He never fully explained how Hitler ca to power in Nazi Germany. Instead, he brought up brief explanations about other countries.
At this, the family was shocked to learn that Earth had over 120 countries.
Even if they didn’t know much else, this was sothing they found hard to believe, so they asked again.
But facts are facts.
Every ti they questioned , I gave them the sa answer, and Mari and her family were left dumbfounded.
In this world, there are many large and small nations, but the total barely exceeds 20.
anwhile, Earth has over 100, so their bewildernt was understandable.
At this point, I decided to share my own thoughts—sothing like a personal theory.
“I think the biggest reason is race. Here, society is largely divided by race, but Earth isn’t like that. Instead, people are mostly categorized by ethnicity.
In fact, if you look at it from an ethnic perspective, even this world has countless people spread across different regions, right?”
“That’s true, but…”
“If the Minerva Empire hadn’t erged after the Racial War, this world might have ended up similar to Earth.”
No empire lasts forever.
Even the Minerva Empire could one day be torn apart—history proves this.
The so-called ‘Eternal Empire,’ Ro, t this fate, as did the Mongols, who once conquered all of Asia.
Both empires ultimately collapsed due to internal issues—Ro fell to rebellions, while the Mongols crumbled due to political instability.
The Minerva Empire itself has faced multiple crises where it nearly fractured.
The great famine that struck a century ago was one such event, and the aftermath of the Racial War was another.
Yet, each ti, a wise ruler erged to stabilize the nation.
Even now, Rina is researching ways to transition from feudalism to a centralized governnt.
Demonic cultists once threw the Minerva Empire into chaos, but strangely enough, the situation is now progressing smoothly, as if it were a blessing in disguise.
“So you’re telling this tiny country started a world war? Is that even possible?”
“It was due to differences in technological advancent. Europe was the birthplace of chanical developnt. Using that technology, they gradually absorbed other countries.”
“But even so, their population… Oh. You said your world doesn’t have mana, right? That must have made things harder.”
Mari nodded as she studied the map.
It was true that Britain beca the British Empire thanks to its advancents in navigation and technology.
However, centuries ago, the Mongols once dominated the world with cavalry forces.
I wondered how they would react upon hearing about that.
If we compared it to this world, it would be like the barbarians at the border swallowing the entire Minerva Empire.
That would surely leave them in shock.
In reality, if not for my father’s significant contributions, the Minerva Empire would have long since fallen under the control of barbarians.
“Then, before machines were developed, how did people fight wars?”
Perhaps he was curious because I kept ntioning chanical civilization. My father asked with a voice full of interest.
It seed others were also intrigued, as they all turned to look at the mont my father asked.
“Life before machines beca widespread was very similar to how things are here. The only difference is that there was no mana or magic.”
“Then what kind of tactics did they use? Without mana, they must have had to rely more on strategy, right?”
As soon as I answered, Nicole imdiately followed up with another question.
She seed more interested in hand-to-hand combat than trying to understand complex machinery.
Unfortunately, my knowledge of history mostly covered the modern era. I barely knew how wars were fought before firearms beca widespread.
All I knew was that the Mongols had devastated the world with their cavalry and that a strategy called the ‘Hamr and Anvil’ was famous.
Rather than explaining cavalry warfare, it would be easier to talk about the Hamr and Anvil strategy.
“There’s one tactic I know—it’s called the Hamr and Anvil…”
Everyone except Mari and my mother, who weren’t interested in military matters, turned their eyes to their notes. And then—
“What? We use this strategy too.”
“So people think alike no matter where they’re from.”
To my surprise, the Hamr and Anvil tactic was already one of the widely used strategies in this world.
Since people themselves were the core of warfare, it made sense that similar tactics would erge independently.
Especially during the Racial War, humans had to fight against elves, so it was natural for this tactic to develop.
If that were all, I could just accept it and move on. But what if we added a fantasy elent to it?
“Did you use this strategy during your active duty, Father?”
“Yes. The troops acted as the anvil, while I struck from behind. So, according to your explanation, I was the hamr.”
“I see… Wait a second. You? You did it alone?”
“I was the only one capable of doing it.”
“… …”
This isn’t just the legendary warrior Xiang Yu—we’re talking about soone even beyond that!
Hearing my father answer so casually, I was at a loss for words.
Handling the ‘hamr’ role alone?
That completely broke the fundantal principle of the Hamr and Anvil strategy, but since the outco was still effective, I guess it didn’t really matter.
Considering he had personally slain a dragon, it wasn’t impossible.
Thinking about it again, it was obvious that the barbarians were completely helpless against my father.
“Well… to be honest, when it cos to hand-to-hand combat strategies, this world is probably more advanced than the one I lived in. After all, the Hamr and Anvil tactic is sothing that has been consistently used here.”
There’s no point in expecting common sense in a fantasy world.
No matter how many tis I think about it, this world is completely different from what I know.
Even as I continued explaining the differences between Earth and this world, I eventually hit a roadblock.
That was none other than the political system.
They had no issue with the idea of people directly electing a president or pri minister.
“A dictator is basically just a king, isn’t he?”
“If they seized power through rebellion, that might be true, but as long as they make the country prosper, isn’t that fine?”
“Dave is right. As long as they govern well, it doesn’t matter if they get so harsh criticism. Our empire has had tyrants from ti to ti as well, so a dictator…”
However, explaining the concept of a ‘dictator’ to them was incredibly difficult.
To them, a dictator was no different from a king.
And in reality, a dictator does resemble an absolute monarch—a ruler who holds overwhelming power and controls the entire nation.
But the key difference between a dictator and a regular monarch is that dictators eliminate all opposition to consolidate their power.
This leads them to beco more obsessed with authority, which ultimately results in corruption.
“Hmm… I can see why you’d think that. But a dictator is soone who literally holds all power. In other words, there’s no force or system that can keep them in check.”
“That’s dirty, but isn’t that just good politics?”
“But what if they make life miserable for the people? What if they’ll do anything to maintain their grip on power?”
“That’s a tyrant. Are all dictators tyrants? If they are, then we could just remove them.”
“That’s not exactly how it works, but… how should I put this…”
It’s hard to draw a clear line between a dictator and a tyrant. So dictators do receive public support.
For example, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, and even South Korea’s Park Chung-hee.
They all share the trait of strengthening their nations, yet history has unflinchingly labeled them as dictators.
At first glance, a dictator and a tyrant seem similar, yet they differ in many ways. The concept itself is incredibly complex.
Above all, as my father pointed out, if a leader has no political opposition, it must an they did a good job, right?
‘Is this just a cultural difference?’
On Earth, it’s common sense that dictators are bad.
Many countries, especially in Africa, still struggle with dictators today.
But to the people of this world, it probably just sounds like, “Why is having a king bad?”
As Mao Zedong once said, “Power cos from the barrel of a gun,” it is extrely difficult to beco a dictator without controlling the military.
“Anyway, from our perspective, we can just think of a dictator as a tyrant. So tyrants may have disastrous personal lives, but surprisingly, they can still be quite competent in governance.”
“But if anyone other than Isaac had said that just now…”
When Nicole trailed off and looked at , Mari, sitting beside , answered in my place.
“They would have been executed on the spot. It’s practically the sa as denying the existence of the king.”
“…… Don’t say such terrifying things.”
“Why not? I’m just telling the truth. Besides, I wonder if we’ll end up following a similar system. We’re already doing quite well as it is.”
Rina has been working tirelessly to transition to a centralized system. I don’t really know what that entails, but I’m sure she’ll handle it well.
However, democracy only truly began to bloom with the invention of guns.
Once firearms were widely distributed, the ergence of “heroes” beca nearly impossible.
One shot for you? One shot for !
In such a world, overwhelming numbers and superior technology naturally take priority over individual heroism.
“So, in your world, who’s the worst dictator—or rather, the worst king? I know it’s hard to say since there are so many countries, but you like history, so you must know at least that much, right?”
“Of course, I know.”
There is, in fact, a dictator who wielded even greater power than the infamous Hitler.
He was the leader of the Soviet Union, which once stood as one of the two superpowers alongside the United States during the Cold War.
As soon as I answered, my family leaned in with deep curiosity, focusing on intently.
Are they treating like that raccoon robot from a certain manga?
Or perhaps like a magical conch shell that answers all questions?
I gave a wry smile at their eager gazes before quietly speaking.
“The General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. He was the greatest dictator in history. At one point, he and the United States effectively divided the world in half.”
“The United States… Honestly, I can’t quite grasp what kind of country it is. Comparing it to the Minerva Empire feels a bit lacking. Could you explain it in a way that’s easier to understand?”
It seems my previous comparisons between the United States and the Minerva Empire weren’t sufficient for my father.
While the Minerva Empire does exert considerable influence on international affairs, it still falls short compared to the United States.
Not to ntion, there’s Alvenheim right next door, Helium is rising at an alarming rate, and they still haven’t managed to completely suppress their long-ti rival, the Kingdom of Teres.
Up until now, I had drawn exaggerated comparisons to satisfy their expectations, but perhaps it’s ti for a more objective perspective.
After hearing my father’s request, I took a mont to think before cautiously asking, “Can I speak freely?”
“Of course. Your world is far more advanced than ours, isn’t it? Nothing you say would surprise anymore.”
“Yeah. You guys use science to do everything we rely on magic for.”
“At a level where wiping out the world wouldn’t be surprising.”
Dave joked at the end, but he was actually quite accurate.
Humanity possesses weapons capable of destroying the world outright.
Of course, there was no need to say that out loud. I scratched my head before continuing.
“Alright, I understand. But for the sake of comparison, let’s replace magic with science. That should make it easier to grasp.”
“Got it.”
“Then, if I had to describe the United States…
I organized my thoughts to make it as easy as possible to understand. Comparing Arica to this world…
“A country with the magic of elves and demons, the resilience and unity of humans, and the production capability and technology of dwarves.”
That was probably the most accurate comparison possible—at least, under the assumption that magic is replaced with science.
There wasn’t a good way to compare beastkin, since their animalistic instincts were too distinct.
While their bravery might be comparable, that varied greatly among individuals.
Even excluding that, this was the perfect way to describe Arica’s national strength.
“On top of that, they possess military power strong enough to take on the entire world. They have a standing army of one million soldiers and an arsenal of diverse military weapons.”
Even military powerhouses like Russia and China, which once flourished, would cower like beaten dogs in the face of Arica’s military might.
Russia, in particular, exposed the abysmal state of its military to the world during the Ukraine war.
The greatest empire in history—that is the United States.
“…A standing army of one million?”
“Th-that’s possible?”
“Our empire’s standing army is only 300,000… Even if we scraped together every available soldier, we’d barely reach 500,000…”
My father, Nicole, and Dave all reacted with shock, their mouths agape at the ntion of a million-strong army.
I wondered how much more astonished they would be if they learned that South Korea alone has 500,000 active-duty troops and over two million reservists.
Now it was my turn to be confused.
While I wasn’t exactly knowledgeable about military affairs, this seed strange.
“The Minerva Empire’s standing army is only that large? I thought it would be bigger.”
“Wait. ‘Only’ that large?”
“Yes.”
“That’s already a massive number! Do you know how many soldiers the Vellua Principality has? Ten thousand! Just ten thousand!”
“…Huh?”
Why is it so small? Even as Dave shouted, I could only blink in bafflent.
Seeing my expression, my father ran a hand over his face and spoke in a weary voice.
“Son, our empire only maintains such a large standing army because we have a strong economy. If we tried to maintain more, our supply system would collapse.”
“Supply? Oh.”
“Judging by your world’s level of scientific developnt, your supply chains must be highly efficient… But still, this is overwhelming to even think about.”
I had completely overlooked the issue of supplies.
The reason the U.S. can sustain such a massive military is due to its formidable logistical capabilities.
They have such an excess of supplies that they even distribute them to civilians.
Not to ntion, the Arican continent is a land blessed with an abundance of oil.
anwhile, in this world, the presence of mana requires even greater energy reserves.
If a famine were to occur, the entire country would be on the brink of collapse.
‘Co to think of it, the invention of synthetic fertilizers directly led to the outbreak of the World Wars.’
This world hasn’t even fully developed chemistry yet, so it makes sense.
After all, armies have always been known as bottomless pits that devour money and food.
While I was nodding in understanding, my family exchanged astonished conversations.
“With that kind of military power, why don’t they just conquer the world?”
“They have rival nations, rember?”
“I feel like that would be even scarier than outright war.”
That’s also correct. My family is quite perceptive.
The Cold War may not have involved direct warfare, but it kept the entire world on edge.
With nuclear threats constantly looming, tensions ran high.
In fact, according to post-Cold War disclosures, there were over 100 instances where nuclear war nearly broke out.
“Hey… Isaac?”
“Hm?”
As my family discussed amongst themselves, Mari suddenly called out to in an uneasy voice.
When I turned to look at her, she wore a restless expression.
I tilted my head in confusion, unable to understand her reaction.
Then, she quietly spoke.
“You ntioned before that there was a civil war in your country, right?”
“Yeah.”
“… Looking at the map, it seems like… things must have been really difficult. The Starbirk region is in a similar situation, constantly under pressure from our empire… So, I was wondering…”
Mari hesitated, her lips trembling before she let out a deep sigh.
The rest of my family also turned to look at her.
Finally, she spoke in a trembling voice, asking an unexpected question.
“Was your country’s civil war… caused by those two nations?”
“…Huh? Oh. Yeah. How did you know?”
“……”
“……”
As soon as I answered without much thought, silence filled the room.
Mari’s expression darkened with pity, and the rest of my family also looked at with sympathy, sadness, and sorrow.
“…Why?”
I muttered in bewildernt.
Without a word, Mari stepped forward and wrapped her arms around .
I was caught off guard but silently returned the embrace.
She gently patted my back.
‘What kind of misunderstanding is this…?’
I had no idea.
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