<h4>Chapter 8: Military Reform I</h4>


    It has been a few days since Vijay returned from his tour, and his first priority was to reform the military. He had many ideas to make the kingdom prosperous, but he knew that safeguarding its interests required a strong military. As the morning sun cast a warm glow, Vijay sat in his study contemting the path to military reform.


    "Vinode, please call Lokananda Senapathi. I wish to speak with him," Vijay instructed his butler. Vinod nodded and left to fetch the old general. Lokananda Senapathi arrived, dressed simply yet exuding dignity. He respectfully bowed before Vijay and greeted, "Long live Your Highness."


    "Lokananda Senapathi, I have been considering the need for military reform," Vijay said directly, skipping any small talk. Lokananda was not surprised; he knew that his Highness had grand ambitions.


    "What is the current strength of our army, Senapati?" Vijay inquired.


    "Your majesty, it is 100,000 troops, divided into two divisions under themand of two generals," Senapati replied.


    "And how many noble households andndlords are there in the army?" Vijay asked.


    Senapati was taken aback by the question but quickly responded, "There are 10,500 noble households, your majesty."


    Vijay frowned, "Why so low? Don''t the nobles hold significant influence in the army?"


    Senapati exined, "There was a major cleanup during your father''s rule, your majesty. He increased the qualifications to join the army and attain higher ranks, resulting in the removal of manyzy nobles from the military."


    Vijay further inquired, "Why wasn''t I aware of this? Was there no resistance?"


    Senapati rified, "There was no resistance, your majesty. The previous king granted some grain taxation rights to the nobles, which facilitated the transition. As most nobles fear for their lives, they epted the change willingly. Now, only the capable ones remain in the army."


    Hearing this, Vijay gave a thumbs up for his old man. He asionally contemtes whether his old man is also reborn like him, as their ideas align closely. Nevertheless, he is relieved in realizing that his father is not reborn, as there are no groundbreaking innovations at this time. Instead, his focus was on removing the harmful elements for necessary reforms.


    "Alright, Senapathi, I need you to prepare the draft for a new reform n for the army. The focus will be on uniform and disciplined high-quality soldiers.," Vijay instructed.


    he continued "I need a high-quality army, where our 100,000 soldiers can stand against a 500,000 enemy army. I want a system where every soldier gets a chance to be a general. I need an army that marches through fire if need be," Vijay dered, eyes zing.


    Senapathi was deeply affected by Vijay''s fighting spirit. "Leave it to me, your majesty," he said enthusiastically, his heart thumping with excitement. Vijay patted his back, saying, "I believe in you, old general. Do your best," before copsing to the ground.


    Startled, Senapathi quickly helped Vijay up, fearing something might be wrong with the king. "Your majesty! Your majesty!" he yelled in panic.


    Vijay waved his hand, reassuringly saying, "It''s okay, old general. I''m just tired from my work."


    Relieved by those words, the old general left the pce with excitement on his face, ready to fulfil the king''s vision for a uniform and disciplined army.


    Back in the pce


    "It''s too much, huh..." Vijay muttered to himself , with a wry smile on his face. He had just transferred his knowledge about This military of the 18th century to Senapathi, a process that had drained all his energy inside him. Yet, despite the exhaustion, his eyes sparkled with anticipation for the invincible army, a force a hundred years ahead of its time.


    POV Lokananda Senapathi


    Senapathi came back home with an excited expression as if someone had injected him with chicken blood.


    Bham!


    A servant carrying big gunny bags did not notice his master and bumped into him. Cold sweat broke out of him as he saw who he bumped into. He flinched, closing his eyes, expecting to be yelled at or even get whipped. but out of the ordinary,


    "Oi, look where you are going next time," was all he heard from his master. He was dumbfounded by his words. Not just him, but all the servants around him looked at the departing back of the old general with mouths agape .it was the first time they saw the general this happy.


    Lokananda excitedly took a parchment to start nning for the new reforms. However, as he ced the pen on the parchment, his smile faded away as he realized he had no clue how to aplish what Vijay had asked for - an army of 100,000 soldiers defeating a 500,000 army. , a uniform and high-quality force, what does that even mean anyway?. In all his years of service, he had never encountered such an army. Now he realized that his Highness had dug a huge pit for him, And feeling annoyed, reying his Highness''s speech in his mind. he had nowhere to vent his anger,


    *Click*


    Just then, a servant came with some tea. The old man was in a bad mood and yelled angrily, "Who told you toe in? Get out!" The servant, puzzled, had question marks on her face. Everyone in the mansion wondered, "What happened again...? Wasn''t their master in a good mood? Who ruined it?" They red daggers at the maid who came out. The maid, seeing all their looks, looked aggrieved as she had no clue what she had done.


    Lokananda walked around, going from corner to corner, deep in thought. "Ahhh," he eximed, holding his head, and decided, "I''ll talk to His Majesty tomorrow to reduce the requirements," as he went to sleep.


    te at night, Lokananda had a dream where he dreamt of an invincible army


    This army was renowned for its disciplined and well-organized structure. It operated on a system of universal conscription, requiring all eligible male citizens to serve in the military. This ensured arge and well-trained force, ready to defend the state.


    This army''s soldiers underwent rigorous training, instilling discipline, marksmanship, and efficient battlefield tactics. The army''s emphasis on quick and efficient responses tomands led to a cohesive and highly effective fighting force.


    At the heart of This military''s sess was its General Staff system. This centralized body of highly trained officers was responsible for nning and executing military operations. Their strategic and tactical expertise gave This army a significant advantage on the battlefield.


    Their infantry was renowned for its precision and effectiveness inbat. They utilized line tactics, forming rows of soldiers to maximize theirbat effectiveness. The officer corps was a keyponent of This army. Officers received specialized training at military academies, ensuring a high level ofpetence and professionalism within the leadership ranks.


    Through military reforms and innovative practices, This army maintained its military edge. Their culture of professionalism and loyalty to the state fostered a strong sense of duty and cohesion among the soldiers.


    *Bah*!


    Lokananda suddenly woke up, panting heavily. "Thank you, Shiva," he prayed in gratitude, and then he sprinted towards his study room in the middle of the night, running like a 20-year-old.