Varchaswa got up early in the morning. It was going to be his first day as Principal, it was also his first day to start implementing the Phase 1 of his plans. He would be training the students of the National Academy of Magic, Martial Arts and Military Warfare.
Although he had proven his skills and calibre, he knew he would still face some resistance and challenges. But he was not anxious. Rather, he was pretty excited.
He got ready and went towards the Palace Gate. To his surprise Khyaati and Vaibhavee were already waiting for him. Since the two of them became his apprentice, their accommodation has been arranged in his Private Palace.
"Good morning you two", Varchaswa said.
"Good morning Elder Brother", replied Khyaati.
"Good morning Prince Varchaswa", said Vaibhavee.
"Hmm. This will not do. You two ladies need to understand that you are my apprentices till you undergo your awakening. At the same time, while in the Academy I am the Principal, and you are the students.
So, you need to change your way of addressing. Elder Brother, Prince Varchaswa, Second Prince, Royal Highness and Your Highness; all these forms of addressing will not do." Varchaswa explained.
"Then how do we address you?" Khyaati asked.
"Call me Principal Varchaswa", replied Varchaswa.
"Is it appropriate for me to call you by name?", mumbled Vaibhavee.
"Yes, you too are a Princess, right? Also, I am here as the authority of a Principal so Principal Varchaswa is exactly right." he said confidently.
"Understood, Principal Varchaswa", both replied.
Varchaswa smiled and said, "Come on now, let's get into the Flying Chariot".
Although Magic enabled many things, a Flying Chariot was still expensive and a symbol of remarkably high status. Its construction required experienced Mages, Architects and Artisans with knowledge of ancient spells and chants. It also needed rare materials.
Normally, even the Second Prince would not have a Flying Chariot, however, Varchaswa was different now. He was the Principal of the National Academy of Magic, Martial Arts and Military Warfare. That status came with a few privileges and Flying Chariot was one of them.
After saying that, he boarded the chariot together with Khyaati & Vaibhavee.
"Good morning Principal Varchaswa. My name is Sanjaya. I will be your driver starting today."
"Good morning to you too Sanjaya. Take us to the Academy."
"Yes Sir!" Sanjaya said confidently as he drove the flying chariot towards the Academy.
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On appointment of a new Principal, the usual procedure followed by the Academy included a Welcome Ceremony, however, since Varchaswa was a Provisional Principal and he did not want to waste time, he had discussed with Vice Principal Bheeshma to start with Assembly. There were multiple announcements to be made and hence an assembly was convenient. The Academy was almost at full attendance today.
The news of a 16-year-old Prince becoming the new Principal had spread far and wide. Most of the seniors were not present on the day of admission process for the freshmen, so they were curious as well. On the stage, Varchaswa, Bheeshma and all the heads of various departments like Dhanush, Kripaan etc. were seated.
Vice Principal Bheeshma started addressing the assembly of students and instructors.
"A very Good Morning to one and all present here. I, Bheeshma, your ex-Principal and current Vice Principal, am glad to introduce to you our new Principal. At the young age of 16 he demonstrated his skills by defeating all the Heads of Departments in a one-on-one duel, myself included.
His Martial Arts, weapon skills as well as his control over his elemental magic is top notch. I can personally attest to that fact. The time has come to pass on the baton to the young generation to carry forward the legacy of this ancient Academy of our great nation Dwaarakaa.
Needless to say, there will be changes going forward. All these changes have been pre-approved by the Royal Court including the King, the Prime Minister and the two Generals. As per the Royal Decree everyone including myself must follow the instructions of Principal Varchaswa when it comes to training for the next three months.
Now I invite Principal Varchaswa to make those announcements." Having said so Bheeshma took steps back making way for Varchaswa to take the lead.
"Good morning all. First and foremost, you all will address me as Principal Varchaswa.
Second, starting today, the freshmen and sophomore will be transferred to the Central Royal Military Base and their training will be carried out at the Royal Military Training Grounds.
Their training will be supervised by General Nakula and Freshmen representatives who are also my apprentices Princess Khyaati and Princess Vaibhavee. Your training schedule will be provided to you when you arrive at the Central Royal Military Base.
As for the Final and Pre-final year students of the Academy, your training will continue here in this academy. As usual you will be using the Academy Training grounds. Your training schedule will also be distributed shortly. All of you must follow the schedule without question.
Let me say it clearly, the schedule is unorthodox and will seem pretty unusual, but you all have to follow nonetheless. For those who choose to not follow the schedule, they will be expelled immediately.
All of you must remember that although these three months of training are especially for the Mock Battle against Ayodhyaa Kingdom, but these trainings will also form the base for your further growth in the Army as well.
However, following the schedule does not mean excessive training. You are not to overdo yourself and you are advised to not to undergo any personal training later. Excess of things can hamper progress. This training regimen is a tested and proven one.
Have faith in the Royal Court and confidence in yourself. You can relax today and prepare for tomorrow. All your training gear should be ready. Now you are all dismissed." With this the assembly was dispersed, leaving a lot of questions in the minds of many students.
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While the freshmen and sophomores started packing their luggage to transfer to the Central Royal Military Base, a meeting was taking place at the Principal's Office. Including Principal Varchaswa and Vice-Principal Bheeshma, all the heads of departments were present.
After exchanging brief pleasantries, Varchaswa initiated the discussion to the main subject of the meeting.
"So what formations were used by the Ayodhyaa Kingdom in the previous competitions?" Varchaswa asked.
"I am sorry your highness, I don't understand. What is this 'formation' you are talking about?" Vice-Principal Bheeshma replied, a little confused.
For a moment, Varchaswa became confused too. How can a retired General not know Military Formation? Then he remembered, the people of this world used a different word for 'Formation'.
"I meant to ask about the arrangement of their army. The placement of their soldiers, the attack patterns etc."
"Oh, that. That will take a few minutes to explain because, depending on situation, the arrangement of Mages, Elementals, Cavalry and Knights brigade changes.
Also, we use numbers to denote a particular arrangement. Different armies use different numbers for the same arrangement." Vice Principal Bheeshma replied and then further explained the strategy, operations and tactics used by the Ayodhyaa Kingdom in the past few years.
"As per Grandpa Vidura, Sound Mages are used to transfer the orders to change the arrangement of the army or that of a unit, right?" Varchaswa asked.
"That is indeed the case." Bheeshma replied.
"So, can't we disrupt their Sound Signals?" Varchaswa asked.
"It is not easy. First of all, most Sound Mages only have the ability of communication. Except a few famous Sound Mages, they do not have the ability to attack. That is because basic magical tools are deployed in the armour to counter such attacks.
Additionally, the signal change has to be predicted by the Strategist, who has to inform the commander and the commander has to give the command to the Sound Mages. This takes time, and by the time this process is carried out, the enemy has already used the Sound signal."
"I understand. What you call arrangement, I call it formation. From now on we will have named formations rather than numbered arrangements. I will explain its benefits in the third month of training. The arrangements used by the Ayodhyaa Kingdom will be called Layered Phalanx Formation." Varchaswa explained.
"So, what's the plan to break this Layered Phalanx Formation? Have you thought of any strategy?" asked retired General Bheeshma.
"Hmm, with that kind of Formation, we can use multiple strategies. But I need some time to analyse this to come up with a counter-formation best suited for it taking into account the students' capabilities and the time-frame."
"Yes, there is no need to rush it from the first day." Vice-Principal Bheeshma replied.
Varchaswa was incredibly happy. His Divine Knowledge and Wisdom coupled with his past-life memories he had obtained made him a unique existence on this planet.
He smiled and said, "We shall conclude the meeting for now. I will let you know when I have decided on the counter-strategy."
With that Varchaswa ended the meeting.
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Before the end of the day, the Freshmen and Sophomores had relocated to the Central Royal Military Base. It was because the Academy and the Base were close by. Prince Varchaswa also returned to his Palace, along with Princesses Khyaati & Vaibhavee.
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Chapter End.