Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

Arnav was sitting in the carriage heading to the Royal Palace. just a few days ago He got a call from the Butler of the Emperor to meet them at the palace for a brief meeting.

He was the head of the merchant guild prospering near the eastern territory of the Empire. Arnav accumulated wealth over the years and now with the new reforms in place. He took off and wield significant power in the region with his guild.

He rubbed his hands. Arnav was dressed lavishly; ornaments adorned his fingers and neck to show his immense wealth and status. A large contingent of guards followed him with lots of gifts to give the Emperor.

A worried expression formed on his face. He was unaware of the details of the visit. He decided it was best to visit all alone. He had some understanding of why he would be called. His influence in the eastern territory wouldn't have gone unnoticed by the Empire.

There was also his rival in the council called Mithun Reddy. That man was exceptional in his eyes. He didn't want to make an enemy out of him. So he and his guild kept out of the mercantile territory under his control.

His carriage trudged into the Royal Palace. He was a bit nervous about the visit. The Emperor was rumored to be a cold and ruthless man.

'I wonder what would the meeting be about'

He got out of the carriage and was greeted by some servants and a man standing tall with his sword on his waist. He held an aura of authority. Stepping forward he greeted Arnav.

"Lord Arnav, is it?"

"Yes," he stuttered.

"I am the butler of the Emperor." He said. "I shall guide you to the meeting place. Did you bring anyone to accompany you?"

"No, it's just me."

"I see. Please follow me."

Arnav noticed the physique of the man. He wasn't a normal butler. He was well trained and good at his job. It was the rumor low-caste man. His abilities were never a talking point, which left Arnav always wondering how the man could keep the butler position without any abilities.

Now that he met him in person. He understood the reason.

"Lord Viswa." He broke the silence as they walked towards the meeting place. "Is there anyone else beside the Emperor at the meeting?"

"Yes, Lord Mithun shall be present."

"I see…"

"You seem to be quite nervous." Viswa asked, glancing over his shoulders.

"Yes, I am. Is it a bad thing?"

"Definitely not." Viswa shrugged. "We have reached the place. Please proceed straight ahead to reach the pavilion."

"Only Lord Arnav would be allowed from here on out." He said.

Arnav headed forward into a garden; in between was a pavilion with two individuals seated already. He held his head high and walked, the soothing scent of the flowers tingling his nose.

It was his first time meeting the Emperor. A young man with long black hair and a sharp, cold gaze. Beside him was his rival and an excellent merchant, Mithun Reddy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

With a deep bow. He greeted the Emperor.

"Greetings to the Sun of the Empire,"

Harsha smiled and gestured to take a seat.

Mithun looked at him briefly and poured him a cup of tea before the discussion began.

"So, let's begin the meeting." Harsha said with a smile.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He replied kindly.

"So you are probably wondering why I called you here?"

He nodded to the Emperor's statement.

"I heard a lot about your merchant guild from my Butler and him." He gestured towards Mithun.

"Oh…We are a small merchant guild." He smiled back.

"Don't be so humble. I do have some idea about your guild's wealth."

"I see…."

"The reason I called you here is to allow the guild to partake in some endeavours of the Empire."

Arnav quickly assessed the situation and turned serious. By the looks of it, the talk was about money. His instincts tingled and the man was not one to take lukewarm deals that won't profit him. His aim was profit and he would take the best deals.

"What endeavours?"

Harsha sighed. "We need some capital for the upcoming reforms. We expect your guild to help us with it."

"And? What's our benefit?" He asked.

Mithun interrupted. "The benefits you have been reaping with your guild can significantly gain a boost from the upcoming reform."

"That is up to my judgement, Lord Mithun. I don't like to invest where I am not guaranteed profit." He smiled, yet his words struck coldly.

Harsha chuckled. "Of course, money is the essence of your trade. Accepting an unfavourable deal is the last thing a merchant should do."

"Your Majesty, I have to reiterate. I shall not accept any deals that harm the guild's or merchant's interest. Even if it costs my life."

His aim was straight. Even at his life's cost. He wouldn't take a deal that affected their livelihood.

"Even if it crushes your rivals?"

"Yes. If you wish to do that now. Your next target can be us in the future."

'Smart, like Viswa said.'

"It's not an unfavourable deal. Calm down."

"Hmmm….Yes, your Majesty."

Mithun stayed silent and looked at him.

Enjoy more content from empire

"So the deal is to invest in the Empire through bonds?"

"And what is the benefit of these bonds?" He asked.

"You may take interest in it." Mithun replied. "You get interest on the bonds."

"Hm….Interest? How much are we talking?"

Harsha thought for a while. "It can be as much as 10% for now."

"Hmm…not a bad take but it's not enough."

"10% is more than enough." Mithun argued. "These bonds are guaranteed repayable amounts by the Empire."

"Unlike the loans you give others."

"He is right, Lord Arnav. It's relatively safe. 10% is already a lot considering you are not taking an ounce of risk in this endeavor."

"Your Majesty, 10% may look good for small merchants." He explained. "For us, 10% is quite less; we can invest this into our bases in Java and South Eastern kingdoms and get large returns."

Mithun stayed silent as he knew that what Arnav said was true. The merchant guild of Arnav was invested in the southeast Asian kingdom and islands of Java. Their influence was immense and they could make a lot more than 10% investing their wealth in that place.

"How about lowering the tax rate for your guild?" Mithun asked. "That would certainly help you."

"For how long? I doubt you would include such a lucrative tax cut forever."

Arnav was a skilled negotiator.

"3 years." Harsha replied.

"Not Enough, Your Majesty."

Harsha frowned.

"What is your return on investment in those kingdoms?"

"50%, Your Majesty."

In actuality, it was close to 40%; inflating values would create more room for leverage. Arnav looked at the frown on the Emperor's face.

"Your Majesty, We are not adverse to helping the Empire, but we merchants need a better deal to help you out."

'Am I pushing it too much?'

"50%? That's a stretch. I highly doubt it." Mithun replied. "From my calculation, at most it would be 40% to 42%."

Arnav clicked his tongue in silence. 'That man….'

"I have quoted the value according to our books." He smiled.

The Emperor stopped Mithun from arguing any further.

"Hmm..You are a skilled negotiator. I give you that." Harsha said. "Are you sure about giving up this opportunity for petty short-term gains?"

The air changed. It was much more threatened. Yet Arnav chose to remain determined in his words.

"These aren't short-term gains."

Harsha smiled. "I like your attitude."

Fumbling in his pocket. He took out a small book, bound with a thread. "This would let you take the deal."

"What's this?"

Mithun sighed and looked over. "Your Majesty, are you sure?"

"Yes, do you think it would go ahead without this?"

"I agree,"

Arnav took the book and read it. It was sort of a recipe for something.

"It's a new product. I was planning." Harsha said.

"What is this? Your Majesty?"

"It's soap." Harsha smiled. "You can have the recipe and sell it at your discretion. Although with a contingency."

"You have to sell the method within 5 months of the production to the rest of the guilds." Harsha declared.

"Soap... is it going to be useful?" Arnav asked with a skeptical look.

"You do my track record... Have I failed so far?"

Arnav had no words. So far, all the reforms and products that have been launched were quite successful. He couldn't argue against it.

He nodded. "Yet, we need some guarantee."

"Hm….Sure." Harsha said. "We can do a 1-month thing if the product doesn't take off in major cities. You can take your bonds back, no questions asked. Our deal shall be terminated."

"Your Majesty, that---" Mithun wanted to interrupt but was quickly dismissed.

Arnav raised his brow. "Are you sure about that?"

"Definitely."

Arnav thought and came out to think that the deal was favourable. He nodded and agreed to the deal.

"So, the deal shall be 10% bond interest, with 3 years of tax cut and this method. If the method succeeds, largely the tax cut shall be reduced to 1 year. Is that ok?" Mithun asked.

'This bastard... managed to find some condition in that situation...' his eye twitched with silent anger.

It was a good deal.

He smiled and agreed.

"Sure, let's do the deal."