Arya reached out to Rudra and Raghav. They met in a concealed chamber away from prying eyes.
"Sharvas is behind all of this," Arya stated. "The smuggling, the disappearances, the hidden weapons—everything ties back to him."
Raghav frowned. "I suspected as much. The guards at the Yamsabha—they carried swords just like the ones the mystery men had while receiving the boxes."
Rudra nodded in agreement. "That means Sharvas isn't just involved; he controls the entire network."
Arya leaned in. "We can't let them operate unchecked anymore. Expand Chorpatta's reach. Every alley, every warehouse, every business deal—I want eyes on everything. No transaction, no movement in the city happens without my knowledge."
The twins exchanged a glance, understanding the gravity of Arya's orders. Without delay, they set off to activate their network.
Next, Arya visited the Merchants' Council. The huge hall, usually busy with trade disputes and financial negotiations, fell silent as he stepped in.
He scanned the room, his voice cutting through the silence. "Till now, you've operated in the old ways. That ends today."
A few murmurs stirred in the crowd, but Arya continued. "No new taxes will be imposed. Your tariffs remain unchanged. But every trade, every shipment entering or leaving this city will be monitored. For too long, smugglers and thieves have taken advantage of our silence. That silence ends now."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "If you see something, you tell me immediately. If I find out later that you knew and remained quiet, the consequences will be severe. If you are involved in smuggling, I don't need to know what you've done before—but from this moment forward, it stops. I am giving you one day to clean up your act. By tomorrow morning, the guards will come. And if you are still tangled in these dealings, they will drag you out into the streets."
A tense silence gripped the hall. Arya observed their reactions—some merchants shifted uncomfortably, others exchanged nervous glances. Some were undoubtedly involved in smuggling; others simply feared change.
Arya smirked slightly. "I will see you all in the morning." With that, he turned and walked away, the weight of his presence lingering long after he had left.
Arya reached the Pit and met with Ganak. "Increase security. I don't want a single blind spot in this place."
Ganak nodded. "I'll double the guards."
Kalanemi, observing from his cell, chuckled to himself. As a guard passed by, he called out. "Tell Arya this—he can do whatever he wants, but he cannot stop what's coming. It doesn't matter if I live or die. Change is inevitable."
The guard sneered, dismissing Kalanemi's words. "Shut up and stay in your cell."
As night fell, two cloaked figures entered the castle. Arya was summoned to the office chambers. The two men, merchants from the council, bowed their heads in greeting.
"We need to talk," one of them said. "We couldn't speak earlier—we feared retaliation. But we don't want to work under Sharvas anymore. We have information."
Arya leaned forward. "Speak."
The merchant hesitated before continuing. "Sharvas and his men force us to comply. If we resist, they destroy our businesses. You've seen what happens to those who oppose them. But we can tell you who in the council is working for them. Who is directly involved in smuggling."
Arya listened carefully, realising the corruption ran deeper than expected.
Arya exhaled slowly, "You made the right choice."
The two men bowed and left the chamber, walking toward the castle's exit.
THWACK!
An arrow struck the first merchant in the back. Before the second could react—THWACK!—another arrow found its mark.
They collapsed, lifeless, blood pooling beneath them. Guards rushed to the scene, while others scattered in search of the assassin. But in the darkness, there was no one to be found.
Rudra and Raghav sprinted outside, activating Chorpatta. "Find the killer! Search every street, every rooftop!" Rudra barked.
Arya clenched his fists, staring at the bodies. This was a message. Sharvas had eyes everywhere, and he had just silenced two potential threats.
Moments later, Arya called for an emergency meeting. Six of his trusted officials gathered in the chambers. His voice was grim.
"We need to move the shipment quickly. We cannot wait any longer."
The war between Arya and Sharvas had truly begun.