The June 1610 twilight cast a soft glow over Surat's beachfront, the Tapti River's ripples catching the fading light as Jai Vora worked in the underground lab beneath Vora Trading Company's sprawling complex. The labyrinth, fortified by his followers' Strength and their knowledge of stone pillars and wooden braces, hummed with activity—weapon rooms for "Wings of Freedom" missions, empty cells for foes, and the lab's clay tanks bubbling with Jai's revolutionary medicines. Over days, he'd mass-produced Surat's Elixir (penicillin), Heart's Guardian (statins), and Pain's Whisper (aspirin) in diluted forms—powders and tablets—stored in clay drums, their potency miles ahead of any 1610 remedy yet safe for controlled use. The Emperor System, his secret AI-spirit guide, buzzed: "Drums of miracles, kid? You're turning this cave into a Mughal alchemist's dream. Those bottles better shine."
Jai, his nine-year-old hands dusted with powder, inspected a tablet press crafted by Kofi's Blacksmithing skill—a crude but effective device of wood and iron. Using his 2025 knowledge, Jai had guided Kofi to a new innovation: small glass bottles, inspired by rare Persian artisan work summoned by Mughal emperors from Persia. Jai had shared the basics of glassmaking—sand, soda ash, limestone, heated to molten brilliance—with Kofi, who'd set up a small furnace in the blacksmith shop. The result: delicate bottles, each holding 10 to 20 tablets or a pinch of powder, their clarity a marvel in an era of clay and metal.
Jai summoned Leela to the medicine shop's back room, its curtained entrance hiding the lab's trapdoor. She arrived, her sari catching the torchlight, her Wisdom bright with curiosity. "Jai, beta, you've been down here for days," she said, eyeing the drums. "What's new?" Jai grinned, his Charm weaving excitement. "Amma, the medicines are ready—Surat's Elixir, Heart's Guardian, Pain's Whisper. Drums full, diluted but stronger than anything in Surat. And these—" He held up a glistening glass bottle, its surface catching the light like a jewel. "For packaging. Elegant, reusable, a Vora exclusive."
Leela's breath caught, her fingers tracing the bottle's curve. "Glass? Like the Persians' work? Jai, these are fit for emperors!" Jai's wit sparked. "Better, Amma. I taught Kofi the trick—sand and fire, no mystic needed. I told him how to blow glass, shape bottles, even plates and bowls. We're making these for the medicine shop, the restaurant, and the Vora Grand Hotel. Luxury, to draw every noble's eye." Leela's eyes widened. "You're crafting glass here? In Surat?"
Jai nodded, gesturing to a crate of bottles. "Small ones for medicines—10 to 20 tablets or a pinch of powder. I've asked the girls training for the medicine shop—Maya, Mira, and the others—to pack these. Sell them with the medicines. If someone can't afford a bottle, we use leaf packets, but those who can pay get these for a fair price. They buy once, reuse forever." The system pinged: "Reusable bottles? You're a marketing genius, kid. Nobles'll eat it up."
Leela's Wisdom weighed his words. "And the glass for the restaurant? The hotel?" Jai's voice turned visionary. "Plates, bowls, even windows—Kofi's learning fast. We're opening a glass shop, Amma, selling at prices only the rich can touch. It won't sell much, but that's the point. When nobles dine on glass plates at our restaurant, sip from glass bowls in the hotel, they'll feel royal. Onlookers will flock, spreading Vora's name. The profits fund our shops, our apartments, our fight." Leela's eyes sparkled. "You're weaving a dream, beta. But the medicines—how do we sell them?"
Jai leaned closer, his tone strategic. "Surat's Elixir and Pain's Whisper go to everyone—merchants, workers, soldiers. Free samples at the shop's opening, small doses to hook them. Heart's Guardian? Exclusive, for the wealthy—nobles, traders, anyone with coin to fear death. It's our elixir, Amma, saving hearts for a fortune. The glass bottles make them irresistible—people will talk, and Vora will rise." Leela nodded, her voice firm. "I've seen them heal, Jai. The shop's nearly ready. We'll pack these, start with samples, and watch the crowds come."
Jai handed her a drum of each medicine, his voice steady. "Get the girls packing, Amma. Bottles for those who pay, leaves for the rest. Kofi's forging more glass—windows for the hotel, dishes for the restaurant. The glass shop'll open soon, high prices to draw the elite." Leela clutched the drums, pride in her eyes. "You're building an empire, beta, not just a shop. These bottles, these medicines—they'll change Surat." She paused, concern flickering. "But keep them secret. Everyone Will want your recipes."
Jai's eyes glinted, his hatred for the EIC a quiet fire. "They'll never find this lab, Amma. Our guards, our caves, our blades—they protect what's ours." The system buzzed: "Glass and miracles, kid? You're outshining the Mughals. Just don't let the EIC see those bottles sparkle."
Leela hugged him, drums in hand. "I'll start today, Jai. The shop opens soon, and Vora's name will shine." As she left, Jai turned back to the tanks, the lab's shadows dancing with promise. The medicines and glass were his weapons, forging an empire to challenge the EIC's shadow.