Chapter 576: Karma(3)
Chapter 576: Karma(3)
Currently, Hitler is enjoying immense popularity as a "villain" and a synonym for "evil," rivaling even Stalin.
Originally, I had subtly twisted the narrative to make him appear like a protagonist, but in the end, he was nothing more than a villain pursuing war.
People who realized this treated Hitler as an absolute bastard for committing ruthless massacres, yet they cheered for him fervently nonetheless.
It was a deeply ironic situation, but Blood and Iron was, after all, nothing more than a fantasy.
The Nazis were the evil that had begun to stretch its demonic claws toward the world, and Hitler was the man reigning at the pinnacle of that evil.
The only ones who could have stood against them, Britain and France, had crumbled under the might of Nazi Germany.
Now, those claws were on the verge of reaching for the Soviet Union, but the story had paused right at that timing.
Thanks to that, I was able to further elevate the charm of Hitler and Nazi Germany—or rather, their reputation as villains.
Churchill of Britain, Charles of France, Mussolini of Italy, Tojo Hideki of Japan, Franklin Roosevelt of the United States, and so on.
The other leaders had plenty of charm, strengths, and weaknesses, but their presence felt somewhat overshadowed compared to Hitler.
An evil that could never be forgiven. While distinguishing between good and evil in war is often meaningless, Nazi Germany and Hitler were explicitly defined as evil.
The only entities capable of matching them were the Soviet Union and Stalin. Many people were eagerly waiting to see who would win between the devil and the monster.
"So, you didn't just copy Hitler's mustache, you even copied his hairstyle?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"Of all the many characters, why Hitler...?"
I spoke to the man sitting across from me in a tone of disbelief. He was a man who truly suited the description of a "Muscular Hitler."
He then flashed an inexplicable smile and answered in a confident voice.
"Because he is the protagonist of your new work, Sir Xenon."
"Just for that one reason?"
"Isn't that reason enough?"
"..."
I was left speechless. In the past, I would have asked what kind of nonsense that was.
But as time passed and I endured all sorts of forced angst, I found this reason perfectly acceptable.
Unlike Xenon Biography, which was loved by people of all ages and genders, Blood and Iron was a genre with polarizing tastes.
At first, it was filled with dirty political segments, followed by a brutal tale of war.
Furthermore, even the "charming" characters were almost exclusively men—and men with eccentric tempers at that.
Of course, thanks to the popularity gained from Xenon Biography and the establishment of the "fantasy" genre, it was enjoying popularity rivaling its predecessor.
Though when it comes to imitation, nothing beats Xenon Biography...
If one was prepared, Blood and Iron was also quite easy to imitate. It was just difficult to obtain the outfits.
However, if the preparation was thorough, it was actually easier to "cosplay." All you had to do was trim your mustache and hair.
The only thing was that this muscular Hitler in front of me, Roy, had cosplayed as Hitler simply because he was the protagonist of Blood and Iron. There was no other reason.
And there was one more decisive reason.
"The main and supporting characters in Xenon Biography are all so beautiful that they're hard to imitate. But Hitler has an ordinary face, doesn't he?"
"I suppose... so?"
"I love your writing, Sir Xenon. Reading Xenon Biography in particular allowed me to nurture my dream as an adventurer. But since I haven't been able to show you my sincerity until now..."
After that, the conversation was mostly filled with praise directed at me, but I let it go in one ear and out the other. It was getting embarrassing.
And Anne, another adventurer sitting next to him, likely felt the same way.
She possessed a pretty face for an adventurer living a rough life.
She had short hair, even shorter than Adelia's, and a slender frame. Overall, she gave off a nimble impression.
"...I'll apologize on his behalf. He's a bit of a severe case."
While Roy was praising me excessively, Anne offered a low-voiced apology.
Judging by her reaction, she seemed completely used to Roy's constant adulation.
I gave a bitter smile at Anne's reaction, which seemed to have reached a state of nirvana, and then cleared my throat.
When I cleared my throat, Roy, who at least had some tact, stopped his praising. Seeing him smile sheepishly, he seemed to realize what he had been doing.
"My apologies. I suppose I got carried away because I'm having a meal with you, Sir Xenon."
"I understand. By the way, how did you two meet?"
"We met by chance while working as adventurers. Anne is also a fan of Xenon Biography."
"To be honest, there's hardly an adventurer who isn't a fan of Xenon Biography."
As I mentioned before, there was a period when the number of adventurers exploded thanks to Xenon Biography.
A time when everyone and their mother declared their ambition to become like Xenon. However, those ambitions mostly shriveled up before long.
"I heard the number of adventurers increased because of Xenon Biography. I heard Roy is one of those cases; is it the same for you, Anne?"
"Yes. At first, I struggled because it was so different from the fantasy... but as time passed, I got used to it. I also learned the lesson that ideals should remain ideals."
As Anne said, the gap between ideals and reality was terrifying. It was said that the majority of adventurers ran away, claiming they couldn't even handle a goblin subjugation.
Even if they stepped forward out of bravado, cases of dying in the middle of nowhere or going missing were common.
Because of this, there were more instances where the number of monsters actually increased.
"But that's the romance! Venturing out on an adventure despite the danger! An adventurer must harbor an ideal at least once! Don't you agree?"
However, Roy didn't seem to care. He shouted about romance and sought my agreement.
I pondered his words. The romance Roy mentioned might seem attractive at first glance.
But romance is, quite literally, a "challenge" undertaken despite the risks. If you succeed, it's romance; if you fail, it's nothing but a dog's death.
Still, I suppose the world progresses because of people like that.
However, there was a condition for this as well: one must have a solid "plan."
Instead of blindly chasing an ideal, one must approach it by establishing plans step by step.
"I agree with what Roy said. Romance isn't called romance for nothing. However, I also think that one can only achieve that romance by establishing plans step by step."
"Is that so? I will take those words to heart."
"Then let me ask you one thing. What is your goal, Roy?"
Roy's answer to my question came without hesitation.
"To pursue romance, just like in Xenon Biography. That is my goal."
"That's quite abstract."
"What does 'abstract' mean? It sounds nice."
"..."
He seemed to be lacking in education, but I heard his performance as an adventurer was excellent. I should just cheer for his goal.
"And what is your goal, Anne?"
"To stay by his side and make sure he doesn't die."
"That sounds quite difficult."
"Yes. But I think it's a worthwhile task, so I'm satisfied."
It seemed Anne had feelings for Roy. The evidence was that even though Roy kept talking nonsense, she only looked embarrassed and didn't refute him.
Furthermore, seeing her glance at Roy every now and then, it was almost certain. I opened my mouth with a satisfied smile.
It was about time to wrap up this meeting.
"Did you bring any books or paper to get an autograph on? If not, I can get some for you."
"Ah! Thank you!"
"Could I get it here, please?"
Once the autographs were finished, Roy and Anne headed out of the mansion to enjoy the festival.
"Now, all that's left is..."
I should go help my father. I made my way toward the office where my father was.
I was busy, busy, busy right up until the festival.
*
Having received Isaac's autograph, Roy and Anne stepped out onto the streets of Maishal, unable to hide their happy smiles.
Roy had Isaac's autograph in Volume 1 of Blood and Iron, and Anne had hers in Volume 1 of Xenon Biography.
In Roy's case, since he had received an autograph before as well, it was as if he possessed an item of high rarity.
"You'll have to be careful of assassination attempts from now on. People would go crazy if you put even one of those books up for auction."
Anne's half-joke was somewhat true. Currently, the number of people who had received an autograph from Isaac was almost non-existent.
A few acquaintances, including Gartz, had received them, but those were "unofficial" signed copies.
Furthermore, Gartz had his signed copy taken away and still hadn't gotten it back.
In other words, Roy was the only one with Isaac's autograph.
"Hmph. Not a chance. From now on, I'm going to sleep hugging not just Xenon Biography but Blood and Iron too. If it comes down to it, I'll put them in a bank."
"Just put them in a bank. If you sleep hugging them, they'll get dirty and no one will want them."
"You must not know how warm and cozy my embrace is. Want me to give you a hug tonight?"
"...Don't you dare say such weird things."
Roy was serious, but it was a somewhat dangerous statement for Anne. She adjusted her hair to hide her reddening ears.
Fortunately, Roy, who was completely infatuated with Xenon, didn't seem to notice. Anne felt relieved by his dullness, yet frustrated at the same time.
Everything else about him was fine, but all his emotional energy was directed toward Xenon. The fact that he copied Hitler's hairstyle and mustache said it all.
At least I'm glad there aren't many idiots as bad as him.
Anne looked around. As the festival drew closer, people with various outfits and appearances were walking the streets.
Among the pedestrians, there were people in disguise—that is, cosplaying—like Roy, but most were related to Xenon Biography.
As for Blood and Iron, there were only people wearing uniforms or copying mustaches.
A high-quality(...) muscular Hitler like Roy was nowhere to be found.
What's so great about that "cool villain" anyway?
Nazi Germany and Hitler were certainly cool villains. But a villain is still just a villain.
A villain destined to be torn apart by a hero who would eventually appear. Hitler had even condoned massacres and oppressed the Jews.
Anne had a hunch that his end would not be good. The end of most villains was miserable.
I just hope there isn't a "he was actually a good guy" twist later.
Currently, Nazi Germany was clearly a villain, but not quite "trash." Looking at their history, there were many parts that were quite understandable.
The defeat in World War I and the inequality of the Treaty of Versailles. Furthermore, the problems scattered within.
Because they were villains with unfortunate circumstances, they were a subtle case that even evoked sympathy.
For Anne, who didn't like this kind of setting, she would rather they be perfect villains.
It would be difficult unless they start massacring Jews like they're shoving them into a slaughterhouse. They also have to fight a war with the Soviet Union.
Who would be crazy enough to shove that precious labor force into a slaughterhouse? A "normal" person wouldn't do that.
It was around the time Anne was walking down the street, speculating about the future plot.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of drums reached her ears as she walked. Not only Anne, but Roy heard the drumming as well.
As soon as they heard the sound, they couldn't help but stop in their tracks. Looking around, other pedestrians had stopped as well.
[We do not... care about... things... but...]
Aside from the drumming, the sound of singing could be heard faintly. The sound began to grow louder.
"What is that sound?"
"I don't know. It's getting louder."
"I think it's coming this way."
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
Before long, the sound of disciplined footsteps also struck their ears.
At the same time, a song they felt they had heard somewhere before. The melody wasn't familiar, but the lyrics were.
"Wait, isn't that it? The SS Marching Song."
"What?"
"You know, the marching song that appeared at the end of Part 1. It was originally the divisional march of the Conrad Legion before the lyrics were changed."
I don't know it. Anne tilted her head even after hearing Roy's explanation.
Unlike Roy, who read every single word meticulously, Anne was the type to focus only on the plot.
If it were a marching song that appeared in the middle of the text, she might know it, but she didn't know the fine details beyond that. Only Roy would know.
[Wherever we are, there is only the advance.]
[The devil sees this and merely laughs.]
[Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.]
The singing had reached right in front of them before they knew it. The grand drumming and the stiff footsteps combined to create a strange addictiveness.
While they were focusing on the sound, those who had engaged in true "fandom" made their appearance.
Not formal uniforms, but the military uniforms worn by ordinary soldiers. Stiff steel helmets. Even firearms made as models.
The tallest soldier stood at the front, holding the insignia of Nazi Germany high. The insignia of Nazi Germany fluttering in the wind was unnecessarily cool.
[We fight for Germany.]
[We fight for Hitler.]
[The Reds shall never find rest!]
Stomp! Stomp!
Along with the chorus, the mysterious soldiers—no, the concept-players—came to a halt right in front of Roy and Anne.
Anne couldn't understand why they had stopped in front of them, but she soon realized what Roy looked like.
Currently, Roy was styled to the point of being nearly identical to Hitler. As Isaac had evaluated him: a muscular Hitler.
Because he had styled not only the characteristic mustache but even the hair similarly, anyone would mistake him for Hitler.
"Heil—!!"
At that moment, the man holding the insignia shouted loudly.
"Hitler!"
He thrust his right arm forward toward the muscular Hitler (Roy) and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"""Heil! Hitler!"""
Immediately after, the people marching behind also shouted loudly with the Nazi salute.
Toward Roy, who was doing a cosplay that wasn't quite a cosplay.
Truly, they were showing an unnecessarily superior quality.
They were also perfectly demonstrating what form those who are completely consumed by a "concept" can take.
If it had ended there, it would have been treated as just a minor incident. Anne thought so at first.
"Excellent! Men! Your discipline is superb!"
That is, if it hadn't been for Roy, who was moved by the "idiotic behavior" unique to men.
Anne's eyes widened as she stared at Roy's sudden outburst.
She wanted to ask what on earth he was thinking, but it was already too late.
"I salute your courage! With men like you, we shall easily occupy the territory of those filthy Reds!"
"Is this a pre-planned performance?"
"Seems like it."
The pedestrians assumed it was a play by a theater troupe because the acting was so natural. Of course, it was nothing more than an impromptu event.
If Isaac had seen this, it would have reminded him of his past life—like characters in a theme park performing for children.
However, that was to protect children's "innocence," not simply for "idiotic behavior" like this.
A culture that wasn't quite a culture, born because there was so little entertainment.
"Now, move out! Belong to the brave 22nd Army Group and dye those filthy Reds even redder! I, Hitler, shall support you from behind!"
"""Heil! Hitler!"""
As soon as Roy finished speaking, the Nazi salute echoed loudly. The pedestrians, who had been watching with interest, responded with enthusiastic applause.
From a distance, it was reminiscent of a national military parade. But this was the Maishal Territory, where the Xenon Festival was to be held.
It wasn't a problem at all for such a scene to be staged. After all, it was a "play" shown by people who loved the work.
Soon, starting with the man holding the insignia moving forward, the marching song began to echo far and wide.
[We fight for Germany.]
[We fight for Hitler.]
[The Reds shall never find rest!]
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
The soldiers began to roam the streets, passing Roy. Whether they intended to go in circles, they turned to the side instead of toward the mansion.
Anne stared blankly at their retreating backs before turning her gaze to Roy. He had a satisfied smile on his face, as if he were proud of something.
"Whoa! Now that's a memory and a romance! How was it? Was I okay?"
"...Don't act like you know me."
How is it that all men are like that?