Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1008

1008. The Name of Kindling is the Arms Race (1)

Having enjoyed considerable success selling military supplies to Europe, the merchants of Naniwa [modern-day Osaka, a major commercial center] paid even closer attention to European trends.

“The East is like stagnant water, with little movement. But Europa is like boiling water, overflowing with opportunities!”

“Let’s go to Europe! To the land of opportunity!”

As a result, about two years after the end of the Italian Unification War, many Japanese merchants were stationed in Europe. These merchants, having established themselves, didn’t just build trading houses.

Next to them, Japanese-style geisha houses sprung up. The geishas from Japan soon became a hot topic among the European upper class. And, coincidentally, these geisha houses became excellent sources of information for the Japanese merchants.

* * *

While running the geisha houses, the merchants mandated that everyone except those greeting guests and handling payments use only Japanese. Since Europeans were already frequenting Japan, it was common for geishas and staff to know foreign languages. Even the geishas brought to Europe could speak French or Latin.

“We thought you paid a high price to buy us because we knew foreign languages. But why this restriction?”

The geishas expressed their doubts. The money the merchants paid became the geishas’ debt. To repay this debt as quickly as possible, they needed to win over wealthy customers. In other words, they had to charm the European upper class into becoming their patrons. For that, conversation was essential.

The merchants replied simply to the geishas’ questions.

“We need ears that listen well, not mouths that speak well.”

“Then, repaying the debt will be…”

“You have faces and bodies. If you do as you’re told and bring good news, we’ll reduce your debt further.”

“Is that a promise?”

“I promise.”

The Naniwa merchants’ cunning scheme worked perfectly. The European upper class, seeking out the geishas, shared even more intimate stories than they would in secret meetings.

“Is it alright to talk about this here?”

“It’s fine. These girls don’t understand our language.”

“Really?”

“I guarantee it. Oi! Uta!”

“Hai [Yes].”

The geishas reported everything they heard at the parties to the merchants. Milhui executives, including Hyun and Hyang, who learned this information through the process of supplying the imperial specialty, multicolored liquor, to the Japanese geisha houses, or through agents planted in Japan, all smiled wryly.

“People think alike, no matter where they are.”

In any case, through this process, Japanese merchants were able to gather European information more efficiently. It was also through these geisha houses that they obtained information about the new gunpowder that began to spread in Europe, starting with England.

* * *

Upon receiving intelligence about the new gunpowder, the Japanese merchants once again contacted the Imperial Court. The Japanese Court, having received the intelligence from the merchants, once again sent envoys to the Empire. The Imperial government, already having received similar intelligence through the Imperial Army stationed in Italy, came to the same conclusion as Bok-eun.

“Since we already have gunpowder that is easier to handle and has a stronger explosive power, I believe it is acceptable to hand it over.”

“Since the new gunpowder has already begun to spread, it would be good to take credit for it.”

Thus, the Empire sold the manufacturing method of the early smokeless gunpowder, Deokgap-style gunpowder, to Ming [China under the Ming Dynasty] and Japan. Here, Japan, not forgetting its past experiences, carefully checked the points to be careful of during manufacturing. This was to avoid repeating the mistake of losing a large number of skilled artisans and workers once again.

Meanwhile, in Ming, these stories were exchanged between Emperor Chenghua and the Imperial Guard.

“What should we call this? A windfall?”

They had learned the inside story through a non-official channel connected to the Empire.

“Should we send an envoy to Japan to express our gratitude?”

* * *

In any case, Japan, or rather the Japanese merchants, who had brought in the manufacturing method of smokeless gunpowder from the Empire, challenged mass production. After successfully overcoming the initial trial and error process and succeeding in mass production, the merchants began to export it to Europe. The targets were the weak countries of Europe—the principalities of the Holy Roman Empire and Eastern European countries.

Unlike France, England, Habsburg [Austrian Dynasty], and Spain, they lacked capabilities, especially capital. Therefore, they purchased large quantities of smokeless gunpowder from Japanese merchants. Imperial officials who heard about the related circumstances gathered in groups to talk.

“Should we sell it off too?”

Similar stories circulated among the higher-ups as well.

“What do you think?”

At Hyun’s question, Foreign Minister Shin Suk-ju stepped forward.

“Unfortunately, our Empire cannot do that. There are already those who do not look favorably upon us. If war breaks out within Europe, they will blame us for everything.”

“Even though we didn’t start the war?”

“That is correct. For now, we must be satisfied with Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland.”

* * *

Italy, having received the production facilities and technology for the Florence long rifle from the Empire, grew into one of the leading firearms manufacturing countries in Europe. Surprisingly, the most famous firearms company in Italy today was Beretta. Of course, unlike the history before Hyang intervened, this Beretta belonged to Florence.

Portugal was famous for its powerful naval forces. The size of the fleet was significant, but all the battleships were armed with cannons made in the Empire—early models of breech-loading cannons salvaged from France.

Switzerland was famous as an armed neutral country. Thanks to controlling the main transportation routes through the Alps, Switzerland was earning considerable tariff revenue. There were those who tried to take advantage of Switzerland, but the Swiss army, armed with Imperial firearms, made them abandon such thoughts.

For the great powers of Europe, the existence of Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland was a very painful thorn.

* * *

Following the generalization of Bok-eun and the emergence of smokeless gunpowder, the European powers once again entered an arms race. The great powers, especially France, were the first to focus on long rifles and cannons.

France devoted much effort to producing the Florence long rifles and Gapsik flamethrowers acquired during the Italian Unification War. Interestingly, among the two, the French army put the most effort into the Gapsik flamethrowers.

This was due to the terrible memories of being attacked by the assault troops wielding Gapsik flamethrowers during the last Italian war.

“Flamethrowers over long rifles!”

“One flamethrower is better than one long rifle!”

This was the slogan circulating among the French army. While the French army was focusing on Florence long rifles and flamethrowers, cannons were a part that the entire French army was devoted to.

During the Battle of Corsica, France risked their lives to salvage cannons and shells from the Imperial battleships that had sunk or run aground near the northern coastline of Corsica and shipped them back to their homeland. It was literally a ‘life-risking’ task.

Approaching the sunken Imperial battleships while avoiding the eyes of the highly vigilant Imperial Navy, relying solely on the lung capacity of divers without any special auxiliary equipment, and transporting the salvaged cannons and shells across the sea all required risking one’s life.

When these cannons and shells salvaged at the cost of lives arrived in the homeland, the French military gathered artisans belonging to the military and began to disassemble them. They meticulously recorded all the dimensions and shapes, down to the smallest springs and screws, and casualties occurred in the process.

This was because, in the process of disassembling cannons salvaged with shells still loaded, an explosion occurred while disassembling shells with fuses attached. Despite such loss of life, France succeeded in disassembling them and began reverse engineering based on this. However, the prototypes created through reverse engineering showed performance far inferior to the originals.

“Why?”

“We made it with the same iron, with the same dimensions, so why?”

The higher-ups in the French military, unable to accept the results, urged the artisans. The artisans gave the same answer to the urging of the higher-ups.

“It’s not the same iron!”

The quality of French steel was very inferior to that of Imperial steel. The French military, having confirmed the problem, immediately reported it to Charles VIII. Charles VIII and his ministers, upon receiving the report, chose one policy and one alternative.

-Strengthen state support for the development of more superior ironmaking technology.

-Adjust the dimensions to match the French steel currently being produced.

Both required enormous budgets and trial and error. But it was unavoidable. Fortunately, the French commercial forces actively cooperated for the success of the ‘ironmaking technology development policy.’

In order to see greater profits through the railroads that were still being built, they needed better quality rails and better performing iron horses [early trains], and for this, better quality steel was needed.

Thanks to a kind of ‘national support,’ the development of new cannons and shells was successful faster than expected. But just when they were optimistic that everything would proceed smoothly from now on, a major accident occurred.

Spain had handed over the blueprints and core information of the new cannons and shells to England.

* * *

Spain, having suffered great losses in the Italian Unification War and having lost strategic strongholds in the Mediterranean, including Gibraltar and Algeciras, to the Empire, once again joined hands with France. The biggest reason for the breakdown of Spain, which had been actively cooperating with France by supporting funds and personnel, was sugarcane liquor.

France, having acquired the Empire’s sugarcane liquor distillery, made a lot of profit by exporting large quantities of sugarcane liquor to Spain. Spain, which had many social and economic problems as a result, strongly protested to France and announced a ban on the import of sugarcane liquor.

As soon as the import of sugarcane liquor was banned, smuggling of sugarcane liquor became rampant on the Spanish border. No matter how much they cracked down, smuggling did not stop, so Spain began to suspect the French government.

“Aren’t they deliberately condoning it?”

Almost every day, the Spanish ambassador visited Charles VIII and French ministers to ask for a solution to the problem, but with the situation still sluggish, Spain’s suspicion turned into conviction. Eventually, Spain began to seriously consider colluding with England.

-Considering the border issues, we cannot be with France forever.

-France may be using smuggling to find a way to break through the border.

-England and France are well-known enemies.

-If England becomes stronger, France will pay attention to England and will not be able to pay attention to the border with us.

-England’s sugarcane liquor is also a problem, but England has to go through the sea. It can be blocked more easily.

After reviewing these circumstances, Spain betrayed France and joined hands with England.

* * *

Thus, the development of new cannons in England, which had received core information, was not progressing easily.

“Why? Why?”

Spain could not hide its frustration with the situation, which was very different from what they had expected. And Hyang, who received intelligence related to this, chuckled and muttered the answer.

“There are two answers. One is the quality of the steel, and the other is the units [measurement system].”