After wasting a whole day due to a slight fright, Prashant is now ready to utilise cheats and modern knowledge to take Indian civilisation to new heights, correct historical wrongs, and build a legacy for the upcoming millennia. But all that needs to come out from under the bed and do morning rituals first. He had an epiphany last night and is now heading outside in a hurry for a cultural, philosophical curiosity. Which in common tongue means he is still scared witless and is running toward the temple. "Jai Ma devi (greetings goddess), your dutiful child is here. I missed you so much. Please accept my sincere offerings. As I was saying, I'm an obedient devotee. If you have any teachings, tell me directly at noon in the temple. No need to send spirits in my dreams, just saying." Prashant offered a heartfelt prayer to the temple idol.
The whole messed-up affair distracted him from exploring the cheats. "Ready-made spawning armies? Even if it's just a dozen soldiers, this would be a killer advantage. Imagine an enemy leader is rousing his men for the upcoming fight. I'm mixed in the crowd. Everyone is full of confidence and boiling blood. And khachhakk, I spawned a dozen masked men just near the leader for an instant kill. Hahahah. When everyone else is scrambling for gunpowder production, modern army drills in other isekai reborn stories, I'll be laughing manically while spawning a few dudes with spears and stones in their flanks, in their tents at night. Such dark, perverted thoughts? How come I'm doing all the villain stuff in my own story? Ah, last night, Prem Chopra got stuck in my mind. I urgently need an antivirus. Jokes aside, power usually corrupts. Look at Gollum from The Lord of the Rings series; the greed made him bald. How to make sure that I don't go the Aurangzeb route? I like my Mughal history, but that's during Akbar, Jahangir, and Shahjahan. I mean, they too did plenty of cruel stuff, but at least managed PR well. I had a classmate named Jodha in pre-school. When asked what her full name was, all the kids would say, Jodha Akbar. Just look at the brand, still going strong after 500 years. Hopefully, at least, cheat won't actively pull me towards the dark side, I'm confident that I won't be taking that path myself."
A warm breeze blew past him, "Goddess, are you so impressed with my strong moral compass that you're sending me personalised AC in this monsoon? Look, it even has petals." The petals and warm breeze were blowing gently towards the outside of the temple. Prashant felt curious and, like a child, decided to follow it to a less crowded lane nearby.
If he had an iota of sense, it would have screamed to his face. 'Bro, this is definitely black magic seduction. Haven't you seen foreign horror films? This is a classic trick to pull a helpless fool out of the safe zone and show his gruesome end. Literal head-twisting moment. But no, you had to follow the petals. Were you a starving honeybee in your last life who willingly forgot all thermodynamics and weather science for petals? Warm breeze generated out of an enclosed space in the middle of the monsoon season without any heat source? Newton is shaking his head in disappointment. You're not some hero in a romantic tale, this was originally a fantasy systemic exploration of the world with heavy monologues, you then invited a ghost for no reason, and now esteemed sir is entering a dimly lit side-lane!'
[M: There is a surprise at the end of the lane.]
"Huh, cheat baba giving tasks? That's not fair; I never liked those kinds of novels. If one needs to work, why bother reading cheat novels? Go and do the actual job, look at the manager there, he too will paint the same pie in the air as long as you are willing to do overtime, again. Hmmm, but the prompt box is slightly pink, and warm rather than usual cold, blue and sarcastic. M? James Bond M? The spy leader grandma who was reading poetry at the parliamentary hearing in that one movie? How did it go?
Ulysses
.....Skipping boring beats...
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Just add Chanakya background music, black sunglasses and a cigar for that extra feel. And no one will know if I was genuinely appreciating a culture or doing its roadside autopsy."
Prashant did his best impression of a serious Victorian nobleman saluting and added 'God save the queen' for random cultural appropriation. Now, Gandhiji is shaking his head.
That dusty lane opened up to a shanty-like area with crowded houses, and people were walking in a hurry to their daily lives. Not everyone is as lazy as Prashant. Just ahead, a group of goons are harassing a girl in what seems a heated argument turned into a scuffle. With a single glance, he deduced who was at fault. Just look at the girl, just how pretty she is, it's definitely the goons who are wrongly oppressing innocents here.
All yesterday's talk of being cautious and understanding before judging was thrown out of his mind at the first instance of beauty. "Hey, you! (loudly), What are you doing in broad daylight? Dozen grown men harassing a girl, don't you have any shame? But goddesses won't let such injustice stain the holy land. So there are still people who are willing to face power for dharma. Don't worry, girl, no one can hurt you while I'm here. And you, villains, accept your punishment." A sudden hot-blooded speech left everyone bewildered, and the guy who shouted was busy swiping his fingers in the air.
[Spawning successful. 100 Rajputs]
If Prashant had any conscience, it would be speechless. 'Bro, these are a dozen local goons. Not 1000 Mughals. Directly bringing 100 noblemen who have spent all their lives in martial arts and the Mahabharata stories! It's like Spider-Man encountering his first robbery, and he shouts Avengers, Assemble! and Captain Marvel actually decides to come in for a show with all her glitters. Overkill is not a myth, man. Just look at the goons in their dusted outfits and now your bodyguards. They are wearing so much jewellery that it can easily buy off this entire area. Who can tell who is the oppressor here? Plus, you told them with glances to deliver fiery dialogues and boast your character for setting with the girl! Bro, your brain needs to reset to factory settings.'
Prashant sent 50 warriors towards the group and kept 50 as his personal shield, what if an arrow comes in from some corner. For those idiots who might be cursing Prashant for being over the top, he can only explain the concrete (read convoluted) reasons. "Rajputs were not just superior warriors in India using their public perception was much more powerful than their mere muscles. A Rajput group entering in random town was not seen as the arrival of armed men. To locals, it meant that now there was someone who upheld the virtues of Kshatriya percepts (warrior class), protected religious traditions and general raj-dharma (duty of ruler). Even if the town itself was in places outside the Rajput domain, say somewhere in the south, Rajputs were still valued as signifying the stabilising of society. Sure, not all Rajputs were paragons of chivalry, nor were they above political struggles. But they were seen as umpires; the idea was now there was some structure to this chaos. Even if Rajputs were defeated in the end, local powers would want their oath of loyalty, not their lives. I'm openly bringing 100 of these so that nobody messes with me on a whim. Now they have to be mindful of the power behind me. Don't think all the people I had contact with in this world were good. Maybe the inn proprietor was simply waiting for an opportunity to stab me. But now? I achieved a tactical victory, i.e. wooing the girl, while maintaining a strategic advantage. Truly, I'm next Chanakya (master statesman)."
[M: Watch out, from behind]
A stone came and hit his shoulder, which was a solid hit. Without his high constitution, this would have kept him in bed for weeks if aimed slightly higher. Did someone manage to attack him under the protection of 50 Rajputs even after all that lore buildup? A child picked another stone for the next throw, and Prashant had a warrior catch him.
"Why are you hitting me, child? What wrong did I do to you?'
"You're going to attack my father. You are a bad man."
"What father? Why would I even do that?"
"He is there with uncles, and your people have surrounded them."
"You mean the goons? And you! Oye, Rajput brother! I asked you to deliver a filmy dialogue, not a sermon on the Gita."
A Rajput answered, "They are understanding the whole story before taking action."
"Don't fool me, I come from a democracy, the government has been doing a comprehensive survey for the last 20 years from their offices. I was also one of those surveyors. Don't try to scam me. I've a PhD in it."
A pleasant voice came midway, "Thank you, young prince, surely everyone was right about your dharmic restraint and wisdom. Your bodyguards told me that you never let any innocent suffer in undue judgment." The girl had come up to the group and explained the whole story. The leader of the other side was her landlord. She had rented a courtyard, and now her lease ended.
"They said that? Definitely yes. No, I mean I never let commoners suffer. After all, I'm a prince. (god knows from where)
By the way, call me Prashant. Your Majesty, the mighty prince doesn't suit my low-key temperament."
"Prince.." A heavy voice came from the background, disturbing Prashant from looking at her amazing beauty.
"Prince..."
"Hey, who is that prince? Are you deaf, buddy? Your people are screaming everywhere like an elephant with ants up its nose. No manners in public space! You people are disturbing common people from making friends here." Prashant erupted, uncharacteristic of his mild manners and looked around to find that idiot. Noticing the girl's gaze, he realised the blunder "Oh uncle, I was just joking. What elephant, you sound like Indra, the king of gods. What were you saying? I'm sure it was important, isn't it?"
"The other side was merely asking the lady to vacate the courtyard."
"So what, it's as if there's only one courtyard in the town. Let's go, we'll purchase a new one on the main street. Girl, please come with me. Don't worry, it's a fate we met. I'm always eager to help others."
"Prashant, won't this be troublesome?"
"Girl, what kind of trouble? Even if it's there, I'll face it with open arms."
"Well, thank you."
[M: Items spawned, 1 bag of high-quality saffron]
"Rajput uncle, you go and sell this saffron and buy a courtyard for me. The Dharamshala proprietor is my best friend; he will surely help you with the task. Girl, let's have lunch. I was hurry in the morning to pray to the goddess. I have always been a family-oriented, intellectual man...."
[Despwan command accepted. -99 Rajputs]
During a lavish meal, the girl asked with curiosity. "Where are the rest of your bodyguards?"
"Oh, don't worry about them. Maybe I conjured them up to save you. You know, I know magic."
"You too?"
"Huh? By the way, I forgot to ask your name. Why are you alone? Won't your family be worried?" Prashant was wondering how a woman is alone in this era. This is not his patriarchy bleeding out, but pure curiosity.
"Well, I'm a student of dancing. I come from the southern region. I don't have any family. Plus, who could harm me in this town? My name is Chandramukhi."
"Cough cough!...!....!" Prashant zoned out mid-meal.
His conscience did the dubbing.
'Go, go and chase even more breezes. Look what a romantic hero is. Chandramukhi, a dancer, from the south, has no family alive. It's the script from that southern movie. Man, you should quietly check if her feet are twisted backwards (test to identify spirits). And don't girl this, girl that. One wrong decision in excitement, and you asked her to live with you. Child, hopeless! You despawned the bodyguards to build up a low-key persona. And even boasted about magic.
T.O.A.T.A.L.L.Y. D.E.S.E.R.V.E.D. I.T.'
"Sister, I think you should stay in the temple complex; they have great dance teachers." Prashant mechanically ate and finally said a full sentence.
"No need, I can confidently say, I dance like I've been dancing for centuries."
"Good. Good. Good. So that means we will be living together. Huh, let's go, I'm dying to start our new relationship. He he (nervous chuckles)."
Prashant slept in his new courtyard after counting lots of sheep and sheer sleep deprivation for two days. Unknown to him, a breeze came in, and the petals formed an outline of a person.
M: "Our little guy finally couldn't hold on, poor fellow was nearly gone mad. Let's see what this cheat is."
The outline started swiping and typing in the air, truly, women can hold half the sky. Look, even spirits have learned to hack.
M: "Let's see, spawnable entries unlocked by user Prashant."
[
Indiaman: A Dutch ocean-going ship capable of moderate fighting and large cargo for trade. A revolutionary chance to change world trade.
Manuals on early line-infantry military drills: Became the standard of European warfare and peaked during Napoleon. Devastatingly powerful against others.
...
Diamond polishing wheel: Uses diamond 'dust' to create an enduring tool to cut even beautiful faces on diamonds. God sent innovation perfectly suitable for the only diamond-producing country in the current world.
...
...]
M: "What a smart guy, has everything in his mind to propel a kingdom to the world stage. But stupid enough to have never noticed the cheat manual in plain sight. Cute. Let him sleep, just as a prank, maybe I'll tie an anklet to his feet, surely he will like this surprise too."