Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 734

734. Bayonet (4)

The boxes Jang On brought contained two types of ammunition belts, three types of machine guns, two types of gun carriages, two types of ammunition, and finally, a blueprint.

Hyang checked the ammunition belts first.

“Hmm… are these ammunition belts made of iron?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm…”

Hyang examined the ammunition belt left by Jang Yeong-sil and muttered to himself.

‘One familiar method, and one shown by the Reenactors.’

One of the ammunition belts made by Jang Yeong-sil was familiar to Hyang from his time in the military—where the bullet was the connection point between links—and the other was something that had continued from the German and Soviet armies of World War II, and even into the 21st-century Reenactor era—connecting metal links with single pins.

In the end, the basic concept of the ammunition belts made by Jang Yeong-sil was the same for both:

-The material of the belt holding the bullets is made of steel, not cloth.

This was to replace the cloth ammunition belts used in both the Eul-sik and Byeong-sik Hwachas [multiple rocket launchers].

Hyang stared at the metal ammunition belt and asked Jang On.

“Why did Jang Yeong-sil tell you to hide this? Is it because of the cost?”

“It was due to cost and production issues, Your Majesty.”

Hyang nodded at Jang On’s answer.

‘Making those metal links requires quite a bit of skill.’

In the history before Hyang’s intervention, making ammunition belts from cloth was the oldest method.

As breech-loading single-shot rifles became mainstream, it became common for soldiers and even bandits to wear ammunition belts.

Thanks to this, as soon as the concept of belt-fed ammunition came out, the first mainstream method was to make ammunition belts from cloth.

Simply put, it was about making the ammunition belts that soldiers wore around their waists and chests longer and using them for machine guns.

However, metal ammunition belts were not easy to make from the material itself.

That’s why Hyang nodded.

After checking the ammunition belts, Hyang turned his gaze to the problematic Hwachas.

‘One is an M60, the other is an M2? What is that last one… What is this terrible hybrid?’

Seeing Hyang’s gaze turn to the problematic Hwachas, Jang On stepped forward.

“The front Hwacha uses metal ammunition belts and new small bullets. After opening the cover and connecting the ammunition belt…”

“Like this?”

Clunk!

Before Jang On could finish his explanation, Hyang opened the feed cover with familiar movements, connected the ammunition belt, and finished cocking the weapon.

Jang On and the artisans couldn’t hide their surprise at Hyang’s indifferent expression as he finished loading the weapon.

“Yes, that’s right, Your Majesty. How did you know…”

“I examined the structure while listening to the explanation, and it seemed like that’s how it would be done.”

Hyang, who was engrossed in the gun, replied in an indifferent voice. Jang On and the artisans were beyond surprised by the indifferent answer, but soon moved on to composure.

‘That’s right, His Majesty was this kind of person…’

‘The late Commander Jang Yeong-sil was also incomprehensible, but this person is also incomprehensible…’

Whether he knew the artisans’ thoughts or not, Hyang carefully examined the prototype Hwacha in his hand and made a strange expression.

‘How should I think about this?’

The prototype Hwacha made by Jang Yeong-sil looked similar to the M60, but there was a big difference.

The prototype Hwacha made by Jang Yeong-sil could not have its barrel changed.

‘Could it be that even the great Jang Yeong-sil didn’t know the concept of barrel changing? In some ways, that seems to be the case, but looking at this, it doesn’t seem like it? Did he make it like this on purpose?’

Torn between ‘coincidence or intention,’ Hyang looked back at Jang On and the artisans.

“How do you solve the problem of the Hwacha’s barrel overheating?”

“First, we prevented overheating by making the barrel thicker.”

“Is that so? Hmm… But with this structure, we can’t use the current Imperial Army’s bullets.”

In order to properly use the metal ammunition belt made by Jang Yeong-sil, using the current bullets with protruding rims on the base plate required a lot of work.

“Yes, so we proposed a new bullet.”

“This one?”

“That’s right, Your Majesty.”

Listening to Jang On’s answer, Hyang picked up the smaller of the two bullets and examined it.

‘A typical rimless bullet. He’s made this much progress on his own… Is this guy really an alien?’

Whether he knew Hyang’s thoughts or not, Jang On quickly continued his explanation.

“As you can see, the shape of the powder chamber is made like a gourd. This uses the principle of Pyeonjeon [a type of Korean arrow designed for increased range and penetration].”

“Even if you use the same gunpowder, you can strengthen the power by using a smaller bullet?”

“That’s right, Your Majesty!”

Listening to Jang On’s exclamation, Hyang muttered to himself.

‘It’s interesting to hear why the shape that was familiar to me came out. Anyway…’

“If we try to make and supply these bullets, the Ministry of Finance will hate it.”

Jang On nodded at Hyang’s words.

“So, the late Commander Jang Yeong-sil told us to wait for the right time.”

“Is that so… Then why was this made?”

Hyang held up the large bullet and asked Jang On.

‘No matter how I look at it, it’s a .50 caliber…’

“Is the caliber half a Chi (approximately 1.5cm)?”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. The late Commander Jang Yeong-sil said…”

According to Jang On’s explanation, Jang Yeong-sil made this bullet for the following reasons:

– The bullets currently used in the Byeong-sik rifles and Hwachas are useful, but they are not perfect for all battlefields.

– Especially in naval battles, if the enemy relies on thick wooden hulls to hide, they cannot exert their full power.

– In this case, it is common to use cannons. However, depending on the opponent, cannons may be a waste.

– At this time, a Hwacha using this bullet would be a more appropriate means.

“Indeed…”

Hyang, who was nodding at Jang On’s explanation, soon had another question.

“According to the explanation, it’s okay to use it now, so why did you hide it?”

“Since the Empire has already firmly suppressed the surrounding areas, it may be a situation where military spending is unnecessarily increased, so he told us to wait for the right time.”

“That makes sense…”

Hyang nodded and soon gave an order.

“Although the Empire has suppressed the surrounding areas, it has only suppressed the surrounding countries. Despite all the efforts to suppress them over the past time, bandits are rampant everywhere. It is a waste to use cannons to deal with such bandits, so it is right to produce this. His Imperial Majesty will surely agree to this, so prepare for production.”

“I obey your command, Your Majesty.”

***

In this way, one of the things Jang Yeong-sil had hidden was revealed sooner than expected.

It was the birth of the ‘Gap-sik Half-Chi Heavy Hwacha.’

The heavy Hwacha, which appeared on the battlefield, slaughtered enemies on land, sea, and even in the air.

Thanks to its excellent power, the heavy Hwacha and the dedicated bullets used in it boasted notoriety such as ‘Damn .50 (Imperial) inch,’ ‘Devil’s .50 caliber,’ and ‘Flesh Grinder,’ and were loved by the Empire and its allies for nearly 200 years.

***

Hyang frowned as he examined the last remaining Hwacha.

The problematic Hwacha was a Byeong-sik rifle adopted by the Imperial Army with an added feeding mechanism.

At a glance, the structure looked complex and prone to failure, so Hyang shook his head.

“This… doesn’t seem like Jang Yeong-sil.”

Jang On hurriedly replied to Hyang’s evaluation.

“The late Commander Jang Yeong-sil also said that this was a failure and told us never to reveal it.”

“That’s understandable… Let’s see the next one.”

Hyang then examined the gun carriages designed by Jang Yeong-sil—equipped with hydraulic recoil mechanisms—and immediately made a decision.

“It’s useful, but it’s definitely too early. Leave only the gun carriages suitable for the Hwacha we decided to produce earlier, and store the rest.”

“I obey your command!”

After confirming the things Jang Yeong-sil had hidden, Hyang went back to the beginning.

“How were those Hwachas made earlier?”

“The Imperial Army cavalry stationed in Shinji had made a similar request.
So, the Emperor Emeritus ordered us to think about it.”

“I don’t remember receiving such a report.”

Jang On trailed off, but Hyang immediately knew what he was going to say next.

‘He knew that if that report came to Seoul, I would move immediately! That’s why he hid it!’

“Tsk! So, Commander Jang Yeong-sil made it?”

“We had some ideas that we came up with, but none of them were satisfactory…”

“I also want to see what the artisans in Area 52 made.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Hyang smacked his lips after seeing the prototypes made by the artisans in Area 52.

“Tch… Didn’t Commander Jang Yeong-sil say anything?”

“He asked if our heads were just for decoration…”

Jang On trailed off, but Hyang nodded.

‘They made it so that he would say that. Both here and in Seoul…’

The things made by the artisans in Area 52 were also based on the Byeong-sik Hwacha, just like the artisans in Seoul.

“You were scolded for sticking to the ammunition belt and ammunition box?”

At Hyang’s words, Jang On immediately nodded and replied.

“That’s right, Your Majesty.”

Hyang stroked his chin at Jang On’s answer and reflected inwardly.

‘This seems to be my mistake…’

***

In the history before Hyang’s intervention, magazines were born before ammunition belts.

Early magazines were more like ammunition boxes than magazines. The magazine used in the Gatling gun was the best example.

Then, with the development of the Maxim gun, belt-fed ammunition came out.

However, with Hyang’s intervention, the ammunition box disappeared and immediately moved on to the ammunition belt.

At the time of making the Eul-sik Hwacha, the ammunition belt was introduced instead of the magazine to increase the continuous firing time.

Thanks to this, the feeding mechanism of the Eul-sik Hwacha became more complicated, but the firepower was greatly strengthened.

The problem was that this caused the artisans to not know the concept of magazines.

***

However, Hyang soon realized one thing and asked Sangon.

“Tsk! But even after making something like that Byeong-sik rifle modification, did Commander Jang Yeong-sil say that to you?”

“No, Your Majesty. After the Byeong-sik rifle came to Shinji, he thought about it for a while and made it, but he didn’t like it very much, so he hid it.
After that, the request came in. So, he entrusted it to us, but none of them were satisfactory…”

Jang On pointed to the DP-28 lookalike and continued his explanation.

“Commander Jang Yeong-sil, who pointed out the weight problem, made this.”

“Then what about the other two?”

“He made them to be used as a reference when a new Hwacha is needed in the future.”

“Is that so? Hmm…”

‘Is he really an alien?’

Hyang, who was questioning the existence of Jang Yeong-sil, who showed foresight beyond the times, shook his head.

‘Hey, the Emperor Emeritus even confirmed his death, so I’m going too far.’

Hyang, who dismissed the ‘Jang Yeong-sil alien theory,’ continued to think.

‘But it’s too bad to just leave Jang Yeong-sil alone. Among the natives of Shinji, there are even those who regard him as a god…’

***

When Hyang first visited Area 52, after finishing the tour of Area 52, Hyang visited Jang Yeong-sil’s tomb.

“The former Commander asked to be buried here, not in the Imperial Cemetery in Seoul. He said that he wanted to continue to see Area 52 develop from here, even as a ghost…”

“Is that so?”

Hyang quietly nodded at Jang On’s words.

‘I would have said that too. Area 52 is a place that Jang Yeong-sil made from the beginning…’

Hyang felt like he knew Jang Yeong-sil’s feelings.

Guided by Jang On, Hyang entered Jang Yeong-sil’s tomb and made an absurd expression.

Because Jang Yeong-sil’s tomb was full of all kinds of symbols.

“What are those?”

At Hyang’s question, Jang On stammered and replied.

“Th, that is… things that the natives set up in admiration of the deceased Commander Jang Yeong-sil, such as J, Jangseung [Korean totem poles] or stone statues.”

“Jangseung and stone statues as a sign of admiration? You know that doesn’t make sense, right?”

At Hyang’s words, Jang On immediately knelt down and bowed his head.

“Please kill me!”