Chapter 113: The Day of Weapon Exhibition Part -2
As Aditya took to the ground to address everyone, the crowd fell silent and paid heed to his call.
With all eyes on him, he began his planned speech, "It is heart-warming to see all of you excited about the weapons we have demonstrated. I can assure you that with these, you will become stronger. As much as I would like to sell all these to you and build mutual trust and alliances, we have conditions set by our Samrat to ensure they are not turned against us."
He scanned the crowd, who awaited in pin-drop silence, and continued, "I have to ensure we abide by these rules. So here are the conditions for the weapons we are going to sell."
A hushed murmur spread among the guests, skeptical of what restrictions were to come.
He gestured at the cart carrying crossbows and shields and began, "We don’t have enough of these weapons in stock at the moment, so immediate sales are not possible. You will need to place orders in advance. Payment can be made later, but shipments will only be sent once full payment is received. Base price will be the same for everyone."
Vishal Rai of Garwhal stepped forward, "Can’t we have a few samples with us?"
Aditya nodded, "Yes, as long as we make a deal."
He added, "I assure you, these weapons are unique to this Indian subcontinent. To maintain their authenticity, we will not tolerate any copying or reengineering without our consent. We will sanction any kingdom that violates this and cease further dealings in all trade with them. Trust me, these are not the only weapons in our arsenal."
Protests began as many leaders realized their plans had been obstructed. They had intended to buy a few and reengineer the rest, but now the prince was establishing a complete monopoly.
Vishal Rai was the first to raise his voice, "But your highness, once we purchase anything, what rights do you have over what we do with it?"
Meenakshi of Vijayanagar also joined in, "Indeed, prince. Also, what will we do if we need them urgently?"
Vishwa Gajapati raised his concern, "What if someone who hasn’t bought them copies and uses them against us?"