“It’s about time. Let’s distribute it to each country.”
“Shall we deliver it to the high-ranking officials through merchants again this time?”
“That’s better, right? Don’t release it to the public—use it as a gift. With Ishmael’s name, everyone will be interested.”
Just as Kalia and Ishmael had planned.
The treatise on military-first politics, printed in small quantities, was soon supplied across the continent.
Considering the waiting period, distribution time, and binding, it took about a month and a week.
It was the moment they predicted would bring the greatest impact.
“Ishmael wrote another book?”
“The guy who created those bizarre ideologies again?”
“Bring it immediately. It’d be good if it had something useful for times like this.”
And indeed, their expectations were spot on.
It had only been a few days since the large-scale mutiny by soldiers in the Kram Empire had ended.
To suppress over 10,000 rebels, Kram had to endure thousands of losses.
They scorched the villages and buildings to root out the entrenched enemies.
Considering those rebels were originally their own troops, it was like losing almost two full divisions.
Whether in lives or property, the damage was severe.
“We must prevent this.”
“Those bastards endured it because they had some room. If our country ends up like that, the frontlines will collapse.”
So their eyes were bloodshot, trying to prevent similar chaos.
And in the middle of it all, a new release from Ishmael?
It was impossible not to be intrigued.
It was only natural that rulers devoured the content as soon as they got the book.
“Ho… So instead of caring for the people’s livelihood, it’s better to focus on the military?”
“Then there’s no need to reduce the severity of forced requisitions?”
“True. As long as the military is securely controlled, there’s no need to worry about public discontent.”
And as befits national leaders,They quickly grasped the essence of military-first politics.
[The military is the pillar of the state, not just a national defense organization but the force that protects the ethnic society.
A military loyal to the nation and monarch, with strong organization, becomes the driving force to pioneer the future during difficult times.]
[The military must be absolutely loyal to the monarch, and the monarch maintains authority and power through the military. In other words, if the army and leader unite and rule together, the system can never collapse.]
Always return to the military.
When running a nation, the group to prioritize above all is the military.
If you have complete control over the army, you can suppress any crisis or backlash.
[Secure a city to house the most loyal individuals.
Or choose a specific region and cultivate its residents into loyalists.
A space where the leader, military, and privileged class unite is essential to maintain internal cohesion and the obedience of the army.]
[The core city where power is concentrated must provide its residents with psychological superiority. If living there becomes both a privilege and a symbol of power and status, people will begin to compete for that right on their own.]
If the environment is well-maintained with material rewards and benefits, and the competition is encouraged through such incentives.
Even severe exploitation won’t cause problems.
They will suppress their own complaints and compete to rise higher.
“If we change the ruling policy just a little, this is doable.”
“We were already pouring support into the capital—now we can reinforce that.”
“This way, we can also cut budgets spent on poor relief and public assistance.”
From the rulers’ standpoint, it was an easy policy to adopt.
Granting various privileges to the capital and some key cities was already in motion.
They had delayed requisitions and conscription as much as possible and were keeping prices in check.
It wasn’t abolishing favoritism—it was reinforcing it.
Acceptable in every way.
“But where should we get the money for military welfare…? The treasury is nearly empty.”
“How much do we need to increase the defense budget to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers?”
The only issue was the budget.
Maintaining a large army and fighting wars was already burdensome—how could they improve the soldiers’ welfare on top of that?
They could afford the monthly costs for uniforms, ammunition, and food, but improving the standard of living was a stretch.
Neither taxes nor government bonds could cover it.
“Should we tap into the imperial reserve fund?”
“Maybe we could label a few annoying nobles as traitors and confiscate their property…”
“Or sell off unused jewels and ornaments?”
Amidst their repeated concerns,One clever idea occurred to them.
If money was the problem, why not reduce spending in areas other than military expenses?
“Come to think of it, there was a book we imported from Hispania recently. Was it called Das Capital?”
“If it’s a book written by Ishmael, then the content should be trustworthy.”
“I heard Hispania profited quite a bit from it? Good things are meant to be shared, aren’t they?”
Several belligerent nations, including Kram and Allein, relied on the Hispania Empire for supplies.
To be precise, they depended on the relatively cheap goods produced by their factory-based handicraft industry and the slaves from the New World.
Due to the labor shortage caused by the war, domestic production decreased, and imports replaced it.
Naturally, as they depended on imports to meet the demands of the entire nation, the import volume reached astronomical levels.
The amount paid monthly for those imports was also massive.
“Division of labor and intensive production methods, huh? Let’s try adopting that too. There’s no reason we can’t use the same techniques they do.”
“Just 30 percent. If we can replace just 30 percent with domestic products, we can save enough each year to build ten battleships.”
So, let’s try converting that demand back into domestic supply.
Conveniently, they had also acquired the Wealth of Nations, a book full of knowledge and techniques to dramatically increase production efficiency.
Even slightly reducing the amount of imports would free up a massive budget for military spending.
“We’ll run two shifts, so make sure to factor that in when hiring.”
“The pay just needs to cover food and lodging—just a bit more than that should be enough, right?”
With this mindset, the rulers began constructing factories in major industrial zones.
They dismantled the existing artisan-based production system and built a new system where laborers mass-produced goods through divided tasks.
Trial and error was minimal.
After all, they simply copied successful examples from neighboring countries.
“But who’s going to work? All the able-bodied men have been drafted to the front.”
“Bring in the women. If not them, then the elderly or disabled veterans. For simple processes that don’t require much strength, those people will do just fine.”
“What? Then who will do the farming…?”
“Why should we worry about that? When people get desperate, they’ll plow the fields and sow the seeds themselves. If they don’t want to starve to death, the remaining peasants will grit their teeth and do it.”
The rural areas and provinces would suffer as manpower was squeezed into factory labor, but that didn’t matter much to them.
Humans are beings that will produce results if you squeeze them hard enough.
Besides, even though they said all able-bodied men were mobilized, due to lack of technology and administrative capacity, the actual mobilization rate wasn’t that high.
If those who remained just worked themselves to the bone, food production wouldn’t decrease significantly.
Sure, labor intensity would skyrocket, but that was a citizen’s natural duty.
If you want to win the war, shouldn’t you work yourself to death and dedicate all results to the state?
“If you understand, go check the factory construction progress. Production must begin no later than this summer.”
“…Understood.”
Men in the muddy trenches where bullets flew.
Women and the infirm in makeshift rear factories.
The rest in rural fields and mines.
A structure of exploitation and extraction forcibly imposed on everyone except the privileged few.
Thus, a world where everyone was left wounded was completed.
*****
“Humans really do seem to be clever only when it comes to doing Evil.”
“Why do you say that all of a sudden?”
“I mean, I gave them a few pieces of knowledge, and they went ahead and abused it on their own. In ways that exceed even what I, the original author, had imagined.”
Well, how should I put it… it was downright appalling.
Guess the term “f**k-lits” wasn’t coined for nothing.
Who would’ve thought they’d mix monarchism with division of labor and actually make it work?
Combined, it created a horrifying synergy — practically a modern total war system.
They’d jumped past the primitive total war full of holes and limitations, right into something that resembled how contemporary states wage war.
“Being ahead of your time isn’t always a good thing.”
The word “advanced” doesn’t always imply something positive.
Progress that isn’t backed by technology and socio-cultural foundation often backfires.
This was no different.
A system of exploitation hundreds of years ahead of its time, in an era with no concept of mechanization or industrial revolution.
It might be efficient, but there’s no way it’ll last.
Once the people hit their limits, the system will collapse instantly.
If it lasts even ten years, that’d be impressive.
“Does it really matter? It’s not like either of us care how much humans suffer.”
“True.”
As I sighed, Kalia gently advised me not to concern myself.
She had a point.
She’s a demon, and I’m an outsider.
As long as we’re happy, whether the people of the warring nations suffer or not isn’t really our problem.
“Still… I’m a bit worried.”
“Worried about what? Our baby-raising plans? I wasn’t planning to get pregnant yet, but… if you want, I wouldn’t mind.”
“Not that!”
This woman’s flirting is getting more casual by the day.
Not that I mind — but since we were in the middle of a market square, I subtly declined.
Family planning belongs in the bedroom.
“If things keep going this way, Hispania might be in danger.”
Anyway.
The Hispania Empire was a nation that kept its economy afloat through trade, especially after massive flooding.
Now, the wartime economic boom they’d been enjoying was about to vanish overnight.
The real question is — can they adapt?
America was in a similar spot right before the Great Depression.
“If we’re not careful, global trade might collapse.”
If the financial engine behind the warring nations crashes, continuing the war will be difficult.
Sure, most countries are ramping up domestic production, so the damage might be less,but it’ll still impose limits on sustainability.
“Kalia, can you contact the other branch heads and—”
“Ah, found you!”
I was about to voice my concern when someone grabbed my arm from behind.
Turning around, I saw… a pair of massive breasts rivaling Kalia’s.
No, that’s not the right way to say it.
‘The Saint?’
Why are you here?