This Time, Spain?
Spain this time?
BANG! KWA-KWA-BANG!
With a series of explosions, a hillside near the Portuguese concession zone was being blasted to bits. We had a harbor to build, but since these folks were taking their sweet time, we were doing it ourselves.
"Wh-what is that?"
"Why do you keep coming back? You're interfering with the work."
"It is merely an inspection..."
That so-called secretary kept pestering me with questions about every little thing. Honestly, isn't the fortress getting too big? You shouldn't build the harbor too large.
"Judging by the explosions, it must be gunpowder. Daehan's powder seems quite powerful."
That's dynamite, and you're just taking a wild guess and getting it all wrong? You're in for a rough time if you try to copy that.
"But why are they building the fortress so pointy?"
"Because it's pretty?"
"Ah... of course. A woman's eye, after all..."
Huh? That actually worked? Hmm? I mean, compared to a square castle, that shape really is prettier, isn't it? These people have had their castles crumble under cannon fire and they still haven't figured out why we build them this way.
It's because they've spent all this time calling themselves great powers and doing the shooting — they've never been on the receiving end.
"By the way, is your sovereign actually paying for all this?"
"No! Go ask the people leaving!"
"My... you have quite the temper..."
Do I really need to show you what genuine thuggery looks like?
All this trouble because the Whale Shark sailed away. It had a long voyage ahead of it, so it went back for a final inspection. And then the shipyard and the steelworks both needed expanding, so a massive budget proposal came up.... We might end up spending every last coin we earn here.
"So when exactly will that shop of yours open?"
Ugh... I should have just left them scared of us.
Since we'd told everyone we had no interest in war or conquering their country, they'd gotten comfortable. Now that life had gotten a bit easier for them, they were swarming all over us.
"The harbor isn't finished, so even when ships arrive, they can't dock!"
"Then just use our harbor, no?"
Unfortunately, even our Horned Whales have a deeper draft than expected....
"The river's too shallow for them!"
"Ah... so that's why those sail-less ships linger in the middle of the channel?"
They'd clearly disguised themselves and come sniffing around for information.
"Since we're on the subject, I have a question. How do those ships move without sails?"
"Figure that out yourselves!"
"Is it a secret?"
It's a secret, sure — but even if I told you, you couldn't build one!
"Oh, that reminds me — I heard a cannonball struck one of your ships, and it just rang against an iron plate. You did armor them in metal, did you not?"
"Dunno..."
Please stop asking already. Before I sew your mouths shut....
Anyway, the construction was taking longer than I expected. Were they digging the harbor too deep?
The truth was, I'd been sneaking into the water at night and compacting the seabed with my telekinesis. I'd made it deep, too. If it weren't for all the people, I'd have built the land above water as well, but there were too many eyes — they were running round-the-clock surveillance shifts, so this was the best I could manage....
"You should hurry the harbor along, so the goods you want actually arrive. Go gather some more laborers..."
A hundred here, two hundred there, trickling in bit by bit — the pace was glacial. Why else would I have secretly done all the underwater work with my telekinesis?
"You intend to hire more workers?"
"In our country, we'd have finished this by now!"
"Pardon?"
I'd already been down here two years.... When I asked around, they told me they built these over the course of several years, then kept expanding them as needed. I'll admit I'm stretching far out to build the breakwater, but this is just too slow.
And all they have to do is haul rock and dirt and dump it, while I'm the one shaping everything for them. Unbelievable.
"Ah... my head..."
"I hear sugar is good for headaches. Shall I fetch you some?"
"You disappearing would fix it just fine."
"I must supervise, so I'm afraid that is impossible..."
We wrecked their country's ships, so why are they suddenly so friendly?
"Speaking of which — staying behind in a foreign country with no ships of your own, aren't you afraid?"
"Me? I'm pretty good at fighting."
"Hahahaha. Of course. Kheheh."
They don't believe me....
* * *
Still, bit by bit, things came together — the breakwater took shape, and the Horned Whales began arriving one or two at a time. Ah, though on the seaward side of the breakwater they were still dumping mountains of rock. Someone had told me that if you left a wall straight, the impacts would pile up until it all collapsed — so it needed to be sloped, or braced with some kind of obstacle.
"Hurry up with the cargo, everyone!"
"Careful with that one — carry it gently, it breaks!"
Our dashing Daehan Company employees were streaming in. And since this place was close to the capital, the nobles came to shop in person, so we'd put real care into decorating the salon — tea and snacks included, so they could taste it all before they bought.
"Oh! So this is tea!"
"What a lovely aroma."
"I feel healthier already!"
"So this is what they call tea!"
There it is.... They know nothing, but they've caught wind of it somewhere and started playing the connoisseur.... I suppose it drives the price up, but for some reason it just gets on my nerves.
"Oh? This dish is called bulgogi?"
"A food I've never seen before."
"Daehan's cuisine is truly fascinating!"
There was also a restaurant nearby that served food, but with the smells mingling, the combination was a bit off? I'd have to have them build a partition later.
"Oh! I've never tasted meat this tender! And this — sweet, salty, and spicy all at once — what is it?"
"Pepper, perhaps?"
"Surely pepper alone couldn't produce this flavor?"
"Haah... this is a gift from God."
"Remarkable.... I could eat this every day of my life!"
"Once the shop opens, we must inquire about the spices as well."
Squeeze your way in, and making money is this easy!
After running things for a while, we noticed these folks loved having private rooms — some kind of sealed chamber or other. And they adored alcohol, too. Build them a handsome room, deliver their meal and their drinks, and they'd spill every secret they had on their own. Without the slightest suspicion that we were listening in.
"Miss, a visitor has arrived from Spain."
"Ah, they must have heard the news and sweated over it a bit. I should meet them."
* * *
"Hello there?"
"Huh?"
I'd expected some old codger, but the man who arrived looked late twenties, maybe early thirties? Quite young.
"You're from Spain? Just call me Haeun."
"P-pleased to meet you. Please call me Gonzalo."
Still, at that age he wouldn't be a high official himself, would he? Probably some minister's son, at most?
"Well then, shall we have some tea and talk?"
"Yes. I would also like to see the Daehan tea and tableware I've only heard of in rumors."
"Sure."
A cultural exchange student or something? Hm? Wait — he did say he came from Spain. So he wasn't sent by the king after all?
Click.
"Oh! So this is tea. The tableware is truly magnificent! They say Manuel I compared it to gold — it really is beautiful."
The dishes are pretty, sure? But that much? Maybe I'm just too used to seeing them to know how precious they are?
Though considering the sheer quantity of tableware we're churning out? I mean, Europe can't make it themselves yet, but isn't that a bit much? Fascinating.
"Ohh.... I had no idea such delicious snacks existed..."
"Have as much as you like..."
He's clearly a rich kid, yet he's gobbling everything down so desperately. Is that not a little pitiful?
I found myself bringing out more snacks, in the spirit of charity for the less fortunate....
"Haah..."
"Finished eating now?"
"Ah... my apologies."
Now he decides to be embarrassed?
"So — you can tell me why you've actually come?"
"Yes. I am from the Council of Finance. We are told we caused you harm, and I have come to inquire about the matter of reparations."
Hm? So he does hold an official post after all?
"More than the damage itself, you kept loitering around our territory. I've come to find out whether you want a war. As you can see, Portugal didn't take the hint, and this is how things turned out for them."
"Ah..."
So much time had passed, and it wasn't as if only one or two of them had witnessed it — their leadership must have agonized plenty. Portugal and Spain each fancied themselves empires, so surely if they massed every warship they had, they could sink a single vessel. But the math just didn't work! Weaken the army's hand and revolts would multiply everywhere. Exhausting, all of it.
"So how large would the reparations be?"
Does money matter? Of course not! We've already planted a concession zone in Europe — the money will make itself, my friend?
"Rather than reparations, we would prefer a treaty — a pledge not to advance north of the thirteenth parallel."
"You mean to say you would restrict His Majesty our King's territorial rights?!"
What? Weren't you only ever interested in the warm south anyway?
"Your colonies are all down south, no? We take the north, you keep the south — everyone's happy."
"Eh? How do you know that?"
Is that really so shocking?
"We finished mapping the entire world several hundred years ago."
"Gasp... Could I purchase a map?!"
A map? Sure, we could sell one easily enough — but a map at our level is strategic materiel, friend?
"Would you sell one, if you were me?"
"...No, I suppose not."
And they guard their own maps as state secrets, don't they? I hear they burn them first thing whenever a warship sinks or runs aground.
"Honestly, you have no interest in anything north of the thirteenth parallel anyway, do you?"
"..."
Because the north is where Britain and the rest of the European lot will come pouring in later.
"Fine. You should have something to show when you return to your council. We're not taking reparations."
"Truly?!"
He needs a victory to his name too, doesn't he? War, reparations, and a treaty — all three were sitting on that negotiating table. And who would ever know what was discussed here? He could go home and claim he was so persuasive he wiped the reparations clean off the books. Tempting, no? Judging by how quickly he caught on, the man isn't stupid.
"Also, I'll throw in quite a few gifts. Tea cups like these, tea leaves, snacks too."
Gulp.
There, isn't your mouth watering? You sign one treaty you never needed, the reparations vanish, and you walk away with gifts to curry favor back home!
"I'll give you plenty of the snacks. The ladies adore them."
"Oh!"
Got a sweetheart waiting, do you? You too, huh?
Honestly, it's a blessing the sly old foxes didn't come instead! This one's eyes had already started spinning.
"Now then, our friend Gonzalo — you can go back and handle this properly, can't you?"
"It is Gonzalo, if you please... In any case, I swear I will see it through."
Ah... I must have mangled the pronunciation. Gonzalo or Gonsallo, what's the difference?
"No, what matters is that if this fails, war breaks out. And I'm very, very confident about that."
"Wh-what do you..."
The sea? The land? You can have it all, if you want.
"I could make it so no ship — not one — could set sail anywhere in Europe."
"Gasp... surely that is an exaggeration..."
Claiming you don't trust words, yet why is the cold sweat running?
"It's no exaggeration. I was actually putting it mildly. I could close off the oceans of the entire world. Believe me or don't — makes no difference to me. Sign the treaty, and none of that will ever need to happen. Isn't that right?"
"Th-that's true!"
Exactly. One treaty, and we're both spared all the bother. I stay comfortable, you stay comfortable — what's not to love?
"Then you'd best do this well?"
"Yes! I will do my utmost!"
Hm? You're a Spaniard, but why do you sound exactly like one of Daehan's civil servants?
"Work hard, but only so hard. Push too eagerly and it'll look suspicious — then even the things that could happen won't. Make it look like a struggle, you know?"
"Ah!"
Ugh... being a rookie worked out fine here, but I do worry how he'll manage once he's back home? If it falls apart, we just tear it all up and start over, I suppose.
"Off you go, then. Do well, and come back with good news?"
"Yes!"
"Oh! By the way — do you sell weapons as well?"
Weapons? My, my. Just how much homework did this man do before coming here?
"What do you need?"
"Cannon and gunpowder! And do you sell ships too?"
Ships, huh.... Now that's tempting? Once the Whale Shark production line gets going, the awkwardly overlapping Horned Whales will have to be retired, won't they?
Handing over our own ships as-is would be difficult, though.... Maybe strip them down and recycle the materials?
"Bring me the blueprints for a ship you want, and I'll have it built."
"Ah..."
"Well. We can think on that later. Honestly, you need gunpowder more than cannon, don't you?"
We have the population, and we run everything systematically — sanitation and sewers included — so we produce plenty. At the rate Europe makes its powder, they couldn't match our consumption if they died and came back to life.
"Yes. Quite right."
"Gunpowder we can sell you in any quantity."
"Really?!"
Yep. Expensively, of course? Now, I wonder just how deep their pockets run.