Chapter 618: The Contest(1)
Chapter 618: The Contest(1)
The week-long lecture series concluded without a hitch. It wasn't a resounding success, nor was it a failure; it was simply smooth.
However, the concept of a "Department of Literary Creation"—essentially a formal method for creative writing—was novel enough to garner significant interest. No matter how difficult the literature of this world might be, illiteracy was almost non-existent.
While education was well-developed for the era, the primary reason was the belief that failing to learn language, a gift from the gods, was a sin.
Consequently, even those who could not attend school were helped by the clergy to achieve literacy. Thanks to this, the illiteracy rate was extremely low.
However, being able to read and write was a separate matter from being taught how to write novels or poetry.
Established authors tended to write in an overly complex manner, and there was a prevailing mindset that one had to be self-taught.
This atmosphere allowed various poets and authors to emerge within the Kingdom of Ters, each with a distinct and vivid individuality.
The problem was that disputes frequently arose over people allegedly "copying" the style or prose of another's work. It had happened so often that relevant laws were even amended.
Perhaps because of this, many people were hesitant and walked on eggshells whenever they wrote poetry or fiction. In fact, I had experienced a similar incident myself, which was why the previous contest had been scrapped.
[Xenon has completed his week-long lecture at Halo Academy. The publisher will be hosting a contest soon.]
But things were different now. One reason for the lecture was to promote the foundation, but it was also to lay the groundwork for the contest.
Last time, the project was buried because the Church raised excuses that sounded plausible yet nonsensical at the same time. After these lectures, however, I could proceed with confidence.
I was the one who taught them to write that way. If people who learned from me participated in a contest based on those teachings, what could possibly be the problem?
Writing should be free, regardless of atmosphere or style. Since every individual has a unique personality, it's impossible for the "vibe" of their writing to be identical.
Of course, if the content was a carbon copy, I would have to be firm and cut it. It was also a great opportunity to promote my territory.
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[A massive battle has broken out in Kursk. While not as large as the Battle of Stalingrad, it has resulted in nearly a million casualties.]
[The damage to machinery is even more severe. Nearly 10,000 steel war machines have been reduced to scrap metal.]
[A battle that only Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union could wage. It is reminiscent of a clash between knights.]
I didn't forget to continue the serialization of Blood and Iron. Right on cue, the Battle of Kursk—the ultimate showdown of armored forces—erupted, drawing immense attention.
As I mentioned before, the Battle of Kursk was a confrontation between the armored divisions of two nations.
The Soviet Union, as always, relied on human-wave tactics, while Nazi Germany deployed tanks led by the Tiger.
In the end, the Soviet Union suffered four to five times more damage than Nazi Germany. In terms of sheer scale, it looked like a Soviet defeat.
[The Soviet Union simply produces a lot. Tanks, planes, divisions—they just make a lot of them.]
[In an army, quality matters, but quantity is the most important factor. Furthermore, Nazi Germany does not possess the same superior production capacity as the Soviet Union.]
[With the addition of the American Lend-Lease, Nazi Germany will likely suffer even greater losses.]
However, starting from this battle, Nazi Germany's armored forces completely lost their offensive capabilities.
While the individual abilities of those on the front lines were beyond reproach, their logistical and support capabilities were a constant drag.
No, it wasn't just a drag anymore; their legs had been cut off. Nazi Germany no longer had the capacity to churn out tanks.
On the other hand, the story was different for the Soviet Union. Early in the German-Soviet War, they had moved most of their factories toward the Ural Mountains.
It sounds easy when said aloud, but let me emphasize: they literally moved the factories. In the middle of a war.
Thanks to this, the Soviet Union could safely supply materials, and it became a situation where they just had to keep throwing men into the meat grinder.
[No matter how powerful a weapon is, it is meaningless if it cannot be deployed in the right place at the right time. War has always been this way.]
[Victory usually goes to the side with a balanced, high-quality army rather than a small elite force.]
[Having lost most of their greatest strength—their armored forces—Nazi Germany's downfall is drawing near.]
While Nazi Germany's spear was broken, the Soviet Union's spear was being produced in near-infinite quantities.
Even from this alone, it was clear who held the advantage. For the record, Dmitri, a survivor of the Battle of Stalingrad, also participated in this battle.
Generally, infantrymen cannot become tankers. So, for the sake of plausibility, I added a setting where Dmitri was a member of a penal battalion.
Since there were occasional cases where penal battalion members became tankers, it wasn't entirely nonsensical.
The problem was that his first assigned tank was a light tank—the absolute bottom of the barrel—meaning his survival probability was in the single digits.
Still, Dmitri is the protagonist, so I gave him enough achievements to eventually move him into a T-34. It would be strange if the character modeled after my father died, after all.
[Dmitri, having completely destroyed Nazi German tanks, including the Tiger. How far will his heroic journey go?]
[I am certain that one day, Dmitri will plant the Soviet flag in Nazi Germany.]
The readers also fervently cheered for Dmitri's quest for vengeance. With a clear protagonist, the popularity of the Red Army soared by the day.
It reminded me of a certain game from my past life, but I decided to let it go. Regardless, Dmitri cared for nothing other than crushing Nazi Germany.
While this vengeful spirit was slowly tightening the noose around Nazi Germany's neck, the Soviet Union wasn't the only threat; the other Allied Powers were also closing in.
[The Allied forces have occupied Sicily thanks to the exploits of the 'Knight' Patton. Mussolini has fled with the help of Nazi Germany.]
[The Allied forces nearly split due to Montgomery's greed.]
[Italy, continuing to drag Nazi Germany down until the very end. Is Italy truly an Axis Power?]
The Allied forces, having cleared the North African front, invaded Sicily, Italy. This battle completely shifted naval supremacy in the Mediterranean.
However, the operation didn't go smoothly; conflicts arose with the United States due to Montgomery's selfishness and greed.
It was only natural that the notoriously foul-tempered Patton was seething with rage. Fortunately, the disaster everyone feared didn't happen.
As the North African front vanished and the Italian front emerged, the Pacific War was also steadily progressing.
[When the Japanese army conducts a Banzai charge, the US military sweeps them away. That is the end of the story.]
It was exactly like that. That sequence repeated itself several times. Naval battles occurred occasionally, but they weren't anything major.
I wanted to show them the legendary 'Operation Imphal,' but there was still a bit of time left. I was looking forward to seeing their reaction when I finally revealed it.
'The story is finally reaching its climax.'
Soon, Italy would be defeated and defect to the Allies, and the independence of the Republic of Korea would be mentioned at the Cairo Conference.
Many things would be decided at the subsequent Tehran Conference as well—from the famous Normandy Landing Operation to Operation Bagration, which would deliver the killing blow to Nazi Germany.
I also planned to include the attempted assassination of the US President. It sounds like a lie, but it's true; he was nearly killed by his own team.
It was a truly absurd anecdote: they fired a torpedo for training purposes, not knowing it was actually armed.
To top it off, Roosevelt reportedly asked to be taken to the deck because he wanted to watch the torpedo. That's the kind of grit you'd expect from a four-term monster.
Anyway, Blood and Iron would conclude after a few more major and minor battles. The highlight among them would be the dropping of the atomic bomb.
Furthermore, the day I would hear the past of the gods directly was not far off. This was a proposal Luminous and Mora had made, staking their own divinity on it.
'Before that, I should write a new work to serve as foreshadowing and a setting for the TRPG.'
Instead of a novel set in the gods' past, I planned to write one set in the world just before its destruction.
I intended to include many of the races and ethnicities that Luminous was said to have exterminated. People would surely have questions when they saw them.
If I suddenly announced, "I will now reveal the past of the gods!" even I would be looked at strangely. This was, quite literally, the build-up.
Rest? There was no such thing for me. I had to write diligently, especially since I never knew when the demon worshippers might attack.
"Is the contest going well?"
"Yes. We already have well over a hundred participants. I'm truly looking forward to seeing what kind of works will appear."
Still, one needs something to enjoy once in a while. I nodded as I looked at the beaming Musk.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I planned to hold a contest in collaboration with Musk.
One might ask why I was holding a contest that seemingly offered no benefit to me, but it wasn't entirely useless.
It was to show that writing isn't the exclusive property of a specific class, just as I taught in my lectures. I wanted people to feel they didn't have to be intimidated by the Xenon Biography or Blood and Iron.
Most people had been unable to step forward because of those two works, even though they were capable of writing simple and concise prose.
Cherry was only able to do it because we could meet in secret; others had no choice but to stay hidden, wary of the Church's gaze.
"I'll say it again: there will be people who cause an uproar, claiming their content was stolen. It would be best to be prepared for those cases."
"Understood. Have you decided on the prizes?"
"Wouldn't it be much better to publish them in the newspaper rather than giving prizes? To sell more books, they need to get their names out there."
As I've emphasized repeatedly, for an artist, honor is a more important profession than money. If your reputation is high, the money follows on its own.
Occasionally, people criticize by asking if honor puts food on the table, but in my experience, it absolutely does.
When money rolls in just because of your name, you can't complain.
"Have you found people to handle the selection process?"
"Of course. I've recruited authors who were favorable toward the Xenon Biography and Blood and Iron. They will carry out their duties faithfully."
"Thank you. I'll leave it in your hands, Mr. Musk."
Of course, I said that, but I had my own ulterior motives.
'I want to read something else, too.'
I wanted to be a consumer, not a producer. I had managed to hold out with Cherry's writing, but she was currently brainstorming a new work, so nothing was coming out.
I had to clear the blocked path now, or similar writing might never emerge for the rest of my life.
After sending Musk off and spending my days as usual, the long-awaited contest finally began.
[The Knight Walking Toward Destruction]
"……Huh?"
And my subject matter was stolen.