Dark-Haired British Doctor Chapter 489

Episode 489 Japan [2]

Do you know when the Meiji Restoration was?

I know surprisingly almost exactly.

It started in 1868.

How does an ignorant guy who only studied medicine while attending medical school know?

I know full well that it is strange to declare that we know something about something as significant as the Opium Wars when we don't know exactly when it happened.

but…….

'I saw <Wind X Sword God>.'

I saw it in a comic book.

You might think I'm crazy, but there's surprisingly a lot more information you can get from comics, novels, movies, and dramas than you might think.

And that kind of knowledge is surprisingly hard to forget.

I don't know if everyone is like that, but that's how I was.

'It's been a while now. That means… …the subject of the current agreement will soon be Nagari, right?'

Of course, my knowledge is shallow.

I don't know how it would be if I read a comic book.

Even <Wind X Sword God> is not set during the Meiji Restoration itself, but rather a story set long after.

Ah, I was talking to myself like a nerd.

To put it roughly, it's about the strongest swordsman, Baldojae, who succeeds in the Meiji Restoration and lives in the new era, solving the remaining absurdities with just his swordsmanship.

It's so funny, I wish I hadn't seen it… I'm jealous.

You can think of it as 'buying something with eyes you haven't seen before'.

“Sir Tiepyeong.”

“Oh, yes.”

“That’s Edo ahead.”

“Edora.”

This means that Tokyo is right in front of you.

Since Korea is so close to Japan and backpacking was popular when I was a student, I remember going to Tokyo once.

Most of them went to Europe, but some, like me, didn't have money or their parents didn't want to give them money, so they went to Japan.

Japan is longer than I thought from north to south, and at the time, travel to Japan wasn't as active as it is now, so I had a certain charm about backpacking.

'It's obvious, but… it's so different.'

Anyway, a completely different form of Edo than the Tokyo I had seen was right before my eyes.

Still, there used to be a lot of high-rise buildings and a pretty new town like Odaiba, but now it's just…

It seems like only wooden buildings remain.

The reason I speak vaguely is because I can't see anything clearly.

“I originally said I shouldn’t go this way… but I just came.”

“Shimoda? You said you told me to come in there, right?”

"Yes. If it weren't for Sir Tiepyeong, we would have come back in a heartbeat. We didn't even know Edo was a port."

"It's only natural, since they didn't say anything. Isn't it strange, in common sense, to know everything about another country? And remember, I told you? In Joseon, we call the Japanese "Waenom"—those unbelievable pirates."

"It's reassuring. Truly, I can't tell you how fortunate we are to have someone like Sir Thief Young in the British Empire."

"haha."

Strictly speaking, Edo is currently the capital of Japan.

No, it's the capital later on…

It's crazy to drag these complete strangers straight into the capital.

So, I brought you to a place far away called Shimoda or Nabal… … .

'Why does it have to be like that?'

The British kids turned out to be more vulnerable than I thought.

I don't know if it's because I've become weak-hearted after managing colonies here and there, or if I've developed some know-how…

It seems like my understanding of Japan is somewhat lacking.

Japan must come out strong.

Besides, the current shogunate is clearly a mess.

If it weren't for that, the rebellion would not have been successful.

Of course, it will be quite some time later…

If foreigners came to the capital like they are now, demanding the opening of the ports, wouldn't the rebels' hearts be moved?

After making various calculations, we were rushing straight to Edo.

‘We are the strongest, so why do we have to give in…?’

Besides, the British Empire's navy is the strongest in the world.

It's not just lip service, it's real.

Especially here… … .

It can be said that there is no navy that would dare to attack the East Asian seas.

I don't know if Japan knows that the Qing navy, which once claimed to be the master of mankind, was so miserably destroyed, but in any case, there is no need to worry even if they suddenly change their mind and attack.

There's Liston.

No matter what, I don't think they can beat Liston.

'In the worst case scenario, I'll just have to die like Nihonjin.'

Besides, I'm Korean.

That's what I mean, you can't tell the difference just by looking at them.

You can just hide for a while and then go back later when the British Empire comes for revenge.

Phew.

While I was having such bad thoughts, the ship was almost at Edo Port.

It was while navigating the small boats nearby.

Naturally, the port was soon full, as our ship was not the only one to arrive, but also a fleet of warships.

I don't know if it was the first time I'd seen something like this in Edo or if there was just not much to do, but there were quite a lot of people gathered at the port.

“Are those people taking off their clothes slaves?”

Among them, there were quite a few who were wearing only training clothes.

Liston pointed to them and asked.

what…….

I think it's a bit of a stretch to criticize this as a rude Westerner.

When you see a naked and hungry person, wouldn't you naturally think of a slave?

At least the British Empire had no slaves, so they probably had a sense of superiority.

“Oh, no. That’s called a training uniform, one of their traditional clothes.”

“That’s… traditional clothing?”

"I told you so. After all, this place has very different customs from Joseon or Qing."

“Oh, really… this is absurd. But by any chance….”

“I don’t think women will wear only trainers.”

“That’s too bad.”

Liston smacked his lips.

You might be wondering if this is what you want to do after coming all this way, but this is what Liston came here for.

If you thought, 'Is this guy crazy?' then you've seen it.

He's crazy.

But I can't say anything.

That's because the 19th century was a time when only crazy people could get by.

“You too, turn on your eyes and look carefully.”

“I’m not Japanese.”

“Oh, right. But they look similar…?”

"The language and customs are completely different. Joseon people don't wear things like that."

“Aren’t they all similar…?”

"You could think of it as being like asking, 'Aren't England and France the same country?' It's incredibly rude."

"her."

Not only Liston, but also Captain Charles, who was standing next to him, and the Earl of Elgin, the leader of our group, nodded vigorously.

I think that to explain something clearly, you need to use an analogy.

The three of them apologized to me and said that it was a good thing they came with me, and then prepared to disembark.

Meanwhile, the experienced British sailors and crew faithfully carried out the orders of the captain and navigators.

The ship was docked right in the harbor, that's what it said.

what…….

Even if we say that the ship we were on was huge, it was still a fairly large sailing ship by 19th century standards, so it is truly amazing that they were able to do this.

It's true that the British Empire wasn't the world's strongest for nothing, and not only our ships, but other warships were also steadily gaining ground.

“The ship could be hijacked… or at least there could be people coming to harm us, is that it?”

The count looked at me with a pleased smile, and then asked me a question.

It was because of the advice I gave when I left.

In fact, it is not clear whether this advice is accurate or not.

I'm not an expert on Japan at this time, am I?

But when I think back on the cartoons I've seen…

No, even if that wasn't the case, intellectuals and the privileged class in East Asia naturally didn't welcome Yang Yi.

While the privileged class in Joseon were the yangban and those who used brushes as weapons, the privileged class in Japan were the samurai who used swords.

If you get stuck, you won't be writing, you'll be swinging a sword.

"Yes, the ship is built like a fortress, so it won't require many troops to defend it. And the shogunate won't officially attack us, either."

"That's only natural. But having to dedicate troops is a burden in many ways… As you know, the soldiers are very tired."

"I think it would be best to let them rest and change shifts nearby. Surely no one can sail this ship, but wouldn't it be a problem if they set it on fire?"

“It’s just a hassle. It’s going to be a big problem.”

The count nodded, and eventually decided to leave the soldiers behind.

Some of those who had a vague idea who this was coming from glared at me.

But what can I do?

They're the only ones who look at the floor the moment their eyes meet.

After all, the world is a place where the strong prevail.

Things will get a little better in the 21st century, but it's still the 19th century.

“Let’s go.”

Can't you just buy me something later?

With that thought in mind, I disembarked from the ship with the other key figures.

Of course, since the soldiers got off first, we weren't surrounded by people as soon as we got off.

“It’s really small, people. It’s all just as you said.”

“That’s right. I heard it was small, but I didn’t realize it was this small.”

The Count is actually not that tall.

I am about 160cm tall, but even so, when I stand in front of Japanese people, they seem much taller than me.

Well, well… … .

It makes sense, since the average height was said to be 150.

Wasn't this an era where what we could eat was extremely limited in the first place?

In fact, it can be said that East Asia was like that not only in the 19th century but also until the early 20th century.

'This is how trustworthiness increases.'

I chuckled as I looked at the count's expression.

As expected, regression is a scam.

Still, it would be nice if you could throw in a status window… … .

"hello."

As I was staying like that, several Japanese and foreigners approached me.

I did think there would be foreigners there.

I remember seeing it in a drama.

In fact, if you just look at it with common sense, it's something that could happen.

'To begin with, the matchlock gun was imported from abroad… … So, isn't it already 400 years old? It wouldn't be strange if there were one or two foreigners.'

Even so, I didn't expect to be able to hear fluent English.

Our British Empire had never really done anything with this place.

The Count paused for a moment, perhaps surprised, but then, like a seasoned politician, he chuckled and offered a handshake.

“Nice to meet you. It feels strange to hear my native language in a foreign land.”

However, instead of shaking hands, the Japanese counterpart only bowed his head.

If I hadn't been there, the Count would have thought that this kid was ignoring us, but instead of getting angry or disappointed, he turned to me.

I smiled and answered.

"They tend to avoid physical contact. A bow like this is more common than a handshake."

“Oh, I see.”

I saw it in <Faraway Neighbors>.

Thank you, author Lee Won-bok.

As expected, the Hansan Lee clan is the best.