Chapter 482: Buildup(2)
Chapter 482: Buildup(2)
Volumes 7 and 8 of Blood and Iron were released within a short window of each other. Unlike Xenon Biography, these volumes only required a structured explanation of historical facts.
Most of all, the latter half of Volume 7 focused on the history and potential of the United States, while the latter half of Volume 8 concluded by explaining the founding history of the Soviet Union.
Having had a deep interest in history in my previous life, this was a piece of cake. If this had been a web novel back then, I probably would have been torn to shreds by the readers for info-dumping.
However, this is a world where books are only just beginning to reach the masses, let alone web novels. In fact, when I was writing Xenon Biography, the constant sell-outs caused such a frenzy it was practically a bloodbath.
Crucially, since Blood and Iron is treated as fantasy here, people find even the long-winded explanations engaging.
It’s a bit embarrassing to say this myself, but it feels similar to the impact The Lord of the Rings had when it was first released.
At any rate, with Volumes 7 and 8 of Blood and Iron being released in quick succession, the readers are ecstatic.
[Another string of sell-outs. The interval between new volumes is incredibly short.]
[Grid Merchant Group, the publisher of Blood and Iron, is currently facing a severe paper shortage. Please wait just a little longer.]
Meanwhile, the publishers, including Musk, are laughing and crying at the same time. The phenomenon that occurred during the early release of Xenon Biography is repeating itself.
Even with Xenon Biography, the publishers were once overwhelmed by a wave of sell-outs they couldn't handle.
That issue was eventually resolved as time passed, technology improved, and I even acquired a printing press.
But the situation now is slightly different. Even if we can churn out books like a factory, we can't secure the raw materials.
Everyone knows that paper is made from wood. And in this world, unlike my previous life, procuring wood comes with various burdens.
The reason is none other than the existence of monsters. Most monsters live in nature like wild beasts, and the more trees you cut down, the closer you get to their habitats.
Consequently, one must deal with the monsters first before logging the forest, a process that takes quite a while.
Furthermore, cutting the trees is only the beginning. The wood needs to be 'processed' to make paper. Since technology isn't advanced, the processing alone takes a long time.
It might sound a bit nonsensical, but it’s a real phenomenon happening right now. Even now, requests for adventurers are skyrocketing.
'It’s a relief that paper has at least been invented.'
If it were still the age of parchment, even Xenon Biography wouldn't have been able to be released. I offer my sincere thanks to whoever invented paper.
Anyway, despite the growing pains regarding the raw material supply, the new volumes have been distributed far and wide.
In other words, reviews are starting to trickle in. I decided to take my time with the writing.
[Hitler excises the rotten flesh. There is no longer any festering pus in the Weimar Republic—no, in Germany.]
[It may be painful, but it is a necessary operation. We no longer need this tiresome politics.]
[Hitler’s power becomes even more solidified. Through this power, Germany will develop even further.]
First up was the purge that followed the Enabling Act: the 'Night of the Long Knives.' The Night of the Long Knives was an event where Hitler forcibly dissolved all political parties except for the Nazi Party.
It was the moment he openly declared his intention to wield absolute power, yet Europe, including Britain and France, kept quiet.
Scarred by the aftermath of World War I, they tried to ignore it, thinking, Surely Germany wouldn't...? It was essentially the event that laid the groundwork for World War II.
One more thing. Ernst Röhm, whom Hitler purged, was a homosexual. With his purge, countless homosexuals were dragged off to concentration camps.
The interesting part here is that Hitler had previously defended him, saying he had no interest in a person's private life and that soldiers were not a moral collective.
Regardless, having completely seized the reins of power, Hitler began to act increasingly reckless. The biggest example was the persecution of Jews.
—I fought in the Great War and even received a medal from His Majesty the Emperor! Why are you doing this to me?! I am not a Jew, I am a German!
The cry of a Jew, a war veteran, pleading with the state as he was persecuted. But that Jew was dragged away shortly after.
Since the Holocaust had not yet been fully implemented, he was merely taken to prison. However, even this scene sent shockwaves through the readers.
[What exactly did the Jews do wrong? Why persecute even a war veteran?]
[If someone is born in another country but integrates into it, aren't they a fellow citizen?]
[Hitler is uniting the German people through the persecution of Jews. Is this process truly right?]
Originally, even the readers brushed it off, thinking, There must be a reason they're doing that. Since even the protagonist(?), Hitler, hated them, they assumed there had to be a justification.
However, seeing even a patriot being persecuted simply for being Jewish, they began to feel conflicted.
[Is this a similar situation to the Demons before the release of Xenon Biography? It feels similar since the ideology of Anti-Semitism is so widespread.]
[Even after Xenon Biography, the Demons were only saved; discriminatory views still linger here and there.]
[In the distant future after Xenon’s death, the Demons might be treated like this again...]
Perhaps others felt the similarity between Demons and Jews as well, as they began comparing and evaluating the two. In fact, Demons and Jews do share many similarities.
The Demons suffered all kinds of discrimination during the Demon War before eventually founding Helium. While the process wasn't exactly the same, the Jews also founded Israel.
However, Israel was a country that emerged as the Ottoman Empire fragmented and wasn't even properly recognized. Therefore, the Jews of this era are indeed a stateless people.
[Hitler is not a hero, but merely a politician. If he were a hero, shouldn't he embrace them instead of persecuting them?]
[But if he doesn't persecute the Jews, the Germans will divide again. Nothing is as effective for unity as having a clear enemy.]
[There must have been another way.]
[The Jews held a tight grip on Germany's economy and finance, and unlike the impoverished Germans, many were wealthy. The sense of relative deprivation must have been immense, so hatred is only natural.]
[Isn't it unfair? Are you saying they shouldn't even be allowed to work using their own abilities?]
Naturally, the number of people criticizing Hitler began to grow. At the same time, they engaged in heated debates with those who defended him.
One side argued that persecution is never acceptable, while the other argued that given the situation, it was unavoidable and effective.
In this debate, the latter side held more sway. I provided a detailed explanation of Anti-Semitism here.
Not from the perspective of a historian who loves history, but from the perspective of someone living in that era. That is to say, from Hitler's perspective.
[A people who disturb a nation without even having a country of their own are nothing but pests! Hitler is right!]
Ah. For the record, the statement above wasn't made by a character in the book, but by a critic. There are quite a few people who sympathize with that sentiment.
If people in the modern era harbor such thoughts, how much worse would it be in the Middle Ages, which is only just transitioning into the modern era?
For understanding, let's look at the Elves. They are a race that prides itself on being chosen by God, and they are the race that best embodies the Sin of Pride.
Even now they are like this; imagine how they were 300 years ago. They were busy despising and looking down on every race except their own. Of course, they were given a reality check later on.
Anyway, a sense of racial identity that transcends mere ethnicity remains strong. It’s an ideology that inevitably arises because the differences between races are so distinct.
[The Demons founded Helium, but the Jews did not. A people not subordinate to a state are no different from stray loaches.]
[The lives of the Jews might be similar to the Demons. But the decisive difference is that they had no state.]
[This might be what life would be like for Demons if Helium didn't exist...]
[A people exists because a state exists. It is meaningless for only a people to exist.]
It’s unfortunate, but it can't be helped. Most readers evaluated the Jews in that way.
From that point on, people began to treat the Jews as Demons who hadn't been saved. In fact, looking only at the situation, it was a valid point, so I agreed as well.
Furthermore, this only applied to the Jews in the book; it didn't mean the actual Demons in reality were being harmed.
If that were the case, I’d be treated like a madman. I don't want things to go that far either.
[Hitler, the animal lover. He enacted animal protection laws through his own power.]
I also occasionally showed Hitler's love for animals. This, too, is based on thorough historical accuracy.
[But why does he treat Jews worse than animals?]
Oh. Spot on. You're going to lose your minds when you see the Holocaust later.
Besides that, many scholars shared their opinions upon seeing Hitler, who was full of 'Eugenics' ideology.
Not negative opinions, but positive ones. If nothing else, Eugenics is a concept that has completely permeated this world.
It’s not because of underdeveloped science, either. It’s actually classified as a field of study, not even an ideology.
Why?
[Does Eugenics work even in a world without magic and mana? But then why was Hitler's father so incompetent?]
[In the world of Blood and Iron, it is not talent but reputation and sin that will be passed down.]
[That's not true. Talent is inherited from parents...]
Perhaps because this is a fantasy world, Eugenics actually fits perfectly. If Mendel had studied genetics in this world, he would have quit.
For example, even if a half-blood between a human and an elf has short ears, they always follow the characteristics of an elf. This is a field that the elves themselves have researched.
Furthermore, it is taken for granted that one inherits the talents of their parents. I can see that just by looking at my father and my family.
'The Demon Worshippers were trying to perform genetic modification, weren't they?'
This is an atrocity of theirs that only recently came to light. I understand it was an experiment similar to how humans were turned into Demons.
Of course, all of it has been destroyed now, but their research materials have remained as excellent subject matter.
What was most impressive here was none other than the offspring between humans and different species.
While pregnancy was possible between humans and other species, it was impossible between two different non-human species. It was an experiment very much in character for Demon Worshippers.
'Did they use humans as the base?'
Anyway, it’s a world that would have made Mendel faint from a stroke. It will take hundreds of years for genetics to develop in earnest.
They are debating among themselves whether Eugenics would work in Blood and Iron, but let's move on.
After that, Volume 7 ends with an explanation of US history and potential, and FDR officially proposing the 'New Deal.'
In Volume 8, which followed immediately...
[As expected of Hitler! He is indeed a hero!]
[With the Remilitarization of the Rhineland, Hitler has been elevated to a god-like status among the Germans.]
[Who dares call him a tyrant? It is common sense that excising rotten flesh comes with pain. Hitler is the true Emperor of Germany.]
They were so busy praising Hitler that they seemed to have completely forgotten the persecution of Jews shown in Volume 7.
To put it a bit humorously, it was exactly a case of "I knew I could count on you, dammit!" There’s no other way to describe it.
[That is a high-risk gamble. What if he had failed...]
Of course, the sharp-witted ones quickly noticed that what Hitler did was reckless. In fact, the Remilitarization of the Rhineland was close to a gamble.
[Do not doubt Hitler! He has a plan for everything!]
[There are no 'ifs' in history. What a ridiculous story.]
Those voices were completely buried. The critics' words didn't even reach the readers' ears anymore.
They praised Hitler as if they themselves had become Germans, and they didn't doubt for a second that he was the protagonist.
However, a raging fire must be extinguished before it becomes a conflagration. Anticipating this, I explained the history of the Soviet Union's founding right after the Remilitarization of the Rhineland.
Starting from the Communist Manifesto to Lenin's revolutionary activities. The fall of the Russian Empire and the emergence of the Soviet Union.
Finally, Stalin's succession and the signs of the Great Purge. The most important thing here was the first appearance of Stalin, widely known as Hitler's rival.
[The appearance of Stalin, whom Hitler must overthrow. What kind of path will he take?]
[No matter how much Germany grows, it will be difficult to face the overwhelming national power of the Soviet Union.]
Don't worry. Soon, the heads of all the talented individuals will roll due to the Great Purge.
Thus, Volume 8 of Blood and Iron ended with Stalin's short but impactful appearance.
'Surprisingly, there isn't much talk about Communism.'
I suppose it's inevitable since it's an ideology that awakens the workers. Since the Industrial Revolution hasn't happened, there is almost no dissatisfaction among the workers.
I plan to release Volume 9 of Blood and Iron slowly. I also needed to adapt the causes of the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
The military is a place where all sorts of bizarre incidents happen, but even my father criticized it harshly, calling them idiots. What kind of idiot treats a soldier who went to take a dump as missing?
'What can I do? It's historically accurate.'
Anyway, while the world is cheering(?) for Hitler, I can just relax and rest. Even if something happens here, what could it be other than Demon Worshippers?
Ah, I'm talking about world affairs. Personal matters, unlike the world, have a way of popping up unexpectedly anytime, anywhere.
Was it because the persecution of Jews shown in Volume 7 was similar to the past situation of the Demons?
"Isaac. Did this people called the Jews get saved like us Demons?"
Cecile, who had come to visit after a long time, asked me with an urgent expression. Apparently, she had some free time now that her work was almost finished.
I met Cecile's red eyes, which were full of worry, before slowly averting my gaze. Then, scratching my cheek, I answered quietly.
"Saved... rather than that, they escaped the oppression. They eventually establish a country like Helium."
"Phew. That's a relief."
At my words, Cecile swept her hand over her chest, looking truly relieved. Her voluptuous breasts, which even her dress couldn't hide, stood out exceptionally.
"As you know, we Demons also have a history of being slaughtered just for being 'demons.' I was worried that the Jews might go through a similar process."
"..."
"Does Hitler come to his senses and help the Jews? Is that how they're able to establish a country?"
Um...
"......It wouldn't be fun if I told you in advance, right?"
"Really? I guess so. Alright, I understand. I'll be looking forward to it."
I'm sorry, Cecile. I looked pityingly at her as she beamed with a happy smile.
Cecile seemed to be lost in the imagination of Hitler saving(?) the Jews, as she didn't notice my gaze.
"I hope the Jews get saved just like us Demons."
The entire Jewish race is about to star in a tragedy.