Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 906

906. The Imperial March (9)

The first Europeans to hear the rumors were the Portuguese and Spanish.

The Portuguese and Spanish fishermen who witnessed the Imperial Fleet’s return voyage through the Strait of Gibraltar were terrified and fled to port.

Arriving at the port, the fishermen, faces etched with terror, rushed to the church, shouting.

“It’s a monster! A monster has appeared!”

“Monsters spewing black smoke have appeared!”

“The end is here!”

The fishermen, shouting at the top of their lungs, burst into the church and grabbed the priests, babbling about what they had seen.

“Father! Monsters have appeared! The end is here!”

“The end of the world is here!”

“It’s the end!”

“Hey! Calm down!”

The priests, attempting to soothe the fishermen who were repeating “monster,” “end of the world,” and “doomsday” with crazed expressions, pressed them for details.

“Sea monsters? What exactly did you see that makes you call them sea monsters?”

“It was a huge monster, the likes of which I’ve never seen before!”

“The carrack [a three- or four-masted sailing ship] was the biggest ship I’d ever seen, but this thing made the carrack look like a rowboat!”

“It spewed black smoke and fire from its mouth… That’s right! It was a dragon! It was a dragon!”

“A dragon! The dragon we’ve only heard about has appeared! The end of the world is here!”

To calm the increasingly hysterical fishermen, the priests offered them glasses of wine.

“Here… calm down… have a drink… and catch your breath…”

“Yes, yes…”

As the fishermen calmed down while drinking the wine, the priests were finally able to get a more coherent account.

“So… it was a beast you’ve never seen before?”

“Yes! Yes!”

“Are you sure it was a beast?”

“Huh? Maybe?”

“It must be a beast! No ship made by humans could be that big!”

“If a ship spewed smoke and fire like that, it wouldn’t last long before it burned to ashes!”

“Hmm… that’s right, that’s right…”

The priests nodded in agreement with the fishermen’s words, but their eyes were full of doubt.

Ironically, the priests and monks of this period were among the most intellectual and rational people.

In particular, they had accumulated knowledge through extensive exchanges with the Empire.

The priests analyzed the fishermen’s statements and continued to ask questions.

“Okay… were there only those ‘beasts’? Or were there other things too?”

“Of course, there were only beasts!”

“No, no… wait… it wasn’t just beasts.”

“That’s right! There were other ships too!”

“Yes! Yes! There were huge ships with them!”

The priests’ eyes lit up at the mention of other ships.

“Really? Then did those beasts really spew smoke and fire from their mouths?”

“Where else would they spew smoke and fire from if not their mouths?”

“That’s right! That’s right!”

The priests placed a small cross on the table and asked again.

“Answer in the name of God. Did they really spew fire and smoke from their mouths?”

The fishermen hesitated before answering the question asked in front of the cross.

“Well… that is…”

“I definitely saw smoke and flames, but the rest…”

“If not the mouth, where else would it come from…”

“Hmm…”

The priest, having gathered the fishermen’s accounts, fell silent. After a long pause, he finally came to a conclusion.

“It’s not a sea monster.”

“Huh? Not a monster?”

The priest, seeing the fishermen’s distrustful expressions, explained in more detail.

“You’ve heard rumors about ‘iron horses’ [early trains], haven’t you?”

“Yes, yes…”

“We have heard…”

Iron horses and railroads had not yet reached Spain and Portugal. However, in France, domestically produced iron horses had already begun to operate, and in England, tangible progress was being made. Moreover, few were unaware of iron horses thanks to sailors traveling to and from Prince Henry’s port.

The priest continued to speak.

“I heard that the ‘Land of Flowers’ [a common European name for China] in the East has ships that use water and fire like iron horses. They say those ships travel well even without sails. And there are rumors that France and England are also trying to build similar ships. What you saw must have been those ships.”

“Ah…”

The fishermen nodded at the priest’s explanation. Most of them breathed a sigh of relief, but some remained skeptical.

“But that’s just a rumor…”

However, the skeptical fishermen were silenced by their companions.

“Shh! The priest is the most learned person here! What do you know to argue?”

“…”

“So, don’t worry and go home. Don’t talk about the end of the world for no reason.”

“Yes, yes…”

The fishermen greeted the priest and returned home in small groups. The priest, watching them leave, got up.

“I can’t just sit still…”

The priest left the church and headed to the lord’s castle on a donkey. Some time later, the lord’s officials posted proclamations in every village in the territory and read them aloud.

-Listen! There are rumors about ‘sea monsters’ these days, but these are not monsters! They are ships made in other countries, so don’t worry and continue with your assigned tasks!

Most of the priests who heard the rumors took such a rational approach, but a few priests shouted even louder about the end of the world, creating even greater confusion.

However, this confusion soon subsided. A new rumor began to circulate through Livorno and Florence. No, it wasn’t a rumor, but a highly exaggerated fact.

-The ‘Land of Flowers’ fleet has arrived in Livorno!

-There are more than 100 ships!

-Among them are giant ships powered by steam engines!

-Those ships are so big that they are easily over 1,000 cubits (about 500m) long!

And this rumor later evolved to this extent.

-The ‘Land of Flowers’ fleet that arrived in Livorno has more than 100 ships, and all of them are over 1,000 cubits long!

* * *

The first reaction of the naval officials of the European powers who heard these rumors was to sneer.

“Humph! This is what happens when you listen to ignorant people…”

“Livorno’s naval port is big, but 100 ships is impossible!”

“1,000 cubits? There’s no way such a ship is possible!”

Although they sneered, the naval officials of the great powers soon analyzed the situation with serious faces.

“It’s okay to ignore the nonsense that ignorant people are talking about, but it’s true that a seemingly powerful fleet has entered Livorno.”

“It’s not just a seemingly powerful fleet, it’s a powerful fleet. You know how troublesome the Challenger-class battleship is.”

“The Challenger-class is a problem, but the steamships that came with it are the real issue. Even if they aren’t 1,000 cubits long as the rumors say, they’re quite big, and considering the ‘Land of Flowers’ guys’ crazy love for cannons, I can’t even guess how many cannons they loaded…”

“According to rumors, it’s an ironclad… It’s not really a ship made of iron, is it?”

“No matter how crazy they are, they couldn’t have done something that crazy… It’s probably an iron plate on top of a wooden board.”

The naval officials were convinced that it was an ironclad ship, not an iron ship, for a logical reason.

-The keel and ribs are important for the ship to withstand the waves. Of course, strength is important, but elasticity is also important.

-Completing the outer panels of the hull by joining iron plates? Is it possible to make such a large iron plate?

-Even if it is possible, it’s not just one or two sheets that go in, but is it possible to mass-produce them with uniform quality? No matter how much it is the ‘Land of Flowers,’ it is impossible.

Because of these limitations, the naval officials of the great powers were convinced that it was an ironclad ship. And ironclad ships were somewhat familiar to the European powers.

To be precise, it was not an ironclad ship (鐵甲船) but a copper-clad ship (銅甲船).

As time passed after the development of the Challenger-class battleship, Hyang once again worked on the Challenger-class battleship.

The sides and bottom of the hull below the waterline were covered with copper plates. This was to strengthen the hull, improve defense of key areas, and prevent barnacles from attaching.

After confirming that the lower part of the Challenger-class battleship’s hull was covered with copper plates, large European ships also began to be covered with copper.

And as time passed, it was a natural progression to consider adding iron armor to the wooden hull to increase the battleship’s defense.

Therefore, France, England, and Spain began to build one or two ironclad battleships each.

And they all faced the same dilemma (고민) [Korean word for ‘dilemma’ or ‘worry’].

“It’s good, but it’s too slow.”

The defense was increased by covering it with iron armor, but the weight increased significantly.

“Sails have their limits…”

“We have to go with steam engines after all…”

The best alternative was definitely a steam engine, so the great powers were gradually researching steamships.

And before the eyes of those great powers, a steam ironclad ship appeared.

“Send spies to Italy!”

* * *

While the spies of the European powers were moving to Italy, in Livorno, the country bumpkins of Florence were admiring the Empire’s battleships with blank expressions.

“Such a big ship…”

“A ship without sails…”

Giovanni was already familiar with the Challenger-class battleship, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the Black Mirror and Assault Return ships in front of him.

In particular, he stood transfixed before the Assault Return ship, which had no sails at all.

“I want to see the inside!”

Lorenzo and Giovanni strongly requested access, but Fleet Commander Song Il-won refused outright.

“It’s a military secret.”

“Aren’t we allies!”

“It’s military law.”

“Tch!”

Giovanni and Lorenzo could not hide their disappointment at Song Il-won’s firm response and clicked their tongues.

This was because they already knew that the Empire was surprisingly strict in this regard.

Forcibly suppressing their disappointment, Giovanni and Lorenzo changed the subject.

“From now on, will the entire fleet be stationed in Livorno?”

“No, 8 ships, including the Black Mirror, will return to Shinji.”

“Why are you going back?”

“Because they are in charge of supply and escort missions.”

Lorenzo pretended to understand Song Il-won’s answer.

“Ah! So, troops will be arriving on the next voyage?”

“The army troops will come through Suez. Those ships will be in charge of transporting cannons and other supplies.”

At those words, Lorenzo and Giovanni wore incredulous expressions.

“More cannons are coming? More than this?”

Lee Si-ae intervened in the conversation when he saw Lorenzo’s disbelieving expression.

“Thanks to the Swiss mercenaries, the troop problem has been solved, so we must prepare to fight properly. In war, there must be many cannons wherever the battlefield is to win. Of course, it must be a cannon with guaranteed power. Our Empire is always sincere and doing its best in that matter.”