Chapter 78: The Mantra Computer
After having breakfast at the hotel and taking a taxi, we headed back to the vicinity of Myeongshin University.
As we passed through the wide streets of Gwanghwamun on this clear day, the building that once housed the former Japanese Governor-General's office during the Chosun era and now served as the National Museum came into view.
It was a building slated for demolition as part of President Kim Young-sam's "Setting History Right" campaign in 1995. It had been planned for partial dismantling, but in response to Japan's request to relocate the entire structure, President Kim Young-sam had the entire Governor-General's building, including the conference room, demolished, a scene broadcast worldwide the next day.
President Kim Young-sam, who had made a bombshell statement that he would fix the Japanese's brashness, was the main culprit behind the IMF crisis that led to a national bankruptcy. Still, I believe that getting rid of that building was an excellent choice.
At that moment, Yuki, who had been looking out the window with me, quickly averted her gaze from the remnants of the Japanese colonial era.
"Now that building is being used as a museum, right?"
"Yes, and behind that building is the palace where the kings of the Chosun era resided."
"How... could they build such a structure in front of the place where a country's king lived? As a fellow Japanese, it's embarrassing."
"..."
"When I talked to my parents about Junhyuk, my father told me that Japan had committed a grave offense against Korea, and meeting Junhyuk was like making amends to the country. He advised me to remember that."
"To hear you say that... your parents seem quite aware of the situation."
"In fact, I haven't told Junhyuk about this yet. My mother is Korean, you see."
"Really?"
"Yes, that's why my father cut ties with his family when he married my mother. Maybe that's why he's so fond of Junhyuk, even just hearing about him makes my father happy."
... Unknowingly, I had earned points with Yuki's father.
Yuki was 20 years old this year, and she also had an older sister, so it must have been a challenging decision to marry a Korean 23 or 24 years ago. Her father's decision to cut ties with his family seemed quite understandable.
Yuki's father is truly remarkable.
A while later, the taxi driver dropped us off by the roadside, not far from the entrance to Myeongshin University.
I slung the hefty bag I was carrying over one shoulder.
"What's that?"
"This? Well... business equipment?"
"Business? What kind of business?"
In reality, I had virtually no connections in Korea at this time. Korea was still in its infancy when it came to "gaming."
Of course, NEGA Disk, officially licensed through S Corporation, was being sold under the name "GamDol," but the more popular gaming device was, surprisingly, a fake console created by duplicating the MiNintendo Family's motherboard.
In fact, the knockoff MiNintendo Family, made in Taiwan, had some advantages over the real MiNintendo Family.
In the future, there would be games made in Korea, such as "Archtonicia Story," created by Somnol, released in 1994, and "Pia and Giti" and "Princess Make," created by Myeongnae Soft. Especially, Mantra, after obtaining the license from Nihon Falcom, remade the "Ys 2 Special" in the form of a domestic game, which gained enormous popularity.
The "Ys 2 Special," which reconstructed the original scenario and created an original story, was remembered as both a masterpiece and a failure in the Korean game industry.
Why do I remember "flop" as the name? Probably because they released it with unresolved game-breaking bugs due to the inexperience of amateur developers. (Although later patches allowed you to reach the ending, the unstable communication environment at the time meant that hardly anyone saw the ending.)
Furthermore, there was another amusing event in this game, allowing you to acquire an item called "Dan-gun's Sword," which was inspired by Korea's "Dan-gun Myth."
But why am I suddenly bringing up a story about the Mantra game company?
In fact, the person we are about to meet is one of the founding members of that Mantra.
As Yuki and I entered the shopping district near Myeongshin University, I noticed a small PC store that I had long forgotten.
- Mantra Computer -
This was the very store where the uncle guided me onto the path of gaming, even giving me a strategy guide for Dragon Warrior 4.
This tiny hole-in-the-wall shop had no special interior and only had a few family game cartridges displayed in the showcase.
At that moment, Yuki, looking into the showcase, shouted excitedly to me.
"Junhyuk, they also have Dragon Emblem here!"
Oh... really. In one corner of the showcase, there was a price tag stating a whopping 100,000 won for the rare Japanese item, Dragon Emblem.
Well, it was being sold for a similar price at used shops in Japan, but adding an extra zero made it look incredibly expensive.
I briefly admired the Dragon Emblem I had found in Korea before opening the store's door and stepping inside.
"Welcome."
With a robust voice, a man in his mid-30s walked out from behind the curtain that divided the store, which was half a game store and half a workspace for the uncle. The store was permeated with the smell of jjajangmyeon, as if he had been eating, and the combination of the scent of cigarette smoke and jjajangmyeon created an unpleasant mixture in the shop.
"I want to sell some family games."
"Oh... really? We just opened, so we don't have much cash right now. But would you like to show them to me first?"
As I unpacked the heavy bag and placed it on the table, a heavy thud reverberated through the narrow shop.
"... How many did you bring?"
"About thirty."
"Thirty? Well, that's quite a lot. It might be challenging to buy them all."
"Please take a look at the items first."
"Alright, let me see."
With an unexpected expression of surprise, the uncle rummaged through the bag and picked up one of the cartridges. Unlike the Japanese version that was sold as an "Al Pack," this Dragon Emblem was wrapped in a black paper package.
As he absentmindedly took the cartridge from me, the uncle seemed to doubt his own eyes for a moment and blinked as he examined the package.
"Dragon Emblem? But this is..."
The reason the uncle was so surprised at the familiar Dragon Emblem logo was simple.
This was the Korean version.
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