The artisans, thinking da Vinci’s idea had merit, once again worked with him to draw up blueprints and a proposal. In this process, the biggest role was played, funnily enough, by the typewriter.
“Is this old man writing, or is he drawing?”
“To draw the Jeongeum script like this is a talent in its own right…”
Da Vinci, who had only ever written in the Latin alphabet, was famous for his terrible handwriting. It was so bad that a few of the soldiers stationed at Area 51 had seriously considered using it for writing coded messages. In the end, the artisans, tired of deciphering da Vinci’s “code,” brought him a typewriter.
“Just say what comes to mind. I’ll write it down.”
“Alright…”
However, this too was an ordeal.
“…Wait, if I change this part like this…”
“Again!”
Even when things were going well, if something suddenly sparked in his mind, he would immediately revise or add to the content. Eventually, the artisans, fed up with da Vinci’s whims—or what might as well have been whims—shoved the typewriter at him.
“Type it yourself!”
“Oh? Uh? Alright…”
In the end, da Vinci sat before the typewriter and began to type for himself.
“We should have done this from the start!”
With da Vinci typing himself, the artisans were delighted to have a great burden lifted. They could now check, revise, and supplement the content immediately without having to struggle with his atrocious handwriting.
However, in the process, da Vinci went off on a tangent.
“This is a bit inconvenient to type on… And while we’re at it, it would be nice to make a typewriter that can also type the alphabet.”
Feeling the inconvenience of the typewriter he was using, da Vinci began to design a new one.
“Again!”
“This time he’s gone off on a proper tangent!”
“This isn’t a tangent! It’s a completely different road!”
Though they grumbled, the artisans were curious to see what kind of typewriter da Vinci would create. As time passed, da Vinci completed the blueprint. The artisans who analyzed it all had gleaming eyes.
“This looks good.”
“Let’s try making it!”
And so, the artisans pushed the gunpowder-propelled flying machine far aside and began to build the typewriter first. When they tried out the finished product, they all turned to look at da Vinci.
“What are you doing! Go register this as intellectual property!”
“It’s just a modification of the existing typewriter…”
“The officials will sort that part out!”
“The nature of it is completely different! This is more than enough to be registered separately!”
Urged on by the artisans, da Vinci registered the typewriter he had made as intellectual property. The officials of the Intellectual Property Management Office, upon receiving the model and blueprints, immediately submitted them to Hyang. This was because the person who had first invented the typewriter and registered it with the office was Hyang himself. If such a thing had happened between ordinary people, the office would have made an authoritative interpretation or the matter would have been decided through a lawsuit at the Adjudication Office. But this involved the Emperor Emeritus. The officials had no choice but to play it safe.
“It’s better to get a tongue-lashing once now than to be chewed out by the higher-ups later.”
And that’s when things got complicated.
***
“Tsk!”
As the officials had predicted, Hyang’s first reaction was to click his tongue.
“I understand why this came up to me, but what do they expect me to do about them being so timid? Tsk tsk tsk!”
Clicking his tongue repeatedly, Hyang tapped on the typewriter made by da Vinci and the artisans, and his eyes lit up.
“This is good.”
The typewriter Hyang had made was a creation based on his memory of a 21st-century typewriter. However, it was a product with structural and performance issues. Due to the haziness of his memory and technological limitations, the result had been a thing of compromises and inconveniences.
The typewriter da Vinci had made was a great improvement on Hyang’s, no, it was a machine of a very different nature.
- As it is a machine of a very different nature, it can be considered a separate piece of intellectual property.
Hyang sent back da Vinci’s typewriter along with his written opinion and stroked his chin, muttering.
“This could make money. But before that… I should solve any potential problems in advance.”
Hyang began to draft a document to send to Hyeon.
- The independence of the judges of the Adjudication Office is set by law so that not even the Emperor can interfere.
- The same should be true for the authoritative interpretations of the Intellectual Property Management Office.
- If the current laws are insufficient, I believe they must be revised.
“A valid point.”
Hyeon, after reading Hyang’s document, nodded and summoned Han Myeong-hoe.
“There is such an issue. As I, the Queen Dowager, and the Emperor Emeritus are all fair and just, no unseemly incidents will occur, but one cannot know the future, can one? Make the necessary amendments.”
“…I accept your command.”
And the officials of the Intellectual Property Management Office had to endure being chewed out by the higher-ups and the members of the Review Board.
“Hey! If you’re just going to be that timid, why are you sitting in that position? Just follow the law, the law! We’re already buried in work as it is, and instead of reducing our workload, you’re adding to it!”
“Do you have any idea how many laws, statutes, and ordinances we have to review and decide on? They all have deadlines, and we have to write a statement of reasons for every approval and rejection! And those are all permanently stored in the Records Office, so we can’t just do a sloppy job! Do you think we have time to spare?”
***
As an aside, the amendment and enactment of the Empire’s laws were all decided through the Review Board and then ratified by the Emperor. And here, Hyang had added some “MSG” to Sejong’s original recipe.
“The work the members of the Review Board do is so grave that its importance can be compared to the Emperor’s own ten thousand affairs of state.”
“Indeed, indeed.”
“As it is a matter related to the lives of the Empire’s citizens, we are appointing representatives from each region to serve as members of the Review Board. And you intend to include their honor and treatment in the Foundational Law.”
“That is correct.”
“As time passes, they will desire the treatment but will try to shirk the responsibility. We need a system to prevent that.”
“I see.”
And so, thanks to Hyang’s “MSG,” the members of the Review Board had to perform arduous duties.
- The amendment, enactment, and abolition of laws, statutes, and ordinances each have a set deadline, and the results must be produced by this deadline.
- All members must perform the task of processing a set number of laws, statutes, and ordinances.
- The members performing these tasks must write a processing report and a statement of reasons for their judgment on the tasks they are in charge of, and these are to be permanently stored in the Records Office.
- The amendment, enactment, and abolition of laws, statutes, and ordinances concerning the duties and treatment of the review members cannot be handled by the members of the Review Board. Only the Emperor can propose them, and they can only be processed after a vote by all citizens with voting rights.
*As time goes on, the Review Board will turn into a parliament. I will not stand to see the emergence of the kind of ‘National Harm-Makers’ that I knew.*¹
***
Amidst this commotion, da Vinci’s typewriter was able to be safely registered as intellectual property. A few days after an official from the Intellectual Property Management Office brought the certificate of registration, a eunuch sent by Hyang visited Area 51.
“Where is da Vinci?”
“Please wait a moment!”
The artisans who heard the eunuch’s words scurried to find and bring da Vinci.
“It has been a while.”
The eunuch, who had served Hyang for a long time and had even accompanied him to Italy, greeted him familiarly, and da Vinci replied with a bright face.
“It has been a long time indeed! But what brings you here?”
“His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus has a proposal for you. He said he wishes to invest in the business of making and selling the typewriter you created.”
“My typewriter? Is there not already a company that makes and sells typewriters? Was I not supposed to sign a contract with them?”
Da Vinci asked the eunuch with a confused expression. When da Vinci’s typewriter had been successfully registered, he and the artisans had discussed this very matter.
“Should we create a company and a factory and sell it ourselves?”
“It seems like something that could make money, but the problem is there’s already a typewriter on the market.”
“It’s not the same, so it will definitely make money. But the competitor is too strong.”
“It’s not the competitor, but its backer that’s too strong.”
The conclusion the artisans had reached, after mentioning the existence of Hyang as the backer, was as follows:
- The best course of action would be to sign a contract with the company that already makes typewriters.
Having already heard this, da Vinci was naturally puzzled. At his point, the eunuch smiled and explained the reason.
“His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus said this…”
- A long time has passed since the current typewriter first appeared, but it has not changed. This is because it has had no competitor.
- Therefore, there must be a competitor for a better typewriter to emerge. And this will be a thing that helps the people.
“…And finally, he said this. ‘In any case, the backer is the same, so do not worry about any dirty tricks.’ What will you do?”
At the eunuch’s words, da Vinci turned his head and looked at the artisans. The artisans, receiving his unspoken question, all nodded their heads fiercely. Having confirmed the advice of the artisans, da Vinci turned his head and looked at the eunuch.
“I will accept His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus’s proposal.”
“A wise decision! Then let us go to my office and write up the contract!”
The moment the eunuch’s words ended, the artisans behind him cried out.
“We would like to join as well!”
“Is that so? Then let it be so. By the way…”
The eunuch muttered the rest of his thoughts to himself.
They have a ridiculously good nose for money. They learned well from Jang Yeong-sil. No, was it His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus?
While with Hyang, Jang Yeong-sil had accumulated a great deal of wealth. The same was true for the artisans who followed in his footsteps. And the artisans, their pockets now heavy, had the leeway to design or build things they had thought of in their own time. Or, they invested in their families, such as by building better houses.
And the same was true for the eunuchs. Many of the eunuchs who had been with Hyang had followed his investments and accumulated wealth. Of course, there was no way Hyang was unaware of this. If it was discovered through the Censorate or the Secret Guard that the eunuchs were using illegal means, they were punished without mercy.
***
And so, the typewriter put out by the newly born ‘Da Vinci Typewriter Company’ began to gain popularity in an instant.
“While we’re at it, let’s make the font pretty too!”
“That’s a great idea!”
The font created by da Vinci, as befitting a renowned artist, was pleasing to the eye and had good readability. On top of that, the typewriter’s keyboard moved very smoothly and briskly. It wasn’t just the keyboard. The sound of the machine’s moving parts, from the type slugs onward, was also very pleasant.
“The old typewriter was just noisy, but the sound of this one is very nice to listen to!”
“The font is also easy on the eyes!”
Amidst the favorable reviews of the people, the ‘Da Vinci Typewriter Company’ quickly established itself. However, it wasn’t long before the company added another product to its lineup.
“I heard the owner of this place is the man who made that… whatchamacallit… a cembalo or a cimbala? Is that right?”
“That is correct.”
“If the price is right, I’d like to order one.”
“Pardon? Please wait a moment! What are you doing! We have a valued customer, attend to him well!”
As word spread through the musicians of the Royal Music Institute and the city’s connoisseurs that this was the company of the artisan who had built the famed harpsichord, orders began to pour in. The harpsichords, which were divided into several grades from the relatively cheap price of 10 silver nyang to the hefty sum of 2 gold nyang, soon became a must-have item in famous gisaeng houses and the mansions of connoisseurs.
As an aside, the ‘Da Vinci Typewriter Company,’ having established itself thus, would later change its name to the ‘Da Vinci Keyboard Company’ and become a firm that boasted a long history and tradition.
- From light switches to keyboards and pianos, if you press it with your finger, Da Vinci’s is the best.
This was the evaluation the Da Vinci Keyboard Company would receive in the distant future. As the Da Vinci company began to find its footing, the look in da Vinci’s eyes began to change.
“I can make anything I want without having to worry about the budget!”