A report on the shift in values among the youth of Florence and the resulting confusion of the Florentine intellectuals was promptly delivered to the empire.

“Why on earth?”

“Why is this even a question?”

The ministers who reviewed the report expressed their confusion, wearing expressions that showed they could not understand why the Florentine intellectuals were in turmoil. This was true even for the great Han Myeonghoe.

“Why is that? What are your thoughts?”

“…”

“Hah… His Majesty will surely ask about this…”

“…”

Despite Han Myeonghoe’s prodding, none of the ministers opened their mouths.

Just as he had predicted, Hyeon asked the ministers for the reason. However, no one stepped forward to answer.

“How frustrating. I feel as though your predecessors would have given me an answer…”

At Hyeon’s words, laced with deep disappointment, the ministers all prostrated themselves on the floor and raised their voices.

“Please forgive our incompetence!”

A court scribe, who had been sitting to one side writing the historical records, recorded this and added the following.

• …As a result of this, His Highness expressed frustration, and the ministers prostrated themselves and begged for forgiveness.

The scribe comments:

This is truly perplexing. Are we, who consider this matter so perfectly natural, the ones who are wrong, or is it the Europeans, who find it so alien?

In the end, unable to find an answer from his ministers, Hyeon sought out Hyang and posed the question.

Hyang’s answer to Hyeon’s query was simple and clear.

“Because that is how they were taught.”

“Pardon?”

“Learning is not just about reading books or studying at an academy. One also learns from the adults in their surroundings, or from the words and actions of those they respect. And those adults learned from their predecessors. As this learning and teaching is passed down through the generations, it becomes something perfectly natural. Just like breathing. No one wonders why people and animals must breathe, do they?”

“Ah…”

Hyeon nodded at Hyang’s words as if he finally understood.

Looking at Hyeon, Hyang continued.

“It is the same reason why the First Emperor created the Samgang Haengsildo[[Samgang Haengsildo, also known as The Principles of Three Basic Human Relationships, is a Korean book compiled in 1434 during the Joseon Dynasty. It features stories illustrating Confucian virtues through exemplary conduct in three fundamental human relationships: parents and children, king and subject, and husband and wife.]] and had it used in the commoner academies. It is because even if something is as natural as breathing, one cannot know it if they are not taught. That is why education is so important. An old saying goes, ‘For a one-year plan, grow grain. For a ten-year plan, grow trees. For a hundred-year plan, raise people.’ That is the reason. Therefore, our empire must never cease to pay attention to education.”

At Hyang’s exhortation, Hyeon bowed his head and replied.

“I will keep it in mind.”

That night, sitting alone in his bedchamber, Hyang reflected on the day’s events and muttered to himself.

“Wasn’t it Moltke who said it after returning victorious from the Franco-Prussian War? ‘The heroes of this war are not the soldiers, but the elementary school teachers.’ That’s why we must be even more careful. If we’re not, education can lead us down the path to becoming a militaristic state.”

***

Meanwhile, faced with a higher-than-expected number of volunteers, Florence fell into a different kind of dilemma.

“If things go well, we might surpass the planned 30,000 and even reach 40,000…”

“The problem is the funding. We’ve scraped together funds by cutting, trimming, and reallocating here and there, but a standing army of 20,000 is the best we can do.”

“Huuuh~.”

The Florentine officials who had analyzed the current situation let out a sigh. No matter how much they racked their brains and considered every possible angle, no brilliant solution emerged. They sighed as they drafted their report.

Lorenzo and Giovanni, who received the report, also sighed.

“It is a shame that a standing army of 20,000 is the best we can do, even though the population of the territories we rule has increased significantly over the past years.”

“It cannot be helped. Weapons can be used continuously with good maintenance, but humans inevitably grow old, no matter how hard they try.”

Lorenzo nodded at Giovanni’s words, his face full of disappointment. An army was an entity that constantly consumed resources. Even without a war, an army ceaselessly consumed human and material resources. Although Florence had grown progressively wealthier over the years, maintaining an army that was growing in size at a similar pace was a considerable burden.

“However, a 20,000-man system is problematic. Once a full-scale war begins, we will continuously need troops, and properly trained ones at that. We must solve this problem as well.”

“That is the problem…”

Once again unable to find an answer, Lorenzo and Giovanni visited the Imperial Embassy.

“Regarding that problem, how about doing this?”

The one who stepped forward in response to their query was Yu Eung-bu.

“I believe it would be good to introduce the empire’s reserve force system and its veterans’ affairs system.”

As Yu Eung-bu explained the ‘Reserve Force’ and ‘Veterans’ Affairs System,’ which had been used to great effect since the Reformation era, Lorenzo and Giovanni looked at him with great admiration.

“As expected of the Godfather[1]!”

With the Imperial Army being so deeply involved in the development of the Florentine military, Yu Eung-bu had earned the nickname ‘Godfather,’ while the imperial instructors were called ‘Brothers.’

And it wasn’t just nicknames. The Florentine army even modeled its uniforms after those of the Imperial Army and had their soldiers wear them. Compared to the armies and mercenaries of other European nations at this time, whose attire had barely evolved beyond that of ‘armed civilians,’ this was a leap forward.

Of course, they did not copy the imperial uniform 100%, and they went through some trial and error. Florence was originally famous for its textile industry, and the Italian fashion sense was exceptional even in this period. When their unique bravado was added to the mix, the resulting military uniform made not only the Imperial Army soldiers but even the civilian officials and merchants at the embassy place a hand on their foreheads.

“Is this a military uniform or an outfit for a picnic…”

At Yu Eung-bu’s highly displeased expression, Lorenzo’s face fell slightly. He had been one of the ones who had a hand in the uniform’s design.

“Is it that bad?”

“Very…”

Yu Eung-bu and the imperial instructors pointed out the problems.

• The colors are too gaudy. A uniform that uses primary colors like red, blue, and yellow is fine for a parade, but it is absolutely not for combat.
• Most European armies are already armed with breech-loading long guns. Such rifles are capable of hitting an enemy from about 100 jang (approx. 300m) away. Furthermore, because they are breech-loading, they are easy to fire while prone or in cover. To wear such a flashy uniform in that situation? You’d just become a target.
• The uniform is too tight. In battle, you have to run, roll, and move without rest. Wearing such restrictive clothing will reduce combat effectiveness.
• There are too few pockets. To prepare properly for battle, there are many things to carry. Most can be put in a backpack or a haversack, but pockets are still necessary.

“So you’re saying this uniform is not it?”

“That’s right.”

“But if we fix everything you’ve pointed out, the style will be completely…”

“If you want to die trying to look stylish, go ahead and have them made and wear them. However, our Imperial Army would never wear such a uniform.”

“Still…”

“How much of your already insufficient budget are you going to pour into uniforms?”

“…”

Faced with the cold critique of Yu Eung-bu and the imperial instructors, and the practical constraint of the budget, Lorenzo and the Italians changed the uniform design with mournful faces.

The final result was a uniform similar in form to the Imperial Army’s, but with both the top and bottom in a unified black.

“Black, huh…”

“It’s better than that rainbow-striped uniform.”

“A whole lot better.”

“It’s not like we have to wear it. It’s fine, I guess.”

And so, the black uniform became the symbol of the Florentine army. The nickname of Florence’s old mercenary company, the ‘Black Bands,’ had become the symbol of the entire Florentine military.

However, it wasn’t as if Florence was only on the receiving end of influence. Starting with the imperial instructors, the imperial troops stationed in Florence and Livorno were also influenced by the Florentine army. The most representative example was the addition of a black grouse feather ornament to their military hats.

Such feather decorations were not unfamiliar to the Imperial Army. During the Joseon army period, the jeollip (戰笠, jeollip), a type of military hat, was decorated with pheasant or eagle tail feathers, and in the king’s case, peacock tail feathers. Naturally, the Imperial Army’s formal military hat had a similar decoration, and the imperial troops stationed in Italy had replaced it with a lush grouse feather, just like the Florentine army.

Since Florence was famous for its textile industry, it produced most of its own uniforms, hats, and military gear, but there was one item that had to be imported from the empire without exception.

That item was the combat boot. The imperial combat boot, with its leather sole in the early days and its chicle sole in the later period, had become a must-have item for any soldier. In contrast, officers and cavalrymen wore boots modeled after the Imperial Army’s cavalry boots.

With the unified uniform being issued to the Florentine army, an interesting scene was created. At the port of Livorno, at the training grounds outside Florence, and on the city streets of Florence, the sight of imperial soldiers clad in green imperial uniforms conversing with Florentine soldiers clad in black Florentine uniforms became a scene that was both commonplace and somehow unfamiliar.

This was also true for the painters and sculptors supported by the Medici family. The inspired artists and sculptors immediately began to paint pictures and carve sculptures. It was the moment a ‘Florentine style of art’ was born.

***

Meanwhile, stimulated by Florence’s military reinforcement, its rivals began to move in step. They too began to strengthen their primary education and expand the size of their standing armies.

However, the paths of Florence and its rivals began to diverge. Though their destination, ‘Italian Unification,’ was the same, their roads split into many branches.

This was most clearly demonstrated in ‘primary education.’ Florence’s rivals chose the traditional method of rote learning based on violence, and the young people who came out of this education showed very passive behaviors.

Next was the military. Florence’s rivals and their backers organized standing armies just like Florence. The backers, in particular, organized large-scale standing armies befitting a great power. However, the standing armies they created were not ‘armies of the city’ or ‘armies of the state,’ but ‘armies of the tyrant’ and ‘armies of the king.’ They had still not completely shed their mercenary character.

This was due to the societal limitations of being unable to escape the feudal system. The monarch’s grip was gradually strengthening, but the power of the nobles was still strong. Consequently, soldier recruitment also had to be operated through voluntary enlistment rather than conscription. The nobles and the wealthy, who had money or power, paid a ‘military service exemption tax’ (scutage) and were freed from military service. Of course, among them, those who aimed for a higher title, a better reputation, or entry into high society would volunteer for an officer position. Or rather, they would purchase an appropriate rank with money and become an officer.

Therefore, the all-important common soldiers were mostly from the lowest rungs of society. And the means of turning them into soldiers was violence.

By making these different choices, Florence and its rivals began to stand at the starting line, similar in appearance but different in character.