Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2: A Commoner Fallen into the Early Modern Era
Jeong-hun’s life wasn’t particularly special, nor was it full of twists and turns.
He grew up in an ordinary family, not wealthy, but not worrying about their next meal either. He studied hard in his own way. He got into the university he wanted and finished his military service without any issues.
After graduation, he immediately got a job.
His first workplace wasn’t a massive conglomerate, but it was well-known in the industry. Above all, the work-life balance was satisfactory.
Since he wasn’t a man of immense ambition, that was enough.
Which wise man said it? One should live a life that doesn't get screwed up, rather than a flashy one.
Jeong-hun’s life goal was closer to the latter.
However, the curve of life doesn't flatten just because you want it to.
As soon as he joined the company, he faced a cold reality. The company he thought was decent wasn’t actually a good place. It was slowly rotting from the inside.
Just in time, a global pandemic broke out, and the company collapsed in an instant. He became unemployed.
Normally, he would have devoted himself to job hunting to continue his career.
He couldn't do that because he wandered for a while. Bad things happened in succession.
Breaking up with a cheating ex-girlfriend? That was nothing.
A family trip to Gangneung. A car accident. The death of his parents.
Jeong-hun survived by a stroke of luck, but he became all alone in the world.
Even after his parents' funeral, he needed time to sort out his thoughts.
What on earth is life?
But the curve of life didn't only have downhills. There were decent moments too.
Jeong-hun didn’t do anything particularly unwholesome during his wandering period. That wasn't his personality anyway.
He just dug a little deeper into a hobby he had enjoyed for a long time.
Jeong-hun liked games. He didn't particularly pick and choose genres. However, he liked strategy games.
Especially, he was quite good at one of them.
Grand War.
It was pushed aside by AOS games and even by outdated RTS games, but it was still a game that enjoyed top popularity in the genre called Real Time Tactics (RTT).
In that game’s community, Jeong-hun’s nickname was always mentioned as one of the strongest.
During his time of wandering, Jeong-hun participated in foreign leagues.
Even if a game wasn't popular in Korea, there were quite large-scale tournaments held abroad where there was a broad demand for minor games.
Jeong-hun won all four major tournaments held in the United States and Europe during that time.
The fifth tournament was held in Vienna, Austria.
They said it was the first offline event after only holding non-face-to-face tournaments for a while.
Since he really wanted to participate in this offline tournament, he left for Hungary, planning a trip to Eastern Europe and Germany as well.
— It’ll cost a lot of money... Besides, shouldn't you be preparing for a job?
Someone asked where he got the money to play like that.
The inheritance he received from his parents wasn't much, and the money he earned himself was only what he got from the company for a short time and the ridiculously small tournament prize money.
— It’s okay.
But Jeong-hun was carefree despite his friend's concern. It wasn't groundless confidence.
When he spent a huge sum to set up his graphics card, he also bought some stocks in the graphics card company starting with 'N'. Was it $90 per share? So he was really okay.
But above all, the greatest happiness in life was separate.
Ela.
The moment he met her.
It wasn't empty words.
Jeong-hun felt a happiness in life he had never experienced before, tournaments, stocks, whatever. He felt his wounds healing.
They had only been dating for a couple of months.
He was destined to return to Korea for three months due to visa issues.
But Jeong-hun planned to return to Warsaw in three months no matter what.
With a small ring.
Hugging Ela in the garden of Wilanów Palace, he seemed to have had that thought for the last time.
That was their end.
Life was just about to get happy, seriously...
Jeong-hun sighed. Should he be glad they went together at least?
No, I don't think I'm dead.
Ela, who was in his arms until the last moment, was gone. Instead, the chilling cold of the floor rose up.
His brain was working too vividly for a flashback before death.
He jumped up.
The first thing he saw was unfamiliar bars.
Beyond those bars, he saw the guard observing him jump in surprise.
"The Tatar has awakened!"
Jeong-hun instantly had several questions in his head.
Tatar? No, more than that, why do I understand Polish so well?
But they didn't even give him time to think. The guard, who had hurriedly gone somewhere, returned.
With soldiers wearing flashing armor.
"This is crazy..."
Dragged away by the soldiers' rough hands, Jeong-hun could only then realize the situation he was in.
Jan III Sobieski.
Monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
A wise ruler who protected the Commonwealth in a desperate crisis.
A peerless commander who was also the savior of Vienna and Europe.
A monarch who lacked nothing no matter what modifiers were attached to him.
Jan's fame was widespread throughout Europe, the Catholic world, and even to the Orthodox Church, the Ottomans, and the Middle East.
But even he was nothing more than a sinful human being.
"Oh... Lord, why have you done this to me!"
Jan III, widely known as the Iron Monarch for fighting bloody battles on all kinds of battlefields, was quite a family man, contrary to his appearance.
He had a particularly good relationship with his wife.
He was a devoted husband, which was rare in Europe at the time when affairs were daily life. Of course, the process of marrying his queen, Marie Casimire d'Arquien, is still criticized sometimes, but the marital relationship has been excellent since marriage.
Since he had such a good relationship with his wife, he also had a good relationship with his children.
The couple gave birth to as many as twelve children. However, only five children survived.
Considering it was a royal-noble family, they suffered many tragedies even considering the infant mortality rate of the era.
So Jan had to cherish all the surviving children. Especially the daughters.
The sons (especially the eldest son) who would inherit the territories and titles had to be treated strictly, but the daughters, who were relatively free from succession, could be given infinite love.
Furthermore, he had to send away as many as five daughters in the meantime.
So he had to terribly cherish his sixth daughter, the eldest of the surviving daughters, Elżbieta—Ela.
— You survived for me!
Ela also wandered on the verge of death when she was young because her body was weak, but she miraculously recovered her health after receiving a ray of light, so even more so.
There was one more reason why Jan III had to cherish Ela.
Ela was born shortly after Jan held his coronation at Wawel Cathedral in 1674. Therefore, Jan thought she was a gift from God.
It was to the point where he often called his sixth daughter by the nickname ‘Little Crown’.
And how beautiful she was.
This girl, who resembled only the strengths of himself and his wife, was a treasure that gave him only happiness, except for the time she wandered on the verge of death when she was young.
This girl, who had been cute and lovely since she was young, showed off her beautiful figure day by day as she grew from a girl into a lady of sixteen this year.
But a daughter growing up inevitably meant that the day to drive a nail into her father's heart was approaching.
Especially regarding men problems.
Jan III, who firmly believed that Ela would never rot his insides in his life, felt his legs give way and sat down on the spot, his reputation as the Iron Monarch colorless, the moment he personally discovered his daughter lying naked and hugging a Tatar tightly in his own palace garden.
"Everyone keep your mouths shut. If this story leaks out of the palace, I will deal with it severely!"
That didn't mean rumors wouldn't leak out, but Jan had to at least buy time to settle things.
Finally hearing the news that the Tatar had awakened, Jan convened a secret family meeting (or trial).
Soon the Tatar was dragged in. The princess came, and his wife, who had turned pale, also came.
A few reliable retainers also attended.
The soldiers forced the prisoner dressed in rags to kneel in the center of the audience chamber.
Jan didn't even want to see that bastard's face, so he washed his face with dry hands repeatedly and opened his mouth.
"Explain what this is about."
One of the retainers cleared his throat and spoke.
"Your Majesty, judging by this man's exotic appearance, I suspect the Crimean Khanate or the Ottomans have plotted a scheme."
Indeed, a wise subject. He gave the correct answer first.
It had to be so.
That was the only way to save his daughter's honor.
If all this was a conspiracy of hostile forces, his daughter would just be a pitiful victim. Jan could even use this anger.
"Yes, that must be it. It has to be."
Muttering so, Jan looked at his daughter.
Jan III also knew.
The posture of his daughter and that Tatar hugging each other was far from an assassin and his target.
Rather, they looked like lovers deeply in love.
But it didn't matter.
Jan expected a proper answer to come out of his daughter's mouth.
My brilliant daughter. You know your answer, right?
Jan expressed anger at his daughter for the first time.
The sixteen-year-old daughter, who had not yet shed her girlishness, would surely be terrified by her father's overbearing attitude.
But Ela did not live up to his expectations.
Ela was surprisingly calm. Rather, the princess seemed to be deep in thought.
"I said speak quickly!"
Queen Marie pressed her.
Ela looked at Jan and Marie for a moment, and then.
She slowly knelt.
"Father, this person is someone I truly love."
"······."
Jan dropped the scepter he was holding.
"Your... Your Majesty!"
Retainers supported Jan's body as he was about to collapse. Jan practically begged now.
"Daughter, my daughter. Don't you see your father aging and getting sick? Don't you see this father working hard for this kingdom, our subjects, and our family?"
Jan knelt facing his kneeling daughter. Even though his retainers and wife tried to stop him, he shook them off.
"Daughter!"
But Ela did not get up in the end, shedding tears.
Jan stood up, engulfed in immense anger.
And he drew his sword.
Everyone was bewildered. Marie jumped and blocked Ela's front.
But Jan had no intention of harming his daughter in the first place.
Because all these sins were caused by that damn Tatar.
With cold eyes, he strode towards the Tatar.
He looked as young as his daughter.
Yet his physique was magnificent.
Excellent military talent...
Jan hurriedly shook his head to erase the strange thought. Isn't that Tatar looking up and staring at his daughter impudently right now?
The affection contained in that gaze was so detestable that Jan had to put the blade to the Tatar's neck and shout.
"Who are you!"
Jeong-hun looked at the sharp blade placed on his neck. He felt a faint smell of blood. It must be an object that has actually cut people.
Normally, he would have frozen.
Because it was a situation he was experiencing for the first time in his life.
But this situation was so vivid that he felt a surreal feeling in reverse.
Why on earth did we fall into this situation? What happened? He still couldn't find the answer.
Did we die?
And were we reborn?
Then is this the afterlife?
Or did we come to the time when this Wilanów was built by the order of its former owner?
And is that former owner this very person in front of me?
Let's answer the given question first.
He shouldn't dare to lie to the King.
Even ordinary mid-sized or large company presidents or executives played above the head of a mere employee, but what about a King?
People who have risen to this level easily distinguished between lies and truth. Especially when the other person was young.
"I am just a commoner."
(End of Chapter)
— Translated by Prime Works —