——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
——————
Chapter 11
A heavy sense of dread hung over the ranks of the Joseon navy stationed at Byeokpari.
Rumors had spread like wildfire whispers that the Japanese fleet numbered 133 ships.
The soldiers, unsure when the enemy might strike, were gripped with fear and anxiety.
Under normal circumstances, Admiral Yi Sunsin would have gathered his troops by the shore and delivered a rousing pre-battle speech to lift their spirits.
"If you wish to live, you will die. But if you are prepared to die, you will survive."
This famous quote from Admiral Yi was born from the speech he gave before the legendary Battle of Myeongnyang.
And it was that very speech that filled the Joseon navy with courage, driving them to achieve an immortal victory, one that would be remembered in history.
The triumph at Myeongnyang was not Admiral Yi’s alone. It was the collective achievement of 2,000 nameless Joseon sailors who stood together against impossible odds.
But then…
‘It seems he hasn't prepared.’
Despite the enemy fleet being just half a day away, Admiral Yi had yet to deliver his pre-battle address.
Morale had sunk so low that desertion was imminent.
"This is bad."
At this rate, the terrified soldiers would never pull off the miracle of Myeongnyang.
Yet, there was no way I could pressure Admiral Yi into giving a speech he hadn’t even prepared.
A half-hearted speech would be worse than none at all. I had seen that firsthand from politicians' botched live addresses.
An unprepared speech would only backfire.
The real problem was that Admiral Yi showed no sign of composing one in time.
If only speeches could be made instantly. But history had shown that the greatest orations were the result of long, painstaking effort.
Great historical speeches weren’t spontaneous; they were meticulously crafted through extensive preparation.
Advisors were consulted, skilled writers were brought in, drafts were rewritten and refined...
A speech, like a work of art, is a collection of words that can touch people's hearts.
Admiral Yi Sunsin's speech is one of the greatest speeches in history, and there is no way it could have been written in a day or two.
The problem was that I didn't know the full text of the speech.
All I knew was only one quote.
‘If you want to live, you will die, and if you want to die, you will live.’
Perhaps it was the same for Admiral Yi Sunsin today.
As I was leaning against the counter, I suddenly thought to myself.
‘......I'll just make one.’
I had no idea what Admiral Yi’s original speech sounded like.
But in modern times, I have encountered countless historical speeches.
Hitler’s addresses, which fueled the most fanatical regime in history.
Winston Churchill’s inauguration speech, rallying a nation in its darkest hour.
Even speeches from anime and manga that had left a deep impression on me.
Like the one where Erwin Smith from Attack on Titan ordered a suicidal charge, an absolute masterpiece of rhetoric.
[PR/N: “My soldiers, rage! My soldiers, scream! My soldiers, fight!"]
If I blended these together properly, I could craft something convincing.
Thanks to automatic translation, writing in Hangul wouldn’t even be an issue.
[PR/N: Hangul is the writing system for the Korean language.]
"…Might as well try."
The speech I was about to write could never be the same as the one Admiral Yi Sunsin had once delivered.
But at this point, there was no other choice.
The massive Japanese fleet was only half a day away. If I did nothing, the Battle of Myeongnyang would be lost before it even began.
‘As long as the outcome is good, that’s all that matters.’
With that decision made, I grabbed a pen and opened my notebook.
And then, I began to plagiarize history’s greatest speeches.
***
Yi Sunsin sat before a blank sheet of white hanji paper, brush in hand, lost in thought.
But it wasn’t strategy that troubled him.
‘This is bad. I haven’t prepared the pre-battle speech.’
Wars were won with tactics, but tactics were carried out by soldiers.
And Admiral Yi knew better than anyone that what truly moved soldiers was morale.
Yet, he hadn’t written his speech.
Too much time had been spent dealing with Bae Seol’s insubordination, leaving him with no chance to prepare.
“Admiral, the men are growing restless.”
Ahn Wi urged him to act, but Yi Sunsin had no answer.
He stared at the empty page, unsure of what to write.
‘This is truly a problem.’
And it was at that very moment—
“Admiral, Choi Seojun has arrived.”
“Choi Seojun? Send him in.”
The sliding paper doors parted, and in stepped Choi Seojun. Yi Sunsin raised a curious brow.
“Choi Seojun, what brings you here?”
“I thought you might be troubled over the pre-battle speech, so I came to offer my humble assistance.”
“Oh? The speech?”
“Yes.”
Yi Sunsin’s eyes lit up as he quickly stood and took the notebook Choi Seojun offered.
As he read, his eyes widened, his breath catching in astonishment.
“Hah! Did you truly write this?”
“I did.”
“This… this is remarkable!”
“What does it say, Admiral? Huh!”
Ahn Wi, peering over his shoulder, gasped as well.
“Gather the soldiers at the harbor immediately!”
“Yes, sir!”
Ahn Wi rushed out without hesitation.
***
The waves crashed gently against the shore.
At the break of dawn, the Myeongnyang coast was eerily silent, only the sound of the sea remained.
Torchlight flickered in the dark, illuminating the faces of 2,000 Joseon sailors standing in formation.
Fear and despair weighed heavily on them.
Then, a single figure in an Admiral's robe stepped forward, Admiral Yi Sunsin.
He swept his gaze over the trembling soldiers before finally speaking.
"The Joseon navy will lose today."
A heavy shadow fell over the men’s faces.
They already knew there was no way they could defeat the Japanese fleet.
Defeating 133 Japanese warships with only 13 of our own was impossible.
And yet, the Admiral himself had just confirmed this grim reality.
A soldier asked in a fearful voice.
“Then… are we going to die?”
“Yes, we will all perish and the waters of Myeongnyang will become the grave of the Joseon navy.”
“Then why… Why do we fight?”
“Because we are Joseon’s navy. And we must pass our will down to the next generation.”
A quote, borrowed from another leader, slipped from Yi Sunsin’s lips.
"For six years of struggle, I have endured with only one thought to serve my nation. There is but one word I have never known, and that word is ‘surrender’."
Adolf Hitler’s infamous as leader of Nazi Germany in World War II echoed across the shores of Myeongnyang that I had plagiarized.
"But!"
I plagiarized.
"What I fear more than surrender is that if we fail to stop them here, every hope for justice and freedom on this land will be lost."
A phrase stolen from King George VI’s wartime radio address.
"There is only one promise I can make to you."
I had plagiarized again.
"That I will stand on the front lines as the shield of the Joseon navy, shedding my blood, sweat, toil, and tears."
The words of Winston Churchill’s inauguration speech.
"I cannot promise victory. I cannot promise that a single one of you will leave this battlefield unscathed."
And finally….
"Yet, despite it all, I hope that you will follow me onto the battlefield."
Then came the words that history would remember as Yi Sunsin’s own.
"Those who seek to live shall die, and those who are willing to die shall live."
"Those who would die for our cause follow me!"
Silence fell over the ranks. The only sound was the rhythmic crashing of waves against the shore.
Then, at a certain moment.
Clap. Clap!
The silence was broken by the sound of someone clapping, which spread like a contagion among the soldiers.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump!
The soldiers slammed their tridents into the sand.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
A deafening roar erupted, shaking the very waters of Myeongnyang.
***
“Damn.”
I let out a whistle at their fiery response.
With just a single speech, the despair that had gripped the troops had completely vanished.
As expected, blending together the greatest speeches in history had a staggering effect.
No wonder so many great leaders delivered rousing speeches before battle.
‘This is insane.’
It was as if I were witnessing the birth of a fanatical army.
And just as I marveled at the sight.
“Enemy sighted!”
“The bastards are here!”
A scout’s frantic cry tore through the charged atmosphere of Byeokpajin.
Just 50 ri away.
[PR/N: 50 ri = 122 miles or 196 kms]
Hundreds of Japanese warships surged forward, darkening the waters of Myeongnyang.
"Everyone, get on board!"
At Admiral Yi Sunsin’s thunderous command, the hesitant sailors quickly scrambled onto the thirteen panokseon warships.
"Choi Seojun, come with me!"
"Yes, sir."
Ahn Wi approached and led me onto Yi Sunsin’s panokseon.
"Raise the anchors!"
"Row!"
The sailors bustled about the deck, hoisting the anchors and rowing with all their strength.
Swoooosh…
As dawn broke over the horizon, thirteen panokseon warships cut through the waters of Myeongnyang.
Bwoooo—!
Answering their arrival, a swarm of fearsome Japanese warships blew their horns, closing in like a horde of bees.
Gripping Napoleon’s rifle tightly, I swallowed my anxiety.
‘If things go south, I’ll just open the shop and run.’
I had no intention of fighting here.
Even without my help, Admiral Yi Sunsin was destined to win the Battle of Myeongnyang.
That was history.
There was no reason for me to interfere.
Besides, as an E-rank hunter, this battlefield was far beyond my league.
"Hey, you there! What are you doing? Get over here and help carry the Jija cannons!"
[PR/N: The jija cannon or 'earth cannon' was a very small hand-cannon which functioned as a cavalry weapon for ships generally.]
"A-ah, yes!"
A commanding officer, whose name I didn’t know, barked at me, leaving me no choice but to follow his orders.
No matter my personal feelings, I couldn’t just stand around doing nothing while everyone else was working.
"Move quickly!"
"Yes, sir!"
‘Damn, this is heavy as hell.’
Lugging the iron cannonballs, I felt my arms cramp up.
"When the drums start, load the cannonballs into the gunports and light the fuse."
"Huh? I’ve never fired a cannon before…."
"As long as you aim, it’s not that hard!"
Clearly short on manpower, the officer hurriedly assigned me a jija cannon and ran off to assist elsewhere.
“Ugh.”
‘You want me to fire this?’
I stood there, staring at the massive Jija cannon in front of me, completely at a loss.
Ding!
[The energy of the battlefield has been detected.]
[Napoleon’s rifle is unlocking its traits.]
==
【Napoleon, the Grapeshot General】
—Napoleon, the hero of the French Revolution, dominated battlefields with his artillery. No one could rival his mastery of cannons in war.
Firepower: 500
Accuracy: +60%
==
"…What?"
‘What the hell is this?’
Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!
Before I could fully grasp the situation, the war drums began to thunder.
"Fire the cannons!"
At the officer’s command, the soldiers unleashed their volleys.
"What are you waiting for? Fire already!"
"A-ah, right!"
Snapped out of my daze by a nearby soldier’s scolding, I muttered to myself.
‘Screw it.’
I aimed at the approaching Japanese warship and lit the cannon’s fuse. The flame traveled down the rope, igniting the Jija cannon.
BOOOOM—!
‘Shit, why is it so loud?’
The deafening explosion made me wince.
And then suddenly.
KWA-AAAAANG—!
The Japanese warship in the Jija cannon’s path erupted into a massive explosion, shattering into pieces.
"…Huh?"
Wait, why is it sinking?
‘Was… was it just poorly built?’
The soldier who had been rushing me just moments ago gawked in disbelief.
"What… What the hell did you just fire?"
"Uh? I just did what you told me to…"
"Fire another shot at that ship! Quickly!"
"A-ah, yes!"
BOOOOOOM—!
—It's a monster!
With that, Napoleon’s cannon marked the beginning of the Battle of Myeongnyang.
——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
——————
