Mughal's Reaction.

Only two months remained until the war. With the cannon's successful development, Vijay promptly converted his Raya Iron Works factory into a division of the Raya Industrial Group. This expanded group now encompassed Raya Iron Works along with the newly established Raya Defence, which had the vital responsibility of manufacturing cannons for the empire.

In the months that followed, the empire bustled with activity as a substantial number of craftsmen were enlisted into the ranks of Raya Industrial Group of companies. The chimneys spewed smoke, casting a shadow over the sky. Remarkably, the factory reached full production capacity in a relatively short period of time . Thanks to the guidance of seasoned industrial workers from Raya Iron Works, the new recruits quickly acquired the necessary skills. This boosted Raya Defence Industries' capability to manufacture two cannons daily. As the fresh workforce continued to gain expertise and the production process refined, there were high expectations that the number of cannons produced would surge in the upcoming weeks.

Over time, the entirety of Raya Industries evolved into a finely tuned machine, where various components operated harmoniously and effectively. As the cannons rolled off the production line one after another, they were discreetly transported to the sentry towers strategically positioned in Uppam Forest, effectively sealing off the various passages from Kochi. This makeshift setup resembled a rudimentary version of Israel's Iron Dome from the future. With the cannons now in position, Vijay's confidence in securing victory in the upcoming battle against the Dutch grew substantially.

The improvements were not limited to the artillery of the empire. At the army camp, soldiers were engaged in an unusual training exercise. They were instructed to throw rocks into specific spots placed further in front of them. They didn't understand the purpose of this seemingly pointless training, but their discipline and obedience to their superiors compelled them to follow orders without questioning.

However, some soldiers couldn't help but gossip quietly amongst themselves.

"Hey, brother, why do you think the higher-ups want us to practice rock throwing? Do you think the captain wants us to pelt the enemy with rocks to give them headaches or something? I mean, can these little stones even hurt anyone, no matter how fast we toss them? And if the enemy's all armored up, it's just going to be a pesky nuisance. Are our leaders planning to annoy the enemy to death with rocks? And on top of that, I just don't get why we're ordered to throw the rocks so darn fast," one soldier pondered aloud.

"Shhh," another soldier hushed him, cautioning, "Hey, don't talk loudly. If the captain hears u, he'll make us run in circles on the ground."

The gossiping soldier nodded, recalling the grueling punishment of running in circles he had endured when he first joined the army. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.

"I heard from my brother-in-law at the Academy of Sciences that they're developing a new weapon for us to use. But he said it's highly confidential, and only the top craftsmen have access to information about this weapon. Make sure you don't tell anyone, My brother. He overheard this when the researchers were discussing it during the ore transportation he was doing to the academy," the soldier whispered quietly, his voice barely audible. The gossiping soldier, upon hearing this news, understood the seriousness of the information. If he spread this news, he was sure that he would be arrested, so he made a determined vow to keep the secret until his last breath.

This was the new Grenadier Battalion that Vijay had conceived. With the success of the Frag grenade development, he had decided to form a battalion composed entirely of grenadiers. There wasn't enough time to train other types of soldiers, but grenadiers' training was relatively simple. With that, a grenadier battalion consisting of ten squads was established.

Mughal Empire.

"Uhuuh."

"Ahhh."

*Yes...!*

Muhammad the fifth was spending time with a new concubine he had recently married. Lately, he had been in a good mood. With the complete integration of the Empire, the Mughal economy had started to rise, and the treasuries were about to overflow with gold coins. With the acquisition of the Maratha Kingdom, he would become even more powerful and wealthy. Just thinking about the wealth and power he was about to attain excited him as he engaged in his exercises.

" mhheeee."

* ahhhaaaaaaa.*

After a couple of hours of this intense cardio, Muhammad went to the palace to preside over the Empire's affairs.

"Your Majesty, there's troubling news...!" The moment he stepped into the palace, the prime minister delivered these words. With this unsettling news, Muhammad's good mood vanished instantly. Observing the elderly man's hesitation, Muhammad erupted in frustration, demanding, "What's the matter? Out with it, quickly!"

"Your Majesty, regrettably, we've just received word that we suffered the loss of a division in our conflict with the Marathas, and our army general has also perished."

"The casualty count stands at nearly a hundred thousand lives."

The prime minister relayed the grim information, swiftly lowering his head, hoping to avoid witnessing Muhammad's wrath.

"What!"

"Idiot!"

"Asshole!"

"Rice Bucket"

The emperor yelled in anger upon learning that his battalion had been lost. His anger wasn't because of the soldiers who had died but because of the enormous expense, he would have to incur to recruit and train new soldiers. It would take an astronomical amount to train a new batch of soldiers.

Thinking this, his anger intensified as he fixed a piercing gaze on the military commander and demanded, "Emir, how did this occur? Weren't you the one who claimed that the Marathas were a mere small kingdom and that we could swiftly defeat them? Yet now, I'm hearing this dismal report about our army's performance. Are you a useless incompetent? If that's the case, what purpose do you serve?"

The commander of the Mughal Empire army bowed his head in embarrassment and guilt as he weakly replied, "Your Highness, we did not anticipate that the enemy would be so cunning. According to the information we received, they had already evacuated the city before our arrival. Most of the valuable items in the Maratha Kingdom had been transported away. Furthermore, during the battle, they employed unconventional tactics like digging underground tunnels to flank our army and cause substantial casualties. Unfortunately, one of our generals was killed in the process."

"But fortunately, Your Highness, all is not lost. We have successfully captured the Maratha Kingdom, and we've received some valuable intelligence."

"Oh, and what is that?" Muhammad asked with curiosity.

"From the prisoners, we've taken in the Maratha Kingdom, we've learned that a significant portion of the food and weapons in the Maratha Kingdom came from the Vijayanagara Empire in the south of our lands. Moreover, we've discovered that the Vijayanagara Empire imports a substantial quantity of a rock called potash from the Maratha Kingdom. Our observations suggest that this rock, when crushed into a powder and mixed into the soil, significantly enhances soil fertility."

"Oh, is that so? Alright, very good. This can somewhat compensate for our losses," Muhammad nodded in satisfaction, finding some silver lining in the situation.

"Prime Minister, how long will it take to raise another 3 divisions? Something tells me that Vijayanagara is not an easy opponent to deal with. Also, increase cannon production immediately. I need at least a hundred cannons produced in the next 4 months."

"Your Highness, recruiting soldiers won't be a problem, as there are many starving and destitute people in our lands who would do anything for food and security for their families. With the promise of these, we can recruit even 10 divisions within a year. However, the challenge lies in the extensive resources required for training and disciplining these new recruits. Based on your requirements, Your Highness, to train 3 divisions properly, using a significant amount of resources, it could be accomplished in the shortest time of 5 months."

Muhammad nodded in satisfaction, growing eager at the thought of crushing the Vijayanagara Empire to the ground and taking Empress Kavya in front of Vijay. An evil grin adorned his face as he contemplated this possibility.