Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

Getting down at the port of Vishakhapatnam, Sourigna Vongsa couldn't help but sigh. Every visit to the Bharatiya Empire was like entering a whole new world, and this time it was no different. The Vishakhapatnam Port he had known just a few years ago was nothing like the one standing before him now.

The port had grown so vast that ships were docked even on the distant horizon, and even if he went on his tiptoe, the port did not seem to end. As he explored, Sourigna Vongsa was surprised to see that the entire port had been reorganised. Different sections of the port were now divided according to different purposes. The area where he disembarked was meant solely for arrivals; a few hundred meters to the side was the section for embarking, next to that was the zone for continuous unloading, then another for loading, and finally, at the far end, a reserved area for traders to dock their ships.

Sourigna Vongsa felt that this new system was an excellent way to handle all types of people coming to the port, but he soon moved inland, since, honestly, how the port had changed had little to do with him. After all, his kingdom did not have access to the sea. It was a landlocked country. What he cared about were the innovations the empire had made inland. That was why he was so interested in the legendary machine he had read about, one that ran on its own without any animals pulling it, carrying hundreds of tons of goods.

Of course, on his way, he did not forget to enjoy himself. He was a huge fan of novels and Chitrakala, and he even had a large collection of them in his palace. But unfortunately, novels and Chitrakala were not readily available in his kingdom. Although merchants from the Bharatiya Empire sometimes brought these works of art to sell, it did not happen often, as there were not many people in his empire who were literate.

He was trying to change this situation, but it would take time. Not to mention, the books that did make their way to his land were only the ones that had already gained recognition in the mainland and achieved some popularity. The more niche or unique works never reached his kingdom at all. And for him, this was torture. He had read so many novels and so much Chitrakala that he had become extremely picky about what he wanted to read and consume. He had found his own niche, but there was currently a void, with no books to fill it.

So this trip to the Bharatiya Empire was perfect. Not only would he be fulfilling his kingly obligations, but he would also be enjoying himself thoroughly. He made up his mind to purchase all the novels and Chitrakala that he had missed.

What Vijay could have never expected was that after Sourigna Vongsa hauled back nearly a ton of books and Chitrakala to the Kingdom of Lan Xang, he would get the idea to kick-start a novel and Chitrakala industry in his own kingdom. Of course, for that to happen, proper printing equipment was needed.

What happened next, however, left everyone baffled. Instead of purchasing a new printing press from the Bharatiya Empire, Sourigna Vongsa went to the annual ASEAN council meeting and proposed something entirely different, for the association to create its own currency, one that would be accepted throughout all the nations in the group.

How a weeb led to the creation of one of the most powerful currencies in the world of the 18th century is a story for another time.

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The distance from Visakhapatnam to Amaravathi was over 670 kilometres. If he were allowed to go to Nagpur, it would have been nearer, but unfortunately, Nagpur is the military capital of the empire, and he dares say that most of the world's most advanced weapons are currently being produced in this one city. So, not to mention him, even the citizens of the Bharatiya Empire are not permitted to enter Nagpur without prior permission.

Sourigna Vongsa even heard that a chief minister was banned from entering Nagpur because he had come without prior notice. So he had no reason to be offended due to being rejected.

On the 7th day since he set foot in the Bharatiya Empire, he finally reached Amaravathi. Looking around, Sourigna Vongsa was mesmerised. Even when he was studying in the empire, he had heard a lot of good things about this city, but in the end, he was not able to visit. But now he inadvertently did.

Looking around at the saffron flags hung everywhere, people getting down from carriages and immediately removing their slippers as if the land itself was sacred, and the smell of incense throughout the carriage stop, he immediately felt he had been transported to a city where the whole city is the temple.

Taking in all the stimulations around him, a wave of tranquillity washed over his body. This happens to him every time he visits a temple. Although he is not a Sanathani and is a Buddhist, he likes the feeling of being in a temple. In a temple, he completely relaxes, and all the distractions in his mind disappear. For some reason, he chants the Buddhist mantras in temples better than in the Buddhist monasteries themselves.

He often wonders why that is the case.

"Welcome to Amaravathi, your Highness."

Sourigna Vongsa snapped back to his senses when a loud band started playing and a greeting rang out. Before he could even grasp what was happening, a flower garland was slipped around his neck. Apparently, he had instinctively bent down to receive it as everything unfolded so quickly. Finally, his attention settled on the short but muscular, middle-aged man wearing spectacles.

His mind finally woke up, and he immediately greeted the middle-aged man with a smile and everyone who had come to welcome him. Moving forward, he felt odd because it looked like before he came, some other important guest had come, judging by the flowers that were lying around on the floor.

'Maybe it's a neighbour, or is it the kings from the Middle East?' He speculated. Either way, he was quickly led inside the city.

"Mr. Mayor, at what time do I get to see this, um, Locomotive?"

"The train arrives at 11:45 AM, Your Highness. There are still about two hours left. Would you like me to take you to the railway station, or is there any place you would like to visit to kill the time?"

Sourigna Vongsa thought about it and hesitantly asked, "Will I not be disturbing your work?"

"Haha, no worries, Your Highness. Handling diplomatic affairs is also part of my work. The affairs of the city will be taken care of by my fellow Panchayati members." He shrugged with a laugh.

"In that case, I heard that the city is the home of Amarishwara and an ancient Buddhist Stupa. Can I see this?"

As soon as he heard the words, a bright smile broke out on the mayor's face.

"Excellent choice, Your Highness. These two places are the most popular places in the city. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come to visit these two places. Please come, I will take you there."

The tour ended after an hour of roaming around, and it was every bit as fulfilling as he hoped it would be. Truth be told, he wanted to spend more time, but matters of the nation come before his personal matters. So around 11, he finally entered the railway station, but the person he met there surprised him.

It was Narai, the King of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

Looking at him, his entire composure was thrown off. Truth be told, before the establishment of ASEAN, Narai had earned the ire of all Southeast Asian countries, and his country was no different. Although the enmity was not too large and sometimes, in some cases, his father was said to have even allied with him, most of the time, they were still enemies.

Hence, even though he took over Lan Xang when it had already joined ASEAN, he still inherited the biases of his father. Apart from ASEAN meetings and business negotiations, he had not made any personal connections.

Still, he was a qualified king. He wouldn't allow his personal biases to cloud his mind. He went forward after regaining his composure and greeted Narai with a cordial smile.

Narai was a little surprised after seeing the little guy actually come forward. From the fact that he had not contacted him even once after becoming the king, he thought that he would keep his distance, but apparently, he was wrong.

"Sourigna Vongsa, you are much more capable than your father"

Sourigna Vongsa's brows furrowed. What were those words supposed to mean? But before he could ask, Narai changed the topic and started to talk about the improvements in the Bharatiya Empire and what he was thinking about implementing back home. Soon, he put aside the doubt and started to suggest implementing the port system as well, since the Ayutthaya Kingdom has access to the Gulf of Ayutthaya, one of the important waters of Southeast Asia.

"That's a good idea."

In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed. The workers suddenly stood at the platform, looking in one direction. The two kings almost simultaneously stopped talking, and as if both knew what was supposed to come, they became silent and turned their heads in the same direction.

Soon, they felt the rumbling in their feet and the nearing sound of a whistle. The anticipation was building up in their hearts, and for some reason, they began to feel a little nervous.

Finally, they saw on the horizon a chimney throwing out thick smoke in the air, coming closer and closer. Sounding like a repeating drum, a metal beast arrived.

"Kreeek!"

In the disbelieving eyes of Sourigna Vongsa and Narai, the beast slowly stopped.

"Are you going to board the train, Your Highnesses?"

The sound of the mayor finally woke up the two kings. They quickly realised that they had been mesmerised. Realising what the man had just said, they were taken aback. Could they really ride this thing? Was it not the top secret of the empire? So, with hesitation, King Narai asked whether it was really possible.

"Of course, Your Highness. You both can climb on the last carriage that is meant for noble passengers. It has been newly added entirely to showcase the capabilities of the locomotive. It has already been used by several ministers of different states, so it is safe."

With excitement, Sourigna Vongsa and Narai climbed the last carriage of the snake-like train and waited in anticipation.