A week later, King Mahendra Deva sat in his private office, staring blankly at a thick stack of technical drawings and structural notes provided by his son. The documents detailed an absolute, radical overhaul of military organization and weapons manufacturing that defied all medieval military conventions.
The first section outlined a rigid, standardized military hierarchy designed to eliminate the chaotic, feudal levy system: The baseline unit was a *Squad* of twenty-five men, led by a Sergeant. Two to four squads formed a *Platoon*, commanded by a Lieutenant. Two or more platoons formed a *Company* overseen by a Captain, the feature of a dedicated platoon headquarters for managing logistics and supply is introduced at this level. Two or more companies formed a *Battalion* commanded by a Major, which was the smallest unit to possess a dedicated staff of officers specializing in intelligence, operations, and logistics. Several battalions formed a *Brigade*, led by a Colonel, which integrated infantry, cavalry, and artillery into a singular, highly flexible combat force. Multiple brigades formed a *Division*, and multiple divisions formed an *Army Corps*, scaling up to hundreds of thousands of men under a unified, professional high command.
"This structural clarity," Vikramaditya explained to his astonished father, "allows for instantaneous command transmission and flawless field logistics, completely independent of feudal lords."
The second part of the document detailed revolutionary weapon designs. Vikramaditya had re-engineered the classic Chinese repeating crossbow of the Ming Dynasty. His design featured a highly efficient lever mechanism that simultaneously pulled the high-tension string and dropped a metal-tipped, poison-coated bolt from an overhead magazine into the firing groove with a simple up-and-down motion. This weapon possessed a devastating effective range of one hundred meters, offering a terrifying rate of fire to support his frontline troops.
Third, the prince introduced a major upgrade to the single-shot matchlocks of the era: a four-shot rotating breach matchlock musket, incorporating an innovative European-style ergonomic buttstock for superior stability and a specialized ring bayonet that slid over the exterior of the muzzle. This allowed the soldier to instantaneously transition from a ranged musketeer to a frontline pikeman without blocking the barrel. Crucially, he introduced the concept of a paper cartridge—a pre-measured charge of high-quality black powder and a lead ball wrapped in nitrated paper, allowing soldiers to reload three times faster than any contemporary army.
Finally, the prince requested the establishment of a state-chartered enterprise: the *Rudradev Khurda Company*. This corporate entity would hold an absolute monopoly over weapon research, manufacturing and international trade, with the legal authority to raise mercenary armies, establish fortified trading colonies across distant lands, and fund the kingdom's industrialization.
Recognizing the paradigm-shifting genius before him, King Mahendra Deva authorized an immediate disbursement of ten thousand gold mudras per month from the royal treasury for one year to fund the enterprise. "Your mind frightens me, Vikramaditya," the king said softly, signing the royal charter. "But it is the weapon our people need. Go to Bhadrak, and build your world."