15 Years Later, 16 October 1881
Time had passed swiftly, and Mehbub was now 15 years old. Today was his birthday, and a grand celebration was underway, with various nobles, nawabs, and their children in attendance. The Nizam surveyed the crowd and then turned to Mehbub, who stood beside him.
"Mehbub, do you have your eye on anyone here?" the Nizam asked.
"Father, what are you talking about? I'm still young," Mehbub replied.
"I was already married at your age," said the Nizam.
"Well, we'll talk about it later," Mehbub said, a bit flustered.
The Nizam smiled but then became serious. "Are you ready for the next ceremony?"
"I am, but Father, are you really going to do this? You know you're still healthy," Mehbub questioned.
"Yes, I am tired now. It should be your turn to lead the state," said the Nizam.
"Don't try to fool me; I know you just want to travel with Mother," Mehbub replied.
Having been exposed, the Nizam tried to change the subject. "By the way, where is your mother?"
Mehbub suddenly looked nervous. "She's with the noble ladies," he said, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Just then, his mother returned and asked, "What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing, just talking about you," Mehbub said.
"Oh really? I don't know who's trying to hide from me while I was speaking to the ladies," Begum said.
Mehbub turned to his father as if seeking help. Seeing this, the Nizam sighed and said, "Well, I'm going to make the announcement now."
Both Mehbub and his mother looked at the Nizam and nodded. The Nizam then addressed the crowd:
"Ladies and gentlemen, excuse me for a moment. I have an important announcement to make". After getting the attention of guests he then announced: "Today, I appoint my son, Mir Mahbub Ali Pasha, as the new Nizam of Hyderabad. Starting tomorrow, he will assume office."
Though the audience had expected the announcement, they were still shocked. Congratulations were offered one by one, and at the end of the ceremony, rulers from princely states such as Baroda, Patiala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Jammu and Kashmir visited. The Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, Duleep Singh, did not attend as he was exiled in Britain. Viceroy and Governor-General Lord Ripon also came to offer congratulations before leaving, Mehbub noticed superiority and arrogance in him.
After the ceremony, everyone returned to their rooms for the night. When Mehbub lay down, thinking about the state, he suddenly heard a buzzing sound in his head.
"Buzzzz..."
He looked around, but there was nothing visible. Soon, another voice spoke:
"Congratulations on becoming the Nizam. System initiating. Starting condition met... System is starting..."
"Who are you?" Mehbub asked.
The voice ignored his question and continued: "Congratulations to the host for achieving the system. As long as you make achievements, you will receive rewards."
Mehbub said, "System? Are we in a novel or manga?"
The voice replied, "I am a product from the future, from a parallel time and space in another dimension. This is not a novel; it's the real world."
"Then how can you connect to me, and where are you?" Mehbub asked.
"I am a quantum computer and artificial intelligence connected through a quantum channel. When your body disintegrated during the explosion, your soul connected to me through this channel," the system explained.
"Quantum computer, artificial intelligence, quantum channel... Wait, are you saying I'm connected to you via a quantum channel? Can you transport other things through this channel?" Mehbub inquired.
"Yes, you can," the system replied.
"Cool," Mehbub said. "Then tell me more about yourself. What can you do?"
"As long as you make achievements, you can earn rewards. I have reviewed your memories; it's similar to the systems in novels you know," the system responded.
"Are there any rewards available now?" Mehbub asked.
"Yes, there are," the system replied.
"Then hurry up and give them to me," Mehbub said.
"Alright, just a moment," the system said.
"At age eight, you learned Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Persian, English, French, German, Russian, and other regional languages. Achievement reward: All Languages Proficiency."
"At age ten, you learned martial arts and shooting. Achievement reward: Proficiency in Martial Arts and Firearms and a super serum"
"At age twelve, you formed a guard team of 20 people. Achievement reward: 10,000 Guards."
"At age fourteen, you mastered state management and warfare. Achievement reward: Lifetime Knowledge of Famous Emperors and Generals."
"At age fifteen, you became the Nizam. Achievement reward: Five Female Secretaries, an Army of 20,000 Standing Soldiers, and a Commander."
"As for the opening reward, the host will receive:
1. An army of 500,000 soldiers, each equipped with Enfield Pattern 1871 rifles, and 50,000 cavalry, armed with Enfield rifles (1871), sabres, and Smith & Wesson Model 3 pistols. The army will also include 9-pounder and 12-pounder cannons for artillery support.
2. 20,000 special forces, equipped with M1 Carbine automatic rifles, cavalry units, artillery support, and Luger P08 pistols.
3. A navy of 10,000 personnel led by a Naval Commander, including:
5 British HMS Alexandra battleships
2 British HMS Inflexible cruisers
5 torpedo boats
2 British Admiralty gunboats
3 additional torpedo boats
15 coastal defense ships
4. 500 spies stationed exclusively in India.
5. 50 million pounds' worth of logistical supplies, including ammunition for rifles, artillery rounds, naval munitions, and other essential military supplies."