Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 526

526. Rolling, Rolling… (7)

Ouchi Mochiyo, having seized Kyoto, entered the Heian Palace, where the Emperor resided. (Note 1)

The shogunate soldiers guarding the palace had already vanished. However, the bloodstains scattered here and there revealed how they had disappeared.

Escorted by Ouchi’s soldiers, Mochiyo and his warriors entered the Emperor’s main hall, kneeling before the Emperor to pay their respects.

“Mochiyo of the Tatara clan, Tatara Ason of the Jichokannin, Tatara no Mikishi family, humbly greets the Emperor!”

Following the prescribed etiquette, Mochiyo bowed, declaring his titles, clan name, and Kabane [hereditary title bestowed by the Emperor] he had received.

The trouble began immediately after.

Before Emperor Go-Hanazono, who had received Mochiyo’s bow, could speak, one of the nobles present shouted in anger.

“How dare a lowly warrior from an insignificant rural area enter with weapons! This is the Imperial presence where the Emperor resides!”

No sooner had the noble finished speaking than Mochiyo’s warriors glared fiercely at the offending noble. Mochiyo, also looking at the noble, gave an order.

“He is a traitorous vassal who colluded with rebels. Drag him out and execute him.”

“Yes, sir!”

As soon as Mochiyo’s words were spoken, his warriors sprang up, seized the noble, and dragged him out.

“Release me! You insolent fools! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

The noble, with his arms seized by the warriors, pathetically pleaded for rescue from the Emperor. However, neither the Emperor nor any of the nobles present could utter a word.

They were overwhelmed by Mochiyo’s force.

Having seized the initiative in an instant, Mochiyo controlled the situation as he desired.

“How much suffering have you endured due to the rebels? Now that I have arrived, please be at ease. Once we have purged the families of the rebels and the treacherous vassals within the court who colluded with them, you will be able to find stability.”

At Mochiyo’s words, which foreshadowed a terrible bloodbath, the Emperor swallowed hard and replied.

“Is, is that so? I will trust only in you.”

“Leave it to me.”

“Please, ensure that the people of Kyoto do not suffer greatly.”

“I shall do so. Even after the relocation of the capital, the people of Kyoto will be at peace.”

“Relocation of the capital?”

“Relocation of the capital!”

The hall buzzed with commotion the moment Mochiyo mentioned ‘relocation of the capital.’

“Is it necessary to relocate the capital?”

To the Emperor’s question, Mochiyo replied firmly.

“There are still many remnants of the rebels, making it difficult to ensure Your Majesty’s safety. Moreover, as time has passed and the land’s energy has weakened, it is only natural to relocate the capital to revitalize the nation’s spirit.”

“Then, where will we go?”

“There is a place called Hiroshima in the Aki region. As soon as the palace is completed there, you will immediately move.”

“…I understand.”

Mochiyo answered fluently without hesitation. The Emperor, who was about to say something at Mochiyo’s appearance, soon nodded with a resigned expression.

Mochiyo and his warriors left the hall with dignified strides after finishing the audience. One of the nobles who witnessed this scene that day left the following record.

-If Zhongying (Dong Zhuo) of the Later Han abandoned Luoyang, then Ouchi Mochiyo is abandoning Japan’s Luoyang!

* * *

While Mochiyo was creating a new regime in Waeguk [ancient name for Japan], Hyang was fidgeting.

“Ugh! I have so much to say! My mouth is itching! To have to just watch such interesting things! I want to join in!”

What was forcing Hyang to suppress his itchy mouth and fidgeting bottom was Wan’s challenge.

The experiments that had continued since the start of the design and the creation of the prototype were a series of failures.

Experiments involving jumping off with wings made of thinly shaved bamboo, paper, and feathers continued to produce injuries, and the medics assigned to Area 51 were busy treating those with bruises, sprains, and fractures.

With each failure, Wan and his team put their heads together to analyze the cause.

“Were the wings too small? Should we increase the size?”

“That seems like a good idea.”

The wings, which had been enlarged in this way, broke in the middle as soon as they were unfolded, unable to withstand their own weight.

“To increase the strength… we should use thicker bamboo and some iron parts….”

The resulting wings were too heavy to lift alone.

Experiments continued after that, but they continued to fail. As a result, the interest of the onlookers waned.

“I knew it. Is it even possible for a human to fly?”

“Of course not! It’s like a mantis trying to stop a chariot – impossible!”

The words of these onlookers reached the ears of Wan and his team, and they fell into despair.

“Is it truly impossible for a human to fly….”

* * *

In the end, Hyang pulled the safety pin [gave up holding back].

“Ugh! I can’t stand my itchy mouth!”

There was also a very appropriate excuse.

“We have to push the growing sprouts [encourage the younger generation]! Yes! That’s right!”

With a wonderful justification to support his despondent son, Hyang happily jumped in.

“I’m just going to dip my toes in! Just my toes! I have no intention of taking my son’s rice bowl [usurping his position]!”

* * *

“Did you call for me?”

“Yes. I heard the experiment you’re working on isn’t going well?”

At Hyang’s question, Wan nodded with a gloomy face.

“It seems that flying in the sky with a device made by humans is not the natural order but the reverse.”

At Wan’s seemingly self-deprecating answer, Hyang asked again.

“Do you really think so?”

“Not only I but also the team members have tried every possible method we can think of, but we have failed. Therefore….”

“Then how does a kite fly in the sky? What about a sky lantern? Both are made by humans, aren’t they? I had a question while reading my reports. There are devices that humans make and float into the sky like kites and sky lanterns, so why are you only sticking to the shape of a bird?”

At Hyang’s question, Wan answered immediately.

“Aren’t kites and sky lanterns just floating on the wind? But birds fly freely in the sky at will, so of course….”

“You son of a…!”

Hyang interrupted Wan.

“What you’re saying now is like a baby who’s just crawling trying to stand up and run! The first thing you need to know is how to float properly! Once you know how to float properly, all you have to do is research and add how to move in a certain direction!”

“Ah!”

Wan, awakened by Hyang’s scolding, bowed his head.

“That’s so true! Listening to your words, Father, I feel like I’ve had an epiphany! I will start the research again immediately!”

Wan, expressing his gratitude to Hyang, immediately jumped up and went outside. Hyang, watching Wan’s figure walking away energetically after regaining his energy, smiled slightly and muttered.

“First, just a taste of this much?”

* * *

Excited, Wan returned to Area 51 and summoned the team members.

“Let’s think about it again from the beginning!”

“Yes?”

Seeing the team members unable to grasp the situation, Wan continued.

“I went to see SeungHwaDang….”

When Wan told the team members what he had heard from Hyang, they momentarily looked like they had been hit hard.

“Indeed!”

“That’s right! We got the order of things wrong!”

Wan and the team members, taking a hint from Hyang’s advice, began to move energetically again.

“First, let’s divide the group into two teams.”

“One team will research kites, and the other team will research sky lanterns?”

“That’s right? Wouldn’t that speed things up a bit?”

The team members all nodded at Wan’s decision, which was typical of a nation that likes ‘fast, fast.’

“That’s right!”

In this way, Wan and the team members split into two teams and began their research.

The team members who started with kites began to research whether they could carry people by flying large and small kites.

“We might be able to succeed if we base it on a shield kite?”

“Right?”

Having grasped the direction, they soon prepared a proposal and a blueprint. And Hyang, who received their proposal and blueprint, shook his head.

“Are you guys ninjas?”

However, even while anticipating negative results, Hyang stamped his approval.

“This will all be important data….”

Meanwhile, the team studying sky lanterns was also producing its own results.

“After thinking about the principle of sky lanterns, it seems that they fly by trapping heat.”

Wan nodded at Manbok’s report.

“I think so too.”

“Then, if we make the bag that traps the heat bigger, wouldn’t it be able to float even if it carries a person?”

Another team member added an opinion to Manbok’s suggestion.

“If we make such a big bag, will the shape hold? Wouldn’t it be better to build a frame inside the bag?”

“A frame?”

At Wan’s question, the team member added an explanation.

“Yes. The best way to fill the bag with heat is to blow hot air from under the bag. However, if the shape is not properly maintained, the heat may leak in other directions, and if something goes wrong, it may catch fire. Therefore, we should build a frame inside the bag.”

“Hmm….”

“Hmm….”

Wan, Manbok, and the team members who heard the suggestion were deep in thought. However, Wan shook his head.

“It would be better to remove the frame. It will become too heavy, so it may not float even if we fill it with heat.”

“Then if we increase the size….”

At that, Manbok interrupted.

“Then the size of the frame we have to build will also have to increase? Then wouldn’t we be back where we started?”

“Ah….”

* * *

After all sorts of heated debates and experiments with models, a challenge was prepared once again.

The first team to challenge was the one studying kites.

Rumors that an experiment would be held on the Han River spread, and people gathered again.

“Buy taffy! Taffy!”

“Buy Gyejak [Korean traditional snack]! Gyejak!”

“We also have sweets!”

Amid the shouts of merchants selling all kinds of snacks, the people gathered in droves, watching the team members preparing for the experiment with great interest.

“It’s a kite? It’s a kite!”

“It’s huge! It’s as big as a house!”

A shield kite as big as a real house was erected on the sandy beach of the river. A basket for people to ride in was hung in the center of the shield kite, and the team members gathered underneath, making final preparations.

“Heave-ho!”

The team members, loading heavy sandbags into the basket that people were supposed to ride in, ran to Wan, who was standing on one side, and reported.

“Preparation is complete!”

“Then let’s begin!”

And the experiment failed. The shield kite, attached to ropes pulled by four fine horses, soared into the sky, but soon lost control, spun around, and crashed straight into the sandy beach.

The moment the kite crashed, the sandy beach was filled with people’s sighs.

“Aww~.”

“Oh dear~.”

The spectators could not hide their disappointment, but the faces of Wan and the team members, including Wan, were shining brightly.

“But it did float properly, right?”

“That’s right!”

“Then let’s analyze what the problem is and try again!”

“But the budget….”

“Don’t worry about the budget!”

Wan was calmly saying something that would make the Minister of Finance and Kim Jeom grab the back of their necks.

And in fact, the Minister of Finance and Kim Jeom were grabbing the back of their necks and grinding their teeth.

“What a pair of rich people!”

“You didn’t have to take after him in this!”

* * *

Note 1) Please note that the title of Emperor here is merely a title referring to the Emperor of the relevant period.