Be a lord in the world of Indian mythology

Chapter 40 Departure

Before dawn, the heavy darkness still enveloped the entire village of Mittal, with only the village entrance marked by rows of lights.

Everyone got up earlier than the agreed time; no one slacked off or hesitated.

The air was filled with the aroma of freshly made wheat cakes and a faint smell of grass and smoke. Everyone was packing their belongings, checking their vehicles, and tying up their livestock as quickly as possible.

More than twenty sturdy oxcarts were lined up in a row, their bodies firmly secured by thick ropes, and they were fully loaded with carefully prepared goods, as well as some dry food and water for emergencies on the road.

Each vehicle was pulled by a strong ox or draft horse. The animals, having rested overnight, were full of energy and waited quietly with their heads down to depart.

The entire team was dressed neatly, each holding their own tools, and lined up on both sides of the oxcart, but there was not much excitement in their eyes.

This journey to the East is a path that could bring glory and wealth, but it is more likely to be a one-way trip to the wilderness, a dead end.

Success or failure is uncertain, life or death is unknown.

Everyone knows this.

Other villagers spontaneously gathered on both sides of the road at the village entrance, forming a long line and silently watching the group that was about to embark on their journey.

No one made a loud noise, but one could see anticipation, worry, awe, and envy in each pair of eyes.

Of all the onlookers, only Rajan, Vijay, Bim, and Maya had experienced the exact same scene.

The last time the Mittal family organized a large-scale caravan trip, they were all ready before dawn, and the whole village turned out to watch.

That time, the scene was even grander, with huge crowds and deafening drums and gongs. Harappa even sent a high-ranking Brahmin priest to personally preside over the ceremony, blessing the caravan and praying for a safe journey.

This time, the scale was smaller than before, and there was no official grand ceremony, but the solemnity and tension in everyone's hearts were no less.

Mu, as the Brahmin representative accompanying the group, was now standing on a small stone altar temporarily erected at the very front of the procession.

He was dressed in a plain-colored ceremonial robe, his eyes slightly closed, and sacred Sanskrit prayers echoed in the trembling air around him.

His voice was not loud, but it carried a penetrating power, slowly spreading out. The offerings placed on the stone altar, guided by his will, gently floated in the air, slowly swirling and dancing according to some ancient ritual trajectory, their posture mysterious and solemn.

He was offering sacrifices to Brahma and praying to the gods for a safe journey, favorable weather, and protection from bandits, wild animals, and plagues.

As the prayers grew lower and lower, soft and clear light slowly flowed from the target, gently covering the entire caravan like a thin veil.

Vehicles, horses, soldiers, servants—all people and things were enveloped in this aura, appearing as if they were a procession emerging from mythology, protected by an unseen divine blessing.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding villagers all lowered their heads, their faces filled with awe, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

Mira was not among the crowd.

She strictly adhered to the etiquette of traditional aristocratic women, never leaving the house, never facing men directly, and never appearing in public casually.

She simply stood on the highest attic of the mansion, leaning against the railing, quietly gazing towards the direction of the village entrance.

She simply lit a lamp by the window, its light standing out starkly in the dim early morning light, making it easily visible to Vijay.

She stood quietly by the lamplight, her gaze following Vijay as he departed into the distance.

Vijay glanced at the lamp, then looked away, took a deep breath to suppress his turbulent emotions, raised his hand, and gave the order in a deep voice:

"Set off."

At the command, the entire team sprang into action instantly.

The mighty Vilandra took the lead, riding his tall warhorse at the very front of the entire column, his expression cold and his aura imposing.

Soldiers followed closely behind, standing in formation on both sides of the caravan. One oxcart after another slowly started moving, their wheels rolling steadily across the ground.

Vijay boarded the lead oxcart, sat upright on it, and remained expressionless.

The long procession slowly drove out of Mittal village, heading north along the main road before turning off to head in its final destination.

Sitting on the swaying oxcart, Vijay's fingers unconsciously reached into his robes and touched the cold, hard round plaque.

The sensation from his fingertips calmed him slightly, but he couldn't help but feel anxious again. Before setting off, he had been worried that the mysterious power hidden in this round tablet might be detected by Brahmin Brahmin.

Once discovered, the consequences are unpredictable!

However, after the prayer, there was nothing unusual about either the round tablet or the eye, so Vijay was relieved.

The main roads between city-states were made of rammed earth, and the roads were wide and relatively easy to travel on.

However, most of the city-states in this land were self-sufficient. A large city, along with hundreds or thousands of surrounding villages, could basically meet its own needs by producing enough food, textiles, tools, and livestock.

Therefore, daily trade between cities was not frequent, and the roads were not maintained by dedicated personnel. Over time, potholes and weeds appeared on the roads. Only caravans that traveled between city-states year-round to transport valuable goods would repeatedly trample and crush the roads to barely maintain passage.

A caravan of forty-three men like Vijay's, equipped with guards, oxcarts, and professional servants, was considered a medium-sized caravan on this road and was quite conspicuous.

The group hadn't gone far when Vilandra, who was leading the way, gently pulled on the reins, slowing the horses down a little.

He took two steps back, approached the oxcart Vijay was riding in, glanced sideways at the surrounding fields, and reminded him in a low voice, "Master, look around."

Vijay was awakened by his voice, snapping out of his reverie and looking up in the direction the warrior had indicated.

On the plains, as far as the eye could see, it seemed that they were not the only team.

Several very small caravans could be vaguely seen, mostly consisting of only one or two people and one or two pack horses, forming the simplest caravans.

They didn't approach or provoke, but simply scattered around Vijay's group at a distance, following them at a leisurely pace.

Sada quickly noticed the situation, his face immediately darkening, his tone filled with anger, his hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword: "These people are trying to cut in line with us and use our guards to avoid danger! Should I take some men and drive them away immediately?"

Vilandra nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with Sada's approach.

In the world of commerce, these tailing groups are the most troublesome. They don't exert any effort or take any risks, yet they want to share security. Sometimes they can even cause trouble in critical moments or secretly gather information, leading to even bigger problems.

Vijay gently shook his head and raised his hand to signal them to calm down: "Forget it, there's no need to drive them away, let them follow."

He was not unaware of the thoughts of these small caravans. They were few in number and weak, and dared not travel the wilderness trade routes alone. So they followed the large caravans with guards to protect themselves. There was also the possibility that they were trying to explore an Eastern trade route that belonged to them alone, based on the route they took.

That's just wishful thinking.

Vijay knew that the journey north and then east would become increasingly treacherous, with deserts, forests, bandits, and wild beasts, each more terrifying than the last.

These small caravans, with only one or two packhorses, couldn't last long. Once they entered truly dangerous territory, they would become afraid, retreat, and leave on their own.

Not to mention following me deep into the wilderness!

Forcibly driving them away will only create more trouble and delay their journey.

Seeing the certainty in Vijay's eyes, Vilandra and Sada mistakenly assumed that the patriarch had other plans, so they stopped insisting.

"Since the business route is decided by the head of the family, we will obey."

After speaking, Vilandra spurred his horse back to the front of the column, raised his voice, and ordered the entire team: "Speed ​​up!"

Once the order was given, the entire team noticeably quickened their pace.

The plains under Harappa's jurisdiction are extremely vast, and it usually takes three days to travel from Mital village to the official border of the territory.

After setting off, Vijay's group did not rush, but rested and replenished their strength along the way, so that both people and livestock could conserve their energy. It took them five days to reach the border of the territory.

From here on, the scenery completely changes.