Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 914
Episode 914: The Imperial March 2 – Assault return, running on the ground. (2)
The coiners strongly insisted that their monarchs begin negotiations.
“The Korean Federal Empire wants to negotiate now! “We must negotiate too!”
“They want to negotiate? “Is there any basis?”
“The basis is that the former emperor of the Korean Federal Empire has come! “It means they are willing to negotiate too!”
“Hmm….”
“Your Highness! Negotiation comes first! “Please consider their might!”
As the monarchs showed hesitation, the Chinese faction took the lead in negotiations even more forcefully.
Even after seeing these actions of the Juhwa faction, the Juhwa faction could not easily oppose them.
This was because the current situation in Italy was not one to call for war carelessly.
* * *
While the envoys of the countries involved, starting with France, were busy going back and forth and playing a boring tug-of-war, the empire diligently mobilized Swiss mercenaries.
Thanks to the empire’s diligence, the empire created its target of 100,000 Swiss mercenaries in less than half a year.
Although there was still considerable finishing work to be done, the intended goal was achieved.
“If it doesn’t work out, we’ll have to do the final finishing touches through actual combat…”
In some ways, this was a very callous assessment from the Imperial Army instructors and commanders. But the pressure of that number of 100,000 was very strong.
Immediately, a force of 100,000, including the imperial army, the Swiss mercenary unit, and the Florentine standing army, was crouching in Florence and preparing to rush out.
What was even scarier was that these 100,000 were not the end. Through a reserve force system modeled after the empire, it was possible to increase up to 30,000 troops if necessary. In addition, Switzerland could mobilize more than 50,000 troops if necessary. At least.
“But… the empire only has a standing army of 300,000…”
“It’s terrible… It’s fortunate that the distance is far away and that we can take a breather if we block Suez properly.”
However, as the imperial fleet departing from Shinji arrived in Italy, the headaches multiplied.
Additionally, it became impossible to detour through Switzerland. This was because 25,000 of the mercenaries contracted with the empire remained in Switzerland. The detour route had disappeared due to the 25,000 mercenary troops trapped in the naturally protected area of the Alps.
“Even if there was a detour, the biggest problem is that it remains the same…”
“That’s right.”
Even if you passed through the Alpine corridor located in Switzerland and entered Italy, you would still end up dealing with that damn 100,000 army that was holding out in Florence.
“It will be a headache if the three-way negotiations do not succeed….”
“We must make the three-way negotiations successful.”
The immediate task for the main fighters was not the opening of the war, but the success of the three-way negotiations.
* * *
Because of this background, the main proponents kept quiet. Meanwhile, a small number of extremists were meeting secretly.
“How much value would a former emperor of an empire have?”
“Of course it’s worth a lot of money, right?”
“What if we could just kill him? What will happen to the morale of the imperial army in Italy?”
“Will the empire stay still?”
“Think about the time it takes for news of an assassination to spread, the time it takes to decide what to do about it, and the time it takes to act on that decision. “Italy will have already been sorted out by then.”
“You have to consider that the imperial army in Italy is also quite large.”
“Of course, it will move back and forth without hesitation. That’s better. If that happens, even our talkative cowards will move desperately. Times are changing! How long are you going to stick to chivalry? “The era has come where you have to risk everything and jump in to have everything!”
“That’s not true either. “Let’s think about it.”
The extremists continued to talk while emptying their glasses. The problem was that most of the places where these extremists talked were pillars built by Milwi.
* * *
As Milwi advanced into Europe, he established flag posts in major cities, including the capitals of the great powers. Trained gisaengs and employees were put to work on the Giru built in this way.
These gisaengs and employees were ‘red-haired, white-eyed imperialists.’ Similar cases continued after the young girls Kim Jong-seo rescued from the slave market in Alexandria became famous gisaengs.
Believing that it would make them money, Giru and merchants began to rescue female children from Alexandria and raise them as gisaeng.
Milwi put a spoon on it.
-We have to go to Europe, but our appearance is so different from theirs! It’s the best alternative!
Milwi, who immediately received approval from Hyang, moved quickly. They rescued girls from Alexandria who were sure to grow up to be beautiful girls and raised them as agents of the Secret Service.
Thanks to the fact that he started out as a sword guard guarding a gisaeng house, the secret agents’ eyes were accurate, and the children he rescued grew up to be gisaengs who boasted outstanding beauty.
It wasn’t just about educating gisaeng. Girls with clear qualifications were selected again, and they continued to be trained as intelligence agents whenever they had time, and were made to learn the languages of the European powers. Those who fell behind in this process worked as gisaeng in undercover companies set up in the main branch and Bukji, etc., and were engaged in surveillance missions for those with vested rights.
However, the most important thing was to create absolute loyalty to the empire and the emperor. Through a process that could almost be seen as brainwashing, they became loyal agents of the Milwi.
While most of the female agents were supplied through this process, most of the male agents were from Baekjeong or mixed race.
As exchanges with the outside world increased, the number of people scouted from abroad and settled in the empire also increased, and the number of people who went abroad and formed relationships with women there also increased.
In particular, when stories related to the latter began to be heard little by little, King Sejong and Hyang immediately made a law.
-Anyone who has a relationship with a foreigner must unconditionally marry them and bring them into the empire.
-If there is bigamy, the person concerned will be severely punished.
“We already don’t have enough people, so we have to use these measures!”
In this way, the number of mixed race people increased in the empire, and Milwi turned them into agents.
And like the female agents, those who had passed a process and training that bordered on brainwashing were dispatched to Europe.
And in the undercover base created in Europe, they acted as the owner of the Giru and the gisaeng employees, while the executives of the Milwi acted as servants under them.
Thanks to this, Europe’s vested interests had little aversion to disguised bases. Because they looked the same as them.
And Milwi’s Giru was quite useful politically.
The leaders of political factions were always under surveillance, not surveillance, by hostile forces.
If a banquet was to be held, the nobles attending the banquet would be closely examined to identify their loyalists.
Hosting a banquet there itself required considerable expenditure.
However, at Giru, it was possible to meet under the guise of coincidence, and the expenses were relatively less compared to a banquet.
In addition, political negotiations took place in unexpected places as people of all factions gathered at the base.
Thanks to this, Giru became a place where nobles always gathered.
Before Hyang intervened, ‘Girl politics’ was born at least 200 years earlier than ‘Salon politics’, which had been popular since the absolute monarchy in history.
* * *
The extremists’ plot to assassinate Hyang immediately reached Milwi’s ears.
After receiving the report, the branch manager of the Milwi made a decision right away.
“First come first, then second go.” “Remove it immediately.”
“ancient!”
“Who has the best shooting skills?”
“James is the best.”
“Call me right away.”
“ancient!”
When the subordinate went outside to call James, the branch manager unlocked the safe on one side and took out two long boxes and a slightly smaller box.
“Did you call me?”
“There are people trying to assassinate His Majesty Tae Sang-tae. It must be removed. “Can you do it?”
“We will definitely remove it.”
The blond man named James answered with a stern expression. After hearing James’ answer, the branch manager opened a small box and took out a small book.
“It’s a license to kill. “Write down your name, sign the order, and put a stamp on it.”
“ancient!”
James wrote his name on the license issued by the branch manager and signed the contract. Afterwards, James took out the sword he was carrying and bled on his hand, leaving a red handprint on the murder license.
When James, who had wiped the blood and bandaged up, stood in front again, the branch manager held out two boxes.
“It’s a silenced gun. “How much time will it take to get used to it again?”
“It’ll take just two days.”
In response to James’ response, the branch manager took out a key from his desk drawer and handed it to him.
“Use basement room 2.”
“yes.”
* * *
Five days later, in a luxury residential area in Paris.
It was a place where the mansions used by nobles with estates in the provinces when staying in Paris and the mansions where wealthy merchants and capitalists stayed were gathered.
When darkness had completely settled in, a carriage stopped at one of the mansions where nobles stayed.
“Are you back, Baron?”
“Okay, I’m going to change my clothes and go out right away, so get me ready.”
“yes.”
When the servant waiting in front of the entrance opened the door, the Baron got out of the carriage, talked about his future plans, and climbed the stairs of the entrance.
puck!
When the Baron stood in front of the door, a bullet flew from somewhere and hit the Baron’s head.
“Baron!”
“Baron!”
“It’s an assassination!”
“It’s an assassination!”
The servant and coachman who followed rushed towards the fallen baron, screaming like a scream.
“What’s going on!”
“omg!”
Those who came out to hear the commotion outside were shocked to see the Baron dead, bleeding from his head.
The men, whose faces turned white, urged the servant who was hugging the fallen baron.
“Where did the bullet come from!”
“I don’t know!”
“You must have heard gunshots!”
“I didn’t hear you!”
“I didn’t hear it either!”
“What?”
In response to the servant and coachman’s response, the men raised their heads and looked in all directions. But I couldn’t find any traces anywhere.
Meanwhile, in a dark alley about 70 yards (about 200 meters) away from where the assassination occurred, James quietly disassembled a silenced rifle, hid it in a secret pocket in his coat, and walked away.
“The smell…”
James, who was slightly frowning at the unique stinging smell that comes after gunpowder is burned, soon chuckled.
“Paris and Europe are places where odors worse than this are overflowing…”
Whether the rich or the poor live, Paris and Europe are places filled with excrement and garbage and filled with the smell of decay.
“I miss Seoul…”
These assassinations did not only occur in Paris.
Similar things happened in Vienna and Madrid.
And the nobles of the three countries regarded this as the behavior of hostile factions, and revenge, not revenge, began to occur.