Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology - Chapter 1164

Chapter 1164: WW1: Second Kingdom of Lynden (2)
The Kingdom of Lynden, in terms of size, was neither too large nor too small. Spanning a little over 100,000 square kilometres, it was just the right size. As a newly founded kingdom, and not one built through the conquest of another, it had no villages, towns, or roadways spread across its land. Instead, it consisted of only three cities: the capital, a southern trade city where most commerce took place, and a northern trade city where trade was also conducted, but of a very different nature.

The trade in the southern city was between the Kingdom of Lynden and the Europeans. In contrast, the trade in the northern city was between the kingdom and various chieftains and tribes, with slaves as the merchandise.

It was a simple economic model, simple in nature and simple in governance. Yet it was precisely because the kingdom was completely specialised in a single activity, and because it was built in an extremely favourable geographic location suited to that purpose, that it surpassed any European slave-catching group or slave trader. In doing so, it gave rise to a kingdom built entirely on the slave trade, a kingdom that had never existed in Vijay’s past timeline.

Kroonstad, Kingdom of Lynden.

The capital of the Kingdom of Lynden is a massive 17-kilometre-wide city, the same size as the famous cities in the Bharatiya Empire, like Ujjain, Pataliputra, and others. Although it does not compare against the first-tier cities like the capital city of the Empire, Bengaluru, or even the capital cities of various states like Hampi, Madurai, and others, it can already match the affluence and grandeur of some of the more famous second-tier cities. But that is hardly a surprise, after all, with the slave trade completely monopolised by the royal power, the capital is bound to be majestic.

Looking at the wide cement roads, the Bharatiya style drainage structure, Bharatiya style street planning, Dutch and Gothic architecture, one would imagine they had stepped into the world of fantasy. Unfortunately, all the opulence of the capital city, for all its brightness and glory, and for its prosperity, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of bones had to be piled up.

Each and every inch of the capital represents not the hard work and legacy of the ancestors but the curse and karma obtained by thousands of sentient beings. Kroonstad might look like one of the most beautiful capitals and cities in the world, where anyone would love to live, but unfortunately, for those who know, and for those who have a conscience, it is the city of sin, a city made up of sin, built upon sin, breeding sin.

A tall, middle-aged man with a striking image consisting of blond hair, blue eyes, broad shoulders, and a slightly chubby physique was surrounded by several military leaders of the kingdom.

The man was none other than William Stead Lynden, the king of the Kingdom of Lynden, and the son of Dideric Van Linden. Hearing the news about the border being breached, William was sombre, and his expression was completely devoid of emotions, with only a hint of ruthlessness and fierceness occasionally slipping into his eyes.

“Since we cannot defeat the Bharatiyas in either strength or superior strategic advantage, then we will do it with numbers.”

“Graham.”

“Sire!”

“Along with the defeated Europeans who are currently in the south city, round up all the black animals and push them forward.”

A smirk appeared on his face, “Let’s see how they will fight against 100,000 troops.”

The expression on Graham’s face changed instantly, his heart sinking straight to his stomach. To an onlooker, it might have seemed as though he was burdened by the moral weight of the monarch’s decision. In truth, however, what he felt was neither annoyance nor sorrow over black slaves being used as cannon fodder. It was regret, deep and bitter, because those black people were commodities about to be sold, and he had a stake in that trade. He could have made a great deal of money, but now all of it would be lost.

Yet, as he considered the situation more clearly and weighed the benefits he could reap after defeating the Bharatiyas, his mood lifted quickly.

“As you wish, Your Highness, leave this matter to me.”

Cape Town Harbour.

The largest ship the Bharatiya Empire has ever built, the Kathmandu Class military transporter, with a draught tonnage of a whopping 4,500 tonnes, slowly docked at the port, and a massive ramp, enough for carriages to roll down, was attached.

The sailors on the ships docked at the port, the soldiers guarding the barracks, and even the prisoners who were tied up and made to squat on the harbour, all looked towards the ship with curiosity.

“Brrrrrr!”

Moments later, a loud rumbling sound rolled across the port, instantly silencing all discussion.

The Bharatiyas found the sound strangely familiar, and both soldiers and sailors began to speculate with growing excitement.

“That sounds like a car. Is it His Majesty’s?”

“Is His Majesty heading to the frontline?”

“Hey, isn’t that dangerous?”

“I don’t think it’s a car. The sound is deeper, much more powerful. It has to be a truck, so His Majesty, the Emperor, wouldn’t be going to the frontline.”

“That makes sense, but I don’t think it’s a truck either. I’ve heard the trucks made by Gaur Industries, and this doesn’t sound like them. This is far more powerful, strong enough for the noise to echo across the entire port. Maybe it’s a new kind of tractor?”

The moment the metal giant emerged into the light of day for the first time, all speculation came to an abrupt halt. Every pair of eyes locked onto the massive metal monster, shaped like a rolling rectangular slab of steel.

The eyes of the captured European soldiers widened, and if not for the gags in their mouths, they might have opened wide enough to swallow a quail’s egg.

As one metal monster disembarked from the ship, another followed, and then another, until twenty-five rolling steel beasts rumbled down from the vessel in succession.

“What the hell is that?”

This was the thought that was in the minds of not only the European prisoners of war, but also in the minds of Bharatiya sailors and soldiers.

And the thought did not diminish even when the rolling steel giants began to move into the city.

After a lot of chaos, thanks to the Bharatiya Empire not giving a chance for the Europeans to use the guerrilla war tactic, the streets of Cape Town had finally calmed down. Almost 80 percent of the entire city was preserved as it was before the war. The only places that were affected were the places where the surgical strikes were carried out.

It is thanks to this relative calm that people finally dared to come out of their closets and peek through the windows.

Hugh Henderson could not help but cautiously come into the living room and pick up the loaf of bread that was left on the table, and go back to the room just as cautiously as before, and give it to his son, who said that he was feeling hungry. His wife stood awake all night keeping watch, so she was currently fast asleep. As for himself, looking at his son eat the bread with relish, he was feeling a little peckish himself, but the feeling was not too intense. So he turned his head away after ruffling his son’s hair. He was about to sit down at the corner of the room and resume reading the holy book from where he left off, but suddenly he heard a sound of rumbling.

His heart tightened, and his expression changed. Without a second thought, he woke his wife up and sent them both to the attic. The wife was a little confused upon being suddenly woken up, but upon feeling the vibrations in the air and hearing the sound that was like an evil beast approaching, all blood drained from her face, making her complexion as white as paper. So without hesitation, she took her son and climbed to the attic without making a noise.

Hugh crouched down without a second thought and crawled out towards the window. He knew there was a high chance that the Bharatiya Empire would not be attacking civilians like them, but he did not want to take his chances. So he opened the window as gently as possible, as if he were opening the cupboard door in a silent library. And he did not open the window to the full extent either. A simple slit was all he needed. He patiently got up ever so slightly and pressed his eyes against the corner of the slit. And what he saw left him frozen like a rock. All his thoughts came to a halt. He did not even understand what he was seeing.

In the end, he could only fall to the ground and mutter in a low voice, “What did the Bharatiyas come up with this time?” He got an ominous premonition from those metal behemoths, but unfortunately, there was nothing he could do.

The Frontline

Sumit Chatur was not even surprised anymore. As always, he did not get a chance to fire once again; the special forces and the artillery took care of all the enemies. He was so used to being sidelined that he was not even feeling disappointed anymore. He simply stood in formation, waiting for the first lieutenant’s orders, maintaining a glimmer of hope.

But just then, he felt a vibration in his stomach, a rumbling he could feel in his very being. The sound came from afar, and looking towards the direction of the sound, his eyes widened. Steel monsters, taller than seven feet and wider than five feet, came rolling like metal mountains on two tracked beams.

Everyone was immediately amazed and excited, knowing that this was Project Rhino, the first lieutenant was talking about. But Sumit, well, his face became much darker.

‘Not again!!!!’