Black Corporation: Joseon

The signal lights from Gamoksabo spread like rippling waves to the rear and surrounding areas.

Forts and garrisons that confirmed the signal lights immediately raised alerts while relaying signals to the rear.

Thanks to this, before half a day had passed since the battle at Gamoksabo, the Defense Ministry in Hanseong could confirm the urgent message.

“We have additional telegrams from the forts and garrisons near Gamoksabo. They report entering alert status immediately upon receiving Gamoksabo’s urgent message.”

At the emergency meeting called as soon as they received Gamoksabo’s urgent message, Jo Mal-saeng checked the situation with a tense expression.

“It’s fortunate the surrounding forts and garrisons responded with emergency measures, but has contact been made with the mobile patrol?”

“Yes. The urgent message was relayed to the mobile unit that happened to stop for supplies, and they immediately deployed.”

“How many cho mobilized?”

“Three cho.”

Hearing the report, Jo Mal-saeng stroked his beard and calculated.

A cho at full strength is 640 men. With three cho that’s almost 2,000, and mobile patrol units always include one gi (125 men) of artillery troops, so the combat power should be sufficient.

Having reached a somewhat positive conclusion from his mental calculations, Jo Mal-saeng’s tension eased slightly.

As he relaxed, another thought occurred to him.

Despite all the talk, the Crown Prince’s reforms have proven quite useful.

***

During the reforms, King Sejong overhauled many things. Needless to say, Hyang was involved in this process.

“Simpler! More intuitive! More specialized!”

“The most important thing is increasing efficiency!”

Shouting such things, Hyang restructured the entire administrative system starting with the central government.

Of course, it wasn’t easy to overhaul an administrative structure that had barely changed names for nearly a thousand years.

“This has no precedent in the classics or in prior examples!”

Though such opposition burst forth from all directions, Sejong pushed forward firmly.

“Though it may not be in the classics, following thousand-year-old standards brings more harm than benefit! And no prior examples? Isn’t that obvious? We’re implementing this for the first time!”

“But, but…”

“Have you forgotten that even those classics were once radical changes a thousand years ago!”

With Sejong pushing firmly like this, administrative organizational reform was achieved.

In this process of reform, the military was the first to receive Hyang’s influence.

“Operating haphazardly and inconsistently like now will leak budget!”

Thus, Hyang restructured the military’s organizational system.

Through these implemented reforms, the Joseon military’s organization achieved excellent efficiency.

“The absolutely unchanging basic unit is the wo (squad)! A wo must always have five men! When moving up from wo to higher units, multiples of five are standard!”

Additionally, units were divided into Type A and Type B.

Type A units stationed at the front maintained full strength following the rule of multiples of five, while Type B units in the rear were composed of at least double, normally triple strength. Moreover, the composition ratios between different military branches were regulated according to the organization.

Through this process of fixing the organization, the Joseon military’s operational efficiency improved dramatically.

Of course, there was much talk within the military as well. However, opposition faded away as utility was confirmed through actual combat like the subjugation of troublemaking Hwachek throughout Joseon, suppression of the Giyu Rebellion, and putting down the barbarian invasion caused by Yi Manchu and Mengtemu.

Even in history before Hyang’s intervention, Crown Prince Munjong, being a military enthusiast, had revised Joseon’s military system to match the Five Guards system.

But with Hyang’s intervention, the scope of reform became tremendously larger.

***

When the long-range mobile unit that had stopped briefly for supplies at a fort received the urgent message and arrived at Gamoksabo, battle cleanup was in full swing.

As mobile units arrived one after another, Gamoksabo’s commander Oh Bang-seop greeted them with a confident expression.

“Welcome!”

Dismounting under Oh Bang-seop’s warm welcome, the mobile unit commanders looked at the battlefield being cleaned up and turned to Oh Bang-seop.

“Is it over?”

“Yes, it’s over. A great victory.”

“Congratulations!”

“Congratulations!”

After offering congratulations at Oh Bang-seop’s announcement of victory, the mobile unit commanders listened to his tale of valor. His experience would be valuable reference.

“…We were able to achieve victory using this fort’s solid defensive walls and superior weapons. Of course, the troop disparity was also overwhelming.”

The mobile unit commanders nodded at Oh Bang-seop’s words.

Gamoksabo’s garrison consisted of a sa (approximately 3,200 men) at full strength. Thus, the troop ratio with Ayutawa’s Jurchen was 10:1.

Despite such overwhelming numerical superiority, none of the mobile unit commanders took Oh Bang-seop’s victory lightly.

Looking at conditions before the reforms, defeats against the Jurchen even in 10:1 situations were numerous. Though cavalry versus cavalry often resulted in even matches, in infantry versus cavalry situations, Joseon forces typically lost to the Jurchen.

“What were our casualties?”

At the commanders’ question about friendly casualties, Oh Bang-seop’s expression darkened.

“Twenty light injuries and five serious. No deaths, but civilian casualties were heavy.”

Fifteen deaths and over forty injuries occurred among civilians who were attacked by the Jurchen while evacuating from distant fields.

“Thanks to the farmers fleeing by cart, they only took arrows rather than sword wounds, so it ended at that level.”

“I see.”

After such exchange of battle experiences, the commanders were able to see Ayutawa’s body, killed by the sniper shot.

Ayutawa’s corpse on the cart was stripped naked. His clothes and armor were gathered separately, ready to be sent to Hanseong.

“Clean kill with one shot.”

“Indeed. He probably didn’t even know what hit him before instantly dying.”

“Which soldier made this shot?”

“Right! Such marksmanship! Let’s meet him!”

With sparkling eyes, the commanders sought out the one who had sniped Ayutawa.

Shortly after, Man-bok came to where the commanders were gathered at Oh Bang-seop’s summons.

“Private Man-bok reporting as ordered!”

“You’re the one who took down this fellow?”

“Ye-yes! That’s right!”

“Distance?”

“One hundred jang!”

At the words “one hundred jang,” the commanders looked at Oh Bang-seop. He answered with a face full of pride.

“We call him the divine gunner at our fort.”

“Hmm…”

“Impressive…”

After listening to Oh Bang-seop and examining Man-bok, the commanders quickly spoke up.

“Hey! Want to join our mobile unit?”

“Wh-what? What?”

Man-bok wore a confused expression at the sudden offer, and Oh Bang-seop burst out angrily.

“Really, you people! Where are your manners! Right in front of me!”

After such wrangling, Oh Bang-seop and the commanders turned to Man-bok.

“Well, what would you like to do?”

At Oh Bang-seop’s question, Man-bok stammered his answer.

“I-I get motion sickness on horseback…”

“Oh no!”

“Damn it!”

***

Ten days later, Oh Bang-seop and Man-bok arrived in Hanseong.

They had been summoned to Gyeongbok Palace for King Sejong to commend those who had achieved military merit after receiving the battle report.

“…You strove to protect the people from the most fierce Jurchen, truly great merit! Therefore I bestow medals and rewards!”

“Your grace is boundless!”

Following Sejong’s commendation, medals were awarded and substantial rewards given to commanders and soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle.

Throughout the ceremony, Sejong and Hyang’s attention focused on Oh Bang-seop and Man-bok.

“Authority Officer Oh Bang-seop is promoted to Staff Officer.”

“Your grace is boundless!”

“Oh Bang-seop will transfer to the Tactics Research Department of the General Staff.”

“I humbly accept the command!”

Oh Bang-seop answered full of joy. Beyond the promotion, he was entering the core General Staff.

With a bit more effort, the day I’m called general isn’t far off!

Oh Bang-seop was elated with his dreams and hopes. However, Sejong looking down at Oh Bang-seop had other thoughts.

He seems good at troop deployment from fixed positions. Might be useful to take him to the New Land later.

After handling Oh Bang-seop’s matter, Sejong, Hyang, and the ministers’ attention poured onto Man-bok.

“You’re the one who took down that barbarian leader?”

At Sejong’s question, Man-bok shouted at full volume while trembling.

“Y-yes, Your Majesty!”

“You hit someone a hundred jang away?”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty!”

“It couldn’t have been easy?”

Hyang nodded at Sejong’s words.

The bullet is made to have roughly the power of a 7.62mm NATO round, but that’s just the numerical specs… He managed that with bare eyes, no assistance?

***

The Type-A musket Hyang created used half-chi (about 1.7mm) caliber bullets with black powder.

Simply put, it had a .50 caliber bullet but 7.62mm power.

Consequently, the gun’s performance included maximum range over 800 bo (about 1.4km), maximum effective range 500 bo (about 900m), and effective range 250 bo (about 450m).

But even that 250 bo effective range was achieved in laboratory records and through mass fire suppression by large groups of musketeers. In actual combat, individual shooters could manage 100 bo (about 180m) at best.

Yet now that record had been broken.

***

Man-bok immediately answered Sejong’s question.

“My father taught me!”

“Your father? Oh? What did your father do?”

“He was a hunter!”

“A hunter? I see. What did he mainly hunt well?”

“He was excellent at hunting tigers and leopards! He could take down even great tigers with a single six-yang arrow!”

Sejong greatly admired Man-bok’s answer.

“Truly remarkable! No wonder he raised someone with such excellent marksmanship as you! I would have liked to meet him.”

“He passed away.”

At Man-bok’s answer, Sejong showed genuine regret.

“Oh no! How?”

“Killed by a tiger…”

“Ah…”

Sejong fell silent at Man-bok’s answer. However, Man-bok didn’t appear deeply saddened.

“My father always told me this: ‘Having hunted countless tigers, it’s inevitable that a tiger might take me,’ and ‘Hunting tigers is betting our lives against each other. The outcome depends on who’s luckier, so don’t worry about it.'”

“He was no ordinary man… What a shame to have missed meeting him.”

Sejong, ever eager for talent, couldn’t hide his regret.

Listening to Man-bok’s answers from the side, Hyang began calculating busily internally.

Let’s see… Breathing is important for both bow and gun. And you need to be familiar with your weapon… Bows are the national standard for Joseons so that’s one thing, but guns aren’t… Wait, there’s a familiar term… Right! Jäger! That’s it!