Black Corporation: Joseon

Episode 1048: The Age of War – The Age of Copycat. (7)

Da Vinci’s flying machine, which was freed from the rope it was tied to, soon began to glide vigorously. Da Vinci’s flying machine, which glided across the hard-packed sandy beach of the riverside, soon rose into the sky.

“Oooooh~!”

“It’s up!”

The people watching shouted as they watched Da Vinci’s flying machine soar powerfully into the sky.

As if to prove the saying, ‘Rumors spread faster than bullets in Seoul,’ the cheers from the onlookers who gathered as soon as they heard the rumor echoed along the riverside.

“Hoo~. It seems very different from the flying machines I’ve seen before. It hovers so stably…”

“That’s right.”

“Wow~! It floats well!”

“That’s right. It looks like a pufferfish and it flies up like a pufferfish!”

“It’s always been good to float!”

Older ministers and onlookers talked and made their own evaluations. It was thanks to the experience of seeing all kinds of flying machines, thanks to experiments with flying machines that have been passed down from generation to generation, starting with incense. The eyes of the older onlookers were quite sharp, thanks to seeing all kinds of amazing flying machines and even outlandish objects. Therefore, disguised eunuchs were hiding among the onlookers to listen to their evaluations.

Meanwhile, while the officials and onlookers were exclaiming, Hyang and Wan Hyeon-woo were recording their evaluations with cool faces.

“Hmm… The take-off distance is short and it floats stably. Despite its appearance, it looks good.”

Hyun shook his head at Woo’s assessment.

“There has never been a flying machine that could not fly properly. The question is how freely it can move in the sky.”

“And the biggest problem is whether it lands safely.”

Following Hyeon, Wan added the words, and Hyang was added to them.

“In addition, we need to look at its value as a weapon. Maybe this is the most important thing.”

Wu, who heard Hyun and Wan-hyang’s words, looked slightly fed up.

‘It’s a big surprise just to think of something like that, but you’re not satisfied with that? How can you be so cold-hearted? ‘Is that what a monarch should be like?’

As can be seen from the fact that his field of interest was music, Woo was quite emotional.

“Haa~.”

‘Am I still far away? Ah…do I not have the qualities to be a monarch?’

Hyun, who was next to him, seemed to have noticed Woo’s self-destruction and comforted him with a smile.

“I understand what the crown prince is worried about. But only time is the answer. How many of the burdens and situations have the Crown Prince seen so far? That’s why he is just being indifferent.”

“Ah…”

Wu nodded at Hyun’s words and composed himself.

The Minister of Finance and Economy, who was listening to the father and son’s conversation from behind, grumbled inwardly.

‘Thanks to this, how many Ministry of Finance and Economy officials live with headaches and stomach problems… Other ministries say that tonics are over-the-counter medicines, but the Ministry of Finance and Economy says that headache and stomach medicines are over-the-counter medicines!’

While the skit was taking place below, Da Vinci’s flying machine was floating in the sky, performing left and right turns, rising and falling.

“Wow~!”

“Look at that!”

“It’s a very watery fish!”

While the onlookers who saw the flying machine’s maneuver were cheering, Hyang asked Da Vinci.

“Maybe you can do a somersault?”

“It is impossible due to the limitations of external combustion engines.”

“Right.”

“That’s right.”

Unlike internal combustion engines, external combustion engines had clear limitations.

‘No, it’s an impossible maneuver unless the internal combustion engine can be surprised to a certain level. Hmm….In addition to adding it to the challenge list, should I sprinkle some more carrots?’

As Hyang was thinking, the flying machine was slowly lowering its altitude and entering the landing process. As the flying machine prepared to land, Hyang and Wan Hyeon-woo fixed their gaze with very nervous faces.

The landing was successful.

“We landed safely!”

“Wow!”

When the landing was successful, not only the onlookers but also the craftsmen who participated in the production all shouted. When the craftsman, who succeeded in safely putting the blade in one place and stopping the engine, got off the blade, his fellow craftsmen ran up to him and patted him on the shoulder to congratulate him.

Hyang and Hyeonwoo also approached him and praised him.

“Thank you very much. Flying in the sky on an unproven aircraft is a truly dangerous task, but your courage is admirable.”

“Hwang Eun is devastated.”

Under the reign of Hyeon, my father-in-law bowed down on the ground and was in peace. After praising the craftsman, Hyang and his party looked at Da Vinci’s blade again and had a conversation.

“As expected… it’s already creaking.”

“I guess so. One of the most difficult structures to ensure durability is the cylindrical structure.”

Hyang, who slightly shook the body of the blade to check its condition, agreed with Wan’s point and asked the craftsman who was in charge of controlling it.

“Was the process of getting down on the ground easy?”

“It would be difficult for anyone to do. Even small people get used to it after making mistakes many times.”

This flight was the first flight with a powered engine. Before that, there were gliding flights performed without engines and gliding flights performed with a piece of metal of the same weight and size as a power engine. Hyang pointed out the problem in front of Da Vinci and his father-in-law, who was in charge of the control.

“I think the problem is where the seat that controls that flying machine is located. At the top of that large cylindrical body, a seat was created at the back. Even if you can lift it, will you be able to see the front clearly when you land on the ground?”

‘Corsair’s debut was delayed because of that problem, right?’

Da Vinci protested to Hyang’s criticism.

“The problem will be solved naturally once you get used to it.”

“What will you do with those who will die or be injured in the process of getting used to it? Do you think the widows’ complaints will be directed at you? They will be directed at the emperor. What will we do about this problem?”

“……..”

Da Vinci’s mouth was tightly sealed at the question of fragrance. Seeing Da Vinci like that, Hyang looked back at Wan and Hyunwoo.

“Let’s see the next fly.”

* * *

Starting with Da Vinci’s flying machine, test flights of other flying machines followed. At the end of the three-day schedule, evaluations by officials were conducted, starting with the scent.

“Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.”

“That’s right.”

“If you only look at movement in the sky, Da Vinci’s blade is the best, but if you look at stability, Da Vinci’s blade is the worst.”

“Da Vinci’s blade requires too much work in production and maintenance. However, the movement can be considered to be top-notch.”

“Why are you only looking at Da Vinci’s flying machine?”

“Isn’t it because you have the most agile movements?”

“Agility is important, but what’s more important is how fast you are!”

“That’s right! Speed must be a priority!”

“Movement rather than speed!”

“That’s right! Even if you say it’s fast, it’s not that fast!”

There was a heated debate over ‘speed’ and ‘maneuverability’. The evaluation criteria of the officials were created by the scent.

-On the battlefield, flying is like flying cavalry.

Those involved immediately understood the analogy of incense. But here a problem arose.

-The cavalry’s greatest weapon is its speed! Use high speed to strike, then escape, increase speed again, and repeat the strike! This is cavalry tactics!

-Speed is not everything! If speed is everything, why do cavalrymen practice horsemanship? Speed is important, but you must avoid enemy attacks and subdue them with quick and light movements!

There was a fierce debate over what took priority between speed and maneuverability. Hyang and Wan Hyeon-woo was the one who made an interesting expression.

‘Hey~. Is this fight already happening? Are you saying that all people’s thoughts are there?’

The war of words that took place between air force officials of the major powers just before the outbreak of World War II was a war of words that went back in time. Wu looked at Hyun in a war of words with no end in sight.

“I feel like it will never end if things continue like this. Wouldn’t it be better for someone to step forward and set the standards?”

Hyun, who was momentarily pricked by Woo’s words, looked at Wan, and Wan looked at Hyang. Hyang, who received an unspoken question, answered right away.

“Both sides have a point, so let’s wait and see. Isn’t it true that you can’t act as a mediator forever? Even if it takes time, you need to increase your capabilities in this way.”

Hyang’s voice was soft, but the expression he looked at his children and grandchildren was extremely sharp.

‘How long do I have to step forward? Won’t you do it right?’

Wan and Hyun turned their heads, pricked by the scent that was clearly visible on their faces even if they didn’t say anything. In the end, after a fierce war of words, it was concluded that ‘speed’ was more important. Accordingly, an evaluation was conducted to select a suitable blade, but the decision was not easy.

“I said speed was the priority, but this is too weak…”

Even at a glance, the fastest flying machine had a poor structure. The flying machine in question came from Area 52, and people’s eyes were focused on Wan.

“Even if it looks like that, sufficient strength has been secured.”

Despite Wan’s protest, Hyang and Hyeon shook their heads.

“If you just fly calmly, you’ll be fine, but if you think about battle, you’ll feel uneasy.”

“That’s right. The structure is too poor. I think we need to add more bulkheads and ribs.”

“Look, Emperor! I’m thinking of sending a wire into the sky!”

Eventually, a war of words broke out among the three generations. After an intense screening process, the people in charge selected two types of aircraft and added:

-Redesign based on these two types of blades.

-Redesign should focus on the following:

go. Increased speed and durability.

you. Easy to manufacture and maintain.

(Shortly)

The reactions of the craftsmen who confirmed the official letter from above were divided into two.

“Whew~. What is this…..is it going to be redesigned based on words only? It’s going to be completely new, right?”

“But what can I do? If I have to do it, I have to do it.”

There were some who sighed and complained, but on the contrary, there were others who were burning. The most representative person was da Vinci.

“This time, I’ll show you who I am!”

* * *

When the riots in Areas 51 and 52 were noisy, some people unexpectedly opened their doors. They were the ones who censored the correspondence of foreigners working at the research institute and Areas 51 and 52. Most of them were naturalized to the Empire, but relatives and acquaintances still remained in their hometowns, and letters were exchanged. Therefore, censorship was essential to prevent confidential information from being leaked through these letters.

However, as competition increased, the workload of those in charge exploded. Since it was a public event, everyone who witnessed it wrote about it in the letter. In the end, those in charge appealed to the county.

-Please keep such events private!

Hyun, who accepted the appeal, smiled bitterly.

“I want to keep it private, but this also increases the pride of the people…”

Experiments and development of things like gunpowder and artillery were still being conducted in secret. However, things like the blade had a different texture.

-purple! How is our empire creating things that others cannot even dream of? This is the empire you live in!

It was an agitation to keep the empire, which was a mixture of various lands and races, as one.