“It’s not a ‘don’t tell me’…”

The Europeans who found the document the Empire had written and distributed in Latin wore expressions of disbelief.

“Do you remember when that proclamation was issued?”

“It was shortly after Joseon changed its name to the Greater Korean Federal Empire, wasn’t it?”

“Right… Considering that, it means the Empire already knew about the existence of new lands at that time. Or they had already sent people to those lands.”

“Hmm…”

“The Empire had been building justification since then!”

Realizing the true meaning of the proclamation, the Europeans wore expressions of having been thoroughly outplayed.

During this period, the Empire maintained a policy of showing no mercy to pirates.

When pirates encountered the Imperial Navy, the outcome was always death.

***

Imperial vessels always moved in fleets and received Imperial Navy escorts.

Around the ports of call where ships stopped and the Empire’s naval bases, groups of Sea Hawk-class warships patrolled the waters.

Even in this situation, reckless pirates who tried to raid Imperial ships continued to appear endlessly.

“Just once! We only need to succeed once!”

As mentioned before, the end for pirates attempting such reckless challenges was mostly death.

They would sink with their ships during battle, sink while fleeing, or surrender or be captured, tried, and then executed.

Some barely escaped execution at trial. However, they were sentenced to life imprisonment and had to perform hard labor in the farms of the Southwest Islands or the mines of Liaodong until death.

***

The Empire’s policy toward pirates was extremely harsh, but no country took issue with it.

Other countries were dealing with pirates in more or less the same way.

No, it wasn’t just pirates.

When they encountered ships from other nations rather than their own, even legitimate vessels immediately turned into pirate ships.

Since it was an era with little distinction between civilian merchant ships and warships, fierce battles erupted when such incidents occurred.

In these fierce battles, the victors treated the losers harshly.

They would transfer all goods from the defeated ship, sink the ship along with severely wounded sailors, and routinely sell surviving sailors to slave markets.

And those who bought the most sailors who had become slaves were the pirates of North Africa and the Mediterranean region.

Therefore, those who saw the Empire’s proclamation wore expressions of having been outplayed.

“They’ve already built sufficient justification…”

“Then perhaps…”

“It’s not perhaps. Among the ships that went on the western route, those that survived pirates and typhoons were probably dealt with by the Empire’s hands.”

“Then if we organize a fleet…”

“To face those damned Imperial warships? Do you think we have a chance?”

“…”

“Especially against those damned Challenger-class warships.”

“…”

When the Empire’s warships, particularly the Challenger-class warships, were mentioned, people shut their mouths.

***

During this period, Suez had firmly established itself as an international trading port.

Many European countries sent ships to Africa for trade with the Empire.

Ships that safely rounded Africa and arrived at Suez underwent maintenance there before moving east.

For those departing from Suez, the eastern route was the ‘golden route.’

Even without the Empire, there was India and Ming.

Indian spices had been famous since medieval times, and Ming’s products were also of quite good quality.

Particularly, as railways connecting Suez with ‘Porto do Príncipe Henrique’ (Port of Prince Henry) to the north were laid, more and more European ships flocked to Suez.

For European merchants, especially those from Northern Europe, the railway was a very valuable asset.

If they could just achieve the prerequisite of safely rounding Africa to reach Suez, theoretically they could smoothly obtain and distribute Imperial goods with just two ships.

One ship would go from Suez to the east, while another would travel between Port Prince Henry and Northern Europe.

There was no longer any need for the long and dangerous voyage of rounding Africa to go east and then rounding Africa again to return to Northern Europe.

Ship maintenance for vessels on the eastern route could be done at shipyards built in Suez. Crew rotations could also be done quickly and safely using the railway.

Later, they even commissioned ships from Suez shipyards and only sent crew.

As this happened, Suez, Port Prince Henry, and the region where the connecting railway was located became a ‘goose that laid golden eggs.’

Suez had become the entity that brought the greatest profits to the allies.

On the other hand, the ‘eastern route’ that had led to laying railways in Suez had become a supporting role.

With so many ships flocking there, it had become a ‘red ocean.’

As the eastern route became a red ocean, ship captains and the trading companies that employed them saw their profits decrease.

To make up for these declining profits, captains and merchants resumed the side business they had conducted in North Africa and the Mediterranean.

Piracy.

And here, the infamy of the Challenger-class warships spread.

***

Portuguese ships that knew well the power of the Imperial Navy from traveling the early eastern routes always moved with Imperial fleets.

However, ships that entered the eastern route after the Imperial Navy secured maritime control often moved alone.

This was because they found it wasteful to wait to move with Imperial fleets, and to secure times when there were fewer competitors.

“What if you encounter pirates?”

“Pirates? There aren’t any.”

“Even if there are, those tiny boats are no match!”

The Strait of Malacca, long notorious for pirates, had already been cleaned up by the Imperial Navy, leaving only pirates in small boats. And the Imperial forces were pursuing and exterminating even those pirates to the end.

Therefore, they chose solo voyages rather than moving with Imperial fleets.

And those moving alone would turn into pirates and target other ships.

However, they had forgotten about the Imperial Navy’s existence.

When those who had turned into pirates were discovered attacking other ships, the Imperial Navy immediately intervened.

Sea Hawk squadrons consisting of two or three ships would surround the battling vessels and fire warning shots to stop the engagement.

When the ships ceased fighting, the Sea Hawk squadron would drag them to a nearby naval base to investigate the situation.

However, Challenger-class warships responded differently.

They would push between the battling ships and fire cannons at both sides.

Only after unleashing one volley at both ships would the Challenger-class warship order a ceasefire.

Ships already wounded from the ongoing battle couldn’t withstand the Challenger-class warship’s firepower and had no choice but to immediately raise white flags and be dragged away.

***

The Challenger-class warships chose this tactic out of necessity.

Unlike Sea Hawk-class warships that moved in squadrons, Challenger-class warships operated alone.

Therefore, if battling ships fled in different directions, they would have to give up one of them.

Disliking this, Challenger-class warship captains chose to hit both sides once and see what happened.

The captains chose this method because they trusted in the Challenger-class warships’ firepower and defensive capabilities.

And their choice was correct.

Cannons mounted on European merchant ships couldn’t penetrate the hulls of Challenger-class warships. No, they couldn’t even inflict proper damage.

And ships that made such reckless attacks received concentrated fire from the Challenger-class warship’s guns in return, either sinking or barely avoiding sinking before having to raise white flags.

Eventually, due to this aggressive mediation style of Challenger-class warships, they earned the nickname “Eastern Ruffians.”

***

Since they already knew well the infamous Challenger-class warships, they showed negative reactions to the suggestion of “organizing a fleet and pushing in.”

“Still…”

“The situation isn’t good.”

Seeing those who couldn’t hide their lingering attachment, others explained what the problems were.

• We don’t know when the Empire acquired the land they call New Frontier.
• The fact that not one or two fleets sent to explore the western route have all disappeared means considerable Challenger-class warships are already there.
• The firepower and defensive capabilities of Challenger-class warships are supreme. Current European ships are no match.
• Then we’d have to push with overwhelming numbers while accepting some casualties, but the problem is that the Empire doesn’t have just Challenger-class warships.
• Sea Hawk-class warships, the grade below Challenger-class, have somewhat less firepower compared to Challenger-class but superior mobility. The bigger problem is that this “less firepower” is by Challenger-class standards.

Compared to us Europeans, they’re overwhelmingly powerful.

“…To conclude, in the worst case, even if we scraped together all of Europe’s warships, we might not be a match.”

“Then must we give up on the western route?”

“We’ll have to wait until the Empire opens it.”

“Ah…”

“That land called New Frontier is just sour grapes for us to eat.”

Just as Europe’s ambitious figures were forcibly suppressing their desires for the western route and the ‘unknown land’ while consoling themselves, rumors arrived about an ‘unknown continent located to the south.’

“There’s a large continent south of Majapahit? Isn’t that just a rumor?”

“There are more than one or two native tribes with similar legends. Considering that, we can’t dismiss it as nonsense.”

“Hmm…”

The ambitious figures discussing the ‘unknown southern continent’ soon pointed out another problem.

“This rumor must have reached the Empire too? Why is the Empire quiet?”

“According to rumors, the Empire seems preoccupied with the New Frontier.”

“Really? Is that so…”

Europe’s ambitious figures and monarchs who received intelligence that the Empire was focused on the New Frontier simultaneously made the same decision.

“Then we must move first!”

“Before the Empire moves, we must go first!”

Soon after, many ships began circumnavigating Africa again, and a flood of orders poured into Suez shipyards.

All of Europe’s attention had now turned to the ‘southern new continent.’

It wasn’t just Europe.

Japan, which had decided on overseas expansion, also rode this wave.

The ‘Chicken Ribs Operation’ had spontaneously ignited before the Empire even executed it.

***

While international affairs were proceeding this way, Hyang, checking reports from the Mexica region, let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew~. Thank goodness, thank goodness.”

With a much more relaxed expression, Hyang concluded:

“Now I can really abandon South America without any worries.”