The fortress workshop had never been this loud or this alive. Word of Evan’s compact mana weapon spread through Ironhold faster than the morning horn. Before sunrise dozens of craftsmen rushed into the room carrying tools crates scraps and even old weapons hoping to learn whatever he planned next. The sight looked more like a festival than a workshop and Evan could not decide if it was exciting or terrifying.

Taron waved his arms trying to create some space. “Clear a path. Master Marshall needs room to work. Do not crowd him.”

“I said do not call me master” Evan muttered under his breath but the young craftsman was too busy yelling at others to hear.

Commander Rhel arrived a moment later. He stepped into the workshop and froze. His eyes scanned the chaotic crowd before settling on Evan. “I hope you know what you started. Half the fortress wants to learn your methods.”

Evan exhaled. “Then we need structure. Real structure. If we are going to build more of those weapons we need an actual production line. These people are eager but they are going to break things if they keep working like this.”

Rhel nodded. “Tell us what to do.”

Evan grabbed a piece of chalk and moved to a large flat stone wall. He began drawing boxes arrows and circles mapping out a simple but organized process.

“This is a line” he said. “We divide the workshop into stations. One group shapes metal. One group stabilizes cores. One group cuts channels. One group deals with assembly. And one group handles testing.”

A craftsman raised his hand. “But we always do everything at once. Whoever gets the material works on it from start to finish.”

Evan shook his head. “That is slower and less accurate. You need people who specialize. Each pair of hands becomes good at one step. When everyone does everything nothing is done well.”

That sentence hit the room like a hammer. Craftsmen stared at the diagram as if Evan had drawn a lost spell. The idea was simple but foreign to them.

Rhel crossed his arms. “You want to create a weapon forge that works like a living machine.”

“Exactly. The more organized we are the more stable your weapons become. And the faster you can arm your soldiers.”

Taron raised another question. “What about the compact weapon you made yesterday Can we build more”

Evan nodded. “Yes. But the parts must be perfect. Miniaturizing is not forgiving. If the chamber is even a little off the whole thing loses stability. Before we mass produce anything we need to refine our materials.”

Rhel waved to the side. Several soldiers dragged in crates filled with beast plates crystals and rare metal scraps. “The council sent our best supply. Use whatever you need.”

Evan kneeled beside the crates sorting materials with fast hands. Some metal sheets were too brittle some too thick some had strange mana veins running through them. He separated the flawed pieces and kept only the clean ones.

A group of craftsmen watched with confusion. “Why not use everything Material is precious. We cannot waste it.”

“Because bad material leads to bad weapons. If you want to make anything precise you start with the right pieces.”

Evan selected a thin slab with natural mana conductivity. He held it against the light and nodded. “This is good. This one can become the barrel of the new mini weapon.”

Dozens of craftsmen leaned in at once almost pushing him over.

“Back up” Evan snapped. “I need breathing room. Not a mob.”

Taron laughed nervously and waved the crowd away again. “Give him space. Please give him space.”

Evan set the slab on a bench and began shaping it. He heated the metal gently letting mana flow across its surface. This world’s materials reacted strangely to heat compared to Earth metals but Evan adapted quickly. He watched the color change the slight shimmer of mana shifting through the alloy.

He hammered carefully then cooled it in a basin smoothing the shape with long strokes. For a moment he could almost smell Denver’s workshop again but the scent here was sharper filled with magic instead of chemicals.

The craftsmen murmured as they watched every movement. Some took notes while others tried to mimic his steady rhythm.

Rhel leaned close. “Marshall I have never seen these men so focused. You may have done more for morale than you know.”

Evan smirked. “Well if they learn this right your army will have weapons no one on this continent can counter. That should boost morale more than any speech.”

Hours passed. By midday Evan had crafted a full set of refined components. Barrel piece chamber lock core ring small frame plates and a refined sight lens cut from the cleanest crystal they found.

He assembled everything slowly letting the craftsmen see each connection. No piece rattled no piece bent. Every part clicked into place with a clean snap.

The finished weapon looked even better than yesterday’s prototype. Smaller sleeker much more stable. Evan held it up letting the sun catch its polished surface.

Taron whispered. “That looks like something a royal assassin would carry.”

“Or a trained scout” Evan replied. “Or anyone who needs power without the weight of a full lance.”

A soldier stepped forward trembling with excitement. “Can I test it”

Evan nodded. “If you hit the target clean maybe I will trust you with building the next one.”

The soldier raised the compact weapon aimed at a practice dummy and squeezed the trigger.

A narrow beam fired perfectly straight punching through the dummy’s heart plate. The hole was crisp and small but deep.

The entire workshop erupted in cheers.

Rhel stared at Evan with something close to awe. “Marshall you realize this weapon alone could change the shape of war. Small enough to carry in one hand. Stable enough to aim in a storm. Accurate enough to strike weak points. If other kingdoms learned of this they would panic.”

Evan nodded. “Then you better keep my workspace safe. We are just getting started.”

The workshop felt alive in a way Evan had never seen before. Craftsmen moved with purpose carrying raw materials to proper stations. Others practiced shaping cores with new precision. Taron helped train new apprentices.

For the first time Evan understood why he was here. Not by accident. Not by misfortune. He had a role. A huge one.

He looked at the compact weapon still warm in his hands.

This world was going to change and he would be the one who rewrote its tools from the ground up.