Chapter 285 The Singularity Approaches 8
To Ha Daesung, everything he experienced in Rome was shocking. The initial shock he felt when he first visited Chang'an, the capital of the Han Dynasty, was immense. He vividly remembered the sense of awe he felt, realizing the grandeur of a civilized nation at the center of the world.
However, the shock he experienced in Rome far surpassed that of Chang'an. If Han China felt significantly more advanced than Buyeo, Rome gave him the impression of being in an entirely different world.
For reasons unknown, Marcus even assigned a guide to Ha Daesung to show him around the city. He was able to visit not only Ctesiphon but also the rapidly developing city of Marcopolis.
The roads, stretching out smoothly, were lined with temples and public buildings, while hundreds of ships constantly sailed along the flowing river. The 10-meter-high statue of Marcus, modeled after his likeness, boasted a level of precision greater than any statue Ha Daesung had ever seen in his life.
Additionally, there was a golden statue of twelve figures in a row that also caught his eye, though he did not know what it represented. He was informed that there were also sculptures created by Briaxis and Leocares, but he did not grasp their significance.
He was treated to the finest food and coffee available at the hotels and even toured a newspaper printing factory. Naturally, Ha Daesung could not guess the exact uses of the devices employed there. He was simply overwhelmed by the spectacle of new inventions unfolding before his eyes.
What was most astonishing was the fact that there were several cities of this scale within Rome itself.
"Currently, the most developed cities in the Eastern provinces are Antioch and Ctesiphon. However, almost all facilities in Antioch are expected to be moved to Marcopolis, so this will be the center from now on. Oh, and Alexandria in Egypt cannot be overlooked either."
"And across the sea is Rome, the capital city, which boasts grandeur beyond these cities. New cities are also being built in Gaul, so in a few decades, these cities will also boast impressive scale."
"I see. But is it really necessary to move the facilities from Antioch?"
"Because a massive earthquake is expected to occur there."
"An earthquake has not happened yet… you mean it's expected to happen?"
"That's what the Shahanshah said. Though it's more than 100 years into the future, Antioch is predicted to suffer devastating damage from a great earthquake."
Ha Daesung looked as if he didn't know what to say. However, there wasn't a trace of doubt on the guide's face.
It was hard to accept the idea that a city would be destroyed by an earthquake in a century and that it was necessary to relocate the facilities. Even if the person in question wielded immense power, it was natural to view such a statement as far-fetched.
"No, could it be… if it's what that person said?"
Remembering his conversation with Marcus from a few days ago, Ha Daesung felt a shiver down his spine again.
"The Han Dynasty can't focus on Liaodong anyway, so it should attack the Han Commanderies…"
Marcus had even given instructions on how to attack due to the weakening of a certain army. When Buyeo could not openly draw its sword against the Han, he even added that the Han Dynasty would collapse on its own.
The atmosphere was one of calmly conveying that this was simply how things were going to be, rather than making abstract predictions about the future. Since he wasn't being told to act immediately but to act when the time came, Ha Daesung had no reason to refuse.
"In a few decades, the Han Dynasty will start on the path to self-destruction, and in 100 years, the city will be destroyed by an earthquake… Can he really see the future?"
It sounded like madness, but since everyone in Rome took it for granted, Ha Daesung was at a loss. Looking at Marcus's achievements, many of them seemed impossible without knowledge of the future. He had even heard that in Alexandria, Marcus was officially proclaimed a god incarnate.
"If what the Shahanshah says is all true... could he also know the future of our Buyeo?"
Ha Daesung was certain that it must be the case. Marcus seemed to know an astonishing amount about Buyeo. To be precise, he likely saw through everything, not just Buyeo.
"He knows not only the current king's name, but also that he has seven sons and consorts, and even that one of the consorts has a son..."
He even knew that the son of a consort was far more talented than King Geumwa's seven princes and that this had caused discord. The very thought was terrifying.
Interestingly, unlike other nations, Marcus seemed to dislike the Han Dynasty, and now he could understand why. To a true center of the world, how ridiculous must it seem for the Han Dynasty to call itself the Son of Heaven?
From Marcus's perspective, it might be a matter of eliminating a pretender to the central plains. Thinking this way, it began to make sense why he would want to dismantle the Han Dynasty.
"Let's just observe a little longer. I should take as much knowledge and goods as I can while I'm here."
He had to attend the launching ceremony of a new type of ship soon. Although he had rarely seen ships in Buyeo and only a few times during his visit to the Han Dynasty, he had a rough idea of what they were like.
It was a great opportunity to indirectly compare Roman ships with Han Dynasty ships. As he boarded the carriage heading toward the coastal event, Ha Daesung's chest swelled with anticipation.
※※※
In original history, galleys traditionally used in Rome and Greece were active on the front lines for over 1500 years. This was because, in ancient times when Mediterranean trade was everything, galleys equipped with oars were more efficient due to the ever-changing winds of the Mediterranean.
However, as ships grew larger, the number of rowers increased, which made it difficult to improve cargo capacity—a constant drawback. Additionally, unlike sailing ships, increasing the size of galleys was structurally challenging and posed a higher risk of flooding.
Moreover, it was clear that, as time went on, Rome would increasingly need to navigate beyond the Mediterranean. Above all, with the future introduction of artillery, the efficiency gap between galleys and sailing ships would become like night and day.
Building ships like the Korean panokseon would be somewhat better, but that wasn't a perfect solution either. Adding complex sails could partially address irregular winds.
Marcus gathered artisans from Greece and Alexandria, invested generously, and conducted research over several years. With boundless future knowledge poured into the project, he finally achieved results after tremendous expenditure and time.
Since it was a model for oceanic voyages, the ship was made as large and grand as possible. As this was the first ship of its kind, many people gathered to see it.
Marcus called Ha Daesung, who was staring wide-eyed from a distance, over to ask for his impressions.
"This is the first time I've ever seen such a ship in my life. A ship that doesn't need oars... I never imagined such a thing."
"The prevailing perception until now was that it was inefficient, so no one thought of developing ships in this form. But for Rome to explore new routes to the west, such ships are essential."
"With such a ship, it seems we could indeed reach the end of the world."
"Well, even if we reach the end of the world, we'd just end up circling back to where we started."
Marcus answered casually and, seeing no response, subtly turned his gaze away.
Ha Daesung blinked, seemingly unable to understand Marcus's words at all.
"Did I say something strange?"
"No... I just don't understand how you can return to your original place while traveling continuously west..."
"Oh, that's because the Earth is round... Ah, right. This might not be common knowledge at this time."
Marcus realized from Ha Daesung's reaction that he had overlooked a significant point. Indeed, in this era, the Eastern world, based on ancient Chinese belief from the Zhou dynasty, thought the Earth was flat. The prevailing notion in the East was that the sky was round and the Earth was square.
The understanding that both the sky and the Earth were round only became established after the introduction of the celestial sphere theory during the Later Han period.
Marcus hadn't missed this point. The Western world had already proposed the idea of a spherical Earth since the time of Aristotle, and Eratosthenes had even calculated the Earth's circumference with some accuracy.
However, Marcus had neglected an important fact because of this background. The mainstream astronomical theory of the time was the geocentric model, which held that the Earth was the center of the universe and that the Sun and surrounding planets orbited the Earth.
One might argue that missing this detail isn't a huge mistake, but it becomes significant when planning an oceanic voyage.
All established astronomical navigation methods were based on the geocentric model, and future developments in navigation would also be grounded in it. While this might not cause major issues for voyages lasting only a few days, it became exponentially riskier for long oceanic crossings.
Calculations based on the geocentric model were likely to produce inaccurate positions. Marcus approached the navigators inspecting the ship with hopeful expectation and asked:
"Do you happen to know anything about astronomy?"
"It's a great honor to be spoken to by His Shahanshah..."
"Let's skip the formalities for now and answer my question. How much do you know about astronomy?"
The navigators exchanged glances, then stood straighter with proud smiles.
"Of course, we can calculate the movements of celestial bodies even with our eyes closed. Knowing astronomy is essential for precise navigation."
"I see. Then what do you think about the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun?"
"Are you referring to the heliocentric theory?"
"Oh, you know it. Yes, I'd like to hear your views on the heliocentric theory."
The navigators chuckled and answered as if it wasn't worth considering.
"That's just a nonsensical and absurd theory."
"Ah..."
"As far as I know, Aristarchus was the first to propose such a theory. Aristotle did give it some consideration, but that was all. It doesn't hold much value for serious discussion."
"Could you explain why?"
Marcus rubbed his throbbing head and shook it wearily. Spartacus and Surrenas, standing behind him, showed no particular reaction. To them, it was simply common sense that the Sun orbited the Earth.
The navigators confidently laid out their knowledge without a shred of doubt.
"Firstly, it's simple. If the Earth were truly moving through such vast distances in the universe, why don't we observe parallax shifts in the stars? Moreover, it's unreasonable that we don't feel the Earth's rapid rotation."
"Exactly. Also, if the Earth were really rotating, it wouldn't make sense for objects to fall vertically when dropped."
Surrenas and Spartacus nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Marcus, caught off guard by this unexpected obstacle, sighed heavily as he looked up at the sky.
"Every time I overcome one obstacle, another one appears..."
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