The Hundred-Year Nap
What the heck is this sky? Familiar, and yet so strange?
The genuine American continent. Or rather, the Eastern Continent, as we were supposed to call it now.
The land was absurdly, mind-bogglingly vast.
Immigrants were streaming in, and to work the iron mines, every native tribe within reach was being courted — invited to come work in exchange for food and provisions.
"How are the locals reacting?"
"They're curious, and more than a little astonished. Woo them gently and I believe most will settle down for good."
Honestly, there's no better spot for it. And they were busily laying rail lines out toward those central plains, too. Barely a tree to be seen up there — a golden land where, once cleared, crops would grow like absolute crazy. Farm it hard for a few years and it'll want fertilizer, but we've got the invincible potato fertilizer for exactly that.
"Hand one of them an iron axe and they'll be over the moon, you know?"
An axe is the ultimate all-purpose item. It's a weapon and a woodcutter in one.
"Quite right. The axes have proven very popular."
"Well, good — we've badly needed more hands for the work."
Labor was the one true bottleneck out here. Everyone had been so busy just surviving back home that the population refused to grow fast enough.
Eat heartily, and pop out lots of babies, quickly!
"And keep building the walls, diligently. Think of them less as fortress walls and more as markers for the trees' domain."
"Yes, my lady!"
Mines to run, foundries to run, crops to plant, walls to raise. Phew — busy, busy.
So this is why I always end up losing track of dawn in strategy games, spamming workers?
"By the way, do they keep the faith here too?"
"Oh, they keep it very well!"
"So everyone attends the temple regularly, then?"
"You simply haven't seen it for yourself — out here, people say Lady Haneul sends her angels."
Heh heh. How flattering. Even though I've done plenty of bad things. Heh heh.
Apparently this region was still a society of primitive belief, and the people had been utterly won over by the trees and the miracles of the Holy Water.
And those wicked Western bastards keep shrieking about heresy. Whatever else they refuse to believe, isn't the Holy Water a genuine miracle? Just wait — when the Black Death is wiping them all out someday, let's see if anyone hands them any Holy Water.
Expansion proceeded southward only, without spreading to either side — a grand expedition that would have taken a hundred years on foot, compressed into ten by rail.
"Whoa, plains already? This far in?"
"Truly vast, isn't it? Not a single mountain in sight."
You'd expect a mountain or two on the horizon, but there was genuinely nothing out there at all.
"Lay the roads straight through here, add canals, then farm the whole thing — how convenient would that be?"
"Once the Gulleongsoe tractors arrive, it'll be a breeze."
This land was destined for fully mechanized agriculture, as much as possible.
"And the tree?"
"We brought one along, as instructed."
They had even smuggled a tree out here. Somehow it had escaped notice — and no civil war had broken out over it. Yet.
「Pat, pat」
"Whew. Isn't this one a bit too small?"
「Rustle?」
Why does this one in particular look so tiny? Is it low on strength?
"Come on, use your strength! Grow up big and strong — wouldn't you like that too, becoming a great tree?"
「Rustle-rustle!」
Huh? The tree is actually trembling, flexing? So there's an upgrade function too?
「Ziiiiing」
Oh, it's glowing! Something green —? It's way too bright —
"Huh?"
Wait, why am I glowing too? Hmm... something about this feels very, very wrong?
Haneul, who had been planting a tree in the Eastern Continent, vanished.
"Huh? My lady?"
「Crunch, crunch」
And the glowing tree's roots bored deep into the earth while its branches began to shoot skyward without end. Before anyone knew it, the light had faded — and the now-colossal tree felt, if anything, even larger than the one in Sinsi.
"What in the world...?"
The man commanding the Eastern Continent expedition felt darkness close in before his eyes. What on earth was he supposed to report this as?
At least she can't actually die, right?
And then his heart began to hammer, dreading what he would have to say at the temple.
Meanwhile, the glowing tree had already caught the attention of the people of the Eastern Continent, however distant they were — and who knew what would come of it?
Somehow, the expedition leader had a strong feeling that he and everyone around him were about to become very, very busy.
"What could it mean?"
"What could it possibly mean? The Lady is merely at rest."
"She has slept before, yes — but she has never vanished before, has she?"
"Look there."
Daesinjāng pointed toward the great tree of Sinsi.
"The tree still stands, does it not? When the time comes, she will return."
"Ah..."
"Our duty is simply to do our own work well. Do not abandon your faith."
"Understood."
For his own part, Daesinjāng had a rather different worry gnawing at him: what if the supply of Holy Water ran low?
"We shall have to ration it from now on."
Since no one could say when Haneul would return, for the time being the Holy Water would go only to the critically ill.
Twenty-four years after Haneul vanished, Joseon at last won its independence.
"Are we simply going to let them be?"
"Crushing them would hardly be difficult, would it? But there was a message from Lady Haneul on the matter, so for now we leave them be."
"In exchange, we will ensure no one sets foot on the sea from their shores."
"Yes. That much you may do."
But why independence, of all things? You'd think they'd need at least an iron mine to build anything. Kyushu has nothing but a truly tiny iron deposit. At absolute best, they'll end up a vassal of Japan or the Tang Dynasty.
And meanwhile, far to the west, great war had erupted out of Mudo with the Islamic states of the south. Mercenaries, with Daehan's aid, had barely managed to crush the Islamic armies — and under Daehan's sponsorship, they resolved to found a nation of their own. In exchange, Mudo itself would remain a neutral city.
「Shaaaa...」
At the very crown of the Eastern Continent's tree — a height no living soul had ever climbed — where the leaves swayed with the wind, lay a familiar figure. Haneul.
「Stretch, stretch」
"Whazzat?"
I fall asleep and wake up under yet another strange sky?
"Man, I feel incredible, though."
But something feels off? Where did my clothes go? Did I seriously take a nap out here in nothing but my birthday suit?
Judging by the size of the tree, this is Sinsi?
"Wait — the surroundings? This place isn't as big as Sinsi, is it?"
There's an enormous city down there, sure, but it's nowhere near Sinsi's scale.
Where am I? Is this genuinely a whole other world?
"Clothes, then..."
「Flap-flap」
I've got plenty in subspace. Pull some out, get dressed...
"What the—?"
What is with these melon-sized breasts? And why are my rear and thighs like this?
Something about me has... changed a lot.
"Hold the clothes up to my waist and — too short! Don't tell me I got taller!"
Oh! Finally! My wish came true! I got taller! Whatever the cause, this is one hundred percent a good thing!
Huh? But wait — my chest and hips grew along with it? Even my underwear doesn't fit anymore.
「Flap-flap」
"Well, at least I have you. Thank goodness for that much."
For the first time in ages, she let the hem of her one-piece dress fall all the way to her calves. Just how much had she grown? Quite a lot, surely.
I'll have to fly down, won't I? Wow, that's high.
「Fwoomp」
"Huh? Have I gotten weaker again?"
Why do I keep feeling like the tree keeps siphoning my strength?
「Shaaa!」
"Never mind! You're the one who made me taller, so — thank you for that!"
「Shaa~ shaa~」
Do the trees have some way of expressing feelings? Or is it just the wind blowing? Weird.
"Well then, I'm off~"
The temple's right below, so someone's bound to be around.
「Whiiiish」
"Whoa! High, it's high."
Oh! There's a person down there!
"Hello there?"
"Gah—!"
First time seeing someone fly, kid?
"What temple is this?"
"Th... this is the temple that serves Lady Haneul."
Early twenties, maybe? Fairly new to the priesthood, by the look of him.
"Yep. That's right! Do I have a room here?"
"Are you... Lady Haneul herself, by any chance?"
"Have you ever seen anyone else fly around like me?"
"No...?"
Is there anything else I could even prove it with? Not really...
"Show me to my room, and fetch the Grand Priest for me."
"Y-yes..."
No faith at all, this one. Poor young soul.
"Want me to prove it, or will you just take my word?"
"Even so, some proof would..."
"There are tons of statues of me in the temple, aren't there!"
"You look... very different from them."
He's looking me up and down... something about that really rubs me the wrong way?
"I don't know why either, so hurry up and fetch someone senior. The Intelligence Bureau too."
"Please stay right here for the moment!"
「Pitter-patter!」
Hey! I said bring someone here, not run off yourself! That little...!
「Thud-thud-thud!」
Before long, two sets of footsteps came hurrying back.
Oh! That broad, powerful build — that's our temple, all right. But who's the triangle-shaped one? The expedition leader I saw last was built more like a square.
People change after a hundred years, I suppose? Or... did I sleep again?
"..."
"...And who might you be?"
Huh. Turns out there are suspicious-eyed skeptics here too.
"I'm the owner of this place. Why?"
"How are we to believe that?"
「Fwoomp — whoosh!」
"AAAAAAAH!"
This is what we call planting faith. Up to the sky and back down — go fetch yourself some manners while you're at it.
"...AAAAAAH"
「THUD」
Whoops. Nearly dropped him.
"Shall we go again?"
"No, my lady!"
"A shame..."
「FWUMP」
Manners installed in a single lesson. Nice.
"Forgive my presumption, but you appear... somewhat different from your known likeness?"
"What year is it now?"
"The year 3323."
"Ah. So I slept exactly a hundred years, huh?"
"I beg your pardon — how could you possibly know that? No one could know the precise figure?"
Because I'm me, obviously? What am I even supposed to say to that?
"Aiigoo! Lady Haneul!"
"Wahk!"
That scared the daylights out of me! Daesinjāng, who'd been standing off to the side staring blankly, suddenly bellowed — I nearly dropped the poor fellow.
"You can hear me fine if I speak gently."
"It appears you grew taller while you slumbered, my lady!"
"Right? I did feel a bit taller?"
They won't go demanding a revision of the whole measurement system now, will they? Can't exactly fix it at this point — we'll just keep using it.
"What a blessing, that you have returned to us like this."
"Welcome back!"
"By the way, when did Sinsi turn into this?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"This is Sinju?"
Sinju? Where on earth is that? Did Sinsi get renamed?
"Ah! The city was named while you slept. It is the capital of the Eastern Continent — Sinju."
Huh? This is the Eastern Continent?
"Then why is this tree so gigantic?"
"The records state that when you vanished, a light shone forth, and the tree grew to this size."
So it wasn't just the branches siphoning my power? I can grow trees, too, apparently.
But a hundred years... that's genuinely terrifying. I can't mess around with trees anymore. I need to watch my mouth — it was because I casually told one to grow a little that I ended up like this.
"Show me to my room. And is there a report on everything that happened over the hundred years?"
"Yes, I will compile one and return. As for the room, Daesinjāng, if you would be so kind."
"Do that."
So what position does that fellow hold here, anyway? I should have asked. Oh well.
「Tap-tap-tap」
The room she followed the silent Daesinjāng to was no different from the one in Sinsi — her favorite flowers and colors, simple accents, decorations kept to a minimum.
"Wow, even here it's all my taste. Love it~"
"Hahaha. I'm glad it pleases you."
"Oh, right!"
「Clink... shhh」
Homework first. Who knew things would turn out like this — I left without handing over the Holy Water, or even a lock of my hair.
"Do you need this?"
"Yes. Desperately, we do. Hahaha."
"You've been through a lot, huh."
"Yes... there were great trials as well."
Hm? Was there a war? Did a lot of people die?
"Many people died on the Sinsi side. A plague swept through."
"Ah..."
It was my fault.
"How many?"
"Some twenty-eight million..."
"Ah..."
They must have cursed me so, so much...
"I'm sorry..."
"Oh! Why are you crying! How could any of that possibly be your doing, Lady Haneul?"
"So many people died. Won't they hate me for it?"
"No. There were those who cursed you at first, it is true. But your absence became the very occasion for them to engrave your grace all the more deeply upon their hearts."
I'm just... truly sorry.
「Tap, tap」
"Heh heh. So the scriptures wrote. That some would take you for a lover, others for a sister, and in the end for a granddaughter — I marveled at how many such passages there were. And here we are."
It stings my pride to admit it, but even grown taller, I'm still just a speck of snot to him.
And so, for a long while, she sobbed tears and snot alike into Daesinjāng's chest.
"Are you feeling a little calmer now?"
"Yeah..."
"My, my. This shall surely go down in the history books. Your garments are so thoroughly filled with Lady Haneul's grace."
Is he teasing me? Oh — right, the tears and snot all over my dress. He's enjoying this.
I owe him one, so I'll let it slide. And no, not because I'm fairly sure I'd lose if we actually fought. Definitely not that.
"Then please rest. Call for us if you need anything."
"Yeah. And send Holy Water to Sinsi right away, too. It'll be urgent."
"Worry not, my lady. Then I shall take my leave."
What's done is done — nothing to be done about it now. I'll just do better from here on out!