OBS Chapter 370
Chapter 370
Chapter 370
Coal was discovered by chance during these investigations.
Prospectors were dispatched to Daeseoldo to determine if there were any economically viable sulfur hot springs or sulfur mines other than Hell Valley.
The prospectors, accompanied by a considerable escort force to guard against predators and hostile Ainu tribes, began to search various parts of Daeseoldo.
Among these, a coal vein was discovered near a place called Otaornai (Otaru) in the Ainu language.
‘The quality is excellent, and coal extraction is somewhat easier compared to Gangwon Province.’
Upon receiving the report, Sejong immediately summoned his ministers to gather opinions.
“As more and more coal is needed for various industries, including iron manufacturing, and coal is used in large quantities for heating homes, I think it’s right to mine it.”
As the ministers’ opinions converged on development, Sejong ordered the development of the mine.
Consequently, many miners began crossing the sea to Daeseoldo. Although the perception was poor due to most serious criminals serving labor in mines, the salary that properly employed miners received was quite high, so the number of people who left for Daeseoldo was considerable.V/\IssịT for the b/est novel reading experi/en/ce
Before long, a significant number of Ainu people began working in the mines of Daeseoldo. This was because working in the mines provided a steady income compared to dangerous hunting or low-yield farming. And since the pay was not meager but equal to that of Joseon people, the families of miners could live much more abundantly compared to other Ainu people.
In this process, the relationship between the Ainu people and Joseon people began to grow closer little by little.
The Ainu people and Joseon people observed each other with curious eyes.
In this process, Joseon people evaluated the Ainu people like this:
“They’re innocent and kind, but not very interesting.”
On the other hand, the Ainu people’s evaluation of Joseon people was almost identical to Hakumakkuru’s.
“What interesting humans.”
The Joseon people that the Ainu saw were truly interesting.
When working, they worked truly diligently, but when playing, they played wildly and excitedly. When necessary, they were politely respectful, but when they became close, they were rudely disrespectful to the point of almost provoking anger.
Joseon soldiers were the same. Usually, they lived gently, but when Japanese pirates invaded or hostile Ainu tribes attacked, they fought with ghost-like faces.
Every time the iron clubs, seemingly imbued with the energy of lightning struck by Kandakorokamui (the sky god), spewed fire, the blood of enemies formed streams.
The Joseon soldiers with these terrifying iron clubs and ghost-like faces drove the enemies until they all died or surrendered.
Watching the behavior of these Joseon people, all the Ainu people came to a similar conclusion.
“They’re just like bears.”
The Joseon people were like bears, seemingly gentle and docile usually, but once they turned ferocious, they transformed into messengers of death.
To add, among the reasons they were seen as bear-like was also the Joseon people’s big appetite and crazy preference for meat.
“They eat like bears too.”
***
The government monopoly store official burst into laughter when he heard this story from an Ainu person he had become friendly with.
“Hahaha! That sounds plausible? Maybe we are bears. We have the blood of Ungnyeo (Bear Woman) mixed in, after all!”
“Ungnyeo?”
The government monopoly store official explained the Dangun myth to the Ainu person.
After hearing the official’s story, the Ainu person nodded.
“That really does sound plausible.”
At that very moment, a loud bell rang from the watchtower on the bamboo-reinforced concrete wall surrounding the village.
Ding ding ding!
“It’s here~!”
At the shout of the sentry in the watchtower, soldiers standing guard around the gate grabbed their muskets and ran out.
A moment later.
Bang! Ratatang! Bang!
“Which would be faster, for them to learn Korean and Chinese characters, or for us to learn Latin?”
It was in this situation that Hunminjeongeum appeared.
***
Joseon researchers who encountered Hunminjeongeum through Hyang and Jinpyeong cheered greatly!
“Now we can escape the trouble of looking up dictionaries!”
Even for those accustomed to writing, it wasn’t easy to find accurate Chinese characters and write with them. Hunminjeongeum, which allowed them to record their familiar words as they were, was the best gift that could prevent unnecessary mental exhaustion.
This Hunminjeongeum was also welcomed by monks and alchemists. First of all, they were accustomed to phonetic writing systems. Although the arrangement of words composing sentences was different, they could soon adapt to that part. Being able to record the Korean language they had become quite familiar with, although still awkward, directly, and being able to read and immediately understand documents written by others was also welcome to them.
As both sides became familiar with Hunminjeongeum, the work of interpreters gradually decreased. And finally, the interpreters were able to leave the research institute.
On the day they heard the order that ‘You no longer need to come to the research institute,’ the interpreters rushed to a gisaeng house as a group and held a feast.
As a postscript, these trained interpreters later played active roles in Alexandria and Europe.
And they became notorious old fogies.
“Listen! In my day! We had to translate mathematical theses! Don’t whine about mere contracts!”
Thus, it seemed that peace had come to the research institute and Area 51, but not long after, a major accident occurred where the entire research institute was split in two and collided.
***
It started with ‘time difference’.
In the process of sailing to Alexandria, measuring the position of the ship was a very important task. Various measuring devices were needed to measure the exact position, but the most important was the clock.
Well aware of this, Hyang instructed Jang Yeong-sil to develop a precision clock – chronometer – that moved with a spring. Until then, the clocks used by Joseon used weights and pendulums, and these types of clocks had errors due to the rocking of waves and such. That’s why he ordered the creation of a spring-driven clock.
Jang Yeong-sil, who had been deeply versed in precision technology to the extent of creating a water clock where dolls struck drums and bells to tell time and a self-moving royal palanquin – with a spring as the power source, no less – in the history before Hyang’s intervention, was able to create clocks at the level Hyang wanted by working through his subordinate craftsmen.
And these precision clocks thus created began to be loaded onto Challenger-class and Haeung-class warships.
And it was in the sailing records of these Challenger-class warships that embarked on ocean voyages with these clocks that the time difference problem began to be officially recorded.
Hyang, who confirmed the time difference problem through the sailing records, smiled wickedly.
“Shall we start setting up the board? There’s a lot more to do besides this, but if we don’t sort this out properly, there’s a high chance of problems when crossing the Pacific in the future. We need to change the seat from religion to science.”
Having made up his mind, Hyang gathered the researchers and proceeded with the work.
“Looking at the records of sailing to Alexandria, there’s a common mention that ‘the time indicated by the clock on the ship is different from the local time.'”
“Are you referring to time difference, Your Highness?”
Hyang nodded at Jeong Cho’s words.
“Yes. From what I’ve observed, if we divide the route from our Joseon to Alexandria at appropriate intervals, it seems we can calculate the time difference.”
Thinking for a moment at Hyang’s words, Jeong Cho soon nodded and continued.
“It seems possible.”
And so the research proceeded.
And as Hyang wanted, a fire pit was created.
‘Spherical Earth Theory vs. Flat Earth Theory’
‘Heliocentric Theory vs. Geocentric Theory’
It was the start of a war.
“We need popcorn, popcorn!”
***
Note 1) Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. ‘Ungnyeo’
http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Item/E0040541