Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1048

1048. The Age of War – The Age of Copycats (7)

Freed from its restraints, Da Vinci’s ornithopter soon began to taxi powerfully. After speeding across the firmly packed sand of the riverbank, Da Vinci’s ornithopter soared into the sky.

“Woo-hoo!”

“It’s up!”

The onlookers cheered as they watched Da Vinci’s ornithopter powerfully ascend into the sky.

As if proving the saying, ‘Rumors spread faster than bullets in Seoul,’ the cheers of the spectators who had flocked in upon hearing the rumors echoed across the riverbank.

“Hmm… It seems quite different from the ornithopters I’ve seen before. To rise so stably like that…”

“Indeed.”

“Wow~! It flies well!”

“I know, right? It looks like a pufferfish, but it soars like a kite!”

“It always flew well enough!”

The elderly officials and spectators shared their opinions and observations. This was thanks to their experience watching all sorts of ornithopters due to the ornithopter experiments that had been passed down through generations, starting with Hyang. Thanks to watching all sorts of bizarre ornithopters—outlandish contraptions, really—the elderly spectators had quite sharp eyes. Therefore, disguised eunuchs were hiding among the spectators to listen to their evaluations.

Meanwhile, even as the officials and spectators exclaimed in amazement, Hyang, Wan, Hyeon, and Woo were recording their assessments with cold faces.

“Hmm… The takeoff distance is short, and it rises stably. It looks better than it appears.”

Hyeon shook his head at Woo’s assessment.

“There hasn’t been an ornithopter yet that couldn’t take off properly. The problem is how freely it can move in the sky.”

“And the biggest problem is whether it can land safely.”

Wan added to Hyeon’s words, and Hyang added to that.

“In addition, we must also consider its value as a weapon. Perhaps this is the most important thing.”

Woo looked slightly daunted by the words of Hyeon, Wan, and Hyang.

‘It’s amazing enough that it’s rising like that, but they’re not satisfied with just that? How can they be so cold? Is that what a ruler must be?’

As one might guess from his interest in music, Woo was quite emotional.

“Haa~.”

‘Am I still far off? Ah… Do I not have the qualities of a ruler?’

Perhaps noticing Woo’s self-doubt, Hyeon, who was next to him, smiled and comforted Woo.

“I know what the Crown Prince is worried about. But time is the only answer. How many ornithopters do you think the Emperor, or the Supreme Emperor, has seen so far? That’s why they’re so indifferent.”

“Ah……”

At Hyeon’s words, Woo nodded and pulled himself together.

The Minister of Finance, who was listening to the conversation between father and son from behind, grumbled inwardly.

‘Thanks to that, how many Ministry of Finance officials suffer from headaches and stomach problems… Other ministries have herbal medicine as a staple, but the Ministry of Finance has headache medicine and stomach medicine as a staple!’

While such a farce was taking place below, Da Vinci’s ornithopter, which had risen into the sky, was showing off its left and right turns, ascents, and descents.

“Wow~!”

“Look at that!”

“It’s like a fish in water!”

As the spectators cheered at the ornithopter’s maneuvers, Hyang asked Da Vinci.

“Is it possible to do a somersault?”

“It is impossible due to the limitations of the external combustion engine.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

Unlike internal combustion engines, external combustion engines had clear limitations.

‘No, even internal combustion engines can’t perform that maneuver unless they are developed to a certain level. Hmm… Should I offer more carrots in addition to adding it to the Challenge Log [a record of tasks and achievements]?’

As Hyang was pondering, the ornithopter was gradually lowering its altitude and entering the landing process. As the ornithopter prepared to land, Hyang, Wan, Hyeon, and Woo fixed their gazes with tense expressions.

The landing was successful.

“It landed safely!”

“Wow!”

When the landing was successful, not only the spectators but also the artisans who participated in the production all cheered. As the artisan who had successfully parked the ornithopter in one place and stopped the engine got off the ornithopter, his fellow artisans rushed over and patted him on the shoulder, congratulating him.

Hyang, Wan, Hyeon, and Woo also approached him and praised him.

“You have worked hard indeed. It is truly a dangerous thing to fly in the sky on an unverified ornithopter, and your courage is commendable.”

“Your Imperial Majesty is too kind.”

The artisan prostrated himself on the ground, overwhelmed by Hyeon’s praise. After praising the artisan, Hyang and his group examined Da Vinci’s ornithopter again and had a conversation.

“As expected… It’s already creaking.”

“I suppose so. One of the most difficult structures to secure durability is a cylindrical structure.”

Hyang, who agreed with Wan’s assessment after slightly shaking the ornithopter’s body to check its condition, asked the artisan in charge of piloting.

“Was the process of landing easy?”

“It would be difficult for just anyone to do it. I myself only became accustomed to it after making several mistakes.”

This flight was the first flight with a powered engine. Before that, there had been gliding flights without an engine, and gliding flights with a lump of metal of the same weight and size as the engine.

Hyang pointed out the problems with the artisan in charge of piloting and Da Vinci in front of him.

“I think the location of the seat where the person controlling that ornithopter sits is the problem. The seat was created at the top of that large cylindrical body, and to make matters worse, at the rear. It’s okay when taking off, but will you be able to see properly when landing?”

‘Wasn’t the Corsair’s debut delayed because of that problem?’

Da Vinci protested at Hyang’s criticism.

“That problem will naturally be solved once you get used to it.”

“What about those who will die or get injured in the process of getting used to it? Do you think the resentment of those widows will be directed at you? It will be directed at the Emperor. What are you going to do about this problem?”

“……”

Da Vinci’s mouth was firmly sealed at Hyang’s question. Looking at Da Vinci’s appearance, Hyang turned to Wan, Hyeon, and Woo.

“Let’s look at the next ornithopter.”

* * *

Starting with Da Vinci’s ornithopter, test flights of other ornithopters continued. After the three-day schedule was over, evaluations by those involved, starting with Hyang, proceeded.

“They all have their pros and cons.”

“That is correct.”

“If we only look at the movement in the sky, Da Vinci’s ornithopter is the best, but if we look at stability, Da Vinci’s ornithopter is the worst.”

“Da Vinci’s ornithopter also requires too much work in terms of production and maintenance. However, its agility can be considered the best.”

“No, why are you only looking at Da Vinci’s ornithopter?”

“Isn’t it because its agility is the nimblest?”

“Nimble agility is important, but what’s even more important than that is how fast it is!”

“That’s right! We must prioritize speed!”

“Agility is more important than speed!”

“That’s right! Even if it’s fast, it’s not that much faster!”

A heated debate broke out over ‘speed’ and ‘maneuverability.’ The evaluation criteria of those involved were created by Hyang.

-On the battlefield, an ornithopter is like a flying cavalry.

Those involved immediately understood Hyang’s analogy. However, a problem arose here.

-The greatest weapon of the cavalry is its speed! Use fast speed to strike a blow, then pull out and increase speed again to repeat the blow! This is the cavalry’s tactics!

-Speed is not everything! If speed is everything, why do cavalrymen practice horsemanship! Speed is important, but you must avoid the enemy’s attacks and subdue the enemy with quick and light movements!

A heated debate broke out over which to prioritize, speed or maneuverability. Hyang, Wan, Hyeon, and Woo were showing interesting expressions. It was Hyang who was most interested.

‘Wow~. This fight is already happening? Does everyone think the same thing?’

The debate that had taken place among the air force officials of the major powers just before World War II had occurred again, going back in time. Woo looked at Hyeon at the endless debate.

“At this rate, it doesn’t seem like it will ever end. Wouldn’t it be better for someone to step in and set a standard?”

Hyeon, who was momentarily startled by Woo’s words, looked at Wan, and Wan looked at Hyang. Hyang, who received a silent question, immediately answered.

“Both sides have their reasons, so let’s watch a little longer. We can’t always act as mediators, can we? Even if it takes time, we have to help them develop their capabilities like that.”

Hyang’s voice was gentle, but the expression on his face as he looked at his son and grandson was extremely sharp.

‘How long do I have to step in? Are you not going to do it properly?’

Wan and Hyeon, who were startled by Hyang’s inner thoughts, which were revealed in his expression even though he didn’t say it, turned their heads. In the end, after a fierce debate, it was concluded that ‘speed’ should be given more importance. Accordingly, the screening process to select a suitable ornithopter began, but the decision was not easy.

“We said speed is a priority, but this is too weak…”

The ornithopter that produced the fastest speed looked weak at a glance. The ornithopter in question came from Area 52 [a research and development facility], and people’s eyes were fixed on Wan.

“Even though it looks like that, it has secured sufficient strength.”

Despite Wan’s protest, Hyang and Hyeon shook their heads.

“It would be fine if it just flew quietly, but it’s unstable if you think about combat.”

“That’s right. The structure is too weak. I think we need to add more bulkheads and ribs.”

“Hey, Emperor! Are you thinking of putting up a wire on the sky [making it too fragile]!”

In the end, a debate broke out even among the three generations. After such a fierce screening process, the people in charge selected two types of aircraft and added the following.

-Redesign based on these two types of ornithopters.

-The redesign should focus on the following.

ㄱ. Improve speed and durability.

ㄴ. Easy to manufacture and maintain.

(Omitted below)

The reaction of the artisans who checked the official document that came down from above was divided into two.

“Hoo~. This is… They’re just saying to redesign based on it. It’s like they’re telling us to make it completely new?”

“Still, what can we do? We have to do it if they tell us to.”

Some sighed and complained, but others were burning with enthusiasm. The most representative person was Da Vinci.

“This time, I’ll show you who I am!”

* * *

While Area 51 [a research and development facility] and Area 52 were noisy with ornithopters, there were also those who unexpectedly had a hard time. They were the ones who were censoring the letters of foreigners working in the research institute, Area 51, and Area 52. Most of them had been naturalized into the Empire, but their relatives and acquaintances still remained in their hometowns, so letters were exchanged. Therefore, censorship was essential to prevent secrets from being leaked through these letters.

However, as the ornithopter competition began, the workload of those in charge exploded. Because it was a public event, everyone who watched it wrote about it in their letters. In the end, those in charge wrote a memorial to Hyeon.

-Please make such events private!

Hyeon smiled bitterly as he received the memorial.

“I want to make it private, but this is also something that increases the people’s pride…”

Things like gunpowder and cannons were still being tested and developed in secret. However, things like ornithopters were different in nature.

-Look! Our Empire is creating things that others can’t even imagine! This is the Empire you live in!

It was propaganda to maintain the empire, which was a mixture of various lands and races.