Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
The Historian's Trial
Yoon Yi-seo arrives at the palace and learns that royal history demands impartial recording. King Yejong tests his memory and expands his duties beyond writing.
Key Events
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New Historian Arrives — Yoon Yi-seo arrives at the palace as a new royal historian. Characters: Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Joseon palace
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Duty of Objectivity — Yoon Yi-seo is warned to record the King's actions fairly and objectively. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Joseon palace
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Ceiling Memory Test — The King tests Yoon Yi-seo by asking about dragons painted on the ceiling. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Palace hall
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Hidden Duties Revealed — Yoon Yi-seo learns that royal history involves investigating concealed matters. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Joseon palace
Rumors Beneath the Water
Reports of bizarre creatures draw the King and Yoon Yi-seo into an investigation. The ghost fish and the turtle suggest that an apparent supernatural event may conceal a deliberate mechanism.
Key Events
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Military Loyalty Test — The King tests a trusted military official's obedience with a wooden sword. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon
Location: Palace grounds
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Strange Creatures Reported — Reports of bizarre creatures draw the King and his companion into an investigation. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Joseon capital
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Ghost Fish Encounter — The investigators encounter what appears to be a ghost fish. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Capital waters
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Turtle Beneath the Spectacle — The King remembers seeing a large turtle beneath the apparent ghost fish. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Capital waters
The Machinery Conspiracy
The investigation connects the devices to underwater travel, a diary, and an inventor's surviving lineage. A hidden passage and workshop reveal machines and weapons behind the rumors.
Key Events
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Seon-hwa Questioned — The King asks about Seon-hwa and her reputed magical powers. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo, Seon-hwa
Location: Joseon palace
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Mechanical Creatures Exposed — The supposed ghost fish and turtle are identified as mechanical devices. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Capital waters
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Submersible Plans Found — Plans reveal how the contraption could travel underwater. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Investigation site
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Diary Points Forward — A diary directs the investigators toward an inventor's surviving descendant. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Investigation site
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Hidden Passage Discovered — The investigators find a hidden passage leading toward the machines. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Hidden passage
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Secret Workshop Entered — A concealed workshop contains the machines behind the supernatural rumors. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Hidden workshop
Poisoned Royal Blood
The King suddenly falls gravely ill, and the physician cannot identify the cause. Examination of his medicine reveals a potentially lethal combination of an herb and kidney pills.
Key Events
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Underwater Weapons Revealed — The workshop contains underwater weapons, suggesting a human conspiracy. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Hidden workshop
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King Falls Gravely Ill — The King suddenly becomes gravely ill, and the danger becomes immediate. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Joseon palace
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Physician Finds No Cause — A physician cannot identify the cause of the King's illness. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Palace medical chamber
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Poisonous Combination Identified — An herb combined with the King's kidney pills may act as deadly poison. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Joseon palace
The Unanswered Message
The allies prepare an antidote and a plan to remove the King from the palace. A messenger's arrival with the Queen Dowager's message leaves the immediate outcome unresolved.
Key Events
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Escape Plan Formed — The allies plan to administer an antidote and take the King out of the palace. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Joseon palace
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Unresolved Royal Message — A messenger arrives with a message from the Queen Dowager, leaving the King's fate unresolved. Characters: King Yejong of Joseon, Yoon Yi-seo
Location: Joseon palace
