As the natives developed a taste for the trading posts, their way of life began to change gradually.

As time passed, not just Joseon warriors but others gathered in increasing numbers, particularly around the “Especially Large Lake” – known as Lake Superior in pre-Hyang history – where Joseon people began establishing significant settlements.

To the Iroquois Confederation natives, these Joseon people were fascinating individuals.

From the warriors to later arrivals, they all became quite friendly once familiar with the natives, displaying an easygoing nature and ready smiles.

Of course, when angered, they truly erupted with fury, though they cooled down quickly. However, when genuine animosity developed, they remained firmly unforgiving.

Since such situations weren’t beneficial to either natives or Joseon people, elders from both sides often intervened to diffuse tensions. Afterward, those involved would avoid unnecessary interaction with their former antagonists.

Beyond these traits, the Joseon people’s most distinctive characteristic was their “intense curiosity.”

The Joseon shamans called ‘uiwon’ – though later they learned these weren’t actually shamans – quickly bonded with tribal medicine men, thoroughly investigating various herbs and healing methods.

The Joseon people who followed their warriors observed tribal farming practices and carefully studied their crops. During harvest season, they would offer gifts of gwangmok cloth and various items in exchange for substantial portions of the harvest, also learning cooking methods.

The Joseon people showed particular interest in maize (which will be referred to as corn hereafter).

Other Joseon people roamed the mountains and forests around the lakes, constantly searching for something as they dug up stones and excavated tunnels.

The Joseon people weren’t just taking, though. After establishing themselves in the confederation, their physicians implemented smallpox vaccination among the confederation’s people.

“See that face? That’s what happens when you catch the bad disease. To prevent it, you must receive this treatment,” Shin Sukju, who served as interpreter between natives and Joseon people, insisted while pointing to someone whose face was scarred by smallpox.

Having witnessed actual smallpox victims firsthand, the confederation’s chiefs and Clan Mothers agreed to and actively supported the vaccination program.

Interestingly, this Joseon man called Shin Sukju became an important figure among the confederation’s chiefs and Clan Mothers.

Not only did he speak the languages of the confederation tribes, but he could also communicate with the hostile Algonquin and Wyandot tribes. (Note 1)

Indeed, Shin Sukju was a linguistic genius who could speak most languages used by the native tribes that the Joseon people had encountered.

Consequently, he became an essential participant in any discussions with other tribes approaching either Joseon settlements or confederation territories.

And so, burdened with these unexpected duties, Shin Sukju would gaze at the moon each night with tears in his eyes.

“This isn’t what I passed the civil service examination for… Night duty would be better than this…”

***

Around the time Woodpecker experienced her first menstruation and was recognized as an adult, the Joseon chief and mother arrived.

By this time, the confederation people had some understanding of Joseon:

• A tribe from across a great water called the ‘sea,’ larger than the lakes.
• Not just a tribe but a country – equivalent to dozens or hundreds of tribes like themselves combined.

This significantly expanded the cognitive horizons of the confederation and surrounding tribes, including the Algonquin and Wyandot.

The Iroquois Confederation tribes, as well as the Algonquin and Wyandot, had vague knowledge of the sea. Some of their eastern branch members were familiar with it.

• An enormous lake of salt water, vastly larger than any lake they knew.

This was their understanding of the sea, and since almost no one had returned from seafaring ventures, they believed the sea marked the “end of the world.”

Of course, Vikings had visited hundreds of years before Joseon’s arrival. However, they were too few in number and stayed too briefly to influence the natives, making Joseon the first foreigners to inform these people about the existence of other countries and peoples.

***

The arrival of Joseon’s ‘chief’ and mother delivered quite a cultural shock to the confederation’s chiefs and Clan Mothers.

Not only was the absolute respect and loyalty shown by the resident Joseon people shocking, but King Sejong and Queen Soheon’s attire was equally stunning.

Their crimson military robes[1] with glittering gold embroidery and red informal dress were of an entirely different class.

Soon after arriving at the Joseon settlement near the lakes, Sejong and Queen Soheon arranged a meeting with the confederation’s chiefs and Clan Mothers.

The taste and presentation of dishes prepared by their accompanying court chefs were unlike anything the confederation’s leadership had ever experienced.

The confederation chiefs marveled at the alcohol served at the banquet, while the Clan Mothers couldn’t take their eyes off Queen Soheon’s clothing and ornaments.

“I hope we can maintain good relations going forward.”

The chiefs and Clan Mothers immediately responded after hearing Sejong’s words through Shin Sukju.

Before long, the confederation chiefs were amazed once again.

Sejong, who had arrived only recently, began speaking their languages fluently.

“How is this possible?” asked an elder chief who had developed something of a friendship with him.

Sejong smiled and replied, “Hunminjeongeum is useful for such things.”

Later, when Hyang heard about this through correspondence, he nodded and muttered, “They say Joseon people spoke English more fluently than Japanese when it was introduced in the late Joseon period, with clearer pronunciation too.”

***

With Sejong’s arrival, the Joseon people began transforming the New Frontier into their own territory in earnest.

Efficiency increased dramatically as the time required to send reports to Joseon and receive orders decreased.

The craftsmen who arrived with Sejong began constructing production facilities along one side of the lake. New facilities arose one by one as materials arrived from the bridgehead, and preparations were soon completed.

Once Area 52 finished preparations, the miners became busy.

Resource procurement proceeded faster than expected thanks to advance scout teams discovering large coal mines and iron deposits.

With the smooth procurement of vital coal and iron ore, Area 52’s craftsmen began operating the iron works.

Using iron materials produced from the foundry powered by steam engines brought in parts and assembled on-site, Sejong began laying railway tracks connecting to the bridgehead.

“Even without steam locomotives, the rails themselves are tremendously helpful!”

***

After Sejong’s arrival, all native peoples – the Iroquois Confederation, Algonquin and Wyandot tribes, and all natives around Joseon’s established routes – became keenly attentive to Joseon’s movements.

With each ship’s arrival at the bridgehead, numerous people disembarked, bringing all manner of strange new items into Area 52.

The iron farming tools emerging from Area 52, where black and white smoke rose constantly, became invaluable to natives who had relied solely on stone and wooden implements.

Iron tools made it easy to cultivate even rocky soil and dig deeper, increasing crop yields.

The cattle introduced by Joseon people also became important. Initially, natives thought they were brought only to produce materials for preventing smallpox. However, they learned the cattle’s importance after seeing how Joseon people used them in farming.

They came to understand that both horses and cattle brought greater prosperity and security.

But that wasn’t all.

The Joseon people were undoubtedly the most powerful in the New Frontier. Even superior numbers provided little advantage against their military might. Particularly, the Eulshik artillery wagons that arrived with Sejong were terror incarnate.

Sejong utilized these advantages very cleverly.

He gathered chiefs of traditionally hostile tribes and began mediating between them.

Speaking various tribal languages as fluently as Shin Sukju, Sejong engaged in mediation:

“What good comes from fighting each other? Isn’t it best to maintain friendly relations?”

“But farmland is always scarce, and our people go hungry. We have a responsibility to solve this problem.”

“Isn’t there plenty of land out there? Can’t you just cultivate it?”

“Farming requires water. Especially for growing maize, we need abundant water.”

“It’s not even rice farming…” Sejong grumbled quietly before composing himself and continuing:

“Couldn’t that problem be solved by digging irrigation channels?”

“Digging channels isn’t a simple task, is it?”

“Well, it would be problematic with bare hands or wooden tools. But we Joseon have solutions.”

Whenever chiefs raised issues, Sejong immediately provided answers. Since his solutions proved correct, the chiefs had no choice but to accept his proposals.

Through this process, the chiefs gradually came to bow their heads to Sejong.

While mediating between tribes, Sejong also began employing natives as laborers.

Officials in charge of mines and logging camps went around nearby tribes dangling bait:

“Want to buy goods from the trading post?”

“Of course we do!”

“Then why not come work? We’ll pay you money.”

“What’s money?”

“With money, you can buy things at the trading post.”

Enticed by this, natives began working in mines and logging camps. When payday arrived, they looked at the officials suspiciously as they received their ‘money.’

“We can really buy things at the trading post with these?”

The natives couldn’t believe it. What they received was just a small piece of something that might be cloth covered in various patterns and a few shiny metal pieces.

“I’m telling you, you can! Really now! Have I ever lived just to be deceived?”

The skeptical natives visited the trading post and asked the same questions, receiving the same answers. Additionally, trading post staff gave special lectures about paper money and coins.

As people who earned money working in Joseon’s mines and logging camps successfully purchased desired items at trading posts, nearby natives flocked to the work sites.

“I want to work too!”

It wasn’t just those working in mines and logging camps who discovered the taste for Joseon money.

Joseon purchased food from nearby tribes to feed the mine and logging camp workers. They naturally paid in Joseon currency, and those who received this money also went to trading posts to buy goods.

As this situation continued, natives quickly became accustomed to the monetary economy and Joseon culture.

Reviewing the situation, Sejong shook his head.

“He said trading posts would be the most powerful weapon… that guy…”

• The greatest weapon for winning people’s hearts and transforming foreigners into Joseon people, making their land Joseon territory, isn’t guns and swords but trading posts!

Hyang had strongly emphasized the usefulness of trading posts. This proved correct through various examples. And it was proving to be the right answer even here in New Frontier, where everything else was different.

Recalling Hyang’s words emphasizing the trading posts’ utility, Sejong shook his head and grumbled:

“Instead of letting him do whatever he wanted, I should have made him work hard from the beginning…”

***

Note 1: In the previous chapter, we used “Huron tribe,” but research showed this name originated from French. Therefore, it has been corrected to “Wyandot tribe.”