The glass craftsmen brought by the Otaibi family were heading to Area 51 under the watchful eyes of soldiers.
"What the hell… Why am I with you…."
Among the two craftsmen, the taller one glared at his colleague with a look of utmost injustice.
However, the shorter craftsman, who was the target of the complaint, replied with a carefree expression.
"Well, it was tough, but we came to a country we've never seen before, right? Maybe this is a chance to escape the common fate of a Murano craftsman and turn our lives around?"
"Damn! Is this a good thing? A good thing? The probability of our lives being ruined is much higher!"
"Wow, Raphael is swearing? Wow! It's worth coming here just for that!"
"To think I called that guy a friend… Lord… How did it come to this…."
The tall Raphael looked up at the sky and grumbled. His colleague then patted his shoulder and said,
"Don't be like that. We've known each other since we were 8, after all."
"Damn it!"
* * *
Raphael and his colleague Pietro had become friends on the island of Murano.
They met when they both entered the famous glass craftsmen's guild of Murano as apprentices and had since become lifelong friends.
After enduring a long apprenticeship, the two, now in their early twenties, were recognized as journeymen (Jornaman).
"Pietro is 23, and Raphael is 22, right?"
"Yes, Master."
"Becoming a journeyman at that age is no easy feat. It means you have talent and worked hard. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Master."
The two bowed their heads in gratitude at the guild master's praise.
"Can both of you read?"
"Yes, Master."
The guild master handed them a letter sealed with wax.
"We've decided to break the long-standing taboo and revive the tradition of journeymen traveling. This is a letter of introduction to the glass guild master in Florence. Go there and gain experience."
"Understood."
"Thank you!"
Raphael answered calmly, while Pietro's face lit up as he responded loudly.
The guild master, noticing Pietro's enthusiasm, turned to Raphael.
"Raphael, the reason I'm sending you two together is because of this guy. Pietro, he's skilled but too reckless. I'm worried he might cause trouble or get into trouble. You need to guide him well."
Raphael, with a slightly pained expression, asked,
"Does it have to be him?"
"At least he listens to you, doesn't he?"
"…Understood."
Thus began their journey as journeymen. When deciding the route by looking at the map, Raphael simply chose the land route, but Pietro insisted on the sea route.
"Why climb mountains when it's so hard? Let's go to Genoa and take a ship! It's a bit longer, but we can get there faster!"
"What if we get caught by pirates?"
"Is the land route safe? What about bandits? The probability is the same either way. Let's take a ship from Genoa, and we can sightsee with the extra time! I heard there's a lot to see in Genoa, Pisa, and Florence!"
"Maybe…."
Raphael was intrigued by Pietro's last point. After being confined to Murano for over 15 years, he was just as stifled.
In the end, the two took a ship from Genoa. Unfortunately, they were captured by pirates and sold as slaves in Alexandria.
* * *
"Pietro, aren't you worried about Alexandria, or here?"
"Worried? What's the point of worrying in advance?"
"Hmm~."
Raphael let out a long sigh at Pietro's optimistic answer.
"Hey! Even those fierce pirates treated us well because we're glass craftsmen, right? They even took off our handcuffs and leg irons as soon as we arrived! They wouldn't make us slaves, would they?"
"That's true, but…."
"Cheer up! We're in the 'East'! The 'East'!"
"Damn 'East' travelogue…."
When Pietro mentioned the 'East,' Raphael cursed. During their apprenticeship, one of the things that helped them endure the hard labor was the 'East' travelogue. They imagined the distant foreign lands described in the book, which helped them forget their fatigue.
Raphael, who had been grumbling about the 'East,' suddenly glared at Pietro.
"You! Could it be on purpose?"
"No way! Even I wouldn't take such a gamble!"
Pietro strongly denied Raphael's accusation and then looked around, shouting,
"Hey! There are beautiful women here! And so many! Hey! Hey! Raphael! Look at this road! It's paved with cementum (Cementum)!"
"Huh?"
Pietro, who had been sniffing the air, lifted the cloth covering the tray.
"Is this fried food? From the size and shape, it looks like fish."
Raphael, who had been drawn by the smell of the food, evaluated the dish, making Pietro frown.
"Ugh… I don't like fish… It brings back painful memories of Murano…."
During their apprenticeship, when they were hungry, they would go to the nearby coast and fish, eating fish until they were sick of it.
While Pietro hesitated, Raphael picked up a piece of the fried food and took a bite.
"It's chicken? It's delicious!"
"Chicken?"
The two quickly devoured the eight pieces of fried chicken on the tray. In that moment, they completely forgot where they were and what their status was.
They were hooked on the fried chicken.
* * *
"What?"
After finishing the deal with the Otaibi family and returning to Area 51, Hyang received a shocking report and his eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Really. The two of them ate eight pieces of fried chicken together."
"Did the Otaibi family bring them here starving?"
Hyang was speechless.
Honestly, even ordinary Koreans could eat one chicken by themselves. Those who ate well could finish two, and occasionally someone would eat three. But no one had ever eaten four.
In any case, Hyang entered his office in Area 51 and called for Raphael and Pietro. He then asked Hassan to interpret.
"Although I know Latin, I can't speak it properly, so Hassan, please interpret for me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Did you enjoy your meal?"
Through Hassan, the two nodded with satisfied expressions.
"It was a very excellent meal."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now, let's discuss your future arrangements."
Hearing Hyang's words through Hassan, the two looked at him with tense faces.
"First, I want to make it clear that you two are not slaves."
"Thank you!"
Hyang's words made both of them, especially Raphael, genuinely grateful.
"Your job in our Joseon will be to teach and supervise the making of glass. The initial term of service is 10 years. After that, we can renegotiate. Any objections?"
"Ten years? What about after that?"
"We can either extend the contract or let you return home. Really, will you let us return home?"
Hassan immediately answered Raphael's question.
"The Crown Prince always keeps his promises. If he didn't intend to keep them, he wouldn't have freed you as free men."
Hassan's explanation made Raphael think for a moment before he answered.
"Alright. We have no choice but to rely on the goodwill of the Joseon prince."
"…I agree."
Raphael, who was always cautious, made the decision, leaving Pietro with no choice but to follow.
"They agree to the contract."
Hassan's translation led Hyang to the next point.
"The next part might be the most important. How much were you paid?"
Pietro immediately answered Hyang's question.
"Eight silver ducats!"
Raphael looked at Pietro in shock. In reality, their monthly salary was two silver ducats.
'You crazy bastard!'
Raphael cursed Pietro in his mind. He understood why Pietro was exaggerating.
This Eastern country needed glass craftsmen, which was why they were brought here.
They were recognized as free men and would be paid a monthly salary, so Pietro saw this as a golden opportunity and was inflating the figure.
'What if the lie is exposed? How could you think of exaggerating in this situation? You crazy bastard!'
Raphael kept gesturing with his eyes, but Pietro just smiled and nodded, looking at Hyang.
"How much is eight silver ducats worth?"
Hassan, after a moment of thought, answered Hyang.
"It's hard to compare since it's been a long time since I left home, but from my childhood memories, a skilled craftsman's monthly salary was about four silver ducats."
"How long has it been since you left home?"
"Twenty years."
"Hmm…."
'Considering inflation… But given their age… It's a bluff. It's definitely a bluff.'
Hyang, certain it was a bluff, looked at the two men silently. The tall man kept shifting his eyes nervously, while the short man smiled at Hyang.
"Four silver taels."
Hassan immediately translated Hyang's decision to the two.
"Four silver taels. That's four silver ducats."
"Eight…."
As Pietro insisted on eight silver ducats, Raphael interrupted him.
"Four ducats! Alright! We'll take four ducats!"
"They agree to four ducats."
Hassan's words made Hyang nod.
"Good. Let's draft the contract then."
As the contract, written in both Chinese characters and Latin, was prepared, Pietro and Raphael carefully read it.
"Are the contents on both sides really the same?"
"Yes."
After a moment of thought, Raphael extended his hand.
"Give me the pen."
As Hassan handed Raphael a gold pen, Hyang interjected.
"Ah, there's an additional condition. You must learn our Joseon language within three months. Until then, you'll receive two silver taels per month. If you don't learn it within three months, you'll receive only one silver tael per month until you do."
"Isn't that too much?"
Raphael protested, but Hyang answered directly without an interpreter.
"Would I or Hassan follow you around to interpret every day?"
"…."
Hyang's words made Pietro step forward.
"What if we learn it faster than three months?"
Hyang chuckled at Pietro's question.
"Are you confident?"
"Isn't it something we'll only know by trying?"
"If you learn our Joseon language faster than three months, I'll add one silver tael per month."
As soon as Hyang finished speaking, Pietro handed the paper to Hassan.
"Write that condition in too!"
Thus, the revised contract was signed and sealed, and Pietro and Raphael returned to their assigned rooms.
"Please take care of them for a while, Hassan."
"I will, Your Highness. However…."
"What's your concern?"
"Isn't four silver taels per month too much? That's the salary of a 9th-rank official in our current system."
Hyang, unfazed by Hassan's concern, replied.
"Given their skills, it's worth it. And if they produce that much value, it's a fair deal, isn't it?"
At that moment, Hassan felt a bit sorry for the two Italians.