Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1049

1049. The Age of War – The Age of Copycats (8)

“However, the content of the memorial is not unfair, so I would like to hear your opinions.”

At Hyun’s command, the ministers began to deliberate. However, the answer was already somewhat determined. When a memorial was submitted, the Royal Secretariat would copy it, sending one copy to the Emperor, another to the Prime Minister, and another to the Minister of the relevant department. Therefore, the response to the memorial was framed in advance through meetings between the Prime Minister and the ministers.

The Emperor’s role was to listen to the answer, add his own thoughts, or point out problems. Thanks to this, the answer came quickly. Prime Minister Han Chi-hyung stepped forward, bowed his head, and reported to Hyun.

“The story of the airships is already somewhat known. Also, among those who watched this event, there were many merchants and sailors from foreign countries. It is impossible to silence all of them. Therefore, trying to block everything would be an overreach. It is best to erase only the appropriate parts.”

Hyun immediately followed up with a question to Han Chi-hyung’s answer.

“What do you mean by appropriate parts?”

“I think it would be sufficient to remove only the parts about the new external combustion engine.”

“Hmm… I see. Then let’s do that. Organize it into a document and send it to the censorship department.”

“I obey your command.”

Hyun’s decision was swift. This was because Hyun had already made a similar decision.

* * *

Hyun, who received the memorial through the Royal Secretariat, shared his opinions with Hyang and Wan.

“What does the Emperor want to do?”

Hyun answered immediately to Wan’s question.

“I think it’s best to erase only the new external combustion engine part. Those who need to know about the airships already know, don’t they? There have been more than one or two airships flown in Han River so far.”

Wan and Hyang both nodded at Hyun’s answer.

“That would be good. The new external combustion engine is still only known to our Empire, so it is best to hide it, but not the airships, right? I heard that there are already more than one or two people flying similar things in foreign countries.”

“What does the Supreme Emperor think?”

Hyang nodded at Hyun’s question.

“I agree.”

In this way, Hyun also grasped his own direction and entered the meeting. The interesting thing was that Hyang also agreed with Hyun and Wan’s words, but his inner thoughts were slightly different.

‘Looking at the current situation, the Empire is just copying everything it makes. It’s no fun if this continues. Frankly speaking, that new external combustion engine is the same. If you work on it a little more, an internal combustion engine could come out, but they’re still stuck there? Something needs to stimulate them from the outside.’

Many of the devices the Empire is making now, especially the new external combustion engines that go into the flying vehicles and airships, could be seen as a kind of out-of-place artifact [an object appearing in a time period where it could not possibly exist].

* * *

When petroleum was first used as fuel, a wick was used for safe and efficient combustion. Using the structure of a petroleum stove, the firepower was adjusted by controlling the height of the wick. It had the advantage of being easy to control and operate, but there was also a problem. It was too inconvenient to apply to the engine of assault vehicles or battleships.

“We can’t just light a fire directly in a tank filled with oil like coal…”

“If we make a mistake, we’ll be reduced to ashes in one go, right?”

The researchers at the institute and the artisans in areas 51 and 52 racked their brains to create a safe and efficient combustion device.

“I think there’s a good way…”

When researchers and artisans were suffering, the existence and characteristics of air and oxygen were revealed.

“Hmm… If we do this well, something might come out…”

To grasp a vaguely visible clue, researchers and artisans reduced their sleep and devoted themselves to research and development. And this was the same for Hyang.

“Something seems to be caught, but not quite… This is driving me crazy.”

Even Hyang, who had indulged in a wide range of fields to the point of being called ‘Gwangdeok’ [a person with extensive but shallow knowledge] in the 21st century, did not know everything. Even when Hyang was wandering like this, the answer finally came from Area 51.

-Some oils catch fire easily, but others don’t.

-Oils that don’t catch fire easily can be ignited when heated.

-If you spray such hot oil like a mist, it will catch fire even better.

“Wait? What if we mix this hot oil and hot air, spray it, and then light it?”

“That’s it!”

The artisans who found the method began to make all sorts of attempts to realize it. After such hardships, the structure was as follows.

-Mix petroleum and air heated using a preheater and spray it into the combustion chamber, then light it.

-Add a high-pressure air storage tank and a compressor for smooth operation.

Hyang, who saw the new steam engine made with this structure, shouted inwardly.

‘I, I, I’ve seen this before! I definitely have!’

In an instant, the memories that Hyang had forgotten came to mind. It was a large petroleum burner that he had glimpsed at a neighborhood festival when he was living in the 21st century, and a World War II British Navy training video he had seen on an internet video site. In the case of the petroleum burner, he had only seen it briefly when he was a child, and had completely forgotten about it since then, as he only used gas burners.

The video was a scene of starting the engine of a battleship. The petroleum burner was used as an example to explain the procedure for starting the engine. It was a video that he had stumbled upon, and Hyang had not paid attention to it because he was absorbed in other fields at the time. In any case, the new combustion device made by the artisans showed very good performance, and the new steam engine based on this combustor was put into the Empire’s new battleships and assault vehicles.

And it was the new external combustion engine that applied a sealed combustion chamber to this new combustion device that was now the problem. Thanks to the new combustion device, the airships with the new external combustion engine could tilt the fuselage considerably from side to side, and it was possible to change direction relatively quickly by taking advantage of this. Of course, inverted flight or aerobatics were still impossible. And that’s what made Hyang frustrated.

“No, a sealed combustion chamber has come out, and a mixer has come out, so why are we stopping here!”

Hyang, frustrated by the situation of ‘the high ground is right there, but we’re stopping here,’ had agreed to ease censorship. No, Hyang was not only stopping there, but also thinking of another trick.

‘Wait… What if I subtly leak it using the Milwi [secret intelligence agency]? And if something good comes out, I’ll wipe it out using the Milwi again!’

But Hyang stopped thinking there.

“That’s it. If I were living alone, it would be worth trying, but if I make a mistake, the Empire will get a nosebleed. Let’s end the thought as a thought.”

* * *

As Hyun’s approval fell, letters containing information about the airships headed to Europe. It wasn’t just the letters. Foreign merchants, travelers, and sailors who watched the test flight on the Han River went back and blabbered.

“In the Empire, flying vehicles without pockets fly around in the sky!”

“Are you kidding me?”

“It’s real!”

Most of the people who heard the story just showed a curious reaction, but there were others.

“Huh? The crazy things that crazy guy in our village was doing weren’t just crazy things after all?”

“Does that mean that the thing that I’ve only heard rumors about is finally being made?”

“If the Empire is doing it openly, it means that the possibility of realization is high. Then I…”

The re-evaluation of those who had been devoted to experiments, believing in rumors that had been heard in the past, took place, and there were also those who started the challenge late. And there were also those who thought about profit.

“The devices made by the Empire are all things that make a lot of money. The Empire is not just making things that fly around in the sky for fun. It must be making them because they make money. Then…”

Those who thought it would be profitable searched for those who were conducting similar experiments and made investments. Those who had been devoted to research and development alone, enduring the criticism and ridicule thrown from all sides, shed tears of gratitude at the investment decision.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

However, on the contrary, fraud began to run rampant, trying to make a fortune with investment funds by using this. Later, a speculative frenzy called the ‘airship bubble’ began to blow, regardless of East and West.

* * *

Information about the airships also went to the military of each country.

“Wait… It flies without a gasbag? And the maneuverability is a little more free?”

Military personnel showed great interest in the military value of airships. They had already witnessed the aerial warfare between self-propelled flying vehicles in the war between France and Habsburg. They could not just overlook the airships, which were said to be capable of even more free maneuvering. Among them, the first and most enthusiastic to move were France and Habsburg.

France and Habsburg, who had stopped the fierce battle and were taking a breather for a while. France and Habsburg, who were keenly aware of the importance of securing air supremacy, immediately summoned scholars and artisans as soon as they received the information.

“To dominate the sky is to dominate the battlefield!”

Following France and Habsburg, Japan showed a strong will. Thanks to the characteristics of the archipelago, Japan was sincere in looking after the sea. However, it was unreasonable to rely entirely on battleships for this. There was also the need to be aware of the Empire, but the economic power itself was also limited.

“Battleships are not cheap, but it costs a lot of money to maintain the navy that can operate those battleships…”

In this situation, Japan showed interest in the Empire’s self-propelled flying vehicles. The self-propelled flying vehicles introduced in small numbers showed excellent performance, and Japan, satisfied with this, proceeded with additional introductions and licensed production. While operating a large number of self-propelled flying vehicles, Japan was satisfied with some things, but also dissatisfied with others.

“There are pros and cons…”

Japan, which was dissatisfied with the cruising range and speed and was studying ways to solve this problem, moved immediately upon hearing the story about the airships.

“We can’t just look at the Empire’s back forever! We have to catch up to at least right behind the Empire!”

Japan concentrated the manpower it had cultivated on airship development. And following Japan, Ming also jumped into airship development.

“Airships may be better than horses for scouting the vast area bordering Mongolia. And I will abdicate soon, so I have to create an achievement to hand over to the Crown Prince, right?”

It was a military and political reason, but no ministers opposed it.

* * *

While the East and West were boiling hot with airships, Hyun was rummaging through the blueprints in Gyeongbokgung Palace.

“Where was it? I clearly left it somewhere here…”

Hyun, who was searching every corner of his personal workshop, soon found a blueprint and smiled brightly.

“This is it!”

The blueprint read ‘Self-Propelled Flying Vehicle Carrier’.