One of the major newspapers of the empire, the Sun Newspaper, had been conducting various surveys regularly.
The best craftsmen or scholars of the empire, the most outstanding warriors in history, the regions you want to visit before you die, and so on.
They threw topics that their newspaper subscribers would be interested in, and announced them.
“Did you see today’s Sun Newspaper?”
“Ah. I forgot to buy it. What’s this week’s topic?”
“Hehe. Guess what?”
“Come on. If you don’t want to say it, don’t.”
“Hey, why are you so serious about a little joke? Anyway, this week’s topic is… What is the most remarkable invention in history? That’s what it is.”
“Hmm… Invention. That’s very broad.”
People who saw this week’s survey by the Sun Newspaper gathered in groups and talked about it.
There were so many inventions that had swept the entire empire so far that many different inventions were mentioned.
But most of them agreed on one thing. This was shown by the overwhelming support when the survey results were announced.
“Of course, it’s the steam engine.”
“Haha. When you look back at the history of the empire, you can’t leave out the steam engine that Sharp Fang invented. It’s an obvious result, right?”
“That’s true. I also voted for the steam engine.”
From weaving, spinning, to steelmaking, countless machine processes in factories, and even steam locomotives and iron ships.
There were few people who disagreed that the steam engine made the current huge empire.
As a result, people reacted as if it was natural when they saw the survey results.
That’s why many universities and research institutes tried hard to improve the steam engine.
But this trend changed by Kim Ki-woo.
He released a huge amount of crude oil in Texas and supplied it generously to all research institutes by distilling it.
And he expressed his expectation for a new engine using oil through an editorial in the Imperial Newspaper.
Then, the direction shifted from improving the steam engine to researching a new engine using oil.
“The one who completes the new engine will get a huge fortune and fame. Look at Sharp Fang.”
“We have to finish it first.”
“This time…”
The engineers affiliated with universities and research institutes competed fiercely and came up with countless ideas.
Among them, there were many useless ones, but soon enough, the first internal combustion engine appeared.
But interestingly enough, the region that produced the first internal combustion engine was none other than South Continent.
***
Golden Lake was a child when Wakan Tanka Empire unified the continent.
Golden Lake, who lived in the Andes region, also became a citizen of Wakan Tanka Empire at that time.
“Wow…”
And he saw his neighborhood develop at an incredibly fast pace as Kim Ki-woo poured money into South Continent.
Coincidentally, his area was a transportation hub, so it was developed early.
“I can’t believe I’m seeing this before I die… Sob!”
“Ah. Is this happiness?”
“Long live the great emperor! Wakan Tanka Empire forever!”
Golden Lake grew up watching adults around him shed tears of emotion and be happy while dreaming of a bright future.
And he thought.
‘I want to be a big person too.’
This became more intense when he entered a place called school.
The school emphasized especially teaching about the achievements of many great people who made the current empire.
It was one of the things to make the residents of Andes region true imperial citizens as soon as possible.
Golden Lake wanted to be like those great people.
And he realized that most of those great people were scholars.
So he decided to become a scholar at a young age.
“I’m going to be a great scholar like these people! Hehe.”
But the reaction he got was quite cold.
“A scholar? You have big dreams. Do you think anyone can be a scholar?”
“It’s hard for even mainlanders to be scholars, let alone you? You’d better earn money instead. That’s how you help your family.”
Some people gave him serious advice.
“If you really want to be a scholar, go to mainland. Go there and study every night after work. And passing college entrance exam is the fastest way. It will be very hard.”
Of course, it was a roundabout way of suggesting him to give up, but Golden Lake clenched his fists and vowed.
‘I’ll definitely succeed!’
He made up his mind firmly.
And fortunately, his head was very smart.
He soon realized that he was clever and became confident and devoted himself to studying.
But when Golden Lake became a teenager, a tragic event happened to his family.
“Oh no, honey!”
“Dad…”
His father, who worked as a construction worker, slipped and died.
To make matters worse, his mother also suffered a great shock and died after a year following her husband to a faraway place.
“Brother. What do we do now… Sob!”
“Aaaah!”
Golden Lake was the eldest of seven siblings.
And he had no relatives.
In other words, he became the head of seven family members in an instant.
There was even a three-year-old sister among them.
As a result, he could no longer study only.
He had to work to support his family.
Eventually, Golden Lake had to give up his dream of going to mainland and entering the best university, the Imperial University.
But he didn’t give up.
He didn’t stop studying in the bleak situation, and he saved and saved the money he earned to buy books and newspapers.
Time passed by quickly.
***
“Hey, are you reading a book again? You should rest when you rest.”
“Haha. This is resting for me.”
“Geez… You’re really unique. People like you should go to college. I heard that some colleges and research institutes have moved in here recently. Why don’t you try applying?”
“Thank you for your concern, but I have to feed my family.”
Golden Lake answered his colleague without taking his eyes off the book.
The break time of the construction work was not long, so every minute was precious.
As he said, he wanted to go to college, but the financial support varied depending on the level of the college other than the Imperial University.
The government subsidies varied depending on the research results of the college.
The college that moved in here was new, so the subsidies were very low.
It was too early for him as the head of the family.
“Okay, let’s call it a day! Rest well tomorrow and see you next week!”
“Good work!”
He worked while reading books whenever he had time, and before he knew it, the work was over.
Golden Lake said goodbye to his colleagues and quickly left the construction site.
On his way home, he habitually bought a copy of the Imperial Newspaper from a stand and went home.
And he read it thoroughly in his room.
“It’s been a long time since His Majesty’s editorial was published. Let’s see…”
Kim Ki-woo’s editorial always filled the first page of the Imperial Newspaper.
He read it carefully.
And his eyes sparkled.
“Oil and a new engine…”
He had heard about oil before.
And there were also unique properties of each oil on the back of the Imperial Newspaper.
‘There will be fierce competition to create a new engine. Since His Majesty has even written an editorial like this…’
Golden Lake knew Kim Ki-woo’s influence very well since he had lived as an imperial citizen since he was young.
It was obvious that an infinite competition would start soon.
No, there was a high possibility that the competition had already started.
‘The one who succeeds in this task first will get a huge fortune and fame.’
He envied whoever it was.
Then he suddenly thought.
‘…Should I try to make one too?’
He had never seen the inside of a steam engine, but he knew how it worked because he had read related books.
‘What am I thinking? That’s impossible.’
He shook his head vigorously, but once he had an idea in his mind, it didn’t go away easily.
He kept thinking about the new engine while reading other books and newspapers.
“Ugh!”
He couldn’t concentrate on the books, so he closed them and lay down on his bed.
But still, he couldn’t get rid of his desire to challenge.
Finally, Golden Lake made a decision after a long thought.
‘…Okay. It won’t work anyway, but let’s try it once.’
He didn’t give up on his dream of becoming a scholar.
He planned to go to mainland and take the Imperial University exam when his siblings were old enough to make their own living.
Even if he failed, these experiences would be the foundation for becoming a great scholar in the future.
***
After that, Golden Lake started to design a new engine on a white paper.
His family situation got better as his second brother also started working, so he bought related books diligently with the remaining money.
Swoosh, swoosh.
Golden Lake drew and drew diagrams for hours every night.
As a result, his room was piled up with papers.
As time passed by, his smile became brighter.
‘It’s fun.’
He had just accumulated knowledge in his head until now.
But now he was creating something new based on them.
Golden Lake enjoyed creating something with his own hands immensely.
He wondered why he realized this joy so late.
Was it because of that?
Or was it because Golden Lake was a genius?
He only knew various theories and had never done any experiments, but he gradually came up with an outline of an internal combustion engine.
‘All I need is to make reciprocating motion happen.’
The crank that converts reciprocating motion into rotary motion was already an old concept, so this was the key point.
Golden Lake realized that changing the volume of the cylinder and causing reciprocating motion was the core.
And his thoughts reached the point where he used the volatility of gasoline to fill the cylinder, compress it, and explode it.
‘One cylinder is not enough. If I can connect the cylinders and compress them alternately…’
As time passed by, his ideas became more concrete and systematic.
And finally.
“This should do it…”
He held the final diagram and his eyes sparkled.
He hadn’t experimented yet, but it seemed like it would work for sure when he simulated it in his head.
Of course, he would need the help of experts to actually implement it.
That was the problem.
‘How do I do this?’
He was just a construction worker.
He had been studying whenever he had time, but who would recognize that?
But he couldn’t give up on what he had made.
He was too attached to his own creation.
He felt like this was how he would feel if he had a child.
He didn’t have a child yet because he wasn’t married.
‘I can’t stop here. I’ve worked too hard for this.’
He had to try anyway.
‘Let’s go to college. Go there and show them this. The scholars will surely appreciate my diagram.’
There was a college nearby that had been around for a while.
He made up his mind and got up from his seat with the diagram in his arms.
And he headed for the college without delay.
But what awaited him was only cold rejection.