Chapter 56

“When… is Raleigh expected to arrive?”

“Baron Walter Raleigh arrived in Plymouth a few days ago, so he should reach London within the week.”

“…Good. You may leave. I have things to think about.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Elizabeth dismissed the courtier, her eyes fixed on the papers laid out on the table. And then.

“Hwoooooo…” She fell deep into thought.

Raleigh was coming soon.

Originally, Raleigh had been a young lover, nineteen years her junior, who gave her ‘special pleasure,’ and a pliable favorite who was useful in many ways. But since the development of the Virginia colony began in earnest, his position had changed completely. He was a bridge connecting Elizabeth and the Native Emperor, a diplomat, the Queen’s envoy. She didn’t know the exact circumstances, but according to stories from various sources, it seemed Raleigh was highly favored by the ‘Emperor.’

Therefore, to contact the ‘Emperor,’ it was right to go through Raleigh. In the first place, he was the only person who regularly traveled between Virginia and England. The trade with Virginia was completely monopolized by him.

‘…The abolition of slavery. The Native Emperor has clearly extended a hand to me.’

Now that he had gone this far, she would clarify her relationship with him through Raleigh this time. Having accepted him into the Christian world with a grand ceremony like a coronation, it was now time to go further. When she had discreetly prodded by granting Raleigh the Barony of Roanoke, the Emperor had accepted it without any particular objection. From that, it was clear that he had ‘bestowed’ Roanoke Island and a few other small plots of land upon the English. The rest of the vast land was likely the Emperor’s territory where the English were ‘permitted’ to reside, so she would organize it as such.

The English would be permitted to live in his country, under his protection, and the Roanoke Island area would be treated like the residence of Raleigh, who was dispatched as her ambassador. And so, she would confirm the territory of the ‘Virginia Colony’ and the relationship between the two nations. As firm allies.

He stood against Spain and hindered Spanish hegemony, which made him like the Netherlands, who were fighting a war of independence against Spain. And in that he provided strategic materials like timber and ships, he was like the Protestant allies in the north, Sweden or Denmark. Though she had never even seen the ‘Emperor’s’ face, he was now her key ally. An ally who fought against Spain together, who supported the English economy together.

If it weren’t for Virginia, things would be much more difficult now. Her head was throbbing even as it was. No matter how much she resold the luxury goods from Virginia and exported various goods to Virginia, the current surplus was only barely being maintained. In particular, the shortage of timber was the most severe.

England was an island nation, and what an island nation at war needs most are warships and cannons. Warships and cannons are made of wood and iron, and making iron requires a vast amount of fuel, so in the end, the supply of timber is crucial. And England’s forests had long been depleted. Because of that, they had been relying on foreign imports for a significant portion of their timber, iron ingots, and ships.

The expenditure on ships was expected to be greatly reduced. They had brought in ships cheaply from the Virginia shipyard. But what about iron? The iron used for farm tools, for armor and various cold weapons, and for making cannons, chains, and anchors…? It was still in short supply.

To make up for that shortage, the gold coins she had just earned were flowing out again to the various countries of Northern Europe. It was a situation that made her grind her teeth. Raleigh… had to come quickly. The Queen thought, grinding her teeth with a creak. It was a sight that would have horrified Miss Lawrence, who had so thoughtfully given the Queen gum pain relievers and toothpaste.

‘His expression of disgust for slavery is clearly a declaration of war against Spain.’

Considering Raleigh’s attitude when mentioning the ‘Emperor,’ the remarks of the ‘Saintess’ whom she met every morning, and all the other circumstances… he was clearly very well-versed in the affairs of Europe. Therefore, he must have made the proposal to Drake after considering England’s position, Spain’s power, the relationship between the two kingdoms, and so on. After considering the situation in which England’s slave trade was quiet, while Spain’s was more active than ever. To build a casus belli against Spain.

If not for that, what reason would he have to be interested in slavery across the sea? Because he was a good person?

‘He has clearly decided to be hostile to Spain. And he has decided to include England in his war.’

If that was the case, then she had to match her steps to the rhythm he was playing. What if England… provided him with strategic materials as he prepared for war? At the same time, a brilliant idea to solve England’s iron shortage also came to the Queen’s mind.

They built a shipyard in Virginia because the timber there was abundant. Then, what if they built an ironworks in Virginia?

Yes. They would send miners and blacksmiths to jointly develop the iron ore with the ‘Emperor.’ Elizabeth slowly re-read the words written on the flyers laid out on the table.

—‘The Virginia Trading Company desires skilled artisans.’

—‘Blacksmiths, goldsmiths, miners, bricklayers, tanners, farmers, etc., please contact us.’

Blacksmiths… were listed first. In fact, Raleigh had recruited a large number of blacksmiths and taken them to the New World. That must mean that the supply of iron ore in that land is good! Virginia could fill the resource that England lacked the most! Gift artisans and an ironworks to the Emperor’s territory, and share the harvest from that land.

He, too, would surely welcome it. He would be able to receive the iron to be used in the war against Spain. The Queen thought so and waited for Raleigh with bated breath.

She had no inkling of the reason why Raleigh had called for blacksmiths first. She had never even considered that there might be an infinite supply of steel in Virginia. Of course, it was not her fault.

***

As someone who had learned world history in Korea, I knew a few facts. Britain is the country that has created the most independence days in the world. And it is the country that first started a war to sell drugs. They were our ally, but looking at what they were doing to Spain… uh… I didn’t really have anything to say. A country that gives out noble titles for being good at piracy.

Wasn’t Britain synonymous with imperialism, and imperialism with Britain? The amazing country that had massacred a population large enough to establish several countries in Ireland and India.

…Or so I thought.

“Uh… so… England abolished slavery?”

“So it seems. Her Majesty the Queen has always… deeply… abhorred slavery… so…”

“…”

“Ahem.”

See. You’re clearing your throat because you have nothing to say either. Have a conscience. I saw it in the ‘Immortal Order’ catalog, too. Queen Elizabeth had personally sponsored slave traders and invested directly in the trade; who are you trying to fool?

Anyway, Raleigh, torn between my suspicious gaze and his loyalty to his lover, the Queen, cleared his throat and avoided my gaze. “In any case… isn’t a good thing a good thing?”

“Well, that… is true.”

“Anyway, isn’t it a beautiful thing?”

Raleigh was right. A good thing is a good thing. Life doesn’t always go according to reason. A villain can do a good deed by chance, like a blind squirrel finding a nut, and an act done with evil intentions can produce a good result. Let’s just say this was something like that.

And so, after talking with Raleigh, who had just returned from a brief trip to England, I tried to somehow accept the current situation. It turned out well, didn’t it? From the perspective of a 21st-century Korean’s ethics, there was nothing to fault. …No, I take that back. The ethics of a 21st-century Korean do not condone piracy.

For now, let’s just say it turned out well and move on. There are many other problems to worry about.

“Walter, tell me about the next matter.”

“Her Majesty the Queen has sent 50 blacksmiths and 50 miners. She said she would like for us to build an ironworks here.”

“Pardon?”

“…No, I wanted to tell her that we don’t even have an iron mine here. But we’ve already taken so many iron goods over there.”

“…”

True, it didn’t make sense. We had taken aluminum foil and syringe needles to London, but in fact, we didn’t even have an iron mine here? To Elizabeth, it would sound like we were claiming, ‘We have nuclear power plants, nuclear submarines, and nuclear bombs, but we don’t actually have any uranium.’

Even I had to admit, that was bullshit. I completely understood Raleigh’s position. “Well, it doesn’t matter. There’s an open-pit mine on Roanoke Island.”

“How did you know… No. As expected, there are some things that cannot be fathomed with human wisdom.”

I knew because I saw it in the game catalog. Then again, I didn’t know what kind of company Hwangsook Soft was, but considering they sent a person to the past and unconscionably sold DLC in pieces, they did go beyond human wisdom.

Anyway. “Walter, for now, take the artisans to Roanoke Island.”

Roanoke Island is the perfect place for Queen Elizabeth’s ironworks. It’s far from both Croatoan Island and Chesapeake Bay, and since it’s an island, it’s easy for us to control the personnel.

“Her Majesty the Queen asked what you thought about sharing the produced iron 50-50. She said to be sure to ask for your opinion before proceeding.”

“That’s fine with me. My free resources will increase. However…”

“However?”

“Why an ironworks of all things? Is iron in such short supply that you need to procure it even from here?”

“…Yes. I’m afraid so,” Raleigh said with a sigh. “It is England’s chronic disease. There is no timber. We must pour a fortune into importing timber and iron ingots from Sweden and Denmark.”

“Hmm?”

“No matter how I think about it… the war with Spain was a mistake.”

Raleigh’s brief explanation mingled with what I knew. It was great at first. They could suck up the vast fortunes coming from the Spanish colonies through piracy. After crushing the Invincible Armada, there was nothing to stop them. …Usually, world history classes only teach up to this point. So, after winning this war, England seized the hegemony of the Atlantic and laid the foundation to become a world power, while Spain declined and slowly rolled down into a second-rate country.

But according to the detailed contents in ‘Immortal Order,’ the truth was different. As expected of Hwangsook Soft, the historical accuracy was good. In fact, England didn’t particularly win, nor did they seize the hegemony of the Atlantic, and Spain didn’t roll down into a second-rate country.² It was just that the modern British had agreed to forget their bad history.

Like the part where they attempted a counterattack on Spain right after defeating the Invincible Armada, only to be utterly defeated and flee. Or the part where, after Elizabeth I died and James I ascended to the throne, they barely managed to sign a peace treaty after making great concessions to the Spanish side. It was a feeling similar to a high school bully laundering his past as a nerdy otaku middle schooler.

So… “You’re saying England is being pushed back.”

“Yes… There’s no point in denying it now,” Raleigh said with a sigh.

And I was slightly terrified. ‘What, what… this is more serious than what was in the game catalog?’

Unlike the contents of the game catalog, which were written under the firm premise that England was the future hegemonic power, the story coming from the mouth of a contemporary was much more stark. Spain was the strongest nation. And it would continue to be so for the next few decades. But for England to become the strongest nation, it would have to wait another 200 years.

…Somehow, I feel like I’ve boarded a stock that hasn’t even been listed yet, just based on the promise that it will go up. Are we really going to be properly protected from Spain? If we get on their nerves just a little bit more, won’t the Spanish navy hunt us down like rats?

“D-Don’t worry! England is a small but great country! England has Sir Drake, and also the right and left feet of the great admiral John Hawkins… ah, that man is dead. Anyway, England has the great spirit of the Briton people, which has been passed down from King Arthur! Do you think Richard the Lionheart and Edward the Black Prince appeared for no reason?”

Right. And you’re the descendant of the Anglo-Saxons who killed those Britons. And the remark felt strangely familiar, which made me even more anxious.

Ah, don’t tell me the butterfly effect of history will result in something like ‘The English Colony of Virginia (1588~15nn, destroyed by the invasion of the Spanish)’ and England, which over-invested here, will collapse. No. Then I would be treated as ‘(what was once) an angel’ and burned at the stake. And I wouldn’t even burn to death, so I would burn for eternity.

England must survive.

“Um… do not spare any support for the ironworks, Walter.”

“Pardon? Of course, I…”

“No, I mean pour in 1.5 to 2 times the resources you were thinking of.”

“…”

“Do you understand?”

“Ah, I understand.”

After saying that, Raleigh withdrew to inspect the iron mine on Roanoke Island. I wiped away a cold sweat and leaned back in my chair. Right… I just hope nothing goes wrong. Even if the artisans from England build an ironworks, what would they make? At best, it would be steel made with their lacking technology, or cheap cast iron. Right. If it’s just that much…

‘…Wait, cast iron is useful for a lot of things.’ Oh… It might be more helpful to the settlement than I thought?

***

“By now, our artisans must have arrived. Is that not so, Lord Cecil?” At the Queen’s words, William Cecil, England’s Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord High Treasurer, bowed and said, “It is indeed so. As it is clear that the emperor of that New World is preparing for war, soon the Spanish will face an army armed with English iron all over New Spain.”

“I am glad that you are of the same mind as I.” The corners of the Queen’s mouth rose sharply. “That Philip of Spain will have a lot to worry about.”

The image of the ‘Emperor,’ armed with weapons made by English artisans, leading an army of thousands upon thousands and overwhelming the Spanish settlements, was already vivid in her mind. That ironworks would be a sword and shield that the Queen handed to her ally, and a sharp dagger that she thrust into her enemy. It was already becoming enjoyable. What kind of weapon would the Emperor make with the newly forged iron?

***

My prediction was more or less correct.

“Over here! The person who ordered the hinges, please come forward!”

“Oh my, it’s a cast-iron pot!”

Cast iron was cheap and easier to make than steel, and as its name (鑄鐵, lit. cast iron) implies, it is suitable for making castings. Therefore, while it wasn’t suitable for things where strength was important, like weapons, most daily necessities were made of cast iron. For example, pots, pans, and various tableware. Or it could be hinges or locks.

In that sense, with the creation of the ironworks, the lives of our community’s settlers became a little more prosperous. That wasn’t all.

“This… I just need to assemble it?”

“Yes. It came out just as ordered.”

When making the automatic water pumps, the boiler chamber was a part that was difficult to cast in a large piece, which had been a concern. But now, not only the boiler chamber but also large-scale machine parts like the crank’s flywheel could be easily cast. Our blacksmith shop in Chesapeake Bay could now outsource to the artisans Elizabeth had sent whenever they needed various casting work or when they needed to make parts that didn’t require precise processing or high strength.

And so, the quality and productivity of the machines placed throughout our settlement also increased. But this, too, was not the core. Not the core at all.

Thump. My newly acquired cast-iron skillet.

Clunk. My newly acquired cast-iron Dutch oven.

And various camping equipment.

I set up the Nordisk⁴ camping tent, lights, and chairs that I had purchased when Shine Muscats were selling well, and started a fire. Naturally, I started the fire with a camping fire stick. As I started the fire, the Dutch oven and skillet placed on top of it began to sizzle, and at the same time, white smoke rose. As I brought my face close, the steam stuck to my face, and I could smell a delicious aroma.

“Smells good…”

Sitting on a 120,000-won folding chair, with my feet up on the grass and looking up at the sky, the spring night sky was so full of stars it seemed they would pour down. Ah… this is nice. Crickets chirped in the distance, and the sound of a song echoed from the portable amp. Since I was in the countryside of America (which didn’t exist yet), I had put on some country music.

As I was dozing off like that, I was woken by the alarm on my phone and opened the lid of the Dutch oven. “Oh.” A golden-brown oven-roasted lobster was complete.

I placed a pat of butter on top of it to melt it gently and flipped the beef steak on the skillet. The most important change that came with the new ironworks. It was that I could now order a ton of camping equipment that had been too expensive to buy in the 21st century.

After hastily devouring the very hot butter-roasted lobster fresh from the oven, I opened a bottle of the 1592 Imjin War Edition wine and poured it into a glass. And without hesitation, I cut into the steak… and put it in my mouth. And paired it with the wine.

Ah.

‘Long live Queen Elizabeth.’

That’s right. In fact, England was not a pirate nation…! A country that had bestowed such a grace upon me could not have done such a bad thing. It must have been that as an English ship was passing by, the Spanish sailors threw their treasure chests overboard and dove into the sea themselves. As expected of the wicked Spanish. To frame the benevolent English…!

Anyway, enough of that nonsense.

I heard a rustling sound, and when I looked, Virginia, who had smelled the food, was striding over. Eleanor rushed over to stop Virginia, but I stopped her and gave them both some lobster. I had plenty of lobster anyway. You just have to rummage around in the sea right in front here, and you can catch lobster. There were about three more in the bucket right now.

…

…

…

Is this the life?

Crunch. Ah, hothothot… Mmm. Mmmm.

The wild-caught lobster is delicious. The beef is even more delicious.

This is why I got transmigrated.