526 – Narrative Tricks (1)
With the introduction of the mana engine and the introduction of the coke refinery, the economy gradually began to pick up steam.
The flow of money, which had been mostly stopped due to the blockage, was flowing little by little, and people’s activities became more active than before.
Of course, interest rates, including inflation, did not go down because fewer factories were built, but it is evaluated that it has become more livable.
Policies implemented by each country are gradually showing results, and jobs are returning to pre-Great Depression levels.
[There may be another Great Depression like this in the future. No, it will definitely explode in the distant future.]
[We need a more specialized agency. Didn’t the Great Depression of Blood and Steel happen after the Machine Revolution?]
[The Great Depression may come due to an oversupply in the distant future, not a lack of demand. We have to prepare for this.]
The Great Depression lasted less than half a year in duration, but the aftermath was terrifying.
Just as the Lehman Brothers crisis put the global economy at a dead end, this place was also at a level where the entire world collapsed.
The problem is that this was the first global economic crisis. The economy of a particular country was not destroyed, but the whole world was crushed like the Great Depression.
Interest rates and prices skyrocket without knowing that the world is scary. can’t find a job But you can’t ignore monsters, so you have to find things.
Because I was hit hard once, I had no choice but to be alert. Thanks to this, ‘philosophy’ and ‘economics’ were completely separated from each other.
Originally, philosophy and economics were interrelated disciplines. In the first place, it is inevitable that philosophy is the source and father of all learning.
However, it was predicted that the Great Depression would lead to a complete separation and, furthermore, a more fragmented institution.
[The Empire of Minerva. Discussion of the establishment of an institution with separate powers. Economics is a matter for experts to deal with. We are lucky now, but in the future, the moment the imperial family intervenes in the economy, it may fall endlessly.]
[The nobles protested, but Emperor Berit countered that he would grant him authority that was difficult even for him to touch.]
[Afterwards, Emperor Berit said that the more complex the world becomes, the more the limits of the monarchy will be revealed, and discussed the establishment of a commoners’ council like the Kingdom of Terse…]
In addition, the Minerva Empire could establish a commoners’ assembly, a bombshell remark that was no less revolutionary.
The Minerva Empire did not break out in a revolution like the Kingdom of Terse or Machina, and even the public sentiment of the people belonged to the good side.
At one time, it was noisy due to a quarrel over the imperial power, but it was a political issue, and the people did not suffer much damage.
However, the Minerva Empire was hit hard by the Great Depression this time.
The imperial family, including Emperor Bert, would have had no choice but to keenly feel the limits of the monarchy.
[It takes more talent, more ideas, and more politicians to sustain a great empire.]
[If the people are the root, politics is the stem. No matter how strong the roots are, if the stem is thin, it will be difficult to bear fruit.]
[Introduce it slowly after the Great Depression is completely resolved. The Great Depression is a priority.]
Just as the winds of great change are blowing in the Minerva Empire, other countries are similar.
First of all, there is the Kingdom of Terse, the enemy of the Minerva Empire.
[The Minerva Empire seemed like a country that would never fall. We only endured with solid unity, but our actual strength was several steps below.]
[But this Great Depression made me realize that the Empire wouldn’t last forever. In the future, the empire will not be the same as before.]
[Magical organs will spread not only to the Empire, but to the whole world, and the Kingdom of Terras will become as strong as the Empire.]
[The age of science, not magic, will come, the age of quality, not quantity.]
There are many reasons why the Minerva Empire hates the Kingdom of Terse, but this also flows into a tribal war.
Terse Kingdom was heavily influenced by Albenheim. Moreover, it is one of the civilizations that have survived the demon war.
Historically and culturally, he had no choice but to be close to Albnheim, whether he liked it or not, and he only participated in tribal wars, but he rarely played an active role.
The geography of Terse Kingdom is a strategically superior geography that can hit the flanks of Albenheim right away.
However, in the tribal war, he pretended not to know and did not give way. The human union, which was the forerunner of the Minerva Empire, was inevitably annoyed.
Even after that, the sediment continued, and while Albenheim was politically confused, large and small quarrels occurred between the two countries.
[The world will not be led by the empire, but will change to a battle of who is ahead.]
Originally, the Terse Kingdom was suppressed by the military and economic power of the Minerva Empire, but its attitude has completely changed.
Just as the world entered a ‘new cold war’ after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the world is also starting to move in a similar direction.
I won’t start a war right away, but the national power of the Minerva Empire has definitely weakened.
If the Great Depression recedes, it is clear that conflicts large and small between countries will rise to the surface.
[Three new books of blood and steel released in one week!]
[The magic engine installed in the publishing house. There will be no shortage of paper anymore.]
By the time the seeds of conflict were planted all over the world, Isaac tried to do it three times in a row.
In addition, a magic engine was installed at the publishing house, but in fact, the publishing house was in a situation where there was a shortage of wood, which is the raw material of paper.
If so, how did you solve it? Simple. Emperor Berit personally put the workers there.
Since the New Deal policy is being implemented, the justification is sufficient. Musk welcomed it with open arms.
[Hitler playing an active role by using the principle of national self-determination. What is National Self-Determinationism?]
Volumes 11, 12, and 13 of Blood and Steel cover the story from late 1937 to late 1939.
In particular, many and many words have been floating around about national self-determinationism, which will become the most profound topic and will respond sensitively.
In this world, classification between races was stronger than races, but Starbirks and Dark Elves and so on. Some peoples have their own national character.
Because of this, it was speculated that a reaction would come from the Star Birk and the Dark Elves, but most of them faded away due to the huge incident that occurred at the end of Volume 13.
[The result of using national self-determination was the invasion of Poland, that is, war.]
At least from the point of view of Starbirk, who calls for independence, the situation is bound to be embarrassing. The Dark Elves are a very quiet race, so they don’t know how they will react.
In any case, the national self-determinationism that Isaac as well as Lina was most concerned about ended in this way, but many incidents remain.
Anschluss. Sino-Japanese War. crystal night. Munich Agreement. Toxin Non-Aggression Pact, etc.
At this time, the United States was reeling from the Great Depression, so there was little activity. What about the Soviet Union… Except for the non-aggression pact, a great purge is in progress.
It was difficult to shed light on each one because so many historical events happened, but the reactions are roughly like this.
Anschluss?
[Hitler is great!]
Munich Agreement?
[How terrible was the great war, would England and France be like that?]
[Anyway, Hitler is a genius!]
A toxin non-aggression pact?
[As expected, Hitler! But wasn’t the Soviet Union a rival?]
This is a disease… but it’s like that. Maybe it’s because Hitler is still being treated as the main character.
Of course, it’s not just the praise of Hitler. Typically, Crystal Night.
If Operation T4 is the predecessor of the Holocaust, Crystal Night is an event in which the madness of Nazi Germany was fully demonstrated.
[Did it really need to spread this far? The Jews set fire to the fuse, but it was Goebbels who spread it.]
[Jews have now become a real threat, not propaganda.]
[It reminds me of the demons being treated as demons and the actual threats.]
However, even the night of the crystal was ‘convinced’ and passed. Isaac was shocked by these reactions, but he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
Demons in the past were also treated similarly. The difference is that the Jews did not have a country and the demons had a helium.
History has consistently proved what the language of a nation that is not protected by the state is like. Jews are at their peak.
In this way, even if they understood the crystal night, they began to feel uneasy about the ‘insanity’ that creeps up.
Finally, the ‘Nanjing Massacre’ that occurred during the Sino-Japanese War…
[That is war. Tragically, war makes people like that.]
[That does not justify the massacre. The Japanese Empire will one day be punished by God.]
[It is only natural to kill those who rebel. But that is beyond the limit.]
Many people couldn’t hide their bitterness at the same time as they were shocked.
There were numerous tragedies in Zenon’s life, but the war thoroughly ended with the main characters’ victory. That sounds like at least some hope.
Furthermore, blood and steel is being treated as a fantasy. Therefore, I was harboring the thought that the war would be something different.
The idea was thoroughly shattered. War is always followed by terrible tragedies.
At least, the situation is close to the ‘middle ages’, so the shock is less. Nevertheless, the shock of the Nanjing Massacre does not change.
[There is only one way to win the war, and you have to give up being a human being. You must become a sword or spear, not a single person, and kill the opponent to win the victory.]
[The winner wins everything. Even if it is ‘history’.]
The reaction of scholars was mostly calm. Since they have more knowledge than the general public, they were able to evaluate them relatively calmly.
But not common people. Blood and Steel is subscribed to by a large number of people, with a far greater proportion of commoners.
There are cases where commoners become knights or adventurers, but most of them are far from war.
Even if there are occasional battles with monsters, it is rare to deal with the same ‘person’.
[War is beautiful only to those who have not experienced it.]
A phenomenon that fits that word is gradually being revealed.
Just as those who became adventurers who were seduced by the plot of Zenon’s life experienced all kinds of hell, those who enlisted for knights also went through hell.
Fortunately, the war did not break out anywhere. However, the Nanjing Massacre showed the fragments of war.
[Murder is evil. But in war, if I don’t kill my opponent, I will die. How far can evil be tolerated?]
[The Nanjing Massacre committed by the Japanese Empire is an obvious evil.]
[Can a massacre be justified? If not, you have committed an indelible evil.]
As we entered the full-fledged war part, some philosophical contents began to pour out.
The situation where all sorts of words are pouring out just because of the Nanjing Massacre.
There is even a history of humans slaughtering beastmen in a tribal war, and of Savior hunting demons.
[What will blood and steel show us?]
******
When many scholars and people talk about blood and steel.
As the Great Depression gradually showed signs of receding, the Principality of Belua, which had never been so quiet, began to become more and more lively.
The Principality of Belua serves as a bridgehead connecting numerous countries, including the Minerva Empire.
Naturally, economic activities were the most active, and this is no different for adventurers.
In particular, as much as it serves as a bridgehead, there are many equipment that are high in quality but inexpensive.
Therefore, adventurers who have accumulated some skills must visit the Principality of Belua.
“Whoop whoop whoop…”
“Are you good?”
Anne, a female adventurer who grew her hair short and had it bobbed, scolded the man who laughed badly.
The expression of disapproval was clearly evident. Heck, if a man with a gigantic figure smiled like that, everyone would look at him strangely.
Either that or not, Roy, an adventurer who has recently gained fame, couldn’t hide his torn lips.
“Of course it’s good! What about me? I won the event! You know?”
“Yes. Yes. I’m so f*cking envious.”
There is only one reason why Roy is so happy. It was because he was drawn to the ‘event’ that Zenon himself excerpted.
Events are awarded points based on how much you defeat the demon worshipers.
However, as the activity of the devil worshipers has decreased recently, the event had no choice but to end quickly.
And the winner is Lloyd. In order to somehow secure a place to dine with Zenon, he took risks and subdued devil worshipers.
There were some dangerous things, but thanks to the assistance of my partner, Ann, I was able to safely pass them. It is a bonus that my skills have improved in the process.
“What are you envious of? Are you going anyway?”
“What? Why me?”
“If it wasn’t for you, I’d have already died several times. They’d take care of this much, wouldn’t they?”
“uh······”
At Roy’s suggestion, Ann put on a puzzled expression. She knew that he was a huge fan of Zenon.
So, of course, I thought I was going to be alone, but it’s a little bit bewildered that I even dragged myself in.
At this, Ann blushed slightly, embarrassed, then quietly opened her mouth.
“······It’s fine?”
“what?”
“······No. Stupid bastard.”
His expression immediately changed to frustration. Either way, Roy, who won the event, was busy smiling.
“What are you going to do when you meet Zenon? Now you’ll get a sign from blood and steel?”
“Of course! I want to sign all the books I’ve collected so far. How about you?”
“I think I’ll only do Zenon’s biography if possible. Blood and steel is fun, but it’s not as good as Zenon’s biography.”
As Anne said, Blood and Steel is a work that has more likes and dislikes than Zenon’s biography. It’s fun because it’s Isaac’s work, but I wonder if it’s a taste.
In particular, there is a difference between likes and dislikes among women than men.
Men usually like it, but women don’t.
“I know that men are strong without mana. But what can I say… I think it seems that women are too cheap? Beyond that, it seems that the classes are divided.”
One of the many reasons is that, unlike Zenon’s life story, there are very few attractive and active female characters.
Ann said exactly what she felt while reading Blood and Steel. Roy was dumbfounded when he heard that, but then nodded.
“I guess so. Because there is no mana and the existence of God is unclear.”
“It’s fun because it’s realistic and persuasive, but it’s a bit bittersweet. I heard that people in this world were similar before they realized mana.”
Women’s rights in this world are quite high compared to the times. However, only for women who have awakened Mana.
If you awaken and train your mana, your physical abilities are meaningless. It depends on who manages mana better.
The same goes for human rights, not women. On Earth, there are humans who have the power of God, whereas here, God exists from the very beginning.
Therefore, everyone has the idea that they are equal under God. It’s just not fair.
“And Nazi Germany is a bit… strange. At least in my eyes.”
“It’s strange?”
“Yes. You know the baby factory, right?”
“Ah. That.”
At Anne’s explanation, Roy also made an expression of understanding. Although briefly explained, the famous ‘baby factory’ incident appeared in blood and steel.
An incident that gave a glimpse of the madness of the Nazis, forcibly mating a man and a woman in order to ‘train’ Aryans.
It came as a bigger shock that it was even a state-led institution.
Fortunately, it was buried in Hitler’s non-active activities, so it did not give a big ripple effect.
More than anything······
“But didn’t we have something similar?”
“There is a record that it was like that in the Tribal War. I’m not sure.”
It was an incident that almost happened several times in real life, so it didn’t even go over to ‘controversy’.
In this world, ‘eugenics’ is accepted as orthodoxy, not hypothesis.
Even if you don’t go far, you’ll be treated as a weirdo if you deny it in the yard where elves exist.
It is also one of the atrocities committed by humans in the race war. War is a place where many evil deeds, including murder, are justified.
There was a time when he almost did something very crazy, such as using elves, the pinnacle of eugenics, to mass-produce mixed blood.
Fortunately, only an attempt was made. If he had actually done it, he would have received Albenheim’s anger intact.
“And the devil worshiper did that recently.”
“······Don’t talk. Just thinking about it makes me sick.”
While Ann spoke calmly, Roy frowned as if the thought of it made him sick.
As he was the one who subdued the devil worshipers the most, he was the one who witnessed the atrocities of the devil worshipers.
It is a medicine that the whole village is a devil worshiper. I watched things that I couldn’t bear to put my mouth.
The Baby Factory is one such example. Roy shook his head.
“Still, those bastards did it to use the baby as a sacrifice. What about Nazi Germany?
“The plan to make the Aryans great by using the disabled or the elderly?
Ann, who had caught a glimpse of the insidiousness and madness of Nazi Germany, quietly raised her opinion.
For her, she instinctively senses that Nazi Germany is a group that is mentally quite out of place.
To Anne’s doubtful question, Roy denied it by waving his index finger from side to side. Sounds like nothing.
“That’s not going to be the case. Hitler was a matchmaker in the first place? Besides, his soul mate Goebbels was disabled in one leg due to polio. If these people sympathized with the disabled, they sympathized with them, and they wouldn’t kill them all because they were crazy.”
“Hmm… is that so?”
If you listen carefully, it makes sense.
The problem is that Hitler and Goebbels were demons beyond imagination.
It was a part that could not be predicted or imagined at all because it was still before the madness of Nazi Germany exploded.
“Yes. I’d rather be the last one to appear? Oskar Schindler? Wouldn’t he rather be abusive? Apparently, he’s as greedy and mad as Bourges III.”
“Well, you’ll know when the next episode comes out. By the way, what would you like to eat?”
“Well. If you have nothing to do, let’s go to the Myshal Manor.”
“yes.”
The bomb has already been planted.
“But when are you going to cut that f*cking beard?”
“Ugh. Calling the great Führer’s beard like a dick! It’s reckless!”
“Ehh. Stupid. Don’t call Zenon Heil Zenon later.”
Now all that remains is to explode.