It was different: India that is.
I was currently eating a small mango, slightly sweet, yet very juicy.
"My Prince, I have to object once again, having women fight alongside us is…" the adviser looked like he's a day away from a conniption.
It was kinda funny.
"It's fine, what do you want me to do? Turn them away when we only have a thousand men?" I asked.
"A thousand trained men, now over five thousand men, but women?! Please my Prince, don't be mad!"
I told my eyes at his plea, ever since I allowed women to fight in my army he seemed to be on my ass about them.
"I would be fine with having prostitutes in the army but… having women fight… it's not right my Prince" I sighed as I rubbed my forehead.
"Adviser, I appreciate your help and all you've done for me, yet, if you continue to bring up a non issue and treat it as if the sky is falling down on us, I will be forced to remove you from my side permanently"
When in doubt, threaten.
No seriously, I'm this age threats seem to work like gold when everyone is using silver.
Does it help that I'm able to just combust people and turn them into flaming flesh?
Maybe.
"Y-yes my Prince" he bowed as he let up on the issue.
"Now, tell me about the positions of the small city states to the east?" With Gupta down to our east was the kingdom of Pala, a river kingdom, and the smaller city states and then the kingdom of Rashtrakuta.
"They have accepted your proposal, with the kingdom of Orissa being formed the city states are conquered diplomatically" the Adviser bowed before me with a small smile.
"Good, now it's time for the Rashtrakuta conquest." We've effectively split India in half with my conquest.
"Before that my Prince…" the adviser seemed to be stuck on words as I placed my eyes on him.
"Yeah?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Our… new civilians are greatly concerned about that of their so called 'spirits' attacking them, the land and water also seemed to be… aggressive" the Advisor swallowed after saying this no doubt seeing the entire religious thought of these people of heresy and sacrilegious.
"I see" I, on the other hand knew better, the very fact that this is the Fate universe, the chance that someone fucked up in another timeline and now I'm forced to deal with it is all an too real threat.
"Show me the loudest bunch, and we shall see to the legitimacy of these claims" I spoke as I stood up and got off the genuinely comfortable pillow I was sitting on.
"Then you should look at the southern city of the Gupta Raj" the adviser spoke as he walked behind me.
To my knowledge the spirits of India are broken on three categories, nature guardians, ancestral spirits, and then the malevolent spirits,
My guess is that I'm going to face a malevolent spirit that has a hard on for suffering.
Such a shame they met me instead.
When I arrived at the city I will admit it looked depressing, the usual sandstone-ish walls of the city turned grey and the extremely basic sewage system was spurting out black sludge.
"This is disgusting," I spoke.
"Very much so my Prince" the Adviser spoke as he covered his mouth at the smell.
Going in was even worse, the stone ground was covered in a small film of blackish tar and smelled of diesel fuel.
"Pishacha, come forth you stinky fuck" I called out the Malevolent spirit.
Nothing happened for a second before the malevolent spirit came forth and I gotta say this wasn't a malevolent spirit at all.
It was a semi-asura, or rather a demigod in the Hindu faith.
"Uh oh" I blinked once, it wasn't the fact I was threatened but more along the likes that this thing could kill my advisor and I would be blind for awhile as I wait for a new one.
"I am-"
"Don't care" I interrupted the demigod as I looked at it, elephant body, human head where the center of the face of the elephant would've been.
Female on its appearance except for the teeth for eyes, mouth for a nose, and eyes for its mouth.
Nasty looking fuck.
"You will be given two choices, you will serve under me until you die, or you run away" I laid out its options.
"How… novel, a human threatening an Asura, it's… been so long since someone of your race was so arrogant~" it's. Her. The damned thing's voice was horrible to the ears.
"How is it arrogance if it's the truth?" I smirked.
"And, I don't think you understand your realization, at any moment at any time I could erase you from this realm; the only reason I haven't is because I have allowed you to exist as my only form of mercy" I smirked at the thing as I could visually see it getting more and more angry.
"You human… How dare you!" I threw a lightning bolt that illuminated the entire city and threw the damned thing to the ground.
"No, how dare you, who decided that you are to exist without my consent in my lands, in my city, hurting my people." My hands crackled with lightning as thunder rumbled overhead.
"W-wait, hold on!" Ah, it suddenly realized the situation.
Too late bud.
"You were given your chance, you spat in my face, so now instead of the earlier choices I will chose death for you" I spoke.
"I will serve! I will serve!" It howled the sound akin to that of a screech from an unruly bird outside my quiet home.
"Hm?" I blinked once "no, you lost your chance"
The lightning came down on the demigod and it exploded in a mirage of purple, black, and blue blood, coating the street we're on and the buildings nearby.
"That's that then" I rolled my right wrist to release the remnants of sparks into the static air.
"What… What was that?!" I looked to my left and saw a man half covered in the colorful blood.
I pointed at the colored place "a demi-asura, practically on the cusp of godhood, seemed to be a malevolent god though"
"Y-you killed it?" His eyes bulged out, his turban fell on the ground as he fell to his knees.
"…yeah, kinda weak to be honest"
"Y… you must be a Deva then!" His eyes screamed worship.
"Nah" he paused, seemingly shocked at my words.
"I'm the prince of Persia, the beast of humanity, not a god" I wonder if I'll get a title for this?
Who am I kidding? People love titles, so I'll get one.
"Pashu…" he spoke as I shrugged and began to walk away, the black sludge and depressing atmosphere slowly fading away.
"My Prince, do you think you went overboard?" My advisor spoke.
"No, the damnable thing would've caused problems later, removing it now would increase my goodwill to the people. Also it was killing my people, so I obviously needed to step in" I said as we left the city.
Next month was the full scale of the Rashtrakuta conquest. It won't be easy as they hold most of the southern peninsula before we get to the last kingdom of India, the Chōla empire, basically the newer version of the Tamil Kings.
"Bring me the troops, we will march onto the capitol and we shall make the Raj surrender" I commanded as we arrived back at the main fortifications.
Both women and men soon gathered their armor and weapon and we all quickly began to march to the Raj's capital.
———————————
The Persian capital was different now, completely different, ever since Prince Afsaneh left to conquer the entirety of India most Advisors braced themselves for the news of the death of the Prince and would sadly had to report the news to his brother the young boy Shāh
Instead they were both elated to report to the boy Shāh that his brother has not only successfully won a few cities but forced a Raj to bend the knee, in a few months since the Prince of Persia left he'd conquered a kingdom.
And as anyone who's learned of this, talks of rulership were discussed behind doors.
The advisers were uncertain that the older brother would be the best suited for the title of Shāh as the Prince has not only won his battles but also have conquered land.
While the boy Shāh have only gotten draws against the Arabs and their raids.
Taxes are rise and unrest is rising along with them.
"We need extreme action" the steward spoke among the night council after the Shāh was sent to rest.
"Extreme? We are stagnant while the Prince is growing, at this rate he'll own more land than his older brother" the Marshal spoke as he rubbed his eyes, ages of warfare made him callous and weary of anything new.
Too many have been lost to 'new tactics' and 'brand new weapons'
"The 'Prince to be' is what the common people call him, they believe that when he comes of age he'd be the Saoshyant" the court Priest an elderly man who swore he saw the collapse of the Roman Empire slowly spoke, his aged beard touching the ground.
"The savior?" The court spymaster raised an eyebrow before he smirked.
"The very same" the court priest nodded.
"Regardless, our Shāh is clearly not fit for rule… that we can agree on, correct?" Nods came from everyone on the council.
"We cannot kill the boy, as much as we see him unfit, the 'Prince To Be' would have all our heads regardless of our involvement" the marshal shook his head as he leaned back a bit.
"The Arabs invade on the eclipse, the have already said so, our young Shāh could face an unfortunate event there" the Spymaster pointed out.
"Killing the boy" the court Priest shook his head "I want no part in"
"Fear not priest, our hands will not be stained with his blood" The Steward smirked.
"But your soul will be" the Priest shook his head with a frown.
"We have to take extreme measures, our faith is being wiped out, our people hungry; extremes must be taken into consideration!" The marshal hissed.
"At the cost of a young boy's life, who've yet to learn how to lead while his younger brother learned in the fires of war?" The priest pointed out.
"Enough, it is clear that the majority have voted, the Shāh will be killed" the Steward spoke as everyone but the Priest nodded.
"Fools, you are to awake the beast that the Prince hides" the Priest frowned heavily.
"We do what we must, if it's at the cost of our souls that our culture, our people, our faith survives; then let my soul be shattered and scattered to the winds with the knowledge I saved my people" the Marshal spoke as he got up and walked out.
"…Ahura Mazda, forgive them, for they do not know who they provoke, grant them and I the wisdom to preserve through this endeavor" the Priest prayed as he was the last to leave the room with shame in his eyes.