Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology-Chapter 756 Arm Central Africa (2/2)

Vijay, standing in front of a group of African Bharatiya who had completely integrated into the Empire and were looking at him with respect and reverence, smiled, feeling proud in his heart. He was happy and content that he was able to provide a home to all the repressed groups in this lifetime. He had come a long way, from fighting for the independence and freedom of his own people from the Islamic invaders to building a strong home for all the repressed societies, groups, and cultures around the world. Breathing right now, Vijay could proudly declare that, looking back on his life, he regretted nothing and had achieved most of what he set out to achieve. Even if he passed away tomorrow, Vijay had the confidence that with the foundation he had built for the Bharatiya Empire, no invader would dare lay a hand on it anymore, and the Bharatiyas would no longer be called disgusting, foul-odor animals in this lifetime anymore.

Selvan, looking at the agents he had trained, smiled with pride as he puffed up his chest with satisfaction. He came forward in front of them and cried out, "Start by introducing yourselves to His Majesty." His voice reverberated throughout the small room, his veins bulging. The agents suddenly puffed up their chests in seriousness as their fists tensed up. "Reporting, Agent 23 Nganga Makoko." "Reporting, Agent 16 Mbemba Nzinga." "Reporting, Agent 32 Kiala Malanda." They introduced themselves one by one.

"....." "....." "....." "....." "Reporting, Agent 09 Lusala Kizito." "Reporting, Agent 12 N'Gandu Malu."

Vijay listened to their names very carefully. If it were his past life, he would have struggled to get these correct because African names, like any other foreign names, were a bit harder to pronounce and remember. Thankfully, due to his superior mental abilities, even though he still found it hard to pronounce the names, it was easier for him to remember the reported names. Vijay came forward with his hands behind his back. "I know you are all wondering what your mission will be. I am also aware that you are excited to go back to your hometowns, which you haven't seen for several years. This is a chance to bring back your close relatives and friends out of the harsh environment. I am aware of this. Therefore, you don't have to worry. The current mission wouldn't hinder you from doing any of your personal things since the mission is not in the aspect of espionage in the first place." The guys' faces immediately lit up. The corners of their lips ever so slightly curled into a crescent. They were very happy to hear this. They were indeed trying to go back to their homes and bring back all the people they cared about, but they were still confused. If not for espionage, what else could His Majesty require? Wasn't that what they were trained to do? Even thinking about the intense training they had to endure for the last half a year, cold sweat broke out behind their backs. Vijay was not aware of the thoughts in the agents' minds as he continued, "Your task is extremely simple. You will be making contact with whoever the ruling party of the empire, kingdom, or chiefdom is and convey a message that the Bharatiya Empire is willing to support them by arming them to the teeth, on the condition that they fight against the slave catchers from the West."

Nganga Makoko, including many other agents who heard these words, suddenly became worried. He hesitated whether he should speak out or not, as if the words were stuck in his throat, having nowhere to vent. But in the end, he knew how much he owed to the Bharatiya Empire, so risking everything, he voiced out his concerns. "Your Majesty, I would respectfully request you to reconsider because most of the kings and chiefs themselves are the biggest slave traders in the various kingdoms and empires." "Arming them would be no different than making it easier for the slave traders." Looking at the man who spoke out, Vijay became silent. He knew such a thing had happened in his previous life, where the African tribes and powers cannibalized themselves in order to earn some meager profits, exactly like Bharatiya's castes when society was made to cannibalize itself by the British. But he did not expect the meat trade to be so widespread throughout the 17th century as well. "Are all the African kingdoms and empires doing this business?" Vijay asked, curious. Nganga Makoko, not receiving the scolding from the director like he had expected, was overjoyed. But when His Majesty asked the question, he was finally aware that he would not be punished for his actions, so he immediately raised his head and replied, "That is not true, Your Majesty. But the majority of the kingdoms and empires which are in the interior of Africa are less exposed to the slave trade of the Westerners. They might not be doing this business, but a lot of kingdoms very close to the coastal regions are definitely are, and the kings—either unwillingly or willingly—acquiesce and give support to the trade." "Is that so?" Vijay fell into thought. The room momentarily fell silent, with the only sound being the rapid breathing of the agents because their hearts were all beating nervously, looking forward to seeing what their tasks would be. Vijay finally came back to his senses. "In that case, the initial approach for this mission will still be the same. All of you will approach the kings and emperors of your respective kingdoms and represent the Bharatiya Empire, making our stance clear." "If they are willing to wholeheartedly accept the conditions, then we will sell our weapons to them. But if they are resistant and try to cheat us, then we will decisively support whoever the rebels are in that country. These people should be more obedient."

Nganga Makoko and the others' hearts beat rapidly. His Majesty was talking about changing the kings and emperors of nations as if he were simply drinking water. 'Maybe this is what absolute power brings—someone the confidence to make the world move according to their whim and the ability to make them move if they don't want to.' Nganga Makoko was in awe. He, for the first time, saw with his own eyes what actual power was. But suddenly, he realized something. He asked, "Your Majesty, what if the kings abuse these weapons by using them against their neighboring kingdoms? Will it not go against the original intention of your Lordship?"

Vijay thought about it and shook his head. "This is not a problem. What these kingdoms do against themselves is something we cannot control. Bloody clashes are present in every kingdom and empire; this cannot be completely eliminated. But on another note," Vijay stroked his chin, "in a place like Africa, where the kingdoms are only made up of a few hundred thousand people, it is easy for a skirmish to erase a whole kingdom. This is definitely something I do not want to see. Hmm." The room fell into silence once again. Finally, a few minutes later, Vijay's eyes lit up. He got an idea that would not only solve the problem but would also greatly benefit the Bharatiya and further its interests. It was just that he did not want to get into Africa so soon, but it looked like his hands were now tied, and he was forced to make the choice. "After all of you complete your 'diplomatic' mission in your respective nations, set up three different strongholds in these locations." Vijay marked three different spots on the map: the interior of the Congo River Basin, the coast of the Ubangi River—which in the future would be the border of the Republic of Congo and the DRC—and finally, the Chari River, right at the border of the Central African Republic and Chad. All three of these places are currently uninhabited and undiscovered, as these locations were only explored in the 19th century in his previous life. But they turned out to be crucial trade links between East, West, Central, and South Africa. Controlling these three locations would give the Bharatiya Empire significant control over the happenings in Africa, more precisely Central Africa. Vijay looked at the agents with a smile. "The strongholds you will form will be responsible for continuously absorbing the indigenous population from the surroundings and will be responsible for keeping the kingdoms and empires in check so they don't cross the line." "The strongholds will form a complete city-state-like structure, where education, law, and everything else will mirror the early forms of the Bharatiya Empire, at least similar to the Vijayanagar Empire."

"All three strongholds, after forming enough scale, will be enough to form unions and alliances in order to form a strong army to fight against the Western and Northern slave catchers. Additionally, with the kingdoms and empires we have supported joining the union, the slave trade should become a very resource-intensive business that most people will not be able to sustain."

'This should be enough to slow down the progress of the Ottomans,' Vijay thought to himself. But he didn't think it would hinder the Europeans in any way. It might cause inconvenience, but given the strength of the Bharatiya Empire, they were unlikely to complain, because their slaves came from all over the place. Even if the slaves from the northern or central parts of Africa became too expensive, they could simply obtain them from the southern part, where South Africa was still a colony of the Europeans. Not to mention, they still had two big continents, like the Americas, to plunder—there were still millions and millions of Native Americans to do their bidding.

Vijay looked at them with interest. "This is your opportunity. Maybe in the future, if the strongholds gain enough population and influence, they could be transformed into a nation of their own. You could become prime ministers, members of the cabinet, or even a monarch with your own country. Everything will be decided depending on how you all perform in the initial stage of the mission." "Best of luck to you all." Nganga Makoko and the others were shocked. They did not know how things had turned out like this. They were simply waiting for their task, but all of a sudden, how did it become an opportunity for them to found their own nations? But everyone suddenly became excited. Who wouldn't want to be more powerful? Even a fool would agree. Everyone clenched their fists in determination—they were bound to win. Vijay nodded in satisfaction. In a year or two, he could arrange for people from the Bharatiya Empire to settle in these strongholds and balance out the population by 50/50. That way, even if these kingdoms gained enough prominence, they would still be under the influence of the Bharatiya Empire, both culturally and economically. What's more, in this way, not only would he have control over the Central African region, but he would also have access to its vast and rich resources. Even though he would have to pay the price for these resources—which the Europeans in his last life did not—it was still worth it for Vijay in the long run, since moderate and long-term profits were better than rich but short-term gains. "Your future is in your own hands, so best of luck. Grasp this opportunity of a lifetime."

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