Priya sat in her private chamber, the door secured and her communication channels encrypted. She had been tasked with a delicate operation: contacting foreign embassies without revealing too much while sounding credible and professional. .
She pulled out a secure list Rahul had prepared: industrialized nations, neutral technical consortia, and a few reputable multinational corporations with experience in large-scale mining. Each contact would receive a carefully tailored message.
She began drafting the first communiqué:
> To: Embassy of [Country XYZ]
From: Royal Secretariat, Kingdom of Athenia
Subject: Opportunity for Strategic Resource Collaboration
Your Excellency,
The Kingdom of Athenia wishes to explore potential partnerships in the development of a newly surveyed mineral-rich site within our territory. This project requires advanced machinery, technical expertise, and international cooperation. We seek to discuss confidential collaboration under mutually agreed terms.
We assure strict oversight by the Royal Secretariat and the Kingdom's regulatory authorities. Confidentiality and discretion are paramount. We propose a preliminary meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss the scope, requirements, and potential framework.
Respectfully,
Priya Teg
Royal Secretariat
Priya paused, reviewing the tone. She needed it neutral, inviting, and authoritative. She added small clarifications: timelines vague, only general resource description, no financial numbers, but stressed that the opportunity was highly strategic and under royal supervision.
One by one, she sent similar secure messages to other embassies, making slight adjustments to match each country's style and protocol. Some messages were routed through trusted diplomats in neighboring countries, while others used encrypted emails and private envoys.
After sending the first round, Priya leaned back. "This will draw interest, but they will have no idea what's really going on," she murmured to herself. "And that gives us leverage."
Her comms device buzzed quietly. A confirmation ping: all messages had been securely delivered. Within days, initial replies would arrive, and Rahul would have his first window to begin controlled negotiations, ensuring Athenia stayed firmly in charge while gaining access to technology, manpower, and international legitimacy.
Priya smiled faintly, knowing that every word she had written was part of a much larger chessboard, one that could reshape the country if played correctly.
The letters sent by Priya had done their job: almost every relevant embassy received them. India, China, Russia, and several European and multinational mining companies were now aware that Athenia had initiated its first diplomatic and economic outreach—a bold move for a backward nation previously overlooked on the global stage.
In India, the message reached the Prime Minister's office. A security officer approached Mohan singh with the letter ,(parllel world so leaders are changed). Singh read it carefully, nodding.
"This is interesting," he said. "If the opportunity is genuine, we could see substantial profit. And even if not, it's a chance to build a relationship with Athenia. The country is poor, backward. A small amount of support could secure goodwill and influence."
China and the United States, by contrast, glanced at the message but gave it little attention. Both nations had abundant graphite and other ores and saw no urgent need to invest.
Russia, however, showed genuine interest and sent a technical team to investigate. Alongside them, several international mining corporations also dispatched surveyors to Athenia, eager to assess the mineral site.
Logistical hurdles slowed the process. Athenia lacked a functional airport, so all transport had to be conducted by ship. Survey teams would need to analyze the composition, verify the site's viability, and finally submit bids. Even after that, the extraction and processing would be slow and meticulous, taking months to commence.
For Rahul, this was exactly as planned. The interest of foreign powers and corporations would bring expertise, equipment, and oversight, while keeping the process under the crown's control. Athenia would gain not only the profits of mining but also a foothold in international commerce, all without letting domestic elites or corrupt bureaucrats dominate the operation.
While the diplomatic letters stirred interest abroad, an undercurrent of tension was brewing within Athenia. Several influential businessmen, sensing opportunity, began lobbying ministers, pressing them to secure the mining contract for themselves. They were persistent, sending envoys, making private appeals, and even hinting at political favors in exchange.
The ministers, in turn, were surprised. Rahul had said nothing about the mining so far—no announcements, no bids, no public instructions. In their experience, the crown always handled resource allocation internally, from medieval practices up through the present. Hiring foreign partners or outsourcing the project was something no one had considered, not even the sharpest bureaucrats or wealthiest industrialists.
As pressure mounted, whispers spread across ministries and trading circles. Yet Rahul remained silent. He knew about the machinations and rumors, but he ignored them deliberately. Every lobbyist, every greedy request, only reinforced his patience. Eventually, time would reveal the strategy, and those who had tried to manipulate the process would gain nothing.
Meanwhile, the kingdom's finances were slowly bleeding. Rahul watched the treasury reports with quiet concern. If the expenditure continued at the current rate—military reforms, Anti-Corruption Bureau operations, infrastructure upgrades—Athenia could face bankruptcy within two years.
He could not reveal this to anyone; panic or rash decisions would jeopardize everything. But he had confidence in the Mercury mine. Its yield, once fully operational with international oversight, would inject enough capital to stabilize the kingdom and fund his long-term reforms. The risk was significant, but the potential reward was monumental.
Rahul leaned back in his chair, eyes on the distant map of the wasteland. Patience, secrecy, and precise timing were the only tools he had. And he intended to use them perfectly.
Weeks later, the first foreign survey teams began arriving at Palaepicia. Ships carrying equipment, engineers, and technical specialists docked at the nearby port. Each team had been carefully vetted by Priya and Rachit: only reputable companies or state-backed teams were allowed, and all travel and lodging were tightly controlled to prevent leaks or opportunistic interference.
Rahul personally oversaw the coordination of the survey. He had mapped out every step:
Security: Rachit and his elite guard maintained perimeter control. No unauthorized personnel were allowed near the site.
Survey logistics: Priya ensured that each team had the necessary facilities for analysis—temporary labs, storage for ore samples, and communications equipment.
Controlled access: The teams were separated by nationality and company, so no collusion or premature claims could form.
When the first engineers stepped onto the barren 5 km² wasteland, Rahul watched from a secure observation point. The land looked ordinary to the untrained eye—rocky soil, scattered mineral outcrops—but he knew the Mercury swap had already transformed it into a rich source of ore, teeming with minerals worth billions.
He instructed Priya to collect daily reports from each team. "Note every discovery, every assay result," he said. "We need a complete picture before we even think about bids. And no one—no domestic minister, no businessman—gets early access."
Meanwhile, the local town of Palaepicia began to notice subtle changes. Shipments of equipment, temporary lodging facilities, and small security outposts appeared. Curious townsfolk asked questions, but Rahul ensured the project was presented as a generic "survey mission", a neutral economic initiative.
For the foreign teams, the mine was a golden opportunity, but the careful supervision kept all interactions professional and competitive. Every discovery, assay, and measurement was logged and sent back to Rahul's central command, ensuring he controlled both the data and the narrative.
As the days passed, the survey progressed smoothly. Rahul began to plan the next stage: evaluating which partner would be awarded the mining rights, structuring the contracts, and preparing the legal and financial frameworks to protect Athenia from exploitation.
In the quiet of his office, Rahul leaned back and allowed himself a small smile. The groundwork was laid: the mine, the foreign interest, and the kingdom's oversight were all aligned. Soon, the Mercury project would begin, and Athenia's long-awaited transformation would start in earnest.