episode_0026

It was a familiar name.

As someone who studied political science, or anyone with even a little knowledge of world history, it was impossible not to know the word.

‘Labor’ and ‘Camp’ are each extremely ordinary words.

But when combined, they take on a most heinous meaning.

“…What kind of place is this?”

“I don’t know the details. However, it has been confirmed that the upper echelons of various countries are constructing facilities with that name.”

Judging by the fact that Kalia doesn’t know the purpose, it seems the organization hasn’t grasped the internal situation accurately.

Perhaps the name just came up in documents or meetings, and they collected information because something seemed strange.

“Does Mr. Ishmael have any idea what this might be?”

“A little.”

I was momentarily taken aback by the name, but thinking about it, it seemed different from what those octopus bastards I knew were up to.

No, it had to be different.

Their technology is still lacking.

To systematically accommodate, massacre, and dispose of the bodies of a specific race on a large scale requires surprisingly advanced technology.

Places like Auschwitz and Dachau, even as they were, were facilities where the products of human science and technology since the Industrial Revolution were gathered.

Things like railways for transportation, or mass-killing weapons that are easy to handle and produce, like poison gas.

Without things that wouldn’t be developed for at least a few hundred years, it’s hard to even imitate.

‘Old-fashioned massacres are easy to get caught.’

Without those, you’d have to physically kill them one by one, like the Battle of Changping in Qin or Xiang Yu’s Xin’an Massacre…

If that were the case, there’s no way our organization wouldn’t have noticed?

My superiors aren’t so incompetent that they wouldn’t be able to detect the process of slowly killing hundreds of thousands of people and disposing of the bodies and evidence.

“Where are these, uh, primarily being built?”

“It seems there are many near mines or quarries.”

“In that case, it’s probably a facility for forcibly confining people and making them do forced labor, just as the name suggests.”

Therefore, my guess was that the labor camps in the report were a simple extension/expansion of forced labor.

Even before, the Mazoku had separated residential areas (ghettos). Like the Jews on Earth.

It wouldn’t be surprising if they moved them to a suitable area and forced the residents to do dangerous and arduous work like mining ore.

“It will probably be operated in a fairly brutal manner. Kill anyone who resists, punish those who don’t meet the quota.”

Since it’s forced, I can infer that some violence and intimidation would be involved.

Since they’re confining and managing an entire group, it would be an easy task.

Control the rations, make an example of anyone who resists, or take hostages.

It’s a common method that has been used since ancient times.

“Crazy bastards…”

Kalia muttered a curse.

It’s rare to see her unable to control her emotions.

The truth is, even though I said it was normal, it’s objectively insane. To forcibly relocate and confine a specific race, and then make them do dangerous work?

Even if it’s not as bad as an extermination camp, it’s still a crime that will go down in history.

‘Should I call it the madness of war?’

Valuable, able-bodied men are needed in large numbers, and they’ve assigned a high-consumption job to a specific race.

If so, where will the able-bodied men who have been deprived of their jobs go?

Probably the battlefield.

They’re resources with physical abilities good enough to mine iron ore and transport stones, so they’re perfect to use as soldiers.

Even if it means overhauling the country’s industrial structure, they’re going to gather as much manpower into the military as possible.

Even though I’m the one who told them, these otherworlders have absorbed the concept of total war too well.

“And there may be other uses.”

“You mean it’s not enough to make them do labor where they could die in an accident at any time?! What is it this time!”

“Scapegoats.”

“…Ah.”

It has already been confirmed that propaganda is full of ethnic exclusiveness and hostility towards other races/enemy countries.

And that there was plenty of criticism and curses towards the Mazoku, who were already treated like they deserved to die.

In that case, it’s possible to have the idea of moving the target of hatred to a place that’s far away and easy to clean up.

Since many of the existing ghetto locations are inside cities, fires or massacres can easily damage the city itself.

But if it’s a mining area far away… no matter how much it’s destroyed, burned, and people die, it’s not difficult to clean up.

Social inflammation and fatigue caused by war.

The anger that the bereaved families of the fallen soldiers hold.

Exclusivity triggered by nationalism and hatred for ‘difference’.

As a target to resolve all of that, the Mazoku are an all-too-convenient, efficient, and low-burden prey.

Mines are the perfect execution grounds for offering sacrifices.

“They won’t try to sacrifice everyone.”

“So, some of them have to die?”

“Yes. At least tens of thousands nationwide.”

Of course, they won’t try to capture and kill them all.

From the perspective of the higher-ups, if they get rid of the target of their anger all at once, it will be difficult to use them later.

Instead, they will allow a suitable number of killings. Appropriately by region, enough to relieve the public’s anger and stress.

After that…. I don’t know.

Will they send them back to where they originally lived? Or will they confine them in the convenient management area they created and continue to use them?

Either way, the fact that they are disposable meat shields remains unchanged.

“Ha.”

A short sigh.

Perhaps unsure of what to say, she grits her teeth and slumps into her chair.

“Why, why does our race have to suffer like this? What crime did we commit? What original sin do we have?”

To her, who is shedding tears and tearing at her chest, I had no choice but to swallow my bitterness and respond.

“We were disliked by that damn Goddess, isn’t that all there is to it? You and I both.”

The Mazoku are not at fault.

The Demon King never tried to destroy humanity, nor did he plot to dominate the world. They never treated other races as inferior with an exclusive religion.

The Jews had a plausible justification for killing Jesus, but these people don’t even have that.

It’s just that some bitch in the sky is particularly fond of humans, and they suffer only because of that.

It’s the epitome of absurdity, but what can we do when that’s the reality? I am also a victim of that absurdity.

“Let’s talk about something else instead. Just to change the mood.”

I tried to change the subject to cheer her up.

Fortunately, I had some good news.

* * * * *

“Isn’t it just past mid-April now?”

“…Yes?”

It has been 10 months since the war began.

The season has come when the new year has changed and warm spring weather arrives.

“It seems that the warring countries don’t have enough manpower to farm.”

There are two main suitable times to sow wheat, the staple crop of this continent.

Winter wheat is between October and November.

Spring wheat is between February and March.

However, even though it’s almost April, there are still places where green sprouts haven’t sprouted in the fields.

What does this mean? It means that there is not enough labor to farm, so they couldn’t even sow properly.

If this continues, a food shortage will inevitably occur after summer.

“Not everyone is like that, but it seems that some lords are in trouble.”

Of course, this does not apply to everyone.

Except for the Helvetia Republic, there is no country that has conscripted to the point where labor shortages are becoming extreme.

In fact, even the Republic is not in a very serious situation due to the cooperation of the same people and the use of prisoners.

However, the fact is that some territories that have lost many able-bodied men are in a somewhat difficult situation.

“Our organization will take advantage of these guys.”

“How so?”

“By receiving land in exchange for supplying food.”

Here, the organization prepared a clever plan.

Using the trading companies under its control, they would smuggle food from countries that did not participate in the war (there are still a few places) in exchange for.

Transferring the right to use abandoned land for the next 20 years.

They used the idea I casually mentioned to the branch manager in the past as it was.

“It’s land that’s difficult to use until the war is over anyway. Instead of giving them food to eat right away, we’re leasing it to them on a temporary basis.”

It is difficult to secure food domestically. The army takes it away as military supplies, and they pay it as taxes, so there is nothing left in the market.

That’s why the deal could be made.

We get a place to easily train our members.

They don’t starve.

It’s a win-win exchange.

That person was promoted as a reward for stealing my idea and making it happen. As the manager in charge of the base and training center that will be built on the newly acquired land.

Instead, in the empty spot?

Surprisingly, our Kalia was appointed.

“Now you will have to do the branch manager’s duties until the end of your dispatch to the Academy. You’re going to have a hard time.”

“…So, I’m definitely going to be working overtime every day from now on.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you too.”

I patted her on the back as she sighed deeply.

After all, even when the branch manager was there, I took care of a lot of the administrative work.

To be honest, that person was good at analyzing acquired information, but he was terrible at desk work.

Besides, I was much better at it.

Reviewing reports and stamping them is easier than writing a graduation thesis.

“Oh, and news has arrived from the Hispania Empire branch.”

Next, news that is incomparably more important than our young lady’s promotion ‘or whatever’.

“What is it?”

“It is said that the relief budget that was allocated for disaster relief has been greatly reduced.”

Malthusian theory has finally begun to exert its power.