“Phew…”

Woo, having finished processing the documents submitted to him, sighed lightly.

“The official duties are done, but the homework is the problem.”

Woo grumbled, his eyes taking in the documents he had set aside.

“They say the scariest taste is the one you know, and the most dangerous person is the one you know…”

Trailing off, Woo picked up one of the problematic documents.

“Those who know best what kind of position this is are doing this.”

The problematic documents were requests for support privately sent by Hyang, Wan, and Hyeon—or more accurately, documents badgering him to ‘Give us some money!’ Hyang and Wan had started whining to Woo for money because they had grasped the direction for improving the newly developed power engine.

• Increase the size of the combustion chamber, named ‘cylinder’, and simultaneously increase the number of cylinders.

Having grasped the direction, Hyang, Wan, and the artisans began experiments, starting with 2 cylinders and gradually increasing the number. However, it was not an easy task. Although the Empire possessed the undisputed most advanced technology in the world at this time, they had no choice but to go through all sorts of trial and error.

In other words, this meant they consumed an enormous amount of budget. Even though Hyang intervened while ignoring the looks he was getting from all sides.

“Well, it’s not like I know everything, and it’s beyond my control if the technology hasn’t caught up yet…”

Hyang defended himself to himself. After such trial and error, Wan and the artisans created a plausible framework.

“We named it the ‘Bulgasari Type’.”

“It does look like a starfish.”

“There is that, but it also contains a meaning of earnest prayer.”

“Ah… I see.”

At Wan’s explanation, Hyang nodded.

Bulgasari was originally ‘Bulgasari‘. That is, it meant ‘cannot be killed’.

It contained a fervent wish that the ‘unknown malfunction’—expressed by artisans as ‘it died’—which they had experienced countless times during past experiments, would please not happen this time.

And the first experimental model of the Bulgasari-type power engine made in that way ran well.

“It’s a success!”

“It’s a success!”

“We finally succeeded!”

As the experimental model moved properly, the artisans, starting with Hyang, rolled up their sleeves with soaring morale.

“Now! Let’s make one properly usable!”

“But we have no money!”

“Huh?”

At the sound of ‘No budget!’, Hyang and Wan hurriedly checked the situation.

“…..Certainly, we did blow a lot of budget on trial and error.”

“If you consider the experience gained through those trials and errors, it wasn’t just blown into thin air.”

“That is true, but isn’t it also true that it stings? Hmm… But we can’t stop the experiment here. Shall we pull some from the flying machine section?”

“We’ve already skimmed as much as we could from that part. If we divert more from here, the Board of Audit and Inspection won’t stay still.”

“Tsk.”

At Wan’s words, Hyang smacked his lips.

Even robbing Peter to pay Paul has reached its limit.

“Let’s see… Then I guess I have to empty my pockets.”

“I think I should do the same.”

Hyang and Wan decided to use their private funds. However, even this wasn’t easy. Although called private funds, most belonged to the Imperial Household property, and Hyang and Wan’s own shares were meager.

Receiving the report, Hyang smacked his lips.

“It’s getting caught in one’s own trap.”

In the Empire’s Constitution, there was a law regarding the wealth accumulation activities of Imperial family members.

• Wealth earned by Imperial family members mobilizing personal capital belongs to the individual upon payment of lawful taxes.
• However, if Imperial Household property was used as capital, profits must be shared with the Imperial Household Ministry of Finance according to the share ratio.
• This applies equally to all Imperial family members. The Emperor is no exception.

And the one who proposed this was Hyang.

“This is to prevent an incompetent person among the Imperial family members from stepping up and ruining the Imperial Household property in the future. It would be fortunate if they only ruined the Imperial Household property, but if things go wrong, they could bankrupt the entire country.”

It was a clause created according to Hyang’s argument, and thanks to this clause, Hyang and Wan’s pockets were now thin.

“But I can’t reduce the donations I was doing under my name either…”

“That is true.”

Eventually, Hyang and Wan had no choice but to write a letter to Woo asking for support.

***

“Phew…”

Seeing the requests in question, Woo sighed repeatedly.

“Even if the Grand Emperor Emeritus could do so, the Emperor Emeritus shouldn’t be doing this…”

The original Emperor, Sejong, had mastered doing this and that within the allocated budget. Thanks to that, when Sejong retired as Venerable Emperor, Hyang hardly received such pressure. Rather, he stepped up to allocate additional budget. However, as Wan became Emperor and Hyang became Emperor Emeritus, the pressure for additional budget intensified.

Therefore, the story that Wan, who was Emperor at the time, suffered all sorts of hardships between the ministers and Hyang remained as a legend that wasn’t a legend. The problem was that Wan, who had retired to become Emperor Emeritus, was copying exactly what Hyang had done.

“Phew… But I can’t reject it… I’ll have to gauge the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance’s moods again.”

Woo sighed lightly and organized the documents.

• The Grand Emperor Emeritus and Emperor Emeritus say it is necessary! But you won’t give it? Can’t give it? Really? Are you confident you can handle what happens after?
• And it’s not like the two are asking for money to live luxuriously! It’s all for the country! State affairs!

Because of this background, it was certain that the budget would be organized and distributed immediately. The only catch was that he had to listen to the bitter words of the ministers, especially the Minister of Finance.

• Your Majesty! If we have to organize a budget every time something like this happens, what is the point of reviewing next year’s budget at the end of every year! Wouldn’t it be fine just to do it by rule of thumb! Even so, at the end of every year, all ministries suffer from budget allocation issues! Only then does the country run properly!

This was the bitter complaint of the Minister of Finance when things got severe.

Interestingly, this bitter complaint was passed down from generation to generation of Ministers of Finance, dating all the way back to Kim Jeom. And no remarks crossing the line further came out. If they crossed the line further here, a certain monster-like existence still alive would move.

Eventually, a few days later, an additional budget was organized and distributed as Hyang and Wan desired.

“Phew… It should be a bit quiet for a while now, right?”

Woo began to examine the documents with a light heart. However, it wasn’t long before Woo had to put his hand to his forehead and grumble again.

“Argh! Again! Why!”

This time, it was a request sent by Hyeon.

***

The request sent by Hyeon was different in scale.

• Development of a new power engine for driving and controlling the turrets and casemates of the new warship.
• This power engine uses electricity as fuel.
• If positive effects are confirmed, it is judged reasonable to replace not only the warships currently under construction by the Empire but also the new warships already deployed.
• The problem is that there is no budget allocation for this research.
• Considering the recent situation, it is not right to start research from the next session. I think the sooner the better.
• Especially, the second of the new warships in question is scheduled to be launched soon, and the third is also in the final stages. The later it gets, the more the cost of modification increases.

“The conclusion is ‘shut up and give me money’…”

Woo continued to grumble while re-reading the document sent by Hyeon with a hand on his forehead.

“However, the mentioned part was a part continuously pointed out as a problem…”

***

The part where Hyeon got ‘hit by a stan truck’was the ‘iron ship’.

• A giant monster-like ship that cleaves through the ocean without hesitation even without sails, wrapped in a skin made of steel on a frame made of steel.

Ever since seeing the Assault Turtle Ship, Hyeon burned with tenacity to build a colossal ship like the above. And as a result of that tenacity, the Empire’s new main battleships began to grow in size, but they soon hit a limit.

It was when ironclads appeared in Europe, and Ming built a proper ironclad, not the grotesque failure of the century like the ‘Twin-Headed Flame Dragon’.

• Mounting powerful cannons capable of neutralizing the newly emerged ironclads.
• Securing defensive power capable of withstanding enemy shells.

Based on the second condition, the concept of ‘all-or-nothing defense’ and ‘vital part’ was created.

Unlike the second condition where they found a solution of sorts, the first condition was the problem.

• Powerful cannons are naturally large in size.
• If you line them up on the port and starboard sides of the hull, the warship becomes uselessly large.
• But if you make it like the Assault Turtle Ship, efficiency drops. Because warships of other nations have now secured superior mobility.
• Then what is the answer?

To solve this problem, Hyeon pondered repeatedly in between his duties.

What Hyeon found after such agonizing was the rotating turret.

• Stack the gunpowder and shell storage used for the cannons in layers as if building a tower.
• And on top of this tower, place a casemate made of sturdy iron plates and place the cannon.
• And place this tower along the centerline of the hull.
• And rotate this tower to aim and fire at the enemy ship.
• If you place the cannon on the centerline of the hull, the entire hull absorbs the recoil. This allows for loading larger cannons.
• Also, if you place the gunpowder and shell storage directly under the casemate and surround it with armor, you can efficiently strengthen defense.

“….I think it is better to load three or four cannons with a sure punch than twenty moderately powerful cannons.”

“However, the accuracy drops.”

“Can’t that part be solved with training?”

“Think about it. Wouldn’t a big, powerful punch be better than small ones?”

“Even so, three or four seems a bit few… It should be at least over ten…”

“Let’s ponder that part a bit more.”

At the end of this, a new warship of a new concept was created. And Hyang, seeing the blueprint of the new warship in question, looked at the sky and muttered quietly.

“I say this clearly… I absolutely didn’t do anything!”

Hyang, making excuses to someone fervently, looked at the blueprint again and sighed deeply.

“What is this… Why is a pre-dreadnought class coming out already…”

***

Although a warship of a new concept was born like this, there was a fundamental problem.

The method of rotating the turret was the problem.

At first, they thought of a method of rotating the turret using a shaft connected to the steam engine located in the engine room, but this made the structure too complex. The method that came out to solve this was attaching an electric power engine to each turret.

And this became the fundamental problem.