Chapter 581: Oil(1)
Chapter 581: Oil(1)
There is an old saying: Resources are the ultimate trump card.
In reality, a country cannot function properly without resources. Even simple farming tools require iron; without iron, you can't farm.
The reason Russia and Europe are constantly at each other's throats is also due to Russia's vast resources. However, the upper hand usually lies with Russia, where resources are overflowing.
The attack on Pearl Harbor—that is, Japan's preemptive strike on the United States—was fundamentally motivated by oil. It was a preemptive strike that one can't help but call insane.
At the time, Japan was caught in a binary choice: fight to secure the oil that formed the foundation of the nation, or abandon their entire system.
To get oil, they had to listen to the United States. But to give it up meant abandoning not only their invasion of China but their entire militaristic regime.
A 'normal' country would have abandoned the system, but Japan at that time was a country far removed from common sense. To a degree that defies words, even.
So, they crossed the ocean and attacked the United States. Since the Pacific Ocean lay between them, it was a move made with their own brand of calculation.
Of course, the U.S. didn't just get angry; they saw red, which ultimately led to the downfall of the Axis Powers.
Anyway, moving on—Japan may have lacked common sense, but that just goes to show how much of a trump card resources are.
And as the alpha and omega of Earth's civilization, petroleum has established itself as an absolutely indispensable resource.
[Oil, Japan's Achilles' heel. Will oil truly become the resource of the future?]
[Coal is currently the trend, but Xenon is not one to make empty boasts.]
As the story depicted Japan taking the reckless gamble of attacking the U.S. over a single resource—oil—people began to show immense interest in it.
Actually, it wasn't strange from my perspective for people to be interested in oil. I had anticipated this much.
However, I was surprised that the value of oil was only just now becoming a major topic. I had been steadily mentioning its importance all along.
Even Nazi Germany's powerful armored forces couldn't operate without oil, and even Hitler once lost his mind over it.
[Perhaps Xenon is trying to show us that oil is important enough to drive a nation to commit such irrational acts.]
[Currently, coal is the most important resource, but in the distant future, oil might push coal aside.]
While it's undeniable that oil is the most important resource for Earth's civilization, that doesn't mean coal loses its place.
It's just that as energy consumption skyrockets, you end up needing everything—oil, coal, gas, you name it.
This world might solve its energy problems early thanks to the discovery of mana, which acts like electricity, but you never know how things will go.
The point is that right now, the world is in an uproar over this one thing: oil.
[The black water once despised as 'Demon's Blood.' Can it really be transformed into a resource of the future?]
[Currently, the regions where oil is officially most abundant are the western and southern parts of Helium. Helium has no official stance...]
[Even in Albenheim, the areas where black water appears are very few.]
As it was on Earth, the black water is treated like a bit of a nuisance. Something that might have a use somewhere, but isn't exactly a useful resource.
Currently, oil is mostly used for waterproofing, road paving, or as a chemical weapon by taking advantage of its flammable nature.
In this way, if nothing else, oil had a usage suited to the era—but fantasy always has a way of shattering my expectations.
Helium, which had been quiet until now, suddenly revealed a series of truly shocking facts.
[Black water is not classified as a single substance; it can be categorized into various types through alchemy.]
[Various items can be manufactured using the byproducts found there. The stockings popular among nobles are a prime example.]
[In addition to being used for lamps, it is providing great assistance in the construction of water and sewage systems.]
They already possessed oil refining technology. And a technology sophisticated enough to produce stockings, at that.
Occasionally, this world produced items that were far ahead of their time, with refrigerators and air conditioners being representative examples.
However, those were closer to machinery, while clothing items like tracksuits or stockings popped up every now and then.
At first, I speculated that alchemists made them, but now that I've checked, it turns out the Demons—specifically, Helium—made them from oil.
"Does this even make sense? This technology isn't even a hundred years old in our world."
Even for a fantasy world, I felt this was a bit much, so I asked Cecile. Usually, Cecile reads the newspaper and comes to find me, but today was the opposite.
She seemed delighted that I had come to see her personally, yet she also reacted with bewilderment. To her, it was probably a very obvious fact.
"Well? It's been in common use in Helium for hundreds of years... And since mass production is impossible, the price is terrifying. Do you know how much a single pair of stockings costs?"
I knew all too well. Stockings, along with tracksuits, had established themselves as a symbol of the wealthy nobility.
In particular, unlike tracksuits, stockings were famous for being a money pit—they ran easily and tore frequently.
Most cost at least 1 gold per pair—that is, over 100,000 won. I'd heard the expensive ones could go for over 10 gold, so that says it all.
As a byproduct of over-technology, the high price was unavoidable. Of course, thanks to their unique charm, there are many people who can't live without them.
"I know, I know. But the fact that they were made in this era is what's unbelievable to me. Even refrigerators use magic, but what about this? Is this also made using magic?"
"I suppose you could call it a combination of magic and alchemy? As you know, in Helium, if you just dig into the ground, black water gushes out in heaps. Even though what we need most is drinking water."
I had heard it in passing. That Helium was an oil-producing nation—and one with enormous reserves at that.
The current Helium was where they settled after wandering around trying to find a place to live. However, Helium at that time was brutally harsh.
As time passed, technology developed and they engaged in diplomacy, but before that, they were no different from frogs in a well.
You can tell how barren it was by the fact that one of Helium's representative food cultures is 'bizarre delicacies.'
For the record, I once almost threw up after eating a rat's head.
"Fortunately, after finding a source of drinking water, we researched ways to use the black water. We used it for water and sewage pipes, for lamps, for weapons. Since so much of it came out, we just thought we should use it somehow. That's all there is to it."
"Including alchemy and magic?"
"Of course. If nothing else, our alchemy is probably at a higher level than Albenheim's. We might lack foundational academics, but we're superior when it comes to analyzing and classifying."
As she said that, Cecile puffed out her chest with pride. I stared blankly at her breasts, which were an overwhelming presence in themselves, and thought:
If Dwarves are a race that went all-in on engineering, it seems Demons are a race that went all-in on chemistry.
As for how this was possible—for Dwarves, it's their nature, and for Demons, it was likely possible thanks to magic and their environment.
The process of classifying oil is a technology that was only possible in the modern era, but the Demons solved it with magic.
It's a truly fantasy-like method, fitting for a fantasy world. The irony is that they couldn't use that oil as energy.
'Come to think of it, the method of striking lightning to restore soil fertility was also first done by the Demons, wasn't it?'
Because it was so harsh, even the places where farming was possible in Helium were limited. Let's recall once more that their representative culture is bizarre delicacies.
They had to farm somehow, but as everyone knows, once the 'soil fertility' is exhausted, you have to let the land rest for at least a year.
But the moment they rested, the citizens of Helium would have no choice but to starve. Since they were also diplomatically isolated, it must have been difficult in many ways.
In this situation, they planted beans, and furthermore, they started striking the ground with lightning using magic. After that, they survived by having repeated bumper crops.
'They really are an unpredictable country.'
None of it would have been possible without magic. It's as if the Devil's curse was turned into a blessing.
"But can oil really be used as energy like coal?"
While I was fully appreciating Cecile's chest, she asked me with a look of anticipation.
I hurriedly pulled my gaze away and met her eyes. Her red pupils were glowing enchantingly.
"Yes. I told you before. In our world, civilization itself stops without oil. If mechanical engineering just develops enough, it can be used as energy."
"Mechanical engineering... We'll need the Dwarves' help then. We can't be complacent just because we have oil."
"That's a wise thought."
If you act up relying solely on oil, you might end up like Venezuela. The possibility of that is significantly low, but there's always a 'what if.'
Furthermore, as Cecile herself knows, Helium's level of foundational academics is relatively low.
Right now, they are sending talented individuals to academies everywhere or to the Holy Land, but it's still at an insufficient level.
'The Demons' unique, powerful strength will also be a help.'
If the Demons didn't have power comparable to the Elves, they would have ended up being pushed around in the future.
Even as time passes, I feel poignantly that the international community operates based on 'power.'
Even Russia, despite receiving all sorts of criticism after invading Ukraine, is still throwing its weight around using its resources, isn't it?
"Then it's a settled matter that Helium's status will rise in the future? I heard from my father that resources are weapons."
"That's true, but you shouldn't let your guard down. I know that the northern region of the Minerva Empire also produces oil."
It's a legendary anecdote passed down in the Navy Knights. An anecdote where they had a hole-digging contest out of boredom, and oil gushed out like a fountain.
However, because the northern region overlaps with the issue of the Barbarians, it's hard to say how it will turn out.
Perhaps it could indirectly or directly affect my brothers. Still, I'm not worried about this.
'Because Lina said she would take care of it.'
If they were to occupy the northern region in earnest, the regular army would be deployed, not the Navy Knights.
The reason the Navy Knights have handled the northern region until now was partly due to my father's achievements, but also because of the exchange ratio.
Just the fact that the Navy Knights are in charge of the northern region makes it so the Barbarians can't easily act, and even if they do attack, the Knights can easily repel them.
Moreover, the northern region is an undeveloped wilderness. Just developing it would incur massive costs.
"Isaac."
"Yeah?"
While I was lost in thought for a moment, Cecile called me. Looking at her, I saw a face full of expectation.
She then tightly grabbed my hand and pressed it against her chest, asking enticingly.
My hand sank deep into the soft flesh, and the sensation almost made me lose my reason for a moment.
"Is there anything else we can do with oil?"
"Anything... we can do?"
After being momentarily captivated by the soft sensation of her breasts, I struggled to understand her intent.
There are many things that can be done with oil. It's just that there's little that can be done right now due to the limitations of technology.
"Yes. You said our black water—no, Helium's oil refining technology—is similar to your world's, right? Then doesn't that mean we can do the things your world does with oil?"
"Hmm..."
"It doesn't matter if it fails. It's enough if it's just worth a try."
"Well... oil itself is mostly used as fuel."
There's a reason why oil is treated as energy. It's because most of it is used for energy.
Although it's classified into various types, most of it ends up being used for energy.
When Cecile made a slightly disappointed face at this, I brought out the knowledge I at least knew.
"If there's something other than energy... maybe road paving?"
"Road paving?"
"Yeah. I know that the sticky residue that can't even be used as fuel is used for paving roads."
Of course, I know that even this is gradually disappearing into the mists of history after the invention of concrete.
However, this world is just now entering the modern era. Road paving itself carries an enormous merit.
Teleportation? If you use teleportation for logistics, the cost is astronomical, and items might disappear in transit.
In the first place, the only races capable of that are Elves and Demons. So, road paving alone could elevate a nation's status.
"I think I get the gist of it. We were using that for waterproofing because it really had no use anywhere else... So it can be used for road paving too."
As she said that, Cecile sent a sweet gaze toward me. I silently allowed her approach.
Soon, when our faces were close enough to touch, she rested her face on my shoulder and spoke as if whispering.
"Thank you, Isaac. Is there anything you want?"
"I think... you want something more than I do, Noona?"
"As expected, you know me well. In return, I'll let you do whatever you want today. For example..."
She paused for a moment. I slowly raised my hand and began to caress Cecile's back.
Since it was a backless dress, I could feel all of her skin. I highly suspected she wore this knowing I was coming.
Did she feel that touch? She slowly embraced me and uttered words that no man could ever resist.
"Like letting you tear my stockings?"
She really has a talent for making a person lose their self-control.
*
Around the time the oil craze was in full swing.
[A mana engine using oil instead of coal? It's easy if you modify it.]
The midgets began to make something strange once again.