Lloyd led Kojo through the winding tunnels of the mines, some kilometers away from the city. It was a large operation that had been cut into the side of a mountain. The inside of the mine was thick with dust as the Orcs and Gnomes worked tirelessly to extract the Mystium from the deposits underground. They also were able to get some other minerals such as iron and alluvial gold, as well as jewels like emeralds, diamonds, and rubies.
"We discovered a pocket of coal," Lloyd explained, "but as we dug deeper, we found something unexpected."
Kojo's curiosity piqued.
"What was it?"
Kojo noticed scorch marks and cracks on the walls of the large space they had entered, almost like a sizable explosion had taken place.
Lloyd stopped at a large, reinforced door. It had a magic circle on it that was slowly rotating in an anti-clockwise direction. Kojo could sense from the green-hued arcana that it was a wind spell.
"A pocket of naturally occurring gas and a large underground pool of a black substance. The gas was very unstable and caused some damage when the workers got a bit too careless. Not to worry. They only escaped with minor injuries. They put a spell on the door to prevent any of it from leaking outside. I was called to see what it was, but I've got no clue. I was thinking maybe you knew what it was," Lloyd said, eyeing him.
"(This black substance... it's crude oil.)" Sysia's voice echoed in Kojo's mind.
Kojo's eyes lit up.
"Groundbreaking discovery, Lloyd. No pun intended."
Lloyd chuckled.
"You're telling me. But what are these substances?"
Kojo's enthusiasm grew.
"Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel, perfect for heating, cooking, and powering machinery. Crude oil, on the other hand, can be refined into various products: gasoline, diesel, lubricants... the list goes on."
"Coal's a major energy source," Kojo explained. "It can be used for electricity generation, industrial processes, and domestic heating. We can also use it to power trains—locomotives that run on tracks just like the carts you use to transport the minerals in the mines."
"I'd love to know more about this discovery."
Marconni appeared, led by an orc, his eyes gleaming with interest. The orc glanced at Kojo, but Kojo gave a slight nod, and he went away to continue with his business.
"Forgive the intrusion. I was on my way to come and see you when I saw you leave town, so I decided to follow you and ended up hearing about this discovery," Marconni said, his lips breaking into a serpentine smile that made them all feel uneasy.
Kojo's instincts prickled; he'd had uneasy encounters with Marconni before.
"Care to explain, Kojo?" Marconni asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
Kojo hesitated, but Lloyd urged him on.
"Natural gas, coal, and crude oil are fossil fuels," Kojo began. "They're formed from ancient plants and animals, compressed over millions of years."
Marconni's eyes narrowed.
"I see. Forgive me if I sound rude, but how do you know so much about this?"
"From my country," Kojo quickly replied.
Marconni's gaze turned piercing.
"Where's your country, exactly? I understand that you are somewhat of a foreigner, no?"
Kojo's instincts screamed caution.
"It's an island nation in the east."
Marconni's eyes sparkled.
"Ah, is it a part of the large continent nation of Heliopolis?"
Kojo shook his head.
"It's off the mainland."
Marconni's expression turned skeptical, but he shifted focus.
"Alright, now to business, then. I've heard what you've said about the benefits that could stem from this discovery, and I'm very interested. I'd like to have involvement in the utilization of this resource. I'll aid in the marketing of the refined product with only a percentage of the rights to the deposit going to my company."
"(The audacity. He might as well have asked us to give him rights to this place on a silver platter. If he's in charge of marketing, then it means he'd be the one keeping the finished product and selling it at his own price with little returns to us. Then demanding that we also give him a percentage of total earnings?)"
Sysia's outrage echoed Kojo's thoughts. Kojo could tell that she really didn't like him any better than they did. He, however, smiled as an idea popped up in his mind, and he crafted a counterproposal.
"Marconni, as a temporary resident, you don't have citizenship rights. Besides that, I'm not the Lord of the land. You'd have to talk it over with the Duke, who also has to inform the king about this. Yes, the provinces are autonomous, but he still has to be made aware of this. The province needs to prioritize its own interests.
I can, however, offer you a share if you truly want a hand in this."
Marconni's face darkened, calculating the risks and benefits.
"What kind of share are we talking about?" he asked, his voice laced with skepticism. Kojo smiled, anticipating this question.
"We can discuss the specifics, but I envision a 90-10 split, with the province holding the majority," Kojo said.
"What, that's outrageous. 60-40," Marconni said.
"Oh no. Remember that we're the ones who discovered it. At the same time, it's our labor that's going to go into its extraction and refinement."
"Alright then, 70-30."
Kojo shook his head and sighed.
"I guess we'll have to call this off," Kojo said with a disappointed look.
After a tense moment of silence, Marconni nodded curtly. "Fine, 80-20," Marconni said.
"Yes, I believe that could work. But on the condition that our people be in charge of the handling and accumulation of profit. Then we'll bring everything to the two of us and share it equally."
"Welcome to the partnership, Marconni. Let's finalize the details." As they shook hands, finalizing the deal,
Kojo sensed Sysia's approval.
"(You sly fox. You basically made him market this for free.)"
Kojo grinned, but his instincts still whispered caution; Marconni's true intentions remained unknown.
Lloyd turned to Kojo.
"Let's head back to my lab and draw up a blueprint."
"(What about the environmental impact? Remember it's because of over-dependence on this that our previous world changed into a cyborg planet.)"
"It's a starter, until we develop more environmentally friendly energy sources. Our magic can help mitigate the damage, and we can establish laws to protect the land," Kojo thought.
"Oh yeah, we need to consider the environmental damage," Kojo said, glancing at Lloyd in order to get his reaction.
Lloyd's expression changed to that of one who was trying to suppress the urge to laugh.
"Who do you think you're talking to? Don't take the world's smartest man for granted. I'll find a way to minimize the impact."
Kojo nodded.
"Renewable energy's the future. This is just the beginning."
As they parted ways, Marconni spat on the ground, his eyes burning with resentment.