(A/N):

Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.

Guys I hope you put more comments and power stones... Which will encourage me...

I was thinking about adding local deities too to the story. Any thought about This idea.

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With only two days remaining before Maha Shivaratri, Trivenivrata began transforming completely.

The kingdom no longer felt merely like a newly founded realm preparing for its first grand festival.

It felt... Expectant.

As though the land itself knew something sacred was approaching.

And strangely enough—Many sages across Bhulok seemed to feel it too.

One after another, ascetics, wandering saints, yogis, scholars, and hermits began arriving at the kingdom’s borders.

Some traveled alone carrying little more than wooden staffs and kamandalas.

Others arrived in small groups chanting Shiva stotras1 softly as they walked.

Several had not even been formally invited.

Yet when questioned politely by guards and priests about why they had come, many answered similarly.

"We felt drawn here."

"There is unusual energy around this kingdom."

"Something auspicious will occur during this Shivaratri."

Even the guards found the responses unsettlingly consistent.

And so, the roads leading toward Trivenivrata slowly filled with saffron robes, prayer chants, and travelers seeking darshan at the great Shiva temple constructed by Vishwakarma himself.

Meanwhile, the markets of the kingdom had become almost unrecognizable compared to just weeks earlier.

Where it was mostly empty even through the people were using it.

The kingdom had temporarily opened its gates more freely for pilgrims and visitors due to the approaching festival, and curiosity about the newly established kingdom had spread rapidly through neighboring regions.

Now crowds flowed endlessly through the streets.

Pilgrims. Merchants. Travelers.

Temple devotees who heard there is a massive Lord Shiva temple.

Performers.

Even spies disguised among ordinary visitors.

Everyone wanted to see the kingdom whose stories had already begun echoing across Bhulok.

And most left stunned.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Not merely by the architecture.

But by the atmosphere itself.

The roads were astonishingly clean.

Water canals flowed clearly beside major streets.

Public wells remained maintained.

Guards behaved disciplined rather than oppressive.

And everywhere flowers, lamps, and sacred decorations prepared the kingdom for Shivaratri.

The marketplaces especially had become the heart of attention.

Merchant caravans from neighboring kingdoms had already arrived hoping to establish profitable trade routes before their competitors realized Trivenivrata’s economic potential of it had any.

Spices from distant regions.

Silks. Metals. Sacred oils. Herbs. Jewelry.

Exotic woods.

The markets carried goods from many lands now.

Yet strangely—The products drawing the greatest attention were the kingdom’s own harvests.

The fruits and vegetables cultivated upon the blessed fertile lands of Trivenivrata had begun creating near-legendary reactions among visitors.

One merchant bit into a mango from the kingdom and visibly froze mid-conversation.

"...."

Another stared at grapes as though personally betrayed by every grape he had eaten before this moment.

Even seasoned traders accustomed to luxury foods looked stunned.

"The sweetness... This is unnatural."

"No,"

Another corrected quietly while staring at the fruit in his hand,

"this land is blessed."

The whispers spread quickly.

Many connected it to the presence of Bhudevi’s blessing upon the kingdom.

Others insisted the sacred rivers surrounding the land themselves enhanced fertility.

Some simply concluded that Trivenivrata possessed absurdly good soil.

Regardless of the reason—Demand exploded almost immediately.

Several merchants privately began calculating how much profit could be earned exporting these goods to distant kingdoms.

Meanwhile ordinary visitors gathered through tea stalls and markets exchanging stories about the kingdom’s mysterious young ruler.

"The prince who defeated Kamsa."

"The one who transformed into Narasimha."

"The future king."

"The son of Goddess Ganga and Goddess Bhudevi."

Every version of the story sounded increasingly unbelievable.

Yet standing inside Trivenivrata—Seeing the prosperity already taking shape—Many visitors found themselves wondering if perhaps the stories had not exaggerated enough.

The bustling markets of Trivenivrata only grew louder as word spread about the extraordinary quality of the kingdom’s produce.

Merchants moved rapidly between stalls with calculating eyes.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Especially after tasting the fruits.

The reactions were almost identical everywhere.

Shock first. Then greed. Then urgency.

Because experienced traders immediately understood what such products meant.

Fortune.

And more importantly—Exclusive fortune.

Soon several wealthy merchants began approaching vendors directly, attempting to bypass ordinary public trade.

One merchant dressed in expensive silk leaned toward a fruit seller quietly.

"I’ll buy your entire stock."

He casually placed a heavy pouch of coins onto the counter.

Under normal circumstances, most vendors would have accepted immediately without hesitation.

But this time—The vendor simply shook his head.

That alone stunned the merchant.

"...."

Then the fruit seller calmly reached beneath his stall and brought out a wooden slab containing a rolled scroll tied neatly to it.

Nearby traders paused curiously seeing the same thing happening at multiple stalls throughout the marketplace.

The vendor respectfully explained.

"By royal decree, large-scale supply requests are no longer handled directly through the stalls."

The merchant frowned hearing it.

-Frown!

"What does that mean?"

The vendor unrolled the scroll slightly and pointed toward organized sections already containing names.

"Any merchant wishing to purchase large trade quantities will have their names, trade house, and requested goods recorded."

"And after Maha Shivaratri..."

His tone carried unmistakable pride now.

"...the kingdom will conduct a Kautilya Arthashastra1 at the royal arena."

That statement immediately caught attention from nearby merchants.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Several turned fully toward the conversation now.

The vendor continued explaining patiently.

"The merchants may bid for exclusive purchase rights."

"For specific fruits. Vegetables. Spices. Or agricultural products."

"The winning merchant or trade house gains the rights to buy and distribute that particular product for a fixed period of time."

Silence.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Then confusion spread across several merchant faces.

Because this was not how most kingdoms handled trade.

Usually rulers simply taxed merchants and allowed direct purchase.

This—This was structured control.

Competition was being created between merchants bluntly.

Managed economic leverage.

One older trader narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"You’re auctioning distribution rights?"

The vendor nodded proudly.

-Nod!

"Yes."

Another merchant looked genuinely baffled.

"And your kingdom believes merchants will compete for them?"

The vendor almost looked amused hearing that.

"After tasting the products here?"

He gestured toward the fruits surrounding the stall.

"...you still doubt it?"

That shut several people up immediately.

Because the truth was painfully obvious.

The products of Trivenivrata were extraordinary enough that demand would explode once exported outside the kingdom.

Which meant exclusive trade rights could become absurdly profitable.

And suddenly the merchants began understanding something unsettling.

This new kingdom—Was far more economically prepared than expected.

The auction itself also carried another hidden implication.

It prevented wealthy merchants from instantly monopolizing all goods quietly behind closed doors.

Instead, competition would happen publicly beneath royal oversight.

Fairly. Strategically.

And most importantly—Profitably for the kingdom.

Several merchants exchanged increasingly serious glances now.

Because whoever advised the young king clearly understood commerce frighteningly well.

Somewhere nearby, a trader muttered quietly.

"...This kingdom intends to become rich very quickly."

Another merchant folded his arms while staring toward the distant royal palace visible beyond the city.

"No,"

He corrected slowly.

"They intend to become powerful."

And standing throughout the crowded markets of Trivenivrata—Many merchants realized the same thing simultaneously.

The kingdom they initially came to observe out of curiosity...

Might soon become one of the most economically dangerous powers in Bhulok.

But the fruit markets were only one part of the growing storm surrounding Trivenivrata’s economy.

Because another district of the kingdom had become even louder.

The fish markets.

Positioned near the harbor districts connected to the sacred waterways, the fish market had transformed into one of the busiest sections of the city within just days.

The moment visitors entered, they were greeted by an entirely different atmosphere compared to the fruit bazaars.

The scent of river water.

Fresh herbs. Cooking spices.

Grilled fish over charcoal fires.

And the loud bargaining voices of fishermen who clearly had no fear arguing with wealthy merchants.

Large stone-lined water tanks stretched through sections of the market, continuously supplied by flowing canal systems connected to the rivers themselves.

Inside them swam various freshwater fish gathered from the sacred rivers—Ganga. Saraswati. And Yamuna.

Silver-scaled fish. Broad river carp.

Long whiskered species from deeper currents.

Rare glowing river fish found near sacred waterways.

Everything remained alive and fresh until purchase.

This alone shocked many visitors. In most kingdoms, fish were displayed already dead upon wooden slabs or preserved with salt.

Here—The buyers themselves selected living fish directly from the tanks.

The freshness elevated the quality immediately beyond anything most merchants had experienced.

Several wealthy traders inspecting the market quickly realized the same dangerous truth they had noticed with the fruits.

The rivers surrounding Trivenivrata were absurdly resource-rich.

And because the kingdom controlled access through heavily fortified waterways and harbor systems—The resources could not be exploited freely from outside.

Meaning the kingdom held the advantage entirely.

But perhaps the most crowded area of the fish market was not the raw trade stalls.

It was the food district established by the fishing communities themselves.

The very same communities led by Dashraj.

At first, many visitors approached cautiously out of curiosity alone.

Then the aroma hit them.

And caution vanished immediately.

Rows of stalls displayed traditional cuisines rarely seen outside river communities.

Clay pots bubbling with rich fish curries.

Smoked river fish wrapped in leaves.

Spiced fried fillets crackling over oil pans.

Fermented fish preparations with herbs unique to their tribe.

Roasted fish stuffed with river spices and cooked over open flame.

Some dishes were mild.

Others nearly attacked unsuspecting nobles with terrifying spice levels.

Yet the crowds only grew larger.

Travelers gathered around wooden tables while fishermen proudly explained the preparation methods of their people.

Children ran carrying skewers of grilled fish.

Merchants who initially arrived for economic opportunities now found themselves arguing over second servings.

One noble visitor from another kingdom visibly sweated after tasting a heavily spiced preparation—

Then immediately ordered another plate.

Nearby fishermen laughed loudly seeing his stubborn pride refuse defeat.

And watching all this from a distance—

Several merchants looked increasingly alarmed.

Because the kingdom was not merely building military and economic strength.

It was creating cultural attraction too.

Food. Festivals.

Trade. Resources. Religious significance.

All tied together. And that combination...

Was far more powerful than most rulers understood.

Late into the evening, while the kingdom outside continued drowning itself in preparations for Maha Shivaratri, Devara sat alone within one of the quieter palace gardens.

The atmosphere there was calm compared to the bustling city beyond the walls.

Moonlight reflected softly across lotus ponds while cool winds carried distant temple bells through the night air.

The divine sabertooth tigers lounged lazily nearby beneath flowering trees, occasionally flicking their tails or watching passing servants with regal disinterest.

Devara had originally come merely to rest for a while.

Instead—The system suddenly appeared before him.

A familiar notification sound echoed softly within his mind.

Then a golden translucent panel unfolded.

At first, Devara read it casually.

Then his expression slowly froze.

"...."

[Emergency Festival Task]

[Objective:

Perform a Maha Shivaratri Tandava before the sacred Shiva temple of Trivenivrata.

The dance must embody devotion, destruction, balance, fury, stillness, and surrender.]

[Rewards]

[• Blessings of the gathered sages and Shiva devotees toward Trivenivrata

• Kingdom Status Effect: Land Favored by Shiva’s Devotees

• +2000 Karma Points

• Special Divine Event Trigger]

Then Devara’s eyes moved toward the final line.

And widened completely.

[Special Divine Event]

If the Tandava reaches the required spiritual synchronization—Shiva and Parvati will descend temporarily to perform the Tandava alongside their son.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Even the night breeze suddenly felt distant.

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(Author note:)

I hope you guys give me your opinion and idea’s.

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Don’t forget to review guys...

Guys I have a new fic which named: Karuppan: King of Openings.