Return
When we were heading back to Hanyang, our group, which had initially been five people and one horse, had doubled in size.
We were now ten people and still only one horse!
Since Jongil-ajeossi had already left for Gangwon Province, our group had increased by six members.
These new additions were none other than Park Geosoon-ajeossi’s family.
Geosoon-ajeossi successfully managed to create a pedal-powered thresher, albeit a crude version.
Of course, its rotational force was not up to par with the pedal-powered threshers I had been familiar with, and its durability remained untested.
Even so, I couldn’t afford to lose a blacksmith capable of creating such devices.
In most novels, having a Doraemon-like engineer was essential.
Although I had Gyesam-ajeossi, he specialized in woodworking, while Park Geosoon-ajeossi was a blacksmith skilled in metalwork.
In a fantasy setting, he would be a dwarf!
In a hunting story, he would be the crafting specialist!
Having such a character around made me feel secure, even if I missed a meal.
As soon as I confirmed the pedal-powered thresher, I practically kidnapped Park Geosoon-ajeossi by showering him with money.
Before leaving for Hanyang, I had already received my father’s permission to increase the number of house guests.
My father realized that investing could lead to even greater wealth, so he no longer acted stingy.
At first, Park Geosoon-ajeossi naturally refused.
In this era, leaving one’s hometown and moving one’s base was not an easy decision.
But the moment he heard my conditions, his eyes widened.
Five bolts of hemp-cotton fabric per month, plus a guarantee to take care of his family’s food, clothing, and shelter!
Just this alone was enough to “kidnap” a poor craftsman from Hanyang.
At first, he scoffed, “Are you trying to buy me with money?”
But as soon as he heard my offer, he grasped my hand and exclaimed, “This is too great a fortune to refuse!”
“Ajeossi, once we go to Ulsan, you won’t have any reason to come back to Hanyang. Are you okay with that?”
“Ah, don’t worry about it.”
Ajeossi kept a smiling face as he chatted with his family.
Thankfully, their conversation was filled with hope for the future.
“This is our first time in Ulsan. It’ll be a bit warmer in the winter, right?”
“Probably. And you won’t have to worry about heating anymore, so don’t stress anymore.”
“That’s good after you turned the house upside down all winter making strange things…”
“Hmph!”
It seemed that no matter where you went, married life came with nagging.
“Becoming a house guest of a renowned family feels like a dream. My husband is the best!”
“Hmph! Right? Now we won’t have to suck on our fingers all winter.”
We traveled to Ulsan by boat, thanks to Seonjo’s help.
The journey that would have taken nearly a month on foot took only four days by boat from Hanyang to Yeompo Port in Ulsan.
If it had been just my youngest uncle making the trip, we would have arrived in a week.
Of course, there was the added issue of seasickness.
Park Geosoon-ajeossi struggled greatly as it was his first time on a boat, but the rest of our group managed just fine.
I realized when I boarded the Fair Wind that I didn’t get seasick.
This was fortunate since I would need to navigate the sea frequently from now on.
As soon as we arrived at Yeompo Port, my father came out to meet us.
“You’ve worked hard.”
My father, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, greeted me warmly.
“What brings you here to meet us?”
“Myeongri came by a few days ago. He said you’d probably come down on a cargo ship.”
In fact, when Seonjo offered us this boat, he was sending us a message to “quickly send the fertilizer to Hanyang.”
“I see.”
“By the way, there’s some people I haven’t seen before?”
“Ah, this is Park Geosoon, a blacksmith from Hanyang. His skills are remarkable, so I brought him as a house guest.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Kim Hyeonmyeong of the Kim family from Gimhae. Please call me Joam.”
“Ahem, I’m Park Geosoon. I look forward to working with you.”
Phew, now the urgent tasks were to distribute the pedal-powered thresher and build a ship for trade with Japan.
It looked like this year would be busy too.
“Oh, and someone from Jeolla has come looking for you.”
“Me?”
Who could have come looking for me?
While I had gained a bit of fame in Hanyang recently, it shouldn’t have been enough to attract someone from Jeolla.
“Yes, they seem to have skills that you’ll find essential, so I let him stay at the sarangchae.”[1]
If my father offered someone the sarangchae, they must have been someone extraordinary.
It felt like receiving a Christmas present.
“Father, let’s head home quickly.”
“Let’s do that.”
I returned home with my father.
As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by the familiar screeching noise I had forgotten while in Hanyang.
Squeeeeeeeeeak!
What’s this?
As soon as I arrived in Ulsan, I heard a screeching noise?
Since it had been a while, it didn’t feel like my eardrums were being torn; rather, it felt like it was welcoming me back.
And it wasn’t just the screeching noise that welcomed me.
“Waaaah!”
“Young Master!”
Ah, Soyul and Kang Cheol were also there to greet me.
“Where have you been!”
Soyul glared at me with teary eyes.
Sigh, what was I going to do with this crybaby?
Ever since Grandpa passed away, she has become clingier.
When I was leaving for Hanyang, she cried and made such a fuss that if I hadn’t steeled my heart, I might not have been able to leave.
“I went to Hanyang, but I won’t have to go far anymore.”
This was a little white lie.
I had so many tasks to do!
I would probably have to engage in long-distance trade in the future.
“Really?”
…Well, at least until the end of this year, I would be busy building a ship and training the crew, so it wasn’t entirely a lie, right?
“Of course!”
Despite my promise, Soyul clung to my leg, refusing to let go.
What a needless doubter!
“Young Master, welcome back.”
It was Kang Cheol.
He must have been quite lonely while I was away in Hanyang, as we were like friends.
“Yeah, Kang Cheol, has everything been okay?”
“Yes, Young Master. Everything you instructed is progressing well.”
I had left Kang Cheol in Ulsan specifically to efficiently gather fertilizer.
Hearing his report, I felt relieved that I wouldn’t get in trouble with Seonjo.
Now, there was just one more person left.
As if she had heard I had arrived, Mother appeared, opening the door to the inner quarters.
“…Welcome back.”
“I’m back.”
My mother welcomed me with a baby in her arms.
If my scenario was correct, that baby must be my distant ancestor.
“What’s the baby’s name?”
“We call him Sangil.”
“Sangil, nice to meet you.”
Sangil smiled at me.
Did he recognize me as his hyung?
Thanks to him, I could feel that I was truly home.
A Talent Rolled In Like a Vine
After arriving home and unpacking, I met the person who had come to see me.
The visitor was a well-built man, and at a glance, it was clear that he hadn’t lived an easy life.
“Hello, I’m Kim Sangseung.”
“Hmm, so you’re ‘the one’ who bewitched the Left State Councilor? You look much worse than the rumors say.”
In the Joseon era, commenting on someone’s appearance to their face was no different from modern-day low blow.
But what kind of rumors were circulating in Joseon anyway?
I need to ask Jongil to look into it.
“Regardless of what rumors you may have heard, it’s not right to judge someone based on their appearance.”
Were you a physiognomist?
Did I look like I was going to be a king to you?[2]
“Ahem, my apologies. I am Na Cheam from Naju, Jeolla Province.”
Na Cheam?
That was a bit odd.
Wasn’t that the same pen name as the guy who helped Admiral Yi Sun-sin build the turtle ship and helped defeat the Japanese in the Imjin War?
Wait a minute, wasn’t that man also from Naju?
I may not be sure if he was from Naju specifically, but he was definitely from Jeolla Province.
I remembered reading that he was from the Jeolla region, which suffered greatly from the Japanese pirates, and that’s why he took an interest in ships and improved the turtle ship.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to check, just in case.
“May I ask your name?”
“My name? I’m not sure why you’re curious, but it’s Daeyong.”
“Pfft!”
I was so shocked that I spat out the tea I had in my mouth.
Na Daeyong’s face crumpled like a piece of paper at my reaction.
“Is my name that funny to you?”
Shi… Shit!
It was really Na Daeyong!
“Ahem, I apologize for suddenly choking.”
Na Daeyong was one of the top-tier officers under Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
He was said to have designed the turtle ship, but since the turtle ship was first created during the reign of King Taejong, he was regarded as someone who made the existing turtle ship more useful.
But don’t think, “What? Just an upgrade? Top-tier?”
Maintaining and improving a weapon system were just as crucial as creating it.
Just because a weapon system like the turtle ship existed didn’t mean it was effective without necessary upgrades.
That’s why I held Na Daeyong in high regard.
I even thought that the overwhelming victory at the Battle of Hansan might have been possible because of the new turtle ship he designed.
However, he wasn’t on the recruitment list.
If I recruited the master who built the indispensable new turtle ship for the Battle of Hansan and it failed, what then?
If Yi I living and changing Joseon was a good butterfly effect, kidnapping (?) this man and causing the Battle of Hansan to fail would be the worst.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I heard you built an incredible ship in Ulsan.”
Our Fair Wind was indeed impressive!
“Believe it or not, I can build an even greater ship. If you grant my request, I will create the best ship for you.”
How could I not believe him?
He was Na Daeyong, after all.
The problem was that if I recruited this ajeossi, we might really face disaster in the Imjin War.
But Na Daeyong was a talent I desperately needed.
To engage in overseas trade, I needed a large, sturdy ship, didn’t I?
“…”
There was a brief silence where I was lost in thought.
Admiral Yi Sun-sin would still find a way to crush the Japanese, even if he had to grind their bones into powder.
One Na Daeyong shouldn’t make that much of a difference—
No!
If something went wrong and the Battle of Hansan was lost, Joseon was doomed!
As my mind wavered, Na Daeyong suddenly grabbed my hand.
“My hometown, Jeolla, has suffered greatly from the raids by the Japanese pirates. From what I hear, the Kim family is in a similar situation this year.”
That’s right.
Those Japanese bastards were like cockroaches, showing up wherever there was something to eat.
“I want to protect my homeland from them, no matter what. Please help me.”
I couldn’t refuse Na Daeyong’s earnest plea.
“I’ll think about it.”
Admiral Yi Sun-sin, I’m sorry!
I’ll repay this debt somehow!
[1] Sarangchae is a part of a traditional Korean house reserved for males and their guests.
[2] Sangseung is referring to a famous scene in The Face Reader.
