A month later, warships arrived at the imperial military harbor in Suez.
These were troops meant to relieve the imperial forces that had been stationed in Suez until now.
As a result, cranes and soldiers were busily moving about the harbor, loading and unloading cargo.
Near the bustling imperial military harbor, alliance soldiers and officers were loitering around, secretly monitoring the imperial troops’ movements.
As they watched, the alliance soldiers began tilting their heads in confusion.
“Was that called the Byeong-style gun cart? The mount seems different.”
“Huh? I don’t really notice anything.”
“No, something has changed.”
The alliance forces fell into confusion watching the newly arrived imperial troops moving with their Byeong-style gun carts. Something seemed different, but they couldn’t quite identify what had changed.
Shortly afterward, some quick-thinking alliance soldiers began examining the departing imperial troops.
“Oh! I found it!”
“What? What is it?”
“Look at the gun carts mounted on the stands. The one being loaded onto the ship, and the one being unloaded over there.”
Following their comrade’s direction, the alliance soldiers observing the two Byeong-style gun carts muttered in astonishment.
“How is that possible?”
The Byeong-style gun carts pulled by the newly arrived imperial soldiers maintained horizontal barrel alignment regardless of whether they were on an uphill or downhill slope.
***
The imperial soldiers who had newly arrived in Suez were operating modified Byeong-style gun carts.
The original Byeong-style gun cart’s mount featured a folding tripod with wheels.
This was to allow the gun cart to be moved around easily.
The weight of the Byeong-style gun cart itself, filled with water for cooling, plus the gun mount reached nearly 90 geun (about 54kg).
To move this heavy piece easily, iron wheels were attached, bringing the final weight to 100 geun (about 60kg).
Convenience was achieved by folding the two front legs of the tripod and using the back leg as a handle to pull it around.
However, not long after the Byeong-style gun carts were supplied, soldiers operating them in the field discovered a problem.
The wheels made movement easier, but the moment they stood up while holding the back leg, the barrel of the gun would drag on the ground.
To solve this, they had to hunch over while moving, which was a very uncomfortable position.
But the soldiers couldn’t request improvements.
This was because Hyang was the central figure among those who had created the Byeong-style gun cart.
-“How dare you criticize what the Emperor created for the soldiers!”
Such criticism was inevitable.
This was an issue that existed in the original design as well, which Hyang had overlooked.
And the person who solved this problem was, again, Jang Yeong-sil.
Or more precisely, Hyang regulated Jang Yeong-sil’s excessive enthusiasm.
***
This occurred long before the commotion about Jang Yeong-sil’s prototype gun cart, specifically when Hyang first inspected Area 52.
After resolving issues related to Jang Yeong-sil’s tomb, Hyang visited Jang Yeong-sil’s private residence and attached workshop, guided by Jang On.
“This is the workshop? And that’s the residence? Aren’t they mixed up?”
Looking at a small house that appeared to serve no function beyond providing basic accommodation, and an enormous workshop, Hyang asked Jang On.
“He said a house only needs enough space to sleep…”
“He was truly a unique individual…”
‘It’s not like he was practicing asceticism… or was he the final evolution of a fanatic? I was similar myself…’
Reflecting on how he had lived similarly in the 21st century, Hyang gently shook his head before opening the workshop door and stepping inside.
“Wow…”
Entering the workshop, Hyang’s mouth fell open involuntarily.
The workshop was filled with all kinds of tools, half-finished artifacts, and blueprints scattered everywhere.
“Didn’t Area 52’s main building also have Director Jang Yeong-sil’s personal design room and workshop?”
“He said that when he found an answer while sleeping or resting, it would be a waste of time to go to the main building…”
“Is that so?”
“The designs and creations he made here that were deemed good enough were transferred to the main building.”
“I see.”
Responding casually while examining Jang Yeong-sil’s workshop, Hyang ordered Jang On:
“Organize all the artifacts, tools, and designs in this workshop, create an inventory, prioritize them, and report back.”
“The entire workshop, Your Majesty?”
To Jang On’s pale-faced question, Hyang replied as if it were obvious:
“Of course, would we just leave all this as is?”
“…I will obey your command.”
The artisans tasked with classification and recording according to Hyang’s orders sighed.
“Haa~ This will never end…”
“Haa~ Is this what they mean by the legendary scribe?”
***
Some time after the commotion about the prototype gun cart, Jang On sought out Hyang.
“What brings you here?”
“While organizing the late Director Jang Yeong-sil’s personal workshop as you commanded, I came across something that requires Your Majesty’s decision.”
“My decision? About what?”
“It’s an improvement to the Byeong-style gun cart mount, but there’s only a design. I wanted to ask if Your Majesty thinks a prototype should be made…”
“Show me now!”
“What? Yes, of course!”
Before Jang On could finish his explanation, Hyang cut him off and extended his hand.
“Wow…”
Taking the blueprint from Jang On, Hyang couldn’t close his gaping mouth.
The title at the top of Jang Yeong-sil’s blueprint was extraordinary from the start.
-Self-propelled Gun Cart
As he examined the blueprint, Hyang put his hand to his own forehead and mentally screamed.
‘This clockwork fetishist!’
The gun mount for the Byeong-style gun cart that Jang Yeong-sil had designed used spring power for movement.
It was a concept befitting Jang Yeong-sil, who had attempted to create a spring-powered palanquin in the history before Hyang’s intervention.
‘Even Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, who insisted on making electric motor-powered tanks during wartime, would be impressed…’
As Hyang continued to marvel at Jang Yeong-sil’s obsession with springs, he shook his head while looking at the detailed blueprint of the drive component.
‘Regenerative braking? My goodness! Why is this here?’
It was obvious that when a spring was fully unwound, it needed to be wound again. However, rewinding a spring during battle, with bullets flying everywhere, was dangerous.
Knowing this, Jang Yeong-sil had designed a mechanism that used the recoil of the Byeong-style gun cart to rewind the spring. This reminded Hyang of regenerative braking.
After examining the blueprint for quite some time, Hyang looked up at Jang On.
“Not feasible. You understand why, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
Jang On nodded. Even to him, the self-propelled gun cart designed by Jang Yeong-sil was excessively complex and intricate.
“However, it seemed too valuable to dismiss, so I sought Your Majesty’s decision.”
“I agree.”
With a face full of regret, Hyang nodded in agreement and continued examining the blueprint before pointing to one section.
“This part, which keeps the barrel and mechanism horizontal when soldiers are moving the gun cart, should be preserved. Since it uses the principle of grasshopper legs, there’s no issue except for a slight weight increase. Keep this part and bring me an improved gun mount for the Byeong-style gun cart.”
“I will obey your command!”
Thus, the gun mount for the Byeong-style gun cart was modified.
The military, after evaluating the newly modified gun mount, was greatly satisfied and adopted it, simultaneously beginning to modify the mounts of existing Byeong-style gun carts.
And these improved Byeong-style gun carts had now arrived in Suez.
***
The alliance commanders, upon hearing the soldiers’ reports, gathered again to exchange opinions.
“What do you think?”
“It will certainly be more comfortable for the soldiers operating them.”
“I agree.”
“But you know what?”
The Ottoman commander, who had been listening to the other commanders, raised a question.
“Why would troops who only defend, holed up in a fortress, worry about ease of movement?”
“Hmm…”
“That’s a good point…”
At the Ottoman commander’s observation, the other commanders fell into deep thought.
The first to speak was the Florentine commander.
“Defensive battles don’t always happen in fortresses, do they? Considering that, isn’t it natural to think about mobility?”
“Of course, that’s true. But, perhaps I’m overthinking this, but why would troops who will either stay holed up in fortresses or move by iron horse bring new gun carts here?”
In response to the Ottoman commander’s point, the French commander answered.
“Isn’t it because they need them when deploying reserves?”
“Here in Suez, there’s only our alliance and the Empire—is there really a need to plan with reserves in mind?”
“From the sea…”
“With imperial warships patrolling the sea? Have you forgotten what the captains said before?”
“So what are you trying to say?”
The Portuguese commander, who had been listening to the Ottoman commander’s successive points, asked him directly.
To the Portuguese commander’s question, the Ottoman commander replied with an expression full of perplexity and unease.
“I don’t know. I feel uneasy about something, but I can’t pinpoint what’s making me uneasy.”
At the Ottoman commander’s words, the other commanders’ faces grew serious.
‘We can’t ignore the instincts of someone with extensive combat experience.’
‘Honestly, I feel a bit uneasy too, though I don’t know why…’
As silence briefly continued, the Florentine commander spoke up.
“Perhaps that uneasiness stems from the question, ‘What if the Empire attacks us?’ Honestly, although the Empire shares interests with our alliance, it’s not actually a member of the alliance.”
“That is certainly an issue.”
“Resolving that aspect is most important, but that’s a political matter…”
Following the Ottoman and French commanders’ words, the Portuguese commander continued:
“Let’s assume the Empire attacks us. They would need artillery to break our fortress—would the cannons in that fortress be capable of it?”
At the Portuguese commander’s question, all the other commanders shook their heads.
“It seems unlikely.”
“It would be very difficult.”
They too were familiar with artillery. According to their experience, the distance between their current fortress and the imperial fortress was beyond the range of conventional artillery.
Of course, the super-heavy artillery that the Ottoman Empire supposedly possessed might have the range, but from what they’d observed so far, the Empire hadn’t brought such weapons.
Therefore, the conclusion was that the artillery would need to be moved, but the Empire didn’t appear to have enough horses. True, they had the strange steam-powered traction engines, but the alliance forces wouldn’t simply watch them move artillery using those.
The alliance currently had superior stationed forces and, though not as good as the Byeong-style gun carts, a sufficient number of Eul-style gun carts and artillery.
“Logically thinking, there’s nothing to be uneasy about, yet I can’t understand why I feel this way.”
The alliance commanders nodded at the Ottoman commander’s words.
Two weeks later, the alliance commanders discovered the reason for their uneasiness.
It was because the imperial artillery stationed in the fortress conducted firing drills.
After sending official notices to nearby villages to prevent fishing boats from setting sail and merchant ships from approaching, the imperial artillery fired at target ships floating in the sea.
Watching those drills, the alliance commanders realized why they had felt uneasy.
The imperial cannons were superior to what they had known. If one drew a circle with the distance traveled by the projectiles toward the target as the radius, their fortress would be entirely within it. Moreover, the power was much greater than they had thought.
The Ottoman commander, who had been watching the training with a grave face, sighed.
“The Empire has placed a dagger right at our throat.”