Chapter 489: Ogre(1)
Chapter 489: Ogre(1)
I revealed the illustration of the tank to the world—a depiction of Hitler and Guderian surveying tanks on the production line.
However, it wasn't the tank with the long "main gun" that most would imagine. At that time, tanks only needed to break through trenches, so they were equipped only with machine guns.
It was only as time passed and the need for tanks to fight other tanks increased that they evolved into their modern forms.
Therefore, what was shown in the drawing was the Panzer I—a tank equipped with machine guns rather than a main gun.
Even if the effectiveness of the tank was proven, it was strictly limited to infantry support, and that was as far as the German military's thinking went at the time.
The same was true for Germany's Panzer III, which could be called a "proper" tank. Development was delayed for various reasons, and mass production fell to abysmal levels.
If the German army had improved and mass-produced the Panzer III a bit earlier, France would have fallen within four weeks instead of six.
Progress was slow partly due to power struggles with the cavalry and partly because the tank itself was such a new concept.
As such, it would take some time before a "proper" tank made its appearance in the story.
As far as I knew, it was during the German-Soviet War that medium tanks—specifically the Soviet T-34—were first deployed in actual combat.
The Panzer III at least has a main gun, so it could serve as a base.
In truth, while the tanks themselves were impressive, the most terrifying aspect was something else: the "radio" installed in every single one.
Objectively speaking, the German tanks used in the invasion of France were inferior to those of the British and French. Even the Panzer III couldn't be mass-produced properly.
However, because Guderian equipped every tank with a radio, systematic tactical execution became possible.
As the saying goes, a lion leading ten sheep is stronger than a sheep leading ten lions.
The invasion of France is a prime example of how communication can flip the scales of power.
[A moving steel fortress. If one could only fire arrows from inside, it would be a formidable weapon.]
[Moving such a heavy lump of iron would require a massive amount of mana.]
[I want to ride it once.]
It was only natural that many people offered their assessments as the tank made its debut. Everyone shared their opinions upon seeing this first-of-its-kind steel weapon.
Some gave it rave reviews simply for being a mobile steel weapon, while others criticized it, claiming it looked too slow.
Since the existence of the "machine gun" wasn't yet known, some said it would be easily defeated by a knight on horseback, or that it would be far too expensive to produce.
Many opinions were exchanged, but most boiled down to: "What is this thing even for?"
Just as I had released several illustrations before the launch of Volume 1, I hadn't properly explained anything about the tank, so this reaction was expected.
Instead, people were coming up with their own plausible theories while looking at the heavy-looking hull and the caterpillar tracks.
[Is that long thing a gun barrel? If it fires guns from in there, it truly is a moving steel fortress.]
[Wouldn't it be better to just mount a cannon on it?]
A few sharp-eyed critics even made some interesting points.
[The wheels are very unique. A structure that won't easily get stuck in holes. It's well worth researching.]
[It would be great if used on rough terrain. It would be very useful for farming in muddy fields.]
[We must build and test this immediately.]
Among all the features, the one that received the most praise was undoubtedly the "caterpillar tracks." Though they risked losing all mobility if damaged, they were wheels perfectly suited for traversing rough terrain.
In this world, the utility of oil is unknown, so most roads remain unpaved.
Even where there are roads made of dressed stone, unpaved roads are far more common. In other words, carriage wheels frequently get stuck in the mud.
If caterpillar tracks were installed, one could easily escape the mud, and they would be highly useful for farming.
It doesn't matter if everyone starts making them.
Even though I showed them the design through my drawings, it would take countless trials and errors before a proper product emerged.
Steel caterpillar tracks are expensive and difficult to manufacture, so they'll probably only manage to make wooden ones for now.
Even that would be enough. If they attached them to carriages right now, they would more than prove their worth.
"We beg of you! Please pass on the blueprints of the tank to us!"
"And the knowledge of Communism that will save our rotten motherland!"
"Please, lend us your strength!"
And who are these shorties? I stared blankly at the dwarves who were prostrating themselves and pleading with me.
The sight of their stout bodies pressed flat against the ground was a bit comical, but the situation was anything but funny.
Because these three were faces I knew well. Faces I could never forget.
Eins, the inventor of the magic engine, and his colleagues. The ones who had brought the magitech car to the last Xenon Festival had come looking for me.
Coming here all of a sudden and saying this...
I looked down at the dwarves with a mix of bewilderment and embarrassment. The situation was so sudden that I didn't know what to do.
As for how these dwarves found me, it was quite simple. I had gone outside after hearing a commotion, and there they were, looking for me.
And they were in the same magitech car they had driven during the Xenon Festival. They were drawing all sorts of attention, like some kind of biker gang.
Fortunately, they were familiar faces, and since I happened to have some things I was curious about, I let them in.
As soon as they entered the dormitory, they threw themselves onto the floor and began to plead. Just like the scene I was witnessing now.
I couldn't fathom what was going on at first, but remembering the recent events in Machina, I felt like I was on the verge of grasping something.
"...First, all three of you, please stand up. I need to hear the story first."
As I spoke, I caught Adelia's eye and gave her a nod. Understanding, she nodded back and headed toward the kitchen.
Judging by their haggard appearance, it seemed they had rushed here in their magitech car and were in need of food.
I felt like washing their faces, which were blackened with coal, but that could wait.
At my words, the trio of dwarves slowly raised their heads. Their faces were blackened with coal, but beyond that, they looked quite gaunt.
They weren't like this even a year ago.
Between the nationalization of the magic engine in Machina and the recent protests, something was definitely up. I could feel it.
"What on earth happened?"
"That is..."
"Eins. Let me handle this."
Just as Eins was about to speak with a desperate face, a dwarf with an impressive bald head reached out and stopped him.
Usually, dwarves have thick hair and beards like Vikings, but I knew who this dwarf was.
Geas Bartson, the one who had greeted me with his characteristically polite tone from the very first time we met.
He cleared his throat and opened the conversation with his usual courteous manner.
"First, I must apologize for our rudeness. We know that Sir Xenon is a busy man, but we would appreciate it if you understood that we had no other choice."
I'm not exactly busy, though. In fact, thanks to the protests in Machina, I was just idling around.
Deciding there was no need to mention that, I simply nodded. Geas continued.
"Furthermore, though we have already been quite forward, we ask you most sincerely. Please pass on the knowledge you possess to us. We will offer you the greatest reward we can provide."
"It's a bit overwhelming when you say that without any context. Is this related to Machina?"
"It is. The situation is..."
Taking the opportunity, Geas told me everything about the current state of Machina. From the abysmal conditions in the dwarf factories to the recent, even harsher crackdowns.
On top of that, the nationalization of the magic engine had occurred. They called it nationalization, but in reality, it was no different from stealing the ownership of the magic engine.
They even planned to use that magic engine to drive the dwarf factories even harder. This was something Eins had heard directly from the King.
It really is the same, isn't it?
It was almost identical to the situation of workers during the Industrial Revolution. In fact, the dwarf factories had existed even before the Industrial Revolution began.
Each dwarf could essentially function as a "factory" themselves, and they had developed a "taste for money" during the Race War, which led to this state of affairs.
It even made sense why they maintained a monarchy while being close to a capitalist society. The entity that made the most money from weapon sales was the state—the King.
Weapon sales had been a consistently thriving business from the Race War until now, so the money never ran out.
On the other hand, the exploitation of the dwarf factories grew worse by the day. This was also the reason for the recent disruptions in paper production.
"A young dwarf boy collapsed from overwork and passed away early because he couldn't even receive proper treatment. The factory owners simply found another dwarf factory as if they were replacing a part and said nothing. We could no longer endure it. But when we raised our voices, all that returned were the army's arrows."
"Arrows were fired?"
"Yes. Fortunately, they were special arrows with blunt tips, but some people were hit in the eye and lost their sight."
It was Machina's version of the Bloody Sunday Incident. Fortunately, they were non-lethal arrows and there were no cannons, but it was dangerous nonetheless.
The King was truly treating the dwarf artisans like slaves. By now, public sentiment toward the Dwarf King in Machina must have hit rock bottom.
But that wasn't the case for the wealthy factory owners. In such a cutthroat capitalist society, most of the power and authority would lie with them.
"In such a situation, my dear friend Eins was already building a tank that could withstand not only arrows but even cannons."
"...Wait a minute. You're building what?"
While I was lost in thought, words I couldn't simply let slide reached my ears. I asked back, startled.
Then, Geas opened his mouth, speaking each word with his characteristic gravity and sincerity.
"The tank that Sir Xenon revealed first."
"......?"
Crazy. Why are you making that? I felt like I was moving past bewilderment and into the realm of the absurd.
I hadn't leaked information about the tank anywhere. I had mentioned it in passing to my acquaintances when revealing my past life, but I hadn't gone into detail.
Even my father and Adelia had reacted with, "What is this thing?" when they saw the tank.
But for Eins to have already been inventing the tank... it felt like something was seriously out of order.
It would be one thing if I had revealed the tank first and then they decided to make it, but the sequence was completely reversed.
"...Why were you making that? No, before that, what were you thinking?"
"After arrows, the next thing to fly will surely be cannons. And after cannons, it will be magic. We are building it to defend against that. Isn't that what the tank Sir Xenon revealed is used for as well?"
"Uh..."
Well, he wasn't wrong. Though I wasn't sure about blocking magic.
A tank itself is a massive lump of iron weighing dozens of tons. Therefore, it would be difficult for low-level magic like Fireball to penetrate it.
But that was just a guess. Cecile and Arwen were top-tier mages, but I had never seen them use lethal magic.
In the first place, aside from teleportation, no situation had arisen that required the use of magic.
"I'm not sure about that. I didn't account for magic. Have you tested if it can block cannons?"
"Have you tested it?"
"Of course I have. It only got slightly dented; the shells just bounced off."
The answer came not from Geas, but from the tank's creator, Eins. With that kind of armor, it would certainly do its job.
Then, could it also block magic? I suddenly became curious and spoke cautiously.
"I don't know much about Machina, but are there any highly skilled mages there?"
"Our Machina lacks military power compared to other nations. The same goes for mages. In particular, mages specialized in lethal magic are almost non-existent. Instead, we excel at creating machines like refrigerators, climate control devices, and hot water storage units. My friend Eins here is the same."
"Aha."
I think I understood. Since dwarves are skilled with their hands, they can "mechanize" magic.
For example, suppose there's a spell that turns cold water into hot water. A dwarf could install this spell into a specific machine so that it produces the same effect.
Unlike ordinary dwarf factories, they could be called true artisans. Because of this, they were treated quite well even within Machina.
However, without a mana charge, they were nothing more than tin cans, so most of them used "mana stones."
The mana stones acted as batteries, and the air conditioners installed throughout the Academy dormitories worked on this same principle.
Then how were these mana stones charged? It was simple.
By grinding people... ahem.
Not literally grinding them, but this too was done by people. If someone had a body that couldn't use mana, the Academy would dispatch a mage instead.
In other words, it meant that refrigerators and air conditioners could be used according to individual mana levels rather than through central control.
Until the invention of the magic engine, the only means of producing mana was through people. "Producing" felt like an odd word for it, but I decided to move on.
This was the reason why the magic engine was called a magic engine rather than a steam engine.
Normally, "steam power" would be generated, but Eins's invention generated "mana." That mana became the power source for movement.
It was truly a masterpiece of the century. As long as there was coal, mana could be extracted indefinitely. Someday, oil would be used in the same way.
But it'll probably only be used for large things.
The magic pen currently sleeping in my front pocket was an exception, as I could easily use my own mana for something so small.
Anyway, returning to the main point, I questioned Geas.
"Then couldn't you just use Mr. Eins's skills? There shouldn't be a need to come all the way to me."
"Absolutely not! The wheels shown in the drawing were of a structure we couldn't even imagine. Seeing them, we realized! Ah! Sir Xenon is truly someone from the future!"
"......Excuse me?"
"Otherwise, there's no way you would know the structure of the tank we were going to invent, nor would you have taught us the Communism that will save Machina!"
"......?"
Things were going well, and then they suddenly took a sharp turn into left field. I stared blankly at Geas, who was praising me with his arms spread wide.
In the meantime, Adelia brought cookies and drinks, but I didn't have the mental capacity to pay attention.
"So, we beg you on our knees. Please, give us the blueprints for the tank and the true essence of Communism. If you do, we will dedicate our hammers and our hands to you!"
"We beg of you!"
"We beg of you!"
I blinked as I looked at the three dwarves prostrating themselves and pleading once again.
They're not going to end up making airplanes later, are they?
I just hoped they wouldn't fly over to my territory and crash.