As Meenakshi followed Mathew out of the massive building that resembled more like a crude pace, she felt a wave of relief wash over her as she stepped into the open air.

  She noted that the pce they called the factory was a vast area resembling a rge vilge, with smithies repcing houses. However, as she traversed it, it felt more like a confusing maze, with several rge and small smithies huddled together and bustling with metalwork.

  People could be seen transporting materials either by hand or in carts, paying little attention to those passing by.

  Livers and pulleys, using ropes for handling heavy loads, dominated the central area, while three small canals, diverted from the nearby river, fed into a dam situated to the south.

  A giant water wheel was attached to it which looked like some source connecting with the other main buildings. One of these buildings was a massive smithy, its small passage emitted a steady stream of bck smoke and they were moving in direction of that smithy.

  Meenakshi was intrigued to see several smaller water wheels connected via the canals. Their leather belts linked to its bdes were the gears, and even hammers in various foundries as she passed.

  Noticing her curiosity, Mathew expined with a touch of pride in his voice, "These are water wheels. You might be familiar with them for irrigation , but we Portuguese have perfected their use. They serve as powerhouses for our smithies. I'll arrange a detailed tour for you ter."

  Meenakshi nodded with gratitude and a smile while noting that he is a Portuguese national. She felt curious about his fwless dialect in devnagri and Why a foreigner was working for northerners?

  Meanwhile, Aditya couldn't help but feel discriminated. 'The nerve of this old brute,' he thought, 'he nearly broke my spine on the first day and now he's buttering up with the princess.'

  As they reached the entrance of the building for casting, they spotted a huge line and a crowd at the entrance with a dispute. Two bcksmiths were grabbing each other's colrs.

  "I've been standing in this line since morning!" one bcksmith fumed. "You can't just cut in because of some supposed emergency. Your time was up when you left!"

  The other bcksmith retorted, "Who are you to dictate? My line was first, and I won't move until all my work is done!" The surrounding workers, visibly irritated, cursed them for holding up the line and blocking access.

  Concerned, Meenakshi asked, "Why are the workers fighting?"

  Hearing her question, the crowd behind the lines turned with hatred. Being compared to porters and cleaners was a severe insult, but seeing Mathew beside the princess, their faces turned pale. They quickly averted their eyes as if it was a mistake. Some even started cracking their necks while others stretched their limbs.

  Mathew burst into ughter, clearly enjoying their reaction.

  However, the commotion between the bcksmiths at front came to a sudden halt. Their bickering silenced by his amusement.

  Approaching the scene, Mathew inquired about the problem. It turned out that the first bcksmith had missed a mold and returned to complete it, while the bcksmith next in line was unwilling to give up his turn, as he had pressing orders of his own.

  Aditya sighed, recognizing the inefficiencies in their division of bor. Despite the organization, the assembly line was not yet in pce, leading to such conflicts where workers fought over resources and time. It was bound to happen as frequent issue. But what made him dumbfounded was the way Mathew resolved the issue.

  Upon listening the quarrel, Mathew patted both hard on their backs, and they fell to the ground, unable to handle the weight of his pat.

  Mathew scolded with mockery, "None of you can handle a simple pat from me? What kind of bcksmiths are you? Both of you wasted others' time, and now I have to intervene." He roared pointing them at back," GET BEHIND THE LINE."

  Head bowed with fear, both bcksmiths moved to the back of the line without any protest.

  At a distance, porters could be seen rearranging carts of raw materials to accommodate the new lineup.

  With a puffed chest, Mathew led the duo into the building.

  The moment he entered, the atmosphere shifted. The workers fell silent as if a lion had entered amidst the herd of deers. The cng of metals gradually died down.

  As they entered the heating chamber, Meenakshi felt very uncomfortable. The heat was intense, and she sweated buckets of water. She marveled at how the workers could endure such harsh conditions everyday. Despite the overwhelming heat, Aditya appeared unfazed; he seemed as if he were taking a stroll in a garden. Seeing royalty not breaking a sweat was too much for her to digest. His resilience only fueled Meenakshi's determination to remain stoic, though her face reddened from the heat and effort.

  Unaware of Meenakshi's struggle, Mathew bellowed orders to the workers. "Bastards, what are you looking at? Get back to work!"

  The cmor of the smithy resumed with renewed vigor. The heating and forging areas were within the same building but were clearly divided into two distinct sections. The workers in the casting area bored to handle the molten metal, using tongs, hooks, and shovels to transfer it to the adjacent forging area.

  In the forging section, the atmosphere was filled with the rhythmic pounding of hammers and the hiss of heated metal. The bcksmiths, with their practiced precision, hammered the molten metal into shapes. The most interesting were the automated hammers, driven by the rge water wheels outside, which added mechanization to the workers' efforts, shaping the metal with powerful blows. The final product was taken out to another building after the cooling process, which didn't look like a complete product but rather a part.

  At this moment, the security chief, Rishabh Gupta, was present in the forging section. Hearing the news of unannounced visitors, he rushed for an inspection but was surprised to see his chief in high spirits. The greeting was mutual, and then he approached the prince and the girl alongside, who seemed to be a 'guest with some interest'.

  Aditya, observing the process, noted the limitations of the existing kiln. The furnace used for smelting was a rudimentary structure, built from brick and cy. It had a simple, dome-like shape with an opening at the top for adding fuel and an exit at the bottom for removing the molten metal. The furnace relied on a manual air-blowing system, with bellows operated by hand to provide the necessary airflow for reaching high temperatures. While functional, the furnace was rudimentary and limited in its efficiency.

  Aditya shared his vision with Mathew about upgrading to a cupo furnace, which was more advanced technology and meant for continuous melting of rge quantities of metal.

  It was supposed to be a vertical cylindrical structure with a continuous charge of metal and fuel fed from the top. He suggested it for better control over the metal's composition and quality.

  Intrigued by the proposal, Mathew arranged for the necessary materials and, with the help of skilled artisans, began the construction of the cupo furnace. It took hours for the manufacturing process. Till then, Rishabh made arrangements for the casting process, under the orders of Mathew.

  Meanwhile, Aditya directed the workers in setting up the cylindrical structure, installing the nozzles to ensure proper ventition and that fuel was supplied.

  Air was forced into the furnace via tuyères(nozzle) located at the base, improving the efficiency of combustion and maintaining a steady temperature.

  The artisans worked diligently, following Aditya's guidance, to assemble and refine the new furnace.

  Once the cupo furnace was completed, the team turned their attention to the new casting technique, which was called the lost-wax casting method.

  Afternoon turned into evening as the people worked hard under Mathew's intense presence without a break.

  This new casting technique involved creating a detailed wax model of the object to be cast. The model was then covered with a ceramic coating, which was heated to remove the wax and harden it. Molten metal was poured into the mold, taking the shape of the original wax model. After cooling and solidifying, the ceramic shell was broken away to reveal the final metal cast.

  The results were extraordinary. Even though Aditya had theoretical knowledge, seeing them firsthand in practice felt satisfying.

  The improved furnace yielded a consistent melting process, while the lost-wax casting technique provided greater precision, thereby reducing the time for forging complicated parts.

  A caster excimed, "This new method is incredible! I can hardly believe how powerful it is. It's going to make our work so much easier."

  Another worker, looking relieved, cried out, "Thank you, Lord Shiva! With this, I might even get to go home early today!"

  His enthusiasm quickly faded, though, when he noticed Mathew looking straight at him. However, with a cheerful yet authoritative tone, Mathew decred, "You all have a full day holiday tomorrow, but make sure to complete today's orders."

  The workshop buzzed with renewed energy as workers cheered and celebrated their achievements. Amidst the joyous atmosphere, Aditya's gaze fell upon the bellows as he munched on the given apple.

  He wondered why it was still manual and not automated. Then he noticed the waterwheel was a breast-shot type, where the water was channeled to hit the midsection of the mill and through the top, as in the overshot type, which had a fw in handling multiple workloads despite its steady efficiency in mechanization. He knew Mathew would react to the suggestion, so he left it but then saw the passageways of bricks, which acted as chimneys.

  An idea began to take shape in his mind. By this time he was sweating too.

  Turning to Mathew, Aditya suggested with a measured tone, "Elder, I see you have an excellent setup here. Are you interested in more of my master's suggestions? It can significantly make your forging easier as it deals with the way of cooling."

  Mathew raised an eyebrow, intrigued but seeking crification. "Is that so? It wouldn't hurt to listen. What is that process?"

  Aditya continued, "My master has mentioned it as the annealing and quenching process in his book. Under annealing, you will need to heat the metal to a specific temperature and then allow it to cool slowly. This process should reduce the metal's hardness, making it more workable and improving its strength and ductility. For this, we will need to set up an annealing chamber where the metal can be heated uniformly. We could use one of the existing furnaces or build a new one dedicated to this purpose." He added with caution, "Of course, only if you agree."

  He paused, gauging Mathew's positive reaction before eborating. "Quenching, on the other hand, will involve the process of rapidly cooling the heated metal by immersing it in water or oil. This should harden the metal, making it more resistant to wear and tear. We would need to establish a quenching tank adjacent to the forging area. The key is to ensure that the cooling process is uniform to avoid warping."

  Mathew listened intently, nodding as he considered the implications. "So, if we implement these processes, we could significantly improve the quality and durability of our products? How soon can we set up these facilities to test it?"

  Before Aditya could answer, Meenakshi interjected, looking at Aditya, "Apologies, it's getting dark, and I need to head back temple for the fast of Mahashivaratri." She replied as politely as possible.

  Aditya gnced at the setting sun and nodded in agreement. "Elder, I sincerely apologize, but we must take our leave for now. The observance is important to Meenakshi, and the evening is drawing near."

  Mathew, though visibly surprised by the request, nodded in understanding. "Very well. I will make the necessary arrangements for the said process. Let's see you out then."

  The offer of a personal escort from Mathew filled the room with disbelief. The workers, who had been celebrating the notion of a holiday, fell silent in astonishment. The unexpected gesture added an air of respect to the otherwise tense atmosphere.

  Sensing the unease, Mathew roared, "Dare to get my pat? Get back to work, everyone!"

  The workers quickly resumed their tasks, and the atmosphere in the workshop shifted back to the noise of metalwork while the trio left for the exit.