“This fellow is truly mysterious… Ha! Well, would you look at that!”
Hyang kept letting out small laughs of disbelief as he carefully examined the calculator Jang Yeong-sil had sent.
“Just how many steps ahead did he jump?”
The Pascal calculator made by the young craftsmen of Area 51 was already ahead of its time.
However, Jang Yeong-sil’s creation had easily leaped several steps beyond even that.
There was the Leibniz calculator that could perform multiplication and division.
But the Leibniz calculator was a very unfriendly device. Only those who had mastered how to read the keypad and its usage could properly operate it. Simply put, it was a device that ‘only the relatively smart ones could properly use.’
However, Jang Yeong-sil’s calculator was very intuitive in that aspect. It had separate buttons marked with arithmetic operation symbols, making it immediately clear that pressing those buttons would perform the corresponding operations. Additionally, the method for entering numbers was simple – just press the numeric keypad.
As a result, Jang Yeong-sil’s calculator had positioned itself somewhere between the Leibniz calculator and the Burroughs adding machine.
“Of course, it’s not without its flaws…”
As Hyang carefully examined Jang Yeong-sil’s calculator, he soon found its weakness. True to his title as ‘Master of Springs and Gears,’ Jang Yeong-sil’s calculator operated by moving numerous gears to perform calculations.
The problem was that the power source for this calculator was human power. While the keypad used spring power to input numbers through the moving gears, one had to pull a large lever on the side of the calculator to get the final result.
Similar to the lever on a casino slot machine, this lever both supplied power to process the calculations and simultaneously rewound the loosened spring.
As a result, Jang Yeong-sil’s calculator required considerable force to pull the lever.
After trying the lever himself, Hyang continued with a smirk.
“If this part had been perfect too, I would have seriously wondered whether this fellow was an alien or not. Just like with the clock incident.”
***
With the mass production of Challenger-class warships and long-distance voyages to Aden and Suez becoming routine, the need for precise timepieces arose both for dealing with time differences and ensuring safe navigation.
The gravity-powered clock using weights that had first brought Hyang into prominence was not suitable for naval use.
Therefore, a direct request from King Sejong was sent to Area 51 regarding precision timepieces.
Many craftsmen worked to solve this task given directly by the king, and finally, a precision clock was born through the fantastic collaboration between Jang Yeong-sil, an extraordinary existence, and Hyang, the MSG.
Afterwards, the bridges and captain’s quarters of imperial warships, including the Challenger-class, came to house at least three clocks – two precision timepieces and one pendulum clock.
Additionally, precision timepieces that were reduced to about fist size, though with significantly lower accuracy, were mass-produced and widely distributed to the army.
This was because keeping accurate time was also very important for the army.
Before long, these precision timepieces were released to the civilian market. Craftsmen who thought they could make money from this flocked to government offices wanting to use the intellectual property.
And by the time Joseon transformed into an empire, some clockmaking craftsmen began to emerge who built brand value and were considered ‘luxury’ makers in their own right.
The interesting part was the reactions from Ming and Japan when they saw these precision timepieces.
For Ming, they were nothing more than ‘interesting toys.’
Although their industry and commerce were as developed as the empire’s, agriculture remained the center of their economy. In an agricultural society that moved in units of days and months rather than hours and minutes, precision timepieces had little utility.
The same was true for officials and the wealthy. For them, large pendulum clocks adorned with all sorts of decorations were more fitting items than these precision timepieces.
Japan’s reaction was the complete opposite.
They were fascinated by the precision timepieces with their large and small gears and springs intricately meshing together.
And they despaired at the fact that it was extremely difficult to make with Japanese craftsmen’s skills.
While it wasn’t completely impossible, it was because they couldn’t produce the quality steel needed for the clock parts.
Later, they brought many craftsmen from Ming during the Joseon-Ming War, but the gap still remained significant.
***
After finishing his evaluation of Jang Yeong-sil, Hyang came to a conclusion.
“My apologies to the young folks at Area 51, but we’ll have to go with this one.”
And so, the mass production plan for calculators had to start over from the beginning.
The craftsmen of Area 51 began preliminary production based on the blueprints Jang Yeong-sil had sent along.
By manufacturing in advance, they could identify potential problems that might arise during mass production and properly supervise quality when dispatched to the merchant groups that would handle mass production.
Of course, minor improvements continued during this process.
First, they painted different colors every four digits to quickly identify place values, and also colored the calculator’s keypad for easier recognition.
These trial-produced calculators were then experimentally distributed to the Ministry of Finance and Imperial Merchant Groups for usability evaluation.
The user evaluations of these experimentally distributed calculators were enthusiastically positive.
“Why didn’t something like this come out earlier!”
“How much? How much do you want? I’ll pay whatever it takes, just give it to me now!”
The court, judging there was sufficient market potential, soon posted bid announcements throughout the empire to select merchant groups to produce the calculators.
***
The calculators mass-produced through three merchant groups that won the bids soon began to sell everywhere.
However, the biggest customer was the court.
This was because the Ministry of Finance wasn’t the only place wrestling with large numbers that were difficult to calculate mentally.
In particular, the military welcomed the calculator’s appearance just as much as the Ministry of Finance.
“Try calculating supply requirements and budgets for each unit with just counting rods for three days!”
This was why the military so enthusiastically welcomed the calculator’s appearance.
However, before long, the military submitted a proposal to Hyang.
“A portable small calculator?”
“Yes, Your Excellency. The current calculator is very useful but inconvenient to carry. While this poses no particular problem in the rear where movement isn’t necessary, it’s a major issue in the front lines where constant movement is required. Additionally, precise calculations are essential for proper artillery use.”
Hyang nodded at Min Shin’s explanation, but let out a small sigh upon seeing the proposal submitted by the military.
“At least a quarter of the current size, yet still able to calculate ten digits or more? Isn’t ten digits too many?”
To Hyang’s point, Min Shin bowed his head and replied.
“No, Your Excellency. When battle breaks out, just the number of bullets consumed by a single cho (哨, approximately 625 men) exceeds several million rounds.”
Hearing Min Shin’s answer, Hyang could only nod while clicking his tongue.
“Tsk! Understood. I’ll send the proposal to Area 51.”
And when the craftsmen of Area 51 received the military’s proposal, they all burst out with curses.
“Oh shit!”
***
The conditions set by the military were harsh enough to make all the craftsmen who received the proposal curse in unison.
Finally, after several months passed without an answer, Hyang smiled knowingly.
“This isn’t me arbitrarily sticking my spoon in! I’m just adding a little MSG!”
Making ridiculous excuses to himself, Hyang began pursuing his hobby after a long time.
“Let’s see… That calculator I bought and took apart in Hwanghak-dong would be perfect, right?”
Sitting alone in his room and spreading out his drafting board after a long while, Hyang began excitedly drawing designs and layouts.
***
Two weeks later, the craftsmen of Area 51 were summoned by Wan.
“You called for us, Your Highness?”
Having summoned the craftsmen, Wan got straight to the point while presenting Hyang’s blueprints.
“His Majesty has thought of a new calculator. He said to examine these blueprints where he personally drew the form and layout.”
At Wan’s words, the craftsmen unfolded Hyang’s blueprints.
“Huh?”
“Oh?”
“This method?”
Looking at the craftsmen showing expressions of surprise and revelation, Wan asked another question.
“Well? Would it be possible?”
To Wan’s question, the craftsmen who had been scrutinizing the blueprints began speaking one by one.
“It seems possible, Your Highness.”
“There might be issues with ensuring durability, but it seems possible, Your Highness.”
“If we choose the materials well, it should be quite possible, Your Highness.”
Hearing the craftsmen’s positive responses, Wan nodded and gave orders.
“Then, bring me proper design drawings first.”
“We receive your command!”
As the craftsmen who received the blueprints rushed out of the office, Wan let out a small sigh.
“Whew… How can His Majesty think of such things… It’s amazing and enviable, yet burdensome.”
The craftsmen who had gone outside wore similar expressions to Wan.
“Both Master Jang and His Majesty are extraordinary. How can they think of such things?”
“Indeed. To think of making it cylindrical…”
“Sigh… Looking at Master Jang and His Majesty makes me feel like ‘a firefly under moonlight.'”
“The difference in level is so great that I don’t even feel jealous anymore…”
The work that had amazed both Wan and the craftsmen was modeled after the Curta calculator.
It was a mechanical calculator that Hyang had obtained from Hwanghak-dong flea market and thoroughly disassembled during a time when he had been obsessed with steampunk.
***
Imperial Year 6 (1454),
Finally, a prototype of the calculator Hyang had designed was completed.
Due to material limitations, it ended up larger than the original Curta calculator, but it still satisfied the military’s size requirements.
Additionally, it could perform arithmetic operations up to fifteen digits.
The military officials who received the prototype were highly satisfied, and before long, the mass-produced calculator cylinders began to be usefully employed throughout the military.
And not long after, petitions began to come in requesting civilian sales of these calculator cylinders.
“Why would civilian merchants need this?”
Kim Jeom stepped forward to answer Hyang’s question.
“They say it’s very useful for merchants who travel long distances. From peddlers on short trips to merchants traveling as far as Suez and Aden, they say it’s a very useful device for those who needed calculators but found the large size burdensome.”
“Hmm…”
After pondering briefly at Kim Jeom’s answer, Hyang soon gave orders.
“Have the Imperial Merchant Group handle mass production.”
“Will you not hold a bid, Your Majesty?”
“Though there are not few who want it, I think it won’t sell much since more people are satisfied with the existing calculators.”
Kim Jeom bowed his head at Hyang’s explanation.
“A most reasonable decision, Your Majesty.”
***
And after considerable time passed, Portuguese and Italian merchants came flocking.
“Give calculator please!”
“Give calculator cylinder please!”
And the craftsmen belonging to the Imperial Merchant Group made dismayed faces.
“Starting overtime from today!”
“Huh? Until when?”
“I don’t know either!”