89 Reclaiming Kochi Part :1

Following the battle, the wounded soldiers and the fallen were transported back to the capital for medical treatment and either cremation or burial, honouring their sacrifice.

Subsequently, the deceased Dutch soldiers were also cremated in the forest itself to prevent the potential spread of diseases, ensuring a respectful disposal of their remains.

As Vijay observed the towering fire the size of a two-story building, he recalled something and summoned Yogendra. He inquired, "Did we successfully recover all the flintlocks from the Dutch? Were there any functional cannons left intact?"

Yogendra, having overseen the cleanup of the battlefield, swiftly remembered all the items they had gathered and responded, "Your Royal Highness, we have collected all the operational flintlocks and acquired a significant amount of ammunition. Unfortunately, we weren't as fortunate in recovering the cannons. However, by some stroke of luck, we managed to salvage a single cannon that hadn't been damaged by bombardment; it only flipped over, rendering it inoperable."

Upon hearing this, Vijay nodded his head in satisfaction with the spoils of the war. He was particularly pleased by the recovered cannons. In all honesty, Vijay had not expected to recover a cannon as he had ordered the destruction of all Dutch cannons, considering them a significant security threat in battle. The loss of the Dutch cannons was not a severe blow as the cannon technology of this era mainly made advancements in mechanics and metallurgy—fields that Vijay believed he could conquer with time. However, The recovered cannon would save Vijayanagar a significant amount of time they were lacking and reduce the effort required to develop new cannons, a fact that pleased Vijay.

In a joyous mood, Vijay ordered, "Send all the flintlocks and cannons to the Bhartiya Academy of Military Sciences. Have them disassemble all the weapons and figure out how to replicate them as soon as possible."

Vijay still remembered the looming threat of the Mughal Empire, which was why he was in such a hurry.

With all that said, it was time to embark on his first conquest as the emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The remaining soldiers marched towards the Kochi Port under Vijay's command.

In just a day, with the rangers leading the way, the marching Vijayanagara army reached the outskirts of Uppam Forest in half a day. They swiftly established a camp in this location and dispatched scouts to gather information about the condition of the Kochi port and any remaining Dutch forces.

As the day progressed and the sun began to set, half a day passed until the scouts returned with a comprehensive report of information.

Yogendra, who had initially reviewed the information, had a noticeable change in his expression. His face turned as dark as a stormy sky, and blue veins started to bulge on his neck. Vijay, perceiving the shift in Yogendra's demeanour, also delved into the information provided by the scouts, sensing that something was amiss.

Vijay, upon reading the information, was no better, even slamming the table in anger as he perused the news. Observing the king and the generals' expressions, all the leaders of the army were also curious to read the information, and their reactions were no different, their faces equally crestfallen.

"Your Highness, these bastards should not be forgiven. They are not humans; they are demons in the skin of humans. We should immediately erase them from the face of this world," Yogendra echoed through gritted teeth. His emotion resonated strongly among the military leaders as they also sided with him.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"We should erase them."

"Yes, yes."

"Please, Your Highness, listen to me. We should eradicate them right now."

"..."

As the surrounding noises grew increasingly louder, Vijay found his irritation escalating with the incessant clamour, especially after recalling the letter's troubling content. The revelations within made his blood boil, and his face contorted with a mix of anger and frustration. Finally, unable to contain his emotions, he snapped.

"Enough!" Vijay bellowed, his face flushed with rage. Pointing his finger around the table, he declared, "I will Fkng decide what to do, not all of you!"

With a grave expression, he made his point abundantly clear to all the military leaders seated around the table.

Everyone in the room was shocked by Vijay's outburst because it was their first time seeing their King act this way.

Even during the times when the rebellion was ongoing, Vijay was mostly gentle and included them in the conversation. They all thought it was odd that the king acted this way. Some among them also wanted to manipulate Vijay in the future, noticing his weak attitude. But witnessing Vijay's outburst today, they quickly buried their evil thoughts. They realized that their young king was starting to mature and could no longer be easily influenced by them.

"I am sorry, your highness. I deeply apologize."

"Your Highness, please forgive me for my slip of the tongue."

"Your Royal Majesty, p-p-please f-f-forgive my sin."

Everyone returned to their senses, quickly dropping to the ground and pleading with Vijay. The last man's disrespectful tone drew Vijay's attention, and in a loud voice, he commanded:

"All of your salaries for the next two months will be cut. As for you," Vijay pointed at the man who tried to sway Vijay's thoughts and declared, "A demotion to a normal infantry soldier: six months' salary deducted, and you will receive 20 lashes."

Everyone swiftly knelt, including Yogendra, accepting the punishment. Even the individual receiving the most severe penalty wore a bitter smile. Normally, under a different ruler, such disrespect would result in severe consequences, possibly losing one's tongue or even his life. He knew this. But witnessing Vijay's vulnerability, his greed overpowered his reason and escalated his ambitions to an unprecedented level, his mind overheating and committing a grave sin. Fortunately, Vijay's mercy provided an escape.

Led away for punishment, the camp's faces remained solemn, except for Yogendra Singh and Roshan. Their satisfaction stemmed from Vijay's growth as a capable monarch. While his prior governance was excellent, his gentle approach had limitations. Regardless of one's administrative brilliance, without authority over the military, they remain mere civil officials. Only a resolute king can control a robust military.

Vijay's fury ignited once more, as he remembered the content of the letter the scouts had brought. According to the letter, the Dutch army was not present in Kochi but was controlled by the Dutch Navy. A huge fleet of ships was stationed in Kochi's port along with numerous supply ships.

It wasn't the presence of the Dutch that angered him, but the news that not only did they leave not a single person alive in Kochi, but they also massacred everyone. Even with the absence of the army, the Navy dispatched personnel to nearby villages to plunder their wealth, massacre the men, and enslave the women for their sexual pleasure. Appallingly, women were treated as toys on the roads of Kochi, unable to resist.

Vijay finally saw the reality of this era. He had always thought that the Dutch would conquer Kochi and wait for news of the army's victory, sparing the people from harm. However, this era delivered a slap in his face, teaching him that this time was far more ruthless than he had ever imagined.

The experience of the atrocities happening just a few kilometres away shook him to the core, boiling his blood with a rage he had never felt before. But as his emotions quickly began to spiral out of control, he utilized his strong mental power to calm down and think about the best way to confront the Dutch on his land. He had already dismissed the idea of capturing a few Dutchmen in order to learn their technology. The Dutch had to atone for their sins.

Slowly, a plan was forming in his mind in real time.