Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 379

379. The Eastern Expeditionary Archipelago (1)

Late December, Imja year. Otataorunai Port in Daesul Island (present-day Otaru).

The name ‘Otataorunai Port’ had quite a complicated story behind it.

Initially, it was named ‘Sajangcheon (沙場川)’ which meant ‘river in the middle of a sandy beach,’ mirroring the meaning of Otataorunai.

However, the Ainu people’s reaction was not favorable, and thanks to the early distribution of Hunminjeongeum [the Korean alphabet], the original name, Otataorunai Port, was solidified.

A Challenger-class battleship was docking at the snow-covered pier of Otataorunai Port.

On the sides of the ship’s bow and stern, nameplates were engraved with the Chinese characters ‘吉林 (Girin).’

It was the Challenger-class No. 10 ship, ‘Girin,’ named in commemoration of the ‘Girin Battle,’ where the Joseon army decisively defeated the Jurchen people led by Yi Man-ju and Meonte-mu.

* * *

Captain Go Il-nam of the Girin, docked at the pier, addressed the sailors.

“Take a day off, and complete resupply and maintenance as quickly as possible! As soon as the maintenance is finished, return to Wonsan!”

“Yes!”

The sailors responded vigorously to Go Il-nam’s command.

After Go Il-nam’s instructions, the sailors eagerly disembarked, scattering in groups of three or five.

Go Il-nam, the last to leave the ship, proceeded to the port’s defense command.

Commander Kang Ho-jun, after receiving Go Il-nam’s brief report, inquired, “What’s the urgency? Why are you moving so quickly?”

“I found something while investigating the Northeast, and I believe it requires immediate reporting.”

“What is it?”

At Ho-jun’s question, delivered with growing interest, Il-nam replied simply, “I believe we’ve located an archipelago to the east.”

Ho-jun jumped up from his seat at Il-nam’s answer. “Is that true!”

* * *

Even before the debate between the heliocentric [sun-centered] and geocentric [earth-centered] theories at the research institute, the admirals and high-ranking officers of the navy were accepting the spherical Earth theory.

This acceptance stemmed from accumulated experience with various natural phenomena observed during navigation—such as parallax [the apparent displacement of an object when viewed from different lines of sight] and the seemingly curved horizon—and the ‘hypotheses’ proposed by the research institute.

With this understanding of the Earth’s shape, a question arose among the navy officers.

“Then what lies to the east?”

The navy officers’ questioning was rooted in the traditionally passed down ‘harmony theory.’

-Yin and yang harmonize with each other, and the five elements also create and overcome each other, achieving harmony.

According to this harmony theory, imbalances lead to natural disasters and epidemics.

The primary cause of this imbalance was believed to be the immorality of the people.

Therefore, when natural disasters and epidemics occurred, the king would take the lead in performing ancestral rites to the heavens, seeking to restore balance and calm.

* * *

Hyang obtained Zheng He’s navigation records and observation data and mobilized the researchers at the institute to create a map. The Islamic world’s map, acquired through Mansur, was integrated, and the navigation records from the voyage to Suez—or rather, Alexandria—were added, refining the map further.

Furthermore, the discovery of the ocean (大洋) while investigating the area around Daesul Island fueled the navy’s questioning.

“If all the land in the world is gathered in one place like this, isn’t it unbalanced?”

“Right? It’s not harmonious at all.”

“The harmony of yin and yang and the five elements is completely disrupted. If that’s the case, there’s an excess of water energy (水氣).”

Although the question originated from the traditional ‘harmony theory,’ the navy began to entertain increasing doubts and possibilities.

‘There is definitely land in the east!’

These questions and possibilities were promptly compiled into a report and sent to Geunjeongjeon Hall [the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace].

“Take a look at it.”

“Yes, Father.”

Hyang, after reading the report handed over by Sejong, wore a dumbfounded expression.

“Is this how it’s discovered? Well, if you delve into it, there’s no end to it….”

Hyang reported to Sejong, “It seems worth exploring.”

The atmosphere within the navy, having followed the debate at the research institute and its findings—including the estimated diameter of the Earth—shifted from possibility to certainty.

“If this world is so vast, there must be land in the east!”

Despite their conviction, the navy couldn’t immediately act.

* * *

Several obstacles hindered the Joseon navy’s actions, primarily two.

The first was the chronic shortage of manpower, a problem affecting not only the navy but Joseon as a whole.

Due to this shortage, the Joseon navy had to prioritize the deployment of Haeung-class battleships to secure naval dominance in Joseon’s coastal waters.

With the Haeung-class battleships taking precedence, the production and deployment of Challenger-class battleships were delayed.

Challenger-class battleships possessed the strongest combat power and long-range navigation capabilities among the Joseon navy’s fleet, but they also demanded significant human resources.

“Of course, when you think about it, Haeung-class battleships aren’t easy either….”

Reviewing the related reports, Hyang massaged his throbbing forehead.

Although the number of crew members was less than that of the Challenger-class in absolute terms, the Haeung-class required relatively more crew members compared to its size.

This was due to the sails that enabled the Haeung-class’s fast mobility. Despite being smaller, the Haeung-class had only two fewer sails than the Challenger-class.

Therefore, the Ministry of National Defense, as well as Sejong and his ministers, had to carefully consider the balance between Challenger and Haeung-class battleships.

“We must prioritize Challenger-class battleships! Considering the increasing trade in Joseon, we must prioritize Challenger-class battleships unconditionally!”

Minister of Finance Kim Jeom strongly advocated for prioritizing Challenger-class battleships, but the decision was made to prioritize Haeung-class battleships for the time being.

Ironically, the Challenger-class’s excellent long-range navigation capabilities contributed to this decision. Long-range navigation meant that many sailors would be away from their posts for extended periods.

However, the construction and deployment of Challenger-class battleships weren’t completely halted. Construction and deployment continued steadily, and the launching of the 11th ship had been completed.

* * *

The second obstacle was the immense size of the ocean east of Daesul Island.

It was through the distress of the Challenger-class No. 6 ship ‘Jinpo (鎭浦)’ that Joseon confirmed the ocean east of Daesul Island was truly a vast ocean (茫茫大海, an endlessly large and wide sea).

The Joseon navy, having completed the coastline measurement of Daesul Island, decided to explore the ocean to its east.

The Jinpo, selected for the exploration voyage, was equipped with only the minimum amount of armaments—enough for a single battle—and the remaining space was filled with food and drinking water.

“With the current food and drinking water, three months of unsupplied navigation is possible. With careful rationing (按分, evenly dividing at a certain rate), it might be possible for up to four months. But anything more than that is absolutely impossible.”

Kim Eok-su, the captain of the Jinpo, nodded after hearing the warning from the officer in charge of completing the supply to the battleship.

“I understand. I’ll be careful.”

The Jinpo, prepared in this manner, set sail with confidence from the captain to the lowest-ranking sailors.

Since its commissioning, it had traveled to Alexandria and Chittagong several times and had experienced the rough seas of the northeast region of Daesul Island.

The Jinpo, heading east, encountered no land for a month and a half.

“Shall we turn the ship around, or shall we continue a little further?”

“How about going a little further?”

“Remember when we went to Chittagong or Alexandria? We encountered islands or land at every precarious moment, didn’t we? It will be the same this time.”

To Kim Eok-su’s question, most of the subordinate military officers argued for continuing east.

As they pointed out, they had similar experiences when traveling to Alexandria or Chittagong.

They initially perceived a vast, empty ocean, but by venturing a little further, Malacca would eventually appear.

Despite the officers’ responses, Kim Eok-su, seeking more solid support, consulted even the sailors.

The sailors, after hearing Kim Eok-su’s explanation, concurred with the officers’ opinions. They, too, expected a similar outcome to their previous long-distance voyages.

However, no islands or land appeared for two months and ten days.

“It’s impossible to continue.”

Kim Eok-su, realizing the situation was unsustainable, finally ordered the ship to turn around.

From that moment on, the Jinpo faced a series of hardships, battling both adverse currents and winds.

Consequently, nearly half a year passed before the Jinpo returned to Daesul Island.

Although there were no starvation deaths thanks to the distiller and dried vegetables (乾菜) and dried meat (乾肉) that Hyang had provided as a precaution, Captain Kim Eok-su and the lowest-ranking sailors suffered from severe malnutrition. After receiving the report that it would take approximately two months for them to fully recover, the navy and the Ministry of National Defense reached a conclusion.

“For the time being, eastward route exploration will be suspended. Instead, we will focus on northeast exploration.”

It was in this context that the Girin discovered the possibility of an archipelago to the east.

* * *

Given the circumstances, the Girin headed to Wonsan as quickly as possible.

Unlike their usual routine of resting for about three days after a northeast exploration, resupplying in Daesul Island, and then heading to Wonsan, the sailors voiced no complaints.

The sailors were also excited by the prospect of a new discovery.

For those who lived on the battleships, from the captains to the sailors, the ‘distress of the Jinpo’ was a source of shame.

“The best battleship and the best sailors in the world were on board, yet they ended up in distress! It’s a disgrace!”

Having witnessed even fierce Japanese pirates and sea bandits fleeing at the sight of the Challenger-class battleships, their pride, which had soared to the sky, was deeply wounded.

“You can’t underestimate the sea!”

Experienced veterans offered warnings, but the current Joseon navy was young, from the captains to the sailors.

* * *

The report written by the captain of the Girin, upon arriving in Wonsan, was immediately dispatched to Hanseong [present-day Seoul].

“This must be reported to His Majesty as soon as possible!”

Jo Mal-saeng, after reviewing the report, grabbed the scroll and rushed to Geunjeongjeon Hall.

Sejong, after reading the report from the captain of the Girin submitted by Jo Mal-saeng, gave an order with evident excitement.

“Summon the captain of the Girin immediately and have him write a more detailed report!”

“I obey your command!”

“No, to gain a comprehensive understanding, we need the accounts of more individuals. Summon everyone from the Girin to Hanseong!”

“I obey your command!”

* * *

Following Sejong’s order, Go Il-nam, the military officers, and the sailors stationed in Wonsan were summoned to Hanseong.

The officials of the Ministry of National Defense began a detailed investigation of those who arrived in Hanseong.

Based on information gathered from oral (口頭) reports from the captain, military officers, and sailors, as well as navigation logs and personal records, the officials of the Ministry of National Defense began to carefully assess the possibilities.

The officials, after thorough consideration, reached a similar conclusion.

“There might be a possibility?”

That conclusion was then compiled into a comprehensive report and sent to Jo Mal-saeng.

Jo Mal-saeng, after reviewing the report, instructed his subordinates, “Prepare to present a thorough report at Geunjeongjeon Hall. Who was the fellow with the good voice?”