Chapitre 21: Overseers

It was a fine morning with sun rays filtering through the courtyard of the Royal complex. The garden's leaves glowed in the morning sun. Although the sun was bright. The day was cool unlikely for the usual intense heat.

In the courtyard, a sturdy wooden table had been set up for a crucial meeting. Harsha, the youngest Prince of the Vijayanagar Empire, sat at the head, his demeanour calm yet authoritative. Around the table, representatives of the major noble families and trade guilds gathered, ready to discuss the ambitious road development projects that would span the empire.

Harsha began the meeting, "Thank you all for coming. As you know, developing our empire's infrastructure is paramount to our growth and prosperity."

He continued " So Today I have called you all to finalize our agreement on the road development projects, ensuring that they are built to the highest standards and serve the needs of our people."

"You all will act as overseers for the project," He finished his statement his gaze shifting from each representative seated on the table.

The silence was broken by a merchant from Goa, Prabhakar, who voiced his opinion. Prabhakar was a veteran merchant with substantial wealth amassed from dealing with the Portuguese and other European nations. His influence in the region rivalled that of many local nobles, making his voice a significant one in any crucial decision.

"So, what's the benefit for us merchants to oversee such a project, Your Highness? I do hope you know that merchants move with profits in mind always," Prabhakar stated, his tone firm but respectful.

"Of course," Harsha replied smoothly. "The benefit for merchants is an exemption from toll taxes for three years. Also, the roads would help in faster and safer transporting of your goods. Would that be acceptable?"

Prabhakar's eyes narrowed as he considered the proposal. The gears in his mind turned, calculating the potential profits and losses, weighing the benefits of toll-free travel against the effort required to oversee the project.

"Four years," Prabhakar countered, his voice steady but firm.

Prashant began to interject, "Your Highness, if I may—"

Harsha dismissed Prashant with a wave of his hand, maintaining his gaze on Prabhakar. "Four years of toll exemptions is too much. We will stick to three years." Harsha smiled, his eyes sharp and fierce, sending a chill down Prabhakar's spine.

"Prashant, hand them the agreement copies," Harsha ordered.

Prashant distributed the agreements around the table. Each representative began scrutinizing the provisions listed.

Acuthan Nair, the son of Parvathi Nair and proxy of the Nairs of Kozhikode, raised his hand. As the heir apparent after the current Matriarch, his questions carried significant weight.

Parvathi Nair was the current Matriarch of the Nairs and the only Matriarch of the Empire.

"Your Highness, who would be the inspectors as stated in the agreement?" Acuthan asked.

Harsha scratched his chin thoughtfully and then shifted his gaze to Acuthan. "It will be the Nayakas. I will be meeting their Patriarch in person."

A collective wince rippled through the room at the mention of the Nayakas as inspectors. The mere thought of the Nayakas overseeing the project implied a strict, unyielding oversight. Any hopes of ill-management or skimming off funds would be extinguished under their watchful eyes. The Nayakas' reputation for fairness and integrity meant that any misconduct would be met with severe consequences.

Acuthan nodded slowly, acknowledging the prince's decision. "Understood, Your Highness. The Nairs will cooperate fully with the Nayakas."

A young merchant, surprisingly tasked with the largest project out of the bunch, the Hampi-Bidar-Gulbarga major road, spoke out nervously.

"Although we can guard against leaking information through word of mouth, what about if someone spies on the method? It seems pretty easy to replicate."

The young merchant, Nakul, was a pioneer in his field. Rising from poverty with no prior experience in the field, he created wealth through his sheer business intelligence and efficiency. At a young age, he managed to gain influence and wealth rivaling that of most seasoned merchants in the empire.

"That's a great question, Nakul," Harsha acknowledged. "I do recognize that it's bound to leak despite our measures. This measure is just there to delay the process as long as possible. If we can delay it long enough, we will have an edge over our neighboring kingdoms."

Prashant added, "We could also consider disinformation tactics, introducing slight variations in the method when we suspect spies. This way, even if they do manage to gather information, it won't be entirely accurate or effective."

Nakul nodded, visibly relieved by the thorough consideration given to his concerns. "Thank you, Your Highness,"

"So, I guess no more objections to this," Harsha said, shifting his gaze between each representative.

The representatives exchanged glances, but no one raised any further concerns. Harsha's confidence and thorough planning had clearly impressed them.

"Let's sign the agreement," he declared.

One by one, the representatives signed the agreement, their quills scratching against the parchment. There was little to no protest about the provisions.

Prabhakar, the veteran merchant from Goa, finished signing and looked up. "This is a bold and ambitious plan, Your Highness. I believe it will bring great prosperity to our empire."

Overseer of the Goa Port Connection Road

Goa Merchant Guild, Represented by Prabhakar

Overseer of the Kochi Port Connection Road

Kochi Royal Family, Represented by Arjun

Overseer of the Machilipatnam Port Connection Road

Machilipatnam Merchant Guild, Represented by Kiran

Overseer of the Calicut Port Connection Road

Nair Family of Kozhikode, Represented by Acuthan Nair.

Overseer of the Hampi-Gulbarga-Bidar Major Road

Nakul, Independent Merchant.

"Prashant, what about the meeting with the Patriarch of the Nayakas?" Harsha asked.

Prashant nodded. "Fortunately, we don't have to travel far. The Patriarch is in the capital. We can meet him right away."

"I see, that's fortunate. Let's go then," Harsha replied

Harsha and Prashant reached their destination, a room in the western complex of the palace that housed nobles visiting the capital city of Hampi.

Harsha entered the room to see a man sitting in front of him. The man had long white hair tied up neatly. His face was streaked with scars from past battles, and he wore a distinct eyepatch over one eye, indicating a significant injury.

The man was burly and tall, exuding an aura similar to the Emperor's, a presence that spoke of strength and authority. Harsha immediately recognized that this was not just any noble but a formidable figure whose support could make or break their plans.

"Greetings to the Patriarch of Nayakas," Harsha greeted the Patriarch with a slight bow of respect.

The Patriarch stood up in response and bowed slightly, his movements elegant despite his rough appearance. "I greet Your Royal Highness."

"I have heard you have lost your memories. Allow me to introduce myself again," he continued. "I am Rudra Simha Nayaka, Patriarch of the Nayaka Noble Family."

Harsha nodded, acknowledging the introduction. "It's an honour to meet you, Patriarch Rudra Simha Nayaka. I've come to discuss the road development project and the role I hope the Nayakas will play in it."

Harsha handed him the agreement for the Road development. He had to ensure that the Nayakas took part in this as it was crucial to limit corruption.

"Let's see," Rudra Simha Nayaka murmured as he skimmed through the pages of the agreement and the detailed documents outlining the road-making methods and strict guidelines to follow. His experienced eyes took in every detail with a critical gaze.

Harsha watched him intently, his curiosity piqued. "So, what do you say?" he asked.

The Patriarch of the Nayakas looked up, his expression thoughtful. "Hmm... I do like it. The plans are thorough, and the guidelines are stringent, which I appreciate. But, young prince, what are the benefits for us to participate in this endeavor?"

"Exemption of toll tax for your family for three years," Harsha offered.

Rudra Simha's eye narrowed, and he tossed the agreement onto the table before him, crossing his legs. "Hmm, that won't be enough, Prince!" His gaze remained sharp and unwavering, challenging Harsha.

Harsha leaned forward slightly. "What would you consider a fair compensation, Patriarch Rudra Simha Nayaka?"

"AHAHAHA, can you fairly compensate considering you might also be planning to dump the inspector job on me," Rudra Simha Nayaka let out a hearty laugh.

Harsha winced slightly at that statement. He never thought that the patriarch would see through him so easily.

'Hmm, I was read like a book. politics is fun! ' he thought.

"Prince, don't be nervous! HAHAHA! It's fine, I was just teasing. Three years toll exemption is fine," Rudra Simha said, his laughter echoing through the room.

"What? Is it?" Harsha was surprised for a moment as the patriarch looked serious.

"Well, if the prince would visit our mansion sometime, we could finalize the deal right now," Rudra Simha added, his tone shifting to one of sincere invitation.

"Haah?" Harsha was taken aback by the sudden invitation from the Nayakas.

Prashant gulped nervously beside him. He knew that the patriarch of the Nayakas wouldn't invite someone to their family mansion just out of the blue unless he had genuinely taken a liking to them during their first meeting.

"Sure, I guess. It would be an honour to visit the Nayakas after I finish the tasks of road development," Harsha replied, still processing the unexpected turn of events.

"Then it's a promise. Let's finalize this," Rudra said with a smirk plastered on his old scarred face.

Overseer of the Nagapattinam Port connection and inspection of all road projects:

Nayaka Family, represented by Rudra Simha Nayaka.

After Harsha left the Western Complex, a man entered through the window. He was the personal guard of the Nayaka Family head.

"Patriarch, why did you invite the youngest prince?" he asked.

Rudra Simha said with a smile. "He has changed a lot. And his eyes are different from what I saw before."

"But from what I observed, he seems unremarkable. I acknowledge his martial skills, but politically, he appears to lack value," the guard remarked.

Rudra Simha's expression turned serious. "Is that what you think? I saw a tiger in him, biding its time. His capabilities far surpass mere martial prowess."

"Is that so?" the guard replied, still doubtful.

Rudra Simha leaned back, a knowing smile on his face. "Has my intuition ever been wrong? He is going to grow immensely. It's crucial to forge a bond now."

The guard looked thoughtful. "You believe he has that much potential?"

"Absolutely," Rudra Simha affirmed. "I expect great things from the baby tiger, sharpening his fangs in secret. HAHAHA!"