Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 340

340. A Land of Fantasy, A Land of Frustration (2)

August 1432.

A small Franciscan monastery on the outskirts of Florence.

“Brother Giovanni, a letter has arrived from Brother Angelo.”

Giovanni accepted the letter. It was from his close friend, who had been teetering on the brink of excommunication for inheriting and studying the knowledge of Roger Bacon, considered a heretic. He retreated to his room to examine it.

“Brother… you arrived safely. Lord, I thank you.”

Holding the letter, Giovanni offered a prayer of thanks.

* * *

Driven by the Ottoman expansion, more and more scholars and alchemists were fleeing the Eastern Roman Empire for Italy.

The economic power of the northern Italian city-states was growing significantly, and wealthy individuals, having amassed great fortunes, began to support these refugee scholars and alchemists.

The foundation for the great transformation later known as the ‘Renaissance’ was slowly being laid.

Angelo, seizing the opportunity presented by this atmosphere, was actively engaged in academic pursuits. He sought out those arriving from Eastern Rome for discussions whenever possible and selected disciples from the newly ordained novice friars.

However, it was still too early.

The bishop, who had been observing Angelo’s activities, issued a first warning.

‘Be restrained.’

Angelo’s activities continued, and finally, a formal letter of warning arrived from the Vatican.

Angelo and his disciples were at a crossroads, facing excommunication or being burned at the stake, when a lifeline appeared.

“The country of Joseon in the distant East is seeking mathematicians and alchemists. Would you consider going there?”

Angelo and his disciples had no choice but to accept the offer from the messenger sent by Cosimo de’ Medici.

The bishop, upon receiving Angelo’s letter and the head abbot’s request for permission to leave under the pretext of ‘preaching the gospel in the distant Eastern country,’ immediately granted it.

Thus, a letter arrived from his friend, who had embarked on a perilous journey with no guarantee of return, a journey across unknown sea routes.

* * *

After offering a prayer of thanks, Giovanni calmed himself and examined the envelope.

A floral pattern was stamped on the wax sealing the envelope, preventing unauthorized opening.

“Is it really the ‘Land of Flowers’?” Giovanni wondered.

Giovanni examined the unfamiliar flower shape and read the Latin sentence written beside it.

“Inspected to prevent leakage of confidential information. This is a legal measure based on Joseon law?”

After reading the sentence, Giovanni broke the seal and opened the envelope. Inside were several sheets of paper filled with writing.

Giovanni quietly began to read the letter.

* * *

‘To my dear friend and spiritual brother, Giovanni,

Thanks to your prayers and God’s protection, my disciples and I have arrived safely in Joseon.

Of course, pirates did attack us on the way. However, when the cannons on the Joseon ship fired, they collapsed like the walls of Jericho at the sound of trumpets [a biblical reference to an overwhelming victory].

After that, we had a comfortable voyage, and my disciples and I were able to arrive in Joseon with the others.

My first impression of Joseon was that it is a very cautious country. Upon arrival, we were not immediately allowed to enter the port but had to spend five days in a quarantine facility built on a nearby island.

After that, there were several inspections and quarantines, but nothing life-threatening occurred.

Having set foot on Joseon land, we took a smaller ship and went north.

After arriving at a trading port called ‘Jemulpo,’ located west of the capital, we changed ships again and were able to reach the capital of Joseon by sailing up a large river called Hansu [now known as the Han River].

Having passed through the large and beautiful fortress gate protecting Hanseong—also called Hanyang or Gyeongseong—the capital of Joseon, my disciples and I were finally able to enter Hanseong.

Brother, do not be surprised. Many roads in Joseon are paved with *Cementum* [Latin for cement or concrete]. And, unbelievably, there was no excrement from people or animals on the roads.

The oxen and horses pulling carts carrying people and goods all had large baskets attached to their rear ends to prevent cow dung and horse dung from falling on the road.

But what surprised me the most were the Iron Horse (*Ferrum Equus*) [Latin for Iron Horse] and the Railroad.

Oh, my brother. Have you ever seen a beast made of iron pulling a cart instead of living horses and oxen? Joseon uses such things to transport people.

The Iron Horse that moves with water and fire…’

“Oh, dear….”

The part that followed, which seemed to describe the basic operating principles and draw pictures of the exterior, was completely blacked out, and Giovanni clicked his tongue, unable to hide his disappointment.

After clicking his tongue several times, Giovanni continued to read the letter.

‘Thus, we were able to have an audience with the King of Joseon. He had a beard but looked like he was in his twenties. However, I later heard that he was 33 years old.

Let me add a word: it is difficult to guess the age of Joseon people just by looking at their faces. They all have younger faces than their age.

Anyway, the King of Joseon, whom I met in that way, seemed to be very respected by his subjects and people. Even to my eyes, his eyes were clear and full of wisdom.

However, his son, the prince who would inherit the throne, was shocking. He was able to speak Latin, albeit clumsily. I later found out that he had learned it himself using books obtained through Kitai [an old name for China] and a Kitai dictionary.

And this crown prince was the one who called people like me to Joseon.

My first impression of this young prince, who had recently turned 16—or rather, who was still young—was that he was Plato’s ‘Philosopher King (*Philosophus regem*)’ [Latin for Philosopher King, referring to Plato’s ideal ruler].

Although the path of preaching the gospel was blocked by the prince’s cunning trick—I will write about this separately—the other parts were truly admirable.

Most of the many instruments that surprised us were created through the teachings and orders of that prince.

The prince who called us in that way told us what to do. Fortunately, it was not about creating gold through alchemy but about researching and creating the necessary technologies and mathematical knowledge in various fields.

For example…’

An enormous amount of text was blacked out after that as well.

“Damn it!”

Giovanni unknowingly uttered a curse and was startled, making the sign of the cross.

“Lord….”

Giovanni, reflecting on himself for uttering a curse because he could not overcome a momentary emotional agitation, focused on the letter again.

The letter sent by Angelo was already nearing its end.

‘While carrying out these tasks, my disciples and I are having many discussions with alchemists, mathematicians, and scholars from Greece, as well as scholars from Joseon.

Although we are still in a situation where we cannot communicate well and are communicating through written conversations using formulas and numbers, it is like heaven compared to the frustration I experienced in Italy.

Every day is like heaven because the mathematical knowledge and abilities of these Joseon intellectuals are very excellent.

Every day, I thank the Lord for leading my disciples and me to this Joseon.

I pray that you will always enjoy peaceful days under the protection of God.

From your spiritual brother, Angelo.’

“Hmm….”

Giovanni, having read Angelo’s letter to the end, fell into deep thought.

Although quite a few parts were erased, Angelo’s letter was full of hope. It was a completely different atmosphere from when he left for Joseon, when it was full of gloom.

Giovanni stared at the letter for a long time and muttered to himself without realizing it.

“Should I go to Joseon too?”

He, too, had unknowingly accumulated considerable knowledge in mathematics and alchemy.

A few days later, the bishop, having heard the rumor that a letter had come from Angelo, who had left for Joseon, called Giovanni.

“I heard that Brother Angelo, who left for Joseon, sent a letter. Did he arrive safely?”

“Yes. He says that he arrived safely in Joseon with his disciples under the protection of God.”

“Really? Is there anything else?”

“He wrote about the scenery of Joseon that he saw upon arrival.”

The bishop’s face brightened at Giovanni’s answer.

The bishop, whose face had brightened, soon got to the point.

“In fact, since Cosimo de’ Medici presented the Candelabrum to His Holiness the Pope, interest in Joseon has been increasing day by day. Although he did not go to Korea for good reasons, Brother Angelo went to Joseon, and his letter has arrived. Naturally, the Pope, as well as many people, are curious about Joseon.”

“Is that so? Then should I give you the letter?”

The bishop shook his head at Giovanni’s question.

“I can’t do that. It’s yours. Instead, you’ll have to read it in front of His Holiness.”

After pondering for a moment, Giovanni nodded.

“I will do so.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

* * *

Ten days later, in the large reception room of the Vatican.

In the reception room, the Pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, their sponsors, wealthy tycoons, and nobles from various European countries were seated.

Even if the Pope and Catholic figures were there, the reason why tycoons and nobles were gathered was simple.

It was because of the growing interest in the ‘Land of Flowers,’ which was emerging as an increasingly important trading partner.

The chandelier presented by Cosimo de’ Medici had turned all of Europe into a cauldron of excitement.

For them, the East was a mystery and a fear. If the various stories transmitted through the Silk Road from the past—the Roman Empire—were a mystery, then the Mongols, who had completely turned the east of Europe into a wasteland, were a fear.

In the process, Joseon’s artifacts, which entered through Alexandria and Italy, greatly increased economic interest in the East.

In the midst of this, the crystal chandeliers hanging in the Vatican and Habsburg blinded the Europeans.

The Venetian merchants who saw the chandelier in the Vatican encouraged the glass craftsmen, but the products that came out were far from matching those of Joseon.

“Venice used to be known for glass, but even Venice failed?”

“How on earth did they make it?”

“What kind of country is Joseon anyway?”

From merchants to nobles and kings, everyone’s interest in Joseon began to boil over.

* * *

In this situation, Angelo’s letter, which was read aloud in the Vatican’s reception room, was a spark.

It was a spark thrown into oil that had been heated to just before the ignition point.

“…That’s all.”

When Giovanni’s reading was over, the reception room was filled with murmurs.

“Roads paved with *Cementum*? It must be difficult to manage?”

“Management aside, is it even possible to lay so much *Cementum*?”

“A cart that moves without horses or oxen?”

“How does it move with water and fire?”

The interest of those in the reception room was immediately focused on the ‘Iron Horse.’ When various opinions were divided on the words ‘moves with water and fire,’ one of the cardinals opened his mouth.

“There is a record that Heron of ancient Greece turned an iron ball by boiling water. Wouldn’t it be similar?”

“Boiling water? With just steam? To pull a cart with steam, wouldn’t the furnace have to be the size of a house?”

“Well….”

While all sorts of stories were exchanged in this way, the powerful and the merchants all came to the same conclusion.

‘We must open the way to Joseon!’

The ‘race to Joseon’ was slowly beginning to surface.

Unlike those nobles and merchants, scholars dreamed of going to Joseon for other reasons.

“A philosopher king….”

“A research institute where you can study mathematics….”

“It’s a land of fantasy.”

At that time, in Hanseong [the capital of Joseon].

Angelo was unknowingly grumbling.

“It’s driving me crazy….”