Emperor Hyeon and his ministers found themselves in an equally awkward position. Prime Minister Han Chi-hyeong convened a meeting with the cabinet to address the subject directly.

“For even France and the Holy Roman Empire to escalate this to the level of a national project… this situation has grown far beyond our initial estimates,” Han Chi-hyeong began, his tone grave. The vice-premiers and ministers all nodded in grim agreement.

“In that case, perhaps we should also designate it a national project and offer our full, active support?” Right Vice-Premier Seongjun proposed.

Left Vice-Premier Ryu Sun immediately pointed out the flaw in that logic. “Support is already being provided to those who have applied to compete in the competition.”

“I am suggesting we be more active,” Seongjun retorted.

“And what do you propose we do about the problem of equity? Have you forgotten His Majesty himself has already raised this very point?”

Before Seongjun could answer, the Minister of Justice interjected, his voice sharp. “The moment the support policy was announced, shameless individuals emerged attempting to defraud the system. And you want to designate it a national project? Every charlatan and grifter who scoffs at the government’s work will swarm to it, looking for a handout.”

“Then we simply won’t miss the opportunity to catch and jail them, will we?” Seongjun replied. “Wait… is that not an excellent plan that kills two birds with one stone?”

At Seongjun’s self-satisfied question and answer, everyone else in the room had the exact same, weary thought. 

Does he really think he’s one of the Emperors, seeing ‘two birds with one stone’ in everything?

***

This desire to achieve “maximum effect for minimum expenditure” had been the defining characteristic of the imperial line, starting from Hyang. Naturally, it had also become the fundamental standard for establishing all national policy. However, there was a distinct difference in scale and execution between the Emperors and their ministers.

An Emperor would devise a single policy to achieve at least two positive outcomes, or skillfully link two or three policies to achieve a multiplicative, compounding result. The ministers, on the other hand, generally operated on a more linear principle: “One policy, one result. Minimum expenditure, maximum effect.”

This gap existed partly because the imperial line—from Hyang to Wan to Hyeon—possessed exceptional aptitude, but also because they expertly leveraged their unique advantage of being at the very apex, from which they could see the entire “big picture.” The ministers, in contrast, were inherently limited by the need to focus deeply on the affairs of their own departments. This was precisely why the qualities of the Prime Minister and the Left and Right Vice-Premiers were so critical; they occupied the position just beneath the Emperor, responsible for coordinating the various parts while attempting to view that same big picture.

***

Receiving the sudden, sharp glares from his colleagues, Seongjun immediately backtracked. “Haha… It was just a small joke, gentlemen. If we become too serious, it narrows our field of vision, after all. But…” He paused, his expression turning grave. “Do not forget that if our Empire falls behind in this competition, it will be nothing short of a national disgrace.”

“That… is indeed the problem.” Ryu Sun sighed, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling.

This was the true source of their collective anxiety. Until this very moment, the Empire had led other nations in every conceivable field. But what if the winner of this grand competition—an event they had initiated—came from another country? The pride of the Imperial citizenry would be severely wounded. And those wounded, irate citizens would, without a doubt, direct their fury squarely at the current administration.

When the previous ministers were in office, the Empire was always in the lead! What is this shameful display? This is all because the current Prime Minister and his cabinet are incompetent! It was as clear as day that petitions filled with such accusations would flood the court.

That would be bad enough. But if things went truly wrong, it wouldn’t just be the ministers taking the blame. The criticism could turn toward the Emperor himself.

In fact, it was highly likely to. Because the throne would soon be changing hands.

The very fact that the competition was announced without a deadline signified that it was an incredibly difficult problem, not one expected to be solved in a year or two. This meant the results would almost certainly be announced during the reign of the next emperor.

And that brought them to Woo’s great weakness.

***

Everyone, from Imperial citizens to foreigners, acknowledged Hyang’s transcendent genius. He was “a talent that would never be seen again,” “the greatest sage in the world.” Wan and Hyeon had been taught directly by this sage and, even after ascending the throne, could still receive his direct or indirect counsel when needed.

Woo was not so fortunate. Although Hyang, as Emperor Emeritus, had stayed in Sugang Palace to teach his grandson, the time they had together was far too short compared to that of Wan and Hyeon. Furthermore, given Hyang’s advanced age, it was a near impossibility that Woo, once he became Emperor, would be able to rely on Hyang for advice.

The conclusion was simple: among Wan, Hyeon, and Woo, Woo was the one who bore the faintest “shadow” of Hyang. For the people of the Empire, who had experienced the successive golden ages from Sejong to Hyeon, this was a significant source of anxiety. It was Woo’s single greatest weakness.

If Woo were to make a mistake after ascending the throne, or if the nation faced hardship, the people would be ruthless. 

“It’s because he wasn’t taught properly!” 

“All the previous Emperors were so brilliant, how did we end up with this one…?” 

“Tsk, tsk… It’s over. We’re finished!”

If such criticism were to accumulate, the Emperor’s authority would crumble, and in the worst-case scenario, the very foundations of the Empire could be shaken.

***

Seongjun had used the explosive term “national disgrace” to point directly at this worst-case scenario. The Prime Minister and the other ministers had sighed, all too aware of the tightrope they were walking.

“The main research labs and the other departments in Areas 51 and 52 already receive far more support than other state bodies,” Han Chi-hyeong said, summarizing the dilemma. “Thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince’s earnest efforts to console and encourage them, we haven’t heard any official complaints yet, but if we divert even more funding, dissatisfaction is guaranteed to arise. On the other hand, if we simply sit on our hands and let another nation claim victory, we will face an even greater problem…”

Han Chi-hyeong’s voice trailed off, the options grim. After running in circles, the meeting ended with a stopgap measure.

• First, a “small” additional budget would be allocated for supporting the challengers.
• Second, anyone found to be misappropriating these support funds would be severely punished. To enforce this, the Ministry of Economy and Finance would conduct regular audits.

When Hyeon received the policy proposal, he sighed. “Huuu… I am not unaware of what troubles your hearts. I will permit it. However, you must find and severely punish any who would dare defile the state’s goodwill.”

“We obey your command!”

The officials in the Ministry of Economy and Finance who received the new directive slammed their hands on their desks. “I knew it! This just means more work for us!”

But even as they vented, the finance officials carried out their new duties with diligence. On one point, their consensus was absolute: If another country takes first place in this competition, it will be a national disgrace.

***

To ensure the state’s support was being used properly, auditors periodically visited the workshops of the challengers.

“It’s a small mercy the main labs and Areas 51 and 52 have their own internal oversight departments,” one auditor grumbled.

“If we had to cover them, too, we’d literally be buried alive in work.”

“Hard to say if that’s lucky or unlucky…”

Grumbling, the auditors went about their rounds. And in the process, amusing situations began to arise.

“Hey there,” said Jang Tae-soo, an auditor from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, on a visit to one of his assigned challengers. “How’s it coming along? Any good results to show?”

The challenger just scratched his head, looking troubled. “Well, I don’t know… It feels like I’m this close, but it just keeps failing. I’m sure the design is right…”

“Oh? Let me have a look at those schematics,” Tae-soo said.

“You know what they say, ‘A dog at a village school recites poetry after three years.’ Who knows? Maybe I’ll spot something.”

“Ah, no way, sir… you wouldn’t…” “Just let me see.”

Tae-soo took the blueprints and scanned them meticulously before pointing out several spots. “This number here, this one, and this one. The sum of these values seems to be incorrect.”

“Huh? Just a moment, sir.” The challenger started counting on his fingers, running the numbers in his head before shaking his head. “No, that can’t be, it’s correct…”

“Look here.” Tae-soo scribbled the values in the margin and drew out the formula, showing him the answer. “See? It’s wrong.”

“But… even so…”

“Listen,” Tae-soo huffed, “I work for the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Finance. My entire day, from start to finish, is numbers. F.I.N.A.N.C.E…”

“Still…”

Exasperated, Tae-soo pulled out his mechanical calculator and punched in the numbers, shoving the result in the man’s face. “See?! Instead of that precious mental math of yours, go buy an abacus or a mechanical calculator! No, you know what? If you have calculations, just bring them to me! It’ll be less stressful! My god! Here you are, challenging for a prize that could change the world, and you’re sitting there counting on your fingers! Ugh, I’m going to have an aneurysm! This is exactly why my workload never decreases!”

In time, Jang Tae-soo and that very challenger joined forces, tackling the competition together. Tae-soo didn’t resign his post; he simply went to the challenger’s workshop after work to help with calculations and data analysis. Before long, he was spending his holidays there, too.

And back at his home, Jang Tae-soo’s wife could only stare at the sky and sigh. “Suddenly, I’m a grass widow… Oh, this is my fate, I suppose~.”

***

Meanwhile, at Sugang Palace, Hyang was reviewing the same stack of domestic and foreign trend reports, his expression troubled. He let out a long sigh. “Huuu… Is this, too, my fault?”

The plan he had originally envisioned was on a much smaller scale. 

The prize money is staggering, yes, but it should be enough to draw out all the hidden masters and reclusive geniuses. With them involved, the engine problem that has us deadlocked should be solved quickly. I’m not expecting an 8-cylinder, 12-cylinder, or a jet engine to pop out overnight. All we need is the basic principle and a prototype. After that, we can add plenty of ‘MSG’ under the guise of ‘improvements and refinements’.

The problem, which even Hyang hadn’t anticipated, was that foreign governments had decided to roll up their sleeves and get involved. After analyzing the cause, Hyang had concluded it was “my sin.”

And he was right.

Although the proclamation had been issued in Emperor Hyeon’s name, the world sensed Hyang’s presence moving just behind the curtain.

“No one but the Emperor Emeritus would offer a prize of this magnitude! And if he’s offering this much, it means the prize is worth many times more!” 

“The fact that it’s for the Responses to Challenge Records proves the Empire hasn’t solved it yet! If we find the answer first, it will be the ultimate proof that we have caught up to them! This is a chance for glory that will be recorded in history!”

This was the chain reaction that had caused the situation to explode.

Hyang closed the report and shook his head slowly. “National glory, national disgrace… why is everyone so serious? You can be in the lead, or you can fall behind. What matters is what you do next. Why don’t they understand that…?”

For Hyang, whose entire philosophy was built on the idea that the initial discovery or invention is not the important part; what matters is how you put it to practical use, these overblown reactions were simply baffling.