Chapter 139

After sending the letter demanding compensation, Cyrus turned his attention to dealing with the oil wells he had dug in the Lifens Mountains.

--Oil is an important energy reserve.

Cyrus must keep it firmly in her own hands, since oil is, to some extent, equivalent to gold.

Furthermore, Kunseci was originally a border city, adjacent to the Saint Airo Empire.

If the many benefits of oil become known to the outside world— Kunseci would be like a piece of fatty meat laid out in the open, coveted by many.

Besides strengthening the cavalry garrison, another way to hold onto oil and Kunseci was to expand the borders—pushing the edges of the territory outwards and extending the defensive lines.

Cyrus stroked her chin thoughtfully, "The border of the Saint Airo Empire... Hmm, perfect."

He understood that this letter demanding compensation would never persuade the lord on the imperial border to willingly and voluntarily relinquish his territory.

This letter merely served as a pretext, a reason for the outburst.

--First courtesy, then force.

Since "proper communication" doesn't work, then don't blame him for being uncivilized later.

The discovery of oil in Kunseci was a completely unexpected surprise for Cyrus.

In particular, oil is a relatively rare mineral on the Western Continent.

As far as Cyrus knows, the only known oil deposit has been discovered so far within the territory of the Anas Empire, which is now the Anas Kingdom.

Another oil-producing area is located in the westernmost part of the Kadi Tribe.

Furthermore, the role of oil as it has been discovered to date is not comprehensive.

Most of its uses lie in refining kerosene from petroleum.

--A very simple portable kerosene lamp is not cheap in the Western Continent, especially in some territories where it is reserved for the use of nobles.

In addition to using kerosene lamps, people also lit candles for lighting.

There are currently two main types of raw materials used in candle production.

One is beeswax, which is a substance extracted from beehives.

Another type is beeswax.

White wax is made from the secretions of wax insects, along with other substances such as animal or plant oils.

In modern times, the main raw material for making candles is mostly paraffin wax.

Paraffin wax is a mixture of hydrocarbons extracted from certain distillates such as petroleum or shale oil...

In the homes of commoners or slaves, firewood was used for lighting at night, while families with a little extra money would buy candles.

The presence of oil within the territory is of great significance.

In addition, petroleum can also be used in lubricants and anti-corrosion coatings on the Western Continent.

However, this use is even less compared to lighting.

The main limitations are existing technology and limited oil extraction... Moreover, this brownish-black viscous liquid is also known as "the Devil's Sweat"...

In the context of belief in Creator God, many people are quite resistant to this.

Therefore, petroleum was not studied much due to its limited availability.

Needless to say, some commoners, slaves, and even nobles were unaware that the kerosene in kerosene lamps was a substance refined from petroleum.

Petroleum is not only an important raw material for production.

Petroleum also plays a significant role in daily life, and the production of many household goods is related to petroleum.

Cyrus used her reputation points to exchange for many related books in the library on the system interface.

--In fact, petroleum has existed in ancient China for a long time, and it is recorded in some books.

Besides its known uses for lighting, petroleum can also be used in medicine, insecticides, and as a weapon on the battlefield.

Cyrus began to ponder this matter.

After executing the corrupt mayors, officials, and bandits who had embezzled, deceived their superiors, and colluded with each other in the early morning, he imprisoned the merchants from the Saint Airo Empire.

The suffering people were properly resettled...

Finally, he led Walker and the others back to the village near the Lifens Mountains, found the location of the second mine that had been identified the previous night, and planned to continue digging.

At the same time, he wasn't idle either.

The oil extracted so far has filled more than a dozen wooden barrels.

Among them, the wooden barrels that had been taken to the Saint Airo Empire by merchants have been recovered by the cavalry...

Fortunately, the deputy company commander, who was disguised as an ordinary civilian, noticed this.

He immediately reported to Bana after the barrels full of oil were taken out of Kunseci, and Bana promptly made the right decision.

We currently have petroleum raw materials on hand.

Cyrus plans to create incendiary bombs in preparation for a future attack on the border territories of the Saint Airo Empire.

The letter of compensation he sent out received no response whatsoever.

Cyrus was not surprised at all.

He remained in Kunseci, multitasking.

--On one hand, they summoned people to mine oil, offering substantial wages; on the other hand, they ordered people to expedite research and development... Finally, a few days later, they launched their attack on the city.

The territory on the border of the Saint Airo Empire was acquired, and surprisingly smoothly, thanks to the help of hundreds of incendiary bombs.

In particular, the people in the border territories of the empire did not offer much resistance to the cavalry's advance.

Taylor, who returned with a report on the war, said that some locals had even offered them the residence of the lord of this border territory.

This allowed Taylor to capture the man before he could escape.

Cyrus was satisfied with this.

--Doing good deeds will bring good fortune, let alone curbing the spread of the epidemic.

Now that the border territories of the Saint Airo Empire have been conquered, there is no point in keeping these merchants around.

Although they secretly bought oil in Kunseci, they were merely middlemen making a profit from the price difference, and their crime did not warrant death.

So, as they had previously agreed—that they were willing to offer a large sum of money in exchange for their lives— Cyrus sent men to take them back to the border territory, and once they received the money, they were allowed to return home.

It's pitiful for these merchants who were imprisoned so early.

They thought they could finally return home after losing a lot of money, but they never expected that the territory they were in now belonged to Desinia.

Looking at the dilapidated city walls and the White Cavalry stationed inside and around the city, the merchants' faces turned bitter, and they resolved to keep a low profile from now on...

On this side, Walker asked whether they should continue to conquer the Saint Airo Empire.

Cyrus: "What's your take on the current situation?"

Walker said, "The reason we were able to occupy the border territories of the Saint Airo Empire so quickly is firstly because the enemy was caught off guard by the timing of the attack."

"And we had the advantage of a surprise attack."

"Secondly, because of the power of incendiary bombs."

"At last..."

That brings us to this.

Walker looked at Cyrus and smiled, "In the end, it was naturally because of the lord's good deeds that the people in the border territories of the empire were able to accept us smoothly."

Cyrus smiled, her eyebrows curving upwards. "Minimizing casualties is always the best approach in war."

"Walker, please continue."

Walker said solemnly, "The previous battle was very successful precisely because of these three reasons, but if we want to continue attacking the Saint Airo Empire..."

"My lord, if I may be so bold, the upcoming battles may not proceed as smoothly as they have this time."

After all, advantages will gradually diminish or even disappear.

Moreover, the situation on the battlefield changes rapidly, and a slight misstep can lead to the loss of already occupied territory, resulting in more harm than good.

Cyrus nodded.

He understood what Walker meant.

If he wanted to continue attacking the Saint Airo Empire —and if the enemy was prepared, or if the empire deployed cavalry to increase its forces—the war could very well drag on indefinitely...

It could take anywhere from one or two months to half a year, unless one side concedes first.

Furthermore, the Black Death had only recently passed.

All parties should prioritize rest and recuperation, and avoid further hardship and financial strain, otherwise unrest could easily escalate.

However, this is not enough to worry Cyrus about the Desinia Territory; it is the Saint Airo Empire that should be concerned.

However, Cyrus did not want the border between the two sides to remain mired in war.

That's one aspect.

On the other hand, Cyrus was concerned about the planting of crops such as Potato, Sweet Potato, and Corn.

Fighting is no match for farming.

Even if he could persuade Orville and Archibald to ally with him to take advantage of the Empire... there were still many things to be done within his territory.

Moreover, oil is being extracted, and the method for making incendiary bombs is not particularly difficult.

If used repeatedly, those with the right intentions will naturally find a way to counter it and create identical incendiary bombs to retaliate.

Cyrus rested her chin on her hands, deep in thought.

Besides being used to make incendiary bombs, petroleum can also be made into Blazing Oil Cabinet, and it can even be used as a raw material for gunpowder...

Furthermore, weapons made from petroleum can also be mounted on ships.

Such weapons are far more powerful because ships are made of wood, and once a fire spreads, it can be a devastating disaster.

Cyrus changed his posture again, tapping the table with his fingertips—the war must be fought, but the extent of the fighting is up to him.

In other words, while the advantage of incendiary bombs has not yet completely worn off, we should seize as many border territories of the Empire as possible with overwhelming force.

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Then, contact Orville and Archibald.

After all, the three-way alliance still exists, which can exert pressure on the empire to some extent.

The next step is to expedite the extraction of oil and conduct research on the application of oil in various aspects of production and daily life.

For example, weapons manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing...

Walker then saw the lord change his posture again—he rested his chin on his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face, and began to give him instructions.

"Continue the attack, Walker."

"Also, send someone to inform Ferdinand to hold the rear positions..."

The instructions were given one by one, which Walker carefully memorized, and then he went out to carry them out.

In warfare, the transmission of information is indeed a crucial and decisive factor.

The King of the Saint Airo Empire was furious and immediately ordered his eldest son, Warner, to go to the border to defend against the attack from Desinia.

However, while Prince Warner was still on his way, two more small territories on the empire's borders were quickly captured.

at the same time.

The Achiyoli Territory and the Anas Kingdom also sent troops to support the Desinia lord, who currently held a significant advantage.

Warner was, after all, just a prince, and his power was less than that of a king.

He analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of the war and intended to make peace with the Lord of Desinia and stop the fighting, but the king did not agree.

Two weeks later, the border was breached one after another.

The territory of Desinia Territory expanded westward, and its defensive lines were extended.

Finally, the two sides reached an agreement in front of the city where Prince Warner led his cavalry in rebellion. After discussions, the Saint Airo Empire conceded many terms.

And only then did the war finally come to an end.