"And you are sure you've packed everything? You hadn't left anything in your rooms? Treitis Pass is relatively far, so the journey will not be a short one. If needs be, you can still go back to check—"
"Fanatio, I'm telling you, we're fiiine. We've double, even triple-checked our stuff! You can stop worrying."
If he thought his reassurance would work, it didn't. If anything, it only made Fanatio pout and fuss over them even further, much to his dismay and Eugeo's and Medina's amusement. Not like he didn't appreciate her concerns, but it was kind of silly of her to be this worried when it would most likely just be a two-weeks trip. Then again, Sulinea and Sister Azalia had been just like this when he and Eugeo left Rulid, so maybe that was just normal.
Still, both Charlotte and Bercouli would be with them. Three teenagers on their own was an obvious cause for concern, but add two highly capable guardians, and the journey was nigh guaranteed to be absolute safe. And again, he doubted monsters would up and approach them. They tended to stick to their own thing, and it was just the area surrounding Treitis Pass that they needed to look out for.
As Fanatio moved to fuss over Eugeo next (the smile dropping from his face as mortification set in was hilarious), he did a quick inspection of his own self. A brand-new sword was strapped to his belt, and the packs he carried on his back were already filled with rations, his water canteen and some other materials like herbs. He wished he could have the map, but Charlotte was the one in charge of navigation, so it'll be on her person at all times.
"…and remember, whatever Lord Bercouli and Charlotte say, you three must follow their instructions. If the situation calls for it, distance yourself from the source of danger and regroup. Do not try anything risky, understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"I know you were directing those words at me when you said them," snorted Kirito. The fact that she didn't even refute him was as good of an indication as any. "Don't worry. I'll be careful."
"I certainly hope so. There's just no knowing when it comes to you," she sighed. He'd call her exaggerating if she hadn't literally spent three whole years in their village watching him get up to all sorts of shenanigans. "After all, what sane person would think trying to outrun a herd of oxen would work as stamina training?"
"Hey, I outran them successfully!"
"And had you didn't, you would have been crushed under the stampede," her stare turned into a glower. "As such, you are very liable to injuring yourself, and the knowledge of such simply does not fill my with confidence. If trouble does not come to you like moths to the flame, then it's likely you who seeks it out! I warn you, do not do anything ridiculous."
"O-Okay, I get it. Message received. I'll be careful."
Allowing Fanatio to converse with Charlotte and Bercouli for a little more, the group were just about ready to head out the eastern gates. The pontifex had met them a little earlier to confirm their destination and their mission, and proceeded to leave shortly after. Chudelkin hadn't seem particularly pleased (though, at this point, his default mood was grumpy ass), and the few servants they had met on the way outside wished them a safe departure.
And if there anything they could say about their situation, it was the fact that having both Charlotte and Bercouli with them would guarantee that their journey would be nothing but safe. And they'd even looked into the safer routes to take, so any chance of coming upon anything dangerous was pretty low.
'Did it happen again?' Eugeo's question made him quirk a brow back. 'The dream thing, I mean. Did you see that silhouette again?'
'Oh. No, it didn't. It was just the one time.'
'Really? You didn't see anything out of the ordinary ever since that first dream?' His friend asked again, all while he was sorting through his backpack.
'Weirdly enough, no. I'd even tried exploring the boundaries of the dream to look for that thing, but everything was just… normal. Even when everything turned pitch black, I didn't see it again.'
And that alone was too weird for him. He refused to believe that it didn't have meaning. Whoever or whatever that entity was, and why it had appeared before him for once in all the three years since he'd been having this dream on repeat.
But it wasn't like there was much he could do on that front now. Maybe it'd show up again someday, and he'd have to face it by then—hopefully, with some answers. It'd be annoying if that just happened simply because.
After a while, the adults came back to them. "Alright. It's time we get moving," Bercouli said. He was wearing actual armour this time, forgoing his typical bath robes that he wore around the cathedral. This was as official of an occasion as it could possibly be, and if he'd be involved in combat, it would be wise to be properly geared. "You kiddos ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be."
"Good to hear. And don't stress too much over things, got it? Just think of it as a fun trip in the outdoors! Make use of this time to learn more about Eastabarieth, take in the sights and make memories. Plus, who knows? Maybe something exciting might happen."
"Mission comes first, though."
"Of course, of course. But don't let it pressure you to the point that you can't even enjoy the scenery. This ain't an opportunity you'll be getting all the time, ya' hear? So make the most out of it."
"Indeed. It's good of you to remember the importance of your assignment and the whole point of your journey, but work and pleasure need not be exclusive to one another—within reason, of course."
All about balance. He could do that. "You got it, Fanatio. Well, if there's nothing else, then I guess we're off, then!"
"Mm. Take care, everyone."
Centoria was massive, and to walk from one part of the city to another could be a pretty tiresome thing. Thankfully, with them coming from the very centre, the route was fairly straightforward and short. Buildings the shade of brown not dissimilar to oak wood stood proud and tall on either side of the road, all while workers, nobles and commonfolk alike walked about.
After a while, they reached the massive gates of Eastern Centoria, sentries confirming their identities and reasons for departure. Bercouli was the one who handled that part, his position as an Integrity Knight making the entire process go smoothly as they recognized who he was and worked to greenlight their leave.
Eventually, with the papers done, they stepped beyond the arch—and immediately, light beat down upon them as warm rays, yet the paradoxically cool winds that blew forth felt wonderful on his face. The Sivilia Mountains were tall as they climbed towards the sky far away from them, green lands stretching far towards the horizon as great beasts skirted the distance, never paying them any attention. A river far away glistened as light danced upon its surface, magnificent in its natural beauty that he almost couldn't take his eyes away from.
Kirito took it all in, and couldn't help but feel… amazed.
"It almost looks like home," he said. "The path to Centoria from Rulid was a straight shot down with the forest surrounding it on both sides, and the mountains snow-capped mountains were always incredible to see in the winter. Eastabarieth sort of looks similar, doesn't it?"
"It kind of does, yeah. But unlike Norlangarth, this empire has a lot more hills and mountains, doesn't it? We'll be doing a lot of trekking."
That might have sounded like a pain to most people, but the novelty of the experience was quickly filling him with excitement, despite his best attempt to keep his cool—and it was certainly made harder when even his friends looked on eagerly, more than ready to be on their way.
Bercouli laughed boisterously. "Alright then, everybody. Time to get your feet moving. Next stop, Treitis Pass!"
Chapter 40
[ To the East ]
20th day of the 10th Month – HEC, 375
Eastabarieth– Outside of the eastern gates of Centoria
The first time they set off from their little home of Rulid for Centoria, he'd been overwhelmed by a sense of awe. It was leaving behind a place they had grown up to know their whole lives, expecting to be there until the very end.
Funny how things went. And now, they were departing for another place in a brand new empire, and that feeling was present once more, leaving him breathless as he took in the sights.
The map depicted Eastabarieth as an empire with varying levels of altitudes; the plains were mostly outside of the eastern gates of Centoria, with the rest of the empire mostly comprising of highlands, mountains, tall crags and valleys. There was no 'main road' that their home empire, which meant that they were going to have to rely on beaten paths to traverse the land.
Thankfully, both Bercouli and Charlotte were familiar with this place—the former for his patrolling of the empires, and the latter for her occasional missions to differing places. Medina, for being a noble, had mostly remained within Norlangarth, so it was up to the adults to lead them.
"So the first place we need to head to is here, right in front of the Sarole Mountains. You'll notice that there's a river here, which splits off the land. We're headed here. There's a bridge that we can take to use a path directly beneath the mountain. We'll follow that route until we need to cross to the other side, also using a bridge."
"What? Why don't we just take this path down here? There's a smaller river here, but it looks like there's land here that we can walk on. Plus, if we keep following it, it seems like it'll take us directly to Treitis Pass much sooner."
"I've been here before. This area's a breeding ground for some particularly nasty bugs. Hornets, mostly. And they're almost twice your size," the image came to mind, and Kirito immediately shuddered. "Yup. They're just as dangerous, too, so we should avoid that area as much as possible. On the plus side, they actually produce some high-quality honey that could net you a good price and taste incredible. Those honey pies you kiddos love to eat in the city? The honey used for that were actually harvested from this area."
"Wait, seriously? That's cool. But wait, if people frequently come here to harvest honey, shouldn't it be safe to pass through here?"
"Nah, those guys are experts at their job. They're trusted to be able to look after themselves. The same can't exactly be said for us, so let's play it safe."
Fair enough. With that decision made, the group of five proceeded towards the Sarole Mountains. Light obstructed by the peak, a wide shade was thrown over the grounds, attracting countless wild animals—slim-bodied lynxes with dark spots and long, feathered tails—to laze about. A few spotted them, but none made a move, proving that they wouldn't be a bother so long as they weren't approached.
Didn't mean that Kirito wasn't watching them. Partially out of wariness, mostly because he was curious. They hadn't seen a single wild beast since they'd entered Centoria, on account of them having spent most of them time in the cathedral. The only other time they had was on their trip to Centoria a few months ago, and that had been fun as well.
It was merely the opportunity to watch these creatures in their natural habitat that was genuinely a sense of fun of its own. After all, they wouldn't stay close to human settlement, so they'd really need to make the trip to the outdoors just to see them.
River water rushed like a torrent as they quickly reached the base of the Sarole Mountains. It looked deep enough that wading through it would be suicidal, not to mention the jagged rocks he could make out underneath the glistening waters. It was also inclined at an angle, climbing upwards that meant the area was definitely no longer on an even plane.
Just as Bercouli had mentioned earlier, there was a solid wooden structure built over the river. Held up by large beams, it hugged the mountain's side, lanterns attached to the side of the structure. They walked underneath the shadow cast over by the jagged surface of the mountain, an assortment of wild flowers, vines and plants growing from the rocky side. He'd almost expected to hear a crack somewhere, but for this land having existed so long ago, the mountain withstood the tests of time, mighty since the day it came to be.
Kirito listened as his boots clapped against the wood, all as the river howled below them while finches and sparrows sang as their wings beat silently in the air, crossing the air in seconds. His eyes took in their trajectories, swinging back to his front to focus on the path they were taking.
"…and dare I say, this is the best part of the job. Sure, I'd be held up having to run about and make sure things aren't going to hell, but the chance to see these sights is incredible."
"But don't you usually go on drakeback, Sir Bercouli?"
"Yeah, that's true. Those are usually if I have to cover a wider range of area. If I was entrusted to watch over a small section, though, then I could just move on foot. There's a difference in seeing the world like a speck compared to walking amongst the trees in their fullness, but both are incredible in their own ways."
He could imagine. The life of an Integrity Knight didn't sound so bad if that were the case, though he knew it went beyond mere patrols. Plus, the novelty might just run out someday when he'd be used to seeing all these sights every single time.
It sounded impossible, but that was simply because he hadn't been out of the village enough times to truly see everything. For Bercouli, who'd been working this job for a much longer time than he'd been alive, maybe he's gone through that feeling of burning out.
Eventually, daylight ran out, which made it necessary for them to make camp. The middle of the bridge was connected to a slim flight of steps that descended to the riverbank. They took that, and he was pleasantly surprised to find a cave in the face of the mountain, spacious enough that it could fit a whole family of six. It was dry on the inside, too, the uneven walls of the interior still relatively smooth with minute fissures cracked inwards—and, even more surprisingly, the charred remains of a wooden pile that he could recognize as what was once a campfire.
"This place here's a little piece of Eastabarieth's history, if you can believe it."
"Really?"
"Yup. Ya' see, a long time ago, there was a traveller who, upon realizing how difficult it was to navigate this empire, sought to create paths that would allow both local folks and merchants to traverse the land with ease. After all, when you've got to deal with these steep lands and uneven roads, it can be quite the hassle if it's on a daily basis—"
"—So he established several routes and manmade constructions like bridges and stairs, either to cross the river as we are now or to scale cliffsides. One thing to always take into consideration, however, is the weather. A double-edged sword, that is; a good friend on most occasions, but a powerful force of nature otherwise, pun absolutely intended."
Bercouli's grin was as wide as could be. Kirito, without any delay, rolled his eyes at the man.
"In any case," he continued, ignoring the crime he'd just committed. "While the climate here is almost similar to Norlangarth's, it can get pretty bad at certain times of the year. Hence, he worked with other fellows in the architecture department and geographers to construct these little caves scattered all across the empire that would act as a temporary shelter for wandering travellers. So any time you need to rest your legs, just keep your eyes open for these places, and you're free to make use of the space for however many nights that you need to."
Both Eugeo and Medina ooh!-ed at his explanation, and even Kirito had to admit that he was impressed. "That's really how it is, huh?"
"Yep. You'll find plenty more of these manmade caves around Sarole Mountains, around Tannleni Gorge, the southern mountains, and even some near the Great Mound Road. Suffice it to say, they've been a boon for plenty of travellers. We might even get some visitors, and that'd be a good opportunity to trade stories and learn a bit more about the land."
On the off-chance of getting robbed, he failed to say, though Kirito was quick to dismiss that notion. Everyone clearly knew not to do anything that would mark them as a criminal, so even if they were to share a cave to sleep for the night, everyone would likely just wake up safe and sound and with none of their possessions taken.
"But wait, I don't get something," everyone turned to Kirito as he spoke. "The cave is a nice contribution and all, but I don't understand the campfire. This looks like they'd set it off in here. Isn't it a bad idea to start a fire in a cave? With how enclosed it is in here, the smoke would just accumulate."
"Aha, but that's where the beauty of architectural design comes in, my dear boy," chuckled Bercouli, making everyone there look at him questioningly. "You never noticed it when we arrived, so here, take a look up."
Look up? He did as he was told, and it was Medina who gasped first, the group promptly surprised by the circular metal tube sticking out from the ceiling of the cave. It was almost half a mer wide in circumference, and it seemed to run upwards and deep into the mountain.
"These here are channels designed to allow the flow of smoke through and out of the mountain, where they're actually poured off into the air above the mountains. Granted, they aren't perfect since it's not like we can do anything to pull in the smoke into the channels, but they're still pretty good," he grinned. "In a way, they're just cave chimneys. Plenty of the locals call them that, too. They've got caps at the end to prevent rainwater from getting into the chimneys, or gravel or some animal getting stuck. I don't know all the details, but that's more or less it."
That was… Wow. The people of this land were geniuses. To think they put so much thought into designing these utilities and even ensuring that their future generations would possess the right level of knowledge and practicality to handle the maintenance should things ever go faulty.
And judging by the way Bercouli phrased things, this must have existed for countless years. Decades, even. The people back then had truly tapped into the potential of creativity and invented such useful technologies that would go on to be adopted by countless others. And like-minded individuals would take those foundations, work on them and improve them and pass such creations onto their successors to use and improve.
A cycle born out of a single man's ambition. Or, more accurately, a man and many others like him, of which then the road of improvement was less of a daydream, and more of a guaranteed constant that would take countless years before it bore fruit.
He looked back at the chimney, wondering what went through the head of the inventor. Had he just had an idea strike him out of the blue, and sought to bring it to life simply to chase fame? Or were his intentions more altruistic, and he simply wanted to make life for everyone around him much easier?
"Well, that's enough for story time. Let's get to working on starting a fire, eh? Pretty sure everyone's hungry."
Half-burnt wood wasn't appropriate to start the fire, per se, but if used as supplementation for a new foundation, then they would burn just as bright. Hence, when Charlotte piled on some firewood that they themselves had brought from the cathedral onto the charred remains, and that she lit ablaze with a simple 'Thermal' spell, life was breathed into the pile and sparked before catching on fire, throwing a warm orange hue over the cavern walls.
While Bercouli left to fill their canteens with river water, Medina and Charlotte handled the job of preparing their meals, the woman readying a metal pot and some ingredients that they'd soon be putting in their bellies. And what a good thing that was. Say what one might about their combat abilities, but three years had not done much for their culinary expertise. Thankfully, Charlotte fulfilled that role perfectly, having learnt plenty from her time in the kitchen with Selka and her mum.
It didn't take long to set water to a boil, and with Medina having cut meat into strips and diced vegetables into cubes, it was only a matter of properly adding them one by one to the pot. Spices, herbs, cooking oil and other ingredients. He wasn't a genius when it came to the culinary side of things, so to him, it looked like they were both conducting magic, turning plain ol' water into broth, and then finally what looked like a delicious soup by the end of it.
"Truly, I am blessed to have been mentored by Sadina in the kitchen," Charlotte sighed, smiling faintly. "Otherwise, I dread to imagine the kind of monstrosity that I could likely bring to life."
"Hey, don't be like that. Your cooking's great now!"
"It certainly wasn't, though it does my heart well to know that it's improved to the point that you can genuinely enjoy it."
He chuckled at that. "Well, we'd take anything over our own cooking," he shook his head. "The goddesses know that we couldn't cook to save ourselves. From here on out, we'll leave this to you, Charlotte."
"Of course. Hmm… We might need a little more oil. Medina, please pour a little more into the pot."
The girl nodded, moving over to grab a metal flask that she slowly tipped over the pot. When yellowish liquid trickled into the boiling soup, there was a hiss and a blooming of smoke, making the girl yelp as she stepped back to avoid splashes.
"Are you alright, Medina?"
"I-I'm fine! I wasn't hit. That just caught me by surprise."
"That's good to hear."
"Cooking oil," Kirito hummed. "Crazy how something as simple as that could make food taste so good, huh?"
"Indeed. And no matter where you look throughout history, oil has proven to be incredibly useful in all sorts of things besides simply cooking. It has been used in weaponry, lighting and even the making of paints and soaps. It's multifunctional, making it one of the most valuable resources in our world."
"You got that right. If we were to suddenly live without it, I'd imagine the world would look like a very different place."
"Where was oil discovered?" Eugeo opted to ask as the three teenagers sat a fair distance away from the pot, watching the lady cook.
"Southacroith," the answer caught him by surprise. It must have showed on his face, since Charlotte nodded back at him. "Exactly. The empire dominated by the sands, harsh winds and even harsher climates was where oil was first discovered."
That was… hard to imagine. After all, the stories always painted the southern empire as a barren place where there was nothing but sand, sand, maybe some water, and even more sand. It was a tough place to live in, and from there were people of strong fortitude and patience were born.
"Hah, guess you just don't know much about the world. Southacroith isn't just desert, you know. If you compare the area of the desert to the entire empire, it's around eight-to-thirteen, which is… still pretty large, but then you've still got forests and lakes on the northwestern side."
That was still a large coverage of sand, though he supposed it wasn't just sand. It was a surreal sight to imagine; of a desert biome delineated from a forest by either a mountainous range or just a bunch of trees. Side-by-side, it would be an incredible sight.
"In any case, going back to what you were asking, the first discovery of oil was made in Southacroith. Right around… oh, I don't know… five hundred years back?" Sheesh. Talk about a long time ago. "Accidentally discovered when a noble ruling those lands—I forgot his name—built his house over a section of the land where there was a huge oil deposit. Deposit? That doesn't sound right."
Medina raised her hand. "It's called an oil reservoir, sir."
"Ah, that's the one. Thanks, missy. In any case, when he built his house on top of the reservoir, the weight of the house and the unevenness of the sands caused his home to collapse in on itself. Sounded pretty tragic on one hand, but the discovery of oil offset it by a whole lot," he grinned.
"Yeah. He must have made a fortune discovering such a resource," Kirito hummed.
"Oh, he most certainly did. It was an intriguing thing; a kind of substance that was jet black, viscous and sticky. Smelt terrible, too, and there was a lot of it. He'd never seen anything like it before, and none of the viscounts or traders he'd spoken to had ever heard of it."
"Mind you, oil is a commodity strictly belonging to Southacroith, which houses rich amounts of it. You will find no other reservoirs in the other empires, so it's the primary exporter of all kinds of oils that we use in our daily lives."
"Mmhm. So he brought it over to his emperor, who had multiple researchers look into the properties of what they initially called 'black water'. No one knew what it was. All they knew was that it existed underneath the earth, was unlike water, and couldn't be consumed—"
"—Not until that same noble's friend, a fellow researcher with a gift for inventing, sought to create a device capable of separating the oil into varying components. He and his own team of inventors and chemists looked into the oil's properties, figured out a method to separate it, and the rest is history."
"The noble went on to be rewarded with great honour, practically beloved by his people for bringing forth a valuable resource that both eased their lives and generated their empire's economy," Medina continued afterwards. "And the researchers were granted an endless supply of funds to carry out all kinds of projects and studies. It was good for everyone overall."
First architectural history, now the history of oil? Kirito didn't think travelling with a bunch of friends would end up with him learning so much, but he didn't hate it. If anything, the wide grin on his face was telling of what his opinion on the matter was.
"Wow… To think something like this could have such a story so deeply ingrained into even an empire's economy and geology…"
"Heh. You sure were a delightful audience. Enjoyed the story much?"
"That's just how he is," Charlotte chuckled. "Whenever traders or old men began rambling of one thing or another, he would always be there, listening to them with rapt attention. Azalia made mention that, when he was much younger, he'd rush to sit right at the front of the group whenever she tells stories before bedtime."
Laughter broke out amongst the group. Embarrassment stung at him, and he could feel his face warming up. He crossed his arms. "W-Well, it's not always that I get to hear cool stuff like that! Those are the only opportunities for me to pick up that sort of thing!"
"Understandable. But I'm sure you hear this sort of thing occasionally in school, right?"
"Huh? School? Why are you bringing that up?"
"Well, seeing that you were eleven when we first met, I'm sure you must have gone to school with the other kids. They teach bits and pieces of the Human Empire's history there, don't they?"
At Medina's nodding, Kirito just shrugged back. "That's cool, but uhh, me and Eugeo never went to school."
The words cut off the knight, making him quirk his brows in surprise. "Wait, you don't?"
"No. We don't. Rulid's a really far-flung place with not much room to build a school. Practically everyone is already working."
"But I'm sure there's a town south of Rulid that has a school, right?"
"Zakkaria does have a school," Medina confirmed.
"Hah. Good luck trying to get us to go there, then. Travelling from Rulid to Zakkaria on-foot takes too much time. Plus, we were already saddled with our «Sacred Tasks» to work on. Mine and Eugeo's, especially, was rough. From early in the morning to almost close to the late evenings. There would have never been enough time to do our calling if we went to school."
And thinking about that had him wondering if there were kids in the better towns who got callings that were less demanding compared to him and Eugeo's, hence allowing them to go to school. After all, if it was something not as stressful like learning to bake or knit, then they'd be able to study and work on their calling afterwards.
It sounded nice. Going to school, he meant. Being taught lessons and learning more about the world would have been so much fun, and it would have opened the door to meeting new people from different walks of life.
Alas, the task of felling the Gigas Cedar would have never allowed it. They were too occupied. Nothing that could be done about that.
"That's… I see."
A troubled expression crossed the older man's features for a moment, something that made Kirito quirk a brow. The frown left him right after, a smile coming easily to him afterwards.
"Well, if that's the case, then anytime you want to know something, you just let me know. I'd be happy to tell you."
The words made him perk up. "Really?"
"Of course. I've lived for a very long time, so I've picked up bits and pieces here and there. Passing on this knowledge to children is… well, if it teaches you something new, then I'd count that as a big success," his smile softened. "Plus, I can tell by the looks on your faces. Learning new things is fun, isn't it?"
"It is," Eugeo said, smiling. Kirito nodded.
"Yeah. Makes me realize that the world is a whole lot larger than we are. And that there are so many awesome people out there we owe much of our lives to."
"Mm. It's always good to look forwards, but it's also important to live in the present, and look backwards for inspiration. Do this, and you'll find yourself living a very fulfilling life with drive. And that, to me, is more incredible than anything else."
By the time their meals were done and they'd emptied the pot clean, Kirito and Eugeo seeing to the job of washing their bowls, they laid sleeping bags on the cold stony floor before settling in for the night. Sleeping on the floor wasn't anything new for any of them, and though a part of him wanted to trade stories with Bercouli and Charlotte for a little longer, he knew that everyone was exhausted after all the distance they had to cover, so he opted to just let everyone go to sleep.
And just as he expected, Eugeo and Medina were the first to go, lulled to sleep by the echoes of the river from outside alongside rustling trees. The warmth emanating from the fire in the centre helped as well, its occasional crackling adding a sense of rhythm of the multitudes of sounds they could hear that it made everything so relaxing.
They were safe in the cave. He had to remind himself of this. Mostly because wild animals would steer clear of them, and that no man would be foolish enough to try anything that would land them in trouble with the church, but that Bercouli was the one opting to take first watch, sitting with his back against the wall and his sword not an arm's length away.
His eyes looked back up to the ceiling, where smoke fizzled upwards and into the circular canal, embedded into the rocks. Red and orange danced upon the brown hard rocks, wavering as shadows traced across little crevices. He marked each one in his mind, tracing them and wondering if there were critters sleeping in there as well. Lizards and the like, benefitting from the warmth that came forth.
The drowsiness hit him. Sudden, and like an urge to simply close his eyes and sleep. Aided by the fatigue of his muscles, it didn't take long before he, too, found himself falling into darkness, and the sound of fire played in the background…
And when he dreamt again that night—of Alice getting taken away, of his self being struck down by Deusolbert's «Incarnation», of Eugeo screaming his friends' names in agony—
The shadow lingered.
And this time, it reached out.
Author's Notes:
I'm not sure if the idea of a chimney in a cave is a viable strat or not, seeing that the smoke might get too much and not all of it would get sucked in. At that point, you'd need some kind of a vacuum to pull in smoke, though that seems a little too advanced for this world's level of science.
But then you'd argue that fractional distillation would be no less simpler than that, considering that it's a complicated process to separate crude oil into various products. A fair point. To that, I don't know if I can argue whatsoever.
If we refer to Season 3 Episode 2, there is a scene where Kirito tries to turn off a lamp in his bedroom in the orphanage. Unlike the game worlds (where they interact with objects via a menu interface), Underworld resembles reality in how some things function, so he has to manually dial a knob on the underside of the lamp to put out the fire. And I do mean fire, rather than some kind of light emitting from a magic stone.
While that alone might not be strong evidence of oil use, it's still very telling that fire was used as a light source. And fires have to be sustained on fuel, hence oil, just like in real life.
Could it be a 'Thermal' spell? Maybe. But refer to the official website, which specifically calls out 'Thermal' element as a heat element, not fire. Many of the elements are more energy-oriented rather than a physical object. There had been no instances where 'Thermal' spells are discharged as what you would expect a fire spell to be. And Alice even used the spell to cook food in her hand, with no obvious fire formation.
But then, what about the central cathedral? The lift relies on the use of «Sacred Arts» to be propelled or lowered, and the lights more closely resemble fluorescent lighting that we often use in households and shops. Electricity hasn't yet been discovered, however. In that essence, it's clear to me that this world does rely on both «Sacred Arts» and oil for lighting, but that the former is limited to the cathedral solely because it's an important location, and the latter in common household use.
As you can see, Underworld seems to treat the spells less like magic, which is a pretty cool thing to experiment with. Granted, this all can be a little confusing for some, myself included, but I suppose that's the whole point of this spiel; to showcase just how minute differences can create interesting scenarios to play with in your head.
And the oil bit was just a random impulse, lmao. Can't be a story without some level of storytelling.