Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 763

763. Encounter (8)

Taek-gil’s Challenger-class fleet, under his command, sped back to port.

During the return voyage, the executive officer drafted a comprehensive report detailing their encounter with the Aztec warriors.

Admiral Ahn Sang-soo, after reviewing the joint report from Taek-gil and the executive officer, immediately summoned a subordinate.

“Are there any Sea Response-class warships ready for immediate departure?”

“Yes, sir. Sea Response-class vessels No. 45 and No. 65 are available.”

“Load this report onto No. 45 and dispatch it north immediately. This is an urgent matter.”

“Yes, sir!”

Sea Response-class warship No. 45, carrying the report, raced north.

Admiral Shin In-son, upon receiving the report at the Imperial Navy’s general headquarters in Shinji, issued an immediate order.

“Submit this report to His Majesty the Emperor via the fastest Iron Horse available! This is extremely urgent!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Imperial Navy stationed in Shinji mobilized all resources to deliver the report to Hyang as swiftly as possible.

After dispatching the report, Admiral Shin In-son drafted a separate report of his own.

The key points of Admiral Shin In-son’s report were:

– A dedicated railway network connecting military ports is essential.

– A faster mode of transportation than the Iron Horse is required.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hyang, the Emperor received the urgent report from the Navy and sighed, placing a hand on his forehead.

“Haa… Why now?”

Despite his rapid expansion of the Navy, resources were stretched thin.

The number of warships was still insufficient to establish a robust maritime barrier in the Atlantic. Furthermore, the information infrastructure, particularly nautical charts and maps, was inadequate. The newly commissioned Challenger-class and Sea Response-class warships were charting the eastern coasts of North and Central America under the guise of training, but significant gaps remained.

“I can’t afford to be passive. Europe could exploit this. Is this a checkmate? Haa… It’s frustrating.”

Hyang repeatedly sighed, reviewing the report’s contents.

As he read more carefully, a chuckle escaped him.

“Hah! Typical soldier…”

The executive officer’s report meticulously detailed the attire and armaments of the Aztec warriors:

– The natives encountered appear to be well-trained warriors.

– Clothing and protective gear likely vary based on rank.

– Ordinary soldiers wore sleeveless vests of thick quilted cloth, with only loincloths covering their lower bodies.

– Soldiers carried spears tipped with sharpened stones and round shields. The stone blades appear to be obsidian. The shields seem to be made of wood covered in leather.

– Those presumed to be commanders were fully covered in quilted cloth armor and wore wooden helmets shaped like jaguars.

– Commanders wielded wooden clubs carved into wide, flat shapes with embedded stone blades on both sides. These weapons appear designed for cutting, not stabbing.

– Conclusion:

The natives’ armaments are primitive. However, a clear rank structure and command system appear to be in place.

This suggests the natives can mobilize large forces.

Therefore, in anticipation of armed conflict, the active deployment of mechanized fire wagons [early machine guns] and grenade launchers is necessary. Our forces should also prepare for large-scale troop deployments.

Furthermore, the current *eomshim* armor [simple padded armor] should be replaced with the full-body plate armor used by former longsword soldiers.

While plate armor might seem excessive given the performance of our mechanized fire wagons, grenade launchers, and mechanized rifles, the potential for close combat due to numerical inferiority, given the natives’ ability to mobilize tens of thousands, must be considered.

* * *

“Hmm…”

Hyang tapped his desk, pondering the report.

“Plate armor against cutting or swinging attacks…”

Hyang knew that blunt weapons like axes or warhammers were most effective against plate armor.

After a moment, he realized his error.

“Ah… the Aztec warriors use bladed weapons, not blunt ones…”

Realizing his mistake and considering countermeasures, Hyang clicked his tongue.

“The resurrection of the longsword soldiers…?”

The longsword soldiers, prominent from the early days of Gyeongjang [era of military expansion] until the ‘Muntermue’s Rebellion’ and ‘Giyu Rebellion’ [historical rebellions], had largely retired or transitioned to other roles, with only a symbolic few guarding Gyeongbok Palace [main royal palace].

This shift occurred because the primary weapons of Joseon and its neighbors had evolved from swords and arrows to gunpowder weapons.

“But moving in full-body plate armor in that hot jungle is insane… Still, I can’t ignore the possibility.”

Hyang’s worries deepened.

The executive officer’s concerns were not unfounded.

In the history before Hyang’s intervention, the Spanish conquistadors faced a crisis due to their numerical disadvantage against the Aztecs.

The Spaniards were saved by the cooperation of local tribes who resisted Aztec rule.

After further thought, Hyang reached a different conclusion.

“The Empire is not Spain. While the Spaniards used muzzle-loading arquebuses [early firearms] and unitary shells, we have machine guns—mechanized fire wagons and mechanized rifles—and grenade launchers. It’s more efficient to carry ammunition and grenades equal to the weight of plate armor. We’ll apply ‘Van Fleet’s day of fire’ to the Aztecs.”

During the Chinese Communist forces’ offensive in the Korean War, General James Van Fleet authorized ammunition consumption up to five times the previously allowed daily limit. This amounted to almost unlimited ammunition use.

This strategy proved effective in halting the Chinese offensive.

* * *

Having resolved the Aztec issue in his mind, Hyang grabbed a blank sheet of paper and began drafting an order.

“I can predict the likely course of events, but I need a justification. A clear one.”

The following is a summary of Hyang’s order:

– Mobilize at least three warships and as many soldiers as possible to establish contact with the natives in the area.

– When entering a native tribe’s residence or capital, never send a small delegation. Respond to the natives’ requests with overwhelming force and firepower.

– Treat them as amicably as possible and carefully assess their situation.

– If armed conflict with native forces becomes unavoidable, expend all available ammunition, retaining only the bare minimum for withdrawal.

After completing the order, Hyang reviewed it and made a strange face.

“Why does it have to be ‘Order No. 66’…”

* * *

Hyang’s order was relayed to Admiral Ahn Sang-soo through the established channels.

Upon confirming the order, Admiral Ahn shook his head, gazing out the window.

“It’s not just the order itself.”

Outside, on the pier, a massive quantity of mechanized fire wagons, toy grenade launchers (likely for gifts), ammunition crates for the fire wagons, and grenade crates were being unloaded.

On another ship, carts and horses to transport the equipment were being offloaded.

Finally, the soldiers who would operate these weapons were disembarking and undergoing roll call.

Admiral Ahn, witnessing the scene, continued with a bewildered expression.

“Your Majesty, are you instructing me to make peaceful contact, or to annihilate them all?”

The visible amount of ammunition and troops was sufficient to obliterate a large-scale pirate stronghold.

* * *

Regardless, an order was an order. Admiral Ahn mobilized two Challenger-class warships and three Sea Response-class warships.

The five warships, laden with troops and weapons instead of cannon shells and gunpowder for self-defense, sailed south and arrived at the designated beach.

Admiral Ahn Sang-soo, leading the fleet personally, instructed Captain Kim Taek-gil.

“Begin the landing.”

“Yes, sir! Executive Officer! Raise the signal flags!”

“Yes, sir!”

As the signal flags were raised from the flagship, the landing commenced on the other warships.

As the landing neared completion, Admiral Ahn Sang-soo rose and prepared to disembark.

“Are you going in person?”

At Kim Taek-gil’s concerned question, Admiral Ahn Sang-soo nodded.

“I must. If His Majesty’s concerns materialize, I need to be there to issue the necessary orders and prevent any future repercussions.”

“Please be careful.”

Ahn Sang-soo smiled slightly and patted Taek-gil’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

* * *

While the Imperial soldiers were landing, a subtle movement occurred within the jungle facing the beach.

Since the previous encounter, Montezuma I had stationed warriors on the beach.

The warriors’ orders were simple:

– If the foreigners return, report it immediately!

“They’ve actually come back…”

Putan, assigned to coastal surveillance due to the last incident, paled.

The foreigners had returned with significantly greater numbers than before.

The foreigners disembarking from five ships, large and small, were amassing luggage on the beach, creating mountainous piles.

“The problem is what’s inside those piles…”

Putan muttered, sweating profusely.

* * *

The dagger presented to Montezuma I previously was a weapon beyond comprehension. Their obsidian weapons were certainly no match.

The nobles, eagle warriors, and jaguar warriors who examined the foreigners’ weapons reached a similar conclusion:

– Close combat with those who possess such weapons is disadvantageous. We must engage them from a distance using arrows.

However, Putan and some warriors held a more pessimistic view.

– If they can create such weapons, wouldn’t they have developed defenses against them?

Those who couldn’t dismiss these doubts arrived at a different conclusion.

– We must not attack them as we do with surrounding tribes and cities! We must avoid fighting them if possible!

And Montezuma I, the ultimate decision-maker, was reaching a similar conclusion.

– We must avoid initiating conflict with those who can create such weapons. We must ascertain their intentions!

Based on this conclusion, a small contingent of warriors was stationed on the coast.

The mission of these warriors was not to initiate a fight, but to confirm the foreigners’ return.

* * *

– The foreigners have returned!

– Their numbers are far greater than before!

Upon receiving the report, Montezuma I rose from his throne.

“I will go myself.”

“Tlatoani [ruler], it is too dangerous!”

The surrounding nobles and priests tried to dissuade him, but Montezuma I shook his head.

“I must go.”

Montezuma I had his reasons.

Since Montezuma I’s ascension to the throne after Itzcoatl, relations with surrounding areas had significantly deteriorated.

This was due to the expansionist policies and large-scale human sacrifices that continued from the previous era. The surrounding tribes and city-states suffered greatly in the process of securing sacrifices, leading to strained relationships with neighboring countries.

In this volatile situation, sending nobles obsessed with securing sacrifices and expanding territory would likely trigger immediate conflict.