Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Surviving Child

The basics of the economy are supply and demand.

And in most cases the world revolves around demand. No, from what I see it seems so.

Even from the point that the most closed country in the world North Joseon desperately pulls smuggling and imports Benz and luxury watches, and from the point that no one will capture even if Chikorita appears instead of Caterpie and Rattata in the grass in front of the beginner village, it was proven that demand is much more important than supply.

- What kind of analogy is that. Talk so even grandpa can understand!

It’s perfect so why.

If you don’t like this analogy I’ll change it to ‘even if the amount of seafood bibim sauce and budion distributed to military units is increased 10 times, soldiers don’t eat that 10 times more’.

- I don’t understand at all...

The reason I caught this half-baked economics lecture as the introduction is simple.

Because demand for coffee and chocolate newly arose in the most closed country in the world, Joseon.

“That coffee decoction has truly good efficacy.”

“I let our son drink a bit and he doesn’t sleep at all and digs into books?”

If there is demand, humans who want to sell somehow and make money line up.

Even if the king of this country is one of that demand, national law is nothing.

Moreover coffee and chocolate are basically food.

They are greatly affected by freshness.

“Stop! Your ships are suspicious so I have to check!”

“Hehe. Please receive this.”

“Hmm. Don’t do useless things!!”

In the past the center of Joseon’s smuggling trade was by far Hwanghae Province. Since Joseon’s only export products are ginseng and red ginseng, naturally Hwanghae Province with the Gaeseong Song merchants who tightly hold that red ginseng trade became the smuggling hub.

But now it was different.

To satisfy consumers, these coffee and chocolate smugglers went up the Han River and conducted trade right in front of Hanyang.

So.

“Huh?”

“Ek.”

“Yo, son of the Dragon King! Impossible! You should be dead!! Ghost, begone!!!”

“No matter how fierce a storm rages, there’s no way I who receive the protection of the sea would die.”

Arthur and the Guangdong merchant (aka pirate) Wang Pal meeting somewhere on the Han River bank was not coincidence but inevitability.

***

It was truly hellish days.

Confucius who said learning and practicing is a pleasure is definitely a pervert. Pleasure is only once or twice, if one experiences this merciless cramming education everyone grows into twisted adults as a matter of course.

The Joseon court officially adopted ‘Lee Aseul? Who is that? Was there such a child? Nothing happened!’ and entered a completely don’t know system, but the scholar-officials at the top of Joseon society secretly projected their passion for their learning onto this genius Western boy.

“Come. A scholar should be skilled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Cleanse the mind and-”

“M-my arm hurts.”

Even when tormented by people like Yi Hangro and Gi Jeongjin and learning Confucian classics, I just went along.

Conversely thinking, unless one regards one’s own learning level as comparable to those two, one can’t recklessly challenge.

“I’ll bring my teacher.”

“Who is Your Excellency’s teacher?”

“An excellent person.”

Lee Ha-eung who was showing off that he would teach painting and was immediately ignored like that, whether his pride was scratched, disappeared saying he would bring his teacher.

“He mastered the Analects at seven?”

“A-no. I can only roughly read.”

“Don’t worry. I just came to teach you a little calligraphy as a pastime.”

This crazy guy brought Chusa Kim Jeonghui. Really physiognomy is science. How can he go so recklessly.

At first I thought Heonjong or the Andong Kim clan people would completely bury me in the countryside, but fortunately that wasn’t the case so I lived a life of going back and forth between Hanyang and Gyeonggi countryside for several years.

And when the rumor that the Opium War ended reached my ears too.

“Now I really have to go to my hometown.”

“Heo. If a little more there seems to be great progress in learning.”

“However, shouldn’t I inform as soon as possible that I am alive to fulfill filial piety? If one learns but does not actually practice, isn’t this not right?”

From then on I seriously looked for a smuggling ship for return.

As repeatedly said, the Joseon court was twisting its whole body not to give Qing the misunderstanding that they are close to Britain, and of course my return also could not follow the general process.

And I happened to find one guy with a weakness, and my return plan was prepared in a straight line as if sails on a fair wind.

Finally.

The day to leave Joseon came.

“Hmph. Just go away.”

“Anyone who sees would think there’s a separate child.”

Except for a few servants like Maksoe, the people who came out to see me off were only Lee Ha-eung and Kim Byeonggi two people. Since it was smuggling from the beginning, even two people coming out was amazing.

“I properly admonished that Chinese person. That guy also knows that if he offends our Kim clan’s mood it won’t be fun so he won’t harm you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Knowing is enough.”

They prepared quite a lot.

A luggage bundle including a few sets of clothes to change into and a bunch of yakgwa and rice cakes I often ate. Plus a little silver used in China. Moreover they even prepared some red ginseng to use as travel money. I do have virtue.

Lee Ha-eung was not releasing an expression thickly coated with even more spite today, and he called a servant to bring something and held it out to me.

“Receive it.”

“What is it?”

“A scholar must properly attire himself.”

- A gat?

What he handed over was a gat.

“Since it’s a distant land across the water the customs are of course different and there will be no occasion to wear a gat, but didn’t you say you would return at least once.”

“Of course.”

“Then since you will of course see a wife and children when you go, if you’re not going to come shabbily by drifting like last time you should properly dress and come. Wear it and come then.”

“How coy...”

“This impudent guy, where are you teasing an adult!”

“When I come next time I will definitely return wearing the attire you all prepared.”

That moment.

I who became interested in Lee Ha-eung’s gaze looking at the distant mountain spat out words I had never thought of even once.

“How about going with me?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you curious about Britain? Weren’t you the most curious?”

“Since Your Majesty takes interest in the objects of Westerners I as a distant relative of the royal family merely followed Your Majesty’s will. Interest!”

Going alone is best.

Because one must monopolize the public’s interest.

But while looking at Heungseon Daewongun who would later be known as Joseon’s last flame, I suddenly took out an absurd proposal.

“Rather than me going alone clumsily, wouldn’t it be better to have a fully grown adult. Think of it as saving just me and go together.”

“······Enough.”

He who pondered for a moment squeezed out words of refusal.

“You will eat well and live well wherever you go even without a companion. Don’t worry and just go.”

“Then... thanks to everyone, I was able to stay safely. Please stay unharmed until the day we meet again.”

Finally.

I offered a bow once.

Turned my body and boarded the smuggling ship.

Now.

I’m going to put Europe in my hands.

***

According to a certain legendary fantasy novel of Britain, there is a magic school hidden in Britain that raises wizards.

I still wonder whether the place I fell is really ‘the past Earth’, or a worldview where monsters or superpowers run rampant, but at least since I went around both China and Joseon and never met a martial artist shooting sword energy or a terrifying yokai, it doesn’t seem like a fantasy or martial arts worldview.

Then, even if it is a world where a magic school exists, there will be no particular entanglement with me. Because I’m 50 or 60 years older than Dumbledore. Not to mention the noseless evil wizard. I don’t have to worry about suddenly being polymorphed into a gunpowder barrel while sleeping.

The magic I will use from now on can’t open locks or summon objects.

But I guarantee it will overturn all of this Europe and the world.

1842.

After arriving in Hong Kong riding the Guangdong merchants’ smuggling ship, I met the Westerners there. They launched a fast ship and sent news about ‘the only survivor’ to London.

And when I reached London the year had changed to 1843.

Finally.

Finally I returned.

I who was shipwrecked in 37 and drifted on the sea returned to London only in 42.

Even in Hong Kong.

Even in India.

As soon as I set foot a huge commotion broke out.

- How on earth is this possible? It’s amazing that you survived but... it’s just one kid?

Is it hard for the jar ghost to understand.

Ah, this is the power of the ‘press’.

Did I dawdle in Hong Kong and do various adjustments for nothing?

‘Sob sob. I’m so scared.’

‘Child. Don’t cry and calm down a bit. What happened?’

‘It’s not that, even if I return, parents and no one is there...’

‘Don’t worry! We’ll definitely help so relatives can find you!!’

The people I met in Hong Kong were diverse.

Traders who remember father, or for whom that sea disaster doesn’t feel like someone else’s business.

People connected to the East India Company where father worked.

Missionaries who are pricking up their antennae about Christian persecution and the possibility of proselytizing in Joseon.

And... even journalists who smelled a scoop in my story.

As a result of meeting all of them and doing all the pre-stop work.

<​The child who survived 5 years in the barbaric land of Asia!>

<​Even storms and barbarism could not break the Anglo-Saxon soul>

<​The spirit of the British Empire! The Union Jack flutters vigorously even in the Far East!>

<​How did a seven-year-old child keep the faith in the den of barbarism>

<​Asian trait: protects a 7-year-old child who washed up, European trait: shoots and kills with guns saying don’t block opium>

<​Her Majesty the Queen declared she would help this pitiful child>

Kua.

Look at this.

Articles are pouring out endlessly one after another.

“You have to get off carefully! Don’t slip!”

“Thank you. I’ll be careful.”

I dressed neatly in European-style clothes newly fitted in Hong Kong.

And carefully set foot on the land of London.

Amid thousands, tens of thousands of crowds swarming saying they would watch me.

I discovered the two people at the very front and vigorously stretched out both arms.

“Arthur!”

“Arthur? Is it really Arthur? My goodness!”

“Wow. Hyung and noona grew a lot. Did you miss me?”

“Oh God. Oh God.”

“You bastard... I almost didn’t recognize you. How many years later did you return.”

We three siblings held on tightly like that and didn’t separate for a while.

Finally returned.

To the family’s embrace.

To the last remaining refuge.

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Author's note

Thank you to psm, High School Girl Hunter for your sponsorships!!