American: Native Empire

As the world’s sea routes became shorter, there were still limits to logistics. 

And such limits always invited challenges.

The reason why Sturdy Pants started his challenge was rather common.

“Ugh… fish…”

“Fish is right here, isn’t it?”

“I mean fresh fish or saltwater fish! When are we going to the sea again?”

“Haha. Let’s go this summer.”

“Do I have to wait until then?”

Sturdy Pants puffed his cheeks and expressed his dissatisfaction. But his father just smiled awkwardly.

He had liked fish since he was young. 

But he lived in an inland area far from the sea. 

As a result, fresh fish was still quite rare.

Therefore, he had to go to the nearby coast to eat delicious and fresh saltwater fish. 

It was hard to go to the sea just for fish.

This had a big impact on him even after he grew up.

“Isn’t there a way to eat fresh fish in our town?”

Of course, he could go to the coast if he wanted to, since he was an adult now, but he wished that there were no children who couldn’t eat delicious fish like he did when he was young.

So he built up enough achievements at the Imperial University and then went to the Earth Research Institute, located in the Southern Continent, as a senior researcher.

The Earth Group was now very famous for cars and aviation, but it started with distribution. 

Especially, the Earth Group was still considered the best in the food distribution industry.

Thanks to this, the Earth Research Institute was still very large among food-related research institutes. 

It was even bigger than the car research institute now.

“So this is the Golden Lake’s research institute.”

On his first day at work at the Earth Research Institute, Sturdy Pants muttered as he looked at the entrance of the institute.

Golden Lake had gained tremendous fame after commercializing engines and cars, but he never stopped researching.

He did not forget his past passion for becoming a scientist. 

He continued to improve engines and cars without interruption, and even occasionally researched airplanes, which allowed the Earth Group to enter the aviation industry.

Sturdy Pants also admired Golden Lake as an engineer. 

In fact, it was rare for an engineer not to envy Golden Lake.

“Haha. I sincerely thank you for coming all the way from the Imperial University.”

“Don’t mention it. I should thank you for offering me this opportunity.”

What he said to the director of the institute was sincere. 

The Imperial University was a crucible of geniuses. 

It took a very long time to reach a position where he could lead research there, and he couldn’t even guarantee that he would get there.

It was a distant story for Sturdy Pants, who was still quite young. 

And he didn’t want to wait that long.

That’s why he moved right away when the Earth Research Institute offered him a senior researcher position. 

Sturdy Pants wanted to start his own research as soon as possible.

“We will provide you with enough support, so please feel free to do whatever research you want.”

“Thank you.”

After that, while assigning laboratories and recruiting researchers, he spent time organizing what he had been planning from his childhood until now.

‘I need to improve the refrigerator to keep fish fresh.’

In fact, there were already refrigerators. 

They were required in many experiments that needed to maintain low temperatures.

But most of the refrigerators were used for industrial purposes. 

Sturdy Pants wanted to break this reality and popularize refrigerators.

‘If I can attach refrigerators to trains, ships, or large trucks…’

He could keep fish and other perishable foods relatively fresh for a long time and transport them to distant areas.

‘I also need a refrigerator for home use.’

After all, households were the main consumers of food. 

No matter how fresh they were during transportation, they would spoil during the time it took to get home or after buying them.

A refrigerator for home use was essential to realize his ideal.

After finishing his plan roughly, Sturdy Pants met Golden Lake, whom he had longed for so much.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Golden Lake.”

“Oh, you’re the one who came from the Imperial University…”

“Yes.”

“Haha. I see. I look forward to working with you.”

Golden Lake received his greeting naturally. 

He had not lost his original intention, but he knew his position well. 

As the Earth Research Institute became more famous, there were more and more people from the Imperial University, and there were also many who transferred to see him.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Sturdy Pants handed him a blueprint.

“What is this?”

“It’s the research I want to do, and I want to ask for your opinion, Golden Lake.”

“Hmm.”

This was also something he had experienced often, so Golden Lake read the blueprint carefully.

Then he sparkled his eyes.

“Ho ho. This is interesting.”

“Is it?”

Sturdy Pants’s face brightened with a very positive reaction.

It was not an empty word. 

Golden Lake was actually interested in the content of the blueprint.

His research so far had been mostly related to transportation. 

And the blueprint of Sturdy Pants had a method of putting a refrigerator in the transportation.

“Yes. Well, it depends on the case, but I also had this idea once. As you know, it’s very hot when you get in a car in the summer. It’s like being in a steamer.”

“Um. That’s right.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if you could cool the inside of the car?”

“Ah…”

Sturdy Pants nodded his head. Golden Lake’s words were correct.

However, Golden Lake soon shook his head.

“But putting an air conditioner in a car is too difficult for now. At least until the air conditioner is miniaturized…”

“I think I know what you mean. This kind of research has to be done first to make it possible.”

“There are steps to everything.”

“I have to get this research done quickly, right? Please give me some advice when you have time, Golden Lake.”

“Haha. Sure.”

Golden Lake nodded his head lightly. 

Of course, he was busy with his own research, but he had enough reason to spare time because it matched his own interests of wanting to put an air conditioner in his car.

In fact, after Sturdy Pants’s research began, Golden Lake often visited his laboratory and gave him various help.

As a result, Sturdy Pants was able to develop not only refrigerators for transportation and home use, but also air conditioners.

***

“As expected, I can’t handle it at all.”

Kim Ki-woo muttered as he read the report in his office.

 Then, the finance director who handed him the report and quietly kept his seat cautiously opened his mouth.

“The thing you were worried about is happening, Your Majesty.”

“It can’t be helped. That’s why we’ve been preparing for it in advance.”

Until then, they had used gold, silver, and copper coins. 

Considering that the gold standard was implemented in Britain in the early 19th century in the original history, this was quite different.

As a result, many problems had arisen by now.

It was very difficult to maintain a constant currency value between each coin, and more importantly, the world economy was expanding so crazily that there was a severe shortage of money.

‘I can’t delay the gold standard any longer.’

The gold standard was a system that maintained an equivalent relationship between the value of money and a certain amount of gold.

Of course, as time passed, if the money became too abundant due to rapid inflation, it would be difficult to maintain the gold standard. 

But until then, they could use the gold standard very conveniently.

“How much time is left until we produce enough banknotes?”

“It seems that everything will be finished in about a month.”

“I see. Since counterfeit banknotes could cause trouble, remember to make them as hard to forge as possible.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

If banknotes were issued and circulated, counterfeit banknotes would surely follow. 

To prevent this, they had accumulated anti-counterfeiting technology for a long time.

The moment counterfeit money prevailed, it could deal a fatal blow to the credibility of banknotes.

After a month passed, Kim Ki-woo declared the gold standard.

“From now on, we will issue banknotes that are convertible with a certain amount of gold. Gradually, most transactions will be replaced by banknotes instead of gold coins.”

He also announced several laws along with this. 

The one he paid most attention to was the punishment for counterfeiting banknotes. 

The penalty for those who were involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit money was very severe. 

Kim Ki-woo had no intention of forgiving them.

“The gold standard?”

“Are you kidding me? These pieces of paper are money?”

Naturally, the whole world focused on the declaration of the gold standard.

“Well. I also thought that the world economy was growing too fast and there would be a shortage of money.”

“Hmm. I wonder if this policy can succeed.”

“Even if it succeeds, if the world economy continues to expand, it will be hard to maintain the gold standard someday.”

The intellectuals of the world debated over this. 

And naturally, it brought a huge impact on the world economy.

But unlike the original history, the empire’s military and economic power was so overwhelming that the economy gradually stabilized over time.

***

Around this time, the average temperature dropped or abnormal weather occurred more frequently around the world. 

Naturally, there were many cases of crop failure.

But ironically, there was an excess of food in the world. 

Agricultural machines had developed and produced an enormous amount of food from the vast land of Wakan Tanka Empire.

“Wow… This is amazing!”

The people who looked around the empire’s vast grain fields all exclaimed in admiration.

Even though the absolute number of farmers had decreased, thanks to the agricultural machines, it was not easy to find idle land anymore.

It was so serious that the imperial government had to intervene and limit the expansion of cultivated land.

Otherwise, the price of grain would have plummeted repeatedly.

Anyway, the people of the World Union member countries no longer suffered from hunger. 

And this was reflected in the global population explosion.

Then, the pessimistic outlooks increased.

“The current farming method consumes too much soil fertility. It’s only because we still have guano, but as time goes by, we won’t be able to support the growing population. Therefore, we need to limit births worldwide.”

This was an old argument, but it gained more strength as the natural fertilizer was gradually depleted.

To farm, there had to be enough nitrogen dissolved in the soil. 

Guano had played that role until now.

That was why many people predicted that if guano ran out, food production would plummet.

In fact, there were quite a few people who kept an eye on the remaining amount of guano and prepared to hoard food.

“Nitrogen… Nitrogen is the problem.”

“There is so much nitrogen in the air…”

The chemists thought that this would not be a problem at all if they had a new way to supply nitrogen to the soil.

Therefore, many universities and research institutes conducted research related to this.

And as always, the Imperial University was at the forefront of this. 

There were many places that had built a great reputation in other fields besides the Imperial University, but in the field of chemistry, the Imperial University was dominant over all universities and research institutes.

There were many other reasons, but the biggest reason was that there were many geniuses in the Imperial University’s chemistry department.

Among them, there was also a warm hat who made dynamite.

He had finished his research on dynamite and spent some time reading books endlessly.

But as always, it was time to start a new research.

“Nitrogen…”

What he focused on was none other than nitrogen.