Under the Royal Guards’ pressure, the three visitors arrived at the entrance of Injeongjeon Hall, their spirits somewhat dampened.

Following a court eunuch’s guidance, they entered Injeongjeon and approached King Sejong.

The three performed their respective ceremonial greetings and addressed the king in unison.

“We congratulate you on your great victory and pray for your nation’s endless prosperity.”

“I truly appreciate your efforts in traveling such a long distance. I’ve heard that your nations are also facing many difficulties due to ongoing wars. I pray for the swift conclusion of these conflicts and your victory.”

“We thank you for your kind words.”

***

After exchanging these courtesies and presenting their gifts to King Sejong, the three envoys left Injeongjeon.

“Phew…”

Once outside, the three let out long breaths as if finally able to relax. Mehmet II’s expression showed slight intimidation as he spoke.

“Besides my father, I’ve never found anyone frightening before. I never expected to meet someone like my father here.”

The other two nodded in agreement, having felt something similar.

Indeed, do all rulers possess such an aura?

“He certainly seemed capable of achieving victory against that mighty Kitai—or Ming, as it’s called now—such a vast empire.”

As Giovanni spoke these words, Henry, who had been nodding in agreement, changed the subject.

“In my view, Joseon’s Crown Prince also seemed quite extraordinary. What do you both think?”

Mehmet II immediately responded to Henry’s question.

“Another lion, indeed. If Joseon’s current king is an aging lion, that one gave the impression of a lion in its prime.”

Giovanni nodded at Mehmet II’s assessment.

“I agree. One glance was enough to tell he was no ordinary person.”

“That’s precisely why I think this country must have many concerns.”

“Huh?”

“Why?”

Mehmet’s unexpected comment drew simultaneous questions from Henry and Giovanni. Mehmet glanced back at Injeongjeon before continuing.

“In a pride of lions, there can only be one leader, isn’t that so? You all know this—a monarch’s most formidable enemy is often his own successor.”

“Ah…”

Henry and Giovanni nodded at Mehmet II’s words.

It was common knowledge that those who held power rarely wished to share it. Conversely, heirs to power often harbored ambitions to seize it as quickly as possible.

Consequently, power struggles between kings and their sons typically ended in horrific bloodshed.

However, Joseon’s current situation was vastly different. No, it was completely different.

If Joseon’s officials had heard this conversation, most would have scoffed.

“A power struggle between His Majesty and the Crown Prince? Nonsense!”

“If His Majesty were to say there would be no abdication, the Crown Prince would be the first to shout ‘Long live the King!'”

“And he’d add, ‘While we’re at it, about the budget…'”

“Only to be met with ‘Get out, you fool!'”

The Joseon officials, well aware of the dynamic between Sejong, who tried to assign work at every opportunity, and Hyang, who tried his best to avoid it, would have found the idea laughable.

“As if they’d ever fight!”

***

After their audience, instead of returning to their lodgings to rest, the three visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Heo Hu, who received them, offered them seats and got straight to the point.

As they were served refreshments by a ministry attendant, Heo Hu began immediately.

“So, what brings such distinguished visitors from the Western Regions to the Foreign Ministry?”

Henry stepped forward to answer Heo Hu’s question.

“We wish to lay railway tracks connecting Suez and the Mediterranean.”

“Railway tracks?”

“Yes.”

At these words, Heo Hu’s mind began racing.

So their war wasn’t simply about monopolizing trade routes!

Having grasped the true reason behind the war between Portugal, the Ottoman Empire, and Florence, Heo Hu suddenly broke into a cold sweat.

The Crown Prince was right again!

***

When news of international warfare breaking out in the Mediterranean region reached them, a debate had erupted among Hyang and the ministers about the cause of the war.

At the time, the ministers had speculated the following cause:

‘Securing the trade route connecting Suez and Alexandria’

However, Hyang had offered a slightly different opinion.

“While it is about securing trade routes, it’s not about the existing ones. They’re likely planning to lay either railway tracks or waterways.”

Hyang then explained his reasoning:

“The current trade volume cannot satisfy all the parties involved in this war. For all of them to be content, a far greater volume of goods must move through these routes. The current transportation methods cannot handle such volume. Only two options can make this possible: railways or waterways.”

The ministers wore skeptical expressions at Hyang’s words. Hwang Hui spoke on their behalf.

“In such a case, wouldn’t it be unnecessary to pursue Alexandria? Couldn’t they achieve maximum effect with minimum losses by simply securing the area between Suez and the Mediterranean?”

Hyang immediately responded to Hwang Hui’s observation.

“They need to eliminate their competitors, don’t they? The merchants of Alexandria, specifically. Moreover, Alexandria and the regions east of it include the Nile Delta, the Mamluk’s largest granary. Securing that area would give them leverage over the Mamluks as well.”

The ministers remained skeptical of Hyang’s words until the end.

Alexandria was the Mediterranean’s largest trading city, and established trade routes already existed. Why create new trade routes? New routes would require new trading cities, which meant massive capital investment. Even with Portugal and the Ottoman Empire allied—Florence’s involvement wasn’t known at the time—this was a dangerous gamble that could potentially bankrupt nations.

Furthermore, control of the Nile Delta would naturally follow if they secured the existing trade routes.

Observing the ministers’ expressions, Hyang calmly concluded:

“It might seem insane if you’re only looking ten years ahead, but if you consider the next hundred years or beyond, it’s a highly profitable venture.”

***

Upon hearing the three men’s desire to ‘lay railway tracks,’ Heo Hu immediately sent someone to the Ministry of Finance.

The Ministry responded by sending both Park Jong-wu, the Minister of Finance, and Im Sun-uk, the First Vice Minister.

After brief introductions, Park Jong-wu got straight to the point.

“I hear you wish to lay railway tracks.”

“That’s correct.”

“May I know where?”

“Just a moment…”

Henry ordered his subordinate, who soon returned breathlessly with a rolled map.

Spreading the map on the conference table, Henry drew an imaginary line northward from Suez with his finger as he explained.

“We’d like to lay tracks from Suez to here.”

Im Sun-uk pointed to the northern location and asked.

“What’s this place called?”

“It has no name. There’s just a small fishing village of about twenty households.”

“Where can fresh water be found along the route from Suez to this location?”

“Here, here, here, and here.”

After examining the points Henry indicated, Im Sun-uk frowned.

“Hmm… This is problematic…”

“Is there an issue?”

Seeing Im Sun-uk’s expression, Henry and the others grew concerned.

Despite Henry’s question, Im Sun-uk continued staring at the map before finally turning to him.

“What about digging a canal instead of laying railway tracks?”

“A canal?”

“Did you say canal?”

Everyone except Im Sun-uk was confused by this unexpected suggestion.

“Why?”

Responding to Henry’s question, Im Sun-uk explained in detail.

“Steam engines need not only fuel but, more importantly, clean fresh water to operate properly. Given current steam engine capabilities, they would need to either pass through or near those water sources you indicated, which would mean significant detours. In other words, your proposed route is impossible.”

“Some detours would be acceptable.”

Though Henry compromised, Im Sun-uk shook his head again.

“Transporting the materials for railway construction is another issue. We’d need to transport not just the steam engines but also the steel tracks. While shipping from Joseon isn’t a major problem, unloading and transporting to the site is. I should mention that neither the engines nor the tracks can be moved by just one or two oxen.”

“Oh dear…”

After hearing Im Sun-uk’s explanation through the interpreter, Henry argued incredulously.

“Is it truly impossible?”

“I previously served as the president of the Railway Corporation. I can confidently say I know more about railways and steam engines than anyone else here.”

Hearing Im Sun-uk’s response, Henry’s group looked dismayed.

The Joseon officials shared their disappointment.

This could have been a major opportunity!

Park Jong-wu, unable to hide his disappointment, asked Im Sun-uk.

“So a canal is the only solution?”

“Yes.”

At Im Sun-uk’s answer, Heo Hu let out a long sigh.

“My… From what I saw in Ming, canals are quite complicated…”

Park Jong-wu nodded in agreement.

The canals they knew were very demanding. Uneven terrain required locks and water wheels, floods were problematic, droughts were problematic. Plus, accumulated sediment needed constant cleaning.

Seeing the disappointed expressions of Henry’s group and the officials, Im Sun-uk asked another question.

“Are there many villages near your proposed route?”

“No, it’s all desert.”

“Are there elevation differences in the desert?”

“To my knowledge, while there are sand dunes, it’s basically flat terrain.”

“So no mountains or valleys?”

“Correct.”

Upon hearing Henry’s answer, Im Sun-uk responded with even more confidence.

“Then a canal is indeed optimal.”

“Huh?”

“Why?”

As everyone expressed confusion, Im Sun-uk explained his reasoning:

-The area around Henry’s proposed route has no settlements, mountains, or valleys—just flat land. This means they could dig a straight canal without any need for detours.

-Based on these conditions, they could freely determine the canal’s depth and width. This means ships could sail directly from Suez to the Mediterranean region without needing to unload cargo.

-Finally, Suez is on the Red Sea and the destination is on the Mediterranean. Using these seas as water sources means no concerns about droughts or floods.

“Incredible!”

“Such a method!”

Henry’s group’s faces lit up at Im Sun-uk’s explanation. However, Heo Hu raised a concern.

“That would be an enormous undertaking—would it be feasible? It would require at least hundreds of thousands of workers, wouldn’t it?”

Hearing Heo Hu’s concerns through the interpreter, Henry’s group’s expressions similarly dimmed as they looked at Im Sun-uk.

However, Im Sun-uk answered matter-of-factly.

“While it would require substantial manpower, don’t we have excavators?”

At Im Sun-uk’s response, the Joseon officials simultaneously slapped their knees in admiration.

“Ah!”