Volumes 7 and 8 of Blood and Steel were released in quick succession.
Unlike The Chronicles of Zenon, this series only needed to present historical facts in a coherent and structured manner.
Above all, the latter half of Volume 7 only needed to explain the history and potential of the United States, while the latter half of Volume 8 focused solely on the founding history of the Soviet Union.
I had a deep interest in history in my previous life as well, so this much is a piece of cake. If this were a web novel, I’d probably be heavily criticized.
But this world is far from being web-novel-friendly—books themselves are barely being disseminated to the public.
When I wrote The Chronicles of Zenon, the books sold out in droves, causing a frenzy.
Crucially, Blood and Steel is regarded as a fantasy, so even long-winded explanations are being enjoyed by readers.
It’s embarrassing to say this myself, but it feels similar to when The Lord of the Rings was first released.
Anyway, with Volumes 7 and 8 of Blood and Steel coming out so close together, readers are ecstatic.
[Blood and Steel publisher, Grid Merchants: Paper supply is critically low. Please wait just a bit longer.]
On the other hand, publishers like Musk are both laughing and crying. The same situation that occurred during the early days of The Chronicles of Zenon is repeating itself.
Back then, Zenon’s volumes sold out faster than the publishers could handle, causing a lot of trouble.
Eventually, the problem was solved by the passage of time, technological development, and acquiring printing facilities.
But now the situation is slightly different. Even if we can mass-produce books like a factory, we can’t secure the raw materials.
Everyone knows that paper is made from trees. But in this world, unlike my previous one, acquiring trees is burdensome in many ways.
The reason? Monsters.
Most monsters live in the wild like beasts, and the more trees you cut, the closer you get to their habitats.
So before logging can occur, the monsters need to be cleared out, and that takes a long time.
Also, simply chopping down trees isn’t enough. They must be processed into paper. And since processing technology isn’t well-developed, this alone takes a lot of time.
It might sound far-fetched, but it’s really happening. Even now, the number of requests for adventurers is skyrocketing.
‘Thank goodness paper has already been invented.’
If we were still using parchment, even The Chronicles of Zenon might never have been published. I sincerely thank the person who invented paper.
In any case, despite suffering through this raw materials crisis, the new books have already been widely distributed.
In other words, reviews are slowly starting to come out. I’ve decided to write more slowly from here on.
[Hitler, cutting out the gangrenous flesh. No more pus remains in the Weimar Republic—no, in Germany.]
[It will hurt, but it’s a necessary operation. Enough with the wretched politics.]
[Hitler’s power becomes more solidified. Through this power, Germany will develop even further.]
It starts with the Night of the Long Knives, the purge that followed the Enabling Act. This was when Hitler forcibly disbanded all political parties except the Nazi Party.
It was the moment he openly declared his dictatorship, but Europe, including Britain and France, remained silent.
They dismissed it, thinking “Surely not Germany again,” because of the lingering trauma from World War I.
In truth, it was the starting point of World War II.
Another point: Ernst Röhm, one of the people purged by Hitler, was homosexual. After his execution, countless homosexuals were dragged to concentration camps.
Interestingly, Hitler once claimed he didn’t care about private lives and argued that soldiers were not supposed to be moral paragons.
Anyway, with total control over the regime, Hitler began to show increasingly outrageous behavior. The most prominent example: the persecution of Jews.
“I fought in the Great War! I was even decorated by His Majesty the Kaiser! Why are you doing this to me?! I am not a Jew—I am a German!”
A Jewish war veteran begging the state for mercy after being persecuted.
But before long, he too was taken away.
This was before the Holocaust was fully in motion, so he was only imprisoned—but even this scene created a huge impact on readers.
[What did the Jews do wrong? Why are even war heroes being persecuted?]
[If someone is born in another country but integrates into that nation, aren’t they a citizen just the same?]
[Hitler is uniting the German people through his persecution of Jews. But is this the right way?]
Even readers originally thought, “They must have done something to deserve it.”
Even the protagonist—Hitler—despises them, so surely there’s a reason, they assumed.
But seeing a patriot persecuted just for being Jewish started to stir confusion.
[Isn’t this like the demon race before The Chronicles of Zenon? Anti-Semitic ideology is widespread, so the comparison fits.]
[Even after Zenon, the demon race was only saved—they still suffer subtle discrimination.]
[After Zenon’s death, could the demon race face the same persecution all over again…?]
Others began to compare Jews and the demon race, noting many similarities.
The demon race faced every form of discrimination during the Demon War, and eventually founded Helium.
The Jews didn’t go through the exact same path, but they too founded Israel.
But Israel arose from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and still struggles for recognition. So today’s Jews are effectively a people without a country.
[Hitler is not a hero—he’s just a politician. A hero would embrace, not oppress.]
[But without persecuting Jews, Germany would fragment again. Few things are more effective at uniting people than a clear enemy.]
[Surely there was another way.]
[The Jews held much of Germany’s economy and finance, and unlike the impoverished Germans, many were wealthy. The sense of deprivation must’ve been enormous, so the resentment is understandable.]
[But isn’t it unjust? Are they not even allowed to work and thrive through their own skills?]
Naturally, more and more people began to criticize Hitler. But at the same time, arguments erupted with those who defended him.
One side said that persecution is never justified, no matter what.
The other side argued that under those circumstances, it was unavoidable and even effective.
The latter group was the more dominant one.
Here, I gave a detailed explanation of anti-Semitism—not from a historian’s viewpoint, but from the perspective of someone living in that era.
In other words, from Hitler’s point of view.
[A people without a nation, who disturb the nation—are nothing but pests! Hitler is right!]
Ah—by the way, that quote is from a critic in the book, not from a character.
But a surprising number of people agree with that line of thought.
Even in the modern era, people still think like that.
So in this world, which is just now transitioning out of the Middle Ages, how much worse must it be?
Let’s take a look at the elves, for example. A race that prides itself on being chosen by the gods—making them both proud and arrogant.
Even now it’s like this—how much worse must it have been 300 years ago? They were busy looking down on and despising all races except elves. Of course, they got a harsh reality check later.
Anyway, this strong racial identity, which goes beyond ethnicity, still lingers. It’s an ideology that naturally arises when differences between races are so stark.
[The demons founded Helium, but the Jews did not. A people without a nation are no better than slippery eels.]
[Jewish life may resemble that of the demons. But the critical difference was the lack of a nation.]
[This could be what the life of demons would be like without Helium…]
[A nation gives meaning to a people. A people without a nation is meaningless.] S~eaʀᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It’s unfortunate, but inevitable. Most readers judged the Jews that way.
From that point on, people began to treat Jews as demons who had not been saved. Honestly, based on the situation, I agreed.
Not entirely.
Not absolutely.
Besides, it was only about the Jews—it didn’t cast any blame on the real demons.
If it had, the author would’ve been seen as insane. I wouldn’t want that either.
[Hitler, who loved animals. He personally established animal protection laws.]
There were interludes showing Hitler’s love for animals. That too was thoroughly researched.
[But did he treat Jews worse than animals?]
Oh. Nailed it. When the Holocaust appears later, people are going to faint.
Scholars also debated Hitler’s eugenic beliefs—not negatively, but positively. Whether we like it or not, eugenics is now thoroughly embedded in this world.
It’s not because science is underdeveloped. It’s literally classified as a formal academic discipline here, not even an ideology.
Why?
[Even in a world without magic or mana, does eugenics still apply? Then why was Hitler’s father so incompetent?]
[In a world of blood and steel, it is not talent, but reputation and sin that are inherited.]
[No, talent comes from one’s parents…]
Maybe because it’s a fantasy world, but eugenics fits like a glove. If Mendel had studied genetics in this world, he’d have given up.
For example, a half-blood between a human and an elf might have shorter ears, but they always inherit elven traits. This was a field elves studied extensively.
Also, people here take it for granted that talents are inherited from one’s parents. You can see it in my own father and family.
‘Didn’t devil worshipers try genetic enhancement?’
That was one of their more recent revealed atrocities. From what I know, it was a similar experiment—humans turning into demons.
Of course, it’s all been destroyed now, but the research data remains valuable as material.
The most memorable part was the child of a human and a different race.
Unlike inter-species pregnancies (which were impossible), humans could impregnate other races. If that isn’t peak devil worship, what is?
‘Did they use humans as the base model?’
Either way, if Mendel saw this world, he’d faint. It’ll take centuries for genetics to properly develop here.
Whether eugenics works in a world of blood and steel—they debate it among themselves, but let’s move on.
After that, the story explained the history and potential of America, ending Volume 7 with FDR launching the New Deal.
Then Volume 8 picks up with…
[As expected of Hitler! He truly is a hero!]
[With the remilitarization of the Rhineland, Germans began to see Hitler as a godlike figure.]
[Who dares call him a tyrant? Pain is natural when cutting away rotten flesh. Hitler is the true emperor of Germany.]
Apparently, they forgot all about the Jewish persecution from Volume 7 and were busy praising Hitler.
To put it comically: “I trusted you… damn it!” That’s exactly how it feels—no better way to put it.
[This is a risky gamble. What if it had failed…?]
Of course, sharp readers quickly noticed that Hitler’s actions were reckless. The remilitarization of the Rhineland was practically a gamble.
[Don’t doubt Hitler! He has a plan for everything!]
[There are no “what ifs” in history. It’s a foolish notion.]
All criticism was swept under the rug. The critics’ voices no longer reached the readers.
Readers praised Hitler as if they themselves were German. They never questioned that he was the protagonist.
But a raging fire must be extinguished before it becomes a disaster. I knew this would happen, so I followed up the Rhineland episode with the history of the Soviet Union.
From the Communist Manifesto to Lenin’s revolutionary activities, the fall of the Russian Empire, and the rise of the Soviet Union.
Finally, Stalin’s succession and signs of the Great Purge. Most important of all: the first appearance of Stalin, widely known as Hitler’s rival.
[Here comes Stalin, the one who must be brought down. What path will he take?]
[No matter how much Germany grows, it will struggle to match the overwhelming power of the Soviet Union.]
Don’t worry. Soon, the Great Purge will decapitate all of Stalin’s talent.
And so, with Stalin’s short but intense debut, Blood and Steel Volume 8 ended.
‘Surprisingly little said about communism.’
That’s inevitable, since it’s an ideology meant to awaken workers. But there was almost no worker unrest since the Industrial Revolution hadn’t happened here yet.
Blood and Steel Volume 9 will be released slowly. The causes of the Second Sino-Japanese War also need some adaptation.
The army keeps having absurd incidents, and even my father harshly criticized them as idiots. Who the hell reports a soldier as missing just because he went to take a dump?
‘It’s all historically accurate, what can you do.’
Anyway, while the world is busy cheering (?) for Hitler, I can just rest peacefully. Nothing else will happen here… except maybe something about the devil worshipers.
Yes. I mean the world’s problems. Personal matters always explode without warning.
Maybe it’s because the Jewish persecution in Volume 7 resembled the demons’ past experiences…
“Isaac, did this Jewish people get saved like us demons?”
Cecily, who hadn’t visited in a while, suddenly asked with a look of urgency. She said her work had mostly wrapped up, so she finally had free time.
Looking into Cecily’s worried red eyes, I slowly turned my gaze away. Scratching my cheek, I quietly answered:
“…Rather than salvation, they escaped oppression. Eventually, they founded their own nation, like Helium.”
“That’s a relief.” Phew…
Cecily sighed deeply with sincere relief. Her ample chest, impossible to hide even with a dress, was particularly prominent.
“As you know, we demons were once massacred just for being called ‘demons.’ I was worried the Jews might go through the same thing.”
“……”
“So… did Hitler come to his senses and help the Jews? Is that how they ended up founding a nation?”
“…Wouldn’t it spoil the story if I told you now?”
“Oh, you’re right. Fair enough. I’ll just wait then. Looking forward to it.”
Sorry, Cecily. I looked at her smiling happily, unaware of my gaze, with a touch of sorrow.
It seemed Cecily was lost in the fantasy that Hitler would somehow “save” the Jews.
“I hope the Jews are saved like we demons were.”
The entire Jewish people are going to experience their own tragedy story arc.
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