Chapter 589: Call of Duty(1)
Chapter 589: Call of Duty(1)
The Wannsee Conference—the Holocaust—sent a massive shockwave across the entire world.
Wars break out for various reasons, but many are ignited by ethnic conflicts. In such cases, hatred toward the opposing race inevitably leads to all sorts of crimes, and massacres are not uncommon.
However, even in a war between races, the goal is usually to 'subjugate' the opponent, never to 'exterminate' them. Even if they are treated as slaves or livestock rather than humans, even if they are mocked and sneered at, and even if lives are lost along the way, it rarely reaches the point of total annihilation.
Furthermore, the Holocaust was an event where not just the state, but the entire citizenry fell into a collective madness. No matter who looked at it, it could only be defined as 'evil.'
[Hitler and Nazi Germany have become an 'evil' that must be defeated at all costs.]
[They have become an evil that allows for not even a shred of tolerance, but that is precisely why it is brilliant.]
[It would be a lapse in narrative consistency if Hitler were to repent midway. He is showing us the very depths of madness.]
There were no longer any who defended Hitler or Nazi Germany. Even those who had tried to justify their actions by suggesting the Jews must have done something wrong turned their backs.
As I have mentioned repeatedly, the Demons in this world occupied a position similar to the Jews, so the story hit close to home. Thanks to that, just as I expected, Hitler had evolved from a simple bastard into an absolute, grade-A piece of shit.
The fact that his charisma and character as the 'Incarnation of Evil' had also evolved was a bonus. Fortunately, people were praising the character while keeping the ideology at arm's length.
[How can Xenon imagine such things? The development is so naturally convincing. That is why I do not want to believe it.]
[Perhaps this could have been our true future. If the Demons had no power...]
[We must thank God. God was warning us mortals so that we would not fall into such madness.]
As a side effect, people's faith grew even stronger. One of the reasons people were so interested in Blood and Iron was the existence of God.
On Earth, religions exist even though the existence of God is uncertain, and they exert varying degrees of influence on civilization. But because that existence is literally uncertain, they failed to control madness like that of Nazi Germany.
An event that didn't happen in reality, but could very well have happened. Above all, since there was a record of God stopping the fanaticism of the Savior, their faith couldn't help but grow much stronger than before.
"Isaac."
"Yes, Father."
"Did a country that came up with such a crazy idea truly exist? Is it not just your imagination?"
However, it also produced a side effect that wasn't quite a side effect—not among the readers, but among those close to me. While the readers marveled and praised the narrative consistency, my acquaintances and parents were different.
When I showed them Earth, I only showed them my past and movies. I didn't show them a gray hell like World War II.
The discrepancy was jarring for them. Compared to the era when Jews were being slaughtered on an ethnic scale, my previous world was relatively peaceful. Although Russia and Ukraine were in the middle of a war and terrible atrocities were being broadcast in real-time, it was still better than World War II.
"Yes. It's a spoiler, but would you like me to tell you?"
"It is fine."
"Later on, Nazi Germany becomes an entity that people are reluctant to even mention. They themselves are still repenting for their mistakes."
The event where the West German Chancellor knelt before a Polish monument to repent would be talked about for ages. Even after German reunification, nothing changed. Although Germany has a loud voice in Europe, anything related to Nazi Germany is treated as a 'crime.'
If someone were to give a Nazi salute in Germany, even as a joke? Getting arrested would be the least of their problems; they'd be beaten half to death by the citizens first.
"It is a relief, in a way... but I truly cannot believe it. They say war gnaws away at a person's heart, but still..."
My father looked dazed by my answer, the shock clearly not having faded. Though he was a man sick to death of war, even for him, the atrocities of Nazi Germany were beyond the realm of understanding.
The Holocaust showed not a single speck of humanity, let alone morality. The fact that the perpetrators were ordinary people in their private lives was even more terrifying. Even Hitler, the man at the very top, was modest and quiet in private. The same went for Eichmann, famous for the deportation of Jews.
"Isaac. Is this really..."
"Isaac? This is a lie, right?"
"Isaac. I have something to say..."
After my father, numerous acquaintances came to me to ask about the truth. Even Arwen, who had returned to Albenheim, came rushing back as if she couldn't believe it.
Every time, I had to offer explanation after explanation. I didn't live through that era, but the Holocaust is a historical fact. Occasionally, there are people who deny the Holocaust, but there were simply too many survivors from Auschwitz for that to hold water.
What's more horrific is that while many survived Auschwitz, almost everyone in the other camps died, leaving behind almost no survivors.
'If Hitler had come to this world, would something similar have happened?'
I had an idle thought but brushed it off. Hitler wasn't what was important right now.
While the world was currently buzzing because of the Holocaust, the Academy was also important to me personally. Since time had passed since the Xenon Festival, the Academy had started its new term, but neither I nor Mari went.
Of course, I had reached an agreement with the Academy. It would be difficult for Mari to remain a student due to her pregnancy, so she would serve as a professor from now on. The Academy welcomed this news with open arms and said they would provide any convenience necessary. Thanks to that, I was able to buy some time.
'I've built up enough of a backlog. And since the Axis Powers have turned into full-blown villains, things should get easier.'
The serialization of Blood and Iron was proceeding without issues. 1942 was the peak of World War II. As major battles that would turn the tide of the war broke out one after another, many people began to perceive the Axis as evil.
Japan had been steadily stacking 'dislike' points by committing massacres, rapes, and human experimentation whenever they had the chance since the Second Sino-Japanese War, and they reached their peak with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Nazi Germany went without saying. Through this Wannsee Conference, they had become even bigger pieces of shit than Japan.
'Normally, the US would be in the position of justice, and the Soviet Union would be the avenger, but...'
That was the concept I had been pushing. However, the US also had its share of sins, like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. Besides that, issues of racial discrimination were frequently brought up, and even during World War II, people of color were discriminated against.
In the end, both the US and the Soviet Union were close to being avengers. The only difference was that the Soviet Union was a grizzly bear, while the US was a bit more sophisticated.
'The problem is...'
Befitting its reputation, World War II saw battles occurring simultaneously across the globe. It wasn't just country against country, but the entire world involved. When a battle broke out in one place, another would erupt on the other side of the planet at the same time; even if one side was quiet, the other wasn't.
Trying to explain this by jumping back and forth was too disorganized. So, I couldn't help but worry a bit.
'Should I categorize them, or go by chronological order?'
I had already finished the manuscript. But the method of progression was the issue. Should I serialize each side's faction separately like a game, or should I let it flow chronologically?
In a game, it would be easier because there's a 'protagonist' grinding away on the front lines, but that wasn't the case for Blood and Iron. I was depicting everything from the soldiers on the front lines to the commanders racking their brains over strategy, and finally the leaders at the very top.
Since I was expressing each part in detail, it would be difficult to categorize them while serializing. From here on, it was purely down to my skill.
'First, I should focus on the battles and describe the events happening around them. Since Nazi Germany and Japan are in the villain roles...'
The frequency of Nazi Germany and Japan's appearances would decrease. Originally, I had described their strategic planning in detail, but not anymore. As for Italy, which played the role of the comic relief... they were busy playing in North Africa, so I'd leave them be. Rommel was still running around energetically there. It would be even more fun once Patton and Montgomery showed up.
'Let's go by category.'
If I wrote chronologically, the readers would get dizzy. Even if I had to describe some battles briefly, it was better to depict them by faction. It would be easier to describe the North African front from the American perspective. The Soviet Union was currently focused solely on Nazi Germany.
Now that everything was settled, I began to organize the manuscript. I had built up a backlog for each battle in preparation for this. Of course, there were some rough patches that needed editing. That was something I'd have to suffer through.
'And there's one person who has to suffer along with me.'
Since I had decided to serialize by faction, it was naturally time to change the 'cover' as well. I had received a pretty cool cover from Calz last time, but since I'd made up my mind, I had no choice but to change it.
One might say I was overworking Calz, but shouldn't he earn his keep for the money I was paying him? Besides, having blown everything on stocks, he was desperate for cash. Conversely, the one thing I had in abundance was money.
'For the Soviet Union, I'll use a red background to match the Red Army, and for the US, a deep blue-green... Oh, right. I need to decide on the subtitles too.'
I could almost hear Calz's voice begging for mercy, but it must be my imagination. If there wasn't enough time, we could just go into 'confinement' together. We'd done it once, so a second time shouldn't be hard.
'The subtitles will be The Red Army and The Giant.'
I finished the plan, feeling satisfied. All that was left was the release.
In the beginning, the story would follow a pattern where both the US and the Soviet Union were losing to the Axis. The US would lose to the Japanese Navy, and while the Soviet Union would win the Battle of Moscow, they would continue to suffer defeats.
However, the US would seize the advantage starting with the Battle of Midway, and the Soviet Union with the Battle of Stalingrad.
'Before I go, I should probably go into confinement one more time, just in case.'
There was about a week left before I had to head to the Academy. I thought it would be good to spend one of those days in friendly confinement with Calz.
Why did I keep hearing auditory hallucinations of Calz clinging to my pant leg and begging for his life? I wondered if I should play a movie for him so he wouldn't be lonely, but that seemed a bit problematic.
'I'll just give him more money.'
Money is the best.
*
While the world was in a state of upheaval following the Wannsee Conference, the serialization of Blood and Iron did not stop. Even in their shock, people read Blood and Iron diligently. They were curious about the start of the Holocaust, but first and foremost, the Battle of Moscow was the most pressing matter.
The moment Moscow fell, Stalin's head would roll, and if that happened, the Soviet Union would naturally face defeat. Originally, quite a few people had cheered for Nazi Germany, but after the Wannsee Conference, they were all desperately hoping for the Soviet Union to hold out.
"So, how did it feel to play the role of Hitler at the Xenon Festival?"
"I do not regret what happened then."
"Oh, please."
Anne curled one side of her lip at Roy's answer. However, Roy was perfectly unashamed. Of course, regardless of his lack of shame, he did have some sense. Hadn't the toothbrush mustache under his nose been cleanly shaved off?
"I've told you repeatedly, I didn't give in. I'm just trying to avoid annoying trouble."
"Bullshit. You're the one who scrambled to shave the moment you saw the Wannsee Conference."
"I'll grow it back when the next Xenon Festival comes around."
"Good grief."
Anne shook her head. In reality, Roy had only shaved because of the public eye; his fandom for Xenon hadn't changed. He even declared that he would show up in Hitler cosplay, toothbrush mustache and all, at every upcoming Xenon Festival.
In many ways, it was a mindset that allowed him to show his fandom for Xenon while reminding everyone that Hitler was a fictional character. If he cosplayed on a normal day, people would look at him like he was a freak, but the Xenon Festival was an exception.
"Hm? What's this?"
The two had visited a bookstore to buy the new volume of Blood and Iron. The bookstore had a separate space dedicated solely to Xenon's works. From the Xenon Biography to Blood and Iron, everything was categorized for easy purchase. However, the new volume released today was unusual.
"The cover changed?"
"The cover changed, and it has a subtitle now. What is this?"
One was categorized as Blood and Iron: The Red Army, and the other as Blood and Iron: The Giant. The covers were different, so they couldn't tell what was going on. They hadn't read today's newspaper and only knew the release date, so they were completely in the dark.
"You two must not have heard the news. From now on, Blood and Iron will be released like this."
A passerby, who seemed to have seen many people in Roy and Anne's situation, kindly explained. As the two looked at him, the passerby continued his helpful explanation.
"Didn't the US join the war recently? So, one is based on the German-Soviet War, and the other is based on the Pacific War."
"You mean the Soviet Union and the US?"
"Exactly. But since the German-Soviet War is so popular, it seems The Red Army is selling better."
It was true. The Red Army was almost out of stock, while The Giant was quite plentiful. While the German-Soviet War was at the height of its popularity, the Pacific War had only just begun, so it was naturally less popular in comparison.
After hearing the explanation, Anne and Roy thought for a moment and reached an agreement.
"I'll buy The Red Army, so you buy The Giant. We can just swap and read. My money's a bit tight lately because of equipment repair costs."
"Got it. I can just buy my own copy for my collection later."
Since they were always together anyway, it didn't matter if they bought different ones. Thus, Roy bought The Red Army and Anne bought The Giant.
"But is this really necessary? He could have just written it all together."
"It's a world war. He probably had no choice if he wanted to describe it more easily."
"I guess so?"
At this point, there were quite a few people who thought Xenon was using a bit of a sales tactic. However, this choice was a decisive judgment—a 'god move' that even Isaac hadn't fully anticipated.
And the person profiting from it was, naturally...
"Create a form of entertainment? Like cards?"
"Yes. Didn't you just categorize them so cleanly?"
It was Musk, whose head always spun fast when it came to money.
"But why did you call me again?"
"We need Mr. Calz. You have a very important role."
"..."
Though the one suffering was Calz.