When calculating profitability, this method of transport was highly uneconomical. That was why the Imperials had tilted their heads in confusion when the Europeans began attaching the word ‘Great’ to their ‘Great Circumnavigation Route.’ Of course, the Europeans were not oblivious to this fact either.

“If only we could use those ports freely…”

They could only drool as they stared at the ports in the Southern New Frontier Archipelago where the Satangju distilleries were located. They were certain that if they could just gain unrestricted access to those harbors, not only would the development of Gloria accelerate, but the operational efficiency of the Great Circumnavigation Route would multiply several times over.

For now, however, they were reduced to using the flimsy pretext of ‘transporting Satangju’ just to gain entry. Eventually, not just England and France, but Portugal and Italy as well began to harbor other ideas.

“What is the best way to make those islands ours?”

***

The European powers initially considered using military force to take the islands of the Southern New Frontier Archipelago, but it was also the first method they abandoned.

“We have to cross the entire Atlantic, but for those bastards, it’s right on their doorstep. The disadvantage is too great.”

“It’s not just the distance. Have you forgotten how vicious those Imperial troops in New Frontier are? Think back to the war in Italy. When you’re far away, they launch an insane barrage of cannonballs. When you get closer, they unleash a mad torrent of bullets. And if you get even closer, they start throwing axes. Those men are not human.”

The immense distance required to project force and the sheer disparity in military strength led the European powers to give up on the idea of a direct assault.

It may be impossible for now, but someday…

For the time being, at least.

***

The Empire was not ignoring the ambitions of the European powers. A constant stream of correspondence flowed between Hyang, Hyeon, and Wan, while the court officials debated the matter daily.

“I believe handing over the Satangju distilleries was a poor strategy.”

“The prevailing assessment is that we have sacrificed much for little gain.”

Representing Wan and the ministers, Hyeon raised the issue. Hyang simply nodded.

“It may appear that way. But we had to hand over the distilleries. We were simply making too overwhelming a profit.”

“Are you saying that if we hadn’t, they would have turned hostile toward the Empire?”

“Probably.”

Hyeon sighed at Hyang’s response.

“Hoo… The prime ministers and other ministers have said much the same. I’ve heard that among the lower-ranking officials, there is even talk that ‘we should never have created them in the first place.’”

Hyang snorted in derision.

“Hah! Pointing fingers and assigning blame after a crisis has already erupted is the most common trait of petty men. A gentleman would have risked his life to offer counsel before the trouble began. A great man would accept reality and find the best possible solution.”

With that pronouncement, Hyang glared at the court scribes. The scribes flinched under his gaze and furiously clattered away on their typewriters. Having dismissed the rumors circulating among the lower ranks, Hyang continued speaking to Hyeon.

“While the islands of the Southern New Frontier Archipelago where the distilleries are located are a cause for concern, are there not also advantages?”

Hyang’s words sparked a thought in Hyeon’s mind, and his eyes lit up.

“Is this the stratagem of the mantis stalking the cicada?”

When the old proverb was mentioned, describing a mantis fixated on its prey while oblivious to the oriole sneaking up from behind, Hyang gave a nod.

“Something like that.”

He then elaborated on the plan.

• The Empire’s greatest interests lie in the New Frontier mainland.
• While the European powers are distracted by the islands of the Southern New Frontier Archipelago, we will use that time to strengthen our control and defenses on the mainland.
• Once the Empire has firmly secured the New Frontier mainland, the European powers will not dare to covet it for the time being. The Empire will then seize that opportunity to further reinforce its defenses.
• If this cycle repeats, the Empire’s borders will become ever more secure.

“Ah! I see! You are not viewing the problem that arose from handing over the distilleries as a problem at all, but as a stepping stone for a new stratagem!”

“Precisely.”

Hyeon, who had responded with a bright expression, soon saw his face darken again.

“However, the budget is a problem. We are already inundated with petitions arguing that the funds allocated to the Ministry of Defense are excessive.”

Hyeon’s words made Hyang’s face twist into a scowl.

“The problem is that fools like that are always the loudest.”

Every year, around the end of the year and the beginning of the next, the Imperial court would post public notices in government offices across the nation regarding the budget. The notice at the year’s end detailed where and how much of the next year’s budget would be spent, while the one at the start of the new year reported on the previous year’s expenditures.

And each time, a flood of petitions would pour in. The most common among them were those criticizing the defense budget as being too large.

“Hah!” Hyang scoffed and continued, mockingly quoting one of the petitions. “‘What was that? The walls protecting this humble servant’s hometown may be low, but no strong man can easily vault them; the moat may be shallow, but none can leap across it. This Empire is surrounded on all sides by a vast ocean—is this not a natural moat? Even the cannonballs of the mightiest artillery cannot cross the sea—is this not a heaven-sent fortress? It has been said since ancient times that he who lives by the sword dies by the sword. The true kingly way is not to sharpen one’s martial prowess, but to cultivate virtue and civilize the four corners of the world. Tsk, tsk, tsk!”

As Hyang shook his head and clicked his tongue, Hyeon couldn’t help but ask.

“You remember all of that?”

“It was so absurd that I couldn’t forget it. What was it? ‘Even the cannonballs of the mightiest artillery cannot cross the sea’? To not even know that’s possible! Ugh!”

Having inadvertently spoken his thoughts aloud, Hyang quickly clamped his mouth shut. But Hyeon did not miss it.

“Is it truly possible? Could it be that you have already devised something?”

“Ah… well, about that…”

Hyang stammered, trying to brush it off, but gave up when he saw Hyeon’s expression.

“Ah, screw it! The cat’s out of the bag. What happens next is none of my business!”

“The thought did cross my mind while I was conceptualizing the Incendiary Divine Machine Arrow.”

“Hmm…”

“A thought, just a thought.”

“Hmm… I understand.”

As Hyeon stepped back with a peculiar look on his face, Hyang hastily concluded the conversation.

“The European powers are a breed that knows no surrender when it comes to their own interests, so I believe you must not let your guard down. That said, I also believe you must not place an undue burden on the court’s finances or the people’s livelihood. I am sure Your Majesty is already well aware of this, but I say it out of an old man’s concern.”

“I will engrave it upon my very bones.”

Later, after everyone had departed and he was left alone in the room, Hyang let out a long sigh.

“Hoo… That was too close. Am I getting old? I’ve become too loose-lipped. Still…”

Hyang stared out the window with a worried expression.

“The scent of war is growing stronger again. If even one of the European powers manages to create smokeless powder, the real race will begin.”

Meanwhile, it was not long before a rumor began to circulate through Area 51 and across the sea to Area 52.

“The Emperor Emeritus said that an artillery piece capable of launching a cannonball across the ocean is possible!”

“No! He said it was possible with the Incendiary Divine Machine Arrow!”

“Is that so~?”

Hearing the rumors, the artisans’ eyes began to sparkle. And then, the very thing Hyang had worried about came to pass.

Smokeless powder was developed in England.

***

It all began in a small village on the outskirts of Southampton, England. In this hamlet of about sixty households clustered around a church, there lived a peculiar individual.

He was an amateur alchemist, saddled with every unflattering nickname imaginable: dreamer, visionary, braggart, madman. Whenever his neighbors saw him, they would click their tongues.

“Tsk! He used to be such a diligent fellow.”

“You’re right about that. He was always a hard worker…”

“All for that blasted Explosive Silver…”

“The one I feel most sorry for is his wife.”

The amateur alchemist who had earned his neighbors’ pity, a man named Dobie, had started down this path after hearing a rumor that the inventor of Explosive Silver in France had made a fortune. Dobie, who had always had a keen interest in gunpowder, found his life’s calling the moment he heard the news.

“He became rich from Explosive Silver*? Then it has to be gunpowder! Gunpowder! They say the gunpowder from the Eastern Empire is both powerful and produces little smoke. If I can create something like that, I can be rich too!”*

Having set his goal, Dobie devoted himself to his research. As time went on, discord became a constant in his household. With Dobie absorbed in his experiments, the burden of supporting the family fell entirely on his wife.

For the first two or three years, Dobie’s wife did not complain much. But as the years stretched to five, then ten, her patience wore thin.

“You damned fool! How long are you going to cling to this hopeless endeavor! You need to work!”

“Just a little longer, please. I feel like I’m so close.”

“How many years has it been ‘just a little longer’! You damned fool! Get a job! A job!”

Despite the constant nagging and the shame of being dependent, Dobie continued his research. Then one day, while conducting an experiment in his laboratory, which was essentially the kitchen and living room, he had an accident.

Crash!

He had knocked over bottles of sulfuric and nitric acid that were sitting on his makeshift lab table.

“Oh, blast!”

Dobie hastily grabbed a nearby towel with his gloved hands and began to wipe the floor. Enduring the pungent, nose-stinging smell of nitric acid, he cleaned up the mess, only to look down at the ruined towel and freeze in horror. It was not a towel. It was his wife’s favorite apron.

“What am I going to do…?”

As Dobie stared blankly at the ruined apron, he could already hear his wife’s curses ringing in his ears. In that moment, something inside him snapped.

“Why is it always me! I want to succeed too!”

Losing his reason under the weight of accumulated stress, Dobie grabbed the apron and hurled it into the fireplace in front of him.

In that instant.

FWOOM!

The moment the apron touched the flames, the fire erupted with explosive force. Unfortunately, the area around the hearth was cluttered with all sorts of flammable materials, and the fire quickly spread.

“Fire! Fire!”

As the flames engulfed his home, Dobie scrambled outside. While his neighbors rushed to extinguish the blaze, Dobie stood there, dumbfounded, until his eyes suddenly lit up.

The flame, it was like an explosion… an explosion? Explosion!

In that moment, Dobie began to laugh like a man possessed.

“Hahahaha!”

“What’s so funny, you fool! I can’t take it anymore! I want a divorce!”

And so, in time, Europe’s first smokeless powder was born, colloquially known as ‘Divorce powder’ or ‘D-powder.’ Acting on intelligence reports, the great powers of Europe used bribes and spies to extract the secret of smokeless powder from England. Before long, they too began to produce similar formulas.

While Dobie himself struck it rich with his invention, this event also marked the beginning of Europe’s Second Arms Race. It was around this time that the Japanese merchants of Naniwa began to smell the scent of money, mingled with the scent of blood.

War is profitable.

The merchants of Naniwa, who had learned this lesson well from past experience, began to move swiftly.