Chapter 582: Oil(2)
Chapter 582: Oil(2)
Machina had put out a PR stunt claiming they could create a mana engine powered by oil, but the reality was this:
"Whoever spread this, get on the ground and face-down right now. Voluntarily."
"We’re sorry!"
"We just thought the Chief Tech could do anything...!"
In truth, it was virtually impossible. Improving the mana engine was one thing, but with current engineering technology, it was a pipe dream.
To Isaac, it might have seemed like those crazy dwarves were building something strange again, but for Machina, it was closer to just winging it and making a bold claim.
The problem was that Machina itself was the source of the news. Since the nation had proudly declared that all they needed to do was "improve" the design, it was a massive headache.
"Sigh..."
Eins, the developer of the mana engine and the Chief Tech of Geist, let out a heavy, complicated sigh.
Part of him wanted to throttle the dwarves who had spread the rumors on their own, but he didn't even have the energy for that.
I only built the mana engine based on a water pump anyway...
The mana engine was being hailed as a once-in-a-generation invention, a masterpiece that would change the world. However, Eins couldn't help but feel a prick of conscience.
Like the steam engine, the mana engine had been invented based on a water pump, and even that idea wouldn't have occurred to him without The Xenon Biography.
Of course, the advantage of a steam engine—an external combustion engine—is its high flexibility in fuel choice. Using oil instead of coal wouldn't be a major issue.
But the question was: Why? Compared to coal, its efficiency wasn't high enough to justify the switch. Moreover, what people wanted was "miniaturization"—in other words, a completely new type of engine.
They wanted an engine like the ones in the tanks from Blood and Iron, something that could run just by pouring in oil.
I can't even reduce the size of the boiler...
The mana engine showed extreme efficiency, enough to operate a tank, but its limits were clear.
Reducing the size was nearly impossible due to the boiler. This meant he had to invent an entirely separate engine that operated without one.
"Get out of my sight. All of you."
"B-but..."
"Before I use you lot as coal, get out. Now."
"Y-yes, sir!"
Eins kicked out all the dwarves who had caused the mess. He had too much to think about.
Left alone in the smithy, he trudged along on his short legs before plopping down in front of a massive machine.
It was his masterpiece, the mana engine responsible for Machina's energy operations. This was an ultra-large model he had recently improved.
Due to technical limitations, the range over which it could transmit mana wasn't very wide. However, it was already performing its role as a "power plant" more than adequately.
"Whew..."
Eins sighed again as he watched the mana engine running diligently. The thought of having to shrink this thing already made his head spin.
Furthermore, the mana engine ran on steam power generated by evaporating water. He needed something that didn't even require water.
If such a thing existed, the factories wouldn't be struggling so much.
From Eins's perspective, the task of converting steam power into mana wasn't that difficult. The technology to convert energy into mana had existed for a long time.
It just hadn't seen the light of day because there was no machine to create that energy. To him, it was like picking up something that was already lying around.
Of course, it only seemed that way to him; if Isaac had seen it, he would have told him to stop being so humble.
Should I ask Sir Xenon?
He wanted to run to Isaac and gain knowledge, just as they had achieved a revolution through The Xenon Biography and Blood and Iron.
But it would be too much of a nuisance, and there was plenty of work to do in Machina. Visiting too often would surely make things uncomfortable.
Right. Even if I have to walk back my words later, I should solve this myself.
Fortunately for Isaac, he didn't know the first thing about the principles of an internal combustion engine either.
Even the mana engine was something Eins had cobbled together from various inspirations; for a liberal arts major like Isaac, giving technical advice was impossible.
He had even completely forgotten about plastic, a substance that could be made from oil. At this moment, he was likely busy tearing Cecile's stockings.
Regardless, for Eins, nothing was more of a headache than this current situation. He had hoped to do some peaceful blacksmithing for once, but others had gone and caused a disaster.
Like the boiler room burning coal to generate mana, Eins's heart was gradually scorching.
"Hey! My friend!"
"Hmm?"
Just then, a boisterous shout reached Eins's ears. It was a familiar and friendly voice.
Turning his head, he saw his close friend Geas, the Secretary General of Geist, walking toward him.
Beside him, a dwarf aide was pulling something along. It appeared they were using a cart.
"What is it? You should be busy right now."
Eins spoke to Geas with a puzzled expression. Geas was in charge of the political affairs of Geist.
In other words, he should have been frantically moving about to clean up the mess the party members had made. Yet, here he was at the smithy.
Whether he knew Eins's feelings or not, Geas thanked the dwarf pulling the cart.
After the dwarf bowed and disappeared, Geas spoke to Eins.
"I am moving frantically, just as you said. I wanted to kick them all out, but isn't a crisis always an opportunity?"
"Just in case you're wondering, I can't invent anything. I don't even know where to start, so what 'invention' are you talking about?"
"Don't be like that. Just check out what I've brought first."
"What on earth is it?"
Eins approached the cart the aide had brought. His eyes widened at the items inside.
"This is..."
"Black water obtained from Helium. Xenon calls it 'oil,' doesn't he?"
"Isn't oil usually pitch black?"
It was the black water currently drawing the most attention—oil. But it wasn't just oil; other things were included as well.
The oil, presumably the raw material, was indeed pitch black, but the other liquids had much lighter colors. Some were almost clear.
Moreover, sensing a faint magical aura, it seemed storage magic had been used. What could these be to require storage magic?
"Correct. But you heard last time. Helium developed alchemy to somehow utilize the black water they have in excess."
"I know that. They said those socks called stockings or whatever were made there, right?"
"And they've even mastered how to categorize the black water in various ways. The tanks and airplanes in Blood and Iron don't just use raw oil, do they? Helium said they would help with the refining, so they asked us to just handle the invention."
"On their own whim?"
Eins questioned Geas with a displeased look. Usually, such matters required discussions between nations.
However, Helium had dumped the task on Machina without any prior consultation. It was a clear diplomatic discourtesy.
"They said it doesn't matter if we can't invent it. Apparently, black water is something they have rotting away on their land anyway. They said they have zero capacity to build machinery, so they'll provide the support. And besides, we were the ones who opened our mouths first."
"I... can't deny that we talked big. Anyway, how did they refine it so that these things come out of pitch-black water?"
Eins had invented the mana engine, but while he was well-versed in mechanical engineering, he knew nothing of other fields.
He knew physics, the foundation of engineering, but he didn't even know the basics of alchemy.
Dwarves were masters of manual skill, but as the saying goes, one must dig one well to succeed; they hadn't focused on alchemy on a national scale like Helium.
Because of this, the fact that various substances came out of black water was fascinating to Eins.
"They said they used something called distillation, but I don't know much about that. Just try using these. Who knows? An answer might come out of it."
"Answer, my foot. Let's just see how well they burn. If they burn well, I'll just use them instead of coal."
Having already half-given up, Eins snorted and picked up a bottle. It was a liquid so clear it was almost colorless.
The moment Geas saw that liquid, he tilted his head for a brief second. He was sure they had given him a warning when he took it.
The clear-looking liquid has a risk of explosion...
It was the fuel Isaac would have called "gasoline." And gasoline has a very high risk of explosion.
Unaware of this, Eins intended to toss it into the boiler as a test. He thought that since it was clear, it wouldn't explode like oil.
"W-wait...!"
Geas tried to stop him, but it was too late. The gasoline in Eins's hand had already been sucked into the boiler.
Perhaps because the magic set on the storage container was quite sturdy, it didn't explode immediately.
For about a second?
BOOM!!!
Even in small amounts, gasoline is gasoline. The moment it was exposed to the sudden high temperature, it caused a massive explosion.
The force was enough to vent fierce flames and damage the sturdy boiler. True to that power, the aftershock reached Eins and Geas.
Dwarves have a low center of gravity and don't fall easily thanks to their short stature and sturdy muscles. But before a gasoline explosion, all were equal.
"Ugh!"
"Gah!"
Eins and Geas were knocked over pathetically by the unimaginable explosive force. Fortunately, the flames didn't reach the cart.
A moment later, Geas stood up, coughing violently. The explosion was intense, but since there was some distance, he wasn't seriously injured.
He was just angry at Eins for recklessly throwing the gasoline. Geas scolded Eins with a deep frown.
"Cough, cough! Listen to what people have to say first! The demons said some of those liquids have a risk of explosion. The thick stuff barely even burns, but the others are all dangerous. Do you understand?"
"..."
"Eins?"
There was no response from Eins. Worried, Geas hurried to find his friend lying on the floor.
Fortunately, he didn't seem to have any major injuries. However, because he had been right in front of the boiler, his beard and eyebrows were completely singed off.
He almost burst out laughing at the ridiculous appearance, but Eins's condition didn't look good. He had a dazed face, as if he were possessed.
"Hey. Are you okay? Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"
"...What an incredible explosion."
"Eins?"
Slowly.
Muttering something, Eins pushed himself up. He stared blankly at the boiler damaged by the explosion.
He would have to spend hours repairing the boiler, but that didn't matter. His mind was already filled only with the explosion from a moment ago.
"If we use that explosion... wouldn't it work?"
"What?"
"That explosion just now pushed us back. It means there's a 'force' like steam power."
It seemed his friend had been struck by inspiration. If so, he would surely create something.
Whatever the result might be, one thing was for certain.
"Shut up and fix the boiler. By now, every single air conditioner has probably stopped running."
"It might take a little while."
"How many hours?"
"Maybe a day?"
That Eins would once again receive the next Xenon Award.
*
Around the time Eins was struck by inspiration and was repairing the mana power plant.
Helium, the nation that had made money selling stockings—no, the nation destined to make massive financial gains from oil in the future.
As the value of oil gradually rose, it was natural for Helium, an oil-producing nation, to receive intense spotlight.
Helium couldn't help but be happy about the immense blessing that even Albenheim didn't possess.
Furthermore, since it had been mentioned in the works of Xenon, who was hailed as a prophet, its value was guaranteed.
That wasn't all. Helium had used oil from the beginning just to survive, and as a result, their alchemy had become extremely advanced.
Thanks to the development of alchemy, they were able to obtain various substances from oil, including stockings.
However, not everything was useful. In particular, there was one creation among them that was too far ahead of its time.
"You want to build a factory and induce mass production? I wonder if you truly believe such a substance is useful."
"We might not know, but the commoners will use it frequently. Previously, mass production was impossible, so it was useless, but that is no longer the case."
"But even with a factory, mass production of this would be difficult. Do you believe it's possible to apply alchemy directly to a factory?"
Descal, the King of Helium, expressed a negative stance toward the request of the official who was politely pleading.
Currently, he held a fork in his hand, which looked like an ordinary fork at first glance.
But it wasn't an ordinary fork. It wasn't made of the commonly used iron or wood.
It was a substance that still failed to shine because it had been invented too early.
"Suppose we do mass-produce this. But rather than making and using this, wouldn't it be better to just use something else?"
It was 'plastic.'