“Special ammunition? Are you joking?”
After being momentarily stunned by Kim Jeom’s “special ammunition” statement, Giovanni burst out shouting. Henry and Mehmet II, seated beside him, glared at Kim Jeom with similar expressions.
“It’s not like we don’t know about rifles! Special ammunition? What nonsense is this!”
Henry and Mehmet II nodded simultaneously at Giovanni’s outburst.
We’re not some country bumpkins from France or England!
They had already become familiar with rifles during their war preparations.
Ammunition is just lead balls that fit the caliber, and there’s nothing special about the gunpowder, so what’s this about special ammunition!
There’s a limit to how naive they can think we are!
“Hmm…”
In response to Henry’s group’s protests, Kim Jeom’s expression turned cynical.
“What’s with that expression!”
As Giovanni raised his voice again, Kim Jeom calmly asked in return.
“Since you claim to know rifles so well, let me ask you something. Using the methods you know, can you achieve the rapid-fire rate you saw in our military’s training?”
“That…”
Giovanni’s mouth snapped shut at Kim Jeom’s question. Seeing Giovanni’s troubled expression as he struggled to answer, Kim Jeom continued his questioning.
“Our country exported the rifles your countries use, so how could we not know what you’re pointing out? Let me ask again. With those rifles, is reloading easy while prone or kneeling? Like the rifles you saw yesterday?”
“…”
As Kim Jeom’s observations continued, Giovanni’s tightly closed mouth wouldn’t easily open. The same was true for Henry and Mehmet II.
Before long, all three men reached a realization.
Then does this mean the key to Joseon’s new rifles was the ammunition!
As this thought occurred, Mehmet II spoke up.
“I’d like to examine these rifles and special ammunition in more detail. Would that be possible?”
“I cannot answer immediately as we need His Majesty’s approval.”
At Kim Jeom’s response, Mehmet II pressed strongly.
“I must see them. If I’m satisfied there, our country will make a deal that will astonish yours.”
After brief consideration, Kim Jeom responded to Mehmet II’s answer.
“I will relay that to His Majesty as well.”
***
With that, the consultation ended, and Henry’s group left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their lodgings.
On their way back, Henry and Giovanni glared at Mehmet II.
“What are you thinking, promising a deal that would shock Joseon—no, the Great Han Empire?”
Mehmet II immediately responded to Henry’s criticism.
“It’s a proposal I’ve considered quite carefully.”
After his brief response, Mehmet II gazed at the sunset-stained sky and muttered internally.
Father has aged considerably. To suppress my competitors, I need more allies. And I need chains to bind them.
***
The Ottoman Empire’s succession competition was a brutal contest overflowing with blood. To win that competition, he needed many who would pledge loyalty to him.
For this purpose, Joseon’s new rifle demonstrated yesterday was extremely useful. Rifles were already familiar items to his competitors. Not only Joseon-made ones but rifles from Portugal, Italy, Spain, and even Ming were circulating in large numbers.
In this situation, the rifle demonstrated by Joseon’s military yesterday overwhelmingly surpassed all other rifles.
Using that rifle as bait, nobles and generals would overflow with pledges of loyalty to him. In the constantly expanding Ottoman Empire, the shortcut to success was accumulating military achievements. And to accumulate such merit, well-trained soldiers and good weapons were essential.
Furthermore, the special ammunition served as excellent chains. If, as Joseon claimed, only they could manufacture it, possessing that special ammunition would greatly reduce the burden of defection.
***
Unaware of Mehmet II’s inner thoughts, Henry and Giovanni wore serious expressions.
This means we’ll have no choice but to join the competition.
To protect our interests after seizing Suez, we’ll ultimately have to compete.
Though they had raised their voices in front of Kim Jeom, both men acknowledged the superiority of Joseon-made rifles.
They had only raised their voices because of that damned ‘special ammunition.’
If that infidel not only accepted Joseon’s proposal but also fulfilled his promise of a ‘deal that would shock Joseon,’ Portugal and Florence would certainly suffer serious losses of interests.
In the end, they would have no choice but to follow whatever deal emerged between Mehmet II and Joseon.
“Whew~”
No matter how much they pondered, no good answer emerged, and both Giovanni and Henry could only sigh.
That night, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited them.
“An official will come tomorrow. Please follow him.”
“Thank you.”
***
The next day, Henry’s group set out with their military officers.
Their destination was Namhansanseong Fortress.
“What is this place?”
“This is the garrison that protects Hanseong—no, Seoul.”
When Joseon changed to the Great Han Federal Empire, Hanseong was renamed to Seoul.
“To break free from serving the great, we shall call it Seoul instead of Hanseong!”
Following Sejong’s decision, the sudden renaming from Hanseong to Seoul proceeded, but there was little resistance from the people on principle. This was because ‘Seoul’ had traditionally been used as the general term for capital city.
“Hmm…”
Listening to the official’s explanation while observing Namhansanseong’s walls and interior landscape, Henry nodded.
“What a fine fortress!”
Mehmet II also nodded at Henry’s words.
“Indeed. From a defensive perspective, it’s no less impressive than Constantinople.”
Conversing thus, the group headed to the training ground of Namhansanseong’s garrison.
Kim Jeom’s group and envoys from other countries were already there.
“Who are they?”
In response to Henry’s brief question upon spotting the other countries’ envoys, the interpreter answered.
“His Majesty commanded, ‘Would they be the only ones with doubts? Show it clearly to everyone.'”
“Is that so?”
Seems we weren’t the only ones who raised questions.
***
As soon as Henry’s group arrived, the demonstration began.
“These rifles on the table are the Eulshik rifles.”
Hearing the Joseon military officer’s explanation through interpretation, the envoys from various countries, especially their military officers, examined the rifles on the table with gleaming eyes.
Looking at the twenty or so rifles laid out on the table, Henry spoke to the interpreter.
“Ask if we may examine them more closely.”
“Yes.”
Shortly after, the interpreter relayed the officer’s response.
“He says you may examine them as much as you wish.”
No sooner had those words fallen than the envoys and military officers began picking up the rifles from the table and examining them from various angles.
“There doesn’t seem to be much different from the existing ones…”
While envoys with little knowledge of rifles made such comments, those already familiar with Joseon’s flintlock rifles had their eyes sparkling.
“Quite a lot has changed!”
“There’s no flash pan.”
“Then how does it ignite…”
While similar questions were being voiced in various languages, a Portuguese military officer and Oichi’s samurai almost simultaneously opened the breech covers.
Click! Clack!
“Huh?”
“Oh?”
When the breech cover unexpectedly opened, Oichi’s samurai looked at the Joseon military officer with cold sweat.
“Ano… soruma, did I break it?”
Seeing the samurai’s expression suggesting he might commit seppuku at any moment, the Joseon military officer smiled and answered.
“It’s not broken, don’t worry.”
“Then?”
In response to the samurai’s words, the Joseon officer took out three rounds from an ammunition box placed to one side and held them up.
“This is the special ammunition for the Eulshik rifle. And this is how it’s used.”
With practiced movements, the Joseon officer loaded the Eulshik rifle and fired three consecutive shots.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After witnessing the three rapid shots, all the envoys nodded.
I see! So that’s why special ammunition is needed!
Having seen the officer’s demonstration, Henry and Mehmet II opened the covers of the Eulshik rifles in their hands and examined them closely.
“Hmm… I see…”
Nodding repeatedly, Henry whispered to Giovanni.
“Could Florence copy this?”
To Henry’s question, Giovanni slightly shook his head.
“Not in a short time.”
Giovanni, who had extensive contact with artists and craftsmen and had been deeply involved in replicating Joseon-style flintlock rifles, was already frustrated by the precision of the Eulshik rifle.
It’s not just adding a cover to the back! Not only is the precision remarkable, but even the steel used for the barrel is superior!
After the Eulshik rifle demonstration ended, the fire cart demonstration followed.
“As you can see, the Eulshik rifle’s special ammunition is also used in the fire carts.”
Seeing the officer’s hand signal, Joseon soldiers took ammunition from the boxes on the table and inserted them into the fire cart’s special magazine. After attaching the loaded magazine to the fire cart, the soldiers turned its handle.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
***
After the demonstration, the envoys and military officers from various countries examined the special ammunition.
“The bullet shape is different too.”
While nodding at the pointed lead bullets rather than the usual spherical ones, Henry applied force to separate the bullet and casing. After separating them, he turned the casing upside down and shook it, causing gunpowder to fall out. His military officer discreetly dabbed some powder and touched it to his tongue.
“The gunpowder isn’t particularly different.”
“Then how…”
Meanwhile, Kim Jeom, who had been carefully observing the envoys’ actions, especially Henry’s, quickly ran to the Joseon military officer and whispered something.
“Yes, I will do so.”
The Joseon officer, nodding slightly in response, took the casing Henry had separated and inserted it into the Eulshik rifle, then pulled the trigger.
Pop!
At the officer’s action, the envoys and military officers from all countries realized simultaneously.
So this is what they meant by useless without the special ammunition!
It was the moment their earlier suspicions became certainty. And they learned one more thing.
This is why Joseon confidently gathered us! Not only the Eulshik rifle but the structure of the special ammunition can’t be easily replicated, and Joseon has no intention of revealing it!
***
After the demonstration, Kim Jeom stepped forward again and addressed the envoys.
“Have you seen everything you were curious about? I’ll say again, our empire never lies to you gentlemen.”
At Kim Jeom’s words, all the Joseon officials present thought the same thing.
Though that doesn’t mean we tell the whole truth either.
Seeing the envoys nodding at his words, Kim Jeom continued.
“To be frank, the special ammunition is indeed a burden. Once fired, that’s the end of it, isn’t it?”
All the envoys nodded at Kim Jeom’s words.
If not for the issue of this special ammunition, they would be overflowing with intention to acquire two or three times the initially promised quantity.
It was because of Ming, the wounded tiger.
Though defeated by Joseon, Ming was still the strongest power in the East. There was a very high possibility they would strike at their neighbors to recover their wounded pride and make up for their wartime losses.
The reason they had flocked to Joseon’s imperial proclamation ceremony wasn’t simply to offer congratulations but to purchase Joseon’s weapons.
As if sensing the envoys’ thoughts, Kim Jeom gestured to the soldiers beside him. At his signal, the soldiers placed another ammunition box on the table.
Kim Jeom showed the envoys ammunition taken from the new box.
“These are the special ammunition we used before those ones. We’ll provide these at a discounted price. Forty rounds for one nyang of Joseon silver.”
What Kim Jeom showed was first-generation ammunition using paper and copper casings, developed alongside the Eulshik rifle.
Got to clear out the unwanted items! Might as well make money while doing it!