Little Kourosh, after settling into the simple and unpretentious hut of Mithradates and Atossa in the majestic foothills of Mount Behistun, immediately turned his thoughts to his larger, secret plans. He had brought hidden treasures with him; not of gold and jewels, but of wisdom and knowledge: several copies of his printed books—"The Comprehensive Dictionary of New Persian," "A Guide to the Writing of New Persian," and the "Achaemenid Avesta"—and significant quantities of paper, pens, and ink that had been produced with great effort in the secret workshop in Anshan. He himself, to conceal his princely identity and to blend in with the simple mountain folk, wore the plain clothes of a shepherd, which distinguished him from any prince and hid his boundless intelligence and insight behind a simple facade.
The first step in Kourosh's grand plan was to gather his loyal companions, those who were to form the hidden pillars of his future empire. The elite soldier who had remained in the village and served as Kourosh's direct link to the outside world, carefully and over several nights, brought the other nine trusted youths from the surrounding villages to Mithradates's hut, secretly and one by one. These ten young men, all under the age of 25, were each unique and talented in their own field. Kourosh, in their first meeting, gave each of them a careful and piercing look, and in that first encounter, he understood the hidden potential within them, as if he knew the depths of their souls.
Three members of this group were to form the main pillars of Kourosh's secret network and be his primary arms in the future. Aban, the shrewd merchant, was a sharp-eyed and perceptive youth who seemed to know numbers and the pulse of the market by heart. His gaze was always seeking opportunities, and a cunning smile played on his lips. Arash, the elite soldier, had a firm stature and piercing eyes; a youth who was fearless on the battlefield and executed commands with precision and decisiveness. And Fariborz, the spy, was a quiet and reserved man, with eyes that seemed to see everything and say nothing; a master of stealth, infiltration, and gathering intelligence from the darkest corners.
Kourosh, in a voice that clearly conveyed his intelligence, decisiveness, and futuristic vision, addressed them: "You have been chosen, not for a simple and ordinary life, but to build a great and eternal future for Persia. From today, for three full months, you will be under my direct training. During this time, everything you learn must remain a secret among us; a secret upon which the fate of Persia and the future of our empire depends, and its disclosure will lead to the destruction of everything." These words astonished the young companions, who did not expect to be trained by a five-year-old child, but Kourosh's determined and charismatic gaze compelled them to submission and obedience.
During these three months, Mithradates's small hut, which smelled of earth and smoke, was transformed into a secret and vibrant school. Kourosh, using his books, taught them the New Persian language, a language whose simplicity and logic amazed them. They were astonished by the ease of this language and the speed at which they learned it compared to the complex cuneiform script, and they saw how this language opened a new window to knowledge. Arash and the other soldiers learned the new principles of military tactics from Kourosh; ideas that Kourosh remembered from the history of future wars and which could create an invincible army. Aban, with Kourosh, planned more efficient trade networks, new methods of exchanging goods, and the principles of accounting with "Persian Numbers."
Fariborz, the spy, was more captivated than anyone by the depth of Kourosh's knowledge. He learned from Kourosh complex concepts such as gathering intelligence from human sources, creating secret networks, infiltrating the enemy's court, and even the principles of counter-espionage and information security. Kourosh taught him how to use the enemy's weaknesses to infiltrate, how to transmit information without a trace, and how to be the eyes and ears of the empire in the shadows. These teachings opened new horizons for them, and each of the companions, with all their being, came to believe in Kourosh's unparalleled intelligence and insight, considering him a messenger from Ahura Mazda.
These three months were not only for teaching practical and theoretical skills but also for creating absolute and unbreakable loyalty to Kourosh. The young companions, with every lesson they learned from him, became more convinced that he was a messenger from Ahura Mazda sent to change destiny and that he could lead Persia to the pinnacle of glory. Kourosh, too, during this period, came to know them well, understood their strengths and weaknesses, and assigned each of them a special and vital role in his hidden future; a role in which they could form the main pillars of his thousand-year empire and assist him in realizing his dreams.