Tyranny of Steel

Itami stood in the city of Busan at the head of her army. Within the past 24 hours, her soldiers had landed on the shores of Korea and asserted control over the southern city. The Japanese had demolished the majority of the Joseon Army in a single battle, and now they were free to steamroll across the land in pursuit of their conquest.

The local Joseon citizens were gathered in the city square, surrounded by the Japanese soldiers. They were shivering in terror as they witnessed the albino beauty take the stand. In Itami's hand was her current sword, which took the form of a kyu-gunto. She had put aside her old Katana for the time being, and instead focused on the current aesthetic her armed forces took.

The jewel steel blade of the kyu-gunto was pressed against the cold floor of Busan, where Itami's delicate hands wrapped over its pommel. She glared at the audience that was gathered before her before speaking loudly and clearly. Her words were being translated to the people of Busan by an interpreter as she boldly declared the annexation of the Joseon Kingdom.

"My name is Itami Riyo and I am the empress of Japan. today marks the dawn of a new era. An era of co-prosperity where the Joseon Kingdom and the Empire of Japan have united into one entity. Your army is defeated, buried on the beaches outside this city. What few defenders you have left have fled to the hills and abandoned you.

With the defeat of the Joseon army, I hereby annex this Kingdom and rename it to the Prefecture of Korea, where it shall be protected until the end of time by the brave soldiers of the Empire of Japan. No longer shall you pay tribute to your Ming overlords, instead you shall pay tribute to me, your new empress!

So long as you all behave yourselves, I promise that you shall be given a certain degree of autonomy. However, resist my rule and see how quickly your lives shall change for the worse. I may come here as a conqueror, but I always treat my subjects with justice.

For those who work alongside the Empire of Japan, I promise you a prosperous life. For those of you who resist our rule, your fate shall be worse than death! Now, kneel and show your support for your new empress! Immediately after saying these words, the Japanese soldiers lifted their weapons in the air and chanted their war cries.

"Tennōheika Banzai!"

Begrudgingly, the citizens of Busan knelt on the ground and bowed their heads as they chanted these words, in fear that refusing to do so would result in their deaths. They had no idea what these foreign words meant, but they pronounced them to the best of their ability.

After climbing down from the makeshift platform that had been constructed in the center of the city, Itami was greeted by a young Korean woman who was dressed in an extravagant hanbok. She appeared to be from a wealthy family, perhaps the local nobleman's daughter. Before the girl could approach Itami, she was stopped by the guards. Itami paid little attention to the young beauty until she heard the woman speak in Japanese.

"Your Majesty, I wish to serve you. I have long since heard of your exploits and know that you are seeking talented individuals. I am trained in the ways of alchemy, and am willing to learn what you have to teach me. Please accept me as your disciple!"

Itami stopped dead in her tracks when she heard this. The truth of the matter was she was in dire need of chemists and other scientists. Those beneath her command were slow to embrace new ideas and were stuck in their ancient mindsets.

Because of this, Itami had to do most of the research into chemistry herself. It was a miracle that she was even able to produce a chemical manufacturing plant whose sole purpose at the moment was manufacturing mercury fulminate for early primers.

Upon expecting this young woman, Itami realized that she was no older than eighteen, and given enough time and education, she could be molded into a proper chemist.. Thus, Itami gazed over at the woman with her signature icy look before asking for her name.

"What is your name?"

"Min-Ah... Hwa Min-Ah!"

Itami gazed up and down at Min-Ah. She could not tell the shape of her body beneath her hanbok, but the woman had beautiful facial features. She had dark eyes and hair, but skin as pale as snow. If Itami were a man, she would certainly fall for the girl at first glance.

However, she was a straight woman, and because of that, she could only admire the girl's beauty. Itami was also paranoid, and because of that, she was unsure why this girl would approach her of her own accord directly after the annexation of her homeland. Thus, she quickly interrogated Min-Ah to find out the reason behind her actions.

"You say you want to be of service to me? I have but one question. Why?"

Min-Ah was surprised when she heard Itami questioning her reason. Her father was a wealthy merchant who had business dealings with Japan. She had long since heard of the rise of the War Goddess, and Itami's attempts to modernize Japan. The fact that a woman could have such a supreme position of power led the girl to believe perhaps she, too, could be someone of influence in Japan, unlike in her homeland.

Of course, Min-Ah never expected the Japanese to invade and annex her homeland, but that didn't really matter to her so long as she could make something of herself. After-all she was an ambitious girl and wanted more in life than to be some bastard's housewife. Thus, she was quick to voice her reasoning to the Japanese Empress.

"Here in the Joseon Dynasty, as a woman, I can't even hope to achieve anything great. At the most, I will be married off to some man. However, in your Empire, so long as I am useful, I can make something of myself. Please, teach me your knowledge so that I can help you and your ambitions! I want to be remembered in history as something other than just a pretty face..."

The girl's ambition intrigued Itami. It was rare to come across a woman with such determination. Truthfully, her entire administration was filled with old men whose heads were stuck in the past. If she had a hope of defeating Berengar, then she needed people who could innovate. Perhaps Min-Ah would be the first of her subjects to accept Itami's new ideals. Thus, after careful consideration, Itami agreed with the Min-Ah's demands.

"Very well. I will take you under my wing, and teach you the ways of science, however you will be under constant surveillance. I don't know if you have any ulterior motives or not. If you can agree to being watched while under my employ, then I will teach you everything I know. Perhaps you can be of some use to me!"

Upon hearing this, Min-Ah jumped for joy, and attempted to hug Itami, but was quickly held back by the Empress's guards. Until Min-Ah could prove trustworthy, she would be kept at an arm's length from Itami.

Thus, after annexing Busan, Itami had come across a random talent. One who would prove useful in the field of chemistry. Perhaps Itami had just found her version of Aldo von Passau. Or perhaps Min-Ah would remain nothing more than a pretty face. Only time would tell...