Chapter 578: The German-Soviet War(1)
Chapter 578: The German-Soviet War(1)
The Xenon Festival, which had its fair share of uneasy elements scattered throughout, concluded as a resounding success.
The Xenon Chronicle and Blood and Iron were blended together seamlessly, and the performances dedicated to both went off without a hitch.
The most memorable scene for me was seeing a knight and a soldier of Nazi Germany sharing drinks and chatting. It felt strangely fitting yet carried a distinct fantasy flair, leaving me with no choice but to offer a wry smile. Well, as long as people enjoyed it, that was enough.
Finally, the highlight that capped everything off was the Xenon Chronicle movie. Since the original work boasted over thirty volumes, the film was inevitably long.
I had initially worried that the beginning—showing Xenon undergoing training that was essentially a beating from Kair and his days as a novice adventurer—might be a bit dull.
[Disciple. Close your eyes. What do you see?]
[I don't see anything.]
[You’ll see stars soon enough.]
[Huh? Gwah!]
I was wrong. Once again, I was forced to realize just how exceptional Director Skal’s talent was.
Though it wasn't in the original text, he perfectly captured the relationship between Kair and Xenon while simultaneously nailing the comedic timing. I knew he had also taken some creative liberties when adapting Sacran’s sacrifice for the stage.
He was a director whose character interpretations were so profound they left even me, the original author, in awe.
"Would it be alright if I shared some of the filmmaking techniques I showed you with Director Skal? I think it would lead to even better results."
"Hmm... I'm fine with things as they are, but if it helps, then sure. On one condition: I want Skal to remain the person in charge consistently."
"That goes without saying. There aren't many people in the world like Director Skal. I heard he’s currently re-reading The Xenon Chronicle for the umpteenth time."
It’s only natural for a director who loves the original work—and who receives national-level support—to produce great results. If he lacked the skills, I would have made the cold decision to replace him, but Skal was currently hailed as the greatest theater director in the world.
He was a man passionate enough to incorporate magic into plays, and he was destined to leave a massive mark on the history of the film industry. It helped that The Xenon Chronicle was his debut project.
And so, with the conclusion of the Xenon Chronicle movie, the Xenon Festival officially came to an end. I say "officially," but the aftereffects have lingered for a long time.
I could overlook people wandering around the territory dressed in German military uniforms and regalia. But then...
"...You're asking if you can leave a tank here as a monument?"
"That is correct. The Panzer is the symbol of our revolution and a work of art in its own right. We brought it here as a masterpiece, with no other intentions."
These Dwarves were leaving me with "problems" that weren't exactly problems from start to finish.
I couldn't hide my bewilderment at the words of Geas, a member of the Geas Bartson and the Dwarf responsible for speeches and politics.
I could understand them bringing several tanks to the festival. My fears of drunk driving never materialized, as the knights personally guarded the deactivated tanks. One tank was even driven slowly through the streets while the Dwarves drank and made merry with the crowds.
The sight of them drinking beer with people cosplaying as Nazi Germans was... well, it was quite a sight, to say the least.
And now, they wanted to leave one tank in our territory as a "work of art."
"Very well. However, please remove the mana engine to prevent any accidents."
"Of course."
I couldn't pass this up. Unless someone literally stole it, only the Dwarves knew how to operate a tank. Furthermore, if the mana engine was removed, it couldn't even be started. It would remain purely as a "work of art."
The tank was the very symbol of the army. It looked cool enough that it wouldn't look out of place in the city. It might be a bit of a hybrid mess, but people would get used to it in time.
"As for maintenance..."
"Ah, do not worry about that. We will send support from Machina. If you wish, we can even reinstall the mana engine and let you take it for a spin."
"...Could I actually take a ride right now?"
Not only did I get to ride in the tank, but I even got to fire a shell. Good lord, it was a tank. How could I possibly resist?
Coincidentally, my father was also curious about the tank, so he joined me. I thought the interior would be cramped, but it was surprisingly spacious enough for both of us.
After firing a shell, my father offered this assessment:
"Even an Ogre wouldn't have a bone left in its body if it took a direct hit from this. Machina has truly created a monster."
Even from my father's perspective, the tank was a monster. He noted it wasn't invincible and had various weaknesses, though.
However, a tank is a highly mobile cannon and a portable fortress all in one. Either of those alone would drastically change the nature of war; combining them meant everything was about to change.
"Still, things won't change overnight. Since the standard is set by the Dwarves, others will find it difficult even to imitate them."
"Do you think the age of knights will fade away?"
"I don't believe it will vanish entirely."
He mentioned that as long as monsters existed, the era of knights wouldn't end. He had seen firsthand that the tank was effective against Ogres. But conversely, it meant that to defeat an Ogre, you needed a weapon with the power of a tank.
There was the issue of the budget, not to mention the logistical preparation required to operate a tank. A knight required none of that—just their body and a weapon.
In my previous life, there were only humans, but here, monsters were a massive variable. The general consensus was that no one knew how things would evolve.
Even if airplanes are invented, they'll have a hard time because of flying monsters.
Would monsters ever truly disappear from this world? These were magical beasts that even the interference of Hirt, the Goddess of Nature, couldn't reach. If they ever did vanish, it would probably be when the world itself ended. Humanity and monsters alike, going down together.
Of course, that wasn't for me to worry about. I had only one job: to continue the serialization of Blood and Iron.
"Ariel. From now on, you must never greet your father like that, even as a joke. Understood?"
"Why?"
"That's a greeting used by bad people."
I was also busy educating Ariel. I had nearly jumped out of my skin when she gave me a Nazi salute—I had no idea where she’d picked it up.
Nazi Germany's popularity was currently on the rise, and the salute itself was quite distinct. It was the kind of thing that could gain a cult following. I was terrified that one day, everyone would be greeting each other with Nazi salutes.
"A greeting used by bad people?"
"Yes. Only really bad people do it, so you mustn't."
"Then is Daddy a bad person too? You're the one who made them."
"..."
In the end, I spent an entire day trying to convince Ariel. I wasn't sure if she was just teasing me, but I couldn't take any chances.
Will this trend fade once the German-Soviet War begins?
At the same time, a sense of dread washed over me. When the German-Soviet War broke out, the Holocaust would naturally follow. Even without the Holocaust, countless people would be massacred in Nazi-occupied territories. Poland, in particular, would suffer horrific treatment, with tens of thousands slaughtered in just a few days. The true madness was about to begin.
They won't cheer even harder because it's an 'evil beyond redemption,' will they?
It was the same with Darth Vader, who shared similarities with Hitler. In terms of his actions, Darth Vader was an irredeemable villain. Yet, his popularity was higher than the protagonist's. His design was iconic, and he possessed overwhelming power and leadership.
I was slightly afraid Hitler would end up the same way. Looking only at his early narrative, he was a patriot who devoted his entire being to his country. He was a character with a hell of a story—a patriot who slowly fell into depravity and eventually led his own nation to ruin. He even ended it "cleanly" by committing suicide at the final moment. Historically, few people possessed such a dramatic narrative arc.
I have to depict him as a truly hopeless piece of work.
Whether it was Nazi Germany or Hitler himself, I had to portray them as something beyond a mere "scumbag." Only then would this trend slowly dissipate. If people still worshipped them after that? I’d just have to beg God for forgiveness when I died.
Fortunately, for now, people were only drawn to the character of Hitler; no one truly followed his ideology.
There are people on the American side who could be as popular as Hitler, but...
The United States, the nation of justice that would eventually stand against Nazi Germany. While the U.S. was far from perfect if you dug into the details, they were the "good guys" because they fought the Axis Powers. And within that U.S. military, there was one general who stood out above all others.
He was a man with such a unique character that people said he was a medieval man born in the wrong era.
George Patton.
Every single one of his actions was extraordinary. Whether it was returning from the Mexican Revolution with corpses displayed on his tanks, his frequent drunk driving and extramarital affairs, or charging his tanks as if they were cavalry...
The only reason he could get away with such insane antics was that his competence was off the charts. If he’d been incompetent, he would have been sacked instantly. His superior, Eisenhower, was constantly stressed by his behavior, eventually giving up on trying to cover for him.
Anyway, George Patton was the perfect fit for a protagonist on the American side.
Though he's more of a scene-stealer like Italy than a traditional protagonist...
Talk about a "crazy presence"—Patton’s impact would be greater than any supporting character. It couldn't be helped, as Hitler was such an exceptionally prominent figure.
It was my fault and my karma. Of all things, the world's greatest villain existed on Earth, and I had written his story. There’s a saying that reality is sometimes stranger than fiction. World War II fit that description perfectly.
"Hehehehe."
I let out a hollow laugh, feeling like my mental state was crumbling. Fortunately, I was alone in my office, so no one saw me like this. If Mari had seen me, she would have given me a worried look. Currently, she was enjoying a lively tea time with my other lovers.
Fine. Let's see this through.
If things remained the same even after I wrote about the German-Soviet War and the Holocaust, I would just have to accept it. At least the atomic bomb might overshadow it all.
But I didn't want to face such karma. It felt like both my pride and my conscience were collapsing. My pride was hurt because someone like Hitler was enjoying the most popularity, and my conscience was stung because actual historical atrocities were being treated as mere fiction. The Xenon Chronicle was popular, but currently, Hitler was drawing more attention. It was enough to wound my pride.
I'd rather just create a real Darth Vader.
I wasn't saying I’d write sci-fi. I just wanted to create another character who could rival him. Hadn't I said my next work would be about the gods? Well, I could just lock myself away for a bit longer. To make Hitler fade away, I would suffer through creating a truly great character.
But for now...
Let's start by tearing that mustache apart. I looked closely at the beginning of the German-Soviet War—Operation Barbarossa.
While locked away with Calz, I had written up to the Pacific War. Now, I was in the middle of revising.
This should be fine...
Then it was time to release it. A few days had passed since the festival ended, so people would be craving a new release. Without delay, I sent the manuscript paper to the publisher.
"It was returned?"
"Yes. There's a letter with it. Would you like to read it?"
"Yes."
It had been sent back for an unknown reason, accompanied by a single letter. I took the letter from my father and read it slowly. The sender was, of course, Musk.
The contents of the letter could be summarized as follows:
[I suspect a demon worshiper may have interfered with this, so I am requesting a reply. This does not seem like something a human being could think of.]
"..."
I had received a compliment that wasn't exactly a compliment.