"Watch closely."
Liston threw a wooden block into the air and sliced it into four pieces with his sword.
On the swaying deck, I could feel Liston's bloodlust—that's what it meant....
I had no idea why he was doing this.
In the past, I would have been too scared of Liston to say anything, but...
Not anymore.
"Why are we doing this? Why are we cutting wooden blocks?"
"Haha, this guy."
Liston laughed leisurely as he looked at me.
Then he said:
"When do people get injured the most? On a ship."
"I suppose... when there's a storm?"
"Right. They get injured when the ship sways. So, we must be able to perform surgery then. Don't you think? If you can cut a wooden block in this situation, you can cut a person's limbs too."
"Ah."
It was a strange statement, but it was incredibly persuasive.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so—the old man rowing a small boat nearby clapped enthusiastically.
He even said he wouldn't have complained if he'd known there was such a noble purpose.
Though he added it would have been better to do it on the safe Thames River...
Safe?
If you fall into the Thames, you'll be poisoned to death.
I'm not just saying this—nobles who went boating there all died when their boat capsized...
And the water only came up to chest level.
"So, come on, give it a try."
"Ugh!"
"Why can't you cut this? You're good at cutting human flesh!"
"Common sense-wise, why should a doctor... Wouldn't surgical practice be better?"
Yes, I understood the grand idea.
But cutting wooden blocks still seemed unnecessary.
First of all, the scalpel I use is too small and too expensive for cutting wooden blocks.
It's German-made, German.
The British Empire's metallurgy is quite advanced, and it's a region rich in iron ore, but...
Prejudice is scary—somehow Germany just...
"Surgical practice?"
While I was lost in thought, Liston suddenly appeared right in front of me.
With a slightly intimidating face.
But since facing him was better than cutting wooden blocks, I racked my brain for the right words.
"Yes. Practicing surgery would be better."
"Hmm... Here... But wouldn't that cause accidents?"
"It would be a bit inappropriate to use actual patients, after all."
"Should we bring prisoners?"
"No, no. That's also a bit..."
There's a limit to human experimentation...
Would they even survive surgery here?
It would be much better if we borrowed a sailing ship, but how could we just borrow one during wartime preparations?
I was realizing that some things can't be done even with money.
Anyway, we had to perform surgery on a rowboat...
Though it's called a rowboat, it's quite large, with four rowers besides the old man, but it's still cramped.
And it sways violently.
'In dramas... like a trauma center? That Baek Kang-hyuk guy performs surgery on a high-speed combat boat...'
I'd like to see the writer's face.
He must have no idea what a hospital is.
It's downright disrespectful to surgery.
Huh?
How delicate is the work of holding a scalpel and making incisions? And on a boat?
'I don't know if it's fortunate or not...'
But the truth is, there aren't many surgeries possible in this situation.
Unfortunately, amputations will likely be the main procedure.
Limb reconstruction is out of the question.
Even for severe fractures, we'll probably have to amputate.
The belly...?
If the belly is injured...
It'll almost certainly be fatal, but let's think about that when the time comes.
"Let's practice on cadavers."
"Ah, cadavers! Well, that makes sense. We can use cadavers instead of prisoners."
Anyway, since the surgeries I'm imagining are all violent, I can't bring myself to perform them on prisoners, no matter who they are...
So, we decided to use cadavers.
Naturally, the face of the man—whether I should call him our captain or just the boat owner—was decaying in real time.
"Y-you'll have to pay for cleaning..."
"We will, but won't the seawater wash it away anyway?"
"How can rotting cadaver residue be washed away?"
"How should I know?"
He has no idea he almost had living limbs amputated here, so he's saying such carefree things, I thought as I cut the limbs.
I initially thought I didn't need to do it since Liston was here, but then I remembered the scale of the military and changed my mind.
Well...
It doesn't seem like the Qing will put up a proper fight anyway.
I saw some sailing ships coming and going during practice...
If they sway this much even near the coast, what about the open sea...?
Non-combat losses will likely be significant.
"That's not how you do it."
"Ah, yes."
So, for almost the first time, I'm learning surgery from Liston.
Honestly, I thought amputation was just chopping off limbs...
"Are you an idiot?"
"Huh?"
"Are you really Pyeong? You're so bad at this."
"Ah..."
I'm realizing in real time how incredibly difficult it is.
First of all, cutting off someone's arm or leg in one stroke can't be easy.
I thought we could take our time since we have anesthesia, but...
Our anesthesia isn't proper anesthesia.
It's best to finish within 20 to 30 minutes, at most.
But that means the amputation techniques I know won't work.
"Look, there's a reason why this blade has a protruding tip like this."
"Yes."
Indeed, for speed, the Liston method is the best.
So, these so-called Liston knives aren't shaped this way for no reason.
It's to carve around the bone.
The base is thick to give it weight...
The problem is:
"It's too heavy, isn't it?"
"Do you even exercise?"
"I do, but..."
"This won't do."
It was too large and heavy for me to handle...
More like a greatsword than a typical surgical tool.
So, Liston called a blacksmith he knew well and had a custom sword made for me.
Surprisingly, the blacksmith didn't say much.
"Well, this isn't a sword an ordinary person can wield."
He even admitted he thought it was decorative when he made it.
He hadn't even sharpened the blade, but when asked to sharpen it, he was taken aback and asked if it was really necessary—until he faced Liston and sharpened it immediately.
Anyway, was it a blessing?
I managed to get a new sword in time for the departure date.
I'd like to call it a scalpel since it's a surgical tool, but it looks more like a sword—a sword.
As I wore it on my waist, my parents came over and started fussing.
"So, you're avenging the Qing invasion of Joseon. I don't know if I ever told you... but one of our ancestors died during that time. He served under General Im Gyeong-eop."
My father, in particular, was unusually emotional.
But I can understand.
General Im Gyeong-eop is deserving of respect.
"Really?"
"Yes. He was just a minor soldier, though."
"Ah..."
"What's with that 'ah'? Anyway, while you're in China... if you can get any news about Joseon, try to find out."
"Ah... Yes. I should."
"Good. I don't plan to go back, but as I get older, I can't help but wonder about the landscapes of my hometown."
I saw the regret in my father's eyes—the look of an old man lost in reminiscence.
Forty isn't exactly old, but...
Times were different.
His hometown had likely become a distant memory ever since he boarded the ship to leave.
It was an era when travel wasn't free.
No matter how much the British Empire boasted about global influence, Joseon was the end of the world.
They didn't call it Far East Asia for nothing.
"Here, take this."
"Mother...?"
Unlike my father, my mother seemed solely worried about her child.
She packed something for me...
"It's kimchi, kimchi. I heard there's nothing good to eat on the ship, so you should at least have this."
"Ah... Kimchi..."
I'm worried the smell might bother others...
"Why are you rolling your eyes? You should be grateful when your mother packs something for you!"
"Y-yes."
"And Joseph? He said he's bringing sardine pie. This is much better, don't you think?"
"That's true."
A nuisance?
Now that I think about it, maybe not.
It's much better than British food.
You'd think an island nation would have delicious seafood dishes everywhere, but...
In my opinion, their fervor for building colonies might stem from wanting to eat something tasty.
The Qing Dynasty too...
Probably because Chinese food is tempting.
I dislike France too, but all the best French restaurants in the 21st century are in London, aren't they?
"Don't worry and come back safely."
"I'll make sure to manage things well."
Anyway, with kimchi on my back and the Kim Taepyeong Sword at my waist, I exchanged greetings with various influential figures.
Then I boarded the sailing ship.
It's called a ship of the line...
Not one that fought in the famous Battle of Trafalgar, but a similar-aged ship, I heard.
It was much larger than I had imagined.
Though still smaller than the ships I'd seen on TV in my previous life.
Anyway, we'll have to spend months on this ship to reach China.
We'll stop in India first, but...
"Our first goal is to reach Cape Town."
"Ah."
"We'll stop here and there before that, but only for supplies. The first proper port we'll see will be Cape Town. This isn't a leisure trip or a commercial voyage."
After boarding, I learned that our first port of call would be Cape Town in South Africa, not India.
Now that I thought about it, since the Suez Canal didn't exist yet, Cape Town—the Cape of Good Hope—was crucial.
I wondered if we might just drop dead along the way, but...
Wouldn't 19th-century Britain be max level when it comes to navigation?
Moreover, seeing the soldiers moving around confidently made me feel reassured.
I'd only seen recruits with syphilis, but the British Empire's military truly is elite.
It feels like I'm experiencing the greatness of an imperialist power firsthand.
"Yes, I understand."
"Well... you won't have much to do. Rest comfortably, and we'll call on you if any emergencies arise."
"Yes."
On top of that, the captain is someone I know.
Not Charles Elliot or George Elliot, but someone under them.
His mother is Italian, so I thought he might be a bit sloppy, but from his appearance alone, he was the epitome of a navy man.
He might not be the easiest to get along with personally, but he had the perfect demeanor for a captain.
"Let's eat."
"Ah, yes."
He even invited us to eat together.
As the saying goes, the captain's meal is always special.
But when I arrived...
"What... is this?"
Even Liston asked in shock.
It was because of the strange cheese our captain brought out.
Well, I think it is cheese...
But why... is it moving?
"Ah, this is casu marzu cheese. It's a delicacy, a real delicacy. Since my mother is Italian, I've been able to eat it since I was young. It's a food that can be stored for a long time. I brought plenty."
Is this really food...?
Liston, my disciples, and I all stared at the wriggling something on the cheese.
The captain deftly cut a piece, spread it on bread, and ate it heartily.
At the same time, something splattered nearby...
Plop.
He casually crushed it with his thumb, as if used to it.
I felt like crushing the captain too.