Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One-Chapter 237: Easing up Paper manufacturing

Alipur village, Delhi, afternoon of April 24, 1557

As the sun reached its peak, its rays cast a warm glare over the surroundings. A small but armed entourage made its way along a newly constructed cement road. The road, initially wide, gradually narrowed as it veered away from the bustling trade routes toward a remote village nestled in the countryside.

At the forefront of the procession rode Prince Aditya. Beside him was his loyal bodyguard, Bheem, leading the rest of the 200 royal guards.

As the village came into view, the surroundings transformed into a patchwork of fertile agricultural lands dotted with small thatched huts. A wooden barricade marked the temporary boundary of the village settlement.

Just beyond the entrance, an old waterwheel turned steadily on a canal, its rhythmic creaks blending with the hum of activity from a newly built paper mill nearby.

Villagers gathered at the entrance, their eager chatter rising into cheers as they spotted the prince. They were blocked by the elite soldiers and local police militias.

"Look, it’s the prince! Long live His Highness!"

"Welcome, Prince Aditya!"

"Your visit is a blessing!"

Old or young, of any gender or caste, all cheered for their respected prince, who was second only to the emperor.

Aditya felt very grateful. This was his first time visit to this remote visit of the village and yet he was so much reverred in the heart of locals. Basking in glory was really addictive.

He raised a hand in acknowledgment, his composed smile radiating warmth. "Thank you for the kind welcome. I promise to visit and speak with all of you soon. For now, please return to your homes."

The crowd hesitated, murmurs of awe and hesitation rippling through their ranks. A stern voice cut through the noise.

"You heard the prince! Disperse immediately, or we will have to clear the way!"

The command came from Havildar Arvind Guhar, a burly man whose thick mustache seemed as imposing as his chain mail and sword. His authoritative tone silenced the crowd, which quickly began to scatter.

"Let’s go! The prince will surely address our concerns later," someone whispered nervously.

"Move quickly before the havildar loses patience!" another added.

Aditya’s lips twitched in amusement as the villagers hurried away, their reverence tinged with fear of Arvind’s reputation.

The havildar approached, saluting with a fist over his chest. "Long live Your Highness! Havildar Arvind Guhar, at your service."

"For the Samrajya," Aditya replied with a nod. "It seems your presence alone keeps order around here, Havildar."

Arvind puffed his chest. "It is my duty to uphold the peace, Your Highness. The villagers simply need firm guidance."

The havildar gestured toward the paper mill. "Please, allow us to escort you."

Dismounting gracefully, Aditya handed his reins to a waiting guard. He gestured for the rest of his escort to remain at the entrance and followed Arvind toward the mill, with Bheem close behind.

The mill was an impressive structure, sprawling across five acres with a horseshoe-shaped design. A wire barricade encircled the site, ensuring security. At its rear, a large waterwheel turned steadily, the canal’s flow powering the machinery within.

The rear was attached with the water wheel for operations on the passing-by canal. The hum of the waterwheel grew louder as they neared. At the entrance, a shining dome waited for him. It was Keshav, the bald apprentice of Mathew, who was in brown pajama and white dhoti. The other subordinates were also standing beside him. He greeted Aditya on sight with a bow and polite namaste. "This humble servant greets his Highness on his visit."

Aditya waved off. He was surprised by the absence of Asutosh, whom he had entrusted to purchase this mill. Rather, he was greeted by the chief blacksmith’s apprentice. He enquired, "Where is Asutosh? I remember instructing him to meet me as soon as I visit."

Keshav hesitated, wiping sweat from his brow. "Your Highness, the lord has left for a nearby village to oversee glass production. He waited for your arrival but had to leave for urgent matters."

Aditya frowned briefly but then nodded. "I understand. Send for him as soon as his task is complete."

Keshav signaled to a subordinate, who rushed off to deliver the message. He then turned back to Aditya with a respectful gesture. "Allow me to show you the mill’s operations."

Aditya stood slightly apart, observing the scene with his arms crossed. His expression carried a faint smile as he watched Keshav animatedly engage with the labourers. The watermill was connected with the paper workshop setup consisting of a trough (a long narrow container), wooden frames, and racks for drying sheets.

The entire structure’s core mechanism was the water wheel, whose blades were driven by the power of the water stream. The blades turned a central shaft connected to a system of gears inside and were located at the rear section of the building. The gears gave the mechanism to drive the pulping hammers. There were 10 powerful hammering mechanisms set up.

On the right section of the building, there were a dozen people busy sorting the rags of cotton and hemp for the manufacturing of fibres, and on the left, the hammered sheets were refined. In the middle and vast open area, the wooden racks were arranged in an array to support the drying of stacked sheets to become paper. At the scene, 50 to 60 people were working on the site.

Keshav pointed to each section as he explained. "This is where the process begins, Your Highness. Raw materials used here are cotton, linen, and hemp which are sorted and left to rot in the outside chambers for three to four days. After rotting, they are dumped and mashed together before being rinsed in the troughs over there."

He led Aditya toward the hammering section. "The rinsed fibres are then beaten into pulp using these hammers, driven by the waterwheel’s gears. Workers ensure the material is positioned correctly before and after hammering, but the mechanism itself does most of the work."

He gestured to the workers handling wooden frames with mesh screens. "Once the pulp is ready, it is placed into troughs and shaped into sheets using these frames. The sheets are then laid out on the drying racks in the center."

Keshav pointed to a smaller building across the canal. "Dried sheets are taken there for sorting, polishing, and cutting to the required sizes. This ensures they meet the standards for various uses."

Aditya nodded as he comprehended the mechanism. He knew the theory, but watching it in practice was quite exhilarating.

"That’s impressive," he remarked. After a moment’s contemplation, he asked, "Do we have any finished samples ready?"

Keshav motioned to a subordinate, who quickly hurried away. Within moments, the man returned with several sheets of paper. Keshav handed them to Aditya, explaining, "This one is used for official documentation." He pointed to the paper in Aditya’s right hand. "And this," he gestured to the other sheet, "is for cartography and maps."

Aditya ran his fingers over the surfaces. Both were rough compared to modern standards, but the document paper was smoother and less gray. Though functional, he couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied with its quality. Handing the sheets back, he asked, "How much paper does this facility produce daily?"

Keshav answered confidently, "We operate for ten hours a day, producing around 150 to 200 kilograms of paper per batch."

Bheem, standing nearby, widened his eyes in disbelief. "Two hundred kilograms? That’s a lot!"

Aditya, however, shook his head firmly. "It’s not enough. The empire needs far more for documentation. This scale won’t sustain us."

The workers nearby exchanged uneasy glances, their postures tense under the weight of the prince’s authority. Silence lingered, broken only by the faint sound of the water wheel.

Aditya turned to Keshav. "How are the fibers currently refined?"

"We rinse them with boiling water in troughs," Keshav replied.

Aditya crossed his arms, thinking. "That’s not efficient. Start using salt water or a wood ash solution for the initial rinse. It’ll save time during polishing and increase output."

Keshav frowned slightly. "Won’t that introduce impurities?"

Aditya shook his head. "No. Wood ash is already a component in soap making. For cost efficiency, use salt water and wood ash separately at first, then boil the fibers for a final cleanse. It’ll refine them without compromising quality."

Keshav gestured to a subordinate to take notes. "Understood, Your Highness."

Aditya walked to the hammering mechanism, observing its operation. The rhythmic pounding was effective at the center of the sheets but left the edges uneven. "You’ll need to modify the hammers. Make them rectangular instead of round to ensure uniform pressure across the fibers. Also, incorporate springs to balance the impact."

Keshav hesitated but soon nodded as realization dawned on him. "It can be done."

"Good," Aditya continued. "Increase the number of hammers. Ten won’t suffice. But ensure the water wheel isn’t overburdened. If necessary, set up a separate wheel or widen the canal."

Keshav raised a hand cautiously. "That could impact the facility’s efficiency, Your Highness. Another water wheel or canal expansion will take time and resources."

Aditya paused, considering. Then, with a faint smile, he added, "We’ll try something different. Build a small experimental plant powered by windmills. I’ll provide the design to harness wind for hammering and grinding. It’ll diversify our operations."

The workers nearby froze, murmuring among themselves.

"Wind? For power? Has anyone tried that before?"

"Could it even work?"

"Will it take our jobs?"

Keshav clapped his hands sharply. "Back to work! If you want to be paid today, stay focused."

The murmurs ceased as the workers hastily resumed their tasks. Aditya, watching the scene, felt a pang of regret for the lack of worker protections but pushed the thought aside. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on reforms; the empire’s growth took precedence.

Turning back to Keshav, he said, "I’ll give you the windmill designs. Test them thoroughly. If they work, we’ll expand to larger plants."

Keshav bowed slightly. "As you command, Your Highness."

Satisfied, Aditya began inspecting the workflow further, organizing the tasks into a streamlined assembly-line method. He also identified areas for future expansion and suggested parallel operations to boost productivity.

Just as he was wrapping up, Ashutosh arrived, bowing deeply. "Forgive my delay, Your Highness. An incident at the glassworks demanded my attention."

Aditya raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

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//A/N: Thanks to PatikMonty, and Risabh_Mandal_4631 for your warm support in donating 3 GT and 1 GT respectively. Your immense support is deeply appreciated. :)