Chapter 585: Extermination(2)
Chapter 585: Extermination(2)
Isaac had created countless idioms and words by borrowing memories from his past life.
Thanks to this, the language of this world had not only become richer but its expressive power had also increased significantly.
Was it because the newly created words and idioms were difficult? Not at all.
Isaac had anticipated such a situation and personally added footnotes. Without those footnotes, his work would have turned into the very CSAT workbooks he used to mock so much.
In this way, Isaac advanced not only the literary world but also the field of linguistics. This was a fact he was well aware of, though he usually brushed it off as no big deal.
However, if one were to dig deep, the variety was enough to make linguists bash their heads against a wall or jump out of windows. To reiterate, it wasn't that it was complex; it was diverse.
The methods of combining two words, turning verbs into adjectives, turning nouns into verbs, and so on.
He had laid the foundation for modern language quite neatly. Furthermore, the language was categorized in an orderly fashion rather than being a jumbled mess.
Books published before the Xenon Chronicle were full of terms never used in real life, but the Xenon Chronicle was the exact opposite.
For linguists, it was as if a mountain of research material had been piled up for them. Blood and Iron, in particular, was a worthy subject of study in its own right.
Isaac was a figure who drew both curses and gratitude from current and future linguists alike, as he was essentially their meal ticket.
So, why this explanation?
"Another manuscript has arrived today."
"Does that man do nothing but eat and write?"
"Probably. Or maybe he writes them in advance."
"Sigh."
It was because linguists were serving as editors at Musk’s publishing house.
Musk’s publishing house originally had a separate editorial department, but it had been expanded even further since the middle of the Xenon Chronicle.
Naturally, this was to ensure that manuscripts could be reviewed and released immediately upon receipt, and to catch any typos or ungrammatical sentences—though the latter rarely occurred.
But as mentioned before, Isaac was an author who had reached a level beyond simply playing with language; he was recreating it.
From his perspective, he was merely bringing over idioms and words from his past life, but to the people of this world, it was something that transcended mere neologisms.
Therefore, they didn't just need ordinary editors; they needed experts proficient in language. The perfect candidates for that were linguists.
Through the connections he had built over time, Musk was able to recruit linguists as editors.
"Why did I ever agree to do this?"
Of course, the linguists hadn't become editors from the start. Why would they become editors when they could be professors?
Isaac’s reputation was certainly great enough to place him just below a god, but their pride wouldn't allow them to become mere editors.
"But the pay is great. And there's plenty of research material to boot."
"I can't deny that."
However, the annual salary offered was far too high to refuse. As everyone knew, Musk was a man who spared no expense for talent.
From the linguists' perspective, they were being paid an astronomical amount of money while also getting to study Isaac’s language, which had become a hot topic of research.
It was the very definition of killing two birds with one stone. Incidentally, even the phrase "killing two birds with one stone" was an idiom that hadn't existed before Isaac introduced it.
And today, the editorial department was working hard—no, they were laboring. It was all thanks to the sudden deluge of manuscripts.
"Overtime is a certainty again today."
"I don't even remember the last day we didn't work overtime. How long will this go on?"
"The publisher said it would be like this for a month."
"Haaa..."
Müller, the head of the editorial department and a linguist himself, did not reprimand his subordinate for sighing. He felt like sighing as well.
Work hadn't always been this busy. Recently, however, manuscripts had suddenly started arriving at a rate of one volume every three days.
Naturally, the editorial department was the one being worked to death. The Xenon Chronicle was manageable, but Blood and Iron made their heads feel like they were going to explode.
"Chief."
"What is it now?"
"I have one piece of bad news and one piece of even worse news. Which would you like first?"
As if the situation wasn't bad enough, a subordinate who had been working brought more bad news.
Müller, who had been trying to ward off fatigue with coffee, opened his mouth with a look of resignation. He had already half-given up.
"The bad news first."
"From a quick glance, it's full of stories related to the sea. It focuses on naval battles."
"Naval battles?"
"Yes."
It was a spectacle. The only word that came to Müller's mind was 'spectacle.'
The sea was known as an environment created by demons, but in the world of Blood and Iron, it was merely a 'stage.'
Even if they couldn't perfectly dominate it, they could come and go freely. This was possible because sea monsters, including the Kraken, did not exist.
But at the same time, this meant that all sorts of new words would come pouring out. Moreover, since it was a naval battle, bizarre idioms were bound to appear.
"That's a relief, I suppose. In the Battle of Britain, they fought in the air. The sea might actually be better. And the worse news?"
"At the end, Nazi Germany begins the Wannsee Conference. But even though everything else seems fine, a specific word is a bit strange. No, rather than strange..."
The subordinate tilted his head as if something was bothering him. This subordinate was also a linguist.
Müller had become the head of the editorial department because his reputation, honor, and skills were several levels above the others. However, he waited patiently.
He was the type of person who listened to others' arguments rather than insisting he was always right, thanks to his open-minded way of thinking.
The fact that Isaac was a man as complex as the United Kingdom also played a part. There were many things that were difficult to grasp without using collective intelligence.
"Just say it. We don't have time."
"Is it okay to say it?"
"You know as well as I do that this author is like a demon. Hundreds of thousands have already been massacred in Poland alone."
The early part of Blood and Iron focused on the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Therefore, while there were dark aspects, it dealt with many positive parts as well.
Things like raising the spirits of a despondent nation through speeches and achievements. Or gathering powerful supporters to solidify internal unity.
Furthermore, the conquest of France, their eternal rival who had defeated Germany in the Great War.
If one viewed Nazi Germany as the protagonist, there were many positive points, and the atmosphere itself was relatively decent.
Until the German-Soviet War broke out.
"They're carrying out massacre after massacre at every opportunity, and the Jews are being persecuted. Even Ukraine, which initially welcomed Nazi Germany, was rewarded with a massacre, wasn't it?"
The moment Nazi Germany fully transitioned into the role of the villain. The atmosphere shifted abruptly as their long-hidden evil nature was revealed to the world.
Hitler turned into a villain who had to be stopped, and Nazi Germany was reborn as the final boss.
The problem was that, in reality, they couldn't be stopped even if people knew. Although the United States joined the war after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the tide of the war was still unfavorable.
Moscow was even on the verge of falling. The Soviet Union had to hold out somehow, but the chances seemed slim.
"If Moscow is occupied, something even worse will come out, so just let it go."
"I think it's more serious than that..."
"Then don't just stand there talking, bring the manuscript! Now!"
At Müller's shouting, the subordinate hurried to bring the manuscript. However, he didn't come alone; other employees followed him.
"What? Why are you all here?"
"Actually, we reviewed it among ourselves beforehand."
"Then you should have just submitted it."
"It would be better if you took a look at it first."
When the subordinate politely handed over the manuscript, Müller took it with a puzzled look. It was the manuscript that was the cause of his overtime and made him want to vomit just by looking at it.
To be clear, it made him want to vomit in a different sense; he didn't hate it. It was his lifelong meal ticket; there was no way he could hate it.
He only disliked it as an employee; as a linguist, he loved every single volume like a child because each one was a subject of research.
"The Wannsee Conference? Should I start with that?"
"Yes. Before the Wannsee Conference, it's the naval battle between Japan and the United Kingdom. For your information, the United Kingdom lost."
"You, get on the floor."
Anyone who gives spoilers deserves to die. At Müller's calm yet angry command, the subordinate immediately got on the floor.
Everything was fine, but there were always those whose mouths were the problem. Müller clicked his tongue and turned the pages.
As the subordinate had said, the Wannsee Conference was at the very end.
"Let's see..."
Müller put on his glasses and began to peer at the manuscript. At first, there didn't seem to be anything particularly noteworthy.
The words and sentences themselves were plain, and no new idioms appeared. It was literally just a conference.
Due to the Nuremberg Laws of 1933, Jews suffered terrible discrimination from Nazi Germany.
Unable to endure that discrimination, more than half of them migrated to other countries, and as a result, the presence of Jews within Germany faded.
'What a damn pronunciation.'
This was why linguists particularly disliked Blood and Iron. The pronunciations and words were incredibly difficult.
Isaac had worked hard to come up with pronunciations that were as similar as possible to the original, but from the perspective of the people of this world, even the pronunciations were difficult.
It would have been fine if only certain words were difficult, but everything related to Germany was hard to pronounce.
However, thanks to these characteristics, the unique charm of Nazi Germany was further enriched, which became a factor in its increased popularity.
It was one of the reasons that made people realize it was a completely different world. Though for linguists, he was a real son of a bitch.
'Göring? Wasn't this guy fired?'
The topic of the Wannsee Conference, as mentioned before, was the Jews. Nazi Germany had conquered all of Europe, and naturally, the Jewish population had increased.
There were many Jews, especially in Eastern Europe, and upon confirming this, Hermann Göring, the second-in-command of Nazi Germany, called for a 'Final Solution.'
The target was Reinhard Heydrich, the head of the Gestapo (secret police), and the Nazi SS.
Up to this point, one might have just assumed they were going to use the Jews as labor and moved on.
"Hmm?"
But a strange word caught Müller's eye. He adjusted his glasses and stared intently at the word.
"Extermination? What does this mean?"
It was a new word for Müller. It seemed to have a strong impact and was the most important word.
If a different word were put in place of 'Extermination,' the atmosphere would change drastically.
If it were 'Salvation,' then salvation would be the theme; if it were 'Massacre,' then massacre would be the theme.
Since it was an unfamiliar word to Müller, he was curious but continued reading. If it were Isaac, he would have kindly provided a 'footnote.'
However, even as he read further, there was no interpretation of 'Extermination.' It only continued with everyone agreeing to Heydrich's proposal.
Soon, the manuscript ended with the signature 'Final Solution Approved' being written on the document. If he had stopped here, he might have just brushed it off as nothing special.
[Extermination: To completely disappear or to eliminate entirely.]
"......?"
That is, if he had missed the short footnote written on the very last page.
Müller blinked a couple of times and then turned back to the previous pages of the manuscript. Now that he knew the meaning of 'Extermination,' the content was quite horrifying.
Beyond persecuting the Jews, they were going to exterminate them all. In other words, it meant they were going to kill every single Jew.
Hearing this, one might say it sounded too contrived, but Nazi Germany already had a history of executing 'Operation T4.'
It wasn't contrived at all; rather, it was a project that further elevated the 'evil' of Nazi Germany. An administrative order for humans to slaughter humans.
'Did this man write the footnote wrong?'
It was the moment he had that thought.
"Just in case, I'm telling you in advance that he didn't write the footnote wrong."
"Then this meaning is really...?"
"Yes. And according to our research, it seems to be a word slightly modified from 'extinction.' It's just that the target is people."
The subordinate's confirmation followed. Müller stared blankly at the word 'Extermination' and then unconsciously moved his hand toward his face.
Where his hand landed was his philtrum—his mustache. Not Hitler’s characteristic toothbrush mustache, but a full Kaiser mustache like Stalin’s.
What a relief. Müller thought so to himself and then turned his gaze toward his subordinates.
He saw subordinates who, claiming to pursue the 'cool villain,' had grown toothbrush mustaches according to the trend.
He then placed the manuscript on the desk and spoke in a low voice.
"Does anyone happen to need a razor?"