Few days later.
The sun shone fiercely overhead while Ayush, alongside Gaurav Rajput and twenty top guards, advanced toward the fort of Rudra Singh.
Their goal was an ancient stone stronghold situated on a hill by the Narmada River, where extensive iron mines were under Rudra's command.
For them, this was more than just a negotiation, it was a strategic imperative. Without iron availability, his strategy for large-scale firearm production would collapse before it even commenced.
As they neared the fortress, Ayush noticed its sturdy stone walls, fortified gates, and many guards positioned on the towers.
"It's strongly protected," Gaurav observed.
"If Rudra is unwilling to negotiate, seizing it by force will be difficult."
Ayush grinned.
"I favor peaceful talk instead of conflict… however, if he will not accept logic, I will take what I require."
At Rudra Singh place.
The grand hall of Rudra Singh's stronghold was decorated with hunting trophies, tiger pelts, elephant tusks, and the skulls of defeated foes.
Rudra Singh sat atop an intricately crafted throne, his bushy mustache twisted upward, his keen gaze scrutinizing Ayush and his companions as they arrived.
He was a man of great stature, clothed in a luxurious silk robe, a hefty sword lying next to him.
"Ah, the emerging star of Garha." Rudra laughed, his resonant voice echoing in the room.
"I've heard a lot about you, Ayush Chandra Mourya."
Ayush stayed composed, nodding slightly while maintaining his gaze on Rudra.
"I have heard a great deal about you, Lord Rudra."
"Your power, your guidance... and your iron resources."
Rudra's grin grew larger. "Ah, getting right to the point, are we?"
"Are you searching for my mines?"
Ayush agreed. "I have arrived to suggest a deal."
"I am ready to provide trade advantages, gold, and security from the Bijapur Sultanate in return for consistent access to iron from your mines."
Rudra laughed softly, leaning back in his seat. Do you think I require protection?"
"My stronghold has remained for many years. The Bijapur Sultanate is afraid of me."
Ayush inclined his head. "Maybe."
" But for what duration? The Mughals are growing. The Sultanate is gaining strength. "Before long, they will arrive for your territories."
Rudra's gaze grew somber. "And what can you provide that I cannot obtain on my own?"
Ayush bent forward, his tone steady. "Gun weapons."
Rudra lifted an eyebrow. "Firearms?"
Ayush agreed with a nod. "I am manufacturing guns in significant quantities."
" While your fighters engage with swords and bows, my soldiers will use arms capable of taking down foes from afar.
Rudra rubbed his beard, pondering. "And you think I should surrender my iron mines for these… modern weapons?"
Ayush stayed calm. "Keep going; provide." You will retain ownership, but we will remove and carry the iron. You will get an equitable portion of the earnings and be the first to acquire firearms.
Rudra burst into a hearty laugh. "What prevents me from just seizing your firearms once you've assembled them?"
Ayush's demeanor remained unchanged. "Perhaps you should give it a shot."
"However, you would not succeed."
The space became quiet. Rudra's troops grew tense, but Ayush's elite forces remained steady, their hands poised on their swords.
"Are you making threats against me in my own courtroom?" Rudra inquired, his tone quiet.
Ayush grinned slyly. "No, Lord Rudra." I am merely expressing the truth. You might have men, but my guards are exceptional warriors. "My weapons will shortly render your fortress walls insignificant."
Rudra's jaw clenched, yet he maintained his calm.
"An audacious assertion."
"However, I am not someone who exchanges power for hollow words. The iron mines belong to me, and I will not surrender them."
Ayush let out a sigh as he rose to his feet. "Then I must seek an alternative solution."
Rudra's gaze became focused. "And what could that be?"
Ayush faced him, his golden eyes shining. "If you refuse to give me iron, I will seize it." "In one manner or another."
With that, he turned and left the hall, leaving Rudra to reflect on his next action.
In the evening
Returning to their makeshift camp, Gaurav walked back and forth uneasily. "Things could have turned out better," he murmured.
Ayush grinned. "No, it happened just as I anticipated."
Gaurav made a face. "Did you think he would say no?"
Ayush agreed. Rudra Singh is a military leader. He prioritizes strength rather than words. At this point, he perceives us as a danger. "That is what I desired."
Gaurav's eyes grew large. "Did you intentionally provoke him?"
Ayush grinned slyly. "Now he will get ready for battle. And when he acts, we will initiate the attack."
"However, not in the manner he anticipates."
Keshav moved ahead, arms folded. "What's the strategy then?"
Ayush gazed at his top-tier guards. "We don't have to besiege his stronghold."
"We only require his iron mines. We will penetrate, seize control of the mines, and compel him to capitulate on our conditions."
Gaurav smiled."An ingenious plan.We disable his resources before he even becomes aware of his defeat."
The atmosphere within the war tent was charged with anxiety as Ayush and his top advisors convened around an extensive wooden map of Rudra Singh's domain.
Candles wavered, creating shadows on the worried expressions of the gathered men.
Gaurav Rajput, positioned at the table's head, gradually glided his hand across the map, his keen eyes examining every detail of the foe's stronghold, iron mines, and the nearby landscape. He inhaled deeply before facing Ayush.
"This will be a conflict of intellect, not merely the blade. By properly executing my strategy, we will dismantle Rudra Singh's fortress in a single, rapid assault, preventing him from having a moment to regroup."
Ayush leaned in, his golden eyes shining with excitement.
"Share with me, Gaurav." How can we defeat a man who believes he is unbeatable?"
Gaurav smiled slyly. "We strip him of what grants him power, his resources, his allies, and his determination to battle."
Gaurav indicated the iron mines located to the north of the stronghold.
"Initially, we severed his lifeline." His stronghold is robust, yet it depends on a steady flow of resources from the mines.
"Once we take command of the iron mines, his capacity to equip his troops diminishes. Lacking iron, he cannot create weapons, fix his defenses, or provide for his blacksmiths.
Keshav, a top guard of Ayush, scowled."
"However, the mines are under strict security."
"Isn't it necessary to lay siege to capture them?"
Gaurav nodded his head. "No need for a siege. Rather, we penetrate. We dispatch a select group of top soldiers disguised as traders and laborers. They will infiltrate the mines at night, quietly eliminate key guards, and secure the tunnels."
"As soon as we secure the mines, we will halt all iron shipments to the fortress."
Ayush grinned. "Intelligent."
"As soon as we take control of the mines, we gain power over him. But what comes after?"
Gaurav's fingers followed the supply paths into the fortress.
"Rudra gets his food, weapons, and support from local villages. If we manage these pathways, we can suffocate him before he even comprehends what is occurring.
Ayush affirmed with a nod. "
"We severed his resources, and his troops will go hungry."
"His forces will diminish even before we launch an assault."
Gaurav grinned. "Precisely."
"We will deploy teams to patrol the primary roads, halting any transport of food, arms, or reinforcements from getting to him."
"In a matter of days, his stronghold will turn into a jail."
Gaurav's demeanor became grave as he touched the fortress itself.
"Rudra Singh is a man filled with pride." "However, pride is also his biggest vulnerability. He thinks his stronghold is invulnerable. We will cause him to question that."
Ayush lifted an eyebrow. "By what means?"
Gaurav smiled. "Anxiety. We will circulate gossip among his followers. We will corrupt a few of his lower-tier soldiers, giving them misleading details concerning treachery, covert assaults, and defections. Before long, his own soldiers will betray him."
Rajeshwari, who had been quietly listening, eventually spoke up. "If his troops lose faith in him, they could yield without resistance."
Gaurav acknowledged with a nod. "Precisely." And as the fear intensifies, Rudra will turn desperate."
"That's the moment we act."
Gaurav's tone became more frigid.
"As soon as the mines are secured by us, his resources will be limited, and his troops will be discouraged; then we will initiate our ultimate attack."
"However, we will avoid a direct assault on the fortress."
Ayush grinned. "Negative.That would be unwise."
Gaurav indicated a concealed cave network close to the fortress. There exists a subterranean route that runs underneath Rudra's fortifications. "My informants have verified it."
Keshav's eyes grew large. "A concealed entryway?"
Gaurav acknowledged with a nod. "Indeed." It was initially constructed as a means of escape, but now it will serve as our entrance."
" On the evening of the assault, a small group will penetrate the stronghold through the tunnels and unlock the main gates. As soon as the gates open, our entire army will rush in and seize control before they have a chance to respond."
Ayush tightened his grip. "An ideal strategy. An accurate hit. "
"Not a long conflict, no needless loss of life."
Gaurav grinned. "We strip him of everything before he realizes he's been defeated."