Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

As the sun rose higher and the morning heat sank into the capital's streets, the streets that were once filled with people gradually turned deserted as noon approached.

Harsha was about to leave his private chambers for a town near Bidar to fulfill certain responsibilities.

He intended to first check on the road development and then verify everything assigned to Prashant to ensure that it was being done correctly. However, Harsha was not required to do anything. He disliked inefficiency or poor upkeep of projects on which he had personally worked. That was a major deal for him.

A knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts.

Viswa, his Butler, and guard stated, "Your Highness, the preparations have been completed; we can now leave."

"That's great. Prepare to leave," Harsha said as he departed the chamber into the corridor and began making his way to the carriage, with Viswa closely behind him.

"Your Highness, Varun and Narayana cannot join us on the journey; they were given a task yesterday to complete," Viswa states, walking behind him.

Harsha kept walking silently as he was being briefed on some information by Viswa necessary for the trip.

Harsha eventually said, stroking his chin, "Who is my palace-assigned guard?"

"It's that guy from before, Your Highness!"

"Rahul Shetty?" Harsha asked.

"Yes, Your Highness," Viswa said in a quiet voice.

They sat in a magnificent carriage, and Viswa, dressed in leather armor with daggers hidden on his thigh and a sword around his waist, joined Harsha.

Harsha was likewise dressed luxuriously to reflect his royal rank, donning a tunic, pajamas, and huge robe, as well as a trusty sword purchased by Alfonso and placed around his waist. They began their journey in the town of Bidar.

"So, Viswa, what of the reports from Patwardhans and Nayakas?" Harsha inquired with interest.

"About that, the report had been delayed; I received it today, and I was about to share it right now," Viswa stated with a clenched fist.

'THOSE BASTARDS, how dare they delay the report by a day? How will I face the Prince for such inefficiency? I will teach them a lesson the next time,' Viswa muttered inside.

"So, Mithun has amassed a lot of wealth in the last five months, and along with Karna, he has established nearly 70 small bases throughout the Empire," Viswa said while perusing the paperwork in his possession.

"That's a lot of bases and wealth," Harsha arched his brows in surprise, going through the financial details. "I guess I underestimated their capabilities."

"Also, it seems like you sent out some detailed plans for them to follow through," he added.

Yes, Your Highness. I didn't want them to let you down," Viswa claimed, smugly receiving the prince's compliments.

"That's great; I guess I picked the right person," he said with an amused smirk.

Viswa was reading over the many reports from different sources that he had received.

"Your Highness, This news is directly from the Nayakas; apparently, certain sources indicate that the intruders are close to the location where we are headed."

"Who are these intruders?"

"It's supposedly the exiled prince of the Yadava Kingdom. It seems they are being pursued by some assassins, as the reports suggest numerous dead bodies near the border." Viswa commented, scratching his temples.

"But look at the report." "They said the assassins had Kasim sultanate weapons, which is quite strange," Harsha reflected.

"Why is that? Your Highness,"

"Why would the Sultanate bother with an exiled, powerless prince, expending these many resources for his life?" Harsha answered.

"Now that you say that, it definitely seems odd," Viswa agreed with the notion.

"It seems they want us to think assassins are from Kasim instead of their own kingdom, which is trying to take them out."

"That's a pretty smart move to delay the investigation, haha," Harsha smiled quietly with a delighted look.

As his entourage made their way to Bidar, Harsha kept his attention fixed on the newly completed road. He viewed it for the first time in a few months after the storm. The parallel drains and ample meadows prevented the road from washing away in the heavy rain. The road building was immaculate. Markers and rest places were well maintained.

Harsha spotted small groups of patrolling guards, some on foot and some on horseback, marking the routes' safety net for traders. People who moved on their feet escaped the noon heat by resting in specific locations.

"They did a good job," Harsha commented.

They traveled and stopped at rest sites and towns to restock for the trip. Harsha started detecting something weird a few days ago. Even though he couldn't put his finger on it.

'There's something strange going on,' he thought to himself.

Harsha began to notice peculiarities throughout the few days of the journey as they got closer to Bidar. He now realized why he felt strange. The entourage's members were being replaced, and the group shrank considerably during the journey. There appeared to be murderous intent directed at him now.

"Viswa, I believe we are in a bind," he whispered to him.

"We are being targeted; there are trained individuals to assassinate us in the entourage. They hid themselves very well." Harsha added.

"WHAT? I didn't notice anything!" Viswa gasped visibly but kept his voice quiet.

"Your Highness, we need to leave quickly if we are being targeted, but how did the guard captain let it happen?" Viswa softly said.

"He is in on this as well." He dismissed Viswa and remarked, "We will wait for the right opportunity; stay alert at all times."

"Understood, Your Highness,"

Meanwhile, a few kilometers from Harsha's location,. Gauri Seuna, disguised as the Prince, and her small company were making their way to Bidar to avoid assassins sent by her uncle.

"Your Highness, Shall we rest here for a bit and then move in the night?" Naiki advised, staring at the exhausted Sachin and Hansraj, whose eyes brightened up as they heard the words.

"Sure, let's camp here for a while," he said, setting down the bag he'd been carrying with some supplies.

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