Feedback poured in like a storm.
"The squad leader is supposed to be at the rear, right? So why is he constantly facing forward?"
"…?"
"If he's in the rear, he should at least pretend to be watching the rear. Why is he just staring straight ahead?"
Jack's criticism was valid.
Of course, Martin probably had something to say, too.
Something about the technical difficulties making it hard to implement that kind of detail…
But to a military buff, such excuses were meaningless.
"The same combat pattern just keeps repeating. If everything can be solved by rushing in, what's the point of having multiple stages?"
That was Jack's point.
If the first mission is won by a charge, then for the second battle, there should be a situation where a grenadier is essential.
In the next battlefield, maybe capturing shared heavy weapons would give an advantage, and so on.
He was saying they should incorporate the diverse elements of war into the stages.
"Then the game size will get too big…"
"Isn't a larger game better?"
Jack knew nothing about computers.
So, without considering technical limitations, he just spoke his mind.
A pure military enthusiast's critique, through and through.
At first, Martin might have felt some resistance.
"…"
But Martin's expression gradually grew more serious.
Had he compromised too much, blaming it on size constraints?
If he thought more about it, maybe there was a way…
Had he hidden behind the so-called limits of technology, content to be a mere imitation of John Carmack?
Fortunately…
"Sir, I'm sorry."
Martin's dilemma didn't last long.
"Please postpone the release until we fix the issues that were pointed out."
This was a game they'd been planning to release immediately.
But now, he was suggesting delaying it by at least several months.
"We can't just release something with flaws, especially when it carries the company's name…"
Martin's resolve seemed clear.
If he could indeed fully revise the game as he intended…
If he could complete the project without compromise…
He could grow significantly in just a few steps.
'Well, if the lead developer is determined to give it his all…'
Naturally, the company should back him up.
"Don't worry about the size. Just focus on making it great, no matter how big it gets."
"But what about sales…"
"That's my job to figure out."
"…!"
"If the game is good, selling it won't be difficult, right? We could even commission a war movie in Hollywood to promote it."
"H-Hollywood?"
He could easily think of a few war movie concepts.
There's the one where they go to rescue a stranded soldier, and there's that killer 10-part war drama too, so yeah.
Of course, Martin was overjoyed.
After all, what developer wouldn't want to hear, "Don't worry about size, just make the best game"?
That said…
'Are we really going to make a war movie?'
There's no reason why they couldn't.
But since it wasn't originally part of the plan, if it actually happened, it could be quite overwhelming.
Anyway.
I quickly looked back at Jack.
He had given me valuable feedback, after all.
I should at least buy him a meal.
"You didn't have dinner, did you?"
Jack nodded.
"Korean food okay?"
"Sounds good."
I turned to Martin, asking if he wanted to join us.
"I'm fine. I'd rather get back to fixing the game," Martin said, his eyes gleaming with determination.
***
The place Jack and I headed to was a bulgogi restaurant.
Maybe it was because we were in an affluent neighborhood, but even though we were just two middle schoolers, they guided us to a private room without any fuss.
'No forks here.'
I assumed he wouldn't know how to use chopsticks.
But to my surprise, Jack skillfully picked up side dishes with them.
Noticing my gaze, he added an explanation.
"With just two sticks, you can make chopsticks, right? In the field, they're much better than forks."
"So, did you actually practice?"
"Of course."
Ha!
Our conversation didn't last long.
Soon, the food arrived, and after that, we were too busy devouring the bulgogi.
Jack ate really well.
There was no need to ask if he liked the food.
'Couldn't you take a breath while eating?'
Only after finishing six servings did he finally lean back in his chair.
Looking at the menu, he asked,
"What's this?"
"It's called naengmyeon. Kind of like pasta."
"Can I try it?"
"Of course."
"There are two kinds, one in broth and one with sauce."
Translating that, I figured he wanted both mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon.
Maybe he had a separate stomach for noodles after all the meat.
He polished off the naengmyeon in no time, like it was nothing.
It was both amusing and satisfying to see an Englishman enjoy Korean food so much.
Even after finishing the dessert, sujeonggwa, Jack patted his stomach.
"I could eat this every day."
Yeah, bulgogi is hard to resist.
With his stomach full, maybe that delayed curiosity started bubbling up.
Adjusting his posture, Jack asked,
"That office earlier, is it yours?"
"Yeah."
"What do you do there?"
"This and that."
"Like making games, like earlier?"
I nodded.
"You… you're a noble, aren't you?"
"There aren't any nobles in Korea."
"Then you're just rich?"
Jack nodded again.
"Which university do rich Koreans go to?"
"It depends on their grades."
"Where are you planning to go?"
"I'm not sure."
Jack said that graduates of royal schools usually have two main choices: Oxford or the military academy.
Most rich people choose Oxford, but a significant number of nobles choose the military academy because they feel it's their duty.
"But that's more of an old story now."
"What is?"
"The idea that nobles go to the military academy."
As a military enthusiast, Jack's face grew serious at this point.
"Nobles who own land on the outskirts barely make any income, so they have no choice but to enter the workforce."
The life of a noble involves shouldering social responsibilities in proportion to their wealth.
But if they're barely getting by, those duties, like military service, naturally get pushed aside.
"Other than the Grosvenor family, most are in a similar situation."
"Really?"
"Grosvenor is the most prestigious family in England, so they've always fulfilled their military duties, but other nobles seem to be stepping away."
Whether British nobles go to the military or not didn't really matter to me.
But…
'The Grosvenor family…'
Hearing that familiar name piqued my interest a little.
It wasn't irrelevant to me, after all.
Take the land purchase in London I'd entrusted to Baker, for example.
That had been a headache because of the Grosvenor Dukedom.
They allowed a 100-year lease but flatly refused to sell the land outright.
Even though it was explained that the land was for British war veterans, the answer remained the same.
'Hmm.'
Since the topic had come up, should I ask a bit more?
"The Grosvenor Dukedom…"
"…?"
"Why are they so obsessed with land? They threw a fit, saying they wouldn't sell even a single plot of land in London."
"Ah, that."
It seemed Jack had some insight into this.
He straightened up and said, "Nobles were originally granted land by the king, right? That's why they're especially attached to it—almost obsessively so. The Grosvenor family has their own philosophy, something like… uh… what was it again?"
Despite remembering every detail about firearms, common and personal weapons, and tank specifications, Jack struggled to recall a few simple lines of the family motto!
As expected.
"Heh."
With an embarrassed look, Jack scratched his head and said, "I forgot."
***
New York, Paris, Tokyo, Melbourne, and more.
The Grosvenor Dukedom had purchased vast amounts of land this year alone.
And for one simple reason:
'No matter how much the world changes, the fact that humans live with their feet on the ground will never change.'
The first Duke's will still held true, even today.
It was truly a remarkable foresight.
Even in an age when people can travel the world by plane and humanity has conquered the moon, humans still live with their feet firmly on the earth.
That's why the Grosvenor family was so adamant about buying land.
As long as the Earth existed, the power of the Grosvenor name would endure.
Perhaps it was this bright future in his mind that made Thomas Grosvenor's lips curl into a small smile.
"So, where to next?"
In response to the Duke's question, his advisor presented three options from different continents:
North America, Mexico City.
South America, São Paulo.
Asia, Seoul.
The Duke seemed puzzled by the last option.
"Seoul, huh."
Despite gaining visibility after successfully hosting the Olympics, wasn't Korea still a country in a ceasefire?
"There is an undervaluation due to security concerns."
"..."
"Most assessments suggest that the system competition is already over. The likelihood of war in the next 30 years is considered almost non-existent."
There is no such thing as a risk-free investment.
What matters is whether the reward justifies the risk.
Sensing the Duke's thoughts, the advisor quietly added,
"To prove such a sentiment, various capital is flowing into Korea."
"Yet there haven't been any notable results."
"That has been the case until now, but it is expected to change year by year moving forward."
The advisor continued, as if waiting for this moment.
"Korea's leading company, Hyungang, is seeing success in the semiconductor field. It's expected to generate explosive sales next year…"
"Explosive sales, you say?"
"They predict that next year's profits will exceed the company's entire earnings since its founding."
"Wait."
The Duke's eyes narrowed.
"You said Hyungang?"
"Yes."
Where had he heard that name before?
A look of recollection crossed his face.
"The only company in Asia that owns a Da Vinci piece…"
"Ah, that's why the name sounded familiar."
Perhaps now his interest was piqued.
A sly grin crept across the Duke's face.
"This is getting interesting."
He quickly turned to his advisor and asked,
"So, where's the best land, you said?"
"Seoul, and specifically, Gangnam stands out as the prime location."
The briefing continued.
The potential was clear.
Still, the Duke couldn't shake the feeling that the prices were too high.
"It would be nice if the price were adjusted."
"Shall we proceed with something other than investment, then?"
"Investment is convenient if the price is right, but…"
"If there's a bubble, it needs to be popped. That's part of my job as well."
"Hmm."
The Duke nodded, as if giving in.
"If you're confident, proceed as you see fit."