Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 525

525. Rolling, Rolling… (6)

As Manbok began working with Wan, he was overwhelmed with work.

“They named me Manbok (滿腹) [meaning ‘full stomach’ in Hanja, implying abundance] so I wouldn’t starve, but instead of being blessed with food, I’m blessed with work… So much to do… Hiyu~”

Manbok sighed, lamenting his fate.

Being connected with the Crown Prince was a good thing, but he had no time to rest because Wan kept peppering him with questions. Initially, many artisans besides Manbok answered the questions, but gradually, Manbok became the sole point of contact.

“Why me alone…?”

“You have the most comprehensive knowledge of the work in Area 51. Please put in the effort.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you, being closer in age to the Crown Prince, took the lead?”

Thus, Manbok became the Crown Prince’s exclusive assistant.

And now, the Crown Prince had dropped a bombshell on Manbok.

“We will fly in the sky!”

* * *

“Eh… uh… um…”

Manbok, who had been standing frozen like a statue, barely regained his composure and stammered, asking Wan.

“Eh… so… are you saying… that you want to fly in the sky?”

“That’s right!”

Manbok pressed, at Wan’s confident affirmation.

“Then how will you fly in the sky?”

“We have to figure that out together from now on!”

“Sh…”

Manbok desperately swallowed the curse that threatened to escape and pointed out the obvious.

“As far as I know, no one has ever successfully flown. If the elders are to be believed, we’ll be venturing down a path ‘untrodden by anyone before’.”

“That’s even better! A true man with great ambition should occasionally tread such a path! I’ll start as soon as my official duties are done, so you should prepare too!”

Manbok watched Wan’s retreating back as he finished speaking with the force of a downpour, then looked at the sky and sighed.

“Hoo~. Damn it! The sky!”

Manbok, glaring at the sky as if he wanted to devour it, soon made a decision.

“I can’t suffer alone! That’s right! My teacher always said so!”

That evening, Manbok presented his thoughts to Wan.

“Your Highness, I’ve been giving it some thought.”

“I won’t listen if you’re going to try and dissuade me.”

“It’s not that. As I mentioned earlier, flying in the sky means going down a path no one has ever walked. It’s impossible for just you and me to do it.”

Wan nodded seriously at Manbok’s point.

“That’s true.”

As Wan agreed, Manbok moved to his main point.

“Therefore, we should gather people. First, we register it in the Challenge Log, and then we assemble those who will contemplate and experiment with us.”

Wan considered Manbok’s suggestion for a moment, then nodded.

“That would be better. There’s a saying, ‘Even a sheet of paper is easier to lift together.'”

Wan, agreeing with Manbok, unfolded a piece of paper.

“We need to write a proposal first. I can’t just register it in the Challenge Log on a whim.”

“That’s right. That’s right.”

Manbok nodded repeatedly at Wan’s words, cheering inwardly.

‘Jihwaja! [archaic exclamation of hope] If I play this right, I might be able to scrap the whole thing!’

However, Manbok’s expectations were spectacularly dashed.

It was a mistake to forget about Hyang’s involvement.

* * *

The reactions of Jeong In-ji and Yi Cheon, upon receiving Wan’s proposal, were as Manbok anticipated.

“Is this even possible?”

“No…”

The two shook their heads simultaneously. However, they couldn’t reject it outright. The proposer was, after all, the highest authority: the Crown Prince.

“I think we need His Highness’s judgment.”

“His Highness…?”

Yi Cheon, well aware of Hyang’s eccentricities, reacted negatively, but Jeong In-ji continued with a helpless expression.

“What choice do we have?”

It was a short sentence that conveyed a multitude of unspoken concerns, but Yi Cheon immediately understood and nodded weakly.

“That’s the biggest problem. Haa~.”

* * *

Hyang, after carefully examining the proposal submitted by Wan, looked at Jeong In-ji and Yi Cheon.

“It would be good to register it in the Challenge Log. The grade is ‘Woogong Yisan’ [愚公移山, a Chinese idiom referring to the foolish old man who tried to move a mountain, symbolizing perseverance but also perceived futility].”

“Even if it’s a Woogong Yisan grade, is it actually possible for a person to fly in the sky?”

“Didn’t we initially think it was impossible for a cart to move without being pulled by a cow or horse?”

The two, speechless at Hyang’s question, bowed their heads and retreated.

And the next morning, a new notice was posted on the bulletin boards of the research institute and Area 51.

“New registration in the Challenge Log?”

“New registration? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

At the news that a new item had been registered in the Challenge Log, researchers and artisans flocked to the bulletin board.

The researchers and artisans, gathering with curious eyes, couldn’t hide their surprise upon checking the contents.

“Fly in the sky?”

“A person flies in the sky? Is that even possible? Who’s the proposer?”

The researchers and artisans, checking the originator of the idea, soon nodded.

“That’s what I expected…”

They immediately understood, thinking of Hyang and Jinpyeong.

“Like father, like son…”

The researchers and artisans, understanding that much, entered into serious deliberation with grave expressions. They all shared the same concern.

‘It looks interesting, should I join?’

They were researchers and artisans already hooked on Hyang’s projects.

* * *

Before long, researchers and artisans began to gather outside Wan’s office.

Interestingly, among those gathered were two monks and a Muslim.

When it seemed enough people had arrived, a eunuch emerged and prepared a space in the conference room.

“Thank you for responding so enthusiastically!”

Wan, entering the conference room, sincerely welcomed the applicants.

After greeting them, Wan got straight to the point as soon as he sat down.

“‘A person flies in the sky.’ What do you think is the first thing we need to do to make this plan a success?”

Those gathered in the conference room began to ponder the best starting point.

When no one offered an opinion after a long silence, Wan spoke.

“Isn’t it because someone tried and failed before that we know it’s supposedly impossible for a person to fly?”

The applicants all nodded at Wan’s point.

‘There must have been some eccentric like His Highness the Crown Prince in the past too!’

As the applicants agreed, Wan moved on to the next point.

“Then let’s start by collecting and reviewing myths and legends related to this.”

“Yes.”

* * *

Wan and the applicants began to analyze the collected myths and legends.

“Exclude ‘Uhwadeungseon’ [羽化登仙, becoming a celestial being and ascending to heaven], and also exclude those who became saints and flew to heaven.”

“Yes.”

“Next, exclude those who flew on cranes, flew on clouds, and also exclude those who flew on winged horses.”

Wan and the applicants filtered out everything that needed to be filtered out from the myths, legends, and folktales of the East and West.

After filtering everything, the most plausible remaining myth was the ‘Icarus myth’.

“Although it’s a myth like the others, the production process and limitations are all plausible, right?”

“That’s true.”

The applicants all nodded at Wan’s assessment.

“Then let’s make a plan based on this myth. How about the plan name ‘Icarus Project’?”

One of the monks objected to Wan’s suggestion.

“Icarus eventually fell and died. Daedalus, who made the wings and succeeded in flying, is more suitable.”

“That’s right. Thank you.”

That’s how the ‘Daedalus Project’ got underway.

Hyang, receiving the plan detailing the aircraft’s structure, materials, manufacturing process, and test schedule, carefully reviewed it and approved it with a few additional conditions.

-The height to jump from in the first test should be within 1 jang (approximately 3m) [A ‘jang’ is a traditional Korean unit of length].

-If the height is increased, be sure to install safety devices on the floor.

“If something goes wrong, it won’t just be a back slap or a cast, but a life-threatening situation!”

As soon as Hyang’s approval was given, Wan and the applicants moved busily.

Well-flying pheasants were caught and dissected, and slide rules and abacuses were clicked in the design room as they busily calculated. When the design was completed to some extent, all the chickens in the poultry farms in Hanseongbu [old name for Seoul] had their feathers plucked.

As the results of the ‘Daedalus Project’ gradually took shape, the bon vivants of Hanseongbu began to show interest.

However, Hyang had no time to pay attention.

This was because Ouchi had finally entered Kyoto.

* * *

Ouchi, who won a great victory in the battle called ‘Ikuta Shrine Battle (生田神社合戰)’ in Japanese history, immediately capitalized on the momentum and advanced into Kyoto.

“Stop them! If you can’t stop them, it’s over!”

The shogunate families desperately resisted Ouchi’s advance. However, the replenishment of their greatly damaged forces was insufficient, and they were helplessly pushed back.

As the shogunate’s defeat became apparent, lords who had secretly switched allegiance to Ouchi began to emerge.

“I couldn’t help it because of their pressure!”

“I didn’t want to collude with them!”

The lords who switched to Ouchi all excused themselves, claiming they were forced, and Ouchi’s head of the family, Mochiyo, patted them on the back with a good-natured face.

“Is that so? I understand, I understand. Isn’t it all the fault of those treacherous subjects of the shogunate?”

Mochiyo, after patting and returning the converted lords, looked at his retainers with a cold face.

“Prepare to clean up as soon as the pacification of the world is over.”

“Understood!”

* * *

The shogunate army completely collapsed after the defeat in the battle at Naniwa (the old name of Osaka), and the Ouchi army finally entered Kyoto.

“Punish the traitors!”

“Uwaaaa!”

Under the pretext of ‘punishing the traitors’, Ouchi’s soldiers swarmed the residences of the core families of the Muromachi shogunate.

Many people lost their lives at the hands of the invading soldiers, and looting was rampant.

Then, the soldiers of the allied territories who arrived later also participated in the killing and looting, and fires began to break out throughout Kyoto.

Mochiyo, watching the scene on horseback, ordered his subordinates.

“Secure as much wealth as possible, and burn what needs to be burned thoroughly. That way, the relocation of the capital will be easier.”

“Understood!”

Mochiyo was implementing the ‘relocation of the capital’ proposed by the Munji faction.

* * *

Mochiyo, hearing the report that Kyoto had been firmly secured, rode his horse to Heiankyo (平安宮) [The former Imperial Palace in Kyoto].

“Then shall we meet the Emperor now?”

* * *

Hyang, receiving the report that ‘Ouchi has entered Kyoto’, immediately discussed future matters with his ministers.

“Should we assume that the Ouchi clan has seized power with this?”

“That’s right. However, whether or not they will seize the entire country of Wa (Japan) remains to be seen.”

Hyang immediately followed up with a question at Heo Hu’s answer.

“The entire country of Wa… Will it go smoothly?”

Hwang Hui stepped forward and answered Hyang’s question.

“It is believed that it will be possible in the short term because the Ouchi clan’s military power is strong. However, I think long-term rule is a coin flip.”

“Why?”

“This is because the base of the Ouchi clan is far from Kyoto. It’s like branches farthest from the roots drying out easily.”

Hyang nodded at Hwang Hui’s point.