9) The messenger from Udra kingdom is here

Aryan had formulated a rough plan for the heist of the treasury, aware of the complexity and risks involved. With his mind set on the challenge ahead, he slept soundly, knowing that the next steps would require careful execution and timing.

The following morning, Aryan decided to put his plan into action. He began by discreetly gathering information about the treasury's layout, guard rotations, and security measures. As he had previously noted, exploring the palace during the day when security was lighter would be his best opportunity to observe guard patterns and vulnerabilities.

He made it a point to continue his conversations with Bhanumati, using the excuse of discussing the traitor or palace affairs to learn more about the guards and the treasury's operations. This allowed him to gather valuable insights into the daily routines of the guards and the vulnerabilities he could exploit.

In the days that followed, Aryan started mapping the palace's layout in his mind, identifying key locations such as the entrances to underground tunnels and the corridors leading to the treasury.

He made a mental note of the guards' shift changes and patterns, preparing for the moment when he would need to create a diversion.

As the days passed, Aryan continued to gather information while refining his plan. He was particularly focused on locating a discrete entrance to the underground tunnels. His conversations with Bhanumati and his observations of the palace had given him some leads.

One evening, while discussing palace history with Bhanumati, he subtly inquired about the existence of any secret passages or tunnels. She mentioned that there were indeed such tunnels, used historically for emergencies and escape routes.

This was the breakthrough Aryan needed. Later that night, Aryan arrived in a store room filled with broken tables and other accessories, with layers of dust on them. 

After carefully closing the door, Aryan briefly scanned the room and came in front of a stone sculpture of a horse. It stood in stark contrast to other objects in this room which were defective or broken. 

After confirming that this is exactly the place Bhanumati was talking about, Aryan rotated the stone horse, three times to the left, one right, two left and three right. 

Immediately, after shaking a little, a circular entrance opened in the ground. 

"Well, let's check it out. "

With these words, Aryan jumped inside the hole and just before he fell on the ground, Moksha appeared below him, turned into a pillow and safely caught Aryan. 

"Thanks Moksha. "

As Aryan stood up, he activated Moksha's seventh form - Luminosity. And it transformed into a luminescent, ringed sphere that illuminates the surrounding area. It acted as a torch that allowed him to easily see in dark tunnels. 

"Oh my god, these tunnels are complex enough. If one doesn't have a map, it's impossible to navigate down here. Unfortunately, only King Chitrangad has the map. "

"But I think I have an idea and it might just work. "

With a thought, Aryan used Moksha's powers to summon green vines which spread into various directions following his instructions.

After doing this, Aryan didn't stay here longer and left. 

The next day when he was walking in the palace, he intentionally walked near the treasury and carefully sensed the vines he summoned last night. 

"Yes! "

Aryan cheered inwardly as he instantly sensed a vine right under the treasury. 

Subsequently he connected with this vine mentally, and all the other vines on the tunnels except this one wilted crazily, leaving behind ashes. 

His path was ready!

**************

Five days later, a delegation from Udra kingdom including a messenger and a small unit of 50 soldiers arrived at the Royal Palace. 

And this was also the day Aryan had been waiting for. His preparations were basically complete by now. The only pity was that during this short time, Aryan had developed some feelings towards princess Bhanumati. And to be honest, he didn't want to break her heart.

But Aryan also knew that the reason why he is receiving all this respect here is because he has sufficient strength and has a. illusory Maheshmati kingdom to back him up. But Aryan knew that all this was a lie. 

He and Princess Bhanumati were people of different status. Even if princess Bhanumati agrees, it's impossible for King Chitrangad to marry his only daughter to an imposter. 

King Chitrangad must have already sent spies to verify his identity. And it won't be long before his truth will be exposed. So Aryan was planning to finish his plan as soon as possible and leave. 

So, there was no place for feelings!

On the day of the Udra delegation's arrival, Aryan made sure to maintain his facade as Prince Mahendra. He observed the interactions between the delegation and King Chitrangad with keen interest. It was clear that the diplomatic efforts were underway, and Aryan couldn't help but feel the weight of the impending negotiations in the air.

While maintaining his charade, he discreetly monitored the security around the treasury, ensuring that his preparations were still in place. His mental connection to the hidden vine allowed him to stay updated on its location beneath the treasury.

During the banquet, Aryan pretended to talk with Sartaj Singh, the finance minister, and while he was not paying attention, Aryan stole his keys. Normally, it would be discovered very soon but considering the mayhem that's going to happen in some time, he definitely won't have time to care about these things and would only think that he might have lost it in the mayhem. 

Subsequently Aryan made a random excuse and tried to leave the banquet.

But just before he left, he was stopped by Princess Bhanumati from behind. 

"Prince Mahendra, please stop for a second. "

Aryan paused in his steps and slowly turned around. 

"Yes princess Bhanumati, is something the matter?"

"Oh no, it's nothing serious. I just wanted to tell you something, " Bhanumati leaned closer to his ears and murmured in a low voice. "Tomorrow is my birthday. And I expect a surprise from you. "

Then before he could say anything, she left gracefully with a wink. 

Meanwhile left standing in his place, Aryan grappled with his growing feelings for Princess Bhanumati, knowing that their differences in status and the impending revelation of his true identity would complicate any potential relationship and hardened his heart.

His affection for her was genuine and it added an emotional layer to his already complex mission.

"Sigh, there will definitely be a surprise tomorrow. It just that I don't think you will like it. "

As night fell and the palace settled into an uneasy calm with the diplomatic talks ongoing, Aryan knew it was time to act. 

He knocked out a soldier responsible for the prison security, swapped his clothes with him and went to the prison carrying the regular shield and spear, which was Moksha in disguise. 

He came to the front of Shubh Udrabhan's cell and saw that he was currently looking out of the window, enjoying the moon, probably waiting for the Udra kingdom delegates to get him out of the prison.

"Unfortunately, your time is up buddy! "

"Form Five: Increase! "

The next moment, Moksha in his hand turned into hundreds of small kunai-like spears and with his command, spread out in the whole prison. 

The deadly kunai like spears whizzed through the air, finding their targets with eerie accuracy. The guards and prisoners had little chance to react, and their screams of agony were soon silenced. In mere moments, the prison had become a nightmarish scene of death and destruction.

*Swish *  * puchi *  * Aargh * 

 In just half a minute, the whole prison turned into hell, leaving behind nothing but corpses.