Yesterday was a successful day for Harsha. He had not only completed the test for the new road construction thod but had also received approval to begin building the roads. However, his work was far from over. He still needed to draft a comprehensive plan to ensure the roads would be future-proof and sustainable.
Early the next morning, Harsha was in the Royal training hall, stretching his limbs and neck in preparation for sparring. He was becoming more accustod to his body and steadily increasing his training workload.
Narayana, who had rejoined the training after recovering from his previous injuries, was on the ground, huffing and breathing heavily, his eyes dizzy from exhaustion. "What the hell is this training?! It's not normal," he thought, struggling to keep up with the intensity.
Narayana gazed at Varun, who was in the sa boat as him, lying on the ground after a grueling training session. "Did you do this daily?" he whispered softly.
"Oh! This is the easiest part. Sparring with that monster is literally Hell on earth," Varun whispered back, his tone a mix of exhaustion.
"Hey, tone it down! Varun, you don't want to get executed!" Narayana warned in a hushed voice.
"You don't understand! I'll let you experience it first, then hope you have the sa opinion about this," Varun retorted, shaking his head.
' I wonder What happened to Varun! ' Narayana thought.
Their conversation was interrupted by Harsha, who approached them with a calm yet commanding presence. "Enough resting, you two. We have sparring left,"
As they got to their feet, Harsha continued, "Since Narayana joined us today, you both can fight together."
"What?" Both of them gasped in unison at Harsha's order.
"Don't sweat it. You guys are not even at the level to beat yet," he smirked, resting his wooden sword on his shoulder.
Both fell silent at the statent. It was an undeniable fact that the prince was far stronger than them despite being the youngest. Narayana and Varun saw an insurmountable wall in Harsha, its top nowhere in sight. Narayana experienced this feeling for the first ti in his life, having always been considered a talented individual.
The realization that he was not the strongest hit him hard, but it also sparked a desire to overco this new challenge.
Varun, on the other hand, felt a familiar thrill. A sense of challenge lit up within him, pushing him to try his best to climb this insurmountable wall. It had been a long ti since he felt such a drive.
Harsha pointed the sword at both of them, "Get ready, Let's begin the session."
Narayana and Varun exchanged a glance, a silent agreent passing between them. They moved into position, circling Harsha, trying to anticipate his moves. Harsha stood relaxed
"Good decision," he said with a smirk as the fight began.
Varun made the first move, lunging forward with a quick thrust. Harsha deflected his thrust with ease, anticipating a lower kick from Narayana. He sidestepped, covering his blind spot and positioning himself to face both opponents.
Both Varun and Narayana split and attacked from opposite sides. Harsha blocked Varun's quick swipe at his torso and turned around to dodge Narayana's vertical cut. They continued their relentless attacks, but Harsha exploited the weaknesses in their teamwork to break their flow.
After a few minutes of back and forth between him and the duo, He went on a final offensive to end the spar.
Blocking a heavy blow from Narayana, Harsha anticipated a stab from Varun. He flicked his wrist to direct Narayana's blocked sword to the other side, moving out of the way for Varun's stab to land on Narayana's thigh.
"What are you doing? ARGH!" Narayana winced and scread in pain, instructing Varun to stay focused.
Seeing an opportunity to end the battle, Harsha charged at disoriented Narayana, dodging his swing. He moved to the side of Narayana using him as a deterrent for Varun's swing, who was montarily distracted by the unexpected move. Simultaneously, Harsha grabbed Narayana's arm, pulling it back and delivering a solid kick to his back, pushing him onto the distracted Varun.
The two guards fell to the ground in a heap, their breaths ragged from the intense sparring. Harsha stood over them, his breathing steady and his expression calm.
"Good effort, both of you," Harsha said, his voice steady. "But you need to work on your coordination and anticipate each other's moves better."
"That hit the spot," Harsha exclaid, tossing the wooden sword onto the ground. He did so final stretches and shifted his gaze to the collapsed duo on the ground, panting heavily.
"Clean this up before you leave," he ordered, then left the training hall.
"What a monster!" Narayana exclaid.
"Didn't I tell you the sparring would be the hardest? Thankfully, the Prince didn't do three rounds as usual today," Varun replied.
"Three rounds??? and we couldn't land a single hit on the Prince," Narayana said, hanging his head in sha. His ego had been shattered from the prior sparring, but he let go of it, resolving to learn more and beco stronger.
"Don't sweat it! We should improve our coordination and teamwork along with our individual skills. This is a great opportunity to prove ourselves," Varun encouraged.
Narayana nodded, taking a deep breath. "You're right. We have to treat this as a chance to grow."
After the spar, Harsha took a bath and was with Prashant discussing the drafting of the road's construction guidelines.
"Your Highness, where do we start the road construction?" Prashant asked, setting down the docunts of road building and the sealed approval for access to treasury funds.
"Since port cities and nearby cities already have so road infrastructure, it would be easy to start there, so I was thinking of that," Harsha replied.
"Oh, I see," Prashant nodded.
"But first, we have to deal with so things before drafting a final plan," Harsha continued.
"What may those things be, Your Highness?" Prashant inquired, curious.
"Future-proofing, maintenance, and efficiency," Harsha explained. "We need to ensure that the roads we build now can accommodate future growth and heavier traffic. Maintenance should be straightforward and not too resource-intensive. And of course, the construction process itself must be efficient to make the best use of our ti and resources."
"We have ports in Goa, Kozhikode, Kochi, Machilipatnam, Pulicat, and Nagapattinam. Which ones are the most heavily trafficked and developed so far?" Harsha inquired.
"Currently, Kochi, Machilipatnam, and Nagapattinam handle the most traffic and are the most developed, Your Highness," Prashant replied.
Harsha nodded thoughtfully. "We need overseers to look over the road connections to these major ports. It's either the rchants or local nobility. What do you recomnd?"
Prashant considered this for a mont. "rchants have a vested interest in ensuring the roads are in good condition, as their businesses depend on it. They might push for faster and more efficient construction. However, they might also prioritize routes that benefit them directly, potentially neglecting less profitable areas. For places like Goa and Machilipatnam, the rchants would be better."
"Why though?" Harsha inquired
Prashant explained that the rchants' influence in these areas was quite high due to the increased trade with the Portuguese and other European nations. This makes them very influential, so it is a wise decision to include them.
"And what about the local nobility?" Harsha asked.
"Local nobility has the power and resources to oversee large projects and ensure that they are completed properly. They might have a broader view of the needs of their regions. However, there is a risk of them diverting resources for personal gain or getting bogged down in political rivalries," Prashant explained.
"So for places like Kochi, Kozhikode, and Nagapattinam, we should utilize the forr royals of Kochi, the Nairs, and the Nayakas to oversee. This way, smaller local nobles wouldn't create much of a nuisance," Harsha concluded.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I will include so agreents in the drafts, We also need inspectors to check road quality and ensure proper implentation of guidelines."
Prashant carefully considered the various noble factions within the Empire. The Nayaka's Patriarch had always stood out to him due to his unwavering commitnt to fairness and justice. As one of the strongest neutral factions, the Nayakas had always pledged allegiance to the throne without aligning with any particular prince.
"So, the Nayakas, you say?" Harsha inquired.
"Yes, Your Highness. I strongly recomnd eting the Patriarch in person. He is a... unique individual," Prashant replied.
"I plan to call the representatives of the three noble families to present the plan," Harsha stated.
"Your Highness, eting the Patriarch personally will have a greater impact," Prashant suggested earnestly.
After a mont of consideration, Harsha nodded in agreent. "Alright, I'll arrange a eting with the Patriarch."
After a few hours of intense work and route decisions, the final draft agreent for the road developnt was ready to move forward.
"Bidar-Gulbarga-Hampi road route, Your Highness?" Prashant inquired.
"Those are major cities. Although the route needs repairs, connecting them will significantly boost trade," Harsha replied thoughtfully.
"Very well," Prashant acknowledged. "I'll send a ssage to the representatives and arrange a eting with the Nayaka Patriarch as soon as possible."
Contents of the Draft
Vijayanagar Empire Road Developnt Agreent
Objective: To construct, maintain, and manage a comprehensive network of roads across the Vijayanagar Empire, ensuring accessibility, efficiency, and safety for all users.
Major Road Provisions:
1. Lane Specifications:
- Major roads will consist of two lanes specifically designed for carts and wagons, each lane being 2 Dhanu (approximately 4 ters) in width.
-Additionally, there will be one pedestrian lane on each side of the road, each lane being 1 Dhanu (approximately 2 ters) in width
2. Parallel Drains:
-Parallel drainage systems will be constructed on both sides of the road to ensure proper water runoff and prevent waterlogging
3. Grasslands for Cavalry Passage:
-Every major road must have 20 Dhanu (approximately 40 ters) wide grasslands beside it to facilitate the passage of cavalry and military movents
4. Rest Areas:
-Rest areas equipped with Bhavi (draw wells for water) will be established at intervals of 1 Kos (approximately 3 kiloters) along major roads
5. Village Connectivity:
-Major roads must pass through the outskirts of major villages to ensure connectivity and accessibility for local communities
6. Horse Rests:
-Resting stations for horses will be provided every 2 Kos (approximately 6 kiloters) along major roads
7. Stone Tablets:
-Every 4 Kos (approximately 12 kiloters), stone tablets will be erected with directions to the nearest city and its distance from the tablet.
Minor Road Provisions:
1. Lane Specifications:
-Minor roads will consist of two lanes, each 1 Dhanu (approximately 2 ters) in width, with an additional pedestrian lane of 1/2 Dhanu (approximately 1 ter) on each side
2. Parallel Drains:
-Similar to major roads, minor roads will also include parallel drainage systems
3. Connectivity:
-Minor roads will primarily connect small villages and towns within the empire
4. Land Reservation:
-A 3 Dhanu (approximately 6 ters) wide land will be reserved alongside minor roads for future expansion and developnt.
-This provision for land reservation can be lowered and adapted depending on the local terrain and village locality
Provisions for Road Tax:
-Toll taxes will be levied on major roads for rchants and pedestrians.
-rchants transporting goods will be subject to higher toll rates than pedestrians.
Provisions for Patrol:
-Local nobles are responsible for ensuring road safety by regularly deploying soldiers to patrol the roads.
-Patrols deployed by local nobles must promptly address distress calls along the roads.
Provisions for Inspections:
-Inspectors will conduct regular inspections to ensure strict adherence to the road construction guidelines.
-Inspectors have the authority to arrest and report any misappropriation of funds or deviation from the agreed guidelines.
Penalties for Misappropriations:
-Nobles found guilty of misappropriating funds will be judged by the Emperor himself.
-rchants found guilty will face severe penalties including the confiscation of wealth and corporal punishnt.
Implentation and Oversight:
-Overseers appointed for road developnt must strictly adhere to these guidelines upon signing the agreent, ensuring that roads are constructed and maintained to the highest standards.
Additional Provisions:
Confidentiality of Road Building thod:
-The specific thod for road construction, as detailed in the attached docunt, is classified information vital to the security and developnt of the Vijayanagar Empire. Any disclosure or leakage of this thod to neighboring countries or Europeans, whether intentionally or unintentionally, through word of mouth or any other ans, shall be deed a severe breach of trust.
Offenders will be subject to corporal punishnt as per the laws of the Empire.
Dispute Resolution:
-In the event of any disagreents or disputes arising during the implentation or interpretation of this agreent, the involved parties shall promptly report the matter to Prince Harsha Deva Raya and Road Developnt Supervisor Prashant.
They will work together to diate and resolve the dispute in a fair and just manner, ensuring the continued progress and success of the road developnt project.
Signatories:
Harsha Deva Raya
Prince, Vijayanagar Empire
Prashant
Road Developnt Supervisor
Overseer of [Specified Location]
[Na]
[Affiliation]
Date:
These provisions further safeguard the integrity of the road-building thod and ensure efficient conflict resolution, promoting the successful implentation of the road developnt initiative across the Vijayanagar Empire.
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