There were quite a few holidays in the empire.
However, most of them were to commorate Kim Ki-woos achievents, such as the day he arrived, the founding day of the empire, his birthday, the day he first announced the Korean alphabet, the day he first produced iron, and so on.
This was partly because the history of the Wakan Tanka Empire was short, but also because it ant that Kim Ki-woo had accomplished many things in the empire.
Of course, there was no such thing as Christmas or any other Western holiday.
The most important event at the end of the year was only one: the dal ceremony.
This year, too, everything passed by, and the day of the dal ceremony finally ca.
This years recipients are quite impressive.
Not only the imperial college, but also several other colleges had settled down by now, and there were many scholars as well.
Moreover, since the developnt of the microscope, the level of research had been improving day by day.
Many scholars had worked hard to discover or invent new concepts and phenona for the first ti, like the discovery of microorganisms.
Among them, this year was especially remarkable for its academic progress.
There are a lot of dal recipients this year.
Looking at those brilliant scholars, I think the future of the empire is very bright.
Haha! I think so too.
The ministers who attended the dal ceremony also admired the many recipients.
Kim Ki-woo scanned with his eyes the few scholars who had achieved outstanding academic results among the nurous scholars.
After a while, the official dal ceremony began.
The first ones to receive dals were the elite researchers who belonged to the research complex in the palace.
They certainly had Kim Ki-woos help, but they were also the ones who had achieved excellent research results, so every year there were always dal recipients from them.
Youve done a great job. Keep up the good work.
Yes. I will do my best.
Kim Ki-woo awarded dals to each of them and gave them complints.
After all the researchers in the research complex received their dals, a scholar nad Bright Moon ca up to Kim Ki-woo.
Are you Bright Moon?
Your Majesty, it is an honor that you call my na!
Haha. How can I not know a scholar who developed a wonderful device called a battery? Youve worked very hard.
Thank you!
Bright Moon received his dal with tears in his eyes.
Kim Ki-woo looked at him and thought briefly.
A battery.
The concept of electricity had existed before the empire was established, and there were quite a few scholars who wanted to study electricity.
But no one had achieved as much as Bright Moon in this field.
Although it was an early type of battery that could only be used in a laboratory, making a battery was a very remarkable feat.
Kim Ki-woo knew how important electricity was as an energy source.
It was the energy that would form the basis of modern human society.
As ti went by, Bright Moons research results would shine even more.
And he was still conducting various researches on electricity, so he might be able to achieve even greater results.
Thats sothing that can be done gradually.
Electricity was not that urgent yet.
It would be ideal if it was developed naturally by scholars like this.
As Bright Moon stepped down, another great scholar ca up next.
Hes very big.
Kim Ki-woo admired the man in front of him, who had colorful feathers on him.
He was at least a head taller than himself.
Not only that, but his muscular physique was clearly visible through his clothes.
He looked like a warrior rather than a scholar, who would have succeeded even if he beca one.
The world is really unfair.
He was a man who had everything in the world.
He had a handso face, a superb physique, and an astounding academic achievent.
How have you been?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Haha. I was sorry to let you leave the palace. You have worked very hard.
I am humbled.
I hope you will continue to contribute greatly to the advancent of chemistry.
Yes.
Splendid Feather bowed gracefully.
He was a scholar who had been in the laboratory of the research complex for quite a long ti, so Kim Kiwoo conversed with him comfortably.
Kim Kiwoo thought as he handed him the dal.
I hope that not only oxygen, but also the properties of other substances will be revealed soon.
Splendid Feather captured oxygen from oxidized substances and conducted experints.
He confird that the candle grew bigger as the concentration of oxygen increased, and discovered that oxygen played a decisive role in the combustion of fire.
He also confird that this oxygen caused oxidation reactions.
This was very aningful chemically.
As Splendid Feather stepped down from the podium,
A man who looked like he would only do research in a shabby room, Bright Smile, approached Kim Kiwoo with a nervous smile.
Bright Smile kept his head down and twisted his body this way and that in front of Kim Kiwoo.
Did you say your na was Bright Smile?
Y-yes.
Why are you so nervous?
Well I cant believe Im getting this dal
Kim Kiwoo smiled faintly as he listened to his creeping voice.
Your discovery is worth receiving this dal. Co here and take it.
R-really?
Even though Kim Kiwoo said so, Bright Smile still hesitated, but he accepted the dal that Kim Kiwoo handed him.
I hope you will surprise with your brilliant research in the future. Haha!
Kim Kiwoo patted his shoulder as he said so.
Y-yes
Bright Smile finally smiled faintly.
Kim Kiwoo enjoyed seeing his appearance.
He was such a timid and gloomy man, but he would later be called the father of genetics.
He discovered the laws of inheritance through plant experints.
This revealed dominance and recessiveness, which would surely serve as the most basic foundation for the developnt of biology in the future.
After that, many scholars received dals regardless of their fields.
There were philosophers, and even those who left great marks in the arts, such as writers, musicians, sculptors, etc.
Mathematicians were no exception.
Of course, if I were to receive a dal, I should receive the most.
The person who achieved the most outstanding results regardless of science, philosophy, art, mathematics, etc. was none other than Kim Kiwoo.
But Kim Kiwoo had no intention of receiving a dal.
It was not a good picture for him, the emperor of the empire, to receive such a dal.
Thus, all the dal awards ca to an end.
Kim Kiwoo looked down at all the recipients who sat down with elated expressions and began his speech.
You have all worked hard to devote yourself to research in your respective fields. The dals you received today are just a small reward for your efforts. Your nas will remain in the history books of the empire and will be passed on to future generations for a long ti.
Ah!
A small sigh escaped as Kim Kiwoo asserted this.
It was a heartwarming word.
Most scholars wanted to leave a big mark in their fields.
But I believe in your potential. I am sure that the scholars in front of will achieve even more outstanding results and face again in this place. Am I wrong in saying this?
No!
We will definitely stand here again!
The faces of the elites, who could be called the best in the empire, were engraved with their determination once again.
***
The end of the year passed and finally the beginning of the year, the founding anniversary, ca back.
And the list of last years dal recipients and their achievents spread throughout the empire through newspapers.
Damn it.
Hot Anvil crumpled the newspaper instinctively after checking all the nas.
It was very hard for him to watch the glory of other scholars, artists, and craftsn.
The reason he beca a craftsman was to receive that brilliant dal directly from the great emperor himself.
But he had no talent for studying or artistic sense, so he naturally beca a craftsman.
And he had been working hard until now, reducing his sleeping and eating ti.
Thanks to that, he beca a renowned craftsman in the Black Sky Research Institute.
But you didnt achieve enough to get a dal, did you?
Among the dal recipients, there was even a young scholar who was only twenty-seven years old.
Of course, he was an exceptional case, but as a forty-sothing Hot Anvil, he couldnt help but feel relatively deprived.
But its not much left.
He was really confident this ti.
If he completed this research that he was overseeing now, he would surely be able to participate in the dal award ceremony at the end of this year, or at least by the end of next year.
He had already set up most of the processes by now.
Hot Anvil swallowed his anger and headed to the research institute located in Black Sky.
Youre here.
Inside the research institute, as he headed to his team, his subordinate craftsn greeted him.
Yeah. Finish what you were doing.
Yes.
After finishing his words, Hot Anvil quickly checked each process again.
You cant fail.
He had already failed twice because of trivial mistakes.
And he had eaten up a considerable part of the allocated research budget.
If he failed again this ti, his team might be ruined.
Is there anything wrong here?
No. Its exactly as we checked two days ago.
Check it again.
What?
Check it again. It might have been twisted two days ago.
Okay.
So Hot Anvil checked every little thing with his own eyes like an obsession.
That took another few days.
It seems like theres really nothing wrong now.
Hmm Good. Then lets start the test run.
Yes!
As the start signal finally ca after a long ti of maintenance, the faces of the craftsn brightened up sharply.
They ran quickly to the steam engine, which was the only one in the research institute.
This steam engine was what Hot Anvils research was all about.
It showed how much interest there was in his research even within the research institute.
Its working! Be careful everyone!
While Hot Anvil was concentrating.
The steam engine heated up and started to spin.
Squeak!
Whoo!
Soon, a loud noise was heard, and the long conveyor belt started to move slowly by the power of the steam engine.
Hot Anvil watched the whole process with eagle eyes.
He had succeeded until this part last ti, but the conveyor belts accessories couldnt withstand the power of the steam engine and broke.
But this ti was quite different from last ti.
The conveyor belt kept moving steadily forward even as ti passed.
Good!
Hot Anvil clenched his fist tightly.
It was because the conveyor belt was moving at a constant speed even after more than an hour had passed.
He looked at the conveyor belt and was sure.
This will surely bring a huge improvent in productivity.
Of course, he didnt know when he could use the steam engine in the factory, but he was sure that it would completely change the appearance of the factory over ti.
He believed that it was much faster for several people to do one thing continuously than for one person to do all the work by himself.
And this is just the beginning.
The world that Hot Anvil dread of was where these machines replaced human labor and produced goods endlessly.
Of course, it would take more ti for Hot Anvils thoughts to co true.
The concepts of division of labor and standardization were not firmly established yet, and not only was steel scarce, but tal processing technology also had to develop further for Hot Anvils imagination to beco reality.
But what was certain was that the concept of mass production of small products had begun to erge in the empire.
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