Chapter 550: Six Weeks(1)
Chapter 550: Six Weeks(1)
With the vow to reveal the gods' past through his writing, Isaac made up his mind to finish Blood and Iron as quickly as possible.
His deadline was before the Grey Desert expedition reached the capital of the Kingdom of Gerios.
He pushed his writing speed to the absolute limit, determined to wrap up Blood and Iron by then.
Although the unexpected variable of consuming divinity had occurred, it didn't cause any setbacks. He could simply write in the Room of Time and Spirit, and if things got truly desperate, he could always serialize two works simultaneously.
Thus, Isaac began releasing a new volume roughly every three days. It was a terrifyingly fast pace.
While people cheered for this speed, they also harbored doubts. It felt almost too fast to be humanly possible.
Even with the Gift of the Demon Tribe—the typewriter—significantly boosting his speed, producing a volume every three days was abnormal. It wasn't a factory, after all.
Of course, people had let it slide until then, thinking a good thing was just a good thing, but suspicions began to sprout after Operation Sichelschnitt.
[The Xenon Biography aside, Blood and Iron is fantasy. He has essentially constructed a whole new world and even devised revolutionary strategies and tactics for it.]
[Unless he actually lived in such a world, this is nearly impossible.]
[Is Xenon really someone from the world of Blood and Iron?]
These opinions were starting to bloom, though they hadn't become mainstream yet.
It was amazing enough that he had created a world where the existence of mana, magic, and even gods was uncertain, but to depict the minutiae of daily life so vividly?
To even showcase the cultures, ideologies, and feasible war machines of each nation?
People couldn't help but think he was something beyond a genius. The prevailing theory was that there was something more to him, at least something beyond a Saint.
Did that mean they were slandering Isaac? Not at all.
If anything, his following only grew; they didn't disparage him.
[Xenon is a prophet who will provide us with new knowledge!]
[Believe in Xenon! He may give us trials, but he will never disappoint us!]
[He is definitely a Saint brought by the gods!]
It was a blessing in disguise. During the Great Depression, people had doubted Isaac, but the emergence of the 'Factory' that overcame it completely shifted the tide.
Furthermore, hadn't Geist succeeded in his revolution with Communism and tanks at his back?
If the Xenon Biography told of things that happened in the 'future,' then Blood and Iron was providing 'knowledge.'
Most of those who believed Isaac was a Saint without a shadow of a doubt thought this way.
*
"How is the invention of the weapon progressing?"
Bronzed skin and silver eyes. Finally, a unique pattern on the right side of his face.
Asala, a man who possessed the distinct characteristics of the Stavirk people, spoke to the old man in front of him.
The old man also had the typical Stavirk appearance, the only difference being the abundance of white hair due to his age.
Nevertheless, his exposed arms were thick with dense muscle, radiating an extraordinary aura.
"It is proceeding smoothly. But as I mentioned before, you must be cautious when purchasing gunpowder. If you're not careful, the Empire might notice."
"We will handle that on our end. Lord Miral, please focus only on the invention."
"Thank you. Since we've also obtained the blueprints for the magic engine, mass production will be possible once the invention is complete."
The old man called Miral bowed his head and moved away. He entered a blacksmith shop where intense heat radiated outward.
Before long, the crisp sound of hammering—Clang! Clang!—echoed from within.
Asala watched the blacksmith shop, which had been secretly prepared to manufacture 'guns,' before turning away.
Not long after he turned and started walking, he encountered a woman.
"Do you have any good news?"
"It's just so-so."
The woman talking to Asala also had the distinct appearance of the Stavirk people.
The difference was that while Asala had bluish-black hair, the woman's hair was closer to silver.
"How is it on your end, Mersha? Any suspicious movements from the Empire?"
Asala asked about the current situation as he received a change of clothes from the woman, Mersha.
While he led the overall independence movement, Mersha's role was to monitor international affairs and the Empire's movements.
"The Empire is the same as always. However, they've been eyeing our region ever since the factories were built."
"For what reason?"
Recently, there were countless issues that could draw attention to the Stavirk region. The most prominent among them was, without a doubt, independence.
The Stavirk independence movement had been ongoing for as long as anyone could remember.
No one knew who had started it, but it had now become the destiny of their people.
Furthermore, the Minerva Empire had treated the Stavirk people with cold indifference, providing more than enough justification.
"They said they're going to build factories in our region. Probably to keep us under surveillance."
"And to suck up our labor while they're at it."
Asala snorted at the obvious, sinister ulterior motive. It would certainly be effective.
However, it was likely just a rumor with a very low chance of being implemented. What the Empire wanted was internal chaos. They wouldn't leak information this easily.
'If only the fever of National Self-Determination had continued.'
Asala recalled National Self-Determination, the ideology that had once ignited the passion for independence.
Seeing that, everyone had shouted for independence, but what followed was Hitler's atrocities.
Moreover, with the Great Depression hitting at the same time, even the Stavirk had no choice but to be cautious.
Yet, National Self-Determination remained, and many people continued to sympathize with the independence movement.
"Is contact with Xenon still nearly impossible?"
"For now. He hasn't been coming out himself, and the Empire is doing its best to block access."
"Tsk."
Asala clicked his tongue with a dissatisfied expression. He wanted to meet Isaac somehow, but he didn't have the resources.
The Empire must be blocking it. It was as clear as day.
"The Xenon Festival is coming up soon, so we'll have to look for an opportunity then. Even the Empire will find it difficult to cause friction during such an event."
"Speaking of which, there's a rumor that the Imperial Princess has fallen for Xenon. Could it be true?"
"You shouldn't believe rumors at face value. But a political marriage is highly likely. For now, let's just focus on the Xenon Festival."
If possible, he wanted to get advice from Isaac. Just as Geist had.
Originally, his stance was that it didn't matter whether they got advice or not. What mattered was independence, not him.
However, his mind changed after seeing Geist succeed in the revolution and topple the monarchy.
"Do you really think the weapon called a 'gun' will give strength to our independence?"
"Strictly speaking, we need to invent the machine gun as well. We need enough firepower to pierce a knight's defense."
A knight's defensive power varied from person to person, but they could easily deflect arrows.
Furthermore, they learned specific techniques to effectively defend against magic, a concept similar to a 'shield.'
If Isaac had seen it, he would have aptly compared it to a Protoss shield.
No matter how much they reinforced their bodies, it was difficult to defend against the impact itself.
Even if one had a body capable of defending against a cannon's power, the principle was the same as having one's internal organs shredded by a direct hit.
That was why they trained to block external attacks entirely.
However, even this was only possible for skilled knights. Though elves did it as easily as breathing.
"A Mana Shield isn't invincible. Mana will eventually run out."
There was only one way to defeat a knight who used a shield with their own mana rather than magic.
Either pour out firepower that far exceeded the shield's defensive power, or exhaust all the mana used for the shield.
Unless it was a cannon or magic, it was difficult to break a Mana Shield, and not all of those would hit their mark.
That was why it was common for knights to fight other knights. Even during the Race War, human knights would swarm together to face a single elf knight.
"We just need to break that shield. The machine gun will be the answer."
"But the world of Blood and Iron can't use mana. Will it be able to pierce a knight's defense?"
Mersha voiced a somewhat skeptical opinion. If the gun were invented, the population could become the military force, which would certainly provide strength.
However, it was too much of a gamble. While the gun was clearly a formidable weapon, it hadn't been 'proven' in this world yet.
If even the gun couldn't pierce a knight, everything they had built so far could vanish like bubbles.
"Don't worry about that. As I said before, we don't need to make it exactly the same. We're just using the 'knowledge' that appeared in Blood and Iron. Just as knights use mana, we can use mana too."
"Using mana... are you planning to coat the bullets with mana?"
"Something like that. Our people are skilled at delicate work. The urgent thing is the gun."
Asala believed firmly.
"I want to see the Empire's proud knights in a state of panic as soon as possible."
Because that was how it was portrayed in the book Isaac wrote. The King of All Weapons that ended the era of knights.
Mersha stared blankly at Asala's face, which was burning with desire, and then chuckled.
Originally, they had intended to use Isaac to bolster Stavirk's independence, but now they had become complete followers.
What supported this was the Machina Revolution, and another thing was...
"Since the 'Sage' also said it was the right path, you will succeed. Even if it's not in our generation."
"It has to be. The Sage has also started to look upon Xenon favorably."
It was thanks to the 'Sage' who had opened the path for the Stavirk people. A being who had opened the path to independence from the past to the present.
The Sage had shown nothing but a negative stance toward Isaac, but his attitude had changed recently.
The reason was unknown. However, it was certain that Blood and Iron was the turning point.
"I should pay him a visit. To ask what questions I should pose if I meet Xenon during the festival. Where is the Sage?"
"As always, he is in his residence."
"Then let's go there."
Asala walked side by side with Mersha.
He had a feeling that a good result would come of this.
*
While the invention of weapons was in full swing in Stavirk, the world was preoccupied with the new volume of Blood and Iron.
The confrontation between the traditional powers, the Anglo-French alliance, and Nazi Germany. Since there had been many hints dropped so far, it garnered a lot of attention.
On top of that, there was the almost revolutionary Operation Sichelschnitt. Readers were eager to see if Nazi Germany's Sickle Cut would work or if it would crumble.
[I want Hitler to suffer a crushing defeat. As seen in Operation T4, he is a monster in human skin.]
[He is a mass murderer. He might be a hero to the Germans, but from a third-party perspective, he is a tyrant.]
In the past, there would have only been people mindlessly cheering for Hitler, but not anymore.
The invasion of Poland had revealed the ruthlessness and malice of Nazi Germany.
Furthermore, through President Roosevelt of the United States, who was busy with the Great Depression and reelection preparations, the true nature of Operation T4 came to light.
As mentioned before, the treatment of disabled people in this world was relatively better than in that era. In particular, those with mental illnesses were desperately protected by religious groups.
When Operation T4 was implemented, religious figures had protested fiercely, and this world was no different.
The denominations criticized Hitler and Operation T4 with one heart and mind, calling it an act that defied the will of the gods.
The Church of Luminous and the Temple of Mora, who usually looked at each other like a cow and a chicken, began to unite thanks to Operation T4.
[In Blood and Iron, the existence of gods is unclear, so mortals have no choice but to develop their own self-purification abilities. However, Nazi Germany is gradually losing that function.]
[If they win the war against the Anglo-French alliance, Nazi Germany will cross a point of no return.]
[This war will determine the direction of Nazi Germany.]
While religious people condemned Nazi Germany and Hitler, there were also those who viewed them with a neutral eye.
Critics who focused only on the flow of the story, regardless of what atrocities Hitler committed.
They also criticized Nazi Germany's evil deeds, but since they were only focused on the plot of Blood and Iron, their critiques were somewhat bland.
And finally...
[Nazi Germany is invincible! They will crush the Anglo-French alliance completely!]
[Powerful tank units! Powerful air force! Powerful... and cool U-boats!]
[Rather than being a nobody villain, wouldn't it be better to be a cool villain!]
The die-hard fans whose brains had practically leaked out. As mentioned, Hitler had transformed into a villain with the invasion of Poland and Operation T4.
However, the unique 'coolness' of Nazi Germany had not disappeared. To be honest, the designs were quite stylish.
So, those who supported Hitler were cheering enthusiastically, saying that even if he was a villain, he was a cool one.
The massacres that occurred during the invasion of Poland? They tended to brush it off, saying it was war and couldn't be helped.
The same went for Operation T4. They let it slide, even if they were cautious, saying it added to his 'charm' as a villain.
Of course, they were only enthusiastic because the 'Holocaust,' which far surpassed those, had not yet appeared.
[Two days after the release of Blood and Iron Volume 16, Volume 17 has been released.]
[It's a situation that's difficult for the readers, not Xenon, to handle. Some say that five volumes have piled up while they were taking a short break for personal reasons...]
With the transcendental speed of consecutive releases, it had reached a level that readers could no longer keep up with.
Since he was releasing one volume every three days, it was a perfectly natural phenomenon.
Still, the fact that Blood and Iron was interesting didn't change, so everyone was busy buying it.
In particular, Volume 17 was a showdown between the Anglo-French alliance and Nazi Germany, so more people than ever flocked to bookstores.
For the publisher, even ten bodies wouldn't have been enough. However, since money was pouring in, they were crying and laughing at the same time.
Thus, Blood and Iron Volume 17 made its appearance in the world.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm~ Hmm-hmm~"
North, a middle-aged man who exuded the image of a typical gentleman, hummed as he took a sip of tea.
Currently, there was a round table in front of him, with light snacks and a book placed on it.
The identity of the book was, as everyone expected, Blood and Iron Volume 17. It had been sent to his mansion as soon as it was released.
It was a privilege of writers with high reputations. A privilege that allowed them to read the first editions of attention-grabbing works immediately.
Since North had once been a renowned writer, he was able to receive it leisurely while others waited at bookstores.
"Shall we take a look?"
He picked up the book with a relaxed face. He didn't care if Isaac had spouted more nonsense this time.
His goal was to slowly get under Isaac's skin and lure him out.
Even if he was praised as a Saint, if his nerves were grated like this, he would eventually react.
Furthermore, he wasn't just some nobody; he was someone who had once boasted a high reputation.
He was bound to receive public attention, and Isaac would never just sit idly by.
'The royal family said they would handle the rest after that...'
He was merely bait. Bait to lure Isaac to the Ters Kingdom.
But he didn't mind. He had lost most of what he had because of Isaac.
Even if it was unsightly, he would be satisfied as long as he could bring Isaac down.
Flip—
North turned the first page of Blood and Iron Volume 17. He had said that France would fall in six weeks, but practically speaking, it was nonsense.
Moreover, with Britain in the picture, if the war ended in six weeks... Isaac would be the one getting criticized, not him.
How could a war end in just six weeks?
"......Huh?"
However.
"What?"
It.
"This is impossible!"
Actually happened.
North's relaxed face was stained with shock as time passed, and eventually, he jumped up from his seat.
France really fell in six weeks. With a single blow from Operation Sichelschnitt, which had so many elements of instability.
In the middle, the 'Dunkirk Evacuation' took place to prepare for the future, but that didn't matter to North.
'T-This makes sense? How...!'
North's eyes shook violently as if an earthquake had struck. What he had blurted out without any basis had become reality.
For a moment, he wondered if Isaac had changed the plot just to mess with him.
However, it had only been three days since Volume 16 came out. There was no time to change the plot.
'C-Could it be that he predicted all of this?'
North couldn't help but think so. Otherwise, it made no sense.
Not only the crushing defeat of the Anglo-French alliance by Nazi Germany but even the fact that France fell in six weeks.
The things he had said without thinking just to draw attention had all come true. Beyond being absurd, it was starting to get scary.
If this had happened once, it might be one thing, but the same situation as last time had unfolded, so he couldn't help but be suspicious.
He wondered if he had touched someone he shouldn't have, no matter how strong his backing was.
Ah, of course.
"Hmm? You want to go on a date today?"
"Yeah. It's been a while since I've spent time with Mari."
"I'd love to. Where shall we go?"
Our Isaac knew nothing of this.
He had simply copied the story written by an Earth author.