their colossal wings and fell. The Native Americans had animistic belief in the spiritual. Wouldn¡¯t it seem like a great being beholding the power of the spirits appeared before them? Meanwhile, Kiwoo slowly twirled around to figure out where he could land. After finding the exact location, he expertly moved the parachute and landed on the ground. There was a look of considerable shock from the natives. Kiwoo rose up and disconnected the parachute. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Great Spirit!¡± ¡°Wakan Tanka! Wakan Tanka!¡± The natives cheered. Kiwoo grinned and spread his arms wide in victory. When his foot stepped on the earthen soil, a strong sense of relief that he survived flooded him. ¡°I¡¯m alive! I¡¯m alive! Ha-ha-ha! I made it!¡¯ Kiwoo¡¯s self-muttering didn¡¯t go unnoticed. The native peoples heard it¡ªthey couldn¡¯t understand, but they heard it. Their cheers grew louder and they continued shouting. ¡®Won¡¯t I become a cult leader if placed in this environment? No. I¡¯ll become a teacher if it¡¯ll allow mankind to survive. The problem is¡­ how do I go about it properly?¡¯ Kiwoo quickly came to a decision. *** ¡°Wait!¡± A man in the crowd, the one with keen eyes, his name Vision, raised his hand. In large-scale hunting, his opinion and matters were absolute. His precise eyes helped them a lot when it came to hunting. Therefore, all the men participating in the hunt stopped walking and held their breaths. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°What is it? What do you see?¡± A fellow native questioned him from behind, but the keen-eyed man did not reply. He simply squinted his eyes and focused on the object he saw. As he continued to stare into the sky, others looked toward the same direction as him. However, they saw nothing. They tilted their head in confusion. Then¡­ ¡°Look!¡± Vision gasped. ¡°It¡¯s a human being¡­ I think¡­¡± ¡°Human?¡± Only then could the rest of the hunting group see a whitish form. But on behalf of them, one fellow native came forward and denied Vision¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. How is that a person? Man can¡¯t fly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a bird! Look at those big wings.¡± ¡°Shut up! Are you disrespecting my skill?¡± Vision berated them and flew into a rage. His deep vision was his pride and identity. ¡°Not really¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a person,¡± Vision asserted with great conviction. Then there was silence in the hunting group, but that silence did not last long, because the figure flying in the sky came closer¡­ and closer¡­ and closer¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Oh mercy!¡± ¡°What you said is true!¡± ¡°Of course. My eyes can never deceive me!¡± Just as Kiwoo confirmed the appearance of the natives, the natives, too, discovered his presence. ¡°A divine spirit!¡± At this time, Tree, the only son of the tribal chief, shouted loudly. He had no choice but to. The clothes he had never seen all his life, those massive wings on its back, and the being flying in the sky made him think of a sacred spirit. In a flash, an energetic wave spread through the hunting group. No one had ever encountered a sacred spirit. In their mind, no one would be able to do the feats they saw if they were not a sacred spirit. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Holy Spirit!¡± ¡°Oh, Holy Spirit¡­¡± The group of men fell flat on their stomachs. It was the most polite greeting they could do. As the commotion reached its peak as soon as Kiwoo landed on the ground, he opened his arms and shouted a mouthful of words in Korean. ¡®What is Wakan Tanka? Wakanda Forever? Is it something like that?¡¯ He suddenly remembered the age-old classic superhero movie. Unless someone had studied Native American history intensively, one would not understand their language. The same was true for Kiwoo. Knowledge of the natives in American land was limited. Therefore, Kiwoo has trouble understanding the language of the natives that kept shouting the word ¡®Wakan Tanka¡¯ from time to time. Kiwoo thought that it was somehow related to their animistic belief. ¡®I need to learn the language quickly.¡¯ Chapter 4 - Entering Indigenous Society (2) Chapter 4: Entering Indigenous Society (2) Kiwoo could only speak fluently in Korean or English. He didn¡¯t have the time nor the obligation to learn other languages back then. Still, it was imperative to learn the language of the natives to quickly assimilate to their society in order to survive and achieve his goals. ¡°This is where we live, Wakan Tanka,¡± Tree, the tribal chief¡¯s son smiled broadly as he introduces Kiwoo to his home. Tree¡¯s smile was too pure¡ªlike a child seeking praises. Kiwoo turned around. Body language was universal and he could somewhat understand what Tree was trying to convey. ¡®Is this where they live?¡¯ Kiwoo was slightly surprised. The place was much bigger than he expected. If he had anything to compare it to, it was like a city-state. Anyways, it wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought. ¡°We¡¯ll call for a meeting. Tree, Sharp Stone, and Big Rock Face will guide you in our village, Wakan Tanka.¡± Kiwoo nodded. The rest of the group grumbled amongst themselves and disappeared into the village. Meanwhile, Kiwoo was guided by three men, Tree included, and showed him around the village. Most of the houses were crude¡ªbuilt straight out of the soils of the earth, stones, and branches. The residential area was proof that people lived here. It seemed like a large settlement too. Walking around the village, Kiwoo noticed the eyes of many native men and women eyeing him. Then, the man in front of him shouted something he could not understand before bringing him to the tribal chief. ¡®I think I understand.¡¯ Iron was rare. The strongest weapon he saw was a black stone spear. Their clothing wasn¡¯t made from cotton but crude leather. It would also seem that farming techniques haven¡¯t developed much. Though they did secure food mainly through group hunting. In general, the society of the village was that farming was done by women and men going out to hunt and gather. ¡®Hooo¡­ there¡¯s actually some decorations made out of copper, gold, and silver.¡¯ But it was only a few in numbers. After looking around the village, he came to the conclusion that there were no signs of metal processing. Maybe it came from another settlement? Kiwoo thought that perhaps there existed a language barrier from other settlements. All Kiwoo could see all around the village were crude materials. He also saw something similar to paper, but it seemed to have been imported from outside and the material wasn¡¯t very good. With what he saw, Kiwoo came to the conclusion that the village were hunter-gatherers and a neolithic village that developed along the river. ¡®Sigh¡­ I¡¯ve got a lot of work cut out for me.¡¯ He wondered if he¡¯d be able to advance a neolithic civilization without outside help. It would be impossible for an ordinary person, but for Kiwoo, it was possible. His long life expectancy was his only consolation. In his timeline, his body had been treated to suppress aging, thus solving the problems of death. If one suddenly stopped taking anti-aging treatments, that person would die of old age one day. For Kiwoo, his body had at least four hundred to five hundred years left. ¡®That amount of time should be good enough¡­ hopefully.¡¯ The problem is¡­ ¡®Have the Europeans already arrived?¡¯ Kiwoo sighed. He wished he could know exactly what year it was. The discovery of the New World will only lead to the slaughter of the aborigines through force and the spread of diseases, causing the death of countless natives. According to one theory, over ninety percent of aborigines died within a short period of time. Kiwoo had already been vaccinated against smallpox and other variant diseases before traveling to this timeline. At the least, the epidemic won¡¯t kill him. ¡®Fortunately, there¡¯s no signs of the outbreak. Yet.¡¯ Ever since Christopher Columbus¡¯ discovery of the New World, infectious diseases like smallpox spread like a wildfire all over North America and Latin America. If the disease hadn¡¯t spread yet, it was highly likely that it was before the 16th Century. In other words, there was at least a hundred years or so till the Europeans explored the New World. While thinking of this and that, the day finally ended and it was already night. Kiwoo suddenly came to a conclusion. ¡®I¡¯m somewhere in North America.¡¯ Kiwoo had enough training with constellations to guess his approximate location. He was certain that he was in North America. ¡®Is this a good or bad thing?¡¯ North America and Latin America had their own strengths and weaknesses. Before the spread of the diseases Europeans brought over, Latin America¡¯s population overwhelmed the North American population. ¡°Wakan Tanka left us breathless dancing in the sun.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ it made me remember something¡­¡± The tribal chief laughed and pointed to the wound on his forearm. It was a scar of glory, proving itself to have been soaked in the sacred earthen soil. After that, the tribal meetings continued. The meeting was more like a direct democracy in which the young and the brave and respected adults of the tribe expressed their opinions together. All decisions within the tribe were decided by a majority during the tribal meeting. And Kiwoo, whom they call the Holy Spirit or Wakan Tanka, was also present at the meeting. ¡°Then I¡¯ll appoint Wakan Tanka as the tribe¡¯s chief spirit,¡± said the tribal chief, voice cheerful. No one opposed the tribal chief¡¯s words. Kiwoo was deemed to be a sacred spirit. It would be impossible for Kiwoo to be labeled an ordinary tribesman. Of course, the chief spirit was a completely different concept from the rank of the aristocrats and kings. For the natives, the tribal chief was more of a civil servant. Meanwhile, they saw Kiwoo as no human but as a sacred spirit. Inside the meeting, decisions were made and they were absolute. It was the principle of the tribe and their way of life. Chapter 5 - Cheat Key From Modern Times (1) Chapter 5: Cheat Key From Modern Times (1) ¡°Chief Spirit, did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kiwoo nodded. ¡°Upright Tree slept well, too?¡± Tree¡¯s full name was Upright Tree. ¡°Of course! You must be a bit hungry. I¡¯ll prepare food fast.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kiwoo smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll ask for your help today as well.¡± Upright Tree¡¯s figure left and went out to prepare food. ¡®The temperature¡¯s slowly rising, huh¡­¡¯ Eight months had passed since he came to this place, experiencing both the fall and wintry season. Now the downpour of springtime was beginning to sprout. During those times, Kiwoo wholly mastered the language that was used in the river creek tribe. Because he learned the language too quickly, he spent most of his time here in the tribe. ¡®It¡¯s unique.¡¯ There was no common name here. The village aborigines were given based on their individual character traits. But before that, death rates were high¡­ thus names weren¡¯t given to them. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the same for other tribes, but here¡­ having a name meant that you¡¯d been blessed by the fortune of the spirits that you had survived long enough through adulthood. Upright Tree had an upright behavior, just like a tree. It was his given name. Aside from him, there were also Clear Lake, Black Mud, Broad Leaves, and more. It was refreshing and unique culture and Kiwoo was glad to be able to experience the culture of this time long before Europeans colonized them to the point of extinction. Compared to them, Kiwoo was called Wakan Tanka or Chief Spirit. It meant holy spirit¡­ a supreme being. Yes¡­ he had been relegated as a supreme being¡­ ¡®Now, let¡¯s start properly.¡¯ There were many facts and truths Kiwoo discovered up till now. He had been staying silent all throughout because mastering the language was his first and foremost priority. He needed to assimilate. Now, spring has come and it was time for him to make a move. Among the many things he researched, the most significant result was finding out the exact, accurate location of the place. The place was located near the southern border of Alabama and bordered Georgia called the Chattahoochee River, the cotton belt in the lowland of the lower parts of North America. It was a plain that would become the main focus of raw cotton production in the future when slavery became a normal day-to-day sight. But¡­ how did Kiwoo know this? Because he had a world map inside his bag. Though due to the limited capacity his bag could carry, Kiwoo brought a big map with him full of volumes of information. In the map, essential resources of iron, coal, oil, and other natural resources were highlighted; its location and how the rivers were connected were shown in great detail. Comparing the landscape and scenery with the map, Kiwoo was able to pinpoint his exact location. ¡®The location isn¡¯t bad.¡¯ No, it was excellent. Alabama was one of the few iron industrial zones in modern America. Big iron ores, coals, and limestones were distributed in the nearby area of Birmingham, the southernmost part of the Appalachian mountain. ¡®For civilization¡¯s development, those are necessary resources.¡¯ Moreover, the plains were suitable for food production. It was enough for Kiwoo to kickstart the plan to advance the human race. Thinking about it, North America was blessed land of fertile soils and numerous natural resources. Many rivers flowed all throughout the North American continent as if they were the human body¡¯s blood vessels. Thanks to this, water traffic works could be developed quickly; and through the vast plains, food production would be effortless. The United States indeed had its reasons why they were able to rise as a superpower in the modern world. But this came at a price at the expense of the aborigines and the backs of the many black men and women who had experienced a cruel fate. But¡­ knowing the future and how it would develop and its future demise, Kiwoo was willing to take risks to further advance and develop the human race to avoid future annihilation. And to do that, Kiwoo would change the trajectory of the American roots that many are aware of in history. If he was to succeed, United States won¡¯t be a superpower where caucasian¡¯s were ruling power¡­ it would be a country run by natives. ¡°Please have a meal, Chief Spirit.¡± While in the midst of his thoughts, Upright Tree came to serve food. It was food gained from hunting, and god the taste was terrible. It was obviously impossible for Kiwoo who was used to eating extravagant delicacies in modern times to be satisfied with how the food was made and prepared. However, Kiwoo didn¡¯t frown nor show his dissatisfaction. He knew he was privileged enough to eat and he was thankful for that. There were others that were miserable and lacking proper nutrition. There wasn¡¯t always an overabundance of food available. ¡®But that can all be solved within a couple of years with some proper work.¡¯ No¡­ based on his expression, Kiwoo was sure that it¡¯d be solved at some point and maybe sooner than he thought. He possessed some essential material in his bag, after all. Chapter 6 - Cheat Key From Modern Times (2) Chapter 6: Cheat Key From Modern Times (2) ¡®It¡¯s because the chicks will be raised well.¡¯ He put five inseminated eggs into his bag. Moreover, because the five eggs possessed a massive volume lacking in space, he found it a waste of space, but looking back at it, he¡¯d made an excellent choice. Livestock in North America lacked to the point of nonexistence. Moreover, because five eggs possessed a massive volume in a lacking space, it was quite a waste of space, but thinking about it again was an excellent choice. He would be able to raise more chickens in the New World. Once the chickens blossom into a full adult and bear children, the cycle would repeat, multiplying in numbers. And now, after some time, he was now able to eat cooked chicken meat. ¡®Chickens will become an important farm livestock similar to modern days.¡¯ When it came time to eat the cooked meat, the people of the tribe were forced to suppress their dissatisfaction. Their point of view would change as the food had been prepared for them by the Chief Spirit. Still, they weren¡¯t well accustomed to the livestock system. They thought it inefficient when they could just hunt. Still, to have created an animal they had never seen before¡­ the Chief Spirit can truly work wonders. Wouldn¡¯t they need to increase the food supply as well? Kiwoo finished eating and slung his bag over his shoulder. As scheduled, the tribal men walked to a shoddy agricultural land. Upright Tree followed Kiwoo wherever he went. It was the same today. Ten other tribal men followed him as well. Women usually worked on the farm but Kiwoo needed men to labor on the farm as he intended. To save the world, the current society will need to transition into an agricultural society. ¡°Do you happen to know why we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we come here to farm?¡± Upright Tree responded as if it was the simplest question asked of him. Kiwoo smiled he stared at the wide-open plains with his back facing the Chattahoochee River. ¡°Farming is farming, but it is what we do from now on that will change the fate of the universe and our lives.¡± ¡°Lives?¡± Upright Tree¡¯s eyes sparkled. Kiwoo appreciated Upright Tree¡¯s curiosity. For a man who lived in the neolithic civilization, he had quite a curious mind¡ªa sort of mind that would take him places. The other tribal men weren¡¯t too happy with the introduction of livestock, but Upright Tree, he saw the potential chickens would bring to his society. ¡°It is because of this hoe?¡± Upright Tree asked. ¡°That¡¯s one of them, but that¡¯s not what it is right now. Dozens of hoes had been carefully crafted the last winter season. Though there were no cows or horses to make plowing easier, the hoe alone will simplify the process. But the creation was still in its early infancy. It had been made using wood. Kiwoo thought about making a hoe out of iron, but due to a lack of resources, he settled with wood instead. ¡°So, then what is it?¡± ¡°It is this,¡± Kiwoo said, pulling a container out of the bag. ¡°What is it¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a crop breeding seed.¡± A massive sense of accomplishment arose in Kiwoo. ¡°Heh.¡± A wicked laugh escaped from his lips. ¡°This will change the world.¡± It was a small murmur that faded into nothingness within a short time, but the words spoken carried a lingering aftertaste. The world will change and the natives will reign supreme in this new world. *** Before recklessly jumping in time from the modern world and into the past, ten subjects, Kiwoo included, were each given a bag. Each bag weighed differently, however. The subjects had different items given to them because as the weight increased, the probability of traveling to the past would only decrease. The thing each subject had in common was that electronic devices were removed. They weren¡¯t sure if it would interfere with time travel. They didn¡¯t want to take the risk. Fortunately, Kiwoo weighed only 62 kg., and so he was able to fill the bags quite comfortably. Among the five subjects, they carried dozens of rounds of small bullets and handguns. Kiwoo and the rest had no modern weapons. Instead, they took with them innovative items that would help progress civilization. For example, eggs, seeds of modern crops, modern maps, and blueprints of inventions that would help him in his mission. He couldn¡¯t bring everything with him, and pistols and bullets wouldn¡¯t help him either. Kiwoo was convinced that he made a sound decision. ¡°Hahahahah!¡± An evil laugh echoed in the air. If the tribesmen saw him now, they¡¯d think their Chief Spirit had gone mad laughing insidiously so he tried suppressing it. But it was futile. He continued laughing like a madman. ¡°A-are we finally going to harvest today?¡± Upright Tree asked with a trembling voice, breaking Kiwoo out of his thoughts. ¡°Yes. Today we harvest wheat,¡± Kiwoo smiled, smacking the air. Wheat! The Europeans hadn¡¯t settled in the New World nor cultivated crops as of current, yet they could! This was just the beginning. Soon they would be able to cultivate crops such as corn, cotton, rice, potatoes, barley, and so forth. In the future, a variety of modern crops will spread throughout the New World within Kiwoo¡¯s farmland. ¡°But don¡¯t expect too much just yet.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I understand that you want to have a taste of them, but aside from them being used as chicken feed, the rest has to be stored as much as possible. Even the seeds. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°I will speak of this matter at the meeting¡­¡± ¡°As expected, Upright Tree knows my heart best.¡± ¡°Hehe! Thank you.¡± Food is scarce and most of the tribesmen would want to eat what is readily available to them. But this can¡¯t work. Upright Tree scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Dandruff fell to the ground. Kiwoo looked at the scene briefly and thought, ¡®I need to make soap soon.¡¯ This was going to be a long journey. *** As expected. As soon as wheat grew, the tribesmen who had been hunting protested because they couldn¡¯t eat it. Upright Tree and the rising numbers of supporters who followed the Chief Spirit were able to protect his decision. They were comforted by the thought that they would soon be able to achieve self-sufficient food just by farming within a couple of years. Cultivated crops such as potatoes would play a significant role here, too. And at around that time, the population of chickens would explode. All they needed to do was wait. Patience is virtue. Due to the lack of seed Kiwoo had, the number of crops harvested in the first year wasn¡¯t much, but even so, just looking at the efforts of their hard work, the tribesmen felt full watching the fruits of their labor. But what Kiwoo was thinking about right now wasn¡¯t food. He was currently commanding the guy who labored the most. Chapter 7 chapter 7 < determination. > there was a simple way. it was to conquer the surrounding tribes by force. blood would flow in the process of conquest, but there was no doubt that there was no easier and faster way to solve the population problem. it could be an excuse, but there was a very high possibility that it would be advantageous for their survival if they were conquered by the creek tribe, and ultimately under him. wasn¡¯t this a win-win situation? ¡®tsk.¡¯ he didn¡¯t feel very good. he knew very well that this was the logic of the conquerors who had shed a lot of blood. but he had no choice. he wasn¡¯t doing this for his own sake, right? all his actions were ultimately related to the survival of all mankind. of course, he didn¡¯t mean to start conquering activities right away. he had to clear enough farmland around him to store enough food, make enough weapons to arm the warriors, and finish all the training for group warfare. that would be the time for the creek tribe to expand around. kim ki-woo had been planning that way until then. * ¡°you all look very happy even though you are working hard. this is all because of¡­¡± ¡°stop!¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°stop trying to flatter me. how many times do you do that a day?¡± ¡°ha ha. i¡¯m just so happy¡­ i¡¯m happy because of that.¡± this guy was very emotional. tears welled up in the eyes of the upright tree. the tribesmen were working hard without rest. yet, their mood was very good. that¡¯s why the upright tree reacted like this. ¡®they all understand why they are busy. humans work harder as they become richer, and they see a bright future.¡¯ they didn¡¯t starve first of all. this was the most important thing. there were even many delicious foods developed that they didn¡¯t even look at what they used to eat. among them, kim ki-woo¡¯s favorite food was kimchi. he ate it as soon as cabbage and peppers were cultivated. he also produced a lot of convenient goods for living by his efforts. clothes, shoes, and other essential items made of iron or wood. they were gradually getting used to the taste of civilization development. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t fall into the same sentiment as the upright tree. he felt the same way even when he saw the tribesmen farming in this scorching sun. the reason was nothing else. the surrounding major tribes were moving faster than he thought. as a result, kim ki-woo had to modify the plan he had made last spring. as he thought about this and that, he arrived at the meeting hall. kim ki-woo entered with the upright tree. ¡°welcome, chief spirit!¡± ¡°ha ha. you look radiant today!¡± ¡°nice to see you all.¡± kim ki-woo greeted each of the warriors¡¯ lively greetings and sat down in his seat. now, wooden chairs and tables made by carpenters were common in the meeting hall. as a result, he could sit comfortably on a sturdy wooden chair. although it was hard because he didn¡¯t put cushions or leather on it. ¡°well, let¡¯s proceed with today¡¯s meeting.¡± before he knew it, declaring the opening or closing of the meeting became kim ki-woo¡¯s job. as soon as kim ki-woo finished speaking, various issues that were scattered throughout the tribe were discussed. ¡°iron production is increasing steadily. you all know that we have one more blast furnace. it¡¯s hard to handle with our current staff.¡± ¡°our carpentry shop is the same. how can we do this when we have more wood but the same number of people?¡± ¡°we are also¡­¡± most of them were complaints that they needed more people for their work. this had been an annual event since the basic industry was completed. they were afraid that if they didn¡¯t say this, the replenishment of manpower would be delayed compared to other work. kim ki-woo had always said that he would prioritize the necessary work after the harvest was over. but today was different. ¡°let¡¯s discuss that later.¡± a changed conclusion. from then on, some of the warriors began to feel something strange. after this issue was settled, various incidents that had occurred in the tribe were discussed. from petty theft to fraud, robbery, and murder. since there was no legal system, the warriors who participated in the meeting became jurors and decided by majority vote. after this kind of verdict was over, it was time for¡­ ¡°like chief spirit said, we treated our sixth son and he got up cleanly a few days ago. there is nothing wrong with listening to chief spirit.¡± ¡°ha ha. i¡¯m just saying¡­¡± ¡®ugh.¡¯ it was like this. they competed to praise him. they even bragged that even the small events in their family happened because of kim ki-woo. if he listened to their words, kim ki-woo was just a flawless being. he felt his face getting hot. if it had been usual, he would have listened to them all and ended the meeting without ruining the mood. that was one way they expressed their joy. but he couldn¡¯t do that today. kim ki-woo raised his hand. then the meeting hall became quiet. ¡°you all look happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± a heavy voice. at least the warriors who participated in the meeting had some sense. they realized in an instant that kim ki-woo¡¯s mood was different from usual. ¡°do you remember what i said two years ago?¡± ¡°of course we remember. the warriors will all remember too.¡± ¡°is that so? it seemed to me that you all forgot.¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s eyes became cold. indeed, a position makes a person. as he led a tribe for quite a long time, kim ki-woo¡¯s momentum was great. as evidence, many of the warriors were swallowing their saliva in tension. ¡°i clearly told you about my great ambition. and you all agreed to it. didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°but!¡± kim ki-woo shouted. the words stopped for a moment and the atmosphere cooled rapidly. it was hard to find when it was friendly. ¡°why doesn¡¯t anyone say anything about preparing for the current crisis? our tribe is in a great crisis right now!¡± the faces of the warriors were filled with doubt. it was natural. kim ki-woo knew the intelligence that had just arrived, and most of the warriors didn¡¯t know the situation. the creek tribe felt busy but better every day. but kim ki-woo deliberately ignored that fact and continued. ¡°hunting chief?¡± ¡°yes.¡± he had already talked to hunting chief swiftfoot before the meeting. to change the atmosphere in an instant. it was a play in a way. but kim ki-woo couldn¡¯t decide everything by himself yet, so appropriate agitation was essential. ¡°what is the situation of the surrounding tribes?¡± ¡°something is off.¡± ¡°be more specific.¡± ¡°some of the major tribes¡¯ chiefs have recently held a meeting. without telling us anything.¡± ¡°what does that mean?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not certain yet, but it seems like they want to mess with our creek tribe, which is growing day by day.¡± it was not a sure thing, just a suspicion based on the circumstances. but it was probably accurate. he had instructed the agile scouts to keep an eye on the movements of the neighboring tribes in preparation for such a situation. the creek tribe was weaker than the other large tribes. it was natural, since they had fewer people. the other tribes must have been jealous to see a weaker tribe than themselves, who could make their own clothes from fabrics, and who knew how to get enough food. it was like feeling sick when your cousin bought a piece of land. they could have asked how the creek tribe¡¯s situation had improved. but they didn¡¯t. they still had the old image of the creek tribe that used to be poor and miserable. they thought they could easily gain a lot of benefits and knowledge by fighting them. and now, some of the major tribes were showing signs of meeting. in other words, it could be an alliance of several enemy tribes. the situation was much more urgent than he thought. only then did the faces of the warriors become serious. ¡°war chief?¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°what did you decide to do with the guy who tried to rob us earlier?¡± ¡°i decided to make him work in the hardest part of the mine for ten years without any compensation.¡± mining was one of the hardest jobs among all the current work. and it would only get harder as the mine got deeper in the future. that¡¯s why the pay for the work was also the highest. but he had to work for ten years without pay, just getting food and clothes, for one robbery attempt. it was a powerful punishment. ¡°that¡¯s right. if you take someone else¡¯s property by force with a weapon, you have to pay a fair price for it. especially since they are trying to take away everything we have built with our sweat every day. how are they different from robbers!¡± bang! kim ki-woo deliberately slammed his fist on the table and vented his anger. ¡°aren¡¯t you angry? am i the only one who feels this way!¡± ¡°no!¡± ¡°those damn chokto bastards¡­¡± ¡°we can¡¯t let them get away with this!¡± the atmosphere became tense. they were all warriors of the creek tribe. they were not the kind of people who would tolerate and ignore such unfair threats. ¡°it¡¯s all because the creek tribe was weak. but are we still weak? i don¡¯t think so. they don¡¯t know our true face that has developed. they don¡¯t even know about the existence of steel weapons. the situation is completely different from before!¡± ¡°then what?¡± kim ki-woo nodded and said. ¡°we have to prepare for external invasion. from now on, the creek tribe will enter a state of war. the harvested food and the future industry will be focused on preparing for war for the time being. if anyone has any objections, speak up now.¡± if anyone did, they would have been branded as traitors in this mood. as expected, no one stepped forward. ¡°then i¡¯ll take it as everyone agrees. i have no intention of showing any mercy to those robbers who covet our great fruits. i will make them feel painfully that we are not the same as before!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± thud! thud! thud! the warriors stomped their feet and shouted the warrior¡¯s cry. kim ki-woo looked around at the warriors who had changed their determination and thought. ¡®to be honest, i don¡¯t care either way. even if they hadn¡¯t shown their ambition, i was planning to absorb them by force in a few years anyway. and i will continue to do so.¡¯ it was an essential thing to do in order to fulfill his declaration from two years ago. but they acted first. then he had nothing to hesitate about. he would be in a very tight situation with food shortage by advancing his original plan by a few years, but if he could barely survive with the increased number of people after the war, the situation would improve faster. ¡®just become our precious labor force quietly. hehehe.¡¯ kim ki-woo let out a wicked laugh in his mind. < determination. > the end Chapter 8 chapter 8 < overwhelming. > ¡°everything seems to be going according to the chief spirit¡¯s plan.¡± as they came out of the meeting hall, the upright tree said. kim ki-woo chuckled and replied. ¡°i didn¡¯t think they would come out like that.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you expect it? i thought it was obvious.¡± ¡°how could i predict everything? well, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as we get to seoul.¡± ¡°pardon?¡± ¡°as long as the outcome is good.¡± as the upright tree said, kim ki-woo had made a lot of preparations since he decided to expand his tribe last spring. it was, of course, a preparation for a conquest war. ¡®i know a lot about ancient warfare.¡¯ there was no cavalry here. even the walls were only made of wooden stakes. the weapons were mostly bows and spears made of sharpened stones. metal armor? no way. ¡®if i lose to such an opponent, i should drown myself in a puddle.¡¯ the enemy warriors might be more numerous, but it was a war that he couldn¡¯t lose if he prepared well. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t let his guard down. he had prepared excessively for the past year and a half. his industry had been in a de facto state of war for a long time. among them were steel shields and spears with steel tips, and¡­ whooosh~ bang! ¡°good. not bad. how many have been produced?¡± ¡°we have exceeded 200 today.¡± kim ki-woo had fired a crossbow. unfortunately, there was not enough iron to mass-produce steel armor, greaves, or helmets. but square steel shields, spears, and crossbows were already enough to be overpowered. ¡°how do the warriors react?¡± ¡°the loading speed is slower, but overall not bad. most importantly, they can aim and shoot.¡± the war chief strong bow stroked his crossbow and answered. ¡°haha. you seem satisfied with it too, war chief?¡± ¡°well, there aren¡¯t many warriors who can shoot a bow as well as me. but this crossbow can achieve decent skills with a little effort, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. they will surely suffer from this thing.¡± crossbows require more sophisticated craftsmanship than bows. but over the past few years, the craftsmen had experienced a remarkable improvement in skills and tools. thanks to that, kim ki-woo was able to mass-produce crossbows of considerable quality. ¡°now there¡¯s not much time left until harvest. surely the war will break out by then. war chief, please pay more attention to the training of the warriors.¡± ¡°just trust us. we are getting used to the dense tactics that you devised.¡± ¡°haha. of course i trust you!¡± kim ki-woo nodded with a smile. the warriors were swift hunters who had trained in nature for a long time. they adapted quickly to the training. the workload increased due to the training, but that was something he had to accept. * that fall. the war that he had anticipated actually broke out. four large tribes of the chokto tribe united and invaded the territory of the creek tribe. their number was as many as 15,000. ¡°everyone stop!¡± the war chief strong bow shouted loudly to the warriors following him. ¡°stop!¡± ¡°all troops stop!¡± then the surrounding warriors shouted in unison and stopped marching in an orderly manner. the training over the past time paid off. the core of the dense infantry tactics was formation and discipline. they had to keep their positions and strictly follow the tactics as one part of it in order to multiply the effect of the dense tactics. ¡°won¡¯t they just go back?¡± ¡°they won¡¯t. they must have run out of food by now. they won¡¯t go back quietly without plundering our tribe.¡± ¡°damn. that¡¯s true.¡± they looked eighteen times more than the creek warriors. there was no creek warrior who thought that those many warriors would just go back. ¡®the difference in numbers is overwhelming.¡¯ it was a hopeless difference that he couldn¡¯t win in a war under the same conditions. but no one, including strong bow, thought that they would lose to them. they had experienced the destructive power of the dense tactics devised by kim ki-woo while training. ¡®it¡¯s a scary tactic. or is it all thanks to these powerful weapons?¡¯ either way, the spirit chief was truly amazing. the creek tribe had started to develop since he came. how far will the creek tribe develop? can they really become the rulers of the continent as the spirit chief said? the more he thought about it, the hotter strong bow¡¯s chest became. strong bow shouted at the warriors with his emotions. ¡°they are the ones who have oppressed us countless times. and they have invaded our sacred land again without permission! look, their numbers are much larger than ours! surely there will be a war with them. are you afraid of fighting? if anyone is afraid, speak up now!¡± ¡°no!¡± ¡°we are not afraid!¡± the warriors were confident. their morale was higher than ever. ¡°trust the powerful weapons that the chief spirit invented himself! remember the thick sweat drops we shed during this time! we will surely win! and we will make them realize the changed power of the creek!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± thump! thump! thump! after a round of mental preparation, strong bow looked at the enemies again. the enemies were also shouting and boosting their morale. then he needed to break their momentum. this large-scale war was a fight of momentum. ¡°solid steel sword.¡± ¡°yes, war chief.¡± ¡°go ahead.¡± ¡°it¡¯s an honor!¡± at strong bow¡¯s call, solid steel sword walked towards the enemies without a hint of hesitation. he had abandoned his previous name and chose this name because he was fascinated by the steel sword. solid steel sword was a young warrior who was only 17 years old. but he was one of the most skilled warriors in swordsmanship that kim ki-woo had taught him. he was a genius of swordsmanship. as a result, his appearance was different from other warriors who formed the phalanx. he was wrapped in steel all over his body, like a heavy-armored knight, and carried a solid steel sword on his waist. there were ten such swordsmen in the unit for intimidation purposes. as solid steel sword approached them out of nowhere, the enemies started to buzz. ¡°i am a warrior of the creek tribe, solid steel sword!¡± that was only for a moment. as solid steel sword announced his name, the buzzing subsided. they understood why the warrior wearing that strange gray thing came to the front of the line. ¡°i am the war chief of the chokto tribe, sharp spear! are you the representative of the warriors?¡± ¡°unfortunately, there is a separate representative, war chief of the chokto tribe.¡± ¡°ha! then get out of here and call your representative!¡± ¡°you smell like mother¡¯s milk from here. hahaha!¡± ¡°go drink some more milk, kid!¡± then laughter and mockery erupted from everywhere. but solid steel sword didn¡¯t change his facial expression at all. they didn¡¯t know because they didn¡¯t know. the power of this tremendous weapon and armor that was born from the hands of the great spirit chief. look. they are looking down on us as enemies just because they have more numbers. he didn¡¯t care about their insults at all, even if he heard them a hundred or a thousand times. ¡°does your tribe fight with words? you know your level.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°this brat!¡± ¡°if you¡¯re unhappy, don¡¯t whine behind and come forward. this solid steel sword will make you pay for your babbling.¡± then the expressions of the chokto warriors began to crumple. some warriors tried to step forward, but they had to back off by sharp spear¡¯s restraint. ¡°i¡¯ll personally judge whether you have enough skills to act so cocky.¡± sharp spear, holding a well-made stone spear, came forward to solid steel sword. and they began to prepare for war while looking at each other. ¡°hyaap!¡± the start was sharp spear¡¯s thrust. his thrust boasted a perfect skill as his name suggested. the spearhead reached solid steel sword¡¯s chest in an instant. clang! but solid steel sword didn¡¯t dodge it. he just twisted his body slightly. as expected, his armor wasn¡¯t pierced. it just slid off in the direction it hit and sparked on his breastplate. ¡°huh!¡± sharp spear let out a scream at that sight. he was the one who stabbed the spear, but the weapon that broke was his stone spear. solid steel sword could have avoided or blocked it with his sword. but he didn¡¯t. to imprint the overwhelming difference in equipment to everyone. and the climax came right after. ¡°huap!¡± swoosh! his steel sword swung toward the wooden spear shaft. and. crack! the spear shaft snapped in half with a sound like firewood. and there was not a single dent on his steel sword. solid steel sword didn¡¯t stop there. chop! his steel sword cut off sharp spear¡¯s neck in the blink of an eye. thud, thump! sharp spear¡¯s head and body separated and fell to the ground. blood gushed out and stained the ground red. ¡°gasp!¡± ¡°war chief!¡± ¡°how can this be!¡± it happened in an instant. the mouths of all the warriors in the allied tribe closed like clams. immediately after that. ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± thump! thump! thump! the creek warriors roared wildly. their restrained shouts gave even more shock to the chokto warriors. solid steel sword shook off the blood that stuck to his steel sword in the air, and looked at the countless allied tribe warriors arrogantly and opened his mouth again. ¡°is there anyone left who wants to teach this milk drinker a lesson? if so, come forward bravely!¡± ¡°¡­ugh!¡± it was right after witnessing the shocking defeat. there was no warrior who easily stepped forward. ¡°haha! there¡¯s no coward like you! but it¡¯s too late to regret it. as soon as you set foot on our creek tribe¡¯s sacred land, you will never be able to go back peacefully!¡± the moment solid steel sword¡¯s shout ended. ¡°troops, advance forward!¡± strong bow¡¯s command fell. click, click, click. the creek tribe began to advance, adjusting their steps equally and putting shield soldiers in front. shuffle, shuffle. then the allied tribe warriors were pushed back a little bit without knowing it by their fierce momentum. ¡°don¡¯t retreat, everyone! they are much less than us! don¡¯t disgrace the honor of the warriors!¡± ¡°fight against the enemies!¡± thanks to the restraint of the allied tribe chiefs, they didn¡¯t retreat any further. although the situation was unexpectedly turning weird, they had an overwhelming numerical advantage. ¡°yeah! we have more, right?¡± ¡°those guys are just the weak creek tribe, right?¡± ¡°ri, right!¡± the warriors shouted loudly to shake off the shock. but their morale couldn¡¯t be fully recovered. they knew how powerful those gray weapons reflected in the sunlight were. ¡°fire!¡± shoo shoo shoo! they started to shoot arrows as soon as the enemy approached under the command of the chiefs. tat tat tang! but most of the stone arrows that were shot were blocked by the large shields that almost covered the creek warriors¡¯ front. and. ¡°crossbow soldiers forward!¡± ¡°forward!¡± as the arrow attack subsided, a gap opened in the shield and a crossbow popped out. ¡°fire!¡± shoo shoo shoo shoo! the sound was similar. but, puff puff puff puff! ¡°ack!¡± ¡°aaargh!¡± the result was completely different. the arrows with iron tips easily pierced through the enemies¡¯ bodies. many warriors died or were injured in a single crossbow volley. and again, the allied tribe¡¯s arrows flew toward the creek tribe, but by then the crossbow soldiers had already retreated and started reloading. the advantage of the crossbow was clearly shown in this war situation. they just had to shoot the loaded arrows quickly and retreat. as time passed, the damage situation was polarized. the allied tribe warriors also realized that they couldn¡¯t fight like this. they had to know it unless they were stupid. ¡°damn! everyone charge!¡± ¡°charge!¡± so they had no choice but to rush at the creek tribe who blocked their front with shields. they wouldn¡¯t get anything done if they fought like this. ¡°what a reckless thing to do. they would have suffered less if they had surrendered obediently.¡± ¡°people don¡¯t know until they experience it, right?¡± strong bow nodded at his lieutenant¡¯s words. ¡°then we have to make them realize. how reckless they were.¡± his mouth twisted grimly. < overwhelming. > the end Chapter 9 chapter 9 < explosive expansion > ¡°spears forward!¡± ¡°forward!¡± as soon as the powerful archer shouted, spears protruded from between the shields. the warriors of the allied tribes noticed them too late. they were almost at the front line. they had no way to escape. ¡°ugh!¡± ¡°aaargh!¡± thud! thump! thwoosh! a disaster in an instant. countless warriors of the allied tribes lost their lives, skewered by the spears. a difference in numbers? it didn¡¯t matter. the terrain limited how many could clash at once, and their weapons couldn¡¯t penetrate the front line of the creek tribe anyway. ¡°kuuaaah!¡± ¡°don¡¯t push! don¡¯t push, you bastards! cough!¡± a hellish scene. not long after the melee began, corpses of warriors piled up at the front. ¡°this is impossible¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s a devil¡¯s weapon. we have to flee. we have to!¡± not long after the melee began, the warriors of the allied tribes realized. this was no longer a battle. it was a massacre. they were no match for them. ¡°this is different from what they said! how can they be weak?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t die like this!¡± the warriors of the allied tribes quickly fell into chaos. ¡°don¡¯t run away! hold your ground!¡± ¡°move! move out of the way!¡± the command system of the chiefs was completely shattered. the warriors scattered in all directions to escape from the calamity before their eyes. an overwhelming victory for the creek tribe. it was the moment when the creek tribe, which had been crouching, began to stretch out in earnest around them. * the war was practically over after the first battle. of the five thousand or so enemy warriors, fifteen hundred died in one fight. and more than that died while being chased down as they fled. it was an unbelievable feat accomplished by just two thousand warriors. they had defended perfectly. but kim ki-woo and the creek tribe warriors were not satisfied with that. ¡°bring back all the remnants. you can deal with anyone who resists as you see fit.¡± kim ki-woo decided to send out an expedition. two thousand warriors marched straight to the base of the invading tribes. there were warriors who had fled from the first battle, but they had already lost their will to resist against the creek tribe warriors. many people ran away from the creek tribe¡¯s invasion, but those who couldn¡¯t escape surrendered to them. the powerful archer returned to the village with all the tribespeople who had surrendered from four tribes. it was a mass migration of people. their number exceeded sixty thousand. it was two or three times as many as the original creek tribe. ¡°you dared to invade the sacred land of the creek tribe with impure intentions. do you admit it?¡± ¡°¡­we admit it. it¡¯s all our fault.¡± the chief of the chokto tribe, charging buffalo, bowed his head low. he looked like he had no intention of resisting anymore. kim ki-woo looked at the countless warriors kneeling before him and said: ¡°the sin you have committed is grave indeed. but i do not wish for the cycle of bloodshed to continue. therefore, i will grant you mercy and forgive your crime.¡± at those words, the charging bull raised his head and looked at kim ki-woo with a glimmer of hope in his face. ¡°however, i cannot let you go without any responsibility. under the condition that all of your tribesmen serve the creek tribe for five years from now on, i will spare your lives. what do you say?¡± the charging bull thought for a moment and replied. ¡°what will happen after five years?¡± ¡°i swear by my name that i will accept you as equal tribesmen.¡± in other words, he meant to merge them under the name of creek. it was practically the end of their tribe. but for a tribe that had been completely conquered, this was a very generous offer. the charging bull knew this well. ¡°i agree. we will do as you say, spirit chief.¡± with that, the number of creek tribesmen increased dramatically in an instant. of course, it was still a very unstable situation, as they had only absorbed another tribe by force. from that day on, many new villages were built within the territory of the creek tribe. they used to live scattered over a wide area because hunting and gathering were their main activities. but as they switched to an agricultural society, they could live together more easily. besides, apart from those who worked in agriculture, they had plenty of manpower for industry. of course, they would have to focus on farming for a while, since the population had increased rapidly. kim ki-woo expanded the size of the central village and made it into a city of considerable scale. he accommodated many tribesmen there. * two years passed since then. that is, more than five years had passed since kim ki-woo arrived in ancient america. kim ki-woo decided to call the year he arrived as arrival year one. that is, it was now arrival year five. it was the time when all the harvests were over. and they had mobilized most of the increased manpower for agriculture. thanks to that, they had been storing a huge amount of food in the warehouse for the past few years. the power of improved seeds was amazing indeed. the number of chickens also exploded, so chicken and egg dishes became common. food was abundant and everyone had at least one set of clothing and shoes. ¡®it finally looks like a place where people live.¡¯ of course, the houses were still shabby. this was something that needed to be improved. except for that, well, it was decent enough in kim ki-woo¡¯s opinion. the population also reached close to 100,000 from 90,000. there was an increase in population due to childbirth and a decrease in infant mortality rate, but more importantly, small-scale tribes around them voluntarily surrendered because of the abundance of food. but could he be satisfied with this? after a long discussion, the leaders of the tribe agreed to raise an army. in fact, there was not much resistance. kim ki-woo had completely taken over the creek tribe by now. he even created a new position called grand chief and took that seat himself. ¡°grand chief kim ki-woo is entering!¡± straight tree, who had become kim ki-woo¡¯s aide-de-camp, shouted loudly. then the noisy square became quiet. clank, clank. every time kim ki-woo took a step, his iron shoes and flashy iron armor made a loud noise. kim ki-woo climbed onto the wooden platform. then he could see the whole scene around the square, which was quite spacious. ¡®it has changed a lot.¡¯ he had divided the houses, which were built haphazardly, into different zones as much as possible during the past time. a market area was created according to kim ki-woo¡¯s intention, an industrial zone was built around the furnace, and residential areas were separated. and he made a large square in the center of them. the countless tribesmen gathered in the square were all looking at kim ki-woo. there were those who had been creek tribesmen from the beginning, and those who had been conquered by the creek tribe or voluntarily surrendered. kim ki-woo looked around them and opened his mouth without delay. ¡°we have achieved development faster than any other time in the past few years. this is all thanks to the tribesmen gathered here and all the men and women who are still working at their workplaces. are you satisfied?¡± ¡°yes! we are satisfied!¡± ¡°it¡¯s all because of your brilliant wisdom, grand chief!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± thump! thump! thump! everyone had a smile on their lips. kim ki-woo knew that smile well. it was the hope of getting better. it was the expression that only humans surrounded by such hope could make. they had to work hard every day, but they could eat without starving because of it. even most of the tribesmen who had surrendered were satisfied with this situation. but kim ki-woo poured cold water on this atmosphere. ¡°i am not satisfied! i am very dissatisfied!¡± the square became silent like a dead mouse for a moment. it was because intense anger flowed out of kim ki-woo¡¯s voice and frowning face. kim ki-woo spat out his words as if he was vomiting. ¡°we could have achieved development faster and better! but we didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°then¡­¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the tribesmen swallowed their saliva, overwhelmed by kim ki-woo¡¯s fiery speech. ¡°why? why did this happen!¡± kim ki-woo paused for a moment, then resumed his speech. ¡°there is only one answer to this!¡± ¡°what is it?¡± someone asked loudly at the right time. kim ki-woo spat out his answer to the curious tribesmen. ¡°it¡¯s because we lacked people! we all worked without a single day off, starting from me! some had to finish their work by relying on torches even after the sun went down! but aren¡¯t there still many tasks that are postponed day after day due to lack of manpower! how lamentable is this!¡± of course, it had improved compared to before as the population increased, but as mentioned earlier, they had to focus more on agriculture than industry for the past two years. that is, they were still busy without a break, and there was a chronic shortage of manpower. ¡°we will wage war again! this time, not to prepare for the invasion of other tribes, but to enter their lands ourselves!¡± many tribesmen who did not like this idea appeared. kim ki-woo looked straight into their eyes and shouted. ¡°some may think! why do we have to invade other tribes when our lives are getting better! why can¡¯t we just live like this! but i think differently! this is not a war of aggression! we will not plunder the food of other tribes! rather, we will share our food with them! we will accept them and treat them as we do ourselves! by doing so, we will solve our tribe¡¯s chronic manpower problem, make more people wealthy, and make our creek tribe a great nation beyond a tribe!¡± it was rhetoric. blood would inevitably flow. it was a clear war of aggression. but this logic was enough to ignite fire in the hearts of the tribesmen. ¡°woahhhhhhh!¡± ¡°for the great creek!¡± ¡°for the great grand chief, the holy spirit!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± thump! thump! thump! it was such a scream and vibration that one might mistake it for an earthquake in the square. ¡°sons and daughters of creek! shake off your lethargy and rise up to follow me! i will make you live well and full!¡± arrival year five. the signal for explosive expansion was fired. < explosive expansion. > the end Chapter 10 chapter 10 < the consequences of expansion > regardless of kim kiwoo¡¯s speech, the preparations for the expedition were already complete. the day after the speech. ¡°let¡¯s move out.¡± ¡°yes! all troops, move out!¡± ¡°move out!¡± six thousand warriors, four thousand more than the defense battle two years ago, left the territory of creek. among them, the warriors of creek¡¯s faction remained at two thousand, and the rest were supplemented by the warriors of the tribes that had been subjugated. it might seem unlikely that anyone would join the army of those who had subjugated them by force, but surprisingly, there were more volunteers than needed. they were warriors. many warriors wanted to remain as beings who used force, not as workers. moreover, most of them were fascinated by the magic of steel weapons and group combat in the last war. thanks to that, they were able to select only the best among the warriors and make them creek¡¯s troops. of course, they still couldn¡¯t trust them 100%, so the command was given to the warriors of creek¡¯s faction. kim kiwoo divided the selected six thousand troops into three groups. each with two thousand. the divided troops began their punitive expedition in three directions. their march was relentless. they avoided forests, swamps, or places with rough roads, and only looked for villages where people lived. the purpose of sending troops was not to secure territory, but to increase the number of people. there was no one who could stop creek¡¯s warriors¡¯ advance. for two years, rumors about creek¡¯s tribe had spread far and wide. ¡°the gray army!¡± ¡°run, run! we can¡¯t win against them!¡± as soon as creek¡¯s warriors appeared, the villagers of the tribes fell into despair. there were some large tribes that resisted, but most of the tribes chose one of two options. they either abandoned their villages and ran away before the army arrived, or obediently surrendered to creek¡¯s tribe. ¡°we don¡¯t want to see unnecessary bloodshed. if your tribe peacefully joins us, you will enjoy equal status as a member of creek¡¯s tribe! and under the guidance of our great chief, the sacred spirit, you will not only get these powerful weapons, but also escape from hunting and gathering and never go hungry again!¡± creek¡¯s warriors made this proposal to every tribe they visited. as a result, many tribes surrendered without further resistance. creek¡¯s tribe was becoming the rising sun of north america. * north america was undergoing a strange ecological change. many tribesmen flocked to creek¡¯s tribe, while people disappeared from where they lived. and even more distant tribes were preparing to flee from creek¡¯s tribe. in other words, the surrounding area was quickly becoming empty with creek as the center. as a result, other tribes living in different regions faced an untimely frost. they had to either coexist with or wage war against the tribes that ran away to their territory. and kim kiwoo, who caused this chaos, was having a headache. ¡°the stockpiled food is disappearing at a fast pace. we need to expand our farmland quickly for the future.¡± ¡°we also need to increase our manpower in the coal mine by several times!¡± ¡°we¡¯ve heard that chikaso tribe is coming soon. if that big tribe arrives¡­¡± ¡°the language problem is serious too. some tribes are hard to understand.¡± ¡°don¡¯t we need to send administrators to each village? there are many conflicts among different tribes in each village!¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± it was a total mess. creek¡¯s tribe was experiencing a population explosion. this was far beyond kim kiwoo¡¯s expectations. ¡®don¡¯t they surrender too easily? don¡¯t they have their own identity?¡¯ kim kiwoo thought most of the tribes would run away. in fact, many tribes had run away for two years. but most of the remaining tribes chose surrender over escape. some of the reasons for this were: the superiority of force, abundant food, promise of equal status, rumors about kim kiwoo as a sacred spirit, etc. there was even a warrior who appeared out of nowhere and offered to guide the marching army to subjugate his own tribe. he was practically a traitor in modern terms. thanks to him, they had attracted too many people during the scheduled period. as a result, the territory of the creek tribe was forcibly expanded. it was enough to be called a nation. kim ki-woo had filled the manpower he needed in an instant. ¡®what do i do now? i think i¡¯ll be too busy digesting this population for a while!¡¯ he had originally planned to gradually increase the population and start new things¡­ kim ki-woo gave up his thoughts and began to give instructions one by one. ¡°first of all, whether they are creek or not, mobilize all the tribesmen who have learned farming and cultivate the uncultivated land! allocate most of the iron that is being produced to make farming tools!¡± ¡°do we not need to appoint a leader among the non-creek tribes?¡± ¡°is that important right now? don¡¯t we have to sort out this chaos first?¡± you can live in a shabby house. the same goes for clothing. but food is essential for survival. he didn¡¯t know how many people would be absorbed this year, but he had to cultivate at least several times more land than now for the next year and beyond. in this situation, he couldn¡¯t afford to monitor the behavior of the non-creek tribesmen who had learned farming. also, they were generally satisfied with their current lives and adapted well. there would be no big incidents like rebellion. ¡°increase the manpower in the salt mine as well. salt is also essential for survival.¡± they didn¡¯t need to get salt when they were hunting and gathering, but now that their diet had changed to mainly grains, getting salt was not a choice but a necessity. but fortunately, this blessed north america was a continent with a large amount of rock salt. they had been collecting and using rock salt since farming began on a large scale. there was no need to produce solar salt or sea salt at all. in fact, most countries in modern times also use rock salt the most. well, unless it¡¯s a country like korea where rock salt doesn¡¯t come out. ¡°eventually, we¡¯ll have to solve the language problem gradually. for now, teach them creek¡¯s language as much as possible.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± a trembling voice. but there was no clever way around this. he had no choice but to educate them slowly over a long period of time. ¡®i need to make a standard language dictionary. language is important.¡¯ the farther away the region, the bigger the language problem would be. ¡°first of all, set up a police station in each village. after finishing this expedition and returning, split up the warriors and assign them to the police station to manage the village for a while.¡± ¡°police station¡­ you say?¡± ¡°yes. let them handle the incidents and accidents that are happening in the village right now. i can¡¯t afford to worry about that kind of thing right now.¡± until now, security was maintained by the tribe¡¯s warriors, but from now on it would be done by an institution called the police station. ¡®damn it. i wanted to do some other work, but i have to focus on farming again for a while?¡¯ he should have said to subjugate the tribes moderately. he regretted ordering them to subjugate all the tribes they saw during the given period. ¡®but once this pain is over, i¡¯ll finally be able to execute my plan¡­?¡¯ it would be like that. no, it had to be like that. * another hectic year passed like that. during this period, they estimated the newly increased population and it exceeded 500,000. that is, the total population of the creek tribe exceeded 600,000! it meant that it had grown thirty times compared to when he first came to the creek tribe. of course, he wasn¡¯t sure because he didn¡¯t do an accurate census, but it was probably right. ¡®does this make sense?¡¯ that was the thought that crossed kim ki-woo¡¯s mind when he first received the population report. the population had increased by thirty times in only five or six years. he couldn¡¯t help but think that way. wasn¡¯t it like a shrimp eating a whale? now, the creek tribe had become a very small minority among the creek people. the things that kim ki-woo and the creek leaders had done in the last year were very simple. they built villages and placed people from various tribes in a certain proportion. they forcibly tore them apart to erase the colors of each tribe. thanks to that, they were able to prevent the people who were from the same tribe from gathering and resisting. of course, there were many people who were dissatisfied with this policy from the beginning, especially the warriors. but by offering them a carrot of accepting them as full-fledged tribesmen from the start, they were able to suppress these complaints to some extent. ¡®it¡¯s different from three years ago.¡¯ they weren¡¯t subjugated as a price for invading, so what did they have to be guilty of? their languages were slightly different and their cultures were slightly different, but kim ki-woo forced them to comply with creek¡¯s standard language and culture. the effect was still minimal. but it would get better over time. they invested most of the newly created village leaders in land reclamation. and they made the rest of the people into workers for the expanded industry. thanks to that, whether it was farming or industry, one skilled person had to teach several unskilled people how to work. and they created a space for childcare, where they gathered and raised children in groups. they used the female labor force that was created in this way for tasks that required less strength, such as spinning and weaving. thanks to that, the clothing level of the subjugated tribesmen improved at a fast pace. ¡®do i have to do this much? i can do it more slowly.¡¯ as he spent every day like a war, kim ki-woo, who was human, became exhausted. he had this thought countless times. but every time, kim ki-woo pulled himself together. there were still many places where explosions were heard, but he could see that the countless tribesmen who gathered under creek¡¯s flag were gradually finding stability. and by now, he was finally able to create an environment where he could feed himself to some extent. ¡®finally.¡¯ no matter how much he couldn¡¯t farm with animal power or machines, and no matter how much pesticides or sowing methods weren¡¯t developed, modern genetically modified grains and tuber crops and fertile land produced a certain amount of surplus labor. and enough farming tools were also secured, and he was in a state where he could do other work in the industrial sector. kim ki-woo had been waiting for this moment. he had definitely increased in size tremendously. but there were too many things that were lacking compared to pre-modern society. kim ki-woo started to supplement these parts with the remaining manpower. < the consequences of expansion. > the end Chapter 11 chapter 11 < starting the construction. > many things were done at once. in particular, they greatly increased the number of miners and developed various mines around them. this was all thanks to the map he brought from modern times. also, the invention and production of various new machines were accelerated. he had already taught these concepts to skilled craftsmen from time to time, so it was possible. still, management and supervision were still kim ki-woo¡¯s responsibility. today, too, kim ki-woo went around the industrial district and led the industry according to his intentions. the first place kim ki-woo went to was the shipyard on the river. ¡®i need a decent transport ship soon.¡¯ even in modern times, the difference in transportation efficiency between ships and land was 13 times. it was 13 times more expensive to transport by land than by ship. let alone trains or trucks, there were no transportation animals like horses. the difference between ship transportation and land transportation would be incomparable. but he couldn¡¯t use the river enough right away. the level of shipbuilding in this era was literally making rafts. ¡®ha¡­ when will i be able to make a big wooden ship like a galleon?¡¯ not to mention a galleon, it was hard to make a small sailboat. first of all, he had to promote basic shipbuilding. the good thing was that he had improved the level of basic woodworking tools such as saws and planes a lot during the past time. he replaced the rope with cotton rope because there was no material. he could only make manila hemp after expanding his power to central america. it was because the raw material plant grew in tropical regions. finally, he made a sail and started basic shipbuilding. but. ¡°hmm¡­¡± ¡°are you not satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­no. you did well for your first time.¡± the first sailboat made with a sail. of course, the result fell far short of expectations. but kim ki-woo wasn¡¯t very disappointed. he didn¡¯t expect to fill his stomach at once. the first priority was to let those who applied to the shipyard continue to gain experience. if they gained experience, they would be able to make bigger and better ships. kim ki-woo pointed out the shortcomings of the first ship for a long time. that¡¯s how much he was interested in shipbuilding. the expressions of the men who listened to his explanation gradually soured, but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t care. they had to grow fast for the whole creek tribe to grow. the importance of transportation and traffic was not excessive even if he emphasized it several times, as the size of the tribe had increased dramatically. there were still screams everywhere. this was all a side effect of the rapid growth in size. ¡°i¡¯ll assign more people to the shipyard, so try making more and gain experience.¡± ¡°yes, grand chief.¡± the men¡¯s expressions relaxed, thinking that the nagging was finally over. kim ki-woo left the shipyard behind him. ¡°take a break sometimes. you¡¯ll really hurt yourself if you keep doing this.¡± ¡°you take a break too. you work more than me.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll rest when you rest, grand chief.¡± ¡°then i can¡¯t rest for a while. let¡¯s suffer together. hahaha!¡± kim ki-woo joked with straight tree and moved on to the next place. come to think of it, he had been with straight tree for over six years already. he was at least the closest person to him in the tribe. the next place kim ki-woo headed to was the kiln. it was close to the shipyard because it was located near the river. before he even got near the kiln, he saw bricks piled up on the vacant lot. ¡°it¡¯s filling just to look at it.¡± ¡°do you want to eat that?¡± ¡°who would eat such hard stones? it¡¯s a figurative expression.¡± ¡°figurative?¡± ¡°um¡­ well, there¡¯s such a thing. just follow me.¡± bricks were being made in the kiln that was burning fiercely at this moment. they were baking fine clay that came down the river. kilns were being continuously built along the river at this moment. many of those kilns were used to make bricks. the clothing and food of the tribesmen had been somewhat resolved, but the residential area was too bad. that was why kim ki-woo hurried to bake bricks as soon as he had spare manpower. ¡®now i have to take care of the residential area on a large scale.¡¯ kim ki-woo encouraged the craftsmen of the brick factory once. they didn¡¯t have much to criticize, so they didn¡¯t need much time. and he moved his steps to the cement factory next to it. in fact, cement production was not very difficult. he could get enough clay from the river, and thanks to the increased number of miners and porters, limestone was transported to this place. he ground limestone into powder and fired it with clay. that is, bake it. he mixed limestone and clay in a 2:1 ratio. if he mixed this cement and water in a ratio of about 5:2, he could make hardening cement. and today, he finally made cement in the right ratio and finished the experiment. ¡°it¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°this is really an amazing thing! you are truly a person sent by heaven. how can you make something like this!¡± ¡°ha ha. calm down, wide field.¡± the person in charge of the cement factory, wide field, spoke excitedly to kim ki-woo. he predicted how great this cement would be. he had been grinding stone until a while ago. so he knew very well how hard it was to process stone. but a stone that can be manipulated freely like mud and then hardened! and it even has the property of sticking to other stones. wide field had tears in his eyes just from the fact that he contributed to making such a great material. ¡°from now on, countless limestones will come in. you have to turn them all into these metamorphic rocks, okay? don¡¯t resent me after a while. hehe.¡± ¡°please work me hard! i, wide field, will work until my body breaks! hahaha!¡± he changed the name of cement to metamorphic rock. it meant a rock that changes. now bricks and cement were being made in earnest. when the factory scale grew enough and the numbers piled up, he thought he would have to start a large-scale civil engineering and construction project. as he checked various processes that were going on, his day¡¯s work ended. but the next day, and the next day, different things greeted kim ki-woo. * a population of 600,000 people never had a quiet day even for a day. the market had grown significantly, and although there was no currency, bartering with goods was active. it was natural in a way. ¡°he filled half of the inside of the flour bag with dirt and sold it? but the seller denies that he did it?¡± ¡°yes. there are many similar fraud cases happening. the problem is that it¡¯s hard to tell if this is really fraud or robbery.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± there were new things happening because there was no law yet. should he say that the types of fraud were increasing? this was a popular fraud method these days. you couldn¡¯t open the bag and completely flip over the contents when you bought it, so it was often caught. ¡°more and more incidents like this are happening. we need to come up with a countermeasure.¡± ¡°other tribal people from different branches who are still ignorant of the food prices are being ripped off much more expensive than the great start city.¡± ¡°because of the misunderstandings caused by different languages and cultures, there are too many cases where small disputes lead to fistfights.¡± the more he heard, the more he felt that the security situation would get worse if he didn¡¯t come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible. these things had inertia. once they started to go wrong, they could cause irreversible chaos. ¡°we have no choice but to send more personnel to the security agency. for now, let¡¯s expand the training center. and let¡¯s create a supreme court.¡± ¡°a supreme court?¡± ¡°we can¡¯t solve the tribal people¡¯s conflicts with brute force, can we? it¡¯s to make a guideline for the security agency to operate more smoothly.¡± ¡°i understand what you mean. i will take care of it.¡± as the population increased, he had to make laws and enforce them anyway. it was not fair to punish differently for the same crime. and then it was time to discuss the agenda that kim ki-woo had been longing and waiting for. ¡°now we start a large-scale construction. we mobilize all the remaining personnel and start from the creek tribe¡¯s base, the great start city.¡± the creek tribe¡¯s village had a rather grandiose name. great start. it was named after the starting point of the hegemony that would be achieved in the future. ¡°those who know will know. that raw materials called bricks and cement have been developed.¡± ¡°i heard. i felt once again that it was a material invented by the grand chief kim. you are amazing. haha!¡± ¡°haha. you¡¯ll tear your ass off like that.¡± ¡°my ass¡­? huh! are you not feeling well?¡± as soon as kim ki-woo finished speaking, the executives with excellent heads were shocked. their health was more important than anything else from their point of view. ¡°¡­no, i¡¯m fine. don¡¯t worry.¡± kim ki-woo smiled awkwardly and waved his hand. was it too early for this kind of idiomatic joke? kim ki-woo felt this painfully through his excellent head. kim ki-woo quickly changed the subject. ¡°there are still many people who don¡¯t know, so let me tell you about bricks and cement.¡± kim ki-woo briefly explained the properties of bricks and cement and how they would change the residential areas in the future. after all his explanations were over, many warriors who attended the meeting cheered. ¡°there¡¯s such an amazing thing!¡± ¡°indeed, grand chief kim¡¯s admiration was not wrong!¡± ¡°will you also develop other villages besides great start city?¡± ¡°of course we will. not only the construction of great start city, but we will also change all the villages of creek tribe in the future.¡± ¡°oh!¡± the warriors¡¯ faces were filled with hope at kim ki-woo¡¯s words. it was a 180-degree change from their faces that were worried about many problems until just before. this was just the beginning. there would come a day when that hope would turn into conviction after construction industry progressed to some extent. after finishing a meeting that was like a war, he came into his office and slumped into his chair. it was a hard chair made only of wood, but it felt very comfortable when he thought of it as a short break. ¡®phew. i¡¯m dying.¡¯ his whole body felt like pickled radish, soaked through and through. he wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep right away. ¡°grand chief kim. the finished product of what you asked for last time has arrived.¡± but he couldn¡¯t do that. the excellent head interrupted kim ki-woo¡¯s rest. ¡®he doesn¡¯t give me a break. sigh.¡¯ he felt like he knew why kings generally died young. they must have died early from overwork. but kim ki-woo felt his fatigue disappear as soon as he saw the piece held by the upright wooden hand. ¡°hooh.¡± < starting the construction > end Chapter 12 chapter 12 < paper and hangul > the pottery in his hand was very similar to the image of pottery that kim ki-woo had in his mind. he had made countless prototypes, and before he knew it, he had acquired this much skill. it was worth it to invest time and resources, and to constantly inject modern information that he knew. besides, this was the real china. bone china, as it was called. it was pottery that was made with animal bones, making it cheaper and stronger. he had started making pottery for practical reasons, so cheap and sturdy was the best. and it wasn¡¯t bad in terms of aesthetics either. kim ki-woo touched the bone china and looked around, letting out a short exclamation of admiration. ¡°good! is it possible to mass-produce it now?¡± ¡°it¡¯s still a lot of failures, but it will get better over time.¡± ¡°that¡¯s fine. it¡¯s just a matter of time, right? i¡¯ll give you more people, so don¡¯t worry about anything else and focus on production.¡± once pottery became widely available, the primitive earthenware and wooden bowls that had been used until now would all be discarded. with this, he was able to overcome one more obstacle today. * of course, it wasn¡¯t possible to just build a stone building by saying so. even ordinary houses were full of things that would collapse in one typhoon, let alone large-scale buildings. in the end, kim ki-woo had to take the lead and train the workers to become skilled construction workers. ¡®first of all, i¡¯ll give up on style.¡¯ it would be more complicated if he cared about the aesthetic aspects. kim ki-woo designed the brick houses for residential use as simply as possible. when the construction workers gained more experience in the future, they would be able to build more beautiful houses. kim ki-woo first selected those who wanted to learn construction work among the craftsmen who had excellent manual skills. most of them were from the creek tribe, but this was unavoidable because there was a difference in the training period. ¡°you all know why you¡¯re here, right? i won¡¯t say much. let¡¯s just build a house here. you have to learn exactly if you want to teach many construction workers in the future.¡± ¡°yes!¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± the craftsmen were all volunteers, so their eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. it was often better to experience practice than to have theoretical education a hundred times. in this case, it was faster to just experience the real thing. kim ki-woo took them and started building a three-story house. ¡°don¡¯t do that there! the angle is slightly off, but the building could collapse! can¡¯t you build it straight?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°that¡¯s where the door will go! what are you going to do if you block the door!¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s roar echoed dozens of times while laying the foundation and building the house. it couldn¡¯t be helped because it was their first time. before long, a brick house was built. there were plenty of manpower, and kim ki-woo pointed out one by one according to the design. kim ki-woo chose a three-story brick house from the beginning. he wanted to build it three stories high anyway, so he could solve the problem of overpopulation in the city of great start that was slowly appearing. many people flocked to the city because many things happened in and around the city of great start. ¡®it looks sturdy.¡¯ it was a house that he gave up on style and built sturdily, so it didn¡¯t seem like it would collapse easily. kim ki-woo was satisfied with the result. however, they couldn¡¯t learn how to build a building for sure by doing it once. so even after kim ki-woo left, they built four more identical buildings. the first brick house was not in good condition after kim ki-woo left, but thanks to his repeated comments, the fourth one was sturdy enough to nod his head. ¡°good. don¡¯t try to build it your own way, just build it exactly like this building. what if the building collapses because you¡¯re arrogant? what do you think will happen?¡± ¡°the people inside will get hurt or die.¡± ¡°right. it¡¯s hard to survive if you get crushed by such heavy stones. you don¡¯t want such a disaster to happen, do you?¡± ¡°yes.¡± the craftsmen nodded quickly as if they agreed. until now, they had built buildings by putting their heads together with many skilled craftsmen. but now one craftsman had to oversee many workers. for a while, they wouldn¡¯t waste their energy on building design. ¡°i¡¯m going to recruit a lot of construction workers soon. most of the workers won¡¯t be from the creek tribe. how are you going to communicate with workers who don¡¯t speak well? but they are also workers of the same creek tribe. don¡¯t ever discriminate or mistreat them because you don¡¯t like them.¡± ¡°i will never discriminate against anyone.¡± ¡°haha. there are no craftsmen who think like that.¡± is that so? now, slowly, discrimination against other branches of the creek tribe was happening within the tribe. they felt superior to other tribesmen, as if being a creek tribe was like a rank. but for now, it was still a covert matter. kim ki-woo had strongly regulated such behavior. ¡°i trust you. please don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± kim ki-woo decided to mention only this much. and that day, he recruited a large number of laborers for the construction work. there were no conditions. he accepted anyone who was a healthy male. the wages were also higher than other industries. maybe that¡¯s why? as soon as he received the application for construction workers, a lot of applicants flocked in. ¡®wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡¯ the enthusiasm was very hot. kim ki-woo investigated why this was happening and found out the reason. the first reason was the hope of working in the great start city. and even more, the hope of settling down there someday. ¡®people always want to live in the city, whether it¡¯s then or now.¡¯ of course, that wasn¡¯t the whole reason. construction was a new industry. unlike other industries such as ironmaking, steelmaking, blacksmithing, or carpentry, where skilled workers already existed, construction workers could become outstanding builders faster if they worked hard. naturally, most of the applicants were those who had finished clearing the farmland. they had no skills and only did simple physical work. so he taught them how to build buildings with attributes, and with craftsmen who learned how to build brick houses as their leaders, countless brick houses began to rise simultaneously. but they didn¡¯t build them haphazardly. they built them with perfect planning from the beginning, aligning the rows and columns like a knife. even the location of the public toilets attached to each building was the same. of course, they were puse-style toilets. kim ki-woo had emphasized hygiene from the beginning and told them not to throw feces on the street or in the river. the importance of toilets would surely increase as the population became more concentrated. most of the feces collected this way were used for farming. he also planned to use them for making gunpowder soon. ¡®if people had owned land, it would have been hard to plan the city like this.¡¯ the native americans who believed in the earth spirit had no concept of land ownership. they thought that land was not something that could be owned. therefore, the houses built on the land could not belong to individuals either. in other words, all houses were rented. for a while, kim ki-woo helped out at various construction sites. there was no way there would be no problems when one construction manager who learned how to build a brick house with attributes led hundreds of unskilled laborers and built buildings. ¡°are you okay? you don¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°how can i look good? look at that mess. i bet my hand that it will collapse in less than a month if they build it like that.¡± ¡°um¡­ it did look unstable.¡± although he was an unskilled worker named straight tree, he became familiar with construction after following kim ki-woo around the construction sites for a long time. a dog can recite poetry after three years at school, right? if kim ki-woo saw a building that was too poorly built, he even demolished it completely. most of them had room for improvement, so it ended with corrections. but as time passed, things got better and better. come on, if they kept messing up even with such a simple structure, they would be hopeless. kim ki-woo gradually increased the scale of construction as things improved. anyway, there was no shortage of construction-related work for a while. he had to build various buildings besides houses, improve roads, build canals when boats were completed, and even take care of drainage later. someday he would also build a bridge over that big river. of course, it was a story of the distant future. he had been focusing on construction for a while, but his main job was to rule a huge tribe. so kim ki-woo had to deal with a lot of work. as a result, his sleeping time steadily decreased. ¡®this can¡¯t go on.¡¯ it wasn¡¯t just because of physical fatigue. he had reached the limit of his crude politics. most of the work was done by word of mouth. the workers were also inexperienced, and the work was passed on by oral tradition, so many parts were omitted. nothing worked properly. ¡®i¡¯ve done almost everything i can in the ritual. then what?¡¯ it was time to eliminate the inefficiency of the internal affairs. the most urgent thing was, of course¡­ ¡®paper and writing tools.¡¯ writing tools were actually easy. it was because if you bake graphite and clay at a certain ratio, that would be a pencil lead. ink was even easier to make. he used bread as an eraser for the time being, since he didn¡¯t have rubber. and he had been preparing for paper production for a long time. although he couldn¡¯t pay attention to it because he had a lot of other things to do, he had assigned a few craftsmen to research papers and had them study it steadily. he couldn¡¯t produce high-quality paper in large quantities like in modern times. he had to try each step from getting pulp to making paper and get better quality paper. fortunately, kim ki-woo¡¯s bag also contained detailed instructions on how to make paper. paper was very important in any era. so he was able to reduce a lot of trial and error. ¡°good. this should do it. you¡¯ve worked hard so far.¡± ¡°are you finally satisfied? hahaha!¡± ¡°yes. i think this is good enough for now.¡± ¡°huh! does that mean¡­¡± ¡°huh? of course, we have to improve it later. look here. doesn¡¯t it look lacking?¡± ¡°is, is that so? haha¡­¡± the man who would be remembered as the first papermaker of the creek tribe, cool raindrop, looked gloomy. kim ki-woo chuckled and comforted him. ¡°don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ll use it like this for a while. more importantly, can you produce this paper in large quantities?¡± ¡°if you provide enough manpower, i think it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll make sure of that. i¡¯ll build you a big paper mill, so try your best there.¡± ¡°yes, grand chief.¡± kim ki-woo kept his word firmly. to reform the internal affairs, mass production of paper was essential, so the paper mill was built quickly. and thanks to the hard work of cool raindrop, the paper mill manager, the paper mill began to establish its foundation little by little. < paper and hangul. > the end Chapter 13 chapter 13 < reforming the administration > of course, it took some more time to mass-produce paper. but it was only a matter of time before paper was produced in large quantities. ¡®but paper alone is not enough.¡¯ why make paper? of course, one could draw pictures or do other things with it, but the main reason was to make records through paper. then, naturally, one needed letters. and kim ki-woo had already decided to spread hangul in this land a long time ago. therefore, kim ki-woo started working on completing hangul to match the pronunciation of this region before paper and writing tools were mass-produced. ¡®thank you, king sejong!¡¯ this work was not very difficult. there was already a great base of hangul. the hardest part was translating words into hangul. in other words, it was the process of making a standard language dictionary. if the standard of words was not established, similar pronunciations would be written differently and cause confusion. therefore, it was a necessary process. the problem was that the translation work was tedious. kim ki-woo did not have time to do this work alone. kim ki-woo gathered some people from the creek tribe who were known to be wise and taught them hangul first. and he instructed them like this. ¡°write down all the words you know on this paper. focus on the ones that are commonly used.¡± ¡°do we just write as we hear?¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯ll fix it at the end, so just write freely.¡± ¡°understood.¡± then their brainstorming began. they wrote down whatever words they could think of. of course, many words overlapped. basic words like sun, moon, wind, earth, and spirit overlapped almost all. but as the number of people increased, many words were recorded excluding the overlapping ones. kim ki-woo organized the grammar during that time. he defined the spacing, spelling, and types of words. and he checked the dictionary that was made after excluding duplicate words. it took about six months for this work. of course, it was still an incomplete dictionary with many parts missing, but he judged that most of the common words were included for now. the missing words could be added continuously. around this time, paper production began. paper was first intended to go to the officials. and finally, at the tribal conference, this good news was mentioned for the first time. of course, there were already rumors that he had made letters. ¡°from now on, we will have new letters called hangul and our own numbers. i and several tribesmen have worked together to create letters and numbers and record words that match them to compile a standard language dictionary. from now on, we will be able to write down countless records and stories on the paper that is being produced.¡± ¡°finally¡­¡± ¡°haha. it went really well!¡± the foundation of an early state was already established. in other words, everyone who participated in the conference was an official who did practical work. they were also uncomfortable with reporting only by word of mouth. therefore, they were moved by the fact that letters and numbers and a standard language dictionary were created. ¡°letters are sound letters so they are easy to learn. numbers can also be learned quickly. everyone should learn them hard and use them for work.¡± after that day, the creek tribe¡¯s officials learned letters and numbers and standard words. and at some point they started to learn more fervently. they had no choice. after giving enough time to the officials, he declared that he would only receive written reports except for major reports. in other words, learning letters and words became mandatory rather than optional. at first, the handwriting of the reports was so hard to read and the spelling was wrong countless times. but this was a problem that time would solve. ¡®there are so many overlaps.¡¯ as soon as he started receiving reports separately, problems became apparent at a glance. there were many cases where the work areas were vague. if they reported orally together, they could report discreetly, but as soon as they received written reports, these problems became prominent. overlapping parts, missing parts all stood out clearly. ¡®now i have to divide the work areas clearly.¡¯ of course, it was not a thought that he had in a day or two. but he waited because this was the best time to distribute paper and documents. kim ki-woo announced his reorganization plan at the regular meeting. ¡°from today, i will reorganize the political system. the current political system could only exist when the previous creek tribe was at the level of a small tribe. now that the scale has changed so much, i will establish nine departments and a supreme court.¡± there were no officials who were shocked or surprised by kim ki-woo¡¯s remarks. there had been whispers about department reorganization for a long time. the officials agreed with this. ¡°then how will it be reorganized?¡± the smart head who was the chief of education asked. ¡°first, the eight departments are like this.¡± kim ki-woo listed the names of the departments he had thought of. from the administration department headed by kim ki-woo to the agriculture department, industry department, commerce department, construction department, security department, military department, education department, and foreign affairs department. he decided to legislate in the administration department. in other words, it meant that laws would be made according to kim ki-woo¡¯s taste. ¡°the administration department will gather with the heads of each department and the officials of the administration department to make policies and laws. i will take the seat of the head of the administration department.¡± there was no opposition. and then kim ki-woo began to name the heads of each department. the head of education was smart head, who was the chief of education, the head of commerce was swiftfoot, who was the chief of hunting, and the head of military was strong bow, who was the chief of war. these three were already chiefs. the other five heads were also from the creek tribe. in other words, all nine heads, including kim ki-woo, were from the creek tribe. the chief justice and secretary-general were also the same. the secretary-general was straight tree, kim ki-woo¡¯s closest aide. it was an extreme selection. ¡®i have no choice but to go this way for now.¡¯ first of all, he had to exclude the four tribes that surrendered first. they had invaded the creek tribe anyway. and those who surrendered later were mostly unfamiliar with creek¡¯s standard language. their work skills were also lower than those named. of course, this would improve over time. there was a more important reason than this. they were the ones who worked hardest to make creek what it is now. if he excluded them and appointed other tribes, it would be like betraying his comrades who walked the same path. kim ki-woo had no reason to take such a political risk. as time passed, they would naturally accept other tribes as leaders. ¡°i hope you all take responsibility for your departments and lead them well.¡± ¡°yes, grand chief.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry.¡± the officials¡¯ expressions were not bad because they were generally satisfied with their positions. but kim ki-woo did not forget to warn them once. ¡°i¡¯ve heard some bad things lately. they say that there is discrimination among officials because they are from different tribes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± kim ki-woo swept his cold eyes over those who had been laughing until a moment ago. those who participated in the meeting were all core figures of the tribe. they couldn¡¯t have been unaware of this problem. as expected. the expressions of some people worsened or they subtly avoided kim ki-woo¡¯s eyes. they either led or condoned things that happened openly or secretly. it would be one of those two. ¡°i¡¯ll say it again, you shouldn¡¯t discriminate because they are from different tribes. if i hear such things again, i won¡¯t let it go. remember my words.¡± ¡°yes, grand chief.¡± ¡°we will keep that in mind.¡± probably because they had worked longer, most of the upper officials were from the creek tribe. therefore, discrimination against other tribes by the creek tribe was spreading among the officials. kim ki-woo did not intend to ignore this situation. he only warned them for now, but he was determined to root out these people even if their work became overloaded. the upper water must be clear for the lower water to be clear. if he didn¡¯t weed out these weeds quickly, they would surely grow into dark forces in society. * the first thing that started as soon as the departments were divided was construction. after all, there had to be buildings for the departments to enter. it was already a long time since the construction boom started. therefore, skilled construction workers were gradually emerging. and now they could draw blueprints with pencils and erasers on paper. they also had numbers, and he unified the measurement system to the metric system for his convenience. there was nothing rough. kim ki-woo tried to spread letters and blueprints to construction managers and various craftsmen and professionals. technology would develop only if it was recorded continuously. that didn¡¯t mean he could sit idly by until the buildings of the departments were completed. kim ki-woo clearly defined the scope of work for each department and had them recruit the necessary personnel for their departments. ¡°hey, have you decided which department you¡¯re going to?¡± ¡°no. i¡¯m still thinking about it. i wanted to go to the administration department, but that seems difficult.¡± ¡°don¡¯t do that and how about the agriculture department?¡± ¡°agriculture department? hmm. you¡¯re going to the agriculture department, right?¡± ¡°haha. you caught me. think about it. the agriculture department will be easier than other departments, right? you can see it when you look at the industry department.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. the industry department is¡­ and you never know when a new thing will be made. but it seems rewarding in its own way.¡± ¡°if you go to the industry or construction department, you¡¯ll regret it in less than a week.¡± ¡°still, i¡¯m not interested in the agriculture department. if i wanted an easy job, i would have gone to the foreign affairs department.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t there too little to do there?¡± since holding multiple positions was not allowed, the officials carefully chose the department they wanted to enter. in this situation, various departments tried hard to attract proven talents. a talent war broke out. of course, the best brains of the tribe entered the administration department voluntarily or involuntarily. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t really like them. ¡®damn. there¡¯s a lack of talent. this won¡¯t work. no matter how much i sign, the documents don¡¯t decrease!¡¯ there was also a reason that this was a transitional period of political reform, but the bigger problem was that he had no talents to assist him. other departments wouldn¡¯t be much different. he missed modern korea where high-level talents had a hard time finding good jobs because of unemployment. in the end, the only way to solve this was to create more talents. to do that¡­ ¡®education. education is the only answer.¡¯ < reforming the administration > end Chapter 14 chapter 14 < metal type and school. > what is the most essential thing for education? there could be many answers to this question. but the most urgent one is¡­ ¡®printing. we need to make type.¡¯ of course, with the current level of technology, it was impossible to expect the same efficiency as a modern printing press. but gutenberg¡¯s metal type was feasible to make. ¡®we have to distribute books in large quantities.¡¯ copying by hand could not meet the demand for education. since hangul was not widely used for long, it would take a very long time to accumulate books naturally. to overcome this situation in a short period of time, printing was necessary. as soon as he made up his mind, kim ki-woo headed straight to the smithy. ¡°what brings you here again?¡± ¡°ha ha. why are you so snappy?¡± ¡°you know very well why, master kim.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± kim ki-woo and solid hammer exchanged a smirk. solid hammer was known as the best blacksmith in the tribe. so whenever kim ki-woo had something new to make related to metallurgy, he looked for solid hammer first. that¡¯s why solid hammer reacted like that every time kim ki-woo came. he was already busy, and he brought some weird things to make his work harder. but he didn¡¯t really hate it, even though he complained with his mouth. it was a very happy thing for him, a craftsman, to be able to make something new. ¡®he¡¯s such a tsundere.¡¯ kim ki-woo got straight to the point. ¡°you know about the letters, right?¡± ¡°i do. you¡¯re amazing. thanks to you, i got to study at the end of my life.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good. especially you should study harder. you have to set an example for the younger ones. anyway, the letters are made, but there are not enough books made of paper.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± solid hammer also learned how to write by sharing one book with many craftsmen. he sympathized with the inconvenience. ¡°so don¡¯t you think the spread of letters will be slow?¡± ¡°do you have any clever ideas?¡± ¡°that¡¯s why i came all the way here.¡± ¡°ho ho. judging by your expression, master kim, you¡¯re going to make something amazing again.¡± ¡°just listen and judge for yourself.¡± kim ki-woo explained the concept of gutenberg¡¯s metal type to solid hammer. as he spoke, solid hammer¡¯s eyes sparkled more and more. ¡°ho ho. if we do that, it will definitely¡­¡± ¡°what do you think? do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°we¡¯ll have to try it first¡­ but it doesn¡¯t seem impossible.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s make it.¡± from then on, kim ki-woo, solid hammer, and his apprentices gathered and started working. first, they cut iron to make matrices. they carved consonants and vowels such as and in relief. hangul is straight except for and . especially , which they were making experimentally now, was very easy to cut. they placed the matrix on a copper mold and hammered it. then a punch with the same letter in intaglio was made. they fixed the punch firmly under a mold that was long and hollow inside. they poured lead alloy into it and let it harden. then a metal type with the same shape as the matrix was made. it was a long metal type that could interlock with the mold in a serrated shape to prevent it from being twisted when printing. ¡°wow. if we make a lot of these letters and print them on paper, we can print in large quantities!¡± ¡°ha ha. we still have a lot to do. don¡¯t get too excited yet.¡± kim ki-woo took the first prototype and examined it carefully after hearing one of his apprentices. ¡®hangul has initial, medial, and final consonants, so it¡¯s at a disadvantage compared to the alphabet in this type of type.¡¯ the alphabet can just be written in a row. but if hangul is written in a row, the word ¡®mountain range¡¯ would be written as ¡®¡¯. it was very uncomfortable to look at. so kim ki-woo came up with a way. the initial consonant on top, the medial vowel in the middle, and the final consonant at the bottom. he made it so that he could fit three types in one space. of course, the consonants and vowels had to be longer horizontally than vertically. not but, it was like pressing down from above. of course, the writing was horizontal, not vertical. he decided to insert a type that did not print in cases where there was no final consonant, such as ¡®¡¯. the work proceeded as kim ki-woo intended. of course, kim ki-woo could not be involved in all the work as he did on the first day. he only checked the progress whenever he had time. but there were no major problems. it was because solid hammer¡¯s skill was excellent. it was not difficult after carving one matrix. he just had to keep hammering the matrix on copper to make punches, and then fix them on the mold and pour lead alloy. kim ki-woo wrote a book to print with metal type during that time. it was not difficult because it was about basic words, grammar, math, etc. he was able to carry out the first printing. he arranged the metal type as he wanted and stamped ink on it. of course, the ink he used now was viscous enough for metal type printing. ¡°start.¡± kim ki-woo tried to imprint every process in his eyes with excitement. gutenberg¡¯s printing changed human history. it is said that there were more records in the next fifty years than in a thousand years before that. the work was done in an instant. he fixed the paper on a frame with a small needle, then covered it with metal type. and he pressed it with a press. of course, he made a new press. it was not very difficult to make. ¡°success!¡± ¡°wow!¡± ¡°i¡¯ve never seen anything written so neatly in my life!¡± when he opened the frame and peeled off the paper, he saw it printed neatly. the craftsmen who participated in the work cheered, and kim ki-woo also felt joy inside. ¡®ah, this is the feeling. hehehehe!¡¯ every day was insanely busy, but he couldn¡¯t stop this kind of development as he saw the world changing by his hands. it felt like he had taken a bowl of drugs. ¡°you all did a great job. but i hope you¡¯ll work harder from now on. we have to provide enough of these books to many creek people who live on this land!¡± ¡°of course. ha ha ha!¡± it wouldn¡¯t be long before hangul, created by king sejong, conquered north america. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t know yet. how his initial-medial-final consonant grouping would change the shape of hangul. * the printing factory was added to the lineup of numerous types of factories. and from there, basic books written by kim ki-woo began to pour out. the efficiency difference from copying by hand was incomparable. ¡°how¡¯s work these days?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that hard yet, but the workload is gradually increasing.¡± ¡°ha ha. do you like your department?¡± smart head smiled at kim ki-woo¡¯s question. ¡°i enjoy every day because you entrusted me with the education department, not any other department.¡± ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± smart head ran over as soon as he was called by kim ki-woo while he was working. kim ki-woo cleared his throat at his straightforward question. ¡°ahem. the amount of books has increased a lot lately, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. that metal type is an amazing device. it will surely help reduce illiteracy.¡± ¡°right! we have to eradicate illiteracy and educate many people. do you think so too?¡± ¡°of course. that¡¯s our department¡¯s goal.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s start in earnest.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± kim ki-woo avoided his gaze and spoke. it was obvious that the education department would become one of the hardest departments from a relatively easy one when this started. ¡°first of all, the printing factory will continue to grow, and i think the education department should manage it. after all, it will be the main source of printing books.¡± ¡°i agree with that.¡± ¡°good. and now i¡¯m thinking of creating an educational institution called a school.¡± ¡°school¡­¡± ¡°a place where you learn basic subjects from letters to math. for the time being, i¡¯m going to give the same education to everyone from children to adults, but once the school is established, i¡¯m going to divide it into stages according to the level of learning.¡± ¡°hmm. isn¡¯t it too early? as you know, grand chief kim, most of the tribespeople are busy working. even young children are helping with labor.¡± he was right. he was still putting them into other jobs as soon as the work situation improved. and since construction had started, labor was always scarce. everything is organically related to each other in every industry. the conclusion is that manpower is still lacking. ¡°it¡¯s true what the head of education says. i¡¯m not saying i¡¯m going to send a lot of people to school right away. first, i¡¯ll make schools in each village and then give basic education such as reading and writing, arithmetic, etc. to adults first. one or two days a week, only a few hours after work.¡± ¡°hmm. will they stop going to school when their education is over?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. if they have more willingness to learn, i¡¯ll make it possible for them to learn more deeply.¡± the ultimate goal was obviously compulsory education. but it was hard to do that now. he intended to educate those who had a passion for learning more deeply. smart head understood kim ki-woo¡¯s words. if things went as kim ki-woo said, although their knowledge would be shallow, most of the tribespeople would know how to read and write and do arithmetic in time. ¡°the important thing is to sow the seeds of education first. we have to reduce the number of blind tribespeople as much as possible, don¡¯t we? there will be more contracts and such things in the future. and i¡¯ll pick mostly women as teachers for the school, so it won¡¯t interfere with other work.¡± ¡°women?¡± ¡°they¡¯re doing things that don¡¯t require much strength now, right? being a teacher requires less strength than that.¡± ¡°that makes sense.¡± this would be the start of an educational policy worthy of the education department¡­ ¡®wait.¡¯ a thought crossed smart head¡¯s mind for a moment. ¡°do we have to decide when and how to send hundreds of thousands of tribespeople to school and arrange them in the education department?¡± ¡°well, well¡­ wouldn¡¯t we have to?¡± ¡°no, we haven¡¯t even done a proper census yet¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s something the administration department will do soon. take the list they surveyed and arrange it well in the education department. before that, i¡¯ll pick some women for you first, so train them well as teachers.¡± ¡°¡­¡± smart head¡¯s face soured. he realized why kim ki-woo had called him separately. it was something he could have announced at a tribal meeting. smart head unconsciously looked at his son, straight tree, who was standing next to kim ki-woo. but straight tree just shook his fist once as if to cheer him up. ¡®you, you¡­¡¯ he felt a chill down his spine. at that moment, he sensed it. the good days were already over. < metal type and school > end Chapter 15 chapter 15 ¡°ah, you¡¯re also in this batch, huh?¡± ¡°can¡¯t you tell by looking? why would i come to this place they call a school if i don¡¯t even take classes?¡± ¡°ha ha. this guy. what¡¯s bothering you so much that you have such a sour face?¡± ¡°sigh. i barely have any time to rest, and they want me to learn these letters. you¡¯re so lucky.¡± hot fire grumbled incessantly as he sat on his chair. he had to come to the school right after finishing his work for the day. ¡°it¡¯s only one day out of five, you know? and i heard they don¡¯t teach for too long either.¡± ¡°that¡¯s not the point. the other guys are probably having a blast with booze right now.¡± ¡°ha ha. so it¡¯s the alcohol that¡¯s the problem!¡± ¡°don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t drink. having a drink after work is the joy of my life!¡± ¡°well, that¡¯s true for me too. but i wanted to learn these letters, so i don¡¯t have much to complain about. look at this.¡± clear lake opened a book that was on his desk. there were hangul letters printed with metal type filling the pages. ¡°i can¡¯t even read what it says.¡± ¡°that¡¯s why we¡¯re here. they say these books will become more common in the future. how can we young people not know how to read them? besides, people like us who work in construction have to learn them no matter what.¡± ¡°huh? what do you mean?¡± ¡°don¡¯t you know? there¡¯s this new thing called a job board where they post paper with these letters on them to hire construction workers.¡± ¡°ugh? ugh¡­ so we have to learn them anyway?¡± ¡°of course. unless you want to ask other workers to translate for you every time. more importantly, these letters are easy to learn, so don¡¯t worry too much. it¡¯s the work of our great grand chief spirit, how can we not follow him?¡± ¡°oh boy, there it is. fine, let¡¯s just listen to the class.¡± the noisy classroom quickly quieted down as a female teacher entered. it had been about six months since they decided to build schools. now, basic elementary schools were established and running smoothly in the great start and the nearby villages. and they were spreading quickly to the faraway villages as well. the elementary schools operated in five time slots per day. morning class, noon class, two afternoon classes, and night class. usually, young children and women took classes in the morning and noon time slots. and in the afternoon 1st class, there were older people, and in the afternoon 2nd class and night class, there were young men who had finished their work for the day. that wasn¡¯t all. they all took classes one day out of five. that is, 25 groups of students took classes in one batch. that¡¯s why the textbooks that were placed on each seat were quickly worn out. it couldn¡¯t be helped considering the lack of elementary schools and textbooks. but thanks to the tearful efforts of the education department staff, the elementary schools were operating normally. ¡®not bad.¡¯ kim kiwoo nodded his head repeatedly as he read the report written by smart head, the head of education. the first elementary schools that were built as a pilot project already had their 4th batch of new students enrolled. the duration of elementary school was only two months. that was enough to learn hangul and read and write letters clumsily, as well as do basic arithmetic operations. of course, they would make countless spelling mistakes. but kim kiwoo wasn¡¯t satisfied with this level. what was the purpose of building schools in the first place? wasn¡¯t it to produce more talented people? sure enough, at the end of the report written by smart head, there was what kim kiwoo wanted. kim kiwoo signed it right away. it was about establishing middle schools. ¡®there are enough graduates from elementary school now. we need to nurture the outstanding talents among them.¡¯ more than anything, the early elementary schools were on a first-come, first-served basis. those who applied first could enter the school sooner. in other words, these people had some enthusiasm for studying. even if they lacked intelligence, if they had a strong desire to learn, they could become excellent talents. however, middle schools wouldn¡¯t be open to anyone for a while. there weren¡¯t enough middle school teachers to teach at the middle schools yet. no matter how intensively they taught the middle school textbooks for six months, they were still students who were learning for the first time. moreover, from middle school onwards, it was a full-day system. it was less of a blow for women, but if a young man entered middle school, it meant that the creek tribe lost manpower. therefore, one had to take an exam to become a middle school student. not an absolute evaluation, but a relative one. on the other hand, if one became a middle school student, the tuition was free of course, and there was even scholarship support. it would be less pay than doing other work, but enough to live on. ¡®i hope good talents will emerge.¡¯ he hoped that the efforts he had put in so far would pay off. he had no choice but to think so. kim kiwoo had been writing many textbooks whenever he had time to spare. mathematics that went beyond arithmetic operations, such as multiplication, division, multiplication tables, etc. stories for reading material. moral books that contained contents such as good and evil, not committing sins, and maintaining order. and other textbooks on technology, basic science, philosophy and ideology that he deemed necessary at this point in time. and that wasn¡¯t even the end of it. he hadn¡¯t even started writing textbooks for the university that would be built in the future. he had to write books related to that at least before he built the university. but kim kiwoo consoled himself with one thought. ¡®the knowledge i write now will make my future easier. surely!¡¯ the future talents that would be created by education would make the creek tribe grow faster. * it had been about three years since the creek tribe expanded to the surrounding tribes and incorporated many tribes under the name of the creek tribe. at first, due to food shortages, and then due to construction and numerous tasks, the creek tribe went through another period of upheaval. as a result, they couldn¡¯t project their power outside while dealing with internal affairs. then, the tribes that had fled far away slowly crept back around the creek tribe. just when their internal turmoil was settled. ¡°it¡¯s time to embark on the second conquest war. our creek tribe is different from before. we have plenty of food left even after feeding the subjugated people. at least we won¡¯t be held back by food.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°i agree.¡± all of the senior executives who attended the administrative meeting agreed with kim kiwoo¡¯s words. now, the creek tribe was a large force with enough power. recently, the census conducted by the administration department was completed. of course, it was premature to have accurate data with almost no errors, but they had more than enough to estimate the approximate size. the current population of the creek tribe was about 820 thousand. they had expected it to be just over 600 thousand in the past, but before they knew it, that number had increased to 820 thousand. as food became abundant and they didn¡¯t starve themselves, and as they improved their hygiene somewhat, there was a natural increase of about 100 thousand in population. but another 100 thousand or so were from other tribes who had joined them voluntarily. they were drawn by the rumor that the creek tribe was wealthy and powerful and accepted them without discrimination, making it very livable. ¡°now that we have enough food reserves for this day, we will go on expeditions for conquest every year on a regular basis. this matter will be overseen by the military department.¡± ¡°yes. we will do so.¡± strong bow, the head of military department bowed his head with a solemn face. thanks to the tactical textbooks written by kim kiwoo over time, his command skills and those of other commanders had improved. also, unlike before, many steel armors were produced. the weapons were also different from before. he had no intention of messing with the aztec empire yet, but wouldn¡¯t he be able to win against them with this power even if he fought them now? ¡®the priority is to strengthen the foundation of north america. there¡¯s no reason to fight with that crazy military nation that rips out people¡¯s hearts right away.¡¯ there would be very few things to hold him back in north america. after all, it was a war for population increase, not conquest, like last time. various issues were discussed in the conference room. ¡®good. very good.¡¯ kim kiwoo felt a sense of accomplishment as he presided over the meeting. before he created the departments, the meetings were conducted without order. it was because he didn¡¯t delegate any areas completely. but now, they only reported their own department¡¯s affairs. and then they discussed the issues that came out with the related departments in the conference room, and finally kim kiwoo made the decision. it was very systematic. thanks to that, kim kiwoo and the executives had an easier time handling their work. ¡®now i can really call it a nation.¡¯ of course, he didn¡¯t say it out loud. but it wasn¡¯t just his thought. just when kim kiwoo was thinking that. smart head exchanged some eye contact with the surrounding executives, and opened his mouth with a serious expression. ¡°now our creek tribe has grown much larger than before. this was all thanks to grand chief spirit excellent leadership. isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­no. it¡¯s because you all followed me well.¡± at that moment, a sense of uneasiness crept up his spine. and with smart head¡¯s next words, kim kiwoo realized that his hunch was right. ¡°then let¡¯s say it was grand chief spirit and all of our efforts. but i¡¯ve never heard of a tribe as big as ours anywhere. the creek tribe is too big to be called a tribe. so shouldn¡¯t we start calling it a nation soon? haven¡¯t we been putting it off because we had too much work to do?¡± ¡°¡­is that okay? it hasn¡¯t been long since many tribes joined us, and it¡¯s still chaotic. and we still have a shortage of manpower. we¡¯re going on a new expedition to solve this, but it will take a lot of effort to assimilate the tribesmen we accept. founding a nation in this situation? we¡¯re already busy enough, can we handle the increasing work?¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s subtle dissuasion didn¡¯t change the faces of the executives. they looked like they wouldn¡¯t change their minds no matter what he said. ¡°we can handle it.¡± ¡°we swear by the earth spirit that we will endure no matter how hard it is.¡± ¡°i agree with you, grand chief spirit.¡± ¡°hmm.¡± kim kiwoo tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair and sank into his thoughts. ¡®i have to do it anyway. that¡¯s the only way to unite all the tribes as one.¡¯ not joining one tribe, but belonging to a huge nation. it looked the same, but the feeling that the subjugated tribesmen had was very different. and it could be used as an opportunity to clearly define the identity that the nation should pursue. ¡®but i can¡¯t do it without any preparation.¡¯ it was a once-in-a-lifetime proclamation of founding a nation. he had to make a constitution, revise various laws, and complete the hierarchy. the same went for establishing the national identity. kim kiwoo organized his thoughts and opened his mouth. ¡°it¡¯s too early now. but i agree with you on founding a nation. so let¡¯s start preparing for it from now on. in about a year or so, our tribe will be reborn as a nation.¡± ¡°understood!¡± ¡°yes!¡± on the day when the new conquest war was resolved. the founding of the creek tribe was finally decided. the first empire of north america was being born. the end Chapter 16 chapter 16 < preparing for nation building > a year might seem like a long time, but it flies by when you have to prepare for many things. there was one thing that he had to make sure of before he could start drawing. ¡®i have to define the identity of the nation that i¡¯m going to build.¡¯ to prepare for nation building, he had to decide what kind of nation it would be. that way, he could prepare in the right direction. ¡®i guess i have to go with a theocracy.¡¯ he would unify the various faiths that had been scattered so far, and make them under the control of the state. in other words, the political system where the leader of the nation also acted as the representative of faith. kim ki-woo had not been to a church or a temple since his military days. he only went there to eat chocolate pies in the army, not because he had any faith. he was not interested in the debate about the existence of god, which had been going on from the past to the present. but he knew at least one thing. ¡®humanity advanced because of their belief in god.¡¯ many historians and anthropologists agree that human society was able to develop because of the existence of faith. kim ki-woo also agreed with this opinion. therefore, faith would play a big role in integrating the various tribes into one nation system. besides¡­ ¡®this is not a matter of choice.¡¯ kim ki-woo had to establish himself as the representative of god. for political stability? for national integration? wrong. the reason was none other than kim ki-woo¡¯s lifespan. ¡®i don¡¯t age for a long time.¡¯ in the past, when he landed on this land from the distant sky, many tribesmen regarded him as a sacred spirit. and as time passed, that tendency became stronger. it was definitely influenced by the fact that he grew the relatively small creek tribe to this extent, and created various devices. but there was a decisive reason. it was that kim ki-woo looked exactly the same as when he first came. despite more than ten years passing by, there was no trace of time on kim ki-woo¡¯s face. this was a strong evidence that kim ki-woo was a spirit. ¡®it will get worse in the future.¡¯ it is possible for someone who is genetically young-looking to look unaffected by time if they take care of themselves like crazy for ten years. but that¡¯s only to a certain extent. the story changes when time becomes 20 years, 30 years. the more time passes, the more people will recognize kim ki-woo as a different being from themselves when they see his unchanging appearance. he had to package himself as a sacred spirit before any misunderstandings arise. of course, there was a possibility that he would be excessively deified as time passed¡­ but he had to accept that. ¡®it¡¯s not all bad.¡¯ he would be able to secure his control over the nation more firmly. as long as he didn¡¯t die suddenly from an external factor, he would be able to rule with an iron fist until he achieved modernization. ¡®i¡¯m sorry for my future children.¡¯ kim ki-woo also had to get married now. once the nation system with kim ki-woo as the leader was established, he had to always keep the possibility of something going wrong with him. that meant, he had to have a solid succession plan. but his children would not be able to take the political front line in most cases. kim ki-woo would be staring at them with wide eyes for a long time. he would still be alive with his young appearance while his children grew old and died¡­ ¡®ugh.¡¯ he felt disgusted. he didn¡¯t have any children in the modern world either. that meant, if he had children, they would be his first ones in his life. but they would not change much from their current appearance while his children grew old and died. even when his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and descendants after them died. would he feel a pain like his heart was being torn apart every time he experienced that? or would he become numb? he didn¡¯t think he would feel good either way. * ¡°is the preparation for the delegation going well?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. it¡¯s going well without any problems.¡± ¡°good. it could be dangerous, so coordinate well with the military department.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± ¡°we will do that.¡± the strong archer, the head of the military department, and the bright smile, the head of the diplomatic department, bowed at the same time. the delegation was sent to the distant large tribes. their purpose was one. to invite the large tribes to the nation building ceremony. the reason for this was mostly to show off their power. the reputation of the creek tribe had spread as far as it could to the distant tribes. but they only heard rumors. there was a big difference between hearing rumors and seeing it with their own eyes. some of the tribes who realized the reality might want to become part of the new nation voluntarily. if that happened, they wouldn¡¯t have to waste their energy to subjugate them. ¡°are there any movements from the aztecs yet?¡± ¡°no. as far as we know, there aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°keep an eye on them. they might pick a fight when they hear that we are building a nation.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± the central america where the aztec empire was located and north america were not well-connected geographically. but it was possible if they wanted to. come to think of it, the distance between the two forces was quite close. naturally, they had to be aware of each other at some point. in fact, there were some cases where aztec spies were caught in the creek territory. kim ki-woo didn¡¯t want a conflict with them, but who knew what would happen? he had to be prepared at least. the discussion related to the aztecs ended, and soon the next agenda was presented. and that agenda was quite important for kim ki-woo¡¯s life in the future. ¡°may i say something?¡± ¡°¡­speak up.¡± whenever the brilliant mind made such a grave expression, it usually meant a headache-inducing issue was about to pop up. and this time, the jinx did not break. ¡°we have talked endlessly about your marriage since you were called the spirit chief.¡± he knew what this was about just by hearing that much. as expected, the words that followed were within his anticipation. ¡°but every time, you dismissed our request because of the busy affairs of the tribe.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°however, you can¡¯t delay it any longer. you have to settle the marriage issue as soon as possible. please listen to this old man¡¯s plea.¡± it was not his opinion alone. as soon as the brilliant mind bowed his head, the other chiefs also bowed theirs. it was an implicit gesture of supporting the brilliant mind¡¯s opinion. of course, kim kiwoo had no intention of postponing his marriage either. ¡°i¡¯m sure i do. i¡¯ve been feeling the need for marriage myself.¡± ¡°then¡­¡± ¡°when i proclaim the founding of the nation, i¡¯ll also hold my wedding ceremony.¡± kim kiwoo set a date for his marriage in advance. since he had to get married anyway, it was better to do it all at once. ¡°how do you plan to choose your spouse?¡± ¡°my spouse¡­¡± marriage was not something he could do alone. he needed a suitable partner. but kim kiwoo had not dated anyone since he came back to the past. he didn¡¯t have time for dating, and his position was too high to date freely. ¡®it¡¯s bitter when i think about it.¡¯ he hadn¡¯t dated for ten years! no matter how much he excused himself, it was a miserable fact. kim kiwoo shook off his thoughts and opened his mouth. ¡°no matter how urgent it is, i can¡¯t bring in a woman who will be the future mother of the nation carelessly. i¡¯ll create a temporary organization to find a woman who will marry me. for now, they will be in charge of my marriage.¡± of course, this organization would have kim kiwoo¡¯s strong influence. ¡®no matter how kind-hearted i am, i have to live with her for a long time, so i¡¯d rather have a pretty woman.¡¯ kim kiwoo was also a helpless man. * ¡°is the observation going well?¡± ¡°oh my, grand chief kim is here!¡± ¡°hahaha. you always do this when i come here. how can i come if you make me feel so burdened? just relax.¡± ¡°if that¡¯s what grand chief kim wishes¡­¡± he was used to this reaction wherever he went. kim kiwoo stopped the people who were about to kneel and casually sat on a chair. now chairs and tables were widely distributed, and the carpenters¡¯ skills had improved so much that they were not bad in terms of aesthetics. when kim kiwoo sat on a chair, the astronomers also took their seats. ¡°you must have heard the news too?¡± ¡°of course we heard about the founding of the nation. it¡¯s been so noisy lately.¡± ¡°then you must know why i came here today.¡± ¡°finally¡­¡± the voice of the leader of the astronomers, far-sighted eyes, trembled. he was known by his reputation as the first person to see the great spirit. he was also the first person to be selected as an astronomer because of his excellent eyesight. kim kiwoo did not beat around the bush and said straight away. ¡°that¡¯s right. at the same time as proclaiming the founding of the nation, i have to announce the calendar that we have been researching and refining.¡± ¡°ooh!¡± ¡°hoo!¡± various emotions were written on the faces of the astronomers. there was no negative emotion at all. this observatory had been established four years ago when new members were added. of course, it had changed a lot since then as it had steadily increased its staff and scale. ¡®in fact, they didn¡¯t do much.¡¯ he knew everything about modern astronomy. it was one of the things he had learned before coming back to the past. therefore, all they did was make telescopes with lenses brought from modern times, observe how celestial bodies moved and draw them on paper and report them. kim kiwoo had forced them to memorize standardized knowledge. the astronomers just believed what kim kiwoo said and remembered it. but he had to do this now. he didn¡¯t have enough time to wait for their own growth. ¡®the calendar is more important than anything else.¡¯ especially for creek, which had not yet reached a sufficient level of civilization. the calculation of dates was very sensitive for agriculture and fishing. they had to know the exact sowing and harvesting times. of course, fishing was still far behind, so let¡¯s pass on that. in pre-modern society, the calendar was a very big benefit that a nation could give to an individual. and the calendar was the only way to know what year and date it was. it was also very important for educational purposes. astronomy was closely related to mathematics, so it had to be taken care of for the development of scholarship. it was also essential for sailing to the continent in the future. ¡°hmm. imperial calendar.¡± ¡°do you not like it?¡± ¡°no. it¡¯s not a bad name.¡± kim kiwoo nodded his head as he looked over the final version of the calendar made by the astronomers. the calendar in kim kiwoo¡¯s hand was not the gregorian calendar that modern people commonly knew. < preparing for the founding of the nation. > the end Chapter 17 chapter 17 it was none other than the world calendar, a calendar system that defied the conventional one. ¡°so today is march 27th?¡± ¡°yes, it is. it¡¯s wednesday, as you said. the quarters are aligned with the weekdays.¡± ¡°good. that makes it easier to calculate the dates.¡± the world calendar was proposed by an american woman named elizabeth achelis in 1930. however, it was a calendar system that was practically abandoned without much use. there were certainly advantages. that¡¯s why kim ki-woo wanted to use it. first of all, the dates are the same for every quarter. therefore, it does not require more than 12 sheets of paper like the gregorian calendar. only three sheets are needed to make a calendar. moreover, there is no need to change the calendar every year. it¡¯s all the same whether the year changes or not. it means that a lot of paper can be saved. ¡®in a situation where resources are scarce, i can¡¯t waste them on calendars. besides, i don¡¯t have to reset the metal type every time the year changes.¡¯ the best thing was that he could use the metal type for a lifetime by setting up only three types. for example, one sheet for january, april, july, and october, one sheet for february, may, august, and november. something like that. by the way, january, april, july, and october have 31 days instead of 30 days. and the rest of the eight months have 30 days each. finally, by setting the last day of december as a blank day, it matches exactly 365 days. of course, a leap month has to be inserted every four years, but this can be easily solved by adjusting the blank day to two days every four years. there was no religious force in america that would complain about making a blank day since there was no sabbath. ¡®in that respect, the international fixed calendar is better, but 13 months is a bit too much.¡¯ if you divide it into 13 months and make each month 28 days long, then a year is exactly 364 days. if you apply the blank day as above, you can make a calendar with one sheet of paper. but there was no need to do that. the biggest problem is that 13 is a prime number, so you can¡¯t use quarters of three months or halves of six months. it would be hard to do statistics later. of course, in modern times, there was no reason to change from the gregorian calendar to such a calendar system. rather, it would only cause more confusion if changed. but now there was no such confusion. it was rational to use a better-looking calendar system from the beginning. ¡°good. then next year will be the first year of the empire. your names will go down in history as the astronomers who created the imperial calendar.¡± ¡°sir, it¡¯s an honor!¡± they were all overjoyed and didn¡¯t know what to do. didn¡¯t they say that beasts leave their skins and humans leave their names? kim ki-woo left behind the enthusiastic welcome of the astronomers and left the observatory. the next place kim ki-woo visited was the supreme court. ¡°you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­yes. ahem.¡± there was no such hospitality as with the astronomers here. of course, they were not rude. he could easily tell why they showed such lukewarm reactions by looking at their faces. ¡®are they going to die of overwork before founding?¡¯ they had dark circles under their eyes. knowing their condition before the supreme court was established, kim ki-woo felt a little sorry for them. ¡®no way. why am i worrying about them?¡¯ compared to them, his workload was not easy at all! and it wasn¡¯t just the supreme court that was in this state. for example, the administration department, education department, and industry department were also as busy as the supreme court. thinking so, kim ki-woo had no choice but to comfort them. ¡°you look very tired. take it easy.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± a response that was about three seconds late. he thought he had been buffering for a moment. it seemed like he was protesting something like ¡®if you want us to do that, either reduce our workload or increase our staff!¡¯ but it wasn¡¯t easy to do that within the creek tribe. ¡®until last year, the workload of the supreme court was decreasing.¡¯ that was until last year. when their workload decreased and they could breathe a sigh of relief¡­ ¡®the expedition started.¡¯ it was all because of kim ki-woo in a way. anyway, as soon as the expedition began again, the population increased by a large margin. they were scattered around various villages as before. for those who had adapted to the life of the creek tribe, it was a sudden change to live with people who didn¡¯t speak well with them. naturally, there were many conflicts between them. the incidents that occurred were resolved by the security offices of each village. however. ¡®the security office can¡¯t handle all the cases.¡¯ as the population increased, new forms of conflicts emerged, and some serious matters that could not be resolved within the security office occurred. those things were sent to the security department, the higher authority of the security office. but the security department was not omnipotent either. they also passed on things that were difficult for them to handle directly to the supreme court. it was the highest authority related to law. ¡®it¡¯s a structure where the work piles up in the supreme court. at least until the security is stabilized.¡¯ the cases to be handled increased gradually, but it was not easy to increase the staff drastically. although it was incomparable to the future, the people who dealt with law had to be very competent professionals. they had to be smart and wise to handle big and new cases. and they had to study constantly the laws that were being created and various precedents. for this reason, the manpower replenishment to the supreme court was much slower than the increase in cases. now, even if they worked overtime like eating rice, the cases kept piling up. but things would get better as the elementary school grew and more tribesmen learned to read and write, and even more intellectuals learned from middle school. of course, he didn¡¯t know when that would happen. maybe the supreme court would be the institution that would suffer from heavy workloads for the longest time. kim ki-woo cautiously predicted. enough with the appreciation. he had something to do here. kim ki-woo winked at straight tree. then straight tree put the documents he brought on the desk. ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a constitution.¡± ¡°wow. is this the constitution you mentioned?¡± the chief justice clear springwater picked up the document with curiosity. he was interested in the newly created constitution as expected of the current highest authority in law. he had already hinted at the existence of the constitution several times, so there was no big resistance. ¡°read it and report any questions you have. i won¡¯t accept any suggestions for revisions unless absolutely necessary.¡± it was a constitution that he had made for a long time to suit the situation of the tribe. he considered enough that it was a pre-modern society. he didn¡¯t want to touch it much. fortunately, the chief justice did not object much to kim ki-woo¡¯s unilateral words. ¡°yes. i will do that.¡± ¡°good. things will get easier when more educated people come out. let¡¯s work together until then.¡± ¡°phew. i know you haven¡¯t rested either, but i¡¯m worried about you more than the chief justice.¡± ¡°haha. it¡¯s touching that you¡¯re worried about me. but i have to finish my last job. it¡¯s uncomfortable if you stop in the middle of pooping, right?¡± ¡°sigh. i knew you would say that.¡± the bell rang throughout the city. ding! ¡°it¡¯s already evening. should i go in and rest now?¡± ¡°please do that. i¡¯m more worried about you than the chief justice.¡± the sound of bells meant it was 6 pm. the bell tower in the middle of the square rang three times a day. 6 am, 12 pm, 6 pm. they still measured time with a sundial, so it would take a while to make a precise clock. of course, he didn¡¯t think of a spring clock. ¡®it¡¯s crazy to expect a spring clock from the craftsmen.¡¯ what kim ki-woo was considering was a falling weight clock. of course, to get power from the falling weight, the body had to be as large as 30 meters, and the usable time was less than eight days. but it was very attractive to get accurate time. and as time passed and technology improved, he could switch to a spring clock. kim ki-woo had already been experimenting with this with the craftsmen. he believed that he would soon have a decent falling weight clock. kim ki-woo burned the flame of his last work while having various thoughts. * ¡°would you like a cup of tea?¡± ¡°sure. let¡¯s have green tea today.¡± ¡°yes.¡± straight tree brewed green tea leaves in hot water and brought them to the office. squeak. a proper amount of green tea was poured into a porcelain teacup. kim ki-woo smiled as he looked at the steaming green tea, teacup, and teapot. ¡®i¡¯ve come this far.¡¯ in a little while, he would be called an emperor, not a chief. and he had some cultural aspects that were incomparable to modern times. gulp. ¡°¡­good.¡± the tea aroma was excellent. he felt his mind and body relax. by the way, the room had changed a lot. the chief¡¯s office in the administration department. this space, which would soon become the emperor¡¯s office, was very large. it was big enough to accommodate dozens of staff members. and it was made entirely of stone, so it was sturdy and very resistant to fire. it wasn¡¯t just big and sturdy. the beautiful pottery artworks that filled this space, the drawings made with pencils, the sculptures carved by sculptors who were still immature, and the exhibits such as swords, spears, and axes made by blacksmiths. it was running to the end of luxury by this era¡¯s standards. ¡°grand chief. we have to proceed with the next schedule soon.¡± but he was busy in proportion to that. he hadn¡¯t rested for long, but straight tree was already urging him. ¡°haha. you told me to rest a while ago, but was that a lie?¡± ¡°do you want to rest?¡± ¡°¡­no, no. i have to work hard to finish the remaining schedules today. who¡¯s going to do these piled up tasks if i rest? right? hahaha! hahaha¡­¡± is it just me or is my vision blurry? kim ki-woo left the policy department with his aides in tow. and he headed straight for the river. the place he visited this time was a shipyard. he could see a fairly large ship in his sight before he even got there. ¡°hehehe.¡± this damn mania. it seemed to be getting worse lately. but what can he do? he naturally felt happy when he saw those pretty things. ¡°grand chief!¡± ¡°hahaha! you guys have worked hard.¡± ¡°no, not at all. it¡¯s all thanks to your guidance.¡± you know it well. how much time did they squeeze out to make the ship in front of them? but he didn¡¯t say such words in vain. it took a long time to mass-produce ships suitable for transportation. some might ask if four years is fast enough. but he already had the blueprint. he also taught them how to build ships and supported them generously. it only took longer to mass-produce because of the skill level of the shipbuilders and the quality of the tools. until now, many of the ships that were produced for trial purposes were already transporting goods, but from now on, when the mass production system of the ships in front of him was completed, ships for transportation would be built in large quantities. if these ships were widely distributed, a revolution in transportation would take place as expected. ¡®many large cities will emerge along the river, and development will be at least several times faster.¡¯ raw materials and food will be cheaply and quickly distributed by water transport. in other words, he could unite the creek¡¯s vast territory into one. one of the biggest driving forces for maintaining a centralized state, the transportation problem, was solved. no wonder he felt affectionate about the ship in front of him. he achieved one of the biggest achievements before transforming from a tribe into an empire. end Chapter 18 chapter 18 ¡°i need a break.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± in the dark night, straight tree¡¯s face turned to surprise at kim kiwoo¡¯s sudden words. ¡°haha. why do you look like that?¡± ¡°ah, no. have you finally decided to take a rest?¡± ¡°yes. i think i should work more leisurely from now on.¡± he had been working non-stop for ten years. it was an unbelievable workload from the perspective of a modern person. he had pushed himself too hard. he was starting to feel mentally exhausted. so kim kiwoo made a decision. ¡®let¡¯s take a break regularly from now on.¡¯ he thought it was the only way to avoid going crazy. ¡®there are still a lot of things to do before the founding of the nation, but¡­¡¯ he could do them after he came back from a good rest. ¡°it¡¯s a very good idea. too much work is bad for your health.¡± ¡°haha. you¡¯re always the same, straight tree.¡± ¡°when are you planning to take a break?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t just go on vacation right away, so let¡¯s take a break after ten days. five days should be enough to relieve my fatigue.¡± ¡°you can take more time if you want¡­¡± ¡°no, that¡¯s enough. five days is a long time, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°well, if you say so¡­¡± that¡¯s how kim kiwoo¡¯s five-day vacation was confirmed. and finally. the morning of his first holiday dawned. * ¡°why are you here on your day off?¡± kim kiwoo looked at straight tree with a bewildered look. ¡°i¡¯m resting.¡± ¡°in my room?¡± ¡°yes. i wanted to rest with you, so i came here.¡± a meeting with your boss on your day off. kim kiwoo¡¯s body shivered involuntarily. it was a common practice in many companies in south korea, but it was happening here too, across the ages. of course, it was not kim kiwoo¡¯s intention. ¡°do i make you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°¡­¡± straight tree¡¯s face quickly became gloomy. he was clearly acting. there was no way kim kiwoo wouldn¡¯t notice that. but his sincerity in coming here was obvious. kim kiwoo decided to pretend not to know. ¡°sigh. fine. let¡¯s rest together if you have nothing else to do.¡± ¡°thank you, sir.¡± after saying that, kim kiwoo lay down on the bed again. he looked out the window and saw that the day was fully bright. ¡®it feels awkward.¡¯ lying around like this when it¡¯s bright outside? it felt very awkward. as if he had done something wrong. ¡®no, what am i thinking? kim kiwoo shook his head vigorously. he should rest when he can. but. ¡®¡­what should i do?¡¯ he felt bored just lying there and doing nothing. he didn¡¯t want to waste his time like this on his first vacation. it was too precious for him after ten years. he wanted to do something, but he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°ugh!¡± when he didn¡¯t know what to do, he had to get up first. as kim kiwoo got up from the bed, straight tree, who was sitting quietly on a chair, opened his mouth. ¡°do you want to eat?¡± ¡°let¡¯s eat¡­ eat?¡± eat¡­ something flashed in his mind at that word. squeak! kim kiwoo smiled meaningfully. he finally thought of something to do. ¡°right. let¡¯s eat!¡± * kim kiwoo headed to the kitchen. ¡°it¡¯s been a long time since i¡¯ve been in the kitchen.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have any reason to cook, sir. but why are you here?¡± ¡°why did you come to the kitchen? of course, i came here to cook.¡± ¡°really? you could just order from the cook¡­¡± ¡°haha. there¡¯s no food that i want to eat yet.¡± ¡°oh. you¡¯re trying to develop a new dish.¡± ¡°well, something like that.¡± kim kiwoo had already developed several dishes. the most representative one was kimchi. kimchi had spread widely in the eating habits of the creek tribe. it was because it could last for a long time once it was fermented, and it had a decent taste. they ate it not only with rice, but also with bread, sweet potatoes, or potatoes. the latter cases were more common than rice. it was an ironic situation. ¡®no matter how i think about it, kimchi bread is too hybrid.¡¯ kimchi bread was the most popular among them. well, it had its own flavor, though. he also made soy sauce, red pepper paste, and soybean paste before. maybe it was because he had a strong korean dna, but he wanted to eat korean food. he had planted most of the seeds of the crops he brought in his bag, so it wasn¡¯t difficult. ¡®the climate is perfect, from tropical to temperate.¡¯ thanks to that, he was producing some sugar by growing sugarcane in the modern florida area. of course, it wasn¡¯t a generous amount. ¡°wait and see. i¡¯ll make you a delicious chicken dish.¡± ¡°ho-ho. a new chicken dish¡­¡± ¡°how about it? don¡¯t you want to try it?¡± ¡°don¡¯t you know that i like chicken?¡± chicken was the only livestock of the creek tribe. so they got most of their protein from chicken and eggs. the size of the poultry farm was huge now, and it was still growing. since reality was like this, there was no way that chicken dishes wouldn¡¯t develop quickly. but most of them still ate boiled chicken. it was the easiest way to eat it. ¡®at least there was no attempt to fry chicken.¡¯ oil was very precious here. the only way to get oil was to press plant seeds. the efficiency wasn¡¯t very good either. but¡­ ¡®i¡¯m going to eat it today.¡¯ fortunately, there was plenty of vegetable oil in the kitchen. kim kiwoo organized his thoughts and went on to make fried chicken and soy sauce. ¡®i¡¯ve fried chicken in modern times before.¡¯ his memory was a bit vague, but once he tried it, he could cook it well enough. of course, there were some ingredients that he didn¡¯t have, but he cooked them as much as possible. ¡°these precious things¡­¡± straight tree muttered regretfully as he watched the chicken being fried. he poured out precious oil generously to fry the chicken! if the person cooking wasn¡¯t kim kiwoo, he would have said something. anyway, kim kiwoo fried the chicken with abandon. and finally. the soy sauce chicken was done. ¡°wow!¡± he couldn¡¯t help but admire it. how beautiful it looked! chicken in a pre-modern society! he felt like he had come back to modern times for a moment. gulp. his mouth watered at the smell of fried chicken. ¡°haha. how about it? doesn¡¯t it smell good?¡± ¡°hmm. it looks delicious.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not just the smell. here, try a piece.¡± kim kiwoo picked up a leg of soy sauce chicken and handed it to straight tree. straight tree looked at the chicken leg from all sides and then took a big bite. crunch! chew chew. ¡°wow! wow!¡± straight tree¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°how is it? does it taste good?¡± ¡°sir, it¡¯s really delicious!¡± he said that and tore off the flesh of the chicken leg as if he were possessed. he even sucked on every piece of meat stuck to the bone. ¡°here, then i¡¯ll have one too.¡± kim kiwoo quickly grabbed another leg and put it in his mouth. crunch! ¡®yeah, this is the taste!¡¯ the salty and sweet soy sauce flavor and the greasy chicken¡¯s splendid collaboration. of course, it was a bit disappointing. it was because he lacked some ingredients, and the cook¡¯s skill level was different from the ones sold in the market. but still, this was something. kim kiwoo was satisfied enough. that¡¯s how kim kiwoo¡¯s first day of vacation. the day that later got a grand name as the birth of fried chicken. the world¡¯s first fried chicken was developed. * after eating chicken to their fill, kim kiwoo and straight tree went to the city. of course, they didn¡¯t come out alone. there were quite a lot of guards disguised around them. if you looked closely, they were scattered around kim kiwoo. ¡®i can feel the reward of working hard.¡¯ he usually ran around so busy that he couldn¡¯t look at the scenery of the street carefully. but as he walked around the city with leisure, the scenery was very nice. the three-story brick houses that were built in the beginning didn¡¯t look very good, but they weren¡¯t bad by the standards of this era. and even if they looked worthless as one building, these buildings were connected in a straight line, even matching up to five and ten. it had its own charm. the beauty of order, shall we say? ¡°the people¡¯s faces look very happy. this is all¡­¡± ¡°hey. stop talking nonsense and just follow me.¡± ¡°tsk.¡± ¡°hmm? i think i heard something strange.¡± ¡°you must have heard it wrong.¡± straight tree¡¯s expression was slightly sour. ¡®that guy. he has a cute side.¡¯ kim kiwoo chuckled and hastened his steps. he then looked around the market that had grown quite large. ¡®money. i need money.¡¯ money economy was the driving force that developed human civilization leaps and bounds. but right now, the creek tribe had no money. they couldn¡¯t introduce it. ¡®silver or gold, or at least enough copper, this is what¡­¡¯ gold and silver were concentrated in the west. that¡¯s why the famous american westward expansion happened. there wasn¡¯t much precious metal buried in the mississippi river area where kim kiwoo was. ¡®i don¡¯t have enough people to send to the west to mine gold or silver.¡¯ so now the market was formed by bartering. naturally, economic growth was very slow. kim kiwoo looked around the market and finally arrived at his destination. ¡°it¡¯s well built.¡± kim kiwoo uttered a short impression as he looked at the colosseum-like circular stadium. of course, he had come once when he had his first completion ceremony. but then he just congratulated him and left right away, so it didn¡¯t leave a deep impression. but today he came as a spectator. so it felt very different from then. kim kiwoo entered the stadium. clang! clang! swoosh! ¡°wow!¡± ¡°kill! kill!¡± ¡°smash his skull!¡± the fierce shouts echoed in the stadium. kim kiwoo looked at the battlefield where swords were flying fiercely. on the stadium, the gladiators looked similar to the creek warriors when kim kiwoo first came here. they wore enough leather to cover their vital parts. they had no upper clothes. ¡®their blood would spill if they just grazed those steel swords.¡¯ the audience liked their appearance very much. kim kiwoo knew it. it was a kind of superiority complex that they were different from gladiators. one of them will surely die. they could both die. the audience was thrilled by the sight of human life being cut off in a safe place. it was a space where human madness could be felt clearly ¡®it¡¯s not a good sight.¡¯ then why did he make this slaughterhouse? did he make it for the leisure life of the imperial people like rome? ¡®no. i don¡¯t want to do that.¡¯ he didn¡¯t make it because he wanted to, but because he had to. most of the imperial people believed in spirits. the most common spirit they believed in was the spirit of earth. but among the tribal people, there were many who thought that they had to offer human blood to the spirit of earth. so some chiefs harmed themselves and spilled blood, or some fierce tribes killed men from other tribes and soaked blood on earth. but kim kiwoo couldn¡¯t stand to see such things. and if he tried to get rid of this behavior altogether, there would be obvious resistance from tribal people. they had lived like this until now. ¡®i had no choice. if there are no teeth, you have to solve it with gums. it¡¯s not allowed for them.¡¯ the people who came out of the stadium were all death row inmates who were sentenced to death. one of them would surely die, but if they didn¡¯t die, they could survive as gladiators until they died. the imperial people regarded this slaughter as a ritual of offering blood to the spirit of earth. and they also saw a thrilling game that made their fists clench. thanks to that, they didn¡¯t spill any blood except for the death row inmates. ¡®but i have to get rid of it someday.¡¯ if he slowly reformed their minds, someday this barbaric custom would disappear. < first vacation. > the end Chapter 19 chapter 19 < return. > he spent the first day of his holiday well. but the problem started from the next day. ¡®i still have four days left¡­¡¯ he had done everything he could do in the great start inn yesterday. but he felt reluctant to go out of the city. for the remaining four days, he strictly ordered straight tree not to bother him at all. thanks to that, he could have some time for himself. ¡®i think i can understand why the tribesmen are crazy about gladiators.¡¯ of course, he had no intention of enjoying such a slaughter show. but on second thought, there was nothing else to enjoy in this era except for that. ¡®hmm, content¡­¡¯ what could be considered as content in this era? the first thing that came to his mind was sports, such as ball games or martial arts. well, as long as the gladiators¡¯ swordplay didn¡¯t disappear, martial arts wouldn¡¯t be popular. what else could there be besides sports? ¡®newspapers might be possible.¡¯ the next thing he thought of was the distribution of newspapers. he thought it might be possible to use metal type. ¡®that sounds pretty good, actually.¡¯ the distribution of newspapers had many positive aspects. first of all, it would speed up the spread of literacy. many tribesmen were already learning how to read and write at elementary schools. but even if they learned how to read, there was not much to read. how could their writing skills improve in this situation? they needed more exposure to anything. ¡®it would also help to unite the tribesmen.¡¯ of course, things were improving now. it was a good choice that kiwoo kim didn¡¯t make a village of one lineage, but scattered them around. if he had made a village with the same lineage, they would have used their own languages. it was a bit different from the situation, but he could understand kiwoo kim¡¯s idea when he thought of chinatowns in many countries in modern times. in this situation, newspapers would speed up the standardization of language. ¡®it would also be positive for the calendar distribution.¡¯ if he produced newspapers, he would make weekly or monthly newspapers, so wouldn¡¯t they have a sense of date to read regular newspapers? lastly¡­ ¡®it would be easier to guide the tribesmen¡¯s thoughts in the direction i want.¡¯ he intended to manage the newspapers by the state from the beginning. he didn¡¯t trust them enough to supply them to private companies. he could naturally spread information such as law-abiding spirit, hygiene, common sense, etc. through newspapers. of course, there were problems such as paper waste, metal type expansion, etc., but these could be solved by increasing the scale. the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had to produce newspapers. but when he tried to make newspapers, there was a problem of deciding what to put in them. there was no such thing as journalists in this era. it wasn¡¯t like joseon where there were eunuchs. ¡®well, if there isn¡¯t one, i¡¯ll just make one.¡¯ kiwoo kim was a veteran of creating something out of nothing. he could make a group of journalists and put important information or interesting stories about the creek tribe in the newspaper. ¡®hmm. it¡¯s a bit boring if it only delivers information.¡¯ if he serialized something interesting on the page regularly, he would have more regular subscribers. ¡®novels? poems? essays?¡¯ something light to read was good for literature. kiwoo kim had already published a considerable amount of literature in elementary school textbooks. but it wasn¡¯t enough for regular serialization. the writers¡¯ group was still slowly emerging. in other words, he had to write it himself if he wanted to increase the quantity. ¡®sigh¡­ let¡¯s take it slow. i have to rest when i rest!¡¯ writing was also quite hard work. kiwoo kim shook his head and tried to take a nap. but. when he became conscious of sleeping, he couldn¡¯t sleep at all. ¡®¡­should i try writing a little?¡¯ a little bit of curiosity peeked out at him about writing. ¡®yeah. i¡¯ll just write until i feel like it. until i get bored or tired.¡¯ it was his break time anyway. it was right to do what he wanted if he felt like it. kiwoo kim slowly got up and sat on a chair. then he started sharpening a pencil with a small knife. * kiwoo kim¡¯s choice was a novel. he was negative before starting, but once he started writing, it was quite fun. kiwoo kim wrote a novel without any hesitation. and when he came to his senses¡­ ¡°grand chief, did you rest well?¡± ¡°y-yeah¡­¡± before he knew it, his five-day vacation was over. straight tree¡¯s face was very bright. his skin, which had been dry and rough, became smooth and elastic. he looked like he had rested well during the holiday. on the other hand, kiwoo kim felt a slight fatigue. he enjoyed writing when he was writing, but when the holiday was over, he regretted writing novels all the time. but it was too late to regret it. the holiday was already over. ¡°why do you look so pale? do you have any discomfort anywhere?¡± ¡°ha ha. i¡¯ve been resting for five days, how could i be sick?¡± kim ki-woo smiled awkwardly and hastened his steps. and so, his work began again. of course, he wanted to proceed with the newspaper-related tasks right away, but he couldn¡¯t. there were some urgent matters that he had to deal with first. kim ki-woo held his first meeting after returning from his vacation. ¡°i never knew it would be so good to transport goods by boat.¡± ¡°right. to think that we used to carry so many things by hand¡­ ugh, it¡¯s amazing how we managed to do that until now.¡± ¡°it was all thanks to the hard work of the porters.¡± ¡°you¡¯re right.¡± as the transport boats piled up, the creek tribe¡¯s transportation system began to change rapidly. north america was different from other continents. it had rivers that were incomparable to those of other continents in terms of quantity and quality. moreover, the mississippi river area, which had firmly established itself as the creek¡¯s territory, was the region that benefited the most from this advantage. thanks to this, the atmosphere in the meeting room was very harmonious. the effects of water transportation were gradually being felt. ¡°the demand for porters is decreasing, right?¡± ¡°yes. if we get more boats like this, we might be able to reduce the scale even more.¡± ¡°good.¡± unless they subjugated other tribes, it was rare for them to have a natural surplus of manpower. kim ki-woo had no intention of wasting them. ¡°then let¡¯s put them into construction.¡± ¡°construction, sir?¡± the construction director straight tree looked surprised and asked back. the construction department was already busy. it was not easy to replace all the houses of the tribe members, who had exceeded one million, with stone. he had no idea when this goal would be achieved. in addition, he was reading and studying the architectural books that kim ki-woo had written in order to design the new imperial palace. everyone agreed that the imperial palace should be magnificent and beautiful. as a result, the construction department was working hard. because of this, no one knew when the imperial palace would be completed. it was certain that it would take a long time. but suddenly he wanted to increase the staff? was it because he wanted to support more workers for the busy construction work? ¡®there¡¯s no way he would do that.¡¯ straight tree firmly denied his guess. he had been working with him for a long time. he never generously supplemented the lack of manpower. he always provided just enough staff to barely meet the needs. then¡­ ¡°he must have something new in mind.¡± the industrial director black mud uttered straight tree¡¯s suspicion out loud. whenever something new started, the industrial department also got busy. therefore, his expression was not very good either. ¡°you¡¯re right. even though water transportation has started in earnest, i still think there are many things lacking.¡± ¡°what are they, sir?¡± ¡°first of all, we need to make proper docking facilities. we can¡¯t keep loading and unloading things on and off the boats like this.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± the commercial director swiftfoot nodded and agreed with kim ki-woo¡¯s words. this was a big reaction from him, who was usually taciturn. all transportation systems were under the jurisdiction of the commercial department. in other words, the commercial department benefited the most from the boats. however, there were still not enough basic facilities for docking boats, so there was a lot of waste of manpower. of course, that was not the only reason why kim ki-woo mentioned construction. ¡°we also need to pave roads with stone for the movement of raw materials.¡± the faces of the executives showed confusion. they did not know the concept of paved roads yet. ¡°what do you mean by paved roads?¡± ¡°it means covering the roads with stone to make them flat.¡± ¡°do we really need to do that?¡± in modern times, anyone who asked this question would be scolded for being ignorant. but it was understandable that they had this doubt since they had not experienced it yet. ¡°we absolutely need to do that. once you pave the roads with stone, they won¡¯t get muddy even when it rains.¡± ¡°hmm. that sounds good. the porters suffer a lot when it rains.¡± ¡°that¡¯s not all. industrial director?¡± ¡°yes, sir?¡± ¡°are there any problems with producing carts?¡± ¡°of course not.¡± the industrial director black mud realized kim ki-woo¡¯s intention as soon as he finished speaking and widened his eyes. ¡°oh! if you pave the roads as you say, using carts will be much easier!¡± ¡°ha ha. you¡¯re really good at your job.¡± the wheels and carts had been made for quite a while, but they were not popularized. the ground was bumpy and soft, which was the biggest reason. but what if the roads were paved and remained the same even when it rained? the efficiency of carts would increase significantly. they would finally be popularized. ¡®should i import some llamas from somewhere?¡¯ there must have been natives who raised llamas near the andes mountains. he had boats now, so he wondered if he should bring some llamas, which were not as good as horses, cows, or camels, but could be used for pulling carts. it would be much more efficient to use animal power to pull carts. ¡°the burden on the porters will be greatly reduced if the roads are paved. they don¡¯t have to carry heavy loads, they just have to load them on carts and pull them.¡± ¡°then both water and land transportation will become much easier.¡± ¡°yes.¡± only then did the directors show signs of acceptance. of course, their reactions were different. the commercial director was happy that transportation would become easier, while the construction and industrial directors were gloomy. but kim ki-woo deliberately ignored them. the innovation of the transportation system was something he could never compromise on. < return. > the end Chapter 20 chapter 20 < concrete. > the creek tribe had done many things in the past decade. as a result, things progressed quickly once a decision was made. ¡®first, we need to pave the road from the mining area to the river.¡¯ various minerals, including iron and limestone, were being mined at this very moment. if the raw material transport route was paved, it would be easier to transport the minerals to the industrial area. ¡®of course, i can¡¯t go to the mining area for that.¡¯ he had to deal with many things before the founding of the nation. he had to avoid leaving the great start city for other regions for a while. therefore, the first place where they started paving the road was the route from the industrial area of the great start to the riverside. the skilled construction workers would lay the foundation here and then move on to the paving of the road in the mining area. ¡®i wonder when they will be able to start new things without me.¡¯ kim ki-woo thought as he supervised the work of making concrete. but he soon shook his head. it would have taken hundreds of years for things to happen naturally as they did so far. he was compressing and progressing them. it was too much to expect such things from people who lacked basic knowledge. ¡°mix it well over there. don¡¯t do it roughly, mix it evenly! how do you expect to make it properly like that?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°wait! i told you to mix it in exact proportions! why are you putting sand as you please!¡± ¡°uh! i, i have a good eye for¡­¡± ¡°a good eye? sigh¡­ are you saying you¡¯ve been doing construction by guesswork until now?¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯ll measure it properly.¡± kim ki-woo went around and pointed out the mistakes of the workers countless times. and he didn¡¯t spare harsh words for those who worked as they pleased. ¡®it feels like i¡¯ve enlisted in the army again.¡¯ he had hammered countless times when he was doing trench work. back then, he was a soldier who swung a shovel, but now he was in a position to give orders loudly. is this how military officers felt? while kim ki-woo was having such useless thoughts, concrete was steadily being made. ¡®concrete is perfect for paving roads.¡¯ until now, they mainly used mortar made by mixing cement and lime, sand, and water and soaking it in water. the mortar made this way was used to bond bricks. but pouring more than half of the cement for making roads was crazy. there was no such waste. that¡¯s why they were making concrete. concrete only contained 30 percent cement. the rest was mostly sand, gravel, and clay. even while kim ki-woo was lost in thought, concrete mixed with enough water was quickly made. and on the planned site of the paved road, where they had solidly prepared the ground for days of shoveling, they laid concrete. once the concrete that was still wet hardened, it would perform the role of a great paved road. ¡®i miss remote control.¡¯ until yesterday, he missed forklifts, but today it was remote control. he missed the power of machines so much as he did such large-scale work with manpower. well, this wasn¡¯t the first time he had such thoughts, so his regret quickly disappeared. ¡®it¡¯s a shame that i can only use concrete for this purpose right now. sigh.¡¯ concrete was indispensable for modern architecture. but to use concrete properly, he had to make rebar. concrete had high compressive strength. it meant that it didn¡¯t get damaged much even if it was pressed down from below. but it was weak against tensile force. therefore, rebar was essential to supplement tensile strength when building buildings or bridges with concrete. ¡®make rebar with uniform quality?¡¯ kim ki-woo snorted. it was impossible at this level. even if it were possible by any chance, because mathematics had not been widely spread yet, it would be blocked from design. in order to make buildings last long without collapsing, advanced architectural engineering calculations were essential. in other words, he could only use concrete relying on its powerful compressive strength to pave roads like this. still, the construction workers were skilled people who had built countless buildings. they quickly adapted as kim ki-woo directed them. ¡°there¡¯s nothing too difficult now. just follow what i told you and try paving a road once. got it?¡± ¡°yes. we¡¯ll do our best.¡± feeling that his role was over for now, kim ki-woo left the site soon. the next place kim ki-woo visited was a construction site by the river where they were building docking facilities. ¡°things are going well here.¡± ¡°we¡¯re used to using cement now. you don¡¯t have to worry about this place.¡± ¡°haha. it looks like it. then i¡¯ll trust you guys and make it well.¡± ¡°yes, boss.¡± compared to paving the road, the construction of the docking facilities went well without kim ki-woo. he didn¡¯t need to say anything at all. with this, kim ki-woo was able to finish the transportation-related work for now. time would solve everything from now on. * ¡°did you hear that?¡± ¡°did you find a good job?¡± ¡°ah, this guy. how can you be so slow with information?¡± the burly man clicked his tongue as he looked at his friend¡¯s sturdy legs. but the sturdy legs just smiled amiably. ¡°haha. why worry when you know how the world works?¡± ¡°hehe. i do have some fast information. well, you see, the grand chief has started a new project.¡± ¡°again? but according to my friend in the administration, the grand chief already has a lot of work to do¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. he¡¯s an amazing person. anyway, do you know what it is?¡± ¡°haha. no, i don¡¯t. tell me quickly.¡± ¡°ahem! but before that, don¡¯t we need some more drinks?¡± ¡°kehkehkeh. you¡¯re such a friend. hey, boss! bring us some more drinks!¡± ¡°there¡¯s no one like you, right?¡± the burly man smiled contentedly and began his story in a low voice. ¡°he¡¯s building something called paved roads.¡± ¡°paved roads?¡± ¡°yeah. it¡¯s a process of flattening the roadside with stones.¡± ¡°huh? why would he do that?¡± the burly man explained to his friend the reason he knew. then the sturdy legs nodded as if convinced. ¡°hmm. i see. but is that all? ahem, it doesn¡¯t seem worth the drinks¡­¡± ¡°hey, you! do you know how important this information is? think about it. when they start moving things with those carts, what will we porters do?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± at that sound, the sturdy legs widened his eyes. ¡°what? does that mean we have to quit being porters?¡± ¡°haha. did you get it now? of course, not all of them will disappear. but they¡¯ll decrease a lot, right? instead, there will be jobs like pulling carts or loading and unloading cargo on ships.¡± ¡°oh, i don¡¯t know if that¡¯s better or worse.¡± ¡°of course it¡¯s better! how hard is it to carry a load back and forth? and we¡¯ll hear less nagging from our wives. we¡¯ll be able to go home every night.¡± ¡°hmm. now that you mention it, that¡¯s true. the grand chief is the only one who thinks of us. i bow to him once every morning when i go to the administration.¡± ¡°hehe. i do it twice because it feels good.¡± ¡°what?¡± as soon as he said that, the sturdy legs burst into laughter and clapped his hands. ¡°don¡¯t you know that yet? i heard this from a friend in the administration, but the grand chief told him not to bow twice. he said that twice is for dead people.¡± ¡°oh! so we can¡¯t bow twice in the spirit world? oh dear, then i¡¯ll have to bow once from today on.¡± ¡°that¡¯s obvious.¡± like this, various rumors circulated here and there today. the world was changing too fast for the tribal people. but it would be the same wherever they went, and there were people who didn¡¯t like such rapid changes. ¡°it¡¯s really ridiculous. tsk! why are these strange things popping up everywhere? is this really the will of the spirits?¡± ¡°sigh. what can we do? the world is going crazy.¡± these complaints were especially evident among the old elders. they didn¡¯t like the changes of the young people. when they were young, they respected the wise elders and followed their words faithfully. whenever something happened, they looked for solutions from the wise elders. but now, they solve those things in places like the security bureau or the supreme court. when they tried to guide the young people with something, they ignored their words by spouting out new common sense spread by the administration. sometimes they even dragged them to the security bureau for being oppressive and cruel¡­ ¡°tsk tsk. look at that. what kind of ridiculous outfit is that?¡± ¡°it looks hot just by looking at it. they¡¯ll die like that. die.¡± the two elders muttered as they watched the busy people on the street. what they pointed out were the strange clothes worn by many young people. the clothes that kim ki-woo wore in modern times and modified to suit pre-modern conditions. that was trending now. the elders found them disgusting. but no matter what the elders said, the world was already changing radically. and they realized that by changing like this, they could live a better life, at least for the tribal youths living in and around the great start city. this was already a state of inertia. as long as kim ki-woo didn¡¯t abandon this policy of driving change, it would never stop. and such signs were happening here, at the mill. ¡°let¡¯s take a break!¡± ¡°yes!¡± as soon as the manager finished speaking, the mill workers stopped working. ¡°oh my god, i¡¯m dying, i¡¯m dying!¡± ¡°those shiny grains never seem to disappear.¡± ¡°oh, the harvest ended last year, but we¡¯re still grinding grains. this is a problem, a problem.¡± ¡°but isn¡¯t the bread made from that flour so delicious?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± the sharp-eyed man nodded his head in agreement with the big palm. it was a fact that delicious food had increased a lot since flour was distributed. the sharp-eyed man, who had been a member of the creek tribe for four years, was satisfied with his current life. but when he saw the mountain of grains piled up like that, he felt something rising up in his chest. that¡¯s why. the reason why the sharp-eyed man muttered softly. ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be nice if there was something that automatically ground those grains?¡± ¡°what? hahaha! there¡¯s no such thing!¡± ¡°hmm. there¡¯s none if there¡¯s none. why are you laughing so much?¡± the big palm laughed out loud and mocked him. he couldn¡¯t roar as he clapped his big hands. but the big palm didn¡¯t care about his change of expression and said. ¡°it¡¯s funny because you¡¯re talking nonsense. what would we do if there was such a thing?¡± ¡°damn. it would still make our work easier! the grand chief has created many machines so far, but who can guarantee that such a thing won¡¯t be made?¡± ¡°hey, mentioning the grand chief is cheating. he¡¯s special, so he can do it.¡± ¡°who doesn¡¯t know that the grand chief is special? tsk! i can¡¯t talk to you!¡± the sharp-eyed man went home that day with a bad mood. and his wife, the big butt, noticed it right away. they had been living together for a long time, so they couldn¡¯t miss such a change. ¡°what happened? why do you look so gloomy?¡± ¡°eh. well¡­¡± the sharp-eyed man told his wife what had happened at the mill. his wife didn¡¯t laugh or mock him like the big palm. she listened very seriously. when he finished speaking, she expressed her thoughts. ¡°it would be great if such a machine existed. the grand chief would surely like it if it was made. what are you afraid of? let¡¯s make it together.¡± < concrete. > the end Chapter 21 chapter 21 < the reason for the expedition > ¡°are you serious?¡± ¡°yes. you know how the grand chief always encourages the craftsmen to create something new, right?¡± ¡°but i¡¯m not a craftsman¡­¡± ¡°who was born a craftsman? you can become one too.¡± ¡°hmm.¡± he was not entirely uninterested in becoming a craftsman, so his wife¡¯s words intrigued him. of course, he knew that to become a craftsman, he had to enter as an apprentice and endure hardships, so he didn¡¯t bother to try. the experienced miller thought carefully and soon made up his mind. ¡°okay. let¡¯s try to make it. if it doesn¡¯t work, well, it just wasn¡¯t meant to be, right?¡± ¡°you made a good decision, honey.¡± from that day on, every night, the couple wondered and pondered how they could make a device that could grind grains automatically. one day. ¡°what if we use the water from the river?¡± ¡°huh? the water from the river?¡± ¡°yes. the river always flows, right? we can use the power of the fast-flowing water.¡± ¡°is that possible?¡± he doubted it, but it was a convincing suggestion. after that day, they drew their imagined device on paper in various ways. time flew by quickly. their efforts did not betray them. they finally drew something quite plausible. ¡°we did it! we can make this!¡± having worked at the mill for a long time, the experienced miller could tell at a glance. if it was made according to plan, he could grind grains much more easily than now. after that, the couple ran to the carpentry shop where their friend from the same tribe worked. ¡°you want me to make this? what are you going to use it for?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± bright starlight listened to his friend¡¯s words quietly. at first, he thought it was a nonsense story, but as he listened, it seemed quite credible. ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°this¡­¡± he said with sparkling eyes. ¡°it seems possible?¡± from that day on, they started to make an experimental device. and the day they saw the potential of their device with their own eyes. the experienced miller boldly quit his job at the mill. his wife also quit her job as a middle school teacher. that¡¯s how the first waterwheel was born, not by kim ki-woo¡¯s order, but by the suggestion of a tribal member. and later on, the experienced miller left a big mark in the history of the empire as a great craftsman who made various devices including waterwheels, and the giant palm that had laughed at his words ended his life as a worker in the flour factory made by the experienced miller. * ¡°huh¡­¡± kim ki-woo read the report and marveled again and again. ¡®i didn¡¯t expect such an awake tribal member to appear so soon.¡¯ quite a variety of experimental devices were being made around the craftsmen. but none of them had as much success as the couple who invented the waterwheel. he had been busy without a break. that¡¯s why the introduction of the waterwheel was delayed. of course, he was planning to invent the waterwheel soon enough. but they had already made a waterwheel without him even teaching them the concept. although he could see that there were many parts that needed to be modified in this design. ¡®it¡¯s a very good phenomenon.¡¯ this was a very positive sign. if kim ki-woo himself ordered everything to be made, it would be faster. and most of the work in the future would have to be done that way. kim ki-woo came back to the past with modern science. and he also had an obligation to develop civilization as fast as possible. but if people rely on him for everything and only do what he tells them to do, it will slow down development. kim ki-woo¡¯s daily workload is limited. he didn¡¯t have enough time in the first place. otherwise, he would have been the first designer of the waterwheel himself. the more people put their heads together, the faster development will be. isn¡¯t modern development at an unbelievable speed because information circulates quickly? if there are more people like this couple who made the waterwheel, he will be more comfortable and naturally accelerate civilization development. ¡°i have to reward this couple who invented this device called waterwheel greatly.¡± if he rewards such people generously, more people will try creative things in the future. ¡°is this really that amazing?¡± ¡°it is amazing. it saves labor, doesn¡¯t it? look at this design. it uses water to turn an axle and grind grains easily.¡± ¡°that would make grinding grains easier.¡± ¡°this is just the beginning. there are many things we can do with this waterwheel. as long as the water flows, the power will continue to be generated.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°look at this design. it uses water to turn an axle and grind grains easily. not only that, we can use this power for spinning and weaving, which we now do by hand. and what about the fulling process that is needed for ironmaking? we can make it stronger and more uniform with the waterwheel. that will improve the quality of iron.¡± ¡°¡­ah!¡± only then did straight tree open his eyes wide. ¡°there are many other possible uses. like grinding limestone or rock salt into powder. think about it when you have time. later on, not only hydropower but various other powers will be used¡­¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s modern civilization flashed through his mind. ¡°someday, the world will develop dazzlingly.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± he had lived in a world changed by such energy. kim ki-woo looked at straight tree, who was puzzled by his words, and smiled softly. * ¡°one couple per household is the law. haven¡¯t we been enforcing this on the tribal members until now? no matter how much it is the grand chief¡¯s marriage problem, we cannot deviate from this principle.¡± ¡°but the grand chief will become the supreme ruler of the nation that will be established in the future. to prepare for something too fearful to mention, he must strengthen his heirs.¡± ¡°hey, how can you say that the grand chief is wrong so easily?¡± ¡°it is an important issue that determines the future of the nation. how can you think so emotionally?¡± ¡°emotionally? it is a very rational judgment. the law must be strict. there should be no exceptions!¡± kim ki-woo clasped his forehead as he listened to the argument between the chief justice and the agriculture director. they were not yet fighting like factional politics, dividing into completely different sides, but when there was a disagreement, they temporarily split into supporters and opponents and argued fiercely. it was the same everywhere where people lived. later on, they would split into factions according to their values. ¡®i don¡¯t want to marry multiple women.¡¯ what good would it do to increase his wives unnecessarily? kim ki-woo had no dream of a harem. if he did, he would have acted on it long ago. ¡®and i¡¯m already strongly enforcing the monogamy policy, so there¡¯s no need to scratch a scab.¡¯ the seeds of the surrounding tribes had dried up long ago. that is, all the tribes that were close to the creek tribe had been subjugated. as a result, he had to go as far as distant tribes to increase his tribal members. the farther away they were, the more different their cultures were. the marriage customs were also different. some places practiced monogamy or polygamy, but some tribes did not marry and only had relations with outstanding warriors when they conceived children. ¡®that¡¯s unacceptable.¡¯ kim ki-woo had no intention of tolerating any marriage system other than monogamy. of course, there were exceptions for those who were already married to multiple wives. he couldn¡¯t force them to divorce just to comply with the law. the best thing was to prevent such cases from happening in the future. unless there was a big war, the sex ratio would naturally balance out. if he allowed polygamy, there might be more bachelors. kim ki-woo, who was already a bachelor himself, didn¡¯t want such men to exist. ¡°stop.¡± kim ki-woo stopped the argument between the chief justice and the agriculture director. ¡°agriculture director.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°i understand your intention. it is true that stability of heirs is essential if we want to establish a nation that will last for generations. but the law must be strict. the leader of a country cannot arbitrarily violate the law that is being enforced.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°follow me and the chief justice on matters related to law.¡± the nation that would be established in the future was based on rule of law. of course, it was a blindfolded lie. the legislative power was in the executive branch. that is, kim ki-woo. and he also held the personnel rights of major positions. he could easily amend the law if it bothered him. but he had to keep up appearances of complying with the law. if even the emperor violated the law, who would trust it? ¡®and i¡¯m going to be emperor for a very long time.¡¯ the directors who agreed with the agriculture director had a clear idea. they had to prepare for when kim ki-woo died unavoidably. that concern was reasonable. he could easily find out from the history of continental europe. when a monarch founded a country, it usually went well. the problem occurred after the death of the founding monarch. ¡®the kings of the later generations can never have the same prestige as the founding monarch.¡¯ the famous qin shi huang of the qin dynasty and alexander the great of the macedonian empire were examples. they had something in common with kim ki-woo. they invaded and absorbed many groups based on their own power. in other words, it meant that they could easily collapse. that¡¯s why the agriculture director argued that kim ki-woo should have as many children as possible and entrust the future to the most wise child. but kim ki-woo planned to rule for a long time as the founding monarch. in other words, unless kim ki-woo died in an accident, his country would not collapse so easily like theirs. ¡®and it¡¯s not like the agriculture director¡¯s idea is right.¡¯ qin shi huang, alexander the great, and other conquerors had many women. yet their countries were divided or destroyed after their deaths. it was often because they had too many children. they fought each other to become the emperor. there were pros and cons to everything. ¡°¡­if that¡¯s what the grand chief wants, i guess we can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°don¡¯t be too upset.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± the agriculture director realized that he couldn¡¯t change kim ki-woo¡¯s mind and stepped back. kim ki-woo moved on to the next issue. ¡°education director.¡± ¡°yes, chief.¡± ¡°is the establishment of the press bureau going well?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. we will be able to publish newspapers regularly soon.¡± ¡°good. pay as much attention as possible until the press bureau is established.¡± ¡°of course.¡± the education director¡¯s face was very calm. he had turned pale when he was ordered to make newspapers a while ago. ¡®he must have thought i would dump the newspaper production on the education department.¡¯ making regular publications with metal type? and the main purpose is to teach language to the tribal members? doesn¡¯t it sound like something for the education department? but kim ki-woo had a conscience. he worked his staff like modern slaves, but he didn¡¯t push them to the point of paralysis. that¡¯s why he established an independent agency called the press bureau. of course, the education department was in charge of the establishment process, but it was a different story from taking over the whole work. kim ki-woo decided to skip over anything related to newspapers for now. ¡°military director.¡± ¡°tell me.¡± ¡°is the expedition preparation going well?¡± ¡°yes. the training is all done, and we just need to solve the supply problem.¡± ¡°hmm. supply is always a problem. just prepare as much as you can, and get the rest locally. it¡¯s our first sea expedition, so we have to be well prepared.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± the military director bowed his head with a solemn expression. the expedition being discussed was different from the previous north american expeditions. the destination was south america. ¡®we can¡¯t go by land.¡¯ the road from north america to aztec was rough enough. but below that, from modern guatemala to colombia, it was a rugged tropical isthmus. so going through aztec to andes was practically impossible. that¡¯s why there had been no trade between north and south america until now. that¡¯s why llamas didn¡¯t spread to north america. ¡®well, we have no choice but to go by boat.¡¯ for this, he made a compass and taught them navigation skills quickly. but this was their first ocean voyage. no matter how hard kim ki-woo tried, he couldn¡¯t prevent various accidents. many lives might be lost in this process. ¡®but we have to do it.¡¯ even at this moment, roads were being paved steadily. to use them properly, he needed animals that could pull carts. unless he crossed the atlantic ocean and went to europe and brought back horses or cows, there was no animal that could replace them except llamas. in other words, there was only one purpose for this expedition. to secure llamas. < the reason for the expedition > the end Chapter 22 chapter 22 < the birth of the empress > meanwhile, a temporary agency called the marriage bureau was established to select the bride who would marry kim ki-woo. kim ki-woo had given a very detailed description of his ideal type to the marriage bureau. the agency recruited suitable maidens based on that criterion. as the rumor spread that it was an opportunity to become the companion of the great lord kim, fathers who had daughters wished fervently that their daughters would be chosen. as a result, countless requests came in. ¡°oh, please don¡¯t do that and take a good look at my daughter. these are just a small token of my sincerity¡­¡± ¡°hey! take them back right now! don¡¯t you know that public officials will be severely punished if they accept bribes? or are you trying to mess with me?¡± ¡°gasp! no, sir. i was short-sighted!¡± ¡°don¡¯t ever do this again. i¡¯ll let this one slide. go back and wait quietly for the result.¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± the man turned around with his shoulders slumped and left the building. the fierce beast sighed deeply as he watched the man¡¯s back. ¡°phew. maybe i should write ¡®no bribes¡¯ on the door.¡± ¡°oh! that¡¯s a good idea. if you write that, maybe the requests will decrease a bit.¡± ¡°i think i should. those people are also a problem. they should know that corruption by public officials is punished more severely.¡± ¡°haha. they must want to send their daughters to lord kim so badly.¡± ¡°but they did it wrong. even if they were selected for the final stage, which is unlikely, lord kim would reject them anyway.¡± ¡°they¡¯re just hoping for a miracle, i guess.¡± kim ki-woo had paid a lot of attention to prevent corruption by public officials from the beginning. this was something that had to be cut off from the start. the more corruption progressed, the harder it was to reverse it. so he made sure that public officials received higher salaries than ordinary workers. they also had a lot of work to do. thanks to that, there was no excuse for corruption due to lack of money, at least within the creek tribe. he showed no mercy to public officials who committed corruption even after receiving such carrots. corruption-related crimes by public officials were nailed as aggravated punishment targets. they had to spend a very long time in one of the worst working environments, the dung pit. ¡®dung pit¡­ eww!¡¯ the fierce beast shuddered at the horrible thought that crossed his mind. all day long, they had to move the dung piled up in the outhouse to the waste disposal plant. it was something he never wanted to do. people¡¯s thoughts were mostly similar. they say that even if they paid a lot of money, there were hardly any volunteers for dung pit work. that¡¯s why they were actively using criminals these days. ¡®after that, crime decreased a bit.¡¯ there was a widespread awareness that if you don¡¯t want to poop, you have to abide by the law. this helped the legal system settle in faster. ¡°by the way, lord kim has a very unique taste.¡± ¡°hmm. he does. i don¡¯t like women who look so fierce¡­¡± ¡°hehe. maybe everyone thinks so. thanks to that, all the women who were said to be the most beautiful in the village got rejected.¡± ¡°well. those women probably didn¡¯t want to get married and waited for this moment. what can we do? lord kim doesn¡¯t want them.¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s ideal type was a woman who had large features, was tall, and had curves even though she was thin. it was a step away from the common standard of beauty among the natives. they thought that women who were plump and looked like they could raise children well were the most beautiful. ¡°but at least we¡¯ve finished the first screening. of course, we still have to do the second screening.¡± ¡°huh. i personally think this is more important from now on. appearance is one thing, but she will be lord kim¡¯s companion from now on. she has to have a good personality.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. if we pick a nasty woman, we might get into big trouble.¡± the next hurdle was personality check. kim ki-woo and several chiefs agreed on this point. she would be the only empress of the empire to be built. of course, personality was very important. kim ki-woo knew this better than anyone else. there were many cases in history where countries collapsed because of their queens. he didn¡¯t have to go far to see his own country, korea, before korea, joseon. queen myeongseong. that is, minbi. how much trouble did joseon have because of her? even before that, andong kim¡¯s secessionist politics also ruined the country because of the corruption of the relatives. not to mention the worst villainess of the qing dynasty, empress dowager cixi. she showed how important the existence of the empress was. that¡¯s why kim ki-woo wanted to marry a woman who was compassionate and understanding. it didn¡¯t matter what tribe she was from, or how long she had been a creek. by this standard, many women drank bitter water. the final five women were selected. *** ¡°are those women?¡± ¡°yes, lord kim. they are the women who meet all the criteria you suggested.¡± ¡°i see.¡± kim ki-woo looked at the five women who were standing politely. ¡®they¡¯re pretty.¡¯ he almost smiled. but kim ki-woo showed superhuman patience and didn¡¯t show it. he didn¡¯t want to look silly on the first meeting. ¡®they only picked the women i wanted.¡¯ they all passed in appearance. of course, he liked the woman in the middle the most. of course, he had to talk to her personally to be sure. ¡°tell them to come to my office one by one. the rest can rest comfortably.¡± ¡°yes.¡± kim ki-woo entered his office first and sat down. knock knock. ¡°may i come in?¡± ¡°come in.¡± the voice of a woman with a grudge crossed the door and rang in kim ki-woo¡¯s ears. her voice was really nice. the first woman who opened the door and came in was the one on the far left. she seemed to be coming in order. ¡°please sit here comfortably.¡± ¡°yes.¡± a straight tree pulled out a chair and made a seat for her. soon, the interview with the woman in front of him began. they talked about everything from his full name, to how he would behave as an empress, and other political issues. ¡®how fun.¡¯ it had been a long time since he had a conversation with a fresh woman. most of the senior executives were still men. there were women who served as maids, but there were more male servants in that field. he enjoyed the conversation so much that he didn¡¯t even finish drinking until the tea cooled down. ¡®but something is missing.¡¯ that was what he thought after finishing the consultation with the second woman. they were pretty and didn¡¯t seem to have a bad personality¡­ he felt a slight hint of hiding something from both women. they also seemed to be pretending to be coy. to be honest, he wasn¡¯t very attracted to them. around that time. knock knock knock. ¡°may i come in?¡± ¡°come in.¡± the third woman entered the office. ¡®wow.¡¯ kim ki-woo¡¯s eyes sparkled. she was the one he liked best in appearance. and the unique atmosphere she exuded was very calm and comfortable. the first impression was good enough to give him a perfect score. ¡°sit down.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± ¡°so, what is your name?¡± ¡°my name is deep lake, sir.¡± ¡°deep lake¡­ it¡¯s a very fitting name.¡± kim ki-woo couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her eyes. she was a woman who had natural eye contact. she fixed her gaze on him and gave him the feeling that she was listening attentively. yet he didn¡¯t feel pressured. her eyes were as clear and deep as her name. ¡®they say eyes are the windows to the soul. i¡¯ve never met anyone with such an eye who has a bad personality.¡¯ this feeling became deeper as the conversation continued. ¡°so, you¡¯re a teacher now?¡± ¡°yes. i teach students at middle school.¡± ¡°i heard you haven¡¯t been a tribal for long, that¡¯s amazing.¡± her tribe was one of those who voluntarily surrendered to the creek tribe three years ago. she solved the language problem in that short time and learned academics to become a middle school teacher. he glanced at a report on student evaluations, and they were very good about her. if she wasn¡¯t greedy, she was better than a stupid woman for the empress¡¯s position. he also talked to her about trivial things. she didn¡¯t laugh too much. she was calm about everything. sometimes she smiled faintly, and that was also quite attractive. ¡°you must have received a lot of marriage proposals from men around you when you were a teacher, why did you want to marry me?¡± teachers¡¯ popularity was the same here and now. this was largely due to kim ki-woo¡¯s influence. kim ki-woo has always favored smart and knowledgeable people. besides, kim ki-woo¡¯s image itself was genius level. from the perspective of tribal people, he invented countless new things and changed the world through them. it was natural in a way. as a result, a tendency to favor intellectuals began to flow slowly within the creek tribe. deep lake¡¯s popularity must not have been bad. and it actually was. she thought for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°you¡¯re right, sir. i received many marriage proposals. but i thought it wouldn¡¯t be too late to consider them after i missed the opportunity to marry you.¡± ¡°hmm. you wanted to marry me?¡± ¡°yes.¡± she was quite aggressive. ¡°why?¡± ¡°because i admire what you have achieved so far.¡± it was an ordinary answer. it was rather rare among those who had been subjugated for quite some time by kim ki-woo who did not admire him. her words continued. ¡°human life is short. i want to spend this short period with a man i can admire. and you are exactly what i think is ideal.¡± the content may be ordinary, but her sincerity felt strong. it really depends on who says what when you receive it. kim ki-woo liked her answer. ¡°i¡¯ll have to think about it. you may feel that way now, but once you become an empress, many difficulties will come before your eyes. the weight of being an empress is heavier than you think.¡± ¡°i will endure it. as long as you remain an object of respect for everyone forever, and an object of respect for me, i am ready to endure any hardship. and i want to help you do that.¡± there was no anxiety on her face. ¡®she¡¯s the one.¡¯ kim ki-woo was finally able to be sure. no matter how excellent or eloquent the two women behind him were, they would not surpass the woman in front of him, deep lake. he liked her pleasant atmosphere and firm mind very much. that¡¯s how the first empress was born. < the birth of the empress. > end Chapter 23 chapter 23 < declaration of empire. > thick chest was a member of the lakhu tribe, which had joined the creek tribe relatively recently. the lakhu tribe was a fairly large tribe with thousands of people, but like other tribes, they were absorbed by the overwhelming power of the creek without much resistance. after that, thick chest was assigned to a new village built along the river with his wife. at first, he strongly resisted the system of the village where many different tribes lived together, but now he was living quite contentedly. ¡®at least i don¡¯t have to starve.¡¯ if he worked hard, he was given enough food. he could also easily get various things he needed for his life with them. and most importantly, he was free from the invasion of other tribes. he didn¡¯t have to fight against scary wild animals either. he had less to worry about losing his life. his quality of life had improved a lot. he didn¡¯t feel so bad about being incorporated into the creek tribe now. ¡°ugh! uwek!¡± ¡°ha ha! how many times is that kid throwing up?¡± ¡°that¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t ride a boat for the first time, you country bumpkins.¡± ¡°¡­¡± he heard the mocking words in creek standard language. he had learned creek standard language, hangul, and numbers from the teachers at the elementary school he had recently entered. so he understood their words very well. they must have known that those insults reached their ears, but they didn¡¯t care. ¡®they act like they¡¯ve ridden this boat so many times.¡¯ he wanted to say something back, but he held back. it wasn¡¯t a day or two that they had been acting like that. he just patted the back of the guy who was vomiting on the riverbank. ¡°are you okay?¡± ¡°ugh¡­ i¡¯m, i¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°if you feel sick, you should vomit more.¡± thud, thud, thud. ¡°thanks¡­ ugh!¡± thick chest patted his fellow villager¡¯s back and looked at the scenery around him. ¡®such a big boat.¡¯ it was a scale that his tribe, which had survived mainly on hunting and gathering until recently, couldn¡¯t even imagine. there was even an old man who fainted when he saw this huge boat floating on the river. thick chest was also amazed when he first saw this boat. he only got used to it after riding it a few times because of his cargo-related work. ¡®it¡¯s really amazing.¡¯ the creek tribe. no, now it was a country that was becoming an empire. he felt its power clearly. the empire would be founded in two days. he was also going to see the spectacle and go to the great beginning. even now, there must be many ships sailing on the river toward the capital. in other words, this huge boat was only a small part of the empire¡¯s power. and he wasn¡¯t far from arriving at the city, the capital of the empire, the great start. ¡®i wonder what it looks like?¡¯ he had never been to the great start city before. he had only heard stories about how amazing it was. he often imagined what the great start looked like in his mind based on what he heard from others. he was very curious how different it would be from his expectations. and soon after. the boat finally arrived at the great start. ¡°oh¡­¡± first of all, the river looked different. the huge river was well maintained with stones, and there were many boats moored there. even at this moment, there were a lot of boats coming and going. and more shock followed after he stepped on land. ¡°wow!¡± ¡°huh¡­¡± his companions kept exclaiming. thick chest was no exception. he hadn¡¯t even entered the city yet, but he was overwhelmed by the splendor of the city of the great start. they were mesmerized and tried to enter the city. ¡°hey, you guys over there! you have to line up! where are you going without lining up?¡± ¡°a line?¡± ¡°don¡¯t you see the line here? go behind that little one. you can¡¯t just go in like that.¡± ¡°oh, is that so?¡± the group lined up for the first time at the man¡¯s words. ¡®is this what they call order?¡¯ it was amazing to experience what he had learned from his elementary school teacher firsthand. he looked around at the scenery like an innocent child, and soon it was his turn to be checked. ¡°where did you come from?¡± ¡°we came from blue field village.¡± ¡°blue field¡­ ah! here it is. your purpose of visit is to watch the founding ceremony of the empire, right?¡± ¡°yes.¡± thick chest spoke nervously without loosening his tension. after that, he could enter the great beginning only after getting a city entrance certificate. ¡°phew. it¡¯s so complicated. it¡¯s a different dimension from our village.¡± ¡°compare what you can compare. this is the capital of the empire.¡± ¡°that, that¡¯s true.¡± the guy still sounded nervous. thick chest chuckled and crossed the big road. the road was paved with stones, and there were vehicles called carts passing by. all the people walked in one direction in an orderly manner. it matched the brick houses that were evenly built around. ¡®it¡¯s so different.¡¯ he had teased his fellow villager, but thick chest also had that thought in his head. although the paved roads were not very common yet, and there was a lot of construction going on, the sight was impressive enough. the brick houses that were big and tall, unlike the mud huts, the people of the capital who wore strange but cool clothes and shoes. the group unpacked their luggage at the inn and looked around the great beginning until the next day. they snacked at the big markets, watched the latest devices, and visited many factories where they were made. this place was a truly dynamic city where everyone was busy. ¡®i want to live in a place like this.¡¯ thick chest was overwhelmed by the grandeur, splendor, and dynamism of the capital and felt such a desire. it wasn¡¯t just thick chest and his companions. many villagers who had set foot in the capital for the first time, and even the delegations of the great tribes that had not yet submitted to the empire. this dazzling city seemed to never fade. * the new year dawned. finally, the historic founding day of the empire came. kim ki-woo dressed in the clothes he had worn when he came to this land ten years ago. the clothes and shoes he had brought from modern times. at least for the coronation ceremony, he had to wear the clothes he had brought from the spirit world as a sacred spirit, according to the strong opinion of his staff. ¡®i never thought modern clothes would be formal wear for the coronation ceremony.¡¯ kim ki-woo was not only an emperor, but also a pope of a native religion. he had worn them for a long time before he got his clothes ready, so they were quite worn out, but they had a unique charm of modernity. he felt nostalgic when he wore the clothes he had worn when he first came to this place. he had much less than what he had then, but now he had improved a lot in that aspect. he felt rewarded for his hard work over the years. ¡®from today on, i¡¯m an emperor.¡¯ he had really made it. he was an elite class who graduated from a good university in modern times, but it was incomparable to being an emperor. ¡®but i can¡¯t be complacent.¡¯ a country with less than 2 million people is an empire? it still has a small territory and population. it also needs to develop its civilization more. he couldn¡¯t be satisfied with the present. ¡®but let¡¯s enjoy today.¡¯ it was a once-in-a-lifetime coronation ceremony. kim ki-woo shook off his pessimistic feelings. ¡°your excellency. no, your majesty. it¡¯s time for you to go up on stage.¡± ¡°ha ha. it feels awkward to be called your majesty.¡± ¡°you have to keep your dignity from now on.¡± ¡°ahem. are you already doing that?¡± ¡°you have to do that from now on.¡± straight tree was very firm unlike usual. he didn¡¯t seem to take jokes well. kim ki-woo lightly patted his shoulder with a serious look on his face. ¡°thank you for helping me so well. i couldn¡¯t have done it without you. you also contributed to this empire, so enjoy today as much as you can.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± straight tree¡¯s eyes widened. kim ki-woo didn¡¯t usually say such embarrassing things. his face turned red with emotion. his eyes welled up with tears. kim ki-woo pretended not to notice and passed by him. ¡°let¡¯s go. empress.¡± ¡°yes.¡± deep lake, who became empress today, smiled brightly and followed kim ki-woo. kim ki-woo climbed up to the stage at the top floor of the administrative building. his smile had disappeared from his face long ago. as soon as he went outside, he was greeted by a wide open view and a huge crowd filling up the square. ¡°woahhhhh!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± boom! boom! boom! a huge cheer, a warrior¡¯s shout, and a footstep that sounded like an earthquake tore through the air as kim ki-woo came out. kim ki-woo scanned his subjects with a solemn eye without changing his expression. the cheers and shouts continued. kim ki-woo waited until they had enough time to cheer, then clap! ¡°everyone stop!¡± ¡°stop!¡± he raised his right hand. as soon as he did, the square became quiet as a mouse with the help of the security guards. kim ki-woo gathered all his strength from his lower abdomen and started his speech loudly. ¡°from this moment on! the creek tribe has transcended its tribal status and declared itself as the wakan tanka empire here!¡± as the founding of the wakan tanka empire was declared, the same scene unfolded as before. kim ki-woo silenced their cheers again. ¡°with only 30,000 people under my command, we have grown into an empire with 500,000 people in just ten years! but our real journey begins today! the wakan tanka empire will not stop until it dominates this continent completely, beyond its narrow river region! my people, are you ready to walk with me on that great journey?¡± ¡°yes!!!¡± ¡°woahhhhh!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± boom! boom! boom! ¡°then let¡¯s go for it! until we reach the promised glorious future!¡± * kim ki-woo didn¡¯t intend to drag out the declaration of the empire itself. short and thick. of course, many of his staff opposed it, but kim ki-woo pushed it through his way. after that, kim ki-woo and deep lake¡¯s wedding ceremony was held. after all the ceremonies were completed, a week-long founding festival was held and the history of the empire officially began. the empire was declared and many policies were announced simultaneously. the most important thing was the imperial constitution. there were many clauses, but the most important ones were summarized as follows: -all power comes from the emperor. -all citizens of the empire are equal under the emperor. -if a tribe is on the same continent, it becomes eligible to be an equal citizen of the empire as soon as it submits to the empire. -the empire is a rule of law society. -the territory of the empire is all the land of ¡®wakan tanka continent¡¯. -the land belongs to the empire. individual land ownership is not recognized. -the citizens of the empire have the right to be protected in their property and personal safety. -the citizens of the empire have the duty of national defense, taxation, education, and labor. these were the main constitutions. kim ki-woo dreamed of a highly centralized state centered on the emperor. he also stated that they were equal in order not to discriminate against the people he would accept in the future. wakan tanka continent was modern south, central, and north america. it was a declaration that showed his ambition. ¡®i have to eat at least one continent if i want to grow like crazy.¡¯ even if he couldn¡¯t do that, he didn¡¯t want to set a limit from now on. the land issue had always been based on communal ownership, so he didn¡¯t bother to recognize individual ownership. he didn¡¯t want to create unnecessary social problems because of things like land price inflation and land monopoly by rich farmers later on. all residential areas and land were obtained by a certain period of use rights. and the rights and duties of imperial citizens. with this, the outline was completed. now it was time to color it. of course, the difficulty of coloring was very high. but when all the coloring was done. the wakan tanka empire would be the greatest country on earth. kim ki-woo believed this without a doubt. < declaration of empire. > the end Chapter 24 chapter 24 ¡°do you think the founding ceremony is over by now?¡± ¡°why, do you miss it?¡± ¡°haha. i do feel a little regretful. i wanted to see his majesty proclaiming the founding with my own eyes. and the founding festival too¡­¡± the solid steel sword nodded at his subordinate¡¯s words. he felt the same way as his men. but once an order came from above, he had no choice but to follow it. no matter what kind of order it was. he had been doing so until now, and that was how the solid steel sword was able to rise to the position of a captain leading a unit at the youngest age. then, another man interrupted their conversation. ¡°captain, it seems like this is the place his majesty told us about.¡± ¡°really?¡± ¡°what do you want to do?¡± the solid steel sword gazed at the faintly visible land. ¡®is that it?¡¯ kim ki-woo had drawn a rough sketch of the terrain of the target point based on the world map and handed it over to the solid steel sword. for the past fortnight, the solid steel sword had been drawing the surrounding coastline one by one and comparing it thoroughly with the map kim ki-woo gave him. there seemed to be nothing more he could confirm here. the solid steel sword made a decision. ¡°let¡¯s land on the land ahead.¡± ¡°finally!¡± a smile bloomed on the weary faces of his men. the warriors had received as much sailing adaptation training as possible before going out to sea. but the river and the sea were very different. every time the boat rocked because of the waves, their stomachs turned upside down mercilessly. they had a reason to like it. meanwhile, five ships of the empire reached their destination. ¡°there are people over there!¡± a subordinate pointed at a spot and shouted. the solid steel sword squinted his eyes and looked there. he could vaguely see human figures in the distance. their appearance became clearer as they approached closer to the land. ¡®the natives living here, huh? their level is not bad.¡¯ the solid steel sword was a veteran of war. he had fought countless battles while subjugating numerous tribes in north america. the natives¡¯ clothing was certainly made of cloth, but it was incomparable to the empire¡¯s clothing. moreover, he couldn¡¯t see any decent weapons or tools. they looked similar to the various tribes in north america. in contrast, the unit led by the solid steel sword was composed of warriors armed with iron weapons and armor. when the boat was almost there, the natives started to run away frantically. ¡°should we just leave them alone?¡± ¡°let them go.¡± ¡°yes.¡± he could have intercepted them with crossbows at this distance, but the solid steel sword didn¡¯t bother. the natives were probably going to tell their tribe what they saw. a clash with them was inevitable anyway. but he wasn¡¯t even a bit anxious about it. he trusted the strong warriors of the empire who followed him here. ¡°how¡¯s the situation around?¡± ¡°i can see a village in the distance, but the coast seems safe.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s land our boat first.¡± ¡°yes.¡± soon, a green flag fluttered. it was a signal to request covering fire. after that, the warriors began to land on land in an orderly manner, with the solid steel sword at their head. the boat was anchored and there was no surprise attack until all the warriors landed. ¡°any problems?¡± ¡°none.¡± ¡°good. take a break for now.¡± ¡°yes!¡± it was supposed to be january by imperial calendar, but the weather was quite hot. the powerful archer was right. they had been on a boat for a long time, so they needed some time to rest and adapt to land. as they were resting, roar! thousands of native warriors armed with stone weapons rushed toward the coast. as expected. they showed a hostile reaction to the strange-looking warriors of the empire with unfamiliar weapons and clothing. well. they brought so many warriors without saying anything. how many tribes would react kindly in this situation? ¡°everyone, get ready for battle!¡± ¡°battle ready!¡± the solid steel sword shouted loudly. then, his men stopped resting and drew their weapons. that¡¯s how the standoff between two forces began. ¡°what do you want to do?¡± the lieutenant¡¯s question. it was about whether to try peaceful negotiations or subdue them by force. but the answer was already clear. the solid steel sword made a quick decision. ¡°we have to show them an example.¡± the natives were still shouting something. but he couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying at all. they were people who didn¡¯t even speak his language. negotiating with them would be very difficult. the solid steel sword¡¯s mission was to occupy this area and build ships on the other side of the sea. he had to show them an overwhelming difference in power to complete the future orders. ¡°capture as many as possible, but you can kill anyone who resists to the end.¡± ¡°understood.¡± the lieutenant bowed briefly to the solid steel sword and then clang! he drew his sword and raised it high in the sky. ¡°prioritize neutralizing the enemies! all troops, charge!¡± ¡°waaaaah!¡± that¡¯s how the construction of the first colony of the wakan tanka empire began. * after the founding, a week-long festival was held. during that period, a huge amount of grains, chickens, beef obtained from the recently activated bison hunting, and alcohol disappeared into the stomachs of the imperial citizens. during the festival, many works were suspended except for the necessary ones. as a result, a lot of inconvenience was caused. nevertheless, the festival¡¯s enthusiasm was very hot. but festivals are finite. before long, quite some time had passed since the festival ended. ¡°how does it feel to be a director?¡± ¡°only my title has changed, but isn¡¯t my work the same?¡± ¡°but your salary must have increased as your rank went up.¡± ¡°that seems good.¡± in fact, there was no room for any dramatic changes to happen just because the empire was proclaimed. the rough system had already been set up almost before the proclamation of the empire. the only thing that changed was that the ministry of internal affairs was newly added. of course, it was nothing more than expanding the secretariat, but its authority over domestic affairs was slightly expanded. naturally, the director of internal affairs was straight tree. he earned the title of youngest director thanks to his good assistance to kim ki-woo. kim ki-woo and straight tree finished their conversation. by then, all the imperial leaders who attended the imperial meeting had taken their seats. today¡¯s regular meeting began again. ¡°is the public security bureau doing better?¡± the public security bureau was in charge of governing each village under the orders of the central government. as the centralization of power in the empire progressed, the demand for public security officials increased. therefore, most of the people who received administrative education in middle school were assigned to public security bureaus in each village. ¡°it¡¯s still very chaotic. i think it will take time to meet his majesty¡¯s expectations.¡± practical work is not something that can be mastered overnight. it is something that is perfected by rolling under seniors. this was something kim ki-woo couldn¡¯t do anything about. but he had to prevent what he could prevent. ¡°surely there will be more scoundrels who have other thoughts in the public security bureau. aren¡¯t quite a few being caught already?¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry. it¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°haha. how can you blame only the public security director? i understand enough about the difficulties of public security. you don¡¯t have to feel too sorry.¡± if a public official commits corruption, he or she receives a heavier punishment. but just by strengthening punishment, he couldn¡¯t completely prevent such corruption. kim ki-woo especially didn¡¯t trust these people who had even a little bit of power in their hands. in fact, as soon as he investigated a little bit, didn¡¯t countless irregularities get caught? especially in villages far away from the capital, this tendency was more pronounced. the workload of the central government was enormous. it was very difficult to pay attention to every village far away. ¡°but we have to instill a strong awareness that they will be caught if they commit corruption from the beginning. if we try to correct this later, it will be harder.¡± ¡°do you have any good ideas?¡± ¡°not only corruption is happening in public security bureau, so i would like to add a department related to this on this occasion.¡± kim ki-woo finally pulled out his card he had been thinking about. the director of education tilted his head and asked. ¡°what kind of department are you talking about?¡± ¡°as it says, an institution that corrects corruption and wrongdoing of public officials. targeting all public institutions in the empire. the name is¡­ how about inspection bureau?¡± then, the air in the meeting room became quite cold. it was a natural reaction. it meant creating a department that could hold their leash. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t care about their implicit discomfort at all. ¡°why are you making such uncomfortable faces? the purpose of creating an inspection bureau is not to falsely accuse you. didn¡¯t you also want to catch those who are eating off from empire? unless you are committing corruption¡­¡± kim ki-woo narrowed his eyes and scanned them thoroughly. this was a subtle warning. after all, they were most exposed and easy to hide power-type corruption among them, heads of each department. kim ki-woo didn¡¯t think they would do their work fairly and cleanly in future either. that¡¯s what power is like. there are bound to be people who deviate from his expectations. ¡°¡­¡± the friendly atmosphere at first was gone. ¡°why are you all keeping your mouths shut? don¡¯t tell me you had such thoughts?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°of course not.¡± ¡°then you have no reason to oppose the establishment of the inspection bureau, do you?¡± kim ki-woo was firm. he didn¡¯t show any sign of backing down. the directors who had been by kim ki-woo¡¯s side for a long time knew well that kim ki-woo with such a strong attitude never backed down. the directors looked at each other¡¯s faces, wondering how to behave. but in the end, the winner of this fight was kim ki-woo. ¡°we understand your majesty¡¯s intention.¡± ¡°please do as your majesty wishes.¡± ¡°we will follow.¡± it was a fight they couldn¡¯t win. first of all, the reason was clear. they all agreed that corruption should be eliminated. moreover, it was a time when the empire had just been founded. that is, it was the strongest time for kim ki-woo¡¯s power so far. kim ki-woo finally relaxed his expression. and he gently comforted the directors with uncomfortable expressions. ¡°don¡¯t be too upset. i swear i won¡¯t use the inspection bureau unjustly.¡± of course, he didn¡¯t know about the future. in politics, there could be times when a certain person or political group became powerful. kim ki-woo would boldly eliminate them without regard to means and methods if he judged that they would prevent him from achieving what he wanted to do. ¡°and there¡¯s more than one department i want to add this time.¡± ¡°there¡¯s more?¡± ¡°yes. i think we should also create a department related to hygiene on this occasion.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± as soon as kim ki-woo finished speaking, the director of agriculture, who had been quiet until now, exclaimed with delight. he had a reason to do so. currently, the work of collecting and storing feces and making fertilizer from them was supervised by the ministry of agriculture. fertilizer was under the jurisdiction of the ministry of agriculture, so they reluctantly took charge of it. but the staff of the ministry of agriculture had been very unhappy about this. of course, it was right to use fertilizer for farming. but why did they have to supervise the whole process of making it? even cleaning up the feces in the outhouse! ¡°haha. don¡¯t you like it too much?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°no. but you¡¯ll still have to take care of making fertilizer. the ministry of hygiene will only be responsible for moving the feces from the toilet to the waste treatment plant.¡± ¡°that¡¯s enough.¡± of course, that wasn¡¯t all the ministry of hygiene did. as it says, it would carry out everything related to hygiene. ¡®i need to improve the hygiene of the capital.¡¯ it was an inevitable phenomenon when population density increased. the ministry of hygiene would be in charge of hygiene not only in the capital but also in cities that emerged along rivers. ¡®i want to make water and sewage systems as soon as possible¡­¡¯ he didn¡¯t have enough resources to pay attention to that yet. that¡¯s how two departments were added. then, the next agenda was discussed. ¡°the occupation of yanghae area is complete.¡± ¡°oh, really?¡± kim ki-woo brightened up at the report from the director of military affairs. yanghae area was where modern panama is located. it means where two seas meet. he had sent troops there several times so far. the number of tribes living in panama area was enormous. it was almost half to a third of the current empire¡¯s population. but the difference in weapons overcame such a difference in population. ¡®considering how much effort i¡¯ve put in¡­¡¯ still, the damage was severe. during sea expeditions, many accidents occurred. and because of panama natives¡¯ resistance, the damage was not trivial. kim ki-woo tried not to make colonies away from mainland as much as possible because of this. but panama was special. where modern panama canal is located. in modern times, ships can pass from pacific ocean to atlantic ocean and from atlantic ocean to pacific ocean through this canal. that means panama area is close to both seas. the mainland of wakan tanka empire is adjacent to atlantic ocean. that is, to go to pacific ocean, he had to cross magellan strait at bottom of south america. it was hard to get there with current boats. even if possible, it was too far away. ¡®i have to go through panama.¡¯ it doesn¡¯t mean digging a canal. he wanted to occupy panama and build a shipyard at a port adjacent to pacific ocean. then he could go to places adjacent to pacific ocean with minimal effort. ¡®it¡¯s the only way to trade with andes for now.¡¯ the andes mountains are adjacent to pacific ocean. there are llamas there as well as guano and gold and silver. wakan tanka empire, which had occupied the blessed land of southeastern north america, had to go there to grow faster. end Chapter 25 chapter 25 < trade. > guano was the droppings of seabirds that piled up on the islands along the south american pacific coast. they were sedimentary deposits. ¡®i wonder if the natives are still using them diligently.¡¯ in fact, guano had been a resource that had been used for a long time in the andes civilization. guano was very valuable. it was an excellent natural fertilizer and also an ingredient for gunpowder. it was not for nothing that the modern western powers had fought to get guano. ¡®if i get silver, i can start a full-fledged monetary economy.¡¯ there was a huge amount of silver buried in the andes mountains. among them, the potosi silver mine was so rich in silver that the whole mountain was said to be made of silver ore. ¡®but it¡¯s still premature.¡¯ kim ki-woo did not act rashly. to activate trade with panama as a midpoint, he had to develop this area sufficiently. he also had to improve the level of ships for stability. neither of them were easy to do right now. the best option was to float a few ships on the pacific and import llamas. * gulp, gulp! ¡°the empire is all good, but it¡¯s too hot. ugh, it was cool where i lived.¡± ¡°here, have a bowl of cold water.¡± ¡°thanks.¡± brave hawk did not hesitate and drank the water in one breath. gulp, gulp! ¡°ah~ i feel like i¡¯m alive now.¡± ¡°haha. i guess i can¡¯t feel much because i¡¯ve been living here for a long time. well, i don¡¯t like the heat either.¡± ¡°anyway, you¡¯re insensitive. have you finished reading the newspaper? can you pass it to me? i want to see it too.¡± ¡°you¡¯re so impatient. here.¡± red cloud handed the newspaper to brave hawk. it had been about six months since the monthly newspaper started to be published. but the price of the monthly newspaper was not very cheap. therefore, it was very common to see scenes like this where close colleagues shared the newspaper. brave hawk started reading from the first page as soon as he received the newspaper. the composition of the monthly newspaper was always similar. as usual, this time too, various important information was included in the first and middle parts. ¡°oh. they finally conquered yanghae completely.¡± ¡°the warriors of the empire are strong indeed. what about you? why don¡¯t you apply for it?¡± ¡°do you mean going to yanghae to make ships?¡± ¡°it¡¯s written there in big letters. ¡®recruiting shipbuilders¡¯. they say they pay more.¡± at that, brave hawk shuddered. ¡°crazy. it¡¯s already hot enough in the capital, and you want me to go to a hotter place and make ships? don¡¯t even say such horrible things.¡± ¡°really? hmm¡­ i heard that if you go there, you can become a manager too.¡± ¡°haha. i don¡¯t want to do that while suffering from heatstroke. besides, that means you have to make ships with novices who don¡¯t speak your language, right? ugh, it¡¯s horrible just thinking about it.¡± it was probably the same for other jobs, but there was always a shortage of shipbuilders. especially now that the water transport had started and the demand for ships had exploded. therefore, it was impossible to send a large number of shipbuilders to panama. in other words, shipbuilders who went to panama had to train many natives one by one and make ships. ¡°i see. there is a reason why they pay more.¡± ¡°yeah, yeah.¡± brave hawk replied casually and continued reading the newspaper. the newspaper contained important events or crimes worthy of public service that happened in the past month, cases selected as anecdotes of the month, etc. brave hawk read them lightly and quickly turned over the newspaper. then he saw what he had been waiting for. ¡°oh! the next chapter is out!¡± ¡°this one was so-so.¡± ¡°yeah?¡± the two men¡¯s eyes were fixed on a novel serialized in the monthly newspaper. of course, the author was kim ki-woo. this novel was the main character that made the monthly newspaper popular. brave hawk read the novel in one breath with bated breath. he read the newspaper regularly so his reading speed was quite fast. before he knew it, brave hawk had read the last sentence of the novel and exclaimed. ¡°wow. what do you mean so-so? i only find it interesting.¡± ¡°yeah? well, i think the spirit mythology that follows is a hundred times more interesting.¡± ¡°hehe. the stories of the spirits are always fascinating. ahh!¡± brave hawk nodded his head and turned over the newspaper. there was a content about the spirit mythology that kim ki-woo and the elders of various tribes had created together. there was not one spirit. there were various kinds of spirits. therefore, various kinds of spirits appeared in the spirit mythology. it was like olympus that appeared in greek and roman mythology. in this way, through the medium of the newspaper, the work of establishing a unified religion was quietly proceeding. * kim ki-woo sent the recruited shipbuilders to panama right away. although they were not many, they were still very valuable beings who had a hard time making the transport ships that were being made. as expected, they did not betray kim ki-woo¡¯s expectations. they made a ship in the shipyard of the pacific port before the year was over. he didn¡¯t need many ships. for now, going to the andes was a priority. and now, kim ki-woo was having a meeting with the person in charge of this expedition. ¡°you don¡¯t have to go yourself.¡± ¡°no. i really want to go.¡± kim ki-woo didn¡¯t like sending the foreign minister to the rough sea. but foreign minister wise moonlight was adamant. ¡°if you insist, then take care of yourself. this expedition is not for fighting, so keep that in mind.¡± ¡°i will engrave it deeply in my heart.¡± foreign minister wise moonlight bowed his head with a determined expression. kim ki-woo guessed why he was acting like that. ¡®it¡¯s his first job as a foreign minister.¡¯ in fact, the foreign ministry was the smallest and had the least work among various departments. therefore, they were currently supporting the work of other departments. in a way, they were a patchwork specialist department. that was because the wakan tanka empire had hardly any contact with the outside world yet. in other words, this could be said to be the first job of the foreign ministry. so he must be burning with willpower like that. that¡¯s how the preparations for the expedition began. of course, it was only one ship in scale, so it took only a few days to prepare. after that, wise moonlight boarded a ship to the sea with his staff from the foreign ministry. ¡°ugh¡­!¡± ¡°are you all right?¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± the first voyage was quite hard for him who had passed fifty years old. but wise moonlight¡¯s will did not break. after sailing for a few days, they finally arrived in panama. ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard, foreign minister.¡± ¡°hehe. what do i have to work hard for? your efforts are much bigger. is the ship ready?¡± ¡°yes. it¡¯s perfect enough to leave right away.¡± ¡°really? then leave right away.¡± ¡°yes? don¡¯t you want to rest for a few days¡­¡± ¡°his majesty is waiting. don¡¯t i have to come back as soon as possible as his servant?¡± at that, strong steel sword agreed. ¡°i understand. then have a good trip.¡± ¡°okay. please take good care of this place while i¡¯m gone.¡± with that said, he boarded a ship bound for the pacific with warriors who had been waiting in yanghae. the ship he boarded went south all along. it was not a difficult voyage because they just had to follow the coastline. how long did they go down? ¡°i see a village!¡± ¡°really?¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯m sure!¡± they finally found the coastal village they had been hoping for. wise moonlight ran to the railing of the ship as if he had forgotten his seasickness. ¡°oh!¡± wise moonlight uttered a faint exclamation. he saw small boats that looked like fishing boats and native villages. ¡°shall we approach?¡± ¡°of course. be careful when you land on land and don¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± ¡°yes.¡± this time, there should be no use of force as much as possible. it was what kim ki-woo had emphasized several times before wise moonlight left. it was premature to project power into south america. kim ki-woo knew this very well. ¡®besides, his majesty said that this place is very big. let¡¯s not do anything unnecessary and just do our assigned tasks well.¡¯ while wise moonlight was thinking about this and that, the ship slowly approached the land. then the villagers on the coast began to gather in groups. by the time they almost reached the land, there were already many villagers gathered. ¡°hmm! they seem quite hostile.¡± ¡°think of it the other way around. we are strangers from outside. i¡¯ll just get off the boat with a few warriors.¡± ¡°¡­are you sure? it will be dangerous.¡± ¡°hehehe! don¡¯t worry. what can i do wrong? die?¡± ¡°don¡¯t even joke about such horrible things.¡± ¡°anyway, wait here. don¡¯t provoke them until something happens to us.¡± ¡°yes.¡± soon after, wise moonlight got off the boat with two warriors and the goods they brought for trade. the villagers also did not threaten them when they saw only a few people getting off the boat. ¡®i can¡¯t understand a word they¡¯re saying.¡¯ of course, the two groups did not understand each other. the languages were completely different. but gestures were definitely a universal language. wise moonlight pushed the luggage forward. fortunately, the villagers understood what wise moonlight wanted to convey. then they realized the purpose of the visit of these people who came on a big boat. they came to trade. the villagers soon became interested in the goods they brought. wise moonlight noticed this and quickly spread out the goods. then some of the villagers cautiously came forward and checked what these strangers had brought. soon exclamations burst from their mouths. ¡°oh!¡± ¡°wow!¡± ¡®they like it.¡¯ he was relieved. he wondered what would happen if they didn¡¯t like the goods he brought, but that seemed to be a worry. after all, looking at their living standards, they would like it enough. first of all, the porcelain bowls made of bone ash were incomparable to the pottery that could be seen far away. and the clothes made of cotton were very soft and sturdy. the shoes were the same. the villagers also realized this, and their eyes changed when they looked at wise moonlight. at that moment, wise moonlight was sure. he had buttoned up the first button of this trade very well. that¡¯s how a historic meeting between the wakan tanka empire and the andes natives took place. * ¡°haha! you did an amazing job! hahaha!¡± kim ki-woo grabbed wise moonlight¡¯s hand and shook it hard. he was so happy. ¡°no. anyone could have done it, not me.¡± wise moonlight sincerely thought so. ¡°anyway, you worked really hard. you¡¯ve come a long way and i can¡¯t keep you for long. go in and rest.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± as soon as he left, kim ki-woo slowly read down the report on his desk. ¡®the inca empire has not been established yet¡­¡¯ the inca empire. more precisely, there was no tawantinsuyu yet. kim ki-woo knew that the inca empire was established before the mid-15th century. that is, the current point in time was before that. but the existence of tenochtitlan of aztec had already been captured by kim ki-woo. that is, it was roughly between the mid-14th century and the early 15th century. there was about a hundred years left before europe came in. as kim ki-woo was thinking about that. straight tree opened the door and came in. ¡°your majesty. the livestock have arrived.¡± ¡°really?¡± at straight tree¡¯s words, kim ki-woo quickly got up from his seat and went outside. and he saw them. ¡®llamas¡­¡¯ thirteen llamas from across the andes mountains. of course, it would take a long time for llamas to become popular. and they were weaker than other livestock. but it was much better than people pulling carts, and if they kept bringing them in through trade, the problem of llama numbers would be solved someday. < trade. > the end note: andes natives are the indigenous people who live in the andes mountains, a long mountain range in south america. they have different cultures, languages and histories, but some of them were part of the inca empire, a powerful civilization that ruled much of the andes region until the spanish conquest in the 16th century. llamas are domesticated animals that belong to the camel family. they are native to south america and were used by the andes natives as pack animals, meat sources, wool producers and companions. llamas are social, intelligent and gentle animals that can carry up to 30% of their body weight. they have soft wool that contains little lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic. the inca empire was a large and powerful civilization that ruled over much of the andes region in south america from the 15th to the 16th century. the inca empire was also known as tawantinsuyu, which means ¡°the realm of the four parts¡± in quechua, the official language of the empire. the four parts were the four regions or provinces that made up the empire: chinchaysuyu (northwest), antisuyu (northeast), kuntisuyu (southwest), and qullasuyu (southeast). the capital of the empire was cusco, located in modern-day peru. the inca empire was famous for its monumental architecture, extensive road network, sophisticated administration, and rich culture. the empire collapsed after the spanish conquest led by francisco pizarro in the 1530s. tenochtitlan was the capital city of the aztec empire, another powerful civilization that ruled over central mexico from the 14th to the 16th century. tenochtitlan was founded in 1325 on an island in lake texcoco, and grew to become one of the largest and most impressive cities in the world at that time. it had a compl ex urban plan, a system of canals and causeways, magnificent temples and palaces, and a population of about 200,000 people. tenochtitlan was also the center of religion, politics, trade, and culture for the aztecs. the city was destroyed by the spanish conquistadors led by hern¨¢n cort¨¦s in 1521, and its ruins are now part of modern-day mexico city. ?. Chapter 26 chapter 26 < a substitute for wood > the summer of the third year of the empire. the external expedition of the wakan tanka empire finally came to an end. why? ¡®they need to have some tribes nearby to decide whether to go on an expedition or not.¡¯ there were no significant powers near the wakan tanka empire anymore. they had either submitted or lost their lives resisting, or they had fled to places where the empire¡¯s reach had not yet touched. ¡®there are no real villains left.¡¯ kim ki-woo sneered. of course, they could go far away and bring people back. but that was more trouble than it was worth. it cost too much. besides, the north american central plains were very vast. it was hard to find people there. the national budget was already being reinvested in various industries as it increased. they couldn¡¯t afford to waste money on this. so naturally, the expedition ended. now, the only source of external population influx was bringing natives from panama to the mainland. ¡®but this is still decent.¡¯ the population had exceeded 2.4 million in no time. it was around 1.5 million when the empire was founded, but it had increased by almost a million in just two and a half years. this was partly due to the external expedition, but that wasn¡¯t all. ¡®the natural population growth has caught fire.¡¯ lately, hunting bison with crossbows had become easier, and bison meat had also flowed in large quantities. this meant that the food supply, which was already abundant, had increased even more. the meat that came in was quickly distributed throughout the empire by boat. and now, the society was close to ancient times. the perception that they had to have many children was still strong. the number of infants dying decreased as the food supply became abundant. most importantly, there were not many infectious diseases in north america right now. ¡®it¡¯s natural since there are not many livestock.¡¯ infectious diseases often arise and spread through livestock. but livestock were scarce in the american continent. ¡®of course, this also means that their immunity is less developed.¡¯ this would be fatal when europeans set foot on the new continent. but for now, it was helping the population growth. in the old continent, many infants died due to infectious diseases like smallpox, but this was not the case for the american natives. as a result, most of the children who received enough nutrition grew up healthy without getting sick and dying. ¡°your majesty, the budget spent on operating kindergartens is increasing endlessly. i think we should ask for some money when they use kindergartens.¡± ¡°hmm. is it that serious?¡± ¡°yes.¡± and so, at the imperial meeting, straight tree, who was in charge of finance, brought up this issue. but his father, the head of education, immediately opposed him. ¡°charge fees for kindergartens? that¡¯s unacceptable. the imperial citizens have only followed the national policy diligently, haven¡¯t they? but if you ask them to pay when the situation changes, what will they think?¡± ¡°then do you want the state to bear this burden forever? isn¡¯t it natural for policies to change when situations change?¡± ¡°then what about the families who have had many children trusting only the state until now? you should know that this could make many imperial citizens suffer if you do something wrong.¡± ¡°the state has to be strong for the citizens to be happy!¡± the argument between father and son continued. ¡®even if they are related by blood, political conflicts are inevitable.¡¯ it was not a dispute between father and son, but between the ministry of internal affairs, which was responsible for finance, and the ministry of education, which was responsible for kindergartens. ¡®hmm. what should i do?¡¯ kindergartens had been free since before the wakan tanka empire was established, since the creek tribe era. the administration paid for all the costs involved in kindergartens and encouraged them to have as many children as possible. but under this policy, when the imperial citizens started having too many children, things changed. there was a limit to how many children a family could raise, but this limit collapsed. as a result, the number of kindergartens exploded and this trend continued. ¡®the current kindergartens are quite different from their original purpose.¡¯ the reason why they built nurseries, which were the predecessors of kindergartens, was to utilize female labor. but now, rather than that, female laborers were sucked into kindergartens as they increased. now there was a shortage of available female laborers such as teachers, weavers and spinners, and kindergarten teachers. this was because they also took time off at home during pregnancy to have children. ¡®of course, if this goes on for twenty years¡­¡¯ the fruit would be very sweet. the current population growth rate was almost insane. choose the future or the present. he had to choose one of the two paths. but this dilemma didn¡¯t last long. ¡®of course, i have to choose the future.¡¯ what was important to kim ki-woo was not the present. even if it was harder now, he had to choose the future if it promised a better one. ¡®you have to expand your economy early on to make it easier later.¡¯ kim ki-woo recalled a game that was popular when he was in the modern era. a strategy simulation game that had maintained its popularity for decades after its release. it was even called a folk game. in that game, if you could survive the early stage, you had to make and start with a lot of economy units quickly to overwhelm your opponent with a large number of units in the late stage. the situation was not exactly the same, but it was similar. ¡°it will be hard, but let¡¯s stick to the current policy regarding kindergartens. we can¡¯t give up on population growth. even if it causes problems for other work due to the financial situation.¡± ¡°¡­i understand.¡± straight tree was the head of the ministry of internal affairs. he was in charge of managing the nation¡¯s finances. of course, kim ki-woo¡¯s answer was not what he wanted to hear. but straight tree backed down obediently. he didn¡¯t want to clash with his lord. it was decided at this meeting that they would continue to support kindergartens. in other words, they had to reduce the budget for other places. ¡®phew¡­ it¡¯s a good thing that waterwheels and ships are widely spread.¡¯ the industrial power had been steadily rising until now. but they needed a lot of labor to make these consumer goods. but since waterwheels were being continuously made, they would bring a lot of innovation, especially in the industrial sector. this would increase production and lower the prices of industrial materials such as cement, bricks, and concrete. ¡®but it¡¯s all because of the construction.¡¯ at least when they built buildings, they received a usage fee for a certain period of time. of course, the price was very cheap, but it was important that they received it. but building paved roads¡­ ¡®there¡¯s no money-eating hippo like this.¡¯ it was like burying the nation¡¯s finances in the ground. private capital was barely showing signs of existence now. most of the factories were state-owned. they made huge profits by selling the products produced there. but most of the budget was spent on this large-scale construction. kindergartens also contributed a lot to this. if kim ki-woo didn¡¯t stop paving roads and expanding waterwheel industries, and making kindergartens free, this would continue. ¡®but all these things are stones for the future.¡¯ everything was for a better future. kim ki-woo strengthened his wavering mind. * the spring of the fifth year of the empire. it had been five years since waterwheels were introduced. what was the reason why skilled craftsman invented waterwheels? it was for milling. so in the beginning, waterwheels were made for milling. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t leave it at that. waterwheels were machines with infinite potential. and there were many rivers flowing within the territory of the wakan tanka empire. the geographical conditions were very good for spreading waterwheels quickly. so kim ki-woo suggested waterwheels for various purposes. of course, thanks to the skilled craftsmen who had become proficient enough, kim ki-woo didn¡¯t have to make them himself with great care. ¡°it works well.¡± kim ki-woo went out for an industrial inspection after a long time. now waterwheels were used in many places. from crushing limestone or rock salt to making bricks or cement, and even providing wind power, they were widely used. ¡°the industrial district has changed a lot too. the size of the kilns seems to have increased.¡± ¡°of course. they can blow wind more steadily and powerfully with those waterwheels.¡± waterwheels increased the size of kilns. they could blow wind more strongly and evenly, and naturally get stronger fire power. this allowed them to bake more quickly and easily in large quantities. this was the main reason why the production of bricks and cement had risen sharply compared to before. ¡®but¡­¡¯ this also caused wood consumption to happen too quickly. wood was a precious resource that had many uses. there were still plenty of wood around, but if they continued to abuse it like this, the nearby wood would soon be depleted. ironmaking was also a major factor in depleting wood. wood was used first to make charcoal, and then this charcoal was consumed too quickly. ¡®the charcoal is running out much faster as the fire power gets stronger.¡¯ in the past, they used low-quality iron with carbon added by carburizing method to make crude steel with insufficient fire power. but now, the situation had changed. as the technology advanced, the fire power became stronger and stronger. and now, they could even blow strong wind with waterwheels. this increase in temperature led to the mass production of pig iron. that is, iron. as the wind power increased, the reduced iron contacted and absorbed carbon for a long time in the furnace, resulting in pig iron. ¡®this pig iron has to be refined into steel by using a crucible¡­¡¯ but that was a difficult task. of course, there were also advantages to this. it was the mass production of iron. until now, they had to make wrought iron and then add carbon to make steel. even with all that effort, the production of steel was very low. but the production of iron using waterwheels was incomparable to the previous production. ¡®maybe iron is better in this situation.¡¯ making steel was important, but it was more important to make a lot of iron that could be used for the lives of the imperial citizens. iron was good enough to use. and iron was very easy to use by pouring it into molds and hardening it, so it would be easier to mass-produce many iron products. anyway, what he was worried about now was not iron itself, but the wood used to make iron. ¡®it¡¯s hard to sustain growth at this rate.¡¯ the lack of wood was proven by history. wood was a limited resource as fuel as the industry grew bigger and bigger. in other words, he had to introduce a new alternative to replace wood. and coincidentally, the appalachian mountains were a global source of that alternative, coal. and it was anthracite, which was good for ironmaking and various industries. and it was even in the form of open-pit mines! it was the op timal location for developing the coal industry. ¡®this place is truly a blessed continent.¡¯ there was a reason why modern america became the strongest country in the world. now, that role would be taken by the wakan tanka empire. < a substitute for wood > the end Chapter 27 chapter 27 < dissection > ¡®of course, coal can¡¯t be used as it is.¡¯ just like wood had to be turned into charcoal, coal also had to be processed to be utilized in the iron industry. coal was sealed and dried at high temperatures to produce coke. coke was essential for ironmaking. but that didn¡¯t mean kim ki-woo had to be involved in every step of making coke. ¡°send this to the imperial university.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± the inner minister brave sky bowed and took the booklet. after the ministry of internal affairs was fully established, straight tree gradually moved away from the role of serving kim ki-woo. he was too busy with the affairs of the ministry of internal affairs. as the scale of the budget increased day by day, he had no choice. ¡®they should be able to research it on their own since i wrote everything down.¡¯ a report would surely come up when the research was finished. all he had to do was wait quietly until then. the booklet that kim ki-woo sent to the imperial university contained the concept of coke. in fact, the current university was more like a research institute than a university. the school system of the wakan tanka empire was as follows: elementary school, where basic letters, numbers, and standard language were taught as attributes. middle school, where the known knowledge was taught. and university, where they researched subjects that were not yet known or insufficient. elementary and middle schools did not have separate departments, but universities did. many departments were created, and they were still being created. as society became more advanced, more departments would emerge. ¡®the university is the cradle of imperial scholarship.¡¯ it was true that kim ki-woo laid the foundation for various fields such as mathematics, literature, science, etc. of course, he could still help a lot in the future. but he couldn¡¯t lead and develop everything himself. in other words, for the advancement of scholarship, many intellectuals who were stationed in the university had to work hard. ¡®i wonder how they are doing these days.¡¯ he hadn¡¯t paid attention for a while because he was busy. thinking of the university, kim ki-woo wanted to check the reports that came from there. ¡°can you bring me some documents from the university?¡± ¡°i understand, your majesty.¡± soon after, brave sky came in with a bunch of documents. but¡­ thud! he just put them on the desk, but a heavy sound echoed. the amount of reports was not normal. ¡°hmm!¡± kim ki-woo swallowed his saliva as he looked at the huge pile of documents. ¡°are these all reports from the university?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°no?¡± were there other documents mixed in? but this thought of kim ki-woo was soon shattered. ¡°yes. this is not all. the other inner ministers have gone to get more.¡± ¡°haha¡­¡± kim ki-woo let out a hollow laugh. brave sky¡¯s words were true. the amount of documents he brought at first was only a quarter of the total. the same thing happened three more times. kim ki-woo¡¯s expression became slightly gloomy. ¡®the research fields of the university departments have increased a lot.¡¯ among these research reports, there must be some that went against kim ki-woo¡¯s purpose. for example, experiments on whether dangerous substances like mercury were beneficial to health. or subjects that hindered scientific development. ¡®i can¡¯t tolerate those things.¡¯ kim ki-woo tried to sort out those things while thinking of ways to make scholarship develop more correctly and faster. the result he came up with was this: receiving reports on what each department was researching or wanted to research. among them, if there was something he could help with, he would write a brief comment and give some direction, and he would stop the research altogether if it was trivial and useless for the development of the empire. as he read through various documents, ¡®huh?¡¯ he saw a document with a very interesting content. the sender was from the medical department. ¡®please allow us to dissect the corpses of convicts?¡¯ in this era, it was radical to suggest such a thing. each tribe had different funeral customs. some placed them on cliffs and let them decompose by wind, some threw them into the sea, and some even collapsed their houses with corpses inside them. but in the current wakan tanka empire, cremation was becoming mainstream. he had indoctrinated the imperial citizens through newspaper serials that spirits wanted cremation. this education became stronger as newspapers became more popular. without knowing it, things were going as kim ki-woo intended. ¡®i can see the backlash from the imperial citizens.¡¯ no matter how academic the purpose was and how they targeted only convicts¡¯ corpses, it was obvious that people would think that dissecting corpses was an insult to the dead. but still¡­ ¡®it is necessary.¡¯ he wanted to meet the proposer of this research. he wondered what kind of person he was. * ¡°wow, it¡¯s an honor, your majesty!¡± ¡°haha. why are you shivering so much?¡± ¡°i¡¯m just so moved¡­¡± the proposer of the corpse dissection was surprisingly a young woman. ¡®i thought it would be an old male researcher.¡¯ you know, like the mad scientist that often appears in movies. but no matter how he looked at her, she seemed sane. ¡°how old are you?¡± ¡°nineteen, sir.¡± ¡°ho. you¡¯re not even twenty and you¡¯re already in college.¡± the empire adopted the age of maturity. even so, nineteen was very young for a scholar in college. not everyone who wanted to go to college could go. it only took two months for most people to graduate from elementary school. but graduation from middle school varied a lot. some graduated in three or four years and experienced various practical skills, and some graduated later to learn more advanced courses. only those who were excellent scholars or those who proved themselves in various practical skills could enter college. for example, people like sharp eye who made glasses or solid hammer who made the first metal type. she, dark flame, belonged to the former category. her test scores were very outstanding. ¡°take a deep breath. then we can have a conversation, right?¡± ¡°ah, yes. hoo! hah¡­¡± kim ki-woo waited patiently until she calmed down. the more she breathed deeply, the less dark flame trembled. then, the conversation began. ¡°i called you because your report was very interesting.¡± ¡°gasp! i¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°what are you sorry for?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t i bother your eyes by sending you useless stories?¡± she seemed to know that dissecting corpses would cause backlash. ¡°i didn¡¯t call you to scold you, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°then¡­?¡± ¡°i¡¯m just curious why you came up with this idea. can you tell me the reason?¡± at kim ki-woo¡¯s question, she organized her thoughts for a moment and began her story. ¡°i¡¯m an orphan. both of my parents died when i was young.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± he already knew her background. she was from one of the tribes that resisted fiercely when he went on an expedition during the creek era. that is, kim ki-woo might have been involved in her parents¡¯ death without knowing it. he was the one who made the final decision on the expedition. dark flame seemed to notice this too, and quickly corrected herself. ¡°it wasn¡¯t for the reason you think, your majesty. they both died of illness before becoming imperial citizens.¡± ¡°that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± she looked up at the sky as if recalling the past. ¡°i never forgot the moment when my mother and father passed away. they withered and shriveled day by day until they died. the healer in our village said he couldn¡¯t save them.¡± her voice grew louder as her emotions fluctuated more. society might be developing, but medicine was still lagging behind in the empire. it was like this now, but how much worse was it in her backward tribe? ¡°i swore to the spirits that i would become a healer then. i wanted to save the lives of many patients like my parents. so when i entered the imperial university, i chose medicine as my major.¡± she paused for a moment and continued. ¡°i saw many patients in the medical department. i classified their diseases and researched herbs that were effective for them. but at some point, i had a doubt.¡± ¡°what did you doubt?¡± ¡°we medical scholars only looked at the symptoms of diseases and their treatments, but we didn¡¯t care why they made people sick. there must be something that affected some part of the human body badly to cause diseases, but there was no medical scholar who questioned this.¡± ¡°ho.¡± kim ki-woo read a profound genius from her doubt. all knowledge starts from doubt. the question was why the biggest driving force that allowed humanity to progress. ¡°i wanted to solve that doubt. i think we need to know more about the human body first in order to treat people.¡± dark flame¡¯s face was filled with intense desire. the kind of person who was ready to devote his life to research. ¡®sure enough, medicine developed through dissecting human bodies.¡¯ her story resonated with kim ki-woo very much. but he couldn¡¯t make a hasty decision. ¡°i sympathize with your intention. but this is not something i can easily approve. if you back off now, it will end quietly. but if you really want to continue this research and take responsibility for it, i will put it on the agenda at the imperial meeting. with your name as the proposer. what do you say?¡± then she would be criticized by many imperial citizens. but dark flame was firm. the girl who was trembling at first was gone. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter. as long as i can save more people, i¡¯ll accept even wearing dirty rags.¡± ¡°good. i hope you don¡¯t lose that will.¡± * ¡°this is unacceptable. how can you insult the dead, even if they are convicts? the spirits will surely curse you!¡± ¡°it is the will of his majesty, the sacred spirit. isn¡¯t it too presumptuous to say that the spirits don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°ha! many imperial citizens will look at you with disdain!¡± ¡°they will surely do. but how did the empire develop? didn¡¯t we get here by learning new knowledge? many imperial citizens understand this!¡± ¡°i think it is a necessary process to understand the relationship between hygiene and disease.¡± ¡°no, you are in favor of it because you are in charge of education and hygiene! do you think the imperial citizens will just let this go?¡± ¡°hey! that¡¯s harsh!¡± the meeting turned into a mess for the first time in a long time. that¡¯s how powerful the shock of dissecting human corpses was. ¡°if you¡¯re worried about hygiene, regulate the people who flock to the waterworks. don¡¯t try to find answers from the corpses of the dead.¡± ¡°that¡¯s not the responsibility of the hygiene department. the problem is that everything, factories or whatever, is in the waterworks. if you move the factories somewhere else, everything will be solved.¡± ¡°heh. why are you dragging factories into this?¡± the argument about corpses led to hygiene in the waterworks, population density in the waterworks, and even factories, making the industrial director¡¯s face turn incredulous. ¡°no, isn¡¯t that true? many imperial citizens are living by breathing smoke from burning wood. and it¡¯s also true that the hygiene of the waterworks is getting worse because of the factory workers.¡± ¡°are you done talking?¡± ¡°enough.¡± kim ki-woo stopped their argument. if this went on, each department¡¯s faults would come out and the fight would go on endlessly. < dissection > end Chapter 28 chapter 28 < the escape of the sacrifice. > of course, kim ki-woo could force any issue to pass if he wanted to. but he rarely did that. he tried his best to lead social consensus. he knew that if he became a dictator who ignored the opinions of the majority, discontent would inevitably pile up. he had no intention of breaking this principle this time. ¡°you are all greatly mistaken. the autopsy of the corpse is not a choice but a necessity. i think we need to know more about the human body for the sake of the health of the imperial citizens.¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s remark made the faces of the anti-autopsy faction stiffen. he did not miss that. he immediately opened his mouth to help them understand. ¡°industrial minister.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°may i ask you something?¡± ¡°please do.¡± ¡°what do you do if a machine like a water cart made by the industrial department breaks down?¡± the industrial minister tilted his head. it was an obvious question. ¡°well, if it¡¯s too damaged, we discard it, but otherwise, we repair it and use it again.¡± ¡°right. you would surely repair it. then what do you do if a person¡¯s body breaks down?¡± ¡°of course, the healers would treat the patients, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. there is a common point in these two cases. if something goes wrong, you fix it. isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°it seems so when i hear it.¡± ¡°but isn¡¯t it strange? when a mere machine breaks down, you make sure to identify where it broke and then proceed with the repair, but when a person is sick, you just look at the symptoms that appear and treat them. why does this difference occur?¡± as the words continued, the ministers could sense kim ki-woo¡¯s intention. ¡°it¡¯s simple when you think about it. the craftsmen can do that because they understand the structure of the water cart deeply. but what about the human body? is there anyone who knows in detail how humans can maintain their vital activities?¡± the ministers closed their mouths as if they were glued together. they had never thought about this deeply before. ¡°the healers today hardly know how the human body works. they just look at the symptoms and treat them. how can medicine develop like this? how can they say they fix the body without knowing the body in detail?¡± ¡°but isn¡¯t the human body different from a machine like a water cart?¡± ¡°ho ho. then can you explain to me how they are different? i didn¡¯t know you knew so much about the human body. please teach me a lesson.¡± ¡°that is¡­¡± it was obvious that the mechanism of life and the structure of a machine were different. but without looking inside the human body, he could not give a clear answer to this. ¡°you have to know more about the subject to point out how they are different. that¡¯s why we intellectuals should constantly explore and learn about differences.¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s speech ended, and there was a brief silence in the conference room. everyone was chewing on his words. but that time did not last long. soon voices of agreement began to erupt. ¡°to learn about differences¡­ that¡¯s a really cool thing to say. i feel like i¡¯m realizing one more truth today.¡± ¡°indeed. as your majesty said, we need to accumulate knowledge through autopsy.¡± the atmosphere gradually flowed as kim ki-woo intended. the ministers who had been neutral turned to support autopsy. ¡°however, we will not be able to stop the backlash of the imperial citizens.¡± but the security minister still seemed to have some lingering attachment and brought up the imperial citizens. kim ki-woo said briefly about this. ¡°it is your role as administrators to prevent such imperial citizens from causing trouble. isn¡¯t that right, security minister?¡± kim ki-woo emphasized the word ¡®security minister¡¯. dealing with trouble was largely the role of the security department. in other words, he warned him not to hold on to any excuses by saying that security would be disturbed. ¡°¡­i will follow your order.¡± it was then that the security minister bowed his head. the atmosphere had completely tilted by then. ¡°then let¡¯s proceed with the autopsy-related proposal as it is.¡± ¡°let it be done.¡± the decision was finally made to allow the dissection of the condemned prisoners. ¡®the empire¡¯s prisoners are truly pitiful.¡¯ especially the male ones. they had to fight as gladiators in arenas like the colosseum until they died. and if they died, they had to suffer the additional misfortune of having their corpses dissected. ¡®well, they shouldn¡¯t have committed such heinous crimes.¡¯ kim ki-woo quickly shook off his sympathy for them. they were the ones who were useless to the empire. it was only right that they could wash away some of their sins, even if it was only before they died, and after they were dead. * ¡°ugh! what a dreadful thing to say! how dare they think of desecrating the bodies of the dead!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. tsk tsk.¡± ¡°don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re going to take our bodies and rip them apart after we die?¡± the news that the proposal for dissection was approved spread widely throughout the empire through newspapers. and of course, there were negative reactions to it. this tendency was especially strong among the elderly, who had fixed notions. they didn¡¯t have much time left to live. they showed such reactions because of a vague fear that they might become targets of dissection after they died. ¡°dissecting corpses. ugh, it¡¯s horrifying just to think about it.¡± ¡°hmm. but reading the newspaper, it seems that his majesty is right again this time. what, do you think his majesty would do anything harmful to us?¡± ¡°well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°i have no doubt in his majesty. i hope you don¡¯t either.¡± ¡°haha. i didn¡¯t mean to doubt his majesty.¡± but except for a few people, there wasn¡¯t much resistance. the imperial citizens trusted kim ki-woo¡¯s decision very much, but more than that, they empathized deeply with his logic in the newspaper. how could they treat themselves properly without knowing their bodies? especially as medicine advanced, it would benefit the health of the imperial citizens themselves. ¡°are you sure you won¡¯t regret it?¡± ¡°of course. even though i¡¯ll die soon, if i can help people who suffer from the same disease as me, what¡¯s the problem with having my flesh torn apart after i die?¡± ¡°you¡¯ve made a very wise choice.¡± even ordinary imperial citizens, not just prisoners, volunteered to donate their bodies to medicine after they died. a considerable number of patients who were difficult to treat with current medical standards showed such behavior, and many other imperial citizens who agreed with kim ki-woo¡¯s will joined this movement. thus, the development of medicine began in the wacantanga empire. * ¡®i have to escape.¡¯ the period of quetzalcoatl was approaching soon. he was sure he would be dragged away this time. the last remaining brother was taken away and became a meal for the god that those demons believed in. he would die miserably someday anyway. golden parrot couldn¡¯t forget the scene of quetzalcoatl last year. he was mobilized to take away a sacrifice from his own tribe. she was beaten with a club until she stopped breathing. that wasn¡¯t the end. no, that was just the beginning. the demons who killed her cut her throat and separated her heart from her body. then they stuck a long stick into her heart and offered it to their god. so that he could drink her blood at ease. also, her head was skewered on a skull tower, chompantli, and became a decoration, and her skin was peeled off and became a priest¡¯s robe. her blood was sprinkled on the earth to pray for a good harvest next year. the monsters living in tenochtitlan thought of their tribe, tequac, and countless other tribes as just bread. they started flower wars whenever they needed food and used them as food. ¡®but can i survive by running away?¡¯ they cunningly increased the number of sacrifices assigned to their tribe if someone from their tribe ran away. because of this terrible situation where they watched each other, they had to wait for the moment when they became sacrifices. the countless tribesmen who were sacrificed every year. he felt angry when he thought of especially the children. but his tribe had no power to resist them. ¡®but i don¡¯t want to be offered as a sacrifice obediently. i¡¯d rather kill myself.¡¯ golden parrot decided. even though more of his tribesmen would be sacrificed, he wanted to live. he didn¡¯t care if they criticized him for being selfish and cursed him. but he wanted to make this excuse. wasn¡¯t it the demons who did wrong, not him! ¡®what¡¯s wrong with wanting to live!¡¯ and that night, he began a desperate escape. it was a night when even the moon lost its light. perhaps because of that, the guard was more strict. on days like this, more of the tribals would run away. but he was lucky. the gatekeeper who was guarding the door happened to go to the bathroom. ¡®ha, i escaped!¡¯ he couldn¡¯t go back to the tribe now. as a traitor, he would always end up as the next sacrifice. the golden parrot ran without stopping. southward, and southward again. he didn¡¯t stop at any villages he saw. he always took the rough roads and the mountains, the forests. ¡®ugh¡­¡¯ he was hungry. he had eaten something wrong and his stomach hurt. his head was spinning too. but he wanted to live, so he didn¡¯t stop for a moment. although he had impulsively fled from the tribe, he was an excellent warrior and an expert in hunting and gathering. time passed and passed again. the clothes he wore became rags, and his body was covered with wounds. he lost weight from not eating well. he must have looked like a skeleton from afar. ¡®i wonder what¡¯s there?¡¯ it was such a dangerous road that no one came or went. he had heard rumors that people lived beyond this place, but he doubted everything after wandering for so long. but the golden parrot urged his steps with superhuman patience. and finally. ¡®at last¡­¡¯ the forest ended. an open space filled his sight. the golden parrot limped. his left leg had something wrong with it, so he couldn¡¯t walk straight. how long did he walk like that? ¡°a, a village¡­!¡± his eyes widened. he saw traces of civilization in his eyes. at that moment, tears began to fill his eyes. he survived. he really escaped from those demons. ¡°sob, sob¡­!¡± he couldn¡¯t suppress his tears. but his steps moved forward, even though they were limping. when he got close enough. ¡°so that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°huh? wait!¡± ¡°what? why are you suddenly like that?¡± ¡°that¡­¡± the man pointed in one direction with his finger. then his colleague who was on guard with him looked over there. ¡°what? it¡¯s a person, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°a person came out of that jungle? huh¡­¡± while they were puzzled by the question. the golden parrot confirmed that they had found him. then the tension that he had been holding on to with superhuman strength suddenly loosened. thud! the golden parrot finally lost his strength and collapsed on the ground. ¡°whoa!¡± the warriors were startled and approached him. ¡°isn¡¯t this dangerous?¡± ¡°he looks really bad. we have to take him to the village quickly.¡± a man who looked like he could die at any moment. the warriors quickly lifted up the golden parrot and ran into the village. that¡¯s how the man who escaped from the aztec empire¡¯s mexica people, the golden parrot, entered the embrace of the wakan tanka empire. a historic event that would be recorded as a turning point in history was unfolding in panama. < the escape of the sacrifice. > the end Chapter 29 chapter 29 < the fate of columbus. > fortunately, the golden parrot survived. he had only collapsed from hunger and exhaustion. but one thing was clear: he would have surely died without their help. they did not speak the same language, but the tribespeople took great care of him. they generously provided him with food and meat, which was not an easy thing to do for a stranger. it was something unimaginable in the place where the golden parrot had lived. ¡°th-thank you¡­¡± the golden parrot was deeply touched by their kindness. time passed. he regained some mobility and began to understand their language a little bit. thanks to that, he learned many things. ¡®ah, this place is abundant in food.¡¯ that was why they could help him without any burden. and another fact. ¡®this place was also subjugated by another empire.¡¯ he thought it was strange. this place was not as backward as he had heard. it was not inferior to the place where he had lived. they even had stone-paved roads. he spent his days learning their language and the language of the wakan tanka empire, as they called it. when he could speak a bit, he asked the chief¡¯s wife, swift wind, who had been looking after him, about everything that he was curious about. ¡°what kind of place is the wakan tanka empire? why don¡¯t you hate them?¡± ¡°hate? hoho! why do you think we should hate the empire?¡± ¡°huh? isn¡¯t that obvious? invaders are all the same. they are devils who are greedy for exploiting the weak tribes!¡± ¡°you¡¯re wrong. the empire is not that evil.¡± it was something that the golden parrot could not understand with his common sense. the invaders of the triple alliance, who had tenochtitlan as their capital, had mercilessly oppressed many tribes. so he thought that all invaders were the same. but he was wrong? seeing his expression, she smiled faintly. ¡°sure, they conquered many tribes by force at first. they showed no mercy to those who resisted to the end.¡± she recalled the past. the invaders were strong. the warriors who faced them directly suffered fatal damage. ¡°but then¡­¡± ¡°listen to the whole story before you judge.¡± she cut him off and continued. ¡°they finally reached the other side of the sea. but then something strange happened.¡± ¡°something strange?¡± ¡°yes. for some reason, they stopped invading other tribes. as if that was their destination.¡± by then, the nearby tribes had formed an alliance against the empire¡¯s threat. even those who hated each other joined forces. they gathered, but suddenly the fight stopped. the empire¡¯s warriors only defended themselves and did not provoke any conflict. ¡°we thought they were taking a breather. that they would soon move to subjugate everyone around them.¡± ¡°so what happened? did you attack first?¡± he became more interested as he listened. the golden parrot was captivated by her story. ¡°no. if we fought them head-on, we would have surely lost. we prepared for guerrilla warfare.¡± the alliance thought that the empire¡¯s warriors would definitely attack them. but they still had a chance. they knew the terrain of this area very well. with the help of the terrain, they could overcome their disadvantage in weapons. ¡°but one day, the empire¡¯s warriors came with an interpreter and asked to meet us.¡± ¡°they asked to meet you? did they come to make a declaration of war?¡± ¡°not at all. they wanted peace.¡± the warrior from the empire said that they only needed a way to go to the other side of the sea. that they had no intention of oppressing other tribes. he asserted that the various tribes and the empire could coexist peacefully. ¡°did you believe them?¡± ¡°of course not at first.¡± it was very common in intergroup relations to discard previous promises like old shoes when the situation changed. the alliance tribes also thought so. but they did not have the strength to fight a full-scale war with the empire right away. so they chose to coexist with them for now, while keeping an eye on them. ¡°but as time went by, things changed subtly.¡± rumors spread. there were various constructions going on in the areas occupied by the empire, and anyone who worked there could easily get food, clothing, and various amazing devices. ¡°most people snorted at first.¡± they thought it was a lie. but the rumors persisted even as time passed. they should have naturally disappeared if they were false. then some people were tempted. ¡°they worked in the areas occupied by the empire and returned with the same rewards as the rumors. without a single wound.¡± high-quality meat and delicious food that they had never tasted before. and clothes and shoes that were the same as those worn by the empire¡¯s people. bowls made of something called pottery and various necessities. they gave them all these things just for helping them with their work. and this support continued. every time they went to work, they received the same rewards. ¡°from then on, more and more tribespeople started to go to the empire¡¯s territory.¡± the empire accepted them all. they paved roads and built residential areas. they helped build ships at the shipyard and learned skills. some became sailors and lived on ships. the more they learned skills, the more the empire paid them. then some tribes even wanted to submit to the empire. the empire welcomed them generously. many tribes moved to the empire¡¯s mainland. they heard from them regularly. most of the supply between the mainland and this area was handled by people from their tribes. ¡°they said that everyone was equal under his majesty the emperor. that the mainland was a splendid place and that nothing unreasonable happened there.¡± ¡°huh¡­ i can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°i thought it was a lie at first, too. but now i know it¡¯s true. many young people from our tribe became wakan tanka empire¡¯s people, and i can trust their words.¡± there was such an empire? an empire that treated even weak tribespeople equally? the golden parrot¡¯s heart suddenly started to beat faster. ¡°his majesty made all this happen. i already respect him very much.¡± there was no trace of falsehood on her face. what kind of person was the emperor? how could he make even the conquered tribes respect him sincerely? ¡®at least he seems different from those devils.¡¯ until he came here, he had only one goal. to survive. but now that he had survived and escaped, it was time to think about how to live from now on. ¡°can i become an empire¡¯s citizen too?¡± ¡°of course. anyone can become an empire¡¯s citezen. there are just a few restrictions.¡± ¡°restrictions like¡­¡± ¡°abandon other beliefs and serve only the spirits that the empire believes in. and learn the empire¡¯s standard language. go to elementary school and learn letters and numbers.¡± ¡°and then?¡± ¡°that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°that¡¯s it? huh, really.¡± very simple things. there was nothing like serving the empire for a certain period of time. ¡°how about it, did my words help you a little bit?¡± ¡°they helped me a lot. thank you for telling me so kindly.¡± the golden parrot bowed to her gratefully. he asked other people about the empire as well, but the answers were similar. and then. the golden parrot made up his mind. ¡®i¡¯ll become an empire¡¯s citezen.¡¯ he had nowhere to go back anyway. the golden parrot decided to see for himself what kind of place the empire was. ¡®and if possible¡­¡¯ he wanted revenge on those devils. the golden parrot¡¯s eyes shone coldly. * ¡°hooh. an interesting fellow.¡± the existence of the golden parrot reached kim ki-woo. a man who had escaped from the aztec empire. he had crossed such a harsh road alone. his hardships were evident in his eyes. he wanted to meet him once. he also needed to know the exact situation of the aztec empire. ¡°yeah. he¡¯s learning standard language now?¡± ¡°yes. he has come to the empire now, and one teacher is exclusively teaching him standard language.¡± ¡°hmm. then tell him to come see me after he becomes proficient in standard language. i¡¯m curious what kind of person he is.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll deliver that.¡± he would be able to solve all these curiosities when the time came. he was not in a hurry, so kim ki-woo decided to wait patiently. ¡®by the way, how is the panama area doing?¡¯ it had been quite a while since the panama area had stabilized. kim ki-woo looked for a report on panama on a whim. ¡®i gave them enough, so they better be stable.¡¯ kim ki-woo had invested a lot of money in the panama area. he had no intention of squeezing the colonies like the modern imperialist countries. it was pointless to squeeze them and accumulate resentment. that would only lead to fierce resistance in the end. it was better to use the natives¡¯ labor and pay them fairly. ¡®their consumption market will increase as they become richer.¡¯ anyway, the empire monopolized the supply to the natives. there was no need to compete with anyone else. it was like expanding the economic territory. thanks to this policy, many tribespeople in panama gradually entered under the empire¡¯s rule or chose to naturalize. and with their labor, trade with the south american continent was becoming smoother. ¡®the inca empire¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo had learned something late. the andean natives¡¯ words that there was no inca empire. it was a wrong statement. they just didn¡¯t know about its existence because the inca empire hadn¡¯t invaded their area yet. this misunderstanding was quickly resolved. as he traded with more southern tribes, he saw that many tribes had already submitted to the inca empire. of course, it wasn¡¯t as if the inca empire had occupied most of the andes as kim ki-woo knew it. that meant that the current time was estimated to be around the mid-15th century. he felt like he was getting closer to the 16th century in an instant. ¡®the day i see columbus¡¯ face is not far away.¡¯ kim ki-woo had already prepared a scenario for columbus¡¯ discovery of america. but when he realized that he had less than 50 years left until he arrived, he revised his plan. ¡®sorry, but the discovery of the new world will be delayed.¡¯ as long as kim ki-woo was alive, columbus¡¯ fate had changed. columbus would die without setting foot on the american continent. after delivering only the horses and diseases that they brought. of course, other europeans would reach the american continent through various routes later¡­ but as long as kim ki-woo was alive and alert, they would not be able to settle properly on the american continent. ¡®i will decide when the two continents will interact.¡¯ based on that time, the history of the earth would change completely. < the fate of columbus. > the end Chapter 30 chapter 30 < weapon sales > the coke was finally completed. that is, they could solve the shortage of coal that started by blowing air into the furnace connected to the waterwheel. this fact quickly spread to the imperial leaders, including kim kiwoo. it became the starting point of a fierce debate. the sanitation director started it. ¡°we no longer need to have an industrial zone in the capital. no, we shouldn¡¯t. don¡¯t you agree, industrial director?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the industrial director was silent. but the sanitation director had no intention of loosening the reins. ¡°why was the industrial zone densely concentrated in the capital until now? because it was relatively cheaper to produce machines here, where most of the imperial citizens live near the capital. and there was also a reason why we didn¡¯t need to move the industrial zone at a great cost.¡± most of the directors who attended the meeting agreed with the sanitation director¡¯s words. kim kiwoo was no exception. ¡°but now we have a reason. because we have to use coal from now on.¡± the most important fuel for ironmaking in industry changed from charcoal to coke. that is, there was a need to move the industrial zone closer to the coal mine. it was very inefficient to carry coal by boat to the capital and then put it into ironmaking and various factories. ¡°besides, as you know, coal doesn¡¯t produce much smoke. it¡¯s crazy to keep the industrial zone in the capital in this situation!¡± ¡°the sanitation director¡¯s words are very reasonable.¡± ¡°if the price of raw materials goes down, it will help the national finances that are decreasing day by day.¡± ¡°if the industrial zone moves out, i think it will solve the population density problem.¡± as soon as his words were over, the commercial director, interior director, and security director added a word each. it was all beneficial for their departments. kim kiwoo nodded. ¡®this is killing three birds with one stone.¡¯ it opens up an economic breathing space, solves the serious smoke problem, and finally alleviates the population density problem in the capital to some extent. how beautiful this is. ¡®i had to increase the size of the kiln and furnace anyway.¡¯ a large-scale expansion was necessary to use waterwheel, coke, and coal. if not now, it would cost more to move later. and besides the industrial director, aren¡¯t other directors agreeing? he was convinced that this was the right time to move the factory. kim kiwoo asked the industrial director who was keeping his mouth shut. ¡°industrial director, do you have anything to say?¡± the industrial director geomeun jilmul organized his thoughts and started speaking. ¡°the wakan tanka empire has developed so far by raising industry. it contains the hard work of craftsmen.¡± ¡°that¡¯s a fact that everyone recognizes.¡± ¡°but you¡¯re kicking them out of the capital because things have changed. this is unfair treatment.¡± ¡°unfair?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t being kicked out of the capital in return for their dedication? this will inevitably cause serious deprivation for craftsmen.¡± it was a problem he had anticipated enough. there were also many complaints such as security problems caused by mine criminals, children¡¯s education problems, etc. but among them, the most central complaint was being kicked out of the capital itself. however, at present, he could not go on solving even craftsmen¡¯s complaints. he had to keep his focus well. whenever he tried to do something, there were always people who complained. it was just that this time it was craftsmen, a major class of empire. ¡®i have no choice but to ask for sacrifice for the country.¡¯ the sacrifice of small for big. kim kiwoo didn¡¯t like this sentence very much either. but he had too much experience in why this happened frequently at national level over last 15 years. and this time too it was time to do so. ¡°the city of industrial zone will become a huge city that is not inferior to capital in future and will become center of all production. i will take responsibility and support until then. however, i cannot give up interest of empire and interest of imperial citizens because of complaints of craftsmen. there will be no reversal on this matter.¡± ¡°¡­craftsmen will surely be greatly disappointed with empire.¡± he said it indirectly, but it meant that craftsmen felt betrayed by kim kiwoo. displeasure appeared on kim kiwoo¡¯s face. ¡°are you criticizing my decision?¡± only then did black mud realize his mistake and bowed his head deeply. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i think my emotions got too intense.¡± ¡°be careful in future.¡± kim kiwoo didn¡¯t point out any more. he understood how industrial director felt enough. the industrial director had been assisting kim kiwoo for a long time. therefore, he respected kim kiwoo deeply like other directors. but he is head of craftsmen. he had to think of craftsmen¡¯s welfare as top priority. the industrial director was in a dilemma. kim kiwoo gently comforted the industrial director. he knew that the craftsmen were unhappy. but couldn¡¯t he persuade them somehow? they might be dissatisfied now, but they would surely understand his decision someday. the head of the industrial department could not refuse when his lord said so. his lord was the great emperor who had built the current waktang empire. he sensed that the black mud was about to retreat. ¡°¡­i also understand the intentions of your majesty and the other heads very well. how can i oppose you when you say so? i will try to appease the officials of the industrial department and the craftsmen in the factory.¡± ¡°good. i trust that you will do well.¡± that was how the relocation of the industrial district was finally decided. after that day. all the factories that needed fire or were related to it started to prepare for moving. *** of course, moving a factory didn¡¯t mean that a new industrial district was completed in a deserted area overnight. that would have been miraculous. the location had been decided long ago. along the appalachian mountains, especially around birmingham, was marked as the main industrial district. it was a place where it was easy to obtain coal, iron, and limestone, and it was adjacent to the river. large-scale construction was concentrated in that place. ¡°huh¡­ are they building a new city here?¡± ¡°it¡¯s really a shabby village. at least the roads are well built.¡± that was what the construction workers said after looking around the planned site of the new factory. there was a paved road that connected the mines and the river. it was paved first for transporting raw materials. but apart from that, it was only a village of sparse size. among them, quite large villages were all located by the river where boats came and went. ¡°well, at least there is plenty of limestone and coal, so we don¡¯t have to worry about materials, right?¡± ¡°well, as long as we have enough people.¡± did their words become seeds? a few days later, many laborers flocked to where the industrial city would be built. ¡°are they all construction workers?¡± ¡°wow¡­ they all came here after leaving other jobs?¡± ¡°oh my, you¡¯re so slow on news.¡± ¡°what happened?¡± ¡°something happened. his majesty stopped many of the works. he sent most of those workers here.¡± ¡°is that true?¡± it was true. kim ki-woo concentrated his efforts on building an industrial city by stopping many of the ongoing works. the laborers who gathered like this started working simultaneously. the construction progressed quickly with more limestone than what came out of the surrounding mines. the construction workers were already skilled at building standardized buildings. thanks to that, residential areas, shops, police stations, etc., including industrial districts, quickly revealed their appearance. kim ki-woo had two reasons for doing this. the first was to lower the price of raw materials as soon as possible. and the other one was that if he continued to build other things while building an industrial city, his already precarious finances could collapse. he thought it would be faster than expected for the craftsmen to move to their new home. *** ¡°your majesty. the budget for middle schools, universities, kindergartens, and construction is too large. the cost of moving the industrial district and craftsmen is also enormous. we are starting to see the bottom of our finances.¡± the face of straight tree, who spoke, was very pale. that¡¯s how bad the financial situation was. ¡®phew. it finally came to this point.¡¯ kim ki-woo could see that the situation was quite serious. there had been signs of financial collapse all along. but until now, he had managed to survive with increasing industrial power. but if he stayed still like this, it would only be a matter of time before his finances dried up. supply would surely increase in the future. he was now busy building large factories including steel mills. but demand did not increase as much as supply did. rather, there was enough room to decrease. there was no need to buy new things if they already had them at home. in the end, there were only two ways to solve the financial problem. either he reduced the leaking costs as he had thought before. or¡­ ¡®he had to make money by opening up new markets.¡¯ kim ki-woo had no intention of using the first method. ¡®besides, trading is too hard without money. there is a limit to economic growth in this environment.¡¯ to make money in this era, he needed a lot of gold and silver. to satisfy all these things¡­ ¡®do i have no choice but to do that?¡¯ something he hadn¡¯t done because he felt uneasy about it. but the situation had changed. ¡°i understand what you are saying, minister of the interior. i have something in mind for this, so you can go back for now.¡± ¡°¡­i hope there will be a good outcome this time.¡± straight tree bowed his head and returned to the ministry of the interior. as soon as he left, kim ki-woo said to his attendant. ¡°call the minister of foreign affairs.¡± that was how kim ki-woo decided to become a villain to save his country¡¯s economy. *** the andes region. ¡°are you okay? you don¡¯t look very well.¡± ¡°phew. is it that obvious?¡± ¡°yes, it is.¡± the chief of this trade delegation, wise wood, asked with a puzzled expression. of course, there was an interpreter between them, so communication was smooth. ¡°didn¡¯t i tell you about the country called tawantinsuyu in the south last time?¡± ¡°yes, you did.¡± tawantinsuyu was the name of the inca empire. ¡°those bastards are extending their claws to our region. i¡¯m worried that our tribe might be destroyed by them if this goes on.¡± as he said that, the man looked at wise wood and subtly expressed his wish. ¡°so¡­ i wonder if you could sell us some weapons of the wakan tanka empire? we will pay you generously.¡± ¡°hmm. that¡¯s really¡­¡± ¡°i know it¡¯s a rude thing to ask, but it won¡¯t be good for the empire either if we perish, right? i heard that you already lost several trading partners because of tawantinsuyu.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. but¡­¡± wise wood trailed off with a troubled look. < weapon sales. > the end Chapter 31 chapter 31 < war merchant. > he had been trading with the tribes living in the andes for a long time. but it was a trade limited to necessities. he did not trade any iron products. some complained about this, but most of the andean tribes understood the empire¡¯s policy. they also did not sell weapons to other tribes. ¡°hmm. what should i do¡­¡± the wise wood showed a thoughtful expression as he crossed his arms. but inside, he was shouting with joy. in fact, the sale of weapons was already decided. no, the sale of weapons was the purpose of this trade. soon, the wise wood opened his mouth with a determined expression. ¡°okay.¡± ¡°you changed your mind¡­ huh?¡± ¡°i said okay.¡± ¡°what do you mean¡­¡± ¡°we will sell you the weapons we have to your tribe.¡± ¡°oh! is that really true!¡± ¡°yes. we can¡¯t ignore your danger when we see it clearly. that¡¯s not what friends do, is it?¡± ¡°huh! thank you so much! the empire will always remain as a friend of our tribe!¡± the man jumped around and expressed his joy with his whole body. the wise wood smiled broadly and responded to him. but inside, he thought differently. ¡®i wonder how long they will think of us as benefactors.¡¯ the wise wood, who had member in the foreign ministry, was one of the few people who knew roughly how the plan would proceed. so he couldn¡¯t be as sincerely happy as that man. he knew that for the prosperity of the wakan tanka empire, a lot of blood would flow in the andes region. * the first thing to start working again in the industrial district was the ironworks. iron poured out like water from the ironworks that were built in a hurry. the synergy of coke and blast furnace made this possible. it was incomparable to before. a large number of iron products made this way were weapons. they were hard and brittle, but iron swords were much more powerful than stone ones. iron weapons were transported directly to panama. and from panama, they switched ships and spread to various places in the andes region. ¡°thank you! thank you so much!¡± ¡°we¡¯re not just giving them away, so you don¡¯t have to be so grateful.¡± ¡°no, no. we know very well that the empire made a big decision.¡± ¡°haha. if you think so, please buy more of our products.¡± ¡°of course. hahaha!¡± these iron weapons were sold like hotcakes to countless tribes who had a sense of urgency about the expansion of the inca empire. of course, a huge profit was built in as a matter of course. they received large amounts of gold and silver in exchange for iron weapons. in the andes region, there had been a long history of mining and refining gold and silver. that is, it was relatively easy to get them if they wanted to. and when they learned that the merchants of the wakan tanka empire wanted gold and silver, mining scale grew even bigger in many places in the andes mountains. the more they dug, the more they could exchange for weapons, so it was natural in a way. ¡°kill those tawantinsuyu bastards!¡± ¡°this time we¡¯ll show them who¡¯s boss!¡± then, the situation of the expansion war began to turn strangely. the wakan tanka empire had not yet opened trade with the inca empire. the inca empire was very wary of the sudden appearance of the wakan tanka empire. they were burning with ambition to subjugate all of the andes region. in this situation, the emergence of a powerful enemy was a great threat to the inca empire. but as things went on like this, cutting off contact with the wakan tanka empire backfired on them. the inca empire had no iron weapons. ¡°those bastards¡­!¡± pacha cuti, the emperor-like figure of the inca empire and descendant of inti, the sun god, spewed out anger in streams. then, his attendants trembled around him. the sapa inca was a descendant of inti, the sun god. that is, it was enough to justify their death if pacha cuti got angry for one reason alone. ¡°bring me those damn weapons right now!¡± ¡°yes!¡± so his attendants were more careful with their manners. as soon as pacha cuti¡¯s order fell, an iron sword was brought in an instant. ¡°¡­¡± pacha cuti looked around with his sword in his hand. he didn¡¯t stop there. he swung his sword and hit it with a stone. and he realized. ¡®this weapon is too different from the common ones we have.¡¯ if the warriors on the battlefield had to fight against enemies armed with these weapons¡­ it would surely result in a bad outcome. in fact, that was what was happening. they had lost many of the regions they had conquered. ¡°do the enemies have many of these weapons?¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry to say that they do. the wakan tanka empire is constantly distributing these weapons to the enemies.¡± ¡°damn it! what are they thinking? why are they hostile to us!¡± the warrior bowed his head. it was because sapa inca had blocked their trade with them, but he couldn¡¯t say that or he would lose his head. it was wise to keep silent in this situation. ¡°huff¡­¡± pacha cuti calmed his anger. he was not foolish. if he was, he wouldn¡¯t have conquered the surroundings so quickly. if these weapons were the problem, then the only way to solve it was to get the same weapons. if they had the same weapons, they wouldn¡¯t be pushed back by those bastards like now. ¡°wakan tanka empire, you said? contact them right away and tell them we want to buy weapons too. give them whatever they want!¡± ¡°yes, sir!¡± pacha cuti couldn¡¯t quell his anger in his chest even after the warrior left. ¡°damn them. you¡¯ll see. i¡¯ll pay you back for this humiliation someday!¡± he had to swallow his pride for now because he had to deal with the enemies in front of him. but pacha cuti vowed to make them pay dearly someday. * when a large amount of gold and silver came from the andes region, the wakan tanka empire¡¯s finances breathed a sigh of relief. of course, they couldn¡¯t circulate currency with this amount of precious metals. the only thing that directly helped their finances was the various treasures made of gold by the andean people. the empire sold these treasures to the private sector at high prices. ¡°wow, such a beautiful piece of art!¡± ¡°how lovely. look at these treasures that shine brightly like the sun!¡± the demand for art was slowly rising around this time. the treasures from the andes region looked very beautiful to the eyes of the wealthy imperial citizens. there were many people among the creek people who had accumulated a lot of wealth. they had built up their wealth as the empire grew. especially among them, there were many imperial elites, intellectuals, and merchants, so this tendency was stronger. moreover, at this time, a trend of showing off their wealth began to spread among the creek elite. the creek people were proud that they had built this huge empire with his majesty. therefore, they thought they were superior to other imperial citizens. but they couldn¡¯t show it outwardly. thanks to kim ki-woo¡¯s strong sanctions, this kind of discrimination was taboo in the empire. in this situation, the gold treasures from the andes region were the most suitable tool to show that they were better than others. ¡°ha. i wondered who bought it, but it turned out you did!¡± ¡°haha! how is it? isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± ¡°tsk. if i had enough money then, i would have bought it. you don¡¯t have any plans to sell it to me, do you?¡± ¡°dream on. i¡¯m not going to sell this to anyone.¡± they invited their friends and showed off their exotic and splendid treasures. as things changed like this, there was a perception that if you were a wealthy family, you should have at least one of these treasures. then, the demand for collecting treasures grew uncontrollably among the wealthy class. eventually, their vanity made them spend their wealth that they had just piled up. finally, their wealth began to circulate. ¡®the urgent fire is out.¡¯ fortunately, they didn¡¯t go bankrupt because of this. kim ki-woo sighed. ¡®but this is only temporary.¡¯ the treasures from the andes region would continue to come in. and the empire¡¯s artists would make their own gold treasures following them. that meant that over time, the value of these treasures would steadily decline. they wouldn¡¯t be able to make a fortune like now. in the end, there was only one answer. currency. they had to create currency and make a structure where money circulated smoothly. a structure where taxes were collected only in currency, and where one could buy anything they wanted with currency. kim ki-woo checked this again at the imperial meeting. ¡°minister of the interior.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± the face of the straight tree, which had been miserable until recently, had returned to normal. ¡°how is the currency minting going?¡± ¡°yes. we are making currency as soon as gold and silver come in. but i think the amount is still not enough.¡± the preparation for circulation was going on diligently from now on, even if it took time. ¡°more gold and silver will come in. minister of the interior, keep an eye on the production of currency.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°good. i trust you.¡± the straight tree would not disappoint him this time either. kim ki-woo moved on to the next agenda. ¡°minister of foreign affairs.¡± ¡°speak, your majesty.¡± ¡°how is the andes region doing now?¡± ¡°the offensive of tawantinsuyu has been broken. now they are rather being pushed back.¡± it was a phenomenon that occurred as iron weapons were sufficiently supplied to the enemies of the inca empire. ¡°hmm. then is it time to start trading with tawantinsuyu?¡± ¡°if you ask for my opinion, i think it¡¯s still early.¡± ¡°early?¡± ¡°yes. waiting a little longer won¡¯t cause fatal damage to tawantinsuyu. they are a powerful nation. and wouldn¡¯t they buy iron weapons more expensively if they were in a more disadvantageous situation than now?¡± ¡°hmm. that¡¯s true.¡± kim ki-woo and the imperial government had set one principle for trade with the andes region. it might be cruel, but they decided to trade with them in a way that was more profitable for them. ¡®they have to fight hard to sell more weapons. so the war has to last longer for us to benefit.¡¯ war makes money. that was an unchanging truth even in the future. the ones who benefited from war were usually the countries that sold weapons to that war. ¡®as long as i balance the power of both sides¡­¡¯ he could suck their wealth as he wished. of course, when the same weapons were supplied, the side with a better army would win. kim ki-woo had already thought about what would happen next. then¡­ he would sell better weapons to the weaker side than the iron swords he was selling now. iron swords followed by iron armor. then crossbows. something like that. he planned to gradually increase the quality of weapons and adjust them so that the war would last longer. he never let one side dominate the andes. ¡®the people of the andes will surely be angry at our atrocities.¡¯ but they had to import weapons from wakan tanka empire. by then, they would be enemies of life and death with other factions. stop importing weapons in this situation? even if they were angry, it would be hard for them to do that. the war would continue, and the andes region would become a reliable source of gold, silver, and guano for the empire. it was too costly to colonize south america right now, and wakan tanka empire¡¯s national power was not enough. but they needed gold and silver from south america for economic growth. this was the best way for now. ¡°then let¡¯s wait and see. for now, don¡¯t give a definite answer to tawantinsuyu¡¯s request and stall for time.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± kim ki-woo knew that this method would cause controversy in the future. but kim ki-woo was ready to do this for the development of the empire. economy and industry were closely related, and he believed that only with enough gold and silver to mint currency could he smoothly lead to industrial revolution in the future. he couldn¡¯t achieve his goal of accelerating civilization development by only thinking about humane means, which was why he came back to the past. the discussion on andes ended like that. < war merchant. > the end Chapter 32 chapter 32 < demons beyond imagination. > the moment finally came. the day when kim ki-woo¡¯s descendant saw the light of the world. ¡®please, let there be no trouble¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo bit his nails and paced around his office. he wanted to run out of this room and rush to the empress, but he didn¡¯t. the officials had stopped him. ¡®why is it taking so long?¡¯ the empress had been in labor for quite a while. but there was no news. what if something went wrong? what should he do then? no, it¡¯s because it¡¯s her first child that it¡¯s taking so long. all kinds of thoughts came to kim ki-woo¡¯s mind. then. bang! ¡°your majesty!¡± the door of the office opened. kim ki-woo looked at the open door reflexively. he would have scolded anyone who opened the door and came in without permission, but now hearing the news was more important. the upright tree knew this too, so he came in hastily. ¡°minister of the interior! well, how did it go?¡± the straight tree¡¯s face brightened at kim ki-woo¡¯s question. ¡°the empress has given birth to a healthy boy!¡± ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°do you think i would lie to you?¡± ¡°huh¡­¡± he felt a relief. he was dazed for a while. he couldn¡¯t help it. in kim ki-woo¡¯s life, the child born now was his first child. ¡°do you want to go right away?¡± kim ki-woo came to his senses at the upright tree¡¯s question. ¡°yes. let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll guide you.¡± kim ki-woo followed him closely. as he walked down the corridor, kim ki-woo felt his chest swell. he wanted to hold his son in his arms as soon as possible. ¡®mother, father, sister¡­¡¯ his parents and his only sister, whom he had left behind in the modern world, crossed his mind. kim ki-woo¡¯s family of three were all alive until he took the time machine from the modern world. if kim ki-woo¡¯s going back to the past had nothing to do with the future time, his family would have surely suffered a terrible fate when the asteroid collided with earth. even if not, kim ki-woo could no longer meet his family. the time periods were completely different. in this world, kim ki-woo was an orphan. so he often wished he had someone who shared his bloodline. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t get married for a long time. he didn¡¯t even have a relationship with a woman before marriage. he denied it several times, but there was one reason why kim ki-woo acted like this unconsciously. ¡®i was scared.¡¯ it was a kind of trauma. the anxiety of losing his bloodline first again. the emptiness he would feel when that happened. he was scared because he had experienced it before. since his lifespan was long, his children were more likely to leave this world before him. if the founding of the empire had been delayed, kim ki-woo¡¯s marriage would have been delayed as well. even after marriage, he had this thought. that¡¯s why he only had his first child now. the empress didn¡¯t criticize or resent kim ki-woo¡¯s behavior. she didn¡¯t even ask why. even though there was concern about the empress among the ministers, and she was stressed by it. but living together for a long time, kim ki-woo could vaguely feel the empress¡¯s feelings. she couldn¡¯t have been unaffected by the criticism of those who said she couldn¡¯t conceive a child. ¡®this was my selfish thought.¡¯ not even starting to avoid future sorrow. how foolish that was. and he was the emperor of wakan tanka empire. this behavior was irresponsible. it was also a bad thing to do to the empress. from then on, kim ki-woo changed his mind. thanks to that, he finally had his first child. he arrived at his destination before he knew it. kim ki-woo quickly ran into the room. ¡°empress!¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°how are you feeling?¡± she looked drained, her face devoid of strength. kim kiwoo approached her and quickly grasped her hand. deep lake smiled faintly at his gesture. ¡°don¡¯t worry about me. i¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve been through a lot. you really have.¡± ¡°what have i been through? it was nothing compared to your majesty¡¯s efforts for the empire. you should hold your son now.¡± ¡°oh!¡± kim kiwoo finally turned his gaze to the baby in deep lake¡¯s arms. ¡°this is¡­¡± the baby was very chubby. he must have cried when he was born, but now he was wrapped in a clean cloth and sleeping soundly. as kim kiwoo approached the baby, deep lake naturally handed him over to kim kiwoo. kim kiwoo carefully took him, making sure not to wake him up. at that moment, kim kiwoo¡¯s chest swelled with emotion. ¡®he¡¯s so light¡­¡¯ he was light, but somehow he felt heavy. was this the weight of responsibility? kim kiwoo stroked the baby¡¯s cheek with his index finger. it was very soft. the baby¡¯s hands, feet, everything was small. he looked like a doll. kim kiwoo spent some time memorizing every detail of his child. ¡®i was foolish.¡¯ what was he afraid of? just by having his own bloodline, he felt such a deep satisfaction in his heart. the feeling that he was not alone in this harsh world. he would not do anything to avoid future wounds anymore. ¡®i¡¯ll make a better world for you.¡¯ kim kiwoo vowed to himself as he looked at his child. * ¡°did you hear the news? the emperor has finally been born.¡± ¡°hey, you. who doesn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°hehe. i feel like i can finally relax a bit. i was worried that the empress might not be able to bear a child.¡± ¡°that was a needless worry. she gave birth to such a healthy crown prince.¡± the birth of the crown prince spread quickly throughout the empire through newspapers. thanks to that, the whole empire was in a festive mood for a while. the people had been anxious for a long time. they were worried that the descendant of the spirit might not be born, and that the great bloodline might be cut off. there were even rumors that the empress was a deficient person and that the great bloodline would not continue as if it were a fact. after the crown prince was born, kim kiwoo stayed with the empress and the emperor for ten days. ¡°your majesty. i¡¯m fine, so why don¡¯t you take care of the state affairs?¡± deep lake worried about kim kiwoo, who had taken a long vacation for her recovery. the longer the rest time, the more work would pile up, and then it would be harder after ten days. ¡°no. don¡¯t worry about me.¡± but kim kiwoo refused her request without hesitation. he wanted to spend more time with his family since he became a father. he didn¡¯t think he could handle work at this time anyway. the staff also understood kim kiwoo¡¯s feelings. there was not a single director who opposed his vacation. he spent time with his family and filled his empty heart. around that time, his ten-day vacation ended. ¡®time flies so fast.¡¯ this was the only time he felt so bitter about the passing time. ¡®but i have to work harder to make the empire more prosperous.¡¯ his desire grew stronger as he had a child. ¡°did you rest well?¡± ¡°your face looks much better.¡± ¡°haha. nothing big happened while i was gone, right?¡± the first imperial meeting after his return was held. kim kiwoo received a brief report on what had happened during his absence and gave instructions. fortunately, there were no issues that worsened in ten days. the directors were now competent enough to handle their departments well. it was not like before when things went wrong when kim kiwoo left his seat. after finishing the meeting and returning to his office, ¡°your majesty. the person you ordered has arrived.¡± ¡°oh, let him in.¡± as the attendant opened the door, a man entered the office. he was none other than the golden parrot, who had escaped from aztec. ¡°it¡¯s an honor to meet you, your majesty!¡± the golden parrot¡¯s pronunciation was awkward, but he spoke in standard language. he seemed very excited, his voice trembling slightly. he prostrated himself on the floor as soon as he saw kim kiwoo. kim kiwoo laughed out loud. ¡°haha! get up and sit down. don¡¯t we have a lot to talk about?¡± ¡°how can i¡­¡± ¡°ahem. this is an order.¡± the golden parrot got up and sat on a chair. ¡°your leg doesn¡¯t look good, does it?¡± kim kiwoo asked, looking at the golden parrot who was slightly limping on one leg. ¡°yes. it seems that the injury i got while escaping hasn¡¯t healed completely.¡± ¡°oh. that¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t affect my daily life.¡± the golden parrot smiled brightly. he didn¡¯t really care about his injured leg. what was this inconvenience compared to his life? ¡°so. do you have any idea why i called you here?¡± ¡°yes. i have a guess.¡± ¡°then it will be easier to talk. can you tell me your story?¡± ¡°of course, your majesty.¡± the golden parrot opened his mouth. his childhood story ended, and the story of the reality of the aztec empire began in earnest. ¡°they are demons. they forced not only my tribe, but all the surrounding tribes to pay hefty tributes at all times. and they took people from the tribes to their city from time to time. to sacrifice them!¡± the golden parrot¡¯s voice was filled with anger, as if he had a lot of resentment. ¡°the mexica people thought of us as bread. they made a stew of human flesh called tlacatlolli. they raised dogs and turkeys, and ate enough meat from the fish they caught in the lake, but they made people into food just for fun! really¡­¡± tears welled up in his eyes. his throat must have been choked as he recalled the horrible past. ¡°take it easy. you can talk slowly. do you want a glass of water?¡± ¡°¡­i would appreciate it if you gave me one.¡± after gulping down the water brought by the attendant, the golden parrot¡¯s story continued. ¡°they brutally slaughtered countless children. tlaloc, the god of water and rain, only accepted children as sacrifices. they made children cry in tlaloc¡¯s temple. they said that the land would become fertile as they shed tears!¡± the children didn¡¯t die peacefully. the golden parrot vividly described the scene at that time. ¡°they deliberately made the children sick and starved them. and if they didn¡¯t cry, they pulled out their fingernails one by one. until they cried! and when they screamed, they cut their throats and killed them.¡± kim kiwoo learned more about the reality of the aztec people as he listened to the golden parrot¡¯s words. he felt it in his bones that they were bastards who couldn¡¯t even be compared to dogs. ¡®was it this bad?¡¯ kim kiwoo only knew that the aztecs had committed evil and horrible human sacrifices on a large scale, but he didn¡¯t know the details. the golden parrot continued to list their atrocities one by one. there was no end to it. the highlight was that they made a skull tower called tzompantli with tens of thousands of skulls and decorated it. it was unbelievable that it existed in tenochtitlan, and he felt nauseous just imagining it. even if only half of this was true¡­ ¡®they are demons beyond imagination.¡¯ any civilization would have some limits, but aztec had far exceeded those limits. they were more than imaginable. < demons beyond imagination > the end Chapter 33 chapter 33 < the prelude to war. > ¡°hmm¡­¡± he was in a very bad mood. until yesterday, he had been enjoying a sweet rest with his family and was extremely happy. but after hearing about the horrible things that were happening in the neighboring country, he felt nauseous. ¡®what should i do?¡¯ but these emotions were kim kiwoo¡¯s own personal feelings. it was time to think from the perspective of the wakan tanka empire. kim kiwoo had vaguely known about the inhuman reality of the aztec empire before. but he didn¡¯t pay attention to them until now. this was different from selling weapons to the andes region. if a war broke out with the aztec empire, he didn¡¯t know how much blood of the wakan tanka empire¡¯s warriors would flow. the population of the people living in the aztec region was enormous compared to the panama region, at least four times more than the wakan tanka empire. considering that the population of the wakan tanka empire had exploded and that the proportion of infants and adolescents was high, there would be even more difference in the number of warriors. ¡®of course, most of them are not part of the triple alliance, but the surrounding tribes.¡¯ they must have hated their oppressors, the mexica people, like the golden parrot¡¯s tribe. ¡®that¡¯s why they perished so easily.¡¯ kim kiwoo knew at least how the aztecs perished. they were wiped out by the surrounding tribes who had deep hatred for the mexica people. the spanish conquistadors were just a catalyst. the relationship between the aztecs and the surrounding tribes was already at its worst at that time. it was actually the anti-aztec alliance that destroyed the aztec empire. but spain¡¯s conquistadors and the current wakan tanka empire were different cases. ¡®it¡¯s at least 50 years earlier than that.¡¯ of course, judging by what the golden parrot said, the relationship between the mexica people and the surrounding tribes didn¡¯t look good even now, but it was an unpredictable situation. he couldn¡¯t be sure if the surrounding tribes would move according to his will, if they would unite firmly around the wakan tanka empire, or if there would be any traitors among them. war could change completely because of one small incident. just because spain destroyed aztec with a small army, it didn¡¯t guarantee that wakan tanka empire could do the same. ¡®but¡­¡¯ he had a reason to attack them even at this risk, and it came up yesterday. kim kiwoo recalled what the golden parrot said. he said that the mexica people had started to make iron following wakan tanka empire. ¡®what i feared has happened.¡¯ he had thought that this might happen someday. he didn¡¯t know how they got information and succeeded in making iron. but it was possible that they got at least some concept of it. kim kiwoo tried to spread various knowledge to the public through newspapers. things like mathematics, astronomy, technology, basic science, philosophy, common sense, etc. he believed that knowledge would develop faster when it spread widely. among them, there were several contents related to metal. many of the people knew at least that iron ore melted when heated at high temperatures. presumably, such a concept had leaked into aztec. it could have been done by one of the aztec spies who were exposed in the past. ¡®but it¡¯s faster than i thought.¡¯ it had been almost 20 years since iron appeared in north america, considering that. the spread of iron was quite fast. it turned out that not everything in the world went as he wanted. what had already happened, how to respond to it was important now. ¡®of course they can¡¯t get good quality iron in one go.¡¯ the production volume wouldn¡¯t be very high either. according to what the golden parrot said, their iron was still lacking a lot. he didn¡¯t know how long it would take for aztec empire to fully enter into iron age. but once they could make iron on their own, giving them time was a bad choice. ¡®i can¡¯t just watch until aztec fully enters into iron age.¡¯ kim kiwoo had sold iron to andes region. and someday they would be able to make iron on their own too. but that place was south america. even if worst case scenario happened, it would be difficult for andes region to directly attack wakan tanka empire¡¯s mainland. but aztec was different. there were some difficult parts geographically, but they could reach wakan tanka empire¡¯s mainland if they wanted to. the military power of aztec empire should not be underestimated. aztec was a military powerhouse that conquered many surrounding tribes by force. in a situation where he had to clash with aztec sooner or later, if they armed themselves with good quality iron¡­ wakan tanka empire would also suffer a lot of damage. ¡®i need to revise the plan.¡¯ kim kiwoo had originally planned to attack aztec after wakan tanka empire had grown enough and he was sure that he could minimize the damage. but now that he heard the news that they started to produce iron, it was not a good choice. now, when their iron quality was bad and production was not on track, was the time to destroy aztec empire. ¡®is it war after all?¡¯ kim kiwoo decided on war. of course, he had to prepare for war first. he had a reason. their evil deeds were a reason in themselves. for a long time, kim ki-woo had been publishing a series of articles on the spirit mythology, which claimed that spirits never desired human blood. he was slowly eradicating the barbaric customs that had existed in the north american region. since kim ki-woo himself was a spirit, the imperial citizens accepted his words relatively easily. their actions, however, were intolerable to the wakan tanka empire, whose people believed in such spirits. * the next day. the golden parrot had to repeat what he had told kim ki-woo, but this time in the imperial conference, not in his office. ¡°sigh¡­¡± ¡°how could they!¡± ¡°have you seen these crazy writers?¡± as the golden parrot mentioned one by one the atrocities of the aztec empire, the faces of the directors rose with displeasure. the stories that came out of the golden parrot¡¯s mouth were so shocking that they easily surpassed their imaginations. finally, the golden parrot¡¯s testimony ended. then, a multitude of voices erupted. ¡°we cannot let those wicked people go unpunished!¡± ¡°we must root out their evil deeds!¡± ¡°such a wicked nation deserves to be annihilated!¡± ¡°give me the warriors. i will wipe out those wicked people from this land right away!¡± the directors all vented their anger. of course, there was also a director who poured cold water on this atmosphere. he was none other than the director of internal affairs. ¡°your majesty. you must think carefully about war. the war you are trying to wage now is different from the previous conquest wars.¡± ¡°no, how can you leave such a wicked nation alone?¡± ¡°i am also very displeased if what he said is true. they must pay for their sins. but we cannot make such a decision emotionally. we have to consider the current financial situation, military capacity, expected damage and everything else before we act.¡± ¡°no matter what¡­¡± ¡°it is unfortunate for those who are sacrificed by them, but we have to think of the empire first. it will not be too late to wage war after the financial situation of the wakan tanka empire has improved.¡± ¡°hmph!¡± the straight tree was right. but many directors were not easily convinced. there was a moment of silence in the conference room, and kim ki-woo stepped forward. ¡°the director of internal affairs is right. but! we have to eliminate the aztec empire from this land as soon as possible.¡± ¡°why is that?¡± ¡°according to the golden parrot, those wicked writers are imitating our weapons and producing and using iron. giving them time is not wise. someday, we will surely regret it.¡± ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°yes! i definitely saw iron in aztec!¡± ¡°how can you be sure that it was iron produced in aztec? it could have been iron that came from our side.¡± ¡°their iron was not as hard as wakan tanka¡¯s iron.¡± ¡°not hard?¡± ¡°yes.¡± that meant that the quality was not good. the director of industry nodded and muttered. ¡°of course, our iron is not soft at all¡­¡± ¡°if what he says is true, then it is not from the empire at least.¡± the fact that they used such low-quality iron itself was a strong evidence that it was not wakan tanka¡¯s iron. the directors¡¯ expressions became serious at the golden parrot¡¯s testimony. iron weapons were the driving force behind the growth of the wakan tanka empire. if they were produced in aztec and became abundant¡­ ¡°director of internal affairs.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°do you still oppose war?¡± ¡°¡­no. do as your majesty wishes.¡± ¡°of course, we will not start war right away. this war will be the first continental war since the founding of wakan tanka empire. naturally, enough preparation must precede it. all departments should keep this in mind. from now on, wakan tanka empire will enter a wartime system.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± that¡¯s how war with aztec empire was decided. this news was detailed in the newspaper. everything from aztec empire¡¯s atrocities to why war had to be waged. this newspaper spread quickly throughout the empire. the curtain of the first continental war had opened. * ¡®i¡¯m uneasy with these weapons.¡¯ the weapons currently produced were all iron swords. it was because of the explosive demand from the andes region. the crude steel swords of the past would have been better, but they were ultimately imperfect steel. on top of that, they required a tremendous amount of manpower and were extremely inefficient. ¡®i need to make real steel soon.¡¯ he had planned to do this over time. but now it was urgently needed. if it had been normal times, he would have thrown the research project to the university, and kim ki-woo would have received continuous reports and made corrections. but that would take time. so kim ki-woo decided to go to the unfinished industrial district himself. he also wanted to check out various processes, including the blast furnace that had been built so far. ¡°empress. i¡¯m afraid i won¡¯t be able to stay with you for a while.¡± kim ki-woo said to deep lake, who was holding his son. he felt sorry for his wife, who was still not fully recovered, and had to be away for quite a long time. but deep lake smiled brightly and shook her head. ¡°please don¡¯t worry about me and this child. you must have a good reason to go. i hope you will take care of yourself and come back safely.¡± ¡°thank you very much.¡± after getting permission from his wife, kim ki-woo declared it right away in the conference. ¡°i will go to black sky city tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­i apologize, but why do you suddenly want to go to black sky city?¡± the faces of the directors were colored with confusion. it was natural, since the sovereign of the nation suddenly announced that he would leave his seat. but kim ki-woo had no intention of changing his mind. ¡°it¡¯s to make steel.¡± ¡°steel¡­ don¡¯t you think you can make it without going there?¡± ¡°no. i have to go. as you know, the previous steel was not very good in quality. but the steel i¡¯m going to make this time is real steel.¡± ¡°real steel¡­!¡± the exclamation of the director of industry came out first. it was the same for the other directors. most of them were people who had lived as warriors in the creek tribe. so they couldn¡¯t help but be interested in more powerful weapons than before. ¡°i know how to make such steel. we have to make these good steel weapons as soon as possible. for that, i will go to black sky city myself.¡± ¡°but black sky city is not a very good place for you to stay yet. why don¡¯t you experiment in the capital and let the craftsmen apply the results in black sky city?¡± black sky city was the name of the newly built industrial city. since many factories were still being built, it was not a well-established city. the director of agriculture¡¯s words seemed reasonable, but they were nothing but a waste of resources. it was much less time and resource consuming to complete the process at once in the industrial district of black sky city. ¡°we have to make steel as soon as possible. why waste time? or are you worried that someone will harm me if i go there?¡± ¡°¡­that was not my intention.¡± if he had agreed, it would have meant that there was a rebellious force within the empire. it also meant that he did not trust the empire¡¯s best warriors who escorted kim ki-woo. ¡°also, i need to take a look at how the industrial district is running. black sky city will be the center of the empire in the future.¡± if kim ki-woo moved himself, it would also ease some of the craftsmen¡¯s complaints. kim ki-woo considered this as well. kim ki-woo nailed it down so that no more words could come out. ¡°i trust that you will rule the empire well while i¡¯m gone.¡± with that, there were no more directors who argued. that¡¯s how kim ki-woo left the capital after a long time. < the prelude to war. > the end Chapter 34 chapter 34 < the road of blessing. > the morning of the day he left the capital finally dawned. before leaving, kim ki-woo hugged deep lake tightly and whispered in her ear. ¡°then i¡¯ll be back. take good care of yourself while i¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry about me. i hope you will achieve what you want.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± kim ki-woo left deep lake¡¯s farewell and got on the road of blessing. ¡®how long has it been since i left the capital?¡¯ kim ki-woo was the only sovereign of this nation. so it was hard for him to leave the capital unless necessary. even if he did, he only visited the cities near the capital. going to a city far away like this¡­ ¡®it¡¯s been since i made the mining village.¡¯ it was the first time since he went out to develop the first iron ore. it was not long after he arrived in america¡­ it¡¯s been almost 20 years. as he went out, a transport vehicle similar to a medieval carriage was waiting for him. of course, it was not pulled by a horse. it was none other than eight llamas tied to the front of the carriage. it seemed more appropriate to call it a llama carriage than a carriage. the llama carriage was very splendid. it looked like a lot of money had been poured into it. it was worthy of being an emperor¡¯s exclusive llama carriage. ¡®it¡¯s such a pity.¡¯ he felt sorry as soon as he saw the llamas. he was constantly bringing in llamas and trying hard to breed them and increase their numbers. it would take time for llamas to become popular, but in the future, there would be enough of them. but what kim ki-woo regretted was not that. ¡®they are too different from cows or horses.¡¯ they were better than humans transporting things, but they were much less efficient than other strong livestock. but what could he do? he was trying to domesticate bison that ran around the north american plains, but they were so fierce that it was not easy. until columbus brought horses, this was the best kim ki-woo could do. he sorted out his thoughts and got on the llama carriage. then, shortly after, the llama carriage started to move forward. ¡®the ride is terrible.¡¯ he felt it every time he rode it, but every time it jolted, the shock hit his buttocks hard. as kim ki-woo remembered the ride of modern cars, it was a very disappointing part. of course, it was a little less because of the paved road, but still, it couldn¡¯t be perfectly flat under the current conditions. there were no springs, and there was no rubber yet, so he had to endure this pain. ¡®i have to bring in rubber when i open up south america.¡¯ there would be para rubber trees growing in south america. they would be used in many places in the future, so securing rubber trees was essential. as he thought about this and that, before he knew it, the llama carriage passed the main gate of the palace. then. ¡°waaaaah!!¡± suddenly, a thunderous cheer rang out. the sound was loud enough to make kim ki-woo¡¯s ears dull. kim ki-woo opened the wooden window and looked outside. ¡°hehe. the imperial citizens have gathered so much.¡± ¡°it¡¯s all because they want to bless your majesty¡¯s road of blessing. please wave your hand to them. they will all consider it an honor.¡± at the words of the director of industry, kim ki-woo nodded and smiled and waved his hand outside. then an even louder cheer erupted. ¡®it¡¯s amazing. the security department must have had a lot of trouble.¡¯ the crowd filled both sides of the paved road endlessly. the imperial citizens were ecstatic as they saw kim ki-woo, as if they were possessed by madness. at this moment, he didn¡¯t envy any top star of modern times at all. thanks to that, the ones who died were security soldiers. they blocked both sides of the road and forcefully restrained the imperial citizens who tried to approach kim ki-woo. also, they kept their eyes wide open and watched around to prevent any possible unrest. ¡°when you go back to the ministry of internal affairs, give plenty of alcohol and meat to the security soldiers who were mobilized this time.¡± ¡°understood.¡± the steward bowed his head. kim ki-woo paid no more attention to the security guards. the grand welcoming crowd continued until the moment he boarded the boat on the river. ¡°phew¡­ i¡¯m already tired.¡± ¡°haha. the residents of black sky are very excited to hear that your majesty is coming.¡± ¡°weren¡¯t the artisans resentful of me? they were forced to relocate from the capital not long ago.¡± ¡°no matter what, they still respect your majesty very much.¡± kim ki-woo was the great emperor who established the current wakan tanka empire. he was respected by every citizen, but especially by the artisans. how many things had kim ki-woo created so far? starting from ironmaking, countless machines came out of kim ki-woo¡¯s head. things that could never be made in such a short time without him. thanks to that, kim ki-woo was praised as the greatest artisan. the resentment that arose from being driven out of the capital and the artisans¡¯ perception of him were two separate things. ¡°haha. i¡¯m glad they think so.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure this visit will ease any remaining bitterness. don¡¯t worry.¡± the industrial minister, black mud, said that and bowed his head. the only minister who accompanied him on this journey was the industrial minister. ¡®if only straight tree had come with me¡­¡¯ he felt very empty without straight tree, who always traveled with him on foreign affairs. but it was unrealistic to bring straight tree along. he was busy collecting military supplies and preparing for war. it all cost money. didn¡¯t they say that war was done with money? it was surely better than in modern times, but it was a rule that applied to this era as well. as a result, the ministry of internal affairs was the busiest department right now. straight tree, the minister of internal affairs, had to work without a break. the industrial minister had to travel back and forth between the capital and black sky anyway because of weapon production, so he could join him. ¡®there will be another opportunity.¡¯ kim ki-woo had planned to visit various cities in the empire once or twice since the moment currency was circulated and his primary goal was completed. then he would surely be able to go with straight tree. kim ki-woo put his thoughts aside and leaned on the railing of the boat. it was the largest boat that could be made with the current technology. thanks to that, unlike the chariot, it had a good ride quality. ¡®it¡¯s developed a lot.¡¯ kim ki-woo looked at the river and thought. the waterway was unrecognizably well-maintained. the scenery of the cities built along the river was very impressive. it was natural, but at present, the empire was forming large cities from places connected by waterways. water transportation became very smooth as boats became popular. according to reports, at this moment, wakan tanka empire¡¯s territory was gradually expanding. along the rivers scattered throughout north america. over time, cities of wakan tanka empire would be built in the inland as well, based on those rivers. then¡­ ¡®at least north america¡¯s east coast will be completely under my empire.¡¯ of course, kim ki-woo was not satisfied with just north america¡¯s east coast. * the speed of traveling was quite slow. it was because they eliminated all possible threats along the way. but there is an end if there is a beginning. finally, they arrived at their destination, black sky. ¡°wow!¡± and kim ki-woo felt a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. he said that as he saw the imperial citizens who crowded in and cheered like they did in the capital. kim ki-woo asked as he rode a chariot. ¡°do they not work at all? how can they all be here when there is work to do?¡± ¡°haha. how can they just work on this historic day when your majesty steps into this city? we stopped all work today.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± this place was different from the capital. this was an industrial city that produced many products needed by the empire. and they stopped all work at this point when they were facing a war? even though supply was already falling behind demand? kim ki-woo wanted to say something to the industrial minister who smiled brightly, but he let it go. he thought that if he made them work in the factory until the day he visited this city for the first time, the artisans and various workers would rebel greatly. most of the artisans had hardly any chance to see kim ki-woo in person. he could only hope to see kim giwoo¡¯s portrait at best. he might never have a chance to see him in person for the rest of his life if it wasn¡¯t for this occasion. ¡°fine. but still, you don¡¯t have to go this far when i return to the capital.¡± ¡°however¡­¡± ¡°this is not a request but an order.¡± ¡°¡­i understand.¡± the industrial director looked displeased, but he had no choice but to agree with kim giwoo¡¯s firm words. it was a matter of later days, but a big festival was held every year on this day in the black sky city. to commemorate kim giwoo¡¯s first visit forever. * the next morning. kim giwoo woke up from his sleep by the morning sun that came through the window. ¡®ha¡­ i miss home already.¡¯ this place was a palace that was made in preparation for kim giwoo¡¯s arrival. the room was fairly large and decorated similarly to the one in the capital. but maybe because it was unfamiliar? or because there was no deep lake next to it? it felt uncomfortable somehow. although it would take at least ten more years for the palace in the capital to be completed, the palace where kim giwoo lived now was very large. ¡®i want to see the palace in the capital completed soon.¡¯ a palace that was built with enormous resources, manpower, and time. it would surely become a landmark representing the waktanga empire when it was finished. ¡°are you awake?¡± ¡°yes. did you sleep well?¡± ¡°yes. the meal is ready.¡± kim giwoo followed the guidance of the steward and went to the dining room to have a simple breakfast. ¡®it¡¯s time to start.¡¯ he rested well yesterday. it was time to work now. he didn¡¯t come all this way to play and eat. kim giwoo went outside. then, in his sight, he saw black smoke rising into the sky. ¡°¡­the air is quite bad.¡± ¡°it seems so because of burning coal.¡± it was the industrial director who had arrived at work by now. he couldn¡¯t see it yesterday because most of the factories were closed, but he could tell when the factories started running properly. the reason why this city was named ¡®black sky¡¯. even at this moment, black smoke was spreading into the sky in clumps. ¡®it sounds like the environment is being destroyed.¡¯ this was a trade-off. the industrial zone wasn¡¯t even completed yet, but it was like this. and as time passed and industry developed further, more coal would be burned. when steam engines were invented and industrial revolution occurred, this problem would become much more serious. then, environmental pollution issues like the smog disaster that happened in london would emerge. ¡®i have to accept this part if i want to develop industry.¡¯ kim giwoo knew this problem well enough, but he deliberately ignored it. this gradual environmental degradation was nothing compared to the impact of an asteroid colliding with earth on the earth¡¯s environment. if he gained the technology to change the orbit of an asteroid by destroying the environment now, it would be a profitable deal. if he couldn¡¯t catch both birds, it would be wise to focus on catching the more needed bird. after thinking about various things, he arrived at a steel mill by the river. ¡®nothing special.¡¯ except that coal turned into coke and the scale got bigger, it was similar to the steel mill in the capital. coke, iron ore, and lime powder were continuously transported to the steel mill along the paved road. using these piled up raw materials, pig iron was produced endlessly. ¡®pig iron is poured into molds and made into iron products.¡¯ these products were immediately shipped by boat. a considerable part of iron weapons went straight to andes via panama, and necessities were spread throughout the empire. ¡®i can¡¯t just watch.¡¯ kim giwoo sorted out his thoughts. he couldn¡¯t forget his purpose. the reason he came all this way was to make steel. soon after, kim giwoo began to prepare for making steel in earnest. < the road of blessing. > end Chapter 35 chapter 35 kim ki-woo called the steel mill manager right away. then, sharp moonlight, the steel mill manager, ran towards kim ki-woo. ¡°oh, your majesty! how long has it been since i last saw you?¡± ¡°haha. did you miss me that much?¡± ¡°of course! i thought you had forgotten about me.¡± ¡°how could i?¡± kim ki-woo and sharp moonlight had a long history together. it was inevitable. sharp moonlight was the one who had helped kim ki-woo with the initial iron smelting process. ¡°i¡¯m glad to see you healthy and well. i was very sorry to send you away from the capital.¡± ¡°it couldn¡¯t be helped. i¡¯m fine. ah! i heard that the crown prince was born. it¡¯s truly a blessing for the empire!¡± ¡°thank you very much.¡± they continued to chat and catch up for a while. but their time was not very long. kim ki-woo soon got to the point. ¡°you know why i came here, right?¡± ¡°yes. it¡¯s because of the steel production.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°i was curious about that. what¡¯s different about the steel you¡¯re making now from the ones we¡¯ve made so far?¡± the steel mill manager was referring to the carburization method. the carburization method was a process of hardening the surface of iron with a crucible. naturally, there was a clear difference between the hardened part and the non-hardened part. and even that was difficult now. they were producing pig iron instead of wrought iron. they had to remove carbon from pig iron to make wrought iron, and then put charcoal in a crucible to carburize it¡­ ¡®there¡¯s no such waste.¡¯ it was much better to use pig iron as it was by casting it into molds. but what if they could make all parts of iron into steel equally? kim ki-woo came to black sky himself to realize that and more. ¡°we can¡¯t make the steel i have in mind with the pig iron we have now.¡± ¡°then¡­?¡± ¡°we have to turn that pig iron into wrought iron.¡± ¡°so you¡¯ve finally figured out how to turn pig iron into wrought iron!¡± ¡°you could say that.¡± the steel mill manager asked with an excited face. ¡°then what do i need to do?¡± he looked like he would do anything kim ki-woo asked him to do. as the manager of the steel mill, he was not satisfied with using low-quality cast iron. ¡°take a look at this.¡± kim ki-woo took out a blueprint from his pocket. it was one of the blueprints he had brought from the capital. he showed it to the steel mill manager and explained. ¡°we need to make a large tank to store the pig iron that¡¯s coming out. and we need to keep heating that pig iron continuously.¡± a cylindrical tank. the top was open, exposing it to the air. the structure was so simple that it didn¡¯t take long to explain. ¡°i think i understand what you mean.¡± ¡°the important thing is that the molten pig iron has to be stored in this tank, and that it has to stay molten for a long time.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll do my best to make it. please wait. i¡¯ll make it as soon as possible and report it to you.¡± the steel mill manager was an excellent craftsman. that¡¯s why he became the head of the steel mill. kim ki-woo did not doubt him either. he had a blueprint, and making such a structure should be possible. ¡°good. then make it as fast as you can.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± * kim ki-woo left the steel mill and moved on to the next place. thump thump thump! screech screech! the sound of hitting and cutting wood echoed loudly. it was the carpentry shop. ¡°put some bellows inside.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± kim ki-woo stopped in front of the carpentry shop and told his attendant. then, his attendant and some escort warriors went inside. and after a while, the noise inside gradually subsided, and then disappeared completely. they had stopped working. ¡°please come in.¡± soon, his attendant came out of the carpentry shop and spoke to kim ki-woo. kim ki-woo nodded and entered the carpentry shop. ¡°huh!¡± ¡°yo, your majesty¡­¡± ¡°oh my!¡± an unexpected visit. the carpenters who were working in the shop bowed down as soon as they saw kim ki-woo. it was a familiar reaction. ¡°everyone, get up. who is in charge here?¡± ¡°i, i am!¡± a middle-aged man answered kim ki-woo¡¯s question. ¡°can i talk to you for a moment?¡± ¡°yes, yes!¡± he quickly approached kim ki-woo. he looked like a new recruit who had just joined the army. ¡°are you the manager of this carpentry shop?¡± ¡°yes, i am!¡± ¡°haha. i¡¯m not here to scold you, so relax. how can we have a conversation like this?¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± ¡°good. what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°i¡¯m called quiet wind.¡± the man, quiet wind, felt like he was dreaming. he was face to face with the great emperor who had founded the wakan tanka empire! he had not imagined this moment. he was also one of the managers of the many carpentry shops in black sky. but he had heard that the emperor¡¯s visit to black sky was related to iron smelting. so he had given up on that hope. but it wasn¡¯t. the emperor had visited his carpentry shop. and he was talking to him. quiet wind¡¯s heart swelled with excitement. ¡°good, quiet wind. i¡¯m sorry to take your time, but i came here to ask you a favor. will you listen to my request?¡± ¡°a, a favor? just give me an order. if your majesty commands me, i will make and offer you any device!¡± ¡°haha. you sound very reliable.¡± he felt a lot of passion from quiet wind. kim ki-woo smiled and took out a blueprint from his pocket. ¡°this is¡­¡± ¡°take a look.¡± quiet wind took the blueprint with both hands and unfolded it. ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°can i check it for a moment?¡± ¡°go ahead.¡± kim ki-woo thought about the blueprint he had given him while he was interpreting it. the blueprint showed a water wheel, a regular wheel, and two iron rods. ¡®the key is the wheel.¡¯ of course, it was not a wheel that was attached to a cart and used for transportation. ¡®it looks like a mobile.¡¯ it was the mobile that hung from the ceiling of a baby¡¯s bed. the wheel was also hung horizontally from the ceiling. and just like a mobile, the wheel could be turned if one wanted to. of course, people didn¡¯t turn it. if they did, they wouldn¡¯t need a water wheel. ¡®the water wheel and the wheel are connected by one iron rod.¡¯ that iron rod acted like a crank. it changed the direction of motion of the water wheel. of course, it didn¡¯t change linear motion into rotational motion, but vertical rotational motion into horizontal rotational motion. the mechanism was as follows: the water current made the water wheel rotate vertically. then, the iron rod attached to its side also moved along with it. the iron rod did not stretch or shrink. naturally, if the iron rod moved, the wheel connected to the other end also moved. this made the wheel spin, and another iron rod that stretched down from it also moved along with it. like stirring coffee with a spoon, the iron rod rotated in a circle. ¡°ah!¡± quiet wind seemed to have noticed this too, and exclaimed. ¡°do you get it?¡± kim ki-woo smiled slightly at his reaction. seeing kim ki-woo¡¯s expression, quiet wind snapped out of it. ¡°yes. i think i get it. if i make it like this, i can make the wheel hanging from the ceiling spin.¡± ¡°that¡¯s it.¡± he was indeed a craftsman who managed a carpentry shop. he had grasped the core of the mechanism that kim ki-woo intended without much explanation. ¡°how is it? can you make it?¡± ¡°i think i have to try it once, but it doesn¡¯t seem too hard.¡± ¡°good. then try to make it. you can make it according to the size written there.¡± ¡°i understand. leave it to me!¡± kim ki-woo was not very worried. once he understood the principle, it was not a difficult process. ¡°good. then i¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°yes!¡± with this, he finished one of the two most important things, the decarburization preparation of pig iron. ¡®i want to make a converter or an open hearth furnace and make steel right away.¡¯ he meant something like the bessemer converter that led to the mass production of modern steel. if this process was developed, the steel production he was trying to do now would be incomparable to the amount of steel that would pour out. but it was hard to expect such a process now. then he had to decarburize pig iron in a way that suited his current situation. ¡®the principle is similar to the puddling method.¡¯ a method of stirring molten pig iron in the air to remove carbon. of course, there was no steam engine, and it was hard to build such an industrial facility, so he couldn¡¯t apply it as it was. but applying the principle of the puddling method was simple. the important thing was to remove carbon by exposing pig iron to air. ¡®in ancient china, they made wrought iron by stirring molten pig iron from above.¡¯ it was very hard and unhealthy for people to go up and do this work themselves. so kim ki-woo quickly erased the option of stirring it by hand. what he came up with was this: put molten pig iron in a large cylinder and use the rotational force of the water wheel to stir the pig iron and remove carbon. while applying enough heat to keep it molten. this way, he could make wrought iron with relatively little manpower. of course, more coal would be needed. ¡®of course, this is just a sketch for making steel.¡¯ the next step was to put in manpower in earnest. * ¡°huh. i have to make this damn crucible again.¡± ¡°haha. do you hate crucibles that much?¡± ¡°i hate them so much. i feel like throwing up just looking at them.¡± the industrial director shook his head at the crucible. he had made countless crucibles in the past to make steel. ¡°but it¡¯s much better than before.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± as time passed, know-how accumulated. of course, he also learned how to make crucibles easily. he didn¡¯t have to shape them by hand one by one like before. the method was as follows: he pressed clay with his feet to make it well kneaded, and cut off a certain part with a shovel. he made the clay roughly cylindrical and put it in a crucible-making barrel. it was similar to casting. he pressed an iron cap into a barrel shaped like a crucible and easily made a crucible shape. the carburization method and the crucible steelmaking method he was trying to do now were both putting wrought iron in a crucible. ¡®of course, this is different from here.¡¯ the carburization method put charcoal and wrought iron in a crucible and sealed it with a cap. but the steelmaking method he was trying to do now put pig iron instead of charcoal in proportion and added lime powder to remove impurities. he heated it strongly with coke around it. then the iron in the crucible melted completely. ¡®thanks to coke and water wheel.¡¯ he could get heat of about 1,600 degrees in temperature. unlike the previous carburization method, he could melt cast iron completely. so he could make all parts into steel and cast them into molds to shape them into steel. ¡®it won¡¯t be much in terms of production for now¡­¡¯ he needed a lot of coke and manpower here. it wasn¡¯t as hopeless as the previous carburization method, but it was hard to mass-produce it. ¡®but it¡¯s enough to arm the empire¡¯s warriors.¡¯ if that happened¡­ ¡®i¡¯ll show them hell.¡¯ the aztec empire¡¯s warriors would feel it. the overwhelming difference in weapons that they could never overcome. < the true steel > the end Chapter 36 < 36. chaos of the andes. > ¡°so, what happened?¡± ¡°well, you see¡­¡± the colorful llama chuckled at the voices coming from beyond the cabin door. ¡®they¡¯re at it again.¡¯ he could picture the situation in his head without looking. most likely, blue sun was telling the newcomers stories from the past. the colorful llama opened the door and entered. then, blue sun greeted him warmly. ¡°did you come? how¡¯s outside?¡± ¡°well, we still have to go further. besides, are you at it again?¡± ¡°haha. at it again? these guys keep asking me to tell them, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°yeah, yeah. sure they do.¡± the colorful llama rubbed his ears and went to his bed and lay down. ¡°uh-hum, hum. where did i stop?¡± blue sun¡¯s story continued, but the colorful llama tuned him out. ¡®anyway, he never gets tired of it.¡¯ actually, the colorful llama didn¡¯t remember his childhood very well. the part he remembered was from when he had already joined the creek tribe. the colorful llama and blue sun were sailors from the imperial mainland. but there were more sailors from the ocean region than from the mainland here. they were always curious about the wakan tanka empire. the stories of how the emperor descended from the sky and unified the surroundings at a tremendous speed, creating a powerful empire. ¡®that¡¯s lucky.¡¯ the colorful llama was very satisfied with his current life. he had been sailing around various places since before he became an adult. staying in one place didn¡¯t suit the colorful llama¡¯s temperament. he had sailed beyond the current empire¡¯s territory and visited various places in both the ocean and andes regions. that way, he could feel the difference between the central part of the empire and the non-empire regions. the natives of other regions were definitely worse off in terms of quality of life. moreover, the empire was developing at a fast pace even at this moment. the colorful llama, who traveled frequently between the capital and various places, knew this well. living as an imperial citizen was truly a blessing. as he was thinking that. ding-ding-ding! suddenly, a bell rang out loud. ¡°assembly!¡± ¡°damn. i thought i could rest a bit.¡± he had just changed shifts, but it seemed like they had arrived at their destination already. he hated this time the most. but what could he do? as long as he was on this ship, he had to follow the captain¡¯s orders. the colorful llama reluctantly got up from his bed and left the cabin. ¡°hey, did you rest well?¡± ¡°shut up. are you trying to tease me right now?¡± ¡°hey. it¡¯s just your mood, your mood. hahaha!¡± a colleague who had not been on duty for long smirked at him annoyingly. he was quite irritated, but the colorful llama just sighed. he knew that he was just playful and had a good heart. ¡°it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve been here.¡± ¡°about a month or so?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°anyway, i have to appreciate his wanderlust. why does he have to go on different ships all the time?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t like going on just one route. i got on this ship because the timing didn¡¯t match with other ships.¡± ¡°yeah. you work hard by yourself. i¡¯m just going back and forth between shit island and ocean.¡± the colorful llama smiled faintly and leaned on the railing. the open sea calmed his mind and body. ¡®what¡¯s beyond there?¡¯ what kind of beings lived beyond the horizon? he was very curious about that. but he was just a sailor right now. he couldn¡¯t go to such places on his own. so he worked as a sailor and kept saving money. his salary as an experienced sailor was quite hefty. he saved and saved his income until now. ¡®i don¡¯t have much left.¡¯ he had accumulated quite a lot of wealth by now. of course, he had to buy a ship with that money and do various transportation jobs to earn more money, then pay his fellow sailors who shared his intentions. but it wasn¡¯t as hopeless as before. as he was thinking that, the ship approached shit island soon enough. ¡°what kind of faction is there this time? hehe.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. anyway, andes is chaotic.¡± shit island was a battlefield for various factions. it seemed to show a miniature version of the current chaos in andes region. it couldn¡¯t be helped. shit island mined bird droppings that were all bought by wakan tanka empire. in exchange for iron weapons and various imperial specialties. before long, the ship anchored near shit island. ¡°hurry up and get off!¡± following the captain¡¯s order, the sailors including the colorful llama landed on shit island. ¡°welcome.¡± ¡°glad to see you.¡± as the group got off the ship, the leader of the faction that occupied shit island greeted them. this was translated in real time by the interpreter who came with them on the ship. ¡°is there anything you need¡­?¡± captain white dog tilted his head and asked. even if he was a captain, he couldn¡¯t know all the tribes of andes. especially these days, many tribes wore clothes imported from wakan tanka empire, making it harder to distinguish them. ¡°it¡¯s an alliance of five tribes, including the pekcha tribe.¡± ¡°oh, i see.¡± only then did the white dog nod his head. he had heard of that tribe before. it was a tribe that had a considerable power in the andes region. ¡®the peccha have expanded their territory this far.¡¯ he almost snorted as he listened to their words. as far as he knew, the peccha tribe was a tribe that had grown their influence in the inland area. ¡®the tawantinsuyu must have weakened, so they are fighting among themselves.¡¯ the wakan tanka empire had delayed enough time and then started trading with the tawantinsuyu, or the inca empire. but in the meantime, several tribes that had already acquired enough weapons joined forces and swept away the tawantinsuyu¡¯s territory. this was more aggressive and rapid than the wakan tanka empire had expected. as a result, the tawantinsuyu¡¯s power had shrunk drastically compared to before. still, they were able to recover some of their power by starting trade with the wakan tanka empire. even though they had weakened, the tawantinsuyu were still a powerful nation. the problem started from then on. some of the tribes that had united to take over the tawantinsuyu¡¯s regions showed their true colors. they stabbed the backs of the other allied tribes. ¡®it became a mess from then on.¡¯ if they had joined forces to punish the traitorous tribes, it would have been different. but they didn¡¯t do that. they didn¡¯t know which tribe would stab their back next. a distrust arose among them. it was natural. they had only joined hands for a while to fight against the powerful enemy called tawantinsuyu. besides, they had a desire to expand their territory with the powerful weapons they had acquired. especially, they had to secure the mining areas such as gold mines or silver mines, in order to buy the powerful weapons from the wakan tanka empire. eventually, the tribes that agreed with each other formed alliances, and the huge coalition was practically dissolved. and then, wars began to take more mines in their own spheres of influence. ¡®and one of those battlefields is this shit island.¡¯ the faction that occupied the shit island could get more weapons, necessities, food, and other goods from the wakan tanka empire. and this would eventually lead to further expansion of their power. naturally, the shit island became an inevitable battleground. the workers who dug up bird droppings remained as they were, but the faction that took their profits kept changing. the workers who dug up bird droppings did not attack. that was an unwritten rule for all workers in gold mines and silver mines as well. it was hard to bring workers to these places every time the faction changed. and another faction. the wakan tanka empire¡¯s trade ship never touched it. if they succumbed to a momentary greed and touched it, the wakan tanka empire would completely cut off trade with that tribe. there were already tribes that had fallen because of that. ¡®as for us, we just need to get more bird droppings.¡¯ he didn¡¯t care much whether they fought or not among themselves. the empire¡¯s policy was that they could trade with any tribe as long as they didn¡¯t attack the empire. ¡°i¡¯ll give you one sword for this much bird droppings.¡± ¡°no, that¡¯s too expensive! it seems more expensive than what i heard!¡± ¡°haha. you must not have heard the news yet. the demand for the empire¡¯s weapons and specialties has increased in many regions of the andes. there are more tribes that want them, but the quantity is fixed. of course, it¡¯s natural that it costs more.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ then let¡¯s do this.¡± soon after, a fierce bargaining began between the leaders of the two factions. thanks to that, the price was lowered a bit from what the white dog had initially offered, but he still got more money for his weapons than in his last trade. what he said was true. more and more tribes wanted goods from the empire. especially iron swords broke easily. it cost a lot to replace them with new ones. of course, the production of iron swords also increased steadily, but demand rose faster than that. ¡°haha. it was a good deal. i hope i can trade with your tribe again next time.¡± ¡°you will definitely see my face again.¡± he could feel a strong will from his face that he would defend this shit island at all costs. after completing the trade on shit island. the empire¡¯s trade ship soon left shit island. the ship left the island and stopped by several regions of andes to load gold and silver. then it would go to pacific region. and from there, goods would be transported to mainland of empire. *** at an experimental site of chemistry department at imperial university. an experiment was in progress here. ¡°everyone back off!¡± at shout of senior researcher, researchers of university prepared for explosion that would happen soon. soon, fuse got shorter and flame reached explosive material. then. bang! an explosion occurred in middle of site. ¡°hmm¡­¡± ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°i think it lacks firepower. what do you think?¡± ¡°i agree.¡± ¡°let¡¯s record it for now.¡± ¡°yes.¡± kim ki-woo had introduced inductive research method to various departments of imperial university. it was same for chemistry department. chemistry department was currently researching explosive materials. this was because kim ki-woo had suggested it. he had commented to try using bird droppings as explosive material. ¡°i think we need to increase amount of material made from bird droppings.¡± ¡°that seems right. to increase firepower.¡± they had tried putting in many materials. they had tried putting in soil, and even salt. they had tried all kinds of experiments, but only time they witnessed clear explosion was when they put in three things at same time. it was material refined from bird droppings, charcoal, and sulfur. in fact, bird droppings were hint from kim ki-woo. he had commented to try using it as explosive material. ¡°then let¡¯s add more refined bird droppings.¡± ¡°okay.¡± they continued their experiments on explosive materials. gunpowder was about to be born at a laboratory of imperial university. < chaos of andes. > the end Chapter 37 chapter 37: at that moment. if gunpowder was stirring at the imperial university, then at the black sky ironworks they were on the verge of a great leap in steel production. they had meticulously prepared for the decarburization process of pig iron over the past period. and now. ¡°let¡¯s begin!¡± under the watchful eyes of countless craftsmen including kim kiwoo. the final experiment of wrought iron production was underway. they had already practiced enough beforehand. therefore, the craftsman did not hesitate to open the outlet of the blast furnace. clang clang clang! then molten pig iron poured into a round barrel. after all the pig iron was contained in the barrel, the craftsman closed the outlet. the first hurdle was safely passed. then it was time to proceed with the next step. ¡°turn the waterwheel!¡± ¡°yes!¡± following the instructions of the senior craftsman, the craftsmen moved swiftly. clank clank. soon the waterwheel started to spin vigorously by the craftsmen. squeak squeak! at the same time, a loud sound of metal scraping echoed. it was coming from the metal rod that connected the waterwheel and the wheel. the wheel turned by the power of the waterwheel and started to stir up molten iron in a circular barrel with a long paddle attached to it. ¡®good.¡¯ so far everything went well without any problems. they had already done enough experiments on decarburization process of pig iron but it was unpredictable what would happen in practice. but fortunately nothing unexpected happened so far. it was a good start. it wasn¡¯t just kim kiwoo¡¯s thought. ¡°wow¡­ the waterwheel is really amazing. it can turn such a big paddle by itself.¡± the industrial director exclaimed as he watched the paddle spinning by the waterwheel. it would have been difficult for a human to stir molten iron on top of that glowing barrel. no, it was almost impossible. it was hard enough for a human to endure that tremendous heat, let alone stirring such a big paddle. until now, the waterwheel had made many tasks easier or more efficient, but this was something that seemed impossible without the waterwheel. kim kiwoo chuckled and said. ¡°it¡¯s too early to be surprised by this.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°we have just begun to use the power of flowing water. and the water will keep flowing.¡± ¡°surely it will.¡± unless the world ends, water flows from top to bottom. the river never stops. ¡°that means, more ways to use it will appear over time.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ do you think something else will come out of here?¡± ¡°haha. you seem to underestimate human curiosity. now that we know how to use the power of water, it will surely be as i say. i¡¯ll bet on it.¡± kim kiwoo asserted. he knew that later they would even make electricity with hydropower. ¡°haha. i hope it will be as you say. if the power of water is used more, surely the lives of the imperial people will improve.¡± ¡°it will. and not only the power of water, but also other powers of nature will be used.¡± ¡°other powers?¡± ¡°yes. don¡¯t you think there are only powers of water to use?¡± ¡°um¡­¡± the waterwheel was just spreading across the empire. but other powers than water. it was a topic he had never thought of before. seeing his expression, kim kiwoo smiled and continued. ¡°you don¡¯t have to think too hard. the power of wind can also be used by humans, right?¡± ¡°¡­ah!¡± an exclamation burst out of the industrial director¡¯s mouth. come to think of it, just like water flows, wind blows. that is, just as they made a waterwheel to use the power of water, they could also use the power of wind. the industrial director understood kim kiwoo¡¯s intention. ¡°not only water and wind, but also many other phenomena in nature can give us power. for example¡­¡± kim kiwoo raised his finger and pointed at the molten iron being mixed by the paddle. ¡°the iron?¡± ¡°no. the heat around it.¡± ¡°heat¡­¡± the industrial director furrowed his brow. he understood the concept of using the power of water and wind. but to turn heat into power? he couldn¡¯t comprehend what that meant. ¡°how did we manage to utilize iron?¡± ¡°well¡­ we used charcoal as fuel.¡± ¡°right. we used the heat from charcoal to melt iron ore. and we also made cement and bricks with the same principle, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°yes, you are right.¡± ¡°but is there a way to convert this heat into power? like we made waterwheels to harness the power of water.¡± only then did the industrial director grasp kim ki-woo¡¯s words. ¡°is that possible?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know. it might be hard for now. but i don¡¯t think it will be impossible forever.¡± the industrial director pondered kim ki-woo¡¯s words. ¡®using heat¡­¡¯ but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn¡¯t come up with a way. how could heat be turned into power? could such a device be made? however¡­ ¡®someday, his majesty will find a way.¡¯ his majesty had made many things possible that seemed impossible. wasn¡¯t it because he never settled for the present that the current empire was built? he felt that in the future, as his majesty said, they would be able to use various natural forces. of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to lead the research on this with his old and frail body. he didn¡¯t have much time left to live. ¡®but i can still play a role in spreading his majesty¡¯s intentions.¡¯ there were many people with better brains than him at the imperial university. his role was to inform them of these absurd words that his majesty occasionally threw out. the industrial director had been doing this. and he did the same this time. after returning to the capital, he wrote down this conversation with kim ki-woo and spread it widely at the imperial university. this became the catalyst for scholars to open their eyes to the concept of energy. *** while their conversation continued, the experiment of producing wrought iron went on. the molten iron was stirred by a furnace for enough time, then poured into ingots and made into iron bars. after the iron bars cooled sufficiently, kim ki-woo approached them himself. ¡°give me a hammer.¡± the craftsmen were startled by his appearance. ¡°do you want to do it yourself? we can do it for you¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine. i want to try it myself.¡± not only the craftsmen, but also the officials and guards looked worried, but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t care. what was so dangerous about this? being too protected was not always pleasant. like now. kim ki-woo took a hammer and swung it down at the iron bar. clang! ¡°wow!¡± just one strike. but the result was clear. the craftsmen had lived with iron for a long time, so they understood it better than anyone else. the iron bar was dented. this would never happen if it was cast iron. that meant¡­ ¡°it¡¯s wrought iron!¡± ¡°we succeeded! hahaha!¡± the doubt that this method would produce wrought iron disappeared quickly. the craftsmen hugged each other and expressed their joy. kim ki-woo also smiled broadly. ¡°good. now we just need to find the right time by changing how long we stir the furnace.¡± ¡°we¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°okay. i trust you.¡± ¡°the experiment was practically successful. now they just needed to find the optimal time. that meant there was nothing more for kim ki-woo to do here. it was time to move on to the next step. how to make wrought iron into steel. that is, the crucible steel method. *** kim ki-woo moved busily. still, it took more time to implement the crucible steel method than to make the decarburization process of cast iron. ¡®i have to make a crucible furnace underground.¡¯ of course, he didn¡¯t make it deep in the ground. he made it deep enough for people to put in and take out the crucibles. ¡®that way, i can make crucible steel continuously.¡¯ if he made such a facility on the ground, he would have to go up and down the stairs to take out the crucibles. even if that was possible, he would have to make a wide space where he could step safely¡­ there was no need to bother with that. it was easier to make it underground from the beginning. there were plenty of builders and laborers in the black sky. kim ki-woo used them as much as possible. they dug up the ground and made an underground furnace, and surrounded it with fire-resistant bricks. and they installed a bellows connected to a waterwheel that faced the underground. after this work, the crucible furnace was finally completed. ¡°how does it look to you?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ i don¡¯t see anything wrong with it.¡± the industrial director and kim ki-woo checked the crucible furnace for the last time. ¡°i don¡¯t see anything wrong with it either.¡± kim ki-woo and the industrial director came out of the crucible furnace. and they checked each of the ten crucibles. ¡°did you fill them with different ratios?¡± ¡°yes. we filled them with different amounts of wrought iron and cast iron.¡± a crucible that could hold about 13~15kg of iron. now it was time to experiment with how much wrought iron and cast iron to mix in it. when they found the ratio that produced the best quality steel, they would fill the crucibles with iron according to that ratio and make steel. ¡°let¡¯s get started then.¡± they had reached the long-awaited climax. unlike before, when they decarburized cast iron, there was nothing more to prepare. as kim ki-woo gave his order, they filled the furnace with enough coke. whoosh! and they lit it up. whoo! whoo! the bellows connected to the waterwheel blew air into the coke. the furnace began to heat up gradually. soon, intense heat emanated from around it. ¡°it looks like we can put in the crucibles now.¡± at the craftsman¡¯s words, kim ki-woo nodded his head. ¡°put in the crucibles.¡± then they put in ten crucibles with lids on them into the furnace. of course, they carefully used tongs to put in the crucibles from a distance. the heat was too strong. if they slipped and fell into the crucible furnace, they would die on the spot. there was no one who could survive at that temperature. time passed like that. fortunately, there were no special problems during that time. the craftsmen were already skilled enough in using coke. it wasn¡¯t like they put any flammable material in the crucibles, so there wasn¡¯t much chance of a big accident happening. ¡°your majesty. the time is up.¡± ¡°is that so? then let¡¯s take out the crucibles now.¡± ¡°understood.¡± as kim ki-woo¡¯s command fell, the craftsmen began to move. ¡°creak¡­¡± the craftsmen soon groaned. the furnace was estimated to rise up to 1,600 degrees celsius. it was a process of approaching such a hot furnace and taking out the crucibles. even from a distance, the heat reached kim ki-woo and made him sweat. how hot must it be for them? the crucible furnace was open. that meant that heat was spreading strongly around it. it was hard to breathe just by getting close to it. but someone had to go there personally to get those crucibles out. the craftsmen sweated like rain and used tongs to take out one crucible at a time. ¡®it¡¯s a hellish environment.¡¯ kim ki-woo watched as the craftsmen took out one crucible and put in another one, and thought: they wouldn¡¯t live long doing this work. kim ki-woo pushed his thoughts aside and watched their actions closely. the craftsmen opened the lids after taking out the crucibles. and they discarded the slag debris separated by lime powder. after removing the slag, they put the molten iron into molds. ¡®it¡¯s finally over.¡¯ kim ki-woo clenched his fist tightly. he was confident of success. the iron was perfectly melted. surely carbon had spread evenly in its molten state. among them, he would find the best ratio for making high-quality steel. once he confirmed the optimal ratio, it would be over. he would finally be able to mass-produce high-quality steel. it was the end of a long or short journey. the end. Chapter 38 chapter 38: < a great beginning. > ever since that day. he had continued to experiment with different ratios of iron and carbon in the crucible to find the optimal steel. numerous experimental works were created, and many of them broke countless times during the experiment. some were too soft, and some were too brittle. but as more data accumulated, he was able to find the most optimal ratio. based on the information he obtained, he finally started mass production of steel. clang! clang! ¡°phew¡­ it¡¯s really hard.¡± ¡°is this really possible?¡± ¡°haha. aren¡¯t you seeing it with your own eyes?¡± the final test of the strength of the mass-produced steel. many craftsmen, including the head of industry, showed disbelief. but they couldn¡¯t deny what was clearly happening in front of their eyes. ¡®finally, i can mass-produce steel¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo felt a new emotion. when he first arrived on the american continent. the level of civilization in north america was so dismal that it made him sigh. they didn¡¯t even have iron tools. but before he knew it, he had gone through wrought iron, cast iron, pig iron, and entered the era of steel. ¡®of course, the empire is still lacking.¡¯ kim ki-woo had only built the backbone that would become the core of the empire. he still had to add enough flesh to it over time. but because of the backbone that kim ki-woo had built, they had made progress at an unimaginable speed. if this trend continued, he felt that he could achieve his goal, his dream of advancing civilization. steel would surely add momentum to this trend that kim ki-woo didn¡¯t expect. as he thought about this, kim ki-woo¡¯s chest became hot. he wanted to share this thrilling sensation with all the craftsmen. ¡°attention everyone!¡± he put his thoughts aside and shouted loudly. the noisy atmosphere quickly subsided. the eyes of the craftsmen were drawn to kim ki-woo. kim ki-woo looked around at them and opened his mouth. ¡°you¡¯ve all worked very hard for a long time. with this, we have completed steel, which will be the foundation of the wakan tanka empire. from now on, instead of brittle iron, this hard steel will spread widely.¡± steel is called the rice of industry. it means that it is absolutely necessary to raise an industry. although it still takes a lot of manpower and resources to produce steel, the steel in front of him was more than enough to justify it. of course, most of the steel would be poured into weapons for now. but after the war ended, and as time passed, the power of steel would gradually become apparent. kim ki-woo began to give a passionate speech. ¡°steel will make the wakan tanka empire even stronger! the enemies of the empire will despair at the terror of steel weapons, and steel will be used in many industries! how was all this leap possible? it was because of your hard work!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± as kim ki-woo¡¯s speech continued, a shiver began to rise from deep within their hearts. ¡°you have won a war that seemed impossible: making steel! are there any great warriors elsewhere? i think you are truly great warriors! enjoy today¡¯s precious victory! and do your best to win in the many wars that lie ahead! i will not spare my best support for you to do so!¡± kim ki-woo calmed down his excitement for a moment. and he looked warmly at each craftsman. ¡°will you all trust me and walk with me on this great journey?¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s words were over. then there was a silence that seemed to last forever. but such a silence soon gave way to a huge cheer. ¡°yes!¡± ¡°we will do so!¡± ¡°woohoo!¡± the craftsmen¡¯s shouts erupted. kim ki-woo smiled brightly as he heard the pleasant roar. * his purpose in going to the black sky was perfectly accomplished. he no longer needed to be in the black sky. the rest would be taken care of by the craftsmen. as soon as he decided that, kim ki-woo and his party left the black sky. the return to the capital was relatively quiet. he had returned as secretly as possible to prevent any unnecessary noise. when he entered the main gate of the palace. ¡°your majesty!¡± many heads of departments came out to greet kim ki-woo. ¡®he really came back.¡¯ kim ki-woo realized when he saw them. that his long journey had come to an end. ¡°haha. how have you all been?¡± kim ki-woo briefly exchanged greetings with them. ¡®he looks pale.¡¯ there was a deep fatigue on their faces. they must have had a hard time while kim ki-woo was away. in fact, the heads of departments felt the absence of kim ki-woo painfully. at this time, when the country had transitioned to a wartime system, the leader of the nation had left his seat. naturally, the workload of each department increased. that¡¯s why they welcomed kim ki-woo¡¯s return so warmly. ¡°welcome back.¡± ¡°madam!¡± as he entered the palace, deep lake was there. kim ki-woo hugged deep lake tightly. she had always been by his side since the founding of the nation. this was the first time they had been apart for such a long time. if the heads of departments missed kim ki-woo, kim ki-woo realized the presence of the empress during this time. ¡°ouch, i seem to be too excited. are you okay?¡± kim ki-woo came to his senses. he had hugged her too tightly in his joy. deep lake smiled and shook her head. ¡°my body is already healed. please don¡¯t worry about me, your majesty.¡± ¡°is that so? haha! that¡¯s a relief.¡± deep lake¡¯s complexion was not bad. it was very different from her pale face before he left the capital. after that, kim ki-woo had various conversations with deep lake as they entered the palace. it was very enjoyable because it was a long time since they had talked. ¡°how is the prince?¡± ¡°he is growing up healthy and well. see for yourself. he will surely welcome his father.¡± but deep lake¡¯s words were wrong. the moment kim ki-woo took the prince from the nanny. ¡°waaaaah! waaah!¡± the prince suddenly started crying and kicking as if he was very sad. ¡°huh!¡± he felt suddenly sad. his father had gone through a lot of hardships in a faraway place¡­ but a more sad situation unfolded afterwards. as soon as deep lake took the prince, his crying stopped abruptly. not only that, but he finally relaxed and smiled brightly. ¡°¡­¡± kim ki-woo lost his words. was his arms so uncomfortable? ¡®they say children are useless no matter how much you raise them.¡¯ he didn¡¯t expect to feel this way since he was a baby. deep lake comforted kim ki-woo who looked dejected. ¡°it must be because he hasn¡¯t seen you for a long time. please don¡¯t worry too much, your majesty.¡± ¡°¡­thank you for saying that. who can i blame? it¡¯s my fault for not spending time with him.¡± he felt that way, but when he saw the smiling face of the prince, his mood melted away. ¡®i should pay more attention to my son.¡¯ he was the emperor of the wakan tanka empire. he would surely be uncomfortable with him when he grew up. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t want that to happen. so he vowed to himself. to spend more time with his son. *** after returning to the capital, kim ki-woo rested for three days with his family. he had accumulated fatigue unknowingly while traveling on his journey. ¡®time flies when you¡¯re resting.¡¯ he played with his son, spent intimate time with deep lake, and before he knew it, it was time to return to work. ¡°i heard your trip went well. i¡¯m really happy for you, your majesty.¡± ¡°you¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve all worked hard too. you¡¯ve managed the empire well without me. i wonder if i¡¯m not needed anymore. maybe i should go on a tour of other regions too.¡± ¡°gasp!¡± ¡°what are you saying!¡± the faces of the heads of departments turned pale. kim ki-woo¡¯s reaction was much more intense than he expected. ¡°haha. i¡¯m kidding. why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°please don¡¯t say such things even as a joke. my old heart can¡¯t take it.¡± he continued to chat with various heads of departments. how much time had passed? finally, all the heads of departments entered the conference room. ¡°well, let¡¯s start the imperial conference.¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s declaration made the noisy conference room calm down in an instant. the first issue that came up was money. ¡°gold and silver from the andes region are being used more and more.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. at least in the vicinity of the capital and the coastal region, people are used to buying things with gold and silver.¡± it was a rather welcome news. of course, the currency issued by the state was not yet in circulation. but gold and silver themselves were slowly taking on the role of money. gold and silver had value in themselves, and were rare, thanks to that perception. ¡®it was too inconvenient to trade goods for goods until now.¡¯ to buy grain, one had to carry around things of equal value and exchange them. how inconvenient was that? compared to that, precious metals like gold and silver could easily buy such things with a small amount. and they were also intuitive. above all¡­ ¡®the newspaper mentioned several times that gold and silver were minted as currency.¡¯ in other words, it was almost like the state guaranteed the value of gold and silver. in fact, these days, the state allowed people to receive their wages in gold or silver. ¡®even if i release the currency to the public, it¡¯s useless if they don¡¯t use it as money.¡¯ but while going through this process, the people were naturally learning how to use money. when the people became familiar enough with this situation and enough gold and silver were imported. the imperial currency with kim ki-woo¡¯s face on it would reveal itself to the world. ¡°let¡¯s pay more attention to maintaining this trend in the commerce department.¡± ¡°we will do so.¡± after that, kim ki-woo moved on to the next issue. ¡°minister of internal affairs.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°how is the state budget?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not as bad as you worry, your majesty. since the trade with the andes began, we have never reached a dangerous level.¡± kim ki-woo was slightly relieved at the minister¡¯s words. ¡®it was painful to stop all the construction work, but there was no choice.¡¯ he had stopped construction work such as paving roads when he entered a wartime system. he couldn¡¯t maintain such work while fighting a war. ¡®because of the conscription, there is a shortage of people.¡¯ kim ki-woo had stipulated in the constitution since he founded the wakan tanka empire that there was a duty of national defense. the content was as follows. when the empire enters a wartime system, the people must serve the empire according to the state¡¯s conscription order. also, those who are not conscripted by the empire must pay a fixed defense tax to the empire. that is, a military system that maintains conscripted troops with defense taxes from other people. did he pay extra wages to those who were conscripted? ¡®no way.¡¯ he couldn¡¯t afford it with his current financial situation. it was literally conscription. he just provided them with daily food and basic necessities, as well as weapons and armor based on defense taxes. thanks to this, he was able to recruit a lot of troops while maintaining the state budget. anyway, the important thing was that they were all valuable laborers of the empire. ¡®they were all conscripted at once¡­¡¯ naturally, screams began to erupt from various industrial sites. he recruited as many workers as possible from the tribes in the coastal region, but there was a limit to this. eventually, until the war ended and everything was settled, work such as paving roads had to be temporarily suspended. but not all industries were like this. some industries were even more active. for example, ironmaking, steelmaking¡­ ¡®and shipyards.¡¯ the shipyards that built ships increased even more, and are still increasing. there was only one reason for this. he needed more ships. ¡®he couldn¡¯t march the conscripted warriors all the way to where the aztecs were.¡¯ it was very difficult from the mainland of the empire to where the aztecs were. it was far away too. marching them along that road? there was no crazier thing. he couldn¡¯t afford it either. he obviously needed ships to carry troops and war materials. he had already built many ships during this time, but more ships were better than less ships. ¡°things are going well now, but you never know when variables will occur. let¡¯s try to maintain our finances as we are now.¡± ¡°i understand, your majesty.¡± this way, preparations for war were progressing smoothly in the wakan tanka empire. < a great beginning. > the end Chapter 39 chapter 39: ¡°¡­¡± kim ki-woo was speechless for a moment. ¡®what is this¡­¡¯ he had finished the imperial meeting and returned to his office for the first time in a long time. but as soon as he opened the door of his office, he saw a different scene than before he left for the expedition. ¡°ha ha. am i seeing things because i¡¯m tired?¡± kim ki-woo rubbed his eyes again and looked inside his office. but nothing changed by denying reality. ¡°secretary.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°don¡¯t tell me those are all the documents i have to review?¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry, but they are. you have been away for so long¡­¡± kim ki-woo almost swore, but he held it back. the empire was vast, and there were many issues to deal with. especially, kim ki-woo preferred to know as much as possible about how the empire was running. the result was the mountain of documents in front of him. of course, he expected some documents to pile up¡­ ¡®but this is too much, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ it was too much, even if it was a lot. ¡®can i handle all of that?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t just ignore them. he thought he would have to work on the documents as if he were dead for a while. kim ki-woo sat down on his chair. then the secretary gently placed some of the documents on kim ki-woo¡¯s desk. ¡°i¡¯ll leave them here.¡± ¡°ha ha. you¡¯re so kind that it makes me cry.¡± ¡°¡­i apologize.¡± the secretary seemed to have some sense and lowered his eyes. but soon kim ki-woo shook his head. what¡¯s the point of blaming the secretary? kim ki-woo turned his attention away from the secretary and opened the first document. ¡®by the way, the letters are changing strangely.¡¯ as soon as he opened the first document, kim ki-woo noticed not the content of the document, but the letters themselves. the empire¡¯s letters were based on hangul. of course, there were some letters added and dropped to match the pronunciation of the imperial standard language. but from some point on, the shape of hangul changed uniquely. this became more noticeable as time passed. the reason for this was none other than metal type. ¡®the effect of writing together.¡¯ kim ki-woo arranged three characters vertically in order of initial consonant, medial vowel, and final consonant. as a result, vowels had to be placed between consonants. ¡®and newspapers played a big role here.¡¯ newspapers had a great influence on the dissemination of letters. and newspapers were also printed with metal type. naturally, the imperial citizens became accustomed to vowels being sandwiched between consonants. this led to a change in handwriting. they also placed vowels between consonants when writing by hand. they even improved it to make it easier to write and read. this changed the system of letters so that they could write from initial consonant to final consonant in one go. ¡®eventually, the hangul characters i first announced will disappear as ancient characters.¡¯ just as modern koreans felt alienated when they saw hangul from the joseon era, kim ki-woo thought that future imperial citizens would feel the same way. if not worse, at least not less. kim ki-woo put aside his thoughts and began to skim through the documents quickly. some of them were boring, and some caught kim ki-woo¡¯s interest. ¡®oh.¡¯ one of them drew kim ki-woo¡¯s attention. ¡®they completed gunpowder?¡¯ the document said that gunpowder production was successful. the types of raw materials, manufacturing methods, mixing ratios of raw materials, and phenomena that occur when exploding were all neatly summarized in it. ¡®gunpowder!¡¯ this was a great invention that changed the paradigm of weapons and even the shape of war. ¡®i have to see it with my own eyes.¡¯ he heard that there was a finished product of gunpowder at imperial university. how could he stay still? kim ki-woo decided. he would go see gunpowder right away. * ¡°dean!¡± bang! the door of the chemistry department¡¯s dean¡¯s office opened without warning. ¡°pfft! ouch ouch ouch!¡± as the door opened suddenly, woon geurin dalbit, who was drinking tea with steam rising from it, burned his tongue. ¡°hey, why do you open the door so hard?¡± ¡°i¡¯m s-sorry.¡± ¡°ow! ouch, my tongue.¡± woon geurin dalbit stuck out his tongue and fanned it hard with his hand. after calming down a bit, woon geurin dalbit asked grumpily. ¡°what¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± ¡°ah!¡± only then did taeyang¡¯s shadow come to his senses and shouted quickly. ¡°his majesty is coming!¡± ¡°what?¡± woon geurin dalbit wondered if this guy had eaten something wrong. it was understandable, because his majesty the emperor had just returned to the front line today. he must have been too busy to spare a moment. but why did he visit imperial university, and the chemistry department at that? ¡°what nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°ah, it¡¯s true! why would i lie to you about this?¡± ¡°¡­really?¡± ¡°yes! the secretary just came and told me to prepare for his majesty¡¯s visit!¡± bang! woon geurin dalbit got up from his seat reflexively. ¡°why on earth? what¡¯s the reason for his majesty¡¯s sudden visit?¡± usually, he would give a notice to imperial university a few days before he visited. but he came without any notice. ¡°how do you know? you know, the gunpowder we recently completed. he came to check it out.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± then woon geurin dalbit exclaimed. it made sense if it was gunpowder. whatever the reason, the fact that his majesty visited did not change. woon geurin dalbit shouted. ¡°what are you doing at the door? hurry up and tell the whole chemistry department about this!¡± ¡°yes!¡± that¡¯s how the chemistry department prepared to welcome kim ki-woo. and finally. kim ki-woo arrived at the chemistry department. ¡°oh, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°yes. i heard you completed gunpowder. is that true?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°ha ha. you¡¯ve done a great job. where can i see it?¡± ¡°we¡¯ve prepared it. please follow me.¡± kim ki-woo followed woon geurin dalbit to an open space. there, everything was already prepared. ¡°is this it?¡± a small bowl contained a small amount of gunpowder powder. this was enough to not be dangerous even if it exploded. and there was no fire to explode it. kim ki-woo picked up the gunpowder powder and rubbed it with his fingers. ¡°so if i light this, it explodes?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°good. why don¡¯t you show me?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no reason not to. but it can be dangerous, so don¡¯t get close to the gunpowder.¡± he had no intention of doing that. kim ki-woo moved away from the prepared pile of gunpowder. ¡°start.¡± ¡°yes.¡± as soon as kim ki-woo finished speaking, he lit an arrow. and he loaded it into a crossbow. whoosh! the arrow tore through the air and landed precisely where the gunpowder was piled up. boom! ¡°huh!¡± ¡°aah!¡± a sudden loud noise. at that sound, the secretary and the guards who heard it for the first time screamed. ¡°a-are you okay?¡± ¡°ha ha ha! don¡¯t worry about me. why are you so surprised?¡± kim ki-woo calmed them down and approached the place where the gunpowder exploded. the black smoke of gunpowder obscured his vision, but as time passed, the smoke dispersed. and he could see it. the sight of the ground dug out by the explosion of gunpowder. ¡®good.¡¯ kim ki-woo nodded his head. it was gunpowder as he had imagined. they could finally produce this gunpowder in the empire. ¡®in fact, producing gunpowder was only a matter of time.¡¯ charcoal and sulfur were things that could be easily obtained in the imperial mainland. the only thing missing was one thing. that was saltpeter. but coincidentally, they could get plenty of guano in the andes region, which could act as saltpeter. not only that, he would be able to import saltpeter itself over time. in other words, compared to other medieval countries, the wakan tanka empire was in a very advantageous position to mass-produce gunpowder. the source of the world¡¯s saltpeter and guano was right nearby. if they had the materials, making gunpowder was easier than they thought. ¡®now i can develop gunpowder weapons too.¡¯ of course, it would be hard to make cannons or fire guns in this war. there were still many mountains to cross for that. ¡®but i can still use gunpowder itself in this war.¡¯ the enemies didn¡¯t know about gunpowder. gunpowder exploded with a loud noise and smoke. that meant that he couldn¡¯t kill many enemies with gunpowder, but it was enough to confuse them. didn¡¯t the secretary and the guards scream in surprise without having to look far? if this happened in a large-scale melee¡­ ¡®it will be fun.¡¯ that¡¯s how the wakan tanka empire got one of its secret weapons. *** time passed relentlessly. before long, the empire had almost finished preparing for war. now they had enough ability to carry out operations even if the war started right away. from then on, the empire began to move. ¡°thank you for taking the time to see me.¡± ¡°not at all. i heard rumors of a powerful empire entering the big land in the north, but your ships are really huge.¡± ¡°ha ha. we have bigger ships than that in the empire.¡± ¡°¡­is that true?¡± the man opened his mouth slightly as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°why would i lie to you?¡± at that sight, namu¡¯s warrior smiled faintly. he was a member of the empire¡¯s foreign ministry. and he was also a person who learned the language of meso america from the golden parrot. ¡°i understand that you can cross that huge sea with your excellent ships. but why did you come here?¡± the area where namu¡¯s warrior was standing was not the territory of the empire. it was none other than meso america, the home of a tribe adjacent to the gulf of mexico. namu¡¯s warrior cut off all his words and went straight to the point. ¡°we are going to destroy the aztec empire soon.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°we said we are going to destroy the aztec empire.¡± ¡°huh!¡± the man laughed incredulously at his sudden words. it was too absurd. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about? you¡¯re going to destroy the aztec empire?¡± ¡°yes. i heard you are also fighting against the aztec empire.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± the current aztec empire had not yet grown into a complete loser in the region. they needed more time for their heyday to come. that is, the tribes around the gulf of mexico had not yet succumbed to the aztecs. they were fiercely resisting against them. ¡®but things are not good.¡¯ they had eyes and ears. they knew very well what happened to the countless tribes conquered by the aztecs. but as time passed, their chances of winning became darker. the aztec warriors were veterans of war. their jaguar warriors and eagle warriors were nothing but terror itself. namu¡¯s warrior fanned their fear of aztecs. ¡°do you think you can defeat the demons of aztecs if time goes by like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± both sides knew that their chances were slim. namu¡¯s warrior continued his words. ¡°the aztec empire is certainly powerful. but we are more confident that we are more powerful than them. we will help your tribes. let¡¯s fight against that cruel aztec empire together.¡± but the man¡¯s expression did not improve much. outsiders who crossed the sea with big ships without notice. how could he trust them when they had no contact before? ¡± i understand what you are saying. but i don¡¯t understand at all. what do you gain by destroying the aztec empire? aren¡¯t you just trying to invade this land too?¡± the man¡¯s concern was reasonable. he might end up inviting a pack of hyenas while chasing a wolf. but he didn¡¯t leave this place with a bang. if he stayed like this, he would lose to the aztec empire, and then his tribesmen would be dragged away as sacrifices without mercy. so he doubted namu¡¯s warrior¡¯s words, but he also wished desperately. that his words were true. end Chapter 40 chapter 40: < departure. > ¡°you know the reason, right?¡± ¡°what reason?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t the aztec empire doing things that are beyond the limit? they might be ripping out the hearts of innocent people for their god even at this moment.¡± the warrior of wood furrowed his brow. he felt disgusted just by thinking about it. but the man tilted his head as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°¡­what does that have to do with you? those sacrifices have nothing to do with you anyway, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. but, that¡¯s not important.¡± ¡°not important?¡± ¡°yes. it doesn¡¯t matter who they are, the fact that they are doing the abominable human sacrifice doesn¡¯t change. as someone who serves the great spirits, we cannot tolerate any act that goes against the will of the spirits.¡± ¡°¡­¡± to be honest, the man thought to himself, ¡®is that all?¡¯. but he didn¡¯t completely disagree with his words. he didn¡¯t know what kind of beings the spirits they served were, but this kind of faith could sometimes be a sufficient cause for war. he didn¡¯t have to look far, the aztec¡¯s flower war was also similar. the aztecs waged periodic flower wars to secure sacrifices for their god. besides¡­ ¡®he doesn¡¯t seem to be lying by his eyes.¡¯ the eyes of the warrior of wood who finished speaking were very firm. he seemed ready to do anything for his faith. he believed that the aztec empire deserved to be destroyed. his majesty was the only spirit who walked on the earth. that meant, the will of the spirits was everything his majesty said. his majesty said that the aztec¡¯s disgusting human sacrifice was wrong. his majesty and the great spirits were greatly angered by their behavior. then, shouldn¡¯t they follow the words of the great spirits? it was because of their blessings that the wakan tanka empire existed now. if they were disappointed and took away their blessings, the wakan tanka empire would surely decline quickly. this was a common thought among most of the imperial citizens, not just the warrior of wood. ¡°¡­¡± silence lingered for a while. the man crossed his arms and thought hard. ¡®what would be the right choice?¡¯ he somewhat accepted their actions, but he still couldn¡¯t trust them enough. the fate of his tribe depended on his choice. after a long time of deliberation, he opened his mouth. ¡°what if i don¡¯t accept your proposal, what will you do?¡± if what he said was all true, even if he didn¡¯t ally with his tribe, they would fill that big ship with warriors and come to this land anyway. as expected. the following words were not much different from his expectation. ¡°the great emperor of our empire has a strong will for the aztec expedition. even if you don¡¯t accept our proposal, we won¡¯t change our plan. if you oppose us, your tribe will be our first target.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± it was a clear threat. in the end, the imperial warriors would land on this land anyway. that meant he had to fight against a powerful empire that could make such a big ship if he stopped them. at this time when they were facing the threat of the aztecs, he didn¡¯t think he could stop them at all. ¡®is there no other way¡­¡¯ his thoughts were slowly leaning towards accepting their offer. and to solidify this atmosphere, the warrior of wood spoke up. ¡°if you are worried about the aztec¡¯s retaliation in case our expedition fails, i want to tell you that you don¡¯t have to worry about that. we won¡¯t lose to them anyway.¡± ¡°¡­don¡¯t you underestimate the aztecs too much? you haven¡¯t experienced them. they are very powerful.¡± ¡°haha. then have you experienced our empire?¡± ¡°well, no¡­¡± ¡°good. then let me show you some of our empire¡¯s power. then you will realize why i said this so confidently.¡± he said so and winked at one of his warriors who followed him. the warrior, cozy rock, nodded as if he understood. they had already agreed on this before they came here, so cozy rock wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°i¡¯m going to shoot an arrow at that warrior in front of me. with this one.¡± cozy rock was covered in steel from head to toe. could an arrow pierce such a heavy armor? and with a stone arrowhead? ¡®no way.¡¯ the result was obvious. they were just doing this to show them something. the warrior of wood took out his bow from his back and handed it to him. ¡°check it out.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± it was to show that they didn¡¯t use any tricks or anything like that. the man took the bow and arrow from the warrior of wood. he pulled and released the bowstring, and touched the stone arrowhead. and he realized. ¡®this is a better bow than what we have.¡¯ he meant that the quality of the bow was excellent. the man confirmed this and returned the bow and arrow to the warrior of wood. ¡°that would hurt a lot if you get hit by that arrow.¡± ¡°haha. don¡¯t worry. that won¡¯t happen.¡± while he was saying that, the stage was set. about ten meters away, the warrior of wood put an arrow on his bow and pulled the string. whoosh! the warrior of wood released the string without hesitation. then, the sound of the arrow cutting through the air was heard, and it quickly approached the chest of the warrior. he aimed at his chest. the man widened his eyes. he seemed to be pierced by the arrow and get a big wound any moment. but that didn¡¯t happen. ting! ¡°¡­how is that possible!¡± the result was too disappointing. the arrow was easily bounced off by the steel armor. there was not even a scratch on the steel armor that was hit. ¡®how can such a strong armor exist?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t believe it easily. but it was happening right in front of his eyes. and the warrior of wood didn¡¯t stop there. to show them the sure power of steel, he shot five arrows in total. the last arrow even hit his helmet. but none of the arrows could damage the steel. that wasn¡¯t all. swoosh! cozy rock drew his sword from his waist. and he swung it down without hesitation at a prepared obsidian sword. the result was obvious. the obsidian sword couldn¡¯t withstand even a single blow. it broke into two pieces so easily. ¡°hmm¡­¡± the warrior of wood looked at the man¡¯s facial expression and realized that his demonstration worked. ¡°what do you think of our empire¡¯s weapons?¡± ¡°¡­they are amazing.¡± the man admitted it without hesitation. that their weapons were incomparable to theirs. and he also realized why he was so confident. ¡°if you join hands with our empire, your warriors will also get better weapons.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°our empire plans to provide weapons to our allied tribes.¡± the man¡¯s eyes widened. they would provide such powerful weapons! it sounded too good to be true for a moment. ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°i haven¡¯t lied once today. as proof, i will give you some of the weapons we brought on that ship today. of course, if you join us.¡± the man swallowed. his heart started beating faster. ¡°what do you say? will you join us?¡± the warrior of wood finished his words. and he was sure. the man wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse this offer. *** in the end, the tribes around the gulf of mexico joined hands with the wakan tanka empire one by one. the iron weapons they provided played a big role in this. ¡®of course, they are just iron weapons like the ones we sell in the andes region.¡¯ they had no reason or capacity to give steel weapons to their allied tribes. it was already not enough to arm their imperial warriors with steel they produced. kim ki-woo looked closely at the map of mesoamerica. there is a phrase in the art of war that says ¡®know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be in peril¡¯. if you know your enemy and yourself, you won¡¯t be in danger even if you fight a hundred times. that¡¯s what it meant. kim ki-woo started to investigate every detail of mesoamerica when he decided that his war preparations were almost done, and he allied with the tribes around the gulf of mexico. this was the result of the map. the map showed the current situation of various factions in detail. ¡®it¡¯s smaller than i thought.¡¯ it was quite different from the aztec empire that kim ki-woo knew. but if history had followed its original course, the aztec empire would have quickly expanded its territory. of course, that wouldn¡¯t happen now that the wakan tanka empire had intervened. in fact, it hadn¡¯t been long since they had supplied weapons to the allies in the gulf of mexico, and the expansion of the aztecs had slowed down considerably. on the other hand, there was a faction that did not stop expanding at this moment. ¡®the purepecha empire¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo didn¡¯t know much about them. but as he began to investigate mesoamerica, he was able to confirm their existence. the purepecha were located west of the aztecs. they were rapidly growing their power based on their strong military force, just like the aztecs. of course, objectively speaking, they were weaker than the aztecs. but they were not to be ignored. therefore, kim ki-woo contacted them as well. he had to go through an agreement because they were located on the pacific side. the best scenario would be to attack the aztecs together with them, but unfortunately that didn¡¯t happen. ¡®at least they won¡¯t interfere in this war.¡¯ instead, he got a promise from them to remain neutral. the purepecha empire and the aztecs were adjacent to each other. there was no conflict yet, but the purepecha were wary of the aztecs as well. they also knew about the cruelty and strength of the aztecs. perhaps that¡¯s why they accepted the neutrality proposal fairly willingly. of course, even if they joined the war, kim ki-woo was confident enough to win. but there was no need to take a harder path than necessary. ¡®it seems that the situation i feared won¡¯t happen.¡¯ the only thing kim ki-woo was worried about was that the aztecs would interfere with the landing of the wakan tanka warriors. he had to land troops and supplies smoothly in mesoamerica. as long as this process was not hindered, kim ki-woo was confident that he could bring down the aztec empire. but this threat was virtually gone. he had formed an alliance with the tribes living in the gulf of mexico. ¡®even if they preemptively attack our allies, they won¡¯t be easily pushed back with the weapons we¡¯re supporting.¡¯ the aztecs were not fools either. they must have heard about the movement of the wakan tanka empire. they were trying to weed out as many spies as possible, but they were already acting loudly in mesoamerica. how could the aztecs not know such news? as a result, signs of war preparation were also detected in the aztecs. ¡®is it time to start for real?¡¯ there was no need to delay any longer. kim ki-woo made a decision. to start a war with the aztecs. and finally, many ships carrying wakan tanka warriors poured out into the sea. < departure. > the end Chapter 41 < 41. arrival. > a countless number of men gathered in the field. their number was estimated to be around 400,000. it was the result of mobilizing all the resources that the aztec empire and its surroundings could muster. the minister of the aztec empire, tlacaellel, looked down at them from a high altar. ¡®can we really beat them?¡¯ even looking at the enormous army, tlacaellel could not shake off his anxiety. the aztecs are powerful. they have crushed the surrounding kingdoms and tribes and expanded their territory. but. ¡®the wakan tanka empire¡­¡¯ no one in the aztec empire knew their true nature as well as tlacaellel. the wakan tanka empire is very powerful. so powerful that he wondered if these formidable warriors could surpass their glory. tlacaellel was the first contributor to building the current aztec empire. and he also had confidence that he could conquer all the surroundings in the future. but it was a different story if the wakan tanka empire was the opponent. ¡®why did such monsters appear in the north?¡¯ tlacaellel recalled the past. the aztec empire learned about the monsters of the northern continent by chance. it was during the time when the creek tribe was expanding to the surroundings. the creek tribe subjugated many tribes around them. in this situation, many tribes fled from the creek tribe in all directions. but most of the places where they could live already had owners. so most of the tribes had no choice but to leave far away. one of the fleeing tribes ended up going to mesoamerica. as soon as they settled in mesoamerica, they told other tribes about the creek tribe. this naturally reached the ears of the aztecs. the emperor of the aztec empire, montezuma, was very interested in the story of the northern continent. so he invited them to his tribe. ¡®that¡¯s when i found out.¡¯ tlacaellel was also there. they introduced themselves as the tepehuan tribe, and soon spilled out everything they knew about the creek tribe. from their weapons that cut through stone knives in an instant, to all the information they knew. but at first, many nobles, including the emperor, did not believe the testimony of the tepehuan tribe. ¡®it was too absurd.¡¯ it was unbelievable that such a great weapon came out, let alone that all their warriors had such weapons. how could they believe that? they thought they exaggerated a lot. but tlacaellel thought differently. ¡®they didn¡¯t seem to be lying at all.¡¯ he did not feel any trace of falsehood from them. seeing them, tlacaellel felt a strange sense of anxiety. so he argued that they should not ignore their testimony. and he insisted that they should investigate the current situation of the creek tribe themselves. eventually, tlacaellel¡¯s words were accepted. since then, tlacaellel trained spies. he learned their language and customs from the tepehuan tribe. and he sent them to the north. fortunately, the creek tribe absorbed the surrounding tribes without any suspicion. thanks to that, spies were able to blend in with them relatively easily. that¡¯s how he heard about the creek tribe from spies who came back alive with information¡­ the problem was that those pieces of information felt much more absurd than what tepehuan said. but all spies said exactly same thing. the military power of the creek tribe was beyond imagination, and their weapons were much stronger than obsidian weapons. he had no choice but to believe it since all spies said so. besides, as evidence, he obtained iron weapons that they used. the spies were right. the weapons of the creek tribe were very strong. they were incomparable to their own weapons. tlacaellel saw the future of the aztec empire from their weapons. if he could get such weapons, he thought he could conquer neighboring tribes faster than now. in fact, based on those weapons, the creek tribe continued to grow their power quickly. so quickly that it was terrifying. tlacaellel tried his best to find out how to produce those weapons since then. many spies were exposed and killed, and as creek tribe noticed their existence, it became harder to get information. but after all those sacrifices, he finally got iron smelting method. when wakan tanka empire intervened around then, aztec empire also started to make iron products. ¡®but our ironware is much weaker than wakan tanka empire¡¯s ironware.¡¯ the ironware they made bent easily and they couldn¡¯t make as much as wakan tanka empire did. unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t get any more advanced technology. of course, he also imported livestock called chickens and various crops, and achieved the feat of improving food situation. thanks to that, he was able to overcome the recent big famine with relatively little damage. anyway, he continued to send spies and tried to find out a better iron smelting method. but he could only find out very bad news instead of that. it was the news that wakan tanka empire was going to attack aztec empire. he thought he heard it wrong at first. because it was so unrealistic. why? why did wakan tanka empire, who had no direct contact with them, come to attack them! that question was soon answered by the spies. it was because of their practice of offering sacrifices to the gods. the emperor who built a great empire with his bare hands did not tolerate such a practice. that was the reason. ¡®this is how it turned out.¡¯ he was the one who perfectly established all the practices of offering a large number of sacrifices, eating human flesh, skinning people and making them priests¡¯ clothes, and building skull towers. these customs were deeply rooted in the aztec empire. it meant that they couldn¡¯t be reversed. even if he had a lot of power in the empire, he could get into big trouble if he argued that they shouldn¡¯t offer sacrifices to the gods. that was impossible. in other words, it meant that he had to fight and win against wakan tanka empire in order to survive himself and aztec empire. but that was not the end. soon, more bad news came. ¡®damn. a better weapon. has god abandoned us?¡¯ the news came from the wakan tanka empire that they had made steel that was much stronger than anything they had seen before. they already had a hard time dealing with their existing weapons, let alone weapons that could smash them in one blow. he wished it was not true, but it did not seem like a lie. and the bad news was not over. the wakan tanka empire formed an alliance with the likes of uakstek and tototlak, who were located on the eastern sea, and began to supply them with weapons. ¡®but they are still sailing. we have a lot more warriors than them before they all land.¡¯ if the war dragged on, it would surely be a huge burden. but if they could conquer all the areas near the eastern sea in the beginning. ¡®there is a possibility.¡¯ look at this enormous army. of course, even if they won this war, it would have a big aftermath after mobilizing all their forces. but it would be better than the destruction of the aztec empire. he would surely die if the empire fell. ¡®please let us win.¡¯ tlacaellel prayed and prayed to god until the moment the warriors set out. *** ¡°damn. i hope our allies don¡¯t get wiped out before we arrive.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ they should be able to hold on, right?¡± ¡°they better.¡± the head of the military, strong archer, muttered as he looked at the endless line of ships. strong archer volunteered as the commander-in-chief of this war. he was over eighty years old. he did not have much time left. this expedition might be his last mission as the head of the military. he planned to step down from his position after this war. so strong archer wanted to win his last war at all costs. but unexpected news came from the beginning of the expedition. the aztec empire¡¯s warriors were trying to occupy all the areas where the wakan tanka empire¡¯s warriors were going to land, and hundreds of thousands of warriors set out for that purpose. ¡®how did they gather such a force in such a short time?¡¯ how could they have pulled together such a force in an instant? ¡®it seems like some information leaked out beforehand.¡¯ he thought he had sifted out all the spies, but it seemed like he was not enough. otherwise, this could not have happened. anyway, it happened. then he had to think about what to do next. there were two possibilities. the first was that the allies held on. ¡®there is a possibility.¡¯ the allies had about 100,000 troops. and a considerable number of them received weapons from the empire. if they could hold on until the wakan tanka empire¡¯s warriors landed, it would be the best start. but he also had to think about what if they could not do that. ¡®what if all the allies are pushed back?¡¯ then he would have to start a very disadvantageous fight. this war was different from before. it was a war where enormous armies clashed. that meant it would be very hard to land on the coast that had already been occupied. ¡®then we have to land somewhere else.¡¯ although the supply line would be longer and it would be harder to penetrate into the aztec empire¡¯s mainland. *** when strong archer was thinking about that. a large-scale war between the aztec empire and its allies had already begun. ¡°god wants their blood! kill them all who brought foreign forces into this land!¡± the aztec empire¡¯s warriors attacked the allies aggressively. on the other hand, the allies focused only on defense by taking advantage of their terrain. ¡°prepare arrows!¡± ¡°shoot!¡± shoo shoo shoo shoo shoo! many arrows filled the sky. ¡°ack!¡± ¡°aaah! my leg!¡± ¡°gulp!¡± the first skirmish was won by the allies. they occupied a higher ground and could shoot arrows farther away. moreover, their arrows had iron tips. the iron tips pierced through the aztec warriors¡¯ quilted armor. but. ¡°charge!¡± ¡°attack!¡± ¡°yuck! you filthy aztec demons!¡± ¡°hold your ground! stop them!¡± ¡°aaargh!¡± as the frontal battle began, the aztec empire¡¯s combat power started to show its true strength. although the weapons were more advantageous for the allied forces. however, as soon as the battle turned into a melee, the tide shifted to the aztec warriors¡¯ side. moreover, the sheer number of enemies that kept pushing forward instilled fear in the allied forces. thus, the first battle was dominated by the aztecs. ¡°aaah! save me!¡± ¡°push them back!¡± the allied forces were pushed back every time they faced the aztecs. but this was expected. ¡°retreat! retreat!¡± the allied forces only fought until they could gain some terrain advantage. then they ran away without hesitation, and again delayed time with the help of the terrain. of course, many allied soldiers died while retreating¡­ ¡°damn it!¡± the ones who were anxious about this were none other than the aztecs. they knew why they were wasting time like that. time passed like that. and finally. the vanguard of the wakan tanka empire reached the land. < arrival. > the end Chapter 42 < 42. bomb. > boom! boom! two loud noises are heard. ¡°it looks like there are two columns of smoke.¡± ¡°phew. that¡¯s a relief.¡± the sound from the vanguard meant that there were two columns of smoke rising from the land. two columns of smoke meant that they had not yet broken through the line of defense. in other words, they had avoided the worst-case scenario that the powerful archer had anticipated. ¡°still, we can¡¯t relax until the vanguard returns. tell everyone not to let their guard down.¡± that smoke could be a trick by the enemy. at the powerful archer¡¯s order, the fleet kept a safe distance from the land and waited. meanwhile, the vanguard set foot on the land. ¡°welcome! we¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡± ¡°what¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°¡­not very good.¡± ¡°can you explain briefly?¡± the man¡¯s briefing followed. the warrior of the tree learned the general state of the battlefield through this. ¡®that¡¯s a relief.¡¯ the warrior of the tree nodded his head. he could hear the details later. the important thing was whether he could send his warriors to this place. it seemed like he could, according to the man¡¯s words. the warrior of the tree immediately relayed this news to the powerful archer on the flagship. the powerful archer also grasped the rough situation. ¡°it seems like we can proceed as planned.¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll order them to disembark.¡± ¡°do that.¡± the commander¡¯s decision was made. soon, the situation became busy. they didn¡¯t have much time left for the imperial army. the current battlefield was clearly far from the line of defense they had aimed for. but to get there, board the ships, release their poison, and set up their camp, they had to move quickly. they had no time to rest. they could rest enough after they reached the line of defense. ¡°move quickly!¡± soon, the warriors and supplies were unloaded one by one. that¡¯s how 30,000 warriors of the wakan tanka empire finally reached the land. *** ¡°they¡¯ve arrived?¡± ¡°yes. all 30,000 warriors of wakan tanka have arrived!¡± this news was quickly reported to the allies by a messenger. ¡°30,000. i wonder if they can stop the demons of aztec with that many warriors¡­ tsk!¡± ¡°we have to believe. we can¡¯t stay like this, can we?¡± after the first few large-scale battles, the allies were pushed back quickly. the aztec warriors always widened their front lines, surrounded the allies, blocked their retreat, and tried to end the war in one go with a wheel battle. if they were caught in this situation even once, many allies would die without being able to use their full strength. this tactic was one of the main tactics that made aztec what it is today. the allies knew this well. so they never let themselves be caught behind and retreated quickly. they only focused on hiding in the rugged terrain and slowing down aztec¡¯s march. they didn¡¯t even use the fortresses in between. there was a risk of being trapped and annihilated if they engaged in a siege battle. as a result, they lost more than half of their territory. most of the residents had already evacuated to the coast, but there must have been some people who were dragged away by aztec warriors. they valued capturing prisoners very highly. aztec warriors¡¯ status rose depending on how many prisoners they captured so far. they suffered so much damage while buying time, and the result was 30,000 warriors from wakan tanka empire as reinforcements. but many of the allies¡¯ officials doubted that number. of course, more reinforcements would come from the empire, but they wondered if they could stop aztec¡¯s warriors at the planned line of defense. but there was no way to turn back now. once they joined forces with them, they had to go all the way. if they lost to them, what awaited them would be aztec¡¯s fierce retaliation. ¡°then let¡¯s proceed as planned.¡± that night, the allies carried out a large-scale retreat. they didn¡¯t ambush as usual. they just retreated desperately. to their target line of defense ¡°the enemies are running away!¡± ¡°¡­damn it.¡± tlacuellerel, aztec¡¯s nobleman and commander-in-chief of this war, frowned at that sight. he was getting annoyed by them not fighting properly except for the first few battles. if he believed that sight and attacked, he might suffer a lot of damage from their hidden ambushes. ¡°send out a scout first.¡± so tlacuellerel had no choice but to advance carefully while checking for ambushes. but¡­ ¡°nothing?¡± ¡°yes. there were no ambushes.¡± no matter how much they searched the places where they could ambush, the allies were nowhere to be seen. ¡°damn.¡± tlacuellerel had a bad feeling in his head for a moment. *** ¡°can we really stop aztec¡¯s army with this force? it¡¯s quite different from what we expected!¡± ¡°calm down. time is on our side. if we wait, more reinforcements will come.¡± the line of defense where the imperial army settled. all the warriors of the allies joined them there. the meeting hall of the allies was quite noisy. the allies had already retreated and suffered a lot of damage. the imperial army joined them, but the sum of the two forces was not much different from the original number of the allies. most of the warriors who joined the allies did not expect aztec to come out with such an all-in strategy. they just followed the plan because the war had already broken out. the powerful archer tried to reassure them as much as possible. if they had internal strife now, it would be worse than death. ¡°phew. i feel like i¡¯m alive now.¡± ¡°ugh, i don¡¯t want to go back to the sea.¡± ¡°haha. who would say you¡¯re not from the capital?¡± whether the meeting hall was noisy or not, the warriors of both the empire and the allies took a sweet rest. they hadn¡¯t rested for a long time because of the war and sailing. that¡¯s how a few days passed by quickly. ¡°they¡¯re moving.¡± as expected, it was aztec¡¯s warriors who started the attack. ¡°prepare for battle! form up!¡± ¡°prepare for battle!¡± boom! a loud noise echoed. at that sound, 30,000 imperial troops took their place at the front. the rest of the allies followed behind them. the allies had not received tactical training from the empire. i didn¡¯t want to get stuck in the middle of the front line. that could create a gap in our formation and ruin our chances of winning. this area was quite narrow. the surrounding mountains were steep and rugged. with 30,000 troops, we could easily block the high ground. ¡°everyone, line up properly! remember your training! the moment one of you gets scared, your comrades will die!¡± ¡°don¡¯t be afraid! we are the greatest warriors of the wakan tanka empire empire! with the blessing of the emperor and the great spirits, we will surely win this battle!¡± ¡°ooh! ooh! ooh!¡± thud! thud! thud! when the aztec army was getting closer, the imperial army had already formed a perfect line. these 30,000 troops were the elite of the wakan tanka empire empire. most of them were veterans who had served in the military for a long time. their formation was flawless. there were warriors with long spears and warriors with large shields. and behind them were crossbowmen. this was the basic formation of the imperial army. the distance between the two sides was getting shorter by the second. soon, they could see each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°what are those?¡± ¡°ugh. they look like beasts.¡± the imperial warriors frowned as they looked at the aztec army. the aztecs looked very bizarre. many of them wore animal skins over their heads. some even had fur and teeth. their faces peeked out from between the animal teeth. ¡®they are as i heard.¡¯ the powerful archer nodded as he saw them. those who wore such conspicuous outfits were the elite soldiers of the aztecs. he already knew that fact. ¡®this will be a tough fight.¡¯ the powerful archer had a feeling. this moment was the biggest challenge of this war. if we lost here, the war would last much longer than expected. ¡®i will defend this place.¡¯ he looked at the enormous number of enemies and made a vow. and then. the first clash between the two empires began. ¡°fire!¡± shoo shoo shoo shoo! the signal for the start of the battle was the arrows of the empire. they had an advantage because they occupied higher ground. the arrows filled the sky with darkness. ¡°block them!¡± ¡°aaargh!¡± the aztec warriors raised their shields to block the arrows. the arrows pierced their shields endlessly. but their shields couldn¡¯t cover everything. many warriors were hit by arrows. of course, the aztecs also threw stones and shot arrows, but they were at a lower position, so their range was shorter than that of the wakan tanka empire empire. and since the imperial army¡¯s formation was covered by shields that hid their bodies completely, their damage was minimal. the long-range combat was a victory for the wakan tanka empire empire. if they stayed like this, their losses would accumulate. ¡°charge!¡± ¡°waaaaah!¡± in the end, the aztecs chose to use their numbers for close combat. they had weapons called macuahuitl, which were wooden clubs with many obsidian blades attached to them, and round shields. they ran up the hill quickly. the aztec spear warriors followed them. but they had to witness this. ¡°everyone, spears!¡± ¡°spears!¡± clack, clack, clack! they saw long spears sticking out from between large shields. it looked like a porcupine. ¡°show them our fury!¡± ¡°ooh! ooh! ooh!¡± thud, thud, thud! the warriors at the front line of wakan tanka empire shouted as they held their spears and shields. then, they moved forward in unison, keeping their lines straight. ¡°huh?¡± ¡°gasp!¡± the aztec warriors were shocked by this long spear and huge iron shield tactic. they had never seen it before. of course, they had no choice but to be surprised by the imperial army¡¯s formation. but they couldn¡¯t run away now. there were too many warriors behind them charging forward. ¡°stab them!¡± puff puff puff! ¡°aaargh!¡± ¡°cough!¡± the first clash was utterly one-sided. their macuahuitl and shields, and even their spears were too short compared to the imperial army¡¯s spears. thump thump thump! and most of the stones they threw were blocked by large shields. the war in mesoamerica was like this: they would charge forward strongly and then engage in melee combat with their weapons. this tactic difference resulted in a huge exchange rate. it was an overwhelming advantage for the imperial army. but, ¡°don¡¯t retreat! show them our courage! dying is only living in eternal glory and honor!¡± ¡°surround them! we have far more numbers!¡± the aztec warriors didn¡¯t seem to fear death. they surrounded them from all sides and kept charging. they deliberately stuck the imperial army¡¯s spears into their shields, and then smashed the spear shafts with their macuahuitl. then the spear shafts would break, or the imperial soldiers would lose their grip on their spears. of course, the imperial warriors were also veterans. they quickly withdrew their spears before the enemies could smash them. but as time passed, the frequency of successful spear attacks increased. there were many sacrifices to get to this point, but gradually, the wakan tanka empire empire¡¯s line began to waver. ¡°there are too many enemies!¡± ¡°they don¡¯t seem to be afraid. are they suicide squads?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the difference in numbers was too overwhelming. and the enemies didn¡¯t hesitate to throw their bodies at them. they were like demons. if they had similar numbers, this tactic would be the worst. but the overwhelming number difference made it possible. if time went on like this, they might win the battle, but lose the war. ¡®i have no choice but to use that from the first clash.¡¯ the powerful archer decided. he wanted to save it for later, but seeing the enemies¡¯ momentum, he thought he might regret it if he held back. ¡°prepare the bombs!¡± ¡°already?¡± ¡°yes. we have to break their spirit. right now, we have no choice but to use the bombs.¡± ¡°understood!¡± and so, the imperial army¡¯s secret weapon, the bombs showed their appearance on the battlefield. < bombs. > the end Chapter 43 ¡°hurry up and move! we don¡¯t have time!¡± the allied camp began to stir. the allies who were in the rear were busy throwing bombs to the front. ¡°throw them to the grenadiers!¡± ¡°to the grenadiers!¡± at the same time, the grenadiers lined up in order. most of the people who carried and threw the bombs were allies. the imperial warriors were overwhelmed by fighting against the aztecs in the front line. therefore, the operation of the bombs was entirely entrusted to the allies. they selected strong warriors from among the allies and made them grenadiers. they had received a short training for a few days. it was not a difficult training, as they only had to throw bombs at low ground. they just needed enough strength and skill to throw the bombs. ¡°we¡¯re ready!¡± ¡°then don¡¯t delay and carry out your mission!¡± ¡°yes!¡± this order was immediately delivered to the grenadiers. chirp! the grenadiers did not hesitate and used firecrackers to light the fuses. and then. ¡°throw them right away!¡± ¡°throw!¡± the grenadiers remembered the posture they had trained for a few days and threw the bombs at the aztec camp. their target was the aztec warriors right behind the front line. that was the most densely populated area, and there were many high-ranking warriors wearing animal skins. moreover, if the bombs exploded there, it would relieve the pressure on the imperial army. whoo! the bombs thrown from high ground flew in a large parabola toward the aztec warriors. ¡°block them!¡± thud! ¡°ugh!¡± the aztec warriors instinctively raised their shields to block the heavy iron balls. but they were either broken or received a great shock, as they were not light. some of them were unlucky enough to be hit directly by the iron balls and died instantly. but the damage was less than expected. therefore, the aztec warriors did not take that attack seriously. of course, if it was just an iron ball, it would have been as they thought¡­ boom! the iron balls that flew in suddenly exploded, and the situation changed in an instant. ¡°aaaah!¡± ¡°aaah!¡± a sudden loud noise. the iron balls burst and fragments flew around wildly. especially, the area where they exploded was where the aztec warriors were crowded. the aztec warriors who were close by died instantly, and many nearby warriors were injured big and small. ¡°what, what is this!¡± ¡°huh!¡± the aztec warriors did not know about gunpowder. of course, they were terrified by the bomb that swept away their surroundings with a thunderous noise. and that explosion was just the beginning. bang! boom! boom! ¡°aaaah!¡± ¡°oh, god¡­¡± ¡°cough, cough!¡± the bombs thrown by the grenadiers began to explode one after another in the aztec camp. ¡°what is this! what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°aaah!¡± then there was a great confusion in the aztec line. they were rushing forward fiercely, but there was a huge noise and damage behind them¡­ thanks to that, their momentum was broken in an instant. even then, whoo! whoo! the iron balls kept flying in from behind. then the aztec warriors realized it. ¡°it¡¯s those iron balls! don¡¯t stay near those iron balls!¡± ¡°everyone, avoid them!¡± ¡°aaah! the iron balls are flying here!¡± they realized that those iron balls were the cause of this situation. but even if they realized it, they couldn¡¯t run away right away. the aztec warriors were constantly pushing up towards the hill. as a result, they were very crowded. that is, they were in a situation where they were blocked on all sides even if they wanted to run away. ¡°please¡­¡± when an iron ball fell nearby, they prayed while looking at it. please let nothing happen. but their god did not listen to their prayers. boom! the warriors watched as the bomb exploded and died. ¡®huh¡­ this is terrifying.¡¯ the powerful archer sighed deeply as he watched that scene. the effect of the bomb was more than he expected. there were still many bombs left. they had enough gunpowder and iron for making bombs, and they had been mass-producing them for a long time. but they hadn¡¯t thrown many bombs yet, and yet the aztec line was almost collapsing. they were in a panic over this unprecedented bomb attack. their momentum until now had disappeared, and thanks to that, the spear and shield soldiers of the empire who had been under severe pressure could breathe again. this is where he appreciated it. this was his chance to seize victory in this war. ¡°now is the time! sweep away all those confused enemies!¡± ¡°yes!¡± immediately after that, a long gong sounded and the imperial army¡¯s counterattack began. ¡°crossbowmen, forward!¡± ¡°forward!¡± ¡°open the shields!¡± ¡°open!¡± as if the gears fit together, the shields opened as soon as the crossbowmen came out. this was possible because the pressure from the aztec warriors had disappeared. the crossbowmen aimed their already loaded crossbows at the confused aztec warriors. and then. shoo shoo shoo shoo shoo! thud, thud, thud! ¡°ugh!¡± ¡°aaaah!¡± another scream of the aztec warriors filled the air. the crossbows fired at close range inflicted fatal damage on the aztec warriors in the front line. ¡°damn it! those bastards!¡± the enraged aztec warriors rushed again, but. ¡°retreat!¡± ¡°close the shields!¡± ¡°close!¡± clack! clack! clack! the crossbowmen retreated smoothly. and then, the hedgehog formation was completed again. thud, thud! ¡°aaaah!¡± ¡°ugh!¡± the furious aztec warriors who ran in vain were stabbed by the spears and lost their lives. meanwhile, boom! boom! bombs were still exploding in the back. after that, whenever there was a gap, the crossbowmen popped out from between the shields and fired arrows and ran away, and bombs continued to explode. thanks to that, the aztec warriors who came out in front died in droves. ¡°those, those guys are devils!¡± ¡°ru, run away!¡± the morale of the aztec warriors plummeted in an instant. when their formation was broken in a melee battle, they could not win even if they died and came back to life. especially in a situation where they overcame their tactical disadvantage with brute force¡­ the outcome of this battle was almost decided. as expected. beep! beep! ¡°everyone, run away!¡± with a sharp horn sound. the aztec warriors began to retreat. at the same time. ¡°it¡¯s our turn!¡± ¡°let¡¯s kill them all!¡± the allied warriors who were behind jumped forward. their goal was the aztec warriors who were running away with their tails between their legs. ¡°please don¡¯t chase them too far. if you go too deep, you might get counterattacked.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. we know that too.¡± the allies mercilessly killed the lagging aztec warriors. their screams were savagely echoed. it was as if they were venting their anger for all this time. that way, countless aztec warriors died while retreating. ¡®we won.¡¯ they passed the first and most dangerous moment. no, it was more than passing. it was a great victory. the powerful archer clenched his fist as he watched the situation on the battlefield. *** ¡°you can never stop that weapon!¡± ¡°a weapon that suddenly sweeps around! how can we win against those who have such a weapon?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the faces of the noble warriors were all thoughtful. who would call them the brave warriors of the great aztec? there were no cowards like them. but tlacaellel could not scold them for their appearance. because he had the same feeling in his heart. ¡®how can we do this? oh¡­ did god really abandon us?¡¯ that must be wacantanga¡¯s secret weapon. iron balls that burst out suddenly. it was so shocking that he wouldn¡¯t have believed it if he hadn¡¯t seen it himself. he didn¡¯t know how many of those weapons they had¡­ as long as they remained, they couldn¡¯t take over the high ground where they were losing. the heavy iron balls flying from the high ground could easily reach where the warriors were. then, no matter how brave the warriors were, they couldn¡¯t charge properly at the enemies. meanwhile, they would be slaughtered by the enemies¡¯ arrows and long spears. the more he thought about it, the more hopeless it was. ¡®but if we just defend ourselves¡­¡¯ the number of wacantanga¡¯s troops would continue to increase. they couldn¡¯t beat them even when there was such a big difference in numbers. but what if that gap narrowed? ¡®that would be hard.¡¯ tlacaellel came to a conclusion. of course, if they occupied the high ground, the enemies wouldn¡¯t be able to use those exploding iron balls. but then, those solid iron weapons and dense tactics would be enough to overwhelm their brave warriors. a situation where they couldn¡¯t do this or that. tlacaellel¡¯s dilemma deepened. *** the allies and the imperial army never crossed beyond the line of defense. they just blocked this area tightly and wasted time. anyway, they just had to wait for the wacantanga¡¯s reinforcements to arrive, and the situation would continue to be favorable. there was no reason to move. that¡¯s how time passed. the wacantanga empire¡¯s vanguard went back and forth several times across the gulf of mexico, carrying all the expeditionary soldiers and enough supplies. in addition, the number of allies also increased rapidly. many forces that had been watching from nearby gathered under wacantanga¡¯s flag. and finally. the imperial army and the allies crossed the line of defense and began to advance. the real aztec apocalypse began. < the aztec apocalypse. > end Chapter 44 < 44. the result of war. > the imperial army never moved hastily. this region was very different from the mainland of the wakan tanka empire empire. there were many rugged terrains. in other words, there were many places for ambushes. thanks to these terrains, the allied forces were able to stall the aztec warriors. but now, all these things were obstacles. ¡®there¡¯s no need to rush forward.¡¯ if they advanced recklessly, they could be hit by the aztec warriors who were hiding everywhere. therefore, they avoided the less treacherous terrains even if it took more time. they only went through the inevitable areas after the allied forces cleared the way. the ones who knew the terrain of this region best and could deal with it were the allied forces who had lived here. as a result, most of the damage was suffered by the allied forces. but the allied forces did not make a big fuss about it. ¡®the imperial army is the main force in frontal battles.¡¯ the warriors of the allied forces had witnessed the overwhelming power of the imperial army in the last frontal battle. and they promised to take charge of the frontal battles that would follow. there was no reason to dislike these conditions. thus, the main force of the imperial army was able to march in a safe formation. ¡°this expedition seems much easier than i expected. most importantly, there is almost no damage to the imperial army.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. it¡¯s really fortunate.¡± the powerful archer nodded his head slightly at the lieutenant¡¯s words. as he said, the damage to the imperial army was really minimal so far. even a few casualties were only warriors who were unlucky enough to be hit by blind arrows in the previous frontal battle with the aztecs. the spear and shield soldiers at the front also had dangerous moments, but there was no actual damage. the aztec warriors sacrificed their lives and tried to make a hole in the dense formation, but their efforts turned out to be futile because of the bombs that started to fly at the right time. after that, the aztecs did not initiate a frontal battle, and all areas where ambushes were possible were occupied by allied forces. there was no situation where the imperial army could be harmed. ¡°i hope our warriors don¡¯t get hurt much until the war is over.¡± ¡°it will surely be as you wish, sir.¡± the warriors who were conscripted this time were workers who built up the current wakan tanka empire empire, and through them, the empire would continue to develop. therefore, what the powerful archer wanted as his final goal was to destroy aztec with minimal sacrifice. and that goal was currently being carried out very well. *** the headquarters of the aztec empire. information poured into this place like water. but most of those news were very bad stories like where they were broken through and where they retreated. ¡®how did we end up in this situation?¡¯ they were being pushed back too powerlessly. was there ever such a desperate situation before? there were several times when aztec was on the verge of extinction. it was like when they were driven out of tenochtitlan for the first time. but after gaining such a large power, they always overwhelmed their neighboring forces. their empire had excellent military power, enough for most of their subjects to receive military training. through this, they always won wars. but this war was¡­ ¡®i can¡¯t see any way to win.¡¯ the difference in weapons and tactics was overwhelming. in the end, there was only one way to overcome this situation. ¡®a victory in a frontal battle. that¡¯s all.¡¯ the problem was that the previous tactic of using numbers did not work anymore. the number of wakan tanka empire imperial soldiers had increased a lot compared to before. even if they challenged them with a chariot battle, it seemed that it would not work anymore. but there was no choice. soon, enemies would set foot in their territory. if they kept being pushed back like this, they could lose everything around tenochtitlan. by then, it would be no different from losing the war. in the end, there was only one command that tlacuellerel could give. ¡°prepare for a frontal battle.¡± a frontal battle that looked very unlikely to win. ¡®o gods¡­ please look upon aztec with mercy¡­¡¯ tlacuellerel prayed earnestly in his mind. a slim chance of winning. all he could hope for now was a miracle like a natural disaster. *** ¡°they are finally moving.¡± ¡°those aztecs seem to have prepared well.¡± ¡°they must know that if they keep retreating, they will be doomed.¡± aztec warriors blocked a wide hill terrain. they looked like an enormous number of people. even though many warriors had died already, they seemed to have more than before. maybe they mobilized all their available troops. they seemed to stake everything on this battle. ¡°will you fight them?¡± the lieutenant¡¯s question. there was a way to bypass that area, or they could just wait. it would be very hard to maintain such a large force. as the power of aztec weakened, the surrounding tribes began to rebel. the situation would become more favorable as time passed. the supply of the enemies would collapse quickly. there was no need to move first into a disadvantageous terrain. but the powerful archer shook his head. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so passive. we can win easily.¡± of course, bombing from the low ground was not efficient. it could even harm their allies. so they could not use bombs. but unlike before, the imperial army had enough reinforcements. they could now fight continuously and replace the exhausted soldiers at the front. that meant that the enemies¡¯ extreme tactics of ¡®you die and i die¡¯ would not work anymore. except for the physical factor, they could not break through the steel weapons and dense formation. and the most important reason was¡­ ¡®we have to settle in this area.¡¯ they did not intend to destroy aztec and withdraw from this area. wakan tanka empire empire wanted to slowly establish itself here. to do that, they needed to show their overwhelming power to the allied forces. if they mercilessly crushed the aztec army that attacked with all their strength, the allied forces would not dare to oppose wakan tanka empire empire. ¡°tell the army to prepare for battle.¡± ¡°yes!¡± that¡¯s how the largest battle in the history of america began. ¡°army, advance forward!¡± ¡°advance forward!¡± whoo, whoo, whoo! a long horn sound was heard. in sync with that. clack, clack, clack! the shield and spear soldiers began to advance forward. how far did they advance? shoo, shoo, shoo! whiing! as expected, the aztec warriors launched countless javelins, stones, and arrows. ¡°block them!¡± ¡°everyone, raise your shields!¡± but these attacks were mostly blocked by the imperial army¡¯s shields. most of the attacks that luckily got past the shields were also stopped by the armor. of course, there were some that occasionally inflicted direct damage, but it was very minimal compared to the scale of the flying projectiles. ¡°keep advancing!¡± ¡°don¡¯t stop!¡± the aztec warriors continued to pour out long-range attacks to stop the imperial army¡¯s advance, but the imperial army did not stop. they kept marching up the hill in sync. ¡°damn it!¡± ¡°everyone, charge!¡± when they got close enough, the aztec warriors ran down the hill with their macuahuitls and shields. their speed was incomparable to the last time. ¡°raise your spears!¡± ¡°charge!¡± as they got closer, the spear soldiers stretched out their long spears. soon, the two armies collided violently. but¡­ ¡°ack!¡± ¡°aaargh!¡± the collision that was much stronger than before dragged the aztec warriors to hell. as the impact became stronger, their wooden shields were easily pierced by the long spears. ¡°ugh¡­¡± the shock was also transmitted to the spear soldiers, but it was nothing compared to the aztec warriors whose bodies were pierced through. thanks to that, some spears were damaged or stuck in the enemies¡¯ bodies too hard to use¡­ but even that didn¡¯t matter much because they were constantly supplied with new spears from the rear. unlike before, they had enough spears now. the melee continued like that. but this melee was literally one-sided. the aztec warriors couldn¡¯t even break through the range of the spears. the imperial army also periodically replaced the front-line soldiers and gave them a rest, but the biggest reason was that the morale of the aztec warriors was much lower than before. ¡°we can¡¯t win¡­¡± ¡°how are we supposed to break through that formation? this is suicide!¡± the aztec warriors were already afraid of the wakan tanka empire imperial army. they felt a sense of despair that they could never win no matter what they did. so they couldn¡¯t fight bravely by burning their lives like before. as the battle continued, the enemies suffered little damage while they kept dying. it was only natural. as time passed like that, ¡°what are you doing? charge!¡± the words of the aztec commanders no longer worked. ¡°uh¡­¡± ¡°please, spare me!¡± the aztec warriors began to retreat hesitantly. when the situation became like this, ¡°crossbowmen, forward!¡± ¡°open your shields!¡± ¡°fire!¡± shoo, shoo, shoo! ¡°aaargh!¡± ¡°ack!¡± once again, the crossbowmen had a chance to shoot their bolts. ¡°run away!¡± ¡°i want to live!¡± the enemies¡¯ formation began to collapse gradually. *** the second frontal battle ended. of course, the result was an overwhelming victory for the imperial army. when the imperial army crossed over the hill, there were no aztec warriors blocking their way. they were all dead or running away. ¡°chase them and kill them!¡± ¡°stop there!¡± waaah! then, the allied forces began to rampage. slash! ¡°aaargh!¡± ¡°cough¡­¡± they chased after and killed the aztec warriors who were running away with their backs exposed. ¡°i surrender! i surrender! please spare me!¡± many aztec warriors knelt down in front of the sharp blades of the allied forces. at that moment, the outcome of this war was practically decided. they had already suffered fatal damage that could not be reversed. and then, ¡°waaah! aztec has fallen!¡± ¡°let¡¯s kill all the demons of aztec!¡± ¡°let¡¯s take revenge for what they¡¯ve done to us with our own hands!¡± many tribes who had been groaning under aztec¡¯s oppression rose up. they heard the news of aztec¡¯s miserable defeat. ¡°please, spare me!¡± ¡°shut up! think about what you¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°die!¡± stab! ¡°ack¡­!¡± the warriors of the allied forces and many tribes who hated aztec quickly spread throughout aztec¡¯s territory. and they literally committed a massacre. first of all, they killed all the priests, nobles, high-ranking warriors and their families of aztec on sight. they were the ones who had carried out horrible human sacrifices and cannibalism all this time. while aztec¡¯s land was stained with blood, finally, the imperial army reached tenochtitlan. ¡°ho ho. it¡¯s more beautiful than i heard. a city in the middle of a lake.¡± ¡°i can¡¯t believe that those demons of aztec live in that beautiful area.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the powerful archer admired the scenery of tenochtitlan. the city on the lake had an exotic charm. ¡°did they demolish all the dikes?¡± ¡°yes. it seems very hard to cross that lake.¡± ¡°heh. don¡¯t worry. they¡¯ll have to crawl out on their own. there¡¯s no need to hurt the imperial army by landing on the shore.¡± the powerful archer had no intention of attacking tenochtitlan right away. he just cut off all the connections between tenochtitlan and the outside world, and knew that they would not be able to endure for a long time. according to what he learned, tenochtitlan¡¯s drinking water was all supplied from outside. the water of the lake was not suitable for drinking. so, if they surrounded them and waited, they would writhe in pain and react in some way. by then, he would have completely eliminated the aztec forces in the surrounding areas. with this, aztec¡¯s destruction was virtually confirmed. < the result of war. > the end Chapter 45 < chapter 45. victory ceremony. > boom! boom! boom! ¡°woo-hoo!¡± countless imperial citizens lined up around the central road of the capital. they all shouted with great cheers and exclamations of joy. the rhythmic sound of drums coming from afar heightened the explosive atmosphere. ¡°it¡¯s truly magnificent.¡± ¡°you said it.¡± deep lake¡¯s eyes were glazed with awe. kim ki-woo and deep lake were looking down at this spectacle from the upper floor of the administrative building. at that moment. vroom! with a huge roar, clack! clack! clack! the imperial soldiers who marched in sync with each other came into kim ki-woo¡¯s sight. the imperial army¡¯s march was very imposing. kim ki-woo took in the impressive sight of the imperial army with a deep smile. ¡®finally, we have destroyed the aztecs.¡¯ before the imperial army returned, they had already heard the news of the fall of tenochtitlan. but it felt very different to hear the information and to witness the victory ceremony like this. ¡®of course, it will take longer to clean up the mess.¡¯ most of the imperial army was still in mesoamerica. and they would probably have to stay there for quite a long time. those who arrived here first were all conscripts, and they were the workers of the empire who would return to their jobs as soon as the victory ceremony was over. the current situation in mesoamerica was very chaotic. the aztec empire, which had been so powerful, collapsed in an instant. at the same time, the neighboring forces that had accumulated hatred for them trampled on the aztecs thoroughly. the problem was after that madness subsided. apart from the territories of the tribes that paid tribute to the aztec empire, there were quite a lot of direct territories, including the triple alliance. now, there was no aztec empire. that is, those regions became ownerless and common in an instant. then, the forces that participated in the alliance and the tribes around the aztecs began to covet that land. even those who did not participate in this war were looking for opportunities to get a small piece of land or some of the aztec¡¯s property. ¡®we can¡¯t let them take it away from us.¡¯ one of the main reasons why kim ki-woo destroyed the aztecs was their disgusting human sacrifice problem. but he did not put so much effort into it just for that. rather, he wanted to gradually incorporate mesoamerica into the sphere of influence of the wakan tanka empire. to do that, he needed to have direct territories of the wakan tanka empire in that area, just like in panama. ¡®it will be hard to manage the area where the aztec empire was.¡¯ the best place for direct territory was near mexico bay. that was where it was easy to travel back and forth with the mainland by boat. the problem was that the mainstay of the alliance was tribes that lived near mexico bay. he could not forcibly take their land away from them. then he had to negotiate with them. kim ki-woo planned to give them the land of the aztec empire. instead, he would make their area a direct territory. therefore, until he finished this deal, he needed to firmly occupy the aztec area by himself. after all, they were the ones who started and contributed most to this war. while kim ki-woo was thinking about that, ¡°halt!¡± thud! finally, the imperial soldiers who returned from war completed their assembly in the square. they naturally lined up facing kim ki-woo, who was standing on the upper floor of the administrative building. then, as emperor of wakan tanka empire, he had to praise and honor his soldiers who had suffered on battlefield. kim ki-woo cleared his throat and shouted loudly, ¡°sons of empire! i am very happy that you have returned healthy and strong like this!¡± as kim ki-woo began his speech, the square became silent as a mouse. ¡°thanks to you, we have uprooted aztecs who have been doing terrible things until now! and we have saved countless lives that would have been sacrificed innocently! if we do not call you heroes, then who can we call heroes? the blood and sweat you shed were not in vain! your footsteps will be remembered for a long time, and all imperial citizens will praise you! you are the stars of this victory ceremony! before you return to your jobs, i hope you enjoy this ceremony!¡± ¡°woo-hoo!¡± ¡°ooh! ooh! ooh!¡± boom! boom! boom! as kim ki-woo¡¯s impassioned speech ended, a huge cheer and a cry of warriors shook the square. *** kim ki-woo¡¯s speech was only the beginning of the victory ceremony. he bestowed plenty of wine and meat to the returning imperial soldiers, and invited those who had made special contributions to the palace. in the palace, the key figures of each department, kim ki-woo, and deep lake gathered. ¡°military minister.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°congratulations.¡± ¡°thank you!¡± kim ki-woo pinned a medal on the chest of military minister strong bow. then, strong bow¡¯s eyes turned red with emotion. he was happy to receive the first-class military merit medal, but he was more moved by the fact that he was the first one to receive such a medal. ¡°i heard you are stepping down from your position as military minister. you have done a great job all this time.¡± ¡°no, your majesty. the time i spent with you was like a dream to me. it was an honor to serve you.¡± ¡°haha. i appreciate your kind words.¡± his voice was filled with sincerity and regret. kim ki-woo patted the military minister¡¯s shoulder and then awarded medals to the other recipients in turn. they were all touched by receiving a medal from kim ki-woo himself. of course, they did not know much about the medal yet, but they knew that it was a recognition of their contribution in this war by kim ki-woo himself. ¡®i hope the medal system will be established soon.¡¯ the medals he awarded now were just the beginning. he would create various types of medals besides the military merit medal. humans like to get a sign that they are superior to others. it was human nature. in this regard, medals were nothing less than the greatest honor. he would also provide material support to those who received medals regularly, but more importantly, their achievements would be recorded in the imperial history forever. ¡®it¡¯s not for nothing that people strive to get things like nobel prizes.¡¯ kim ki-woo hoped that these medals would play that role. then they would work harder to get medals in each field. after the medal ceremony was over, a simple banquet began among the imperial leaders. ¡°ah. i¡¯m really disappointed. you are still so young and healthy, but you are already leaving your position as military minister.¡± ¡°haha. i¡¯m not a military minister anymore in two days. please call me by my name from now on.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ that sounds awkward.¡± the star of the banquet was strong bow, of course. several ministers gathered around him and chatted with him. even the ministers who had clashed with him over various issues laughed and congratulated him on his future. ¡®hmm¡­ is it time for a generational change?¡¯ he felt bitter. kim ki-woo checked the faces of the ministers again. except for one person, straight tree, they were all old men who had aged considerably. it was inevitable. they were the ones who had led the creek tribe since kim ki-woo first set foot in their territory. twenty years had passed since then. now, those who were middle-aged at that time had all become old men. that meant that not only the military minister, but most of the ministers were also eligible to retire from their positions. ¡®i don¡¯t feel good about it.¡¯ he felt bitter thinking that the people who had built the foundation of wakan tanka with him would soon leave him. but kim ki-woo soon shook his head and erased his thoughts. he was destined to witness such generational changes many times in the future. that was the sorrow of having a different and longer lifespan than others. *** the festival continued after the victory ceremony ended. but kim ki-woo could not enjoy it. he had a meeting with the alliance leaders after awarding medals. there were three types of people who came by boat to the capital this time. the imperial army, alliance leaders, and¡­ ¡®the emperor and high nobles of aztecs came too.¡¯ they were destined to be executed in front of imperial citizens. the moment their blood flowed, this expedition would be declared over. ¡°i greet your majesty, emperor of great empire.¡± their conversation was translated in real time by an interpreter. kim ki-woo lightly accepted their greetings. ¡°welcome to great start, heart of empire. well, what do you think after seeing empire?¡± ¡°it was amazing. we finally understood how wakan tanka empire could have such power after coming here. we pay our respects to your majesty for building such a huge and splendid empire.¡± ¡°haha. i appreciate your compliments.¡± a few more pleasantries followed after that. but kim ki-woo did not call them to capital just for pleasantries. ¡°you know why i called you here?¡± ¡°yes. we know it is about territory issue.¡± ¡°you have heard well. then you must have thought about it enough. can you tell me your thoughts?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± they looked at each other and exchanged glances. they had obviously discussed this among themselves to some extent. a man who seemed to be the representative spoke slowly. ¡°we understand your majesty¡¯s intention. but we have a question.¡± ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°surely, it was thanks to the excellent imperial army that we could easily defeat aztecs. but the war is over now. is there any reason for the imperial army to stay in our area?¡± this meant that they felt uncomfortable with the imperial army stationed right under their noses. they had witnessed the overwhelming power of the imperial army. they even saw them use incredible weapons like bombs. they knew they would not last long if the imperial army attacked their forces. they were bound to be anxious. but kim ki-woo had no intention of listening to their demands. ¡°haha. that¡¯s very disappointing to hear. we are comrades who fought against aztecs together. surely you don¡¯t distrust our empire?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that, but¡­¡± ¡°i promise you. as long as you don¡¯t betray our empire, the imperial army will not harass you. and if anyone tries to harm you unjustly, our empire will step in and punish them.¡± it was a lie. the standard of betrayal was vague. that meant that he could attack them if they showed any sign of resistance. the latter offer was the same. the standard of injustice was also vague. it meant that he could intervene in any incident according to his judgment. they understood the meaning behind kim ki-woo¡¯s words. their faces darkened in an instant. they realized that it was hard to persuade him. ¡°looks like you need some time to discuss. talk it over among yourselves and let me know your decision.¡± ¡°¡­yes, your majesty.¡± with that, the first meeting between kim ki-woo and the alliance leaders ended. ¡®they will have to accept it eventually.¡¯ kim ki-woo thought as he watched the alliance leaders turn away. in the end, this world was survival of the fittest. he had already shown his power to the natives of mesoamerica, including the alliance. there had to be some gap in strength to resist, but the imperial army¡¯s power surpassed that level. in the end, all they could choose was to secure a better land than now. < victory ceremony. > end Chapter 46 <46. loots. > unfortunately, the decision on the direct territory of the mesoamerican region was postponed. the leaders of the allied forces had once again sailed to their own territories. ¡®it¡¯s a matter of moving their base, so they need to be careful.¡¯ kim ki-woo understood them. no matter how much they were the heads of each faction, as soon as the territorial agreement with the empire was signed, the entire tribe had to move. in addition, they had to discuss which area they would move to if that happened. the allied forces were not a single faction. of course, they would want to occupy a better area. ¡®i don¡¯t need to interfere with that.¡¯ the wakan tanka empire only needed to allocate part of the territory of the mexican gulf. it was a matter for them to discuss among themselves where each faction would move. kim ki-woo intended to stay quiet until the allied forces reached a conclusion. even without that, there was plenty to do. kim ki-woo went up to the top floor of the administration building again and looked down at the square. as usual, there were many imperial citizens gathered in the square. of course, the reason was different. today was the day to execute the leaders of the aztecs. in the square, there was a high scaffold where their blood would flow. ¡°your majesty, the convicts will arrive soon.¡± ¡°don¡¯t delay and proceed quickly.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the minister left his seat to convey kim ki-woo¡¯s words. indeed, his words were true. ¡°there they are!¡± ¡°die, you devil!¡± ¡°die! die!¡± the square became noisy. all kinds of curses echoed in the square. kim ki-woo threw his gaze toward the source of the noise. ¡®are those them?¡¯ they were not visible from afar, but at a glance they were the protagonists of this execution ceremony. ¡°kyaak! spit!¡± ¡°you bad bastards!¡± thud! thud! splash! as they approached the square, kim ki-woo could see the stones, dirt, and saliva thrown at them. of course, there was no filth. filth was prohibited by imperial law from being handled by imperial citizens at will. ¡®they look terrible.¡¯ they had been walking a long distance like this and had been humiliated by all kinds of imperial citizens. as a result, their condition was not good at all. ¡°walk straight!¡± ¡°don¡¯t stop walking!¡± splash! crack! when the convicts tried to stop due to exhaustion, the warriors¡¯ whips tore their bodies. thanks to the metal attached to the end of the whip, wounds were gouged out every time they were whipped. ¡°ugh¡­¡± but they had already done so much evil that their voices had long gone out. of course, their clothes had been torn long ago, and bright red blood flowed from their bodies in streams. but kim ki-woo did not pity them. ¡®those bastards deserve it.¡¯ considering how many people they had killed innocently with human sacrifice in the aztec region so far, this was a very merciful punishment. while kim ki-woo was thinking about various things, their execution finally began. as soon as the convict climbed onto the scaffold, the warriors bound their bodies. and they pressed their heads down to the ground. then. splash! they chopped off their necks with a single blow of a large and heavy axe. then blood splattered everywhere. ¡°waaaaah!¡± but despite the cruel scene, the imperial citizens cheered even more. they were ecstatic at the miserable end of the sinners who went against the will of the great spirits. and then. thud! the head of the aztec emperor, who decorated the end of this ceremony, fell from his body. from now on, their heads would be burned and their flesh would be dissected collectively at the medical department and contribute to imperial medicine. ¡®it¡¯s over.¡¯ finally, the devils who had killed countless people in aztec territory were dead. kim ki-woo came forward. then gradually the noise subsided. eventually kim ki-woo declared briefly: ¡°i hereby proclaim that all wars have ended here!¡± that¡¯s how the aztec campaign ended. *** ¡°huh¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°it¡¯s unbelievable that this is just a fraction of it. it¡¯s astonishing.¡± the chiefs couldn¡¯t help but admire as they looked at the gold piled up in one corner. ¡°haha. minister of internal affairs, aren¡¯t you too happy?¡± ¡°how can i not be happy? with gold from aztec we can finally circulate currency.¡± one who stood out as happy was naturally straight tree. as the head of internal affairs who was in charge of finance and currency, it was a natural reaction. ¡®it¡¯s really incredible.¡¯ kim ki-woo exclaimed inwardly as he saw an enormous amount of gold. this was just a very small part of what they brought from aztec. as straight tree said, if gold from aztec was added to wakan tanka empire, they would be able to circulate currency sufficiently. with this gold, the resources and efforts that had been poured out so far were not wasted at all. ¡®and this is not the end.¡¯ there were more spoils that they brought after destroying aztec. the aztec empire had sucked in tribute from surrounding tribes countless times. a considerable amount of their enormous wealth was attributed to the empire. they gave some to the allied forces, but it was enough to not feel sorry. and there were also unfamiliar things like cocoa and rubber that spread to the empire. that was not all. the knowledge they had accumulated so far. especially¡­ ¡®the anatomical knowledge is beyond compare.¡¯ the information about the body that they naturally learned through human sacrifice. thanks to that, the scholars of medicine learned more about the human body. ¡®we gained a lot from this expedition.¡¯ although a lot of resources and labor went into the war, they gained more benefits. with this, kim ki-woo was able to secure both legitimacy and practicality. ¡°all the spoils that came in this time will make wakan tanka empire even more powerful. especially gold will make currency reform possible. minister of internal affairs, use gold from aztec to mint currency.¡± ¡°i will follow your will.¡± the minister of internal affairs bowed his head deeply. it was time to discuss the next agenda. ¡°minister of military.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± kim kiwoo looked at the military chief lonely wolf. he was still a fairly unfamiliar figure. he was the successor of the powerful archer who led the military department. it was natural, but he was also from the creek faction. if it was another department, a chief from a different faction might have been born. and soon such a thing would happen. ¡®but it¡¯s too early for the military chief.¡¯ the military chief was the head of the imperial army. the current imperial army was a very conservative group of obedience and loyalty, and most of the military department leaders were from the creek faction. kim kiwoo organized his thoughts and opened his mouth. ¡°how are things going in the central continent¡¯s direct territory?¡± it was precisely the central wakan tanka continent. there was no word for america here. that was a name given by europeans. the empire called this continent wakan tanka continent. they called the current mainland of the empire north wakan tanka continent, or north continent, and the lower part was similarly south wakan tanka continent, or south continent. ¡°it¡¯s marked in detail on the map.¡± ¡°really? can i take a look?¡± ¡°of course.¡± the military chief approached kim kiwoo politely and handed over the map. chwak! kim kiwoo unrolled the rolled-up paper. ¡°ho.¡± the map showed in detail the power distribution of the current central continent. first of all, what caught kim kiwoo¡¯s eye was the direct territory occupied by the empire. ¡®not bad.¡¯ this direct territory was the result of final negotiations with the allied forces¡¯ leaders. the direct territory spread quite widely around the gulf of mexico. if a port is built in the direct territory and goods produced on the mainland are transported to the port¡­ ¡®this area will become a commercial center of the central continent.¡¯ the empire¡¯s various cheap industrial products would shake up the market of the central continent from its roots. dyeing the central continent with wakan tanka empire¡¯s color would start from here. for this, it was necessary to quickly stabilize the direct territory. kim kiwoo entrusted this to the military chief. ¡°many imperial citizens will move to the direct territory from now on. also, many people from the central continent will come under the empire¡¯s shadow. the imperial army has a duty to protect their lives and property. the military chief should keep this in mind.¡± ¡°i will do so, your majesty.¡± military chief lonely wolf bowed his head with a determined expression. was it because he had not been a military chief for long? his face was full of enthusiasm. *** ¡°i finally came! euhahahaha!¡± ¡°oh dear, are you that happy?¡± ¡°of course! i got out of that shitty central continent and finally came to the mainland. how can i not be happy? haha! let¡¯s drink until our noses are crooked today!¡± the conscription order was finally lifted. with this, most of the warriors who guarded the central continent¡¯s direct territory, except for those recruited, gradually returned to their homeland. at the same time. ¡°those who are going to the central continent, get on board! we¡¯ll be leaving soon!¡± ¡°oh dear, it¡¯s time to go. i¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°okay. come back safely.¡± ¡°aww, i wish we could go together.¡± ¡°haha. i don¡¯t care how much they pay me, i have no intention of leaving my homeland.¡± ¡°central continent or homeland. anyway, take care.¡± the ship that reached the mainland by crossing the gulf of mexico took people back and started sailing to the central continent. these people were construction workers and laborers who built ports and various bases in the gulf of mexico. as ships went back and forth like this, imperial warriors were replaced by laborers. some of them even joined the construction in mexico without returning to their homeland after being released from conscription. this was because they paid more in mexico than on their homeland. who would leave their homeland and go to direct territory if they paid less than their homeland? of course, not only imperial citizens were in direct territory. ¡°oh ho, you came here like this. have you made up your mind?¡± ¡°yes. we all want to become wakan tanka citizens.¡± ¡°haha! you made a good decision. wakan tanka empire is always open.¡± people from central continent steadily entered under empire¡¯s shadow. this could be classified into two categories. first, it was becoming a full-fledged citizen. if they became citizens, their lives and property would be protected by soldiers stationed in direct territory. but they had to learn imperial standard language compulsorily, and they had to live with strangers. they implemented a policy of scattering each tribe as they did on their mainland here as well. therefore, there were not many cases where tribes returned together. most people came individually or in small groups to become citizens. despite these unfavorable conditions, why local people voluntarily entered under empire¡¯s shadow was mainly due to empire¡¯s strong military. the fact that they could escape from the threat of neighboring tribes was a very attractive condition in this era. ¡°really? you want to go?¡± ¡°of course! even if i work here for a hundred years, i can get more things if i work under the imperial people. why don¡¯t you go with me instead of doing that?¡± ¡°hmm. but i think the elders will say something¡­¡± ¡°tsk. you¡¯re just scared. i¡¯m going, so you can stay here or do whatever you want.¡± and second, it was a system like a concession area. imperial citizens hired many local residents. of course, there were many differences between imperial citizens and non-imperial workers. ¡°no, they got so much wealth, why do i only get this much?¡± ¡°hoo¡­¡± sharp axe sighed briefly as he divided the wages while looking at the worker who protested. it was a sound he had heard annoyingly so far. sharp axe gave him the same answer as before. ¡°they are all people who have been granted imperial citizenship. if you are envious, you should also obtain imperial citizenship.¡± ¡°no matter what, we did the same work¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t you see the people behind you? hurry up and take your share. we¡¯re busy.¡± the man reluctantly left his seat at sharp axe¡¯s urging. in this way, the wage difference between imperial citizens and non-imperial workers was quite large. imperial citizens¡¯ wages were more than double. even if they paid low wages, there were many local residents who came to provide labor. that¡¯s why some of the workers who worked in direct territory eventually became imperial citizens. in this way, the number of people who became imperial citizens among the workers working in direct territory area gradually increased. < loots. > the end Chapter 47 < 47. growth of private capital > gulp, gulp. ¡°ahh! nothing beats the taste of liquor on land. hehe.¡± ¡°haha. i didn¡¯t mind drinking on the ship either.¡± ¡°you can¡¯t get drunk like this on the ship.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. and nowadays, there are even captains who forbid drinking on the ship. if you get caught, they deduct it from your salary without mercy.¡± ¡°huh. that¡¯s too harsh, even if they have a reason.¡± the curved wind frowned as if he didn¡¯t like the idea. ¡°hey, should i buy a ship and start my own trading company?¡± ¡°do you have enough money for that?¡± ¡°of course not. i have to gather some like-minded fellows.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t mean one of them is me, do you?¡± ¡°haha. who else but you? you must have saved up some money too.¡± ¡°well, yeah. i didn¡¯t have much to spend on except for drinking.¡± the swift arrow nodded. it was true that he had amassed a considerable amount of wealth by working on ships until now. in fact, the swift arrow had also thought about starting his own trading company at some point. that¡¯s why he became more interested. ¡°hmm. should i seriously consider it? you, me, and a few more people should be enough to buy a ship, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°it would be better to run our own trading company and transport goods ourselves, as long as we don¡¯t run into any accidents.¡± of course, their current salary was not bad either. most of the citizens of the wacantanga empire received a fairly generous salary. this was largely influenced by the various industries that the nation was running. the empire still lacked manpower. therefore, if the workers felt that they were not getting paid properly, they quit their jobs without hesitation and chose to work directly for the empire. moreover, working on ships was harder than other jobs, so the salary was higher. but no matter how high the salary was, it was less than the profit they could get by running their own trading company. of course, if they were damaged by natural disasters or accidents, they would have to take full responsibility as the owners of the ship. ¡°alright. i agree.¡± ¡°really? then there¡¯s no backing out?¡± ¡°don¡¯t say anything else. i won¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s gather some people who share our vision. who knows? maybe our trading company will become as big as the storm trading company?¡± ¡°haha. that would be great!¡± that¡¯s how they decided while drinking. this was not just their story. there were countless trading companies being established in the empire right now. the process of creating a trading company was mostly similar. first, they gathered people who had the same goal. then they collected enough money to buy a ship. naturally, there were people who paid more and people who paid less in this process. people came up with the concept of shares here. they received a portion of the profit from the trading company according to the ratio of the money they initially invested. anyway, with the money they gathered, they bought a ship and hired as many sailors as they needed. the wacantanga empire still had enough demand for transportation, so the trading companies could make a decent profit. that¡¯s how the private capital of the empire continued to grow in scale. needless to say, not all trading companies were satisfied with a moderate profit. the main goal of a trading company was to earn as much wealth as possible. this was also true for the lightning trading company, which was one of the top ten trading companies in the empire. ¡°hmm. it seems like our growth has stagnated lately. should we try to expand to the andes region?¡± the regular meeting of the lightning trading company. the owner of the trading company, quiet sea, asked. but the answer he got was negative. ¡°indeed, trading with the andes region is very profitable¡­ but as you know, sir, we need to buy new ships that can sail to the west sea.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. the ships that can sail on the big sea are expensive.¡± ¡°yes. to buy that many ships, we would have to sell the ones we are currently operating. that would be a loss, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°we can¡¯t do that!¡± quiet sea shook his head quickly. selling ships secondhand was a foolish thing to do. they had to sell them cheaper than new ships because they had been used before. ¡°hmm. then are you saying we should be content with our current situation?¡± quiet sea¡¯s voice was full of regret. he had been carrying loads and traveling around various regions since he was a creek tribe member. he had accumulated wealth stubbornly for a long time. and he made this trading company with people who were similar to him. he bought a ship as soon as they started producing them, and transported goods without rest. that¡¯s how he achieved this scale. ¡®damn. i should have expanded to the west sea back then.¡¯ around the time when trade with the andes region just began. quiet sea didn¡¯t bother to buy a ship for the dangerous west sea. he didn¡¯t think he could get so much gold, silver, and guano from the andes region, and he thought the income from the mainland was enough. but he felt twisted when he saw the trading companies that were growing in the west sea. when quiet sea was thinking like that. ¡°um¡­ can i say something?¡± ¡°do you have any good ideas?¡± the youngest person among the attendees of the trading company meeting, yellow footprint, raised his hand cautiously. he had graduated from middle school with excellent grades, and could have gone to the imperial university, but he didn¡¯t. and he joined the lightning trading company right away. he wanted to earn more wealth than go to college. with quiet sea¡¯s permission, yellow footprint opened his mouth. ¡°i think our current situation is not bad either. the empire will continue to expand, and the demand for transportation will not decrease in the future. if our trading company keeps growing steadily like this, it wouldn¡¯t be bad, would it?¡± quiet sea was quite disappointed by yellow footprint¡¯s words. but he had to listen to the end. his words were not over yet. ¡°but sir, don¡¯t you want our trading company to grow faster than now? then we have to take a risk.¡± ¡°a risk?¡± ¡°yes. in the past, the storm trading company was similar in size to our lightning trading company. but they took a gamble and moved their base to yanghae to sail to the west sea. you know the result. they became the best trading company in the empire.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°they succeeded in their risk. why can¡¯t we do the same?¡± quiet sea nodded at his words, but he also showed some doubt. ¡°it¡¯s easy to say. what kind of risk are you talking about? don¡¯t beat around the bush and tell me.¡± ¡°my answer is this.¡± yellow footprint took out a small pouch from his pocket. and then. shooosh. he opened the mouth of the pouch and poured it on the desk. then a white powder revealed itself on the desk. quiet sea recognized what it was at a glance. ¡°sugar?¡± ¡°yes. you know how high the demand for sugar is in the empire right now. but the supply is ridiculously low compared to the demand. as a result, the price of sugar is incredibly high.¡± ¡°hmm. but there are some trading companies that have a tight grip on the sugar market. it would be hard to compete with them now.¡± ¡°why do we have to compete with them? we can get sugar from somewhere else.¡± ¡°where exactly?¡± ¡°look at this map.¡± yellow footprint approached quiet sea and unfolded a map. it was a map that roughly depicted the mainland and the surrounding sea of the wacantanga empire. yellow footprint pointed his finger at one of the islands on the map. ¡°cobao island?¡± ¡°yes. have you ever heard of it?¡± cobao island was none other than modern cuba. ¡°it¡¯s where the taino tribe lives. i¡¯ve heard of it.¡± the empire had already started some contact with them when they explored the mexico bay and caribbean sea area. quiet sea couldn¡¯t not know this fact. ¡°cobao is a big island. and it¡¯s also close to the mainland of the empire. not only that. there are many taino tribe people living on cobao island. it means they have abundant labor force.¡± then sturdy legs realized what this young man was trying to say. ¡°you want them to grow sugarcane?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°heh¡­ you don¡¯t mean to conquer cobao island by force, do you?¡± if he did that, kim ki-woo would dismantle the lightning trading company in an instant, and quiet sea would be severely punished. ¡°you don¡¯t mean to hire them either, do you?¡± hiring taino tribe people was also practically difficult. kim ki-woo had imposed strict regulations on hiring people who were not imperial citizens. ¡°of course not. we don¡¯t need to hire them. we just need to give them sugarcane farming methods and seeds, and let them farm on their own. then we can buy the sugarcane they grow for a fair price, isn¡¯t that simple?¡± ¡°hmm. buy sugarcane?¡± ¡°yes. what¡¯s the difference between trading with the andes region or cobao island? besides, cobao island is mostly flat and has a climate suitable for sugarcane farming, so it can¡¯t get any better than this.¡± quiet sea was silent for a while, digesting his words slowly. ¡®indeed¡­¡¯ the possibility was enough. no, quiet sea thought that if things went according to plan, he could quickly increase the assets of his trading company. the imperial law only prohibited direct employment of non-imperial residents, but this kind of trade was rather encouraged. and it would be a good thing for imperial citizens if the supply of sugar increased. he had heard that there were many taino tribe people living on cobao island. if they grew sugarcane, it wouldn¡¯t cost any manpower from the empire, so he could save on labor costs. ¡°hahaha! a talent who graduated from middle school with excellence is different indeed! it¡¯s a very good plan. good! i¡¯ll entrust this matter to you. i¡¯ll push hard for you, so do as you please!¡± ¡°thank you. i¡¯ll make sure to succeed, sir.¡± the faces of the trading company executives who attended the meeting turned pale with surprise. yellow footprint hadn¡¯t been in the lightning trading company for long. but he already became in charge of one area. it was an incredibly fast promotion. yellow footprint felt their reaction too, but he didn¡¯t care much. his ideal was not just this much. *** after that. yellow footprint was busy moving around. the first place he visited was the imperial foreign affairs department. ¡°i¡¯m from the lightning trading company, and we¡¯re planning to trade with the natives of cobao island. could you provide us with an interpreter?¡± ¡°hmm. interpreting is not difficult, but there¡¯s not much to trade with cobao island.¡± yellow footprint explained their plan. it was not hard to persuade them. the foreign affairs official who could speak the taino language was interested in yellow footprint¡¯s story. ¡°alright. it would help the empire if the price of sugar went down.¡± with that, the interpreter was secured. yellow footprint then hired someone who knew how to farm sugarcane. and he led them across to cobao island. the foreign affairs department had already established some rapport with the taino tribe on cobao island, so there was no dangerous situation. yellow footprint gave sugar to the taino tribe and let them taste it. ¡°wow! it¡¯s so sweet!¡± a taino man exclaimed at the sweetness of sugar. ¡°this powder comes from a plant called sugarcane. and sugarcane grows very well on this land where you live. if you want, we can teach you how to grow sugarcane.¡± ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°yes. if you grow sugarcane, we will buy it from you at a high price.¡± ¡°wow! can we get more of your clothes and shoes, dishes and ornaments?¡± ¡°of course. if you grow sugarcane and give it to our trading company, we will give you much more goods than now.¡± the first taino people they met liked yellow footprint¡¯s proposal very much. the excellence of the imperial products was already widely known in various regions, including cobao island. the rest was a breeze. yellow footprint taught them how to farm sugarcane as promised. as expected, sugarcane grew very well on cobao island. as sugarcane began to be cultivated gradually on cobao island, yellow footprint bought a lot of sugarcane from the taino tribe. he gave them not only industrial products but also surplus food from the mainland as payment. ¡°huh! is this for real?¡± ¡°you haven¡¯t seen anything yet. this is only a fraction of the sugarcane grown in some parts of cobao island. if most of cobao island grows sugarcane, you will get much more profit than now.¡± ¡°hahaha! i¡¯m glad i trusted you! you did a great job! please keep it up!¡± quiet sea was so happy that he laughed loudly and patted yellow footprint¡¯s shoulder repeatedly. it was only natural, since he got a lot of sugar, which was called white gold, with relatively cheap imperial products and food. the profit he would get from this would be astronomical, and it would grow even more over time. of course, other trading companies were not fools either, and they would also extend their tentacles to the regions near the central continent, including cobao island, but by then they would have firmly rooted themselves there. this eventually led to the saying ¡®the storm blows in the west and the lightning strikes in the east.¡¯ that¡¯s how much the lightning trading company leaped to become a giant trading company comparable to the storm trading company. that¡¯s how giant trading companies appeared in the wacantanga empire as well. < growth of private capital > the end Chapter 48 < 48. calamity. > ¡°hmm.¡± kim kiwoo was constantly informed of the news from the lightning guild. it was inevitable, since he had used a foreign affairs official as an interpreter. ¡°thanks to this, the already expensive sugar price will be a bit cheaper.¡± the lightning guild had grown significantly from this incident. kim kiwoo looked at it positively. he wanted the private capital to grow. people were sensitive to their own interests. if they could earn more wealth, they would do their best. ¡°of course, i have to intervene so that they don¡¯t go too far.¡± everything had its limits. there would be people who would not hesitate to do anything to accumulate wealth. but kim kiwoo was confident that he could stop them. as long as kim kiwoo, who had absolute power, was holding on, the private capital would not surpass the political power. it was rather encouraging to solve the shortcomings of the empire and expand its power like this. kim kiwoo took the opportunity to check how the empire¡¯s economy was doing. the situation of the numerous guilds. and the average wealth status of the imperial citizens. ¡°very good.¡± kim kiwoo smiled. the more he looked into it, the more he liked the results. the wakan tanka empire had grown by absorbing many tribes. now there were many second-generation imperial citizens, but most of the adults were first and 1.5 generations. moreover, before the wakan tanka empire, there was no decent private capital. in other words, almost all imperial citizens started from a similar capital situation. ¡°the most important thing is that the average wage of the empire is high.¡± thanks to that, the imperial citizens were able to accumulate a considerable amount of wealth over time. was that why? the polarization of the empire was very low. it was not a situation where some privileged classes monopolized most of the wealth, like in other continental countries. there were hardly any extremely poor or rich people in the empire, but instead, the middle class was very solid. ¡°they are all capable of consuming.¡± how could people like farmers or tenant farmers who were extremely poor buy anything? they were just concerned about their daily survival. but the wakan tanka empire citizens were different. they were relatively free from their subsistence problems. basically, they had plenty of food because they had various modern seeds, guano, iron farming tools, and fertile land. and thanks to that, the prices were also low. ¡°a typical example is sugar.¡± sugar was not something that had to be eaten. it was a kind of luxury item. but the demand for sugar did not decrease, but continued to increase. wasn¡¯t it because of this phenomenon that the price of sugar soared? the imperial citizens enjoyed a moderate luxury with their money left after solving their food problems. ¡°there is a reason why the market grows so much even before the currency reform.¡± the domestic market needed demand to support it. but since the middle class who could consume was holding on so firmly, it was natural that the domestic market grew. ¡°and when the currency starts to flow into the market¡­¡± kim kiwoo picked up the gold and silver coins that were on one corner of his desk. these were the two types of currency that he was busy producing right now. both gold and silver coins had kim kiwoo¡¯s face on them. of course, the back sides were different. the back side of the gold coin had a picture of wheat and corn, and the back side of the silver coin had a picture of a steel sword. they were symbols that made wakan tanka what it was today. of course, that wasn¡¯t all. kim kiwoo stroked the edge of the currency. ¡°it¡¯s rough.¡± there was a sawtooth shape engraved on the edge at regular intervals. of course, it wasn¡¯t a fine and perfect sawtooth shape like modern currency. but it was the best they could do at this point in time. they engraved this sawtooth shape to prevent financial crimes that could happen in the future. ¡°if they don¡¯t engrave it, they¡¯ll shave off the edge.¡± the value of all currency had to be constant. but without this safety device, it would be hard to maintain it. people would surely shave off the edge of the currency. but now that they had engraved a sawtooth shape on the edge, no matter which part they shaved off, it would be obvious. ¡°it¡¯s not much left now.¡± the mass production of currency was nearing its end. finally, it was time to implement the currency reform that he had been preparing for a long time. the empire¡¯s economy grew rapidly even without currency. what if currency took its place in this situation? ¡°the economic growth of the empire will be boosted.¡± the economy of a nation was always important regardless of time. kim kiwoo¡¯s brain started to spin with happiness. *** the wakan tanka empire quickly recovered from the fatigue of war. after the conscription order was lifted, most of the imperial citizens returned to their workplaces. the central continent was still chaotic, but at least the direct control area was stable. there was no force that dared to provoke the imperial army stationed in the direct control area. the ships that had been gathered during the war also found their own places. the construction that had been stopped for a while due to the war with the aztecs resumed. but nothing in the world was always good. the wakan tanka empire also faced a series of major disasters. ¡°¡­how is the situation?¡± ¡°yes. we have evacuated as many imperial citizens as possible from the area, but¡­ unfortunately, many imperial citizens could not escape from the disaster.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim kiwoo let out a sigh. ¡®this damn hurricane.¡¯ natural disasters like hurricanes were annual events that happened every year. the wakan tanka empire was located in the southeast of the north american continent. this area was prone to hurricanes. that¡¯s why the empire suffered more damage from natural disasters as it expanded to the surrounding areas. but this hurricane was the biggest one since kim kiwoo arrived. as a result, the damage was very serious. floods occurred in many places and many areas were submerged. the people who couldn¡¯t escape from there had uncertain fates. ¡®most of them¡­¡¯ he hoped they survived, but realistically, their chances of survival were slim. there was no way they could breathe underwater. they were not fish. but the imperial citizens were quite familiar with hurricanes, so they evacuated as quickly as possible as soon as the evacuation order was issued. thanks to that, they avoided the worst situation. but the disaster that hit the empire didn¡¯t end there. the proverb that bad things come in threes fit perfectly this time. ¡®of all times, a plague now.¡¯ no, to be precise, a huge hurricane landed on the imperial mainland while a plague was spreading. ¡®i can¡¯t ignore the plague any longer.¡¯ not only plagues from other continents, but also plagues that occurred spontaneously. this was an inevitable phenomenon as civilization progressed. the current wakan tanka empire had developed incomparably to the past when they lived by hunting and gathering. many people were densely living in various cities and towns, including the capital. and chickens and llamas, which were livestock, became common. when population density and living with livestock increased, more plagues occurred and spread. it was the law of nature. and now they were traveling to and from the central continent and the south continent by ship. as a result, kim kiwoo also encountered unfamiliar plagues that were prevalent now. ¡°sanitation director.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°did you get the results?¡± as soon as the plague broke out, kim kiwoo ordered the sanitation director to do one thing. that was to find the transmission route of the plague. kim kiwoo knew well that plagues spread in different ways. there was no technology to make vaccines right now. in other words, in the current situation, the best thing to do was to block the transmission route so that the plague would not spread. the sanitation director continued. ¡°yes. you were right, your majesty. there was a problem with the well water that the patients drank. most of them drank from the same well.¡± ¡°hoo¡­ i see.¡± kim kiwoo sighed with relief. it wasn¡¯t a plague that spread by contact with a long incubation period like smallpox. they avoided the worst situation at least. waterborne plagues did not spread unless they drank water contaminated with bacteria or viruses. the famous cholera and typhoid fever were such waterborne plagues. there was no sewerage system in the current empire. that meant that they either dug wells to drink water or drank from flowing rivers. among them, this plague spread through wells. ¡®it¡¯s good that we found out the cause.¡¯ if kim kiwoo hadn¡¯t ordered to investigate the transmission route of the plague, they would have drunk contaminated water without knowing it and the plague would have spread more. but now that they had identified it, they could prevent the plague to some extent. ¡°it seems that well water made people sick. what do you think?¡± ¡°i agree with you.¡± the sanitation director agreed with kim kiwoo¡¯s words. at first, he was puzzled when he received an order to investigate wells while people were dying from diseases. but as he investigated more and more, his doubts were quickly resolved. it was clear that those who got sick drank from the same well. ¡®your majesty knows everything.¡¯ the sanitation director admired kim kiwoo¡¯s insight and unfathomable knowledge. at the same time, his reverence for kim kiwoo deepened. ¡°then close those wells right away so that people can¡¯t drink water from them.¡± ¡°i already took measures to prevent people from drinking water from those wells. don¡¯t worry, your majesty.¡± kim kiwoo nodded at his words. thanks to the quick action of the sanitation department, it seemed that the damage from the plague would be reduced further. ¡°also, write about this plague in the newspaper and let everyone know.¡± ¡°i will do that.¡± with this, kim kiwoo did everything he could do for now. but his worries didn¡¯t go away. ¡®i¡¯m worried about the future.¡¯ as time passed, population density would progress more and more. and as they interacted with distant regions, there would be plenty of opportunities for various plagues to appear. and when that range expanded to other continents¡­ ¡®it will face the greatest crisis.¡¯ of course, he had no intention of ignoring this obvious crisis. he planned to deal with plagues step by step in the future. but now was the time to think about the current plague. once they decided to close the contaminated wells, they could curb the momentum of the plague. ¡®but to overcome this completely, i have to install water pipes as soon as possible.¡¯ since waterborne plagues had already appeared, they could break out again at any time. not only because of plagues, but also water problems had to be solved and moved on as soon as possible. the population was dense in large cities like the capital. as a result, drinking water was always scarce. in the end, the construction of water pipes was essential. ¡®sigh. i thought i could rest a bit after the war.¡¯ rest my ass. he had to recover from the damage caused by the strongest hurricane since his arrival and deal with the plague. and now he had to start building water pipes that he had postponed. < calamity. > the end Chapter 49 < 49. currency reform. > of course, before starting any new projects, he had to finish the current affairs first. ¡°minister of internal affairs.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°is everything going smoothly?¡± he omitted the object of his question, but the straight tree understood him perfectly. ¡°yes, it is. all the financial offices in each city have been completed. we are ready to start anytime.¡± kim kiwoo nodded at the minister¡¯s words. financial offices had been established all over the empire. the purpose of these financial offices was twofold. to exchange the gold and silver that were circulating in the market into currency. and to take care of the empire¡¯s citizens¡¯ money at the financial offices. in other words, the financial offices were banks. ¡®banks are necessary and very important.¡¯ everyone knew how significant the role of banks had been from modern times to the present. likewise, the financial offices would play a very important role in the empire¡¯s economy. therefore, kim kiwoo instructed the straight tree again. ¡°it will be hard, but check the financial offices one more time during the remaining time. we can¡¯t afford any trouble at the financial offices.¡± the straight tree agreed with kim kiwoo¡¯s words right away. he was confident that there was no problem since he had checked several times already. ¡°yes, i will follow your majesty¡¯s will.¡± ¡°good. do your best until the end.¡± kim kiwoo had a reason for establishing banks under the name of financial offices at this point. the currency would soon be released into the market, and many citizens of the empire would want to keep their assets in the form of currency. but gold and silver coins had a very high value compared to their weight. that was why he chose gold and silver as currency. it was only natural. ¡®it must be insecure for ordinary citizens to have a lot of currency.¡¯ therefore, even a small theft would cause a lot of damage. kim kiwoo set up the financial offices to soothe the citizens¡¯ anxiety. the financial offices were national institutions. that meant that if they deposited their money there, they could prevent such theft incidents. ¡®besides, i can use the collected money for good.¡¯ this was also a great benefit for kim kiwoo. he didn¡¯t need to just store the money that was deposited in each financial office. there wouldn¡¯t be any bank runs in this era anyway. that meant that he could pour the rest of the money into the empire¡¯s growth, except for a certain amount. this way, he could reinvest the sleeping assets of the citizens in various industries. ¡®i can also solve the initial shortage of currency.¡¯ many citizens would exchange or receive their wages in currency and deposit them in the financial offices instead of piling them up at home. if he hadn¡¯t introduced this system, he would have needed much more currency than now. ¡®and later on, i can also control the amount of currency in the market.¡¯ of course, he didn¡¯t charge or pay any fees for depositing right now. the interest rate was zero. but he didn¡¯t intend to keep it zero forever. if there was too much currency in circulation, he planned to raise the interest rate and pull the money into the financial offices. that was why it was more important than anything else for the financial offices to settle properly. ¡°good. let¡¯s end today¡¯s meeting here. everyone, do your assigned tasks well.¡± after that day¡¯s meeting ended, the minister of internal affairs vigorously investigated whether there were any problems with the financial offices. at the same time, he started transporting gold and silver coins to each financial office. when he thought that everything was ready, kim kiwoo officially declared at the meeting, ¡°i will carry out currency reform from now on. does any minister have a different opinion?¡± there was no way. if they did, they would have suggested it during the past time. who would pick a fight when all preparations for currency reform were done? as expected, the ministers were silent. soon after, the minister of education spoke on behalf of them, ¡°no, we don¡¯t. please do as your majesty wishes.¡± ¡°do as your majesty wishes!¡± that day, the currency reform decree fell all over the country. *** ¡°did you read today¡¯s monthly newspaper?¡± ¡°haha. i didn¡¯t read it, but i think i know what you¡¯re trying to say. are you talking about the currency reform decree?¡± hehe. you know your stuff. the reform decree spread quickly throughout the empire. the imperial citizens were thrilled with anticipation. especially since the reform was a symbol of kim kiwoo¡¯s initiative, this tendency was even stronger. his influence was so high that no one could match him. ¡°this time, too, it¡¯s his majesty¡¯s doing, so the currency will surely be a great help.¡± ¡°haha. that¡¯s right. it¡¯s something that his majesty himself is doing. who would doubt that?¡± kim kiwoo had achieved great success in everything he had done so far. as this trust accumulated, the imperial citizens gave him firm support for whatever he wanted to do. besides, many people agreed on the need for currency. so there was hardly any opposition to the currency reform decree. of course, even if not, they would have no choice but to use gold and silver coins. -from now on, all wages paid by the empire will be in gold and silver coins. this was the first item of the currency reform decree. of course, the merchants were gradually growing and hiring imperial citizens, but most of the laborers were still directly employed by the empire. the field that most imperial citizens worked in was agriculture. apart from agriculture, construction and industry were the next ones. but most of the laborers in construction and industry were directly employed by the empire. the merchants mainly transported the raw materials they needed and sold the manufactured goods to various places in the empire. moreover, the empire was also the one who paid wages to the imperial citizens affiliated with kindergartens, teachers, middle schools, universities, etc. in other words, most of them received wages from the empire. once they started receiving currency as wages, gold and silver coins would naturally be widely used. and the second item was also very important. -all taxes except for agriculture will be unified in currency. in fact, this was not a big deal for most of the imperial citizens employed by the empire. they had paid taxes before they received their wages in the first place. there was no reason to pay them wages and then collect taxes again. that was a clear waste of administration. and this did not change even after they paid wages in currency. it was the same for agriculture. they still took a certain percentage of the harvested crops as taxes as before. the class that felt this was everyone except these two cases. thanks to these two items, whether they were employed by the empire or not, most of the imperial citizens were forced to use currency. as a result of kim kiwoo¡¯s trust and the constraint that they had no choice but to use currency, gold and silver coins caused an explosive reaction as soon as they were released into the market. ¡°huh, is this all a line?¡± ¡°i knew it! that¡¯s why i said let¡¯s eat later! thanks to that, we have to wait for hours!¡± ¡°¡­who knew the line would be this long?¡± this heat was clearly evident from the long line stretched out at the finance office. ¡°ugh. today is a bust. i¡¯ll have to come back tomorrow.¡± ¡°do you think the line will get shorter tomorrow? anyway, it will be the same tomorrow when we finish work. it¡¯s better to exchange today even if it¡¯s late.¡± ¡°well, if tomorrow doesn¡¯t work, i can stop by later. it won¡¯t last forever like this.¡± some people turned around after checking the line. but even as time passed, a constant length of line was maintained. thanks to that, the finance office staff were going through hell. ¡°next person please!¡± red sand shouted loudly. ¡®sigh. i can¡¯t see an end to this.¡¯ this was something that all of them at the finance office expected, including red sand. but as they continued to serve endless imperial citizens, they felt dizzy. red sand had no choice but to get out of this thought. because the next customer came up to him. ¡°can i help you with exchange?¡± ¡°ah, yes.¡± the man looked very nervous and hugged his bundle tightly. he clearly cherished what was in his bundle very much. it was natural. the bundle contained gold and silver after all. he couldn¡¯t afford to have such a large amount of precious metals stolen from him. red sand smiled brightly and said, ¡°can you put your bundle down here? don¡¯t worry. all of our staff are public officials of the empire.¡± ¡°haha¡­ here you go.¡± the man smiled awkwardly and carefully put his bundle on the desk. thud! even though he put it down gently, it made a heavy thud. red sand untied the bundle. ¡°all gold ingots.¡± red sand looked at the man with renewed interest. he thought they were silver ingots, since there were so many of them, but there was not a single one of silver. ¡®how envious.¡¯ he was the best among the people he had exchanged today. he hadn¡¯t amassed this much wealth since he became an adult, not long after he started working. that¡¯s why he was quite jealous of the man in front of him. red sand shook off these thoughts and did his duty. he appraised the value of the gold ingots in front of him and paid the man the appropriate amount of gold coins. of course, he had to go through quite a lot of procedures to avoid any mistakes in this process. ¡°here you are. do you want to deposit some of the gold coins?¡± ¡°ah, i was going to tell you that¡­¡± ¡°haha. i¡¯ll help you right here.¡± most of the people who visited the finance office deposited some of their money after exchanging it. the man in front of him was no exception. he handed back all but fifteen cents of gold coins to red sand. most of the gold coins that were handed over to him were returned to the finance office. ¡°here, take this deposit certificate. you can withdraw your money anytime by handing over this certificate and saying your password. don¡¯t forget your serial number and password, and be careful.¡± ¡°¡­what if i lose the certificate?¡± ¡°you can get a new one if you know the serial number on the certificate and the password you wrote.¡± ¡°oh! i see.¡± ¡°never tell your password to anyone else. in that case, the finance office will not compensate you.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± red sand¡¯s earnestness made the man¡¯s face resolute. with that, he went home with fifteen cents of gold coins and a deposit certificate. the gold ingots he brought were transported to the capital and reborn as gold coins. that¡¯s how currency was successfully established in the wakan tanka empire empire. < currency reform. > the end Chapter 50 < 50. hygiene improvement. > the effect of the currency was immediate. as the currency was sufficiently circulated through the exchange and wage payments by the financial agency, the transactions that had been inconvenient until now became much easier. also, since the financial agency was established, people could store their money conveniently and safely. thanks to that, the financial agency was always busy with long queues. yellow footprints watched this phenomenon with his eyes and smelled the strong scent of money. ¡®this will surely make money.¡¯ even at this moment, people were constantly depositing money at the financial agency. what if he could pull some of that money into the lightning guild? ¡®i could expand my business more than now.¡¯ as the business grew, so did the profits. yellow footprints was confident of success. and he immediately made a plan and went to see the guild leader. ¡°what are you doing here? you must be busy with the sugar cane trade.¡± ¡°guild leader, i have a good idea. would you like to hear it?¡± ¡°a good idea? of course i want to hear it!¡± quiet sea smiled at his words. he was making a lot of money thanks to the sugar cane trade proposed by yellow footprints. with the guild leader¡¯s permission, yellow footprints wasted no time and laid out his plan. ¡°why don¡¯t we keep people¡¯s money like the financial agency does?¡± ¡°yes. think about it. if some of the money that flows into the financial agency comes to the lightning guild, we can supply more ships of sugar.¡± quiet sea was slightly surprised by his words. he had never thought about what to do with the money he saw at the financial agency. ¡®he is indeed a brilliant guy.¡¯ he could not deny his outstanding brain. but quiet sea had a question in his mind. ¡°hmm. it¡¯s a good idea, but¡­ will people trust us with their money? they can keep their money safely at the financial agency.¡± ¡°of course we have to offer something better than the financial agency.¡± it was a natural question. yellow footprints had an answer for that. ¡°think about it. the financial agency only keeps money for them. what¡¯s the benefit of depositing money at the financial agency? nothing but keeping their money safe.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°we approach differently. we give more money to those who deposit money at the lightning guild at a certain rate. then people who are sensitive to profit will deposit their money at our guild, not at the financial agency.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± quiet sea¡¯s eyes widened slightly. he understood yellow footprints¡¯ proposal. indeed, if they guaranteed a certain profit in return for depositing money, quite a lot of people would come to the lightning guild with their money. ¡°ho ho. it looks quite promising, doesn¡¯t it?¡± they would give them money if they left it alone. and there was no loss from accidents as if they had a stake in the guild. how attractive was that? ¡°if we use that money, we can grow faster than now.¡± ¡°but what if people who deposited money at the guild suddenly withdraw their money at once?¡± ¡°of course we have to leave some amount. but not everyone will withdraw their money at once, right? we can use an appropriate level of deposited money as the lightning guild¡¯s fund.¡± ¡°hmm.¡± the more he thought about it, the better it seemed. a way to increase the size of the guild with little risk. quiet sea felt a strong possibility of success in this proposal, just like when he started the sugar cane trade before. ¡°haha! i can¡¯t catch up with your brain, can i? okay. let¡¯s try it. will you manage it yourself again this time?¡± ¡°if you allow me, i would like to do so.¡± that¡¯s how the establishment of a private bank was first discussed and soon implemented at the lightning guild. ¡°what? if you deposit 10 cents of gold coins at the lightning guild, they will give you one more cent in a year? does that make sense?¡± ¡°did this guy live by being fooled? the lightning guild is one of the top guilds in the empire. do you think they would scam you?¡± ¡°hmm. that¡¯s true. should i go and see for myself?¡± ¡°hehe. let¡¯s go together after work today.¡± the rumor spread quickly. and in fact, many people withdrew their money from the financial agency and put it in the lightning guild. *** ¡®huh, well. i expected it, but i didn¡¯t think private banks would emerge so soon after the financial agency.¡¯ the story about the lightning guild was quickly reported to kim kiwoo. ¡°are you going to leave it alone? most of the imperial citizens still have their money deposited at the financial agency, but if time goes by like this, many of them will go to them.¡± the minister of internal affairs said with a serious face. the lightning guild was large enough that many guilds were watching them. thanks to that, they followed the lightning guild and jumped into the sugar cane trade. the same was true this time. as the lightning guild showed signs of making a fortune in the financial business, everyone was preparing to enter this market. when the competition started, they would surely raise their interest rates. of course, there was nothing good for the financial agency. ¡®i can¡¯t just leave it alone.¡¯ the absorption and reinvestment of private capital through the financial agency was a very important part of kim kiwoo¡¯s plan. and there were many ways to stop it. the owner of this empire was none other than himself. ¡°the solution is simple, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a matter of making one bill. the interest rate in the market cannot exceed the interest rate of the financial agency.¡± ¡°ah!¡± the minister of internal affairs sighed. the current interest rate of the financial agency was zero. it was practically the same as saying not to pay interest. if this happened, the benefits for the imperial citizens would disappear. in other words, they would deposit their money at the financial agency, which had higher reliability. if this bill was made, the lightning guild would end up wasting their efforts. ¡®i don¡¯t feel good about suppressing private capital, but.¡¯ he didn¡¯t feel any guilt. the existence of private banks was a clear obstacle to kim kiwoo¡¯s plan. ¡®yellow footprints¡­ i should see his face sometime.¡¯ the name of yellow footprints, who quickly copied the financial agency system, often reached kim kiwoo¡¯s ears. he was a young man who had just become an adult, but he was already so noticeable. he seemed to have a natural nose for making money. ¡°as expected, your majesty is wise. then i will start preparing the bill with the supreme court.¡± ¡°good. announce it as soon as possible. i don¡¯t want to hear complaints from other guilds.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± only the lightning guild had entered the financial business so far. that meant that the only one who would suffer from the bill was the lightning guild. it was better to act quickly in this early stage to reduce unnecessary noise. the bill on interest rates was quickly prepared. as soon as the bill was proposed, the money that had been entrusted to the lightning guild was quickly recovered. the interest rates were the same, but the reliability of the financial agency and the lightning guild was like heaven and earth. ¡°damn¡­¡± thanks to that, yellow footprints tasted defeat for the first time. of course, it wasn¡¯t a big business that involved a lot of capital, so the damage to the lightning guild was not that great, but it slightly tarnished his reputation that he had built up with great care. but the person who proposed this bill was none other than the great emperor himself. the living spirit and the absolute ruler of wakan tanka empire. yellow footprints was not someone who could challenge him. that¡¯s how the incident with private banks came to an end. *** no matter what country it is, the most important thing is economy. and wakan tanka empire found economic stability. the chaos over the introduction of currency had become a thing of the past. ¡®whew. i¡¯ve come this far.¡¯ kim kiwoo felt a sense of accomplishment. thanks to the currency, he became financially strong, and there was no external threat anymore. and the officials of the empire also became matured. in the past, anyone who graduated from middle school could enter any department, but now they had to take a test with a low competition rate. the administration of the empire began to run smoothly. ¡®i don¡¯t need to worry about trivial things happening in the empire anymore.¡¯ until now, he had focused more on nation building than civilization development. that¡¯s why he tried to grasp as many incidents happening in the empire as possible. but now he had reached a level where he could run the empire smoothly without him. then he thought he could focus more on civilization development from now on. he delegated many parts that he had been doing until now to each department. ¡®at least there is no force in the empire that threatens me.¡¯ this would not change much over time. he was an immortal spirit, who had absolute power and overwhelming support from the people. who would dare to raise their flag against him? he didn¡¯t mind giving decision-making power to each department. he wasn¡¯t completely retiring, and he still intended to pay attention to major issues anyway. he told this to his ministers. but they opposed him one after another. ¡°no way, your majesty! how dare we replace your role!¡± ¡°please think again!¡± ¡°my will is firm. i will never change my mind. now these are things that each department can handle enough.¡± ¡°how could it be¡­¡± the ministers were speechless. kim kiwoo usually tried to accommodate as many opinions as possible from various officials. even if they came up with something that he didn¡¯t like, he didn¡¯t scold them or anything. but when kim kiwoo drew a line like this, he never changed his opinion. the ministers who had been dealing with kim kiwoo for a long time knew this well. ¡°i¡¯m not delegating decision-making power to each department to rest. i need more time to make wakan tanka empire more prosperous. think about it. if i hadn¡¯t gone to black sky myself, could i have made steel like this?¡± ¡°¡­you wouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. i still have many things to make and enrich the wakan tanka empire. but it would be hard if i handle all these tasks.¡± the ministers couldn¡¯t argue with that. kim kiwoo¡¯s words were very reasonable. in the end, they gave in. ¡°as you wish, your majesty.¡± ¡°we will follow you.¡± that¡¯s how kim kiwoo got their consent. and then, the work structure of wakan tanka empire changed from kim kiwoo-centered to department-centered. *** ¡®whew. now i feel like living.¡¯ for countless long time, kim kiwoo was at the top of all work processing. but after the work structure changed, kim kiwoo¡¯s burden was greatly reduced. he only received reports after preliminary actions on the necessary issues. as the workload decreased in an instant, kim kiwoo had a lot of time left. he had a simple tea time with the hygiene minister. gulp. ¡®huh. i feel my brain waking up.¡¯ kim kiwoo savored the cocoa that the steward brought. the amount of cocoa that came from the central continent was very small and expensive, but kim kiwoo didn¡¯t care. he felt like his brain was getting nutrients when he drank sweet drinks. clack. kim kiwoo put down his teacup and spoke to the hygiene minister sitting across from him. ¡°so. how is the hygiene situation in the capital?¡± he knew the answer. as expected, the hygiene minister¡¯s answer did not deviate from kim kiwoo¡¯s expectation at all. ¡°very bad. it seemed to get better as the factories moved to black sky, but as the empire developed, more and more people are flocking to the capital.¡± the biggest wish of the imperial citizens was to live in the capital. it was the most developed place in the empire, and the sacred place where kim kiwoo, the great spirit and the emperor of wakan tanka, resided. but even though more people came, the water supply was constant. how could hygiene be good when water was so scarce? the dark face of the hygiene minister seemed to reflect the current situation of the capital well. and it was also the problem that kim kiwoo wanted to solve first. < hygiene improvement. > the end Chapter 51 < 51. copper. > the sanitation director continued. ¡°not only the capital, but also other cities of the empire are in a similar situation as the black sky.¡± of course, these areas were better than the capital. but if the population of the wakan tanka empire empire empire increased rapidly as it did now, they would be no different from the capital. after exchanging some more stories with the sanitation director, he sent him back. kim kiwoo was alone in his office, spreading out a map of the american continent and immersed in deep thoughts. ¡®the water supply itself is possible to build with our current capacity.¡¯ the representative country that achieved water supply facilities before modern times was rome. rome was a country that had achieved an outstanding civilization more than a thousand years ago. they built countless water supply and sewerage facilities with their excellent technology. kim kiwoo wanted to benchmark rome¡¯s water supply system. he didn¡¯t have the technology to build a water supply system after modern times yet. but one consolation was that the wakan tanka empire empire empire was much better off than rome¡¯s situation. ¡®most of the current empire is flat.¡¯ of course, there were places where the appalachian mountains were connected, but basically the terrain of the empire was very flat. that is, there were almost no geographical obstacles. basically, most of rome¡¯s water supply facilities were also buried underground. but rome¡¯s terrain had quite a lot of obstacles. to overcome these obstacles, rome built arch-shaped aqueducts that were tens of meters high. of course, this process required a lot of manpower and money. of course, the wakan tanka empire empire empire would also have to build aqueducts if necessary, but the cost would be much less than rome. ¡®there are also many places that can be used as water sources.¡¯ the european region where rome entered had a lot of calcareous water. therefore, it was quite difficult to select a water source that was not calcareous. but the wakan tanka empire empire empire was more free in this regard. there were so many places that could be used as water sources that it was incomparable to europe. ¡®besides, most of the cities are built along rivers.¡¯ that is, it was a matter of building water pipes along the river. ¡®the problem is the water pipe¡­¡¯ to make water flow, water pipes were necessary. rome also used water pipes. kim kiwoo planned to build a stone tunnel from the water source to the city¡¯s reservoir like rome did. but he never intended to follow rome when it came to water pipes. rome¡¯s water pipes were none other than lead. ¡®i don¡¯t want to make water pipes out of lead.¡¯ according to some theories, one of the causes of rome¡¯s destruction was lead poisoning. at that time, lead was used so widely in rome. from paint, roofs, tanks, cookware, sweeteners, plates, bowls, wine glasses, wine, jewelry, cosmetics, currency, medicine and so on. there was literally no place where lead was not used. even water pipes were made of lead. of course, using lead pipes would not have much effect because the distance was relatively short, the water always flowed, and the lime dissolved in the water coated the lead pipes. but that was europe¡¯s water rich in lime. there was no need to take such a risk for nothing. he didn¡¯t even want to spread lead itself in the empire anyway. ¡®lead poisoning causes abnormalities in the nervous system.¡¯ lead poisoning rarely leads to death immediately. rather, it causes symptoms such as mental disorders, paralysis, anemia, vomiting and so on and suffers for a long time. there were many theories that nervous system abnormalities corrupted romans and contributed to rome¡¯s destruction. for this reason, kim kiwoo wanted to use copper instead of lead as metal for his pipes. ¡®copper pipes are still widely used in modern times.¡¯ they are durable and have smooth surfaces so copper pipes won¡¯t clog easily either. it was a pipe with many advantages but the problem was copper supply. unfortunately, copper mining was not smooth in the mainland of the current empire. ¡®it¡¯s too far away from bingham canyon mine.¡¯ there is certainly a world-class copper mine on the north continent. but it was located in modern utah. it was too far away fromwakan tanka empire empire now. there were certainly copper deposits in appalachia near modern west virginia but it was hard to meet demand for pipes with that alone. ¡®inevitably we have to import copper to meet demand for pipes.¡¯ the answer was to bring more copper from central or south continent. fortunately central continent had abundant labor force since ancient times and andes region in south continent was same too. and both regions had a lot of copper deposits too. eventuallywakan tanka empire empire¡¯s hope was trade with two regions. *** as soon as direction was roughly decided kim kiwoo called foreign affairs director right away. ¡°did you call me?¡± ¡°yes. how are you feeling?¡± ¡°fortunately i got much better. i¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡± ¡°haha. what do you have to be sorry for? but you should take more care of your health from now on.¡± ¡°i will keep that in mind.¡± wise moonlight, the head of diplomacy, was also getting old. he had recently suffered from a severe fever and had to leave his post for a long time. after the powerful archer retired from his position as the head of military, other heads of departments were also preparing to step down. this was also the case for the head of diplomacy. ¡®the diplomatic department has grown a lot.¡¯ for a while, the diplomatic department was one of the most insignificant positions. the empire had been isolated in the northern continent, so there was nothing for the diplomatic department to do. but after they started trading with the andes region and formed an alliance with the central continent, the diplomatic department became more active. recently, they had also established contacts with the central continent, the southern continent, and the tribes of the caribbean islands like cobao, and the size of the diplomatic department had grown significantly. now it was comparable to other departments. kim kiwoo had a brief conversation with the head of diplomacy, then went straight to the point. ¡°how is the situation in the andes region? i heard it¡¯s still chaotic. is that true?¡± ¡°as your majesty said, it is. blood must be flowing in the andes region right now. it¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°i see.¡± it was because of kim kiwoo and the head of diplomacy that the turmoil in the andes began, but the situation was much more intense than kim kiwoo had expected. ¡®not everything goes as i want it to.¡¯ kim kiwoo felt this truth painfully as he looked at the situation in the andes region. ¡®of course, i can¡¯t say that it¡¯s bad for the empire.¡¯ in some ways, it could be better. the direction that kim kiwoo had initially guided was a confrontation between the inca empire and its neighboring allies. but before kim kiwoo could start trading with the inca empire in earnest, the allies armed with iron weapons attacked the inca empire. if only the inca empire had collapsed at once¡­ but after they hastily imported iron weapons from the wakan tanka empire empire empire and barely defended themselves, things started to go wrong. the allies turned on each other and their alliance quickly collapsed. from then on, the andes region became a mess. ¡®it¡¯s similar to japan¡¯s warring states period.¡¯ the local forces began to fight for the nearby gold and silver mines. as a result, many forces emerged and fell. thanks to that, trade profits were maximized. there was no need to use any dirty tricks. the forces were eager to trade more with the empire. the main things they received in return were gold, silver, and guano, but¡­ ¡®there was also copper among them.¡¯ of course, it was less than those things, but since copper was abundant in the andes region, there was a lot of copper imports. but now that he wanted to bury copper pipes underground, he couldn¡¯t be satisfied with that amount of copper anymore. ¡°the reason why i called you is one. i need to increase the amount of copper imported from the andes region much more than now.¡± ¡°copper?¡± ¡°yes. even if i have to raise the price enough, i have to.¡± if he raised the price of copper, naturally, the scale of copper mining would increase. until now, copper production had been low because they were mining gold and silver instead. ¡®i won¡¯t be able to dream of copper currency for a while.¡¯ if it weren¡¯t for copper pipes, he would have considered copper currency sooner or later, but until there was enough copper left after using it for pipes, it would be difficult. ¡°i also need to develop copper mines in the central continent. there must be a lot of copper mines there if you look for them.¡± slowly,wakan tanka empire¡¯s products began to penetrate deeply into the central continent. he hoped that he could get some copper from there in exchange for them. ¡°are you planning to do something with copper?¡± ¡°yes. i will need a lot of copper in the future. so i hope you will pay attention and increase your supply of copper.¡± ¡°i will do my best to fulfill your majesty¡¯s wishes.¡± wise moonlight¡¯s face was determined as he finished speaking. *** kim kiwoo¡¯s will soon spread widely among the merchants who led trade. ¡°the government is buying copper so expensive?¡± ¡°they even buy it at the same price no matter how much we bring in. this is an opportunity!¡± as soon as the state raised the price of copper, merchants who traded with foreign countries through sea became bloodshot for importing copper. naturally, imperial merchants quickly contacted forces that produced copper by boat. ¡°please supply us with more copper! then we will give you much more iron weapons!¡± ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°have we ever lied? ask anyone else. you¡¯ll hear the same thing.¡± as they said, rumors about this spread far and wide by many merchants to even distant tribes. ¡°haha! the empire is buying copper so expensive. we can¡¯t just sit here, we need to increase the manpower in the copper mines. get ready right now!¡± ¡°yes!¡± thanks to that, the forces that occupied the copper mines screamed with joy. but not everyone was like that. ¡°damn. we don¡¯t have as many copper mines as those guys¡­¡± ¡°what are you going to do?¡± ¡°what do you mean what? we can¡¯t just sit and watch them get more iron weapons, can we?¡± ¡°then¡­¡± ¡°gather the warriors right now!¡± soon after, wars broke out around the copper mines. the situation was similar in the central continent. ¡°hey! this is our land, so get out of here!¡± ¡°what nonsense! this mountain is our territory, so you go back!¡± ¡°that was until there. this is clearly our area!¡± it seemed that most of the mines were near the rugged mountains, and those areas were sparsely populated. that meant that each force had enough evidence to claim that it was their land. as a result, many conflicts broke out, and many forces askedwakan tanka empire empire for mediation. but the empire maintained strict neutrality. they just protected their direct territories and sold their products to the surrounding forces. -the empire never interferes in the conflicts between other forces. this waswakan tanka empire empire¡¯s foreign policy. they just sold iron weapons and various products and bought precious metals and minerals smoothly. that¡¯s how a policy of raising the price of copper made the whole continent noisy. < copper. > the end Chapter 52 < 52. waterworks. > as time passed, the amount of copper that entered the empire increased. however, copper pipes could only be used properly after water was brought to the city. in other words, burying the pipes was a problem that had to be considered after ensuring that water was supplied from the source to the city. kim ki-woo gathered the best elites in the empire for this purpose. scholars from the university, the top construction workers in the country, experts in designing roads and buildings, and so on. it was a dazzling lineup that could be called a dream team. kim ki-woo looked around at the men who had gathered in one place and opened his mouth. ¡°i¡¯m very grateful that you came here despite the sudden call.¡± ¡°how can you say that? it¡¯s an honor for us to be invited by you.¡± ¡°haha. i¡¯m glad you think so.¡± kim ki-woo continued. ¡°i called you here to start a new project. it¡¯s a project that we¡¯re trying for the first time, so i need you, the best talents in the empire.¡± ¡°the best talents in the empire? you¡¯re too generous.¡± ¡°haha. there¡¯s no need to be modest. your excellence is known by me and all the people of the empire, isn¡¯t it?¡± the men¡¯s faces smiled at kim ki-woo¡¯s words. thanks to that, the tense atmosphere eased a lot. perhaps because of that, cautious questions began to pop out of their mouths. ¡°by the way, what do you mean by a new project?¡± as soon as he finished speaking, everyone¡¯s eyes focused on kim ki-woo¡¯s mouth. kim ki-woo slowly revealed the main point. ¡°you must have felt it yourself, but the cities of the empire are lacking water. i don¡¯t like this situation. the size of the city will continue to grow, and new cities will be built all over the empire. we need to solve this problem quickly.¡± as soon as kim ki-woo finished speaking, some of them flashed their eyes. soon after, one of them asked kim ki-woo cautiously. ¡°do you mean to build waterways and bring water to the city?¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s eyes widened slightly at that question. it was because he hit the nail on the head. ¡°ho ho. that¡¯s right. how did you know that?¡± ¡°we also happened to have a conversation about it. as you said, there is not enough water in the capital. if we can make sturdy waterways, water supply will be smooth.¡± ¡°haha. that¡¯s exactly what i think!¡± kim ki-woo clapped his hands without realizing it. when their conversation ended, the others who were listening also understood the situation. they were all veterans who had been rolling around in the field for a long time. so it was natural. ¡°waterways¡­ it seems like water supply will be smooth if they are made properly.¡± ¡°water flows from high places to low places, so if we adjust it well, we can bring water from far away.¡± as they each added a word, kim ki-woo¡¯s smile grew thicker on his face. he liked seeing things go smoothly without him having to step in. ¡°that¡¯s why there¡¯s no such thing as an empty reputation! but i¡¯ll explain more about the system i¡¯ve been planning. we can talk about it later.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°we¡¯ll listen carefully.¡± kim ki-woo got everyone¡¯s consent and walked towards the blackboard to explain more about the waterworks. he picked up a piece of chalk that was placed under the blackboard. ¡®it¡¯s been a while since i made chalk.¡¯ when he visited middle school before, kim ki-woo witnessed a scene where classes were conducted without blackboards and chalks. this seemed very inefficient to kim ki-woo¡¯s eyes. he needed chalks to improve this. fortunately, making chalks was relatively easy. it was just a matter of hardening calcium carbonate powder from limestone. of course, it was more dusty and brittle than modern chalks, so kim ki-woo didn¡¯t use it much, but it was handy in situations like this. thud, thud, thud. white chalk dust stuck to the blackboard as kim ki-woo¡¯s hand moved. the source of water, stone tunnels that would carry water from there to the city, reservoirs in the city, copper pipes and their shapes were all drawn on it. kim ki-woo explained them briefly while pointing at them one by one. ¡°ah, so that¡¯s why you raised the price of copper while increasing its supply.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. these copper pipes will be buried all over the city.¡± ¡°i think i understand how water will be supplied.¡± ¡°if your plan succeeds, the city¡¯s water will surely be abundant.¡± everyone understood kim ki-woo¡¯s plan. kim ki-woo took advantage of the momentum and continued. ¡°i named this system waterworks.¡± ¡°waterworks¡­¡± ¡°the waterworks that will be built from now on will gradually be built in all cities, and when the waterworks system is fully established, the people of the empire will no longer suffer from water shortage. what do you say, will you write a new history with me?¡± as soon as kim ki-woo finished speaking, the faces of the men who gathered here were filled with solemnity. it was a sense of challenge for something new. they were all the ones who contributed greatly to the development of the empire. they were the ones who had overcome many difficulties and reached their current positions. therefore, what they had to say was decided. ¡°please give us the honor of being part of your plan.¡± ¡°i will follow you too.¡± with that, the construction of the waterworks was resolved. *** the architects had accumulated enough know-how on civil engineering while laying paved roads. therefore, they understood very well the importance of surveying and designing. ¡°first, let¡¯s narrow down the places that can be used as sources.¡± ¡°got it.¡± the first thing that started was to investigate the places that could be used as sources for the waterworks. many things were considered to be selected as potential sources. how close the source was to the city, whether there were any obstacles in the way, how high the source was compared to the city, and so on. thanks to that, surveying of the terrain from the potential source to the city began. for a while, research and evaluation on potential sources continued. kim ki-woo received these reports from time to time and tried to find a more suitable source. after a long survey, he was able to narrow down the potential sources. after that, kim ki-woo started to investigate the water quality. ¡°the water from the source is what the people of the empire will drink. remember that you should not neglect your investigation.¡± ¡°we will keep that in mind, your majesty.¡± kim ki-woo emphasized this several times. many people were dispatched to potential sources. and they started to investigate the water quality according to the guidelines set by kim ki-woo. they carefully examined whether the water was discolored, whether there were too many impurities, whether the people around who drank the water were healthy, whether the plants around were healthy, and so on. those with problems were boldly excluded from the list. that¡¯s how the final candidates for potential sources were narrowed down. kim ki-woo and experts had a deep conversation about them. ¡°this source is too far from the city. it would be better to choose this one instead.¡± ¡°huh. don¡¯t you see that it will make construction more difficult if you choose that source? you should look at the terrain first rather than distance.¡± ¡°hmm. how about this one? the path is very flat and the distance is relatively short.¡± ¡°that one has a lower altitude than other places.¡± kim ki-woo listened carefully to their conversation. the potential sources that made it to the final candidates had their reasons. they had one or more advantages while having decent water quality. then, what he had to consider next was a place where he could reduce construction costs while ensuring uninterrupted water supply. they discussed this topic for quite a long time. kim ki-woo finally decided on one area at the end of it. ¡°then i¡¯ll make this place my final decision. if anyone has any other thoughts, speak up.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± that¡¯s how he decided on a source. the next thing he did was accurate surveying and designing. he had already done a rough survey when he selected potential sources, but he needed more precise surveying to build proper waterworks. he had to finalize his design based on this. of course, this was not kim ki-woo¡¯s job, but construction workers¡¯. kim ki-woo devoted himself to other things during that period. it was an experiment on water filtration. ¡®i need to make a water filtration facility in advance in case of an emergency. the people of the empire will drink this water from now on.¡¯ even if they drank water from their current source, it would not harm their health much. but if for some reason the source water became contaminated, it could cause a disaster. kim ki-woo tried his best to prevent this by experimenting with slow filtration. the concept of slow filtration was simple. it was passing water from a reservoir through fine sand and gravel layers. this was a principle of filtering out impurities. in addition, microorganisms that proliferate in sand layers filter out and decompose substances suspended and dissolved in water. through this process, many things dissolved in water such as bacteria, ammonia, iron, manganese are removed. ¡°will this really work?¡± the hygiene director questioned the experiment on slow filtration. it was only natural to think so, since he was just passing the water that settled in the sedimentation tank through sand and gravel. of course, kim ki-woo understood his doubts. but it was hard to convince him right now. he couldn¡¯t confirm the microorganisms and dissolved substances in the water at the moment. ¡°haha. don¡¯t you trust me?¡± ¡°of course not.¡± ¡°then trust me this time. the water that passes through the sand will be much cleaner than before.¡± if time passed and science advanced more, this question would be resolved. kim ki-woo hoped that such a time would come soon. finally, surveying and designing were completed. at the same time, kim ki-woo also finished his experiment on slow filtration. the system of waterworks shown in the design was as follows. water stored in a reservoir goes to a slow filtration tank. there, water is filtered and flows to the city through stone tunnels. the water that arrives there is collected in a reservoir in the city and spreads throughout the city through copper pipes. kim ki-woo and experts reviewed the completed design several times. and finally, they were confident that they could proceed with construction. ¡°i¡¯ll start construction from now on. be careful not to cause any accidents.¡± ¡°yes, we will.¡± ¡°good. i trust you.¡± kim ki-woo patted each of the construction managers¡¯ shoulders and encouraged them. soon they scattered to their respective construction sites. ¡®i don¡¯t think i need to worry about waterworks for a while.¡¯ now that the design was done, there was nothing for kim ki-woo to do. the rest was for construction workers to follow the design and build it. the empire only had to invest manpower and resources steadily for building waterworks. ¡®then i¡¯ll move on to the next thing.¡¯ < waterworks. > the end Chapter 53 chapter 53: < seaweed. > however, before kim kiwoo could execute his next plan, a tragic incident occurred. whoosh! kim kiwoo looked at the blazing fire with a bitter expression. ¡®how could he leave so suddenly without a word?¡¯ in the place that was spewing out hot flames, there was the body of the head of education, who had an outstanding mind. the head of education had finally passed away. ¡°your majesty, thank you so much for coming here. i¡¯m sure my father would be happy too.¡± ¡°¡­yes. the head of education¡¯s death was truly regrettable. i should have made him resign from his position sooner. it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°please don¡¯t say that. how could it be your fault? he just ran out of his allotted lifespan.¡± straight tree shook his head firmly, but kim kiwoo couldn¡¯t get rid of this thought in his head. kim kiwoo had delegated a lot of authority to the heads of departments in order to focus more on the development of civilization. the problem was that this delayed the retirement of each head. they had to establish a reorganized system for each department and hand over their duties to their successors. as a result, the head of education, who had an excellent mind, had to postpone his retirement and deal with more work in his later years. the head of education¡¯s body, who was old enough, seemed unable to handle that much work. he lost consciousness suddenly while he was working at the department of education. and he never opened his eyes again. in other words, kim kiwoo was also involved in the head of education¡¯s death, one way or another. seeing this, kim kiwoo decided one thing. ¡®let¡¯s not delay the generational change any longer.¡¯ a massive generational change would cause a lot of noise in each department. the best way would be a sequential generational change, but the result was right in front of him. kim kiwoo held an imperial meeting right after the funeral of the head of education and strongly expressed his will. ¡°today, an important person of the wakan tanka empire has left this world.¡± none of the heads knew that he was referring to the head of education. thanks to that, the atmosphere was very solemn. ¡°the head of education worked until the moment he died. if he had retired as planned, would he have left this world so vainly? maybe my decision hastened his death.¡± ¡°how can you say that?¡± ¡°that¡¯s not true. please don¡¯t blame yourself.¡± of course, the heads denied it, but kim kiwoo¡¯s voice was still firm. ¡°i don¡¯t want you to follow the footsteps of the head of education. so, except for the head of military and the head of internal affairs, all other heads should hand over their positions to their successors as soon as possible and step down from the front line.¡± as kim kiwoo¡¯s declaration ended, a heavy silence fell over the meeting room. *** kim kiwoo¡¯s will was carried out this time as well. the heads who had been holding their positions for a long time started to step down one by one. also, the staff who were too old also left their departments around the same time. for a while, there was confusion in the administrative system of the empire. because of that, kim kiwoo had no choice but to handle a lot of work during this period. the new heads were less skilled in handling their work than the previous ones. but he was still able to make some time in between. during that time, kim kiwoo started preparing for his future plans. ¡°your majesty. the top merchants have all gathered.¡± ¡°let them in.¡± ¡°yes.¡± as soon as the steward finished speaking, creak. the door of his office opened and people started to come in one by one. kim kiwoo took his eyes off the documents and looked up. ¡°your majesty, it is an honor to see you!¡± ¡°it is an honor!¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯m glad to see you all. don¡¯t just stand there and sit down.¡± at kim kiwoo¡¯s order, the top merchants sat down nervously following the steward¡¯s guidance. kim kiwoo looked around at the men in front of him. the first thing that caught kim kiwoo¡¯s eye was the shortest and chubbiest person. ¡°are you quiet sea from thunder top?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± quiet sea¡¯s eyes widened like saucers. he didn¡¯t expect that his majesty would know his name. but he soon regained his composure and answered kim kiwoo¡¯s question. ¡°y-yes.¡± ¡°haha. i won¡¯t eat you, so relax.¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± kim giwoo continued to exchange greetings with the other top merchants after the ceremony. they were all merchants who sailed the eastern sea. he did not invite the merchants from the western sea, such as the gale merchant group. the matter that he was going to discuss was related to their territory in the eastern sea. even after the greetings, kim giwoo chatted with the other top merchants about various topics. when he thought that the atmosphere had loosened up a bit, he brought up the main point. ¡°so, how is your business these days?¡± of course, kim giwoo knew very well that their situation was not good. as expected. the faces of the top merchants turned pale. ¡®if only the sugar trade had grown as much as i hoped.¡¯ unfortunately, it did not. the merchants of the eastern sea were focusing on the sugar trade. of course, the price of sugar in the empire was so high that they could make a lot of money if they could secure enough sugar. but the problem was that the sugarcane production was not increasing as much as they wanted. ¡®the taino people don¡¯t like to work.¡¯ of course, the products of the empire were so superior from the perspective of the taino people that they were steadily increasing their sugarcane production to get them. but they basically liked to play and eat. they were not short of food in the first place, and they had a nature of playing folk instruments, dancing, and making ornaments and other arts. as a result, the sugar production did not increase as much as expected. on the other hand, the competitors were increasing. unless they had a solid position like the lightning merchant group, they could not succeed much. meanwhile, the merchants who settled in the western sea had a completely different situation. ¡®they are raking in money with their claws.¡¯ the cause was copper, of course. as the empire raised the price of copper and bought it in large quantities, the merchants who traded in the western sea, including the gale merchant group, started to make more money. this stark contrast led to a relative sense of deprivation. as a result, many merchants left their base and moved to the western sea. as expected, the top merchants poured out their grievances. ¡°i know your troubles very well. that¡¯s why i called you here to solve them.¡± ¡°really?¡± ¡°oh!¡± the faces of the top merchants brightened up at once. kim giwoo nodded and went into the main topic. ¡°you all know about the seaweed in the eastern sea, right?¡± ¡°do you mean those seaweeds that cover the sea?¡± ¡°haha. that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°how can we not know them?¡± the top merchants nodded as if it was obvious. they could not possibly not know about the seaweed that was scattered all over the eastern sea without number. the amount of seaweed that drifted from sargasso sea was enormous. ¡®the sargasso sea is literally a seaweed field.¡¯ the amount was beyond imagination. the name of sargasso sea itself came from sargassum, which was a name for seaweed. sargasso sea was an area where there was almost no wind. the bermuda triangle, which was known as a symbol of horror, was also located within sargasso sea. therefore, it was a sea of death that was feared during the age of discovery. there was nothing more terrifying for ships that sailed only by wind than a windless zone at that time. kim giwoo said bluntly. ¡°i¡¯m glad you all know. i want you to bring me those seaweeds.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°those things? why¡­¡± naturally, questions arose on their faces. the sailors of the empire called sargassum floating garbage on the sea. it only caused harm and did not help at all. but for kim giwoo, securing seaweed was a very important issue. ¡°the reason¡­ the reason is because they are needed in the empire. you can think of it as similar to when we first imported bird droppings from andes.¡± ¡°ah!¡± only then did they somewhat understand. there was already a good example of importing bird droppings. no one wondered why they imported bird droppings anymore. they were very helpful for farming and they also made gunpowder with bird droppings as raw materials. i understood that he wanted to do something useful with the seaweed again. ¡°you don¡¯t have to just bring those seaweeds. if you burn them on the islands near the seaweed, and bring the ashes from there, i¡¯ll buy them all at a fair price.¡± kim ki-woo then offered them a specific price. the faces of the sea lords brightened up at once. ¡°we¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°just tell us what to do. we, the sea lords, are ready to follow your will, your majesty.¡± ¡°haha. you sound very reliable.¡± from the perspective of the sea lords of the eastern sea, having such a source of income was naturally a welcome thing. thanks to that, kim ki-woo was able to quickly finish the negotiations with the sea lords. ¡®i¡¯ll have a headache later because of sargassum, but it¡¯s not bad for now.¡¯ kim ki-woo knew well that sargassum, which came from the sargasso sea, was causing trouble for many countries in modern times, including mexico. but that was a story for later. for now, the fact that there were so many seaweeds nearby was a positive thing. he just had to collect the floating seaweeds, and he could easily supply sodium carbonate, or soda ash, which was what kim ki-woo wanted. of course, the ash, or soda ash, that was made by burning seaweed was very small compared to the amount of seaweed, but he expected to get enough because there were so many seaweeds. the soda ash that was made this way was the main ingredient of two products that kim ki-woo wanted. they were none other than soap and glass. ¡®the soap berries from the central continent are not enough.¡¯ once the water supply system was properly established, the water shortage would be somewhat solved. but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t intend to end it with just making water abundant. he planned to distribute soap widely in the empire and make washing hands a habit. that alone would greatly reduce the chance of getting sick, and this would increase the average life span of the imperial citizens. if he could secure enough soda ash, he could make plenty of soap. there were plenty of bison in the northern continent, and he could get enough animal fat by hunting them. ¡®and glass is indispensable for development.¡¯ he needed glass bottles for various chemical experiments. not to mention the lenses that were needed for microscopes. he already had plenty of silica on the beach, and limestone was also being mined in large quantities in the empire. in other words, the only problem with glass was soda ash. even if it wasn¡¯t for soap, he had to burn sargassum seaweed and make soda ash. < seaweed. > the end Chapter 54 chapter 54: < soap and glass. > after meeting with kim kiwoo. the nobles of the east sea began to move busily. first, they settled on the islands around the waters where the sargassum was coming from. it was inefficient to transport the seaweed to the mainland and burn it into ash. of course, there were natives living on most of the islands, but this problem was peacefully resolved. the nobles promised to pay a certain price in exchange for living in one area of the island. they only needed a small piece of land to burn the seaweed anyway. thus, countless ships sailed along the caribbean coast, gathering seaweed. sargassum had air pockets that made it float on the water, so it was relatively easy to collect. every day, a large amount of sargassum was transported to each island, where it was burned into ash. of course, even if a lot of sargassum was burned, the amount of ash was only a handful, but since they burned so much sargassum, there was a lot of ash produced. ¡°wow. we¡¯ve already collected this much ash.¡± ¡°we can load it on the ship soon.¡± the ships filled with ash were first transported to the capital, where they were piled up in a laboratory in the palace. kim kiwoo had set up a laboratory in one corner of the palace to conduct various experiments himself. many basic experiments were planned to be carried out here in the future. and right now, experiments on the production of soap and glass were being conducted here. the first experiment that kim kiwoo conducted was soap. ¡°all the ingredients are ready.¡± ¡°really? then let¡¯s go right away.¡± at the words of his aide, kim kiwoo finished organizing his documents and got up from his seat. and he headed straight to the laboratory. ¡°your majesty, you have arrived.¡± ¡°yes. you are all working hard.¡± kim kiwoo looked around the laboratory. ¡®perfect.¡¯ kim kiwoo nodded his head with a satisfied smile. the ingredients and experimental tools were all properly prepared. ¡°let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°yes!¡± as soon as kim kiwoo finished speaking, the craftsmen moved swiftly. they had already learned the experimental process and assigned their roles, so there was no hesitation in their actions. ¡®first, we need to make fat.¡¯ to make fat, they needed to refine adipose tissue. kim kiwoo headed to one of the pots. there was already beef fat in the pot. as kim kiwoo looked closely at the shape of the fat, ¡°water coming!¡± a craftsman shouted. and then, splash! he poured water into the pot without hesitation. how much water did he put in? ¡°stop.¡± when the amount of water and fat became similar, kim kiwoo said softly. then, the craftsman stopped his action immediately. ¡°now let¡¯s light it up.¡± ¡°yes.¡± whoosh! soon, firewood caught fire. how much time had passed? bubble bubble. the water began to boil. ¡°the fat floats on the water!¡± then, as kim kiwoo expected, fat began to float on the water. the cell membrane burst and melted fat inside the cell rose to the surface of the water. it was a phenomenon that occurred because fat did not dissolve in water and had a lower specific gravity than water. how much time had passed? ¡°that should be enough. now let¡¯s collect the fat.¡± ¡°yes!¡± then, the craftsmen extinguished the firewood and began to collect the fat that floated on the water. when they left this collected fat at room temperature, it solidified as expected. animal saturated fat solidified at room temperature. ¡®i think i¡¯m done with the preparations?¡¯ i had all the ingredients ready. now it was time to make soap through a saponification reaction. kim ki-woo prepared two new cauldrons. he then divided the ash water and the solidified fat that he had made beforehand into each cauldron. ¡°i¡¯m going to light the fire!¡± the craftsman shouted as he lit the firewood under each cauldron. but the heat applied to the two cauldrons was very weak compared to before. ¡®i can¡¯t heat the cauldrons until they boil.¡¯ ash water. that is, an alkaline solution and fat should not be heated at too high a temperature. but if they are not heated, the fat will not melt and soap cannot be made. the ash water also had to be adjusted to a similar temperature as the fat, so that when they were mixed, the temperature would not drop. if the temperature drops, there is a risk of the fat solidifying. therefore, it was ideal to adjust it to about 50 degrees celsius. ¡®it would be nice if i had a thermometer.¡¯ that was only possible after glass was sufficiently produced and the glass molding level was high enough to make a thermometer. now he could only measure the water temperature roughly with human skin. ¡°this seems about right.¡± it was the craftsman¡¯s words as he put his hands in the melted fat and ash water to gauge the temperature. ¡°then pour the ash water into the fat little by little.¡± ¡°okay.¡± following kim ki-woo¡¯s instructions, the craftsman scooped up some ash water in a bowl and poured it into the liquid fat. chwaaak. because their temperatures were similar, fortunately, there was no precipitation of liquid fat. ¡°you have to keep stirring the mixture while maintaining the temperature. if you¡¯re tired, switch with someone else.¡± kim ki-woo told the craftsmen. if they are not mixed properly, the fat will not saponify and clump together. now as time passed, the fat and alkaline solution would meet and cause a saponification reaction. but it took quite a while for it to become sticky enough. kim ki-woo visited the laboratory from time to time while doing his work. after a while. ¡®this should be enough?¡¯ it looked like saponification had already progressed considerably by eye. then it was time to move on to the next step. ¡®i can¡¯t let it harden like this.¡¯ there is both soap and glycerol in the cauldron right now. but soap with a lot of glycerol in it is very soft. of course, due to the large amount of glycerol, the feeling of skin tightening would disappear a lot, but there was a disadvantage that soap would be consumed too quickly. so kim ki-woo wanted to separate soap and glycerol. ¡°put some salt in.¡± as soon as kim ki-woo¡¯s order fell, the craftsmen sprinkled salt into the cauldron. this process of adding salt is called salting out. it means precipitating soap with salt. the principle is simple. salt. that is, sodium chloride is an electrolyte. it becomes polar when dissolved in water. but salt is more polar than soap molecules. in this way, unsalted soap molecules clump together and precipitate. sure enough. as time passed, the effect of this became clear. ¡°it¡¯s floating!¡± the clumped soap floated up. there must be glycerol underneath it. ¡®glycerol can also come in handy.¡¯ glycerol is a natural moisturizer. after washing your body with soap, applying glycerol can prevent skin problems. also, if you add some medicinal ingredients, it becomes a natural ointment. while he was thinking about this and that, the craftsmen filtered out the soap precipitates and put them in molds. the soap that was put in would slowly harden. kim ki-woo waited quietly until the soap was completely hardened. time passed and finally, the first soap prototype was completed. ¡°here it is.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± kim kiwoo looked around the soap that he had made. ¡®it¡¯s quite hard.¡¯ the soap was not as soft as he had expected, probably because he had separated the glycerol by crystallization. he then carefully smelled it. sniff sniff. ¡®hmm¡­ not very pleasant.¡¯ he thought that he would need to add some fragrance if he wanted to sell it to the public. that would make the soap more popular. he then wet his hand and rubbed the soap vigorously on his palm. ¡®it doesn¡¯t foam as much as i thought.¡¯ the quality of the soap was much lower than the modern ones. but this was the best he could do in the current situation. kim kiwoo was satisfied with his work. he thought that this would be enough for the imperial citizens to use. *** while the soap was being made, a kiln for melting glass was also prepared in one corner of the laboratory. the glass kiln did not need as high a temperature as the iron smelting process. the method of making glass was quite simple. first of all, the most needed thing was sand, of course. he could make glass by melting high-quality silica from the sand. but sand was not easy to melt. he had to raise the temperature above 1,700 degrees to make it liquid. so he mixed some limestone and soda ash with the sand to make glass. this way, he could make glass with only about 900 degrees. this was called soda-lime glass, and this was what kim kiwoo wanted to make. kim kiwoo started to pay attention to the glass after he finished his experiment with the soap. he put pure silica in the kiln first, and then added some limestone and soda ash. and he started to heat up the kiln. ¡°whoo! whoo!¡± whoosh! whoosh! as the craftsman blew air into the kiln, the temperature rose. he could not use a water wheel in the palace, so he had to rely on human power for blowing air. as the temperature continued to rise, ¡°the sand is melting!¡± sure enough, the mixture in the kiln gradually liquefied. ¡®if i add some glass pieces, it would speed up the vitrification process.¡¯ adding glass pieces would accelerate the vitrification process. the silica around the added glass pieces would vitrify one by one. but he could only do that from the second experiment on. as time passed, the vitrification was finally completed. then kim kiwoo did many experiments with the glass he had made. he poured some molten glass into a ladle and let it harden, and he also wrapped some glass around a long and narrow iron pipe and blew air into it. ¡°wow. it¡¯s really transparent.¡± ¡°wow, i can see my hand clearly!¡± the craftsmen looked at the glass they had made and exclaimed in admiration. of course, kim kiwoo could not be as satisfied as they were. the quality of the glass was not very good, since it was his first experiment. it was too cloudy to compare with modern glass, and the shape was also distorted because there were no skilled glass craftsmen. this was inevitable for a first attempt. ¡®i¡¯ll be able to make high-quality glass products over time.¡¯ he decided to be content with making glass itself for now. *** time passed by. when soda ash was supplied smoothly to the mainland, he finished his rough experiments with soap and glass. immediately after that, soap factories and glass factories were built in the industrial district of black sky. especially, the soap factory did not proceed by hand one by one like kim kiwoo and the craftsmen did in their experiment. it adopted a similar method as iron decarburization process. he used a water wheel to rotate a mobile-shaped wheel, and connected it to a paddle that carried out saponification reaction. thanks to this, he could replace the hardest stirring work with water power. ¡®hmm. not bad.¡¯ kim kiwoo nodded his head as he read a report on soap consumption of imperial citizens. he had enough raw materials, and soap production was also increasing rapidly. of course, since it had not been long since he built soap factories, supply was still insufficient. but this was a problem that time would solve. soap was now spreading widely throughout the empire. ¡®it seems that the demand for laundry purposes is higher than for washing hands.¡¯ the empire had a lot of cotton. therefore, most of the clothes were made of cotton fabric. but until now, it was very hard to wash these cotton fabrics cleanly. they could only rinse them in water. in this situation, when soap was distributed, they could easily remove the stains from their clothes. ¡®there¡¯s no need to rush.¡¯ it was not too late to think about the culture of washing hands and keeping the whole body clean after the water supply system worked smoothly. while soap was widely distributed to the public, glass was not yet widely available. it was hard to make it by hand one by one, and he had to do more experiments to increase the transparency. glass was only distributed to kim kiwoo¡¯s laboratory and the university. but kim kiwoo was more interested in glass than soap. glass was the masterpiece that would open the era of real chemistry. ¡®now i can do various chemical experiments with glass.¡¯ then he would be able to acquire the technology level to produce acid. kim kiwoo imagined the world that would change rapidly by chemistry and smiled deeply. < soap and glass. > the end Chapter 55 chapter 55: < the crown prince. > the day was slowly fading away. the second prince of the wakan tanka empire, clear raindrop, was not very fond of this darkness. it was because he had to go and see the great spirit and the emperor of the empire, father, soon. knock knock. ¡°your highness, the emperor has entered the palace.¡± ¡°okay. i¡¯ll get ready.¡± as expected, that time had come again today. ¡°sigh¡­¡± clear raindrop let out a deep sigh. if possible, he did not want to have a meeting with father. in fact, his older brother had refused to have a meeting with father for the whole week. it was because he was deeply immersed in stargazing at the observatory every night. but clear raindrop did not have any plausible excuse, nor did he have the will to express his opinion boldly to father like his brother. ¡®let¡¯s stop thinking and go.¡¯ clear raindrop shook his head vigorously and started to prepare for the meeting with father. there was a reason why clear raindrop was like this. he was the second prince of the empire who inherited the blood of the great spirit. therefore, he had naturally received great expectations from a very young age. the people of the empire thought that since he inherited the blood of the spirit, he would have inherited kim kiwoo¡¯s outstanding abilities as well. clear raindrop also thought so when he was young. he felt proud when he understood that he inherited the blood of the great spirit, and he thought he could become great like father. but reality was different. clear raindrop¡¯s head was not very brilliant. he learned to read and write later than other children. he did not have the wisdom to see through everything like father. he needed a lot of time to understand one thing when someone taught him. eventually, a doubt arose in clear raindrop¡¯s mind. ¡®am i really a descendant of the spirit?¡¯ this thought did not leave his head. after that, clear raindrop¡¯s paranoia began. he felt as if everyone around him was greatly disappointed by his dull head. there were actually some maids or teachers who had such thoughts, but clear raindrop felt it more strongly. he was very afraid that father would be disappointed in him too. that¡¯s when his meeting with father became a burden. he did not want to show his incompetent self to father. ¡°brother!¡± when clear raindrop arrived at his destination with his reluctant steps, yellow flame had already arrived there. yellow flame was clear raindrop¡¯s younger brother who was two years younger than him. ¡°did you wait long?¡± ¡°i just got here too.¡± ¡°i see. what about brother?¡± ¡°haha. he went to the observatory as usual.¡± clear raindrop chuckled at that remark. ¡®brother is really amazing.¡¯ of course, it must have been because father allowed him to go to the observatory instead of having a meeting with him, but that was only for a day or two. it had already been a week since he went to the observatory every night. clear raindrop shook his head slightly. ¡°then we only need to go in.¡± ¡°yes.¡± clear raindrop knocked on the door carefully. knock knock. ¡°father. may we come in?¡± ¡°yes. come in.¡± ¡°yes.¡± creak! as soon as he got permission, clear raindrop opened the door. and then, the familiar scenery of the room entered his eyes. ¡°haha. the crown prince went to the observatory again, huh?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°that guy.¡± kim kiwoo quickly grasped the situation as soon as only the second and third princes entered the room. ¡°alright. sit down there.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± as soon as they finished speaking, the princes sat down in their familiar seats. ¡®they have grown up a lot.¡¯ kim ki-woo looked at his second and third sons with a new appreciation. he currently had five children. the crown prince, who was now twelve years old, the second prince, who was ten, the third prince, who was eight. and the fourth prince, who was four years old, and the fifth princess, who had just turned one. he had one child after another, and before he knew it, they had grown this much. ¡®i used to worry that i wouldn¡¯t have a daughter.¡¯ he didn¡¯t have this worry until the crown prince and the second prince were born. no, he was rather happy. it was better to have two sons who could become the emperor of the wakan tanka empire than one. but when his third and fourth children were also boys, he started to feel anxious. he wanted to have a beautiful daughter. did his earnest wish come true? a daughter was born last year. thanks to that, kim ki-woo was able to ease his worries. ¡°so. what did you do today?¡± ¡°yes, father. i¡­¡± the conversation between father and son continued. ¡°ha ha. is that so?¡± kim ki-woo listened to his children¡¯s lives and smiled constantly. he spent some time with his sons like this, and then sent them back. the time with his sons was a great source of energy for kim ki-woo. but there was one thing that bothered him in his heart. ¡®they are becoming more and more uncomfortable with me as time goes by.¡¯ especially the second prince. he tried not to show it, but he was clearly depressed. the report from the palace staff was the same. he was worried a lot lately because of his academic achievements. ¡®is it inevitable?¡¯ no matter how busy he was with work, he tried to spend some time with his children like this. but apart from that, his children grew up and became more uneasy with him. moreover, he knew how big the expectations from others were for them. but there was nothing he could do about it. he couldn¡¯t tell the people around the princes not to have expectations for them. ¡®they are also human beings.¡¯ only he was special. kim ki-woo¡¯s children were ordinary people who had the same lifespan as others and learned knowledge like everyone else. but he had no choice. as long as they were born as kim ki-woo¡¯s children, they had to deal with it. parents couldn¡¯t live their children¡¯s lives for them. that¡¯s why he felt more sorry for the second prince who was frozen stiff. ¡®i hope he doesn¡¯t get eaten up by this pressure.¡¯ kim ki-woo wished earnestly. of course, the crown prince was an exception. ¡®he is a real freak.¡¯ kim ki-woo laughed naturally as he imagined the crown prince looking at the stars with a telescope even now. ¡®he should feel more pressure than anyone else.¡¯ the expectations for the crown prince were different from those of other princes. he was the closest person to the throne, so it was natural. but the crown prince didn¡¯t care about those expectations. he was optimistic by nature and proud of being born as kim ki-woo¡¯s son. he didn¡¯t feel any burden at all. of course, he would ignore everything else when he got into one field and focus all his attention on his interest area. thinking about the crown prince made him want to see his face. ¡®sigh. i have to go see him if i miss him.¡¯ come to think of it, it had been a long time since he visited the observatory. it wouldn¡¯t be bad to visit the observatory for both seeing the crown prince and checking on things there. *** kim ki-woo realized his thought right away. he left the palace at midnight and went to the observatory. ¡°father!¡± thud thud thud thud. thump! the crown prince, wide sky, ran out as soon as he heard that kim ki-woo had arrived. and he hugged kim ki-woo¡¯s chest. ¡°ha ha! you little rascal, didn¡¯t you miss your father?¡± ¡°he he.¡± he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°oh, your majesty!¡± as expected. many astronomers who were in the observatory followed the crown prince and came out. but kim ki-woo raised his hand to stop them. ¡°ah, ah. go back to your work. i just came to see the crown prince.¡± ¡°your majesty¡­¡± ¡°hey. i told you to go back.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± kim ki-woo said firmly. he didn¡¯t want to be disturbed by his time with the crown prince. when the astronomers retreated, kim ki-woo looked at the crown prince and smiled brightly. ¡°so. did you enjoy looking at the sky with the telescope?¡± ¡°of course! the telescope is amazing. it makes things that are far away look so big! like they came right in front of me!¡± the crown prince drew a large circle with his arm and exclaimed. ¡°ha ha. that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°right?¡± wide sky¡¯s face was filled with a clear smile. ¡°but you should stop bothering the astronomers now.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ no, they said they were happy that i came.¡± kim ki-woo chuckled. who could tell the crown prince not to come? they must have told him to come anytime. he seemed to have not shown any sign of displeasure. kim ki-woo teased him well. ¡°there are only two telescopes in the observatory right now, right?¡± ¡°yes! you know everything, father!¡± the crown prince sparkled his eyes with admiration. of course he knew. the person who brought the lenses for the telescopes in the observatory was none other than kim ki-woo himself. ¡®if the glass processing technology improves, we can make low-magnification telescopes, but¡­¡¯ it was still a distant story. kim ki-woo continued his words. ¡°but if you monopolize one of them, the other scholars won¡¯t be able to observe the sky, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true¡­¡± the crown prince smiled sheepishly. he understood what kim ki-woo meant. ¡°i got it. i won¡¯t come to the observatory from tomorrow.¡± ¡°you made a good decision. there are many other amazing things in this world besides the sky. let¡¯s try to find them.¡± even if kim ki-woo didn¡¯t say this, the crown prince¡¯s interest would have shifted to somewhere else soon. it had always been like that. for example, until a week ago, the crown prince¡¯s interest was all about steel. ¡®that was nice.¡¯ every time kim ki-woo finished his work and came back, he ran to him and asked countless questions about steel. the person who made steel was none other than kim ki-woo himself. especially recently, as the steel industry developed and things like springs and gears were made, the crown prince¡¯s curiosity exploded. ¡®the steel industry is developing well even without my attention.¡¯ he just occasionally gave them some conceptual ideas, and they made things like springs and gears on their own. this was different from chemistry. ¡°but i want to see the sky for today! father, you look with me too. okay?¡± ¡°ha ha. let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°yay! then let¡¯s go in quickly!¡± kim ki-woo nodded gently at his son¡¯s urging and entered the observatory. ¡°you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°yes. you¡¯ve been working hard.¡± ¡°not at all. don¡¯t you have a lot of things to do, your majesty?¡± the head of the observatory, far-sighted eyes, had no trace of resentment on his face. ¡°did the crown prince bother you a lot these days?¡± ¡°not at all. it¡¯s a pleasure for an astronomer to see the crown prince interested in the universe.¡± ¡°ha ha. is that so?¡± the crown prince said with a smug smile, raising his hand to his waist. he looked very cute. kim ki-woo handed him the telescope and told him to look at the sky. as soon as he did, the vast sky seemed to welcome the telescope and ran away. ¡°you are very energetic.¡± ¡°you are such a rascal. you always bother the people around you.¡± kim ki-woo chatted with him about various things, looking at his distant eyes. then, he changed the topic. < the crown prince. > the end Chapter 56 chapter 56: < the plague and the rule of two. > ¡°i read your paper on the heliocentric theory that was recently published. it was very impressive. the astronomers played a big role in it.¡± ¡°ha ha. the scholars at the university did more work than us.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to be modest. without the data that you observed at the observatory, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to discover such important knowledge.¡± ¡°thank you for saying that.¡± the heliocentric theory that kim kiwoo mentioned was the theory that the planets in the solar system revolve around the sun. in other words, it was the geocentric theory. at the imperial university, countless papers were being presented at this very moment. until now, kim kiwoo had compiled and disseminated basic knowledge to the empire, but now there was enough foundation knowledge. thanks to that, various papers were pouring out like crazy. there were many absurd ones among them, but there were also quite a few important papers like the heliocentric theory. the beginning of the heliocentric theory was when they found out that the earth was round. before civilization progressed, most of the imperial citizens believed that the earth was flat. but this was not true. the earth was round. kim kiwoo also included this fact in the textbooks when he established the school. ¡®it was easy to prove that the earth was round.¡¯ you could tell for sure just by looking at how a ship approaching from beyond the horizon showed its sail first. there was also a lunar eclipse. with these examples, most of the imperial citizens learned that the earth was round. then came the geocentric theory. that is, the celestial motion theory. the idea that since the earth was round, the sky would revolve around it. but many scholars began to question this. ¡®it didn¡¯t make sense no matter how you thought about it.¡¯ this was first raised by the astronomers who observed at the observatory. they observed the surrounding planets every day with telescopes. but if the sky revolved around the earth, the orbits of the planets were strange. if the geocentric theory was correct, the planets should always move straight. but sometimes they saw the planets moving backwards. and two planets. that is, mercury and venus could not be observed at midnight. if they revolved around the earth, they should have been observable at midnight as well. of course, they tried to explain these phenomena as much as possible, but there were too many unsatisfactory parts. the astronomers¡¯ thoughts soon spread widely among the scholars at the university. and they also began to question it. ¡®it¡¯s different from europe here.¡¯ this was possible because there was no reason why celestial motion theory had to be true as in the bible, and there was no firmly established paradigm like ptolemy¡¯s claim. after that, research was conducted based on countless data observed by astronomers so far. as soon as research began, errors in geocentric theory continued to be discovered. venus sometimes had a full moon shape, and jupiter¡¯s satellites were discovered, etc. these were decisive evidence that earth was not the center of this universe. on the other hand, mathematicians calculated with their heads and found that if planets revolved around sun, everything could be explained. of course, this assumed that other stars in sky were unimaginably far away. ¡®in conclusion, celestial motion theory is now being abolished.¡¯ kim kiwoo liked this situation very much. it wasn¡¯t because an incorrect theory had been refuted. it was because he liked this process of questioning and hypothesizing and proving it mathematically. it meant that scientific methodology that kim kiwoo had longed for had been properly transplanted into empire. and by calculating movement of planets like this, physical thinking would naturally take root among mathematicians as well. ¡°please keep up good work. thanks to you, empire¡¯s scholarship will develop further.¡± ¡°thank you. but i have one question i¡¯m curious about. can i ask you?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± as he tried to end conversation, a question from far-sighted eyes flew in. kim kiwoo nodded his head. ¡°tell me. i¡¯ll tell you what i know.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not anything else, but you know story that¡¯s making empire buzz these days.¡± where is there only one or two of those? he could think of six or seven just by thinking for a moment. as if he noticed kim kiwoo¡¯s question, far-sighted eyes went straight to point. ¡°it¡¯s claim that there is another continent across sea.¡± ¡°ah.¡± kim kiwoo finally understood what far-sighted eyes wanted to ask him. the claim that there was another continent on earth was heating up academic world right now. this was a natural question in a way. it had been a long time since it became established fact that earth was round. and now, the imperial ships had sailed as far as the california region in the west. this meant that they had roughly mapped out the coastline of this continent. but the problem was, there was not much difference in the time zones between the east and west of the continent. that implied that this huge continent was only a small part of the earth. ¡®besides, we have recently calculated the radius of the earth by using the shadow of the sun.¡¯ naturally, the scholars began to wonder about this. was there really nothing else on this vast earth besides the wakan tanka continent? was there nothing but sea beyond the sea? wouldn¡¯t that be a serious waste of space? or could there be other continents and islands where people lived across the sea? these claims were being raised one after another. and kim ki-woo knew the answer better than anyone else. ¡®how could i not know?¡¯ kim ki-woo was from a small peninsula on the other side of the sea. and if he told them what he knew, most of the imperial citizens would believe him without question. they had spread the perception that kim ki-woo¡¯s words were the truth. that¡¯s why kim ki-woo couldn¡¯t answer wide sky¡¯s question easily. ¡°i¡¯m afraid i don¡¯t have anything to say about that.¡± ¡°¡­i see.¡± wide sky¡¯s face quickly turned gloomy. he believed that kim ki-woo could see through many truths, and he hoped that he would reveal this truth as well. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i think i¡¯ve caused you unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°no, don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡± their conversation ended like that. kim ki-woo left wide sky behind and approached the crown prince who was observing the sky with great interest. ¡°are you having fun?¡± ¡°of course! with this telescope, i can see even the rough surface of the moon!¡± ¡°haha. but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to go back?¡± ¡°what? uh¡­ i want to stay a little longer¡­¡± the crown prince looked reluctant to leave. he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to come to the observatory for a while after today. ¡°you have to sleep early to grow taller. besides, your mother wouldn¡¯t like you staying out late.¡± ¡°¡­alright.¡± but the crown prince couldn¡¯t go against kim ki-woo¡¯s words. *** the next day. kim ki-woo called for his secretary as soon as he arrived at his office. ¡°did you call me?¡± ¡°yes. i heard there¡¯s been a lot of talk about other continents lately. can i see some related documents?¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯ll bring them right away.¡± kim ki-woo fell into deep thought while waiting for his secretary to prepare the documents. his thoughts had changed a bit lately. the ships, navigation skills, and basic sciences were developing faster than he expected. he wondered if it would be better to send ships directly from the empire before columbus arrived, rather than waiting for him. ¡®it won¡¯t be long before we make a proper chronometer.¡¯ steel had appeared, and springs and gears had been made. the most rapidly developing thing in the empire was none other than metal processing skills. they were still using pendulum clocks, but they were steadily accumulating the technology to make spring clocks. the chronometer would make ocean navigation possible. ¡°your majesty, i brought you the documents.¡± kim ki-woo snapped out of his thoughts at his secretary¡¯s voice. he then skimmed through the documents. ¡®as expected.¡¯ the situation was not different from kim ki-woo¡¯s prediction. many merchants were interested in the hypothesis that there could be other continents. some sailors even wanted to buy a ship with their savings and sail across the vast sea. ¡®i understand their thoughts.¡¯ many merchants who sailed the sea knew the sweetness of trade. in this situation, what if they discovered another continent and brought back valuable treasures from there? they might make a lot of money. many merchants had this idea in mind. kim ki-woo shook his head slowly. ¡®they¡¯re taking ocean navigation too lightly.¡¯ if they tried to cross the ocean, whether it was the pacific or the atlantic, in their current state, most of the ships would be stranded in the middle of the sea. ¡®even if they succeed, it would be a problem.¡¯ the problem would only begin if they somehow managed to reach europe or asia by luck. most of the empire¡¯s sailors would die from the plagues of the old continent. and if they were lucky enough to survive and return to the empire¡¯s mainland? then they would face the plague shock that kim ki-woo was worried about. it was a lose-lose situation for the empire, no matter how lucky or unlucky they were. ¡®i have to control this part strictly.¡¯ after assessing the situation, kim ki-woo quickly made a decision. he decided to ban any adventures across the sea in advance, just like he did when he limited the interest rate. ¡®i have to lead the contact with other continents.¡¯ kim ki-woo had a world map that he brought from the modern era, and he also knew the direction of the currents and winds. if he could develop large ships and chronometers, he would be able to reach the old continent easily. of course, this plan would inevitably involve the sacrifice of many sailors. even if they came back, it would be hard for them to set foot on the mainland. he planned to conduct a thorough investigation on the islands of the caribbean sea. but if he could bring in livestock from the old continent, such as cows and horses¡­ as regrettable as it was, kim ki-woo was willing to sacrifice the empire¡¯s sailors without hesitation. it was better than losing most of the empire¡¯s people to the plague. ¡®moreover, if i have cows from the old continent, i can execute the cowpox method.¡¯ the main culprit that massacred the natives of america before its discovery was none other than smallpox. of course, there were many other plagues that followed, such as measles, typhus, typhoid fever, influenza, and so on. but smallpox was the most devastating one. and smallpox could be prevented if there were cows infected with cowpox in this situation. what kim ki-woo wanted was not cows as livestock, but cows as vaccines. of course, he was only thinking about this matter for now. right now, he had to make a law that prohibited ocean voyages. as soon as he sorted out his thoughts, kim ki-woo called for the chief justice and laid out the framework for a new bill. and he made sure to publish this fact in detail in the newspaper and inform the people of the empire. -any attempt to venture across the sea without the approval of the imperial administration is strictly forbidden. thanks to this, the opening of the age of exploration by the empire was delayed a little more. < plague and cowpox. > the end Chapter 57 chapter 57: < northern pioneering. > inside the imperial conference hall. it was usually a place of lively discussion, but today it was very quiet. the chiefs were careful not to even breathe loudly. a huge incident that would outrage the public had occurred in the empire. kim kiwoo suppressed his anger and opened his mouth. ¡°chief of security.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°start your report.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± at kim kiwoo¡¯s command, the chief of security read the report as it was. as the chief of security¡¯s report continued, kim kiwoo¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡®these bastards¡­¡¯ they had done something that could not be tolerated. the summary of the report was as follows: under the leadership of some merchants, tens of thousands of natives from the southern continent were enslaved. it was a blatant illegal act in the wakan tanka empire, where slavery was completely banned. they captured the natives by force with iron weapons, and forced them to work. if they disobeyed, they inflicted harsh punishments, and many natives died in the process. it was an unacceptable behavior. when the chief of security¡¯s report ended, the chiefs began to condemn them. ¡°huh, how dare they do such a thing!¡± ¡°these wicked ones must not be forgiven.¡± ¡°they must pay for their crimes!¡± there was not a single person among the chiefs who opposed their punishment. this was not a simple matter. the actions of these merchants were against the very ideology of the empire. ¡®the empire was created by many natives coming together.¡¯ and even now, various tribes were gathering under the flag of the empire. anyone who lived in the wakan tanka continent had a chance to become an imperial citizen at any time. in other words, the empire regarded the external natives as potential imperial citizens. thanks to this, the external natives easily embraced the empire, and the imperial citizens also accepted them without much discrimination. as they had acquired direct territories in the central continent, they planned to create imperial settlements throughout the continent. and as long as the empire¡¯s ideology and policy continued, they would be able to accept the local natives as imperial citizens. the empire still had a very small population compared to the size of the continent. of course, they could not send many immigrants. inevitably, the main developers of those areas would be the local natives who wanted to become imperial citizens. ¡®that¡¯s how the central continent is being developed right now.¡¯ both yanghae region and mexico bay direct territories had more imperial citizens from local origin than from mainland origin. and there were even more neighboring natives working for the empire. but if such behavior continued secretly, the reputation of the empire would be tarnished, and it could lead to resistance from the natives. that was why they waited for the empire¡¯s superior culture and ideology to naturally permeate while trading with the natives. ¡°i will never forgive them. as of now, all merchants involved in this matter are disbanded, and all their assets are confiscated. also, those who actively participated in this incident will be severely punished.¡± ¡°that is a rightful decision.¡± ¡°we will follow your will.¡± kim kiwoo looked at the chiefs who bowed their heads and thought. ¡®as expected, these things keep happening.¡¯ he had expected it, but he felt bitter when he actually experienced it. this slave incident was the largest in scale, but in fact these things were happening continuously. kim kiwoo and the leaders of the empire tried to nip these things in the bud, but it was not easy. ¡®the continent is too vast for that.¡¯ it had been a long time since imperial ships spread throughout the continent. from western california region to various coasts of south america. they were too far away from the imperial mainland. in an empire where other communication facilities had not yet developed, they could not extend their administrative power to such distant areas. in other words, they had no choice but to entrust their trade with such backward areas to the conscience of imperial merchants. ¡®there is nothing less reliable than human conscience.¡¯ humans are never good. especially merchants are beings who would hang themselves for a small profit. thanks to this, they fell into this temptation easily even though they knew it was wrong. of course, thanks to their awareness that they would be executed if caught and that it was against lord spirit¡¯s will, these things did not spread openly. in fact, thanks to sailors who reported such merchants¡¯ behavior, many criminals were caught as well. but surely there were more crimes that were not exposed. unfortunately, kim kiwoo had no way to deal with this. he could only punish those who were exposed as harshly as possible. after the decision was made at the imperial conference, a large-scale arrest operation began. ¡°heh. i hope you guys can endure for a long time.¡± the torturer looked at the masterminds of the slave incident and smirked. immediately, ¡°aaaargh!¡± ¡°ugh¡­¡± all kinds of torture were inflicted on them. ¡°i, i¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± most of them surrendered not long after this horrible torture began. ¡°you should have come out sooner. well, who else is involved in this incident?¡± ¡°th, that is¡­¡± ¡°not enough, huh? well, we have plenty of time.¡± ¡°n, no!¡± they started to spill everything they knew. after that, the security bureau started to act based on their confessions. ¡°catch all these corrupt criminals!¡± ¡°yes!¡± there were quite a lot of people involved in the incident. even if they didn¡¯t directly help the masterminds, they were arrested for benefiting from the crime by turning a blind eye to it. as a result, countless people were dragged to the security bureau. ¡°i, i have nothing to do with this!¡± ¡°oh, please! just give me one chance¡­¡± ¡°i must have been crazy¡­ sob!¡± those who were brought to the security bureau either denied their crime or begged for mercy. but the situation didn¡¯t go their way. ¡°shut up! how dare you do such a thing after receiving his majesty¡¯s grace!¡± ¡°eek!¡± and so, this incident was swiftly and firmly dealt with. the masterminds all disappeared under the guillotine, and many more accomplices were sentenced to hard labor. *** ¡°is this really the number of college applicants?¡± ¡°yes, it is.¡± ¡°huh, well.¡± kim kiwoo looked at the documents and clicked his tongue. ¡®it¡¯s amazing.¡¯ the number of college applicants had been rising every year without fail. but this year, the increase was very significant. of course, kim kiwoo knew very well why this situation happened. ¡®it¡¯s thanks to the birth encouragement policy.¡¯ even when the national budget was in danger, even when he was preparing for the war with aztec, kim kiwoo had maintained this policy. and it was paying off now. the second generation of the empire, who were born during the baby boom, had finally become adults. ¡®i used to have a lot of infants, but now i don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore.¡¯ now those children were growing up into adults. and they had received basic education since they were young as imperial citizens. many of them went to middle school and studied hard. it was because the imperial culture valued learning various kinds of knowledge as a virtue. thanks to that, there were so many college applicants. of course, that also meant that it was harder to get accepted. the number of applicants increased, but the college admission quota remained the same. those who failed here would either take the exams for different departments or do other things. ¡®now i can be a little more free from the chronic labor shortage.¡¯ of course, it would still take some time to reach the level that kim kiwoo wanted. there was another thing that happened as a result of the rapid increase in the working-age population. kim kiwoo spread out a map that marked the territory of the wacantanga empire. ¡®it¡¯s growing very fast.¡¯ it seemed that as the number of adults increased rapidly, naturally the empire¡¯s territory expanded quickly as well. but most of the developed areas were along the rivers where boats could travel, so pioneer villages were built far north. however, there was one problem that hindered the pioneers of the empire. it was none other than coldness. ¡®the north is too cold.¡¯ the imperial citizens had lived in a relatively mild region even in winter. of course, the north was hot in summer. but from the perspective of the imperial citizens, the winter in the north was too cold. ¡®i can¡¯t keep doing this.¡¯ i had to solve this quickly. the baby boom was just the beginning. the number of adults each year would continue to rise, and this was expected to last for a very long time. in other words, the expansion to the north was inevitable. on a whim, kim kiwoo headed straight to the palace¡¯s research complex. ¡®it¡¯s too big to call it a laboratory now.¡¯ it had been expanded over and over again. to research many things at once. here, many scholars and craftsmen who conducted research according to kim kiwoo¡¯s intentions were staying. kim kiwoo moved his steps to the place located at the farthest corner of the research complex. it was spewing smoke into the sky before he got close. ¡°your majesty!¡± the experiment was temporarily suspended when kim kiwoo visited. unlike other laboratories, most of them here were craftsmen and architects. it couldn¡¯t be helped. the research being conducted here was none other than heating-related experiments. a good heating system was essential to survive the winter in the north. kim kiwoo checked one by one the progress made while he was away. the current heating method being developed was underfloor heating. that is, ondol. ¡®it¡¯s probably more efficient than a fireplace.¡¯ a fireplace is less efficient than floor heating. so kim kiwoo adopted the underfloor heating method from the beginning. it was a method of heating the floor by burning coal in a furnace. he repeated numerous experiments so far. first, he tried to increase the thermal efficiency of underfloor heating. but he had completed this part to some extent. the experiment he was doing now was different. ¡°is it going well?¡± ¡°yes. fortunately, there have been no major problems so far.¡± ¡°really?¡± kim kiwoo said with a smile. ¡°then let¡¯s take a look.¡± he went straight into the building. ¡®it¡¯s warm.¡¯ as soon as he took off his shoes and stepped into the room, he felt a warm heat. kim kiwoo carefully smelled the air in the room. ¡°hmm. it doesn¡¯t smell bad.¡± he didn¡¯t smell the characteristic scent of coal smoke. at this moment, he was burning coal. and that too anthracite to make briquettes. that meant that the smoke from underfloor heating did not enter the room. ¡®but it¡¯s not good to use anthracite as fuel.¡¯ it produces too much smoke. there will be plenty of wood anyway, and firewood will be enough to survive the winter. but there will always be imperial citizens who don¡¯t listen to him. coal is now a fairly common resource in the empire, so they will surely try to use coal as fuel. kim kiwoo tried his best to block as much smoke as possible so that even in such situations, the imperial citizens would not suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning. thus, wakan tanka empire¡¯s northern pioneering was being prepared step by step. < northern pioneering. > the end Chapter 58 chapter 58: < thermal weapons. > the development of the wakan tanka empire was simultaneous. the same was true for the development of weapons. it started when gunpowder was made. the first weapon made using gunpowder, the bomb, had already been used in the war against the aztec empire. ¡°what a tremendous power.¡± ¡°to think that bomb would explode in the middle of the battlefield¡­ ugh, it¡¯s horrible just to think about it.¡± ¡°i agree.¡± the craftsmen who made and tested the first bomb could not hide their surprise at the loud noise and explosive power of the bomb. after that, bombs were quickly produced in the factory. before the war with the aztec empire, they focused on making as many bombs as possible. but this did not last long. the war ended too quickly. there was no need to make a large number of bombs anymore. but among the craftsmen, there were already countless people who were fascinated by gunpowder weapons. ¡°we can surely make more powerful weapons using gunpowder.¡± the newly made bomb was the main character of the aztec war. then, if they could develop gunpowder weapons further? this question made the craftsmen¡¯s hearts flutter. from then on, various trials and errors began. they experimented with making more powerful and reliable bombs, and they also found a way to enlarge the crossbow and attach a bomb to it to launch it far away. at that time,kim kiwoo laughed after receiving reports of such experiments. they had not yet found the concept of a cannon. they were only looking for a way to kill enemies with explosive power, not thinking of sending iron chunks far away with that explosive power. ¡®firearms are definitely necessary.¡¯ kim kiwoo knew the future of cold weapons. as time passed, cold weapons would give way to firearms. the wakan tanka empire was an empire that rose based on powerful weapons than neighboring forces. therefore,kim kiwoo always intended to maintain the empire¡¯s military level in an overwhelming state. firearms were already quite common in the old continent. of course, the empire had to keep up with this and produce better firearms. sokim kiwoo taught the craftsmen who were conducting firearm experiments the concept of a cannon. ¡°oh! your majesty has bestowed us with great knowledge!¡± ¡°is that really true?¡± this news spread quickly among the craftsmen. the knowledge thatkim kiwoo casually gave was all groundbreaking and excellent. it had never been wrong so far. therefore, the craftsmen and intellectuals of the empire desperately hoped thatkim kiwoo would pass on his knowledge, and they did their best to absorb the knowledge he gave them. it was the same this time. the craftsmen gathered in black sky soon. kim kiwoo said that the basic material for a cannon was steel. they used steel from the furnace to make the empire¡¯s first cannon. when you think about how steel cannons were made after bronze cannons and cast iron cannons in real history, too many steps were skipped. but there was no need to go through such a process. they already had high-quality steel. after making a cannon, numerous experiments began. bang! bang! ¡°to think that such a heavy iron chunk would fly so far¡­¡± ¡°huh. it¡¯s really a scary weapon.¡± the early cannons were naturally made thickly. it was because they were worried that the cannon might explode due to the explosive power that occurred inside the cannon and sent out an iron chunk. the more they experimented with such cannons, the more they admired them. the power of the cannon was truly amazing. ¡°if we can only time it well, we can also send bombs instead of iron chunks.¡± ¡°oh! we can do that?¡± ¡°but as far as i can see, we still have a long way to go.¡± the initial cannons lacked many things. it couldn¡¯t be helped because it was the first time they made a cannon. from then on, experiments continued to repeat. they found the most suitable cylindrical shape and thickness, and they looked for ways to send iron chunks farther away. they carefully recorded how changing the caliber of the cannon or increasing the length of the barrel affected it. it was possible because data-based experiments were already common in the empire. moreover, since gunpowder and steel were also generously supported, there was no obstacle to experimentation. thanks to that, cannons that were much thinner, lighter, and stronger than bronze cannons were quickly made. when they decided that they had made some decent cannons, the craftsmen presented their cannons to the emperor. ¡°your majesty, the steel cannons have arrived from the black sky.¡± ¡°really?¡± at that news, kim ki-woo smiled and immediately prepared a demonstration of the cannons. the next day, as soon as kim ki-woo arrived at the demonstration site, he checked all kinds of cannons. ¡®wow.¡¯ kim ki-woo touched various parts of the cannons and slightly admired them. the steel¡¯s gloss reflected the sunlight and sparkled, which looked quite cool. they had been experimenting for a long time, so the shapes were plausible. ¡°i¡¯m really curious about how powerful they are.¡± ¡°i will prepare the demonstration right away.¡± ¡°do so.¡± as soon as kim ki-woo gave his permission, the demonstration site became busy. ¡°we will start now!¡± after that, they started firing the cannons one by one from the leftmost one. bang! bang! kim ki-woo carefully watched the different types of firearms. the craftsmen who had similar intentions had gathered together and made firearms, so the caliber and length were different, and the firing efficiency was also different. also, the recoil of the cannon was too powerful, and it seemed very difficult to support it. if they didn¡¯t fix the cannon properly, it seemed possible that the cannon itself would flip over. if they used it on a ship like this, it was obvious that accidents such as being crushed by a cannon would occur. but kim ki-woo was generally satisfied. ¡®it¡¯s definitely much better than bronze cannons.¡¯ they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in range and power. kim ki-woo nodded his head with satisfaction. *** after the cannon demonstration was over. kim ki-woo invited the craftsmen to the palace and held a big banquet. at the banquet hall, kim ki-woo patted the shoulders of the craftsmen and praised them greatly. ¡°you all did a great job. thanks to you, the empire will become stronger in the future.¡± ¡°no, not at all. the cannons we made are still lacking a lot.¡± ¡°haha. lacking? they looked really powerful in my eyes.¡± of course, kim ki-woo also thought they were lacking. they needed a lot of improvement. but he believed that time would solve that. ¡°next time, we will present better cannons.¡± ¡°that sounds exciting. so you¡¯re going to keep improving the cannons?¡± ¡°of course. the cannons will surely change the course of war in an instant.¡± the craftsman¡¯s eyes sparkled with confidence and desire. he seemed to be hooked on firearm experiments. kim ki-woo¡¯s voice changed subtly. ¡°but you know what? do you have any thoughts of making new firearms?¡± ¡°new firearms? what do you mean¡­?¡± as soon as kim ki-woo finished speaking, the expressions of the craftsmen who attended the banquet changed in an instant. kim ki-woo¡¯s new development was always right. they wondered what kind of amazing thing he would suggest this time. kim ki-woo knew that fact too, but he didn¡¯t care and continued to speak. ¡°the cannons you made can send a very heavy piece of iron far away. isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°but i think this way. do we really need to send such big pieces of iron?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the craftsman made a sound and tilted his head slightly. ¡°we¡¯ve also experimented with small cannons. but those small cannons are too weak. do we need to make those things?¡± ¡°i want much smaller firearms than that.¡± ¡°small firearms¡­¡± ¡°yes. how nice would it be if there were firearms that were small and light enough for people to carry and shoot.¡± after that, kim ki-woo took out a paper from his pocket. on the paper was a rifle that kim ki-woo had in mind, and its concept was also written down. kim ki-woo explained the rifle to them. it was a method of firing small bullets using the explosive power of gunpowder. ¡°hmm.¡± ¡°indeed¡­¡± the craftsmen nodded their heads one by one. kim kiwoo added. ¡°if every warrior can carry a weapon like this, the effect will be tremendous. what do you think?¡± ¡°it will surely be as your majesty says.¡± the craftsmen had only heard the concept, so they couldn¡¯t feel the effect and power of the firecracker gun. but they didn¡¯t have any doubts, just becausekim kiwoo suggested it. ¡°let¡¯s try making one.¡± ¡°i agree.¡± ¡°haha. if everyone makes small firearms, who will improve the cannons? you don¡¯t have to all work on this.¡± that¡¯s how the team for making firecracker guns was formed. after the banquet, the craftsmen returned to black sky. the other craftsmen started working on improving the cannons, but the firecracker gun team actually made firecracker guns. the craftsmen already knew very well the concept of making cannons, exploding gunpowder and shooting iron pieces. andkim kiwoo had explained the concept of firecracker guns, so the development of firecracker guns progressed quickly. ¡°will this really be effective?¡± ¡°his majesty personally ordered it, so it must be excellent.¡± ¡°i guess so.¡± the craftsmen looked at the first firecracker gun and expressed their opinions. of course, they didn¡¯t shoot it by themselves at first. it was an experimental firecracker gun, so they had to consider the risk of explosion. they pulled a string connected to the trigger from a distance and fired the firecracker gun. bang! thud! ¡°it hit!¡± after the first shot, the craftsmen rushed to the target. ¡°wow! such a small lead bullet pierced through the target completely!¡± ¡°huh¡­ it seems to have a lot of power.¡± the craftsmen were surprised by the power of the firecracker gun. they thought that a small lead bullet wouldn¡¯t be very strong, but it was actually much more powerful than they expected. ¡°is the firearm okay?¡± ¡°¡­it seems to be fine for now.¡± of course, it was only the first shot, so they needed more shots to test its durability. but the experiment was stopped after the fifth shot. the firecracker gun broke down. ¡°hmm. it needs some improvement.¡± ¡°it can¡¯t be perfect from the start.¡± an experiment is a series of failures. those failures accumulate and create a successful product. they knew this very well. after that, they repeated many failures and collected data. that¡¯s how they made a reliable prototype. ¡°it¡¯s a success!¡± ¡°haha! i think we can report this to his majesty.¡± the firecracker gun that was made like this was soon loaded on a ship and transported to the capital. after that, it went through the same demonstration process as the cannon. after all the experiments were over, kim kiwoo clenched his fist. he was quite satisfied with the power of the firecracker gun. of course, it was still just a firecracker gun at best, and he had to keep developing firearms in the future, but anyway, he had completed all the basics of gunpowder weapons. ¡®i can finally move on to the era of firearms.¡¯ kim kiwoo immediately ordered black sky to build a weapon factory. to mass-produce cannons and firecracker guns. as time passed, firearms were produced and deployed in the field. they modified ships to install cannons, and loaded cannons on them. firecracker guns were distributed to warriors of military department after they were mass-produced enough. they had plenty of gunpowder, so warriors could practice with cannons and firecracker guns regularly. that¡¯s how gunpowder weapons took root in wakan tankga empire. < firearms. > the end Chapter 59 chapter 59: < the temple and the art. > countless factories were being built in the wakan tanka empire. and one of the fastest-growing fields was papermaking and printing. to begin with, a lot of paper was needed to make textbooks for schools and newspapers that came out every month. not only that? all the documents used by various departments of the empire were also made of paper. the ledgers of the merchants were all recorded on paper. the demand for paper was enormous. but as time went by, the demand for paper increased explosively, even considering these factors. there were several reasons for this. one of them was the spirit temple. the wakan tanka empire did not originally have a separate time to worship the spirits every weekend. but as the spirit myths spread widely through the newspapers, and a class of intellectuals who were deeply fascinated by them emerged, the story changed. ¡°your majesty, there are still many people in this world who do not know the holy will of the spirits. we want to guide these people to the right path, with all due respect. please grant us permission!¡± in other words, they decided to become missionaries like the churches in europe. to do anything related to spirits, they needed the permission of kim ki-woo, the living spirit. so they came to kim ki-woo and strongly argued. ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim ki-woo looked into their eyes. the eyes of the missionary hopefuls were very firm. if kim ki-woo accepted their request, they would surely spread across the continent beyond their homeland. and they would do their best for the mission. however, kim ki-woo knew well that uncontrolled religion was prone to corruption and degeneration, and caused all kinds of problems. therefore, he could not just agree to their proposal. ¡°i understand your thoughts. i also sympathize with your opinions.¡± ¡°then¡­¡± ¡°but!¡± kim ki-woo immediately added a caveat. ¡°there is one condition.¡± ¡°we will follow anything.¡± they did not hesitate at all, even though he had not said the content yet. they seemed to accept anything. ¡°listen first and then answer.¡± ¡°¡­we will do that.¡± soon kim ki-woo began to state his condition. ¡°i respect your noble intentions. i also think it is necessary to spread the word of the spirits to the world.¡± in the old continent, wars were still being waged for religious reasons at this very moment. religion was more important than anything else in this era. if the empire¡¯s spirit faith spread to the backward areas of the continent, it would surely be a great help to the empire. ¡°however, you must not oppress or persecute the indigenous people of the continent for religious reasons.¡± ¡°we will not do that.¡± ¡°have you never had such a thought even once?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the man could not answer. it would have been a lie if he said there was none. they were intellectuals who were most captivated by spirit faith. that meant they were beings who disliked any other faiths except spirit faith. so they firmly believed that everyone should believe in spirit faith and had thoughts of preaching it. ¡°i will prevent this by establishing a spirit temple. from now on, anyone who wants to propagate the great words of the spirits must belong to the spirit temple. if you do that, i will allow you.¡± ¡°is the head of this spirit temple¡­¡± the man trailed off his words. kim ki-woo smiled faintly and nodded his head. ¡°yes. i will be in charge.¡± the moment kim ki-woo agreed. their faces instantly turned into ecstasy. ¡°oh!¡± ¡°we will definitely do that!¡± ¡°we will follow your will!¡± the men¡¯s reactions were very hot. it couldn¡¯t be helped. the head of the spirit temple was the only spirit in the continent, so it was ideal in terms of symbolism. after discussions related to the spirit temple passed through the imperial conference, this news quickly spread. ¡°spiritual temple?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. you don¡¯t have to pray alone at home anymore. besides, they say they teach you the words of the spirits at the temple. let¡¯s go together this time.¡± ¡°hahaha! of course, i have to go!¡± the citizens of the empire were ecstatic about the emergence of the spiritual temple. based on this enthusiasm, the spiritual temples quickly increased in number throughout the empire. after finishing their daily work, the citizens went to the nearest spiritual temple to pray for a short time. moreover, when the formal worship began, the concept of weekends was born. of course, they had given holidays once in a while before, but it was thanks to the spiritual temple that they had a regular cycle. thus, the citizens who believed in the spirits gathered on the same day and held a large-scale worship service. as time passed, it became natural that the spirit faith took deep root. then, the printed books of spirit mythology began to sell like hotcakes. when they worshiped together and recited the words of the spirits, they each had to have a book of spirit mythology. when demand increased, supply naturally followed. thanks to that, paper mills and printing factories grew rapidly. it was truly a boom in the printing business. the good news didn¡¯t end there. ¡°is there nothing to see? it¡¯s boring to come home after worship.¡± ¡°haha. why don¡¯t you go drink some alcohol instead?¡± ¡°i wish i could¡­ but my wife told me not to drink on weekends. sigh.¡± ¡°then why don¡¯t you buy some other storybooks and read them?¡± ¡°hmm. should i?¡± as weekends were created thanks to worship, the citizens¡¯ leisure time increased. they started to rest consistently for one or two days a week. thanks to that, self-employed businesses such as pubs, tea houses, and restaurants were activated. the gap between rich and poor in the empire was very small, so most of the citizens were consumers. and with the currency being universalized, these businesses became much easier. but these things couldn¡¯t keep up with the growth of bookstores. the size of bookstores exploded. the bestseller of bookstores was undoubtedly spirit mythology. but people didn¡¯t just buy spirit mythology at bookstores. reading spirit mythology meant that they could read letters. the citizens improved their reading comprehension quickly by reading spirit mythology and newspapers regularly. after all, spirit mythology was also a storybook. moreover, thanks to the literary works published in newspapers, the citizens were familiar with storybooks. ¡°did you get the wolf princess?¡± ¡°haha. you¡¯re a bit late. the stock that came in today just sold out.¡± ¡°already?¡± ¡°it¡¯s very popular, you know. come back in a week. i¡¯ll set aside a book for you.¡± ¡°sigh, i want to read it soon¡­ okay. i¡¯ll come back in a week.¡± many storybooks sold out. some of them were written by kim ki-woo, but there were more new creations. stories that had been handed down orally in various regions were adapted and published. and as these writings made money, various writers emerged. of course, there weren¡¯t only storybooks in bookstores. as i said, the citizens considered it a virtue to learn various knowledge. thanks to that, books that discussed various scientific phenomena or books that contained thoughts and philosophy also sold well. in addition, letters, diaries, notes and so on also increased paper demand. this greatly increased the speed of knowledge exchange. *** as the economy was activated and many citizens became wealthy, the art of the empire also developed rapidly. ¡®i need more instruments.¡¯ kim ki-woo had been thinking this since the beginning. of course, there were also native instruments here. but compared to the rich variety of instruments from the old continent, they were pitifully different. moreover, since the empire was made up of people from many tribes, those instruments were also inconsistent. music plays an important role in cultural development. therefore, kim ki-woo made instruments that he thought were essential from time to time. he only knew their shapes but not their structures for instruments. so especially carpenters had many trials and errors. but as time passed, satisfactory instruments appeared one after another. he also created sounds and notes and established harmony and music basics. he tried hard to implement various music in his head in reality. ¡°wow. it¡¯s really beautiful.¡± ¡°it makes me feel relaxed. it¡¯s a different taste from watching a play.¡± ¡°haha. that¡¯s true.¡± as time passed, bands that played music professionally with these instruments appeared. the theater troupe had already established itself by then. the plays that performed the overflowing stories were very popular, so people flocked to the theater every weekend. in this situation, the band came across as fresh to the imperial citizens. thus, the imperial citizens enjoyed cultural life as they had material abundance and rest. they opened their eyes to art. naturally, the demand for beautiful ornaments, artworks, and other things also steadily increased. as time went by, the imperial citizens began to look for aesthetic value, and the artist class grew rapidly. ¡°the capital is the worst. how can this sacred place where his majesty resides be like this?¡± ¡°sigh. who doesn¡¯t know that?¡± and among the many imperial citizens, including the newly emerged artists, there were many who disliked the sight of the capital. all the buildings in the capital looked similar and were arranged regularly. of course, there were also artists who praised this standardized beauty, but they were only a minority. the level of architects had already risen to an unrecognizable degree, and buildings of beautiful styles were built all over the empire. but the capital, which was the heart of the empire, was in this state. the artists couldn¡¯t help but lament. but they couldn¡¯t tear down all the brick houses that were built in the early days just because they didn¡¯t like the appearance of the capital. if you don¡¯t like the temple, you have to leave the middle. ¡°i¡¯m thinking of leaving the capital too.¡± ¡°are you going to deer¡¯s echo too?¡± ¡°yeah. don¡¯t you want to come with me this time?¡± ¡°hmm. i still like the capital.¡± the artists who were fed up with the bleak sight of the capital gathered and created a city full of their desires. that was deer¡¯s echo. deer¡¯s echo was a relatively underdeveloped area that was quite close to the capital. but as the artists created a beautiful city, countless imperial citizens began to live in deer¡¯s echo. the most advanced architectural styles were implemented in deer¡¯s echo first, and numerous artworks such as sculptures, paintings, treasures, etc. were created here. thanks to this, artists wanted to work here and constantly attracted artists from nearby areas. this created a virtuous cycle that further developed the art city. ¡°damn it. this won¡¯t do. i have to make a more amazing work.¡± as many artists gathered, there were many attempts to make more amazing artworks than others. this naturally led to development. thanks to this, various styles of artworks were created every day, and outdated styles disappeared. it was truly a renaissance of art in the waktanga empire. < the temple and art. > the end Chapter 60 chapter 60: gambling. although there were extreme and evil plays in the empire, and countless imperial citizens flocked every weekend, they were not the most popular. they could never surpass the glory of the sword-fighting matches that had been held since the establishment of the wakan tanka empire empire. ¡°ah! you can¡¯t fall there!¡± ¡°stab him! stick your sword in his neck!¡± inside the circular arena. there was madness of countless imperial citizens overflowing. the naked convicts inflicted wounds on each other¡¯s flesh, and admiration and sighs burst out from the audience seats every time they spilled their bloody blood on the floor. the beginning of the sword-fighting matches was certainly aimed at soaking human blood on the ground. but as the spirit faith became universal in the empire, this tendency decreased day by day. however, the popularity of sword-fighting matches did not decrease, but rather increased. the convicts were not given any decent armor at all. they only swung their swords to kill their opponents. therefore, the gladiators died brutally in the arena. the audience felt a great catharsis as they watched them get hurt and die. this thrill awakened the primal instinct of humans. ¡°damn it! why do i lose every time i bet money?¡± ¡°hahaha! yeah, it¡¯s time for me to win. ahh!¡± there, gambling on match predictions that started secretly acted as a factor that increased the popularity of sword-fighting matches. it was very different from just watching a slaughter and cheering for one side by betting money and hoping that the gladiator would win. gambling increased the immersion of the audience. ¡®huh, really. is it all the same where people live?¡¯ kim ki-woo laughed bitterly when he heard the news that sports gambling had emerged. of course, there was no betting culture in the empire, but this kind of collective gambling was the first. ¡®gambling is a shortcut to ruin.¡¯ this was an immutable truth. before arrival, how many people became penniless in casinos or illegal gambling houses in modern times? and once you get addicted to this kind of gambling, it was not easy to get out. the addictiveness of gambling was very strong. ¡®i can already see those cases.¡¯ kim ki-woo¡¯s worries were not unfounded. in fact, imperial citizens who lost their entire fortunes in sword-fighting matches began to appear one after another. ¡®i can¡¯t just watch.¡¯ it was their own responsibility to lose their hard-earned wealth so vainly. but as these cases increased, there was enough room to have a negative impact on the empire. of course, banning gambling altogether was a bad idea. people who want to do it will do it anyway. it¡¯s just that gambling houses would hide in the underworld. rather than letting them grow in scale in this way, it was much better to control gambling in daylight. kim ki-woo immediately proceeded with regulations related to gambling. ¡°are you the owner of this gambling house?¡± ¡°well, yes¡­ what are you doing here from the security agency?¡± as soon as word got out that gambling business made money, gambling houses sprang up like mushrooms in each city. security soldiers from the security agency rushed into these numerous gambling houses. usually, when security soldiers rush in without saying anything, it¡¯s not a good sign. that was also true this time. ¡°bring out the imperial decree!¡± ¡°huh!¡± at the word ¡®imperial decree¡¯, the owner of the gambling house quickly lay flat on the floor. the security soldier didn¡¯t care whether he was startled or not. he just unfolded a paper with an imperial decree written on it and read it straight down. a long speech began from his mouth. to summarize it, it was to ban private gambling houses from operating as of now. ¡°no, what is this¡­¡± naturally, those who heard this news were shocked by this decision. ¡°how can you say such a law? you¡¯re telling me to close my business overnight!¡± the owners of gambling houses complained to security soldiers, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. they were just owners of private gambling houses who couldn¡¯t go against kim ki-woo¡¯s will. ¡°no, why did they ban this fun thing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ i¡¯m sorry too, but it¡¯s his majesty¡¯s will. what can we do?¡± because security soldiers rushed into private gambling houses so noisily, news related to this spread quickly. imperial citizens who had already tasted gambling did not welcome this decision very much. but when their attention turned to sword-fighting matches, their regret was somewhat relieved. ¡°what is that?¡± ¡°why are people gathering there?¡± a corner of the sword-fighting arena. strangely enough, people were crowded there. humans have crowd psychology. as people gathered on one side, countless spectators who came to watch sword-fighting matches began to flock continuously. it was none other than a match prediction place. ¡°welcome.¡± as soon as an employee smiled kindly, a man who had been waiting for a long time asked a question. ¡°is it really okay to bet money?¡± ¡°of course. this is not a private gambling house. it is run by the state, so please use it with confidence.¡± ¡°oh! i thought i couldn¡¯t make any more money¡­¡± the man was about to bet money on the gladiator who was playing today. but he couldn¡¯t achieve his intention. the employee immediately stopped him. ¡°sir, i¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t bet that much money.¡± ¡°no, why?¡± ¡°there is a limit to how much money you can bet on match predictions. can you look here?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the employee pushed a paper with the maximum betting limit written on it. sure enough, the money the man offered exceeded that limit by far. ¡°well, then i¡¯ll just bet this much.¡± ¡°accepted. i hope your match prediction is correct.¡± that¡¯s how the state-owned gambling house revealed its appearance. of course, some people who wanted to bet big money were sorry that there was a limit, but compared to private gambling houses, the commission was very cheap, so the imperial citizens didn¡¯t complain much. kim ki-woo didn¡¯t intend to make a big profit from such gambling. of course, even though he lowered the commission drastically, the amount of money coming in from the match prediction place was considerable, and it increased more and more over time. ¡°should i try betting some money too?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not bad to have some fun.¡± the match prediction place was located in a corner of the sword-fighting arena, making it very easy to access. as a result, even imperial citizens who had not bothered to go to private gambling houses started to bet small amounts of money. this outcome was reported to kim ki-woo right away. ¡®it¡¯s better to have gambling at a moderate level like this.¡¯ at least he prevented people from losing big money at once. losing and winning a reasonable amount of money was a personal choice. ¡®in fact, i want to get rid of sword-fighting matches altogether.¡¯ he didn¡¯t like the idea of ??making entertainment out of people killing people. unlike before, there was much less reason to soak blood on the ground. of course, he could ban sword-fighting matches by force. he had enough power to do that now. but if he banned them when their popularity was so high, the imperial citizens would surely rebel. he didn¡¯t need to take that risk. ¡®but i have to prepare for it.¡¯ sword-fighting was also a sport. that is, if there was a sport that could replace it, he could dilute the backlash a lot when he banned sword-fighting someday. ¡®every popular sport has its own reason.¡¯ popular sports have been improved and developed over a long period of time to attract more people¡¯s interest. and kim ki-woo knew the history and final form of those sports. of course, it took a long time for these sports to take root, so he just drew a sketch for now. ¡®while i¡¯m at it, let¡¯s spread the entertainment i know too.¡¯ he made not only ball sports that many people could play together, such as soccer, basketball, and baseball, but also things that could be done one-on-one. things like go, chess, and janggi. *** as various cultures and arts of the empire matured, civil engineering projects that had started a long time ago also began to show visible results. of course, the mainstay of transportation was ships rather than wagons. transport ships could carry loads that were incomparable to wagons, and the transportation cost was much cheaper. however, people lived on land. that is, all the loads transported by ship eventually had to be transported by land in the end. ¡°wow. the paved road has already been laid here.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that good for us? it¡¯s better to pull a wagon than to carry a load on your back.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± at this moment, paved roads were being laid all over the empire. however, if before only major cities had paved roads, now even medium-sized cities had some degree of road paving completed. thanks to this, many people, including transporters, felt the effects of paved roads. when there were no paved roads, it took days to transport loads that could be transported in less than a day by using wagons and llamas effectively. as logistics became easier, the market naturally became more active. that is, paved roads were the driving force behind the explosive growth of the empire¡¯s economy. ¡®it was worth pouring money into it.¡¯ road construction was a typical money-eating hippo. he had to face the threat of financial collapse because of it. of course, civil engineering was delayed from time to time, but kim ki-woo persevered in laying paved roads. the result was very sweet. and this was just the beginning. having laid this foundation, he could enjoy its benefits for a long time. in addition, public water supply facilities in major cities were finally completed recently. the first place where water supply facilities were opened was none other than the capital of the empire. it was the place with the highest population density and the most severe water shortage, but this problem disappeared at once when water was supplied through water pipes. ¡®now i can make bathhouses too.¡¯ to maintain hygiene, you have to wash well first. and the best way to achieve this was to make public bathhouses. he couldn¡¯t even think about it until now because of water shortage, but he thought he could execute this plan now that he had plenty of water. ¡®of course, i¡¯ll have to start making sewers soon.¡¯ if public bathhouses became popularized, large amounts of wastewater would be generated every day. the more water you use, the more wastewater increases. this was a very natural thing. and as industry progressed more and more, industrial wastewater would also increase rapidly. he couldn¡¯t just discharge these wastewaters into the river. so today in the empire, various constructions were going on without rest. < gambling. > the end Chapter 61 chapter 61: sulfuric acid. as the use of soap increased in the empire, the development of glass also progressed without interruption. ¡°wow.¡± kim ki-woo looked around the glass bottle that the steward handed him. it was incomparable to the murky glass he had seen when he first made glass. of course, there were still many shortcomings. the thickness of the glass bottle varied in many places, making it look distorted here and there, and there was also a lot of impurities. ¡®but this is probably the best they can do.¡¯ if it was good enough to be presented to him, it meant that this glass bottle was the best product. to improve further, either the glass artisans had to become more skilled, or the glass technology itself had to advance. and with this level of glass production, he thought he could make experimental tools that could conduct proper chemical experiments. as soon as he had this judgment, kim ki-woo immediately drew a design. it contained detailed shapes and dimensions of the experimental tools needed for chemical experiments. ¡°deliver this to the glass artisans.¡± ¡°i will do so.¡± the design delivered to the steward soon headed to the glass factory. ¡°sigh¡­¡± ¡°hmm!¡± the glass artisans who received the design all sighed. the glass bottles inside the paper were relatively simple in shape, but some of them were quite large, which was why. ¡°it looks very difficult.¡± ¡°we have to do it anyway. doesn¡¯t his majesty want it?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± but the artisans had no choice. in the empire, whatever kim ki-woo wanted had to be made first before anything else. from then on, the artisans mobilized all their abilities to start making the experimental tools that kim ki-woo wanted. ¡°this won¡¯t do. it has to be more uniform.¡± ¡°it¡¯s too small, isn¡¯t it? how can we present such a shoddy product to his majesty!¡± even though kim ki-woo did not urge them at all, the artisans worked overtime and made prototypes over and over again. ¡°take it easy even if it takes more time.¡± it was so serious that kim ki-woo gave such an order. but thanks to the hard work of the artisans, the glass experimental tools were prepared faster than expected. ¡°not bad.¡± there were many things to point out if he wanted to, but kim ki-woo did not bother to do so. as soon as the experimental tools were ready, kim ki-woo recruited researchers who would conduct chemical experiments with him. ¡°what? his majesty is starting a new experiment?¡± ¡°this is not the time to be idle. i will definitely participate in his majesty¡¯s experiment this time!¡± as soon as kim ki-woo declared that he would do a new chemical experiment, applicants flocked like bees. there were so many more than he expected that he had trouble selecting the final candidates. after all the researchers were recruited. the first day of the experiment finally dawned. ¡°are you all here?¡± ¡°yes!¡± the researchers who were selected answered energetically to kim ki-woo¡¯s question. their expressions were very bright, and their eyes shone brightly alike. they were very happy just by being chosen by kim ki-woo among many intellectuals. they also had great expectations for the experiment that would take place in the future. kim ki-woo received their expectations in one body and slowly began to speak. ¡°the substances made in this laboratory will greatly advance the empire.¡± ¡°wow!¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± the researchers were greatly encouraged by kim ki-woo¡¯s assertion. that was what they had been hoping for. ¡°but!¡± however, kim ki-woo did not wait for them to continue to be happy. as kim ki-woo shouted loudly, the researchers became silent at once. ¡°many of the substances that will be made in the future will be very dangerous. if you make a mistake, you could get seriously injured or even lose your life.¡± there were many substances that caused serious harm to humans. especially since the first goal of this laboratory was to produce strong acids, they could get severely wounded in a moment of carelessness. ¡°you are all scholars who are respected by the empire. i don¡¯t want to lose you in an accident during the experiment. so you must never be careless at least when you are experimenting.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± ¡°we will keep that in mind!¡± after finishing some mental education like that. the real experiment began. *** sulfuric acid is called the flower of chemical industry. it was a very important substance in industry. sulfuric acid was the most produced compound after water in modern times. it even indicated the size of a country¡¯s industry by its sulfuric acid production. without sulfuric acid, modern society would not function properly. therefore, in order to develop industry, sulfuric acid had to be mass-produced first. that¡¯s why kim ki-woo challenged himself to mass-produce sulfuric acid. ¡®of course, i have to go through enough experiments before that.¡¯ mass production was a problem to think about after succeeding in production in the laboratory. first, kim ki-woo collected a lot of sulfur. sulfur was very easy to obtain because it was a raw material for gunpowder. of course, sulfur alone was not enough to make sulfuric acid. kim ki-woo prepared platinum for the production of sulfuric acid. it was not difficult to obtain platinum. ¡®platinum was quite commonly used in central and south america.¡¯ there were traces of platinum being used in ancient egypt. however, after that, there was no trace of platinum being used in the old continent. on the other hand, platinum products had been used in central and south america for a long time, and they were still being used. thanks to that, he could relatively easily obtain the amount of platinum he wanted. he put the prepared platinum in a glass container. the size was as large as possible with the current technology, but it was not big enough to be satisfactory. ¡®well, this can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ kim ki-woo shook off the regret that remained in his chest. after the preparations were done to some extent, kim ki-woo opened his mouth. ¡°let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°yes!¡± immediately after the artisans¡¯ spirited answer, the sulfuric acid production experiment began. squeak! first, he burned the prepared sulfur and sent the smoke into a glass container. that sulfur smoke was the starting point of this experiment, sulfur dioxide (so2). it was the result of sulfur reacting with oxygen in the air. but what kim ki-woo wanted was not sulfur dioxide. to make sulfuric acid, he had to react sulfur trioxide (so3) with water, and to do that, he had to oxidize sulfur dioxide. there were two ways to make sulfur trioxide: the nitric acid method and the contact method. but the nitric acid method required nitric acid, and at this point, he needed concentrated sulfuric acid to make nitric acid. coincidentally, he could make concentrated sulfuric acid by using the contact method. so he planned to make concentrated sulfuric acid first by using the contact method. the contact method was simply a way of making sulfur trioxide by reacting oxygen and sulfur dioxide in the air. ¡®but it takes too long to react with oxygen alone.¡¯ the reaction rate was too slow if he just contacted sulfur dioxide and oxygen. he needed a catalyst to solve this problem. in modern times, vanadium pentoxide or copper-bismuth catalysts were used, but it was difficult to do so at this point. so kim ki-woo prepared platinum. platinum was also a useful catalyst for contact process sulfuric acid production. of course, iron oxide could also be used as a catalyst, but iron was too reactive compared to platinum and not very good. while he was thinking about this and that, soon enough, enough sulfur dioxide gas had accumulated in the glass container. ¡°this should be enough.¡± as soon as kim ki-woo muttered that, the researchers immediately sealed the container. the experiment proceeded at a rapid pace. when they thought it had reacted enough in the sealed container, they carefully reacted the gas with water. the solution made this way was sulfuric acid (h2so4). of course, since he had to make concentrated sulfuric acid, he minimized the amount of water added. kim ki-woo went back and forth in the laboratory and checked the experimental process from time to time. ¡°how is it?¡± ¡°it seems definitely heavier than water as your majesty said.¡± kim ki-woo nodded at the researcher¡¯s words. it was very different from water just by looking at it. when he tilted the glass container left and right, viscosity that did not appear in water showed in this solution. since it was a process of making concentrated sulfuric acid in the first place, it meant that concentrated sulfuric acid was produced if the solution was made. and the solution also matched the properties of concentrated sulfuric acid that kim ki-woo knew, so it was almost certain. ¡®but to be sure, i have to experiment.¡¯ there was something that people misunderstood, but concentrated sulfuric acid and dilute sulfuric acid had very different properties. dilute sulfuric acid was a very powerful acid. it was so acidic that acids with higher acidity than dilute sulfuric acid were called superacids. but concentrated sulfuric acid was not an acid. a strong acid had to be sufficiently ionized in solution, but concentrated sulfuric acid could not do that. of course, if he added concentrated sulfuric acid to water, it became an acid by ionizing in water. but that did not mean that concentrated sulfuric acid was a safe substance. concentrated sulfuric acid sucked hydrogen and oxygen atoms from other molecules and turned them into water molecules. in other words, if this solution showed such a tendency, it meant that it was clearly concentrated sulfuric acid. kim ki-woo conducted an experiment to confirm this phenomenon. ¡°as i said, this solution is very dangerous. so be careful not to splash it on your skin, and never inhale the smoke that occurs during the experiment.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°we will be careful.¡± after getting another promise from the researchers, he started the real experiment. first, he put sugar in a cylindrical glass container. then he slowly poured the solution into it. then. swoosh! a black pillar rose from where the sugar was and heat and smoke spewed out. ¡°wow!¡± ¡°oh my god¡­!¡± it was an unbelievable phenomenon even with their own eyes. the researchers¡¯ faces turned pale with astonishment. how did white sugar turn into a black pillar? kim ki-woo clenched his fist as he saw their strong reactions. ¡®it definitely worked.¡¯ the pillar that was made now was nothing but a lump of carbon. the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in sugar were all sucked into concentrated sulfuric acid and only carbon remained. that is, it proved that this solution was concentrated sulfuric acid. kim ki-woo waited until the carbonization of sugar was somewhat finished and opened his mouth again. ¡°do you understand why i warned you so much? it was sugar now, but what if this solution touched your skin?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the researchers were silent. gulp! kim ki-woo heard some researchers swallowing their saliva clearly. they each imagined that scene. kim ki-woo pressed on with the momentum. ¡°many more dangerous substances will be made in the future. so you should never let go of your tension at least when you are experimenting.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± their tone of voice was completely different from when he warned them with words only. it was true that seeing is believing. seeing it once was better than hearing it a hundred times. kim ki-woo put the researchers¡¯ reactions behind him and thought briefly. ¡®i buttoned up the first button well.¡¯ he was able to make concentrated sulfuric acid. then it was time to move on to the next step. < sulfuric acid. > the end Chapter 62 chapter 62: the use of sulfuric acid. making nitric acid was relatively easy once concentrated sulfuric acid was produced. it was not hard to obtain nitrogen compounds such as guano, which was imported from the andes region, or saltpeter, which was recently brought in. kim kiwoo added concentrated sulfuric acid to saltpeter, heated it, and then distilled it. ¡®good.¡¯ he finally completed the nitric acid. ¡®of course, it would be difficult to use nitric acid industrially right now.¡¯ the main use of nitric acid was undoubtedly the production of smokeless powder. he planned to continue experimenting with smokeless powder in the laboratory, but he did not have the capacity to produce it in large quantities at the moment. nevertheless, the reason why he made nitric acid so quickly was because of the mass production of sulfuric acid. the contact process for making concentrated sulfuric acid could not produce enough sulfuric acid under the current conditions. ¡®i have no choice but to use the nitric acid process.¡¯ kim kiwoo intended to make sulfuric acid by building a lead chamber, a structure with lead-lined walls. by using the nitrogen oxides from nitric acid as a catalyst, he could oxidize sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide. then, by reacting it with water, sulfuric acid was formed. of course, the lead chamber process was a method of producing dilute sulfuric acid and it had a lot of impurities, but it did not pose any problem for the process that kim kiwoo wanted to apply. since he intended to mass-produce using the lead chamber process from the beginning, the lead chamber was gradually built even before he made nitric acid and sulfuric acid. ¡°your majesty, we have completed the lead chamber.¡± ¡°really?¡± and finally, he received the news of the completion of the lead chamber. kim kiwoo did not hesitate and moved to the research complex. ¡°wow.¡± kim kiwoo looked around the lead chamber that was located next to the chemical laboratory. he examined both the exterior and the interior lined with lead. from now on, dilute sulfuric acid would be mass-produced in this lead chamber. ¡°you made it exactly as i imagined. you did a great job.¡± ¡°what trouble are you talking about? the structure was very simple and not difficult at all.¡± he said that, but it must have been quite hard to cover the entire interior with lead. kim kiwoo silently patted his shoulder and then stroked the wall covered with lead. then he felt the coldness of the lead metal through his palm. the reason why he covered the wall with lead was because lead was not corroded by sulfuric acid. lead itself was not very reactive and it formed a lead sulfate film when it reacted with sulfuric acid. after making the lead chamber, kim kiwoo immediately gathered the researchers. ¡°you all understand the concept of the lead chamber process, right?¡± ¡°yes!¡± the researchers answered briskly. while making the lead chamber, they also experimented with making sulfuric acid using nitric acid in the laboratory. and they had already learned how to use the lead chamber well. ¡°good. then move to your positions.¡± and then, the lead chamber process began. kim kiwoo kept a safe distance and watched the experiment conducted by the researchers. that¡¯s how he finished preparing for mass-producing sulfuric acid in wakan tanka empire empire. *** of course, since it was their first experiment, they went through several trials and errors. the timing of injecting gas from burning sulfur, nitric acid, and water into the lead chamber. the volume of each substance. how much reaction should be done to make it optimal. they repeated and repeated experiments while considering all these things. but as time passed, visible results began to appear. this situation provided a strong motivation for the researchers. they could see the end in sight. and finally, they found the most ideal process for producing dilute sulfuric acid. kim kiwoo thoroughly reviewed the product and then slowly nodded his head. ¡°it¡¯s a success.¡± as soon as kim kiwoo¡¯s short declaration ended, cheers erupted from the researchers. ¡°finally!¡± ¡°woohoo!¡± ¡°we did it!¡± they hugged each other and celebrated their first chemical achievement. kim kiwoo waited until their cheers subsided a bit and then spoke up. ¡°you all worked really hard. from now on, the sulfuric acid produced in this lead chamber will be used in many industrial sites. so i hope you work harder until the lead chamber process is firmly established in the empire.¡± ¡°how can we refuse!¡± ¡°leave it to us!¡± making and setting up sulfuric acid production and mass production process was one thing, but entering full-scale mass production was another thing. they had an absolute role in making enough sulfuric acid for the empire¡¯s needs. that meant they had to work tirelessly until enough amount was mass-produced. kim kiwoo gave them plenty of alcohol and meat, and a bonus, and ordered them to rest for a few days. and as soon as they returned, he started the full-scale mass production of sulfuric acid. *** as the empire¡¯s industry progressed, the patent system gradually revealed its outline in the empire. kim kiwoo gave a lot of wealth to those who made outstanding inventions or discoveries from the beginning. for example, to craftsmen with keen eyesight who invented the wheelbarrow. moreover, since the end of the war with the aztecs, he introduced the medal system and raised their honor as well. but he did not give them exclusive rights like modern patents. at that time, most of the products circulated in the empire were made by the government, and if he gave patents to private parties, it could hinder the scientific development that kim kiwoo wanted. but as time went by, private merchants began to make various products and the story changed. of course, major products such as iron tools, paper, pottery, glass, etc. were all made by the government, but private merchants made and sold art works, clothing, furniture, books, and various idea products. especially in the case of idea products that were easy to make but useful in real life, there were many problems. ¡°what do you mean? this clothes hanger was developed by our merchant group, but why are you selling it in your merchant group? you have no business ethics!¡± ¡°huh, so did our merchant group break the imperial law? we are paying taxes properly and complying with the law. if you have a complaint, go to the supreme court.¡± ¡°what? are you done talking?¡± ¡°i¡¯m done talking! what are you going to do? do you want to fight?¡± ¡°y-you¡­!¡± when the other party came out defiantly, white wave trembled with anger. he wanted to punch that guy¡¯s face right now. but that would make him worse off. he couldn¡¯t mess up his work because of his emotions. ¡°let¡¯s see how long you can act so confidently.¡± ¡°fine, have it your way. we have a business to run, so get lost. or else, i¡¯ll report you for interfering with our sales.¡± ¡°¡­¡± white wave glared at the man once more, then left the building and returned to his headquarters. ¡°how can they be so despicable!¡± ¡°sniff!¡± after the whole story was over, the employees of the headquarters also showed the same reaction as white wave. but as long as the imperial law did not protect their inventions, they had no choice but to suffer from such vile tactics. ¡®the law has to change. the current law is wrong.¡¯ these things that turned their hard work into bubbles were clearly unjust. in the end, white wave had no one to cling to but the imperial supreme court. these things were just the tip of the iceberg. perhaps because it was a matter of money, all kinds of things were happening all over the empire. kim kiwoo also received constant reports of these things, which was only natural. ¡®hmm. i guess i have to address the patent issue.¡¯ especially in the empire, they valued the act of making something new very highly, so it was obvious that more problems would arise as time passed. therefore, kim kiwoo established a patent office under the supreme court and made a patent law. its content was very similar to that of modern patent law. but there was one difference: there was an exception clause that allowed anyone to use any patent if they paid a certain royalty to the government continuously. it was a blatant evil law, but it was unavoidable to prevent very important inventions from being tied up by patents. otherwise, development could be hindered. at least this exception clause required kim kiwoo¡¯s approval, so there would be hardly any cases of abuse. as time passed, he finally promulgated the patent law in the empire. the news stirred up the upper class of the empire. ¡°ha! we don¡¯t have to see those scumbags¡¯ misdeeds anymore!¡± ¡°good riddance!¡± many merchants sympathized with the purpose of the patent law. ¡°but doesn¡¯t this exception clause bother you?¡± ¡°ha ha. you worry too much. look at that. it says ¡®only with his majesty¡¯s approval¡¯. do you think his majesty would do something unfair?¡± ¡°now that you mention it, you¡¯re right. his majesty is not that kind of person.¡± they trusted kim kiwoo so much that they didn¡¯t object to the exception clause either. and this patent law accelerated the development of various industries. with the advent of patent law, it became possible to make a huge amount of money by hitting a jackpot with one invention. this was an opportunity for many idea products to flood the market as metal processing techniques and new concepts of tools such as cranks and gears became popularized. *** kwoong! kwoooong! white wave visited black sky¡¯s paper mill for the first time in a long time, and looked at the waterwheel that was spinning endlessly. at this moment, too, wood was being crushed by the waterwheel. then. ¡°master!¡± a familiar voice reached white wave¡¯s ears. white wave took his eyes off the waterwheel and looked behind him. there, his disciple who had risen to become the chief manager of the paper production process was running towards him. ¡°why are you running like that? you¡¯ll fall down. you should think about your age. your bones won¡¯t heal well now.¡± ¡°ha ha! i¡¯m still fine, don¡¯t worry. but how long has it been since you visited?¡± ¡°well. i¡¯ve been so busy lately that i didn¡¯t have time to come.¡± white wave had risen from black mud to become the head of industry. that¡¯s why he had been very busy these days. ¡°you know that well. you¡¯re working hard in your old age.¡± ¡°heh heh heh. what hardship? i¡¯m satisfied with my present. besides, i get to see his majesty often.¡± ¡°¡­that must be very nice.¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you join the industry department if you¡¯re jealous? i can arrange a place for you.¡± ¡°ha ha. who will run the paper mill if i leave?¡± ¡°what? heh heh! i used to think that way too. but even without me, it ran well.¡± ¡°that¡¯s because your successor is so excellent.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you ashamed of putting gold on your face?¡± they continued to catch up on old times after that. white wave was the one who started the paper industry. when kim kiwoo entrusted white wave with the paper mill, he was very young. but before he knew it, white wave¡¯s face was full of wrinkles. the same was true for blue leaf, who was currently in charge of the paper industry. blue leaf was white wave¡¯s disciple. after finishing their stories, white wave got to the point. ¡°by the way. how is the paper mill doing these days?¡± ¡°ha ha. you came for inspection after all.¡± ¡°well, i came to see your face, too.¡± ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be better to see for yourself than to hear from me? you haven¡¯t forgotten about the paper production process, have you?¡± ¡°heh, are you treating me like an old man? i¡¯m still active, you know. how could i forget those things?¡± soon, they moved on to the next step. the first thing they saw was the wood crushing process. ¡°the world has improved so much. now we can easily break down wood like that.¡± white wave muttered as he watched the wood being crushed by the waterwheel. of course, the waterwheel was introduced when white wave was in charge of the paper industry. at that time, the introduction of the waterwheel was nothing short of a revolution. it made the work that used to be hard with human labor much easier. but the waterwheel now was different from then. as time passed, the waterwheel also developed. the craftsmen constantly improved the waterwheel to make it more efficient and useful for various industries. they used cranks to convert the rotational motion of the waterwheel into linear reciprocating motion, and they used the difference in radius size of two gears to obtain much faster rotational force. as a result, it became harder to find a process that did not use a waterwheel. ¡°ha ha. you didn¡¯t come to see the waterwheel, did you? you should see that process quickly.¡± ¡°you¡¯re very quick-witted.¡± white wave nodded slightly. he had a reason for squeezing his busy time and visiting black sky. soon, they arrived at the process they were aiming for. there, the process was still going on diligently. blue leaf exclaimed as he saw the scene. ¡°his majesty is truly amazing. thanks to him, making paper has become much easier.¡± ¡°heh. why are you saying that now?¡± he said that, but white wave¡¯s feelings were no different from blue leaf¡¯s. ¡®geez, sulfuric acid is really amazing.¡¯ kim kiwoo had devised countless things so far, but among them, sulfuric acid was a very remarkable substance. white wave spat out exclamations as he confirmed the effect of sulfuric acid with his own eyes. wood is composed mainly of cellulose and lignin. lignin was the element that made wood hard. the most important thing in making paper was to remove impurities including lignin and make cellulose microfibers. that is, pulp. until now, they had to put a lot of effort into removing lignin, but now it has become much easier. it was because they could use sulfuric acid to remove lignin. as a result, the productivity of paper improved dramatically compared to the past. that was why blue leaf made such a fuss. ¡°is there anything uncomfortable?¡± ¡°ha ha. how could there be? the only thing i want is for you to supply more sulfuric acid.¡± ¡°just wait a little. we¡¯re constantly increasing the production facilities for sulfuric acid. it will be provided abundantly soon.¡± ¡°i trust you, master.¡± since the paper production volume was so large, the amount of sulfuric acid consumed by many paper mills in the empire was also enormous. and there was another place that sucked up sulfuric acid as much as the paper mill, so the supply of sulfuric acid was still very scarce. but since the refinery was growing steadily, this problem would be solved as always. < the use of sulfuric acid. > the end Chapter 63 chapter 63: industrial revolution. the next place that the cool raindrop visited was where the second process of absorbing sulfuric acid took place. it was none other than the bleaching factory. ¡°long time no see.¡± ¡°how have you been?¡± the cool raindrop had built friendships with the leaders of the main factories before he entered the industrial department. the golden wing, the manager of this bleaching factory, was also one of them. the golden wing laughed heartily and replied. ¡°hahaha! i rarely have days as good as these. i¡¯m really enjoying life thanks to sulfuric acid.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good to hear. you know why i came here, right?¡± ¡°haha. are you going to work right away? why don¡¯t you take a break?¡± ¡°i have a pile of work to do in the capital. i¡¯m sorry, but i don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°well, in that case¡­ follow me.¡± soon, the cool raindrop observed every step of the bleaching process, just like he did with the papermaking process. ¡®this is where sulfuric acid has the most benefits. it¡¯s incomparable to before.¡¯ he had seen the bleaching process of cotton fabrics before, so he could clearly realize this. as time passed, the demand for dyed cotton fabrics increased explosively. it was because the imperial citizens became more interested in fashion. however, to dye cotton fabrics properly, they had to go through a bleaching process first. the problem was that the bleaching process was very difficult. they had to soak the cotton fabrics in lye and then dry them in the sun for a very long time. using sour milk would make it easier, but there was no way to get milk in north america. ¡®no matter how you look at it, i didn¡¯t expect the process to be this easy.¡¯ after taking out the clothes soaked in lye, they just had to soak them in a solution diluted with sulfuric acid for a while and the bleaching was done. a work that took several months was reduced to just a few days. it was too dramatic a change even if he thought about it again. the cool raindrop chatted with the golden wing for a while and then left the bleaching factory. ¡®i should go back now.¡¯ he had achieved all his goals in black sky. it was time to return to work. *** after the industrial director returned to the capital. kim ki-woo arranged a private meeting with him. ¡°so. how was your trip to black sky?¡± ¡°yes. it seemed like the factories were growing day by day since i visited after a long time. it was truly dynamic, fitting for an industrial city.¡± ¡°haha. i also want to visit once. it¡¯s been too long since i went to black sky.¡± black sky was the fastest growing place in the empire. it was because there were many factories concentrated there. ¡®i wish i had some pictures.¡¯ he wondered how much it had changed compared to when he completed the bessemer steelmaking method. but his curiosity ended there. it was work time now. kim ki-woo went straight to the point. ¡°i¡¯ve been receiving reports, but i¡¯m curious how things are going on site.¡± ¡°hehe. seeing the simplified processes due to sulfuric acid, i felt scared.¡± ¡°it¡¯s a dangerous substance. i heard there were several accidents.¡± it was unfortunate. he ordered numerous safety education before introducing sulfuric acid to each factory, but accidents did not stop because it was early stage. there were always people who could not tell shit from soybean paste everywhere. but the cool raindrop shook his head vigorously. ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant. i meant that i felt scared seeing how bleach works with sulfuric acid. i realized your greatness once again.¡± ¡°haha. this guy is still good at flattering. you¡¯re making me blush.¡± kim ki-woo just laughed and moved on as he was used to this kind of flattering words. after that, the industrial director started to tell him everything he saw and felt in black sky. kim ki-woo listened quietly to all his words and then sent him away. ¡®now it will be perfect as time passes.¡¯ the shortage of sulfuric acid would be solved when the refinery expanded. as time passed, the production of paper would increase much more, and the bleaching of fabrics would also become much easier. ¡®hmm. fabrics¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo threw his gaze back at the report he had been reading before the industrial director came in. it contained information about the current textile industry of the empire. he was not very worried about paper. as long as sulfuric acid was introduced, it would improve steadily without him paying attention. but the current textile industry was different. ¡®the price of cotton fabric is skyrocketing without knowing the limit.¡¯ this was all thanks to the increasing demand day by day. as the quality of life of the imperial citizens improved, it was a natural consequence. in many countries from ancient to medieval times, people wore a few clothes until they died. but the empire was very different. the imperial citizens bought several clothes and chose what to wear according to the occasion. of course, the demand for fabric was bound to be high. moreover, the fabric made in the empire was very popular outside as well. it was of better quality than the fabric produced elsewhere, so it was natural. of course, the supply of fabric was also increasing, but the increase in demand was much greater. ¡®the problem is still the spinning process.¡¯ the cotton fabric could be divided into four major processes before it was sold in the market. the process of growing cotton, removing the seeds and drying it. the spinning process of making yarn. the weaving process of making fabric with yarn. and the processing process of bleaching, dyeing, clothing production, etc. among them, three processes were somewhat solved. the place where the empire¡¯s mainland was located was very suitable for growing cotton, so it was enough to grow more cotton. the bleaching process, which was the hardest part of the processing process, also became much easier thanks to sulfuric acid. and¡­ ¡®it¡¯s been a while since the flying shuttle came out.¡¯ if there was one keyword that ran through the empire¡¯s industry, it would be ¡®efficiency¡¯. already, many factories had introduced various mechanical processes using water wheels, and their production volume had increased greatly. this had a great impact on other industries as well. similar mechanical processes began to be introduced in other industries as well. the flying shuttle was born in this environment. even though kim ki-woo did not give any hint about it. ¡®the flying shuttle is not a difficult concept.¡¯ the basic principle of the loom was to weave the weft between the warp threads that crossed up and down. a shuttle with a weft thread is inserted between the warp threads, and the warp threads that were above are crossed below, and vice versa. this process is repeated continuously, and a dense fabric is completed. in order to increase efficiency, the key was to quickly move the shuttle back and forth from left to right. naturally, people focused on the movement of the shuttle. as a result, they made a shuttle that moved back and forth from left to right by just pulling force. it was the same principle as the flying shuttle made in europe. thanks to this, the weaving process became much faster, and the width of the finished fabric also increased greatly. the three processes above were all being improved quickly, but only the spinning process lagged behind this trend. ¡®i hope the spinning machine will be improved soon.¡¯ that¡¯s not to say that kim ki-woo wanted to improve it himself. just like the flying shuttle came out, the spinning machine would also be improved on its own. the idea of improving the spinning machine was a common thought among many people involved in the textile industry. therefore, at this moment, too, the mechanization of spinning machines was underway. moreover, now that patent rights were established, they would make a lot of money if they succeeded in mechanizing spinning machines. kim ki-woo had no intention of taking away their opportunity. *** kim ki-woo¡¯s prediction was not wrong. ¡°how about joining us?¡± ¡°you mean¡­ working on improving the spinning machine?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. if we succeed, we¡¯ll make more money than we can ever spend in our lifetime.¡± ¡°can we make that much?¡± ¡°of course! don¡¯t you know how much cotton fabric is produced in the empire every year? in this situation, think about getting a patent for an excellent spinning machine!¡± if they could only succeed in mechanizing spinning machines, enormous wealth would naturally follow them. therefore, even many craftsmen who had nothing to do with textile industry began to challenge mechanizing spinning machines. ¡°the answer is a water-powered spinning machine!¡± ¡°of course. that¡¯s obvious.¡± this was a common thought among craftsmen. there were already many processes that ran on water power. inevitably, an excellent spinning machine would be a water-powered spinning machine that could be easily inferred. after that, they each developed water-powered spinning machines as if they were chased by something. if they were late in development and failed to obtain patent rights, all their efforts would be wasted. in the end, developing water-powered spinning machines was a race against time. craftsmen poured out their best efforts by combining various technologies that had come out so far, including gears. they competed fiercely day and night. but everything has an end. ¡°that¡¯s it! we did it!¡± ¡°hahaha!¡± they finally developed the first hydraulic spinning machine. they immediately applied for a patent on the hydraulic spinning machine. ¡°already?¡± ¡°yes.¡± the news was reported to kim kiwoo as if it was natural. kim kiwoo was quite surprised. ¡®huh, well. it hasn¡¯t been long since i wished for the spinning machine to be improved.¡¯ through this event, kim kiwoo once again felt the accelerated pace of industrial development. ¡°can i take a look at it?¡± ¡°i already told them to bring it to the palace as soon as the spinning machine was improved.¡± ¡°really?¡± he seemed to know kim kiwoo well after serving him for a long time. kim kiwoo wanted to see the hydraulic spinning machine as soon as possible. and the next day. kim kiwoo was able to see the hydraulic spinning machine. ¡°hmm¡­¡± it looked slightly different from the hydraulic spinning machine he knew, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal. kim kiwoo looked at the men standing next to the hydraulic spinning machine with a tense expression and said. ¡°did you guys make this spinning machine?¡± ¡°y-yes!¡± kim kiwoo naturally glanced at their eyes, which were mixed with tension, excitement, and longing, and said briefly. ¡°can you show me how it works?¡± ¡°yes!¡± of course, there was no proper water power in the palace, so they had to turn the water wheel by hand. whiiik! clang! as soon as the water wheel started to spin, the spinning machine began to work. ¡°oh.¡± kim kiwoo let out a short exclamation. it was clearly due to the rotational force of the water wheel that the process of making yarn was as natural as water flowing. it was incomparable to the efficiency of the existing spinning machine. the mechanization of the spinning machine was finally completed. after watching the spinning process enough. ¡°stop turning it.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± the rotation of the water wheel slowly stopped at kim kiwoo¡¯s command. kim kiwoo approached them, who were overly nervous, and patted their shoulders. ¡°haha. you did a great job. thanks to your efforts, the textile industry will leap forward once more.¡± ¡°t-thank you¡­!¡± their bodies trembled slightly. ¡°hic!¡± there was even a man who cried with emotion at kim kiwoo¡¯s encouragement. kim kiwoo left them behind and fell into thought. ¡®i guess we¡¯ve entered the real industrial revolution now.¡¯ many processes were being mechanized. even without kim kiwoo¡¯s direct instructions, as before. it was this mass production by mechanization that triggered the industrial revolution. of course, it was only the beginning of the industrial revolution, at best. but he still had a long way to go. kim kiwoo¡¯s destination was beyond the fourth industrial revolution. Chapter 64 chapter 64: steam engine. kim kiwoo had countless followers in the empire. and as time passed, this tendency became even stronger. it was inevitable. no one could escape the flow of time, but kim kiwoo¡¯s appearance did not change at all. thanks to that, it was hard to find any imperial citizens who doubted the existence of spirits within the mainland. and beyond following, there were quite a few imperial citizens who would unconditionally obey kim kiwoo¡¯s words and actions. sharp teeth was one of them. the only special thing about him was that he was an intellectual who had enemies at the imperial college. then one day. a piece of news reached his ears. ¡°a hydraulic spinning machine?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. you must have heard that many craftsmen are trying to make one.¡± ¡°they made it already?¡± it was the news of the development of a hydraulic spinning machine. ¡°aren¡¯t you curious what it looks like? let¡¯s go see it together.¡± sharp teeth nodded his head at his colleague¡¯s suggestion. he also wanted to see how the hydraulic spinning machine worked. after that, the news of the development of the hydraulic spinning machine stirred up the empire. then, many people flocked to the textile factory to see the hydraulic spinning machine. ¡°haha. if we¡¯re not careful, we might get crushed by the crowd.¡± ¡°it¡¯s amazing.¡± sharp teeth exclaimed at the huge crowd. because there were so many people, it took longer to see the hydraulic spinning machine in action. but sharp teeth waited patiently. and his waiting was not in vain. ¡°huh¡­¡± ¡°is this really a machine in reality?¡± ¡°¡­¡± sharp teeth stared blankly at the thread that kept coming out. he heard the explanation of the textile factory staff and the admiration of the surrounding imperial citizens, but he couldn¡¯t pay attention to any of those sounds. the ability of the hydraulic spinning machine was that shocking. ¡®it¡¯s really going as his majesty said.¡¯ sharp teeth had engraved most of his majesty¡¯s words deep in his heart. he looked at the rapidly spinning hydraulic spinning machine and recalled one of his majesty¡¯s sayings. it was when his majesty was in the black sky, and he spoke to master black mud, who was then the head of industrial engineering. we have learned to use water wheels to harness the power of flowing water, and over time, many more ways to use it will appear. because human curiosity is endless. ¡®has his majesty¡¯s words come true again?¡¯ look, just by putting in cotton, that thread comes out at a constant and fast speed! the quality is better than the thread that went through human hands, and it doesn¡¯t require much manpower either. that meant that the textile factory didn¡¯t need as many workers as it did now. and¡­ ¡®this won¡¯t be the end.¡¯ what if other countless tasks start to be replaced by machines like this? then, cheap and high-quality industrial products will pour out without much labor cost. he imagined a world where everything was run by machines in his head. *** after seeing the hydraulic spinning machine. sharp teeth returned to the imperial college. and he immersed himself in his research again. finally, he saw tangible results in front of him. he had been working on this research for over ten years now. sometimes people looked at sharp teeth¡¯s research and said pessimistically, ¡°do you really think that will work?¡± ¡°it seems like a too vague research topic.¡± but sharp teeth never wavered for a moment. he just quietly moved forward with his colleagues who shared his goal. because he had confidence. confidence in the outcome? no. the confidence that sharp teeth and his colleagues had was that his majesty would never say anything wrong. in the black sky, his majesty said, ¡®not only water power, but we can also get power from many phenomena in nature.¡¯ one of the examples he gave was turning heat into power. his majesty¡¯s words were the truth. that meant, just like water, heat could also be used as a source of power. there must have been a reason why his majesty specifically mentioned heat to the black mud teacher. he trusted him without doubt. ¡®i will surely realize the truth that his majesty bestowed upon me with these two hands.¡¯ to achieve that, he devoted himself to studying how to convert heat into power after entering the university. ¡°i want to join you.¡± moreover, scholars who shared his vision joined him one after another. but their research was stuck in a deadlock for a long time. they had no clue how to turn heat into power. to obtain power, there had to be a tangible flow of force like a waterwheel or a windmill, but heat did not show such a thing. time passed by mercilessly. ¡°¡­i will stop here. i can¡¯t continue this hopeless research.¡± ¡°thank you for your hard work.¡± some of his colleagues left. he did not blame or stop them. it was their choice. also, it was their responsibility to miss out on the glory that would follow when he realized the truth that his majesty spoke of. they would surely regret this moment in the future. he believed so. then one day. he had a brilliant idea. it was an inevitable discovery. he always paid attention to all the phenomena that changed due to heat. so he was able to relate it to power when he saw the heavy lid of a boiling pot being lifted by the steam. ¡°it¡¯s the pot!¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± he ran excitedly towards his colleagues, unable to hide his excitement. and he explained his hypothesis to them. ¡°have you ever seen the lid of a pot moving?¡± ¡°of course.¡± ¡°how do you think such a heavy lid moved? it¡¯s because of the steam that evaporates with full of heat! what if we can use this power of steam as power?¡± ¡°¡­indeed.¡± ¡°hmm. it seems worth trying.¡± that¡¯s when the effort to use steam began. of course, it was not smooth. the biggest problem was making a device that could use steam. it had to be solid and not vulnerable to heat, so iron had to be used naturally. but there could not be any gaps in this device. because it used steam. that meant it required very sophisticated technology. otherwise¡­ bang! ¡°aaaah! aaah!¡± a huge accident could happen. during the experiment, due to a moment of carelessness, one of his colleague¡¯s legs was crushed halfway. they realized how scary this device was. the power of steam was much stronger than they thought. but at the same time, he was sure. if he could use this tremendous power properly¡­ ¡®i will get a much more powerful source of power than now.¡¯ it would be far superior to a waterwheel. more importantly, it could be used anywhere unlike a waterwheel. it did not have to be near a river. this would drastically change the current industrial situation. by his own hands. *** kim ki-woo stopped his work and hurriedly headed to the palace. he heard that his grandson was born. when he arrived at the palace, one of the inner officials ran towards him. ¡°your majesty!¡± ¡°how is the condition?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a healthy boy. both the mother and the child are well.¡± ¡°really? phew¡­¡± kim kiwoo finally breathed a sigh of relief. the worst-case scenario he had anticipated did not happen. when they arrived near the destination. ¡°you¡¯re here.¡± deep lake greeted kim kiwoo. ¡°you¡¯ve worked really hard.¡± kim kiwoo hugged deep lake tightly. she had been very attentive and caring since the crown princess became pregnant. ¡°no, i just did what i had to do as a mother.¡± ¡°you¡¯re still the same. let¡¯s go inside.¡± kim kiwoo entered the delivery room with deep lake. there, the crown prince and his wife welcomed kim kiwoo. ¡°father!¡± ¡°your majesty.¡± ¡°ah, don¡¯t try to get up unnecessarily.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°just rest comfortably.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± after stopping the crown princess from trying to rise forcibly, kim kiwoo approached his grandson. he was very wrinkled, having just come out of the world. he seemed to have cried himself to sleep, as he was sleeping soundly. ¡°why don¡¯t you hold him?¡± ¡°thank you.¡± sanpa carefully picked up the baby wrapped in a blanket and handed him to kim kiwoo. kim kiwoo felt the sensation of holding a newborn after a long time. he had not had any more children after his fifth daughter, so this was his first grandson in eight years. of course, this time it was not his child, but his grandson. ¡®the empress is also getting old.¡¯ the empress was already forty-five years old. she was already old when she gave birth to her youngest daughter eight years ago. she was not in a condition to have any more children. there were countless wrinkles on her beautiful face. kim kiwoo felt a bitter taste in his mouth again when he saw her. but today was the day his first grandson was born. this was undoubtedly a great joy for not only his family, but also the empire. kim kiwoo quickly shook off the bad feelings. ¡°haha. he¡¯s really handsome. who does he look like?¡± ¡°who does he look like? of course he looks like me.¡± ¡°to my eyes, he seems to resemble our lovely crown princess.¡± ¡°as expected, father knows how beautiful my wife is.¡± as he said that, he gently held his wife¡¯s hand. they looked at each other with deep love in their eyes. they were a couple who married for love, not for political reasons, so their relationship was known to be good. kim kiwoo never intended to force his children to marry someone they didn¡¯t want to. he had no reason to create powerful relatives, and he didn¡¯t want to ask for more sacrifices from his children. of course, they enjoyed many benefits from being born as kim kiwoo¡¯s children, but they also had many restrictions. kim kiwoo stroked the face of the baby in his arms and wished in his heart. ¡®you will have many difficulties in the future. i hope you can overcome them bravely like your father.¡¯ he was born as the grandson of the empire, so he naturally had to bear a lot of weight. that¡¯s how kim kiwoo became a grandfather today. Chapter 65 chapter 65: neutral zone when the empire was constantly developing. the situation in the andes region was reaching its worst. ¡°kill them!¡± ¡°aaaah!¡± clang, clang! every day, there were local battles in the major conflict zones where many resources were buried. ¡°get off our land!¡± ¡°ugh! you¡¯ll pay for this!¡± the factions that occupied those areas changed frequently. but the tribes that worked there, mining resources and such, were always the same. whenever the losers of the region changed, the tribes paid tribute to them with the resources they needed and maintained their existence. but as time went by, the situation continued to worsen. ¡°no, this is too much! how can we survive if you raise the tribute this much?¡± ¡°hey! who do you think is protecting you? if we say raise it, then raise it without any complaints!¡± ¡°damn it¡­!¡± as the war intensified, military spending inevitably increased, and the factions had no choice but to raise the tribute they received from the tribes under their protection. as time passed, the tribute increased to a level that was impossible for the tribes to handle. ¡°damn it! why do we have to suffer because they fight each other?¡± ¡°shh. if the manager hears you¡­¡± ¡°let him hear!¡± the dissatisfaction of the residents grew day by day. they couldn¡¯t even eat a decent meal no matter how hard they worked. the sense of deprivation from that was very severe. naturally, the residents wanted to escape this miserable reality. ¡°the pekcha bastards are too outrageous!¡± ¡°do you really intend to stay like this?¡± ¡°it¡¯s much better to defect to the empire than this.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. it¡¯s time to make a decision!¡± ¡°¡­¡± the tribal chief closed his eyes and sank into deep thought. there was some truth in what his subordinates said. at that time, defecting to the empire was nothing new. it had been a long time since the andes people traded with the merchants of the wakan tanka empire. and gradually, rumors spread widely in the andes region about the empire¡¯s strength, wealth, rapid development, and peacefulness. these rumors sounded very attractive to many andes people who groaned in war every day. thanks to that, countless tribes moved to the empire or became naturalized in small groups. ¡°but what if we get caught? you haven¡¯t forgotten what happened to the hwatli tribe, have you?¡± but there was a remark that poured cold water on this atmosphere. everyone knew very well that they might be able to live a better life if they became naturalized in the empire. but there were a few problems with choosing this option. first of all, the tribe would be disbanded. the empire did not want naturalized people to form a power group. of course, once they became citizens of the empire, this was something they could accept. the boat problem was also solvable. the top of the wakan tanka empire took in naturalized people first and then made them pay back their boat fare after settling in the empire. they heard that they could pay off their boat fare easily if they worked for a while in the empire. the problem was¡­ ¡®the pekcha bastards won¡¯t just sit back and watch us become naturalized.¡¯ when the tribes that paid tribute became part of the empire, the damage was entirely borne by the clans that received the tribute. what good is a mine? the people who worked in that mine disappeared. of course, they constantly monitored the tribes in their sphere of influence to prevent them from becoming part of the empire. in this situation, it was a risky gamble to move to where the imperial court was, avoiding their eyes. especially the pekcha bastards wanted to nip this in the bud. they exterminated some of the tribes that tried to become part of the empire as an example. ¡°are you saying we should just wait for death because we¡¯re afraid of pekcha¡¯s retaliation?¡± ¡°we can¡¯t gamble with the lives of our tribesmen either.¡± ¡°hmph! you¡¯re all cowards!¡± ¡°¡­are you done talking?¡± soon, the meeting hall turned into a mess, as the pro-imperial and anti-imperial factions clashed. these things were happening in many places in the andes region. a stranger entered the office. ¡°welcome.¡± kim ki-woo greeted him warmly. the man, red moonlight, immediately bowed his head. ¡°i greet you, the living spirit and the great emperor of the wakan tanka empire!¡± ¡°yes. have a seat.¡± red moonlight cautiously sat down on the opposite chair. ¡°right. i¡¯ve read your story well.¡± ¡°i hope my writing didn¡¯t bother your eyes.¡± ¡°ha ha. how could it?¡± kim ki-woo looked into red moonlight¡¯s big eyes and thought about him. red moonlight was a person similar to a human rights activist in modern times. he became part of the empire in the early stages of contact with the andes. but red moonlight continued to be interested in the andes region even after he became part of the empire. as time passed, countless people in the andes region groaned in pain. red moonlight couldn¡¯t stand by and watch this. from then on, he did his best to inform the imperial citizens of the mainland about the hardships of the andean people. he traveled to numerous cities and towns and gave countless lectures, and wrote articles about the reality of the andes region and submitted them continuously. eventually, his articles were published in newspapers several times, and the pain of the andean people became widely known among the imperial citizens. of course, kim ki-woo could have easily stopped this if he wanted to¡­ ¡®there¡¯s no need to do that anymore.¡¯ if the situation changed, so should the policy. ¡°i sympathize with your thoughts to some extent. the empire is also somewhat responsible for the unreasonable things that are happening in the andes region.¡± some would surely criticize this as hypocrisy. after all, it was kim ki-woo himself who instigated the chaos in the andes. it was because of the countless wars that broke out in the andes that resources such as gold, silver, guano, copper, etc. could be smoothly supplied, and this became the foundation for the development of the empire. therefore, if kim ki-woo went back to the past, he would surely have implemented such a policy. he was the leader of the wakan tanka empire after all. of course, he meant it when he said he was responsible. ¡°are you saying¡­¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯m going to execute what you suggested after reviewing it thoroughly.¡± ¡°is that really true?¡± red moonlight¡¯s big eyes grew bigger. it was because it was an unexpected remark. seeing his reaction, kim ki-woo smiled broadly. ¡°ha ha. why are you so surprised? it¡¯s what you¡¯ve been arguing for all along.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± red moonlight couldn¡¯t continue his words. it was his argument that he had been making continuously through newspapers and speeches, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be accepted so radically. it was understandable, because his argument was to change the policy direction that the current empire was taking. red moonlight¡¯s argument was this: create a neutral zone in the andes region, and let the people who don¡¯t want to fight anymore live peacefully. ¡®neutrality.¡¯ it sounds good. but neutrality was something that required power. neutrality without power was an empty cry. kim ki-woo knew this fact well through the tragic history of his homeland, korea. therefore, in order to create a neutral zone, a powerful force was needed to maintain it. and the current empire had enough capacity to do so. ¡°we are already in constant contact with the factions in the andes region.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°yes. quite a lot of forces think positively of our proposal.¡± too much blood had been shed for a long time. therefore, many factions wanted to stop this fight. but it was not easy to stop the war because of the blood that had flowed until now. they had already accumulated hatred for each other. in the end, the only way to stop this situation was for one side to collapse, or for another huge force to intervene. and the only such huge force in the continent was the wakan tanka empire. soon after, kim ki-woo revealed his true purpose for calling red moonlight. ¡°i think you are suitable for the person in charge of the neutral zone that will be established in the future. how about it, would you like to work for the andes people?¡± ¡°gasp! how can i¡­ i don¡¯t have the ability to do that. please reconsider.¡± ¡°not at all. you can do it.¡± kim ki-woo had thoroughly investigated this man named red moonlight for quite a long time. he knew a lot about the andes region, and he was a person who had made many efforts to protect the rights of the andes people. he had a history of helping the andes people who had naturalized into the empire in various ways, which was certain. thanks to that, he had a great reputation among the andes people. there was no one else who was more suitable as the manager of the neutral zone. ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry too much. the military and administrative matters will be handled by the empire¡¯s staff, so you just have to take care of the lives of the andes people as you do now.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± ¡°i know it¡¯s too sudden. so take your time and think about it, and come back to me when you make up your mind.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± with this conversation over, red moonlight left the office. after he disappeared. kim ki-woo buried himself in a soft chair. ¡®surely this decision will reduce my profits more than now.¡¯ it might have been better in the short term to suck up only the sweet things from the andes region as they did now. it was definitely a big help when they were minting money and consolidating the foundation of the empire. but that period was over. even if the huge profits from the andes region were reduced a little, it would not have a big impact on the empire. rather, it was time to think about the long-term interests of the empire. now in the andes region, people were dying from numerous wars, and because they couldn¡¯t bear it, andes people were naturalizing into the empire and reducing their population. and when a plague spreads due to intercontinental exchanges in the future¡­ ¡®the population will decrease by an incomparable amount.¡¯ then it would take much longer to develop south continent. the empire had to establish a solid force in south continent before that. a huge variable intervened in the chaotic andes region. it was like the direct rule of the central continent now. this way, they could deal with a massive disaster like a plague quickly and surely. ¡®the power to stabilize the andes region is enough.¡¯ the empire¡¯s fire continued to develop. the current military power of the empire was incomparably stronger than when they destroyed the aztecs. even if the forces that hated the empire¡¯s influence joined forces and attacked, they had the power to easily suppress them. Chapter 66 chapter 66: budget. the voices of the department heads gathered in the imperial conference hall were louder than usual. it couldn¡¯t be helped. the decision made at this meeting would change the unit of the budget allocated to each department. ¡°your majesty, the cost of entering the central continent¡¯s direct territories is increasing day by day. if we deploy troops to the andes region in this situation, it will be hard to maintain with the current military budget.¡± ¡°we also need more budget for the education department. the money going into the schools and kindergartens that are increasing every day is too much.¡± ¡°the industrial department also¡­¡± kim ki-woo listened to the complaints of the department heads with a sneer in his mind. ¡®geez¡­ anyone would think that the empire is about to collapse.¡¯ of course, most of what the department heads said was true. as time passed, the budget invested in all fields increased explosively. but it was also true that there was some exaggeration in their stories. he knew very well why they were doing this. the more budget was assigned to their department, the easier it was to do their work for a year. this decision determined their fate for a year. ¡°i understand your words well. i will try to reflect your opinions as much as possible, so please wait.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°understood.¡± after adjourning the meeting like that. kim ki-woo headed to his office with the interior minister. ¡°phew. every time this happens, they all scream for money.¡± ¡°it can¡¯t be helped. budget is such a sensitive issue, isn¡¯t it?¡± straight tree answered kim ki-woo¡¯s words calmly. in the current empire, straight tree¡¯s position was second only to kim ki-woo. first of all, among the many departments, the interior department had the most power. it was where the inner minister who assisted kim ki-woo belonged. more importantly, the interior department was also the main body that arranged the budget. of course, kim ki-woo was deeply involved as he did now. moreover, while other department heads had retired long ago and some even became third-generation department heads, straight tree¡¯s influence was even stronger in this situation. especially since straight tree had always been by his side since he arrived, his closest aide. thinking so, straight tree¡¯s appearance was reflected in kim ki-woo¡¯s eyes. ¡®he¡¯s gotten old too.¡¯ his hair was white and his face was full of wrinkles. straight tree had also reached his old age before he knew it. it seemed that he would not be long before he stepped down from his position as interior minister. ¡®he should rest a little in his old age¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo brought up this topic again on a whim. ¡°don¡¯t you still have any thoughts of retirement?¡± at that, straight tree smiled faintly. ¡°my answer is always the same. i will step down from my position as interior minister if you tell me to. but i want to stay by your side until i die. please grant this old man¡¯s wish.¡± ¡°phew¡­¡± he had seen his father die while working, but straight tree¡¯s will did not change. but kim ki-woo could not do to him what he did to other first-generation department heads. that¡¯s how much straight tree meant more to kim ki-woo than other department heads. kim ki-woo opened his mouth to break the awkward air. ¡°then i¡¯ll make you work very hard until you fall into the arms of spirits. be prepared.¡± ¡°that¡¯s what i wanted.¡± ¡°haha. by the way, is the crown prince behaving well these days?¡± ¡°he¡¯s doing very well. he¡¯s learning from me at the moment.¡± the crown prince had been an optimistic child since he was young. he was also very curious, and he acquired various kinds of knowledge. his immature personality had improved a lot as he grew up. of course, he still had some traces of it. recently, he had become a father of a child and his sense of responsibility had increased greatly. of course, as long as he was alive, the crown prince would not be able to sit on the throne. but who knew what would happen in life? ¡®no matter how long my lifespan is, i could die from an accident or a natural disaster.¡¯ kim kiwoo had always prioritized his health and safety over anything else. as long as he was alive, he could ensure the continuous development of civilization. he even stayed in the capital for almost twenty years after returning from the black sky. thanks to that, he had not faced any serious threats until now. but he could not guarantee that this situation would last forever. ¡®i have to consider the worst-case scenario.¡¯ if he died without any preparation, humanity would face a high probability of extinction by narvas. that¡¯s why kim kiwoo had set up some safety measures. he had written down several key pieces of knowledge that would enable continuous development even if he died by accident. these pieces of knowledge would be delivered to the crown prince as soon as kim kiwoo died. ¡®i have to pay attention to the successor¡¯s education.¡¯ no matter how brilliant the knowledge was, if the leader who ruled the country lacked ability, anything could happen. there were many cases where the country was completely destroyed or the regime was changed after the death of a great founding emperor. that¡¯s why kim kiwoo paid quite a lot of attention to the crown prince¡¯s education. he made him learn various tasks from the chief of the interior ministry, who had a lot of experience, and he also taught him personally from time to time. ¡°don¡¯t be lenient just because he¡¯s the crown prince. point out his mistakes harshly when you need to. he¡¯ll have to rule over the central continent¡¯s direct territory soon enough!¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. i won¡¯t let anything slide.¡± the straight tree was very strict with the crown prince. of course, he didn¡¯t expect him to have the incomparable ability of kim kiwoo. but as long as he was chosen as the next emperor, he had to have some ability. that was the straight tree¡¯s opinion. if his ability was too inferior compared to kim kiwoo, he would surely have trouble governing. ¡®i hope he can rule well without any trouble in the direct territory¡­¡¯ kim kiwoo planned to entrust the direct territory to the crown prince. it was completely different to learn something and to do it in practice. of course, it was still a few years later, but as a father, he couldn¡¯t help but feel hopeful and worried about his eldest son. after exchanging some stories with the straight tree, kim kiwoo started to discuss the budget in earnest. ¡°hmm. the financial situation seems solid.¡± ¡°yes. even if we accept most of the requests from the ministers, the empire¡¯s finances will not be in danger.¡± kim kiwoo nodded his head as he looked at the documents. the money that went out of the empire¡¯s interior ministry was increasing rapidly as time went by. this was inevitable as society became more advanced. but the money that came into the interior ministry rose even faster. ¡®this is all thanks to the state-led industrialization.¡¯ britain had its industry revolutionized by private capital. they developed their industry from household production to factory production through textile industry, ironmaking, steam engine development, etc. as private capital grew, bourgeoisie emerged. also, due to movements like enclosure, cheap workers flocked to cities. through this, gradual changes that were later called industrial revolution occurred. but the empire was quite different from britain. it was none other than the empire¡¯s government that initiated industrialization. this meant that the concentration of wealth due to the promotion of industry did not happen to individual bourgeois, but to the imperial government. it was a completely different case. this was possible because they could distribute the concentrated capital efficiently at the imperial level. and this tendency would not change easily over time. ¡®of course, this can¡¯t last forever.¡¯ there are many problems when public enterprises become too large. since it was not their own company, various corruptions were frequent, and lax management was easy. so in the distant future, they would need to adjust this situation to some extent. but that was not now. it was better to control it firmly by themselves when such explosive social changes occurred like now. ¡°no matter how strong the finances are, we can¡¯t waste them recklessly.¡± kim ki-woo said in a strong tone. there would be no end if he listened to all the demands of the directors. he thought it was better to invest those money in development rather than that. kim ki-woo wrote a number on the paper. ¡°let¡¯s set this amount as the standard. let¡¯s set the budget of all departments within this amount.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the straight tree let out a faint moan. the budget was much less than he thought. but as always, the straight tree did not make any objections and accepted kim ki-woo¡¯s opinion. ¡°i understand. i will set it as much as possible within this budget and submit a report.¡± ¡°okay. it will be hard, but please do your best. there is no such thing, but if there is a department that complains about the budget, report it immediately. i¡¯ll show them a bitter taste.¡± ¡°haha. i will.¡± after the straight tree finished the meeting and left. kim ki-woo looked at the remaining budget blankly. there was an astronomical amount by current standards written there. a large part of this would be used for purposes such as bridge or road construction, expansion of factories, etc. but he intended to execute the rest strictly according to his taste. ¡®it¡¯s not easy to get funds for research.¡¯ he did not mean only the research he directly ordered or deeply involved in. most of this would be invested in numerous researches at universities and black sky. as time passed, the funds needed for one research increased geometrically. it was natural, as more and more technology, resources, and labor were required for various researches. one of the representative examples was steam engine. ¡®i didn¡¯t even order it.¡¯ with just a hint that heat could be used as power, they came up with the concept of a steam engine. he was quite surprised when he first heard that story. but it would surely take a lot of money to develop a steam engine. since the technology was not enough yet, they would go through a lot of trial and error. of course, he thought it was necessary trial and error, so kim ki-woo had been continuously investing generous funds in them since he heard about the development of steam engine. he also modified a considerable part of their design drawings. it would take more time for steam engine to be fully developed, but he had no intention of cutting off support until then. apart from this, various mechanical and chemical researches were being started. if he did not have this much spare money, he could never support so many researches simultaneously. but kim ki-woo did not mind spending money like this at all. ¡®when these researches start to show results, development will naturally occur.¡¯ of course, he also liked the fact that he could firmly hold the lead of imperial industry through this. and¡­ ¡®it¡¯s not long left.¡¯ he felt like he could finally execute the plan that he had been preparing for quite a long time. Chapter 67 chapter 67: expedition. kim ki-woo¡¯s plan. it was none other than an expedition to another continent. just then, the commander-in-chief of this voyage, brilliant flower, opened the door of the office and entered. ¡°your majesty, the great emperor, i greet you!¡± ¡°sit down.¡± kim ki-woo waved his hand lightly, ignoring his greeting. brilliant flower sat down slowly on the chair, calming his trembling heart. it should have been familiar by now, but meeting his majesty was always an exciting thing. ¡®it feels like a dream¡­¡¯ not only talking to his majesty alone, but also being appointed as the commander-in-chief of this expedition. he could not believe the situation. he was just a sailor who was curious about the other side of the sea. the past events flashed through brilliant flower¡¯s mind. it was the time when the trade with the andes region was just booming. brilliant flower had saved a lot of money by changing countless ships even after visiting ddongseom. he wanted to go to the other side of the vast sea, the unknown world, with his own money. sometimes he transported goods and necessities to the newly established settlements in the north, and sometimes he traveled around various regions of the central and southern continents. and finally. he had enough money to buy a ship. ¡°this is¡­!¡± brilliant flower¡¯s eyes trembled. he remembered the many hardships of the past. while he was immersed in deep emotion, a shipyard employee said a word. ¡°hahaha. you are amazing. it must have been hard to raise this much money by yourself.¡± brilliant flower nodded slowly. it was true that it was hard to gather such a capital without many people joining together. ¡°when can i receive the ship?¡± ¡°well, we have to report it to the empire first¡­ it should be possible in a week at most.¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll come back then.¡± the employee¡¯s words were accurate. a week later, he received the ship. ¡®first, let¡¯s make some capital.¡¯ to explore the other side of the sea, the unknown world, he had to earn enough capital. that way, he could pay wages to his crew and fill his ship with food and supplies. after that, brilliant flower started a full-fledged transportation business using his ship. ¡°here, this is your fee. i hope to see you again if we have a chance.¡± ¡°haha. thank you.¡± after completing his first voyage safely, brilliant flower checked the money he earned. ¡°wow!¡± the amount was different from what he had received as a salary in terms of digits. even after paying wages to his crew, he had a lot of profit in his hands. ¡®this is why people try hard and save money to make their own ships.¡¯ he knew roughly how much profit he could make from sailing, but when he got a fortune at once, he felt very good. if he continued sailing like this, he thought he could collect his target capital in no time. he kept transporting various goods and saving money. meanwhile, ¡°there must be another huge continent beyond that sea!¡± ¡°maybe there is a land of divine spirits like his majesty, the great emperor.¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t make sense that there is only wakan tanka continent on this vast earth!¡± here is my attempt to edit and translate the text into english. i have made some changes to the sentence structures, words, and paragraphs to make it more suitable for a web novel. i hope you find it helpful. there were endless hypotheses about the unknown world beyond the sea. brilliant flower felt a deep interest in those sounds. ¡®is there really a continent?¡¯ their claims had enough logic. considering the time difference, the continent of waktanga was only a very small part of the earth. the scholars¡¯ claims gave brilliant flower an even stronger motivation. he had accumulated enough capital by now, so he immediately started to act. ¡°have you thought about it?¡± ¡°¡­fine. i¡¯ll join your plan.¡± he began to recruit his companions who would sail with him across the vast sea. he had been sailing on various ships for a long time, and had made many acquaintances with the sailors. among them, there were many sailors who had similar tendencies to him. brilliant flower had been telling them his plan from before, and subtly suggested it to them. thanks to that, his companions were easily recruited. moreover. ¡°we also want to join your plan. how about doing it together?¡± he also received continuous proposals from other merchants who wanted to join. of course, their purpose was not adventure, but opening new routes. brilliant flower replied to their proposals like this. ¡°fine. but i have no intention of giving up the leadership of this voyage.¡± ¡°yes. that¡¯s obvious.¡± that¡¯s how some merchants joined, and the plan started to gain momentum. ¡®i¡¯m almost there.¡¯ everything was going well. but. suddenly, a law was enacted and brilliant flower encountered a strong obstacle. shiver! ¡°how, how can this be¡­¡± his hand holding the newspaper trembled. he couldn¡¯t believe what was written in the law. ¡®why on earth?¡¯ a law prohibiting ocean voyages¡­ why did they stop him from crossing the vast sea! moreover, this was a law proposed by the great emperor himself. he would receive even heavier punishment if he violated this law. but he didn¡¯t have the will to go against kim giwoo¡¯s will anyway. brilliant flower also had a feeling of admiration for kim giwoo that went beyond respect, like everyone else. but he didn¡¯t want to give up his efforts so easily. ¡®right. i just need to get approval from the imperial administration.¡¯ the only thing he hoped for was one exception clause. but the situation didn¡¯t go as he expected. ¡°impossible.¡± ¡°why not? if any other commercial purposes are a problem, i can give them all up. i¡¯ll only go for exploration purposes with my own ship!¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but no matter how much you plead here, nothing will change. please go back.¡± he tried various ways to get permission after that, but nothing worked out. ¡°sigh¡­¡± a huge sense of deprivation came up from deep inside his chest. he had been running for only one goal for a long time, but he was blocked before he even started. suddenly everything felt futile. the ships he bought with great care and the capital he had accumulated so far felt worthless. ¡®what¡¯s the point of making money like this.¡¯ after his plan was frustrated, brilliant flower immediately sold his ship as second-hand. he had a lot of money when he added up the proceeds from selling my ship and the capital he had saved up. he decided to use that money to travel around the continent for the rest of his life. and just when he was about to put that decision into action. an official from the security bureau came to me. he was holding a scroll with the emperor¡¯s seal on it. ¡°brilliant flower, receive the imperial edict!¡± ¡°wha-!¡± at the sound of the imperial edict, brilliant flower quickly knelt down. soon, the man¡¯s low voice continued without pause. brilliant flower could not regain his senses as he listened to the imperial edict in that voice. but the content was engraved clearly in his head. ¡®me, he wants me to be the leader of the expedition?¡¯ the gist of the long imperial edict was this. he was planning to form an expedition to the continent across the sea, and he wanted to know if i was willing to take charge of it. ¡®ah¡­ so there really is a continent across the sea.¡¯ the first thought that came to my mind was not whether to accept or decline the offer. in the middle of his words, he clearly mentioned the existence of another continent. that meant, there really was another continent! ¡°brilliant flower. please answer his majesty¡¯s words.¡± ¡°ah¡­!¡± i came to my senses when i heard the official¡¯s words. there was nothing more to think about. ¡°i will do it! please let me do it!¡± ¡°i have told you clearly. it is so dangerous that i cannot guarantee your life, and once you decide, you cannot go back. that¡¯s what i said.¡± i did not care about his threatening words. if i had cared about my safety, i would not have thought of venturing across that sea in the first place. that¡¯s how i joined the expedition. ¡®there is no one more suitable for the role of expedition leader than him.¡¯ he was the one who had the strongest desire to cross that sea. in fact, he was the person who would have started sailing across the ocean first if i had not stopped him. kim kiwoo started a serious conversation with brilliant flower. ¡°are you having any trouble forming the expedition?¡± brilliant flower snapped out of his thoughts at kim kiwoo¡¯s question. ¡°trouble? there is no such thing. everything is going smoothly thanks to his majesty¡¯s support.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good to hear.¡± after brilliant flower became the leader of the expedition, he gathered again those who had shared his vision with him. in addition, some of the sailors from the government who volunteered joined the expedition. that¡¯s how an expedition of incomparable size to what brilliant flower had originally planned was formed. ¡°i called you here because i have something to tell you.¡± ¡°what is it¡­¡± ¡°before that, let my attendant leave for a while. make sure no one approaches until i finish talking.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± a sudden order for privacy. brilliant flower swallowed hard at his first experience of a perfect one-on-one meeting. after his attendant left the office, kim kiwoo opened his mouth. ¡°commander.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± ¡°what i¡¯m going to tell you now must never be uttered until the moment we depart for the expedition. can you do that?¡± ¡°i will do that.¡± kim kiwoo said solemnly, and the tension in the splendid field commander increased. ¡°do you know what the continent across the sea looks like?¡± how could i? the splendid field commander shook his head. ¡°i apologize, but i do not know.¡± ¡°i do.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± his face turned pale with shock at the sudden remark. ¡°w-what do you mean¡­¡± ¡°i know what¡¯s across the sea.¡± ¡°gasp!¡± seeing his strong reaction, kim kiwoo leaned forward. and he asked casually. ¡°don¡¯t you want to know? i can tell you if you want.¡± it was an irresistible offer for the splendid field commander. ¡°y-yes, i want to know! please tell me!¡± kim kiwoo nodded his head. that was the purpose of calling the expedition¡¯s commander-in-chief today, to tell him about it. crossing that vast atlantic ocean without any information was very dangerous. kim kiwoo wanted to eliminate that risk as much as possible. after that, he took out a map with the approximate coastlines and currents of both continents, and the direction of the wind, and handed it to the splendid field commander. ¡°t-this is¡­¡± the splendid field commander trembled as he scanned the map like crazy. kim kiwoo waited silently until he checked the map enough, and then continued. ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°it¡¯s amazing. there¡¯s such a huge continent across the sea.¡± there was no doubt in his face about the authenticity of this map. kim kiwoo¡¯s vast knowledge was already beyond the level of judging by common sense. he must have thought the same about the knowledge of another continent. thanks to that, there was no need for further explanation. ¡°take this map and make a sailing plan.¡± ¡°yes!¡± the splendid field commander¡¯s face was full of enthusiasm as he left the office. Chapter 68 chapter 68: contact. after the splendid ship left. kim kiwoo stared blankly at the spot where it had been. ¡®i hope they do well.¡¯ he was not an expert in sailing. he knew that the sailors who had lived on the sea all their lives were better than him in sailing. that¡¯s why kim kiwoo didn¡¯t interfere much with anything related to sailing. he just made sure to inform them of the purpose, risks, and precautions of this voyage. he didn¡¯t want them to get wiped out by a plague after contacting the mainland people for too long. ¡®there are many other things to worry about.¡¯ the experience and skill of the crew were important, but ocean sailing was not something that could be done with just that. kim kiwoo had prepared a lot to increase the success rate of this plan, and now he could see the end of it. *** when he issued the ban on ocean sailing in the past. kim kiwoo did not hesitate to develop the basic technology for ocean sailing simultaneously. among them, the most important thing he focused on was the measurement of latitude and longitude. it was quite difficult to find one¡¯s exact location in the middle of the sea with the technology at that time. ¡°damn. we¡¯ve deviated from the course again.¡± ¡°do you want to land there?¡± ¡°where do we have time for that? tell them to turn the ship to port right away!¡± when they were going to the islands in the caribbean sea, they often ended up in different areas of the island if they went slightly off course. of course, in the northern hemisphere, they could use the position of polaris to calculate latitude, but most of the sailing took place during the day, so it wasn¡¯t very effective. and even then, it became impossible to measure as they went down near the equator. but this wasn¡¯t a big problem until now. most of the sailing followed the coastline. but in ocean sailing, measuring latitude and longitude was very important. what good is having a fairly accurate nautical map? if you don¡¯t know where your ship is. if you make a mistake, you could get stuck in a doldrum and be slaughtered. it wasn¡¯t for nothing that kim kiwoo cared about this first. at least measuring latitude was easier than longitude. ¡°you can measure latitude using the sun?¡± ¡°yes. don¡¯t you know that the position of the sun is different depending on latitude?¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± astronomy was already quite advanced. it was something that anyone who studied astronomy couldn¡¯t possibly not know. they just didn¡¯t think of making a device to measure latitude through this. after that, kim kiwoo explained roughly how to make a device to measure latitude. ¡°i¡¯ll assign some experts to you, so try researching it.¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯ll do that.¡± this is how latitude-related research began, but longitude remained. ¡®basically, longitude also uses the sun in the same way¡­¡¯ to measure longitude, you need to know not only the current position of the sun, but also the exact time. the problem was that it was hard to get accurate time on board. ¡®it¡¯s impossible with a pendulum clock.¡¯ the principle of a pendulum clock was to use a pulley to slowly lower a weight. but for this, you needed a huge clock tower. you can¡¯t take a clock tower on board. even if you could, there would be crazy errors due to the violent movement of the ship. ¡®i need a chronometer.¡¯ a chronometer was a kind of spring clock. it was made to be less affected by vibration or temperature on board ships. in order to make a chronometer, you had to develop a spring clock first. knowing this well, kim kiwoo had been through many trials and errors at the palace¡¯s research complex since springs and gears were made. the principle of a spring clock was simple. you wind up a spring on a coil and use its force trying to unwind itself. at this time, an escapement was needed. the escapement made sure that the coil unwound at a constant rate. it was the most important part of a clock without an escapement, the coil would unwind in an instant. ¡®but the problem is the escapement¡­¡¯ making an escapement took up most of the time in developing a spring clock. but kim kiwoo knew some principles and forms of escapements, so as time went by, he gradually shaped them up. *** if there was anything as important as locating oneself in ocean sailing at this point in time, it would be the performance of ships. but kim kiwoo wasn¡¯t too worried about this. ships played a decisive role in the growth of the empire. most of logistics were transported by ships, and no one denied this. ¡°if we had faster and bigger ships, we could make more money.¡± many merchants who mainly did transportation business always wanted this. technology naturally developed according to needs. thanks to this, the performance of ships improved day by day. and by now, some ships that were good enough to go on ocean sailing were appearing. of course, they had to change their shape a bit for possible battles, but¡­ ¡°what do you think? can you do it?¡± ¡°yes. we can make it. we will report to you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°haha. there¡¯s no need to hurry. you have to sail for a long time, so focus on making it as sturdy as possible.¡± ¡°yes, sir!¡± once the basic shipbuilding technology was established, such modifications were not very difficult. ¡®the weapons are also ready.¡¯ the level of firearms in the empire was also growing day by day. of course, most of them were still matchlock guns, but flintlock guns that used flint instead of match to ignite were also developed. at least there seemed to be enough to arm this expedition. steel cannons were also much improved compared to the beginning. ¡®the weapons are enough for this.¡¯ the current level of firearms was hard to find a match in this era. ¡®i don¡¯t think i need to worry too much about scurvy either.¡¯ in the past age of great voyages, many sailors died of scurvy. scurvy occurred when there was a lack of vitamin c. but it was hard to get vitamin c on board during long voyages. the people at that time didn¡¯t even know the cause of scurvy. they tried various ways to solve it, but scurvy was cured only after a long time had passed. however, kim kiwoo was well aware of the cause of scurvy, and he had been spreading this knowledge to the imperial sailors for a long time. since they sailed along the coast, the sailors could easily consume vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin c on a regular basis. of course, ocean voyages would be different, but they could also be solved. vegetables could be preserved for a long time by pickling them in salt. ¡®and we have kimchi too.¡¯ green tea was also an excellent source of vitamin c. at least, there would be fewer sailors suffering from scurvy in the world after their arrival. thus, all preparations for ocean voyages were nearing completion. *** at that moment. a wind of change blew over the andes. ¡°damn it! is there really no way out?¡± ¡°¡­the enemy is too strong. we can¡¯t handle them with our power.¡± ¡°we can¡¯t surrender now! do you think they will leave us alone? at least we will all die!¡± as the war continued and the factions grew larger, there were also factions that lost their power and faced extinction. they usually lost their main mines and had difficulty in supply. it was hard to continue the war with poor supply. but surrendering to the enemy was not an easy decision either. the hatred was too deep with blood. they were in a dilemma. ¡°facing them in battle is the worst decision. wouldn¡¯t it be better to seek asylum in the wakan tanka empire instead?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± cold wind closed his eyes as he spat out a sigh. it was not an easy matter to decide. it was about leaving behind their homeland where they had lived until now. but he could not think of any other way. ¡°is that the only way¡­¡± it would be better than dying in vain by the war, along with many residents. the weight of the decision tilted slightly. then. bang! ¡°ugh, ugh!¡± a messenger kicked open the door of the meeting room. ¡°what¡¯s going on? did they attack us?¡± ¡°no! it¡¯s, it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t beat around the bush and tell me quickly!¡± ¡°th-the imperial envoy has arrived!¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°the wakan tanka empire¡¯s envoy?¡± ¡°yes!¡± after the messenger finished his words. the atmosphere of the meeting room became chaotic in an instant. ¡°why did they come here?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know¡­ they have no reason to look for us. i can¡¯t think of anything.¡± ¡°they came here without any reason? that doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± as the warriors¡¯ argument intensified, cold wind raised his hand to stop them. ¡°enough. we¡¯ll find out their reason when we meet them. where is the envoy now?¡± ¡°they will arrive in the evening!¡± ¡°then let¡¯s meet them as soon as they arrive.¡± the meeting took place as cold wind wished. as soon as the envoy arrived at their base, the first negotiation was held. right after the negotiation started, both sides exchanged greetings and brief conversations. but that time was not long. they went straight to the point as if they were in a hurry. ¡°why did you come here, imperial envoy?¡± ¡°haha. did i come to a place where i shouldn¡¯t have?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that you shouldn¡¯t have come, but it¡¯s not a place you need to come either.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± after negotiating with tawantinsuyu, the ministry of foreign affairs never visited the andes region directly. only merchants went back and forth between the andes and the empire. they came here without any reason? who would believe such a thing? the envoy slowly drank cold water and continued his words. ¡°i heard that things are not going well here.¡± squirm! at that remark, cold wind¡¯s brow twitched. it was not a pleasant topic of conversation. but cold wind could not deny it. it was a fact that his faction was in a great crisis right now. ¡°i see you know well why you came here. i won¡¯t deny it. the situation is indeed unfavorable. it got worse when the empire¡¯s goods decreased.¡± as they lost their mines to the enemy, they lacked money to import trade goods, and as a result, their supply decreased. this led to defeat in combat. even at this moment, this vicious cycle was happening. the imperial merchants never did business at a loss. the envoy nodded as if he understood. ¡°it¡¯s a pity. it¡¯s time for this region¡¯s turmoil to subside.¡± ¡°¡­¡± cold wind was speechless at the envoy¡¯s words. of course, trade had been conducted according to their needs so far, but the one who benefited most from the long war was none other than wakan tanka empire. in other words, it was not something that the imperial envoy should say. but the envoy did not care about that. ¡°his majesty the emperor does not want this situation either.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± cold wind¡¯s face showed interest at kim kiwoo¡¯s mention. kim kiwoo¡¯s fame was sky-high in the andes region. moreover, since the mission had started for a long time, many andean people believed in the empire¡¯s spirit. the empire¡¯s religion was gradually permeating the andes region. ¡°yes. his majesty is very sorry that the peaceful andean people are being sacrificed by the continuous war.¡± the envoy¡¯s voice became more subtle. soon, he leaned forward and revealed his purpose of coming here. Chapter 69 chapter 69: occupation. ¡°do you want to continue this war, or do you want peace?¡± ¡°¡­if possible, i don¡¯t want any more war.¡± maybe he would have given a different answer if he had maintained his previous momentum. but continuing the war now meant the same as losing and falling into ruin. when the answer he wanted came out of the cold wind¡¯s mouth, a deep smile appeared on the reaper¡¯s lips. ¡°then stop the war.¡± ¡°if you¡¯re talking about exile¡­¡± ¡°of course, that¡¯s one option, but that¡¯s not what i¡¯m talking about right now.¡± ¡°then what?¡± ¡°we¡¯ll help you live peacefully in this land.¡± at that, a strong interest flickered in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°is that possible? the enemies won¡¯t leave us alone, will they?¡± ¡°of course, that would be the case in the current situation. but what if you all became imperial citizens?¡± ¡°what do you mean¡­¡± ¡°the empire has a duty to protect the lives and property of its citizens.¡± the cold wind¡¯s eyes trembled. but the reaper didn¡¯t care about his reaction and took out a document from his pocket and handed it to him. the contents were roughly as follows. if they agreed to become imperial citizens, the empire would send troops to this region and protect the area they had effectively ruled so far from external threats. but once they became imperial citizens, they had to follow the imperial law and accept the imperial administrative system. ¡°hmm¡­¡± a sigh escaped from the man¡¯s mouth. the moment he accepted this proposal, he had to accept the empire¡¯s domination in fact. surely he would have refused it nine times out of ten in the past. but now he was in a situation where he had to grab even a straw. after the reaper left, the meeting that took place was similar. ¡°it¡¯s rather a good thing. didn¡¯t we have no intention of seeking asylum in the empire anyway?¡± ¡°if we accept this, we don¡¯t have to leave this land.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be free from the threat of war once the imperial forces come in!¡± of course, there were also opposing opinions, but most people leaned toward approval. ¡°fine. i¡¯ll accept the empire¡¯s will.¡± ¡°that¡¯s a wise decision!¡± and so one faction was newly embraced by the empire. *** this happened simultaneously among several unstable factions. of course, there were some factions that ultimately refused the empire¡¯s offer, but most of them accepted it. it was better to live under the empire¡¯s protection than to be annihilated by their enemies. after the negotiations with several factions were concluded, kim ki-woo declared. ¡°as of now, i recognize the andes people who have submitted to the empire as imperial citizens! the empire has a duty to protect its citizens, so i will take severe measures against those who harm them!¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s sudden declaration struck andes region hard. especially the powerful factions that boasted strong momentum reacted very sensitively as if fire had fallen on their feet. ¡°this is a blatant act of aggression! we must never tolerate it!¡± ¡°we must raise our troops right now. before the imperial army sets foot on this land, why don¡¯t we just wipe out all those bastards who signed that damned treaty?¡± the high warriors of pekcha raised their voices and denounced it, but¡­ ¡°then we¡¯ll have to fight a full-scale war with the imperial army. the empire won¡¯t sit idly by and watch our actions. do we have the power to face them?¡± when the most feared situation was mentioned, the atmosphere turned cold in an instant. ¡°it¡¯s horrible just to think about it. opposing the empire is something we should consider only at the very last resort.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°hmm!¡± reality is different from ideals. and many of the pekcha warriors were well aware of this. long ago, the aztec empire, which had sacrificed countless people to their gods, was brutally destroyed. the andean people, including the pekcha, knew this fact well. it was because they had exchanged information with the central continent for a long time. ¡®it¡¯s hard to oppose the empire right now.¡¯ the leader of the pekcha, howling wolf, made that judgment. the war between the empire and the aztecs was already a long time ago. by now, they had become incomparably stronger than before. especially¡­ ¡®the weapons of fire are so powerful that they are terrifying.¡¯ cannons could shatter small ships in one shot, and break down walls with their force. and the thing called a gun boasted a penetrating power stronger than arrows. did that mean that their close-range weapons were weak? not at all. the empire¡¯s steel weapons were so powerful that they could not be compared to the iron weapons sold in the market. in the end, to confront the empire, all the andean people had to unite and shed a lot of blood. ¡®that¡¯s impossible.¡¯ howling wolf quickly denied it. they had been frustrated by not being able to kill each other for a long time, and had fought countless wars. of course, the situation had changed, so there was room to negotiate again, but it was hard to join hands easily. besides, after the proclamation of the imperial emperor, he knew that there were quite a few factions that wanted to voluntarily embrace the empire. ¡°besides, in the current situation, we can¡¯t stop importing the empire¡¯s goods and weapons, can we? we don¡¯t have the empire¡¯s technology and productivity.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± even if he gave up everything else, this was the biggest problem. most of the andean people, including themselves, were accustomed to the empire¡¯s excellent goods. and although they tried hard, they could not even make proper iron tools by themselves. the reason why they had fought so many wars with so many sacrifices until now was to get more of the empire¡¯s goods. if trade were to stop¡­ there would surely be a great chaos. it was unfortunate that it was not the empire but themselves who were lacking. ¡®so this is why they came out like this.¡¯ the empire¡¯s intentions were too clear. they were confident that they could act so harshly. especially since the emperor who built up that huge empire personally ordered it. he had succeeded in everything he did. he must have been sure of his success in this matter as well. ¡®i can¡¯t see any answer at all.¡¯ he could see that as time passed, the andean people would become more and more dependent on the empire, but it was hard to stop it. howling wolf felt a deep sense of powerlessness. *** ¡°this is definitely wrong! you haven¡¯t interfered with our affairs until now!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! we will settle our own affairs!¡± ¡°haha.¡± the envoy of the empire, silent forest, looked at them and smiled quietly. ¡®when did you become us? how funny.¡¯ they acted as if they were old comrades who had been struggling to survive until now. of course, they had no choice but to come out like that. but silent forest didn¡¯t need to consider that. he just followed the orders of his great emperor and carried out his assigned mission. ¡°the empire will not look over your territory without permission. we only sent imperial troops to protect those who are loyal to the empire. if you don¡¯t do anything foolish, we can coexist peacefully as we have done so far.¡± i spoke smoothly, but it was nothing but a threat not to oppose the empire¡¯s event. the leaders of each faction gathered here were not fools. they also felt the true intention behind my words. ¡°hah! after buying so much goods from you, is this how you treat us? is this the justice of the empire?¡± ¡°well, i think the trade so far was done voluntarily by you. it sounds like we forced you to buy our goods. if you have any complaints about the trade, please say so. we don¡¯t want to deal with you while hearing such words.¡± ¡°ugh¡­!¡± he spoke strongly, but he knew that cutting off the trade was the worst option. he couldn¡¯t say anything more. as the heated atmosphere subsided a bit, i continued to speak calmly. ¡°i¡¯ll tell you clearly. his majesty the emperor acted only to prevent the war from escalating. if he only thought of the empire¡¯s interests, he wouldn¡¯t have traded like this. it¡¯s obvious that the profits would decrease when the war enters a stalemate. besides, it¡¯s not easy to dispatch and maintain the imperial army.¡± as i spoke logically, some of the leaders nodded in agreement. ¡°his majesty wishes for all the people of this continent to live well. so please don¡¯t misunderstand or distort the will of the empire.¡± after i finished speaking, there was a moment of silence. but it didn¡¯t last long. ¡°then please promise me one thing.¡± ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°that as long as we don¡¯t touch the empire, you won¡¯t invade the areas we rule.¡± ¡°hmm. i can¡¯t give you a definite answer to that.¡± ¡°no, isn¡¯t that different from what you said before?¡± ¡°not at all. we are beings who live under the protection of the great spirits. if a situation arises that seriously goes against the will of the spirits, we can¡¯t help but intervene. like those foolish aztecs.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the faces of the leaders became complicated. the will of the spirits was very vague. the emperor of the empire was one of those great spirits. that meant that the situation could change at any time if the emperor¡¯s mind changed. ¡°you don¡¯t need to worry too much. i don¡¯t think you would commit such serious atrocities. by the way, let me tell you this¡­ his majesty is very concerned about the excessive labor exploitation that is happening in various mines.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± a clear warning. the faces of the leaders darkened at the last words. there was not a single faction among them that did not exploit labor severely. but now they had to reduce this tendency. if they wanted to avoid the empire¡¯s retaliation. *** after that, the imperial army landed on andes one after another. and they peacefully occupied the areas under the shadow of the empire. the various factions had to watch with their eyes open as the imperial army stationed right next to them. ¡°let¡¯s just join the shadow of the empire too.¡± ¡°right!¡± also, gradually, more areas requested to join the empire. they were fed up with war. at least if they joined the empire, they would have a powerful imperial army to protect them. moreover, andes people who wanted to become imperial citizens increased explosively. they no longer had to flee to the coast and contact with upper part of empire and then seek asylum in mainland. now they just had to go to areas under empire¡¯s influence located all over inland. ¡°yeah. just run away there¡­¡± ¡°we can get away from those bastards!¡± thanks to that, many mine workers who had trouble even getting a meal ran away. of course, there were many cases where they were caught while running away, but they couldn¡¯t continue to exploit labor or punish them harshly as before. the warning from empire was deeply engraved in their minds. ¡®good. it¡¯s going well.¡¯ kim ki-woo read report from andes region and smiled satisfiedly. it could have been a big backlash if he had done something wrong. but fortunately, nothing he feared happened. now it seemed like he just had to take root firmly in andes region like he did in central continent. Chapter 70 chapter 70: newspapers. meanwhile, various newspapers were emerging simultaneously in the empire. this was thanks to yellow mountain, who had increased the production of paper and caused the price of paper to plummet. until now, the imperial newspaper had been recording astronomical losses. but it never went out of business. that was because its purpose of publication was not for profit. however, as the price of paper became cheaper, the imperial newspaper turned from red to black. ¡°what? the imperial newspaper made a profit? is that true?¡± ¡°yes, it is. didn¡¯t you see how the price of paper dropped drastically? the printing houses are furious about it.¡± ¡°but still¡­ huh, amazing. did his majesty foresee this?¡± this news quickly spread among the merchants. there was no one more sensitive to information than them. for them, information was money. the merchants immediately started discussing newspapers. ¡°should we try publishing our own newspaper?¡± ¡°a newspaper, you say?¡± ¡°yes.¡± of course, there had been some merchants who had published newspapers in the past. but back then, the price of paper was too high. they couldn¡¯t afford to sell at a loss like the imperial newspaper did. so they tried to raise the price of their newspapers to make a profit. the result? they failed miserably. ¡°why are these newspapers so expensive?¡± there might have been a chance if there was no alternative, but people were already used to the cheap imperial newspaper. they had no reason to buy expensive newspapers. but now, the situation was completely different. they could sell at a similar price as the imperial newspaper and still make enough profit. and the benefit of newspapers was not just money, was it? ¡°we must do this! even if we don¡¯t make much money, having many people read our newspaper will surely be a great advantage!¡± the merchants had already experienced the power of the press through the imperial newspaper. they realized that having people read their newspaper regularly would naturally give them more influence. that¡¯s why private newspapers sprouted up like mushrooms in the empire. it was harder to find a merchant group with a large scale that didn¡¯t publish a newspaper than one that did. ¡°damn it. why are our newspapers selling less than theirs?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t apologize! find a way, a way!¡± once something settled down, it was hard to break through and rise up. the competition among the newspapers heated up in order to secure their positions. they searched for ways to make more people read their newspapers. ¡°this is too bland. you need to write more provocatively so that people will read it!¡± ¡°but to do that, we have to write lies¡­¡± ¡°what does that matter? everyone does it! just do as i say!¡± ¡°¡­yes, sir.¡± many newspapers didn¡¯t hesitate to exaggerate and lie to attract people¡¯s interest. ¡°hahaha! look at this! this is why our newspapers are selling so well!¡± that method worked. people started buying and reading their sensationalized newspapers. but that also meant that other newspapers¡¯ sales decreased. ¡°damn. from now on, we¡¯ll write just as provocatively!¡± eventually, more and more newspapers joined in this trend. they had to survive, after all. *** ¡°your majesty! the private newspapers are crossing the line!¡± ¡°they are publishing false facts as if they were true in their newspapers, causing many imperial citizens to suffer. this cannot be overlooked.¡± ¡°private newspapers do not contribute to the empire¡¯s development at all! we should ban them altogether!¡± the various ministers of the empire denounced the private newspapers with one voice and mind. even the minister of education argued that private newspapers should be banned completely. the ministers were the top intellectuals of the empire. most of the current intellectuals hated the newspapers that shamelessly distorted and lied. ¡®this is how it ends up.¡¯ when kim ki-woo saw that the imperial newspaper turned profitable thanks to the cheap paper, he had somewhat predicted this would happen. and his predictions rarely missed. wasn¡¯t this one accurate as well? ¡®i¡¯d like to get rid of all those private newspapers just like the minister of education said, but¡­¡¯ he believed that anything was possible if he wanted it. but this was not a very good method. it was better to have various newspapers published, rather than just one imperial newspaper like before. that way, more diverse information would spread and circulate. kim kiwoo firmly believed that the smooth circulation of information was the shortcut to development. ¡®but the current state of the private newspapers is outrageous.¡¯ and if he left them alone, more and more trashy reporters would be produced. the first time was important for this kind of thing. he had to establish a healthy ecosystem from the beginning, so that there would be less problems even if something went wrong. ¡®even if not, i have to rein in the private newspapers.¡¯ when a press company became huge, it gained the power to sway public opinion. if he made a mistake, it could act as a huge obstacle to kim kiwoo¡¯s plan. therefore, kim kiwoo made a decision. ¡°there is definitely a problem with the current private newspapers.¡± the faces of the department heads brightened at his words. ¡°however, i will not accept the suggestion of the education department head to close down all the private newspapers. that is too harsh.¡± ¡°then what do you plan to do?¡± kim kiwoo answered immediately to the question of the education department head. ¡°from now on, all private newspapers operating in the empire must obtain the permission of the empire. and if they continue to publish distorted facts, they will be punished.¡± kim kiwoo continued his words. at first, it would end with a warning, but after that, he would suspend them for a certain period of time. and if they continued this behavior even after that, he could even permanently revoke their newspaper publishing rights. ¡°that¡¯s fair!¡± ¡°from now on, the misdeeds of the private newspapers will surely decrease!¡± not a single department head voiced an opposing opinion. ¡®they won¡¯t cross the line if they know their livelihood might be cut off.¡¯ kim kiwoo judged so. ** after the imperial meeting ended. the regulation of private newspapers was carried out immediately. then, the private newspapers that had already increased their subscribers in this way were in trouble. it was because they had received a warning. the top banner of flying top and hot wind were in the same situation. ¡°what do we do now? if we keep publishing newspapers like this, we might really go out of business.¡± ¡°what can we do? we have to follow his majesty¡¯s will.¡± flying top also received a warning, so hot wind had no choice but to comply with kim kiwoo¡¯s will. but as he did so, many subscribers dropped out. he expected it, but when the loss became real, hot wind felt his stomach burn. he had invested a large portion of the money he had collected from publishing private newspapers until now. he might lose this blood money¡­ it was terrible just to imagine it. ¡°damn¡­ what do i do?¡± it was not easy to improve the quality of his articles anymore. he couldn¡¯t see any way to beat the other formidable banners¡¯ newspapers in this situation. as he was worrying about that, bang! ¡°boss!¡± a subordinate employee kicked open the door and came in. ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°i thought of an amazing way!¡± ¡°oh, really?¡± hot wind¡¯s eyes lit up at his confident words and expression. ¡°then tell me. if the result is good, there will be a reward for you.¡± ¡°it¡¯s this!¡± flutter! he had a newspaper in his hand. hot wind recognized it at a glance. ¡°the imperial newspaper? what about it?¡± ¡°here, look at this. don¡¯t you feel anything?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± hot wind slowly read where his subordinate employee¡¯s finger pointed. there was nothing special about the content. it was just a recommendation that since sugar was being consumed a lot lately and teeth were rotting more often, people should brush their teeth frequently. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you want to sell toothbrushes.¡± ¡°of course not.¡± ¡°then don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± ¡°yes, sir!¡± he answered loudly and started to explain right away. ¡°don¡¯t you often see these notices in the imperial newspaper? about new inventions or things related to health.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°we also put these promotional contents in our newspaper.¡± ¡°huh? we already have a shortage of space, why would we waste it on that?¡± ¡°of course, we don¡¯t just put them for nothing. we promote the products that are not selling well because they are not well-known. and if they are from other merchants, we charge them a certain amount of money.¡± ¡°you charge them money for promoting their products?¡± hot wind thought about his words carefully. that concept was unprecedented, and he couldn¡¯t tell if it would work, and if it did, how good it would be. ¡°think about it. if the imperial newspaper publishes information about new inventions, wouldn¡¯t it spread quickly? of course, our newspaper can¡¯t compare to the imperial newspaper, but it will surely have an effect. and with the money we get from that, we lower the price of our newspaper.¡± ¡°wow.¡± hot wind finally understood his whole idea. if they lower the price of their newspaper, it will surely sell to more people. if there are newspapers of similar quality, people will buy and read the cheaper one. then more newspapers will be sold¡­ ¡®and we can charge more money for the promotion.¡¯ since they are promoting to more people, it was a natural right. with the money they earn from that, they can maintain their low-price policy. in the end, as their scale grows bigger and bigger, they can keep making more money. and also, this would increase the influence of the flying merchants. ¡°haha! that¡¯s a brilliant idea. this will surely succeed!¡± hot wind laughed heartily as he imagined the bright future. thus, the concept of advertising was introduced in the empire. ¡°hahaha¡­¡± kim kiwoo came across the story of the flying merchants who started to compete on price through advertising. ¡®they just started to publish private newspapers and they already began advertising.¡¯ there were indeed many smart people among the merchants. ¡®but i hope they don¡¯t go too far with their price competition.¡¯ as private capital developed, there were more and more attempts to eliminate competitors effectively. this was not only seen in private newspapers, but also in various fields. if these things piled up, a full-scale chicken game would ensue. he didn¡¯t mind it as a natural course of events, but kim kiwoo didn¡¯t really like such bloody competition. but that was something to worry about later. he could think about the future when it came. Chapter 71 chapter 71: discrimination. when the issue of the newspaper was burning in the upper world. in a corner of the capital, a discussion that could change the political situation of the empire was taking place. ¡°it¡¯s time for all of us to rise up. haven¡¯t we endured silently for a long time?¡± ¡°yes, we have. this is something that we must definitely correct.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the agricultural director, thick leather, closed his eyes and crossed his arms, thinking over and over. ¡®they are all right, but¡­¡¯ the current politics of the empire was clearly problematic, even in his eyes. but it was a very delicate matter to bring it to public debate. it was not good to move emotionally like this. thick leather looked around and opened his mouth. ¡°wouldn¡¯t it get better over time? the current situation is just a temporary phenomenon.¡± ¡°a temporary phenomenon? that phenomenon has already passed thirty years. don¡¯t you still know that there is nothing to gain if you don¡¯t act?¡± ¡°ahem. even so, don¡¯t speak so aggressively to the elder.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry. i think i got too excited.¡± ¡°no, i understand your feelings.¡± the agricultural director graciously accepted the apology of the man. ¡®am i thinking wrong?¡¯ the situations that had happened so far flashed through his head. thick leather was a rare case among the non-creek faction who became a director. in the current situation where the top of the imperial politics was dominated by the creek faction, thick leather¡¯s appointment as a director was quite exceptional. in fact, there were many rumors at the time of his appointment. was it because of that? thick leather had become the focal point of the non-creek faction officials from some point. ¡®phew¡­ it¡¯s hard.¡¯ of course, it was not because he wanted to challenge the authority of creek and threaten his position. thick leather was ready to give up his position as an agricultural director at any time. what he worried about most was the fear that the great emperor he respected might think badly of him. ¡®the creek faction played a significant role in the birth of the waktanga empire.¡¯ that¡¯s why his majesty had also shown a gesture of taking care of the creek faction implicitly. if not, he would have banned the preferential treatment of the creek faction that existed implicitly in various departments. the agricultural director expressed his feelings without hiding them. ¡°i¡¯m afraid. i might upset the great emperor i respect. what if his majesty is disappointed in me¡­¡± thick leather¡¯s weak voice made silence linger for a while. it was indeed a matter that could be seen as confronting kim ki-woo¡¯s intentions head-on. ¡°your words are understandable. however, his majesty will not think so. didn¡¯t he listen to all the opposing opinions so far?¡± ¡°¡­that was a long time ago. he doesn¡¯t do that anymore.¡± as time passed, kim ki-woo¡¯s deification had progressed enough. so even if they were directors who met frequently, they did not easily express opposing opinions as before. the man pointed this out. ¡°he just doesn¡¯t say anything, but he won¡¯t think badly even if you do. his majesty is fair and rational in everything.¡± ¡°if you are willing, we will go with you to the end. please trust us!¡± ¡°¡­¡± their earnest tone echoed, and thick leather¡¯s worries deepened. the meeting ended like this. but even after returning home, thick leather¡¯s worries continued. it didn¡¯t take long. finally, thick leather made a decision. ¡®let¡¯s do it.¡¯ he didn¡¯t know how the ending would turn out, but he decided to go as far as he could go. *** after making up his mind. his worries were long, but thick leather¡¯s actions were very fast. ¡°so. you said you have something important to say?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°haha. why are you so serious? you look like someone who did something wrong to me!¡± kim ki-woo joked to ease the tense atmosphere, but the nervous face of the agricultural director did not relax. ¡®he must have something important to say.¡¯ kim ki-woo thought so, finally, the agricultural director¡¯s story began. ¡°your majesty. the wakan tanka empire is growing very fast and becoming great. i think this is all thanks to your excellent leadership.¡± ¡°most of the credit goes to the ministers these days.¡± he was 100 percent sincere. kim ki-woo had been more focused on the development of mathematics and science lately, so most of the practical matters were handled by each department unless they were very important. ¡°thank you for thinking so highly of us. however, i think there is a problem with the current situation of the empire.¡± ¡°a problem?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the minister of agriculture narrowed his eyes and waited for kim ki-woo to continue. kim ki-woo looked at him and guessed what he was going to say. ¡®it¡¯s about the faction issue.¡¯ even though he had delegated a significant part of the work to each department, he was constantly receiving major information through the audit office. the audit office was tirelessly digging up corruption among the imperial officials and providing kim ki-woo with valuable intelligence. he also knew that the voices of discontent from the non-creek faction were growing louder. and the minister of agriculture was one of them. the picture was clear. ¡°won¡¯t you tell me what the problem is?¡± as soon as kim ki-woo finished speaking, the minister of agriculture took out the documents he had brought with him. ¡°would you please take a look at this?¡± kim ki-woo took the documents from him. swish. and he opened the first page. ¡°hmm.¡± there were names and signatures of numerous officials from various departments. it was the same on the next pages. from high-ranking officials to low-level ones. the number of officials who signed was very large. ¡°they are all officials who share my intentions. we are¡­¡± ¡°is it because of the creek faction?¡± kim ki-woo cut to the chase, as he felt like he would beat around the bush otherwise. the minister of agriculture flinched at that. ¡°¡­you already knew what i was going to say.¡± he opened his mouth again with a determined expression. ¡°of course, we all acknowledge that thanks to the efforts of the creek faction, the foundation of the empire has been established. but that was in the previous generation. now, whether it¡¯s us or them, we are all working hard for the empire. isn¡¯t that right? the non-creek faction officials also worked just as hard. however, most of the time, it was the creek faction officials who got promoted first.¡± ¡°that¡¯s one way to look at it.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t this unfair? if we are all imperial citizens, we should be evaluated by the same standards. isn¡¯t that written in the constitution? that all citizens of wakan tanka empire are equal under your majesty.¡± kim ki-woo nodded his head. not only in politics, but also in a large portion of the upper class of the empire, there were many creek faction members. they had a head start from the beginning, so they had an easier time securing their positions. of course, if that was all, the situation wouldn¡¯t have gotten this bad. ¡®the problem is that they favor their own kind.¡¯ the creek faction members had a huge pride in being chosen by his majesty as a great tribe. therefore, they cared more for their own people than others. a culture of pushing and pulling each other had gradually emerged. of course, kim ki-woo had repeatedly warned them not to discriminate against others, so they didn¡¯t do it openly, but it was happening under the surface. with this behavior of the creek faction, the dissatisfaction of other factions had been accumulating. ¡®and finally, their dissatisfaction has erupted.¡¯ of course, kim ki-woo could have reduced this privilege if he tried. but he didn¡¯t do that. he had always tried to minimize his political burden and move forward. thanks to that, he had built such a solid foundation. this time was no different. he had to remain as a mediator. when social conflicts arose, he had to help them have enough consultation with each other and then make a decision. that was the best way. ¡®if they want to get rid of injustice, they have to raise their voices.¡¯ so kim ki-woo had been quietly waiting for this moment. and now, the non-creek faction had grown enough to be able to make such a voice in the imperial politics. of course, the creek faction members still held tight to the top positions, but most of the rest were either non-creek or neutral. if they started to speak with one voice like this, even the creek faction members wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore them easily. kim ki-woo gave him a final warning. ¡°if you want to fix the current situation, you will have to face conflicts with many directors. there will be many difficult moments. are you still willing to continue?¡± ¡°¡­do you see our opinions negatively, your majesty?¡± ¡°haha. why would i? i have no reason to dislike them.¡± ¡°then, no matter how it ends, i want to see it through.¡± the face of the agriculture director showed determination as he finished speaking. *** this discussion shook the imperial politics. ¡°some might think that all the directors gathered here are vile people if they hear this.¡± ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it? of course, i agree with some of the points made by the agriculture director, but i find it very unpleasant that he disparages our past.¡± the force of the military director¡¯s sturdy steel sword was very sharp. according to the people of the non-creek faction, including those with thick leather, it meant that they had risen to the director position not because of their abilities, but because of their backgrounds. the current directors were people who had worked hard since kim ki-woo first came to creek. so they couldn¡¯t help but feel offended. wasn¡¯t the sturdy steel sword a warrior who had performed excellently since the first conquest war? the agriculture director knew this fact well. ¡°you misunderstand me. i am talking about our next generation. the ones who have lived as imperial citizens since they were young. they received the same education regardless of their faction. but, once they entered public service, they faced subtle discrimination.¡± ¡°really? how can you say that for sure? i admit that the creek faction officials advanced faster. but, that was only because they were more skilled. in fact, the test scores of the creek faction were always high.¡± that was true. the brain¡¯s excellence played a big role in the scores, but the environment also had a great influence. and the people of the creek faction tended to devote more passion to studying than others. it was because of their pride in being creek faction and their parents¡¯ desire to raise their children as elites. but the agriculture director countered immediately. ¡°heh. do you really think that there was no bias in the promotion process when most of the officials involved were from the creek faction? who doesn¡¯t know that they favor the creek faction if they are at a similar level? we are not fools!¡± the atmosphere in the meeting room became more heated. ¡®it doesn¡¯t seem like it will end soon.¡¯ neither side seemed to back down easily. it was obvious that finding a solution would be a difficult task, as it was a very sensitive issue. Chapter 72 chapter 72: the rally. ¡°this is unacceptable! how much have we worked for the development of the empire? if you think about it, it¡¯s thanks to our creak faction that they can enjoy this prosperity now!¡± ¡°ah, you¡¯re right. they¡¯re getting greedy now that they¡¯re well-fed.¡± ¡°the agricultural director is also ridiculous. why did he have to bring up this issue at this point?¡± it was a meeting of the main figures of the creak faction. as soon as the conversation started, various complaints burst out. ¡°so what are you going to do now? are you going to listen to everything they say?¡± ¡°ha! how can we accept their absurd demands? that¡¯s impossible.¡± most of the officials nodded and agreed with that statement. currently, the highest-ranking officials like the directors had their authority exercised by kim kiwoo, but the lower-ranking officials were under the control of their respective directors. but the agricultural director demanded that he give up some of his authority. he asked that from now on, half of their opinions should be reflected in the personnel evaluation and related matters. it was a request that could not be easily granted. the atmosphere became more tense as time passed. at that moment, the industrial director, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth. ¡°hmm. it¡¯s certainly excessive¡­ but i think his majesty¡¯s intention is more important.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± there was no objection to that. they all knew well that the final decision depended on kim kiwoo. ¡°you should think carefully. after all, his majesty allowed us to discuss this matter.¡± ¡°so you want to say that his majesty supports them?¡± ¡°well, i don¡¯t know. but at least he doesn¡¯t completely oppose them.¡± ¡°i think differently. hasn¡¯t his majesty recognized our contributions to building the empire so far? i think he wouldn¡¯t favor them over us.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± it was a question that no one could answer for sure without knowing kim kiwoo¡¯s thoughts. ¡°let¡¯s just wait and see how things turn out. and don¡¯t say anything wrong in the meantime. do you understand?¡± ¡°that¡¯s a fair point.¡± the first meeting ended without a clear conclusion. but the situation did not go as they expected. *** the collective movement of non-creak faction public officials quickly spread. the issue of personnel authority in each department became a hot topic in no time. soon after the debate started, all the imperial and private newspapers featured stories related to it on their covers. through this, public opinion was divided into two camps. ¡°they¡¯ve developed so much thanks to the creak faction, haven¡¯t they? no matter what, this seems too harsh¡­¡± some people did not like this. but there were more cases of the opposite. ¡°pfft, tsk! i knew this day would come someday.¡± ¡°they deserve it!¡± they criticized the behavior of the creak faction. it was their own fault, in a way. in the past, most of the imperial citizens had experienced oppression from the creak faction or some other factions close to them when they settled in the empire. their pride in being chosen by kim kiwoo turned into arrogance towards others. in this situation, as time passed and the proportion of creak faction members decreased, and as the living standards of the citizens became more equalized, dissatisfaction grew. people tend to remember being hit longer than hitting someone else. especially since the empire emphasized equality, these actions of some creak faction members who were intoxicated with superiority felt even more disgusting. ¡°it would be nice if they fixed everything else besides personnel authority this time.¡± ¡°that¡¯s what i¡¯m saying. but first of all, let¡¯s hope this matter ends well.¡± ¡°yeah, yeah.¡± this atmosphere quickly engulfed the empire like a wildfire. but in the end, the final decision was up to kim kiwoo. therefore, those who supported the change passionately were worried. ¡°isn¡¯t there a way to make our voice heard more clearly to his majesty?¡± they tried endlessly to find a way to change kim kiwoo¡¯s mind. through this, various opinions came up, and one man¡¯s words gained a lot of sympathy. ¡°how about this? we gather people who share our will. with this mood, many people will join us, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true¡­ but what are we going to do with them?¡± ¡°we lead them to the square. if so many people gather like this, his majesty might change his mind.¡± ¡°that sounds too radical. it might even offend his majesty.¡± ¡°if that happens, we can just stop then. there¡¯s meaning in trying it in itself.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the debate continued after that. but as the conversation went on, the idea of trying it out gained more support. eventually, they went to the square with the people who shared their cause. ¡°what are you doing here?¡± as a large crowd gathered in the square, the security guards who were guarding it asked incredulously. but they didn¡¯t panic and explained why they had gathered. ¡°huh¡­¡± after hearing their explanation, the security guards frowned. ¡°what should we do? should we disperse them all?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the senior guard didn¡¯t make a decision right away. there had never been a case where so many people gathered in the square for one purpose. in other words, there was no precedent. so it was hard to make a conclusion on his own. ¡°let¡¯s request reinforcements for now. the higher-ups will decide what to do.¡± ¡°got it.¡± the senior guard took the best measure he could. he started to guard with more guards in case something violent happened. as the situation turned out like this, the people who were walking around the square became interested in it. ¡°what¡¯s going on? why are there so many people?¡± ¡°haha. don¡¯t you read the newspaper? there¡¯s a lot of talk about personnel authority these days.¡± ¡°i know that. but what does that have to do with those people?¡± ¡°i heard they¡¯re supporters of this issue. they think his majesty might change his mind if they gather like that.¡± ¡°tsk! do they really have to do that? the ministers have devoted themselves to the empire so far.¡± ¡°who doesn¡¯t know the ministers¡¯ devotion? what we want is fair personnel authority for the lower-level officials. i¡¯m going to join them in the square tomorrow.¡± there were various arguments about this, but as time passed, the crowd kept growing. there were more people who supported this issue than expected. and this phenomenon caught the interest of the reporters who were thirsty for news. ¡°this¡­ could be a very interesting story if i spin it well.¡± soon, some newspapers started to cover the spontaneously gathered citizens in a prominent way. and other newspapers joined them as well. before long, many people learned of their existence. ¡°we can¡¯t just sit here. let¡¯s go to the square together!¡± eventually, countless citizens filled the square. the first large-scale rally in the empire took place. *** of course, as soon as the citizens started gathering in the square, this news was reported to kim ki-woo. and he could have ordered to disperse this rally early if he wanted to. but he didn¡¯t do that. it was a law that suppressing anything would cause a bigger backlash. ¡®there¡¯s no denying the positive effects of a rally.¡¯ of course, he had no intention of tolerating violent protests. so he issued guidelines for proper rallies. to create a peaceful and rational rally culture. ¡®amazing.¡¯ there were far more people gathered in the square than he thought. the things that had been accumulated unknowingly finally burst out. kim ki-woo confirmed this and immediately arranged a meeting with straight tree. ¡°what do you think of the citizens gathered in the square?¡± kim ki-woo looked at straight tree slightly. his face was very pale, as if he had suffered a lot in a short time. it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡®he¡¯s practically the symbol of the creak faction.¡¯ he was one of the main figures who wrote the legend of the empire with kim ki-woo. after sorting out his thoughts for a while, straight tree began to speak. ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble. it¡¯s all my fault that this situation happened.¡± straight tree bowed his head deeply. kim ki-woo shook his head. ¡°how can it be your fault? lift your head.¡± ¡°no. the truth is, i also turned a blind eye to some of the creak faction¡¯s interests. i had a foolish thought that it was thanks to our efforts that the empire was built. when it was all your achievements.¡± ¡°your thought wasn¡¯t wrong. you are loyal subjects of the empire, and you are the driving force behind its existence.¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s an honor that you think so. but i will correct our wrong practices from now on.¡± ¡°is that what you all want?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± kim kiwoo nodded slowly. ¡°you have made a very difficult decision.¡± he was not lying. no matter how bad the public opinion was, it was not easy to give up some of the privileges that they had built up so solidly. but they had made their decision. kim kiwoo¡¯s actions also played a big role in this, whether they knew it or not. he did not impose any restrictions on all the events that happened until the situation became public and a large-scale rally took place in the square. anyone who was not a fool could tell which side kim kiwoo was more inclined to. that¡¯s why they gave in so easily. *** after meeting the upright tree. kim kiwoo immediately convened an imperial meeting and declared. ¡°from now on, when exercising the right of appointment, no one faction¡¯s personnel shall occupy more than half.¡± ¡°as your majesty wishes!¡± the chiefs¡¯ expressions were not very good, but at least there was no one who directly opposed it. this news also quickly spread to the imperial citizens who gathered in the square. wow! a loud cheer rang out in the square for the first time in a long time. it was proven that their actions were not in vain. ¡°hahaha! his majesty listened to our wishes¡­!¡± ¡°i knew it would be like this. hasn¡¯t his majesty always been for us?¡± ¡°yeah, right!¡± countless imperial citizens praised kim kiwoo¡¯s determination. this way, the situation came to an end for now and people realized something. through such rallies, if a majority of people speak with one voice, they can contribute to changing unreasonable things. ¡°damn. there¡¯s no difference between friend and foe!¡± of course, not everyone was satisfied with the decision. the victims of this situation, the creek faction personnel and the countless imperial citizens who admired them, looked at this very critically. they thought that a hasty decision had been made by being swept away by the mood. especially, the creek faction personnel who were in the upper class of the empire felt a greater sense of crisis. ¡°if we stay like this, we might lose everything we have achieved with our eyes open.¡± this was just the beginning. it was obvious that their position would be steadily eroded. from their point of view, who had pride in developing the empire to this extent, it was something they could not tolerate. so they started to unite more and more. to continue their strong momentum. Chapter 73 chapter 73: microscope. many things were happening in the empire, but kim kiwoo spent most of his time managing various research projects. many of the items created by these researches had passed the experimental stage and gradually spread throughout the empire. one of the most representative ones was the lens. ¡°look! i can see clearly in front of me! hahaha!¡± ¡°my goodness¡­ is this really real?¡± many people who encountered glasses for the first time were greatly shocked. until now, the decline of eyesight was almost incurable. that is, if one¡¯s eyesight deteriorated due to presbyopia or other factors, they had to suffer for their entire life. but with the development of lens processing technology, glasses were made and eyesight correction became possible. thanks to this, people who suffered from vision problems shouted with joy. the people who were happy with the development of lenses were not only those with low vision. ¡°wow! it¡¯s like it¡¯s right in front of my nose!¡± ¡°this is a really amazing thing. don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°hehe. of course, it¡¯s a device made by his majesty. it¡¯s only natural!¡± especially among the sailors, telescopes were very popular. they were able to easily identify distant objects through telescopes. they also supplied telescopes to the observatory, which lacked them. ¡®good.¡¯ kim kiwoo smiled with satisfaction after receiving reports on these situations. kim kiwoo had been constantly improving lenses using high-purity quartz. through this, the lens processing technology had risen to an unrecognizable level. of course, there were still limited lenses that could be supplied to the public, but this would improve over time. ¡®more importantly, this is not the main purpose.¡¯ glasses and telescopes were nothing more than by-products that came out of the process of achieving kim kiwoo¡¯s goal. ¡®finally.¡¯ today was a historic day when the main goal was achieved. kim kiwoo ran to the palace¡¯s research complex as soon as he heard the news of its completion. ¡°your majesty!¡± when he arrived at the place where lens research was conducted, all the researchers came out and greeted kim kiwoo. ¡°haha. you don¡¯t have to come out like that.¡± ¡°we apologize. but we couldn¡¯t stay still on such a meaningful day.¡± kim kiwoo had simplified greetings so that research would not stop in between whenever he visited. now that culture was firmly established. but today seemed to be hard to do that. ¡®they are all smiling.¡¯ the researchers had been immersed in research for a long time without much vacation. their faces were clearly covered with fatigue. but today they looked very bright. there was not a single researcher who looked gloomy. ¡°this is not the time. let¡¯s go inside.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± as kim kiwoo walked into the building, all the researchers followed him closely. and they saw it. the thing that was made after countless trials and errors. the microscope, that is. kim kiwoo approached the microscope and touched it here and there, checking it with his eyes. ¡®there¡¯s not much change in appearance.¡¯ he had checked the results from time to time during the trial and error process. since kim kiwoo did most of the work to set up the structure of the microscope, there was not much room for change. kim kiwoo organized his thoughts and looked at the senior researcher. ¡°i heard through my officials that it¡¯s different from last time.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. this time it¡¯s certain.¡± the senior researcher¡¯s face was full of confidence. ¡°then i¡¯ll see it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°yes. we knew you would do that and prepared everything in advance.¡± ¡°is that so? then let¡¯s check it right away.¡± kim kiwoo did not hesitate and brought his eye to the eyepiece part of the microscope. then¡­ ¡®wow.¡¯ the squirming microbes entered kim kiwoo¡¯s eyes. it was the first time he saw the movement of microbes since he came from modern times to the past. kim kiwoo adjusted the screws back and forth for a long time, checking and rechecking the world where microbes lived. how long had it been? after finishing all the checks, kim kiwoo took his face off from the microscope. ¡°¡­how is it?¡± there was a tense atmosphere among the researchers. they had already checked the performance of the microscope and observed the microorganisms, but they were not sure if they had met kim kiwoo¡¯s standards. however, kim kiwoo¡¯s next words quickly dispelled this mood. ¡°very good.¡± ¡°then¡­¡± ¡°yes. it¡¯s a success.¡± ¡°is that really true?¡± ¡°wow¡­!¡± ¡°finally!¡± thud! one of the researchers even collapsed on the floor, as if he had lost his strength. kim kiwoo held his hands and helped him up. ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s okay. it happens.¡± kim kiwoo patted his shoulder and then looked around at the other researchers. ¡°you all have worked really hard. you can rest for a while. i¡¯ll give you a generous bonus and vacation. got it?¡± ¡°yes!¡± ¡°woohoo!¡± with the cheers of the researchers, the first microscope finally revealed itself to the world. *** the news of the microscope¡¯s creation became a hot issue in the academic world. kim kiwoo sent five of the seven prototypes to the imperial university, and assigned the remaining two to the palace research complex. and so, on the day when the microscope was introduced to the intellectuals of the imperial university for the first time. ¡°hehe. are these all people who came to see the microscope?¡± ¡°of course. you¡¯re one of them too, right?¡± ¡°sure. as a scholar, i can¡¯t miss such a great device.¡± countless scholars flocked to the place where the microscope was placed. they visited regardless of their fields of study, making it impossible to find a spot to step on in front of the building. and finally. the microscope practice began. ¡°please line up properly!¡± ¡°one person at a time, please!¡± the guides let in the people who had lined up first into the building. ¡°please come this way.¡± ¡°oh!¡± ¡°this is¡­¡± the scholars exclaimed at the unfamiliar sight of the microscope as they entered the building. jilgeun namooteup smiled faintly and continued his explanation. ¡°the use of the microscope is simple. you just need to put your eye here, and adjust the screws to change the position. would you like to try it?¡± ¡°yes. let¡¯s do that.¡± soon, the first scholar started his practice. since it was already adjusted, he was able to observe the microorganisms as soon as he put his eye on the eyepiece. ¡°ah!¡± an exclamation escaped from his mouth. he stared blankly at the movements of the microorganisms, then regained his senses and adjusted the screws. jilgeun namooteup waited patiently for him, then gently tapped his shoulder. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but there are many people waiting behind you.¡± only then did he take his eye off the eyepiece. after that, jilgeun namooteup gave another scholar a chance to practice. when the guidance was over. the first scholar asked jilgeun namooteup. ¡°¡­is what i saw really true?¡± ¡°of course. didn¡¯t you see it with your own eyes?¡± ¡°i did, but¡­ i still can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°haha. i felt the same way at first. but there¡¯s no trick here. this world is full of those microorganisms. isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± jilgeun namooteup¡¯s eyes sparkled as he spoke. the same was true for the scholar who asked him. ¡°it seems that there are many things that we didn¡¯t know. someday, all those tiny things will be revealed, right?¡± ¡°yes. that day will surely come.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry for taking your time. then, take care.¡± ¡°not at all. please take a look around.¡± even after the first practitioner left, many scholars witnessed the microorganisms with their own eyes through the microscope. this way, they learned about the existence of microorganisms. this sparked their interest in the microscopic world. after that, they observed various substances through the microscope, and the level of biology began to rise rapidly. *** ¡®i finally climbed over another mountain.¡¯ kim kiwoo felt a deep sense of satisfaction when the microscope was officially used. the microscope was a device that played a decisive role in the development of science. and it was also what the empire¡¯s scholars, who were thirsty for knowledge, needed most. if he provided this foundation, many people would research and exchange knowledge, and accelerate the progress. kim kiwoo left his office with a relieved mind and returned to the palace. ¡°you worked hard today.¡± ¡°you too. it¡¯s chilly outside, let¡¯s go in.¡± as always, the empress was waiting for him in front of the palace. he told her that there was no need to come out, but unless there was something special, deep lake always waited for kim kiwoo¡¯s return in front of the palace. ¡®hmm?¡¯ but kim kiwoo felt something different. he had lived with deep lake for so long that he could tell how she felt by looking at her, but today she looked very unhappy. ¡°is there something wrong? you look pale¡­¡± ¡°wrong? what could be wrong? nothing is wrong.¡± ¡°¡­is that so?¡± she calmly smiled and replied. kim kiwoo tilted his head but went inside for now. after spending time with his family in the palace, kim kiwoo called in his steward. ¡°the empress looked bad, did something happen?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± the steward hesitated for a moment. kim kiwoo realized it. ¡°she told you not to tell me, right?¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry and tell me. i¡¯ll talk to the empress later.¡± the steward couldn¡¯t disobey kim kiwoo¡¯s words, even if the empress had asked him not to. the steward paused for a while and then started to talk. kim kiwoo listened to the steward¡¯s words with a stern expression until the end. afterwards, kim kiwoo¡¯s chest felt heavy as if a stone was on it. ¡®phew¡­ menopause.¡¯ the empress was already well past middle age. so finally menopause came. only then did he understand all of her actions. of course, they didn¡¯t have any more children after their fifth princess, but there was a big difference between that and actually going through menopause. ¡°i see. you can go now.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± kim kiwoo sent out the steward and fell into deep thought. ¡®did i neglect her too much?¡¯ she married kim kiwoo at the age of twenty when she was in her prime, and suffered a lot of mental pain because she couldn¡¯t have children for a long time. and she lived busy raising her children properly and doing her duties as an empress. as a result, she hardly ever went outside the palace. ¡®i was too harsh.¡¯ the more he thought about it, the more he felt like he had done wrong to the empress. he didn¡¯t even take her on a trip, let alone go outside with her! even if he was busy with his work as an emperor and various researches, he could have made some more time for her. kim kiwoo began to regret that he couldn¡¯t do that. ¡®¡­i should treat her better from now on.¡¯ he wanted to make more memories with the empress who was depressed because of menopause. he didn¡¯t know how much longer she would live after all. he had to treat her well while she was still here. after that, kim kiwoo immediately put his decision into action. Chapter 74 chapter 74: family trip. kim kiwoo opened the door to the bedroom and started a conversation with the empress. ¡°i heard what happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the empress¡¯s expression hardened at his blunt words. he didn¡¯t mention the object, but it was obvious what he meant. ¡°don¡¯t blame the eunuch. he only answered my question. by the way, are you feeling alright?¡± at that, deep lake smiled faintly at the corner of her mouth. ¡°what could be wrong with me? i¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­you always say you¡¯re fine. you can be a little spoiled with me on a day like this.¡± he felt sorry for her, trying to act strong in front of him when she must have been suffering a lot. kim kiwoo silently approached the empress and hugged her tightly. then he felt a slight tremor from her body. he patted her back for a while. ¡°i know you always try to accommodate me. but it¡¯s okay to say you¡¯re having a hard time. i don¡¯t want to see you sacrifice yourself anymore. do you understand?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty¡­¡± sob. a tear rolled down from the empress¡¯s eyes. she remembered the past years when she lived only for kim kiwoo, their children, and the empire. kim kiwoo waited for her to loosen up a bit. how long had it been? deep lake wiped away her tears and said, ¡°i¡¯m okay now.¡± at that, kim kiwoo slowly let go of her. ¡°i wonder if i¡¯ve been neglectful of you.¡± ¡°neglectful? no, you haven¡¯t. didn¡¯t you try to spend time with us even when you were busy?¡± ¡°no. i hardly ever went out with you because of my work.¡± they did go out a few times, but only as far as the front of the palace. in other words, deep lake had never visited anywhere far from the palace since she became the empress. ¡°how about we go on a family trip?¡± ¡°¡­if you¡¯re saying that for me, you don¡¯t have to. i don¡¯t want to be a burden to your work.¡± ¡°haha. i want to take a break too. so please don¡¯t refuse.¡± kim kiwoo smiled softly, and she didn¡¯t argue anymore. deep lake also wanted to leave the palace and go outside. ¡°i¡¯ll follow your will.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± after agreeing with the empress, he explained everything to straight tree the next day. then straight tree thought for a long time and said, ¡°you made a good decision. you¡¯ve been working too hard. take this opportunity to relax and enjoy some nice places. but can you give us a month¡¯s time?¡± ¡°¡­a month?¡± ¡°yes. if you allow us, we¡¯ll prepare your first family trip perfectly.¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s presence was more important than anything else in the empire. therefore, it required a lot of preparation for him to move outside. especially if he was going with his family for sightseeing purposes. it would be even more perfect if they had more than a month, but kim kiwoo wanted to leave as soon as possible, so they offered this compromise. ¡°then i can¡¯t help it. try your best to prepare well.¡± ¡°yes. trust us and wait. we won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± that¡¯s how kim kiwoo¡¯s first family trip became official. *** the ideal scenario was for this trip to be secret, but that was unrealistic. kim kiwoo, the empress, and their children were the most important people in the empire. of course, they had to be surrounded by guards. and there were so many people preparing for the trip. so from the beginning, the fact that kim kiwoo was going on a trip was widely known. naturally, the ministry of internal affairs turned into a battlefield in no time. ¡°in a month, his majesty the great emperor, her majesty the queen, and their two children will go on a trip. we have to prepare everything perfectly for them. got it?¡± ¡°yes!¡± after straight tree declared this, they started designing the most ideal route for this trip. many plans were made and discarded. for several days, the staff of the ministry of internal affairs worked day and night to select some routes. with them, straight tree went to see kim kiwoo. ¡°your majesty. i have prepared a tentative itinerary. would you like to take a look?¡± ¡°very well.¡± kim kiwoo nodded, and the upright tree began to explain one by one. kim kiwoo listened attentively and thought. ¡®in the end, i have to choose whether to visit the cities or enjoy the natural scenery.¡¯ the empire¡¯s land was so vast that there were many places where one could feel the greatness of nature. but most of those places were underdeveloped areas, and they were very far away. on the other hand, the nearby cities were close and had well-maintained roads. if he wanted to experience the benefits of civilization, the latter was much better. ¡®i guess it¡¯s better to choose the former.¡¯ he had to consider the age and stamina of the empress. it would be troublesome if she got sick from traveling to such rough places. besides, visiting other cities was also a first experience for the empress and their children. therefore, kim kiwoo made an easy decision. ¡°it would be better to focus on the cities.¡± ¡°i knew you would say that.¡± kim kiwoo chose the most appealing route among the city-related ones. this way, he roughly decided on the region. after that, the ministry of internal affairs selected the places that had to be visited in that region, and planned everything considering accommodation, restaurants, and other things. then they reserved the places. ¡°are you saying that his majesty is visiting our theater?¡± ¡°yes. you will cooperate with us, right?¡± ¡°of course¡­ thank you! thank you so much!¡± the managers of the places chosen by the ministry of internal affairs were overjoyed. even though they could not accept any other guests while kim kiwoo was visiting. they had no choice. the symbolism of kim kiwoo¡¯s visit was not light at all. even if they put aside the honor, the financial benefits they would gain from this were unimaginable. the theater where his majesty visited, the hot spring where his majesty visited, etc. as soon as they got this symbolism, it was obvious that countless imperial citizens who served kim kiwoo would visit them like pilgrims. ¡°how can this be?¡± ¡°why didn¡¯t we make it to the list?¡± ¡°damn it!¡± on the contrary, the managers of the places that were not selected vented their anger and despair. they missed a huge opportunity while their eyes were wide open. but they could not go to the ministry of internal affairs and complain. if they did, they could be punished for soliciting public officials. *** while the ministry of internal affairs was busy moving, rumors spread quickly. and finally, all newspapers reported kim kiwoo¡¯s travel news on their front pages. ¡°oh! his majesty is going on a tour. how long has it been since this happened?¡± ¡°can we see his majesty¡¯s face from afar like in the old days?¡± ¡°i hope he comes to our city this time¡­¡± ¡°no doubt! he will definitely stop by here.¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s every move was the top priority of interest for the imperial citizens, so people began to have expectations. but too much attention was not what kim kiwoo wanted. his purpose was to spend time with his family. therefore, kim kiwoo made a request in the imperial newspaper. in summary, this trip was for taking a rest, so he asked them to refrain from actions such as blocking the road like last time. ¡°that¡¯s right¡­ his majesty needs a rest too. how busy has he been for us all this time.¡± ¡°true. we have no way to repay his majesty¡¯s grace, but we can¡¯t interfere with his rest either.¡± this story in the imperial newspaper touched the hearts of the imperial citizens. thanks to this, news about this spread through various private newspapers and created a social atmosphere. ¡°let¡¯s all try to make sure his majesty can rest well!¡± ¡°don¡¯t bother his majesty¡¯s precious time with his family!¡± ¡°right!¡± many imperial citizens voluntarily went out on the street and warned people around them firmly. *** finally, the morning of departure arrived. ¡°are we finally leaving?¡± ¡°are you that happy?¡± ¡°of course!¡± the only princess of the empire, brilliant starlight smiled brightly. she had been counting down until today. she even had trouble sleeping last night, so she had dark circles under her eyes. ¡°ha ha. then get on quickly.¡± ¡°yay!¡± as soon as she got kim kiwoo¡¯s permission, she jumped onto the emperor¡¯s exclusive carriage. after the princess got on the carriage, kim kiwoo turned his gaze to the fourth prince, blue earth. ¡®he¡¯s quite something too.¡¯ they were on their way to a family trip, but he looked like he had sandbags on his ankles. blue earth was a rare breed, just like the crown prince. the prince openly said that he wanted to be the future military chief and devoted himself to martial arts training since he was very young. ¡°you should get on too.¡± ¡°yes, father.¡± perhaps because of that, blue earth answered seriously and followed the princess into the carriage. the four of them, himself, the princess, the prince, and the empress, were the members of this trip. ¡®it¡¯s a pity. it would have been nice if the other guys came along too.¡¯ but the crown prince and the second and third princes were busy learning and gaining various experiences right now. so only the two young ones accompanied him on this trip. kim kiwoo sorted out his thoughts and got on the carriage with the empress. ¡°we¡¯re leaving now.¡± ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± soon, the wheels started rolling by the llamas. ¡®it¡¯s definitely different from before.¡¯ he felt it every time he rode it, but it was different when he was with his family. in the past, if the recoil from the wheel hit his whole body, now it was greatly reduced. he wrapped rubber around the wheel and installed plate springs to minimize the shock. he could feel the development of technology from these small details. while kim kiwoo was having these thoughts, the carriage soon passed the entrance of the palace. ¡°wow¡­¡± ¡°ha ha. you¡¯ll be in danger if you stick your head out like that. come and sit here.¡± ¡°hmm. yes¡­¡± kim kiwoo made the princess sit down, who was glued to the window looking outside, and stroked her head. ¡°are you curious about outside?¡± ¡°it¡¯s amazing! there are so many people!¡± brilliant starlight drew a big circle with both arms. kim kiwoo nodded his head and glanced out of the window. there were countless crowds on both sides of the road, just like when he went to black sky in the past. of course, thanks to kim kiwoo¡¯s request through the newspaper, they just quietly watched kim kiwoo and his escort procession, instead of shouting out loud or cheering like before. thanks to that, he could have various conversations with his family without any interference. Chapter 75 chapter 75: to europe. the first place that kim kiwoo and his party visited was none other than a theater. there were quite a few theaters in the capital, but they headed to the largest and most popular one. ¡°then, let us begin. please enjoy the show.¡± after the theater director¡¯s speech, the play officially started. as the play progressed, kim kiwoo¡¯s expression changed strangely. ¡®that guy.¡¯ kim kiwoo recalled his conversation with the straight tree in the past. ¡®i will prepare the most popular play in the empire for you.¡¯ ¡®hmm¡­ what is it?¡¯ ¡®you will enjoy it more if you don¡¯t know.¡¯ the straight tree had a faint smile on his face as he said that. and now, he realized why the straight tree had kept it a secret from him. it couldn¡¯t be helped. the role of the lead actor who was performing passionately was none other than kim kiwoo himself. ¡°wow! father! were you really like that in the past? you¡¯re so cool!¡± ¡°¡­i don¡¯t remember very well.¡± ¡°hoho. your majesty was much more amazing than this. it¡¯s impossible to capture it in a play.¡± ¡°really? wow¡­¡± the princess looked at kim kiwoo with an admiring and longing gaze, her eyes sparkling. kim kiwoo scratched his cheek at that sight. ¡®past glorification is also a thing. but this is too much.¡¯ from the moment he descended from the sky to the establishment of the empire, everything was unrealistically unrealistic. despite never having fought anyone with a sword, kim kiwoo in the play was a master of martial arts like no other. the hostile tribes in the early days bowed their heads at kim kiwoo¡¯s roar, and even physically impossible things happened easily with kim kiwoo¡¯s will alone. one thing was certain, they were actions that humans could not do. so kim kiwoo¡¯s face had to be hot. kim kiwoo casually asked one of the attendants next to him. ¡°is this really the most popular play right now?¡± ¡°of course. not only this, but any play related to your majesty is always popular.¡± ¡°¡­¡± kim kiwoo had never ordered anyone to make such a play for ideological education. in other words, this was a content that the imperial citizens voluntarily created and consumed. ¡®will they all think i can fly in the sky and use superpowers later?¡¯ it seemed like that would happen if it went on like this. he wondered if that would really be a good thing. the play ended like that, and the real trip began. kim kiwoo and his family visited various cities and experienced their most famous things. they also enjoyed the beautiful scenery of each region. as he traveled around here and there, kim kiwoo realized something. ¡®¡­there are so many things related to me.¡¯ in every city, there was at least one statue of kim kiwoo. of course, their sizes and poses varied. also, there were portraits of kim kiwoo hanging in many buildings, and sculptures of kim kiwoo were sold like hotcakes in the market. the artworks made from deer echoes were also mostly related to kim kiwoo, and they were the most popular ones. ¡°your majesty¡¯s face is everywhere. i can feel how much the imperial citizens love your majesty.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! father is amazing!¡± the empress and the princess smiled as if they had received compliments themselves. the prince was no different, his eyes burning with desire as he looked at kim kiwoo. *** as they visited various cities, it was quite a long schedule, but time passed quickly. there is an end to everything that has a beginning. finally, the family trip came to an end. ¡°hing. i want to go around more¡­¡± as the carriage reached the front of the palace, the princess¡¯s face became gloomy. ¡°can¡¯t we go again next time?¡± ¡°really? can we go again?¡± ¡°of course. sure.¡± kim kiwoo stroked her brilliant starlight hair and said that. of course, he didn¡¯t know if his words would come true or not. after returning to the palace, kim kiwoo had a conversation with the crown prince for the first time in a long time. ¡°did you enjoy your trip?¡± ¡°it would have been nice if you came with us.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the crown prince¡¯s voice was filled with deep regret. he had been the most reluctant to leave behind his three siblings who couldn¡¯t join him on the trip. but it was impossible for him to participate at this time. ¡°it¡¯s next month already. how are your preparations going?¡± ¡°i¡¯m doing my best. but i don¡¯t know if i can govern the direct territory well.¡± ¡°haha. you sound uncharacteristically weak. don¡¯t worry too much. you¡¯ll surely do a fine job.¡± ¡°yes, father.¡± the crown prince seemed to lack confidence because he was not going to rule over the mainland, but the direct territory in the central continent. but kim kiwoo was not too concerned. he knew that his optimistic son would adapt well once he took office as the governor of the direct territory. besides, unlike before, the power balance in the central continent was stable, so there wouldn¡¯t be any major trouble. and if something unexpected happened, he could deal with it then. ¡°well, then, do your best until you take office as the governor.¡± ¡°i will.¡± he finished his conversation with the crown prince and sent him away. ¡®phew. my children have all grown up.¡¯ he felt nostalgic when he thought that his mischievous crown prince had become so serious. he also felt sad that they were leaving his side. as time passed, his other children would find their own places too. and someday¡­ ¡®my youngest daughter will get married.¡¯ he couldn¡¯t bear to think of his adorable daughter, who seemed too precious for his eyes, going to another man¡¯s house! he felt suffocated just by imagining it. but he couldn¡¯t stop his daughter¡¯s marriage, could he? his role was to find her a good match. he recalled the faces of his five children one by one. ¡®the others are fine, but¡­¡¯ recently, one of his children had been weighing on kim kiwoo and deep lake¡¯s minds. the protagonist was none other than the fourth prince, blue earth. ¡°is the fourth prince still training in the training ground?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry to say that he is.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim kiwoo respected his children¡¯s actions as long as they were not too unreasonable. this was also true for the fourth prince. he had watched him hone his martial arts skills since he was young. ¡®but ever since he came back from the trip, he¡¯s been overdoing it.¡¯ he didn¡¯t know what motivated him during the trip, but blue earth was training so hard that it seemed like he was torturing himself. if he left him alone like this, he might really get sick. of course, it had only been a few days since he came back, so he might naturally reduce his training intensity, but considering his personality, he doubted that would happen. more importantly, he was still in his adolescence, when he was growing rapidly. this kind of excessive training was not good for his growth. ¡®let¡¯s talk to him first.¡¯ kim kiwoo organized his thoughts and spoke to his attendant. ¡°call him right away.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± a short while later, blue earth appeared before kim kiwoo in the same state as he had been training in the training ground. ¡°did you call me, father?¡± ¡°sit down.¡± ¡°yes.¡± his body gave off a strong smell of sweat, but kim kiwoo didn¡¯t mind. ¡°i¡¯ve been hearing about you lately. why are you being so hard on yourself?¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry. i won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°i asked you why.¡± blue earth was silent for a moment before cautiously starting his story. ¡°to become a child worthy of your great name, father.¡± it was an embarrassing thing to say from blue earth¡¯s mouth, but it didn¡¯t sound childish because of his serious and firm face. in fact, there was no lie in his words. blue earth had seen countless imperial citizens praising kim kiwoo during his trip. he had already witnessed kim kiwoo¡¯s greatness many times, but he realized it more clearly during his trip. ¡°i¡¯m afraid. i¡¯m afraid that i might tarnish your holy and glorious reputation by any chance because of me. if my actions have offended you, father, i won¡¯t train anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± kim kiwoo could not speak for a while, even after blue earth finished talking. he had thought that he was training so hard because he loved martial arts, but he did not know that he had such thoughts in his mind. he felt sorry for him. he had lived with such a burden from a young age because of his reputation. kim kiwoo got up from his seat and gently hugged blue earth. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i gave you a heavy burden.¡± ¡°i¡¯m dirty from training.¡± ¡°haha. you can just wash it off, can¡¯t you?¡± despite blue earth¡¯s resistance, kim kiwoo patted his back for a while and said. ¡°i understand your feelings. but, your current training method is not right.¡± ¡°then¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m not going to stop your training. but, from now on, you have to follow my instructions for training.¡± ¡°yes, abamama.¡± blue earth was probably curious about what kind of training it would be, but he did not ask. kim kiwoo smiled softly and thought. ¡®i¡¯ll make your body very cool.¡¯ not with the reckless torture like now, but with a systematic weight training. of course, he did not intend to give him too much weight since he was still in his adolescence. that¡¯s how kim kiwoo started to prepare to apply his knowledge of fitness to the empire. *** the sweet rest time for a few days passed by. ¡®i want to rest more.¡¯ he had rested for so long that this thought lingered in kim kiwoo¡¯s head. but he could not rest forever. kim kiwoo pulled himself together and returned to work. his first task after returning was none other than approving the final dispatch of the expedition to europe. ¡°is there any problem?¡± ¡°please don¡¯t worry. we have checked countless times during the past time. the preparation is perfect.¡± the voice of brilliant flower, the chief of this expedition, was full of confidence. seeing that, kim kiwoo nodded his head. ¡®as long as there is no big problem, they should be able to reach the european continent at least.¡¯ this was not an adventure into the unknown. brilliant flower already had a map of the ocean in his hand and he could also measure the latitude and longitude relatively accurately. the success rate was high enough. kim kiwoo gave him a final word. ¡°be sure to follow the things i emphasized. do you understand?¡± ¡°please don¡¯t worry. your will shall be fulfilled.¡± ¡°good. i trust you guys. please come back alive.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± brilliant flower nodded his head with a solemn face. and finally. the expedition led by brilliant flower began to head towards the vast sea. Chapter 76 chapter 76: bacteria and vaccine. after the invention of the microscope. kim kiwoo used his utmost ability to increase the number of microscopes and make more precise ones. ¡®it¡¯s a race against time now.¡¯ the reason why he prioritized the development of the microscope more than anything else was, of course, to make a vaccine. ¡®i can¡¯t afford to lose my imperial citizens in vain.¡¯ this thought became stronger after he came back from a family trip. he could see his face in statues, paintings, and artworks everywhere, regardless of the region or place. they praised him endlessly without anyone asking them to. they gained strength by thinking of him when they had hard times in life. they believed that he would solve everything, no matter what adversity they faced. ¡®i don¡¯t want to disappoint them.¡¯ he felt more desperate as he saw and experienced this social phenomenon firsthand. he wanted to minimize the disasters that would befall his imperial citizens in the future. in fact, anything could have happened as soon as the expedition returned safely. that¡¯s why kim kiwoo tried to advance the research related to infectious diseases, even if it was abnormal. and now he was able to take the first step. ¡°*** ¡°wow! how arrogant we have been until now! there are so many things in the world that we can¡¯t see with our eyes!¡± ¡°with this microscope, we can learn everything that we didn¡¯t know before!¡± as soon as the microscope was developed, countless scholars became interested in the microscopic world. ¡°please give us a microscope too!¡± they wanted to reveal many things using the microscope. if they discovered something really important, they could easily receive the academic medal that was hard to get otherwise. and because kim kiwoo mass-produced the microscopes as fast as possible, they were able to use them relatively quickly. ¡°we have to discover faster!¡± soon, the scholars began to observe various substances with the microscope, as if they didn¡¯t have time to spare. ¡°wow! there are so many things like this in our semen!¡± ¡°huh¡­ are these tiny things what make up our body?¡± ¡°so this is how a leaf looks like!¡± ¡°what are these small things in our blood?¡± it was really amazing that new things were discovered every time they woke up from a night¡¯s sleep. the scholars announced their discoveries to the academic world, and the line went on endlessly. and after some time passed. ¡°the world is made up of countless microorganisms!¡± what would have been ridiculed as nonsense before, now became an established theory. kim kiwoo looked at this and thought. ¡®it¡¯s incomparably faster than the history before the arrival.¡¯ it seemed to be thanks to the explosive distribution of microscopes and the sharing of knowledge about them, and the competitive observation of various substances. but kim kiwoo was not satisfied. the most important bacteria had not been observed yet. they had not yet reached the concept that these microorganisms, one of which was bacteria, entered our body and caused diseases. ¡®then i have to move it myself.¡¯ kim kiwoo immediately went to the palace research complex and had a deep conversation with the researchers. ¡°there are so many microorganisms in this world. but do you think they are all harmless?¡± ¡°¡­do you mean that these small things enter our body and have a bad effect?¡± ¡°i think so.¡± and kim kiwoo subtly explained the concept of germs. ¡°we get sick from many diseases, don¡¯t we? we didn¡¯t know what made us sick until now. but what if these small microorganisms enter our body and cause diseases?¡± ¡°wow! the things that cause diseases were so small!¡± ¡°we¡¯ll check it out right away!¡± this was just a hypothesis for the researchers. but the person who proposed this hypothesis was none other than kim kiwoo. nothing he said so far had been wrong. that¡¯s why the researchers were already excited. then, one researcher asked cautiously. ¡°but how can we collect such microorganisms?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± to confirm germs, they had to collect them first. but they still didn¡¯t know for sure which ones were germs. the researchers began to worry when kim kiwoo opened his mouth right away. ¡°that won¡¯t be too hard.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± the researchers¡¯ faces were filled with curiosity at kim kiwoo¡¯s words. ¡°you all know this, right? that drinking contaminated water can make you sick.¡± ¡°ah! of course¡­ if your majesty is right, then there must be microorganisms in the contaminated water that harm our bodies!¡± ¡°that must be the case.¡± contaminated water referred to water that was polluted by the animalistic plague. after discovering that drinking from a certain well could cause illness, they started to call this kind of water contaminated water. until now, they had not figured out why drinking it would make them sick, but now things were different. ¡°then we just need to bring some contaminated water and examine it.¡± ¡°that¡¯s what i think too.¡± ¡°we¡¯ll prepare it right away!¡± soon, the researchers began to bustle around. naturally, the plague had not completely disappeared. they had only isolated the areas where the water was contaminated by the animalistic plague. therefore, obtaining contaminated water was not a very difficult task. a few days passed by. ¡°your majesty, we have prepared the contaminated water.¡± ¡°really? then let¡¯s go right away.¡± finally, the samples arrived at the palace. of course, there was not only one kind of water contaminated by the animalistic plague. they had brought water from four different polluted areas, and also plenty of water from unpolluted areas. they had to compare them to identify the exact bacteria. the observation proceeded, and the researchers were certain. ¡°your majesty was right! there is a same microorganism living only in these four kinds of contaminated water!¡± ¡°so it was these tiny creatures that caused the disease!¡± ¡°this is surely a great discovery!¡± the laboratory turned into a cauldron of excitement as they confirmed the bacteria with their own eyes. this news quickly heated up the academic world. ¡°so it was not bad energy that caused the disease, but these little creatures that made our bodies sick!¡± ¡°indeed¡­ people got sick in groups because of the microorganisms in the contaminated water.¡± ¡°does that mean that all the plagues are caused by these microorganisms?¡± the scholars could not stop marveling as they learned the reason why people and livestock had been dying for a long time. ¡°it¡¯s not time for that yet. the disease is not only obtained through contaminated water. there must be countless other microorganisms that cause illness.¡± the scholars were sure. there were not only animalistic bacteria in the contaminated water, but also other diseases that had microorganisms as their cause. so they competed to research again to confirm this. as time passed, many bacteria were revealed to the world. *** ¡®it¡¯s still not enough.¡¯ every day, more and more bacteria were announced. but this was only the beginning stage to prevent disaster. ¡®knowing and making a vaccine are different levels of difficulty.¡¯ vaccines were divided into attenuated live vaccines and dead vaccines, or more precisely, inactivated vaccines. among them, the only possible vaccine production method right now was to culture attenuated live vaccines. the principle itself was simple. the place where bacteria were suitable for culture was called a medium. they cultured bacteria continuously in this medium. then the bacteria multiplied endlessly and changed their characteristics slightly. at some point, their toxicity disappeared. this was called an attenuated live vaccine. attenuated live vaccines had reduced toxicity to us, but they could still multiply in our bodies when they entered. ¡®of course, they could also acquire toxicity in our bodies¡­¡¯ but the probability of that was very low. in most cases, they entered our bodies and triggered an immune response, giving us immunity to that bacteria. it sounded easy like this, but handling these bacteria, making a medium to culture them, and extracting attenuated bacteria from there was not an easy process at all. kim kiwoo first explained this concept to the researchers. ¡°we have now learned some of the causes of disease. but i don¡¯t intend to stop here. if we know the cause, we should also find a solution.¡± ¡°but how can we prevent these tiny microorganisms from entering our bodies?¡± ¡°we obviously can¡¯t. i¡¯m not trying to prevent the invasion of bacteria itself.¡± ¡°then¡­¡± kim kiwoo looked around at the researchers and asked a question. ¡°when various bacteria enter our bodies, do we always die?¡± ¡°that¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°we do get better over time.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. as long as we don¡¯t die, our bodies overcome these bacteria. i¡¯ll call this immunity.¡± ¡°immunity¡­¡± that was the moment when the concept of immunity was first mentioned. if kim ki-woo had not explained this idea, it would have been a knowledge that was only revealed after countless trials and errors. ¡°but, isn¡¯t that something that happens after bacteria enter the body and cause disease?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± it was a natural question. kim ki-woo answered it decisively. ¡°our body does not get sick again from the same disease after we recover from it. this is all because of immunity. the memory of defeating the bacteria is engraved in our body.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that hard to verify this, is it? just make someone who has been infected by the contaminated water drink it again. they probably won¡¯t get sick from the water.¡± ¡°ah! now that you mention it, i think i heard about something like that! so that¡¯s how it happened!¡± the researcher exclaimed loudly, even though he had said it himself. but soon another man added a question. ¡°so, does that mean we have to get sick once in order to be immune? that¡¯s impossible¡­¡± ¡°of course not.¡± the researchers¡¯ faces became puzzled again. kim ki-woo enjoyed their change and finally said what he wanted to say. ¡°but what if we could eliminate the toxicity of the bacteria? what if we inject the bacteria into our body and only get immunity to that disease?¡± ¡°is that possible?¡± ¡°it is.¡± kim ki-woo asserted, but added more. ¡°of course, it¡¯s not easy. but just because it¡¯s hard doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t do it, right?¡± ¡°of course not!¡± ¡°please let me join your great research again!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°haha! then let¡¯s try to win against the many diseases that exist in the world! when we succeed, we will be somewhat free from the fear of disease!¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± the researchers realized. how big the impact would be if this research succeeded. therefore, their faces were full of determination as they answered. that¡¯s how the vaccine production began in earnest. Chapter 77 chapter 77: arrival in europe. kim kiwoo had no intention of hiding these conversations in the laboratory. it didn¡¯t matter much whether the vaccine was born in the laboratory, or whether it was made by the imperial university or other research institutes. what mattered was whether the vaccine was developed or not. thanks to this, the conversations that took place in the laboratory soon spread widely within the empire. every statement that kim kiwoo made was an issue in itself. ¡°my goodness¡­ can they really defeat such dreadful diseases?¡± ¡°his majesty said so, so there must be no doubt.¡± ¡°then maybe one day we can live in a world without diseases!¡± ¡°haha. even so, wouldn¡¯t that be too hard?¡± the news about this did not end at the level of heating up the academic circles. it shook every corner of the empire. people were shocked after hearing about the vaccine. of course, the existence of microbes and bacteria was also somewhat an issue, but it did not have as much impact as the concept and development of the vaccine. it was natural in a way. microbes and bacteria were just discoveries. on the other hand, if the vaccine was developed, they could escape from the fear of disease. the imperial citizens accepted this much more greatly. their lifespan could be extended by the vaccine, so it was natural in a way. ¡°it¡¯s amazing.¡± also, the stories related to the vaccine deepened the imperial citizens¡¯ fantasy about science. science had already made their lives easier and richer as it progressed, and this tendency only increased with the vaccine. ¡°i wonder how far science will develop?¡± ¡°i want to be a scientist too¡­¡± as a result, many imperial citizens changed their careers. no one denied that the future was an era of science. in other words, many people wanted to be the protagonists of that era and decorate a glorious page in imperial history. ¡°gosh! what is this¡­¡± however, the imperial citizens who decided to become scientists soon gasped. the most common way to become a scientist, the entrance competition rate of imperial university, skyrocketed. the imperial citizens met a huge obstacle before they even became scientists. *** the entrance competition rate of imperial university went beyond reason. then, this issue was discussed at the imperial meeting. ¡°your majesty! the number of applicants is too many compared to the quota of imperial university! we need to find a solution as soon as possible!¡± ¡°however, it is realistically difficult to increase the size of imperial university any further. how about creating a new university instead?¡± ¡°i agree with that. many talents are wasting their time trying to enter imperial university. isn¡¯t this a clear loss to waste these high-quality human resources?¡± of course, there were also strong arguments against this. ¡°the cost of applying to imperial university is not easy either, but you want to make another university? where do you think that money comes from? digging up the ground?¡± ¡°we should not waste our national finances now that they seem inexhaustible.¡± ¡°it would be better to invest those funds in other strategic industries.¡± eventually, both sides confronted each other sharply over the issue of establishing a new university. ¡°hehe. waste¡­ you seem to have forgotten how the empire has developed so far. if more universities are created, naturally the speed of academic and technological development will also increase. as a result, the empire will become more prosperous and powerful, and national finances will become more solid.¡± ¡°well. that¡¯s enough with imperial university and black sky research institute, and the research complex in the palace. anything more than that is a waste.¡± ¡°you only think of one thing. look at the imperial citizens who are constantly failing at imperial university. isn¡¯t their human resource waste a waste?¡± ¡°that will naturally settle down when public opinion subsides. there is no shortage of work in the empire right now.¡± ¡°hehe. how can you be so sure? i don¡¯t think this is a temporary phenomenon at all.¡± kim kiwoo listened to their arguments and thought. ¡®neither of them are wrong.¡¯ of course, there was plenty of money to spend, but it was not infinite. kim kiwoo had tried his best to use these funds as efficiently as possible. but if he paid money to scholars and set up separate research funds like he did with imperial university now, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could afford this huge expenditure. but he also sympathized with those who supported establishing a university. he also felt that this social phenomenon would not subside anytime soon. if this phenomenon continued for a long time, it would become a serious social problem. in order to use more productively those imperial citizens who wanted to enter university, creating a university was best. ¡®hmm¡­ i guess i¡¯ll have to compromise somehow.¡¯ kim kiwoo organized his thoughts and spoke to his ministers. ¡°we should sympathize with both sides. a new university was certainly needed. but the financial issues had to be considered as well. so how about this?¡± ¡°please tell us your opinion, your majesty.¡± ¡°in the past, when the first middle schools were established, the empire provided a certain amount of money to the students. but as the number of middle schools increased, they stopped this support, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± it was a measure taken because they couldn¡¯t afford the budget deficit if they kept giving money to the growing number of middle school students. the ministers knew this well, so they all nodded. ¡°i think we can apply the same thing this time. we should reduce the financial support for the scholars of the new university as much as possible. and only give scholarships to those who show outstanding research results among them.¡± ¡°oh¡­!¡± ¡°i think i know what you mean.¡± of course, the cost of supporting research at the university would be considerable. but the biggest expense was still the fixed income that went to the scholars. if they could reduce that to some extent, they could try to establish a new university. ¡°but then, would the citizens of the empire want to enroll in the new university?¡± ¡°that would be their choice. but in my opinion, there will be scholars who will enroll for sure.¡± the current university was a place where learning and various research were conducted almost simultaneously. in other words, the scholars of the university were both students and researchers. but if they cut their basic salary drastically, many citizens would hesitate to enter the new university. but in the end, thirsty people dig wells. scholars who wanted to hone their academic skills would definitely come to the new university. it was unfortunate, but this was the best kim ki-woo could do for them. and the other ministers did not oppose kim ki-woo¡¯s opinion either. ¡°then proceed with this proposal as it is.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± after that, new universities began to be established in the empire. and some of the scholars who were at the imperial university joined the new university as professors. the reaction of the scholars was two-fold. ¡°who would want to go there, even if they can do research at the university, while receiving that much money?¡± ¡°but wouldn¡¯t those who couldn¡¯t get into the imperial university go there? i think there will be a lot of scholars flocking there.¡± ¡°oh, come on, do you really think so?¡± many people were skeptical about the newly established university, but as soon as recruitment began, their worries proved to be nothing but groundless. ¡°¡­i¡¯d rather go to a new university than waste time like this!¡± of course, the salary level was too low compared to the imperial university, so the competition rate was not high, but they filled up and exceeded the enrollment quota. thus, gradually, the base of scholars in the empire widened. *** when a huge change was happening in the empire, europe expeditionary force, which had contributed somewhat to this phenomenon, was heading towards the vast sea. ¡°¡­is this really the map that his majesty gave you?¡± ¡°yes. he gave it to me a long time ago.¡± the captains and navigators of each ship gathered in captain¡¯s cabin of flagship. they looked at the ocean map that came out of brilliant flower¡¯s arms as if they couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°his majesty knew what was beyond the sea! but why did he show us this now?¡± ¡°that¡¯s because his majesty ordered me to reveal this map after we left.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°¡­if he judged so, then it must be right.¡± the captains and navigators nodded their heads one by one. no one in captain¡¯s cabin doubted the authenticity of this map. they didn¡¯t even think for a moment that kim ki-woo had lied. ¡°haha. it feels like we¡¯re losing our momentum. doesn¡¯t this mean there¡¯s no point in exploring an unknown continent?¡± it was just a light complaint. brilliant flower replied with a smile. ¡°do you want to sail without this map?¡± ¡°hey, why are you so scary? if i joke around one more time, i¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡± ¡°if you want an adventure, just let me know. i¡¯ll try my best to accommodate you.¡± ¡°i love adventure! of course we¡¯ll decline! hehe.¡± the atmosphere in captain¡¯s cabin soon became harmonious. everyone felt anxious after sailing into the vast sea, regardless of whether they were captains or sailors. of course, they all volunteered to join expeditionary force, so they were less affected by it, but sailing on an endless sea where they didn¡¯t know where it ended caused people to feel an instinctive fear. but now that fear had gone down a lot. they had a destination, and they knew how long it would take to get there. soon after, brilliant flower uttered his last words. ¡°then everyone return to your own ships and let all the sailors know about this.¡± ¡°yes!¡± a loud answer echoed in captain¡¯s cabin. then the existence of the ocean map spread to all the sailors. ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°oh! there was a continent beyond the sea after all! hahaha!¡± the reaction of the sailors was similar to that of the captains. they shook off the fear of the unknown that had been lurking deep in their hearts. after that, expeditionary force¡¯s vanguard cut through the high waves and headed east without stopping. brilliant flower marked his current location on the ocean map using the latitude and longitude he found using the marine clock and the latitude measuring device. ¡®it¡¯s going very smoothly.¡¯ of course, his heart thumped every time a huge wave hit, but so far he had been sailing without any accidents. there was no sign of any natural disasters, and they had brought enough salted vegetables and kimchi to prevent scurvy. ¡®please protect us until we reach the other side of the continent.¡¯ brilliant flower looked at the endless horizon and prayed to the spirits over and over again. time passed like that. and finally. ¡°land, land is in sight!¡± ¡°hahaha! we¡¯ve finally arrived!!¡± expeditionary force¡¯s vanguard reached the european continent. Chapter 78 chapter 78: the completion of the steam engine. the first land that the expedition discovered was the island of ireland. brilliant flower looked around the coast of ireland with a telescope. ¡®i didn¡¯t expect it to be so accurate¡­¡¯ he marveled once again at the sight that was almost identical to the map that kim kiwoo had given him. thanks to that, he felt his trust in him increase even more. ¡®then i should proceed as planned.¡¯ after the land was discovered. brilliant flower called the captains of each ship back to the flagship once again. when they all gathered, he opened his mouth. ¡°you have all done a great job crossing this vast sea. but the real mission starts now. you know that well, right?¡± ¡°of course. hahaha!¡± ¡°i can¡¯t wait to meet the people who live on this land.¡± the captains replied with bright smiles. brilliant flower looked around their faces and continued his speech. ¡°i think you have all understood your assigned areas well. from now on, your roles are the most important. let¡¯s make sure we meet again alive.¡± ¡°yes, sir!¡± with their spirited answers, the captains returned to their respective ships. the plan of the expedition was simple. after arriving at the european continent, they would divide the 30 ships of the expedition into ten groups of three ships each. then each group would go to their designated area and contact the people there, and trade their language and various necessities with them. when they thought they had done enough, they would cross the vast sea again and return to their homeland. this was the general outline of this expedition. kim ki-woo adopted this method to prevent the possible annihilation of the expedition team due to an epidemic, and to closely examine the language, culture, and current situation of the european region. besides, if a too large-scale team moved around together, it could attract unwanted attention. after that, the expedition team¡¯s vanguard scattered according to their respective missions. *** sharp teeth and his colleagues went through numerous trials and errors in the process of making a steam engine. the initial experimental steam engine they made easily exploded, and even if it didn¡¯t, it was prone to malfunction. ¡®can we really succeed?¡¯ as he repeated failures, this thought popped up in sharp teeth¡¯s head from time to time. but this changed when kim ki-woo personally modified a significant part of the blueprint. ¡°wow! what a beautiful structure this is!¡± ¡°if it¡¯s made like this, it will surely¡­¡± they were people who had been studying only one steam engine for a long time, so they recognized the value of the revised blueprint at a glance. ¡°as expected, our idea was not wrong! hahaha!¡± with kim ki-woo¡¯s full support, sharp teeth burst into laughter. after that, sharp teeth proceeded with the experiment more enthusiastically. even when various things happened in the empire, and the scholars¡¯ attention was focused on microbes, sharp teeth did not look elsewhere. he only thought about implementing a steam engine that was exactly the same as the blueprint in reality. and finally. he achieved his goal. the steam engine experiment was successful. this was reported to kim ki-woo right away. ¡°is that really true?¡± kim ki-woo sprang up as soon as he heard the news of the successful development of the steam engine. his aide bowed his head and answered. ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°hahaha! that¡¯s what i¡¯m talking about!¡± kim ki-woo had made some adjustments to the design to reduce the trial and error of the steam engine, but he had focused more on the vaccine, so he thought it would take longer to develop the steam engine. but when the steam engine was built faster than he expected, kim ki-woo was overjoyed. ¡°this is not the time to celebrate. get ready to go to the imperial college.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± as soon as kim ki-woo gave his order, his aide bowed and left the office. and a little later. kim ki-woo arrived at the imperial college. ¡°your majesty!¡± ¡°hahaha! you¡¯ve done a great job!¡± ¡°th-thank you¡­!¡± kim ki-woo praised the scholars and craftsmen who had succeeded in making the steam engine. then, he went straight to the completed steam engine. ¡°is this it?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. we tried our best to implement the design that you gave us.¡± kim ki-woo nodded. the words of the sharp-toothed man were accurate. the steam engine in front of him looked almost exactly like the one he had imagined. it had a separate condenser like the watt¡¯s steam engine to minimize the loss of coal. and it used a crank to convert the reciprocating motion into rotary motion. kim ki-woo checked all the parts of the steam engine that enabled him to perform this function, and then gave the order. ¡°let¡¯s proceed with the demonstration then.¡± ¡°yes, sir!¡± the researchers then prepared to operate the steam engine. after the preparations were completed. whoosh! the coal burned fiercely. kim ki-woo focused all his nerves and watched the process of the steam engine running. ¡®i can clearly see that there are still things lacking.¡¯ the heat efficiency was not very good, so it took a long time to preheat. but this was somewhat expected. kim ki-woo quietly waited for the preheating to finish. how long had it been? finally, the preheating was over and¡­ thump, thump! screech! the steam engine finally started to work. at the same time, the wheel that had been prepared in advance spun rapidly. ¡°wow!¡± ¡°amazing¡­¡± exclamations burst out from the mouths of the people who had seen the steam engine for the first time. some of them rubbed their eyes as if they could not believe it. it was understandable. the wheel was spinning on its own without being connected to a waterwheel or a windmill. moreover, the rotation of the wheel showed a much more powerful dynamism than a waterwheel. thud, thud! the steam engine began to operate. simultaneously, the prepared wheel spun swiftly. ¡°wow!¡± ¡°unbelievable¡­¡± the people who saw the steam engine for the first time were astonished. some of them even rubbed their eyes, as if they were seeing things. they had no choice. the wheel was spinning by itself, without being connected to any waterwheel or windmill. and the wheel¡¯s rotation was much more powerful than that of a waterwheel. ¡°i was such a fool.¡± even the scholars who had scoffed at the work of the sharp teeth, regretted their past words and actions. of course, some people still disparaged the steam engine. ¡°why do we need such an expensive power engine when we have waterwheels? besides, it consumes a lot of coal.¡± they thought it was too costly to make and maintain, compared to a waterwheel. but many people thought differently, and imagined the endless possibilities of the steam engine. they realized that it had a much stronger power than a waterwheel, and that it was not limited by location. ¡°this is surely an amazing invention!¡± they imagined the world that would change because of the steam engine. and that change happened faster than they thought. kim ki-woo summoned the head of the industrial department. the minister of industry spoke as soon as he sat down in his seat. ¡°steam engines are truly amazing. they will change the empire¡¯s industry!¡± ¡°haha. i think so too. that¡¯s also one of the reasons why i called you here.¡± ¡°please tell me anything!¡± the minister of industry¡¯s face was full of enthusiasm. kim ki-woo smiled and continued. ¡°i think steam engines will be used in many industrial fields in the future. however, we still have a very limited number of them.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°so we need to increase the production of steam engines first. i have already discussed this with the minister of internal affairs, so please expand the production facilities as much as you can.¡± ¡°yes. i will do that.¡± ¡°and one more thing. there is a place where i want to prioritize the placement of the current and future steam engines.¡± ¡°where is that?¡± ¡°it¡¯s the mines.¡± ¡°the mines?¡± the minister of industry frowned slightly. he couldn¡¯t think of the reason for placing them in the mines at that moment. kim ki-woo explained the reason to him. ¡°mining is very important for the empire right now. however, as the mines get deeper and deeper, water accumulates inside them, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°yes. that¡¯s very troublesome.¡± ¡°i think we can use steam engines to pump out this water easily.¡± kim ki-woo then explained how to use steam engines to drain water from the mines. after hearing all this, the minister of industry exclaimed in admiration. ¡°that sounds very possible! if it goes as you say, mining will be much easier. hahaha!¡± ¡°it will surely be so. then i¡¯ll leave this matter to you, the head of the industry department.¡± ¡°yes, sir!¡± with that, the head of the industry department left the office with full enthusiasm. kim kiwoo was left alone in the office and immersed himself in his thoughts. ¡®now i can finally do the things i¡¯ve only planned.¡¯ of course, it would take time to mass-produce steam engines, but once enough steam engines were made, the changes that would happen would be much more dramatic than now. especially in the fields of metal processing and iron and steel making. in those fields, water wheels had been commonly used until now. but water wheels had a limit to the power they could produce. however, the power obtained from steam engines was much stronger than water wheels. with this, they could easily mass-produce steel and process metals more precisely. eventually, this would lead to more accurate and superior steam engines being made, and the overall industrial power would explode. kim kiwoo was very eager for that time to come. *** the head of the industry department perfectly executed kim kiwoo¡¯s two orders. ¡°from now on, our industry department will focus all our efforts on mass-producing steam engines!¡± after his declaration, countless craftsmen were assigned to the mass production of steam engines. and they placed these steam engines in the mines. ¡°damn. why do we have to carry this pile of scrap metal to the mine?¡± ¡°ugh¡­ this is killing me, i¡¯m dying!¡± moving the extremely heavy steam engines to the mines and installing them properly was a very difficult task. therefore, the miners grumbled with frowns on their faces. but these complaints disappeared as if washed away when the steam engines started working. clack clack clack! the steam engines operated and the stagnant water was continuously drained out. ¡°wow!¡± ¡°wh, what am i seeing right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the miners could not hide their astonishment with their mouths wide open. and this astonishment soon turned into cheers. ¡°woohoo! the water is draining out!¡± ¡°hahaha!¡± ¡°hooray!¡± the stagnant water had been tormenting the miners for so long. but now that they could easily get rid of the water, the miners were overjoyed. thus, the steam engines began to be used effectively in the actual industrial sites. Chapter 79 chapter 79: missionaries. meanwhile. the crown prince was appointed as the governor-general of the central continent, a direct territory of the empire. ¡®it never ends.¡¯ the crown prince sighed as he looked at the pile of documents that did not seem to decrease no matter how much he read and signed. ¡®how on earth did father handle all this until now?¡¯ it was hard enough to manage the direct territory of the central continent, let alone the vast empire. he could not help but imagine how difficult it was. fortunately, he had the help of the imperial officials who came down with him from the mainland. but the central continent was too hot. he was already exhausted by the sheer amount of documents, and the climate here was much hotter than the imperial mainland. it tormented the crown prince. ¡®but i have to do my best.¡¯ since he became the governor-general, he wanted to make the lives of the imperial citizens here better. the crown prince tried to shake off his weakening will and resume his work. but he failed to do so. suddenly, an aide opened the door and came in. ¡°your highness.¡± ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°well¡­ i think you need to see this.¡± the crown prince noticed that it was not good news by looking at the aide¡¯s dark expression. sure enough, the document that the aide handed over contained a serious matter. shiver! after reading through the document, the crown prince¡¯s hand trembled. he almost spat out curses from his throat, but he suppressed his anger and asked the aide. ¡°¡­is this all?¡± ¡°that¡¯s all we have for now.¡± ¡°call for a meeting right away.¡± ¡°yes. i will deliver your order.¡± after receiving the crown prince¡¯s order, the aide quickly left the room. and shortly after. a meeting of the governor-general¡¯s office was held. the crown prince looked at the attendees with a stern eye and began to speak. ¡°five more missionaries have gone missing.¡± ¡°huh¡­¡± ¡°what!¡± the attendees¡¯ faces hardened at the crown prince¡¯s blunt words. among them, a man who turned his face red with anger spoke out first. ¡°we can¡¯t let this go any longer! how many missionaries have been sacrificed so far! we have to make them pay with blood for daring to touch our imperial citizens!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°who will protect them if not the empire? we have to send our troops and rescue them.¡± of course, there were not only radical opinions. ¡°but the places where the missionaries went missing are clearly outside of our direct territory. we made an agreement with them. sending troops is breaking our promise. and we don¡¯t even know for sure if they did it.¡± ¡°we can¡¯t break his majesty¡¯s promise. unless we have evidence, moving our army is too harsh. we haven¡¯t found any yet.¡± listening to both sides, the crown prince rubbed his throbbing head. ¡®what should i do?¡¯ when kim ki-woo established the direct territory, he promised to respect the sovereignty of other forces. that meant it was hard to send troops beyond the direct territory. especially when there was no solid evidence. the safest thing would be to avoid sending missionaries beyond the direct territory as much as possible, but that was unrealistic. they were people who risked their lives to spread the spirit faith of the empire. as the crown prince of the empire, he naturally wanted the spirit faith to spread throughout every corner of the continent. and in fact, the spirit faith had taken root quite quickly. ¡°that¡¯s the problem.¡± the people of the central continent also had their faith. the most prominent example was the evil gods of the aztec empire. the residents who believed in these gods were extremely wary of the spread of the spirit faith. as a result, missionaries often faced threats or went missing. but lately, that ratio had increased sharply and became very systematic. anyone could see that they were attacking the empire¡¯s missionaries as a group. it was impossible to not catch their tails without the tacit consent of a high-ranking official. the governor-general¡¯s office had warned several times about this, but all the factions were denying any involvement. as the crown prince was thinking about this and that. a man who had been quietly listening to the argument raised his hand. ¡°may i say something?¡± ¡°speak freely.¡± the man, with thick eyebrows, slowly expressed his opinion after receiving the crown prince¡¯s permission. ¡°i think it¡¯s ineffective to send some of the empire¡¯s warriors to investigate after an incident occurs. we need to ambush them when an incident happens.¡± ¡°wasn¡¯t there such an attempt?¡± as soon as the thick eyebrows finished speaking, a rebuttal came out. in fact, there had been quite a few times when warriors were hiding around the missionaries in dangerous areas on purpose. but every time, they failed. they somehow knew about these traps and avoided them. ¡®that makes it more suspicious.¡¯ they knew all the movements of the warriors as if they were on their palms? it meant that they had many sympathizers around them. ¡°how can i not know that? i¡¯m asking what you think about disguising some of the outstanding warriors as missionaries.¡± ¡°disguise them as missionaries?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ but even if they are outstanding, can they beat many enemies? we don¡¯t even know their methods exactly.¡± ¡°it won¡¯t be easy, of course. but it¡¯s better than being attacked like this.¡± some people nodded at the thick eyebrows¡¯ words. ¡®that sounds plausible¡­¡¯ the crown prince felt the same way. among them, there was a man who added to the thick eyebrows¡¯ suggestion. ¡°indeed, if someone like golden wave disguises himself as a missionary, he might be able to do it.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t he the captain of his majesty¡¯s guard?¡± ¡°i heard that his majesty is also very concerned about the disappearance of the missionaries. there is a possibility.¡± golden wave was the most outstanding warrior in the empire. he was so powerful that he had defeated more than ten imperial warriors alone. therefore, the reactions of the participants were very positive. as the atmosphere was formed like this, the crown prince nodded his head. ¡°good. i¡¯ll ask my father about it.¡± that¡¯s how the hastily arranged governor-general¡¯s office meeting ended. *** kim ki-woo heard this proposal that came from the central continent. kim ki-woo was also worried about the disappearance of the missionaries. spreading religion was very important for coloring this continent with the empire¡¯s colors. even if it wasn¡¯t for that reason, he couldn¡¯t tolerate those who harmed the imperial citizens at will. ¡®if clear evidence comes out¡­¡¯ the lives of the imperial citizens were more important to kim ki-woo than his previous promise. therefore, he had no intention of letting it go easily. he sorted out his thoughts and called golden wave. ¡°did you hear the news?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°what do you think?¡± kim kiwoo asked bluntly. if the plan from the governor¡¯s office was executed, the person involved in it would be in great danger. it was not easy to overcome the numerical disadvantage in close combat. that¡¯s why kim kiwoo had no intention of forcing golden wave to join the plan if he didn¡¯t want to. but golden wave answered without any hesitation. ¡°if his majesty allows me, i would like to try it.¡± ¡°are you sure? i won¡¯t say anything even if you refuse. don¡¯t you have a family?¡± ¡°i have their permission. my humble power is not important if it can help the empire.¡± kim kiwoo looked into golden wave¡¯s eyes. they did not waver at all. they were very firm. through this, kim kiwoo realized that he was sincere. ¡°alright. i¡¯ll grant you permission. please come back alive.¡± ¡°yes!¡± with golden wave¡¯s spirited answer, his dispatch was confirmed. *** golden wave did not go straight to the central continent. he needed to learn more about missionary work in order to disguise himself as a missionary perfectly. of course, this did not take long. golden wave was also a faithful believer of the spirit faith. the longest thing was to learn various languages of the central continent with his attribute. after finishing all the preparations. golden wave boarded a ship and headed for the central continent. ¡®¡­it¡¯s hot.¡¯ that was the first thought that came to his mind when he stepped on the central continent. he put aside his short impression and headed out of the direct control area. he could have met the crown prince in person after a long time, but he didn¡¯t. there was no way he would, but he didn¡¯t want this meeting to cause any variables. his true identity had to be hidden in this continent. so he heard this from the imperial guard at the border of the direct control area. ¡°missionary. it¡¯s too dangerous for you to go outside the direct control area. why don¡¯t you move after this situation is settled?¡± ¡°i appreciate your concern. but i have to go for those who don¡¯t know the words of the great spirits yet.¡± the guard nodded his head with admiration at golden wave¡¯s earnest words. ¡°i hope you have the blessings of the great spirits.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± that¡¯s how golden wave left the direct control area and continued to go deeper into the central continent. he never relaxed for a moment after that. he didn¡¯t know when or how he would be attacked. yet he kept on doing missionary work. ¡®this is why missionaries do missionary work.¡¯ his original purpose was to solve the missing cases, but golden wave became more immersed in missionary work as time went by. it was thrilling to see the residents who didn¡¯t believe in the spirits open their hearts to his words. he spent his days between tension and happiness like this. then one day. rustle! when he was staying overnight in a secluded hut. he heard a sound of grass brushing from far away. golden wave snapped out of it. ¡®it¡¯s not an animal¡¯s footsteps.¡¯ he had trained for a long time, so he could tell right away whether the sound was from a beast or a human. they must have thought they were approaching cautiously, but their sound did not escape the ears of golden wave. and as the sound got closer, he also guessed how many were coming. ¡®about ten¡­ no, fifteen or so.¡¯ a group of strangers coming to a secluded hut in the middle of the night? it was obvious that their intentions were impure. whirr, click! golden wave took out two daggers that he had hidden in his arms, and quietly got up from his seat. he walked behind the door. and then. creak¡­ the door of the hut opened and the sound of the wooden latch echoed loudly. as soon as a man entered, slash! ¡°ugh!¡± golden wave did not hesitate and cut his throat. in this kind of one-to-many fight, it was dangerous to show mercy. ¡°damn it!¡± ¡°everyone, charge!¡± one man fell, and the others rushed in. ¡®as expected.¡¯ golden wave¡¯s prediction was spot on. they were undoubtedly warriors who had undergone a lot of training. that is, they had come to take his life. but golden wave was not afraid at all. swoosh! he threw the two daggers at two men who were coming in. thud! clang! ¡°aargh!¡± ¡°tsk!¡± golden wave bit his tongue briefly. only one of the two daggers he threw hit its target, and the other was blocked by a sword. golden wave quickly picked up the sword that the first man had brought in. as he held the long sword in his hand, a strong confidence rose in his heart. squeak! he opened his mouth with a cold smile. ¡°bring it on.¡± that¡¯s how the midnight battle began. Chapter 80 chapter 80: retribution. clang! slash! ¡°argh!¡± it was a dark night, with only the moonlight illuminating the surroundings. a loud noise echoed every time the swords clashed. and with every clash, red blood splattered around and one more body fell to the ground. ¡®this is impossible¡­¡¯ brown snake¡¯s body was trembling. he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. he wanted to deny the reality. but nothing changed by doing so. ¡®is that a missionary?¡¯ no way. the demon in front of him was not a noble being like a missionary. he was stronger and faster than any warrior he had ever met. he dodged or deflected his comrades¡¯ attacks with minimal movements, and slashed their throats with lightning-fast sword strikes at the right moments. that¡¯s why he had already lost half of his comrades in an instant. ¡®this is a trap!¡¯ brown snake realized it. he had fallen into a well-planned trap. he had thoroughly investigated the man¡¯s surroundings for a long time. and he initiated the action as usual. but he never expected that they would use such a method of disguising a monster as a missionary. he didn¡¯t think he could win against that man in a situation where half of his comrades were incapacitated. ¡°run!¡± so brown snake shouted quickly. at his shout, the remaining five men turned around and started to run away. brown snake was no exception. but¡­ whoosh! thud! ¡°¡­ugh!¡± suddenly, he felt an intense pain in his calf, as if it was burned by fire. thump! at the same time, brown snake¡¯s body rolled on the ground, unable to overcome the inertia. brown snake looked at his calf. there was a dagger thrown by golden wave stuck in it. ¡®oh, no¡­¡¯ brown snake tried to pull out the dagger and get up. he felt like he would be caught by that monster if he stayed like this. but his right leg didn¡¯t have any strength in it. thump, thump. at that moment, he heard footsteps from behind. brown snake instinctively crawled forward, but it was a futile struggle. in no time, golden wave arrived behind him. ¡®i can¡¯t end like this!¡¯ brown snake raised the dagger in his hand and threw it clumsily. he had never thrown a dagger before, and his posture was not good either. so his throw didn¡¯t have much power in it. of course, it was still a sharp piece of metal, so it could cause some damage if it hit properly¡­ clang! but golden wave was not someone who would be hit by such a pathetic attack. he easily knocked it away with his sword. ¡°where are you going so hastily? we have something to talk about.¡± golden wave asked the question to brown snake, who was extremely tense. ¡°are you the leader?¡± the blunt words of the golden wave. but the brown snake closed his mouth and avoided his gaze. at that sight, the golden wave laughed coldly. ¡°it¡¯s not a skill to keep silent. let¡¯s see how long you can do that.¡± his role was to capture these bastards alive anyway. the experts would take care of opening the mouths of the criminals. *** in the midnight battle, six died and five fled, and four men, including the brown snake, were captured. the golden wave sent a signal after dawn, informing the success of the operation. then, the imperial warriors of the direct command, who had been waiting at a distance, arrived. ¡°so these were the ones.¡± ¡°you defeated so many warriors alone¡­ you are truly worthy of your reputation. please leave the rest to us.¡± ¡°let¡¯s do that.¡± with that conversation over, they began to drag away the captured men to the direct command. what greeted them there were torture specialists who came down from the mainland. the four targets were dragged into separate torture rooms. and they experienced torture techniques that had been developed over and over again. aaaah! the screams of the men, including the brown snake, kept flowing out of the torture room. at the same time, their confessions piled up. the contents of this were first reported to the governor-general¡¯s office. thanks to that, the governor-general¡¯s meeting was on fire for a long time. in the meeting, they continued to list what they had done so far. after hearing all of this. ¡°how dare these scoundrels do such things!¡± bang! the crown prince slammed his desk and vented his intense anger. this was the common feeling of all the meeting participants. ¡°they seem to have lost their minds. this is a clear challenge to the wakan tanka empire. we must not let this pass.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t we get clear evidence now! if we let them get away with this, the world will laugh at us!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± the crown prince nodded his head. ¡®i never thought that missionaries would die so horribly¡­¡¯ he had expected that the missing missionaries would be dead to some extent. but when the exact circumstances came out, they exceeded his imagination. they kidnapped missionaries by force and inflicted terrible pain on them. they denied the great spirits that missionaries believed in and praised their own god until they did. most of the missionaries endured and died in such extreme pain for a long time. even if a missionary succumbed to pain, they did not spare his life. eventually, all missionaries met their death sooner or later. that¡¯s why the meeting participants vented their anger like this. ¡°i¡¯m sure his majesty will feel the same as us. so let¡¯s wait and see.¡± ¡°yes, your highness!¡± this matter was no longer a size that could be resolved by the governor-general¡¯s office. it required a decision from wakan tanka empire¡¯s supreme ruler, kim ki-woo. so the news was sent to the mainland by boat as soon as possible. kim ki-woo sighed after reading the confessions of the captured criminals. he had expected it to some extent, but when he saw the exact details, he felt hot like everyone else. ¡°hoo¡­¡± but soon kim ki-woo consciously calmed his mind. he had to make a proper judgment as the emperor of the empire. and the right judgment comes from a cool head. ¡®what should i do?¡¯ kim kiwoo calmly drew the situation in his head. there were quite a lot of forces involved in this incident. of course, most of them did not participate directly, or only helped indirectly. the actual forces that caused the trouble were few. but kim kiwoo despised all the forces that were involved in any way. they must have known something about the missionary disappearance case, right? but their action was silence. ¡®i have to teach them a lesson this time.¡¯ kim kiwoo¡¯s eyes shone coldly. *** as mass media such as newspapers developed, it was hard to hide such a big event, and the speed of spreading the news was also very fast. ¡°how dare they repay kindness with enmity?¡± ¡°who gave them a better life like this?¡± ¡°oh! how sad must the great spirits have been!¡± thanks to this, the incident quickly grew out of control. especially since it was a religious issue. from the perspective of the imperial citizens who believed in the great spirits, it was hard enough to accept that the missionaries were brutally killed, but what they did while torturing them was the biggest problem. the act of denying the existence of spirits and forcing them to praise their own god. ¡°they should tear up and kill all those heretics who believe in those gods!¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it because they believe in an improper being that they do such wicked things!¡± even the fervent believers who looked down on other religions did not hesitate to say radical words. this heated public opinion had a great impact on the subsequent imperial conference. ¡°your majesty. countless imperial citizens want to punish those who killed the missionaries and insulted the great spirits. please listen to the voice of the people!¡± ¡°for the sake of the safety of the imperial citizens who will go to other regions in the future, we cannot let this go!¡± the ministers¡¯ arguments continued for quite a long time. kim kiwoo opened his mouth after listening to all the opinions. ¡°i have no intention of overlooking this incident either. those who kidnapped, tortured, and killed the missionaries will never be forgiven, and those who knew about it and remained silent will also pay their due. tell the military department to start preparing for an expedition!¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± the military minister bowed his head with a solemn face. that¡¯s how the second central continent expedition began. *** the news of the expedition spread quickly beyond the central region of central continent, to various forces. ¡°huh!¡± ¡°is that really true?¡± fear rose in the hearts of the residents of central continent who heard this. it had not been long since the large-scale war with aztec ended. most of them remembered their overwhelming power. moreover, they also knew to some extent how much the empire had developed through numerous trades so far. they had no chance against the imperial army that destroyed aztec, let alone a more powerful one. so, the residents of central continent began to condemn the masterminds of this incident. ¡°why did they mess with the empire that was quiet!¡± ¡°i hope we didn¡¯t get involved in this either!¡± thanks to this, there was a great commotion in central continent. in the meantime. finally, diplomats from the foreign affairs department contacted each force in central continent. ¡°we really didn¡¯t know. please believe us!¡± ¡°haha. of course i know. the empire trusts you. but, to punish those who did such an outrageous thing, we need to pass through here. that¡¯s why i came here to ask for your cooperation.¡± ¡°phew¡­ of course we have to cooperate. please let us know if there is anything you want.¡± ¡°thank you for your kindness. the great emperor will also be pleased with your goodwill.¡± none of the forces located on the expedition route of the imperial army refused this. they didn¡¯t want to provoke the already angry empire by breaking the promise they made before. of course, this was the story of the forces that had nothing to do with this incident. the atmosphere of the conversation between the envoys and the forces that knew and remained silent was completely different. ¡°we meet again. didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t know anything about the death of the missionaries before? will you give me the same answer now?¡± ¡°we are innocent! how can we say something that is not accurate? what if it turns out to be wrong? and you won¡¯t even send imperial troops to help us¡­¡± ¡°is that your excuse?¡± the envoy sneered coldly. this could also be a reason. but more than that, they remained silent because they believed in another faith, not spirits. if they just kept quiet, more missionaries would die, and that would slow down the spread of spirit faith. the envoy ignored their grievances and continued. ¡°i asked you clearly at that time. even if you are not sure, please tell me if you have any doubts. i said the empire would take responsibility for that matter. but you lied calmly. thanks to you, more missionaries were horribly sacrificed!¡± ¡°¡­¡± the man¡¯s face grew more and more anxious as the envoy ranted. Chapter 81 chapter 81: the eve. ¡°hoo¡­ then what do you want from us?¡± the man finally backed off. he implicitly admitted his fault. seeing the man show signs of resignation, the emissary took a sip of water and stated his terms. ¡°we have two requests for you.¡± ¡°let me hear them.¡± the emissary folded his fingers and continued. ¡°the first one is to cut off contact with the instigators of this incident. we won¡¯t demand that your warriors participate in this war. but, never contact the instigators again.¡± after hearing the first condition, the man slowly nodded. they had been willing to listen to the empire¡¯s demands since they heard that an emissary was coming. they didn¡¯t want to be mercilessly trampled by the enraged imperial army. among them, they thought that the empire might ask for direct deployment. but what the empire wanted was not deployment, but just a ban on contact with the instigators. the man thought that he could agree to that. ¡®anyway, they won¡¯t last long.¡¯ he would have considered it if they were in good shape when trouble broke out, but they were doomed to be destroyed anyway. it was not a wise choice to help them. ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll tell you after i hear the second condition.¡± the emissary noticed. he was quite positive about the first proposal. but the second condition was a very sensitive issue. so the emissary paused for a moment and cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°since the war with aztec ended, all trade has been done in the direct jurisdiction.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± as soon as trade was mentioned, the man felt uneasy. but he couldn¡¯t deny it. the current trade system of the central continent was like this. first, imperial goods came by ship from the mainland. of course, nowadays, some merchants started producing goods in the direct jurisdiction to save on logistics costs, but not all of them did. anyway, various kinds of goods gathered in the direct jurisdiction were sold to merchants belonging to various factions near the border of the direct jurisdiction. and they returned to their regions and sold the goods to the residents. in other words, imperial merchants could not directly operate in various regions. the emissary pointed this out. ¡°the second condition is simple. we hope that you will allow imperial merchants to trade in this region as well.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, the man¡¯s face hardened. ¡°that¡¯s too much to ask.¡± the man said flatly. it was a condition that he couldn¡¯t easily agree to. the nobles and high-ranking warriors of the region, including the man, had accumulated enormous wealth through trade with the empire. they sold goods bought from the direct jurisdiction at several times, or even tens of times, the price to the residents in their region. this was possible because they didn¡¯t directly compete with imperial merchants. since they could only buy imperial goods through them, residents had no choice but to buy them at exorbitant prices. of course, imperial merchants hated this situation. it was like they were doing all the work and someone else was getting all the money. and because of the excessive exploitation, the growth rate of trade volume was lower than expected. as a result, merchants had been constantly expressing their dissatisfaction, and kim ki-woo wanted to alleviate this situation through this opportunity. ¡°really? even if imperial merchants come into this region, they won¡¯t lower their prices so much that local merchants will starve to death. if you want, we can make this clear in writing.¡± ¡°¡­can¡¯t you tell me another condition besides trade? that condition is too harsh.¡± he was adamant about his position, despite the envoy¡¯s words. he knew that he could not exploit the people as he had done before, even if he refused to accept any price below a certain level, once the imperial merchants arrived. the local nobles had already fallen deeply into the sweet taste of money. they used the money they had earned to buy the luxurious goods that were popular in the empire, and ate delicacies every day. the worst scenario for them was to lose their source of income in this situation. ¡°unfortunately, there are no other conditions besides these two. if you find it hard to accept them¡­ then we will proceed according to the principle.¡± ¡°what do you mean by principle?¡± ¡°well, don¡¯t you think you should pay for your sins against us with blood?¡± ¡°wha-what!¡± the man¡¯s face turned pale. this was a blatant threat. but they had no power to fight against the empire. if a war broke out, defeat was inevitable. soon, the man¡¯s expression changed to desperation. ¡°oh, please, don¡¯t do this. if i go back with this result of negotiation, i will surely be killed by all the nobles and high warriors!¡± ¡°that¡¯s not something i need to interfere with.¡± ¡°please, think again!¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the envoy stroked his chin and pretended to ponder for a long time. when the man¡¯s anxiety reached its peak, the envoy opened his mouth with a reluctant expression. ¡°if you insist¡­ then i will only give the imperial merchants the trade rights for some items. i will not interfere with any other goods.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the man¡¯s eyes rolled around. he was trying to see if he could get a better deal. but the envoy drew a firm line. ¡°this is the best offer i can give you. don¡¯t ask me to make any more concessions.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯ll have to discuss it with our side.¡± ¡°fine. i¡¯ll wait for your good answer.¡± a few days later. ¡°we accept the empire¡¯s conditions.¡± ¡°you made a wise decision. then let¡¯s discuss the trade items.¡± in the end, they accepted the empire¡¯s conditions. this was not only true for them. all the regions that were somehow related to this incident accepted the same demands from the empire. there was not a single place that did not accept the two conditions. they were afraid of a direct war with the empire, and they did not want to be completely cut off from the huge wealth they had been accumulating. of course, this was only a part of the vast central continent. but it was a very meaningful step for the imperial merchants to go beyond their direct territories and enter other regions. the merchants at the top of the trade hierarchy in the central continent thought so too. ¡°finally, we can sell our goods directly to other regions!¡± ¡°haha! how angry we were to see their outrageous profits! now is not the time for that, let¡¯s prepare for our trade expedition!¡± thanks to this, many merchants became busy. *** ¡°w-we were wrong! we will do anything you want, please spare us!¡± ¡°i want to tear you apart, but it is the empire¡¯s policy not to attack envoys unless necessary. so go back. i have no intention of negotiating with you.¡± ¡°p-please reconsider¡­¡± clang! he drew his steel sword from his waist and pointed it at the man¡¯s neck. ¡°gah!¡± the man¡¯s face turned white. this was a clear intimidation. ¡°i will not say any more. you may leave now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± he begged and pleaded, but when he saw no hope, the envoy of the main force behind this incident bowed his head and left the building. even when he was talking to the leaders of various regions in the empire, some of the instigators had asked for surrender. but the empire did not accept their surrender request this time. nor was it easy for them to abandon their region and flee in large numbers while the imperial army was preparing. the empire had already announced that they would punish those who had contact with them. there was no benefit in being involved with them, so the guard was tightened to prevent them from escaping their region. there were even cases where they caught those who attempted desperate escapes and handed them over to the empire as new recruits. ¡°you did the right thing. here, this is the reward from the empire.¡± ¡°ha ha. i didn¡¯t do it for this¡­ but thank you anyway.¡± at such times, the empire paid them a corresponding price. thanks to that, even before the expedition of the empire was over, there were warriors who caught and handed them over for the bounty. ¡°how did things turn out like this¡­¡± in the end, the instigators of the missionary incident were isolated in their region, waiting for the imperial army to advance. and finally, the expedition of the imperial army was completed. ¡°i am very angry! the missionaries went to faraway lands without hesitation to spread the true story of the great spirits! but those wicked writers kidnapped and tortured innocent missionaries, and not only killed them mercilessly, but also insulted the great spirits! how can we forgive this!¡± kim ki-woo paused his speech for a moment and looked around at the countless imperial warriors gathered in the square. it was so quiet that it was hard to believe that there were so many warriors. they were listening to kim ki-woo¡¯s words attentively. ¡°when this expedition is over, the whole world will know what happens when you dare to insult the empire¡¯s missionaries and the great spirits! we will win again, and as long as the empire exists, we will prosper under the blessing of the great spirits forever! always remember that this is all possible thanks to you!¡± swoosh! kim ki-woo drew out his emperor¡¯s sword and raised it high toward the sky. ¡°all troops, march!¡± ¡°woo! woo! woo!¡± boom! boom! boom! thus, the expeditionary force left the imperial mainland and headed for the central continent. *** the second expeditionary force was very different from the first one. first of all, its scale was much smaller. there was a huge difference between a war with a giant aztec and a punishment of forces that were not so large. also, there was a big difference in armament. most of the imperial army were gunners with firearms. of course, cold weapons could not be ignored because of the mountainous terrain, but it was not easy to break through a large group of gunners in a group battle. moreover, they had a lot of cannons for siege. therefore, the imperial warriors who left for expedition were confident. ¡°heh heh. i heard they¡¯re shaking in fear.¡± ¡°of course! it¡¯s natural when they see the imperial army coming!¡± the warriors did not doubt their victory. in this atmosphere, the imperial army set foot on the central continent. and they slowly moved toward the heart of their enemies. ¡°huh¡­ amazing. is that what i¡¯ve only heard of, the imperial army?¡± ¡°wow!¡± beyond the direct territory, as they passed through various regions, the residents of those regions cheered and admired at the sight of the imperial army. after walking and walking like that. finally, they reached their destination. Chapter 82 chapter 82: the victory song. the imperial army took a day to rest and secure their camp after the march. after all the preparations were done. ¡°advance, all troops!¡± clack, clack, clack! the imperial army started to move forward in formation. many observers watched them with shining eyes. kim kiwoo had invited various figures from the central continent for this war. there were several reasons, but the biggest one was to show the empire¡¯s military might. the observers who participated in this way were placed where they could see the situation well. wise flame was one of them. he muttered softly as he watched the imperial army advance with dignity. ¡°i wonder how powerful those weapons are.¡± ¡°don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a reason why the empire invited us?¡± ¡°i think so too.¡± wise flame nodded. if they didn¡¯t have much confidence in the guns and cannons that were deployed in this operation, there would be no reason to invite so many people. the empire had never done anything without a reason. ¡®they must be showing an overwhelming sight this time.¡¯ wise flame didn¡¯t think for a moment that the imperial army would lose. he was just curious how they would sweep away the enemies. while he was thinking about this and that. the imperial army finally stopped advancing. ¡°hmm? why are they stopping at such a distance?¡± wise flame asked the imperial army guide who was sitting next to him. the guide smiled and replied. ¡°that¡¯s because this is the right distance.¡± ¡°¡­even though it¡¯s so far from the wall?¡± ¡°haha! you¡¯ll see for yourself soon enough.¡± he got a vague answer from the guide, but it wasn¡¯t the atmosphere to ask more. ¡®what are they up to?¡¯ in the end, wise flame could only wait silently. the various forces in the central continent had learned from the empire¡¯s destruction of aztec. until now, charging and rushing as a group like aztec had worked, but this tactic had been pushed out of the mainstream as iron weapons became widespread and dense tactics emerged. also, the importance of defense was re-emphasized and sturdy castles increased. this case was no different. the enemies blocked the imperial army¡¯s advance and focused on defense by closing the gate. ¡®hmm?¡¯ wise flame brightened his eyes as he saw the imperial army moving busily. they dragged the cannons that they had brought from the rear to the front of the imperial army¡¯s formation and lined them up in a row. ¡®is that their answer to the defense?¡¯ he wondered how powerful they were and raised his expectations. until everything was ready, the enemies didn¡¯t budge from the wall. it was far beyond the range of arrows, and they had no intention of opening the gate and interfering with the imperial army¡¯s preparations. thanks to that, the imperial army¡¯s cannon firing preparations were completed without any interference. and then. ¡°fire!¡± bang, bang, bang! as soon as the voice echoed, red flags fluttered everywhere. it was a signal to fire the cannons. immediately, the cannons that the imperial army boasted of began to fire one after another. boom! boom! ¡°ugh!¡± ¡°ugh¡­!¡± many of the soldiers screamed at the sudden sound of the cannon. most of them had never seen a firearm before. of course, there were also some who were startled even though they had already heard the sound of bombs exploding. the sound of the cannon was much louder than the sound of the bombs. but this noise was just the beginning. boom! boom! boom! the shells that hit the wall directly or went over the wall caused huge explosions. thanks to that, a large part of the wall collapsed too easily with just the first attack. ¡°how can this be!¡± ¡°the wall¡­¡± ¡°are those huge chunks of iron all bombs!¡± the soldiers were all shocked by the unreal sight. they had expected the empire¡¯s firearms to be powerful, but this was beyond their imagination. while they were stunned, the shells continued to destroy the wall. ¡°aaah!¡± at first, they had tried to fight back against the empire from the high ground on top of the wall, but when the wall collapsed and many soldiers died from the metal fragments, they abandoned the wall and ran away. after firing enough firepower. ¡°cease fire!¡± ¡°cease fire!¡± they stopped firing the cannons when they decided that it was a waste to shoot any more shells. and then they started to move forward. ¡°hey, we can¡¯t win against them!¡± ¡°this is crazy!¡± ¡°hold your positions!¡± as the empire slowly advanced, there was great chaos in the enemy camp that had suffered a lot from the cannons. many soldiers trembled with fear and ran away in all directions, and the commanders tried to stop them. ¡°i¡¯ll cut down anyone who runs away even one step! don¡¯t break formation!¡± and he kept his word. slash! slash! ¡°ugh¡­!¡± ¡°aaah!¡± he personally cut down some of the soldiers who tried to escape with his sword. but despite their efforts, their morale was already at rock bottom and their formation was disorganized. this had a fatal effect on the ensuing frontal battle. ¡°reload!¡± ¡°fire!¡± ratatatata! ¡°aaah!¡± ¡°sa-save me¡­!¡± the bullets of the long line of riflemen pierced through the enemy¡¯s leather armor and flesh. and this gunfire continued. ¡°quickly switch!¡± ¡°shoot as soon as you reload!¡± when the front row finished shooting, the riflemen who were reloading behind them came forward and fired. thanks to that, the bullets did not stop and inflicted great damage on the enemy. this lasted until the black powder¡¯s characteristic smoke completely covered all sides. how long did they shoot? when it no longer mattered, the commander-in-chief ordered them to stop. the gunfire finally stopped, and the smoke cleared away by the wind, revealing the horrific scene of the enemy camp. ¡°¡­¡± they say that one is speechless when too shocked. that was why the observers were silent. the battlefield was that dreadful. there was no one standing properly in sight. the wall was destroyed, but the enemies who tried to resist until the end were mostly dead or severely wounded, lying on the cold ground. ¡®is this the true power of the empire?¡¯ wise flame had no more strength to be surprised. this was not a war. it was a massacre. that was why there was no worry or concern on the face of the empire¡¯s guide. ¡®never go against the empire.¡¯ after the short but intense battle ended. this thought was engraved in wise flame¡¯s mind like a brand. *** in fact, the expedition was over with that. after that, there was not a single place that resisted with weapons. it was because the result was the same whether they resisted or not. all the gates were wide open, and white flags were hung on the walls. it was a sign that they would not resist anymore. ¡°do not move hastily. it is a fight we have already won. we must think of the precious lives of the empire¡¯s soldiers as our first priority.¡± ¡°yes!¡± at this command of the commander-in-chief, the empire¡¯s warriors slowly disarmed and captured the enemies. and they arrested the instigators of this incident. the commander-in-chief gathered them together and coldly recited. ¡°how dare you touch the missionaries of the empire who live according to the will of the great spirits?¡± ¡°¡­¡± even though his sharp words were translated by the foreign ministry interpreter, they kept their heads down and remained silent. they wanted to kill themselves before being captured, but they thought that would cause more casualties, so they obediently surrendered as prisoners. now that it came to this, their lives were doomed no matter what they said. they decided to keep silent, thinking that if they cursed in anger, it would have a bad influence on the rest of the captured residents. the commander-in-chief looked at them with a fierce aura. ¡°you will never meet a peaceful death. you will die in a pain much greater than what the missionaries suffered. i promise you that.¡± at his words, fear rose on their faces. but the commander-in-chief¡¯s words did not end there. ¡°also, not only you, but all the residents of this region will pay a fitting price. so regret and reflect on your actions even after you die.¡± ¡°please, please spare our people! they are innocent! it was all planned and orchestrated by us! please show mercy!¡± ¡°if you cared about your people, you should not have done this in the first place! how disgusting it is to say that you are doing this for your people now! look! take them all away!¡± ¡°yes!¡± as soon as the commander-in-chief gave his order, the warriors quickly dragged them outside. *** the news of victory reached the capital soon after. ¡°hahaha! of course we won again!¡± ¡°well, that¡¯s obvious. why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true!¡± the empire¡¯s people did not think of defeat at all, but they were very happy when they heard the news of victory. kim kiwoo was no exception. the imperial army had suffered a lot. especially the military chief who prepared for this expedition. he had done a great job. ¡°you are too kind. without the excellent weapons made by the industrial department, how could we have achieved such a result?¡± ¡°haha. in the end, it is the warriors who handle the weapons properly.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s say we both worked hard. hahaha!¡± the military chief and the industrial chief smiled and complimented each other¡¯s faces. thanks to the victory report, the atmosphere in the conference room was very warm. for a while, there were many stories about the outstanding prowess of the imperial army. after these stories ended. the military chief spoke. ¡°your majesty, shall we bring the prisoners we captured this time to the mainland as planned?¡± ¡°let it be so.¡± this was a matter that had been agreed upon to some extent before the war. one could say that many of the residents who were captured as prisoners were not involved in this incident. from their point of view, it was like a red bean in the middle of the night. it was a very unfair thing, but kim ki-woo made a decision. he decided to bring them to the mainland and make them pay for this incident. ¡®there are too few workers in dangerous or poor environments¡­¡¯ as the quality of life of the imperial citizens improved, the tendency to avoid these occupations became stronger. but without people doing these things, the empire would not function properly. therefore, they exploited criminals as much as possible, but this also had its limits. in this situation, the huge human resources captured as prisoners this time could alleviate some of the empire¡¯s dilemma. of course, in the absence of slavery, they would have to be released after serving their sentences. but this was only for the residents. what awaited those who were deeply involved in this incident were terrible torture, immense pain, and death. Chapter 83 chapter 83: the first exchange. the imperial army¡¯s vanguard returned to the mainland. ¡°wow!¡± the imperial citizens cheered enthusiastically whenever they marched. after the reform ceremony and kim ki-woo¡¯s victory declaration, a victory celebration followed. the instigators of this incident were subjected to a very terrible pain according to kim ki-woo¡¯s will, and then disappeared as dew on the gallows. and the prisoners who came in one after another were put into various despised works. most of the things were settled like this, but there was still an important problem left. ¡°what are you going to do?¡± ¡°hmm.¡± kim ki-woo stroked his chin as he received the eyes of the chiefs. ¡®land¡­¡¯ it was a very sensitive issue. the area occupied by this war was still occupied by the imperial army. of course, they could continue to occupy it as they are now. but this was not a very good choice. ¡®it¡¯s too far away.¡¯ there were many forces in between the direct territory and the occupied area. therefore, kim ki-woo did not consider this much. it was one of two things in the end. ¡®either exchange land with nearby tribes or sell it for money.¡¯ anyway, there was nothing else that other forces did in this war. that is, there was no chance to get a spoon in the aztec destruction war like last time. then it was natural to think about the benefits to be gained while disposing of this area. but the former was also difficult to choose. ¡°are they still the same?¡± ¡°yes. they are adamant even though we offered them much larger land.¡± at that answer, kim ki-woo looked at the map of the central continent spread out. the size of the direct territory shown on the map was definitely wider than before. this was because there were places among the surrounding forces that had given up their land as a whole and became naturalized to the empire with all their residents. but this was only a part, and most of the forces were living on while enjoying the advantage of being close to the direct territory. even considering that residents are periodically naturalized to the empire, the leaders of these forces were satisfied with being attached to the direct territory. they made a lot of money by providing labor to the direct territory, and accumulated a lot of wealth by buying industrial goods from the empire and reselling them to other regions. thanks to this, they made more money than any other region in the entire region. ¡®there is no reason to move to a distant area for no reason.¡¯ these guys were writers who wanted to make more money and had no intention of naturalizing to the empire. therefore, this also did not seem very promising. ¡°it seems that there is no way but to sell that area.¡± ¡°we also think that¡¯s the best.¡± there was plenty of land on the mainland anyway. there weren¡¯t enough people, but there wasn¡¯t enough land. therefore, kim ki-woo and the chiefs did not care much about a small piece of land on the central continent. ¡°then let¡¯s prepare in the direction of selling land.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± *** after this matter was finally decided at the imperial conference, the news of selling off the occupied area spread quickly. naturally, the surrounding forces who coveted the occupied area showed great interest. they ran to the imperial envoy in the occupied area and asked about how to sell it. ¡°we will buy this much land! how much money do you want?¡± ¡°hey! this is our share! look for another place!¡± ¡°why do you decide that!¡± as many people who wanted an occupied area gathered, the room became noisy in an instant. it was a natural sight, in a way. there were better areas within the occupied territory. areas that included more mines and farmlands, and that were adjacent to their own. they had to acquire those areas to gain more power. the reaper, who had been watching this conflict escalate, slammed his desk. ¡°please be quiet, everyone. you are not here to fight, are you?¡± the reaper shouted loudly, and the noise gradually subsided. he continued his speech. ¡°the method of selling the occupied territory has already been decided. so there is nothing you can gain by asking us.¡± ¡°what is that method?¡± ¡°ha ha. i was about to explain it to you. the method is simple. look at this map¡­¡± the reaper unfolded a new map and pointed to the occupied territory with a long and thin wooden stick. the map showed the various regions of the occupied territory, divided into small pieces and numbered. ¡°the sale will proceed from the lowest number marked here. any faction that wants to buy the territory can participate from anywhere, and we will sell the region to the one who offers the highest price.¡± ¡°what if someone else offers a higher price than me?¡± ¡°then you have to offer a higher price. isn¡¯t it simple?¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± most of the people realized the auction method from his words. the reaper explained more about the auction method and precautions, and then uttered his last words. ¡°one month from now, we will conduct the sale of the occupied territory here. so please think carefully before you come.¡± after that, they returned to their bases and informed everyone of this. then, long discussions began in various regions. ¡°we have to take this place. no matter how much we have to offer!¡± ¡°hmm¡­ but what if they offer a lot more on the other side?¡± ¡°we must make this place our land, even if we have to borrow money from those who are not interested in this sale!¡± ¡°they will surely demand a huge interest¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s worth it if we can get the precious metals from this region. you have to look at the big picture. don¡¯t you agree?¡± that¡¯s how some people suggested borrowing money. and some actually borrowed money at a very high interest rate. it was possible because the factions that were far away from the occupied territory did not participate in the auction. a month passed like that. finally, the auction took place. as the auction went on, many people¡¯s faces turned pale. especially because the prices of the main regions went sky-high. ¡°oh, my¡­¡± ¡°isn¡¯t this too expensive?¡± but regardless of how some people felt or said, they kept raising their hands with the money they had gathered. thus, all the lands were sold at high prices. ¡®ha ha. i knew that the local nobles had accumulated wealth by exploiting a lot, but they sure have a lot.¡¯ kim ki-woo looked at the final prices with a sneer. ¡®thanks to them, i¡¯ll get a lot of help with my finances.¡¯ the proceeds from selling the occupied territory were entirely used as funds to develop the empire¡¯s industry. *** meanwhile, the expeditionary force that went to europe split into ten squads and landed in their target areas. ¡°what is that ship?¡± when they saw a large ship they had never seen before entering their port, curiosity filled the faces of the local residents. and finally, after the ship docked at the port, a historic first exchange took place. the wakan tanka¡¯s sailors set foot on european soil for the first time. ¡°¡­are those pale-skinned ones really human?¡± ¡°eek¡­ i feel bad.¡± ¡°shh. don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°hey. don¡¯t worry about it. they won¡¯t understand the imperial standard language anyway.¡± the sailors chatted with each other as they looked at the white people who came to greet them. the splendid captain warned them. ¡°be quiet. we are not here for fun.¡± ¡°haha. yes! we will be quiet.¡± the splendid captain then approached the unfamiliar white people. ¡°where are you from?¡± the man asked, looking at the sailors who seemed to be indians but had slightly different appearances. however, the splendid captain, who did not know any european languages, could not understand him. he just made a gesture that he did not understand. the man muttered in disbelief. ¡°huh, they seem to be here for trade, but they don¡¯t have a single interpreter.¡± he shrugged his shoulders. it was possible that the interpreter had died during the voyage. but body language was a universal language, so some basic communication was possible. the man understood that they came to buy and sell goods and made a gesture for them to show their goods. ¡°bring them out.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the splendid captain ordered the crew to bring out the samples. soon after. the imperial products were finally introduced to the europeans. ¡°oh!¡± ¡°how beautiful these porcelain are!¡± ¡°wow¡­ they are very exotic.¡± ¡°this, this is sugar?¡± the men exclaimed as they saw the porcelain, cloth, art pieces, sugar and other goods. thanks to that, their eyes changed 180 degrees from when they first met the imperial sailors. ¡°this is amazing!¡± the men treated the splendid captain and the imperial sailors very well. they invited them to their city, but the splendid captain firmly refused. kim ki-woo had told him to avoid contact as much as possible. after that, the splendid captain and the sailors stayed on the anchored ship and learned the local language. after learning some of the language. ¡°where did you come from?¡± the men asked the splendid captain and the sailors, but ¡°we came from a faraway country in the east.¡± ¡°the east?¡± ¡°you probably won¡¯t know it even if we tell you.¡± they evaded like that. kim ki-woo had warned them not to tell the exact location of the empire. ¡°this place is called ireland.¡± they also learned the name of this island, its current situation, and that it was 1485 according to their calendar. the splendid captain clicked his tongue as he heard about the chaotic situation in europe from the people on this island. ¡°this place is very noisy.¡± he thought of the andes region, where a fierce war had been fought until recently. ¡°sigh¡­¡± and he was amazed by the new livestock such as horses, cows, and sheep. ¡°that¡¯s amazing.¡± he finally realized why kim ki-woo had told him to bring back new livestock from the new continent. the splendid captain sold his goods and bought livestock, various books, and useful items. after finishing all this, the splendid wildflower felt a deep regret. ¡°is it time to go¡­ i wish i could see more places.¡± ¡°can¡¯t we stay a little longer?¡± ¡°that¡¯s impossible. that would be disobeying his majesty¡¯s order. it¡¯s unfortunate, but we have to stop here.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ i understand.¡± the splendid wildflower and the imperial sailors left behind their attachment and departed from the island¡¯s port. and they began to cross the atlantic ocean again. *** of course, not all squads were in the same situation. bang! crash! ¡°damn. what kind of pirates are so many!¡± due to the chaotic situation in europe, there were pirate attacks everywhere. but they couldn¡¯t penetrate the three ships. because of the superiority of cannons and guns. of course, it would have been different if countless pirate fleets had attacked at the same time, but fortunately that didn¡¯t happen. and¡­ ¡°ugh!¡± ¡°hack¡­ hurrk!¡± they avoided contact with people as much as possible, but there were squads that spread the plague while learning about letters, surroundings, history, and trading goods. ¡°i¡¯m sorry¡­ i hope you rest well in the arms of the spirits.¡± they sacrificed them as soon as the plague broke out. since they had already decided to do this in case of such a situation, the decision was quick. but there were also squads that were in a state where most of the sailors had contracted the plague during the incubation period, and these squads suffered almost annihilation. this is how the first visit to europe ended with the death of many sailors. Chapter 84 chapter 84: the mass production of steel. ¡°it¡¯s very beautiful¡­ i¡¯ve never seen such a pattern before.¡± the trade goods from the wakan tanka empire. especially, the artworks such as pottery were quickly spread among the nobles and royals of various european countries. they were amazed by the exotic designs and naturally became interested in the traders who exchanged these precious items. ¡°where on earth did they go?¡± ¡°¡­we tried to find them, but we couldn¡¯t tell where they headed.¡± but the imperial fleet landed in several regions at once, finished their short trade and learning, and left without hesitation. therefore, they couldn¡¯t find the imperial fleet. all they knew was that they came from the east. while there was a commotion in europe, the expedition returned to the wakan tanka continent one by one. the expedition moved to a designated island in the caribbean sea and landed there. ¡®hmm¡­ i see.¡¯ kim ki-woo looked around the status of the expedition and nodded his head with a stern face. there might still be ships coming back, but kim ki-woo didn¡¯t expect much. it had been quite a while since the first squad arrived at the island. ¡®they probably have a high chance of being dead.¡¯ but there were more surviving ships than he thought. out of 30 ships, 18 came back. of course, there were many casualties on the 18 ships, so the number of sailors was much lower. the sailors who returned like this had to live under control on the island for a long time, unfortunately. they had to breed enough livestock from various animals they brought from europe, and check for any epidemics that occurred in the process. also, if they announced the success of the european expedition, there was a possibility that the explorers would violate the imperial law and smuggle out. in other words, until they had enough livestock and prepared countermeasures for infectious diseases, the control on the island would continue. ¡®it won¡¯t take too long.¡¯ in fact, at this moment, research on vaccines was progressing more and more. kim ki-woo went to the research complex on a whim and checked the status of vaccine research. ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim ki-woo frowned slightly as he looked at the research status. seeing his expression, dark flame, who was the highest authority on anatomy and human experimentation, replied. ¡°it¡¯s necessary. your majesty, please don¡¯t be too distressed. everything is for the great wakan tanka empire.¡± kim ki-woo briefly nodded his head at dark flame¡¯s consolation. she was the first person in the empire to perform anatomy for medical reasons. but dark flame, who was nineteen years old at that time, was now over fifty years old. she still maintained a healthy physical condition enough to work in active duty. so she was active as the leader of this human experiment. kim ki-woo turned his attention back to the research status. ¡®many people are dying.¡¯ of course, the human experiment subjects were those who deserved to die. the main culprits of kidnapping and killing missionaries were also injected with cultured germs before being tortured and their progress was monitored. but even if they were humans who were sentenced to death, it was hard to accept that they were doing inhumane experiments on living people. but as dark flame said, it couldn¡¯t be helped. there were still not enough samples, so it was hard to tell if the cultured germs had been attenuated or not. of course, they first experimented on small animals before injecting them into humans, but they also had to check their reactions when injected into humans. ¡°but thanks to that, as your majesty said, vaccines with no toxicity are appearing one after another. if we improve the mass production method, soon many imperial citizens will benefit from vaccines.¡± ¡°i hope so.¡± kim ki-woo watched the vaccine research for a little longer after that. ¡®they¡¯re doing well on their own without me interfering.¡¯ most of them were repeating standardized experiments and extracting data, so there wasn¡¯t much to worry about. after pointing out some visible errors, kim kiwoo left the vaccine experiment area. *** the next place he went to was the experiment area where kim kiwoo was currently investing the most effort. ¡®it¡¯s amazing every time i see it.¡¯ kim kiwoo smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the steam engine. he had seen many internal combustion engines in the modern era that were incomparable to these external combustion engines, but it was remarkable that they had implemented such an engine in this era. they were currently conducting various tests to utilize the steam engine in different ways. from cutting metal with the powerful force of the steam engine to making a strong blower. they were experimenting with almost everything that could be done with an external combustion engine. among them, what kim kiwoo was most interested in was none other than the blower. ¡°your majesty, may we begin?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°then please move away from the steam engine.¡± kim kiwoo followed the craftsman¡¯s words and moved to the safety zone. soon, the experiment began. hwaruruk! after sufficiently heating up the steam engine with coal. kukung! kkieek! the steam engine started to work with a loud noise. kim kiwoo watched the experimental situation with his eyes sharpened. after a while. huuuuuk! finally, a wind blew out of the blower connected to the steam engine. ¡°wow¡­¡± the strength of the wind was easily seen through the flags fluttering at different distances. it was strong enough to make the flags planted far away sway. ¡®it¡¯s definitely much stronger than before.¡¯ moreover, the wind that came out of the blower was hot because of the heat from the steam engine. they had finally managed to create a strong and hot wind. this would act as a driving force that could bring about a huge change in the current situation. the industrial minister, who witnessed this together, exclaimed as he saw the powerful wind. ¡°it¡¯s really powerful. the steam engine has indeed a great potential. if we install this blower in the ironworks, we will be able to get more pig iron faster.¡± ¡°haha. surely it will.¡± kim kiwoo agreed with the industrial minister¡¯s words. the size and speed of the ironworks depended on the strength and amount of wind that was inputted. of course, the stronger and more wind there was, the larger the ironworks would be and the higher the productivity would be. but what kim kiwoo expected most from the blowing ability of the steam engine was not ironmaking. ¡°this blower will not only be used for ironmaking. it will also greatly boost the empire¡¯s industry.¡± ¡°¡­is that so?¡± the industrial minister tilted his head with a puzzled expression. seeing that, kim kiwoo smiled softly and continued. ¡°isn¡¯t it very hard and inefficient to make steel with the current crucible steel method?¡± ¡°your majesty is right. there are many places that need steel, but there is not enough steel.¡± steel was needed for various weapons production, as well as for various iron products that required precision manufacturing such as gears and springs. even the steam engine in front of him was mostly made of steel. the situation was like this, but the amount of steel produced by crucible steel method did not increase enough to satisfy them. crucible steel method required a lot of manpower above all else. moreover, the environment here was very poor. many workers lost their health quickly near the heat source. as a result, at some point, crucible steelworks became a target of aversion for imperial workers. he had obtained some prisoners from the central continent, but they were not enough to fill the manpower gap, as they were distributed to various places besides the doga ironworks. ¡®besides, if the industry develops further, the current steel will be nothing.¡¯ he would need a tremendous amount of steel to build railways and steam locomotives, and to produce iron steamships. the doga ironmaking method was impossible to handle that amount. it was not for nothing that steel was called the rice of industry. ¡°think about it. how is steel being made right now?¡± ¡°are you talking about steel?¡± ¡°yes.¡± the industrial director opened his mouth after a moment of thought. ¡°well, molten pig iron is stirred in the air to make wrought iron, and then a certain proportion of pig iron is put into the doga furnace to make steel.¡± he was an industrial director, even if he was in a different field. he knew the basic knowledge of ironmaking. kim ki-woo nodded and replied. ¡°that¡¯s right. thanks to the air, pig iron becomes wrought iron. but what if you inject air directly into this pig iron with such a powerful blower?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the industrial director could not continue. he was not an expert in this field, and he had never thought of this before, so he could not predict the outcome. ¡°i assure you. if this ironmaking method succeeds, it will produce steel that is incomparable to the doga ironmaking method. and it will not require as many workers as it does now.¡± ¡°is that so? wow¡­¡± the industrial director¡¯s eyes became dreamy. it sounded like a dream come true. if much more steel could be produced with much less labor, it would surely cause a huge change. ¡®the empire¡¯s industry will surely develop dazzlingly!¡¯ as he had been working in the industry for a long time, the industrial director easily noticed this. and he also felt a chill. ¡®his majesty has been doing this for this purpose!¡¯ he finally understood kim ki-woo¡¯s great interest in steam engines. he could easily extract water from the mines and increase the mining volume. then, he could smoothly digest the increased mining volume at the ironworks with the steam engine blower. finally, he could see that most of the iron made in this way would be turned into steel and meet the explosive demand for steel. ¡®how far does his majesty see? he is truly a great and great person.¡¯ while the industrial director was admiring kim ki-woo anew, kim ki-woo was also running his happy circuit while looking at the blower. ¡®when steel is mass-produced, i can implement what i¡¯ve only thought of so far.¡¯ of course, he also needed to mass-produce various iron precision products using steam engines, but this would be achieved soon at this rate. among them, what kim ki-woo was most looking forward to was none other than bridges. ¡®there are too many rivers in the empire.¡¯ this was a blessing, but on the other hand, it was very hard to cross the river. even now, he was building small bridges, but it was almost impossible to build bridges that connected large rivers. but if standardized steel rebar began to be mass-produced, this would not be a dream. rebar and concrete had surprisingly similar properties. thanks to this, he could supplement the low tensile strength of concrete with rebar. this was the famous reinforced concrete method. he could build sturdy bridges with reinforced concrete and facilitate logistics and movement, and if he laid railways on these bridges¡­ the ideal image of the empire that kim ki-woo envisioned began to reveal its outline. ¡®i¡¯m almost there. let¡¯s hang in there a little more.¡¯ before long, the brilliant light of the industrial revolution began to enter kim ki-woo¡¯s eyes. Chapter 85 chapter 85: cowpox and tobacco. it had been quite a while since the splendid sailors and crewmen spent their time on an island in the caribbean sea. ¡®i want to go back to the mainland.¡¯ they longed to see the scenery of the bustling metropolis where countless imperial citizens moved about. but the splendid sailors and crewmen could not do that. they could not leave this island until kim ki-woo¡¯s permission came. of course, they knew this fact when they applied for the expedition, so the splendid sailors did not resent it much. but still, missing something was inevitable. the daily routine of the splendid sailors and crewmen was very simple. they just managed various livestock that they brought from europe. but today, something special happened. ¡°is this what his majesty was talking about?¡± ¡°it seems so.¡± the splendid sailor nodded his head. to his eyes, it almost perfectly matched the appearance that his majesty had personally explained to him. ¡®why on earth does he need this?¡¯ he could not understand why he needed the pustules near the cow¡¯s udder. but the splendid sailor shook his head. it was impossible for him to fathom his majesty¡¯s profound intentions. he just had to faithfully carry out the mission that his majesty had ordered him. the splendid sailor said. ¡°be careful not to hurt it and send it away.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± then, they carefully collected the pustules from the cow¡¯s udder, sealed them, and handed them over to the imperial soldiers. ¡°you have done a great job. his majesty will surely be very pleased.¡± ¡°i hope so.¡± thus, the cowpox, or vaccinia, began its voyage toward the imperial mainland. *** after hearing the news that the sealed cowpox had arrived at the research complex, kim ki-woo left everything behind and headed to the laboratory. as soon as he entered the laboratory, he asked right away. ¡°where is it?¡± ¡°we knew you would come looking for it, so we prepared it in advance. please come this way.¡± ¡°really?¡± kim ki-woo smiled brightly and approached a transparent glass bottle placed on one side of the table. ¡°oh!¡± there was something that looked like cowpox sealed inside it. seeing that, a thick smile naturally bloomed on kim ki-woo¡¯s face. ¡®hehe¡­¡¯ he was so happy that he wanted to kiss that glass bottle deeply. that was the countermeasure against smallpox that he had been longing for all this time. other infectious diseases were also deadly enough, but smallpox was the most dangerous among them. the mortality rate was very high, and above all, it was highly contagious. wasn¡¯t smallpox also the one that inflicted the most damage on the native americans in the original history? but with the cowpox in front of him, he could ease his worries considerably. then, an investigation on cowpox was conducted. they checked the cowpox tissue through a microscope and described any peculiarities. however, they could not confirm the cause of cowpox. ¡®damn. if i had an electron microscope, i would have observed even viruses.¡¯ it was too ambitious to observe viruses with the current optical microscope. knowing this, kim ki-woo quickly erased his regret from his mind. of course, scientists also vaguely knew about the existence of viruses. they did not observe any causative bacteria in diseases that were transmitted by viruses. thanks to the microscope, scientists now realized that there was a clear cause for every phenomenon. that is, he realized that there were pathogens that were too small to be observed by the equipment. the scientists understood that this nodule was also one of them. after inferring the identity of the nodule to some extent, the experiment moved on to the next stage. ¡°be very careful with the bison. they are very aggressive and can cause serious injuries during the experiment. i don¡¯t want to see any casualties.¡± ¡°yes, we will keep that in mind!¡± kim ki-woo warned the researchers once again. soon, the researchers slowly approached the captured bison. ¡®they look really fierce.¡¯ kim ki-woo shook his head slightly as he looked at the bulky bison. there had been continuous attempts to domesticate the bison. but the extremely wild mainland bison had thwarted those attempts time and time again. as a result, they had given up on domestication to a certain degree by now. still, the bison were a good source of protein for the imperial citizens. and if this experiment was successfully concluded, they could also be used as a vaccine reservoir. ¡°can we start now?¡± ¡°proceed.¡± ¡°yes!¡± as soon as kim ki-woo gave his permission, the experiment began. thump! thump! the bison kept struggling and snorting, but they were firmly tied up and could not resist much. the researcher cautiously approached the bison and infected them with the nodule using a needle. the bison seemed to feel the sting of the needle and thrashed even harder. ¡°back off!¡± at the senior researcher¡¯s words, the researcher who was in charge of the infection quickly retreated. in this way, seven bison were infected with the nodule. of course, the experiment subjects were not only bison. they also had to check what harm this nodule caused to humans, so they conducted human experiments on death row inmates as well. of course, kim ki-woo already knew that the mortality rate of this nodule was very low, but he had to conduct experiments to obtain data. ¡®now i just have to watch the progress.¡¯ after infecting both bison and death row inmates with the nodule, time passed. kim ki-woo checked the changes in both groups from time to time and drew a conclusion. ¡®as expected, the nodule is also infecting the bison. and as expected, the mortality rate of the death row inmates is not very high either.¡¯ it was only natural that the nodule would infect the bison, who were cattle even if they were not domesticated. the variolation performed on death row inmates was also as expected. ¡®now i just have to spread this nodule among the bison.¡¯ if there were many domesticated cattle, he wouldn¡¯t have to use this cumbersome method. but currently, there were very few cattle being raised on the island. it would take too long for these cattle to breed and increase their numbers before performing variolation on them. he didn¡¯t have time to wait for that period. he didn¡¯t know when smallpox from europe would break out. that meant he had no choice but to perform variolation on the countless wild bison on the mainland. after that, he released the captured bison into the wild herd and continued to artificially infect various bison. the nodule gradually spread among the bison, and hunters were able to collect nodules while hunting them. ¡°the nodule is an important resource, so be sure to collect and store it.¡± kim ki-woo announced to numerous bison hunters. of course, it wasn¡¯t free. he gave them a certain reward for collecting and handing over nodules to the imperial government. ¡°ugh¡­ why do we have to collect this dirty pus?¡± the hunters frowned at the nodules that suddenly became popular. they couldn¡¯t understand it at all according to their common sense. but it was kim kiwoo¡¯s order, and he paid them a decent amount of money, so they didn¡¯t complain much. that¡¯s how they started to collect the milk from the cows. *** as the empire¡¯s economy grew rapidly, many merchants looked for profitable products with greedy eyes. yellow footprints was no exception. he had risen to the rank of a high-ranking officer in the lightning merchant group, one of the top two merchant groups in the empire, but he was not satisfied with that. from the moment he joined the lightning merchant group, he had never intended to stay there for long. ¡°do you really have to do this?¡± ¡°i thank you for taking care of me until now. but i want to challenge my limits. please understand.¡± the leader of the lightning merchant group, quiet sea, tried to dissuade him several times, but yellow footprints did not budge. he was very reluctant, but quiet sea also decided not to hold him back any longer. he recognized the achievements that yellow footprints had made so far. ¡°¡­fine. but if you compete with our group, i won¡¯t go easy on you. remember that.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t intend to do that either.¡± ¡°hmm. surprising, isn¡¯t it? i thought you would start with a business that you¡¯re familiar with. do you have something else in mind?¡± ¡°i¡¯m still just thinking about it.¡± ¡°haha! your thoughts, huh? that¡¯s scary.¡± almost everything that came out of yellow footprints¡¯ head had been successful, except for the financial business that failed because of kim kiwoo. maybe that¡¯s why? quiet sea had a strong feeling that this talented man would succeed again this time. ¡°let¡¯s have a drink together after you succeed.¡± ¡°yes. thank you for everything, leader.¡± that¡¯s how their meeting ended with regret. after that, yellow footprints took his foundation and capital from the group and established his own merchant group. the first thing he did after founding the flame merchant group was none other than the tobacco business. ¡®this can¡¯t fail.¡¯ yellow footprints¡¯ eyes were full of confidence. there were still people who smoked tobacco in the empire. but not many. tobacco had been cultivated for a very long time, but it was mostly used for ritual purposes, and it gradually disappeared as the spirit faith became dominant. also, tobacco smoke was very harsh and bitter, and it was widely known that it was not good for people¡¯s health. thanks to that, the low smoking rate was maintained. but yellow footprints focused on the fact that smokers couldn¡¯t quit smoking. ¡®tobacco is very addictive.¡¯ that meant that if more smokers appeared, the tobacco business would make a lot of money. but it was hard to popularize tobacco with its current state of being harsh and difficult to smoke. ¡®i need to improve tobacco to make it easier to smoke.¡¯ yellow footprints set his goal and visited many places where tobacco was grown. and he constantly tried to figure out how to make tobacco better. ¡°are you sure this is okay?¡± ¡°i only trusted you and left the lightning merchant group, but when are we going to start the business?¡± of course, it took a long time to finish the improvement work on tobacco. the merchants of the flame merchant group who believed firmly that yellow footprints would succeed were also getting impatient as time passed. but they were already on board. most of them did their best to improve tobacco with yellow footprints. their hard work was not in vain. ¡°yes, this is it!¡± yellow footprints smoked the improved tobacco himself and confirmed it. the smooth throat feeling, the strong addiction, and even the beautiful packaging of the tobacco. this cigarette was sure to lead many non-smokers who had an aversion to strong cigarettes to the path of smoking. afterwards, yellow footprints started producing cigarette products in earnest after contracting with tobacco farms. and they made their first appearance in the market. ¡°what is this bland cigarette? who would smoke this kind of thing!¡± ¡°ugh! it only ruined my taste!¡± but the first reaction from the smokers was very bad, almost close to anger, beyond indifference. they threw the cigarettes from flame top, which didn¡¯t have much taste, on the street. ¡°sigh¡­¡± ¡°is this really not going wrong?¡± the merchants of flame top were greatly flustered by such a fierce reaction. but yellow footprints was not shaken at all. ¡°i expected this kind of reaction anyway. our goal is not them, is it?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°we just have to do what we have to do quietly. don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± the merchants¡¯ agitation subsided as yellow footprints spoke with confidence. after that, flame top moved quickly. they widely advertised the soft and mild cigarettes in various newspapers, and even gave away cigarettes for free to non-smokers for a whole month. ¡°are you really giving it away for free?¡± ¡°haha. don¡¯t worry and take it. this month, the cigarettes from our top are free, so come whenever you need them.¡± thanks to giving away cigarettes for free, flame top¡¯s finances quickly deteriorated. the huge fortune that yellow footprints had accumulated so far also drained out. but yellow footprints never hesitated in making decisions. ¡°hmm¡­ it doesn¡¯t cost money, so why don¡¯t i try it once?¡± indeed, free was great. many non-smokers were tempted by the word free and tried it once. ¡°cough, cough!¡± ¡°oh! it¡¯s not very strong, is it?¡± at first, they naturally coughed, but as they smoked a few puffs, the softness of the cigarettes was clearly different from the existing ones. the scary thing about cigarettes was that many of them became addicted to the taste of cigarettes after being exposed to them. in the end, many non-smokers fell into the path of smoking after being exposed to flame top¡¯s cigarettes. Chapter 86 chapter 86: training. as a result of giving out cigarettes for free for a month, the number of smokers increased tremendously. of course, there was no such thing as a smoking area in this era. people just smoked cigarettes while walking on the streets, and indoors as well. this made many non-smokers interested in cigarettes again. ¡°why do you smoke this? is it that tasty?¡± ¡°haha. you¡¯ll understand why i do this if you try it a few times.¡± ¡°really? then give me one.¡± thanks to the curiosity of the people around them, the smoking rate steadily rose. and this meant the success of flame top. ¡°we¡¯re running out of cigarettes! how¡¯s the talk with the tobacco farms?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve been around everywhere¡­ but didn¡¯t you already scrape them all off? there¡¯s no more!¡± ¡°damn! then we have to increase the number of tobacco farms!¡± flame top was waging a war. it was because of the shortage of tobacco supply due to the sudden popularity of cigarettes. there weren¡¯t that many tobacco farms in the first place, so it was inevitable. therefore, flame top directly increased the number of tobacco farms. ¡°smokers will keep increasing anyway, and they¡¯ll probably stay steady for a while. so let¡¯s pour all our resources into increasing the number of tobacco farms.¡± ¡°yes, top master!¡± yellow footprints invested most of their soaring profits into building tobacco farms. this was an opportunity to establish themselves as the undisputed leader of the tobacco industry, as there were no competitors yet. smokers would get used to their cigarettes over time. as time passed, yellow footprints¡¯ decision paid off. giant tops who saw the potential of the tobacco business jumped in one after another, but people were already accustomed to flame top¡¯s cigarettes. also, they were operating tobacco farms at almost a monopoly level, so it was hard to catch up with them in a short time. meanwhile, flame top¡¯s cigarettes dominated the market. as a result, flame top grew into a giant top of the empire with a huge success from the start. *** time passed, and cigarettes began to surpass their place as a popular preference product. but many people worried about this phenomenon. they hated cigarette smoke itself, and suddenly there were more smokers, and secondhand smoke occurred everywhere. moreover, it had been passed down orally for a long time in various tribes that cigarettes were bad for health. so they hated smoking cigarettes that were not only bad for health, but also smelled bad. therefore, arguments to ban smoking itself began to emerge one after another. this even reached the point where it became an official agenda of the imperial conference. ¡°your majesty, cigarettes not only have a negative impact on the health of the imperial citizens, but also smell disgusting. we must ban the sale and smoking of cigarettes immediately!¡± kim ki-woo somewhat agreed with the words of the hygiene director. ¡®cigarettes are definitely harmful to our body.¡¯ most imperial citizens only knew that cigarettes were not good for their body, but kim ki-woo knew very well how harmful they were to health. kim ki-woo was also a non-smoker, so he wanted to pass the smoking ban law as the hygiene director said. ¡®but i can¡¯t do that.¡¯ he didn¡¯t know that cigarettes would spread so quickly, but kim ki-woo knew that someday cigarettes would become popular as in the original history. drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes are somehow touching human¡¯s instinctive senses. but what if they ban it? especially when it has become quite popular like now? ¡®smokers will rebel. it¡¯s obvious.¡¯ in fact, there were quite a few smokers among the directors. maybe that¡¯s why? the directors who smoked looked displeased with discussing the smoking ban law itself. in fact, one of them, the security director, raised an objection. ¡°last time, you wanted to ban alcohol altogether, and now you want to ban tobacco? do you always try to make laws to prohibit anything that displeases you, chief of police?¡± ¡°of course, we should ban the things that are harmful! i still think we should ban alcohol. do you know how many accidents are caused by alcohol?¡± ¡°oh, come on. why are you bringing up the prohibition law again? that was already rejected.¡± the chief of industry intervened as the conversation was drifting towards the prohibition law. kim kiwoo smiled bitterly as he watched this. ¡®prohibition and anti-smoking laws. what a terrible combination that would have disastrous consequences.¡¯ he understood the chief of health¡¯s intentions, but this was something that should never be done. he knew well the case of america before the arrival, which had caused great chaos by enforcing the prohibition law. if alcohol or tobacco were banned, they would gradually flow into the underworld, and the size of that world would only grow. kim kiwoo had no intention of tolerating such behavior. the opinions of various chiefs continued to pour out after that. kim kiwoo listened to them all and then presented his own opinion. ¡°i sympathize with the harm of tobacco and the suffering of non-smokers to some extent. however, it is not a good solution to force people to stop smoking in a situation where there are already many smokers. therefore, i want to treat tobacco in the same way as alcohol.¡± it was a similar conclusion to when the prohibition law was brought up. he had been constantly propagating the negative effects of alcohol through newspapers and raising the liquor tax. this reduced the drinking rate and improved the national finances. by now, one of the main sources of national income was liquor tax. if the price of alcohol was raised, the drinking rate would naturally decrease, but people who wanted to drink would still pay for it anyway. and this was also the same for tobacco. if the price of tobacco was raised and the danger of tobacco was constantly warned, the smoking rate would drop, but people who wanted to smoke would still smoke. tobacco would also become one of the main sources of national income. ¡®by the way, he¡¯s really something.¡¯ kim kiwoo admired yellow footprints in his mind. he had jumped out of lightning group, which competed for the top position in the empire, and created his own group, achieving such a huge success in no time. he had already noticed him when he succeeded in many businesses within lightning group, but he didn¡¯t expect him to become a giant group leader so quickly. ¡®it¡¯s good to have a talented merchant in the empire.¡¯ of course, if that merchant did something morally wrong, it would be a different story, but at least yellow footprints hadn¡¯t done that yet, so it didn¡¯t matter much. kim kiwoo believed that these people would make the economy of the empire more prosperous. *** kim kiwoo headed to the fitness center to see blue earth, the fourth prince, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. ¡°huff! huff!¡± huff! huff! as soon as he arrived at the fitness center, he heard the rough breathing of men vibrating. kim kiwoo smiled contentedly as he saw blue earth working hard among them. ¡°you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°father. you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°haha. don¡¯t mind this old man and keep going.¡± ¡°yes, father.¡± blue earth bowed respectfully and resumed his exercise. ¡®heh. he can already lift such heavy barbells.¡¯ even considering his age that was close to adulthood after passing puberty, blue earth¡¯s body grew steadily day by day. he ate well and exercised properly, so he had already surpassed kim kiwoo in height. kim kiwoo felt nostalgic seeing this. when kim kiwoo saw blue earth training too hard, he made exercise equipment and fitness center necessary for weight training and taught blue earth and his guards about weight training from time to time. but before long, they absorbed all of kim kiwoo¡¯s knowledge about weight training. the results were evident in their bodies. even among them, the most outstanding guard could even win a bodybuilding contest in modern times before arrival. the escort warriors were the elite of the empire, so they all had excellent basic hardware. while he was thinking about this and that, blue earth finished his weight training on the blue planet. ¡°don¡¯t overdo it. too much is worse than too little. it¡¯s not good to train so hard that you harm your health.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind, father.¡± ¡°good. now that you¡¯ve finished your workout, let¡¯s have a cup of tea with this old man. go take a shower.¡± ¡°yes.¡± blue earth took a quick shower and went to kim kiwoo. kim kiwoo sipped his cocoa and got to the point. ¡°so, how are you running the fitness center these days?¡± ¡°i¡¯m doing my best to live up to father¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°haha. that¡¯s very good.¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s actions were all issues. of course, the rumor about the weight training he spread to train blue earth and the escort warriors spread like wildfire. especially, the warriors were curious about kim kiwoo¡¯s weight training method and wanted to learn it themselves. kim kiwoo also had enough intention to popularize weight training. so he entrusted the work to the escort warriors and blue earth who had learned and mastered his knowledge. first, he built a fitness center in the capital and accepted trainees. ¡®the competition rate was amazing back then.¡¯ building a body is the dream of men. it was no different in this era. moreover, it was a training method devised by kim kiwoo himself, so there was a consensus on how great it would be. thanks to that, he started a fitness business for the trainees who came in after filtering and filtering. and now, after those trainees graduated, fitness centers were created in various regions. ¡°do you plan to continue managing the fitness centers in the future?¡± ¡°yes. i want to make it possible for anyone in the empire to learn this excellent training method that father taught me.¡± kim kiwoo smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the fourth one who spoke confidently. ¡®they¡¯ve all grown up already.¡¯ they had grown up before he knew it and were engaged in their respective jobs. especially, blue earth was a guy who had never refused hardships since he was young to become the head of the military in the future. of course, being an emperor, he was bound to rise to high positions more easily than anyone else. but blue earth did his best to build up his career to be proud of himself and kim kiwoo, and to countless warriors of the empire. ¡°if that¡¯s what you want, then do so. i promise you as your father. if you achieve outstanding results in your position, i¡¯ll send you to the military department that you wanted.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll definitely do that!¡± blue earth¡¯s eyes sparkled as he finished speaking. Chapter 87 chapter 87: mass production there were quite a few holidays in the empire. however, most of them were to commemorate kim ki-woo¡¯s achievements, such as the day he arrived, the founding day of the empire, his birthday, the day he first announced the korean alphabet, the day he first produced iron, and so on. this was partly because the history of the wakan tanka empire was short, but also because it meant that kim ki-woo had accomplished many things in the empire. of course, there was no such thing as christmas or any other western holiday. the most important event at the end of the year was only one: the medal ceremony. this year, too, everything passed by, and the day of the medal ceremony finally came. ¡®this year¡¯s recipients are quite impressive.¡¯ not only the imperial college, but also several other colleges had settled down by now, and there were many scholars as well. moreover, since the development of the microscope, the level of research had been improving day by day. many scholars had worked hard to discover or invent new concepts and phenomena for the first time, like the discovery of microorganisms. among them, this year was especially remarkable for its academic progress. ¡°there are a lot of medal recipients this year.¡± ¡°looking at those brilliant scholars, i think the future of the empire is very bright.¡± ¡°haha! i think so too.¡± the ministers who attended the medal ceremony also admired the many recipients. kim ki-woo scanned with his eyes the few scholars who had achieved outstanding academic results among the numerous scholars. after a while, the official medal ceremony began. the first ones to receive medals were the elite researchers who belonged to the research complex in the palace. they certainly had kim ki-woo¡¯s help, but they were also the ones who had achieved excellent research results, so every year there were always medal recipients from them. ¡°you¡¯ve done a great job. keep up the good work.¡± ¡°yes. i will do my best.¡± kim ki-woo awarded medals to each of them and gave them compliments. after all the researchers in the research complex received their medals, a scholar named bright moon came up to kim ki-woo. ¡°are you bright moon?¡± ¡°your majesty, it is an honor that you call my name!¡± ¡°haha. how can i not know a scholar who developed a wonderful device called a battery? you¡¯ve worked very hard.¡± ¡°thank you!¡± bright moon received his medal with tears in his eyes. kim ki-woo looked at him and thought briefly. ¡®a battery.¡¯ the concept of electricity had existed before the empire was established, and there were quite a few scholars who wanted to study electricity. but no one had achieved as much as bright moon in this field. although it was an early type of battery that could only be used in a laboratory, making a battery was a very remarkable feat. kim ki-woo knew how important electricity was as an energy source. it was the energy that would form the basis of modern human society. as time went by, bright moon¡¯s research results would shine even more. and he was still conducting various researches on electricity, so he might be able to achieve even greater results. ¡®that¡¯s something that can be done gradually.¡¯ electricity was not that urgent yet. it would be ideal if it was developed naturally by scholars like this. as bright moon stepped down, another great scholar came up next. ¡®he¡¯s very big.¡¯ kim ki-woo admired the man in front of him, who had colorful feathers on him. he was at least a head taller than himself. not only that, but his muscular physique was clearly visible through his clothes. he looked like a warrior rather than a scholar, who would have succeeded even if he became one. ¡®the world is really unfair.¡¯ he was a man who had everything in the world. he had a handsome face, a superb physique, and an astounding academic achievement. ¡°how have you been?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°haha. i was sorry to let you leave the palace. you have worked very hard.¡± ¡°i am humbled.¡± ¡°i hope you will continue to contribute greatly to the advancement of chemistry.¡± ¡°yes.¡± splendid feather bowed gracefully. he was a scholar who had been in the laboratory of the research complex for quite a long time, so kim kiwoo conversed with him comfortably. kim kiwoo thought as he handed him the medal. ¡®i hope that not only oxygen, but also the properties of other substances will be revealed soon.¡¯ splendid feather captured oxygen from oxidized substances and conducted experiments. he confirmed that the candle grew bigger as the concentration of oxygen increased, and discovered that oxygen played a decisive role in the combustion of fire. he also confirmed that this oxygen caused oxidation reactions. this was very meaningful chemically. as splendid feather stepped down from the podium, a man who looked like he would only do research in a shabby room, bright smile, approached kim kiwoo with a nervous smile. bright smile kept his head down and twisted his body this way and that in front of kim kiwoo. ¡°did you say your name was bright smile?¡± ¡°y-yes.¡± ¡°why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°well¡­ i can¡¯t believe i¡¯m getting this medal¡­¡± kim kiwoo smiled faintly as he listened to his creeping voice. ¡°your discovery is worth receiving this medal. come here and take it.¡± ¡°r-really¡­?¡± even though kim kiwoo said so, bright smile still hesitated, but he accepted the medal that kim kiwoo handed him. ¡°i hope you will surprise me with your brilliant research in the future. haha!¡± kim kiwoo patted his shoulder as he said so. ¡°y-yes¡­¡± bright smile finally smiled faintly. kim kiwoo enjoyed seeing his appearance. he was such a timid and gloomy man, but he would later be called the father of genetics. he discovered the laws of inheritance through plant experiments. this revealed dominance and recessiveness, which would surely serve as the most basic foundation for the development of biology in the future. after that, many scholars received medals regardless of their fields. there were philosophers, and even those who left great marks in the arts, such as writers, musicians, sculptors, etc. mathematicians were no exception. ¡®of course, if i were to receive a medal, i should receive the most.¡¯ the person who achieved the most outstanding results regardless of science, philosophy, art, mathematics, etc. was none other than kim kiwoo. but kim kiwoo had no intention of receiving a medal. it was not a good picture for him, the emperor of the empire, to receive such a medal. thus, all the medal awards came to an end. kim kiwoo looked down at all the recipients who sat down with elated expressions and began his speech. ¡°you have all worked hard to devote yourself to research in your respective fields. the medals you received today are just a small reward for your efforts. your names will remain in the history books of the empire and will be passed on to future generations for a long time.¡± ¡°ah¡­!¡± a small sigh escaped as kim kiwoo asserted this. it was a heartwarming word. most scholars wanted to leave a big mark in their fields. ¡°but i believe in your potential. i am sure that the scholars in front of me will achieve even more outstanding results and face me again in this place. am i wrong in saying this?¡± ¡°no!¡± ¡°we will definitely stand here again!¡± the faces of the elites, who could be called the best in the empire, were engraved with their determination once again. *** the end of the year passed and finally the beginning of the year, the founding anniversary, came back. and the list of last year¡¯s medal recipients and their achievements spread throughout the empire through newspapers. ¡°damn it.¡± hot anvil crumpled the newspaper instinctively after checking all the names. it was very hard for him to watch the glory of other scholars, artists, and craftsmen. the reason he became a craftsman was to receive that brilliant medal directly from the great emperor himself. but he had no talent for studying or artistic sense, so he naturally became a craftsman. and he had been working hard until now, reducing his sleeping and eating time. thanks to that, he became a renowned craftsman in the black sky research institute. ¡®but you didn¡¯t achieve enough to get a medal, did you?¡¯ among the medal recipients, there was even a young scholar who was only twenty-seven years old. of course, he was an exceptional case, but as a forty-something hot anvil, he couldn¡¯t help but feel relatively deprived. ¡®but it¡¯s not much left.¡¯ he was really confident this time. if he completed this research that he was overseeing now, he would surely be able to participate in the medal award ceremony at the end of this year, or at least by the end of next year. he had already set up most of the processes by now. hot anvil swallowed his anger and headed to the research institute located in black sky. ¡°you¡¯re here.¡± inside the research institute, as he headed to his team, his subordinate craftsmen greeted him. ¡°yeah. finish what you were doing.¡± ¡°yes.¡± after finishing his words, hot anvil quickly checked each process again. ¡®you can¡¯t fail.¡¯ he had already failed twice because of trivial mistakes. and he had eaten up a considerable part of the allocated research budget. if he failed again this time, his team might be ruined. ¡°is there anything wrong here?¡± ¡°no. it¡¯s exactly as we checked two days ago.¡± ¡°check it again.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°check it again. it might have been twisted two days ago.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± so hot anvil checked every little thing with his own eyes like an obsession. that took another few days. ¡°it seems like there¡¯s really nothing wrong now.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ good. then let¡¯s start the test run.¡± ¡°yes!¡± as the start signal finally came after a long time of maintenance, the faces of the craftsmen brightened up sharply. they ran quickly to the steam engine, which was the only one in the research institute. this steam engine was what hot anvil¡¯s research was all about. it showed how much interest there was in his research even within the research institute. ¡°it¡¯s working! be careful everyone!¡± while hot anvil was concentrating. the steam engine heated up and started to spin. squeak! whoo! soon, a loud noise was heard, and the long conveyor belt started to move slowly by the power of the steam engine. hot anvil watched the whole process with eagle eyes. he had succeeded until this part last time, but the conveyor belt¡¯s accessories couldn¡¯t withstand the power of the steam engine and broke. but this time was quite different from last time. the conveyor belt kept moving steadily forward even as time passed. ¡®good!¡¯ hot anvil clenched his fist tightly. it was because the conveyor belt was moving at a constant speed even after more than an hour had passed. he looked at the conveyor belt and was sure. ¡®this will surely bring a huge improvement in productivity.¡¯ of course, he didn¡¯t know when he could use the steam engine in the factory, but he was sure that it would completely change the appearance of the factory over time. he believed that it was much faster for several people to do one thing continuously than for one person to do all the work by himself. ¡®and this is just the beginning.¡¯ the world that hot anvil dreamed of was where these machines replaced human labor and produced goods endlessly. of course, it would take more time for hot anvil¡¯s thoughts to come true. the concepts of division of labor and standardization were not firmly established yet, and not only was steel scarce, but metal processing technology also had to develop further for hot anvil¡¯s imagination to become reality. but what was certain was that the concept of mass production of small products had begun to emerge in the empire. Chapter 88 chapter 88. blast furnace. ¡®a conveyor belt¡­¡¯ kim kiwoo marveled slightly. it was amazing that there was a craftsman who had implemented that concept, which only appeared in the early 20th century, in this era, even if only partially. the founder of ford motor company, henry ford, who first devised the conveyor belt system. he was the one who drastically lowered the price of cars, which were very expensive at the time, and popularized them. the driving force behind this was the division of labor using conveyor belts. considering that he could pay five times more wages than other factories and still sell ford cars in large quantities at a low price, one could see how powerful the division of labor was. of course, this system was premature at the time, and it could be said that it was an invention that was too ahead of its time, but once the concept was created, there would be a time when it would come in handy in the future. *** around the time when the blower using a steam engine was completed to some extent. kim kiwoo ordered to make the structure that had been firmly embedded in his head until then. ¡°can you do it?¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯ll do my best.¡± the broad-minded man, who received the blueprint of the huge egg-shaped blast furnace for the first time, showed a slightly embarrassed expression. it was because the outer vessel of the blast furnace was made of solid steel. it was very difficult to make such a large structure with steel produced by a crucible. in addition, the cost was very high. but since it was kim kiwoo¡¯s request, he called the related craftsmen after he returned to black sky. ¡°i¡¯ll get straight to the point. his majesty wants this structure to be made.¡± ¡°ho!¡± ¡°can i take a look at it?¡± ¡°that¡¯s why i brought it.¡± as the broad-minded man unfolded the blueprint, all the craftsmen leaned their heads forward. immediately after, some of them realized what this structure was. ¡°ah! is this the steelmaking structure that his majesty told the industrial director?¡± ¡°you¡¯re right. you recognized it right away. yes.¡± ¡°oh!¡± ¡°this is¡­¡± as the broad-minded man confirmed, curiosity filled the faces of the craftsmen. the conversation at that time had been circulated among the craftsmen by the surrounding craftsmen who were already with the industrial director. it was obvious that it would be a difficult task, but as soon as they realized that it was a structure that produced steel in large quantities, they became motivated. ¡°let¡¯s give it a try!¡± after that, the craftsmen planned and executed to make the blast furnace. the mechanism of the blast furnace was roughly like this. first, they made a large vessel of solid steel. then they made a structure that could rotate the vessel like pouring water from a cup. this was to put in and take out molten iron. they coated clay inside the vessel to protect the steel vessel. finally, they made it possible to blow air into the lower part of the vessel and blow hot air from the blower of the steam engine through here. this was henry bessemer¡¯s bessemer blast furnace before he arrived. and it was also the one who would make wakan tanka empire into a steel empire in the future. the craftsmen who had been working in ironmaking and steelmaking for a long time marveled as they made structures according to their plans. ¡°if it goes according to plan¡­ it will be easy to turn it into wrought iron.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± it was no different from stirring molten pig iron and contacting it with air to de-carbonize pig iron or blowing hot air directly into it. but they encountered numerous trials and errors until they completed the blast furnace. ¡°damn. it¡¯s not fixed properly. if you don¡¯t align the center of gravity properly, there could be a big accident!¡± ¡°sigh¡­ this time it¡¯s a problem with the blower.¡± ¡°tsk. is this another failure?¡± it was hard to tilt the entrance up to horizontal level anyway. also, it was difficult to have enough durability to support heavy blast furnace with molten iron in it. but as time passed and data accumulated, blast furnace became more and more refined and its outline gradually emerged. ¡°i feel good about this one.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. didn¡¯t last structure not last until twenty experiments?¡± ¡°i hope tomorrow comes soon.¡± they had already spent an enormous amount of money on numerous failures, but they were not attached to failure. they just expected that they would succeed this time and proceeded with experiment with prototype. they experimented with water instead of molten iron because it was too dangerous for now. they poured water in after tilting blast furnace and blew air in then took water out again. ¡°there is no problem yet!¡± but unlike before, blast furnace did not budge even when thirty times passed. then anxious faces of craftsmen gradually brightened up. ¡°haha! is this the real success?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know until we try a little more¡­¡± ¡°shh! don¡¯t jinx it by saying negative things.¡± the broad-minded man also felt a thrilling excitement inside, but he suppressed it and shouted loudly. this was just the first hurdle, and there were still mountains to cross. of course, since they had already secured the stability of the structure, the probability of having a big problem was low. ¡°let¡¯s stop here for today. it¡¯s real from tomorrow, so come with a strong mind.¡± ¡°yes!¡± ¡°haha. i wish tomorrow would come soon.¡± the craftsmen showed their emotions and scattered. and the next day. finally, the experiment of de-carbonizing molten pig iron began. they tilted blast furnace and poured pig iron into it. and as soon as the proper amount rose, they immediately erected blast furnace. ¡°whew¡­ it¡¯s nerve-wracking.¡± ¡°there won¡¯t be any big problems.¡± ¡°i hope so.¡± the craftsmen swallowed their anxiety and activated the preheated steam engine. soon after. whoosh! suddenly, a hot wind blew through the blast pipe into the molten iron. naturally, as air was injected into the iron, bubbles rose to the surface of the liquid metal. ¡°is it going well?¡± the craftsmen kept a safe distance and watched, but they could not see inside the furnace, so they could only wait silently for the result. time passed by in this state. about 10 minutes later. boom! ¡°ugh!¡± ¡°wow!¡± ¡°what¡¯s going on? is something wrong?¡± ¡°no, i don¡¯t think so. the furnace is fine!¡± the craftsmen were startled with wide eyes. a flame shot up from the entrance and a loud noise erupted from inside the furnace. but there was no crack in the sturdy steel container. it was an explosion caused by the carbon in the iron and the oxygen in the air combining to form carbon dioxide, which suddenly reacted rapidly. ¡°should we stop the experiment?¡± ¡°let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± the craftsmen followed the decision of their leader, who had a broad mind, but they were anxious. and finally, when the scheduled experiment time was over, he gave a quick order. ¡°let¡¯s take out the iron inside!¡± ¡°yes!¡± it was something they had done many times while testing the stability of the furnace, but it was a real situation with tremendous heat, so their actions were very careful. then, screech! the sound of metal rang loudly, splash! they obtained molten iron from the furnace. ¡°it hasn¡¯t solidified at all.¡± the iron was still molten even though it was not heated. this was because the temperature of the iron increased by reacting with the air in the hot wind. the craftsmen put the iron into a mold to solidify it and then began to examine its properties. ¡°oh my god!¡± ¡°how can this be¡­¡± the result was astonishing. it was pure iron without any carbon left. in just over 20 minutes, all the carbon had escaped from such a large amount of pig iron. this was very shocking news for the craftsmen who had been struggling to produce steel. ¡°with this iron¡­ we can easily make steel.¡± one of the craftsmen muttered, and their leader nodded his head. that was why they had been doing puddling all this time. even if they made wrought iron by decarburizing pig iron, they had to check the carbon content each time and do puddling accordingly because it varied every time. but if they could always make pure iron with no carbon, it would be a different story. they could produce steel with the desired carbon content by adding a fixed amount of carbon at the end of the process. the craftsmen decided quickly after exchanging these conversations. ¡°let¡¯s try putting some in.¡± they continued to experiment by adding carbon-containing materials. as the experiment progressed, data accumulated, and soon high-quality steel prototypes began to emerge. ¡°hahaha! now we don¡¯t have to do that annoying puddling anymore!¡± ¡°not only that? from now on, a huge amount of steel will pour out!¡± only then did they enjoy their true success. *** ¡°your majesty, the minister of industry is here.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± he was working in his office when he suddenly heard that the minister of industry had come. kim ki-woo tilted his head. he usually communicated his intentions to kim ki-woo through an aide and met him without disturbing kim ki-woo¡¯s time. ¡®he must have something urgent.¡¯ if it had been someone like the minister of public security or the minister of health who visited him out of nowhere, he would have been anxious, but he didn¡¯t think that the minister of industry would bring bad news. kim ki-woo organized his thoughts and opened his mouth. ¡°let him in.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± then, the minister of industry rushed in. ¡°your majesty!¡± ¡°haha. what¡¯s going on? why are you sweating so much? you should think about your age.¡± ¡°i apologize. i wanted to deliver this good news to you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°you could have told me through an aide¡­ well, what¡¯s the news?¡± of course, he could have done as kim ki-woo said, but he wanted to deliver this news personally. he didn¡¯t waste any time on words and got straight to the point. ¡°the furnace, we finally produced high-quality steel from the furnace.¡± snap! ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°why would i lie to you? this is all true.¡± ¡°hahaha! yes. that¡¯s how it should be.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty! they say we can produce a huge amount of steel in a short time!¡± then it was certain that the furnace was completed. kim ki-woo shouted out loud. ¡°aide!¡± then an aide quickly entered his office. ¡°you called me, your majesty.¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to black sky right now.¡± ¡°do you mean to go there yourself?¡± ¡°yes. the production of steel is a great innovation for our wakan tanka empire. i have to see it with my own eyes.¡± he asked the minister of industry, who answered firmly. he had been doing puddling before the bessemer process was developed, which divided the history of the world into before and after. the furnace was a technology that changed the world. kim ki-woo wanted to witness that historic scene in person. ¡°i¡¯ll prepare for it.¡± ¡°good. prepare as quickly as possible.¡± of course, he needed to prepare for safety as he did on his last family trip, but he managed to leave for black sky in just a week. Chapter 89 chapter 89: announcement. ¡°hmm.¡± kim kiwoo, who visited the industrial city after a long time, let out a faint sigh as he received the enthusiastic cheers of the citizens of the black sky city. ¡°the air quality is not very good.¡± ¡°yes, it is. it seems to be because of the increase in factories and the use of more coal as a result.¡± kim kiwoo nodded heavily at the words of the industrial director who accompanied him as usual. looking around, he saw black smoke from various factories staining the air with haze. of course, it didn¡¯t seem to be at the level of causing smog yet¡­ ¡®but it will be soon if we don¡¯t prepare.¡¯ even at this moment, factories were continuing to grow, and especially now that steel was starting to be mass-produced, this trend would surely accelerate. steam engines would be mass-produced, and their power source would be none other than coal. ¡®we can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ the black sky was already one of the largest cities in the empire. it meant that it was a place where countless imperial citizens lived. moreover, there were many cities around it, and above all, it was quite close to the capital. if the black sky became literally a city of black smoke, the damage would be unimaginable. ¡°industrial director.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°i think we can no longer overlook the concentration of industrial facilities. we need to speed up the work of dispersing factories.¡± ¡°i understand. i will do my best to do so as soon as i enter the industrial department.¡± ¡°i trust you.¡± of course, this was something he had anticipated since he created the industrial city. but at that time, he had no choice but to concentrate the industrial zone because he lacked enough labor force and wanted to revive the industry faster. but now the population had increased greatly. there had always been a steady influx of immigrants to the empire, regardless of the location of the wacantanga continent, and the birth rate of the empire had been very high since the creek tribe era. wasn¡¯t the motto of the empire to breed and raise as many as possible? the empire also supported almost all of the accompanying costs, so they were able to maintain a high birth rate. as a result, the population of the empire now exceeded 25 million. this was a rapid population explosion that could not be compared with anywhere or any era in the world. now cities were being built in several northern regions. ¡®let¡¯s build industrial zones in places with good locations among these places.¡¯ especially if he wanted to rule over the blessed north american land, he had to build large cities that could serve as centers for each region and develop them evenly. and these central roles were mostly played by industrial zones. *** ¡°this is¡­¡± kim kiwoo stroked the huge furnace with his right hand. he felt the cold sensation of steel on his hand, but even that felt very warm. there was a little difference between this and the bessemer furnace he had seen in countless pictures before his arrival. it was inevitable since his technology was behind when bessemer made his furnace. but he could tell from just looking at it that it had the same function. he had implemented this much with just one blueprint. he felt the hard work of the craftsmen deep in his heart. ¡°amazing. you¡¯ve done a great job.¡± ¡°we just followed exactly what your majesty gave us as a blueprint.¡± ¡°haha. it¡¯s amazing that you completed this with such a vague blueprint.¡± ¡°your majesty is too kind!¡± the craftsmen enjoyed kim kiwoo¡¯s praise as if they had gained everything in the world. after that, kim kiwoo stepped back and watched intently as steel was made using the furnace. ¡®as expected.¡¯ in less than 30 minutes, about 7 tons of steel had been produced. this was a production volume that was incomparable to the steel made with the traditional furnace. and this furnace was just the first prototype. if the steelmaking process through the furnace was stabilized, it would be possible to produce at least twice as much at once. kim kiwoo witnessed this overwhelming steel production with his own eyes, and finally felt the reality of entering a new era. kim kiwoo continued to visit various factories and research institutes in the industrial city. after seeing many places in the black sky, kim kiwoo realized. ¡®we still have a long way to go.¡¯ the industry that used the weak power of water had its limits. especially in the metal forming part. but he did not despair. even at this moment, a furnace was being built in the steel mill of the black sky, and when steel was mass-produced through it, steam engines would also be made a lot. with the power of steam engines, the development of metal processing was a matter of time. with this, kim kiwoo¡¯s short schedule in the industrial city came to an end. *** it had been quite a long time since kim kiwoo returned to the capital. and during that time, the development of the vaccine had been very sluggish. there were roughly three methods for cultivating vaccines. two of them were impossible with the current technology. in the end, all they could do was egg yolk cultivation. fortunately, there were a lot of chickens in the empire. it was because kim kiwoo brought eggs before he arrived. ¡®it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡¯ he just brought them because it would be advantageous to have improved breeds of chickens wherever he landed. but as a result, this became a godsend for vaccine production. the mechanism of egg yolk cultivation was simple. if you put a weakened virus into an egg yolk, the virus multiplies along with the cell division of the egg yolk. the virus that multiplied like this is separated by centrifugation or filtration, but now it is only possible to some extent, and complete separation is almost impossible. still, it was possible to do this much because they were experimenting with the power of steam engines. but even though they knew this concept, they failed repeatedly in egg yolk cultivation. ¡®it¡¯s hard to keep the egg yolk from spoiling for a long time.¡¯ it took six months to produce a vaccine using egg yolks even before he arrived. that meant that they had to keep the infected egg yolks stable for a long time. the biggest problem was how to keep the temperature constant. ¡®i really miss air conditioning.¡¯ since there was no electricity yet, they had no choice but to research how to maintain the temperature by traditional methods. this naturally took quite some time. ¡®let¡¯s do what we can do right now.¡¯ kim kiwoo organized his thoughts and called his aide. ¡°did you call me?¡± ¡°is the expedition doing well on the island?¡± ¡°yes. they are all silently following your will.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s bring all the expedition and the livestock that we have raised so far to the mainland.¡± ¡°that will reveal the existence of another continent¡­¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter. the time to hide it has passed.¡± ¡°i understand. i will deliver it.¡± kim kiwoo gave orders and reviewed this matter once again. ¡®even though they had contact with many imperial soldiers, there was no significant infection.¡¯ that meant that there was a very slim chance that the plague would spread through them. also, the number of livestock, especially pigs, was breeding at an incredible speed, so the island where they stayed was very cramped. now was the time to raise them on the mainland and spread them widely. the last thing he did was to reveal the expedition and the new livestock, in order to announce the discovery of another continent. ¡®i already experienced the damage in europe, and i know what caused the plague. then there is no need to hide it.¡¯ of course, some adaptation was necessary, but he needed a justification to spread the vaccination quickly. *** ¡°everyone, you have done a great job so far. now you can leave the island and go back to the mainland. the imperial decree has arrived.¡± ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°yes. if you wish, you can leave the island right now.¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s order was delivered to the expedition that had been trapped on the island for a long time. the colorful buffalo and the sailors who heard this cheered with joy. ¡°hahaha! finally, we can go back to the mainland!¡± ¡°long live the emperor!¡± the sailors¡¯ actions were very fast. they left the island without looking back and headed for the imperial mainland. meanwhile, as the expedition returned to the empire. kim kiwoo published in the imperial newspaper about the existence and achievements of the european expedition, their sacrifices, the livestock they brought, and a brief situation of the european continent. ¡°is this really true? the news of discovering another continent.¡± ¡°come to think of it, quite a long time ago, there was an incident where many excellent sailors disappeared. i guess most of them were part of the expedition.¡± ¡°they are truly heroes!¡± the content published in the imperial newspaper overturned all public opinion in an instant. the imperial citizens gathered in groups and talked about the european expedition. ¡°haha! i knew there was another continent!¡± ¡°ahh. so that¡¯s why his majesty banned exploration of the far sea¡­ he is truly a great spirit. he saw through this situation!¡± the most talked-about part was the tragedy that occurred after the expedition made contact with europeans. the concept of plague and immunity was already widely spread in the empire. therefore, they could infer what caused the death of the expedition. above all, kim kiwoo explained this in detail in the imperial newspaper, so the imperial citizens understood the situation more clearly. they had no immunity to their plague because there was no exchange between continents for a long time, and through this, many of them died. ¡°what if he didn¡¯t ban exploration¡­¡± ¡°maybe we would have all died like them.¡± ¡°ugh¡­ it¡¯s horrible just to think about it!¡± the imperial citizens shuddered at the thought of this possibility. at the same time, they naturally admired kim kiwoo¡¯s brilliant insight. this was when public opinion was focused on the discovery of another continent. finally, the european expedition arrived at the capital. wow! whistle! whiiii! ¡°uh¡­¡± ¡°what is this¡­!¡± as soon as they crossed the road with colorful buffalo and sailors, various livestock and european goods led by imperial soldiers, they were greeted by imperial citizens who filled their surroundings with cheers like wildfire. flowers petals fluttered on their path, and respect filled their faces as they looked at them. ¡°haha. why are you all so nervous? don¡¯t be so scared. we are the first people to visit that faraway continent! so let¡¯s walk proudly with our shoulders straight!¡± at colorful buffalo¡¯s shout, sailors who had lost their spirits finally smiled and began marching. the march lasted for a long time. but as there is a beginning, there is an end. before long, they arrived at their destination, the palace. creak! the palace gate opened with a loud noise. ¡°enter.¡± ¡°¡­yes!¡± the european expedition passed through the gate proudly. but surprise happened after that. ¡°your majesty!¡± ¡°gasp! how did you come here¡­!¡± it was because kim kiwoo came out to greet them at the gate himself. this was enough to surprise even colorful buffalo who had not been flustered by anything so far. there was never a case where kim kiwoo came out to greet someone like this before. was it because of that? even the imperial citizens who watched from behind did not cheer anymore. kim kiwoo ignored this atmosphere and approached colorful buffalo and hugged him tightly. ¡°you will be recorded as heroes who saved tens of millions of imperial citizens.¡± ¡°huh? what do you mean¡­¡± kim kiwoo then hugged every sailor once and whispered similar words in their ears. this is how the european expedition¡¯s triumphant return finally took place. Chapter 90 chapter 90: vaccination. kim kiwoo threw a lavish banquet to celebrate the achievements of the expedition. ¡°today is a day to honor your great deeds, so eat and drink as much as you want. do you understand?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± as kim kiwoo said, the crew of the expedition indulged in alcohol like wild horses, with brilliant flower and other delicacies. ¡°hehe. they drink so much, they must be true sailors.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the noise and commotion might not have suited the elegant banquet hall, but kim kiwoo liked this atmosphere very much. he felt a great vitality from the crew. the night went on with the brilliant moonlight. the next day, after the banquet was over, kim kiwoo met with brilliant flower in secret. ¡°how are you feeling? you drank a lot yesterday.¡± ¡°haha! if i had any problems from drinking that much, i wouldn¡¯t be a real sailor. me and the crew are all fine.¡± ¡°i¡¯m glad to hear that. you and the crew will receive many rewards and great honors in the future. congratulations in advance.¡± ¡°thank you, your majesty!¡± brilliant flower was very happy at kim kiwoo¡¯s words. there were few men who disliked money and fame. at least brilliant flower loved them very much. kim kiwoo watched his reaction and then got to the point. ¡°by the way, have you seen the newspaper? you must know what¡¯s going on now.¡± ¡°yes. i could see how the imperial citizens were cheering so much.¡± brilliant flower had immediately grasped the situation as soon as the banquet ended. it was not very difficult. it was all written in detail in the newspaper. ¡®i can¡¯t believe that the cause of the plague was microscopic organisms that were invisible to the eye.¡¯ since all information was blocked on the island, brilliant flower only learned about microscopes, microorganisms, bacteria, and vaccines now. and he also understood why so many sailors who had contact with the people of the new continent died. ¡®your majesty knew all this.¡¯ he clearly understood why he ordered them to avoid contact with the people of the new continent as much as possible. ¡°i heard that most of the sailors who died from the plague were killed by smallpox.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. didn¡¯t we get some books related to plagues from the new continent? it says there that smallpox is one of the most dangerous plagues.¡± ¡°i checked it too. if smallpox lands on the mainland, the imperial citizens who have no immunity at all will suffer tremendous damage.¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s horrible to think about it.¡± brilliant flower shivered at kim kiwoo¡¯s words. the plagues described in the books were deadly and unfamiliar. among them, smallpox was one of the most dangerous ones. if smallpox entered the empire, it would happen as kim kiwoo said. brilliant flower also guessed that. ¡°so¡­ i have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°anything, just say it. i will do my best to accomplish anything!¡± brilliant flower shouted bravely. he believed that kim kiwoo¡¯s orders were always right. kim kiwoo nodded at his response and said what he wanted. ¡°do you remember the cow pus we sent to the mainland last time?¡± ¡°of course. i saw it myself when you extracted it.¡± ¡°then it¡¯ll be easy to explain. that¡¯s what we call vaccination.¡± ¡°do you mean cow smallpox?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°that was smallpox? but there was no serious problem with the sailors who came into contact with it.¡± ¡°that¡¯s because cow smallpox has much weaker symptoms than what you experienced.¡± ¡°¡­now that i think about it, some of the sailors were slightly sick for a while.¡± kim kiwoo nodded his head. he must have caught the vaccination while working on it. ¡°that¡¯s right. those sailors must have been infected and cured by the vaccination. but do you know this? people who have had the vaccination don¡¯t get smallpox.¡± ¡°is that really true? but there was nothing about that in the book i read about smallpox¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s because the people who live in the new continent don¡¯t know this either. but i know for sure.¡± ¡°wow¡­!¡± brilliant flower exclaimed again. kim kiwoo had asserted a prevention method that even the people who had suffered from smallpox for a long time didn¡¯t know, without ever seeing it. kim kiwoo didn¡¯t care about brilliant flower¡¯s reaction and took out a book from his pocket. ¡°what is this¡­¡± ¡°read it.¡± with kim kiwoo¡¯s permission, brilliant flower picked up the book and checked the title. ¡®it¡¯s irish.¡¯ brilliant flower could recognize it at a glance, as it was one of the languages he had learned. after confirming this, his eyes went straight to the title. ¡®vaccination?¡¯ and he knew as soon as he saw the title. ¡°this is not one of the books we brought.¡± ¡°you noticed right away.¡± ¡°well, at least i read all the titles.¡± only brilliant flower¡¯s squad had landed on ireland. of course, they could have found and brought this book from somewhere else than ireland, but the probability was low. ¡°that¡¯s right. this is not a book from europe. it¡¯s a book that i ordered to be made.¡± after the expedition arrived on the island, the diplomatic staff learned all the languages they had learned from europe, so making such a book was not very difficult. brilliant flower opened the book and quickly checked the contents. it was not a thick book, so it didn¡¯t take long to read the contents briefly. the summary of the vaccination book was what kim kiwoo had just said: ¡®people who have had the vaccination don¡¯t get smallpox.¡¯ thud! after closing the vaccination book, brilliant flower clearly understood kim kiwoo¡¯s intention. as expected. kim kiwoo¡¯s next words were as he had anticipated. ¡°from now on, the origin of this vaccination will be ireland, where you went. do you understand what i mean?¡± ¡°yes. i will proceed as you command.¡± it was a lie in a way, but brilliant flower answered without a hint of hesitation. he saw too clearly the big picture that kim kiwoo wanted to achieve through this book. thus, kim kiwoo completed his justification for performing vaccination. *** ¡®hehe. i think i finally understand.¡¯ on his way to the imperial conference hall. the hygiene director couldn¡¯t help but think this. recently, one book had become a hot topic. it was none other than the vaccination book. through this, information spread that smallpox, a terrible disease, could be prevented by something called vaccination. ¡®your majesty had seen the vaccination book first and prepared for this.¡¯ he couldn¡¯t understand why he infected countless cattle with a contagious disease, collected it, and conducted human experiments, but now everything fit together perfectly. of course, it was not yet confirmed that people who had been infected with vaccination did not get smallpox. but since it was something that your majesty proceeded with so firmly, most of the imperial citizens, including the hygiene director, did not doubt it. while he was thinking this, he arrived at the imperial conference hall before he knew it. and as always, the meeting began. ¡°i assume you all have heard of the inoculation method. is there anyone who doesn¡¯t know?¡± impossible. if they didn¡¯t know even after becoming a chief, that would be dereliction of duty. kim kiwoo nodded once and went straight to the point. ¡°the scholars were right. the wakan tanka continent was just one of the continents on earth. beyond that sea, there are vast lands called europe and asia.¡± the chiefs also agreed with kim kiwoo¡¯s words. thanks to that, there were so many people who wanted to go to the new continents of europe and asia as soon as possible. as the history and culture of these numerous countries spread among the public, this trend only grew bigger. but crossing the sea to the new continents was still forbidden, and the imperial citizens also understood why by now. kim kiwoo uttered this content. ¡°however, we must prevent the situation where the infectious diseases that are widespread in the new continents are indiscriminately transmitted to the wakan tanka continent. fortunately, a way to prevent one of the deadly infectious diseases in the new continent, smallpox, has been revealed. it¡¯s the inoculation method.¡± kim kiwoo did not hesitate to propose his opinion. ¡°i conducted experiments and secured inoculants after learning about this. and now, i have enough.¡± ¡°may i say something?¡± ¡°go ahead.¡± ¡°is everything in the inoculation method book true? if so, why hasn¡¯t it spread to other countless countries? or is there some fatal side effect¡­¡± ¡°trust me. this is reliable information, and according to numerous experiments, inoculants are relatively safe.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± as kim kiwoo nailed down the reliability of the inoculation method, the chiefs nodded in agreement. ¡°is there any other opinion?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°as you wish!¡± it was none other than kim kiwoo who ordered to spread inoculants to the cattle in the mainland and conduct human experiments. there was no chief in the empire who opposed this matter that kim kiwoo strongly pushed for. ¡°then i will proceed with the inoculation method in the empire from now on.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± *** ¡°do you really intend to get inoculated?¡± ¡°i have to. i¡¯m also an imperial citizen of wacantanga. how can i not set an example when i ordered this?¡± ¡°¡­i understand.¡± as kim kiwoo¡¯s will was firm, the steward could not stop him any longer. after that, the first inoculation excluding human experiments took place, and the subject was none other than kim kiwoo. ¡°there shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong¡­¡± the eyes of many imperial citizens, including the steward, escort warrior, and several chiefs, were focused on kim kiwoo. but this was just a delusion. there was nothing special wrong with kim kiwoo even after he was inoculated. after confirming this, all the imperial citizens who had worried breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°your majesty has taken the lead and performed the inoculation method with your own body. how can i refuse as a subject!¡± after that, many high-ranking officials voluntarily received inoculations for themselves. of course, there was still a perception that it was a dirty substance from cows, but there were very few imperial citizens who openly said such things in this situation where kim kiwoo received it first. also, as more and more people received inoculations, their safety became known and any anxiety faded away. then many imperial citizens who had been watching the situation began to receive inoculations in earnest. ¡°what? you¡¯re already out of inoculants?¡± ¡°please go back for now. we will guide you again when we secure more.¡± ¡°¡­i understand.¡± but as demand suddenly surged, the inoculants that had been collected so much were soon exhausted. however, kim kiwoo did not worry much. anyway, there were many cattle in the empire, and if he collected inoculants from them gradually, he would be able to inoculate most of the imperial citizens. the important thing was that the inoculation method had taken root without much resistance. ¡®i can finally relax a bit.¡¯ if he succeeded in mass-producing vaccines that he had worked so hard on in the future, he would soon be able to freely travel to europe and asia. Chapter 91 chapter 91: the european blockade operation. time flew by like an arrow. ¡®it shouldn¡¯t be long now.¡¯ kim ki-woo looked at the calendar and sank into his thoughts. it was the year 1492. and it was already the end of the hot summer. in other words, it was the time when columbus would arrive at the wakan tanka continent, according to the pre-arrival history. he did not remember exactly, but he knew that columbus had arrived at the bahamas around autumn. but he could not be sure that everything would go the same as before. ¡®anything could happen because of the butterfly effect.¡¯ it was something that had never happened before the arrival, that the imperial expeditionary force had visited europe. in other words, the imperial vanguard could have changed the history of europe. there was a possibility that the timing and location of columbus¡¯s arrival would be different. ¡®let¡¯s just wait and see.¡¯ he had been preparing for a long time for columbus and the old world. what was a few months of waiting compared to that? kim ki-woo decided to wait quietly until the results came out. *** contrary to kim ki-woo¡¯s worries, columbus was living almost the same life as before. columbus was born in italy, but moved to portugal for his goal. he longed for zipangu, the golden country that appeared in marco polo¡¯s travels, and nurtured his dream of exploring the east. and around 1484. columbus asked jo?o ii of portugal for support for his atlantic exploration. but jo?o ii flatly refused columbus¡¯s request. columbus¡¯s claim sounded absurd, and more importantly, he was preparing for an exploration in the direction of cape of good hope. ¡°damn it. why won¡¯t they believe me?¡± columbus felt very bitter about jo?o ii, who rejected his proposal. but he did not think he could change jo?o ii¡¯s mind. to make matters worse, he lost his wife during this time. as a result, despair crept into his heart, but he did not give up here. he had spent his whole life researching and planning, and it was too precious to give up. after that, columbus went to spain with his son diego. he arrived at palos de la frontera and went to la r¨¢bida monastery with his son. there he met juan p¨¦rez, the abbot of la r¨¢bida monastery. and he enthusiastically explained his grand plan to him. ¡°hmm. that¡¯s a very interesting story.¡± p¨¦rez¡¯s reaction was completely different from jo?o ii¡¯s. coincidentally, p¨¦rez was also the confessor of isabella i of castile. thanks to that, columbus got a chance to meet isabella, the queen of castile. ¡°this time¡­¡± he checked his sailing plan with the monks of the monastery and prepared everything to persuade isabella. and finally in 1486, he met isabella and ferdinand ii of aragon. this meeting was different from jo?o ii of portugal. isabella was deeply interested in columbus¡¯s story, thanks to his thorough preparation. ¡°is there india beyond that sea?¡± ¡°yes. the earth is round, isn¡¯t it? if you support me, i will bring you a lot of gold across the sea.¡± they had many more conversations after that. but this time too, columbus ended up failing. it was because he demanded knighthood and admiralship, as well as governorship over the lands he discovered, and finally one-tenth of the total revenue he obtained. this was a very unreasonable condition. moreover, at this time, the last reconquista against granada was in full swing, so they lacked the resources to support him. ¡°ah, is it really impossible?¡± columbus was desperate. however, at this time, the spanish church wanted a wider missionary field, and supported his claim after having a deep conversation with him. the clergy of the church persuaded queen isabella to accept columbus¡¯s argument. ¡°if that is what you think¡­¡± eventually, queen isabella listened to the priests¡¯ request and appointed columbus. of course, even after his appointment, queen isabella delayed her support, so he actually set sail in 1492. thus, in august, two ships given by queen isabella and one ship from captain pinzon, a total of three ships, began to head towards the vast sea. *** ¡°huaaam!¡± the sea was bathed in warm sunlight. the green-eyed man yawned and stretched. ¡°ugh. this is hard work too.¡± it was physically comfortable to be anchored in the middle of the sea and scout around. but it was boring to see the same scenery every time. so the green-eyed man wanted to do the transport work instead. ¡°i should ask for a transfer when i go back.¡± there were many sailors who liked easy work, so it wouldn¡¯t be too hard. as the green-eyed man was thinking leisurely, ¡°¡­hm? what is that?¡± something faint entered his sight. ¡°could it be?¡± the green-eyed man was startled and quickly grabbed a telescope and raised it towards there. ¡°gasp!¡± and he saw it. ¡°a ship, a ship?¡± and it was not a ship he had ever seen before, not one made in the continent of wakan tanka. there was no way a sailor who had seen countless ships for a long time would not know this. ¡°this is not the time!¡± the green-eyed man snapped out of it and ding, ding, ding. he rang the bell with the designated signal. then the sailors who were waiting ran towards the green-eyed man. the green-eyed man shouted loudly at one of them, red rock, who was the captain. ¡°there is a ship coming from the northeast!¡± ¡°telescope!¡± at red rock¡¯s shout, one of the sailors handed him a telescope. then, red rock confirmed the ship that the green-eyed man had seen. ¡°it seems to be a ship from europe.¡± ¡°it does look like that.¡± ¡°what shall we do?¡± ¡°what can we do? our mission is only scouting. let¡¯s keep a certain distance from that fleet and send a discovery signal.¡± of course, this ship also had firearms such as cannons and guns, but it was not something they could attack without any orders. after that, they sent a hand signal to the distant ship and kept their distance from the unfamiliar ship. as time passed, the imperial fleet that received the signal gathered one by one. among them was also the flagship of the imperial fleet. ¡°heh. i didn¡¯t expect european ships to really come.¡± the commander of the fleet, broken blade, smiled as he checked the three ships. when it was concluded that the exchange with other continents was still dangerous, the current surveillance system was activated. in other words, the goal of the broken blade was to annihilate anything that came from other continents. ¡°tsk tsk. they must have had a big dream and came here with great difficulty. but they had to come at this time.¡± the broken blade clicked his tongue in pity. however, he could not neglect his duty because they were pitiful. the broken blade gave an order as a commander. ¡°intercept all three ships.¡± ¡°yes!¡± with the salute of his subordinate, the death of columbus and his party from europe was confirmed. after that, the imperial fleet formed a siege around columbus¡¯s fleet. the white flag fluttered over the ships from europe in a threatening formation, but there was no imperial sailor who cared about it. and then. flap! the red flag of firing fluttered, boom boom boom boom! the cannons began to spit fire. *** the news of the shooting down of the ships from europe was discussed at the imperial conference. ¡°i never thought that europeans from the new world would sail to the wakan tanka continent.¡± ¡°neither did i. it would have been a disaster if we hadn¡¯t prepared in advance.¡± ¡°do you think they learned about the existence of the wakan tanka continent from our previous expedition to europe?¡± ¡°hmm. that¡¯s very likely. the timing is too coincidental.¡± kim ki-woo chuckled at the last guess of the health director. ¡®coincidental indeed. it¡¯s exactly as it was in the original history.¡¯ he couldn¡¯t tell for sure if columbus was on board one of the three ships that were sunk before they approached the bahamas. but judging by the timing, it must have been columbus¡¯s fleet. with this, the huge history that started with columbus¡¯s discovery of america was completely reversed. kim ki-woo was reminiscing about this while the meeting continued. ¡°if what the health director said is right, there might be more ships coming from the new world. so we should take this as a lesson and expand our reconnaissance range.¡± ¡°i agree with the health director.¡± ¡°me too.¡± the opinions of the directors were unanimous. once they realized the danger of the enormous infectious diseases on the other side of the wide continent, this was a natural choice. ¡°i accept your opinions. from now on, we will steadily expand our surveillance range to the south. at the same time, we will develop the areas adjacent to the eastern sea of ??the southern continent and use them as advance bases for surveillance.¡± ¡°as your majesty wishes!¡± with this, the scale of the operation to block europeans increased. ¡®i can¡¯t let my guard down after trading with europe once.¡¯ there was another incident in 1500 ad, when a portuguese navigator named pedro ¨¢lvares cabral landed in brazil due to a storm. also, although columbus¡¯s expedition was the same as in the original history, he didn¡¯t know what kind of butterfly effect would occur due to trading with europe. above all, as trade in the mediterranean became difficult due to the rise of islamic forces, european countries had no choice but to continue exploring new routes. columbus couldn¡¯t return to spain, but he couldn¡¯t be complacent yet. anyway, as long as the operation to block europeans was activated, there would probably be no major disasters for a while. *** meanwhile, a huge change was taking place on the mainland. many power lines that had been painstakingly built began to operate. the impact of power lines was beyond imagination. ¡°is this all steel?¡± ¡°i heard about it, but i can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± as many blast furnaces were activated at the same time, the production of steel increased to an incomparable level with the past. this was enough to meet and exceed the demand for steel that had been lacking until now. there was no longer a need to operate the difficult crucible steelmaking plants, and the price of steel also dropped to a level that could not be compared with before. as a result, the production of steel products became much easier. the one that benefited the most from this situation was none other than the steam engine. the steam engine required a lot of steel, so there had been difficulties in mass production, but as steel became common, it became easier to produce in large quantities. kim ki-woo also contributed to the mass production of steam engines. ¡°thanks to the supply of blast furnaces, the empire¡¯s industry has risen rapidly. however, i am confident that the steam engine will have a greater impact than the blast furnace. therefore, i will devote myself to spreading the steam engine widely throughout the empire¡¯s industry, and continue to improve its performance.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± after the imperial decree was issued, many craftsmen participated in the production of steam engines. thanks to this, as time passed, the number of steam engines increased explosively, and this became the basis for many craftsmen to try various experiments using steam engines. they began to use the powerful power of steam engines in earnest. Chapter 92 chapter 92: metal processing. the hot anvil, who made the first conveyor belt. ¡®damn¡­¡¯ but after completing the conveyor belt, the hot anvil felt quite frustrated. it was because the conveyor belt was not as widely used in the empire as he had expected. ¡®i¡¯m not wrong.¡¯ the hot anvil did not think of the conveyor belt as a failure. he thought it would surely make a mark in the empire¡¯s history. in fact, thanks to kim ki-woo¡¯s great interest, his attempt was recognized, wasn¡¯t it? but the hot anvil could not be satisfied with just that. his goal was to become a great craftsman like the sharp-eyed one who made the waterwheel for the first time. ¡®what was the problem?¡¯ after finishing the final experiment, the hot anvil reviewed his failure. he wondered why so many craftsmen looked sour when they saw his finished product. the hot anvil could easily figure this out. the fact that a strong power source had to be supplied constantly, and that many precise steel parts were needed with almost no error. and finally, that there was not enough complex process that required the conveyor belt yet. ¡®there were more problems than i thought.¡¯ in the end, the hot anvil had to admit it. he didn¡¯t know about the future, but under the current circumstances, it was hard for the conveyor belt to be widely used. as he was reflecting on his failure. the hot anvil came across the existence of the electric furnace. and he saw with his own eyes the enormous amount of steel pouring out at the first demonstration. hope sprang up again in his chest when he saw this. ¡®if this much steel is produced¡­¡¯ he thought he could solve one of the biggest problems of the conveyor belt, which was the lack of precise steel parts. ¡®let¡¯s try it.¡¯ the hot anvil decided to try again. and he spent a long time in the laboratory, refining and refining his plans for the future. when his plans were all completed, he went to see the director of the laboratory he belonged to, golden cloud. ¡°so. are you feeling better?¡± ¡°yes. thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good to hear. but what brings you here today?¡± the hot anvil got straight to the point. ¡°please let me use the steam engine again.¡± ¡°hmm. the steam engine?¡± ¡°yes. i heard that there are two more steam engines in the laboratory.¡± ¡°well, yes, but you know that too. there are many senior craftsmen who want to use the steam engine.¡± golden cloud¡¯s voice showed a reluctant tone. but the hot anvil did not back down and continued to persuade him. ¡°i know what you are worried about. but you don¡¯t have to worry. i¡¯m not going to try anything challenging this time. will you please take a look at this?¡± the hot anvil handed over his plan. and he waited quietly until golden cloud read his plan completely. ¡®good.¡¯ the hot anvil smiled slightly. as he read his plan, golden cloud¡¯s eyes softened more and more. he had a very good feeling about it. how long did he wait? finally, golden cloud finished reading his plan. as soon as he realized this, the hot anvil started talking. ¡°as time goes by, machines like steam engines will become more numerous and sophisticated. naturally, precise steel parts will be in demand. isn¡¯t that obvious from looking at the current steam engines?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± golden cloud nodded his head in agreement. steam engine explosions were happening frequently. most of the reasons for these accidents were defects in the parts. a lot of parts went into a steam engine, and if they didn¡¯t fit the specifications even slightly, they would burst under the high pressure of the steam at some point. the empire was trying to produce many steam engines with its capabilities, but these problems were hindering them. ¡°think about buildings. if the foundation is not solid, they will collapse sooner or later. in the upcoming era of machines, the foundation is precise metal processing technology, no matter what anyone says. if you trust me, i will build that foundation with my own two hands.¡± after hot anvil finished his argument, golden cloud pondered for quite a long time. then, he gave his answer. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i can¡¯t support you with the three machines you¡¯re using right now.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°listen to me. there¡¯s one more machine coming to the lab soon. i¡¯ll give you that one.¡± as soon as golden cloud finished his sentence, joy filled hot anvil¡¯s face. ¡°really¡­ thank you so much!¡± ¡°hahaha. who doesn¡¯t know your passion? i hope you achieve a great success this time.¡± ¡°i will live up to your expectations, sir!¡± *** at that moment. various researches on metal processing were already underway in the lab, the university, and the palace research complex. it was only natural. hot anvil¡¯s idea was not something special. there were few craftsmen who didn¡¯t know that precise parts would become more important in the future. however, hot anvil was confident about this research. ¡®the key is to make a lot of precise steel parts.¡¯ and this was quite advantageous for hot anvil, who had already created a conveyor belt, a mechanical process. the current metal processing research using steam engines was done by cutting metal with rotational force from the powerful power of steam engines. hot anvil¡¯s plan was also similar. of course, the method was very different. while other researches made one part by one person, hot anvil aimed to make a large number of parts at once by dividing them into several steps. he thought that even if it took many steps to complete, the finished parts would all come out with the same specifications as long as he didn¡¯t change the settings once he set them up. ¡®this process will make it more precise.¡¯ hot anvil continued his research with confidence. of course, there were too many difficulties at first. one of them was that he couldn¡¯t divide the process as he wanted because he only had one steam engine. as a result, he had no choice but to finish one process completely, reset it, and then proceed with the next process. but this was soon solved. ¡°haha. i knew it was extraordinary when i saw your first proposal, but you really made these precise parts in large quantities at once. you¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°sir, if you support me with more steam engines, i can make more precise and numerous parts. how can it not be possible?¡± hot anvil poured out his troubles. but he didn¡¯t have high expectations. he just hoped to get one more support from the steam engines that would come to the lab in the future. golden cloud nodded his head as if he knew everything. ¡°i have eyes too. i know what you¡¯re talking about. i¡¯ve been reporting all your past research processes and results to them. and this morning, this came from the capital.¡± ¡°¡­what is this?¡± ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be better to see for yourself?¡± he couldn¡¯t hide his smug smile as he handed over the document that had flown in from the capital to hot anvil. sensing something extraordinary, hot anvil quickly scanned the document as soon as he picked it up. and a few moments later. shiver. ¡°wow¡­!¡± his hands and eyes both trembled. after firmly engraving all the contents of the document in his head, hot anvil came to his senses. he asked incredulously, as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°is this true?¡± ¡°do i look like someone who would forge an official document? and what benefit would i get from forging it?¡± ¡°well, that¡¯s true. but¡­¡± ¡°congratulations. the empire has decided to fully support your research. his majesty the emperor has taken a deep interest in your research. i knew my eyes weren¡¯t wrong. hahaha!¡± golden cloud patted hot anvil¡¯s back several times, who was half out of his mind. ¡°from now on, if you want anything, just say it. whether it¡¯s a steam engine or an artisan, you¡¯ll get as much support as you want. do you understand?¡± ¡°yes, yes¡­¡± he answered, but it didn¡¯t feel real, so hot anvil pinched his cheek hard. then a burning pain rose from his cheek. through this, he realized that this was not a dream. seeing him, golden cloud smiled fatherly and said. ¡°first of all, let¡¯s move the lab. it¡¯s too small here to bring in many steam engines. just pack your personal belongings for now.¡± with that, his meeting with golden cloud ended. after that day, the scale of hot anvil¡¯s research itself changed. he moved from a cramped lab to a spacious one, and received as many steam engines as he wanted. also, many new artisans were mobilized for this research. on the first day of the research. hot anvil said this in front of the artisans who had gathered this time. ¡°the goal of this research is one thing: to make steel parts of the same standard without skilled artisans once all the processes are set up.¡± he paused for a moment, then looked around at each of the artisans and continued. ¡°steel parts are not works of art. rather, they are the opposite. the beauty of steel parts is uniformity. if they are the same parts, they should have exactly the same shape and strength. i hope you all keep this in mind.¡± ¡°yes!¡± then the research began in earnest. hot anvil and the artisans thought of various processes for each part and introduced various processing technologies that had been developed in the empire to realize them. hot anvil didn¡¯t feel ashamed at all to adopt the achievements of other artisans. his research was to integrate these independent processing technologies and build the most ideal production system. if there was still something unsatisfactory, he would gather with the artisans and devise it himself. as time went by, various production processes for steel parts were established. *** ¡°haha. this is amazing.¡± kim ki-woo repeated his admiration as he looked around at five large barrels one by one. one barrel was filled with steel parts of the same standard. the steel parts looked identical to the naked eye. this was a clear advance in metal processing technology. ¡°was his name hot anvil?¡± ¡°yes. that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°haha. one of this year¡¯s medal recipients has been decided!¡± who else could receive a medal if not for such an outstanding artisan? kim ki-woo thought as he looked at hot anvil¡¯s research journal and report on his future plans. ¡®i thought he was extraordinary when he came up with the conveyor belt idea, but he already achieved such remarkable results by dividing labor.¡¯ these people who changed the existing paradigm deserved respect. hot anvil was a good example of great success achieved by combining brilliant mind, passion and hard work. moreover, his plan was just beginning, and kim ki-woo realized it as soon as he saw hot anvil¡¯s plan. this research was just the beginning. unless something special happened, hot anvil¡¯s legend would continue on, and someday he would be able to find his name in the history books. Chapter 93 chapter 93: the influence of europe. for a while, everything that came from the unfamiliar land of europe was a hot topic in the imperial mainland. as the number of european livestock was secured to some extent, kim ki-woo built zoos in major cities and showed the livestock to the imperial citizens. the imperial citizens who visited the zoo were amazed by the animals they had never seen before, and the one that elicited the most intense reaction was none other than the horse. ¡°do they really ride these big animals in the new world?¡± ¡°haha. they are more gentle than they look. why don¡¯t you try riding one?¡± ¡°um¡­¡± the man hesitated at the breeder¡¯s words. he was afraid of falling off the animal¡¯s back. but since he had come this far, he wanted to try it, so he closed his eyes and nodded his head. ¡°good choice. now, step on this saddle and¡­¡± the man followed the breeder¡¯s instructions and jumped onto the horse¡¯s back. ¡°wow!¡± he exclaimed involuntarily as his view widened in an instant. however, horses were still limited, so they could not be used for transportation purposes yet. on the other hand, there was an animal that quickly multiplied and blended into the mainland at this very moment, and that was none other than the pig. a sow gave birth to 8 to 12 piglets at a time, and could get pregnant 2 to 3 times a year. moreover, they became fertile after about 8 months of birth, and their gestation period was less than 4 months. thanks to these characteristics, pigs had an astonishing reproductive rate compared to other mammals. in fact, most of the reason why the island became crowded with livestock was because of pigs. of course, pigs were not as versatile as other livestock such as cows, sheep, or horses. they were mostly for meat production. as the number of pigs increased, naturally, the imperial citizens also started to eat pigs. and they all marveled at them. ¡°huh! it¡¯s very greasy and delicious!¡± ¡°it¡¯s totally different from cows or chickens, isn¡¯t it?¡± the imperial citizens were captivated by the rich fat and texture of pigs. of course, they were not only interested in pigs, but also in other livestock. ¡°is this a new outfit?¡± ¡°haha. have you heard of sheep?¡± ¡°oh! the livestock that came from the new world?¡± ¡°you know everything, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°hoho. as an imperial citizen, i have to know at least this much. so, is this made from sheep¡¯s wool?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. would you like to try it on?¡± ¡°sure.¡± the woman gladly accepted the offer from the clothing store clerk. after trying on a woolen coat, she exclaimed in admiration. ¡°wow! it¡¯s so soft and warm.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it? it¡¯s a different dimension from the cotton clothes that are everywhere in the market. that¡¯s why many ladies are ordering clothes made from wool.¡± ¡°this too?¡± ¡°haha. that¡¯s what i saved for you. are you not going to buy it?¡± ¡°hohoho! you know my mind well, don¡¯t you? then i¡¯ll take this.¡± she said cheerfully, and the expensive woolen coat found its owner. the clerk¡¯s words were not a lie. sheep were not as prolific as pigs. as a result, sheep were scarce, and so was wool. moreover, many of the wealthy were captivated by the luxury of wool and competed to buy clothes made of wool, which drove the prices sky-high. of course, as time passed and sheep became more common, the prices would naturally go down. unlike pigs and sheep, cows did not receive much attention. they were only curious about the gentle cows, since they did not have enough of them to use for farming yet. but among the cows, there was one that was particularly popular, and that was the dairy cow. ¡°my goodness. so much milk comes out¡­¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t taste bad either. i think we can make delicious food with this milk if we process it well.¡± in the continent of wakan tanka, where there were only fierce wild cows, the existence of dairy cows with abnormally developed udders was a novelty. the concept of dairy products was scarce for the imperial citizens, but with the import of dairy cows, the consumption of dairy products finally began in the empire. *** if these amazing livestock left a big impression on the general imperial citizens, then europe was different for each specific class. among them, the artists were shocked by seeing various artworks such as paintings, sculptures, european clothes, and objects that came from europe. ¡°how can they be so beautiful!¡± ¡°ah, i see. they can express themselves in this way!¡± it was around the late 14th century when the renaissance era began, and it was now reaching its maturity. its beauty gave the imperial artists countless inspirations. in addition, they learned various architectural techniques by looking at the landscapes and architectural styles of europe in the paintings. of course, in the case of clothing, they were only curious, since the empire¡¯s clothing had been developing so much. the same was true for various household items such as dishes and cutlery. ¡°i want to go to this new continent called europe once. how beautiful it would be to see it in person.¡± ¡°this is not the time for that. how can we be inferior to them in terms of art when we have the great blessings of the spirits?¡± ¡°you¡¯re right. we have to work harder.¡± the european renaissance was a great motivation for the artists and architects, and it became an opportunity for wakan tanka¡¯s art to leap forward. this was not only their story. numerous books came from europe, and many of them were translated by diplomats who learned european languages, except for some subversive books. the translated books were printed in a flash at the printing houses that had grown enormously and spread throughout the empire. even the native aristocrats of the central and south continents tried to get these books somehow. especially among them, books on philosophy and thought were very popular. thanks to kim ki-woo, the current level of civilization was better than europe in many aspects, but eurasia¡¯s civilization had been much longer than wakan tanka¡¯s continent. the philosophies that had accumulated over this period were very profound to the imperial citizens. ¡°it makes perfect sense even though it¡¯s from a faraway country.¡± ¡°indeed, the world is wide and there are many great people.¡± ¡°they had such thoughts from a long time ago. i admire them.¡± the scholars were deeply immersed in the arguments of numerous thinkers regardless of east or west. of course, there were many absurd stories for the scholars as well. ¡°haha. geocentrism? there was someone who claimed that a long time ago.¡± ¡°what geocentrism? hasn¡¯t it been proven that the earth orbits around the sun?¡± ¡°that¡¯s not all. the books from the new continent have too many nonsense stories. they are very different from reality.¡± it was understandable that scholars reacted this way when europe still believed things that had already been verified as false on the mainland. but they also read stories that gave them lessons or inspiration, excellent proverbs and philosophies, and increased their level of culture. *** of course, not all books that came from europe played a good role. to know europe¡¯s history, one had to know their religion. religion had caused so many wars until now. even relatively recently in 1453, constantinople fell to the islamic ottoman empire and the eastern roman empire was destroyed. even before that, there were eight crusades that spanned two centuries from the end of the 11th century. they were also wars between islam and christianity. in order to know europe, one inevitably had to know their religion as well. and their religion was not well received by the empire¡¯s fervent believers of the spirit faith. ¡°ha, they think there is no other god than theirs? then what about the spirits?¡± ¡°that makes sense.¡± the spirit faith had many great spirits, and it also acknowledged the possibility of other gods besides spirits. if not, they would have persecuted the natives who believed in other gods long ago. the imperial citizens only believed that the spirits they worshiped were more glorious than other gods. but the westerners did not seem to accept other religions. they had a history of oppression and struggle against other religions, such as the inquisition. so the imperial citizens could not be happy with the european religion. they could foresee that in the future, when intercontinental exchanges began, the empire¡¯s spirits and many other gods in the wakan tanka continent would be branded as heretics by europe. but that was only a prediction for the future. it might not have been a big deal if it ended with some people¡¯s worries. unfortunately, at some point, public opinion on this matter began to flare up. the person who ignited the fire was none other than a reporter from a newspaper company. ¡°hmm. the european religion¡­ this could make a good story if i spin it well.¡± almost all of the imperial citizens believed in spirits. the reporter judged that any religious story would sell well, and published a very provocative article in the newspaper. of course, if he published false facts, the newspaper could be shut down, so the content was based on facts. the reporter candidly reported on the atrocities that the european inquisitors had done to believers of other gods. but when he wrote down what they had done to the heretics, it became very explicit. in short, the imperial citizens who only read this newspaper frowned. ¡°how can they do such horrible things just because they believe in a different god?¡± ¡°are those bastards who kidnapped, tortured, and killed missionaries any different from those inquisitors?¡± especially since they had recently sent imperial troops to the central continent because of the kidnapping, torture, and murder of missionaries, the imperial citizens recalled this. as a result, their perception of europeans deteriorated rapidly. as the european religion became a hot topic, other newspapers also rushed to publish articles, and for a while, the european religion became a hot potato. as the situation went like this, kim ki-woo appealed through the imperial newspaper. ¡°i hope you refrain from making unnecessary assumptions about the religion of the new world. they have not yet denied the great spirits directly. you can discuss this after they insult the great spirits.¡± thanks to kim ki-woo¡¯s timely intervention, public opinion on religion did not spread further. it was true that as kim ki-woo said, the european religious authorities had not designated the spirit faith as heresy yet. of course, it was only natural since they did not know about spirits yet. ¡®hmm. i¡¯m worried about the future.¡¯ he managed to get over this somehow, but the problem was after he actually interacted with europe. ¡®will europeans accept the spirit faith as it is?¡¯ thanks to the spirit faith, it was much easier to rule and develop the empire so far. but as the world gradually connected in the future, the spirit faith would also spread quietly in europe. at that time, it was uncertain whether the religious authorities would accept the spirit faith. no, it seemed likely that they would clash. ¡®i don¡¯t want to make war over religious issues.¡¯ he did not want to experience something like the conflict between christianity and islam. but kim ki-woo was an incarnation of a spirit in the spirit faith. it meant that he was in a difficult position to let go when great spirits were insulted. ¡®i¡¯ll have to think more about it.¡¯ it was a problem that he would have to think about later since it had not happened yet. Chapter 94 chapter 94: the death of a friend. ¡®tsk tsk.¡¯ kim kiwoo clicked his tongue inwardly. the face of the man in front of him had become so haggard that it was incomparable to the first time he saw him. ¡°how are you feeling?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. i¡¯m fine.¡± the voice of the industrial director, black feather, was weak. ¡°you don¡¯t have to rush things, you know. you¡¯re not young anymore.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind, your majesty.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± he answered promptly, but kim kiwoo did not believe black feather¡¯s words. recently, the health of the industrial director had deteriorated rapidly and black feather had taken over his position. black feather was a bit different from the previous industrial directors. of course, he must have studied hard about the empire¡¯s industry as an industrial director, but he had never experienced the field in his life. the route to becoming an industrial director had been like this until now. first, they achieved great achievements in the field. then, they entered the industrial department and learned the practical skills. one of them would become the industrial director. but black feather had entered the industrial department as soon as he became an adult and spent his whole life learning only the practical skills. ¡®thanks to that, there was a lot of opposition.¡¯ at the meeting to appoint the next industrial director. there were many voices opposing black feather¡¯s appointment as the industrial director. the reason was that the industrial director should be someone who had been verified enough in the field. of course, because of black feather¡¯s unparalleled practical skills, he eventually got the position of the next industrial director. black feather had quickly grasped the work after becoming an industrial director. if it had been normal times, he would have easily settled into his role as an industrial director. ¡®but now is a special time.¡¯ there were signs of this before black feather became an industrial director. the workload of the industrial department had suddenly increased. but looking back on it now, that was just a drop in the bucket. the real start was from around the time when black feather started working. the cause was very clear. the explosive increase in steel production. this was what made the industrial department struggle with hellish work. the management of steam engines and various steel products was mostly done by the industrial department. it was also the industrial department that distributed these major products to various factories, universities, research institutes, and so on. moreover, due to the hot anvil, more and more precise steel products were made, and as a boom occurred in the industry, many new factories and research institutes emerged and the industrial department became busier day by day. the problem was not over yet. and that was why the industrial director came to kim kiwoo¡¯s office in person despite being busy without a moment¡¯s rest. kim kiwoo organized his thoughts and opened his mouth. ¡°i¡¯ve seen the report. the construction of the northern industrial complex is sluggish, right?¡± ¡°yes. of course, compared to before, the north of the mainland has developed a lot, but people in the empire don¡¯t want to go up there.¡± ¡°hmm.¡± as the population exploded, people with adventurous spirit in the empire steadily pioneered the north. for this purpose, kim kiwoo had worked hard to make ondol (floor heating system) from the palace research complex in the past. but there were only a limited number of people who wanted to go to the north. the biggest problem was that the north was too backward. ¡®in the north, everything that can be enjoyed in the cities of the empire is limited.¡¯ there was no hope for sewerage facilities that were already laid out like spider webs, and things that could be easily found in cities were very hard to find in the north. simply put, it was almost like looking at a third world country from a developed country¡¯s perspective. ¡°it¡¯s¡­ not looking good. he hasn¡¯t regained consciousness yet.¡± ¡°i have to see him myself. get ready quickly.¡± ¡°yes!¡± as he headed to where his old friend was being treated, kim kiwoo¡¯s mind was in turmoil. he knew this day would come someday. with the current technology, there was no way to extend his lifespan. the death of his old friend, who was already old and frail, was inevitable. but when his longtime companion and family, the closest person to him besides his family, was facing death, he felt numb. meanwhile, kim kiwoo arrived at the place where his old friend had collapsed. ¡°your majesty!¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s sudden visit caused a strong reaction from the direct family members of his old friend who were guarding the place. kim kiwoo raised his hand to show them that he would skip the formalities. and he looked straight at the bed. ¡°ah¡­¡± on the bed, an old man who looked like he was about to die was breathing quietly. if it weren¡¯t for the blanket that moved periodically, he would have mistaken him for dead. his breathing was so weak. huff, huff. kim kiwoo walked straight to his old friend¡¯s bed. then the family members each gave way to him. and kim kiwoo held his old friend¡¯s wrinkled hand with both hands. ¡°¡­¡± was it because of poor blood circulation? his old friend¡¯s hand was cold. that coldness made kim kiwoo¡¯s chest feel chilly. ¡°open your eyes, my friend. how can you leave without saying a word?¡± kim kiwoo murmured softly as he rubbed his hand. then something surprising happened. twitch! as if he had heard kim kiwoo¡¯s words, his old friend¡¯s thumb twitched, and then his eyelids slowly opened. ¡°are you awake?¡± ¡°yo¡­ur ma¡­jesty¡­¡± ¡°yes. it¡¯s me.¡± sob! as soon as kim kiwoo finished speaking, tears flowed from his old friend¡¯s eyes. kim kiwoo¡¯s eyes also became moist at the sight. it didn¡¯t take long. his old friend, who looked like he had trouble speaking, gradually regained his color. ¡°don¡¯t strain yourself.¡± kim kiwoo knew at a glance. it was similar to what they called the last glow before death. but his old friend didn¡¯t seem to care. he looked around at his family and said, ¡°¡­everyone, go out. i want to talk to his majesty.¡± ¡°no. you should spend time with your family.¡± ¡°no, please. have a comfortable conversation.¡± kim kiwoo tried to dissuade him, but as soon as his eldest son spoke, all the family members left the room. ¡°hmm¡­¡± judging by his condition, this might be their last conversation, so kim kiwoo felt sorry for his friend¡¯s family. but his old friend didn¡¯t seem to mind. he shed tears again and said in a trembling voice, ¡°i wanted to serve you longer and longer¡­ i¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± kim kiwoo wiped his tears with a handkerchief and opened his mouth. ¡°don¡¯t blame yourself. it¡¯s thanks to you that the wakan tanka empire is what it is today. you¡¯ve worked really hard until now.¡± ¡°your majesty¡­¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s voice was filled with deep sincerity. the straight tree felt greatly moved by his words. the straight tree then expressed his gratitude to kim kiwoo for everything he had done for him. but as time passed, the straight tree¡¯s complexion worsened. the shadow of death was slowly creeping over him. the straight tree sensed his condition and spoke out the words he had kept in his heart. ¡°i know very well that your majesty has been troubled lately.¡± having watched kim kiwoo closely for his whole life, the straight tree could feel it too well. the fact that kim kiwoo¡¯s inner conflict had intensified recently. the straight tree continued. ¡°i do not know what it is, as a humble servant. but, as your majesty¡¯s loyal subordinate, i would like to offer you some advice. will you allow me?¡± ¡°¡­speak your mind.¡± ¡°do not hesitate to do what you think is right, your majesty. even if it provokes the opposition of many people, most of the imperial citizens will always trust and follow you.¡± kim kiwoo opened his eyes wide and gave a bitter laugh. ¡°haha. i can¡¯t escape your eyes, can i? very well. i should listen to the words of my friend.¡± kim kiwoo felt a sense of clarity in his head that had been dizzy for a while. but soon, the time given to the straight tree came to an end. kim kiwoo did not let go of the straight tree¡¯s hand and looked silently into his eyes. and the straight tree¡¯s last words followed. ¡°i was truly happy to serve you, your majesty¡­¡± with those words, the straight tree¡¯s head drooped down. it was the moment when a huge star that had built the current wakan tanka empire with kim kiwoo went out. Chapter 95 chapter 95: the capital. ¡°ah¡­ how could he leave us so vainly¡­¡± ¡°sniff!¡± when the news of the death of the straight tree spread throughout the empire, the whole nation was plunged into sorrow. he was one of the spiritual pillars of the imperial citizens. in various cities, processions were held to commemorate the straight tree, and newspapers competed to highlight his life and achievements. ¡°he was such an amazing person.¡± the young children who did not know much about the path that the straight tree had walked looked at the newspapers and exclaimed. his funeral was held in a solemn atmosphere. ¡®rest well.¡¯ kim kiwoo personally scattered his ashes. it was a ritual act to return him to nature, to rest beside the spirits. the imperial meeting that followed was also conducted in a grave mood. fortunately, the next minister of internal affairs had already been appointed, and the handover had been done smoothly, so the position was filled quickly. ¡°i am red wolf, who will be in charge of the ministry of internal affairs from now on. i ask for your cooperation.¡± clap clap clap. as he introduced himself, applause from the ministers followed. ¡°the ministry of internal affairs is closely connected with many other departments. so i hope you all cooperate well. i don¡¯t want to hear any unnecessary stories.¡± kim kiwoo looked around at the ministers and warned them slightly. the minister of internal affairs had been so powerful until now that the ministry of internal affairs had been the most influential among all departments except for the administration department. the administration department was led by kim kiwoo and all the ministers, so the actual departmental power was the highest in the ministry of internal affairs. the basis for this was that they oversaw most of the budget in the empire, and thanks to the presence of the straight tree. the former was still true, but the latter had changed. it was natural that the political power structure would change as a result. this was inevitable for human beings, but kim kiwoo did not want to see things get out of hand and become serious. ¡°i will keep that in mind.¡± ¡°of course you should. please don¡¯t worry, your majesty.¡± the ministers accepted kim kiwoo¡¯s warning. but they did not know what would happen in the future. they had to wait and see how things would turn out. with this, the issue related to the ministry of internal affairs was over, and the meeting began in earnest. kim kiwoo received reports on each department¡¯s situation, discussed sensitive issues, and waited for his time. how much time had passed? when he felt that it was ripe, kim kiwoo raised his hand. then, the meeting room became quiet as a mouse. ¡°i have something to propose.¡± ¡°what do you want to propose¡­?¡± the ministers exchanged glances quickly. but no one knew what kim kiwoo¡¯s proposal was. he had never discussed it with anyone before. kim kiwoo opened his mouth without hesitation. ¡°you all know why the capital is called great beginning, right?¡± ¡°of course we do.¡± ¡°surely. it¡¯s because your majesty came down to this land for the first time and laid the foundation stone of the empire.¡± ¡°you¡¯re right. it¡¯s where i started the great wakan tanka empire with you. but do you think great beginning suits the capital of the empire?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the ministers sensed a negative nuance in kim kiwoo¡¯s words about great beginning. a bad feeling rose up in their hearts. the first one to answer kim kiwoo¡¯s question was the minister of health. ¡°well, i think it does. great beginning is located in the south, close to central continent and south continent. it¡¯s near south port. and it¡¯s been developed for a long time, so it¡¯s good to live in, and warm too. there are many big rivers around it, and it¡¯s not far from industrial areas.¡± most of the department heads agreed with the words of the sanitation chief. they were generally satisfied with the current state of the capital. above all, most of the departments had been very busy lately. the production of various industrial goods had exploded, affecting every department. the department heads did not want to create more work for themselves. but kim kiwoo had a different idea. ¡°i fully sympathize with what the sanitation chief mentioned. first, take a look at this.¡± kim kiwoo hung a map on the wall. ¡°does the commerce chief know what this is?¡± ¡°yes. it¡¯s from our commerce department¡¯s survey. how could i not know? it¡¯s a map showing the population distribution of the imperial citizens.¡± of course, there were large errors due to the current administrative limitations, but this map allowed them to see the approximate population distribution. ¡°looking at this map, you can see that the population is very dense in the capital and nearby cities.¡± ¡°it¡¯s natural that everyone wants to live near the capital, where his majesty lives.¡± ¡°besides, thanks to the sewerage and transportation systems, the cities are more livable.¡± ¡°there is also a reason why most of the jobs are concentrated in the cities.¡± ¡°you¡¯re all right. then how about this?¡± kim kiwoo unfolded a second map. ¡°this is¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s a map that shows the major disasters that occurred on the mainland after the founding of the empire. now, look at these two maps and tell me what you think.¡± it was a question that anyone who was not a fool could not know. ¡°¡­the frequency of disasters is higher in densely populated areas.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve seen it well. i¡¯m sure you all know how much damage we¡¯ve suffered from disasters like hurricanes so far.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± a sigh came out of the department heads¡¯ mouths. they had been preparing for it until now, but almost every year, there was a lot of damage from disasters. how could humans stop such huge natural disasters as hurricanes? the problem was that such continuous damage continued in densely populated areas. ¡°maybe we¡¯ve been lucky so far. who knows? maybe a hurricane of a different dimension than before will destroy the capital and surrounding cities.¡± there were many countries in history that declined greatly due to natural disasters. disasters were humanity¡¯s biggest enemy, regardless of time. ¡°imagine it. a situation where everything in the capital becomes a mess due to a huge disaster.¡± the department heads¡¯ faces darkened at kim kiwoo¡¯s words. ¡°the capital is the heart of the empire. if this happens, the damage will be beyond imagination.¡± ¡°then do you think his majesty should move the capital?¡± as soon as the talk of moving the capital came up, tension filled the faces of the department heads. kim kiwoo nodded his head at this. ¡°yes. i¡¯m thinking of moving the capital to a safer place before it¡¯s too late.¡± as soon as he mentioned it directly, the atmosphere in the meeting room became as cold as a northern winter. at the same time, an immediate objection erupted. ¡°but there is only a little difference, most of the areas where our imperial citizens live are prone to disasters. do we have to move the capital for this reason?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. so if i move the capital, i¡¯m thinking of moving it all the way north.¡± kim kiwoo drew a circle on lake superior and the atlantic ocean with a stick. the department heads, who had thought of a slightly northern area at best, burst into surprise at seeing the area kim kiwoo pointed out. ¡°that place has hardly any imperial citizens, does it?¡± ¡°there are many places around there that are still undeveloped!¡± ¡°how can you build a capital in a place where there is nothing? please reconsider!¡± after that, the department heads explained in detail why kim kiwoo¡¯s designated area was unsuitable for the capital. kim kiwoo listened to their dissuasion and organized his thoughts. ¡°it wasn¡¯t just because of the natural disasters.¡± of course, the natural disasters played a big role, but there was also another purpose: to promote the development of the north. the north was better for boosting the industry. ¡°it¡¯s absurd to move the capital right away.¡± this was kim kiwoo¡¯s plan. he would first announce that he would move the capital, and then add one clue. he would promise to provide housing in the capital and nearby major cities to those who participated in the northern development project. ¡°people are desperate for housing rights. this will surely cause a huge reaction.¡± people wanted to live in the capital, the center of the empire. but since the size of the capital was limited, the conditions for living there were strict. there was no concept of land trade in the empire, so everyone had to get a residence permit for a certain period of time. therefore, the competition for living in the capital and nearby major cities was very fierce. this was also why corruption over residence permits was the most frequent and serious of all corruption cases. but what if they could guarantee long-term residence rights in the future capital? there would be enough people who would leave for the north, looking at the future, even if their lives were hard at first. it was a great honor to live close to kim kiwoo. ¡°i never said that i would move the capital to the north where there is nothing.¡± ¡°then¡­¡± kim kiwoo explained his plan. the officials looked a bit relieved, thinking that they had avoided the worst situation. in the end, he was saying that he would develop the planned capital area sufficiently by using the bait of living in the future capital, and then move the capital after some infrastructure was built. the first one to agree with kim kiwoo¡¯s opinion was the industrial minister, who had been silent until now. ¡°your majesty¡¯s words are very reasonable. if that happens, the construction of the northern industrial zone, which has been stagnant, will also gain momentum.¡± it was obvious. to build a huge city of the capital¡¯s scale, they had to pour out enormous resources. it was unrealistic to bring these resources from the far south. in other words, the necessity of the northern industrial zone, which was under construction, would increase. for the industrial minister, who had been struggling with the construction of the northern industrial zone, this was definitely good news. ¡°but if that happens, there will be backlash from the imperial citizens who have been living in the capital and major cities.¡± ¡°if they want, they can participate in the northern development project.¡± ¡°but as you know, these people are the core of the empire. it is not easy for them to move due to various circumstances.¡± the security minister anticipated the resistance of the elite in the empire. and that would probably happen when they announced their plan to move the capital. ¡°there must be some public officials, scholars, researchers, and craftsmen who have difficulty participating in the northern development project right away. if there is a clear reason, i will make an exception for them. but there is no exception for those who do not apply for it even though they can participate in it. even if we move the capital, great start and nearby major cities will not decline. it¡¯s all their choice.¡± great start had a deep meaning as a holy place. also, major facilities such as universities and research institutes were concentrated there. therefore, they expected that the central part of the south centered on this area would still be prosperous. of course, unless they were gods, they did not know how history would unfold in the future. ¡°that¡¯s it for today¡¯s meeting.¡± kim kiwoo declared an end to the meeting. there were many procedures needed to confirm moving the capital anyway. moving the capital was a crucial matter that determined the future of the empire. therefore, many things had to be considered. after the meeting ended, ¡°phew¡­¡± most of their faces were visibly more exhausted than before. they sensed it. the enormous amount of work that would pour into their departments and the turmoil that would arise in public opinion. Chapter 96 chapter 96: moving. the chiefs¡¯ hunch was right. as soon as the news about the capital relocation was announced, the empire was turned upside down. ¡°what? the current capital is already livable enough¡­ why do they want to move the capital to that barren countryside?¡± ¡°i heard that the north has less disasters.¡± ¡°maybe so, but you have to see it for yourself.¡± ¡°his majesty said it himself, so it must be true.¡± ¡°hmm. even so, moving to the north for that reason alone is not right.¡± most of the imperial citizens had never heard of the fact that the northern region was safer from natural disasters. they had lived in the south for their whole lives. but no matter how advantageous it was for the disaster problem¡­ the people, especially those who lived in and around the capital and major cities, reacted sensitively to the capital relocation. if the capital moved, their living areas would become distant provinces, which was understandable. on the other hand, those who wanted to live in the capital welcomed this news. ¡°if i participate in the northern development, i can live in the future capital? then i have to apply right away!¡± countless imperial citizens had longed for it. to live in the capital where kim kiwoo breathed. but since the area of ??the capital was limited, they could not achieve their dreams. in this situation, kim kiwoo¡¯s proposal was very attractive to them. of course, they had to endure the cold that they had never experienced before in an undeveloped area, but the hope of living in the future capital led them to the northern development. ¡°i wonder why his majesty decided to move the capital at this time?¡± ¡°everything his majesty has done so far had a reason, right?¡± those who gave meaning to everything kim kiwoo did also wondered about the relocation of the capital. and they came to one conclusion. ¡°could it be that a huge disaster will hit the southern region, including the capital, soon?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s it! a calamity that we have never experienced will sweep over the capital soon!¡± they believed that kim kiwoo had detected a huge-scale disaster with his amazing insight. and this belief quickly spread to ordinary imperial citizens. the rumor grew bigger and bigger as it followed one after another. and it became more exaggerated and serious. ¡°we have to flee! if we don¡¯t leave here with his majesty, we will surely face a great calamity!¡± as this ominous rumor swept through the empire once, the anxiety of the imperial citizens increased. but kim kiwoo did not suppress this rumor early. he didn¡¯t know what kind of disaster would hit the southern region near the capital at this time. ¡®i can¡¯t give a definitive answer if i¡¯m not sure.¡¯ the rumor was not true, and he thought that a disaster as big as they imagined would not happen. but what if he said so and a huge disaster actually occurred? it could damage his image that he had built up with great care. besides, this rumor was not a hindrance to what kim kiwoo wanted to do either. so kim kiwoo did not give any answer to this ominous rumor. then this ominous rumor gained more strength. ¡°look! his majesty doesn¡¯t deny it either!¡± the imperial citizens thought that kim kiwoo¡¯s silence was an implicit agreement. ¡°damn. i¡¯m going to go north!¡± ¡°yeah. it¡¯s much better to move north first and get a residence permit for the future capital than to stay here and lose your life in a big calamity!¡± of course, there were still many imperial citizens who were reluctant to leave the warm south, but the number of people who wanted to move north increased incomparably compared to before. *** while the empire was noisy with this news, the meeting continued. the capital relocation was a sensitive issue, so many opinions came out, but in the end kim kiwoo¡¯s will prevailed again. ¡°then i¡¯ll confirm moving the capital to the north.¡± ¡°as his majesty wishes!¡± there was a lot of pain before this decision was made, but it was supported by the surge of people who wanted to migrate to the north because of the rumors. ¡®ha ha. i guess even bad rumors can be helpful sometimes.¡¯ it was not what kim kiwoo had intended. but the process did not matter much, did it? he was satisfied with the good outcome. after that, a large-scale investigation of the northern region began. there was some information already, as the northern exploration had been going on for a long time, but it was not enough to be satisfied with. ¡®i have to be more careful. the imperial capital will surely become the center of the world. ¡¯ if industrialization continued like this, it would exert more powerful influence than the united states before the advent. of course, he did not intend to stay still in the meantime. ¡°i will recruit people who want to explore the north from now on.¡± the capital had not been decided yet, but he had to do some groundwork before that. the most important thing was to create an industrial zone in the north. that way, he could easily supply the raw materials needed for city construction. as soon as the northern exploration began in earnest, the applications of those who wanted to migrate to the north poured out like crazy. kim kiwoo was slightly surprised by this. ¡°are these all people who want to go to the north?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± it used to be a problem that no one wanted to go to the northern industrial zone, but now it was a problem that there were too many applicants. kim kiwoo immediately called the minister of internal affairs. ¡°did you call me?¡± ¡°um, yes.¡± kim kiwoo looked at the minister of internal affairs who sat down. the red wolf had not been in charge of internal affairs for long, but he looked several years older. it could not be helped. the ministry of internal affairs was like a battlefield now, as they had to arrange the budget for the capital relocation. but it was inevitable. that was the sorrow of the department that managed the national finances. ¡®i need to reorganize the administrative system when this turbulent period is over.¡¯ now one department handled many fields, but it had reached its limit. he needed to divide and specialize the departments more. but he did not have enough energy to worry about that until industrialization, medicine, biology, and the rapid changes and development of imperial society were over. kim kiwoo put aside his thoughts and started a conversation with the minister of internal affairs. ¡°as you know, there are too many people who want to explore the north. is it possible to maintain them with our current financial situation?¡± ¡°it depends on the conditions.¡± ¡°conditions¡­¡± kim kiwoo realized what he meant. ¡°do you mean the wages given to the northern explorers?¡± ¡°yes. as you know, they are currently receiving excessively high wages compared to the average.¡± kim kiwoo nodded at that. ¡®if not, they would not have wanted to go in the first place¡­¡¯ thanks to his efforts so far, quite a lot of people had been dispatched for the construction of the northern industrial zone. and they were guaranteed high wages as he had discussed with the minister of industry before. otherwise, they would not have wanted to endure the cold that was unfamiliar to them and go to barren land. ¡°i had to do that back then. but i can¡¯t do that anymore.¡± ¡°what do you mean¡­¡± ¡°i mean i won¡¯t pay more wages under the pretext of exploring the north. of course, those who are already exploring the north with high wages are exceptions.¡± ¡°but then there will surely be complaints.¡± how could there be such a difference in wages for doing the same work? there was bound to be some noise. ¡°of course, there has to be a deadline. i¡¯m planning to pay them for the agreed period, and then let them choose what they want to do afterwards. whether they want to return to the south, or stay in the north. if they choose the former, they can earn some money and come back. if they choose the latter, they will be granted residency rights.¡± kim kiwoo thought that this was a fair offer for those who were currently in the north. it was not an easy task to build an industrial zone in a barren area, even if he paid them a lot of money. ¡°anyway, the budget won¡¯t be shaken by the people who are in the north right now, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. as long as the wages of the imperial citizens who go to the north are similar to those in the south¡­ the budget won¡¯t collapse. but it will certainly reduce our financial leeway.¡± ¡°that can¡¯t be helped.¡± at present, the government of the wakan tanka empire had a tight grip on the continent¡¯s wealth. the scale and business areas of the giant corporations had also grown day by day, but they were nothing compared to the government¡¯s projects. the government had monopolized most of the iron and raw material production, and most of the imperial-made industrial products were produced in state-owned factories. however, the budget was continuously spent on civil engineering, welfare for childbirth and education, and recently on things like steam engines and vaccines. and now, he was planning to pour a huge amount of money into the northern development. the labor costs for the immigrants, as well as the transportation costs for food and goods, were daunting. ¡®but it will get better soon.¡¯ thanks to the hot anvil, the foundation for mass production using steam engines was gradually being established. that meant that over time, the national budget would improve, and the raw material prices would drop. after that, kim kiwoo and the minister of internal affairs continued to have a long discussion about the budget allocation for the northern development. *** the various corporations had been busy since the relocation of the capital was confirmed. if they failed to cope properly with such a huge event as the change of capital, they could be eliminated from the competition with other corporations. ¡°it smells like money. a strong smell of money!¡± and many merchants eagerly looked for opportunities to make more money. as always, they thought that there would be a chance to make a fortune depending on the government¡¯s policy. and this soon came true. the first measure that kim kiwoo took was food transportation to the north. ¡®i have to secure enough food first.¡¯ he could get most other things locally, but not food. he could achieve some self-sufficiency, but not enough to sustain an unprecedented large-scale migration. kim kiwoo ordered food transportation to the northern industrial zone and other development sites, even at a high cost. that¡¯s how food gradually piled up in the north. and when time passed and the weather warmed up, the migration to the north finally began. ¡°please take good care of yourself in the north.¡± ¡°yes. i will do my best.¡± there were countless farewells in many regions. the scale was unprecedented in wakan tanka continent. it could be described as a national migration. as a result, for a while, the administrative capacity of the empire was concentrated on escorting and managing them. that¡¯s how many people set foot on unfamiliar land. ¡°huh, really. i heard it from words, but it¡¯s really underdeveloped.¡± ¡°i miss home already.¡± the immigrants were stunned by the scenery they saw as they headed north. most of the north was either preserved in its natural state or undeveloped. for those who had enjoyed the benefits of civilization, it was a sight that made them sigh involuntarily. but it was their own choice to go to the north, so they pushed back their anxiety and moved towards their destination. everything that has a beginning has an end. the first immigrants finally arrived at their destination. ¡°hmm¡­ are those supposed to be houses?¡± ¡°¡­¡± what they saw when they arrived at the northern industrial zone under construction were shabby houses built temporarily. they were built by stopping the construction of the industrial complex for the sake of immigrants. the immigrants sensed it. they would have a hard life for a while. Chapter 97 chapter 97: a solid pillar. meanwhile, after kim kiwoo had set up a neutral zone in the andes region and occupied several areas, many andean people had joined the empire. a solid pillar was also one of the men who became imperial citizens at this time. ¡°father, i want to live in the mainland.¡± ¡°what? how can you leave the land we have lived in and go all the way there? didn¡¯t i already tell you that it¡¯s impossible?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i¡¯m going even if you oppose.¡± ¡°you, you¡­!¡± white eagle¡¯s face turned red at a solid pillar¡¯s defiance. but a solid pillar did not flinch. his current life was not bad. this region had also undergone rapid development after being absorbed by the empire. thanks to that, he was able to enjoy a prosperous life that was incomparable to before. ¡°hoo¡­¡± white eagle let out a deep sigh. his son¡¯s expression was different from last time. it was very firm. he looked like he had made up his mind and came to him. no matter what he said, his son¡¯s will did not seem to change. ¡°fine. let¡¯s go inside and talk. what is the reason why you want to leave your family behind and go to the far north land?¡± at his father¡¯s direct question, a solid pillar poured out his desire. ¡°i have only seen the brilliant appearance of the empire through newspapers and rumors. the people who have been to the empire praised the excellence of the mainland until their mouths dried up. i want to see that sight with my own eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± even after his words ended, white eagle could not say anything. unlike usual, his voice was full of vitality when he talked about going to the empire. because of that, he could clearly feel how great his son¡¯s desire was. ¡°we have no intention of crossing over to the mainland. even if you go, you have to go alone. it won¡¯t be easy to settle down in the mainland by yourself. are you sure you can endure it?¡± ¡°i will.¡± at his son¡¯s resolute words, white eagle finally gave in. ¡°¡­all right. do as you wish.¡± ¡°thank you, father. i will come back successful from the mainland!¡± *** there were twists and turns until he made his decision, but a solid pillar¡¯s actions were fast after everything was settled. he said goodbye to his family and went straight to the port to board a ship to the mainland. ¡°are you also immigrating to the mainland, sir?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°haha. you made a good choice. i hope you will be blessed by the spirits in the future.¡± a solid pillar nodded briefly at sailor, warm gold¡¯s words. ¡®there are many.¡¯ he looked around and saw that there were quite a lot of people who were trying to immigrate to the mainland like him. from those who were going with their hard-earned money like him, to those who were immigrating with their whole family, their types were also diverse. complex and subtle emotions such as anxiety, hope, expectation, etc. flowed out of them. after the voyage began in earnest. time passed quickly. the ship that left from andes soon arrived at oceanus. ¡°wow¡­¡± a solid pillar exclaimed as he stepped foot on oceanus region. this region was not the mainland, but it was so developed that it was incomparable to where a solid pillar lived. this shock did not go away until he unpacked his luggage in the city. ¡®i want to look around more.¡¯ a solid pillar left the inn right away. they had a day off to rest on land, so they had plenty of time to explore this enormous city. ¡°hey, bro! we meet again.¡± then, a familiar voice came from behind. the sturdy pillar turned around and looked at him. as expected. the man who called him was none other than the sailor, the warm gold. ¡°ha ha! is this what they call fate? how about it? do you want to join me if you¡¯re bored?¡± ¡°would that be okay?¡± ¡°of course. i was just feeling bored myself.¡± the sturdy pillar smiled at the warm gold¡¯s words. he didn¡¯t know anyone in this strange land. moreover, the man in front of him was a sailor of the empire. that meant he probably knew this city well. they exchanged names. and his guess was right. ¡°just follow me. i¡¯ll show you the best sights of this city, brother.¡± ¡°i trust you, bro.¡± the two soon became close and wandered around the city. ¡°wow¡­!¡± the sturdy pillar exclaimed as he saw the huge statues erected in the square. he recognized the identity of the largest statue in the middle at a glance. it was no wonder, since it had the same face as the one on the gold and silver coins. ¡°ha ha. isn¡¯t it magnificent? i always stop by here whenever i come to this city. to pray for blessings for the next voyage.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t expect to see such a big statue of his majesty here.¡± ¡°well. there aren¡¯t many in andes yet. but you¡¯ll get used to it soon. there are statues of his majesty in every city, even in every village, on the mainland.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°of course. why do you think we live so well? it¡¯s all thanks to his majesty. even if it¡¯s small, there should be a statue of his majesty!¡± the warm gold¡¯s voice, which was always cheerful and light-hearted, became serious. it was a moment when he could tell how much he respected kim ki-woo. ¡°but who is the statue kneeling next to his majesty?¡± ¡°oh, that¡¯s the sturdy steel sword. he made great achievements since the first war in the creak era, and established a foothold in yanghae as the expedition commander-in-chief.¡± ¡°i see.¡± the warm gold then explained the identities of the other statues in the square. ¡°ha ha. i got too excited. i¡¯m such a chatterbox.¡± ¡°not at all. thanks to you, i had a lot of fun.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good then.¡± after that, they continued their sightseeing. and the sturdy pillar¡¯s admiration continued as well. ¡°this is how amazing yanghae is, how incredible must the mainland be?¡± at that, the warm gold smiled brightly. ¡°the mainland is amazing too. but don¡¯t get me wrong, yanghae is not the mainland, but it¡¯s as prosperous as any other major city. don¡¯t forget that this is the trade center of yanghae, andes, and the western part of the central continent.¡± as the warm gold said, yanghae had been growing rapidly with transit trade, and now it was one of the most prosperous regions in the empire. ¡°oh, i see¡­¡± only then did the sturdy pillar agree. come to think of it, it was true. even at this moment, a huge amount of goods were moving across the city. after realizing this, he looked around again with new eyes. ¡®there are so many different people here.¡¯ they looked different depending on their region. the mainlanders and andes people like him, and even the natives of the central continent. the solid pillar was amazed by everything. he had seen many things since then. he couldn¡¯t visit every area of the city, but thanks to the warm gold, he was able to see many important places. ¡°i wish i had more time to see the rest of the places.¡± ¡°i agree with you.¡± the two left their regrets behind and entered a pub. and there, the solid pillar had a fateful encounter. ¡°what is this¡­?¡± ¡°have you heard of it? this is a food called chicken.¡± ¡°oh! is this chicken?¡± the solid pillar nodded his head. he couldn¡¯t recognize it at first because of the fried coating, but upon closer inspection, he noticed the distinctive shape of chicken meat. chicken had been introduced to andes a long time ago. as a result, chicken was a very familiar livestock to the andes people. the solid pillar had eaten many chicken dishes, but he had never tasted chicken. however, his mouth began to water at the smell of frying that tickled his nose. ¡°go ahead and try it. i¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it. here, this leg part is the best, you know?¡± after grabbing the leg that warm gold handed him, the solid pillar took a big bite. crunch! ¡°¡­!¡± and his eyes widened as much as they could. the crispiness of the chicken, the sweet and spicy sauce, and the unique greasiness blended together and gave him a taste he had never experienced before. ¡°how is it? delicious, right? haha! i knew it. this place is really a gem. i always come here whenever i visit this city, you know?¡± warm gold chattered excitedly, but this did not reach the solid pillar¡¯s ears. he was like a man possessed, eating chicken without thinking. warm gold realized this and smiled wryly, then spoke to the owner. ¡°haha. this guy seems to be totally hooked on your chicken.¡± ¡°of course! no one can resist our special sauce!¡± the round shield, who ran the pub, said with a thick pride in his voice. chicken was already a very common food in the empire. especially since it was a food made by kim ki-woo himself, the imperial people wanted to taste chicken. however, in the early days, chicken was not popularized due to the shortage of cooking oil, but when cottonseed oil was refined for edible use, the supply of cooking oil became smooth. as a result, chicken gradually became popularized and many pubs and restaurants started selling chicken. among them, round shield¡¯s pub was famous for its taste even within the empire. while they were having a conversation. chomp, chomp. the solid pillar sucked on the sauce stuck on his chopsticks and came to his senses. ¡®¡­!¡¯ he looked at the plate. but there was nothing left but bones. he had eaten a whole chicken without realizing it. ¡®i want more¡­¡¯ even though he was very full, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the fantastic taste of chicken in his head. ¡°then have a good trip to the mainland, brother. it was nice meeting you.¡± ¡°yes, thank you.¡± this continued until he finished drinking and went back to the inn. and this was also the case at that moment when he headed to the east port the next day. ¡®i have to go to the mainland¡­¡¯ would he be able to taste chicken like yesterday on the mainland? if he left like this, would he regret it? that thought made the solid pillar¡¯s footsteps heavy. he stopped! ¡°phew¡­¡± he finally halted his steps. and turned around. ¡®yeah. i can always go back to the mainland, right?¡¯ the border region seemed like a nice place to live. more than anything, he felt a strong destiny from the chicken he ate yesterday. he headed straight to the pub he visited last night. as expected, it was too early in the morning and the door was not open. but he waited in front of the shop without hesitation. how much time had passed? round shield came with some ingredients for the shop. ¡°hmm? didn¡¯t you say you were leaving for the mainland this afternoon?¡± ¡°i did, but i changed my mind. please take me as your disciple. i will serve you as my master!¡± ¡°¡­¡± round shield could not answer right away at the sudden absurd words. but seeing how serious he was, round shield gestured him to come in. ¡°come on in.¡± ¡°yes, master!¡± ¡°haha. this guy.¡± he followed round shield into the shop. and so, the legend of solid pillar, who would shake the food industry in the future, began in the border region. Chapter 98 chapter 98: fusion. meanwhile, as the empire was going through a turbulent period, the central continent was also undergoing a drastic change in a different sense. ¡°damn those nobles! how long do we have to feed those pig-like tax collectors!¡± at this time, discontent was gradually building up among the commoners of the central continent. it was because most of the wealth was concentrated in the hands of the upper class, including the nobles. ¡°sigh. don¡¯t do anything stupid and harm the rest of us who are living well.¡± of course, there were also many residents who simply adapted to the given reality and lived on. after all, the concentration of wealth in the upper class had been going on since ancient times. and as they interacted with the wakan tanka empire, the quality of life of the residents improved little by little. the chickens that had been broadcasted long ago were now very common, and the pigs that had recently arrived had multiplied in no time. thanks to that, protein deficiency became a thing of the past, and many people thought that this was a peaceful era. but as time passed, the opposite voices continued to grow louder. ¡°what¡¯s the difference between us and the nobles? look at that huge wakan tanka empire! do they have a noble class under their great emperor?¡± ¡°no!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. the imperial constitution states that all people are equal under the emperor. then why do we have to live hard under the oppression of the nobles? this is clearly wrong!¡± ¡°right!¡± ¡°wow!¡± the man¡¯s appeal shook the hearts of many people. the wakan tanka empire had become the dominant power of this vast continent before they knew it. the residents of various regions looked up to the empire and admired its brilliant appearance. and among them, the equality of status made many residents¡¯ hearts flutter. especially when compared to the misdeeds of the nobles in their own regions. this atmosphere grew even more thanks to the spirit faith. there was this doctrine in the spirit faith. -there is no distinction between high and low in front of the great spirits. this doctrine was clearly no problem in the empire. from the beginning, kim kiwoo, the emperor, was revered as a spirit, and the status of the rest of the imperial citizens was all equal. but it was a problematic doctrine in regions where status existed. the missionaries knew this, so they didn¡¯t emphasize it much in these regions. but as more and more residents believed in spirit faith and it became one of their major beliefs, and especially after the imperial missionary incident, things changed. ¡°who would have thought that the empire would come out so strongly. we shouldn¡¯t mess with missionaries unless we have to.¡± the leaders who ruled each region experienced the overwhelming firepower of the empire and felt it painfully. that there was nothing but cruel destruction for those who faced their guns. so from then on, they paid a lot of attention to the safety of missionaries. ¡°if anything happens to hurt even a hair of missionaries, your heads will fly. got it?¡± ¡°yes!¡± each faction attached excessive escorts to missionaries who were doing missionary work in their regions. for fear that if any crime occurred to them, imperial messengers would visit with guns on their shoulders. as this happened, missionaries were able to do missionary work very safely, and they gradually began to spread some sensitive issues that they hadn¡¯t done before. ¡°the great spirits do not discriminate against anyone and love everyone.¡± ¡°do you mean that we commoners and those high-ranking people are treated equally?¡± ¡°yes. status is just a measure set by humans. to the great spirits, we are all just people.¡± this was definitely a shocking claim for residents who had lived in a status society. ¡°there¡¯s no difference between me and those nobles¡­ is that really true?¡± ¡°yeah. we¡¯re all humans who eat and breathe alike. there¡¯s no difference.¡± this claim shook the minds of commoners. thanks to that, spirit faith followers increased rapidly among ordinary people. the nobles who were watching the situation started to protest. ¡°how dare you say that we are no different from the commoners! how can you spread such words in public? stop it at once!¡± the nobles despised the missionaries. they thought that they had revealed their true colors after the missionary incident was over, when they had been quiet before. but the missionaries did not back down. ¡°if you have any complaints, please appeal to the empire directly. i have only taught the doctrine as it is.¡± ¡°who do you think you are fooling? you did not preach your arrogant doctrine before! now that you have the imperial army behind you, you think we don¡¯t know what you are doing?¡± ¡°i have only one thing to say to you. i am just a servant who spreads the stories of the great spirits. if you are not satisfied, send an envoy to the direct spirit.¡± ¡°gah¡­!¡± the noble wanted to smash the calm face of the missionary, but he bit his lip and suppressed his impulse. he was afraid of the consequences that would follow if he openly oppressed the missionary in front of him. thanks to that, the missionary safely left his seat and continued his missionary work in the same area. as time passed, more and more people began to cry out for equality in various parts of the central continent. *** receiving the report from the central continent, various thoughts crossed kim ki-woo¡¯s mind. ¡®using religion as a weapon is not very pleasant after all.¡¯ of course, the current situation in the central continent was largely influenced by kim ki-woo¡¯s intention. kim ki-woo¡¯s ultimate goal was to make the entire wakan tanka continent his own without much sacrifice. he was sure that he could unify the wakan tanka continent with his current firepower. the gap between the empire and the external forces was huge. but the wakan tanka continent was too wide. it was a fact that it was too much for him to raise an imperial army and maintain supplies with his current capacity. to do this, he had to give up a significant part of the empire¡¯s current development situation. ¡®i can¡¯t do that.¡¯ he must not forget. kim ki-woo¡¯s top priority was to develop civilization quickly and prepare for the collision of the asteroid narvas. a reckless war was the last option he had to think about. and even after that, he had to unify the continent by force, there were problems. ¡®forceful conquest always leads to resistance.¡¯ especially when it is far away from the mainland, this tendency becomes stronger. the farther away it is, the more different the culture and language are, and due to the limitations of the era, communication is poor, so anything can happen. there is a high probability that resistance will follow this. if this happens, it will cost a lot more. that¡¯s why there is a saying that imperialism itself was inefficient before it arrived. ¡®they have to be induced to act voluntarily.¡¯ and now, the situation in the central continent was perfect for that. ¡®in the end, they will reap what they sow.¡¯ many nobles, merchants, and high-ranking warriors were taking too much advantage of them. and lately, this has gotten worse. after the war caused by the missionary incident ended, imperial merchants took away some of the trade rights for certain items. this naturally led to a situation where their interests were reduced. but they did not accept it. they tried to make up for their reduced profits elsewhere. as a result, prices of other imperial goods went up and people¡¯s lives became more difficult. ¡®it may be good for now, but it¡¯s not a good choice in the long run.¡¯ even a worm will turn if you step on it. look. isn¡¯t this why people¡¯s dissatisfaction is increasing? ¡®that¡¯s why people are so sympathetic to the empire¡¯s constitution and doctrine of spirit worship.¡¯ any claim that is not accepted by local residents is nothing but an empty cry. it was too easy for him, almost like a sponge absorbing water. it meant that there was a chronic problem in that region. ¡®but it still needs time to ripen.¡¯ it was better to intervene only when the situation got out of hand. he had to show them that he made a great decision at their desperate request. then, the empire could have both a righteous image and their gratitude and welcome. while he was thinking about this and that, knock, knock. ¡°your majesty. the head of the military has arrived.¡± ¡°let him in.¡± the head of the military entered the office before he knew it. ¡°did you call me, your majesty?¡± ¡°sit down.¡± after he sat down, they had some tea time and chatted about various things. then, he brought up the main topic. ¡°how is the armament status of the imperial army?¡± ¡°it¡¯s very good. the soldiers are very happy with the new guns that have been supplied lately. the defect rate has decreased drastically.¡± even without kim kiwoo¡¯s involvement, the weapons were steadily developing. and now, thanks to the steam engine and the hot forge process, the production volume and precision had increased greatly. this enabled the imperial army to arm most of them with relatively modern weapons. ¡°but most of the old weapons must be stored in the warehouse.¡± ¡°¡­you are right, your majesty.¡± the head of the military did not deny it. of course, some of the guns were distributed to the front-line hunters who used them for hunting deer and beavers for their fur. but most of the weapons were stored in the warehouse, and those that were too old or rusty were discarded. kim kiwoo gave a short order. ¡°open the warehouse.¡± ¡°do you mean the weapon warehouse?¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯ve already instructed the crown prince separately. just load the usable weapons that are not rusty on a ship and send them to the central continent¡¯s direct territory.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± a thick question mark appeared on the head of the military¡¯s face. he couldn¡¯t figure out why he suddenly wanted to move the weapons to the central continent. but he didn¡¯t express his doubt in the end. ¡®your majesty must be drawing a new big picture.¡¯ he just thought so. ¡°i understand. i¡¯ll prepare right away and report back to you.¡± ¡°good. thank you for your hard work.¡± after the head of the military left. kim kiwoo sank into his chair. ¡®there¡¯s no need to spill the blood of the imperial army in this struggle.¡¯ kim kiwoo knew very well. one of the most important factors when the people rose up was their armament status. when the people rebelled on a large scale, they often had an advantage in numbers. but one of the big reasons why they were suppressed was their poor armament. of course, there were many other reasons, such as military training and dispersion of command. but those were obstacles that could be overcome if they had enough weapons. ¡®the preparation is done.¡¯ if he placed the weapons in their direct territory, which was close to them, he could deal with whatever happened in the future flexibly. ¡®the crown prince¡¯s role will be very big.¡¯ kim kiwoo thought of his eldest son¡¯s face, who had grown up firmly, and smiled. ¡®that should be enough for the central continent¡­¡¯ kim kiwoo looked at the bottom of the map, at the southern continent. currently, along the east coast of the southern continent, imperial citizens were working hard to develop ports. in this process, they tried to harmonize with the natives as much as possible, but if they resisted fiercely, they didn¡¯t hesitate to use force. they had a reason to develop the east coast in preparation for europeans. and as for the andes region, where many people lived¡­ ¡®it feels like i¡¯m looking at the past central continent.¡¯ it was following in the footsteps of the central continent. after a neutral zone was created, it became more quickly dyed with imperial colors. ¡®good.¡¯ kim kiwoo smiled deeply at the very smooth sight. Chapter 99 chapter 99: how to use power of steam engine. boom! rumble! clang! the factory was busy with the hot anvil process. smoke from many steam engines rose up to the sky, and loud metallic sounds echoed from the metal cutting process using strong power. the workers repeated their assigned tasks at their designated places. sharp fang observed all these processes and personally inspected the final finished parts. thanks to his careful screening of the defective products, the finished products were very uniform. and there were many of them. it was a sight that could never be imagined without the hot anvil process. ¡°this is a really amazing process. i think i understand how you were able to mass-produce steam engines so quickly.¡± sharp fang gave a thumbs up to hot anvil. his face lit up with a bright smile. it didn¡¯t matter who sharp fang was. in the past, he had trusted the words of his majesty and spent a long time researching power using heat, and finally completed the steam engine. as time passed, the usefulness of the steam engine was being proven, and his reputation soared along with it. it was an honor for such a great person to compliment his work. ¡°there are still many things to fix and improve. and it¡¯s a long way to go before we can popularize better machines in the empire.¡± sharp fang felt his burning passion from his words. ¡®he¡¯s still looking ahead even after achieving such a huge success.¡¯ he heard that he was still immersed in research and work, sparing his sleeping time¡­ he thought it was amazing. ¡°i wish you all the best. thank you very much for today.¡± ¡°it was my honor.¡± after exchanging courtesies, sharp fang left the factory. and he returned to his home base at the university, where he resumed his work. he was recognized for his contribution in making the steam engine and became the head of the mechanical engineering department, so his day was quite busy. ¡°hmm¡­¡± but sharp fang couldn¡¯t concentrate on the paperwork that was piled up. ¡°i think i need to take a break.¡± he then asked his assistant to brew some tea for him. sharp fang drank tea and sorted out his tangled thoughts. ¡®is this really right?¡¯ the great success of the steam engine made sharp fang run on the path of success. he rose to the position of department head at a relatively young age, and he would soon have a chance to rise to a high-ranking position in the industrial department. if time went on like this, he might even become the industrial minister. how glorious it would be to see his majesty, whom he admired so much, frequently. ¡®but¡­¡¯ sharp fang looked down at the paperwork blankly. and contrasted it with the hot anvil process he had just seen with his own eyes. and also hot anvil¡¯s inexhaustible curiosity. he was different for sure. even though he had achieved such a huge success like him, his inventiveness did not fade away. he tried to complete a better process than now, and he was putting it into action. when he saw it with his own eyes, a deep doubt rose in sharp fang¡¯s chest. ¡®i used to live immersed in research, cutting down on sleep.¡¯ of course, those were hard days, but he remembered the sense of accomplishment he felt every time he achieved something. he wanted to feel that thrilling moment again. ¡®praise is embarrassing at times.¡¯ the truth was, he felt quite ashamed to claim the invention of the steam engine as his own achievement. it was because kim ki-woo had helped him immensely by almost redesigning the blueprint when there was no progress in the development of the steam engine. of course, this was also remarkable, but considering this, there was some vanity in his fame. a part of his sharp teeth¡¯s chest felt unsatisfied with this. snort. one corner of his mouth curled up as he organized his thoughts. he suddenly felt that all these worries were pointless. ¡®yes. let¡¯s do what i want to do, even if i regret it later.¡¯ what¡¯s the point of chasing after the shadow of the industrial minister in front of him? he didn¡¯t think he would be proud when he left for the embrace of the great spirits in the distant future. he could surely rise to the industrial minister someday if he achieved more success. he only tried to take the safe path because he was afraid of failure. he couldn¡¯t do anything if he feared failure, and it didn¡¯t suit him who had experienced success through reckless challenges. *** from that day on, sharp teeth resigned from his position as department head without hesitation. ¡°no, why do you suddenly want to step down from your position as department head?¡± the university president tried to dissuade him, but ¡°i am a researcher. so i want to do more research.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the president couldn¡¯t hold him back any longer with his firm words. the president nodded and muttered. ¡°you¡¯re not thinking of leaving the university, are you?¡± ¡°of course not. how can i leave the university?¡± ¡°i see. then i¡¯ll assign you a new laboratory that suits you. i hope your research will be successful this time as well.¡± ¡°thank you, mr. president.¡± a few days passed after meeting with the president. and sharp teeth checked his assigned laboratory. it was too big to be called a laboratory. also, many scholars and craftsmen joined sharp teeth¡¯s new research. ¡°it¡¯s an honor to work with you.¡± ¡°we¡¯ll do our best!¡± their loud cheers echoed in the spacious space. and there were also very familiar people in this place. ¡°why are you guys here¡­¡± ¡°ha ha. this is disappointing. did you try to do a new research without us?¡± ¡°of course we have to come when you¡¯re doing a new research.¡± ¡°¡­¡± they were his colleagues who made the steam engine with him until the end. they must have taken their own places or gone to do their own experiments, but they all gathered again without sharp teeth calling them. thanks to them, a deep emotion surged into sharp teeth¡¯s chest. and he vowed. ¡®i will succeed in this research no matter what.¡¯ his eyes began to burn with hot passion again. his appearance was quite similar to that of a hot anvil. *** the truth was, sharp teeth¡¯s decision to resign from his department head position was a bit impulsive, but it wasn¡¯t something he did without any plan. what sharp teeth wanted to do was to create ways to use the steam engine. ¡®the potential of the steam engine is endless.¡¯ sharp teeth had been thinking about this, long before the steam engine was completed. the steam engine was different from the water wheel, as it could operate anywhere. ¡®even in the middle of the sea or in the sky.¡¯ some might think it was a delusion, but sharp teeth was not bound by common sense. if he was, he would not have thought of creating a powerful force with steam. and that force was incomparable to the water wheel. how could such a steam engine be useless? and now, his idea was being proven to some extent. the steam engine was changing not only the factories, but the society itself. railroads were born, the scale of steel mills grew, and the steel production increased explosively. thanks to the hot anvil process, precise steel products were mass-produced. this led to more production of steam engines, which were used in other industries. ¡®especially when it comes to textiles.¡¯ sharp teeth recalled the first time he saw a water-powered loom. but now, beyond the water-powered loom, weaving and spinning machines using steam engines were being researched and commercialized. sharp teeth knew this well, as he was the head of the mechanical engineering department at imperial college when these achievements were made by the scholars. if these technologies were commercialized, the empire¡¯s textile industry would make a great progress. ¡®but the current steam engines are too fixed.¡¯ sharp teeth wondered. did the steam engine have to be fixed in one place like a water wheel? ¡®no.¡¯ the steam engine was fundamentally different from the water wheel. the water wheel converted flowing water into power, so it could not move from a fixed place. but as he said, the steam engine was not limited by location. then, could he use the power of the steam engine to move? ¡®like a llama cart.¡¯ a llama cart rolled round wheels with the force of a llama pulling it. thanks to this, many goods could be transported by land in the empire. but what if he replaced the force that rolled the wheels with a steam engine? ¡®he could make a cart that moved automatically with a steam engine.¡¯ sharp teeth told his idea to many researchers who gathered for this study with confidence. ¡°hmm¡­ that¡¯s a very interesting idea. well, it¡¯s different from using a water wheel, so it makes sense.¡± ¡°um¡­ but even if you put a large steam engine on a cart, would it be efficient? i think you won¡¯t be able to load much cargo because of the volume and weight of the steam engine.¡± ¡°i agree with that, but i think it¡¯s worth trying.¡± the researchers questioned the usefulness of the idea of moving a cart with a steam engine. but this was imperial college. it might be different in a laboratory, but at imperial college, such attempts were encouraged. sometimes these outrageous experiments yielded great success or were useful in other ways. as they were about to reach a conclusion, the youngest researcher who joined them, delicate glass suddenly raised his hand. ¡°do you have something to say?¡± ¡°yes.¡± delicate glass nodded his head and uttered his thoughts. ¡°i agree with your idea. but does it have to be a cart?¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°ultimately, your idea is to put a steam engine on an object and make it move.¡± ¡°right.¡± sharp teeth nodded his head in response. gaining confidence from him, delicate glass continued his words. ¡°then what if you put a steam engine on a boat?¡± ¡°a boat?¡± ¡°yes, the ship is very large. it doesn¡¯t even flinch when it has only one steam engine installed.¡± ¡°so?¡± ¡°we use the power of the steam engine to row the oars. if we use them like the sails of the ship, wouldn¡¯t the speed of the ship increase?¡± ¡°wow!¡± ¡°that makes sense.¡± ¡°this is different from putting a steam engine on a carriage. it seems to have some practicality.¡± sharp teeth, the inventor of the steam engine, also agreed with the opinions of the researchers. ¡®i¡¯m behind too. i thought of putting a steam engine on a ship, but i didn¡¯t think of this.¡¯ he could have seen this young researcher as a threat to his authority, but sharp teeth didn¡¯t care much. he was just pleased with the brilliant idea. ¡°that¡¯s a very good idea. you¡¯re young, so your mind works well, huh? haha!¡± ¡°th, thank you!¡± delicate glass smiled brightly as he received praise from sharp teeth, the great scholar who created the steam engine. ¡°but i think it¡¯s also important to use the steam engine on land. and your idea is hard to apply in this laboratory. this is land, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± however, his face quickly turned gloomy as he heard the negative words that followed. sharp teeth smiled mischievously as he saw his expression. ¡°haha. no need to be disappointed. if you can¡¯t do it here, why don¡¯t you go out and set up your own laboratory?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± his face filled with doubt changed to shock as he heard sharp teeth¡¯s words. ¡°i¡¯ll personally form a team for you, so why don¡¯t you try to realize your idea.¡± ¡°gasp! i¡¯ve only been in college for a short time, how can i¡­¡± ¡°so, you don¡¯t want to do it?¡± sharp teeth wiped away the smile on his face and asked seriously. seeing his look, delicate glass swallowed his saliva and looked around nervously. all eyes were focused on him. it felt like a dream, but delicate glass quickly came to his senses and thought. ¡®this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!¡¯ he had a dream too, so he passed the entrance exam of the imperial college, which was as small as a needle hole. and after entering college, his first opportunity came. and it was an offer from the great scholar who made the steam engine. if he missed this, he would regret it for the rest of his life. ¡°i¡¯ll do it! please let me do it!¡± that¡¯s how he finished preparing for the historic experiment that would conquer both land and sea in the imperial college. Chapter 100 chapter 100: the development of the north. ¡°is this the north that i knew?¡± ¡°what are you so surprised about? you must have heard the rumors too, right?¡± ¡°well, yes, but¡­¡± transparent ice trailed off his words. he just stared at the sight of the north that he visited after five years. ¡®how is this possible?¡¯ the image of this place five years ago flashed through his mind. back then, by the order of his majesty the emperor, many transporters flew to the north with food, necessities, and basic materials. he was one of those transporters too. the transportation was not that hard. there were large rivers that ran through the south and the north. the transporters just had to load and unload their goods at the river ports. but at that time, most of the northern region was undeveloped. only a few places along the river were settled. but now¡­ ¡®it¡¯s no different from any decent city in the south.¡¯ of course, it was not comparable to the major cities in the mainland. the infrastructure such as paved roads, sewerage, and convenience facilities was still lacking. but these things were also under construction, and the residential areas were already neatly organized by blocks. it was astonishing that this happened in just five years. ¡°ah, thank you as always. well then, take care!¡± ¡°yes. see you next time. haha!¡± after the trade between sharp claw, the captain, and a merchant who had settled in this area was over, the ship that transparent ice boarded sailed northward again. and he realized. ¡®it¡¯s the same here.¡¯ the port areas along the river had all achieved rapid development. there had been a huge change in just five years while he was dispatched to the south for sugar trade. transparent ice wondered what the driving force behind this development was. so he asked sharp claw about it during their voyage. ¡°how could the north develop so fast?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. isn¡¯t this too fast?¡± ¡°haha, you¡¯re right. it¡¯s fast. come on. follow me.¡± then they went to the deck and drank while looking at the calm river water. ¡°ah!¡± sharp claw gulped down a high-proof liquor and leaned on the railing. and he looked around and started his story. ¡°don¡¯t you feel anything when you look at this huge river?¡± ¡°hmm. i don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°i always feel that this continent we live in is blessed by the great spirits. look around. there are so many ships, right?¡± at that remark, transparent ice nodded involuntarily. indeed, there were a lot of ships going up and down this large river. ¡°of course, the rumors are spreading, but many imperial citizens still think that the north is nothing but an undeveloped land. and when they come to the north for the first time, they fall in shock like you. it¡¯s a common sight.¡± ¡°i guess so.¡± ¡°i often ask them. is there any reason why the north couldn¡¯t develop like this?¡± he pointed at the vast mississippi river. ¡°look at this giant river. it connects from the southern cities to the far north regions, right? and that¡¯s not all. there are a lot of other rivers that can carry ships. even their size is bigger than those in the south. do you know how efficient transportation is through these rivers? you¡¯re a sailor, you should know better than anyone else.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. but these rivers have been here for a long time, and settlement didn¡¯t progress for a long time.¡± ¡°of course. back then, there weren¡¯t so many ships going back and forth to the north. but now, there are countless people settling in the north, and there is a huge demand for food, goods, and raw materials. how can it be the same as before?¡± there were hardly any people among the imperial citizens who were extremely poor. they had high average wages, so they were able to consume enough. these people migrated to the north and worked in the frontier, earning wages accordingly. naturally, there was an explosive demand for the things they needed to live and the materials they needed for the frontier. thanks to this, the imperial merchants rushed into the northern trade to make money. and in this situation, the rivers that stretched throughout the north became the basis for meeting the explosive demand. ¡°is that all? there are also many mines near the river. thanks to that, now we can use the minerals mined here right away. the development of the north will speed up even more from now on.¡± ¡°oh¡­ i heard that the northern industrial zone is in full operation.¡± ¡°it¡¯s only two places that have been activated yet. if all the industrial zones are completed, it will be quite a sight.¡± he took another sip of his drink and continued. ¡°thanks to the news of the development of the north spreading, more and more people are migrating to the north every day. once some time passes after the capital moves to the north, the north will surely surpass the south.¡± ¡°do you really think it will go that far? no matter how you look at it, the gap is still huge¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t believe me if you don¡¯t want to. i¡¯m planning to move my family to the north completely next year. you should also secure a place in the north before it¡¯s too late. don¡¯t regret later that you don¡¯t have a residence permit.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯ll think about it.¡± after finishing his conversation with sharp claws. transparent ice was immersed in his thoughts alone. ¡®will it really happen as the captain said?¡¯ if he had heard such words before seeing the situation in the north with his own eyes, he would have snorted. but after seeing the north that was developing at a speed beyond his imagination, these words sounded very credible. ¡®yes. let¡¯s seriously consider moving while traveling around the north for the remaining time.¡¯ there were still many areas to visit. he could still make this decision after visiting the remaining areas and touring the northern industrial zone. time passed like that. and when transparent ice had visited all the areas and returned to the south. he made a decision. ¡®let¡¯s migrate to the north.¡¯ he decided to migrate with his family to the unfamiliar but immensely potential north. *** meanwhile, when the appearance of the north was changing day by day, the outline of the next northern capital was somewhat revealed. for quite a long time, geographers had looked around many terrains in the north, and based on this, candidates for capitals were narrowed down. ¡®first of all, pass on the east coast.¡¯ the coast was definitely advantageous for atlantic trade in the future, but it was not a good choice in this situation. there were many reasons, but one of them was that appalachian mountains stretched between east coast and mainland. it was a big penalty to cross over mountains from coast to mainland. ¡®it¡¯s not good to be too far from coast either.¡¯ as industry developed, transportation across mountains would become smoother. so he had to think about far future as well. ¡®eventually these areas seem best¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo looked closely at map showing distribution of rivers. among them, ohio river stretching from mississippi river to northeast caught his eye. ohio river was nearly 1600km long river. of course, it was very short compared to mississippi river, but ohio river was a very important river that ran through major eastern regions. and above all, it stretched near appalachian mountains and was close to east coast as well. it was also close to industrial zone near great lakes, so he could expect rapid development as well. in addition, since it was a tributary of mississippi river, he could expect smooth trade with south through river as well. eventually after a long discussion, capital was finally decided. it was near pennsylvania. ¡®for now, this is the most suitable place for the capital.¡¯ it was located along a large river called the ohio river, and it was the most ideal region for developing industry in the future. before the advent, the pennsylvania area had functioned as the center of industry for a long time. that was because it was a suitable region for fostering industry. abundant coal and iron, easy transportation and dam construction for electricity generation along the river, and the nearby east coast. finally, there were much fewer natural disasters compared to the south. in many ways, this area seemed suitable for the capital in order to achieve rapid development. after the capital was decided, the city planning began immediately. ¡°the capital that will be built this time will not change for a long time. honey, we have to plan thoroughly from the beginning to the end, and then start construction.¡± ¡°your majesty is right.¡± ¡°i will present a city plan worthy of the capital of the wakan tanka empire.¡± as soon as the city planning began, countless experts from various fields all moved to the capital. ¡°finally, the capital is changing.¡± ¡°we can¡¯t make the future capital like this place without any style!¡± no matter what the fundamental reason was for the birth of the city of art. wasn¡¯t it because the appearance of the capital was too uniform and backward? many architects and artists had no intention of making such a mistake with the future capital. ¡°we have to make it so that everyone who visits the capital will be amazed by how stylish it is!¡± ¡°we can¡¯t neglect the function of the city. we have to divide it into precise sections, and arrange the sewerage, roads, and buildings well.¡± ¡°we can¡¯t just think about the present. look at the capital. it became too narrow as time passed, right? so we have to build it big from the start.¡± the masters of each field put their heads together and poured their souls into city planning. but they soon hit a wall. they knew roughly what the terrain was like, but it was not accurate unless they saw it in person. so they went to kim ki-woo. ¡°your majesty, we will go to the north ourselves and complete the city planning. there is a limit to designing a capital without seeing it with our own eyes.¡± it was a very reasonable argument, so kim ki-woo nodded his head. ¡°good. i grant you permission to visit the planned site of the capital. i will support you generously, so focus only on city planning.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty! we will not disappoint you.¡± ¡°good. i trust you.¡± after receiving kim ki-woo¡¯s permission, they dispersed and began preparations for their dispatch to the north. the city planning period would be long in order to build a perfect capital, and this meant that they had to stay in the north for a long time. so there was a lot to prepare. after all preparations were completed. they finally gathered again and headed north. ¡°heh¡­ i heard that the north is developing fast, but its momentum is amazing.¡± ¡°is it because your majesty¡¯s foresight is shining again this time?¡± they were amazed by the dynamic appearance of the north, just like other people. thanks to that, they felt an even greater sense of responsibility. most of the immigrants who made the north develop quickly would live in the capital in the future. if they wanted to reward their hard work that made them what they are today, they had to design a stylish capital. with this thought in mind, they arrived at the planned site of the capital. ¡°this place has also developed quite a lot.¡± ¡°but it¡¯s too messy. even if it¡¯s hard to do it all over again, we can¡¯t leave it like this!¡± and they immediately stopped development in this area and started designing a city. this is how a stylish capital began to reveal its outline little by little. Chapter 101 chapter 101: family. everything was going well, but kim kiwoo had one thing on his mind lately. ¡®some things don¡¯t go as planned.¡¯ it was inevitable in this world of people. the ones who made kim kiwoo worry were none other than his family. ¡°sigh¡­¡± kim kiwoo let out a deep sigh and thought of his family, who seemed to be precious to him. among the four sons and one daughter of his empress, the four men were all well-established and living well. the eldest, the crown prince, had ruled the central continent¡¯s direct territory well for a long time. thanks to him, the direct territory had no problems. ¡®the second son, who i was worried about, is also living without any trouble.¡¯ clear raindrop, who had lived under the pressure of being kim kiwoo¡¯s child since he was young, became immersed in religion as he grew up and now devoted himself to the religious world. the third son, yellow flame, followed his education from childhood and polished his scholarship, entering the imperial university. the fourth son, blue earth, also received recognition for his contribution to popularizing weight training and joined the military department. if he continued like this, he would be able to become the head of the military department. the problem was the remaining two women. ¡®¡­i guess i have to prepare myself.¡¯ the empress, deep lake, was getting worse day by day. it was understandable. deep lake had been in her old age for a long time. eventually, the inevitable shadow of death approached closer and closer. kim kiwoo felt a heavy weight in his chest whenever he thought of her. he had expected this to happen since he married her, but it was hard to accept when it came face to face. kim kiwoo finished his work and went to see her. ¡°how are you feeling?¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine. i¡¯m fine. you¡¯ve worked very hard today.¡± deep lake¡¯s face was pale from illness as she lay in bed. but she tried to smile brightly. kim kiwoo knew why she was doing that. she was more troubled by kim kiwoo¡¯s sadness than her own physical condition. kim kiwoo held her hand tightly and talked about everyday things. in the middle of that, a topic that kim kiwoo didn¡¯t like at all came out of her mouth. ¡°your majesty. why do you keep rejecting the earnest requests of the courtiers? if it¡¯s because of me, please don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°¡­didn¡¯t we agree not to talk about that?¡± ¡°how can i do that when i know it¡¯s because of me¡­¡± there was a deep sadness in deep lake¡¯s voice. kim kiwoo held her trembling hand firmly. of course, he couldn¡¯t deny what she said. ¡®remarriage¡­¡¯ this discussion had started a long time ago. before deep lake entered her old age, she felt that her body was getting heavier day by day. around that time, deep lake pushed for kim kiwoo to find a new companion. the courtiers also knew this and soon delivered this proposal to kim kiwoo. but kim kiwoo postponed and postponed their earnest requests. the empress¡¯s intention was very clear and the reason was also valid. but kim kiwoo couldn¡¯t even imagine another woman sitting in the empress¡¯s seat at this point. ¡®there¡¯s no problem with the succession structure now, right?¡¯ the necessity of having an empress in place had also faded a lot. of course, the existence of an empress could satisfy the mental stability of the imperial citizens, but it wasn¡¯t like something big would happen if the empress¡¯s seat was vacant. all four princes were married and had children in their concubines, so there was no risk of kim kiwoo¡¯s bloodline being cut off. he didn¡¯t know if he would ever meet a woman he liked, but he had no desire to force a new empress into his life right now. after finishing his thoughts, kim kiwoo smiled and stroked her snow-white hair. ¡°don¡¯t worry about anything and take care of your health. we should go on a trip together as a family again, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°your majesty¡­¡± ¡°rest well for today.¡± kim kiwoo ended the conversation and left her worries behind. *** the next day. kim kiwoo summoned the princess who was making him sick to his office. ¡°father.¡± ¡°you¡¯re here. sit down.¡± ¡°yes.¡± following kim kiwoo¡¯s words, bright starlight sat down across from him and sipped the tea that was prepared in advance. ¡®sigh¡­¡¯ kim kiwoo sighed inwardly as he looked at the princess. ¡®i never thought the princess would be such a headache.¡¯ he thought it would be the second prince who would cause him trouble, but now it was the princess who was the biggest problem among his children. bright starlight was well past thirty. but she was still unmarried. in the wakan tanka empire, where people married early, there was no old maid like her. kim kiwoo asked bluntly. ¡°how long are you going to postpone your marriage? you have to think about your age too.¡± the princess also spoke with frustration. ¡°i want to do it very much. but how can i do it when i don¡¯t feel anything? you always told me. you have to marry a man you like to be happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± he did say that. kim kiwoo had never pushed for a political marriage with his children. he would have understood if it was necessary, but there was no need to pursue a political marriage in the current state of the empire. kim kiwoo wanted his children to marry someone they loved. and all four of his sons did. they found their perfect matches and got married. but bright starlight rejected many of the elite men in the empire. ¡°even so, this is too much. don¡¯t you know that your mother is worried about your marriage too?¡± ¡°¡­i know.¡± bright starlight¡¯s face quickly turned gloomy. it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to get married. she also wanted to meet a handsome man and live a happy life. but¡­ ¡®there¡¯s no such man.¡¯ it was kim kiwoo¡¯s fault that this happened. he was busy with his band life now and spent a lot of time outside the palace, but when he was young, he hardly ever left the palace. so she grew up watching kim kiwoo¡¯s amazing achievements from an early age. the second princess felt pressured by this, but she admired kim kiwoo. this was reinforced by their family trips. she felt the deep love of the people for kim kiwoo with her whole body. maybe that¡¯s why. as a result, her eyes pierced through the ceiling and ascended to the sky. since kim kiwoo became her standard, there was no man who could satisfy her heart. she tried hard too. she knew that there was no man like kim kiwoo in reality, so she tried to lower her standards. but even after lowering her standards so much, the hurdle was still too high. kim kiwoo knew about her worries to some extent, so he had kept quiet until now. but he thought that if he stayed like this, he might die alone in old age. he could no longer remain silent. finally, kim kiwoo declared. ¡°i¡¯ll give you one year. if you can¡¯t find a partner by yourself within a year, i¡¯ll find a suitable match for you. remember that. do you understand?¡± ¡°yes, father.¡± *** not long after that. one of his children, the one who made kim kiwoo uncomfortable, was added. it was none other than the fourth prince, blue earth. ¡°say that again. where do you want to go?¡± when kim kiwoo asked again, blue earth bowed his head and muttered quietly. ¡°i said i want to go to the warrior¡¯s soul.¡± ¡°¡­do you really have to do that?¡± ¡°i know what you are worried about, your majesty. but i really want to go to the warrior¡¯s soul this time. please grant me permission!¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s head throbbed at the sight of blue earth¡¯s serious expression. ¡°i know what the warrior¡¯s soul means to the imperial warriors. but it is also very dangerous.¡± ¡°i know that.¡± the warrior¡¯s soul. it was a tournament that determined the best among the formidable warriors of the empire. no matter how much the empire became a society centered on scholarship, the position of outstanding warriors was still high. and the warriors wanted to prove that they were better than others. scholarship or other fields could be proven to some extent by the achievements of scholars, but warriors could not. in the end, they needed a duel that was like a real battle for this purpose. therefore, in the past, there were many duels everywhere, and the damage caused by them was not trivial. it was because using wooden swords in duels was considered cowardly. the warrior¡¯s soul was created to prevent such indiscriminate damage. once every two years, they fought in a tournament to select the strongest warrior of the empire. those who participated in the battle wore armor with steel on their main parts and fought with steel swords without edges. they tried to pay attention to safety as much as possible, but every time the warrior¡¯s soul was held, there were many casualties. ¡®i thought i would change it when the pride of the warriors weakened and the need for safety increased¡­¡¯ but before that happened, blue earth said he wanted to participate in the warrior¡¯s soul. he understood. if he achieved outstanding results in the warrior¡¯s soul, he would be revered by the imperial warriors himself, and he would be one step closer to becoming the head of military affairs that he wanted. kim kiwoo frowned slightly and opened his mouth. ¡°i know what you are worried about. but even if you don¡¯t go to the warrior¡¯s soul, you can be the head of military affairs. so i hope you don¡¯t rush.¡± ¡°your words are certainly right. but if i become the head of military affairs as i am now, how can that be thanks to my ability? i don¡¯t want to become the head of military affairs because of my background as a prince.¡± as soon as his firm words ended, kim kiwoo could tell what troubled him as a prince in an instant. after all, even spreading weight training, which was his greatest achievement as a prince, was thanks to kim kiwoo. ¡®i get it.¡¯ a picture formed in kim kiwoo¡¯s head roughly. the military department had a vertical atmosphere by its nature. and in the eyes of senior officials of the military department, blue earth must have looked like a parachutist. he must have eaten a lot of eye candy even if they didn¡¯t say it outright. and this expectation was accurate. there were many things like this after blue earth entered the military department. he clenched his fist and continued his words. ¡°i want to prove that i have enough qualifications to be the head of military affairs by going to this warrior¡¯s soul.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯ll think about it. for now, leave.¡± ¡°yes, father.¡± he saluted kim kiwoo as befitting a military official and left his office. ¡®my head feels like it¡¯s going to explode.¡¯ after the empress, princess and now fourth prince did this, kim kiwoo¡¯s worries piled up even more in his chest. ¡®is it right to allow him?¡¯ if kim kiwoo firmly refused, blue earth would surely not go to the warrior¡¯s soul. but kim kiwoo had always respected his children¡¯s free will, and the warrior¡¯s soul seemed very important for blue earth¡¯s dignity. it felt like preventing him from going to the warrior¡¯s soul was blocking his way forward. afterwards, he discussed this with other heads including the head of military affairs and agonized for several days and nights. but maybe the conclusion was already decided from the beginning. ¡®there is no parent who wins over their child¡­¡¯ he felt like he knew why that saying came out. in the end, kim kiwoo allowed blue earth to participate in the warrior¡¯s soul. Chapter 102 chapter 102: the second expedition. kim kiwoo had many things going on in his family, but he put them aside and focused on his work. finally, the thing he had been longing for was within reach of success. ¡°wow. this contains the vaccine.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± kim kiwoo looked at the transparent glass syringe. inside the syringe was a liquid that was presumed to be a vaccine. in fact, it was quite difficult to make such a thin needle with the current technology. therefore, these glass syringes were very precious. ¡®i have no choice but to sterilize them with alcohol fire.¡¯ in the absence of disposable syringes, the so-called fire injection was the alternative. of course, fire injection was painful and left marks on the skin, but this was unavoidable. he organized his thoughts and looked at the vaccine experiment data. the vaccine was mass-produced through eggs, but there were many twists and turns at first. as a result, countless death row inmates suffered and died from diseases. but by improving the vaccine through the accumulated data, the number of victims decreased significantly. ¡®this is amazing for this time.¡¯ as time passed, more know-how would be accumulated and the side effects would gradually decrease. ¡°good. now we can move on to the next step. let algo proceed with that.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± ¡°a little more effort.¡± he bowed. as soon as kim kiwoo¡¯s order was over, the dark flame bowed his head and left the office. it was to create a system that could quickly mass-produce vaccines in case of emergency within the empire. ¡®finally, it¡¯s time.¡¯ he had already prepared enough for the biggest disaster, the plague of smallpox. as time passed, at least a considerable number of imperial citizens on the mainland had been vaccinated against smallpox, and even at this moment, they were being vaccinated. at this rate, even if smallpox landed on the mainland, it would not wipe out all the imperial citizens in vain. and he also prepared for other plagues by producing vaccines for them. kim kiwoo announced this fact at the imperial meeting as a surprise. then, the faces of various ministers turned pale with shock. ¡°did you already succeed in mass-producing vaccines?¡± ¡°huh¡­ i thought it would take longer.¡± ¡°hahaha. this is the prosperity of the empire!¡± but shock was only for a moment. the atmosphere in the meeting room soon turned into joy. the danger of plagues from other continents was already widely spread. kim kiwoo emphasized it so much that the imperial citizens had a vague fear of these plagues. in this situation, it was great news that a fundamental countermeasure against plagues from other continents had been established. kim kiwoo looked around at the happy ministers and smiled brightly. ¡°i will continue to establish a system that can quickly mass-produce vaccines within the empire in case of emergency. if this plan is completed, we will surely be freed from the fear of unknown plagues. isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°your majesty¡¯s words are all right!¡± after the response of the hygiene minister, kim kiwoo continued to speak. ¡°but still, unknown plagues are across the sea. to make vaccines for plagues, we have to bring them back. isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°that is certainly true.¡± ¡°so i plan to send a second expedition to the new continent to do this. but this second expedition will be much more dangerous than the first one.¡± ¡°why is that?¡± kim kiwoo immediately answered the question of the interior minister. ¡°the goal of this expedition is to collect unknown plagues and come back.¡± ¡°um¡­¡± the expressions on the heads¡¯ faces hardened at kim kiwoo¡¯s words. it seemed very likely that they would be infected by the plague in this process, no matter how careful they were. in other words, kim kiwoo was no different from forcing the expedition members to sacrifice themselves. ¡®the situation is a bit different from last time.¡¯ the first european expedition was relatively ignorant of the danger of the plague. they only knew that they had to minimize contact with the europeans to survive and return. but the second expedition members would know how dangerous the plague was in the new continent across the sea. to ask them to collect the plague in this situation. it was no different from risking their lives. ¡°when you select the second expedition members, make sure to inform them of this. choose those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the empire. that¡¯s what i mean.¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s remark brought a heavy silence to the conference room. ¡°i swear by my name. i promise you this. all the members who participated in this expedition will be given great honor and wealth. i will never forget the noble sacrifice of the members. do you all understand?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± *** the news of the second expedition recruitment hit the empire hard. ¡°wow¡­ this is like throwing away one¡¯s life. i wonder if people will apply for the expedition.¡± when this news was first published in the imperial newspaper, many imperial citizens had doubts about it. even if they were loyal to the empire, they thought they couldn¡¯t easily risk their lives. but there were also many imperial citizens who had opposite opinions. ¡°there are plenty of heroes who would throw their lives away for his majesty¡¯s word. the recruitment will surely be closed soon.¡± they thought that the competition for the expedition recruitment would be very fierce. anyway, the imperial citizens all waited and waited for the second expedition recruitment to begin. and many young people who were loyal to the empire and kim kiwoo began to move actively. they thought of the glory that the first expedition received, and kim kiwoo¡¯s promise, and decided to apply for the second expedition recruitment. ¡°although i couldn¡¯t participate as a first expedition member, i will definitely join the expedition this time, even if i have to give up my life.¡± they told their families about this with a burning passion in their hearts. some of the families who heard this said, ¡°that¡¯s right. i respect your will. a man with a big ambition should not look back. don¡¯t worry about your family and pursue your dream.¡± ¡°thank you¡­ sob!¡± they praised his noble spirit of sacrifice, but most of the families immediately opposed it. ¡°no! how can you go and throw away your life!¡± ¡°this is the way to repay the grace we have received from the great spirits and his majesty. please allow me, father!¡± ¡°grace is enough by contributing as an imperial worker!¡± ¡°i have already made my decision. this will never change.¡± ¡°you really¡­¡± but since only adults who had grown up could be expedition members, there were not many fathers who broke their children¡¯s iron wills. after that, the recruitment of expedition members finally began. and the recruitment situation that followed was a little closer to the latter than the former. ¡°wow¡­ i didn¡¯t expect it, but so many applicants came.¡± ¡°they are really amazing. it must have been a hard decision.¡± people looked at the men who lined up long at the security office and clicked their tongues. the recruitment application took place for a week in major cities across the country. as a result, a high competition rate of about 4:1 was formed. considering that they increased the scale from the first expedition, and that they were men who risked their lives, it was a lot. after hearing this, kim kiwoo also felt a deep emotion in his chest. ¡®i thought it would be lucky if we filled up the quota¡­ i¡¯m grateful and sorry to them.¡¯ he was grateful that they followed his will, and he was sorry that he pushed them into death. the final selection of the second expedition team began. the competition was fierce. ¡°i will definitely pass!¡± they were all people who were prepared to risk their lives. so they all clenched their teeth and showed strong will. but not everything could be done by will alone. especially since the ratio of applicants to spots was 4 to 1, but the actual competition was even higher. they prioritized applicants who had experience as sailors. no matter how strong their will was, they had to hire some veterans who were familiar with sailing in the open sea. thanks to that, the men who survived the fierce competition were all outstanding. after the recruitment was finished, kim kiwoo invited them all to the palace. he looked around the expedition members and raised his voice. ¡°i have no face to look at you. i beg you to forgive me for sending you to death for the sake of the empire.¡± ¡°forgive you? don¡¯t say such a thing!¡± ¡°if we can repay your grace, we don¡¯t mind giving up our lives!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± wow! kim kiwoo heard their huge passion and warm cheers and felt more sorry for their sacrifice. but the decision had already been made, and they were all heroes who voluntarily stepped into death. asking for forgiveness any more was not what the second expedition team wanted. ¡°i hope you will return alive and enjoy this glory for a long time. may the great spirit bless you¡­¡± *** the second expedition team was formed, but they lacked a lot in many ways. of course, there were very few people in the empire who had never been on a boat, but the real work of a sailor was harder than they thought for those who were not sailors. but they were people who were ready to throw away their lives. they were clumsy at first, but thanks to their efforts with a life-or-death attitude, they quickly became sailors. but there were things that tormented the expedition members. ¡°it¡¯s hard, it¡¯s so hard¡­¡± ¡°ugh. i feel nauseous just looking at these squiggly letters.¡± the first one was none other than learning languages. they had already learned many languages of europe during the first expedition, and each ship had already decided where to land before departure, so they only had to learn the language of that region. but learning a strange language that they had never seen before in a short time was very exhausting. blech! ¡°ugh!¡± ¡°you¡¯re too slow! can¡¯t you open your eyes? how can you complete this noble mission like that?¡± ¡°i¡¯m s-sorry!¡± and the second one was intense martial arts training. the expedition members received rigorous training from the masters of the empire. no matter how passionate they were, they could not beat the human weapons who had devoted their lives to martial arts. the expedition members were beaten and rolled on the floor every day, living with bruises and muscle pain all over their body. ¡°¡­are we going to die before we even leave?¡± ¡°ugh¡­¡± sea training, language acquisition, and martial arts training. the members went through a very hard schedule and gradually became exhausted. but they never gave up in the face of hardship. as a result, when their training was finally over, the members had become completely different people from when they were first recruited. and soon after, ¡°depart!¡± the sails of the ship carrying the expedition team opened wide. Chapter 103 chapter 103: steamboat. going back in time, a steamboat research team was formed from the laboratory of sharp teeth, who had made a delicate glass with a wish. of course, there was a lot of pain before they separated. ¡°if there is anyone who wants to research with delicate glass, think carefully and let me know.¡± research cannot be done alone. especially for such a big project, many experts were needed. sharp teeth knew this very well. that¡¯s why he first proposed to the researchers who joined his laboratory. ¡°hmm. making a boat using a steam engine is very interesting, but¡­¡± ¡°i don¡¯t really want to join that research.¡± ¡°right.¡± but the researchers¡¯ reactions were not very positive. most of the researchers highly praised the idea of moving a boat with a steam engine. but they were the ones who joined sharp teeth¡¯s research, who had created the amazing device called the steam engine. no matter how high the possibility was, they didn¡¯t want to give up and take a risk. besides, delicate glass was young. he was so young that he could be described as the youngest in this laboratory. age was just a number in front of a genius brain, but there weren¡¯t many people who trusted delicate glass, who hadn¡¯t proven anything yet. ¡°ho-ho. steamboat¡­ this looks like it can only succeed no matter how i look at it. it seems much more likely than replacing carriages with steam engines.¡± of course, not everyone thought negatively. some weirdos who only looked at the success possibility of the research showed great interest. and so, four scholars joined from sharp teeth¡¯s laboratory. but with only five people, including delicate glass, they couldn¡¯t start the steamboat project. ¡°there¡¯s no choice.¡± sharp teeth swallowed his regret. if possible, he wanted to split his laboratory staff into two and conduct two experiments at the same time. he could fill up the empty researchers who left. ¡®steamboat using a steam engine is a very attractive topic just by hearing it.¡¯ it wasn¡¯t for nothing that sharp teeth boasted that he would form a team for him as soon as he heard delicate glass¡¯s words, the youngest of his laboratory. if this concept was known, there was a high possibility that other universities or research institutes would also be interested. so he wanted to form a team secretly as much as possible. and since it was forbidden to leak information from the inside to the outside in an already formed laboratory, this had a high possibility of being realized. ¡®only if i could recruit internal staff.¡¯ he was able to do this because he had a great reputation, so he told them about the experiment topic after recruiting all the researchers. but delicate glass was out of the question. he was so young that he suited being young rather than being old. as a result, he was not enough to attract scholars secretly. of course, if he wanted to recruit new external scholars, he had to announce the experiment topic and attract them. it was impossible to recruit new researchers in advance and force them to go to delicate glass. that would be no different from deceiving those who joined sharp teeth¡¯s research. after considering all these things, he had no choice but to go by the book. ¡®i can only hope that delicate glass will do well.¡¯ sharp teeth made a decision. he decided to announce the experiment topic and attract external scholars. but he didn¡¯t just announce it recklessly. ¡°first of all, let¡¯s prepare the research that delicate glass will conduct. so that you can start the research as soon as you have enough scholars.¡± ¡°¡­i guess that would be better.¡± the scholars also had some sense and realized what was going on to some extent. so they agreed with sharp teeth¡¯s words. after that, they selected a river where they could conduct the experiment and built a laboratory there. building a shipyard in the laboratory was easy. there were plenty of shipbuilders in the empire, so building and operating a shipyard was a piece of cake. thus, the preparations for the steamship project were all completed. *** ¡°a steam engine on a ship?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. they use the steam engine on the ship to make it move faster.¡± ¡°wow. so they replace the oars with a steam engine?¡± ¡°exactly. and this is a topic that sharp fang praised and helped set up the laboratory himself.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ i was very sorry that i couldn¡¯t get into his laboratory, but what about delicate glass? i have to get into his laboratory.¡± ¡°haha. i was thinking the same thing.¡± the news of the recruitment of steamship researchers made a stir in the imperial college. the idea of using a steam engine as a propulsion force for a ship was very fresh and seemed promising. as a result, as soon as the recruitment started, many scholars applied for the steamship research. however, as the topic was publicly known in the imperial college, information about it leaked out. it was what sharp fang had feared. ¡°steamship¡­ this is bound to succeed, right? especially, it would be great to go up against the upper reaches of the river where the wind doesn¡¯t blow well.¡± the direction of the river was fixed. the water flowed from upstream to downstream. they had tried to solve this problem until now, but there was no fundamental solution yet. but they saw a possibility that the steamship could be a perfect countermeasure. ¡°didn¡¯t they say that the steamship laboratory of the imperial college was completed?¡± ¡°yes. as soon as the recruitment of researchers is finished, they will start the research right away.¡± ¡°as expected, they are conscious of other competitors. but if they think we will give up, that¡¯s a big mistake.¡± ¡°then¡­¡± ¡°why don¡¯t we try to challenge this thing called steamship? let¡¯s prepare a laboratory as soon as possible. it¡¯s not too late yet.¡± there were more than one or two colleges and laboratories that made this decision. anyway, there was no patent for the steamship with just a vague concept. there had to be enough results to judge that it was an exclusive right for that person or group. especially, the laboratories that received support from the giant guilds recently were very active about this. for the giant guilds, the existence of a ship that could quickly go up against the upper reaches of the river was very attractive. so, like a race, the competition for making steamships became fierce. *** ¡®damn it. how can people be so weak?¡¯ the steamship was his idea. but it was just an idea. as long as he didn¡¯t get a patent, the possibility was open to anyone. so as soon as delicate glass¡¯s team was formed, they headed straight to the laboratory built on the riverbank. ¡°team leader, please say something.¡± it was the oldest researcher in the laboratory. perhaps because it was a team that was created so quickly without any breathing time, this was the first time they all gathered together. gulp! as all eyes focused on him, delicate glass¡¯s throat tightened. he felt an enormous tension. the researchers who were looking at him now were all prominent scholars of the imperial college. people who had been building achievements since before he entered the imperial college. some of them were even scholars he had admired in the past. but delicate glass shook his head. ¡®i am the head of this laboratory. if i falter, the whole lab will fall apart. i can¡¯t let down sharp fang¡¯s expectations like that!¡¯ squeak! delicate glass clenched his fist and made a vow. then, the tremors and nervousness that shook his body gradually subsided. after that. he slowly walked a few steps forward and opened his mouth. ¡°i am truly grateful that such brilliant scholars have joined our laboratory. i¡¯m sure many of you are worried about my young age and lack of experience.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the researchers did not deny it. they had joined because of sharp fang¡¯s aggressive attitude and the potential of the steamship. most of them still had doubts about delicate glass¡¯s abilities. ¡°i won¡¯t ask you to trust me with my words. as we conduct research together, please judge for yourself what kind of person i am and how capable i am. but, in the meantime, please follow my wishes.¡± the researchers quietly listened to delicate glass¡¯s speech. seeing that, delicate glass took a breath and continued. ¡°as you all know, we have too many competitors. we could lose our patent rights in the blink of an eye. how unfair is that? the achievements of the steamship must be made under the name of imperial university. don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°you are right, team leader.¡± ¡°we can¡¯t let others take away imperial university¡¯s achievements.¡± delicate glass emphasized the reputation of imperial university, not his own accomplishments. then, the researchers who were proud of being scholars of imperial university readily agreed. thanks to that, the researchers¡¯ eyes softened a bit when they looked at delicate glass. *** from then on, delicate glass¡¯s laboratory started to operate in earnest. ¡°we don¡¯t need to make a big ship from the start. it¡¯s enough to make one that can run with a steam engine and not break.¡± the bigger the ship, the better. it could transport more goods at once. but delicate glass had to make a steamship first, so he avoided wasting time. ¡°i understand what you mean. we can make a ship of this size in no time.¡± the shipbuilders nodded their heads. they were skilled workers who had built huge ships for the empire until now. from their perspective, the ship that delicate glass wanted was quite easy to make. of course, it seemed difficult to attach a steam engine and propeller and balance the structure and stability of the ship. ¡°then i¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°ha ha. it¡¯s an honor for us to participate in this experiment.¡± they worked on the blueprint in a friendly atmosphere. ¡°hmm. it¡¯s a matter of whether to attach the propeller to the front or back, or to the side.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the method that delicate glass adopted was to attach the propeller to the outside. it was a way to rotate the propeller with a steam engine and push the water with it. he devised a steamship in the form of a paddle steamer. as the design progressed, the shipbuilders came to a conclusion. ¡°it seems better to attach it to the side for stability.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ then we have to attach propellers to both sides.¡± ¡°it¡¯s better that way. it¡¯s more complicated to attach them to the front or back.¡± the propeller was much longer in front and back than in width due to its nature. and since the bow and stern of the ship were curved and had many structures, there was a lot to consider. ¡°then let¡¯s do it that way.¡± eventually, delicate glass accepted the shipbuilders¡¯ opinions. with that decision, the blueprint was completed surprisingly quickly. they just had to attach propellers below the outside side of the ship so that they would be submerged in water. ¡°good. let¡¯s make it like this.¡± they had already started making it roughly before the blueprint was completed. thanks to that, things went smoothly afterwards. as time passed, the shape of the ship gradually formed, and they made a steam engine, propeller, and connecting parts to put inside the ship. ¡°let¡¯s work harder!¡± the shipbuilders and researchers did their best in their respective positions. as a result, research progressed day by day. and finally. ¡°this is¡­¡± ¡°ha ha. it¡¯s quite impressive!¡± the first steamship revealed its appearance. Chapter 104 chapter 104: launching ceremony. ¡®as expected, the imperial college team finished first.¡¯ the news of the completion of the steamship was quickly delivered to kim ki-woo. most of the money spent on research, maintenance, and wages at the imperial college came from the government budget. in other words, it was no different from kim ki-woo spending his own money. the success of such a large-scale project should be reported to the owner first. ¡®i can¡¯t guarantee success until it works properly after the launching ceremony.¡¯ the imperial college team must have considered various possibilities in designing and building the steamship. however, since it was their first time making a steamship, there was a high possibility that problems they had not considered would arise. kim ki-woo stopped his thoughts and called his attendant to give him an order. ¡°i¡¯m going to attend the launching ceremony of the steamship. so get ready right away. as soon as possible.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± the attendant agreed without hesitation. of course, it would take some time to prepare for safety, but the delicate glass laboratory and the palace were not far apart, so it wouldn¡¯t take too long. after all the preparations were done, kim ki-woo was able to arrive at his destination in no time. ¡°are you the person in charge? i heard you¡¯re very young.¡± ¡°yo, your majesty¡­¡± ¡°ha ha. don¡¯t worry, lift your head.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± at his words, delicate glass lifted his head. ¡®he¡¯s full of spirit.¡¯ his eyes were trembling with nervousness, but his spirit was so full that he couldn¡¯t hide it with this tremor. he was indeed the person who thought of the steamship at a young age, led his team, and implemented the first steamship. ¡®it¡¯s like a dream that his majesty is looking only at me¡­¡¯ on the other hand, delicate glass was so nervous that he couldn¡¯t calm down easily. any scholar of the empire would have imagined this moment. and this was also true for delicate glass. at that moment, the attendant next to him winked at delicate glass. ¡°ah!¡± at this, delicate glass came to his senses. he hadn¡¯t told his majesty his name yet. ¡°my name is delicate glass.¡± ¡°delicate glass¡­ that¡¯s a very good name. i¡¯ll remember that name for sure.¡± ¡°thank you!¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure the launching ceremony was delayed until i arrived, so let¡¯s proceed quickly.¡± ¡°we¡¯re already prepared.¡± ¡°then lead the way.¡± ¡°yes!¡± after that, kim ki-woo went to where the completed steamship was and faced the first steamship. ¡°ho ho.¡± kim ki-woo looked at the steamship with interest. it looked quite different from a sailing ship. ¡®it¡¯s not that big after all.¡¯ he could see some flaws at a glance. this steamship was literally an experimental work. even if they succeeded in launching the steamship, it would take quite some time and more money to commercialize it. ¡®it¡¯s no wonder that the person who made the first steamship before arrival went bankrupt.¡¯ before arrival, the first place where a steamship was made was america. around 1780. many engineers in america smelled money from steamships. this led to competition, and among them, john fitch succeeded in testing the first steamship in 1787. however, he went bankrupt in 1790 due to lack of capital and technology. of course, the government was the sponsor of the delicate glass¡¯s research, so there was no risk of running out of resources. ¡®and they removed the sail part from the beginning.¡¯ kim kiwoo nodded. they didn¡¯t need a sail since they moved with a paddle wheel powered by a steam engine. it would have taken longer to complete the steamship if they had to consider the sail, so he understood that decision. kim kiwoo suddenly became curious. ¡°did you name this ship?¡± ¡°well, i have something in mind¡­¡± as he said that, delicate glass looked at kim kiwoo¡¯s reaction. he was worried that he might have said something wrong. but kim kiwoo just smiled faintly. ¡°really? can i ask what it is?¡± ¡°¡­if possible, i want to name it after the sharp teeth that allowed me to experiment with the steamship.¡± ¡°i see. the sharp teeth¡­¡± he thought he would name it after himself, but he didn¡¯t. he chose to repay his favor first. ¡°that¡¯s fine. let¡¯s do that.¡± kim kiwoo agreed generously. ¡®he¡¯s carving his name on every major place related to steam engines.¡¯ he made the first steam engine, and the first steamship was his name too. and he was working hard on making the first steam locomotive right now. when people looked back on sharp teeth in the future, they would probably call him the father of steam engines. at least he would never be left out of the protagonists of the industrial revolution. ¡°then let¡¯s start the launch ceremony.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± as kim kiwoo gave the order, the researchers and shipbuilders who were waiting around began to get busy. kim kiwoo watched carefully as the ship floated on the water. ¡°wow¡­¡± ¡°how can that ship move without oars or sails?¡± it was only natural that many people gathered for the launch ceremony of sharp teeth. the imperial citizens knew the importance of ships, and they were very curious about the synergy between steam engines and ships. also, the fact that kim kiwoo himself came to attend the launch ceremony was enough for them to have expectations. there was never a useless experiment among those that kim kiwoo attended for a long time. looking back, everything that kim kiwoo attended was very important. thanks to that, the faces of the imperial citizens who saw the steamship floating on the river were filled with anticipation. after that, they checked the condition of the steamship. it didn¡¯t take long. the people who went out for inspection gave them a confirmation. ¡°there is no problem!¡± ¡°that¡¯s great!¡± the researchers were able to relax a bit as they passed one hurdle. but the experiment was just beginning. it was only a success if the steam engine and the paddle wheels on both sides worked properly. ¡°i will order them to operate.¡± ¡°good.¡± after kim kiwoo nodded, black smoke rose from the steamship in a few moments. thump thump thump. and after making a unique sound of a steam engine, whooosh! the paddle wheels on both sides began to rotate. the lower part of the wheel was submerged in the water, so the steamboat moved forward by the rotational force. ¡°wow!¡± ¡°wow, wow, wow!¡± ¡°it¡¯s moving! it¡¯s really moving!¡± ¡°my goodness. i¡¯ve never seen a boat go so fast.¡± this sight was shocking to the people who were watching the launch. it was because they realized that they could sail faster with the power of the steam engine, not with human or wind power. ¡°ah¡­!¡± the researchers were even more impressed. they felt a surge of accomplishment as their nervousness was replaced by relief. ¡®we really did it.¡¯ delicate glass looked up at the sky without a word. the blazing sun seemed to bless his success. kim kiwoo patted his shoulder and muttered. ¡°congratulations. you¡¯ve achieved a great feat. the history book of the empire will record you as the creator of the first steamboat.¡± ¡°¡­i still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°that¡¯s a good attitude. it¡¯s true that this level of steamboat is not enough for commercialization.¡± they had to increase the size of the boat and the cargo capacity to enter the era of steamboats. ¡°i hope you will continue your research until you commercialize the steamboat. don¡¯t worry about money and focus on your research.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll do my best!¡± delicate glass¡¯s eyes burned with passion as kim kiwoo said this. ¡®i hope it will be commercialized soon.¡¯ it was hard to operate deep-hulled boats in the rivers of the mainland. there were many shallow places in the river. but the steamboat could solve this problem. and its speed was incomparable to that of a sailboat¡­ kim kiwoo wished that many steamboats would fill the rivers and lakes of the empire as soon as possible. *** ¡°this is all thanks to you, master.¡± ¡°don¡¯t say that. it¡¯s all because you led your team well that you got such results.¡± ¡°i wouldn¡¯t have been able to form my team without you, master. and i wouldn¡¯t have thought of the steamboat if i hadn¡¯t heard your concept of the steam engine car.¡± ¡°i¡¯m glad you think so.¡± delicate glass visited his home to share this joy and then came straight to the imperial college. he had been studying under nalkarun ibal for quite some time. he continued to express his gratitude to his master. for delicate glass, nalkarun ibal was his benefactor in life. ¡°i heard you¡¯re going to keep your lab running.¡± ¡°that¡¯s my plan. the first experiment was successful, but there¡¯s still a lot to be done before i can commercialize the steamboat.¡± ¡°you made a good decision. you¡¯re young, so you can achieve more things.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll live up to your expectations, master.¡± nalkarun ibal smiled bitterly as he looked at the young man in front of him who was full of passion. ¡®so this is how it ends up.¡¯ he could have made excuses. after all, delicate glass¡¯s lab started operating much earlier than his. and his experiment on the steam engine car was before the launch of the steamboat. ¡®of course, it failed.¡¯ he had three experiments so far, but none of them yielded satisfactory results. ¡®it¡¯s hard. it¡¯s hard.¡¯ it felt like he was going through the same situation as when he failed repeatedly in his steam engine experiments in the past. ¡®i expected this to some extent.¡¯ his steam engine car experiment was in a complete mess. the first problem was that the steam engine was too heavy. if they loaded this huge steam engine, it would be practically impossible to carry anything else. moreover, to operate the steam engine, they had to keep feeding it coal from above. but that was not the only issue. ¡®they can¡¯t turn the direction.¡¯ to change the direction to the left or right, they had to adjust the speed of the wheels. this was possible with a rama cart, which relied on the power of a rama, but not with a steam engine. they were researching this, but they had not made any clear progress yet. ¡®and it¡¯s hard to stop, too.¡¯ they had no brakes, so they had to wait until it naturally stopped. but they couldn¡¯t change the direction either¡­ as a result, the first steam engine car they used for the experiment crashed hard into a wall and was damaged beyond repair. it was the first car accident in history. the third experiment they conducted recently was somewhat better, but it was still far from satisfactory. ¡°master. are you all right?¡± seeing his master¡¯s sharp-toothed expression worsen, delicate glass asked him right away. he sighed deeply. ¡°phew. it¡¯s really hard to improve the steam engine car compared to the steam ship. even if we continue the experiment like this, i don¡¯t know if it will ever be good enough for commercial use.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry. i was too excited and rude.¡± ¡°no, no. i¡¯m sorry. i feel like i¡¯m ruining your good day.¡± ¡°is there anything i can do to help?¡± ¡°haha. you have your own research, don¡¯t you? you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°no, i do. i want to repay you for your kindness, even a little bit.¡± ¡°you¡¯re so stubborn.¡± but delicate glass was very persistent. he kept persuading his master. ¡°then let me stay for a while before i start my research on improving the steam ship.¡± ¡°thank you, master!¡± as a result, sharp tooth reluctantly accepted his earnest request. but he didn¡¯t know then. that this decision would change the history of the steam engine car. Chapter 105 chapter 105: the railroad. after his meeting with his master, delicate glass began to be invited to various places. ¡°i knew you would be a great success. his majesty was very pleased with the steamship, wasn¡¯t he? at least you won¡¯t have to worry about research funding anymore.¡± ¡°are you thirty years old this year? there are only a few people who have achieved such a feat at such a young age. i¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get one of the medals of the year. ahem, by the way.¡± ¡°are you still unmarried? do you have any interest in meeting my daughter?¡± ¡°haha¡­¡± from the first gathering he attended, delicate glass received an enormous amount of attention. he had a hard time adjusting to this unfamiliar interest. and this continued wherever he went. the scholars of the imperial university wanted to meet delicate glass, who had invented and built the first steamship at a young age. ¡®my research must have been really successful.¡¯ he felt the difference in treatment compared to before. he didn¡¯t mind the situation where people couldn¡¯t praise him enough. thanks to that, he felt like a real genius. but delicate glass shook his head and brushed off his prideful feelings. ¡®i can¡¯t be satisfied with just this.¡¯ this interest would fade away over time anyway. delicate glass wanted to obtain a huge reputation that would last forever, rather than this fleeting attention. like his master, who started a new research after creating the great invention of the steam engine. his master¡¯s actions were a great lesson for delicate glass. that¡¯s why he joined the research on the sharp teeth after finishing his busy schedule for a few days. however, on his first day of joining, the researchers¡¯ eyes were not very friendly. ¡°oh, you must think our research is very easy since you achieved such a great success at a young age. you said you would help us until your own lab opens.¡± ¡°maybe you can solve all the problems in a short time since you¡¯re a genius.¡± ¡°ha! this guy, i feel sorry for him.¡± the researchers¡¯ negative glances and whispers. the problem was that they spoke loud enough for him to hear. delicate glass frowned. ¡®i don¡¯t mean it lightly. i just want to help my master¡­¡¯ it would have been a lie if he didn¡¯t have any pride, but that wasn¡¯t his essence. he wanted to convey his feelings, but he didn¡¯t because it sounded like an excuse. but not everyone was like that. ¡°try to understand them. they¡¯re all sensitive because they keep failing and they don¡¯t see any hope for the research. i¡¯ll warn those who badmouthed you earlier, so just do your best.¡± ¡°¡­thank you for your concern.¡± delicate glass felt some relief from the senior researcher¡¯s consolation. it was understandable that they would be frustrated if there was no progress in the research. the senior researcher kept his word. when delicate glass returned after leaving his seat for a while, he didn¡¯t see any hostile attitudes anymore. thanks to that, delicate glass was able to check the research results so far with ease. ¡°hmm¡­¡± and the more he checked these results, the more he empathized with the researchers¡¯ despair. ¡®there¡¯s no answer at this rate¡­¡¯ especially recently, there was a new animal called a horse that could pull carts better than llamas, and it was rising as an alternative for land transportation. the steam locomotive seemed even more useless. ¡°do you see how hard it is?¡± ¡°¡­to be honest, yes.¡± delicate glass nodded at his master¡¯s question. his master smiled bitterly. ¡°it would be better to make the steam engine smaller and increase the size of the steam locomotive, but that¡¯s not easy. miniaturizing the steam engine is not something that can be done by wishful thinking, and increasing the size would damage the paved roads, even if we put rubber on the wheels. what do you think?¡± ¡°i think the latter option is more feasible than the former, if we consider the possibilities.¡± ¡°making the steam locomotive bigger, you mean?¡± ¡°yes.¡± they both felt that there was no hope with the current small steam locomotive. but enlarging the steam locomotive was not only difficult because of the damage to the paved roads, but also because of the lack of production technology and the risk of accidents. the paved roads were always crowded with countless carriages and people. if a large steam locomotive passed through such a complex place¡­ ¡®it would kill many imperial citizens who are walking.¡¯ especially if it was a steam locomotive that was still hard to control. ¡°let¡¯s keep thinking of ways.¡± ¡°yes, master.¡± after that, delicate glass continued to have many conversations with other researchers, including sharp fangs, to find a solution. thanks to that, his initial frustration subsided, but as time passed, he became more anxious. ¡®there¡¯s not much time left¡­¡¯ he wondered if he could put his name on the development of the steam locomotive within that time. then one day. delicate glass visited the architecture department to get some advice on the paved roads. but he didn¡¯t get a satisfactory answer from them. he just felt once again how hard it was to enlarge the steam locomotive. delicate glass left the dean¡¯s office without any significant results. ¡°i¡¯m sorry i couldn¡¯t give you a satisfying answer.¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay. i kind of expected this anyway.¡± he said that and headed straight for the exit of the architecture department. at that moment. ¡°wow. that building is very tall. but is it okay to build it so high?¡± ¡°that one over there?¡± ¡°yes.¡± the giant whale who volunteered to guide delicate glass smiled as if to reassure him. ¡°haha. it¡¯s very sturdy, you know. do you see that?¡± the giant whale pointed to an unfinished part of the structure, and delicate glass squinted his eyes. and he saw it. the existence of numerous steel bars embedded inside the concrete. ¡°recently, a lot of research has been done on the compatibility between concrete and steel bars. we call this method reinforced concrete construction. with this research completed, we will be able to easily build high-rise buildings that were difficult before.¡± ¡°wow. i see.¡± ¡°of course, it¡¯s still far away.¡± the giant whale sighed slightly. it was hard to use reinforced concrete construction unless they could produce large and uniform steel bars in large quantities. delicate glass listened to these detailed explanations and immersed himself in his own thoughts. ¡®hmm. supporting concrete with steel¡­¡¯ steel was indeed an amazing material. look. it was holding up a tall building without collapsing. that¡¯s why it was. a completely new idea came to delicate glass¡¯s mind. ¡®what if i lay those steel bars on the ground instead of paved roads? then maybe i could enlarge the steam locomotive without breaking them.¡¯ that thought crossed his mind for a moment. it felt like a random thought at first¡­ ¡®wait.¡¯ he thought for a moment and realized it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. whoosh! ¡°why are you doing that? do you feel unwell somewhere?¡± ¡°sorry, but i need to think for a bit.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± delicate glass stopped in his tracks and immersed himself in his own world. ¡®what if i lay iron rails?¡¯ he vaguely remembered hearing something about it. he heard that in the mines, they used wooden or iron rails to transport minerals more easily. delicate glass¡¯s mind spun rapidly. ¡®ah! why didn¡¯t i think of this before? i just need to make the iron rails bigger!¡¯ that seemed to solve the problem of scaling up the steam engine, which had been holding it back. of course, making the steam engine bigger would create a tremendous load, and he would need a lot of high-quality steel to support it, but¡­ ¡®it¡¯s worth a try.¡¯ at least, it seemed like a way out of the current deadlock. *** ¡°what? you want to lay iron on the ground?¡± ¡°yes, master.¡± as soon as he arrived at the lab, delicate glass hurriedly found nalkaroon ippal and told him his idea. ¡°huh, what kind of¡­¡± at first, nalkaroon ippal was dumbfounded by his words, but after listening to delicate glass¡¯s explanation, his expression turned serious. his opinion sounded plausible enough. ¡®iron rails¡­¡¯ in the past, when the steam engine was first used to pump water out of the mines, nalkaroon ippal had worked in the mines for a while. and he had seen the rails himself. at that time, he was so focused on operating the steam engine for its purpose that he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, but now that he thought about it again, it felt different. ¡®haha. i¡¯m such a fool. how come i didn¡¯t think of this when i¡¯ve seen it myself?¡¯ he realized that the principle was the same whether he moved a cart on the rails with only the power of the steam engine or made a large steam engine that ran on iron rails that fit it perfectly. he had missed such an easy solution. he had also failed to solve the most important part when he completed the previous steam engine. his brain couldn¡¯t keep up with it. but no matter who came up with it, the important thing was that he found a good solution. ¡°hahaha. you¡¯re amazing. you¡¯ve only joined the lab for a short time and you came up with such an idea!¡± ¡°i¡¯m glad i could help, master.¡± this was how the concept of railway and steam locomotive was first proposed and soon spread among the researchers. of course, there were many people who were skeptical about it. this was because laying iron rails would cost too much. ¡°it seems impossible to support the weight of a large steam engine with ordinary iron.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. we need solid steel.¡± ¡°plus, we need to make them very precise to prevent derailment. if they¡¯re even slightly off¡­ it could cause a terrible accident.¡± ¡°making the steam engine bigger would also require a lot of steel¡­ even though the production of steel has increased thanks to the electric furnace, can we really meet this huge demand?¡± the researchers were shocked by the amount of steel required when they made a rough estimate. it was fortunate that they had an electric furnace. if they didn¡¯t have one, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to imagine such an amount. as the focus shifted to the astronomical cost, delicate glass raised his hand and argued. ¡°i admit that it will cost a lot at first. but if we make the steam engine run on iron rails, we can solve most of the problems that we had with it.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°also, once we make them, the efficiency will be different from what we¡¯ve been doing with land transportation.¡± swish! he unfolded a blueprint that he had brought from his pocket. ¡°there are many things connected behind the steam engine.¡± ¡°you¡¯re right. the steam engine will run on rails anyway. if we attach cargo cars behind it, we can move a lot of things at once, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°indeed.¡± ¡°it seems possible.¡± the researchers acknowledged delicate glass¡¯s plan favorably. ¡°if we can move a lot of things on land with only the power of the steam engine, it will save us a lot of money. the initial cost will be offset over time.¡± delicate glass clenched his fist and recited with a strong tone. ¡°imagine it. a world where railways connect the mainland. if that happens, the world will surely change!¡± Chapter 106 chapter 106: interest rate. even after that, delicate glass continued to explain his ideas and vision for the railroad, and how the empire would change with the steam engine and the steamship. and when his passionate speech was over. most of the researchers who were hesitant before were already immersed in the vision he presented. ¡°i feel that delicate glass¡¯s plan is very feasible. i think it¡¯s worth trying at least once, what do you all think?¡± thanks to him, sharp teeth asked the researchers for their opinions, but there was no opposition like before. how long did the awkward silence last? when it seemed that no more opinions would come out, sharp teeth declared. ¡°then let¡¯s refine this plan a bit more.¡± ¡°yes!¡± that¡¯s how the direction of the research was changed by delicate glass. the era of the railroad was looming. *** after that day, the researchers stopped their work and started to make a new plan. and in this process, delicate glass¡¯s performance was impressive. he was involved in every part of the project, from refining the design to making models of the railroad and the steam engine. ¡°i can see why the steamship was made so quickly and accurately.¡± ¡°he¡¯s definitely living up to his reputation.¡± the researchers who secretly envied him had no choice but to admit his skills. ¡°sigh¡­¡± but actually, delicate glass let out a sigh. at this, sharp teeth patted his back. ¡°are you regretful?¡± ¡°of course. i want to stay with my teacher until the end and complete the railroad together.¡± ¡°but you have your own research. you have to start the steamship research again. don¡¯t forget that your team¡¯s researchers are looking only at you.¡± at that, delicate glass nodded weakly. originally, joining the steam engine research was only until the steamship research started. and today was the end of that period. ¡°teacher, i hope you have good results. i¡¯ll be rooting for you from afar.¡± ¡°haha. you¡¯re saying what i should say. i¡¯ll take responsibility for this side and produce results, so you don¡¯t worry about anything else and just think about the steamship. got it?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± with that, delicate glass left for the steamship research. he disappeared like that, but as sharp teeth promised, the research continued. and soon they succeeded in conducting a mock experiment with a model. but the problem started from then on. ¡°as expected, this is what happens.¡± ¡°it¡¯s probably because we used up a lot of the budget given by our previous research.¡± ¡°do you think we can get that much support again?¡± they expected it, but it took a huge budget to make a railroad and a steam engine for the experiment. ¡°besides, there¡¯s also the problem of location. we can¡¯t lay a railroad in the university, can we?¡± ¡°we don¡¯t know what kind of accident will happen during the research. it would be better if it¡¯s a place where there are few people.¡± the previous three experiments that were later called the first car research could be done in the imperial university. but it was impossible here to do an experiment with a railroad that could be used for research and a large steam engine running on it. after listening to the opinions of the researchers, sharp teeth finally opened his mouth. ¡°of course, this is an experiment now, but if we succeed, we can also use the railroad we used for the experiment. so it¡¯s best to do the research in a place where we can actually run the steam engine from the beginning.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ then where would be good?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°nana, aren¡¯t you all researchers? this is something that people who eat the national rice should worry about. for now, report the research results and plans so far and wait. anyway, you have to get more support because of the budget.¡± sharp fang knew his subject well. so he wrote a report with the researchers and sent it to kim ki-woo. *** ¡°haha. he really is something else.¡± kim ki-woo laughed out loud as he read the report from sharp fang. he had established the concepts of steamships, railways, and steam locomotives after the steamship. of course, he had thought of the steamship after getting a hint from sharp fang¡¯s words, and he had come up with the railway after seeing the reinforced concrete method. but kim ki-woo knew very well. how hard it was to derive new concepts from these unfamiliar things. if it was easy, why couldn¡¯t countless scholars think of railways? ¡®by the way, it will cost a fortune to start building railways.¡¯ kim ki-woo smiled bitterly as he looked at the estimate for railways and steam locomotives at the end of the report. of course, he had enough funds to support the experiments. but what kim ki-woo was worried about was what came after. the steam locomotive would succeed anyway. and kim ki-woo knew how powerful the impact of the steam locomotive was. but it also consumed a tremendous amount of steel. even though the supply of steel was slowly increasing due to the war, it would be far from enough if they started laying railways in earnest. in the end, they had to scale up the steel industry to solve this problem. they had to pour most of the steel they got into laying railways. as he was thinking about this and that, the minister of internal affairs arrived at his office after receiving kim ki-woo¡¯s call. ¡°your majesty, you don¡¯t look well. are you alright?¡± ¡°haha. i¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± it was red wolf. he was so observant that he could check his face color slightly worse than usual like a ghost. ¡®what a reliable guy.¡¯ the ministry of internal affairs was a branch of straight tree. his shadow was so thick that it seemed impossible to get rid of him. but red wolf had a unique charisma and leadership that he quickly took control of the ministry of internal affairs. and he cleverly dealt with the subtle conflicts with other departments that started implicitly. thanks to that, he had dyed the entire ministry of internal affairs with his own color by now. kim ki-woo put his thoughts aside and handed him sharp fang¡¯s report. ¡°read this first. we¡¯ll talk later.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± red wolf carefully took the pile of documents from kim ki-woo and read them slowly. ¡°ho.¡± a deep interest rose on his face as he read the report. he had rarely been to industrial sites, but he knew the situation to some extent as he managed the government budget. and he was smart enough to understand the concepts and possibilities of railways and steam locomotives in an instant. squirm! of course, when he looked at the additional budget amount at the end of the report, he frowned slightly as if he was displeased. ¡°i¡¯ve read it.¡± ¡°so, what do you think?¡± ¡°it seemed reasonable to me. it¡¯s obvious that if logistics move more smoothly, we can develop faster.¡± ¡°you¡¯re right.¡± red wolf was an expert on imperial economy. so he knew better than anyone else how important logistics were. kim ki-woo also agreed with him. ¡°surely, when steamships are commercialized, logistics will move much faster. but this is limited to water transport. we can¡¯t neglect land transport either if we want to fully develop deep inland.¡± ¡°you think this steam locomotive will be the answer.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. it can transport an amount that can¡¯t be compared to a cart pulled by livestock. and that¡¯s not all. in the future, when the technology advances and the steam engine train becomes faster, it will be easier to go to distant regions.¡± ¡°it will also make the trade more free and the projection of administrative power more smooth.¡± ¡°you really know what i¡¯m talking about.¡± kim kiwoo smiled brightly as he looked at the minister of internal affairs. he had grasped the core of what he was saying in an instant. ¡°but it will take a tremendous amount of money to do this. much more than what is written in the report.¡± kim kiwoo then explained in detail what he had in mind. the minister of internal affairs, who had been listening quietly, spoke his thoughts slowly after the story was over. ¡°i understand your majesty¡¯s intention, but it is quite difficult with the current budget. and we haven¡¯t even succeeded in the research of the steam engine train yet, have we?¡± ¡°i¡¯m confident that sharp fangs will succeed. and before that, we have to quickly grow the steel industry and complete the mass production process of steel. otherwise, there will be problems with the railroad construction.¡± ¡°if your majesty thinks so, there seems to be only one way.¡± ¡°haha. it seems you have the same idea as me. raising the interest rate, right?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± finally, the interest rate issue came up. kim kiwoo recalled the current financial system. ¡®there is only one bank so far.¡¯ after banning private banks, the financial agency quickly took root in the empire¡¯s economy. and until now, the interest rate of private banks was zero. there was no need to raise the interest rate even if the money of the imperial citizens flowed into the financial agency. ¡®of course, these days there are many cases of investing through various channels.¡¯ the empire¡¯s economy was always booming, so it was more profitable to invest in businesses than to just keep money. but not everyone succeeds in investing. if they fail in the competition and their businesses go bankrupt, they lose all their money. those who didn¡¯t want to take such risks entrusted their money to the financial agency, even if they didn¡¯t make any profit. ¡®there was no need to raise the interest rate until now.¡¯ the money entrusted by the imperial citizens could be used for useful purposes, and thanks to many public enterprises, the imperial government had a lot of money. but the situation changed. ¡®i need more money.¡¯ if the interest rate is raised, of course, a lot of money circulating in the market will flow into the financial agency. of course, he could have laid down the railroad slowly without doing this, but kim kiwoo wanted to lay down the railroad as fast as possible with his full capacity. ¡®anyway, once you lay down the railroad, you can get a lot of profit.¡¯ in the previous imperialist era, there was a reason why the great powers were bloodthirsty to get railroad construction and operation rights in many countries. it was much more profitable to lay down the railroad quickly even if he raised the interest rate now than to think about later. ¡°consult with the head of the financial agency and raise the interest rate enough to meet the necessary funds. then find out how much budget you need from the ministry of internal affairs and arrange it accordingly.¡± ¡°i will do as you say, your majesty.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± *** kim kiwoo immediately consulted with the head of the financial agency and raised its interest rate. he also announced this widely through the empire newspaper. and the reaction of the imperial citizens was immediate. ¡°wow! now they give us money just for entrusting our money to the financial agency!¡± ¡°really? i was worried about what to do if my business went bankrupt anyway, so i¡¯d rather entrust my money to the safe and reliable financial agency.¡± ¡°me too. i¡¯m going to entrust my money that i didn¡¯t entrust to them before.¡± thanks to this, for a long time, there was a huge crowd at the financial agency. and a lot of money circulating in the market flowed into the financial agency. ¡°what do you mean you¡¯re taking out your money?¡± ¡°you said we can take it out anytime we want, right? the financial agency is safer than investing in your business, so i¡¯m just going to entrust my money there.¡± ¡°but don¡¯t you know that there is a difference in profit?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t care about that. just give me my money back!¡± ¡°sigh¡­!¡± of course, as a result, many businesses suffered damage. there were many imperial citizens who wanted to get their money back by saying they entrusted it to the financial agency. as a result, some ambitious projects were shaken and some places went bankrupt while trying to expand too much. anyway, through this process, enough budget for kim kiwoo¡¯s plan began to pile up at the financial agency. Chapter 107 chapter 107: the protagonist. ¡°¡­¡± the industrial director, who was reading the documents with his eyes, had a very gloomy face. his already dark circles seemed to have gotten worse in just a few minutes. ¡®i feel like i¡¯m doing something terrible to the industrial director.¡¯ the industrial department had long been the largest in the entire department, and the gap with other departments was widening day by day. it was inevitable because of the rapid development of the industry. but thanks to the continuous expansion of personnel in the industrial department, it went smoothly without any major problems. the problem was that no one could replace the work of the industrial director. no matter how many staff members were hired, the work of the black feather, who was the final decision-maker, continued to increase. and after today, it would increase even more. soon, black feather took his eyes off the documents. ¡°i have read them all.¡± ¡°how do you feel about it?¡± ¡°the budget that is newly invested is much more than i imagined. i wonder if we can use all this budget. it¡¯s so huge.¡± ¡°well, that¡¯s how it is. we¡¯re investing a large portion of the funds collected by the finance agency.¡± ¡°¡­do we really have to do this? we are already steadily increasing the size of the steel industry.¡± ¡°we have to do it.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s firm words made black feather sigh quietly. as he said, regardless of the south or north, the steel industry was rising sharply. but here, they were investing more money to increase its size intensively. ¡°i¡¯ve already mentioned the railroad, so you should know. soon we¡¯ll need steel that can¡¯t even be compared to what we have now. so please work a little harder in the industrial department.¡± at that, black feather sighed deeply inside. ¡®sigh¡­ i expected it to some extent, but. is it going to be like this after all.¡¯ he felt it. kim ki-woo¡¯s will was already firm. and then he would follow kim ki-woo¡¯s will as usual. in the end, the industrial director had no choice but to agree. ¡°i will try my best.¡± ¡°let me know if you need anything. i¡¯ll try to accommodate you as much as possible.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± bow. the industrial director bowed to kim ki-woo and left the office with a heavy step. ¡°good. this should solve the steel problem to some extent.¡± the industrial director was very competent. he had produced the best results within the given conditions so far. it was thanks to black feather that the industrial department, which had grown rapidly, ran as well as it did now. and he believed that he would do well this time too. time passed, and the next visitor opened the door and came in. ¡°your majesty!¡± ¡°haha. long time no see. how have you been?¡± ¡°yes, i¡¯ve been well.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good to hear. please take a seat.¡± ¡°yes.¡± he was none other than sharp teeth. ¡°you¡¯re amazing. you could have lived comfortably as a dean, but you started researching again. and your research results are amazing, both then and now.¡± ¡°i¡¯m embarrassed. the steam engine was thanks to your majesty¡¯s guidance, and this time it was actually delicate glass that gave me the concept of railroad. i just spooned up a little bit.¡± ¡°what are you talking about? that¡¯s all because you started researching. opportunity comes to those who are prepared.¡± ¡°it¡¯s an honor to hear you say that.¡± at that, sharp teeth¡¯s face brightened up. kim kiwoo finished his official greeting and got to the point. ¡°i called you here today because of the research on the steam locomotive. assuming that the research succeeds, where do you think the steam locomotive will be used first?¡± ¡°um¡­¡± sharp teeth was at a loss for words at the sudden question. he had only thought that the steam locomotive would be installed in various places, but he had never thought about the topic that kim kiwoo asked. ¡°i apologize, but i cannot think of anything right away. please enlighten me.¡± ¡°i think it will be used first to transport minerals from the mines.¡± ¡°ah! that makes sense now that i hear it.¡± as soon as kim kiwoo finished speaking, sharp teeth immediately agreed. until now, transporting minerals to industrial complexes or riversides was as hard as mining them. but what if there were railways between the mines and the destinations? it was obvious that the burden of mineral transportation would be greatly reduced. ¡®moreover, the price of coal will drop sharply.¡¯ coal was easy to mine compared to other minerals. yet, it had a high price solely because of transportation. if coal started to be transported in large quantities by steam locomotives, the price of coal would definitely go down. it was hard to find anything that was not related to coal nowadays. that meant, the price of coal would lead to a general decline in prices. kim kiwoo explained this to sharp teeth. ¡°wow¡­¡± after hearing all this, he exclaimed and exclaimed again. ¡®his majesty has foreseen everything that will happen in the future.¡¯ he was just researching things that seemed possible in a haphazard way. ¡®it was the same when he made the steam engine.¡¯ sharp teeth recalled the past. as soon as the steam engine was made, his majesty applied it to the right places as if he had been thinking about it for a long time. he drained water from mines, and made a tremendous thing called an electric furnace using a steam engine blower. and this was also the case this time. he had not even started serious research on the steam locomotive yet, but his majesty seemed to have planned everything for the future. ¡°i would like you to do the research on the steam locomotive here, considering the future.¡± swish! kim kiwoo spread out a map and pointed to a place. it was near the mine connected to the black sky. it was to use the railway and steam locomotive that were used for research if the research succeeded. sharp teeth also understood kim kiwoo¡¯s intention at once. ¡°i will follow your will.¡± ¡°thank you. and one more thing. take this.¡± ¡°what is this¡­¡± ¡°you can read it.¡± as kim kiwoo gave permission, sharp teeth flipped through the document. ¡°¡­!¡± and his eyes widened. ¡®is this a blueprint?¡¯ sharp teeth felt a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. he had experienced something similar in the past, when he was researching the steam engine. and after receiving a blueprint from kim kiwoo, didn¡¯t the research on the steam engine progress rapidly? sharp teeth read through the blueprint without any hesitation. soon, he realized something. it was almost similar to when he made the steam engine. the steam locomotive and railway in the blueprint had many improvements on what he had lacked in his own blueprint that he submitted to his majesty last time. ¡°it¡¯s still an imperfect blueprint. that¡¯s why we need to research and find the right way to do it.¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t look imperfect at all. when did you come up with these ideas? i don¡¯t think i can ever catch up with you, your majesty.¡± ¡°ha ha. you¡¯re not a criminal. you¡¯ll only get scolded if you say that to someone else.¡± ¡°everyone would agree if the subject was your majesty.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll take that as a compliment. i¡¯ve already built a research facility in the area, so go there when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°yes, i understand, your majesty.¡± *** all the researchers had gathered before the sharp fang arrived. they all knew that kim ki-woo had summoned him, and they were curious about why he had called the sharp fang. and as soon as the sharp fang returned to the lab, he told them everything that had happened with kim ki-woo. ¡°is this really the blueprint that his majesty gave you?¡± ¡°ha ha. can¡¯t you tell? who else but his majesty could make such a blueprint?¡± among them, the researchers were most interested in the blueprint. ¡°it¡¯s amazing. it¡¯s like you already know what the steam engine will look like.¡± ¡°his majesty is not someone we can judge.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°the important thing is that his majesty thinks the steam engine will be a great success, right?¡± ¡°yes, that¡¯s right. he even gave us this blueprint himself, so it¡¯s certain.¡± ¡°and i heard that he¡¯s spending a huge amount of money to supply steel for the railroad.¡± ¡°ha ha! we made a good decision to start researching the steam engine.¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s every move pointed to the success of the steam engine. thanks to that, even though they hadn¡¯t started their research yet, the researchers were confident of their success. ¡°i was sure of our success after meeting his majesty today.¡± ¡°as expected¡­¡± ¡°but it¡¯s too early to celebrate. what if we fail to meet his majesty¡¯s expectations even though we received such full support?¡± ¡°hmm.¡± ¡°that would be terrible.¡± at that, the sharp fang nodded. ¡°if that happens, i won¡¯t be able to get rid of my guilt until i die. so let¡¯s get rid of any complacency and do our best. that¡¯s the way to repay his majesty¡¯s grace.¡± the researchers all agreed with the sharp fang¡¯s words. thanks to that, their eyes were filled with hot passion and firm determination. after that, the sharp fang and the researchers packed up their lives at imperial university and headed for their new home, which was being prepared. *** meanwhile, the second expedition team that had headed to europe had started to return to their designated islands one by one. ¡°yo-you¡¯re alive¡­¡± of course, there were many more who couldn¡¯t return than those who did. it was inevitable that they would be infected and die in large numbers because they had to get antigens for the plague. even if they were careful, it was hard to prevent it when the plague bacteria or virus entered their bodies in a situation where it was game over. the worst was when the plague spread on the ship returning. those who returned from such hardships were truly lucky ones. ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard. please follow our control for a while.¡± ¡°yes, we understand.¡± while they stayed on the island, a vaccine factory built on one side of the island proceeded with attenuation of the plague they brought. and these attenuated vaccines were transported to the mainland and mass-produced. ¡®we¡¯re almost there.¡¯ kim ki-woo was able to relax as the vaccine was gradually mass-produced. the foundation for confronting the deadly plague of eurasia was almost complete. ¡®we can¡¯t keep our doors locked forever.¡¯ the protagonist of world history before arrival was europe. it was not a wrong statement since europeans conquered america. but not anymore. the protagonist of world history should be wakan tanka empire. kim ki-woo had no intention of giving up on this until he died. that is, he intended to proceed with globalization based on wakan tanka. ¡°first of all, vaccinate those who want it.¡± ¡°yes, i understand.¡± the imperial citizens were already familiar with vaccination through udu. moreover, ¡°i heard that full-scale exchanges with other continents will start soon.¡± ¡°then we have to get vaccinated quickly, right?¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± rumors like this circulated, and the imperial citizens were active in vaccination. thanks to this, as time passed, at least within the empire, the risk of plague decreased rapidly. Chapter 108 chapter 108: desire. kim ki-woo had a plan. he wanted to explore the western sea and find the mysterious continent of asia, where he hoped to obtain priceless treasures and become rich. he was not the only one who had this ambition. many merchants and adventurers in the wakan tanka empire dreamed of sailing to the unknown lands and discovering new wonders. but things did not go as kim ki-woo planned. ¡°hehe. what a wonderful world we live in. we can make so much money here.¡± ¡°i wish it would always stay like this.¡± at that time, the wakan tanka empire was enjoying a golden age. they sold cheap goods produced by the empire to the natives of the central and southern continents, and in exchange, they acquired gold, silver, copper, guano, rubber, sugar, cocoa, and other valuable resources. they sucked them in like a black hole. the empire used these precious imports to fuel its development in the mainland. and recently, the finance department raised the interest rate and poured the money collected into heavy industries such as steel, which increased the money supply in the market. as a result, wages went up and various products targeting these consumers appeared, stimulating the market. it was not strange to see workers buying expensive luxury goods. and among those luxury goods, the most popular ones were those that came from europe. ¡°ah¡­ if only i could bring in some of the rare treasures from other continents, it would be a jackpot.¡± ¡°who doesn¡¯t know that? but who knows when the ban will be lifted?¡± the merchants looked at the european treasures that were circulating in a very small scale and felt regretful. their prices were astronomical among the wealthy classes. the wakan tanka empire had a very short history. therefore, the imperial citizens tended to value ancient relics more than anything else, and they were crazy about the antiques that came from europe. ¡°i heard that there are more ancient and beautiful relics in a place called asia. the merchants who bring them in will be really lucky.¡± and they had already heard rumors about asia from their limited contact with europe. many merchants imagined being the first to bring in expensive treasures from asia. but until then, there were no merchants who actually tried to realize this dream. the ban on ocean navigation was one of the reasons, but the most important one was the fear of plague. but this was only until vaccines were administered on a large scale. as soon as the vaccination started, some people began to think differently. ¡°maybe we are safer now from deadly plagues? we got vaccinated, right?¡± ¡°there must be asia if we go to the west sea¡­¡± they were burning with desire. it was a mix of curiosity and greed. they wanted to explore new worlds and become rich by bringing in treasures from other continents. ¡°hey! how dare you disobey the ban issued by his majesty himself? you should wait until the time comes and the ban is lifted. don¡¯t be greedy for nothing.¡± ¡°if you break the ban, you will never be able to set foot on the mainland again.¡± many people warned them like this, but¡­ ¡°surely there are many people who think like me. if i let them take the lead, i will regret it later.¡± there were already quite a few people who were blinded by their desire. ¡°and what if i don¡¯t get caught?¡± with this thought, many of them began to put their plans into action. one of them was sharp eyes. he had his own ships, three of them. he was a veteran who had been trading in the west sea for a long time. sharp eyes planned boldly and confidently. at that time, there were quite a lot of vaccines that were not counted properly because they were distributed so intensively. there were many people who wanted to get vaccinated first just in case. but because of this, there were cases where they had to wait for a long time. however, since it was a matter of life and death, some of the imperial citizens wanted to pay more money and get vaccinated before others. ¡°please sell me this vaccine. i will pay you more.¡± ¡°¡­why do you want to buy so much? don¡¯t tell me you want to resell it?¡± ¡°does that matter?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ you know what happens if you get caught, right?¡± the man made a gesture of cutting his own head with his hand. ¡°there¡¯s no risk. i¡¯m leaving for the southern continent soon anyway.¡± ¡°wow¡­ well, you can sell it for more there, i guess.¡± the man¡¯s face finally relaxed a bit. the slender-eyed man did not miss the opportunity and handed him the money pouch. ¡°please check it. you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± ¡°hmm.¡± the man took the money pouch and discreetly checked the amount. then, his face completely softened and a smile appeared on his eyes. ¡°good. make sure you take it to the southern continent. don¡¯t let anyone else get it. here, take this.¡± ¡°haha. you made a wise choice.¡± after getting the vaccine in his hands, the slender-eyed man headed straight for the southern continent as promised. and he began to lure the residents there. ¡°do you know what this is?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°it¡¯s the vaccine that¡¯s being distributed in the mainland.¡± ¡°vaccine? is that true?¡± the newspapers issued by the empire were also circulated in the southern continent, so the residents there knew about the vaccine. but the vaccine had not yet reached the faraway southern continent. ¡°don¡¯t be fooled. with this, you can survive in the disaster that might come someday.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± kim ki-woo¡¯s actions were not only watched by the mainland imperial citizens. the empire¡¯s influence was so widespread that the southern continent residents were no different. and to them, kim ki-woo¡¯s policy seemed like an attempt to prevent the future disaster. he cut off contact with other continents and tried his best to make vaccines that could eradicate diseases. the problem was that the benefits were prioritized for the mainland citizens, so the external residents were anxious. ¡°how can you be sure that¡¯s a real vaccine?¡± but soon, a negative remark came out of the mouth of the village representative, fine sand. a man who suddenly came and brought a vaccine. how could he easily believe him? ¡°haha. did you think i was going to sell it?¡± ¡°then are you saying no? did you bring it to show off?¡± ¡°of course not.¡± fine sand¡¯s face frowned at the increasingly suspicious words of the slender-eyed man. ¡°i don¡¯t have time to play with you.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not a joke. i¡¯m going to vaccinate those who join my crew with these.¡± ¡°crew?¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯m going to leave for a new continent beyond that vast sea.¡± ¡°¡­ha, surely you know that the emperor of the empire has not lifted the ban on ocean voyages.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. but that¡¯s only the law of the empire. it doesn¡¯t apply to you.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you an imperial citizen?¡± ¡°haha. i have a plan for that. don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± he was speechless at the confident answer of the slender-eyed man. but he did not care and continued his words. ¡°i will vaccinate those who join my voyage with these vaccines. also, i¡¯m willing to give some of the precious treasures i brought from other continents. they sell for a huge price in the mainland, so if you come back alive, you can become a rich man.¡± ¡°ha! you¡¯re defying even your emperor¡¯s command for money.¡± ¡°does loyalty feed you? does he pay you heaps of money?¡± the slender-eyed man did not hide his greed for money. ¡°you better choose well. do you think i¡¯m the only one who thinks this way? there must be others who think like me. and if they successfully go to another continent and come back? then there¡¯s a high chance that diseases will spread as he wishes. but by then, are you sure that vaccines will be supplied here?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°maybe the mainland will be quite safe from the plague, but i¡¯m not sure about other regions. even if the vaccine is supplied, it will cost a lot of money. do you have that much? but if you accept my offer, you could make a lot of money.¡± as he spoke, the villagers, including fine sand, were speechless. fine sand closed his eyes for a moment, gathered his thoughts, and opened his mouth. ¡°you know very well that your actions could cause a disaster. do you really want that?¡± ¡°of course i¡¯ll be careful. but like i said, even if i don¡¯t act, these things could happen because of others. so you have to choose wisely. what is the best choice for you?¡± his sharp eyes were confident. he knew that his words had worked. not only fine sand, but also the faces of the people gathered were very serious. ¡®nothing stimulates the imagination more than the fear of the unknown.¡¯ he had instilled that fear in them. but he didn¡¯t lie. he sincerely believed that the plague could spread soon, not only by him but by others. ¡°the choice is yours. whether you wish for no disaster to happen every day, or whether you take action to overcome the disaster. i don¡¯t have much time either, so please answer me as soon as possible.¡± ¡°sigh¡­ fine. i understand.¡± *** the decision was made the next day. the villagers¡¯ choice was to agree. ¡°haha. you made a good decision.¡± ¡°sigh¡­ i don¡¯t know if this is the right choice, but since we decided to act together, i hope you¡¯ll help us.¡± ¡°likewise.¡± after that, he selected the crew members who had experience as sailors. ¡°but what are you going to do now? your ship must be registered, right? and it looks like you have a lot of sailors¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry about that. just come to the port with the sailors tomorrow night. i¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ okay.¡± the answer was very suspicious, but fine sand let it go. the sharp-eyed man executed his plan after parting with the villagers. ¡°did you finally come? i thought my neck would break from waiting.¡± ¡°haha. i should have brought this later. it would have been a chance to see your neck break.¡± ¡°that would be a rare sight indeed!¡± he was greeted by the sailors as he boarded the ship and pointed behind him. ¡°i was late because i brought this. do you need alcohol for sailing?¡± ¡°as expected! the captain knows us very well!¡± ¡°hehehe.¡± the sailors smiled very satisfied as they saw the large amount of alcohol that the sharp-eyed man had brought. the sharp-eyed man also smiled at the corner of his mouth. but there was no smile in his eyes. *** ¡°come on, drink and die!¡± ¡°cheers!¡± the first night of sailing. a drinking party started on the ship. on three ships, the sailors drank like sailors. ¡°captain, have a drink too!¡± ¡°haha. no thanks. i¡¯ll drink this.¡± the sailor offered him a drink, but the sharp-eyed man refused with a smile. ¡°you¡¯re so picky anyway.¡± the night went on. and the incident happened in the early morning when everyone was asleep. thud, thud. the sharp-eyed man slapped the cheek of the sailor who had offered him a drink earlier. ¡°you sleep well without knowing your fate.¡± ¡°hehe. of course. they¡¯re very powerful stuff. they won¡¯t wake up easily until morning.¡± ¡°until morning? don¡¯t you mean forever? haha!¡± the three men looked at each other and smirked wickedly. the sharp-eyed man had tampered with the alcohol when he brought it. so that they wouldn¡¯t wake up until everything was over. Chapter 109 chapter 109: exposed. ¡®¡­oh my god!¡¯ red leather listened secretly to the conversation of the three men and covered his mouth. he doubted his own eyes and ears. but nothing changed even if he doubted. ¡®those crazy bastards! are they trying to kill us all?¡¯ it was true that the farther away from the mainland, the higher the possibility of being involved in a sinister incident, but he never expected them to try to kill their comrades. ¡®why?¡¯ red leather did not understand. they left most of their money in the financial office anyway. what benefit would it bring to the sharp-eyed man to kill the sailors in this way? rattle. ¡®this is not the time.¡¯ the guys were about to strangle the sailors with the tough ropes in their hands. this was not the time to think about the reason. he had to come up with a countermeasure and deal with it. red leather quickly scanned his surroundings. ¡®is there no one but me?¡¯ there might be other sailors who were hiding like him, but the possibility was very slim. there was probably no one who did not drink a sip of the liquor that the sharp-eyed man brought, except for red leather himself. he was not feeling well today. besides, he had a weak alcohol tolerance for a sailor, and he had a severe hangover the next day. but when sailors drank together, it was a good way to get scolded by the rough boatmen if they refused. so red leather developed his own know-how of switching drinks without being noticed during his long sailor life. he did not drink today either, using that method. and at some point during the night. red leather felt a strange sign that was different from usual. after some time passed, suddenly even those who were strong drinkers lost their consciousness and collapsed. and that was without exception. at that moment, red leather snapped out of it as if he had poured cold water over his head, and felt a sense of foreboding. and he immediately hid himself. sure enough, this situation unfolded. ¡®i have to get out of this predicament.¡¯ there were three men in front of him. they were all veterans who had been sailing for a long time, so they were not easy opponents. ¡®i can¡¯t win in a head-on confrontation.¡¯ then the only answer was to divide and conquer them. and just then, the three men started to move. ¡°don¡¯t bother to see blood. it¡¯s a headache if the ship gets dirty.¡± ¡°hehe. of course. don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll take care of it cleanly.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s get started.¡± after that, only black leaf remained in this place. ¡®phew. that¡¯s a relief.¡¯ red leather sighed inwardly as he saw them scatter in different directions. he was worried about what would happen if they moved as a group, but it seemed they didn¡¯t do that. there were many people on the ship, so they seemed to divide their work areas and do their jobs. then it was important from now on. ¡®i can¡¯t make any noise.¡¯ if he did, there was a risk that someone would hear the loud sound and rush out. ¡®i can¡¯t use a gun.¡¯ and even if he did, he wasn¡¯t confident that he could hit their necks or heads accurately in the dark situation. the only answer was a surprise attack. he had to ambush him and cut off his breath with a single stroke. red leather planned his route and moved stealthily to his hiding spot. and he held his breath and waited for the right moment. crack! meanwhile, the sailors kept dying one by one. ¡®i¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ but red leather watched them die without blinking. he could have died trying to save them. that¡¯s when about six sailors had their throats slit. ¡®he¡¯s here!¡¯ finally, black leaf approached the place where red leather was hiding. there was a sailor here. ¡°whew~¡± he seemed to have no guilt for killing, whistling as he came closer in an unguarded state. ¡®you crazy bastard!¡¯ seeing this, red leather lost any human emotion that remained in his heart. that guy was a monster, not a human. then, when he turned the corner. swoosh! he sprang out like a wolf, darting behind him. ¡°huh!¡± and after covering black leaf¡¯s mouth. slash! he cut his throat with the strength of a suckling baby. ¡°ugh¡­!¡± he let out a muffled groan and then, thud! he collapsed like a puppet with severed strings, spewing hot blood. red leather made sure to cut off his breath completely in case of any trouble, and then slumped to the ground. ¡°huff, huff¡­¡± as the tension that had been tight was released, he felt a wave of fatigue. but he still had two more left, so he quickly snapped out of it. ¡®you never know when they¡¯ll show up.¡¯ it was a race against time now. soon, his body moved swiftly again. red leather¡¯s next target was rough beard. ¡®just kill him.¡¯ sharp eyes wasn¡¯t very good at physical abilities anyway. he didn¡¯t think he would lose if he fought him one-on-one. and then. ¡°cluck!¡± after killing rough beard in the same way as before, red leather was half sure of his victory. but he soon shook his head. ¡®don¡¯t let your guard down until the end.¡¯ complacency leads to unexpected mistakes. red leather steadied his mind and raised his tension again. and he ambushed sharp eyes in a similar way to the two who had already lost their lives. this ambush was successful too, as he didn¡¯t let his guard down either. but the difference was that he didn¡¯t kill sharp eyes. crack! ¡°ugh!¡± from behind sharp eyes, he strangled his neck with the tough rope that rough beard had used as a murder weapon. ¡°cough! cough!¡± he struggled for a while, but then he suddenly went limp. he had lost consciousness. ¡®you can¡¯t die. you have to confess why you did such a thing.¡¯ the sharp-eyed man was not someone who would do such a thing without any reason. he must have had some big plan in mind. something that he had to do even if it meant causing such a horrible thing. the red leather man did not forget to clean up the mess. he tightly bound the sharp-eyed man¡¯s body and hung it on a pillar. ¡®this place is dangerous.¡¯ there were three ships in the fleet. considering the sharp-eyed man¡¯s personality, there was a high chance that something similar had happened on the other two ships. he was sure that the liquor that had been transported earlier had been evenly distributed among the three ships. then, his colleagues on the other ships might have noticed something strange and approached. ¡®i have to get away before the other sailors come to their senses.¡¯ if that happened, all the sailors on the two ships would die, but this was inevitable. soon, the red leather man used all his knowledge and power to create some distance from the other ships. fortunately, it was a dark night, so the other ships seemed to not notice anything. and when the two ships were out of sight. ¡®it¡¯s over¡­¡¯ the red leather man was finally able to relax completely. *** the next day. ¡°wha, what is this¡­!¡± after the effects of the drug had completely worn off, the sailors who regained consciousness were shocked by what they heard. while they were asleep, half of their crewmates had been strangled to death. the red leather man explained everything that had happened last night to them. from how he had switched his drink because he was feeling unwell, to the terrible things that the sharp-eyed man and his two men had done. ¡°that bastard!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll kill him right now!¡± the sailors were extremely agitated after hearing everything. they were very sad about their colleagues¡¯ deaths, and they also had a terrible imagination of losing their lives in vain like their dead colleagues. but the red leather man stopped them. ¡°we can¡¯t kill that devil bastard! don¡¯t we have to find out why he did such an unbelievable thing?¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s true!¡± the sailors regained their reason at the red leather man¡¯s remark. and they removed the things that had sealed his mouth. then, all kinds of excuses came out of the sharp-eyed man¡¯s mouth. ¡°i, i¡¯m not the culprit! this is a false accusation! i¡¯m also a victim!¡± ¡°ha, culprit? then drink this.¡± ¡°tha, that is!¡± ¡°that¡¯s the liquor you brought yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­¡± when the red leather man handed him a glass of liquor, his mouth closed like a clam. ¡°you can¡¯t drink it, can you? of course. you¡¯ll lose consciousness if you do. but you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not the culprit when you brought this liquor? do you expect me to believe that?¡± with such clear evidence, the sharp-eyed man¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°wait. you won¡¯t die easily. you¡¯ll suffer terribly and confess everything.¡± the red leather man glared at him with bloodshot eyes and sealed his mouth again. he might do something stupid like taking his own life otherwise. *** after that, they searched for and captured the other two ships nearby. as expected. on the other two ships, all the sailors except the accomplices were dead. they had thrown the corpses into the sea, so they couldn¡¯t even find them. out of the six men who were on the two ships, they killed two and captured four. with this, they had caught a total of five culprits, including the sharp-eyed man. ¡°this is not a matter that we can solve by ourselves. we have to report this horrible incident to the imperial government.¡± ¡°that¡¯s obvious.¡± since it was not an incident that they could handle, they went to yanghae and reported it to the security bureau. then, this incident turned the empire upside down. ¡°what a crazy¡­¡± after receiving the report of the mass murder of sailors, kim kiwoo was also greatly shocked. he had seen many cases of mutiny on ships, but never one that tried to kill everyone without blood or tears. of course, there had been similar incidents with the purpose of hijacking ships, but the instigator of this incident was the owner of the fleet of three ships. ¡°find out exactly what happened without missing anything!¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± there was no way he would do such a big thing without any reason. so kim kiwoo ordered them to find out the details. the imperial decree was severe. it didn¡¯t take long after they were tortured for the whole plan to be revealed clearly. ¡°i have committed a sin worthy of death, it is all my fault! please punish me!¡± thud! thud! the head of the sanitation department banged his head on the floor and apologized to kim kiwoo. ¡°stop! get up right now!¡± ¡°ye, yes¡­¡± ¡°doesn¡¯t my word make sense?¡± kim kiwoo roared at him. he understood why the head of the sanitation department was doing this, but he thought it was too much. ¡°did you catch the main culprit who sold the vaccine to the criminals?¡± ¡°¡­yes. we got a confession from him too.¡± ¡°he must not be the only rat-like bastard. investigate this thoroughly and find all those who stole the vaccine without missing a single one.¡± ¡°yes! we will definitely do that!¡± kim kiwoo looked around at the tense atmosphere of the meeting and sank into his thoughts. ¡®i was too careless.¡¯ he felt bitter as he recalled the bold plan of the sharp-eyed man. the plan was roughly like this. first, he got the vaccine and lured the people of south continent. then, he killed all the sailors except his eight accomplices who had planned the crime beforehand. after that, he boarded the prepared people and set sail for the western sea beyond. of course, the sharp-eyed man did not plan to join this voyage. ¡®he was very smart.¡¯ he had already made an excuse to stay in south continent. thanks to that, his three ships were supposed to trade without him, and he had written a scenario that they had gone missing for some unknown reason. ¡®if there was maritime insurance in this era, it would have been a perfect scenario.¡¯ if that was the case, he would have surely pocketed the insurance money as well. anyway, the missing ships would have headed to asia continent, and if they succeeded in trading, he planned to secretly sell them and make a fortune. since his eight colleagues would be considered dead anyway, there was no one else who could distribute them except for him. it was a very elaborate plan that could make a huge amount of money while maintaining his status as an imperial citizen. Chapter 110 chapter 110: aftermath. ¡°jim will never forgive this. he will thoroughly investigate this incident and make the culprits pay for the lives of the sailors. let everyone know that and act accordingly.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± the meeting ended like that. kim ki-woo returned to his office, but he couldn¡¯t shake off the dirty feeling. ¡®so this is what happens when the capitalist class grows.¡¯ of course, it wasn¡¯t yet at the point where such extreme and inhuman acts were happening frequently. but there were more and more people who caused various problems by skillfully avoiding the law for the sake of money. and this was bound to increase as private capital grew and society became more advanced. ¡®i can¡¯t stop all of that.¡¯ he was treated as a god in the empire, but he was just a person who brought many cheat keys from the future. how could he control what was happening in faraway places when it was hard to communicate with distant regions? the best he could do was to create a social atmosphere that could prevent this and set the right direction. ¡®by the way, i wonder if the only one who violated the ban was the one with the sharp eyes.¡¯ he pondered for a moment, but eventually kim ki-woo shook his head vigorously. ¡®somehow i don¡¯t think so.¡¯ unlike before, there was a strong motivation to make a fortune by going to another continent and bringing back relics. and didn¡¯t they also have faith that it was safe because of the vaccine? ¡®maybe because of this incident, there might be more attempts to smuggle.¡¯ among those who were considering smuggling, there might be someone who thought they didn¡¯t want to fall behind after seeing this attempt. kim ki-woo erased his thoughts from his head. ¡®let¡¯s think about it after finishing this incident well.¡¯ *** the aftermath of this incident was intense. the newspapers of the empire competed to report on the mass murder of sailors, and thanks to that, most of the imperial citizens learned about this incident. ¡°how could this happen? how could such a horrible thing happen?¡± ¡°how can they do such a heinous thing wearing human skins!¡± ¡°how dare they violate the ban that his majesty proclaimed!¡± all the imperial citizens, regardless of age or gender, denounced the instigators of this terrible act. as a result, things got bigger and bigger. ¡°let¡¯s take this opportunity to investigate whether the public officials have done anything illegal!¡± if the vaccine hadn¡¯t been stolen, this situation might not have happened. people are forgetful animals. no matter how much public officials were punished more severely for corruption, their sense of crisis would fade over time. and when a massive inspection storm hit, this suspicion turned out to be true. ¡°oh, please spare me! i-i must have been crazy for a moment! please, just once¡­!¡± ¡°shut up! his majesty has made such a good world for us, and you are a public official who eats away at the empire¡¯s wealth! how can you do such a corrupt thing!¡± ¡°eek!¡± as a full-scale inspection unfolded, corruption that had been growing in scale little by little was exposed to the world. ¡°oh¡­ i didn¡¯t expect so many bad things to come out.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t they afraid of heaven? they¡¯re totally crazy! his majesty has emphasized the integrity of public officials so much!¡± ¡°they get paid a lot anyway, but they¡¯re blinded by greed.¡± they clicked their tongues as if they couldn¡¯t believe it. the public officials of the empire were quite high-income earners. kim ki-woo had taken care of them so that they could enjoy a good quality of life even without corruption. he knew that if they were pressed by living expenses, they would resort to corruption for survival. thanks to that, those who were caught this time couldn¡¯t make an excuse that they had committed corruption for living. ¡°hmm¡­ more vaccines were stolen than i thought.¡± ¡°did you really sell it for that price?¡± the inspectors were shocked by the number of vaccines that had been smuggled out. the vaccines were a means of protecting their lives from possible epidemics, and the wealthy wanted to get vaccinated as soon as possible. there were quite a few capitalists who secretly bought and received illegal vaccines, knowing that it was illegal. ¡°this is troublesome.¡± the situation was so serious that if they were to punish them all, it would have a negative impact on the empire¡¯s economy. but they couldn¡¯t just punish the sellers and not the rich buyers. so kim ki-woo decided to legally extort money from them. ¡°i think that the higher one¡¯s social status is, the more they should set an example for others. however, many nobles and wealthy people bought illegally distributed vaccines for their own safety. i am very disappointed in them. but i know that they are serving the empire. so i will give them a chance.¡± ¡°what kind of chance are you talking about?¡± ¡°if they voluntarily show their sincerity in proportion to their status and influence, i might forgive their mistakes.¡± he spoke in a roundabout way, but in the end he was telling them to pay up. and not a fixed fine, but an amount of money that matched their wealth. the capitalists who heard this breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°phew. that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°i thought i was going to lose my head if i made a mistake.¡± they valued their lives more than anything else, since they had bought the vaccines for the sake of possible danger. they didn¡¯t mind spending money, as long as they were safe. and they couldn¡¯t afford to be hated by kim ki-woo in the empire¡¯s society. thanks to that, they each paid a large amount of money. this solved the problem of domestic distribution of vaccines to some extent, but the amount of vaccines smuggled out was also too much to ignore. ¡®most of them were sold to the nobles of the central continent.¡¯ at present, the richest people outside were the nobles of the central continent. the andes region had been at war for too long and there were not many people who had accumulated a lot of capital. but the central continent had enjoyed peace for a long time after the aztec conquest, and the nobles had almost monopolized trade with the empire, so wealth was concentrated on them. so they bought vaccines at very high prices for their safety. they were not imperial citizens, so they had no idea when they would be able to get vaccinated. he could sympathize with their actions to some extent, given the situation. so kim ki-woo thought. ¡®since it¡¯s come to this, let¡¯s sell vaccines positively to the rich outside.¡¯ of course, he intended to charge a very high price as it would delay the vaccination time for the imperial citizens. but he still thought that those who wanted to live would live anyway. *** ¡°we are really innocent! we never thought he would kill all the crew on his ship!¡± even after being sent to the imperial mainland, fine sand continued to plead his innocence. he was sincere. he had agreed to participate in sharp eyes¡¯ plan, but he had no idea that he would do such a horrible thing. ¡°you never thought? did you not even wonder what he was going to do with the crew on board?¡± ¡°well, i was a bit curious, but¡­ at that time, there was no sign of anything¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s just an excuse. do you think your guilt will disappear even if you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°please, please forgive me!¡± fine sand begged earnestly to the man in front of him, but the answer was cold. ¡°you should have never started this in the first place. your fate will be decided soon. so stay quiet until then.¡± after he left. ¡°oh my! what am i going to do now¡­¡± fine sand sensed the hardships he would face in the future. and he was right. ¡°even if they didn¡¯t know, the fact that they cooperated with the sharp-eyed ones won¡¯t disappear. therefore, i will sentence all those involved in this matter to hard labor. those who resist can be killed on the spot by the commander¡¯s judgment.¡± ¡°yes, sir!¡± the head of the military bowed his head with a determined face. ¡®this should be enough.¡¯ he felt that he had cleared up some of the traffic. kim kiwoo thought that the result was not too bad. although they were sold illegally, a lot of money was returned to the empire when they were caught, and the capitalists who bought the vaccine illegally also paid a lot. in addition, considering the vaccine that would be sold expensively to the nobles outside in the future, the profit was even greater. ¡®i have to make more vaccines with this.¡¯ he thought he had to increase the production of vaccines much faster than now to minimize the variables. he had made a lot of money that he hadn¡¯t expected, and he planned to pour it all into vaccine production. *** as society gradually became more complex and especially as newspapers fully established their position, various issues appeared and disappeared every day in the empire. but no matter what news came from outside, sharp teeth and the researchers didn¡¯t care at all. they focused only on research on railways and steam locomotives since the laboratory that kim kiwoo had made for them was completed. they had been researching steam locomotives for quite a long time, so visible results began to appear quickly. in addition, they were located close to black sky, so they could directly transport the necessary steel structures. as a result, a railway and an experimental steam locomotive that could move on it were made in no time. ¡°please don¡¯t let there be any accidents¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry too much. there won¡¯t be any problems.¡± ¡°right? it must be.¡± sharp teeth nodded his head consciously. and before the first steam locomotive experiment started, he checked several parts for the last time. ¡°good. everything seems fine.¡± the joints of the steel structures were firmly connected, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with the railway. in addition, the wheels between the steam locomotive and the railway were firmly connected so that they would not derail. he made it with maximum emphasis on stability, so it seemed that nothing would go wrong. but you never know until you actually try it. sharp teeth finished all the checks and started the experiment. ¡°you never know what will happen, so don¡¯t let your guard down. got it?¡± ¡°yes!¡± then, as planned, they started to heat up the steam engine attached to the steam locomotive. squeak! and at some point. finally, the steam engine was ready to operate. ¡°start!¡± then, following sharp teeth¡¯s shout, the steam locomotive slowly began to move forward. screech! ¡°oh!¡± ¡°woah, it¡¯s moving!¡± the loud metal sound hurt the researchers¡¯ ears, but there was not a single researcher who frowned at this noise. it was because that heavy steam locomotive was moving forward automatically. it was the moment they had been longing for so far. ¡°ahh¡­¡± something hot rose up in sharp teeth¡¯s chest. the steam locomotive in front of him was very noisy and slow. but that didn¡¯t matter. wasn¡¯t it the same with steam engines? at first, they were very inefficient and noisy, but now they have improved a lot. just like that, the steam locomotive in front of him would get faster and more stable. as the experiment continued, his confidence in success grew stronger. it didn¡¯t derail due to inertia even when passing through not only straight sections but also gentle curved sections. and finally, when the steam locomotive stopped and all the experiments ended. ¡°we did it!¡± ¡°hahaha!¡± the researchers shouted with joy. it was the moment when steam locomotives officially showed their appearance in the history of the empire. Chapter 111 chapter 111: railroad operation rights. ¡°huh!¡± ¡°what am i seeing right now?¡± the first steam locomotive experiment running on the railroad was witnessed by many people. it was because of the symbolism of sharp teeth¡¯s research that it received a lot of spotlight, and it was natural since the space was so open. and everyone who saw it was shocked. ¡°ahh!¡± even those who were near the railroad fell to their knees in fear, thinking that the steam locomotive was coming at them. ¡°how can that iron lump move by itself?¡± ¡°i know steam engines are amazing, but¡­ is this even possible?¡± most of the people who gathered here were craftsmen, since the area near sharp teeth¡¯s research place was black sky, and even if they were not, they were people who were friendly to industry. but on land, not on sea, most people could not even imagine a huge steam locomotive moving forward like this. at least steamships had something similar to ships, but steam locomotives had nothing like that. as a result, after this day, at least in black sky, steam locomotives became a hot issue. *** after that, sharp teeth and the researchers repeated numerous experiments and fixed the defects little by little. they became more motivated after hearing the news that kim ki-woo would visit soon for the opening ceremony. ¡°his majesty is coming all this way to see this steam locomotive.¡± ¡°huh. is the steam locomotive really that great?¡± ¡°can¡¯t you tell by looking at it? i think it¡¯s enough to understand.¡± the news of kim ki-woo¡¯s visit increased the curiosity about the steam locomotive. as a result, as the experiments continued, more and more spectators increased. even people who lived far away from black sky started to come. and merchants did not miss this opportunity. every merchant group of decent size sent their representatives without fail. some even took time out of their busy schedules and came personally, and yellow footsteps was one of them. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect the famous flame merchant group¡¯s leader to come in person. is flame merchant group also interested in that steam locomotive?¡± ¡°well, i¡¯m just passing by on my way back to the capital.¡± ¡°haha. i see.¡± yellow footsteps was quite a celebrity in the empire. he had made a great contribution to raising lightning merchant group to the top rank in the country at a young age, and he left lightning merchant group and created his own merchant group, which he grew into a giant one in a short time. he had a lot of talk because of his tobacco business, but there was no merchant who disparaged his ability and insight. that¡¯s why the merchants showed interest when he came here in person. of course, yellow footsteps didn¡¯t care much about the surrounding eyes. his attention was all focused on the railroad that stretched out coolly and the steam locomotive that sat heavily on it. ¡®if the rumor is true¡­¡¯ then that railroad would surely cause a paradigm shift in the current upper world. ¡®change is an opportunity.¡¯ no matter how well a merchant house did, if it fell behind the current, it would be overtaken by the latecomers. that was the cold reality. on the other hand, this meant a golden opportunity to surpass the merchant houses that were bigger than his own. the firework merchant house that yellow footsteps created was already big enough to be counted among the giant merchant houses. but he was not satisfied with that. his goal was to become the owner of the empire¡¯s best merchant house! he wanted to surpass the lightning merchant house or the gale merchant house and become the leader of the upper world. and yellow footsteps smelled a thick scent of money from the steam locomotive he had received a report on. while he was thinking about this and that. finally, the performance test of the steam locomotive began. kiiik! ¡°it¡¯s moving!¡± ¡°wow!¡± as the people who gathered around said, the steam locomotive moved forward with a loud noise. ¡°everyone, stay away from the railroad!¡± ¡°don¡¯t come near!¡± there was a commotion as the personnel from the security agency stopped people from approaching the railroad. but yellow footsteps¡¯ eyes were fixed on the steam locomotive that was gradually gaining speed. he nodded unconsciously. ¡®it¡¯s certain. the steam locomotive will change the world.¡¯ he had guessed it before he came here, but as soon as he witnessed the steam locomotive, he was sure of it. ¡®i think i know why they are experimenting here, not near the capital.¡¯ he saw through kim kiwoo¡¯s intention to transport minerals, especially coal, as a priority. his mind was spinning fast. ¡®if the railroad is laid from the coal mine to the river, the price of coal will be very cheap.¡¯ yellow footsteps thought exactly the same as kim kiwoo. that all products¡¯ costs would drop drastically. ¡®even steamships, which were questionable in terms of practicality, will become economical.¡¯ steamships were constantly being improved, but there were still many merchants who doubted them. steamships were certainly much faster than sailing ships. however, they ate up too much coal, so they were not sure if they could be popularized. yellow footsteps had also thought it was premature, but his mind changed after seeing the steam locomotive. if the price of coal went down, it would be sooner for operating steamships to be profitable. the same would apply to coal used in steam locomotives. his eyes sparkled like stars as he planned. *** after countless experiments, the day of the opening ceremony of the steam locomotive dawned. and kim kiwoo came to the opening ceremony site as planned. ¡®good. very good.¡¯ kim kiwoo couldn¡¯t hide his smile as he watched the steam locomotive filled with coal in its cargo car run along the railroad. unlike before he arrived, they had already made a railroad with steel, so there was no disaster caused by damage to the railroad. ¡°it can be deployed to the site right away.¡± ¡°haha. i think so too. i hope you keep an eye on it as an industrial director.¡± ¡°yes. i will do my best.¡± ¡°i¡¯m counting on you.¡± kim kiwoo encouraged the industrial director. at that moment, the inner minister whispered to kim kiwoo. ¡°your majesty. the yellow footprint has arrived.¡± ¡°is that so? please guide him this way.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± kim kiwoo had already planned to meet the yellow footprint before he came to the opening ceremony. he had heard of the yellow footprint¡¯s achievements and wanted to meet him once, so he agreed to his request to see him at the ceremony. soon, the yellow footprint approached kim kiwoo with the guidance of the inner minister. ¡°greetings to the great emperor of the wakan tanka empire!¡± ¡°nice to meet you, yellow footprint.¡± ¡°it is an honor that you call me by my name, your majesty.¡± ¡°haha. i have known you well since you led the sugar business. it¡¯s a pity about the bank incident.¡± ¡°it was my fault for not understanding your intentions, your majesty.¡± the yellow footprint said calmly. at that time, he felt bitter about kim kiwoo, who had blocked his masterstroke, but it was already a thing of the past. besides, he knew kim kiwoo¡¯s intentions, so he understood them well. ¡°well. what is the reason why you wanted to see me?¡± as a direct question popped out, the yellow footprint cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°i am confident that steam engines will change the economy and lifestyle of the empire completely. heavy raw materials will be easily transported to their destinations, and people will be able to travel quickly to distant places by riding steam engines.¡± ¡°haha. you and i think alike. i also think so.¡± ¡°but this is only possible after enough railways are laid on the mainland, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°i suppose so.¡± the yellow footprint¡¯s voice became more subtle. ¡°your majesty, i would like to help with the popularization of steam engines, even if it is a little bit.¡± snort. ¡®as expected.¡¯ he had expected it somewhat since he wanted to see him at the opening ceremony. there would be many people who were still hesitant, but railways were a lucrative business. he thought that the yellow footprint, who had an excellent eye for business, might be interested in railway projects. and this expectation was right. ¡°how do you want to help?¡± ¡°our flame merchant group has a short history, but we have made a lot of money from various businesses, including tobacco. if you allow me, i would like to lay railways with this fund.¡± ¡°your merchant group doesn¡¯t have the technology to lay railways and make steam engines, does it?¡± ¡°if you transfer the technology to us, we will pay the patent fees faithfully.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim kiwoo stroked his chin and thought. ¡®it would be nice if railways could grow faster.¡¯ from kim kiwoo¡¯s point of view, he wanted railways to expand quickly. these industrial projects would eventually lead to the development of the empire. in this respect, the yellow footprint could be a good partner. the yellow footprint¡¯s outstanding business skills were very famous in the upper class, and if he joined the railway project, there would be quite a few merchant groups following him. but since it was an industrial project, he had to leave a clear precedent. if he gave too much power carelessly, he could suffer from headaches later. ¡°that¡¯s a good idea. but as you know, you can¡¯t lay railways in the empire without my permission.¡± the land of the empire belonged to the state. in the end, he had to get permission to lay railways. kim kiwoo continued his words. ¡°if you accept two conditions, i will grant your wish.¡± ¡°please tell me your commands.¡± ¡°first, do not charge more than the fare of the future national railway.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the face of the yellow footsteps hardened. it was a very unfavorable condition from the first one. ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry too much. i have no intention of running the railway at a loss.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°let me tell you in advance, don¡¯t try to negotiate with me. just accept it or reject it. that¡¯s all i¡¯m saying.¡± kim ki-woo cut off his words firmly. of course, it would have been great if the private capitalists had laid the railway themselves. but anyway, the railway business was a goose that laid golden eggs. it would take a long time, but it was not bad for the government to monopolize the railway business. kim ki-woo was determined not to let this happen. ¡°what do you think? will you accept both conditions?¡± even with kim ki-woo¡¯s question, the yellow footsteps could not answer immediately. if he accepted this, his plan to grab both wealth and power would be ruined. ¡®he is indeed a formidable person. it¡¯s as if he can see through my thoughts.¡¯ thanks to him, the best option was gone. ¡®but he is not a liar¡­ the railway will surely make money.¡¯ it was very attractive to have a stable source of income. after a long deliberation, the yellow footsteps finally made a decision. ¡°i will accept all of your conditions.¡± ¡°good thinking. we¡¯ll do the detailed contract after we return to the capital.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± Chapter 112 chapter 112: transfer. meanwhile, the situation in the central continent was getting worse and worse. ¡°oh! is this what¡¯s so popular in the mainland these days?¡± ¡°have i ever lied to you? you have no idea how popular it is, it¡¯s sold out everywhere.¡± ¡°ha ha! how can i not trust you? alright. then i¡¯ll buy all of these.¡± ¡°oh, thank you as always!¡± the nobles bought anything that they thought was trendy in the empire, no matter how expensive it was. they had no choice. ¡°tsk tsk. what is that? wearing a wool coat that¡¯s already out of fashion. he¡¯s really ruining the reputation of the nobility.¡± ¡°i know, right? doesn¡¯t he feel embarrassed to walk around like that?¡± ¡°ha ha! he has such a thick skin!¡± if they fell behind the trend, they would quickly become the laughingstock of the noble society. it was so bad that they were more sensitive to fashion than the capitalists in the imperial capital. as a result, the nobles¡¯ extravagance reached its peak. and in proportion to that, the dissatisfaction of the residents also increased day by day. ¡°there¡¯s no end to those leeches sucking our blood!¡± ¡°damn those nobles¡­¡± where did the money for the nobles¡¯ extravagance come from? of course, it came from the residents who worked all day long. the more the nobles indulged themselves, the lighter the residents¡¯ pockets became, and their lives became harder. at the same time, the number of followers of the spirit religion increased exponentially. this was all because of the egalitarian ideology of the spirit religion. thanks to that, the spirit religion became the most common religion in the central continent. as things went on like this, even the nobles who were immersed in luxury and pleasure began to feel a sense of crisis. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with the people?¡± ¡°they openly curse and insult the nobles. lately, there have been many posters with malicious intentions everywhere¡­¡± crash! ¡°how dare those lowlifes forget our grace and rebel! catch those troublemakers right now!¡± ¡°but, if we do that, their discontent will only grow¡­¡± ¡°are you questioning my words?¡± ¡°¡­no. i¡¯ll do as you say.¡± ¡°it¡¯s all because of that damn spirit religion!¡± of course, they couldn¡¯t touch the missionaries of the spirit religion unless they were crazy, but instead they indiscriminately arrested their fervent followers. they were the ones who expressed the most dissatisfaction with the current society. ¡°here we go again. isn¡¯t this too much? what did they do wrong to deserve such a horrible punishment?¡± ¡°it¡¯s what the nobles do. sigh¡­ i wonder when we¡¯ll have a better world.¡± ¡°i heard that in wakan tanka empire, everyone lives richly and happily¡­¡± every time they punished the followers of the spirit religion excessively, the residents¡¯ perception of the nobles worsened, and as they compared their reality with the lives of the mainlanders who kept coming in, the central continent continued to rot. *** ¡°damn it! our comrades have been arrested again in large numbers! how long are we going to just watch this happen!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. it¡¯s time to make a big move. if we join forces with our many comrades, we can do it.¡± in a dark room. there were representatives of the people who had gathered from all over the central continent. they were all fervent followers of the spirit religion, and secretly spread egalitarian ideas and dreamed of overthrowing society. but not all of them agreed with each other. they were divided into three factions. ¡°it¡¯s true that we have enough comrades with us, but it¡¯s not clear if we can achieve our goal in this state. the nobles¡¯ regular army is well-armed and well-trained warriors.¡± ¡°the difference in weapons and training is too great. even if we succeed in our move, we will have to pay a huge sacrifice.¡± ¡°what does the empire say? will they supply us with weapons?¡± ¡°¡­i mentioned it, but they seemed quite reluctant. they seem to be hesitant to get involved in the politics of the central continent.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the representatives let out a sigh. then, one of the factions¡¯ leader, who had a clear bell-like voice, opened his mouth. ¡°i knew this would happen. why would the empire supply us with weapons? do we have money to arm our comrades?¡± ¡°¡­no, we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°even if we did, we shouldn¡¯t get into a money fight. if we do, we will lose to those greedy pigs.¡± ¡°well, we can¡¯t beat the nobles¡¯ financial power.¡± everyone nodded in agreement, and the clear bell-like voice raised his voice even more. ¡°in the past, the empire sold a lot of weapons to the south continent. they traded with any faction that paid a lot of money. we can¡¯t let that happen. we have to receive weapons unilaterally. and to do that, there is only one way i always told you!¡± ¡°¡­you mean the plan to annex the central continent to the empire?¡± ¡°yes.¡± at that, the leader of the opposing faction, who had a blue flower-like voice, frowned and immediately objected. ¡°that¡¯s nonsense! how can we hand over our success that our comrades fought for to the empire? we have to build our own independent country. we are fundamentally different from the wakan tanka empire¡¯s people, so we will surely be discriminated against. if we are fully incorporated into the empire, many of our comrades will be persecuted.¡± ¡°how can you be sure of that? the empire is a country where many people from all over the continent gather. it¡¯s an exaggeration to say that we will be persecuted in the future. you just want to become a new leader after succeeding in the revolution, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°what? are you done talking?¡± ¡°then promise me that you will step down from the front line after building a new country. can you do that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the blue flower-like voice closed his mouth. he didn¡¯t know if he would have to step down without any reward after the revolution if he said something wrong. he just glared at the clear bell-like voice who was on the opposite side of him. after that, a heavy silence fell for a while. there were quite a few people who wanted to take a place by building a new country following the blue flower-like voice after the revolution. ¡°you are exaggerating. please refrain from such extreme attacks.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. this is not the time for us to fight like this.¡± ¡°i apologize if i went too far.¡± the clear bell-like voice smiled and agreed. he felt a bit excessive, but he was satisfied because he exposed the true face of the blue flower-like voice in front of everyone through this debate. thanks to that? the last faction, who had been neutral, gradually leaned toward his opinion. ¡°let¡¯s think about it more for now. we have time. let¡¯s end it here for today.¡± *** the representatives continued to meet and coordinate their opinions. and as time passed, their opinions gradually shifted from building a new country to annexation. ¡°hmm. that¡¯s how it is, right?¡± ¡°it seems like it¡¯s only a matter of time now.¡± ¡°we don¡¯t know yet. what if the blue flower-like voice has other thoughts? how can we know? so we have to be careful of him and his faction.¡± ¡°yes. i am doing so.¡± the governor of the central continent direct territory and the crown prince of the empire, wide sky, kept track of every move of the representatives. he had planted quite a few spies in this meeting, and he monitored their every move through them. the fate of the central continent would change completely depending on their decision. ¡®the blue flower-like voice is really dangerous.¡¯ the wide sky saw it clearly. his ambition to become a new power holder by succeeding in the coup. if the situation unfolded as the clear bell sound wished, and the central continent was annexed by the empire, the blue flower and his faction would not gain much benefit even if they succeeded in the coup. they would eventually be subjugated to the empire¡¯s administrative system. the blue flower knew this very well, and kept shouting for the founding of a new country. ¡®but things are not going his way.¡¯ what would he decide then? the wide sky felt like he knew what he would do. ¡®he would probably side with the nobles.¡¯ if his accusation caused the coup to fail, the blue flower would reap a great profit. ¡®i hope it doesn¡¯t go as i think.¡¯ the wide sky did not want to see such a despicable sight of him betraying his comrades for his own glory. but soon enough, his hunch was proven right. there was evidence that the blue flower was trying to contact the high nobles. ¡°so it turned out like that¡­¡± ¡°what should we do?¡± ¡°we can¡¯t intervene directly. just quietly tip off the clear bell sound.¡± ¡°yes, governor.¡± *** as a result, the blue flower¡¯s betrayal was nipped in the bud. thanks to the wide sky¡¯s tip, they caught him in time. and when everything was revealed by his confession and evidence, the representatives were shocked, and this soon turned into anger. ¡°how could you do this! don¡¯t you know that your actions are selling out all of our comrades?¡± ¡°look at these bat-like bastards!¡± ¡°if you have a mouth, say something!¡± the blue flower, on the other hand, raised his voice. ¡°what did i do wrong? should i have joined your plan to forcibly make the central continent¡¯s residents into imperial citizens, as you wished? we have been thriving independently for a long time! we have to protect what is ours!¡± ¡°you¡¯re spouting nonsense. no matter what you say, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you tried to betray us.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. there¡¯s no need to listen to this filthy traitor who tried to cozy up to the nobles.¡± ¡°death to the traitor!¡± the blue flower¡¯s excuse was not accepted by the representatives at all. after that, the faction that followed the blue flower was destroyed and met a miserable end. thanks to that, the opinion of establishing an independent country quickly faded away. the representatives¡¯ opinion leaned towards getting weapons support from the empire, even if it meant being annexed by them. and then, the real negotiation between the representatives and the wide sky began. ¡°you want us to provide weapons. well, we do have some old weapons piled up in our warehouse¡­¡± ¡°those alone will surely help us complete the coup successfully.¡± ¡°i suppose so.¡± they were classified as old weapons in the empire, but they were no different from state-of-the-art weapons in the central continent. they were much better than the regular army¡¯s equipment of the nobles. ¡°as i said before, it¡¯s a bit difficult for me to interfere with your political situation.¡± ¡°most of us believe in the words of the great spirits. please consider that we serve the same spirits.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the wide sky deliberately stroked his chin and pretended to ponder. then, the representatives¡¯ bodies tensed up. and they looked at each other and nodded their heads. ¡°governor. may i say something?¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re clear bell sound, right?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°go ahead. say what you want.¡± they had met several times before and knew each other¡¯s faces, but they couldn¡¯t reveal it because they met secretly. clear bell sound calmly spoke. ¡°i know very well that you don¡¯t want to get involved in external political situations. however, as we said before, we believe in your empire¡¯s religion and admire your empire.¡± ¡°that¡¯s very kind of you.¡± ¡°and we wish that if we succeed in the coup, the central continent will enter into your empire¡¯s embrace.¡± ¡°oh, is that so?¡± ¡°if you only provide us with weapons, we will succeed in the coup and offer its fruits to your emperor.¡± the wide sky widened his eyes and asked. ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°yes. here, we have brought our pledge. please take this as our sincerity.¡± the wide sky took the pledge from clear bell sound and quickly checked it. and he looked around and asked. ¡°do you all agree?¡± ¡°yes, governor.¡± ¡°our people want to live a life of equality and happiness with your imperial citizens. we want to get out of this life of being exploited by the nobles unjustly!¡± ¡°please accept our wish, governor!¡± as all of them bowed their heads, the wide sky closed his eyes for a while and pretended to think. and shortly after, he opened his mouth. ¡°this is not something i can solve on my own. for now, just step back. i¡¯ll ask his majesty and give you an answer soon.¡± ¡°we¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Chapter 113 chapter 113: surrender. after that day, the vast sky delivered the news to kim ki-woo with the fastest ship. thanks to that, kim ki-woo soon learned of the resolution of the representatives. ¡®is it time to harvest?¡¯ kim ki-woo looked at the vast area of the central continent. the area around panama was already practically an imperial territory. that meant, if all the regions of the central continent that were located between them were incorporated, the empire¡¯s territory would extend from the far north to the bottom of the central continent. they were also gradually developing the coast of the southern continent adjacent to the atlantic ocean, so it seemed that the day when the wakan tanka continent became the wakan tanka empire itself was not far away. ¡°so this is how it ends.¡± it was the words of the military chief who was summoned to the office. kim ki-woo replied like this. ¡°are you not happy with this situation?¡± ¡°that¡¯s not it. but i wonder if they will join the empire without resistance from the local residents. the population size itself is different from before, isn¡¯t it?¡± kim ki-woo agreed with that to some extent. the population of the central continent was much larger than that of the mainland from the beginning. of course, thanks to various birth and childcare policies and active encouragement of naturalization, the imperial citizens had grown faster than expected. but even if there was a huge difference in population growth rate, the central continent had a lot more people from the start, so its population increased tremendously even with a low rate. it was because they were not short of food at least under the influence of the empire. it was not accurate, but perhaps there were more people in the central continent than in the mainland. but kim ki-woo was confident. ¡°i think differently. aren¡¯t the residents of the central continent already dyed with the color of the empire?¡± there were too many languages in each region of the central continent. therefore, there were communication problems whenever they went to another region. but now, wakan tanka¡¯s standard language had firmly established itself as a common language in the central continent. religion was also the same. many of the residents already believed in spirit worship as a reality. ¡°and they voluntarily want to become part of the empire. we are just granting their earnest request.¡± the recognition that they had achieved integration with the empire with their own hands would greatly reduce their resistance to the empire. that¡¯s why they had pursued such a complicated method to incorporate the central continent until now. ¡°of course, there will be chaos for a long time, but this will be solved by time. the residents will be satisfied with the life of an imperial citizen more easily than you think when their lives become abundant.¡± the most important thing in this era was food and living problems. and as soon as the central continent became part of mainland, not an external region, inevitably, quality of life for residents would improve. the military chief listened to all explanations silently and nodded his head. ¡°i understand what you mean. then what should i do from now on?¡± ¡°soon they will start to arm themselves with weapons for voluntary integration. there will surely be backlash from nobles. we can¡¯t just watch them with our eyes open.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°to prepare for this, we need to move our imperial army. get ready to send our mainland imperial army to direct control areas in central continent.¡± this force was insurance for contingencies and a show of force against nobles. ¡®the fist in front of your eyes is scary.¡¯ the tremendous power of imperial army shown at time of missionary murder case would still be vivid in nobles¡¯ minds. so as long as large-scale imperial army was stationed in direct control areas, they would not be able to threaten imperial citizens much at least. ¡°i will follow your will.¡± *** ¡°can you do it well?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. i will surely live up to father¡¯s expectations.¡± ¡°¡­it can be dangerous. so don¡¯t make a big deal out of unnecessary pride and think about your and imperial army¡¯s safety as a priority.¡± ¡°yes. i will do that.¡± the blue earth bowed his head bravely. ¡®it¡¯s okay. it¡¯s not a dangerous mission, so nothing big will happen.¡¯ he was not a mere soldier, but the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force. he should be safe. the blue earth had participated in the spirit of the warrior and won the victory. and after that, his career had gained more momentum. he had become a strong candidate for the next military chief. but the blue earth wanted to secure his position even more. so he chose to be the commander-in-chief of the imperial army that was being deployed. if he completed this mission successfully, he would have a clear advantage over his competitors. with that in mind, he left kim ki-woo¡¯s worries behind and led the imperial army to the central continent. and he met the vast sky for the first time in a long time at the governor¡¯s office of the direct territory. ¡°haha. you! how long has it been?¡± ¡°brother! it¡¯s been a long time.¡± the brothers exchanged pleasantries and relieved their long-awaited reunion. but it was not a meeting just for friendship, so they got to the point. ¡°i¡¯ve already finished most of the preparations before you came. the supply depot will be opened soon, and it will be delivered to the residents who are with us. so you should be prepared for any provocations from the enemies.¡± ¡°i understand, brother.¡± soon after, the operation began in earnest. ¡°remember this. no matter how good your weapons are, you can¡¯t win a war if you don¡¯t use them well. your role is crucial from now on. the imperial army will not participate as much as possible.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve given us such excellent weapons, what more can we ask for? we¡¯ve also worked hard to learn the empire¡¯s weapons system and tactics. don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°¡­i hope so.¡± the blue earth could not shake off his worries even with the clear bell¡¯s confident words. most of the weapons he handed over were fire guns. fire guns were easy to get used to, but their power was maximized when the formation was fully established by the commander. but he could not expect that from the ordinary residents who would get guns. therefore, how quickly the representatives in front of him could control the residents was the key. *** weapons poured out from the direct territory, but transporting them was the role of the suicide squad that would carry out this coup. they planned to deliver weapons to residents all over the country. the scenario of the suicide squad was that residents who got weapons would rise up simultaneously. but the central continent was so wide that it was dangerous to transport these weapons secretly, and there was a high possibility of being caught. but one thing that comforted them was that they had many comrades. the members of the suicide squad who were in charge of transporting weapons moved to places where there were few people and headed for their destination. ¡°what? a large number of weapons are being delivered to them from the direct territory?¡± ¡°damn¡­ so the empire has joined hands with them!¡± but the nobles who had seized power in the central continent were not fools. they noticed something from the sudden deployment of imperial troops, many residents going to the direct territory, and even mass distribution of weapons now. how could they not know what this meant? but no matter how much they knew, they could not do anything about the direct territory that was distributing weapons indiscriminately. ¡°it¡¯s hard enough to deal with the direct territory¡¯s forces, let alone those from the mainland who are deployed¡­¡± there was no answer with this power gap, let alone a siege. it was impossible to succeed. in the end, there was only one thing that nobles could do. ¡°keep an eye on them so that they don¡¯t get any weapons from the empire! and weed out those bastards who are trying to join them right away!¡± ¡°yes!¡± ¡°damn it¡­¡± as things went wrong, nobles finally began to deal with it seriously. thanks to them, many of the organization members who were in charge of transportation were exposed. ¡°don¡¯t move! if you move even a little, i¡¯ll kill you on the spot!¡± ¡°¡­damn it.¡± the organization members who faced the nobles¡¯ regular army frowned. they were outnumbered and had been moving stealthily, so they had no chance of winning against the regular army that had approached them. but they did not stop resisting. ¡°fire!¡± ¡°throw!¡± bang! tatatatang! kwaang, kwaang! ¡°ugh¡­!¡± ¡°those bastards!¡± the organization members fired the bullets they had loaded in advance and threw bombs with lit fuses. of course, they did not inflict much damage on the enemies because of their low level of training. but their purpose was different from the beginning. creak¡­ ¡°everyone, scatter!¡± as the fire on the fuse got closer to the gunpowder lump, the organization members ran away from their spot as much as possible. and then. kwaang! ¡°cough!¡± ¡°aaah!¡± the gunpowder that had been piled up exploded in a chain reaction. ¡°this, this crazy¡­!¡± the regular army soldiers spat out saliva at the sight. fortunately, there were hardly any casualties because they were quite far away, but they felt chills at the action of blowing up all the gunpowder they had brought here. *** explosions like this happened all over the central continent. the organization members who were in charge of transportation blew up all the gunpowder lumps first when they faced the risk of being caught by the enemies. as a result, some of them were injured or killed by the explosion, and the nobles¡¯ regular army could not easily obtain gunpowder. the empire had been very sensitive about managing the export of gunpowder, and the central continent still could not produce gunpowder on its own. ¡°what¡¯s the point of these things without gunpowder!¡± they had captured quite a lot of fire guns, but they had no gunpowder to shoot them. on the other hand, although many organization members were arrested, there were also many who completed their mission. and from the regions where weapons were sufficiently supplied, the residents began to revolt. ¡°all people are equal! what¡¯s the difference between us and the nobles! we will no longer live a life of being exploited by the nobles!¡± ¡°the emperor of the empire who looked down on us as pitiful has bestowed us with weapons for our sake! what are you all afraid of! the emperor of the empire is on our side!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°let¡¯s all shake off and rise up!¡± uwaaaah! as the organization members got hold of the empire¡¯s weapons, even ordinary people who had been watching joined them with courage. the fact that the formidable empire was hostile to the nobles gave them courage. and as time passed, the revolt of the residents swept across the country. the weapons and gunpowder from the empire flowed endlessly to the residents, and as more and more residents became armed, the nobles¡¯ regular army could no longer easily cut off their supply. as the supply became smooth, the residents¡¯ armed state also became more solid. after that, the residents who were armed with fire guns fought against the nobles in earnest. numerous battles took place in various parts of the country. at first, there were many cases where the residents who were gathered together lost. but as they became more familiar with fire guns, the situation changed rapidly. ¡°fire!¡± bang! rat-a-tat-tat! ¡°aaargh!¡± ¡°ugh¡­!¡± the bullets that were fired simultaneously formed a barrage that swept away the charging noble regulars. no matter how good their training was, they couldn¡¯t even get close because of the firecrackers. everything became useless. ¡°we won!¡± ¡°hahaha! they¡¯re nothing!¡± as the victory continued, the morale of the residents soared to the sky. high morale, overwhelming numbers, and superior weapons than the enemy. when these three factors were met, the nobles began to be pushed back miserably. ¡°h-how can this be¡­¡± the nobles couldn¡¯t believe it. they never expected to be so brutally defeated by the lower class people they had been exploiting. they wanted to deny the reality in front of them as soon as possible. but no matter how much they denied it, reality didn¡¯t change. ¡°surrender! we surrender!¡± ¡°p-please spare our lives!¡± before long, the nobles from all over surrendered to the residents. Chapter 114 chapter 114: investment. and of course, most of these nobles lost their lives. the hatred of the residents towards the nobles had already exceeded the limit by far. ¡°let¡¯s kill all these nobles who are worse than worms!¡± ¡°how did you enjoy living by sucking our blood, you bastards!¡± ¡°oh, no!¡± thwack! ¡°ugh¡­¡± many nobles were instantly killed or disappeared as dew on the gallows. the scene was reminiscent of the old days, when the aztecs were destroyed. the only difference was that the target had changed from the aztecs to the nobles. ¡°those kids are crazy!¡± ¡°this is not the time¡­ we have no hope left. we have to run away quickly!¡± the huge madness of the residents gave a great fear to the nobles who were still resisting this drastic change. the fear that they might not survive even if they surrendered. in the end, they started to run away desperately to survive. as a result, many areas of the central continent were quickly occupied by the residents like dominoes. ¡°it¡¯s our victory!¡± wow! the residents enjoyed a strong sense of satisfaction as they drove out the corrupt nobles with their own hands. *** ¡°huh! how much is this?¡± ¡°they said it was rotten, but they really made a lot of money.¡± after the madness of the revolution had subsided a bit. the residents came across the enormous wealth of the nobles. they doubted their own eyes when they saw the wealth of the nobles who had monopolized the region¡¯s wealth for a long time. there were all kinds of luxury goods and money piled up in warehouses everywhere. ¡°if they had shared some of these things, this situation would not have happened¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± even though many residents had already taken some of the nobles¡¯ wealth during the occupation process, it was not noticeable at all. and the residents who found out about the nobles¡¯ wealth later demanded from the representatives of the suicide squad. ¡°we also have the right to get that money! so please share some with us!¡± but the representatives rejected their opinions. ¡°i want to give these things to the residents who worked hard with us right away. but we have something to pay first. what was the biggest reason we could drive out the nobles? isn¡¯t it because of this weapon?¡± the representative raised his gun high and shouted, and the man who had just raised his voice shut his mouth. ¡°the empire supplied us with an enormous amount of military supplies for us. we were able to complete this great task thanks to that. so now it¡¯s time to pay them back.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± many residents could not hide their nervousness at this. then he opened his mouth again to calm down the residents. ¡°don¡¯t worry too much. after paying for the military supplies that were supplied, we will distribute the rest fairly among our comrades who participated in this great task. also, you will get money when you return your guns to the imperial government.¡± the residents¡¯ faces relaxed at his words. after that. as planned, the imperial army began marching into various areas of the central continent. ¡°it feels like we¡¯re going through a renovation in our homeland.¡± ¡°hahaha! that¡¯s true.¡± the commander-in-chief of the imperial army, blue earth, looked around with a faint smile. there was a huge cheer and a fervent welcome wherever the imperial army walked. the residents were captivated by the illusion that they would become wealthy and free imperial citizens and live abundantly from now on. thanks to that, the imperial army spread throughout the central continent without any obstacles. and they began to stabilize various areas that were still in chaos. with the money he received as a reward for the military supplies, and the support he got from the government, he bought more goodwill from the local residents, and paid a fair price for the guns they had in their hands. also, a large number of imperial officials were dispatched to various regions. they arrived at their assigned areas and recruited a lot of local people as civil servants. that¡¯s how the central continent gradually became part of the waktanga empire, a huge fence. *** ¡°huh¡­ i didn¡¯t expect the central continent people to join the empire so suddenly.¡± ¡°haha! well, isn¡¯t that natural? his majesty¡¯s outstanding leadership is something to be admired! their choice is nothing special, right?¡± ¡°hmm. is that so?¡± from the perspective of the imperial citizens, the sudden incorporation of the central continent into the empire was too abrupt news. but many people didn¡¯t think much of it. the central continent was quite far away from the mainland. but those who were quick-witted sensed the huge wave that this event would bring. and their expectations slowly revealed themselves. ¡°i¡¯m an imperial citizen now! hahaha!¡± ¡°i can go to the mainland freely!¡± until now, they couldn¡¯t leave their place of residence because of the nobles, but this restriction was gone. that is, they could go to the northern continent if they wanted to. thanks to this, many people who had longed for the empire, especially young people, began to move in large numbers. ¡°what, what is this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°contact the headquarters right now and ask them to send more ships!¡± because of this massive migration of residents, a huge crowd gathered at the port of the central continent. ¡°what, i have to wait this long to get on a ship?¡± ¡°the mainland is sending more ships, but you have to wait at least two months¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± it was so bad that most people had to sleep on the streets because there was no place to stay near the port. not only that, but even if food was supplied endlessly, it ran out in an instant. despite this situation, the residents who wanted to go to the empire so badly endured all these inconveniences and waited for their turn. and finally, when they arrived at the empire they had dreamed of and saw the big cities with their own eyes. ¡°wow¡­¡± they marveled at the sight of the bustling cities that were incomparable to the central continent. the beautiful buildings and neat cityscapes, and even the splendid outfits of the imperial citizens. it matched perfectly with the image of the empire they had imagined. ¡°i want to live in a place like this and become like that¡­¡± most of the immigrants had this thought. and their existence caught the eyes of many merchants. ¡°this¡­ if we hire them, we can save on labor costs, right?¡± ¡°and more workers will keep coming from the central continent, right?¡± this idea was especially prominent in occupations that imperial citizens avoided. as their quality of life improved, imperial citizens tended not to do dangerous, dirty, and hard work. ¡°what, you¡¯re giving me this much money? is that for real?¡± ¡°haha. you¡¯ll get more pay once you get more familiar with your work. so please take care of yourself and work hard.¡± ¡°yes, i will!¡± but immigrants were satisfied with these jobs. life in the central continent was much harder than these jobs anyway. and besides, the money they received was incomparable to what they had before. thanks to this, many tasks that had been troublesome for imperial citizens because they avoided them began to run smoothly. and even wages that had been sky-high began to drop slightly. the change did not stop there. ¡°isn¡¯t labor still very cheap in the central continent? then wouldn¡¯t it be more profitable to produce there than on the mainland?¡± ¡°of course. it¡¯s not for nothing that factories have been built in the direct territories until now. but now, factories can be built even in the deep inland areas!¡± the merchants acted quickly as they smelled money. ¡°we need to build factories in better areas!¡± ¡°if we¡¯re late, we¡¯ll surely regret it!¡± from then on, countless merchants entered the central continent and started to build factories everywhere. of course, their targets were mainly industries that required a lot of labor. ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim kiwoo fell into deep thought after receiving reports on all these situations. ¡®so this is how it naturally turns out.¡¯ as the central continent suddenly came under the empire¡¯s control, the labor shortage in the mainland was resolved by many immigrants. and many industries moved to the central continent where wages were cheaper. of course, considering the transportation costs, not all industries in the empire were affected, but there was definitely some impact. eventually, if they lost in price competitiveness, the factories in the mainland had to close down. that would increase the number of unemployed people and possibly lower wages. of course, wages were hard to lower once they had risen. ¡®i¡¯ll have to come up with a countermeasure.¡¯ and he had already outlined some ideas for that. *** a few days later. he embellished it with some impressive words, but in simple terms, it was an advertisement for recruiting investors for everyone in the empire. the peculiar thing was that kim kiwoo put his name on it and published it in the imperial newspaper. this was naturally talked about endlessly among people. ¡°do you have any plans to invest in the railroad project that his majesty mentioned?¡± ¡°of course i do! it¡¯s a project that his majesty himself mentioned. how could it be risky? besides, i heard that this is a project that can¡¯t fail.¡± ¡°surely, even the giant merchants have jumped into it. would they have rushed into it like this if it wasn¡¯t profitable?¡± the man¡¯s words were true. the first one to jump into the railroad project was none other than the flame merchant of the yellow footprints. he accepted all the conditions that kim kiwoo offered and started building a railroad near the southern port. and the railroad of the black sky continued to carry coal. it was then that coal prices began to drop slightly. the giant merchants who watched all this finally realized the infinite potential of the railroad. after that, they went to the imperial government and expressed their desire to do railroad business as well, and kim kiwoo offered them the same conditions as the yellow footprints. there were quite a few poison clauses at first glance, but the merchants eventually accepted them in order not to fall behind others. ¡°by the way, this must be a death sentence for small and medium-sized merchants who wanted to do railroad business.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. they also wanted to do railroad business and were looking for investors, right? but then his majesty himself announced that he would recruit investors¡­ tsk tsk.¡± he shook his head and clicked his tongue. the ones who wanted to start a railroad business were not only giant merchants. for small and medium-sized merchants, railroad business was an opportunity to leap forward. but they lacked funds, so they went out to find investors. the empire had a solid middle class, and railroad business was a very good item to get investment from them. but now things had changed. the imperial citizens began to invest in the government¡¯s railroad project rather than risky small and medium-sized merchants. kim kiwoo guaranteed it, so they believed that they would never lose money. also, investing was relatively easy. ¡°do you want to invest this much from your account?¡± ¡°yes. please do that.¡± ¡°it¡¯s done. here¡¯s your certificate.¡± ¡°ha ha. thank you for your hard work!¡± all they had to do was go to a nearby financial office and say they wanted to invest their money. as a result, the huge funds of the sleeping imperial citizens were poured into railroad construction. Chapter 115 chapter 115: the empress. the era of railways was about to begin, but kim ki-woo could not rejoice. his wife, the only empress of the empire and the life of the deep lake, was nearing the end of her life. ¡°empress¡­¡± kim ki-woo held the hand of the empress, who was breathing hard while unconscious. she was so weak that she could not regain consciousness for more than a few hours a day. her face had lost its former beauty due to the traces of time. kim ki-woo asked the empress¡¯s physician. ¡°is there really no sign of improvement in her condition?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry, your majesty. it¡¯s a symptom caused by old age. there¡¯s nothing i can do with my level of skill. please forgive me for my incompetence¡­¡± ¡°sigh¡­ how can you blame yourself for that? i understand. you may leave.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± after the physician left, kim ki-woo stared blankly at her face. ¡®i wished so much that this moment would never come¡­¡¯ but he knew well that it was impossible unless she received modern anti-aging treatments like him. he had just been avoiding reality. then. the door opened hastily and some familiar faces appeared. ¡°mother!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°sob¡­!¡± the crown prince of the empire, wide sky, ran quickly to the empress with a heavy breath. his four siblings followed him. but kim ki-woo looked at them and whispered softly. ¡°shh. be quiet. the empress needs rest.¡± ¡°¡­we apologize.¡± ¡°come on. gather around.¡± at kim ki-woo¡¯s words, his five grown-up children surrounded the bed where the deep lake lay. kim ki-woo smiled faintly at them. ¡°it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve all been together like this.¡± they had all been busy with their own roles, so it was very rare for kim ki-woo, the empress, and their five children to be in one place. ¡°we should have visited more often, but we were busy.¡± ¡°you can¡¯t leave your post as the governor-general of the central continent often. i¡¯m not blaming you. i¡¯m rather sorry for calling you when you¡¯re so busy.¡± ¡°how can we work when our mother is in danger?¡± kim ki-woo nodded. now the governor-general¡¯s office had to manage not only the direct territories but also the entire central continent. as a result, the staff of the governor-general¡¯s office were having very busy days, and so was wide sky, their leader. and that was also true for blue earth. he was in charge of commanding the troops stationed in the central continent. the other two sons were also working hard in the religious and academic fields. kim ki-woo took his eyes off them and looked at his only daughter¡¯s face. ¡°sob, sniff¡­¡± she was crying silently. kim ki-woo looked at her with pity. ¡®she must be the one who can¡¯t accept the death of the empress the most.¡¯ bright starlight, his only daughter, had spent the most time with the empress since she was young. being of the same gender, she tended to be closer to her mother. kim ki-woo gently patted her back without saying anything. maybe his action calmed her down a bit, as bright starlight¡¯s tears gradually subsided. then, kim ki-woo spoke to her. ¡°you have to think about the baby in your belly. it¡¯s not good for you to be sad.¡± she nodded slightly, as if her throat was choked. the brilliant starlight had married a man who met her standards, fortunately, before the one year she had promised to kim kiwoo was over. she had been single for a long time in the past. and now, she had built a home with him, became the mother of two sons, and was expecting another child in three months. at that moment. squirm! the finger that kim kiwoo was holding twitched. and then, ¡°hmm.¡± her eyes opened cautiously. ¡°empress. are you awake?¡± ¡°oh my¡­!¡± ¡°ugh!¡± immediately, the eyes of kim kiwoo and his family were focused on her. deep lake blinked several times, as if her eyes were heavy, and then realized that the whole family was gathered. ¡°you guys have important work to do. how could you come here?¡± the first words from her mouth were reproach. the targets were the crown prince and the fourth prince. the empress understood well the situation of the central continent and the roles that her two sons played. ¡°i called them. so don¡¯t say anything. isn¡¯t it nice to meet as a family after a long time? you also wanted to see the eldest one.¡± only then did she agree. ¡°¡­it seems like i¡¯m getting an excessive gift before i go to the arms of the spirits.¡± a kind smile bloomed on her face as she spoke. ¡°i should have gone out with you¡­ i¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°how can you blame me for not being able to go because of my poor health. i¡¯m happy right now.¡± after that, several conversations followed. the empress shared many stories with her children, and laughed brightly as she reminisced about the past. kim kiwoo felt his throat tighten as he watched this. maybe this would be their last conversation. that¡¯s why he did it. he expressed his feelings. ¡°thank you for being my wife and the empress of the empire for a long time. i always love you.¡± drip! tears rolled down from her eyes at his sudden expression of affection. she remembered the hard times and the happy times because of kim kiwoo in her head. ¡°i loved you too¡­ it was a really happy and blessed life.¡± her face at the end of her words was innocent like a child¡¯s. and that night. deep lake left the world. *** ¡°oh! how could the empress mother leave so vainly!¡± ¡°it can¡¯t be¡­ sob! ugh!¡± ¡°waaah!¡± the news of the empress¡¯s death made the empire cry. countless citizens flocked to the streets, sat on the ground, and shed tears while wailing. they all knew that she had supported the imperial family as their elder, and had worked hard for the empire until now. ¡°you¡¯re lucky that the people appreciate your efforts.¡± kim kiwoo touched her white ashes that had already been cremated, and muttered. ¡®how can even her ashes be so beautiful.¡¯ kim kiwoo looked at the ashes of his wife and finally realized that he would never see her again. then, the tears that he had been holding back flowed down his cheeks. ¡°your majesty¡­¡± ¡°sob!¡± the living holy spirit who seemed perfect in everything, kim kiwoo¡¯s tears touched the emotions of the people who were guarding him. thanks to that, the solemn funeral was soaked with tears. but kim kiwoo had no mind to look back at them. now that half of his life had left the world, he felt like his heart was hollowed out. his life itself became empty and meaningless. he even felt that not growing old with his empress was not a blessing, but a curse. ¡®how hard it must have been for her¡­¡¯ it must have been very dreadful to live with a husband who does not age. she was losing her beauty day by day, and her body was getting worse, while her husband had not changed a bit since the beginning. no matter how generous the empress was, she must have suffered a lot mentally. ¡®i should have treated her better when we were young.¡¯ he devoted all his attention to developing the empire, and did not do much for her. looking back, he was a very careless husband. kim kiwoo¡¯s head was filled with things that he had not done for the empress. and that became even stronger after he read her will. ¡®how can you be such a foolish woman.¡¯ there was not a single negative word about kim kiwoo in her will. she only wrote about her self-reflection on her shortcomings, and how happy and brilliant her life was. and she even wished that he would meet a better woman and remarry. he could feel her warm heart again as he read the will. but kim kiwoo had already made up his mind. that there would be no more marriage in his life. ¡®i don¡¯t want to go through this pain again.¡¯ he was in a position where he could have hundreds or thousands of wives if he wanted, but kim kiwoo erased that option. he thought it was enough to take care of the five children and numerous grandchildren that she left behind. ¡°hoo¡­¡± kim kiwoo took out a handkerchief and wiped his tears, then took a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions. and he looked at his blood relatives who were waiting around him and said, ¡°you guys also come here and spend the last time with the empress.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± after kim kiwoo¡¯s order, the five siblings started to touch the ashes of the empress and say goodbye to her. and then the official march began. she had said it over and over again when she was alive. ¡®if i die, please scatter my ashes in the river of my hometown where i was born and raised.¡¯ every time he heard that, he told her not to say such things because she still had a long way to go, but he thought that someday he would grant her wish. she had to perform her role as an empress in the capital, so she only visited her hometown three times in her lifetime. ¡®from now on, rest in peace in your hometown forever.¡¯ it was kim kiwoo¡¯s last kindness to visit her hometown personally and scatter her ashes. thud, thud. kim kiwoo rode a carriage pulled by eight horses and left the main gate of the palace. and as soon as he came out on the street, his eyes lit up. on both sides of the road where he would march, there were already huge crowds of people sitting down. ¡°ouch!¡± ¡°sob, sob!¡± the citizens beat the ground and cried as the carriage passed by. they did it voluntarily without anyone telling them to. kim kiwoo felt his heart warm up as he watched this scene. he was touched by the fact that so many people were grieving for his wife. and this procession of lamentation continued until they reached her hometown. ¡°yo, your majesty, you came here personally¡­ we are honored!¡± as soon as he set foot in her hometown, the elders of the village greeted kim kiwoo. ¡°i should have visited more often when the empress was alive. please forgive me for bringing her ashes here.¡± ¡°ah! ho, how can you say such a thing! please take back your words!¡± ¡°i will come here from time to time whenever i miss the empress.¡± kim kiwoo left them behind and went to the riverbank near her birthplace. her relatives, who had already scattered, had gathered here after hearing the news that the empress¡¯s ashes were coming, so the surroundings were quite crowded. kim kiwoo waited for them to have their last moments with the empress, and then he slowly scattered her ashes into the river on a boat. that was how the funeral of the empress came to an end. after that, many people visited her hometown where kim kiwoo had scattered her ashes. ¡°may you find peace by the side of the spirit lord¡­¡± people prayed for the empress¡¯s blessing here. and the architects and artists who visited here voluntarily built many things around her birthplace. they made statues that captured her appearance in life, and a museum that commemorated her life. they even sculpted kim kiwoo scattering her ashes into the sea. this became one of the must-see tourist attractions for anyone who was a citizen of wakan tanka, as it added to the symbolism that she was the only wife of the emperor, who never remarried. Chapter 116 chapter 116: achievement. after sending off the empress, kim kiwoo immersed himself in his work more than ever. it was the only way he could forget the sorrow of losing his wife. among his many tasks, he focused on the central continent. ¡°although the central continent has joined the empire, it still has a long way to go before it becomes fully integrated. it might happen naturally over time, but i want to speed up the process.¡± his words were met with nods from the department heads. the residents of the central continent were generally favorable to the empire. their lives were improving rapidly thanks to the imperial merchants. but this was like a sandcastle that could collapse at any moment. the residents had already experienced overthrowing their former elites with their own hands. if any social conflict arose in this situation, there was no telling how they would react. they might even start another revolution and break away from the empire to pursue their own path. ¡®to prevent that, we need to instill in them a sense of being imperial citizens.¡¯ and kim kiwoo knew very well what the most powerful tool for that was. he had used it countless times on many natives, from the small creek tribe to the huge empire he had built. ¡®the most important thing for that is language.¡¯ if there was no communication, misunderstandings would pile up, and this would eventually lead to severe conflicts. it might have been fine if they had limited exchanges in the past, but now that they were unified as one country, this was a problem that needed to be solved as soon as possible. to do this, kim kiwoo planned to establish the imperial standard language in the central continent as quickly as possible. ¡®and we also need to develop industries in the central continent.¡¯ if the income gap between the northern and central continents persisted for a long time, this could also become a social problem. they might be happy now, but they would soon notice the difference in living standards with the northern continent residents. ¡®i can hear the sound of money pouring out again.¡¯ kim kiwoo needed a huge amount of spending to achieve what he had in mind. but thanks to the railroad, the transportation costs of raw materials such as coal had decreased significantly, and the demand for steel had exploded, bringing in a tremendous amount of revenue. the government still had a monopoly on steel production and sales. and he also benefited greatly from running the railroad business with the money of the imperial citizens. ¡°from now on, we will build many schools in various places in the central continent and recruit teachers to be sent there. also, we will invest heavily and create various industries in that region.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± after that day, an astronomical budget was allocated and kim kiwoo¡¯s order spread widely. at this time, there were too many highly educated people in the empire. but there were only so many jobs that required high education. as a result, there were many people who were unemployed and only studying for exams. the social atmosphere of admiring talented intellectuals also contributed to this situation. ¡°how long are you going to stay in your room and study? you should look for something else to do!¡± many parents said this to their children who remained jobless. they could make a lot of money by doing anything in this prosperous era. but those who had studied for a long time and nurtured their dreams could not easily change their course. in this situation, the massive recruitment of teachers to send to schools in the central continent opened a lifeline for them. they needed a lot of teachers to educate the enormous population of the central continent intensively. of course, there were many people who refused this offer. ¡°you want me to teach at some school in a faraway countryside? i¡¯d rather look for something else to do!¡± but more people thought positively about it. ¡°it¡¯s better than just studying. i can make money while teaching. teaching is not a bad job either.¡± teachers were well treated in the empire. thanks to that, the teacher recruitment was completed relatively smoothly. this also reduced the unemployment rate of highly educated people significantly. not only them, but many others were recruited as well. to develop the local industries, experts from various fields were needed. as a result, the scale of the personnel dispatched to the central continent was very large. *** ¡°haha! welcome, everyone. this place still lacks many things, but i think it will develop quickly if you are here. let¡¯s work hard together.¡± ¡°yes, governor!¡± the vast sky warmly welcomed the people who arrived at the central continent. ¡®it¡¯s really reassuring.¡¯ among these experts, there were quite a few craftsmen who were famous even in the empire. thanks to that, the vast sky couldn¡¯t help but smile as he looked at the dispatch team. ¡°well, let¡¯s eat and drink as much as we want today. there is plenty of food and alcohol prepared.¡± that day, the vast sky hosted a grand banquet for the dispatch team. and a few days later, the dispatch team started to head to their assigned places. ¡°sigh¡­ there are so many underdeveloped places. it¡¯s going to be a tough time.¡± ¡°hahaha. i think development is just a matter of time. just look at the budget assigned to us. it¡¯s enormous. i thought i had made a mistake when i saw it for the first time.¡± ¡°right. i doubted my eyes too. they¡¯re pushing us so hard, it¡¯s our fault if we delay.¡± after exchanging various conversations, the experts finally arrived at their destination. and from that day on, they began to recruit local workers on a large scale. ¡°are you saying that you will pay me this much if i help you with your work?¡± ¡°haha. have you been cheated all this time? it will be paid accurately every month.¡± ¡°every, every month? gasp!¡± the residents were astonished by the sound of paying a lot of wages once a month. it was a very low amount compared to the mainland, but even that was very large from the residents¡¯ point of view. thanks to that, the reaction was explosive. ¡°i¡¯ll do it! please let me do it!¡± thanks to that, the recruitment of workers went very smoothly, and in no time they started digging for industrial development. of course, there were many difficulties in communication and they were still inexperienced, but thanks to the efforts of various experts, various industries were developed simultaneously. among them, schools were built first in many villages. however, at first there was not much response to schools. everyone was busy with their livelihoods. but this changed soon enough. it was because of one policy regarding schools. ¡°what? why do you pay me for studying? don¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°it¡¯s true. if you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you go and see for yourself?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the man tilted his head but moved his feet with a curious mind. ¡°wow! it¡¯s true!¡± and he realized that unbelievable story was true. of course, not all students were paid. they had to take a test according to a certain level while attending school, and only those who met the criteria were paid wages. also, the amount was less than doing actual work. but it was still quite a decent amount compared to the effort they put in, and they didn¡¯t have to attend school all day long. the children received less money, but this also helped their families enough. thanks to that, the education system was quickly established. in this series of processes, a lot of money was released to the residents. then the effect soon became apparent. they started to buy various industrial products that had been burdensome to buy until then. the enormous population of the central continent turned into consumers. as a result, the demand for most products from necessities to tea, sugar, alcohol, and art works soared. thanks to that, the merchants screamed with happiness. ¡°ha ha ha! this is a huge success! and as time goes by, they will buy more of our products, won¡¯t they?¡± they became more aggressive in expanding into the central continent after witnessing its infinite potential with their own eyes. *** ¡°hmm¡­¡± the situation in the central continent was also well known in the andes region. it started with the nobles being expelled by the people, followed by the absorption into the empire and the rapid revival of industry and economy afterwards. many factions trembled with anxiety when they heard this news. ¡°oh, how can we deal with this?¡± the leaders of each faction did not feel sorry for the nobles of the central continent. they had also exploited the residents in their territories for a long time, and among them, more and more people began to believe in the spirit faith. on top of that, rumors about the central continent spread widely. would there be no one among the residents who wanted to change the current situation? they could not confidently say no. and their anxiety was proven right. ¡°look at the central continent! if we, the commoners, rise up, we can live happily as imperial citizens!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. we can do it too. i¡¯m sure the empire will be on our side if we stick together.¡± ¡°we can be free from this miserable hunger!¡± voices like these began to emerge from various places in the andes region. then, the faction leaders who were watching this realized. ¡°this is really turning into a central continent situation.¡± and the andes region was different from the central continent. it was long and narrow along the coast, and unlike the central continent¡¯s direct rule by the empire, there were many small direct rule areas in the andes region. that meant that it was much easier for the empire to supply weapons to the andes residents if they wanted to. ¡°¡­so the only answer is to surrender if we don¡¯t want to die.¡± they did not want to miss the opportunity and face a disaster like the nobles of the central continent did by wasting time. from then on, many factions began to discuss complete surrender to the empire. *** meanwhile, the changes in the mainland were no less than that. kim ki-woo started planning earnestly when he had enough funds for railway investment. first, he established a railway bureau that only managed railways, and produced standardized railways continuously. he had already expanded the scale of the steel industry enough for this, so it was not too hard. moreover, thanks to some steam locomotives already operating in some sections, the price of raw materials went down, and so did the cost of railway construction. as a result, railways began to be built around major areas as kim ki-woo had envisioned. this coincided with the railway construction of huge corporations and made its effect even greater. ¡®steam locomotives are also improving.¡¯ sharp teeth was still working hard on development. thanks to that, the first clumsy and slow steam locomotive had changed quite decently by now. ¡®the steam locomotive production system is almost complete.¡¯ hot anvil¡¯s process had reached maturity by now. in factories, precise steel parts were mass-produced every day. thanks to that, various machines made of iron became more accurate and abundant day by day. ¡®and steamships are also becoming more popular.¡¯ this was largely thanks to delicate glass¡¯s efforts. steamships also increased transportation efficiency like steam locomotives did. and as coal prices fell, it was not hard to see steamships on the empire¡¯s rivers. ¡®it¡¯s natural that they are replaced by steamships because they are much faster than existing ships.¡¯ kim ki-woo anticipated this and made plans to mass-produce steamships at many shipyards in the empire. thanks to that, he didn¡¯t have to pay much attention to this area anymore. Chapter 117 chapter 117: unification of the continent. a lot of time had passed since the empire had supported many things at the national level, and they gradually settled down. first of all, by continuously increasing the scale of vaccine production, most of the imperial citizens had developed immunity to various infectious diseases. in the meantime, epidemics of diseases from the eurasian continent and those that had existed or newly emerged in the wakan tanka continent had caused damage through various routes, but thanks to the vaccination, they avoided fatal situations. the ones who suffered the most were the andes people. it was not even worth mentioning the mainland, and since vaccines had been distributed in the region after it was subjugated by the empire, that was why. ¡°ah, our choice was right. if we hadn¡¯t joined the empire back then, how many people would have died by now¡­¡± ¡°you can see it by looking at the people of the southern continent, right?¡± the imperial citizens of the central continent sighed with relief that they had avoided some of the disasters. moreover, as time passed, their region was developed, a lot of money was invested, and the economy was revitalized, so the satisfaction of the residents soared to the sky. ¡°long live the great emperor of the empire!¡± ¡°may wakan tanka last forever!¡± woo-hoo! this kind of cheering that praised kim ki-woo and the empire was a common sight in the central continent at this time. on the other hand, the atmosphere in the andes region naturally worsened. ¡°damn it. why do we have to live like this?¡± ¡°they buy vaccines with expensive money for themselves, and they don¡¯t blink an eye at us dying.¡± ¡°it¡¯s always been like this since before. look at the empire! everyone lives equally under his majesty and enjoys wealth and glory!¡± ¡°now even the central continent, which used to be like us, is receiving that benefit.¡± it doesn¡¯t hurt as much as you might think when someone who has always lived well lives better. the most painful thing is when those who were similar to you suddenly live well. that¡¯s how the andes people saw the residents of the central continent. moreover, the factions of andes had purchased vaccines with expensive money to survive from infectious diseases. this greatly provoked andes people who were already hostile. among them, some radical figures even tried to imitate what the residents of central continent had done before. eventually, most of the factions that still had solid power gathered in one place. ¡°¡­i think everyone¡¯s situation is similar. if we stay like this, we¡¯ll really end up like nobles of central continent.¡± ¡°i expected it a bit when they invaded us with that ridiculous military neutral zone, but it ended up like this.¡± ¡°sigh. it seems impossible for us to go against this huge flow with our own hands. some factions have already subjugated themselves to the empire faster than us.¡± ¡°i agree.¡± ¡°in a way, it¡¯s good. if we just maintain our wealth that we¡¯ve accumulated so far, we can live comfortably in empire¡¯s mainland.¡± the meeting continued after that, but there was no conversation that deviated from initial atmosphere. the conclusion was to voluntarily subjugate themselves to empire unlike central continent. they informed their intentions to empire¡¯s foreign ministry. but the reaction of foreign ministry envoy was lukewarm. ¡°i heard you want to become part of the empire.¡± ¡°yes. we will give you all control over the region we have ruled so far and accept the empire¡¯s law.¡± ¡°you know well that means you will become ordinary commoners, right?¡± ¡°of course we know.¡± the factions had already given up their status to escape the threat of death, so there was no disagreement. but even so, envoy¡¯s face did not relax. it was because he did not like the proposal they wrote next. ¡°but¡­ you want us to recognize your wealth that you¡¯ve earned so far?¡± gulp! as the most sensitive issue came out finally, tension appeared on the faces of factions. ¡°that¡¯s right. isn¡¯t that our legitimate wealth? you¡¯ve been recognizing the wealth of andes people who were loyal to the empire long ago.¡± ¡°no. this is different from that. i¡¯ll tell you clearly, but i can¡¯t acknowledge all of your assets.¡± ¡°no, why not? we¡¯re giving up all of our rights, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°haha. you seem to be a bit slow to grasp the situation. it¡¯s not good for you to raise your voice at me like that.¡± ¡°¡­ugh!¡± as the envoy spoke coldly with a smile, their excitement gradually subsided. ¡°twenty percent!¡± the envoy spread two fingers and shouted loudly. ¡°the empire will only recognize twenty percent of your assets. the rest of your assets will be used for the development of the southern continent.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ twenty percent, you say. how can we live if we can only take that much?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that little, is it? you can live comfortably on the mainland with that much. i¡¯d like to collect more from you, but his majesty doesn¡¯t want that, so i¡¯m stopping here. if you don¡¯t like it, you can end this discussion now. of course, i think you know what will happen if you do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the warlords all became speechless. they knew what would happen if they refused the empire¡¯s offer in this situation where the people had already turned their backs on them. ¡°please give us some more time to think.¡± ¡°take your time. it doesn¡¯t matter to us if something happens in the meantime.¡± of course, it was half a bluff. it was better to peacefully annex the andes region than to spill blood unnecessarily. but it was clear that the warlords had more to lose. eventually, less than ten days after the meeting ended, the warlords accepted the empire¡¯s offer. most of the andes region fell into the empire¡¯s hands. in other words, it was the moment when all the forces except for the small tribes scattered around the continent were annexed. in other words, it meant that the continent was unified by the wakan tanka empire. ¡°hehe¡­¡± the day when a complete wacantanga continent was born. kim kiwoo looked down from the highest point of the palace and smiled. of course, he still had to gather the remaining tribes under the empire¡¯s flag, but that was not a difficult task with the current power of the empire. ¡®so this day finally comes.¡¯ kim kiwoo was satisfied with this situation itself. there have been empires in history that have occupied a huge territory. one of them was the mongol empire. but what the wakan tanka empire achieved was very different from them. they just occupied a large land by spilling a lot of blood. on the other hand, the wakan tanka empire did not spill much blood until they unified the continent. the most blood they saw was when the aztec was destroyed. ¡®they deserved to die.¡¯ kim kiwoo did not feel any pity for the horrible fate of the aztecs. the atrocities of aztec were so inhuman. anyway, it was a fact that there was almost no sacrifice of the imperial people during the continental unification process. *** in the end, the andes warlords were taxed an enormous amount of 80% of their assets by the empire. this region was also mostly money going to the warlords, so that amount was very large. kim kiwoo gave an order when he heard this. ¡°i will use the assets of the warlords and the government¡¯s budget to develop the southern continent as i did in the central continent.¡± as soon as this order came down, many people¡¯s eyes turned to the south continent. it couldn¡¯t be helped. the south continent was a treasure trove of resources. guano and saltpeter, and huge silver and gold mines. many eyes were focused on it. this region was especially known for the famous potosi silver mine. of course, it had not been discovered yet, but kim ki-woo had no intention of delaying the discovery and development of the silver mine any longer, now that the andes region had been annexed to the empire. ¡°there must be more resources buried in the andes region. so send some experts and have them explore.¡± kim ki-woo secretly called some experts and told them about potosi and other areas where major resources were found. and soon enough, the potosi silver mine revealed itself. ¡®it won¡¯t be long before a large amount of silver flows in.¡¯ the potosi silver mine was said to be a mountain made of silver. ¡®i need a lot of silver to complete the industrial revolution.¡¯ as the continent was unified and the imperial economy expanded day by day, a large amount of currency was needed. the potosi silver mine would play a big role here. *** meanwhile, there were naturally more things that happened over a long period of time. the railways built by the empire¡¯s railway bureau and the giant merchants had taken their place in the main areas before long. and steamboats operated on all the rivers of the empire. not only that, but beyond the rivers, steamboats also cut through the waves of the ocean on the wacantanga continent at a fast speed. with this, the transportation revolution finally took place in the empire. the prices of raw materials, including coal, plummeted, and transportation costs dropped significantly. and the volume of goods that spread throughout the empire increased greatly. ¡°is it okay to ride this thing? what if something goes wrong?¡± ¡°ha ha! have you ever seen such a bumpkin? you won¡¯t die, so don¡¯t worry and get on.¡± the steam engine train went beyond being used for cargo and also took its place as a passenger train. thanks to this, many people were able to ride the steam engine train and quickly go to other regions. chiiik! kugung, kugung. ¡°aaaah!¡± ¡°huuk!¡± most of the people who rode the steamboat for the first time were greatly surprised by the unfamiliar speed. but soon they marveled at the scenery that quickly passed by behind them. ¡°now i understand why his majesty personally invested in railways!¡± the imperial citizens once again expressed their respect for kim ki-woo¡¯s foresight. and at this time, due to the continental unification, immigrants from central and south continents flocked to north continent endlessly. here too, steamboats played a big role. because they could operate at a very fast speed, they were able to meet this huge demand for mobility. the people who gathered in the north continent took trains built inland and steamboats on rivers and dispersed to various regions. ¡°it¡¯s much more amazing than i heard¡­ i can¡¯t even compare it to where i lived.¡± ¡°i never thought i could cross a road that would take a long time to walk in an instant.¡± the immigrants experienced the empire¡¯s advanced transportation means and became more proud as imperial citizens. ¡°¡­i want to be a proud imperial citizen more than anyone else. what should i do to achieve that?¡± ¡°there¡¯s a good way, right? anyway, north will become the capital in the future, and if you get residency rights in or near major cities in the north, you¡¯ll naturally get what you want.¡± there were many people who thought like this among the immigrants. thanks to this, they volunteered for north development. in the end, the transportation revolution had a huge impact on north development. with much more people and goods moving than before, the north could no longer be called a backwater. the north became a region full of vitality more than anywhere else. numerous cities sprang up around the north¡¯s industrial complex and capital site. especially, the development of the capital site was especially dazzling. ¡°the capital of the empire must be beautiful and magnificent enough to make anyone who visits it raise their thumbs.¡± ¡°the capital will grow enormously in the future, so we have to consider this from now on.¡± ¡°we also have to make room for railways to pass through.¡± the experts dispatched to capital site kept these numerous factors in mind and worked hard on city planning for a long time. and when planning was completed, they mobilized a large number of workers and carried out capital construction. they actively used modern reinforced concrete methods and poured all their efforts into creating a beautiful and awe-inspiring capital city. this created synergy with numerous builders and laborers, as well as an enormous increase in volume of goods, and buildings were built day by day. Chapter 118 chapter 118: bubble. there was something else that was special during this period. the empire already had a lot of children, but now there were even more. this was thanks to the development of medicine and the distribution of vaccines, as well as the establishment of hygiene awareness. the birth rate itself was similar, but the infant mortality rate had plummeted. the empire society, which had always encouraged having many children by paying attention to child welfare, experienced another baby boom due to the decrease in infant mortality. however, there were more and more people who viewed this negatively. ¡°your majesty! the current population growth could be dangerous. no matter how good it is to farm thanks to the livestock like cows, the number of livestock is still insufficient and the number of people who want to farm is decreasing. this could soon become a big problem.¡± kim ki-woo stroked his chin after hearing the words of the agricultural minister. ¡®this is similar to the malthusian trap.¡¯ this theory was proposed by thomas robert malthus before the arrival. malthus argued that population growth was much faster than food production, so there would be a food shortage someday, and this could lead to the end of humanity. but his theory was too one-dimensional and had many flaws, and there were many problems such as targeting the poor as the population control group. ¡®well, it¡¯s not exactly the same.¡¯ there was still a lot of land to farm on the wakan tanka continent. the western part of the northern continent, which was being gradually developed, was not a huge grain-producing area in the pre-arrival california region. and there were also vast undeveloped areas in the southern continent. moreover, thanks to guano, a high-quality fertilizer, food production increased even more. and finally, there were various seeds that had been improved before arrival. now that transportation efficiency has also improved, there will be no major problems for a while. ¡®but the agricultural minister has a point.¡¯ it was fine for now, but it was also true that the agricultural population was decreasing. more and more people in the empire wanted to live in cities. the price of food also decreased due to guano, improved seeds, livestock distribution, and increased transportation efficiency. it would be fine if large-scale mechanized farming became possible in the future, but there was a limit to how much land one person could farm. ¡®anyway, some food reserves are needed.¡¯ the population could change drastically in the future. and there could be severe droughts at any time, so they needed to pay some attention. kim ki-woo organized his thoughts and replied to the agricultural minister. ¡°first of all, buy up the crops that are on the market. then the price of crops will rise and more people will want to farm. and in case of emergency, we can release the stored crops and overcome the crisis.¡± thanks to this policy, food production increased even more and it didn¡¯t matter much that crops were piled up in warehouses. people were not only on wakan tanka continent, and food was very important at this time than anything else. as soon as the age of exploration began, there would be plenty of markets. *** but kim ki-woo¡¯s decision caused an unexpected situation. ¡°what? the government is buying up agricultural products indiscriminately?¡± ¡°that¡¯s what they say? and¡­ his majesty personally ordered this to the agricultural minister.¡± ¡°hmm, this is strange. it¡¯s not like him to suddenly issue such an order.¡± the merchants who watched the price of agricultural products rise slightly soon learned about the empire¡¯s agricultural import policy. and that kim ki-woo was deeply involved in it. this gave a sense of urgency to the commercial sector. ¡°his majesty ordered us to stock up on agricultural products¡­¡± ¡°is this something big happening? he¡¯s not someone who would give such an order out of nowhere.¡± ¡°that¡¯s probably likely. even if not¡­ other merchants would think the same. that means, anyway, that the price of agricultural products will go up.¡± ¡°oh! you¡¯re really a merchant lord. i didn¡¯t think of that.¡± ¡°haha. what are you talking about? then what do we have to do?¡± ¡°of course we have to buy agricultural products. if we buy them now, they will go up, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s the correct answer. let¡¯s start right away.¡± ¡°yes, lord sangdan!¡± the first ones to act were the quick-witted merchants. they started to buy up food supplies in sync with the government. as a result, the prices of agricultural products skyrocketed. and as time passed, other merchants also got wind of the information and joined the trend. ¡°we have to buy up the crops too!¡± eventually, an abnormality occurred in the market. even worse, when some people went to the financial office to get money after the prices soared, they encountered this situation. ¡°what do you mean? you¡¯re asking for twice as much as you did just before?¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t want to buy, then get lost. that person over there offered that much money, but since you showed your intention to buy first, i¡¯m giving you the priority out of courtesy.¡± ¡°ugh¡­ just give it to me for now.¡± it was that bad. as the situation changed like this, the crops in the market began to dry up gradually. ¡°if we hold on to them, they¡¯ll go up more.¡± the farmers thought so and stopped selling their crops. ¡°what if we use our spare money to buy some crops?¡± the middle class who had only hoarded money in the financial office or simply invested also joined the hoarding. then, bubbles began to form in an instant. *** ¡°i can¡¯t believe this¡­¡± kim kiwoo let out a hollow laugh. the agricultural products circulating in the wakan tanka continent were enough to feed all the population. but as soon as kim kiwoo bought up the crops, everyone went crazy and hoarded them, creating a severe bubble. it was like seeing the various bubbles before his arrival. if he had to compare it, it would be similar to the tulip bubble in the netherlands? but soon kim kiwoo hardened his face. ¡®if this goes on, it will cause a huge damage to the economy.¡¯ people die if they don¡¯t eat food. but since the crops in the market dried up, people would soon starve. they would buy food at any price, and the bubble would grow bigger. but someday, the bubble would burst. it would be a disaster if a huge bubble burst. for example, didn¡¯t the tulip bubble completely ruin the dutch economy? the only good thing was that the bubble had not been going on for long, and there was enough food stored in the government. kim kiwoo did not hesitate and ordered. ¡°from now on, open all the warehouses in the country and keep selling food until they say enough.¡± as this order came down, the government¡¯s food warehouses opened wide. and they started selling food. then, the rapid rise in crop prices came to a halt. they dumped a huge amount of food into the market at once, but because the continent was wide and the information and communication system was still poor, there were many people who bought crops late. but as they continued to sell off the food that had been stocked up enough, the crop prices that had only risen began to drop slightly. and around that time, the news that the government¡¯s warehouses were open wide also spread somewhat. ¡°huh? the government¡¯s food warehouses are open wide?¡± ¡°does that mean nothing big was happening?¡± ¡°¡­gasp! then we have to sell our crops right away! if this news spreads widely, the prices will collapse!¡± it was kim kiwoo¡¯s trust that created the bubble in the first place. then it meant that he could also make the prices plummet by his actions. the merchants realized this and started throwing their crops into the market. that¡¯s when it started. the collapse of the agricultural product prices began. ¡°ah, no!¡± ¡°why¡­ why did this happen?¡± the small and medium-sized merchants who noticed it first and got out were clueless, but the huge merchants and capitalists who led the hoarding, and the middle class who bought the agricultural products above their shoulders, being slow on information, suffered great losses. they experienced the damage caused by the bubble burst for the first time and became panicked. the market¡¯s fear continued even when the prices of agricultural products fell below the original level. then, kim kiwoo gave another order. ¡°from now on, buy agricultural products until they reach the appropriate price that i instruct.¡± ¡°¡­yes, i understand.¡± the agricultural minister nodded in agreement, but his expression did not calm down. kim kiwoo asked him. ¡°do you feel like i intended this situation?¡± ¡°h-how could that be possible?¡± ¡°haha. you can say what you think inside. i won¡¯t blame you.¡± ¡°¡­i do think so a little.¡± the agricultural minister finally admitted. kim kiwoo smiled bitterly at this. ¡®i honestly didn¡¯t think it would go this far.¡¯ he didn¡¯t announce it publicly, it was just a measure to increase the stockpile of food. if the prices rose a bit, the number of farmers would also increase. but he didn¡¯t expect a bubble to occur so quickly. he thought that if a bubble occurred, it would soon burst naturally, but this was not what kim kiwoo intended. however, kim kiwoo did sympathize with the thoughts of the agricultural minister and some other ministers and scholars. the government made astronomical profits from this bubble. they bought agricultural products at low prices and sold off even the existing stockpiled food when the bubble was full. thanks to that, the empire¡¯s budget, which had been struggling due to various policies and continental unification costs, and development costs, changed to be abundant in an instant. it was understandable that they would misunderstand that kim kiwoo, who had shown tremendous insight so far, had caused this to increase the budget. ¡°i don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll believe me, but i didn¡¯t think that far either. i have no intention of causing such social unrest to increase the government budget.¡± when kim kiwoo said this much, the agricultural minister bowed his head deeply. as planned, the government began to buy back the agricultural products that were left in the market. thanks to that, as time passed, the agricultural products that had plummeted stabilized and regained the price range and stock amount that kim kiwoo intended. from then on, merchants who tried to buy and sell agricultural products and make profits from price differences appeared steadily, but whenever there was a sign of that, the government kept the price constant. thanks to that, the agricultural product bubble ended with minor damage compared to the first large-scale bubble that occurred in the empire. it also served as an opportunity to make the imperial citizens aware of the danger of bubbles, and especially to make merchants realize that they should not blindly follow kim kiwoo and hoard products. *** ¡®it¡¯s really a huge amount.¡¯ after checking the money that flowed into the government due to this agricultural product bubble, kim kiwoo licked his tongue. it was good that he caught the bubble in time, but if it had been delayed a little longer, he might have driven the empire¡¯s economy into ruin. ¡®as expected, crowd psychology is really scary.¡¯ watching this situation, kim kiwoo realized once again the instability of humans. ¡®anyway, there¡¯s nothing bad for me in this situation.¡¯ however, kim kiwoo did not intend to just pile up the money he earned in such an uncomfortable way. money is power. this was also true for kim kiwoo. when money is abundant like now, many things are possible at the government level. especially considering the central continent and southern continent that had not been integrated for long. kim kiwoo increased the development budget for both regions as a first step for quick integration into the empire. and after having a lot of budget left over, he invested it in various civil engineering projects and research funds for each research institute, as well as industrial development. Chapter 119 chapter 119: the age of exploration. and around this time, science, which had sprouted, bloomed fully and reached its golden age. scientists had already witnessed the world changing by science with their own eyes. this sight of change made them more devoted to research. scientists delved deeply into numerous natural phenomena, and as a result, various theories emerged, and important discoveries were made. moreover, these theories and research results were quickly exchanged and accelerated the development. the amount was so large that even kim kiwoo could not grasp it at a glance without spending a long time. ¡®at least i know what kind of research is important.¡¯ kim kiwoo leaned back on the soft chair and recited the major scientific achievements that had been discovered so far. ¡®the most noticeable thing is electricity, i guess¡­¡¯ since bright moon made a battery that could be used in the laboratory, many scientists lit up their eyes and dug into electricity. and it was revealed what electricity was and what properties it had. bright moon proved that lightning was electricity by charging the battery with lightning, and devised a lightning rod through this. thanks to this, lightning rods were erected in the cities of the mainland soon, and the accidents caused by lightning gradually decreased. ¡®finally, a practical battery was invented.¡¯ this battery was a battery that generated electricity by inserting a piece of cloth soaked in salt water between copper and zinc plates and making many layers. this provided an opportunity to utilize flowing electricity. not only that, but it was also revealed that electricity flowed in the animal¡¯s body, and the existence and properties of charge, and the concepts of current and voltage were established. of course, there was still a long way to go. many trials and errors were needed to make electricity practically by using electromagnetic induction and utilize it. ¡®the next thing is chemistry.¡¯ after bright feather found out that oxygen was related to the combustion of fire, many substances began to be identified. thanks to this, basic theories such as the law of conservation of mass were accepted as established theories. by now, numerous theories about the concepts of atoms and molecules were rampant. in addition, the phenomenon of electrolysis was revealed by the invention of the battery, and chemical upheaval was continuing at this moment. there were also scientific achievements in many other fields. ¡®it¡¯s true that trees grow well when you prepare the soil well. the day to enjoy the fruits is not far away.¡¯ kim kiwoo organized his thoughts on science around here. there was something more important than that right now. *** and finally that day came. ¡°from now on, i will carry out the reorganization of government departments!¡± kim kiwoo declared in the conference room. then all the ministers bowed their heads and said yes. ¡°please do as you wish!¡± there was no resistance to this reorganization as it had been going on for a long time. rather, the ministers were very happy. it couldn¡¯t be helped. if they had more areas to manage, no matter how much the staff increased, the workload intensity that the ministers had to bear inevitably increased. as society became more advanced, the schedule of the ministers was literally murderous. it was natural to collapse from overwork once in a while. therefore, kim kiwoo prepared to split the departments by field. of course, in order to minimize confusion, he divided the scope of work in advance, so by now it was practically finished with reorganization. that¡¯s why it took so long. ¡°from the next meeting, all the newly added department heads will also participate, so i hope that the existing department heads will lead them well. i trust you will do well. but don¡¯t forget that they are not your subordinates anymore.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. there won¡¯t be any such thing as you think.¡± at that remark, kim kiwoo nodded. with the reorganization, many new department heads were created. the supreme court changed its name to the judiciary and the chief justice became the chief of the judiciary. the ministry of finance, which was in charge of the budget in the ministry of interior, was separated. similarly, the ministry of commerce split into the ministry of transportation, and the ministry of force became the ministry of defense, with the army and navy under its command. especially, the ministry of industry was divided into three: the original ministry of industry, the ministry of science that mainly dealt with natural sciences, and the ministry of construction that handled civil engineering. the rest of the departments were also split into two or three. ¡°no matter how much you prepared, there will be a lot of things to do for a while. if anything happens, don¡¯t try to hide it and report it to me right away. do you understand?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°we will follow your orders!¡± and so, the official reorganization of the government departments began. and as expected, the reorganization caused quite a lot of pain. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not our department. you have to go to the ministry of construction.¡± ¡°oh, really?¡± especially, many imperial citizens confused the departments and went to the wrong places. and as the number of departments increased, it became harder to find the desired department. ¡°huh. i miss the old days. it¡¯s only confusing because they suddenly reorganized everything.¡± thanks to that, such complaints were heard frequently. but time heals all wounds. as time passed, many imperial citizens adapted to the current reorganized government system, and each department was able to work more efficiently by dealing with only specialized fields. *** ¡°your majesty. now even the infants in the mainland have been vaccinated, and we have long been producing vaccines in other regions that have been merged. so there is no need to be afraid of the outside world anymore, right?¡± ¡°i agree with the minister of commerce.¡± when stability came to wakan tanka continent after all these processes. the minister of commerce and several other ministers proposed an agenda to kim ki-woo in the conference room as if they had planned it. to sail beyond wakan tanka continent, to the vast world. ¡°hmm.¡± as kim ki-woo showed signs of hesitation while stroking his chin, the faces of the minister of commerce and those who shared his intentions became tense. kim ki-woo looked not at them, but at other ministers and asked. ¡°do you all agree with the minister of commerce¡¯s opinion?¡± immediately, objections popped up. ¡°no. the minister of commerce¡¯s words make sense, but i don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good decision to completely lift the ban. the empire doesn¡¯t have much to hurry, does it?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. we have lived well without interacting with other continents. there are still many places on wakan tanka continent that have not been explored yet. there is no reason to look outside.¡± ¡°how can you be so sure? the empire has only been to europe so far. you don¡¯t know what new things are out there.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it because of those precious relics from outside that you want to lift the ban? i¡¯ve heard that merchants are crazy about them.¡± ¡°what? are you saying that i¡¯ve been bribed by merchants?¡± ¡°when did i say that? i¡¯m just saying don¡¯t mess with the current situation of the empire for that reason.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m trying to lift the ban to eliminate that variable you¡¯re talking about. don¡¯t distort my intentions.¡± kim ki-woo listened to their sharp arguments and thought. ¡®the opposing opinions do make sense¡­¡¯ the later he lifted the ban, the safer he would be against the plague. but kim ki-woo soon shook his head. ¡®we can handle it at this level.¡¯ it was too late to be afraid of worms and not fill his stomach. of course, he had to impose some restrictions. ¡®it¡¯s just right for us to enter the world stage at this level.¡¯ kim ki-woo made up his mind. and it soon came out of his mouth. both sides had valid opinions. however, jim thought that there was no need to worry too much about external variables. was the empire that he and his people had built so weak? the wakan tanka empire was a great nation that had peacefully unified the wakan tanka continent under the protection of the spirits. there was no longer any need to hide. as he said this, the faces of the directors who followed the commerce director brightened up, but the faces of the opposing directors darkened. kim ki-woo tried to appease the opposing directors and continued his speech. ¡°however, as the hygiene director said, it is too early to lift the sailing ban completely.¡± ¡°then what do you plan to do?¡± ¡°we will allow free sailing to anywhere outside, but we will restrict incoming ships to specific ports. we will mainly designate ports on the northern continent for now.¡± it was a reasonable measure, since the northern continent had much better vaccine distribution than the central or southern continents. ¡°this way, we can deal with any new epidemics more easily, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°i understand what you mean.¡± ¡°i think your majesty¡¯s words are wise.¡± once kim ki-woo made his decision, everyone agreed, regardless of whether they were for or against it. thus, the imperial era of sailing began. *** the news that the sailing ban had been relaxed made the hearts of many imperial citizens burn. ¡°finally!¡± ¡°hahaha! how long have i waited for this!¡± this especially heated up the upper class. the value of artifacts brought from other continents kept rising over time, but the merchants could only suck their fingers and watch the prices go up. ¡°this is not the time! let¡¯s go get the permits!¡± it was free to sail anywhere on any continent, but first, they needed a permit. therefore, the merchants obtained permits from the foreign ministry, hired interpreters, and started preparing for sailing. not only merchants, but also many adventurers joined them. there were many who wanted to make history by setting foot on another continent for the first time, and even if not, there were countless people who were curious about the new world. thanks to this, sailing was divided into two categories. the fleets that went to europe, where some routes had been secured, and the fleets that headed to places where there were no routes yet. the former expected stable profits, and the latter expected achievements of being the first to visit new areas and unexpected huge profits. ¡°heh. i wonder what kind of expressions people living on other continents will have when they see our ships and products.¡± ¡°they¡¯ll probably be shocked and fall over! look at this huge steamship!¡± the sailors who were about to sail looked at their ships and chattered. ¡°come to think of it, this is the first time we¡¯re reaching another continent with a steamship, right? there won¡¯t be any problems, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s why we have sails. in case we run out of coal.¡± ¡°true. it would be nice if we could get enough coal when we arrive¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s no way to know until we go. but coal is common, so chances are high, right?¡± there was a big difference in speed between operating a steam engine and sailing with only wind. they could also safely escape from any windless areas they might pass by. therefore, the sailors hoped that they could supply coal at their destination. ¡°hey, you there! stop slacking off and hurry up!¡± ¡°tsk. aye, aye.¡± as time passed, all the ships completed their preparations for sailing, whoosh! they cut through the waves and headed for the vast sea. and this happened simultaneously in many places on the continent. it was finally time for wakan tanka to cross over and start a tumultuous change in eurasia. Chapter 120 chapter 120: the warring states period. there were many people in the empire who longed for a splendid life, just like the brilliant flower. his life was written in countless books, and plays based on his adventures were still being performed at this very moment. thanks to that, there were many people who had a dream of having a thrilling and great adventure like the brilliant flower since they were young. the swift rope was one of them. ¡°father, mother. i will be leaving now.¡± ¡°please take care of yourself¡­ sob!¡± ¡°ugh, tsk!¡± at the swift rope¡¯s words, his mother wiped away her tears, but his father clicked his tongue as if he was displeased. it couldn¡¯t be helped. his family was a prestigious clan. they had been active as kim kiwoo¡¯s aides since the creek tribe era, and they were the clan that was founded by the far-seeing eye. the far-seeing eye was very famous as the person who created the imperial power that was still used in the empire. thanks to that, the clan members had been active as scholars in various fields of study, including astronomy, for generations. but the eldest son of the clan, the swift rope, had been stubborn about doing something completely different from what the clan wanted since he was young: he wanted to go on an adventure. and now he was on the verge of achieving his goal. ¡°¡­come back alive. if you feel it¡¯s dangerous, run away. do you understand?¡± ¡°yes, father. i will definitely do that.¡± the swift rope felt a deep paternal love in his father¡¯s indifferent voice. he knew it well. the fact that his father loved him very much. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have gathered the clan¡¯s wealth and made a decent fleet for him. he quickly turned around and left the house, feeling like tears would flow. ¡°captain!¡± ¡°are you ready?¡± ¡°of course. there¡¯s nothing missing, it¡¯s perfect! we just need to set sail now.¡± ¡°really?¡± even at his closest aide¡¯s confident answer, the swift rope checked everything himself again with his own eyes: the status of the goods and the ship, and everything else. it would be too late after going out to the vast sea. ¡°good. everything is ready as you said.¡± ¡°i told you so? don¡¯t you trust me? this is hurtful¡­¡± ¡°who would i trust if not you? i just checked it out, don¡¯t worry too much. now, let¡¯s get ready to sail.¡± the fleet led by the swift rope consisted of five ships. thanks to his father¡¯s full support, all the ships were steamships, and they were very large because they were of the latest model. soon after, the swift rope¡¯s command was broadcasted to all the ships. and after everything was ready, the voyage began in earnest. ¡®i wonder what¡¯s beyond that big sea in the west?¡¯ the swift rope looked at the horizon of the pacific ocean and wondered. he had only sailed across the atlantic ocean so far, and not much was known about what was beyond the pacific ocean. of course, there was some information about the east that came from europe, but it was too vague. so he had to explore it himself with his own hands. ¡®i will reveal many things with my own hands, just like mr. brilliant flower.¡¯ right now, he had more curiosity than making money. *** the place where the swift rope¡¯s fleet departed was near the western part of north continent, california region. the port area there was also quite developed, so it was good to start sailing. most importantly, since the latitude was similar, the climate would be similar too, so he made that decision. the fleet maintained that latitude and headed eastward across the sea, and then eastward again. since they ran the steam engine from time to time and quickly sailed across the sea, their speed was much faster than ordinary ships. thanks to that, they were able to cross the pacific ocean faster than expected. this is how it looks after my editing: suddenly, a cry rang out. ¡°land, land ahoy!¡± ¡°what? is that true?¡± at last, beyond the horizon, the sight of land that they had longed and wished for finally came into view. nareul, who had been resting in his cabin, quickly ran out to the deck when he heard the news. he took a telescope from a sailor and checked the direction they were pointing at. ¡®it¡¯s real! it¡¯s land!¡¯ he felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight that was both unfamiliar and familiar. he was overjoyed that they had crossed the vast sea without any major accidents on their first voyage. ¡°wow!¡± ¡°we made it!¡± as they got closer and closer, the coast became clearer and clearer. all the sailors cheered. nareul regained his composure at their excited expressions. he was the chief officer of the ship, after all. ¡°don¡¯t let your guard down, everyone. this is an unknown world. anything can happen here. stay at your posts and do your assigned tasks!¡± at nareul¡¯s command, the atmosphere that had been boiling with excitement gradually calmed down. and tension returned to the sailors¡¯ eyes. as they slowly approached the shore. ¡°are those the natives who live here?¡± ¡°they¡¯re out in droves. haha!¡± ¡°look at their faces. they¡¯re so shocked they¡¯re about to fall over.¡± nareul nodded at those words. he looked around and saw that there were no ships here that could match their galleon, let alone anything smaller than that. he couldn¡¯t judge everything by this, but he could tell by their astonished faces that ships as big as theirs were not common here. *** ¡°what? a huge ship suddenly appeared?¡± ¡°yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± the news of nareul¡¯s ship¡¯s arrival reached hojo ujitsuna, who ruled this region. he was a powerful daimyo in kanto, who inherited many lands from his father, hojo soun. ¡°hmm¡­¡± hojo ujitsuna found it hard to believe the report he received from his subordinate. if it had been a few testimonies, he would have wanted to call it a lie, but there were too many people who saw the strange ship. and his personality was originally cautious, so he never took this information lightly. ¡°i see. what did they say their purpose of visiting here was?¡± ¡°we couldn¡¯t communicate well, but it seems like they came here for trade.¡± ¡°trade, huh.¡± ¡°yes. and¡­ what they brought was also amazing. they had a lot of them on their big ship.¡± ¡°really? can i see them?¡± ¡°i was just about to bring you some samples they gave us.¡± as his subordinate said, hojo ujitsuna was able to see the products of the wakan tanka empire with his own eyes soon after. and like his other subordinates, he was greatly surprised. ¡°these are amazing¡­ they are better than what the tang people (chinese) brought.¡± he exclaimed over and over again as he checked each sample. the porcelain was very sturdy and elegant, and the cotton fabrics were very even and dense. the most shocking thing was the white paper. ¡®how do they make these?¡¯ he had seen many papers in his life, but this was the first time he saw paper that was so white and uniform in quality. but his joy was short-lived, and hojo ujitsuna¡¯s face darkened. ¡®¡­can we afford to buy these?¡¯ this was a time of war. it was an era of constant wars with the surrounding dynasties. he had built a large faction with his father¡¯s and his own efforts, but he always had to work hard to become the true winner. as a result, he had to maintain a lot of troops, and his finances were not very abundant. he could not guarantee that the strange visitors who brought such precious things would be satisfied. ¡°first of all, treat them well. i will visit them myself soon.¡± ¡°you could have called them here.¡± ¡°i want to see their ships with my own eyes. just do as i say.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± *** after that day, hojo ujitsuna¡¯s visit was soon arranged. he finished only the most necessary tasks and headed straight to the coast. his curiosity was very strong. ¡°¡­they are much more amazing than i heard.¡± ¡°indeed. how can such ships float on the sea?¡± he looked at the five huge ships and understood very well why the witnesses were so excited. ¡°that must be him.¡± swift rope, the leader of the empire, watched the natives¡¯ actions closely and realized that hojo ujitsuna was their chief. ¡°they say he is the loser of this region¡¯s warlords.¡± ¡°i see.¡± the interpreter had learned some japanese in a short time, and the other side¡¯s envoy also learned some imperial language, so they could communicate to some extent. after observing each other for a while, the leaders of the two factions approached each other. and they introduced themselves. ¡°i am swift rope of the wakan tanka empire.¡± ¡°i am hojo ujitsuna, the head of the hozo clan.¡± after introducing themselves, hojo ujitsuna asked. ¡°may i take a look around your ships?¡± ¡°well, i don¡¯t see why not. but you have to leave your warriors behind, except for a minimum escort.¡± ¡°what?¡± as soon as swift rope¡¯s demand was finished, a samurai who was guarding him grumbled. but hojo ujitsuna raised his hand firmly. ¡°back off. i will board the ship alone.¡± ¡°what if you board alone¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± at his firm words, swift rope was also slightly surprised. he did not expect him to agree to leave even the minimum escort behind so easily. ¡°can i look around the ship now?¡± ¡°follow me.¡± then hojo ujitsuna followed swift rope onto the ship. and he saw it. a huge amount of trade goods piled up like mountains, coal, gunpowder, guns and other weapons, and even steam engines that he had never seen before. ¡°what are these?¡± ¡°these are steam engines. they make this ship move very fast.¡± ¡°what do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°if you want, i can show you.¡± hojo ujitsuna could not refuse swift rope¡¯s offer at all. so he said yes. then the ship lifted its anchor and headed out to sea. not long after that. chiiik! the steam engine that had finished preheating finally started to operate. and it quickly accelerated, moving forward at a speed that hojo ujitsuna had never experienced before. ¡°¡­!¡± this made a crack in his face that was always serious about everything. ¡°it¡¯s really fast, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­yes. so this is a steam engine.¡± ¡°haha. as long as we have enough coal, we can travel very fast.¡± swift rope explained the mechanism of the steamship briefly. he also explained many other things about the empire, such as guns and steel cannons. ¡®it¡¯s really tempting.¡¯ he wanted to take all these things away if he could. but he soon gave up. he had heard that the empire where they came from was a country that had developed so much that these ships were common. if this fact became known to the empire, he would have no chance of resisting them. but on the other hand¡­ ¡®this could be a great help in pacifying this chaos.¡¯ especially the guns and steel cannons they had were beyond imagination. if he had those things, he could go beyond the kanto region and become the true master of the whole country. ¡®i have to get them on our side.¡¯ a hot ambition began to rise in hojo ujitsuna¡¯s chest. Chapter 121 chapter 121: hangul. ever since that day, hojo ujitsuna had treated the swift rope and his crew very hospitably, and granted them whatever they wanted. thanks to that, the swift rope stayed here for quite a while, and learned a lot about the local situation and various knowledge. ¡®the past andes and the current situation are quite similar.¡¯ the more he learned about the situation in this region, the more he couldn¡¯t shake off this thought from his head. the sight of numerous factions rising up and stealing each other¡¯s lands reminded him of the andes. of course, the reasons and circumstances were different, but the factional form of armed men ruling over the people was the same. still, he had a fulfilling time experiencing the unfamiliar culture of a new world. and this was also true for hojo ujitsuna and the samurai. they also learned a lot about the wakan tanka empire. beyond the vast eastern sea, there existed a huge wacantanga continent that was incomparable to their own territory. that continent was unified by the wakan tanka empire, and the long-standing ban on sailing had been relaxed. they also learned about the spirit faith and kim kiwoo¡¯s existence. ¡®it¡¯s really absurd.¡¯ hojo ujitsuna thought as he fiddled with an imperial gold coin. he looked at kim kiwoo¡¯s face engraved on the coin. a face that looked like it was in its mid-twenties at most. it didn¡¯t look old at all. but this guy had built the empire from scratch. and he was still maintaining the same appearance, which made him feel like he was nothing less than a living god. there were denno in this land too, but hojo ujitsuna knew well that even denno couldn¡¯t escape the flow of time. but no matter how he looked at it, it didn¡¯t seem like the sailors were lying. ¡®that¡¯s not important right now.¡¯ hojo ujitsuna suppressed his curiosity. what was more important was how to make them like him and accept his advanced culture. so, after discussing with his subordinates, hojo ujitsuna invited the swift rope to odawara castle. ¡°have you been comfortable here?¡± ¡°thanks to your grace, we have been resting very comfortably. we are very grateful for your kindness.¡± ¡°it¡¯s only natural to welcome a precious guest who came from far away. rather, we are thankful that you came here first.¡± ¡°don¡¯t mention it.¡± the atmosphere on both sides was amicable. they continued to chat about odawara castle and other trivial matters. when the mood was ripe, hojo ujitsuna got to the point. ¡°i heard that you came here as soon as the ban on sailing was lifted.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. not only us, but many fleets are spreading to various parts of the world.¡± ¡°then there is a high possibility that other fleets of the empire have come to other regions of this land?¡± ¡°probably. i heard that this land is skewed to the east.¡± as he expected. hojo ujitsuna¡¯s chest sank a little at the confirmation of the swift rope. ¡®if the empire¡¯s weapons and goods go to other powerful daimyos¡­¡¯ it would be bad for him, that was for sure. so, hojo ujitsuna felt more determined to hold on to the man in front of him. hojo ujitsuna spoke bluntly. ¡°i won¡¯t beat around the bush. we desperately need the help of the empire. if it¡¯s okay with you, would you join hands with us?¡± ¡°hmm? join hands?¡± ¡°as you said earlier, this island is skewed to the east, and this place is in the eastern coastal region. so if you stop by here every time you sail, we will provide you with everything you need. whether it¡¯s coal, people, or food.¡± ¡°as far as i know, you don¡¯t mine coal¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s not a problem. we will somehow get enough coal for you, so don¡¯t worry.¡± the swift rope felt a bit tempted. he needed a place to supply coal and food anyway. he continued. ¡°mr. swift rope, you can¡¯t stay here forever, can you? there is a huge continent in the west, and it has much more resources than here. it¡¯s a very wealthy region.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve heard that.¡± ¡°so if you allow us, we will sell the empire¡¯s products on your behalf in this land. and we will take only the minimum profit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± if his words were true, it was a very generous offer. he would sell the empire¡¯s products to other regions for them¡­ and he would return most of the profits. and his proposal was not over yet. ¡°lastly, we will spare no support for the spirit faith of the empire to take root in this land.¡± the spread of the spirit faith was also a very important and sensitive issue, so he was even more tempted by this voluntary offer. he seemed to give up everything he had. so he became more suspicious. ¡°why do you want to do this so much? you must have something you want from us.¡± ¡°i want this land. i want to pacify this chaotic era with my own hands.¡± it was a goal that he honestly doubted was possible until he knew of the empire¡¯s existence. but after they came, hojo ujitsuna changed his mind. ¡°i need the empire¡¯s advanced weapons to do that. please sell those weapons to us. i beg you.¡± swift rope felt a strong flame of desire in his eyes. he looked like a huge beast crouching down. ¡®weapons¡­¡¯ the sailing ban was not completely lifted, but relaxed. of course, there were things that were prohibited. for example, human trafficking such as slave trade, or actions such as occupying a region by force. the interpreters from the foreign ministry on board were in charge of interpreting and monitoring the delegation at the same time. if such a serious violation was detected and reported by the interpreters, they would be punished severely for violating the imperial decree. if all the interpreters were killed, most of the sailors would be interrogated, and their lives and health were very important in the delegation. and there were also items that could not be traded, such as steam engines, ships of the empire, and books containing core technologies. among them, there were some restrictions on imperial weapons. the sale of new weapons was prohibited for the security of the empire. ¡®but old weapons are available for sale.¡¯ the weapons that were mass-produced in the past. they were useless in the empire, taking up only warehouse space, but it was a different story elsewhere. swift rope told him honestly about this fact. that old imperial weapons were available for sale. ¡°can i see those old weapons then?¡± ¡°sure.¡± he had brought plenty of old weapons because he thought this might happen. even though they were old, muskets and old steel cannons were still formidable weapons in japan. hojo ujitsuna realized this as soon as he saw the demonstration of these old weapons. especially, those steel cannons would show tremendous power in siege warfare. ¡°i am satisfied with these weapons. will you accept my offer?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°oh, and please take my son with you. he wants to learn a lot about the empire from you, mr. swift rope.¡± ¡°well, that¡¯s not difficult.¡± ¡°haha. thank you.¡± and hojo ujitsuna gestured to his son and said. ¡°greet the old man.¡± ¡°hello. i am hojo ujitsuna.¡± ¡°good. nice to meet you.¡± that¡¯s how hojo ujitsuna joined swift rope¡¯s party. *** after that, both sides signed a treaty with refined conditions. and they entrusted hojo ujitsuna with various products brought from the empire. of course, they couldn¡¯t trust him completely, so they decided to station some sailors there. and they loaded a lot of guides and local workers to the continent on board. thanks to that, the number of people on board increased rather than decreased. as the preparations for departure were almost finished. ¡°captain!¡± dark sky rushed into the room where swift rope was. the guy who was calm in everything was flushed with panic, and swift rope¡¯s face was filled with curiosity. ¡°¡­why are you so sudden?¡± ¡°please, please look at this!¡± he stuttered and handed him a book. ¡°what is this?¡± swift rope casually took the book and, like dark sky, his eyes widened. and he immediately flipped through the book quickly. ¡°what?¡± a word that seemed absurd came out of his mouth. swift rope closed the book after flipping through all the pages in his place. and he asked dark sky. ¡°what is this? this is the imperial script, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°ye, yes. it¡¯s definitely the imperial script.¡± ¡°tell me exactly what happened!¡± soon, the whole story of the incident began to flow from dark sky. the situation was like this. in japan, there had been pirates from the past, and it was still the same now. these pirates plundered the coastal areas of china and joseon, and among them, this book flowed into japan. but coincidentally, the empire bought many local books at a very high price. so many books poured in, and among them, a book plundered from joseon was mixed in. there was a book written in hangul because king sejong had created hangul a long time ago. after hearing the whole story, swift rope thought for a while and started talking. ¡°so this is the letter of joseon, a country across the sea?¡± ¡°yes. the letters are the same, but the words are not completely different, right?¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± after that, swift rope postponed the departure date and started to find out more about this. but the more he knew, the more complicated his head became. ¡®is this possible?¡¯ he learned that this letter was called hangul in joseon¡¯s language. but, hadn¡¯t hangul been created less than a hundred years ago? and it was made by the leader of the country, just like the empire. ¡®the timing is almost similar to the creation of the imperial script?¡¯ could this be dismissed as a coincidence? above all, the original form of the imperial script and the original form of hangul were too similar. of course, by now, the imperial script had changed quite a bit due to the influence of printing. ¡®then is there any connection between joseon and his majesty?¡¯ a hypothesis flashed through his head. ¡®is the person who made this letter also a descendant of the great spirit who visited this land?¡¯ if he looked at the records of the past, his majesty said that he created letters easily as if he already knew them. if this letter was the letter of the great spirits and joseon¡¯s king was also a descendant of them, it seemed to fit somehow. of course, this was just swift rope¡¯s misunderstanding, but swift rope had no other way to interpret it. ¡®this is definitely worth looking into.¡¯ swift rope originally planned to go to ming after sailing. that¡¯s because there were many precious things there. but he changed his mind after encountering hangul. he realized at once that this story could cause a huge wave in the empire. so he changed his course. ¡°we will visit joseon first, not ming!¡± he headed for korea where joseon was located. Chapter 122 chapter 122: joseon. ¡®phew¡­ this is really exhausting.¡¯ lee yeok, who would later be called king jungjong, felt a deep fatigue. he became the king through a rebellion against yeonsangun¡¯s excessive tyranny. but he never had any intention of becoming the king of joseon in the first place. he was just enthroned by the success of his ministers, such as sung hee-an, park won-jong, and yu soon-jung, who led the coup. moreover, he felt a great displeasure at the fact that the rebels chose the king at their own discretion. however, at that time, the power of the meritorious officials was very strong, so he could not express any dissatisfaction. therefore, lee yeok had been making numerous efforts to strengthen his royal authority and implement royal governance. he supported jo gwang-jo¡¯s sarim faction to weaken the hungu faction. but jo gwang-jo had a different goal from lee yeok, as he was interested in neo-confucian politics, and his reform policies were too radical for lee yeok¡¯s liking. so lee yeok staged a coup with his personal guards and caused the gyeongui incident, which eliminated jo gwang-jo. the problem was what happened after that. as the radical sarim faction fell, the meritorious officials¡¯ power showed signs of revival. there was no other force to check them. so from then on, he gradually appointed his relatives to office, but they formed their own faction and the political situation was a mess of chaos. ¡®i can¡¯t see any solution.¡¯ joseon was a country of scholars. that¡¯s why he tried hard to strengthen his royal authority, but it never came true. he was starting to doubt if it was really possible to enhance his royal authority. on top of that, every time he forgot about them, the japanese pirates appeared and plundered, and the jurchens in the north raided frequently. this made lee yeok¡¯s worries even deeper. *** and then another incident happened. the japanese pirates attacked and plundered joseon again. ¡°take everything you can!¡± ¡°hehe. this is very juicy.¡± the japanese pirates ransacked the coast of joseon without mercy. and when they got enough loot, they started to head back to their base. but there was something they didn¡¯t expect¡­ ¡°who are they?¡± ¡°hmm. they seem to be the japanese pirates i told you about before.¡± ¡°huh¡­ so those are the thieves? they look like they¡¯ve done a lot of robbery.¡± there were so many plundered goods that their ships were very slow. and the speed of the imperial ships was incomparable to that of the japanese pirates. ¡°what do you want to do?¡± ¡°what do you mean what do i want to do? how can we just sit still when there are thieves passing by in front of our noses? and if we catch them, it will surely help our relationship with joseon. so try to capture them as much as possible without using cannons.¡± ¡°yes!¡± as swift rope¡¯s order fell, five ships quickly cut through the sea and approached the japanese pirates. ¡°we¡¯ll help you too.¡± ¡°haha. just watch.¡± hozo ujitsuna also tried to join the fight with the japanese pirates, but swift rope refused with a smile. he didn¡¯t think he would lose to such japanese pirates at all. and this soon became evident. ¡°they seem to have given up on running away.¡± ¡°how can they escape from us with such slow ships?¡± on top of that, their ships were even slower because of the looted goods. so the japanese pirates soon gave up on fleeing and rushed towards the imperial fleet at once. when they got close enough, ¡°fire!¡± bang! as soon as the signal was given, the unfamiliar sound of gunfire from the east began to echo. tatatatatang! the empire¡¯s new guns, which had undergone many advancements, boasted excellent accuracy and penetration, turning the approaching barbarians into honeycombs. kwang! thanks to the occasional cannon fire, the barbarians were unable to form a proper camp. as a result, the barbarians¡¯ ships scattered and fled in all directions, and the empire¡¯s vanguard chased and captured most of them. ¡®my goodness¡­ i heard it from my father, but i didn¡¯t expect it to be this much. it¡¯s like they¡¯re easily subduing children.¡¯ hozo ujitsuna, who had been quietly watching the battle, felt a strong thrill at the sight of the empire¡¯s vanguard¡¯s shocking power, which he had only heard of. whether he felt that way or not, the empire¡¯s vanguard continued to move towards their destination, dragging the captured ships along. ¡°huh!¡± ¡°wha-what is that?¡± when five strange ships suddenly appeared in joseon, along with the barbarians¡¯ ships and looted goods, the coastal residents naturally panicked. this was soon reported to the authorities. the swift rope gave them a stern warning as he watched the commotion. ¡°we are not here to fight. so don¡¯t start any trouble.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. we will keep that in mind.¡± following his instructions, the empire¡¯s fleet waited quietly at a considerable distance from the land. to show that they had no intention of fighting, they planted white flags prominently. the waiting time was quite long. the authorities took a lot of preparations to deal with any possible situation before they attempted to contact the empire¡¯s vanguard. soon, three ships cautiously approached the empire¡¯s vanguard. *** no matter how chaotic the political situation was, it was a very big deal for joseon that unfamiliar ships appeared near hanyang. the reaction was divided into two groups. ¡°how dare they come this far without permission? we must never forgive them. show them the dignity of daehan right away.¡± ¡°please be lenient, your majesty!¡± ¡°but they said they don¡¯t want to fight with us. they just came too fast for us to report, and they have no ulterior motives. if they did, they wouldn¡¯t have brought us the barbarians¡¯ ships and looted goods.¡± ¡°how can you scholars abandon your humanity?¡± ¡°hmm! aren¡¯t you being too harsh?¡± ¡°did i say anything wrong?¡± as always, the confucian faction and the foreign faction bared their teeth at each other. lee yeok was lost in his own thoughts as he watched their tiresome behavior. ¡®wakan tanka empire.¡¯ the scale and speed of the empire¡¯s vanguard in the report were truly amazing. he didn¡¯t know much yet, but he could tell that their ships were better than joseon¡¯s. was that why? lee yeok felt more curiosity than displeasure at their invasion of joseon¡¯s territory. so he replied like this. ¡°of course, they are guilty of entering joseon¡¯s waters without permission, but they have done us a great favor by defeating the barbarians themselves and returning the looted goods. so i want to meet their leader and talk to him once.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, the court was filled with noise again, but after a few days of discussion, it was agreed that only a few people, including the swift rope, would enter hanyang. after that, the swift rope loaded a lot of goods on a cart and started his journey to hanyang. ¡®¡­hmm. is this really where the great spirits bless?¡¯ but he couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed as he looked at the scenery that was far inferior to the empire on his way to hanyang. and then he began to doubt. but because there was undeniable evidence called hangul, he tried his best to shake off his suspicion. ¡°hmm. it looked simple at first, but it has its own charm.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. but i prefer the bustling cities of the empire.¡± ¡°ha ha. me too.¡± although there were no buildings and roads made of cement, concrete, and bricks like in the empire, the old-fashioned wooden houses in the style of hanok were quite refreshing. he even wanted to build such buildings in the empire. and their clothes were neat, though they looked uncomfortable. of course, he, who had lived in a hot region for a long time, had no intention of wearing such stuffy clothes. as he was thinking, he finally entered the palace. a few days passed, and he finally met lee yeok, the king of joseon. ¡°i greet the ruler of this land, this humble man called swift rope.¡± he bowed to lee yeok with a joseon-style courtesy. his words were translated into japanese by the foreign ministry interpreter, and then into joseon by the japanese envoy. ¡°i am lee yeok, the king of joseon. you came from a place called wakan tanka empire, right?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°huh. how dare you claim to be an empire by yourself. it is nothing but a heinous act.¡± many of his ministers agreed with him. it was taboo to call oneself an empire in east asia, except for the great ming empire. but he said confidently. ¡°ha ha. if wakan tanka is not an empire, then there is no country worthy of being an empire.¡± ¡°what do you mean¡­¡± ¡°beyond the vast sea to the east, there is a huge continent that is not well known to the people here. it is as big as this continent.¡± ¡°nonsense! where is such a place? it¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°it¡¯s up to you to believe it or not. and wakan tanka empire is the country that unified that continent. most of the people living on the continent are imperial citizens.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± everyone, from his ministers to even lee yeok, looked surprised. they had no choice. even the ming empire, which boasted itself as the center of the world, only ruled some parts of this huge continent. but they unified such a large continent. it was too absurd a story. that¡¯s why most of his ministers soon denied it. but no matter how much they denied it, he didn¡¯t care. because his words were true. ¡°if i have a chance, i will invite the scholars of this land to wakan tanka empire. you will see for yourself when you see it with your own eyes.¡± ¡°¡­let¡¯s discuss this later.¡± lee yeok stopped the argument. ¡°that aside, you said you brought some very precious things. can i see them?¡± ¡°of course. that¡¯s why i brought them.¡± as he agreed, the industrial products from the empire began to come in one by one. ¡°what are those¡­¡± ¡°huh!¡± ¡°wow, amazing.¡± as more and more industrial products came in, his ministers changed their eyes as if they had never argued before. they were obviously amazing things. soon they were introduced one by one by jiteun haneul who came with him. among the many industrial products, especially porcelain and cotton fabrics from the empire, and paper attracted the most attention. then followed by demonstrations of weapons such as steel swords, guns, and cannons. after that, no one could disparage the technological level of the empire. lee yeok was also amazed by these amazing devices. ¡®how can they make such sophisticated and excellent things?¡¯ he was very surprised by the huge and fast ships of the imperial fleet alone, but these devices were beyond imagination. could even this huge ming empire do this? no, he was sure that they could never make these great weapons at least. maybe that¡¯s why? he began to think that maybe his absurd claims were true. ¡®wakan tanka empire¡­ i want to know more about this country.¡¯ a country that seemed to fall from the sky. it was the moment when the existence of the empire was strongly imprinted in lee yeok¡¯s mind. Chapter 123 chapter 123: regret. after his first audience, swift rope was able to stay in the palace. and whenever he had time, he continued to interact with various nobles. ¡°tsk. what a degenerate age! to be so friendly with a barbarian from across the sea.¡± sometimes, there were some nobles who were so stubborn that they disliked the meeting itself, but most of them were not like that. ¡°wow. to be able to record so easily on such stiff paper. really, it¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°haha! i really liked the soap you gave me last time. it peels off the old dirt so easily, my wife loves it.¡± ¡°and how about these sturdy and comfortable shoes? thanks to them, my feet are very comfortable.¡± ¡°more than that, the glasses are more amazing. my eyes have been dim lately, but it¡¯s much easier to read now.¡± the items that swift rope brought were truly a paradise. they all filled the gaps that had been lacking until now, and made the nobles feel a great satisfaction. thanks to that, swift rope met with many people and exchanged information. ¡®neo-confucianism¡­ it seems to have a lot of good words, but.¡¯ but swift rope could not sympathize with neo-confucianism. there were too many biased arguments, and many cases where they believed in errors that had already been scientifically proven in the empire. swift rope was much more interested in the identity of hangul than that. the reason why he visited joseon first, not the wider continent, was because of hangul. but the more he investigated hangul, the more he fell into a maze. ¡®i don¡¯t get it.¡¯ the letters that a king named sejong created with his ministers because chinese and joseon¡¯s languages were different. but there was no evidence that hangul had anything to do with spirits other than hangul itself. there should have been at least a small clue if there was a connection. just as swift rope was wrapped in doubt, lee yeok was also engulfed in deep confusion when he heard the reason why the imperial delegation visited joseon. ¡°how can the letters that king sejong created and distributed be used in the wakan tanka empire across the sea?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s truly an incredible thing. the shape of the letters is exactly the same.¡± at first, he thought swift rope was lying. but after seeing various books and documents brought from the mainland, he could not deny it. the languages were different, but the letters written on paper were the same. and even the creation time was similar. with this strange phenomenon, lee yeok¡¯s curiosity increased. as a result, lee yeok called swift rope whenever he had time and continued to have deep exchanges. ¡°is it true that there has been no change of emperor since the empire was established? the emperor who made hangul?¡± ¡°our great emperor is a living spirit who defies the flow of time. he has not changed at all since he first came down to this land.¡± ¡°a spirit¡­ i can hardly believe it.¡± ¡°when you return this time, you will be able to see him if you are among the dispatched personnel. his appearance is engraved on not only this gold coin, but also on countless statues, paintings, and artworks of the empire.¡± to be honest, lee yeok did not believe in kim ki-woo¡¯s existence no matter what, but he could not strongly deny swift rope¡¯s confident answer. ¡°i see. i guess i¡¯ll naturally find out when the delegation comes back.¡± after that, many questions and answers came and went. lee yeok seemed to want to solve all his curiosity, and threw countless questions. ¡°the reason for banning sailing was to deal with the plague from other continents¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. his majesty saw through this with his wise insight and issued a ban.¡± ¡°then did it work against the plague?¡± ¡°of course. i also received several vaccines made in the empire before i came here.¡± ¡°vaccines? tell me more about what they are.¡± swift rope explained the existence of bacteria that cause infection, immunity, and the concept of vaccines. ¡°¡­¡± even after all the explanations were over, lee yeok could not speak for a while. the plague was also a scourge in joseon that killed countless people. but to be able to prevent these things! if this was true, it would destroy all the common sense so far. ¡®come to think of it, after suffering from an epidemic, i didn¡¯t catch the same disease again.¡¯ he had this thought, but he wanted to know more precisely. ¡°can you show me the proof of this unbelievable thing? can you show it to me?¡± ¡°it¡¯s easy to show you the proof. on our way here, we saw many people with scars on their faces. perhaps they were the ones who had smallpox?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ are you talking about the pox?¡± ¡°probably yes.¡± ¡°then it must be true. the people who had the pox had their faces horribly changed.¡± ¡°and once they had it, they wouldn¡¯t get it again. this is what immunity is. and smallpox is one of the easiest diseases to make a vaccine for. you can probably make it easily in joseon.¡± bang! ¡°what!¡± he was so surprised that he jumped up from his seat. how many people had died and were dying because of smallpox so far? every time there was a big outbreak of an epidemic, the surrounding areas were devastated. until now, all he could do was hope that he could survive if he got smallpox, but the words that he could prevent it were shocking. ¡°what is that, what is that? tell me quickly!¡± ¡°haha. it¡¯s not hard to tell you. so calm down.¡± since germs and vaccines were not classified as secrets, the swift rope had no hesitation in sharing them. ¡°do you know that cows also suffer from a disease similar to smallpox?¡± ¡°really?¡± he didn¡¯t know much about it, so he tilted his head. ¡°you¡¯ll find out if you investigate. it¡¯s called cowpox, and if a person gets cowpox, they get over it lightly for a few days and then recover. the scars are hardly left.¡± ¡°are you saying that people who get cowpox don¡¯t get smallpox?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. if you want, i¡¯ll tell you in detail how to make cowpox, how to inoculate it, and how much to inoculate per person.¡± ¡°huh¡­¡± if this was true, it was amazing. ¡°then you don¡¯t get smallpox either?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. i got cowpox too.¡± ¡°hmm. then are you saying that even if you wear the clothes of people who have smallpox, there¡¯s nothing wrong with you?¡± ¡°haha. if you want, i¡¯ll prove it to you with my body.¡± ¡°¡­no need. i just said nonsense. you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine. it¡¯s not a hard thing to do.¡± *** the conversation of that day quickly spread beyond the palace to the nobles and the people of hanyang. and questions poured out to the swift rope and his party. ¡°did you really get cowpox on purpose?¡± ¡°are you really going to take smallpox into your body?¡± the swift rope answered the barrage of questions calmly and waited for the day. and the promised day came. ¡°¡­you can still back out now. there¡¯s no need to treat your body so harshly that your parents gave birth to.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°if that¡¯s what you think, i won¡¯t stop you.¡± after passing the last dissuasion of lee yeok, the swift rope and his party went to a house in the city where a person infected with smallpox lived. the house was isolated because of the outbreak of smallpox. and inside there were two patients with smallpox lying down. ¡°tsk!¡± the swift rope looked at the two men who were suffering from fever and blisters and clicked his tongue. if they had known about cowpox, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten smallpox. ¡°come this way.¡± following the gesture of the guide who had already survived smallpox, swift rope and his companions approached the smallpox patients. and they began to make contact with them. time passed. unfortunately, both of the patients who had contracted smallpox died without overcoming the disease. but no matter how much time passed, swift rope and his companions did not catch smallpox, nor did they show any signs of change. and finally, the promised date passed. ¡°my goodness¡­ it¡¯s true that they can prevent smallpox!¡± ¡°it¡¯s not just one or two people, but none of them got smallpox.¡± the people who had witnessed the whole process could not help but marvel at the astonishing result. and so did lee yeok. ¡°your words were true. indeed, the knowledge of the wakan tanka empire is admirable and amazing.¡± ¡°it¡¯s because we have explored many kinds of knowledge under the great emperor. and even now, countless scholars are conducting research in their respective fields to find the truth. immunology is just one of them. of course, thanks to immunology, the imperial citizens were able to escape from the fear of epidemics to some extent.¡± ¡°i see. i¡¯m really envious.¡± lee yeok was very envious of the reality of the wakan tanka empire that he had heard. across the distant sea, such a brilliant civilization was flourishing, but in this land of joseon, there was a constant struggle for power. ¡®the emperor of wacantanga must be a great person. how nice it would be if i had such absolute power.¡¯ he had heard that no one in the empire could defy the emperor¡¯s name. he was also the living spirit itself, and the founder who had created such a dazzling civilization. ¡®a spirit¡­¡¯ speaking of which, he had heard that the letters in wacantanga, which were exactly the same as hangul, were recognized as the letters of the spirits. thanks to that, swift rope treated him so well because he was a descendant of king sejong. king sejong could have been a descendant of a great spirit. ¡®¡­maybe through this, i can strengthen royal power like the wakan tanka empire?¡¯ he had this thought for a moment, but it was not an easy thing to do. unlike the empire, joseon was a country of scholars. ¡®but¡­ it seems like there is no better way than this in the current situation.¡¯ he felt it after experiencing many failures. if he tried to strengthen royal power like this, he would never be able to achieve absolute monarchy no matter how much time passed. of course, this was just a thought in his head. he didn¡¯t know what kind of trouble would happen if he said it out loud. he might even be driven out like yeonsan-gun. lee yeok erased his thoughts and said to swift rope. ¡°then i¡¯ll try to inoculate some of the people who haven¡¯t got smallpox with cowpox first. after some time, the efficacy of cowpox will be confirmed.¡± ¡°it will surely be recorded as a brilliant choice. as time goes by, there will be no more people who fear smallpox in this land.¡± of course, many people opposed this proposal later, but thanks to lee yeok¡¯s firm determination, a trial cowpox inoculation began. and soon after, it was proven that cowpox could fight off smallpox. however, there were many people who were reluctant to get vaccinated because of the rumor that if they took cow¡¯s pus into their body, they would become cows. but thanks to the excellent efficacy of cowpox, cowpox vaccination gradually took root in joseon. after that, swift rope and his companions stopped by china and bought many relics, books, tea, silk and other things in exchange for imperial goods. although there was a ban on trade at that time, it was not very difficult to smuggle because the ming dynasty¡¯s national fortune was very weak at that time. ¡®it was a very satisfying voyage. time to go back.¡¯ with this, swift rope¡¯s first voyage came to an end. on the returning ship, there were quite a lot of foreigners on board, including japanese people led by hojo ujitsuna , joseon¡¯s envoy group, and ming dynasty¡¯s merchants. it was just before foreigners began to visit the empire in earnest. Chapter 124 chapter 124: the visit. many young scholars participated in this envoy mission. they were especially curious about the wakan tanka empire, and they hoped to learn more about the empire and use it to their advantage in their own country. it also required a lot of stamina to travel long distances by sea. thanks to that, more than a hundred scholars boarded the ship, ranging from those who had passed the civil service exam in the past to those who were still preparing for it. among them was a young scholar who would later become one of the greatest scholars of joseon, along with yi yulgok i, toegye yi hwang. he was fascinated by the unfamiliar learning that came from the wakan tanka empire. what he paid attention to in particular was immunology. ¡®the cause of infectious diseases is something so small that it cannot be seen by the eye?¡¯ this was something that was hard to believe for yi hwang. however, the empire¡¯s immunology was very systematic, and they actually succeeded in preventing smallpox by using cowpox through inoculation. ¡®i want to know more.¡¯ yi hwang, who was preparing for the civil service exam, wanted to learn more about the empire¡¯s learning. how it differed from the neo-confucianism that he was studying. that¡¯s why he wanted to join this envoy mission, and luckily, he was included in it. ¡°it¡¯s as huge as i heard.¡± ¡°i heard that ship is so fast.¡± yi hwang nodded his head unconsciously as he heard the voices of the surrounding scholars. ¡®amazing.¡¯ the huge ship that stretched out in front of them was impressive enough to make them admire it. ¡°everyone, please board!¡± soon after. the boarding began with the shout of the envoy official. the ship that carried yi hwang and all the scholars started to head towards the sea after a while. splash! whoosh! swish! squeak! and then, the coal started to burn and the steam engine began to work. ¡°wow!¡± as the power of steam started to push the seawater away, the scholars felt a sudden acceleration and exclaimed. ¡®it¡¯s so fast.¡¯ yi hwang looked at the sea that was pushed back and opened his eyes wide. it was impossible to achieve such a speed with just wind or oars. not to mention that this ship was not small in size. he realized then why people were so surprised by the empire¡¯s ship. ¡®what is that thing¡­¡¯ the empire¡¯s technology was truly amazing enough to make him marvel at it. yi hwang was really curious about what that noisy metal thing was that made such a fast speed possible. this was also true for other young scholars. so they went to see nalleun basseul, who was fluent in their language, and asked him about the steam engine. ¡°the steam engine, you say?¡± ¡°yes. i¡¯m curious how it can achieve such a fast speed.¡± ¡°haha. the principle is not difficult. have you ever seen a pot being heated?¡± ¡°when i cook rice or something, i have seen it a few times.¡± ¡°then you must have seen the lid of the pot being lifted when it boils vigorously.¡± some of the scholars nodded their heads at this question. nalleun basseul smiled and continued his explanation. ¡°it uses this phenomenon of the lid being lifted. when water is heated, it becomes steam, and this steam expands to a much larger volume than water. with just the heat from heating the pot, it only lifted the lid, but if you use it like this to make an engine, you can turn a machine with the tremendous power of steam.¡± ¡°the power of steam¡­¡± the scholars listened to his explanation, but they still looked puzzled. ¡°you will understand better if you see it for yourself. please follow me.¡± after that, the swift rope led the scholars to see the working steam engine. and every now and then, when the steam engine was resting, he also let them touch the cooled steam engine. ¡®it¡¯s scary.¡¯ the more yi hwang learned about the steam engine, the more he felt fear beyond astonishment. to withstand the power of the steam that burst out strongly, even the smallest parts were very precise. even if he gathered all the best craftsmen in joseon, it was impossible to imitate it at all. in yi hwang¡¯s view, the technological level of the wakan tanka empire surpassed not only joseon, but also the huge ming empire. ¡®¡­i was a frog in a well.¡¯ he had only experienced a little bit of immunology and steam engines, and the empire¡¯s industrial goods, but yi hwang felt this clearly. and he felt a strong desire to experience the empire¡¯s mainland as soon as possible. *** it didn¡¯t take long for the swift rope¡¯s ship to reach the wakan tanka continent again. they departed from the western port of the northern continent, but they returned to yanghae. yanghae was also designated by kim ki-woo as a return permit area, and it was the center of trade that connected the east sea and the west sea. thanks to that, most of the giant trading companies had branches in yanghae without fail. so swift rope planned to sell many of the goods he brought on board to giant trading companies. ¡°this place is¡­¡± ¡°hmm!¡± and finally, when they arrived at yanghae. everyone on board, regardless of nationality, was greatly shocked. the common sight of tall buildings and countless people, and the sight of railways laid out all over, and steam locomotives running loudly on them. it was their first time seeing such a highly developed city. there, a huge crowd of people moved briskly and worked. and their outfits were all sophisticated and cool. ¡®is this¡­the wakan tanka empire?¡¯ yi hwang shivered at the overwhelming sight. the most impressive thing was of course the steam locomotive. ¡®that must also use a steam engine, right? i¡¯ve heard of it, but steam engines are really amazing.¡¯ the shock of outsiders did not end there. while swift rope sold many goods to giant trading companies and interpreters reported to the ministry of foreign affairs, the rest of them toured yanghae city with sailors who returned together. a huge square and neatly paved roads, tall buildings and statues of kim ki-woo. and they tasted yanghae¡¯s most popular dish, seasoned chicken. for a few days, they experienced a new world together. this continued until swift rope finished all his work. after that, swift rope took people from korea, japan, china and other three countries and headed to the capital. ¡®i heard there are a lot of steamships.¡¯ the five ships that came to joseon looked very special, but that wasn¡¯t it. steamships going back and forth between yanghae and the east sea were so common that they stepped on their feet. and they were fast. it didn¡¯t take long after they left port to arrive at the southern port of the mainland. this was also true for rivers. he had heard that there were a lot of rivers in the empire, and this was true. yi hwang rode a steamship speeding along the river and saw neatly maintained waterways with his eyes. and finally he got off the boat and rode a steam locomotive for the first time in his life. ¡°wow!¡± the ride of the steam locomotive was different from that of a steamship. yi hwang burst out with excitement without knowing it as he watched nature pass by quickly behind him. he was afraid that the steam locomotive might break down and cause a big accident. but nothing like that happened until he arrived in the capital. ¡°this is the capital¡­¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it amazing? this is where the great emperor first descended to the earth and established the foundation of the empire with the creek tribe. of course, it won¡¯t be called the capital anymore once it moves to the north soon.¡± swift rope proudly told various stories about the capital as he walked around with the guests who had visited the empire for the first time. meanwhile, they finally arrived at the imperial palace, the heart of the empire and where kim kiwoo resided. *** ¡°haha.¡± kim kiwoo skimmed through the report of the ministry of foreign affairs official who had joined swift rope¡¯s group and let out a hollow laugh. ¡®well, i guess it¡¯s understandable that they¡¯re curious.¡¯ king sejong had created hangul around the same time that he had established the imperial standard language. it looked like there was some special connection between them to others. swift rope had headed to joseon to dig into this. ¡®joseon¡­¡¯ kim kiwoo thought of the land where joseon was, the korean peninsula. the region where he was born and spent most of his life. his roots were still in the korean peninsula, although they had faded a lot by now. that¡¯s why he felt more attached to it than anywhere else. he hoped that this history would not suffer the same tragedy as before. he was willing to give some small support for that. he organized his thoughts and read the report again. and at the end, there was a list of guests who had visited the empire. among them, there were some unfamiliar names. the most impressive ones were two people. ¡®hojo ujitsuna and yi hwang¡­¡¯ two people who had left their marks in the history of each region visited at the same time. ¡®interesting.¡¯ among them, yi hwang¡¯s visit was a bit more intriguing, who would later become the leader of yeongnam school. ¡®i¡¯ll get to meet a great man who i¡¯d only see on bills.¡¯ of course, he was young now, so his appearance would be completely different. ¡°where are they?¡± ¡°are you referring to the foreigners?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°they are staying at a separate palace.¡± kim kiwoo gave an order immediately after hearing the answer from his inner official. ¡°i want to meet them personally, so make some time for me.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± the meeting took place that night according to kim kiwoo¡¯s will. ¡°we greet the great emperor.¡± most of them were already deeply impressed by the huge and splendid civilization of the empire. so they showed kim kiwoo their utmost respect. ¡®he doesn¡¯t age! the rumors were true!¡¯ ¡®wow¡­ is he really a living spirit?¡¯ their surprise grew even more after seeing his young appearance that perfectly matched what they had seen on coins, statues, paintings, and artworks. the absurd claim that he had escaped aging turned out to be true. ¡°raise your heads and sit comfortably.¡± kim kiwoo seated them and started a conversation. ¡°you must have been tired from traveling far. well, how did you like our empire?¡± ¡°¡­it was truly amazing. i couldn¡¯t compare it to where i lived.¡± hojo ujitsuna spoke first. then followed by abundant food, huge amounts of gold and silver coins in circulation, cities that surpassed imagination, sewers, public baths, paved roads, steamboats and steam engines. they listed the advantages of the empire for a long time. kim kiwoo listened to their words attentively, then turned his gaze to yi hwang and asked. ¡°what is your name?¡± ¡°i am called yi hwang.¡± ¡°yi hwang¡­ i want to hear your thoughts.¡± kim kiwoo¡¯s words made yi hwang¡¯s eyes sparkle. ¡°i also have the same thoughts. the wakan tanka empire is truly a great nation, and his majesty who achieved this is truly a great person.¡± ¡°ha ha. that is a very kind thing to say.¡± kim kiwoo smiled brightly, and yi hwang continued. ¡°your majesty, may i ask you for one thing?¡± ¡°what is it? go ahead and tell me.¡± ¡°after arriving in the empire, i realized how much of a frog in a well i was. if your majesty permits me, i would like to stay in the empire and learn from the empire¡¯s scholarship.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, most of the people, regardless of their origin, agreed with yi hwang¡¯s opinion. they wanted to know the reason why the empire was able to achieve such a brilliant civilization. kim kiwoo nodded his head. ¡°that is not a difficult thing. i will specially allow you to study in any department of your choice at the university. so try hard to learn well.¡± ¡°we are deeply grateful, your majesty!¡± and so, yi hwang and the other outsiders began to deeply study the empire¡¯s scholarship. Chapter 125 chapter 125: the change of the era. after the meeting with kim ki-woo was over, the guests from the east toured the empire¡¯s bustling areas and major cities, including the capital. the climax was when they visited the empire¡¯s top industrial city, black sky. by now, many industrial complexes had sprung up in the north, but as a single industrial city, black sky was still the largest. the group witnessed how raw materials were transported by rail, and how they were processed into products. after seeing all this, yi hwang fell into deep thought. ¡®i think i understand why the empire¡¯s products are so abundant.¡¯ the countless factories that led the empire¡¯s mass production were shocking to say the least. in joseon, paper similar to hanji, which was so hard to produce, was mass-produced here by a substance called sulfuric acid. this explained how the paper that went into the books and newspapers that were widely available in the market was supplied. and that was not all. the sight of high-quality steel, incomparable to joseon¡¯s iron, literally spewing out was something he would not forget even in his dreams. when he saw them being processed into many iron products right away, he had no more strength to marvel. after the empire tour was over, the group dispersed to their assigned universities. there were not many who were assigned to the heart of the empire¡¯s scholarship, imperial university, and one of them was yi hwang. ¡°are you sure i can study at imperial university?¡± ¡°haha. it seems that his majesty likes you very much. i hope you learn a lot before you return.¡± ¡°thank you very much.¡± kim ki-woo was very considerate of key figures like yi hwang and hojo ujitsuna. he told them to learn the imperial language well at the university, and then study the empire¡¯s scholarship in earnest. of course, there were many eyes on them as strangers from another land, but yi hwang was quite lucky in this regard. ¡°are you the person who came from a country called joseon?¡± ¡°yes. my name is yi hwang.¡± ¡°haha! nice to meet you. can you spare me some time?¡± ¡°that¡¯s fine, but what is it about?¡± ¡°i¡¯m very curious about joseon¡¯s hangul.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± at this time, many of the swift ropes had returned to the empire. thanks to this, there were many issues that made the empire noisy, but among them, the hot potatoes were joseon¡¯s hangul and the existence of king sejong who created it. the illiteracy rate of the empire was quite low. if you exclude those who had recently merged and became imperial citizens, it was so low that you could say it was extremely low. this was thanks to the policy of mandating writing and basic education. to these imperial citizens, the appearance of hangul that was identical to the letters they learned was enough to arouse curiosity. of course, the swift ropes testified that they had no other contact with the empire or the great spirit other than hangul, but this was not enough to satisfy the curiosity of the imperial citizens. ¡°it¡¯s not hard, but i don¡¯t know why hangul and imperial letters match either.¡± ¡°that¡¯s okay. just tell me what you know.¡± especially, the scholars¡¯ curiosity was even more outstanding. and this was the center of scholarship, imperial university. thanks to this, scholars who wanted to study joseon and hangul frequently called yi hwang and asked him numerous questions. yi hwang told them everything he knew and naturally learned more deeply about the empire¡¯s scholarship. the history of the empire, philosophy, electricity, chemistry, genetics and immunology, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and so on. especially, yi hwang experienced his fixed ideas being shattered as he observed microorganisms through a microscope for real. ¡®what have i been studying all this time¡­¡¯ the more he learned about the advanced scholarship of the empire, the more yi hwang felt engulfed by a deep sense of inferiority. he felt pathetic for his past self who had devoted his life to studying neo-confucianism by reciting zhu xi¡¯s words. the people of the wakan tanka empire did not know about the doctrine of neo-confucianism, but they had a very idealistic way of life. the citizens of the empire enjoyed a prosperous life without greed, and pursued learning and knowledge. on the other hand, look at joseon. the so-called scholars who claimed to be neo-confucianists were blinded by selfishness and caused trouble every day. countless people were starving from hunger, and foreign invasions were very frequent. ¡®neo-confucianism is not the answer. joseon must change like the wakan tanka empire.¡¯ yi hwang realized this earnestly. in his view, this was a time of great upheaval in the world. wasn¡¯t the giant dragon that had been crouching in the west stretching its limbs? the world would change rapidly in the future. in order for joseon not to fall behind in this current, it had to carry out reforms like the empire. yi hwang strongly argued his thoughts at a regular meeting with about a hundred scholars. ¡°i am afraid. i fear that joseon will continue to walk on the wrong path, while the wakan tanka empire will cause a great change. look at the empire. aren¡¯t they constantly developing by the countless scholars and craftsmen who are there right now?¡± ¡°¡­that may be true. but, what can we do if we go back to joseon now?¡± ¡°we have to do anything. in order for joseon, the country that king taejo founded, to last forever. i will definitely change joseon. if not us, who have accurately grasped the reality of the empire, then who can do it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the atmosphere became tense at yi hwang¡¯s rather radical claim. but that was only for a moment. soon, people who agreed with yi hwang¡¯s claim appeared one after another. ¡°i will also contribute to joseon¡¯s change. even if it ends badly, i have no regrets if i can change joseon like the empire.¡± ¡°haha! that¡¯s what i¡¯ve been thinking all along while learning from the empire¡¯s scholarship. good. let¡¯s give it a try!¡± of course, there were still many scholars who had not made up their minds, but a majority of them agreed with yi hwang¡¯s plan and the mood became heated. thus, a faction that wanted to reform joseon was formed around yi hwang in this place, the wakan tanka empire. *** while such changes were slowly happening in the east, the relationship between the wakan tanka empire and europe was gradually shifting. since the first and second imperial expeditions visited europe, imperial goods had been imported into europe. moreover, more goods came in through several illegal trades by imperial merchants. the imperial goods were of very high quality and rare, so they were very expensive. in this situation, the rough identity of the empire was revealed. the existence of the wakan tanka continent across the western sea, and the wakan tanka empire there. and that there were many precious items there, including gold and silver. ¡°there is el dorado over there!¡± ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± thanks to this, many european ships competed to sail toward the wakan tanka continent. they received national support and headed west. but as you know, most of them died at sea. to prevent epidemics. but it took quite some time for europeans to realize this fact. in the meantime, they could not understand why so many ships that sailed did not return. they even called the western sea the sea of death. but there is no eternal secret. this fact was revealed by those who barely survived and returned. ¡°what? the wakan tanka empire has been sinking all our ships? how dare those ungrateful bastards¡­!¡± this fact spread quickly throughout europe. it already cost a lot of money to launch ships, but they had been sunk so vainly like this. many kings and nobles in europe were enraged by this. the problem was that this was not the end. ¡°huh! spirits? how can such ghosts exist? they are heretics!¡± as kim ki-woo had once feared, europeans¡¯ reactions to spirit worship were cold. moreover, the fact that kim kiwoo was a living spirit added fuel to the fire. ¡°a human who doesn¡¯t die? where can you find such a person!¡± ¡°that¡¯s impossible.¡± they dismissed the fact that kim kiwoo was immortal as a mere rumor. they could never accept such a rumor. if it was not a rumor but a fact, then it would mean that the spirit faith was right, and this would shake their religious views to the core. that¡¯s why they had to deny it no matter what. if this was all, the europeans¡¯ hostility might have gradually subsided. but as the age of exploration of the empire began, not of europe, the fierce competition between the empire and europe started everywhere. the imperial merchants used their overwhelming funds, the very superior goods of the empire, and the very fast mobility of the gibeomseon as weapons to dominate the trade markets all over the world. ¡°damn! those damn wakan tanka bastards¡­¡± ¡°how can we go back to our country with just this! damn it!¡± the europeans, who had opened a new route around cape of good hope in africa and started to gain a lot of profits, were repeatedly frustrated by the imperial merchants. there, the imperial fleet visited africa and learned about the reality of the slave trade in europe, mainly portugal. ¡°how can humans treat other humans so horribly as slaves?¡± ¡°the white-skinned ones are very treacherous and cruel people.¡± the sailors, who were faithful believers of the spirit faith, could not tolerate this inhuman behavior that went against the spirit and will of the empire. therefore, the imperial fleet used their overwhelming firepower to destroy the slave traders and their fortresses. ¡°th-thank you so much¡­ sob!¡± and they freed the slaves who had been living a life worse than human. the use of force against europeans was not only this. at that time, colonies such as goa in india, malacca in malay peninsula, hormuz in persian gulf, etc. were built mainly by portugal, but the empire did not approve of such forced occupation against the will of the natives. this was also influenced by the fact that europe¡¯s perception was very bad in the empire at that time. the imperial fleet contacted the natives of the areas that had been forcibly occupied and asked for their opinions. ¡°do you want those pale-faced ones to rule over you like they do now?¡± when they asked this question, without exception, ¡°of course not! please, please help us!¡± they got similar responses. of course, there were some who did not trust the imperial fleet that suddenly appeared, but what did they have to lose? the imperial fleet attacked many areas that had begun to be colonized and drove them out and freed the natives. and when they saw this, the natives were astonished. ¡°wow! the power of wakan tanka empire is truly amazing¡­¡± this powerful force and peaceful exchange had a very positive effect on the image of the empire. through this process, the name of wakan tanka empire spread throughout the world. thanks to this, people who wanted to visit the empire directly like joseon, china, and japan increased day by day, and they were greatly surprised by the sight of highly developed cities after visiting the empire like the first visitors from east asia. thus began the true age of wakan tanka empire. Chapter 126 chapter 126: oil. not all the foreign visitors had a positive image of the empire¡¯s cities. ¡°ugh! i can¡¯t breathe¡­¡± ¡°why is everything so hazy?¡± at that time, the scale of the industrial sector in the black sky was growing rapidly, and so was the coal consumption. the chimneys spewed out smoke all day long, polluting the air of the black sky severely. the visitors who had lived in a clean environment without pollution were very uncomfortable with this air pollution, as they had no resistance to it. as a result, they admired the many factories of the black sky, but they were reluctant to stay in this city for long. to be precise, even the imperial citizens hated the scenery of the black sky. ¡°if this wasn¡¯t my workplace, i would have moved to another city¡­ sigh, the air quality is getting worse every day.¡± even the people who lived and worked in the black sky thought so, let alone¡­ people could instinctively sense that inhaling pollution was bad for their health, even without any research. it was only because they kept expanding the industrial zones and dispersing the polluted areas that it was this bad. thanks to that, the issue of environmental pollution caused by industrialization was constantly raised. ¡°your majesty! the smoke problem in the industrial cities, especially in the black sky, is serious. the complaints of many imperial citizens living in the black sky are increasing day by day, and the smoke is spreading to nearby cities. this is also true for the capital.¡± many ministers agreed with that statement. the distance between the black sky and the capital was not very far. the damage from the smoke affected not only the ministers and their families who lived in the capital, but also how could they ignore it? ¡°you don¡¯t think his majesty doesn¡¯t know that, do you? his majesty has been preparing for this for a long time, and ordered to build many industrial zones.¡± ¡°do you think i don¡¯t know that? it¡¯s just that it seems like the damage will get worse as time goes by¡­¡± ¡°if you¡¯re so worried, you should come up with a solution before you speak. there¡¯s no point in just pointing out the problem.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve been saying the solution for a long time.¡± ¡°¡­ha, are you talking about that suggestion to slowly increase the scale of industrialization?¡± ¡°you remember it.¡± the construction minister shook his head incredulously at that remark. ¡°i told you before, but that¡¯s absolutely impossible. especially at this point when demand is exploding overseas, how can you limit industrial development?¡± ¡°the construction minister is right. you should know that this is the most important time for the empire.¡± if they wanted to reduce smoke emissions, they inevitably had to regulate factories. it might be right in the long run, but it was not an easy choice for ministers who ran a country. ¡®hmm¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo stroked his chin as he watched the debate among ministers. ¡®it¡¯s a problem if it develops too fast.¡¯ as the continent was unified by wakan tanka empire and each region began to develop, demand soared. this was because they needed raw materials and goods for regional development, and as people¡¯s purchasing power increased, they bought more goods. moreover, recently overseas markets opened up and foreigners bought cheap and high-quality imperial products. of course, he expected that various problems would arise from trade imbalance and market erosion over time, but that was something to think about later. ¡°i have an idea about this issue, so let¡¯s move on for today.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± kim ki-woo stopped the debate like this. it was never a problem that could be solved by arguing in a meeting. there were many other issues to discuss at the meeting besides smoke problem. the next agenda was about overseas issues that imperial fleets encountered. ¡°problems never seem to end.¡± ¡°that¡¯s because they have different languages, cultures, and religions.¡± naturally enough, not all of the imperial fleets that crossed the ocean and arrived in other regions had friendly relations with natives. many of them started off with a hostile relationship from the beginning. ¡®because the imperial expedition looked like invaders to them.¡¯ it was rare to see people who showed great kindness to strangers from another land. as a result, there were many natives who attacked the imperial expedition without warning, and the imperial expedition had to fight many battles for defense. of course, the gap in military power was so large that it was very rare for the imperial expedition to lose, but it was hard to interact with them after such battles. ¡®even if we somehow start to interact, there are problems.¡¯ there were always some people who boarded the imperial expedition to spread their religion. they tried and tried to spread the spirit faith to unfamiliar regions. but in cases where another religion had already taken root deeply, this kind of missionary work caused a lot of conflict. even without that, there were plenty of conflicts due to cultural differences. there were even some european countries that had accumulated bad feelings with them. ¡®well, we have nothing to regret.¡¯ the most important trading partners in this era were asia, especially ming dynasty and india. asia had a much larger and richer population than europe, because they used rice as their staple food. the european countries would suffer more if they didn¡¯t trade with them. they also had no intention of letting the terrible imperialist behavior of europe before the arrival continue. ¡°let me say it again, we have no intention of coveting the land of the natives. we are already overwhelmed by exploring and developing the current continent of wakan tanka.¡± kim ki-woo reiterated this and continued. ¡°spreading the spirit faith is important, but i heard that there are some who cross the line lately. it is not right to forcefully preach in areas where religion has already taken hold. isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°your majesty is absolutely right. i will take immediate action.¡± *** after the meeting was over. kim ki-woo called in the industrial director. ¡°¡­i apologize.¡± the industrial director bowed his head as soon as he entered the office. ¡°why are you making such a face? relax.¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± ¡°hey!¡± ¡°¡­i understand.¡± ¡°sit down.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± kim ki-woo watched quietly as the industrial director sat down. he knew very well why the industrial director was like that. ¡®he¡¯s having trouble with oil drilling.¡¯ people in this era thought that the age of coal would continue. but kim ki-woo knew very well that the most important resource in the future would be oil. ¡®coal is nothing compared to oil.¡¯ petroleum products using oil would completely change human life, and the energy from oil would be used for countless machines, starting from cars. it was because oil had much better thermal efficiency than coal. this would help reduce environmental pollution compared to using coal. of course, coal use was inevitable for a while. it would take time for petrochemistry to develop. ¡®but we have to prepare in advance.¡¯ for this purpose, kim ki-woo had been preparing for oil drilling for a long time. using steam engines to drill down to where oil was located. while applying some of the future drilling technology as well. but he had not yet achieved success. kim ki-woo had ordered drilling mainly in areas where he knew oil was buried, but if he dug up the wrong spot by a little bit, he failed miserably. ¡®i thought i could hit the oil layer in one shot if i was lucky.¡¯ unfortunately, this time the goddess of fortune was not on kim ki-woo¡¯s side. but kim ki-woo did not give up. he knew very well that there was oil buried in the area where he was drilling. so, drilling was only a matter of time. ¡°don¡¯t worry at all, industrial director. just keep directing the drilling work as you are now. you will not run out of support for this.¡± ¡°i will surely repay your majesty¡¯s trust.¡± ¡°haha. i feel really reassured when you say that.¡± kim ki-woo encouraged the industrial director some more and then sent him away. after that, kim ki-woo checked the documents and reviewed the matters related to oil. ¡®fractional distillation is also getting settled.¡¯ oil is a mixture. this mixture had to be separated into lpg, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, diesel, heavy oil, asphalt, and so on. and the method for this was fractional distillation, which used the difference in boiling points of each substance. it was to capture the lowest boiling point lpg first by raising the temperature of the oil. kim ki-woo had personally ordered experiments using oil that flowed out with salt in some salt dome areas, and the results were showing up one after another. the properties of the separated oil were also being identified. ¡®i want to see petrochemical products take over the world soon.¡¯ kim ki-woo wanted to see that sight as soon as possible. *** ¡°phew¡­ is it another failure?¡± cold cloud, who had been busy drilling for oil in the area called texas before the arrival, sighed as he looked at the drill that had gone deep into the ground. kim ki-woo knew very well that there was a lot of oil buried in this texas area, so he focused on drilling here. and kim ki-woo even applied the rotary drilling method, which attached a crusher to the end of a pipe and rotated it to insert it into the ground. thanks to this, he was able to drill through the bedrock layer underground, but he still failed repeatedly. ¡®is there really oil in this ground?¡¯ he even started to have such doubts. but soon cold cloud shook his head. ¡®what am i thinking? if his majesty says it¡¯s there, it must be there.¡¯ he suppressed his doubts and prayed and prayed that oil would come out this time. but as time passed, his expression grew darker. there was a limit to how deep he could dig into the ground with the current technology. he had to stop working and dig another ground soon. he was engulfed in anxiety alone when it happened. it happened suddenly. boom! ¡°ugh!¡± ¡°ahh!¡± a huge noise rang out from where he was drilling. ¡°what, what is it!?¡± cold cloud couldn¡¯t calm his startled heart and looked at the source of the noise. ¡°¡­!¡± and he witnessed it clearly. a huge cloud spewing out from above the drill hole. it was a sight of methane gas that had been piled up on top of the cap rock of the oil trap bursting out at once. after a while. an even more shocking sight unfolded. whoosh! a dark liquid formed a huge pillar that looked over 50 meters high and shot up to the sky. ¡°everyone back off!¡± cold cloud came to his senses after seeing that sight. it was obvious that a huge amount of oil was coming out, and if he made a mistake, there could be casualties. thanks to cold cloud¡¯s instructions, people quickly backed away. he also watched the towering giant oil pillar from afar. ¡®it¡¯s beautiful.¡¯ it looked like a truly amazing natural wonder. he felt like he would never forget this sight until he died. ¡®that¡¯s oil¡­ we succeeded.¡¯ cold cloud finally confirmed that the drilling was successful. ¡°ha, haha¡­¡± then a great emotion began to rise in his chest. his hollow laughter caught the attention of his colleagues. ¡°we, we did it.¡± ¡°hahaha! we did it!¡± they hugged each other and shouted. Chapter 127 chapter 127: the situation. ¡°hahaha! i knew you guys would pull it off this time.¡± ¡°your majesty, we are sorry for taking so long to achieve results, even though you personally guided us.¡± ¡°not at all. this is your great achievement.¡± kim kiwoo praised the industrial director enthusiastically as soon as he heard the news of the successful oil drilling. of course, it had taken a lot of trial and error and a huge amount of money. it was because in this era, they needed a lot of manpower and materials to cover up for the lack of technology. but with this success, they were able to obtain an astronomical amount of oil at this point in time. ¡°is it true that an enormous amount of oil is gushing out every day from the place where you struck oil?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. it is unbelievable how much black oil there is underground. it is flowing out endlessly.¡± ¡°those will be very valuable resources in the future. i will provide enough support for you, so make sure to stockpile as much as you can.¡± ¡°we will do our best, your majesty.¡± the amount of oil that spewed out from the ground was so large that it was very difficult to store it. it was because there were hardly any oil storage facilities like in the future. therefore, they needed a huge amount of money to store all that oil. but they had to stockpile as much oil as possible, even if they had to bear the cost. it was not enough to consume all the stored oil right now, but it would change in the future. ¡®i still haven¡¯t built the foundation to use oil yet¡­ sigh, it will be a lot of work to pile up oil for a while.¡¯ it was also a problem to have too much supply. they had to increase the demand for oil from now on. but kim kiwoo was not too worried about it, because he knew the greatness of oil. he just set the direction to speed up the popularization of oil. *** kim kiwoo moved busily for a while. he carried out various tasks related to oil consumption simultaneously. he did not hesitate to present a future outlook that oil would be the core energy and raw material for many products in the future. ¡°hmm. they say that black oil is so amazing.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. his majesty emphasized it so much, so it must be true.¡± it pierced through many issues that had been stirring up the empire, and oil stole the focus of the imperial citizens. ¡°what exactly is oil?¡± ¡°i have to see how amazing it is with my own eyes.¡± thanks to that, countless imperial citizens flocked to the place where oil drilling was successful, and they confirmed the substance called oil with their own eyes. ¡°amazing!¡± ¡°wow¡­ it¡¯s flowing out endlessly, isn¡¯t it?¡± there were so many people that visitors could not get close to where the oil was drilled. but there was so much oil flowing out that they could roughly estimate its enormous amount even from afar. ¡°they say that¡¯s the most important resource in the future?¡± and naturally, people from all walks of life in the empire also began to take an interest in oil. merchants wondered how to make money with oil, and scientists and craftsmen thought about how to use it. at this time when interest in oil was hot, kim kiwoo built a large-scale facility to fractionate crude oil. and he separated crude oil into various types of petroleum products from the already existing fractionation facilities, and generously supplied them to various universities and research institutes. ¡°try various experiments with these.¡± the scholarship of the empire became more mature day by day. many theories, such as thermodynamics, had already been proven by then. so kim kiwoo no longer had to lead the research on the front line. at the universities and research institutes, even without kim kiwoo¡¯s instructions, they voluntarily worked day and night to understand the properties of various materials. ¡°petroleum¡­¡± for those scholars, petroleum was a very interesting topic that kim kiwoo had emphasized over and over again. ¡°this kerosene can be used as fuel for lamps right away, right?¡± ¡°if we do some research, we can use it for heating too.¡± among them, kerosene was the fastest to be utilized. even at that time, there were oil lamps, because they needed lamps to light up the dark places during the mining process. in this regard, kerosene had all the conditions to be highly sought after. that¡¯s why most of the scholars were more interested in other types of petroleum than kerosene. they had to give meaning to the petroleum that had no clear use yet, so that it would be recognized as a more remarkable achievement. ¡°hmm. the color is similar, and it¡¯s quite similar to coal.¡± the scholars noticed this first. it was inevitable since they were both fossil fuels. therefore, the scholars thought that it would be possible to apply it first in the things where coal was used. among them, burning petroleum to obtain power was the way that most of the scholars thought of. however, the current steam engines were external combustion engines that used steam. therefore, at first, there were quite a lot of researches on putting petroleum instead of coal. but many scholars thought differently. ¡°this petroleum might be able to compensate for the drawbacks that steam engines have had so far¡­¡± it was very easy to encounter steam engines in the empire now. that meant that they were being used in various places. numerous scholars and craftsmen tried to improve the steam engines, but there were clear limits due to the nature of external combustion engines. it was hard to miniaturize them below a certain level because the place where thermal energy was generated was outside the cylinder. that¡¯s why many research labs were conducting research on a way to generate thermal energy inside the cylinder instead of outside. in other words, internal combustion engines. but it was not easy with coal. but in front of them appeared petroleum, which was liquid and had higher thermal efficiency than coal. thanks to that, many research institutes started to conduct active research on it. of course, such changes in power paradigm and development of chemical industry took time as kim kiwoo expected. but after most of the universities and research institutes researched petroleum, various achievements began to appear as time passed. *** contrary to this, as the empire¡¯s momentum continued to ascend, the world entered a whirlpool of chaos. this was deeply related to the emergence of the wakan tanka empire. there were endless problems. first of all, despite the fact that the quality of imperial products was far superior to those of their own countries, their prices were very cheap. this was typical. among them, high-quality cotton fabrics and paper contributed greatly. these products were very light, so they could be loaded on ships in large quantities and taken far away very cheaply. ¡°huh¡­ this good cloth is only this price?¡± ¡°haha. we value credit first. so don¡¯t worry.¡± especially cotton fabrics produced in large quantities due to the industrial revolution were sold all over the world and caused a collapse in cotton prices. then, those who made a living by weaving cloth in those areas went bankrupt completely. ¡°oh my. how am i supposed to live now¡­ sob!¡± in addition, due to high-quality, cheap and diverse products, many native cottage industries suffered huge damage and many closed their doors. people no longer bought expensive products from their own countries. the regions that had enough things to trade with the empire were in good condition, but those that had nothing to trade suffered from trade deficits and became poorer and poorer. ¡°trade with wakan tanka empire is nothing but a disaster!¡± the imperial merchants did not enslave the natives or use force like the europeans in the original history, but their image was constantly tarnished by just trading. kim ki-woo watched this. ¡°this can¡¯t go on.¡± and he made a decision. he realized that if the current situation continued, it would not be good for the empire or the regions they traded with. therefore, kim ki-woo planned to foster industries that suited each region and put them into action. a lot of budget was executed at the government level, but kim ki-woo accepted it. he could have lost a lot by coveting a small thing. he gave a lot of support to activate mining in regions rich in mines. not only did he provide funds, but he also taught them advanced mining techniques and installed steam engines. and in tropical or subtropical climates, he supported them to establish plantation agriculture such as rubber, sugarcane, cocoa, tobacco, cotton, etc., and to complete the processing work in that region. these agricultural products were intended to be exported as imperial products and imported from overseas as the living conditions of the imperial people improved and they disliked doing them. ¡°just giving this much support for free. it seems like we are giving too much unilaterally.¡± as the imperial budget continued to pour out until the indigenous industries settled down, such complaints erupted. but kim ki-woo did not think this was a loss at all. the products produced in this way could be distributed exclusively by the empire as much as they invested. and this became clear over time. their labor was so cheap that it was incomparable to the labor of the imperial people, and as a result, the prices continued to fall as they started importing them from overseas. in this way, he gradually solved the trade imbalance with other countries. *** among the many imperial products that confused the world, the most confusing thing was firearms. gunpowder, guns, and cannons sold tremendously. the region that bought the most firearms was undoubtedly india. india had hardly seen a trade deficit since it started trading with the empire. ¡°indeed, the artifacts from india are amazing.¡± ¡°i want to go there if possible.¡± india had a tremendous cultural heritage from many countries, starting from the indus civilization, one of the four ancient civilizations of the world. the imperial wealthy class was crazy about these indian artifacts, and they were sold to the empire at high prices. in addition, saltpeter, which is a raw material for gunpowder, was very common in india. moreover, cotton was also cultivated in large quantities. ¡°india is truly a land of milk and honey!¡± naturally, there were many cases where india was included in the main commercial routes of the imperial merchants. thanks to this, they had enough capital to buy countless firearms from the empire, and they had a clear reason to buy firearms. at this time, india was divided into many indigenous states. originally, india had different languages ??in each region and had rarely been united. of course, there was the mughal empire established by babur, who claimed to be a descendant of timur¡¯s empire in northern india, but at this time it was just one of the regional losers. anyway, the indigenous states accepted the empire¡¯s firearms and tactical system aggressively to avoid being annihilated by other countries. thanks to this, mughal empire¡¯s expansion did not go smoothly on the indian subcontinent. the mughal empire also traded with the empire no differently than others, but naturally coastal regions were more advantageous for trade with the empire. for this reason, unlike in original history, coastal indigenous kingdoms flourished greatly. they even invaded inland kingdoms based on their accumulated wealth from trade and expanded their territory greatly. the fate of the indian subcontinent also reached a turning point due to the influence of the empire. Chapter 128 chapter 128: iron ships. recently, one of the major newspapers in the empire, the sun newspaper, conducted an interesting survey. -who do you think is the best craftsman who made the current empire possible? this survey attracted the attention of many imperial citizens. of course, if they just conducted the survey like this, most of the imperial citizens would choose kim ki-woo. he opened the iron age, started mass production of iron tools using coal, and even opened the era of steel through electric furnaces. besides, kim ki-woo¡¯s direct and indirect involvement was too extensive. therefore, this survey excluded kim ki-woo. ¡°hmm¡­ isn¡¯t it sharp teeth? he made the steam engine and invented the railway himself.¡± ¡°surely, making the steam engine was amazing. but, the railway and the steam locomotive were not his idea, but delicate glass¡¯s suggestion, right? and he also made the steamship, so i think he deserves to be called the best.¡± ¡°true. he even made the rotary propeller¡­¡± the rotary propeller meant the screw propeller of a ship. this was also delicate glass¡¯s achievement. from then on, from sharp eyes who made the first waterwheel to hot anvil who started mass production process. in addition, famous craftsmen from various fields were mentioned at least once. and when the sun newspaper announced the ranking of the survey. ¡°boss, have you seen the ranking of the best craftsmen? you are in the top ranks. haha!¡± ¡°of course i should be. didn¡¯t i invent the railway and develop the steamship so much?¡± ¡°stop being so shy and get back to work.¡± ¡°yes, yes.¡± delicate glass waved his hand at the teasing jokes of his researchers. of course, he was also proud that he ranked high among all-time craftsmen, but he never became complacent. ¡®i still have a long way to go to be a disciple worthy of my master¡¯s name.¡¯ because of this thought, delicate glass always pushed himself hard. his master, sharp teeth, died of illness last year. he refused to take the position of industrial director until his death, and poured all his efforts into developing steam locomotives. thanks to him, the current steam locomotives were incomparably faster and more efficient than the first prototype. that¡¯s why sharp teeth ranked first in this survey without any doubt. ¡®i hope you are at peace with the spirits¡­¡¯ delicate glass felt a surge of longing for his master again and prayed for a while before heading back to his laboratory. ¡°welcome back, boss.¡± ¡°good morning!¡± he received a warm welcome from his laboratory staff and researchers as he passed by them. delicate glass¡¯s laboratory was very large in scale. but delicate glass was not only a boss but also a researcher who always led the research on the front line. the purpose of establishing this laboratory was only one thing. to build iron steamships. ¡®the future of ships is in iron ships.¡¯ delicate glass had this thought since he made his first steamship. since steam engines powered ships, their size kept growing. but there was a limit to how big ships could be with wood. as time went by, the power became stronger and stronger, but there were problems with increasing the size of ships. on the other hand, iron ships could offset most of these disadvantages compared to wooden ships. the hull was made of iron, so it was much less likely to be damaged than wooden ships, and iron was easier to refine because it was iron. of course, iron ships had a drawback that they were too heavy compared to wooden ships, but if they were designed to have enough buoyancy, there was little risk of sinking in water. if they had enough power from steam engines, they could achieve sufficient speed without sails. ¡®and we have secured enough coal overseas. plus¡­¡¯ after learning about the oil-related research that was taking place in the empire, delicate glass became more certain. ¡®if a power source that surpasses steam engines is created, sailing ships will surely become obsolete.¡¯ with these thoughts accumulating, delicate glass focused all of his research lab¡¯s resources on iron ships. the construction of iron ships was an unknown field. but was there anything that delicate glass had done that was not an unknown field? he was not a man who would flinch at such difficulties. *** despite delicate glass¡¯s pride and persistence, and the abundant support he received thanks to his reputation, the iron ship experiments failed repeatedly. ¡°surely it won¡¯t sink right away this time, right?¡± ¡°hey! don¡¯t say such ominous things. this time, it will definitely succeed.¡± delicate glass had many brilliant scholars and craftsmen under him, but they had already lost a huge amount of money as giant iron ships sank several times. if it wasn¡¯t for delicate glass¡¯s reputation, the experiment might have been stopped. that¡¯s why the researchers really hoped. that this time, it would be able to sail the sea normally. ¡°remember this well. if anything goes wrong, don¡¯t hesitate to put this on and jump into the sea. got it?¡± ¡°haha. if i hear it one more time, i think blood will really come out of my ears.¡± ¡°even if blood comes out, engrave it in your mind.¡± the senior researcher grumbled, but delicate glass didn¡¯t change his expression and emphasized again. what he pointed at was a primitive life jacket made by inflating rubber with air. he had prepared them since the early stages of iron ship construction, knowing that there was a possibility of sinking. but even with such thorough preparations, he had already caused three casualties so far. therefore, delicate glass was very sensitive about safety as the chief researcher. he also proceeded with safety and final checks. after finishing all of these. delicate glass opened his mouth. ¡°good. then let¡¯s start the experiment.¡± ¡°yes!¡± following his instructions, the water gate slowly opened. swoosh! and seawater poured into the dock like a waterfall. ¡®please¡­¡¯ sometimes, water leaked into the ship from the beginning, and there was nothing more draining than that. he hoped that it wouldn¡¯t happen this time. did his prayer work? ¡®phew¡­¡¯ when the dock was filled with seawater and the iron ship floated up, there was no abnormality at all. he was able to breathe a sigh of relief. but he still couldn¡¯t relax. ¡°check for any abnormalities!¡± ¡°yes!¡± following his instructions, the researchers scattered in an orderly manner. ¡°no abnormalities here!¡± ¡°same here!¡± through this process, safety was finally confirmed. ¡°good. then let¡¯s go out to sea. start the steam engine.¡± ¡°understood.¡± they had already gone through countless training and practice sessions, so starting the steam engine was as natural as water flowing. whoosh! and with the steam engine working, the screw propeller began to spin. this made the heavy iron ship move forward. soon, the iron ship passed through the water gate and went out to sea. ¡°wow!¡± ¡°ooh!¡± as the silver giant iron wire revealed itself from the dock, the surrounding imperial citizens who had gathered to wait for its appearance cheered loudly. the completion of the iron wire and the date of the experiment were not secrets, so many spectators had flocked to see it. delicate glass, who was watching them, muttered. ¡°i hope this time those cheers won¡¯t turn into sighs of regret.¡± ¡°they won¡¯t, for sure.¡± he had already experienced such scenes several times and did not want to see them again. thus, the first day of sailing passed without incident. and this continued until the second day, and the third day. as time passed, the faces of the researchers changed from anxiety to joy. ¡°don¡¯t relax yet. the experiment is not over until it¡¯s over.¡± delicate glass¡¯s inner thoughts were not much different from those of the other researchers, but he was the chief in charge of this huge research project, so he constantly urged them to stay alert. however, after five days without any accidents, he finally confirmed it. ¡®we did it.¡¯ he had left a big mark on the imperial history once again. *** the news of the iron wire construction brought another shock to the empire. there were many factors that made the empire what it is today, but no one could deny that one of them was ships. but who would have thought that they could make ships with only iron? this was a moment when the long-held stereotype of ships was overturned. ¡°are you saying that a ship made of only iron can float on water?¡± ¡°that¡¯s impossible.¡± the people who first heard this news were skeptical. but when they learned that the one who did this was none other than delicate glass, they trusted this news more. and then they saw the performance of this ship sailing along the coast and rivers of the empire, and the crowd that came to see it confirmed that all the rumors were true. among these spectators was kim kiwoo as well. ¡°hahaha! very impressive!¡± ¡°indeed, it is. it seems to symbolize the great stature of the empire.¡± kim kiwoo laughed out loud. that¡¯s how beautiful the iron wire looked shining in the sunlight. ¡®although i can see some flaws¡­¡¯ compared to the ships of the future, it looked like a lump of scrap metal floating on water. the speed was not very fast due to the power limit, and the thickness was very thick. but this was inevitable for the first prototype. it would improve as time passed and iron wire construction technology accumulated. ¡®the demand for steel is soaring again.¡¯ steel already consumed a tremendous amount of steel. on top of that, there were steel bridges being built recently, steel bars used in concrete, and the booming demand for ironware, which made steel supply scarce even though they constantly increased the scale of steel industry. and now there was an iron ship as well. ¡®well, i expected that.¡¯ kim kiwoo was the one who ordered to invest most of the money in delicate glass¡¯s research in the first place. he knew very well that the future shipbuilding industry would start with iron and end with iron. ¡°your majesty! it¡¯s been a long time since i saw you¡­¡± ¡°you came? haha. you never disappoint me.¡± ¡°that¡¯s too much praise.¡± delicate glass bowed modestly, but his eyes were filled with deep satisfaction and joy. ¡®he deserves it.¡¯ kim kiwoo smiled and patted delicate glass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°now you should take it easy. i¡¯m worried that your body will collapse if you keep doing research. you have a lot of money, so why don¡¯t you enjoy your remaining life?¡± delicate glass had amassed a tremendous fortune from the patent fees he earned through his steamship design and screw propeller. he had so much money that he wouldn¡¯t be able to spend it all even if he splurged, before he died. ¡°very well.¡± but kim kiwoo soon realized. there was not even a fingernail¡¯s worth of sincerity in his words. delicate glass didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping here. ¡®he¡¯s a total workaholic.¡¯ he felt like he was looking at himself in the early days, when he built an empire from the creek tribe. ¡°anyway, based on your research results, i will proceed with the production of iron ships. you should be aware of that.¡± ¡°as you wish, your majesty.¡± with that, he ended his brief meeting with him and returned to the palace to hold an imperial conference. ¡°you have all heard about delicate glass¡¯s research achievements, right?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°iron ships have many advantages over wooden ships. this will become more evident as time goes by. i want a large-scale development and production of iron ships. i will order the construction of iron ship facilities throughout the country.¡± it was a project that required a huge budget. but thanks to selling various products such as firearms, gunpowder, cotton fabrics, paper, etc. overseas, and the growing scale of state-owned businesses such as steel, the government budget was more abundant than ever. and it was obvious that iron ships would exert tremendous power on the sea, so there was no opposition from the ministers. thus, the end of the wooden ship era began to show its outline little by little. Chapter 129 chapter 129: foreign policy. ¡°it¡¯s very beautiful. is this the silk that¡¯s popular these days?¡± ¡°haha. yes, it is. it¡¯s a precious product made in a place called ming across the west sea.¡± ¡°i can see why it¡¯s so popular.¡± the clerk agreed with the man¡¯s words. as their conversation suggested, silk was very fashionable in the empire. in the empire, cotton fabrics were so common that most clothes were made of cotton. there were also clothes made of deer leather and wool, but they were the main ones. for the empire¡¯s people, silk was a new world with its very soft texture and luxurious appearance. swish! ¡°ah¡­ ming tea is different from the empire¡¯s tea, i tell you.¡± ¡°i still prefer the empire¡¯s tea, but this is also quite good.¡± tea culture was quite old in the empire. of course, cocoa was very popular and some people liked the unique taste of coffee that came in recently, but drinking brewed tea leaves was common in the empire. and ming tea was very popular in the empire. lastly, the old chinese pottery had a great value. the empire also developed pottery, but the exotic and ancient pottery received a special treatment. where there is demand, there is supply. to obtain these representative ming products, as well as various relics and books that have been passed down from the long history of china, many merchants headed to ming. but it was not a normal trade. ming declared the maritime prohibition in 1371, when hongwu emperor zhu yuanzhang was in power. it was intended to wipe out the remnants of the military factions that were still in the liaodong region and to defend against the invasion of the japanese. after that, ming established the tribute trade system and continued the maritime prohibition policy. but recently, this policy was becoming ineffective. of course, the reason was a bit different. after the grand secretary zhu huzhao became the emperor, the central government became chaotic and the mongols invaded from the north. but the japanese in the south did not do as well as they did in the original history. ¡°those filthy pirates are roaming around here.¡± the empire¡¯s merchants who were passing near the ming coast captured or sank the japanese whenever they saw them. thanks to that, the main coast of ming enjoyed peace after the empire appeared. ¡°haha. welcome. look here. i have a lot of good quality products.¡± ¡°oh! really?¡± that¡¯s why the atmosphere of both sides who were doing the smuggling trade was very friendly. they established a very friendly relationship and traded the products they brought. ¡°it was a very profitable trade this time. well, see you next time.¡± ¡°take care.¡± after the empire¡¯s merchant left, the empire¡¯s products that were brought in by smuggling trade penetrated deep into the inland. there were many products, but especially the empire¡¯s cotton fabrics, paper, and writing tools were of such high quality and low price that they could not be compared with the local ones. thanks to that, even if they sold them with a considerable margin, they sold like hot cakes. this brought enormous wealth to the coastal merchants, and over time, they began to grow into a huge force. *** ¡°your majesty! we also want to be protected by the empire. we will do anything you want from the empire. please protect us!¡± ¡°uh-huh. get up.¡± ¡°i will get up if you grant my request¡­¡± kim ki-woo rubbed his head as he looked at the envoy of champa who was lying flat on the floor. ¡®this time it¡¯s champa.¡¯ at this time, champa was maintaining its power in the south of vietnam. of course, it was in a similar situation to a vassal of vietnam by now, but it still had some strength. ¡®i can¡¯t say i don¡¯t understand their position, but¡­¡¯ this was not the first or second time. cambodia, which boasted a brilliant history as the khmer empire in the past, but now fell and became a neighborhood bully of thailand and vietnam, also requested support from the empire like the envoy of champa recently. not to mention. the small countries in india and the many islands in southeast asia showed the same behavior. he understood enough. the empire¡¯s policy was not to maintain colonies overseas, and because of the distance, they were not a big threat to the royal power. and with the help of the empire, they could avoid being annihilated by the surrounding powers. ¡®and the influence of firearms is also great.¡¯ as soon as the empire started selling weapons, the war became a bit more intense. it was human nature to want to expand their power by using the new and superior weapons. ¡®but their situation is tough¡­¡¯ kim ki-woo shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i can¡¯t grant your request. the empire does not want to get involved in the local power struggles unless it¡¯s a special case.¡± of course, he intended to stop the europeans from building colonies overseas in the imperialist era, but it was unacceptable to get involved in the wrong way and get caught in a deep swamp. ¡°please, your majesty¡­¡± ¡°enough. you may leave now.¡± kim ki-woo ordered the envoy to be dismissed, and he was dragged out. after he left, the minister of defense asked kim ki-woo. ¡°your majesty. may i ask for your guidance on one thing?¡± ¡°go ahead.¡± ¡°why do you refuse all the requests from the many small countries overseas who want to voluntarily come under the empire¡¯s shadow? i would like to know your great intention.¡± kim ki-woo looked at the minister of defense. the minister of defense was a representative expansionist. he believed that instead of the soft trade, the empire should actively project its power overseas and expand its territory. and at this point, there were many people who thought like the minister of defense. ¡®it¡¯s natural.¡¯ the empire¡¯s power was overwhelming. there was no country that could compete with it. if you have power, you want to use it. that¡¯s human nature. no matter how much they emphasized peace through the spirit faith from the past, it was not easy to practice it from the perspective of ruling the country. ¡®but it¡¯s not a big benefit in the long run.¡¯ he didn¡¯t even need to look far. so far, the empire has refrained from military movements as much as possible, except for special cases. but if they start to project the empire¡¯s power to protect these small countries, it is inevitable to dispatch the imperial army. in addition, the military expenses spent to maintain the army in the distant expedition area, and the various damages that would occur to the imperial army in the local area, were not profitable at all. it would be different if they ruthlessly plundered the local people they protected, but they had no such intention. ¡°i know you are not satisfied.¡± ¡°di, dissatisfied? we never had such a disgraceful thought.¡± ¡°haha. don¡¯t worry too much, i¡¯m not blaming the minister of defense. but, remember this. if we, the people who run the state affairs, pursue short-sighted policies, the ones who suffer are the empire¡¯s people.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± he said it indirectly, but it was no different from criticizing the minister of defense¡¯s argument as short-sighted. ¡°your army¡¯s blood is precious. you are their leader. you need to feel the weight more. keep in mind. it may be easy to occupy overseas regions, but it is very hard to maintain them.¡± ¡°¡­i will keep your words in my heart.¡± after the conversation with the minister of defense ended. the atmosphere of the conference room was very cold. it was rare for kim ki-woo to speak in such a strong tone. but fortunately, this atmosphere did not last long. the question of the minister of foreign affairs followed immediately. ¡°your majesty, if i may ask, how do you plan to deal with the naturalization of overseas people?¡± this was also a very sensitive topic. but he couldn¡¯t avoid it either. lately, the number of people who wanted to become the empire¡¯s people from overseas increased rapidly. the situation of the empire spread widely by word of mouth. it was thanks to the people who came to the empire from various places and went back to their countries and talked about the reality of the empire. and rumors tend to get exaggerated as they pass from mouth to mouth. ¡®of course, some of it is true.¡¯ at least, they could live a prosperous life without starving, and they could go to faraway places quickly by train and ship. ¡°do we have to accept the naturalization from overseas? there is no clause in the empire¡¯s constitution that accepts naturalization from overseas in the first place.¡± ¡°i agree with that.¡± kim ki-woo nodded at the opinions of the ministers who opposed naturalization. ¡®we don¡¯t need to accept naturalization from overseas because of the population.¡¯ he unified the continent, distributed vaccines widely, and improved the nutritional status with abundant food. there, he continued to implement the child care encouragement policy and the prosperity was endless. thanks to that, the population of the continent grew like crazy, like an amoeba. of course, he planned to increase the population more, but this was enough to be satisfied naturally over time. there, in the past, when the empire was declared, there was this clause in the constitution. -anyone who belongs to the same continent can become an equal empire¡¯s person as soon as they submit to the empire. the important thing here was that it only targeted the same continent, that is, the wakantanka continent. it meant that there was no legal basis to accept naturalization from overseas. of course, this was an excuse, and it could be changed at any time if kim ki-woo wanted. and kim ki-woo was not very displeased with naturalization. kim ki-woo organized his thoughts and opened his mouth. ¡°the wakantanka continent is the land of our wakantanka people. this will be an unchanging truth as long as the empire exists.¡± ¡°your words are truly reasonable. who can be the owner of this land if not the people who have lived on this land for a long time?¡± kim ki-woo smiled bitterly at that. in the original history, this continent became the land of the europeans. of course, it was a history that would never come again. ¡°that¡¯s right. but, that doesn¡¯t mean we have to reject naturalization from overseas. even if they are not from the continent, even if their skin color is different and their appearance is different, all the people in this world are equal humans. aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°yes, they are.¡± ¡°people are all equal.¡± the ministers answered that, but kim ki-woo knew well. at this time, the pride in the empire was so great that it gradually turned into continental supremacy, which meant that the wakantanka people were superior to the overseas people. kim ki-woo reminded them of this through his words. ¡°in this situation, there is no need to block naturalization from overseas. if those who want to naturalize accept the empire as their homeland, live using the empire¡¯s standard language, and believe in the spirit faith, they can be qualified enough to be the empire¡¯s people. do you disagree with me?¡± ¡°of course not. as you wish, your majesty.¡± ¡°we will follow you, your majesty.¡± that¡¯s how the approval of naturalization from overseas was decided. after that, many people headed to the wakantanka continent to become the empire¡¯s people, and this increased as the wars in various places intensified. Chapter 130 chapter 130: the gun. at this time, the ottoman empire was at its peak. but the expression of the sultan who ruled this ottoman empire, suleiman i, was not very bright. ¡®where did such a country come from all of a sudden¡­¡¯ suleiman i clenched his head as he thought of the wakan tanka empire, which had appeared not long ago and was taking over the world¡¯s maritime trade. until the empire appeared, the mediterranean was the center of trade. but now, it was not the mediterranean, but the wakan tanka continent that rose to prominence. as a result, cracks began to appear in his empire, which had been enjoying its golden age. however, suleiman i was not a foolish sultan. he did not just lament this situation, but tried to find a breakthrough. first of all, he had to know something about his opponent in order to do anything. so he sent an embassy to the wakan tanka empire. and a few days ago, the embassy that had toured the wakan tanka empire arrived. ¡®i can¡¯t believe it¡­ but i have to.¡¯ suleiman i repeated the report of the embassy. the overwhelming technology of the empire, and the numerous universities, research institutes and scholars that supported it. the countless people and abundant resources living on the vast continent. the firmly established huge economic power. the railroad and steamship that made this possible. suleiman i had thought that his empire was the best until now. but now he realized how arrogant this thought was. ¡®the gap between the wakan tanka empire and us is not something that can be easily filled.¡¯ he did not cling to his stubbornness. he reluctantly admitted that his empire was lacking in every aspect, even though it was bitter. ¡®we have to learn everything from the empire.¡¯ he had spent all his nerves on expanding his territory through war and establishing an ideal social system for his empire until now. but his thoughts gradually changed. he instinctively realized that he had to join the changing currents of the world in order for the glory of the ottoman empire to last for a long time. suleiman i openly expressed his thoughts to his subordinates. ¡°you must have heard the news. the power of the wakan tanka empire is much better than we thought. we are not even comparable to them right now.¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± the subordinates sighed at their sultan¡¯s words, but suleiman i¡¯s harsh words continued. ¡°i¡¯m sure many of you are uncomfortable with the existence of spirits that they believe in. but now is not the time to reject them for religious reasons. we have to become students who learn everything from the wakan tanka empire. that will be for the sake of the people living on this land.¡± he took a deep breath in the silent air and declared. ¡°so those who are willing should go to the wakan tanka continent. go and learn from the wakan tanka empire. and don¡¯t hesitate to accept their culture and system. shame and pride are not issues to think about right now. i hope you all keep this in mind.¡± after this day. the ottoman empire voluntarily began to modernize by following the wakan tanka empire. *** kim ki-woo nodded as he watched the movements of the ottomans. not long after the official embassy of the ottomans returned to their country, he heard news that suleiman i had started reforms. and indeed, many of the ottoman elites were crossing the vast sea to learn from the empire. they also took a very humble attitude to accept their advanced culture and system. ¡®he is worthy of being a person who left a deep mark on history by achieving the golden age of the ottomans.¡¯ suleiman i was a conqueror who put almost all of the mediterranean maritime rights in his hands through force, and a wise ruler who established an ideal social system for the ottomans. this quality shone even in the history changed by kim ki-woo. ¡®maybe the name of ottoman will not disappear.¡¯ of course, he did not know how history would turn out. but the situation was clearly different from the original history. it was not a reform that started after the empire had already declined, but one that embraced the advanced culture when the empire was at its peak. ¡®surely, someday, the relations with the ottoman empire might worsen¡­¡¯ if they were worried about that, they would have maintained the ban on sailing for longer. kim ki-woo did not care. he knew very well that the gap in development between them and the empire was not something that could be easily reduced. rather, if other countries in the world started to modernize under the influence of the empire, the empire¡¯s influence over the world would be more solidified and could sustain the long era of the wakan tanka empire. kim ki-woo put aside his thoughts about the ottoman empire. ¡®it¡¯s not only them who started such a reform.¡¯ like the ottoman empire, many delegations from various countries experienced the empire and returned to their own countries. they reported the shocking progress of the empire to their countries. but their reactions were different. some countries accepted the culture of the empire and started to reform like the ottoman empire, while others denied it, or had their reforms blocked by the nobility. or some were too engulfed in wars to pay any attention to this. anyway, kim ki-woo was willing to help modernize each region if he wanted to, for the benefit of the empire and his ultimate goal. *** peace comes from power. a cry without power is nothing but an empty echo. kim ki-woo, who had learned about korea¡¯s painful history in the past, knew this better than anyone. that¡¯s why he did not neglect to support weapon development since he achieved a certain level of modernization. thanks to this, the development of guns was gradually and steadily improved. it was easy to get steel and various materials in an industrial area, so it was good for research institutes to enter. this was also true for the northern industrial area. although it had a short history, many research institutes sprang up here like mushrooms. and there was also a research institute built for the improvement and development of guns, but interestingly, there were two directors of this institute and they were identical twins. moreover, because they were twins, they had the same taste since they were young. ¡°wow¡­ it¡¯s awesome!¡± they showed great interest in how a small bullet flew at a tremendous speed by the explosion of gunpowder. ¡°i¡¯ve decided. i¡¯m going to be the best gunsmith.¡± ¡°what are you talking about! i¡¯m going to make a better gun than you.¡± ¡°what? are you done talking?¡± they ran towards their dreams while arguing with each other since they were young. and before they knew it, the blue starlight and blue moonlight brothers became quite famous as gunsmiths. thanks to that, they were selected as a government-supported research institute. but their views on guns were different. ¡°a gun should be miniaturized so that it can be fired with one hand later.¡± ¡°what are you talking about! what are you going to do with a small gun? a gun should increase its firepower even if it increases its size.¡± ¡°tsk! if you increase its size stupidly, that¡¯s a cannon, not a gun.¡± ¡°what about you? if you want to make toys, why don¡¯t you get a job at a toy research institute?¡± ¡°what? toys? okay, if you¡¯re so confident, let¡¯s bet on which gun is better between yours and mine!¡± ¡°haha. who do you think will be scared? don¡¯t whine when you lose later!¡± one day, they made a bet while exchanging their opinions on guns. after that day, the tasks of the research institute were divided into two parts. blue starlight¡¯s research to miniaturize guns and blue moonlight¡¯s research to increase firepower even if it increases the size of guns. the research of both parts proceeded competitively. the brothers made guns while thinking hard to beat each other. but neither of them liked their first prototype. ¡°hmm¡­ this won¡¯t do.¡± blue starlight made a pistol that could be held and shot with one hand. but as he reduced its size, its destructive power decreased, and it was single-shot, so it had no big advantage. this was also the case for the blue moonlight. ¡°i¡¯ve become stronger¡­ but how can i carry this around?¡± he thought it would be better to make a cannon as the blue starlight suggested, rather than this. the brothers pondered and pondered, and around the same time, they came to one conclusion as if they had planned it. ¡°the answer is in rapid fire.¡± ¡°can¡¯t we make the bullets fire continuously?¡± through this, their research underwent a great change. and time passed. the first one to complete the research was the blue starlight. bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! ¡°this is it!¡± he was sure after trying out his six-shot revolver. this revolver that he made would make history in firearms, and bring him victory in his bet with his brother. ¡°how about it? do you think you can beat this?¡± the blue starlight ran to the blue moonlight and showed him the power of his revolver. ¡®¡­!¡¯ the blue moonlight was quite surprised to see him fire six shots quickly with one hand. but he suppressed his astonishment and said, ¡°ha! is that what you worked so hard to make? what are you going to do with a cannon instead of a gun? you better not faint from shock when you see my gun.¡± ¡°stop bluffing. let¡¯s see you try your best. i¡¯ll be improving this guy a bit more.¡± the blue starlight left his brother¡¯s lab with a confident expression. watching his arrogant back, the blue moonlight gritted his teeth. ¡°just wait¡­ i¡¯ll show you that my gun is better.¡± he continued his research with burning enthusiasm. he practically lived in his lab, except for a few hours of sleep and eating time. the blue moonlight repeated to himself. ¡®overwhelming rapid fire, overwhelming firepower. that¡¯s what will change the course of war!¡¯ he spent his days with this belief without giving up. and this relentless obsession finally led him to create a masterpiece of his life. the day of the firepower test for the prototype finally came. the blue moonlight conducted the experiment carefully, preparing for any possible situation. ¡°haha. look at that ridiculous thing. how can you call that a gun when it¡¯s a cannon?¡± ¡°surely, that¡¯s too much for a gun? how can it be a gun with a crank attached?¡± the other researchers who followed the blue starlight laughed at the prototype that the blue moonlight and his subordinates had made. but this soon subsided as soon as the demonstration began. ¡°we¡¯ll start now!¡± as one of the researchers started turning the handle, tatatatatatata! the bullets were fired forward like a downpour. ¡°wha-what!¡± ¡°what is that?¡± the researchers who saw the prototype for the first time were shocked by its effect, which was almost identical to gatling¡¯s gun in history. in no time after the prototype was fired, the target board turned into rags and disappeared. the researcher did not stop there, but turned the direction and wiped out all the surrounding targets as well. after the demonstration ended, the blue moonlight approached the blue starlight and asked, ¡°do you still think i¡¯m wrong after seeing this? imagine how the war will change with my machine gun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the blue starlight was silent at his brother¡¯s confident look. but soon he chuckled and nodded. ¡°i admit it. your gun is really awesome.¡± ¡°haha! of course! this guy is really lovely.¡± and he added with a smile on his cheek, ¡°¡­your revolver wasn¡¯t bad either. it definitely has some advantages over mine in terms of mobility.¡± ¡°that¡¯s obvious.¡± ¡°but i won this bet.¡± ¡°what are you talking about! they¡¯re just different in purpose, you just said my revolver wasn¡¯t bad!¡± they argued for a while about who won the bet, but they couldn¡¯t decide on a winner. but at least in the history of the empire, they were both recorded as winners of gunsmiths. Chapter 131 chapter 131: inspection. the guns that the two brothers made were demonstrated in the palace soon after. and kim kiwoo uttered one word after seeing the two types of guns. ¡°insane.¡± even without the pistols and machine guns in front of him, the enemies of the wakantanga empire were hard to find. but depending on the tactics, environment, and climate, the outcome could change. however, if those two weapons were supplied to the imperial army, the story would be different. ¡®no army can break through those monsters.¡¯ first of all, they could never lose in a frontal battle. there was no concept of trenches in this era. large-scale dense tactics were used in almost all battlefields. or something like a cavalry charge. the machine gun would surely turn these tactics into relics of the old age. either way, they would be nothing but good targets in front of the machine gun. ¡®and what about the six-shot pistol?¡¯ being able to fire six bullets quickly was a very big advantage. and it was light enough to hold with one hand. ¡®it would be invincible in horseback combat.¡¯ kim kiwoo imagined himself riding a horse and firing a pistol at the enemies who approached him. in this era, cavalry was still the center of tactics. the outcome of the battle depended on the clash of cavalry and cavalry. in this situation, the appearance of gun cavalry would bring nightmares to the existing cavalry. ¡®that¡¯s enough talk.¡¯ it had been quite a long time since horses first came from europe. not only that, but after the navigation ban was relaxed, they imported livestock, including horses, from all over the world. thanks to that, horses were no longer scarce livestock. while kim kiwoo was thinking about this and that, finally, all the gun demonstrations were over. clap, clap, clap. ¡°i¡¯ve seen enough. i can see your hard work.¡± ¡°th-thank you, your majesty!¡± ¡°alright. you can leave now.¡± kim kiwoo sent the two brothers away. then the demonstration hall became noisy in an instant. ¡°it¡¯s really an amazing gun. with these weapons, the imperial army will be invincible.¡± ¡°indeed. who can stand against the imperial army armed with these powerful weapons on steel steamships?¡± ¡°hahaha! this is the prosperity of the empire.¡± kim kiwoo quietly watched his ministers pour out praises. then he saw a dark expression on his defense minister¡¯s face. ¡°the defense minister doesn¡¯t seem to like those guns.¡± ¡°¡­i apologize.¡± he didn¡¯t bother to hide his uneasy emotions. kim kiwoo asked him with an interested expression why he felt that way. ¡°why is that? the improvement of the imperial army¡¯s weapons should be the best news for you.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure it would be nice if the imperial army¡¯s armament improved. but i¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°worried?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. that small repeating pistol seems to have a lot of potential for accidents. aren¡¯t there many gun incidents happening in the empire right now?¡± ¡°hmm.¡± at that remark, the public security minister stepped forward. ¡°the defense minister is right. there are already many problems, but if a repeating pistol that can fit in a pocket falls into the hands of criminals¡­ horrible crimes will occur.¡± kim kiwoo understood their concerns. ¡®they still allow some gun use in civilian areas. it was inevitable. there were still many unexplored lands in the continent of wakan tanka. there were many beasts there, and the countless wild animals that lived on the continent were a great threat to the civilians. the empire allowed the possession of firearms as a means of self-defense against them. of course, as the exploration progressed and the need for firearms decreased, the regulation was becoming stricter. but anyway, if one wanted to get a firearm, they could get it easily enough. and the emergence of such a convenient and powerful revolver was a double-edged sword. ¡°i sympathize with your worries. but it is not right to neglect weapon development because of such concerns. isn¡¯t it up to the authorities to prevent unpleasant things from happening?¡± kim ki-woo had no intention of allowing firearms to civilians like the united states in the original history. the united states and the wakan tanka empire were different. the united states was a country that grew by the private capitalists. but the wakan tanka empire had reached this point under kim ki-woo¡¯s leadership. even if he banned the possession of firearms by civilians throughout the empire right now, they would not resist like the american arms dealers. they would have a hard time surviving in the empire if they did. ¡®i have to ban civilian possession of firearms like korea when the exploration is over.¡¯ of course, it would take a lot of effort because the territory of the wakan tanka empire was too large, but it was better than having the imperial citizens live in fear because of firearms. ¡°industrial minister.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. please give me your order.¡± ¡°pay attention to the mass production of those two weapons you developed, especially the six-shot revolver. and defense minister, follow me.¡± kim ki-woo went straight to his office and discussed the establishment of a firearm unit. the defense minister could not hide his admiration. ¡°indeed¡­ as expected, your majesty has grasped the most ideal way to use a revolver in an instant. it would be truly formidable if a firearm unit is formed as your majesty said.¡± ¡°you never know when and where you will project the empire¡¯s power, so do your best to train elite firearm soldiers. do you understand?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. i will never disappoint you.¡± the eyes of the defense minister who answered were burning like flames. *** at this time, the history of the whole world was changing rapidly by the empire. this was also true for joseon. a long time had passed since the hundred or so envoys sent by joseon returned from the empire. many things had happened in joseon during that time. ¡°ugh¡­ how can they inject cow pus into human bodies!¡± ¡°but they can cure smallpox, can¡¯t they?¡± the vaccination method transmitted by thin wires was initially met with all kinds of rumors and had very poor recognition, but soon took root in joseon with its effects. and what yi hwang and his fellow envoys brought back turned joseon society upside down. ¡°ha ha ha! look at this sturdy grain!¡± ¡°it¡¯s amazing¡­ it¡¯s incomparable to the old seeds.¡± among them, various seeds had the most impact. the seeds of the empire were those that had been improved in modern times. as a result, there was a huge difference in yield between joseon¡¯s rice and rice brought from the empire. moreover, kim ki-woo brought seeds that were most suitable for korea¡¯s climate from modern times, so they grew very well in joseon where there were four distinct seasons. in addition, potatoes and sweet potatoes, which are tuber crops, also grew very well in joseon¡¯s barren land. as a result, fewer people starved in joseon. in addition, cheap and excellent products from the empire shook joseon society from its roots, just like other countries. many people were very curious about wakan tanka empire because of these series of events. ¡°now is our chance.¡± yi hwang did not miss this social atmosphere. he and his comrades who swore to share their will spread various knowledge of the empire to intellectuals. ¡°ha! what nonsense are you spouting! how can you call yourself a scholar who follows the will of the lord, when you say such things!¡± there was a lot of resistance in the process. joseon was a confucian society that embraced neo-confucianism. but when they suddenly tried to spread the empire¡¯s practical and realistic learning, the scholars who were already wrapped in fixed ideas could not accept it at all. however, yi hwang did not care about the many attacks he received. he thought that joseon could only keep up with the changes of the times if they woke up from the shell of neo-confucianism, just as he had done. ¡°learning must change according to the times. look at the wakan tanka empire. they have amassed immense wealth with their realistic learning. the grains and numerous goods brought in from the empire prove this. they have laid railways on a vast continent that is wider than ming, and they can reach faraway places in an instant. and they are still developing at a frightening pace right now.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°is that all? the great emperor who rules the empire has ruled the empire for the last hundred years and has not aged at all. he looks exactly like he does in this coin.¡± ¡°hmm. i don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°haha. i was like that at first too. but, if you go to the wakan tanka continent yourself, you will know that my words are not exaggerated at all.¡± thanks to yi hwang and his colleagues¡¯ persistent rhetoric, many scholars flocked to him. especially, kim ki-woo¡¯s eternal youth, which was a powerful proof, quickly spread the belief in spirits throughout joseon society. thanks to this, they quickly became a huge force with yi hwang as their leader. but this appearance gave a sense of crisis to the privileged class. ¡°hehe. these days, there is a young fellow named toegye(yi hwang) who is spreading nonsense and causing trouble for the people.¡± ¡°spirits? where is there such a thing in the first place¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. how can we leave such a bastard alone? since when did joseon become a country that accepts barbarians¡¯ learning?¡± they began to send a huge amount of petitions to lee yeok. but what they didn¡¯t know was that lee yeok had already secretly met with yi hwang. lee yeok recalled the past. *** ¡°your majesty. the wakan tanka empire was more than you can imagine.¡± ¡°oh? how so?¡± then yi hwang told lee yeok many stories about the empire. as he listened, lee yeok¡¯s face turned into shock. ¡°¡­is that really true?¡± ¡°it is the truth without any exaggeration. joseon cannot stand still like this. not only me, but many envoys from other countries have visited and will soon follow the wakan tanka empire and carry out numerous reforms.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± the word reform made lee yeok¡¯s face frown. he remembered jo gwang-jo¡¯s radical reform that had passed through his head. to be honest, lee yeok was not very interested in such reforms. all he wanted was to strengthen royal authority. yi hwang noticed this mood of lee yeok. ¡°i know what you are worried about, your majesty. but we have no intention of following jo gwang-jo¡¯s wrong course. this reform will help you achieve what you want.¡± ¡°what do i want?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. don¡¯t you want to strengthen your royal authority, your majesty?¡± ¡°haha. well¡­¡± lee yeok spoke vaguely, but yi hwang¡¯s confident words continued. ¡°as you know, the wakan tanka empire runs all its affairs under the absolute power of the emperor. this is because the emperor of the empire is a living spirit. he does not age at all even after a long time passes. that is proof.¡± ¡°what does that have to do with me?¡± at that, yi hwang took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to lee yeok. ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°this is a letter from the emperor to your majesty, and this is the translation of its contents.¡± ¡°oh.¡± lee yeok took it and read it down. after a while. ¡°¡­!¡± his face hardened. shiver. even his hands were trembling. after confirming all the contents of the letter. ¡°is this really true?¡± ¡°there is not an inch of falsehood in it. if you wish, you can ask the envoy from the wakan tanka empire who enters joseon. the seal on the letter is clearly that of the emperor of the empire.¡± ¡°no, why would they¡­¡± lee yeok read the letter again. but there was no way that the contents of the letter would change. as a result, he could not shake off his confusion for a while. Chapter 132 chapter 132: homeland. going back in time. kim kiwoo spent his last moments with yi hwang and the joseon envoys before they returned to their country. he usually didn¡¯t see off foreign diplomats like this, but he felt more attached to the joseon delegation because he was from the korean peninsula. ¡°so, did you learn a lot during your stay?¡± ¡°yes, we did. thanks to your majesty¡¯s kindness, we had a meaningful time here. we will never forget this grace until the day we die.¡± ¡°hahaha. what did i do? come on, eat more. the food on the ship will be poor.¡± the banquet was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere. ¡°the food of the empire is really delicious.¡± ¡°i think i will miss it a lot when i go back to joseon.¡± ¡°me too.¡± the scholars ate the food on the table as if they were starving. ¡°don¡¯t worry, no one will take it away from you. eat slowly.¡± kim kiwoo secretly stuck out his tongue. they ate so much that it was hard to believe they were not from joseon. they looked like a group of gluttons gathered in one place. after the banquet was over, kim kiwoo called yi hwang aside. ¡®what is this great man thinking?¡¯ yi hwang was one of the leading scholars of neo-confucianism in the long history of joseon. he was curious how his thoughts had changed after seeing the empire¡¯s learning and development. ¡°it¡¯s the first time we¡¯re alone.¡± yi hwang¡¯s expression was full of confusion as he entered kim kiwoo¡¯s office. ¡®why did he call me?¡¯ he kept wondering this as he came to the office. seeing him, kim kiwoo smiled and asked. ¡°haha. why are you so nervous? i didn¡¯t call you to scold you. don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°may i ask why your majesty called me?¡± he couldn¡¯t say that he called him to meet a famous person in history, so kim kiwoo answered like this. ¡°i have a good eye for people. and from what i saw, you seemed like someone who would become a great person in the future. did that answer your question?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± an unexpected answer. yi hwang¡¯s eyes widened at that. ¡°now i¡¯m more convinced of my intuition.¡± ¡°your majesty thinks highly of me¡­ it¡¯s truly an honor for my family.¡± yi hwang¡¯s face was filled with emotion at kim kiwoo¡¯s high praise. ¡°ahem.¡± feeling awkward in this situation, kim kiwoo cleared his throat and started a serious conversation. ¡°in a few days, you¡¯ll be sailing across the vast sea. can i ask you what you felt in the empire so far?¡± ¡°of course.¡± at kim kiwoo¡¯s question, yi hwang paused for a moment to organize his thoughts, and then recited his changes of mind in detail. ¡®hmm.¡¯ it was a long story, but kim kiwoo listened with great interest. yi hwang, who would later become the head of the yeongnam school of neo-confucianism, did not hesitate to deny neo-confucianism now. he could tell how shocked he was by seeing the reality of the empire. after yi hwang finished his speech, kim kiwoo asked him another question. ¡°do you want to reform your country like the empire?¡± ¡°yes, i do.¡± he said that and told kim kiwoo about the current situation of joseon in detail. ¡®it¡¯s as chaotic as i heard.¡¯ the power struggle in the court was the main problem. kim kiwoo asked him bluntly. ¡°you said you want to reform your country, but do you really think that¡¯s possible in a nation that follows the doctrine of neo-confucianism?¡± ¡°¡­it would be difficult. but i and my colleagues who share the same vision will not give up until the end.¡± ¡°you are too idealistic.¡± kim kiwoo shook his head. reform without social consensus is extremely hard to succeed. no, it should be considered almost impossible. wasn¡¯t it a similar context that led to the expulsion of jo gwangjo? ¡°do you think you can achieve your goal by breaking through the resistance of the powerful? it seems difficult to me. you should be lucky if you don¡¯t lose your head before you reach your goal.¡± as kim kiwoo said this, yi hwang¡¯s expression darkened. but he did not give up. ¡°then what should i and my colleagues do? i truly want to make joseon a great nation like the wakan tanka empire. please tell me your wisdom!¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim kiwoo stroked his chin and looked into yi hwang¡¯s eyes, which were filled with intense desire. as he looked at him, he felt a faint sense of patriotism creeping up on him. ¡®haha. i thought i had left behind any attachment to my homeland when i set foot on this land, but it seems that was not the case.¡¯ he had been on this land for a very long time. he had achieved many things during that time, and now he had built the strongest empire in the world. in a way, he could be said to have the greatest power in the world. he also had a great sense of responsibility, but¡­ ¡®it¡¯s not hard to help my country a little bit as i please.¡¯ he soon made up his mind. instead of just standing by, he decided to help the young man in front of him, yi hwang, with his plan. kim kiwoo and yi hwang continued their conversation for a while. rewinding time. yi hwang looked at the chaotic foreign land and thought. ¡®the emperor said so. make the king your ally.¡¯ kim kiwoo knew well about king jungjong¡¯s ambition to strengthen royal authority in joseon. his attempts had failed repeatedly so far, and he was also very curious about the identity of the wakan tanka empire. therefore, kim kiwoo was confident that if a clear means of strengthening royal authority came into joseon¡¯s eyes, he would consider it positively. ¡®this is the best option right now. the emperor has done so much for me, how can i think otherwise.¡¯ the content of the report that joseon was looking at was as follows. the royal family of joseon has the bloodline of a great spirit, and the evidence is hangul. therefore, if the king of joseon wishes, he will provide the necessary support for strengthening royal authority and social reform based on the spirit of serving the great spirit of the empire. ¡°the bloodline of a great spirit¡­¡± yi hwang repeated this sentence. of course, kim kiwoo had a lot of trouble when he designated hangul as the evidence. this claim distorted king sejong¡¯s sacred achievement of creating hangul. but kim kiwoo wrote the report with a deep apology to king sejong in his heart. he thought this was the most ideal way for joseon¡¯s successful reform. kim kiwoo hoped that king sejong would understand this for the sake of joseon¡¯s people. wasn¡¯t it because he pitied the people that he created hangul? ¡°this is what you mean by the bloodline of a great spirit.¡± ¡°the emperor said so. i was also curious about why the hangul dissemination period of joseon and the empire overlapped, but if what the emperor said is true, doesn¡¯t it solve all the questions?¡± yi hwang¡¯s words continued. ¡°your majesty, this is an opportunity. the power of the wakan tanka empire is truly endless. the emperor himself recognized you as the bloodline of a great spirit and declared that he would not spare any support for you. we must not miss this opportunity.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± as yi hwang continued to speak, lee yeok¡¯s mind swayed like a reed. ¡®is this really the right thing to do?¡¯ until now, the center of the world was the central plains, the ming empire. but he was suddenly unsure if he could change his attitude so abruptly. moreover, if he accepted this, it would mean turning his back on countless scholars. he could even be driven out of the throne like during yeonsangun¡¯s reign if he made a mistake. therefore, he could not accept yi hwang and the wakantanka empire¡¯s proposal at once in this place. ¡°¡­you¡¯ve worked hard. i¡¯ll give you an answer later, so let it be known.¡± ¡°your majesty, i will wait for your decision.¡± even after parting with yi hwang, lee yeok repeated his worries for a long time. but he did not stop learning about the wakantanka empire. he sent envoys along with the merchants who traveled back and forth by ship. but as time passed, he only realized how amazing the wakantanka empire was. however, one day, an incident that hardened lee yeok¡¯s mind occurred. ¡°what?¡± ¡°th-that is¡­ a ship made entirely of iron arrived at ganghwa island.¡± a sudden news caused a commotion in the court. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about¡­ how can you make a ship out of iron?¡± ¡°how dare you lie to us! arrest him and hold him accountable for his false report!¡± the ministers did not easily believe in the existence of the iron ship. of course, not everyone was like that. ¡°if it¡¯s the wakantanka empire¡­¡± ¡°do you think they would report such a blatant lie to the court? we should first find out the situation before and after.¡± ¡°find out what you want, it¡¯s absurd. do you really believe that iron can float on water?¡± the court was in an uproar, but in the end, they decided to check it out first. and soon enough, the iron steamship was confirmed. ¡°so it was true.¡± lee yeok laughed bitterly. and one thought lingered in his mind. ¡®i want to see it for myself.¡¯ so lee yeok decided to go out of the palace for the first time in a long time. his destination was ganghwa island, where the empire¡¯s iron ship was anchored. *** time passed, and lee yeok finally saw the iron ship with his own eyes. ¡°¡­it¡¯s truly incredible.¡± he was amazed when he heard about the size and speed of the empire¡¯s flagship, but the iron ship in front of him was unreal. lee yeok realized why yi hwang praised the empire¡¯s capabilities so much. ¡°i see you again. can i try riding that ship?¡± ¡°why not? come this way.¡± the person in charge of bringing the iron ship to joseon, swift rope, guided lee yeok. and the ship that carried lee yeok started with a loud noise. ¡®how can a ship made of iron move so fast?¡¯ it was surprising enough that it floated on water, but its speed was also very fast. lee yeok marveled more and more as he sailed. ¡°do you enjoy sailing, your majesty?¡± then, swift rope approached lee yeok and asked him. lee yeok nodded and replied. ¡°it¡¯s very enjoyable. when will i ever get to ride a ship made of iron like this?¡± ¡°well. maybe you can ride it whenever you want.¡± swift rope answered meaningfully. ¡°oh. is that so?¡± ¡°his majesty, the great emperor of the empire, is waiting for you to make a decision.¡± lee yeok said no more. then, the nimble rope guided him through every corner of the iron wire. and finally, they headed to where the goods loaded on the ship were. ¡°there¡¯s so much.¡± lee yeok exclaimed as he looked at the pile of imperial goods. there were all kinds of items, including firearms. ¡°do you like them?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± lee yeok turned his head toward the nimble rope at the sudden question. it sounded as if he was offering him these goods. and this was not a complete misunderstanding. the nimble rope smiled and pointed to the imperial goods with his hand. ¡°if you make a decision¡­ everything on this ship will be yours.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± lee yeok could not understand, and his mind went blank for a moment. but soon, he regained his senses and asked him. ¡°are you saying you¡¯ll give me all these things for free?¡± ¡°of course. his majesty said this is a token of promise. of course, you still have to make a decision.¡± the nimble rope¡¯s words drove a wedge into lee yeok¡¯s heart. it was too hard to refuse, because of the power of the iron wire and the imperial goods inside it. ¡°phew¡­ fine. tell him i accept his offer.¡± ¡°you made a good choice.¡± and so, the curtain rose on the reform of joseon. Chapter 133 chapter 133: the picture. kim ki-woo had always favored scholars and emphasized the importance of reading countless times. thanks to him, reading had become a universal daily activity for the imperial citizens long ago. even if their occupation was something like a farmer or a miner, which had nothing to do with academics, the imperial citizens had a deep-rooted perception that they should read books to some extent. of course, the amount of books each individual read varied greatly. warm hat was beyond just reading a lot, he was addicted to print. he read books from the moment he woke up until he went to bed. he even got a job as a librarian at the imperial university central library, which had a high competition rate, in order to do so. ¡®there¡¯s no book that¡¯s not here. i¡¯m happy¡­¡¯ this library boasted the largest scale in the empire. it was more so because the imperial university was the center of academics. warm hat collected and devoured a tremendous amount of knowledge by reading all kinds of books available in the library. ¡°excuse me, librarian. can i ask you something?¡± ¡°of course. i¡¯ll answer if i know it.¡± he had read so many books that his breadth of knowledge was very wide, so much so that even the scholars of the imperial university came to him for advice. ¡°why are you still in the library with such talent? you can easily get into the imperial university.¡± ¡°haha. if i become a scholar, i won¡¯t have much time to read books. i¡¯m satisfied with my current life.¡± ¡°tsk! you¡¯re a weirdo. let me know if you change your mind.¡± ¡°thank you for your interest.¡± many department heads from various fields came to him and recommended him to enter the imperial university, but he refused them flatly. he just generously shared his knowledge with the scholars who came to him. thanks to that, he became a famous attraction of the imperial university central library. then one day. ¡°leonardo da vinci¡­¡± warm hat was deeply interested in a book that came from a region called europe in the east. the book contained various physical hypotheses and experiments that he had researched. ¡®amazing, right? is he a genius?¡¯ of course, most of them were already verified by the imperial scholars, but he was curious about how he achieved such academic results by himself. so warm hat started looking for information about this person named leonardo da vinci. fortunately, he was a celebrity, so books related to him were easily found. warm hat gathered them and read them one by one. and he was greatly surprised soon after. ¡®he researched all this by himself?¡¯ he left achievements in various fields, and they were all very outstanding. ¡®wow¡­ if he had been born in the empire, maybe he could have made history.¡¯ it was really regrettable that he died just a few decades ago. warm hat put aside his regret and read everything that leonardo da vinci had left behind. in the process. ¡°camera¡­ obscura?¡± warm hat was fascinated by leonardo da vinci¡¯s ¡®codex atlanticus¡¯. camera obscura was a term that referred to the phenomenon of external landscapes or shapes being projected upside down on the opposite wall through a small hole in one side of a dark room or box. this was a topic that had been researched by ancient chinese mozi or ancient greek aristotle long ago, but leonardo da vinci applied it to art. he made a camera obscura as a tool for drawing pictures in detail. warm hat thought of his old friend, steep cliff, as he saw this. ¡°he would love it if i told him.¡± he had only read the contents of the book so far, so he wasn¡¯t sure if this was true, but he thought his friend who was struggling to find his own style would like it. and this expectation hit the mark. after telling steep cliff about the principle of camera obscura, not long after, he ran to the central library and hugged warm hat tightly. ¡°such a groundbreaking method¡­ you are truly amazing. haha! thank you so much!¡± ¡°why are you being so gross? anyway, it¡¯s all thanks to the camera obscura, right?¡± ¡°yeah, that¡¯s right. come to my studio when you have time. i¡¯ll show you the real thing.¡± ¡°really? then i¡¯ll visit you after work today.¡± warm hat was curious about how the camera obscura actually worked, so he readily accepted his offer. and as promised, he went to the studio on the steep cliff after work. ¡°is this it?¡± ¡°you¡¯re here? come and see for yourself.¡± he followed his friend¡¯s guidance and checked the actual operation of the camera obscura. ¡°wow. this is amazing. it really shows upside down because of that tiny hole?¡± ¡°that¡¯s what i¡¯m saying. isn¡¯t this the mystery of science?¡± ¡°talking about science when you¡¯re an artist.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± they bickered with each other, but a smile soon bloomed on their lips. after finishing all the tours, warm hat repeated to himself on his way home. ¡®this world is really mysterious.¡¯ thanks to that, he devoured more books containing various information from the central library. *** for warm hat, the camera obscura was nothing more than a happening. he was exposed to so much information every day that he soon forgot about the camera obscura. but a big turning point in his life happened. it all started from a book. ¡°photosensitivity¡­¡± it was a book containing the research of a famous chemist from the imperial university. he studied materials that changed by light, and he called these materials photosensitive materials. among them, he described in detail the photosensitive materials that had large changes in this book. there were many technical terms here and there, but warm hat had no difficulty in understanding them because he had read countless books related to chemistry. ¡°it¡¯s amazing how light works. there are materials that change like this just by shining on them¡­¡± as he was thinking, he remembered the camera obscura he saw at the studio on the steep cliff and its principle. ¡°come to think of it, the camera obscura projected an image on the wall.¡± the steep cliff had established his own style of painting thanks to the camera obscura, and his last exhibition caused a great sensation in the art world. that was also an example of applying light to real life. he was able to draw realistically by tracing the projected image. ¡°¡­wait a minute.¡± flash! at that moment. in warm hat¡¯s head, two separate phenomena merged into one in an instant. ¡®camera obscura and photosensitivity?¡¯ the former was a device that projected an image on the opposite wall through a small hole. and the latter was the property of materials changing by light itself. ¡®if there is an image projected, there is a difference in light in each part¡­ if i shine an image on a highly photosensitive material, won¡¯t there be a difference in each part of the material?¡¯ as these two phenomena were combined, warm hat thought of this. but he soon shook his head. ¡®what am i thinking? i¡¯m not a chemist.¡¯ no matter how many chemistry books he read, he was not a chemist from the imperial university. and the experiment above was something that chemists would do. so he brushed off his thoughts and started reading another book. but even as time passed, warm hat couldn¡¯t get rid of his hypothesis from his head and kept thinking about it from time to time. ¡®it seems possible.¡¯ if the image of the camera obscura is drawn by photosensitive material as he thought¡­ this was surely an amazing discovery. ¡®phew¡­ well, let me try to explain my idea.¡¯ fortunately, several scholars in the imperial university¡¯s chemistry department knew about it, and the department head was one of them. warm hat decided to act on his impulse and went to see them. he didn¡¯t want to bother them after work, so he approached the chief librarian of the central library and asked, ¡°excuse me, may i go to the chemistry department for a while?¡± ¡°did the chemists call you or something?¡± ¡°no, but¡­ i have something to ask the department head.¡± ¡°ha ha. did you get stuck on something while reading the chemistry books?¡± ¡°yes, well¡­¡± he did get stuck, so warm hat nodded his head. ¡°alright. we¡¯ll take care of the rest, so you can leave for today.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯ll come back after i finish.¡± ¡°no, you don¡¯t have to. you¡¯ve been living in the library without taking any days off. even giving up your holidays. you should go out and have some fun.¡± ¡°thank you for your concern. then i¡¯ll be going.¡± *** after that, warm hat ran to the chemistry department. when he arrived, a scholar who was walking by recognized him. ¡°huh? what are you doing here? what about the central library?¡± ¡°hic, huff¡­¡± he caught his breath for a moment and asked him. ¡°can i see the department head for a moment?¡± ¡°the department head? hmm¡­ i don¡¯t know what it is, but follow me.¡± ¡°thank you very much.¡± luckily, the scholar kindly guided warm hat to the department head¡¯s office. soon they arrived at the office. ¡°huh? what brings you here all of a sudden?¡± ¡°he said he wanted to see the department head.¡± ¡°the department head? who are you?¡± ¡°you know him. the famous librarian from the central library.¡± ¡°oh¡­ you¡¯re him. well, let me talk to him for a moment.¡± the scholar didn¡¯t hesitate and knocked on the office door. ¡°department head. i¡¯m coming in.¡± ¡°sure, come in.¡± a deep voice echoed from the other side of the door, and the scholar opened it. ¡°he came to see you.¡± ¡°hmm? aren¡¯t you warm hat? ha ha! what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°ha ha. well¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t just stand there, come in.¡± the chemistry department head, wide pot lid, gestured to warm hat. ¡°then excuse me.¡± as soon as he sat down on a soft sofa, wide pot lid¡¯s words continued. ¡°so, did you finally decide to apply to the imperial university¡¯s chemistry department?¡± ¡°¡­thank you for your offer, but i don¡¯t have that intention yet.¡± ¡°aww, too bad. someone like you should shine in the chemistry department.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t there many scholars who are incomparable to me in the chemistry department?¡± ¡°pfft. these days there are too many idiots¡­ sigh.¡± warm hat¡¯s expression became awkward at that remark. the chemistry department was one of the very core departments in the imperial university. that¡¯s why the admission rate of the imperial university was already murderous, but it was even more so for the chemistry department. it meant that there were many talented people who flocked there. but warm hat couldn¡¯t understand why he said that. ¡°so, what¡¯s the real reason you came to see me at this hour? you¡¯re not someone who goes out of the library often.¡± ¡°oh! that¡¯s¡­¡± he handed over two books he brought from the central library to wide pot lid. ¡°this is a research book on photosensitive materials. and this is¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s about camera obscura.¡± ¡°camera obscura?¡± wide pot lid flipped through the pages and quickly skimmed through the contents. thanks to warm hat¡¯s explanations along the way, it didn¡¯t take long for him to grasp the principle of camera obscura. after closing the book, he crossed his arms and asked. ¡°what are you curious about here that made you come all this way?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not so much curiosity as i wanted to ask for your advice on whether my idea is feasible or not.¡± ¡°advice¡­ alright. let me hear it.¡± after getting permission from the department head, warm hat¡¯s hypothesis began to spill out of his mouth. Chapter 134 chapter 134: the picture (2). ¡®heh. why did this bookworm come looking for me?¡¯ in fact, wide pot lid was curious about why someone who rarely went outside came all the way here, but he didn¡¯t take warm hat¡¯s visit seriously. that was because, although he admitted that warm hat read a lot of books and knew a lot of things in various fields, he couldn¡¯t imagine that he had made any important discoveries just by reading books. but his light-hearted attitude soon began to change little by little. and when warm hat¡¯s explanation was over. ¡°¡­¡± wide pot lid was silent for a while, lost in his own thoughts. but the more he thought about it, the more plausible the hypothesis he had just heard seemed. ¡°¡­you came up with this idea just by reading books?¡± ¡°yes. is there something wrong?¡± ¡°wrong? of course there is. how can someone who is not a chemist come up with such an amazing hypothesis? ah! this is not the time for that. if what you say is true, then the camera obscura is actually being used, right?¡± ¡°it should be in my friend¡¯s workshop.¡± ¡°then lead the way. i have to see the performance of the camera obscura with my own eyes. hurry up!¡± ¡°ah, yes¡­¡± warm hat followed with a nervous expression, as wide pot lid was very excited. ¡®it wasn¡¯t just my feeling that there was a possibility.¡¯ he realized this painfully through the dean¡¯s enthusiastic reaction. after that, wide pot lid gathered some chemists and followed warm hat to the workshop where the camera obscura was. ¡°hmm? what¡¯s going on at this time?¡± ¡°uh, well¡­¡± ¡°i see you¡¯re steep cliff.¡± warm hat tried to explain the situation to his friend, but he couldn¡¯t because of the dean and the chemists who came in right behind him. ¡°that¡¯s right, but who are you?¡± ¡°haha. i¡¯m wide pot lid, the head of the chemistry department at imperial university.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± steep cliff couldn¡¯t believe that the head of the chemistry department at imperial university had come to his private workshop outside the campus. but the dean didn¡¯t give him time to understand. ¡°where is the camera obscura?¡± ¡°if you mean that, it¡¯s over there¡­¡± he happened to be working with the camera obscura at that moment. as soon as he realized that, wide pot lid walked quickly toward the camera obscura. ¡°it¡¯s true! the image of the outside is formed through a small hole! hehehe!¡± he exclaimed as soon as he saw the image. and he was sure from his long experience. ¡®this will work!¡¯ he could tell which hypotheses were likely to succeed and which were not even while doing experiments. but after seeing the camera obscura, he was convinced that this hypothesis would succeed. and he could also roughly guess the impact that this experiment would have. the desire for experimentation rose sharply in wide pot lid¡¯s heart for the first time in a while. *** ¡°what are you talking about? this is your idea. how can we proceed with the experiment without you?¡± after returning to the dean¡¯s office. wide pot lid said with an incredulous expression. ¡°but i¡¯m just a librarian at the central library. how can i do experiments with scholars at imperial university?¡± ¡°why not? it¡¯s not uncommon for people who are not scholars of imperial university to do experiments together.¡± ¡°but most of them are people from the same industry outside. it¡¯s different from me.¡± ¡°your knowledge is much better than any mediocre person. and if we succeed in this experiment, you can become a scholar of imperial university without taking the exam as a special case, you know?¡± this was true according to the dean¡¯s words. *** the most common way to enter the imperial college was through an entrance exam, but there was still another way for those who had achieved outstanding feats in their fields. ¡®if this hypothesis succeeds, i might be able to get a special admission to the imperial college.¡¯ this was what wide pot lid hoped for. ¡°phew¡­¡± however, warm hat sighed and shook his head. that was not the problem. ¡°as you know, i¡¯m satisfied with my current life. i prefer reading various books rather than becoming a scholar and doing research. i appreciate your offer, but i politely decline.¡± ¡°hmph, really.¡± wide pot lid snorted with a sarcastic laugh. he had momentarily forgotten about his friend¡¯s addiction to books. he chuckled and nodded. ¡°i understand your intention. but, you should know that your name will be engraved as the first proposer of this hypothesis. you won¡¯t refuse this, will you?¡± ¡°well¡­ okay.¡± warm hat had given up his chance to study at the imperial college just because he wanted to read books, but he didn¡¯t want to be a pushover who gave away all his credit either. so he reluctantly accepted this condition. ¡°then i¡¯ll take my leave now. i hope you get good results from this experiment.¡± ¡°hehehe. don¡¯t worry and go ahead.¡± with that, warm hat bowed and left the dean¡¯s office. wide pot lid watched his back and thought to himself. ¡®will he be able to live a normal librarian life even after this experiment succeeds as i expect?¡¯ he doubted it. he was already somewhat famous among the scholars, and if this story became public, many scholars would surely pay attention to him. then he would be bothered by all kinds of scholars, much more than now. of course, he expected that most of them would be from the chemistry department. ¡®i really want to see his flustered expression.¡¯ but for that, he had to make sure this experiment was successful. his motivation soared even more because of that. *** ¡°make a camera obscura right away.¡± wide pot lid wasted no time and took charge of the experiment. he temporarily handed over his duties as the dean to other senior scholars and opened his own laboratory. thanks to the case of sharp teeth in the past, he had established a system that allowed him to focus on his research whenever he had a project, even while sitting as the dean. ¡°i¡¯m really grateful for your cooperation.¡± ¡°don¡¯t mention it. i also hope that your hypothesis succeeds.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry about that.¡± steep cliff¡¯s help was quite helpful in making a camera obscura. he had already used a camera obscura in practice for a long time. the preparation for the experiment started with this. ¡°wow. i never thought that my experimental journal would be used like this. haha! it¡¯s really convincing.¡± ¡°right? that¡¯s why i hope you participate in this experiment as well.¡± ¡°of course. this is a rare opportunity to work with you again, dean.¡± he first visited the author of the book that warm hat had read, which was related to photosensitivity. red bowl was also a chemist at the imperial college, so it was not a difficult task. rather, he was surprised that his long-term research on photosensitivity could be used like this, and he voluntarily wanted to join the experiment. ¡°hehe. thank you very much.¡± red bowl agreed without any hesitation, and wide pot lid smiled brightly. with the most authoritative person in photosensitivity on board, the experiment would be smoother. indeed, wide pot lid¡¯s expectation was right. ¡°this substance is more suitable than that one.¡± ¡°really?¡± thanks to red bowl¡¯s participation, they were able to overcome many trials and errors in the experiment that started in earnest. as the experiment progressed, more and more meaningful values were derived. ¡°as expected¡­ our hypothesis was correct.¡± ¡°of course, the light intensity varies, so it¡¯s natural that the reaction also differs accordingly.¡± ¡°hehe. i feel like i¡¯m just riding on the coattails of a good idea.¡± before they knew it, their doubt turned into confidence, and the spacious laboratory was filled with excitement and vitality as they approached the brilliant success. time passed, and ¡°hahaha! this is it!¡± the spacious pot lid held up the first photo ever taken, laughing loudly. although it was still an early stage photo that took several days to shoot, and because of that, the light was reflected on both buildings depending on the position of the sun, and the photo was blurry beyond compare, it was undoubtedly a photo. ¡®if this technology develops further, and we can get clearer photos in an instant¡­¡¯ the spacious pot lid smiled brightly, imagining the feasible future in his head. *** after that, the spacious pot lid applied for a patent on the camera and the photo, and officially announced the concept to the academic world. ¡°now we can see pictures that automatically draw landscapes in our lifetime!¡± ¡°it¡¯s blurry and weird¡­ but that¡¯s definitely the chemistry building, right?¡± after that, many scholars from various departments flocked to see the first photo. and they marveled at the new technology. ¡°my goodness!¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± but not everyone had such positive thoughts. the first photo made artists, especially painters, unable to smile. the first photo was blurry and strange, and it was black and white. but as with all technologies, painters realized that photo technology would also develop and threaten their livelihoods. but knowing this did not mean they could do anything about it. they could not stop researching this promising technology called photography. regardless of their thoughts, the response to the first photo was very hot. the spacious pot lid was satisfied with this, but he never intended to stop here. ¡°there¡¯s still a lot to be done. we need to be able to take photos faster to solve the problems that have emerged.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± this was just a small success. only when photography became widely used in real life could it be called a true success. therefore, he and the scholars continued their research vigorously. they found out more suitable combinations of photosensitive materials, and found the conditions necessary for rapid ignition. thanks to their efforts, photo technology gradually developed. and finally, they succeeded in taking practical photos using silver plates. ¡°wow! how can it be so clear¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s like looking at a real landscape.¡± this groundbreaking method took only about seven minutes to expose to light and produced a clear black-and-white photo. ¡°¡­¡± the spacious pot lid stared at the landscape photo that had just been developed with a blank expression. ¡®i really did it¡­¡¯ he had been conducting experiments for quite a long time, so his face had much more wrinkles than when he started his research. but the moment he saw this landscape photo, he felt like all his hardships had melted away. ¡°with this, we can also take clear pictures of people¡¯s faces.¡± ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be better to engrave your face first? it would surely be a historic photo.¡± the spacious pot lid came to his senses at the words of the scholars. and he shook his head vigorously. ¡°i can¡¯t do that. the first photo must be of his majesty¡¯s face.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± ¡°indeed.¡± no scholar dared to oppose this opinion. of course, this opinion was partly influenced by the broad loyalty to kim kiwoo, but that was not all. ¡®it will make the technology of photography more widely known.¡¯ the symbolism of capturing his majesty¡¯s face for the first time was bound to be a huge topic among the imperial citizens. thanks to that, the first practical camera using a silver plate was sent straight to the imperial palace. ¡°haha. a camera¡­¡± and kim kiwoo smiled faintly as he checked the silver plate camera. he was happy to be able to take pictures, and he felt good about being the protagonist of the first portrait photo. ¡°your majesty. please stay still.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± a little later, kim kiwoo was able to receive his photo. and this had a much greater impact than kim kiwoo and his broad supporters expected. ¡°this is his majesty¡¯s actual face!¡± ¡°haha! it¡¯s almost similar to the statues on the streets or the images engraved on the coins.¡± ¡°as expected of the great spirit, he has no change at all.¡± although it was black and white, the imperial citizens who saw kim kiwoo¡¯s real photo were more in awe of his unchanging appearance. ¡°¡­is it true that the emperor of wakan tanka empire is an immortal spirit?¡± ¡°that means, spirits really exist?¡± this photo also ironically played a decisive role in spreading the spirit faith overseas. Chapter 135 chapter 135: iwami. meanwhile, japan¡¯s political situation was also completely different from the original history due to the influence of the wakan tanka empire. ¡®i need money to bring in the empire¡¯s firearms and goods.¡¯ hojo ujitsuna had been worrying over and over again after sending his eldest son ujiyasu to the wakan tanka empire. he was able to secure some firearms thanks to the treaty with the swift rope, but it was not enough to gain a decisive advantage over the hyena-like daimyos around him. in the end, he needed more wealth to overcome this, but the problem was that there was no place in his domain where he could get that much wealth. ¡®is the only answer intermediary trade?¡¯ but the situation smiled at hojo ujitsuna. he accepted the fleet of the wakan tanka empire faster than any other place around him, and thanks to that, he made a great profit from the intermediary trade that followed. of course, a considerable part of the profits he earned went to the swift rope, but even after excluding that, hojo ujitsuna had a lot of wealth left in his hands. he used this profit to continue buying empire-made goods and firearms. ¡°these firearms will dominate the battlefield in the future. so we have to master how to use them quickly.¡± hojo ujitsuna always emphasized this and made his army into elite soldiers. as time passed, when he had enough firearms and his army¡¯s formation was somewhat completed, he revealed his true colors. he began to conquer the domains around him one by one. the daimyos around him formed an alliance to resist, but hojo ujitsuna¡¯s momentum was tremendous. especially, the cannon showed absolute power in siege warfare. boom! boom! ¡°argh!¡± ¡°r-run away!¡± the walls were easily breached by the cannon, unlike anything before. that was not all. in melee combat, the power of guns was clearly revealed. ¡°fire!¡± bang! bang bang bang bang! ¡°next row forward!¡± ¡°fire!¡± bang bang bang! bang bang! ¡°¡­this is ridiculous.¡± the commander realized. this was not a war, but a one-sided massacre. his vision turned white by the terrifying guns that made loud noises, and every time smoke came out, his soldiers fell down with bullets in them. they had never experienced such weapons and tactics before. if they had charged as they were, they might have had a different result, but ¡°p-please spare me¡­¡± ¡°mother¡­ sob!¡± ¡°this is hell!¡± the unfamiliarity turned into fear and spread throughout the battlefield in an instant, and their morale fell below the ground. ¡°retreat! retreat!¡± in the end, in the first large-scale melee battle, the allied forces suffered a terrible defeat and lost many territories in an instant. the momentum was like a wildfire. ¡°now is the opportunity.¡± hojo ujitsuna thought that he had to secure as much territory as possible while the enemies were not aware of it. he judged that he should not give time to the enemies and let them catch their breath. his thoughts paid off. when a long battle was over, he captured many castles and expanded his territory enormously compared to before. thanks to that, he drove many daimyos around him into ruin and established himself as the undisputed ruler of this region. and around this time, hojo ujitsuna returned from the empire. ¡°father!¡± ¡°did you have a good trip?¡± the two embraced each other after a long time. ¡°i heard the news on my way here. you are truly amazing, father.¡± ¡°haha. it was just luck. the guns and cannons that we brought from the empire were really incredible. you should have seen that sight.¡± hojo ujitsuna smiled brightly as he recalled the war situation. he felt like he would never forget that exhilarating charge until he died. then, the topic changed. ¡°so, how was the wakan tanka empire?¡± ¡°¡­it was much more impressive than what i heard from the sailors.¡± ¡°what was so impressive about it?¡± hojo ujitsuna told his father in detail about the reality of the empire that he experienced. the countless large cities that flourished on a vast territory that could not even be compared to japan¡¯s mainland. the enormous number of scholars, craftsmen, and their huge academic achievements. and finally, the existence of kim kiwoo. ¡°hmm¡­¡± after his son¡¯s vivid description ended, hojo ujitsuna swallowed his saliva. ¡°father. this victory is surely a great glory for our clan, but we cannot waste time like this. we must end this chaos as soon as possible and carry out reforms like the empire.¡± ¡°do you have any good ideas?¡± ¡°i have thought of something, sir. will you listen to me?¡± ¡°let me hear it.¡± with his father¡¯s permission, hojo ujitsuna slowly explained his intention. ¡°hoo¡­¡± hojo ujitsuna nodded his head and lit up his eyes in between. and when all the explanations were over. ¡°good. that seems to be the best way for now. you take charge of this matter and proceed with it.¡± ¡°trust me, father. i will not disappoint you.¡± *** at this time, the samurai did not have much resentment towards overthrowing their lords, and rather thought it was natural. thanks to this, hojo ujitsuna was able to quickly subdue all the surrounding areas after defeating them, and he gathered his troops. he seemed ready to wage war at any moment. so, many daimyos around him felt a great anxiety. time passed like this, but hojo ujitsuna only crouched with his troops gathered. meanwhile, hojo ujitsuna moved quietly. he boarded a ship and looked at the eastern horizon and thought. ¡®there must be a huge development going on over there.¡¯ what impressed hojo ujitsuna the most was none other than the empire¡¯s history. the origin of the empire, the creek tribe, was just a very backward tribe without even iron tools until a hundred years ago. but in just a hundred years, they achieved a civilization that they could not even compare with themselves. he could not imagine what they would look like in another hundred years. hojo ujitsuna wanted to achieve a civilization comparable to the empire in this land. ¡®to do that, i need money.¡¯ the economy played the most important role in the development of the wakan tanka empire. the emperor of the empire knew this well and imported large amounts of gold and silver and minted coins. by now, the monetary economy had settled very successfully, and through this, the empire created inexhaustible wealth. but his clan lacked money to carry out reforms. ¡®they say they are making a lot of money through intermediary trade¡­¡¯ but this would not last long. to prepare for the time when other imperial merchants would start selling their goods in various places, which would lower the competitiveness of the relay trade, he had to find another source of income. that was why hojo ujitsuna was moving himself. ¡°here it is¡­¡± finally, hojo ujitsuna arrived at his destination. and he quietly met with the loser of this region, ouchi yoshitaka. as soon as he met hojo ujitsuna, ouchi yoshitaka asked him. ¡°what brings the hojo clan of kanto here?¡± it was understandable, since the distance between kanto and the region ruled by the ouchi clan was very far. ¡®he¡¯s sharp.¡¯ hojo ujitsuna immediately realized that ouchi yoshitaka was very tense. well, it was rare to be peaceful in this turbulent era of daimyos. ¡°before that, would you accept my gift?¡± ¡°a gift?¡± ¡°i have brought some humble things with me.¡± ¡°hmm. i¡¯ll gladly accept it if you give it to me.¡± when he agreed, hojo ujitsuna nodded his head at his attendant. and soon after, various products from the wakantanka empire, including pottery, came in. ¡°hooh. this is¡­¡± ¡°have you seen them before?¡± ¡°yes. they are exactly the same as the ones that the hakata merchants brought recently.¡± ¡°these are all products that we directly imported from a place called the wakantanka empire.¡± ¡°the wakantanka empire?¡± ouchi yoshitaka still didn¡¯t know much about the empire. that was because the current situation around him was very urgent. hojo ujitsuna explained quite in detail about the empire. ¡°it¡¯s amazing that such a place exists. but why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°have you heard any news about our clan recently?¡± ¡°¡­sorry, but i haven¡¯t heard anything because i¡¯ve been too busy with my affairs.¡± hojo ujitsuna nodded his head and took out a map from his bosom. ¡°you may not know this, but our clan originally ruled this much area. however, recently, we conquered this entire region. in less than a month¡¯s time.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ is that true?¡± ¡°you can ask the hakata merchants and they will tell you that it¡¯s not a lie.¡± ouchi yoshitaka looked at hojo ujitsuna with a surprised expression. he had no choice. the area that hojo ujitsuna marked was too large compared to the original area. ¡°aren¡¯t you curious how we were able to conquer this whole region in such a short time?¡± ¡°did you have some special secret?¡± ¡°we did.¡± ¡°what was it?¡± at that, ouchi yoshitaka¡¯s eyes were filled with deep interest. hojo ujitsuna paused for a moment and then said. ¡°it was thanks to the firearms that we brought from the wakantanka empire.¡± ¡°firearms? you mean the cannons that they use in that continent?¡± ¡°you know them. yes. but their power is very different from what they use in tang. and there is also something called a gun.¡± then hojo ujitsuna explained in detail about the firearms and demonstrated their power with the firearms that he brought from his clan. ¡°really amazing.¡± after all the demonstrations were over, ouchi yoshitaka acknowledged the strength of the firearms sincerely. hojo ujitsuna smiled and said. ¡°the future battles will be completely different because of the firearms coming from the empire.¡± ¡°hmm.¡± Chapter 136 chapter 136: iwami (2). ¡°it seems like we have a lot to talk about. follow me.¡± for ouchi yoshitaka, iwami silver mine was more important than anything else, and he needed to hear more details from the hojo clan who came to serve him for this matter. the two entered the room and soon began a serious negotiation. ouchi yoshitaka was the first to open the door. ¡°so, you have heard about my clan, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°we have learned a lot of information while trading with the products of the wakan tanka empire. even before that, we had heard rumors about the iwami silver mine.¡± ¡°i see.¡± there was no one as quick and sharp as the merchants who traveled around the country. therefore, ouchi yoshitaka nodded in agreement. ¡°and when we heard about iwami, we couldn¡¯t help but lament.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°the area where the silver mine is located has been the territory of the ouchi clan since ancient times. but look at the situation now. as soon as a large amount of silver was mined, they tried to take away the silver mine from its original owner. this is not right.¡± ¡°hmm. that¡¯s true.¡± in fact, he had lost the ownership of the silver mine at present, so ouchi yoshitaka nodded his head. of course, it was not something that he, a man of the hojo clan, should say. the hojo clan had recently expanded their territory by forcing the neighboring daimyos to collapse with their superior firearms and advanced tactics. in this era of bloodshed and turmoil, attacking a neighboring territory for profit was not a fault at all. but neither of them mentioned this. ¡°the true owner of iwami is the ouchi clan. and this hojo ujitsuna wants to help lord ouchi.¡± ¡°¡­you?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ouchi yoshitaka¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°i want to hear more.¡± he leaned forward and showed great interest. hojo ujitsuna also looked straight into his eyes. ¡°as i said before, our clan has adopted the excellent firearms and advanced tactics of the wakan tanka empire and expanded our territory greatly. we are also working hard to adapt the many soldiers we have absorbed to the new tactics.¡± ¡°that¡¯s something to envy.¡± having seen the power of the empire¡¯s weapons himself earlier, ouchi yoshitaka sincerely envied him. ¡°then are you saying that you will sell me the weapons you brought from the empire?¡± ¡°haha. in the long run, of course we have to.¡± ¡°in the long run¡­¡± ouchi yoshitaka¡¯s eyes narrowed. but hojo ujitsuna did not show any change in his expression. ¡°there are not only merchants from our clan who trade with the empire in this land. lately, various merchants have been visiting many territories. it is possible that an imperial delegation will visit here soon. but do you know this?¡± ¡°what are you talking about?¡± ¡°the empire uses silver as currency.¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s not a strange thing.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. but think about it. if they hear about iwami silver mine, won¡¯t they visit iwami directly?¡± it was an obvious story. merchants sailed across the vast sea through high waves in pursuit of profit. in this regard, trade with a place like iwami silver mine, where silver was mined, was an act that gave great benefits to merchants. ¡°but now amago clan has occupied iwami silver mine. what if they contact the imperial merchants at this moment? or can you be sure that they haven¡¯t contacted them yet?¡± ¡°¡­¡± as the story continued, ouchi yoshitaka¡¯s face hardened. ¡®if those damn amago bastards get their hands on the weapons of the empire¡­¡¯ shiver! a chill ran up his spine. after they fully accepted the new weapon system, they realized that it would be difficult to reclaim iwami again. ¡°it¡¯s been a year since they took over the iwami silver mine. that should be enough for them to secure a very generous amount of imperial weapons.¡± ¡°we have plenty of wealth too. if they can buy imperial weapons, so can we.¡± ¡°that may be true for now, but if the front line remains stagnant, we will be at a disadvantage in terms of financial power. and it would be better to settle this before the imperial vanguard reaches this area.¡± ¡°why is that?¡± ¡°what if they promise to give a certain percentage of the profits to the merchants in exchange for helping them defend the silver mine? by the way, the weapons of the imperial merchants are incomparable to the firearms i showed you earlier. those are just relics of the past that were used in the empire.¡± ¡°¡­are you serious?¡± ouchi yoshitaka was greatly surprised by this. those weapons were so advanced and they were relics of the past. he could not believe it. ¡°the imperial military is truly terrifying. if they are captivated by the steady income of the silver mine, can you handle it?¡± ¡°hoo¡­ i can¡¯t believe what hojo-sama is saying.¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you ask the hakata merchants who have had contact with the imperial vanguard? of course, this will take some time, and i can¡¯t guarantee what will happen in the meantime.¡± of course, hojo ujitsuna knew. the fact that the empire was extremely reluctant to project their military power to other regions. unless it caused significant human and material damage to the imperial citizens, or invaders from completely different regions invaded with the purpose of colonizing, they usually avoided military intervention. especially in this kind of military conflict. but this was not easy to know unless one was well-versed in the affairs of the empire like hojo ujitsuna. perhaps because his head hurt from these new facts, ouchi yoshitaka pressed his temples and asked in a sharp voice. ¡°so what do you want? there must be a reason why you are telling me this.¡± at that, hojo ujitsuna got to the point. ¡°my clan will help ouchi clan. as i mentioned, my clan¡¯s troops are fully armed with imperial weapons and tactics. if you wish, i will return the iwami silver mine that amago clan has occupied to ouchi clan with my clan¡¯s troops alone.¡± ¡°¡­is that possible?¡± ¡°of course.¡± hojo ujitsuna nodded confidently. ¡®i have already prepared everything.¡¯ he did not come to ouchi clan because, as he had told him earlier, the iwami silver mine belonged to ouchi clan. he just visited because he did not have ownership of the iwami silver mine at present. there was nothing to gain if he cooperated with the clan that already had the silver mine. ¡®i have also secured the cooperation of swift rope-nim.¡¯ hojo ujitsuna had started planning to secure funds for reform since he saw the reality of the empire with his own eyes. after a long deliberation, he came up with the idea of ??the iwami silver mine. so hojo ujitsuna asked swift rope. ¡°please help me transport my clan¡¯s troops, weapons, and supplies.¡± it was difficult for hojo clan alone to carry them all the way to the distant iwami silver mine. he needed a huge ship from the empire for a smooth plan. hojo ujitsuna promised to give him the right to negotiate first with the clan that would rule over the silver mine as a reward for helping him. of course, this required negotiation with ouchi clan anyway. ¡°you won¡¯t just do that for me. yeah, what do you want?¡± ¡°i want two things.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ let me hear it.¡± hojo ujitsuna said with tension. ¡°first, give 20% of the silver from iwami silver mine to my clan.¡± ¡°20%¡­¡± ¡°i think that¡¯s a fair price for shedding our soldiers¡¯ blood. and if you want, i¡¯ll also help you defend the silver mine after taking it back.¡± of course, it wasn¡¯t over just by taking over the silver mine. after that, it was only meaningful if he could protect the silver mine. and currently, there were many surrounding forces that wanted the silver mine. for the hojo clan, protecting the silver mine was also a very important matter. ¡®it seems like a not bad condition.¡¯ anyway, the kant¨­ and iwami silver mines were far away. in other words, it was practically difficult for the hojo clan to occupy iwami alone. it was reasonable to cooperate with someone local and get some benefits. ¨­uchi yoshitaka nodded his head and asked. ¡°what is the second one?¡± ¡°there is a force of the empire that has a relationship with our clan. please give them the priority trade right.¡± ¡°priority trade right?¡± ¡°it means the right to negotiate first when trading with the empire¡¯s merchants. if the prices are similar, you just have to promise to trade with them.¡± ¡°what if there is a big difference in price¡­¡± ¡°it is not possible to trade at a loss. then you can trade with other merchants without any problem. they promised to transport our clan¡¯s troops and supplies with their large and fast ships. the priority trade right is the price for that.¡± ¡°i see.¡± it was a quite reasonable reason. if hojo ujitsuna succeeded in retaking the iwami silver mine as he said, he could not ignore the merit of the swift rope. ¡°only if you promise these two things, the iwami silver mine will return to the ¨­uchi clan soon.¡± after all the proposals were finished. ¨­uchi yoshitaka nodded his head. ¡®it¡¯s not a bad condition.¡¯ surely 20% was a quite large price. but on the other hand, it also meant that he could take 80% of the profit stably. the hojo clan would do their best cooperation to protect 20% of their profit. ¡®even if he fails, we have no loss.¡¯ no, it was a profit anyway. if he succeeded in the plan, the iwami silver mine would be in his hands, which was a profit, and if he failed, he would weaken the power of the amago clan, which was not bad either. ¡®the most important thing is to take over the iwami silver mine as soon as possible.¡¯ wasn¡¯t the wealth of the amago clan accumulating at this moment? if he changed his mind later, he could break his promise with them. he sorted out his thoughts and made a decision. ¡°good. i accept the request of the hojo clan.¡± ¡°you have made a very good decision.¡± ¡°i look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°likewise.¡± *** after discussing the details, they made a treaty. after finishing everything here, hojo ujitsuna moved quickly. and shortly after, he returned to his stronghold. ¡°son, i¡¯m back.¡± ¡°yes. did it go well?¡± ¡°yes.¡± hojo ujitsuna explained the details of the treaty to his father. after his son¡¯s explanation was over. ¡°you did well.¡± hojo ujitsuna patted his son¡¯s shoulder. ¡°is everything ready?¡± ¡°haha. of course. i finished all preparations while you were gone.¡± it was as he said. he had already prepared to send out his troops. the warships supported by the swift rope were also anchored. hojo ujitsuna looked at hojo ujitsuna with sharp eyes and said. ¡°this expedition is a matter of fate for the hojo clan. so you must win and come back.¡± ¡°i will definitely do so, father.¡± he wanted to lead the army himself and go on an expedition, but hojo ujitsuna could not do that. he had to defend his expanded territory from surrounding enemies. ¡°i trust you.¡± ¡°yes!¡± and a few days later. hojo ujitsuna led a large army and boarded warships, heading for iwami. Chapter 137 chapter 137: the west. the war was fought on both sides at the same time. ¡°it¡¯s dangerous to leave them alone.¡± the hojo clan had achieved a great victory in the last blitzkrieg, expanding their territory significantly. this posed a huge threat to the neighboring sengoku daimyo, such as the echigo and kai provinces. therefore, they put aside their own chaotic situations and formed a military alliance with each other. and as soon as hojo ujitsuna led his troops away, they seized the opportunity. ¡°as expected. they won¡¯t let it go easily.¡± hojo ujitsuna knew well how things would turn out. he would not miss such a golden opportunity either. ¡°time is on our side.¡± he had no intention of being reckless. he boldly withdrew from the areas that were hard to defend, and concentrated his troops on the places that were easy to defend. and this choice gave the enemies despair. when he used his firearms only for defense, the places guarded by hojo ujitsuna¡¯s troops became walls of wailing. while a perfect defense was being carried out in the base, on the other side of iwami, hojo ujitsuna was winning one battle after another. he pushed back the iwami silver mine and its surrounding areas in no time, based on his unfamiliar firepower. ¡°¡­how can he do that?¡± ouchi yoshitaka was more than surprised, he felt a sense of awe for the new weapon. of course, it also helped that he caught them off guard and pushed them back quickly, but even so, he was pushed back too easily. ouchi yoshitaka realized the power of the firearms and the wakan tangga empire through this battle. ¡°as promised, i have subdued iwami and its surroundings with my own clan¡¯s power. honey, now it¡¯s your turn to keep your promise.¡± ¡°haha. don¡¯t worry. i will keep my word.¡± *** ¡°nice to meet you. i¡¯m called the swift rope of the wakan tangga empire.¡± ¡°haha. i¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± after the war ended rather anticlimactically, the swift rope met with ouchi yoshitaka. ¡®i have to get along well with the empire.¡¯ having felt the power of the firearms firsthand, ouchi yoshitaka welcomed the swift rope and his entourage very warmly. ¡°thank you for welcoming us so kindly.¡± ¡°you came all this way from afar, it¡¯s only natural. i want to know more about your empire.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°yes. i will provide you with every convenience while you stay here.¡± ouchi yoshitaka kept his promise. after their first meeting, he agreed to most of the requests made by the swift rope without much hesitation. he first checked the situation of the iwami silver mine. ¡®wow¡­ it¡¯s not inferior to the south continent.¡¯ the swift rope was amazed by the amount of silver mined from iwami. in the south continent, potosi silver mine had started to produce a tremendous amount of silver. but this small island nation¡¯s iwami silver mine was comparable to that level. ¡°as expected. if we provide technical support, we can mine much more silver than now. the scale of silver deposits is enormous.¡± ¡°well done.¡± with the confirmation from the mining expert who came with him, the swift rope was sure. ¡®this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.¡¯ to have exclusive trade with a clan that owns a silver mine comparable to potosi? he saw a huge fortune in front of his eyes. after confirming the potential of iwami, the swift rope went straight to ouchi yoshitaka. ¡°how was the iwami silver mine?¡± ¡°it was amazing. it was comparable to our empire¡¯s best silver mine.¡± ¡°oh. your empire also has a great silver mine.¡± the swift rope briefly mentioned the silver mine to fotothi. and he added, with a hint of regret in his voice. ¡°it¡¯s a pity. if you had the imperial technology support, you would have produced much more silver than now.¡± ¡°¡­can you tell me more about it?¡± ouchi yoshitaka showed great interest in the prospect of getting more silver. ¡°you may not believe it, but the imperial technology is amazing.¡± ¡°i know that from seeing it with my own eyes.¡± ouchi yoshitaka had experienced the excellence of the imperial technology firsthand, when he saw the huge airship and the steam engine and the latest firearms that the swift rope had brought with him a while ago. ¡°then this will be quick. it¡¯s as simple as that. if we help you, you can mine much more silver. of course, this kind of support requires a national approval, so¡­¡± ¡°ha ha. i get what you mean. there¡¯s no gain without pain.¡± ¡°you are very wise.¡± ¡°if i get more silver than now, i¡¯ll give you some of it as a price.¡± this was beneficial for both sides. the swift rope was happy to get a huge profit with little effort, and ouchi yoshitaka needed more funds in this chaotic era. the challenge from the surrounding daimyos was not over yet, but rather just beginning. for now, he had to secure more money quickly and bring in the imperial firearms. it was also a great boon for the hojo clan, who had agreed to receive 20% of the total output. after all the negotiations on mining technology support and trade were concluded, both sides and hojo ujitsuna finally signed a treaty. ¡°then i look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°so do we.¡± the expressions of those who exchanged greetings were very bright. after the treaty, the situation quickly stabilized. hojo ujitsuna and the troops who would protect the iwami silver mine stayed in ouchi¡¯s territory for post-mining management, but the rest of the troops returned to kanto. ¡°damn it¡­¡± they were already having trouble with the siege, and the news that the hojo clan¡¯s troops had returned from their expedition pushed them into a pit of despair. they realized it. the fact that this expedition had ended in failure. thanks to that, the war in kanto came to an end. *** the swift rope kept his promise. he applied the mainland¡¯s mining technology to the iwami silver mine in the shortest possible time. it was not difficult to get approval, as there were already cases where they had helped other countries develop their mines. and soon after, a huge amount of silver was mined from the iwami silver mine. ¡°it was true!¡± after confirming that it started pouring out in an astonishing amount after applying the imperial technology, ouchi yoshitaka was very happy. ¡®it¡¯s amazing.¡¯ he was more and more amazed by the wakantanka empire as he learned more about it. ¡®i want to know more.¡¯ ouchi yoshitaka had suffered a great defeat last year, when he attacked gassantoda castle and was stabbed in the back by ogawasara. as a result, he lost not only the silver mine to amago, but also his political interest withered after losing ouchi harumochi, whom he had invested heavily in. but this time, ouchi yoshitaka regained his vitality and devoted it to understanding the wakantanka empire. he was especially fascinated by the spirit faith. ¡°oh, why did i only realize the existence of the great spirits now¡­¡± he was particularly impressed by kim kiwoo, the living spirit, and his infinite life and achievements. so ouchi yoshitaka sent many people from his country to the empire, just like hojo ujitsuna did. and he accepted many aspects of the imperial culture, including the spirit faith. of course, that didn¡¯t mean he neglected his main business. ¡°just like the hojo clan, i also want to import the empire¡¯s firearms as a priority. wouldn¡¯t you feel more at ease if we were stable and could continue our trade, mr. rope?¡± ¡°of course. don¡¯t worry. i will teach you everything about the empire¡¯s firearms, not only how to use them, but also how to operate them.¡± the amount of silver mined from the iwami silver mine was more than enough to pay for it. not only firearms and gunpowder, but also countless imperial goods and luxury items were imported, and there was still plenty of silver left. ¡°phew¡­ i can finally breathe.¡± the benefits of the iwami silver mine also brought great benefits to the hojo clan. although the scale of the intermediary trade was shrinking day by day as more and more imperial merchants arrived in this land, the 20% of silver that came from the iwami silver mine was enough to offset it and still have a lot left. hojo ujitsuna also focused on bringing in firearms and prepared to advance beyond the kanto conquest, to kyoto, which was chaotic beyond compare. ** kim kiwoo was keeping an eye on the situation in japan. it was because he knew its history quite well, as he had some kind of bad karma with his homeland. ¡®i had a hunch when i saw hojo ujitsuna, but japan¡¯s history will change a lot.¡¯ hojo ujitsuna was one of the main figures who took charge of one of the three powers in the kanto region during the warring states period. he was with takeda shingen, who was called the tiger of kai, and uesugi kenshin, who was called the dragon of echigo. but the other two figures were too young to show their presence in history yet. and judging by the current momentum, it seemed that they would not be able to withstand hojo¡¯s force. ¡®in the original history, oda nobunaga couldn¡¯t use his power to unify the world because of the three powers¡¯ mutual restraint.¡¯ the three figures were so outstanding that they eventually failed to become the winners of history. but if hojo conquered kanto as kim kiwoo thought, the lineage of power in japan that led to oda nobunaga, toyotomi hideyoshi, and tokugawa ieyasu would be shattered. ¡®and if ouchi continues to build up his power based on the iwami silver mine¡­¡¯ mori motonari, who was the final winner of the iwami war, also seemed to fall. ¡°have you arrived?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± the one who interrupted kim kiwoo¡¯s thoughts was the head of commerce. ¡°yes. how are things going these days?¡± after talking with the head of commerce for a while about this and that, kim kiwoo brought up the main point when he felt that the atmosphere was ripe. ¡°it¡¯s been quite a while since silver came in from the iwami silver mine.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°has the empire¡¯s economic situation stabilized?¡± ¡°¡­the silver that comes from iwami is definitely playing a big role.¡± the empire¡¯s economy expanded at a frightening pace. thanks to this, it recorded an enormous economic growth rate every year that could not be experienced in pre-modern society. ¡®the bigger the economy grows, the bigger the money grows naturally.¡¯ this was too obvious a story. but there was one stumbling block at this time. ¡®the current currency is not credit currency.¡¯ the empire currently used gold coins and silver coins as official currency. if they switched to a credit currency system like dollars or pounds in the original history, they could print money whenever they wanted. but it was hard to do that now. for now, they had no choice but to mine more gold and silver. and by using the empire¡¯s technology to quickly develop the iwami silver mine and bringing in the silver obtained from there, they were able to get out of the recent crisis to some extent. ¡°head of commerce, try your best to bring in as much silver as possible from the iwami silver mine.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. i will do my best.¡± ¡°good. you can go now.¡± at kim kiwoo¡¯s dismissal order, the head of commerce bowed and left his seat. ¡®i have secured a lot of silver, so i should increase gold production too.¡¯ kim kiwoo continued to adjust the circulation of gold and silver. the reason was that if the relative value of gold and silver was not constant, it would cause chaos in the empire¡¯s economy. however, the output of silver was much higher than that of gold, and it was difficult to control it. therefore, kim ki-woo was regulating the circulation of gold. but when potosi and iwami silver mines joined in, the value of gold showed signs of falling. ¡®i need to start developing the gold mines in the west soon.¡¯ this blessed north american continent had plenty of gold as well. there was a huge amount of gold buried in the west. wasn¡¯t this why the western frontier era opened? ¡®the west will develop tremendously.¡¯ the west was already developing like crazy. it couldn¡¯t be helped. unlike the original history, the main trade route of the american continent was not the atlantic, but the pacific. as a result, the west, which was adjacent to the pacific, was the fastest growing region after the sailing ban was relaxed. and if they started to develop gold mines in earnest¡­ their growth rate would be enormous, which was obvious. Chapter 138 chapter 138: rebellion. ¡°how enviable. who would have thought that such a small island nation could produce so much silver?¡± ¡°i know, right? i thought it was a barren and useless region.¡± if one excluded hawaii, which had recently seen a lot of traffic, the closest asian country to the western continent was none other than japan. as a result, many imperial fleets passed through japan, but it was very chaotic due to the ongoing warring states period, and it was not very rich in resources. so many merchants lost interest in japan. they were too busy paying attention to india, china, indochina, and various island nations near the equator. but when silver began to pour out of iwami in japan, the situation changed. the merchants regretted it then, but it was too late. the exclusive trade rights of iwami had already been taken by the swift rope. ¡®i¡¯m really lucky.¡¯ the swift rope always appreciated his enormous fortune. he monopolized the silver from iwami, received a special role from kim kiwoo to help with the reform of joseon, and his trading company joined the ranks of the giant trading companies in the shortest time in history. he couldn¡¯t help but think that he was born with a lucky star. however, he was always anxious. ¡®you never know what will happen in life.¡¯ he never wanted his happiness to be destroyed. so he did his best in everything he could. he firmly established his power in the west, where gold mines were being developed and prospering rapidly under kim kiwoo¡¯s orders. he supported the ouchi and hojo clans and stabilized the iwami silver mine. and he supported the king of joseon and yi hwang¡¯s faction in every way possible, maintaining a close relationship with the imperial government, especially kim kiwoo. ¡®i must not disappoint his majesty the emperor.¡¯ aside from respect, kim kiwoo was a living absolute power. it was hard to survive in the empire if he offended him. on the other hand, if he maintained his relationship with him as it was now, it was not easy to touch the swift rope and his trading company. that¡¯s why he always paid close attention to the situation in joseon. ¡°master. the situation in joseon is not good.¡± ¡°tell me more.¡± at the swift rope¡¯s order, his subordinate continued his report. ¡°as you expected, master, the resistance of the scholar class is intensifying. many scholars are flocking to the streets and protesting, and we have spotted frequent meetings of key figures of the anti-reform faction.¡± ¡°i see.¡± at that report, the swift rope nodded his head. he had been active in asia for a long time and had a deep understanding of confucianism that was widespread in east asia. especially in joseon, a country of neo-confucianism, the scholars were very stubborn. ¡®i never thought that those narrow-minded nobles would easily accept the imperial culture and cooperate with the reform.¡¯ the bigger the expectation, the bigger the disappointment. but he didn¡¯t have any expectations from the beginning, so there was nothing to be disappointed about. ¡°so they¡¯re going to rebel after all.¡± ¡°it seems so.¡± ¡°foolish nobles. do they think that rebellion will succeed this time as well?¡± ¡°the rebellion succeeded not too long ago.¡± ¡°tsk tsk. the situation is completely different now¡­¡± the loyal subjects who drove out yeonsangun and put lee yul on the throne felt confident that they could replace the king with their own hands if they didn¡¯t like him. ¡®well, from their point of view, the current king must look much more dangerous than yeonsangun.¡¯ lee yul¡¯s reform was an act of overturning the roots of joseon, a country of neo-confucianism. they would never tolerate it. ¡°are you ready?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. the rebellion will never succeed.¡± ¡°you can¡¯t be sure. his majesty has even allowed us to use the latest firearms for joseon¡¯s reform. if we fail in this situation, our position in the empire will be greatly reduced. review all possible scenarios once more.¡± ¡°yes. i understand, master.¡± after that, his subordinate bowed his head and left the room. ¡®it¡¯s better to be overly sensitive.¡¯ that way, he could eliminate any possible variables. ¡®if i get caught in a rebellion with this cheat-like gun, it¡¯s my fault.¡¯ the empire¡¯s firearms had developed steadily along with other fields and reached the present level. after the development of smokeless powder, breech-loading rifles, or breech rifles for short, became the mainstream. and then there were the six-shot revolvers and the fearsome machine guns. the empire¡¯s firearms had no rivals in the world where pre-modern weapons were still dominant. kim ki-woo and the directors knew this well, and that¡¯s why they restricted the export of firearms. they did not sell guns that were superior to cannons to other countries. in this situation, giving six-shot revolvers to joseon was a very exceptional decision. it was a proof that kim ki-woo cared a lot about the reform of joseon. ¡®i will surely succeed.¡¯ swift rope tightened his fist around the rope and firmly resolved. *** the past few years in joseon were nothing but chaos. many goods and ideas from the empire came in, and the followers of yi hwang increased, causing frequent clashes with the privileged class. then, the iron steamships appeared in front of joseon¡¯s sea, and lee yeok was persuaded by swift rope. after that, lee yeok started to reform from the bottom up. but as the saying goes, a long tail gets stepped on. ¡°your majesty! how can you accept the barbarians¡¯ learning! joseon is a country of neo-confucianism!¡± ¡°you must not accept such false learning!¡± ¡°please reconsider, your majesty!¡± when it was revealed that lee yeok wanted to reform joseon like the wakan tanka empire, many scholars rose up. their momentum was like a raging wave. ¡°the world is changing fast. you must have seen it too. the wakan tanka empire is a rising sun. their iron ships have no match in the sea, and their weapons are also the best. what about other things? the empire¡¯s overwhelming products and the goods produced in this country of joseon are incomparable. in this situation, how long will you be entangled with the learning of the past.¡± ¡°the learning of the past!¡± ¡°how can you say that¡­¡± lee yeok¡¯s radical words provoked many officials¡¯ anger. they did not listen to lee yeok¡¯s logical arguments, but just lamented and criticized his attitude of being fascinated by the barbarians¡¯ learning. the conflict over the pros and cons of reform continued for a long time. if it had been usual, lee yeok would have given up on such heated arguments, but this time was different. ¡®this time, i will establish absolute royal power like the wakan tanka empire.¡¯ he knew well that if he let it go as before, he would never be able to strengthen his authority again. thanks to that, he never wavered despite all kinds of storms. on the other hand, the opposing figures secretly held meetings. ¡°i didn¡¯t know his majesty would be so stubborn.¡± ¡°ahem! his tyranny is no less than yeonsangun. are you going to sit still like this?¡± the mention of yeonsangun meant that they wanted to discuss a rebellion. ¡°joseon is not his majesty¡¯s country. joseon is a country of scholars.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. his majesty does not seem to understand this well.¡± ¡°his majesty is committing a great tyranny, so we have to make a decision for the sake of joseon¡¯s people.¡± the officials already had experience in overthrowing a king. the first time is always hard. as lee yeok¡¯s behavior posed a serious threat to them, they discussed again to raise a new king. they discussed everything from when to do it, who to make the next king, who to spare and who to kill when they succeeded. the officials were confident that they could change the regime as they wished again. *** ¡°their movements are not good.¡± ¡°sigh¡­ i wish i didn¡¯t have to see blood, but it ended up like this.¡± ¡°your majesty, you have to brace yourself. isn¡¯t this something you have to go through once for reform?¡± yi hwang nodded his head in agreement with lee yeok¡¯s words. ¡°are you ready? we can¡¯t let history repeat itself.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. haven¡¯t you seen the weapons that the empire gave us?¡± ¡°¡­they were truly terrifying weapons.¡± ¡°although we only gave them to trustworthy people, so we might be outnumbered, they won¡¯t be able to surpass the power of the pistol.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. i only trust you guys.¡± lee yeok had also experienced the power and portability of the six-shot pistol, so he felt somewhat relieved by yi hwang¡¯s confident words. ¡°then please rest well. i will take my leave now.¡± after that, the meeting for that day ended. yi hwang continued with his final preparations. ¡®history is made at night.¡¯ most rebellions were decided before the sun rose the next day. this time would not be any different. that¡¯s why yi hwang distributed pistols to the king¡¯s loyal guards who were guarding the palace, and prepared for the coup. and not long after, the incident finally happened. *** a dark night. tap tap tap. footsteps sounded loudly from near the palace of joseon. creak. and soon after, the gate opened wide. swish, swish. as the guard gestured, soldiers who were fully prepared ran towards their predetermined targets. ¡®it¡¯s a race against time now.¡¯ now that the palace gate was open, the fact that a rebellion had occurred must have been reported. they had to finish everything as quickly as possible. if they failed in this incident, they and everyone who had rebelled with them would die. on the other hand, if they succeeded, they would gain great wealth, honor, and power as rebels who overthrew tyranny. ¡®it¡¯s okay. everything will be fine.¡¯ he shook off the slightest anxiety that remained in his chest. there were many scholars who opposed the current situation of following westerners. those who followed westerners were a minority. thanks to that, there were many people who participated in this coup, and many of them were also inside the palace. ¡°who are you!¡± when he almost reached lee yeok¡¯s bedroom, a loud shout was heard and many soldiers came out from around him. ¡°move aside. if you do, we will spare your lives. we came here to correct lee yeok¡¯s tyranny.¡± ¡°how dare you call his majesty by his name! you must be crazy!¡± ¡°it¡¯s not us who are crazy. it¡¯s lee yeok and you who follow western barbarians and abandon confucianism!¡± ¡°shut up! if you move one step, your bodies will never be intact!¡± but they were not ones to listen to him. ¡°attack!¡± as a man shouted, clang! clash! ¡°aaaah!¡± ¡°haaah!¡± the rebels drew their swords and ran towards lee yeok¡¯s bedroom. ¡°tsk. foolish ones. did you really think we didn¡¯t know you would come out like this?¡± but contrary to the rebels¡¯ expectations, there was no fear in the hearts of the guards even with their fierce momentum. they knew well the power of the guns they had. ¡°kill them all!¡± as soon as the order was given, the guards pulled out their pistols and aimed at the charging rebels. immediately after, the surroundings were filled with loud gunshots. bang! tatatatatang! tatatang! ¡°cough!¡± ¡°gack¡­¡± ¡°aaaargh!¡± and soon after, screams of rebels followed. ¡°this¡­ this can¡¯t be¡­¡± the man couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he looked at the scene. of course, they knew about guns too. but the guns they knew were very big and had to be reloaded for a long time after shooting once. they never imagined that there would be pistols that could shoot continuously like now. that was because the existence of six-shot pistols was kept secret very well. ¡°aaah!¡± ¡°sa-save me!¡± while he was thinking about this and that, the rebels panicked. their comrades were falling like straw around them. it was a natural result. they didn¡¯t know who started it first, but they began to run away at some point. Chapter 139 chapter 139: a new capital. the moment the coup d¡¯etat that happened in the dead of night failed, the future events were as good as predetermined. if they had succeeded, they would have been recorded as rebels, but since they had already failed, this was nothing more or less than treason. ¡°how dare they¡­! capture all the traitors who committed treason without missing a single one!¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± although they had anticipated a rebellion, when it actually happened, the king¡¯s fury pierced the sky. as the king vented his intense anger, the state affairs froze rapidly. soon after, the investigation was carried out in earnest. numerous traitors who were caught at the scene were dragged to the torture chamber and subjected to various tortures. ¡°aaaargh!¡± the screams of the criminals echoed throughout the torture chamber. however, the officials of the torture chamber did not care about this and interrogated who were the masterminds of the treason. ¡°spit it out! if you keep resisting, you will never die peacefully!¡± ¡°ugh¡­¡± ¡°continue!¡± at first, many of the traitors kept their mouths shut, but as the cruel torture continued without end, ¡°i-i¡¯ll talk. please, just stop¡­¡± ¡°you should have done that sooner.¡± gradually, a lot of information poured out from the mouths of the criminals. ¡°huh, really. there are so many people involved in the treason. there will be a bloodbath for a while.¡± the more the officials investigated, the more they realized this fact painfully. and their expectations were exactly right. there were really many powerful people involved in this treason case. ¡°i¡¯m not guilty! it¡¯s unfair!¡± ¡°p-please spare me!¡± they denied it and begged for mercy. but nothing changed by doing so. as the investigation progressed, it became clear that they had participated in the treason. there were so many that the state affairs were paralyzed. however, the king did not blink an eye. he had already decided with yi hwang how to act when such a situation arose. ¡®i can¡¯t miss this opportunity. i have to expel all their forces.¡¯ the king made up his mind firmly. ¡°the criminals tried to overthrow me, who rightfully inherited the throne. this is unforgivable. i will never tolerate this!¡± no one could argue with the king¡¯s resolute appearance. the king¡¯s power was at its strongest when such a direct treason occurred. that is, there was no minister who opposed the king¡¯s words in this situation. if they accidentally defended the traitors, they could lose their own heads. after that, countless criminals disappeared into dew on the gallows. the forces that had been strongly opposing yi hwang¡¯s reform plan completely collapsed. they could no longer exert any influence on the court. taking advantage of this gap, yi hwang and other reformists rose to prominence. as their power shifted to them, a full-scale reform began. *** when joseon was facing a huge wave of reform head-on. there was also a big change happening in the wakan tanka empire. ¡®sigh¡­ i¡¯m saying goodbye here too. it¡¯s a shame.¡¯ kim ki-woo had been wandering around various places in the vast palace for several days. he had no choice. he didn¡¯t know when he would come back here once he left for the north today. as kim ki-woo passed by many places, many memories came to his mind. the garden where he often walked with the empress, the research complex that made the current empire possible, various buildings for various purposes. the palace of great beginnings was none other than the history of wakan tanka empire itself. however, kim ki-woo couldn¡¯t stay immersed in his memories forever. before he knew it, it was time to leave. ¡°your majesty. everything is ready for departure.¡± ¡°is it time already?¡± ¡°let us go then.¡± kim kiwoo looked sharply at the man who was urging him. ¡®he¡¯s so ignorant.¡¯ he was none other than the blue earth. the blue earth had never called kim kiwoo by his nickname, papa, in public places since he became the minister of defense. he was more meticulous than anyone else in everything. kim kiwoo felt a bit bitter about that, but he understood that the blue earth wanted to focus on his role as the minister of defense. kim kiwoo cleared his mind and replied to his son. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± then kim kiwoo got on the carriage and slowly left the imperial palace. ¡°tsk.¡± kim kiwoo clicked his tongue lightly. as expected, there were many imperial citizens on the street. but the atmosphere of the huge crowd was not something that could be described as good, even as a joke. usually, as soon as kim kiwoo came out, there would be cheers that would pierce the sky, but there was only a heavy air on the street. clack, clack. the exclusive carriage that kim kiwoo rode cut through that gloomy space. ¡°it seems that the people of the great beginning are very heartbroken.¡± ¡°it must be because after today, the great beginning will no longer be the capital of the empire.¡± ¡°it¡¯s just not the capital anymore, but this place will still be the center of the south.¡± of course, he said that, but kim kiwoo also deeply understood the regret of the people. the residents of the great beginning had a strong pride in living in the area where the emperor resided and in being the capital of the empire. but now, the great beginning had become a remote area, not the center of the empire. it was not easy to accept this in an instant. ¡®time will solve everything.¡¯ anyway, as kim kiwoo said, as long as nothing special happened, the great beginning would prosper forever. it had a symbolic meaning as the place where the waktanga empire, which was becoming the center of the world, was born. while kim kiwoo was thinking about this and that, his carriage finally arrived at the railway station. ¡°you have arrived. we have arranged everything so that you can board right away.¡± ¡°thank you. let¡¯s get on the train quickly.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± kim kiwoo got off the carriage and entered the railway station. ¡®good.¡¯ he was satisfied with the majesty of the steam engine that appeared soon. it looked much better than the initial steam engine, which could not even be compared. ¡®it seems like yesterday when the railway was first laid. it¡¯s already a distant past.¡¯ during this time, kim kiwoo had invested all his efforts to lay railways all over the continent, especially in north continent, to make it look like a spider web. as a result, before he knew it, railways had completely established themselves as a major means of transportation in the empire. ¡°we¡¯re leaving!¡± not long after kim kiwoo sat down, the steam engine started running on the railway with a loud noise. soon after it gained speed, the outside scenery passed by quickly. *** the transportation between great beginning and new capital in north continent was better than any other section. thanks to that, kim kiwoo was able to arrive at new capital very comfortably. and when steam engine reached its destination. kim kiwoo did not hesitate and walked towards outside. it was obvious, but residents of new capital filled up whole street to welcome kim kiwoo. at that moment, a huge cheer erupted. woooooo! the sound was so loud that it felt like the ground was shaking. ¡°it¡¯s so hot, and it¡¯s not even summer.¡± the citizens of the capital cheered loudly as they saw kim kiwoo from afar, raising their arms and waving. it was like they had come to a party of madness. it was a 180-degree different atmosphere from the previous capital, the great beginning. ¡®of course it is.¡¯ more than half of the people in the current capital were either those who came to the undeveloped north to pioneer it for the future capital¡¯s residence rights in the early days of northern development, or their families. in other words, they were people who had been eagerly waiting for their living area to become the capital. and finally, they received the reward for their long hard work. in a way, their cheers were natural. kim kiwoo waved his hand outside the carriage window and admired the new capital. ¡®it¡¯s amazing.¡¯ the great beginning was certainly a great city. but the scenery of the new capital was much more impressive and majestic than the great beginning. it was built with the latest construction methods, and there were many high-rise buildings that were all beautiful. it felt like he had come to a famous tourist destination in modern times. he thought that in the future, even without the symbolism of being the imperial capital, it would be a famous tourist destination because of its beauty. and his feeling reached its peak when he faced the new imperial palace. *** ¡°¡­¡± after entering the palace. kim kiwoo looked around the palace for a long time. but even though he rode a carriage and toured around, it took a long time to see everything because it was too wide. ¡®there was a reason why it ate up a huge budget.¡¯ at that time, the department heads wanted a palace that matched the dignity of the empire. the palace of the great beginning was certainly nice, but it was hard to expand its size because residential areas had already been built around it. but the new capital was built from scratch anyway. . so they could make the palace much bigger from the start. ¡®it feels like i¡¯m in the forbidden city.¡¯ of course, this was not an oriental architectural style, so its shape was very different, but when he looked at its size, he thought of the forbidden city. one thing he regretted was that there were many unfinished sections because the palace was so wide. they were still working hard on these places. he spent several days focusing on getting familiar with the palace. his residence and office, as well as each department building and imperial conference hall. and finally, the first historic meeting in the new capital was held at the imperial conference hall. ¡°did you rest well for a few days?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. i didn¡¯t notice how time flew by as i explored the new capital.¡± ¡°the scenery of the capital seems to suit the rising spirit of our empire.¡± ¡°when i first came to this conference hall, i thought i had come to the wrong place. it looked like a concert hall.¡± ¡°haha. it is a bit big here.¡± after the reorganization, the departments increased greatly and so did the number of department heads. but the imperial conference hall of the great beginning remained unchanged. as a result, it was quite cramped for an imperial conference hall. the current conference hall was made excessively large considering future situations. it was no wonder that they reacted like that. ¡°i know you had to leave your beloved hometown and come to this unfamiliar north because of our country¡¯s situation. it may be hard to adjust for a while, but i hope you settle down here as soon as possible for our nation and people.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°we will follow your will.¡± they said so, but there must have been many people who missed their southern home. from civil servants who lived off our country¡¯s taxes to countless people who migrated to the north without their consent. the capital was different from the south in that it had drastic weather changes and it was very cold in winter. he thought that their longing for home would grow when winter came. ¡®time will solve it.¡¯ but there was nothing he could do now that the capital had been established in the north. and besides, natural disasters that came whenever they had a chance had decreased a lot, so it was better in some ways. also, unlike other capital residents, they were able to obtain residence rights in the capital, which could be considered a privilege in another way. ¡°let¡¯s stop chatting now. i will start our first meeting in this new capital.¡± as kim kiwoo declared so, the excited atmosphere of the conference hall calmed down and became solemn. the meeting began and finally, the first agenda item came out of the finance department head¡¯s mouth. Chapter 140 chapter 140: the meeting. ¡°your majesty, the finance minister is here.¡± ¡°speak.¡± as soon as kim ki-woo gave his permission, the finance minister recited in a low voice. ¡°the gun sales that started with the easing of the sailing ban have decreased for the first time.¡± ¡°hmm. is that so?¡± ¡°since gun sales have a great impact on the empire¡¯s economy, don¡¯t you think we should take urgent measures?¡± at that, kim ki-woo nodded. ¡®it seems that there is a limit to the sales of firecrackers.¡¯ in fact, the firecrackers that had been produced in the past were almost all sold at the beginning of the trade. the firecrackers that had been sold until now were the ones produced by the gun factory. the demand for guns was so high worldwide that they were able to make a decent income by making and selling firecrackers, and this was one of the pillars of the vast national budget. but now, most of the regions had enough firecrackers or were able to produce them themselves. ¡®firecrackers are easy to produce by themselves.¡¯ the structure of firecrackers was simple, and the wage difference between the empire and other countries was so severe that it was cheaper to make them by themselves. in fact, the answer to this was simple. ¡®just sell better guns.¡¯ there was nothing that could threaten the empire¡¯s position even if they released better guns than that all over the world. the machine guns were already supplied to the imperial army. it didn¡¯t matter much if they started selling flintlocks, which were one step better than firecrackers. kim ki-woo mentioned what he had in mind. ¡°even if the sales of firecrackers decrease, there will be a steady demand for them for a while. keep selling them, but start selling the next generation of guns slowly.¡± ¡°i will follow your orders.¡± selling the next generation of guns had been discussed for a long time. therefore, there was no minister who objected to kim ki-woo¡¯s words. from the beginning, there had been requests from various places to sell better guns than firecrackers. ¡®it¡¯s uncomfortable to sell weapons¡­¡¯ it was an act of making money by exploiting conflicts in other countries, so he felt some guilt. however, he should not have sold weapons to other countries in the first place if he felt that way. no matter how much other countries wanted guns, it was kim ki-woo himself who decided to sell them. he had no intention of pretending to be innocent now. he was able to maintain a rich national budget with the proceeds from selling guns. and now he was selling more than just guns. ¡°how are the sales of warships going?¡± the one who answered kim ki-woo¡¯s question was the commerce minister. ¡°haha. it¡¯s at a level where we can¡¯t sell them because they¡¯re gone.¡± his face was full of smiles. as soon as the imperial warships started selling, their demand was explosive. ¡®now we don¡¯t need warships anymore.¡¯ the shipbuilding market in the empire had already moved beyond wooden warships to iron steamships. this naturally pushed out the wooden warships that had been used in the past. but it was a bit too much to just leave them alone. the empire had naturally phased out wooden warships because of iron ships, but they were better than wooden warships in other countries in many ways. ¡®and we can¡¯t just leave the shipbuilders who used to make wooden warships on the streets overnight.¡¯ of course, he intended to gradually guide them to iron ship production, but it was not good if it happened too quickly. ¡°good. if there is any problem, report it immediately.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± selling wooden warships had been discussed for a long time. there was no minister who opposed it. there had been requests from various places to sell better ships than wooden warships since a long time ago. ¡®selling weapons is uncomfortable¡­¡¯ it was an act of making money by exploiting conflicts in other countries, so he felt some guilt. however, he should not have sold weapons to other countries in the first place if he felt that way. no matter how much other countries wanted guns, it was kim ki-woo himself who decided to sell them. he had no intention of pretending to be innocent now. he was able to maintain a rich national budget with the proceeds from selling guns. and now he was selling more than just guns. ¡°what about imports? how are they going?¡± ¡°they are going well as per your majesty¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°i see. importing raw materials is very sensitive, so keep an eye on it at all times.¡± well, to be precise, this matter was reported to kim ki-woo regularly. he just mentioned it now to move on. the production of raw materials in wakan tanka empire¡¯s mainland had been reduced continuously. they imported these from overseas. the representative examples were rubber, cotton, sugar, tobacco, minerals, etc. tea, coffee, cocoa, spices, and so on were also included in this. after settling some trade-related issues, kim kiwoo moved on to the next agenda. ¡°your majesty, the chief inspector is here.¡± shudder! as the chief inspector stepped forward and spoke, some of the department heads trembled. it couldn¡¯t be helped. the inspection department was the most dreaded and grim reaper-like department for all the other departments in the empire. if they got caught by the inspection department, they could lose their rank. the empire had applied aggravated punishment for public officials since its early days. of course, he was just speaking for a regular inspection report. ¡°speak.¡± ¡°the frequency of corruption related to various construction projects is increasing as more and more projects are being carried out.¡± ¡°is that so.¡± kim kiwoo nodded heavily. ¡®do they think they won¡¯t get caught¡­ tsk!¡¯ kim kiwoo had reinvested the empire¡¯s vast finances in many fields. he laid railways, paved roads, built bridges, erected buildings, and established various factories. these things created a lot of jobs, lowered the unemployment rate, and made the empire¡¯s economy run smoothly. however, as these things were happening simultaneously in various regions of the vast continent, corruption was rampant. human greed was endless, and they repeated the same mistakes. the chief inspector continued. ¡°moreover, the problem of surveillance agents boarding private merchant ships is also quite serious.¡± ¡°cough.¡± as he mentioned the surveillance agents, the foreign affairs director coughed lightly. the job of a surveillance agent was simple. they monitored whether anything illegal happened on the private merchant ships they boarded. ¡®the merchants¡¯ greed is endless.¡¯ kim kiwoo knew human greed for money too well. among them, merchants were the ones who reached the peak. they were scoundrels who would commit all kinds of horrible things without blinking an eye if they could make money. ¡®the empire¡¯s technology level is incomparable to other countries. if we don¡¯t monitor them, they will cause all kinds of incidents and accidents overseas as if it¡¯s natural.¡¯ even with the existence of surveillance agents, there were constant noises from various incidents. ¡°do you have anything to say, foreign affairs director?¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± the management of these surveillance agents was handled by the foreign affairs department. in the past, the foreign affairs department was one of the departments with the least work to do, but now it was one of the busiest ones. they interacted with various foreign governments and also managed the surveillance agents who boarded ships. ¡°as you know, your majesty, our department¡¯s recruitment rate is continuously declining. there are too many cases where surveillance agents who boarded private merchant ships never returned.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± this was one of the two problems with surveillance agents. ¡®damn those unscrupulous merchants.¡¯ what would merchants do if something went wrong overseas? kim kiwoo knew this well. ¡®they would either bribe or kill the surveillance agents.¡¯ in the past, bribery attempts were common. if all the accompanying surveillance agents died, a high-intensity investigation would be conducted by the empire. the foreign affairs department even gave instructions to pretend to be bribed for the safety of surveillance agents. there was a rule that bribery caused by such threats to life would not be punished. of course, if they reported it truthfully after returning. however, as time passed and this fact became widely known among merchants, bribery attempts decreased significantly. he decided that it would be better to kill them cleanly and let them keep their mouths shut, since he was going to return to the mainland and receive his reward anyway. ¡®or kill the monitor and run away to a faraway wilderness where they can¡¯t chase me.¡¯ although it was not yet serious enough to affect their normal lives, since they would not be able to survive without the empire¡¯s support, the frequency of such accidents was gradually increasing. ¡°i understand your concern, minister of foreign affairs. for now, i will increase the number of monitors boarding the ships, and strengthen the investigation of the merchants.¡± ¡°i see.¡± it was clearly a temporary measure, but there was no better way at the moment. but the minister of inspection was not done yet. ¡°your majesty. not only the sacrifice of the monitors, but also their corruption is increasing. isn¡¯t that right, minister of foreign affairs?¡± ¡°¡­sigh. i admit it.¡± it was a shame that his department had a lot of corruption. but it was inevitable given the nature of the foreign affairs department. ¡®it¡¯s hard to find out what happened here if they commit any illegal acts overseas and the monitors keep their mouths shut.¡¯ this was not about covering up the monitors¡¯ mouths when something happened by accident, but about crimes committed by colluding with the merchants from the beginning. of course, there were some safety measures. they made several monitors accompany each other and watch each other, and they could not board the same ship again once the voyage was over. if they could board the same ship repeatedly, it would be easier for collusion to occur. but¡­ ¡®money has a devilish power to break down all barriers.¡¯ what if they offered astronomical amounts of money to the monitors in exchange for turning a blind eye to their illegal acts? could they be sure that they would not waver at all? kim ki-woo thought not. ¡°do you have a solution for this, minister of inspection?¡± the minister of foreign affairs looked at the minister of inspection with sharp eyes. the minister of inspection replied briefly. ¡°i have a humble opinion.¡± ¡°oh? let¡¯s hear it.¡± after kim ki-woo¡¯s words continued, the minister of inspection cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°it is to disguise trained elite agents as monitors.¡± ¡°disguise¡­¡± ¡°yes. if we do that, there are two advantages.¡± ¡°tell me.¡± the minister of inspection took a breath and listed his thoughts. ¡°first, we can definitely catch those who try to bribe the monitors.¡± ¡°they won¡¯t be bribed, i guess.¡± he thought they wouldn¡¯t be bribed, since they were infiltrating to catch the wicked merchants who tried to bribe them in the first place. ¡°and because they are trained in various high-intensity skills, their survival rate will increase in case of emergency. most of the accidental accidents overseas happen locally.¡± that was true. if it was an area that traded with the empire, other imperial merchants would visit frequently, and they could escape and return to the empire by boarding their ships. kim ki-woo looked at the other ministers and asked. ¡°what do you all think of the minister of inspection¡¯s opinion?¡± ¡°it certainly seems better than doing nothing.¡± ¡°the wicked merchants who hinder the empire¡¯s plan should be expelled from the empire as soon as possible. for now, i think it would be good to do as the minister of inspection wishes.¡± ¡°i agree with that, your majesty.¡± it didn¡¯t matter much to the other departments whether or not the inspection department agents infiltrated in disguise. it was their job to train and perform dangerous missions anyway. kim ki-woo listened to all the ministers¡¯ opinions and opened his mouth. ¡°minister of inspection.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± ¡°i will support you with related budget for the inspection department, so try your best to produce good results.¡± at kim ki-woo¡¯s words, the minister of inspection bowed his head firmly. ¡°i will live up to your expectations. Chapter 141 chapter 141: the birth of the internal combustion engine. one of the major newspapers of the empire, the sun newspaper, had been conducting various surveys regularly. the best craftsmen or scholars of the empire, the most outstanding warriors in history, the regions you want to visit before you die, and so on. they threw topics that their newspaper subscribers would be interested in, and announced them. ¡°did you see today¡¯s sun newspaper?¡± ¡°ah. i forgot to buy it. what¡¯s this week¡¯s topic?¡± ¡°hehe. guess what?¡± ¡°come on. if you don¡¯t want to say it, don¡¯t.¡± ¡°hey, why are you so serious about a little joke? anyway, this week¡¯s topic is¡­ what is the most remarkable invention in history? that¡¯s what it is.¡± ¡°hmm¡­ invention. that¡¯s very broad.¡± people who saw this week¡¯s survey by the sun newspaper gathered in groups and talked about it. there were so many inventions that had swept the entire empire so far that many different inventions were mentioned. but most of them agreed on one thing. this was shown by the overwhelming support when the survey results were announced. ¡°of course, it¡¯s the steam engine.¡± ¡°haha. when you look back at the history of the empire, you can¡¯t leave out the steam engine that sharp fang invented. it¡¯s an obvious result, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. i also voted for the steam engine.¡± from weaving, spinning, to steelmaking, countless machine processes in factories, and even steam locomotives and iron ships. there were few people who disagreed that the steam engine made the current huge empire. as a result, people reacted as if it was natural when they saw the survey results. that¡¯s why many universities and research institutes tried hard to improve the steam engine. but this trend changed by kim ki-woo. he released a huge amount of crude oil in texas and supplied it generously to all research institutes by distilling it. then, the direction shifted from improving the steam engine to researching a new engine using oil. ¡°the one who completes the new engine will get a huge fortune and fame. look at sharp fang.¡± ¡°we have to finish it first.¡± ¡°this time¡­¡± the engineers affiliated with universities and research institutes competed fiercely and came up with countless ideas. among them, there were many useless ones, but soon enough, the first internal combustion engine appeared. but interestingly enough, the region that produced the first internal combustion engine was none other than south continent. *** golden lake was a child when wakan tanka empire unified the continent. golden lake, who lived in the andes region, also became a citizen of wakan tanka empire at that time. ¡°wow¡­¡± and he saw his neighborhood develop at an incredibly fast pace as kim ki-woo poured money into south continent. coincidentally, his area was a transportation hub, so it was developed early. ¡°i can¡¯t believe i¡¯m seeing this before i die¡­ sob!¡± ¡°ah. is this happiness?¡± ¡°long live the great emperor! wakan tanka empire forever!¡± golden lake grew up watching adults around him shed tears of emotion and be happy while dreaming of a bright future. and he thought. ¡®i want to be a big person too.¡¯ this became more intense when he entered a place called school. the school emphasized especially teaching about the achievements of many great people who made the current empire. it was one of the things to make the residents of andes region true imperial citizens as soon as possible. golden lake wanted to be like those great people. and he realized that most of those great people were scholars. so he decided to become a scholar at a young age. ¡°i¡¯m going to be a great scholar like these people! hehe.¡± but the reaction he got was quite cold. ¡°a scholar? you have big dreams. do you think anyone can be a scholar?¡± ¡°it¡¯s hard for even mainlanders to be scholars, let alone you? you¡¯d better earn money instead. that¡¯s how you help your family.¡± some people gave him serious advice. ¡°if you really want to be a scholar, go to mainland. go there and study every night after work. and passing college entrance exam is the fastest way. it will be very hard.¡± of course, it was a roundabout way of suggesting him to give up, but golden lake clenched his fists and vowed. ¡®i¡¯ll definitely succeed!¡¯ he made up his mind firmly. and fortunately, his head was very smart. he soon realized that he was clever and became confident and devoted himself to studying. but when golden lake became a teenager, a tragic event happened to his family. ¡°oh no, honey!¡± ¡°dad¡­¡± his father, who worked as a construction worker, slipped and died. to make matters worse, his mother also suffered a great shock and died after a year following her husband to a faraway place. ¡°brother. what do we do now¡­ sob!¡± ¡°aaaah!¡± golden lake was the eldest of seven siblings. and he had no relatives. in other words, he became the head of seven family members in an instant. there was even a three-year-old sister among them. as a result, he could no longer study only. he had to work to support his family. eventually, golden lake had to give up his dream of going to mainland and entering the best university, the imperial university. but he didn¡¯t give up. he didn¡¯t stop studying in the bleak situation, and he saved and saved the money he earned to buy books and newspapers. time passed by quickly. *** ¡°hey, are you reading a book again? you should rest when you rest.¡± ¡°haha. this is resting for me.¡± ¡°geez¡­ you¡¯re really unique. people like you should go to college. i heard that some colleges and research institutes have moved in here recently. why don¡¯t you try applying?¡± ¡°thank you for your concern, but i have to feed my family.¡± golden lake answered his colleague without taking his eyes off the book. the break time of the construction work was not long, so every minute was precious. as he said, he wanted to go to college, but the financial support varied depending on the level of the college other than the imperial university. the government subsidies varied depending on the research results of the college. the college that moved in here was new, so the subsidies were very low. it was too early for him as the head of the family. ¡°okay, let¡¯s call it a day! rest well tomorrow and see you next week!¡± ¡°good work!¡± he worked while reading books whenever he had time, and before he knew it, the work was over. golden lake said goodbye to his colleagues and quickly left the construction site. on his way home, he habitually bought a copy of the imperial newspaper from a stand and went home. and he read it thoroughly in his room. he read it carefully. and his eyes sparkled. ¡°oil and a new engine¡­¡± he had heard about oil before. and there were also unique properties of each oil on the back of the imperial newspaper. golden lake knew kim ki-woo¡¯s influence very well since he had lived as an imperial citizen since he was young. it was obvious that an infinite competition would start soon. no, there was a high possibility that the competition had already started. ¡®the one who succeeds in this task first will get a huge fortune and fame.¡¯ he envied whoever it was. then he suddenly thought. ¡®¡­should i try to make one too?¡¯ he had never seen the inside of a steam engine, but he knew how it worked because he had read related books. ¡®what am i thinking? that¡¯s impossible.¡¯ he shook his head vigorously, but once he had an idea in his mind, it didn¡¯t go away easily. he kept thinking about the new engine while reading other books and newspapers. ¡°ugh!¡± he couldn¡¯t concentrate on the books, so he closed them and lay down on his bed. but still, he couldn¡¯t get rid of his desire to challenge. finally, golden lake made a decision after a long thought. ¡®¡­okay. it won¡¯t work anyway, but let¡¯s try it once.¡¯ he didn¡¯t give up on his dream of becoming a scholar. he planned to go to mainland and take the imperial university exam when his siblings were old enough to make their own living. even if he failed, these experiences would be the foundation for becoming a great scholar in the future. *** after that, golden lake started to design a new engine on a white paper. his family situation got better as his second brother also started working, so he bought related books diligently with the remaining money. swoosh, swoosh. golden lake drew and drew diagrams for hours every night. as a result, his room was piled up with papers. as time passed by, his smile became brighter. ¡®it¡¯s fun.¡¯ he had just accumulated knowledge in his head until now. but now he was creating something new based on them. golden lake enjoyed creating something with his own hands immensely. he wondered why he realized this joy so late. was it because of that? or was it because golden lake was a genius? he only knew various theories and had never done any experiments, but he gradually came up with an outline of an internal combustion engine. ¡®all i need is to make reciprocating motion happen.¡¯ the crank that converts reciprocating motion into rotary motion was already an old concept, so this was the key point. golden lake realized that changing the volume of the cylinder and causing reciprocating motion was the core. and his thoughts reached the point where he used the volatility of gasoline to fill the cylinder, compress it, and explode it. ¡®one cylinder is not enough. if i can connect the cylinders and compress them alternately¡­¡¯ as time passed by, his ideas became more concrete and systematic. and finally. ¡°this should do it¡­¡± he held the final diagram and his eyes sparkled. he hadn¡¯t experimented yet, but it seemed like it would work for sure when he simulated it in his head. of course, he would need the help of experts to actually implement it. that was the problem. ¡®how do i do this?¡¯ he was just a construction worker. he had been studying whenever he had time, but who would recognize that? but he couldn¡¯t give up on what he had made. he was too attached to his own creation. he felt like this was how he would feel if he had a child. he didn¡¯t have a child yet because he wasn¡¯t married. ¡®i can¡¯t stop here. i¡¯ve worked too hard for this.¡¯ he had to try anyway. ¡®let¡¯s go to college. go there and show them this. the scholars will surely appreciate my diagram.¡¯ there was a college nearby that had been around for a while. he made up his mind and got up from his seat with the diagram in his arms. and he headed for the college without delay. but what awaited him was only cold rejection. Chapter 142 chapter 142. the birth of an internal combustion engine (2). ¡°who are you?¡± ¡°i, well¡­¡± in front of the mechanical engineering building. golden lake was stopped by a security guard at the entrance. the security guard looked him up and down. he didn¡¯t look like he belonged to the college. he had hardly cared about his appearance since he lost his parents and lived as a construction worker, so he looked shabby. as a result, golden lake was at a loss for words. when he told the security guard his occupation and identity, the guard¡¯s eyes showed more contempt. but he couldn¡¯t just go back. golden lake plucked up his courage. ¡°can i see the scholars inside for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­what for?¡± ¡°i want to discuss something about machines.¡± ¡°huh?¡± at that, the security guard looked at golden lake¡¯s face as if he was looking at a weird person. and then, snicker. a sneer escaped from the guard¡¯s mouth. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i can¡¯t let anyone in. please go back.¡± ¡°just for a moment. please ask them. please¡­¡± ¡°well, i can¡¯t do that. if you keep causing trouble here, i¡¯ll call the police. so please leave.¡± he kept refusing the guard¡¯s stern rejection, but golden lake clung to him with a desperate heart. ¡°sigh¡­ fine, i¡¯ll ask, but don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± ¡°thank you, thank you very much!¡± but the words that came out of the guard¡¯s mouth when he returned were not what golden lake wanted to hear. ¡°i¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t see them. the scholars are not so idle that they can meet anyone.¡± ¡°just for a moment¡­¡± ¡°i told you no. if you come again, i¡¯ll really call the police.¡± ¡°ah¡­ okay.¡± golden lake didn¡¯t expect that he would have to go back without even meeting any scholars, so his disappointment was even greater. he drooped his shoulders and turned around. but he didn¡¯t walk a few steps before he came back to his place. and he took out the diagram of the internal combustion engine that he had carefully kept in his arms. ¡°then please show them this at least.¡± ¡°geez¡­ fine. give it to me.¡± he felt like he would keep bothering him if he didn¡¯t grant this request, so the guard took the diagram. and then he went back to the thick blanket. ¡°what is it again?¡± ¡°the construction worker who came earlier asked me to deliver this¡­¡± ¡°sigh¡­ annoying. fine, just leave it on my desk and go.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the senior engineer of mechanical engineering, thick blanket, scratched his head. he was already frustrated because his research on the engine was not going well, and now some strange person came to bother him. after the guard left the room, he immersed himself in his research again. how much time had passed? ¡°huh. i need a break.¡± his body felt stiff from concentrating for too long. thick blanket stretched out big. ¡°hmm?¡± then he saw the paper bundle that the guard had left on his desk. thick blanket read the words written on the cover. and then he laughed out loud. ¡°¡­an gasoline engine using internal combustion? puhahaha!¡± his research topic was also similar to this. he was researching a new engine that had become an issue. but a construction worker talks about a new engine? if this was north continent, it might be possible. the education level of mainlanders was so high that there might be a one in a million chance. but this was south continent. no matter how fast it developed and how many schools sprouted up, the education level was incomparable to mainlanders. ¡°he must be delusional because a new engine has become an issue and wants to challenge it.¡± he shook his head and threw golden lake¡¯s diagram into the trash can without even looking at it. *** ¡°did he really say that?¡± ¡°oh, do you think i¡¯m lying?¡± ¡°if you saw it with your own eyes, you wouldn¡¯t say that¡­¡± ¡°anyway, he said it was impossible, so don¡¯t come again. if you do, i¡¯ll really call the police.¡± ¡°¡­¡± golden lake looked up at the blue sky. ¡®my diagram has no possibility of realization? that¡¯s impossible.¡¯ he thought that the new engine in his diagram was very innovative. if he could complete it, it could overcome many drawbacks of steam engines. crunch! he bit his lip as he walked home. then blood flowed from his lips. ¡®he didn¡¯t even look at it. because i¡¯m a construction worker. or maybe he wants to steal my idea!¡¯ he felt disgusted in any case. ¡®i¡¯ll show them. i¡¯ll definitely succeed.¡¯ thanks to this incident, golden lake¡¯s will became stronger. he took out another identical diagram that he had prepared in advance and set out to act again. the research on the engine was not only done at the college. of course, the college had the best environment, but there were also various research institutes where he could implement his idea. golden lake headed to a privately run research institute. ¡®this is¡­¡¯ there were some people who had immigrated to north continent from andes and achieved great success. among them, solid pillar was one of the rare cases. by now, his company dominated the food industry of the mainland. and he used some of the funds he earned to create a research institute in his hometown. of course, the main research field was food, but that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t do other research. ¡®whew. calm down.¡¯ golden lake approached the entrance of the research institute with a lot of nervousness. and he faced the security guard who guarded the institute. but the situation after that was completely different from the college. ¡°hmm. well, come in for now.¡± ¡°r-really?¡± the security guard took golden lake to the reception room. ¡°i¡¯ll bring a researcher, so please wait a moment.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll wait as long as you want!¡± ¡°it won¡¯t take long.¡± the security guard shrugged his shoulders and left the reception room. and as he said, he came back with a man in a short time. ¡°golden lake?¡± ¡°hello!¡± ¡°haha. no need for that, please sit down.¡± when golden lake stood up and greeted him warmly, the man smiled and waved his hand. he sat down opposite golden lake and introduced himself. ¡°nice to meet you. i¡¯m red eagle.¡± ¡°he leads a team here, so you can ask him anything.¡± ¡°i see!¡± at that, golden lake¡¯s eyes sparkled. red eagle looked at him with a gentle smile. ¡®he¡¯s very energetic.¡¯ of course, his clothes were very shabby. and he had a typical physical worker¡¯s look, sunburned by the sun. but red eagle enjoyed this kind of encounter. regardless of status or background, he tried to teach as much as possible to those who visited the institute out of curiosity or interest. although he was born in andes and left his hometown long ago to immigrate to north continent and enter college, he eventually returned to his beloved hometown. now he had only one wish. that his hometown would also develop academically to a level similar to north continent. of course, it was a far-fetched story for now. ¡°so. what are you curious about that you came all the way here?¡± ¡°ah!¡± when red eagle leaned forward and asked, golden lake finally came to his senses. and he took out the diagram from his pocket. ¡°i came to show you this.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± red eagle took the diagram and tilted his head. he thought he was one of those young people who visited out of curiosity about the institute, but that was not the case. ¡®an gasoline engine using internal combustion?¡¯ he read the title on the cover and turned his gaze back to golden lake. ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a new engine diagram that i made in my spare time. please take a look.¡± ¡°ho ho¡­ are you a scholar?¡± ¡°no. i¡¯m working at a construction site right now. but i¡¯ve been studying hard.¡± ¡°hahaha. you must be tired from working, but you¡¯re really amazing.¡± red eagle also had an experience of working during the day and studying at night when he immigrated, in order to pay off his debt and living expenses, and also for his education. so he knew very well how hard it was. as a result, his eyes became softer when he looked at golden lake. ¡°well then.¡± flip! red eagle casually turned over the cover. and he slowly read down golden lake¡¯s diagram. ¡°¡­¡± but as time passed, the smile on his mouth quickly faded away. the content of the diagram was more professional than he expected. not only that, each part was very well organized and clear, and the concept of the new engine was very clear. and¡­ it was very radical. ¡®my god. what did i see?¡¯ red eagle came to his senses only after reading all the pages until the end. his face was filled with deep shock. ¡°did you think of this by yourself?¡± ¡°yes. i did, but¡­¡± gulp! red eagle swallowed his dry saliva as he looked at the new machine. ¡°could you please explain it to me in detail?¡± ¡°of course! if you look here¡­¡± golden lake was excited to show off his invention and explained every part of it. red eagle listened to his explanation and thought to himself. ¡®this guy is a genius.¡¯ red eagle was also a brilliant mind. he wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter the imperial college as a night hunter otherwise. of course, he had to pass many exams to get in, but that alone was an impressive feat considering the fierce competition. he met many geniuses after he entered the imperial college. but he had never seen anyone like golden lake before. ¡®he came up with all these things just by reading books¡­¡¯ he wouldn¡¯t have believed it if he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes. ¡®the world is so unfair.¡¯ he didn¡¯t know what other people thought of him, but he felt that he couldn¡¯t compare himself to these true geniuses. ¡°what do you think?¡± golden lake finished his enthusiastic explanation and started to feel nervous again. it was his first time being evaluated by a professional researcher. but his nervousness soon faded away when red eagle smiled softly and opened his mouth. ¡°i think it has a lot of potential.¡± ¡°then¡­¡± ¡°are you working at a construction site right now?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll pay you much more than that. please come to our lab and let¡¯s research the new machine that you invented.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± it was the answer he wanted, but when he heard it, golden lake¡¯s mind went blank. no wonder. ¡°thank you! i¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°haha. you don¡¯t have to work yourself to death.¡± red eagle waved his hand at golden lake¡¯s overflowing enthusiasm, but his face showed his own excitement. this continued even after golden lake officially joined the lab. he arrived earlier and left later than anyone else. and since it was his own idea, he took the most important role in researching the new machine. of course, there was a gap between theory and reality, and he faced many difficulties since it was his first time doing actual research. but as time passed, he began to see tangible results. and finally, in his hands, the first internal combustion engine was born. ¡°i must be crazy¡­¡± later, when these twists and turns became known, thick blanket would regret his foolish actions and bang his head on the ground. Chapter 143 chapter 143: the birth of the internal combustion engine (3). the development of the internal combustion engine was a major event. at that time, almost every college and lab was conducting research for a new engine, so all the attention was focused on it. the imperial citizens, who constantly read about this situation in the newspapers, also wondered who would be the winner of this competition. but hardly anyone expected that the winner would come from the remote andes region, the outskirts of the empire. moreover, the fact that the inventor of the internal combustion engine was a mere construction worker made golden lake even more famous. ¡°call the engine and the researchers to the capital right now.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± of course, kim ki-woo also felt a great interest. he was the one who started the competition for the internal combustion engine in the first place. the internal combustion engine was one of the most important things for his future plans. thanks to that, golden lake and his fellow researchers headed to the capital shortly after they received their patent, and demonstrated their internal combustion engine in front of kim ki-woo. ¡°welcome. you must be golden lake, the one who made this?¡± ¡°y-yes, your majesty, i¡¯m honored to meet you, the living spirit and the great emperor¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s enough for greetings.¡± he felt that if he let him go on, he would endlessly praise him, so kim ki-woo raised his hand. ¡°can i check your work?¡± ¡°how can we ask for your permission? please do as you wish.¡± on behalf of golden lake, who was still frozen stiff, red eagle answered kim ki-woo¡¯s question. kim ki-woo nodded and examined one of the internal combustion engines in detail. he compared it with the design of the engine they had made. ¡®is this really the first internal combustion engine ever made?¡¯ as time passed, kim ki-woo¡¯s pupils grew bigger. he was that surprised. he had some knowledge of the structure of the internal combustion engine. but he expected that it would take a lot of trial and error to develop it to that level. of course, he thought that the speed could be very fast since the competition was so fierce. but this exceeded his imagination. ¡®isn¡¯t this almost identical to what i know?¡¯ the four-stroke internal combustion engine was very precise. it was as if he had made it himself, knowing the structure of the internal combustion engine from the future. he thought that it was good enough to mass-produce it as it was. so he exclaimed in pure admiration for the first time in a long time. ¡°this is amazing. how did you come up with such a precise structure?¡± ¡°as expected, your majesty can see the true value of this engine at a glance.¡± red eagle replied as if he had expected kim ki-woo¡¯s astonishment. he thought that kim ki-woo would recognize the value of their internal combustion engine in an instant, and he was right. he continued his words. ¡°this is entirely thanks to golden lake¡¯s extraordinary brain.¡± ¡°oh, really?¡± ¡°yes. when golden lake first came to our lab, he already had almost completed the structure of this new engine. this is the design he gave me at first.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± kim ki-woo received a pile of papers from red eagle. he had looked through them so many times that they were torn and stained with fingerprints. kim ki-woo slowly flipped through them and checked the design. and soon, he fully understood red eagle¡¯s words. ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± of course, there was a difference between production and conception, so there were many minor differences between the design and reality. but they were almost identical in terms of major aspects. ¡®he¡¯s a genius indeed.¡¯ kim ki-woo looked at golden lake¡¯s face, which was still stiff, and his eyes sparkled. he had seen many geniuses in his life, but creating an almost perfect internal combustion engine without even seeing the inside of a steam engine was like creating something out of nothing. ¡°haha. with such talented scholars like you, the future of the empire is very bright.¡± ¡°y-you are too kind¡­¡± kim ki-woo laughed and patted golden lake¡¯s shoulder hard. and then he watched their demonstration of the internal combustion engine. as expected, the demonstration of the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine was successful. ¡°it¡¯s perfect. as i promised you, this new engine you made will soon be installed and used in many machines. then you will get great honor and wealth. congratulations in advance.¡± ¡°we are grateful for your grace, your majesty!¡± ¡°today i will host a banquet for you, so enjoy yourselves. you may leave now.¡± ¡°yes.¡± kim ki-woo sent them away and returned to his office with his key officials, including the minister of industry and finance. ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°i agree with your majesty. we will be able to consume all the oil that has been accumulating.¡± ¡°haha. that¡¯s right. and today¡¯s engine was much more refined than i expected. so we can speed up our future plans.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± the minister of industry¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement at kim ki-woo¡¯s words. kim ki-woo had already given some hints about his future plans to some of the ministers, including the minister of industry. that way, he could execute his plans quickly when the time came. ¡®now i can use oil more efficiently.¡¯ until now, the supply of oil was too much compared to the demand. it was not desirable to just pile up oil. it was because oil was gushing out enormously in the texas region. ¡°as i said, the situation will change quickly now that a useful new engine has been made. so be alert. especially the minister of industry, finance, and agriculture.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty!¡± ¡°please don¡¯t worry. we are doing our best according to your will.¡± ¡°our ministry of finance is the same.¡± kim ki-woo nodded at their words. ¡®soon i¡¯ll be able to see cars on the road.¡¯ the steam-powered car was a complete failure. it was described as the most painful finger of the great engineer, sharp teeth. of course, he soon changed his research direction to railways and steam locomotives, but the engineers regretted his failure. that¡¯s why many labs continued to research cars, and now that the internal combustion engine was born, cars would soon be developed. the mass production process using conveyor belts had been established in the empire for a long time, so the spread of cars could be faster than expected. of course, there would be a lot of trial and error until the cars became safe enough, but that was a problem that time would solve. the rise of the car industry and the fall of the carriage were inevitable. ¡®and this is not unrelated to the development of agricultural machinery.¡¯ many agricultural machines could be considered cars in a broad sense. ¡®surely agricultural machinery will bring a new revolution to agriculture.¡¯ the agricultural efficiency in the empire had been steadily improving until now. especially after importing cows intensively from overseas, the agricultural efficiency had increased dramatically compared to before. no matter how much they cultivated improved seeds from the future and used guano to increase food production, there was a clear limit to farming with only human labor. but using livestock for farming drastically reduced the dependence on human labor. there were also steam-powered agricultural machines that were constantly being created. of course, there were obvious limitations because they were external combustion engines, but various agricultural machines such as combine harvesters, cultivators, tractors, etc. appeared. if they could equip these agricultural machines with internal combustion engines, then agriculture, which had been developing gradually until now, would finally face a great revolution. ¡®and if various heavy equipment are created¡­¡¯ that would be the moment when they truly surpassed their previous limits. kim ki-woo imagined the things that would happen in the future. ¡®first of all, there will be a lot of food.¡¯ the development of agricultural machines using internal combustion engines would make it possible to produce food that was incomparable to now. there were still many idle lands in the wakan tanka continent. the territory of the empire was so wide that there were fertile lands that were wasted. it was impossible to handle them without agricultural machines. but if agricultural machines became widespread, they would be able to farm most of the land with much fewer farmers. ¡®many farmers will lose their jobs.¡¯ of course, kim ki-woo was confident that he could overcome this. his empire had grown under the leadership of the state, so the government¡¯s finances were like a spring that never dried up. and there were still many places to develop in the wakan tanka continent. that meant that there would be many jobs created and maintained by spending huge amounts of money on development. also, as society progressed, new occupations would constantly increase. a typical example was the car industry. he didn¡¯t know about the distant future, but he wasn¡¯t at the stage where he had to worry about unemployment yet. ¡®there will be too much food left.¡¯ perhaps after the agricultural machines became normalized, they would produce enough food to feed the whole world. it was still a mini ice age. there were many regions suffering from food shortages. but by then, at least there would be no cases of starvation. ¡®as long as they don¡¯t rebel.¡¯ in this mini ice age, food was a more powerful weapon than anything else. this would not change until the mini ice age passed. and kim ki-woo was ready to use food as a weapon. he didn¡¯t intend to just sell imperial weapons and gunpowder, and other goods, and watch the chaos of other countries forever. ¡®by then guano will be a problem¡­¡¯ there were already many scholars who worried about guano depletion. the wakan tanka empire had used guano indiscriminately to grow until now. and when mass farming using agricultural machines began, guano consumption would increase even more sharply. ¡®well, i just have to hold on until i complete nitrogen fixation.¡¯ this process, also known as haber-bosch process, was so famous that kim ki-woo knew it well. this process allowed synthesizing ammonia from air. that meant that they didn¡¯t need to use guano to supply nitrogen to the soil anymore. it would also contribute greatly to power generation. *** after the demonstration at the palace. the internal combustion engine made a splendid debut in the empire. kim ki-woo praised this newly made internal combustion engine unusually at an imperial meeting, and this news was intensively reported through newspapers. ¡°they say this internal combustion engine is so amazing?¡± ¡°it¡¯s incomparable to the existing steam engine.¡± ¡°is it that good?¡± as expectations for the internal combustion engine grew more and more, the government began to produce it intensively. the industrial capacity that had been developing continuously until now became the basis for mass-producing internal combustion engines in no time. and they distributed these mass-produced internal combustion engines to many colleges and labs in the empire. the researchers who received the internal combustion engine and checked its performance said in unison. ¡°the era of steam engines will soon end.¡± ¡°damn! we should have made this new engine¡­¡± many researchers who had been competing for a new engine research felt a deep frustration. they were divided into two categories. ¡°it¡¯s not over yet. we can surely make a different kind of engine.¡± the category that didn¡¯t give up hope and started researching the internal combustion engine again, and ¡°how can we use this?¡± the category that designed machines equipped with internal combustion engines. either way, the important thing was that thanks to their efforts, the size of the related industries grew bigger as time passed. it was the moment when the era of the internal combustion engine began. Chapter 144 chapter 144: information agency. on a sunny day, the news of the crown princess¡¯s death shook the empire. she, too, could not escape the flow of time. she was fortunate enough to live a long life without any illness, unlike many others. but no matter how much, her husband, the crown prince, could not accept his wife¡¯s death easily. ¡°¡­¡± his face was very dark as he attended the funeral. kim kiwoo approached him. then the crown prince looked at kim kiwoo and bowed his head. ¡°thank you for coming, dad.¡± ¡°yeah. it¡¯s a terrible thing that happened. are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­i think i can understand a little bit of how you felt, dad.¡± ¡°hmm¡­¡± at that, kim kiwoo let out a sigh without realizing it. he knew very well what the crown prince meant by that. ¡°i¡¯ve never felt living so long as a curse as i do now¡­¡± he shivered. the crown prince¡¯s body trembled, and tears streamed down his eyes. he remembered vividly how he had watched his wife grow old and die helplessly. kim kiwoo hugged his son tightly without saying a word. his chest was soon soaked, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡®i never thought that my children¡¯s lifespans would increase because of the treatment i received.¡¯ kim kiwoo had thought that it only applied to himself. of course, he had some doubts. even if they grew up in a good environment and had enough nutrition, his five children were all healthy and lived without any illness. but until then, kim kiwoo had just thought that they were lucky. and this thought faded when his children reached their thirties. if they were influenced by his genes, they would have aged slower, but his children aged normally. but this changed when his children passed middle age and approached old age. if he had stopped aging in his mid-twenties, his children stopped aging around middle age. ¡®i still have to watch them more closely¡­ but they are definitely affected by my genes.¡¯ in fact, it was unknown how the anti-aging treatment affected the offspring because it hadn¡¯t been long since it started when he came to the past. but it didn¡¯t matter much. anyway, his children would also receive the anti-aging treatment. but it was different for him who came to the past. ¡®the important thing is that their age of aging stagnation is different from mine.¡¯ this was a common phenomenon among all his children. judging from this, they would probably live longer than ordinary people, although not as much as the person who received the treatment. in other words, it meant that his children were also experiencing the same pain as he did. as expected. the expressions of the other children who gathered around were also very gloomy. their spouses had also reached old age by now, and they could only watch them helplessly. ¡°brother. i¡¯m sure your wife is in the arms of the great spirits. don¡¯t be too sad.¡± ¡°hoo¡­ i shouldn¡¯t show such disgrace in front of you and dad.¡± the second child, clear raindrop, comforted the crown prince with his priestly words. the crown prince then got out of kim kiwoo¡¯s arms and wiped away his tears. and he bowed his head to kim kiwoo. ¡°i apologize for my rude words earlier. i was overcome by emotion. please forget what i said, dad.¡± ¡°no. who knows your heart better than us? you can grieve as much as you want today.¡± ¡°¡­thank you. but i won¡¯t show any more disgrace.¡± the crown prince kept his word. he didn¡¯t shed a single tear until the funeral was over. *** ¡°let¡¯s eat.¡± after all the funeral rites were over, kim kiwoo and his five children had a family meal for the first time in a long time. they couldn¡¯t meet often because of their respective duties, especially the crown prince who was still in charge of the governor-general of the central continent. he had ruled the central continent for so long that he was practically the king of it. kim kiwoo asked him a question on a whim. ¡°how is the central continent doing?¡± of course, he didn¡¯t ask because he didn¡¯t know. he had been receiving regular reports on the imperial situation, especially in the areas south of the mainland. but he wanted to hear directly from the crown prince¡¯s mouth about the situation. the crown prince still had a somber face, but he tried to smile and answered kim kiwoo¡¯s question. ¡°haha. it¡¯s developing fast with the support of the government. the imperial standard language is also spreading well. it¡¯s all thanks to you, dad.¡± ¡°kid. keep ruling like you are now.¡± he was used to praise from others, so kim kiwoo just chuckled and moved on. it had been a long time since the central continent joined the empire. and the central continent had a large population and abundant underground resources. as a result, the central continent was quite developed by now. at least compared to the south continent, which had a very small population relative to its size and joined the empire late. and there was no doubt that the crown prince, who was the governor-general of the central continent, had contributed to its development. ¡®that¡¯s why he¡¯s still in the governor-general position.¡¯ in fact, from some point on, there were periodic proposals to dismiss the crown prince from his position. the logic of those who raised such proposals was simple. the crown prince had too much power. the governor-general¡¯s office had not only the administrative power of the central continent, but also the military power of the stationed army, and the crown prince, who was the governor-general, held them all. of course, they didn¡¯t think that the crown prince would really rebel. he couldn¡¯t compete with kim kiwoo¡¯s status in the empire. it would be hard for a rebellion to happen unless kim kiwoo met with an unjust accident. but who could guarantee anything in this world? it was a common story in world history that a crown prince rebelled after gaining power. ¡®how bitter it is to doubt even my own children.¡¯ kim kiwoo trusted the crown prince. but he didn¡¯t know the hearts of people even if he knew the water. kim kiwoo knew the temptation of power well, so he kept a close watch on the crown prince. the crown prince also knew this. ¡®come to think of it, not only him but all of my children have taken over the leadership positions in various fields.¡¯ the most successful one after the crown prince was the fourth child, blue earth. he was appointed as the defense minister and was in charge of the imperial army. he achieved his childhood dream of becoming a military minister. of course, it wasn¡¯t exactly the same since the military department changed to the defense department. and the second child, clear raindrop, was one of the few high priests in the empire, and the third child, yellow flame, was performing the role of the imperial university president. the youngest daughter, brilliant starlight, was a leading figure in the imperial art world. the various arts she encountered on a family trip when she was young made her who she was today. ¡®it must have been a big role for my children¡­ but they must have worked hard to get to where they are now.¡¯ the long lifespan that remained in middle age also played a big part. *** after a short but valuable meal time, kim kiwoo had a private conversation with blue earth, who was serving as the defense minister. he had something to discuss with him closely. kim kiwoo started with some light talk. ¡°how is the tactical training of the army and navy going?¡± ¡°of course, your majesty. as weapons change, we are constantly researching and applying new tactics. it is thanks to your help that things are going smoothly.¡± ¡°haha. i¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± tactics change completely when weapons change. until the muzzle-loading gun era, dense formation tactics were dominant, where soldiers fired in sync after intensive training. but now, breech-loading guns were becoming common in the imperial army. breech-loading guns allowed soldiers to load and fire while lying down. there were also six-shot revolvers that specialized in mobility and machine guns that poured out an enormous amount of bullets. fighting against such an army with dense formation tactics was equivalent to saying that they didn¡¯t want to live. ¡®we don¡¯t have to worry about foreign countries having this kind of firepower yet¡­ but we can¡¯t slack off on tactical training for domestic security.¡¯ it was necessary for wakan tanka empire to maintain its current status. therefore, kim kiwoo ordered continuous research on tactics and gave advice if he was not satisfied. he knew well the history of various countries¡¯ armies in modern times. as a result, infamous tactics such as barbed wire and trench warfare were quickly revealed in the imperial army. ¡®if there are no problems with supply, there will be no army that can break through the imperial army.¡¯ this was not an expectation but a certainty. with six-shot revolvers equipped gun cavalry and ironclads dominating the sea, the imperial army was invincible. ¡®it¡¯s time to draw a rough sketch.¡¯ the time had come for wakan tanka empire to modernize the world under its leadership. he was confident that he could win even if he fought against the whole world. he didn¡¯t intend to declare war against the whole world, but he was determined to show them a bitter taste if they resisted what the empire would do. he organized his thoughts and brought up the main point. ¡°there is something you have to do for me.¡± at kim kiwoo¡¯s serious voice, blue earth¡¯s face tensed up. ¡°tell me what it is. i will do anything for you, your majesty.¡± the man kim kiwoo trusted most in this world was none other than blue earth. he had faithfully served kim kiwoo by his side for a long time, always showing his loyalty beyond father-son relationship. blue earth had never called kim kiwoo dad since he joined the military. sometimes he felt sorry for this, but it meant that he served him as an emperor, not as a father. that¡¯s why kim kiwoo decided to entrust him with something that could be his weakness. ¡°i¡¯m going to create an information agency.¡± ¡°¡­don¡¯t we already have one?¡± ¡°do you mean the inspection department?¡± ¡°yes.¡± it was reasonable for blue earth to question that. the main duty of the inspection department was to obtain information. they dug up corruption in various departments and closely monitored the domestic situation. for this reason, many informants were scattered everywhere. but kim kiwoo shook his head. ¡°the information agency i¡¯m going to create is different from the inspection department. the new agency will never come to the surface.¡± ¡°i see.¡± blue earth had a clue. he realized that the information agency kim kiwoo was going to create would do something shady. and he answered without hesitation. ¡°what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°many immigrants are coming to the empire and becoming imperial citizens. your role is to select and train loyal ones among them and the mainland imperial citizens. they will spread throughout the empire and the world and operate in various places. based on the information they gather, they will perform various missions. they will eliminate or capture those who oppose the empire¡¯s will. they will make wakan tanka empire the center of the world. for this, they will do very immoral things. you will surely feel guilty. what do you say, can you do it?¡± kim kiwoo looked at blue earth with a sharp gaze. of course, he would back off if he refused. but he didn¡¯t think he would. as expected. blue earth¡¯s answer was as kim kiwoo expected. ¡°for the great empire that you have built, i, blue earth, will do anything.¡± kim kiwoo nodded firmly at blue earth¡¯s resolute answer. then, the moment when a notorious agency that would cause many incidents and accidents around the world was born. Chapter 145 chapter 145: the airplane. ¡°your majesty. the preparations are complete.¡± kim kiwoo looked up from the paperwork he was doing in his office when he heard the words of his attendant. ¡®time flies¡­¡¯ he glanced at the watch on his wrist and saw that quite some time had passed. he then left the building with his attendants and went outside. as soon as he exited the entrance, a dazzling carriage greeted him. the palace was so vast that most of the transportation had to be done by carriage. of course, his destination this time was not inside the palace. ¡®i want to ride a car soon.¡¯ he felt a desire to ride a car when he saw the carriage. kim kiwoo was expecting that it wouldn¡¯t take long for the research on internal combustion engine cars to be completed, as it was in full swing. in fact, he had already made a car that could be driven. and he wanted to actually ride it. but he had to give up his intention because of the strong opposition that followed. it was too dangerous to ride an unverified internal combustion engine car, they said. ¡®to be honest, carriages and cars are equally dangerous.¡¯ he thought this to himself, but he understood the feelings of his subordinates and accepted their opinion. the ride comfort was still better in carriages. ¡°did you wait long?¡± ¡°no, your majesty. i just arrived here.¡± the third prince, the yellow flame, lied blatantly. he didn¡¯t report it, but he must have been waiting for a long time. but kim kiwoo didn¡¯t bother to point it out and moved on. ¡°well, let¡¯s get on board.¡± ¡°yes, father.¡± after the two father and son and the attendants got on the carriage, they departed immediately. and kim kiwoo started a conversation with his son. ¡°you must have worked hard to prepare for the event. you should rest well after this is over.¡± ¡°haha. hard work? i feel embarrassed to hear that in front of you, father, who is doing the national affairs.¡± ¡°kid.¡± kim kiwoo smiled as he looked at the yellow flame, who scratched his head awkwardly. he was the one who had the most clumsy appearance among his siblings. but he was surprisingly good at his work. he heard that he prepared this event very meticulously. he was so picky that many officials were tongue-tied. ¡°i¡¯m really looking forward to seeing what the imperial university looks like.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure you will be satisfied, father. everyone worked really hard for this day.¡± the destination of the group was none other than the imperial university. but it was not the imperial university located in the great beginning. as the capital moved to the north, so did the imperial university. there was a lot of talk about this process as well. from opinions that questioned how they could move such a historic imperial university, to arguments that the imperial university was a symbol and center of the wakan tanka empire and should be located in the capital. ¡®in the end, they decided to move it to the new capital.¡¯ many officials thought that the latter argument was much more reasonable. just like the palace, there was a limit to expanding the imperial university¡¯s site in the great beginning. so the newly built imperial university also received a huge site from the beginning, just like the palace. and before they knew it, tomorrow was the day when the imperial university opened. ¡°we¡¯re here.¡± kim kiwoo muttered as he looked out of the window. as he said, the imperial university was so large that it took a while to get inside and reach their first destination. ¡°wow¡­¡± kim kiwoo exclaimed as he saw the exhibition hall in front of him. the imperial university exhibition hall, which was built for the event that would last for a month from tomorrow, was a building that showcased the advanced aspects of the empire. that¡¯s why it looked so splendid. ¡°father. this is the person in charge of designing and constructing this building.¡± ¡°it is an honor to meet you, your majesty. i am called green wing.¡± ¡°haha. nice to meet you.¡± he continued. ¡°as per your will, we used glass extensively.¡± ¡°i can see that. it must have been difficult to build it.¡± kim kiwoo had learned about history in his past life and remembered vividly about the first world¡¯s fair held in 1851. the building that was covered with glass enough to be called crystal palace. thanks to the steady development of glass industry, at this time in the empire, they were able to produce clean glass in large quantities. that¡¯s why kim kiwoo wanted to implement some aspects of crystal palace in the imperial university. ¡®of course, it¡¯s much smaller in scale.¡¯ crystal palace was recorded to be as large as 18 soccer fields. the imperial university exhibition hall in front of him was not at that level at all. but its beauty was comparable. this was also true for the interior. the warm sunlight shining through the glass windows was really cool. it was bound to become a landmark of the imperial university. he could easily imagine the surprised faces of the imperial citizens and foreign guests who would visit here tomorrow. ¡°i will guide you, your majesty.¡± ¡°alright. i¡¯m counting on you.¡± the group followed green wing and checked each section of the exhibition hall. ¡®there¡¯s a lot of academic content.¡¯ there were many advanced inventions on display, as befitting the purpose of the exhibition, but since it was an exhibition inside the imperial university, there was a lot of content about basic science. among them, there was a section that caught kim kiwoo¡¯s attention, and it was the section that explained electromagnetism. ¡®it¡¯s about time to pay attention to electricity.¡¯ there was a tendency to develop intensively using the knowledge of the future, so the development of science was quite different from the original history. for example, while internal combustion engines had already been invented, electromagnetism was still in the middle of development. however, the principles of electromagnetic induction had been discovered, and electromagnetism was slowly becoming a mainstream science. kim kiwoo visited various places in the imperial university, especially the exhibition hall, and checked them for the last time. he nodded his head. ¡°this should be enough. then let¡¯s start the event for a month from tomorrow.¡± ¡°we will do our best, your majesty!¡± and for a month from the next day, a huge crowd flocked to the imperial university. the imperial citizens wanted to see the newly built university, and their footsteps never stopped. ¡°¡­¡± especially, people of various races who came from overseas were speechless after experiencing the university event, especially the exhibition hall. *** humans have longed for the sky since ancient times. and this tendency was stronger in the wakan tanka empire. the reason could be found in the introduction of kim kiwoo¡¯s myth. -the great emperor, who is a living spirit, descended from the sky with giant wings. in fact, it was not wings but a parachute. but at that time, there was no way for the cree natives, who had far-sighted eyes, to know this. to them, the parachute looked like giant wings. that¡¯s why they immediately bowed to kim kiwoo. after the empire was established, many books and plays about kim kiwoo invariably described in detail the scene of him coming down from the sky. as the situation was like this, the imperial citizens naturally dreamed of flying in the sky like kim kiwoo. so many attempts were made for a long time. in this process, things like gliders and hot air balloons appeared. ¡°wow! flying in the sky for real!¡± ¡°hey, how high are we going?¡± when they first came up with the concept of a hot air balloon and succeeded in experimenting with it, there was a reason why it was noisy for a while. the hot air balloon was the greatest achievement of flight so far. but as time passed, it was natural that bigger achievements would come out. and the huge invention that wiped out all previous achievements was interestingly started by a single novel. *** at this time, the novel industry was very bloated. as time went by, the illiteracy rate in the southern regions of the mainland continued to decline, and especially the mainlanders had been living with newspapers and novels since ancient times. thanks to this, if one work hit a jackpot, the author literally sat on a money cushion. it happened quite often. neol do-ro was one of them. he ranked seventh in the last survey by the sun newspaper: ¡®who is the best novelist in the empire?¡¯ ¡°what should i write this time? hmm¡­¡± he pondered over and over again while preparing for his next work. and he chose a future novel. as imperial science rapidly developed, future novels that predicted the social situation of the future were quite popular. but to write a future novel, a lot of study and research, as well as imagination were needed. as a result, it took much longer than usual to write. ¡°oh! the new work of this author came out? i haven¡¯t seen him for a while.¡± ¡°oh my, yes~ it¡¯s very popular because it¡¯s a new novel written by neol do-ro. the reviews are good too. you won¡¯t regret buying it.¡± ¡°really? then give me one.¡± perhaps because of neol do-ro¡¯s reputation, his new work sold like hot cakes at bookstores across the country as soon as it was published. and many readers read his novel down. ¡°airplane? haha. it would be great if there was something like this.¡± and in his novel, there was a huge airplane with an internal combustion engine. the novel¡¯s airplane made of solid steel carried hundreds of people and went to the other side of the earth in just one day. most readers thought it was mostly nonsense, but engineers who read it thought differently. ¡°an airplane with an internal combustion engine¡­ this seems possible.¡± the general atmosphere of scholars at that time was very positive. they had repeated development after development so rapidly that they had confidence that they could achieve anything. in imperial academia, challengers succeeded and engineers who read neol do-ro¡¯s work got inspiration from powered flight in his novel. as a result, research on powered flight began simultaneously at various universities and research institutes. ¡°airplane?¡± ¡°i knew it. you don¡¯t know this news because you¡¯re stuck in this backwater doing research all day long.¡± ¡°fine then. finish your story.¡± black shadow listened carefully to his friend¡¯s words who visited him after a long time. the story was about airplane development competition that started from neol do-ro¡¯s novel. after explaining everything, he said to black shadow. ¡°there¡¯s no one who knows gliders better than you. so why are you doing this here?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ so what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°do you know engineer karl from the department of mechanical engineering at the imperial university?¡± ¡°i know him well.¡± ¡°engineer karl is also joining the airplane development this time, but he lacks information on gliders. so can you join this research?¡± ¡°join? me?¡± ¡°yes. think about it. this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. you can¡¯t live in poverty here forever, can you? and if you succeed, you can do more research that you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡± black shadow was speechless at his friend¡¯s sweet offer. ¡®powered flight¡­¡¯ flying in the sky had been his dream since he was young. that¡¯s why he naturally studied gliders. he was very unfamiliar with powered flight. he wondered if he could do it. but his friend was right. his family was wealthy and kept paying for his research, but he couldn¡¯t always rely on his parents. after that, black shadow pondered for a whole day. and he decided. ¡®let¡¯s do it.¡¯ no one had felt the limit of gliders more than black shadow. even if it wasn¡¯t for this and that reason, he wanted to overcome this limit with his own hands. so black shadow prepared to go to the capital.