Chapter 85: Still Counts As One
The process repeated for the next two weeks, with Dominic making forty rifles every day, then milling parts to keep his stockpile up.
That was when they got their first visitors since the Gunsmiths had been sequestered.
The Crown Prince, Claudius. He arrived along with his royal retinue of four advisors and twenty Royal Guards, filling the Gunsmith’s Forge.
They stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and the Prince looked around as the Gunsmiths pretended to ignore his presence and keep working.
All except Dominic, who had hearing protection on as he worked the router, milling receivers for the next few days’ production. He was facing the wall, and moving through the metal blocks with practiced smoothness.
"Your Highness, it is an honour to have you here. What brings you all the way down to the Gunsmith’s Forge?" The guard at the door asked.
"We have fully equipped the Natural Sons’ Regiment. Five hundred matched rifles, with spares for deployment. My younger cousin, who is in charge of equipping the Regiment, noted that all the rifles they were given came from a single Gunsmith’s forge.
That made me curious how you were doing things here, but I don’t see a factory assembly line, with one Master Smith doing all the enchanting." He explained.
"Ah, you see, we have a two tier process going here. Most of the Journeymen and Master Smiths are making traditional pieces for the regular army Officers. The rifles for the Natural Sons’ were all provided by Apprentice Dominic.