Karna remained silent for a moment while the sounds of the market continued around them.
Then he spoke slowly.
"Duryodhana, a shepherd who rules sheep through fear, will one day find the sheep fleeing the moment the gate opens," he said calmly. "But when the sheep willingly follow the shepherd because they trust him, even storms cannot scatter them. For me, the people are my family, and for my people, I'm their family. And in a family, everyone has a right over another."
Duryodhana stayed thoughtful after hearing those words.
He did not entirely agree.
Yet he could not deny the results before his eyes either.
The people genuinely loved Karna. But he didn't like that closeness. While he is a believer in merit over caste, he also believes that a servant is a servant and a king is a king. Even if the King acts affectionately, the servant should know his place.
But this might unnecessarily bring conflict with Karna. Hence, Duryodhana didn't try to change Karna's view.
During his stay, this Kaurava Prince also witnessed something else that left a deep impression on him.
The women soldiers of Dakshina Kalinga.
At first, when he saw armed female patrol units moving through the city streets wearing armor, carrying bows, spears, and swords while maintaining formation with disciplined precision, he almost thought they were ceremonial guards meant only for appearance.
But after personally watching their training grounds…
That assumption was shattered completely.
The sound of wooden practice weapons clashing rang sharply through the air while female cavalry units practiced mounted archery with terrifying coordination. Spears struck shield walls in perfect rhythm. Sword formations rotated with frightening discipline while commanders shouted orders loudly beneath the burning afternoon sun.
Duryodhana stood silently beside Karna while watching them.
One female officer noticed Karna's arrival and immediately approached, saluted respectfully, and gave a report regarding border patrol movements and supply routes.
The conversation was professional.
Efficient.
Completely normal as if there was nothing unusual about it.
And somehow…
That normalcy unsettled Duryodhana more than the women warriors themselves.
Because it meant this was not a spectacle.
This was structured with a functioning system.
He couldn't say anything about Karna's closeness with the citizens, but he couldn't stay quiet about this women soldier system. Depending on women to protect them? For Duryodhana, it was nothing short of a nightmare.
Later that evening, while sitting privately with Karna, Duryodhana finally spoke honestly.
"In Hastinapura," he said slowly, "many elders claim women taking up arms weakens order. They say if rivers abandon their banks, floods will follow."
Karna calmly poured water into a bronze cup before replying. "And what happens," he asked quietly, "when enemies enter the village while the men are away at war? Do you expect them to be taken away or worse, commit suicide to protect their dignity?"
Duryodhana remained silent.
Karna continued.
"I'll make this simpler for you. If fire spreads inside a house, does the mother wait helplessly for her husband to return before saving her children? Or does she carry water herself?" He looked toward Duryodhana directly. "Strength does not become impure simply because it exists inside a woman, and neither would a man's dignity be hurt when he is protected by a woman. If that were the case, there wouldn't be the existence of Mata Durga, Mata Kaali..."
Duryodhana said nothing after that.
But he remembered those words.
He remembered many things.
The cleanliness of the streets.
The organized drainage.
The strict military registration systems.
The open grain distribution.
The disciplined port taxation.
The rapid road maintenance.
Especially the condition of the common people's districts.
That part stayed in his mind strongly.
In Hastinapura, noble districts remained beautiful while poorer regions often became crowded and neglected. But here, even common laborers lived in surprisingly well-maintained surroundings and stayed disciplined. Roads were regularly cleaned. Public wells were monitored. Guards patrolled frequently.
And most shocking of all…
The law did not spare Brahmins either.
Yes, Brahmins, especially of the Shaiva Sect, the worshippers of Lord Shiva, do enjoy many benefits. Far more benefits than any other group in the Dakshina Kalinga, but nevertheless, they weren't immune to the laws.
That realization truly stunned Duryodhana.
At first, he thought the rumors exaggerated things. But later, he personally witnessed a temple priest publicly arrested for extorting lower caste workers using religious threats.
No one protected him.
No one excused him because of caste.
The punishment was severe and immediate.
When Duryodhana later asked Karna about it privately, Karna answered without hesitation.
"If poison enters milk," he said calmly, "does the poison become holy because it entered something sacred? Or the entire milk becomes undrinkable because of the poison?"
Duryodhana frowned thoughtfully.
Karna continued. "A criminal who's not being punished for any reason will pollute the society like poison. We can certainly reduce his sentence on his repentance at a later date, but you cannot let go of his crime. When you do it intentionally, the sin will also be on your heads. And when your sins become more and more, even the gods will go out of their way to punish you."
That answer remained deeply inside Duryodhana's thoughts.
And gradually…
Very gradually…
The Kuru prince began imagining what Hastinapura itself could become.
Though there were still many things he disliked in Kanipura, such as:
The lack of distance between rulers and commoners.
The absence of taxation inside Kanipura itself.
The social freedom given to women.
Yet despite all of that…
The results stood undeniable before his eyes.
Prosperity.
Order.
Loyalty.
Strength.
By the end of the week, even Duryodhana himself realized something unexpected.
He had learned a lot.
Finally, the day of departure arrived.
Horses neighed in the courtyards while soldiers organized escort formations.
Duryodhana stood beside Karna before the palace entrance for a long moment before speaking.
"Brother Karna, I have learned many things while staying here," he admitted honestly. "Many things that should exist in Hastinapura too." He paused briefly. "One day… I will make sure they happen."
Karna looked at him quietly for a few moments before nodding.
"I hope when that day comes," he said calmly, "you remember that even the strongest chariot cannot move if one wheel sinks into mud while the other stands on stone."
Duryodhana smiled faintly.
Soon afterward, Duryodhana departed toward Kashi to retrieve the elephants and Princess Dushala before returning to Hastinapura.
And after the Kuru prince finally left…
Karna immediately returned to governance matters.
That same evening, the royal assembly gathered inside the grand court hall. Oil lamps illuminated polished stone pillars while ministers, generals, merchants, and treasury officials took their respective places.
The atmosphere carried excitement.
Because everyone knew the kingdom had just acquired enormous wealth in the form of cattle, war horses, elephants, and trade agreements.
Discussion after discussion continued regarding allocation plans.
Some proposed expanding cavalry divisions.
Others discussed agricultural expansion using the oxen.
Some debated the trade potential with southern ports.
The voices continued rising one after another until finally Sumedha spoke calmly from beside the throne.
"But none of this solves the treasury deficit itself," she pointed out. "We acquired assets, yes. But unless we actively trade and sell portions of them toward southern kingdoms, or become their mediator, our financial burden will continue." She looked toward Karna directly. "And Maharaj has no interest in commercial exploitation. He wants the cattle for farming and domestic growth."
The hall quieted.
Because it was true.
Karna nodded calmly.
"Yes," he admitted. "I want the kingdom to be self-sufficient first before chasing excessive profits."
One minister sighed quietly.
"Then the deficit still remains, Maharaj."
At that…
Karna smiled faintly.
"No," he said calmly. "The problem is already solved."
The entire court immediately fell silent.
Even Sumedha looked surprised.
Karna slowly raised his right hand.
Then from within his divine energy... a radiant blue-golden gem materialized above his palm.
The entire court froze.
The jewel glowed with unnatural brilliance, illuminating the hall with soft golden radiance while mysterious energy pulsed faintly from within it like flowing liquid sunlight.
Several ministers unconsciously stood up from their seats.
Karna spoke calmly.
"This is the Syamantakamani," he declared. "A betrothal gift from the Samudra Naga Clan."
The hall erupted into whispers instantly.
Karna then added. "It produces 77 kilograms of pure gold every single day."
Silence.
Utter silence.
Some ministers looked as though they forgot how to breathe.
"That means 7000 tolas of gold, 70000 gold coins daily," Karna continued evenly. "More than twenty lakh gold coins every month. More than two and a half crore gold coins every year. It is the solution to every problem of ours. Soon our financial deficit will turn into surplus, and eventually, all of our debts to Kubera will be cleared too."
The weight of those numbers crashed upon the assembly like thunder.
Eyes widened everywhere.
Some ministers looked ecstatic.
Others looked stunned.
And some…
Some looked greedy.
Very greedy.
Karna saw it immediately.
The flickering desire hidden behind lowered eyes.
The brief, poisonous temptation.
But before such thoughts could grow…
Karna calmly added, "The Mani will remain with me personally for security reasons. I alone will deposit the generated gold into the treasury daily."
At once…
The atmosphere shifted.
Those greedy thoughts died almost instantly.
Because stealing from a treasury was one thing.
Trying to steal directly from Karna himself…
That was equivalent to digging one's own grave.
Soon afterward, the entire hall erupted into thunderous praise.
"Maharaj Karna ki Jai!"
"Maharaj Karna ki Jai!"
The chants echoed loudly across the royal assembly while the golden light of the Syamantakamani continued shining calmly in Karna's hand like a miniature sun itself.
From the day the Syamantakamani entered the treasury of Dakshina Kalinga, the kingdom itself slowly began moving toward an entirely different future.
What had once been a growing kingdom balancing between ambition and financial strain now suddenly possessed breathing room.
The burden that had quietly sat over the ministers' shoulders for years gradually loosened like chains being removed one by one.
Construction projects resumed without panic, trade routes expanded confidently...
And amidst all this…
Life inside the royal palace became strangely peaceful for Karna.
And so, two months passed quietly.