《American: Native Empire》 Chapter 1: Indian? America!? Chapter 1: Indian? America!? Chapter 1 < Indian? America!? > The advancement of science and technology was much faster than what ordinary people expected. Things that were only imaginable 10 or 20 years ago became reality. And finally. Humanity conquered aging. The current maximum lifespan was still at the level of 120 years, but the life expectancy soared to the level of immortality. It was because aging had been conquered not long ago. As a result, people looked forward to infinite time and envisioned a rosy future. Yes. Until a giant asteroid was discovered approaching Earth. * The cigarette smoke that flowed out of his mouth soon dispersed in the air. Kim Ki-woo stared nkly at its shape. The sky was cruelly blue. As if mocking the humans who had built a huge civilization under the sky. Is this scenery also thest one today. Beyond that blue sky, in the vast space, the giant asteroid Narvas was getting closer to Earth at this very moment. In less than a day, Narvas would hit Earth. What would happen then? Earth will be a that is hard for living beings to survive for a long time. No matter how much he tried to be optimistic, there was no possibility of survival for humanity living on Earth in the scenario of Narvas colliding with Earth. Why did it have to be He resented Heaven. Maybe in a few decades, humanity could have be an inteary species. Or they could have diverted that giant asteroid. Now that the technological singrity was in sight. It was certain that a scientific revolution that was iparable to before woulde when the technological singrity arrived. But unfortunately, time was not on humanitys side. Swoosh, whoosh Kim Ki-woo took another deep drag of cigarette smoke and exhaled it. But his suffocating feeling did not go away. I knew youd be here. A rough voice from behind. A voice too familiar to Kim Ki-woo. Kim Ki-woo opened his mouth without even looking back. What are you doing here, you dont even smoke. I came to see your pathetic look. Hehe. Bullshit. You came to get me because youre done with your preparations. Can you tell? Your intuition is really like a ghost, huh? Come on, lets go. The director is waiting. It was then that Kim Ki-woo finally looked at Song Seong-jungs face. They say you cant spit on a smiling face, right? The old saying was not wrong. Song Seong-jung was smiling even at this moment. Thats why. Kim Ki-woo blurted out what was on his mind without filtering it through his brain. Arent you afraid? A sentence with an omitted object. But both Kim Ki-woo and Song Seong-jung knew very well what that object was. Kim Ki-woo felt regretful for a moment, but he couldnt take back what he had already said. At least within the research institute, expressing anxiety verbally was implicitly prohibited. As Kim Ki-woo was about to apologize for his slip of the tongue. Im afraid. Song Seong-jung cut off Kim Ki-woos apology. I thought I could finally be free from death, but now Im going to die soon. Who wouldnt be afraid? You know very well how chaotic it is outside the research institute. His voice was as dry as if he was talking about someone elses death. It was as Song Seong-jung said. The world had fallen into a panic state since the news of the giant asteroid Narvas colliding with Earth was made public. The only people who could survive after Narvas hit Earth were those who had enough capital to go into space on a spaceship. Not that their chances of survival looked very high either. But we cant just be afraid, can we? We have to cling to anything. If youre done with your mental preparation, lets go down. The director is waiting, and Im not kidding. Okay. Kim Ki-woo knew very well what Song Seong-jung meant by anything. Its literally anything. He thought to himself. It was nothing but a hope with a probability that was infinitely close to zero. But what could he do? He had no choice but to hope for that tiny possibility. This was the most powerful kick that humanity could do right now. * Whiiiiing! The sound of aputer booting up seemed to be amplified dozens of times and hit Kim Ki-woos eardrums. Was it because he was nervous? His heart was beating like crazy. His mouth was dry. -One minute before activation. You can check onest time. The directors nd voice came from the speaker. Kim Ki-woo did as he said and checked his whole body thoroughly. Starting from the clothes he was wearing, to the safety shoes, goggles, backpack and parachute on his back. He checked them at least ten times. There was nothing wrong. No problem. Would he be able to stop the activation if there was a problem? Probably not. The entrance would have been sealed off as soon as energy was supplied to this imperfect time machine. There was no turning back. For Kim Ki-woo to survive, he had to warp precisely into Earths atmosphere somewhere in the past. If not, he would die for sure. This experiment was nothing more than a hypothesis that had not been proven yet. In other words, it was a gamble. A gamble with the lives of ten men, including Kim Ki-woo, and astronomical funds. If it wasnt for the imminent destruction of Earth, it would have been a theory that could only be proven after a long time. The chances of sess are almost negligible. There was no guarantee that he could go back to the past, and even if he did, most of them would warp into space and die instantly. Space is vast and Earth is nothing but dust in space. Even if he warped to Earth, he would be lucky if he didnt get buried alive in the ground. If he miraculously warped into the atmosphere, he would just drown in the water if he warped above the ocean. The more he thought about it, the more hopeless it seemed. It felt like a way ofmitting suicide with astronomical money. But someone had to do it. It just happened to be him. With one hope that he could save humanity if he only survived in the astronomical probability. It was a simple story. If he could go back to the past and elerate the development of science, science might advance decades, or maybe centuries faster. If that happened, humanity could change the direction of that giant asteroid or migrate to another before Narvas reached the surface of Earth. -5, 4, 3. While he was thinking about this and that. Before he knew it, the countdown continued at a fast pace from the speaker. And the moment that sound reached zero. With an immense pressure that humans couldnt bear, Kim Ki-woos consciousness flew away. * Parararararak! Huh! Kim Ki-woo came to his senses. No, he had no choice but toe to his senses. The strong wind hit his whole body fiercely. Kim Ki-woo opened his eyes and looked around. He could look around thanks to the goggles. The sky! Then Did he seed by any chance? This was definitely high up in the air. At this very moment, he was getting closer to the ground every second due to gravity. Gravity was so lovely. He had never felt this way before. He had done skydiving eight times in training, assuming this situation. Thanks to that, Kim Ki-woo was able to quickly regain hisposure. Then where is this? Kim Ki-woo looked at the surface. Thankfully, it wasnt the ocean. He could see a vast in, a forest, and a faintlyrge river. The strange thing was, there was no trace of development at all. There was no development in such a wide in? It was a rare sight in modern times. The probability of being in modern times is low. Its highly likely that I came to the past. Oh my God! I cant believe that crazy science fiction theory actually worked! He suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body. It was because of the ecstasy of having survived with an impossible probability anding to the past. But Kim Ki-woo suppressed his rising emotions. He had to save his appreciation forter. Right now, he was free-falling from the sky. Survival was the priority. I have to go to the river. He didnt know what time period this was or what continent this was, but one thing was certain. He couldnt see any traces of civilization in his sight. And most civilizations develop from rivers. Because its a favorable ce for farming. In other words, he had to go to the river first, whether it was life or death. Kim Ki-woo sorted out his thoughts and opened his parachute at an appropriate point. p! Suddenly, he felt a strong force pulling him up to the sky, and his falling speed decreased drastically. Immediately after, Kim Ki-woo started to descend slowly towards the river. Its big. It was Kim Ki-woos short impression of the river. It was not only long but also quite wide. But he couldnt tell where or what river it was just by looking at it. Still, Kim Ki-woo tried his best to remember the shape of the river. When he got close enough to the ground. People? Kim Ki-woos eyes narrowed. They still looked like ants, but they were definitely people. What a good start? It wasnt just good. It was the best scenario possible. To elerate the development of science, he had to blend into human society in this time period in some way or another. It wasnt one or two people. By eye, there were about ten or sixteen people. And finally, when he got to a distance where he could somewhat see their faces. Kim Ki-woo could see their appearance. They covered their lower bodies with something that looked like leather or fur. And they decorated their heads with feathers. Crude spears and bows. A word shed through Kim Ki-woos mind. Indians? To be precise, Native Americans. And that thought turned into a certainty as he got closer to the ground. Then. America? Is this? He wasnt sure if it was South America or North America, but the fact that they were here meant that this was America. Huh, I cant believe Inded in America. Of course, he had prepared a scenario for when hended in America. But he had hoped it would be Asia. He had no choice. America had a very low level of civilization before the Europeans immigrated. It was better to have some foundation to elerate the development of science. And Europe seemed hard to blend into society because of race. The worst were Africa, Australia, or small inds. At least it wasnt one of those ces. As Kim Ki-woo was thinking about this and that. He heard a noisy sound from below. Kim Ki-woo nced at the source of the sound. Snicker! Soon, a chuckle escaped from Kim Ki-woos mouth. They were bowing down to him as if they were worshiping a god. < Indian? America!? > The End Chapter 2: Entering the Native Society Chapter 2: Entering the Native Society Chapter 2 < Entering the Native Society > This He quickly grasped the situation. It was a very clear situation from their point of view. Suddenly, a creature that looked like them fell from the sky with a huge wing-like thing (they wouldnt know what a parachute was) spread out. The Native Americans of North America believed in animistic beliefs, such as spirits. Maybe they saw him as a great being with the power of spirits? Then, from Kim Ki-woos perspective, it was a great opportunity. Kim Ki-woo quickly decided how to behave in front of them. And he slowly spun around tond exactly in front of them. After a while. Thud! Kim Ki-woonded on the ground. There was a considerable shock, but he got up without caring and disconnected himself from the parachute. Oooh! Wow! Wakan Tanka! Wakan Tanka! The primitive-looking men cheered. Kim Ki-woo smiled and spread his arms wide towards them. As soon as he touched the ground, he felt a strong relief that he had survived. Im alive! I survived! Hahaha! They couldnt understand what Kim Ki-woo was babbling. But by shouting out loud, their cheers grew louder. He felt like he had be a cult leader. No, he might as well be a real leader. If he could save this blue as a result. As long as he could keep humanity alive, what did it matter how he did it? No one could me him for that. Kim Ki-woo quickly rationalized himself. * Wait! The man with the best eyesight in the group, the one with far-seeing eyes, raised his hand sharply. It was a stop signal. In such arge-scale hunt, his opinion was absolute. Therefore, all the men who participated in the hunt stopped and held their breaths. What is that? What? What do you see? A solid rock behind him expressed his doubt, but the one with far-seeing eyes did not answer him. He just narrowed his eyebrows and focused on the object he saw. As he kept staring at one side of the sky, the others also looked in that direction. But they didnt have the eyesight of the one with far-seeing eyes, so they just tilted their heads. Then. Tha-that is! The one with far-seeing eyes widened his eyes. Thats a person! A person? Only then did the rest of the men see the vague shape. But the solid rock representing them denied it. Thats impossible. How can that be a person? People cant fly in the sky. Right. Thats a bird. Look at those big wings! Quiet! Are you ignoring my name? The one with far-seeing eyes pounded his chest and snapped angrily. His wide and deep vision was his pride and identity. Not really, but Thats definitely a person. The one with far-seeing eyes asserted with confidence. Then there was a brief silence in the group. But that silence didntst long. The thing flying in the sky turned its direction towards the group and came closer. Huh! Oh my God! Is it real? See? I was right! My eyes didnt deceive me! As Kim Ki-woo, the flying person, confirmed the appearance of the natives, they also recognized Kim Ki-woos appearance. And they realized that he looked like them. Its a Sacred Spirit! Then, the only son of Chief Je-sik, Straight Tree, shouted out loud. He had no choice. He had never seen such clothes, a huge wing on his back, and a being that flew in the sky because of it. He naturally thought of a Sacred Spirit. In an instant, agitation spread throughout the group. No one could refute that the strange being was not a Sacred Spirit. ording to theirmon sense, only a Sacred Spirit could perform such a miracle. Wow! Sacred Spirit! Oh, Sacred Spirit The men in the group bowed down to him without any hesitation. It was the most polite greeting they could do. And thatmotion reached its climax when Kim Ki-woonded on the ground and spread his arms wide, shouting in Korean. * What is Wakan Tanka? Wakanda forever, something like that? Why did he think of a ck hero from a hero movie? Unless he was someone who studied Native American history deeply, he couldnt use theirnguage. Kim Ki-woo was no exception. He had very limited knowledge of past America. So he didnt understand whatnguage they were shouting at him, and what the word Wakan Tanka that he heard asionally meant. But if he had to guess, it was probably some animistic object. I need to learn theirnguage quickly. Kim Ki-woo could only use Korean and English proficiently. He didnt feel the need to learn any othernguages. But to survive and achieve his goal ofing to the past, he felt an urgent need to learn the nativesnguage quickly. [Sacred Spirit, this is where we live.] Straight Tree gestured to their house and smiled broadly. It was like a pure smile of a child who wanted to be praised. Kim Ki-woo nodded his head. Bodynguage was universal. His intention was clearly conveyed to Kim Ki-woo. This is where they live? Kim Ki-woo was slightly surprised. It was bigger than he thought. Of course, it was still at the level of a city-state. But still, that was something. It wasnt as bad as he had imagined. [Well call a tribal meeting then. Straight Tree, Sharp Stone, Big Rock. You three show our vige to the Sacred Spirit.] [Okay.] They whispered to each other and then the rest of the men disappeared into the vige. Kim Ki-woo was able to see various ces with the guidance of three men, including the man who led him, Straight Tree. Most of the houses were crude, made of mud, stone, and branches. But the fact that there was a residential area meant that they were settled. The size was quiterge. As he walked around, he saw many male and female natives looking at him. Of course, as soon as the man in front shouted something, they all bowed down to him. I get it. There was no iron. The strongest thing he saw was a stone spear made of obsidian. The clothing was not entirely without cotton, but it was crude and mostly leather. They mainly secured food by gathering and hunting, and they also farmed crudely, but their farming skills didnt seem very developed. Mostly women did farming. Men seemed to do hunting and gathering. Huh. There are some ornaments made of copper, gold, or silver. But there were only a few of them, and from looking around the vige, there was no sign of metalworking here. Maybe they brought them from somewhere else? It would be absurd to say that they had a civilization beyond the Bronze Age with just a few ornaments. The only writing they had was crude pictographs. There was something like paper, but it also seemed to be brought from outside and the quality was not very good. Anyway, it was clear that they traded with outsiders. Kim Ki-woo came to a conclusion. At least this vige was a Neolithic civilization that developed along the river. Phew I have a lot of work to do. To lead from a Neolithic civilization to an industrial revolution without external help? It was impossible for an ordinary person to do even if he died and came back to life. The only constion for Kim Ki-woo was that he had a long life left. His body had undergone anti-aging treatment. Of course, if he didnt get any more anti-aging treatments, he would eventually grow old and die, but he estimated that it would be around 400-500 yearster. That seemed possible enough. The problem was The Europeans? It would be nice if he knew exactly what year it was. They would massacre the natives with oppressive force when they came to America, and spread more terrible germs than that. Then countless natives would die. ording to some reports, more than 90 percent of the natives died in a short period of time. Of course, Kim Ki-woo had been vinated against various diseases, including smallpox, before getting on the time machine. He wouldnt die from any known infectious diseases at least. Fortunately, I dont see any signs of European infectious diseases yet. After Columbus reached America, infectious diseases such as smallpox spread from South America to North America in no time. The fact that the disease hadnt spread yet meant that it was likely before the 16th century. That is, he had at least a hundred years or more until the British began to colonize North America in earnest. As he was thinking about this and that, night came. And Kim Ki-woo confirmed an important fact. North America, huh. He had trained enough to see the constetions. He could guess his approximate location through them. It was definitely North America. Is this good or bad? North and Central America each had their pros and cons. Before the European infectious diseases spread, the poption of Central America was muchrger than that of North America. In other words, Central America was much better in terms of poption. But North America was a continent with more potential than Central America. And it had the advantage of not having arge ss divide. Well, he had alreadynded in North America. He had to adapt to it. Kim Ki-woo put his thoughts aside and started nning again. A hundred years is a very long time. It had been more than ten thousand years since the Mongoloid Asians crossed the Bering Strait from Asia to the American continent. In a way, except for some parts of Central America, there was no visible civilization development. Even the Central American region didnt enter the full Bronze Age. But that was only because the American continent had many geographical and ecological factors that made it difficult to develop civilization. If only they had enough food and livestock, civilization would have developed much more. There was no food to farm and eat except for corn and potatoes, and there were hardly any animals to use as livestock. Even those were mostly in Central America. They had to farm with human power only, because they didnt have any livestock like cows to pull plows. But it would be different from now on. Because There are amazing things sleeping in my bag. Hehe. The weight that pressed down on his shoulders felt somehow refreshing now. * Wow I cant believe it. We all saw it. The great sight of the Sacred Spirit who spread his wings and came down from the sky! Yes! Me too. The War chief didnt believe them easily even though they said so. But it was even more unbelievable that these brave and young warriors all saw something wrong. What do you think, Tribal Chief ? It must mean that he is a Sacred Spirit who performed such a miracle. Then its certain that he came down to pity us after seeing our sun dancest time. Hmm The Tribal Chief smiled with a grimace and pointed to his wound on his arm that hadnt healed yet. It was a glorious wound that proved that he had cut himself with a sharp obsidian de and spilled his blood on the sacred earth. The tribal meeting continued after that. The meeting was close to direct democracy, where brave young men and respected elders shared their opinions. All decisions in the tribe were made by majority vote at this tribal meeting. And their treatment of Kim Ki-woo, whom they called a Sacred Spirit, was also decided at this meeting. Then we will wee the Sacred Spirit into our tribe and appoint him as the Chief Spirit. No one opposed the Tribal Chiefs words. It was a Sacred Spirit. It was impossible to ept him as an ordinary tribesman. Of course, the Chief Spirit they were talking about was apletely different concept from the rank of nobility or king. For them, a chief was more like a civil servant. Everything by meeting. That was the absolute principle of the tribe. At least until now, when Kim Ki-woo had just arrived in the tribe. < Entering the Native Society > The End Chapter 3: Cheat Keys from the Modern World Chapter 3: Cheat Keys from the Modern World Chapter 3 < Cheat Keys from the Modern World > Chief Spirit. Did you sleep well? Yes. Did you sleep well, Straight Tree? Of course. You must be hungry, Ill bring you some food right away. Okay. Im counting on you today. With that, Straight Tree disappeared outside the door. Its finally getting warmer. It had been about eight months since he came here. He had gone through autumn and winter, and now it was spring when the buds sprouted. During that time, Kim Ki-woo learned thenguage used in this tribe, Creek. He spent almost all of his time learning thenguage. Its quite interesting. There was no ordinary name here. The natives of this vige were given names based on their individual characteristics when they grew up a bit. They didnt name them before that because the death rate was so high. That is, having a name meant blessing that they had survived. Straight Tree was named after his straight personality like a tree. There were also other names like Clear Lake, ck Mud, Wide Leaf, etc. that were quite fresh. Compared to that, Kim Ki-woo was called Wakan Tanka, meaning Sacred Spirit, or Chief Spirit. Lets get started for real. Kim Ki-woo had learned a lot of facts so far. He just kept quiet because learning thenguage was the top priority. It was time to move now that it was spring. The biggest achievement he had done so far was to find out exactly where he was. He was near the Chattahoochee River in bama. The cotton belt of the central londs of the United States. That is, a in where cotton was produced intensively. How did he know that? Because he had a world map in his bag. Although he only had onerge map due to the capacity limit, it was a map that contained a lot of information. The map showed where major resources such as iron, coal, and oil were located, and how the rivers were connected in detail. He was able to confirm this byparing the map with the actual terrain. The location is not bad. No, rather it was very good. bama was one of the top ironmaking industrial areas in modern America. It was because there were abundant iron ore, coal, and limestone in the area near Birmingham at the southern end of the Appchian Mountains. They are essential resources for civilization development. And there was also a in suitable for food production. It was a blessednd indeed. North America had many rivers flowing through it like veins in a human body. Thanks to that, he could develop quickly through water transportation. And there was also a vast prairie for food production, and plenty of resources. There was a reason why America became the worlds only superpower. It was ironic in a way. Thanks to America, he was able to gamble like this with an imperfect time machine. But Kim Ki-woo was trying to change America from the roots. If he seeded, America would not be a melting pot of races with whites as the majority, but a country of Native Americans. Have a meal, Chief Spirit. As he was thinking about this and that, Straight Tree brought him food. Food obtained from hunting and gathering. It tasted terribly nd. Of course. There was no way it could satisfy Kim Ki-woo, who had lived on various foods in the modern world. But Kim Ki-woo ate it all without making a face. He knew that this was a privilege. The others ate much worse food than this. Food was always scarce. But that can be solved in a few years. No, it was more urate to say that it was already being solved. One of the few things in his bag that had a high importance. Now the chicks that the chickensid are growing up. He had brought five modified eggs in his bag. The five eggs took up quite a lot of space in the already scarce space, but looking back, it was an excellent choice. Especially since North America had almost no livestock. But thanks to the eggs he brought in his bag, he could raise chickens in North America. The five chicks hatched from the eggs had grown into adults, and the eggs theyid continued to hatch and increased their numbers. Soon he would be able to eat chicken meat here. Modern-bred chickens! When he could stably kill and eat chickens, the eyes of the tribesmen who had suppressed theirints by force because it was done by the Sacred Spirit and Chief Spirit would change 180 degrees. The tribesmen still didnt ept the livestock system very well. They thought it was very inefficient to feed precious food to animals that they hunted and ate. They seemed to admire him for bringing out animals they had never seen before, though. Then shouldnt he increase that food? Kim Ki-woo finished his meal and put his bag on his shoulder. And as nned, he went to thend where the tribesmen crudely farmed. Wherever Kim Ki-woo went, Straight Tree followed him. Today was no exception. The only difference was that ten other tribesmen followed him besides Straight Tree. Usually women did farming, but Kim Ki-woo brought only men. He needed men to farm as he intended. When they became an agricultural society, male farmers would be the main ones. Do you know why I came here? Isnt it to farm? Straight Tree reacted as if he was asking something obvious. Kim Ki-woo stared at the wide in with the Chattahoochee River behind him and smiled. Farming is farming. But what were going to do from now on will change our lives. Our lives? Straight Trees eyes sparkled. He was very smart. For a man of Neolithic civilization, he had a clear mind. While other tribesmen disliked livestock, Straight Tree thought of some of the ripple effects that chickens would bring in the future. It was quite amazing for a human of this era to think of this much. Is it because of this hoe? Ah, that too, but thats not what I want to talk about right now. He had spent quite a lot of time making about ten hoes during the winter. Although he couldnt make plows without cows or horses, it would be much easier with hoes. Of course, he still didnt have iron, so he made them with wood. He felt like he had to make iron as soon as possible whenever he saw the hoes. Then what are you talking about? This. Kim Ki-woo lifted up a can he took out of his bag. What is this? Have you heard of it? Its called improved seeds. Seeds The heavy feeling that ran up his forearm. It was a feeling that anyone who went to a party would feel lovely. Hehehe. A sinisterugh burst out of Kim Ki-woos mouth. This will change the world. A small murmur. Of course, the sound wave didntst long and disappeared into the air as if it was washed away. But the aftertaste lingered for a long time for Kim Ki-woo. * Before they recklessly executed the time machine from the modern to the past, each of the ten subjects was given a bag. But depending on the weight of their body, the weight and type of things they put in the bag were different. The sess rate of the time machine decreased sharply as the weight increased. The only thing inmon was that they removed electronic devices because they didnt know what interference would ur. Kim Ki-woo was lucky enough to fill his bag generously because his weight was about 62kg. Five of the subjects took a small pistol and dozens of bullets. But Kim Ki-woo and the rest didnt take any modern weapons at all. Instead, they took various things that were trivial, but powerful enough to advance civilization quickly if they went to the past. For example, eggs, seeds of nts and grains that were improved in modern times, modern maps or blueprints of various innovative things. They had a hard time filling them up, let alone pistols and bullets. And now Kim Ki-woo was sure that his choice was excellent. Hehehehe. He keptughing at his mouth. Kim Ki-woo knew that hisugh looked sinister and tried to suppress it as much as possible, but it didnt stop him. Are we finally harvesting today? Straight Trees voice trembled faintly. He could tell how he felt just by hearing his voice. It was natural. He had been watching crops that were different from grains grow throughout spring, summer, and finally autumn. Yes. Were harvesting wheat today. Wheat! He was going to harvest wheat in North America before the Europeans came! Kim Ki-woo felt nostalgic. But this was just the beginning. Corn, cotton, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, barley, etc. Various crops would be harvested one after another. And they were improved enough to haverge grains. Various modern crops would spread across the North American continent from now on. Starting from Kim Ki-woos farnd. Dont get your hopes up yet. Yes? I know you want to taste them, but except for chicken feed, well use most of them as seeds for a while. You know what I mean, right? Ill tell them at the meeting. As expected, Straight Tree knows my mind best. Hehe, thank you. As he said, food was scarce. Of course, most of the tribesmen would want to eat them as food instead of using them as seeds. He had to stop them. Straight Tree scratched his back of his head as if he was embarrassed. Then dandruff fell to the floor like snowkes. Kim Ki-woo thought briefly as he watched the scene. I need to make soap soon. Of course, it was still a long way off. * It was as expected. As soon as wheat was cultivated, the tribesmen clung to it like hungry ghosts who couldnt eat it. But Kim Ki-woo and Straight Tree. And even their followers shouted against it, they were able to save most of the seeds. But he would be able to achieve self-sufficiency in food with farming alone in a few years. Especially tuber crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes would y the biggest role. By then, chickens would also explode in numbers, and eggs would be enough to boil and eat. The amount of crops from modern seeds in the first year was not much due tock of seeds, so harvesting was rtively easy. But he felt full without eating them just by looking at the inted seeds. But what Kim Ki-woo was thinking about right now was not food. He was fiddling with something he had been working hard ontely with one hand. < Cheat Keys from the Modern World > The End Chapter 4: Civilization Development Start! Chapter 4: Civilization Development Start! Chapter 4 < Civilization Development Start! > What are you trying to do with those things spread out? Can you even eat them? Why would you eat them? Are you saying you didnt harvest them to eat? Of course not. Straight Trees eyebrows frowned slightly. He looked at Kim Ki-woo with a look of iprehension. It was a natural reaction, considering that he had worked hard to grow them in the hot weather, only to be told that he couldnt eat them. Then why did you farm them? To make this. Kim Ki-woo pointed to his body. Are you saying that a spirit is born here? What? Hahahaha! No? Of course not! How can you make a spirit from a nt? Of course, he was not a spirit, but he didnt need to break his illusion. I mean this clothes. Clothes? Oh! Only then did Straight Tree understand what Kim Ki-woo was saying. Are you saying that all of these are cotton? Thats right. You get it right away, dont you? There was no trace of cotton being grown here. The cotton that came in now was all from trade. And the quality was not very good either. Thats why Straight Tree had never seen cotton wool before. All of these will be clothes for our tribesmen. Its been hard to bring in cotton from outside, not to mention the price is high and the quantity is low, right? Straight Tree looked back and forth between Kim Ki-woos clothes and the cotton wool drying in the sun for a while. Then he came to his senses and eximed. Oh! If all these lumps be clothes! At least within a few years, all the tribesmen will have decent clothes. Kim Ki-woo had been thinking that he had to make proper clothes as soon as possible whenever he saw the naked bodies of the tribesmen. So Kim Ki-woo taught them how to farm various new seeds during the harvest season, and in his spare time, he prepared diligently to produce cotton, make yarn with spinning, and weave clothes with weaving. Soon Straight Tree realized that too. So thats what you were making with wood! You thought right. They seem dry enough now, so lets get started. Straight Tree didnt understand why he made those tools until now, but at this moment, he understood everything after hearing Kim Ki-woos words. Its amazing At the same time, Straight Tree felt his awe for their spirit chief grow even more. Anyway. Kim Ki-woo moved the well-dried cotton wool to the ce he had made for spinning with the help of the tribesmen. He had no choice but to do the spinning and weaving processes in a traditional cottage industry way. He removed the seeds by putting the cotton wool in a seed remover that he had made in advance and turning it by hand on both sides. Then the cotton wool and seeds were separated. He used bowstrings to separate the remaining seed shells in a process called bowing. Then he wound up the spindle and spun yarn with a spinning wheel that he had made beforehand. He was able to get decent yarn out of it. He made cloth out of cotton with the weaving process using the yarn he had made. It takes a lot of work to make one cloth. Even the tools for processing wood were scarce, so the devices they made were crude. As a result, the quality of the cotton fabrics they produced was uneven. It was inevitable, but the process of making cotton fabrics was also quiteplicated. He wanted to make water-powered, or even steam-powered, spinning and weaving machines, but that was still a distant dream. At least for several decades. Mechanized spinning and weaving machines were very important in Kim Ki-woos n, so he had their blueprints in his bag. After all, the birth of spinning and weaving machines was the catalyst for the British Industrial Revolution. Kim Ki-woo had to think of them as important. The location is perfect too. This area was called a cotton-intensive production area because cotton grew well in this climate. It had all the climatic conditions for cotton production. It was obvious that it would y a very important role in developing the industry. Even more important than the British Industrial Revolution in the original history. Britain imported all the cotton and then made and sold cheap cotton fabrics inrge quantities to start the industry. Kim Ki-woo didnt need to do that. He just had to grow them inrge quantities in his neighborhood and then process and sell them! He didnt know how much longer it would be until that day, but he was very excited. * Kim Ki-woo had almost finished his work on this years food and cotton production. Cotton fabrics also required a lot ofbor, but their principle was not very difficult. He had already passed on everything he needed. Then it was time to start something else. And he had already made a lot of progress in preparing for that. Kim Ki-woo didnt hesitate and turned his steps. Have you arrived? Yes. How is the work going? Yes. We are doing as you instructed, Chief Spirit. Hmm. Kim Ki-woo checked carefully if there was any problem with the work. It was because a dangerous situation could ur if something went wrong. Where Kim Ki-woos eyes met. There were three circr furnaces built there, each about 2 meters high. A furnace made of soil, pebbles, and wood. It was probably the first furnace built in America. And next to it were some of the scrap iron that he had collected hard. He had a hard time getting scrap iron, but there wasnt much of it. But this was something. He needed tools made of iron to develop iron mines. Scrap iron was enough for now. Next to the scrap iron were charcoal made by burning wood in advance, and lime powder made by grinding animal bones. Can I ask you one thing? When Kim Ki-woo was admiring Americas first iron furnace, Wide Leaf opened his mouth cautiously. What is it? Ask me anything. What are you trying to do with these things? Kim Ki-woo chuckled. It wasnt mocking, but because they all asked him what he was doing every time he did something. He felt like he had answered this question several times. And he gave Wide Leaf the same answer. What else? Im trying to make iron. Iron you say? Something like hard copper? If I can make it properly, its iparable to copper. Does such a thing exist? Wait and see. Youll find out when its made ording to my instructions. The tribesmen knew about copper, gold, silver, etc., but they didnt know about the existence of iron. Anyway, there was no point in exining it in detail now. They wouldnt be able to understand it. Alright, lets get started! Kim Ki-woo began to fill the furnace in earnest. Of course, he mostly just talked. He had plenty of men who could providebor for him. He stacked iron and charcoal alternately in the furnace and added limestone. Then he lit a fire. Of course, he couldnt just leave it like that. He had to blow air through the st pipe to raise the temperature. Start! Yes! Immediately, three men in charge of blowing started to move the blower back and forth. It looked like they were rowing a boat. To get good iron, he had to raise the temperature to between 1,300 and 1,500 degrees. But it was hard to get such a high temperature with the tools he had now. Inevitably, he would get soft wrought iron with low carbon content. Moreover, it was realistically difficult to remove impurities such as vanadium or titanium mixed in scrap iron, so iron made from scrap iron would be rough. But he decided to be satisfied with the fact that he could produce iron for now. Wow! The fire spirit has descended! Oh my God! Before long, many tribesmen surrounded him. They were curious about what strange thing Kim Ki-woo would make this time since he first built the furnace. Naturally, they couldnt help but be interested as soon as the work started. To their eyes, the intense mes soaring into the sky looked like the fire spirit had descended. They seemed to ept that Kim Ki-woo had summoned the fire spirit with his power. The fact that they were bowing down on the ground was proof of that. Kim Ki-woo didnt deny it. It would only hurt his mouth, and he could actually raise his position because of this fire. Keep blowing air evenly! Dont be erratic! I told you! Yes! Put more charcoal! More, more, stop! Stay away from the fire, its dangerous! Kim Ki-woo managed to prevent any idents from happening. The tribesmen were all inexperienced in ironmaking. Therefore, he had to keep his mind clear and control the situation. Time passed quickly without a break. Before he knew it, he removed the g from the outlet and entered the final stage. Finally. He was able to get the ironponent that was piled up below. A smile appeared on Kim Ki-woos lips. Im finally entering the Iron Age. He felt his heart pounding as he thought so. He felt like adrenaline was rushing through him. He had obtained the thing that would end the Neolithic Age. It was not for nothing that many people divided ancient times into Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The use of bronze and iron changed peoples lives dramatically. Of course, there would be no Bronze Age in at least North America because of Kim Ki-woo. He went straight from a limited Copper Age to an Iron Age. Was that also the case in the original history? If the original history was a change of era imposed by outsiders, then from now on, the era would change from within America. Although it was thousands of yearstepared to the Old World. Wait for me. Ill catch up soon. The technological gap between the New World and the Old World would notst long. Kim Ki-woo vowed once again that he would catch up with Europe and Asias level of civilization as soon as possible. * The Creek tribe was turned upside down by their own production of iron, a device they had never encountered before, and cotton fabrics. Hunting has be easier. Oh, how can there be such a hard stone! Is that all? The clothes made of cotton are smoother and more abundant than the ones we got before! Its easier to harvest the children of the sacred earth (crops). This is all thanks to Chief Spirit. Oh, how great and wise are the spirits! At this tribe meeting, especially young and strong warriors responded differently than before. There were even warriors who sobbed. Their eyes of respect and admiration poured toward Kim Ki-woo. It was natural. No matter how much impurities were mixed in iron, and even though it was wrought iron level for now, it was iparable to stone tools they had been using so far. And it was easy to refine. It was different from having to work hard to sharpen stone tools. What about cotton fabrics? Although they were still in early production and there was ack of finished cotton fabrics, most of the tribesmen realized that things would improve in the future. In a little more time, most of the tribesmen would be able to wear upper and lower clothes. < Civilization Development Start! > End Chapter 5: The Great First Step Chapter 5: The Great First Step Chapter 5 < The Great First Step. > You are truly Chief Spirit. I, the chief of ceremonies, thank you on behalf of all the warriors for bestowing the wisdom of the spirit world upon our tribe. Ha ha. What are you talking about? What do you mean? I am also a member of the Creek tribe. Its only natural that I share our knowledge with our family. Oh! Thats right! We and Chief Spirit are family! Ha ha ha! The noise grew louder as Kim Ki-woo finished speaking. It had been a little over a year now. Kim Ki-woo had established a solid foundation to change the tribe. From the perspective of the tribesmen, everything he did was amazing. He sent down a new animal from the spirit world (chicken), and incorporated new crops into the children of the sacred earth. And now he made cotton fabrics and used a substance called iron So it was no wonder that Kim Ki-woos followers increased day by day. Now there were warriors who followed his name blindly, not just trusting him. Ive been living busy. It was a time when he ran breathlessly. A schedule without a single day off. He learned thenguage and taught farming. He alsoid the groundwork for weaving and spinning, collected scrap iron, and produced iron through a furnace. As soon as it was produced, he refined it and made various iron products such as hammers, pickaxes, hoes, sickles, arrowheads, spearheads, knives, etc. As a result, he created basic-level cksmiths, cotton craftsmen, and carpenters. Their level was still very low, but Kim Ki-woo had made them understand the concepts well enough, so they would improve over time. They were the talents who would help him make many things in the future. Im getting tired. He looked back on what he had done so far and felt like he wanted to rest for a few days. But Kim Ki-woo decided that it wasnt time to rest yet. He could rest enough after he had a solid foundation. Of course, he didnt know when that would be. He couldnt be satisfied with making worthless wrought iron from scrap iron. He sorted out his thoughts and opened his mouth as he looked around. I have a reason for calling this meeting today. What is it? We will listen to whatever you say, Chief Spirit. Ha ha. You dont have to look so determined. Maybe it was because of his position as the one in charge of the tribes rituals? The chief of ceremonies reverence for Kim Ki-woo was going beyond the limit. Kim Ki-woo also noticed his state to some extent. Blind faith. That is, the chief of ceremonies would not betray him unless something serious happened. Im going to big mountain. Ooh, finally hunting! A sacred hunt by the spirit! I will join too! Please take me with you! I will fight until Im bloody! Big mountain. That is, he was going to the Appchian Mountains. He didnt even say why. But the warriors were already excited. Hunting. Kim Ki-woo had no intention of going hunting himself unless it was a big deal. He wasnt afraid of hunting. But he must never die. He was a special being. He had a mission to save humanity by advancing civilization, not an overblown sense of self. If Kim Ki-woo died without aplishing anything, humanitys extinction in the 21st century would repeat itself. Thats why he had always been careful about safety, and he would continue to do so. Kim Ki-woo opened his mouth to calm down the atmosphere before it got too heated. Im not going to the big mountain for hunting. Then why? To get iron. Iron you say? Smart Head tilted his head. He already had iron. Even at this moment, warriors would be collecting scrap iron. Far away, smoke was rising from the furnace. But why did he have to go all the way to the big mountain to get iron? He didnt say it, but most of the warriors who attended the meeting also had the same question. Scrap iron is hard to get and not very good iron. Do you mean that there is a ce where we can get better iron inrge quantities at the foot of the mountain? You live up to your name. Ha ha ha! You tter me. Smart Head was very pleased with Kim Ki-woospliment. The greatest praise for natives was expressions like you live up to your name. Most of the warriors had a strong pride in their names. As you guessed, there is a ce where we can get iron ore at the foot of the mountain. Thats what we can get with this. Kim Ki-woo showed him a pickaxe. Only then did Smart Head understand why Kim Ki-woo had brought a pickaxe to the meeting hall. Then Thats right. We have to dig up a specific part of the mountain with a pickaxe to get iron ore. Thats why we have to go there. The warriors who came to the meeting nodded in agreement. They all knew the usefulness of iron, and they believed that Kim Ki-woo would not do anything pointless. I understand, but do you have to go there yourself? Warrior Fierce Buffalo asked. Kim Ki-woo had a lot of things to do right now. If Chief Spirit left his seat, many tasks would be disrupted. Fierce Buffalo was worried about this. But Kim Ki-woo dismissed his concern with a single sentence. Is there anyone here who can develop a mine without me? Fierce Buffalo closed his mouth. There couldnt be. Most of the warriors didnt even understand the concept of mining. Kim Ki-woo paused for a moment and then continued. I have to go there myself. And with me Ill go! Please take me with you! Bloody wants to Before he finished speaking, the warriors shouted again that they would go with him. It didnt matter to them whether they went hunting or mining. Only that they were going on an expedition to the big mountain with their Chief Spirit, the sacred spirit. That condition alone made the reason for the expedition secondary to them. Choosing who will go with me is not my responsibility. Chief of Hunting, you choose. I understand. Chief of Hunting, Swiftfoot, answered briefly. He was a very taciturn man. He rarely spoke, and when he did, he only gave brief answers to the point. He was tall and had a body that ranked among the best in the tribe. Yet, his name was Swiftfoot. He was the number one expert in hunting and trapping in the tribe. He was the one they could trust to ensure their safety until they reached the Appchian Mountains. The meeting was about to end soon. But Kim Ki-woo did not want to end the tribal meeting like this today. It was a journey to produce iron on arge scale! It was a momentous step that would leave asting mark on history. As he thought so, Kim Ki-woos chest burned with passion. He decided to give himself over to his intense emotions for a moment. Until now, the Creek tribe has been a humble tribe that barely survived in a small corner of this vast continent. As Kim Ki-woo began to speak in an ominous tone, the warriors eyes focused on him. But since I came here, the life of the Creek tribe has changed a lot in a short time. Isnt that right? You are right, Spirit Chief! We are always grateful to you, Spirit Chief! Especially the young warriors responded enthusiastically. We have certainly made a lot of progress, but I am not satisfied. I dont want the Creek tribe to be remembered as just one of the many tribes on this wide continent. Am I the only one who thinks this way? Are you all content with the present? Huh! Hmm The warriors expressed their own feelings after hearing Kim Ki-woos grand ambition. At least there was no warrior who showed dissatisfaction. Those who are satisfied with the current situation should reflect on themselves. Dont we have to give a gift of the glorious history of the Creek tribe to our sons and daughters who will be born in the future and run on the sacrednd? Yes! Ooh, glorious Creek! Just thinking about it! Kim Ki-woo did not stop their heated emotions. When he thought they were ripe enough, he blinked his eyes and shouted. The expedition to the great mountain will be recorded as the first step of the glorious Creek tribe! We will be the only ones on this sacrednd, on this vast continent Kim Ki-woo paused for a moment and looked at each warrior. The sound of swallowing saliva sounded like thunder in the tense atmosphere. When he judged that they were ripe enough, Kim Ki-woo dered. The only Winners. His voice was not very loud, but it echoed in the meeting hall for a long time. All the warriors felt that way. Woah ! Winner. As soon as that word popped out, the tribal meeting hall was silent for a moment. Then. Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Thump, thump, thump! Without knowing who started it first, they began to stamp their feet and shout in unison with the warriors. Kim Ki-woo also clenched his fists and joined them. Follow me. The sacrednd will grant our tribe eternal glory! Woo! Woo! Woo! When he looked back on the past, Kim Ki-woo thought it was from this day. The time when he became the de facto leader of the Creek tribe. * The Appchian Mountains were veryrge. It only took a day and a half to walk from the center of the Creek tribe to the mountains. Lets get going. Yes! At Kim Ki-woos word, a group of warriors who were considered the best in the Creek tribe moved in an orderly manner. A group of nearly two hundred. The Creek tribe had a poption of between 20,000 and 25,000 people spread widely along the Chattahoochee River. It was smallpared to the major tribes of North America. He had brought only the most outstanding warriors among them. It was quite a burden on the tribe. So they were eating the food of other small tribes by force along the way. Im sorry for them, but it cant be helped. They couldnt resist 200 warriors who came with weapons made of iron from a tribe of only a few hundred people. Kim Ki-woo was generous enough to take only a moderate amount of food. The group left the vige and walked for a while. Fortunately, it seemed that thest vige was thest one, and the mountains were getting closer. And near the mountains, they finally found a suitable ce to build a vige. Attention everyone! At Kim Ki-woos shout, the warriors who were rejoicing at their arrival quieted down at once. Kim Ki-woo did not hesitate and continued. We will build a sturdy vige here. To get better iron than what we are producing now, we have to live in this vige for a long time. If you dont want to sufferter, you have to build it strong from the start, right? Yes! I wont say much. I hope you all follow my instructions faithfully. Yes! Understood! The hot air emitted by 200 warriors swept through the empty space. At this moment, they were not envious of the 300 Spartan warriors in the movie 300 at all. From then on, Kim Ki-woo led the warriors passionately. He ordered some warriors to bring wood with iron axes, and others to explore for iron ore in the mountains. The restid the basic foundation of the vige. A weekter. The vige waspleted. It was a vige that had clearly divided zones, albeit basic ones. Of course, how sturdy could houses made of wood and dirt be? Lets make bricks and cement soon. Kim Ki-woo vowed as he looked around the vige. Bricks and cement. Everything would start to change when they were produced properly. Cement was abundant in these mountains. He knew how to make it too. That meant it was only a matter of time. But he couldnt do it right away. He didnt have enoughbor to do that. Chief Spirit! When Kim Ki-woo had almost finished looking around the vige. Big Rock came running with something in his hands. < The Great First Step > End Chapter 6: Obstacles and Solutions Chapter 6: Obstacles and Solutions Chapter 6 < Obstacles and Solutions > Kim Ki-woo could tell why he was running. He couldnt help but know when he saw the iron ore in his hand. I found it! I found the ce you were talking about!! Big Rocks voice was filled with joy. He found it faster than I thought He was happy, but not enough to show it much. It was nned, after all. He just thought it would take more than a month to find the mine, so he was impressed that the mine was found quickly. Kim Ki-woo looked over the iron ore that Big Rock handed him. Its high-quality iron ore. He had a rough feeling. He had trained enough to see and distinguish various ores of minerals, not just iron ore, in modern times. Good. Its a very good iron ore. Where did you find it? It took a long walk from the vige until my legs hurt. Do you want me to show you? Yeah. Lets go right away. There was no sense of time here. Of course, there was no clock either. He had to educate the tribesmen when civilization was ripe enough. There was only primitive writing here. There was a fairly sophisticated number system in Central and South America, but not in the Creek tribe. So Kim Ki-woo had been thinking for a while. Numbers were obviously taught in Arabic numerals, but letters were different. Should he teach them the alphabet or Hangul? Othernguages, such as Chinese characters, were out of the question. They were too hard to learn. There were pros and cons to each, but Kim Ki-woo eventually made a decision. It has to be Hangul! The reason was nothing special. It was familiar to him. Wouldnt his mother tongue be more familiar? Hangul was not inferior to the alphabet either. Of course, there were parts that did not match modern Korean. Because the pronunciation was different. That part needed correction. Here we are. Chief Spirit, youre here. Youre here! Yeah. Youve all worked hard. You found iron ore here? I found it. Oh, really? He was a familiar face. He always came forward whenever he tried to do something. His name was Big Rock. He was a respected warrior in the tribe and one of the 16 men who saw Kim Ki-wooe down from the sky. Big Rock always boasted about that fact. His body might be solid, but his tongue was light and soft. Kim Ki-woo checked where the iron ore was mined. It was hard to dig deep iron mines with their current technology. It was just starting, so it was natural. So they had to find a ce that was easy to mine near the surface as much as possible. In that respect, this ce was perfect. I can finally build my first iron mine. Maybe when the era went beyond modernity to modernity, this ce would be designated as a cultural heritage by a ce like modern UNESCO. As an iron mine that led humanitys leap. Kim Ki-woo wanted to see that scene with his own eyes. * This ce, where bama is now, does not have temperatures below freezing most of the time. It didnt feel like winter for Kim Ki-woo who lived in modern Korea. Of course, summer is very hot and long. Thats why cotton grows so well here. So they could continue developing the iron mine smoothly even in winter. Kim Ki-woo managed and supervised the iron mine with special attention to safety idents. He tried his best to adapt to the reality of this era by using his memories from the future as milestones. So far, there were no warriors who were seriously injured. The vige was lively. Food team that went hunting and gathering, miner team that mined iron ore, logging team that brought wood, etc. They were divided into three categories and worked until sunset every day. A day off? There was no such thing in this era. Every day was a session of work. No wonder there are no evil bosses here. He felt that way, but he didnt have a day off either. Kim Ki-woo consoled himself with that thought. Ready to go. Yeah? Straight Tree came into Kim Ki-woos room and reported. Only then did Kim Ki-woo get up from his seat. He was right. When he went outside, he saw 60 warriors carrying loads on their backs waiting for him. I desperately need a cart. But for now, a load was a hundred times better than a cart. There was no road to pull a cart on. No choice. I have to carry it on my back to the vige. There was no furnace in this vige yet. It would take time to make one, and not only the furnace, but also the conditions for making charcoal and limestone were not ready. The biggest problem was theck of manpower. That meant they had no choice but to carry the iron ore on their backs and walk to the tribe for the time being. At least it was easier to move things with loads. The first thought was hard, but the principle of making a load was not very difficult. One of the reasons why the logging team kept bringing wood was that. Lets go! As Kim Ki-woos words ended, the warriors march began. Ill have to say goodbye to this ce for a while. Kim Ki-woo thought as he walked, looking back at the vige that was getting farther away. He had made sure that the mining team knew how to operate and be careful about the iron ore. Over time, professional miners would be formed around them. With their efforts, the Creek tribe would enter a full-fledged iron age. He didnt have time to linger in this vige. He had to teach the Creek tribesmen how to use iron step by step. He heard that many of the ongoing works were squeaking after Kim Ki-woo left. The vige could not sustain growth without Kim Ki-woo yet. * Arge amount of iron ore began to flow into the vige. But a lot ofbor was essential for pre-modern ironmaking. So many warriors and even women were mobilized for ironmaking and various works. Fortunately, thanks to the orange crops and improved seeds, food production increased and they could mobilize many people for work. But they were still people who were squeezed out of those who were not there. They were too scarce. As a result, Kim Ki-woo had no time to rest. He had to lead them himself and increase production efficiency as much as possible so that various industries could run more smoothly. But that wasnt the end of it. The problem was that he started another work in the midst of being so busy that he had no time to breathe. I cant just use wrought iron. He had to make steel. Steel? Isnt steel an industry that represents modernity? Wasnt it hard to make steel in ancient and medieval times? But surprisingly, this happened as early as the 4th century BC in India. Start. Yes. Today, he will demonstrate the historic steel sword. After Kim Ki-woos words ended, a warrior with a steel sword raised it high in the sky. For a moment, the sword reflected the sunlight and struck Kim Ki-woos eyes. It looked very brilliant. Swoosh! Crash! Wow! Can, can that be Exmations and sighs echoed in the open space. He had a good reason to be surprised, as the iron rod that was fixed between the logs broke in one go. Yet, the steel sword looked unscathed. How can that be? They are both made of iron, arent they? They may look the same on the outside, but they are different on the inside. What do you mean? It depends on how you process the same material, and what else you add to it. Hmm The smart one realized that he couldnt understand the words of the spirit chief with his own experience. I feel very ashamed of my name. Ha ha. You shouldnt think like that. The real shame is not knowing something, but not seeking knowledge about it even though you dont know. Why dont you gradually discover various truths from now on? Oh, indeed! Kim Ki-woo turned away from the admiring gaze of the smart one and looked at the ongoing performance test of the steel sword. Good. Very good. The test was very sessful. Kim Ki-woo was very satisfied. In modern America, steel weapons are unbeatable. This was possible because he had the steelmaking method of Uts steel in his head. The rough outline of the steelmaking method was as follows. High-quality iron ore with a purity of over 50% mined from the mountains was turned into pig iron in a st furnace. Then, a certain ratio of pig iron lumps and charcoal pieces were put into a crucible. Then, the entrance was sealed and the temperature was raised in the st furnace. The melted pig iron absorbed carbon from the charcoal. Although this process was very difficult and produced little, there was no choice but to do it because pig iron couldnt be used as it was. More importantly, Kim Ki-woo had a reason to make such an effort and make steel. As the Creek tribe began to live well, it was obvious that the surrounding major tribes noticed and had sinister thoughts. Moreover, he didnt know when the famous Aztec Empire, located on the Mexican teau, would extend its tentacles. If a treasure is given to a weak person, it is bound to be taken away by a stronger person nearby. To ovee this, he had to raise his level of military power to be equal or superior to them. * Time passed quickly. It had been quite a while since Kim Ki-woo returned to the central vige of the Creek tribe. Now it was time to sow seeds. Steelmaking and ironmaking are also stabilizing. There were countless things that could be done with solid steel. First of all, farming became easier. He made basic agricultural tools such as hoes, sickles, and weeders. Solid iron greatly improved the efficiency of farming. The most important thing is still weapons. The primary goal of steel production was steel weapons. Therefore, he prioritized increasing steel weapons. He also made essential items for living such as needles and basic scissors. As a result, it became easier to make cloth. He also made nails that could easily connect wood. In short, it started to be used in various ces. Of course, it wasnt a lot because of theck of iron. During this period, Kim Ki-woo and all the tribesmen continued their forced march. But as time passed, they got used to it and got better than before. It might get better if more time passed, but at least other work was impossible for now. Besides, they had to farm now. There are still many things to make He had to make pottery to innovate dishes and other storage containers, develop limestone mines, and produce cement. There were also countless things that he was only nning for now. Such as roads, boats for water transportation, water wheels, paper, pencils, and even soap and gunpowder Sigh. They are all pie in the sky. There is not enoughbor. Even with the blessing of the yellow crops! He even made new farming tools! Even though he mobilized a lot of women! It was trulymentable. Since Kim Ki-woo came to the Creek vige, he had been emphasizing hygiene and gradually improving the sanitary conditions. The food supply had increased and the nutrition was bnced. Therefore, as time passed, the infant mortality rate would decrease and the poption would naturally increase. But not right now. Rather, if more infants were born, many of theborers who were mobilized now would have to leave to take care of them in the short term. A poption of just over 20,000 was not enough to raise an industry. Is that the only way? < Obstacles and Solutions. > The End Chapter 7: Determination Chapter 7: Determination 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 poption 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. Wasnt this a win-win situation? Tsk. He didnt 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 wasnt doing this for his own sake, right? All his actions were ultimately rted to the survival of all mankind. Of course, he didnt mean to start conquering activities right away. He had to clear enough farnd 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 nning 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 tter me. How many times do you do that a day? Ha ha. Im just so happy Im 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. Thats why the upright tree reacted like this. They all understand why they are busy. Humans work harder as they be richer, and they see a bright future. They didnt starve first of all. This was the most important thing. There were even many delicious foods developed that they didnt even look at what they used to eat. Among them, Kim Ki-woos 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 didnt 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 n he had madest spring. As he thought about this and that, he arrived at the meeting hall. Kim Ki-woo entered with the upright tree. Wee, 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 weremon in the meeting hall. As a result, he could sitfortably on a sturdy wooden chair. Although it was hard because he didnt put cushions or leather on it. Well, lets proceed with todays meeting. Before he knew it, dering the opening or closing of the meeting became Kim Ki-woos 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 st furnace. Its 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 wereints that they needed more people for their work. This had been an annual event since the basic industry waspleted. They were afraid that if they didnt say this, the replenishment of manpower would be dyedpared 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. Lets discuss thatter. A changed conclusion. From then on, some of the warriors began to feel something strange. After this issue was settled, various incidents that had urred 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. Im just saying Ugh. It was like this. Theypeted 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 wless 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 couldnt 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-woos 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-woos eyes became cold. Indeed, a position makes a person. As he led a tribe for quite a long time, Kim Ki-woos 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. Didnt 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 doesnt 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 didnt 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 y in a way. But Kim Ki-woo couldnt 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? Its 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 urate. 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 otherrge 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 ofnd. They could have asked how the Creek tribes situation had improved. But they didnt. 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 be 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 anypensation. 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. Thats 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. Thats right. If you take someone elses 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 mmed his fist on the table and vented his anger. Arent you angry? Am I the only one who feels this way! No! Those damn Chokto bastards We cant 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. Its all because the Creek tribe was weak. But are we still weak? I dont think so. They dont know our true face that has developed. They dont even know about the existence of steel weapons. The situation ispletely 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 Ill 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 warriors cry. Kim Ki-woo looked around at the warriors who had changed their determination and thought. To be honest, I dont care either way. Even if they hadnt shown their ambition, I was nning 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 deration 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 n 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 be our preciousbor force quietly. Hehehe. Kim Ki-woo let out a wickedugh in his mind. < Determination. > The end Chapter 8: Overwhelming Chapter 8: Overwhelming Chapter 8 < Overwhelming. > Everything seems to be going ording to the Chief Spirits n. As they came out of the meeting hall, the upright tree said. Kim Ki-woo chuckled and replied. I didnt think they woulde out like that. Didnt you expect it? I thought it was obvious. How could I predict everything? Well, it doesnt matter as long as we get to Seoul. Pardon? As long as the oue is good. As the upright tree said, Kim Ki-woo had made a lot of preparations since he decided to expand his tribest 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 couldnt lose if he prepared well. But Kim Ki-woo didnt 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 arent many warriors who can shoot a bow as well as me. But this crossbow can achieve decent skills with a little effort, right? Thats 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 theres 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 ept. * That fall. The war that he had anticipated actually broke out. Fourrge 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. Wont they just go back? They wont. They must have run out of food by now. They wont go back quietly without plundering our tribe. Damn. Thats 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 couldnt 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. Its 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 be the rulers of the continent as the Spirit Chief said? The more he thought about it, the hotter Strong Bows 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 sacrednd again without permission! Look, their numbers are muchrger 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. Thisrge-scale War was a fight of momentum. Solid Steel Sword. Yes, War chief. Go ahead. Its an honor! At Strong Bows 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 phnx. 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 mothers milk from here. Hahaha! Go drink some more milk, kid! Thenughter and mockery erupted from everywhere. But Solid Steel Sword didnt change his facial expression at all. They didnt know because they didnt 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 didnt 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 youre unhappy, dont whine behind ande 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 Spears restraint. Ill 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 Spears thrust. His thrust boasted a perfect skill as his name suggested. The spearhead reached Solid Steel Swords chest in an instant. ng! But Solid Steel Sword didnt dodge it. He just twisted his body slightly. As expected, his armor wasnt pierced. It just slid off in the direction it hit and sparked on his breastte. 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 didnt. 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 didnt stop there. Chop! His steel sword cut off Sharp Spears neck in the blink of an eye. Thud, thump! Sharp Spears 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 ms. 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,e forward bravely! Ugh! It was right after witnessing the shocking defeat. There was no warrior who easily stepped forward. Haha! Theres no coward like you! But its toote to regret it. As soon as you set foot on our Creek tribes sacrednd, you will never be able to go back peacefully! The moment Solid Steel Swords shout ended. Troops, advance forward! Strong Bowsmand 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. Dont retreat, everyone! They are much less than us! Dont disgrace the honor of the warriors! Fight against the enemies! Thanks to the restraint of the allied tribe chiefs, they didnt 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 couldnt 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 themand of the chiefs. Tat tat tang! But most of the stone arrows that were shot were blocked by therge 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 simr. But, Puff puff puff puff! Ack! Aaargh! The result waspletely 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 tribes 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 prized. The allied tribe warriors also realized that they couldnt 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 wouldnt 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 dont know until they experience it, right? Strong Bow nodded at his lieutenants words. Then we have to make them realize. How reckless they were. His mouth twisted grimly. < Overwhelming. > The end Chapter 9: Explosive Expansion Chapter 9: Explosive Expansion 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 toote. 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 didnt matter. The terrain limited how many could sh at once, and their weapons couldnt prate the front line of the Creek tribe anyway. Kuuaaah! Dont push! Dont push, you bastards! Cough! A hellish scene. Not long after the melee began, corpses of warriors piled up at the front. This is impossible Thats a devils 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 cant die like this! The warriors of the allied tribes quickly fell into chaos. Dont run away! Hold your ground! Move! Move out of the way! Themand system of the chiefs waspletely shattered. The warriors scattered in all directions to escape from the cmity 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 aplished 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 tribes invasion, but those who couldnt escape surrendered to them. The powerful archer returned to the vige 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 sacrednd of the Creek tribe with impure intentions. Do you admit it? We admit it. Its 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 havemitted 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 ept 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 beenpletely 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 viges 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 poption had increased rapidly. Kim Ki-woo expanded the size of the central vige and made it into a city of considerable scale. He amodated 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 becamemon. Food was abundant and everyone had at least one set of clothing and shoes. It finally looks like a ce 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-woos opinion. The poption also reached close to 100,000 from 90,000. There was an increase in poption 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 hadpletely 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 be Kim Ki-woos aide-de-camp, shouted loudly. Then the noisy square became quiet. nk, nk. Every time Kim Ki-woo took a step, his iron shoes and shy iron armor made a loud noise. Kim Ki-woo climbed onto the wooden tform. 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 ording to Kim Ki-woos intention, an industrial zone was built around the furnace, and residential areas were separated. And he made arge 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 dy. 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 workces. Are you satisfied? Yes! We are satisfied! Its all because of your brilliant wisdom, Grand Chief! Thats 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-woos 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 didnt! Then Hmm The tribesmen swallowed their saliva, overwhelmed by Kim Ki-woos 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. Its because wecked 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 arent there still many tasks that are postponed day after day due tock of manpower! Howmentable is this! Of course, it had improvedpared to before as the poption 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 theirnds 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 cant 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 ept them and treat them as we do ourselves! By doing so, we will solve our tribes 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: The Consequences of Expansion Chapter 10: The Consequences of Expansion Chapter 10 < The Consequences of Expansion > Regardless of Kim Kiwoos speech, the preparations for the expedition were alreadyplete. The day after the speech. Lets 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 Creeks 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 groupbat in thest war. Thanks to that, they were able to select only the best among the warriors and make them Creeks troops. Of course, they still couldnt trust them 100%, so themand was given to the warriors of Creeks 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 ces with rough roads, and only looked for viges 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 Creeks warriors advance. For two years, rumors about Creeks tribe had spread far and wide. The gray army! Run, run! We cant win against them! As soon as Creeks warriors appeared, the vigers of the tribes fell into despair. There were somerge tribes that resisted, but most of the tribes chose one of two options. They either abandoned their viges and ran away before the army arrived, or obediently surrendered to Creeks tribe. We dont want to see unnecessary bloodshed. If your tribe peacefully joins us, you will enjoy equal status as a member of Creeks 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! Creeks warriors made this proposal to every tribe they visited. As a result, many tribes surrendered without further resistance. Creeks tribe was bing the rising sun of North America. * North America was undergoing a strange ecological change. Many tribesmen flocked to Creeks tribe, while people disappeared from where they lived. And even more distant tribes were preparing to flee from Creeks tribe. In other words, the surrounding area was quickly bing 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 farnd quickly for the future. We also need to increase our manpower in the coal mine by several times! Weve heard that Chikaso tribe ising soon. If that big tribe arrives Thenguage problem is serious too. Some tribes are hard to understand. Dont we need to send administrators to each vige? There are many conflicts among different tribes in each vige! Hmm It was a total mess. Creeks tribe was experiencing a poption explosion. This was far beyond Kim Kiwoos expectations. Dont they surrender too easily? Dont 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 Ill be too busy digesting this poption for a while! He had originally nned to gradually increase the poption 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 uncultivatednd! 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? Dont 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 didnt know how many people would be absorbed this year, but he had to cultivate at least several times morend than now for the next year and beyond. In this situation, he couldnt 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 didnt 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 arge amount of rock salt. They had been collecting and using rock salt since farming began on arge scale. There was no need to produce sr salt or sea salt at all. In fact, most countries in modern times also use rock salt the most. Well, unless its a country like Korea where rock salt doesnte out. Eventually, well have to solve thenguage problem gradually. For now, teach them Creeksnguage 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 standardnguage dictionary. Language is important. The farther away the region, the bigger thenguage problem would be. First of all, set up a police station in each vige. After finishing this expedition and returning, split up the warriors and assign them to the police station to manage the vige for a while. Police station you say? Yes. Let them handle the incidents and idents that are happening in the vige right now. I cant afford to worry about that kind of thing right now. Until now, security was maintained by the tribes 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, Ill finally be able to execute my n? 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 poption and it exceeded 500,000. That is, the total poption of the Creek tribe exceeded 600,000! It meant that it had grown thirty timespared to when he first came to the Creek tribe. Of course, he wasnt sure because he didnt do an urate census, but it was probably right. Does this make sense? That was the thought that crossed Kim Ki-woos mind when he first received the poption report. The poption had increased by thirty times in only five or six years. He couldnt help but think that way. Wasnt it like a shrimp eating a whale? Now, the Creek tribe had be a very small minority among the Creek people. The things that Kim Ki-woo and the Creek leaders had done in thest year were very simple. They built viges and ced 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 epting them as full-fledged tribesmen from the start, they were able to suppress theseints to some extent. Its different from three years ago. They werent subjugated as a price for invading, so what did they have to be guilty of? Theirnguages were slightly different and their cultures were slightly different, but Kim Ki-woo forced them toply with Creeks standardnguage and culture. The effect was still minimal. But it would get better over time. They invested most of the newly created vige leaders innd remation. 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 femalebor 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 ces where explosions were heard, but he could see that the countless tribesmen who gathered under Creeks g 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 couldnt farm with animal power or machines, and no matter how much pesticides or sowing methods werent developed, modern gically modified grains and tuber crops and fertilend produced a certain amount of surplusbor. 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 wereckingpared to pre-modern society. Kim Ki-woo started to supplement these parts with the remaining manpower. < The Consequences of expansion. > The end Chapter 11: Starting the Construction Chapter 11: Starting the Construction Chapter 11 < Starting the Construction. > Many things were done at once. In particr, 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 elerated. 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-woos responsibility. Today, too, Kim Ki-woo went around the industrial district and led the industry ording to his intentions. The first ce 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 andnd was 13 times. It was 13 times more expensive to transport bynd than by ship. Let alone trains or trucks, there were no transportation animals like horses. The difference between ship transportation andnd transportation would be iparable. But he couldnt 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 nes a lot during the past time. He reced the rope with cotton rope because there was no material. He could only make Man hemp after expanding his power to Central America. It was because the raw material nt 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 wasnt very disappointed. He didnt 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 shorings of the first ship for a long time. Thats how much he was interested in shipbuilding. The expressions of the men who listened to his exnation gradually soured, but Kim Ki-woo didnt 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. Ill assign more people to the shipyard, so try making more and gain experience. Yes, Grand Chief. The mens expressions rxed, thinking that the nagging was finally over. Kim Ki-woo left the shipyard behind him. Take a break sometimes. Youll really hurt yourself if you keep doing this. You take a break too. You work more than me. Ill rest when you rest, Grand Chief. Then I cant rest for a while. Lets suffer together. Hahaha! Kim Ki-woo joked with Straight Tree and moved on to the next ce. 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 ce 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. Its filling just to look at it. Do you want to eat that? Who would eat such hard stones? Its a figurative expression. Figurative? Um well, theres such a thing. Just follow me. Bricks were being made in the kiln that was burning fiercely at this moment. They were baking fine y 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 arge scale. Kim Ki-woo encouraged the craftsmen of the brick factory once. They didnt have much to criticize, so they didnt 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 y from the river, and thanks to the increased number of miners and porters, limestone was transported to this ce. He ground limestone into powder and fired it with y. That is, bake it. He mixed limestone and y 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. Its 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 manipted 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 wille in. You have to turn them all into these metamorphic rocks, okay? Dont 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 arge-scale civil engineering and construction project. As he checked various processes that were going on, his days work ended. But the next day, and the next day, different things greeted Kim Ki-woo. * A poption 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 simr fraud cases happening. The problem is that its hard to tell if this is really fraud or robbery. Hmm There were new things happening because there was now yet. Should he say that the types of fraud were increasing? This was a popr fraud method these days. You couldnt open the bag andpletely flip over the contents when you bought it, so it was often caught. More and more incidents like this are happening. We need toe 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 differentnguages 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 didnte 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, lets expand the training center. And lets create a Supreme Court. A Supreme Court? We cant solve the tribal peoples conflicts with brute force, can we? Its 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 poption increased, he had to makews 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 arge-scale construction. We mobilize all the remaining personnel and start from the Creek tribes base, the Great Start City. The Creek tribes vige 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. Youll 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, Im fine. Dont 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 dont know, so let me tell you about bricks and cement. Kim Ki-woo briefly exined the properties of bricks and cement and how they would change the residential areas in the future. After all his exnations were over, many warriors who attended the meeting cheered. Theres such an amazing thing! Indeed, Grand Chief Kims admiration was not wrong! Will you also develop other viges besides Great Start City? Of course we will. Not only the construction of Great Start City, but we will also change all the viges of Creek tribe in the future. Oh! The warriors faces were filled with hope at Kim Ki-woos 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 woulde 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 veryfortable when he thought of it as a short break. Phew. Im 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 forst time has arrived. But he couldnt do that. The excellent head interrupted Kim Ki-woos rest. He doesnt 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: Paper and Hangul Chapter 12: Paper and Hangul Chapter 12 < Paper and Hangul > The pottery in his hand was very simr 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 wasnt bad in terms of aesthetics either. Kim Ki-woo touched the bone china and looked around, letting out a short exmation of admiration. Good! Is it possible to mass-produce it now? Its still a lot of failures, but it will get better over time. Thats fine. Its just a matter of time, right? Ill give you more people, so dont worry about anything else and focus on production. Once pottery became widely avable, the primitive earthenware and wooden bowls that had been used until now would all be discarded. With this, he was able to ovee one more obstacle today. * Of course, it wasnt possible to just build a stone building by saying so. Even ordinary houses were full of things that would copse in one typhoon, let alonerge-scale buildings. In the end, Kim Ki-woo had to take the lead and train the workers to be skilled construction workers. First of all, Ill give up on style. It would be moreplicated 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 youre here, right? I wont say much. Lets 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. Dont do that there! The angle is slightly off, but the building could copse! Cant you build it straight? Im sorry! Thats where the door will go! What are you going to do if you block the door! Kim Ki-woos roar echoed dozens of times whileying the foundation and building the house. It couldnt 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 ording 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 overpoption 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 didnt seem like it would copse easily. Kim Ki-woo was satisfied with the result. However, they couldnt 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 repeatedments, the fourth one was sturdy enough to nod his head. Good. Dont try to build it your own way, just build it exactly like this building. What if the building copses because youre arrogant? What do you think will happen? The people inside will get hurt or die. Right. Its hard to survive if you get crushed by such heavy stones. You dont 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 wouldnt waste their energy on building design. Im going to recruit a lot of construction workers soon. Most of the workers wont be from the Creek tribe. How are you going tomunicate with workers who dont speak well? But they are also workers of the same Creek tribe. Dont ever discriminate or mistreat them because you dont 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 regted such behavior. I trust you. Please dont disappoint me. Kim Ki-woo decided to mention only this much. And that day, he recruited arge number ofborers for the construction work. There were no conditions. He epted anyone who was a healthy male. The wages were also higher than other industries. Maybe thats why? As soon as he received the application for construction workers, a lot of applicants flocked in. Wow, thats 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 its then or now. Of course, that wasnt the whole reason. Construction was a new industry. Unlike other industries such as ironmaking, steelmaking, cksmithing, or carpentry, where skilled workers already existed, construction workers could be outstanding builders faster if they worked hard. Naturally, most of the applicants were those who had finished clearing the farnd. 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 didnt build them haphazardly. They built them with perfect nning 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 poption became more concentrated. Most of the feces collected this way were used for farming. He also nned to use them for making gunpowder soon. If people had ownednd, it would have been hard to n the city like this. The Native Americans who believed in the earth spirit had no concept ofnd ownership. They thought thatnd was not something that could be owned. Therefore, the houses built on thend 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 unskilledborers and built buildings. Are you okay? You dont look good. How can I look good? Look at that mess. I bet my hand that it will copse 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 itpletely. 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-rted work for a while. He had to build various buildings besides houses, improve roads, build canals when boats werepleted, and even take care of drainageter. 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 cant go on. It wasnt 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. Ive 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 y 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 didnt have rubber. And he had been preparing for paper production for a long time. Although he couldnt 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 couldnt produce high-quality paper inrge 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-woos 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. Youve 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 itter. Look here. Doesnt it lookcking? 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 andforted him. Dont worry. Well use it like this for a while. More importantly, can you produce this paper inrge quantities? If you provide enough manpower, I think its possible. Ill make sure of that. Ill 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: Reforming the Administration Chapter 13: Reforming the Administration 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 inrge 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 thisnd a long time ago. Therefore, Kim Ki-woo started working onpleting 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 tranting words into Hangul. In other words, it was the process of making a standardnguage dictionary. If the standard of words was not established, simr pronunciations would be written differently and cause confusion. Therefore, it was a necessary process. The problem was that the trantion 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 aremonly used. Do we just write as we hear? Yes. Ill 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 ovepped. Basic words like sun, moon, wind, earth, and spirit ovepped almost all. But as the number of people increased, many words were recorded excluding the ovepping 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 iplete dictionary with many parts missing, but he judged that most of themon 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 topile a standardnguage 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 ufortable with reporting only by word of mouth. Therefore, they were moved by the fact that letters and numbers and a standardnguage 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 tribes 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 dered 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 oveps. As soon as he started receiving reports separately, problems became apparent at a nce. 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. Ovepping 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 n at the regr 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-woos 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,merce department, construction department, security department, military department, education department, and foreign affairs department. He decided to legite in the administration department. In other words, it meant thatws would be made ording to Kim Ki-woos taste. The administration department will gather with the heads of each department and the officials of the administration department to make policies andws. 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 ofmerce 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-woos 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 surrenderedter were mostly unfamiliar with Creeks standardnguage. 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 hisrades who walked the same path. Kim Ki-woo had no reason to take such a political risk. As time passed, they would naturally ept other tribes as leaders. I hope you all take responsibility for your departments and lead them well. Yes, Grand Chief. Dont 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. Ive heard some bad thingstely. 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 beenughing until a moment ago. Those who participated in the meeting were all core figures of the tribe. They couldnt have been unaware of this problem. As expected. The expressions of some people worsened or they subtly avoided Kim Ki-woos eyes. They either led or condoned things that happened openly or secretly. It would be one of those two. Ill say it again, you shouldnt discriminate because they are from different tribes. If I hear such things again, I wont 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 didnt 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 didnt mean he could sit idly by until the buildings of the departments werepleted. 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 youre going to? No. Im still thinking about it. I wanted to go to the administration department, but that seems difficult. Dont do that and how about the agriculture department? Agriculture department? Hmm. Youre 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. Thats 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, youll regret it in less than a week. Still, Im not interested in the agriculture department. If I wanted an easy job, I would have gone to the foreign affairs department. Isnt 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 didnt really like them. Damn. Theres ack of talent. This wont work. No matter how much I sign, the documents dont 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 wouldnt 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: Metal Type and School Chapter 14: Metal Type and School 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 Gutenbergs metal type was feasible to make. We have to distribute books inrge 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 umte books naturally. To ovee 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 dont know what youre talking about. Kim Ki-woo and Solid Hammer exchanged a smirk. Solid Hammer was known as the best cksmith in the tribe. So whenever Kim Ki-woo had something new to make rted to metallurgy, he looked for Solid Hammer first. Thats 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 didnt really hate it, even though heined with his mouth. It was a very happy thing for him, a craftsman, to be able to make something new. Hes such a tsundere. Kim Ki-woo got straight to the point. You know about the letters, right? I do. Youre amazing. Thanks to you, I got to study at the end of my life. Thats 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. Thats true. Solid Hammer also learned how to write by sharing one book with many craftsmen. He sympathized with the inconvenience. So dont you think the spread of letters will be slow? Do you have any clever ideas? Thats why I came all the way here. Ho ho. Judging by your expression, Master Kim, youre going to make something amazing again. Just listen and judge for yourself. Kim Ki-woo exined the concept of Gutenbergs metal type to Solid Hammer. As he spoke, Solid Hammers eyes sparkled more and more. Ho ho. If we do that, it will definitely What do you think? Do you think its possible? Well have to try it first but it doesnt seem impossible. Then lets 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 ced 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 inrge quantities! Ha ha. We still have a lot to do. Dont 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 its at a disadvantagepared 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 ufortable 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 Hammers 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. Gutenbergs 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. Sess! Wow! Ive 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 couldnt 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 youll work harder from now on. We have to provide enough of these books to many Creek people who live on thisnd! Of course. Ha ha ha! It wouldnt be long before Hangul, created by King Sejong, conquered North America. But Kim Ki-woo didnt 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 iparable. Hows work these days? Its not that hard yet, but the workload is gradually increasing. Ha ha. Do you like your department? Smart Head smiled at Kim Ki-woos question. I enjoy every day because you entrusted me with the education department, not any other department. Whats 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 lottely, right? Thats 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. Thats our departments goal. Then lets start in earnest. What do you mean? Kim Ki-woo avoided his gaze and spoke. It was obvious that the education department would be one of the hardest departments from a rtively 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 Im thinking of creating an educational institution called a school. School A ce where you learn basic subjects from letters to math. For the time being, Im going to give the same education to everyone from children to adults, but once the school is established, Im going to divide it into stages ording to the level of learning. Hmm. Isnt it too early? As you know, Grand Chief Kim, most of the tribespeople are busy working. Even young children are helping withbor. He was right. He was still putting them into other jobs as soon as the work situation improved. And since construction had started,bor was always scarce. Everything is organically rted to each other in every industry. The conclusion is that manpower is stillcking. Its true what the head of education says. Im not saying Im going to send a lot of people to school right away. First, Ill make schools in each vige 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? Thats right. If they have more willingness to learn, Ill make it possible for them to learn more deeply. The ultimate goal was obviouslypulsory 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-woos 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, dont we? There will be more contracts and such things in the future. And Ill pick mostly women as teachers for the school, so it wont interfere with other work. Women? Theyre doing things that dont 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 Heads 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 wouldnt we have to? No, we havent even done a proper census yet Thats something the administration department will do soon. Take the list they surveyed and arrange it well in the education department. Before that, Ill pick some women for you first, so train them well as teachers. Smart Heads 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: The Determination to Found a Nation Chapter 15: The Determination to Found a Nation Chapter 15 Ah, youre also in this batch, huh? Cant you tell by looking? Why would Ie to this ce they call a school if I dont even take sses? Ha ha. This guy. Whats 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. Youre so lucky. Hot Fire grumbled incessantly as he sat on his chair. He had toe to the school right after finishing his work for the day. Its only one day out of five, you know? And I heard they dont teach for too long either. Thats not the point. The other guys are probably having a st with booze right now. Ha ha. So its the alcohol thats the problem! Dont act like you dont drink. Having a drink after work is the joy of my life! Well, thats true for me too. But I wanted to learn these letters, so I dont have much toin 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 cant even read what it says. Thats why were here. They say these books will be moremon 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? Dont you know? Theres 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 trante for you every time. More importantly, these letters are easy to learn, so dont worry too much. Its the work of our great Grand Chief Spirit, how can we not follow him? Oh boy, there it is. Fine, lets just listen to the ss. The noisy ssroom 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 viges. And they were spreading quickly to the faraway viges as well. The elementary schools operated in five time slots per day. Morning ss, noon ss, two afternoon sses, and night ss. Usually, young children and women took sses in the morning and noon time slots. And in the afternoon 1st ss, there were older people, and in the afternoon 2nd ss and night ss, there were young men who had finished their work for the day. That wasnt all. They all took sses one day out of five. That is, 25 groups of students took sses in one batch. Thats why the textbooks that were ced on each seat were quickly worn out. It couldnt be helped considering theck 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 wasnt satisfied with this level. What was the purpose of building schools in the first ce? Wasnt 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 firste, first-served basis. Those who applied first could enter the school sooner. In other words, these people had some enthusiasm for studying. Even if theycked intelligence, if they had a strong desire to learn, they could be excellent talents. However, middle schools wouldnt be open to anyone for a while. There werent 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 be a middle school student. Not an absolute evaluation, but a rtive one. On the other hand, if one became a middle school student, the tuition was free of course, and there was even schrship 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, notmitting 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 wasnt even the end of it. He hadnt even started writing textbooks for the university that would be built in the future. He had to write books rted 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 couldnt 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. Its 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 wont be held back by food. Thats true. I agree. All of the senior executives who attended the administrative meeting agreed with Kim Kiwoos words. Now, the Creek Tribe was arge force with enough power. Recently, the census conducted by the administration department waspleted. Of course, it was premature to have urate data with almost no errors, but they had more than enough to estimate the approximate size. The current poption 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 didnt starve themselves, and as they improved their hygiene somewhat, there was a natural increase of about 100 thousand in poption. 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 epted 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 regr 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, hismand skills and those of othermanders 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 wouldnt 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. Theres no reason to fight with that crazy military nation that rips out peoples hearts right away. There would be very few things to hold him back in North America. After all, it was a war for poption increase, not conquest, likest time. Various issues were discussed in the conference room. Good. Very good. Kim Kiwoo felt a sense of aplishment as he presided over the meeting. Before he created the departments, the meetings were conducted without order. It was because he didnt delegate any areaspletely. But now, they only reported their own departments affairs. And then they discussed the issues that came out with the rted 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 didnt say it out loud. But it wasnt 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 muchrger than before. This was all thanks to Grand Chief Spirit excellent leadership. Isnt that right? No. Its because you all followed me well. At that moment, a sense of uneasiness crept up his spine. And with Smart Heads next words, Kim Kiwoo realized that his hunch was right. Then lets say it was Grand Chief Spirit and all of our efforts. But Ive never heard of a tribe as big as ours anywhere. The Creek Tribe is too big to be called a tribe. So shouldnt we start calling it a nation soon? Havent we been putting it off because we had too much work to do? Is that okay? It hasnt been long since many tribes joined us, and its still chaotic. And we still have a shortage of manpower. Were going on a new expedition to solve this, but it will take a lot of effort to assimte the tribesmen we ept. Founding a nation in this situation? Were already busy enough, can we handle the increasing work? Kim Kiwoos subtle dissuasion didnt change the faces of the executives. They looked like they wouldnt 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. Thats 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 cant do it without any preparation. It was a once-in-a-lifetime promation of founding a nation. He had to make a constitution, revise variousws, andplete the hierarchy. The same went for establishing the national identity. Kim Kiwoo organized his thoughts and opened his mouth. Its too early now. But I agree with you on founding a nation. So lets 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: Preparing for Nation Building Chapter 16: Preparing for Nation Building 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 Im 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 chocte 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 y 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-woos lifespan. I dont age for a long time. In the past, when hended on thisnd 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 rtively 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-woos 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 gically young-looking to look unaffected by time if they take care of themselves like crazy for ten years. But thats only to a certain extent. The story changes when time bes 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 ept that. Its not all bad. He would be able to secure his control over the nation more firmly. As long as he didnt die suddenly from an external factor, he would be able to rule with an iron fist until he achieved modernization. Im 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 session n. 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 didnt 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 be numb? He didnt think he would feel good either way. * Is the preparation for the delegation going well? Dont worry. Its 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 distantrge tribes. Their purpose was one. To invite therge 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 be part of the new nation voluntarily. If that happened, they wouldnt have to waste their energy to subjugate them. Are there any movements from the Aztecs yet? No. As far as we know, there arent. 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 didnt want a conflict with them, but who knew what would happen? He had to be prepared at least. The discussion rted to the Aztecs ended, and soon the next agenda was presented. And that agenda was quite important for Kim Ki-woos 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. Thats right. However, you cant dy it any longer. You have to settle the marriage issue as soon as possible. Please listen to this old mans 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 minds opinion. Of course, Kim Kiwoo had no intention of postponing his marriage either. Im sure I do. Ive been feeling the need for marriage myself. Then When I proim the founding of the nation, Ill 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 n 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 didnt have time for dating, and his position was too high to date freely. Its bitter when I think about it. He hadnt 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 cant bring in a woman who will be the future mother of the nation carelessly. Ill 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 Kiwoos strong influence. No matter how kind-hearted I am, I have to live with her for a long time, so Id 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 Ie here. How can Ie if you make me feel so burdened? Just rx. If thats 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. Its been so noisytely. 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. Thats right. At the same time as proiming 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 didnt do much. He knew everything about modern astronomy. It was one of the things he had learned beforeing 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 didnt 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 calction 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 lets 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 rted to mathematics, so it had to be taken care of for the development of schrship. It was also essential for sailing to the continent in the future. Hmm. Imperial Calendar. Do you not like it? No. Its 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 Kiwoos hand was not the Gregorian calendar that modern peoplemonly knew. < Preparing for the founding of the nation. > The end Chapter 17: Transportation Revolution Chapter 17: Transportation Revolution 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. Its Wednesday, as you said. The quarters are aligned with the weekdays. Good. That makes it easier to calcte 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. Thats 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. Its 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 cant waste them on calendars. Besides, I dont 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 thest day of December as a nk 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 nk day to two days every four years. There was no religious force in America that wouldin about making a nk 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 nk 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 cant use quarters of three months or halves of six months. It would be hard to do statisticster. 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, its an honor! They were all overjoyed and didnt know what to do. Didnt they say that beasts leave their skins and humans leave their names? Kim Ki-woo left behind the enthusiastic wee of the astronomers and left the observatory. The next ce Kim Ki-woo visited was the Supreme Court. Youre 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 wasnt 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 tofort them. You look very tired. Take it easy. Yes. A response that was about three secondste. 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 wasnt easy to do that within the Creek tribe. Untilst year, the workload of the Supreme Court was decreasing. That was untilst 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 poption increased by arge margin. They were scattered around various viges as before. For those who had adapted to the life of the Creek tribe, it was a sudden change to live with people who didnt speak well with them. Naturally, there were many conflicts between them. The incidents that urred were resolved by the security offices of each vige. However. The security office cant handle all the cases. As the poption increased, new forms of conflicts emerged, and some serious matters that could not be resolved within the security office urred. 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 rted tow. Its 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 iparable to the future, the people who dealt withw had to be verypetent professionals. They had to be smart and wise to handle big and new cases. And they had to study constantly thews 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 didnt 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? Its 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 inw. 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 wont ept 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 didnt want to touch it much. Fortunately, the chief justice did not object much to Kim Ki-woos unteral words. Yes. I will do that. Good. Things will get easier when more educated peoplee out. Lets work together until then. Phew. I know you havent rested either, but Im worried about you more than the chief justice. Haha. Its touching that youre worried about me. But I have to finish myst job. Its ufortable if you stop in the middle of pooping, right? Sigh. I knew you would say that. The bell rang throughout the city. Ding! Its already evening. Should I go in and rest now? Please do that. Im 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 didnt think of a spring clock. Its 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 asrge as 30 meters, and the usable time was less than eight days. But it was very attractive to get urate 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 me of hisst work while having various thoughts. * Would you like a cup of tea? Sure. Lets 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 porcin teacup. Kim Ki-woo smiled as he looked at the steaming green tea, teacup, and teapot. Ivee this far. In a little while, he would be called an emperor, not a chief. And he had some cultural aspects that were iparable to modern times. Gulp. Good. The tea aroma was excellent. He felt his mind and body rx. By the way, the room had changed a lot. The chiefs office in the administration department. This space, which would soon be the emperors office, was veryrge. It was big enough to amodate dozens of staff members. And it was made entirely of stone, so it was sturdy and very resistant to fire. It wasnt 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 cksmiths. It was running to the end of luxury by this eras standards. Grand Chief. We have to proceed with the next schedule soon. But he was busy in proportion to that. He hadnt 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. Whos 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 ce he visited this time was a shipyard. He could see a fairlyrge ship in his sight before he even got there. Hehehe. This damn mania. It seemed to be getting worsetely. 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. Its 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 didnt 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 waspleted, ships for transportation would be built inrge quantities. If these ships were widely distributed, a revolution in transportation would take ce as expected. Manyrge 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 Creeks 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: First Vacation Chapter 18: First Vacation Chapter 18 I need a break. ! In the dark night, Straight Trees face turned to surprise at Kim Kiwoos 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. Lets take a break regrly 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. Its a very good idea. Too much work is bad for your health. Haha. Youre always the same, Straight Tree. When are you nning to take a break? I cant just go on vacation right away, so lets take a break after ten days. Five days should be enough to relieve my fatigue. You can take more time if you want No, thats enough. Five days is a long time, dont you think? Well, if you say so Thats how Kim Kiwoos 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. Im 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 Kiwoos body shivered involuntarily. It was amon practice in manypanies in South Korea, but it was happening here too, across the ages. Of course, it was not Kim Kiwoos intention. Do I make you ufortable? Straight Trees face quickly became gloomy. He was clearly acting. There was no way Kim Kiwoo wouldnt notice that. But his sincerity ining here was obvious. Kim Kiwoo decided to pretend not to know. Sigh. Fine. Lets rest together if you have nothing else to do. Thank you, sir. After saying that, Kim Kiwooy 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 its 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 didnt 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 didnt know what to do. Ugh! When he didnt 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? Lets eat eat? Eat Something shed in his mind at that word. Squeak! Kim Kiwoo smiled meaningfully. He finally thought of something to do. Right. Lets eat! * Kim Kiwoo headed to the kitchen. Its been a long time since Ive been in the kitchen. You dont have any reason to cook, sir. But why are you here? Why did youe to the kitchen? Of course, I came here to cook. Really? You could just order from the cook Haha. Theres no food that I want to eat yet. Oh. Youre 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 couldst 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. Thetter cases were moremon than rice. It was an ironic situation. No matter how I think about it, kimchi bread is too hybrid. Kimchi bread was the most popr among them. Well, it had its own vor, 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 nted most of the seeds of the crops he brought in his bag, so it wasnt 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 wasnt a generous amount. Wait and see. Ill make you a delicious chicken dish. Ho-ho. A new chicken dish How about it? Dont you want to try it? Dont 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 wouldnt 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 nt seeds. The efficiency wasnt very good either. But Im 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. Ive 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 didnt 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 wasnt 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 couldnt help but admire it. How beautiful it looked! Chicken in a pre-modern society! He felt like he hade back to modern times for a moment. Gulp. His mouth watered at the smell of fried chicken. Haha. How about it? Doesnt it smell good? Hmm. It looks delicious. Its 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 Trees eyes widened. How is it? Does it taste good? Sir, its 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 Ill 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 vor and the greasy chickens splendid coboration. Of course, it was a bit disappointing. It was because hecked some ingredients, and the cooks skill level was different from the ones sold in the market. But still, this was something. Kim Kiwoo was satisfied enough. Thats how Kim Kiwoos first day of vacation. The day thatter got a grand name as the birth of fried chicken. The worlds first fried chicken was developed. * After eating chicken to their fill, Kim Kiwoo and Straight Tree went to the city. Of course, they didnte 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 couldnt 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 didnt look very good, but they werent 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 peoples 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 Trees 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 quiterge. 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 couldnt introduce it. Silver or gold, or at least enough copper, this is what Gold and silver were concentrated in the west. Thats why the famous American westward expansion happened. There wasnt much precious metal buried in the Mississippi River area where Kim Kiwoo was. I dont 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. Its well built. Kim Kiwoo uttered a short impression as he looked at the colosseum-like circr stadium. Of course, he hade once when he had his firstpletion ceremony. But then he just congratted him and left right away, so it didnt leave a deep impression. But today he came as a spectator. So it felt very different from then. Kim Kiwoo entered the stadium. ng! ng! 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 diators looked simr 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 superiorityplex that they were different from diators. 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 ce. It was a space where human madness could be felt clearly Its not a good sight. Then why did he make this ughterhouse? Did he make it for the leisure life of the imperial people like Rome? No. I dont want to do that. He didnt make it because he wanted to, but because he had to. Most of the imperial people believed in spirits. The mostmon 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 couldnt 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. Its 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 didnt die, they could survive as diators until they died. The imperial people regarded this ughter 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 didnt 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: Return Chapter 19: Return 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 diators. Of course, he had no intention of enjoying such a ughter 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 diators swordy didnt disappear, martial arts wouldnt be popr. 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 didnt make a vige of one lineage, but scattered them around. If he had made a vige with the same lineage, they would have used their ownnguages. It was a bit different from the situation, but he could understand Kiwoo Kims idea when he thought of Chinatowns in many countries in modern times. In this situation, newspapers would speed up the standardization ofnguage. It would also be positive for the calendar distribution. If he produced newspapers, he would make weekly or monthly newspapers, so wouldnt they have a sense of date to read regr newspapers? Lastly It would be easier to guide the tribesmens thoughts in the direction I want. He intended to manage the newspapers by the state from the beginning. He didnt trust them enough to supply them to privatepanies. He could naturally spread information such asw-abiding spirit, hygiene,mon 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 wasnt like Joseon where there were eunuchs. Well, if there isnt one, Ill 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. Its a bit boring if it only delivers information. If he serialized something interesting on the page regrly, he would have more regr 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 wasnt enough for regr 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 Lets 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 couldnt sleep at all. Should I try writing a little? A little bit of curiosity peeked out at him about writing. Yeah. Ill 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 Kims 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 Trees face was very bright. His skin, which had been dry and rough, became smooth and stic. 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 toote to regret it. The holiday was already over. Why do you look so pale? Do you have any difort anywhere? Ha ha. Ive 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-rted tasks right away, but he couldnt. 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, its amazing how we managed to do that until now. It was all thanks to the hard work of the porters. Youre right. As the transport boats piled up, the Creek tribes transportation system began to change rapidly. North America was different from other continents. It had rivers that were iparable to those of other continents in terms of quantity and quality. Moreover, the Mississippi River area, which had firmly established itself as the Creeks 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 lets 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 rece 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 pce. Everyone agreed that the imperial pce should be magnificent and beautiful. As a result, the construction department was working hard. Because of this, no one knew when the imperial pce would bepleted. 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? Theres 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 theck of manpower. He always provided just enough staff to barely meet the needs. Then He must have something new in mind. The industrial director ck Mud uttered Straight Trees suspicion out loud. Whenever something new started, the industrial department also got busy. Therefore, his expression was not very good either. Youre right. Even though water transportation has started in earnest, I still think there are many thingscking. What are they, sir? First of all, we need to make proper docking facilities. We cant keep loading and unloading things on and off the boats like this. Hmm Youre right. Themercial director Swiftfoot nodded and agreed with Kim Ki-woos words. This was a big reaction from him, who was usually taciturn. All transportation systems were under the jurisdiction of themercial department. In other words, themercial 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 t. 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 wont get muddy even when it rains. Hmm. That sounds good. The porters suffer a lot when it rains. Thats not all. Industrial director? Yes, sir? Are there any problems with producing carts? Of course not. The industrial director ck Mud realized Kim Ki-woos 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. Youre really good at your job. The wheels and carts had been made for quite a while, but they were not poprized. 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 poprized. Should I import some mas from somewhere? There must have been natives who raised mas near the Andes Mountains. He had boats now, so he wondered if he should bring some mas, 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 dont have to carry heavy loads, they just have to load them on carts and pull them. Then both water andnd transportation will be much easier. Yes. Only then did the directors show signs of eptance. Of course, their reactions were different. Themercial director was happy that transportation would be 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 neverpromise on. < Return. > The end Chapter 20: Concrete Chapter 20: Concrete 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 cant 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 ce where they started paving the road was the route from the industrial area of the Great Start to the riverside. The skilled construction workers wouldy 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 waspressing and progressing them. It was too much to expect such things from people whocked basic knowledge. Mix it well over there. Dont do it roughly, mix it evenly! How do you expect to make it properly like that? Im 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 youve been doing construction by guesswork until now? Ill measure it properly. Kim Ki-woo went around and pointed out the mistakes of the workers countless times. And he didnt spare harsh words for those who worked as they pleased. It feels like Ive 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. Thats why they were making concrete. Concrete only contained 30 percent cement. The rest was mostly sand, gravel, and y. Even while Kim Ki-woo was lost in thought, concrete mixed with enough water was quickly made. And on the nned site of the paved road, where they had solidly prepared the ground for days of shoveling, theyid 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 suchrge-scale work with manpower. Well, this wasnt the first time he had such thoughts, so his regret quickly disappeared. Its 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 highpressive strength. It meant that it didnt 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 buildingsst long without copsing, advanced architectural engineering calctions were essential. In other words, he could only use concrete relying on its powerfulpressive 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. Theres nothing too difficult now. Just follow what I told you and try paving a road once. Got it? Yes. Well do our best. Feeling that his role was over for now, Kim Ki-woo left the site soon. The next ce Kim Ki-woo visited was a construction site by the river where they were building docking facilities. Things are going well here. Were used to using cement now. You dont have to worry about this ce. Haha. It looks like it. Then Ill 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 didnt need to say anything at all. With this, Kim Ki-woo was able to finish the transportation-rted 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 friends 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 ording to my friend in the administration, the Grand Chief already has a lot of work to do Thats true. Hes an amazing person. Anyway, do you know what it is? Haha. No, I dont. Tell me quickly. Ahem! But before that, dont we need some more drinks? Kehkehkeh. Youre such a friend. Hey, boss! Bring us some more drinks! Theres no one like you, right? The burly man smiled contentedly and began his story in a low voice. Hes building something called paved roads. Paved roads? Yeah. Its a process of ttening the roadside with stones. Huh? Why would he do that? The burly man exined to his friend the reason he knew. Then the sturdy legs nodded as if convinced. Hmm. I see. But is that all? Ahem, it doesnt 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 theyll decrease a lot, right? Instead, there will be jobs like pulling carts or loading and unloading cargo on ships. Oh, I dont know if thats better or worse. Of course its better! How hard is it to carry a load back and forth? And well hear less nagging from our wives. Well be able to go home every night. Hmm. Now that you mention it, thats 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 intoughter and pped his hands. Dont 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 cant bow twice in the spirit world? Oh dear, then Ill have to bow once from today on. Thats obvious. Like this, various rumors circted 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 didnt like such rapid changes. Its 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. Theseints were especially evident among the old elders. They didnt 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 ces 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 newmon 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. Theyll 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 didnt abandon this policy of driving change, it would never stop. And such signs were happening here, at the mill. Lets take a break! Yes! As soon as the manager finished speaking, the mill workers stopped working. Oh my god, Im dying, Im dying! Those shiny grains never seem to disappear. Oh, the harvest endedst year, but were still grinding grains. This is a problem, a problem. But isnt the bread made from that flour so delicious? Thats 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. Thats why. The reason why the sharp-eyed man muttered softly. Wouldnt it be nice if there was something that automatically ground those grains? What? Hahaha! Theres no such thing! Hmm. Theres none if theres none. Why are youughing so much? The big palmughed out loud and mocked him. He couldnt roar as he pped his big hands. But the big palm didnt care about his change of expression and said. Its funny because youre 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 wont be made? Hey, mentioning the Grand Chief is cheating. Hes special, so he can do it. Who doesnt know that the Grand Chief is special? Tsk! I cant 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 couldnt 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 didntugh 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? Lets make it together. < Concrete. > The end Chapter 21: The Reason for the Expedition Chapter 21: The Reason for the Expedition 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 Im not a craftsman Who was born a craftsman? You can be one too. Hmm. He was not entirely uninterested in bing a craftsman, so his wifes words intrigued him. Of course, he knew that to be a craftsman, he had to enter as an apprentice and endure hardships, so he didnt bother to try. The experienced miller thought carefully and soon made up his mind. Okay. Lets try to make it. If it doesnt work, well, it just wasnt 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 usible. We did it! We can make this! Having worked at the mill for a long time, the experienced miller could tell at a nce. If it was made ording to n, 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 friends 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. Thats how the first waterwheel was born, not by Kim Ki-woos order, but by the suggestion of a tribal member. Andter 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 hadughed 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 didnt 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 sess as the couple who invented the waterwheel. He had been busy without a break. Thats why the introduction of the waterwheel was dyed. Of course, he was nning 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. Its 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-woos daily workload is limited. He didnt have enough time in the first ce. Otherwise, he would have been the first designer of the waterwheel himself. The more people put their heads together, the faster development will be. Isnt modern development at an unbelievable speed because information circtes quickly? If there are more people like this couple who made the waterwheel, he will be morefortable and naturally elerate 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 savesbor, doesnt 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-woos modern civilization shed 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 thew. Havent we been enforcing this on the tribal members until now? No matter how much it is the Grand chiefs marriage problem, we cannot deviate from this principle. But the Grand chief will be 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. Thew must be strict. There should be no exceptions! Kim Ki-woo sped 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 intopletely 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 ording to their values. I dont 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 Im already strongly enforcing the monogamy policy, so theres 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 ces practiced monogamy or polygamy, but some tribes did not marry and only had rtions with outstanding warriors when they conceived children. Thats uneptable. 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 couldnt force them to divorce just toply with thew. The best thing was to prevent such cases from happening in the future. Unless there was a big war, the sex ratio would naturally bnce out. If he allowed polygamy, there might be more bachelors. Kim Ki-woo, who was already a bachelor himself, didnt 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 willst for generations. But thew must be strict. The leader of a country cannot arbitrarily vite thew that is being enforced. But Follow me and the chief justice on matters rted tow. The nation that would be established in the future was based on rule ofw. Of course, it was a blindfolded lie. The legitive 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 thew if it bothered him. But he had to keep up appearances ofplying with thew. If even the emperor vited thew, who would trust it? And Im 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 urred after the death of the founding monarch. The kings of theter 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 inmon with Kim Ki-woo. They invaded and absorbed many groups based on their own power. In other words, it meant that they could easily copse. Thats 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 nned to rule for a long time as the founding monarch. In other words, unless Kim Ki-woo died in an ident, his country would not copse so easily like theirs. And its not like the agriculture directors 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 be the emperor. There were pros and cons to everything. If thats what the Grand Chief wants, I guess we cant help it. Dont be too upset. I understand. The agriculture director realized that he couldnt change Kim Ki-woos 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? Dont worry. We will be able to publish newspapers regrly soon. Good. Pay as much attention as possible until the press bureau is established. Of course. The education directors 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 regr publications with metal type? And the main purpose is to teachnguage to the tribal members? Doesnt it sound like something for the education department? But Kim Ki-woo had a conscience. He worked his staff like modern ves, but he didnt push them to the point of paralysis. Thats 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 rted 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. Its our first sea expedition, so we have to be well prepared. Ill 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 cant go bynd. The road from North America to Aztec was rough enough. But below that, from modern Guatem to Colombia, it was a rugged tropical isthmus. So going through Aztec to Andes was practically impossible. Thats why there had been no trade between North and South America until now. Thats why mas didnt spread to North America. Well, we have no choice but to go by boat. For this, he made apass and taught them navigation skills quickly. But this was their first ocean voyage. No matter how hard Kim Ki-woo tried, he couldnt prevent various idents. 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 Antic Ocean and went to Europe and brought back horses or cows, there was no animal that could rece them except mas. In other words, there was only one purpose for this expedition. To secure mas. < The Reason for the Expedition > The End Chapter 22: The Birth of the Empress Chapter 22: The Birth of the Empress 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 be thepanion 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 dont 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! Dont you know that public officials will be severely punished if they ept bribes? Or are you trying to mess with me? Gasp! No, sir. I was short-sighted! Dont ever do this again. Ill 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 mans back. Phew. Maybe I should write No bribes on the door. Oh! Thats 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. Theyre 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 sries than ordinary workers. They also had a lot of work to do. Thanks to that, there was no excuse for corruption due tock of money, at least within the Creek tribe. He showed no mercy to public officials whomitted corruption even after receiving such carrots. Corruption-rted 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 nt. It was something he never wanted to do. Peoples thoughts were mostly simr. They say that even if they paid a lot of money, there were hardly any volunteers for dung pit work. Thats why they were actively using criminals these days. After that, crime decreased a bit. There was a widespread awareness that if you dont want to poop, you have to abide by thew. This helped the legal system settle in faster. By the way, Lord Kim has a very unique taste. Hmm. He does. I dont 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 vige got rejected. Well. Those women probably didnt want to get married and waited for this moment. What can we do? Lord Kim doesnt want them. Kim Ki-woos ideal type was a woman who hadrge features, was tall, and had curves even though she was thin. It was a step away from themon 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 weve 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 Kimspanion from now on. She has to have a good personality. Thats 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 copsed because of their queens. He didnt 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 Kims secessionist politics also ruined the country because of the corruption of the rtives. Not to mention the worst viiness of the Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi. She showed how important the existence of the empress was. Thats why Kim Ki-woo wanted to marry a woman who waspassionate and understanding. It didnt 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. Theyre pretty. He almost smiled. But Kim Ki-woo showed superhuman patience and didnt show it. He didnt 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 toe to my office one by one. The rest can restfortably. Yes. Kim Ki-woo entered his office first and sat down. Knock knock. May Ie in? Come in. The voice of a woman with a grudge crossed the door and rang in Kim Ki-woos 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 being in order. Please sit herefortably. 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 didnt 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 didnt 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 wasnt very attracted to them. Around that time. Knock knock knock. May Ie in? Come in. The third woman entered the office. Wow. Kim Ki-woos eyes sparkled. She was the one he liked best in appearance. And the unique atmosphere she exuded was very calm andfortable. 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 Its a very fitting name. Kim Ki-woo couldnt 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 didnt feel pressured. Her eyes were as clear and deep as her name. They say eyes are the windows to the soul. Ive never met anyone with such an eye who has a bad personality. This feeling became deeper as the conversation continued. So, youre a teacher now? Yes. I teach students at middle school. I heard you havent been a tribal for long, thats amazing. Her tribe was one of those who voluntarily surrendered to the Creek tribe three years ago. She solved thenguage problem in that short time and learned academics to be a middle school teacher. He nced at a report on student evaluations, and they were very good about her. If she wasnt greedy, she was better than a stupid woman for the empresss position. He also talked to her about trivial things. She didntugh 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 poprity was the same here and now. This wasrgely due to Kim Ki-woos influence. Kim Ki-woo has always favored smart and knowledgeable people. Besides, Kim Ki-woos 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 Lakes poprity must not have been bad. And it actually was. She thought for a moment and then opened her mouth. Youre right, sir. I received many marriage proposals. But I thought it wouldnt be toote 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. Ill have to think about it. You may feel that way now, but once you be an empress, many difficulties wille 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. Shes 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. Thats how the first empress was born. < The Birth of the Empress. > End Chapter 23: Declaration of Empire Chapter 23: Deration of Empire Thick Chest was a member of the Lakhu tribe, which had joined the Creek tribe rtively recently. The Lakhu tribe was a fairlyrge 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 vige built along the river with his wife. At first, he strongly resisted the system of the vige where many different tribes lived together, but now he was living quite contentedly. At least I dont 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 didnt 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 didnt feel so bad about being incorporated into the Creek tribe now. Ugh! Uwek! Ha ha! How many times is that kid throwing up? Thats why you shouldnt 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 didnt care. They act like theyve ridden this boat so many times. He wanted to say something back, but he held back. It wasnt 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 Im, Im okay. If you feel sick, you should vomit more. Thud, thud, thud. Thanks Ugh! Thick Chest patted his fellow vigers 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, couldnt 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-rted work. Its really amazing. The Creek tribe. No, now it was a country that was bing 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 empires power. And he wasnt 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 boatsing and going. And more shock followed after he stepped onnd. Wow! Huh Hispanions kept eximing. Thick Chest was no exception. He hadnt 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? Dont you see the line here? Go behind that little one. You cant just go in like that. Oh, is that so? The group lined up for the first time at the mans 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 youe from? We came from Blue Field Vige. 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. Its soplicated. Its a different dimension from our vige. Compare what you canpare. This is the capital of the empire. That, thats 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. Its so different. He had teased his fellow viger, but Thick Chest also had that thought in his head. Although the paved roads were not verymon 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 thetest devices, and visited many factories where they were made. This ce was a truly dynamic city where everyone was busy. I want to live in a ce like this. Thick Chest was overwhelmed by the grandeur, splendor, and dynamism of the capital and felt such a desire. It wasnt just Thick Chest and hispanions. Many vigers 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 thisnd 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, ording 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 ce. 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, Im an emperor. He had really made it. He was an elite ss who graduated from a good university in modern times, but it was iparable to being an emperor. But I cant becent. A country with less than 2 million people is an empire? It still has a small territory and poption. It also needs to develop its civilization more. He couldnt be satisfied with the present. But lets enjoy today. It was a once-in-a-lifetime coronation ceremony. Kim Ki-woo shook off his pessimistic feelings. Your Excellency. No, Your Majesty. Its 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 didnt 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 couldnt have done it without you. You also contributed to this empire, so enjoy today as much as you can. ! Straight Trees eyes widened. Kim Ki-woo didnt 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. Lets 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 warriors 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 p! 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 dered itself as the Wakan Tanka Empire here! As the founding of the Wakan Tanka Empire was dered, the same scene unfolded as before. Kim Ki-woo silenced their cheers again. With only 30,000 people under mymand, 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 continentpletely, 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 lets go for it! Until we reach the promised glorious future! * Kim Ki-woo didnt intend to drag out the deration 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 Lakes wedding ceremony was held. After all the ceremonies werepleted, a week-long founding festival was held and the history of the empire officially began. The empire was dered and many policies were announced simultaneously. The most important thing was the imperial constitution. There were many uses, but the most important ones were summarized as follows: -All poweres from the emperor. -All citizens of the empire are equal under the emperor. -If a tribe is on the same continent, it bes eligible to be an equal citizen of the empire as soon as it submits to the empire. -The empire is a rule ofw society. -The territory of the empire is all thend of Wakan Tanka Continent. -Thend belongs to the empire. Individualnd 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, andbor. 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 ept in the future. Wakan Tanka Continent was modern South, Central, and North America. It was a deration that showed his ambition. I have to eat at least one continent if I want to grow like crazy. Even if he couldnt do that, he didnt want to set a limit from now on. Thend issue had always been based onmunal ownership, so he didnt bother to recognize individual ownership. He didnt want to create unnecessary social problems because of things likend price intion andnd monopoly by rich farmerster on. All residential areas andnd were obtained by a certain period of use rights. And the rights and duties of imperial citizens. With this, the outline waspleted. 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. < Deration of Empire. > The end Chapter 24: The First Colony Chapter 24: The First Colony 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 proiming the founding with my own eyes. And the founding festival too The Solid Steel Sword nodded at his subordinates 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 ce His Majesty told us about. Really? What do you want to do? The Solid Steel Sword gazed at the faintly visiblend. 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 andparing 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. Letsnd on thend 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 thend. 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 iparable to the empires clothing. Moreover, he couldnt see any decent weapons or tools. They looked simr to the various tribes in North America. In contrast, the unit led by the Solid Steel Sword wasposed 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 didnt bother. The natives were probably going to tell their tribe what they saw. A sh with them was inevitable anyway. But he wasnt even a bit anxious about it. He trusted the strong warriors of the empire who followed him here. Hows the situation around? I can see a vige in the distance, but the coast seems safe. Then letsnd our boat first. Yes. Soon, a green g fluttered. It was a signal to request covering fire. After that, the warriors began tond onnd 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 warriorsnded. 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 tond. 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. Thats how the standoff between two forces began. What do you want to do? The lieutenants 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 couldnt understand what they were saying at all. They were people who didnt even speak hisnguage. Negotiating with them would be very difficult. The Solid Steel Swords mission was to upy this area and build ships on the other side of the sea. He had to show them an overwhelming difference in power toplete 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 ng! He drew his sword and raised it high in the sky. Prioritize neutralizing the enemies! All troops, charge! Waaaaah! Thats 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 festivals 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 isnt my work the same? But your sry 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 proimed. The rough system had already been set up almost before the promation 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. Todays regr meeting began again. Is the Public Security Bureau doing better? The Public Security Bureau was in charge of governing each vige 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 vige. Its still very chaotic. I think it will take time to meet His Majestys 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 couldnt 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. Arent quite a few being caught already? Im sorry. Its all my fault. Haha. How can you me only the public security director? I understand enough about the difficulties of public security. You dont have to feel too sorry. If a public officialmits corruption, he or she receives a heavier punishment. But just by strengthening punishment, he couldntpletely prevent such corruption. Kim Ki-woo especially didnt trust these people who had even a little bit of power in their hands. In fact, as soon as he investigated a little bit, didnt countless irregrities get caught? Especially in viges 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 vige far away. But we have to instill a strong awareness that they will be caught if theymit corruption from the beginning. If we try to correct thister, 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 rted to this on this asion. 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 didnt care about their implicit difort at all. Why are you making such ufortable faces? The purpose of creating an inspection bureau is not to falsely use you. Didnt you also want to catch those who are eating off from empire? Unless you aremitting 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 didnt think they would do their work fairly and cleanly in future either. Thats 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? Dont 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 didnt show any sign of backing down. The directors who had been by Kim Ki-woos side for a long time knew well that Kim Ki-woo with such a strong attitude never backed down. The directors looked at each others faces, wondering how to behave. But in the end, the winner of this fight was Kim Ki-woo. We understand Your Majestys intention. Please do as Your Majesty wishes. We will follow. It was a fight they couldnt 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-woos power so far. Kim Ki-woo finally rxed his expression. And he gentlyforted the directors with ufortable expressions. Dont be too upset. I swear I wont use the Inspection Bureau unjustly. Of course, he didnt 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 theres more than one department I want to add this time. Theres more? Yes. I think we should also create a department rted to hygiene on this asion. Thats right! As soon as Kim Ki-woo finished speaking, the director of agriculture, who had been quiet until now, eximed 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. Dont you like it too much? Im sorry. No. But youll 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 nt. Thats enough. Of course, that wasnt all the Ministry of Hygiene did. As it says, it would carry out everything rted to hygiene. I need to improve the hygiene of the capital. It was an inevitable phenomenon when poption 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 didnt have enough resources to pay attention to that yet. Thats how two departments were added. Then, the next agenda was discussed. The upation of Yanghae area isplete. 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 empires poption. But the difference in weapons overcame such a difference in poption. Considering how much effort Ive put in Still, the damage was severe. During sea expeditions, many idents urred. And because of Panama natives resistance, the damage was not trivial. Kim Ki-woo tried not to make colonies away from maind 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 Antic Ocean and from Antic Ocean to Pacific Ocean through this canal. That means Panama area is close to both seas. The maind of Wakan Tanka Empire is adjacent to Antic Ocean. That is, to go to Pacific Ocean, he had to cross Magen 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 doesnt mean digging a canal. He wanted to upy Panama and build a shipyard at a port adjacent to Pacific Ocean. Then he could go to ces adjacent to Pacific Ocean with minimal effort. Its the only way to trade with Andes for now. The Andes Mountains are adjacent to Pacific Ocean. There are mas there as well as guano and gold and silver. Wakan Tanka Empire, which had upied the blessednd of southeastern North America, had to go there to grow faster. End Chapter 25: Trade Chapter 25: Trade Guano was the droppings of seabirds that piled up on the inds 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 mary 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 its 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 mas. * Gulp, gulp! The empire is all good, but its 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 Im alive now. Haha. I guess I cant feel much because Ive been living here for a long time. Well, I dont like the heat either. Anyway, youre insensitive. Have you finished reading the newspaper? Can you pass it to me? I want to see it too. Youre 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 verymon 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. Theposition of the monthly newspaper was always simr. As usual, this time too, various important information was included in the first and middle parts. Oh. They finally conquered Yanghaepletely. The warriors of the empire are strong indeed. What about you? Why dont you apply for it? Do you mean going to Yanghae to make ships? Its written there in big letters. Recruiting shipbuilders. They say they pay more. At that, Brave Hawk shuddered. Crazy. Its already hot enough in the capital, and you want me to go to a hotter ce and make ships? Dont even say such horrible things. Really? Hmm I heard that if you go there, you can be a manager too. Haha. I dont want to do that while suffering from heatstroke. Besides, that means you have to make ships with novices who dont speak yournguage, right? Ugh, its 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 arge 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 mens 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 popr. Brave Hawk read the novel in one breath with bated breath. He read the newspaper regrly so his reading speed was quite fast. Before he knew it, Brave Hawk had read thest sentence of the novel and eximed. 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-woos expectations. They made a ship in the shipyard of the Pacific port before the year was over. He didnt 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 dont have to go yourself. No. I really want to go. Kim Ki-woo didnt 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. Its 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. Thats 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? Im fine. The first voyage was quite hard for him who had passed fifty years old. But Wise Moonlights will did not break. After sailing for a few days, they finally arrived in Panama. Youve worked hard, Foreign Minister. Hehe. What do I have to work hard for? Your efforts are much bigger. Is the ship ready? Yes. Its perfect enough to leave right away. Really? Then leave right away. Yes? Dont you want to rest for a few days His Majesty is waiting. Dont I have toe 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 ce while Im 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 vige! Really? Yes. Im sure! They finally found the coastal vige 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 exmation. He saw small boats that looked like fishing boats and native viges. Shall we approach? Of course. Be careful when yound onnd and dont 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 ce is very big. Lets not do anything unnecessary and just do our assigned tasks well. While Wise Moonlight was thinking about this and that, the ship slowly approached thend. Then the vigers on the coast began to gather in groups. By the time they almost reached thend, there were already many vigers gathered. Hmm! They seem quite hostile. Think of it the other way around. We are strangers from outside. Ill just get off the boat with a few warriors. Are you sure? It will be dangerous. Hehehe! Dont worry. What can I do wrong? Die? Dont even joke about such horrible things. Anyway, wait here. Dont 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 vigers also did not threaten them when they saw only a few people getting off the boat. I cant understand a word theyre saying. Of course, the two groups did not understand each other. Thenguages werepletely different. But gestures were definitely a universalnguage. Wise Moonlight pushed the luggage forward. Fortunately, the vigers 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 vigers soon became interested in the goods they brought. Wise Moonlight noticed this and quickly spread out the goods. Then some of the vigers cautiously came forward and checked what these strangers had brought. Soon exmations burst from their mouths. Oh! Wow! They like it. He was relieved. He wondered what would happen if they didnt 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 porcin bowls made of bone ash were iparable 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 vigers 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. Thats how a historic meeting between the Wakan Tanka Empire and the Andes natives took ce. * Haha! You did an amazing job! Hahaha! Kim Ki-woo grabbed Wise Moonlights 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. Youvee a long way and I cant 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 Tenochtin 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 Trees words, Kim Ki-woo quickly got up from his seat and went outside. And he saw them. mas Thirteen mas from across the Andes Mountains. Of course, it would take a long time for mas to be popr. 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 ma 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,nguages 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. mas 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 andpanions. mas are social, intelligent and gentle animals that can carry up to 30% of their body weight. They have soft wool that contains littlenolin, which makes it hypoallergenic. The Inca Empire was arge 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 officialnguage of the empire. The four parts were the four regions or provinces that made up the empire: Chinchaysuyu (northwest), Antisuyu (northeast), Kuntisuyu (southwest), and Qusuyu (southeast). The capital of the empire was Cusco, located in modern-day Peru. The Inca Empire was famous for its monumental architecture, extensive roadwork, sophisticated administration, and rich culture. The empire copsed after the Spanish conquest led by Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s. Tenochtin was the capital city of the Aztec Empire, another powerful civilization that ruled over central Mexico from the 14th to the 16th century. Tenochtin was founded in 1325 on an ind in Lake Texcoco, and grew to be one of thergest and most impressive cities in the world at that time. It had apl ex urban n, a system of canals and causeways, magnificent temples and pces, and a poption of about 200,000 people. Tenochtin was also the center of religion, politics, trade, and culture for the Aztecs. The city was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors led by Hernn Corts in 1521, and its ruins are now part of modern-day Mexico City. . Chapter 26: A Substitute for Wood 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 ces where the empires reach had not yet touched. There are no real viins 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 ins were very vast. It was hard to find people there. The national budget was already being reinvested in various industries as it increased. They couldnt afford to waste money on this. So naturally, the expedition ended. Now, the only source of external poption influx was bringing natives from Panama to the maind. But this is still decent. The poption 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 wasnt all. The natural poption growth has caught fire. Lately, hunting bison with crossbows had be easier, and bison meat had also flowed inrge 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. Its 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 poption 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? Thats uneptable. The imperial citizens have only followed the national policy diligently, havent 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? Isnt 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 rted 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 copsed. 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 femalebor. But now, rather than that, femaleborers were sucked into kindergartens as they increased. Now there was a shortage of avable femaleborers 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 poption growth rate was almost insane. Choose the future or the present. He had to choose one of the two paths. But this dilemma didntst 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 easierter. Kim Ki-woo recalled a game that was popr when he was in the modern era. A strategy simtion game that had maintained its poprity 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 arge number of units in thete stage. The situation was not exactly the same, but it was simr. It will be hard, but lets stick to the current policy regarding kindergartens. We cant give up on poption 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 nations finances. Of course, Kim Ki-woos answer was not what he wanted to hear. But Straight Tree backed down obediently. He didnt want to sh 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 ces. Phew Its a good thing that waterwheels and ships are widely spread. The industrial power had been steadily rising until now. But they needed a lot ofbor 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 its 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 Theres no money-eating hippo like this. It was like burying the nations 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 thisrge-scale construction. Kindergartens also contributed a lot to this. If Kim Ki-woo didnt 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 didnt 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 be proficient enough, Kim Ki-woo didnt 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 ces. 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 inrge quantities. This was the main reason why the production of bricks and cement had risen sharplypared 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 iparable 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. Its hard to sustain growth at this rate. Theck 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 rece wood. And coincidentally, the Appchian 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 ce 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: Dissection Chapter 27: Dissection Chapter 27 < Dissection > Of course, coal cant 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 didnt 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 surelye 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 standardnguage 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 schrship. It was true that Kim Ki-wooid the foundation for various fields such as mathematics, literature, science, etc. Of course, he could still help a lot in the future. But he couldnt lead and develop everything himself. In other words, for the advancement of schrship, many intellectuals who were stationed in the university had to work hard. I wonder how they are doing these days. He hadnt 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 hollowugh. Brave Skys 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-woos 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-woos purpose. For example, experiments on whether dangerous substances like mercury were beneficial to health. Or subjects that hindered scientific development. I cant tolerate those things. Kim Ki-woo tried to sort out those things while thinking of ways to make schrship 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 briefment 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 ced them on cliffs and let them dpose by wind, some threw them into the sea, and some even copsed their houses with corpses inside them. But in the current Wakan Tanka Empire, cremation was bing mainstream. He had indoctrinated the imperial citizens through newspaper serials that spirits wanted cremation. This education became stronger as newspapers became more popr. Without knowing it, things were going as Kim Ki-woo intended. I can see the bacsh 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, its an honor, Your Majesty! Haha. Why are you shivering so much? Im 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? Neen, sir. Ho. Youre not even twenty and youre already in college. The empire adopted the age of maturity. Even so, neen was very young for a schr 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 graduatedter to learn more advanced courses. Only those who were excellent schrs or those who proved themselves in various practical skills could enter college. For example, people like Sharp Eye who made sses or Solid Hammer who made the first metal type. She, Dark me, 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 me trembled. Then, the conversation began. I called you because your report was very interesting. Gasp! Im sorry! What are you sorry for? Didnt I bother your eyes by sending you useless stories? She seemed to know that dissecting corpses would cause bacsh. I didnt call you to scold you, so dont worry too much. Then? Im just curious why you came up with this idea. Can you tell me the reason? At Kim Ki-woos question, she organized her thoughts for a moment and began her story. Im 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 me seemed to notice this too, and quickly corrected herself. It wasnt for the reason you think, Your Majesty. They both died of illness before bing imperial citizens. Thats 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 vige said he couldnt save them. Her voice grew louder as her emotions fluctuated more. Society might be developing, but medicine was stillgging 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 be 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 ssified their diseases and researched herbs that were effective for them. But at some point, I had a doubt. What did you doubt? We medical schrs only looked at the symptoms of diseases and their treatments, but we didnt 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 schr 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 mes 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 couldnt 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 me was firm. The girl who was trembling at first was gone. It doesnt matter. As long as I can save more people, Ill ept even wearing dirty rags. Good. I hope you dont lose that will. * This is uneptable. 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. Isnt it too presumptuous to say that the spirits dont like it? Ha! Many imperial citizens will look at you with disdain! They will surely do. But how did the empire develop? Didnt we get here by learning new knowledge? Many imperial citizens understand this! I think it is a necessary process to understand the rtionship 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! Thats harsh! The meeting turned into a mess for the first time in a long time. Thats how powerful the shock of dissecting human corpses was. If youre worried about hygiene, regte the people who flock to the waterworks. Dont try to find answers from the corpses of the dead. Thats 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, poption density in the waterworks, and even factories, making the industrial directors face turn incredulous. No, isnt that true? Many imperial citizens are living by breathing smoke from burning wood. And its 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 departments faults woulde out and the fight would go on endlessly. < Dissection > End Chapter 28: The Escape of the Sacrifice. Chapter 28: The Escape of the Sacrifice. 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-woos 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 its 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 persons body breaks down? Of course, the healers would treat the patients, wouldnt they? Thats right. There is amon point in these two cases. If something goes wrong, you fix it. Isnt that so? It seems so when I hear it. But isnt 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 ur? As the words continued, the ministers could sense Kim Ki-woos intention. Its 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 isnt the human body different from a machine like a water cart? Ho ho. Then can you exin to me how they are different? I didnt 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. Thats why we intellectuals should constantly explore and learn about differences. Kim Ki-woos speech ended, and there was a brief silence in the conference room. Everyone was chewing on his words. But that time did notst long. Soon voices of agreement began to erupt. To learn about differences Thats a really cool thing to say. I feel like Im realizing one more truth today. Indeed. As Your Majesty said, we need to umte 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 bacsh 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. Isnt that right, Security Minister? Kim Ki-woo emphasized the word Security Minister. Dealing with trouble wasrgely 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 hadpletely tilted by then. Then lets proceed with the autopsy-rted proposal as it is. Let it be done. The decision was finally made to allow the dissection of the condemned prisoners. The empires prisoners are truly pitiful. Especially the male ones. They had to fight as diators 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 shouldnt havemitted 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! Thats right. Tsk tsk. Dont tell me theyre 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 didnt have much time left to live. They showed such reactions because of a vague fear that they might be targets of dissection after they died. Dissecting corpses. Ugh, its 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, thats true I have no doubt in His Majesty. I hope you dont either. Haha. I didnt mean to doubt His Majesty. But except for a few people, there wasnt much resistance. The imperial citizens trusted Kim Ki-woos 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 wont regret it? Of course. Even though Ill die soon, if I can help people who suffer from the same disease as me, whats the problem with having my flesh torn apart after I die? Youve 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-woos 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. Thest 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 couldnt forget the scene of Quetzalcoatlst year. He was mobilized to take away a sacrifice from his own tribe. She was beaten with a club until she stopped breathing. That wasnt 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 priests robe. Her blood was sprinkled on the earth to pray for a good harvest next year. The monsters living in Tenochtin 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 dont want to be offered as a sacrifice obediently. Id rather kill myself. Golden Parrot decided. Even though more of his tribesmen would be sacrificed, he wanted to live. He didnt care if they criticized him for being selfish and cursed him. But he wanted to make this excuse. Wasnt it the demons who did wrong, not him! Whats 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 couldnt 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 didnt stop at any viges 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 didnt 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 whats there? It was such a dangerous road that no one came or went. He had heard rumors that people lived beyond this ce, but he doubted everything after wandering for so long. But the golden parrot urged his steps with superhuman patience. And finally. Atst The forest ended. An open space filled his sight. The golden parrot limped. His left leg had something wrong with it, so he couldnt walk straight. How long did he walk like that? A, a vige! 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 couldnt suppress his tears. But his steps moved forward, even though they were limping. When he got close enough. So thats 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? Its a person, isnt 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 copsed on the ground. Whoa! The warriors were startled and approached him. Isnt this dangerous? He looks really bad. We have to take him to the vige quickly. A man who looked like he could die at any moment. The warriors quickly lifted up the golden parrot and ran into the vige. Thats how the man who escaped from the Aztec Empires 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: The Fate of Columbus. Chapter 29: The Fate of Columbus. Chapter 29 < The Fate of Columbus. > Fortunately, the Golden Parrot survived. He had only copsed from hunger and exhaustion. But one thing was clear: he would have surely died without their help. They did not speak the samenguage, 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 ce 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 theirnguage a little bit. Thanks to that, he learned many things. Ah, this ce is abundant in food. That was why they could help him without any burden. And another fact. This ce was also subjugated by another empire. He thought it was strange. This ce was not as backward as he had heard. It was not inferior to the ce where he had lived. They even had stone-paved roads. He spent his days learning theirnguage and thenguage of the Wakan Tanka Empire, as they called it. When he could speak a bit, he asked the chiefs wife, Swift Wind, who had been looking after him, about everything that he was curious about. What kind of ce is the Wakan Tanka Empire? Why dont you hate them? Hate? Hoho! Why do you think we should hate the empire? Huh? Isnt that obvious? Invaders are all the same. They are devils who are greedy for exploiting the weak tribes! Youre wrong. The empire is not that evil. It was something that the Golden Parrot could not understand with hismon sense. The invaders of the Triple Alliance, who had Tenochtin 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 empires threat. Even those who hated each other joined forces. They gathered, but suddenly the fight stopped. The empires 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 guerri warfare. The alliance thought that the empires 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 ovee their disadvantage in weapons. But one day, the empires warriors came with an interpreter and asked to meet us. They asked to meet you? Did theye to make a deration 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 verymon in intergroup rtions 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 upied 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 upied 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 empires 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 empires territory. The empire epted 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 weed them generously. Many tribes moved to the empires maind. They heard from them regrly. Most of the supply between the maind and this area was handled by people from their tribes. They said that everyone was equal under His Majesty the Emperor. That the maind was a splendid ce and that nothing unreasonable happened there. Huh I cant believe it. I thought it was a lie at first, too. But now I know its true. Many young people from our tribe became Wakan Tanka Empires people, and I can trust their words. There was such an empire? An empire that treated even weak tribespeople equally? The Golden Parrots 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 be an empires citizen too? Of course. Anyone can be an empires 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 empires standardnguage. Go to elementary school and learn letters and numbers. And then? Thats it. Thats 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 simr. And then. The Golden Parrot made up his mind. Ill be an empires citezen. He had nowhere to go back anyway. The Golden Parrot decided to see for himself what kind of ce the empire was. And if possible He wanted revenge on those devils. The Golden Parrots 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. Hes learning standardnguage now? Yes. He hase to the empire now, and one teacher is exclusively teaching him standardnguage. Hmm. Then tell him toe see me after he bes proficient in standardnguage. Im curious what kind of person he is. Ill 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 umte resentment. That would only lead to fierce resistance in the end. It was better to use the nativesbor and pay them fairly. Their consumption market will increase as they be richer. Anyway, the empire monopolized the supply to the natives. There was no need topete with anyone else. It was like expanding the economic territory. Thanks to this policy, many tribespeople in Panama gradually entered under the empires rule or chose to naturalize. And with theirbor, trade with the South American continent was bing smoother. The Inca Empire Kim Ki-woo had learned somethingte. The Andean natives words that there was no Inca Empire. It was a wrong statement. They just didnt know about its existence because the Inca Empire hadnt 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 wasnt as if the Inca Empire had upied 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 n. Sorry, but the discovery of the New World will be dyed. 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 routester 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 changepletely. < The Fate of Columbus. > The End Chapter 30: Weapon Sales Chapter 30: Weapon Sales Chapter 30 < Weapon Sales > The coke was finallypleted. 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 shouldnt. Dont 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 rtively cheaper to produce machines here, where most of the imperial citizens live near the capital. And there was also a reason why we didnt need to move the industrial zone at a great cost. Most of the directors who attended the meeting agreed with the sanitation directors 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 doesnt produce much smoke. Its crazy to keep the industrial zone in the capital in this situation! The sanitation directors 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 poption density problem. As soon as his words were over, themercial 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 poption density problem in the capital to some extent. How beautiful this is. I had to increase the size of the kiln and furnace anyway. Arge-scale expansion was necessary to use waterwheel, coke, and coal. If not now, it would cost more to moveter. And besides the industrial director, arent 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. Thats a fact that everyone recognizes. But youre kicking them out of the capital because things have changed. This is unfair treatment. Unfair? Isnt 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 manyints such as security problems caused by mine criminals, childrens education problems, etc. But among them, the most centralint was being kicked out of the capital itself. However, at present, he could not go on solving even craftsmensints. He had to keep his focus well. Whenever he tried to do something, there were always people whoined. It was just that this time it was craftsmen, a major ss of empire. I have no choice but to ask for sacrifice for the country. The sacrifice of small for big. Kim Kiwoo didnt like this sentence very much either. But he had too much experience in why this happened frequently at national level overst 15 years. And this time too it was time to do so. The city of industrial zone will be a huge city that is not inferior to capital in future and will be 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 ofints 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 Kiwoos face. Are you criticizing my decision? Only then did ck mud realize his mistake and bowed his head deeply. Im sorry. I think my emotions got too intense. Be careful in future. Kim Kiwoo didnt 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 craftsmens welfare as top priority. The industrial director was in a dilemma. Kim Kiwoo gentlyforted the industrial director. He knew that the craftsmen were unhappy. But couldnt 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 ck 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 rted to it started to prepare for moving. *** Of course, moving a factory didnt mean that a new industrial district waspleted in a deserted area overnight. That would have been miraculous. The location had been decided long ago. Along the Appchian Mountains, especially around Birmingham, was marked as the main industrial district. It was a ce where it was easy to obtain coal, iron, and limestone, and it was adjacent to the river. Large-scale construction was concentrated in that ce. Huh Are they building a new city here? Its really a shabby vige. At least the roads are well built. That was what the construction workers said after looking around the nned 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 vige of sparse size. Among them, quiterge viges were all located by the river where boats came and went. Well, at least there is plenty of limestone and coal, so we dont have to worry about materials, right? Well, as long as we have enough people. Did their words be seeds? A few dayster, manyborers 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, youre 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. Theborers 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 copse. 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 toorge. 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. Thats 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 copse 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 buildingrge 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 hadnt 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 oue 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 be a viin to save his countrys economy. *** The Andes region. Are you okay? You dont 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, somunication was smooth. Didnt I tell you about the country called Tawantinsuyu in the southst time? Yes, you did. Tawantinsuyu was the name of the Inca Empire. Those bastards are extending their ws to our region. Im 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. Thats really I know its a rude thing to ask, but it wont be good for the empire either if we perish, right? I heard that you already lost several trading partners because of Tawantinsuyu. Thats true. But Wise Wood trailed off with a troubled look. < Weapon Sales. > The End Chapter 31: War Merchant Chapter 31: War Merchant 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. Someined about this, but most of the Andean tribes understood the empires 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 cant ignore your danger when we see it clearly. Thats 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 n would proceed. So he couldnt 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 st furnace made this possible. It was iparable to before. Arge 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 ces in the Andes region. Thank you! Thank you so much! Were not just giving them away, so you dont 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 receivedrge 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 rtively 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 ces 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 well show them whos 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 Cutis order fell, an iron sword was brought in an instant. Pacha Cuti looked around with his sword in his hand. He didnt stop there. He swung his sword and hit it with a stone. And he realized. This weapon is too different from themon 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 oue. 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? Im 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 couldnt 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 wouldnt 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 wouldnt 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 couldnt quell his anger in his chest even after the warrior left. Damn them. Youll see. Ill 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 arge amount of gold and silver came from the Andes region, the Wakan Tanka Empires finances breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, they couldnt circte 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 umted 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 couldnt show it outwardly. Thanks to Kim Ki-woos 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? Isnt it amazing? Tsk. If I had enough money then, I would have bought it. You dont have any ns to sell it to me, do you? Dream on. Im 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 uncontrobly among the wealthy ss. Eventually, their vanity made them spend their wealth that they had just piled up. Finally, their wealth began to circte. The urgent fire is out. Fortunately, they didnt go bankrupt because of this. Kim Ki-woo sighed. But this is only temporary. The treasures from the Andes region would continue toe in. And the empires artists would make their own gold treasures following them. That meant that over time, the value of these treasures would steadily decline. They wouldnt 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 circted 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 silvere in. But I think the amount is still not enough. The preparation for cirction was going on diligently from now on, even if it took time. More gold and silver wille in. Minister of the Interior, keep an eye on the production of currency. Dont 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 urred 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 its still early. Early? Yes. Waiting a little longer wont cause fatal damage to Tawantinsuyu. They are a powerful nation. And wouldnt they buy iron weapons more expensively if they were in a more disadvantageous situation than now? Hmm. Thats 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 tost 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 bnce 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 nned to gradually increase the quality of weapons and adjust them so that the war wouldst 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 be a reliable source of gold, silver, and guano for the empire. It was too costly to colonize South America right now, and Wakan Tanka Empires 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 lets wait and see. For now, dont give a definite answer to Tawantinsuyus 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 rted, and he believed that only with enough gold and silver to mint currency could he smoothly lead to industrial revolution in the future. He couldnt achieve his goal of elerating 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: Demons Beyond Imagination. Chapter 32: Demons Beyond Imagination. Chapter 32 < Demons Beyond Imagination. > The moment finally came. The day when Kim Ki-woos 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 didnt. The officials had stopped him. Why is it taking so long? The empress had been inbor for quite a while. But there was no news. What if something went wrong? What should he do then? No, its because its her first child that its taking so long. All kinds of thoughts came to Kim Ki-woos 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 trees face brightened at Kim Ki-woos 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 couldnt help it. In Kim Ki-woos 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 trees question. Yes. Lets go. Ill 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-woos family of three were all alive until he took the time machine from the modern world. If Kim Ki-woos 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 werepletely 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 didnt get married for a long time. He didnt even have a rtionship 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 dyed, Kim Ki-woos marriage would have been dyed as well. Even after marriage, he had this thought. Thats why he only had his first child now. The empress didnt criticize or resent Kim Ki-woos behavior. She didnt 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 empresss feelings. She couldnt have been unaffected by the criticism of those who said she couldnt 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! Youre 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. Dont worry about me. Im fine. Youve been through a lot. You really have. What have I been through? It was nothingpared to your Majestys efforts for the empire. You should hold your son now. Oh! Kim Kiwoo finally turned his gaze to the baby in Deep Lakes 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 Kiwoos chest swelled with emotion. Hes so light He was light, but somehow he felt heavy. Was this the weight of responsibility? Kim Kiwoo stroked the babys cheek with his index finger. It was very soft. The babys 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. Ill 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 doesnt know that? Hehe. I feel like I can finally rx 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. Im fine, so why dont 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. Dont 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 didnt think he could handle work at this time anyway. The staff also understood Kim Kiwoos 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 nowpetent 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. Its an honor to meet you, Your Majesty! The Golden Parrots pronunciation was awkward, but he spoke in standardnguage. He seemed very excited, his voice trembling slightly. He prostrated himself on the floor as soon as he saw Kim Kiwoo. Kim Kiwooughed out loud. Haha! Get up and sit down. Dont 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 doesnt 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 hasnt healedpletely. Oh. Thats a pity. It doesnt affect my daily life. The Golden Parrot smiled brightly. He didnt really care about his injured leg. What was this inconveniencepared 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 Parrots 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 catlolli. They raised dogs and turkeys, and ate enough meat from the fish they caught in theke, 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 ss of water? I would appreciate it if you gave me one. After gulping down the water brought by the attendant, the Golden Parrots story continued. They brutally ughtered countless children. loc, the god of water and rain, only epted children as sacrifices. They made children cry in locs temple. They said that thend would be fertile as they shed tears! The children didnt die peacefully. The Golden Parrot vividly described the scene at that time. They deliberately made the children sick and starved them. And if they didnt 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 Parrots words. He felt it in his bones that they were bastards who couldnt even bepared to dogs. Was it this bad? Kim Kiwoo only knew that the Aztecs hadmitted evil and horrible human sacrifices on arge scale, but he didnt 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 Tenochtin, 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: The Prelude to War. Chapter 33: The Prelude to War. 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 Kiwoos 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 didnt 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 didnt know how much blood of the Wakan Tanka Empires warriors would flow. The poption of the people living in the Aztec region was enormouspared to the Panama region, at least four times more than the Wakan Tanka Empire. Considering that the poption 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 Parrots tribe. Thats 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 rtionship 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 Spains conquistadors and the current Wakan Tanka Empire were different cases. Its at least 50 years earlier than that. Of course, judging by what the Golden Parrot said, the rtionship between the Mexica people and the surrounding tribes didnt look good even now, but it was an unpredictable situation. He couldnt be sure if the surrounding tribes would move ording to his will, if they would unite firmly around the Wakan Tanka Empire, or if there would be any traitors among them. War could changepletely because of one small incident. Just because Spain destroyed Aztec with a small army, it didnt 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 didnt know how they got information and seeded 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,mon sense, etc. He believed that knowledge would develop faster when it spread widely. Among them, there were several contents rted 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 its 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 cant get good quality iron in one go. The production volume wouldnt be very high either. ording to what the Golden Parrot said, their iron was stillcking a lot. He didnt 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 cant 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 ce was South America. Even if worst case scenario happened, it would be difficult for Andes region to directly attack Wakan Tanka Empires maind. But Aztec was different. There were some difficult parts geographically, but they could reach Wakan Tanka Empires maind 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 sh with Aztec sooner orter, if they armed themselves with good quality iron Wakan Tanka Empire would also suffer a lot of damage. I need to revise the n. Kim Kiwoo had originally nned 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 imed 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 epted his words rtively 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 parrots mouth were so shocking that they easily surpassed their imaginations. Finally, the golden parrots 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 annihted! Give me the warriors. I will wipe out those wicked people from thisnd 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 toote 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 thisnd as soon as possible. Why is that? ording 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 Tankas 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 Tankas iron. The directors expressions became serious at the golden parrots 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! Thats how war with Aztec Empire was decided. This news was detailed in the newspaper. Everything from Aztec Empires atrocities to why war had to be waged. This newspaper spread quickly throughout the empire. The curtain of the First Continental War had opened. * Im 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 nned 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 st furnace that had been built so far. Empress. Im afraid I wont 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 dont worry about me and this child. You must have a good reason to go. I hope you will take care of yourself ande back safely. Thank you very much. After getting permission from his wife, Kim Ki-woo dered it right away in the conference. I will go to ck Sky City tomorrow. I apologize, but why do you suddenly want to go to ck 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. Its to make steel. Steel Dont 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 Im going to make this time is real steel. Real steel! The exmation 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 couldnt 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 ck Sky City myself. But ck Sky City is not a very good ce for you to stay yet. Why dont you experiment in the capital and let the craftsmen apply the results in ck Sky City? ck 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 agricultures words seemed reasonable, but they were nothing but a waste of resources. It was much less time and resource consuming toplete the process at once in the industrial district of ck 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 empires best warriors who escorted Kim Ki-woo. Also, I need to take a look at how the industrial district is running. ck 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 craftsmensints. Kim Ki-woo considered this as well. Kim Ki-woo nailed it down so that no more words coulde out. I trust that you will rule the empire well while Im gone. With that, there were no more directors who argued. Thats how Kim Ki-woo left the capital after a long time. < The Prelude to War. > The end Chapter 34: The Road of Blessing. Chapter 34: The Road of Blessing. 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 Ill be back. Take good care of yourself while Im gone. Dont worry about me. I hope you will achieve what you want. Thank you. Kim Ki-woo left Deep Lakes 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 Its been since I made the mining vige. It was the first time since he went out to develop the first iron ore. It was not long after he arrived in America Its been almost 20 years. As he went out, a transport vehicle simr to a medieval carriage was waiting for him. Of course, it was not pulled by a horse. It was none other than eight mas tied to the front of the carriage. It seemed more appropriate to call it a ma carriage than a carriage. The ma carriage was very splendid. It looked like a lot of money had been poured into it. It was worthy of being an emperors exclusive ma carriage. Its such a pity. He felt sorry as soon as he saw the mas. He was constantly bringing in mas and trying hard to breed them and increase their numbers. It would take time for mas to be popr, 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 ins, 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 ma carriage. Then, shortly after, the ma 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 couldnt be perfectly t 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 ces in the future, so securing rubber trees was essential. As he thought about this and that, before he knew it, the ma carriage passed the main gate of the pce. Then. Waaaaah!! Suddenly, a thunderous cheer rang out. The sound was loud enough to make Kim Ki-woos ears dull. Kim Ki-woo opened the wooden window and looked outside. Hehe. The imperial citizens have gathered so much. Its all because they want to bless your majestys 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. Its 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 didnt 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 weing crowd continued until the moment he boarded the boat on the river. Phew Im already tired. Haha. The residents of ck Sky are very excited to hear that Your Majesty ising. Werent 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-woos 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. Im d they think so. Im sure this visit will ease any remaining bitterness. Dont worry. The industrial minister, ck Mud, said that and bowed his head. The only minister who apanied him on this journey was the industrial minister. If only Straight Tree hade 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. Didnt 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 ck Sky anyway because of weapon production, so he could join him. There will be another opportunity. Kim Ki-woo had nned to visit various cities in the empire once or twice since the moment currency was circted and his primary goal waspleted. 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 thergest boat that could be made with the current technology. Thanks to that, unlike the chariot, it had a good ride quality. Its 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 formingrge cities from ces connected by waterways. Water transportation became very smooth as boats became popr. ording to reports, at this moment, Wakan Tanka Empires territory was gradually expanding. Along the rivers scattered throughout North America. Over time, cities of Wakan Tanka Empire would be built in the ind as well, based on those rivers. Then At least North Americas east coast will bepletely under my empire. Of course, Kim Ki-woo was not satisfied with just North Americas 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, ck Sky. Wow! And Kim Ki-woo felt a dj 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 ce 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 Giwoos portrait at best. He might never have a chance to see him in person for the rest of his life if it wasnt for this asion. Fine. But still, you dont 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 Giwoos firm words. It was a matter ofter days, but a big festival was held every year on this day in the ck Sky City. Tomemorate Kim Giwoos 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 ce was a pce that was made in preparation for Kim Giwoos arrival. The room was fairlyrge and decorated simrly to the one in the capital. But maybe because it was unfamiliar? Or because there was no deepke next to it? It felt ufortable somehow. Although it would take at least ten more years for the pce in the capital to bepleted, the pce where Kim Giwoo lived now was veryrge. I want to see the pce in the capitalpleted soon. A pce that was built with enormous resources, manpower, and time. It would surely be andmark 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. Its time to start. He rested well yesterday. It was time to work now. He didnte all this way to y and eat. Kim Giwoo went outside. Then, in his sight, he saw ck 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 couldnt 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 ck Sky. Even at this moment, ck smoke was spreading into the sky in clumps. It sounds like the environment is being destroyed. This was a trade-off. The industrial zone wasnt evenpleted 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 urred, this problem would be much more serious. Then, environmental pollution issues like the smog disaster that happened in London would emerge. I have to ept 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 nothingpared to the impact of an asteroid colliding with Earth on the Earths 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 couldnt 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 simr 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 cant just watch. Kim Giwoo sorted out his thoughts. He couldnt 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: The True Steel Chapter 35: The True Steel 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 Ist 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. Im d to see you healthy and well. I was very sorry to send you away from the capital. It couldnt be helped. Im fine. Ah! I heard that the crown prince was born. Its 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. Its because of the steel production. Thats right. I was curious about that. Whats different about the steel youre making now from the ones weve 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 Theres 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 ck Sky himself to realize that and more. We cant 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 youve 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 exined. We need to make arge tank to store the pig iron thatsing 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 didnt take long to exin. 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. Ill do my best to make it. Please wait. Ill make it as soon as possible and report it to you. The steel mill manager was an excellent craftsman. Thats 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 ce. 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 disappearedpletely. They had stopped working. Pleasee 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-woos 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. Im not here to scold you, so rx. How can we have a conversation like this? Yes Good. Whats your name? Im 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 ck Sky. But he had heard that the emperors visit to ck Sky was rted to iron smelting. So he had given up on that hope. But it wasnt. The emperor had visited his carpentry shop. And he was talking to him. Quiet Winds heart swelled with excitement. Good, Quiet Wind. Im 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 Majestymands 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 regr 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 babys 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 didnt turn it. If they did, they wouldnt 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 didnt 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 eximed. Do you get it? Kim Ki-woo smiled slightly at his reaction. Seeing Kim Ki-woos 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. Thats 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 exnation. How is it? Can you make it? I think I have to try it once, but it doesnt seem too hard. Good. Then try to make it. You can make it ording 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 Ill 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 iparable 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 simr 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 couldnt 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 arge 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 rtively 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 its much better than before. Thats true. As time passed, know-how umted. Of course, he also learned how to make crucibles easily. He didnt have to shape them by hand one by one like before. The method was as follows: He pressed y with his feet to make it well kneaded, and cut off a certain part with a shovel. He made the y roughly cylindrical and put it in a crucible-making barrel. It was simr 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 meltedpletely. 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 ironpletely. So he could make all parts into steel and cast them into molds to shape them into steel. It wont be much in terms of production for now He needed a lot of coke and manpower here. It wasnt as hopeless as the previous carburization method, but it was hard to mass-produce it. But its enough to arm the empires warriors. If that happened Ill show them hell. The Aztec Empires warriors would feel it. The overwhelming difference in weapons that they could never ovee. < The True Steel > The End Chapter 36: Chaos of the Andes. Chapter 36: Chaos of the Andes. < 36. Chaos of the Andes. > So, what happened? Well, you see The colorful ma chuckled at the voicesing from beyond the cabin door. Theyre at it again. He could picture the situation in his head without looking. Most likely, Blue Sun was telling the neers stories from the past. The colorful ma opened the door and entered. Then, Blue Sun greeted him warmly. Did youe? Hows 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, thats why. Yeah, yeah. Sure they do. The colorful ma rubbed his ears and went to his bed andy down. Uh-hum, hum. Where did I stop? Blue Suns story continued, but the colorful ma tuned him out. Anyway, he never gets tired of it. Actually, the colorful ma didnt remember his childhood very well. The part he remembered was from when he had already joined the Creek tribe. The colorful ma and Blue Sun were sailors from the imperial maind. But there were more sailors from the ocean region than from the maind 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. Thats lucky. The colorful ma was very satisfied with his current life. He had been sailing around various ces since before he became an adult. Staying in one ce didnt suit the colorful mas temperament. He had sailed beyond the current empires territory and visited various ces 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 ma, who traveled frequently between the capital and various ces, 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 captains orders. The colorful ma 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. Its 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 ma just sighed. He knew that he was just yful and had a good heart. Its been a while since weve been here. About a month or so? Thats right. Anyway, I have to appreciate his wanderlust. Why does he have to go on different ships all the time? I dont like going on just one route. I got on this ship because the timing didnt match with other ships. Yeah. You work hard by yourself. Im just going back and forth between Shit Ind and Ocean. The colorful ma smiled faintly and leaned on the railing. The open sea calmed his mind and body. Whats 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 couldnt go to such ces on his own. So he worked as a sailor and kept saving money. His sry as an experienced sailor was quite hefty. He saved and saved his ie until now. I dont have much left. He had umted 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 wasnt as hopeless as before. As he was thinking that, the ship approached Shit Ind soon enough. What kind of faction is there this time? Hehe. Thats right. Anyway, Andes is chaotic. Shit Ind was a battlefield for various factions. It seemed to show a miniature version of the current chaos in Andes region. It couldnt be helped. Shit Ind 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 Ind. Hurry up and get off! Following the captains order, the sailors including the colorful manded on Shit Ind. Wee. d to see you. As the group got off the ship, the leader of the faction that upied Shit Ind greeted them. This was tranted 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 couldnt know all the tribes of Andes. Especially these days, many tribes wore clothes imported from Wakan Tanka Empire, making it harder to distinguish them. Its 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 Pha have expanded their territory this far. He almost snorted as he listened to their words. As far as he knew, the Pha tribe was a tribe that had grown their influence in the ind area. The Tawantinsuyu must have weakened, so they are fighting among themselves. The Wakan Tanka Empire had dyed 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 Tawantinsuyus territory. This was more aggressive and rapid than the Wakan Tanka Empire had expected. As a result, the Tawantinsuyus power had shrunk drasticallypared 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 Tawantinsuyus 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 didnt do that. They didnt 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 ind. The faction that upied the shit ind 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 ind 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 ces every time the faction changed. And another faction. The Wakan Tanka Empires trade ship never touched it. If they sumbed to a momentary greed and touched it, the Wakan Tanka Empire wouldpletely 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 didnt care much whether they fought or not among themselves. The empires policy was that they could trade with any tribe as long as they didnt attack the empire. Ill give you one sword for this much bird droppings. No, thats too expensive! It seems more expensive than what I heard! Haha. You must not have heard the news yet. The demand for the empires 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, its natural that it costs more. Hmm Then lets 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 hisst 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 rece 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 ind at all costs. Afterpleting the trade on shit ind. The empires trade ship soon left shit ind. The ship left the ind 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 maind 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 me reached explosive material. Then. Bang! An explosion urred in middle of site. Hmm What do you think? I think itcks firepower. What do you think? I agree. Lets 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 hadmented 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 hadmented to try using it as explosive material. Then lets add more refined bird droppings. Okay. They continued their experiments on explosive materials. Gunpowder was about to be born at aboratory of Imperial University. < Chaos of Andes. > The end Chapter 37: The Age of Steel Chapter 37: The Age of Steel Chapter 37: At that moment. If gunpowder was stirring at the Imperial University, then at the ck 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. Lets 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 st furnace. ng ng ng! 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. nk nk. Soon the waterwheel started to spin vigorously by the craftsmen. Squeak squeak! At the same time, a loud sound of metal scraping echoed. It wasing 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 circr 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 wasnt just Kim Kiwoos thought. Wow The waterwheel is really amazing. It can turn such a big paddle by itself. The industrial director eximed 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. Its 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 wille 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. Ill bet on it. Kim Kiwoo asserted. He knew thatter 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. Dont 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 dont have to think too hard. The power of wind can also be used by humans, right? Ah! An exmation burst out of the industrial directors 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 Kiwoos 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 couldntprehend 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, didnt 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-woos words. Is that possible? I dont know. It might be hard for now. But I dont think it will be impossible forever. The industrial director pondered Kim Ki-woos words. Using heat But no matter how hard he thought, he couldnte 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. Wasnt 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 wouldnt be able to lead the research on this with his old and frail body. He didnt have much time left to live. But I can still y a role in spreading His Majestys 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 asionally 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 schrs 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 Its fine. I want to try it myself. Not only the craftsmen, but also the officials and guards looked worried, but Kim Ki-woo didnt 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. ng! 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 Its wrought iron! We seeded! 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. Well do that. Okay. I trust you. The experiment was practically sessful. 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 didnt 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 andborers in the ck 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 finallypleted. How does it look to you? Hmm I dont see anything wrong with it. The industrial director and Kim Ki-woo checked the crucible furnace for thest time. I dont 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 ording to that ratio and make steel. Lets 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 craftsmans 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 wasnt like they put any mmable material in the crucibles, so there wasnt much chance of a big ident happening. Your Majesty. The time is up. Is that so? Then lets take out the crucibles now. Understood. As Kim Ki-woosmand 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. Its a hellish environment. Kim Ki-woo watched as the craftsmen took out one crucible and put in another one, and thought: They wouldnt 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 g debris separated by lime powder. After removing the g, they put the molten iron into molds. Its finally over. Kim Ki-woo clenched his fist tightly. He was confident of sess. 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: A Great Beginning 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 umted, he was able to find the most optimal ratio. Based on the information he obtained, he finally started mass production of steel. ng! ng! Phew Its really hard. Is this really possible? Haha. Arent 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 couldnt 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 didnt 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 stillcking. Kim Ki-woo had only built the backbone that would be 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 didnt expect. As he thought about this, Kim Ki-woos 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. Youve all worked very hard for a long time. With this, we havepleted 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 be 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-woos 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 todays 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-woos words were over. Then there was a silence that seemed tost forever. But such a silence soon gave way to a huge cheer. Yes! We will do so! Woohoo! The craftsmens shouts erupted. Kim Ki-woo smiled brightly as he heard the pleasant roar. * His purpose in going to the ck Sky was perfectly aplished. He no longer needed to be in the ck 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 ck Sky. The return to the capital was rtively quiet. He had returned as secretly as possible to prevent any unnecessary noise. When he entered the main gate of the pce. 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 hade 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. Thats why they weed Kim Ki-woos return so warmly. Wee back. Madam! As he entered the pce, 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 dont worry about me, Your Majesty. Is that so? Haha! Thats a relief. Deep Lakesplexion 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 pce. 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 wee his father. But Deep Lakes 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 ce 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 rxed and smiled brightly. Kim Ki-woo lost his words. Was his arms so ufortable? They say children are useless no matter how much you raise them. He didnt expect to feel this way since he was a baby. Deep Lakeforted Kim Ki-woo who looked dejected. It must be because he hasnt seen you for a long time. Please dont worry too much, Your Majesty. Thank you for saying that. Who can I me? Its 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 ufortable with him when he grew up. But Kim Ki-woo didnt 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 umted fatigue unknowingly while traveling on his journey. Time flies when youre resting. He yed 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. Im really happy for you, Your Majesty. Youre amazing. Youve all worked hard too. Youve managed the empire well without me. I wonder if Im 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-woos reaction was much more intense than he expected. Haha. Im kidding. Why are you so surprised? Please dont say such things even as a joke. My old heart cant 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, lets start the imperial conference. Kim Ki-woos deration 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. Thats 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 wee news. Of course, the currency issued by the state was not yet in cirction. 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, its useless if they dont 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-woos face on it would reveal itself to the world. Lets 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? Its 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 ministers 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 couldnt maintain such work while fighting a war. Because of the conscription, there is a shortage of people. Kim Ki-woo had stipted 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 ording to the states 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 couldnt 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 valuableborers 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 couldnt march the conscripted warriors all the way to where the Aztecs were. It was very difficult from the maind of the empire to where the Aztecs were. It was far away too. Marching them along that road? There was no crazier thing. He couldnt 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 ur. Lets 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: A Great Beginning 2 Chapter 39: A Great Beginning 2 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 Im tired? Kim Ki-woo rubbed his eyes again and looked inside his office. But nothing changed by denying reality. Secretary. Yes, Your Majesty. Dont tell me those are all the documents I have to review? Im 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, isnt it? It was too much, even if it was a lot. Can I handle all of that? He couldnt 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 ced some of the documents on Kim Ki-woos desk. Ill leave them here. Ha ha. Youre 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. Whats the point of ming 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 empires letters were based on Hangul. Of course, there were some letters added and dropped to match the pronunciation of the imperial standardnguage. 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 ced between consonants. And newspapers yed 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 ustomed to vowels being sandwiched between consonants. This led to a change in handwriting. They also ced 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-woos interest. Oh. One of them drew Kim Ki-woos attention. Theypleted gunpowder? The document said that gunpowder production was sessful. The types of raw materials, manufacturing methods, mixing ratios of raw materials, and phenomena that ur 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 departments deans 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? Im 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. Whats all the fuss about? Ah! Only then did Taeyangs Shadowe to his senses and shouted quickly. His Majesty ising! 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, its true! Why would I lie to you about this? Really? Yes! The secretary just came and told me to prepare for His Majestys visit! Bang! Woon Geurin Dalbit got up from his seat reflexively. Why on earth? Whats the reason for His Majestys 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 recentlypleted. He came to check it out. Ah Then Woon Geurin Dalbit eximed. 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! Thats how the chemistry department prepared to wee Kim Ki-woo. And finally. Kim Ki-woo arrived at the chemistry department. Oh, youre here. Yes. I heard youpleted gunpowder. Is that true? Thats right. Ha ha. Youve done a great job. Where can I see it? Weve 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? Thats right. Good. Why dont you show me? Theres no reason not to. But it can be dangerous, so dont 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 andnded 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! Dont worry about me. Why are you so surprised? Kim Ki-woo calmed them down and approached the ce where the gunpowder exploded. The ck 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 maind. 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,pared to other medieval countries, the Wakan Tanka Empire was in a very advantageous position to mass-produce gunpowder. The source of the worlds 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 didnt know about gunpowder. Gunpowder exploded with a loud noise and smoke. That meant that he couldnt kill many enemies with gunpowder, but it was enough to confuse them. Didnt the secretary and the guards scream in surprise without having to look far? If this happened in arge-scale melee It will be fun. Thats 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 bignd 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 couldnt believe it. Why would I lie to you? At that sight, Namus Warrior smiled faintly. He was a member of the empires foreign ministry. And he was also a person who learned thenguage of Meso America from the Golden Parrot. I understand that you can cross that huge sea with your excellent ships. But why did youe here? The area where Namus 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. Namus 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 manughed incredulously at his sudden words. It was too absurd. What nonsense are you talking about? Youre going to destroy the Aztec Empire? Yes. I heard you are also fighting against the Aztec Empire. Thats true, but The current Aztec Empire had not yet grown into aplete loser in the region. They needed more time for their heyday toe. That is, the tribes around the Gulf of Mexico had not yet sumbed 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. Namus 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. Namus 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. Lets fight against that cruel Aztec Empire together. But the mans 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 dont understand at all. What do you gain by destroying the Aztec Empire? Arent you just trying to invade thisnd too? The mans concern was reasonable. He might end up inviting a pack of hyenas while chasing a wolf. But he didnt leave this ce 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 Namus Warriors words, but he also wished desperately. That his words were true. End Chapter 40: Departure Chapter 40: Departure You know the reason, right? What reason? Isnt 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 didnt understand. What does that have to do with you? Those sacrifices have nothing to do with you anyway, right? Thats true. But, thats not important. Not important? Yes. It doesnt matter who they are, the fact that they are doing the abominable human sacrifice doesnt 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 didntpletely disagree with his words. He didnt know what kind of beings the spirits they served were, but this kind of faith could sometimes be a sufficient cause for war. He didnt have to look far, the Aztecs Flower War was also simr. The Aztecs waged periodic Flower Wars to secure sacrifices for their god. Besides He doesnt 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 Aztecs disgusting human sacrifice was wrong. His Majesty and the great spirits were greatly angered by their behavior. Then, shouldnt 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 amon 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 epted their actions, but he still couldnt 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 dont ept your proposal, what will you do? If what he said was all true, even if he didnt ally with his tribe, they would fill that big ship with warriors ande to thisnd 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 dont ept our proposal, we wont change our n. If you oppose us, your tribe will be our first target. Hmm It was a clear threat. In the end, the imperial warriors wouldnd on thisnd 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 didnt think he could stop them at all. Is there no other way His thoughts were slowly leaning towards epting their offer. And to solidify this atmosphere, the Warrior of Wood spoke up. If you are worried about the Aztecs retaliation in case our expedition fails, I want to tell you that you dont have to worry about that. We wont lose to them anyway. Dont you underestimate the Aztecs too much? You havent experienced them. They are very powerful. Haha. Then have you experienced our empire? Well, no Good. Then let me show you some of our empires 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 wasnt surprised. Im 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 didnt 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. Dont worry. That wont 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 didnt 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 couldnt believe it easily. But it was happening right in front of his eyes. And the Warrior of Wood didnt stop there. To show them the sure power of steel, he shot five arrows in total. Thest arrow even hit his helmet. But none of the arrows could damage the steel. That wasnt 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 couldnt withstand even a single blow. It broke into two pieces so easily. Hmm The Warrior of Wood looked at the mans facial expression and realized that his demonstration worked. What do you think of our empires weapons? They are amazing. The man admitted it without hesitation. That their weapons were iparable 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 ns to provide weapons to our allied tribes. The mans eyes widened. They would provide such powerful weapons! It sounded too good to be true for a moment. Is that true? I havent 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 wouldnt 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 yed 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 wont be in danger even if you fight a hundred times. Thats 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. Its 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 wouldnt happen now that the Wakan Tanka Empire had intervened. In fact, it hadnt 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 didnt 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 didnt happen. At least they wont 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 thats why they epted 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 wont happen. The only thing Kim Ki-woo was worried about was that the Aztecs would interfere with thending of the Wakan Tanka warriors. He had tond 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 wont be easily pushed back with the weapons were 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 dy 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: Arrival. Chapter 41: Arrival. < 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, caellel, looked down at them from a high altar. Can we really beat them? Even looking at the enormous army, caellel 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 caellel. The Wakan Tanka Empire is very powerful. So powerful that he wondered if these formidable warriors could surpass their glory. caellel 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? caellel 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 ces 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. Thats when I found out. caellel 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 caellel thought differently. They didnt seem to be lying at all. He did not feel any trace of falsehood from them. Seeing them, caellel 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, caellels words were epted. Since then, caellel trained spies. He learned theirnguage 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 rtively easily. Thats 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 iparable to their own weapons. caellel 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. caellel 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 Empires ironware. The ironware they made bent easily and they couldnt make as much as Wakan Tanka Empire did. Unfortunately, he couldnt 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 ovee the recent big famine with rtively 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,e 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 arge 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 couldnt be reversed. Even if he had a lot of power in the empire, he could get into big trouble if he argued that they shouldnt 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 Totok, 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 allnd. 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. caellel prayed and prayed to God until the moment the warriors set out. *** Damn. I hope our allies dont 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 themander-in-chief of this war. He was over eighty years old. He did not have much time left. This expedition might be hisst mission as the head of the military. He nned to step down from his position after this war. So Strong Archer wanted to win hisst war at all costs. But unexpected news came from the beginning of the expedition. The Aztec Empires warriors were trying to upy all the areas where the Wakan Tanka Empires warriors were going tond, 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 Empires warriorsnded, 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 shed. That meant it would be very hard tond on the coast that had already been upied. Then we have tond somewhere else. Although the supply line would be longer and it would be harder to prate into the Aztec Empires maind. *** When Strong Archer was thinking about that. Arge-scale war between the Aztec Empire and its allies had already begun. God wants their blood! Kill them all who brought foreign forces into thisnd! The Aztec Empires 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 upied 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 Empiresbat 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 dyed 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 thend. < Arrival. > The end Chapter 42: Bomb. Chapter 42: Bomb. < 42. Bomb. > Boom! Boom! Two loud noises are heard. It looks like there are two columns of smoke. Phew. Thats a relief. The sound from the vanguard meant that there were two columns of smoke rising from thend. 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 cant rx until the vanguard returns. Tell everyone not to let their guard down. That smoke could be a trick by the enemy. At the powerful archers order, the fleet kept a safe distance from thend and waited. Meanwhile, the vanguard set foot on thend. Wee! Weve been waiting for you! Whats the situation? Not very good. Can you exin briefly? The mans briefing followed. The warrior of the tree learned the general state of the battlefield through this. Thats a relief. The warrior of the tree nodded his head. He could hear the detailster. The important thing was whether he could send his warriors to this ce. It seemed like he could, ording to the mans words. The warrior of the tree immediately ryed this news to the powerful archer on the gship. The powerful archer also grasped the rough situation. It seems like we can proceed as nned. Then Ill order them to disembark. Do that. Themanders decision was made. Soon, the situation became busy. They didnt 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. Thats how 30,000 warriors of the Wakan Tanka Empire finally reached thend. *** Theyve 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 cant stay like this, can we? After the first fewrge-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 Aztecs march. They didnt even use the fortresses in between. There was a risk of being trapped and annihted 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 woulde from the empire, but they wondered if they could stop Aztecs warriors at the nned 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 Aztecs fierce retaliation. Then lets proceed as nned. That night, the allies carried out arge-scale retreat. They didnt ambush as usual. They just retreated desperately. To their target line of defense The enemies are running away! Damn it. cuellerel, Aztecs nobleman andmander-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 cuellerel 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 ces where they could ambush, the allies were nowhere to be seen. Damn. cuellerel had a bad feeling in his head for a moment. *** Can we really stop Aztecs army with this force? Its quite different from what we expected! Calm down. Time is on our side. If we wait, more reinforcements wille. 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 toe out with such an all-in strategy. They just followed the n 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 Im alive now. Ugh, I dont want to go back to the sea. Haha. Who would say youre 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 hadnt rested for a long time because of the war and sailing. Thats how a few days passed by quickly. Theyre moving. As expected, it was Aztecs 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 ce at the front. The rest of the allies followed behind them. The allies had not received tactical training from the empire. I didnt 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, yourrades will die! Dont 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 wless. There were warriors with long spears and warriors withrge 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 others 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 wouldst much longer than expected. I will defend this ce. He looked at the enormous number of enemies and made a vow. And then. The first sh 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 upied 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 couldnt 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 armys formation was covered by shields that hid their bodiespletely, their damage was minimal. The long-rangebat was a victory for the Wakan Tanka Empire Empire. If they stayed like this, their losses would umte. Charge! Waaaaah! In the end, the Aztecs chose to use their numbers for closebat. They had weapons called macuahuitl, which were wooden clubs with many obsidian des 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! ck, ck, ck! They saw long spears sticking out from betweenrge 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 armys formation. But they couldnt run away now. There were too many warriors behind them charging forward. Stab them! Puff puff puff! Aaargh! Cough! The first sh was utterly one-sided. Their macuahuitl and shields, and even their spears were too shortpared to the imperial armys spears. Thump thump thump! And most of the stones they threw were blocked byrge shields. The war in Mesoamerica was like this: They would charge forward strongly and then engage in meleebat with their weapons. This tactic difference resulted in a huge exchange rate. It was an overwhelming advantage for the imperial army. But, Dont retreat! Show them our courage! Dying is only living in eternal glory and honor! Surround them! We have far more numbers! The Aztec warriors didnt seem to fear death. They surrounded them from all sides and kept charging. They deliberately stuck the imperial armys 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 sessful spear attacks increased. There were many sacrifices to get to this point, but gradually, the Wakan Tanka Empire Empires line began to waver. There are too many enemies! They dont seem to be afraid. Are they suicide squads? Hmm The difference in numbers was too overwhelming. And the enemies didnt hesitate to throw their bodies at them. They were like demons. If they had simr 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 sh. The powerful archer decided. He wanted to save it forter, 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 armys secret weapon, The bombs showed their appearance on the battlefield. < Bombs. > The end Chapter 43: The Aztec Apocalypse. Chapter 43: The Aztec Apocalypse. Hurry up and move! We dont 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. Were ready! Then dont dy 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 popted 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 arge parab 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! Whats 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. Its those iron balls! Dont 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 couldnt 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 hadnt thrown many bombs yet, and yet the Aztec line was almost copsing. 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 armys 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! ck! ck! ck! The crossbowmen retreated smoothly. And then, the hedgehog formation waspleted 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 oue 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. Its our turn! Lets 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 dont chase them too far. If you go too deep, you might get counterattacked. Dont worry. We know that too. The allies mercilessly killed thegging 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 caellel 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 Wacantangas secret weapon. Iron balls that burst out suddenly. It was so shocking that he wouldnt have believed it if he hadnt seen it himself. He didnt know how many of those weapons they had As long as they remained, they couldnt 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 couldnt charge properly at the enemies. Meanwhile, they would be ughtered 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 Wacantangas troops would continue to increase. They couldnt beat them even when there was such a big difference in numbers. But what if that gap narrowed? That would be hard. caellel came to a conclusion. Of course, if they upied the high ground, the enemies wouldnt 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 couldnt do this or that. caellels 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 Wacantangas reinforcements to arrive, and the situation would continue to be favorable. There was no reason to move. Thats how time passed. The Wacantanga Empires 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 Wacantangas g. 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: The Result of War. Chapter 44: The Result of War. < 44. The Result of War. > The imperial army never moved hastily. This region was very different from the maind of the Wakan Tanka Empire Empire. There were many rugged terrains. In other words, there were many ces for ambushes. Thanks to these terrains, the allied forces were able to stall the Aztec warriors. But now, all these things were obstacles. Theres 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 thest 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. Thats true. Its really fortunate. The powerful archer nodded his head slightly at the lieutenants 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 upied by allied forces. There was no situation where the imperial army could be harmed. I hope our warriors dont 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 ce 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 Tenochtin for the first time. But after gaining such arge 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 cant see any way to win. The difference in weapons and tactics was overwhelming. In the end, there was only one way to ovee this situation. A victory in a frontal battle. Thats 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 lotpared 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 Tenochtin. By then, it would be no different from losing the war. In the end, there was only onemand that cuellerel could give. Prepare for a frontal battle. A frontal battle that looked very unlikely to win. O gods Please look upon Aztec with mercy cuellerel 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 avable troops. They seemed to stake everything on this battle. Will you fight them? The lieutenants question. There was a way to bypass that area, or they could just wait. It would be very hard to maintain such arge force. As the power of Aztec weakened, the surrounding tribes began to rebel. The situation would be more favorable as time passed. The supply of the enemies would copse quickly. There was no need to move first into a disadvantageous terrain. But the powerful archer shook his head. Theres 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 rece 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! Thats how thergest 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. ck, ck, ck! The shield and spear soldiers began to advance forward. How far did they advance? Shoo, shoo, shoo! Whiing! As expected, the Aztec warriorsunched countless javelins, stones, and arrows. Block them! Everyone, raise your shields! But these attacks were mostly blocked by the imperial armys shields. Most of the attacks that luckily got past the shields were also stopped by the armor. Of course, there were some that asionally inflicted direct damage, but it was very minimalpared to the scale of the flying projectiles. Keep advancing! Dont stop! The Aztec warriors continued to pour out long-range attacks to stop the imperial armys 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 iparable to thest 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 nothingpared 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 didnt 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 couldnt even break through the range of the spears. The imperial army also periodically reced 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 cant 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 couldnt 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 Aztecmanders 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 copse 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. sh! 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 des of the allied forces. At that moment, the oue of this war was practically decided. They had already suffered fatal damage that could not be reversed. And then, Waaah! Aztec has fallen! Lets kill all the demons of Aztec! Lets take revenge for what theyve done to us with our own hands! Many tribes who had been groaning under Aztecs oppression rose up. They heard the news of Aztecs miserable defeat. Please, spare me! Shut up! Think about what youve done! Die! Stab! Ack! The warriors of the allied forces and many tribes who hated Aztec quickly spread throughout Aztecs territory. And they literallymitted 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 Aztecsnd was stained with blood, Finally, the imperial army reached Tenochtin. Ho ho. Its more beautiful than I heard. A city in the middle of ake. I cant believe that those demons of Aztec live in that beautiful area. Thats right. The powerful archer admired the scenery of Tenochtin. The city on theke had an exotic charm. Did they demolish all the dikes? Yes. It seems very hard to cross thatke. Heh. Dont worry. Theyll have to crawl out on their own. Theres no need to hurt the imperial army bynding on the shore. The powerful archer had no intention of attacking Tenochtin right away. He just cut off all the connections between Tenochtin and the outside world, and knew that they would not be able to endure for a long time. ording to what he learned, Tenochtins drinking water was all supplied from outside. The water of theke 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 havepletely eliminated the Aztec forces in the surrounding areas. With this, Aztecs destruction was virtually confirmed. < The Result of War. > The End Chapter 45: Victory Ceremony. Chapter 45: Victory Ceremony. < 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 exmations of joy. The rhythmic sound of drumsing from afar heightened the explosive atmosphere. Its truly magnificent. You said it. Deep Lakes eyes were zed 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, ck! ck! ck! The imperial soldiers who marched in sync with each other came into Kim Ki-woos sight. The imperial armys 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 Tenochtin. 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, copsed in an instant. At the same time, the neighboring forces that had umted 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 andmon in an instant. Then, the forces that participated in the alliance and the tribes around the Aztecs began to covet thatnd. Even those who did not participate in this war were looking for opportunities to get a small piece ofnd or some of the Aztecs property. We cant 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 ce for direct territory was near Mexico Bay. That was where it was easy to travel back and forth with the maind by boat. The problem was that the mainstay of the alliance was tribes that lived near Mexico Bay. He could not forcibly take theirnd away from them. Then he had to negotiate with them. Kim Ki-woo nned to give them thend of the Aztec Empire. Instead, he would make their area a direct territory. Therefore, until he finished this deal, he needed to firmly upy 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 warpleted 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-woos impassioned speech ended, a huge cheer and a cry of warriors shook the square. *** Kim Ki-woos 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 pce. In the pce, the key figures of each department, Kim Ki-woo, and Deep Lake gathered. Military Minister. Yes, Your Majesty. Congrattions. Thank you! Kim Ki-woo pinned a medal on the chest of Military Minister Strong Bow. Then, Strong Bows eyes turned red with emotion. He was happy to receive the first-ss 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 Ministers 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 regrly, but more importantly, their achievements would be recorded in the imperial history forever. Its not for nothing that people strive to get things like Nobel Prizes. Kim Ki-woo hoped that these medals would y 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. Im really disappointed. You are still so young and healthy, but you are already leaving your position as Military Minister. Haha. Im 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 shed with him over various issuesughed and congratted 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 be old men. That meant that not only the Military Minister, but most of the ministers were also eligible to retire from their positions. I dont 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 dered over. I greet Your Majesty, Emperor of Great Empire. Their conversation was tranted in real time by an interpreter. Kim Ki-woo lightly epted their greetings. Wee 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 aftering here. We pay our respects to Your Majesty for building such a huge and splendid empire. Haha. I appreciate yourpliments. 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 nces. They had obviously discussed this among themselves to some extent. A man who seemed to be the representative spoke slowly. We understand Your Majestys 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 ufortable 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 notst 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. Thats very disappointing to hear. We arerades who fought against Aztecs together. Surely you dont distrust our empire? Its not that, but I promise you. As long as you dont 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. Thetter offer was the same. The standard of injustice was also vague. It meant that he could intervene in any incident ording to his judgment. They understood the meaning behind Kim Ki-woos 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 ept 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 armys power surpassed that level. In the end, all they could choose was to secure a betternd than now. < Victory Ceremony. > End Chapter 46: Loots Chapter 46: Loots <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. Its 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 upy a better area. I dont 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. Dont dy and proceed quickly. Yes. The minister left his seat to convey Kim Ki-woos 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 nce they were the protagonists of this execution ceremony. Kyaak! Spit! You bad bastards! Thud! Thud! Ssh! 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 imperialw 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! Dont stop walking! Ssh! 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. Ssh! They chopped off their necks with a single blow of arge and heavy axe. Then blood sttered 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. Its 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 dered briefly: I hereby proim that all wars have ended here! Thats how the Aztec campaign ended. *** Huh Its amazing. Its unbelievable that this is just a fraction of it. Its astonishing. The chiefs couldnt help but admire as they looked at the gold piled up in one corner. Haha. Minister of Internal Affairs, arent you too happy? How can I not be happy? With gold from Aztec we can finally circte 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. Its really incredible. Kim Ki-woo eximed 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 circte 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 umted so far. Especially The anatomical knowledge is beyondpare. The information about the body that they naturally learned through human sacrifice. Thanks to that, the schrs of medicine learned more about the human body. We gained a lot from this expedition. Although a lot of resources andbor 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 sessor 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 its 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 continents 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 maind of the empire North Wakan Tanka continent, or North continent, and the lower part was simrly South Wakan Tanka continent, or South continent. Its 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 Kiwoos eye was the direct territory upied 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 maind are transported to the port This area will be amercial center of the central continent. The empires various cheap industrial products would shake up the market of the central continent from its roots. Dyeing the central continent with Wakan Tanka empires 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 wille under the empires 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 maind. How can I not be happy? Haha! Lets drink until our noses are crooked today! The conscription order was finally lifted. With this, most of the warriors who guarded the central continents direct territory, except for those recruited, gradually returned to their homnd. At the same time. Those who are going to the central continent, get on board! Well be leaving soon! Oh dear, its time to go. Ill be back. Okay. Come back safely. Aww, I wish we could go together. Haha. I dont care how much they pay me, I have no intention of leaving my homnd. Central continent or homnd. Anyway, take care. The ship that reached the maind by crossing the Gulf of Mexico took people back and started sailing to the central continent. These people were construction workers andborers who built ports and various bases in the Gulf of Mexico. As ships went back and forth like this, imperial warriors were reced byborers. Some of them even joined the construction in Mexico without returning to their homnd after being released from conscription. This was because they paid more in Mexico than on their homnd. Who would leave their homnd and go to direct territory if they paid less than their homnd? 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 be Wakan Tanka citizens. Haha! You made a good decision. Wakan Tanka empire is always open. People from central continent steadily entered under empires shadow. This could be ssified into two categories. First, it was bing 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 standardnguagepulsorily, and they had to live with strangers. They implemented a policy of scattering each tribe as they did on their maind here as well. Therefore, there were not many cases where tribes returned together. Most people came individually or in small groups to be citizens. Despite these unfavorable conditions, why local people voluntarily entered under empires shadow was mainly due to empires 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 dont you go with me instead of doing that? Hmm. But I think the elders will say something Tsk. Youre just scared. Im 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 Dont you see the people behind you? Hurry up and take your share. Were busy. The man reluctantly left his seat at Sharp Axes urging. In this way, the wage difference between imperial citizens and non-imperial workers was quiterge. Imperial citizens wages were more than double. Even if they paid low wages, there were many local residents who came to providebor. Thats 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: Growth of Private Capital Chapter 47: Growth of Private Capital < 47. Growth of Private Capital > Gulp, gulp. Ahh! Nothing beats the taste of liquor onnd. Hehe. Haha. I didnt mind drinking on the ship either. You cant get drunk like this on the ship. Thats true. And nowadays, there are even captains who forbid drinking on the ship. If you get caught, they deduct it from your sry without mercy. Huh. Thats too harsh, even if they have a reason. The Curved Wind frowned as if he didnt like the idea. Hey, should I buy a ship and start my own tradingpany? Do you have enough money for that? Of course not. I have to gather some like-minded fellows. You dont mean one of them is me, do you? Haha. Who else but you? You must have saved up some money too. Well, yeah. I didnt 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 tradingpany at some point. Thats 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, dont you think? It would be better to run our own tradingpany and transport goods ourselves, as long as we dont run into any idents. Of course, their current sry was not bad either. Most of the citizens of the Wacantanga Empire received a fairly generous sry. This wasrgely influenced by the various industries that the nation was running. The empire stillcked 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 sry was higher. But no matter how high the sry was, it was less than the profit they could get by running their own tradingpany. Of course, if they were damaged by natural disasters or idents, they would have to take full responsibility as the owners of the ship. Alright. I agree. Really? Then theres no backing out? Dont say anything else. I wont do that. Then lets gather some people who share our vision. Who knows? Maybe our tradingpany will be as big as the Storm Trading Company? Haha. That would be great! Thats how they decided while drinking. This was not just their story. There were countless tradingpanies being established in the empire right now. The process of creating a tradingpany was mostly simr. 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 tradingpany ording 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 tradingpanies could make a decent profit. Thats how the private capital of the empire continued to grow in scale.
Needless to say, not all tradingpanies were satisfied with a moderate profit. The main goal of a tradingpany was to earn as much wealth as possible. This was also true for the Lightning Trading Company, which was one of the top ten tradingpanies in the empire. Hmm. It seems like our growth has stagnatedtely. Should we try to expand to the Andes region? The regr meeting of the Lightning Trading Company. The owner of the tradingpany, 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. Thats 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, wouldnt it? We cant 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 Seas voice was full of regret. He had been carrying loads and traveling around various regions since he was a Creek tribe member. He had umted wealth stubbornly for a long time. And he made this tradingpany with people who were simr to him. He bought a ship as soon as they started producing them, and transported goods without rest. Thats 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 didnt bother to buy a ship for the dangerous west sea. He didnt think he could get so much gold, silver, and guano from the Andes region, and he thought the ie from the maind was enough. But he felt twisted when he saw the tradingpanies 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 tradingpany 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 didnt. And he joined the Lightning Trading Company right away. He wanted to earn more wealth than go to college. With Quiet Seas 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 tradingpany keeps growing steadily like this, it wouldnt be bad, would it? Quiet Sea was quite disappointed by Yellow Footprints words. But he had to listen to the end. His words were not over yet. But sir, dont you want our tradingpany to grow faster than now? Then we have to take a risk. A risk? Yes. In the past, the Storm Trading Company was simr 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 tradingpany in the empire. Thats true. They seeded in their risk. Why cant we do the same? Quiet Sea nodded at his words, but he also showed some doubt. Its easy to say. What kind of risk are you talking about? Dont 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 nce. Sugar? Yes. You know how high the demand for sugar is in the empire right now. But the supply is ridiculously lowpared to the demand. As a result, the price of sugar is incredibly high. Hmm. But there are some tradingpanies that have a tight grip on the sugar market. It would be hard topete with them now. Why do we have topete 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 maind and the surrounding sea of the Wacantanga Empire. Yellow Footprint pointed his finger at one of the inds on the map. Cobao Ind? Yes. Have you ever heard of it? Cobao Ind was none other than modern Cuba. Its where the Taino tribe lives. Ive heard of it. The empire had already started some contact with them when they explored the Mexico Bay and Caribbean Sea area. Quiet Sea couldnt not know this fact. Cobao is a big ind. And its also close to the maind of the empire. Not only that. There are many Taino tribe people living on Cobao Ind. It means they have abundantbor force. Then Sturdy Legs realized what this young man was trying to say. You want them to grow sugarcane? Yes. Heh You dont mean to conquer Cobao Ind 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 dont mean to hire them either, do you? Hiring Taino tribe people was also practically difficult. Kim Ki-woo had imposed strict regtions on hiring people who were not imperial citizens. Of course not. We dont 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, isnt that simple? Hmm. Buy sugarcane? Yes. Whats the difference between trading with the Andes region or Cobao Ind? Besides, Cobao Ind is mostly t and has a climate suitable for sugarcane farming, so it cant 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 ording to n, he could quickly increase the assets of his tradingpany. The imperialw 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 Ind. If they grew sugarcane, it wouldnt cost any manpower from the empire, so he could save onbor costs. Hahaha! A talent who graduated from middle school with excellence is different indeed! Its a very good n. Good! Ill entrust this matter to you. Ill push hard for you, so do as you please! Thank you. Ill make sure to seed, sir. The faces of the tradingpany executives who attended the meeting turned pale with surprise. Yellow Footprint hadnt 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 didnt care much. His ideal was not just this much. *** After that. Yellow Footprint was busy moving around. The first ce he visited was the Imperial Foreign Affairs Department. Im from the Lightning Trading Company, and were nning to trade with the natives of Cobao Ind. Could you provide us with an interpreter? Hmm. Interpreting is not difficult, but theres not much to trade with Cobao Ind. Yellow Footprint exined their n. It was not hard to persuade them. The foreign affairs official who could speak the Tainonguage was interested in Yellow Footprints 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 Ind. The foreign affairs department had already established some rapport with the Taino tribe on Cobao Ind, so there was no dangerous situation. Yellow Footprint gave sugar to the Taino tribe and let them taste it. Wow! Its so sweet! A Taino man eximed at the sweetness of sugar. This powderes from a nt called sugarcane. And sugarcane grows very well on thisnd 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 tradingpany, we will give you much more goods than now. The first Taino people they met liked Yellow Footprints proposal very much. The excellence of the imperial products was already widely known in various regions, including Cobao Ind. The rest was a breeze. Yellow Footprint taught them how to farm sugarcane as promised. As expected, sugarcane grew very well on Cobao Ind. As sugarcane began to be cultivated gradually on Cobao Ind, Yellow Footprint bought a lot of sugarcane from the Taino tribe. He gave them not only industrial products but also surplus food from the maind as payment. Huh! Is this for real? You havent seen anything yet. This is only a fraction of the sugarcane grown in some parts of Cobao Ind. If most of Cobao Ind grows sugarcane, you will get much more profit than now. Hahaha! Im d I trusted you! You did a great job! Please keep it up! Quiet Sea was so happy that heughed loudly and patted Yellow Footprints shoulder repeatedly. It was only natural, since he got a lot of sugar, which was called white gold, with rtively 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 tradingpanies were not fools either, and they would also extend their tentacles to the regions near the central continent, including Cobao Ind, 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. Thats how much the Lightning Trading Company leaped to be a giant tradingpanyparable to the Storm Trading Company. Thats how giant tradingpanies appeared in the Wacantanga Empire as well. < Growth of Private Capital > The End Chapter 48: Calamity Chapter 48: Cmity < 48. Cmity. > 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 dont go too far. Everything had its limits. There would be people who would not hesitate to do anything to umte 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 shorings of the empire and expand its power like this. Kim Kiwoo took the opportunity to check how the empires 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 simr 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 umte a considerable amount of wealth over time. Was that why? The prization of the empire was very low. It was not a situation where some privileged sses 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 ss 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 rtively free from their subsistence problems. Basically, they had plenty of food because they had various modern seeds, guano, iron farming tools, and fertilend. 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. Wasnt 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 ss 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 Kiwoos 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 wasnt all. Kim Kiwoo stroked the edge of the currency. Its rough. There was a sawtooth shape engraved on the edge at regr intervals. Of course, it wasnt 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 dont engrave it, theyll 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. Its 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 empires economy grew rapidly even without currency. What if currency took its ce in this situation? The economic growth of the empire will be boosted. The economy of a nation was always important regardless of time. Kim Kiwoos 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 workces. 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 ces. 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. Thats 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 urred in many ces and many areas were submerged. The people who couldnt 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 didnt end there. The proverb that bad thingse in threes fit perfectly this time. Of all times, a gue now. No, to be precise, a huge hurricanended on the imperial maind while a gue was spreading. I cant ignore the gue any longer. Not only gues from other continents, but also gues that urred spontaneously. This was an inevitable phenomenon as civilization progressed. The current Wakan Tanka Empire had developed iparably 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 mas, which were livestock, becamemon. When poption density and living with livestock increased, more gues urred and spread. It was thew 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 gues that were prevalent now. Sanitation Director. Yes, Your Majesty. Did you get the results? As soon as the gue broke out, Kim Kiwoo ordered the sanitation director to do one thing. That was to find the transmission route of the gue. Kim Kiwoo knew well that gues spread in different ways. There was no technology to make vines right now. In other words, in the current situation, the best thing to do was to block the transmission route so that the gue 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 wasnt a gue that spread by contact with a long incubation period like smallpox. They avoided the worst situation at least. Waterborne gues did not spread unless they drank water contaminated with bacteria or viruses. The famous cholera and typhoid fever were such waterborne gues. 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 gue spread through wells. Its good that we found out the cause. If Kim Kiwoo hadnt ordered to investigate the transmission route of the gue, they would have drunk contaminated water without knowing it and the gue would have spread more. But now that they had identified it, they could prevent the gue 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 Kiwoos 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 Kiwoos insight and unfathomable knowledge. At the same time, his reverence for Kim Kiwoo deepened. Then close those wells right away so that people cant drink water from them. I already took measures to prevent people from drinking water from those wells. Dont 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 gue would be reduced further. Also, write about this gue 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 didnt go away. Im worried about the future. As time passed, poption density would progress more and more. And as they interacted with distant regions, there would be plenty of opportunities for various gues 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 nned to deal with gues step by step in the future. But now was the time to think about the current gue. Once they decided to close the contaminated wells, they could curb the momentum of the gue. But to ovee thispletely, I have to install water pipes as soon as possible. Since waterborne gues had already appeared, they could break out again at any time. Not only because of gues, but also water problems had to be solved and moved on as soon as possible. The poption was dense inrge 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 gue. And now he had to start building water pipes that he had postponed. < Cmity. > The end Chapter 49: Currency Reform Chapter 49: Currency Reform < 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 beenpleted. We are ready to start anytime. Kim Kiwoo nodded at the ministers 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 circting in the market into currency. And to take care of the empires 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 y a very important role in the empires 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 cant afford any trouble at the financial offices. The Straight Tree agreed with Kim Kiwoos words right away. He was confident that there was no problem since he had checked several times already. Yes, I will follow Your Majestys 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 valuepared 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 didnt need to just store the money that was deposited in each financial office. There wouldnt be any bank runs in this era anyway. That meant that he could pour the rest of the money into the empires 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 hadnt introduced this system, he would have needed much more currency than now. Andter on, I can also control the amount of currency in the market. Of course, he didnt charge or pay any fees for depositing right now. The interest rate was zero. But he didnt intend to keep it zero forever. If there was too much currency in cirction, he nned 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. Lets end todays meeting here. Everyone, do your assigned tasks well. After that days 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 dered 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 dont. 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 todays monthly newspaper? Haha. I didnt read it, but I think I know what youre 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 Kiwoos initiative, this tendency was even stronger. His influence was so high that no one could match him. This time, too, its His Majestys doing, so the currency will surely be a great help. Haha. Thats right. Its something that His Majesty himself is doing. Who would doubt that? Kim Kiwoo had achieved great sess in everything he had done so far. As this trust umted, 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 theborers 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 theborers 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 ces 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 ce. 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 ss 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 Kiwoos 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! Thats why I said lets eatter! 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. Ill have toe back tomorrow. Do you think the line will get shorter tomorrow? Anyway, it will be the same tomorrow when we finish work. Its better to exchange today even if itste. Well, if tomorrow doesnt work, I can stop byter. It wontst 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 cant 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 couldnt afford to have such arge amount of precious metals stolen from him. Red Sand smiled brightly and said, Can you put your bundle down here? Dont 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 hadnt amassed this much wealth since he became an adult, not long after he started working. Thats 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. Ill 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. Dont 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 notpensate you. Ill keep that in mind. Red Sands earnestness made the mans 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. Thats how currency was sessfully established in the Wakan Tanka Empire Empire. < Currency Reform. > The End Chapter 50: Hygiene Improvement Chapter 50: Hygiene Improvement < 50. Hygiene Improvement. > The effect of the currency was immediate. As the currency was sufficiently circted 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 sess. And he immediately made a n 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 leaders permission, Yellow Footprints wasted no time andid out his n. Why dont we keep peoples money like the Financial Agency does? Yes. Think about it. If some of the money that flows into the Financial Agencyes 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. Its 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. Whats the benefit of depositing money at the Financial Agency? Nothing but keeping their money safe. Thats 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 Seas 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 woulde to the Lightning Guild with their money. Ho ho. It looks quite promising, doesnt it? They would give them money if they left it alone. And there was no loss from idents 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 Guilds 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 sess in this proposal, just like when he started the sugar cane trade before. Haha! I cant catch up with your brain, can I? Okay. Lets try it. Will you manage it yourself again this time? If you allow me, I would like to do so. Thats 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. Thats true. Should I go and see for myself? Hehe. Lets 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 didnt 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 wasrge 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 thepetition started, they would surely raise their interest rates. Of course, there was nothing good for the Financial Agency. I cant just leave it alone. The absorption and reinvestment of private capital through the Financial Agency was a very important part of Kim Kiwoos n. And there were many ways to stop it. The owner of this empire was none other than himself. The solution is simple, isnt it? What do you mean by that? Its 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 dont feel good about suppressing private capital, but. He didnt feel any guilt. The existence of private banks was a clear obstacle to Kim Kiwoos n. Yellow Footprints I should see his face sometime. The name of Yellow Footprints, who quickly copied the Financial Agency system, often reached Kim Kiwoos ears. He was a young man who had just be 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 dont want to hearints 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 wasnt 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. Thats 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 be a thing of the past. Whew. Ivee this far. Kim Kiwoo felt a sense of aplishment. 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 lowpetition rate. The administration of the empire began to run smoothly. I dont need to worry about trivial things happening in the empire anymore. Until now, he had focused more on nation building than civilization development. Thats 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 g against him? He didnt mind giving decision-making power to each department. He wasntpletely 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 rece 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 amodate as many opinions as possible from various officials. Even if they came up with something that he didnt like, he didnt 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. Im 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 hadnt gone to ck Sky myself, could I have made steel like this? You wouldnt have. Thats 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 couldnt argue with that. Kim Kiwoos words were very reasonable. In the end, they gave in. As you wish, Your Majesty. We will follow you. Thats 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 Kiwoos 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 didnt care. He felt like his brain was getting nutrients when he drank sweet drinks. ck. 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 ministers answer did not deviate from Kim Kiwoos expectation at all. Very bad. It seemed to get better as the factories moved to ck 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 ce in the empire, and the sacred ce 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: Copper Chapter 51: Copper < 51. Copper. > The sanitation director continued. Not only the capital, but also other cities of the empire are in a simr situation as the ck sky. Of course, these areas were better than the capital. But if the poption 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 Romes water supply system. He didnt have the technology to build a water supply system after modern times yet. But one constion was that the Wakan Tanka Empire Empire Empire was much better off than Romes situation. Most of the current empire is t. Of course, there were ces where the Appchian Mountains were connected, but basically the terrain of the empire was very t. That is, there were almost no geographical obstacles. Basically, most of Romes water supply facilities were also buried underground. But Romes terrain had quite a lot of obstacles. To ovee 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 ces 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 ces that could be used as water sources that it was iparable 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 nned to build a stone tunnel from the water source to the citys reservoir like Rome did. But he never intended to follow Rome when it came to water pipes. Romes water pipes were none other than lead. I dont want to make water pipes out of lead. ording to some theories, one of the causes of Romes destruction was lead poisoning. At that time, lead was used so widely in Rome. From paint, roofs, tanks, cookware, sweeteners, tes, bowls, wine sses, wine, jewelry, cosmetics, currency, medicine and so on. There was literally no ce 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 rtively short, the water always flowed, and the lime dissolved in the water coated the lead pipes. But that was Europes water rich in lime. There was no need to take such a risk for nothing. He didnt 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 Romes 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 wont clog easily either. It was a pipe with many advantages but the problem was copper supply. Unfortunately, copper mining was not smooth in the maind of the current empire. Its too far away from Bingham Canyon Mine. There is certainly a world-ss 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 Appchia 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 abundantbor 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 Empires 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. Im 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 isted 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 inds like Cobao, and the size of the diplomatic department had grown significantly. Now it wasparable 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 its still chaotic. Is that true? As Your Majesty said, it is. Blood must be flowing in the Andes region right now. Its 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 cant say that its 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 copsed 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 copsed. From then on, the Andes region became a mess. Its simr to Japans 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 couldnt 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 wont be able to dream of copper currency for a while. If it werent for copper pipes, he would have considered copper currency sooner orter, 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 Empires products began to prate deeply into the central continent. He hoped that he could get some copper from there in exchange for them. Are you nning 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 Majestys wishes. Wise Moonlights face was determined as he finished speaking. *** Kim Kiwoos 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. Youll 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 cant just sit here, we need to increase the manpower in the copper mines. Get ready right now! Yes! Thanks to that, the forces that upied the copper mines screamed with joy. But not everyone was like that. Damn. We dont have as many copper mines as those guys What are you going to do? What do you mean what? We cant 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 simr in the central continent. Hey! This is ournd, 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 popted. That meant that each force had enough evidence to im that it was theirnd. 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 Empires foreign policy. They just sold iron weapons and various products and bought precious metals and minerals smoothly. Thats how a policy of raising the price of copper made the whole continent noisy. < Copper. > The end Chapter 52: Waterworks. Chapter 52: Waterworks. < 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. Schrs 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 ce and opened his mouth. Im very grateful that you came here despite the sudden call. How can you say that? Its an honor for us to be invited by you. Haha. Im d you think so. Kim Ki-woo continued. I called you here to start a new project. Its a project that were trying for the first time, so I need you, the best talents in the empire. The best talents in the empire? Youre too generous. Haha. Theres no need to be modest. Your excellence is known by me and all the people of the empire, isnt it? The mens faces smiled at Kim Ki-woos 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, everyones eyes focused on Kim Ki-woos mouth. Kim Ki-woo slowly revealed the main point. You must have felt it yourself, but the cities of the empire arecking water. I dont 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 shed 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-woos eyes widened slightly at that question. It was because he hit the nail on the head. Ho ho. Thats 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. Thats exactly what I think! Kim Ki-woo pped 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 ces to low ces, so if we adjust it well, we can bring water from far away. As they each added a word, Kim Ki-woos smile grew thicker on his face. He liked seeing things go smoothly without him having to step in. Thats why theres no such thing as an empty reputation! But Ill exin more about the system Ive been nning. We can talk about itter. Yes. Well listen carefully. Kim Ki-woo got everyones consent and walked towards the ckboard to exin more about the waterworks. He picked up a piece of chalk that was ced under the ckboard. Its been a while since I made chalk. When he visited middle school before, Kim Ki-woo witnessed a scene where sses were conducted without ckboards and chalks. This seemed very inefficient to Kim Ki-woos eyes. He needed chalks to improve this. Fortunately, making chalks was rtively 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 didnt use it much, but it was handy in situations like this. Thud, thud, thud. White chalk dust stuck to the ckboard as Kim Ki-woos 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 exined them briefly while pointing at them one by one. Ah, so thats why you raised the price of copper while increasing its supply. Thats right. These copper pipes will be buried all over the city. I think I understand how water will be supplied. If your n seeds, the citys water will surely be abundant. Everyone understood Kim Ki-woos n. 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 ovee 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 n. I will follow you too. With that, the construction of the waterworks was resolved. *** The architects had umted enough know-how on civil engineering whileying paved roads. Therefore, they understood very well the importance of surveying and designing. First, lets narrow down the ces that can be used as sources. Got it. The first thing that started was to investigate the ces 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 waspared 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 ording 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 nts around were healthy, and so on. Those with problems were boldly excluded from the list. Thats 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. Dont 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 t and the distance is rtively short. That one has a lower altitude than other ces. 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 ce 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 Ill make this ce my final decision. If anyone has any other thoughts, speak up. As you wish. Thats how he decided on a source. The next thing he did was urate 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-woos 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 gravelyers. This was a principle of filtering out impurities. In addition, microorganisms that proliferate in sandyers filter out and dpose 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 couldnt confirm the microorganisms and dissolved substances in the water at the moment. Haha. Dont 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 woulde soon.
Finally, surveying and designing werepleted. 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 thepleted design several times. And finally, they were confident that they could proceed with construction. Ill start construction from now on. Be careful not to cause any idents. 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 dont 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 Ill move on to the next thing. < Waterworks. > The end Chapter 53: Seaweed. Chapter 53: Seaweed. However, before Kim Kiwoo could execute his next n, a tragic incident urred. Whoosh! Kim Kiwoo looked at the zing fire with a bitter expression. How could he leave so suddenly without a word? In the ce that was spewing out hot mes, 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 foring here. Im sure my father would be happy too. Yes. The head of educations death was truly regrettable. I should have made him resign from his position sooner. Its my fault. Please dont 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 couldnt 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 dyed the retirement of each head. They had to establish a reorganized system for each department and hand over their duties to their sessors. As a result, the head of education, who had an excellent mind, had to postpone his retirement and deal with more work in hister years. The head of educations 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 educations death, one way or another. Seeing this, Kim Kiwoo decided one thing. Lets not dy 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 nned, would he have left this world so vainly? Maybe my decision hastened his death. How can you say that? Thats not true. Please dont me yourself. Of course, the heads denied it, but Kim Kiwoos voice was still firm. I dont 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 sessors as soon as possible and step down from the front line. As Kim Kiwoos deration ended, a heavy silence fell over the meeting room. *** Kim Kiwoos 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 ns. 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 toe 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. Im d to see you all. Dont just stand there and sit down. At Kim Kiwoos order, the top merchants sat down nervously following the stewards guidance. Kim Kiwoo looked around at the men in front of him. The first thing that caught Kim Kiwoos eye was the shortest and chubbiest person. Are you Quiet Sea from Thunder Top? ! Quiet Seas eyes widened like saucers. He didnt expect that His Majesty would know his name. But he soon regained hisposure and answered Kim Kiwoos question. Y-yes. Haha. I wont eat you, so rx. 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 rted 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 dont 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 y and eat. They were not short of food in the first ce, and they had a nature of ying 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, thepetitors were increasing. Unless they had a solid position like the Lightning merchant group, they could not seed much. Meanwhile, the merchants who settled in the western sea had apletely different situation. They are raking in money with their ws. The cause was copper, of course. As the empire raised the price of copper and bought it inrge 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 rtive 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. Thats 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. Thats 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. Im d 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 simr 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 dont have to just bring those seaweeds. If you burn them on the inds near the seaweed, and bring the ashes from there, Ill 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. Well 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 ie was naturally a wee thing. Thanks to that, Kim Ki-woo was able to quickly finish the negotiations with the sea lords. Ill have a headacheter because of sargassum, but its 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 forter. 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 smallpared 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 ss. 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 didnt intend to end it with just making water abundant. He nned 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 ss is indispensable for development. He needed ss 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 inrge quantities in the empire. In other words, the only problem with ss was soda ash. Even if it wasnt for soap, he had to burn sargassum seaweed and make soda ash. < Seaweed. > The end Chapter 54: Soap and Glass. Chapter 54: Soap and ss. After meeting with Kim Kiwoo. The nobles of the East Sea began to move busily. First, they settled on the inds around the waters where the sargassum wasing from. It was inefficient to transport the seaweed to the maind and burn it into ash. Of course, there were natives living on most of the inds, but this problem was peacefully resolved. The nobles promised to pay a certain price in exchange for living in one area of the ind. They only needed a small piece ofnd 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 rtively easy to collect. Every day, arge amount of sargassum was transported to each ind, 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. Weve 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 aboratory in the pce. Kim Kiwoo had set up aboratory in one corner of the pce to conduct various experiments himself. Many basic experiments were nned to be carried out here in the future. And right now, experiments on the production of soap and ss were being conducted here. The first experiment that Kim Kiwoo conducted was soap. All the ingredients are ready. Really? Then lets 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 theboratory. Your Majesty, you have arrived. Yes. You are all working hard. Kim Kiwoo looked around theboratory. Perfect. Kim Kiwoo nodded his head with a satisfied smile. The ingredients and experimental tools were all properly prepared. Lets 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, Watering! A craftsman shouted. And then, Ssh! He poured water into the pot without hesitation. How much water did he put in? Stop. When the amount of water and fat became simr, Kim Kiwoo said softly. Then, the craftsman stopped his action immediately. Now lets 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 urred 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 lets 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 Im 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. Im 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 weakpared to before. I cant 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 simr 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 ss was sufficiently produced and the ss 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 craftsmans 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-woos instructions, the craftsman scooped up some ash water in a bowl and poured it into the liquid fat. Chwaaak. Because their temperatures were simr, fortunately, there was no precipitation of liquid fat. You have to keep stirring the mixture while maintaining the temperature. If youre 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 be sticky enough. Kim Ki-woo visited theboratory 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 cant 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 therge 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-woos 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 bes pr when dissolved in water. But salt is more pr than soap molecules. In this way, unsalted soap molecules clump together and precipitate. Sure enough. As time passed, the effect of this became clear. Its floating! The clumped soap floated up. There must be glycerol underneath it. Glycerol can alsoe 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 bes 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 waspletely hardened. Time passed and Finally, the first soap prototype waspleted. Here it is. Thank you. Kim Kiwoo looked around the soap that he had made. Its 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 popr. He then wet his hand and rubbed the soap vigorously on his palm. It doesnt 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 ss was also prepared in one corner of theboratory. The ss kiln did not need as high a temperature as the iron smelting process. The method of making ss was quite simple. First of all, the most needed thing was sand, of course. He could make ss 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 ss. This way, he could make ss with only about 900 degrees. This was called soda-lime ss, and this was what Kim Kiwoo wanted to make. Kim Kiwoo started to pay attention to the ss 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 pce, 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 ss pieces, it would speed up the vitrification process. Adding ss pieces would elerate the vitrification process. The silica around the added ss pieces would vitrify one by one. But he could only do that from the second experiment on. As time passed, the vitrification was finallypleted. Then Kim Kiwoo did many experiments with the ss he had made. He poured some molten ss into adle and let it harden, and he also wrapped some ss around a long and narrow iron pipe and blew air into it. Wow. Its really transparent. Wow, I can see my hand clearly! The craftsmen looked at the ss they had made and eximed in admiration. Of course, Kim Kiwoo could not be as satisfied as they were. The quality of the ss was not very good, since it was his first experiment. It was too cloudy topare with modern ss, and the shape was also distorted because there were no skilled ss craftsmen. This was inevitable for a first attempt. Ill be able to make high-quality ss products over time. He decided to be content with making ss itself for now. *** Time passed by. When soda ash was supplied smoothly to the maind, he finished his rough experiments with soap and ss. Immediately after that, soap factories and ss factories were built in the industrial district of ck 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 simr 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 rece 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 forundry 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. Theres no need to rush. It was not toote 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, ss was not yet widely avable. It was hard to make it by hand one by one, and he had to do more experiments to increase the transparency. ss was only distributed to Kim Kiwoosboratory and the university. But Kim Kiwoo was more interested in ss than soap. ss was the masterpiece that would open the era of real chemistry. Now I can do various chemical experiments with ss. 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 ss. > The End Chapter 55: The Crown Prince 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 pce. Okay. Ill get ready. As expected, that time hade 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 usible excuse, nor did he have the will to express his opinion boldly to Father like his brother. Lets 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 Kiwoos 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 be great like Father. But reality was different. Clear Raindrops head was not very brilliant. He learned to read and writeter 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 Raindrops mind. Am I really a descendant of the spirit? This thought did not leave his head. After that, Clear Raindrops 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. Thats when his meeting with Father became a burden. He did not want to show his ipetent self to Father. Brother! When Clear Raindrop arrived at his destination with his reluctant steps, Yellow me had already arrived there. Yellow me was Clear Raindrops 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 wee 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 wouldnt have a daughter. He didnt 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 be 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 wishe true? A daughter was bornst 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 childrens 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 bing more and more ufortable 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 pce staff was the same. He was worried a lottely 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 couldnt tell the people around the princes not to have expectations for them. They are also human beings. Only he was special. Kim Ki-woos 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-woos children, they had to deal with it. Parents couldnt live their childrens lives for them. Thats why he felt more sorry for the second prince who was frozen stiff. I hope he doesnt 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-wooughed 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 didnt care about those expectations. He was optimistic by nature and proud of being born as Kim Ki-woos son. He didnt 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 wouldnt 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 pce 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-woos chest. Ha ha! You little rascal, didnt 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 didnt 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 arge circle with his arm and eximed. Ha ha. Thats amazing. Right? Wide Skys 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 toe? They must have told him toe 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 ss 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 schrs wont be able to observe the sky, right? Thats true The crown prince smiled sheepishly. He understood what Kim Ki-woo meant. I got it. I wonte to the observatory from tomorrow. You made a good decision. There are many other amazing things in this world besides the sky. Lets try to find them. Even if Kim Ki-woo didnt say this, the crown princes interest would have shifted to somewhere else soon. It had always been like that. For example, until a week ago, the crown princes 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 princes curiosity exploded. The steel industry is developing well even without my attention. He just asionally 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. Lets do that. Yay! Then lets go in quickly! Kim Ki-woo nodded gently at his sons urging and entered the observatory. Youre here. Yes. Youve been working hard. Not at all. Dont 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. Its 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 wee 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: The Plague and the Rule of Two Chapter 56: The gue and the Rule of Two I read your paper on the heliocentric theory that was recently published. It was very impressive. The astronomers yed a big role in it. Ha ha. The schrs at the university did more work than us. You dont have to be modest. Without the data that you observed at the observatory, we wouldnt have been able to discover such important knowledge. Thank you for saying that. The heliocentric theory that Kim Kiwoo mentioned was the theory that thes in the sr 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 hadpiled 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 t. 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 schrs began to question this. It didnt make sense no matter how you thought about it. This was first raised by the astronomers who observed at the observatory. They observed the surroundings every day with telescopes. But if the sky revolved around the earth, the orbits of thes were strange. If the geocentric theory was correct, thes should always move straight. But sometimes they saw thes moving backwards. And twos. 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 exin these phenomena as much as possible, but there were too many unsatisfactory parts. The astronomers thoughts soon spread widely among the schrs at the university. And they also began to question it. Its 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 Ptolemys im. 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 Jupiters satellites were discovered, etc. These were decisive evidence that Earth was not the center of this universe. On the other hand, mathematicians calcted with their heads and found that ifs revolved around sun, everything could be exined. 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 wasnt 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 transnted into empire. And by calcting movement ofs like this, physical thinking would naturally take root among mathematicians as well. Please keep up good work. Thanks to you, empires schrship will develop further. Thank you. But I have one question Im 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. Ill tell you what I know. Its not anything else, but you know story thats 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 Kiwoos question, Far-sighted Eyes went straight to point. Its im that there is another continent across sea. Ah. Kim Kiwoo finally understood what Far-sighted Eyes wanted to ask him. The im 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 calcted the radius of the Earth by using the shadow of the sun. Naturally, the schrs 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? Wouldnt that be a serious waste of space? Or could there be other continents and inds where people lived across the sea? These ims 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 penins 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-woos words were the truth. Thats why Kim Ki-woo couldnt answer Wide Skys question easily. Im afraid I dont have anything to say about that. I see. Wide Skys 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. Im sorry. I think Ive caused you unnecessary trouble. No, dont 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 dont you think its time to go back? What? Uh I want to stay a little longer The crown prince looked reluctant to leave. He knew that he wouldnt be able toe to the observatory for a while after today. You have to sleep early to grow taller. Besides, your mother wouldnt like you staying outte. Alright. But the crown prince couldnt go against Kim Ki-woos 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 theres been a lot of talk about other continentstely. Can I see some rted documents? Yes. Ill 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 bittely. 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 wont 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 umting 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 secretarys voice. He then skimmed through the documents. As expected. The situation was not different from Kim Ki-woos 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. Theyre taking ocean navigation too lightly. If they tried to cross the ocean, whether it was the Pacific or the Antic, in their current state, most of the ships would be stranded in the middle of the sea. Even if they seed, it would be a problem. The problem would only begin if they somehow managed to reach Europe or Asia by luck. Most of the empires sailors would die from the gues of the old continent. And if they were lucky enough to survive and return to the empires maind? Then they would face the gue 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 developrge ships and chronometers, he would be able to reach the old continent easily. Of course, this n would inevitably involve the sacrifice of many sailors. Even if they came back, it would be hard for them to set foot on the maind. He nned to conduct a thorough investigation on the inds 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 empires sailors without hesitation. It was better than losing most of the empires people to the gue. 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 gues 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 vines. Of course, he was only thinking about this matter for now. Right now, he had to make aw that prohibited ocean voyages. As soon as he sorted out his thoughts, Kim Ki-woo called for the chief justice andid 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 dyed a little more. < gue and Cowpox. > The end Chapter 57: Northern Pioneering Chapter 57: Northern Pioneering Inside the imperial conference hall. It was usually a ce 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 urred 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 Kiwoosmand, the chief of security read the report as it was. As the chief of securitys report continued, Kim Kiwoos 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 enved. It was a tant illegal act in the Wakan Tanka Empire, where very waspletely 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 uneptable behavior. When the chief of securitys 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 nativesing together. And even now, various tribes were gathering under the g of the empire. Anyone who lived in the Wakan Tanka continent had a chance to be 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 epted them without much discrimination. As they had acquired direct territories in the central continent, they nned to create imperial settlements throughout the continent. And as long as the empires ideology and policy continued, they would be able to ept the local natives as imperial citizens. The empire still had a very small poptionpared 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 be imperial citizens. Thats 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 maind 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 empires 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 ve incident was thergest 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 maind. In an empire where othermunication 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 Spirits 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, Arge-scale arrest operation began. Heh. I hope you guys can endure for a long time. The torturer looked at the masterminds of the ve incident and smirked. Immediately, Aaaargh! Ugh All kinds of torture were inflicted on them. I, Ill tell you everything! Most of them surrendered not long after this horrible torture began. You should havee 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 didnt 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 didnt go their way. Shut up! How dare you do such a thing after receiving His Majestys grace! Eek! And so, this incident was swiftly and firmly dealt with. The masterminds all disappeared under the guillotine, and many more aplices were sentenced to hardbor. *** Is this really the number of college applicants? Yes, it is. Huh, well. Kim Kiwoo looked at the documents and clicked his tongue. Its 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. Its 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 be adults. I used to have a lot of infants, but now I dont 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 epted. 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 chronicbor 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 poption. Kim Kiwoo spread out a map that marked the territory of the Wacantanga Empire. Its growing very fast. It seemed that as the number of adults increased rapidly, naturally the empires territory expanded quickly as well. But most of the developed areas were along the rivers where boats could travel, so pioneer viges 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 rtively 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 cant 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 tost for a very long time. In other words, the expansion to the north was inevitable. On a whim, Kim Kiwoo headed straight to the pces researchplex. Its too big to call it aboratory now. It had been expanded over and over again. To research many things at once. Here, many schrs and craftsmen who conducted research ording to Kim Kiwoos intentions were staying. Kim Kiwoo moved his steps to the ce located at the farthest corner of the researchplex. It was spewing smoke into the sky before he got close. Your Majesty! The experiment was temporarily suspended when Kim Kiwoo visited. Unlike otherboratories, most of them here were craftsmen and architects. It couldnt be helped. The research being conducted here was none other than heating-rted 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. Its probably more efficient than a firece. A firece 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 hadpleted 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 lets take a look. He went straight into the building. Its 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 doesnt smell bad. He didnt 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 its 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 dont listen to him. Coal is now a fairlymon 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 Empires northern pioneering was being prepared step by step. < Northern Pioneering. > The end Chapter 58: Thermal Weapons. 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, its 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 notst long. The war ended too quickly. There was no need to make arge 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 craftsmens 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 erge the crossbow and attach a bomb to it tounch it far away. At that time,Kim Kiwooughed 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 empires military level in an overwhelming state. Firearms were already quitemon 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 ck Sky soon. Kim Kiwoo said that the basic material for a cannon was steel. They used steel from the furnace to make the empires 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. Its 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 urred 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 cannonscked many things. It couldnt 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 alreadymon 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 ck 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 steels gloss reflected the sunlight and sparkled, which looked quite cool. They had been experimenting for a long time, so the shapes were usible. Im 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 simr 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 didnt 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 idents such as being crushed by a cannon would ur. But Kim Ki-woo was generally satisfied. Its definitely much better than bronze cannons. They wouldnt 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 pce 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 be stronger in the future. No, not at all. The cannons we made are stillcking a lot. Haha. Lacking? They looked really powerful in my eyes. Of course, Kim Ki-woo also thought they werecking. 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 youre going to keep improving the cannons? Of course. The cannons will surely change the course of war in an instant. The craftsmans eyes sparkled with confidence and desire. He seemed to be hooked on firearm experiments. Kim Ki-woos 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-woos 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 didnt care and continued to speak. The cannons you made can send a very heavy piece of iron far away. Isnt 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. Weve 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 exined 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 couldnt feel the effect and power of the firecracker gun. But they didnt have any doubts, just becauseKim Kiwoo suggested it. Lets try making one. I agree. Haha. If everyone makes small firearms, who will improve the cannons? You dont have to all work on this. Thats how the team for making firecracker guns was formed. After the banquet, the craftsmen returned to ck 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 exined 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 didnt 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 targetpletely! 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 wouldnt 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 cant be perfect from the start. An experiment is a series of failures. Those failures umte and create a sessful product. They knew this very well. After that, they repeated many failures and collected data. Thats how they made a reliable prototype. Its a sess! 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 hadpleted all the basics of gunpowder weapons. I can finally move on to the era of firearms. Kim Kiwoo immediately ordered ck 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 regrly. Thats how gunpowder weapons took root in Wakan Tankga Empire. < Firearms. > The end Chapter 59: The Temple and the Art 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 ss 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 be missionaries like the churches in Europe. To do anything rted 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 epted their request, they would surely spread across the continent beyond their homnd. 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 ept 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 empires 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 mens reactions were very hot. It couldnt 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 rted to the Spirit Temple passed through the imperial conference, This news quickly spread. Ill try to act as a web novel editor and trante the text into English. Here is my edited and corrected version: Spiritual Temple? Thats right. You dont have to pray alone at home anymore. Besides, they say they teach you the words of the spirits at the temple. Lets 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 regr cycle. Thus, the citizens who believed in the spirits gathered on the same day and held arge-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 didnt end there. Is there nothing to see? Its boring toe home after worship. Haha. Why dont you go drink some alcohol instead? I wish I could But my wife told me not to drink on weekends. Sigh. Then why dont 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 couldnt keep up with the growth of bookstores. The size of bookstores exploded. The bestseller of bookstores was undoubtedly spirit mythology. But people didnt just buy spirit mythology at bookstores. Reading spirit mythology meant that they could read letters. The citizens improved their readingprehension quickly by reading spirit mythology and newspapers regrly. 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. Youre a bitte. The stock that came in today just sold out. Already? Its very popr, you know. Come back in a week. Ill set aside a book for you. Sigh, I want to read it soon Okay. Ille 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 werent 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. Butpared 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 ys 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. Its really beautiful. It makes me feel rxed. Its a different taste from watching a y. Haha. Thats true. As time passed, bands that yed music professionally with these instruments appeared. The theater troupe had already established itself by then. The ys that performed the overflowing stories were very popr, 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 ss grew rapidly. The capital is the worst. How can this sacred ce where His Majesty resides be like this? Sigh. Who doesnt 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 simr and were arranged regrly. 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 couldnt help butment. But they couldnt tear down all the brick houses that were built in the early days just because they didnt like the appearance of the capital. If you dont like the temple, you have to leave the middle. Im thinking of leaving the capital too. Are you going to Deers Echo too? Yeah. Dont you want toe 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 Deers Echo. Deers Echo was a rtively underdeveloped area that was quite close to the capital. But as the artists created a beautiful city, countless imperial citizens began to live in Deers Echo. The most advanced architectural styles were implemented in Deers 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 wont 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: Gambling Chapter 60: Gambling Chapter 60: Gambling. Although there were extreme and evil ys in the empire, and countless imperial citizens flocked every weekend, they were not the most popr. 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 cant fall there! Stab him! Stick your sword in his neck! Inside the circr arena. There was madness of countless imperial citizens overflowing. The naked convicts inflicted wounds on each others 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 poprity 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 diators 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, its time for me to win. Ahh! There, gambling on match predictions that started secretly acted as a factor that increased the poprity of sword-fighting matches. It was very different from just watching a ughter and cheering for one side by betting money and hoping that the diator would win. Gambling increased the immersion of the audience. Huh, really. Is it all the same where people live? Kim Ki-wooughed 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-woos worries were not unfounded. In fact, imperial citizens who lost their entire fortunes in sword-fighting matches began to appear one after another. I cant 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. Its 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 regtions rted 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, its 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 quicklyy t on the floor. The security soldier didnt 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 aw? Youre telling me to close my business overnight! The owners of gambling housesined to security soldiers, but they couldnt do anything about it. They were just owners of private gambling houses who couldnt go against Kim Ki-woos will. No, why did they ban this fun thing all of a sudden? Hmm Im sorry too, but its His Majestys will. What can we do? Because security soldiers rushed into private gambling houses so noisily, news rted to this spread quickly. Imperial citizens who had already tasted gambling did not wee 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 ce. Wee. 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 couldnt make any more money The man was about to bet money on the diator who was ying today. But he couldnt achieve his intention. The employee immediately stopped him. Sir, Im sorry, but you cant 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 Ill just bet this much. epted. I hope your match prediction is correct. Thats 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, butpared to private gambling houses, themission was very cheap, so the imperial citizens didntin much. Kim Ki-woo didnt intend to make a big profit from such gambling. Of course, even though he lowered themission drastically, the amount of moneying in from the match prediction ce was considerable, and it increased more and more over time. Should I try betting some money too? Its not bad to have some fun. The match prediction ce was located in a corner of the sword-fighting arena, making it very easy to ess. As a result, even imperial citizens who had not bothered to go to private gambling houses started to bet small amounts of money. This oue was reported to Kim Ki-woo right away. Its 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 didnt 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 poprity was so high, the imperial citizens would surely rebel. He didnt 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 rece it, he could dilute the bacsh a lot when he banned sword-fighting someday. Every popr sport has its own reason. Popr sports have been improved and developed over a long period of time to attract more peoples 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 Im at it, lets spread the entertainment I know too. He made not only ball sports that many people could y together, such as ser, 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 iparable to wagons, and the transportation cost was much cheaper. However, people lived onnd. That is, all the loads transported by ship eventually had to be transported bynd in the end. Wow. The paved road has already beenid here. Isnt that good for us? Its better to pull a wagon than to carry a load on your back. Thats true. At this moment, paved roads were beingid all over the empire. However, if before only major cities had paved roads, now even medium-sized cities had some degree of road pavingpleted. 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 mas 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 empires economy. It was worth pouring money into it. Road construction was a typical money-eating hippo. He had to face the threat of financial copse because of it. Of course, civil engineering was dyed from time to time, but Kim Ki-woo persevered inying paved roads. The result was very sweet. And this was just the beginning. Havingid this foundation, he could enjoy its benefits for a long time. In addition, public water supply facilities in major cities were finallypleted recently. The first ce where water supply facilities were opened was none other than the capital of the empire. It was the ce with the highest poption 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 couldnt even think about it until now because of water shortage, but he thought he could execute this n now that he had plenty of water. Of course, Ill have to start making sewers soon. If public bathhouses became poprized,rge 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 couldnt just discharge these wastewaters into the river. So today in the empire, various constructions were going on without rest. < Gambling. > The end Chapter 61: Sulfuric Acid Chapter 61: Sulfuric Acid Chapter 61: Sulfuric Acid. As the use of soap increased in the empire, the development of ss also progressed without interruption. Wow. Kim Ki-woo looked around the ss bottle that the steward handed him. It was iparable to the murky ss he had seen when he first made ss. Of course, there were still many shorings. The thickness of the ss bottle varied in many ces, 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 ss bottle was the best product. To improve further, either the ss artisans had to be more skilled, or the ss technology itself had to advance. And with this level of ss 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 ss artisans. I will do so. The design delivered to the steward soon headed to the ss factory. Sigh Hmm! The ss artisans who received the design all sighed. The ss bottles inside the paper were rtively simple in shape, but some of them were quiterge, which was why. It looks very difficult. We have to do it anyway. Doesnt His Majesty want it? Thats 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 wont do. It has to be more uniform. Its too small, isnt 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 ss 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 Majestys experiment this time! As soon as Kim Ki-woo dered 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-woos 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 ce in the future. Kim Ki-woo received their expectations in one body and slowly began to speak. The substances made in thisboratory will greatly advance the empire. Wow! Sigh The researchers were greatly encouraged by Kim Ki-woos 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 thisboratory was to produce strong acids, they could get severely wounded in a moment of carelessness. You are all schrs who are respected by the empire. I dont want to lose you in an ident 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 producedpound after water in modern times. It even indicated the size of a countrys 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. Thats 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 seeding in production in theboratory. 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 tinum for the production of sulfuric acid. It was not difficult to obtain tinum. tinum was quitemonly used in Central and South America. There were traces of tinum being used in ancient Egypt. However, after that, there was no trace of tinum being used in the Old Continent. On the other hand, tinum products had been used in Central and South America for a long time, and they were still being used. Thanks to that, he could rtively easily obtain the amount of tinum he wanted. He put the prepared tinum in a ss container. The size was asrge as possible with the current technology, but it was not big enough to be satisfactory. Well, this cant 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. Lets 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 ss 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 nned 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 tinum. tinum 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 reactivepared to tinum and not very good. While he was thinking about this and that, soon enough, enough sulfur dioxide gas had umted in the ss 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 theboratory 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 researchers words. It was very different from water just by looking at it. When he tilted the ss 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 ce, 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 ssh it on your skin, and never inhale the smoke that urs 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 ss container. Then he slowly poured the solution into it. Then. Swoosh! A ck pir 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 ck pir? Kim Ki-woo clenched his fist as he saw their strong reactions. It definitely worked. The pir 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 waspletely 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: The Use of Sulfuric Acid. Chapter 62: The Use of Sulfuric Acid. Making nitric acid was rtively easy once concentrated sulfuric acid was produced. It was not hard to obtain nitrogenpounds 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 finallypleted 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 nned to continue experimenting with smokeless powder in theboratory, but he did not have the capacity to produce it inrge 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 havepleted the lead chamber. Really? And finally, he received the news of thepletion of the lead chamber. Kim Kiwoo did not hesitate and moved to the researchplex. Wow. Kim Kiwoo looked around the lead chamber that was located next to the chemicalboratory. 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 theboratory. 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. Thats 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. Its a sess. As soon as Kim Kiwoos short deration 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 empires 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 empires 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 circted 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, ss, 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 imperialw? We are paying taxes properly andplying with thew. If you have aint, go to the Supreme Court. What? Are you done talking? Im 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 guys face right now. But that would make him worse off. He couldnt mess up his work because of his emotions. Lets see how long you can act so confidently. Fine, have it your way. We have a business to run, so get lost. Or else, Ill report you for interfering with our sales. White Wave red 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 imperialw did not protect their inventions, they had no choice but to suffer from such vile tactics. Thew has to change. The currentw 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 patentw. Its content was very simr to that of modern patentw. But there was one difference: there was an exception use that allowed anyone to use any patent if they paid a certain royalty to the government continuously. It was a tant evilw, but it was unavoidable to prevent very important inventions from being tied up by patents. Otherwise, development could be hindered. At least this exception use required Kim Kiwoos approval, so there would be hardly any cases of abuse. As time passed, he finally promulgated the patentw in the empire. The news stirred up the upper ss of the empire. Ha! We dont have to see those scumbags misdeeds anymore! Good riddance! Many merchants sympathized with the purpose of the patentw. But doesnt this exception use bother you? Ha ha. You worry too much. Look at that. It says only with His Majestys approval. Do you think His Majesty would do something unfair? Now that you mention it, youre right. His Majesty is not that kind of person. They trusted Kim Kiwoo so much that they didnt object to the exception use either. And this patentw elerated the development of various industries. With the advent of patentw, 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 poprized. *** Kwoong! Kwoooong! White Wave visited ck Skys 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 Waves ears. White Wave took his eyes off the waterwheel and looked behind him. There, his disciple who had risen to be the chief manager of the paper production process was running towards him. Why are you running like that? Youll fall down. You should think about your age. Your bones wont heal well now. Ha ha! Im still fine, dont worry. But how long has it been since you visited? Well. Ive been so busytely that I didnt have time toe. White Wave had risen from ck Mud to be the head of industry. Thats why he had been very busy these days. You know that well. Youre working hard in your old age. Heh heh heh. What hardship? Im satisfied with my present. Besides, I get to see His Majesty often. That must be very nice. Why dont you join the industry department if youre jealous? I can arrange a ce 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. Thats because your sessor is so excellent. Arent 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 Waves 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 Waves 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. Wouldnt it be better to see for yourself than to hear from me? You havent forgotten about the paper production process, have you? Heh, are you treating me like an old man? Im 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 humanbor 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 didnte to see the waterwheel, did you? You should see that process quickly. Youre very quick-witted. White Wave nodded slightly. He had a reason for squeezing his busy time and visiting ck Sky. Soon, they arrived at the process they were aiming for. There, the process was still going on diligently. Blue Leaf eximed as he saw the scene. His Majesty is truly amazing. Thanks to him, making paper has be much easier. Heh. Why are you saying that now? He said that, but White Waves feelings were no different from Blue Leafs. 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 exmations as he confirmed the effect of sulfuric acid with his own eyes. Wood isposed 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 be much easier. It was because they could use sulfuric acid to remove lignin. As a result, the productivity of paper improved dramaticallypared to the past. That was why Blue Leaf made such a fuss. Is there anything ufortable? Ha ha. How could there be? The only thing I want is for you to supply more sulfuric acid. Just wait a little. Were constantly increasing the production facilities for sulfuric acid. It will be provided abundantly soon. I trust you, Master. Since the paper production volume was sorge, the amount of sulfuric acid consumed by many paper mills in the empire was also enormous. And there was another ce 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: Industrial Revolution. Chapter 63: Industrial Revolution. The next ce that the cool raindrop visited was where the second process of absorbing sulfuric acid took ce. 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 wingughed heartily and replied. Hahaha! I rarely have days as good as these. Im really enjoying life thanks to sulfuric acid. Thats good to hear. You know why I came here, right? Haha. Are you going to work right away? Why dont you take a break? I have a pile of work to do in the capital. Im sorry, but I dont 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. Its iparable 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 didnt 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 ck 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 ck 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. Its been too long since I went to ck Sky. ck Sky was the fastest growing ce in the empire. It was because there were many factories concentrated there. I wish I had some pictures. He wondered how much it had changedpared to when hepleted the Bessemer steelmaking method. But his curiosity ended there. It was work time now. Kim Ki-woo went straight to the point. Ive been receiving reports, but Im curious how things are going on site. Hehe. Seeing the simplified processes due to sulfuric acid, I felt scared. Its a dangerous substance. I heard there were several idents. It was unfortunate. He ordered numerous safety education before introducing sulfuric acid to each factory, but idents 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. Thats 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 ttering. Youre making me blush. Kim Ki-woo justughed and moved on as he was used to this kind of ttering words. After that, the industrial director started to tell him everything he saw and felt in ck 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 be 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 ording to the asion. Of course, the demand for fabric was bound to be high. Moreover, the fabric made in the empire was very popr 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 ce where the empires maind 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 Its been a while since the flying shuttle came out. If there was one keyword that ran through the empires 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. Simr 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 ispleted. 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 processgged behind this trend. I hope the spinning machine will be improved soon. Thats 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 amon 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 seeded in mechanizing spinning machines. Kim Ki-woo had no intention of taking away their opportunity. *** Kim Ki-woos prediction was not wrong. How about joining us? You mean working on improving the spinning machine? Thats right. If we seed, well make more money than we can ever spend in our lifetime. Can we make that much? Of course! Dont 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 seed 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. Thats obvious. This was amon 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 werete 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 bybining various technologies that hade out so far, including gears. Theypeted fiercely day and night. But everything has an end. Thats 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 hasnt been long since I wished for the spinning machine to be improved. Through this event, Kim Kiwoo once again felt the elerated pace of industrial development. Can I take a look at it? I already told them to bring it to the pce 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 wasnt 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 nced 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 pce, so they had to turn the water wheel by hand. Whiiik! ng! As soon as the water wheel started to spin, the spinning machine began to work. Oh. Kim Kiwoo let out a short exmation. 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 iparable to the efficiency of the existing spinning machine. The mechanization of the spinning machine was finallypleted. After watching the spinning process enough. Stop turning it. Yes, Your Majesty. The rotation of the water wheel slowly stopped at Kim Kiwoosmand. 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 Kiwoos encouragement. Kim Kiwoo left them behind and fell into thought. I guess weve entered the real industrial revolution now. Many processes were being mechanized. Even without Kim Kiwoos 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 Kiwoos destination was beyond the fourth industrial revolution. Chapter 64: Steam Engine. 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 Kiwoos 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 maind. And beyond following, there were quite a few imperial citizens who would unconditionally obey Kim Kiwoos 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? Thats 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. Arent you curious what it looks like? Lets go see it together. Sharp Teeth nodded his head at his colleagues 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 were not careful, we might get crushed by the crowd. Its amazing. Sharp Teeth eximed 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 nkly at the thread that kepting out. He heard the exnation of the textile factory staff and the admiration of the surrounding imperial citizens, but he couldnt pay attention to any of those sounds. The ability of the hydraulic spinning machine was that shocking. Its really going as His Majesty said. Sharp Teeth had engraved most of His Majestys words deep in his heart. He looked at the rapidly spinning hydraulic spinning machine and recalled one of His Majestys sayings. It was when His Majesty was in the ck Sky, and he spoke to Master ck 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 Majestys wordse true again? Look, just by putting in cotton, that threades out at a constant and fast speed! The quality is better than the thread that went through human hands, and it doesnt require much manpower either. That meant that the textile factory didnt need as many workers as it did now. And This wont be the end. What if other countless tasks start to be reced by machines like this? Then, cheap and high-quality industrial products will pour out without muchbor 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 Teeths 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 oue? No. The confidence that Sharp Teeth and his colleagues had was that His Majesty would never say anything wrong. In the ck 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 Majestys 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 ck 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, schrs 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 cant continue this hopeless research. Thank you for your hard work. Some of his colleagues left. He did not me 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 rte it to power when he saw the heavy lid of a boiling pot being lifted by the steam. Its the pot! What? He ran excitedly towards his colleagues, unable to hide his excitement. And he exined 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? Its 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. Thats 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 ident could happen. During the experiment, due to a moment of carelessness, one of his colleagues 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 pce. He heard that his grandson was born. When he arrived at the pce, One of the inner officials ran towards him. Your Majesty! How is the condition? Its 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. Youre here. Deep Lake greeted Kim Kiwoo. Youve 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. Youre still the same. Lets go inside. Kim Kiwoo entered the delivery room with Deep Lake. There, the crown prince and his wife weed Kim Kiwoo. Father! Your Majesty. Ah, dont try to get up unnecessarily. But Just restfortably. Yes. After stopping the crown princess from trying to rise forcibly, Kim Kiwoo approached his grandson. He was very wrinkled, having juste out of the world. He seemed to have cried himself to sleep, as he was sleeping soundly. Why dont you hold him? Thank you. Sanpa carefully picked up the baby wrapped in a nket 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. Hes 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 wifes 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 rtionship was known to be good. Kim Kiwoo never intended to force his children to marry someone they didnt want to. He had no reason to create powerful rtives, and he didnt want to ask for more sacrifices from his children. Of course, they enjoyed many benefits from being born as Kim Kiwoos 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 ovee them bravely like your father. He was born as the grandson of the empire, so he naturally had to bear a lot of weight. Thats how Kim Kiwoo became a grandfather today. Chapter 65: Neutral Zone Chapter 65: Neutral Zone When the empire was constantly developing. The situation in the Andes region was reaching its worst. Kill them! Aaaah! ng, ng! Every day, there were local battles in the major conflict zones where many resources were buried. Get off ournd! Ugh! Youll pay for this! The factions that upied 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 anyints! 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 couldnt 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? Its much better to defect to the empire than this. Thats right. Its 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 empires 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 havent 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 ept. 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 wont just sit back and watch us be naturalized. When the tribes that paid tribute became part of the empire, the damage was entirely borne by the ns 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 bing 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 be part of the empire as an example. Are you saying we should just wait for death because were afraid of Pekchas retaliation? We cant gamble with the lives of our tribesmen either. Hmph! Youre all cowards! Are you done talking? Soon, the meeting hall turned into a mess, as the pro-imperial and anti-imperial factions shed. These things were happening in many ces in the Andes region.
A stranger entered the office. Wee. 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. Ive read your story well. I hope my writing didnt bother your eyes. Ha ha. How could it? Kim Ki-woo looked into Red Moonlights big eyes and thought about him. Red Moonlight was a person simr 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 couldnt stand by and watch this. From then on, he did his best to inform the imperial citizens of the maind 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 Theres 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. Im going to execute what you suggested after reviewing it thoroughly. Is that really true? Red Moonlights 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? Its what youve been arguing for all along. Thats true, but Red Moonlight couldnt continue his words. It was his argument that he had been making continuously through newspapers and speeches, but he didnt expect it to be epted so radically. It was understandable, because his argument was to change the policy direction that the current empire was taking. Red Moonlights argument was this: Create a neutral zone in the Andes region, and let the people who dont 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 homnd, 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 umted hatred for each other. In the end, the only way to stop this situation was for one side to copse, 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 dont 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 dont have to worry too much. The military and administrative matters will be handled by the empires staff, so you just have to take care of the lives of the Andes people as you do now. Hmm I know its too sudden. So take your time and think about it, ande 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 couldnt bear it, Andes people were naturalizing into the empire and reducing their poption. And when a gue spreads due to intercontinental exchanges in the future The poption will decrease by an iparable 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 gue quickly and surely. The power to stabilize the Andes region is enough. The empires fire continued to develop. The current military power of the empire was iparably stronger than when they destroyed the Aztecs. Even if the forces that hated the empires influence joined forces and attacked, they had the power to easily suppress them. Chapter 66: Budget. Chapter 66: Budget. The voices of the department heads gathered in the imperial conference hall were louder than usual. It couldnt 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 continents 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 theints of the department heads with a sneer in his mind. Geez Anyone would think that the empire is about to copse. 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 cant be helped. Budget is such a sensitive issue, isnt it? Straight Tree answered Kim Ki-woos words calmly. In the current empire, Straight Trees 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 Trees 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 Trees appearance was reflected in Kim Ki-woos eyes. Hes 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. Dont 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 mans wish. Phew He had seen his father die while working, but Straight Trees will did not change. But Kim Ki-woo could not do to him what he did to other first-generation department heads. Thats 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 Ill make you work very hard until you fall into the arms of spirits. Be prepared. Thats what I wanted. Haha. By the way, is the crown prince behaving well these days? Hes doing very well. Hes 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 be 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 ident 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 ck sky. Thanks to that, he had not faced any serious threats until now. But he could not guarantee that this situation wouldst 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. Thats 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 ident. These pieces of knowledge would be delivered to the crown prince as soon as Kim Kiwoo died. I have to pay attention to the sessors education. No matter how brilliant the knowledge was, if the leader who ruled the countrycked ability, anything could happen. There were many cases where the country waspletely destroyed or the regime was changed after the death of a great founding emperor. Thats why Kim Kiwoo paid quite a lot of attention to the crown princes 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. Dont be lenient just because hes the crown prince. Point out his mistakes harshly when you need to. Hell have to rule over the central continents direct territory soon enough! Dont worry. I wont let anything slide. The Straight Tree was very strict with the crown prince. Of course, he didnt expect him to have the iparable 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 Trees opinion. If his ability was too inferiorpared to Kim Kiwoo, he would surely have trouble governing. I hope he can rule well without any trouble in the direct territory Kim Kiwoo nned to entrust the direct territory to the crown prince. It waspletely different to learn something and to do it in practice. Of course, it was still a few yearster, but as a father, he couldnt 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 ept most of the requests from the ministers, the empires finances will not be in danger. Kim Kiwoo nodded his head as he looked at the documents. The money that went out of the empires 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 wereter called industrial revolution urred. But the empire was quite different from Britain. It was none other than the empires 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 apletely 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 cantst forever. There are many problems when public enterprises be toorge. Since it was not their ownpany, various corruptions were frequent, andx 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 urred like now. No matter how strong the finances are, we cant 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. Lets set this amount as the standard. Lets 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 epted Kim Ki-woos 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 thatins about the budget, report it immediately. Ill 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 nkly. There was an astronomical amount by current standards written there. Arge 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 ording to his taste. Its 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 ck Sky. As time passed, the funds needed for one research increased geometrically. It was natural, as more and more technology, resources, andbor were required for various researches. One of the representative examples was steam engine. I didnt 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 ur. Of course, he also liked the fact that he could firmly hold the lead of imperial industry through this. And Its not long left. He felt like he could finally execute the n that he had been preparing for quite a long time. Chapter 67: Expedition. Chapter 67: Expedition. Kim Ki-woos n. It was none other than an expedition to another continent. Just then, themander-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 themander-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 shed through Brilliant Flowers 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 Flowers 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 Ille back then. The employees words were urate. A weekter, he received the ship. First, lets 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. Afterpleting his first voyage safely, Brilliant Flower checked the money he earned. Wow! The amount was different from what he had received as a sry 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 and of divine spirits like His Majesty, the great emperor. It doesnt make sense that there is only Wakan Tanka continent on this vast earth! Here is my attempt to edit and trante 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 ims had enough logic. Considering the time difference, the continent of Waktanga was only a very small part of the earth. The schrs ims gave Brilliant Flower an even stronger motivation. He had umted enough capital by now, so he immediately started to act. Have you thought about it? Fine. Ill join your n. He began to recruit hispanions 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 simr tendencies to him. Brilliant Flower had been telling them his n from before, and subtly suggested it to them. Thanks to that, hispanions were easily recruited. Moreover. We also want to join your n. 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. Thats obvious. Thats how some merchants joined, and the n started to gain momentum. Im almost there. Everything was going well. But. Suddenly, aw was enacted and Brilliant Flower encountered a strong obstacle. Shiver! How, how can this be His hand holding the newspaper trembled. He couldnt believe what was written in thew. Why on earth? Aw prohibiting ocean voyages Why did they stop him from crossing the vast sea! Moreover, this was aw proposed by the great emperor himself. He would receive even heavier punishment if he vited thisw. But he didnt have the will to go against Kim Giwoos will anyway. Brilliant Flower also had a feeling of admiration for Kim Giwoo that went beyond respect, like everyone else. But he didnt 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 use. But the situation didnt go as he expected. Impossible. Why not? If any othermercial purposes are a problem, I can give them all up. Ill only go for exploration purposes with my own ship! Im 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 umted so far felt worthless. Whats the point of making money like this. After his n 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 emperors seal on it. Brilliant Flower, receive the imperial edict! Wha-! At the sound of the imperial edict, Brilliant Flower quickly knelt down. Soon, the mans 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 nning 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 ept 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 majestys words. Ah! I came to my senses when I heard the officials 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. Thats 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 ce. Thats 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 Kiwoos question. Trouble? There is no such thing. Everything is going smoothly thanks to his majestys support. Thats 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. Thats how an expedition of iparable size to what Brilliant Flower had originally nned 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 Im 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 fieldmander increased. Do you know what the continent across the sea looks like? How could I? The splendid fieldmander 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 whats across the sea. Gasp! Seeing his strong reaction, Kim Kiwoo leaned forward. And he asked casually. Dont you want to know? I can tell you if you want. It was an irresistible offer for the splendid fieldmander. Y-yes, I want to know! Please tell me! Kim Kiwoo nodded his head. That was the purpose of calling the expeditionsmander-in-chief today, to tell him about it. Crossing that vast Antic 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 fieldmander. T-this is The splendid fieldmander 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? Its amazing. Theres such a huge continent across the sea. There was no doubt in his face about the authenticity of this map. Kim Kiwoos vast knowledge was already beyond the level of judging bymon sense. He must have thought the same about the knowledge of another continent. Thanks to that, there was no need for further exnation. Take this map and make a sailing n. Yes! The splendid fieldmanders face was full of enthusiasm as he left the office. Chapter 68: Contact. Chapter 68: Contact. After the splendid ship left. Kim Kiwoo stared nkly 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. Thats why Kim Kiwoo didnt interfere much with anything rted to sailing. He just made sure to inform them of the purpose, risks, and precautions of this voyage. He didnt want them to get wiped out by a gue after contacting the maind 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 sess rate of this n, 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 oftitude and longitude. It was quite difficult to find ones exact location in the middle of the sea with the technology at that time. Damn. Weve deviated from the course again. Do you want tond there? Where do we have time for that? Tell them to turn the ship to port right away! When they were going to the inds in the Caribbean Sea, they often ended up in different areas of the ind if they went slightly off course. Of course, in the northern hemisphere, they could use the position of Pris to calctetitude, but most of the sailing took ce during the day, so it wasnt very effective. And even then, it became impossible to measure as they went down near the equator. But this wasnt a big problem until now. Most of the sailing followed the coastline. But in ocean sailing, measuringtitude and longitude was very important. What good is having a fairly urate nautical map? If you dont know where your ship is. If you make a mistake, you could get stuck in a doldrum and be ughtered. It wasnt for nothing that Kim Kiwoo cared about this first. At least measuringtitude was easier than longitude. You can measuretitude using the sun? Yes. Dont you know that the position of the sun is different depending ontitude? Oh Astronomy was already quite advanced. It was something that anyone who studied astronomy couldnt possibly not know. They just didnt think of making a device to measuretitude through this. After that, Kim Kiwoo exined roughly how to make a device to measuretitude. Ill assign some experts to you, so try researching it. Yes. Ill do that. This is howtitude-rted 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 urate time on board. Its 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 cant 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 pces researchplex 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 wasnt too worried about this. Ships yed 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 ording 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. Theres 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 improvedpared to the beginning. The weapons are enough for this. The current level of firearms was hard to find a match in this era. I dont think I need to worry too much about scurvy either. In the past age of great voyages, many sailors died of scurvy. Scurvy urred when there was ack of vitamin C. But it was hard to get vitamin C on board during long voyages. The people at that time didnt 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 regr 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 nearingpletion. *** 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 cant handle them with our power. We cant surrender now! Do you think they will leave us alone? At least we will all die! As the war continued and the factions grewrger, 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. Wouldnt 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 homnd 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. Whats going on? Did they attack us? No! Its, its Dont beat around the bush and tell me quickly! Th-the imperial envoy has arrived! What? The Wakan Tanka Empires envoy? Yes! After the messenger finished his words. The atmosphere of the meeting room became chaotic in an instant. Why did theye here? I dont know They have no reason to look for us. I cant think of anything. They came here without any reason? That doesnt make sense! As the warriors argument intensified, Cold Wind raised his hand to stop them. Enough. Well find out their reason when we meet them. Where is the envoy now? They will arrive in the evening! Then lets meet them as soon as they arrive. The meeting took ce 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 youe here, imperial envoy? Haha. Did Ie to a ce where I shouldnt have? Its not that you shouldnt havee, but its not a ce you need toe either. Thats 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 Winds 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 wont deny it. The situation is indeed unfavorable. It got worse when the empires goods decreased. As they lost their mines to the enemy, theycked money to import trade goods, and as a result, their supply decreased. This led to defeat inbat. 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. Its a pity. Its time for this regions turmoil to subside. Cold Wind was speechless at the envoys words. Of course, trade had been conducted ording 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 Winds face showed interest at Kim Kiwoos mention. Kim Kiwoos fame was sky-high in the Andes region. Moreover, since the mission had started for a long time, many Andean people believed in the empires spirit. The empires 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 envoys voice became more subtle. Soon, he leaned forward and revealed his purpose ofing here. Chapter 69: Occupation. Chapter 69: upation. Do you want to continue this war, or do you want peace? If possible, I dont 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 winds mouth, a deep smile appeared on the reapers lips. Then stop the war. If youre talking about exile Of course, thats one option, but thats not what Im talking about right now. Then what? Well help you live peacefully in thisnd. At that, a strong interest flickered in the mans eyes. Is that possible? The enemies wont 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 winds eyes trembled. But the reaper didnt 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 be 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 imperialw and ept the imperial administrative system. Hmm A sigh escaped from the mans mouth. The moment he epted this proposal, he had to ept the empires 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 ce was simr. Its rather a good thing. Didnt we have no intention of seeking asylum in the empire anyway? If we ept this, we dont have to leave thisnd. Im sure well be free from the threat of war once the imperial forcese in! Of course, there were also opposing opinions, but most people leaned toward approval. Fine. Ill ept the empires will. Thats 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 empires offer, but most of them epted it. It was better to live under the empires protection than to be annihted by their enemies. After the negotiations with several factions were concluded, Kim Ki-woo dered. 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-woos sudden deration 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 tant act of aggression! We must never tolerate it! We must raise our troops right now. Before the imperial army sets foot on thisnd, why dont 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 well have to fight a full-scale war with the imperial army. The empire wont 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. Its horrible just to think about it. Opposing the empire is something we should consider only at the veryst resort. Thats 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. Its 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 be iparably 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 prating power stronger than arrows. Did that mean that their close-range weapons were weak? Not at all. The Empires steel weapons were so powerful that they could not bepared 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. Thats 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 promation 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 cant stop importing the Empires goods and weapons, can we? We dont have the Empires technology and productivity. Thats true. Even if he gave up everything else, this was the biggest problem. Most of the Andean people, including themselves, were ustomed to the Empires 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 Empires 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 werecking. So this is why they came out like this. The Empires 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 seeded in everything he did. He must have been sure of his sess in this matter as well. I cant see any answer at all. He could see that as time passed, the Andean people would be 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 havent interfered with our affairs until now! Thats right! We will settle our own affairs! Haha. The envoy of the Empire, Silent Forest, looked at them and smiled quietly. When did you be us? How funny. They acted as if they were oldrades who had been struggling to survive until now. Of course, they had no choice but toe out like that. But Silent Forest didnt 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 dont 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 empires 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 anyints about the trade, please say so. We dont 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 couldnt say anything more. As the heated atmosphere subsided a bit, I continued to speak calmly. Ill tell you clearly. His Majesty the Emperor acted only to prevent the war from escting. If he only thought of the empires interests, he wouldnt have traded like this. Its obvious that the profits would decrease when the war enters a stalemate. Besides, its 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 dont misunderstand or distort the will of the empire. After I finished speaking, there was a moment of silence. But it didntst long. Then please promise me one thing. What is it? That as long as we dont touch the empire, you wont invade the areas we rule. Hmm. I cant give you a definite answer to that. No, isnt 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 cant help but intervene. Like those foolish Aztecs. The faces of the leaders becameplicated. 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 emperors mind changed. You dont need to worry too much. I dont think you wouldmit such serious atrocities. By the way, let me tell you this His Majesty is very concerned about the excessivebor exploitation that is happening in various mines. Hmm A clear warning. The faces of the leaders darkened at thest words. There was not a single faction among them that did not exploitbor severely. But now they had to reduce this tendency. If they wanted to avoid the empires retaliation. *** After that, the imperial armynded on Andes one after another. And they peacefully upied 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. Lets 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 be 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 maind. Now they just had to go to areas under empires influence located all over ind. 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 couldnt continue to exploitbor or punish them harshly as before. The warning from empire was deeply engraved in their minds. Good. Its going well. Kim Ki-woo read report from Andes region and smiled satisfiedly. It could have been a big bacsh 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: Newspapers. 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 ck. What? The Imperial Newspaper made a profit? Is that true? Yes, it is. Didnt 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 couldnt 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 waspletely different. They could sell at a simr 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 dont 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 regrly would naturally give them more influence. Thats why private newspapers sprouted up like mushrooms in the empire. It was harder to find a merchant group with arge scale that didnt publish a newspaper than one that did. Damn it. Why are our newspapers selling less than theirs? Im sorry Dont apologize! Find a way, a way! Once something settled down, it was hard to break through and rise up. Thepetition 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 nd. 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 didnt hesitate to exaggerate and lie to attract peoples 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, well 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 empires 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 bannedpletely. 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. Wasnt this one urate as well? Id 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 circte. Kim Kiwoo firmly believed that the smooth cirction 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 presspany became huge, it gained the power to sway public opinion. If he made a mistake, it could act as a huge obstacle to Kim Kiwoos n. 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 ept the suggestion of the education department head to close down all the private newspapers. That is too harsh. Then what do you n 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. Thats fair! From now on, the misdeeds of the private newspapers will surely decrease! Not a single department head voiced an opposing opinion. They wont cross the line if they know their livelihood might be cut off. Kim Kiwoo judged so. ** After the imperial meeting ended. The regtion 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 Majestys will. Flying Top also received a warning, so Hot Wind had no choice but toply with Kim Kiwoos 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 arge 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 couldnt 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 Winds eyes lit up at his confident words and expression. Then tell me. If the result is good, there will be a reward for you. Its this! Flutter! He had a newspaper in his hand. Hot Wind recognized it at a nce. The imperial newspaper? What about it? Here, look at this. Dont you feel anything? Hmm Hot Wind slowly read where his subordinate employees finger pointed. There was nothing special about the content. It was just a rmendation that since sugar was being consumed a lottely and teeth were rotting more often, people should brush their teeth frequently. Dont tell me you want to sell toothbrushes. Of course not. Then dont beat around the bush. Yes, sir! He answered loudly and started to exin right away. Dont you often see these notices in the Imperial Newspaper? About new inventions or things rted to health. Thats 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 dont 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 couldnt 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, wouldnt it spread quickly? Of course, our newspaper cantpare 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 simr 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! Thats a brilliant idea. This will surely seed! Hot Windughed 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 topete 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 dont go too far with their pricepetition. As private capital developed, there were more and more attempts to eliminatepetitors 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 didnt mind it as a natural course of events, but Kim Kiwoo didnt really like such bloodypetition. But that was something to worry aboutter. He could think about the future when it came. Chapter 71: Discrimination. 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 ce. Its time for all of us to rise up. Havent 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. Wouldnt it get better over time? The current situation is just a temporary phenomenon. A temporary phenomenon? That phenomenon has already passed thirty years. Dont you still know that there is nothing to gain if you dont act? Ahem. Even so, dont speak so aggressively to the elder. Im sorry. I think I got too excited. No, I understand your feelings. The agricultural director graciously epted the apology of the man. Am I thinking wrong? The situations that had happened so far shed 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 Leathers 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 be the focal point of the non-Creek faction officials from some point. Phew Its 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 yed a significant role in the birth of the Waktanga Empire. Thats 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. Im afraid. I might upset the great emperor I respect. What if His Majesty is disappointed in me Thick Leathers weak voice made silence linger for a while. It was indeed a matter that could be seen as confronting Kim Ki-woos intentions head-on. Your words are understandable. However, His Majesty will not think so. Didnt he listen to all the opposing opinions so far? That was a long time ago. He doesnt do that anymore. As time passed, Kim Ki-woos 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 doesnt say anything, but he wont 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 Leathers worries deepened. The meeting ended like this. But even after returning home, Thick Leathers worries continued. It didnt take long. Finally, Thick Leather made a decision. Lets do it. He didnt 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 Leathers 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 rx. He must have something important to say. Kim Ki-woo thought so, Finally, the agricultural directors story began. Your Majesty. The Wakan Tanka Empire is growing very fast and bing 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 sciencetely, 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. Its 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. Wont 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 veryrge. 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 its us or them, we are all working hard for the empire. Isnt 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. Thats one way to look at it. Isnt this unfair? If we are all imperial citizens, we should be evaluated by the same standards. Isnt 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 arge portion of the upper ss 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 wouldnt 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 didnt do it openly, but it was happening under the surface. With this behavior of the Creek faction, the dissatisfaction of other factions had been umting. And finally, their dissatisfaction has erupted. Of course, Kim Ki-woo could have reduced this privilege if he tried. But he didnt 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 wouldnt 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. Thats not what I meant. Isnt 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 directors sturdy steel sword was very sharp. ording 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 couldnt help but feel offended. Wasnt 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 brains excellence yed 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 doesnt know that they favor the Creek faction if they are at a simr level? We are not fools! The atmosphere in the meeting room became more heated. It doesnt 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: The Rally. Chapter 72: The Rally. This is uneptable! How much have we worked for the development of the empire? If you think about it, its thanks to our Creak faction that they can enjoy this prosperity now! Ah, youre right. Theyre getting greedy now that theyre 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, variousints burst out. So what are you going to do now? Are you going to listen to everything they say? Ha! How can we ept their absurd demands? Thats 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 rted 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. Its certainly excessive But I think His Majestys intention is more important. Thats 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 dont know. But at least he doesntpletely oppose them. I think differently. Hasnt His Majesty recognized our contributions to building the empire so far? I think he wouldnt favor them over us. Hmm It was a question that no one could answer for sure without knowing Kim Kiwoos thoughts. Lets just wait and see how things turn out. And dont say anything wrong in the meantime. Do you understand? Thats 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 rted to it on their covers. Through this, public opinion was divided into two camps. Theyve developed so much thanks to the Creak faction, havent 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 woulde 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. Thats what Im saying. But first of all, lets 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. Isnt there a way to make our voice heard more clearly to His Majesty? They tried endlessly to find a way to change Kim Kiwoos mind. Through this, various opinions came up, and one mans words gained a lot of sympathy. How about this? We gather people who share our will. With this mood, many people will join us, wont they? Thats 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. Theres 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 arge crowd gathered in the square, the security guards who were guarding it asked incredulously. But they didnt panic and exined why they had gathered. Huh After hearing their exnation, the security guards frowned. What should we do? Should we disperse them all? The senior guard didnt 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. Lets 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. Whats going on? Why are there so many people? Haha. Dont you read the newspaper? Theres a lot of talk about personnel authority these days. I know that. But what does that have to do with those people? I heard theyre 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 doesnt know the ministers devotion? What we want is fair personnel authority for the lower-level officials. Im 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 cant just sit here. Lets go to the square together! Eventually, countless citizens filled the square. The firstrge-scale rally in the empire took ce. *** 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 didnt do that. It was aw that suppressing anything would cause a bigger bacsh. Theres 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 umted 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 couldnt be helped. Hes 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. Im sorry for causing you trouble. Its 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 factions 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 wasnt wrong. You are loyal subjects of the empire, and you are the driving force behind its existence. Its 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 Kiwoos actions also yed 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 arge-scale rally took ce in the square. Anyone who was not a fool could tell which side Kim Kiwoo was more inclined to. Thats why they gave in so easily. *** After meeting the upright tree. Kim Kiwoo immediately convened an imperial meeting and dered. From now on, when exercising the right of appointment, no one factions personnel shall upy 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. Hasnt His Majesty always been for us? Yeah, right! Countless imperial citizens praised Kim Kiwoos 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. Theres 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 ss 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: Microscope. 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 sses for the first time were greatly shocked. Until now, the decline of eyesight was almost incurable. That is, if ones eyesight deteriorated due to presbyopia or other factors, they had to suffer for their entire life. But with the development of lens processing technology, sses 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! Its like its right in front of my nose! This is a really amazing thing. Dont you think? Hehe. Of course, its a device made by His Majesty. Its only natural! Especially among the sailors, telescopes were very popr. They were able to easily identify distant objects through telescopes. They also supplied telescopes to the observatory, whichcked 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. sses and telescopes were nothing more than by-products that came out of the process of achieving Kim Kiwoos goal. Finally. Today was a historic day when the main goal was achieved. Kim Kiwoo ran to the pces researchplex as soon as he heard the news of itspletion. Your Majesty! When he arrived at the ce where lens research was conducted, all the researchers came out and greeted Kim Kiwoo. Haha. You dont have toe out like that. We apologize. But we couldnt 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. Lets 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. Theres 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 its different fromst time. Dont worry. This time its certain. The senior researchers face was full of confidence. Then Ill see it with my own eyes. Yes. We knew you would do that and prepared everything in advance. Is that so? Then lets 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 Kiwoos 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 Kiwoos standards. However, Kim Kiwoos next words quickly dispelled this mood. Very good. Then Yes. Its a sess. Is that really true? Wow! Finally! Thud! One of the researchers even copsed on the floor, as if he had lost his strength. Kim Kiwoo held his hands and helped him up. Im sorry. No, its 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. Ill 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 microscopes 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 pce researchplex. 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. Youre one of them too, right? Sure. As a schr, I cant miss such a great device. Countless schrs flocked to the ce where the microscope was ced. 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. Pleasee this way. Oh! This is The schrs eximed at the unfamiliar sight of the microscope as they entered the building. Jilgeun Namooteup smiled faintly and continued his exnation. 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. Lets do that. Soon, the first schr 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 exmation escaped from his mouth. He stared nkly 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. Im 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 schr a chance to practice. When the guidance was over. The first schr asked Jilgeun Namooteup. Is what I saw really true? Of course. Didnt you see it with your own eyes? I did, but I still cant believe it. Haha. I felt the same way at first. But theres no trick here. This world is full of those microorganisms. Isnt it amazing? Jilgeun Namooteups eyes sparkled as he spoke. The same was true for the schr who asked him. It seems that there are many things that we didnt know. Someday, all those tiny things will be revealed, right? Yes. That day will surelye. Im sorry for taking your time. Then, take care. Not at all. Please take a look around. Even after the first practitioner left, many schrs 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 yed a decisive role in the development of science. And it was also what the empires schrs, who were thirsty for knowledge, needed most. If he provided this foundation, many people would research and exchange knowledge, and elerate the progress. Kim Kiwoo left his office with a relieved mind and returned to the pce. You worked hard today. You too. Its chilly outside, lets go in. As always, the empress was waiting for him in front of the pce. He told her that there was no need toe out, but unless there was something special, Deep Lake always waited for Kim Kiwoos return in front of the pce. 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 pce, 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? Im sorry. Dont worry and tell me. Ill talk to the empresster. The steward couldnt disobey Kim Kiwoos 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 stewards words with a stern expression until the end. Afterwards, Kim Kiwoos 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 didnt 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 couldnt 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 pce. I was too harsh. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he had done wrong to the empress. He didnt 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 couldnt 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 didnt 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: Family Trip. Chapter 74: Family Trip. Kim Kiwoo opened the door to the bedroom and started a conversation with the empress. I heard what happened. The empresss expression hardened at his blunt words. He didnt mention the object, but it was obvious what he meant. Dont me 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? Im fine, so dont worry. You always say youre 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 amodate me. But its okay to say youre having a hard time. I dont want to see you sacrifice yourself anymore. Do you understand? Yes, Your Majesty Sob. A tear rolled down from the empresss 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, Im okay now. At that, Kim Kiwoo slowly let go of her. I wonder if Ive been neglectful of you. Neglectful? No, you havent. Didnt 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 pce. In other words, Deep Lake had never visited anywhere far from the pce since she became the empress. How about we go on a family trip? If youre saying that for me, you dont have to. I dont want to be a burden to your work. Haha. I want to take a break too. So please dont refuse. Kim Kiwoo smiled softly, and she didnt argue anymore. Deep Lake also wanted to leave the pce and go outside. Ill follow your will. Thank you. After agreeing with the empress, he exined everything to Straight Tree the next day. Then Straight Tree thought for a long time and said, You made a good decision. Youve been working too hard. Take this opportunity to rx and enjoy some nice ces. But can you give us a months time? A month? Yes. If you allow us, well prepare your first family trip perfectly. Kim Kiwoos 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 thispromise. Then I cant help it. Try your best to prepare well. Yes. Trust us and wait. We wont disappoint you. Thats how Kim Kiwoos 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 dered this, they started designing the most ideal route for this trip. Many ns 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 exin 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 empiresnd was so vast that there were many ces where one could feel the greatness of nature. But most of those ces 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, thetter was much better. I guess its 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 ces. 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-rted ones. This way, he roughly decided on the region. After that, the Ministry of Internal Affairs selected the ces that had to be visited in that region, and nned everything considering amodation, restaurants, and other things. Then they reserved the ces. 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 ces chosen by the Ministry of Internal Affairs were overjoyed. Even though they could not ept any other guests while Kim Kiwoo was visiting. They had no choice. The symbolism of Kim Kiwoos 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 didnt we make it to the list? Damn it! On the contrary, the managers of the ces 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 andin. 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 Kiwoos 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 Majestys face from afar like in the old days? I hope hees to our city this time No doubt! He will definitely stop by here. Kim Kiwoos 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 likest time. Thats 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 Majestys grace, but we cant 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. Lets all try to make sure His Majesty can rest well! Dont bother His Majestys 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 sleepingst night, so she had dark circles under her eyes. Ha ha. Then get on quickly. Yay! As soon as she got Kim Kiwoos permission, she jumped onto the emperors exclusive carriage. After the princess got on the carriage, Kim Kiwoo turned his gaze to the fourth prince, Blue Earth. Hes 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. Its 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 apanied him on this trip. Kim Kiwoo sorted out his thoughts and got on the carriage with the empress. Were leaving now. Lets go. Soon, the wheels started rolling by the mas. Its 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 te 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 pce. Wow Ha ha. Youll 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? Its amazing! There are so many people! Brilliant Starlight drew a big circle with both arms. Kim Kiwoo nodded his head and nced out of the window. There were countless crowds on both sides of the road, just like when he went to ck Sky in the past. Of course, thanks to Kim Kiwoos 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: To Europe. Chapter 75: To Europe. The first ce 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 thergest and most popr one. Then, let us begin. Please enjoy the show. After the theater directors speech, the y officially started. As the y progressed, Kim Kiwoos expression changed strangely. That guy. Kim Kiwoo recalled his conversation with the Straight Tree in the past. I will prepare the most popr y in the empire for you. Hmm What is it? You will enjoy it more if you dont 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 couldnt 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? Youre so cool! I dont remember very well. Hoho. Your Majesty was much more amazing than this. Its impossible to capture it in a y. 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 y was a master of martial arts like no other. The hostile tribes in the early days bowed their heads at Kim Kiwoos roar, and even physically impossible things happened easily with Kim Kiwoos will alone. One thing was certain, they were actions that humans could not do. So Kim Kiwoos face had to be hot. Kim Kiwoo casually asked one of the attendants next to him. Is this really the most popr y right now? Of course. Not only this, but any y rted to Your Majesty is always popr. Kim Kiwoo had never ordered anyone to make such a y 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 superpowerster? It seemed like that would happen if it went on like this. He wondered if that would really be a good thing. The y 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 rted 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 rted to Kim Kiwoo, and they were the most popr ones. Your Majestys face is everywhere. I can feel how much the imperial citizens love Your Majesty. Thats right! Father is amazing! The empress and the princess smiled as if they had receivedpliments 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 pce, the princesss face became gloomy. Cant 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 didnt know if his words woulde true or not. After returning to the pce, 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. Thats right. The crown princes voice was filled with deep regret. He had been the most reluctant to leave behind his three siblings who couldnt join him on the trip. But it was impossible for him to participate at this time. Its next month already. How are your preparations going? Im doing my best. But I dont know if I can govern the direct territory well. Haha. You sound uncharacteristically weak. Dont worry too much. Youll surely do a fine job. Yes, Father. The crown prince seemed tock confidence because he was not going to rule over the maind, 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 bnce in the central continent was stable, so there wouldnt 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 be so serious. He also felt sad that they were leaving his side. As time passed, his other children would find their own ces too. And someday My youngest daughter will get married. He couldnt bear to think of his adorable daughter, who seemed too precious for his eyes, going to another mans house! He felt suffocated just by imagining it. But he couldnt stop his daughters 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 Lakes minds. The protagonist was none other than the fourth prince, Blue Earth. Is the fourth prince still training in the training ground? Im sorry to say that he is. Hmm Kim Kiwoo respected his childrens 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, hes been overdoing it. He didnt 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. Lets talk to him first. Kim Kiwoo organized his thoughts and spoke to his attendant. Call him right away. Yes, Your Majesty. A short whileter, 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 didnt mind. Ive been hearing about youtely. Why are you being so hard on yourself? Im sorry. I wont do it again. I asked you why. Blue Earth was silent for a moment before cautiously starting his story. To be a child worthy of your great name, Father. It was an embarrassing thing to say from Blue Earths mouth, but it didnt 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 Kiwoos greatness many times, but he realized it more clearly during his trip. Im afraid. Im afraid that I might tarnish your holy and glorious reputation by any chance because of me. If my actions have offended you, Father, I wont 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. Im sorry. I gave you a heavy burden. Im dirty from training. Haha. You can just wash it off, cant you? Despite Blue Earths resistance, Kim Kiwoo patted his back for a while and said. I understand your feelings. But, your current training method is not right. Then Dont worry. Im 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. Ill 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. Thats 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 Kiwoos 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 dont 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 thetitude and longitude rtively urately. The sess rate was high enough. Kim Kiwoo gave him a final word. Be sure to follow the things I emphasized. Do you understand? Please dont worry. Your will shall be fulfilled. Good. I trust you guys. Pleasee 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: Bacteria and Vaccine. Chapter 76: Bacteria and Vine. After the invention of the microscope. Kim Kiwoo used his utmost ability to increase the number of microscopes and make more precise ones. Its 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 vine. I cant 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 ce. 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 dont 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. Thats why Kim Kiwoo tried to advance the research rted 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 cant see with our eyes! With this microscope, we can learn everything that we didnt know before! As soon as the microscope was developed, countless schrs 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 rtively quickly. We have to discover faster! Soon, the schrs began to observe various substances with the microscope, as if they didnt 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 nights sleep. The schrs 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. Its iparably 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 thepetitive 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 pce researchplex 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 exined the concept of germs. We get sick from many diseases, dont we? We didnt 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! Well 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. Thats 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 didnt know for sure which ones were germs. The researchers began to worry when Kim Kiwoo opened his mouth right away. That wont be too hard. Is that so? The researchers faces were filled with curiosity at Kim Kiwoos 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 gue. 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. Thats what I think too. Well prepare it right away! Soon, the researchers began to bustle around. Naturally, the gue had notpletely disappeared. They had only isted the areas where the water was contaminated by the animalistic gue. 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 lets go right away. Finally, the samples arrived at the pce. Of course, there was not only one kind of water contaminated by the animalistic gue. They had brought water from four different polluted areas, and also plenty of water from unpolluted areas. They had topare 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! Theboratory 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 gues are caused by these microorganisms? The schrs could not stop marveling as they learned the reason why people and livestock had been dying for a long time. Its not time for that yet. The disease is not only obtained through contaminated water. There must be countless other microorganisms that cause illness. The schrs were sure. There were not only animalistic bacteria in the contaminated water, but also other diseases that had microorganisms as their cause. So theypeted to research again to confirm this. As time passed, many bacteria were revealed to the world. *** Its 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 vine are different levels of difficulty. Vines were divided into attenuated live vines and dead vines, or more precisely, inactivated vines. Among them, the only possible vine production method right now was to culture attenuated live vines. The principle itself was simple. The ce 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 vine. Attenuated live vines 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 exined this concept to the researchers. We have now learned some of the causes of disease. But I dont 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 cant. Im 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? Thats not true. We do get better over time. Thats right. As long as we dont die, our bodies ovee these bacteria. Ill call this immunity. Immunity That was the moment when the concept of immunity was first mentioned. If Kim Ki-woo had not exined this idea, it would have been a knowledge that was only revealed after countless trials and errors. But, isnt that something that happens after bacteria enter the body and cause disease? Thats 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? Its not that hard to verify this, is it? Just make someone who has been infected by the contaminated water drink it again. They probably wont get sick from the water. Ah! Now that you mention it, I think I heard about something like that! So thats how it happened! The researcher eximed 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? Thats 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, its not easy. But just because its hard doesnt mean we wont do it, right? Of course not! Please let me join your great research again! Ill do my best! Haha! Then lets try to win against the many diseases that exist in the world! When we seed, 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 seeded. Therefore, their faces were full of determination as they answered. Thats how the vine production began in earnest. Chapter 77: Arrival in Europe. Chapter 77: Arrival in Europe. Kim Kiwoo had no intention of hiding these conversations in theboratory. It didnt matter much whether the vine was born in theboratory, or whether it was made by the Imperial University or other research institutes. What mattered was whether the vine was developed or not. Thanks to this, the conversations that took ce in theboratory 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, wouldnt 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 vine. 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 vine. It was natural in a way. Microbes and bacteria were just discoveries. On the other hand, if the vine was developed, they could escape from the fear of disease. The imperial citizens epted this much more greatly. Their lifespan could be extended by the vine, so it was natural in a way. Its amazing. Also, the stories rted to the vine 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 vine. 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 be scientists soon gasped. The mostmon way to be a scientist, the entrancepetition rate of Imperial University, skyrocketed. The imperial citizens met a huge obstacle before they even became scientists. *** The entrancepetition rate of Imperial University went beyond reason. Then, this issue was discussed at the imperial meeting. Your Majesty! The number of applicants is too manypared 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. Isnt 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 moneyes 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 be more prosperous and powerful, and national finances will be more solid. Well. Thats enough with Imperial University and ck Sky Research Institute, and the researchplex in the pce. 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. Isnt 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 dont 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 schrs and set up separate research funds like he did with Imperial University now, he wasnt 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 be 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 Ill have topromise 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, didnt they? Thats right. It was a measure taken because they couldnt 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 schrs of the new university as much as possible. And only give schrships 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 ie that went to the schrs. 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 schrs who will enroll for sure. The current university was a ce where learning and various research were conducted almost simultaneously. In other words, the schrs of the university were both students and researchers. But if they cut their basic sry drastically, many citizens would hesitate to enter the new university. But in the end, thirsty people dig wells. Schrs who wanted to hone their academic skills would definitelye 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-woos 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 schrs who were at the imperial university joined the new university as professors. The reaction of the schrs was two-fold. Who would want to go there, even if they can do research at the university, while receiving that much money? But wouldnt those who couldnt get into the imperial university go there? I think there will be a lot of schrs flocking there. Oh,e 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. Id rather go to a new university than waste time like this! Of course, the sry level was too lowpared to the imperial university, so thepetition rate was not high, but they filled up and exceeded the enrollment quota. Thus, gradually, the base of schrs 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 Captains Cabin of gship. They looked at the ocean map that came out of Brilliant Flowers arms as if they couldnt believe it. His Majesty knew what was beyond the sea! But why did he show us this now? Thats 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 Captains Cabin doubted the authenticity of this map. They didnt even think for a moment that Kim Ki-woo had lied. Haha. It feels like were losing our momentum. Doesnt this mean theres no point in exploring an unknown continent? It was just a lightint. 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, Ill be in big trouble. If you want an adventure, just let me know. Ill try my best to amodate you. I love adventure! Of course well decline! Hehe. The atmosphere in Captains 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 didnt 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 hisst words. Then everyone return to your own ships and let all the sailors know about this. Yes! A loud answer echoed in Captains 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 simr to that of the captains. They shook off the fear of the unknown that had been lurking deep in their hearts. After that, Expeditionary Forces vanguard cut through the high waves and headed east without stopping. Brilliant Flower marked his current location on the ocean map using thetitude and longitude he found using the marine clock and thetitude measuring device. Its going very smoothly. Of course, his heart thumped every time a huge wave hit, but so far he had been sailing without any idents. 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,nd is in sight! Hahaha! Weve finally arrived!! Expeditionary Forces vanguard reached the European continent. Chapter 78: The Completion of the Steam Engine. Chapter 78: The Completion of the Steam Engine. The firstnd that the expedition discovered was the ind of Irnd. Brilliant Flower looked around the coast of Irnd with a telescope. I didnt expect it to be so urate 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 nned. After thend was discovered. Brilliant Flower called the captains of each ship back to the gship 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 cant wait to meet the people who live on thisnd. 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. Lets make sure we meet again alive. Yes, sir! With their spirited answers, the captains returned to their respective ships. The n 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 theirnguage and various necessities with them. When they thought they had done enough, they would cross the vast sea again and return to their homnd. This was the general outline of this expedition. Kim Ki-woo adopted this method to prevent the possible annihtion of the expedition team due to an epidemic, and to closely examine thenguage, culture, and current situation of the European region. Besides, if a toorge-scale team moved around together, it could attract unwanted attention. After that, the expedition teams vanguard scattered ording 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 didnt, it was prone to malfunction. Can we really seed? As he repeated failures, this thought popped up in Sharp Teeths 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 its 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 nce. As expected, our idea was not wrong! Hahaha! With Kim Ki-woos full support, Sharp Teeth burst intoughter. After that, Sharp Teeth proceeded with the experiment more enthusiastically. Even when various things happened in the empire, and the schrs 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 sessful. 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 sessful development of the steam engine. His aide bowed his head and answered. Yes, Your Majesty. Hahaha! Thats what Im 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 vine, 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 littleter. Kim Ki-woo arrived at the Imperial College. Your Majesty! Hahaha! Youve done a great job! Th-thank you! Kim Ki-woo praised the schrs and craftsmen who had seeded in making the steam engine. Then, he went straight to thepleted 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 urate. The steam engine in front of him looked almost exactly like the one he had imagined. It had a separate condenser like the Watts 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. Lets proceed with the demonstration then. Yes, sir! The researchers then prepared to operate the steam engine. After the preparations werepleted. 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 thingscking. 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 Exmations 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 wheels rotation was much more powerful than that of a waterwheel. I was such a fool. Even the schrs 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,pared 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 empires industry! Haha. I think so too. Thats also one of the reasons why I called you here. Please tell me anything! The Minister of Industrys 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. Thats 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 ce where I want to prioritize the cement of the current and future steam engines. Where is that? Its the mines. The mines? The Minister of Industry frowned slightly. He couldnt think of the reason for cing them in the mines at that moment. Kim Ki-woo exined the reason to him. Mining is very important for the empire right now. However, as the mines get deeper and deeper, water umtes inside them, doesnt it? Yes. Thats very troublesome. I think we can use steam engines to pump out this water easily. Kim Ki-woo then exined how to use steam engines to drain water from the mines. After hearing all this, the Minister of Industry eximed in admiration. That sounds very possible! If it goes as you say, mining will be much easier. Hahaha! It will surely be so. Then Ill 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 Ive only nned. 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 beenmonly 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 urate and superior steam engines being made, and the overall industrial power would explode. Kim Kiwoo was very eager for that time toe. *** The head of the industry department perfectly executed Kim Kiwoos two orders. From now on, our industry department will focus all our efforts on mass-producing steam engines! After his deration, countless craftsmen were assigned to the mass production of steam engines. And they ced 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, Im 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 theseints disappeared as if washed away when the steam engines started working. ck ck ck! 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: Missionaries. 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 maind. 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 maind. 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 aides dark expression. Sure enough, the document that the aide handed over contained a serious matter. Shiver! After reading through the document, the crown princes hand trembled. He almost spat out curses from his throat, but he suppressed his anger and asked the aide. Is this all? Thats all we have for now. Call for a meeting right away. Yes. I will deliver your order. After receiving the crown princes order, the aide quickly left the room. And shortly after. A meeting of the governor-generals 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 princes blunt words. Among them, a man who turned his face red with anger spoke out first. We cant 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! Thats 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 ces 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 dont even know for sure if they did it. We cant break His Majestys promise. Unless we have evidence, moving our army is too harsh. We havent 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. Thats 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. Buttely, that ratio had increased sharply and became very systematic. Anyone could see that they were attacking the empires missionaries as a group. It was impossible to not catch their tails without the tacit consent of a high-ranking official. The governor-generals 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 princes permission. I think its ineffective to send some of the empires warriors to investigate after an incident urs. We need to ambush them when an incident happens. Wasnt 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? Im 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 dont even know their methods exactly. It wont be easy, of course. But its better than being attacked like this. Some people nodded at the thick eyebrows words. That sounds usible 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. Isnt he the captain of His Majestys 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. Ill ask my father about it. Thats how the hastily arranged governor-generals 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 empires colors. Even if it wasnt for that reason, he couldnt tolerate those who harmed the imperial citizens at will. If clear evidencees 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 n from the governors office was executed, the person involved in it would be in great danger. It was not easy to ovee the numerical disadvantage in closebat. Thats why Kim Kiwoo had no intention of forcing Golden Wave to join the n if he didnt want to. But Golden Wave answered without any hesitation. If His Majesty allows me, I would like to try it. Are you sure? I wont say anything even if you refuse. Dont 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 Waves eyes. They did not waver at all. They were very firm. Through this, Kim Kiwoo realized that he was sincere. Alright. Ill grant you permission. Pleasee back alive. Yes! With Golden Waves 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 variousnguages of the central continent with his attribute. After finishing all the preparations. Golden Wave boarded a ship and headed for the central continent. Its 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 didnt. There was no way he would, but he didnt 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. Its too dangerous for you to go outside the direct control area. Why dont you move after this situation is settled? I appreciate your concern. But I have to go for those who dont know the words of the great spirits yet. The guard nodded his head with admiration at Golden Waves earnest words. I hope you have the blessings of the great spirits. Thank you. Thats how Golden Wave left the direct control area and continued to go deeper into the central continent. He never rxed for a moment after that. He didnt 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 didnt 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. Its not an animals 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 wereing. About ten no, fifteen or so. A group of strangersing 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 woodentch echoed loudly. As soon as a man entered, sh! 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 Waves prediction was spot on. They were undoubtedly warriors who had undergone a lot of training. That is, they hade to take his life. But Golden Wave was not afraid at all. Swoosh! He threw the two daggers at two men who wereing in. Thud! ng! 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. Thats how the midnight battle began. Chapter 80: Retribution. Chapter 80: Retribution. ng! sh! Argh! It was a dark night, with only the moonlight illuminating the surroundings. A loud noise echoed every time the swords shed. And with every sh, red blood sttered around and one more body fell to the ground. This is impossible Brown Snakes body was trembling. He couldnt 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 hisrades attacks with minimal movements, and shed their throats with lightning-fast sword strikes at the right moments. Thats why he had already lost half of hisrades in an instant. This is a trap! Brown Snake realized it. He had fallen into a well-nned trap. He had thoroughly investigated the mans 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 didnt think he could win against that man in a situation where half of hisrades 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 Snakes body rolled on the ground, unable to ovee 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 didnt 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 cant 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 didnt 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 ng! 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 waveughed coldly. Its not a skill to keep silent. Lets 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 sess of the operation. Then, the imperial warriors of the directmand, 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. Lets do that. With that conversation over, they began to drag away the captured men to the directmand. What greeted them there were torture specialists who came down from the maind. 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-generals office. Thanks to that, the governor-generals 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 mmed his desk and vented his intense anger. This was themon 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. Didnt we get clear evidence now! If we let them get away with this, the world willugh at us! Thats 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 sumbed to pain, they did not spare his life. Eventually, all missionaries met their death sooner orter. Thats why the meeting participants vented their anger like this. Im sure His Majesty will feel the same as us. So lets wait and see. Yes, Your Highness! This matter was no longer a size that could be resolved by the governor-generals office. It required a decision from Wakan Tanka Empires supreme ruler, Kim Ki-woo. So the news was sent to the maind 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 judgmentes 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 Kiwoos 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 ept 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! Isnt 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. Thats 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 therge-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 didnt get involved in this either! Thanks to this, there was a greatmotion in Central Continent. In the meantime. Finally, diplomats from the foreign affairs department contacted each force in Central Continent. We really didnt 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. Thats 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 didnt 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 waspletely different. We meet again. Didnt you say you didnt 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 urate? What if it turns out to be wrong? And you wont 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 mans face grew more and more anxious as the envoy ranted. Chapter 81: The Eve. 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 wont 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 empires demands since they heard that an emissary wasing. They didnt 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 wontst 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? Ill 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 couldnt deny it. The current trade system of the central continent was like this. First, imperial goods came by ship from the maind. 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 mans face hardened. Thats too much to ask. The man said tly. It was a condition that he couldnt easily agree to. The nobles and high-ranking warriors of the region, including the man, had umted 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 didnt directlypete 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 merchantse into this region, they wont lower their prices so much that local merchants will starve to death. If you want, we can make this clear in writing. Cant you tell me another condition besides trade? That condition is too harsh. He was adamant about his position, despite the envoys words. He knew that he could not exploit the people as he had done before, even if he refused to ept 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 popr in the empire, and ate delicacies every day. The worst scenario for them was to lose their source of ie in this situation. Unfortunately, there are no other conditions besides these two. If you find it hard to ept them then we will proceed ording to the principle. What do you mean by principle? Well, dont you think you should pay for your sins against us with blood? Wha-what! The mans face turned pale. This was a tant threat. But they had no power to fight against the empire. If a war broke out, defeat was inevitable. Soon, the mans expression changed to desperation. Oh, please, dont do this. If I go back with this result of negotiation, I will surely be killed by all the nobles and high warriors! Thats 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 mans 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 mans 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. Dont ask me to make any more concessions. Ill have to discuss it with our side. Fine. Ill wait for your good answer. A few dayster. We ept the empires conditions. You made a wise decision. Then lets discuss the trade items. In the end, they epted the empires conditions. This was not only true for them. All the regions that were somehow rted to this incident epted the same demands from the empire. There was not a single ce that did not ept the two conditions. They were afraid of a direct war with the empire, and they did not want to bepletely cut off from the huge wealth they had been umting. 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, lets 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 empires policy not to attack envoys unless necessary. So go back. I have no intention of negotiating with you. P-please reconsider ng! He drew his steel sword from his waist and pointed it at the mans neck. Gah! The mans 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 ept their surrender request this time. Nor was it easy for them to abandon their region and flee inrge 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 didnt 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 isted in their region, waiting for the imperial army to advance. And finally, the expedition of the imperial army waspleted. I am very angry! The missionaries went to farawaynds 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-woos words attentively. When this expedition is over, the whole world will know what happens when you dare to insult the empires 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 emperors sword and raised it high toward the sky. All troops, march! Woo! Woo! Woo! Boom! Boom! Boom! Thus, the expeditionary force left the imperial maind 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 sorge. 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 arge 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 theyre shaking in fear. Of course! Its natural when they see the imperial armying! 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 Ive 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: The Victory Song. 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! ck, ck, ck! 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 empires military might. The observers who participated in this way were ced where they could see the situation well. Wise me was one of them. He muttered softly as he watched the imperial army advance with dignity. I wonder how powerful those weapons are. Dont you think theres a reason why the empire invited us? I think so too. Wise me nodded. If they didnt 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 me didnt 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 me asked the imperial army guide who was sitting next to him. The guide smiled and replied. Thats because this is the right distance. Even though its so far from the wall? Haha! Youll see for yourself soon enough. He got a vague answer from the guide, but it wasnt the atmosphere to ask more. What are they up to? In the end, Wise me could only wait silently. The various forces in the central continent had learned from the empires 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 armys advance and focused on defense by closing the gate. Hmm? Wise me 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 armys 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 didnt 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 armys preparations. Thanks to that, the imperial armys cannon firing preparations werepleted without any interference. And then. Fire! Bang, bang, bang! As soon as the voice echoed, red gs 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, arge part of the wall copsed 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 empires 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 copsed 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 cant 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 themanders tried to stop them. Ill cut down anyone who runs away even one step! Dont break formation! And he kept his word. sh! sh! 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 enemys 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. Thissted until the ck powders characteristic smokepletely covered all sides. How long did they shoot? When it no longer mattered, themander-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 me 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 Empires guide. Never go against the Empire. After the short but intense battle ended. This thought was engraved in Wise mes mind like a brand. *** In fact, the expedition was over with that. After that, there was not a single ce 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 gs 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 Empires soldiers as our first priority. Yes! At thismand of themander-in-chief, the Empires warriors slowly disarmed and captured the enemies. And they arrested the instigators of this incident. Themander-in-chief gathered them together and coldly recited. How dare you touch the missionaries of the Empire who live ording to the will of the great spirits? Even though his sharp words were tranted 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. Themander-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 themander-in-chiefs 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 nned and orchestrated by us! Please show mercy! If you cared about your people, you should not have done this in the first ce! How disgusting it is to say that you are doing this for your people now! Look! Take them all away! Yes! As soon as themander-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, thats obvious. Why are you so surprised? Thats true! The Empires 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 lets say we both worked hard. Hahaha! The military chief and the industrial chief smiled andplimented each others 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 maind as nned? 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 maind 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 upations 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 empires dilemma. Of course, in the absence of very, 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: The First Exchange. Chapter 83: The First Exchange. The imperial armys vanguard returned to the maind. Wow! The imperial citizens cheered enthusiastically whenever they marched. After the reform ceremony and Kim Ki-woos victory deration, a victory celebration followed. The instigators of this incident were subjected to a very terrible pain ording to Kim Ki-woos 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 upied by this war was still upied by the imperial army. Of course, they could continue to upy it as they are now. But this was not a very good choice. Its too far away. There were many forces in between the direct territory and the upied area. Therefore, Kim Ki-woo did not consider this much. It was one of two things in the end. Either exchangend 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 likest 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 muchrgernd. 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 ces among the surrounding forces that had given up theirnd 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 providingbor to the direct territory, and umted 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 thats the best. There was plenty ofnd on the maind anyway. There werent enough people, but there wasnt enoughnd. Therefore, Kim Ki-woo and the chiefs did not care much about a small piece ofnd on the central continent. Then lets prepare in the direction of sellingnd. Yes, Your Majesty! *** After this matter was finally decided at the imperial conference, the news of selling off the upied area spread quickly. Naturally, the surrounding forces who coveted the upied area showed great interest. They ran to the imperial envoy in the upied area and asked about how to sell it. We will buy this muchnd! How much money do you want? Hey! This is our share! Look for another ce! Why do you decide that! As many people who wanted an upied area gathered, the room became noisy in an instant. It was a natural sight, in a way. There were better areas within the upied territory. Areas that included more mines and farnds, 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 escte, mmed 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 upied 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 exin it to you. The method is simple. Look at this map The Reaper unfolded a new map and pointed to the upied territory with a long and thin wooden stick. The map showed the various regions of the upied 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. Isnt it simple? Ah Most of the people realized the auction method from his words. The Reaper exined more about the auction method and precautions, and then uttered hisst words. One month from now, we will conduct the sale of the upied territory here. So please think carefully before youe. After that, they returned to their bases and informed everyone of this. Then, long discussions began in various regions. We have to take this ce. 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 ce ournd, even if we have to borrow money from those who are not interested in this sale! They will surely demand a huge interest Its worth it if we can get the precious metals from this region. You have to look at the big picture. Dont you agree? Thats 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 upied territory did not participate in the auction. A month passed like that. Finally, the auction took ce. As the auction went on, many peoples faces turned pale. Especially because the prices of the main regions went sky-high. Oh, my Isnt 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 thends were sold at high prices. Ha ha. I knew that the local nobles had umted 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, Ill get a lot of help with my finances. The proceeds from selling the upied territory were entirely used as funds to develop the empires industry. *** Meanwhile, the expeditionary force that went to Europe split into ten squads andnded in their target areas. What is that ship? When they saw arge 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 ce. The Wakan Tankas sailors set foot on European soil for the first time. Are those pale-skinned ones really human? Eek I feel bad. Shh. Dont say that. Hey. Dont worry about it. They wont understand the imperial standardnguage 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 Europeannguages, 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 dont have a single interpreter. He shrugged his shoulders. It was possible that the interpreter had died during the voyage. But bodynguage was a universalnguage, so some basicmunication 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 porcin are! Wow They are very exotic. This, this is sugar? The men eximed as they saw the porcin, 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 localnguage. After learning some of thenguage. Where did youe from? The men asked the splendid captain and the sailors, but We came from a faraway country in the east. The east? You probably wont 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 ce is called Irnd. They also learned the name of this ind, its current situation, and that it was 1485 ording to their calendar. The splendid captain clicked his tongue as he heard about the chaotic situation in Europe from the people on this ind. This ce 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. Thats 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 ces. Cant we stay a little longer? Thats impossible. That would be disobeying His Majestys order. Its 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 inds port. And they began to cross the Antic 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 couldnt prate 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 didnt happen. And Ugh! Hack Hurrk! They avoided contact with people as much as possible, but there were squads that spread the gue while learning about letters, surroundings, history, and trading goods. Im sorry I hope you rest well in the arms of the spirits. They sacrificed them as soon as the gue 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 gue during the incubation period, and these squads suffered almost annihtion. This is how the first visit to Europe ended with the death of many sailors. Chapter 84: The Mass Production of Steel. Chapter 84: The Mass Production of Steel. Its very beautiful Ive 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 couldnt tell where they headed. But the imperial fleetnded in several regions at once, finished their short trade and learning, and left without hesitation. Therefore, they couldnt find the imperial fleet. All they knew was that they came from the east. While there was amotion in Europe, the expedition returned to the Wakan Tanka continent one by one. The expedition moved to a designated ind in the Caribbean Sea andnded 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 shipsing back, but Kim Ki-woo didnt expect much. It had been quite a while since the first squad arrived at the ind. 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 ind for a long time, unfortunately. They had to breed enough livestock from various animals they brought from Europe, and check for any epidemics that urred in the process. Also, if they announced the sess of the European expedition, there was a possibility that the explorers would vite the imperialw and smuggle out. In other words, until they had enough livestock and prepared countermeasures for infectious diseases, the control on the ind would continue. It wont take too long. In fact, at this moment, research on vines was progressing more and more. Kim Ki-woo went to the researchplex on a whim and checked the status of vine research. Hmm Kim Ki-woo frowned slightly as he looked at the research status. Seeing his expression, Dark me, who was the highest authority on anatomy and human experimentation, replied. Its necessary. Your Majesty, please dont be too distressed. Everything is for the great Wakan Tanka Empire. Kim Ki-woo briefly nodded his head at Dark mes constion. She was the first person in the empire to perform anatomy for medical reasons. But Dark me, who was neen 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 ept that they were doing inhumane experiments on living people. But as Dark me said, it couldnt 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, vines with no toxicity are appearing one after another. If we improve the mass production method, soon many imperial citizens will benefit from vines. I hope so. Kim Ki-woo watched the vine research for a little longer after that. Theyre doing well on their own without me interfering. Most of them were repeating standardized experiments and extracting data, so there wasnt much to worry about. After pointing out some visible errors, Kim Kiwoo left the vine experiment area. *** The next ce he went to was the experiment area where Kim Kiwoo was currently investing the most effort. Its amazing every time I see it. Kim Kiwoo smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the steam engine. He had seen many internalbustion engines in the modern era that were iparable to these externalbustion 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 externalbustion 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 craftsmans 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 gs fluttering at different distances. It was strong enough to make the gs nted far away sway. Its 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, eximed as he saw the powerful wind. Its 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 ministers 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, therger 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 empires industry. Is that so? The industrial minister tilted his head with a puzzled expression. Seeing that, Kim Kiwoo smiled softly and continued. Isnt it very hard and inefficient to make steel with the current crucible steel method? Your Majesty is right. There are many ces 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 ces 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 lotives, 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. Thats right. Thanks to the air, pig iron bes 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 oue. I assure you. If this ironmaking method seeds, it will produce steel that is iparable to the Doga Ironmaking Method. And it will not require as many workers as it does now. Is that so? Wow The industrial directors eyes became dreamy. It sounded like a dreame true. If much more steel could be produced with much lessbor, it would surely cause a huge change. The empires 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-woos 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 Ive 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 connectedrge rivers. But if standardized steel rebar began to be mass-produced, this would not be a dream. Rebar and concrete had surprisingly simr 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 heid railways on these bridges The ideal image of the empire that Kim Ki-woo envisioned began to reveal its outline. Im almost there. Lets hang in there a little more. Before long, the brilliant light of the industrial revolution began to enter Kim Ki-woos eyes. Chapter 85: Cowpox and Tobacco. Chapter 85: Cowpox and Tobo. It had been quite a while since the splendid sailors and crewmen spent their time on an ind in the Caribbean Sea. I want to go back to the maind. 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 ind until Kim Ki-woos 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 exined to him. Why on earth does he need this? He could not understand why he needed the pustules near the cows udder. But the splendid sailor shook his head. It was impossible for him to fathom His Majestys 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 cows 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 vinia, began its voyage toward the imperial maind. *** After hearing the news that the sealed cowpox had arrived at the researchplex, Kim Ki-woo left everything behind and headed to theboratory. As soon as he entered theboratory, he asked right away. Where is it? We knew you woulde looking for it, so we prepared it in advance. Pleasee this way. Really? Kim Ki-woo smiled brightly and approached a transparent ss bottle ced 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-woos face. Hehe He was so happy that he wanted to kiss that ss 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. Wasnt 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 dont 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 maind 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 sessfully concluded, they could also be used as a vine 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 researchers 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 varition 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 wouldnt have to use this cumbersome method. But currently, there were very few cattle being raised on the ind. It would take too long for these cattle to breed and increase their numbers before performing varition on them. He didnt have time to wait for that period. He didnt know when smallpox from Europe would break out. That meant he had no choice but to perform varition on the countless wild bison on the maind. 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 wasnt 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 popr. They couldnt understand it at all ording to theirmon sense. But it was Kim Kiwoos order, and he paid them a decent amount of money, so they didntin much. Thats how they started to collect the milk from the cows. *** As the empires 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 youpete with our group, I wont go easy on you. Remember that. I dont intend to do that either. Hmm. Surprising, isnt it? I thought you would start with a business that youre familiar with. Do you have something else in mind? Im still just thinking about it. Haha! Your thoughts, huh? Thats scary. Almost everything that came out of Yellow Footprints head had been sessful, except for the financial business that failed because of Kim Kiwoo. Maybe thats why? Quiet Sea had a strong feeling that this talented man would seed again this time. Lets have a drink together after you seed. Yes. Thank you for everything, leader. Thats 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 me Merchant Group was none other than the tobo business. This cant fail. Yellow Footprints eyes were full of confidence. There were still people who smoked tobo in the empire. But not many. Tobo 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, tobo smoke was very harsh and bitter, and it was widely known that it was not good for peoples health. Thanks to that, the low smoking rate was maintained. But Yellow Footprints focused on the fact that smokers couldnt quit smoking. Tobo is very addictive. That meant that if more smokers appeared, the tobo business would make a lot of money. But it was hard to poprize tobo with its current state of being harsh and difficult to smoke. I need to improve tobo to make it easier to smoke. Yellow Footprints set his goal and visited many ces where tobo was grown. And he constantly tried to figure out how to make tobo 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 tobo. The merchants of the me Merchant Group who believed firmly that Yellow Footprints would seed were also getting impatient as time passed. But they were already on board. Most of them did their best to improve tobo with Yellow Footprints. Their hard work was not in vain. Yes, this is it! Yellow Footprints smoked the improved tobo himself and confirmed it. The smooth throat feeling, the strong addiction, and even the beautiful packaging of the tobo. 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 tobo farms. And they made their first appearance in the market. What is this nd 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 me Top, which didnt have much taste, on the street. Sigh Is this really not going wrong? The merchants of me 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? Thats true, but We just have to do what we have to do quietly. Dont worry. Okay. The merchants agitation subsided as Yellow Footprints spoke with confidence. After that, me 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. Dont worry and take it. This month, the cigarettes from our top are free, soe whenever you need them. Thanks to giving away cigarettes for free, me Tops finances quickly deteriorated. The huge fortune that Yellow Footprints had umted so far also drained out. But Yellow Footprints never hesitated in making decisions. Hmm It doesnt cost money, so why dont I try it once? Indeed, free was great. Many non-smokers were tempted by the word free and tried it once. Cough, cough! Oh! Its 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 me Tops cigarettes. Chapter 86: Training. 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. Youll 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 sess of me Top. Were running out of cigarettes! Hows the talk with the tobo farms? Ive been around everywhere but didnt you already scrape them all off? Theres no more! Damn! Then we have to increase the number of tobo farms! me Top was waging a war. It was because of the shortage of tobo supply due to the sudden poprity of cigarettes. There werent that many tobo farms in the first ce, so it was inevitable. Therefore, me Top directly increased the number of tobo farms. Smokers will keep increasing anyway, and theyll probably stay steady for a while. So lets pour all our resources into increasing the number of tobo farms. Yes, Top Master! Yellow Footprints invested most of their soaring profits into building tobo farms. This was an opportunity to establish themselves as the undisputed leader of the tobo industry, as there were nopetitors 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 tobo business jumped in one after another, but people were already ustomed to me Tops cigarettes. Also, they were operating tobo farms at almost a monopoly level, so it was hard to catch up with them in a short time. Meanwhile, me Tops cigarettes dominated the market. As a result, me Top grew into a giant Top of the empire with a huge sess from the start. *** Time passed, and cigarettes began to surpass their ce as a popr preference product. But many people worried about this phenomenon. They hated cigarette smoke itself, and suddenly there were more smokers, and secondhand smoke urred 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 banw as the hygiene director said. But I cant do that. He didnt know that cigarettes would spread so quickly, but Kim Ki-woo knew that someday cigarettes would be popr as in the original history. Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes are somehow touching humans instinctive senses. But what if they ban it? Especially when it has be quite popr like now? Smokers will rebel. Its obvious. In fact, there were quite a few smokers among the directors. Maybe thats why? The directors who smoked looked displeased with discussing the smoking banw 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 tobo? Do you always try to makews 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 idents are caused by alcohol? Oh,e on. Why are you bringing up the prohibitionw again? That was already rejected. The Chief of Industry intervened as the conversation was drifting towards the prohibitionw. Kim Kiwoo smiled bitterly as he watched this. Prohibition and anti-smokingws. What a terriblebination that would have disastrous consequences. He understood the Chief of Healths 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 prohibitionw. If alcohol or tobo 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 tobo 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 tobo in the same way as alcohol. It was a simr conclusion to when the prohibitionw 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 ie 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 tobo. If the price of tobo was raised and the danger of tobo was constantly warned, the smoking rate would drop, but people who wanted to smoke would still smoke. Tobo would also be one of the main sources of national ie. By the way, hes really something. Kim Kiwoo admired Yellow Footprints in his mind. He had jumped out of Lightning Group, whichpeted for the top position in the empire, and created his own group, achieving such a huge sess in no time. He had already noticed him when he seeded in many businesses within Lightning Group, but he didnt expect him to be a giant group leader so quickly. Its 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 hadnt done that yet, so it didnt 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 hadnt 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. Youre doing well. Father. Youre here. Haha. Dont 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 Earths 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 Kiwoos 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. Dont overdo it. Too much is worse than too little. Its not good to train so hard that you harm your health. Ill keep that in mind, Father. Good. Now that youve finished your workout, lets 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? Im doing my best to live up to Fathers reputation. Haha. Thats very good. Kim Kiwoos 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 Kiwoos weight training method and wanted to learn it themselves. Kim Kiwoo also had enough intention to poprize 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 epted trainees. Thepetition 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 n 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. Theyve 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 be 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 thats what you want, then do so. I promise you as your father. If you achieve outstanding results in your position, Ill send you to the military department that you wanted. Ill definitely do that! Blue Earths eyes sparkled as he finished speaking. Chapter 87: Mass Production Chapter 87: Mass Production There were quite a few holidays in the empire. However, most of them were tomemorate Kim Ki-woos 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 aplished 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 years recipients are quite impressive. Not only the imperial college, but also several other colleges had settled down by now, and there were many schrs as well. Moreover, since the development of the microscope, the level of research had been improving day by day. Many schrs 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 schrs, 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 schrs who had achieved outstanding academic results among the numerous schrs. After a while, the official medal ceremony began. The first ones to receive medals were the elite researchers who belonged to the researchplex in the pce. They certainly had Kim Ki-woos help, but they were also the ones who had achieved excellent research results, so every year there were always medal recipients from them. Youve 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 thempliments. After all the researchers in the researchplex received their medals, a schr 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 schr who developed a wonderful device called a battery? Youve 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 schrs 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 aboratory, 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 Moons 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. Thats something that can be done gradually. Electricity was not that urgent yet. It would be ideal if it was developed naturally by schrs like this. As Bright Moon stepped down, another great schr came up next. Hes 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 muscr physique was clearly visible through his clothes. He looked like a warrior rather than a schr, who would have seeded 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 pce. 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 schr who had been in theboratory of the researchplex for quite a long time, so Kim Kiwoo conversed with himfortably. 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 yed a decisive role in thebustion 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 cant believe Im 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 epted 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 wouldter be called the father of gics. He discovered thews of inheritance through nt 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 schrs 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 ted 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 schrs wanted to leave a big mark in their fields. But I believe in your potential. I am sure that the schrs in front of me will achieve even more outstanding results and face me again in this ce. 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 ofst years 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 schrs, 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 ck Sky Research Institute. But you didnt achieve enough to get a medal, did you? Among the medal recipients, there was even a young schr who was only twenty-seven years old. Of course, he was an exceptional case, but as a forty-something Hot Anvil, he couldnt help but feel rtively deprived. But its not much left. He was really confident this time. If hepleted 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 ck Sky. Youre 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 cant 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. Its 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 theres really nothing wrong now. Hmm Good. Then lets 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 Anvils research was all about. It showed how much interest there was in his research even within the research institute. Its 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 seeded until this partst time, but the conveyor belts essories couldnt withstand the power of the steam engine and broke. But this time was quite different fromst 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 didnt know when he could use the steam engine in the factory, but he was sure that it wouldpletely 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 reced humanbor and produced goods endlessly. Of course, it would take more time for Hot Anvils thoughts toe true. The concepts of division ofbor and standardization were not firmly established yet, and not only was steel scarce, but metal processing technology also had to develop further for Hot Anvils imagination to be reality. But what was certain was that the concept of mass production of small products had begun to emerge in the empire. Chapter 88: Blast Furnace. Chapter 88: st Furnace. Chapter 88. st 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 poprized them. The driving force behind this was the division ofbor using conveyor belts. Considering that he could pay five times more wages than other factories and still sell Ford cars inrge quantities at a low price, one could see how powerful the division ofbor 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 woulde in handy in the future. *** Around the time when the blower using a steam engine waspleted to some extent. Kim Kiwoo ordered to make the structure that had been firmly embedded in his head until then. Can you do it? Ill do my best. The broad-minded man, who received the blueprint of the huge egg-shaped st furnace for the first time, showed a slightly embarrassed expression. It was because the outer vessel of the st furnace was made of solid steel. It was very difficult to make such arge structure with steel produced by a crucible. In addition, the cost was very high. But since it was Kim Kiwoos request, he called the rted craftsmen after he returned to ck Sky. Ill get straight to the point. His Majesty wants this structure to be made. Ho! Can I take a look at it? Thats 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? Youre 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 circted 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 inrge quantities, they became motivated. Lets give it a try! After that, the craftsmen nned and executed to make the st furnace. The mechanism of the st furnace was roughly like this. First, they made arge 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 y 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 Bessemers Bessemer st 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 ording to their ns. If it goes ording to n It will be easy to turn it into wrought iron. Thats 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 theypleted the st furnace. Damn. Its not fixed properly. If you dont align the center of gravity properly, there could be a big ident! Sigh This time its 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 st furnace with molten iron in it. But as time passed and data umted, st furnace became more and more refined and its outline gradually emerged. I feel good about this one. Thats right. Didntst structure notst until twenty experiments? I hope tomorrowes 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 seed 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 st furnace and blew air in then took water out again. There is no problem yet! But unlike before, st furnace did not budge even when thirty times passed. Then anxious faces of craftsmen gradually brightened up. Haha! Is this the real sess? I dont know until we try a little more Shh! Dont 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. Lets stop here for today. Its real from tomorrow, soe with a strong mind. Yes! Haha. I wish tomorrow woulde soon. The craftsmen showed their emotions and scattered. And the next day. Finally, the experiment of de-carbonizing molten pig iron began. They tilted st furnace and poured pig iron into it. And as soon as the proper amount rose, they immediately erected st furnace. Whew Its nerve-wracking. There wont 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 st 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 minutester. Boom! Ugh! Wow! Whats going on? Is something wrong? No, I dont think so. The furnace is fine! The craftsmen were startled with wide eyes. A me 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 airbining to form carbon dioxide, which suddenly reacted rapidly. Should we stop the experiment? Lets 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. Lets 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, Ssh! They obtained molten iron from the furnace. It hasnt 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 arge 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 ordingly 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. Lets try putting some in. They continued to experiment by adding carbon-containing materials. As the experiment progressed, data umted, and soon high-quality steel prototypes began to emerge. Hahaha! Now we dont 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 sess. *** Your Majesty, the Minister of Industry is here. Hmm? He was working in his office when he suddenly heard that the Minister of Industry hade. Kim Ki-woo tilted his head. He usuallymunicated his intentions to Kim Ki-woo through an aide and met him without disturbing Kim Ki-woos 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 didnt 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. Whats 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, whats the news? Of course, he could have done as Kim Ki-woo said, but he wanted to deliver this news personally. He didnt 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. Thats 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 waspleted. Kim Ki-woo shouted out loud. Aide! Then an aide quickly entered his office. You called me, Your Majesty. Im going to ck 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. Ill prepare for it. Good. Prepare as quickly as possible. Of course, he needed to prepare for safety as he did on hisst family trip, but he managed to leave for ck Sky in just a week. Chapter 89: Announcement. 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 ck 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 apanied him as usual. Looking around, he saw ck smoke from various factories staining the air with haze. Of course, it didnt seem to be at the level of causing smog yet But it will be soon if we dont 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 elerate. Steam engines would be mass-produced, and their power source would be none other than coal. We cant let that happen. The ck Sky was already one of thergest cities in the empire. It meant that it was a ce where countless imperial citizens lived. Moreover, there were many cities around it, and above all, it was quite close to the capital. If the ck Sky became literally a city of ck 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 hecked enoughbor force and wanted to revive the industry faster. But now the poption 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. Wasnt the motto of the empire to breed and raise as many as possible? The empire also supported almost all of the apanying costs, so they were able to maintain a high birth rate. As a result, the poption of the empire now exceeded 25 million. This was a rapid poption explosion that could not bepared with anywhere or any era in the world. Now cities were being built in several northern regions. Lets build industrial zones in ces with good locations among these ces. Especially if he wanted to rule over the blessed North Americannd, he had to buildrge cities that could serve as centers for each region and develop them evenly. And these central roles were mostly yed 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. Youve done a great job. We just followed exactly what Your Majesty gave us as a blueprint. Haha. Its amazing that youpleted this with such a vague blueprint. Your Majesty is too kind! The craftsmen enjoyed Kim Kiwoos 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 iparable 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 ces in the ck 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 ck 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 Kiwoos 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 vine had been very sluggish. There were roughly three methods for cultivating vines. 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 wasnt intentional. He just brought them because it would be advantageous to have improved breeds of chickens wherever hended. But as a result, this became a godsend for vine 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, andplete 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. Its hard to keep the egg yolk from spoiling for a long time. It took six months to produce a vine 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. Lets 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 ind? Yes. They are all silently following your will. Then lets bring all the expedition and the livestock that we have raised so far to the maind. That will reveal the existence of another continent It doesnt 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 gue would spread through them. Also, the number of livestock, especially pigs, was breeding at an incredible speed, so the ind where they stayed was very cramped. Now was the time to raise them on the maind and spread them widely. Thest 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 gue. Then there is no need to hide it. Of course, some adaptation was necessary, but he needed a justification to spread the vination quickly. *** Everyone, you have done a great job so far. Now you can leave the ind and go back to the maind. The imperial decree has arrived. Is that true? Yes. If you wish, you can leave the ind right now. Kim Kiwoos order was delivered to the expedition that had been trapped on the ind for a long time. The colorful buffalo and the sailors who heard this cheered with joy. Hahaha! Finally, we can go back to the maind! Long live the emperor! The sailors actions were very fast. They left the ind without looking back and headed for the imperial maind. 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 thats 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 urred after the expedition made contact with Europeans. The concept of gue and immunity was already widely spread in the empire. Therefore, they could infer what caused the death of the expedition. Above all, Kim Kiwoo exined this in detail in the imperial newspaper, so the imperial citizens understood the situation more clearly. They had no immunity to their gue because there was no exchange between continents for a long time, and through this, many of them died. What if he didnt ban exploration Maybe we would have all died like them. Ugh Its horrible just to think about it! The imperial citizens shuddered at the thought of this possibility. At the same time, they naturally admired Kim Kiwoos 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? Dont be so scared. We are the first people to visit that faraway continent! So lets walk proudly with our shoulders straight! At Colorful Buffalos shout, sailors who had lost their spirits finally smiled and began marching. The marchsted for a long time. But as there is a beginning, there is an end. Before long, they arrived at their destination, the pce. Creak! The pce 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 youe 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 simr words in their ears. This is how the European expeditions triumphant return finally took ce. Chapter 90: Vaccination. Chapter 90: Vination. Kim Kiwoo threw avish 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. Thats right. The noise andmotion 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 wouldnt be a real sailor. Me and the crew are all fine. Im d to hear that. You and the crew will receive many rewards and great honors in the future. Congrattions in advance. Thank you, Your Majesty! Brilliant Flower was very happy at Kim Kiwoos 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 whats 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 cant believe that the cause of the gue was microscopic organisms that were invisible to the eye. Since all information was blocked on the ind, Brilliant Flower only learned about microscopes, microorganisms, bacteria, and vines 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 gue were killed by smallpox. Thats right. Didnt we get some books rted to gues from the new continent? It says there that smallpox is one of the most dangerous gues. I checked it too. If smallpoxnds on the maind, the imperial citizens who have no immunity at all will suffer tremendous damage. Its horrible to think about it. Brilliant Flower shivered at Kim Kiwoos words. The gues 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 aplish anything! Brilliant Flower shouted bravely. He believed that Kim Kiwoos 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 maindst time? Of course. I saw it myself when you extracted it. Then itll be easy to exin. Thats what we call vination. Do you mean cow smallpox? Thats right. That was smallpox? But there was no serious problem with the sailors who came into contact with it. Thats 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 vination while working on it. Thats right. Those sailors must have been infected and cured by the vination. But do you know this? People who have had the vination dont get smallpox. Is that really true? But there was nothing about that in the book I read about smallpox Thats because the people who live in the new continent dont know this either. But I know for sure. Wow! Brilliant Flower eximed again. Kim Kiwoo had asserted a prevention method that even the people who had suffered from smallpox for a long time didnt know, without ever seeing it. Kim Kiwoo didnt care about Brilliant Flowers reaction and took out a book from his pocket. What is this Read it. With Kim Kiwoos permission, Brilliant Flower picked up the book and checked the title. Its Irish. Brilliant Flower could recognize it at a nce, as it was one of thenguages he had learned. After confirming this, his eyes went straight to the title. Vination? 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 Flowers squad hadnded on Irnd. Of course, they could have found and brought this book from somewhere else than Irnd, but the probability was low. Thats right. This is not a book from Europe. Its a book that I ordered to be made. After the expedition arrived on the ind, the diplomatic staff learned all thenguages 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 didnt take long to read the contents briefly. The summary of the vination book was what Kim Kiwoo had just said: People who have had the vination dont get smallpox. Thud! After closing the vination book, Brilliant Flower clearly understood Kim Kiwoos intention. As expected. Kim Kiwoos next words were as he had anticipated. From now on, the origin of this vination will be Irnd, where you went. Do you understand what I mean? Yes. I will proceed as youmand. 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 Kiwoopleted his justification for performing vination. *** Hehe. I think I finally understand. On his way to the imperial conference hall. The hygiene director couldnt help but think this. Recently, one book had be a hot topic. It was none other than the vination book. Through this, information spread that smallpox, a terrible disease, could be prevented by something called vination. Your Majesty had seen the vination book first and prepared for this. He couldnt 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 vination 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 inoction method. Is there anyone who doesnt know? Impossible. If they didnt know even after bing a chief, that would be dereliction of duty. Kim Kiwoo nodded once and went straight to the point. The schrs were right. The Wakan Tanka Continent was just one of the continents on Earth. Beyond that sea, there are vastnds called Europe and Asia. The chiefs also agreed with Kim Kiwoos 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. Its the inoction method. Kim Kiwoo did not hesitate to propose his opinion. I conducted experiments and secured ints after learning about this. And now, I have enough. May I say something? Go ahead. Is everything in the inoction method book true? If so, why hasnt it spread to other countless countries? Or is there some fatal side effect Trust me. This is reliable information, and ording to numerous experiments, ints are rtively safe. I understand. As Kim Kiwoo nailed down the reliability of the inoction 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 ints to the cattle in the maind 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 inoction method in the empire from now on. Yes, Your Majesty! *** Do you really intend to get inocted? I have to. Im also an imperial citizen of Wacantanga. How can I not set an example when I ordered this? I understand. As Kim Kiwoos will was firm, the steward could not stop him any longer. After that, The first inoction excluding human experiments took ce, and the subject was none other than Kim Kiwoo. There shouldnt 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 inocted. After confirming this, all the imperial citizens who had worried breathed a sigh of relief. Your Majesty has taken the lead and performed the inoction method with your own body. How can I refuse as a subject! After that, many high-ranking officials voluntarily received inoctions 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 inoctions, their safety became known and any anxiety faded away. Then many imperial citizens who had been watching the situation began to receive inoctions in earnest. What? Youre already out of ints? Please go back for now. We will guide you again when we secure more. I understand. But as demand suddenly surged, the ints 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 ints from them gradually, he would be able to inocte most of the imperial citizens. The important thing was that the inoction method had taken root without much resistance. I can finally rx a bit. If he seeded in mass-producing vines that he had worked so hard on in the future, he would soon be able to freely travel to Europe and Asia. Chapter 91: The European Blockade Operation. Chapter 91: The European Blockade Operation. Time flew by like an arrow. It shouldnt 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, ording 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 Columbuss arrival would be different. Lets just wait and see. He had been preparing for a long time for Columbus and the Old World. What was a few months of waitingpared to that? Kim Ki-woo decided to wait quietly until the results came out. *** Contrary to Kim Ki-woos 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 Polos Travels, and nurtured his dream of exploring the East. And around 1484. Columbus asked Joo II of Portugal for support for his Antic exploration. But Joo II tly refused Columbuss request. Columbuss im sounded absurd, and more importantly, he was preparing for an exploration in the direction of Cape of Good Hope. Damn it. Why wont they believe me? Columbus felt very bitter about Joo II, who rejected his proposal. But he did not think he could change Joo IIs 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 nning, and it was too precious to give up. After that, Columbus went to Spain with his son Diego. He arrived at Palos de Frontera and went to La Rbida Monastery with his son. There he met Juan Prez, the abbot of La Rbida Monastery. And he enthusiastically exined his grand n to him. Hmm. Thats a very interesting story. Prezs reaction waspletely different from Joo IIs. Coincidentally, Prez was also the confessor of Isabe I of Castile. Thanks to that, Columbus got a chance to meet Isabe, the queen of Castile. This time He checked his sailing n with the monks of the monastery and prepared everything to persuade Isabe. And finally in 1486, he met Isabe and Ferdinand II of Aragon. This meeting was different from Joo II of Portugal. Isabe was deeply interested in Columbuss story, thanks to his thorough preparation. Is there India beyond that sea? Yes. The earth is round, isnt 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 thends he discovered, and finally one-tenth of the total revenue he obtained. This was a very unreasonable condition. Moreover, at this time, thest Reconquista against Granada was in full swing, so theycked 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 im after having a deep conversation with him. The clergy of the Church persuaded Queen Isabe to ept Columbuss argument. If that is what you think Eventually, Queen Isabe listened to the priests request and appointed Columbus. Of course, even after his appointment, Queen Isabe dyed her support, so he actually set sail in 1492. Thus, in August, two ships given by Queen Isabe 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 physicallyfortable 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 wouldnt 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 shiping from the northeast! Telescope! At Red Rocks 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. Lets 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 gship of the imperial fleet. Heh. I didnt expect European ships to reallye. Themander of the fleet, Broken de, smiled as he checked the three ships. When it was concluded that the exchange with other continents was still dangerous, the current surveince system was activated. In other words, the goal of the Broken de was to annihte anything that came from other continents. Tsk tsk. They must have had a big dream and came here with great difficulty. But they had toe at this time. The Broken de clicked his tongue in pity. However, he could not neglect his duty because they were pitiful. The Broken de gave an order as amander. 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 Columbuss fleet. The white g fluttered over the ships from Europe in a threatening formation, but there was no imperial sailor who cared about it. And then. p! The red g 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 hadnt prepared in advance. Do you think they learned about the existence of the Wakan Tanka continent from our previous expedition to Europe? Hmm. Thats very likely. The timing is too coincidental. Kim Ki-woo chuckled at thest guess of the health director. Coincidental indeed. Its exactly as it was in the original history. He couldnt 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 Columbuss fleet. With this, the huge history that started with Columbuss discovery of America waspletely reversed. Kim Ki-woo was reminiscing about this while the meeting continued. If what the health director said is right, there might be more shipsing 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 ept your opinions. From now on, we will steadily expand our surveince 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 surveince. As your majesty wishes! With this, the scale of the operation to block Europeans increased. I cant let my guard down after trading with Europe once. There was another incident in 1500 AD, when a Portuguese navigator named Pedro lvares Cabralnded in Brazil due to a storm. Also, although Columbuss expedition was the same as in the original history, he didnt know what kind of butterfly effect would ur due to trading with Europe. Above all, as trade in the Mediterranean became difficult due to the rise of Imic forces, European countries had no choice but to continue exploring new routes. Columbus couldnt return to Spain, but he couldnt becent 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 ce on the maind. 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 cant believe it As many st furnaces were activated at the same time, the production of steel increased to an iparable level with the past. This was enough to meet and exceed the demand for steel that had beencking until now. There was no longer a need to operate the difficult crucible steelmaking nts, and the price of steel also dropped to a level that could not bepared 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 becamemon, it became easier to produce inrge quantities. Kim Ki-woo also contributed to the mass production of steam engines. Thanks to the supply of st furnaces, the empires industry has risen rapidly. However, I am confident that the steam engine will have a greater impact than the st furnace. Therefore, I will devote myself to spreading the steam engine widely throughout the empires 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: Metal Processing. Chapter 92: Metal Processing. Chapter 92: Metal Processing. The hot anvil, who made the first conveyor belt. Damn But afterpleting 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. Im 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 empires history. In fact, thanks to Kim Ki-woos great interest, his attempt was recognized, wasnt it? But the hot anvil could not be satisfied with just that. His goal was to be 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 enoughplex 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 didnt 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 theck of precise steel parts. Lets try it. The hot anvil decided to try again. And he spent a long time in theboratory, refining and refining his ns for the future. When his ns were allpleted, he went to see the director of theboratory he belonged to, Golden Cloud. So. Are you feeling better? Yes. Thank you for your concern. Thats 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 theboratory. Well, yes, but you know that too. There are many senior craftsmen who want to use the steam engine. Golden Clouds 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 dont have to worry. Im not going to try anything challenging this time. Will you please take a look at this? The hot anvil handed over his n. And he waited quietly until Golden Cloud read his npletely. Good. The hot anvil smiled slightly. As he read his n, Golden Clouds eyes softened more and more. He had a very good feeling about it. How long did he wait? Finally, Golden Cloud finished reading his n. As soon as he realized this, the hot anvil started talking. As time goes by, machines like steam engines will be more numerous and sophisticated. Naturally, precise steel parts will be in demand. Isnt that obvious from looking at the current steam engines? Thats true. Golden Cloud nodded his head in agreement. Steam engine explosions were happening frequently. Most of the reasons for these idents were defects in the parts. A lot of parts went into a steam engine, and if they didnt 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 copse sooner orter. In the uing 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. Im sorry, but I cant support you with the three machines youre using right now. But Listen to me. Theres one more machineing to theb soon. Ill give you that one. As soon as Golden Cloud finished his sentence, joy filled Hot Anvils face. Really Thank you so much! Hahaha. Who doesnt know your passion? I hope you achieve a great sess this time. I will live up to your expectations, sir! *** At that moment. Various researches on metal processing were already underway in theb, the university, and the pce researchplex. It was only natural. Hot Anvils idea was not something special. There were few craftsmen who didnt know that precise parts would be 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 Anvils n was also simr. Of course, the method was very different. While other researches made one part by one person, Hot Anvil aimed to make arge number of parts at once by dividing them into several steps. He thought that even if it took many steps toplete, the finished parts would alle out with the same specifications as long as he didnt 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 couldnt divide the process as he wanted because he only had one steam engine. As a result, he had no choice but to finish one processpletely, 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 inrge quantities at once. Youre 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 didnt have high expectations. He just hoped to get one more support from the steam engines that woulde to theb in the future. Golden Cloud nodded his head as if he knew everything. I have eyes too. I know what youre talking about. Ive been reporting all your past research processes and results to them. And this morning, this came from the capital. What is this? Wouldnt it be better to see for yourself? He couldnt 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 momentster. 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 couldnt 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, thats true. But Congrattions. 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 werent wrong. Hahaha! Golden Cloud patted Hot Anvils back several times, who was half out of his mind. From now on, if you want anything, just say it. Whether its a steam engine or an artisan, youll get as much support as you want. Do you understand? Yes, yes He answered, but it didnt 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, lets move theb. Its 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 Anvils research itself changed. He moved from a crampedb 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 didnt 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 fiverge 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. Thats right. Haha. One of this years 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 Anvils research journal and report on his future ns. I thought he was extraordinary when he came up with the conveyor belt idea, but he already achieved such remarkable results by dividingbor. These people who changed the existing paradigm deserved respect. Hot Anvil was a good example of great sess achieved bybining brilliant mind, passion and hard work. Moreover, his n was just beginning, and Kim Ki-woo realized it as soon as he saw Hot Anvils n. This research was just the beginning. Unless something special happened, Hot Anvils legend would continue on, and someday he would be able to find his name in the history books. Chapter 93: The Influence of Europe. Chapter 93: The Influence of Europe. For a while, everything that came from the unfamiliarnd of Europe was a hot topic in the imperial maind. 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 dont you try riding one? Um The man hesitated at the breeders words. He was afraid of falling off the animals back. But since he hade 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 breeders instructions and jumped onto the horses back. Wow! He eximed 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 maind 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 ratepared to other mammals. In fact, most of the reason why the ind 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! Its very greasy and delicious! Its totally different from cows or chickens, isnt 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, maam. Hoho. As an imperial citizen, I have to know at least this much. So, is this made from sheeps wool? Thats right. Would you like to try it on? Sure. The woman dly epted the offer from the clothing store clerk. After trying on a woolen coat, she eximed in admiration. Wow! Its so soft and warm. Isnt it? Its a different dimension from the cotton clothes that are everywhere in the market. Thats why manydies are ordering clothes made from wool. This too? Haha. Thats what I saved for you. Are you not going to buy it? Hohoho! You know my mind well, dont you? Then Ill take this. She said cheerfully, and the expensive woolen coat found its owner. The clerks 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 andpeted to buy clothes made of wool, which drove the prices sky-high. Of course, as time passed and sheep became moremon, 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 particrly popr, and that was the dairy cow. My goodness. So much milkes out It doesnt 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 ss. 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 thete 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 thendscapes and architectural styles of Europe in the paintings. Of course, in the case of clothing, they were only curious, since the empires 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? Youre 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 Tankas art to leap forward. This was not only their story. Numerous books came from Europe, and many of them were tranted by diplomats who learned Europeannguages, except for some subversive books. The tranted books were printed in a sh 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 popr. Thanks to Kim Ki-woo, the current level of civilization was better than Europe in many aspects, but Eurasias civilization had been much longer than Wakan Tankas continent. The philosophies that had umted over this period were very profound to the imperial citizens. It makes perfect sense even though its 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 schrs were deeply immersed in the arguments of numerous thinkers regardless of East or West. Of course, there were many absurd stories for the schrs as well. Haha. Geocentrism? There was someone who imed that a long time ago. What geocentrism? Hasnt it been proven that the earth orbits around the sun? Thats not all. The books from the new continent have too many nonsense stories. They are very different from reality. It was understandable that schrs reacted this way when Europe still believed things that had already been verified as false on the maind. 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 yed a good role. To know Europes history, one had to know their religion. Religion had caused so many wars until now. Even rtively recently in 1453, Constantinople fell to the Imic 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 Im 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 empires 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 ept 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 empires 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 peoples worries. Unfortunately, at some point, public opinion on this matter began to re up. The person who ignited the fire was none other than a reporter from a newspaperpany. 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-woos 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. Im worried about the future. He managed to get over this somehow, but the problem was after he actually interacted with Europe. Will Europeans ept 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 ept the spirit faith. No, it seemed likely that they would sh. I dont want to make war over religious issues. He did not want to experience something like the conflict between Christianity and Im. 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. Ill have to think more about it. It was a problem that he would have to think aboutter since it had not happened yet. Chapter 94: The Death of a Friend. 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 be so haggard that it was iparable to the first time he saw him. How are you feeling? Yes, Your Majesty. Im fine. The voice of the industrial director, ck Feather, was weak. You dont have to rush things, you know. Youre not young anymore. Ill keep that in mind, Your Majesty. Hmm He answered promptly, but Kim Kiwoo did not believe ck Feathers words. Recently, the health of the industrial director had deteriorated rapidly and ck Feather had taken over his position. ck Feather was a bit different from the previous industrial directors. Of course, he must have studied hard about the empires industry as an industrial director, but he had never experienced the field in his life. The route to bing 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 be the industrial director. But ck 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 ck Feathers 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 ck Feathers unparalleled practical skills, he eventually got the position of the next industrial director. ck Feather had quickly grasped the work after bing 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 ck 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 ck 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 urred 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 Kiwoos office in person despite being busy without a moments rest. Kim Kiwoo organized his thoughts and opened his mouth. Ive seen the report. The construction of the northern industrialplex is sluggish, right? Yes. Of course,pared to before, the north of the maind has developed a lot, but people in the empire dont want to go up there. Hmm. As the poption 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 pce researchplex 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 alreadyid 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 countrys perspective. Its not looking good. He hasnt 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 Kiwoos mind was in turmoil. He knew this day woulde 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 longtimepanion and family, the closest person to him besides his family, was facing death, he felt numb. Meanwhile, Kim Kiwoo arrived at the ce where his old friend had copsed. Your Majesty! Kim Kiwoos sudden visit caused a strong reaction from the direct family members of his old friend who were guarding the ce. 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 werent for the nket that moved periodically, he would have mistaken him for dead. His breathing was so weak. Huff, huff. Kim Kiwoo walked straight to his old friends bed. Then the family members each gave way to him. And Kim Kiwoo held his old friends wrinkled hand with both hands. Was it because of poor blood cirction? His old friends hand was cold. That coldness made Kim Kiwoos 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 Kiwoos words, his old friends thumb twitched, and then his eyelids slowly opened. Are you awake? Your Majesty Yes. Its me. Sob! As soon as Kim Kiwoo finished speaking, tears flowed from his old friends eyes. Kim Kiwoos eyes also became moist at the sight. It didnt take long. His old friend, who looked like he had trouble speaking, gradually regained his color. Dont strain yourself. Kim Kiwoo knew at a nce. It was simr to what they called thest glow before death. But his old friend didnt 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 afortable 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 theirst conversation, so Kim Kiwoo felt sorry for his friends family. But his old friend didnt seem to mind. He shed tears again and said in a trembling voice, I wanted to serve you longer and longer Im really sorry Kim Kiwoo wiped his tears with a handkerchief and opened his mouth. Dont me yourself. Its thanks to you that the Wakan Tanka Empire is what it is today. Youve worked really hard until now. Your Majesty Kim Kiwoos 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 Treesplexion 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 troubledtely. Having watched Kim Kiwoo closely for his whole life, the Straight Tree could feel it too well. The fact that Kim Kiwoos inner conflict had intensified recently. The Straight Tree continued. I do not know what it is, as a humble servant. But, as Your Majestys 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 bitterugh. Haha. I cant escape your eyes, can I? Very well. I should listen to the words of my friend. Kim Kiwoo felt a sense of rity 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 Trees hand and looked silently into his eyes. And the Straight Treesst words followed. I was truly happy to serve you, Your Majesty With those words, the Straight Trees 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: The Capital. 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 pirs of the imperial citizens. In various cities, processions were held tomemorate the Straight Tree, and newspaperspeted 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 eximed. 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. p p p. As he introduced himself, apuse from the ministers followed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is closely connected with many other departments. So I hope you all cooperate well. I dont 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 thetter 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 be serious. I will keep that in mind. Of course you should. Please dont worry, Your Majesty. The ministers epted Kim Kiwoos 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 rted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs was over, and the meeting began in earnest. Kim Kiwoo received reports on each departments 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 nces quickly. But no one knew what Kim Kiwoos 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. Its because Your Majesty came down to thisnd for the first time andid the foundation stone of the empire. Youre right. Its 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 Kiwoos words about Great Beginning. A bad feeling rose up in their hearts. The first one to answer Kim Kiwoos 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. Its near South Port. And its been developed for a long time, so its good to live in, and warm too. There are many big rivers around it, and its 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 busytely. 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 themerce chief know what this is? Yes. Its from ourmerce departments survey. How could I not know? Its a map showing the poption distribution of the imperial citizens. Of course, there wererge errors due to the current administrative limitations, but this map allowed them to see the approximate poption distribution. Looking at this map, you can see that the poption is very dense in the capital and nearby cities. Its 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. Youre all right. Then how about this? Kim Kiwoo unfolded a second map. This is Its a map that shows the major disasters that urred on the maind 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 popted areas. Youve seen it well. Im sure you all know how much damage weve 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 popted areas. Maybe weve 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 humanitys biggest enemy, regardless of time. Imagine it. A situation where everything in the capital bes a mess due to a huge disaster. The department heads faces darkened at Kim Kiwoos 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. Im thinking of moving the capital to a safer ce before its toote. 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? Thats right. So if I move the capital, Im thinking of moving it all the way north. Kim Kiwoo drew a circle on Lake Superior and the Antic 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 ce has hardly any imperial citizens, does it? There are many ces around there that are still undeveloped! How can you build a capital in a ce where there is nothing? Please reconsider! After that, the department heads exined in detail why Kim Kiwoos designated area was unsuitable for the capital. Kim Kiwoo listened to their dissuasion and organized his thoughts. It wasnt just because of the natural disasters. Of course, the natural disasters yed a big role, but there was also another purpose: to promote the development of the north. The north was better for boosting the industry. Its absurd to move the capital right away. This was Kim Kiwoos n. 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 ofnd trade in the empire, so everyone had to get a residence permit for a certain period of time. Therefore, thepetition 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 exined his n. 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 nned 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 Kiwoos opinion was the industrial minister, who had been silent until now. Your Majestys 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 capitals 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 bacsh 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 n to move the capital. There must be some public officials, schrs, 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. Its all their choice. Great Start had a deep meaning as a holy ce. 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. Thats it for todays meeting. Kim Kiwoo dered 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: Moving. 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 be distant provinces, which was understandable. On the other hand, those who wanted to live in the capital weed 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 Kiwoos 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? Thats right, thats it! A cmity 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 dont leave here with His Majesty, we will surely face a great cmity! 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 didnt know what kind of disaster would hit the southern region near the capital at this time. I cant give a definitive answer if Im 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 urred? 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 doesnt deny it either! The imperial citizens thought that Kim Kiwoos silence was an implicit agreement. Damn. Im going to go north! Yeah. Its 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 cmity! 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 iparablypared 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 Kiwoos will prevailed again. Then Ill 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 oue. After that, arge-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 be 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 wagespared to the average. Kim Kiwoo nodded at that. If not, they would not have wanted to go in the first ce 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 barrennd. I had to do that back then. But I cant do that anymore. What do you mean I mean I wont 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 beints. 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. Im nning 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 ande back. If they choose thetter, 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 wont be shaken by the people who are in the north right now, right? Thats right. As long as the wages of the imperial citizens who go to the north are simr to those in the south The budget wont copse. But it will certainly reduce our financial leeway. That cant be helped. At present, the government of the Wakan Tanka Empire had a tight grip on the continents wealth. The scale and business areas of the giant corporations had also grown day by day, but they were nothingpared to the governments 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 vines. And now, he was nning to pour a huge amount of money into the northern development. Thebor 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 thepetition 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 governments 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 unprecedentedrge-scale migration. Kim Kiwoo ordered food transportation to the northern industrial zone and other development sites, even at a high cost. Thats 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. Thats how many people set foot on unfamiliarnd. Huh, really. I heard it from words, but its 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 industrialplex for the sake of immigrants. The immigrants sensed it. They would have a hard life for a while. Chapter 97: A Solid Pillar. Chapter 97: A Solid Pir. Meanwhile, after Kim Kiwoo had set up a neutral zone in the Andes region and upied several areas, many Andean people had joined the empire. A Solid Pir was also one of the men who became imperial citizens at this time. Father, I want to live in the maind. What? How can you leave thend we have lived in and go all the way there? Didnt I already tell you that its impossible? Im sorry. Im going even if you oppose. You, you! White Eagles face turned red at A Solid Pirs defiance. But A Solid Pir 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 iparable to before. Hoo White Eagle let out a deep sigh. His sons expression was different fromst time. It was very firm. He looked like he had made up his mind and came to him. No matter what he said, his sons will did not seem to change. Fine. Lets go inside and talk. What is the reason why you want to leave your family behind and go to the far northnd? At his fathers direct question, A Solid Pir 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 maind 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 sons desire was. We have no intention of crossing over to the maind. Even if you go, you have to go alone. It wont be easy to settle down in the maind by yourself. Are you sure you can endure it? I will. At his sons resolute words, White Eagle finally gave in. All right. Do as you wish. Thank you, father. I wille back sessful from the maind! *** There were twists and turns until he made his decision, but A Solid Pirs 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 maind. Are you also immigrating to the maind, sir? Yes. Haha. You made a good choice. I hope you will be blessed by the spirits in the future. A Solid Pir nodded briefly at Sailor, Warm Golds words. There are many. He looked around and saw that there were quite a lot of people who were trying to immigrate to the maind 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 Pir eximed as he stepped foot on Oceanus region. This region was not the maind, but it was so developed that it was iparable to where A Solid Pir lived. This shock did not go away until he unpacked his luggage in the city. I want to look around more. A Solid Pir left the inn right away. They had a day off to rest onnd, 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 pir 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 youre bored? Would that be okay? Of course. I was just feeling bored myself. The sturdy pir smiled at the warm golds words. He didnt know anyone in this strangend. 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. Ill 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 pir eximed as he saw the huge statues erected in the square. He recognized the identity of thergest statue in the middle at a nce. It was no wonder, since it had the same face as the one on the gold and silver coins. Ha ha. Isnt it magnificent? I always stop by here whenever Ie to this city. To pray for blessings for the next voyage. I didnt expect to see such a big statue of His Majesty here. Well. There arent many in Andes yet. But youll get used to it soon. There are statues of His Majesty in every city, even in every vige, on the maind. Is that so? Of course. Why do you think we live so well? Its all thanks to His Majesty. Even if its small, there should be a statue of His Majesty! The warm golds 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, thats the sturdy steel sword. He made great achievements since the first war in the Creak era, and established a foothold in Yanghae as the expeditionmander-in-chief. I see. The warm gold then exined the identities of the other statues in the square. Ha ha. I got too excited. Im such a chatterbox. Not at all. Thanks to you, I had a lot of fun. Thats good then. After that, they continued their sightseeing. And the sturdy pirs admiration continued as well. This is how amazing Yanghae is, how incredible must the maind be? At that, the warm gold smiled brightly. The maind is amazing too. But dont get me wrong, Yanghae is not the maind, but its as prosperous as any other major city. Dont 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 pir 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 mainders and Andes people like him, and even the natives of the central continent. The solid pir was amazed by everything. He had seen many things since then. He couldnt visit every area of the city, but thanks to the warm gold, he was able to see many important ces. I wish I had more time to see the rest of the ces. I agree with you. The two left their regrets behind and entered a pub. And there, the solid pir had a fateful encounter. What is this? Have you heard of it? This is a food called chicken. Oh! Is this chicken? The solid pir nodded his head. He couldnt 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 pir 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. Im sure youll love it. Here, this leg part is the best, you know? After grabbing the leg that warm gold handed him, the solid pir 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 ce is really a gem. I alwayse here whenever I visit this city, you know? Warm gold chattered excitedly, but this did not reach the solid pirs 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 verymon 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 poprized 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 poprized and many pubs and restaurants started selling chicken. Among them, round shields pub was famous for its taste even within the empire. While they were having a conversation. Chomp, chomp. The solid pir sucked on the sauce stuck on his chopsticks and came to his senses. ! He looked at the te. 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 couldnt get rid of the fantastic taste of chicken in his head. Then have a good trip to the maind, 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 maind Would he be able to taste chicken like yesterday on the maind? If he left like this, would he regret it? That thought made the solid pirs footsteps heavy. He stopped! Phew He finally halted his steps. And turned around. Yeah. I can always go back to the maind, right? The border region seemed like a nice ce to live. More than anything, he felt a strong destiny from the chicken he ate yesterday. He headed straight to the pub he visitedst 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? Didnt you say you were leaving for the maind 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 toe in. Come on in. Yes, master! Haha. This guy. He followed Round Shield into the shop. And so, the legend of Solid Pir, who would shake the food industry in the future, began in the border region. Chapter 98: Fusion. 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 themoners of the central continent. It was because most of the wealth was concentrated in the hands of the upper ss, including the nobles. Sigh. Dont 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 ss 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 verymon, 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. Whats the difference between us and the nobles? Look at that huge Wakan Tanka Empire! Do they have a noble ss under their great emperor? No! Thats 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 mans appeal shook the hearts of many people. The Wakan Tanka Empire had be 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 whenpared 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 didnt 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 woulde out so strongly. We shouldnt 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 urred 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 hadnt done before. The great spirits do not discriminate against anyone and love everyone. Do you mean that wemoners 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 im for residents who had lived in a status society. Theres no difference between me and those nobles Is that really true? Yeah. Were all humans who eat and breathe alike. Theres no difference. This im shook the minds ofmoners. 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 themoners! 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 anyints, 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 dont 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-woos mind. Using religion as a weapon is not very pleasant after all. Of course, the current situation in the central continent wasrgely influenced by Kim Ki-woos intention. Kim Ki-woos 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 empires current development situation. I cant do that. He must not forget. Kim Ki-woos top priority was to develop civilization quickly and prepare for the collision of the asteroid Narvas. A reckless war was thest 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 maind, this tendency bes stronger. The farther away it is, the more different the culture andnguage are, and due to the limitations of the era,munication 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. Thats 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. Andtely, 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 ept it. They tried to make up for their reduced profits elsewhere. As a result, prices of other imperial goods went up and peoples lives became more difficult. It may be good for now, but its not a good choice in the long run. Even a worm will turn if you step on it. Look. Isnt this why peoples dissatisfaction is increasing? Thats why people are so sympathetic to the empires constitution and doctrine of spirit worship. Any im that is not epted 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 wee. 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? Its very good. The soldiers are very happy with the new guns that have been suppliedtely. The defect rate has decreased drastically. Even without Kim Kiwoos 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 rtively 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. Ive already instructed the crown prince separately. Just load the usable weapons that are not rusty on a ship and send them to the central continents direct territory. Hmm A thick question mark appeared on the head of the militarys face. He couldnt figure out why he suddenly wanted to move the weapons to the central continent. But he didnt express his doubt in the end. Your Majesty must be drawing a new big picture. He just thought so. I understand. Ill 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. Theres 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 arge 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 ofmand. But those were obstacles that could be ovee if they had enough weapons. The preparation is done. If he ced the weapons in their direct territory, which was close to them, he could deal with whatever happened in the future flexibly. The crown princes role will be very big. Kim Kiwoo thought of his eldest sons 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 didnt 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 Im 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: How to Use Power of Steam Engine. Chapter 99: How to Use Power of Steam Engine. Boom! Rumble! ng! 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 ces. 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 didnt 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 finallypleted 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 topliment his work. There are still many things to fix and improve. And its a long way to go before we can poprize better machines in the empire. Sharp Fang felt his burning passion from his words. Hes still looking ahead even after achieving such a huge sess. 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 couldnt 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 sess of the steam engine made Sharp Fang run on the path of sess. He rose to the position of department head at a rtively 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 be 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 nkly. And contrasted it with the Hot Anvil process he had just seen with his own eyes. And also Hot Anvils inexhaustible curiosity. He was different for sure. Even though he had achieved such a huge sess like him, his inventiveness did not fade away. He tried toplete 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 Fangs chest. I used to live immersed in research, cutting down on sleep. Of course, those were hard days, but he remembered the sense of aplishment 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 im 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 teeths 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. Lets do what I want to do, even if I regret itter. Whats the point of chasing after the shadow of the industrial minister in front of him? He didnt 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 sess. He only tried to take the safe path because he was afraid of failure. He couldnt do anything if he feared failure, and it didnt suit him who had experienced sess 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 Im sorry for causing you trouble. Hmm The president couldnt hold him back any longer with his firm words. The president nodded and muttered. Youre not thinking of leaving the university, are you? Of course not. How can I leave the university? I see. Then Ill assign you a newboratory that suits you. I hope your research will be sessful this time as well. Thank you, Mr. President. A few days passed after meeting with the president. And Sharp Teeth checked his assignedboratory. It was too big to be called aboratory. Also, many schrs and craftsmen joined Sharp Teeths new research. Its an honor to work with you. Well do our best! Their loud cheers echoed in the spacious space. And there were also very familiar people in this ce. Why are you guys here Ha ha. This is disappointing. Did you try to do a new research without us? Of course we have toe when youre doing a new research. They were his colleagues who made the steam engine with him until the end. They must have taken their own ces 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 Teeths chest. And he vowed. I will seed in this research no matter what. His eyes began to burn with hot passion again. His appearance was quite simr to that of a hot anvil. *** The truth was, Sharp Teeths decision to resign from his department head position was a bit impulsive, but it wasnt something he did without any n. 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 waspleted. 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 bymon sense. If he was, he would not have thought of creating a powerful force with steam. And that force was iparable 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 ites 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 andmercialized. 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 schrs. If these technologies weremercialized, the empires 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 ce 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 ce. 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 ma cart. A ma cart rolled round wheels with the force of a ma pulling it. Thanks to this, many goods could be transported bynd in the empire. But what if he reced 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 Thats a very interesting idea. Well, its different from using a water wheel, so it makes sense. Um But even if you put arge steam engine on a cart, would it be efficient? I think you wont be able to load much cargo because of the volume and weight of the steam engine. I agree with that, but I think its 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 aboratory, but at Imperial College, such attempts were encouraged. Sometimes these outrageous experiments yielded great sess or were useful in other ways. As they were about to reach a conclusion, The youngest researcher who joined them, Delicate ss suddenly raised his hand. Do you have something to say? Yes. Delicate ss 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 ss continued his words. Then what if you put a steam engine on a boat? A boat? Yes, the ship is veryrge. It doesnt 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, wouldnt 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. Im behind too. I thought of putting a steam engine on a ship, but I didnt think of this. He could have seen this young researcher as a threat to his authority, but Sharp Teeth didnt care much. He was just pleased with the brilliant idea. Thats a very good idea. Youre young, so your mind works well, huh? Haha! Th, thank you! Delicate ss smiled brightly as he received praise from Sharp Teeth, the great schr who created the steam engine. But I think its also important to use the steam engine onnd. And your idea is hard to apply in thisboratory. This isnd, isnt 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 cant do it here, why dont you go out and set up your ownboratory? ? His face filled with doubt changed to shock as he heard Sharp Teeths words. Ill personally form a team for you, so why dont you try to realize your idea. Gasp! Ive only been in college for a short time, how can I So, you dont want to do it? Sharp Teeth wiped away the smile on his face and asked seriously. Seeing his look, Delicate ss swallowed his saliva and looked around nervously. All eyes were focused on him. It felt like a dream, but Delicate ss 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 schr who made the steam engine. If he missed this, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Ill do it! Please let me do it! Thats how he finished preparing for the historic experiment that would conquer bothnd and sea in the Imperial College. Chapter 100: The Development of the North. 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 ce five years ago shed 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 wererge 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 ces along the river were settled. But now Its no different from any decent city in the South. Of course, it was notparable to the major cities in the maind. The infrastructure such as paved roads, sewerage, and convenience facilities was stillcking. 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 w, 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. Its 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 w about it during their voyage. How could the North develop so fast? Thats right. Isnt this too fast? Haha, youre right. Its fast. Come on. Follow me. Then they went to the deck and drank while looking at the calm river water. Ah! Sharp w gulped down a high-proof liquor and leaned on the railing. And he looked around and started his story. Dont you feel anything when you look at this huge river? Hmm. I dont 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 thisrge river. Of course, the rumors are spreading, but many imperial citizens still think that the North is nothing but an undevelopednd. And when theye to the North for the first time, they fall in shock like you. Its amon sight. I guess so. I often ask them. Is there any reason why the North couldnt 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 thats 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? Youre a sailor, you should know better than anyone else. Thats true. But these rivers have been here for a long time, and settlement didnt progress for a long time. Of course. Back then, there werent 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 ordingly. 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. Its only two ces that have been activated yet. If all the industrial zones arepleted, 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 Dont believe me if you dont want to. Im nning to move my family to the northpletely next year. You should also secure a ce in the north before its toote. Dont regretter that you dont have a residence permit. Ill think about it. After finishing his conversation with Sharp ws. 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. Lets 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. Lets 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 Antic trade in the future, but it was not a good choice in this situation. There were many reasons, but one of them was that Appchian Mountains stretched between east coast and maind. It was a big penalty to cross over mountains from coast to maind. Its not good to be too far from coast either. As industry developed, transportation across mountains would be 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 shortpared to Mississippi River, but Ohio River was a very important river that ran through major eastern regions. And above all, it stretched near Appchian 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 ce for the capital. It was located along arge 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 disasterspared 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 nning began immediately. The capital that will be built this time will not change for a long time. Honey, we have to n thoroughly from the beginning to the end, and then start construction. Your Majesty is right. I will present a city n worthy of the capital of the Wakan Tanka Empire. As soon as the city nning began, countless experts from various fields all moved to the capital. Finally, the capital is changing. We cant make the future capital like this ce without any style! No matter what the fundamental reason was for the birth of the city of art. Wasnt 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 cant neglect the function of the city. We have to divide it into precise sections, and arrange the sewerage, roads, and buildings well. We cant 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 nning. But they soon hit a wall. They knew roughly what the terrain was like, but it was not urate unless they saw it in person. So they went to Kim Ki-woo. Your Majesty, we will go to the north ourselves andplete the city nning. 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 nned site of the capital. I will support you generously, so focus only on city nning. Yes, Your Majesty! We will not disappoint you. Good. I trust you. After receiving Kim Ki-woos permission, they dispersed and began preparations for their dispatch to the north. The city nning 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 werepleted. 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 Majestys 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 nned site of the capital. This ce has also developed quite a lot. But its too messy. Even if its hard to do it all over again, we cant 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: Family. Chapter 101: Family. Everything was going well, but Kim Kiwoo had one thing on his mindtely. Some things dont go as nned. 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 Continents 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 Kiwoos 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 me, followed his education from childhood and polished his schrship, entering the Imperial University. The fourth son, Blue Earth, also received recognition for his contribution to poprizing weight training and joined the military department. If he continued like this, he would be able to be 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 ept when it came face to face. Kim Kiwoo finished his work and went to see her. How are you feeling? Im fine. Im fine. Youve worked very hard today. Deep Lakes face was pale from illness as shey in bed. But she tried to smile brightly. Kim Kiwoo knew why she was doing that. She was more troubled by Kim Kiwoos 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 didnt like at all came out of her mouth. Your Majesty. Why do you keep rejecting the earnest requests of the courtiers? If its because of me, please dont do that. Didnt we agree not to talk about that? How can I do that when I know its because of me There was a deep sadness in Deep Lakes voice. Kim Kiwoo held her trembling hand firmly. Of course, he couldnt 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 newpanion. The courtiers also knew this and soon delivered this proposal to Kim Kiwoo. But Kim Kiwoo postponed and postponed their earnest requests. The empresss intention was very clear and the reason was also valid. But Kim Kiwoo couldnt even imagine another woman sitting in the empresss seat at this point. Theres no problem with the session structure now, right? The necessity of having an empress in ce had also faded a lot. Of course, the existence of an empress could satisfy the mental stability of the imperial citizens, but it wasnt like something big would happen if the empresss seat was vacant. All four princes were married and had children in their concubines, so there was no risk of Kim Kiwoos bloodline being cut off. He didnt 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. Dont worry about anything and take care of your health. We should go on a trip together as a family again, dont 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. Youre here. Sit down. Yes. Following Kim Kiwoos 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 dont 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. Dont you know that your mother is worried about your marriage too? I know. Bright Starlights face quickly turned gloomy. It wasnt that she didnt want to get married. She also wanted to meet a handsome man and live a happy life. But Theres no such man. It was Kim Kiwoos fault that this happened. He was busy with his band life now and spent a lot of time outside the pce, but when he was young, he hardly ever left the pce. So she grew up watching Kim Kiwoos 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 thats 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 dered. Ill give you one year. If you cant find a partner by yourself within a year, Ill 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 ufortable, 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 Warriors 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 Warriors Soul this time. Please grant me permission! Kim Kiwoos head throbbed at the sight of Blue Earths serious expression. I know what the Warriors Soul means to the imperial warriors. But it is also very dangerous. I know that. The Warriors 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 schrship, the position of outstanding warriors was still high. And the warriors wanted to prove that they were better than others. Schrship or other fields could be proven to some extent by the achievements of schrs, 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 Warriors 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 Warriors 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 Warriors Soul. He understood. If he achieved outstanding results in the Warriors Soul, he would be revered by the imperial warriors himself, and he would be one step closer to bing 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 dont go to the Warriors Soul, you can be the head of military affairs. So I hope you dont rush. Your words are certainly right. But if I be the head of military affairs as I am now, how can that be thanks to my ability? I dont want to be 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 Kiwoos 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 didnt say it outright. And this expectation was urate. 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 Warriors Soul. Ill 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 its going to explode. After the Empress, Princess and now fourth prince did this, Kim Kiwoos 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 Warriors Soul. But Kim Kiwoo had always respected his childrens free will, and the Warriors Soul seemed very important for Blue Earths dignity. It felt like preventing him from going to the Warriors 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 Warriors Soul. Chapter 102: The Second Expedition. 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 sess. Wow. This contains the vine. Yes, Your Majesty! Kim Kiwoo looked at the transparent ss syringe. Inside the syringe was a liquid that was presumed to be a vine. In fact, it was quite difficult to make such a thin needle with the current technology. Therefore, these ss 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 vine experiment data. The vine 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 vine through the umted data, the number of victims decreased significantly. This is amazing for this time. As time passed, more know-how would be umted 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 Kiwoos order was over, the dark me bowed his head and left the office. It was to create a system that could quickly mass-produce vines in case of emergency within the empire. Finally, its time. He had already prepared enough for the biggest disaster, the gue of smallpox. As time passed, at least a considerable number of imperial citizens on the maind had been vinated against smallpox, and even at this moment, they were being vinated. At this rate, even if smallpoxnded on the maind, it would not wipe out all the imperial citizens in vain. And he also prepared for other gues by producing vines 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 seed in mass-producing vines? 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 gues from other continents was already widely spread. Kim Kiwoo emphasized it so much that the imperial citizens had a vague fear of these gues. In this situation, it was great news that a fundamental countermeasure against gues 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 vines within the empire in case of emergency. If this n ispleted, we will surely be freed from the fear of unknown gues. Isnt that right? Your Majestys words are all right! After the response of the hygiene minister, Kim Kiwoo continued to speak. But still, unknown gues are across the sea. To make vines for gues, we have to bring them back. Isnt that right? That is certainly true. So I n 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 gues ande back. Um The expressions on the heads faces hardened at Kim Kiwoos words. It seemed very likely that they would be infected by the gue 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 fromst time. The first European expedition was rtively ignorant of the danger of the gue. 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 gue was in the new continent across the sea. To ask them to collect the gue 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. Thats what I mean. Kim Kiwoos 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 ones 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 couldnt 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 Majestys word. The recruitment will surely be closed soon. They thought that thepetition 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 Kiwoos promise, and decided to apply for the second expedition recruitment. Although I couldnt 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, Thats right. I respect your will. A man with a big ambition should not look back. Dont 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 childrens iron wills. After that, the recruitment of expedition members finally began. And the recruitment situation that followed was a little closer to thetter than the former. Wow I didnt 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 ce for a week in major cities across the country. As a result, a highpetition 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 Im 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. Thepetition 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 actualpetition 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 fiercepetition were all outstanding. After the recruitment was finished, Kim Kiwoo invited them all to the pce. 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? Dont say such a thing! If we can repay your grace, we dont mind giving up our lives! Thats 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 theycked 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. Its hard, its so hard Ugh. I feel nauseous just looking at these squiggly letters. The first one was none other than learningnguages. They had already learned manynguages of Europe during the first expedition, and each ship had already decided where tond before departure, so they only had to learn thenguage of that region. But learning a strangenguage that they had never seen before in a short time was very exhausting. Blech! Ugh! Youre too slow! Cant you open your eyes? How can youplete this noble mission like that? Im 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,nguage 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 bepletely 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: Steamboat. Chapter 103: Steamboat. Going back in time, a steamboat research team was formed from theboratory of Sharp Teeth, who had made a delicate ss with a wish. Of course, there was a lot of pain before they separated. If there is anyone who wants to research with Delicate ss, 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. Thats why he first proposed to the researchers who joined hisboratory. Hmm. Making a boat using a steam engine is very interesting, but I dont 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 Teeths research, who had created the amazing device called the steam engine. No matter how high the possibility was, they didnt want to give up and take a risk. Besides, Delicate ss was young. He was so young that he could be described as the youngest in thisboratory. Age was just a number in front of a genius brain, but there werent many people who trusted Delicate ss, who hadnt proven anything yet. Ho-ho. Steamboat This looks like it can only seed no matter how I look at it. It seems much more likely than recing carriages with steam engines. Of course, not everyone thought negatively. Some weirdos who only looked at the sess possibility of the research showed great interest. And so, four schrs joined from Sharp Teethsboratory. But with only five people, including Delicate ss, they couldnt start the steamboat project. Theres no choice. Sharp Teeth swallowed his regret. If possible, he wanted to split hisboratory 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 wasnt for nothing that Sharp Teeth boasted that he would form a team for him as soon as he heard Delicate sss words, the youngest of hisboratory. 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 formedboratory, 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 ss 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 schrs secretly. Of course, if he wanted to recruit new external schrs, 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 ss. That would be no different from deceiving those who joined Sharp Teeths research. After considering all these things, he had no choice but to go by the book. I can only hope that Delicate ss will do well. Sharp Teeth made a decision. He decided to announce the experiment topic and attract external schrs. But he didnt just announce it recklessly. First of all, lets prepare the research that Delicate ss will conduct. So that you can start the research as soon as you have enough schrs. I guess that would be better. The schrs also had some sense and realized what was going on to some extent. So they agreed with Sharp Teeths words. After that, they selected a river where they could conduct the experiment and built aboratory there. Building a shipyard in theboratory 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 allpleted. *** A steam engine on a ship? Thats right. They use the steam engine on the ship to make it move faster. Wow. So they rece the oars with a steam engine? Exactly. And this is a topic that Sharp Fang praised and helped set up theboratory himself. Hmm I was very sorry that I couldnt get into hisboratory, but what about Delicate ss? I have to get into hisboratory. 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 schrs 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 seed, right? Especially, it would be great to go up against the upper reaches of the river where the wind doesnt 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. Didnt they say that the steamshipboratory of the imperial college waspleted? Yes. As soon as the recruitment of researchers is finished, they will start the research right away. As expected, they are conscious of otherpetitors. But if they think we will give up, thats a big mistake. Then Why dont we try to challenge this thing called steamship? Lets prepare aboratory as soon as possible. Its not toote yet. There were more than one or two colleges andboratories 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, theboratories 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, thepetition 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 didnt get a patent, the possibility was open to anyone. So as soon as Delicate sss team was formed, they headed straight to theboratory built on the riverbank. Team leader, please say something. It was the oldest researcher in theboratory. 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 sss throat tightened. He felt an enormous tension. The researchers who were looking at him now were all prominent schrs of the imperial college. People who had been building achievements since before he entered the imperial college. Some of them were even schrs he had admired in the past. But Delicate ss shook his head. I am the head of thisboratory. If I falter, the wholeb will fall apart. I cant let down Sharp Fangs expectations like that! Squeak! Delicate ss 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 schrs have joined ourboratory. Im sure many of you are worried about my young age andck of experience. The researchers did not deny it. They had joined because of Sharp Fangs aggressive attitude and the potential of the steamship. Most of them still had doubts about Delicate sss abilities. I wont 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 sss speech. Seeing that, Delicate ss took a breath and continued. As you all know, we have too manypetitors. 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. Dont you agree? You are right, team leader. We cant let others take away Imperial Universitys achievements. Delicate ss emphasized the reputation of Imperial University, not his own aplishments. Then, the researchers who were proud of being schrs of Imperial University readily agreed. Thanks to that, the researchers eyes softened a bit when they looked at Delicate ss. *** From then on, Delicate sssboratory started to operate in earnest. We dont need to make a big ship from the start. Its 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 ss 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 ss wanted was quite easy to make. Of course, it seemed difficult to attach a steam engine and propeller and bnce the structure and stability of the ship. Then Ill leave it to you. Ha ha. Its an honor for us to participate in this experiment. They worked on the blueprint in a friendly atmosphere. Hmm. Its a matter of whether to attach the propeller to the front or back, or to the side. Thats right. The method that Delicate ss 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. Its better that way. Its moreplicated 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 lets do it that way. Eventually, Delicate ss epted the shipbuilders opinions. With that decision, the blueprint waspleted surprisingly quickly. They just had to attach propellers below the outside side of the ship so that they would be submerged in water. Good. Lets make it like this. They had already started making it roughly before the blueprint waspleted. 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. Lets 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. Its quite impressive! The first steamship revealed its appearance. Chapter 104: Launching Ceremony. Chapter 104: Launching Ceremony. As expected, the Imperial College team finished first. The news of thepletion 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 sess of such arge-scale project should be reported to the owner first. I cant guarantee sess until it works properly after theunching 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. Im going to attend theunching 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 ssboratory and the pce were not far apart, so it wouldnt 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 youre very young. Yo, Your Majesty Ha ha. Dont worry, lift your head. Yes, Your Majesty. At his words, Delicate ss lifted his head. Hes full of spirit. His eyes were trembling with nervousness, but his spirit was so full that he couldnt 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. Its like a dream that His Majesty is looking only at me On the other hand, Delicate ss was so nervous that he couldnt calm down easily. Any schr of the empire would have imagined this moment. And this was also true for Delicate ss. At that moment, the attendant next to him winked at Delicate ss. Ah! At this, Delicate ss came to his senses. He hadnt told His Majesty his name yet. My name is Delicate ss. Delicate ss Thats a very good name. Ill remember that name for sure. Thank you! Im sure theunching ceremony was dyed until I arrived, so lets proceed quickly. Were already prepared. Then lead the way. Yes! After that, Kim Ki-woo went to where thepleted 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. Its not that big after all. He could see some ws at a nce. This steamship was literally an experimental work. Even if they seeded inunching the steamship, it would take quite some time and more money tomercialize it. Its no wonder that the person who made the first steamship before arrival went bankrupt. Before arrival, the first ce where a steamship was made was America. Around 1780. Many engineers in America smelled money from steamships. This led topetition, and among them, John Fitch seeded in testing the first steamship in 1787. However, he went bankrupt in 1790 due tock of capital and technology. Of course, the government was the sponsor of the delicate sss research, so there was no risk of running out of resources. And they removed the sail part from the beginning. Kim Kiwoo nodded. They didnt need a sail since they moved with a paddle wheel powered by a steam engine. It would have taken longer toplete 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 ss looked at Kim Kiwoos 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 didnt. He chose to repay his favor first. Thats fine. Lets do that. Kim Kiwoo agreed generously. Hes carving his name on every major ce rted 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 lotive 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 lets start theunch 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 theunch 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 theunch 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 didnt take long. The people who went out for inspection gave them a confirmation. There is no problem! Thats great! The researchers were able to rx a bit as they passed one hurdle. But the experiment was just beginning. It was only a sess if the steam engine and the paddle wheels on both sides worked properly. I will order them to operate. Good. After Kim Kiwoo nodded, ck 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! Its moving! Its really moving! My goodness. Ive never seen a boat go so fast. This sight was shocking to the people who were watching theunch. 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 aplishment as their nervousness was reced by relief. We really did it. Delicate ss looked up at the sky without a word. The zing sun seemed to bless his sess. Kim Kiwoo patted his shoulder and muttered. Congrattions. Youve 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. Thats a good attitude. Its true that this level of steamboat is not enough formercialization. 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 youmercialize the steamboat. Dont worry about money and focus on your research. Ill do my best! Delicate sss eyes burned with passion as Kim Kiwoo said this. I hope it will bemercialized soon. It was hard to operate deep-hulled boats in the rivers of the maind. There were many shallow ces in the river. But the steamboat could solve this problem. And its speed was iparable to that of a sailboat Kim Kiwoo wished that many steamboats would fill the rivers andkes of the empire as soon as possible. *** This is all thanks to you, Master. Dont say that. Its all because you led your team well that you got such results. I wouldnt have been able to form my team without you, Master. And I wouldnt have thought of the steamboat if I hadnt heard your concept of the steam engine car. Im d you think so. Delicate ss 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 ss, Nalkarun Ibal was his benefactor in life. I heard youre going to keep yourb running. Thats my n. The first experiment was sessful, but theres still a lot to be done before I canmercialize the steamboat. You made a good decision. Youre young, so you can achieve more things. Ill 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 sssb started operating much earlier than his. And his experiment on the steam engine car was before theunch of the steamboat. Of course, it failed. He had three experiments so far, but none of them yielded satisfactory results. Its hard. Its 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 aplete 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 cant 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 its hard to stop, too. They had no brakes, so they had to wait until it naturally stopped. But they couldnt 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 ident 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 masters sharp-toothed expression worsen, Delicate ss asked him right away. He sighed deeply. Phew. Its really hard to improve the steam engine carpared to the steam ship. Even if we continue the experiment like this, I dont know if it will ever be good enough formercial use. Im sorry. I was too excited and rude. No, no. Im sorry. I feel like Im ruining your good day. Is there anything I can do to help? Haha. You have your own research, dont you? You dont have to do that. No, I do. I want to repay you for your kindness, even a little bit. Youre so stubborn. But Delicate ss 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 epted his earnest request. But he didnt know then. That this decision would change the history of the steam engine car. Chapter 105: The Railroad. Chapter 105: The Railroad. After his meeting with his master, Delicate ss began to be invited to various ces. I knew you would be a great sess. His Majesty was very pleased with the steamship, wasnt he? At least you wont 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. Im sure youll 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 ss received an enormous amount of attention. He had a hard time adjusting to this unfamiliar interest. And this continued wherever he went. The schrs of the Imperial University wanted to meet Delicate ss, who had invented and built the first steamship at a young age. My research must have been really sessful. He felt the difference in treatmentpared to before. He didnt mind the situation where people couldnt praise him enough. Thanks to that, he felt like a real genius. But Delicate ss shook his head and brushed off his prideful feelings. I cant be satisfied with just this. This interest would fade away over time anyway. Delicate ss wanted to obtain a huge reputation that wouldst forever, rather than this fleeting attention. Like his master, who started a new research after creating the great invention of the steam engine. His masters actions were a great lesson for Delicate ss. Thats 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 sess at a young age. You said you would help us until your ownb opens. Maybe you can solve all the problems in a short time since youre a genius. Ha! This guy, I feel sorry for him. The researchers negative nces and whispers. The problem was that they spoke loud enough for him to hear. Delicate ss frowned. I dont mean it lightly. I just want to help my master It would have been a lie if he didnt have any pride, but that wasnt his essence. He wanted to convey his feelings, but he didnt because it sounded like an excuse. But not everyone was like that. Try to understand them. Theyre all sensitive because they keep failing and they dont see any hope for the research. Ill warn those who badmouthed you earlier, so just do your best. Thank you for your concern. Delicate ss felt some relief from the senior researchers constion. It was understandable that they would be frustrated if there was no progress in the research. The senior researcher kept his word. When Delicate ss returned after leaving his seat for a while, he didnt see any hostile attitudes anymore. Thanks to that, Delicate ss 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. Theres no answer at this rate Especially recently, there was a new animal called a horse that could pull carts better than mas, and it was rising as an alternative fornd transportation. The steam lotive seemed even more useless. Do you see how hard it is? To be honest, yes. Delicate ss nodded at his masters question. His master smiled bitterly. It would be better to make the steam engine smaller and increase the size of the steam lotive, but thats 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 thetter option is more feasible than the former, if we consider the possibilities. Making the steam lotive bigger, you mean? Yes. They both felt that there was no hope with the current small steam lotive. But erging the steam lotive was not only difficult because of the damage to the paved roads, but also because of theck of production technology and the risk of idents. The paved roads were always crowded with countless carriages and people. If arge steam lotive passed through such aplex ce It would kill many imperial citizens who are walking. Especially if it was a steam lotive that was still hard to control. Lets keep thinking of ways. Yes, master. After that, Delicate ss 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. Theres not much time left He wondered if he could put his name on the development of the steam lotive within that time. Then one day. Delicate ss visited the architecture department to get some advice on the paved roads. But he didnt get a satisfactory answer from them. He just felt once again how hard it was to erge the steam lotive. Delicate ss left the deans office without any significant results. Im sorry I couldnt give you a satisfying answer. Its 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 ss smiled as if to reassure him. Haha. Its very sturdy, you know. Do you see that? The giant whale pointed to an unfinished part of the structure, and Delicate ss 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 thepatibility between concrete and steel bars. We call this method reinforced concrete construction. With this researchpleted, we will be able to easily build high-rise buildings that were difficult before. Wow. I see. Of course, its still far away. The giant whale sighed slightly. It was hard to use reinforced concrete construction unless they could producerge and uniform steel bars inrge quantities. Delicate ss listened to these detailed exnations 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 copsing. Thats why it was. Apletely new idea came to Delicate sss mind. What if Iy those steel bars on the ground instead of paved roads? Then maybe I could erge the steam lotive 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 wasnt entirely impossible. Whoosh! Why are you doing that? Do you feel unwell somewhere? Sorry, but I need to think for a bit. ? Delicate ss stopped in his tracks and immersed himself in his own world. What if Iy 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 sss mind spun rapidly. Ah! Why didnt 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 Its worth a try. At least, it seemed like a way out of the current deadlock. *** What? You want toy iron on the ground? Yes, Master. As soon as he arrived at theb, Delicate ss 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 sss exnation, his expression turned serious. His opinion sounded usible 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 didnt pay much attention to it, but now that he thought about it again, it felt different. Haha. Im such a fool. Howe I didnt think of this when Ive 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 arge 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 hepleted the previous steam engine. His brain couldnt keep up with it. But no matter who came up with it, the important thing was that he found a good solution. Hahaha. Youre amazing. Youve only joined theb for a short time and you came up with such an idea! Im d I could help, Master. This was how the concept of railway and steam lotive was first proposed and soon spread among the researchers. Of course, there were many people who were skeptical about it. This was becauseying iron rails would cost too much. It seems impossible to support the weight of arge steam engine with ordinary iron. Thats right. We need solid steel. Plus, we need to make them very precise to prevent derailment. If theyre even slightly off It could cause a terrible ident. 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 didnt have one, they wouldnt even be able to imagine such an amount. As the focus shifted to the astronomical cost, Delicate ss 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. Thats true. Also, once we make them, the efficiency will be different from what weve been doing withnd transportation. Swish! He unfolded a blueprint that he had brought from his pocket. There are many things connected behind the steam engine. Youre 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, dont you think? Indeed. It seems possible. The researchers acknowledged Delicate sss n favorably. If we can move a lot of things onnd 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 ss clenched his fist and recited with a strong tone. Imagine it. A world where railways connect the maind. If that happens, the world will surely change! Chapter 106: Interest Rate. Chapter 106: Interest Rate. Even after that, Delicate ss continued to exin 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 sss n is very feasible. I think its 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 silencest? When it seemed that no more opinions woulde out, Sharp Teeth dered. Then lets refine this n a bit more. Yes! Thats how the direction of the research was changed by Delicate ss. The era of the railroad was looming. *** After that day, the researchers stopped their work and started to make a new n. And in this process, Delicate sss 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 urately. Hes definitely living up to his reputation. The researchers who secretly envied him had no choice but to admit his skills. Sigh But actually, Delicate ss 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 andplete the railroad together. But you have your own research. You have to start the steamship research again. Dont forget that your teams researchers are looking only at you. At that, Delicate ss 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. Ill be rooting for you from afar. Haha. Youre saying what I should say. Ill take responsibility for this side and produce results, so you dont worry about anything else and just think about the steamship. Got it? Ill keep that in mind. With that, Delicate ss left for the steamship research. He disappeared like that, but as Sharp Teeth promised, the research continued. And soon they seeded in conducting a mock experiment with a model. But the problem started from then on. As expected, this is what happens. Its 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, theres also the problem of location. We canty a railroad in the university, can we? We dont know what kind of ident will happen during the research. It would be better if its a ce where there are few people. The previous three experiments that wereter 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 arge 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 seed, we can also use the railroad we used for the experiment. So its best to do the research in a ce where we can actually run the steam engine from the beginning. Hmm Then where would be good? I dont know. What? Nana, arent you all researchers? This is something that people who eat the national rice should worry about. For now, report the research results and ns 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-wooughed out loud as he read the report from Sharp Fang. He had established the concepts of steamships, railways, and steam lotives after the steamship. Of course, he had thought of the steamship after getting a hint from Sharp Fangs words, and he hade 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 couldnt countless schrs 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 lotives 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 lotive would seed anyway. And Kim Ki-woo knew how powerful the impact of the steam lotive 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 startedying 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 intoying railways. As he was thinking about this and that, the Minister of Internal Affairs arrived at his office after receiving Kim Ki-woos call. Your Majesty, you dont look well. Are you alright? Haha. Im fine, dont 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 Fangs report. Read this first. Well talkter. 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 lotives 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. Ive read it. So, what do you think? It seemed reasonable to me. Its obvious that if logistics move more smoothly, we can develop faster. Youre 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 aremercialized, logistics will move much faster. But this is limited to water transport. We cant neglectnd transport either if we want to fully develop deep ind. You think this steam lotive will be the answer. Thats right. It can transport an amount that cant bepared to a cart pulled by livestock. And thats not all. In the future, when the technology advances and the steam engine train bes 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 Im 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 exined 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 Majestys intention, but it is quite difficult with the current budget. And we havent even seeded in the research of the steam engine train yet, have we? Im confident that Sharp Fangs will seed. And before that, we have to quickly grow the steel industry andplete 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 empires 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 empires economy was always booming, so it was more profitable to invest in businesses than to just keep money. But not everyone seeds in investing. If they fail in thepetition and their businesses go bankrupt, they lose all their money. Those who didnt want to take such risks entrusted their money to the Financial Agency, even if they didnt 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 circting in the market will flow into the Financial Agency. Of course, he could haveid down the railroad slowly without doing this, but Kim Kiwoo wanted toy down the railroad as fast as possible with his full capacity. Anyway, once youy 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 toy down the railroad quickly even if he raised the interest rate now than to think aboutter. 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 ordingly. 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 Id rather entrust my money to the safe and reliable Financial Agency. Me too. Im going to entrust my money that I didnt 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 circting in the market flowed into The Financial Agency. What do you mean youre 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 Im just going to entrust my money there. But dont you know that there is a difference in profit? I dont 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 ces went bankrupt while trying to expand too much. Anyway, through this process, enough budget for Kim Kiwoos n began to pile up at The Financial Agency. Chapter 107: The Protagonist. 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 Im doing something terrible to the industrial director. The industrial department had long been thergest 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 rece the work of the industrial director. No matter how many staff members were hired, the work of the ck feather, who was the final decision-maker, continued to increase. And after today, it would increase even more. Soon, ck 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. Its so huge. Well, thats how it is. Were investing arge 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-woos firm words made ck 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. Ive already mentioned the railroad, so you should know. Soon well need steel that cant even bepared to what we have now. So please work a little harder in the industrial department. At that, ck 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-woos will was already firm. And then he would follow Kim Ki-woos 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. Ill try to amodate 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 verypetent. He had produced the best results within the given conditions so far. It was thanks to ck 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, Ive been well. Thats good to hear. Please take a seat. Yes. He was none other than Sharp Teeth. Youre amazing. You could have livedfortably as a dean, but you started researching again. And your research results are amazing, both then and now. Im embarrassed. The steam engine was thanks to Your Majestys guidance, and this time it was actually delicate ss that gave me the concept of railroad. I just spooned up a little bit. What are you talking about? Thats all because you started researching. Opportunityes to those who are prepared. Its an honor to hear you say that. At that, Sharp Teeths 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 lotive. Assuming that the research seeds, where do you think the steam lotive will be used first? Um Sharp Teeth was at a loss for words at the sudden question. He had only thought that the steam lotive would be installed in various ces, 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 industrialplexes 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 minepared to other minerals. Yet, it had a high price solely because of transportation. If coal started to be transported inrge quantities by steam lotives, the price of coal would definitely go down. It was hard to find anything that was not rted to coal nowadays. That meant, the price of coal would lead to a general decline in prices. Kim Kiwoo exined this to Sharp Teeth. Wow After hearing all this, he eximed and eximed 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 ces 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 lotive yet, but His Majesty seemed to have nned everything for the future. I would like you to do the research on the steam lotive here, considering the future. Swish! Kim Kiwoo spread out a map and pointed to a ce. It was near the mine connected to the ck sky. It was to use the railway and steam lotive that were used for research if the research seeded. Sharp Teeth also understood Kim Kiwoos 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 dj vu. He had experienced something simr in the past, when he was researching the steam engine. And after receiving a blueprint from Kim Kiwoo, didnt the research on the steam engine progress rapidly? Sharp Teeth read through the blueprint without any hesitation. Soon, he realized something. It was almost simr to when he made the steam engine. The steam lotive and railway in the blueprint had many improvements on what he hadcked in his own blueprint that he submitted to His Majestyst time. Its still an imperfect blueprint. Thats why we need to research and find the right way to do it. It doesnt look imperfect at all. When did youe up with these ideas? I dont think I can ever catch up with you, Your Majesty. Ha ha. Youre not a criminal. Youll only get scolded if you say that to someone else. Everyone would agree if the subject was Your Majesty. Ill take that as apliment. Ive already built a research facility in the area, so go there when youre 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 theb, he told them everything that had happened with Kim Ki-woo. Is this really the blueprint that His Majesty gave you? Ha ha. Cant you tell? Who else but His Majesty could make such a blueprint? Among them, the researchers were most interested in the blueprint. Its amazing. Its like you already know what the steam engine will look like. His Majesty is not someone we can judge. Thats right. The important thing is that His Majesty thinks the steam engine will be a great sess, right? Yes, thats right. He even gave us this blueprint himself, so its certain. And I heard that hes 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-woos every move pointed to the sess of the steam engine. Thanks to that, even though they hadnt started their research yet, the researchers were confident of their sess. I was sure of our sess after meeting His Majesty today. As expected But its too early to celebrate. What if we fail to meet His Majestys expectations even though we received such full support? Hmm. That would be terrible. At that, the Sharp Fang nodded. If that happens, I wont be able to get rid of my guilt until I die. So lets get rid of anycency and do our best. Thats the way to repay His Majestys grace. The researchers all agreed with the Sharp Fangs 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 inds one by one. Yo-youre alive Of course, there were many more who couldnt return than those who did. It was inevitable that they would be infected and die inrge numbers because they had to get antigens for the gue. Even if they were careful, it was hard to prevent it when the gue bacteria or virus entered their bodies in a situation where it was game over. The worst was when the gue spread on the ship returning. Those who returned from such hardships were truly lucky ones. Youve worked hard. Please follow our control for a while. Yes, we understand. While they stayed on the ind, a vine factory built on one side of the ind proceeded with attenuation of the gue they brought. And these attenuated vines were transported to the maind and mass-produced. Were almost there. Kim Ki-woo was able to rx as the vine was gradually mass-produced. The foundation for confronting the deadly gue of Eurasia was almostplete. We cant 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, vinate those who want it. Yes, I understand. The imperial citizens were already familiar with vination through Udu. Moreover, I heard that full-scale exchanges with other continents will start soon. Then we have to get vinated quickly, right? If you dont want to die. Rumors like this circted, and the imperial citizens were active in vination. Thanks to this, as time passed, at least within the empire, the risk of gue decreased rapidly. Chapter 109: Exposed. 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 maind, the higher the possibility of being involved in a sinister incident, but he never expected them to try to kill theirrades. 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 toe 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 copsed. 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 cant 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. Dont bother to see blood. Its a headache if the ship gets dirty. Hehe. Of course. Dont worry. Ill take care of it cleanly. Then lets get started. After that, only ck Leaf remained in this ce. Phew. Thats 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 didnt 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 cant make any noise. If he did, there was a risk that someone would hear the loud sound and rush out. I cant use a gun. And even if he did, he wasnt confident that he could hit their necks or heads urately 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 nned 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. Im sorry But Red Leather watched them die without blinking. He could have died trying to save them. Thats when about six sailors had their throats slit. Hes here! Finally, ck Leaf approached the ce 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 ck Leafs mouth. sh! He cut his throat with the strength of a suckling baby. Ugh! He let out a muffled groan and then, Thud! He copsed like a puppet with severed strings, spewing hot blood. Red Leather made sure to cut off his breathpletely 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 theyll show up. It was a race against time now. Soon, his body moved swiftly again. Red Leathers next target was Rough Beard. Just kill him. Sharp Eyes wasnt very good at physical abilities anyway. He didnt 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. Dont let your guard down until the end. Comcency leads to unexpected mistakes. Red Leather steadied his mind and raised his tension again. And he ambushed Sharp Eyes in a simr way to the two who had already lost their lives. This ambush was sessful too, as he didnt let his guard down either. But the difference was that he didnt 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 cant 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 n 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 mans body and hung it on a pir. This ce is dangerous. There were three ships in the fleet. Considering the sharp-eyed mans personality, there was a high chance that something simr 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 sailorse 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. Its over The red leather man was finally able to rxpletely. *** The next day. Wha, what is this! After the effects of the drug hadpletely 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 exined everything that had happenedst 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! Ill 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 cant kill that devil bastard! Dont we have to find out why he did such an unbelievable thing? Thats true! The sailors regained their reason at the red leather mans remark. And they removed the things that had sealed his mouth. Then, all kinds of excuses came out of the sharp-eyed mans mouth. I, Im not the culprit! This is a false usation! Im also a victim! Ha, culprit? Then drink this. Tha, that is! Thats the liquor you brought yesterday. When the red leather man handed him a ss of liquor, his mouth closed like a m. You cant drink it, can you? Of course. Youll lose consciousness if you do. But youre saying youre not the culprit when you brought this liquor? Do you expect me to believe that? With such clear evidence, the sharp-eyed mans face turned pale. Wait. You wont die easily. Youll suffer terribly and confess everything. The red leather man red 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 aplices were dead. They had thrown the corpses into the sea, so they couldnt 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. Thats 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 simr 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 didnt take long after they were tortured for the whole n to be revealed clearly. I havemitted 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 Doesnt 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 vine 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 vine 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 n of the sharp-eyed man. The n was roughly like this. First, he got the vine and lured the people of South Continent. Then, he killed all the sailors except his eight aplices who had nned 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 n 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 seeded in trading, he nned 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 borate n that could make a huge amount of money while maintaining his status as an imperial citizen. Chapter 110: Aftermath. 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 ordingly. Yes, Your Majesty! The meeting ended like that. Kim Ki-woo returned to his office, but he couldnt shake off the dirty feeling. So this is what happens when the capitalist ss grows. Of course, it wasnt 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 thew for the sake of money. And this was bound to increase as private capital grew and society became more advanced. I cant 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 ces when it was hard tomunicate 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 vited 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 dont think so. Unlike before, there was a strong motivation to make a fortune by going to another continent and bringing back relics. And didnt they also have faith that it was safe because of the vine? 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 didnt want to fall behind after seeing this attempt. Kim Ki-woo erased his thoughts from his head. Lets think about it after finishing this incident well. *** The aftermath of this incident was intense. The newspapers of the empirepeted 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 vite the ban that His Majesty proimed! All the imperial citizens, regardless of age or gender, denounced the instigators of this terrible act. As a result, things got bigger and bigger. Lets take this opportunity to investigate whether the public officials have done anything illegal! If the vine hadnt 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 empires 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 didnt expect so many bad things toe out. Arent they afraid of heaven? Theyre totally crazy! His Majesty has emphasized the integrity of public officials so much! They get paid a lot anyway, but theyre blinded by greed. They clicked their tongues as if they couldnt believe it. The public officials of the empire were quite high-ie 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 couldnt make an excuse that they hadmitted corruption for living. Hmm more vines were stolen than I thought. Did you really sell it for that price? The inspectors were shocked by the number of vines that had been smuggled out. The vines were a means of protecting their lives from possible epidemics, and the wealthy wanted to get vinated as soon as possible. There were quite a few capitalists who secretly bought and received illegal vines, 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 empires economy. But they couldnt 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 ones social status is, the more they should set an example for others. However, many nobles and wealthy people bought illegally distributed vines 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. Thats 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 vines for the sake of possible danger. They didnt mind spending money, as long as they were safe. And they couldnt afford to be hated by Kim Ki-woo in the empires society. Thanks to that, they each paid arge amount of money. This solved the problem of domestic distribution of vines to some extent, but the amount of vines 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 umted 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 vines at very high prices for their safety. They were not imperial citizens, so they had no idea when they would be able to get vinated. He could sympathize with their actions to some extent, given the situation. So Kim Ki-woo thought. Since itse to this, lets sell vines positively to the rich outside. Of course, he intended to charge a very high price as it would dy the vination 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 maind, Fine Sand continued to plead his innocence. He was sincere. He had agreed to participate in Sharp Eyes n, 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 Thats just an excuse. Do you think your guilt will disappear even if you didnt 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 ce. 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 didnt know, the fact that they cooperated with the sharp-eyed ones wont disappear. Therefore, I will sentence all those involved in this matter to hardbor. Those who resist can be killed on the spot by themanders 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 vine illegally also paid a lot. In addition, considering the vine that would be sold expensively to the nobles outside in the future, the profit was even greater. I have to make more vines with this. He thought he had to increase the production of vines much faster than now to minimize the variables. He had made a lot of money that he hadnt expected, and he nned to pour it all into vine production. *** As society gradually became moreplex 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 didnt care at all. They focused only on research on railways and steam lotives since theboratory that Kim Kiwoo had made for them waspleted. They had been researching steam lotives for quite a long time, so visible results began to appear quickly. In addition, they were located close to ck Sky, so they could directly transport the necessary steel structures. As a result, a railway and an experimental steam lotive that could move on it were made in no time. Please dont let there be any idents Dont worry too much. There wont be any problems. Right? It must be. Sharp Teeth nodded his head consciously. And before the first steam lotive experiment started, he checked several parts for thest 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 lotive 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 dont let your guard down. Got it? Yes! Then, as nned, they started to heat up the steam engine attached to the steam lotive. Squeak! And at some point. Finally, the steam engine was ready to operate. Start! Then, following Sharp Teeths shout, the steam lotive slowly began to move forward. Screech! Oh! Woah, its 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 lotive was moving forward automatically. It was the moment they had been longing for so far. Ahh Something hot rose up in Sharp Teeths chest. The steam lotive in front of him was very noisy and slow. But that didnt matter. Wasnt 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 lotive in front of him would get faster and more stable. As the experiment continued, his confidence in sess grew stronger. It didnt derail due to inertia even when passing through not only straight sections but also gentle curved sections. And finally, when the steam lotive stopped and all the experiments ended. We did it! Hahaha! The researchers shouted with joy. It was the moment when steam lotives officially showed their appearance in the history of the empire. Chapter 111: Railroad Operation Rights. Chapter 111: Railroad Operation Rights. Huh! What am I seeing right now? The first steam lotive experiment running on the railroad was witnessed by many people. It was because of the symbolism of Sharp Teeths 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 lotive wasing 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 Teeths research ce was ck Sky, and even if they were not, they were people who were friendly to industry. But onnd, not on sea, most people could not even imagine a huge steam lotive moving forward like this. At least steamships had something simr to ships, but steam lotives had nothing like that. As a result, after this day, at least in ck Sky, steam lotives 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 ising all this way to see this steam lotive. Huh. Is the steam lotive really that great? Cant you tell by looking at it? I think its enough to understand. The news of Kim Ki-woos visit increased the curiosity about the steam lotive. As a result, as the experiments continued, more and more spectators increased. Even people who lived far away from ck Sky started toe. 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 didnt expect the famous me Merchant Groups leader toe in person. Is me Merchant Group also interested in that steam lotive? Well, Im 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 tobo business, but there was no merchant who disparaged his ability and insight. Thats why the merchants showed interest when he came here in person. Of course, Yellow Footsteps didnt care much about the surrounding eyes. His attention was all focused on the railroad that stretched out coolly and the steam lotive 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 theters. 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 be the owner of the empires best merchant house! He wanted to surpass the Lightning Merchant House or the Gale Merchant House and be the leader of the upper world. And Yellow Footsteps smelled a thick scent of money from the steam lotive he had received a report on. While he was thinking about this and that. Finally, the performance test of the steam lotive began. Kiiik! Its moving! Wow! As the people who gathered around said, the steam lotive moved forward with a loud noise. Everyone, stay away from the railroad! Donte near! There was amotion as the personnel from the Security Agency stopped people from approaching the railroad. But Yellow Footsteps eyes were fixed on the steam lotive that was gradually gaining speed. He nodded unconsciously. Its certain. The steam lotive will change the world. He had guessed it before he came here, but as soon as he witnessed the steam lotive, he was sure of it. I think I know why they are experimenting here, not near the capital. He saw through Kim Kiwoos intention to transport minerals, especially coal, as a priority. His mind was spinning fast. If the railroad isid 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 be 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 poprized. Yellow Footsteps had also thought it was premature, but his mind changed after seeing the steam lotive. 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 lotives. His eyes sparkled like stars as he nned. *** After countless experiments, the day of the opening ceremony of the steam lotive dawned. And Kim Kiwoo came to the opening ceremony site as nned. Good. Very good. Kim Kiwoo couldnt hide his smile as he watched the steam lotive 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. Im 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 nned to meet the Yellow Footprint before he came to the opening ceremony. He had heard of the Yellow Footprints 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. Its 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 Kiwoos 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 empirepletely. Heavy raw materials will be easily transported to their destinations, and people will be able to travel quickly to distant ces by riding steam engines. Haha. You and I think alike. I also think so. But this is only possible after enough railways areid on the maind, isnt it? I suppose so. The Yellow Footprints voice became more subtle. Your Majesty, I would like to help with the poprization 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 me Merchant Group has a short history, but we have made a lot of money from various businesses, including tobo. If you allow me, I would like toy railways with this fund. Your merchant group doesnt have the technology toy 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 Kiwoos 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 Footprints outstanding business skills were very famous in the upper ss, 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 headachester. Thats a good idea. But as you know, you canty railways in the empire without my permission. Thend of the empire belonged to the state. In the end, he had to get permission toy railways. Kim Kiwoo continued his words. If you ept two conditions, I will grant your wish. Please tell me yourmands. 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 dont have to worry too much. I have no intention of running the railway at a loss. But Let me tell you in advance, dont try to negotiate with me. Just ept it or reject it. Thats all Im saying. Kim Ki-woo cut off his words firmly. Of course, it would have been great if the private capitalists hadid the railway themselves. But anyway, the railway business was a goose thatid 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 ept both conditions? Even with Kim Ki-woos question, the Yellow Footsteps could not answer immediately. If he epted this, his n to grab both wealth and power would be ruined. He is indeed a formidable person. Its 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 ie. After a long deliberation, the Yellow Footsteps finally made a decision. I will ept all of your conditions. Good thinking. Well do the detailed contract after we return to the capital. I understand. Chapter 112: Transfer. Chapter 112: Transfer. Meanwhile, the situation in the central continent was getting worse and worse. Oh! Is this whats so popr in the maind these days? Have I ever lied to you? You have no idea how popr it is, its sold out everywhere. Ha ha! How can I not trust you? Alright. Then Ill 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 thats already out of fashion. Hes really ruining the reputation of the nobility. I know, right? Doesnt 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 be theughingstock 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. Theres no end to those leeches sucking our blood! Damn those nobles Where did the money for the nobles extravagancee 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 mostmon 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. Whats 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. Ill do as you say. Its all because of that damn spirit religion! Of course, they couldnt 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. Isnt this too much? What did they do wrong to deserve such a horrible punishment? Its what the nobles do. Sigh I wonder when well 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 theypared their reality with the lives of the mainders who kepting in, the central continent continued to rot. *** Damn it! Ourrades have been arrested again inrge numbers! How long are we going to just watch this happen! Thats right. Its time to make a big move. If we join forces with our manyrades, 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. Its true that we have enoughrades with us, but its not clear if we can achieve our goal in this state. The nobles regr army is well-armed and well-trained warriors. The difference in weapons and training is too great. Even if we seed 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 ourrades? No, we dont. Even if we did, we shouldnt get into a money fight. If we do, we will lose to those greedy pigs. Well, we cant 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 cant let that happen. We have to receive weapons unterally. And to do that, there is only one way I always told you! You mean the n 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. Thats nonsense! How can we hand over our sess that ourrades fought for to the Empire? We have to build our own independent country. We are fundamentally different from the Wakan Tanka Empires people, so we will surely be discriminated against. If we are fully incorporated into the Empire, many of ourrades will be persecuted. How can you be sure of that? The Empire is a country where many people from all over the continent gather. Its an exaggeration to say that we will be persecuted in the future. You just want to be a new leader after seeding in the revolution, dont 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 didnt know if he would have to step down without any reward after the revolution if he said something wrong. He just red 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 ce by building a new country following the blue flower-like voice after the revolution. You are exaggerating. Please refrain from such extreme attacks. Thats 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? Thest faction, who had been neutral, gradually leaned toward his opinion. Lets think about it more for now. We have time. Lets 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. Thats how it is, right? It seems like its only a matter of time now. We dont 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 nted quite a few spies in this meeting, and he monitored their every move through them. The fate of the Central Continent would changepletely depending on their decision. The blue flower-like voice is really dangerous. The wide sky saw it clearly. His ambition to be a new power holder by seeding 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 seeded in the coup. They would eventually be subjugated to the empires 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 usation caused the coup to fail, the blue flower would reap a great profit. I hope it doesnt go as I think. The wide sky did not want to see such a despicable sight of him betraying hisrades 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 cant intervene directly. Just quietly tip off the clear bell sound. Yes, governor. *** As a result, the blue flowers betrayal was nipped in the bud. Thanks to the wide skys 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! Dont you know that your actions are selling out all of ourrades? 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 n to forcibly make the central continents residents into imperial citizens, as you wished? We have been thriving independently for a long time! We have to protect what is ours! Youre spouting nonsense. No matter what you say, it doesnt change the fact that you tried to betray us. Thats right. Theres no need to listen to this filthy traitor who tried to cozy up to the nobles. Death to the traitor! The blue flowers excuse was not epted 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 usplete the coup sessfully. I suppose so. They were ssified 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 regr armys equipment of the nobles. As I said before, its 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? Youre clear bell sound, right? Yes. Go ahead. Say what you want. They had met several times before and knew each others faces, but they couldnt reveal it because they met secretly. Clear bell sound calmly spoke. I know very well that you dont want to get involved in external political situations. However, as we said before, we believe in your empires religion and admire your empire. Thats very kind of you. And we wish that if we seed in the coup, the central continent will enter into your empires embrace. Oh, is that so? If you only provide us with weapons, we will seed 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 ept 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. Ill ask his majesty and give you an answer soon. Well be waiting. Chapter 113: Surrender. 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 empires 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 Antic 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? Thats not it. But I wonder if they will join the empire without resistance from the local residents. The poption size itself is different from before, isnt it? Kim Ki-woo agreed with that to some extent. The poption of the central continent was muchrger than that of the maind 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 poption growth rate, the central continent had a lot more people from the start, so its poption 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 urate, but perhaps there were more people in the central continent than in the maind. But Kim Ki-woo was confident. I think differently. Arent the residents of the central continent already dyed with the color of the empire? There were too manynguages in each region of the central continent. Therefore, there weremunication problems whenever they went to another region. But now, Wakan Tankas standardnguage had firmly established itself as amonnguage 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 be 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. Thats why they had pursued such aplicated 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 be abundant. The most important thing in this era was food and living problems. And as soon as the central continent became part of maind, not an external region, inevitably, quality of life for residents would improve. The military chief listened to all exnations 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 bacsh from nobles. We cant just watch them with our eyes open. Thats right. To prepare for this, we need to move our imperial army. Get ready to send our maind 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 asrge-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? Dont worry. I will surely live up to Fathers expectations. It can be dangerous. So dont make a big deal out of unnecessary pride and think about your and imperial armys safety as a priority. Yes. I will do that. The blue earth bowed his head bravely. Its okay. Its not a dangerous mission, so nothing big will happen. He was not a mere soldier, but themander-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 be a strong candidate for the next military chief. But the blue earth wanted to secure his position even more. So he chose to be themander-in-chief of the imperial army that was being deployed. If hepleted this mission sessfully, he would have a clear advantage over hispetitors. With that in mind, he left Kim Ki-woos 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 governors office of the direct territory. Haha. You! How long has it been? Brother! Its 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. Ive 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 cant win a war if you dont use them well. Your role is crucial from now on. The imperial army will not participate as much as possible. Youve given us such excellent weapons, what more can we ask for? Weve also worked hard to learn the empires weapons system and tactics. Dont worry too much. I hope so. The blue earth could not shake off his worries even with the clear bells 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 themander. 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 nned 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 thatforted them was that they had manyrades. The members of the suicide squad who were in charge of transporting weapons moved to ces where there were few people and headed for their destination. What? Arge 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. Its hard enough to deal with the direct territorys forces, let alone those from the maind who are deployed There was no answer with this power gap, let alone a siege. It was impossible to seed. In the end, there was only one thing that nobles could do. Keep an eye on them so that they dont 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. Dont move! If you move even a little, Ill kill you on the spot! Damn it. The organization members who faced the nobles regr army frowned. They were outnumbered and had been moving stealthily, so they had no chance of winning against the regr 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 regr 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 regr 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. Whats 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 whopleted their mission. And from the regions where weapons were sufficiently supplied, the residents began to revolt. All people are equal! Whats 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! Thats right! Lets all shake off and rise up! Uwaaaah! As the organization members got hold of the empires 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 regr 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 ce 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 regrs. No matter how good their training was, they couldnt even get close because of the firecrackers. Everything became useless. We won! Hahaha! Theyre 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 couldnt believe it. They never expected to be so brutally defeated by the lower ss 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 didnt change. Surrender! We surrender! P-please spare our lives! Before long, the nobles from all over surrendered to the residents. Chapter 114: Investment. 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. Lets 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 upied by the residents like dominoes. Its 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 regions 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 Thats right. Even though many residents had already taken some of the nobles wealth during the upation process, it was not noticeable at all. And the residents who found out about the nobles wealthter 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? Isnt 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 toplete this great task thanks to that. So now its 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. Dont worry too much. After paying for the military supplies that were supplied, we will distribute the rest fairly among ourrades who participated in this great task. Also, you will get money when you return your guns to the imperial government. The residents faces rxed at his words. After that. As nned, the imperial army began marching into various areas of the central continent. It feels like were going through a renovation in our homnd. Hahaha! Thats true. Themander-in-chief of the imperial army, Blue Earth, looked around with a faint smile. There was a huge cheer and a fervent wee wherever the imperial army walked. The residents were captivated by the illusion that they would be 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, arge 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. Thats how the Central Continent gradually became part of the Waktanga Empire, a huge fence. *** Huh I didnt expect the Central Continent people to join the empire so suddenly. Haha! Well, isnt that natural? His Majestys 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 didnt think much of it. The Central Continent was quite far away from the maind. But those who were quick-witted sensed the huge wave that this event would bring. And their expectations slowly revealed themselves. Im an imperial citizen now! Hahaha! I can go to the maind freely! Until now, they couldnt leave their ce 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 inrge 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 maind 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 ce 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 iparable 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 ce like this and be 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 onbor costs, right? And more workers will keeping from the Central Continent, right? This idea was especially prominent in upations that imperial citizens avoided. As their quality of life improved, imperial citizens tended not to do dangerous, dirty, and hard work. What, youre giving me this much money? Is that for real? Haha. Youll 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 iparable 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. Isntbor still very cheap in the Central Continent? Then wouldnt it be more profitable to produce there than on the maind? Of course. Its not for nothing that factories have been built in the direct territories until now. But now, factories can be built even in the deep ind areas! The merchants acted quickly as they smelled money. We need to build factories in better areas! If werete, well 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 ofbor. 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 empires control, thebor shortage in the maind 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 pricepetitiveness, the factories in the maind 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. Ill have toe up with a countermeasure. And he had already outlined some ideas for that. *** A few dayster. Kim Kiwoo published an editorial in the Imperial Newspaper. 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 ns to invest in the railroad project that His Majesty mentioned? Of course I do! Its a project that His Majesty himself mentioned. How could it be risky? Besides, I heard that this is a project that cant fail. Surely, even the giant merchants have jumped into it. Would they have rushed into it like this if it wasnt profitable? The mans words were true. The first one to jump into the railroad project was none other than the me Merchant of the Yellow Footprints. He epted all the conditions that Kim Kiwoo offered and started building a railroad near the southern port. And the railroad of the ck 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 uses at first nce, but the merchants eventually epted 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. Thats 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 theycked funds, so they went out to find investors. The empire had a solid middle ss, and railroad business was a very good item to get investment from them. In fact, until Kim Kiwoo published his editorial, investment attraction was very smooth. But now things had changed. The imperial citizens began to invest in the governments 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 rtively easy. Do you want to invest this much from your ount? Yes. Please do that. Its done. Heres 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: The Empress. 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 deepke, 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 empresss physician. Is there really no sign of improvement in her condition? Im sorry, Your Majesty. Its a symptom caused by old age. Theres nothing I can do with my level of skill. Please forgive me for my ipetence Sigh How can you me yourself for that? I understand. You may leave. Yes, Your Majesty. After the physician left, Kim Ki-woo stared nkly at her face. I wished so much that this moment would nevere 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-woos words, his five grown-up children surrounded the bed where the deepkey. Kim Ki-woo smiled faintly at them. Its been a long time since weve 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 ce. We should have visited more often, but we were busy. You cant leave your post as the governor-general of the central continent often. Im not ming you. Im rather sorry for calling you when youre so busy. How can we work when our mother is in danger? Kim Ki-woo nodded. Now the governor-generals office had to manage not only the direct territories but also the entire central continent. As a result, the staff of the governor-generals 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 ofmanding 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 daughters face. Sob, sniff She was crying silently. Kim Ki-woo looked at her with pity. She must be the one who cant ept 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 Starlights tears gradually subsided. Then, Kim Ki-woo spoke to her. You have to think about the baby in your belly. Its 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 youe 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 yed. I called them. So dont say anything. Isnt 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 Im 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 Im really sorry. How can you me me for not being able to go because of my poor health. Im happy right now. After that, several conversations followed. The empress shared many stories with her children, andughed brightly as she reminisced about the past. Kim Kiwoo felt his throat tighten as he watched this. Maybe this would be theirst conversation. Thats 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 childs. And that night. Deep Lake left the world. *** Oh! How could the empress mother leave so vainly! It cant be Sob! Ugh! Waaah! The news of the empresss 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. Youre 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 Kiwoos 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 Kiwoos 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 shorings, 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 dont 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 rtives who were waiting around him and said, You guys alsoe here and spend thest time with the empress. Yes, Your Majesty. After Kim Kiwoos 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 Kiwoosst 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 pce. 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 ofmentation 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 vige 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 wille here from time to time whenever I miss the empress. Kim Kiwoo left them behind and went to the riverbank near her birthce. Her rtives, who had already scattered, had gathered here after hearing the news that the empresss ashes wereing, so the surroundings were quite crowded. Kim Kiwoo waited for them to have theirst 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 empresss blessing here. And the architects and artists who visited here voluntarily built many things around her birthce. They made statues that captured her appearance in life, and a museum thatmemorated 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: Achievement. 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 bes 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 copse 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 isnguage. If there was nomunication, 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 nned to establish the imperial standardnguage in the Central Continent as quickly as possible. And we also need to develop industries in the Central Continent. If the ie gap between the Northern and Central Continents persisted for a long time, this could also be 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 ces 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 Kiwoos 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 poption 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? Id rather look for something else to do! But more people thought positively about it. Its 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 waspleted rtively 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 veryrge. *** Haha! Wee, everyone. This ce stillcks many things, but I think it will develop quickly if you are here. Lets work hard together. Yes, Governor! The vast sky warmly weed the people who arrived at the central continent. Its really reassuring. Among these experts, there were quite a few craftsmen who were famous even in the empire. Thanks to that, the vast sky couldnt help but smile as he looked at the dispatch team. Well, lets 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 dayster, the dispatch team started to head to their assigned ces. Sigh There are so many underdeveloped ces. Its going to be a tough time. Hahaha. I think development is just a matter of time. Just look at the budget assigned to us. Its enormous. I thought I had made a mistake when I saw it for the first time. Right. I doubted my eyes too. Theyre pushing us so hard, its our fault if we dy. After exchanging various conversations, the experts finally arrived at their destination. And from that day on, they began to recruit local workers on arge 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 urately 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 amountpared to the maind, but even that was veryrge from the residents point of view. Thanks to that, the reaction was explosive. Ill 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 inmunication 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 viges. 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? Dont lie to me. Its true. If you dont believe me, why dont you go and see for yourself? Hmm The man tilted his head but moved his feet with a curious mind. Wow! Its true! And he realized that unbelievable story was true. Of course, not all students were paid. They had to take a test ording 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 amountpared to the effort they put in, and they didnt 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 poption 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 sess! And as time goes by, they will buy more of our products, wont 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, themoners, rise up, we can live happily as imperial citizens! Thats right. We can do it too. Im 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 ces 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 continents 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 dont 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 discussplete surrender to the empire. *** Meanwhile, the changes in the maind were no less than that. Kim Ki-woo started nning 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 lotives 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 lotives are also improving. Sharp Teeth was still working hard on development. Thanks to that, the first clumsy and slow steam lotive had changed quite decently by now. The steam lotive production system is almostplete. Hot Anvils 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 urate and abundant day by day. And steamships are also bing more popr. This wasrgely thanks to Delicate sss efforts. Steamships also increased transportation efficiency like steam lotives did. And as coal prices fell, it was not hard to see steamships on the empires rivers. Its natural that they are reced by steamships because they are much faster than existing ships. Kim Ki-woo anticipated this and made ns to mass-produce steamships at many shipyards in the empire. Thanks to that, he didnt have to pay much attention to this area anymore. Chapter 117: Unification of the Continent. 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 vine 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 vination, they avoided fatal situations. The ones who suffered the most were the Andes people. It was not even worth mentioning the maind, and since vines had been distributed in the region after it was subjugated by the empire, that was why. Ah, our choice was right. If we hadnt 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 Tankast forever! Woo-hoo! This kind of cheering that praised Kim Ki-woo and the empire was amon 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 vines with expensive money for themselves, and they dont blink an eye at us dying. Its 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 doesnt 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 simr to you suddenly live well. Thats how the Andes people saw the residents of the central continent. Moreover, the factions of Andes had purchased vines 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 ce. I think everyones situation is simr. If we stay like this, well 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, its good. If we just maintain our wealth that weve umted so far, we can livefortably in empires maind. 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 empires foreign ministry. But the reaction of foreign ministry envoy was lukewarm. I heard you want to be part of the empire. Yes. We will give you all control over the region we have ruled so far and ept the empiresw. You know well that means you will be ordinarymoners, 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, envoys face did not rx. It was because he did not like the proposal they wrote next. But you want us to recognize your wealth that youve earned so far? Gulp! As the most sensitive issue came out finally, tension appeared on the faces of factions. Thats right. Isnt that our legitimate wealth? Youve been recognizing the wealth of Andes people who were loyal to the empire long ago. No. This is different from that. Ill tell you clearly, but I cant acknowledge all of your assets. No, why not? Were giving up all of our rights, arent we? Haha. You seem to be a bit slow to grasp the situation. Its 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? Its not that little, is it? You can livefortably on the maind with that much. Id like to collect more from you, but His Majesty doesnt want that, so Im stopping here. If you dont 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 empires 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 doesnt 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 epted the empires offer. Most of the Andes region fell into the empires 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 aplete Wacantanga continent was born. Kim Kiwoo looked down from the highest point of the pce and smiled. Of course, he still had to gather the remaining tribes under the empires g, but that was not a difficult task with the current power of the empire. So this day finallyes. Kim Kiwoo was satisfied with this situation itself. There have been empires in history that have upied a huge territory. One of them was the Mongol Empire. But what the Wakan Tanka Empire achieved was very different from them. They just upied argend 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 veryrge. Kim Kiwoo gave an order when he heard this. I will use the assets of the warlords and the governments budget to develop the southern continent as I did in the Central Continent. As soon as this order came down, many peoples eyes turned to the South Continent. It couldnt 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 dying 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 wont be long before arge amount of silver flows in. The Potosi silver mine was said to be a mountain made of silver. I need a lot of silver toplete the industrial revolution. As the continent was unified and the imperial economy expanded day by day, arge amount of currency was needed. The Potosi silver mine would y a big role here. *** Meanwhile, there were naturally more things that happened over a long period of time. The railways built by the empires railway bureau and the giant merchants had taken their ce 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 ce 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 wont die, so dont worry and get on. The steam engine train went beyond being used for cargo and also took its ce 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-woos foresight. And at this time, due to the continental unification, immigrants from Central and South continents flocked to North continent endlessly. Here too, steamboats yed 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 ind and steamboats on rivers and dispersed to various regions. Its much more amazing than I heard I cant evenpare 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 empires 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? Theres a good way, right? Anyway, North will be the capital in the future, and if you get residency rights in or near major cities in the North, youll 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 Norths industrialplex 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 nning for a long time. And when nning waspleted, they mobilized arge 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 andborers, as well as an enormous increase in volume of goods, and buildings were built day by day. Chapter 118: Bubble. 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 vines, as well as the establishment of hygiene awareness. The birth rate itself was simr, 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 poption 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 be a big problem. Kim Ki-woo stroked his chin after hearing the words of the agricultural minister. This is simr to the Malthusian trap. This theory was proposed by Thomas Robert Malthus before the arrival. Malthus argued that poption 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 ws, and there were many problems such as targeting the poor as the poption control group. Well, its not exactly the same. There was still a lot ofnd 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 poption 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 ifrge-scale mechanized farming became possible in the future, but there was a limit to how muchnd one person could farm. Anyway, some food reserves are needed. The poption 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 ovee the crisis. Thanks to this policy, food production increased even more and it didnt 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-woos decision caused an unexpected situation. What? The government is buying up agricultural products indiscriminately? Thats what they say? And His Majesty personally ordered this to the agricultural minister. Hmm, this is strange. Its not like him to suddenly issue such an order. The merchants who watched the price of agricultural products rise slightly soon learned about the empires agricultural import policy. And that Kim Ki-woo was deeply involved in it. This gave a sense of urgency to themercial sector. His Majesty ordered us to stock up on agricultural products Is this something big happening? Hes not someone who would give such an order out of nowhere. Thats probably likely. Even if not other merchants would think the same. That means, anyway, that the price of agricultural products will go up. Oh! Youre really a merchant lord. I didnt 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? Thats the correct answer. Lets 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 urred 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? Youre asking for twice as much as you did just before? If you dont want to buy, then get lost. That person over there offered that much money, but since you showed your intention to buy first, Im 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, theyll 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 ss 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 cant believe this Kim Kiwoo let out a hollowugh. The agricultural products circting in the Wakan Tanka continent were enough to feed all the poption. 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 topare it, it would be simr to the tulip bubble in the Nethends? But soon Kim Kiwoo hardened his face. If this goes on, it will cause a huge damage to the economy. People die if they dont 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, didnt the tulip bubblepletely 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 governments 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 andmunication system was still poor, there were many people who bought cropste. 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 governments warehouses were open wide also spread somewhat. Huh? The governments 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 copse! It was Kim Kiwoos trust that created the bubble in the first ce. 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. Thats when it started. The copse 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 ss 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 markets 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 wont me you. I do think so a little. The agricultural minister finally admitted. Kim Kiwoo smiled bitterly at this. I honestly didnt think it would go this far. He didnt 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 didnt expect a bubble to ur so quickly. He thought that if a bubble urred, 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 schrs. 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 empires 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 dont know if youll believe me, but I didnt 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 nned, 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 damagepared to the firstrge-scale bubble that urred 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. *** Its 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 dyed a little longer, he might have driven the empires economy into ruin. As expected, crowd psychology is really scary. Watching this situation, Kim Kiwoo realized once again the instability of humans. Anyway, theres nothing bad for me in this situation. However, Kim Kiwoo did not intend to just pile up the money he earned in such an ufortable 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: The Age of Exploration. 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 elerated the development. The amount was sorge that even Kim Kiwoo could not grasp it at a nce 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 theboratory, 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 maind soon, and the idents 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 tes and making manyyers. This provided an opportunity to utilize flowing electricity. Not only that, but it was also revealed that electricity flowed in the animals 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 electromaic induction and utilize it. The next thing is chemistry. After Bright Feather found out that oxygen was rted to thebustion of fire, many substances began to be identified. Thanks to this, basic theories such as thew of conservation of mass were epted 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. Its 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 dered 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 couldnt 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 copse 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. Thats 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 dont forget that they are not your subordinates anymore. Dont worry. There wont 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. Simrly, 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 itsmand. 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, dont 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. Im sorry, but thats 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 ces. And as the number of departments increased, it became harder to find the desired department. Huh. I miss the old days. Its only confusing because they suddenly reorganized everything. Thanks to that, suchints 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 maind have been vinated, and we have long been producing vines 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 nned 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 Commerces opinion? Immediately, objections popped up. No. The Minister of Commerces words make sense, but I dont think its a good decision topletely lift the ban. The empire doesnt have much to hurry, does it? Thats right. We have lived well without interacting with other continents. There are still many ces 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 dont know what new things are out there. Isnt it because of those precious relics from outside that you want to lift the ban? Ive heard that merchants are crazy about them. What? Are you saying that Ive been bribed by merchants? When did I say that? Im just saying dont mess with the current situation of the empire for that reason. Im trying to lift the ban to eliminate that variable youre talking about. Dont distort my intentions. Kim Ki-woo listened to their sharp arguments and thought. The opposing opinions do make sense Theter he lifted the ban, the safer he would be against the gue. But Kim Ki-woo soon shook his head. We can handle it at this level. It was toote to be afraid of worms and not fill his stomach. Of course, he had to impose some restrictions. Its 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 themerce 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 banpletely. Then what do you n to do? We will allow free sailing to anywhere outside, but we will restrict iing 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 vine distribution than the central or southern continents. This way, we can deal with any new epidemics more easily, dont you think? I understand what you mean. I think your majestys 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 rxed made the hearts of many imperial citizens burn. Finally! Hahaha! How long have I waited for this! This especially heated up the upper ss. 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! Lets 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 ces where there were no routes yet. The former expected stable profits, and thetter 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. Theyll 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 were reaching another continent with a steamship, right? There wont be any problems, right? Thats 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 Theres no way to know until we go. But coal ismon, 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 cking off and hurry up! Tsk. Aye, aye. As time passed, all the shipspleted their preparations for sailing, Whoosh! They cut through the waves and headed for the vast sea. And this happened simultaneously in many ces on the continent. It was finally time for Wakan Tanka to cross over and start a tumultuous change in Eurasia. Chapter 120: The Warring States Period. 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 ys 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 ropes words, his mother wiped away her tears, but his father clicked his tongue as if he was displeased. It couldnt be helped. His family was a prestigious n. They had been active as Kim Kiwoos aides since the Creek tribe era, and they were the n 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 n members had been active as schrs in various fields of study, including astronomy, for generations. But the eldest son of the n, the swift rope, had been stubborn about doing somethingpletely different from what the n 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 its dangerous, run away. Do you understand? Yes, father. I will definitely do that. The swift rope felt a deep paternal love in his fathers indifferent voice. He knew it well. The fact that his father loved him very much. Otherwise, he wouldnt have gathered the ns 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. Theres nothing missing, its perfect! We just need to set sail now. Really? Even at his closest aides 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 toote after going out to the vast sea. Good. Everything is ready as you said. I told you so? Dont you trust me? This is hurtful Who would I trust if not you? I just checked it out, dont worry too much. Now, lets get ready to sail. The fleet led by the swift rope consisted of five ships. Thanks to his fathers full support, all the ships were steamships, and they were veryrge because they were of thetest model. Soon after, the swift ropesmand was broadcasted to all the ships. And after everything was ready, the voyage began in earnest. I wonder whats 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 Antic 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 ce where the swift ropes 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 thetitude was simr, the climate would be simr too, so he made that decision. The fleet maintained thattitude 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,nd ahoy! What? Is that true? Atst, beyond the horizon, the sight ofnd 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. Its real! Itsnd! 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 idents 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 hisposure at their excited expressions. He was the chief officer of the ship, after all. Dont let your guard down, everyone. This is an unknown world. Anything can happen here. Stay at your posts and do your assigned tasks! At Nareulsmand, 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? Theyre out in droves. Haha! Look at their faces. Theyre so shocked theyre 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 couldnt judge everything by this, but he could tell by their astonished faces that ships as big as theirs were notmon here. *** What? A huge ship suddenly appeared? Yes, thats right The news of Nareuls ships arrival reached Hojo Ujitsuna, who ruled this region. He was a powerful daimyo in Kanto, who inherited manynds 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 couldntmunicate 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 eximed over and over again as he checked each sample. The porcin 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 Ujitsunas 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 arge faction with his fathers and his own efforts, but he always had to work hard to be 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 Ujitsunas 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 regions warlords. I see. The interpreter had learned some Japanese in a short time, and the other sides envoy also learned some imperialnguage, so they couldmunicate 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 n. After introducing themselves, Hojo Ujitsuna asked. May I take a look around your ships? Well, I dont see why not. But you have to leave your warriors behind, except for a minimum escort. What? As soon as Swift Ropes 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 Dont 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 Ropes 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 elerated, 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. Its really fast, isnt it? Yes. So this is a steam engine. Haha. As long as we have enough coal, we can travel very fast. Swift Rope exined the mechanism of the steamship briefly. He also exined many other things about the empire, such as guns and steel cannons. Its 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 weremon. 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 be the true master of the whole country. I have to get them on our side. A hot ambition began to rise in Hojo Ujitsunas chest. Chapter 121: Hangul. 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 simr. The more he learned about the situation in this region, the more he couldnt shake off this thought from his head. The sight of numerous factions rising up and stealing each othersnds 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 iparable to their own territory. That continent was unified by the Wakan Tanka Empire, and the long-standing ban on sailing had been rxed. They also learned about the spirit faith and Kim Kiwoos existence. Its really absurd. Hojo Ujitsuna thought as he fiddled with an imperial gold coin. He looked at Kim Kiwoos face engraved on the coin. A face that looked like it was in its mid-twenties at most. It didnt 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 thisnd too, but Hojo Ujitsuna knew well that even Denno couldnt escape the flow of time. But no matter how he looked at it, it didnt seem like the sailors were lying. Thats not important right now. Hojo Ujitsuna suppressed his curiosity. What was more important was how to make them like him and ept his advanced culture. So, after discussing with his subordinates, Hojo Ujitsuna invited the Swift Rope to Odawara Castle. Have you beenfortable here? Thanks to your grace, we have been resting veryfortably. We are very grateful for your kindness. Its only natural to wee a precious guest who came from far away. Rather, we are thankful that you came here first. Dont 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. Thats 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 havee to other regions of thisnd? Probably. I heard that thisnd is skewed to the east. As he expected. Hojo Ujitsunas chest sank a little at the confirmation of the Swift Rope. If the empires 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 wont beat around the bush. We desperately need the help of the empire. If its okay with you, would you join hands with us? Hmm? Join hands? As you said earlier, this ind is skewed to the east, and this ce 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 its coal, people, or food. As far as I know, you dont mine coal Thats not a problem. We will somehow get enough coal for you, so dont worry. The Swift Rope felt a bit tempted. He needed a ce to supply coal and food anyway. He continued. Mr. Swift Rope, you cant stay here forever, can you? There is a huge continent in the west, and it has much more resources than here. Its a very wealthy region. Ive heard that. So if you allow us, we will sell the empires products on your behalf in thisnd. And we will take only the minimum profit. If his words were true, it was a very generous offer. He would sell the empires 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 thisnd. 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 thisnd. 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 empires existence. But after they came, Hojo Ujitsuna changed his mind. I need the empires advanced weapons to do that. Please sell those weapons to us. I beg you. Swift Rope felt a strong me of desire in his eyes. He looked like a huge beast crouching down. Weapons The sailing ban was notpletely lifted, but rxed. Of course, there were things that were prohibited. For example, human trafficking such as ve trade, or actions such as upying 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 vition was detected and reported by the interpreters, they would be punished severely for viting 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 avable 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 avable 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 ept 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, thats 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. Thats how Hojo Ujitsuna joined Swift Ropes 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 couldnt trust himpletely, 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 Ropes 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 ce. And he asked Dark Sky. What is this? This is the imperial script, isnt it? Ye, yes. Its 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 notpletely 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 moreplicated his head became. Is this possible? He learned that this letter was called Hangul in Joseonsnguage. But, hadnt 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 simr 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 simr. 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 shed through his head. Is the person who made this letter also a descendant of the great spirit who visited thisnd? 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 Joseons king was also a descendant of them, it seemed to fit somehow. Of course, this was just Swift Ropes misunderstanding, but Swift Rope had no other way to interpret it. This is definitely worth looking into. Swift Rope originally nned to go to Ming after sailing. Thats 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: Joseon. Chapter 122: Joseon. Phew This is really exhausting. Lee Yeok, who wouldter be called King Jungjong, felt a deep fatigue. He became the king through a rebellion against Yeonsanguns excessive tyranny. But he never had any intention of bing the king of Joseon in the first ce. He was just enthroned by the sess 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-jos 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 Yeoks 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 rtives to office, but they formed their own faction and the political situation was a mess of chaos. I cant see any solution. Joseon was a country of schrs. Thats 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 Yeoks 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 didnt 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 theyve 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 iparable 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 rtionship with Joseon. So try to capture them as much as possible without using cannons. Yes! As Swift Ropes order fell, five ships quickly cut through the sea and approached the Japanese pirates. Well 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 didnt 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 empires new guns, which had undergone many advancements, boasted excellent uracy and pration, turning the approaching barbarians into honebs. Kwang! Thanks to the asional 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 empires vanguard chased and captured most of them. My goodness I heard it from my father, but I didnt expect it to be this much. Its like theyre easily subduing children. Hozo Ujitsuna, who had been quietly watching the battle, felt a strong thrill at the sight of the empires vanguards shocking power, which he had only heard of. Whether he felt that way or not, the empires 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 themotion. We are not here to fight. So dont start any trouble. Dont worry. We will keep that in mind. Following his instructions, the empires fleet waited quietly at a considerable distance from thend. To show that they had no intention of fighting, they nted white gs 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 empires vanguard. Soon, three ships cautiously approached the empires 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 theye 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 dont want to fight with us. They just came too fast for us to report, and they have no ulterior motives. If they did, they wouldnt have brought us the barbarians ships and looted goods. How can you schrs abandon your humanity? Hmm! Arent 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 empires vanguard in the report were truly amazing. He didnt know much yet, but he could tell that their ships were better than Joseons. Was that why? Lee Yeok felt more curiosity than displeasure at their invasion of Joseons territory. So he replied like this. Of course, they are guilty of entering Joseons 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 couldnt 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. Thats 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 ufortable. 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 pce. A few days passed, And he finally met Lee Yeok, the king of Joseon. I greet the ruler of thisnd, this humble man called Swift Rope. He bowed to Lee Yeok with a Joseon-style courtesy. His words were tranted 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 ce called Wakan Tanka Empire, right? Yes. Huh. How dare you im 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 ce? Its impossible. Its 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 arge continent. It was too absurd a story. Thats why most of his ministers soon denied it. But no matter how much they denied it, he didnt care. Because his words were true. If I have a chance, I will invite the schrs of thisnd to Wakan Tanka Empire. You will see for yourself when you see it with your own eyes. Lets discuss thister. Lee Yeok stopped the argument. That aside, you said you brought some very precious things. Can I see them? Of course. Thats why I brought them. As he agreed, the industrial products from the empire began toe 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 porcin 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 thats why? He began to think that maybe his absurd ims 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 Yeoks mind. Chapter 123: Regret. Chapter 123: Regret. After his first audience, Swift Rope was able to stay in the pce. 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, its amazing. Haha! I really liked the soap you gave mest time. It peels off the old dirt so easily, my wife loves it. And how about these sturdy andfortable shoes? Thanks to them, my feet are veryfortable. More than that, the sses are more amazing. My eyes have been dimtely, but its much easier to read now. The items that Swift Rope brought were truly a paradise. They all filled the gaps that had beencking 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 dont get it. The letters that a king named Sejong created with his ministers because Chinese and Joseonsnguages 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? Its 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 maind, he could not deny it. Thenguages were different, but the letters written on paper were the same. And even the creation time was simr. With this strange phenomenon, Lee Yeoks 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 thisnd. 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-woos existence no matter what, but he could not strongly deny Swift Ropes confident answer. I see. I guess Ill naturally find out when the delegationes 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 gue from other continents Thats right. His Majesty saw through this with his wise insight and issued a ban. Then did it work against the gue? Of course. I also received several vines made in the empire before I came here. Vines? Tell me more about what they are. Swift Rope exined the existence of bacteria that cause infection, immunity, and the concept of vines. Even after all the exnations were over, Lee Yeok could not speak for a while. The gue 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 themon sense so far. Come to think of it, after suffering from an epidemic, I didnt 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? Its 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 wouldnt get it again. This is what immunity is. And smallpox is one of the easiest diseases to make a vine 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. Its not hard to tell you. So calm down. Since germs and vines were not ssified as secrets, the Swift Rope had no hesitation in sharing them. Do you know that cows also suffer from a disease simr to smallpox? Really? He didnt know much about it, so he tilted his head. Youll find out if you investigate. Its 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 dont get smallpox? Thats right. If you want, Ill tell you in detail how to make cowpox, how to inocte it, and how much to inocte per person. Huh If this was true, it was amazing. Then you dont get smallpox either? Thats right. I got cowpox too. Hmm. Then are you saying that even if you wear the clothes of people who have smallpox, theres nothing wrong with you? Haha. If you want, Ill prove it to you with my body. No need. I just said nonsense. You dont have to do that. Im fine. Its not a hard thing to do. *** The conversation of that day quickly spread beyond the pce 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. Theres no need to treat your body so harshly that your parents gave birth to. You dont have to worry about me. If thats what you think, I wont stop you. After passing thest 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 isted 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 wouldnt have gotten smallpox. Come this way. Following the gesture of the guide who had already survived smallpox, Swift Rope and hispanions 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 oveing the disease. But no matter how much time passed, Swift Rope and hispanions did not catch smallpox, nor did they show any signs of change. And finally, the promised date passed. My goodness Its true that they can prevent smallpox! Its 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. Its because we have explored many kinds of knowledge under the great emperor. And even now, countless schrs 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. Im 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 thisnd 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 emperors 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 schrs. 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 didnt 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 Ill try to inocte some of the people who havent 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 thisnd. Of course, many people opposed this proposalter, but thanks to Lee Yeoks firm determination, a trial cowpox inoction began. And soon after, it was proven that cowpox could fight off smallpox. However, there were many people who were reluctant to get vinated because of the rumor that if they took cows pus into their body, they would be cows. But thanks to the excellent efficacy of cowpox, cowpox vination gradually took root in Joseon. After that, Swift Rope and hispanions 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 Dynastys national fortune was very weak at that time. It was a very satisfying voyage. Time to go back. With this, Swift Ropes 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 , Joseons envoy group, and Ming Dynastys merchants. It was just before foreigners began to visit the empire in earnest. Chapter 124: The Visit. Chapter 124: The Visit. Many young schrs 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 schrs 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 schr who wouldter be one of the greatest schrs 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 particr 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 empires immunology was very systematic, and they actually seeded in preventing smallpox by using cowpox through inoction. I want to know more. Yi Hwang, who was preparing for the civil service exam, wanted to learn more about the empires learning. How it differed from the Neo-Confucianism that he was studying. Thats why he wanted to join this envoy mission, and luckily, he was included in it. Its 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 schrs. 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 schrs started to head towards the sea after a while. Ssh! 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 schrs felt a sudden eleration and eximed. Its 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 empires ship. What is that thing The empires 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 schrs. So they went to see Nalleun Basseul, who was fluent in theirnguage, and asked him about the steam engine. The steam engine, you say? Yes. Im 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 schrs nodded their heads at this question. Nalleun Basseul smiled and continued his exnation. It uses this phenomenon of the lid being lifted. When water is heated, it bes steam, and this steam expands to a muchrger 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 schrs listened to his exnation, 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 schrs 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. Its 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 Hwangs 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 empires industrial goods, but Yi Hwang felt this clearly. And he felt a strong desire to experience the empires maind as soon as possible. *** It didnt take long for the Swift Ropes 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 tradingpanies had branches in Yanghae without fail. So Swift Rope nned to sell many of the goods he brought on board to giant tradingpanies. This ce is Hmm! And finally, when they arrived at Yanghae. Everyone on board, regardless of nationality, was greatly shocked. Themon sight of tall buildings and countless people, and the sight of railwaysid out all over, and steam lotives 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 thisthe Wakan Tanka Empire? Yi Hwang shivered at the overwhelming sight. The most impressive thing was of course the steam lotive. That must also use a steam engine, right? Ive 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 tradingpanies 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 Yanghaes most popr 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 wasnt it. Steamships going back and forth between Yanghae and the East Sea were somon that they stepped on their feet. And they were fast. It didnt take long after they left port to arrive at the southern port of the maind. 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 lotive for the first time in his life. Wow! The ride of the steam lotive 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 lotive might break down and cause a big ident. But nothing like that happened until he arrived in the capital. This is the capital Isnt 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 wont 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 Pce, 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 Ropes group and let out a hollowugh. Well, I guess its understandable that theyre curious. King Sejong had created Hangul around the same time that he had established the Imperial standardnguage. 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 thend where Joseon was, the Korean Penins. The region where he was born and spent most of his life. His roots were still in the Korean Penins, although they had faded a lot by now. Thats 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 Hwangs visit was a bit more intriguing, who wouldter be the leader of Yeongnam School. Ill get to meet a great man who Id only see on bills. Of course, he was young now, so his appearance would bepletely different. Where are they? Are you referring to the foreigners? Yes. They are staying at a separate pce. 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 ce that night ording to Kim Kiwoos 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 doesnt 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 im that he had escaped aging turned out to be true. Raise your heads and sitfortably. 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 couldntpare it to where I lived. Hojo Ujitsuna spoke first. Then followed by abundant food, huge amounts of gold and silver coins in cirction, 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 Kiwoos words made Yi Hwangs 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 empires schrship. As soon as he finished speaking, most of the people, regardless of their origin, agreed with Yi Hwangs 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 empires schrship. Chapter 125: The Change of the Era. Chapter 125: The Change of the Era. After the meeting with Kim Ki-woo was over, The guests from the East toured the empires bustling areas and major cities, including the capital. The climax was when they visited the empires top industrial city, ck Sky. By now, many industrialplexes had sprung up in the north, but as a single industrial city, ck Sky was still thergest. 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 empires products are so abundant. The countless factories that led the empires mass production were shocking to say the least. In Joseon, paper simr to hanji, which was so hard to produce, was mass-produced here by a substance called sulfuric acid. This exined how the paper that went into the books and newspapers that were widely avable in the market was supplied. And that was not all. The sight of high-quality steel, iparable to Joseons 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 empires schrship, 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 imperialnguage well at the university, and then study the empires schrship in earnest. Of course, there were many eyes on them as strangers from anothernd, 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? Thats fine, but what is it about? Im very curious about Joseons 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 Joseons 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. Its not hard, but I dont know why hangul and imperial letters match either. Thats okay. Just tell me what you know. Especially, the schrs curiosity was even more outstanding. And this was the center of schrship, Imperial University. Thanks to this, schrs 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 empires schrship. The history of the empire, philosophy, electricity, chemistry, gics 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 schrship 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 Xis 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 schrs who imed 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. Wasnt 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 regr meeting with about a hundred schrs. 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. Arent they constantly developing by the countless schrs 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, tost forever. I will definitely change Joseon. If not us, who have urately grasped the reality of the empire, then who can do it? The atmosphere became tense at Yi Hwangs rather radical im. But that was only for a moment. Soon, people who agreed with Yi Hwangs im appeared one after another. I will also contribute to Joseons change. Even if it ends badly, I have no regrets if I can change Joseon like the empire. Haha! Thats what Ive been thinking all along while learning from the empires schrship. Good. Lets give it a try! Of course, there were still many schrs who had not made up their minds, but a majority of them agreed with Yi Hwangs n and the mood became heated. Thus, a faction that wanted to reform Joseon was formed around Yi Hwang in this ce, the Wakan Tanka Empire. *** While such changes were slowly happening in the East, the rtionship 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! Lets go! Thanks to this, many European shipspeted 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 tounch 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 doesnt die? Where can you find such a person! Thats impossible. They dismissed the fact that Kim Kiwoo was immortal as a mere rumor. They could never ept 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. Thats 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 fiercepetition 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 ve trade in Europe, mainly Portugal. How can humans treat other humans so horribly as ves? 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 ve traders and their fortresses. Th-thank you so much Sob! And they freed the ves 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, a in My Penins, Hormuz in Persian Gulf, etc. were built mainly by Portugal, but the Empire did not approve of such forced upation against the will of the natives. This was also influenced by the fact that Europes perception was very bad in the Empire at that time. The imperial fleet contacted the natives of the areas that had been forcibly upied 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 simr 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: Oil. Chapter 126: Oil. Not all the foreign visitors had a positive image of the empires cities. Ugh! I cant breathe Why is everything so hazy? At that time, the scale of the industrial sector in the ck Sky was growing rapidly, and so was the coal consumption. The chimneys spewed out smoke all day long, polluting the air of the ck Sky severely. The visitors who had lived in a clean environment without pollution were very ufortable with this air pollution, as they had no resistance to it. As a result, they admired the many factories of the ck Sky, but they were reluctant to stay in this city for long. To be precise, even the imperial citizens hated the scenery of the ck Sky. If this wasnt my workce, 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 ck 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 ck Sky, is serious. Theints of many imperial citizens living in the ck 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 ck 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 dont think His Majesty doesnt 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 dont know that? Its just that it seems like the damage will get worse as time goes by If youre so worried, you shoulde up with a solution before you speak. Theres no point in just pointing out the problem. Ive 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 thats 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 regte 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. Its 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 peoples 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 imbnce and market erosion over time, but that was something to think aboutter. I have an idea about this issue, so lets 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. Thats because they have differentnguages, cultures, and religions. Naturally enough, not all of the imperial fleets that crossed the ocean and arrived in other regions had friendly rtions with natives. Many of them started off with a hostile rtionship 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 anothernd. 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 sorge 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 umted 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 muchrger and richer poption than Europe, because they used rice as their staple food. The European countries would suffer more if they didnt 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 thend 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 lely. It is not right to forcefully preach in areas where religion has already taken hold. Isnt 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? Rx. 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. Hes 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 nothingpared to oil. Petroleum products using oil wouldpletely 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 pollutionpared 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 sess. 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 oilyer in one shot if I was lucky. Unfortunately, this time the goddess of fortune was not on Kim Ki-woos 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. Dont 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 Majestys 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 rted to oil. Fractional distition 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 distition, 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 bedrockyer 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 its there, it must be there. He suppressed his doubts and prayed and prayed that oil woulde 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 couldnt 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 pir 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 wasing out, and if he made a mistake, there could be casualties. Thanks to Cold Clouds instructions, people quickly backed away. He also watched the towering giant oil pir from afar. Its beautiful. It looked like a truly amazing natural wonder. He felt like he would never forget this sight until he died. Thats oil We seeded. Cold Cloud finally confirmed that the drilling was sessful. Ha, haha Then a great emotion began to rise in his chest. His hollowughter caught the attention of his colleagues. We, we did it. Hahaha! We did it! They hugged each other and shouted. Chapter 127: The Situation. 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 sessful 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 theck of technology. But with this sess, 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 ce where you struck oil? Yes, Your Majesty. It is unbelievable how much ck 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 sorge 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 havent 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 poprization of oil. *** Kim Kiwoo moved busily for a while. He carried out various tasks rted to oil consumption simultaneously. First of all, he wrote a long and detailed editorial in the Imperial Newspaper about the sess of oil drilling, the amount of oil drilled per day, and the potential of oil. 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 ck oil is so amazing. Thats right. His Majesty emphasized it so much, so it must be true. After the Imperial Newspaper published Kim Kiwoos editorial, It pierced through many issues that had been stirring up the empire, and oil stole the focus of the imperial citizens. Kim Kiwoos editorial was quite unusual. 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 ce where oil drilling was sessful, and they confirmed the substance called oil with their own eyes. Amazing! Wow Its flowing out endlessly, isnt 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 thats 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 arge-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 schrship 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 Kiwoos instructions, they voluntarily worked day and night to understand the properties of various materials. Petroleum For those schrs, petroleum was a very interesting topic that Kim Kiwoo had emphasized over and over again. This kerosene can be used as fuel formps 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 oilmps, because they neededmps to light up the dark ces during the mining process. In this regard, kerosene had all the conditions to be highly sought after. Thats why most of the schrs 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 simr, and its quite simr to coal. The schrs noticed this first. It was inevitable since they were both fossil fuels. Therefore, the schrs 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 schrs thought of. However, the current steam engines were externalbustion engines that used steam. Therefore, at first, there were quite a lot of researches on putting petroleum instead of coal. But many schrs thought differently. This petroleum might be able topensate 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 ces. Numerous schrs and craftsmen tried to improve the steam engines, but there were clear limits due to the nature of externalbustion engines. It was hard to miniaturize them below a certain level because the ce where thermal energy was generated was outside the cylinder. Thats why many researchbs were conducting research on a way to generate thermal energy inside the cylinder instead of outside. In other words, internalbustion 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 empires momentum continued to ascend, the world entered a whirlpool of chaos. This was deeply rted 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 inrge quantities and taken far away very cheaply. Huh This good cloth is only this price? Haha. We value credit first. So dont worry. Especially cotton fabrics produced inrge quantities due to the industrial revolution were sold all over the world and caused a copse in cotton prices. Then, those who made a living by weaving cloth in those areas went bankruptpletely. 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 enve 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 cant 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 nned 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 epted 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 ntation agriculture such as rubber, sugarcane, cocoa, tobo, cotton, etc., and toplete 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 unterally. As the imperial budget continued to pour out until the indigenous industries settled down, suchints 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. Theirbor was so cheap that it was iparable to thebor 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 imbnce 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 ss 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 verymon in India. Moreover, cotton was also cultivated inrge quantities. India is truly and of milk and honey! Naturally, there were many cases where India was included in the mainmercial 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 differentnguages in each region and had rarely been united. Of course, there was the Mughal Empire established by Babur, who imed to be a descendant of Timurs empire in northern India, but at this time it was just one of the regional losers. Anyway, the indigenous states epted the empires firearms and tactical system aggressively to avoid being annihted by other countries. Thanks to this, Mughal Empires 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 ind kingdoms based on their umted 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: Iron Ships. 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-woos direct and indirect involvement was too extensive. Therefore, this survey excluded Kim Ki-woo. Hmm Isnt 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 lotive were not his idea, but Delicate sss 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 sss 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. Didnt I invent the railway and develop the steamship so much? Stop being so shy and get back to work. Yes, yes. Delicate ss 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 becamecent. I still have a long way to go to be a disciple worthy of my masters name. Because of this thought, Delicate ss always pushed himself hard. His master, Sharp Teeth, died of illnessst year. He refused to take the position of industrial director until his death, and poured all his efforts into developing steam lotives. Thanks to him, the current steam lotives were iparably faster and more efficient than the first prototype. Thats why Sharp Teeth ranked first in this survey without any doubt. I hope you are at peace with the spirits Delicate ss felt a surge of longing for his master again and prayed for a while before heading back to hisboratory. Wee back, boss. Good morning! He received a warm wee from hisboratory staff and researchers as he passed by them. Delicate sssboratory was veryrge in scale. But Delicate ss was not only a boss but also a researcher who always led the research on the front line. The purpose of establishing thisboratory was only one thing. To build iron steamships. The future of ships is in iron ships. Delicate ss 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 disadvantagespared 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 heavypared 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-rted research that was taking ce in the empire, Delicate ss became more certain. If a power source that surpasses steam engines is created, sailing ships will surely be obsolete. With these thoughts umting, Delicate ss focused all of his researchbs resources on iron ships. The construction of iron ships was an unknown field. But was there anything that Delicate ss had done that was not an unknown field? He was not a man who would flinch at such difficulties. *** Despite Delicate sss pride and persistence, and the abundant support he received thanks to his reputation, the iron ship experiments failed repeatedly. Surely it wont sink right away this time, right? Hey! Dont say such ominous things. This time, it will definitely seed. Delicate ss had many brilliant schrs and craftsmen under him, but they had already lost a huge amount of money as giant iron ships sank several times. If it wasnt for Delicate sss reputation, the experiment might have been stopped. Thats why the researchers really hoped. That this time, it would be able to sail the sea normally. Remember this well. If anything goes wrong, dont hesitate to put this on and jump into the sea. Got it? Haha. If I hear it one more time, I think blood will reallye out of my ears. Even if bloodes out, engrave it in your mind. The senior researcher grumbled, but Delicate ss didnt change his expression and emphasized again. What he pointed at was a primitive life jacket made by inting 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 ss was very sensitive about safety as the chief researcher. He also proceeded with safety and final checks. After finishing all of these. Delicate ss opened his mouth. Good. Then lets 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 wouldnt 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 couldnt rx. 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 lets 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. Thepletion of the iron wire and the date of the experiment were not secrets, so many spectators had flocked to see it. Delicate ss, who was watching them, muttered. I hope this time those cheers wont turn into sighs of regret. They wont, 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. Dont rx yet. The experiment is not over until its over. Delicate sss 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 idents, 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? Thats 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 ss, 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 Kiwooughed out loud. Thats how beautiful the iron wire looked shining in the sunlight. Although I can see some ws 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 umted. 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 sss research in the first ce. He knew very well that the future shipbuilding industry would start with iron and end with iron. Your Majesty! Its been a long time since I saw you You came? Haha. You never disappoint me. Thats too much praise. Delicate ss bowed modestly, but his eyes were filled with deep satisfaction and joy. He deserves it. Kim Kiwoo smiled and patted Delicate sss shoulder. Now you should take it easy. Im worried that your body will copse if you keep doing research. You have a lot of money, so why dont you enjoy your remaining life? Delicate ss 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 wouldnt 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 fingernails worth of sincerity in his words. Delicate ss didnt seem to have any intention of stopping here. Hes 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 pce to hold an imperial conference. You have all heard about Delicate sss research achievements, right? Yes, Your Majesty. Iron ships have many advantages over wooden ships. This will be more evident as time goes by. I want arge-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: Foreign Policy. Chapter 129: Foreign Policy. Its very beautiful. Is this the silk thats popr these days? Haha. Yes, it is. Its a precious product made in a ce called Ming across the West Sea. I can see why its so popr. The clerk agreed with the mans words. As their conversation suggested, silk was very fashionable in the Empire. In the Empire, cotton fabrics were somon 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 Empires people, silk was a new world with its very soft texture and luxurious appearance. Swish! Ah Ming tea is different from the Empires tea, I tell you. I still prefer the Empires tea, but this is also quite good. Tea culture was quite old in the Empire. Of course, cocoa was very popr and some people liked the unique taste of coffee that came in recently, but drinking brewed tea leaves wasmon in the Empire. And Ming tea was very popr 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 dered 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 bing 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 Empires 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. Wee. Look here. I have a lot of good quality products. Oh! Really? Thats why the atmosphere of both sides who were doing the smuggling trade was very friendly. They established a very friendly rtionship and traded the products they brought. It was a very profitable trade this time. Well, see you next time. Take care. After the Empires merchant left, the Empires products that were brought in by smuggling trade prated deep into the ind. There were many products, but especially the Empires cotton fabrics, paper, and writing tools were of such high quality and low price that they could not bepared 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 t on the floor. This time its Champa. At this time, Champa was maintaining its power in the south of Vietnam. Of course, it was in a simr situation to a vassal of Vietnam by now, but it still had some strength. I cant say I dont 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 Thand 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 inds in Southeast Asia showed the same behavior. He understood enough. The Empires 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 annihted 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. Im sorry, but I cant grant your request. The Empire does not want to get involved in the local power struggles unless its a special case. Of course, he intended to stop the Europeans from building colonies overseas in the imperialist era, but it was uneptable 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 voluntarilye under the Empires 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. Its natural. The Empires power was overwhelming. There was no country that couldpete with it. If you have power, you want to use it. Thats 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 its not a big benefit in the long run. He didnt 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 Empires 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 ur 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. Dont worry too much, Im not ming 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 Empires people. Hmm He said it indirectly, but it was no different from criticizing the Minister of Defenses argument as short-sighted. Your armys blood is precious. You are their leader. You need to feel the weight more. Keep in mind. It may be easy to upy 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 notst long. The question of the Minister of Foreign Affairs followed immediately. Your Majesty, if I may ask, how do you n to deal with the naturalization of overseas people? This was also a very sensitive topic. But he couldnt avoid it either. Lately, the number of people who wanted to be the Empires 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 ces 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 ces quickly by train and ship. Do we have to ept the naturalization from overseas? There is no use in the Empires constitution that epts naturalization from overseas in the first ce. I agree with that. Kim Ki-woo nodded at the opinions of the ministers who opposed naturalization. We dont need to ept naturalization from overseas because of the poption. He unified the continent, distributed vines 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 poption of the continent grew like crazy, like an amoeba. Of course, he nned to increase the poption more, but this was enough to be satisfied naturally over time. There, in the past, when the Empire was dered, there was this use in the constitution. -Anyone who belongs to the same continent can be an equal Empires 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 ept 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 thend 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 thisnd if not the people who have lived on thisnd for a long time? Kim Ki-woo smiled bitterly at that. In the original history, this continent became thend of the Europeans. Of course, it was a history that would nevere again. Thats right. But, that doesnt 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. Arent 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 ept the Empire as their homnd, live using the Empires standardnguage, and believe in the spirit faith, they can be qualified enough to be the Empires people. Do you disagree with me? Of course not. As you wish, Your Majesty. We will follow you, Your Majesty. Thats how the approval of naturalization from overseas was decided. After that, many people headed to the Wakantanka continent to be the Empires people, and this increased as the wars in various ces intensified. And Kim Ki-woo advised to avoid racial discrimination in his regr editorials, and strongly punished the radicals who were tainted with continental supremacy, and did his best to prevent racial discrimination from taking root. Chapter 130: The Gun. 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 countrye 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 worlds 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 justment 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 cant 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 schrs 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 wascking 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 tost 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 evenparable to them right now. Sigh The subordinates sighed at their sultans words, but Suleiman Is harsh words continued. Im sure many of you are ufortable with the existence of spirits that they believe in. But now is not the time to reject them for religious reasons. We have to be students who learn everything from the Wakan Tanka Empire. That will be for the sake of the people living on thisnd. He took a deep breath in the silent air and dered. So those who are willing should go to the Wakan Tanka continent. Go and learn from the Wakan Tanka Empire. And dont hesitate to ept 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 ept 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 rtions 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 empires 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. Its 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 epted 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. *** Peacees from power. A cry without power is nothing but an empty echo. Kim Ki-woo, who had learned about Koreas painful history in the past, knew this better than anyone. Thats 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 Its awesome! They showed great interest in how a small bullet flew at a tremendous speed by the explosion of gunpowder. Ive decided. Im going to be the best gunsmith. What are you talking about! Im 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 handter. 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, thats a cannon, not a gun. What about you? If you want to make toys, why dont you get a job at a toy research institute? What? Toys? Okay, if youre so confident, lets bet on which gun is better between yours and mine! Haha. Who do you think will be scared? Dont whine when you loseter! 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 Starlights research to miniaturize guns and Blue Moonlights research to increase firepower even if it increases the size of guns. The research of both parts proceededpetitively. The brothers made guns while thinking hard to beat each other. But neither of them liked their first prototype. Hmm This wont 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. Ive be 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 nned it. The answer is in rapid fire. Cant we make the bullets fire continuously? Through this, their research underwent a great change. And time passed. The first one toplete 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. Lets see you try your best. Ill be improving this guy a bit more. The Blue Starlight left his brothersb with a confident expression. Watching his arrogant back, the Blue Moonlight gritted his teeth. Just wait Ill show you that my gun is better. He continued his research with burning enthusiasm. He practically lived in hisb, except for a few hours of sleep and eating time. The Blue Moonlight repeated to himself. Overwhelming rapid fire, overwhelming firepower. Thats 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 its a cannon? Surely, thats too much for a gun? How can it be a gun with a crank attached? The other researchers who followed the Blue Starlightughed at the prototype that the Blue Moonlight and his subordinates had made. But this soon subsided as soon as the demonstration began. Well 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 Gatlings 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 Im wrong after seeing this? Imagine how the war will change with my machine gun. The Blue Starlight was silent at his brothers 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 wasnt bad either. It definitely has some advantages over mine in terms of mobility. Thats obvious. But I won this bet. What are you talking about! Theyre just different in purpose, you just said my revolver wasnt bad! They argued for a while about who won the bet, but they couldnt decide on a winner. But at least in the history of the empire, they were both recorded as winners of gunsmiths. Chapter 132: Homeland. Chapter 132: Homnd. Going back in time. Kim Kiwoo spent hisst moments with Yi Hwang and the Joseon envoys before they returned to their country. He usually didnt see off foreign diplomats like this, but he felt more attached to the Joseon delegation because he was from the Korean penins. So, did you learn a lot during your stay? Yes, we did. Thanks to your majestys 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 schrs ate the food on the table as if they were starving. Dont 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 ce. After the banquet was over, Kim Kiwoo called Yi Hwang aside. What is this great man thinking? Yi Hwang was one of the leading schrs of Neo-Confucianism in the long history of Joseon. He was curious how his thoughts had changed after seeing the empires learning and development. Its the first time were alone. Yi Hwangs expression was full of confusion as he entered Kim Kiwoos 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 didnt call you to scold you. Dont worry too much. May I ask why your majesty called me? He couldnt 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 be a great person in the future. Did that answer your question? ! An unexpected answer. Yi Hwangs eyes widened at that. Now Im more convinced of my intuition. Your majesty thinks highly of me Its truly an honor for my family. Yi Hwangs face was filled with emotion at Kim Kiwoos high praise. Ahem. Feeling awkward in this situation, Kim Kiwoo cleared his throat and started a serious conversation. In a few days, youll be sailing across the vast sea. Can I ask you what you felt in the empire so far? Of course. At Kim Kiwoos 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 wouldter be 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. Its 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 thats 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 seed. No, it should be considered almost impossible. Wasnt it a simr 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 dont lose your head before you reach your goal. As Kim Kiwoo said this, Yi Hwangs 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 Hwangs 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 homnd when I set foot on thisnd, but it seems that was not the case. He had been on thisnd 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 Its 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 n. Kim Kiwoo and Yi Hwang continued their conversation for a while.
Rewinding time. Yi Hwang looked at the chaotic foreignnd and thought. The emperor said so. Make the king your ally. Kim Kiwoo knew well about King Jungjongs 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 Joseons 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 im distorted King Sejongs 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 Joseons sessful reform. Kim Kiwoo hoped that King Sejong would understand this for the sake of Joseons people. Wasnt 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 ovepped, but if what the emperor said is true, doesnt it solve all the questions? Yi Hwangs 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 dered that he would not spare any support for you. We must not miss this opportunity. Hmm As Yi Hwang continued to speak, Lee Yeoks mind swayed like a reed. Is this really the right thing to do? Until now, the center of the world was the Central ins, the Ming Empire. But he was suddenly unsure if he could change his attitude so abruptly. Moreover, if he epted this, it would mean turning his back on countless schrs. He could even be driven out of the throne like during Yeonsanguns reign if he made a mistake. Therefore, he could not ept Yi Hwang and the Wakantanka Empires proposal at once in this ce. Youve worked hard. Ill give you an answerter, 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 Yeoks mind urred. What? Th-that is A ship made entirely of iron arrived at Ganghwa Ind. A sudden news caused amotion 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 ountable 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 its the Wakantanka Empire Do you think they would report such a tant lie to the court? We should first find out the situation before and after. Find out what you want, its 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 Yeokughed bitterly. And one thought lingered in his mind. I want to see it for myself. So Lee Yeok decided to go out of the pce for the first time in a long time. His destination was Ganghwa Ind, where the empires iron ship was anchored. *** Time passed, and Lee Yeok finally saw the iron ship with his own eyes. Its truly incredible. He was amazed when he heard about the size and speed of the empires gship, but the iron ship in front of him was unreal. Lee Yeok realized why Yi Hwang praised the empires 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. Its 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. Theres so much. Lee Yeok eximed 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 aplete 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 nk for a moment. But soon, he regained his senses and asked him. Are you saying youll 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 ropes words drove a wedge into Lee Yeoks 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 ept his offer. You made a good choice. And so, the curtain rose on the reform of Joseon. Chapter 133: The Picture. Chapter 133: The Picture. Kim Ki-woo had always favored schrs and emphasized the importance of reading countless times. Thanks to him, reading had be a universal daily activity for the imperial citizens long ago. Even if their upation 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 highpetition rate, in order to do so. Theres no book thats not here. Im happy This library boasted thergest 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 avable in the library. Excuse me, librarian. Can I ask you something? Of course. Ill 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 schrs 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 be a schr, I wont have much time to read books. Im satisfied with my current life. Tsk! Youre 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 rmended him to enter the Imperial University, but he refused them tly. He just generously shared his knowledge with the schrs 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 schrs, 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 rted 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 Vincis Codex Anticus. Camera obscura was a term that referred to the phenomenon of externalndscapes 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 wasnt 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, its all thanks to the camera obscura, right? Yeah, thats right. Come to my studio when you have time. Ill show you the real thing. Really? Then Ill visit you after work today. Warm Hat was curious about how the camera obscura actually worked, so he readily epted his offer. And as promised, he went to the studio on the steep cliff after work. Is this it? Youre here? Come and see for yourself. He followed his friends guidance and checked the actual operation of the camera obscura. Wow. This is amazing. It really shows upside down because of that tiny hole? Thats what Im saying. Isnt this the mystery of science? Talking about science when youre 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 hadrge 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 rted to chemistry. Its 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 hisst 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. sh! At that moment. In Warm Hats 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 thetter 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, wont there be a difference in each part of the material? As these two phenomena werebined, Warm Hat thought of this. But he soon shook his head. What am I thinking? Im 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 couldnt 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 exin my idea. Fortunately, several schrs in the Imperial Universitys 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 didnt 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. Well take care of the rest, so you can leave for today. Ille back after I finish. No, you dont have to. Youve 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 Ill be going. *** After that, Warm Hat ran to the chemistry department. When he arrived, a schr 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 dont know what it is, but follow me. Thank you very much. Luckily, the schr kindly guided Warm Hat to the department heads 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 Youre him. Well, let me talk to him for a moment. The schr didnt hesitate and knocked on the office door. Department head. Iming in. Sure,e in. A deep voice echoed from the other side of the door, and the schr opened it. He came to see you. Hmm? Arent you Warm Hat? Ha ha! Whats up? Ha ha. Well Dont just stand there,e 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 Lids words continued. So, did you finally decide to apply to the Imperial Universitys chemistry department? Thank you for your offer, but I dont have that intention yet. Aww, too bad. Someone like you should shine in the chemistry department. Arent there many schrs who are iparable to me in the chemistry department? Pfft. These days there are too many idiots Sigh. Warm Hats expression became awkward at that remark. The chemistry department was one of the very core departments in the Imperial University. Thats 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 couldnt understand why he said that. So, whats the real reason you came to see me at this hour? Youre not someone who goes out of the library often. Oh! Thats 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 Its about camera obscura. Camera obscura? Wide Pot Lid flipped through the pages and quickly skimmed through the contents. Thanks to Warm Hats exnations along the way, it didnt 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 youe all this way? Its 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 Hats hypothesis began to spill out of his mouth. Chapter 134: The Photo (2). Chapter 134: The Photo (2). Heh. Why did this bookworme looking for me? In fact, Wide Pot Lid was curious about why someone who rarely went outside came all the way here, but he didnt take Warm Hats 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 couldnt 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 Hats exnation was over. Wide Pot Lid was silent for a while, lost in his own thoughts. But the more he thought about it, the more usible 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 chemiste 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 friends 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 wasnt just my feeling that there was a possibility. He realized this painfully through the deans enthusiastic reaction. After that, Wide Pot Lid gathered some chemists and followed Warm Hat to the workshop where the camera obscura was. Hmm? Whats going on at this time? Uh, well I see youre Steep Cliff. Warm Hat tried to exin the situation to his friend, but he couldnt because of the dean and the chemists who came in right behind him. Thats right, but who are you? Haha. Im Wide Pot Lid, the head of the chemistry department at Imperial University. What? Steep Cliff couldnt believe that the head of the chemistry department at Imperial University hade to his private workshop outside the campus. But the dean didnt give him time to understand. Where is the camera obscura? If you mean that, its 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. Its true! The image of the outside is formed through a small hole! Hehehe! He eximed 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 seed and which were not even while doing experiments. But after seeing the camera obscura, he was convinced that this hypothesis would seed. And he could also roughly guess the impact that this experiment would have. The desire for experimentation rose sharply in Wide Pot Lids 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 deans office. Wide Pot Lid said with an incredulous expression. But Im just a librarian at the Central Library. How can I do experiments with schrs at Imperial University? Why not? Its not umon for people who are not schrs of Imperial University to do experiments together. But most of them are people from the same industry outside. Its different from me. Your knowledge is much better than any mediocre person. And if we seed in this experiment, you can be a schr of Imperial University without taking the exam as a special case, you know? This was true ording to the deans words. *** The mostmon 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 seeds, 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, Im satisfied with my current life. I prefer reading various books rather than bing a schr and doing research. I appreciate your offer, but I politely decline. Hmph, really. Wide Pot Lid snorted with a sarcasticugh. He had momentarily forgotten about his friends 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 wont 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 didnt want to be a pushover who gave away all his credit either. So he reluctantly epted this condition. Then Ill take my leave now. I hope you get good results from this experiment. Hehehe. Dont worry and go ahead. With that, Warm Hat bowed and left the deans 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 seeds as I expect? He doubted it. He was already somewhat famous among the schrs, and if this story became public, many schrs would surely pay attention to him. Then he would be bothered by all kinds of schrs, 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 sessful. 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 schrs and opened his ownboratory. 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. Im really grateful for your cooperation. Dont mention it. I also hope that your hypothesis seeds. Dont worry about that. Steep Cliffs 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! Its really convincing. Right? Thats 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 rted 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 Lids expectation was right. This substance is more suitable than that one. Really? Thanks to Red Bowls participation, they were able to ovee 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 its natural that the reaction also differs ordingly. Hehe. I feel like Im just riding on the coattails of a good idea. Before they knew it, their doubt turned into confidence, and the spaciousboratory was filled with excitement and vitality as they approached the brilliant sess. Time passed, and Hahaha! This is it! The spacious pot lid held up the first photo ever taken,ughing 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 beyondpare, 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 drawndscapes in our lifetime! Its blurry and weird but thats definitely the chemistry building, right? After that, many schrs 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 ck 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. Theres still a lot to be done. We need to be able to take photos faster to solve the problems that have emerged. Thats true. This was just a small sess. Only when photography became widely used in real life could it be called a true sess. Therefore, he and the schrs continued their research vigorously. They found out more suitablebinations of photosensitive materials, and found the conditions necessary for rapid ignition. Thanks to their efforts, photo technology gradually developed. And finally, they seeded in taking practical photos using silver tes. Wow! How can it be so clear Its like looking at a realndscape. This groundbreaking method took only about seven minutes to expose to light and produced a clear ck-and-white photo. The spacious pot lid stared at thendscape photo that had just been developed with a nk 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 thisndscape photo, he felt like all his hardships had melted away. With this, we can also take clear pictures of peoples faces. Wouldnt 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 schrs. And he shook his head vigorously. I cant do that. The first photo must be of His Majestys face. Ah Indeed. No schr 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 Majestys 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 te was sent straight to the imperial pce. Haha. A camera And Kim Kiwoo smiled faintly as he checked the silver te 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 littleter, 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 Majestys actual face! Haha! Its almost simr 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 ck and white, the imperial citizens who saw Kim Kiwoos 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 yed a decisive role in spreading the spirit faith overseas. Chapter 135: Iwami. Chapter 135: Iwami. Meanwhile, Japans political situation was alsopletely different from the original history due to the influence of the Wakan Tanka Empire. I need money to bring in the empires 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 ovee this, but the problem was that there was no ce in his domain where he could get that much wealth. Is the only answer intermediary trade? But the situation smiled at Hojo Ujitsuna. He epted the fleet of the Wakan Tanka Empire faster than any other ce 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 armys formation was somewhatpleted, 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 Ujitsunas 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 meleebat, 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. Themander 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 firstrge-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 enormouslypared 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 exhrating 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 countlessrge cities that flourished on a vast territory that could not even bepared to Japans maind. The enormous number of schrs, craftsmen, and their huge academic achievements. And finally, the existence of Kim Kiwoo. Hmm After his sons vivid description ended, Hojo Ujitsuna swallowed his saliva. Father. This victory is surely a great glory for our n, 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 fathers permission, Hojo Ujitsuna slowly exined his intention. Hoo Hojo Ujitsuna nodded his head and lit up his eyes in between. And when all the exnations 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 empires 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 evenpare with themselves. He could not imagine what they would look like in another hundred years. Hojo Ujitsuna wanted to achieve a civilizationparable to the empire in thisnd. To do that, I need money. The economy yed the most important role in the development of the Wakan Tanka Empire. The emperor of the empire knew this well and importedrge amounts of gold and silver and minted coins. By now, the mary economy had settled very sessfully, and through this, the empire created inexhaustible wealth. But his ncked money to carry out reforms. They say they are making a lot of money through intermediary trade But this would notst long. To prepare for the time when other imperial merchants would start selling their goods in various ces, which would lower thepetitiveness of the ry trade, he had to find another source of ie. 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 n of Kanto here? It was understandable, since the distance between Kanto and the region ruled by the Ouchi n was very far. Hes 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 ept my gift? A gift? I have brought some humble things with me. Hmm. Ill dly ept 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 ce called the Wakantanka Empire. The Wakantanka Empire? Ouchi Yoshitaka still didnt know much about the empire. That was because the current situation around him was very urgent. Hojo Ujitsuna exined quite in detail about the empire. Its amazing that such a ce exists. But why are you telling me this? Have you heard any news about our n recently? Sorry, but I havent heard anything because Ive 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 n originally ruled this much area. However, recently, we conquered this entire region. In less than a months time. Hmm Is that true? You can ask the Hakata merchants and they will tell you that its not a lie. Ouchi Yoshitaka looked at Hojo Ujitsuna with a surprised expression. He had no choice. The area that Hojo Ujitsuna marked was toorgepared to the original area. Arent 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 Yoshitakas 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 exined in detail about the firearms and demonstrated their power with the firearms that he brought from his n. 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 bepletely different because of the firearmsing from the empire. Hmm. Chapter 136: Iwami (2). 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 n 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 n, havent 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 couldnt help butment. Hmm? The area where the silver mine is located has been the territory of the Ouchi n since ancient times. But look at the situation now. As soon as arge amount of silver was mined, they tried to take away the silver mine from its original owner. This is not right. Hmm. Thats 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 n, should say. The Hojo n had recently expanded their territory by forcing the neighboring daimyos to copse 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 n. And this Hojo Ujitsuna wants to help Lord Ouchi. You? Yes. Ouchi Yoshitakas 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 n 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. Thats something to envy. Having seen the power of the empires 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 Yoshitakas eyes narrowed. But Hojo Ujitsuna did not show any change in his expression. There are not only merchants from our n who trade with the empire in thisnd. 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. Thats not a strange thing. Thats right. But think about it. If they hear about Iwami silver mine, wont 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 ce like Iwami silver mine, where silver was mined, was an act that gave great benefits to merchants. But now Amago n has upied Iwami silver mine. What if they contact the imperial merchants at this moment? Or can you be sure that they havent contacted them yet? As the story continued, Ouchi Yoshitakas 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 epted the new weapon system, they realized that it would be difficult to reim Iwami again. Its 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 iparable 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 ie of the silver mine, can you handle it? Hoo I cant believe what Hojo-sama is saying. Why dont you ask the Hakata merchants who have had contact with the imperial vanguard? Of course, this will take some time, and I cant 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 frompletely 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 n will help Ouchi n. As I mentioned, my ns troops are fully armed with imperial weapons and tactics. If you wish, I will return the Iwami silver mine that Amago n has upied to Ouchi n with my ns troops alone. Is that possible? Of course. Hojo Ujitsuna nodded confidently. I have already prepared everything. He did note to Ouchi n because, as he had told him earlier, the Iwami silver mine belonged to Ouchi n. 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 n that already had the silver mine. I have also secured the cooperation of Swift Rope-nim. Hojo Ujitsuna had started nning 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 ns troops, weapons, and supplies. It was difficult for Hojo n alone to carry them all the way to the distant Iwami silver mine. He needed a huge ship from the empire for a smooth n. Hojo Ujitsuna promised to give him the right to negotiate first with the n that would rule over the silver mine as a reward for helping him. Of course, this required negotiation with Ouchi n anyway. You wont 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 n. 20% I think thats a fair price for shedding our soldiers blood. And if you want, Ill also help you defend the silver mine after taking it back. Of course, it wasnt 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 n, 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 n to upy 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 rtionship with our n. Please give them the priority trade right. Priority trade right? It means the right to negotiate first when trading with the Empires merchants. If the prices are simr, 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 ns troops and supplies with theirrge and fast ships. The priority trade right is the price for that. I see. It was a quite reasonable reason. If Hojo Ujitsuna seeded 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 n soon. After all the proposals were finished. uchi Yoshitaka nodded his head. Its not a bad condition. Surely 20% was a quiterge price. But on the other hand, it also meant that he could take 80% of the profit stably. The Hojo n 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 seeded in the n, 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 n, which was not bad either. The most important thing is to take over the Iwami silver mine as soon as possible. Wasnt the wealth of the Amago n umting at this moment? If he changed his mindter, he could break his promise with them. He sorted out his thoughts and made a decision. Good. I ept the request of the Hojo n. 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, Im back. Yes. Did it go well? Yes. Hojo Ujitsuna exined the details of the treaty to his father. After his sons exnation was over. You did well. Hojo Ujitsuna patted his sons 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 n. So you must win ande 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 dayster. Hojo Ujitsuna led arge army and boarded warships, heading for Iwami. Chapter 137: The West. Chapter 137: The West. The war was fought on both sides at the same time. Its dangerous to leave them alone. The Hojo n had achieved a great victory in thest 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 wont 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 ces that were easy to defend. And this choice gave the enemies despair. When he used his firearms only for defense, the ces guarded by Hojo Ujitsunas 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 ns power. Honey, now its your turn to keep your promise. Haha. Dont worry. I will keep my word. *** Nice to meet you. Im called the Swift Rope of the Wakan Tangga Empire. Haha. Ive 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 weed the Swift Rope and his entourage very warmly. Thank you for weing us so kindly. You came all this way from afar, its 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 Its 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 ind nations Iwami silver mine wasparable 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 n that owns a silver mineparable 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 wasparable to our empires 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. Its 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 thetest firearms that the Swift Rope had brought with him a while ago. Then this will be quick. Its 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. Theres no gain without pain. You are very wise. If I get more silver than now, Ill 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 n, 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 Ouchis 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 ns 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 mainds 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. Its 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 defeatst 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 particrly 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 epted many aspects of the imperial culture, including the spirit faith. Of course, that didnt mean he neglected his main business. Just like the Hojo n, I also want to import the empires firearms as a priority. Wouldnt you feel more at ease if we were stable and could continue our trade, Mr. Rope? Of course. Dont worry. I will teach you everything about the empires 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 n. Although the scale of the intermediary trade was shrinking day by day as more and more imperial merchants arrived in thisnd, 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 beyondpare. ** 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 homnd. I had a hunch when I saw Hojo Ujitsuna, but Japans 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 Hojos force. In the original history, Oda Nobunaga couldnt 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 be 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 Kiwoos thoughts was the head ofmerce. Yes. How are things going these days? After talking with the head ofmerce for a while about this and that, Kim Kiwoo brought up the main point when he felt that the atmosphere was ripe. Its been quite a while since silver came in from the Iwami silver mine. Thats right. Has the empires economic situation stabilized? The silver thates from Iwami is definitely ying a big role. The empires 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 dors 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 empires 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 ofmerce, 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 Kiwoos dismissal order, the head ofmerce 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 cirction of gold and silver. The reason was that if the rtive value of gold and silver was not constant, it would cause chaos in the empires 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 regting the cirction 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. Wasnt this why the western frontier era opened? The west will develop tremendously. The west was already developing like crazy. It couldnt be helped. Unlike the original history, the main trade route of the American continent was not the Antic, but the Pacific. As a result, the west, which was adjacent to the Pacific, was the fastest growing region after the sailing ban was rxed. And if they started to develop gold mines in earnest Their growth rate would be enormous, which was obvious. Chapter 138: Rebellion. Chapter 138: Rebellion. How enviable. Who would have thought that such a small ind 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 ind 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 toote. The exclusive trade rights of Iwami had already been taken by the Swift Rope. Im 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 tradingpany joined the ranks of the giant tradingpanies in the shortest time in history. He couldnt 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 Kiwoos orders. He supported the Ouchi and Hojo ns and stabilized the Iwami silver mine. And he supported the king of Joseon and Yi Hwangs faction in every way possible, maintaining a close rtionship 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 rtionship with him as it was now, it was not easy to touch the Swift Rope and his tradingpany. Thats 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 Ropes order, his subordinate continued his report. As you expected, Master, the resistance of the schr ss is intensifying. Many schrs 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 schrs were very stubborn. I never thought that those narrow-minded nobles would easily ept the imperial culture and cooperate with the reform. The bigger the expectation, the bigger the disappointment. But he didnt have any expectations from the beginning, so there was nothing to be disappointed about. So theyre going to rebel after all. It seems so. Foolish nobles. Do they think that rebellion will seed this time as well? The rebellion seeded not too long ago. Tsk tsk. The situation ispletely different now The loyal subjects who drove out Yeonsangun and put Lee Yul on the throne felt confident that they could rece the king with their own hands if they didnt like him. Well, from their point of view, the current king must look much more dangerous than Yeonsangun. Lee Yuls reform was an act of overturning the roots of Joseon, a country of Neo-Confucianism. They would never tolerate it. Are you ready? Dont worry. The rebellion will never seed. You cant be sure. His Majesty has even allowed us to use thetest firearms for Joseons 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. Its 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, its my fault. The empires 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 empires firearms had no rivals in the world where pre-modern weapons were still dominant. Kim Ki-woo and the directors knew this well, and thats 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 seed. 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 shes with the privileged ss. Then, the iron steamships appeared in front of Joseons 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 ept the barbarians learning! Joseon is a country of Neo-Confucianism! You must not ept such false learning! Please reconsider, Your Majesty! When it was revealed that Lee Yeok wanted to reform Joseon like the Wakan Tanka Empire, many schrs 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 empires overwhelming products and the goods produced in this country of Joseon are iparable. 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 Yeoks radical words provoked many officials anger. They did not listen to Lee Yeoks logical arguments, but justmented 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 didnt 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 Majestys country. Joseon is a country of schrs. Thats right. His Majesty does not seem to understand this well. His Majesty ismitting a great tyranny, so we have to make a decision for the sake of Joseons people. The officials already had experience in overthrowing a king. The first time is always hard. As Lee Yeoks 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 seeded. The officials were confident that they could change the regime as they wished again. *** Their movements are not good. Sigh I wish I didnt have to see blood, but it ended up like this. Your Majesty, you have to brace yourself. Isnt this something you have to go through once for reform? Yi Hwang nodded his head in agreement with Lee Yeoks words. Are you ready? We cant let history repeat itself. Yes, Your Majesty. Havent 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 wont be able to surpass the power of the pistol. Thats 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 Hwangs 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. Thats why Yi Hwang distributed pistols to the kings loyal guards who were guarding the pce, 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 pce 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. Its a race against time now. Now that the pce gate was open, the fact that a rebellion had urred 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 seeded, they would gain great wealth, honor, and power as rebels who overthrew tyranny. Its okay. Everything will be fine. He shook off the slightest anxiety that remained in his chest. There were many schrs 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 pce. Who are you! When he almost reached Lee Yeoks 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 Yeoks tyranny. How dare you call His Majesty by his name! You must be crazy! Its not us who are crazy. Its 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, ng! sh! Aaaah! Haaah! The rebels drew their swords and ran towards Lee Yeoks bedroom. Tsk. Foolish ones. Did you really think we didnt know you woulde 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 cant be The man couldnt 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. Theirrades were falling like straw around them. It was a natural result. They didnt know who started it first, but they began to run away at some point. Chapter 139: A New Capital. Chapter 139: A New Capital. The moment the coup detat that happened in the dead of night failed, the future events were as good as predetermined. If they had seeded, 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 whomitted treason without missing a single one! Yes, Your Majesty! Although they had anticipated a rebellion, when it actually happened, the kings 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-Ill 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. Im not guilty! Its 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 cant 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 kings resolute appearance. The kings power was at its strongest when such a direct treason urred. That is, there was no minister who opposed the kings words in this situation. If they identally 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 Hwangs reform npletely copsed. 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 Im saying goodbye here too. Its a shame. Kim Ki-woo had been wandering around various ces in the vast pce for several days. He had no choice. He didnt know when he woulde back here once he left for the north today. As Kim Ki-woo passed by many ces, many memories came to his mind. The garden where he often walked with the empress, the researchplex that made the current empire possible, various buildings for various purposes. The pce of great beginnings was none other than the history of Wakan Tanka Empire itself. However, Kim Ki-woo couldnt 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. Hes so ignorant. He was none other than the Blue Earth. The Blue Earth had never called Kim Kiwoo by his nickname, Papa, in public ces 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. Lets go. Then Kim Kiwoo got on the carriage and slowly left the imperial pce. 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. ck, ck. 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. Its just not the capital anymore, but this ce 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 be a remote area, not the center of the empire. It was not easy to ept 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 ce where the Waktanga Empire, which was bing 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. Lets 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 bepared. It seems like yesterday when the railway was firstid. Its already a distant past. During this time, Kim Kiwoo had invested all his efforts toy 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 hadpletely established themselves as a major means of transportation in the empire. Were 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 veryfortably. 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 wee Kim Kiwoo. At that moment, a huge cheer erupted. Woooooo! The sound was so loud that it felt like the ground was shaking. Its so hot, and its 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 hade 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 capitals 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 be 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. Its 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 thetest construction methods, and there were many high-rise buildings that were all beautiful. It felt like he hade 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 pce. *** After entering the pce. Kim Kiwoo looked around the pce 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 pce that matched the dignity of the empire. The pce 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 pce much bigger from the start. It feels like Im 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 pce was so wide. They were still working hard on these ces. He spent several days focusing on getting familiar with the pce. 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 didnt 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 hade to the wrong ce. 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 excessivelyrge considering future situations. It was no wonder that they reacted like that. I know you had to leave your beloved hometown ande to this unfamiliar north because of our countrys 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. Dont 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 countrys 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. Lets stop chatting now. I will start our first meeting in this new capital. As Kim Kiwoo dered 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 heads mouth. Chapter 140: The Meeting. 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 empires economy, dont 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 ie by making and selling firecrackers, and this was one of the pirs 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 empires position even if they released better guns than that all over the world. The machine guns were already supplied to the imperial army. It didnt 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-woos words. From the beginning, there had been requests from various ces to sell better guns than firecrackers. Its ufortable 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 ce 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-woos question was themerce minister. Haha. Its at a level where we cant sell them because theyre gone. His face was full of smiles. As soon as the imperial warships started selling, their demand was explosive. Now we dont 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 cant 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 ces to sell better ships than wooden warships since a long time ago. Selling weapons is ufortable 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 ce 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 Majestys 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 regrly. He just mentioned it now to move on. The production of raw materials in Wakan Tanka Empires maind had been reduced continuously. They imported these from overseas. The representative examples were rubber, cotton, sugar, tobo, minerals, etc. Tea, coffee, cocoa, spices, and so on were also included in this. After settling some trade-rted 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 couldnt 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 regr inspection report. Speak. The frequency of corruption rted 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 wont get caught Tsk! Kim Kiwoo had reinvested the empires vast finances in many fields. Heid 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 empires 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 surveince agents boarding private merchant ships is also quite serious. Cough. As he mentioned the surveince agents, the Foreign Affairs Director coughed lightly. The job of a surveince 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 wouldmit all kinds of horrible things without blinking an eye if they could make money. The empires technology level is iparable to other countries. If we dont monitor them, they will cause all kinds of incidents and idents overseas as if its natural. Even with the existence of surveince agents, there were constant noises from various incidents. Do you have anything to say, Foreign Affairs Director? Yes, Your Majesty. The management of these surveince 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 surveince agents who boarded ships. As you know, Your Majesty, our departments recruitment rate is continuously declining. There are too many cases where surveince agents who boarded private merchant ships never returned. Hmm This was one of the two problems with surveince 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 surveince agents. In the past, bribery attempts weremon. If all the apanying surveince 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 surveince 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 maind and receive his reward anyway. Or kill the monitor and run away to a faraway wilderness where they cant chase me. Although it was not yet serious enough to affect their normal lives, since they would not be able to survive without the empires support, the frequency of such idents 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. Isnt 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. Its hard to find out what happened here if theymit any illegal acts overseas and the monitors keep their mouths shut. This was not about covering up the monitors mouths when something happened by ident, but about crimesmitted by colluding with the merchants from the beginning. Of course, there were some safety measures. They made several monitors apany 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 ur. 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? Lets hear it. After Kim Ki-woos 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 wont be bribed, I guess. He thought they wouldnt be bribed, since they were infiltrating to catch the wicked merchants who tried to bribe them in the first ce. And because they are trained in various high-intensity skills, their survival rate will increase in case of emergency. Most of the idental idents 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 Inspections opinion? It certainly seems better than doing nothing. The wicked merchants who hinder the empires n 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 didnt 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 rted budget for the inspection department, so try your best to produce good results. At Kim Ki-woos words, the Minister of Inspection bowed his head firmly. I will live up to your expectations. Chapter 141: The Birth of the Internal Combustion Engine. 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 regrly. The best craftsmen or schrs 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 todays Sun Newspaper? Ah. I forgot to buy it. Whats this weeks topic? Hehe. Guess what? Come on. If you dont want to say it, dont. Hey, why are you so serious about a little joke? Anyway, this weeks topic is What is the most remarkable invention in history? Thats what it is. Hmm Invention. Thats very broad. People who saw this weeks 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, its the steam engine. Haha. When you look back at the history of the empire, you cant leave out the steam engine that Sharp Fang invented. Its an obvious result, right? Thats true. I also voted for the steam engine. From weaving, spinning, to steelmaking, countless machine processes in factories, and even steam lotives 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. Thats 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. And he expressed his expectation for a new engine using oil through an editorial in the Imperial Newspaper. Then, the direction shifted from improving the steam engine to researching a new engine using oil. The one whopletes 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 institutespeted fiercely and came up with countless ideas. Among them, there were many useless ones, but soon enough, the first internalbustion engine appeared. But interestingly enough, the region that produced the first internalbustion 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 cant believe Im 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 ce 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 schrs. So he decided to be a schr at a young age. Im going to be a great schr like these people! Hehe. But the reaction he got was quite cold. A schr? You have big dreams. Do you think anyone can be a schr? Its hard for even mainders to be schrs, let alone you? Youd better earn money instead. Thats how you help your family. Some people gave him serious advice. If you really want to be a schr, go to maind. 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. Ill definitely seed! 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 ce. Brother. What do we do now Sob! Aaaah! Golden Lake was the eldest of seven siblings. And he had no rtives. 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 maind and entering the best university, the Imperial University. But he didnt give up. He didnt 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 Youre really unique. People like you should go to college. I heard that some colleges and research institutes have moved in here recently. Why dont 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, lets 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. Its been a long time since His Majestys editorial was published. Lets see Kim Ki-woos editorial always filled the first page of the Imperial Newspaper. 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. There will be fiercepetition to create a new engine. Since His Majesty has even written an editorial like this Golden Lake knew Kim Ki-woos influence very well since he had lived as an imperial citizen since he was young. It was obvious that an infinitepetition would start soon. No, there was a high possibility that thepetition had already started. The one who seeds 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 rted books. What am I thinking? Thats impossible. He shook his head vigorously, but once he had an idea in his mind, it didnt go away easily. He kept thinking about the new engine while reading other books and newspapers. Ugh! He couldnt concentrate on the books, so he closed them andy down on his bed. But still, he couldnt get rid of his desire to challenge. Finally, Golden Lake made a decision after a long thought. Okay. It wont work anyway, but lets try it once. He didnt give up on his dream of bing a schr. He nned to go to maind 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 bing a great schr 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 rted 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. Its fun. He had just umted 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 sote. 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 internalbustion 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 vtility of gasoline to fill the cylinder,press it, and explode it. One cylinder is not enough. If I can connect the cylinders andpress 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 hadnt experimented yet, but it seemed like it would work for sure when he simted 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 couldnt 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 didnt have a child yet because he wasnt married. I cant stop here. Ive worked too hard for this. He had to try anyway. Lets go to college. Go there and show them this. The schrs 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 dy. But what awaited him was only cold rejection. Chapter 142: The Birth of an Internal Combustion Engine (2). Chapter 142: The Birth of an Internal Combustion Engine (2). 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 didnt 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 upation and identity, the guards eyes showed more contempt. But he couldnt just go back. Golden Lake plucked up his courage. Can I see the schrs inside for a moment? What for? I want to discuss something about machines. Huh? At that, the security guard looked at Golden Lakes face as if he was looking at a weird person. And then, Snicker. A sneer escaped from the guards mouth. Im sorry, but I cant let anyone in. Please go back. Just for a moment. Please ask them. Please Well, I cant do that. If you keep causing trouble here, Ill call the police. So please leave. He kept refusing the guards stern rejection, but Golden Lake clung to him with a desperate heart. Sigh Fine, Ill ask, but dont get your hopes up. Thank you, thank you very much! But the words that came out of the guards mouth when he returned were not what Golden Lake wanted to hear. Im afraid you cant see them. The schrs are not so idle that they can meet anyone. Just for a moment I told you no. If youe again, Ill really call the police. Ah Okay. Golden Lake didnt expect that he would have to go back without even meeting any schrs, so his disappointment was even greater. He drooped his shoulders and turned around. But he didnt walk a few steps before he came back to his ce. And he took out the diagram of the internalbustion 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 didnt grant this request, so the guard took the diagram. And then he went back to the thick nket. 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 nket, 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 nket stretched out big. Hmm? Then he saw the paper bundle that the guard had left on his desk. Thick nket read the words written on the cover. And then heughed out loud. An gasoline engine using internalbustion? Puhahaha! His research topic was also simr to this. He was researching a new engine that had be an issue. But a construction worker talks about a new engine? If this was North Continent, it might be possible. The education level of mainders 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 iparable to mainders. He must be delusional because a new engine has be an issue and wants to challenge it. He shook his head and threw Golden Lakes diagram into the trash can without even looking at it. *** Did he really say that? Oh, do you think Im lying? If you saw it with your own eyes, you wouldnt say that Anyway, he said it was impossible, so donte again. If you do, Ill really call the police. Golden Lake looked up at the blue sky. My diagram has no possibility of realization? Thats impossible. He thought that the new engine in his diagram was very innovative. If he couldplete it, it could ovee many drawbacks of steam engines. Crunch! He bit his lip as he walked home. Then blood flowed from his lips. He didnt even look at it. Because Im a construction worker. Or maybe he wants to steal my idea! He felt disgusted in any case. Ill show them. Ill definitely seed. Thanks to this incident, Golden Lakes 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 sess. Among them, Solid Pir was one of the rare cases. By now, hispany dominated the food industry of the maind. 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 didnt mean they didnt 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 waspletely different from the college. Hmm. Well,e in for now. R-really? The security guard took Golden Lake to the reception room. Ill bring a researcher, so please wait a moment. Ill wait as long as you want! It wont 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. Im Red Eagle. He leads a team here, so you can ask him anything. I see! At that, Golden Lakes eyes sparkled. Red Eagle looked at him with a gentle smile. Hes very energetic. Of course, his clothes were very shabby. And he had a typical physical workers 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 simr 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 internalbustion? He read the title on the cover and turned his gaze back to Golden Lake. What is this? Its a new engine diagram that I made in my spare time. Please take a look. Ho ho Are you a schr? No. Im working at a construction site right now. But Ive been studying hard. Hahaha. You must be tired from working, but youre 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 Lakes 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 exin it to me in detail? Of course! If you look here Golden Lake was excited to show off his invention and exined every part of it. Red Eagle listened to his exnation and thought to himself. This guy is a genius. Red Eagle was also a brilliant mind. He wouldnt 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 fiercepetition. 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 wouldnt have believed it if he hadnt seen it with his own eyes. The world is so unfair. He didnt know what other people thought of him, but he felt that he couldntpare himself to these true geniuses. What do you think? Golden Lake finished his enthusiastic exnation 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. Ill pay you much more than that. Pleasee to ourb and lets research the new machine that you invented. ! It was the answer he wanted, but when he heard it, Golden Lakes mind went nk. No wonder. Thank you! Ill do my best! Haha. You dont have to work yourself to death. Red Eagle waved his hand at Golden Lakes overflowing enthusiasm, but his face showed his own excitement. This continued even after Golden Lake officially joined theb. He arrived earlier and leftter 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 internalbustion engine was born. I must be crazy Later, when these twists and turns became known, Thick nket would regret his foolish actions and bang his head on the ground. Chapter 143: The Birth of the Internal Combustion Engine (3). Chapter 143: The Birth of the Internal Combustion Engine (3). The development of the internalbustion engine was a major event. At that time, almost every college andb 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 thispetition. But hardly anyone expected that the winner woulde from the remote Andes region, the outskirts of the empire. Moreover, the fact that the inventor of the internalbustion 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 thepetition for the internalbustion engine in the first ce. The internalbustion engine was one of the most important things for his future ns. Thanks to that, Golden Lake and his fellow researchers headed to the capital shortly after they received their patent, and demonstrated their internalbustion engine in front of Kim Ki-woo. Wee. You must be Golden Lake, the one who made this? Y-yes, Your Majesty, Im honored to meet you, the living spirit and the great emperor Thats 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-woos question. Kim Ki-woo nodded and examined one of the internalbustion engines in detail. Hepared it with the design of the engine they had made. Is this really the first internalbustion engine ever made? As time passed, Kim Ki-woos pupils grew bigger. He was that surprised. He had some knowledge of the structure of the internalbustion 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 thepetition was so fierce. But this exceeded his imagination. Isnt this almost identical to what I know? The four-stroke internalbustion engine was very precise. It was as if he had made it himself, knowing the structure of the internalbustion engine from the future. He thought that it was good enough to mass-produce it as it was. So he eximed in pure admiration for the first time in a long time. This is amazing. How did youe up with such a precise structure? As expected, Your Majesty can see the true value of this engine at a nce. Red Eagle replied as if he had expected Kim Ki-woos astonishment. He thought that Kim Ki-woo would recognize the value of their internalbustion engine in an instant, and he was right. He continued his words. This is entirely thanks to Golden Lakes extraordinary brain. Oh, really? Yes. When Golden Lake first came to ourb, he already had almostpleted 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 Eagles words. Thats 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. Hes a genius indeed. Kim Ki-woo looked at Golden Lakes face, which was still stiff, and his eyes sparkled. He had seen many geniuses in his life, but creating an almost perfect internalbustion engine without even seeing the inside of a steam engine was like creating something out of nothing. Haha. With such talented schrs like you, the future of the empire is very bright. Y-you are too kind Kim Ki-wooughed and patted Golden Lakes shoulder hard. And then he watched their demonstration of the internalbustion engine. As expected, the demonstration of the gasoline-powered internalbustion engine was sessful. Its 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. Congrattions 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 umting. Haha. Thats right. And todays engine was much more refined than I expected. So we can speed up our future ns. Is that so? The Minister of Industrys eyes gleamed with excitement at Kim Ki-woos words. Kim Ki-woo had already given some hints about his future ns to some of the ministers, including the Minister of Industry. That way, he could execute his ns quickly when the time came. Now I can use oil more efficiently. Until now, the supply of oil was too muchpared 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 dont worry. We are doing our best ording to your will. Our Ministry of Finance is the same. Kim Ki-woo nodded at their words. Soon Ill be able to see cars on the road. The steam-powered car was aplete 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 lotives, but the engineers regretted his failure. Thats why manybs continued to research cars, and now that the internalbustion 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 unrted 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 dramaticallypared 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 humanbor. But using livestock for farming drastically reduced the dependence on humanbor. There were also steam-powered agricultural machines that were constantly being created. Of course, there were obvious limitations because they were externalbustion engines, but various agricultural machines such asbine harvesters, cultivators, tractors, etc. appeared. If they could equip these agricultural machines with internalbustion 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 internalbustion engines would make it possible to produce food that was iparable to now. There were still many idlends in the Wakan Tanka Continent. The territory of the empire was so wide that there were fertilends 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 thend with much fewer farmers. Many farmers will lose their jobs. Of course, Kim Ki-woo was confident that he could ovee this. His empire had grown under the leadership of the state, so the governments finances were like a spring that never dried up. And there were still many ces 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 upations would constantly increase. A typical example was the car industry. He didnt know about the distant future, but he wasnt 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 dont 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 didnt 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 schrs 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 Iplete 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 didnt need to use guano to supply nitrogen to the soil anymore. It would also contribute greatly to power generation. *** After the demonstration at the pce. The internalbustion engine made a splendid debut in the empire. Kim Ki-woo praised this newly made internalbustion engine unusually at an imperial meeting, and this news was intensively reported through newspapers. They say this internalbustion engine is so amazing? Its iparable to the existing steam engine. Is it that good? As expectations for the internalbustion 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 internalbustion engines in no time. And they distributed these mass-produced internalbustion engines to many colleges andbs in the empire. The researchers who received the internalbustion 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 beenpeting for a new engine research felt a deep frustration. They were divided into two categories. Its not over yet. We can surely make a different kind of engine. The category that didnt give up hope and started researching the internalbustion engine again, and How can we use this? The category that designed machines equipped with internalbustion engines. Either way, the important thing was that thanks to their efforts, the size of the rted industries grew bigger as time passed. It was the moment when the era of the internalbustion engine began. Chapter 144: Information Agency. Chapter 144: Information Agency. On a sunny day, the news of the crown princesss 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 ept his wifes 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 foring, Dad. Yeah. Its 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. Ive never felt living so long as a curse as I do now He shivered. The crown princes 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 didnt care. I never thought that my childrens 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 hadnt been long since it started when he came to the past. But it didnt 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 amon 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. Im sure your wife is in the arms of the great spirits. Dont be too sad. Hoo I shouldnt show such disgrace in front of you and Dad. The second child, Clear Raindrop,forted the crown prince with his priestly words. The crown prince then got out of Kim Kiwoos arms and wiped away his tears. And he bowed his head to Kim Kiwoo. I apologize for my rude words earlier. I was ovee 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 wont show any more disgrace. The crown prince kept his word. He didnt shed a single tear until the funeral was over. *** Lets 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 couldnt 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 didnt ask because he didnt know. He had been receiving regr reports on the imperial situation, especially in the areas south of the maind. But he wanted to hear directly from the crown princes mouth about the situation. The crown prince still had a somber face, but he tried to smile and answered Kim Kiwoos question. Haha. Its developing fast with the support of the government. The imperial standardnguage is also spreading well. Its 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 arge poption and abundant underground resources. As a result, the Central Continent was quite developed by now. At leastpared to the South Continent, which had a very small poption rtive to its size and joined the empirete. And there was no doubt that the crown prince, who was the governor-general of the Central Continent, had contributed to its development. Thats why hes 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-generals 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 didnt think that the crown prince would really rebel. He couldntpete with Kim Kiwoos status in the empire. It would be hard for a rebellion to happen unless Kim Kiwoo met with an unjust ident. But who could guarantee anything in this world? It was amon 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 didnt 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 sessful 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 bing a military minister. Of course, it wasnt 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 me, 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 yed 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. Im d to hear that. Tactics changepletely 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 bingmon 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 didnt want to live. We dont have to worry about foreign countries having this kind of firepower yet but we cant ck 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 ironds dominating the sea, the imperial army was invincible. Its time to draw a rough sketch. The time hade 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 didnt intend to dere 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 Kiwoos serious voice, Blue Earths 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 rtionship. 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. Thats why Kim Kiwoo decided to entrust him with something that could be his weakness. Im going to create an information agency. Dont 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 Im going to create is different from the inspection department. The new agency will nevere 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 areing to the empire and bing imperial citizens. Your role is to select and train loyal ones among them and the maind imperial citizens. They will spread throughout the empire and the world and operate in various ces. Based on the information they gather, they will perform various missions. They will eliminate or capture those who oppose the empires 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 didnt think he would. As expected. Blue Earths 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 Earths resolute answer. Then, the moment when a notorious agency that would cause many incidents and idents around the world was born. Chapter 145: The airplane. Chapter 145: The airne. Your Majesty. The preparations areplete. Kim Kiwoo looked up from the paperwork he was doing in his office when he heard the words of his attendant. Time flies He nced 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 pce was so vast that most of the transportation had to be done by carriage. Of course, his destination this time was not inside the pce. 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 wouldnt take long for the research on internalbustion engine cars to bepleted, 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 internalbustion 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 epted their opinion. The ridefort was still better in carriages. Did you wait long? No, Your Majesty. I just arrived here. The third prince, the Yellow me, lied tantly. He didnt report it, but he must have been waiting for a long time. But Kim Kiwoo didnt bother to point it out and moved on. Well, lets 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 me, 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. Im really looking forward to seeing what the Imperial University looks like. Im 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 thetter argument was much more reasonable. Just like the pce, there was a limit to expanding the Imperial Universitys site in the Great Beginning. So the newly built Imperial University also received a huge site from the beginning, just like the pce. And before they knew it, tomorrow was the day when the Imperial University opened. Were here. Kim Kiwoo muttered as he looked out of the window. As he said, the Imperial University was sorge that it took a while to get inside and reach their first destination. Wow Kim Kiwoo eximed as he saw the exhibition hall in front of him. The Imperial University Exhibition Hall, which was built for the event that wouldst for a month from tomorrow, was a building that showcased the advanced aspects of the empire. Thats 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 ss 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 Worlds Fair held in 1851. The building that was covered with ss enough to be called Crystal Pce. Thanks to the steady development of ss industry, at this time in the empire, they were able to produce clean ss inrge quantities. Thats why Kim Kiwoo wanted to implement some aspects of Crystal Pce in the Imperial University. Of course, its much smaller in scale. Crystal Pce was recorded to be asrge as 18 ser fields. The Imperial University Exhibition Hall in front of him was not at that level at all. But its beauty wasparable. This was also true for the interior. The warm sunlight shining through the ss windows was really cool. It was bound to be andmark 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. Im counting on you. The group followed Green Wing and checked each section of the exhibition hall. Theres a lot of academic content. There were many advanced inventions on disy, 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 Kiwoos attention, and it was the section that exined electromaism. Its 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 internalbustion engines had already been invented, electromaism was still in the middle of development. However, the principles of electromaic induction had been discovered, and electromaism was slowly bing a mainstream science. Kim Kiwoo visited various ces in the Imperial University, especially the exhibition hall, and checked them for thest time. He nodded his head. This should be enough. Then lets 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 Kiwoos 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. Thats why they immediately bowed to Kim Kiwoo. After the empire was established, many books and ys about Kim Kiwoo invariably described in detail the scene of himing 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 seeded 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 woulde 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 maind continued to decline, and especially the mainders 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 thest 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 popr. 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 havent seen him for a while. Oh my, yes~ Its very popr because its a new novel written by Neol Do-ro. The reviews are good too. You wont regret buying it. Really? Then give me one. Perhaps because of Neol Do-ros 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. Airne? Haha. It would be great if there was something like this. And in his novel, there was a huge airne with an internalbustion engine. The novels airne 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 airne with an internalbustion engine This seems possible. The general atmosphere of schrs 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 seeded and engineers who read Neol Do-ros work got inspiration from powered flight in his novel. As a result, research on powered flight began simultaneously at various universities and research institutes.
Airne? I knew it. You dont know this news because youre stuck in this backwater doing research all day long. Fine then. Finish your story. ck Shadow listened carefully to his friends words who visited him after a long time. The story was about airne developmentpetition that started from Neol Do-ros novel. After exining everything, he said to ck Shadow. Theres 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 airne development this time, but hecks 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 cant live in poverty here forever, can you? And if you seed, you can do more research that you want. ck Shadow was speechless at his friends sweet offer. Powered flight Flying in the sky had been his dream since he was young. Thats 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 couldnt always rely on his parents. After that, ck Shadow pondered for a whole day. And he decided. Lets do it. No one had felt the limit of gliders more than ck Shadow. Even if it wasnt for this and that reason, he wanted to ovee this limit with his own hands. So ck Shadow prepared to go to the capital. Chapter 146: Airplane (2). Chapter 146: Airne (2). Nice to meet you. Im Karl Mayer. Oh, wow. Im honored to meet a celebrity here. Ive heard a lot about you. Haha. Karl Mayer scratched the back of his head awkwardly. His name had been mentioned quite often in various newspapers since he became an engineer at the Imperial University and achieved some results. His academic achievements were impressive, but he also owed a lot to his birth status. Many overseas residents had naturalized to the Empire after the sailing ban was lifted, but among them, Karls case was very rare. It was hard enough to get into the Imperial University, the best university in the Empire, even if one was born in the maind and went through all the education courses. The academic enthusiasm of the imperial citizens was so overheated that thepetition rate for the Imperial University was insane. In this situation, an overseas naturalized person who did not receive the regr education of the Empire entered the Imperial University, and that too in the mechanical engineering department, which was known to be the most fierce? It was very rare for an active researcher who was not an honorary schr with a shocking experience to join the department, and Karl was the first andst one to enter the mechanical engineering department. I have a reputation that is too generous for what I have achieved. I still have a long way to go. His words were somewhat sincere. There were many people who had achieved more than him, but he received more attention just because he was a white man who came from Europe. But this was also partly intended by Kim Ki-woo. He pushed more for the outstanding people of different races to ease the subtle contempt and discrimination against other races. He also exposed them more often in various newspapers. But ck Shadow shrugged his shoulders and replied. Hey, Ive actually ridden the bicycle that you developed. How can that be a false reputation? Oh, you have? But it still needs more improvement. Thats why I was surprised. I thought you would continue to research bicycles. Of course, I dont intend to stop researching. Bicycles are surely a great means of transportation. Someday, not only in the Empire, but people all over the world will naturally ride bicycles. Karls eyes sparkled with longing for the future. It was a typical passionate look of an elite from the Imperial University. He continued. But as soon as I read your new work, Mr. Wide Road, I felt a chill running through my body. Powered airnes have endless possibilities. If we can fly in the sky with power, it will be possible to reach the other side of the earth in a day. Hmm, I wonder if thats possible ck Shadows reaction was skeptical because he had been researching gliders for a long time and knew too well the limits of this era. He also read the novel in question thoroughly while traveling to the capital. Haha. I know what youre worried about. I think its hard to do that right now. If you think about the weight of the airne and the efficiency and capacity of the internalbustion engine, long-distance flight is still difficult. But it will be different in the future. When materials lighter than iron are developed, and internalbustion engines and propents are improved, the size and flight distance of airnes will gradually increase. Well, that might be possible. There were so many things that seemed natural to use now, but they couldnt even imagine them a few decades ago. And history tended to repeat itself. This time, we will stake our honor as mechanical engineers of Imperial University and seed in flying powered airnes first. Thats why we invited you here. Thank you for your high evaluation of me. The Imperial University always had to be the best. It received overwhelming support from the government, and the dream of self-proimed elites was to be a schr of Imperial University. But Imperial University failed in thispetition for developing internalbustion engines. It was a shame for Imperial University, especially for its mechanical engineering department. If only we had a little more time Karl himself did not lead it, but he also helped a lot with the research on internalbustion engines as a mechanical engineer. And they actually made great progress in developing internalbustion engines. But they lost because of Andes genius who popped out of nowhere. They were not onlyte, but alsogged behind inpleteness. Whats more, it was shocking because it was Imperial University where the first engine was born with sharp teeth. So Karl Mayers team stopped developing bicycles and started researching powered airnes. To restore some of their lost reputation as mechanical engineers of Imperial University. For this purpose, they joined ck Shadow, an expert on gliders. They wouldnt have bothered to invite an outsider personally if it had been normal times when they were immersed in their elite consciousness as engineers of Imperial University. Anyway, since youre here, I guess it means youre joining our research, right? Of course. Why else would Ie all the way to the capital? But what about the residence permit issue Haha. Dont worry about that. How can we not get a residence permit for joining the research of Imperial Universitys mechanical engineering department? Well take care of your residence permit issue, so dont worry and join the research. Then Ill take your word for it. Karls boast was proven soon after. No matter how hard it was to get a residence permit in the capital, the power of Imperial University was that strong. *** Huh. I knew the prestige of Imperial University well, but they are really amazing. ck Shadow was amazed countless times after joining Karl Mayers research team. They did things that looked difficult with ease. They all seemed like geniuses. Thats why he felt better. The fact that he was ying a pivotal role in such a tremendous scene. This will make the airne flip over. Youll see when you fly, but the wind is stronger than you think. Hmm. Then how should we change it? Cut this part and make it more streamlined He used his extensive knowledge of gliders as a weapon and worked with the engineers to create powered airnes. Ha ha. We were right. If it werent for you, ck Shadow, we would still be struggling with many trials and errors. But thanks to you, things have be much easier. Hey, youre too kind. Seeing the engineers here, I think you would have umted the technology soon enough even without me. Karl and ck Shadow continued their research whileplimenting each others faces. The atmosphere was so harmonious that the speed of their research was like speeding on a wide-open road. This led them to conduct the first flight test soon after. Are you sure youre okay with this? No one knows what kind of ident might happen when you ride the powered airne we made. Then, is there any engineer here who has personally flown a glider? Um Of course not. They had studied like crazy for a long time to enter the Imperial Universitys Department of Mechanical Engineering, and after bing engineers, they devoted themselves only to research. On the other hand, ck Shadow had seeded in countless glider flights. And he was still alive and well until now. This was in contrast to the many fatal idents that had urred during glider flights. Dont underestimate the sky. Its very difficult, dangerous, and scary for humans to fly in the air. For safety and sess of the flight, I have to pilot the powered airne myself. Youre right. Theres no one better suited than you, ck Shadow. I understand. I hope youll be blessed by the great spirits. In the end, it was decided that ck Shadow would be the pilot of the powered airne. And not long after, they finished the final check of the powered airne. Phew ck Shadow, who boarded the powered airne made mainly of wood due to weight limitations, let out a long sigh. He was a veteran who had experienced countless flights with gliders, but it was his first time operating a powered airne with an internalbustion engine and a propeller propulsion system. The first attempt always had a much higher chance of failure. And failure in flight could result in serious injury or even death. Dont be nervous. Just do what youve been doing. He tried his best to maintain hisposure. And then Karl Mayer approached him. If anything goes wrong, pleasend safely as soon as possible. Dont take unnecessary risks. Safety is the top priority. You know that, right? Dont worry and get ready to celebrate with me when its all over. Ill definitelye back sessful. Ha ha. Yes. Lets finish this quickly and have a drink. After their conversation ended, the internalbustion engine finally started working. Soon after, the power of the engine rotated the propeller. Lets go! As he shouted inwardly, the first powered airne moved forward slowly. And after gaining enough thrust, Whoosh! The wheels of the airne broke contact with the ground and rose into the air little by little. Wow! Fly! Fly! Hahaha! The people who were watching from behind let out a scream. The development of this powered airne had been quite an issue in the empire, so many schrs from various departments had gathered to watch the flight test. Thanks to them, their cheers echoed loudly around. The cheers reached ck Shadows ears as well. But he couldnt pay attention to them. He had to control the airne while fighting against the wind that hit his body. Ugh! He realized it. This airne was still very unstable. The body of the airne shook endlessly. It seemed like it would crash to the ground if he made a slight mistake. A faint fear rose in ck Shadows heart. But he focused more on his long experience. Just a little more, just a little more This was the first powered flight in human history. And he was the protagonist of it. And actually, the experiment with propeller propulsion was sessful. That meant this flight would surely make history and be remembered for a long time. So he wanted to fly for a long time. But soon he reached his limit. No more, no more. If I dy any longer, Ill crash. Its good enough for a first flight anyway, right? Dont be reckless and crash, or itll be recorded as a failure. I cant let that happen! Was it about a minute since he started flying? He didnt know exactly, but it seemed like that. At that time, ck Shadow decided tond. And as soon as he did, he lowered his altitude slowly toward the runway. Focus, focus They had designed the wheel part as sturdy as possible, but they had to minimize the impact ofnding. Landing was where most idents urred. The wheels of the airne got closer and closer to the runway. And at some point, they started to touch the groundpletely. ng! Screech! Ugh! The impact ofnding hit ck Shadows body hard. He clenched his teeth and started to brake. At the same time, the speed of the powered airne slowed down gradually. And as time passed, the airne finally stopped. I, I survived. Only then did the tension that had been tight all along break. ck Shadow buried his body in the backrest without realizing it. Hahaha! We did it! We seeded in flying at the Imperial Universitys Department of Mechanical Engineering! Are you feeling okay? Yes Luckily, I dont think Im injured. Soon after, countless people who had been waiting nearby rushed in. You really did a great job. ck Shadow looked at Karl Mayer. His face was very bright. Seeing him, ck Shadow asked casually. How long did I fly? Dont be surprised. You flew for a whopping one minute and twenty-two seconds. I see. It was a long or short time depending on how you looked at it. But one thing was clear, it was very sessful for a first flight. How was it from your perspective, ck Shadow? What parts do we need to fix before the next flight test Karls excited voice. But ck Shadow raised his hand toward him. And then he said. Did you forget our promise already? What? We can think about that tomorrow. Today, lets drink to our hearts content. He smiled slyly at Karl. Chapter 147: The Telegraph. Chapter 147: The Telegraph. -Humans, Conquer the Sky! From the day after the powered flight experiment took ce, the news rted to it spread rapidly throughout the empire, and newspaperspeted to report on the sess of the powered airne. Huh, I thought it was only possible in novels, but it became a reality so quickly Its starting to scare me. I knew it would happen. Why do you think so many schrs rushed to start their research? Because they saw the possibility of sess. True. There hasnt been any failed research topic among those that were so heatedlypeted for. Otherwise, there wouldnt have been such a fiercepetition in the first ce. Maybe someday, like in novels, there will be airnes that can carry hundreds of people to the other side of the earth in a day. Maybe that will be possible in the future? The impact of the powered airne was much hotter than that of the balloon. The imperial citizens talked about the powered airne every time they gathered. The development of a powered airne that could fly at high speed was a historic event. And Karl Mayer, the leader of the research team that won thepetition for making the powered airne, and ck Shadow, who seeded in the first powered flight, gained a huge reputation overnight. We still have a long way to go. But Karl Mayer didnt rx at all. After drinking on the day of the sessful flight, he resumed his work on improving the airne. The powered airne was still iplete, and there werepetitors everywhere. He couldnt rest until he seeded in long-distance flight. Thanks to that, the performance of the airne improved steadily, and before long, he achieved the feat of seeding in long-distance flight. *** Good. What was his name? ck Shadow? Let him enter the Imperial University as a special student. Yes, Your Majesty. Kim Ki-woo smiled with satisfaction as he heard the news rted to the powered airne. ck Shadow seemed to be helpful for training pilots. Anyway, the number of powered airnes would continue to increase. However, Kim Ki-woo stopped thinking about the powered airne at that point. In fact, it was only a matter of time before the powered airne appeared, due to the desire of humans to fly in the sky and the emergence of internalbustion engines. Kim Ki-woo was currently focusing on another field. I cant wait any longer. Kim Ki-woo had made a lot of efforts to raise the scientific capacity of the empire. As a result, many discoveries and inventions were being made at this moment. But not everything went as nned. There were some fields that developed rtively slowlypared to others. Especially electromaism. Kim Ki-woo had been thinking about electromaism since hisst visit to the Imperial University, and eventually decided to get involved in it. I need to install telegraphs as soon as possible. There were no telegraphs yet, so the speed of information delivery was too slow. From the perspective of an empire that unified the vast continent of Wakan Tanka, it was imperative to create a revolution inmunication as soon as possible. The decisive reason why Kim Ki-woo made this decision was because of the trains that ran on railways. The trains were constantly being improved. As a result, their speed was iparable to when they first started. If the departure time of trains was slightly off, terrible idents could happen. And actually, collisions urred every now and then. To minimize these idents, they needed amunication system faster than trains, and that was why they needed telegraphs. And today, Kim Ki-woo heard the news he had been waiting for. Your Majesty, they say that the researchplex in Hwanggung has beenpleted. Really? The researchplex located in Hwanggung of Great Beginning was once a dream ce for schrs. It was even more famous than Imperial University at one point. It was a great blessing for them to be able to do research under Kim Ki-woo. But at some point, Kim Ki-woo reduced the size of his researchplex. He didnt need to step up anymore, since many universities and research institutes were conducting quality research. However, for innovation inmunication field, Kim Ki-woo built a researchplex again in one corner of Hwanggung. Of course, he didnt intend to operate it asrge as before. Where are the researchers? All researchers have been staying at Hwanggungs amodation since a few days ago. Kim Ki-woo nodded his head. They probably didnt know when he would call them, so they waited eagerly at Hwanggung. He could feel how happy they were about this situation. Then call them right away. Im going to go to the researchplex now, so get ready. They are already fully prepared. Ha ha. Very good. Then lets go right away. Understood, Your Majesty. After that, Kim Ki-woo and his entourage boarded a private carriage and headed to the researchplex. And when they arrived, the researchers who had been selected this time were already gathered. His Majesty has arrived! Hooray! We greet the great emperor, Your Majesty! Long live the emperor! Long live Wakan Tanka! The fierce reaction of the researchers. But it was too familiar to Kim Ki-woo, so he smiled and waved his hand. Ha ha. You all look so energetic. But dont strain yourselves and stop there. Everyone, be quiet! The researchers stopped cheering as if they had just celebrated. Kim Kiwoo climbed onto the makeshift podium. He looked around at the numerous researchers and began his speech. Not long ago, I heard the news of the sessful long-distance flight of a powered airne. You must have heard it too, right? Yes, Your Majesty! Thats right! The eyes of the imperial college graduates sparkled with pride as they heard the story of the powered airne. Most of the talents in front of him were schrs from the imperial college. The rest were also the best of their respective colleges. It was a selection that showed how fierce the research staff recruitment process was. Is that all? Thanks to the invention of the internalbustion engine that made the powered airne possible, many machines are being developed. There are also many other developments taking ce. But there is one discipline that I think is very important and that is progressing slowly. I want to ovee this with you. Just leave it to us! We will do our best! **** After that day, the imperial pce researchplex began to operate in earnest. Kim Kiwoo set his goal clearly from the first day. Electricity has infinite potential. Our goal is to use electricity formunication. Kim Kiwoo gave quite detailed instructions on the direction of the research. And he started several researches simultaneously. To use electricity properly, we need more electricity than we have now. Dont you think so? Your Majesty is right. So Im going to make a generator first. The theoretical foundation for electromaic induction was already established. Kim Kiwoo started developing a generator that produces induced current through electromaic induction. He had clear knowledge of this in his head, so it didnt take long for him to make a generator. He put a coil between mas and used power to rotate the coil, causing a change in the maic flux passing through the coil. This caused an induced current to flow through the coil. And he also made a transformer that could convert voltage using a simr principle. Good. This much generator should be enough. He only needed a moderate amount of electricity for now. He couldnt store electricity like oil or coal anyway. Since he had already made a generator, he expected that it would be improved by various research institutes even without him. He only needed enough power generation for now. Then Kim Kiwoo headed to aboratory that was developing a telegraph. Youre here, Your Majesty. Yes. How is it going? Pleasee this way. Kim Kiwoo quietly followed the senior researcher and listened to his exnation. Good. He understood his intentions very well. Kim Kiwoo retraced the original history. In fact, before Morses telegraph came out, there were attempts to transmit signals using electricity for quite a long time. It started about 30 years before Morsepleted his telegraph in 1837, so it wasnt a short history. But Kim Kiwoo didnt want to go through such trial and error. He already knew the principle and used electromaic inductionw to implement Morses telegraph. He needed amunication code like Morse code because he used one wire, but it wasnt very difficult to make it. He also tried to simplify the receiver and transmitter using advanced clock technology. As time passed, the shape of the telegraph gradually became clear at the imperial pce researchplex. *** And finally, the first telegraph was made at the imperial pce. Haha. I wonder how amazing your Majestys telegraph will be. Im looking forward to it already. I heard it was amazing. It would be so much easier to rule the empire if we could ess information from far away in an instant. The Wakan Tanka Empire will truly be one in its true sense. Most of the ministers gathered at the demonstration site of the telegraph. They were curious about the performance of Kim Kiwoos telegraph. The ministers realized the impact of the telegraph on the empire before the demonstration began. They had been working in practice for so long that they couldnt help but grasp the ripple effect of the telegraph. Soon after, as soon as the scheduled time came, the demonstration of the telegraph began. Tap, taak, tataak. Wow! Indeed People eximed as they saw codes printed on paper. It works well. He had already conducted enough experiments at short distances. But now, the distance of transmission was quite long. It was from one end of the pce to another. Nevertheless, it worked as expected. As long as the wire was not cut off, this distance was not much of an obstacle anyway. It didnt take long. Finally, the receiver stopped working. And the person in charge of decoding started to decipher the code that had the same form as Morse code. What does it say? Kim Kiwoo asked him. He didnt know the content of the message yet, because it was an experiment for urate information transmission. The decoder wrote down the decoded content on a paper and handed it to Kim Kiwoo. Read it for yourself. Kim Kiwoo took the paper from him and read it carefully. Ha ha. That guy is something. After reading it all, Kim Kiwoo chuckled and handed it back to him. Burn it. Yes, Your Majesty. Following Kim Kiwoos order, the man lit the paper on fire with a match. The demonstration was sessful. From now on, we will install this transmitter in all areas of the continent, including railway stations. So make sure you all know that. What was it about? Well. Just someonesment. Its not very important. Now, lets disperse. Kim Kiwoo shrugged his shoulders and left the directors behind as he entered his private carriage. And he thought to himself as he headed to his office. You want to retire from the governor-general position and take a break? No way. Im still working too. He didnt know when he had offended the sender, but what Kim Kiwoo saw was a letter from Prince Deonbeol, the crown prince. He said it was quite long, but it seemed that the sender had typed the letter in code as it was. The crown prince had often said that he wanted to step down from the governor-general position for a long time, but Kim Kiwoo had no intention of letting him rest. There was no one else who could rule the central continent as well as the crown prince. When he found out that his childrens lifespans were much longer than normal people, Kim Kiwoo made up his mind. He decided to exploit the crown prince as the governor-general for a very long time. Chapter 148: Yi Hwang’s Scheme. Chapter 148: Yi Hwang¡¯s Scheme. I wonder what His Majesty will create this time. Something amazing, no doubt. Heh. He alwayses up with innovative inventions. Youre stating the obvious. The peoples attention was drawn to the news that Kim Ki-woo was personally leading a research project at the imperial pce. Every time Kim Ki-woo was deeply involved in a research, the oue was always astounding. The people had no doubt that it would be the same this time. And after the demonstration of the telegraph waspleted, the development of the telegraph was widely announced. Telegraph? It can transmit information across long distances in an instant? Is that even possible? I can hardly believe it myself, but why would the government lie about it? Besides, its made by His Majesty himself. Youre not doubting him, are you? Hey, were living like this thanks to His Majesty. How could I doubt him? Dont misunderstand me. Right? Of course! I just hope that the rumored telegraph will be installed all over the empire soon. The people were swept by the anticipation of the telegraph. The continent was so vast that they all understood the importance of fast information delivery. And there were those who felt this more urgently than anyone else: the merchants. Telegraph This is bound to be a huge hit. Its like the railroad. Once you install it, you can keep making money from it. Thats not all, is it? The information delivery speed will be much faster in this vast continent. Thats what matters. For merchants, information was money. There were many cases where they suffered huge losses because information was not delivered on time. They also knew very well how much money the railroad brought them, having experienced the railroad business. Of course, they couldnt make more money because of the contract they made with the government, but even so, the money they earned from the railroad was very satisfying. Therefore, the merchants eagerly waited for the official announcement from the government. And as they expected, a rted policy was announced soon after. A Ministry of Communications This is a new field that just started, but theyre setting up a ministry for it? Sigh. I guess we cant get arge-scale investment this time either. Well, we have to get a business license with our own capital or whatever we can do. The first announcement was the establishment of a Ministry of Communications. This was quite unusual. Usually, a certain field had to grow enough to be independent as a ministry after it was established. But this time, they started with a ministry from the beginning. The smart ones guessed that Kim Ki-woo had a great interest in themunication field. The market rted tomunication will grow fast in the future. We should keep an eye on this area. Im sure the government will push for policies to support it too. Well, it makes sense, considering that the information delivery speed is iparable to before. Then lets try to get involved in this too. Needless to say, the establishment of a Ministry of Communications was not the end. Especially, the merchants paid more attention to the following announcement. Hmm Is the telegraph business going to be simr to the railroad business? Tsk. We wont be able to invest much this time either. We have to do it anyway. We cant just let the government and the giant merchants get all the benefits. Kim Ki-woo offered a condition simr to when he created a railroad boom: he limited the usage fee above a certain amount and prohibited discrimination in using telegraphs. However, there was no significant opposition from merchants as they expected this condition. The problem was that he started to receive investments for installing and operating telegraphs from government agencies. I trust investing in government agencies. Yeah. Once you invest, you get a steady amount of moneying in. How nice is that? Theres no risk of failure either. Heh. How could it fail? Its impossible for railroad or telegraph businesses to fail. Railroads were still being installed all over the continent. And investments for middle-ss railroads continued as well. Kim Ki-woo not only charged low prices for railroads, but also distributed most of the profits from railroads to investors. Not only that. He also carried out most of his railroad construction projects in barrennds with government funds. It was natural that he made more money than other merchants. On the other hand, merchants had to make profits. So they distributed less money to investors than government agencies did. Of course, those who invested up to their limit in government agencies invested in merchant groups as a second option, but their investment amount was iparable to that of government agencies. As a result, merchant groups either obtained business licenses with their own capital and a small amount of investment, or quickly invested in government telegraph projects. Of course, since they prohibited investing more than a certain amount of capital, the merchants were not satisfied with the amount they invested. Kim Ki-woo wanted to keep major fields like railroad and telegraph under his control. Thats why he redistributed most of the profits to investors. But he set a limit on investment for individuals or groups. Kim Ki-woos goal was to let as many people as possible enjoy the steady ie from these businesses. The economy would run healthily only when wealth was distributed evenly among many people. Kim Ki-woo was very wary of excessive concentration of wealth by a few rich people. *** The people eagerly waited for the start of the government telegraph project investment. And soon enough, the investment began. Huh Will I be able to invest today? Hmm. I think Ill have toe back next time. I have no idea when this line will end. Tsk, I should havee earlier. You sound like its past lunchtime. Its still early in the morning The people were stunned by the enormous crowd that lined up in front of the Imperial Bank. After the establishment of the Ministry of Finance, the existing Financial Agency changed its name to the Imperial Bank. Since the restrictions on banking were not lifted yet, the Imperial Bank was the only bank in the empire. And this time, too, the Imperial Bank was in charge of investing in the governments telegraph project. So, even though the sun had not risen much, a huge crowd gathered in front of the Imperial Bank. The scene was like a bank run. Of course, the difference was that they were not shouting to take out money, but to put it in. Haha. This is amazing. Kim Ki-wooughed as he looked at the investment funds that hade in just a week. Even after a week, the enthusiasm hasnt subsided, has it? Thats right. The branches of the Imperial Bank all over the country have no time to rest from opening to closing. Because of that, other banking operations are not going smoothly either. Hmm. We cant have any problems with banking. We cant repeat the same situation every time something like this happens. So, increase the number of Imperial Bank branches nationwide. Yes, sir. The Minister of Finance epted Kim Ki-woos words without hesitation. He also didnt want a negative image of the Imperial Bank to spread. What a huge amount of investment. Well, I expected this to happen. There was nothing wrong with having a lot of investment funds. It meant that they could expand the telegraph project explosively. And as expected, they were already ready toy down telegraphs. Minister of Communications. Yes, Your Majesty. Im sorry for setting up the Ministry of Communications so abruptly, but do your best to organize it for the time being. The Ministry of Communications will not only manage telegraphs in the future. Im sure thatmunication methods will continue to develop. I will live up to Your Majestys expectations. Telegraphs were just the beginning. From telephones to wirelessmunications, the role of the Ministry of Communications was very important. And Minister of Construction. Please give me your orders. Dont worry about money andy down telegraphs as if youre covering Wakan Tanka continent. Can you do it? Just leave it to me! Minister of Industry, build power nts in appropriate ces so that telegraphs can be fully supplied with electricity. Electricity will not only be needed for telegraphs, but also for many other fields in the future. So keep in mind that you have to increase power nts steadily. Yes, Your Majesty! Good. I trust you all to do well as always. Thats how the imperial meeting ended and the telegraph project finally began in earnest. The government hired a lot of manpower. As a result, especially in North Continent, there was a severe shortage of manpower. It was less so in maind and south regions. The important thing was that once again, a huge boom swept over the empire. *** Its been a while. I greet Your Majesty, the great emperor. Haha. Sit down. Do you want some tea? If possible, I would like some coffee. Possible or not. Kim Ki-woo dly epted Yi Hwangs request and asked his attendant to bring coffee and cocoa. Gulp. Mmm I really like this sweet cocoa. Coffee is too bitter for me. Is that so? I love coffee that wakes me up when Im sleepy. Kim Ki-woo didnt bring coffee seeds from modern times in the first ce. He wasnt particrly fond of coffee. But somehow coffee became popr. It seemed that peoples tastes didnt change even if history changed. I heard about it. A lot of blood was shed. It was a necessary measure for the reform of our country. Your Majesty is always grateful to Your Majesty for your generous grace and great support. Kim Ki-woo nodded at his words. Well, Im giving him a lot of support. Of course, it was money that had to be paid back in the distant future, but it was practically free since there was no interest. The economy was booming so intion would steadily lower the value of money. Not only that, he also supported him with six-shot revolvers, rifles, and even machine guns. Even at this moment, there was a lot of resistance to Joseons reform, but the power of the opposition was so weak that it couldnt evenpare with the reformists. I see. Now tell me why you really came to see me. Why do I need a reason to see Your Majesty, the great emperor? Haha. Okay then tell me. Youre not going to keep going like this, are you? At that, Yi Hwang said with a serious expression. Its nothing else but I need arge amount of food again. Is it possible to get it on the same terms as before? Hahaha. How much more do you want to weaken the power of thendlords? At Kim Ki-woos teasing, Yi Hwang smiled awkwardly. I see. Well, you saw it on your way here. The agricultural productivity of the empire is growing fast. Thats right. I didnt know the power of agricultural machinery was so great. Yi Hwang shivered slightly as he thought of the agricultural machines that were constantly being developed. The performance of these machines was truly shocking. They could cultivate a vastnd with a few people. If these machines are distributed in this vast continent of Wakan Tanka How much food will be produced? I cant even imagine. Not only that, but now there were also things called telegraphs that were installed everywhere. Yi Hwang felt overwhelmed by the expanding momentum of the empire. This turned into a desire for reform in his homnd, and it became a driving force for Yi Hwang to work harder. You have to save a lot of food anyway, so do your best for the reform. We will never forget your grace in Joseon. After Yi Hwang left, Kim Ki-woo smiled as he looked at the situation in Joseon. Killing off thendlords Kim Ki-woo had transferred arge amount of food to Joseon at almost nothing. And the reformists led by Yi Hwang dumped this food into their domestic market at a very low price. As a result, the food prices plummeted. The ones who suffered the most from this were obviously thendlords. They had no profit from producing food, so their power shrunk in no time. Thendlords in Honam region, which was a grain-producing area, were the most opposed to the reform, so the power of the opposition was greatly weakened. At the same time, the farmers in each region also lost the need to farm in an instant. The empires enormous food made this possible. Because of this, many farmers lost their jobs. If it had just been like this, there would have been a lot of social chaos, but Yi Hwang was not someone who did things without thinking. Chapter 149: Yi Hwang’s Scheme (2). Chapter 149: Yi Hwang¡¯s Scheme (2). Wee. Did you finish your work well? Haha. Well or not. The emperor of this huge Wakan Tanka Empire is very interested in Joseon, isnt he? I still wonder why the emperor gives special favors to Joseon. Is the Joseon dynasty really rted to the spirits? Well, it could be or it could not be. But thats not important for us, is it? This is a golden opportunity to reform Joseon. We cant miss it. Dont forget that the reform is going smoothly thanks to the great support of the empire. Ill keep that in mind. Lee Yi also understood Yi Hwangs words well and agreed with them. The change in Joseon had changed Lee Yis thoughts as well. He had been exposed to the excellent products and knowledge of the Wakan Tanka Empire since he was young, and he was fascinated by them. Then, when his mother Shin Saimdang was seriously ill, he was transformed into a passionate reformist thanks to the medicine that came from Wakan Tanka. Lee Yi was still young, but thanks to his genius brain, he had a great reputation as a talented person among the reformists. Thats why he was able to apany the Wakan Tanka delegation this time. The emperor promised, so all the permits will be issued soon. But make sure there are no unnecessary troubles. Dont do anything to upset the emperor. Dont worry. There wont be anyone who would do such foolish things. Of course, themonnguage of Hangul and the fact that the Joseon dynasty was the bloodline of the spirits made the imperial people have a great affection for Joseon. But Yi Hwang knew too well that all this was because of the emperor. If the emperor changed his mind and criticized Joseon, there was a high risk of shaking the royal shrine beyond a great hardship. Thats how much Yi Hwang and other reformists were aware of the empires fears. *** Thank you for apanying me. Haha. I just happened to have some business in Iwami. The situation there is quiteplicated these days. Oh, really I heard they are in a civil war. I hope it ends soon. Haha. It seems like it wontst long. The outline is already clear. Is that so? Yi Hwangs question made Swift Rope nod his head. Well, we dont care much who wins. As long as our monopoly in Iwami is not disturbed. I heard that amount is huge. Huge or not. Thanks to that, mypany has grown this much. Haha! He pointed to therge fleet behind him with a grin. All the ships crossing the sea were from Top Eagle Company. That meant they were all his property. Not only that, but there were also quite a few ships that were not included in the fleet. You are amazing. By the way, the ships of the empire are getting bigger and bigger. The engines are also getting more powerful, and bigger ships are safer and can transport more goods at once. Thats impossible for wooden ships. Haha. The ships will keep getting bigger. Dont be surprised yet. Swift Rope shrugged his shoulders because he really felt that way. He trusted the empires constantly developing technology very much. It will surely be so. And thank you very much for spreading rumors about the empires engineers and schrs everywhere. Well, I also got paid for it, so you dont need to thank me. And Joseon has a good image, and Master Toegye adapted well at Imperial University, right? I know very well that you cant buy everything with money. This is all because of you, Swift Rope. Thanks to you, we will be able to execute our n well. Im d to hear that. I hope you seed. Thank you. Yi Hwang bowed politely. Swift Rope also smiled and epted it. Hes really imperial-like. Haha. Yi Hwangs pronunciation of imperial standardnguage was perfect. Moreover, Yi Hwang and other reformists were perfectly dressed and styled in the empires unique fashion. In Joseon, where cutting hair was taboo due to the custom of body hair parents, all reformists had cut their hair neatly. They also shaved their beards cleanly. They would not look out of ce even if they were dropped off in the imperial maind. *** I heard it, but I didnt expect there would be such huge iron rails. Oh my goodness, what are those? Sigh The food prices will plummet again. Look at how endlessly theye in. Come on, stopining and lets go do some loading work. The ship carrying the delegation arrived at its destination before long. The people who came to see the empiresrge fleet and theborers who were selected for the loading work filled the port. See you again. Yes. It was a pleasure. Yi Hwang said goodbye to Swift Rope and stepped on thend. You guys take care of thest processing and return to Hanyang. Well go see His Majesty first. Dont worry. Well take care of the aftermath. Good. Take care. After instructing some of the reformists to oversee the loading work, Yi Hwang led the rest of the delegation to the railway station. This is Joseons first railway Yi Hwang was deeply moved as he looked out of the train. When he left, it was still under construction, but now it waspleted. Although it was only a very short section from the West Sea port to Hanyang, theying of the railway had a profound meaning. This sentiment was also shared by Lee Yi. I never thought that the railway would beid so quickly in Joseon. Indeed. But this is just the beginning. The railway will beid densely throughout the eight provinces of Joseon. I intend to never stop until Joseon bes like the Wakan Tanka Empire. I hope to see that sight as soon as possible. After that, the reformists, including the two of them, discussed endlessly about the future reforms. Soon they arrived in Hanyang and relieved their fatigue from the long journey. And they entered the pce and greeted the king. We have returned, Your Majesty. Yes. You have worked hard, gentlemen. I heard that things went well in the Empire. Thanks to you, I can rest assured. Lee Yeok weed the delegation led by Yi Hwang and Lee Yi very warmly. This was also true for most of the court officials in Joseon. After the conspiracy that involved most of the existing privileged groups, a lot of blood was shed in Joseon. Lee Yeok tried to uproot the power of the privileged groups with his overwhelming force. The conspiracy gave legitimacy to everything he did. And the reformist neers filled their ces. Yi Hwang and his reformists were already on the same boat with Lee Yeok. Lee Yeok smiled brightly at Yi Hwang. But he had a different thought in his mind. I cant trust all of these reformists. He didnt fully trust the reformists. Of course, he felt the immense power of the Empire firsthand, and he recently experienced the necessity of reform by trying out the railway. But that was one thing, and his lifelong dream of strengthening royal power was another story. I must achieve an absolute monarchy like the Wakan Tanka Empire. To reform like them, I have to do the same, dont I? But the situation in Joseon was different from that of the Empire. Although he had a strong legitimacy as a descendant of living spirit, he was not an immortal being like the Emperor of the Empire. He had the same lifespan as others. Of course, he epted the Empires medicine and cured his chronic illness. Thanks to that, Lee Yeok, who should have died long ago in the original history, was still alive and healthy and ruled as the king of Joseon. But Lee Yeok knew well. That his death was not far away. The crown prince will never escape from the hands of his subjects. This was hisst goal. Lee Yeok sorted out his thoughts and said this. I heard that many talented people came from the Empire. That is true. They are all resting at their lodgings. As soon as Your Majesty orders, they will move. That is good news indeed. Then do not dy and execute the ns you have made so far. We are grateful for your grace, Your Majesty! Soon after, a loud cheer from Yi Hwang and his reformists echoed in the air. *** Then they started their actions in earnest. First of all, in court, they released a huge amount of food from the Empire. Oh my! Whats the point of farming this year The grain is so cheap! They didnt have to worry about starving because there was plenty of food, but they couldnt buy other things that were rtively more valuable than farming alone. It was much better to do something else at that time. Then, they started recruiting these tenant farmers in court. Why bother farming now? It only fills up yourndlords bellies, and you cant get much for your leftover food anyway. Isnt that right? Yes! But His Majesty feels sorry for you and wants to hire you. Hire? What does that mean? The farmers tilted their heads at this unfamiliar word. The man raised his voice again. It means that if you help with whats going on in court, theyll give you money. This is very different from corvee! Those who are hired by court will get all their meals for free, and they will be paid a generous sry! Is that really true? Oh my! His Majesty cares so much for us In fact, at this time, Lee Yeoks poprity was very good among the people. All they needed was to eat well and live well. Thanks to Lee Yeok, smallpox prevention methods spread widely in Joseon. And with the introduction of Empire medicine, other diseases were also better treated than before. Not only that, but also thanks to the continuous influx of food from the Empire, people no longer starved, and their lives became more prosperous with various products from the Empire. How could Lee Yeoks poprity be bad in this situation? And when Lee Yeok cared so much for their lives, the peoples sentiment toward him was sky-high. Ill go too! Me too! As a result, many tenant farmers who poured out onto the streets were hired by the Empire. Joseon was a rural-centered society. When tenant farmers suddenly poured out onto the streets, their number was enormous. Oh, you guys! Where are you going, leaving your fields behind? Leave now! There is no reason for us to stay here any longer! Despite thendlords attempts to stop them, many tenant farmers left the rural areas. As a result, many fields were left uncultivated in a short time. What are we going to do about this Thendlords were in a panic, but there was nothing they could do in the face of the overwhelming trend. We have to drive out those wicked reformists! Thats right! We cant stay like this! But these were just empty shouts. They had eyes and ears. They knew that the chances of sess were low if they tried to rebel against the formidable weapons of pistols and machine guns. And many of the tenant farmers who used to support them had also left This is the end. The change of the times can no longer be stopped. Many schrs despaired, and some prepared to adapt to the flow of the times. There are so many of them. Well then, lets start the development of Joseon in earnest. Yes! With Yi Hwangs deration, the reformist officials distributed the crowds of people who had flocked in, and invested them in various developments. They developed iron ore, coal, and limestone mines, and based on them, they built ironworks and steel mills. They also produced bricks, cement, and concrete. The biggest reason they could do this was, of course, the existence of the technicians who came from the empire. They devoted themselves to the development of Joseon. This is the only time we can get them cheap. Yi Hwang thought as he visited various development sites. Now that food prices were low, it was easy to supply food to the workers and wages were also low. And he couldnt guarantee how long the technicians who came to Joseon would stay. So he had to achieve as much as possible now. Thats how Joseons industry began to expand rapidly. Chapter 150: Dividing Japan. Chapter 150: Dividing Japan. So be it. I understand. You may go now. Yes, Lord Eagle. As soon as the name was uttered, Suha left without dy. After he left, the Swift Rope thought about the events happening in Joseon across the sea. Joseon is really lucky. They have the full support of His Majesty, and they have so many talented people. They might seed in modernizing soon. The Swift Rope knew very well the importance of information. Thats why he had nted many informants in the three countries where his lord had roots: Japan, Joseon, and China. Thanks to that, the organization created by the Blue Earth had received a lot of helptely. As a result, the Swift Rope was able to receive very detailed reports on the situation of Joseon from his seat. Well, its not bad for me either. Joseon was also important to him. Because it was located between Ming and Japan. If such a country became modernized, it would never be a loss. At least the Joseon people wont repay kindness with enmity. He was sure that his contribution to Joseons modernization would benefit the Top Eagle Company and Empire. Knock knock. Lord Eagle. Its time to go. Get ready. At the sound of his attendant from outside, the Swift Rope got up without hesitation. Time was gold. And the person he was meeting now was a very important figure. He couldnt afford to keep him waiting. Wee. Haha. How can youe out yourself? Im not worthy of such honor. What are you talking about! Its nothingpared to weing the Swift Rope who has done so much for us. I appreciate your kindness. Come on, lets go inside. Lets do that! Ouchi Yoshitaka couldnt hide his smile on his face as he entered. He had no choice. He had received a lot of help from the Top Eagle Company in expanding his power, and he had easily suppressed several rebellions thanks to the powerful weapons and gunpowder provided by the Top Eagle Company. As a result, there was no longer any force around him that could threaten the Iwami Silver Mine. Rather, he had unified half of the provinces by now. The remaining daimyos around him were either forced to choose between opposing Ouchi Yoshitaka to the end or kneeling before him. Gulp gulp. Hmm The tea from the Empire always tastes deep. It tastes better than the tea thates from Ming. Is that so? In our country, Ming tea is more popr. Well, I prefer our countrys tea too. The two drank tea from the Empire and chatted amicably. I heard the news. You expanded your power greatly. Thats all thanks to the powerful weapons and gunpowder that you provided us, Lord Eagle. And you are also working hard to develop our territory. Haha. It was a fair trade. Our lordship has also expanded our power greatly thanks to the huge amount of silver that we received from the Iwami Silver Mine. That makes me sad. Was our rtionship so shallow that you call it a trade? I thought we were closer than that. Im just saying that. You and I are like sailing on the same boat. Of course. Hahaha! At that, Ouchi Yoshitaka burst intoughter. The Swift Rope also smiled and continued. His Majesty is also very pleased. The words of the great spirits are spreading widely in thisnd. Hahat! How can His Majesty be pleased by me doing what I should do? If you ever meet His Majesty, please tell him that I will continue to spread the faith of the spirits. Dont you think you should visit our country once? If you do, His Majesty will be very happy. Hmm. Visiting As soon as the topic of visiting the maind came up, Ouchi Yoshitaka stroked his chin. If you are worried about what might happen when you leave your seat or your personal safety, you dont have to worry. We will take care of it and protect you while you are gone. The Swift Ropes face was confident as he finished his words. He trusted in the power of the Top Eagle Company. Ouchi Yoshitaka nced at his face and fell into thought. Surely if its the Top Eagle Company Who else would feel the power of the Top Eagle Company as much as he did? If it werent for his alliance with the Hojo n and the trade with the Top Eagle Company through them Maybe by now, his n would have disappeared. It was such a chaotic time, and there were many daimyos who coveted the Iwami Silver Mine around him. Their influence is unmatched in this sea. Currently, the Top Eagle Company was the most powerful maritime force in the sea across Ming, Joseon, and Japan. They had such a tight grip on this region that there was hardly any room for other imperial lordships to enter. Thats why Ouchi Yoshitaka never thought of going against the Top Eagle Company and the Swift Rope who led such a great lordship. If the Top Eagle Company takes responsibility for me It wouldnt hurt to visit once. The ships of the Empire were made of steel and were huge and very fast. So he could go to the maind ande back quickly. And from what he had experienced so far, the Top Eagle Company and the Swift Rope were very trustworthy people who valued loyalty, and they were forbidden by imperial policy to annex foreignnds, so there would be no unpleasant incidents. I want to see the great cities of the empire, especially the ancient capital and the current one, and the northern industrial zone. Thanks to one of the amazing devices made by the empire, the camera, Ouchi Yoshitaka had seen the empires appearance indirectly. And he had also heard vivid stories from various gods and sages who had visited the empire personally. But it was iparable to seeing it for himself. Very well. I cant refuse if you are so kind to invite me, Swift Rope. Haha. You made a good decision. Then, would you like to apany me to meet Lord Hojo this time? You have to see him sooner orter anyway. Hmm. Thats true Alright. Let me know when you finish your work and decide on the departure date. Ill be waiting. Sure thing.
After that, Swift Rope took care of all the work he had to do at the office, and gave strict orders to his subordinates. For a while, Lord Ouchi will be traveling with me. We are going to visit the homnd and pay our respects to His Majesty, so we will be away for a long time. So you guys have to take responsibility for Ouchis territory and protect it. Do you understand? Yes, Lord Swift Rope! Leave it to us. There will be no trouble at all. Swift Rope nodded slightly at their confident words. There wont be any crazy bastards who challenge us. There had been many incidents and idents until Top Eagle Company established himself as the strongest force in this area. And every time, Swift Rope had punished them firmly. He didnt care if they left him alone, but if they touched him, he made them pay a fair price. As a result, by now, there were very few people who dared to mess with Top Eagle Company. Thats why Swift Rope wasnt too worried. You go and bring Lord Ouchi Yoshitaka here. Yes! After giving orders to his subordinate, Swift Rope boarded his ship right away. And soon after, Ouchi Yoshitaka arrived. The empires ships are amazing every time I see them. And they keep getting better. How much bigger do they want to get? I hear that a lot. They will probably keep growing. Ihwan and others who saw the imperial fleet were also impressed by the ever-growing ships. Soon after, the two of them headed east while talking about various things. And as time passed, the fleet finally reached its destination. Wow. Ouchi Yoshitaka looked at the bustling port with shining eyes. Of course, he had also developed a lot of ports on the coast of Ouchis territory, but this ce was bigger. I can see how much Hojo Ujitsuna cares about trade. Well, Hojo Ujitsuna would know well the source of their prosperity, so it was only natural. And soon after, he confirmed his intention even more. Hojo Ujitsuna came to meet them personally at the coast. No way, you came all the way here. Haha. I was so excited to hear that you two wereing that I couldnt stay still. Swift Rope smiled wryly at their conversation. Hojo Ujitsuna is one step ahead. Well, it meant that he treated them well, so he didnt feel bad. *** I didnt expect that Lord Ouchi of Great Ouchi would visit here personally. Haha. I had toe sooner orter. Didnt you also visit our territory in the past? Well, that was when I wasnt a lord yet, so its different. I really wee you. Dont you wee me? Hahaha! How could that be? Swift Rope is our benefactor. Im hurt if you really think so? The atmosphere of the three sitting in the reception room was as good as it could be. Especially Hojo Ujitsuna and Ouchi Yoshitaka were very happy because they had secured their positions as the winners of the long Warring States period thanks to this alliance. I hear news all the time. You seem to be ready to pacify your surroundings before us. Hey, you know very well that Ouchi has already taken over the situation. Then lets say that both of you are great. At Swift Ropes words, both daimyos nodded their heads contentedly. The war is practically over. Under Top Eagle Companys full support, both ns received abundant supplies. They used high-quality weapons and plenty of gunpowder, as well as excellent tactics, to gradually conquer nearby territories. Especially Hojo Ujitsunas achievements were really remarkable. He used his brilliant tactical sense to suppress other strong forces in Kanto region. If Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin had simr support and time, things might have changed, but the goddess of victory was not on their side. By this year, or next year, the east will be unified by Hojo n. Swift Rope had no doubt about it. The tide had already gone too far. And it might take a little longer, but the west will be Ouchis territory. In other words, it meant that the scattered territories would be reorganized into two huge forces. And both sides gathered here to discuss what would happen next. What are you nning to do after this war is over, Lord Hojo? We cant keep fighting each other forever, can we? I agree with you. We have spilled too much blood already. There is no need for us to see more of it. They exchanged meaningful nces. How about we divide Kyoto as the center? What do you think? Hmm Kyoto is hell right now, as you know. It has lost its former glory long ago. The world has changed. We have to change too, like the Empire. And do we really need to do that change in Kyoto? You are right. But I dont think splitting the country in two is appropriate. Then do you really want to fight? What if we unite the two factions and form one country Ha ha. Lord Ouchi, you are too idealistic. Im sure that would only cause more conflict. It would be better to cleanly separate our territories. Or do you not have enoughnd to satisfy you Thats not it, but Their conversation was interrupted by a Swift Rope. Lord Ouchi, are you perhaps worried that Lord Hojo might attack you beyond Kyoto in the future? Ahem! He coughed and nodded slightly at this remark. The Swift Rope smiled and opened his mouth. If thats your concern, the Empire will help you. We will certify your territories from the Empire. And if they break it We will not sit idly by in that situation. The Swift Rope had already received a promise from Kim Ki-woo about this. So he looked at both sides and twinkled his eyes. Chapter 151: Hegemony. Chapter 151: Hegemony. Judging by the fact that you call it the Empire instead of the Top Eagle Company, I guess you have heard from the higher-ups? More precisely, it is the will of His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty has a great interest in Japan, as you know. As you are well aware, Japan and the Empire are geographically quite close. Rtively close, yes. Ouchi Yoshitaka nodded in agreement, but his mind was spinning. If the Emperor himself certifies it wouldnt it be believable? Its burdensome to fight with the Hojo n. Hojo Ujitsuna must also be using ninjas in his territory to collect information constantly. He was doing the same. The more he learned about the Hojo n, and especially Hojo Ujitsuna, the more Ouchi Yoshitaka felt wary. He had the Iwami silver mine, but Hojo Ujitsuna was different. Of course, he took 20% of the profits from the silver mine, but that was only half of his half. There were many outstanding warriors in Kanto. Despite that, Hojo Ujitsuna had pacified his surroundings faster than him. Hes a really amazing man. So much so that I dont want to fight him. Thats why his mind gradually leaned toward epting the proposal of the Swift Rope. Hojo Ujitsuna must have felt the same way about him, otherwise he wouldnt have made the offer first. If you say so much, I have no reason to refuse. I dont want the war to continue either. Good. Then shall we discuss the details of the treaty? Lets do that. Thus, by the agreement of the three powers, Japans division was virtually decided. *** After that, it took another two weeks to finalize the treaty. It was inevitable, since it was a matter that involved their sharp interests. The Swift Rope finished his business in Japan during that time. And today, important guests visited Japan. Its been a long time, great man. Haha. Ive been busy. I should have visited you sooner, but so many things happened Ill see you more often from now on. I feel the same way. Haha. Just hearing your words makes me full. Come on, lets go inside. The Swift Rope led the guests from China to the reception room. The spacious reception room was soon filled with arge number of people. I heard the news. A terrible thing happened. s. What is happening to our country As they brought up a very heavy topic from the beginning, the atmosphere became gloomy. I never thought such a big earthquake would happen. Earlier this year, an earthquake urred in Shanxi province of China, and its magnitude was unprecedented. As a result, Shanxi province and its surrounding areas were devastated. It waster recorded as the earthquake that caused the most casualties in human history. Moreover, it was not far from Beijing, the capital of Ming Dynasty, so this earthquake caused even more damage to Ming Dynasty, which was already chaotic. The unfortunate thing is that our damage is not that great. Rather Ahem! Thats enough. Ahem! I almost made a mistake. The Swift Rope smiled subtly as he listened to their words. As expected, their nature doesnt change. Who would say they are thieves? Their country suffered a huge disaster, but what they think is In fact, he didnt like them very much. They were engaged in smuggling, which was prohibited by Ming Dynasty. The Swift Rope was a person who had a deep loyalty to his homnd and Kim Ki-woo. From his point of view, he didnt like this gang of thieves very much. But trading with Ming Dynasty and strengthening the power of Top Eagle Company required joining hands with them. Well, they must see this as an opportunity. For a long time, Top Eagle Company gained much more benefits from Ming Dynasty than Japan. That meant that these smugglers also made a fortune. But Ming Dynastys government wasnt stupid either. They naturally suppressed them. In this process, many smugglers and their families died. But they couldnt root them out. Rather, from then on, the smugglers burned with revenge and imported weapons and ships from Top Eagle Company and armed themselves heavily. As a result, Ming Dynastys government practically lost control over coastal areas such as Bokyeonseong and Jujangseong. In this situation, the Shanxi earthquake was like adding fuel to fire. Now they dont hide their ambitions tsk tsk. To Swift Ropes eyes, Ming Dynasty had too low military powerpared to its national strength. Ming Dynastys army was infamous for being useless and its government was rotten. On top of that, the ipetent emperor didnt care about the affairs of state, so it was obvious that the country was doomed. So these thieves must have bigger dreams. Well, its not bad news for us. The Empire and Top Eagle Company had enough reasons to support them. The Swift Rope never mixed his personal feelings with public matters. Well, then lets talk in detail. The Swift Rope leaned forward and began the formal negotiations. Haha. You seem to be better than most of the ministers. Youve done so many things. How can Ipare myself to the ministers who lead the glorious Wakan Tanka Empire? Im just a mere merchant. A mere merchant? Theres no such thing as an unimportant job in this world. If you work hard in your position, isnt that patriotism? Its thanks to the merchants that the empires economy is running. Your grace is too kind, Your Majesty. After meeting with Hojo Ujitsuna, Ouchi Yoshitaka, and the Chinese smugglers, Kim Kiwoo had a chat with Swift Rope, his spy. Just keep doing what youre doing. Then you wont have any trouble with those who falsely use you. Of course Im only talking about false usations. You know that, right? Gulp! Kim Kiwoo smiled and spoke, but Swift Rope swallowed his saliva unconsciously. Cold sweat ran down his spine. I know that very well, Your Majesty. There will never be anything that worries you. Haha. I trust you. I know you wouldnt do anything like that. Im just saying this out of concern, so dont take it to heart. Yes, Your Majesty. Come on, drink up. I prepared your favorite tea. Kim Kiwoo finished his words and sipped his cocoa. Then he spoke again. Its only a matter of time before Japan is divided and stabilized What do you think? Do you think they will seed in their coup? If youre talking about the smugglers I think they have a high chance of sess. They have armed themselves with many ships and weapons from the empire, based on the huge wealth they have umted so far. On the other hand, the Ming government is ipetent and corrupt, and its military is very weak. Hmm. Thats true. But even if they open the lid, theres no guarantee how it will turn out. Thats also true. And even if they seed, we cant let one faction take over the entirend of Ming. Um Currently, there were two regions that Kim Kiwoo was most concerned about: one was China and the other was Ottoman. Considering the enormous poption of China They have a high possibility of bing the biggestpetitor of Wakan Tanka in the future. Wasnt it the same in the original history? China, based on its vastnd and poption, rose to the position of G2 in just a few decades. Their potential was very impressive. Before Wakan Tanka Empire revealed itself to the world, Ming was the best country to live in. The best way to effectively suppress them was to split them up. And now was the best time to execute this n. Remember this and make sure that the factions participating in this coup dont unite. Ive already talked to the Minister of Defense, so you can work with him. I understand, Your Majesty! You may leave now. Yes! Ill see you again next time. Alright. After he left, Kim Kiwoo spread out a world map. How should I split China into several countries? In Kim Kiwoos mind, there was no such option as one China. He was just thinking about how to split it up. And with the current national power of Wakan Tanka Empire, this was easy to achieve. After all, the smugglers who grew their power through smuggling and initiated the coup were also under the empires control. They had grown with the support of the empire and signed a secret treaty today. They were like fish caught in a. If China is split up as I nned The only thing left is Ottoman. Europe was unable to enjoy the Age of Discovery because of Wakan Tanka Empire. Europe had conquered the world through navigation. But because of Kim Kiwoo, they didnt even have decent colonies. As the situation went on like this, they fell behind Asia in terms of poption and resources. Of course, they were also trying to reform like the empire as they realized their power gap over time. But for now, Europe was not Kim Kiwoos concern. Because Ottomans momentum was too strong. It must be Suleiman I. Hes as great as I heard. As time passed, Kim Kiwoo had to admit it. He noticed the reality of the empire and started to reform Ottoman Empire right away. Thanks to that, Ottoman Empire was the region where modernization was achieved fastest among other regions except Wakan Tanka. He didnt hesitate to bow down to Wakan Tanka Empire for this. He even didnt hesitate to execute those who persecuted the empires missionaries or merchants in their region for religious reasons. Thats even scarier. Looking at Ottoman now, it felt like they were sharpening their knives while lying down. And Kim Kiwoo knew it too well. The Middle East region will be more important in the future. Middle Eastern oil will be more important than anything else until shale gas is developed. Why else would the United States have been so interested in the Middle East in the original history? It was because it was an irreceable region. In fact, this was the reason why the dor did not lose its status as a reserve currency after giving up the gold standard. The United States took over OPEC and made a deal with them: the United States would take care of the development and sale of Middle Eastern oil, and OPEC would only ept dors as payment for oil. In other words, dors were essential to buy oil. Thanks to this, the dor was able to consolidate its position as a reserve currency. So the United States built an absurd economic system where they just had to print money to run the economy. If they had a deficit, they just printed more dors. This was also the reason why they copsed the Soviet Union during the Cold War, why they maintained their superpower status until Kim Kiwoo traveled back in time, and why they maintained their astronomical defense budget. And Kim Kiwoo also wanted to imitate this move of the United States. To do that, he had to pay attention to the rtionship and negotiation with Ottoman. If Ottoman tries to ruin my n Ill have no choice but to wage war. Even if other countries criticized him, it was inevitable for the bright future of Wakan Tanka. International politics was a ruthless jungle. Chapter 152: Penicillin. Chapter 152: Penicillin. Im a licensed teacher now. Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support. You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, Ill give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy!
The world situation wasplicated, but Kim Ki-woo was investing most of his time in research. He didnt build a huge researchplex in the Imperial Pce just to create one telegraph. Of course, there were many researches going on in various universities and institutes, and Kim Ki-woo had no intention of interfering with them. But the research he was doing now was different. I wish I didnt have to get involved. The research on microorganisms had already progressed considerably. So Kim Ki-woo had high hopes for the scientists. He hoped they would develop antibiotics. But unfortunately, they didnt reach that point. Well, in fact, it was a coincidence that penicillin was discovered in the original history. The discovery of penicillin, which was called the greatest discovery of the 20th century, was actually a result of a series of coincidences. A British biologist, Alexander Fleming, happened to leave a dish containing staphylocus outside the incubator when he went on a summer vacation. Just because he was toozy to put it inside. And by another coincidence, hisboratory downstairs was studying mold. And luckily, a blue mold flew up to the upper floor andnded on the dish where the staphylocus was. Coincidentally, that summer was cooler than usual. Just right for the mold to grow. And Fleming returned from his summer vacation and saw this idental result with his own eyes. The staphylocus that had been cleanly melted by the blue mold. If it wasnt for this coincidence, antibiotics might have been developed muchter. And unfortunately, this coincidence did not happen in the Empire so far. But I cant wait any longer. Even at this moment, people were dying of various diseases because there were no antibiotics. In other words, developing antibiotics was a matter of saving countless lives. Have you arrived? Yes. Hows the experiment going? See for yourself. Following the leader of this research, Bright Moonlight, Kim Ki-woo entered theboratory. Bright Moonlight was an authority on microbiology and had a say in vine production, so Kim Ki-woo appointed him as the leader. Ho-ho. Its melted cleanly. Yes. We conducted experiments on various bacteria and obtained simr results. Kim Ki-woo nodded. It was knowledge he already knew. Heh. Youre not surprised as usual. Bright Moonlight looked at Kim Ki-woos calm expression and inwardly admired him. When he was selected as the leader of this research and heard an exnation from Kim Ki-woo about the research, he couldnt hide his curiosity. What was the point of culturing this mold and injecting it into bacteria? But as the experiment progressed, he was shocked. He saw with his own eyes that various bacteria melted when he used one of the molds, blue mold. How do you know such knowledge He was curious about the knowledge in Kim Ki-woos head. How much more amazing knowledge there would be. Good. But its not easy to culture this mold. Thats right. Not only culturing it, but also purifying it is not an easy task. Its very sensitive I see. This was something he had anticipated from before. Kim Ki-woo had absorbed a lot of knowledge before boarding the time machine. And among them, the knowledge about penicillin was very important. So he knew very well about penicillin. And I also know how to solve this problem. Penicillin mold is not all the same mold. There are different strains. And each strain had different effects and abilities to produce penicillin. First of all, you continue to experiment with blue mold. Purify it and test it on animals as well. Yes. *** As time passed, the research on penicillin progressed. Penicillin extracted from cultured blue mold was injected into animals and yielded meaningful results. And finally, in human trials, they saved patients. This is a miracle! Oh To be able to kill bacteria inside the human body. If this ismercialized We might be able to save people who are dying from various diseases. The researchers couldnt help but be astonished by the effect of penicillin. This was a different kind of innovation from vines. But there was something blocking their way, which was mass production. No matter how hard we try, the amount of purified antibiotics is very small, right? As a result, they even filtered and recovered the urine of clinical patients who had been given penicillin. But when Kim Ki-woo intervened directly, things began to change. Add this. This is A substance extracted from corn. Corn? Yes. The bright full moons eyes shone with confidence. He was sure that Kim Kiwoos help would have a tremendous effect. And he was right. Not long after adding the corn extract, its efficacy became evident. Wow! Oh my goodness I never thought we could purify so much penicillin! Thanks to the corn extract, the amount of purified penicillin increased by more than 10 times. As expected, its very effective. Kim Kiwoo smiled contentedly after receiving the report. Of course, he was not done yet. He had been working on two things simultaneously while the penicillin research was progressing. The first one was finding a penicillin strain that could be mass-produced. You mean melons? Yes. Search every corner of the country and find them no matter what. Dont throw away the rotten ones either. Bring them here. He instructed his inner minister to collect melons from different regions. The imperial order was powerful. As soon as Kim Kiwoo gave the order to his inner minister, the Ministry of Internal Affairs became busy. Go and get all the melons you can find! Hurry up! They wondered why Kim Kiwoo needed melons, and why he even wanted the rotten ones, but they did not question him. It was enough reason that Kim Kiwoo wanted it. The power of the imperial order was amazing. Haha Kim Kiwoo chuckled at the sight of the melon field in front of him. It had only been a few days since he gave the order, and they had brought so many melons. The rest of the melons will arrive soon. I see. Stop bringing more melons when they arrive. Yes, Your Majesty. Good job. Kim Kiwoo patted the inner ministers shoulder and turned his gaze to the bright full moon. What do you think I called you here for? To obtain a blue mold strain from these melons, I suppose. Haha. Youre right on point. I guessed it when you ordered to get melons. Otherwise, there would be no need to bring all the rotten ones as well. Thats correct. I think we can get a lot of penicillin from the blue mold that grows on these melons. I see. The bright full moons eyes sparkled. He felt like he could see the sess of mass production that had been guing him for a long time. And soon after, a blue mold strain that was found in one of the rotten musk melons produced a huge amount of penicillin very stably. Now that we have established a new fermentation method, we can distribute penicillin to the public. And Kim Kiwoo knew a fermentation method that could mass-produce penicillin: the deep-tank fermentation method. Hmm. Its almost done. Yes, it is. Kim Kiwoo nodded as he looked around the deep-tank fermenter that he had built in the researchplex. The principle of deep-tank fermentation method was simple. As its name suggested, the deep-tank fermenter wasrge and deep. It was different from the previous process that used several thin culture tes. What made this possible was power. Using power to stir the culture liquid at the bottom of the fermenter. If air was blown into it, blue mold could be cultured inrge quantities. A few dayster. The deep-tank fermenter waspleted and immediately tested. And soon after, the results were clear. Its a sess. Kim Kiwoo smiled contentedly as he looked at therge amount of blue mold that had been cultured. The mold looked so lovely to him. You finally seeded in mass production. You know what to do next, right? We have to purify these and produce antibiotics. I wont interfere anymore from now on. So take responsibility and produce antibiotics. Yes, Your Majesty. Leave it to me. Kim Kiwoo patted the bright full moons shoulder confidently and left his seat. *** With a suitable strain for penicillin production found and deep-tank fermentation method established, as well as extraction technology matured, penicillin literally poured out in no time. And when enough quantity was umted, Kim Kiwoo revealed the identity of penicillin. Antibiotics? They say if you take this, your illness will be cured? Wow The imperial citizens were shocked by Kim Kiwoos editorial in The Imperial Newspaper. The efficacy of penicillin written in the editorial was truly amazing. Of course, Kim Kiwoo also warned about resistance. Penicillin was not a cure-all, and if you kept taking it, its effect would decrease. So he told them to only take it when necessary. So humans have conquered even diseases now. Your Majesty, you have personally researched it, so it must be as effective as the newspaper says. The next day after the article about penicillin was published, penicillin officially entered the market. And as expected, the reaction was explosive. Give me antibiotics! Me too! I had anticipated this and stockpiled arge amount of penicillin and sent it to various parts of the country in advance, but in major cities, it was sold out before the day was over. People who were not sick also bought it out of curiosity and to prepare for any possible emergency situations. And many patients who had been suffering from various diseases saw the full effect of penicillin. Oh, great spirit! Im alive Thank you, thank you so much! They praised Kim Ki-woo and praised him again as they felt their illness being cured. From their perspective, Kim Ki-woo was truly a benefactor of life, so it was a natural reaction. Haha. I expected it, but the profit is really astronomical. Yes, Your Majesty. Its only been a few days and its like this I wonder how much profit we will make in the future. The finance ministers expression was stained with anticipation. Kim Ki-woo did not develop penicillin so quickly for money. Thats why he set the price of penicillin very low. But since it sold so much, the sales of penicillin were literally astronomical. The money is rotting. The government controlled major industries and taxes were steadilying in, and when vines and antibiotics were sold, the governments finances were unbelievable even with two eyes. He wondered if he could spend all this money Its not good to have too much money piled up. Your Majesty Lets increase the scale of public works, such as building bridges and canals. Finance minister, you know that and prepare for it. Yes, Your Majesty. It was something that had to be done anyway for the development of the empire. Especially on the maind, there were too many rivers, so waterways had to be improved. Thats enough for now. You can go. Yes, Your Majesty. After the finance minister left, Kim Ki-woo buried himself in his chair. The already steep poption growth rate will rise even more. Many lives would be saved because of antibiotics, so this was inevitable. Kim Ki-woo was sincerely curious about how many people would be in the empire in a few decades. Chapter 153: The Fall of Ming. Chapter 153: The Fall of Ming. Im a licensed teacher now. Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support. You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, Ill give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy!
It was a night of ambition. Lee Yeok had a secret meeting with Yi Hwang. Is this really true? Yes, Your Majesty. Hmm. Lee Yeok stared at the letter that had flown from Kim Kiwoo, furrowing his brow. After a long silence, he turned his gaze to Yi Hwang. Did you not know about this, Minister of Justice? I had some suspicions from watching the movements of the Wakan Tanka Empire, but I did not expect them to act so quickly. You should have told me sooner if you felt any signs. I apologize, Your Majesty. Lee Yeok was not pleased with Yi Hwangs apology, even though he bowed his head. I dont like it. The reformists were loyal to him. He was the symbol of the bloodline of Jeongryeong, which was very important to them. But Lee Yeok had his own loyalists among them. The problem was that Yi Hwang was not one of them. Yi Hwang was the core of the reformists. There was no big problem now that they had the same goal, but it would be a tough fight if he started to rebel. It was inevitable that Yi Hwang knew more about the situation of the Wakan Tanka Empire than him. But it was very unpleasant that he did not discuss such an important matter beforehand. However, there was no good in antagonizing Yi Hwang, so Lee Yeok suppressed his anger. I hope you will tell me even the smallest things from now on. I will do so. That being said What should we do now? Do we really have to sit still as the Empire wishes? We have to. We have crossed a river that cannot be turned back. If we stop here, we will drown in the river. Or we have to move forward until we reach the other side of thend. Sigh, but Ming Havent our rtions with Ming changed a lot already? We just have to keep silent. Yi Hwangs words were true. There was no eternal secret. Ming soon found out that Joseon was trading with the Wakan Tanka Empire. Mings reaction was obvious. Ming knew that the Empires merchants were trading with their smugglers, and they were suffering from it. And now Joseon was openly trading with them. They could not tolerate it. But we did not respond. Mings pressure on Joseon came after Lee Yeok epted Kim Kiwoos proposal. And in the end, Lee Yeok epted it. That is, he naturally raised his g against Mings will. Ming thought of military sanctions and showed a strong will to retaliate. But it did not happen. The smugglers were too powerful, and they were constantly harassed by Mongol cavalry from above. Thanks to that, Mings pressure was only verbal. I expected it when I saw them deliberately nurturing Mings smugglers But it ended up like this. The Empires merchants sold not only ordinary goods but alsorge quantities of weapons and ships to the smugglers. This could not be said to have no malicious intent. But as long as they excluded Ming from their rtions, this was not a harmful matter for Joseon. It is better for us to split up Zhongyuan. If we share a border with such a huge empire, there could be trouble at any time. And hadnt there been many cases like that in history? The interests of Joseon, Wakan Tanka Empire, and smugglers coincided. Although they could be morally criticized for that. All this is for Joseon. It is suicidal to go against Wakan Tanka now. You must remember this. Joseon is currently on a leash by the Empire. Yi Hwangs voice became heavier. The Empire is giving us a huge amount of money for free, and food and goods are also pouring in endlessly. If the Empire changes its mind, not only will our reforms go up in smoke, but our lives will also be in danger. Hmm I know that well enough, so you dont have to mention it anymore. Even if it was true, it was not pleasant for him as the king of a country to bow down to a great power. Yi Hwang knew this too, so he quietly lowered his head. As you say, Minister of Justice, we have no choice but to do this for our survival. I understand, so tell the Empires Foreign Ministry that we will follow the Emperors will. Your grace is immense, Your Majesty! And so Joseon decided to watch Mings downfall with their eyes wide open. *** What? Did Joseon dare to refuse? Yes, yes. That is correct. Damn it! Bang! Eom Sung, who was in charge of Mings finance, mmed his fist on the desk after hearing the bad news. He was usually very good at controlling his emotions, but he was under a lot of pressure due to the recent situation, so he could not hold back his anger. What are you doing there? Get out! Yes! Eom Sung dismissed his subordinates and had some time alone. Then his boiling anger subsided a little. I cant shake off this anxiety. Yn Xng was very quick-witted. He would never have risen to his current position without being observant. He was born into a poor family in the countryside, but he managed to serve as the prime minister for a whopping ten years with his ttery and cunning. He was a remarkable person who had achieved such a feat. Why did this happen now of all times He resented the heavens. Why did these ominous signs keep appearing while he was in charge of the government? He had killed countless enemies to consolidate his power. Taking advantage of the emperors negligence, he wielded absolute authority. However, even Yn Xng could not stop the external changes. Recently, a massive earthquake in Shanxi caused enormous damage, and the peoples sentiment was very grim. On top of that, the smugglers were gathering the masses and arming themselves with new weapons, and Joseon refused to send troops. What should I do Yn Xngs worries only grew longer. **** Yn Xng did not know, but the new information organization of the Blue Earth, Shadow, yed a big role in worsening the peoples mood. The members of Shadow spread throughout China and argued that the heaven was angry and that this terrible earthquake happened because of the corruption and tyranny of the current government. The emperor of Ming, Zhu Houcong, has already lost the mandate of heaven! Therefore, we must immediately depose the emperor and have a new emperor who has received the mandate of heaven be the ruler of thisnd! As the man spoke from a makeshift tform, arge crowd had already gathered around him. When the man finished his speech, the thugs who had been waiting in advance shouted loudly among the crowd. Right! Thisnd needs a new ruler! Waaaaah! Then, the people who had been harboring a lot of dissatisfaction responded first, and soon the atmosphere heated up by the crowd psychology. And such things were happening all over the vast ins of China. Yeah! What has the emperor done for us! Those damn officials only pocket money and dont care about our lives at all! If we stay still like this, how long will it be like this? Look at what happened in Shanxi Province. The emperor has already lost his qualifications. This served as an opportunity to unite the anger of the people who had been holding it for a long time. And at this time, taking advantage of this opportunity, the smugglers on the coast who had finished their preparations raised a rebellion. Follow us! We are the ones who will rece that ipetent and corrupt emperor who has lost the mandate of heaven and bring peace to thisnd! Take these weapons and march into Beijing with us! Waaaaah! The people were ecstatic as they looked at the army with purple headscarves. At that time, purple dye was very expensive, so it looked even more impressive. In addition, the appearance of the trained army and the unfamiliar weapons they carried gave them more confidence. Great Man was right. Wang Zhi, one of the leaders of the smugglers, nodded his head as he recalled Swift Rope. Swift Rope ordered Wang Zhi and other smugglers to pay attention to their appearance. He also supplied them with headscarves dyed with expensive purple dye at a very low price. In fact, this was possible because synthetic purple dye had appeared due to the development of chemistry. Ive never regretted listening to Swift Rope. In original history, Wang Zhi was a notorious pirate. Most of thete pirates who operated in China were Chinese. He decided that it was dangerous to operate in China and umted an enormous fortune by operating in Japan. Of course, he waster arrested and executed by Jeolgang Sunmu Ho Jongheon using his familys safety as bait. However, Wang Zhis life changed a lot in current history. The pirates were wiped out by Wakan Tanka Empire, and imperial merchants conquered the seas of the world. Thanks to that, Wang Zhi made huge profits by mediating trade with Wakan Tanka Empire on Chinas coast and armed himself strongly based on that. He was powerful enough that Mings army could not dare to attack him. Thats why Wang Zhi considered Swift Rope as his benefactor. He also became a person who had a great affection for Wakan Tanka Empire. Soon Ill be able to be a real king. Huhuhu And he was inted with a new dream. **** Kim Kiwoo deliberately adjusted each smugglers power to be simr. He did this by trading more with rtively weak forces. Thanks to that, Wang Zhi and other smugglers were divided into ten forces. Dont forget your promise. If you cross our territory The empire will not sit still. Haha. Who would be foolish enough to go against the empire. Just dont break it on your side. Good. Then I wish you luck. The ten forces exchanged warnings andpliments with each other and scattered. They had already decided which part of Ming they would eat when they signed a secret treaty with Kim Kiwoo. Of course, they all had more than one port. They knew how painful it was to lose a port, which was a trade channel with the empire, because they had been smuggling for their whole lives. Thanks to that, they started to march from the port to thend assigned to them. Brother, lets go. Call me Your Majesty now. Huhuhu. Oh my! I made a mistake, Your Majesty! Uhahaha! Well, lets go find ournd! Wang Zhi burst into a heartyugh and began his march at the words of his subordinate. The strength of Wang Zhi and his fellow smugglers, who had already seized the royal title, was well-known by now, and their army looked different from the rest. They also expressed the anger that had umted among the people, and as time passed, Wang Zhis army grew exponentially. Wang Zhi gave them spears. Theres no point in giving them guns. Untrained gunners are worse than none. And more importantly these rabble are enough to deal with the Ming soldiers. They were all rabble anyway. So the important thing was to have a well-trained army tomand them, and weapons that were superior to the enemys. It seemed more profitable to strike quickly than to waste time training them. And Wang Zhis idea proved to be exactly right. His army advanced like a storm. Chapter 154: Comic Chapter 154: Comic Im a licensed teacher now. Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support. You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, Ill give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy!
Wee, Minister of Defense. I hope Im notte. Late? No, I just got here. Come on, have a seat. The slender rope pointed to a chair with his hand, and the blue earth sat down without hesitation. Im worried that I might have called you for nothing when youre busy. Haha. What are you talking about? Theres nothing more important than meeting with the Minister of Defense. And we have the same goal, dont we? Thats why I came here. The blue earth went straight to the point. Are there any problems with the military supplies heading to China? What kind of question is that? We, the Eagle Summit, are supplying enough materials to all battlefields. And this will continue until the war is over. As you know, supply is the most important thing in war. So please pay more attention. Yes. I will do that. In fact, the blue earth was just saying that out of concern, and he trusted the Eagle Summits capabilities. The one who was in charge of supplying the materials to the Chinese smugglers army, also known as the Revolutionary Army, was none other than the Eagle Summit. There was no one better suited for the job than them. And until now, when the civil war was escting, there was not a single hitch in the supply. The blue earth moved on from this point. His real purpose foring here was not supply. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. How is the work going? The slender rope also knew what he was talking about and answered right away. We are working on all fronts with the ten factions that are divided. We were exposed a few times, but the results are not bad. Do you want to see this? Hmm. The blue earth opened the document and scanned through the list written inside. Then he nodded his head. Youve captured some big shots. Yes. Of course, there will be some who will act as double agents among them, but if we operate them as cells, they wont know each others existence. Well settle everything at once, including the cost and reward for this activity, when the war is over. Haha. Im not doing this for money, but Ill dly ept it if you give it to me. You can expect a lot. The slender rope was a merchant. Therefore, he did not refuse the blue earths words that he would pay a proper price. I wonder how many more people there are besides those we captured or infiltrated? The list he handed over to the blue earth was only what the Eagle Summit had done. Thanks to their astronomical funds and manpower, their information gathering and activity capabilities in China had surpassed Shadow. Shadow had helped Eagle Summit grow in the beginning, but now the situation had reversed. That meant he had no idea how many more pro-empire people were stationed within the ten Revolutionary factions. They will prevent these countries from raising their gs against the empire in the future. They would also be able to ess various secrets of the new countries in advance, and y a role in drafting policies that would benefit the Wakan Tanka Empire. The slender rope emptied his mind after thinking this far. Lets not try to know too much. Shadow was literally shadow. It was an organization that should never be exposed to the world. Even Shadows agents only knew fragments of their organizations identity. The only ones who knew its exact nature were Kim Ki-woo and Blue Earth, and Slender Rope and a few key figures. It would only be dangerous to dig deeper into it. The slender rope changed the atmosphere. By the way, its frustrating. How can there be such human scum in this good world? Tsk tsk. These guys should all die. Various newspapers reported every day on horrific and bizarre violent crimes that shocked society. Newspaperspeted to achieve more sales by doing so. But as time passed and printing technology developed, newspaperpetition became more fierce. As a result, they fought more to attract more consumers interest. What about the new serial novel? Well Whats with that reaction? Dont tell me you havent confirmed it yet? Are you crazy? You have to decide as soon as possible if you dont want to go bankrupt! Im having trouble talking to the existing famous serial writers. And theres nothing worth serializing among the submissions Damn! Thats why I told you to keep an eye on them! Round Leaf felt wronged by his editor-in-chiefs scolding. But he felt differently inside. What do you want me to do? Do you think its easy to hire famous serial writers these days? He was really unfair. He would have understood if he had beenzy or made a mistake, but there was nothing like that. Rather, it was a miracle that he had serialized the novels that were published in the newspaper with such a small budget. The newspaper he belonged to, Dew, was not a major newspaper. It was published in quite a few areas on the maind, but it had a short history and not enough fundspared to other newspapers. Famous writers are all skipping newspaper serialization and going straight to publishing books Sigh. From the perspective of writers who had some reputation, there was no need to publish their novels in newspapers. Well, maybe it was different for a handful of newspapers like the Imperial Newspaper or the Sun Newspaper, but for a newspaper like Dew, it was hard to pay them a satisfactory fee. Of course, the editor-in-chief knew the situation too. So he suppressed his anger and quickly snapped. Anyway, if you cant get the established ones, you have to serialize the submissions. Just pick out the ones that are somewhat decent! Yes, sir. Round Leaf bowed to his editor-in-chief and turned around. Haha. You look like youve been scolded again. Ugh. Dont even talk about it. If hes so unhappy, why doesnt he do it himself? Understand him. The sales are not good these days. Hes getting a lot of pressure from above. His colleague next to him patted Round Leafs shoulder andforted him, but his mood didnt get better. But what could he do? His mood was his mood and his work was his work. What should I serialize Round Leafleaf started to skim through the submissions again. But no matter how many times he looked, the novels that were bad did not get any better. He had a reputation for his discerning eye for novels. That was why he had been promoted faster than his peers. The serial novels he had chosen so far had at least been moderate hits. But to Round Leafleafs eyes, there was not a single decent novel among the submissions that hade in. It would be a miracle if they dont get bashed. Novels were important for newspapers. The sales of newspapers depended on how interesting the novels were. In this fierce newspaper market, a decline in the quality of serial novels was fatal. Round Leafleaf loved the Dew Newspaper very much, and he did not want to cause such a mishap. As he was racking his brains, a familiar voice came to his ears. Round Leafleaf. Hmm? Theres someone who wants to submit a novel, but isnt the deadline already over? Should I send them away? Submit? It was true that the deadline had passed, but Round Leafleaf quickly shook his head. No. Let me meet them first. I knew you would say that. Theyre waiting in meeting room 9. Thanks. He said so and got up from his seat, heading to meeting room 9. Hmm. He groaned inwardly. I think I wasted my time. There were many male writers among novelists, but there were also many female writers. They had their own delicacy as female writers. But at least the age of the writer was important. There were some young genius writers, but they were very rare. It was hard to ignore the writers life experience. From that perspective, the girl in front of him looked too young. As a result, Round Leafleafs expectations dropped sharply. But he did not want to dismiss her without even looking at her work. Nice to meet you. Oh, hello! The girl, White Canvas, greeted him loudly as soon as she saw Round Leafleaf. Haha. Dont be so nervous. Come on, have a seat. He gestured for her to calm down and sat down opposite her. Then he went straight to the point since he did not have much time. Lets start with your name. Im Round Leafleaf, the editor in charge of serial novels. Im White Canvas. Hmm. You look very young Im fifteen this year Is there an age limit? No, there isnt. You want to submit a novel? Well To be exact, its not a novel. What? Round Leafleafs face showed doubt as an unexpected answer came out of White Canvass mouth. I heard you wanted to submit something, didnt you? It is a submission, but not a novel. Sigh He tapped his head. He was already having a headache from choosing serial novels, and he felt like he wasted his time. Round Leafleaf stood up and said. I only ept novel submissions as Im in charge of serial novels. If you have something else to submit, please call the relevant person. Wait, please! Do you have anything else to say? Cant you just look at my manuscript once? Fine, give it to me. Thank you, thank you so much! White Canvas smiled as if she had won the world and bowed her head repeatedly. Whatever. Round Leafleaf took her manuscript and turned the first page. Huh? He reflexively turned a few more pages. Illustrations? There were clearly drawings on them. Of course, printing technology had advanced enough to put illustrations on newspapers. The Dew Newspaper even had a separate illustration team. But White Canvass illustrations were different. They looked like The characters in the illustrations are talking and leading the story? The balloons above them were clearly the dialogue of the characters. Chapter 155: Comics (2) Chapter 155: Comics (2) Im a licensed teacher now. Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support. You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, Ill give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy!
As soon as he bit into it, Round Leafs interest soared. He sat down again. Ill read the manuscript first. Ah, thank you! White Papers face flushed with color. But Round Leafs eyes were already fixed on the manuscript. He read the first chapter very carefully. Wow The manuscript had illustrations and speech bubbles drawn in small square boxes. It was a typicalic technique. He had never seen or imagined such a way of telling a story in his life, soics were very fresh to him. And its very intuitive. When I read novels, there are often ambiguities depending on the description, but this is clear at a nce because its a picture. He realized. This way of expression will definitely work. It would be nice to read something light while reading the newspaper. The newspaper was full of text, but this would be a good way to break it up and arouse interest. He organized his thoughts and turned to White Paper. Did you say your name was White Paper? Yes. How did youe up with the idea of expressing your story with pictures? Well, just Please feel free to tell me. Im not interrogating you. There was no special reason. I just thought it would be nice to tell the story with pictures. Is that so? Round Leaf nodded his head. In fact, it didnt matter why he came up with this technique. It was much more important how he would use it in the future. The story is not bad for a young girl. Its a bit childish, but the novelty of this technique is much more impressive. The picture is a bit disappointing though. If he could improve the picture and tweak the story a bit, it would be perfect. At least it was a million times better than the trashy submissions that were lying around on his desk. So he decided easily. Ill make you an official offer. White Paper, would you like to publish your submission in our Dew Newspaper? Right now? I heard it usually takes time to decide Dont worry about that. If you decide, Ill take responsibility and publish it in the Dew Newspaper. White Paper was right in principle. There had to be an internal meeting before the final publication was decided. But Round Leaf was sure. This manuscript in his hand was the one that would be published this time. If this gets rejected, Ill strip. He didnt want to work for a newspaper that wasted such a treasure. White Paper didnt hesitate any longer with Round Leafs firm attitude. Okay! Ill publish it! You made a good decision. He proceeded with the contract with her. And after sending her back, Round Leaf visited the illustration team right away. What brings you here, Mr. Editor of the failed serial novel? Haha. Did Ie to the wrong ce? Its not that, but you have no reason toe here, right? I did until now. Until now? Yes. Now I have a reason. Please take a look at this first. Hmm? Blue Roses face became interested at his words. He knew Round Leaf was not a man who did meaningless things. Soon Blue Rose received White Papers manuscript and read it down. Wow! And his reaction was the same as Round Leafs. He finished reading the manuscript and nodded his head. This is a very fresh way of developing a story. I never thought of using pictures to advance the story. Right? I think we were biased until now. Even though printing technology has developed so much, we still divided illustrations and text. Thats true. We could have expressed it so intuitively with both illustrations and text. Its not toote yet. How about using this technique in our Dew Newspaper this time? In the serial novel section? Yes. Anyway, all the submissions that came in are so low quality that theres nothing worth using. Thats interesting. Then the reason you came to see me is As you can see, the quality of the picture is low. The author who brought this is only fifteen years old. Fifteen? Haha. Young people are really smart these days. Haha! He smiled happily and then continued. Okay. Ill do it if you ask me, Mr. Editor. It seems meaningful too. The veteran illustrator was finally hired. *** Then, the manuscript revision began. You cant draw like this. How do you expect the readers to be satisfied? Y-yes Ill try to redraw it. Blue Rose was very professional when working. He pointed out the ws in the drawing coldly and revised the manuscript. At the same time, Round Leaf smoothed out the content of theic. As time passed, the original manuscript changed a lot in both drawing and content. But one thing was clear: it looked better and the content improved. Phew Im d I made it on time. Round Leaf sighed in relief. He had finished the revised manuscript before the internal meeting started. And on the day of the internal meeting, he handed over his results to the editor-in-chief with nervousness. Is this the final manuscript? Yes, it is. Is it a newbie? Yes. Haha. Youre very confident. If your eyes say so, then it must be true. Lets see. He had praised himst time, but the editor-in-chief trusted Round Leafs eyesight very much, so he turned the first page of the manuscript with excitement. But as soon as he turned it, his face changed. What is this? This is the manuscript I want to serialize this time. No, I mean this is a drawing, isnt it? Of course, the editor-in-chief had eyes too, so he roughly grasped what kind of feeling it was. Round Leaf exined everything that had happened in detail. The editor-in-chief kept scanning the manuscript and listening to his words. Thats all. Hmm. Aic Editor-in-chief. This will surely seed. Dont you see that you can grasp the flow of the story at a nce thanks to the expression in drawing? I get what you mean. It certainly makes sense. But, I cant decide this by myself. I need approval from above. So just wait for now. Lets end todays internal meeting here. Yes, sir. After finishing the internal meeting, the editor-in-chief did not hesitate. He immediately showed theic to his superiors. Oh! This is really fresh! And fortunately, the reaction was very good. Lets try this out. Thanks to that, everything went smoothly until the final decision was made. Not long after that, the first serializedic was published in a newspaper. *** The serializedic did not cause much of a stir at first. There were so many kinds of newspapers, and Dew Newspaper was a newspaper that only loyal readers read. But soon, things started to change. The driving force was word of mouth. Have you seen this? Dew Newspaper? Hmm. Ive never heard of this newspaper. That makes sense. Its not very famous. I read it for the first time too. But why? Is the serialized novel interesting? Usually, when someone rmended a newspaper, it was because the serialized novel in that newspaper was interesting, so naturally this question popped up. Um Should I call this a serialized novel? Its serialized, but its not a novel. What are you talking about? Ah, its annoying to exin, just read it yourself. Let me see What is this? A story drawn in pictures, they call it aic. Ho-ho This is interesting, isnt it? Right? People were very interested inics that they could understand intuitively even if they emptied their minds. Do you have Dew Newspaper? Haha. Of course. The demand has increased so muchtely that I brought more. How many do you need? Just three copies please. Here you go. After that, sales slowly went up and then exploded at some point. Some people bought several copies and gave them to their friends as gifts to introduce them to the new and interesting serializedic. The market is screaming for more copies of this issue! Damn it. What are you doing? Hurry up and print them out. Hire some external printers if you have to. Yes sir! Dew Newspaper Company couldnt catch their breath for a while because of the huge demand that flooded in. They even got inquiries from regions that they had never published before. The publishing team screamed in surprise at the unexpected hit, but the people involved in thisic cheered. Hahaha. Its a huge sess! You lucky bastard! I knew you could do it this year! The editor-in-chief hugged the round leaflet with joy, as if he had been waiting for this moment. Lets keep it up. If you do, Ill make you the youngest editor-in-chief ever. Got it? First, you have to get promoted, sir. Isnt that obvious? Anyway, now our only hope is thisic. We have to maintain the quality of theic no matter what. Ill keep that in mind, sir. *** The sales of the Dew Newspaper increased day by day. Every week, every week was a new record. Before long, the Dew Newspaper finally entered the ranks of national newspapers. Its recognition also increased dramaticallypared to before. Then, the ones who felt the fire on their feet were thepeting newspapers. What have you been doing all this time! You couldnt even think of something so simple! Were, were sorry. Does sorry end your career? Go out and find some decent serialics right now! Thepeting newspapers that learned of the situation of the Dew Newspaper, regardless of their size, almost all jumped into thepetition for serialics. They quickly realized that serialics would be the trend. Where there is demand, there is supply. Thanks to the sudden boom of serialics, the illustrators in the market temporarily ran out of seeds. However, this increased the interest of artists in the genre ofics. Expressing a story with pictures Its quite interesting, isnt it? At that time, artists were under a very big threat. The reason was simple. Because of photos, their jobs were greatly reduced. Of course, pictures could express various colors, but it was hard to catch up with the realism of photos. Moreover, as time passed, photo technology advanced more and more. The perception that they would be able to take clearer photos faster as time passed made artists afraid. Thats why their attention was focused more onics, and in fact, the number of artists who knocked on the doors of newspapers increased day by day. Thanks to that, it didnt take long forics to literally flood. Since there was no standard yet, the types ofics were very diverse. What do you think? Its quite interesting. Do you also run serialics in the Empire Newspaper this time? Yes. Even if we are the best newspaper in the empire, we cant fall behind the times, can we? Kim Ki-woo nodded his head. It was obvious. There were plenty ofpanies that had been at the top in history but fell behind due tocent choices. Of course, it was a bit different because of the symbolism of the Empire Newspaper, but there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Comics Theyre perfect for reading when Im bored. Kim Ki-woo looked down at theic serialized in the Dew Newspaper and smiled slightly. Chapter 156: Smokeless Gunpowder Chapter 156: Smokeless Gunpowder Im a licensed teacher now. Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support. You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, Ill give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy!
As chemistry advanced, there were many attempts to improve the existing gunpowder since the early days. The current gunpowder has too many problems. This was themon thought of the chemists at that time. In fact, nitrocellulose,monly known as cotton gunpowder, appeared a long time ago. Sulfuric acid and nitric acid were widely used at that time, and cellulose from cotton was verymon in the empire. The method of making it was also rtively simple. First, cellulose was soaked in a mixed acid of equal proportions of the two acids to be nitrated. Then, after washing away all the acidity with cold water, basic cotton gunpowder could be made by drying it slowly at a low temperature. Unfortunately, Boom! The first cotton gunpowder that was made exploded with a huge bang, causing the death of two people who were nearby. Because of this incident, the research on cotton gunpowder was suspended for a while. But as time passed, and firearms developed, the need for new gunpowder emerged. As a result, cotton gunpowder gradually received attention from chemists again. They were interested in the powerful explosive power of cotton gunpowder, and its property of producing very little smoke and soot. If we can only stabilize this thing, it might be able to rece the current gunpowder With this possibility alone, the chemists started a dangerous experiment. And as expected, numerous idents urred during the experiment with cotton gunpowder. It exploded again? Yes. Any injuries? Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt because they were far away. idents happened so frequently that it was considered a lucky coincidence if there were no injured chemists when cotton gunpowder exploded. Tsk. This is not right. No matter how promising it looks, we have to stop this damn explosive experiment. Thanks to this, several universities and research institutes that had started research after seeing the potential gave up on the experiment with cotton gunpowder. But some research institutes still continued the experiment. This is bad. If we leave it like this, many chemists will get hurt. Kim Ki-woo had been keeping an eye on the development of smokeless gunpowder, so he knew this situation rtively well. And Kim Ki-woo had brought a paper from the modern era that contained the method of developing smokeless gunpowder. Thats how important smokeless gunpowder was. Therefore, Kim Ki-woo tried to make smokeless gunpowder himself at the Huanggung Research Complex. But he faced strong opposition. Your Majesty! How can you try to research such a dangerous explosive material? Please reconsider your decision! Please reconsider, Your Majesty! The fact that Kim Ki-woo was trying to experiment with cotton gunpowder was leaked by a researcher. How dare you! Didnt I order you to keep the experiments in the researchplex confidential? Please kill me, Your Majesty. The researcher who leaked the smokeless gunpowder development n was arrested and brought in. But he calmly admitted his guilt without showing any change in his expression. Kim Ki-woo tapped his forehead as he looked at him. He knew very well what he was thinking when he divulged the secret to an outsider. But he wanted to hear it directly from his mouth. Why did you leak it? Say something to defend yourself. And the answer that followed was, as expected, exactly what he had anticipated. Smokeless gunpowder is a dangerous substance that has already killed many chemists. What if something happens to Your Majestys safety while experimenting at Huanggung? I could not stand by and watch this happen. Is this your own opinion? Yes, it is. It was a lie. Surely several researchers had agreed with him. But he wanted to take all the me himself. He was a very noble-minded man. Didnt I tell you that I have a way to minimize the explosion of smokeless gunpowder? You did say that. But this is only minimizing the explosion, not ensuringplete safety. If it were, you would have said that it would not explode at all. Kim Ki-woo closed his mouth for a moment. His words were right on point. I havent made smokeless gunpowder myself, and I only have knowledge. I cant be sure that it wont explode. Of course, he knew very well how important his safety was to the empire, so he had no intention of approaching it himself. But he couldnt know what would happen in case of an explosion. It was a very slim chance that Kim Ki-woo could get hurt by it. Tsk. Even so, leaking secrets is something I can never forgive. I am prepared for that. No matter how righteous his act was, he could not leave a precedent for forgiving such a way of leaking secrets. He had to think not only about the research field, but also about the possibility of leaking the top secrets of the empire to outsiders. You will be tried for leaking a serious secret of Huanggung. Do you understand? Yes, Your Majesty. I will ept my punishment. Take him away. At Kim Ki-woos order, he was dragged away by the guards. He probably wouldnt be executed for this. His crime was very heavy, but it was something he did out of loyalty to Kim Ki-woo. After he left, Kim Ki-woo tapped his forehead. He must have known that the ministers would react this way. Kim Ki-woo was the being who was called everything of the Wakan Tanka Empire. It was only natural that the ministers would oppose him when he said he was going to do a dangerous experiment. Thanks to that, Kim Ki-woo had to bend his will for the first time in a long time. I understand your concerns well. I had a safe way to experiment with the new explosive material, cotton powder. However, I will ept your worries and I will not personally experiment with cotton powder. Your Majesty, we are deeply grateful! *** This incident was paradoxically a turning point for cotton powder research. Cotton powder? Did His Majesty try to research it himself? Thats right. I heard its a very dangerous substance. His Majesty tried to research this explosive material for us? He didnt have to do that He must have judged that cotton powder is very important. The process from the leak of cotton powder research to Kim Ki-woo giving up his intention was quite noisy. As a result, this incident made the headlines of all newspapers. It was the first time that the research contents of the imperial pce researchplex were leaked early, and the results that came out of it always changed the world. Thanks to that, the imperial citizens became interested in cotton powder, a strange explosive material, and this was no different for chemists. Cotton powder The imperial pce didnt try to research explosives until now, right? Thats why cotton powder is more amazing. How important is cotton powder if it broke the existing tacit rules? Now that I hear it, youre right. As a result, many universities and research institutes began to weigh whether to research cotton powder. And thanks to the above incident, cotton powder research was quickly activated. Tsk! Kim Ki-woo, who was watching the situation, clicked his tongue. As expected, this is what happens. An explosive material that he tried to research in the imperial pce. How stimting and challenging a sentence that was. There were many cases where they jumped into research as soon as it became an issue. But this time the situation was different. If I leave it like this, a lot of people will die. No matter how much knowledge and wisdom he had umted thanks to his efforts so far, he couldnt just watch chemists who were very important for the development of the empire die. So Kim Ki-woo wrote down in detail how to stabilize smokeless powder ording to the current situation. And he sent it to all ces where smokeless powder was researched. This way, he hoped to reduce the idents that would ur during the development of smokeless powder. His Majesty is really amazing. How did he figure out this method without even researching it himself? Haha. How can we mortals understand the knowledge and wisdom of the great spirit? Thanks to him, we can experiment with this explosive material safely. So stop thinking nonsense and lets do some research. The effect of the official document was great. Of course, even with this, there were many idents during the first time dealing with cotton powder, but the frequency was within an eptable range. Only then could Kim Ki-woo rx a little. *** As Kim Ki-woos advice and intensive research by many chemists continued, cotton powder developed rapidly in no time. Thanks to that, problems such as cotton powders instability and too fastbustion, which had been pointed out as problems since the beginning, were solved. If Kim Ki-woo hadnt advised them on cotton powder knowledge, it would have taken a long time, but before they knew it,mercialization began. Wow. And the result was in front of Kim Ki-woos eyes. Its exactly like B gunpowder in original history. Gunpowder developed by Paul Vieille in 1884. It was also the first gunpowder to apply gtinizing cotton powder with a solvent and molding it. The gunpowder that Kim Ki-woo was fiddling with was almost identical to B gunpowder in terms of how it was made. From gtinizing cotton powder with ether and alcohol mixture to rolling it thin and cutting it into pieces. Kim Ki-woo put down the gunpowder and picked up a bullet. Is this it? Yes, Your Majesty. We put cotton powder inside the cartridge case. Kim Ki-woo nodded his head. It still lookedckingpared to modern bullets, but it looked decent enough. Good. Then may we proceed with the demonstration? Do so. As Kim Ki-woo gave his permission, the surroundings became busy. And soon after, a shooting demonstration using cotton powder followed. Fire! Bang, bang, bang, bang! Wow! As expected, there is much less smoke than conventional gunpowder. Isnt this almost no smoke at all? Its power and stability are not bad. It can be used in realbat. Among them, the Minister of Defense, Blue Earth, was especially impressed by the invention. He was in charge of the empires military, so he knew very well the problems and limitations of ck powder. This is a great invention that will bring a revolution to firearms. Is it that good? Yes, it is. It seems more amazing than it looks. The atmosphere became more cheerful with Blue Earths praise. Kim Kiwoo nodded his head as he looked at the reactions around him. He was satisfied with the performance of cotton powder himself. However, there are still many mountains to cross. The power and performance are good, but it is very hard to increase the production amount. Well, that will improve over time, wont it? Kim Kiwoo was not too worried either, like the Minister of Industry said. Once he found a way to stabilize cotton powder, mass production was a matter of time. This cotton powder produces much less smoke and residue than the existing gunpowder. I will name the existing gunpowder ck powder, and these kinds of gunpowders smokeless powder. Smokeless powder The ministers and chemists repeated the name and nodded their heads. Kim Kiwoo continued his speech. The firearms that used ck powder had many restrictions. But now they are free from those restrictions. So I want you to distribute smokeless powder to the gunsmiths first. Let them make guns for smokeless powder. I will follow your order, Your Majesty. After finishing the demonstration and giving instructions for the future, Kim Kiwoo returned to his office. Finally, modern firearms will be made. Kim Kiwoo knew. He knew that many excellent guns had already been made. It was just that they could not be applied because of the limitations of ck powder. Now that smokeless powder was developed, it did not seem far away to deploy much better firearms on the battlefield. Chapter 157: Dynamite. Chapter 157: Dynamite. Meanwhile, the development of gun cotton inspired many chemists. Nitroglycerin What kind of principle makes it explosive when two acids are mixed? They were interested in the mixing of nitric and sulfuric acids itself, while other chemists were busy improving gun cotton. They thought that maybe through this, they could make a better gunpowder than gun cotton. And among them was Warm Hat. Hmm. I was curious what kind of topic you wanted to research, since youve been reading books for a long time Unexpected. Why do you suddenly want to study nitroglycerin? The head of the Department of Chemistry at the Imperial University, Red Bowl, asked Warm Hat, who shrugged his shoulders. Theres no special reason. I just felt embarrassed for only reading books for a long time. And the potential of nitroglycerin is very high, so I thought Id kill two birds with one stone Ha ha! The famous Warm Hat feels embarrassed? Tsk. I have that much sense. Well then, do a lot of research. Dont just read books all the time. Red Bowl teased him, but Warm Hat just smiled it off. Then Red Bowl clenched his jaw and said seriously. I see. I have to support your research. Ill open my ownb for you, so submit what you need in writing. But, as you know, nitroglycerin is a very dangerous substance. So be careful as much as possible. Ill keep that in mind. Thank you as always. Dont mention it. If youre done with your business, get out. Yes, sir. As soon as Warm Hat left the office, Red Bowl clicked his tongue. Tsk tsk. Anyway, he has his own research topic. He has to think about studying such a dangerous substance. Warm Hat was one of the best schrs in the Department of Chemistry. When other schrs were digging deep into their own fields, he had mastered various fields since he was a librarian. Sigh. He wont listen even if I stop him. But Red Bowl soon gave up. He was d that he was in the Department of Chemistry. Red Bowl wrote a paper on photosensitivity and was deeply involved in the research of the camera that resulted from it. He was recognized for his achievements and finally became the head of the Department of Chemistry. So he was very grateful to Warm Hat. If he hadnt been a librarian and thought of the principle of the camera, he wouldnt have been able to be the head of the department. Ah, lets stop thinking about it. Hell do well on his own. The only way he could show his gratitude now was to give Warm Hat a lot of support for hisb. On the other hand, Warm Hat headed to the Central Library. Oh, thats him Do you see him for the first time? Well, you havent been enrolled in the Imperial University for long. But if you came to the library often, you would have seen his face at least. Ha ha. Its hard to catch up with my studies And Im busy with research too. Youre so new. Hehe. When Warm Hat entered the library, the passing schrs whispered to each other. I can hear you, guys. Warm Hat smiled bitterly to himself and quickened his pace. In fact, he didnt really want to enroll in the Department of Chemistry at the Imperial University and be a chemist. He was happier reading books than doing annoying experiments. But his life was shattered when the camera was invented. Ugh He shuddered as he remembered that time. The impact of the camera was tremendous. After Kim Ki-woos portrait was taken for the first time, the trend became even more intense. As a result, people became very interested in the camera, and various behind-the-scenes stories rted to its development were introduced. The fact that a librarian at the Imperial University designed all the basic principles of the camera and that it was actually implemented by the Department of Chemistry at the Imperial University. This story became a big issue throughout the empire. It meant that a librarian at the Imperial University had built all the foundations for such an amazing invention as photography. I couldnt do my librarian job since then. After Warm Hats story echoed throughout the country, countless schrs came to see him. Even the Minister of Education personally visited him. As a result, Warm Hat couldnt read any books. He had a lot of trouble doing his librarian job. Being deprived of his reading time was a great pain for him. It was a terrible time. And around that time, Wide Lid, who was then the head of the Department of Chemistry, came to see Warm Hat.
Are you okay? No, Im not okay. If I had known this would happen, I wouldnt have gone to see you that day. Hehe. What a scary thing to say. Its because of you that the camera was invented. Thats why Im suffering. He was under so much stress that Warm Hats words were full of sharp thorns. His next words were also very harsh. So, what are you doing here? I came here to tell you something and to make you an offer. What is it? Heh. You must be feeling old and sore. Huff. Come this way. Thank you. The two of them sat down facing each other and continued their conversation. Now, tell me what it is. Youre in a hurry. Here, take this. What is this? Its an ount that contains the royalties youve received for your camera invention. ! The eyes of the Warm Hat widened at the sudden words. Why are you so surprised? You are the first inventor of the camera, arent you? So, of course, you should get the royalties. Thats true. He was surprised because he hadnt thought about the royalties, but it made sense. Theres much more money in there than you can imagine. But this is just the beginning. As the camera bes more popr, a huge amount of money will be deposited into that ount. You wont run out of money even if you live avish life for the rest of your life. The Warm Hat looked down at the ount he received with a nk expression. Congrattions on bing a rich man. Thanks to you, I became rich too. Hahaha! Do you care about money too, Dean? Of course I do. Do you think I have no desire for money? I deserve to be rewarded for my efforts. The Warm Hat nodded at his words. There was nothing wrong with earning a lot of money legitimately, not by doing something corrupt. With that money, you dont have to work as a servant anymore. You can buy countless books and just read them. You can live the life you dreamed of. Haha The Warm Hatughed bitterly at his words. The Wide Pot Lid looked at him and leaned forward with his fingers crossed. But no matter how many books you buy, they wontpare to this vast central library of the Imperial University. Right? Thats true. He was right. Even if the royalties from the camera were tremendous and would continue to grow, it was impossible to buy as many books as this library. It was something that even the huge corporations would find burdensome. So I have one suggestion for you. Join the chemistry department, right? You know well. If you want to stay at the Imperial University, there are only two ways: either enroll as a schr or get a job as a staff member like a librarian. But it would be very hard tomute from outside the Imperial University to the central library. It would take a lot of time too. You wouldnt want that, would you? He knew very well how hard it was to work as a staff member. But I know what youre worried about. But I can promise you one thing. Even if you join the chemistry department, I wont interfere with anything. You can research when you want to research, and if you dont want to You can just borrow books from the library and read them like now. As he continued his words, the pupils of the Warm Hat dted. It was such a radical offer. Thats why he was curious. Why are you doing this much for me? As I said before, I think very highly of you. And this was proven by your invention. Its good for the chemistry department to have you as a member. Its good for you and good for the chemistry department. How great is that? Dont worry about the exam either. Ive already got permission for special admission. Permission Well, even though youll make a lot of money from the royalties, the sry from the Imperial University wont be bad either. And you can also do your own research on things thate to your mind like this time. This was almost giving him everything. It showed how much the Wide Pot Lid cared about him. So after hesitating for a while, the Warm Hat finally nodded. Huff. You win. Youve done so much for me that I cant refuse. You made a good decision. I sincerely congratte you on bing a chemist of the Imperial Universitys chemistry department. I look forward to working with you, Dean. Me too. *** The Warm Hat recalled his past memories. After borrowing some papers rted to his acid research, he came out of the central library and found that it was getting dark. He looked up at the sky and thought of the Wide Pot Lids face. I miss him. The Wide Pot Lid was no longer in this world. He retired after serving as dean for several years and passed away two years ago. He was a benefactor who gave him many things, so he still thought of him sometimes even after two years. For his sake, I cant give up on researchpletely For Wide Pot Lid, the Imperial College of Chemistry was his home. He felt a duty to maintain his home in a sturdy condition. And indeed, he had aplished some significant researches in the past, fulfilling some of Wide Pot Lids expectations. It was quite unpleasant to have his reading time taken away by research, but it was something he had to endure. Afterwards, Warm Hat prepared his research by reading papers rted to nitric acid. And as time passed, he finally opened his ownboratory. Warm Hats research? Then it must be worth participating. But the research topic is a bit dangerous, isnt it? Is backing out because of danger something a chemist should do? Im willing to take the risk and join. Although many chemists were reluctant to study explosives, Warm Hats reputation was enough to recruit enough chemists. From now on, we will use nitric acid to react with various substances in various ways. So please prioritize safety when conducting the research. Yes! His short speech ended and the research began in earnest. And in hisboratory, he synthesized nitroglycerin using nitric acid and glycerin, and even developed TNT by reacting toluene with high temperature. Of course, he poured his blood and sweat into making each of these. These things could explode at any moment. He thought this and handled them carefully for a long time, and thanks to that, he found out that they were very sensitive like the early cotton powder. And he solved this problem step by step. Here, too, the official document containing Kim Ki-woos advice was very helpful. In the end, the important thing is stabilization. With this in mind, he started experimenting on stabilizing nitroglycerin. As a result, he seeded in developing a stable dynamite by mixing nitroglycerin and diatomaceous earth. It was the moment when dynamite was born. Chapter 158: Heavy Equipment and Mandatory Training. Chapter 158: Heavy Equipment and Mandatory Training. Get back! Three! Two! One! Detonate! Kwaang! Woosh Ugh. It always makes my ears ring. But it also makes it easy to break down the hard walls. Id rather have my ears hurt for a bit. Besides, you can just cover your ears. Or do you want to do as much work as I do? Haha! When did I ever say I hate that? Just dont kill any living people. Come on, stop talking nonsense and lets go. The dust has settled. Yes, sir! Ouch The mine manager pped his hands and spoke, and the miners slowly approached the ce where the dynamite had exploded. There, the scene of a powerful st was clearly exposed. Although it was much weaker than the original liquid nitroglycerin, dynamite was a very safe explosive that only exploded with a detonator. Thanks to that, ever since dynamite was developed in the warm hatsboratory and mass-produced in the explosive factory, it was used in various ways. It was obvious that it was used in construction or civil engineering sites, but also in mines, a huge amount of dynamite was consumed. Life is so much better now The workers lived with a smile on their lips as they saw the improved working environment. Of course, the reason why they were so satisfied was not only because of dynamite. *** After the internalbustion engine waspleted. From then on, various types of machines appeared one after another. Among them, agricultural machines were representative, but construction machines were also constantly released. What kind of machine do we need to reduce humanbor even more? Mechanical engineers believed that machines could rece most of the manpower. Thebor costs of the workers are too expensive. And they want so much more. Its better to use powerful machines instead of that money. Moreover, at this time, oil was gushing out like crazy from the Texas oil field, so the price of oil was almost nothing. In other words, it meant that if they made and maintained the machines well, they could get much more efficiency than before. Thanks to that, mechanical engineers collected opinions from experts on construction sites about what kind of machines they needed, and made machines that suited them. Construction sites were mostly rough terrain outdoors. To operate in such ces, they had to be sturdy, durable, and powerful. However, due to the limitations of technology at that time, they had to go through a lot of trial and error. But over time, these aspects were constantly improved. What if we attach a hydraulic device here and operate it? Hmm This part is still too worn out. We cant use ordinary steel. Even in these difficulties, mechanical engineers never gave up. They failed over and over again and gradually made useful heavy equipment. The first one to be used was an excavator. It wasmonly called a forklift. Squeak! Dig! Whine! Wow! Huh! The ground must be pretty hard How can it dig so easily? Hahaha! With this excavator, we can minimize the annoying digging! Although the first excavator demonstration exploded during the demonstration, it still attracted great attention by digging a very deep hole for 30 minutes. And the next year, excavators were deployed on construction sites with a sensational poprity. Of course, it was an improved version of the one at the time of demonstration. The hardest thing on a construction site was digging the ground. But now most of the excavators dug the ground, and if they encountered rocky areas, they blew them up with dynamite, sorge-scale construction became much easier. Kim Ki-woo watched these events closely and brought up a rted story at the Imperial Conference. Construction Director. Yes, sir. Is this report true? Why would I lie about safety? Tell me in detail. Thanks to the excavator, we reduced the number of workers needed on construction sites. Thats right. As a result, we were finally able to start several constructions that we couldnt start because ofbor shortage. Of course Kim Ki-woo knew this too, but he brought it up again to remind the directors who participated in the Imperial Conference. Thats a good thing. Wasnt there a shortage of workers needed for construction sitespared to demand? Your Majesty is right. Thebor shortage in construction and civil engineering fields has been chronic. But I think it will be alleviated a lot if these heavy equipment are deployed on construction sites from now on. If that happens, we can develop this vast continent of Wacantanga. I think so too. When Kim Ki-woo and Construction Director finished their Q&A session, the directors nodded their heads. The government had more money than they could possibly spend. Thats why they were pouring astronomical amounts of money intond development even now. But the problem is the size of this damn continent. The empire was too vast. And if the n to conquer Australia seeded, it would be even bigger. Kim Kiwoos homnd, Korea, was not very spacious. On the other hand, the size of the empire was so huge that it was shameful topare it with the Korean penins. As a result, there were many unexplored areas even in the northern continent. But that will change soon. The emergence of heavy equipment would allow them to develop a lot ofnd with a few workers. In a way, the Wakan Tanka Empire could say that this was the most important thing for them. Minister of Industry. Yes. What do you think? The empire was a meritocratic society. In other words, if he had risen to the position of Minister of Industry, it meant that he was outstanding. He knew what Kim Kiwoo wanted. Your Majesty, you also know that the supply of excavators is not smooth yet. Therefore, I will make it a priority to supply excavators as much as possible with the capabilities of the Ministry of Industry. Haha. You are indeed the Minister of Industry. But we should not limit ourselves to excavators. There will be more heavy equipment in the future, right? That will be the case. So try your best to meet the demand of the construction sites as soon as new heavy equipmentes out. You can even create an organization that specializes in developing and producing heavy equipment. I will obey your will. Good. Kim Kiwoo decided to end the matter of heavy equipment here. After all, heavy equipment was not something that could be made and supplied overnight. There were too many important things to discuss at the meeting. Minister of Education. Yes. I am the Minister of Education. How is that matter progressing? The Ministry of Education was staking their lives on this project, so the Minister of Education answered immediately. Thepulsory education system in the maind is almostplete. There are still some ignorant parents, but we are punishing them ording to the imperialw as soon as they are caught. Tsk. We have repeatedly warned them through the imperial newspaper and other newspapers, but there are still such people. Yes. Im sorry to say this but most of them are from tribes that recently surrendered in the wilderness or from people who came from south of the maind. The Minister of Education said cautiously. The empire was very strict about punishing discrimination based on race or origin, and especially civil servants were subject to aggravated punishment. But facts were facts. He had no intention of saying anything about this. It cant be helped. There must be many people among them who have not assimted to the ideology of the empire. But as long as they enjoy the same rights as imperial citizens, they must also receive the same punishment. Punishing them is not discrimination. Minister of Justice, do you understand? Yes, Your Majesty. Kim Kiwoo looked at the bowing Minister of Justice for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the Minister of Education. How about south of the maind? Thew onpulsory education has been announced and the system is being established quickly. Especially in major areas of the central continent, it has almost settled down. However, it will take some time for it to take root nationwide. Hmm. As soon as the government had overflowing finances, Kim Kiwoo started apulsory education project based on this. The method was identical to the original history. Six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and three years of high school. If Kim Kiwoos intention was realized and thepulsory education system was established, all children would go to school and choose their career path when they graduated. There were three reasons why Kim Kiwoo implementedpulsory education so quickly. The first was to circte government finances, the second was to prevent childbor, and thest was to educate all imperial citizens to some extent. Especially in the southern continent, there is quite a lot of resistance. They dont want to send their children to school because they cant make them work? Yes, Your Majesty. This was simr to the case of some ignorant parents in the maind earlier. In the end, they wanted to send their children to work and bring money to their homes. This wasmon sense in pre-modern society, but there is no need to tolerate it now. In pre-modern society, children werebor force. They were forced to work from an early age, whether it was farming or inheriting a family business. But it would be different from now on. And that would be advantageous for the southern continent. If time passed like this, there would be a huge gap in education level between continents, and this would likely lead to regional sentiment. They dont even appreciate the policy for their own sake Tsk tsk. Kim Kiwoo suppressed his difort and continued. There is no need to listen to their resistance. If they became imperial citizens, they should follow thew of the empire. Do I need to say the importance of education again with my own mouth? No, Your Majesty. The Wakan Tanka Empire was a country that rose with schrship. Many fields of study, especially science and mathematics, created synergy and swallowed the Wakan Tanka continent. They were even dominating the world. Therefore, no one who was awake would deny the need for education. So implementpulsory education more strictly. Anyone who opposes this will be considered to have gone against my will. Do you understand? I will obey your will! ** After the imperial meeting. Kim Kiwoos strong will was made public. And the effect was immediate. It couldnt be helped. In the Wakan Tanka Empire, where Kim Kiwoo was revered almost like a god, there was no one who could oppose Kim Kiwoos will and be safe. Not only in the maind, but also in the central and southern continents, all minors were sent to school without exception. But there were always those who didnt know whether it was shit or soybean paste. Especially in the southern continent, parents who secretly made their children work were caught in droves. Oh, please forgive me just once! I heard the newste Shut up! How dare you lie like that! His Majesty himself ordered you to send your children to school Did you think you could disobey the imperial decree and be fine? Ugh! It was toote to regret. They became examples. As a result, they received much heavier punishments than usual. The imperial citizens who saw this clicked their tongues. Tsk tsk. They are so bold. How can they rebel against such a strong imperial decree? They brought it upon themselves. Instead of being grateful to His Majesty for trying to educate everyone fairly, what are they doing? Thats right. Most of the imperial citizens were not on their side. And the rest, who were dissatisfied, had to shrink their bodies under the powerful example. This made thepulsory education system firmly rooted in the empire. Chapter 159: Transportation. Chapter 159: Transportation. Meanwhile, at this time, a rapid generational change of transportation was taking ce. And the leader of that change was none other than the bicycle. That should do it. Karl Mayer, who immigrated to the Wakan Tanka Empire from Europe and enrolled in the Imperial Universitys Department of Mechanical Engineering. He had been improving the powered aircraft for quite a long time after seeding in the first powered flight. And when he achieved some visible results, he was finally satisfied. Of course, he could have gained great fame by continuing to research powered aircraft, but he had his original research topic and did not want to be greedy any longer. Thank you for everything. I gained a lot of glory thanks to you, Engineer Karl. Haha. How could that be only because of me? It was more because of your skill, ck Shadow. I hope you will show your talent in anotherboratory and pioneer the skyway of the empire. I will do my best. The two who made and flew the powered aircraft exchanged a deep friendship and parted ways for their careers. After finishing the research on powered aircraft, Karl Mayer proceeded with his n and resumed his research on bicycles. Im d youre back. Youve been working hard. I dont know if I came back for nothing. Youve improved the bicycle so much without me. Hey, what are you talking about? Haha. Karl Mayer smiled, but half of it was sincere. It was because it had improved a lotpared to hisst work. You knew this would happen, right? Well, its good for me. It was only natural. It would have been strange if the elites of the Imperial Universitys Department of Mechanical Engineering did nothing with time given. And although it had improved a lot now, it was stillcking to use bicycles as a popr means of transportation. If we improve it a little more, bicycles can really be a popr means of transportation. So lets work harder. Yes, sir. After that, they started working on improving bicycles in earnest. And just then, good news came. Haha! If we apply this, we can solve a lot of the shock absorption problems that weve been having! Lets apply it right away. Yes! The reason they were so happy was because a research institute in the Central Continent had developed pneumatic tires. This allowed Karl Mayer to rx a bit. It was very important to absorb the shock on the body when poprizing bicycles, and the appearance of pneumatic tires was like rain after a drought. Good. Its very sturdy. Karl pressed the finished pneumatic tire for bicycles and nodded his head. And when he actually drove it, he was even more satisfied. He crossed the bumpy road, but the shock that came to his buttocks over the saddle was greatly reduced. The rest of the improvement was smooth. Theypleted the brake system and connected the pedals to the chain. They also finished the wheels so that they would not be easily crushed. And finally, they made a satisfactory bicycle. *** It looks heavy just by looking at it. This was Kim Ki-woos impression when he looked at the improved bicycle. Before his arrival, Kim Ki-woo had ridden a lot of bicycles. And the bicycles he rode at that time were very light. He could lift them with one hand. But he could guess the weight of the bicycle in front of him as soon as he saw it. And when he actually got on the saddle and rolled the pedals, he realized that his guess was right. How is it? Its good. With this new vehicle, I can move faster than walking. But what he said to the Minister of Internal Affairs was different. And in fact, Kim Ki-woo was very satisfied. It was the best they could do in a state where light and strong materials had not been developed yet. Except for the materials, the rest of the structure was almost identical to modern bicycles. From the structure that connects the pedals to the chain and rotates the rear wheel, to brakes, steering, and saddle. He could feel how much effort the developer of this bicycle had put into it. Did Karl Mayer make it? Yes, sir. Haha. Wasnt he improving powered aircraft? I thought so too, but after putting it on track for a while, he went back to researching bicycles. Hes an amazing engineer. Aircraft and bicycles. The fields were very different, but it was interesting that these world-changing pieces came from one person. It was because of these schrs that todays empire was created. Kim Ki-woo smiled contentedly. Then I should help make bicycles more popr in the empire. Who would know better than Kim Ki-woo how useful bicycles were? He was confident of sess already, so it would be better if bicycles became moremon in the empire faster. So Kim Ki-woo wrote an editorial in The Imperial Newspaper. An editorial praising the excellent performance of the bicycle developed by Karl Mayer. At the same time, he ordered mass production of bicycles without dy. Thanks to this, it didnt take long for bicycles to pour out. It was thanks to the automated process that had been perfected over time. The conveyor belt moved, and each part waspleted and assembled in a mass production system of small items. The production volume of bicycles was very impressive. However, even though they were mass-produced, the new bicycles sold out in just a few minutes on the day of theirunch. Are the bicycles really that amazing? Of course. His Majesty praised them so much, how could they be bad? If we hesitate too much, it will take a long time to get a bicycle. True. The promotion by Kim Ki-woo through the Imperial Newspaper quickly aroused the curiosity of the imperial citizens, and it was because of their umted experience. Anything that Kim Ki-woo promoted in this way sold out in an instant. How could they not buy it when it was certain to sell out? They could make a lot of profit by reselling it. Kim Ki-woo knew this and ordered the mass production of bicycles as quickly as possible. Oh! There was indeed a reason why His Majesty praised them so much! My workce is quite far away, so its annoying to go back and forth, but it will be less tiring with this thing. The imperial territory was so vast that most people had a long distance to their workce. Especially for those who had their workces in a distance that was awkward for taking a train and too hard to walk, they received a warm wee. The paved roads that had been built since a long time ago also shone here. Thanks to the t pavement, the bicycles could move smoothly. As the praise for bicycles continued, the demand for bicycles increased more and more, and in no time, bicycles quickly took their ce in the imperial society. *** Following the bicycles was the car. The difference between cars and bicycles was that many engineers had jumped into research since the internalbustion engine was developed. Of course, most of the engineers were interested in agricultural machinery or heavy equipment in the construction field rather than cars themselves, but there were also many cases of the opposite. And one of them was Golden Lake. Do you really have no intention of entering the Imperial University? I beg your pardon, but I have no intention of leaving my research institute in my hometown. Hmm. Thats a shame. Well, I hope you achieve great research results even when you go back to your hometown. If you ever need funding, dont hesitate to request support. I will heed yourmand. Golden Lake bowed his head toward Kim Ki-woo. Well, he wont be short of money. Golden Lakes achievements have already spread widely. And isnt that research institute made by that solid pir? As long as there was a solid pir who offered his back as a sponsor, there would be no situation where he couldnt do research because hecked money. Even if he let go of his hand, there would be a long line of giant merchants who wanted to support Golden Lake. Thats how great his achievements were. After that, Golden Lake left the capital without hesitation and headed back to the South Continent. On his way back to his hometown, Red Eagle asked him. You foolish boy. How could you kick away the opportunity to enter the Imperial University? Sigh Grandfather did the same thing, didnt he? I had already done research at the Imperial University for a long time and came back to my hometown at the end. How can youpare me with you? Our research institute with grandfather is more precious to me than the Imperial University. Hehe. You. Aaah! Why are you doing this? Because youre smart, In-seok! Red Eagle suddenly messed up his hair and Golden Lake screamed, but the deep smile on their faces did not disappear. They finished their long journey and returned to their research institute without dy and plunged into research. Why dont you take a break? I dont want to. I want to make more things with my own hands. Hehehe. He had achieved a great feat, but Golden Lakes passion did not cool down at all. Golden Lake had already tasted sess once and wanted to taste that sweetness again. You. I envy your youth so much. He was already old enough to not know when he would go to the other world, so he was very envious of Golden Lake. But Red Eagle shook off his regret. He wanted to support Golden Lakes research firmly for the short time he had left. So what kind of research do you want to do this time? Can I decide? In-seok. Dont test me. Dont you have any research you want to do? Well Dont worry about me and do what you want. Whatever research you do, well back you up at the institute. Hehe. Then I want to make a car with an internalbustion engine. Oh. I thought you would do something more unusual, but thats unexpected. Do you have a reason for thinking that? Well Golden Lake scratched his head sheepishly. Then he slowly recited the reason. Red Eagle smiled broadly after hearing everything. He wants to follow in the footsteps of Sharp Fang Well, who wouldnt admire Sharp Fang, the engineer who was hailed as the greatest in history? Sharp Fang also invented the steam engine and the railway. Just like him, Golden Lake also wanted to create a new transportation device using the internalbustion engine he invented. And his target was the car. Golden Lake clenched his fist and said. I want to be an engineer who is praised like Sharp Fang! When he first started working at the construction site and making blueprints for a new engine, he only had a simple wish to be an engineer. But he had already achieved great feats and earned a big reputation. He had surpassed his first goal by far. So he changed his goal to be an engineer who represented the southern continent, or even the empire. You can surely do that. Red Eagle sincerely believed that. No, he even thought that he might be a greater engineer than Sharp Fang. Golden Lake was much younger than Sharp Fang when he invented the internalbustion engine. Dont worry about money. The Solid Pir has already said that he will fully support your research, no matter how much you spend. Haha. I have plenty of money too. You know, I get royalties from the patent of the internalbustion engine Youre so greedy. So you dont want it? No, who said that? Ill spend a lot of money on research, just as Grandpa said. Be prepared! Chapter 160: Transportation (2). Chapter 160: Transportation (2). As Red Eagle had boasted, Solid Pir provided a huge amount of funds to the Earth Research Institute. There was only one reason. It feels good. He had a hunch that the institute would show results that matched his investment. Solid Pir valued his intuition very much. He had always lived ording to his feelings. Of course, he had experienced minor failures, but most of his important decisions were sessful. Thanks to that, he became one of the leading tycoons in the South Continent. Whatever amount the Earth Research Institute wants, support them with everything. Yes, sir. His decision brought a big change to the Earth Research Institute. It was followed by a generous investment from the tycoon. The Earth Research Institute was alreadyrge in scale. But that was because of its research in the food sector. However, now various fields such as machinery, chemistry, and electricity were greatly expanded. When all the buildings werepleted, it would be no less than arge-scale institute in the maind. At the same time, they recruited outstanding talents. The Earth Research Institute is recruiting researchers Should I apply this time? Hmm. I heard that the conditions are so exceptional that thepetition is very fierce. Even engineers from imperial universities or famous universities in the maind are applying. But there are cases like Golden Lake, right? The recruitment guidelines also say that they prioritize skills over academic background. Do you think you can win against engineers from imperial universities? They are monsters, monsters. Well. Thats true. The Earth Research Institute offered such good conditions, and with the reputation of Golden Lake, there was a flood of applications from engineers, especially mechanical engineers. Even those who belonged to prestigious universities or institutes in the maind knocked on their door. Hehe. You are very popr. They are all eager to work with you. What are you talking about He said that, but Golden Lake was very pleased. Engineers who would not have looked at him before wanted to participate in his research. He felt a sense of aplishment. Thanks to that, the research will be much easier. Thats true. It was so hard when I made the internalbustion engine. Anyway, you should participate in this recruitment too. Me? Um Is it okay for someone as young as me? What? Hahaha! Who made thepetition so strong? And a considerable number of the new researchers will be assigned to your team, so your opinion is important too. Okay, grandpa. However, soon after, Golden Lake regretted his decision. He had to pause his ongoing research for a while because there were so many applicants. Is this why you needed me? Yes! What do you think of me! Really? Ahem. He coughed and avoided Golden Lakes gaze. Golden Lake muttered to himself and grumbled. But his eyes were busy scanning the resumes. And then. Hmm? What is it? Isnt this too thick for a resume? Hmm. It is. The thickness of the envelope was unusual. Golden Lake felt his curiosity rising. He did not hesitate to open the envelope and took out the contents. Its a blueprint. A blueprint. They said at the same time. It was not umon for them to receive blueprints like this. Golden Lakes story of going with a blueprint was very famous. As a result, there were many cases where people sent blueprints or came to show them personally. But they were not this thick. There were almost a hundred pages of blueprints alone. Shall we take a look? At Golden Lakes question, Red Eagle nodded slightly. When he agreed, Golden Lake turned the first page. And silence fell in the room. Flip, flip. They silently kept turning pages after pages. This continued until thest page. But there was no resume on thest page either. The only thing they could know was the senders name and address on the envelope. And shortly after. Golden Lake uttered one word after organizing his thoughts. Lets hire this person. Red Eagle just nodded silently without saying anything. *** Is this really written by Yellow Brick? Yes Is there a problem? There is. What problem is Its too excellent. Pardon? I mean, the content of the blueprint is very excellent. Is, is that so? A middle-aged woman. A timid expression. Red Eagle could tell at a nce. This woman was also a genius like Golden Lake. Of course, shecks a lot of details. She doesnt seem to have learned formally. But even with that, her ideas were very innovative and impressive. There were countless ideas in the blueprint of over a hundred pages. And they covered various fields. They were just notes that she wrote whenever she had a thought, but each page was very valuable. I heard you are a housewife. Your husband is a farmer. Yes. Does your husband know that you made this blueprint? No. I dont really know. I wrote it secretly from him. Its the same foring here. Did you send us the blueprint because you wanted to be a researcher at the Earth Research Institute? Well, rather than that, I wanted to show you this. I heard you were epting applications Golden Lake, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, intervened. I want to work with Yellow Brick. And make the interesting things in this blueprint together. Really? Yes. At his words, Yellow Brick was deeply moved. The great genius who had gained fame throughout the empire recognized her blueprint. What do you think? I think I need to talk to someone outside first. Im in charge of taking care of the kids I hope you make a wise decision. He was sorry, but Golden Lake could only do so much. He couldnt interfere with their family matters any further. Then Ill be going now. Yes. Please let us know even if the result is not good. I will. Creak. The sound of the door closing echoed loudly in her ears. She sped her hands tightly and tried to calm down. But her heart, which had started to beat once, did not easily return to normal. Is this a dream? From the moment she received a call from the institute to now, everything felt unreal. But it was not a dream. Lets go home first. Yellow Brick came to her senses and headed for her home. Her home and the Earth Research Institute were close by, so she arrived home around sunset. Why did youe home sote? Honey, thats She told her husband everything in detail. The blueprints she had written from time to time, and what happened at the Earth Research Institute today. After the story was over, her husband couldnt say anything for a while. It was such an unbelievable story. The wife he knew was an ordinary housewife. She didnt even receive a decent education. And she passed as a researcher at the famous Earth Research Institute? But he soon came to his senses. If thats true, then theres no reason to hesitate? You should definitely join as a researcher! A researcher, especially at a major institute like the Earth Research Institute, was a position where wealth and fame were guaranteed. He had no reason to oppose it. Thank you so much, honey. In the end, she was able to join the Earth Research Institute soon after. *** Thanks to the influx of outstanding talents, including Yellow Brick, Golden Lakes research team started to run smoothly. It would be too wasteful to discard this. Originally, Golden Lake was only researching internalbustion engine cars. But he was hooked on one of the ideas in her blueprint. Motorized bicycle Currently, bicycles were bing popr at a frightening pace. But what if they added power to it, so that they could move forward without having to pedal? It would be much faster and easier to move than now. And it would be much smaller than the car Im researching now. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed to seed. So he hesitated. Which research should he prioritize? But on second thought Do I have to do only one? It was a fixed idea that one team only did one research. And more importantly, he had recruited so many researchers that he could handle both researches. In the end, Golden Lakes research team conducted research on motorized bicycles, or motorcycles, and cars at the same time. Of course, since the structure of a car was much moreplex than a motorcycle, he focused more on car research. The research went well. There were many ovepping areas between them, and the synergy between the two geniuses and the excellent researchers helped. This eventually led to thepletion of both cars and motorcycles. Good. This should be fine. Phew As Golden Lakes words echoed, the tense researchers let out a sigh of relief. In fact, a decent product had been made a long time ago. It was good enough to bemercialized. But Golden Lake shook his head firmly. He said it was not enough. He had no intention of releasing a mediocre car to the public. In fact, various cars had already started to be sold at that time. But most of them were transitional cars and did not get much attention. If his car was treated the same as those Ugh, thats horrible. He shuddered at the thought. Golden Lake did not want to experience such a failure. He wanted to cause a huge impact on the imperial society, just like when he made the internalbustion engine. A world where many people ride his car as amon means of transportation. How wonderful would that be! To do that It had to be sturdy, stable, and most importantly, mass-producible. The car in front of him was a model that fit these criteria very well. And soon after, a motorcycle also came out as a result that matched Golden Lakes idea. Hehe. Youve worked hard. Solid Pir will visit the institute himself tomorrow. Really? Then we have to prepare. The next day. As Red Eagle said, Solid Pir came to the institute. Long time no see. Is this the famous Golden Lake? Nice to meet you. Im Golden Lake. Haha. Nice to meet you. They exchanged some light pleasantries and arrived at their destination. Solid Pir pointed at the two products with a gesture and asked. Are those them? Yes. They are motorized bicycle and car. Oh! Ive ridden a car before, but Ive never seen a motorized bicycle. You might find it very different from the car youve ridden. Oh. Then let me try it myself. Yourself? Golden Lake was slightly surprised. It was not easy to offer to ride in a car that he didnt even know how safe it was. Sir, its dangerous. We dont know if its safe yet Stop. One of his attendants tried to dissuade him, but Solid Pir raised his hand and cut him off. And he looked straight at Golden Lake and asked. Is that car dangerous? No. I can assure you its safe. Then Ill ride it. I trust my intuition. You dont seem like someone who would lie. And he acted on his words. He even sat in the drivers seat himself. Its just an empty lot anyway, there wont be any danger. Still, just in case, Golden Lake apanied him in the passenger seat and taught him how to drive. Vroom! Soon, the car moved forward with a loud engine sound. Oh! Its very easy to turn the direction, isnt it? Thats one of the biggest advantages of this car. Its very stable, isnt it? Indeed it is. Solid Pir drove around the lot for a while. Its not too hard to drive, and the operation is easy, and the ride isfortable. He drove for almost thirty minutes, and also checked the operation of the motorcycle. And after hearing all the exnations about the two products and the mass production n, Solid Pir was convinced. This will seed. He had already devised a n for mass production using conveyor belts. There was no w in this n. He felt a strong scent of sess from the two products, especially the car. Chapter 161: The World Union. Chapter 161: The World Union. Solid Pir trusted his intuition fully this time. As soon as he came out of the Earth Research Institute, he returned to the maind without dy and gave orders. Call all the officers right now. Im going to make a crucial decision about the future of the Earths surface. Ill ry that message. Thanks to thismand, most of the officers had already arrived when Solid Pir reached the headquarters. Solid Pir attended the meeting and shared his experiences and thoughts from the Earth Research Institute. And he dered. From now on, we will gather as much funds as possible from our surplus, loans, and investments, and build factories for cars and motorbikes. This is a matter of life and death for the Earths surface, and we must seed at all costs. Do you all understand? Yes! As soon as the decision was made by the surface leader, things progressed rapidly. They built factories in major industrial areas and recruited experts. This process required a tremendous amount of money. Even for the Earths surface, it was a burden. Therefore, theyunched arge-scale campaign to attract investors. And it was sessful. If they had promoted the Earths surface, the result would have been different. No matter how big the surface was, the Earths surface was a surface that specialized in food distribution. In this situation, they would mass-produce advanced machines like cars or motorbikes? What investor would willingly invest their money in that? Thats why they put the Earth Research Institute, especially Golden Lake, at the forefront. They imed that they were going to mass-produce his inventions. Hmm. Cars It certainly seems like they would make a lot of money if they seed. Wouldnt it be trustworthy if Golden Lake made them? Well, yeah. The Earths surface wouldnt do this without any thought. It must mean that they are amazing inventions. Thanks to this, more investment money came in than expected. But the jackpot cameter. What? Is that true? Yes, surface leader. The government contacted us and said they would support us with as much money as we want. When I asked the officials He paused for a moment and then spoke to Solid Pir. It seems like His Majesty himself gave the order. His Majesty? Solid Pirs pupils widened. Of course, the government had invested a lot in various private surfaces. They needed to circte their overflowing finances. But it was rare for them to offer unlimited investment, and it was also very unusual for Kim Ki-woo to be involved in investing. Yes. It seems like His Majesty highly evaluates the potential of cars and motorbikes. Hmm. Its not good to go against His Majestys will. And its not a bad offer for us either. Then Finish up the private investments and get the rest of the money from the government. No, lets increase the scale even more. Solid Pir had no intention of going against Kim Ki-woos will. Regardless of respect or not, it was important to have a good rtionship with the government if he wanted to do business in the maind. And there were many benefits to receiving such full-scale investment from the government. The money worries will obviously disappear. The governments funds were like an inexhaustible spring. Even if the Earths surface used it as much as they wanted, it wouldnt make a dent. And there will be less unnecessary power struggles. The car industry was in its infancy. On the other hand, there was an industry that had already established its position innd transportation, and that was none other than carriages. Even though they hadnt even built cars yet, there was already a subtle resistance from the coachmen. This would only get stronger over time. The coachmen had roots in each localmunity. It was very hard to remove a stone that had rolled into ce. But the fact that Kim Ki-woo himself ordered unlimited investment was a huge advantage. It meant that Kim Ki-woo thought positively about the car industry. With this justification alone, he could gain an upper hand in the conflict with the coachmen. Andstly, the most important thing. The rtedws and road development will also be easier. In order for cars to be easily distributed throughout the empire,ws rted to car operation had to be made as soon as possible, and roads that could amodate cars also had to be improved. This was something that had to be done by the government. In the end, the Earths surface agreed to the governments request. They said they would ept all the amount of money that the government wanted to invest. Kim Ki-woo received this news and smiled. As expected, he is a wise schr. It wasnt for nothing that he made a surface of power despite being an immigrant. Then I should reward him. Kim Ki-woo immediately called the construction and legal chiefs and gave orders. They were to makews rted to cars as quickly as possible, and to build standardized roads. And so, the car industry was born in the Wakan Tanka Empire. *** Haha. I didnt expect it to take this long for us all to gather in one ce. I know, right. Well, thanks to that, we stabilized our territory in the homnd somewhat. Ugh Come on, theres nothing to be embarrassed about among ourselves. At the kings remark, the others who had been subtly mocking him shrugged their shoulders and agreed. Tsk tsk. What a pointless quarrel. The Swift Rope looked at the smugglers. No, they were now the kings of each region, and clicked his tongue inwardly. Well, Im also nervous about those three ipetents In fact, the Ming Dynasty had been virtually destroyed for quite some time. They had captured Beijing by surprise at the beginning of the war, and executed Zhu Houcong, who had not yet regained his senses. The Ming Dynasty without a leader copsed like a sandcastle. But it was only now that the war was over. It was thanks to them who could not easily push away the remnants of the Ming Dynasty and the local warlords, even though they had been supplied with materials and taught tactics by the empire. But the Swift Ropeposed himself. It was already a past event, and now was the time to think about the future. Thank you all for your hard work. And congrattions on bing the kings of your countries. Haha. This is all thanks to you, Swift Rope, and the help from the Wakan Tanka Empire. I will never forget the grace that the empire has bestowed upon me. I feel the same way. Im very grateful that you think so. The empire also hopes to maintain a good rtionship with all the countries in thisnd as it is now. Thats good to hear. The new kings of China who gathered in one ce showed a relieved expression. They knew very well the power of the empire, as they were former smugglers. If they antagonized the empire, they would disappear like dew on a gallows, just like Zhu Houcong. Theres onest thing to do now that the war ispletely over, isnt there? After a brief pause, the Swift Rope nodded his head to his subordinate and gave him a signal. Then documents were handed over to the kings. What is this Its a territorial agreement. Dont worry too much about it. Its just a formalization of the secret agreement we made in our country before. Please check it out. Hmm. Thats right. Only then did the kings rx their expressions. It was almost identical to the secret agreement they had made in Wakan Tanka continent before. If you agree to this agreement now, your territory will be confirmed from then on. If you have anyints about this, please let me know. But no one expressed dissatisfaction. The Swift Rope nodded his head and said. Lets sign the agreement if you have no objections. Okay. After the territorial agreement was finalized, the Swift Rope warned briefly. This territorial settlement is certified by the empire. I hope you dont forget this and make a mistake of invading other countries. The empire will not be so generous to countries that vite the agreement. He looked around at the kings. They may be satisfied with being kings of one country for now But someday someone might have ambitions to swallow up the continent. Thisnd was a history of division and unification. The kings always tried to swallow up the continent. He didnt think they would be any different when he looked back at history. But the empire had no intention of letting this happen. If they did, they wouldnt have bothered to destroy the Ming Dynasty in the first ce. We understand your intentions very well. So dont worry too much. I trust you. At the kings words, the Swift Rope nodded his head lightly. It was not a good thing to put too much pressure on them who were kings of one country. And finally, I have one more news to tell you. What is it? On January 1st of two yearster by imperial calendar, there will be an international conference in our capital city. An international conference? Its where all countries in the world gather and have a meeting. Ho ho. Thats interesting. The kings eyes sparkled at the word international conference. The empire had never nned such an event before. That meant that there was a high probability that something would change from their current policy. And this expectation was urate. Many things will be decided at the international conference. His Majesty, the great emperor, wishes not only for our empire but also for other countries to achieve modernization. The support for this will also be decided at the international conference. Aha The kings showed deep interest in this. Modernizing their own country was their most important task. No matter how much Wakan Tanka Empire guaranteed their territory, former smugglers like them knew very well. That economic power gained through sessful modernization would be more important than anything else in the future. And for sessful modernization, a lot of capital and technology were essential. For the future of their country, they had to achieve a lot at the international conference. The Swift Rope enjoyed the bright eyes of the kings and continued. Of course, there are conditions in our country. To receive various support from our country, you have to join the World Union that will be established soon. If its the World Union Its an organization that works for the interests and peace of the countries that have joined the World Union. Wang Zhi raised his eyebrows at the word peace. Peace? Thats a word that doesnt suit the Empire at all. The Wakan Tanka Empire had gained a lot of benefits from the conflicts in various regions so far. But he couldnt say that out loud. As I said, if you join the World Union, you will receive many benefits as a member country. But of course, there will also be some restrictions. What kind of restrictions? First of all, conflicts between member countries will be prohibited unless there are special circumstances. This includes economic and military sanctions. What if two countries that were at war join the World Union at the same time? Then they have to stop the war. There are no exceptions. If they refuse, well, they wont be able to join the World Union. And the Empire will side with the World Union countries. Hmm It was the era of the Wakan Tanka Empire. No country could withstand the power of the Empire. In this situation, only a madman would not join the World Union. And as soon as they joined, they had to stop the war by force. The Empire wants to solidify the current situation. Wang Zhi had a rough idea of Kim Ki-woos intentions. What a perfect timing. The huge China had been divided, and the ind nation of Japan had also split into two. Far away, the Ottoman had secured arge territory, but they were busy reforming and watching out for the Wakan Tanka Empire for a while. They refrained from conquest wars. If they were given time, they would show their ambition for the surroundingnds again. They were the second best country after the Empire in terms of reform. But if the countries around the Ottoman joined the World Union, then the Ottoman would no longer be able to expand its territory. In other words, if the current territory was fixed, there would be no country that could oppose the Empire in the future. Chapter 162: The World Union (2). Chapter 162: The World Union (2). The news about the international conference and the World Union was not only known to China. It was broadcasted to all regions that had contact with the Empire. That meant that Joseon also learned about it around the same time. At this time, Joseons modernization had progressed considerably. They had used countless farmers to raise the level of basic industries in a short period of time. Railroads and telegraphs wereid across the country, and schools were established in various ces. Ah, what a wonderful world this is. If this is not a peaceful era, then what is? The people smiled broadly as they looked at the changing appearance of Joseon. They felt their lives bing easier by the day. They no longer had to starve, and they could receive treatment with penicillin, a medicine that was like a miracle, when they were sick. Not only that. They could travel long distances in an instant by taking a train, and various convenient goods flooded the market. Thanks to this, the poprity of the court, especially the king, among the people had soared long ago. And the current king of Joseon was Lee Ho, not Lee Yeok. He was the king who received the posthumous name Injong in the original history. Of course, if it was ording to the original history, he should have died long before. Originally, Lee Yeok died a long time ago, and Lee Ho also died less than a year after his enthronement. However, thanks to the imperial medicine and the changed political situation of Joseon, Lee Yeok died only four years ago, and Lee Ho had been ruling Joseon well until now. Have you heard the news? What do you think about it? Lee Ho opened his mouth as he sat on the throne. And he looked around the ministers in the court. The political situation had been dominated by the reformists for a long time. There was no longer anyone who believed in Neo-Confucianism. To begin with, Neo-Confucianism waspletely excluded from the civil service examination. The exam was based only on practical skills and advanced imperial studies. Of course, there was a separate faction that supported the king among them, but there was not much conflict yet. Your Majesty. China has already fallen and divided into ten countries. We no longer need to care about Chinas eyes. However, we must not go against the Wakan Tanka Empire. Thats obvious. Lee Ho also visited the Wakan Tanka Empire when he was crown prince. He was confused between Neo-Confucianism and imperial studies at that time, and Lee Yeok sent him to the empire after noticing this. He arrived at the empire and was shocked after seeing the reality of the Wakan Tanka continent like everyone else. He then realized the trend of the times. Joseon will be stronger as time goes by. There is no need for unnecessary adventures. Therefore, we must attend the international conference in early next year and join the World Union. Do you all think so? Yes, Your Majesty. The opinions of the ministers were unanimous. They all had a pro-Wakan Tanka Empire tendency, so it was a natural conclusion. Lee Ho also thought that there would be no objection to joining the World Union. But there was a main issue. And this court meeting was for discussing it. Your Majesty, may I say something? Minister of Defense, speak. With Lee Hos permission, the Minister of Defense stepped forward. In the past, when Lee Ho ascended to the throne, he first carried out a government reorganization. Lee Ho thought that if they wanted to be like the empire, they had to change like them. Of course, there were some minor differences to suit Joseons situation, but he abolished the Uijeongbu system and switched to various departments. As you know, Your Majesty, there are only about a year and six months left until New Years Day next year. By then, the World Union will be established. Thats right. Your Majesty, we must not waste this time in vain. ording to the information sent from the empire, after the World Union is established, countries that join it will not be able to wage war against each other. So what are you trying to say? We must raise our army and upy Manchuria, which used to be Goguryeosnd. Only then will Joseons gloryst for a long time in the future. Hmm. It was as expected. Lee Ho was not only king of Joseon but also a focal point of Wangdangpa within reformists. Wangdangpa was created by Lee Yeok to prevent royal authority from being swallowed by reformists and became a great force for Lee Ho until now. Of course, Lee Ho also heard continuous discussions about this northern expedition. Recovering the oldnd It sounds usible, but its actually just a pretext. Around a thousand years ago, Goguryeo copsed and the northern territory was practically out of their hands. It would be different if there was no one on thatnd, but it was thend where the Jurchens lived. If they carried out a northern expedition now, it would be an invasion war in fact. I can understand their argument. The public opinion on the northern expedition among the reformists was quite good. Joseon was currently sessfully embarking on modernization. Moreover, thanks to the full support of the Wakan Tanka Empire, the speed was very fast. At the same time, Joseons army became stronger day by day. The resistance of the local nobles andndlords continued during the modernization process, and a strong army was necessary to control them. And they also needed to prepare for possible invasions from neighboring countries. Having acquired such powerful force, the advocates of war raised their heads to secure more territory. They thought that with this force, they could easily subjugate the Jurchens. But I thought it would be okay for a while. The supporters of the northern expedition never rose to the mainstream. Modernization was the top priority now, rather than the northward expansion. It was considered a waste to spend modernization funds on the northern expedition, and it was uncertain whether the Wakan Tanka Empire would support it. But the situation changed. If the World Union was formed and the Jurchens joined it, they might lose the opportunity to advance northward forever. As a result, the northern expedition came back to the table, and this time it was very different from before. There were more people in the reformist faction who thought that territorial expansion was more urgent than modernization. Minister of Foreign Affairs. Yes, Your Majesty. Have you heard the empires position on this? Yes, I have. Lee Yi, who was performing the duties of Minister of Foreign Affairs, stepped forward. The Foreign Ministry was a very important department in Joseon, as itmunicated closely with the imperial government. Lee Yi continued. As we expected, they said they would recognize the territories effectively controlled by each country as their own when they join the World Union. At that, Lee Hos eyebrows twitched. So theyre telling us to settle the territorial issue before attending the World Conference. He had heard that fierce wars were breaking out all over the world. If they suddenly stopped all wars, many countries would be dissatisfied. The front line could always be pushed and pulled. So they gave them some time to deal with their own affairs, whether it was to recover their territory or negotiate. Also, we got a definite answer that they will remain neutral on Joseons northern expedition n. Thats only until the World Conference, right? Yes. Youve done well. At Lee Hos encouragement, Lee Yi stepped back. And Lee Ho realized. The northern expedition will eventually be the mainstream. The empire did not oppose it, and it was thest chance to expand their territory. No matter how modernized they were, they couldnt miss this opportunity for Joseons interests. Lee Hos hunch was right. After a few days of persistent discussions, most of the ministers supported the northern expedition. Yes. Its a decision for Joseons future. After rationalizing himself, Lee Ho finally made a decision. From now on, raise the army and reim our oldnd. Yes, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise! *** So this is how it ends up. Well, we expected it to be like this, didnt we? Blue Earth nodded slightly at Kim Ki-woos words. Information from all over the world came in through the shadows. As soon as the news of the World Conference and World Union was announced, blood began to flow. At least the situation in East Asia is better. Except for Joseons northern expedition, there doesnt seem to be any major incidents. But I wonder if Joseon will seed in its northern expedition. I dont know how much territory they will secure, but they will probably seed to some extent. The Jurchens were not yet united. Nurhaci was still a child, and there was little chance that he would grow up after Ming copsed. No matter how strong the Jurchen cavalry were, they were likely to be unable to withstand Joseons firepower. The most bloodshed is probably in India. Yes. Indochina Penins is also not easy, but Indias casualties are the most serious. There was no Mughal Empire in this world. They also remained as a small country. On the other hand, coastal countries were dominant. They could trade smoothly with the empire. These countries invaded and invaded again before the World Conference to seize as much territory as possible. Of course, the invaded countries also defended themselves desperately. They knew that if they held out for a year and a half, the war would end. As a result, the war in India was fierce beyond measure. The war in Indochina Penins was no less than that. They also acted as if there was no tomorrow, fighting with their neighboring countries for life and death. Ottoman must be moving soon too. Yes. They have stopped modernizing and are gathering troops. Kim Ki-woo nodded. Suleiman had not died yet. He heard that his health was deteriorating continuously, but he could not be sure when he would die. What do you think? How much can Ottoman achieve in such a short time? I cant be sure, but unless something unexpected happens, they will probably expand their territory significantly. Why do you think so? Because Ottoman has never been negligent in training its army. Suleiman I devoted great efforts not only to internal affairs but also to military reforms. He constantly monitored the empires military system and applied it to his own army without interruption. And now, the Ottoman army, which had been lying low, finally stretched its legs. If they had more time, they might have swallowed up most of the surrounding areas. ording to intelligence, Suleiman I was furious when he heard the news rted to the World Union. He probably thought he had been stabbed in the back by the Wakan Tanka Empire. It was just about time to expand his territory, but a time limit of a year and a half had appeared. No matter how powerful the Ottoman Empire was, it was impossible to acquire as much territory as they wanted in a year and a half. How are the other regions? There are still some people in Europe who are negative about the World Union, but they will adapt over time, wont they? I suppose so. The main reason for the countries that were negative about the World Union was religious. But Kim Ki-woo was not very worried. The countries that did not join would not receive the protection of the World Union, and would eventually be prey for the neighboring member countries. Kim Ki-woo had no intention of showing any kindness to the countries that were not members. The world was wide, and there were many things to worry about. So a year and a half passed, and finally the new year dawned. And in the capital of the empire, an international conference was held. Chapter 163: The World Union (3). Chapter 163: The World Union (3). As the new year begins, many kings and regents of various countries will visit the maind. They are very important guests. We must not let any mishap happen. So pay close attention. Yes, Your Majesty. Kim Ki-woo had mentioned this several times as the International Conference approached. Its finally time for the International Conference to be held in the capital. I knew this day woulde. I heard that there are hardly any countries that are not attending. Hahaha. Of course, why wouldnt they? Not attending means they are against the World Union that will be formed soon, and no sane country would do that. The news about the International Conference and the World Union had been known to the public for over a year. Kim Ki-woo did not intend to hide this information from the people. No, he rather announced it widely. It was not something that could be hidden anyway, since he had informed the whole world about it, and there was no reason to do so. The reaction of the imperial citizens was also positive. They knew very well how powerful their country was, and they were very proud of it. They thought that the empire was the center of the world. These thoughts became reality through this International Conference. *** A few months before the International Conference. Arge-scalend reform was held in Joseon. After the longnd reform waspleted, the ministers gathered in one ce. We greet you! We greet you, Your Majesty! Lee Hos lips curled into a bright smile at the shouts of the ministers. It was worth reforming the army steadily. Thanks to that, he had achieved such great results despite preparing for war so hastily. Joseon had conquered most of Manchuria through this war. The Jurchens resisted against Joseons strong army, but the difference in power was too obvious. Many Jurchens realized this and knelt before Joseon. It took just over half a year for all these events to happen, which showed how rapid the war was. The Joseon army did not stop there. We dont know what will happen, so we need to secure as muchnd as possible. The reason why he started the northern expedition in the first ce was to secure a wide territory. Therefore, the Joseon army rode horses and nted Joseons gs in arge part of Siberia. At that time, Siberia was almost uninhabited except for some natives. Thanks to that, the Joseon army simply wandered around and easily secured territory. As you all know, we have greatly expanded Joseons sphere of influence through this war. However, there are hardly any Joseon people living in Manchuria, and beyond that there is no one. Therefore, we must devote our utmost efforts to make this vastnd fully belong to Joseon for the time being. We will keep that in mind, Your Majesty. Good. I hope you all do your best in your positions while I am away. A few dayster. Finally, the participants of the International Conference departed. This included Lee Ho, the king of Joseon. In fact, when Lee Ho expressed his intention to participate in the International Conference himself, there was a lot of opposition. It was understandable, since it was about the sovereign of a country going abroad for a long time. But Lee Ho did not give in to the numerous objections. He thought that the issues discussed at this International Conference would have a huge impact on Joseons future. Its been a long time, Your Majesty. Haha. Im grateful that you came out here yourself, Eagle Lord. Your Majesty is participating in the International Conference personally, how can I stay still? Come on, get on board. Thank you. By the way, the empires ships are getting bigger and bigger. Im really envious. This is all thanks to your hard work. The Imperial Shipyard was constantly striving to make bigger ships. That way, transportation efficiency would improve, and more importantly, it would help improve the image of the empire as seen by other countries like now. I wish we could make iron wires ourselves soon. It wont be long before that happens. Except for your homnd, there are few countries that are modernizing as well as Joseon. I know that very well too. I am always grateful for your kindness. I hope we can continue our good rtionship with the empire forever. Unless something special happens, it will surely be so. Unless there is a special case, that is. The Swift Rope swallowed his words. The rtions between nations were unpredictable and could change at any time. Their conversation came to a pause, and the ship finally departed. The first destination of the giant passenger ship was none other than China. Haha. Im finally meeting you. I havent forgotten the favor you showed me before. What favor are you talking about? I just stayed still. If thats not a favor, then what is? Wang Zhi smiled deeply as he looked at Lee Ho. In fact, when they raised their rebellion, it would have been quite difficult if Joseon had sided with Ming. The probability of that was very low, though. The copse and division of Ming was what the Wakan Tanka Empire wanted. Considering Joseons position that could not go against the empire, this was a natural choice. Lee Ho greeted not only Wang Zhi but also the kings of the other two Chinese states. Out of ten states, only three kings are attending the World Congress in person. The remaining seven states sent their plenipotentiaries. The reason was simple. Their domestic situation was not stable yet. On the contrary, this meant that these three states had stabilized their situation to some extent. Ill have to keep an eye on these three states. Of course, as much as Lee Ho thought this way, Wang Zhi also looked at Lee Ho with various thoughts. Its a pity, its a pity. If it werent for the treaty, we could have gotten morend. Wang Zhi was confident that he could expand his territory more than now. But he couldnt execute it before the World Congress was held. He had already agreed with the empire in secret that he would not expand his territory beyond China. Thanks to that, he had to watch Joseon advance beyond Manchuria to Siberia with his eyes open. I dont like it that the empire favors Joseon too much Tsk! Its not to my liking. Wang Zhi had a lot ofints about this, but he never showed it. There was nothing good about it anyway. *** Afterwards, the passenger ship stopped by Japan and picked up both sides of the forces. Nice to see you. Its been a long time, Lord Hojo. Inside the cabin. Hojo Ujitsuna and Ouchi Yoshitaka greeted each other warmly. Ouchi Yoshitaka was the son of the current lord Ouchi Yoshitaka. Their names were the same but their kanji were different. Yes. How is your fathers health? He is doing his best. Hmm Hojo Ujitsuna felt uneasy at his words. He doesnt have much time left, does he? To Hojo Ujitsuna, Ouchi Yoshitaka was a good ally and a stumbling block for unification. If Ouchi Yoshitaka hadnt been there, Hojo Ujitsuna would have taken longer to gain dominance in Kanto, or maybe he wouldnt have been able to do it at all. It was thanks to the huge amount of silver from Iwami that he could grow his power so much. But paradoxically, because of Iwamis silver, Japan was divided into two. Thats why Hojo Ujitsuna advanced to thend of the northern Ainu. Of course, until recently, he hadnt given up on his ambition for unification. He was just waiting for the right time. The moment Ouchi Yoshitaka died. But unfortunately, Hojo Ujitsuna had to give up on his ambition for unification. When he heard that the empire was creating a world union. It cant be helped. He couldnt refuse to join the world union either. Thinking more about it would only make him bitter, so Hojo Ujitsuna erased his thoughts. I wanted to see Lord Ouchi once before it was toote, but its a shame. My father also regretted not being able to attend this World Congress. I see. By the way, dont we have something to talk about between us? Yes, we do. They were talking about the area around Kyoto and its surroundings. This region had a great significance for both factions. Even setting aside the fact that it was a border area, Kyoto had been the center of the Japanese archipgo for a long time. Thats why a fairlyrge area around Kyoto was a neutral zone between the two factions. It belonged to no one. It was very ambiguous to divide Kyoto into two. However, now that they had to establish a clear border line, it was a problem that they had to address. As a result, both sides had a lot of arguments until they arrived at the imperialnd, and they were able to reach some agreement. Except for this, the passenger ship that carried various countries of East Asia arrived at its destination without any major incidents. *** Lets coordinate on the passenger ship, so we dont have to blush at each other at the international conference. I agree with that. However, not all passenger ships were like this. No, the East Asian passenger ship was a very special case. Kim Ki-woo had sent passenger ships by region from the beginning. He wanted them to have conversations with neighboring countries before the international conference began. No, how can thisnd be yours! This is where our people have lived from generation to generation! What nonsense are you talking about? Our excellent army has already upied this ce! upied? The conflict is still ongoing! Huh, are you relying on those rats who are hiding and resisting? What, rats? Youve said enough! Before the World Union was created, wars were ongoing to gain morend. There were many areas of conflict where one side advanced and the other retreated, and there were countless ces where they were upied but carried out guerri warfare underground. Not only that. There were quite a lot of mountains in the ces where they bordered each other. They didnt know what resources woulde out of the mountains in the future, so these things were also the subject of territorial disputes. As a result, most of the passenger ships except for the East Asian one were like war zones. If they hadnt collected all the weapons when they boarded the ship, casualties would have urred sooner orter. Especially in ces where they bordered many countries. The Indian subcontinent and Indochina penins, as well as Europe. Come on, theres nothing to be solved by fighting like this. Since were all gathered here, why dont you calm down How can you calm down in front of these vile and rude bastards! Hmph! Who are you to talk? The diplomat who boarded the Indian subcontinent passenger ship, Soft Silk, had his face stained with deep blood. Sigh They just wont listen. Yesterday, the day before yesterday, and the day before that, Soft Silk mediated and mediated with the countries in the Indian region. But no matter how hard he tried to mediate, they only stuck to their own positions. They didnt want to give up even a small piece ofnd or rights. It had gone beyond their national interests, and it was already a matter of pride. Especially India had been through many wars for a long time. As a result, their rtions with neighboring countries were very bad. I have toe up with somepromise before I arrive on the maind It didnt look easy at all in this state. Finally, after a few days, Soft Silk gathered them together and gave them an ultimatum. Theres not much time left until the passenger ship reaches the maind. If no agreement is reached before then, penalties will be imposed on those countries. As soon as he said that, the people who had been raising their voices and getting angry became quiet for a moment. Penalties? If you fail to negotiate, the scale of support that will be given to the member states after the World Union is established will decrease ordingly. Go ahead and continue your disputes as you are now. Im also very curious about what will happen. Soft Silk looked around with cold eyes. As soon as his words ended, silence lingered. So this is what happens when you say that support will be reduced. The support that would take ce after the World Union was established was very important to them. They needed financial and technical support to achieve modernization of their country. You should have done this from the start. Soft Silk finally smiled. And after that, negotiations between each country began to make some progress. Chapter 164: World Union (4) Chapter 164: World Union (4) Wow. How many ships are there? Its really amazing. As the ship carrying the Joseon delegation approached the port, Lee Ho eximed in admiration at the sight of the numerous shipsing and going. The giant iron ships moored at the port were a magnificent sight. A smile formed on the face of Swift Rope. Of course. This is one of the most important ports in this huge Wakan Tanka continent. Even so, its really impressive. He had not even set foot on the imperialnd, but he could already feel the power of the empire. Im sorry I cant apany you until the end. Haha. Its fine. Rather, Im really grateful that you became mypanion in this busy time. It was a meaningful time for me too. I hope you have a good time then. Swift Rope was very interested in Joseon, especially Lee Ho, the king of Joseon. He wanted to apany him until the moment he reached the capital. But he was really busy. After he left, Lee Ho and the Joseon delegation got off the passenger ship. The ce where the delegation arrived was the California region in the original history. I heard stories, but this ce is really bustling too. Well, its because its the center of the western sea of Wakan Tanka continent, and there are gold mines nearby. Its not for nothing that its one of the major cities of the empire. At Lee Yis words, Lee Ho nodded his head. Hoo. I wish Joseon had such a big city soon too. It wont take that long. Lee Ho didnt even hope for that much. He just wished that the current Hanyang would be as good as a decent city in the empire. Can I look around the port for a while before I go? Do as you please. The leader of the escort team for this Joseon delegation, White Storm, readily agreed. There was plenty of time left until the International Conference. The delegations from each country, including Joseon, were supposed to set foot on Wakan Tanka continent at least a month before. Kim Ki-woo arranged for them to visit various ces in the empire during their free time. He intended to let them witness the prosperous state of the empire with their own eyes. Of course, he also providedrge escort teams for each delegation to prevent any idents. There are more Asians than I thought. He hadnt looked around the port much, but typical Asian features caught his eye. He had heard that Asians lived a lot in the western sea of the empire, but they seemed to be much more than that. Lee Ho knew why to some extent. Its because of the war. For a long time, wars of various sizes broke out all over Asia. War took away countless lives and destroyed peoples homes. As this situation continued for a long time, peoples lives became miserable. As a result, many people left for the empire in search of peace. Fortunately, there was a shortage ofbor in the western sea of the empire at that time. The imperial citizens did not want to leave their homes and go west. In the end, both sides interests matched and arge amount ofbor was supplied from Asia. Especially recently, due to Chinas turmoil, even Chinese people settled inrge numbers in the western part of the empire. But Joseon people were not very visible. I dont know if this is good or bad. Lee Ho felt a subtle feeling. There was no reason for Joseon people to migrate en masse like them. After Lee Yeok joined hands with the empire, peoples lives became much more stable. But on the other hand, he felt sorry. It wouldnt hurt to have more Joseon-born people in the empire. What a useless thought. Lee Ho shook his head. He didnt have enough people anyway after expanding hisnd greatly. This kind of thought could wait until his poption increased enough. *** Vroom! The car carrying Lee Ho smoothly sped along the paved road. Lee Ho stared nkly at the outside passing by in an instant through the window. Its breathtaking. He had no more strength to be surprised. The car that ran very fast and stable without a word, and the high-rise buildings that crowded around the road. It was a sight that he could not easily adapt to, having lived his whole life in Joseon. Its more amazing than I heard. What do you think, Minister of Foreign Affairs? It seems to have developed more than when Your Majesty came. Is that so Lee Ho nodded his head. The cars that were quitemon on the road were also the first time he saw them. Of course, he had heard and seen pictures of cars, but he didnt expect them to be so poprized like this. After that, the delegation toured around the empire. The transcontinental railroad had beenpleted for a long time. Based on this, the railroad spread like a spider web to the surroundings. The delegation visited major cities by using the railroad. And they explored the city for a short day or a long four days. And as he walked around the city, Lee Ho felt how much the imperial people loved the emperor. There was always a topic rted to Kim Ki-woo wherever he went. Statues, photos, paintings, ys, music, souvenirs, and so on. Im really envious. I want to be such a being to my people. The people of Joseon also respect Your Majesty very much. So please dont worry too much. Well. Lee Ho shrugged his shoulders. He knew it too. The fact that the people praised him as a holy lord. But the love of the Wakan Tanka Empires people for the emperor was different. No, this was beyond love and worship itself. It makes sense. He started from a small tribe and built such a brilliant empire. Lee Ho consoled himself and shook off his thoughts. It was only pathetic topare himself with the emperor of the Wakan Tanka Empire. Time passed like that, and Lee Ho, who led the Joseon delegation, arrived at the capital. *** Your Majesty, all the participants who attended this international conference have arrived. Any problems? Fortunately, there were no major issues. Is that so? The guards have worked really hard. But remember not to rx until the end. Yes, Your Majesty! The booming voice of Blue Earth, the Minister of Defense, echoed in the conference hall. Kim Ki-woo nodded his head and turned his gaze. Minister of Foreign Affairs. How did the coordination between the countries go? Fortunately, most of them are finished. But there are still some who are not smooth in negotiations. Tsk. I warned them that I would reduce support, didnt I? I tried to tell them repeatedly, but they are so stubborn Then theres nothing we can do. Send them an ultimatum. If they dont agree amicably within a week, Ill impose a penalty as promised. I will proceed as such. Kim Ki-woo had the knife edge that supported each country anyway. He had given them plenty of time, but he had no intention of taking care of those who didnt listen to him. After discussing several agendas, Kim Ki-woo uttered hisst words. Now there are only ten days left until the international conference. So I hope you all prepare faithfully in your respective positions until the end. Yes, Your Majesty! It was a word from his heart, but Kim Ki-woo didnt worry too much. All preparations for the international conference were already over. They started building an area that would be the base of the international conference and the future world union several years before the international conference was held. And by now all buildings werepleted. All agendas to be discussed at the international conference were also decided long ago, and most of the coordination between prospective member countries was alreadypleted in advance. Unless a natural disaster urred, it seemed unlikely that the international conference would fail. And finally, ten days passed and it was the day of the international conference. Your Majesty, you have arrived. All the major figures who have participated in the International Conference are already seated. Is that so? The protagonist usually arriveste. The main character of this International Conference was naturally Kim Kiwoo. His Majesty the Emperor has arrived! Creak! With the loud voice of the chambein, the huge front door of the International Conference Hall slowly opened. Then, the rather noisy inside of the International Conference Hall became quiet in an instant. Thud, thud. There were already countless people of different races filling up the International Conference Hall. Kim Kiwoo walked towards his seat, receiving all their gazes. That man is the emperor of the Wakan Tanka Empire He looks exactly like in the picture. He looks very young. Huh The kings and regents from various countries looked at Kim Kiwoo and thought of various things in their heads. But one thing they had inmon was admiration for Kim Kiwoos appearance that did not age at all. While they were feeling different things about Kim Kiwoo, he naturally arrived at his seat. Quite refreshing. It was a familiar situation to have all eyes on him. But it was his first experience to have such different races focus on him. Kim Kiwoo looked around the participants and opened his mouth. First of all, thank you foring a long way to participate in this International Conference. Various agendas will be discussed at this International Conference. I hope that the conference will go well, and that everyone will gain a lot from it. As Kim Kiwoo finished speaking, the participants nodded their heads. There was noint about why the International Conference was held. They had no choice. They had already seen the current state of the empire with their own eyes as they traveled around various cities of the empire for more than a month. It was a situation that was embarrassing topare with their own countries. Therefore, regardless of the country, most of the participants had a desire for modernization of their own countries. Then, I will start the International Conference. With Kim Kiwoos deration, the historic conference finally began. *** Of course, the International Conference had more agendas than it could end in a day. Among them, the first discussion that took ce was none other than the agenda of establishing a world union. The International Conference itself was held to establish a world union. As science and technology advance, the world is getting closer quickly. In the future, not only the countries of Wakan Tanka continent, but also the countries of other continents will seed in modernization. Therefore, we need a world union. Now all countries on Earth must prepare for a new era. The foreign minister came out as a representative and recited the necessity of a world union. You must have passed through various cities of the empire. The Wakan Tanka Empire will do its best to support modernization for joining countries as a founding country of the world union. Thus, ultimately, joining countries will also achieve prosperity like Wakan Tanka Empire. Oh! This was what the participating countries wanted to hear most. Thanks to this, the atmosphere of the International Conference quickly heated up. Of course, there are many obligations that must be observed as joining countries of the world union. And if you vite them several times, you will be sanctioned, and in severe cases, you may be expelled from joining countries. If rights are given, you must abide by your corresponding obligations. They did not need countries that only wanted to eat sweet fruits. Kim Kiwoo thought from behind as he listened to the foreign ministers remarks. We are putting a lot of effort into establishing a world union, so we should get something too. He had no intention of losing anything. The Wakan Tanka Empire also nned to take many fruits from this world union. This would ensure that Wakan Tanka Empires system would continue for a long time. Kim Kiwoo smiled slightly as he imagined the brilliant future of his empire. Chapter 165: The World Union (5). Chapter 165: The World Union (5). What exactly is this duty you speak of? The foreign minister spoke up. First of all, as you all know, unless there are special circumstances, any sanctions against equal member nations for personal reasons will be prohibited. This includes all fields, such as military and economy. Special circumstances Thats a very vague term. The criteria are not clear. Who decides that? Thats a fair point. However, we cannot predict what kind of conflicts will arise in the future. Therefore, we n to establish a Conflict Resolution Committee within the World Union. A Conflict Resolution Committee? It is an organization that will judge and resolve any conflicts that ur between two or more nations. I understand the purpose. However, depending on theposition of themittee, there might be some unfair cases. The foreign minister nodded calmly at the criticism that burst out. Thats a valid point. We will surely face many trials and errors. But I am confident that this is the best option we have right now. If you have any better suggestions, please let me know. If they are reasonable, we will ept them. Silence fell over the International Conference Hall again. In fact, in the current situation, even if the Wakan Tanka Empire unterally mediated the conflicts, it would be hard to stop them. Nevertheless, the empire tried to proceed with the matters as rationally as possible. Thats why the participants did not raise any more objections. There seems to be no morements. Then lets move on from the matter of the Conflict Resolution Committee. Next, any unequal treaties between member nations will bepletely banned. If you have any treaties that fall under this category, we strongly rmend that you renegotiate them. We will also establish standards for this in the future. Hmm As soon as the statement on this issue ended, quite a lot of participants faces were shadowed, while others brightened up. It was because the powerful nations had made many treaties that were unterally favorable to them when they made treaties with the weak nations. Aware of this, questions followed immediately. What happens if a treaty is deemed unequal? If a treaty is clearly unequal and the World Union rmends modifying it, but they refuse to listen, then the Union will impose disadvantages on that nation. We hope that this does not happen. Then what if a non-member nation joins the World Union? They will have equal rights regardless of when they join the World Union. If they have any unequal treaties, they can request modifications, and this is their natural right as a member nation. I understand. Many more questions followed, and the foreign minister answered them. Since treaties were sensitive issues, it took quite a long time. Lets end it here for today. Thats how the International Conference ended that day. But the discussion on the World Union continued for a long time. It was because it was such a delicate matter. The regtions and tariffs on trade that would take ce in the future, how much funds and technology levels the empire would support to the member nations, the disadvantages that would be incurred when leaving the World Union, etc. There were many more things besides these, and among them, Kim Ki-woos desired issue also passed. Im d there was less resistance than I thought. It was none other than the provision that from now on, oil payments around the world could only be made with Wakan Tanka Empires currency. Kim Ki-woo wanted to push this through at this International Conference. It was to make the imperial currency a reserve currency. From now on, the era of oil wouldst for a very long time. In the era of oil, currency linked to oil would inevitably be a reserve currency. If you need imperial currency to buy oil, then as long as oil has value, imperial currency will also have value. Of course, there was some opposition. There were quite a few people who realized that oil would be important in the future. Anyone who knew a little bit about the imperial situation could see that oils value would increase even more by looking at internalbustion engines and petrochemical products. But no one knew where oil woulde from except for the empire right now. In this situation, it was very risky to go against the empires will. It was before it was discussed how much support would be given to member nations. Thanks to that, this agenda passed more smoothly than expected. Of course, I dont know how it will turn out in the future But now that the agenda had passed, Kim Ki-woo had no intention of letting go of his rights over oil. After countless discussions, finally, I hereby officially dere the establishment of the World Union. p p p p! With a huge apuse, the World Union revealed itself to the world. *** Afterwards, the International Conference was concluded after some details of the World Union were settled. But the fiercepetition among the member countries had just begun. Ahh! Pl-please spare me Many departments, especially the Foreign Ministry, screamed at the overwhelming workload that flooded in. It was too busy to receive and coordinate the support requests from the member countries. After some consolidation, it was reported to Kim Kiwoo. Kim Kiwoo shook his head as he looked at the report. The requests are very extravagant, huh? They dont really think they will be epted, do they? Yes. Since there is no clear criterion yet, they seem to be asking for as much as possible. Tsk tsk. They wont get more support by doing this. The scale of support for each country had been internally determined long before the International Conference was held. Of course, there were some changes due to the territorial changes and attitudes that urred afterwards, but they had no intention of giving more support to the countries that wanted more. They should be grateful for this much. Honestly, the scale of support that was internally confirmed was not small at all. It was just that the member countries wanted more. Tell the Foreign Ministry to negotiate ording to the guidelines. We cant afford to give any more support. Emphasize that this is not thest support. Kim Kiwoo had no intention of giving all the support at once. It was better to give support sequentially for securing the empires influence, and it could minimize the waste of resources. Make sure to formalize it in the negotiations. If a country wastes this support, the scale of future support will be reduced. Most of the countries had a feudal society with a king and nobles at the top. Even in Wakan Tanka Empire, there was an emperor named Kim Kiwoo. Of course, it was different that all people under the emperor were equal. And in such a feudal society, there was a high possibility that the support would be wasted by the greed of the king and nobles. Kim Kiwoo had no intention of letting this happen. The money invested now was an investment. If a country seeded in modernization with this support, the imperial government could also benefit from it. But if they failed because of the high-rankings greed, the empire would also have to bear the loss. Therefore, he nned to drastically reduce the scale of future support for such countries. They all reap what they sow. Kim Kiwoo was sure. Depending on how much they used the empires support at this time, the future advanced countries would be decided. Kim Kiwoo hoped that many countries would devote themselves to national development. *** As time passed, negotiations with member countries were finallypleted. And from then on, simultaneous support began in earnest. Kim Kiwoo smiled bitterly as he saw the government budget being drained out. I expected it, but its amazing to see it with my own eyes. Is there no burden on the government finances? Thanks to this, we have greatly reduced our excessive budget that had been umted for a long time, but there seems to be no problem. Kim Kiwoo agreed with what the finance minister said. Its better to circte money like this. Anyway, money was pouring in like water at this moment. Even if they spent it like this, it would pile up again soon. Money was not a problem at all. The problem now was sending personnel. Is recruitment still slow? Im sorry to say that it is. Tsk. Kim Kiwoo clicked his tongue. I knew this would happen and prepared for it long ago. He had always wanted to promote global modernization. Thats why Kim Kiwoo had implementedpulsory education, while also excessively cultivating talents for overseas dispatch, such as educators and technicians. As a result, he had achieved a certain level of his goal. The problem was that these talents were reluctant to go to the underdeveloped countries. I can understand their feelings, but These talents could live well in the empire, even without going abroad. They had no reason to go to a dangerous and unfamiliar country across the sea. But I cant just let them stay. This was a promise between nations. As a founding member of the World Union, the credibility of the Wakan Tanka Empire was at stake. Besides, the modernization of those countries required not only money, but also technology to support it. I have no choice. Ill monitor the situation for a week, and if it doesnt improve, Ill proceed with the next n. Thats how its going to be. At his words, the face of the industrial minister became very gloomy. If that n was executed, there would be nothing good for the industrial department staff. *** A week passed quickly. But unfortunately, there was no dramatic change. Kim Kiwoo dered. For the next two weeks, I will ept additional applications for overseas dispatch personnel. During this period, those who voluntarily apply can choose the country they want, as before. However, after two weeks, those who are selected and supplemented will be sent to the countries where there is a shortage of personnel, regardless of their will. In other words, he meant to forcibly recruit overseas dispatch personnel after two weeks. Of course, Kim Kiwoo had no intention of recruiting key personnel such as engineers from the Imperial University. The targets were those he had intentionally overproduced. What the Ugh! When this news spread, many of the targets were shocked. They didnt expect Kim Kiwoo to push such a hard-line policy. But it was already a decree. It could not be reversed. Of course, it was all luck. Only a few of the targets would actually be selected. But what if they were unlucky enough to be picked for overseas dispatch? Not only would they have to go to a faraway country across the sea, but they might also be thrown into a harsh environment. For example, Africa or Russia, or even the Middle East with extreme conditions. Damn. Its better to apply nicely and go to a decent ce. How can you live in such a horrible ce? In the end, quite a lot of people applied. But still, there was a shortage. And after two weeks, as promised, Kim Kiwoo forcibly selected people to go to the regions where there was a shortage. No way! Why me Aaaah! Those who were selected screamed and denied reality. But nothing changed by doing so. They eventually had to go to the countries where there was a shortage of personnel, regardless of their own will. And thats when global modernization began. Abundant funds and technical support quickly transformed the countries that had the will to modernize. Thanks to the establishment of the World Union, they didnt have to worry about war, so the growth rate of the member countries was very fast. Thats how the era changed dramatically. Chapter 166: The Utilization of Electricity. Chapter 166: The Utilization of Electricity. Meanwhile, the field that showed the most remarkable growth during this period was none other than electricity. Thanks to the telegraph, information was transmitted much faster than before across the continent. Seeing this, the scientists felt the potential of electricity on their skin. Electricity has infinite possibilities. How can we use it? Countless scientists worked day and night to apply electricity. Wide Bowl was one of them. He was a promising scientist who had participated as a researcher when Kim Ki-woo made the generator and the telegraph. And after sessfullypleting the research on the telegraph, Kim Ki-woos words changed his lifepletely. With this, we conclude the research on the telegraph. You all did a great job. It was an honor to conduct research with Your Majesty! We are grateful for your grace! The surroundings were filled with joy. The researchers could not hide their happiness from the rising sense of aplishment. Its really over Wide Bowl felt drained. It felt like the time until now was like a dream. Ah On one hand, he was very sorry. Meeting Kim Ki-woo like this might be thest time, and he felt anxious about it. But it was inevitable since the research was already over. As he was struggling with hisplex emotions, Kim Ki-woo continued to speak. The research on the telegraph is over, but I think this is just the beginning. Electricity is still in its infancy. I am sure that electricity will be used in countless fields in the future. Is that so? Thats right. I hope you will continue to do your best for the development of electricity. I hope you will leave a great mark on the history of the empire. The faces of the researchers were touched by his words. Is there anything else you want to say? May I ask you one thing if possible? Go ahead. As Kim Ki-woo gave his permission, a researcher who raised his hand spoke up. I also researched electricity and saw its endless potential. But I still dont have a good idea of how to use it. What do you think, Your Majesty? Someday, there will be a world where it will be hard to find something without electricity around. Computers, TVs, smartphones, etc. There will be a day when electricity is used everywhere. But Kim Ki-woo knew well. It will take a long time before that timees. But that might be too early for now. First of all, we should start by lighting up the world with electricity and makingmunication more smooth than now. What do you mean by Haha. Think about it carefully. Maybe the answer is closer than you think. Kim Ki-woo smiled as he looked at the researchers who were puzzled. He had given them a lot of hints. Because he had worked with them for quite a long time. *** Light up the world with electricity? The researchers who were there tried hard to figure out what he meant by that. But Wide Bowl interpreted it intuitively. What if we can make light with electricity? It seems possible He looked at the oilmp. Themp that made bright light by burning oil was not only a product that brightened up the dark night, but also an essential item in deep mines. But it also had clear drawbacks. It had to be constantly refilled with kerosene. If there is amp that emits light by just supplying electricity, these drawbacks will also disappear. With this thought, he plunged into research. If it had been before, he would have needed more experience. But thanks to his experience of participating in Kim Ki-woos research, he was able to open his own research at Imperial University. Of course, it was a small-scale research with only five people including himself, but Wide Bowl did not care and devoted himself passionately to research. But soon he hit a wall. How do I burn electricity? How? At first, he tried to obtain light in the same way as amp. Of course, he soon realized that this method was not feasible and changed his direction. What should I do The wide bowl stared at themp all day long, imagining how he could get such a bright light. Then, a thought crossed his mind. Come to think of it, when electrons pass through a material with high resistance, it quickly bes hot Its easy to get heat from electricity, right? Cant I use this? His thoughts led to another. And he began to investigate whether he could produce light from heat. And not long after, he found many examples of this. The fire itself was bright because of the hot heat, and he could easily see it from the molten iron in the steel mill. Its worth a try. He briefed his research team on this and started the research in earnest. He applied electricity to metals with high resistance and observed the changes. Wow! This is it! And soon after, the wide bowl was convinced that this approach was correct. The light flowed from the metal and softly illuminated the dark room. Joy filled the faces of the wide bowl and his research team. And they continued to conduct the research. Of course, there were many twists and turns along the way. But with the sole determination to seed, they did their best to create a brighter and more stable light. This eventually led to the invention of an incandescent bulb using a fment, which they announced to the academic world. Wow! You can make light with electricity! If you canmercialize it, youll make a fortune! The incandescent bulb was introduced to the world faster than expected, but it took more time tomercialize it. Hmm. How can I stabilize this The early incandescent bulb had many problems. The oxidation problem of the fment due to heat generation, the lifespan problem, and the stability problem, etc. There was also a problem with electricity itself. They had to increase the efficiency of the generator, and it was important to send electricity along the wires so that they could use it. And the current supplied to the bulb had to be constant. Many problems were identified, but the scientists did not give up. They believed that they would surely seed if they had the potential of the incandescent bulb and pushed ahead with their research. Thanks to this, the problems were solved one by one, and finally they umted enough technology tomercialize the bulb. *** Communicate smoothly with electricity If the wide bowl focused on Kim Ki-woos words that he brightened the world with electricity, then the tough bag that was there focused on the words that followed. How can youmunicate smoothly from here? How can you develop anything from sending electrical signals over long distances through wires? All kinds of negative thoughts flooded his head. But he shook his head hard and erased his doubts. No. His Majesty wouldnt have said anything in vain. There must be something I dont know yet. Convinced of this, the tough bag read and reread rted materials, trying to find clues. In doing so, he read a paper on electric wave signals that was recently published. Wave signals Something smells here. The tough bag smelled a great sess here. And he actually researched on this. His persistent efforts paid off at some point. What if I can send voice with electric signals? Then I can talk to someone far away, right? As this thought came to his mind, his chest burned with passion. And as time passed, he established the basic principle of a telephone using electromaic induction. When you speak into a transmitter, an internal ma converts your voice into an electric signal. And this electric signal travels along the wire to the other persons receiver. Then it converts the electric signal back into sound. Is it done? The tough bag swallowed his saliva as he looked at the finished phone. Lets try an experiment. He was sure that his theory was perfect. But theory and reality could be different. He had to actually do it to see if it would seed. After that, the tough bag connected a wire about 200 meters away and connected a phone. Whew When all the preparations were done, his heart beat fast. He couldnt calm down easily. He tried to calm his pounding heart and handed a note to his assistant. You go to the other phone and talk into the transmitter. Got it? Yes! The assistant answered cheerfully and ran to where the phone was. After confirming this. Click! The tough bag picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. Please Please! One second, one second felt like eternity. He closed his eyes tightly and waited for the sound of a voice. At that moment. -Can youhear me? ! It was slightly cut off and the sound quality was not very good. But what was certain was that he heard a voice. It worked! After sessfully conducting an experiment to transmit voice through a wire, he clenched his fist. *** Wow One day, after sessfully finishing the international conference. Kim Ki-woo received a report on the history of electricity and his eyes sparkled with interest. As expected, they make it quickly with just a little hint. He didnt give them much of a hint, but they were such brilliant scientists that they quickly made these inventions of the century. Of course, both the incandescent bulb and the maic phone had their drawbacks. But this was something that the government could easily solve. Director of Communications. This means youll have more work to do. Ive had too little workpared to other departments, so its rather a good thing. Kim Ki-woo chuckled at his words. I wonder if his subordinates feel the same way. The Ministry of Communications had been quite a cushy job until now. It would change when the phone and incandescent bulb started to be distributed. For the time being, the Ministry of Communications was going to take care of everything from supplying electricity. Then there would be sure to beints from the Ministry of Communications staff. Especially if you want to use this maic phone properly, you need to build a propermunicationwork. It will be easier if you use the telegraph system youve built so far. When he made the telegraph, he also considered the phonemunicationwork and the transmission and reception of electricity. Of course, he had to establish amunicationwork that covered the continent, and create a central system that managed thiswork. And he also needed continuous management of the system. This is something that will be entrusted to the Ministry of Communications, so brighten up the night of the empire with incandescent bulbs and build a good phone system. Yes, Your Majesty. I will do my best! The Director of Communications bowed his head with a solemn expression. From that day on, construction began in earnest. The Ministry of Communications, with the help of the Ministry of Construction and Industry, built temporary facilities. Finally, when the phone and incandescent bulb weremercialized. Wow! Its light! Its light! Wow I cant believe I can talk to someone so far away. Is this really real? People cheered at the bright light of the incandescent bulb that pierced through the darkness, and were shocked by the fact that they could talk to someone far away. These two inventionster improved the quality of life of the imperial citizens very innovatively. Thus, Wakan Tanka Empire achieved another leap forward. Chapter 167: Sports. Chapter 167: Sports. After the cold winter passed, the flowers bloomed in March. The school also started a new year. Kim Ki-woo adopted most of the school system from the original history. He divided the school year into two semesters, and gave the students a break during the summer and winter vacations. You should have various experiences when youre a student. Its not good to make them study too much. Kim Ki-woo had experienced the hellish entrance exam in Korea. Of course, he understood that Korea had a strong education fever due to itsck of natural resources and its need to produce outstanding talents topete. But that was not applicable to the Wakan Tanka Empire at all. Wasnt this vast continent all under the territory of the Wakan Tanka Empire? Therefore, Kim Ki-woo had implemented an educational policy that encouraged various extracurricr activities in schools. We are recruiting new members for the basketball club! Feel free to look around and go! Lets learn an instrument together! The seniors will teach you kindly! As a result, every time a new semester started, various clubspeted to recruit new members. There were many different clubs in each school, ranging from arts and sports clubs to reading, invention, writing, and exercise clubs. The teachers encouraged the students to join at least one club. Among these clubs, the most popr field was undoubtedly sports. Boys should y ser! Nah~ Basketball is much cooler than ser, dont you think? You dont know what youre talking about! Baseball is the best! Teenagers, especially boys, really liked ball games that they could run around and enjoy. A long time ago, Kim Ki-woo had introduced various ball games to the empire for the leisure of its people, so by this time, many ball games had naturally settled in. Among them, the most popr sport was ser. It only required a yground and a ball, and many people could y it at once. At some point, sers poprity soared rapidly. The trigger was when the National High School Ser Association was created. Another match with Wind High School? I wish we could y with a different school. Whats wrong with them? Theyre good. Its different from being good and being bored! I can even count the dots on their managers face by now. Not everyone was like that, but a lot of high school ser clubs only yed with nearby schools. It was hard to coordinate matches with faraway schools. Hmm. Is there no better way? Like other clubs, there was a teacher in charge of the ser club. And as usual, they were teachers who liked ser. They wished that their ser club could y with many other clubs. Cold Floor was also a teacher in charge of a high school ser club. He also had this problem and came up with an idea. Yeah. How about we get together with schools in the region and arrange matches in advance? At first, he meant to set up a schedule of matches for each semester instead of arranging them on the spot. Cold Floor gathered teachers in charge of ser clubs in the region. Most of these teachers also had the same problem, so many teachers came. And he expressed his opinion at this meeting. Ho-ho. That sounds good. As soon as he finished speaking, many teachers showed interest and agreed. At that moment. What about this? A man who had been quietly listening to Cold Floors words in one corner, Blue Deer, opened his mouth. Do you have a better idea? If were going to set up matches in advance like Cold Floor said, how about introducing apetitive system as well? Competition? Yes. During the semester, each school ys against each other and gives the honor of being the best ser club to the one with the most wins. Ho-ho? The teachers nodded as if they understood what Blue Deer meant. But soon an objection came out. Hmm. Its a good idea, but Im worried. What is the purpose of school clubs? Isnt it to let students y together and establish proper character? But if apetitive system is created, it might have a negative impact on the members of ser clubs with fewer wins. That might be possible. The blue deer retorted again. Well, I dont think its right to judge without actually trying. On the contrary, the lower-ranked ser club members might work harder to get more wins next time. In the process, they might also strengthen their bonds with each other. Everything is just a possibility. Its only fair to try at least once and see how it goes. After that, there were many opinions about thepetitive system, or the regional league. And in the end, they reached the conclusion that it was worth trying at least once. The teachers met several times and adjusted the league schedule. In this process, several rules were established. There were some minor differences in the rules for each school, and they also needed clear rules for the league outside of ser. And soon after, the first sports league was officially held. *** In fact, in the end, the ser tournament that the teachers organized was their own league. Hardly anyone knew about it. The concept of a league was also unfamiliar. So that year, until the middle of the league, it didnt get much attention. But in the areas near the capital where the league was held, rumors spread quietly. Theyre deciding the strongest ser club? Thats what they say. Lets go watch it together when we have time. Our school is also participating. Really? Most of the imperial citizens live in the same area where they grew up. That means they graduated from their local high school. For them, the news of their alma maters participation in the tournament was quite interesting. Lets go see it. So the graduates started to watch their alma maters ser games, and as time went by, more and more spectators gathered. No! You cant shoot like that from there! Good! Thats right! Fight! You can do it! As time went by, the cheers and support of the spectators increased, Ah If we had won this time, we could have reimed first ce. Phew. Luckily we avoidedst ce. They became more interested as they watched the rankings fluctuate constantly. A ser tournament This would make a great story, wouldnt it? As things went on like this, some local newspapers reported on the ser tournament. And this led to more interest from the local residents. And by the end of the semester, this interest reached its peak. The teachers were greatly encouraged by this huge interest, and they introduced one system because of it. It was a system that selected the top five teams with high wins, and had them y four games in total: fifth ce vs fourth ce, then the winner vs third ce, then second ce, and finally first ce. The team that won first ce in the end was the true champion. The teachers collected money among themselves and even made an expensive trophy. At the end of the semester, four games were yed. And in this process, a drama was written. Oh my God! Hahaha! I cant believe our team won! The team that barely made it to fifth ce defeated teams from first to fourth ce in a row and achieved the final victory. The local residents, especially those who graduated from that school, were ecstatic about this dramatic win. And this story spread throughout the empire and became a big issue. Thanks to this, residents of other regions learned about the existence of the ser league. *** The capital is the center of the empire. So when the ser tournament became a big hit in the capital, simr things happened in other regions. What cant we dopared to them? If were talking about ser, were better than them, arent we? Yes. Lets have a ser tournament too. Just like schools in the capital region teamed up, schools in each region also teamed up. As a result, from next year on, numerous ser leagues sprang up. Oh! Schools in our region are also having a ser tournament! Its unfair for only capital residents to enjoy this fun spectacle! Hehe. I heard our school is the best at ser in our region. Thats how a culture of cheering for ones alma mater in their spare time emerged in the empire. The current stadium is too ufortable to watch. And gradually,rge-scale ser stadiums were built in various ces. This led to an influx of more and more spectators. Even if they didnt have a team to cheer for, many fans became addicted to ser itself and kepting to watch. I never expected this to happen. He felt a chill on his whole body on the cold floor as he watched the ser tournament that was getting hotter as time passed. He had only tried to help the ser club members he was in charge of to y against more diverse opponents, but he didnt know that the stakes would get this big. But on the other hand, he felt proud. Thanks to his actions, ser, which he loved so much, was receiving great attention. He was very happy as a ser yer. I hope this heatsts longer than now. With this thought in mind, he poured more passion into the ser tournament than the school sses on the cold floor. He wondered how he could make the tournament more sessful. And while he was having a meeting, one suggestion was made. After we started the ser tournament for the first time, various regions are also holding tournaments like us, right? Thats right. Then how about this? The winning teams from each region gather and select the best team. It will surely get more attention. Its not a regional thing, but a national thing to decide the best team. Oh! Thats a brilliant idea. If that happens It will also be a pride fight between regions. The cold floor nodded his head as he spat out his words. The more he thought about it, the better it was. Hmm. That would be great if that happens, but will the schools in other regions ept it? Whats there not to ept? At least some regions will definitely ept it, and if that happens, other regions will join in too. Thats right. If a national tournament is held, they will want to participate for the sake of publicity. If we can get some regions to join us, everything will be easier. Then lets make a n and propose it to each region. The teachers, including the cold floor, immediately put this into action. They established an organization called the National High School Ser Club Association and decided to hold a national tournament during the summer vacation with the winning teams at the end of the semester. And the cold floor became the first president of the association and brought in groups from various regions into the association. A national tournament It sounds like a lot of interest will be drawn if a national tournament is held. Damn. We have no choice but to join the association. Eventually, most of the regions gathered under the association in no time. And that summer, the first national tournament was held. Many winning teams from various regions came up to the capital andpeted for the best team in the nation. Wow How many people are there? The ser stadium was literally crowded. There was no room for feet in the stands, and countless people couldnt even enter the stadium. It was originally built veryrge to amodate many spectators, but it was still like this. Thissted until the moment when the winner of the national tournament was born. The spectators enjoyed the burning heat of ser under the hot sun. Thats how the long history of imperial sports began. Chapter 168: Aluminum. Chapter 168: Aluminum. Swift Wing was once a ve in Joseon. Back then, his name was Makdol. He had been very talented since he was young. But what good was it for a ve to be talented? It only made him suffer more, like Swift Wing. You bastard! How dare you act like a noble! Oh, please! Master, I havemitted a grave sin! Shut up! Look at him, tie him to a stone and whip him! Even though his father begged the master, nothing changed. Swift Wing closed his eyes tightly. He had expected this to happen ever since he was caught secretly studying letters. After that, Swift Wing, who was still young, was wrapped around a stone, Thwack! Thwack thwack thwack! Thwack! and mercilessly beaten with a club. Ugh! Ugh! His vision waspletely blocked, making it even more painful. But fortunately, the stone was very thick, so he was not seriously injured. Of course, he suffered for a long time. But what was more painful than his body was that he could no longer study letters. Studying letters was his only hope in his hard life as a ve. Then, something happened that changed his life. His master was involved in a conspiracy. As a result, all the ves in the house, including Swift Wing, became public ves. And coincidentally, this was the time when public ves began to be emancipated. Joseon had actively embraced the spirit faith. It gave the king a powerful justification that he was the descendant of spirits, and it made it easier to modernize Joseon by bringing down the noble ss. To do that, equality from below was also an essential element. Of course, they could not achieve this overnight, so they gradually reduced the number of ves. Emancipation! Swift Wing could not believe this situation easily. He thought he would live as a ve for his whole life, but he was emancipated, so it was understandable. But even though he was emancipated, the discriminatory eyes toward him still existed. So Swift Wing decided. Lets go to the Empire. It had been such a long time since Joseon started trading with the Empire, and the rumors about the Empire were very rampant. Swift Wing also heard them frequently. And the cultural products that came from the Empire were very dazzling. He wanted to live a new life in the Empire rather than being treated badly in Joseon. Swift Wing did not hesitate. He immediately went to an Empire merchant who lived in Joseon and made a contract with him. He would pay back the money for his fare and living expenses by doing a designated job for a certain period of time after arriving in the Empire. Fortunately, the wages in the Empire were so generous that the period was not very long. This is The first ce he arrived was California. It was a very bustling ce as befitting its nickname as the center of the West Sea. After that, Swift Wing worked as a dock worker for a while and paid off his debt. During that time, hepleted the mandatory Empire standardnguage ss with excellent grades. This should be enough. The work at the dock was very hard. The natives avoided it, so the sry was very generous. Thanks to that, he saved enough money in a short time. Swift Wing started to pursue his long-time dream, studying hard. And he soon showed his talent. He had learned basic knowledge through books while working, so he was able to finish middle and high school courses quickly. Eventually, in just five years after settling in the Empire, he entered Sunset University, the best university in California. *** Time passed, and Swift Wing became one of the most prominent chemists in Sunset Universitys chemistry department with various papers and achievements. Are you really not interested in going to Imperial University? Yes. I appreciate your offer, but no. Im happy with where I am now. Hmm. Thats too bad. Imperial University needs someone like you. Thank you for your high regard. The Imperial Universitys chemistry department had been famous for its talent hunger since they tried to recruit him from when he was a warm hat seller, but it was still an amazing thing to receive a direct scout offer from them. : A warm hat seller is someone who sells hats made of fur or wool that are popr in cold regions. But the Swift Wing refused without hesitation. Although it had diminished a lot, racial discrimination still existed among the elite groups such as high-ranking officials or the Imperial University. Only someone like Karl Meyer, who had overwhelming skills and reputation, could be free from the unfavorable eyes. Of course, the Swift Wing had confidence that he could build up his fame to that level, but Its too bothersome. He didnt want to leave the Sunset University, which was rtively free from such matters, and go to the Imperial University. He could do enough research on what he wanted here. For him, exploring the academic fields was much more important than his ambition for fame. He didnt want to waste his time on anything unnecessary other than the experiment he was doing right now. Hmm. How can I refine this metal easily? He turned the small bead around in his hands, pondering over and over again. The identity of this bead was none other than aluminum. In fact, the history of aluminum was quite long. Aluminum was one of the eight major elements that made up the earths crust, and it was the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon. Especially, the total amount of aluminum reserves was estimated to be 1.6 times that of iron ore. However, aluminum was a metal that was more expensive than gold at this time. A method of making aluminum by reacting sodium with aluminum chloride extracted from y had been developed long ago, but this method was too costly. As a result, aluminum was currently a luxury item for the rich. But the Swift Wing saw a lot of potential in aluminum. Aluminum is verymon. If the production cost could be drastically reduced, there would be no need to worry about the output, since it was more abundant than iron. More importantly, its very light. The specific gravity of aluminum was only one-third of that of iron or copper. This was very important. There were many problems in the transportation sector due to the weight limit of steel, such as ships, airnes, cars, railways, etc. If high-strength aluminum could be made cheaply, the transportation sector would seed in taking a leap forward. There were also other advantages. But unless he found a cheap production method, all this was just a pie in the sky. For this purpose, the Swift Wing stubbornly tried various methods to refine aluminum. The answer is electrolysis after all Alumina had a very strong bond with oxygen. It meant that he couldnt get aluminum by simply heating it like iron production through reducing iron oxide. The only way out was electrolysis. The problem was that he had to melt bauxite, which contained impurities of alumina, to do electrolysis. But to melt it, he had to apply a heat of nearly 2000 degrees Celsius. This was impossible, so he had to melt it in another substance and then do electrolysis. But unfortunately, this guy didnt melt well in other substances either. He had to solve this problem in order to refine aluminum. *** Are you going to keep holding on to this thing? Yes. I dont have any other research ns yet. Hmm. I see. Then Ill be going. He had been conducting research on aluminum for too long, so he was called to the department office. But the Swift Wing didnt care. It had been amon atmosphere in the Empire since ancient times that they didnt say much even if someone held on to one research topic for a long time. There were quite a few cases where researches that seemed doubtful whether they could be realized or not, such as Sharp Teeths steam engine research, eventually seeded. The Swift Wing also believed in the possibility of aluminum, so he continued his experiments without caring about anything else. He brought various substances into hisboratory and tried to melt aluminum with them. One day, The Swift Wing brought a white mineral into hisboratory. He had tried to bring in all possible substances, so it was possible. Where did you get this from? Where was it Ah! Its a mineral that was recently discovered in a ce called Greend. But they say it has no use. I see. The Swift Wing nodded indifferently at his assistants words. He had gone through so many trials and errors that he didnt feel any special emotion even when he saw these rare substances. It was as white as snow. Thats why its called ice crystal. Ice crystal The swift wing nodded as he heard the name. He had never seen this mineral before, but he felt that it had a very fitting name. He then proceeded to analyze the properties of the ice crystal. It melts quite easily. As he heated it up a bit, the ice crystal turned into a molten state without much difficulty. But apart from that, there was nothing remarkable about it. After he had a rough idea of its properties, he added bauxite to the melted ice crystal. Then something astonishing happened. Ahh! The swift wings eyes widened in an instant. At the same time, a suppressed moan escaped from his mouth without him realizing it. It, it melts! His assistant was equally shocked. Get out of the way! The swift wing pushed his assistant aside and closely examined the bauxite that was gradually melting. He rubbed his eyes to see if he was mistaken, but the result did not change. Bauxite was definitely melting! Haha Heughed hollowly as he saw the sight that he had never dreamed of. Then he looked up at the ceiling and muttered briefly. I did it. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he spoke. *** He finally seeded in electrolysis. He still had to separate alumina from bauxite, butpared to finding ice crystal, this was nothing. He managed to produce aluminum by electrolysis. At a much cheaper price than the existing method. This was enough to shake up the academic world. Hahaha! I knew you would seed. A chemist should focus on one thing and research it thoroughly. Well done! The department head praised the swift wing heartily, as if he had given him a hint. And many chemists who were interested in this news visited Sunset University and expressed their admiration. Aluminum will no longer be more expensive than gold. You have done a remarkable thing. I think aluminum will be widely used in the future. Congrattions, Mr. Swift Wing. Thank you for your kind words. His Swift Wings received the natural praise of the chemists who visited him every day. He was proud of his research, after all. But he also heard a nagging remark in his ear. Hmm. The problem is, it takes too much electricity to produce this aluminum. Thats right. Until we solve this, we cant lower the price enough to make it asmon as steel. Hmm. They had a point. The nature of electrolysis required arge amount of electricity. But his Swift Wings shrugged. Thats not my job, so I dont care much. As time goes by, things will get better as always. The chemists agreed with his words. And Kim Ki-woo also received news about aluminum. He stroked the lump of aluminum that came from the west and smiled. This thing is really solid. He knew how important aluminum would be for human life as time passed, so he couldnt help but love the aluminum in front of him. The problem is electricity The current electricity price was quite high. If they produced aluminum at this rate, it would surely form a high price range. Given the abundant hydropower resources of the Wacantanga continent, the problem would be solved to some extent over time But I cant wait until then. There was no need to do that when he knew a better way. In Kim Ki-woos memory, there was a region that could produce cheap electricity inrge quantities. He spread out the map and stared at that region. Chapter 169: Iceland. Chapter 169: d. It was none other than d. It sounded like a region covered with ice. And indeed, d was located at a hightitude of 64 degrees north. It was the northernmost country in the world, based on the averagetitude of its territory. But contrary to this, d was a rather warm region, and the temperature difference between summer and winter was very small. Especially Reykjavik, the capital of d, was very warm. The average temperature in January, the coldest month, was above zero. It was thanks to the North Antic Current that kept d warm. d doesnt match its name. It was strange to think about it. Why was d warm and Greend cold? It all started from a trick by the Vikings long ago. They discovered d and Greend, but Greend was a coldnd that people didnt want to migrate to. So they named it Greend. And they advertised that this ind was very good to live in. On the contrary, d was warm despite its hightitude, and it was good to live in. But when many people crowded into the small ind, the Vikings who lived there named this ind d. As a result, the number of immigrants decreased. Of course, if this was the only feature, Kim Ki-woo didnt need to pay attention to it. But d had a lot of potential to produce cheap electricity inrge quantities. Its the most suitable ind for geothermal power generation. This ind was a volcanic ind located on top of the Mid-Antic Ridge. It had a characteristic of active volcanic activity. The geothermal activity was on a huge scale, and it was suitable for power generation using this heat. In fact, d in the original history was the country that used geothermal energy the best. It takes a lot of investment to build a geothermal power nt Geothermal power generation, which was the only one that used the energy of the earth itself among various power generation methods, had many problems despite its many advantages. The most important thing was that the facility investment cost was too high and the profitability was low. It was very difficult to achieve unless it was a volcanic ind like d. Thats not a big problem. He had been pouring money into the world continuously, so his finances were not as abundant as before. But he had more than enough to invest in d. It wasnt time to deal with environmental issues yet, but geothermal power generation was a very environmentally friendly power generation method. The problem is that its a very dangerous ind. There were as many as 130 volcanoes in d. Of course, only about 30 of them were active volcanoes, but this was also a veryrge number. As a result, there were many volcanic eruptions on this ind throughout history. And there would be more in the future. Moreover, he couldnt investigate d in detail, so he didnt know when that would happen. Even in modern times, it caused a lot of damage worldwide, so I cant be careless. He remembered the volcanic eruption of d in the original history. It was vivid how it caused panic in European aviation due to the volcanic eruption that urred around 2010. If he built a geothermal power nt in this area, he would have to face the threat of volcanic eruption, but he couldnt give up because of this problem. The geothermal power generation of d was too attractive. You cant avoid eating because youre afraid of worms. Kim Ki-woo decided. He decided to build a geothermal power nt in d. *** Is that really what the Wakan Tanka Empire wants? Yes, Your Majesty. Frederick II, the king of Denmark and Norway, stared at Transparent ss, an imperial diplomat. He doesnt like it. To be honest, Frederick II didnt like the empire very much. There were several reasons for this, but first of all, it was because it was where Spiritism, a religion that spread widely throughout the world, originated from. Recently, more and more followers of Spiritism were increasing in various parts of Europe and even in the Ottoman region. The empire was so excellent, but more than anything else, it was because of Kim Ki-woos existence as an immortal spirit. Unlike other religions, there was tangible evidence. Of course, that was not the only reason. I cant stand leaving Sweden alone, even if they are not worth chewing on. He had joined the World Union with Denmark and Norway, which he ruled. So did Sweden. He had no intention of deviating from the global trend, even if he did not like the Empire. Thanks to that, the fierce war in the north was suspended. As an ambitious Frederick II, he could not help but regret it. However, he only suppressed such feelings inside, and showed no change in his expression. Instead, he racked his brain to figure out the Empires intentions. d d was under Denmarks control. In the 13th century, when d became uncontroble due to a civil war, the parliament decided to ept Norways rule to find stability. And at the end of the 14th century, Norway and Denmark were united, and the sovereignty was transferred to Denmark. Of course, the reality was that the sovereignty was weakening due to the recent war and urgent situation, but the clear thing was that it was a country under Denmarks control. But the Wakan Tanka Empire wanted d to be independent. d is and that is legally under Denmarks control. But you want me to make d independent? Thats very unpleasant. I cant help but doubt your proposal. You misunderstand. As Your Majesty knows well, the Empire does not want other countriesnds. There are still plenty of undevelopednds on the Wakan Tanka continent, why would we covet d? Hmm. He did not want to admit it, but Frederick II somewhat agreed with this statement. I dont understand. If he had as much power as the Wakan Tanka Empire, he would have conquered many countries by force, not just that filthy Sweden. But the Wakan Tanka Empire was different. After unifying the huge Wakan Tanka continent, they did not show much territorial ambition. Looking back at history, it was clear that they would not go too far to covet d. Not only d. Your Majesty does not want a country to be under another countrys control. This is simr to other cases of countries we are negotiating with. I see what you mean. However, d is a very valuablend. I cant just give it up because the Empire wants it. As he said, ds Hafnarfjrur was one of the main activity areas of the Hanseatic League. In the past, German merchants expelled British merchants and monopolized themerce in this area. Because of this, in 1602 in original history, Denmark prohibited d from trading with countries other than Denmark. It was that valuable. Thats why the Empire offers this muchpensation. It should be enough. Well. I have a slightly different opinion on that. Frederick II leaned back on his backrest and shook his head sideways. Damn. You want to get more out of this opportunity? He expected it to some extent, but as soon as he saw signs of stagnation in the negotiation, Transparent ss bit his tongue inside. *** It took a long time to finalize the negotiation as Transparent ss thought. Haha. My country expresses great respect for the Empires cause. Please be sure to tell your Emperor. Yes. I will definitely deliver it. Frederick IIs face was very bright. He got a lot from this negotiation. Conversely, it meant that Transparent ss gave more concessions than the original terms. Ill be able to develop my country more easily than that damn Sweden with this opportunity. Frederick II smiled with satisfaction as he thought so. Looking at him, Transparent ss also thought. Enjoy it while you can. Youll regret itter. He was one of the few diplomats who knew Kim Ki-woos intention to develop d. Thats why he didnt care about the worse terms than before. There was an order from His Majesty the Emperor to ept any reasonable terms. Then I wish you all the best. Ill take my leave now. Lets take a look. With that, the transparent ss left Denmark and headed straight for d. And after convening the dic parliament, he dered. From now on, d is free from Denmarks rule and has be an independent nation. As soon as the transparent ss finished speaking, silence swept over the audience. The members of parliament hadplex expressions on their faces. Although Denmark was in turmoil and the parliaments influence had grown considerably recently, they did not expect to achieve independence in such a sudden way. I know what you are worried about. But dont worry. If necessary, the empire will not spare any support until ds political and economic situation stabilizes. Hmm Why are you doing so much for us? It was a natural question. A tiny indpared to the empire. Moreover, it was far north and far away from the empire. Not to mention the poption was not thatrge. Only tens of thousands of people lived on the ind of d. Especially some of the dic members of parliament had witnessed the negotiations between Denmark and the empire. They clearly saw that the empire paid a considerable price, which made them more curious. At this, the transparent ss smiled slyly. First of all, Ill ask you. Do you intend to join the World Union? Thats obvious. In this era, and having gained independence thanks to the empire, they had no choice but to join the World Union. They had already made a decision rted to the World Union. Then lets talk about the rest after joining the World Union is approved. It was a mysterious remark. They were really curious about what the rest was. But the transparent ss only gave a meaningful look and refrained from saying more. It was safer to cross the bridge after checking it.
The Wakan Tanka Empire was undoubtedly a founding member of the World Union. It had a dominant power within the World Union, and it was very difficult to propose an agenda that went against the empires will. This was partly because of the empires power, but also because most of the member states had a huge debt rtionship with the empire. The debtor had no choice but to follow the creditors lead. But even so, they could not ignore the procedure. It took a lot of time to get d into the World Union. But it was only a matter of time. Eventually, With this, we will finally approve ds entry into the World Union. d became a proud member of the World Union. As if he had been waiting for this moment, the transparent ss visited d again as soon as possible. Congrattions. You are now an equal member of the World Union. Then we should discuss the support that will take ce in the future. But can we modernize like the empire Dont worry about that. d will achieve modernization faster than any other country. What do you mean? Look at this. The transparent ss handed over documents to the members of parliament. They could not contain their curiosity and flipped through them. And Gasp! Thats impossible They could not close their mouths at the astronomical amount written there. Did you bring it wrong? No. Its urate. If you sign these documents, all these supports will be implemented immediately. Why on earth d is a very blessednd and will be a very importantnd for the empire. The Wakan Tanka Empire hopes to maintain a long and good rtionship with your country. After that, the transparent ss exined geothermal power generation and passionately argued about ds outstanding value. The volcano has that much value? For ders, volcanic eruptions were disasters. Many people lost their lives because of this throughout history. But now it turned out to be a blessing. It was truly ironic. So what do you say? Will you ept the empires offer? Of course! How can we refuse these terms? Theres no need to think more We dont need to think at all. Lets sign it right away! This is how a treaty that led to ds revival was signed. Chapter 170: Innovation. Chapter 170: Innovation. Wow! When Solid Horn saw the photo for the first time, he was amazed. He had often seen the cityscape, but it was very fascinating to see it recorded in the form of a photo. His father, Thick Horn smiled warmly at his sons reaction. Hahaha! Do you like it? Yes! Dad, what is this? Its called a photo. Photo You seem very curious. Do you want to see more photos? Can I see more? Of course. There are many different kinds of photos in this world. Not just the ones that capture the scenery. Follow me. Okay! Solid Horn followed his father to a ce called a photo studio. Woah! There were countless photos on disy in the photo studio. There were portraits, including Kim Kiwoos photo, andndscape photos of various natural scenes. Solid Horn couldnt close his mouth as he walked around the photo studio. He was especially drawn to the photos that showed beautiful naturalndscapes. They made his heart beat faster. Come over here. Since were here, we should take a photo together. We can take our own photo? Like these ones? Yes. Of course. Lets do it right now! Then Solid Horn took a portrait with his father. It was hung in his living room until the day he died. That day changed Solid Horns life. From that day on, he became a photo enthusiast. He even started to take his own photos when he grew up, producing many stunning photos that rivaled the experts. Thick Horn was a very influential merchant in the upper district, so Solid Horns family had a lot of money. Thanks to that, he had no problem pursuing his hobby of photography. But the more he took photos, the more dissatisfied he felt in his chest. Its too inconvenient. The camera was developing day by day. He had all kinds of cameras in his house, from the earliest ones to thetest ones, so he knew this better than anyone else. But still, photography was only for a few professionals like him. It took a lot of work to take and develop photos. How can I improve this? At the young age of fifteen, Solid Horn began to ponder this question. And his father noticed his sons dilemma. Whats bothering you? Yes, dad. Haha, kid. Dont suffer alone and tell me whats on your mind. Well Thick Horn quietly listened to his sons problem. And when he finished, Hahahaha! He burst intoughter. Why are youughing! Im serious. Solid Horn puffed up his cheeks andined. He felt like his father wasnt taking him seriously. But it was the opposite. Thick Horn was very happy to hear his sons problem. He was very proud that his only child had a desire to achieve something from an early age. My adorable son! Ack! Why are you doing this! Haha. Just stay still, Yonseok. Thick Horn hugged Solid Horn tightly and rubbed his cheeks. Solid Horn hated this kind of skinship, but he couldnt resist his fathers strength. Hes grown up so fast. He felt nostalgic. Thick Horn always felt sorry for his son. His wife died shortly after giving birth to Solid Horn, and as a result, their family consisted of only two people. He was born as an orphan of the sky, and his only kin in this world was his Solid Horn. But as the lord of the sky, he was too busy with his duties to pay much attention to his son. He had a nanny, but that was not enough to fill the void of a family. He must have been very lonely. He wished for nothing but his sons health and happiness. But to his surprise, his son showed a desire to try something new. He wanted to grant his sons wish. Go ahead and do whatever you want. Ill support you with anything you need. Really? Ha ha. Have you ever seen me lie? No, of course not. He he. Then tell the nanny what you need. Yes! He ordered his staff to provide his son with anything he needed. And then he half-forgot about it. He didnt have much expectation for his son to achieve anything. His son was only fifteen years old. It was too young to aplish anything. His grades were mediocre, so he didnt think he was a genius. He also thought that his son wouldnt spend much money anyway. *** As soon as he heard that his father would support him, he tried to hire professional photographers and scientists. Hmm. The only son of the lord of the sky, huh? Hes famous, alright. But hes still a kid, right? But hes also a good photographer, despite being the son of a wealthy lord. He has quite a reputation in the photography world. Thats true, but do you really want to work under a kid? Why not? Do you know how rare it is to get paid this much for a job? Huh, fine. I dont know what youre missing Well, its your decision, so I wontin. But dont drag me into it. Of course not. No matter how famous he was as the son of the lord, he was too young for them. Thats why there was a lot of noise during the hiring process. But the pay was goodpared to other jobs, so they managed to recruit some people. He set up a workshop as soon as he hired them. Hes really young. What does he know? Hes just a kid. We just have to kill time and indulge his hobby. Thats what they felt when they visited his workshop and met him face to face. He was small for his age of fifteen. And his clothes made him look like a spoiled kid. But he didnt care about their negative looks. He only had his passion in his mind. Nice to meet you all! So he greeted them with a bright smile. And then he revealed his true intention. Photography is too inconvenient right now! What? They were puzzled by his sudden remark. But he didnt care and continued. Look at this. To take a good picture, you need experts in this field, right? Um. Thats true. The eight people who became his employees nodded their heads. Especially the four of them who were professional photographers agreed more. He sparkled his eyes. You dont know how hard it was for me to take a decent picture when I was young. Pfft Oh, sorry. One of themughed involuntarily at his words. It sounded like he was imitating an adult, even though he was still a kid. But he didnt mind. I wish that everyone could take pictures, even if they are not experts. A world where everyone has a small camera and can take pictures whenever they want. Hmm. It was a huge ambition that did not get any response. The employees looked quite puzzled by it. But the Solid Horn eyes were very firm. *** At that time, the cameras used the wet te method. It required skilled techniques and a lot of equipment. It was not for nothing that photography was called the domain of experts. The Solid Horn were young, but they had a lot of knowledge about photography. Thats why they knew the chronic problems of the current cameras very well. The wet te method must be eliminated! They insisted from the beginning. Hmm. But thats technically Nothing is impossible. There must be a much better way than the wet te method. The employees were just hired workers. They had to follow the words of their employer who paid them. Well, lets try it. Eventually, they started to look for a new method. But developing a dry te that was sensitive enough was quite difficult. Ha ha. How is the research going? Its hard But I will definitely seed! Thats right. Thats how you can be called the son of this thick lump. Dont give up and try it. Dont be surprisedter. They experienced countless failures, but the Solid Horn never gave up. They absorbed a lot of knowledge and led the research. Wow, hes really amazing for his young age. Maybe a great photographic technique will really be born The employees were impressed by their passion and effort. I cant just sit still when the young employer is working so hard. As a result, they also focused on the research. Was it because the heavens were moved by their efforts? After many trials and errors, they finally developed a dry te with gtin emulsion. This emulsion, obtained by processing cow bones and leather, was able to support the photosensitive silver salt sufficiently. Wow! The sensitivity is maintained even when its dry? Now we dont need this damn ss te. If there was no ss te that was easy to break and inconvenient to carry, the camera would surely be simplified. The employees were encouraged by this achievement. But the Solid Horn had no intention of stopping here. Its not enough. They had not reached their goal of making everyone a photographer. To do that, they had to be able to take many pictures at once. The Solid Horn kept urging their employees to continue their research. As a result, roll film also appeared in the world. Of course, roll film was a printable negative, or a negative image. For this, they had to separate the emulsion from the opaque paper. Printing can be done separately by professionals, right? The important thing is, anyone can take pictures easily. But the Solid Horn didnt worry too much about it. Great job, everyone! They just shared their joy with their employees, Dad! And ran to their thick lump father and showed him their results. At first, the thick lump checked his sons research results with a light heart. A lot of money had been invested in the research, but he didnt expect much until then. But after checking all the new cameras. How is it? He couldnt say anything to his sons question. This is too amazing, isnt it? The new camera was nothing but innovation itself. The camera with roll film could take as many as a hundred pictures. It was an unbelievable amount for a camera that could be held in two hands. He was running arge-scale business, so he knew better than anyone else the potential of this camera. Ha, ha ha Ha ha ha ha! He soon burst intoughter. You cute thing! Ack! Stop it! He hugged his son again and rubbed his cheeks. This is not the time for this. Lets register the patent right away! The thick lump quickly finished all the procedures and started to n the production and sales strategy of roll film cameras. And at the end of that year, The simple and innovative cameras began to be sold in earnest. -Press the button and you are a photographer. The camera with this slogan sold like hotcakes in no time. Chapter 171: Innovation (2) Chapter 171: Innovation (2) The camera caused a huge sensation. What? You still havent got a camera? Tsk tsk. Theyre sold out everywhere, how do you expect me to get one? You should have bought one as soon as they came out, like me. What have you learned so far? Its obvious that these things will run out of stock. Sigh. What can I do? I have to wait until they restock the cameras. There had been products that had created a huge sensation in the past. Penicillin was one of them. People had learned from these experiences and developed a tendency to buy popr products as soon as possible. The camera was no different. It was so popr that it was hard to find in the market. People even teased those who didnt have a camera for being out of touch with the trend. Please hurry up and restock the cameras, theyre begging us. The prices for second-hand ones are going up too. We need to release more supplies as soon as possible. We have too many orders for developing and printing the photos. At this rate, it will take months for each one The customers are already very dissatisfied with the dy. We also hear a lot ofints that the photo studios are too far away. Hmm The Solid Horn invention was scary. He had expected the sess of the camera, since it was such an innovative product, but he hadnt anticipated such a huge hit. But he couldnt just sit back and rx. The Thick Horn did his best to solve the problems. **** While his fathers space store was screaming with joy, the solid horn who had created the roll film camera received great praise. Hes just a middle school student who made this? Huh Another genius has emerged in the empire. I heard hes the only son of the space store owner. No wonder, they didnt get the camera from somewhere else, but from their own store? He hit the jackpot by having a good son. Sigh, I wish my troublemaker kid was half as good as him. Every day, the young genius who made the camera was featured in countless newspapers. The solid horn became a star overnight. Haha! How do you feel? Everyone I meet is talking about you, team leader. Sigh The solid horn sighed deeply at that remark. To be honest, he wasnt interested in anything else. He was a quiet student who only thought about photography at school. But he received so much attention that he couldnt even go to school anymore. He was lucky that the school understood his situation, otherwise he would have had more headaches. But not going to school was good news for the solid horn. School had been a big obstacle for him while he was developing the camera. I still have a lot of things I want to make. Some people might scoff at him, but for Solid Horn, the camera was just a step in his journey. He had no intention of stopping his development just because he had made a camera. Now I can finally start on that. Before, he only wished to make it easier for people to take pictures, but as he developed the roll film, he had another goal in mind. With the roll film, I can take pictures in an instant. What if I take pictures continuously and then watch them in session? Solid Horn imagined the picture in his head. He felt a surge of excitement and couldnt sit still. He went straight to his father. Haha. My lucky boy is here. Are you okay? You look very pale Dont worry about this old man. He said that, but to Solid Horns eyes, Thick Horn looked like he could copse at any moment. It was understandable, since he had been so busy that he barely slept three hours a day. What brings you here? You should rest at home, since you cant go to school. I get restless staying at home. So I thought Id do some more research Is that okay? Research? At that word, a sh of horror crossed Thick Horns face. Of course, it was a good thing, but on the other hand, wasnt it because of the camera that this mess happened? And he wasnt sure when this situation would calm down. But what if another invention as big as the camera came out of Solid Horns hands? Thick Horns body shivered involuntarily. But he couldnt tell his son, who had achieved such great results, not to do research. Hmm. If you want to, go ahead. But dont overdo it. Making a camera is already a remarkable feat. Do you have something in mind? Of course. If I finish this, it will attract as much attention as the camera. Is, is that so? Thick Horn felt a chill as he heard his sons confident words. After getting permission from his father, Solid Horn started his new research right away. Ill start the research on the topic I mentionedst time. What, already The team members also had a simr reaction to Thick Horn. But there was no one who ignored Solid Horn like before. He had already shown them a huge achievement. And the research he was going to do this time was also a very interesting topic to hear. The research went very smoothly afterwards, like a train running on aid track. It was natural. The foundation was already prepared. I can implement it with the performance of the roll film camera. This camera had the ability to take one picture in 0.02 seconds. That is, it could take 25 pictures in one second. And ording to the experiment results, if 25 pictures taken in one second were connected, it looked like the pictures were moving by themselves. In other words, it was good enough for video. All he needed was a technology to make it flow steadily and a way to project the film pictures on the wall. This was possible with the current technology level, so it didnt take long for the first product toe out. Solid Horns team gathered in theb and stared at the wall. Then Ill turn it on! After the team members words, light formed on the dark wall. Oh! Its moving! Its moving! The team members eximed as they saw it. The projector was running and showing video on the wall. It was just a test video they made, but they were happy enough with the fact that it worked properly. Solid Horn looked at the video ying and spread his wings of imagination. If I add a story like a y to this Theater had been popr in the empire for a long time. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like something that many people would like. Of course, there were some drawbacks. The screen was ck and white, unable to reproduce colors like reality, and the quality was not very good either. Above all, There is no sound. The only sounds in the room were the murmurs of the team members and the projector running. There was not a speck of sound from the video. This was a problem that had to be solved. Eventually, this new achievement became a huge topic again. And Solid Horn was admitted to the Imperial University as a special student. He was only sixteen years old. *** Meanwhile, one of Solid Horns concerns was already being actively researched. After the telephone was developed by Gunny Bag, many people thought. If we can send human voices to distant areas cant we also store sound? If we can store sound, we can listen to music at home. Scientists who noticed this soon looked for ways. And since the telephone was already out, it didnt take long for the key idea of the phonograph to emerge. It was to record sound by changing sound into mechanical vibrations and then carving holes. Eventually, not long after the telephone became popr, the first phonograph was released to the market. In the future, tube phonographs became the trend, but at this time, it was a tin phonograph that used tin. People soon showed interest in this. Wow. It really ys music. Haha. With this, I can choose and listen to various music whenever I want. And at home too. Dont you think anyone with culture should have one? Thats right. The imperial citizens were generally wealthy. Kim Giwoo had been paying attention to wealth distribution for a long time, and this resulted in a solid middle ss. And at this time, the imperial citizens did not skimp on money for leisure activities. Thats why the phonograph, which was released at a fairly high price, sold like hotcakes like the camera. Of course, there were many eyes in the music industry that looked down on the phonograph. If the phonograph spreads widely, people might note to listen to performances. Science has eaten away at art, and now music has be like this. The form of art had already changed a lot by photography. Before photography came out, realistic paintings and sculptures were popr, but after photography became popr and even recently, thanks to roll film cameras, anyone could take pictures, the form gradually changed. It became more abstract. Those who were involved in music worried that the phonograph would y a simr role. Especially since music had the characteristic of ying for the audience, they were worried that the audience would decrease because of the phonograph. The theater also had simr concerns. Simr to how phonographs were spreading, Ujusangdan built theaters mainly inrge cities. And they showed short films here. There is no sound, so it will be very nd. So you have to act as exaggerated and fun as possible. The director who was asked by Ujusangdan to make a movie knew his limits well. So he actively used physicaledy such as falling downically. Thanks to this, the ndness caused by technical limitations was greatly reduced. Here they used phonographs as much as possible and added music at appropriate ces as background music. Hahaha! I thought it would be boring without dialogue, but its quite fun. Theater has a lot of ces where you cant see faces well, but this one looks good everywhere. And there are no mistakes like dialogue or anything. Thats right. I cane here sometimes when Im bored. The audience showed a favorable view of the movie. Naturally, sparks flew on the backs of theater people. Movies still had more disadvantages than advantages, so it would take a lot of time to be popr. There was no dialogue, the quality was bad, and it was ck and white screen. It was just because of novelty that people visited now, they didnt think that poprity wouldst as it is now. But looking back at the past years, wouldnt these disadvantages bepensated eventually? If that happened, it seemed obvious that it would have a strong negative impact on theater as well. They could see that movies had very clear advantages over theater. Once filmed, they could y it over and over again, and the appearance of the characters also looked much better than theater. How can we deal with this The worries of those in music and theater grew day by day. But they couldnt stop the changing trends. In order not to be extinct eventually they had no choice but to change themselves too. Chapter 172: Oil Exploration. Chapter 172: Oil Exploration. Ugh! Sob. A suppressed sorrow burst out of the industrial directors mouth. At the same time, tears flowed down his wrinkled cheeks. His clenched fist revealed his feelings. Kim Ki-woo patted his back and said. Youve worked hard as the industrial director for a long time. I hope you enjoy the rest of your life and experience many fun things. Still, the industrial director could not control his emotions, and it took him a while to reply to Kim Ki-woos words. In my life, it was a great blessing to serve the great emperor. Please forgive me for leaving my position first. Come and visit me often if you feel lonely. Thats how the current industrial director retired. But Kim Ki-woo was calm. Another one is gone. That was all he thought. He had seen countless people leave the political scene until now. To them, Kim Ki-woo must have been irreceable, but to Kim Ki-woo, he was just a director. This was the same for everyone who left his side after bing a loyal tree. Only, I hope the next industrial director leads the industrial department well. He had no more feelings than that. Knock knock. Your Majesty, the new industrial director has arrived. Let him in. Speak of the devil. When he was thinking about the new industrial director, he arrived at a good timing. Nice to meet you. It is an honor of my life to see Your Majesty! Please sit down. Kim Ki-woo gestured to the chair with a natural smile, ignoring the industrial directors admiring gaze. You are very lucky. You are taking charge of the industrial department in such a turbulent era. I can endure it for the sake of the Wakan Tanka Empire and the great emperor. I will never be a burden to the empire. Your words are reassuring. But Im not lying. You must have seen it yourself from your previous work. How fast the empires society is changing right now. Yes, Your Majesty. But it will be even more drastic in the future. For a moment, a hint of sadness shed in Kim Ki-woos eyes. He might have been one of the busiest industrial directors in history. Considering that the industrial department was divided into several departments afterwards, he could imagine how much work would increase. I will keep Your Majestys words in my heart. The industrial director nodded heavily. He knew it too. The fact that the gates of hell were opened before his eyes. Kim Ki-woo looked back at the present. It took a long time to get here. The empires industry had finally spread its wings wide. Various agricultural machines were poprized for farming, and agricultural production increased day by day, while the number of farmers decreased sharply. What about construction? Various heavy equipment were supplied to construction sites, and many constructions that could not be done quickly in the past were progressing rapidly. Most importantly, cars are bing popr. Car brands sprang up like mushrooms in the empire, and thepetition in the car market was fierce. That meant there was a lot of demand for cars. The empire was too vast. As the living radius of the imperial citizens widened, cars rose from luxury goods to major transportation means. Thanks to the endless boom, there was enough money in the hands of the imperial citizens to buy cars. Nowadays, carspletely reced carriages and entered their heyday. As a result, roads were repaired, bridges were built, and highways wereid out everywhere. It was only possible because there were various heavy equipment and massive government investment. How can I not be busy like this? A tremendous amount of raw materials went into the automobile and construction industries. The construction industry had already adopted the reinforced concrete method extensively. The amount of iron and concrete that went into this was beyond imagination. Moreover, the materials that wereid on the roads were also enormous, and the production of automobiles increased dramatically, consuming a huge amount of iron. And this trend would continue to grow for a long time. The same was true for the raw materials that went into ships and airnes. Many fields were dominated by privatepanies, but at least the raw material markets such as iron, coal, oil, and cement were monopolized by the state. It was inevitable that there would beints from the perspective of the Ministry of Industry, which managed them. Afterwards, Kim Ki-woo discussed various issues with the Minister of Industry and sent him away. Then he thought about the problem he was facing. I should start preparing soon. After the oil field exploded in Texas, there was no worry about oil for a while. That was because the supply was overwhelmingly greater than the demand at that time. But the situation was changing. By now, the demand for oil was increasing uncontrobly. Automobiles, ships, airnes, heaters. On top of that, petrochemicals had been developing day by day, making this trend even more severe. Of course, it was still fine. Thanks to therge oil fields that had been discovered in various ces after the first major oil field. But as time goes by, it will be hard to cope with just the domestic production. The world was in the midst of modernization. It was all thanks to the World Union. A lot of capital was invested from the Empire, and many technicians andpanies led the modernization of various countries. In this process, thepanies of the Empire also took root more firmly in various regions. They made a fortune by taking over various industries of those countries. This gave them a powerful motivation. As a result, some countries were considered to have achieved a considerable level of industrialization even by the Empires standards. If only a little more time passed they would naturally switch to an oil consumption system. Oil had an overwhelmingly higher utility than coal. The domestic demand was already skyrocketing, but if they started to consume oil inrge quantities overseas as well I dont even want to think about it. The current oil price was almost free. Kim Ki-woo wished that this period wouldst longer. That way, the oil system would be firmly established. I have to increase the oil supply. This was Kim Ki-woos conclusion. Kim Ki-woo immediately expressed his thoughts at the Imperial Council. Oil will be an increasingly important resource in the future. As more and more countries overseas modernize, that time will be sooner rather thanter. But the oil produced in the Empire is limited. At this remark, each minister showed signs of agreement. The ministers who ran the country knew well how important oil was bing day by day. Kim Ki-woo continued his speech. But the world is wide, and oil is not a resource that onlyes from Waktanga continent. So I will conduct arge-scale oil exploration around the world. Please do as you wish. *** After the Imperial Council ended. Kim Ki-woos decision was soon realized. The government did not hesitate to recruit experts rted to oil exploration. This naturally drew the attention of the Imperial citizens. But there were few people who thought it was strange. Oil was already widely used. Werent they driving cars themselves? Thanks to this, arge-scale oil exploration team was formed very smoothly. And White Snow was appointed as the leader of this group. Even if you cant find an oil field right away, I wont say anything, so dont worry and run the exploration team well. Ill do my best! White Snow answered cheerfully. Kim Ki-woo looked at him and added. You can get some information that weve collected so far from the Ministry of Interior. Based on this information, make a n for how to proceed with the exploration first. He had collected various information from different ces through Shadow for a long time. As a result, he was able to select some areas that seemed to have potential oil fields. Actually, I dont need them all. Kim Kiwoo knew very well where therge oil reserves were located. Thats why he didnt need to collect any information. And in fact, he was heavily involved in these information. He changed the regions where oil was likely to be found to be more specific, and he quietly added some areas that were omitted from the expected regions. It was very easy to manipte information as a shadow, a dot organization. No one except Blue Earth knew of Kim Kiwoos actions. In other words, what was provided to White Snow was the future information that Kim Kiwoo knew. Lets withdraw for now. Yes, Your Majesty! After he left, Kim Kiwoo called the foreign minister. Did you call me? Yes. How are the negotiations rted to oil extraction going? The foreign ministers face stiffened slightly at his words. It was because the negotiation process came to his mind. However, his expression returned to normal soon. Most countries want a lot of things from this opportunity. I see. That makes sense. It was obvious. They wouldnt be unaware of the importance of oil. The empires appearance was a role model for each country. That means they could easily predict that if they were modernized like the empire in the future, the consumption of oil in their own country would increase tremendously. So if oil came out of their own country, they couldnt help but think about the benefits they would get from it. But they cant go against the empires will at this point. Going against it now meant that they didnt want the empires support. This decision was the worst at this point. They would eventuallypromise to some extent. You can give up some of the profits from oil. Its much better to maintain a good rtionship continuously. People tend to pay more attention to what they lose than what they gain. Even if they made a lot of money, they wouldnt feel good if they thought that the empire took too much oil from their own country. However, make sure to negotiate so that they cant use oil as a weapon. The most important thing was the stable supply of oil. Kim Kiwoo didnt want to see the oil-producing countries band together and y with oil, causing an oil shock. The empire had a high chance of being the biggest victim of the oil shock. He wanted to prevent this from happening through negotiations from the beginning. If they still y tricks in the distant future He had no intention of showing mercy then. *** After meeting with Kim Kiwoo. White Snow received information from the Ministry of Interior. And he began to set up an exploration n in earnest. Oiles out of this desert? White Snow couldnt shake off his curiosity as he nned. He didnt know the source of this information. Of course, there were noplete secrets in the world, and the existence of shadows had not been revealed at this time, but it was somewhat spected that there was a secret information organization in the empire. White Snow had also heard rumors about it, so he guessed that this was where the information came from. But even so, the expected regions were quite specific. But soon he shook his head. Dont think too much. I just have to operate the exploration team based on the information I received. White Snow knew his role exactly. Thats how he could rise to his current position from the bottom. After that, he silently did his job. He nned and distributed exploration teams ordingly. And he provided them with adequate funds and equipment. Thanks to this, several exploration teams scattered around the world and started exploring their assigned regions. And as time passed, oil burst out in many regions, starting with the Middle East and Indonesia. Chapter 173: Cheondo. Chapter 173: Cheondo. Even after the establishment of the World Union, Joseons modernization did not stop. No, rather, it elerated even more. It had already started modernization faster than any other neighboring country, so it had been quite industrialized before. But there were no problems. Weck resources. Sigh, I really envy the empiresnd. At that time, the resources in Joseons territory were not enough to sustain proper industrialization. One of the most important resources for industrialization was coal. And among these coals, anthracite was very important. It was because anthracite was needed to build modern steel mills. Of course, there was plenty of coal in the Korean Penins, but most of it was lignite. Lignite was good for making domestic briquettes, but it was a rather disappointing coal for industrial use. Steel is the rice of industry. How can one eat well when it is hard to make this rice? However, a great change came to this situation. Joseon upied the vastnd in the north, Manchuria and Siberia. Wouldnt there be a lot of resources buried in this vastnd? People who had experienced theck of resources in the Korean Penins for a long time began to take an interest in the resources buried in the north. Therefore, as soon as the rapid conquest of the north waspleted and the International Conference ended, the first thing that happened was resource exploration. First of all, resource exploration was carried out mainly in Manchuria. Since Joseons own level of geological survey was low, they invited experts from the empire and conducted it. And as time passed, the results came out one after another. Isnt that amazing? The hard pickaxe, who was invited as a geological expert from the empire, stuck out his tongue as he confirmed the amount of Manchurias reserves. Even though there were still many ces to investigate. Is there that much? Hmm. Ive surveyed many areas in the empire, but there are few ces that are as rich in resources as this. Really? Is it that much? Yes. I want to investigate other areas more. After finishing his speech, the investigation continued. And as time passed, this tendency became stronger. And finally, after the first exploration was over, the hard pickaxe returned to the capital and reported this. As a result of the investigation, the northernnd can be said to be a very blessednd. Tell me more. The face of Lee Ho who spoke was very relieved. He looked like he had lost a toothache. He thought he could solve the situation that had beencking for a long time, so Lee Ho was very happy. This was also the same for all the ministers. The most needed thing for industrialization is coal, especially anthracite. In the investigated area, there is a lot of anthracite buried. Its hard to estimate. Its rare to find such an area even if you search the world. Is that so? Yes, Your Majesty. Manchuria is now Joseonsnd. It was great news that there was so much anthracite in thisnd. The hard pickaxes words continued. In addition, most of these anthracites have very good economic value. Most of them are near the coast or near iron ore or rivers. Especially near the river mines, there is high-quality coke coal. And most of these coals are near the surface or even open-pit mines. This means that they can be produced at a very low cost. It was a series of praises. It sounded like nothing but a blessednd. And even more, the hard pickaxes words were not over. Moreover, the amount of iron ore is also one of thergest in the world. Of course, there seems to be a lot of low-grade iron ore but its just a matter of ratio. There will be quite a lot of high-grade iron as well. There are also many other metals. The details are written in the report. If you have any questions, please refer to it. If I have any questions, Ill call you back. After the hard pickaxe left. The mouths of the ministers who had been quiet opened. Huh. I didnt know Manchuria was such a blessednd. Isnt this because the great spirits have looked after Joseon? We are grateful to you, Your Majesty! I bow to you! He mentioned the great spirit openly, but none of the ministers dared to refute his words. The spirit worship was deeply rooted in Joseon, and especially the current Joseon government, which was mostly filled with reformists, had this tendency more strongly. Lee Ho looked at the positive reactions of the ministers with satisfaction, and opened his mouth. As you said, this can be considered as a blessing for Joseon. But this is just a prospect. We have to actually mine and use them to make it a real blessing. So we have to find a way to properly use the resources in the north. Your Majesty is right. Keep that in mind. Now that the World Union has been formed, we are not the only ones who receive support from the Empire. Even if we are ahead of other countries now, we must never becent. We have to always remember this. The ministers agreed with his words. They also thought that this was a very important time. If they started to fall behind here, they would fail to build a strong country that the reformists had long hoped for. A lot of blood had been shed during the reform process. What if the results of the reform were not good in this situation? Until now, they could at least make an excuse ofck of resources, but since they got their hands on the enormous resources of Manchuria, this was nothing but an excuse. *** Joseon was one of the regions where tuber crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes were first cultivated in the world. Especially potatoes quickly took root in Joseonnd. There, vination was also second after the Empire. Even at some point, cheap imperial rice and wheat flooded into Joseon, and there was so much food left in Joseon. It was natural that poption would explode when food became abundant in pre-modern society. In addition, smallpox, which was the most feared infectious disease, lost its ce due to vination, and treatments for other diseases were also spread, lowering mortality rate, especially infant mortality rate. This trend became even stronger after penicillin was developed. Finally, Joseon had benchmarked most of the policies that Wakan Tanka Empire had done in the past. One of them was a birth encouragement policy. Having as many children as possible is good for the country and the family! So lets all work hard to have many children! The court continuously encouraged people to have children. And people also epted this easily. It would be simr anywhere, but at this time in Joseon, children were also wealth. This was an immutable truth that had been passed down for a long time in an agricultural society. Thanks to this, rather from some point of view, children increased faster than in the past Wakan Tanka Empire. This led to a rapid poption explosion in Joseon over time. Lets go north! The north is and of opportunity! And around this time, full-scale northern development began. Uh, go to the cold and barren north? Its not hard to make a living like before, why do we have to go? But peoples reactions were not very good. To begin with, Joseon peoples perception of the north was not very good. People living south of the Korean Penins or in Hanyang had discriminated against northern people for quite a long time. There it was barren so it was an area with a shortage of poption. But they were told to go further north than that. It was only natural that people would not agree easily. So they had been sending criminals and their families to the north for a long time, which was called Samin policy. No matter how much they said that the north would be developed in the future, people did not want to develop the north with their own hands. But the court could not sit back and watch this. Manchuria development was a top priority. This cant go on. Even if we have to force people to migrate, we have to develop the north. The head of industry is right. Even if we receive a lot of resentment from people, we have to make a decision for Joseons future. Of course, there were some skeptical opinions from time to time, but the majority were hardliners. They were almost all reformist figures. They were people who did not care about anything for Joseons reform. They had led so much reform while seeing so much blood, and they were not people who would stop even if they saw more blood. Lee Yi, head of diplomacy also agreed with their opinions to some extent. But his thoughts were slightly different. In this situation, it is right to force people to pioneer the north, even if it is random. I see that the Minister of Foreign Affairs also thinks so. But I think we have to consider what happens after that. What happens after that Ee continued his words. People who are forced to migrate to the north for the sake of pioneering will surely suffer a lot. Then they will have resentment towards the government in their hearts. At the same time, the north will quickly industrialize as time goes by. You know what might happen then, dont you? What might happen Do you mean they will harbor rebellious thoughts? Even if they dont go that far, regional resentment will remain, and it can be a seed of conflict. Thats what I mean. That seems too far-fetched to me. Hmm. I think it makes sense enough. You dont know well how the people perceive the north. Then do you have any n, Minister of Foreign Affairs? Lee Yi answered with a gleam in his eyes to that question. So far, the Wakan Tanka Empire has been Joseons teacher, and it will be so in the future. And there was a simr thing in the empire, right? Are you talking about There was no one more pro-empire than the reformists. They couldnt not know the history of the empire. In fact, something simr to Joseon happened in the empire. You probably guessed right. Its moving the capital to the north, Manchuria. ! When the card of moving the capital came out, the faces of the ministers were colored with shock. And soon a rebuttal burst out. Thats absurd! I agreepletely that we should take the empire as our teacher, but Joseon and the empire are different in reality, arent they? They are different. The emperor of the empire has no influence in Joseon. The reason why Wakan Tanka Empire could sessfully move its capital to the north was because of Kim Kiwoos influence. It was because the imperial citizens wanted to live in the city where Kim Kiwoo lived. So in Joseon, we have to send people to the north by force, not voluntarily. We may hear a lot ofints right now, but when the north bes the center of industry and we move the capital there, theseints will decrease. Hmm. They might think they gotpensated for their past time, so its not entirely wrong The ministers had a dubious expression on their faces. Lee Yis opinion was that radical. Lee Yi opened his mouth again to drive a wedge into this atmosphere. Even if not, we have to seriously consider moving to Manchuria. As you know, Manchuria has a lot of resources buried there, making industrialization easy, and most importantly, Joseons sphere of influence has widened a lot. It means we have grown too big to stay in a small penins. Thats true indeed. Joseons sphere of influence had expanded even after the establishment of the World Union. By now, it had incorporated arge part of Siberia into its territory. At this point, Hanyang on the penins was too biased to the bottom. It was hard to rule Siberia properly. Chapter 174: The Canal. Chapter 174: The Canal. To firmly rule over the frozennd in the future, it was more advantageous to move the capital there. It makes a lot of sense if you only consider the size of the territory. But you must be aware that thend you mentioned is all frozen, making it difficult for people to live there. Of course. I have heard that the cold in these regions is beyond imagination. But that does not mean that there are no underground resources. Think about how much resources can be extracted from this vast territory. I expect that the Siberian region will be important in the future. The debate continued after that. The issue of moving the capital was very sensitive, so it was not easy to reach a conclusion. But as the discussion went on, the argument for moving the capital gained more strength. There was also the example of the Wakan Tanka Empire, which had moved its capital to the north and achieved sessful results. And above all, Lee Yis proposal shook the hearts of the ministers. Joseon is no longer a penins country. If we want to manage the continent, we should start anew in a region that suits it. Joseon in the continent Indeed, there is a saying that new wine should be put in new wineskins. The word continent was a magical word that stirred the hearts of Joseon people who had been trapped in the penins. And soon after, the report of the sturdy pickaxe, who had explored part of Siberia and returned, yed a decisive role. I still need to explore more, but there were also many resources buried here. Even though he had not progressed much in his exploration, Lee Yis im was somewhat proven to be true. This gave more momentum to moving the capital to Manchuria. Finally, after a long discussion, they reached a decision. I understand your opinions. I also think that the proposal of the foreign minister is reasonable, so I approve moving the capital to Manchuria. Of course, moving the capital would not happen right away. It was a matter of moving the capital of a country, and that too of Joseon, which was growing faster than anyone else except for the Wakan Tanka Empire. Lee Ho made this clear. However, this will only take ce after Manchuria bes suitable for Joseons capital. So we must develop the north as soon as possible. Your Majesty is wise! *** Oh my! How can we leave our hometown and live in that faraway north! Wahhh! People who would move to Manchuria began to be selected. Because there were so many people, for a while, cries were heard in most regions. I cant go, you bastards! If you want to take me to the north, just kill me! This is political retaliation! Arent you afraid of heaven! Especially, the resistance of the schr ss, who had already lost their strength, was more severe. Because they deliberately selected more local elites and schrs to uproot their power in this opportunity. The court decided to scatter them everywhere. How dare you not ept our orders! Kugh! But their answer was cold as ice. They were already relics of the past. They were useless beings who did not help Joseons modernization. Their words were not beautiful as those who had fallen politically in a royal state. They had been hiding and cowering until now, but they could no longer threaten the court when they were forcibly moved to Manchuria, where they had no ties. We have to finish building the railroad as soon as possible so we can start developing Manchuria. So lets all work hard even if its hard. Naturally, the first thing that happened was connecting the railroad to Manchuria. Since there were already many railroadsid out in the penins, it was just a matter of extending them to Manchuria. Thanks to that, when some of the immigrants to Manchuria were sorted out, the railroad to Manchuria was opened. And then, the actual migration began. The railroad stations in various parts of Joseon were crowded with immigrants. And their expressions were not very bright. Sigh. How can we live in that cold north? And I heard that its not even properly developed there They could see the hardships ahead of them clearly, so it was inevitable. The only hope for them was moving the capital to Manchuria. Yeah. Theyre going to move the entire capital to Manchuria The people who had been despairing when they were selected as northern immigrants found some constion in this news. Many people flocked to the area designated as a priority development area in Manchuria. It was the moment when the era of Manchurian colonization began. *** After the establishment of the World Union, the upper ss of the Wakan Tanka Empire smuggled countless goods between the member countries and the empire. As a result, the global cargo volume increased iparably to before. Even though many iron ships built by the empire sailed across the sea, the increase in cargo volume was very steep as time passed. Because of this, the empires shipping tycoons literally hit the jackpot, but they also faced many cases of failing to meet the delivery deadlines. No, you assured me that you wouldnt bete this time. If we dont have the materials, the construction will be dyed. How are you going topensate for this loss? Im really sorry. There were much more ships than expected at the port If you keep doing this, I cant continue to do business with you. Ill make sure to meet the deadline next time. Please trust me. Most of the construction projects in various countries were handled by either imperial tycoons or dispatched engineers. The shipping tycoons had been in this business for a long time, and they hated to lose their credibility with them. We need some countermeasures. Therefore, the shipping tycoons thought hard to solve this situation. But they couldnt find any clue. While they were racking their brains, this news was also reported to Kim Ki-woo. Hmm. The cargo volume is too much to handle. Thats right, Your Majesty. Kim Ki-woo nodded at the answer of the transportation minister. The biggest problem is that it takes too much time to load and unload the goods. They could increase the number of ships if they wanted to. And in fact, the size and number of ships were rapidly increasing as the cargo volume increased. However, there was a limit to how many ships could dock at a port at once. If the loading and unloading of these docked ships were dyed, the ships that cameter had no choice but to wait until the previous ships finished their work. In my opinion, we need to reduce the time spent on loading and unloading to solve this problem. What do you think? If we could do that, I think it would solve a lot of our troubles. But, its not easy to find a way to do that. Of course, if we stick to the current method, theres no way around it. Currently, most of the ship loading and unloading work was done by manpower. This method had its limits to solve the current problem. The transportation minister asked Kim Ki-woo with a desperate look in his eyes. I couldnt find any solution with my own head. May I ask for your opinion, Your Majesty? Kim Ki-woo smiled brightly. Most of the ship loading and unloading work is done by manpower, right? Yes. Do we really need to do that? As times change, so should the way we load and unload goods. Why do we only use heavy equipment at construction sites? Um Its not that we havent tried that before. But, using heavy equipment actually took longer in many cases The shipping businessmen were not fools. They naturally tried to use heavy equipment like cranes that could carry heavy objects for loading and unloading work. But it was not as efficient as they expected. Due to the nature of heavy equipment, they had to operate it slowly for safety reasons, and if they identally dropped a heavy object, it could damage other goods below. Of course, if you just load goods directly like now, thats bound to happen. Do you want to hear my idea? Im all ears. Kim Ki-woo took out a nk white paper and drew a picture on it. He had drawn blueprints so many times that he was sick of them, so he quickly drew a refined picture on paper. This is I call this a container. A container? It looks like a very big and long box made of metal. Thats right. Its arge iron box with an empty inside in the shape of a rectangle. You make all containers ording to standards. And then you put goods inside them and use heavy equipment to load and unload these containers themselves on and off ships. Ah! The transportation minister thought for a moment and then understood the concept of containers. He opened his eyes wide. If thats the case, then the containers would have the same specifications, so they could be stacked neatly on the steel ships, right? I guarantee you, this method would be much better than stacking them haphazardly like now. Thats true. It would be much easier and faster to load and unload the ships if we just preloaded the goods into the containers and used heavy equipment to move them. The containers are made of steel, so they would also minimize the damage to the contents. Thats right. Of course, we would have to standardize all the specifications for this. It would be risky if the containers had different sizes. It would only cause confusion and idents. You should take care of the standardization of the specifications. I will follow your will, Your Majesty. *** The container was nothing less than a revolution in the shipping industry. Is this really right? I never thought Id see such strange machines in this port. Of course, at first, many shippers and workers were skeptical. The containers themselves were heavy, and they wondered if they had to load them like this. But His Majesty advised the Minister of Transportation on this matter, so maybe there will be some benefits. The reason why the container could be poprized faster was thanks to Kim Ki-woos influence. But as soon as the containers and heavy equipment were installed in some ports, the doubts disappeared. There was a big difference in loading and unloading time and quantity between the shippers who epted the containers and those who were lukewarm. Of course, for this, they had to prepare heavy equipment in each countrys ports, but it was a small effortpared to the benefits they would get. Order arge number of containers right away! Yes, sir! In the end, the shippers who were lukewarm had to adapt to the change. In this golden age, cargo volume was money. Kim Ki-woo reacted as if it was natural while watching this series of situations. The difference between having containers and not having them is like heaven and earth The timing was perfect. Steamships were relics of the past in the empire. They had already switched to internalbustion engines long ago. And the size of the ships had grown enormously. It was a natural change becauserger ships were more advantageous for shipping. In this situation, when heavy equipment became poprized, it was a good time to introduce the container system to the shipping industry. But it takes a long time to transport cargo, not just because of loading and unloading problems. For this Kim Ki-woo looked at the vast world map and thought. I need to dig canals. In Kim Ki-woos eyes, two nned canal sites came into view. They were none other than the Suez Canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, and the Panama Canal that connects the Antic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Now I have enough conditions to dig these two canals Among them, the Panama Canal was within the territory of the empire. Ifpleted, it would bring enormous economic benefits. Chapter 175: The Canal (2) Chapter 175: The Canal (2) Vroom! A state-of-the-art car sped along the well-paved road, gliding smoothly. On his way to the imperial pce, Ahmads head was filled withplicated thoughts. He was the ambassador of Egypt, residing in the empire. Just yesterday, he had received a request from the imperial foreign ministry to meet with them. And Ahmad had a hunch. They finally have something to ask of me It meant that it was time to repay the favor he had received in the past. When d gained its independence from Denmark, many other countries also became independent. One of them was Egypt. Egypts Mamluk dynasty had been conquered by the Ottomans, and Egypt had be a vassal state of the Ottomans until it recently gained its independence. This was entirely thanks to the Wakan Tanka Empire. Ahmad knew that a lot of price had been paid to the Ottomans in this process. There is no such thing as a free favor. Especially in the ruthless world of international politics. Just look at d. d, which had be independent from Denmark, was undergoing tremendous changes. Because it was more suitable for geothermal power generation than any other ce, the empire had poured in enormous support. As a result, geothermal power nts were built quickly and aluminum was produced. The supply of aluminum was not veryrge yet, as the construction was still underway, but it was only a matter of time. Thanks to this, the empire could get aluminum at a cheap price. It was a public fact that the king of Denmark was very bitter about this. In other words, even the independence of the colonized countries, which seemed like a favor, was actually a move for their own benefit. Thats why Ahmad sensed that it was time for Egypt to pay its price as well, just like d. Thank you for epting our meeting. Haha. How could I refuse the request of the imperial foreign ministry? Dont worry about it. Is that so? The foreign minister smiled faintly. In fact, it was just a courtesy. He never thought that a mere ambassador would dare to refuse the request of the foreign ministry. Especially Egypt, which had be independent with the help of the empire. The two sides exchanged some simple conversation while drinking their beverages. After a while. The foreign minister brought up the main topic. I invited you here because I have a proposal for you. Gulp. Ahmad swallowed his saliva involuntarily at those words. He had a feeling that Egypts future would be decided by the proposal that woulde out now. A proposal If its from the empire, I guess I have to listen to it. Haha. Dont worry too much. This proposal is not a loss for Egypt, I assure you. Thats reassuring to hear. He said that, but Ahmad was not rxed at all. The foreign minister knew this, so he quickly continued. Lets talk while looking at the map. The foreign minister nodded his head and gave a signal, and a map was spread out on the desk. This is a map of our country and its surroundings. Yes, it is. Egypts territory was in the northeast of Africa and a very small part of the Sinai Penins. Of course, most of the poption lived around the Nile River. Nearly 95 percent of the area was desert. The reason why the foreign ministry invited you, ambassador, is because of this ce. Here Ahmad stared at the area that the foreign minister pointed out and trailed off. At the same time, his confusion grew more. Why does the empire want the Suez region? The empire did not wantnd in faraway ces. Thats why the member countries of the World Union trusted and followed the empire. The foreign minister looked at Ahmad gently, who was tilting his head, and continued his exnation. Isnt it a pity? If only this area could be connected, the Mediterranean and the Red Sea would be linked. Hmm It cant be helped. It may look short on the map, but its actually quite a long distance. The foreign minister nodded his head. ording to his research, it was about 200km long, so it was not a short distance as he said. Well, I dont think so. Where else is there such a short distance between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea? Could it be As the conversation went on, Ahmad guessed some of the empires intentions. As a result, his eyes trembled. Youre probably thinking right. Let me formally propose it. How about digging a canal in this area, connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea? Are you serious? Of course. Think about it. How inefficient is the current route? If we can dig a canal in this area, Suez, a huge distance will be shortened. It was an obvious statement. In fact, there had been several attempts to dig a canal here in the past, so Ahmad agreed with him. To go from Europe to India and Asia, one had to go around Cape of Good Hope in Africa. For example, it was estimated that the route from Nethends to Singapore would be reduced from 19,000km to 13,000km. A whopping 6,000km would be reduced. It was a third of the original distance. Youre right. But can we really dig such a long and wide canal? I cant believe it easily. Its possible. The foreign minister asserted. He said they could do it. You must have seen the empires technology with your own eyes. Now there are countless heavy equipment used in the empires construction sites. These heavy equipment can do hard work in an instant. And the empire is willing to fully support heavy equipment and rted technologies, as well as a huge amount of money. Hmm Dont think too hard. The shipping industry is very important for the empire. If Suez Canal is opened, it will be a huge benefit for the empire. And at the same time, your country, Egypt Republic, will also make a lot of money. That made Ahmad excited. Can you tell me more? Of course. The foreign minister continued his words. And as time passed, Ahmads face became brighter. This is a big advantage for us. If Suez Canal was opened, they could naturally charge tolls for using it. Ahmad looked back at the current situation. Now many member countries of the World Union were trying hard to achieve modernization. As a result, the volume of water increased day by day. That meant that many ships would pass through Suez Canal. Even if we have to make a lot of concessions to the empire The foreign minister demanded a lot of shares, but that was only natural. No, it was rather too generous. The empire was responsible for most of the heavy equipment and technology, and even supported almost all of the costs involved in the construction. This is not something I can decide on my own. I understand. I will give you plenty of time to decide, so please give me your answer after careful consideration. I will do that. After the discussion came to a pause, Ahmad sent an urgent report to the Egyptian Republic. As expected And the decision was made quickly. They agreed to ept the empires terms. It was not a loss for the Egyptian Republic at all. It was only natural, since they owed a huge favor to the empire. *** Of course, at the same time, Panama. That is, the construction of the Canal of Consent was also decided. The Canal of Consent was less than half the distance of the Suez Canal. It was only about 82km long. However, the actual difficulty was higher than the Suez Canal. It was inevitable due to the terrain. But currently, the potential of the Canal of Consent was much greater than the Suez Canal. Even if all the water traffic in the world was added up, the empires water traffic was more. But it was too far to go from the east sea to the west sea by ship in the empire. The distance from New York to San Francisco was a whopping 22,500km, because they had to go around the southernmost tip of South America. In this situation, if the Canal of Consent was opened, the distance would be reduced by more than half to about 9,500km. It was a situation where they would definitely benefit from opening the canal. The empire had the technology to solve this problem, and there was nothing to hesitate since Panama was part of the empires territory. The leaders of various countries around the world showed great interest in this news. Huh, do you think they will sessfullyplete the construction of both canals? If its the empires power, wouldnt it be possible? More than anything, I heard that even the emperors will has fallen on this matter. That means there is a very high possibility, right? Hmm. If the emperor can do it, he can do it. Its amazing. If both canals are opened, the sailing time will be significantly shortened. In this way, under much attention, the construction of both canals began. Hahaha! The leaders of the Egyptian Republic could not contain theirughter that flowed out. As soon as the construction of the Suez Canal began, Egypts economy became incredibly active. The empire hired most of theborers from Egypt, except for experts. There was no reason for them toe all the way to distant Egypt and do physicalbor in the first ce. Of course,pared to the empire, localborers were very cheap, but thanks to their wages, money began to circte in Egypt. Thanks to this, Egypt had started modernizationte, but gained momentum in its speed. In this situation, if they could sessfully open up Suez Canal as well, it was obvious that they would grow even more. On the other hand, construction in Panama was considerably dyedpared to Egypt. This area was already one of the major cities in the empire. Building a canal here meant destroying arge part of it. This is where my family has lived for a long time! How can you be so cruel and kick us out! Hey, stop it. Dont we give you enoughpensation? Youre not thinking of going against his majestys decree, are you? Ugh! Since opening up Panama Canal was his majestys decree, things rted to residents were resolved rtively smoothly. But it took time to n and execute how to reorganize this city. Despite these twists and turns, construction in Panama proceeded normally. It was a historic event where two major canals in the world were built. Chapter 176: Nitrogen. Chapter 176: Nitrogen. As the worlds sea routes became shorter, there were still limits to logistics. And such limits always invited challenges. The reason why Sturdy Pants started his challenge was rathermon. Ugh fish Fish is right here, isnt it? I mean fresh fish or saltwater fish! When are we going to the sea again? Haha. Lets go this summer. Do I have to wait until then? Sturdy Pants puffed his cheeks and expressed his dissatisfaction. But his father just smiled awkwardly. He had liked fish since he was young. But he lived in an ind area far from the sea. As a result, fresh fish was still quite rare. Therefore, he had to go to the nearby coast to eat delicious and fresh saltwater fish. It was hard to go to the sea just for fish. This had a big impact on him even after he grew up. Isnt there a way to eat fresh fish in our town? Of course, he could go to the coast if he wanted to, since he was an adult now, but he wished that there were no children who couldnt eat delicious fish like he did when he was young. So he built up enough achievements at the Imperial University and then went to the Earth Research Institute, located in the Southern Continent, as a senior researcher. The Earth Group was now very famous for cars and aviation, but it started with distribution. Especially, the Earth Group was still considered the best in the food distribution industry. Thanks to this, the Earth Research Institute was still veryrge among food-rted research institutes. It was even bigger than the car research institute now. So this is the Golden Lakes research institute. On his first day at work at the Earth Research Institute, Sturdy Pants muttered as he looked at the entrance of the institute. Golden Lake had gained tremendous fame aftermercializing engines and cars, but he never stopped researching. He did not forget his past passion for bing a scientist. He continued to improve engines and cars without interruption, and even asionally researched airnes, which allowed the Earth Group to enter the aviation industry. Sturdy Pants also admired Golden Lake as an engineer. In fact, it was rare for an engineer not to envy Golden Lake. Haha. I sincerely thank you foring all the way from the Imperial University. Dont mention it. I should thank you for offering me this opportunity. What he said to the director of the institute was sincere. The Imperial University was a crucible of geniuses. It took a very long time to reach a position where he could lead research there, and he couldnt even guarantee that he would get there. It was a distant story for Sturdy Pants, who was still quite young. And he didnt want to wait that long. Thats why he moved right away when the Earth Research Institute offered him a senior researcher position. Sturdy Pants wanted to start his own research as soon as possible. We will provide you with enough support, so please feel free to do whatever research you want. Thank you. After that, while assigningboratories and recruiting researchers, he spent time organizing what he had been nning from his childhood until now. I need to improve the refrigerator to keep fish fresh. In fact, there were already refrigerators. They were required in many experiments that needed to maintain low temperatures. But most of the refrigerators were used for industrial purposes. Sturdy Pants wanted to break this reality and poprize refrigerators. If I can attach refrigerators to trains, ships, orrge trucks He could keep fish and other perishable foods rtively fresh for a long time and transport them to distant areas. I also need a refrigerator for home use. After all, households were the main consumers of food. No matter how fresh they were during transportation, they would spoil during the time it took to get home or after buying them. A refrigerator for home use was essential to realize his ideal. After finishing his n roughly, Sturdy Pants met Golden Lake, whom he had longed for so much. Its an honor to meet you, Mr. Golden Lake. Oh, youre the one who came from the Imperial University Yes. Haha. I see. I look forward to working with you. Golden Lake received his greeting naturally. He had not lost his original intention, but he knew his position well. As the Earth Research Institute became more famous, there were more and more people from the Imperial University, and there were also many who transferred to see him. After exchanging some pleasantries, Sturdy Pants handed him a blueprint. What is this? Its the research I want to do, and I want to ask for your opinion, Golden Lake. Hmm. This was also something he had experienced often, so Golden Lake read the blueprint carefully. Then he sparkled his eyes. Ho ho. This is interesting. Is it? Sturdy Pantss face brightened with a very positive reaction. It was not an empty word. Golden Lake was actually interested in the content of the blueprint. His research so far had been mostly rted to transportation. And the blueprint of Sturdy Pants had a method of putting a refrigerator in the transportation. Yes. Well, it depends on the case, but I also had this idea once. As you know, its very hot when you get in a car in the summer. Its like being in a steamer. Um. Thats right. Wouldnt it be nice if you could cool the inside of the car? Ah Sturdy Pants nodded his head. Golden Lakes words were correct. However, Golden Lake soon shook his head. But putting an air conditioner in a car is too difficult for now. At least until the air conditioner is miniaturized I think I know what you mean. This kind of research has to be done first to make it possible. There are steps to everything. I have to get this research done quickly, right? Please give me some advice when you have time, Golden Lake. Haha. Sure. Golden Lake nodded his head lightly. Of course, he was busy with his own research, but he had enough reason to spare time because it matched his own interests of wanting to put an air conditioner in his car. In fact, after Sturdy Pantss research began, Golden Lake often visited hisboratory and gave him various help. As a result, Sturdy Pants was able to develop not only refrigerators for transportation and home use, but also air conditioners. *** As expected, I cant handle it at all. Kim Ki-woo muttered as he read the report in his office. Then, the finance director who handed him the report and quietly kept his seat cautiously opened his mouth. The thing you were worried about is happening, Your Majesty. It cant be helped. Thats why weve been preparing for it in advance. Until then, they had used gold, silver, and copper coins. Considering that the gold standard was implemented in Britain in the early 19th century in the original history, this was quite different. As a result, many problems had arisen by now. It was very difficult to maintain a constant currency value between each coin, and more importantly, the world economy was expanding so crazily that there was a severe shortage of money. I cant dy the gold standard any longer. The gold standard was a system that maintained an equivalent rtionship between the value of money and a certain amount of gold. Of course, as time passed, if the money became too abundant due to rapid intion, it would be difficult to maintain the gold standard. But until then, they could use the gold standard very conveniently. How much time is left until we produce enough banknotes? It seems that everything will be finished in about a month. I see. Since counterfeit banknotes could cause trouble, remember to make them as hard to forge as possible. Yes, Your Majesty. If banknotes were issued and circted, counterfeit banknotes would surely follow. To prevent this, they had umted anti-counterfeiting technology for a long time. The moment counterfeit money prevailed, it could deal a fatal blow to the credibility of banknotes. After a month passed, Kim Ki-woo dered the gold standard. From now on, we will issue banknotes that are convertible with a certain amount of gold. Gradually, most transactions will be reced by banknotes instead of gold coins. He also announced severalws along with this. The one he paid most attention to was the punishment for counterfeiting banknotes. The penalty for those who were involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit money was very severe. Kim Ki-woo had no intention of forgiving them. The gold standard? Are you kidding me? These pieces of paper are money? Naturally, the whole world focused on the deration of the gold standard. Well. I also thought that the world economy was growing too fast and there would be a shortage of money. Hmm. I wonder if this policy can seed. Even if it seeds, if the world economy continues to expand, it will be hard to maintain the gold standard someday. The intellectuals of the world debated over this. And naturally, it brought a huge impact on the world economy. But unlike the original history, the empires military and economic power was so overwhelming that the economy gradually stabilized over time. *** Around this time, the average temperature dropped or abnormal weather urred more frequently around the world. Naturally, there were many cases of crop failure. But ironically, there was an excess of food in the world. Agricultural machines had developed and produced an enormous amount of food from the vastnd of Wakan Tanka Empire. Wow This is amazing! The people who looked around the empires vast grain fields all eximed in admiration. Even though the absolute number of farmers had decreased, thanks to the agricultural machines, it was not easy to find idlend anymore. It was so serious that the imperial government had to intervene and limit the expansion of cultivatednd. Otherwise, the price of grain would have plummeted repeatedly. Anyway, the people of the World Union member countries no longer suffered from hunger. And this was reflected in the global poption explosion. Then, the pessimistic outlooks increased. The current farming method consumes too much soil fertility. Its only because we still have guano, but as time goes by, we wont be able to support the growing poption. Therefore, we need to limit births worldwide. This was an old argument, but it gained more strength as the natural fertilizer was gradually depleted. To farm, there had to be enough nitrogen dissolved in the soil. Guano had yed that role until now. That was why many people predicted that if guano ran out, food production would plummet. In fact, there were quite a few people who kept an eye on the remaining amount of guano and prepared to hoard food. Nitrogen Nitrogen is the problem. There is so much nitrogen in the air The chemists thought that this would not be a problem at all if they had a new way to supply nitrogen to the soil. Therefore, many universities and research institutes conducted research rted to this. And as always, the Imperial University was at the forefront of this. There were many ces that had built a great reputation in other fields besides the Imperial University, but in the field of chemistry, the Imperial University was dominant over all universities and research institutes. There were many other reasons, but the biggest reason was that there were many geniuses in the Imperial Universitys chemistry department. Among them, there was also a warm hat who made dynamite. He had finished his research on dynamite and spent some time reading books endlessly. But as always, it was time to start a new research. Nitrogen What he focused on was none other than nitrogen. Chapter 177: Nitrogen (2) Chapter 177: Nitrogen (2) The reason why Warm Hat became interested in nitrogen was because of his research on dynamite. Dynamite was made by mixing nitroglycerin with an absorbent material like diatomaceous earth. And nitroglycerin was a nitrogenpound. Until now, most of the fixed nitrogen was obtained from guano and saltpeter in South America. These were widely used for various purposes, from natural fertilizers to gunpowder, explosives, and chemical experiments. The schrs concern about the depletion of guano was not unfounded. Warm Hat had a reason to be interested in nitrogen fixation, as he was the inventor of dynamite. There must be a way to fix the nitrogen in the air. It was a well-known fact that 78 percent of the air was nitrogen. Therefore, Warm Hat was confident. Yes. Lets do it. He was very sorry that his reading time would decrease when he started his research, but he had to earn his keep as a star chemist of the department. Once he made up his mind, Warm Hat did not hesitate. Im going to research a way to fix nitrogen. Thats a good idea. Ill support your research as much as you want. I hope youll have a good result this time too. Thank you. The department head spoke politely to Warm Hat. Of course, the department head had a longer career than him, but Warm Hats reputation made him unable to treat him lightly. In fact, Warm Hat was rmended as the new department head, but he declined politely because he didnt want to bother with tedious work when he didnt even have time to read books. The news that Warm Hat started a new research, and that too on nitrogen fixation, spread quickly. Hes going to fix the nitrogen in the air? Hmm I wonder if its possible with our current technology. But if its Warm Hat He invented not only the camera but also dynamite, right? Thats true. Warm Hats research took a long time, so it was very difficult to participate in his research. Thats why many chemists flocked to the research on nitrogen fixation. Thanks to that, theboratory was opened in no time. Warm Hat gathered the researchers and said: As you all know, the nitrogen molecules in the air are very stable. Its very difficult to use them to fix nitrogen. If it was easy, the nitrogen fixation method would have been invented long ago. Most of the researchers agreed with him. The idea of using the nitrogen in the air was very old. The problem was that the nitrogen molecules were too stable. But I think we can now create enough conditions to fix nitrogen. Enough to break the bonds of stable nitrogen molecules. Nitrogen molecules were bound by triple bonds. To make ammonia, they had to break them all and attach three hydrogen atoms. The chemists knew this well. Our goal is to react nitrogen and hydrogen and make ammonia. This can be used for various purposes, from explosives and gunpowder to natural fertilizers. Hydrogen Isnt it dangerous? Thats why we have to be careful with handling it. We must never be careless during the experiment. At Warm Hats stern warning, the researchers nodded seriously. Then lets start the research. *** First of all, I have to break the strong bonds of nitrogen molecules. For this, I need high temperature, high pressure, and a catalyst. The most important things here were high pressure and catalyst. High temperature was rtively easy to obtain. Catalyst was also not a big problem, as long as they experimented. And hydrogen has to be supplied sufficiently Hydrogen could also be supplied by using by-products from petroleum, so he didnt worry much about it. The problem was pressure. How much pressure do I need? Warm Hat had expected that a few dozen atmospheres of pressure would not be enough to break the strong bond of nitrogen molecules. He would need at least a hundred atmospheres, or maybe even two or three hundred, of ultra-high pressure. And when his research on nitrogen fixation had progressed to some extent, Warm Hats ominous hunch was proven right. It seems that the problem is not the temperature or the catalyst. It does seem so. They had tried various kinds of catalysts and temperatures well over 1000 degrees Celsius, but there was no progress at all. Then there were two possibilities. Either the applied pressure was insufficient, or their current technology was incapable of breaking the bond of nitrogen molecules. I think we need to increase the pressure. After realizing this, Warm Hat met with the head of the mechanical engineering department. A figure that was out of ce for the office of the head of one of the major departments of the Imperial University greeted Warm Hat. Its been a long time. Youve been too quiettely. Ha ha. Ive been busy Busy with what? Youve been reading books most of the time, havent you? Warm Hat scratched his head at Karl Mayers remark. It was true. For a mere chemist, Warm Hat had read books of a wide range of genres. Thats why he had many conversations with various schrs from different fields. One of them was Karl Mayer. They also caught up on their old friendship. By the way, I heard you started a new research project. Is that why you came to see me? You cant fool the head of the department. Youre right. Im working on a research project for nitrogen fixation, and I need much higher pressure than what I have now. I wonder if you can help me with that. Who am I to refuse your request? Ill do my best to cooperate. Thank you as always. Warm Hat bowed his head. Many research projects from various departments involved mechanical engineering equipment. Thats why there were many cases where they received help from the mechanical engineering department. The Imperial University had a lot of cooperation between different departments. All the departments were among the top in the empire, and with such cooperation, it was inevitable that many achievements came out of the Imperial University. Karl Mayer kept his promise. He immediately started designing and building high-pressure equipment for Warm Hat. Please change this part here. Yes, sir. Warm Hat interfered with every step of making the mechanical equipment. The process is very important for this research. He realized this as he progressed with his research. Thats why he put a lot of effort into making the process itself. Thanks to his meticulous involvement, the constructed process was to Warm Hats liking. And the research resumed. The test for stability was done enough, but there could be an ident when high temperature, high pressure, and catalyst are allbined. So be more careful about safety than before. Ill keep that in mind. With this final warning, the process was activated. The pressure increased as the research progressed. 100 atmospheres, 150 atmospheres up to 200 atmospheres. And when it exceeded 200 atmospheres, Liquid started dripping from the outlet. Huh? Itsing out! Check what substance it is! As Warm Hat shouted, the researchers became busy. The result was clear in no time. Its ammonia! At that word, the researchers who had been anxiously waiting for the result cheered. Woah! They really seeded in synthesizing ammonia from nitrogen in the air! Congrattions, team leader! But Warm Hat raised his hand and said calmly. The experiment is not over yet. So lets save the celebration forter, and focus on finding the optimal synthesis conditions for now. Then the excitement subsided a bit. Of course, Warm Hat felt the same as the other researchers. To be honest, it was a fifty-fifty chance, but we really did it. And so, a new achievement was added to Warm Hats brilliant career. *** The research did not end with one sessful synthesis. They continued their research to find the optimal synthesis conditions by changing the temperature and catalyst after the synthesis was sessful. At first, they used iron as a catalyst and were able to synthesize ammonia at 1000 degrees Celsius. But after trying various catalysts, they found that ammonia was synthesized even at 500 degrees Celsius when they used osmium as a catalyst. As a result, they discovered the golden ratio of 200 atmospheres, 500 degrees Celsius, and osmium catalyst. And they announced this result to the academic world. As expected, it caused a huge wave. Thats impossible They can synthesize ammonia from the air? Now we dont have to worry about the supply of fixed nitrogen anymore. Thanks to this, the arguments of the schrs who had been insisting on the poption limit theory all along were instantly discredited. Of course, Warm Hat knew well. That this achievement was only a sess at theboratory level. They needed to create a process for mass production of this. Warm Hat built such a process in the Imperial University with the help of engineering departments. This process took a lot of time, but since they already had enough data, they eventuallypleted this as well. And the historic mass production of ammonia using the air nitrogen fixation method began. Drip drip drip. Wow! Its ammonia! The people who gathered to witness this moment looked at the ammonia flowing out of the outlet and cheered loudly. Watching this, Warm Hat clenched his fist. *** They finally developed it. Kim Ki-woo nodded his head at the news of mass production of ammonia. In fact, this air nitrogen fixation method was inherently influenced by the energy price. High temperature and high pressure were essential for synthesizing ammonia. If the energy price went up, the economic viability would also deteriorate greatly. The hydrogen that went into the ammonia production along with nitrogen was a by-product of the petroleum industry. This meant that the production cost would increase if the oil price went up. However, the current energy price and oil value were very low. In other words, the profitability was quite good. Thats why Kim Ki-woo could order without much hesitation. Immediately build arge-scale ammonia production nt. The demand will increase day by day, so prepare to supply without any problems. Yes, I understand. As far as Kim Ki-woo remembered, he knew that about 200 million tons of ammonia were produced every year after the 2000s. Of course, he didnt need that much yet, but it was certain that the demand for ammonia would increase until then. Kim Ki-woos order was carried out right away. Factories withrge-scale ammonia production processes built at the Imperial University sprang up all over the country. And they quickly made fertilizers, explosives, gunpowder, and more using ammonia. This brought about many changes. Ah Those who had been working in the guano-rted industry cried out. Guano was the one that took the most direct hit from the mass production of ammonia. In this situation of ultra-low oil prices, guano was no longer needed. Haha. Now I dont have to worry about supply anymore. On the other hand, it worked as a boon for most of the other industries. The production of fertilizers, gunpowder, and dynamite increased greatly, and the prices actually dropped. In addition, the overseas export of guano, which had been limited until now, was also lifted. Thanks to this, once again, the Wakan Tanka Empire was able to make a lot of money from all over the world. Chapter 178: Wireless Communication. Chapter 178: Wireless Communication. My son is not just my son, he is really smart. He has the potential to be a great scientist someday. So please, ck Beaver, could you teach him some of your knowledge? ck Beaver looked at the man and thought. Anyway, they all think their children are geniuses. When he was in the Empire, he had encountered so many geniuses that he was honestly not impressed. There was a high chance that his son was not even among the gifted ones. But ck Beaver could not refuse his request. This man was one of the high-ranking officials in Vietnam. From ck Beavers perspective, who had to live in Vietnam for a long time, he could not afford to offend him. Sigh How did I end up here? Every time he received such requests, ck Beaver med his bad luck. He was a scientist who had achieved many aplishments at the university. And he thought he would live a smooth life like this. Yes. Until the World Union was established and the overseas dispatch of scientists and engineers was decided. Of course, he didnt worry too much until then. The overseas dispatch was mostly for mediocre schrs. He was not that level. The problem started when they began to select a few outstanding scientists like ck Beaver. They needed some representatives for the dispatched schrs. But unfortunately, he was one of those few who were chosen. As a result, he had toe all the way to this faraway Vietnam. ck Beaver organized his thoughts and replied with a smile. Thats wonderful. I hope he will be a brilliant scientist who will lead Vietnam in the future. But, Im so busy I dont think I can do it often, maybe once a week or so. Haha! Everyone knows how busy you are, ck Beaver. Thats fine. Thank you very much. Well, I wont forget this favor. Favor? Dont you think our rtionship is more than that? Uhahaha! Of course not! The manughed cheerfully and shook his head at ck Beavers words. Then Ill take my leave now. Ill see you again soon. The conversation ended in a warm atmosphere. But ck Beavers smile faded as soon as he disappeared from his sight. I hope he doesnt cause any trouble. ck Beaver sighed deeply as he thought of the self-proimed genius whom he had never seen before. *** Is that true? Haha. Didnt I tell you to trust me? Wow! Suon shouted with joy after hearing his fathers words. He had been studying the Empires schrship, especially science, since he was very young. He even learned from a private tutor who was well-versed in science. As a result, he had an incredible amount of knowledge for his young age of seventeen. If time went by like this, he would be able to leave his mark on Vietnams scientificmunity. But ck Beavers reputation was well-known even within the Empire. It was a great opportunity to learn from him directly. Dont do anything rude to ck Beaver, and try to learn as much as you can. Yes, father! Suon engraved those words in his heart. And soon, his first meeting with ck Beaver took ce. Hello! Nice to meet you! Haha. You must be him. Well, whats your name? Please call me Suon, master! I see. Okay. To be honest, ck Beaver didnt like being called master. But he didnt show any reaction and moved on. He just thought that he would give him some education. But this thought soon shattered into pieces. What is this? At the test to see how much he had studied science, ck Beaver was astonished. He gave him problems from beginner to intermediate, advanced, and even expert levels, but he solved them all. Only then did ck Beaver look at the young man in front of him again. How old are you this year? Im seventeen. Hmm. You have umted a lot of knowledge at a young age. Hehe. My father has supported me a lot since I was little. He scratched his head shyly. Unexpected. I thought he was a man who only cared about power. But he seems to have done a good job in educating his child. His negative perception of him diminished a little. The ck beaver nodded and said. Good. Thene and see me on the same day and time every week. You can go back for today. Yes, master! *** After their first meeting. Soo-eon did his best. His fathers judgment was not wrong. Soo-eon was indeed a genius with a brilliant mind. He also had a very high desire to improve. He had a great ambition to raise the scientific level of Vietnam. This eventually made him an outstanding scientist by the time he became an adult. Now you can start your own research. It seems like you have nothing more to learn from me. There are still things I havent learned Haha. Dont say words that you dont mean. From now on, what you need is independent research. But I will visit you often, master. Of course. Did you intend not to? Hehe Three years was enough time to go from a formal rtionship to a genuine master-disciple rtionship. And so, Soo-eon left the ck beavers nest. And he set up his ownboratory. Thanks to his fathers power and wealth, this was not a difficult task. And he started his own research without dy. It was none other than the research on wireless telegraphy. Im sure there is a way to send signals over long distances without wires. Soo-eon was most interested in electromaic waves. Electromaic waves had already been proven mathematically and experimentally. But no one had yet seeded in using electromaic waves to send signals over long distances. Even the eminent schrs of the empire had not yet seeded. Can I do it? He was actually doubtful himself. How could he be sure that he could do what the schrs of that powerful country could not? No. Dont think weakly. But he soon shook off his anxiety. He just had to take one step at a time, and sooner orter he would reach his destination. In fact, he encountered various difficulties in the early stages of his research. Because of this, there were many moments when he wanted to give up his research. But even though he was frustrated, he never stopped his research. This perseverance eventually paid off. -Beep, beep, beep Its working! It was only about 3km away, but he had seeded in the experiment of wireless telegraphy. Did I really seed? When the signal sent wirelessly came in from afar. Soo-eon couldnte to his senses for a moment. He couldnt believe it. *** The news of the development of wireless telegraphy spread quickly. This was not a small impact. Especially in Vietnam, it was a chaos. Our Vietnam has achieved what those great schrs of the empire couldnt do? Hahaha! We have a genius of science in our country! Wakan Tanka Empire was the hegemon of this era. It was truly a remarkable event that such an achievement came out of their own country. Considering that the empire had monopolized most of the research achievements so far, one could realize how remarkable the development of wireless telegraphy was. Upon hearing this news, How envious I wonder if our country will ever produce a genius like Suon, who is unparalleled in the world? Countries in simr situations were very jealous of Suons existence, who suddenly emerged from Vietnam. If Vietnam can do it, there is no reason why we cant! They also hoped that they could do something simr in their own country. Moreover, wireless telegraphy was a hot topic in the empire as well. We were a step behind. I knew that many scientists were challenging wireless telegraphy. Thats right. By the way, Vietnam It seems that other countries are also developing such technologies. The world has changed a lot. Of course, Suon was not the only one who noticed the potential of wireless telegraphy. He was just the fastest. The empire promptly recognized Suons patent for wireless telegraphy. And they paid royalties to install and operate wireless telegraphy in the empire. At the same time, they also offered Suon admission to the imperial university. However, Suon declined this proposal by saying this. I appreciate the offer, but I will stay in Vietnam as a Vietnamese and contribute to the development of Vietnamese science. Suon was already rising as a hero of Vietnam, and his poprity skyrocketed when his words became known to the public. *** Damn To be overtaken by someone who is not even an imperial scientist. Scientists rted to electricity, radio, andmunication felt very humiliated by this series of events. Until now, the advancement of science was almost entirely the empires. But this unwritten rule was broken. And on top of that, in their own field. This cant happen again next time. As a result, the rted scientists became more desperate. The scientists looked to the future through past developments. After the development of telegraphy, the telephone was invented. Then Wouldnt it be possible to transmit voice wirelessly after wireless telegraphy? Sending messages through telegraphy required encryption and decryption. This was not only time-consuming but also very inconvenient. What if voice could be transmitted directly like a telephone? Thats very likely. The scientists thought that if they could send signals, they could also send and receive voice. Voice isposed of veryplex variations of electromaic waves. It was not an easy task to transmit this through air instead of current. However, already, although wired, the telephone was developed and so was the phonograph. In other words, the possibility of wireless voice transmission was somewhat glimpsed. And as time passed, the technology to transmit voice over radio waves was revealed for the first time. We can hear you! Wow! The first wireless voice was transmitted and received at the station. With this, the development of wireless voice transmission gained momentum. With the invention of devices such as wave adjusters and triode vacuum tubes, the first radio broadcast was finallyunched. Its amazing that we can hear the voice carried by the radio waves from a far distance, as long as we operate the receiver properly! The scientists were greatly impressed by this. However, the radio became popr mainly because of Kim Ki-woo. Haha. A revolution will sweep over themunication field soon. Kim Ki-woo anticipated the future events and called for themunication director. Communication director, how is the construction of the radio station going? Yes, Your Majesty. It is proceeding without any dy. Kim Ki-woo had waited until the radio technology was sufficiently matured. And he judged that it was enough now. He immediately ordered the construction of the radio station. Then its time to announce it in the Imperial Newspaper. It will be hard for a while, but please do your best. Its my duty as themunication director. Good. Then you may go. Yes, Your Majesty. After he left, Kim Ki-woo immediately spread the news through the Imperial Newspaper. -His Majesty, the great emperor, has dered that he will speak directly on the first broadcast of the new radio. This was enough to shock the people. What What? His Majesty will be on the broadcast? Thats right. On that day, if you listen to the broadcast, you can hear His Majestys voice! Gasp! Kim Ki-woos face was verymon, but there were hardly anyone who had heard Kim Ki-woos voice. But if they buy a radio receiver, they can hear Kim Ki-woos voice directly. As soon as this news came out, the empire was turned upside down. Chapter 179: Radio. Chapter 179: Radio. Good. Kim Ki-woo nodded his head after receiving the report on the situation. As expected, the interest in radio had ignited. Even if he hadnt done this, radio would have gradually be popr over time. Thats how powerful radio broadcasting was. But by Kim Ki-woos direct action, that period would be much sooner. It was a very desirable phenomenon for the better quality of life of the imperial citizens. Of course, there were also many things to prepare quickly, as it was a new mass media that would have a huge impact on people. Will the relevant bill be announced before the radio station in the capital opens? We are preparing without any hitch. The dark circles under the eyes of the chief justice, who had been there already, had deepened. He had worked day and night to prepare the radio bill. Kim Ki-woo patted his shoulder and said. Soon there will be a lot of newspapers and magazines that want to jump into radio broadcasting. So you have to prepare well in advance. Yes, Your Majesty. The power of mass media had been proven long ago. The most representative example was newspapers. Words are different depending on who says them. Depending on the persons intention, the content can change by 180 degrees. Of course, if distorted information was continuously published in newspapers, they could be shut down by the government, but even if it was correct information, it could change enough by changing the perspective. Thats why newspapers had power. It was the reason why they couldnt easily attack newspapers. Radio broadcasting would soon be simr. Seeing this future clearly, Kim Ki-woo prepared for it in advance. And as nned, the radio-rted bill was announced just before the opening of the radio station in the capital. Kim Ki-woo received this report and headed to the station. Its well built. The station, located in the capital, was very sophisticated, worthy of the title of the first radio station. It wasparable to modern buildings. It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. Show me around. Kim Ki-woo replied dryly to the directors words. Then he followed him along. There were many station staff on both sides, but the corridor was quiet as a mouse. Only Kim Ki-woos footsteps echoed in the corridor. And soon he arrived in front of the elevator. Of course, the elevator was wide open. Kim Ki-woo naturally got on the elevator. Swoosh. Then the elevator door closed naturally and started moving up. The ride has improved a lot. Kim Ki-woo was very satisfied with the smooth movement that was no different from modern elevators. Mechanical elevators hade out a long time ago, but they had gone through a lot of trial and error until they reached todays elevators. No wonder high-rise buildings are sprouting up like mushrooms. In the days when elevators were not poprized, there was inevitably a limit to the height of buildings. It was too hard to go up and down high floors without an elevator. But after achieving some ridefort and safety, high-rise buildings grew like crazy. Especially in densely popted areas such as the capital and other major cities. One of the things that surprised outsiders who looked around these capitals and major cities was that high-rise buildings looked like a forest. If you look at downtown alone, it seems like you can call it modern without any shame. The symbol of modernity was none other than a forest of buildings. Of course, it was premature to say that they had fully entered modernity. They were just starting radio broadcasting now. Ding! While Kim Ki-woo was lost in thought, the elevator door opened. He had arrived at his destination. Is this it? Yes, Your Majesty. Kim Ki-woo looked around at the broadcasting facilities after hearing the directors answer. I told you not to do this. After looking around at the broadcasting facilities, Kim Ki-woo chuckled inwardly. He had said that there was no need to decorate them with unnecessary ornaments for his sake, but looking around, he could see that they had prepared hard. Kim Kiwoo remembered how the whole army had prepared to wee the divisionmander when he heard the news of his arrival before the war. This was something that could not be stopped, no matter how much he told them not to. Kim Kiwoo honestly did not care, but the ministers, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, could not tolerate it. Director. Yes, Your Majesty. How is the broadcast schedule? We have arranged the schedule ording to what Your Majesty personally delivered to the station. I see. The radio broadcast started at noon. It was about 11:30 a.m. now, so there was roughly 30 minutes left. Kim Kiwoo entered the radio booth without dy and sat down in the prepared seat. Of course, the chair was veryfortable. It was not a chair that belonged in a radio booth. Here it is. Thank you. Kim Kiwoo took the schedule from the director and nced over it, then nodded. Its well organized ording to my n. In fact, Kim Kiwoos influence was very deep in preparing this radio broadcast. At this point, there was no one who knew better than Kim Kiwoo what the public wanted to hear on the radio. Of course, they did not have the conditions or technology to do a modern radio broadcast, but he tried his best to recall and benchmark the radio broadcasts of the original history. I have to imprint the fun of radio broadcasting on people with this opportunity. A lot of people would listen to the radio broadcast just to hear Kim Kiwoos voice directly. That meant that there were people who would lose interest in radio as soon as Kim Kiwoos speech ended. Kim Kiwoo came up with a richposition from the beginning to attract them as regr listeners. Lets see how it goes. Soon it was noon. Kim Kiwoos speech time was 1 p.m. That meant that other broadcasts would follow for an hour. *** -Crackling, crack! Ugh. Didnt they say they would start something like a radio around noon? Why havent they started yet? Hey, dont be so impatient. Its not even 12 oclock yet. If youre going to whine, go back. Do you know how hard I worked to get a radio receiver? Haha. Who said anything? I got it, I got it. Ill be quiet. The soft bed closed his mouth at his friends reaction. He didnt want to miss hearing His Majestys voice by any chance if he got kicked out. But they sure gathered a lot. The soft bed chuckled as he looked around. The news that His Majesty would personally give a speech on the radio spread like wildfire, and the radio receivers sold out in an instant. Naturally, many people could not get a radio receiver. So they gathered like this in groups to listen to the broadcast. Well, actually, the soft bed didnt really think about buying a radio receiver. He didnt have much intention of listening after hearing His Majestys speech. To him, a radio receiver felt like nothing more than an expensive toy. At that moment. Its twelve oclock! Theyll start now, right? Everyone be quiet! It was time. There was a moment ofmotion, but it subsided again thanks to one mans scolding. And then. -We will now start the radio broadcast. The sound quality was rough, but a clear voice came out of the radio. And then. Music? Oh, this song is one of my favorites. Music on the radio? The murmurs of the people around him agreed with the soft bed. If they y music like this, it would be a different story At this time, the price of records was very expensive. The imperial citizens who loved music dly paid for them, but even for them, buying various records was a burden. But what if, the radio yed various music? They couldnt choose the music, but it seemed worth buying a radio. The soft bed thought about the radio again. Of course, this was just the beginning. Is it over? Ah it was good. After the song ended, people swallowed their regrets. Then, a short advertisement followed. Oh, I didnt know they had a new product. Should I buy one too? People encountered unfamiliar radio advertisements and remembered the advantages of the products. It was a short time, but it was definitely more effective than newspaper ads. At that moment, the benefits of radio advertising appealed to several executives who were listening. Whats next? As time passed, the soft bed felt more and more immersed in the radio. He didnt do much, but it was quite fun. -Ding~ Didi Ding~ Ding Ding! At that moment. A familiar yet strange music came out and, -We will deliver todays main news to you. News? A man with a low and cool voice started to deliver the news with very urate pronunciation. It was a time to tell about the domestic and foreign situations and interesting events that happened recently. People focused on the news that was delivered urately with a pleasant voice. Ho. A new gene was discovered Thats good news. Eh! How can people do such a shameless thing? Unlike reading the news from newspapers, they understood very well. What? Its over already? I wish there was more They were so absorbed that when the news ended, they expressed their regrets again. After another short advertisement, the next segment followed. Huh? What is this? People listened to the radio broadcast that followed. And soon, he figured out what it was. Its a y? Um a voice y It was none other than a radio drama. And not just any radio drama, but the one that had always been the most popr, the story of how Kim Kiwoo established the Wakantanka Empire. Everyone knew about it, but everyone loved it as well. And soon, smiles bloomed on their faces. The drama did not just list the story. The actors each took on a role and performed with realistic voice acting. Ha ha! Right! Doesnt this story sound more fun on the radio? The very satisfied one was also the soft bed. He too waspletely immersed in the story. He only came to his senses after the radio drama ended. Ah theyre cutting it off here? Cruelly, the radio drama ended with a preview of the next episode. The soft bed was insanely curious about what would happen next. And he vowed. Ill buy a radio right away, even if I have to stand in line. Of course, he was not the only one who thought this way, so it was hard to say if his vow woulde true. After the radio drama ended. It was finally 1 p.m. And then Kim Kiwoos voice slowly flowed out of the radio. Wowhuh! ! When someone tried to cheer without thinking, the man next to him blocked his mouth with a grim hand. The others also blocked their mouths. They were afraid that their voices might mix with His Majestys jade sound and cause disrespect. Ah! Drip! It was the first time he heard the voice of the great emperor he had always cherished in his heart. Thats why tears flowed from his soft beds eyes. He was so moved. This was the same for all the citizens who were listening to the radio. A quiet cry spread throughout the empire. This scene continued throughout the 10-minute speech. The radio broadcast started with freshness, joy, and a very big impression. Chapter 180: X-rays. Chapter 180: X-rays. Was it thanks to Kim Ki-woos hard work? After the first broadcast, radio firmly took root in the empires society. At the same time, as expected, numerous stations and newspapers jumped into radio broadcasting. Of course, there were considerable restrictions since radio-rtedws had been enacted beforehand, but the challengers envisioned a bright future. The radio broadcasts that sprouted up like mushrooms were mostly simr in format. It was because Kim Ki-woo had already created an excellent framework. Music and news, radio drama, and finally talk show. And the ads that flowed in between were the source of ie. As a result, an untimely war for rights broke out. What? You still havent signed the contract even though I gave you so much time? The pricepetition suddenly got fierce So, how much did they offer? Well These kinds of things were happening simrly in radio stations across the country. They sensed that radio drama would be the killer content of radio. Therefore, they tried to buy the rights to famous novels or ys. The problem was that there were too many stations that wanted to buy the rights. The source of ie for radio was advertising. And advertising depended on how many people listened to their radio broadcasts. In other words, they had to improve the quality of their content, such as drama, to increase their ratings. Thanks to that, a fiercepetition broke out among the radio stations. We have to get this no matter what! So raise the price by two times. No, three times, and sign the contract for sure! Perhaps it was because the era of radio had just begun, but it was important to secure their position first. The stations spared no expense to be major broadcasters, even if it meant bleeding money. As a result, the rights to radio drama of famous novels were sold at ridiculously high prices. Only the authors and publishers who had these rights were happy. Thats how the radio dramas produced in this way were aired one after another. *** There were many scientists in the empire. This included great scientists like Karl Mayer, Golden Lake, and Warm Hat. But these famous scientists were only a minority. Rather, there were more scientists who devoted their lives to research but did not leave any significant achievements. Dry Towel was one of these cases. He was seventy years old this year. He started his life as a scientist in his twenties, so he had been dedicated to research for almost half a century. However, he was still close to unknown. He had participated in some famous researches, but most of his leading experiments did not show much results. Father. Please stop your research. Spend your old agefortably while looking after your grandchildren. Thats right. Youve been getting sick more oftentely. Dry Towels children and even grandchildren came to urge him to retire. But Dry Towel did not blink an eye. Arthur. I have no intention of retiring until I die. Sigh His stubbornness was unchanged as always. His children sighed in resignation. They hoped for a change, but it was as expected. Dry Towels stubbornness was not broken this time either. In the end, his children and grandchildren left without any results. Dry Towel sent them off calmly. He didnt refuse to retire because of pride. Of course, he had such feelings twenty or thirty years ago, but they faded away at some point. Now he was just doing research because it was his routine. Even a scientist like him who didnt have much achievements had enough room in the empire. So he plunged into his research again. Cathode rays He was researching the properties of cathode rays recently. Cathode rays were the flow of electrons observed in a vacuum tube when two metal electrodes, an anode and a cathode, were separated by a vacuum and had a potential difference. Of course, electrons had not been urately identified yet at this point. It had been almost twenty years since cathode rays were discovered, but it was still a field that many scientists were researching. It was also where electrons were first discovered. If I did this much, there wouldnt be any light leaking out, right? He wrapped the cathode ray tube with a thick ck paper. As he expected, no light could leak out of it. It was almost like testing an obvious phenomenon. He thought that nothing would happen when he blocked the light, as usual. He was just curious and wanted to try it out. But the result of the experiment was different from his expectation. What is this? He rubbed his eyes. But the phenomenon in front of him did not change. As soon as he turned on the current to the cathode ray tube, a fairly bright light shed on the screen coated with barium tinocyanide. Did I wrap the paper poorly? That was the first thing he thought of. He did not think that light could pass through the thick and ck paper. No, its not But when he looked around the cathode ray tube, he saw that the paper was properly and thoroughly wrapped. What is going on? He tilted his head. It was truly a baffling situation. Of course, as a believer in science, he thought that there must be a reason for this phenomenon. *** He continued his experiments to figure out this mysterious light. And after a while, he came to a conclusion. This is a new form of energy. It was not ordinary light since it could pass through the ck paper. He had no choice but to think so. After realizing this, he used various things instead of ck paper. Rubber, thick paper, metal, wooden boards, and so on. The result was quite surprising. Most of them are prated? It could even pass through a book that was nearly 1000 pages thick! It was an energy that could not be easily exined physically. Of course, there were some things that it could not prate. That was lead. That meant that it could pass through most of the objects except lead. That also included human body. It passes through my body He tried to pass this energy through his body directly and frowned slightly. He did not feel anything, but it somehow felt unpleasant. Wait? It passes through my body? At that moment, a thought crossed his mind. It was the principle of photo development. He had done some research on photo development before, so he was quite knowledgeable about it. This is also light? It definitely glowed brightly in the dark room, so it was surely light. Then, could he use this light to develop photos? Then what kind of photos would this light create after passing through his body? He was very curious about that. It depends on the thickness and density of the object. And different parts of the human body have different densities. From skin to blood, organs, and bones. They could not have the same density. Then maybe, it could take photos of the inside of the human body depending on the difference in density? If thats true It seemed like an amazing discovery. He shivered as he thought about it. Of course, he could not jump to conclusions. This peculiar light might not react with photosensitive materials like other lights. Lets just try it. He did not hesitate and put his idea into action. He took a board that he had stored in the warehouse and ced it behind his back. And he pressed the switch to activate the cathode ray. Then a strange light shed from the cathode ray tube. What happened? He quickly checked the board. And then he opened his eyes wide. Its really printed? It was clearly an image of the inside of the human body. The bones such as ribs and spine were distinct, and the organs and muscles were faintly visible. Heh Dry Towel could not shake off the feeling of numbness for a while. He could not believe that he had seeded in such a great experiment. Was that why? A tear rolled down his eyes. It was a tear filled with resentment for all the hardships he had endured. I did it. He lifted up the te and clenched his fist. How many sneers and worries from his family and friends had he gone through? At this moment, he felt rewarded for his 50 years of effort. *** Dry Towel immediately published his paper. Among the many papers he had published over the years, none of them had attracted much attention, so his paper did not receive much attention at first. But gradually, his paper surfaced. A new kind of ray? A light that passes through not only objects but also bodies? Using this ray to take pictures of the inside of the body? Scientists began to devour Dry Towels paper. At first, there were some scientists who expressed disbelief, but there was clear evidence of the pictures of the inside of the body, so his paper was soon recognized by the academic world. Taking pictures of the inside of the body was something that had never been imagined before. Thats why the new kind of ray, X-ray, quickly became a hot topic in academia. Especially in the medical field, the reaction was beyond imagination. My goodness! You can take pictures of the inside of the body! It was inevitable. Until now, medicine had been constantly developing, but it was very difficult to identify any disease by just looking at a persons appearance. And it was not possible to cut into the body to find out what kind of disease it was. But now, by simply exposing X-rays, one could easily find out the condition of the inside of the body. This was nothing less than a revolution in medicine. You have done a great job. Thanks to you, many people will be saved from death in the future. As a doctor, I really appreciate it. Dont mention it. Many doctors came to Dry Towel and thanked him. He felt awkward but very happy. He felt for the first time in his life the intense interest and gratitude that made him feel ted. He realized that he had achieved a great research result. After that, X-rays became popr among doctors. As a result, many patients who would have died from misdiagnosis in the past were able to survive. Of course, not all perceptions of X-rays were good. Ugh, disgusting How can you see human bones so clearly? The peculiar and eerie appearance of X-rays caused fear in people. But the biggest concern was not that. Doesnt this mean you can see through walls and see whats inside your house? The rumor that X-rays would invade personal privacy was the biggest obstacle. But despite the bad rumors, X-rays were widely epted because of their usefulness. Many people began to study new kinds of rays, including X-rays. This influenced the discovery of radiation from uranium for the first time, and led to more active research on cathode rays. This led to the discovery of electrons, and as a result, the particle nature of light became more prominent. The discovery of the particle nature of light waster the starting point for the emergence of rtivity theory. It also raised the awareness that light is both a wave and a particle while discussing the nature of X-rays. In this way, X-rays were an important turning point not only in themselves but also in the development of science. And Dry Towel, who discovered them, rose from an obscure scientist for 50 years to one of the greatest scientists. Chapter 181: Material. Chapter 181: Material. What would happen if the demand for something increased crazily, but the supply could not keep up? This had been proven by many cases. It would gradually be harder to find in the market, and the price would rise day by day. And at this time, the thing that caused the biggest shock in the market was none other than rubber. How much did you say? The person in charge of thend vehicle division frowned at the shocking price. The price of rubber had jumped significantly since a few days ago. Haah This is crazy. He rubbed his forehead. If he bought rubber at this price, he would suffer a huge loss. It was obvious as daylight. Do you want to proceed? Is that even a question? Of course we have to buy it! Even if he lost money due to the rising cost of raw materials, he had to bring them in. Without rubber, he couldnt make car tires. It would be much more damaging if the delivery of cars was dyed. It would also hurt the image with the customers. Haah It would be nice if we could raise the price. Unfortunately, it was a bit difficult in this situation. At this time, a chicken game was going on in various industries. The most representative field was cars. It was fortunate that the government had intervened to prevent selling at too much loss, otherwise the car prices would have gone down further. How could he lower the price in this situation? Then he would lose market share in cars. It meant that he would fall behind in the car brandpetition. Yeah. Were not the only ones having a hard time. The other car brands were in the same boat. The one who could endure this with gritted teeth would survive in the Warring States Period of the car market. However, his determination was overshadowed by a sense of despair again. Will there ever be a time when rubber prices go down? It would be easier to endure if he knew that rubber prices would drop over time. It was less painful to know what you were getting into than to be clueless. But he couldnt know that. On the contrary, it seemed more likely that rubber prices would rise further at this point. That was because, as mentioned above, the reason why rubber prices were exploding like crazy was that the demand for natural rubber was increasing much faster than the supply. Lets think positively. His Majesty wont just sit back and watch. In fact, it was thanks to Kim Ki-woos preparations that such a supply of natural rubber was possible. The science of this era had developed so fast that it was iparable to the original history. However, the supply of resources did not increase as quickly as he wanted. Thats why Kim Ki-woo had nted para rubber trees since they were discovered in South America, andid the foundation for mass production of rubber. The problem was that there was a leaf blight disease in the Amazon region of South America, which was suitable for growing para rubber trees. As a result, there were many times when rubber supply was difficult. Kim Ki-woo realized this and started trading with Southeast Asia, such as Mysia, and actively nted para rubber tree seeds in that region. Of course, the locals took care of everything from growing rubber trees to extractingtex, and the empire bought it from them. Thanks to this, Southeast Asia, which was suitable for growing para rubber trees, was able to make a lot of money. By now, Southeast Asias dependence on natural rubber had deepened day by day. Southeast Asian countriespeted to nt rubber trees everywhere. However, as mentioned earlier, they could not keep up with the demand. No matter how much boom there was in nting rubber trees, there were limits to manpower and time. On the other hand, the production of cars, bicycles, and motorcycles exceeded their limits day by day. Naturally, the number of tires that went into them surpassed imagination. And rubber wasnt only used for tires. Rubber was used in a variety of ces. A breakthrough was needed to resolve this situation. *** Necessity is the mother of invention. Since rubber supply became unstable, research on materials to rece rubber began in earnest with imperial chemists at the forefront. As always, the start was research on the characteristics of that material, rubber. Perhaps because so many chemists had wrestled with rubbers properties, this was revealed in no time. The chain molecules of stic materials are made up of strings of many isoprene molecules. This paper sparked the research on synthetic rubber. Strings of isoprene molecules So it seems important to interconnect the chain structures. This was the general thought of the chemists who encountered this paper. However, until then, the method of interconnecting these chains had not been revealed. Many chemists focused on the connection of chain structures and proceeded with their research. Faint Fragrance was one of these chemists. He was a ck man, the least populous race in the empire. Unlike the original history, the ve trade of cks was mostly blocked by Kim Ki-woo. It was notpletely gone, but it had nothing to do with the Wakantanga Empire. The empire did not recognize very. Recently, even the member countries of the World Union were abolishing the ve system. Faint Fragrance was also a case of immigrating to the empire legally, not a ve. Isoprene. Its important to make a polyisoprene structure like rubber The problem was that he didnt know how to do it. Of course, he was researching because he didnt know. He repeated his worries day and night, forgetting about day and night. The first thing Faint Fragrance did was to find a substance with a chemical structure simr to rubber. He felt that the answer would be there. It also had to be easy to produce, so it had to be rtively easy to obtain. Otherwise, the same thing as the current rubber shortage would happen again. And Faint Fragrance found one among several candidates. Methyl isoprene seems to be the most suitable. As soon as Faint Fragrance made a decision, he immersed himself in the experiment. He prepared arge number of cans and put methyl isoprene in them. Then he watched the progress by changing the conditions such as temperature and heating period. He even waited for months at a time. Thanks to this, a lot of data piled up. The substances produced in the cans varied depending on the temperature and period. They were soft or hard. But there was always one thing that was the same That was sticity. I was right! They all have sticity, even though they have different degrees of hardness! Several more experiments followed, but this only added confidence to his results. As soon as he obtained reliable results, Faint Fragrance wrote a paper and announced it to the academic world, and applied for a patent at the same time. It was because he could lose his patent over time, as the experiment itself was not very difficult. In fact, some chemists epted simr results and failed to gain fame as the first developer of synthetic rubber by a few days difference. They synthesized a substance simr to rubber? Get me a license right away! The birth of synthetic rubber was a wee news for those who had been suffering from rubber-rted industries. The bosses who realized this promised high royalties to Faint Fragrance and got licenses. And soon after, synthetic rubber production began to take ce actively. The situation was that natural rubber prices were high, so the synthetic rubber market grew quickly. As a result, in less than a year, even vehicle tires using synthetic rubber were produced. Whew I can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to this. I heard that those who hoarded natural rubber suffered a lot of damage. Theyre screwed. Thanks to this, car brands that had suffered or were suffering a lot of damage breathed a sigh of relief. On the other hand, those who hoarded natural rubber without knowing it suffered a great loss due to rising natural rubber prices. However, methyl rubbers heyday was short. It was used because natural rubber was expensive, but the quality of rubber was not very good. First of all, it was a solid tire without a tube, and it was sticky and easily eroded when exposed to oxygen. To solve this problem, many chemists continued their research on rubber, and synthetic rubbers that were better than methyl isoprene began to appear one after another. *** Meanwhile, aluminum became popr at this time. After facilities for geothermal power generation were built in d, cheap electricity was obtained in d. And this became the basis for mass production of aluminum. Aluminum produced inrge quantities at a very low price seemed to have many uses. So people thought about how to use aluminum. Aluminum is very light. Not only that, but it also has excellent ductility and electrical conductivity. Thanks to its unique ductility, aluminum could be drawn into very thin and long wires. And it also had superb electrical conductivity. Thats why the first thing that utilized it was none other than high-voltage wires. This was the beginning of aluminums use. Hmm. Its so ductile I wonder how thin I can make it. One day, a white horn who was studying the properties of aluminum had this question and decided to experiment with it. And the white horn was able to obtain incredibly thin aluminum. He picked it up and slightly deformed it with his hand. Oh! The aluminum crumpled easily under the white horns touch. He didnt even use much force. Then he tore it and crumpled it some more. After all the experiments were over, the white horn was sure. This looks like it has a lot ofmercial potential. It was a metal that could be easily deformed and was very light in weight. That meant it was very suitable for wrapping food and packaging. He became the first developer of this product, aluminum foil. And it received a great response in the market. Packaging food had been very inconvenient until then, but thanks to aluminum foil, it became much easier. Aluminum also interested engineers who were researching the aviation field. One of them was Golden Lake. At that time, airnes were used for two purposes. One was fighter jets, and the other was passenger nes. But the development of passenger nes was much slower. There was also the fact that it took time for basic technologies such as jet engines to mature, but that wasnt all. Current airnes are too heavy. Especially for passenger nes that carried a lot of passengers, they were even heavier. As a result, they consumed a lot of fuel and couldnt carry many passengers. That was the reality of current passenger nes. Golden Lake tried to solve this problem. And what caught his eye was aluminum. In fact, he had been interested in aluminum for a long time. It was a very light metal, after all. But back then, it was so expensive that he couldnt conduct any research on it. But now that the price had dropped significantly, he became interested again. Of course, using aluminum as the body of an airne is crazy. How could he make an airne with a metal like aluminum that had such high ductility? But Golden Lake believed. That there would be another breakthrough. If I can get enough strength from an alloy with another metal The stagnant passenger ne industry would enter its heyday. He suppressed his pounding heart and began his research on alloys. It was quite different from the field he had been researching until then, but it wasnt a problem for Golden Lakes brilliant mind. After that, Golden Lake conducted a lot of experiments. He didnt know what material to alloy with to get the strength he wanted, so he focused on getting more data by increasing the amount of experiments. Then one day. Its hard! He confirmed that a metal alloyed with aluminum, manganese, and magnesium in a certain ratio had more strength than expected. It was none other than duralumin. Chapter 182: Material (2). Chapter 182: Material (2). The invention of duralumin alloy excited the Golden Lake and the researchers. Its definitely better than regr aluminum, but its still hard to use it as the main material for airnes. However, Golden Lake soon calmed down his excitement. The first duralumin he made was beyond his expectations, but that was it. He needed to obtain an aluminum alloy that was even stronger. Therefore, he continued his research on duralumin. Still, the direction was clear, so the research gained momentum. In this process, the aging hardening method was established. This was a method of heating duralumin to about 500 degrees and then rapidly cooling it in water. The duralumin made in this way became very soft. However, if left at room temperature in this state, it became harder over time. The problem is the ratio of additives Golden Lake realized this painfully as he led the research. No matter how much aging hardening he did, the quality of duralumin varied greatly depending on what and how much he added. But over time, he managed to get enough strength to use it for airnes. He developed a suitable duralumin, but Golden Lake wanted to create a material that was more suitable for airnes. However, the head of the Earthbound Group, Blue Leaf, who saw this duralumin, dissuaded Golden Lake. Isnt this enough? You might develop a better material if you continue your research in the future, but I think its better to adopt this material for now. Blue Leaf was a person who took office after Solid Pir retired. He was the seventh among Solid Pirs fifteen children, but he became the head of the group. That was because he had the most excellent management skills. The Earthbound Group was already huge, but after he took over the head office, it grew even bigger. Cant you wait a little longer? However, Golden Lake hesitated with regret. He felt that he could make a better alloy if he had more time. As an engineer who had built up an enormous reputation, he always felt pressured to present great results. This time was no different. He thought that his current achievement was good enough, but that was it. It wasnt shocking enough. If Golden Lake says so, then of course I have to listen to you. But in my judgment, this level looks fine. For the Earthbound Group, Golden Lakes existence was of immense importance. He was the one who made the Earthbound Group grow to this extent after Solid Pir. Thats why Blue Leaf couldnt force him. He couldnt risk losing big by chasing small gains. He just whispered his thoughts softly. Then please give me a month. If I cant develop a better material by then, I agree to adopt the current material. Lets do that. I hope you get the results you want. Thank you. He got a months time, but in fact, Golden Lake was somewhat resigned. A month was a very short time in material development research. But he used this time wisely. He tried to do as many experiments as possible. In the meantime. Huh? The researcher was exhausted from so many experiments and mechanically measured the strength of the test material when he was startled. A strength that was iparable to the existing duralumin appeared on the measuring device. He checked it and quickly ran towards Golden Lake. Huff, huff Director! Come quickly! Golden Lake got up with a start at the sight of the researcher who shouted excitedly without catching his breath. Whats going on? A tremendous strength has been recorded! Really? Lead me there right away! With that said, Golden Lake followed behind the researcher and ran out. And he saw it. The duralumin with tremendous strength. This is The existing duralumin and the duralumin in front of him were as different as crude iron and steel. Bring me theposition table! Yes, yes! At the sound of Golden Lakes shout, the researcher quickly handed him theposition table of the alloy. Golden Lake scanned the table swiftly. Zinc 8%, copper 1.5%, magnesium 1.5%, and the rest is aluminum Is this all? Yes, sir. Golden Lake had a hunch. He felt that the alloy in front of him was the best possible oue that could be produced at the moment. Thats why he ordered without hesitation. Gather all the researchers right now. Were going to analyze this material from now on. Yes, sir! *** The experiment on duralumin progressed rapidly. They stopped all the nned experiments on other materials and focused only on this amazing duralumin with great strength. Its definitely much stronger than before The problem was that zinc was mixed in, causing stress corrosion. But they couldnt remove zinc either. It was as much as 8%. Therefore, they had to find a way to prevent stress corrosion in this state. Still, it was much easier than before since they had a basic base. They just had to add various corrosion inhibitors to the duralumin base. Eventually, this process took more than two months. But the result of countless trials and errors was sweet. Stress corrosion doesnt ur anymore! We did it! Aaaaaah! The researchers went crazy with excitement. They had been working on alloy development for a long time, and finally it was over. They added manganese and chromium by 0.25% each to the basic duralumin base, and no more stress corrosion urred. Golden Lake also hugged the researchers and rejoiced with them. Now I can make a decent passenger ne. He didnt know it, but the alloy he made was almost identical to the super-duralumin in the original history. It was a material that was made in Japan in thete 1930s with rtively few trials and errors. The saying that some people are destined to seed couldnt fit better. *** The duralumin that Golden Lake made shocked people as he expected. It couldnt be helped. The duralumin he announced was stronger than the highest strength steel for carbon steel welded structures. And its specific gravity was only 2.81. Considering that the specific gravity of carbon steel was 7.85, it meant that a weight reduction of up to 2.8 times was possible. The first ones to react were the scientists. Crazy How did he make such a monstrous alloy? Huh. Another innovation will happen in the world. Its not even his specialty. If he can do alloy development too He didnt even major in mechanical engineering when he developed the internalbustion engine. Thats true. Scientists from all over the country, no, all over the world, talked about the duralumin that Golden Lake made whenever they gathered. It was because of the synergy between Golden Lakes worldwide reputation and the shocking strength and specific gravity of the duralumin he made. Aluminum I heard that aluminum foil was a big hit recently, and now theres such a great alloy developed. Hmm. I think there are still a lot of things to make with aluminum. Dont you think? Maybe? As a result, interest in aluminum increased even more. Anyway, with scientists making a fuss like this, it soon became a big topic among ordinary people as well. I heard that Golden Lake did another big thing again? What was it, he made an amazing alloy with aluminum. Ha ha. This guy. Thats called duralumin. Is that so? Hmm. Anyway, Golden Lake is really amazing. Didnt he surpass the achievements of Sharp Fang? What are you talking about? No matter what, hes not as good as Sharp Fang. Come on. If you ignore the fact that hes not from the North Continent, what does heck? And from then on, Golden Lake began to be mentioned more often as the best engineer. The imperial citizens still regarded the North Continent, especially the Imperial University graduates, as the best. On the other hand, Golden Lake was from the South Continent and had not even graduated from college. Despite this disadvantage, he was ranked as the best, which showed how much he had aplished. While the whole world was making a fuss about Golden Lake and duralumin, he continued to run tirelessly as usual. Blue Leaf tried to dissuade him. Director, you have achieved results that far exceeded everyones expectations, including mine. So why dont you take a break this time? But Golden Lake shook his head sideways. I appreciate your concern, but I have no intention of doing that. If Ipare it to cooking, duralumin is just an ingredient. How can I say that cooking is over when I only prepared the ingredients? I want toplete all the delicious dishes. He tried to persuade him several times after that, but he could not break Golden Lakes stubbornness. He immediately started working on developing an airne using duralumin. Now I can finally make a real airne. He had a lot ofints about the airnes so far. Thats why Golden Lake had been designing how toplete an airne without the weight limit. And duralumin, which was made this time, was a material that far exceeded Golden Lakes expectations. Thanks to that, he had to spend more time modifying the design to make it a more high-performance airne. Huh! When did he make this design? Is the rumor really true? What rumor? That, you know. Theres an alien tied up in Golden Lakes house Heh heh. Maybe thats true. I want to catch that alien and torture him too. Im confident I can torture him very well To the eyes of the researchers who did not know these circumstances, it seemed like the design came out of nowhere. Thats why more and more people believed in this nonsense rumor. Of course, as the research on airnes continued, the design was modified. Theory and reality were different. But the overall outline was almost identical. As time passed, airnes using duralumin as the main material appeared one after another at the Earth Surface Division Research Institute. This was mass-produced under the full support of the Earth Surface Division. And the next year, the first practical passenger ne carrying a hundred people crossed the Antic and Pacific Oceans. Also, the fighter jets he made were delivered to the Imperial Army and opened up a new era of aerial warfare. Kim Ki-woo, who watched this, immediately gave orders. Now we can reach anywhere in the world very quickly with airnes, not only in the Wakan Tanka Empire but also in other continents. But for this we need not only a lot of airnes but also enough airports to take off andnd them. Directors, build airports in major areas across the country on arge scale. As soon as the Emperors words fell, an airport construction boom urred. Numerous constructionpanies worked hard to win airport construction contracts, and more than a hundred airports were built simultaneously across the country. Golden Lake, who pushed the empire into a wave of change like this, dreamed of his next dream. If I have duralumin, going into space is not a dream. That was none other than going into space. In fact, rocket technology was also progressing considerably. Golden Lake believed that he could send a spacecraft into space using rockets and duralumin. Of course, he knew that this was not something he could do alone. He needed advanced mathematical calctions to see any possibility. But he had no intention of giving up on his challenge. He wanted to be remembered in imperial history as the first person to conquer space. Perhaps Golden Lakes challenge would not stop until he died. Chapter 183: Weapons. Chapter 183: Weapons. Good. They are very spirited. Kim Kiwoo smiled contentedly as he looked at the soldiers and various weapons that were glowing with heat. It was a sight that contrasted perfectly with the past, when the Creek tribe had no iron, let alone bronze. Its very reassuring to see them. As long as he had these excellent soldiers and the strongest weapons in his sight, he felt that no beings could threaten the empire. Currently, the world was peaceful to an unprecedented degree. Almost all of the countries were bound by the World Union under the empires leadership. But Kim Kiwoo did not let his guard down. He poured more than a certain amount of budget into weapon development and production, as well as maintaining and improving the size and quality of the army. The peace we have now is possible because the Wakan Tanka Empire has an overwhelming power. If the empires power bes rtively weak, we dont know what will happen. Humans are animals that are different when they go to the bathroom and when theye out. Now, the member countries were holding their breath under the rules made by the empire, but he could not be sure what would happen when the modernization of the member countries reached the final stage and they gained confidence in their armament level. To prevent this, he had to maintain a level of military force that was superior to the member countries at all times. Kim Kiwoo organized his thoughts and gave instructions to the defense minister. Start. Yes, Your Majesty. Then, a full-scale demonstration began. Prepare to fire! Fire! Tatatang! Tatatatang! As soon as the firingmand was given, ten shooters started shooting at the target. The shooting ended in a short time. They fired twenty rounds each, so a total of 200 rounds were consumed. Fortunately, there was no ident of malfunction. They look decent. In fact, it was more than decent. The semi-automatic rifle in front of him was at a level that could devour all the previous rifles. Previously, bolt-action rifles had to be reloaded manually after each shot. It naturally took quite some time. Moreover, since rifles were personal weapons, there were many problems when inexperienced people used them in realbat. It was not easy to maintain calmness in a battlefield where bullets rained and blood and flesh flew. In such a situation, it was very difficult for inexperienced people to maintain their sanity to reload manually. But the semi-automatic rifle in front of him was different. Unlike bolt-action rifles that had to be reloaded manually, it was reloaded automatically. The principle was simple. It used some of the gas generated by firing ammunition to reload the next ammunition. As a result, shooters only had to pull the trigger. Thanks to this, they could fire quickly. Very good. I dont see any guns that canpete with this one. Make sure to supply them to the whole army. I understand. Then lets move on to the next one. Soon after, Kim Kiwoo was impressed by various kinds of cannons. Almost all of the cannons were hydraulic recoilless guns with rear-mounted breeches. Thanks to this, they could fire as fast as bolt-action rifles. Peeeeeong! Pababang! Various kinds of cannons showed off their performance in front of Kim Kiwoos eyes. The uracy, firepower, and firing speed all satisfied Kim Kiwoos heart. But cannons were nothingpared to rockets that appeared next. Ho-ho, is this it? Yes. This is a rocket improved by Golden Lake, the best engineer. I felt it from the first time I saw him, but he is a truly amazing talent. Kim Kiwoo smiled fondly as he recalled Golden Lakes young face. Now he had traces of time on his face, but he was very young when he made an internalbustion engine. After creating cars, he brought innovation to airnes, and now he improved rockets to fly into space. Hes stillcking though. Golden Lake judged that liquid propents were needed instead of solid propents to fly into space. So he developed the first liquid propent rocket. The result was the rocket in front of him. But it was still hard to reach space, let alone fly hundreds of meters above ground. Whoosh! This became clear after the rocketunch. The rocket, which had barely risen 100 meters, turned its head to the ground and fell. Kim Kiwoo nodded his head and said. I wish that thing went beyond the sky, to space. Please tell Golden Lake not to give up on the rocket research. I will convey your message. He hoped that his words would encourage Golden Lake. And indeed, Golden Lake was greatly moved by Kim Kiwoos support and devoted himself more to the research. After the rocket demonstration, Kim Kiwoos eyes sparkled. Is it finally this guys turn? His gaze was fixed on therge and majestic vehicle that was mounted on a tank. As if noticing his attention, the tank soon started to move. Vroom! The sight of the tank moving forward on its caterpir tracks was a spectacle in itself. Of course, the tank still had a machine gun instead of a long cannon. In the future, when tank battles becamemon, tanks would have cannons, but for now, the purpose of tanks was to break through barbed wire and trenches. As our tactics and weapons spread throughout the world Already, most of the member states had adopted the trench and barbed wire warfare. Even though the use of force between member states was prohibited, the empire could not stop them from arming themselves for national defense. There was always a possibility of something happening. It was not a bad thing for the empire either. They had sold off many obsolete weapons that were no longer used in the empire. It also reduced the burden on the empire if each member state took care of its own security. But the problem was the countries that opposed the Wakan Tanka Empire. If these countries armed themselves with trenches and barbed wire They would suffer huge casualties without tanks. This was proven in the First World War in the original history. In this worst war, soldiers lives were nothing more than bullets. Soldiers who charged against trenches, barbed wire, and machine guns were just big targets. Kim Kiwoo did not want to waste his soldiers like this. Fortunately, the empires weapon developers had simr thoughts. Thanks to them, they developed tanks that could break through trenches. Wow This tank will change the face of war. With tanks, we can conduct mobile warfare. Thats right. The various officials who participated in this demonstration also expressed simr opinions to Kim Kiwoo. Kim Kiwoo readily agreed with them. As weapons develop, tactics also change. In front of this tank, trenches will be obsolete tactics. Of course, we have to change our tactics ording to the development of weapons. It will be done as you wish. There were many cases in history where tactics could not keep up with the rapid development of weapons. In these cases, thegging armies suffered tremendous losses. Kim Kiwoo had no intention of suffering such damage. *** Shuaaaang! Kim Kiwoos eyes followed the fighter squadron that quickly crossed the sky. Awesome. In fact, he had seen the operation of these fighters before. He had already checked them out when Golden Lake made aluminum and fighters using it. But it was his first time seeing such arge-scale fighter formation. It was enough to make a mans heart boil. The one who dominates the air wins modern warfare. Currently, only the empire had fighters. No, for a while, it would be hard for any other country to have as many fighters as the empire. After watching all of the fighter demonstrations. Finally, it was time for the grand finale. The protagonist was none other than a battleship. Its very big. Kim Kiwoo nodded his head at the imposing battleship. The battleship was nothing less than a symbol of the empire. Other countries lost their will to resist against the empire when they saw these huge and powerful battleships. Therefore, the empire was constantly developing and operating giant cannons. Of course, Kim Kiwoo knew the problems of the giant cannons. He also knew why they became obsolete in the original history. Its quite different from the original history In the original history, the era of giant cannons began in 1906, when Britainmissioned the Dreadnought-ss battleship. These giant cannons were hard to counter unless they faced simr giant cannons. As a result, each country entered apetition to build bigger battleships. Naturally, as the size of the battleships increased, so did the money that went into them. It was exponentially expensive. Due to this excessive arms race, the era of battleships ended with the Washington Naval Treaty in 1921 and the London Naval Treaty, which further restricted them. The baton was passed on to aircraft carriers. In fact, these huge battleships are not very cost-effective in this era either. The purpose of huge battleships was to catch other huge battleships. However, there was no need to build suchrge battleships in this era. Other countries did not have any decent battleships, let alone huge ones. The huge battleships were just for showing off the power of the empire. After all the weapons demonstrations were over. Kim Kiwoo met with the developers who made the countless weapons that went into them. It is thanks to you that the empire can y its role as the center of the world. So be proud. We are grateful for your grace, Your Majesty! Good. Do you have anything to say to me? If you do, dont hesitate toe forward. The people in front of him were engineers who were respected by the empire. Therefore, Kim Kiwoo was curious about what they were thinking. As Kim Kiwoo spoke, many developers asked questions. They wanted to get advice from Kim Kiwoo, who was the greatest scientist and engineer. Kim Kiwoo continued the conversation with a happy heart. In the meantime. Coincidentally, there was someone who talked about the topic he had thought about earlier. Your Majesty, may I ask you a question? Speak. I am the chief engineer of battleships, Hot Lava. I saw the majesty of your battleships. You must have worked hard to make such battleships. Well, what do you want to say to me? Its nothing else, but I want to ask your opinion on the necessity of battleships. Necessity Hot Lava spoke with a tense face that showed his courage. I also know that by making huge battleships, we are showing off the power of the empire to all directions. However, I am not sure how much effect they havepared to their excessive price. It was unexpected. The person who made the huge battleships said this. Kim Kiwoo nodded at his words. You have a point. Youre not the only one who doubts the necessity of a giant battleship I suppose you have an alternative in mind? Yes, Your Majesty. Lets hear it then. With Kim Kiwoos permission, Hot Lava confidently pulled out a blueprint from his chest. The blueprint had been delivered to Kim Kiwoo by the Inner Council. And as he unfolded the blueprint, a smile appeared on Kim Kiwoos lips. I had a hunch, but it was as I expected. The blueprint that Hot Lava had written contained a ship with fighter jets on board. In other words, it was an aircraft carrier. It seems like you need to exin this. Yes, Your Majesty. The exnation that followed from Hot Lava was also about the aircraft carrier itself. You want to load fighter jets on the ship? If thats possible The people in this ce were some of the best weapon developers in the empire. Therefore, the aircraft carrier captured their interest. If this ship is built, the fighter jets will fly around and sink enemy ships that are much farther away than shells. It will give us an unparalleled sea dominancepared to now. Hot Lavas passionate speech made the image of the aircraft carrier naturally rise in the minds of Kim Kiwoo and the developers. After that, a long discussion ensued among the developers. But as time passed, the need for an aircraft carrier became more and more evident. Kim Kiwoo then asked Hot Lava. I think the aircraft carrier is indeed feasible. If I entrust you with the aircraft carrier project, can you make it well? I will not disappoint you, Your Majesty. Very well. Then go ahead and make it. It was a very generous answer. Not only Hot Lava, but also many developers eyes lit up. It would take a tremendous amount of money to build an aircraft carrier, but Kim Kiwoo just briefly thought about it and approved it. Thats how the construction of the aircraft carrier was decided. Chapter 184: Television. Chapter 184: Television. When radio was spreading across the empire and beyond, a technology that could transmit and receive images as well as sound was also emerging. That is, television. In fact, the foundation for television was alreadyid before radio came out. It all started when the element selenium was discovered long ago. Hmm. This is an interesting substance. Scientists showed great interest in selenium. That was because selenium had a sensitive property that allowed current to flow when a small amount of light hit it. The scientists who encountered this peculiar element thought. Can we use selenium to send images to distant ces? If this was possible, it would be nothing short of a revolution. However, this was quite a difficult task with the technology at the time. But there are always people who challenge themselves when they see a big sess ahead. Several scientists devised their own devices and seeded in transmitting and receiving images. But these devices were imperfect. They worked too slowly to restore the image, so they could not get a proper picture. Then, the situation changed with the sharp thorn. X-rays Ever since the Dry Towel discovered this new ray, many scientists started rted research. The sharp thorn also joined the research. If I research it, Im sure Ill make a major discovery. Was it thanks to the many scientists who researched cathode rays? Not long after X-rays were discovered, it was revealed that the particles of cathode rays were electrons. Around that time, the sharp thorn also achieved a result with cathode rays. He coated a fluorescent material on the part where cathode rays were shot inside a ss tube. As a result, he discovered a very interesting phenomenon. What? Its glowing? The coated fluorescent material was emitting light. Seeing this phenomenon, the sharp thorn came up with a brilliant idea. Can I use this to disy images? Movies were already quite developed at that point. But that was a method of showing roll films quickly. On the other hand, his idea was to use electrons to disy images. If this seeds Maybe I can watch video broadcasts at home like radio? Of course, it was just a fantasy, but the sharp thorn felt a strong premonition that he could seed. Most of the great inventions start from fantasies, right? People who fantasize are ridiculed and pointed at, but among them, those who realize their fantasies be great people who remain in imperial history. The sharp thorn understood this logic well. Thats why he changed his direction to research how to express visual information using cathode ray tubes. And not long after, the sharp thorns research bore fruit. I did it! He created a device identical to the Braun tube in the original history. It was the same as coating fluorescent material on the screen and using electrons that were shot. What he added was creating countless dots called pixels and controlling electrons to collide with the desired pixels. The sharp thorn named this device after his name, Thorn Tube. The reaction to this was quite hot. Oh! A device that disys images, thats amazing! It provided a clue that if electrical information about images was given, images could be sent quickly over long distances. Moreover, at this time, radio broadcasting was spreading rapidly, so visual expression by electrons rather than sound attracted more attention. People began to think like the sharp thorn that they could watch video broadcasts at home. Thanks to that, he broke through the fiercepetition and even received an imperial medal. Congrattions. Th-thank you! Kim Ki-woo patted the frozen shoulder of the sharp thorn and smiled kindly. He knew very well how great this video receiver would be as an invention. Thats why Kim Ki-woo added this: I guarantee you. The Thorn Tube you made will surely be widely used all over the world someday. R-really? Of course. So be proud of yourself. Yes, Your Majesty Sharp Thorn was so moved by those words that he shed tears. After the medal ceremony was over, he became a schr at the Imperial University based on his achievements. And he vowed. As Your Majesty said, I will do my best to make the Thorn Tube avable to the world. Your Majestys words had never been wrong. He was sure that Your Majestys words woulde true even if he did nothing. But he wanted to bring that day forward as soon as possible. Sharp Thorn thought that was the way to show his loyalty to Your Majesty. Sharp Thorn racked his brains. How can I make the Thorn Tube popr? And he found the answer in the radio. People are rushing to buy radio receivers because radio broadcasting has taken root, right? He thought that the role of the radio receiver and the Thorn Tube he made were the same. He concluded that if he met other conditions, the poprity of the Thorn Tube would naturally follow. To do that, I need a technology to capture images. He thought that the method of converting electrical signals into images on the Thorn Tube screen was the most ideal. *** The Thorn Tube was a device made without much research on cathode rays. But making a device to capture images was a very difficult task. In this situation, the Imperial University was a great help to Sharp Thorn. Image capture Thats interesting. If sessful, it will be as revolutionary as a film roll. The Imperial University was where the camera was invented. Perhaps because of that, there were many schrs who were well-versed in rted fields. Sharp Thorn often had meetings with them and continued his research step by step. He persevered in making a transmitter that could capture images electronically. Of course, countless failures followed him. He was also experimenting with the transmitter that day. I hope it seeds this time Sharp Thorn muttered his hope and fixed the transmitter on a picture hanging on the wall. If this transmitter worked properly, an image should appear on the receiver in the next room. He moved to the next room with anxiety. And he closed his eyes tightly and turned on the receiver. Zzzz Then a familiar mechanical sound came. Sharp Thorn slowly opened his eyes. Huh! And he was startled. Its working! Its an image! Hahaha! A fairly clear image was projected on the receiver, and it was obviously the picture that the transmitter was pointing at. Thats how television was developed. Afterwards, Sharp Thorn applied for a patent for television. In the meantime, he also established the transmission and reception methods for television. After this process was somewhat finished. Sharp Thorn wondered. How can I make television popr? He didnt bother to start apany using television. Anyway, as television spread, huge royalties would follow. The original purpose of being enthusiastic about research was also to poprize the Thorn Tube. And he also got a hint from radio for this. Just like when radio stations opened, if Your Majesty appears on television, demand will skyrocket in an instant Didnt countless people make a fuss about getting radio receivers to hear Your Majestys voice? But this time its one step further with images. It meant that they could see Your Majestys movements with their own eyes. This would be a very powerful temptation. It might cause an even bigger sensation than the radio. Sharp Thorn continued to spread his wings of imagination. It doesnt seem impossible. Theres already the precedent of the radio, right? If His Majesty had been reluctant to expose himself to the public, he wouldnt have appeared on the radio broadcast. Moreover, as expected, His Majesty seemed to have a great interest in the activation of mass media. Otherwise, he wouldnt have bothered to give a speech on the first broadcast on the day of the opening of the capital radio station. Of course, no matter how much he was a schr of the Imperial University who received the imperial medal, he had no way to express his opinion directly to Kim Kiwoo, who was called the whole of the empire. Thats why Sharp Thorn went to see the department head and voiced his opinion. Are you saying that you want to use His Majesty, the great emperor, for your own selfishness? Are you in your right mind? But the response he got was not at all friendly. The department head saw Sharp Thorn as a person blinded by greed. No matter how much Sharp Thorn tried to persuade him, he was adamant. In the end, the meeting with the department head ended without much benefit. Rather, only bad rumors about him circted. However, the situation changed drastically by the Imperial University president who heard such rumors. Hmm. Theres enough reason for that. The president did not deny Sharp Thorns idea. He was probably someone who had met Kim Kiwoo regrly as he became the president of the Imperial University. So he knew Kim Kiwoos interest in mass media to some extent. The president immediately called Sharp Thorn and had a conversation with him. Is that really true? Thats right. Ill try to report it once. Of course, the decision is up to His Majesty, so you might be rejected. I understand that. Thats enough for me. Then wait and see. Ill let you know when the resultes out. Yes, Mr. President! After that, the president kept his promise. He submitted a report using his authority as the president of the Imperial University. Kim Kiwoo, who received this report, was very interested. Hahaha! What a bold guy. I will punish the president and Sharp Thorn who dared to make such a proposal to His Majesty Stop it. Dont jump to conclusions. Kim Kiwoo stopped the minister of internal affairs who was about to punish the two people. The ministers high loyalty sometimes went too far like this. Well, not only him but also many other ministers were simr. Dont think about anything silly and go do your work. Yes, Your Majesty. After the minister of internal affairs left the office, Kim Kiwoo seriously considered appearing on television. Certainly, if I appear on television like I did on radio, many imperial citizens will like it. The reaction to this seemed no less than that of radio. Thanks to my radio speech, radios were distributed very quickly. Of course, there was a lot of merit in solid content such as radio dramas, news, and talk shows, but what made people buy radios for the first time was his speech. As a result, many radio stations were created in no time and radios became poprized. The poprization of television is no less than that of radio. Theres no reason why it cant be done. In the end, Kim Kiwoo made a decision. Just like he did with radio broadcasting, he decided to fully support television broadcasting. Of course, television development had just finished. There were still many processes left to distribute televisions and broadcast them. But these were things that would be done fairly easily once they started supporting them at the government level. The important thing was his decision. And once he made a decision, he was confident that television poprization would bepleted in no time. Chapter 185: East Asia. Chapter 185: East Asia. Meanwhile, the world was facing a golden age that seemed to nevere again in history. Come on, lets get to work! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home! Ugh The cargo just keepsing in. As the man said, countless ships docked at the port every day. They unloaded their containers and loaded new ones, then calmly left the port. Before long, the container system had be the standard of the empire and firmly took root. Thanks to that, the heavy equipment for loading and unloading containers could be easily found at any port. Thats true. They say the port is constantly expanding, and new ports are being built But it seems like the workload is increasing instead. Of course it is. The two gxies have shortened the shipping distance drastically, right? Hmm His words were somewhat true. Since the opening of the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal, the cargo ships no longer had to go around long distances. The shorter shipping distance meant they could visit the port more often, which was natural. But that was not all. It was more because of the increasing number of countries that had achieved some degree of industrialization, and naturally increased the volume of goods. Globally, the demand for various new products that did not exist before was expanding endlessly. Most of the new products were developed in the empire and became a worldwide trend. Countless people admired and imitated everything from the empire, and gradually epted its culture and religion. Some countries even had a sense of imperial superiority that regarded their own culture as backward. Later, historians would call this period not globalization, but Wakantanka Empire-ization, as it was so serious. Especially for the top figures of various factions in the empire, it was like a fish in water. Heh. What a wonderful world. I wish it would always be like this. These words were constantly heard throughout the upper echelon. This was only natural. The modernization and industrialization of the world was mostly done with the capital and technology of the empire. The most invested thing was the budget of the imperial government, but not less than that, the funds of each faction were also constantly invested. For each faction, this period was something they could not miss. No, they would be considered fools if they missed it. The leaders of each faction believed that as long as the budget of the imperial government continued to be invested, unless there was any major incident, the economy of that country would grow. And in fact, this belief had not been broken so far. The economies of most member states grew explosively, giving a lot of money to the factions that had invested from the beginning. As a result, the economies of the World Union member states were actually eroded by more than a certain amount by the imperial government and factions. The more the world grew, the more this phenomenon became apparent. Among them, the one who benefited most was none other than Top Eagle Faction. Top Eagle Faction, made by Swift Rope, was currently operated by two faction leaders. Its unusually cold this year. Faction leader Gentle me tightened his clothes against the cold. He had heard that Hanyangs temperature had dropped below minus 10 degrees Celsius, but it was no joke. Its been a long time. You must be busy with your work. How are you Its only natural to treat you like this when Top Eagle Faction leaderes. Haha. I appreciate your words alone. As Gentle me and his party got off the train and came out, there was a crowd of people waiting for them. And among them was Foreign Minister Lee himself. It was like a scene of weing a state guest. It seemed too much for dealing with a mere merchant. But Lee Yi did not think so. Top Eagle Faction is more influential than any member state. People liked to rank things. And one of the most interesting topics rted to this was: Which faction is the best faction in the empire? The reason why it did not say the best in the world was because it was widely recognized that the best in the empire meant the best in the world. The answer to this question changed from time to time, but at least Top Eagle Faction also took first ce many times. It was amazing considering that it was created quitetepared to other prestigious giant factions. This was because East Asia had a lot of influence. The countries of divided China, Joseon, and Japan Federation. Their modernization was the fastest in the world. Especially, the speed of modernization of Joseon and Japan was among the top five. Along with the modernization of East Asian countries, the wealth and influence of the Eagle Summit also increased explosively. It was natural. It was not for nothing that Lee Yi personally came to the train station. *** The next day. Gentle me met with the king of Joseon, Lee Yi Ho. Its been a long time, Your Majesty. You look as dignified as ever, which is nothing but a blessing for Joseon. Haha. Indeed, its been too long. I thought you had lost interest in Joseon, Summit Lord. How could that be? Dont you know how much gratitude our Summit owes to Joseon? Our country also does not forget the efforts of the Eagle Summit. Lee Yi Ho and Gentle me exchanged pleasantries. In fact, both sides were in a win-win rtionship, so the atmosphere was very warm. Gentle me continued his words. I was really surprised yesterday on my way to the pce. What do you mean? Because Hanyang has developed so much that I couldnt tell if I was in the Empire or not. Is that so? It was clearly apliment. But Lee Yi Hos expression was not entirely bright as he agreed. Hanyang is developing, but The old appearance of Hanyang is gradually disappearing. There were some countries in the world that had a strong sense of imperial superiority. And one of them was Joseon. Joseon was so sensitive to the trends of the Empire that there was no other ce like it. Thanks to this, there was a positive effect of bringing in new things faster than any other country, but there were also many people who criticized the tendency to disregard their own culture and prioritize the culture of the Empire. Even the faith in spirits had already established itself as the dominant religion in Joseon, with an overwhelming number of believers. The fact that the king of Joseon was a descendant of spirits added a political purpose to this trend. It cant be helped He himself was the one who adopted the policy of imitating everything from the Empire for the sake of national development. He was even in a situation where he was following a simr policy of northern expansion and capital relocation. But Lee Yi Ho couldnt help feeling sorry as he saw Joseons culture shrinking gradually. Still, he had no intention of stopping this policy. Thanks to this, Joseon was able to reach a position second only to the Empire within the World Union. I cant wait to see the future of Joseon soon. It will surely be the second strongest country after the Empire. Beyond Manchuria, Joseon has Siberia, a vast territory. I wonder how many resources are buried in thisnd How much help can a frozennd be? He said that, but in fact, Lee Yi Ho also had high expectations for Siberia. Joseonsnd was veryrge. In terms of size alone, it was second only to Wakan Tanka Empire. Of course, most of the area upied by Siberia was still close to being abandonednd, so it was only big in size. But when Manchurias development and capital relocation werepleted, and they started to develop Siberia in earnest, things would change. There was a huge difference between a country with abundant underground resources and one without them. Joseons national power was already among the best, but more importantly, it seemed to be stronger in the future. He is truly a wise king. Gentle me thought about the king of Joseon, Lee Yi Ho, who was in front of him. In this rapidly changing situation, nothing was more important than the ability of the national leader. The leader had to modernize and industrialize the country with the given capital and resources, and unite the people, in order topete with the neighboring countries. There were many countries in the World Union that fell behind the times due to the ipetence of the king, the corruption of the nobles or the powerful, and the division of the people. On the contrary, the current king of Joseon had managed to unite the people without causing a big political fight. It was not for nothing that the Empire warned against Joseon. They said that Joseon could be a powerfulpetitor of the Empire in the future. Anyway, the future will surely be dominated by Asia, especially East Asia. Well, its not a bad thing for us. East Asia had always been populous. The recent poption growth rate was alsoparable to that of the Empire in the world. The ten countries of China grew rapidly based on theirrge poption. If China had been united China would have been the second strongest country after the Empire. But China was stuck in a state of being divided into ten. Gentle me admired the foresight of his father, Swift Rope, and Kim Ki-woo, who nned to split China. The potential of a united China seemed very high. And theres also the Japanese Federation Theres no easy country in East Asia. Japan was divided into two by Hojo Ujitsuna and Ouchi Yoshitaka, centered on Kyoto. But now they were united in a federal form. This was influenced by Joseon. They felt a very serious sense of crisis when they saw Joseon growing at an amazing pace right next to them. Of course, because they were a federation, their political forces were also divided into two and they quarreled a lot, but at least they wanted to develop Japan. It was unknown how long they would maintain this unstable federal system. *** Many countries, including East Asia, were growing endlessly under the support of the Empire, but there were many people who saw this reality negatively. The Empire is cheating us! They are nothing but leeches that suck our wealth! Think about why the Empire created the World Union. The Empire is enving us economically and politically! The general reaction of people who heard these ims was like this. Tsk tsk. They have nothing toin about, so theyin about the Empire. They dont think about living in such a good world thanks to the Empire. There is no country as humane and rational as the Empire. So youre Lee Ying. Is it right for the Empire to block us and not support us? Thats nonsense. However, although they were not popr, many intellectuals around the world supported and advocated these ims. I admit what the Empire has done so far But its definitely too much. The worlds economy has fallen into the hands of the Empire long ago. As time goes by, this phenomenon will be more entrenched. Then it will be hard for countries that are disliked by the Empire to survive. Religious people who saw spiritism negatively also joined them. Chapter 186: Assassination. Chapter 186: Assassination. Of course, not all people of other religions rejected the spirits. It seems like there are spirits when you look at the immortal emperor of the Wakan Tanka Empire Yeah. No ordinary human could do that. The emperor must be a spirit. The spirit faith was not established for long, but it was already the major religion of the world. This was partly because the Wakan Tanka Empire was an unbeatable superpower, but more importantly, because of the influence of Kim Kiwoo, the immortal being. People naturally epted or believed in the existence of spirits as they saw Kim Kiwoo living forever with their own eyes. And there was another way to interpret this. Look at the emperor of the empire. There are spiritual beings in this world. God must surely be watching over us. At that time, science had advanced and atheists had increased slightly. Religious people criticized them and pointed to the emperor of the Wakan Tanka Empire as evidence. The spirit faith was a polytheistic religion in itself. Therefore, it also acknowledged the gods of other religions. If not, there would have been more religious conflicts. Thats why most religious people didnt bother to attack the spirit faith. But there were religious people who had an exclusive tendency to other religions, as it should be. They denounced the spirit faith as heresy and treated it as a cult. Spirits? Ha! Theres no way such things exist! Even though there was clear evidence of Kim Kiwoo in front of their eyes, they denied it. They must have thought there was some trickery involved. No matter how much evidence they were presented with, they didnt get through to them, and they even questioned back. Why does the emperor have such strict security if he is an immortal being? Why doesnt he show his face at official ceremonies? Its because hes just like a normal person who can get hurt, bleed, and has only one life. This was true. Kim Kiwoo knew very well. The fact that his life was more important than anything else. Kim Kiwoo thought that protecting his own safety would be more helpful for the survival of humanity than millions of people dying. Of course, he had already gone beyond modernity and was heading towards modern civilization, so maybe Kim Kiwoo was no longer necessary for humanity. But what was certain was that the moment Kim Kiwoo died, the Wakan Tanka Empire would be engulfed in severe chaos. There were many ambitious people in the empire, but they couldnt stretch their legs because of Kim Kiwoo. Maybe the moment Kim Kiwoo died, the empire would be shattered into pieces. And because of whatever killed Kim Kiwoo, there could be war and chaos in the world. If that time was after nuclear development, it could not rule out the possibility of arge-scale nuclear war that did not exist in the original history. Considering all this, Kim Kiwoos life was a sign that guaranteed a stable survival for humanity. Thats why Kim Kiwoo hid himself very well. As a result, many assassination attempts that had been carried out so far had gone to waste. How dare you do such a disrespectful thing to His Majesty the Emperor. You wont die easily. And those who were directly or indirectly involved in the assassination did not survive on Earth, which was virtually ruled by the Wakan Tanka Empire. They werepletely annihted by the shadow organization with a blue earth as its emblem. The scale of the shadow was beyond imagination. But thanks to people who were wary of the empires continuous growth and fanatical religious people, assassination attempts against Kim Kiwoo never disappeared. And eventually, a big disaster happened. *** The regr meeting of the World Union is held twice a year, on April 1st and October 1st. People from each country with a certain level of authority must attend this meeting. If you do not attend the regr meeting without a special reason, you will be warned first, and then sanctions will follow. Of course, the meeting hall was located in the capital of the empire. It was where the World Conference was held. The regr meeting did not end in one day. Depending on the issue, it could take weeks. Since many issues that determined the future of their countries were discussed at this meeting, it always resembled a battlefield. And when the meeting was held, Kim Kiwoo sometimes gave an opening speech and sometimes did not. It meant that he didnt always make time for it. Is His Majesty giving an opening speech this time? Yeah. He didnt do it both timesst year. Maybe he made time for it because of that. That could be true. Even if they were ambassadors plenipotentiary, it was not easy to see Kim Kiwoo in person. Therefore, the news that Kim Kiwoo took charge of the opening speech was treated quite heavily. And there was someone who had been waiting and waiting for this news. His name was George Taylor, the ambassador plenipotentiary of Britain. Finally As soon as he heard the news of Kim Kiwoos speech, George Taylor cheered inwardly. This time, Ill peel off the thick mask of that fraud with these two hands! His eyes were zing with madness. He was a powerful and trustworthy person who was capable of being the ambassador plenipotentiary of Britain, but before that, he was a fanatic who hated the spirit faith. George Taylor hated the filthy Catholics, but more than that, he hated the spirit faith that reduced the omnipotent Lord to one of many gods. Therefore, he believed that shooting and killing Kim Kiwoo and denying the existence of spirits was the noblest way to martyrdom. Of course, George Taylor knew very well. How hard it was to assassinate Kim Kiwoo. But they never dreamed that an ambassador plenipotentiary of a country would be an assassin. He had been an ambassador plenipotentiary for three years, and he was confident. Confident that he could seed in assassinating him. And finally, the morning of April 1st dawned. The day when the first half of the regr meeting of the World Union was held and Kim Kiwoos speech was scheduled. *** Maybe it was because he had prepared for a long time. Or maybe it was because they thought that the ambassador plenipotentiary of Britain would never do anything subversive. Phew I did it. George Taylor was able to smuggle a small pistol into the meeting hall. And he was lucky. The seats for the regr meeting changed periodically, and this time, George Taylors seat was second from the front. That meant he was very close to Kim Kiwoo, who would give the opening speech. Ill be back in a minute. I need to use the restroom. Hmm. Follow me. The restroom was a state-of-the-art flush toilet. George Taylor asked the guard who followed him. Are you going to follow me inside the toilet? No. Ill wait here. Go ahead and do your business. Alright. After finishing his words, Taylor went straight into the stall and closed the door. And he actually did his business. If he didnt, it would have been suspicious. And he quietly assembled the pistol. He had brought it in pieces, so he needed to put it together. After finishing this work, George Taylor flushed the water and came out calmly. And he went back to his seat. Thump, thump. He had prepared for a long time, but when he was about to assassinate him, his heart beat like crazy. George Taylor tried not to show it and waited for Kim Kiwoo toe in. Hes here! And finally, Kim Kiwoo walked into the meeting hall. His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire will soon give an opening speech. Please be quiet, everyone. When Kim Kiwoo went up to the podium, this announcement was heard. But George Taylors attention was focused entirely on Kim Kiwoo. And finally, when he was about to start his speech. George Taylor pulled out a pistol from his chest. Dieee! And he quickly aimed at Kim Kiwoo and pulled the trigger. Thanks to his long practice of shooting, his effort paid off. Soon after, a gunshot rang out loudly. Bang! Ugh! Unfortunately, the bullet hit Kim Kiwoos torso precisely. He had been practicing shooting for a long time, and his effort paid off. Immediately after, Ugh! Cra, crazy!! Aaaah! Yo, Your Majesty! The meeting hall was filled with shock because of the sudden gunshot and Kim Kiwoo falling down bleeding. In the meantime, Bang! Bang! Two more gunshots followed. He was excited by seeing him spitting blood and falling down, but George Taylor focused on killing Kim Kiwoo for sure. Damn! But unfortunately, as soon as Kim Kiwoo fell down, the guards who were escorting him nearby threw themselves at Kim Kiwoo. They blocked the bullets with their bodies. One of them died instantly by getting shot in the head. You bastard! After three shots, George Taylor could not fire any more bullets. He was already subdued and beaten severely. Kuhuk, kuhuhuk! But even though he felt a great pain, George Taylorughed like crazy. He thought of himself as a judge and believed that he hadpleted his mission. It was a moment when the empire turned upside down. No, the whole world. *** Your Majesty! Sob! Sob! You cant leave us for the spirit world like this, Your Majesty! When news of Kim Kiwoo being shot spread, there were cries and wails on every street of the empire. Please please! The people of the empire waited for news of Kim Kiwoos condition. At that time, Kim Kiwoo received treatment as soon as he was shot. The doctors who always took care of Kim Kiwoo followed him around, so the treatment was immediate. Thanks to that, Kim Kiwoo was able to ovee the crisis. Hes over the worst. Fortunately, the bullet missed his heart by a bit, so there should be no damage to his life. What if the bullet had gone a little bit to the side Even if he is His Majesty, it would have been hard to survive. Sigh Only then could the various officials and family members of the empire breathe a sigh of relief. Then when will His Majesty wake up? Thats hard to say exactly. Its true that he missed his heart, but its still a serious gunshot wound We have to wait and see how it goes. Hoo I understand. The news that Kim Kiwoo had risked his life spread quickly. Along with the news that Kim Kiwoo could have died if things went wrong. The people of the empire were very happy that Kim Kiwoo survived. Thanks to that, the panic situation calmed down a bit. And what followed was a great anger. How dare you shoot at His Majesty the Emperor of Wakan Tanka Empire! We can never forgive this! The people of the empire needed a target to express their extreme anger. And that target was Britain and its religion Protestantism, which were rted to George Taylor. We cant live under the same sky with Britain and Protestantism! Give them blood for blood! A merciless hammer! The people of the empire took to the streets and shouted for war. They hoped that the overwhelming power of the empire would sweep away their enemies. Chapter 187: Retribution. Chapter 187: Retribution. Oh, how could this happen? Queen Elizabeth I of Ennd stared nkly at the ceiling. Her face was pale as death. What are we supposed to do now In one day, they had be mortal enemies with the Wakan Tanka Empire, the worlds strongest nation that controlled the whole world with one hand. It would have been different if it was an ordinary British citizen who did such a crazy thing. But the one who shot the emperor of the empire was none other than their own plenipotentiary ambassador. He was a representative of Ennd. And the stage was the regr meeting of the World Union. There was no way to fix this situation. Elizabeth felt her vision blur. I never imagined that George Taylor, who was so kind, would do such a crazy thing I cant believe it. Its a relief that the emperor survived. If not I dont want to think about what would happen next. As long as we dont know when the emperor will regain consciousness, we have to consider the worst-case scenario. The atmosphere in the parliament was very gloomy. The water had already spilled, and everyone knew that there was no way to resolve this situation without paying any price. How did I grow this country Ennd so much Many words continued to pour out, but Elizabeth did not hear them well. Before Elizabeth ascended the throne, Ennd was nothing but a second-rate country in Europe. But she made Ennd one of the best countries in Europe. Europe could not dominate the world as in the original history because of the Wakan Tanka Empire. They could not build colonies in Africa, Asia, or America. The Age of Exploration was not Europes history, but the empires history. But Elizabeth adapted well to the currents of this era. She actively went under the shadow of the empire, and sought development by giving many benefits to the empires merchants. At the same time, she reconciled the religious conflicts between Anglicans and Catholics as much as possible. As a result, although it was very poorpared to Ennd in the original history, it reached a respectable position in the World Union. But a single incident threatened to destroy the tower she had built with great effort. Elizabeth was furious. It was too unfair. But Elizabeth calmed down her boiling emotions. The first thing to do now was toe up with a countermeasure. Of course, their position had already been decided. Whatever the Wakan Tanka Empire wants, tell them we will ept it. No matter what conditions they propose. Elizabeth continued in a heavy voice. Right now, opposing the empire is insane. We have to lie low until the emperors anger subsides. Hmm Cough! At the queens deration, a sound of saliva came out of the mouths of the members of parliament. But no one objected to Elizabeths opinion. They all knew that they could not and should not do that. *** But the situation was more radical than Elizabeth thought. The homnd has nothing to do with this unfortunate incident. Whatever decision the empire makes, we will follow it. After Kim Ki-woo was shot, the major countries of the World Union quickly issued statements. This was no different for countries close to Ennd. They closed their borders with Ennd and did not want to have anything to do with them. Thanks to that, Ennd waspletely isted in an instant. No one took Ennds side. The situation of Anglicans was almost simr to that of Ennd. While each country was busy moving, an emergency meeting was also held in the empire. The symbol of the empire, the imperial conference hall, was very quiet. Even though all the ministers were gathered in one ce, there was hardly any noise. Thud, thud. But a mans footsteps broke the silence. Normally, this man would have been Kim Ki-woo. But Kim Ki-woo had not regained consciousness yet. The man sat down right below Kim Ki-woos seat. He was none other than Wide Sky, the crown prince and second-inmand of the empire. And it was stated in the imperialw. When Kim Ki-woo had some kind of ident, the crown prince would take over his role. So Wide Sky hurriedly came to the capital and opened an imperial meeting right away. I will start an emergency meeting now. The face of the crown prince was stiff. If you looked closely, you could see how much he was suppressing his anger. In fact, he was in a state of extreme anger right now. This was no different for other ministers. Its an unbelievable thing that happened. How can a plenipotentiary ambassador of a country shoot at our great emperor? This is a huge challenge to our empire! The foreign minister is right, Your Highness. The culprit was Ennds plenipotentiary ambassador. That means he shot at our emperor on behalf of Ennd. The blood that flowed from our emperors body must be paid with the blood of the British! Not only the British, but also the Protestants. Its time to show them whos boss. The motive of the culprit must have been for religious reasons. After that, various opinions from the ministers poured out, but the general context was consistent. Thorough retribution for Ennd and Protestantism! Thats what the ministers wanted. Wide Sky listened to the ministers words quietly and thought. Ennd and Protestantism are lying low They expressed their willingness to pay any price as long as they could appease the empires anger. But it was not enough to end it with just getting something from them. Its not something that can be passed over so easily. It was not only because of his own emotions that were boiling hot. The empires mass media was highly developed, and the empires peoples anger toward Ennd and Protestantism was amplified by the mass media. What if they let it go in this situation? If the people get angry, they will rise up. Until now, the empire had been stable, thanks to Kim Ki-woo, the absolute existence in the empire. But with Kim Ki-woo lying in bed, anything could happen. In other words, the decision was already somewhat decided. Harsh retribution for the forces involved in the incident. Thats the only answer. Even if they received international criticism for this, they had to do it. Kim Ki-woo was such a being to the imperial people. Of course, there would be few countries that would openly criticize them. They didnt want to get involved in this incident. They also knew how precious Kim Ki-woo was to the empire. International politics was ruthless, and it was a wrong judgment for a politician to board a sinking ship. In the end, the crown prince made a decision. I approve of war against all the forces rted to the emperors shooting incident. *** As soon as the war was decided, it spread like wildfire. Extra, extra! Various newspapers poured out war-rted news, -And so, His Highness the Crown Prince and the ministers approved of a swift war The radio broadcasts were full of war stories. People discussed it whenever they gathered. Of course it turned out like this. Did they think they could mess with the empire and get away with it? Weve given them so much until now. They cant even repay our kindness, but they repay it with enmity. Shameless bastards! The imperial people epted the war as a matter of course, and did not think for a moment that they would lose the war. Thats because the difference in military power was too great. This was true for anyone in any country in the world. Even if they asked ten people, ten would think so. Even though the power of new weapons had not been revealed yet. The defense minister, who was also Kim Ki-woos fourth son and the leader of the shadows, Blue Earth, thought simrly. No, he didnt even think about losing. The important thing was not that. He said to Wide Sky in a private meeting. Brother. I think we should use this opportunity to imprint our empires strength on all countries. We have been working hard for world peace and development until now. We created the World Union under our leadership and poured out enormous money, technology, and manpower for the prosperity of member countries. But whats the result? Didnt such a disgraceful thing happen? You have a point. But your words are biased. This incident was caused by a few ignorant people. Its not right to condemn all member countries of the World Union. Well. They are just keeping quiet because they are getting big benefits from the empire, and because the empire is so powerful. But things will change if they gain power to oppose us in time. Dont you know that humans, especially those in power, are not trustworthy? Wide Sky agreed with Blue Earth to some extent. Even if it wasnt such a tragic incident, there was no guarantee that some form of provocation wouldnt happen. When Wide Sky was silent, Blue Earth continued. In the end, what matters most in international politics is military power. Only overwhelming military power can prevent future provocations. Hmm Wide Sky let out a hum. He felt that Blue Earths words were skewed. Maybe because he had spent his whole life in the military, he had too much faith in military power. So youre still determined to lead the army yourself? Yes. Wide Sky thought. If he leads the army, the war will be more heated. It wont end easily. But he couldnt stop him. Even though he was acting on behalf of Kim Ki-woos authority as crown prince, he didnt have as much power as Kim Ki-woo. He could approve or reject war, but it was not easy to interfere with the army after approving war. Of course he could do it if he wanted to, but there would be a lot of bacsh. He didnt want to fight with his brother over this. Fine. But dont drag innocent forces into the war. If that happens, I wont let it go. I understand. Then Ill take my leave to prepare for war. After saying that, Blue Earth bowed his head to Wide Sky and left the room. Phew Is this right? Wide Sky fell into deep thought as he recalled Blue Earths cold eyes. In a way, he was pushed by the situation and approved of war. But was this decision right? He kept wondering. What would father do if he woke up right after being shot? I wish he would wake up soon He thought of Kim Ki-woo, who had not regained consciousness yet. Wide Sky sincerely wondered. Would Kim Ki-woo have approved of this war if he had regained consciousness right after being shot? No, to be precise, he felt a great burden. This decision would cause enormous property and human losses. Many of them would be innocent victims. The fact that all this happened because of his decision made him miserable. So he hoped that Kim Ki-woo would wake up as soon as possible and take this burden off him. But unfortunately, his wish did note true until the war broke out. Chapter 188: Retribution (2). Chapter 188: Retribution (2). After the meeting with the crown prince. The Blue Earth began to elerate its preparations for war. We have to crush them overwhelmingly. So that they never dare to think otherwise. They say that if you keep showing kindness, they will take it for granted. The Blue Earth saw signs of that happening. It was not just this recent incident. Of course, the empire had gained a lot, but it had given much more. There was a reason why the World Union members could achieve rapid growth. But they always took this support for granted, even though it was not at all. They would criticize the empire that helped them whenever the scale of support was slightly reduced, due to the corruption and lies of the national leaders. The Blue Earth had witnessed this several times. The Blue Earth knew Kim Ki-woos will to develop the whole world as well as the empire, so it let it go. But it thought that it was necessary to create some tension once in a while. To make them realize that the empire could also deal firmly when it needed to. Therefore, this war was more important to show the difference in power than to win, like a person stepping on ants. When the war is over, the world will be stained with shock and horror. With this thought, it prepared for war, and this question came to mind. Do we really need to deploy this much force? Considering the level of their army, it seems too excessive. Right. Does the defense minister intend to wipe out all those small inders? Whats wrong with that? Thats what they deserve for harming the great emperor. No way! Thats not right! What did the civilians do to deserve that? Unfortunately, the military was already dominated by hardliners. They fervently supported the Blue Earths response and dreamed of a huge blood revenge. This is not right The military is going crazy. If a mass ughter urs, there will be a huge criticism against the empire afterwards. It will ruin all the positive image we have built so far. As long as history continues, it will be remembered as the atrocity of the Wakan Tanka Empire. There were many people who worried about the aftermath of the war. But from the citizens to the military, everyone was blinded by revenge after seeing Kim Ki-woo shot and fallen. Thats how much touching Kim Ki-woo was like touching a taboo. *** At the hastily convened World Union meeting, war approval was granted. The empire has dered war on us! Finally On the other hand, Britains atmosphere was as gloomy as it could be. They tried every possible way to avoid war, but it was not enough. Is there really no way? The empires ambassador has already withdrawn and unterally cut off allmunication channels. War avoidance is virtually impossible. I see That sounded like a death sentence to Elizabeth I. George Taylor, that madman, did not shoot the emperor of the empire for Britains sake. But why did all the British people have to bear the damage? She hated herself in the past who appointed George Taylor as an ambassador. But it was toote to turn back. Regret did not change the future. No matter how powerful the enemy is, we cant give up. For the lives of our people living on thisnd, we will fight. What do you mean Prepare to face the empire in battle. Elizabeth finally decided on war. Britain was an ind nation. But all contacts with neighboring countries had been cut off, so it was isted on the ind. There was no way out. There were only two choices: die quietly or die fighting. Then they had to try something. Maybe they could defend themselves by luck. Of course, there were few people who really believed that such a miracle would happen. So Britain also began to prepare for the uing war. *** We will also fight with the empire. The emperor of the empire is a prophet of humanity. We cannot tolerate such a great being being harmed. Thats right. Please allow us to join the war. Before and after the deration of war, many countries expressed their desire to join the war. They used Kim Ki-woo as an excuse and some actually had such feelings, but their intentions were slightly different. It was obvious that the empire would win anyway, so they wanted to score some points with the Wakan Tanka Empire and get more benefits or support. But the empire rejected all these proposals. We are willing to allow observation and filming of the war. But participation is not possible. They refused so firmly that they had no choice but to back off. The member countries were satisfied with just getting permission to observe. There were so many observers from various countries that their scale was also veryrge. And among them were observers from Joseon. Are these weapons all deployed in this war? Thats what I heard. I wonder how amazing these weapons are Im curious already. Kang Gyo-woon, an observer from Joseon, nodded his head without realizing it as he listened to his colleagues conversations. There were so many weapons he had never seen or heard of. But one thing was clear, they looked incredibly powerful. There was hardly any fear of war in the military. They dont even think they will lose. As he was thinking that. Please board the ship, all observers. We will be sailing soon. It was time to sail. Come on, lets get on. Kang Gyo-woon boarded the designated ship with his colleagues. And soon after, a massive fleet sailed toward the sea. Kang Gyo-woon leaned his hand on the railing and talked to his colleagues while looking at the fleet. I heard it, but the empire has a lot of giant warships. Im envious. We are also trying to build giant warships, but I dont know when they will bepleted Its just enviable. Kang Gyo-woon opened his mouth to his colleagues who were listening quietly. But I heard that the empire is not trying to make any more giant warships. They are powerful, but not cost-effective. Thats true. Im more curious about the ability of that ship. Which ship? The aircraft carrier? Yes. They say it carries a lot of carrier-based aircraft. It canunch fighters on the sea, I wonder how powerful it is Everyone agreed. I heard rumors that its power is tremendous. Well, thats why they stopped producing giant warships and poured money into aircraft carriers. I heard that not only the construction cost, but also the maintenance cost is beyond imagination. They wouldnt waste money in the empire, so Im looking forward to it even more. In fact, not only Joseon, but all observers showed the most interest in the power of the aircraft carrier. Hmm. Aircraft carrier It must be powerful, but I think there is something else that will decide this war. Do you mean tanks? Haha. It wasnt just my thought. Yes. Tanks will be the weapon that will break through Britains defense line. True, how can we stop those stupidly sturdy tanks They seem to be unaffected by any explosion. They had only seen the tanks moving when they were loaded on the ship, but the observers were sure. It would not be easy to stop those tanks. Tanks The empire created a tactic called defense line, and now they havee up with a perfect way to break it. With thebination of nes and tanks, defense line battles will likely disappear into history. Kang Gyo-woon once again marveled at the meticulousness of the empire. They were already the strongest country, but they always tried to maintain their position by developing weapons without any negligence. They showed no signs ofcency. They continued to talk about the empires weapons. From thetest semi-automatic rifles to powerful bombs. In the process, Kang Gyo-woon realized naturally. This war was a war that the empire could not lose. *** The distance between the empire and Britain was rtively close. So it didnt take long for the imperial fleet to reach near Britain. They had already devised a strategy before the deration of war, so the imperial fleet moved as promised. There is no need to attack only one ce. If their power was equal, they might have decided to fight together. But that was not the case, so the Blue Earth decided tounchnding operations from all sides. It thought that this was the only way to end the war quickly and overwhelmingly. Eventually, the imperial fleet scattered. And the first ce where war broke out was none other than St Georges Channel. The British army also detected this appearance of the imperial fleet. And they saw it as theirst chance. We cant beat that monstrous fleet that sticks together even if we die ande back to life. The only chance is now when they are torn apart in small groups. So they came up with an extreme tactic in Britain. They gathered their own fleet in one ce and tried to defeat each small imperial fleet one by one. It was a strategy that risked other fleets reaching Britains maind. The British fleet ambushed in St Georges Channel and attacked the imperial fleet. Obvious. But the imperial fleet that was attacked did not shake much. They had expected this to happen to some extent, and intelligence was constantly being delivered through shadows. Do they think they can hurt us with just that much, even though we are torn apart? Its a foolish struggle. Then we have to show them that they are wrong. Launch carrier-based aircraft. Yes, captain. After the order of the aircraft carrier captain fell. Shoo! Shoo! The carrier-based aircraft began to take off from the aircraft carrier. nes? Ahh! That sight was too unfamiliar for the British fleet. Until now, naval battles were decided by cannon duels. But suddenly fighters flew out of ships. They were not prepared for such a battle at all. And as always, war was unfavorable for those who were less prepared. Soon after, carrier-based aircraft began bombing British ships. Bang! Bang! Crazy How do we deal with that! Ahh! Help me! The British fleet had almost no means to attack carrier-based aircraft. As a result, they unterally epted bomb baptism. The result was miserable. They struggled as much as they could, but the British fleet melted away like ice cream under the sun by the numerous carrier-based aircraft. And so, within an hour of the start of the war. There was not a single British ship left in the sea. The British fleet that had gathered together was all buried in the sea. The observers who watched this scene could not say anything. I knew it would be overwhelming, but I didnt expect it to be this much The power of the aircraft carrier that he actually saw exceeded Kang Gyo-woons expectations. And he realized. Naval battles in the future will be decided by the presence or absence of aircraft carriers. That means The current imperial fleet is invincible. Thats how Britains naval power was neatly wiped out at the same time as the war began. Chapter 189: Retribution (3). Chapter 189: Retribution (3). After the British fleet was annihted, Britainpletely lost its naval supremacy. That meant that the only means to resist the imperial armysnding was the coastal fortresses equipped with coastal guns. The coastal guns had some advantages over the naval guns. They were installed in fortified positions, which made them easier to defend. They also had no shaking, which increased their aiming and firing uracy. They were better than naval guns in many ways. However, that was only true if they were at a simr level. The problem was that there was a huge gap between the two sides in terms of the range, uracy, and power of their guns. Fire! Boom! Bang! Boom! The scattered imperial fleet targeted each coastal fortress. The imperial guns had a much longer range than the British ones, so the imperial fleet bombarded the coastal fortresses without any retaliation. The result became clear soon enough. Report, damage! Aaaargh! Oh God, why have you forsaken us The thick walls of the coastal fortresses crumbled under the powerful fire of the imperial guns. As time passed, the coastal fortresses were thoroughly destroyed. Damn it, how are we supposed to fight against those things! This is madness The morale of the British soldiers plummeted as they felt the destruction of their positions. The oue was practically decided at that moment. Hold your ground! Fight for Her Majesty! Themanders tried to encourage their soldiers with all their might, but their words sounded like nonsense to the panicked soldiers. Soon, rebellions and desertions broke out everywhere. The will to fight was almost gone. Can we approach them now? One of the staff officers of the imperial fleet suggested this, but the captain did not agree. We have plenty of shells. Its better to eliminate any possible variables. And dont forget, our goal for this expedition is to obliterate Britain. Were still far from that, so keep pouring shells on them. Understood. The other imperial officers who heard this clicked their tongues at the captains ruthless decision. Lets give them morebat experience while were at it. Who knows when well have another war like this. Training was important, but it was never the same as realbat. The captain wanted to make the most of this opportunity. And most of the other captains made simr decisions. As a result, all of the British coastal fortresses were reduced to rubble. Begin thending operation. Yes! Thending operation started as soon as the coastal fortresses were wiped out. But by then, the coastal defense capability was already lost, Whoosh! And in the sky, nes were providing cover for any possible ambushes. Thending operation ended too easily. We have secured the coast! Well done. The imperial army prioritized capturing all of the ports and nearby port cities in Britain. Then they quickly unloaded the necessary military supplies at the ports. In this process, many cargo ships were mobilized. The cargo ships that crossed the Antic Ocean spewed out military supplies endlessly at each port. Wow Are all those supplies for this war? The sight was magnificent. The observers felt the immense economic power of the empire as they saw the enormous amount and quality of the military supplies. So this is what they meant by a war of economic power. They were not wrong about that. Kang Kyoun-woon realized this harsh truth. After that, as soon as all of the military supplies were unloaded on British soil, The real war began. No, it was retribution. ** Move quickly! The imperial army will be here soon! But my stuff is still over there Hey! Hurry up! It had been happening for a while, but then it became more serious. The residents of the coast started to evacuate ind. Of course, being an ind nation, there was nowhere else to go but deeper ind once they lost control of the sea. Fire! Yes! Then, the British army made theirst attempt. They had already lost all of their ports, but they dug trenches in various ces ind and prepared to defend them with machine guns. Unfortunately, Whirring! All of these preparations were captured by reconnaissance nes. And this information was immediately reported to Blue Earth. He was nowmanding the imperial army directly on British soil. Of course, he was not at the front line, but at amand post in the rear. But even in the rear, he could receive real-time reports on the war situation thanks to the advancedmunication technology. How pathetic. Blue Earth muttered this and chuckled. The British army was moving exactly as he had expected. It was inevitable. With their current weapons and tactics, trench warfare with barbed wire and machine guns was the best they could do. But trench warfare was not a universal tactic for the imperial army. Then Ill have to make them realize. That trench warfare is already an outdated tactic. He organized his thoughts and gave an order. Start the scorched earth operation. Yes, sir! The order was quickly ryed to themanders of the imperial army. So it begins. Tsk. Itll be a sea of fire soon. Themanders announced the start of the scorched earth operation to the imperial army and imagined the hell that was about to unfold. And their horrible imagination soon became reality. Rumble The first ones to move were the heavy tank units. What is that Gasp! Those metal monsters areing! Sh, should we shoot? What else can we do? Do you want to just watch them until they get here? Shoot them when they enter our range! Yes! The British soldiers followed theirmanders order and started shooting as soon as the imperial tanks entered their machine gun range. Dadadadadadadadang! An incredible rate of fire. The firepower was impressive. If the targets were imperial soldiers, they would have been turned into bloody corpses. But machine guns were weapons for anti-personnel purposes. They were useless against the imperial tanks, which had paid a lot of attention to their armor strength. Ting ting ting ting! The bullets could not prate the tank armor and bounced off. My God! Lord have mercy The British soldiers who witnessed this with their own eyes were dumbfounded. Shoot, shoot the shells! Yeah maybe the shells will work! But the shells were no different. The soldiers were engulfed in despair. How are we supposed to stop those monsters Meanwhile, the tanks slowly advanced. They mercilessly crushed the barbed wire and finally reached the trenches. Thats when the massacre began. Ratatatatatatat! The medium machine guns mounted on the tanks fired at the trenches with an incredible rate of fire. Boom! Bang! Grenades were thrown into the trenches evenly. Aaaargh! Aaah! The British soldiers screamed and died miserably in the trenches or ran away to the back. The puddles that had umted in the trenches due to the frequent rain in Britain soon turned red. It took only a little over two hours to break through most of the trenches built in Britain. *** At that time. When will he wake up? What if he Hey! Shut your mouth! Oops! I almost said something stupid. Im sorry. Im just too anxious I understand how you feel, but you have to be careful what you say. As Kim Ki-woo remained unconscious for a long time, various worries surfaced. In this situation, the pressure on White Sugar, Kim Ki-woos physician, was tremendous. He kept praying and praying. Please wake up And today, he watched over Kim Ki-woos condition again. Then. Twitch! Huh? White Sugar saw it clearly. Kim Ki-woos right index finger moved. Your, your majesty. Are you awake? White Sugar asked Kim Ki-woo with a trembling voice. Then Kim Ki-woos eyes slowly opened. Hmm. Aaaah! When Kim Ki-woo regained consciousness, White Sugar shed tears of joy. And this news was quickly spread throughout the pce. The pce was instantly filled with excitement. Regardless. Kim Ki-woo tried to recover his fuzzy mind. Right. I was shot in the chest and copsed. The image of a bullet flying into his chest. And the image of many guards throwing themselves at him. All of that reyed in his head. Help me up. Yes, your majesty! Kim Ki-woo slowly sat on the bed with the help of the attendants. White Sugar tried to stop him. Your condition is still very bad. The gunshot wound was not good. Kim Ki-woo looked down at his chest. I survived a gunshot to the chest. Its a miracle. And he asked White Sugar. Whats going on right now? Well Ill exin it to you, father. At that moment, Crown Prince Wide Sky entered the room and spoke. Its been a while. How have you been? Yes, father. Im sorry for being so busy. No, its fine. I know you have a lot of work to do, so dont apologize. From the start andpletion of the construction of the Panama Canal in Central America, to its opening. The ce that was in charge of this series of events was none other than the Central American Governorate. The crown prince, who was the governor, was already very busy due to the development of Central America. And because of the canal, he became even busier. So he couldnte up to the capital for a while. This was his first face-to-face meeting with Kim Ki-woo in four years. Its ironic that our reunion is in a sickroom. Not very pleasant. He had this thought for a moment, but Kim Ki-woo soon snapped out of it. And he changed the topic. So, youre here in the capital. That means you made some decisions on my behalf. Yes, father. The crown princes expression was very dark. Kim Ki-woo sensed something from his face. By your look, you must have made some difficult decisions. Yes, father. Kim Ki-woo hardened his face and ordered the crown prince. Tell me everything without leaving anything out. Well The crown prince told him everything from the moment Kim Ki-woo copsed to the current situation of the war. Hmm! After hearing all of it, Kim Ki-woo held his head. Britain is being obliterated? He just found out that the culprit who shot him in the chest was Britains plenipotentiary ambassador. But there were already countless casualties in Britain As soon as Kim Ki-woos displeasure showed on his face, the crown prince knelt down. The war that started without your permission was all my decision. I take full responsibility for it. No. Its not your fault. Everyone wanted revenge, so how can you be med for that? But Enough. I understand. You can leave now. At Kim Ki-woos dismissal, the crown prince left the room weakly. How ironic. It wasnt enough to take thisnd, North America, from Britain. Now were going to destroy thempletely. Of course, the original owners of thisnd were the natives. But if Kim Ki-woo hadnt been there, the British would have surely be the masters of the vast North American continent. And they would have won the War of Independence and be the United States. But because of one person, Kim Ki-woo, the British never reached North America. And now, even their homnd was being utterly destroyed. Perhaps Kim Ki-woo was the one who caused the most damage to Britain by his arrival. Chapter 190: Ceasefire. Chapter 190: Ceasefire. The destruction of Britain was regrettable, but also strange in a way. They have avenged the original history without knowing it. In the original history, the Native Americans of North America were decimated by the diseases brought by the Europeans. They were also pushed westward by the Americans, who were created by the British, and eventually copsedpletely during the Westward Expansion. At that time, the Native Americans were forced to live in small areas called Indian Reservations, which were mostly wastnds. Some tribes resisted, but they were no match for the overwhelming power of the United States. As a result, their total poption dropped to about 350,000 by 1920. Kim Kiwoo, who knew this original history, felt a strange irony in the current situation. But this is something that never happened. This kind of massacre is too excessive for revenge. Kim Kiwoo was also angry that he almost died. If the bullet had hit his heart, his eventful life would have ended. But it was only because George Taylor, the British plenipotentiary ambassador, was a madman. Nothing more, nothing less. It was obvious that the British government and people had no intention of harming him. This war was nothing but a scapegoating driven by emotion. It will only tarnish the image of the Wakan Tanka Empire, which ims to be the center of the world. In fact, this was more important than his sympathy for Britain. Most countries would not look favorably on such a one-sided ughter. The Empire had maintained world peace with its overwhelming strength until now. It was because there was a trust that the Empire would not abuse its power. The Empire had created the World Federation, suppressed conflicts, and restrained from wars unless it was a special case. Thats how it gained this trust. But this trust was broken by this incident. -What if George Taylor was one of our people? Then now, we would be the target of the Empires guns. Of course, he understood the reason and knew why the imperial citizens were so obsessed with revenge, but he thought that many people around the world would feel fear in their hearts when they imagined this scenario. This was not a good thing for the Empire. We need to calm down the imperial citizens and end this war as soon as possible. After finishing his thoughts, Kim Kiwoo got out of bed. Ugh He felt like his body was not his own, probably because he had been unconscious for a long time. The pain in his chest was also quite severe. Your Majesty. You need to rest. Dont worry about me. Kim Kiwoo ignored White Sugars concern and immediately gave orders to his aide. Summon an imperial meeting right away. And until a conclusion is reached at the imperial meeting, stop all military actions on British soil. Yes, Your Majesty! The news that Kim Kiwoo had regained consciousness and his decisive order spread quickly. Thanks to that, all war activities stopped as if by magic in Britain, where enormous damage had been umting. Your Majesty! Oh! Im so d Sob! As Kim Kiwoo entered the imperial meeting room, it was stained with relief and joy. The ministers thanked him with tears of happiness. Kim Kiwoo sat down in his splendid seat andforted them. I know youve been through a lot because of me. But you dont have to worry anymore. Your Majesty, yourplexion is still not good. How about you take some rest for a while? Thats right. Nothing is more important than your health, Your Majesty. Please grant us your request. Most of the ministers agreed. Kim Kiwoos face was very pale after just getting up from his sickbed. The ministers wished him to rest until he recovered. Kim Kiwoo nodded slightly. Who said I wouldnt rest? Ill take a good break for a while after this is over, even if you try to stop me. If youre worried about my condition, help me end this situation as soon as possible. There must have been a lot of things happening while I was down. Kim Kiwoos voice at the end was cold as ice. The ministers who had been serving him for a long time knew that he was not in a good mood. As a result, they became silent. Kim Kiwoo looked around them and continued. Whats the current situation? New Minister of Internal Affairs, Ill report to you. Go ahead. As Kim Kiwoo agreed, the Minister of Internal Affairs stepped forward and began his report. Hmm And as the report went on, Kim Kiwoo swallowed his saliva as he learned of Britains huge damage scale. Its worse than I thought. With just one battle, Britains naval power was annihted, and their capital was destroyed in just two hours. What followed was nothing but ughter and destruction. The Empires bombers kept dropping bombs on Britains major areas, turning them into infernos, and the ground forces with tanks pushed ind. The war was over in just a day, and Britain was already half-ruined. Elizabeth Is hard-built factories and facilities were almost gone, and even the pce was destroyed. The number of British people who died in the process was also too many. It was only thanks to Kim Kiwoos quick stop of the war that it was this much. If I had woken up a dayter. No, even half a dayter Britains damage would have been iparable to now. It was obvious from the huge amount of bombs still left in Britain. Thats all. After the Minister of Internal Affairs finished his report, the meeting room was silent. Kim Kiwoo asked them. How do you feel after hearing the report? Is this really what you wanted? There was no one who could answer Kim Kiwoos sharp gaze. It was the first time they heard the specific damage scale of Britain, since the full-scale scorched-earth operation had started less than a day ago. Of course, I understand your feelings and the feelings of the imperial citizens, but this was too much. The Wakan Tanka Empire is the center of the world, isnt it? As such, we should have been more careful, especially when using force. We apologize, Your Majesty. We were short-sighted. The ministers bowed their heads at Kim Kiwoos rebuke. There was no excuse that they had no choice but to appease the great anger of the imperial citizens. After all, it was a fact that most of the ministers had agreed to start the war. I dont want any more meaningless sacrifices. So Im going to dere a ceasefire. Do you have any objections? Of course, there were no objections. Kim Kiwoo continued. Then I dere a ceasefire from now on. All imperial troops on expedition should withdraw. Yes, Your Majesty! ** The war ended with a huge scar on Britain. Hmm. Too many people died As soon as the damage scale of Britain due to the war was revealed, many people had this thought. However, most of the imperial citizens cheered loudly. Im so d that His Majesty woke up safely. Hahaha! I was really worried that he wouldnt wake up for a long time. First of all, the imperial citizens were greatly relieved that Kim Kiwoo had gotten up unscathed. And as for the damage scale of Britain, They deserved it. They did such a horrible thing to His Majesty, so this is a natural consequence. I think its not enough But well, His Majesty decided that way, so we have to follow. Most of the imperial citizens reacted as if it was obvious. This is not good. Kim Kiwoo frowned as he received the report on the social atmosphere. He felt that the pride that had umted from living as the citizens of the overwhelming strongest nation had gone beyond pride and be arrogance. In fact, he had felt this sign for a long time. The national power was so overwhelming that the imperial citizens had a sense of superiority over the people of other countries. He had tried hard to eliminate racial and regional discrimination for a long time, but it did not subside easily. I guess I have to start the television broadcast sooner. Actually, he had been preparing for the television broadcast for a long time, and he was adjusting the first broadcast date. The sale of cathode ray tubes, which were the receivers of television broadcasts, had started sincest year. Thanks to the news that Kim Kiwoo would give a speech in person on the first broadcast, cathode ray tubes were widely spread. The wealthy imperial citizens had enough money to buy cathode ray tubes. Wow, finally the television broadcast is starting? Im really looking forward to it! Its amazing that we can see not only sound, but also images at home. Wow I want to hear His Majestys speech as soon as possible! The news that the television broadcast was officially starting made people who hadnt bought cathode ray tubes buy them. There was no shortage of cathode ray tube supply thanks to the long preparation period. And on the day of the broadcast. The broadcast finally started. Huh? Hmm The imperial citizens who turned on the television expecting Kim Kiwoos speech stared at the images that began to appear on the cathode ray tube. The television showed scenes of the imperial army mercilessly ughtering the British and British people who lost their families in the ruined cities. It was a vivid portrayal of the horrors of war. Ugh! The cruel scenes were censored as much as possible, but they were still so terrible that some imperial citizens with weak stomachs vomited. They were too unfamiliar scenes for the imperial citizens who had lived in peace for a long time. After a while. The screen changed and Kim Kiwoos face appeared. Your, Your Majesty! The eyes of the imperial citizens widened at the sudden screen change. But because of the previous gloomy images, Kim Kiwoos face looked very grim. Soon Kim Kiwoos speech began. Did you see it well? This is the result of the war we caused. The images are only a part of it. The reality is much more horrible than the images. Many innocent British people were killed because of our anger, and Britishnd was devastated. Bang! Kim Kiwoo mmed his desk and ranted. Is this what you wanted for revenge? Do you feel relieved now that you havepleted your revenge? I dont. I cant see anything because of tears when I think of the countless lives that were killed innocently! Kim Kiwoos speech continued while the imperial citizens who watched it could not say anything. The one who shot me in the chest was George Taylor. He was responsible for Britain because he was their plenipotentiary ambassador. But he was just a lunatic. Because of his madness, innocent British people were killed and theirnd was ruined. Is this what the great Wakan Tanka Empire did! I still cant believe it! Kim Kiwoo cleared his throat for a moment and resumed his speech. You are the citizens of the great Wakan Tanka Empire. But this was an act that I cant believe was agreed by the citizens of a great nation. I hope this mistake will not be repeated in the future. Thats how Kim Kiwoos short but powerful speech ended. Chapter 191: Nuclear. Chapter 191: Nuclear. Kim Kiwoos speech left asting impression on the imperial citizens. Although it was a low-quality ck-and-white screen, most of the imperial citizens saw Kim Kiwoos actual appearance for the first time. Thats why they were deeply moved by his real image. However, the atmosphere of the imperial citizens was not very bright, thanks to the horrific war footage and the speech that scolded them. It was definitely an unimperial way of dealing with this war. More importantly, it was an act that went against His Majestys will. Its true that we were too excited by the fact that His Majesty was hit. This war was not right. Of course, that didnt mean that their resentment towards Britain was resolved in an instant, but as always, Kim Kiwoos words changed the public opinion of the empire by 180 degrees. It was a scene that showed Kim Kiwoos influence in the empire. When the domestic atmosphere reversed like this, the imperial army that had been on an expedition to Britain was withdrawing back to the maind. Did you call me, Your Majesty? Did youe? Sit down there. Yes. As soon as the war ended, Kim Kiwoo called themander-in-chief of this war, Blue Earth. And Blue Earth came to the capital by ne as soon as he arrived at the port. You look very tired. I told you to take a few days off ande back. No, Your Majesty. Im fine, so please dont worry. However, Blue Earths face did not look fine at all. In fact, the reason why hisplexion was not good was not because of fatigue. It wasnt a long war, and it had been less than a day since the scorched earth operation began. Even considering the travel distance, it wasnt enough to make hisplexion so dark. Kim Kiwoo guessed why to some extent. Is it because of the speech? He hit the mark. Thats why Blue Earth had no choice but to remain silent. Well. From his point of view, it must have looked like he was scolding himself. The one who led this war was Blue Earth, themander-in-chief. He showed no mercy in incinerating Britain. He only thought of an overwhelming and shocking victory. To prevent any country from challenging the glory of the empire in the future. Ive seen signs of that since before. He started to do that when he became the defense minister, and it got much worse as he ruled for a long time as the leader of the shadows. The shadow was basically an information organization. That meant that they had ess to a lot of secret information about conspiracies, ambitions, power struggles, etc. of various countries. To Blue Earths eyes, the member countries were just hyenas who were hiding their teeth because of the empires strong power, and they would show them at any time. Thats why he thought it was necessary to show off the empires strength. Its not apletely wrong idea But this response was not very good. Say what you want to say. You dont agree with my words? No, Your Majesty. It is my fault for not understanding your will. You are right about your fault. Squirm. As Kim Kiwoo agreed too easily, Blue Earths eyebrows twitched. Without paying attention to him, Kim Kiwoo continued. Its not your fault for not understanding my will. Think about it. What did the member countries of the World Union feel when they saw this war? Well They must have seen the overwhelming power of the empire with their eyes and ears, so they wont be able to act rashly in front of us. Haha. Of course they will outwardly. It would be foolish to attack us recklessly after confirming the difference in power. It would be a disqualification as a ruler of a country. But they would have thought this. Kim Kiwoos eyes shone sharply. Oh. The Wakan Tanka Empire is just like them. A country that mercilessly incinerates weak countries if they dont like them. But thats! Are you going to say that it was because Britain did us a great wrong? Yes. Did Britain reallymit such a great wrong? No. It was a madman who wore a mask of British ambassador who did it. There is now that says such a person should not appear in their country. Because of this war, the trust in the empire among member countries has dropped a lot. Hmm At this point, Blue Earth somewhat agreed. It was a reasonable argument. Kim Kiwoo went further. So now some member countries will start paying attention to their armaments. They have spent less money on military spending by relying on the empires power, but as their trust in the empire has declined, they will spend more money on arming their army. Kim Kiwoo had hoped that the member countries would spend the money they spent on military spending on their own development. And the empire achieved results by acting as the police of the world. However, the current situation was like the police abusing their authority. The member countries had no choice but to prepare their own measures. What will happen if some member countries start arming their army? Other countries will also have to pour more money into their military. They cant just sit still when countries of simr levels increase their power. A full-scale arms race will begin. Then what should we do in the empire? We cant fall behind. The empire must maintain its overwhelming power as it is now, so that the world can be peaceful. Right. The current system was established because there was an insurmountable gap in power. We have to maintain the current situation, so increasing military spending is inevitable. In the end, thanks to this action, a lot of money will be invested in military spending worldwide. It was a war with more losses than gains. As Kim Kiwoos words continued, Blue Earthsplexion became darker and darker. Kim Kiwoo threw a carrot to Blue Earth. Im telling you this because I trust you so much. I know your hard work as a defense minister and as a leader of the shadows. But its a pity that you didnt consider the impact on the empire and the world. Everything is my fault. Thats true, but I wont me you for your mistake. Just remember my words and do your best in your assigned tasks. I will definitely do that. I wont disappoint you again. Im looking forward to it. You can leave now. Yes, Your Majesty. As soon as the dismissal order fell, Blue Earth carefully retreated. Kim Kiwoo was immersed in his thoughts alone in his office. Actually, I exaggerated a bit. The world situation was likely to go as Kim Kiwoo expected. Kim Kiwoo didnt exaggerate that. What he exaggerated was the need to spend more money on military spending for overwhelming power. Kim Kiwoo didnt feel the need to increase military spending. The military spending he invested now was enormous, and more importantly, it would bepleted soon. The asymmetric weapon that shattered Japans resistance during World War II. Nuclear weapons will bepleted soon. Nuclear weapons. It was a terrifying weapon that could wipe out a city with one shot. It wasnt for nothing that they tried so hard to prevent nuclear proliferation in the original history. Einstein said it. He didnt know what the main weapon of the Third World War would be, but the main weapon of the Fourth World War would be stones and wooden sticks. It was a word that showed the unparalleled strength of asymmetric weapons. It meant that human civilization that had been built up until now would be destroyed by nuclear weapons and return to the Stone Age. But Kim Kiwoo had no intention of giving up nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are bound to be made anyway. This was a predetermined course in the face of natural scientific progress. Thats why Kim Kiwoo wanted to make nuclear weapons as soon as possible. If it was now, it would take a long time for other countries to try to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, and by then, the empires nuclear armament would bepleted. And I have to ban nuclear proliferation. Kim Kiwoo had no intention of allowing any country other than the empire to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. The empire would have enough nuclear weapons to incinerate the whole world, so this was not a delusion. The moment when multiple countries have nuclear weapons, a terrible nuclear war could break out due to a momentary idental judgment or mistake. Actually, they were lucky in the original history. There were dozens of times when a nuclear war almost broke out during the Cold War. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the most representative example. Kim Kiwoo wanted to prevent this possibility in advance. Even if the situation came where he threatened the whole world with massive nuclear weapons. *** The short but shocking war between the Wakan Tanka Empire and Britain ended, and the observers returned to their countries. And they spread the records they had taken to their countries. As a result, the videos and photos taken in Britain spread uncontrobly around the world. And those who saw them were shocked as expected. An aircraft carrier This is why all of Britains naval power disappeared in an instant? How can we stop that ship? Thats nothing. Britain became a ruin in just one day after the war started. Britain was, well, a country that was quite respected in the World Union The existing defenses were useless in front of tanks, fighters, and bombers. I knew the empire was powerful, but their power was much stronger than I thought. Thanks to this, some member countries that had been looking for a chance to defy the empires mood quickly tucked their tails in as if nothing had happened. No matter what, it was too much. If His Majesty had woken up a littleter Ugh, I dont even want to think about it. We cant just hope for the empires mercy anymore. Unfortunately, as Blue Earth and Kim Kiwoo expected, an arms race began with some member countries as a starting point. Even if peace continued, they couldnt just sit still when they saw other countries arming themselves. International politics is a fight for justice. And this war was a good reason to arm their army. But Kim Kiwoo wasnt shaken by this, because he expected it. On the surface, he just allocated a little more budget to military spending. But behind the scenes, he gave this order. Even if you have to invest more money and manpower, you have to make bombs using nuclear fission faster. Nuclear tests were quite dangerous, so nuclear weapon development was carried out in an underdeveloped area far from the city. Butmunication was well developed, somunication was very smooth. Finance minister. Allocate more budget for nuclear weapon research. I will do that. Interior minister, recruit more rted experts. Yes, Your Majesty. As Kim Kiwoo finished speaking, the industrial minister who had been listening quietly raised a question. But is the new bomb were researching so great? Great or not. Kim Kiwoo nodded his head without a hint of doubt and red coldly. Do you believe that I can vaporize everyone who lives in this capital with just a few bombs? Is that really true? Ugh If it develops further, it might be possible to erase the capital of the empire with one shot. The ministers faces turned pale with horror. After that, there was no minister who questioned him. More budget and manpower were allocated than before, and as a result, nuclear weapon development waspleted faster. And Boom! The worlds first nuclear test seeded. It was the moment when the empire finally armed itself with nuclear weapons. Chapter 192: Rest Period. Chapter 192: Rest Period. Wow! Is this the true power of a bomb I expected it to be powerful, but this is really amazing destruction. How can we stop this bomb? I have created a devil with my own hands. I hope it will never be used in realbat. The researchers who conducted the nuclear weapon test were amazed by the monstrous force they had created. As a result, some of them could not rejoice in the sess of their research like others. Rather, they worried repeatedly. On the other hand, Kim Kiwoo calmly epted the sess of the nuclear test. If everything went ording to n, he wouldnt have to use it anyway. Produce nuclear weapons secretly. I will reveal them to the worldter. Yes, Your Majesty. He only gave this order. After the ministers left. Kim Kiwoo returned to his peaceful daily life. He walked around the garden where various flowers bloomed beautifully and thought. I think Im gettingzier. After the war, Kim Kiwoo finished the major issues. And he went straight into rest. At some point, he strengthened the authority of each department and relieved the workload that was concentrated on him. But he never had a long rest. Then this shooting incident happened. Kim Kiwoo decided to rest for a long time when he settled the war to some extent. Now theres almost nothing to worry about. The level of science had risen to around the mid-20th century of the original history. And schrs from all over the world, especially from the empire, were creating advanced civilizations on their own. This nuclear weapon test was also like that. He just ordered them to make nuclear weapons, but the ones who made them were rted experts. Its bittersweet. Kim Kiwoo was involved in many researches until he put humanitys scientific civilization on track. But he didnt need to do that anymore, so he felt relieved, but also disappointed. He felt like his necessity was gone. Now I have to live doing what I want. He had to take a break anyway because of his injury. His heart was spared, but the gunshot wound was very deep. As a result, everyone from the ministers to the imperial citizens wished for Kim Kiwoos absolute stability. He was fully recovered from his injuries now. But Kim Kiwoos rest period was still long. He wanted to try everything he wanted during this break. But what should I do? Its not easy to go out of the pce. He had already gone through a big change once. As a result, he only rested in the pce. Of course, the pce was so spacious that it wasnt very stuffy. Kim Kiwoo tended the garden or wandered around the pce, and invited various people to chat with him. He wanted to hear the thoughts of the main figures who led the empire. Or he met with kings of member countries and talked with them. He yed games like chess or baduk with them, or drank tea. But this static leisure life also became boring little by little. This kind of thing was for a day or two, but it was boring to have the same routine every day. Kim Kiwoo said to his minister. Im getting tired of this life now. Dont you have any good ideas to have fun? The minister said as if he had been waiting for this. I knew you would say that, so I made a list of things you can do in the pce. Hmm Kim Kiwoo received a paper from his minister and scanned it. Then he nodded his head. You know how to prepare well. Good job. The ministers face brightened up at Kim Kiwoos encouragement. Behind him, Kim Kiwoo looked over the list again. The list was very diverse, but Kim Kiwoo somehow paid more attention to sports. Invitation game viewing Kim Kiwoo didnt bother to bring sports teams into the pce and have games. Sports are more fun when there are many spectators cheering for them. But if games were held in the pce, there would be very limited spectators. It would be like ying games for Kim Kiwoo only. Of course, the chosen teams would consider this an honor, but he didnt really want to do that. He wasnt interested in watching either. Rather I want to do it myself. He wanted to experience various sports that fascinated imperial citizens with his whole body. Sports would be good. Which sport do you want? I will call the best team of the sport you want to watch. I dont mean watching. What do you mean? I mean ying by myself. Ministers, gather people who have some skills in sports among the residents in the pce. Do you mean you want to participate as a yer yourself? But your body condition is still Dont you know Im all better? Dont worry about my body condition. If youre really worried, you can check with the doctor. Kim Kiwoo said firmly. And the minister knew. He never changed his decision once he made it. In the end, the minister had no choice but to agree. I understand. Then what sport do you want to y? Hmm. Lets start with ser. Ser was the most familiar ball sport for Kim Kiwoo. He often yed ser with his friends in the neighborhood when he was young, and he had frequent ser matches in the army. He didnt watch European ser or K-League much, but he watched the World Cup every four years. Of course, he never yed ser after he arrived, but he knew the rules very well since he was the one who introduced ser in the first ce. *** The preparation for the ser game was done in a sh. His Majesty wants to y ser! With this one sentence, all the young men who knew how to y ser in the pce showed their interest. The pce was sorge that there were plenty of young men who could y ser well. Rather, the work of selecting the best yers among them took the longest. Please pick me! No, I can kick the ball better than this guy! Hundreds of men rushed to be selected,peting with each other. Kim Kiwoo solved this problem easily. y a game and select the best ones. But that will take time I need to practice ser for a while. Yes, Your Majesty. As a result, the matter became quite big. The Ministry of Interior invited people who had made a name for themselves in ser. They made them judges for the test that involved countless men in the pce. Mine! Here! Bang! Aaah! Screech! The game was really fierce. The sturdy men tried to get the honor of ying with Kim Kiwoo, risking their injuries and ying hard. Eventually, yellow cards were abused, and even red cards were frequently pulled out of the referees chest. Sigh And the judges who evaluated the heated test kept sighing. It wasnt because of the excessive tackles and body fights. This kind of heated game situation wasmon in professional sports. What amazed the judges was the ser skills of the men. Theyre so good? Theyre monsters. Some of them have enough talent to dominate as pros. Of course. Dont you know that buzz cut guy? Hes very good, but I dont know him well. Well. You might not know him if youre from the northern continent. But havent you heard his name? The Transparent Wave Th-The Transparent Wave? The one from the central continent? Haha. You know him. The monster who led his team to victory alone in the high school national tournament. But he didnt go pro and retired I thought he had a passion for academics. No. He became a royal guard after countless training. He said it was his dream since he was young to serve His Majesty. He achieved his dream. People who are good at sports are good at sports. And ser was a national sport. So among the royal guards, there were many men who had been famous in ser during high school. This was simr for other sports as well. Eventually, about thirty men, including the Transparent Wave, were selected for their ser skills. Seeing them, the judges said. This team could make a good pro ser club Its a shame. Thats right. Their physical abilities are overwhelming. But they didnt know yet. That their wish would actuallye true *** After twists and turns, he started a ser game with a team made up of pce men. And he felt nostalgic for his past. Nostalgic for his military days. I remember when I was a sergeant. No, this is worse than that Kim Kiwoo had been working out regrly. He had been recovering from a gunshot wound for a long time and his body wasnt as good as before, but he was rebuilding his body after he healed. But even so, there wasnt a single person among the yers who had less physical ability than Kim Kiwoo. And on top of that, all the selected yers were very good at ser. Was it because of that? Kim Kiwoo felt ratherpetitive and his fighting spirit soared. As a result, he yed ser every day in the pce for a while. Damn. The skill gap is too big, isnt it? And I told them to y seriously. This is ridiculous. Was it because of that? Kim Kiwoo scored a hat-trick in no time. Haa The other yers yed normally, but when the ball came to him, the opponent yers became scarecrows. It was the same this time. He caught the ball and just faked it slightly in front of the defender Whoosh! Ouch! Bang! The defender fell with a loud noise. And this was true for all yers. Bang! Even when his shot went wrong and hit the goalkeepers face, it went in as a goal. Geez I know why theyre doing this, but this is not right. This was typical sergeant ser. No, this was worse than that. This was emperor ser. Just an act to make him happy. Nothing more or less than that. Im sure I told them not to do anything dangerous that could hurt me. He didnt have to hear it to see it. Kim Kiwoo thought this while half-time came soon enough. Youre amazing, Your Majesty! As expected, Your Majesty is very good at ser too. This industrial minister is really impressed! When he returned to the bench, several ministers who were watching praised him. Kim Kiwoo gestured to them. The game is not over yet, so go away. The ministers were quick-witted. They noticed that Kim Kiwoo was not in a very good mood and left immediately. After that, Kim Kiwoo said to his minister. Im very unhappy right now. I dont want to y this meaningless game of catching and scoring balls. I want to y real ser. So tell the yers to y seriously. Kim Kiwoo scolded his minister with a sharp look, and the minister bowed his head. I understand. As a result, the half-time was longer than expected. But the situation in the second half was definitely different. They didntpletely copse, but at least they didnt feel like they were tearing up scarecrows like in the first half. Of course, the yers were so skilled that he couldnt score a single goal in the second half. Rather, he ran around so much that he ran out of stamina quickly. Damn. The skill gap is too big, isnt it? And I told them to y seriously. This is ridiculous. Maybe because of that? Kim Kiwoo felt ratherpetitive and his fighting spirit soared. As a result, he yed ser every day in the pce for a while. Chapter 193: Space Exploration. Chapter 193: Space Exploration. Meanwhile, the world civilization was preparing to move on to the next stage. The driving force behind this change was, once again, the Golden Lake. Aftermercializing airnes made of very sturdy duralumin, the Golden Lake announced his ambition to explore space using duralumin and rockets to his acquaintances. By this time, the Golden Lake had already gained an immense reputation as a scientist who surpassed the centurys genius and wasparable to Kim Ki-woo. Naturally, his every move became a topic of discussion. He wants to explore space this time. What a grand ambition. And yet, he doesnt seem like he would fail Well, the Golden Lake always seeded in his research, just like His Majesty. Hey! You shouldntpare him to the great Emperor! Hmm. Im just saying. The tterers wondered if the Golden Lakes challenge would seed this time. This story also reached the ears of the Blue Leaf, the owner of one of the top firms in the empire. So he arranged a meeting with the Golden Lake. You want to explore space this time. I should have told you sooner, but I waste. Yes, my research topic is space exploration. Here, I brought a proposal You dont need to give it to me. The Blue Leaf raised his hand and firmly refused. The Golden Lakes face showed a question. And then he expressed a slight displeasure. Are you rejecting my research? Ha ha. Of course not. You seem to have misunderstood something. I didnt want to meet you to hear your research n. I wanted to tell you the size of the budget that will be allocated for your research. Then you need this proposal to determine the support scale. No. The firm has already decided to allocate this much budget for you. Swoosh. The Blue Leaf handed over a note. The Golden Lake narrowed his eyes slightly and opened the note. At that moment. Huh! Even the Golden Lake, who rarely got surprised, couldnt help but be astonished by the astronomical amount written on the note. And then he asked incredulously. Is this really the budget allocated for my research? If you think its too little, Im willing to raise it more. No, its too much. We dont care what you do with that money as long as its for your research. Of course, we hope that you will share the rights to the profits from your research, as usual. It was a radical offer. In fact, there was no scientist in the entire empire who received as much rights as the Golden Lake. The Golden Lake expressed his doubt. If this amount evaporates, even the firm might be shaken. Ha ha. You underestimate the power of our firm. Dont worry. And this much financial support is your rightful due. Its thanks to you that our firm coulde this far. The Golden Lake could read infinite trust in the Blue Leafs eyes. Thats why his heart felt warm. In fact, he had plenty of opportunities to be independent if he wanted to. He just didnt do it because thisb was the only ce that epted him when he was a construction worker, and because of the loyalty and gratitude he had umted over time, and because he thought that the process and aftermath of independence would be annoying. The result was this infinite trust. Thats why he felt confident that his judgment was right. This money is a bribe from our firm to tell you that we want to stay with you forever. So dont leave us? Ha ha. Of course not. Lets go together until the end. In fact, the Blue Leaf had a slightly different mind. He was one of the top owners in the empire. He wasnt in a position to make decisions based on emotions. I cant afford to lose him no matter what. Maybe he wont seed in any profitable research in the future. But anyway, his overwhelming reputation yed a huge role in the image of our firm, and the Blue Leaf knew that well. This was something that money couldnt buy. Their thoughts were different, but at least their trust rtionship between them became stronger. *** After meeting with the owner, the budget allocation was done immediately. The Golden Lake checked this huge fund and decided. Well, if they want me to spend it, I should spend it. Lets see how much I can spend. His research environment was notcking so far, but he had restrained himself somewhat in allocating research funds. But now he threw away such limitations. Thats when the real spending began. He brought in facilities, equipment, and experts in various fields needed for space exploration, including rockets. Of course, there was one problem. The Golden Lakesb was located in South Continent, and many famous scientists were already tied up with universities orbs. But a hefty sry, the Golden Lakes reputation, and the great goal of space exploration were enough to ovee these obstacles. The development of passenger ships and the construction ofrge airports also made it easier to travel between the north and south. It took a lot of time and effort to set up the research, as it was arge-scale project. The Golden Lake didnt idle during that time. He was involved in setting up the research while designing the rocket theoretically. Of course, sometimes he felt overwhelmed. There was so much he needed. But he had a lot of experience. If I solve one by one, Ill reach my destination before I know it. The Golden Lake realized that he had to solve three main things first. I need to improve the efficiency of the rocket engine. He had made a name for himself in various fields, but the Golden Lakes first start was from the development of internalbustion engines. From the perspective of the top authority in this field, the current rocket engines seemed very inefficient. The rocket fuel is also a problem. It was obvious, but the rocket field was already an active area of research. Whether it was for long-range missiles or space exploration like the Golden Lake. It was also known that the escape velocity of the earth was about 40,000 kilometers per hour, and that the rocket speed and fuel had an exponential rtionship. Based on this, the rocket equation was also derived. But the fuel used in rockets now was in powder form. The Golden Lake realized this while researching the powder fuel before starting the experiment. Powder fuel is not suitable for rockets. It had a strong explosive power for sure. But it didnt burn evenly, so it seemed impossible to explore space with powder fuel. And thest problem was not about the rocket itself. It looks like a lot of calctions are needed. To calcte all these things by hand Ugh, its horrible just to think about it. Weather, season, location, shape, weight, amount of fuel, engine efficiency All these things had to be calcted enough tounch a rocket. Otherwise, the rocket would go somewhere else than intended. To solve this I need a calctor that is iparably better than now. He guessed that as the research progressed, more calctions would be needed and they would require more precision. While he was racking his brains over this. The research preparation was finallypleted. *** With the rockets that have been made so far, we can never explore space. Before starting the research, the Golden Lake gathered the prominent scientists who participated in this research and spoke. Some of them were the ones who made the current rockets that he mentioned, but his harsh criticism had no mercy. He criticized every little part of the rockets that had been developed so far, using them as examples. Were going to overhaul all these things. It doesnt matter how much money or time it takes in the process. What matters is that we will be the first to seed in space exploration. So please follow me. It was an arrogant statement. But thanks to his achievements so far, it didnt sound arrogant. After that, the real research began. The Golden Lake focused on three things that he thought were most important. And he exchanged opinions with the researchers every day on these topics. The first result came out in the field of rocket fuel. If you abandon powder fuel wouldnt liquid fuel be ideal? It seems easier to control the rocket if its liquid. Hmm I think solid fuel would be better than powder. The opinions of the researchers diverged in various ways. And the Golden Lakes conclusion was very simple. Lets experiment with everything. We have plenty of budget anyway. He had already thought before starting the research that if he could buy time with money, he would do so. Thats why he could easily make a decision. After that, experiments on these fuels were conducted. As a result, a liquid fuel suitable for rockets was developed. And then, an innovative idea was proposed. Knock knock. Sir. Iming in. Go ahead. The Golden Lake looked at the man who came into the room with a surprised look. What brings you here? The man, Clear Eyes, was a brilliant scientist, but he hated mingling with others. Thats why he didnt interact much with other researchers in this project. Of course, anyone could knock on the Golden Lakes door if they were a researcher, so he just expressed his curiosity. Well I had an idea. Oh? An idea I always wee opinions. With his permission, Clear Eyes began to speak. To send a rocket into space, we need to ovee Earths gravity and get faster and faster, right? Thats right. Thats also one of the problems we have to solve. Thats why were trying to improve the rocket engine. Thats what I thought. But my idea is a little different. Different? Tell me. At his words, the Golden Lake leaned forward. Do we have to put all the fuel in one tank? Not putting them together? Yes. Divide the liquid fuel into several tanks and detach them when they run out. Ah! As soon as he finished speaking, the Golden Lakes eyes grew huge. And then he jumped up and shouted loudly. Then the weight of the rocket will keep decreasing as it flies! Thats right. The range will definitely increase and the fuel efficiency will be much higher than now. He was so excited that he grabbed Clear Eyes hand. Hahaha! To think of such a way! Thank you very much. Thanks to you, humanity will take one more step closer to space! The Golden Lake immediately summoned the relevant researchers and announced this idea. Oh! Thats a great idea. Indeed The researchers reviews were very positive. And eventually, the fuel separation was finally adopted. Chapter 194: Semiconductors. Chapter 194: Semiconductors. After that, innovative ideas continued to emerge. There was a reason why the so-called experts gathered together, and it was also thanks to Golden Lake, who clearly presented the problems that had to be solved first. But the decisive reason for shortening the time was thepetitive spirit. Damn. The other parts are already showing such results, what are we doing? For space exploration, all parts of the research had to achieve results. If there was a part thatgged behind, the time would be dyed ordingly. The experts joined this research with a promise of a hefty sry. That meant they were famous people. But being behind others was hard to ept for the experts who had pride. Once the atmosphere of the research institute burned up, innovation was achieved. So far, the rockets have been very inefficient because thermal energy is discharged through the exhaust port. If we can only utilize this wasted thermal energy, the power of the rocket engine will change dramatically. The rocket engine part worked hard to utilize the wasted thermal energy and created a supersonic nozzle. When attached to thebustion chamber of the rocket engine, the nozzle could eject the hot gas from thebustion chamber as a jet stream. Oh! This was the answer. At least it seems like the thrust has increased by twice, right? The engine efficiency has skyrocketed, hasnt it? Eventually, in the rocket engine part, Golden Lakes suggestion of dramatically increasing the efficiency of the rocket engine was achieved. Not only that, but they also finally made a gyroscope that kept the axis of rotation in the same direction even if they tilted their body in another direction, and finished all the basicunch preparations. With this, Golden Lake asked earnestly to the researchers beforeunching a formalunch experiment. You all know this, but rocketunch experiments are very dangerous. During a moment when a huge amount of fuel loaded on a rocket isbusted inrge quantities, even a small defect in one part can cause the rocket to explode on the spot. So I will not allow any carelessness duringunch. We all have to share the glory of achieving the first space exploration. Do you understand? Yes, sir! Despite Golden Lakes worries, the rocket wasunched. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Launch! Receiving everyones attention, finally, the rocket engraved with all the blood and sweat of all researchers flew up loudly into the sky. Oh! Its flying high! The firstunch experiment seemed to mock countless worries and flew up to the distant sky. But Boom! Theunched rocket ended its life by exploding brilliantly in the atmosphere. At this, the researchers bowed their heads sadly. Ha Is it a failure? The most expensive fireworks show in the world. How much is that? Well. It went pretty high for a first try. But Golden Lake and the researchers thought positively. Flying high in the sky was half a sess and it was very rare for research to be sessful at once. Anyway, this research had very abundant funds like an inexhaustible spring. T hey could just do it again. The researchers continued to improve their rockets based on research data obtained fromunch experiments. *** Golden Lake was directly involved in all parts. And he also suggested many decisive ideas. The gyroscope also started from Golden Lakes idea. But there was a part that Golden Lake cared about most. It was none other than the calctor part. From the beginning, Golden Lake clearly stated in front of mathematicians and mechanical engineers who were called experts. We will create an all-purpose calctor that has never existed in the world before. A calctor Well, mechanical calctors used now are not very good in performance. If such a thing is made, it will be easy to do a lot of calctions needed for rocketunch. Thats right. Golden Lake admitted calmly. In fact, not only rockets but also excellent calctors were very much needed by Earthbound Group. Earthbound Group was a leader in aviation industry. And airnes also required a lot of calctions. Isnt there an increase in demand for aviation across empires and globally? The scale of calctions that will be entered in future will increase day by day. There are too many aviation idents due to minor calction errors. Due to nature of aviation idents, it is very difficult to find survivors once they crash. Even though death rate from aviation idents was lower than car idents, people were anxious about airnes because of this reason. To poprize airnes more than now, they had to lower ident rate and eventually needed an excellent calctor again. Golden Lake had roughly finished his idea while preparing for research. So he dered confidently. We will use a huge amount of vacuum tubes to make an electronic calctor. Us Using vacuum tubes? Yes. How many vacuum tubes do you n to use At least we have to use more than ten thousand tubes to make calctions possible as much as we want, dont we? Hmm At this time, vacuum tubes were used in many ways. Everything used in radios and televisions was a kind of vacuum tube. The experts gathered here couldnt not know about vacuum tubes. Thats why they sighed. Is that realistic? The weight and volume will be huge, and the power and heat generated will be no joke. Thats probably true. But I think its worth trying. So that when a better material is developed in the future, we can apply it right away. Golden Lake didnt not know the problems of the electronic calctor he was trying to make now. But Golden Lake thought it was better to try first. If you dont challenge, innovation wont happen. Golden Lakes life had been a series of challenges. That was how he achieved great innovations in various fields, from automobiles to aviation, from advanced materials to electronics. He eventually connected a huge number of vacuum tubes and created an electronic calctor. At the same time, Golden Lake also conducted other experiments. I need to make something that can rece the vacuum tubes. None of the researchers thought that the electronic calctor they were making would be poprized. It was too inefficient for that. Therefore, the development of a substitute for vacuum tubes was essential for the dissemination of electronic calctors. The data from the development of the cutting-edge material, duralumin, was very helpful for this. At that time, they had obtained data on various materials. Golden Lake poured a lot of money into the development of electronic calctors and vacuum tube substitutes. The first thing that was made was an electronic calctor. This is amazing. This was Golden Lakes first impression when he saw thepleted electronic calctor. Later, Golden Lakes electronic calctor, which was called the first electronicputer, was born. It used 20,000 vacuum tubes. It was 30 meters long and weighed over 30 tons. After that, Golden Lake tried to operate this monstrous calctor in earnest. And the expected problems came out one after another. The performance is not bad, but The sight of a huge number of vacuum tubes glowing red and working at the same time was quite beautiful. However, it consumed 150KW of electricity per operation, and a huge cooling device had to be used to cool down the enormous heat. The biggest problem was the lifespan of the vacuum tubes. Damn. Its broken again? Where is it this time? Over there! Ugh This is a waste of money. The vacuum tubes had a short lifespan and broke easily. As a result, many people had to wait for the recement of the vacuum tubes. As a result, the time spent repairing this electronic calctor was four times longer than the actual usage time. As expected. Golden Lake shrugged his shoulders as he looked at this unnecessarilyrge electronic calctor. But thanks to this, I collected a lot of data. And I saw the potential of electronic calctors. Golden Lake tried various things with mathematicians using this device. At first, they used an external program method, where they had to manually insert wires for each calctionmand. But Golden Lake soon found another way. It seems more efficient to make a memory device and store the program in advance. Based on this, he made a memory device. And he performed one program instruction at a time from the primary memory device where he stored the program and data. He also adopted binary system and verified its possibility. Its not bad for what it is. He encountered many problems through trial and error, but the performance of the calctor itself was quite good. Thanks to this, it helped a lot with the calctions needed for rocket experiments. *** Opportunityes to those who are prepared. At first nce, Golden Lakes research method seemed like a waste. The huge budget that he had wondered if he could use it all before was rapidly decreasing. That was proof of that. But because of that, a historic invention was made at Golden Lakesboratory. This is a very interesting material. As mentioned earlier, Golden Lake encountered various materials since the development of duralumin. Among them, germanium gave him a fresh feeling. It had a characteristic that electricity flowed or did not flow depending on external stimuli. Hmm. If I use this well Golden Lake felt something intense from germanium. So he used germanium for various experiments. He continued his experiments while making an electronic calctor with vacuum tubes. But he also improved it. And his efforts paid off. This is! Oh my God! It was none other than a transistor made with germanium. The researchers were greatly impressed by its performance and role. Golden Lake was also surprised by the transistor he made. And he started to find out more about its properties. The results were amazing. It could amplify weak signals and use the characteristics of semiconductors to switch roles. Golden Lake focused on thetter among these two performances. The transistor was much smaller than the vacuum tube. That meant that it could greatly reduce size, power consumption, and price. Of course, the first developed transistor had many problems, but Golden Lake and his excellent researchers improved it intensively. And finally they reached the point where they could rece vacuum tubes with transistors. Hahaha! This is iparable to what I made with vacuum tubes! With this I can do not only calctions but also various other tasks. Theputer made with transistors was much smaller than the one with vacuum tubes. And it consumed much less electricity. Most importantly, it was more reliable because it broke less. It was a great sess. Thus, the era of second-generationputers opened, and the history of semiconductors began. After that, semiconductors changed the world little by little. Ironically, this invention had a much greater impact than the main research of space exploration. Thanks to this, Golden Lake became the developer of the firstputer and semiconductors. Not long after the second-generationputer wasmercialized, he alsounched a rocket beyond space for the first time. He wasparable to Kim Ki-woos achievements. He built a huge tower of gold. Chapter 195: Electronic Industry Chapter 195: Electronic Industry Kim Kiwoo was enjoying his rest, but he showed an extraordinary interest in the development of the transistor. Is this the transistor that you applied for a patent this time? Yes, Your Majesty. Naturally, Golden Lake applied for a patent application right away. There were many cases where patents were snatched away by a few days, or even a few hours, difference. Kim Kiwoo nodded his head as he examined the transistor in detail. History may change, but peoples thoughts are still the same. Science and technology developed simrly, albeit with some time differences. And eventually, the transistor, which was called the core technology of the 20th century in the original history, was developed. Is this the gate? It has a proper source and drain. While he was thinking this, the head of science continued his speech. Your Majesty. May I exin to you about this invention called a transistor? Kim Kiwoo was well-versed in the structure of the transistor and the semiconductor. He also knew well about the roles of the three electrodes above. However, to verify it precisely, he granted his request. Go ahead. Yes, Your Majesty. The head of sciences exnation continued. And Kim Kiwoo realized for sure. The signal amplification method of the transistor, and the role of the gate electrode that controls the voltage and acts as a switch for the current. It was exactly the same as the transistor he knew. Kim Kiwoo admitted it sincerely. Its a really remarkable technology. This thing will surely change the world. Do you think so highly of it, Your Majesty? Yes. Of course. Golden Lake has done a great thing again. Tell him that I appreciate his hard work. He will surely be honored by your words. Kim Kiwoo liked Golden Lake very much. In fact, there was a limit to what one person could know. No matter how much knowledge Kim Kiwoo had acquired before boarding the time machine, and how many important pieces of information he had written on paper, he could not possibly know the design ofplex structures such as cars, tanks, or airnes. This was also true for rockets that went into missiles. I cant always carry nuclear weapons on bombers and drop them directly. Thats why missiles were needed. In that respect, thanks to the rocket technology andputer developed by Golden Lake, long-range missiles were realized. From internalbustion engines to transistors. Golden Lake was like a filial son who scratched his itchy spot. *** Like radio, television stations were also created in abundance. And today. Radio and television announced one thing in focus. -Wakan Tanka poption reaches 1 billion! Finally, the number of people living in the empire exceeded 1 billion. This was achieved by abundant food, governments continuous poption increase policy, and continuous influx of naturalized people who were called Wakan Tanka Dream. Its amazing that there are 1 billion people living on thisnd. Its really amazing. Whats so surprising? Your country is also growing enough. Well, thats true. Kim Hyunwoo scratched his back of his head at Charles snide remark. Because his words were partly true. Kim Hyunwoos country, Joseon, had established itself as a definite economic power by now. A huge chunk ofnd including Siberia with abundant resources, and rapid development centered on Manchuria. The growth rate was not inferior to Wakan Tanka Empire at all. Moreover, unlike other kings, Joseons king was recognized as having bloodline of spirits. Thanks to that, the empires peoples favorability towards Joseon was quite high. Look at our country. Sigh Its because all politicians are like that. We need someone like your king to take power. Were no different. I really agree with you. Some of his ssmates started toin. Kim Hyunwoo smiled bitterly as he watched them. The ability of the ruler is important in any country. Especially in times like these. Our country is truly blessed. We have a wise king and ministers in power. That thought became stronger as he looked at how the world was turning. In some countries, corrupt politicians were spreading tyranny, and the nation was going downhill. Of course, there were also countries that had fallen into backwardness because their national character was not conducive to national development. He spent the whole day listening to sses with his ssmates, and talking about various things. Before he knew it, night hade. Have a good night, and see you tomorrow. Okay. You too. Kim Hyun-woo sent his ssmates away and entered the dormitory for foreigners. That was where he lived. Actually, Kim Hyun-woo was very wealthy and could afford to live on his own while studying abroad. There were quite a few businessmen who had seeded in participating in the development of Manchuria, and Kim Hyun-woos father was one of them. But Kim Hyun-woo did not live extravagantly. I cant use the money they support me with like that. The tuition fee of the empire was expensive. The empire charged very low tuition fees for its citizens, but not for foreigners. Of course, they did offer schrships to very special geniuses, but that was very rare. Kim Hyun-woo was not one of them either. He was not withoutints about this, but every time he did, the empires position was this: -Be a naturalized citizen of the empire if you are dissatisfied. They didnt say it so aggressively, but thats what it meant when they exined it. Kim Hyun-woo spent most of his money on buying thetest products. As a result, he had almost all thetest products in his dormitory. From air conditioners to refrigerators, washing machines, radios, and televisions. This was because he had a strong early adopter tendency. He had a strong desire to buy and use new products faster than others. He always looked through the list of new products while watching newspapers, radios, and televisions. The conference hosted by Golden Lake himself attracted him greatly. Thats why he turned on the television as soon as he arrived at the dormitory. And when the scheduled time came, Golden Lakes conference began live. What will they announce? He was Korean, but most of the people he admired were almost imperialists. The best of them was Kim Ki-woo. And then it was Golden Lake. He looked up all the news about Golden Lake. He even skipped school to watch the rocketunch experiment to space on televisionst time. Soon after, Golden Lakes voice came out of the speaker. -Today we are going to announce this thing, the transistor. Transistor? It was an unfamiliar name. This was natural. This conference was the first time to reveal the transistor. Kim Hyun-woo became more absorbed in the conference. The conference exined the characteristics of the transistor quite in detail. It was quite difficult, but Kim Hyun-woo had a lot of interest in this field and could understand some of it. It sounds amazing just by listening. His surprise reached its peak when he saw the transistor radio that followed shortly after. Bang! Kim Hyun-woo got up from his seat without knowing it. They can make such a small radio? No way He nced at the radio in his house. Its big. It was a radio made with vacuum tubes, so it was naturally big. On the other hand, the portable transistor radio that Golden Lake held on television was clearly small. Of course, since it wasnt a good era for television sound quality yet, he couldnt hear the sound quality of that radio urately, but it was amazing enough to make it so small. I want it He wanted to run out of the dormitory right away and go to where the conference was held. Can I go? But he shook his head soon after. It was toote and it was obvious that they wouldnt meet him even if he went there. But after seeing such an amazing thing, he couldnt just sit still. The next day. Kim Hyun-woo skipped school without permission and headed straight to the airport. His status as a student made it quite difficult for him to go through some procedures, but he managed to board a ne to the capital that day. His destination was the headquarters of Daechi Sangdan in the capital. But his purpose was frustrated from the beginning. Unfortunately, there is no decision yet on the release of the transistor radio. What do you mean It means you cant get it. But there was a portable radio at yesterdays conference. Thats just a prototype, not for sale. Is there no way? I beg you. Please go back. The person from Sangdan drew a firm line, but the more he did, the more Kim Hyun-woo felt a strange determination in his chest. He stayed outside the headquarters for several days without going back to the dormitory. Please stop and go back. The guard of the headquartersined, but Kim Hyun-woo stubbornly held his ground. Whats so special about a portable radio Tsk! If you keep doing this, well report you to the security agency. We told you clearly. Kim Hyun-woo himself didnt know why he wanted a portable radio so much, but he wanted it madly. His efforts paid off. Why is he doing that since a few days ago? Well He says he wants to buy the portable radio that came out at the conference. Portable radio? Thats just a prototype, isnt it? We exined that, but he wont budge. Hmm. He was none other than the chief technical officer of Daechi Sangdan, Thick Box. Thick Box was very interested in seeing such a passionate student about the transistor radio. Bring him to my room. Are you serious? I want to meet him and see what kind of person he is. Chapter 196: Electronics Industry (2). Chapter 196: Electronics Industry (2). Really? Do you think Im lying? Just follow me. Th-thank you! Kim Hyun-woo bowed his head to the guard. The guard grumbled as if he couldnt understand, but he guided Kim Hyun-woo to the elevator as his duty. This must be the headquarters of the Earth Industry Group. The exterior was very splendid, but the interior was neat and tidy. Even the elevator had its own style. As Kim Hyun-woo admired the Earth Industry Group, he soon arrived at his destination. Knock knock. I brought a guest. Come in. And then a heavy door opened with a creak. Only then could Kim Hyun-woo see a thick box. Sit down. Do you want anything to drink? Water is enough for me. I see. While water was served, they had a conversation. It was mostly about Kim Hyun-woos personal matters. He was a student abroad. The thick box knew well about Joseon, the country where Kim Hyun-woo came from. There was nothing unfamiliar to him. Soon after water and coffee were ced on the desk, they had a serious talk. So. You want to buy the radio that was shown at the conference? Yes. Thats why I called you. Why are you so desperate to buy a prototype? Its not even a perfect product. Kim Hyun-woo couldnt answer right away. In fact, he already had a radio in his dormitory. He didnt need an unfinished transistor radio to listen to radio broadcasts. He had bought many new products as an early adopter, and even waited in line to buy some on the release day. But this was the first time he acted so recklessly. Of course, he had thought about why he was doing this while he was begging in front of the headquarters. Thats why he could answer the question. The transistor is something that Golden Lake made, so it must be amazing. He never made anything ordinary so far. Thats true. The transistor is a great invention. It might even change the world. Then I want it more. This prototype is the first product that Golden Lake made with transistors, right? And its a portable radio I think its worth collecting. Kim Hyun-woos eyes burned with desire. The thick box nodded as if he agreed. I see what you mean. Well, I made a few more just in case, so I can sell you one. Really? Haha. Of course, the performance is not perfect. And as you said, its a valuable item, so you have to pay a fair price. I have enough money! The price that the thick box offered was quite high, but Kim Hyun-woo didnt hesitate to pay. After the deal was done, Kim Hyun-woo asked something he was curious about. Then when will you sell the finished product? Hmm. I can only say that its still under development. You said youre graduating this year? Yes. I have to go back to help my fathers business. Im afraid it wont be released by then. Hmm It wont be easy to get the product outside of Wakan Tanka, right? Thats likely. The thick box had high expectations for the portable radio. He thought it would be very popr in the empire. In that case, it would take a long time for it to be exported overseas. So Im considering selling the license of the transistor radio abroad. If theres a group in Joseon that buys the license, you might be able to get it sooner. License The thick box said it without any intention. But Kim Hyun-woo paid attention to the word license. And his mind started to spin. A license for the transistor radio? In the empire, television broadcasts were active beyond radio, but many other countries were not ready yet. Joseon was no exception. The most popr broadcasting medium in Joseon was radio. Of course, because of the price and size of vacuum tube radios, they were not widely spread among the people. What if a light and cheap transistor radio was made in this situation? It would surely be a hit. As he made up his mind, Kim Hyun-woos heart started to beat faster. He felt like this situation was like destiny. After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Kim Hyun-woo opened his mouth. What are the conditions for buying a license? Huh? Are you interested in the license of the transistor radio? Yes. As I told you, my father runs a group. If you tell me the conditions, Ill talk to him. Haha. I didnt say it for that It wasnt a bad thing for the thick box either. As long as they met his requirements, selling a license would be profitable. He thought. Anyway, the main target of the Earth Industry Group was the imperial citizens. Unlike other groups, the Earth Industry Group had grown only with the domestic market. The radios made overseas would probably be sold overseas anyway. So he had set some guidelines for the license price. The thick box told Kim Hyun-woo about it. He didnt know then. The impact of this meeting. *** After that, Kim Hyun-woo returned to his dormitory. He got scolded by the school for skipping sses without permission for a few days, but it didnt affect his grades much since it wasnt exam season. Kim Hyun-woo diligently studied while also gathering information about transistors. He nned to persuade his father based on this. Soon, it was summer vacation. Kim Hyun-woo flew to Manchuria as soon as the vacation started. What are you doing here? You shoulde home during vacation. That was the first thing Kim Chul-hwan said when he saw his eldest son, Kim Hyun-woo. Kim Hyun-woo usually stayed in the empire even during vacation. He only came back when his father begged him. But this time, he didnt ask him toe back. He had visited Manchuriast winter vacation, and he had only one semester left, so there was no need. Well Kim Hyun-woo exined everything that had happened to his father, Kim Chul-hwan. He also showed him the prototype he bought directly from the thick box. A transistor radio? Yes. As you know, there are many houses that cant afford a radio. Thats true. Radio receivers are quite expensive. But with this transistor, you can produce radios cheaper and lighter than vacuum tubes. This will surely be a hit in our country. Its made by Golden Lake, so the potential of the transistor is certain. That makes sense. If its developed by Golden Lake, I can trust it. A transistor radio The Earth Industry Group is selling the license, right? Yes. As you know, the Earth Industry Group focuses on the domestic market. They only want to sell the license to other countries. Kim Chul-hwan carefully read the conditions of the license contract that his son brought. The conditions are not bad. Maybe because they were a big group, there were no toxic uses in the contract. They seemed to have little interest in overseas markets, and just wanted to sell the license. Imperial technology, and Golden Lakes work. If we emphasize these points in marketing, it might sell well. There were many Joseon people who would die for anything imperial. Golden Lake was also a very famous person in Joseon. And the radio was much lighter and cheaper than the existing ones. Kim Chul-hwan smelled a strong scent of sess. It was simr to when he started his first business in Manchuria. *** Kim Chul-hwans Hansung Group was a big group that ranked fifth in construction contracts. This was possible thanks to the hot development fever in Manchuria. But this was only achieved in the construction industry. On the other hand, producing and selling radio receivers was apletely different business. A radio? We barely have enough time to build buildings in Manchuria, and you want us to suddenly enter the radio market? We can grow well enough as we are now. Why do we need to make radios The executives opposition was understandable. Most of them were experienced people in construction. Of course, not all of them were like that. I think its possible. Dont we have a lot of reserve funds in our group? What are you talking about? We decided to use that money to expand our construction scale! We havent finalized that yet. And from what Ive seen, the transistor radio has enough, no, more than enoughpetitiveness. This is not only likely to seed, but if it does, it will bring us a lot of money that we cantpare to now. Weve only been eating construction rice so far, and now you want us to make radios! Who says we have to eat construction rice forever? A heated debate ensued at the executive meeting over the transistor radio. What do you think, boss? In the end, the ball was passed to Kim Chul-hwan. The opinions of the executives were only references, and Kim Chul-hwan made the decision. And after a long deliberation, Kim Chul-hwan came to a conclusion. We will enter the radio market. So contact the Earth Industry Group and buy the license. Understood. After that decision was made, Hansung Group moved busily. Thank you for selling us such a good technology license. Haha. I hope luck is with yourpany. Hansung Group signed a license agreement with the Earth Industry Group on the same terms that Kim Hyun-woo had brought, and built a factory in Manchuria. And they learned the transistor technology as agreed. Kim Chul-hwan thought. Now that weve started, we have to do it well. Make it as good as possible, and as cheap as possible! Hansung Group had always prioritized these two principles to get where they are now. Kim Chul-hwan didnt think differently about radios. The Joseon people are especially sensitive to prices right now. So lets focus more on the price. To do that, he had to lower the production cost. He had already spent money on the license, so he needed it more. Thankfully, Jin is messing up. The reason why Manchuria was so quickly activated wasrgely due to the situation of Jin, one of the ten countries that split China. Jin was a country that bordered Manchuria. But the politics of this country were extremely corrupt. Corruption wasmon, and taxes were murderous. The king and the powerful indulged in luxury and pleasure with the money borrowed from the empire and the taxes they collected. As a result, the countrys economy was in shambles, and the people couldnt afford to eat. Because of that, the streets were full of violence and robbery. In the end, their only choice was to escape. The mostmon ce they fled to was obviously another Chinese country, but there were also many who headed to Manchuria. Joseon was more affluent than other countries. Manchuria grew faster with their cheapbor. That was why thebor cost in the north of Joseon was cheaper than in the south. Kim Chul-hwan nned to use them to gain pricepetitiveness. Of course, he also paid a lot of attention to quality. He hired a lot of students from the empire and worked hard on product development based on the license. And around the same time as the Earth Industry Group released the transistor radio, Hansung Group alsounched their product. The result was a huge sess. When the demand for radios was increasing, the cheap and portable radios were chosen by consumers. In just one month afterunch, nearly 40,000 transistor radios were sold. It was a jackpot. Chapter 197: Electronic Industry (3). Chapter 197: Electronic Industry (3). I cant believe we sold so many Its true that the product was cheap and good. The executives of Hansung Group were very happy with the huge sess of the transistor radio. Kim Chul-hwan was also the same. But at the same time, he felt a sense of challenge rising in him. He looked back and forth at the two radios on his desk and thought. Our radio is better than this The radios on the desk were from Earth Industry Group and Hansung Group respectively. Even by eye, Hansung Groups radio was smaller. And it was actually lighter. It meant that it was easier to carry. Considering that television was gradually spreading in the empire, portability was more important for radios in Joseon. And the most important thing was, The price is cheaper. It was the price difference between the two radios. Thebor cost in the empire was notoriously expensive. In this situation, Earth Industry Groups radio factory was in the empire. On the other hand, their price was much cheaper because they used cheapbor in Manchuria. Since the same transistor was used, the actual quality was simr. In this situation, having a better price and portability meant that they hadpetitiveness. The problem was perception. Can a Joseon-made electronic device seed in the empire? This was something he couldnt be sure of. But its worth a try. The transistor radio made a lot of money by being a big hit in the country. And this was just the beginning. The poprity of the product was not cooling down, but rather increasing. In this situation What if our product seeds in the empire too? If that happened, Hansung Group would hit a jackpot. They could be the top group in Joseon in an instant. Thats how huge the market of the empire with a billion poption was. And most of them were middle ss, meaning most of the poption were consumers. With this thought, Kim Chul-hwans heart beat faster. After some deliberation, Kim Chul-hwan made a decision. Lets give it a try. He decided to knock on the thick door of the empire market. *** Hansung Group? Isnt that the ce thats having fun with transistor radios these days? Yes. I contacted you to meet with you personally. Do you want to refuse? Gentle me received dozens of requests for meetings every day. This was natural. Gentle me was the boss of Top Eagle Group, one of the leading groups in the empire and a hawkish group that dominated East Asia. His word could change not only the fate of other groups, but also the destiny of countries. No matter how prominent a constructionpany in Joseon, it was hard topete with Gentle me. Even if they had recently risen a bit with their radio hit. The secretary also reported without much expectation. But Gentle me shook his head and answered. No. Lets meet him once. I have a good feeling about this. Arrange a time for me. Yes, boss. After the secretary left, Gentle me thought. Radio If its about that radio, it would be very interesting. Gentle me was active in East Asia. Among them, Joseon was the most important country in East Asia. Of course, he knew about the transistor radio that heated up Joseon recently. He even bought and used it himself. It was cheap and good. He remembered being surprised by the quality, even though it wasnt imperial-made. A few dayster. Kim Chul-hwan visited Gentle mes office. Its an honor to meet you, boss of Top Eagle Group. Im Kim Chul-hwan, who runs a small group called Hansung. Haha. A small group? Thats quite different from what I know. Come on, sit down. They exchanged greetings until tea came out. And when the atmosphere becamefortable, they got to the point. I heard a rough story from your secretary. You want to distribute your radio in the empire through our Top Eagle Group. Yes. This is our radio Oh, you dont have to show me. Gentle me drew a firm line, and Kim Chul-hwans face stiffened for a moment. But as soon as Hansung Groups radio came out of his desk, he rxed as if nothing had happened. Ive already bought and used it since itsunch. Oh! Youve been using it. Thats really an honor. Hahaha! Kim Chul-hwanughed happily and asked cautiously. May I ask how you felt about using it? It was cheap and very good quality. Thats why Im still using it. As he praised him, Kim Chul-hwans anxiety in his chest melted away and confidence filled its ce. Our quality is not inferior to Earth Industry Groups radio. No, its better because its smaller and lighter. And the price is cheaper too. Kim Chul-hwan raved about the advantages of their product. Gentle me nodded. Not bad. Importing foreign products to the empire was one of the main sources of ie for Top Eagle Group. Especially, they brought in a lot of cheap products from East Asia to the empire. In fact, low-cost products mainly focused on light industry were almost obsolete in the empire. The characteristic of these products was that they required a lot ofbor. The problem was the highbor cost in the empire. In the past, thebor cost in Central and South continents was quite cheap. But they had already be much more expensive. In this situation, when cheap products made with foreignbor were imported to the empire, there was no way that expensive imperial-made products would sell. Top Eagle Group sold the leading products of the empire to overseas, and brought in these cheap products and local specialties to the empire. I dont know if a Joseon-made electronic device will seed, but this seems like it will. Gentle me organized his thoughts and gave Kim Chul-hwan an answer. I see. Well take responsibility and distribute this product in the empire. And lets try to sell it in other regions besides Joseon too. Boom! At that word, Kim Chul-hwan jumped up from his seat and bowed his head. Thank you very much! Ill do my best! Of course, there was still a condition negotiation left. But Kim Chul-hwan wasnt worried. Top Eagle Group had always valued coexistence as the most important thing. It meant a rtionship where both sides could win. That was true even after the nimble rope retired and Gentle me, the second boss of Top Eagle Group, took over. And this was also true this time. Kim Chul-hwan was able to sign a distribution contract with satisfactory conditions. I wonder how Earth Industry Groups boss will react when he finds out. Thepany that they gave the license to surpassed their market share? Even without money, he would feel very ufortable. They had a close rtionship, but Gentle me and Green Leaf were rivals. Especially since Green Leaf was a cold-blooded person who seemed to not bleed even if stabbed, he felt very good just imagining his frowning face. *** At that time, no matter how many cheap foreign light industrial products flooded the market, that was all. The imperial people preferred imperial-made products for most of the products. Especially for machines and chemical products, it was more severe. Imperial-made products are the best for advanced products. Ahem! This was because this perception was underlying. Even if it was revealed that they used cheap foreign machine products, What is that? Why are you using such a backward thing? Tsk tsk. It looks poor. I wouldnt use it even if you gave it to me. They would often be ridiculed like this. Thats why the news from his secretary wasnt very good. The radio sales are quite low as expected. Thats to be expected. Well, I knew it would be like that at first. But dont stop advertising and distributing. Its just that theyre not used to foreign devices yet. But Gentle me didnt care at all. He thought that it was only a matter of time for Hansung Groups radio to take its ce. And his thought of Gentle me hit the mark. Top Eagle Group continued to advertise nationwide, and thanks to that, word of mouth came from the rtively low-ie ss. A Joseon-made radio Is it any good? I heard from a friend who bought it that its unbelievably good for the price. He said you wont regret buying it. Really? Hmm Then Ill buy one and try it. Thats how they started to sell little by little. And the rumor spread more and more. Have you tried that radio? They said it was made in Joseon. Haha. Ive been using it since I bought it. Its cheaper and better than Earth Industry Groups radio. Hmm. Really? I was going to change my radio, so Ill buy that one too. At first, the eyes looking at Joseon-made devices were not very nice, but by this point, Hansung Groups radio, or even Joseon-made radio, was an exception. Thanks to this, the sales of Hansung Groups radio soared from this point on. The impact of a portable radio was that great. They sold 2 million units in that year alone, which was an amazing achievement. Thanks to that, Earth Industry Groups radio sales plummeted. *** Hansung Groups radio became a huge hit product. It sold the most in the country, the empire, and even in many other countries around the world. Thanks to this, Kim Chul-hwan had to constantly increase the size of his radio factory and worked hard to meet the delivery deadline. But his expression was very happy. Because of this one achievement, Hansung Group grew so big that it couldpare with the imperial groups beyond Joseon. And Kim Chul-hwan was sure. I cant end it like this. The electronic device market will grow bigger day by day. If I just hold on to this field, Ill never go bankrupt. He didnt mean to give up the construction business that made Hansung Group what it is today. Rather, he nned to invest the money he earned like crazy and make it bigger. He still thought that construction business would grow greatly for at least decades. But thats not all, Hansung Groups main sector would be electronic devices from now on. Kim Chul-hwan decided to push ahead with it. But at the same time, Kim Chul-hwan felt painfully. There is a limit to license production like this. He could already feel Earth Industry Groups displeasure. It meant that he had to secure his own technology. So Kim Chul-hwan allocated a considerable amount of money for technology development costs. And he scouted many scientists and engineers from Joseon. He also spared no money to invite outstanding schrs from the empire. There are more talents in our country than I thought. At that time, Joseons enthusiasm for learning was tremendous. The perception of scientists and engineers was better than ever, just like in the empire. There were also many talents who had studied abroad in the empire. In this research institute, various electronic devices were researched. And theyunched products around the world including the empire and hit them. Thanks to this, Hansung became a leading brand in the world. We cant live by just earning money from domestic market forever. Look at Hansung. Theyre doing so well on the stage of the empire and the world. Its natural to feel sick when your cousin buysnd. Thanks to this, most of Joseons groups extended their feet to the electronic industry. Of course, most of them failed, but some products that had the right direction sold quite well in the empire. Joseon-made products are cheap and reliable. The improved perception of Joseons products, thanks to Hansung Group, was a big factor in their sess. As a result, Joseons economy began to expand rapidly thanks to the electronic industry. Chapter 198: Chemical Industry. Chapter 198: Chemical Industry. Of course, the scientific level of other countries, including Joseon, was far behind the Empire. That is, most of the substances and products that changed the world were mostly made in the Empire. The basic science fields were the monopoly of the Empires scientists, and this tendency was especially prominent in the field of chemistry. At this time, aluminum cans that began to be poprized were a representative example. Aluminum had already been used for aluminum foil and duralumin production, but the increase in aluminum production was much faster than that. Thanks to this, scientists worked hard to develop products using aluminum. Thanks to these efforts, aluminum cans appeared in the world. Aluminum cans had many advantages in many ways. Unlike the iron cans that had been used before, aluminum cans were easy to shape and make. The consumers reaction was also good. Aluminum cans were much easier to open. As a result, aluminum cans established a solid foundation as containers for the beverage market such as beer, carbonated drinks, ion drinks, etc. Of course, until then, tools for opening cans were essential. But as time passed, a groundbreaking technology was developed. Cant we open aluminum cans more easily? Inventions often start from trivial questions. This also applied to aluminum cans. Eventually, this question gave aluminum a lid that could be opened by hand. It was a ring attached to the lid of the aluminum can, which made it possible to easily drink the beverage by pulling it. This was a very innovative way. Until now, all containers had to have a can opener, but finally they didnt need one. Its so convenient! Haha. Yeah! Its so easy to open it like this. This seemingly trivial invention made the most decisive contribution to the poprization of aluminum cans. People started to stop by markets on the street, buy canned drinks and drink them. Of course, there were also people who did not drink beer or carbonated drinks because they were afraid of the sound of carbonation escaping from the can, which was unique to them, but this was solved by time. *** As chemistry developed, synthetic resins. That is, stics were gradually developed. stics had been researched as a major topic in manyboratories of the Empire. stics could be easily molded into any shape by applying heat and pressure. Especially after the Empires chemist, Smooth Mirror, discovered that stics were made of polymers, stic development received more momentum. And at this time, major stic materials were developed and graduallymercialized. And products using stic materials began to hit big in the Empire. The leader of them was none other than nylon. Strictly speaking, it was more of a synthetic fiber than a synthetic resin, but it was also made of polymerpounds. Great inventions are born from trivial mistakes. Nylon was worthy of such a saying. Nylon went through such a birth process. The ce where nylon was made was Sunset University. Sunset University was recognized as the best university in the western continent. Especially, it was famous for being the ce where aluminum was developed by Swift Wing, who was from Joseon ve origin. Perhaps because of that, it was a university that stood out in chemistry. Especially in the field of materials. There were quite a few celebrities in this field. Smooth Mirror, who discovered that stics were made of polymers, was also one of them. How can I increase the molecr weight of the polymer more Smooth Mirror was immersed in research on making polymer molecules with maximum molecr weight at this time. However, his research stayed at around 4000 for a long time. That is, beyond that point, the molecr weight did not increase any more. He predicted the reason through heated discussions with chemists at the university and endless experiments. It seems to be because of the water. Water was created from the reaction of acid and alcohol used in the experiment, and it seemed to be because of that. So he even brought in a special distiller to extract water, but he could not achieve the expected results. However, an idental mistake brought about a change in research. Ouch! Smooth Mirror identally dropped a ss rod into a special distiller. The problem was that there was an experimental polymer inside it. Oh no! He was startled and quickly pulled out the ss rod. As he lifted up the ss rod, Smooth Mirrors eyes widened. This is! He had no choice but to do so. A thin fiber came out from where he had put it in the distiller. Oh! Is this a fiber made of polymer? Smooth Mirror excitedly pulled out a few more strands of fiber and dried them naturally. And he examined the characteristics of this fiber closely. It stretches so much! Aside from anything else, the strong sticity that stretched four times more excited Smooth Mirror. Smooth Mirror swelled with hope and obtained a patent before announcing this material to academia. Nylon? Wow! Look at this amazing strength and flexibility. It would be great if it was made properly. Hmm. Can this product really rece natural fibers? Scientists exchanged various stories about nylon, which Smooth Mirror announced. Meanwhile, Smooth Mirror went directly to the president and pleaded. Nylon will definitely seed. I will start a business with this. So please invest. In fact, his proposal was not special. The Wakan Tanka Empire developed in a friendly way to intellectuals such as scientists. And major discoveries and inventions were made in theboratories of various universities. Schrs wanted to make money with the inventions they made. Of course, the royalties from patents were a lot of money, but they couldnt match actually developing and selling products. So the university helped with the investment and management of the business after carefully reviewing the sess potential of the inventions made by schrs. If you hit the jackpot, a lot of money woulde in, so it wasnt a bad story for the university either. Good. In fact, weve already finished talking internally. Nylon can be sessful enough. The president of Sunset University readily epted Smooth Mirrors proposal. And with the full support of Sunset University, arge-scale investment was made. From then on, Smooth Mirror worked hard day and night tomercialize nylon. I have to seed. Ifmercialization was reversed at this stage, both Sunset University and he would suffer a great loss. That couldnt be possible. Smooth Mirrors hard work was fortunately not in vain. Finally, he extracted nylon fibers withmercialpetitiveness. *** After that, nylon debuted brilliantly in the Empire. The start was at the capital exhibition hall. Wow! There are stockings that are tough, transparent, and stic like this This is amazing! This is a miraculous product! The poprity of nylon stockings at the annual capital exhibition hall was unrivaled. It had to be that way. At this time, silk was the trend for stockings. But nylon stockings were thinner and more transparent than silk stockings. And the fit that stuck to the legs was something that silk stockings couldnt even dream of. When these stockings are released, they will change the fashion trendpletely. That was what people could easily predict when they saw the nylon stockings at the exhibition hall. The imperial citizens were sensitive to fashion trends as the mass media developed. Among them, womens fashion was indispensable. In this regard, nylon stockings were much more fashionable than the existing products. They were more beautiful and sleek. After that, nylon stockings were introduced voluntarily by various media along with word of mouth. Especially when the stars appeared wearing them first in movies and television broadcasts, the womens expectations were amplified. So when are theying out exactly? Ah I want to try them on soon. Smooth Mirror was greatly encouraged by this social atmosphere. He even dyed the release date while umting nylon stock. They will surely sell like crazy. Sunset University also agreed with this, and kept pouring money into expanding the factories endlessly. Finally, after securing a close to a billion pairs, he finally released the nylon stockings. If the sales of nylon stockings were lower than expected, he would have suffered a huge loss. Even the initial price of nylon stockings was twice as expensive as the existing silk stockings. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm on the first day of release was truly tremendous. Huh Is this all to buy nylon stockings? I cant see the end of it. As the passers-by muttered, the line that started from the front of the department store was really incredibly long. It was so hard to pass by because of it. This was a phenomenon that urred equally in department stores and shops nationwide. As soon as the department stores door opened, the women went into the store one by one and lifted their skirts to try on nylon stockings. Wow They fit better than I thought. Hehe. Look at this smooth leg line. Please give me ten pairs of these! The womenpeted to buyrge quantities of nylon stockings and returned home. The news was busy reporting on such scenes, and soon a social atmosphere was created that seemed like you had to wear nylon stockings. Thanks to nylon stockings, women started to shave their leg hair, so it had a huge impact for just one product. So in just a few days, the stock that had been made up until then ran out. Smooth Mirror asked with a dumbfounded expression. What did you say? How many did you sell in a day? Sixty million pairs. Si, sixty million! It was an unbelievable number. He sold sixty million pairs on the first day, and sold over 100 million stockings in just a few days. Considering that half of the poption of over one billion Wakan Tanka were women, it was an absurd thing that happened. This was thanks to one woman buying several pairs of stockings. Smooth Mirror wiped his cold sweat and thought. Im d I stocked up enough. Otherwise Ugh, it would have been terrible. He almost ran out of stock in less than a day. Of course, it was still out of stock now. Smooth Mirror quickly gave orders. Do whatever it takes to produce as many nylon stockings as possible. Do you understand? Yes! And he reinvested the money he earned by selling hundreds of millions of nylon stockings, and built a huge nylon factory. Smooth Mirror thought. The poprity of nylon stockings wont decrease for a while. Its obvious that they will be popr not only in the empire but also overseas. The products that became popr in the empire over time were mostly sessful overseas as well. He didnt think nylon would be any different. Nylon stockings are just the beginning. There are many products that can be made with this miraculous synthetic fiber. Nylon had excellent properties. Smooth Mirrors thoughts were right. Nylon was widely used not only for clothing, but also for military supplies such as parachutes, tires, ropes, tents, etc. The steady worldwide poprity of nylon stockings was a natural phenomenon. Thanks to this, Sky Top, which Smooth Mirror established with the investment of Sunset University, quickly rose to the ranks ofrgepanies. This nylon was just the beginning. After that, various stics and synthetic rubber materials were developed in earnest, and the petrochemical industry bloomed more and more. Chapter 199: Traces of the Future. Chapter 199: Traces of the Future. As time passed, Kim Kiwoos passion for sports also faded at some point. Or rather, it would be more urate to say that he started to pay attention to something else. At this time, Kim Kiwoo felt a deep regret. Although it was early, science and technology were following a simr trajectory to the original history. However, many other aspects were quite different. This was because the Westerners did not, but the Native Americans had seized the world hegemony. The most prominent tendency was in the cultural aspect. If time goes on like this, many masterpieces wille out but the masterpieces of the original history that I know will not appear. Like others, Kim Kiwoo was also a young man who liked music from the past. Especially pop music. He had forgotten a lot because a lot of time had passed, but many songs were still stuck in his mind. He couldnt help but feel sorry when he thought that they would be buried forever. But its different from before. In the past, Kim Kiwoo made various instruments and poprized sports such as ser and basketball. And he wrote various novels. That was because he needed to make the empires culture more prosperous. But not now. The imperial culture had already bloomed enough, and it was bearing fruit on its own. He didnt need to manipte it ording to his will like before. But still He also wanted to leave some traces of the great artists who were unlikely to be born in the future. Kim Kiwoo agonized for a long time andpromised on the middle ground. Lets make what I remember, but never announce it under my name. From the masterpieces of singers like the Beatles in the mid-20th century, to modern Korean pop songs and pop songs. He only thought of releasing them. He didnt care whether they were popr or not. Maybe they wont be popr. The original history and now, the cultural trends were quite different. In this situation, the unfamiliar culture of the original history had a high possibility of being forgotten. But even if only a few people in this era listened and liked it, Kim Kiwoo thought he could be satisfied with that. From now on, none of the songs I made should be known asposed by me. Even if a long time passes, keep it secret. Do you understand? We will do as you wish. Kim Kiwoo earnestly asked his attendants. The attendants were curious why they had to do that, but they just agreed to Kim Kiwoos order. From then on, Kim Kiwoo started working on songs by recalling his memory. And from Kim Kiwoos fingertips, several masterpieces were written on the sheet music. Of course, there were many songs whose lyrics he couldnt remember, and songs that he only knew the chorus part or didnt even know who made them. He also had to change the lyrics to imperialnguage, so he couldnt say they were exactly the same songs. But Kim Kiwoo was satisfied. He felt that they were roughly simr. Thats how blues, rock, pop songs, Korean pop songs and so on. Quite a lot of genres of songs were made. Kim Kiwoopleted all these songs with just one piano. The attendant who watched this from nearby was tongue-tied. I heard that he has an amazing artistic ability, but seeing it in person is really amazing It was widely known to the imperial people that Kim Kiwoo had created ssical literature and ssical music from his fingertips. But at some point, Kim Kiwoo stopped working in this field, so it was just a history of the past. It would have been better if he released them under his name It was an unfamiliar genre of music, but it was clear that it was music that stuck in your ears even if you only heard a fragmentary melody while working on it. It couldnt be helped. They were music that had been hit for decades from the mid-20th century. Sigh Lets send these first. It was strange that at first many songs were vague. But as he worked on them, songs that had been buried deep in his brain kepting up. The work of reviving these things gave Kim Kiwoo a lot of fun and sense of aplishment. There were still many songs left to revive. But he had too many works done now, so Kim Kiwoo decided to release them as albums first. After making up his mind, he immediately ordered his attendant. Send all the songs Ive made so far to each recordpany. By any chance, what should we do about theposer? Hmm. Theposer This was also a topic he had thought about. In fact, he could have written the group or singer who sang these songs in the original history, but Did they really make them? He only knew the songs, but Kim Kiwoo didnt know exactly who wrote them. He even didnt know who sang them for many songs. So he made a conclusion. Lets create a fictional geniusposer. A genius who can create various genres that are unknown, and a mysticist who doesnt want to show his face to people. Kim Kiwoo decided to release all the albums from now on under the name of such a person. When he told this to his attendant, the attendant asked again. Then what is his name? Traces of the Future. Lets go with that name. Traces of the future that can never return. Kim Kiwoo liked that name. Thats how countless songs written by a fictional person named Traces of the Future were delivered to various recordpanies. *** What is this? Is this music? Ha! It sounds like a kid scribbled something without knowing anything. Traces of the Future? What kind of name is that? Among the people who first encountered the songs that were distributed torge recordpanies, there were many who sneered. The songs Kim Kiwoo wrote were mostlypletely different from the current trend. But not everyone was like that. Its better than I thought? It sticks to my ears. It seems to touch my heart somehow. As a result of ying and singing ording to the sheet music, it was very pleasant to listen to. Hmm. Should we try recording it? Eventually, some recordpanies started to seriously record them, and the results were quite good. And they reached the point of release. Of course, even then, they couldnt see Traces of the Future. They could onlymunicate by voice call. Thats how around the same time, several recordpanies released songs from the original history. As Kim Kiwoo expected, many songs were ignored by the public in the early days. But some of them were different. Oh its good? Its unfamiliar, but the melody sticks well. Several albums gradually spread by word of mouth, and eventually started to flow on the radio. And the imperial people gradually became enthusiastic about the fresh genre of songs. Among them, there was one song that was especially popr, and that was none other than Let It Be by the Beatles. Of course, both the lyrics and the title were in imperialnguage, and theposer was also Traces of the Future. And at some point, the imperial people began to pay attention to one fact. All these songs, they were written by aposer named Traces of the Future, right? Did you just find out? His songs are unfamiliar but they are all good. In my opinion, he is a genius. He can change the music scene in the future. Is that so? I have to listen to them all. You wont regret it. With such rumors spreading, and even being mentioned in the media, people began to look for and listen to the albumsposed by Traces of the Future. And of course, the recordpanies knew about this situation. Traces of the Future! We had songs sent by thatposer too, right? What happened to them? Ah maybe we burned them already? What! Why did you burn them! You crazy! There were ces that had acted rashly and missed a golden opportunity. The songs that were burned were delivered to other recordpanies by the attendants, and the recordpanies that missed the opportunity once could not get it again. We have them! They were buried in the warehouse! Ah! Thank goodness bring them all! Well start recording right away. There were also many recordpanies that joined the trend btedly. Thats how the masterpieces of the original history were sung by various singers of the empire. The imperial people were fascinated by the songsposed by Traces of the Future, and they reached the level of looking for and listening to any song he released. I wonder where Mr. Traces of the Future lives? Ah, I wish I could meet him once Naturally, there were many people who wanted to meet Traces of the Future, but he never showed his face to the public. Maybe it was because of his mysticism that the public was more enthusiastic. Haha The power of music is amazing. No, should I say the power of the great artists who made these songs is amazing? Kim Kiwoo watched the situation and admired it. He had expected it to be like this to some extent, but he was surprised that theposer named Traces of the Future had risen much bigger than he expected. After that, Kim Kiwoo continued to write songs from time to time and released them to the world under the name of Traces of the Future. But he couldnt devote all his time like before. I have to get back to work soon. He felt that he had rested enough without regret. So Kim Kiwoo decided to start his work as an emperor again. *** After that, Kim Kiwoo spent a busy time without a break for a while, adapting to his work. How did I handle this murderous workload in the past He couldnt adapt easily because he had been away for a long time. No, actually, the workload had increased even more. The economy had grown much more not only in the empire but also in the world during his absence. After adapting to his work to some extent, the first thing Kim Kiwoo did was reveal nuclear weapons to the world. The nuclear tests had been top secret until now. This was a very sensitive issue, so experiments and production were very strictly controlled. The nuclear weapons personnel could hardly meet their families. But while Kim Kiwoo was resting, enough nuclear weapons were made, and missile technology had also developed satisfactorily thanks to Golden Lake. Kim Kiwoo first announced the existence of nuclear weapons to his ministers at an imperial meeting. Nuclear weapons Are you saying that such a tremendous weapon has been made? Its been made for a long time. Most of you didnt know it except for some ministers and rted people, so dont be too upset. Most of the ministers were surprised. They encountered nuclear weapons for the first time. But they agreed with Kim Kiwoos exnation. They understood that he had to hide it well if he wanted to hide it. After Kim Kiwoos exnation was over, the Minister of Justice suggested. Then how about showing nuclear weapons to all imperial citizens and foreigners? If they witness a nuclear explosion from afar, it would be much more effective than hearing it. What? Kim Kiwoo was startled by this. And he immediately shook his head. That can never be done. Why is that? The material thates out of nuclear weapons is very harmful to humans. He didnt know yet, but Kim Kiwoo knew very well how harmful radiation from nuclear weapons was. In the original history, America experimented on its people to find out how harmful nuclear materials were. It was a horrible human experiment where they deliberately showed them nuclear explosions and checked what happened to them. As a result, tens of thousands of people died of cancer. When this was revealedter, the president apologized to the nation andpensated the victims. Kim Kiwoo had no intention of doing such a thing. Nuclear weapons are explosions of huge energy from nuclear fission. But there is no need to use this huge energy as a weapon. We can also build power nts using nuclear energy. But as I said, the material thates out of this process is very harmful to humans. Therefore, we must handle nuclear-rted materials very carefully in the future. Do you understand? Yes, Your Majesty. Chapter (Complete) Chapter (Complete) [END] Chapter 200: The Final Chapter (Complete) After the international conference, nuclear weapons became widely known to the world. The leaders of various countries were stunned by the power of nuclear weapons, and by the cunning of the empire that secretly produced arge number of nuclear weapons. How could they mass-produce and deploy such a terrifying weapon without a word to us, their allies? This is too much. Thats right. They could have at least given us a hint What are they trying to do with such a powerful weapon? Even at this moment, the allies were receiving financial support from the empire and benefited from many subsidies. Therefore, they did not rebel against them for trivial matters. However, the issue of nuclear weapons was not something they could ignore. It was directly rted to their national security. But the empire was also very firm and tough on this matter. The foreign minister gathered the ambassadors of the allies and announced the position of the empire. Nuclear weapons are very dangerous weapons. What if these weapons fall into the hands of other countries, especially neighboring countries, other than the empire? Of course, those countries would also want to have them. To prepare for any contingencies. If nuclear weapons spread like this, a small conflict could turn the whole world into a nuclear explosion. There is a high possibility of a nuclear war. Nuclear war It was an unfamiliar word. But it was a word that they could understand its meaning with a little thought. His Majesty the Emperor is very concerned about this situation. He is afraid that the civilization that humanity has achieved so far may copse due to a nuclear war. Do you want that? However, as soon as the foreign minister finished speaking, a rebuttal came out immediately. If that was the case, then the empire should not have produced nuclear weapons either. It is hard to trust you when you say that after you have already deployed them in the field. Thats right. If you want to ban them globally, then you should also dispose of your nuclear weapons. To this, the foreign minister shook his head firmly. We cant do that. Why not? To deter some countries or groups that have bad intentions. Do you think there is aw that says these ignorant people will not appear if we dispose of all our nuclear weapons? Nuclear weapons that can destroy a city in an instant would be very attractive to them. We need nuclear weapons to deter these people. Thats! In fact, this logic was full of ws. Even if theypletely banned nuclear weapons, all the allies could join forces and punish the groups that make nuclear weapons. Even if that was true, why did only the empire have to do that role? What if the empire had other intentions with nuclear weapons? But the foreign minister did not care about these suspicious eyes. Rather, he went further. His Majesty wishes that no more nuclear proliferation will be prohibited. I hope you understand his sincere intentions. What if we refuse? We will take that as an answer that you do not share our will. Well, you may be able to get along well without us, but thats up to each countrys judgment. The ambassadors became speechless at his answer. This was a clear threat. If they did not join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, they would be hostile to their country. Of course, a red light went on in their heads. Damn it. Thats why they mass-produced and deployed nuclear weapons in advance. The imperial army was already overwhelming, but now they are unbeatable. If we lose the support of the empire now, our economy will copse. We still need time In the end, due to the power of the empire and its capital that was eroding the world, the allies had no choice but to join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. And so, except for the empire, none of the allies were allowed to have nuclear weapons. It was the moment when Wakan Tanka Empire put reins on all countries in the world. Kim Ki-woo was very satisfied with this result. If we maintain this state, we can protect human civilization from asteroid collision more easily. As his goal came into sight, Kim Ki-woo smiled brightly. *** Time passed relentlessly. Since Kim Ki-woo changed history, human civilization developed faster than ever before. This was much faster thanpared to original history. But its speed elerated even more. Semiconductors developed rapidly, analog turned into digital. Computers evolved into personalputers and then smartphones. Society became more advanced and people enjoyed living with their amazing civilization. The one who led this process was also Wakan Tanka Empire. Some countries including Joseon rose as advanced countries and threatened the glory of the empire, and several economic crises hit the world, but the empire overcame all these crises. The poption of the empire exceeded 2 billion and about one-fourth of the worlds poption were Wakan Tanka Empire citizens. And finally. They reached the level of science that they had achieved in original history. Humanity finally conquered aging. *** Hmm Are you awake? Kim Ki-woo smiled kindly at the young man who slowly opened his eyes. The young man stared nkly at the ceiling for a while, then looked at Kim Ki-woo as if he had regained his senses. And then he spoke to Kim Ki-woo in a hoarse voice. Father Yes. Im your father. Its over, I guess. Yes. Didnt I tell you not to worry? Chambein, hand him a hand mirror. Yes, Your Majesty. At Kim Ki-woos order, the chambein handed a hand mirror to the young man, Wide Sky. The crown prince touched his face reflected in the hand mirror. Huh I really went back to my youthful appearance. Thats right. Soon, many of our citizens and people around the world will receive this benefit. At least there will be fewer people dying of old age on Earth. Is that so The crown prince was lost in thought for a moment, then spoke up. Father. I have something to ask you. Hmm Well, chambein, you can go out for a while. I understand. After the chambein left, only Kim Ki-woo and the crown prince remained in the sickroom. Soon, the crown prince opened his mouth. Ive been thinking about it for a while. Is my guess correct? The voice of the crown prince was very cautious. Kim Ki-woo chuckled at this. It couldnt be helped, because the topic of this conversation could be considered as sphemy against Kim Ki-woo, who was known as a divine spirit. But Kim Ki-woo nodded calmly. He didnt need to hide it from his son anymore. Probably what youre thinking is right. Huh, then! Im not a divine spirit. Im just a future person who fell into the past with a time machine. Uh He stared nkly at the ceiling after hearing those words. After a while, he opened his mouth again. Now I understand. Why you advanced the empire, and even human civilization, so fast. There have been rumors that I came from the future since a long time ago. Well, they were just conspiracy theories. But those rumors were true. So you came from a world where science was more developed than now, since you could use a time machine? No. It was just at this level. Really? But a time machine would be a far-fetched idea at this level. Thats right. The time machine I used was also just an experiment. It was not even sure where or when it would work, let alone whether it would work at all. Huh Then you seeded in a gamble. Yes. It was a miracle that Inded on Wakan Tanka continent. I thought I would just die until then. Wide Sky was fascinated by Kim Ki-woos story. But he still had some questions. So he continued to ask. Why did you take such an absurd gamble? What happened in the future? There was something that could wipe out humanity. Was it a nuclear war? What? Hahaha! I guess you would think that from your perspective. Kim Ki-woo nodded as if he understood. In the past, when he made the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, he acted so strongly that it was understandable. It wasnt because of human disasters like nuclear wars. It was a natural disaster that humanity couldnt stop. Kim Ki-woo told him the story of the asteroid Narvas. After hearing the whole story, the crown prince eximed. Oh! So thats why Yes. I had to make human civilization develop faster before Narvas came to Earth. But we still have plenty of time left, so I think humanity will be able to ovee it. At his words, tears streamed down the crown princes eyes. You have been working hard to save humanity Haha. Dont cry. Why are you crying on this good day? Kim Ki-woo gently held the crown princes hand that was trembling and wiped his tears with his other hand. But Wide Skys emotions did not subside. He felt how much Kim Ki-woo had worked for the survival of humanity. Thats why he got up, even though his body was not fully recovered from the surgery. And then he knelt before Kim Ki-woo. I thank you on behalf of all the people in the world. You are the benefactor of humanity. You have suffered a lot Without knowing it, tears flowed from Kim Ki-woos eyes as well, as he remembered all the hardships he had gone through. At the same time, a strong sense of aplishment filled his chest. *** The crown prince was just the beginning. Kim Ki-woo also received the new anti-aging treatment, and so did all the members of the royal family, including his children. And then the citizens of the empire, and even people around the world, gradually received anti-aging treatment. From then on, humanity was somewhat freed from the fear of death. But this caused another problem. That was poption explosion. People didnt die and kept having children, so the poption increased very fast. This was a future that Kim Ki-woo had never experienced. He had already taken the time machine before then. From then on, methods were used to prevent people from having children easily. But people kept looking for a fundamental solution. And there was already an answer to this problem. It was space exploration. Moving to others was the only solution. For this, humanity developed science endlessly. And finally, singrity came. From then on, science developed at an iparable speed to before, and finally seeded in space jump, and humanity settled ons simr to Earth. In this process, they encountered other alien intelligent life forms and found many traces of extinct alien civilizations. This marked the beginning of the real space exploration era. And Wakan Tanka Empire became a great empire that ruled over many spaces, not just one continent on Earth. Later, as expected, asteroid Narvas approached Earth, but it was destroyed by advanced space battleships before it came near. It was the moment when humanitysst gamble with a time machine seeded perfectly. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!