Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One-Chapter 213: Besemmer process and Clock

Mathew Silva took immense pride in his blacksmithing skills and expertise in metallurgy. This knowledge had won him the hand of a noble’s daughter and earned him respect wherever he went. Despite being from a foreign land, he had been employed by Emperor Hemu and held great authority in his ironworks as the chief engineer for the empire’s cannon needs. Over time, he had come to believe he was the greatest metallurgist of his era.

However, a challenge to his beliefs arose a month ago when Aditya shared his rumored master’s designs on the Bessemer process. While Mathew was impressed by Aditya’s innovative ideas, he never truly believed that steel production through a Bessemer converter could be as effective as claimed. After all, producing steel from five tons of iron traditionally took an entire day, yielding less than half the amount of steel he expected.

To his astonishment, he managed to produce 4.5 tons of steel from the same quantity in less than an hour. Mathew wanted to ask Aditya many questions about this miraculous achievement, but the prince, perhaps cautious of the presence of Princess Meenakshi from the South, delayed their discussion. Since, Mathew’s respect for Aditya has already been soared tenfold as he witnessed the effectiveness of cannons and grenades, so he resolved never to doubt the young prince’s ingenuity again.

Weeks later, as he set up the factory in Delhi, the first thing Mathew established was the blast furnace chamber along with the convertor setup, which he was already familiar with. Now that it was finally complete, he received word that the prince had arrived in the village and was in talks with his chief assistant, Vinayak. Mathew decided to pay a visit and personally invite Aditya to the exhibition while also seeking a favor he had desired since childhood.

Aditya stood up and greeted him with a smile. "Glad to see you, elder. We were just about to visit you."

Vinayak quickly followed, standing up in a slight panic. His few prior encounters with Mathew had left him feeling too pressured to cooperate smoothly.

Mathew stepped closer, his eyes scanning the disassembled musket on the table. With a knowing smile, he asked, "Planning something new without me?"

Aditya replied politely, "It’s a misunderstanding, elder. We didn’t want to bother you, knowing you’ve had enough on your plate. But we’re happy to discuss if you’re free now."

Mathew patted Aditya’s shoulder in appreciation. "Life would be so easy if everyone were as considerate as you. Well, there’s good news; I’ve completed the Bessemer setup and the clock. It’d be best if we saw it now. Plus, there are a few things I need to sort out for the next steps."

A flash of excitement lit up in Aditya’s eyes. He gestured eagerly, "Great! Let’s not delay then. After you, elder."

As they exited the cement factory and headed toward the newly constructed cannon factory, they passed by the ongoing construction of the headquarters. Mathew pointed to the structure. "You can see the clockwork there. I thought it’d be fitting to display the time at the headquarters entrance."

It was indeed a sight to behold. The new structure resembled a small mansion, sprawling across five acres. Workers were bustling around the three-story building, constructing various parts. Above the main entrance stood a large clock, prominently displayed on the front wall.

Bheem exclaimed, "What kind of vessel is that? Why is it so big?"

Vinayak, already familiar with it, explained, "It’s called a clock. It works like a sundial but can also show the time at night. It’s been very useful."

Aditya felt gratitude toward Mathew for his initiative. The clock resembled the ones usually found atop chapels and important Portuguese buildings of his past memories, though it lacked a pendulum and had only two hands instead of three.

Seeing the day growing late, Mathew urged, "I’ve also made a smaller prototype. It’s in my office. If you follow me, I can explain it there."

Everyone nodded, ready to follow, but before they could, a commotion broke out nearby. A female worker carrying a load of bricks on a pan over her head slipped, spilling bricks all over the ground.

Before they could react, two female soldiers in chainmail armor, who had been patrolling the area, rushed to assist the fallen worker. Aditya signaled his entourage to wait, curious to see how the situation would be handled.

They stood back, unnoticed by the commotion. Soon, a medic arrived and bandaged the worker’s sore ankle, which appeared to be injured. A stretcher was brought, and she was carefully taken away.

Vinayak, embarrassed by the incident, quickly apologized, "I apologize, Your Highness. Despite all our precautions, we still can’t prevent every accident. That’s why we have medics and patrols on standby."

Aditya smiled approvingly. "Don’t worry, Vinayak. I’m not going to complain about the accident. These things are inevitable. In fact, I’m impressed by the swift response. You’ve done a good job so far."

Mathew, aware of the situation, interjected, "If the inspection’s over, shall we move on?"

Aditya nodded. "Please, elder." And they followed Mathew to the cannon factory.

Inside the blast furnace chamber, cannon factory

The moment they entered, the heat hit them like a wave, the air was thick with the smell of molten metal and burning coal. The roaring fire from the furnace bathed the entire room in an orange glow.

Workers, drenched in sweat, moved swiftly around the large, egg-shaped vessel fitted with multiple pipes and ports, positioned at the center of the chamber. An air pump, powered by a waterwheel from the back channel, was connected to the converter. They carefully poured molten iron into its gaping mouth, fueling the intense process within.

Mathew led them to a viewing platform nearby, overlooking the intense scene. The converter hissed and spat as air blasted through the molten iron, purging impurities and turning it into steel. Sparks flew as a worker adjusted the flow, while others prepared molds for the soon-to-be steel.

The loud clanging of tools and the hiss of molten metal filled the room, but as Mathew and the entourage approached, the workers gradually slowed down, noticing their presence. One by one, they stepped back, wiping their brows and standing at attention.

Suddenly, a young blacksmith came running, drenched in sweat. His bald head glistened, and his skin was darker than anyone present, likely from constant exposure to the intense heat of the forge.

"Senhor, you’ve arrived!" he exclaimed.

Mathew gestured toward him and introduced him to the others. "Meet Kesav, my new apprentice. I’ve taken quite a liking to this lad; he’s very promising."

Vinayak sighed as he recalled the trouble Mathew had stirred up over Kesav’s transfer. It all began after Mathew’s brief trip to the companies’ Ironworks facility. Vinayak still wasn’t sure what the conversation between the two was about, but it was clearly significant enough to catch the blacksmith’s sharp eye. The real issue, however, was that Kesav had been employed and trained under his father, Bhaskar.

That day had been a nightmare—Mathew had pressured Bhaskar relentlessly, threatening to withhold vital spare parts for the ironworks unless Kesav was handed over. Certainly, it had been a difficult day.

Meanwhile, unaware of Mathew’s tantrums and past antics, Aditya greeted Kesav politely. After a brief exchange, Mathew dismissed Kesav and commanded the others to return to their work.

Mathew said proudly, "This is one of my best creations. The converter can turn iron into steel in minutes, all thanks to the design..." Aditya cut him off with a compliment: "That’s indeed great work, elder. If not for your foresight and supervision, I don’t think any design could take shape like this."

Mathew found it odd to receive all the credit, but knowing the cautious nature of the prince, he decided to play along. "That’s for certain, brat. But no need to flatter me for such a small endeavor. Let me demonstrate the process."

Bheem and Vinayak exchanged glances as Mathew gestured toward the egg-shaped vessel. "This pear-shaped vessel is made of thick steel lined with heat-resistant material. Its shape allows it to be tilted when needed to pour out the refined steel or remove slag. As you can see, it stands upright, mounted on pivots to allow tilting when pouring the molten metal. The top has an open mouth for feeding in molten iron, while the bottom is equipped with small holes (tuyeres) that blast air into the furnace to purify the metal."

Pointing to the tuyeres; small pipes at the base of the converter connected to the bellows, he continued, "With these pipes, we pass air through. This was the most challenging part of the design. It can’t be seen from outside, but by passing air, we can increase the temperature tenfold, which is essential for conversion. I am thinking to power it with water wheel later."

Aditya nodded, grasping the mechanism. It was simply oxidation achieved by adding air to molten pig iron to remove impurities like silicon, manganese, and carbon, which either vaporize or remain as slag. He wondered the output if the it can be added to steam engine.

Meanwhile, Bheem watched in awe as smoke and fumes billowed from the chimneys.

Mathew continued, "The remains will be collected in molds and then poured into water to cool down. The process is highly effective."

Bheem concluded in the most simplified way, "So we simply blow air into the pipe to increase the flames and get the steel?"

Mathew’s was dumbfounded by the explanation. The nonchalant response was an insult to the hardwork he had put into get the satisfied result. This was not a simple ordinary kiln where u fan the flames.

His vein popped up as he reprimanded Bheem in anger. "Watch your tone, kid! Do you know how complex is the internal mechanism? Do you know how much time it took to convert this into steel beforehand?... It used to take several layers of processes and days! Right now, I can convert 15 tonnes of iron into 14 tonnes of steel in just one hour, which would have normally taken three days with half the yield."

Bheem inquired, puzzled, "I apologize if I have been improper, but what is an hour?"

Mathew snorted. "No wonder you guys rely only on brute strength and no brain. Follow me; I’ll show you something interesting."

Aditya covered his mouth and chuckled in disguise of yawn, finding it amusing but quickly followed suit.

As their group reached Mathew’s office, they found it a replica of Vinayak’s old office but with more wardrobes and a couple more tables, yet only a few chairs. The main table held a few documents and a small clock the size of a lunch box.

Aditya caught the scent of wine and assumed the wardrobes were filled with wine pots, but he knew better than to voice his thoughts.

Mathew picked up the clock and explained, "This is what we call a clock. It measures time just like your sundial, but it’s portable and doesn’t stop."

Vinayak inquired with curiosity , "I am still not able to understand why it can move non stop?"

Mathew chuckled at their intrigue. "It’s due to a spring mechanism. The process is complex, so I won’t explain much, but just know it doesn’t need any power source like manual or air. The spring is geared with other small gears, keeping it in motion."

Bheem asked, "But I don’t see it moving at all. Is it that slow?"

Aditya explained before Mathew could respond. "That’s because, just like the shadow of the sun seems still, it’s actually changing over time. So it is with the clock’s hands; they move too slowly to match the pace of time. Am I correct, elder?"

Mathew nodded and replied, "Yes, correct. The long hand indicates minutes, while the shorter one indicates hours."

Aditya, even though knowing the mechanism did not want to make it obvious and also get bored, so he urged, "Senhor, this clock seems complicated. I suggest you prepare a manual for its use, and we can review it later."

Mathew thought for a moment before replying, "Alright, I can do that, but I need a favor."

Intrigued, Aditya leaned in. "Please say it, elder."

Mathew beamed with joy. "That’s it! Now, brat, don’t you dare back down. I’ve crafted two pairs of special armor, and I want to duel with you while wearing them."

Aditya frowned as sweat dripped down his forehead, taken aback by this unusual request.