At the evening, Aditya stood with a small contingent of royal guards before the giant doors of the cannon factory. Beside him stood Ujjwal Singh, the commander of the royal guard, clad in full chainmail armor with spear and shield at the ready.
With a creak, the doors swung open, and Rishabh Gupta, the second-in-command of the factory, emerged, his kurta soaked with sweat, offering a respectful namaste. "Welcome, Your Highness, welcome!"
Aditya was surprised to see an Indian rather than the rumoured foreigner technician he had expected, momentarily questioning the accuracy of his information.
Sensing the prince's confusion, Rishabh quickly clarified, "I am the second-in-command here. I apologize that our chief technician is currently occupied and unable to greet you personally. Allow me to host you in his absence."
