Black Corporation: Joseon

“Phew! Shi…”

Angelo, who unknowingly almost let a curse slip out, quickly made the sign of the cross and looked around. Confirming that none of his disciples were nearby, Angelo heaved a long sigh of relief.

“Phew~ Thank goodness. Lord…”

Angelo reflected on his momentary loss of self-control. However, feeling the weight of the stack of papers in his hand, he frowned.

***

Even by the time the alchemists and mathematicians arrived from the West, the research institute and auxiliary buildings being constructed between Mapo and Area 51 had not been completed.

As a result, the alchemists and mathematicians ended up using Bukpyeonggwan, which had become virtually obsolete, as their lodgings.

“They say every cloud has a silver lining…”

As he designated Bukpyeonggwan as lodgings, Lee Maeng-gyun joked lightly with his subordinates. The subordinate officials also nodded with small smiles at Lee Maeng-gyun’s jest.

Bukpyeonggwan was originally lodgings for Jurchen envoys. However, most of the tribes large and close enough to send envoys to Joseon had already submitted to Joseon. The remaining large tribes were either located far from Joseon or, like Imanju, had been completely wiped out or greatly diminished in power after resisting Joseon, barely surviving.

As a result, Bukpyeonggwan had lost its reason for existence. Maintaining a building that was rarely used was wasteful, so officials – especially those in the Ministry of Finance – were considering demolition or conversion to other uses.

***

The alchemists and mathematicians who temporarily unpacked at Bukpyeonggwan soon began learning the Joseon language.

“Learning the language is important, but it’s not very efficient to spend the entire day just on that.”

Hyang wrote mathematical formulas, calculation problems, and mineral analysis tasks to be carried out in Latin and distributed them to the alchemists and mathematicians.

“I hope you’ll study languages in the morning and research these problems in the afternoon.”

The alchemists who received the papers filled with problems and tasks looked at Hyang with troubled expressions.

“Our Latin skills aren’t very good.”

“Is that so? Hmm…”

After pondering for a moment, Hyang turned to Angelo’s group.

“Do you know Greek?”

“Yes, we do.”

“Then translate and deliver these to them.”

“Yes…”

And so, the alchemists and mathematicians were officially put to work.

***

With this full-scale deployment, Angelo’s group became the busiest.

Thanks to inheriting Roger Bacon’s legacy, they possessed knowledge in various fields including not only mathematics but also philosophy, alchemy, astronomy, and astrology.

Additionally, being fluent in Greek, Angelo’s group had to move around the most busily.

“Last week we were busy with formula calculations, this week it’s mineral analysis, next week…”

“We have to go to Seouungwan for astronomical problems.”

“Oh, Lord…”

Angelo’s disciples, dividing their tasks according to the work schedule created by combining the Joseon officials’ practice of resting one day every seven days with the concept of the Sabbath, lamented the tightly packed schedule.

***

“Hey! Western monks! Why do your faces look so gloomy?”

Seeing their deeply furrowed faces, one of the institute’s researchers meddled. Angelo’s disciples had become quite familiar with the researchers, and conversation was somewhat possible – of course, mixed with gestures, and additionally, the researchers had learned Latin.

The researcher who approached after seeing the monks’ expressions looked at the work schedule hung on one side and shook his head lightly.

“You’re busy. Why don’t you divide the personnel and move separately?”

“We don’t have the capacity to handle things by dividing up the tasks…”

“Oh dear. Tsk tsk tsk…”

As the researcher clicked his tongue, the monks complained to him.

“In the mornings we have language studies, in the afternoons research, and at night we even have to study doctrine. There’s just not enough time.”

“That’s right. There’s not enough time.”

At the monks’ words, the researcher’s eyes took on a strange light.

“So, you’re not worried because it’s hard, but because there’s not enough time?”

“That’s right.”

“It is tiring, but we can endure this much.”

“Shh!”

At those words, the researcher’s expression changed, and he hastily cautioned them while looking around.

“Why?”

To the monk’s questioning, the researcher warned,

“There are a few things you should never say in the research institute and the court, and one of them is ‘We can endure this much.’ Don’t ever let it out of your mouth.”

“Oh? Alright…”

As the monks nodded, the researcher continued with a slight smile.

“By the way, it’s peculiar that you regret the lack of time more than physical exhaustion.”

“We’ve rarely had the chance to do research so comfortably before.”

“Ah…”

The researcher nodded at the monks’ words. He had similar experiences and was still experiencing them.

Even now, for Joseon’s noble, fields like mathematics and chemistry were considered miscellaneous studies to be used as pastimes when tired of studying the classics.

-As a noble, one should naturally learn the classics and enter office, how can one think of wearing an official hat through miscellaneous studies!

There were quite a few researchers living almost estranged from their families due to conflicts with elders who had this mindset.

Even this was a much-improved situation compared to before.

***

“Well then, keep up the good work. I have something to submit, so I’ll go ahead.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The researcher who had parted from the monks stopped walking and looked back at them.

“They’re oddballs too…”

‘There are three types of people in the research institute.’

This was a saying that circulated among the researchers.

-The first type are those whose work is their very being. Those who can’t live without work. These are called ‘incomprehensibles’.

The Crown Prince and Prince Jinpyeong belonged to these incomprehensibles.

-The second type are those who enjoy work. They like easy problems because they’re easy, and they like difficult problems even more because they’re difficult.

Typical examples were the ‘original oddball’ Yi Sunji and the ‘young oddball’ Kim Dam.

-The last type are ‘perverts addicted to pain’. They suffer from the tasks given by the incomprehensibles and oddballs, later come to enjoy the pain, and rejoice in the results created within that pain.

Starting with Minister Jeong-cho, the rest of the researchers and craftsmen belonged here.

And if one lived as a pervert for a long time, they would evolve, with Jang Yeong-sil being a symbolic figure. Jang Yeong-sil had suffered from the tasks given by the Crown Prince but had somehow risen to the realm of the incomprehensibles.

It was a self-deprecating statement, but from the outside, all the researchers and craftsmen were oddballs.

Whenever they heard such grumbling words, their acquaintances all chided them like this:

“If it’s so hard, why don’t you quit and take the civil service exam again!”

“You could just leave and open a blacksmith shop!”

And the alchemists and mathematicians had become accustomed to this atmosphere of the research institute. Those who had become accustomed named this research institute.

-Academia (Ἀκαδημ(ε)ια, Akadēm(e)íā)

For them, this research institute was an ideal they had only dreamed of. Of course, they couldn’t even dream of conducting research of their own choice yet, but they were very satisfied with the current situation.

This was because they could taste tremendous progress just by carrying out the tasks Hyang instructed.

The problem was that every time they received a task, the difficulty level would increase or the amount would increase to the point of making them gasp.

As a result, the first thing most people, including Angelo, became familiar with was cursing.

***

With the addition of alchemists and mathematicians, there were unexpected victims: the interpreters.

“They can speak to some extent, but the writing is the problem…”

Hyang fell into contemplation as he checked the language acquisition status of the alchemists and mathematicians. Their conversation skills were improving, but their writing skills remained at rock bottom.

“Well, those damn Chinese characters are certainly murderous…”

As he pondered for a solution, Hyang soon found an appropriate one. The solution was to mobilize the interpreters.

As the regions for trade expanded, Sejong had been increasing the scale of interpreters.

In addition to the existing Chinese, Japanese, and Jurchen languages, the range of education expanded to include Arabic, Sanskrit, and Latin, and Hassan’s relatives were employed as instructors for their education.

Having found a suitable solution, Hyang immediately ran to Sejong to request support from the interpreters.

Receiving Hyang’s request, Sejong pondered for a moment before making a decision.

“Foreign languages improve quickly with frequent use. I approve.”

“I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s grace!”

***

Thus, the interpreters in charge of Latin were dragged to the research institute.

“…So, your job will be to translate the Latin writings of the Western scholars into Chinese characters.”

“We understand.”

“I’m counting on you.”

At Hyang’s request, the interpreters all bowed their heads and replied in unison.

“We will do our best!”

However, not even a week had passed before Hyang gathered the interpreters.

“You’ll need to learn mathematics too.”

“Us as well? We’re merely transcribing, aren’t we?”

To the interpreters’ protest, Hyang replied firmly.

“Even if you’re just copying, don’t you need to understand what you’re copying to do it properly!”

“Ah…”

***

While things were progressing like this in Joseon, Europe was also busy moving below the surface.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

Prince Henry (Henrique), who had been busy traveling between Ceuta and Sagres, returned to Lisbon at the summons of his father, the king.

After lightly kissing the ring on the hand extended by the king, Henry looked at his father.

“You called for me?”

“Yes. It’s about the work you’re doing.”

At his father’s words, Henry’s face hardened.

‘Could it be about the debt problem?’

Exploring unknown lands and seas was an expensive endeavor. As a result, Henry had to incur a considerable amount of debt from various sources. To repay these debts, Henry engaged in the slave trade as diligently as he explored.

Although the slave trade brought considerable profits, Henry’s current situation was such that there was little left after repaying debts or paying interest.

Looking at Henry’s face, King João I continued speaking.

“Recently, our ambassador staying at the Vatican sent news. There was a reading of a letter sent by a priest who went to Joseon in the East.”

“I’ve heard rumors.”

“Because of that, several countries have started moving busily.”

At João I’s words, Henry’s eyes turned fierce.

“When you say several countries, does that include those Spanish bastards?”

To Henry’s question, João I nodded.

“That’s right. I hear you’ve achieved quite some results in Africa. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Henry answered briefly to his father’s question. Hearing this answer, João I gave an order.

“I’ll provide more support for your work. Secure a sea route to India through Africa, and further to Joseon, as quickly as possible. The land route is blocked by those Islamic bastards and Italian misers, so the only way we can go is by sea. We must preempt it before the Spanish bastards make a move.”

“I will do so!”

***

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