Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1005

1005. Meanwhile, Elsewhere… (10)

With the ‘Great Circumnavigation Route’ officially established, the most bewildered people were the Imperials.

“What? The Great Circumnavigation Route?”

“The Grea~t Circumnavigation Route?”

The Imperials who heard the story, especially the navy and merchant ship sailors, shook their heads. In the decades since the discovery of Shinji [a newly discovered continent], the Empire had not been idle. While prioritizing the construction of the ‘Maritime Defense Line,’ they never forgot to explore and survey the coastline of Shinji.

“We must prevent any loopholes!”

Finding guano [bird or bat excrement used as fertilizer] mines in the process was the best harvest. Therefore, the Empire possessed the most comprehensive and accurate geographical information related to Shinji, albeit limited to the coastline.

Thus, the Imperials were bewildered when the ‘Great Circumnavigation Route’ became a hot topic in Europe.

“If we hadn’t guided those bastards from the beginning with just one map, they would have all been goners!”

* * *

As soon as the war in Italy ended, Portugal moved quickly. After a thorough screening, they entrusted newly built large ships to capable naval officers and sailors and set off.

Of course, crossing the Atlantic with only one map was a perilous undertaking. To mitigate the risk, Portugal entered into a deal with the Empire.

In exchange for sharing the Portuguese naval port in the Azores [an autonomous region of Portugal in the North Atlantic Ocean], located in the middle of the North Atlantic, with the Imperial Navy, they requested guidance and supply bases. The Azores were also strategically important to the Empire, so they readily agreed to this deal.

Soon, the Portuguese expedition that departed from Ceuta [a Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast] entered the Imperial naval port in Gibraltar, ridiculously, to receive a final check from the Imperial Navy. It wasn’t that the Portuguese Navy lacked experience in long-distance voyages.

However, due to the altered history since Hyang’s intervention, most of their long-distance voyages had been explorations of Africa.

“Wine? Throw it away unless you’re planning to drink vinegar instead of water.”

“Are you going to war? Too much armament. It’s better to fill that space with more water and food.”

“You know water goes bad too, right? Why don’t you install a distiller and a water purifier? They’re not that expensive.”

The Empire and its people did not forget to profit, even amidst this collaboration. While the Portuguese were being scrutinized outside, undergoing their final inspection, a fierce debate was taking place at the Imperial Navy Gibraltar Command.

-Who will be in charge of the guidance?

As it was clear that the mission would bring more losses than gains, the captains were subtly backing away. Eventually, three were selected by lottery.

* * *

The Imperial-Portuguese fleet that departed from Gibraltar crossed the Atlantic via the Azores. The fleet arrived at the Imperial South Shinji Islands—present-day Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

The Portuguese fleet, having safely arrived at the South Shinji Islands and the Imperial naval port, took a brief rest and began re-equipping. After the rest and re-equipment, the Portuguese fleet, guided by Imperial warships belonging to the South Shinji Fleet, began to move south again.

The busiest people as the voyage continued were the captains and navigators of the Portuguese fleet.

-We will guide you to the safe zone at the southern end of the uncharted territory. After that, you’re on your own. This was the agreement between the Empire and Portugal. According to this agreement, the Imperial Navy belonging to the South Shinji Fleet only provided silent guidance; the rest was up to the Portuguese Navy.

Therefore, the captains and navigators of the Portuguese fleet had no time to rest. Based on the map provided by the Empire, they recorded the route and noted the locations of suitable supply bases along the way. The work didn’t end there.

They also meticulously recorded the amount of drinking water and food consumed during the voyage, as well as the number of patients.

After a voyage like a blind man walking with a guide’s cane, the Portuguese fleet was able to reach the southern end of the uncharted territory. To be precise, it was the Rio Grande area in Tierra del Fuego [an archipelago at the southern tip of South America] in the history before Hyang’s intervention.

“If you go down a little further from here, you’ll reach the southern end. That river is the last place where you can easily get fresh water. Our guidance ends here.”

The commander of the Portuguese fleet, Bartolomeu Dias, nodded at the words of the Imperial Navy captain who was in charge of the guidance.

“I understand. Thank you.”

“Supplies will arrive in three months as promised. Good luck.”

The mission of the Portuguese fleet was to confirm the route going around this south and heading north. As expected of the Empire, this part was missing from the map. Dias expressed his sincere gratitude to the Imperial Navy captain who handed over the map.

“I sincerely thank the Empire for its kindness! I earnestly pray that God’s blessings will be with the Emperor of the Empire, the Empire, and you forever!”

Did Dias’s heartfelt blessing move the captain’s heart? The captain, who had paused for a moment, said to Dias.

“His Majesty will also be pleased with the commander’s blessing. And… as a fellow sailor, let me say one thing: there are three routes to bypass from here. That’s all.”

The Imperial captain, who had said words of short but enormous value, got off Dias’s ship and returned to his own ship. Dias, who realized the meaning of the captain’s words, sent off the departing Imperial warship with a bright face.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Meanwhile, the interpreter who accompanied the captain looked at the captain with a worried face.

“Didn’t you tell them too much?”

Unlike the worried interpreter, the captain’s expression was carefree.

“Wouldn’t this much reward be appropriate for someone who wished God’s blessings on His Majesty?”

“Still…”

“Isn’t it no longer our Empire’s anyway?”

* * *

After the Imperial Navy left, the Portuguese fleet, now alone, landed the navy. After the blessing of the priest who landed with them, Dias shouted loudly in front of the navy.

“By order of the great Portuguese monarch João II [King John II of Portugal], I now declare this place to be Portuguese territory! From now on, this place will be called ‘Gate of Opportunity (porta de oportunidade),’ and this land will be called ‘Land of Glory (terra da gloria)!”

“Viva! Viva!”

As soon as Dias’s declaration ended, everyone in the place shouted cheers.

* * *

Dias, who set up a base camp at the ‘Gate of Opportunity,’ called the captains together.

“The Imperial Navy captain told me that there are three bypass routes. Finding those bypass routes will be our mission.”

One of the captains raised a question at Dias’s words.

“Could it be a lie?”

“What would he gain by lying to me?”

The captain who made the problematic statement closed his mouth at Dias’s question. Dias, who stared at him for a moment, pointed at the map with his finger and continued.

“The first of the three will be the typical bypass route that goes around the outside of this Gloria. The other two… hmm… if this place where we are staying is an island, there will be waterways.”

No one questioned Dias’s point. Dias, confirming that there were no objections, moved on to the next point.

“It is likely that at least one of those waterways will be in the sea north of this Gate of Opportunity. So I will divide the fleet into two.”

Dias’s plan was as follows:

-Send one of the two divided fleets north to explore the waterways.

-The other will continue south, exploring the possibility of waterways and bypass routes.

No captains opposed this very simple and clear plan. Soon after, the Portuguese fleet, having finished re-equipping, split into two and began exploring.

* * *

As three straits were discovered through the exploration of the fleet led by Dias, the Great Circumnavigation Route began to take shape.

Depending on the location, they were named ‘East of the Gate,’ ‘South of the Gate,’ and ‘Entrance of the Waves,’ which were named ‘Strait of Magellan,’ ‘Beagle Channel,’ and ‘Drake Passage’ in the history before Hyang’s intervention.

The most infamous of these was the ‘Entrance of the Waves.’

In the face of the brutal waves with an average wave height of 10 meters and a wave height of 30 meters during storms, ordinary sailing ships could not even dare to pass through. The most popular of the remaining two waterways was ‘North of the Gate.’

This was because it was the widest. Thanks to these two waterways, Portugal was able to advance to the western part of the Gloria continent more quickly. And in less than five years, Italy followed Portugal and advanced to the western part of the Gloria continent.

For Italy, which had spent enormous war expenses in the last unification war, advancing to Gloria was the only hope. This was because they had already lost many vested interests in traditional Mediterranean trade. While Portugal and Italy were bickering with each other and competing for colonies in Gloria, England and France also advanced to Gloria.

As the situation became like this, a fierce colonial scramble began in Gloria. This colonial scramble was much fiercer compared to the history before Hyang’s intervention. It was thanks to the Empire occupying Shinji.

The vast area of northern and central Shinji became the Empire’s, which greatly reduced the area that European powers could occupy.

* * *

In this fierce colonial competition, the Shinji sugar cane distillery ceded by the Empire emerged as the eye of the storm. The port created to transport sugar cane from the sugar cane distillery was an excellent supply base.

The European ships that crossed the Atlantic completed their supply and maintenance at the ports of these distilleries, then loaded sugar cane and set sail. These ships headed to their colonies built in Gloria and Terra. As a tool to exploit the natives of the colonies, sugar cane was a more certain, overwhelmingly cheaper means than force.

The natives addicted to sugar cane had to endure harsh labor in the mines and farms operated by Europeans in order to drink sugar cane. Of course, many natives began to die from not being able to endure this harsh labor, and Europeans began to ship slaves from Africa. And here, a problem arose.

The Empire had banned the entry of slave transport ships.

-Only ships transporting sugar cane can call at the ports located in the sugar cane distilleries.

It was natural for European powers to protest against this cause of the Empire. However, the Empire was firm.

-According to what we have observed, slave transport ships are full of all kinds of diseases. To ensure the safety of the Imperial people, we have no choice but to block the entry of slave transport ships.

“Are those natives Imperial people?”

“They are registered in the Empire’s census register, they follow the Empire’s laws, and they pay taxes to the Empire, so they are definitely Imperial people! Any complaints?”

“They are slaves to work in the distilleries!”

“Didn’t you read the additional clauses of the contract? Workers working in distilleries employ local Imperial people! In addition, the Empire pays the wages specified by the Empire to these workers!”

There were various disputes after that, but the Empire’s position remained the same.

-The distilleries are yours, but the land and ports are the Empire’s!

In the end, European powers had to bring slaves to Gloria through the route from Africa to Terra.