“But Your Majesty! Water flowing from high to low is an absolutely natural thing. Even the ignorant know this! Your Majesty’s words are unreasonable!”

The oldest professor, famous for his deep learning, stepped forward to protest Hyang’s unfairness.

Hyang responded to the professor’s protest with an indifferent expression.

“A natural thing? True. Even the ignorant know it? True. But tell me. Aren’t you professors rather than ignorant folk? Scholars, aren’t you? Isn’t it the duty of scholars like yourselves to examine closely what others pass off as natural, to find the hidden truths within and enlighten those ignorant ones?”

“B-but still…”

As the professor stammered at Hyang’s question, Hyang asked again.

“What is your name?”

“I am Camillo Libero Corza.”

“Ah. Camillo of the Corza family’s Libero line. Let me ask you this. You requested to discuss with me, but discussion… in the current situation, would what we’re doing be discussion, or education? Properly speaking, discussion should involve mutual learning, but I don’t think that will be the case here. What do you think?”

At Hyang’s insulting words, Camillo’s face reddened. But Hyang continued his criticism without concern.

“Weighing the value of the discussion you desire, it’s not worth taking time away from my duties discussing and deciding state affairs for the people. To explain why: First, your level is so shallow you can’t even answer the question I just posed. Second, dismissing what even the ignorant know as natural is not the attitude of a scholar. One cannot discuss with those who haven’t even mastered proper scholarly attitude. Return to rest and proceed with your scheduled itinerary.”

Having made this decision, Hyang turned decisively and entered Geunjeongjeon Hall.

Rejected by Hyang, the professors had no choice but to leave Gyeongbokgung Palace and return to their lodgings.

Back at their accommodations, the professors all burst out in anger.

“To suffer such insult!”

“Why should we endure such humiliation!”

“Let’s leave immediately!”

“Yes! Yes!”

With nearly 200 people talking at once, the lodgings became as noisy as a rural marketplace.

While some hot-tempered individuals raised their voices about leaving immediately, the senior professors gathered around Camillo discussed with faces full of difficulty and disappointment.

“This is truly disappointing.”

“Indeed. From what we’d heard through letters, we thought him a sage, but to be so arrogant…”

“To be so arrogant despite having such excellent knowledge…”

Camillo barely restrained himself from saying ‘The Empire’s future is predictable.’

Amid the surrounding chaos, the Chancellor of the University of Florence, who had been maintaining silence, spoke up.

“Professor Corza, don’t you think something seems strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“In all the letters we’ve received, the Emperor’s character was described as unquestionably worthy of being called a sage. While there were mentions of him being particular, there was never any mention of arrogance. Furthermore, according to Medici’s second son who actually met the Emperor, while he may be sharp-tongued, he’s not arrogant. And to show such behavior from the first meeting? It doesn’t make sense.”

As the Chancellor spoke, the previously noisy space began to quiet down. Even the professors who had been clamoring about packing up and leaving fell silent and focused on the conversation between the Chancellor and senior professors.

“Then does the Chancellor think the Emperor’s behavior today was an act?”

At Camillo’s question, the Chancellor nodded. At this silent answer, another professor expressed doubt.

“Why?”

After brief consideration, the Chancellor responded to the question.

“I think he was checking our qualifications.”

“Qualifications? What qualifications?”

“Whether we’re qualified to understand the knowledge the Empire has accumulated. Consider what he said to Professor Corza earlier. Didn’t he say ‘It is a scholar’s duty to examine closely what others consider natural and find the hidden truths within’? I think the answer lies in these words. The answer to why the Emperor showed such arrogant behavior.”

At the Chancellor’s words, the professors fell silent and began to ponder deeply.

Soon, exclamations began erupting from here and there.

“Ah! That’s it!”

“That’s what it meant!”

“To think someone could be so meticulous!”

Camillo also shook his head.

“We thought he was merely a learned man who became Emperor, but that wasn’t it. He’s someone with deeper insight than anyone.”

In the ensuing discussion, the professors reached the following conclusions:

-The knowledge accumulated by the Empire is a treasure beyond measure in value. Sharing such knowledge is extremely dangerous.

-Therefore, the Emperor deliberately showed such arrogant behavior. We scholars are proud people. It was a strategy to make us leave without proper examination by wounding that pride.

Having analyzed this far, the professors renewed their determination.

“We’ll examine everything thoroughly, without missing anything!”

“We won’t fall for such strategies again!”

While making such resolutions, some professors emerged who admired Hyang’s words and actions from a different angle.

“To teach the proper attitude of scholars through just a few exchanges! Truly a sage!”

“The Socrates of the East!”

Meanwhile, having returned to his chambers in Gangnyeongjeon Hall, Hyang grumbled while recalling the scholars’ request.

“I’m already dying busy, and now they want discussion, of all things… If I had that kind of time, I’d rather geek out in Area 51 or get some sleep.”

***

The next day, the professors visited the research institute according to schedule.

They were greeted by monks led by Angelo and Giovanni.

“Welcome.”

“Welcome to the Empire.”

The Chancellor stepped forward to return greetings on behalf of the professors welcomed by the monks.

“You must have endured much hardship in this distant land.”

“Not at all. Rather, we’re truly happy to be able to conduct the research we want to our heart’s content.”

“Is that so? That too is a blessing.”

“We’ll guide you.”

As they entered the research institute under the monks’ guidance, the Chancellor spoke to Angelo.

“By the way. We met the Emperor yesterday…”

The Chancellor explained about being rebuked by Hyang the previous day and complained.

“I mean, water flowing from high to low is natural, but to demand we explain the principle, what unreasonableness is this?”

At the Chancellor’s complaint, Angelo gazed at him steadily.

“Why do you look at me so?”

“I should explain that part first. May we modify the schedule briefly?”

“Very well.”

Having received the Chancellor’s permission, Angelo gave orders in a low voice to the young monks moving with them.

Eventually, Angelo led the professors to a large lecture hall attached to the research institute.

After seating the professors in the tiered seats of the semicircular space, Angelo stood at the podium and began his explanation.

“This is the answer His Majesty demanded.”

Using tools brought by the young monks, Angelo explained the principle of the siphon.

“… When the water levels on both sides become equal, the water movement stops. If this principle is well utilized, water can be sent over long distances without separate tools or power.”

At Angelo’s explanation, the professors wore dumbfounded expressions.

“Ah…”

“Such a principle…”

“How did the Empire’s Emperor come to know this principle?”

To the Chancellor’s question, Angelo answered with a bitter expression.

“He said he learned it from records about Roman aqueducts.”

At Angelo’s answer, the professors once again became dumbfounded.

“Rome…”

“How much have we lost…”

That wasn’t the end. Using tools brought by the young monks, Angelo demonstrated various experiments and explained the principles applied to them.

When Angelo’s explanations ended, the professors wore grief-stricken expressions.

“Just how much have we passed over as ‘natural’?”

“To think so many principles were hidden…”

Watching the professors beating their chests in unbearable grief, Angelo continued.

“To tell you the truth, while we’ve discovered these principles, the work of creating perfect mathematical formulas for them is still ongoing. And this part is designated as top-level in the Challenge Record.”

“Oh?”

When the words ‘Challenge Record’ and ‘top-level’ emerged, all the professors’ attention focused on Angelo.

“Looking at the situation so far, this part will be named ‘mechanics’ and become its own field of study.”

At Angelo’s words, the professors’ eyes began to shine.

‘If we can manage it!’

However, at Angelo’s subsequent explanation, the professors became stupefied.

“The tools used in today’s explanation are assembled as a set and supplied to people’s schools throughout the Empire. All children attending people’s schools in the Empire learn the principles causing these phenomena. Of course, the depth is shallow. However…”

“There will be a continuous supply of talent, as those interested will keep rising to the challenge.”

Angelo nodded at the Chancellor’s words that interrupted him.

“That’s correct. For your reference, this set of tools is one of many teaching aids the Emperor created to educate his young siblings when he was still a young prince.”

“My!”

***

After becoming obsessed with railways, Jinpyeong dedicated everything to them.

What held back Jinpyeong’s desire to extend railways throughout Joseon as quickly as possible were the problems of talent shortage and budget.

Realizing that investing his private wealth was far from sufficient, Jinpyeong reached out to his siblings.

He attempted to spark their obsession by showing them railway models and various other models, just as he had been affected.

Such teaching aids were created to maintain the enthusiasm of his siblings who entered science and engineering fields – in other words, future workforce – through this method.

“Though they’re at the level of basic science kits and experimental equipment…”

And seeing the effectiveness of these teaching aids, King Sejong decided to supply them to people’s schools throughout the country.

***

“It’s getting late, shall we continue?”

At Angelo’s question, the Chancellor, wearing a tired expression, looked around at the other professors. Seeing that the other professors also all looked tired, the Chancellor shook his head at Angelo’s suggestion.

“We’ll return for today. Everyone’s tired.”

“I understand.”

The professors, having received a great shock in the lecture hall, returned to their lodgings with exhausted expressions.

Gathered in the banquet hall for dinner, the professors kept sighing.

“Those were… tools for educating children?”

“A new field of study?”

The professors, constantly ruminating on the shock they’d received in the lecture hall, all reached the same thought simultaneously.

‘To catch up and surpass from our current situation, we need a definitive guide! The Challenge Record!’

‘The Challenge Record is the only answer!’

***

At the same time, young monks eating dinner at the research institute dormitory asked Angelo and Giovanni.

“How long will we be guiding them around the institute?”

“Hmm… looking at today’s situation, at least two weeks?”

At Angelo’s answer, the young monks all sighed.

“Huu~. We have so much work to do!”

“The supervisor’s going to scold us!”

“They wouldn’t understand even if we showed them the formulas!”